Eli sighed contently. She lay atop the main dome of the Lookout, slightly tired after training. A slight smile crossed her lips as she sank into a state of meditation. "Who says I have to do this Piccolo's way?" was her last concious thought before giving way to subconcious remembrance rather than concious thought.
Images danced throughout her mind. Her kiss with Trunks, Chill, Talks with Siarra and Piccolo, and then...
Flashback
"Don't you get it bitch! No one will help you! Now shut the fuck up and get what's coming to you!"
End Flashback
Eli shivered. Of all the things she wanted to remember, that was definately not one of them. That brought her back to conciousness, but Eli chose to remain in her meditative position. She reflected back on the past year. Eli wondered if, without 'the incident', would she have come to see Chill as a son? Or Siarra as a sister? Or, even if she would never admit it, Piccolo as a father?
Eli had to think on that last one. Piccolo as a father-figure? Four years ago, Eli would've committed the person who dared suggest that. Four years ago, Piccolo and her may've been on the same team, but secretly each one would hope the other would be maimed in battle. Four years ago, they were willing to go at each other's throats.And now, Eli respected him more than any other warrior...and dare say it, love him like a father.
Chill watched his sister meditate from several feet away. He knew she hadn't detected him yet, since she hadn't thrown any remark to offset his plan. His hands began to shake. He had never managed to sneak up on her this close before. He couldn't take it any more. He jumped.
Eli sensed a shadow fall over her. She cracked one eye in the nick of time to catch Chill falling towards her fast.
"Eli!" He cried. Landing on top of her.
The force of his landing forced Eli to start sliding backwards. Before she knew it, Eli had hit the main deck of the Lookout with Chill landing on top.
"Y'know Chill...nudging me and asking gently works just as effectively as this." Eli moaned.
Chill giggled impishly. "Sorry, Eli."
Eli shoved the giggling Chill off of her and the two sat there on the Lookout deck.
"So, Eli, what are you gonna do today?" Chill asked.
Eli sighed, she knew Chill was angling for something. "What is it you wanted to do today, Dai-chan?"
"I think you should train with Siarra today!" Chill blurted out.
Eli smirked and stood up. "If you want to train, Siarra, you gotta get a new way to lure me into it. This can't work forever."
Siarra stepped out of the shadows she had been watching from. Eli glanced over her shoulder at her best friend. Siarra's training gi waved loosely in the light breeze uncommon to the Lookout deck. A smirk crossed both their faces, as they knew they were both in for a damn good session.
Eli turned to face Siarra. She waved at Chill.
"Go play with Popo or Dende for a few minutes, Chill. I've got to teach Siarra a lesson."
Chill scampered off inside the Lookout hallways as both girls lowered into their fighting stances.
"I think I'll be the sensei today, Eli!" Siarra challanged.
Both girls powered up to super saiyan level one, and the fight was on.
Both girls powered down from super saiyan level three collasped into a sitting position a foot from one another.
"Now that's training!" Siarra panted. She wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her arm.
Eli nodded in agreement. The spar session had gone on for more than an hour, way more than each teen had expected it to go.
Eli suddenly felt a shiver go up her spine. Her eyes widened and unfocused. Her breathing became heavy. Her hands began to shake. It looked like she was going into some sort of fit.
And then it stopped. New sweat slid down her brow and onto her confused face.
"What is it?" Siarra asked, concerned.
"I don't know." Eli said shakily, looking over her shoulder.
"Hmmph. Maybe all this training just has you paranoid." Siarra suggested.
"Maybe." Eli's eyes scanned over the Lookout deck, still not satisfied that she couldn't sense anything. She knew for a fact the only time she went into that sort of state was when...
No. No Brutilia was no where near here. She couldn't even sense him! But, why then, did her warning system she had instelled in her very being go off?
"Weird." Eli said.
Both girls sat in silence for several seconds. Eli broke the tension.
"Let's go inside." She said, helping Siarra to her feet.
Both girls began walking towards the Lookout building. Siarra sniffed her training gi.
"Phew! I smell like a fricken gym bag!" She exclaimed comically.
Eli laughed, as did Siarra at her well placed joke. Siarra was surprised to hear Eli's laughter become cut off.
She turned around.
Eli stood motionless in the center of the Lookout deck. Her eyes and jaw were clenched, her teeth were bared in a gruesome smile, her hands were constricted into fists.
Siarra ran to her and grabbed her strongly by the shoulders.
"Eli? Eli! What is wrong with you!" Siarra shouted, shaking her.
Eli's mouth only gave one response; "Him!"
"Him?" Siarra asked, still shaking Eli. "Him who? Who dammit!"
"Me." Came a voice. Siarra felt a tremor claim every muscle in her being. She had heard the voice before. The last time she'd heard the voice, she'd seen Eli get her throat slit.
Brutilia's smirking form hovered above the Lookout deck. His arms were crossed smugly over his broad chest. His red/black hair hung slightly in his eyes, so much like Chill's. His black eys focused evilly on Eli.
Siarra drew a silent gasp into her lungs.
Brutilia raised his hand. "Leave us to our buisness." He commanded. He fired a ki blast at Siarra. It caught her just above the stomach and propelled her backwards; into the main building of the Lookout.
Eli called her friend's name in a panic. She knew full well that Brutilia wouldn't hesitate to kill one person who was in his way. Brutilia materialized in front of her, sending her into a panic. Eli reverted into her self as she'd lived under Brutilia; she closed and averted her eyes, put her hands at her sides, and muffled every sound trying to come out of her throat.
Siarra flew backwards into the main building of the Lookout. Brutilia's energy ball bearing down on her skin; Siarra knew she either had to stop herself, or be thrown into the wall with a strong burst of ki most likely being drilled into her vital organs. Suddenly, Siarra felt a hand grasp the back of her gi, and pull her out of the path of energy blast.
"'Tosan!" Siarra gasped.
Piccolo released his grip on his daughter's gi, preparing himself to give another lecture.
"How many times have I told you andEli not to go so hard on these training sessions?" Piccolo asked exasperatedly.
"No...It's...It's Brutilia!" Siarra gasped, suddenly in a panic. The realization had suddenly hit her that Eli was alone with a psychopath out on the deck.
Piccolo's teeth clenched in a panic.
"How did he get up here?" Piccolo asked himself mentally. "Fuck! I didn't even sense him!"
He looked from the deck, to Siarra, and back to the deck. "Don't let Chill out there!" Piccolo commanded as he took off towards the deck.
Brutilia circled Eli, like a shark circles a wounded seal. Eli could smell him so close to her, it made her sick. As long as she lived; she would never forget the smell of cheap aftershave and booze. Her sweat felt so freezing to her all of the sudden. She almost missed the fact that Brutilia was talking to her.
"You've grown up a little haven't you?" He said civilly.
Eli shivered.
"Yes. You're what, sixteen, now?"
Eli didn't move.
"Answer me!" Brutilia commanded, lowering his voice an octave or two.
"Yeah." Eli said meekly.
"Hmm. Almost legal." Brutilia sneered.
Brutilia slowly reached foward and caressed Eli's jawline. He lifted her chin just enough to expose her scar."Quite a piece of work, huh?" he asked. He ran his index finger on it in admiration.
"Leave me alone." Eli commanded meekly.
Unfortunately Brutilia heard her. He violently pulled her face down to his, forcing her to look into his eyes."What did you say to me?" He asked menacingly.
He socked her right in the solar plexis. She instinctively fell foward in pain, and when she did he gave her an uppercut in the jaw. For the coupe de grace, he kicked her into the floor a few feet away.
Eli pulled herself into a sitting position, looking up just in time to see Brutilia begin to advance upon her.
"Take one more step, and I'll make sure you never walk again." Came a voice from behind Brutilia. Eli sighed in relief, Piccolo had come to her aid. But, her relief was short lived when she remembered that Brutilia had the power to blow her and Piccolo away. Brutilia looked behind himself to see who had interrupted his fun-fest.
"I had to defend myself," Brutilia said charmingly. "You know how unstable this kid is. She swung at me first..."
"Don't bullshit me, you monster." Piccolo said flatly, cutting him off.
Eli began pulling herself to her feet, confident that Piccolo's help had distracted Brutilia enough.
Without warning Brutilia spun and grabbed Eli by her shirt collar, lifting her right off the ground she stood on. He pulled her to where she was an inch away from his face. She could see the raw rage festering in his soul-less eyes. She could see the vein pulsating in his temple as anger pumped throughout his system.
"Where's my boy?" He asked angrily.
Siarra glanced cautiously around the cornor. She felt her breath hitch as Brutilia snatched up her best friend. She knew he was saying something to her, she just couldn't tell what.
"Eli?" Chill whispered.
Siarra looked down just to see Chill come dashing down the hall, fully intent on rushing out onto the deck; and into harm's way. She reached down just as he ran by and grabbed him up in her arms. He squirmed and beganto protest his unwarented 'capture'. Siarra quicklyput her hand over his mouth.
"Chill. You have to be very quiet right now, okay?" She asked seriously.
Chill shookhishead, and the two watched the scene playout.
"Chill! This bastard is here to get Chill!" Eli's mind screamed. Her head began to race with what to tell him. She considered telling him that he was at one of the other warrior's homes, but she also knew this would put them in awesome danger. Finally she decided there was only one thing she could tell him.
"Go to hell." She said quietly, so only Brutilia could hear.
Brutilia's system seemed to overload on rage. His grip tightened and his teeth clenched so hard Eli swore she saw a piece of tooth chip off.
"You...little...bitch!" Brutilia swore. He swung her around until he felt he had enough momentum and he pitched her towards the floor, creating a ditch where she landed.
"Now you listen here, and you listen good!" Brutilia threatened, pointing his finger at her. "You got ten days to give me my boy back! If you don't, then you meet me at the concrete shack behind my house, and we'll settle it there! Your buddies won't help you this time!" And with that he took off, leaving only a fading trail of ki behind him.
Eli stayed sitting where she'd landed. She was pulled out of her little trance by a pair of small arms wrapping themselves around her and holding her tight.
She could hear Siarra telling Piccolo that she'd kept Chill hidden. She could hear Chill talking to her. But only one thought permiated her mind;
"This is bad."