I do not own any ideas taken from One Piece, Naruto, Bleach, Dragon Ball, HunterXHunter, Yu Yu Hakusho or Rustage's One Piece D&D. Eiichiro Oda, Masashi Kishimoto, Tite Kubo, Akira Toriyama, Yoshihiro Togashi and Rustage are the brilliant minds behind those stories and I'm simply using them to set the stage for my story! It's all for fun so please enjoy!
Chapter 66: The Murasaki Brothers
Zika and Hama bounded through the twists and turns of the dimly lit maze as sounds of destruction drew closer. Hama perked up his ears and Zika sniffed around as they heard a wall shatter and collapse nearby.
"That smells like Mugen, doesn't it?" Zika asked and Hama barked in agreement.
The two of them skipped to their left quickly as the wall they had been standing beside shattered inward and threw bits of shrapnel around. Mugen stepped through the recently constructed hole in the wall and looked around carefully.
"Lucky we knew where you were. We could have been hit by that wall." Zika laughed.
Mugen looked at Zika and Hama and grinned slightly, "Oh, hey guys."
Zika smiled, "You've just been cutting through the maze, huh?"
Mugen nods, "Nothing easier than a straight path."
"You heard those explosions earlier, yeah?" Zika asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah. It felt like it was coming below us." Mugen looked around as he spoke.
"You think it was Shuhei?"
Mugen thought for a few moments, "Maybe. But I ran a lot longer to get from the third floor to here than it took to get from the second floor to the third."
"Huh? What do you mean?" Zika asked.
"Either there's just a bigger space between the third and fourth floors or we're actually on the fifth floor." Mugen stated.
"The fifth floor? You really think so?" Zika questioned and Hama barked quietly.
"I'd like to believe so. Or else those androids blew up with Bulma below us…" Mugen sighed.
Zika shook his head, "There's no way. Bulma probably removed and deactivated those bombs already. And actually… I figured that the stairs Asuka had taken just led to a different part of this maze but maybe he made it to the fourth floor while we wound up here."
Mugen nods his head, "Then the explosions were caused by Asuka on the fourth floor." He grinned and swung his sword upward at the wall to his left, shattering it swiftly with a flying slash. "Let's keep moving."
"Right, Asuka should be right behind us at this point." Zika and Hama followed Mugen through the fresh hole in the wall.
Bulma laughed, "Alright, all three of them have been set."
Shuhei grinned, "Good. I can't wait to see the look on the other guys' faces."
Bulma turned to the three androids, now free of their bombs, and smiled at them. "Okay, guys, I'm gonna put you in DynoCaps until we get back to the ship."
"Affirmative." Android #3 said.
"Thank you very much, Bulma." Android #1 spoke.
"Yes, thank you." Android #2 nodded.
Bulma took out three DynoCaps and placed an android in each of them. She placed the capsules in her satchel and turned to Shuhei, "What now?"
"Let's take a shortcut." He answered as he hopped up onto the back of the Flying Nimbus.
"Hm?" Bulma raised an eyebrow.
Colonel Beige stood up from his desk and smashed his empty whiskey bottle on the floor of his office. He stormed through his door and down a long hallway to Dr. Flappe's personal laboratory. Unlocking and opening the door, Beige stomped in with his face red and a drunk sway in his steps.
Dr. Flappe turned slowly to face him, "Colonel." He greeted him.
"You said that you could give Dr. Gero's creations the necessary upgrades to make us unbeatable! A bunch of kids have ripped the androids and my soldier apart!" Beige draws a flintlock pistol from his left hip and aims it at the Doctor, "Did you sabotage Android #6?"
Dr. Flappe's eyes widen as the gun is pointed at him, "W-What?! N-No. I swear! I've just done my job as I always have. I swear it." He pleaded with the Colonel.
"There was no scheduled maintenance for #6 today. And the same arm you were tinkering with malfunctioned and caused the android to expire!" Beige struck Dr. Flappe in the forehead with his pistol.
The Doctor hit the ground unconscious and looked around the laboratory. "It's not over yet…" He laughs manically, "There's still #8 and the Murasaki brothers."
"A maze?!" Asuka groaned as he came to a dead end. "This place sucks." He looked around at the wall in front of him and he smiled slyly. With a powerful right jab he shatters the wall and creates an opening for himself.
He continued forward, punching his way through dead ends and various walls that he came across. Asuka wasn't sure where the others were but he had to press on to the top of the tower. Alice's dad was being held captive and he had to both free Dr. Flappe and beat up whoever was in charge at the tower.
He pressed onward until he came upon a dead end with a hole already broken through it. Asuka dashed through the makeshift door and picked up his pace as he looked for other holes created by his friends.
Mugen, Zika and Hama bounded up the stairway until reaching the sixth floor of Muscle Tower. The ground was dirt with various plants and vines hanging from the walls. They moved through the strange pseudo forest as they eyed their surroundings cautiously.
"We haven't run into any soldiers for a while now." Mugen said as they ran.
"Not since the third floor." Zika agreed and thought for a few moments, "Maybe Asuka got the rest of them to himself?"
Hama barked suddenly and the sound of gunfire filled the air. Four soldiers had appeared in the hall in front of them and unloaded their weapons at the trio. Zika and Hama leapt up and bounced around the walls with their Fang Over Fang, slamming into two of the soldiers as Mugen dashed after them.
Mugen spun his sword around in his hand and decapitated the other two soldiers with a single stroke of his blade. He crouches down and cleans his sword on the clothes of a fallen soldier. He grins at Zika, "Maybe there are a few more up here."
Zika nodded and chuckled, "I guess so."
The three of them continued onward until coming to a large chamber covered in tall grass and moss. There were trees all around and vines across the wall and ceiling. The two boys and dog walked through the fake forest and Zika sniffed the air.
Six arrows from varying directions were shot at the trio and they sprang into action to protect themselves. Mugen spun his sword around as he swung horizontally and deflected three arrows as Zika pulled out a kunai to do the same.
More arrows were shot from different positions and the trio dashed around to avoid the projectiles. Mugen skipped up and hurled a flying slash into a thicket of bushes as an arrow with a boxing glove attachment struck him in the side of the head. He landed on his feet and stumbled to his right as he rubbed his head, "What the…"
Zika pulled and threw kunai and shuriken around through the fake forest as his acute hearing and smell tracked the hidden assailants. Smoke bombs erupted all over the fake forest and thick black smoke filled the center of the chamber. Hama barks loudly as Zika lobbed a Demon Wind shuriken with a Jet Dial attached to it.
The Dial erupted as the enormous shuriken flew through the fake forest and it dispersed a great deal of smoke as it went. Zika grinned and scanned the surrounding bushes for enemies as Mugen ran up beside him.
"Get out of here." Zika spoke with a smile, "I've got these guys."
"What? No way. We can shred through these guys easily." Mugen protested.
"You already fought the android. I call dibs on this fight." Zika stated matter-of-factly.
Mugen rolled his eyes and deflected an arrow with his sword. "See you later." He nodded his head and dashed through the chamber as Zika threw his own smoke bombs across the fake forest.
Mugen makes it across the fake forest and smashes through the large double doors on the other side of the chamber. He continued onward and more soldiers appeared in his way. Mugen grinned wickedly as he lunged at them and ripped through the soldiers with devilish swings of his sword.
"Chop-Chop Rockets!" Asuka hurled his arms forward and struck down two soldiers as they appeared before him in the maze. He yanked his arms back and slammed furious kicks into the other soldiers before continuing onward.
He skipped through a hole in the wall Shaved around more soldiers as they opened fire with their machine guns. He appeared behind them and struck them down with a barrage of powerful punches.
Asuka dashed forward, moving faster and faster as he moved down halls and through walls. Kami's words echoed through his mind as he ran, "With the flame ignited up their backs, they had incredible resilience and strength. Though while the flame was extinguished, their speed increased several fold."
Asuka grinned slightly and leapt through a wide hole in a wall and landed in front of the stairs that led up to the next floor. Soldiers appeared, running down the stairs and aiming their guns at Asuka. He skipped forward and assaulted them with powerful blows.
Zika and Hama dashed around quickly as the hidden assailants in the bushes shot more arrows at the duo. Hama skipped up and Zika used his palms to launch the hound high up into the air. Hama spun around and launched himself off of the ceiling as he went hurtling downward at one of the occupied bushes.
A man wearing a purple gi and mask sprang out of the bush as Hama slammed down into it with a Single Fang Strike! Zika hurled a handful of shuriken at the man but his projectiles were shot down by arrows. Zika sniffed the air and dashed after the man in the purple gi and watched as he leapt into another bush.
Five arrows zoomed at Zika and he ducked under them as he dashed forward. He and Hama met up and sprang into the bush together. The man he had been chasing jumped back and shot an arrow that Zika caught in his hand. Hama lunged forward and clamped his teeth down on the man's left leg.
The man howled in pain and two other men, wearing the same outfit as the first, appeared from surrounding bushes and leapt into action. Hama released his hold on the first man as one of the others struck a heavy kick into the dog's side and sent him scampering back.
Zika exchanged blows with the third man and barraged him in the chest with his Wolf Fang Fist as the second man dragged the first into another bush. Hama barked loudly and Zika leapt back as three arrows zipped passed his head and the third man skipped back into the bushes.
"Fuck these guys." Zika grumbled under his breath and wiped his left sleeve across his nose. He and Hama skipped back into the bushes behind them and Zika lobbed more of his scentless smoke bombs across the Fake Forest.
Black clouds of smoke flooded the center of the chamber and slowly moved outward as a silence hung in the air. Zika patted Hama on the head and dug a Flavor Dial out of his weapon pouch. He set the Dial on the ground and activated it, a slow stream of flammable gas spewing out of it.
"Go." Zika whispered and he dashed to the right as Hama dashed off to the left.
Hama barked loudly as he bounded around the chamber and the sound of arrows flying through the air could be faintly heard. Zika pulled out two more Flavor Dials and activated them as he sent them flying into nearby bushes.
A scream filled the air as Hama sniffed out the man he had bitten and clamped his teeth down on his right leg. Hama yanked the man down to the ground and ripped into his leg as another man in purple appeared behind the dog.
The smell of blood filling his nostrils, Zika leapt up and spun rapidly as sped toward Hama with a Single Fang Strike. He slammed into the man behind Hama and sent him crashing into a thick fake tree. Hama released the man he had attacked and Zika activated and dropped another Flavor Dial before the two of them dashed away from the scene.
The duo hid in another bush and Zika dug a blackpowder bomb from his pouch. With a grin on his face, Zika lit the fuse of the bomb with his lighter and threw the explosive at the man that Hama had maimed. The bomb erupted and ignited the gas in the air, obliterating the man with injured legs and incinerating the man that had been slammed against the tree.
Fire spread through the air wildly and ignited the Fake Forest quickly as the various Flavor Dials had pumped enough gas around to destroy the chamber. With at least two of their enemies dead, Zika and Hama dashed through the burning Fake Forest as more arrows zipped passed them.
"Cha and Aka are dead!" A voice bellowed from somewhere within the inferno.
"Big brother we need to leave!"
"We need to put out the fire!"
"Stand and fight, brothers!" Sergeant Major Purple roared as he Shaved beside Zika and slammed a furious punch into the side of the boy's head.
Zika stumbled to his side as the Sergeant Major struck Hama in the belly with a swift kick. Zika lunged forward and exchanged blows with the eldest Murasaki brother.
The other three brothers dashed around in a panic as the inferno spread across the Fake Forest. The three of them stopped in a space away from the flames and took shots at Zika as he battled their older brother.
The arrows zipped passed the two as they exchanged blows and the Sergeant Major sent Zika reeling back with a swift uppercut. Hama leapt up and spun rapidly through the air, he slammed into the Sergeant Major's back!
An arrow struck Zika in the right thigh as another arrow struck the Sergeant Major as he was sent stumbling forward by Hama. The third arrow zipped passed Zika's right ear as he clutched his right leg and winced in pain.
Sergeant Major Purple gritted his teeth and planted his left foot down as he slammed a wide left hook into Zika's head. He spun around and ducked beneath another Single Fang Strike from Hama before dashing toward his three living brothers.
Zika broke the arrow sticking out of his leg, leaving the arrowhead inside. He and Hama leapt around as more arrows flew passed them and they stared at the four brothers as thick smoke burned their eyes and obscured their vision.
The four brothers coughed roughly and Sergeant Major Purple waved the others away, "Get out of here, guys, I can finish this guy off before the smoke puts me to sleep."
The three younger brothers moved to protest the words of their elder when Zika and Hama ripped through the smoke and slammed into two of them with their Fang Over Fang! Two of the brothers were sent skipping across the ground as Zika and Hama landed on their feet.
Zika pulled Thunder Dials from his pouches as he lunged forward and he shocked the last two Murasaki brothers into unconsciousness.
Hama whined and coughed as Zika hacked up a lung, "Let's take care of the fire and smoke, boy."
Mugen walked slowly toward the group of soldiers that guarded the stairwell leading to the Seventh Floor of the tower. He pointed his sword at them and grinned as fresh blood dripped from the tip of his blade. "Get the hell out of my way."
"Just give up!" One of the soldiers shouted, "You're outnumbered and this insanity has gone on long enough!"
"Move out of the way." A mechanical voice sounded out and a ten foot tall android came lumbering out of the stairwell.
"Holy shit." Mugen stared at the android. It had an enormous head with a cylindrical cranium fitted with short dark blue hair. It had small eyes, a large nose and a wide jaw with two stitched up scars on its face. It wore a dark blue suit under a pale blue sweater with comfortable looking brown loafers.
The android took a few slow steps toward Mugen and raised his hands up, "Please leave. We don't want to fight you."
"Wait! We'll totally fight you!" A soldier shouted.
"Yeah, we just want you to surrender!" Another soldier yelled.
"I don't want any violence around here. I hate violence." The enormous android spoke and nodded its head.
Mugen raised an eyebrow, "Looks like the big guy knows what's up. Let me pass and nobody will get hurt." Mugen said and grinned menacingly.
The soldiers looked at the android and then back to Mugen, "Hey! Just kill him you stupid robot!"
"Do your job!"
"You don't like violence?!"
"Are you broken or something?!"
Mugen sighed and thought about Bulma. She had worked hard to save those other androids for some reason… Was it because she felt the same way that he now feels? He looked at the large android and began walking toward the group of soldiers.
"Please, do not engage us." The android pleaded.
"What's your name?" Mugen asked.
"I am Android #8."
"Stay back!" A soldier shouted and fired a warning shot into the ceiling.
"I'm gonna have to at least knock these guys out." Mugen said with a smile.
Android #8 nodded, "Okay…"
Asuka dashed into the shriveled remains of the Fake Forest where Zika was loaded various Dials back into his pouches. Four bodies lay on the ground beside him and Hama, still breathing.
"Whoa, what happened here?" Asuka asked as he approached Hama and patted the dog on its head.
"Burned the palace down." Zika explained simply.
"What floor is this?" Asuka asked.
"The sixth. Mugen thought that you and I had ended up on different floors when we took different stairs." Zika nodded.
"Makes sense. Mugen made it up here?" Asuka looked across the chamber at the open double doors.
"Yeah, he should be on the Seventh Floor by now." Zika said and Hama barked happily.
"Let's catch up to him then." Asuka said with a smile, "Before he steals all the fun for himself."
To Be Continued