Author's note: Hey, guys, thanks for the reads, & the reviews. I love getting those alerts. Please feel free to keep them coming, & let me know your thoughts as the story progresses.

Please note that all combat in this chapter is happening at the same time.

Also, thanks for the 7,000 reads and counting!

Chapter 29

Northern Wastelands

Tien grabbed the back of Dr. Briefs collar and lifted him to be eye level with Salza. "I give you, the world famous Dr. Brief." Tien shook him a little and he let out a barely audible groan. "President and lead scientist of Capsule Corporation."

"What, what the hell are you doing?" Yamcha shouted to Tien as he skulked to be beside Piccolo.

"Tien? What are you doing?" Chiaotzu asked, mind racing.

"Extreme miniaturization, gravity control, incredible mechanical energy production and storage, synthetic medicines that put bacta to shame, and theoretical time travel." Tien shook Dr. Brief with each item he ticked off on his left hand's fingers. "Our emperors will rule the universe entirely, but he will make it a far quicker, more assured, process."

Yamcha stopped a few feet in front of Piccolo. "Tien, what the hell are you doing? I asked you..."

Tien brought his left hand to his right shoulder. "Automatic ki detecting targeting systems, too." He grinned as a pair of beams shot from both his pointer and middle fingers. One beam went to Piccolo, and he took it head on with a cross guard. The other went to Yamcha, and through Yamcha. "One target neutralized. That attack had about five times the power my entire body is able to produce. Thanks, Dr. Brief." He smiled.

Chiaotzu turned to Yamcha as the bandit dropped to the ground, clutching at the gaping wound in his lower stomach. At the base of the cliff there was a burn mark, the beam held itself together as it penetrated its target. Chiaotzu blinked and Loa was beside Yamcha, rolling him onto his back and energizing her hands over his wound.

"Come." Tien said while looking at Chiaotzu. "We need to present my information to Lord Cooler."

Chiaotzu turned his head back to Tien. "What?" He asked. His shoulders rotated under his head, and his entire body was now facing Tien. "Who are you?" He slowly started floating backwards, towards where he felt his team. "You're, you're not Tien."

"You need to listen better." Tien switched Dr. Brief to his left hand, and pointed his right at Chiaotzu. "You'll learn, I hope." He energized a Dodon Ray and fired it at Chiaotzu.

Before the yellow beam had a chance to strike, a pink whip wrapped around Chiaotzu and yanked him backwards. The psionic warrior was pulled to safety with plenty of room to spare, and landed harshly on the dirt next to Yamcha. "He's stable." Loa told him. "He can't fight them, get him out of here, Chiaotzu."

Loa rose to her full height and cracked her neck. Tien made eye contact with her and shook his head. He zipped the bag back up over Dr. Brief and threw him over his shoulder. Tien frowned slightly at Loa and began walking towards the ship.

"Should I come back when I'm done with Lord Cooler?" Tien asked Salza.

"Don't bother." Salza said as he tapped his scouter. "We'll have this done shortly."

Tien nodded and went to walk up the ramp. His first step landed on something akin to quick sand, and he looked down to see what he stepped in. A pink, now squished sphere, was climbing up his boot and onto his leg. "What?"

"Got you." Loa smiled. She reinforced the hair thick thread between her and Tien and whipped it back in the same way she did to Chiaotzu. As he was snapped through the air the bag containing his prisoner slid off his arm and was caught in the air by Krillen, who put it on the ground where Yamcha was beginning to glow blue.

Tien wasn't as lucky as Chiaotzu though. Where Chiaotzu was a friend, who wasn't caught, but was granted a relatively painless landing, Tien was an enemy. Loa kept retracting her impossibly stretched arm, accelerating Tien until he was stopped several meters into the cliff. Loose, and secure, rocks fell from the vertical face and trailed after each other towards the base.

Chiaotzu mentally lifted Yamcha and propelled the injured warrior as he shot off from the way he came. He stopped seconds later when Turles appeared in front of the pair.

Turles picked Yamcha out of the air. "Nappa will get him to safety, we need you here." As Turles spoke Nappa come up beside him, and cradled Yamcha in both arms.

"This feels weird." Nappa shook his head. "I'll get him to safety though."

Before Chiaotzu knew what happened, Nappa was out of sight, and so was Yamcha. "Okay." He spun back and looked over the soon to be battlefield. Piccolo was facing off with two of the aliens, and Loa was guarding against the hole that Tien created. Krillen was between the two, and the third alien, Neiz, seemed to have picked him out. Not stopping to consider the risk Chiaotzu set off back towards Krillen.

"RADITZ!" Turles called down to the ledge. "This will get ugly, be ready for plan B." Raditz nodded and Turles followed Chiaotzu to the ground, landing beside Loa.

Loa and Turles VS Tien.

Tien drew in a deep breath and slowly let it out. He pulled himself out of the rock he was embedded in and considered his position. Loa couldn't hurt him, not unless he let his guard down. Turles on the other hand was still out of his league. He grabbed his left wrist in his right hand and targeted Turles, still deep in his hole. The Dodon Ray shot out of the hole invisible to Turles' ki detection.

Turles saw the attack, but trusted his senses. He extended a hand to catch it, and missed. Loa slammed into him with her shoulder, dropping him to the ground and taking the shot directly into her chest. She growled in pain as she brought her hand to the wound, and as quickly as it appeared, it was gone. "You're stronger than him." Loa said. "But that cannon of his, you can't take it."

"Can we take him together?" Turles asked as he got back to his feet and dusted himself off. He felt Tien's energy from inside the cliff but it was still calm, low, not battle ready.

Loa took a moment to feel the power coming off of her teammate. "Yeah." She nodded. "If I can get close to him, I can disable his arm, but he's a lot quicker than I am."

"I'll hold him still." Turles assumed his stance and began powering up. All around him he felt the others doing the same. Finally, Tien was starting to power up as well.

Tien walked to the entrance of his cave. His aura blazed around his natural body parts, his left arm was oddly normal. He cupped his chin in his right hand, made eye contact with Turles using all three of his eyes, and opened his mouth. A thick white energy wave blasted from the back of his throat and charged at the Saiyan.

Turles brought his arms to his side quickly and thrust them forward. "Calamity Blaster!" He shouted as his hastily prepared beam shot out to clash with Tien's. When they hit Tien's Eraser Gun began overpowering Turles' Calamity Blaster, however that didn't last long. As Turles maintained his beam, he fed it as well. He didn't have much time to power his attack up, but it stalled long enough that he could reinforce it, and slowly overtake Tien's. When Loa shot past him he lowered his output slightly, not wanting the clash to end until she was within striking distance.

Loa kept low to the ground, and under the cover of the beams. Her back began to burn from the heat, and her heart was racing at the sight of the approaching energy ball, she was resilient, but she could still feel pain. Swallowing before the impact she burst through the ballooning point where the beams collided, and continued ahead towards Tien. She didn't know what tipped him off, but before she reached him he bit off the end of his attack and jumped into the sky, causing a grasping Loa to fly under his feet.

Tien kept a fixed distance between him and Turles, and traveled slow enough that Loa could stay close, but couldn't quite reach him. Turles spun in place to keep his attention on his opponent, and Tien couldn't find an opening. He knew this attack usually required a downed enemy, but he was hoping the arcing direction would work well enough. Tien held out his right hand towards Turles and increased his speed to his maximum. "Parmesan Shower!" As he continued around the circumference he sent slower, heavy, blasts in towards Turles.

Immediately Turles saw the blaring issue with this attack. Yes, he had blasts coming at him from a vast majority of directions, but they weren't just slow, but assumed an immobile target. He kicked off the ground and set himself a few dozen feet above where he was. Unfortunately, the inbound attacks didn't get the memo that they were dodged, and curled up out of their original attack pattern, and followed Turles into the sky.

"Crap." Turles looked around, over both shoulders, and began counting the incoming attacks. Reaching double digits he determined that didn't really matter, as long as he didn't get hit. Unfortunately, while he was trying to dodge, Tien kept his attack up, and spiraled in. Turles wasn't in a sphere of attacks yet, but if he didn't do something, NOW, he would be.

"Fuck." Turles swore as he spotted Loa still on the outside of the blasts, closing on Tien, she wouldn't be able to help. The attacks were getting too close for comfort, and he was soon out of navigable escape routes. He pulled his arms and legs tight to his torso and with a ferocious scream he threw his limbs, and energy, out. The Explosive Wave surrounded his body and held long enough to absorb a vast majority of the Parmesan Shower. A few of the later blasts got through, but not enough to slow Turles down.

Once the dust settled from his blast Turles frantically looked around, he had lost track of the other fighters. He found Tien, or rather he found Tien's fist as it rammed into the back of his neck. Turles ducked down and grabbed at his painfully throbbing, soon to be bruised, neck, and Tien took advantage of the opportunity to slam another, left handed, strike into Turles' gut. The Saiyan went flying higher into the air.

"Ginyu Strike!" Tien shouted as he battered the defenseless Saiyan in the chest and stomach. Tien ended his upward assault with a headbutt to his targets torso, that would have been far more effective if he had horns, followed by a left handed jab from above into Turles' spine, rocketing him back to the ground.

Turles rolled when he hit the ground, and Tien was on him again. Turles ducked a left hook. "ROCK CRUSHER!" Turles shouted as he bounced out of his duck, landing a ki reinforced knee into Tien's external pebbles. As Tien went flying back towards the cliff base Turles caught up and smirked. "New body, new weakness, Ginyu."

Tien was cupping his boulders as Turles brought his right hand up in front of his face. "Sudden Storm." Turles spoke calmly as his hand began to glow, and three dozen blasts were fired directly into Tien in the same amount of time as it took Tien to go from flying head first towards a rock face, to being repeatedly pounded into the ground.

As Tien pulled himself to his feet Loa made her move. She pounced from a few body lengths away, aiming to grab onto his arm. Unfortunately she was too slow, and Tien rolled back to his feet. Once he was vertical he took back off into the air, aided by several rapid Dodon Rays fired at, and piercing, Loa. As he ascended, Loa collapsed to the ground.

Tien's scouter beeped, giving almost no notice to the purple energy ball aimed at his ribs. Thankfully it was enough, and Tien was able to get his arm between himself and the attack, and it exploded harmlessly against the incredibly strong metal. Unfortunately for him, without constant attention, Loa was able to close her wounds and began chasing Tien once more.

"Processed Power Crush!" Tien shouted as he adjusted his course on a dime and raced back towards Loa. Heavy blow after heavy blow met little guard, but despite his far higher power he couldn't cause any real damage. It kept her occupied though, and he was beating her back towards the ground. When her feet had rock under them Tien let loose with a skull crushing overhead hammer strike, and pounded Loa waist deep into the Earth.

Tien admired his handy work for a moment before his scouter alerted him to another incoming attack. Tien jumped back into the air, not knowing the source of the attack, but just wanting to get out of its prescribed course. Unfortunately he was too slow, and guessed wrong. Turles drilled a spinning energy ball into Tien's spine.

The ki's momentum sent Tien spinning and howling towards Cooler's ship. Thankfully before he could scratch his new master's ride, Turles caught him. His grip wasn't set well though, and Tien kicked off to freedom. A barrage of Dodon Rays found their target and went through Turles' chest, stomach, and groin.

Turles faded away as he appeared behind Tien, securely grabbing his right wrist and left ankle. "LOA, NOW!" He shouted as he torqued his hands past each other. He wasn't actively trying to rip Tien apart, but if it happened, well, he wouldn't be too upset.

Tien saw Loa pull herself out of her half grave and rocket up to attempt to rejoin the brawl. Tien curled his left hand beside his waist and blindly fired several Dodon Rays. He felt blood splatter against his back, but he also felt his skin burn as his own attacks sliced through his flesh.

Turles' grip weakened as he tanked the multiple direct hits. Several were straight through, front to back, but multiple also went in at extreme angles, ripping his insides to shreds as they tore their way through him. Thankfully, before he let go Loa was on them.

Loa punched Tien hard in the left ear with her right hand, and reached between the men to grab Tien's offending hand. The energy attacks didn't slow, but just punched through her flesh. She gritted her teeth as Turles finally gave way and began falling towards the ground.

Tien grabbed her, attempting to pull her off of him, but she just spread out over his body. His left hand, wrist, arm, was enclosed in her body, and through her right hand, so was his head and neck. Loa tightened her grip and began wrenching at his limb. Tien charged energy in his left hand, and let it explode in his palm. Shreds of Loa were sent flying, but quickly reformed on Tien's tomb. He punched at his own face, beating Loa instead of himself. She stiffened at each impact. He began clawing at her, ripping chunks of bubble gum like meat from around his nose, trying to breath, but she reconstituted as quickly as she was broken down. She heard Tien began to gasp, begin to scream, and as he did, she tightened her grip, and began assaulting him from the inside just as much as the outside.

Within a minute, Tien went limp. Loa reinforced herself and gave his arm one last tug, ripping the robotics, and a large amount of his shoulder, free. She dropped it, and it landed near Turles prone form. Tien was immediately awake once more, screaming in agony. Loa adjusted him freely in space and threw him face first towards the Earth. Tien grabbed a blob of Loa as he was sent flying, and she elastically followed along.

Thinking quickly Tien turned his scream of agony into an Eraser Gun, and he dug a tunnel into the ground. He continued falling, Loa was right behind him, and they finally came to a stop, deep underground.

Turles stretched out with his senses. He felt them leaving, and weakening, both of them. He drug his bloody and broken body to the pit where the fight left him behind. He didn't feel that he could fly, so he didn't risk getting too close, but he looked as far down as he could. From his angle he could only see about five feet deep, and that wasn't enough. He felt someone coming up, but, but he couldn't tell who.

A pink tendril was the first thing to come into his sight, followed by Loa's grinning face, and her newly formed blue body suit, trimmed with a white chest plate, boots, and gloves. She took the scouter off her face and crushed it. "That, was tough." She said.

"Are you okay? You sound different." Turles asked. He wheezed and coughed up a small amount of blood.

"He damaged my vocal cords." Loa said as she knelt over the Saiyan. "But he's dead now, and absorbed." She looked over her outfit, eventually deciding it could wait. She placed a hand on her wounded comrade, and hoped she'd be able to figure out healing.

Loa and Turles VS Tien.

Winner? LOA!

Krillen and Chiaotzu vs Neiz

Neiz pointed at Krillen with one finger, and Chiaotzu with a less polite finger. "You two, shorties. You're mine."

"What? Me?" Krillen pointed at himself and looked around.

Neiz nodded and assumed a battle stance. Krillen blinked and Neiz was half way to him. He put up a guard, but Neiz's kick went low, and punted Krillen straight into the air. Checking to make sure Chiaotzu wasn't reacting, Neiz rocketed up after his new play thing.

Meeting Krillen at the apex of his arc, Neiz began charging ki in his left hand. At the same time he pulled his right hand back and up, and brought a closed fist down sharply between Krillen's shoulder blades. The bald monk opened his mouth to scream, but had no breath to expel.

Krillen hit the ground, hard. He bounced back into the air and eventually came to a stop in the middle of a small crater.

"DIE!" Neiz shouted as he thrust his left hand forward, shooting a wide, blunt, explosive beam at Krillen's back.

Krillen felt the attack heading his way. He was able to get his hands and knees under him, but he couldn't get out of the attack's path, it was too quick. He rolled onto his back and put his hands in front of his face. His ki was ready, and he intended to place a small explosive wave between him and the incoming attack, hoping to slow it to the point of being survivable.

Chiaotzu beat him to the punch though. A curved glowing blue field of energy was between him and Neiz, The psionic surface was slanted, and Neiz's attack hit it, followed its course like a bowling ball bouncing off bumpers, and exploded on the ground two dozen feet from Krillen.

Jumping to his feet Krillen used the cover provided by Chiaotzu to pull his arms in tight and charge an attack. Chiaotzu counted down in his head, and when the count hit zero, Krillen fired.

"Double Chaser!" Krillen shouted as a pair of red orange energy spheres encased his palms, shooting waves forward. The attacks weren't nearly as fast as Neiz's, and as such Neiz had no trouble dodging but Krillen twitched his fingers and the beams split apart and went their different ways. Neiz saw one out of the corner of his eye and danced out of its path. The second came close to catching him from below, but Neiz dodged it just as easily.

Krillen concentrated deeper, shortening the waves, and morphing them into a pair of thick, lose, energy whips. They continued attempting an ambush, but Krillen didn't replenish their energy, so their lengths were fixed for the primary attack.

Narrowing and lengthening one of the beams Krillen was able to encircle Neiz at about shoulder height. The other beam was coming from below, attempting to thread the needle through the first, but again, Neiz saw the attack coming. He dropped his ki, planning to lower out of the trap, and glide out of the path of the inbound blast.

His path was blocked though, a fine blue mesh had spawned spherically around him. The holes in the mesh grew and shrank, as if it were alive. Not knowing what the attack was, Neiz hesitated for a moment, but it was long enough for Krillen's attack to come up from below, and for Chiaotzu to dismiss the web. As the beam hit him from below, Krillen tightened the noose around his upper body, and the two explosions bounced off each other, ripping at their target.

"Good job, Chiaotzu!" Krillen shouted as he prepared another attack.

"I'm glad I could help." Chiaotzu said as he floated to Krillen's side. "I'll keep doing my best."

The smoke cleared, and Neiz floated, arms crossed, face red, and skin slightly charred. "You'll regret that." He growled. Looking down at his targets Neiz made his choice. Energy snaked between the fingers on his right hand, and he through the electric attack. Chiaotzu and Krillen split up, and Neiz twisted his wrist and adjusted his posture to follow Chiaotzu. "Bind Wave!" He said with a sneer as the attack caught up wit his victim.

Forgetting Krillen for the moment Neiz kept his clawed fingers up and pointed at Chiaotzu. Electricity played over his body as he was frozen in mid air. "You're going to regret tricking me." He said as he closed in on his prey.

Krillen raised his right hand, creating a small white energy sphere, and thrust it forward. "Photon Bomber!" A wave shot from the ball and hit Neiz right where Neiz hit Krillen. Wincing in pain the alien dropped his hold on Chiaotzu and turned to face the new target of his rage.

"YOU'RE DEAD!" Neiz screamed as he charged Krillen. His first punch landed in the center of Krillen's chest, a small snap followed by extreme pain let Krillen know this wasn't going to be pretty. Neiz's second punch landed in the exact same spot. His third, fourth, fifth, and sixth, pummeled Krillen's stomach. Krillen buckled in pain and Neiz's seventh through twelfth punches landed on the now exposed back of his head.

Chiaotzu got his feet back under him, and saw the brutal beating that Krillen was receiving. Thinking fast Chiaotzu removed his cab. He clapped his hands over his head, encasing them in ki. He floated off the ground once more, and using both his energy and psionic power, began to spin. Chiaotzu spread his fingers slightly, causing a flange of ki to start spiraling down his now entirely coated body.

Bringing his elbows down to meet his rising knees, Neiz juggled Krillen in the air. Right knee, left elbow. Left knee, right elbow. He thought he cracked the Earthling's sternum, and as his knees began sinking further and further into Krillen's body, he proved himself right.

"Drill Attack." Chiaotzu said as he began accelerating towards Neiz's unprotected back. "No, DEATH AUGER!"

Neiz was almost done with his punching bag when his scouter indicated an incoming attack. Seeing the small number, under a hundred thousand, he decided to not waste his time blocking. He balanced Krillen on his left knee, securing him with a tight grip on the monk's leg, Neiz prepared to use a razor sharp ki chop to separate Krillen's head from his body.

Chiaotzu's aim was perfect. His auger drilled through Neiz's armor, and kept digging into his flesh. Neiz's eyes bulged and he screamed in pain. Letting go of Krillen, Neiz flinched forward and spun in place. Chiaotzu couldn't keep up the pace, and Neiz stopped his spin with two heavily reinforced palm strikes.

When Chiaotzu was brought to a complete stop, Neiz brought the back of an open hand across his body, and smacked Chiaotzu into the distance. Smug in his victory the reptilian alien turned back to Krillen.

Krillen was right there. Neiz's nose would have been touching Krillen's, if Krillen had one. Krillen had his middle fingers touching either side of his eyes, palms open, facing Neiz. "Solar flare." He said as the world went from vibrantly colored, to painfully white.

Neiz screeched. If any bats were in the area, they would have had a very clear picture of the entire battlefield. He snapped his hands to his face, rubbing his eyes with the heals of his palms. "I'll kill you. I'll tear you to shreds. I'll rip out your heart and eat..." He found himself unable to speak, in fact, he found himself unable to do anything.

Krillen had put distance between him and his opponent, trying to figure out what he could do. He wasn't nearly as strong as Neiz, not even at the top of his game. Now, with his body fighting to stay together, fighting to stay awake, he knew he couldn't muster enough power to destroy Neiz.

Studying his ranting target Krillen watched his raging aura slowly turn blue. As he watched, Neiz froze. There was no physical sign the warrior was even alive, but Krillen could feel his overwhelming energy. It wasn't as much as Piccolo was dealing with, but it was still more than he could hope to overcome in a battle of strength.

"Krillen!" Chiaotzu shouted into Krillen's mind.

"Please tell me you have an idea?" Krillen responded. "I'm out of ideas, and almost out of energy."

"My Death Auger got to him, and it shouldn't have." Chiaotzu said.

Thinking for a moment a light bulb turned on over his head. "Got it." Krillen replied mentally. He held an open palm skyward, and a disc of energy formed over it. "Kienzen." He said, more to himself than anyone else. Closing his eyes Krillen focused on himself, his attack, his target, and Chiaotzu. "I don't think I have enough energy..."

"Take mine." Chiaotzu responded. He rose up from where he had landed, eyes, mouth, cheeks, and hands glowing blue. His posture and face stayed frozen as he slowly drifted towards the battle. Slowly, mindfully, Chiaotzu lowered one finger to be pointed at Krillen. As the finger moved, its aura faded, as its aura faded, Chiaotzu's grip on Neiz faded.

"...it in front of you." Neiz began pulling his hands away from his eyes.

A lasting beam of ki shot from Chiaotzu's finger, contacting Krillen's raised arm. Instead of letting it refill his dwindling ki reserves, Krillen forced the entirety of the borrowed energy into his attack. The Kienzen didn't grow, didn't thicken, and didn't spin more quickly, instead it just hardened, and grew sharper.

"I'm losing my grip." Chiaotzu said mentally. "Do it."

Waiting just another moment, using just another bit of Chiaotzu's ki, Krillen finally threw the Kienzen. Neiz was able to curse as the attack approached, but he wasn't able to dodge. His hands were half way into a block when the attack hit, but offered no resistance. Neither did his armor, or torso.

Krillen hit the ground first, but Neiz landed a heartbeat behind him. Chiaotzu landed last, but was the only one to get back to his feet. The smallest warrior worked his way to Krillen's side and started performing what little healing techniques he knew.

Krillen and Chiaotzu vs Neiz

Winner? CHIAOTZU!

Salza and Dore vs Piccolo

Piccolo lowered his head and crossed his arms and widened his stance. A low growl escaped his throat as he began to power up. His aura flung any and all loose rocks and soil away from him at relatively high speed. As his power crawled up, so did his growl. When he began to yell he snapped his arms apart and his head back.

Salza looked between Dore and Piccolo, before nodding at his teammate and stepping forward. Dore followed his lead. The pair stepped in time, summoning their power at an equal pace. Dore cracked his knuckles and started moving quicker towards Piccolo.

Salza stayed back as Dore charged the Namekian. He lowered his shoulder and leaped into an all out tackle. He gritted his teeth as he closed the short distance between them. Piccolo wasn't moving, he was either frozen in fear, or too slow to react, this would be easy.

When Dore was within arms reach Piccolo moved his left foot right, and his right foot just as far. Dore's shoulder went through thin air, and as his eyes widened in surprise, they shot open in pain. Piccolo delivered a quick elbow strike to Dore's back, knocking the larger fighter off balance and to the side.

"I know toddlers that have more battle sense than you." Piccolo said as he watched Dore stumble back into a fighting stance.

"QUIET!" Salza shouted as he tapped into the darkness within himself. He extended his hand, a glowing purple blade extending from the side of his closed fist. He took a few test swings through the air, Dore was standing aside, waiting. Salza jumped at Piccolo, bringing his blade around for a single cut.

Piccolo waited until the last moment once more, and thrust his forearm forward, connecting with the ki blade. The purple spray of blood went well with Salza's attack. Piccolo took a sharp breath, biting his tongue so as not to scream in pain, he brought his other arm around and delivered a heavy punch into Salza's stomach.

Piccolo jumped back, keeping an eye on either opponent. "I won't make that mistake again." He cupped his stump in his remaining hand, and a moment later a green arm burst through his burnt flesh, dripping in the nutritious slime of regeneration.

"You're right." Salza said while twirling his blade through the air. "Next time, it'll be your head."

Piccolo forced his ki into his palms, forming two small energy balls. Concentrating for a moment, he weaved the ki into a pair of spherical gloves, one on either hand. "Try me." Quickly looking at Dore, who didn't move, he jumped at Salza. His first punch knocked the purple blade out of its defensive pose, and his second was another direct hit into Salza's stomach. The third was blocked by Salza's free hand, and the fourth exploded upon impacting his face, sending him stumbling back.

Dore took advantage of the opportunity to come up behind Piccolo. The large, green, alien slammed a palm on either side of Piccolo's head, thumbs behind his ears, fingers scratching his target's face. "Double Can Opener!" He grunted as he put his immense musculature into cracking Piccolo's skull between the heals of both his hands.

Piccolo saw Salza reforming his saber, and screamed in agony. He grabbed both of Dore's wrists and both squeezed and pulled them. Salza made a show of slashing through the air, twirling his blade, cutting clean slashes in the ground, as he approached.

"Hold him still. I want to dissect this frog." Salza flipped his blade to come out of the base of his right fist, and reinforced it by placing his left fist atop his right. He raised the blade over his head, pointing down towards Piccolo's chest and stomach. "Three, two..."

"One." Piccolo barked as Salza shouted. As the blade was lowering Piccolo put effort into his defense. He released Dore's right hand, and yanked his left one right while stepping back, ducking, and twisting. As a result, instead of slicing Piccolo open like a squid in science class, Salza removed Dore's hand and a large part of his arm. Thankfully the wound was immediately cauterized, or he would have bled out quickly. The slice wasn't straight, instead it went from the outside of Dore's wrist to the crook of his elbow. His once white bone was charred and exposed to the air.

Dore howled in pain and Salza dismissed his weapon. Salza flipped backwards, landing on his feet a safe distance away from Piccolo. "Let him go." Salza said.

In response Piccolo twisted Dore to face Salza, and stood behind the disarmed warrior. He stabbed two fingers into Dore's back and began focusing his ki. "Special..."

Dore was too big, Salza couldn't get a clean shot. "Let, him, go." Salza growled. "Have you no honor?"

Piccolo leaned out from behind his shield. "You're fighting me two on one." He shook his head. "Beam..."

Salza knife handed at Piccolo, and five ki beams shot from his fingers. Three struck Dore's armored chest, one went wide, but the last one struck Piccolo's ear. Piccolo shoved Dore forward and touched a finger to the edge of his right eye. A blinding white light burst forth and Salza threw his hands up to protect his eyes.

With his eyes forced closed, and his fists rubbing them, Salza still saw nothing but blinding white light. Defensively he summoned his ki blade back and slashed out wildly in front of him, rotating as he did so. Seconds passed and nothing happened. When the searing pain stopped he opened his eyes a crack. When pain didn't stab through his optic nerves again, he quickly surveyed his new situation.

Dore was back on his feet, fighting a pair of Namekians. Another pair were on either side of him, and as soon as Salza saw them, they attacked. He took a step back, trying to get out from between the pair, and began slashing with his weapon. The Namekians were strong, but they weren't reacting like they were. If it weren't for one of them kicking his sword arm, he would have decapitated the other.

When Salza turned his attention to the offensive Piccolo, the one he struck slid behind him again and delivered several rapid punches into his undefended back. The blows hurt, they cracked his armor, but they weren't lethal, not while the Namekian's power was split like it was. Salza kicked at Piccolo, sharpening his ki to impale him through the ribs, however Piccolo caught the foot and forced it upward.

Salza fell backwards, struggling not to fall on his back. After a momentary panic he swept his other foot up, kicking Piccolo in the head, and using his ki to stay in the air. As his foot struck Piccolo's cheek, his other Piccolo brought an elbow down on his face, and a knee up to the back of his skull. His skull stayed together, however blood erupted from his nose, dirtying his blonde hair.

Salza saw red, not just due to his anger, but due to the blood he couldn't waste time to wipe out of his eyes. He glanced at Dore, and he was getting his ass handed to him just as badly. Letting his foot's ki blade explode Salza caused Piccolo to lose his grip, but lost his foot in the process.

Salza nearly hit the ground when Piccolo dropped him and the pain reached his brain, but he caught himself. "Dore, go!" He shot a weak air blast at Dore. The brute let himself be carried to the ground by it, free of Piccolo and Piccolo.

The two Piccolos that were focusing on Dore turned to Salza and appeared around him. Salza didn't need to look behind himself, he knew the other two Piccolos would be closing in on him from there as well. He formed a tight fist in his right hand, brought it into his chest, and tensed every muscle in his body. "I have had it with these motherfucking Namekians, on this motherfucking planet!" An explosive wave shot out from the leader of Cooler's Armored Squadron. Salza heard two pops from behind him, and saw one in front of him. The fourth, solid, Piccolo put up a cross block and was sent skidding back several feet.

Without lowering his guard Piccolo looked over towards the downed Dore. A fast moving, red, beam shot from Piccolo's left fist, followed by his right, and left again. They continued peppering the downed warrior, alternating hands, every tenth of a second. Unfortunately he was still regaining his power from the multiform, and they weren't powerful enough to penetrate the alien invader, however they did bludgeon him, shatter his armor, and force him to turn his back on the fight to protect his vital organs.

Attempting to stop the assault on his partner, Salza spawned an energy blade in either hand. Kicking himself into a circle he released first one, then the other, then another pair, of razor edged, half moon curved, blasts towards Piccolo. Noticing the attacks immediately, Piccolo jumped backwards and to the side, out of their path. Unfortunately for him, the attacks adjusted their course instantly, and maintained a direct path towards Piccolo.

Kicking into the air, losing small chunks of rubber from his boots, Piccolo dodged the attacks, however they began to curl in on themselves, and turn back towards him again. Salza was grinning and prepared another set of projectile energy blades. Thinking quickly Piccolo braced his right hand and forced four pulses of energy into his palm. "Chasing Bullet!" He shouted as a set of oblong blasts launched towards Salza.

Assuming the name was accurate, Salza took to the air as well. Moments later he was proven right as Piccolo's attacks began to follow him. Piccolo and Salza continued evading their pursuers as they attempted to focus on one another. Salza had to rely on his eyes and scouter, where as Piccolo could detect Salza even behind his back, as well as the incoming attacks. Placed at a clear advantage, Piccolo continued to shoot individual, left handed, ki blasts whenever he had a clear beat on Salza.

While his left hand kept Salza on his toes, Piccolo's right hand stayed glued to his forehead. He knew the attack was overkill, but more importantly it would be decisive. Using a little extra ki Piccolo manually took control of a new energy bullet and sent it to intersect Salza.

Taking the bait Salza took a hard right, following where the attack had curled in from, knowing it couldn't turn that tightly. Unfortunately for him Piccolo was that direction, and the two were heading right for each other. Salza began to peal up, hoping to go over Piccolo's head. Piccolo rotated, back to the ground, and mirrored Salza's movement.

Piccolo disregarded his manually controlled ki bullet when Salza was directly overhead. He snapped his fingers from his forehead out to the alien, touching their tips to his armored chest. "SPECIAL BEAM CANNON!" Piccolo shouted.

Salza's momentum carried him forward, the sharp beam slicing clean through him, from sternum to pelvis. He looked down, seeing the blood and tissue escaping his body. He didn't see his own blade attacks close in on him, and rob him of the few remaining seconds he could have had. By the time the Chasing Bullets had caught up, he was already dead, and all they did was drill through his body, and into the ground.

Piccolo, still flying upside down, arched his back and firmly planted his hands on the ground. He let himself be carried into a handstand before twisting on the heal of one hand and acrobatically sending himself spinning into the air, landing with his back turned to Salza, standing over Dore.

Without ceremony, without fuss, and without a second thought, Piccolo made eye contact with Dore. Dore didn't react, he was breathing, but Piccolo felt his energy bleeding out. Piccolo focused his ki and shot two powerful eye blasts into Dore. A blink later, Dore was no more.

Salza and Dore vs Piccolo

Winner? PICCOLO!

Piccolo pulled more of his energy forward and surveyed the battlefield. To his surprise, the third enemy was in pieces on the ground, and the treacherous Tien had been dealt with as well. Things weren't good though, no one on his team looked to be in good shape, and he knew things were just warming up.

A slow clap echoed from inside the ship, matched in pace by light footsteps.

Piccolo turned around once more to face whoever would come out next. He felt Turles approaching from behind, and distantly two other powers, Raditz and Vegeta, powering up.

Three-toed purple feet were the first thing to come into the light, followed by matte white armored shins. Piccolo took a step back as the newcomer continued his approach. The alien's tail swayed slowly behind him as he walked.

AUTHRO'S NOTE: Well, that went about as well as it could have for Earth.