Dragon Ball Z: Dynasty
Written by: Feraligreater328 and StevenBodner
Edited by: StevenBodner and SparkerLightning
A/N: Brief trigger warning. This gets a bit uncomfortable near the end. Brace yourselves.
Also, to settle a debate that I have seen going on in the comments for a while now, I don't mind ideas. I do mind people spamming them over and over again. Say your piece, say it once, and then please stop. Continuing to shout the same thing at me over and over again is a good way to make me hate the idea really quickly and want nothing to do with it. (Ex. The Akai Tomato idea. I was planning to use that before a certain guest reviewer started asking about it. Then I kept seeing the exact same goddamned paragraph spammed by the exact same person in my email box every day. Now I just don't wanna do it anymore.)
Also, I've made my opinion of Yifan Bao known quite a few times. Don't want to address it anymore. He and the various other "Guest" accounts he writes under are annoying, he's not going to stop, I'm just going to keep deleting everything he writes and move on.
Please enjoy the chapter. :)
Chapter 132: The Tuffles Strike Back
On the ground, Planet M1...
Turles and Salza led the charge as the Demon Crushers and the Armored Squadron all advanced towards the looming fortress of Dr. Wheelo. Turles motioned. "Hey, Bardock?"
Bardock nodded. "Yo?"
Turles continued. "My scanner on my eye is showing five life signatures in there. What's your ki sense telling you?"
Bardock closed his eyes and focused. After a moment, he nodded. "Yup. Tuffles. Four of them are. There's a fifth, but...something is off about it..."
Turles glared towards the building. "The Tuffle Academy of Science."
Salza glanced over at Turles, but then his scouter chimed. "Zis is Salza."
After nodding along for a few minutes, Salza pressed the button on his scouter again. "Neiz. Dore. It has been located."
Neiz cackled. "All right~!"
Dore punched his fists together. "Hell yeah~!"
Salza glanced over at Turles again. "Zis is where we part ways, Saiyan. After ze deaz of crewmates, I assume ze request you gave before is off ze table?"
Turles shook his head. "No. I would still prefer if you would try your best to spare the Tuffles. No matter what, I have something that I have to say to them...even after what they've done to my friends..."
Salza nodded. "Very well zen. We shall head into ze domain of Dr. Gete now. Adieu, Saiyan."
The Armored Squadron separated from the group. As they parted ways, Amond reached out and punched Dore on the arm. Dore was confused at first, but then smirked and punched back. Neiz stuck out his tongue at the rest of the Demon Crushers, petulant as ever. And, finally, Turles called out to Salza. "Hey, Salza..."
Salza turned. "Yes?"
Turles continued. "If you're headed to her domain, then I suppose I should tell you about Dr. Gete..."
Salza glanced back, but didn't stop his forward stride. "What about her?"
Turles didn't glance back. "Vegeta II's Black Box lists her as being deceased. And he was the thorough type. I'm not saying there couldn't be an error...but I would be wary. Something about her being alive makes me uneasy compared to the others..."
Salza twisted his head back forward. "I will take it under advisement. But you should focus on yourself, Turles."
Turles nodded. "Right..."
Once the Armored Squadron had departed, Bardock and Slug both caught up to Turles, standing on either side. Slug crossed his arms. "Something about this feels off. Two of our strongest have died and this still feels too easy..."
Bardock nodded. "We're definitely walking into a trap..."
Turles sighed. "I know. But this is our only option. The subtle and sneaky approach gives them too much time to start trying to send things off planet. And if I don't get that Revenger Crystal now...then Zeeun and Cacao died for nothing..."
Slug's jaw tightened. Bardock closed his eyes. The two of them came to a stop and Turles followed suit, turning to face his remaining followers. "Men! Within this structure behind us is the goal of months of planning! The domain of Dr. Wheelo looms right at our noses! It's up to all of you to assist me! Tear this place apart and find that Revenger Crystal! And should you run into any Tuffles, spare and detain them! Got it?!"
Everyone roared back at once. "UNDERSTOOD, CAPTAIN!"
Bonyu sighed and flipped her ponytail, marching forward to join up with Turles, Bardock, and Slug at the lead. The red-skinned Brenchian turned and motioned for Zangya to follow.
The Heran woman flinched at first, but she quickly joined the others. Together, the five of them aimed their hands at the door and began to charge ki blasts to tear it down as the entire Demon Crusher crew roared behind them. Now was the time to break in and do all of their fallen proud!
Within the sanctum of Dr. Wheelo...
Seeing the massive mob just outside of their door, the Tuffle Academy of Science's collective mood had sunk down quite a bit. The first blasts hit the door and Gete, Myuu, and Raichi all grimaced. Kochin, meanwhile, fell back and began to shriek. "Wh-What do we do?! They're here!"
All was quiet as the scientists stood and listened to the continual pounding at their sanctum. The veins of Raichi's head pulsed, smoke curled from Gete's cigarette, Myuu took off his sunglasses and wearily dragged his fingers across his eyes. And then, finally, Dr. Wheelo's booming voice spoke. "Myuu. It is time for you to leave."
Dr. Myuu immediately turned, pressing the sunglasses back onto his face. "WHAT?!"
Dr. Gete and Dr. Raichi both glanced over at their longtime comrade, both looking wistful and forlorn. Dr. Wheelo continued. "Our part here is done. The Revenger Project fully complete. And your brilliant input is the only input still required to finish out our opus..."
Dr. Raichi bowed his head. "All of our suffering will have been for nothing should they get their hands on that. Forgive our selfish request, Myuu...but if this is the end of M1, then you must live on."
Dr. Gete smiled at him. "Just think about our glorious vengeance, Myuu. Think about the final extermination of the Saiyans. You must go...you must keep The Cradle safe..."
Dr. Myuu snarled. "No! No no no! I refuse! I will not just flee and leave you behind! You are all I have left in this life! I refuse to abandon you, my fellow Tuffles!"
He pointed to Dr. Gete. "Not you, Gete!"
Then to Dr. Raichi. "Nor you, Raichi!"
Then to the massive tank containing Dr. Wheelo's brain. "Especially not you, Wheelo!"
And then he jabbed his finger at the final person in their presence. "And not...not..."
In this moment of furious passion, Dr. Myuu's brain misfired. For that brief instant of thought, he could simply not remember this fellow's name. The whithered old man on the ground gripped his ornate cane and stood, then Dr. Myuu shouted. "KOCHIN!"
The blue-skinned scientist was trembling in place. "I will not abandon you! I will not! You cannot convince me!"
Gete chuckled, tossing aside her old cigarette and lighting a fresh one. "When did we all become this mature? Talking about who gets to live and ranting over not abandoning each other...was it that long ago we were young?"
Raichi was grim. "Vengeance is the most important goal, Myuu..."
The bulb-headed old man gently slid his hand over the surface of the crystal ball he sat atop. "Can't you hear their screams? Would you deny them this, Myuu? After what that bastard Vegeta did..."
Dr. Wheelo spoke clinically. "The Cradle must be brought to term, Myuu. The final baby of the Tuffle race must be allowed to live, so that the Saiyans may die."
Dr. Myuu screamed at his comrades. "I REFUSE!"
Gete shot a loving smile. "Oh, Myuu~"
Raichi bowed his head. "You have always been a good man."
And then, Dr. Wheelo spoke again. "My apologies, Myuu...but this was not a request."
And then, from above Dr. Myuu, a jet of frigid wind shot down. All at once, before he could protest, the scientist was frozen solid like a statue. From the shadows, several beings emerged. Reminiscent of Saibamen, these blue dwarves carefully picked up the frozen doctor and began to march over to a nearby teleporter. Dr. Gete called out. "Make sure he's secured! I don't want him to be hurt, you understand me?"
Dr. Kochin cackled. "Worry not. The Bio-Men are more than capable of watching over one frozen man~"
Ignoring Kochin, Gete and Raichi watched as the frozen features of their friend disappeared in a flash of light. Kochin glanced up at the massive screen next to them. "Luckily, no one has approached Dr. Myuu's laboratory. Nor have they approached the laboratory of Dr. Raichi. There should be nothing to disturb the off-loading of The Revenger Project into Myuu's lab. And then, once that's done..."
Dr. Wheelo spoke. "Enough. He is gone. That is all there is to it. We must now focus on the problems that presently plague us..."
The building continued to rumble as the five outside blasted at the door. Kochin cackled. "Yes, yes~ Your new body is here, Wheelo. And worry not, my Bio-Warriors are all too ready to capture it for you~"
Dr. Wheelo responded with a cold indifference he never expected to adopt for one of his closest friends. "Then do it."
Kochin nodded. "Of course~ Just sit back~"
Once Kochin was gone, Dr. Gete was the next to make her departure. "Well, Kochin didn't mention that my lab was untouched, so I had better get there to greet whatever guests await me~"
And, like that, she began to stride toward the teleporter with purpose. The genuine tone of care returning to his disembodied voice, Wheelo called to her. "Gete!"
Gete blew a wisp of smoke into the air, discarding her cigarette butt and lighting a fresh one. "Don't you start fretting over me, Wheelo. I won't fall to these vermin. After all..."
She turned and blew Wheelo and Raichi a kiss. "Dying isn't trendy~"
And then, in a teleporter flash, Gete was gone. Now alone, Wheelo addressed the last of his dear comrades left. "Raichi...why didn't you go with Myuu? You turned down my offer and I allowed it, because only he was really necessary for The Cradle, but I fail to see the logic in staying here..."
Dr. Raichi was silent. He stood from his crystal ball, his decrepit legs shaking under his weight, and pulled a locket from within his shirt. The scientist snapped open the tarnished clasps and stared longingly at the picture within. "It's like I told Myuu...we owe it to those we've lost to gain revenge on those filthy apes. If my being here can kill even one of them, then it would be worth losing my life."
Raichi hobbled toward the console, leaning against it and entering commands onto the console "Besides, it's not like I am here to be a mere spectator..."
Back outside...
As Turles, Bardock, Slug, Bonyu, and Zangya all charged one last blast to take down the heavy, metal doors of Dr. Wheelo's fortress, the ground suddenly began to shake and shudder. Bardock frantically glanced around. "Wh-What the hell?!"
Over with the Armored Squadron...
Salza, Dore, and Neiz all came to a stop, turning the direction the rumbling shockwaves were coming from. Salza called out. "What ze hell?!"
Neiz gasped and pointed to the sky. "LOOK!"
In the distance, behind Dr. Wheelo's sanctum, another building was lifting out from the surface on the planet, propelled by jet thrusters. Seeing the writing going down the side of it, Salza immediately reached up and pressed the translator button on his scouter. The foreign script was quickly decoded, spelling out one word: Myuu.
Salza scowled. "It looks as if Dr. Myuu is abandoning his comrades..."
Dore sneered. "GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE! WE DIDN'T GIVE YOU PERMISSION TO LEAVE YET!"
In a rage, the hulking Beppan fired off a blast that smashed into the side of Dr. Myuu's building. The explosion caused a shutter to break loose and, from within, a single pod fell down and crashed through the top of Dr. Wheelo's domain. Dore prepared another blast, but then Salza held up a staying hand. "We must focus. Dr. Myuu is irrelevant. If Dr. Gete pulls an escape act like zat, zen we have a problem. We must make haste!"
Neiz nodded and he and Salza continued running in the direction of their ship, which was hovering over another large building. Dore scowled. "Fine..."
And then he followed suit.
Back within Wheelo's sanctum...
Dr. Wheelo's tank bubbled. "Damn that Beppan wretch! Has the safety of Myuu's building been compromised?!"
Standing at the console, Dr. Raichi shook his head. "Not in the slightest. That fools only damaged a single cargo hatch."
Dr. Wheelo calmed. "What fell out then?"
Raichi quickly replayed the footage, staring sternly at the pod as if fell and crashed through the roof of the building he was in. "A single pod from The Revenger Project. So, nothing that Myuu will need to continue our work once he thaws out..."
Dr. Wheelo sighed. "I see. Good. Now then, returning to the problem at hand..."
Dr. Raichi sneered. "Indeed. I will focus mainly on the bugs writhing at our door. Gete will end those fools coming after her. Now then..."
The bulbous-headed Dr. Raichi tapped away at the keys on the console in front of him. As he did, the lights within Dr. Wheelo's sanctum began to dim. Raichi snarled. "Let us put some fear into these miserable cretins!"
Back with Turles' group...
In one final controlled burst of energy, Turles, Bardock, and their comrades finally attained their goal. The heavy metal doors of Wheelo's sanctum blasted apart and fell to the ground with a heavy thud. Turles sighed. "Okay, Dr. Myuu might have split, but we aren't done yet. Let's get in here and see...what..."
Turles stared up at the ceiling and watched as the lights above dimmed and flickered. Slug called to him. "What's wrong?!"
Turles sneered. "I don't believe for a second these people would have faulty wiring in their fortresses. So, what the heck is going on?!"
The scientist's question was almost immediately answered. From the sides of Dr. Wheelo's fortress, several tesla coils emerged and shot out a massive, electric burst. But rather than hurt those who were standing there to watch it, this burst traveled out. It rumbled through the air like a shockwave, crashing over the inert forms of every Cyclopean Guard on the ground and giving them quite a shock. Nothing happened at first, but then red eyes began to blink back online.
Angila gasped. "N-No..."
Amond growled. "You've gotta be kidding me..."
Daiz shouted in disbelief. "SON OF A BITCH!"
The rumble of steel joints clicking into place and metal feet tromping onto metal ground echoed out as every able-bodied Cyclopean Guard got to its feet. Wasting no time, the metal horde turned its attention toward Dr. Wheelo's sanctum, marching towards the Demon Crushers with murderous intent. Bardock snarled. "Crap. This is bad!"
Zangya seethed. "Goddammit..."
Slug cracked his knuckles. "No getting away from it, I guess. Zeeun and Cacao died for nothing. We're going to have to break every one of these things one-by-one."
Silent, Turles turned and glared at the oncoming army of robots. He gripped his fists tight in preparation of a fight. But then, Bonyu stepped forward from the rest. Turles reached to her. "B-Bonyu...?"
She slapped his hand away. And then, Bonyu called out. "ALL RIGHT! LISTEN UP, YOU FOOLS! WE HAVE A JOB TO DO!"
The Demon Crushers, grunt soldier and officer alike, turned and faced their Brenchian commander. Bonyu scowled. "IT IS UP TO US TO BUY TIME FOR TURLES TO GO AND GET THAT DAMNED CRYSTAL OF HIS! SO, WHILE HE, SLUG, BARDOCK, AND ZANGYA CONTINUE THEIR INFILTRATION, WE SHALL STAND ON THIS BATTLEGROUND AND ACT AS THEIR SHIELD! UNDERSTOOD?!"
The lesser soldiers didn't seem convinced. None of them were too eager to die. But then, one-by-one, the other commanders rose to the challenge. Daiz, Amond, Lakasei, Raisen, Angila, Wings, and Medamatcha punched their fists into their chests and then wordlessly took on their fighting stances. Slowly but surely, the soldiers of the Demon Crushers gained confidence and all turned to face the oncoming threat.
Bonyu sighed and clapped her hands together, focusing her energy and using it to construct two of her energy turrets. And then, with each clap, those numbers doubled until she had sixty four of them floating right behind her. With those in place, and with the soldiers properly motivated to fight to the death, Bonyu turned to Turles and the others. "Now go! You need to get in there and get that Revenger Crystal, Turles! We'll buy you time!"
Turles stammered. "B-But...Bonyu! I-I-"
She snapped at him. "DO YOU WANT SLUG TO BE RIGHT IN WHAT HE JUST SAID?!"
Turles flinched. Bonyu continued. "If we fail to get that crystal, then Cacao and Zeeun really did die for nothing! Now quit stuttering at me and go! Hurry and find it so that we can all get the hell out of dodge!"
Bonyu looked past Turles. "I can count on you three to watch his back, right?"
Immediately, Bardock stepped up and clapped a hand onto his little brother's shoulder. "Damn straight. I'm not losing my little brother again."
Slug shrugged with a sigh. "I've babysat him this long..."
Bardock gripped Turles' cape, yanking him away from Bonyu and practically shoving him into Dr. Wheelo's sanctum. "Come on, Turles! Let's get moving! Hurry!"
Turles gasped, stumbling and struggling not to fall before breaking into a sprint to keep just ahead of Bardock's reach. "R-Right!"
As the two brothers disappeared into the inky darkness, Slug turned back and glared at Bonyu. She shot him a tired smile and he let loose a low growl. The Namekian averted his gaze, but then he spoke in a near whisper. "Don't die, damn it."
And then, Slug gave chase as fast as his old legs would carry him. Only Zangya was left now. She glanced nervously into the darkness of the hallway in front of her and then back to Bonyu. The two women locked eyes for a second and then Bonyu turned, making her ki constructs fire off as the first attacks of the Cyclopean mob came raining in. Zangya despised her, but not for the reason she initially thought: this Brenchian woman had a real spine, a feeling that Zangya once knew.
She couldn't stand the thought of having Bonyu make this final stand and make her look even weaker than she already felt. Zangya clenched her teeth hard. But then, Bonyu spoke. "Like I said, I don't know anything about your past..."
Zangya glared back at her. Bonyu was still facing the enemy. "But I trust you to watch him. Please...all I can do right now is ask that you stand at his side while I stay here to cover his back..."
After a moment, Bonyu looked back and Zangya was gone, footsteps echoing down the hallway. Bonyu sighed and smiled as a ki bolt from a Cyclopean Guard crashed right into her right shoulder, blowing away a chunk of her armor. "...now I can focus on trying not to die."
Over with the Armored Squadron...
The efforts to break into Dr. Gete's lab took far less time than it did over at Dr. Wheelo's. Rather than try to minimize damage, as Turles and his group were trying to do, Dore took down the door to Gete's sanctum with a single running kick, the metal frames crashing inward and smashing into the wall directly behind them. Dore stood and cracked his neck, spitting on the ground. "HEY, GETE! WHERE ARE YA, YA OLD BROAD?!"
Salza followed in behind, far more composed. "Let us try and maintain ze dignity of Lord Cooler's presence, shall we?"
Neiz walked in as well, scowling. "That electric pulse from earlier must've sapped the power from the entire city. It's dark as a dungeon in here..."
It did not take long for the Armored Squadron's troops to join them. An entire squad rained down from the ship above and followed their commanders into the pitch-black laboratory. One of them approached Salza. "Sir, we have been maintaining a bio-scan since we alerted you. This structure was devoid of life until less than a minute ago when a lifeforce suddenly appeared. It seems the Tuffles have teleportation technology."
Salza nodded. "Unsurprising. I am willing to bet zat Dr. Gete has returned home..."
Dore snorted. "Yeah. Probably here to bitch out like that coward Myuu did."
"Now now, I can't just have you insulting my dear friend like that~"
Everyone's attention snapped up to a shape emerging from the shadows on the catwalk above. There stood Dr. Gete; her finely aged, but still quite shapely frame was standing just within view. She took a drag from the cigarette between her fingers, briefly illuminating her entire face in low light before exhale a wispy stream of smoke. She sighed. "Myuu didn't want to leave, but he sadly drew the short straw..."
Neiz cocked his head, adjusting his vision to the low light. "Yup. That's the face from the files Turles gave us! It's her."
Dr. Gete chuckled, taking one last drag and then flicking away what was left of her cigarette. She reached into the pocket of the stylish lab coat draped over her shoulders. "Oh, I see, you were seeking me specifically~ And just what can I do for the loyal stooges of King Cold's least favorite mistake~?"
Dore snarled. "How dare you speak about Lord Cooler like that?! I'll crack your head over my-"
Salza sharply threw up a hand to silence his larger comrade. He glared up at Dr. Gete, watching as she fished through her pocket and eventually produced a gold-and-leather cigarette case. He closed his eyes and thought back to Turles' plea to spare the lives of the Tuffles. Salza mumbled. "Zat was ze last zing I expected to hear from you, Saiyan..."
And then Salza thought even farther back to a meeting he had been summoned to before this mission began...
"I would prefer to not exterminate the last of the Tuffles. Genocide is what the people are expecting of my kind. But, if we were to do the opposite and preserve their lives, imagine what the people would think..."
Salza sighed and whispered to himself. "Turles...Lord Cooler..."
And then, Salza spoke in his normal tone. "Dr. Gete! We of ze Cooler's Armored Squadron have been sent here to parlay wiz you!"
Gete flinched, fumbling the lock on her cigarette case. "Pardon me?"
Salza took a deep breath, listening as the clasp on the case snapped open and the almost silent whine of the hinges rang out. "My Lord, ze great Cooler, has asked me to reach out to you Tuffles...to you specifically...to request your assistance in helping to expand his empire across ze galaxy. We have been sent to request that your genius design, Ze Big Gete Star, be given to us and zat you join our employ so zat we may bring order to zis entire Universe!"
Gete was silent for a moment, but then she let loose an amused chortle. "Oh my, is that what Cooler is doing~? Is that why he hasn't gone back to the same habits as his miserable father or his immature brother~? He thinks he has the potential to be some sort of grand, galactic hero? Is that it~?"
Salza gritted his teeth, trying to control himself even though every inch of his being ordered him to attack. He despised this woman for daring to laugh at his Lord Cooler's goals, but remembering the words of his master and of Turles, Salza stayed his hand. He cleared his throat and glared with a look of earnest honesty in his eyes. "Forgive me if you find humor in what I say...but yes. I truly believe zat Lord Cooler is ze only person who can save zis Universe. So zat, by definition, make him a hero in my eyes."
Gete sighed. "Foolish dreck~"
The Armored Squadron all flinched, their faces contorting into looks of utter rage. Dr. Gete shook her head and pulled the one of her perfumed cigarettes out, only to wistfully stare down at the now empty case. "Hm. How sad...this is my last one..."
She brought the filter to her lips and gently clamped down. Gete reached into her pocket and fished out her ornate lighter. She flicked the wheel within several times, only for sparks to sputter out and little more. "Oh...that's unfortunate too..."
She pulled the cigarette from her lips and called down. "Do any of you boys have a light, by chance?"
Dore snarled and tried to charge forward, only for Neiz to quickly grab onto him. "Salza! I'm gonna kill this bitch! Who the hell does she think she is?!"
Neiz was holding Dore back, but he had several veins bulging from his scalp. Salza was seething, but trying to keep his cool. Dr. Gete, flippant as ever, began to speak. "I specially formulated the tobacco in these, you know? They aren't just ordinary cancer sticks. They have been specially designed to mimic a certain taste...evoke a certain feeling..."
She smiled. "It took forever, but I was finally able to replicate that nostalgic taste...the wind blowing through the lush fields that once covered Planet Plant so long ago~"
The joviality left her voice. "Before the Saiyans attacked. Before that monster, Vegeta II, began his cleansing. Before...before the...those..."
For a moment, Dr. Gete's mind went adrift. She simply just stood there, unlit cigarette in hand with a forlorn arc drooping across her elegant, lacquered lips. Maintaining composure, Salza pointed to one of his men. "You."
The soldier saluted. "Sir?!"
Salza pointed up to Gete. "Arrest her and toss her into ze brig of ze ship. We shall take her back to Lord Cooler so zat he may speak to her. While you are doing zat, ze rest of us will locate Ze Big Gete Star."
And then, without even waiting for a response, Salza motioned for the rest of the men to follow as he marched deeper into the darkness. The soldier stammered. "Y-Yes sir, Salza sir!"
Up on the catwalk...
Dr. Gete could here very little over the sounds of screaming in her head. It was almost like she was back there, in one of King Vegeta II's "research" facilities. It wasn't until she heard Neiz shout that she was brought back to reality. "It's so damned dark in here!"
Dr. Gete flinched and looked over at the hapless soldier standing next to her, ki-restricting handcuffs held out. "Ma'am, please present your wrists. I don't want to have to force against an elderly woman."
Gete cocked her head, almost as if she didn't understand him at first. Then she laughed. "He's right, you know~ It is rather dark in here, is it not?"
The soldier nodded. "Y-Yes ma'am. It is..."
She nodded. "Right. Well, we don't want anyone to trip~ So how about I search for a way to illuminate our surroundings~?"
The soldier cringed. "Yes...that would be helpful. But first, may I please ask you to cooperate and allow me to cuff you? I don't want to hurt you, ma'am~"
Dr. Gete smiled and a chill ran up the soldier's spine. There was no outward malice in that smile, but he suddenly felt very unsafe. She walked towards him, putting the cigarette back between her lips. "Certainly~ But, first, do you have a light~?"
On the ground...
A sudden, agonized shriek rang out and the Armored Squadron all stopped. They had little time to gain their bearing before the soldier fell from above. The three of them, as well as their subordinates, could only stare in abject horror as their comrade laid on the ground screaming in fear and pain, a horrific green glow shining from the hole in his chest and lighting the entire room with a sickly, low light.
Falling from above, Dr. Gete landed in front of Salza and his men. She sighed. "I hate to do this to my last one, but none of you seem to have a light for me. I suppose...I'll have to do it that way~"
Gete held the cigarette steady with her lips and then pressed the tip of her index finger to it. At first, nothing happened...but then both the tip of Dr. Gete's finger and the tip of the cigarette burst to life with a haunting, green flame.
On the ground, the soldier screamed to his allies. "HELPMEHELPMEPLEASEITHURTSITHURTSITHURTSSOBADIDONTWANNADIEIDONTWAnnadie...I...don...m-mommy..."
His voice contorted into a hollow moan as his entire body melted and collapsed in on itself, the oozing liquid that once made up his flesh sizzling and glowing as it spread across the floor. Gete cackled. "How cliché~ He used his last words to call for his mother~?"
The soldiers behind them all took a cautious step back, but Salza, Dore, and Neiz all held steady in spite of the lumps in their throats. Dr. Gete sighed. "You know, back before the attack of the Saiyans, I had no desire to be a scientist. I wanted to be a chef...open a café...make breads and soups..."
She smiled, a green glow suddenly shimmering from the back of her throat. "But then King Vegeta got his hands on me and everything after that was a living nightmare. Luckily, this curse that he laid on me still allows me to partly live my dream~"
Dr. Gete gently touched the sunglasses over her eyes and, with a burst of steam, they melted into nothing. She glared malevolently at the Armored Squadron as that same terrifying green shined out from her eye sockets. "I wonder how difficult it will be to melt you into soup~?"
Within the sanctum of Dr. Wheelo...
Turles marched forward with Bardock, Slug, and Zangya following behind him. The Saiyan scientist was moving with purpose, spouting off exposition for his comrades as he walked. "Dr. Myuu is the lead scientist of bio-chemical development. Gete focuses on cybernetics and robotics. Raichi focuses on energy R&D. And Dr. Wheelo is their leader and a master of genetic sciences. That ship that blasted off belonged to Dr. Myuu from what I could read of the Tuffle script on the side of it, so it's okay if he left. But we need to hurry and find Dr. Raichi before he leaves because-"
Lord Slug quickly grabbed Turles by the collar and yanked him back. The Saiyan stumbled, crashing into the waiting arms of Bardock as a trickle of blood ran out from the fresh gash on his cheek. Turles sneered. "We don't have time for this..."
Standing in front of the small party were what appeared to be Saibamen, the only difference being that these creatures had blue skin and modified, biomechanical faces. There were dozens of them flooding into the hall from the various vents and passages that were dotting its walls. The hideous little cretins glared at the four intruders and Turles quickly tapped the button attached to his prosthetic eye. Bardock cocked his head. "Are those Saibamen?"
Turles shrugged. "Kinda. Same base bio-scans as Saibamen, but modified to hell and back. These things are little more than computers piloting Saibamen corpses, as best I can tell..."
Slug sneered. "Can they still suicide bomb if they feel outmatched?"
Turles pressed the button a few more times and nodded. "That particular bio-structure appears to be well intact for the ones within my scanning range...also, they each have a power level of 4,800."
Bardock rolled his eyes and thrust his hand forward. "Whoopty-friggin'-do."
Before Bardock could fire, however, a voice suddenly began blasting down from the ceiling above. "Very impressive, Turles! How lovely to see that one of you Saiyan apes can pass off as something reasonably intelligent~"
The four of them looked up. Zangya sighed. "Great. I can already tell that this guy is going to be a peach to deal with..."
Turles snapped. "I'm not in the mood to play around right now! Who's speaking up there?!"
The voice responded. "Why, I am the illustrious Dr. Kochin, of course~"
Silence.
Kochin spoke again. "Uh, hello? Is this thing on? Did you not hear me? I am one of the famed scientists you've been seeking! Don't you want to say hello?!"
Another long silence. Then Turles spoke up. "Never heard of you. Now move your pathetic little army out of my way. I have real scientists to discuss things with..."
Kochin snarled over the intercom. "Ghk! Why you lousy little..."
Then Kochin began to laugh. He laughed hard, making the speakers on the intercom squeak. "It is quite funny, you know? Thinking that you have the right to talk down to me..."
Turles shook his head. "Not talking down; just being honest. Your name doesn't ring a single bell in my head. Now, I presume these unfortunate things are your work, so please move them and let us pass."
Kochin cackled. "I'm surprised that you have to assume these are my work, given that you had the privilege to view my work in person. I am the genius who designed the Cyclopean Guards~"
Turles was uninterested. "Cool. Last chance. Move your Saibamen-"
Kochin corrected. "Bio-Men."
Turles nodded. "Super. Move them now before we-"
Kochin continued. "I also designed the OF69 series~"
That made Turles stop in his tracks, his single eye going wide. Kochin cackled. "Ah, yes, now it's registering~ I just wanted to take this moment to thank you for bringing that thing all the way back here so that I could properly discontinue the entire line. It was the only one still functional, after all~"
Turles gripped both of his fists, electricity crackling from his mechanical arm. Kochin laughed. "Sorry that your lackey had to die in the process, but these things tend to happen. He seemed weak though, so we could replace him for you~"
Fingers snapped over the intercom and the Bio-Men rushed towards Turles, Bardock, Slug, and Zangya. His three comrades all took fighting stances, but Turles simply stood in place with his trembling fists. Kochin cackled again. "If we don't end up killing you fools too, then maybe we could fish up whatever is left of his body and make a doll out of him~ Would that not be-"
Turles roared, flinging up both hands and firing off a massive surge of ki blasts. "SUDDEN SHOWER!"
The Sudden Shower, really two Sudden Storms firing from each of Turles' hands, fired forward and easily hit their marks. One-by-one, in a bloody wave that spread all the way down the hallway, the heads of the Bio-Men exploded like fireworks. Each twitching body, with a smoking neck hole, fell to the ground and eventually fell still.
Feedback rang out from the speakers, the sound of Dr. Kochin falling from whatever he was sitting on. Turles sneered, but then he adopted a wicked smile. "Dr. Kochin was it? Thanks for introducing yourself. I'll see you soon."
And then, before Kochin could give any retort, Turles continued his march down the hallway. Slug chuckled and immediately followed along. "That's my boy..."
Bardock and Zangya both turned to each other, neither had been expecting such a fierce attack from someone that they both new as such a goof. But then, Bardock's face became serious. "We need to follow along. Who knows what else is in here. Keep your guard up."
As Bardock marched forward, Zangya growled under her breath. "Don't tell me what to do, prick..."
A few minutes later...
The four warriors walked out from the dark hallway and into a massive, brightly lit atrium. Bardock immediately looked around. "No science shit..."
Zangya commented. "No visible décor..."
Slug observed the various spires rising from the ground, leading up to plateaus that rose high above. He snarled. "Those are definitely sparring arenas. Things are made to fight in this room..."
A sharp cackle echoed from above. "Very astute, Namekian~"
Slug growled, shooting a furious glare up at the source of the voice. Looming over the entire room, on a high balcony, was a hunched over old man with a heavily receded hairline and an ornate golden cane. He shot a toothless smirk down to the four intruders below. "Hello, lady and gentlemen~ My name is-"
The sound of a miniature sonic boom rang out and Turles was right in the old man's face. The Saiyan scientist sneered, his hands pressed together to form a massive ring. Kochin shrieked and stumbled back. "W-Wait! Turles wait! Let's-"
Turles spoke with utter venom. "Dr. Kochin..."
Kochin quickly tried to bargain. "Y-You wouldn't kill me! I'm a T-Tuggle and-"
Turles snapped. "You're no Tuffle. I don't know what to call you other than the bastard that murdered my friends! Now die! KILL DRIVER!"
Kochin screeched as the ring of energy shot from Turles' hands and straight at him. "Wait! Wait let's talk about this! You can't kill me!"
There was no pity in Turles' eyes. Kochin continued to panic...until an unnerving calm washed over his face. "I mean it~ You can't kill me, weakling~"
Kochin sprang up and smashed the Kill Driver to pieces with his cane, firing a blast from his hand and nailing the shocked Turles right in the face. Turles pressed his prosthetic hand to his nose and Kochin cried out. "MISOKATSUN! EBIFURYA! KISHIME! YOUR MASTER ORDERS YOU FORTH!"
From the shadows high above, three shapes came raining down and crashed into Turles. They attempted to rocket the stunned Saiyan all the way to the floor, only to have Bardock, Slug, and Zangya race up and knock them away.
The three warriors landed back on the ground, Bardock snatching Turles from the air and preventing him from crashing, and faced down their new opponents. Across from them, in a loose group huddle, were three heavily modified creatures: a pink-skinned being with metal armor grafted into his skin, a green-skinned being with fleshy wires draping from his limbs, and a hulking yellow blob with massive, razor-like claws. Kochin cackled and shouted from above. "Turles and company! Meet my Brutal Warriors!"
The pink one spoke. "Ebifurya of the Frozen Hell~"
The green one spoke. "Kishime of the Sparking Hell~"
The yellow one spoke. "And Misokatsun of the Rubbery Hell~"
Kochin cackled. "Indeed~ Now attack! Kill them!"
Without hesitation, the Brutal Warriors charged forth to begin their assault. Bardock growled in frustration. "Goddammit! I am getting sick of all these bit players eating up my valuable time!"
Bardock rushed at Misokatsun, flying in to strike his foe with a spear kick. Bardock crashed into the beast, only to be shocked as he sank deeper and deeper into the creature's flesh. Bardock cried out. "What the hell?!"
Misokatsun cackled and, with elastic force, sent Bardock shooting out of his gut and crashing into a wall. Bardock quickly pulled himself from his predicament, only to have the jiggling nightmare's massive, serrated claws slash through his armor and deep into his ribs. Bardock gasped and wretched a blood burst out between his teeth. "C-Crap..."
Misokatsun chuckled. "When I came to Dr. Kochin, I was just a mere Jiggler~ Now I'm a killing machine~"
Bardock snarled. "I don't care."
And then, he summoned a Rebellion's Edge and swung it with purpose. Perturbed, Misokatsun leapt back and splayed his claws as an eerie fog began to seep around from the pores on his hands. Bardock pressed his hand to his slashed ribs and used his energy to sear the wound shut. "I've killed a few Jigglers in my time. Still scared of sharp things, huh fatty?"
As Bardock and Misokatsun faced off, Zangya attempted to levy another attack at Kochin. She swiped her hands through the air and pulled water from the atmosphere. "Eat this, old man! Water Slicer!"
Suddenly, to Zangya's surprise, electricity crackled at her fingertips and two massive shocks went off, paralyzing and burning her hands and seemingly cracking the bones within. She sneered. "You've got to be kidding me! Another goddamned electricity specialist?! What the hell was that?!"
Kishime appeared right in Zangya's face and smirked. "When I came to Dr. Kochin, I was a mere Beta Amphari~ Now I'm an electric executioner~ An electrocutioner, if you will~"
A foot crashed into the side of Kishime's face, sending him crashing to the ground. Zangya gripped her fists as the feeling returned to her hands and then fired off two ki blasts. Using the organic wires hanging from his arms, Kishime quickly pulled himself to safety, hovering above the battlefield. "You wench!"
Zangya growled in frustration. "I agree with Bardock. You nobodies are starting to piss me off!"
Meanwhile, Ebifurya screamed in pain as one of his arms came flying off, leaving only a bleeding stump in its wake. The Brutal Warrior groaned and pressed his remaining hand to the stump, making the blood that was spilling out freeze into a protective ice cap. He glared at Slug.
The old Namekian had an unimpressed dullness to his eyes. "Let me guess, you're 'Who gives a shit?' from 'Who cares?' and Dr. 'Whatever his name is' gave you ice powers, right?"
Ebifurya screamed. "How dare you mock me?!"
He fired a massive, icy blast right towards Lord Slug and the Namekian batted it away. Ebifurya smirked. "Fool!"
Slug glanced down at his hand, finding it frozen solid all the way through. Ebifurya preened. "Whatcha gonna do without your-"
Slug smashed the frozen fist right into Ebifurya's mouth, shattering it to pieces alongside the Brutal Warrior's nose and teeth. Slug quickly regrew his hand and cracked his knuckles. "I'm not going to complain about having to fight you nobodies, I'm just going to kill you and get on with my day..."
Ebifurya quickly scrambled to his feet, breathing hard. The fear had gotten to him. Slug was utterly terrifying. "Y-You bastard...you Namekian bastard..."
Slug nodded. "Brilliant idea. Making me angry might force me to kill you quicker. Or...slower. Kind of a coin toss."
The Brutal Warrior shuddered, outmatched even with his scientifically enhanced strength. As Slug raised his hand to deal the finishing blow, however, a glimmer of hope appeared before Ebifurya's eyes. Turles got back to his feet, rubbing at the scorch mark on his face. "Damned old geezer..."
Ebifurya's face twisted into a smirk of triumph and he thrust his hand towards Turles, firing his attack. "FROZEN FIST!"
The ball of frigid ki went shooting past Slug and the old Namekian turned in time to see its target. And then Slug's feet moved faster than he could force himself to think. "TURLES!"
Slug intercepted the blast just before it would have crashed into the Saiyan, taking it right to the chest and sliding back. Turles glanced up at his one true father-figure, gasping at the sight of Slug's wide frame trembling. He quickly raced around so he could see the Namekian's face. "SLUG!"
The Namekian glared down at Turles, his entire body pale and stiff. He was shivering like he was in the middle of a blizzard, barely able to shift his jaw. "F-F-Frozen...can't...m-move..."
Turles pressed his hand to Slug's chest, feeling the utter lack of warmth in his body. "This isn't normal ice. What the hell...?"
Slug growled. "TURN AROUND!"
And turn around Turles did, just in time to take a Frozen Fist of his own to the face. The Saiyan tried to resist, but even his cybernetic parts quickly stuck in place. Turles scowled as he found himself as stiff as Slug. Ebifurya walked up to the two of them, tsking and waving his remaining index finger. "That's what you get for being cocky~"
He charged another frozen fist just in time for Zangya to fall from the sky, crackling with electricity and she crashed onto Slug's shoulder. Her eyes popped open just in time for Ebifurya to smash his Frozen Fist against her cheek, freezing her solid. Zangya cursed as she tried to make any part of her body move. "Damn! Damn it!"
Finally, Bardock stumbled forward. Turles, Slug, and Zangya could only stare in horror as the last, uncaptured member of their group fell to his knees, his cheeks glowing a faint blue as Misokatsun loomed over him, that mysterious and very familiar fog wisping from around his claws. Kishime landed, his skin crackling, and he fired an attack of his own at the Saiyan. "LIGHTING FLASH!"
The sparking surge smashed into Bardock and made him stand up straight, screaming in agony. Ebifurya cackled and launched another Frozen Fist, stiffening Bardock in place. Misokatsun approached from behind, carefully picking Bardock up and walking him across the room. As the Saiyan was set in place, next to his cohorts, Dr. Kochin finally joined them on the floor with a truly wicked grin on his face. "And that is that~!"
The doctor caressed Bardock's face, running a finger through the grooves of his cheek scar. "You know, Bardock, I should thank you in particular. If you and the rest of your kind hadn't gone and waged a public war with King Cold, we might never have gotten to see his truly useful techniques~"
He pointed to Kishime. "The Gravity Bolts~"
He pointed to Misokatsun. "The Vacuum Mist~"
He pointed to Ebifurya. "The Freezing Death Ball~"
Then Kochin preened. "All made more effective through my genius, of course~ Powerful enough to trap the four of you, and I'm sure that at least three of you could kill Cold right now. Except for little Turles~"
Turles snarled through is gritted teeth. "Eat shit."
Kochin cackled, slapping Bardock's face three times. Then he turned to his servants. "Construct it! Time is of the essence!"
The Brutal Warriors nodded and bowed. "Yes, Dr. Kochin!"
Ebifurya was up first, grumbling as he was forced to use only one hand to construct as massive mirror made of ice in front of the frozen foursome. Kishime was next, pressing his palms to the back of the sheet of ice and making it crackle with electricity in an almost hypnotic way. Dr. Kochin chuckled. "It has been fun, dear intruders, but this will be the last time we speak. Soon, Dr. Wheelo will claim Bardock's body as his own and I will turn you remaining three into my next generation of Brutal Warriors~"
Ebifurya, Kishime, and Misokatsun all snapped their attention to Dr. Kochin. Ebifurya yelped. "Next generation?!"
Kochin glared at the three. "Be silent, dolls."
And all three of them immediately shut their mouths and continued their work. Misokatsun waddled up to the four of them, raising his hands and sending jets of Vacuum Mist into their faces. Kochin chuckled. "Ease into it, Misokatsun~ We aren't trying to kill them. We're just trying to put them to sleep~"
Kochin whispered. "Now stare into the mirror, my dear guests...watch the hypnotic electric waves...and sleep~"
Bardock's vision became fuzzy. "Sleep~"
Zangya's breathing became shallow. "Sleep~"
Slug's eyelids became heavy. "Sleep~"
And finally, Turles' eye shut. "Sleep~"
Within Turles' psyche...
Turles' eye snapped open and he wheezed. "Shit! Not good! Gotta find a way to wake up and save everyone! I-"
"What's wrong, Turles? I heard you shouting!"
Turles stopped speaking. Slowly, he turned and glanced up at the source of the voice. Gine smiled down at him. "Silly. This is no time to have nightmares~ Take a nap later. The food is ready~"
Turles shook his head. "No..."
Gine seemed to ignore Turles' trepidation, running across the sunny field they were in towards a house he had seen in pictures before: her and Bardock's house.
Turles stood, barely able to comprehend what he was seeing. He could make out various shapes, what he remembered as Bardock's friends and comrades on Earth. A mixture of humans and Namekians. But those weren't the ones he was focusing on. It was...the others.
Turles whispered. "This isn't real."
Gine laughed as she joined Toma, Fasha, Panbukin, Totepo and Taro in eating some sort of roasted beast. "This isn't real..."
On the other side of the table was Slug. He was sat in a large chair, watching with a small smile as Angila, Wings, Medamatcha, Gyoshu, Kakuja, Zeeun...and even Maffei stood there and made merry. "This isn't real..."
"OF COURSE IT'S REAL, COME ALONG BITCH-ASS CAPTAIN! PARTY TIME!"
Turles jumped as Cacao went walking by him, followed by Amond, Daiz, Lakasei, and Raisen. Turles whimpered. "Th-This isn't real..."
"Does that really matter?"
Turles turned and there stood Cassava, a wide smile on her face. "Come on, ARM-y buddy~ Let's get some food before it's gone~"
Turles' gaze followed Cassava as she went running to the table, grabbing and hugging a fuzzy shape that almost resembled Vegeta III, just shorter. Turles' eye began to well up. His breath was hitching. "Th-This...isn't real..."
And then Bardock stood next to him, gripping Turles' right hand with his left. "Real or not, it's what you want. Right?"
Turles gripped his fists tight, closing his eyes. "This...this isn't..."
A hand gripped Turles' left...and he could feel it. "Give it a rest. Let's go and enjoy our lives~"
Turles' eyes snapped open. All the cybernetics were gone. All the scars were gone. He felt the warmth of tears streaming down both cheeks again. And holding onto his left hand...was Tursa. She smiled. "You wanna go get that bite to eat now, 37~?"
He couldn't help it. After fifty plus years of being strong...for once, Turles was weak. "U-Uh...uh-huh..."
And he was led toward the party choking back desperate sobs.
Inside Slug's psyche...
Slug growled. "Son of a bitch. Hypnotized..."
He glanced around, scanning the area but not really registering what he was seeing. He moved his eyes across the blue-grass fields and over the shimmering green seas. He thought he recognized this place, but in a way that one might recognize an old photograph. He shouted. "TURLES!"
And then, to Slug's surprise, a massive crab shot out from beneath the gently lapping waves. The aged Namekian heard two screams behind him, both voices soothing to his ears for some reason, and then he fired a blast and shot off one of the crab's claws. Cowed, the beast receded into the water and swam away. Slug snarled to himself, the words coming out as naturally as music from a record. "That'll teach that beast to attack my little brothers..."
Slug flinched, pressing his hand to his mouth. "Wh-What did I just...?"
And then he felt a tugging at his cloak. Slug looked down, the wrinkles on his face creasing even deeper. He recognized the two young Namekians at his feet.
Katas spoke in his soft, soothing tones. "Big Brother Slug is the strongest!"
Molluska's voice was slightly deeper, and wise beyond his years. "Big Brother Slug is awesome!"
They both tugged him, pulling him toward a shady tree, a welcome respite from the heat of the three suns this time of year. Molluska cheered. "We finished all the work together~"
Katas laughed. "We finished all our studies together~"
The two of them sat down, their backs to the Ajisa tree's trunk. They both smiled and Molluska spoke. "So, we were thinking it would be okay to take an afternoon nap, right Big Brother?"
Katas laughed. "Right, right?!"
Their memories in Slug's mind faded. So went Bardock and Zangya. The crew. His kids. The only thought that remained, stuck as if with glue, was the face of a young Saiyan. He looked sad...but then the young Namekian named Slug sat between his brothers, feeling their warmth as they laid their heads on his shoulders for the first time in centuries. And then even that faded.
The storms, the brutality...that fight they had...all of it faded away as Slug, Molluska, and Katas enjoyed an easy-going nap in the cool Namekian breeze.
Within Bardock's psyche...
Bardock stared at the ceiling. It was dark, the only source of light the glow of the moon outside. He could hear the chirp of crickets just outside the window. He knew that this wasn't right. He knew that he was about to die outside of this. He knew that his brain was going to be taken out and replaced with someone else's.
But he could also feel the warm whisper of her breath on his collarbone as she slumbered next to him. He could feel the curves of her body nestled into the crook of his arm. He could feel her tail wrapped around his...and her heartbeat...and the faint growl of her stomach. Soon it would be 3:00 am and she would sneak out of bed to get a mid-night snack. She always liked to act like this was her big secret, sure that he was asleep when she did it. And he would never break that illusion for her because it made her happy.
She had earned that right. She had earned that life. She had the time to do little things that made her happy. He had earned that right too. To just lay in his bed, on his peaceful Earth, and to be happy.
Bardock laid awake in the dead of night, every fiber of his being screaming for him to get up and do something before it was too late. But he hadn't the strength to move a single inch with Gine laying so comfortably on his chest.
Within Zangya's psyche...
And Zangya found herself staring at stars too. Her eyes were locked on the sparkling sky and the weight seemed to simply evaporate from her shoulders. The water lapped lazily in her quiet little spring. Her perfectly nude form was kissed by the cool night air of Hera. Her breathing was calm for the first time in years. And she could hear breathing next to her.
And yet, Zangya was too scared to turn her head. Too scared to look at the person lying just as naked next to her. She knew this memory all too well.
His voice spoke with a feigned gentleness she had once fallen for, but could now pick apart with ease. "Was it good for you, my love?"
Zangya pressed her hand to her lower abdomen. They had just finished making love on this beautiful night, hadn't they? Their two, imperfect forms melding into something loving and magical. That was the feeling she remembered from this moment so long ago. Zangya responded with a genuine tone of happiness. "The best I've ever had, my...my..."
Sharp pain rocked her entire body, the feeling of fists and boots smashing into her. Breaking her. She powered through. "...my love~"
Bojack spoke with a smile in his voice. "I'm glad. I love you, you know? As infinitely and dazzlingly as the sky above."
Zangya involuntarily cringed at the artificially honeyed words. She had fallen for this, hadn't she? Like a dumb brat believing in fairy tales. She had let every one of his words slowly slide into her ear. She had let this assumed honey coat her lips. She had let it get into her eyes and stick them tightly shut to what he was doing to her. "And I love you all the more for every...every..."
Once again the pain racked her. She stared at her broken teeth in the mirror. Her swelled eye. She felt his hand gripped tightly in her hair and heard his screams and the laughs of the others echoing around her. She was no one's beloved. She was...just a tool. A gullible tool. A traitor to her kind. An outcast. She had allowed him to make himself her island...and he had made sure to hobble her so she couldn't swim away. "...for every star that twinkles bright~"
Bojack smiled gently, his unscarred face handsome in the moonlight. "May I have one more kiss before I depart today, my love?"
Every voice in Zangya's head screamed no all at once. She was perfectly lucid. She knew what was happening in reality. But she moved as if on a track. "Only if I may have one more as well~"
Zangya leaned over, her lips puckering ever so slightly...
Back in reality...
Ebifurya guffawed. "HAHAHA! LOOK AT THIS ONE~"
Kishime sneered. "Would you be quiet? You're the only one here not working right now."
Misokatsun grunted in annoyance. Dr. Kochin rolled his eyes. "What is it?"
Ebifurya traced his finger along the length of Zangya's puckered lips. "This one is dreaming about smooching someone~ What a dummy~"
He glared at the other three. Bardock's face was blank. Turles and Slug were both smiling...and crying their eyes out. Ebifurya shook his head. "Those two are partying it up with the dearly departed and this one can only think about kissing some guy. How spineless..."
Ebifurya smiled. "Oh, well, it wouldn't be gentlemanly of me to leave her hanging, now would it~?"
Slowly, the Brutal Warrior leaned in and whispered. "Enjoying it, toots~"
And then he pressed his lips to hers.
In Zangya's psyche...
Everything in Zangya's mind fell silent as she and Bojack shared a kiss. Zangya mumbled, her lips pressed to his. Bojack couldn't quite make out what she was trying to say, so he pulled back. "What is it~?"
Zangya spoke in a quiet, sad voice. "I love you, Bojack. I always did...but you're a liar."
Bojack cocked his head. "What?"
Zangya closed her eyes, furrowing her brow, and then she shouted. "YOU'RE A LIAR!"
And then she pulled her fist back and punched him square in the face. Bojack tumbled off the lily-pad and into the waters of the Kaio-Spring. Zangya got on her knees and glared at the ripples. Soon enough, Bojack emerged once more. Only this time his skin was green, his hair red. He was covered in those ugly scars dealt to him by Turles' ki magnet. He snarled. "YOU DIRTY BITCH!"
As Bojack lunged at her, Zangya steeled her nerve. She got to her feet, dodging both of this awful memory's punches and got right in his face. Zangya grabbed Bojack by the sides of his head, ripping it from his shoulders and holding it tight as the rest of the memory around her faded. Bojack stared up at her, helpless. "Zangya! Zangya wait! I need you! Only you can help me achieve my dreams! Z-Zangya!"
She glared down at him. He tried to pitifully plea one last time. "Zang-"
She pulled him close to her face. "Shush. And begone."
And then, Zangya pressed Bojack's helpless lips to hers and...
Back in reality...
...A MASSIVE BURST OF TWISTED, FROZEN ICICLES ALL EXPLODED AT ONCE FROM EBIFURYA'S HEAD!
The Brutal Warrior fell back, one of his eyes rolling from the socket and splattering on the floor. He stepped on it, causing it to burst and making him slip and fall. Before he landed flat on his back, Ebifurya had one, final thought. "Did that bitch freeze my spit?!"
By the time Ebifurya landed and his body fell still, he was completely dead.
The Frozen Mirror in front of the trapped warriors cracked apart. Kishime shrieked. "Oh no!"
Misokatsun stumbled back. "Oh no!"
Dr. Kochin shrieked. "DAMN IT ALL! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
All of the ice exploded at once, sending sharp crystals and frigid steam shooting through the entire room. Kochin coughed and tried to wave the blinding fog away. "What happened?! Misokatsun! Kishime! Report!"
Kochin ran into something solid. Stumbling back, the mad doctor looked up and saw a single, red light glowing from behind the fog. And then Turles stepped into view, looking angrier than he had ever been before in his long, miserable life. Kochin warmly chuckled. "T-Turles...now, we're both scientists. So, what say we have an intellectual con-"
Turles snarled. "I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"
He reared his fist back and smashed it down toward Kochin. The doctor barely managed to dodge, piercing his ornate cane into the ground to keep balance. Turles glared over at him with utter fury and, taking the hint, Kochin went running into the nearest escape tunnel. "DR. WHEELO! HELP!"
Turles screamed and gave chase. "GET BACK HERE!"
Bardock stumbled through the fog, just barely catching sight of his brother giving chase down the tunnel. "Turles! Wait!"
Seeing the shadows shift behind him, Bardock turned just in time to see Misokatsun and Kishime taking a strike at him. He sneered and prepared to defend himself from the remaining Brutal Warriors, only to have them both quickly smacked away. Bardock glanced at his saviors, getting back to his feet. "Z-Zangya! S-Slug! Are you two-"
Zangya snapped. "Get your ass moving and catch up to Turles."
Bardock cocked his head. "A-Are you sure that-"
Slug snarled. "You heard the lady. Go!"
Bardock didn't try to argue any further, turning and giving chase down the long hallway. Kishime and Misokatsun both regained their balance, glowering at their attackers in an attempt to intimidate. This feign fury was quickly cowed, however.
Lord Slug tossed aside his cloak. Zangya clipped her hair comb Gommanaji against her scalp and gripped her fists as it started to glow. The two Demon Crushers glared at their foes with a murderous sort of fury...and then they charged without hesitation!
