QUEST FOR POWER:
THE WARLORDBy Konrad
PART 12
The spaceship known simply as the 'Skylight' lay undetected in the shadow of Mesata, far from the sights of both the Jubian and the Planet Traders' Guild fleets. As a matter of fact, it would've been near impossible for them to locate it anyways. For one thing, it didn't look like anything either side would be familiar with, a medium-sized, rather short craft with a rounded front and modest gravity thrusters in the back. And second, it was cloaked with a technology centuries ahead of either side. It quietly orbited the planet at a safe distance from the fighting. That was just about the only thing that seemed peaceful at this hour. Not only was the war still raging on the outside, but on the inside as well temperatures were rising, both figuratively speaking and literally.
"What… the hell… is… the MEANING OF THIS?!" Sulfus yelled, raising his voice as he finished. Flames danced around his body, bringing an immense heat inside of the Skylight, and would've burned everything if not for a containment field around the Kosajin. Meanwhile the ship's owner merely rolled her eyes.
"Didn't I say something about not going up against Vegeta?" Cerion asked wearily. "Instead you got him mad and, if I hadn't teleported you here with my ship, he would've kicked your butt to the end of the galaxy!" She yelled back.
"That remains to be seen! And it remains my choice to fight." Sulfus spat back.
"Oh, so this is how you thank me for saving your sorry hide! Sometimes I think you're too proud for you own sake. And your obsession with fighting will get you killed!"
"First all, that second rate Saiyan is not a match for me! And second, assuming that would somehow be true, that he might be as strong as me, that still leaves me wondering as to how you knew!" Sulfus shot back. "How come you know so much about the Earth warriors and you didn't tell us, hmm? You only told me not to fight Vegeta just before the fight started. And you didn't warn everyone else and now they're all dead! Got anymore things you'd like to share with me, Cerion?!" Cerion swallowed a lump in her throat. She felt like this argument was no longer going anywhere productive.
"Sulfus, let's just calm down and…" Why did I bother rescuing him? He's just a mortal, I shouldn't care!
"And what? I don't know what kind of games you're up to, mind-witch…" That last comment ticked off Cerion again.
"How dare you?!… Yes, I could've let you die like Timber and Crest but I didn't! I'm only letting you on this because I want to. This is far above you and anything you can imagine." She yelled back.
"And I should believe you?"
"Believe this!" Cerion stated. Suddenly the fire surrounding Sulfus' body was extinguished. The Kosajin felt his power level take a nosedive.
"W-what? My powers?" he stammered, confusion and fear etched on his face. Cerion sighed.
"I…instantly put barriers inside your brain…mental blocks, if you will. You no longer have access to most of your powers." She stated while the Kosajin looked on livid.
"Impossible!"
"Very much possible because that's indeed what I did. Right now, you couldn't even damage my ship, let alone harm me." She said as she powered down the containment field around Sulfus and stepped forwards. Feeling weak both in his body and in his mind, Sulfus dropped to the ground. All of a sudden he realized he was insignificant. The feeling made him tremble physically.
"B-but how…" he said, his voice reduced to a hoarse whisper.
"Don't get this wrong, I can't do that on everyone, mostly the weak. On the powerful it only works when I bother to spend time exploring someone's brain or if I had done so before when they were weak. Remember all those missions we did together and how are minds could link as one? I could do that because I knew the ins and outs of your mind… and that's also what enables me today to render you powerless now."
"But I allowed you…" Sulfus said, as three decades of fighting side by side with Cerion came back to mind, with him tolerating her mind probing to increase their teamwork.
Sulfus blinked away the tears burning his eyes. He had rarely been defeated in the past. Only a few battles lost here and there. He always fought well, even those few times. Now he was humiliated like never before. Not a blast fired, not a punch thrown. No, his power simply turned off like a child would turn off the lights. And by the one person he thought he could trust more than anyone. His pride shattered, Sulfus wanted to scream at his helplessness. But no words came out from his lips, just a painful choking sound was heard. Cerion's heart nearly broke in half at the pathetic sight of her long time fighting partner.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean for things to go down like this." Cerion said. Ugh, why do I care so much? I thought being a mercenary would force these things away. "I never told you anything because it would've blown my cover. But I really didn't want to do… this to you."
"Heh… serves me right, I guess." Sulfus replied, finding his voice again. "But… I know the job we do doesn't make it easy to gain trust, seeing as how we're not supposed to be nice or stuff like that… I just thought we were different, you and me."
I am different, you big lug! "You can still… Look, I haven't explained anything to you. Come here." Cerion said as she went to the head of the ship.
Sulfus followed the mysterious woman to her piloting post and she pointed out to a particular display. Looking at it, he saw that it was a radar rendition of the battle in and around Mesata. Gradually, the fight was going downhill for Dudan's command in the Planet Traders Guild. Sulfus frowned.
"It's as I thought. We're losing badly. But how is that possible? The Jubians never dominated like this in previous space battles." He commented.
"Indeed. That's because the Guild ships weren't being quietly scrambled electronically." Cerion shrugged.
"But I thought the Jubians didn't have the technology to do it at this level."
"They don't."
"Er, but then what, or who…?" Sulfus started before the realization hit his head. "You mean you…?!"
"I've been undermining Dudan's operations for the past few months now. Nothing personal."
"But you've been with us for so long!" Sulfus countered, aghast at the revelation that Cerion had betrayed Dudan… and himself.
"Yes, but I would've had to leave eventually. I didn't figure I'd go out like this but it just looks like I'll be leaving a little earlier." Cerion mused while avoiding Sulfus' gaze.
"What do you mean? Why did you side with us then?"
"Merely for my personal experience. I come from a group of demi-gods. When we first met, I joined you…Dudan's army because I wanted to gain experience and learn how to use my powers."
"Yes, I remember the first time we met. I always thought you were something more…special. But I didn't think you were a goddess." Sulfus recalled.
"Yeah, sure." Cerion said abruptly, promptly shaking Sulfus' confidence. Stupid! Why did I have to sound so harsh? "My people invented the Power Stones as last-ditch weapons against other gods a long time ago and then they were lost. Apparently my predecessors didn't think much of looking for them, they thought they were safe as is."
"And Dudan…?" Sulfus started.
"… somehow found out about them, or at least the one on Mesata." Cerion continued. "So that concerned me because from I know the Power Stones are too dangerous and should be contained once they're found."
"So that's why you sabotaged us then and now?"
"Yes, I only had the vaguest idea of the location of this Stone and besides I'm not strong enough to take on Dudan myself."
"Oh… Wait, so the Earth fighters…?!"
"I leaked that information to the Jubians. For unrelated reasons, I've been monitoring them for years whenever I had the chance. So I've always had better intel on them than Dudan. When I heard of his plan, I arranged for the Jubians to find out about the Earth warriors and bring them here. Simply, I want the Saiyan child, Gohan, to handle this." Cerion stated. Sulfus thought for a second.
"So you're not that powerful." He said.
"Not close enough, no."
"And you think the Saiyan child can do it?"
"With the proper motivation and a trump card that I'm expecting soon, he can do it." Cerion smirked slightly.
"And then what?"
"Then I claim the Stone for myself… at least until I can find a safe way to destroy it. The risks are too great for anyone, including me, to use it."
"The child's the reason you had so much information, what is it about him that's so special?" Sulfus queried.
"That's none of your concern." Cerion said wearily. She felt she had told more than enough about her plans.
"He's a 'god' too I imagine?" Sulfus asked.
"Yes, now stop asking questions!" the goddess erupted. She felt annoyed that something inside prevented her from harming the Kosajin. I should've let him die. As a mercenary and a goddess, I'm supposed to be rational, emotionless… So why don't I just kill him and get this over with?!
"One last question." Sulfus insisted softly. "Why me…?"
Cerion almost jumped at the tone of his voice. She turned to look at Sulfus. He held his gaze slowly downward, his fists clenched. She could tell his eyes no longer held the spirit she knew in him. Gone were his pride, his stubbornness and his liveliness, even if he used them for destruction. Gone also were the shock and despair from a few minutes earlier. Instead, Sulfus had a look of complete resignation in his eyes.
"Sulfus, I…" Cerion almost choked on her own emotions. Because I… "I didn't mean for things to go down like this…"
"I just want to know… we've always been… allies…"
"Just shut up…" Because I…
"Am I your prisoner now for you to use? What am I to you?"
"Sulfus, please, this is not the time..."
"Just tell me." Sulfus pleaded, looking directly at Cerion's eyes, causing her to pause. "Please. Why did you spare me?"
"Because…" Because I would die if you died. "Because… I owe you for all the times you saved me, fair enough?"
"Yes, I suppose." Sulfus responded.
"Good. I'll be going to the planet now." Cerion stated as she pressed a few buttons on a control panel. "Sulfus, I know this is asking a lot from you at this point but, please, just trust me. Ok?" Sulfus quietly nodded. Cerion gave him a faint smile before disappearing in a blue field. Sulfus finally sighed and started to wait as patiently as he could.
Teleported by her ship, Cerion reappeared some distance from Mesata City. She leaned against a nearby rock and took deep breaths to ease her nerves. She strained to push her conversation with Sulfus out of her mind and her feelings deep inside her. She couldn't believe what she felt and what she had almost said. Stupid… emotions… That's just for mortals! I just owed him, that's all… I owed him… Cerion repeated to herself until she was satisfied with her control of herself. More important stuff to take care of now. She almost instantly located Gohan's ki. He was obviously deep in combat with Dudan. Cerion took flight in direction of the fight and as she silently hoped for Gohan to hold on, she wondered about the talk she had with the boy.
What a stubborn child. Cerion mused. She made the final approach to the battlefield by foot, leaping great distances to avoid using her ki too much and alerting the others. Even if the area was literally blanketed under the two immense powers colliding, she didn't want to take any chances. Cerion chose a mountain of rubble as her hiding place. From there she watched as the struggle unfolded.
The two superpowers continued to clash over the last ruins. Every strike and each blow they delivered to each other sent shockwaves all around. Gohan relentlessly attacked, using his emotions as fuel to his fire. He tried to use his small size to dodge under Dudan's guard and landed a couple of swift blows to his jaw. But the giant kicked him with his knee and the Saiyan was airborne in an instant. Gohan stabilized himself in the air to wipe the blood from his mouth and take in a few deep breathes. In spite of the hits he landed on Dudan, he didn't seem to have progressed much. His muscles ached from the hard blows he had received. The Warlord's size added more weight to his attacks. On the other side, Dudan cursed at the apparent stalemate.
"What is this?" Dudan yelled, though no one would listen to him. "He's almost matching me. How strong is this brat? How come these Earth warriors are stronger than I had anticipated?!" Listening in from afar, Cerion smirked. Meanwhile, grouped around Lulu's body, the remnants of the Z Squad looked on in awe.
"I can't believe how strong that titan is!" Vegeta spat.
"Yeah, kinda makes you wonder how come we're nowhere in the same league." Tenshinhan added.
"What? Speak for yourself." The Prince retorted. "We lost almost half of our numbers now and this isn't going anywhere. You got any good ideas to help us finish this?"
"I got one." Someone spoke from behind them. The trio turned around to see a now familiar friendly face.
"Chen!" Android 18 cried out. She wanted to smile but then she remembered everything that happened when she saw where Chen's eyes laid. "I'm sorry, I…"
"I wish I could've made it sooner." The general spoke softly, trying to keep his voice from breaking down. "Lulu, please forgive me."
Well, it's about time. I was afraid I got you the translations of the scrolls for nothing. Cerion thought, smiling to herself.
"Trunks and Piccolo are also gone." Tenshinhan added.
"I'm sorry I got you guys involved in this. But I got what we need to beat him, I hope this works." Chen stated resolutely.
"I just lost my son for the second time in a few weeks, this better be worth it!" Vegeta spat. Meanwhile the battle resumed as Gohan and Dudan traded more blows and insults.
"I don't care how strong you are or who you beat before. No kid will defeat me!" Dudan said as he tried to punch Gohan but the boy ducked under his arm and came up to uppercut him.
"You don't care about anything, you monster!" The Saiyan retorted as he pummelled the tyrant. "All the destruction you caused, all the people you hurt, including my two best friends! How would you like it if someone told you when you lived and died, huh?!"
Dudan's speed abruptly picked up. Gohan had the wind knocked out of him with a punch to his gut and then the giant's massive arm was brought down on his back, causing the boy to fall.
"And who would be able to tell me that?" he replied sarcastically.
"Him, of course." Dudan turned to find Chen facing him from a safe distance. "Well, with my help that is. This better work."
"What the hell are you blabbing about?" Dudan then noticed the scroll in Chen's hand. "Wait a sec… that can't be…"
"Nemet su ri anon day amh…" Chen recited from the scroll's alien scripts. "…ech Son Gohan!!!"
And not a moment too soon. Let's see if this thing is for real. Cerion mused to herself. Dudan felt a rumbling in his armor and before he knew it, the Power Stone had escaped the safety of his pockets. It floated away briefly and stayed suspended in the air, all eyes cast on it in curiosity. Suddenly, it glowed at a high intensity and a beam shot out, striking Gohan as it poured its power directly into him. The Saiyan clenched his teeth from the pain as his body could barely handle it.
"Unh…too…much…No!" he cried.
"What?! No, that power is mine!" Dudan boomed, finally snapping out of his astonishment to realise what was happening. As he reached to grab the Stone, he let his guard down and Vegeta brought him down with a kick.
"You trash, for killing my son you're not getting out of this one!" Vegeta threatened.
"You should've stayed where you were, weakling!" Dudan countered as he wiped the boot mark from his face.
Meanwhile the air continued to crackle around the Power Stone as it finished giving energy to Gohan. Suddenly, A small black density appeared above it, turning into a small dark portal. Black, lightning-like tendrils extended from the portal, reaching for the Stone. Once the tendrils go a hold of it, they pulled the Power Stone with them and the portal closed in on itself.
"What the…? Was that normal?" Android 18 wondered aloud.
"Uh, not a clue, I guess?!" Chen admitted.
What in the blazes… That didn't look like it had anything to do with the Power Stone! Cerion thought, confused and frustrated. That was an inter-dimensional portal opened from some other location. But what the hell is the meaning of this?
"That's it, that power belongs to me alone!" Dudan proclaimed as he swatted Vegeta away again. With a rage he hadn't experienced in a long time, he looked at Gohan as the youth held his head down. "This game is over!"
"Gohan, look out!" Tenshinhan yelled out.
With his incredible speed, Dudan charged at the Saiyan boy and launched one of his tremendous punches. The air rippled at the impact and a whirlwind of dust swept the area. Once the smoke cleared however, everyone saw Dudan's fist caught inside Gohan's palm.
"Oh my…" Chen muttered.
"Impossible!" Vegeta cursed.
Gohan finally lifted his head slowly to stare at the Warlord, as if finally acknowledging everything around him. Everyone was shocked to see his face. It held an inscrutable blank expression with his pupils completely hidden behind a bright blue glow. Gohan's body trembled slightly, with veins popping out wherever his skin was visible, and a small sliver of drool running down from his mouth to his chin.
"Something's wrong…" 18 whispered.
"W-what is this?" Dudan exclaimed, suddenly terrified. He finally withdrew the fist that Gohan caught and tried to swing another blow but the Saiyan vanished right before him.
"How'd he do that…? There, this time you won't escape me!" He yelled when he saw Gohan reappear several feet further.
Dudan once more lunged at full speed at Gohan, his arm in the midst of delivering a terrible blow. Too quickly for him to understand what happened however, a ripple effect appeared in the air before the tyrant's fist, mere inches from Gohan's face. His punching hand was swallowed into the ripple. Almost simultaneously, a second ripple materialized right behind Dudan's head. His own punching fist jetted out the hole in space and knocked him in the back of his head. Dudan violently jerked forward from the impact only to get sent back with equal force from a kick by Gohan to his jaw. The Z Squad's fighters gaped in awe.
"D-did you see that?" Chen asked, dumbstruck.
"Uh, not sure…" Tenshinhan commented.
"This can't be…" Dudan muttered pathetically, his confidence permanently shattered.
"Power… everything…die!" Gohan hissed with an expressionless gaze. He rained a flurry of rapid ki blasts at Dudan. The Warlord fell down to the ground in a heap.
"Stop! H-he's going mad!" 18 said frantically.
"What the hell is he doing?" Tenshihan exclaimed as Gohan raised a hand above his head. He gathered a massive amount of ki and in an instant an enormous energy ball dwarfing him appeared. "That's too much power just to kill Dudan, he could blow up the entire planet!" Meanwhile, Dudan only got enough time to get on his feet only to see Gohan fling the ball at him.
"Gohan, stop!" 18 yelled as she jumped in the air but the blast was too quick to intercept.
"Nooo! This can't be!" Dudan screamed in a panic. The ball landed on top of him and he struggled for a moment to contain it. It was too much for him however. The energy pushed him into the ground and his screams disappeared with his body as he sank.
"Blast it!" Vegeta cursed. "The planet's core will blow up in a few minutes!"
"Gohan, what's wrong with you? You're going to kill us all!" 18 pleaded as she approached the Saiyan boy. He turned to her blankly, sending chills down the Android's spine. "That thing made you lose your mind, didn't it?"
"Kill…everything…" he simply replied, raising a hand towards the Android. He sent a small palm blast that was too quick for her but before it could hit, she was hit in her sides by another ki blast that pushed her out of the way.
"Stay away from him, 18!" Tenshinhan yelled after saving her from afar. "Chen, what is wrong with him? Is there anything we can do about this?"
"I-I don't know. Nothing was mentioned about this, I don't know if I can undo this!" Chen said frantically. Suddenly, Chen's screamed at the top of his lungs clutching his head with both his hands. "Arrgh! My head! It's like there are needles in my brain!"
"What the…?" Tenshinhan started when Gohan appeared in between them and swiftly kicked the Jubian away. The boy then turned his attention to the Triclops. "D-damnit!"
Hmmm. So his Saiyan powers were augmented. And his godling powers over mind, space and time were accelerated also. Cerion commented to herself, frowning. But the power made him insane. No wonder my ancestors wanted nothing to do with these Stones after they created them.
Vegeta directed a Final Flash at Gohan as the boy downed Tenshinha, forcing the boy to block it. Chen recovered to start a barrage of ki blasts that Gohan was forced to defend against. Meanwhile Vegeta went to pick up Tenshinhan.
"You're the weakest of us, you really shouldn't be doing this." Vegeta said, finding time to comment on the Human's weakness.
"Heh, if Goku or Piccolo were here, they could maybe talk him straight or something." Tenshinhan mused as he got up. "Right now I can't think of any other solution." He quickly shot up in the air.
"Hmmm, what is with him?" Vegeta wondered. "Without Kakalotto or the Namek, it's like… Hmpf! What do I care?!"
Chen took a moment to catch his breath, a cloud from the explosions of his blasts obscuring his vision. He looked on warily trying to find any sign and tensed up. Predictably Gohan emerged from the cloud, unharmed, when Chen was the least prepared for it. The Saiyan flew at him at high speed and was about to collide with him when something blurred in front of them.
"Solar Flare!" Tenshinhan screamed as he emitted the blinding glare from his body. Gohan was stopped in his track. "That's better. Now c'mon! Gohan, snap out of it. I don't know what that thing did to you, you were able to beat Dudan but now it's over. Let go of this power, it's eating your mind. It's not you that's doing this, let it…" Tenshihan was interrupted by Gohan's hand to his throat.
"Power… must kill…no…" came the Saiyan's pained voice.
"Urrk… don't let the power… take over you…" Tenshinhan begged as he tried to loosen Gohan's grip on his neck. "Damnit… Snap out of it!!!"
"Gohan!" came Piccolo's voice from behind Gohan, causing the boy to gain a bit of focus.
"P-Piccolo?" he said meekly.
"Gohan, what are you doing?" 'Piccolo' said. "This isn't you, hurting your friends and the ones you love. You must gain control of this power. It is controlling you but you must control it. Only you can do it."
"Yes, Gohan. You don't need it." Came Goku's voice immediately after.
"Dad?" Gohan whispered. Slowly the dangerous glow in his eyes started to fade and his pupils became visible once more, betraying a sense of relief in them.
"Yes, it is me, son." 'Goku' said. "Now, let go of it. All the pain, the hurt and the anger. Let it go. You can do it."
Gohan closed his eyes and his mind latched on to his father and his mentor's voices. From within himself, he found the strength to cut through the fogginess of the Power Stone's effects overwhelming his senses. The power dissipated completely from his body and, strained from the effort of expulsing it, Gohan fainted into Android 18's waiting arms.
"Oh man!" Tenshinhan exclaimed as he rubbed the sore spot on his throat. "Great thinking! How did you do that?"
"Oh, it's nothing." 18 shrugged, more preoccupied at tending to the unconscious form in her arms. "Dr Gero programmed me and my brother with all of your voices. When you mentioned that Goku and Piccolo might've been able to talk to Gohan, I did an imitation of them. Wasn't sure if it was going to work though."
"Well it did." Tenshinshan smiled. "Thank you." The assembled fighters almost forgot their situation until a violent earthquake shook the entire landscape. The atmosphere turned orange and clouds that weren't there before moments before swirled violently high above. The weather went berserk from the destruction of the magnetic field. "Oh, right. The planet blowing up thingy." Tenshinhan sighed.
"I guess that's your Human expression of 'out the frying pan, into the fire'." Vegeta commented.
"Hey, are the big battles over?" a loud voice called from not too far. The Z Squad turned to see Yoshuro's spaceship barrelling in. "I thought it'd be a good idea to wait for you guys but, well, I can't really wait much longer."
"Thank Kami! C'mon, we're outta here. Chen, you can get your sister real quickly." Tenshinhan said.
"Hold it, what about my son?" Vegeta said.
"Vegeta, I'm sorry but we don't have time to look, we have no clue where him or Piccolo's bodies." Tenshinhan insisted. Meanwhile the earthquakes intensified. In the distance mountain ranges crumbled while columns of lava began to erupt. "There's nothing more we can do."
As he looked on, Vegeta could only reluctantly agree. Chen quickly recovered his sister's body from the ground below and they quickly departed in Yoshuro's ship.
"Well, that wasn't satisfying at all!" Cerion said to herself. I have no clue where the Power Stone disappeared to, leaving me with a dangerous weapon on the loose anywhere. Sighing, she activated her ship's teleportation device and within a moment she was back in the Skylight. Her return startled Sulfus.
"Cerion! Are you okay? The planet looks like it's going to explode." He said anxiously as he rushed to her side.
"Um… Yes, I'm okay. And yes, it's going to explode so we need to get out of here." She stated as she stared at him in curiosity. Was that concern? "What about yourself, are you alright?" That brought Sulfus' current situation back to the front of his mind and his anxious expression was now replaced by a frown.
"Yes, I'm fine! Just wondering what you were up to this time, that's all." he replied coolly. Cerion sighed.
"Alright… let's go."
Cerion got at the helm of the ship and briskly the Skylight sped away from Mesata while all around the remaining Jubian ships were also dispersing as quickly as possible. Soon after, the planet's fracturing shell finally erupted in a single final explosion, projecting lava and rocks in all directions, as well as a small, conspicuous red ball of energy.
- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -
Ugh, I should know better than to come to a hospital with a drink in me! Tenshinhan thought acidly as he walked through the corridors of Heder's biggest hospital. Late as it was, the complex was soothingly quiet. Then again, if I can think straight, I'm not that drunk, am I?… Meh, maybe Lunch was right when she said I needed to loosen up!
No matter how hard he tried to shake it off, Tenshinhan couldn't help but feel inadequate in the face of the previous day's pyrrhic victory. Dudan was defeated but at the cost of Lulu, Piccolo and Trunks' lives. Thousands more civilians and soldiers had died in the fighting and Mesata was now nothing more than an asteroid field. Furthermore, Gohan had almost lost his sanity. Things were always easier with Goku and Piccolo around. But now what? The Triclops wondered. As he rounded a corner, he spotted a familiar figure looking out a window and approached him.
"Hey Vegeta!" Tenshinhan called out. He got no response. "Vegeta." Again, no answer from the Prince. Tenshinhan sighed. "Don't worry. When we get back home, we'll bring Trunks back to life. We all did what we had to to protect other people, complete strangers. You can be proud of your son… and of yourself as well. You fought well."
Still with no response, Tenshinhan decided to leave Vegeta alone in his thoughts. Guess it must still be sinking in. After a few minutes, he finally made his way to a specific room in the hospital. When he entered, Tenshinhan found Gohan in his hospital bed reading from another one of Chen's books on the civilization. He also saw Android 18 sprawled from a nearby chair, her head against Gohan's bed. Gohan made a gesture to shush the Triclops as he stepped in the room.
"Don't wake her up." The Saiyan said softly.
"Not likely. She's been watching over you for hours now." Tenshinhan replied chuckling. "She was worried sick over you. When did you get up by the way?"
"Really? Wow, I guess I do feel slightly better having her watch over me. I just woke up a while ago, I don't know how long… Man, I remember how much it hurt when the Power Stone's energy hit me and then I felt lost. It was all a mess in my head until I heard Piccolo and my father's voices. They must be close… Uh, why are you grinning like an idiot?"
"Oh, absolutely no reason at all! But I suggest you talk to Android 18 to know what happened." Tenshinhan said, smirking.
"Unnhh… someone say my name?" a groggy Android inquired 18 as she slowly woke up, her cheeks slightly blushing. "I didn't fall asleep, did I?"
"You sure did." Gohan said, laughing gently.
"Oh, this is embarrassing!"
"Ha, don't sweat it!" Tenshinhan laughed before taking a serious tone. "By the way, Gohan, I wanted to ask you something… You think there's something we're not getting in this whole adventure? Like something bigger than us is up?"
"I don't know…" Gohan started before pausing himself. "Actually, that woman I was fighting seemed pretty strange. I got the feeling that she wasn't working on Dudan's side."
"Oh, how come?" The Triclops asked.
"Because she said she wanted me to kill him."
"Well I guess that'd be a dead ringer." 18 added sarcastically.
"Yeah, I guess so… Cerion was her name. She said she didn't want Dudan to get the Power Stone and that I was the only one that could beat him." Gohan said, and then turned his gaze downward. "As a matter of fact, she seemed to know a lot about me. My life, what we do back home… She told I'm some sort of god."
"A god?" Tenshinhan inquired, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, she talked about random mutations and stuff that can happen to every species. That's supposed to make my Saiyan powers stronger and give me more powers too but I'm not developed. So she said she'd take me 'under her wing' to train me after our fight."
"And if you refused to be trained?"
"That I'd be killed because she doesn't want rival gods." The boy stated.
"That wench…" 18 muttered angrily.
"And then what?" Tenshinhan questioned.
"Well, we felt Piccolo, Trunks and Lulu being beaten by Dudan and Cerion told me to win for them. Then she released me and disappeared, saying something about 'recovering a fire-breathing lizard'. Then I came to find you guys fighting with Dudan and… well." Gohan finished.
"Heh, well that's interesting." Tenshinhan wondered aloud. "I knew something was up but now we're left with new questions. And there's no telling what this 'Cerion' is up to. If anything I bet she'll try to get at you again."
"There's no way I'm letting her do anything to you for any reason!" 18 spat.
"Thanks, 18! I appreciate it." Gohan said gently, causing the Android to blush slightly at her outburst.
"Um, no problem."
"Well, no use worrying about it now." Tenshinhan put in, smiling. "I just wanted to check up on you guys. After all tomorrow's a big day and I can't always be watching you. I trust you can keep an eye out for each other?"
"Sure, I'll always watch out for the kid." 18 said smiling as she rubbed Gohan's head.
Tenshinhan wished them good night as he left the room. Maybe they can be a positive influence on each other.
The next day was a sober day for the Z squad. An entire civilization mourned the loss of one of its greatest defenders. Numerous people, including her brother, eulogized Lulu. With the remainder of his family gathered too, Chen spoke of the loss of his sister in battle after that of his father, the loss of an incredible role model and confidant and his family's continuing commitment to protecting all free peoples of the galaxy, not just Jubians. His voice cracked a few times when he referenced personal memories involving his sister. Vegeta faced down his own pain when the Jubians honoured the memory of Trunks, as well Piccolo. His face remained an immovable stone but his eyes couldn't hide his hurt. Meanwhile, the reality of losing his mentor and his best friend struck Gohan. He shed a few tears giving a speech about his friends and the need to watch over freedom but otherwise maintained a brave face. It wasn't until after he was safe from the public eye that Gohan collapsed into Android 18's arms, letting his tears flow freely. 18 hugged him back tightly. She didn't say anything but Tenshinhan could feel her mind silently weeping for three friends she didn't get to know better. The Triclops felt depressed how the day went. If Goku was here, he'd know what to do. Still he resolved to be there for his friends.
The day, and then the night, passed and it was time for the Z Squad to leave. Chen took the time to thank them for their help and their friendship and then they were off, returning home thanks to Yoshuro. The first few hours of the flight went by quietly, punctuated by a few discussions.
"Hmmm, home…" 18 wondered aloud, arousing Gohan's curiosity.
"What's up?"
"I don't know, it feels like I don't want this 'trip' to end just yet." She said. "I mean, it feels different to spend time with you guys… and, er, stuff." 18 mumbled the last part, still self-conscious of her growing attachment.
"Hehe, that's cool. I know what you mean, it's like we're one family." Gohan chuckled back. "Plus I got all this cool stuff from Chen. A couple of books and disks on the Jubians, I'd love to find out about the whole galaxy if I could!"
"Hey brat!" Vegeta called out, to Gohan's slight annoyance. "Does any of this junk carry information on the Kosajin?" Tenshinhan looked on in curiosity. Freezer's race if I remember?
"No, nothing on them specifically." Gohan stated. "Why?"
"Nothing, brat. Never mind!" The Prince huffed.
"I have a name, you know!" The boy retorted.
"You worked with Freezer, right?" Tenshinhan asked.
"Not worked, you stupid Human. I had no choice, I was a prisoner and slave! I just wanted to know if there's more of that filth in the galaxy, that's all." Vegeta countered.
"Maybe we could do something about this." Tenshinhan mused before turning to the Jubian pilot. "Yoshuro, you know where the Kosajin live?"
"Hmmm? Yes, the Jubians have commercial ties with a lot of people, including the Kosajin. Why?"
"Can you take us there?"
"WHAT?" Vegeta yelled.
"What for, Tenshinhan?" Gohan asked.
"Yeah, what you got in mind?" Android 18 added.
"Well, none of you want to go home right away, right?" Tenshinhan explained. "There's a lot we don't know and we won't have time to do afterwards. There's a lot more to this universe than we know, maybe this could be a good occasion to learn. Plus, you know we never really stick together. We can spend some more time together and get along…"
"We can also drive each other crazy and kill each other in a murderous bloodlust." Gohan added cheerily.
"Um, yes Gohan… And we can learn about Freezer's race. Even Vegeta doesn't know about them and maybe he could benefit some peace of mind from it. That is, if you guys want to go of course. What do you say?" Tenshinhan added.
"Not interested!" Vegeta stated.
"So we can all do group therapy on the Prince? Where do I sign up?" Android 18 chirped. Vegeta groaned.
"I want in!" Gohan raised his hand in excitement.
"I get to go on an adventure! Voting's four to one, so we're set for Kosajin space!" Yoshuro pronounced grinning.
"Ugh, well I suppose there could worse things than being stuck with you guys…" Vegeta whined.
Tenshinhan smiled gently. He wasn't sure what they'd find or what they'd do. Or maybe they'd regret it later. But for now he was satisfied that they could get along. I guess Goku would've done something like this. Then again, I'm not Goku…
CONCLUSIONAnd so this concludes Quest for Power: The Warlord. The Z Squad has completed another big adventure. But now they're on the trail of the race of King Cold, Freezer and Cooler. Exactly what will they find? Where did Sulfus and Cerion go to? Speaking of Cooler, what is he up to in the afterlife now? And the lives of the Kosajin (or how I imagine Freezer's race to be like) are looked into, along with an important upstart character. The Quest for Power series continues in Quest for Power 2: Challenge Kingdom. I hope y'all enjoyed this and see you soon for more!!!
Konrad
P.S. Don't forget to drop a review and let me know how you feel!