Escalation
Chapter 17: Two-Pronged Assault
General White sprinted over to his wooden desk, nearly toppling over from the last shockwave that shook the building. He pressed a button on its side and the desk swiveled into the floor- revealing a fully outfitted crisis center beneath. General White hurriedly climbed down, and then strapped on a headset, eyes scanning the status of the tower. There was a breach on floor two of the tower. The villagers wouldn't have this kind of firepower- no, this has to be someone else. He tried the long-range communicator- nothing. The blizzard outside had knocked out the relay. He frowned, his muscular body illuminated by the eerie green glow of the monitors before him. Looks like I'm on my own. What the hell are we up against?...
0o0o0
Commander Red repeatedly slammed his fists into his desk. 'General Blue! GENERAL BLUE! WHERE ARE YOU?'
Someone ran down the hallway outside and then burst into Commander Red's office. 'Sorry Commander,' a plainclothes officer replied, 'General Blue is predisposed right now.'
'Predisposed, at a time like this? We're under attack!' Commander Red screeched, gesturing to a group of CCTV screens behind him. Most showed static- but some portrayed a battleground, bullets flying and explosions going off throughout the Red Ribbon Army HQ. 'Officer Black, I want you to find General Blue this instant and deliver him here. We need to coordinate our defense!'
'Err, sir, I would do that, if not for the fact that General Blue has already started coordinating our defense…'
'Oh? He's started then?' Commander Red asked, a bit surprised.
'Yes, sir.'
Commander Red adjusted his eyepatch. 'Good. Umm… good.' Commander Red seemed to lose interest in the conversation.
Officer Black weighed his options: should he ask his boss if wanted to help plan the defense with General Blue, or should he offer Commander Red coffee? He chose the latter.
'Coffee, sir?'
'Of course! I always want my coffee, Officer Black.'
'Very good sir, I'll get right on that.' Officer Black saluted and briskly walked out of the room. Commander Red swung around in his chair to watch the battle unfold. General Blue better not mess this up, or I'm going to fire him out of a howitzer, or maybe a tank. Whatever hurts more. We'll see how strong he feels after that… hehe.
Stepping outside of the room, Officer Black broke into a shaking rage before steadying himself with some labored breathing. He collected himself and nodded to a pair of soldiers walking past. No, not yet. I need to wait a bit longer for the area to clear out. Then- I'll have all the time in the world.
0o0o0
Krillin plowed through a small squad of Red Ribbon Army soldiers, drop kicking the last soldier to the ground. He was, admittedly, somewhat lost within the maze-like base, running into and dispatching patrols as he tried to get a sense of direction. He was on his own- once everyone had entered the grounds of the headquarters their means of communication between each other was broken. Maybe there was some sort of jamming going on, or too much interfering radio chatter among the Red Ribbon Army. Of course, through ki sensing, Krillin had a vague idea where everyone was. Pinpointing exactly where they were, however, would take a couple minutes of concentration. And right now, I can't afford to stay in one spot for too long. Either way, I need to find a landmark. Krillin got a running start and jumped onto the roof of a nearby one-story concrete building. Glancing around him, he saw to his right the forest he entered from. To his front and behind the base stretched on, more unremarkable buildings and half-silo garages. However, Krillin saw to his left a larger than usual building, centrally located within the base. Soldiers patrolled and ran along the building's perimeter. Looks promising. That's where I'd hide a dragonball, anywa-
All at once the ground underneath Kakarot's feet started falling. He leaped off the collapsing roof to land awkwardly on the concrete ground. Out of the building's rubble emerged a pale-skinned Red Ribbon Army soldier, oddly janky with her movements. There was a familiar pair of shades that almost seemed to wrap around her face. 'You,' she strangely croaked, 'are one of them.'
This is… odd. Krillin straightened and started circling the mystery woman, tensing his body to strike. The woman tracked him strangely; there was a distinct lag between any of Krillin's movements and her accompanying response. Very odd. Here goes nothing… Krillin plunged forwards, closing the gap between them and swinging an elbow into the woman's chest. Instead of pushing into her body, however, his elbow hitched, halted at the point of contact. A hollow dumm rang from the woman. This is… just like!-
The woman responded by swinging her right arm like a bat across her body, but Krillin dodged and spun, whipping a kick to the woman's side. This time his strike actually pushed, or more accurately, crumpled into the woman. She was driven back a few feet, her shades flying off as she skidded to a stop. She lifted her head and two eerily red eyes bore down on Krillin.
Like that thing I fought in Ladoya. Krillin grinned. Poor thing.
Krillin sprinted forward and launched into a flying kick- he plunged straight through the center of the android, exiting the other side and spraying out wires and oil. Landing, he heard the tell-tale sound of a body collapsing to the ground behind him. Grimacing at the splatters of oil on his newly-fitted Turtle gi, Krillin regarded the android for a moment. If I'm remembering right, that one would have given me some serious trouble back then. Poor thing…
After scanning his surroundings momentarily, Krillin broke into a run towards the prominent building to his left.
0o0o0
Two dull grey eyes watched as the image of a withdrawing orange-clad person faded into static. Mechanically, Dr. Gero tapped a button on his keyboard and another feed popped onto the viewscreen, again filling his vision with an unbroken landscape of live video. He settled back into his chair, folding his hands onto his lap. His long graying hair waved down onto his shoulders, bristled and splintered at the ends. In the darkness of his lab, he was more ghost than human. They're strong. But how will that strength fare, I wonder, when they are confronted by my legion?
He sat forward and tapped a command into his keyboard. Slowly, the images in front of him started to shift and move, as a hundred transmitters started to buzz with activity. Yes, let's see how they handle this.
Like a surgeon excising a tumor, Dr. Gero sat in his chair in his dim, dusty lab, and clinically observed his tools go to work.
0o0o0
A cloud of dust and debris rocketed outwards from Kakarot's blow to the wall, as a hole big enough to fit a car opened up in front of him. He smirked as he climbed over what was left of the concrete barrier. So far, this base hasn't impressed. His enemies were as numerous as they were fragile- so, very numerous and very fragile. The first floor, and so far this floor, has been filled with cannon fodder. So who's this now?...
Kakarot watched through the clearing dust a vague shape become more defined. A giant of a man stepped out of the cloud, shaking the ground with the weight of his steps. He had short, trimmed hair, a jawline cut from stone, and a chest so barrelled and wide it alone could have fit Kakarot five times over. Other than the black gloves and the relatively tiny pair of shades covering his eyes, he was indistinct. 'Intruder,' the man grinded, 'are not supposed to be here. Leave or die.'
Kakarot arched an eyebrow. Someone attempting to intimidate him was… new. He wondered if the hulking man facing him would have enough time to regret his mistake. When his opponent began to move forward in response to Kakarot's silence, Kakarot struck first, running and jumping towards him and curling himself into a ball. He pounded against the man like a cannonball, sinking into the man's chest. So if he has a heart, it's gone now-
Two massive arms strapped themselves around Kakarot, pinning him against the man's sunken chest. Startled, he forced his head to look up- and found the giant grimacing down at him. 'That was unwise,' he snarled. The arms around Kakarot tightened, then began clamping down on him, one inch at a time. Struggling with the increasing pressure and the man's seemingly unbreakable grip, Kakarot thrashed in futile frustration. He saw that the giant's arms were gripping the edges of his own collapsed chest, almost locking… Not even-
Everything clicked. Kakarot wriggled a hand free. He collected ki into a point at the tip of his fingers, then plunged his hand through the chest of the man. It slid through what felt like metal and wires before coming to stop in the center of the giant's chest. Smoke puffed out of the man's joints and the grip on Kakarot loosened, then slackened entirely. The man fell backwards, Kakarot jumping off his falling form just before a reverberating clannng rang through the room. Back on the ground, Kakarot briefly looked up and down his fallen opponent. A small puddle of oil was pooling underneath the body. Metal? A... robot? Is that the word? Couldn't use ki though… so unlikely that he's the person I'm looking for. Kakarot turned to face a stairwell at the far end of the room and walked.
0o0o0
As Major Metallitron's visual feed faded out into nothing, General White willed his fingers to unclasp the edge of his desk. Rage and indignation flashed through every part of his body. This is!... this is unacceptable! Releasing one hand, he reached over and tapped a button on a receiver to his left. 'Murasaki, you copy?' he said through gritted teeth.
'Loud and clear, general. Got an update for me?'
'I want you to take one of the snowmobiles on the ground floor. But don't go through the tower. Climb down the side.
For a moment Murasaki didn't respond. 'Sir? If this is about the intruder, I assure you-'
'No.'
More silence. 'What did you say, sir?'
'Whoever is attacking our base, you nor anyone else will be prepared to handle him. He dispatched Major Metallitron easily. Get up to me now. I need you to get back-up.'
'Uhh… if you say so, sir… what about my brothers, though? Should they stay here?'
'They can do whatever they want-just make sure you get up here. You need to get out of this storm and get a damn signal out. The HQ, hell, even the merc if you can reach him.' General White paused for a second, chewing his lip in thought. 'Take one of my snowmobiles. You should be able to get far enough out on that. And grab some blizzard gear on your way up.'
'Will do. I'll be up there in a minute.'
General White clicked off the receiver and sighed. He never liked waiting. Especially if what awaits me at the end is a slaughter… He crouched down and pulled a small lever close to the ground. Beneath him, he heard a rumbling of movement and a low-pitched snarl. If Buyon, 8, and Murasaki's brothers can't stop that kid on the 5th floor- well, let's hope we can get help by then.
0o0o0
A succession of bodies hit the ground. Yamcha rose, counting how many people he had just barreled through. Twelve. Not bad, considering I wasn't really planning on doing that… Altogether Yamcha was surprised- the closer he had approached what he assumed was the headquarters of the base, the less resistance he faced. As he ran down concrete avenues, squat bunkers and tents to his left and right, he was again amazed by the size of the Red Ribbon Army Headquarters. I can't even begin how expensive this base is… uhh- oh yea, from what I saw earlier, I need to make a right heeerrreee…
He slowed to a stop as he saw a wall of bodies standing shoulder to shoulder across the path, physically blocking Yamcha's path. He ignored an impulse to run straight through like he had done before- he was feeling a vague sense of trouble.
Though, he could tell something was wrong just using his eyes. Everyone blocking his path looked identical to each other. They were all women, dressed in dark brown Red Ribbon Army fatigues, with red hair, shades, and pale skin. And- they were- identical? What the hell is going on?
As soon as the thought went through Yamcha's head, the line of women in front of him advanced one step, then another, entirely synchronized, until they formed a moving mass closing in on his position. Their movements were abrupt, stilted, almost as if they didn't know how to use their legs. Yea… time to back away. Yamcha took a step backwards and turned around to see another mass of bodies encroaching on him. Quick glances to his left and right confirmed his suspicions; he was trapped.
Spinning, he realized everyone around him was the same red-haired, pale-skinned woman. Alright, enough! Too freaky! Time to leave!. Sprinting towards the first wall, he charged ki into his fist and then plunged through the mass, leading with his right arm. A dull concussive blast rang out as Yamcha broke through the wall, his fist forcing its way clear of the mob. He continued his mad dash forward, pulling back his arm and dreading the sight of blood on him-
There was oil on his arm. Just… oil. Ignoring his sense of danger, he stopped and spun around to where he had broken through. A swarm of people was chasing him, running at a brisk, deceptively fast jog. He could see that some of them had totally gone arms, legs, even heads- with wires tumbling out where organs should have. Having seen enough, Yamcha broke into a run again, trying to process what he had just seen. He was quickly speeding to the central, distinctive building in the base. I really, really hope the others have a contingency plan for robots!
0o0o0
Rifling through some papers Rayne spotted what she was looking for. 'Got it!' she exclaimed as she pulled out a piece of paper and walked over to Bulma. 'I think this is it,' she said, handing it over.
Bulma studied the piece of paper, turning it over a few times, before nodding and pocketing it in a knapsack at her side. 'I think that's all we need from here. Let's move.'
Rayne had entered with Bulma and Puar as part of the infiltration mission. They had a reason to believe that if the assault was successful, the Red Ribbon Army would go underground if possible; some sort of final directive from the headquarters to all its smaller outposts. Rayne had remembered her own small cell, and so had proposed that they head for the administrative complex and find a current list of all active Red Ribbon sites. It would make any future pursuals of the Red Ribbon Army, by them or anyone else, that much easier.
'This was a good idea Rayne- no one was here once the base's alarm went off.' Bulma said as they descended a flight of stairs.
'The thought occurred to me...' she said, tailing off, not knowing what else to say. They came to the entrance of their building and were saluted by a smiling Red Ribbon Army officer. A second and a pop later, Puar Puar was floating up to them. 'So we're good for logistic information?'
'Yep,' Bulma said, 'now we just need to find some more sensitiv-'
A very dull, long-off explosion sounded off outside, stopping their conversation. 'What was that?' Bulma asked. After making sure no one was in the immediate area outside, they walked out and tried to determine the direction of the blast. 'Wait here,' Rayne commanded, as she ran and jumped onto a drain pipe. She shimmied and climbed up on to the roof of the building. It was one of the taller buildings in the base- she possessed a good view of the surrounding expanse. Far to her right, but steadily approaching, Rayne could make out a lone figure in orange, sprinting at full speed parallel to her position, right to left. The indistinct black stuff on his head- so that's Yamcha, running. Running from?... She looked beyond Yamcha, and saw a literal wave of people, galloping almost like mechanical horses as they charged after Yamcha in alarming synchronicity. Running from… a horde. Alright. I guess I need to prepare something for that.
A brief twitch of sensation passed through her body. Was that ki? She turned in its originating direction- to her left, she saw Krillin gesturing for her to approach. He was positioned to confront the fast approaching stampede of people head on.
Sighing, Rayne swung her legs over the edge of the roof and began descending back down the drain pipe. I really hope Krillin has a plan more than just "we stand and fight"...
Minutes later, Krillin said, '... so after that, we stand and fight the rest of them.'
'You know,' Rayne commented, 'I don't like the last part of that plan, but the beginning- shooting two Kamehameha blasts toward them- I like that part. Did I ever tell you what Chi-Chi and I got up to after the tournament?'
'Don't think so, no.'
'It's-' she hesitated. It's actually the exact same idea that I suggested to Chi-Chi. Two big Kamehameha blasts to extinguish a mountain. Except here we're extinguishing a mob of weird enemies. Funny that… She shook her head. 'It was pretty similar to what we're about to do. Any idea how we're going to get Yamcha out of the way? And- won't shooting two full strength Kamehamehas kill a lot of people?'
'One,' Krillin said, sticking out one finger from his hand, 'Yamcha is being chased by… androids? robots? Whatever they are, I've fought them before when coming head-to-head with the Red Ribbon Army. So it's probably a good thing that we utterly destroy them.'
Rayne raised an eyebrow skeptically. 'Robots? Are you serious? DId you hit your head or something? You remember that I was actually in the Red Ribbon Army, right?'
Krillin held up his oil-stained hands for Rayne. 'Trust me on this.'
She eyed his hands, then relented, nodding, 'Okay. And Yamcha?'
'Well, if our attack is going to hit, we need someone to distract them...'
'So we shoot our blasts at Yamcha, and hope he moves out of the way in time?'
'Pretty much.'
'That's… uh...' Rayne considered their physical location, glancing over her shoulder to see a hazy group of people hastily moving towards them. 'So as long as they're focused on Yamcha, they won't see the attack coming from beyond… yea, this might work.' She took up a position next to Krillin, facing down the long path. 'Though,' she said, 'if Yamcha gets dinged up, this is on you.'
'Not the first time.'
'True.'
Two pairs of feet dug into the ground.
0o0o0
Yamcha risked another glance over his shoulder. He was nearing his limit of continuous running, but behind him his pursuers ran on seemingly unfazed by their exertion. How are they still running!
…
Robots. Yep. Crap. Scanning his field of vision, he noticed for the first time two figures standing side-by-side on the road in front of him. Have they always been there- one orange, one tan and blue- Oh! Thank Kami-
All at once two blue waves sprouted from them, shooting straight towards Yamcha. Aaah! He madly swerved to his right, inadvertently tripping and tumbling forwards. His hair was singed as a massive wave of Kamehameha energy passed over him. He bumped into a concrete road barrier as a horrible crunching came from behind him. Rolling from his back onto his front, he pushed himself off the ground and looked back at his pursuers.
What was left of them, at least. The blast had carved through the mass like a knife, burning a hole straight through and past the robots. Most of the women were in bits and pieces- a leg part there, a fragment of internal circuitry there- but some were still staggering forwards, even though they were missing massive chunks of themselves, and in some cases even their upper bodies. Yamcha rose to meet them before two bodies rushed past him, launching into the fray of the remaining robots. In half a minute, it was over.
Rayne wiped oil from her hands onto her pants as she approached. 'You okay, Yamcha?'
He briefly considered yelling. Then he thought some more. 'I'm guessing you had a good reason to shoot two kamehamehas at me, right?'
'We needed to make sure they didn't see them coming,' Krillin said, joining them. 'I'm sorry.'
'So it was your idea, then?'
'Yea…'
Yamcha glared at Krillin, then released the tension from his face. 'Thank you for helping me, Rayne.' Then he resumed stared at Krillin, now smirking.
He continued to do this for roughly ten seconds. 'Alright,' Krillin finally said, 'I get it. No civilness for me. Let's just go,' he pointed to a prominent building in the direction Rayne and Krillin had come from, 'over there.'
'Krillin,' Yamcha said, slapping an arm down on Krillin's shoulder, 'It's not like,'- he put on a purposefully condescending air- 'you could have actually hurt me with that blast…'
'Oh, quiet, you.'
0o0o0
Dr. Gero watched with waning interest as the last feed from his self-dubbed 'Android 5' model fizzled into static. I never had much hope in a mass-produced android, anyhow. Requires too much group networking- too much collective action, predictability. Every single one of them sealed their fates the moment they uniformly and equitably pursued that pest… what's that man name, anyway? He brought up a few pictures he had captured from his feeds. They presented numerous angles of the tall, spiky-haired human man. I should try to gather more information on him… all of them. it seems that they are becoming a continuous thorn in my side. Dr. Gero produced a notepad and wrote something down. Something to note for later.
He then swiveled in his chair, turning towards another distinct setup of monitors and keyboards, and disinterestedly checked the status of the two models at Muscle Tower. Nothing. I swear I told General White to invest in a better long-range transmitter. Now I have to suffer from his stupidity…
Sighing, Dr. Gero rose from his chair. Still, there are other things I can do. He grabbed an oft-used legal pad from the desk next to him, multiple pages ripped out from the top. Obvious limitations of the Android 5 model- group processing, limited martial arts programming, slow reaction speeds- he paused in his pacing, stopping dead center in his spacious lab. Vulnerability to energy blasts… hmm…
A mind afire, a pencil dancing across a page- the lab resonated with the scrivenings of a genius.
0o0o0
Kakarot briskly ascended a spiral staircase, rising into yet another empty floor. Spaciously luxurious but irritatingly empty. Where is everyone? This is, what, the 3rd floor? 4th? Aren't soldiers supposed to live in a base, or something like that?
Well, I guess I did kill a lot of them when I first came in…
He walked further into the room- this one was darker than the previous one. It wasn't like the strange temperate forest below him, either- it was just a normal, metal room. He noticed in the gathering gloom that lightbulbs had been unscrewed from their sockets. It looked as if this floor wasn't even finished, let alone used. Weird.
He felt something- he ducked and a fist flew over him, a muffled gasp of surprise escaping from someone behind him. As Kakarot pivoted to sweep his leg backwards, the other lights on the floor turned off. His leg swung through the air as his surroundings went pitch-black. Rising, he squinted into the darkness.
'That,' a voice spoke out somewhat frustrated, 'was unexpected.' Somewhere behind me, still, Kakarot thought.
A grunt, lower, grainier, came from somewhere to Kakarot's right. A bit farther away. Coincidence?
'Hehe…' a throaty voice chuckled, booming in its strength, bounding off of every nearby wall. Much, much closer. Sounds large-
A bulging mass slammed into Kakarot, pushing Kakarot to the right. A retaliatory fist swung into the mass- but it bounced off and nearly collided back into him. 'Haha!' another deep laugh as the mass surged again into him, knocking Kakarot to the ground. Angered, Kakarot pressed his arms into the mass and stood, rising with such force and speed that he launched whatever was attacking him flying away with a grunt. The mass vibrated as its body flapped noisily in the air. Kakarot prepared to pursue but felt another tingle- this time he shifted back to avoid something shiny flashing in a diagonal arc in front of him. It glittered and hissed as it disappeared and then reappeared, in a point speeding towards his abdomen. Kakarot laughed as he welled ki into his hands and gripped the blade, gripping it and stopping its forward motion. As he pulled the blade and the startled attacker towards him, suddenly two hands placed themselves on Kakarot's back and violently thrust him forwards, slamming his midsection into the blade. It entered a few inches into Kakarot's skin before he raged, planting his feet in the ground and yanking the blade out of him and the hands of his armed attacker. He turned and drove the blade into the attacker who had pushed him- which broke upon contact and disintegrated in Kakarot's hand. Feeling another person coming from his right, Kakarot weaved out of the strike and backpedaled to his left, gaining some distance from- by my counts, what, four enemies? Talk about fear…
'Gotta say, these are some pretty cowardly tactics,' he taunted after he had withdrawn a fair distance.
'Says the one retreating,' one vaguely annoying voice commented.
'Are you the one I disarmed?' he sneered, 'because that's what your voice is telling me- "I'm weak, oh no! I've lost my weapon! What will I do!".
'You should pay more attention in a fight,' the deep, grainy voice said, almost in an advisory manner.
Kakarot felt the vibration of something large move behind him. Hah, the one I knocked over here- Jaws clamped down where Kakarot had been a moment before, spinning as he drew back his fist and planted it into his assailant. He compensated for the recoil and continued to press his hand into the bulk. He smiled, opening his hand and letting a small ball of ki burst from it.
Surprisingly, the entity in front of him did not explode, but a startled 'Waaarghh!' accompanied an obscured outline vibrating madly and careening backwards, groans of discomfort trailing away. In the brief illumination of the blast, Kakarot saw that the attacker was, weirdly, pink and massive. Kakarot had no time to process what he had glimpsed before he felt two people approach from his right and left simultaneously- he stepped backwards and amusingly squinted through the dark to see the two collide with each other, falling together in a tangled mass to the ground. Kakarot lifted one ki-charged hand to deliver a killing blow before someone grabbed and lifted his arm, taking him off the ground. Kakarot kicked and clawed at the figure futilely. He was twisted around- his hand illuminated a dark clothed, absolute monster of the man, who had dark stitches crisscrossing his forehead and a permanent frown affixed to his face. Kakarot saw the man half-turn, as if readying a fist just beyond Kakarot's sight. At the limit of his tolerance for surprise attacks, Kakarot screamed and impulsively shoved his ki outwards, breaking the man's grip on him.
His surroundings shuddered and shifted- suddenly a series of walls collapsed around him, letting the raging blizzard inside, dropping the temperature immensely. Kakarot landed on his feet as he marveled at the now illuminated- and definitively ruined- space. Did I really just do that with my own power?
Involuntarily shuddering from the sudden cold, Kakarot studied his now visible opponents. The man who was holding him was on his butt about ten strides away from him, an expression of shock on his face and a rippling of broken skin- no, metal, like before- sticking out in tiny prickles on his front section. The android's eyes were locked on Kakarot in rapt fear.
Kakarot looked over his shoulder. Close to him, there were two identically dressed men supine on top of each other on the floor. Neither stirred. So dead, if not unconscious, then. Just from one attack... Eyes narrowing, Kakarot looked beyond the two figures on the floor. What can only be described as a giant, rotund blob was frozen in an enraged pose, arms reaching out as if to strangle him. Beneath the ice-blue opacity of the ice, a distinct pink hue shone through. The fourth then. Everyone accounted for. He returned his attention to the knocked down figure in front of him. Only one left. Pity. Kakarot permitted a malicious smiled to crease his face as he contemplated what was going through the robot's mind. Abject terror, I hope.
As he began to walk over, the android called out in a strange, pleading voice, 'stop, please. I don't want to fight. I didn't want to fight.' The android unsteadily climbed to his feet, showing the full toll of Kakarot's attack on his chassis. Oil dripped at innumerable openings, falling to the ground and adding to an ever-larger puddle. 'My name is Eighter, please, I don't-'
Eighter gasped as much as a fully mechanical android could, and dropped his head to his chest. An arm was firmly speared through his chest, the dullest sensation reaching his receptors that said, yes, it came out the other side. This sensory fact accompanied the last moments of his consciousness, repeating in his failing circuitry, over and over, as Kakarot heaved and wrenched his arm free, brushing through his chest like it was paper. Eighter crumpled backwards, expiring movement growing slower and ceasing.
Looking down, Kakarot coldly whipped his hand to shake off a few drops of oil. He regarded the fallen android. He had heard his victims beg before, of course. But the way this one did it- it was almost like he purposefully lowered his guard. Killing him, Kakarot realized, was much easier than it should have been. Did he… did he believe I wouldn't kill him?
Kakarot turned and walked thoughtlessly to the ascending stairwell.
0o0o0
'Bulma, check the radar one more time, please.'
Bulma tapped a button on the device in her hands. After a moment she nodded. 'This is it.'
'Imposing,' Krillin continued.
The five of them were standing outside of a large, squat concrete building, which dominated the center of the Red Ribbon Army Headquarters. The grounds of the base were deserted- it seemed that they drove off or defeated most of the soldiers stationed here. 'I think we have it from here,' Krillin said, turning to Bulma and Puar. 'We know what we need to do. The base looks pretty safe at this point. I'm more worried,' he jabbed a thumb behind him towards the building, 'of what's inside there.'
'We get it,' Puar said, 'more dangerous in there than out there. I'm sure Bulma and I can find some more info to dig up while you guys are busy. RIght Bulma?'
'Right,' Bulma agreed. Puar and Bulma wished them good luck, and then headed off to another cluster of administrative buildings.
'Well, what are we waiting for?' Rayne ran forward and crashed through the main door to the building, knocking it off its hinges and planting it into the floor with her foot. She rubbed her leg as she rose from her landing. 'I think I'm getting the hang of ki augmentation our physical strikes,' she said as she shifted her weight to her other leg, 'but damn, it doesn't make kicking a solid metal door hurt any less.'
'You never know,' Krillin mused as he walked past her into a broad, high-ceiling hallway,' maybe we'll get strong enough one day to be able to kick planets.'
'You never know…'
Yamcha drew up behind Krillin, Rayne falling in behind him, as they walked single file down the hallway. Oddly, there were no doors on its sides that they could see. The walls were entirely featureless as they noiselessly strode forward. Awaiting them at the far end of the hall was a solitary double-door. 'Why do I get the feeling,' Yamcha complained, 'that there's going to be something unpleasant beyond there.'
'Probably because there is something unpleasant beyond.' Rayne replied.
Yamcha sighed, rubbing his hand through his hair. 'C'mon,' he prodding everyone to walk a bit faster, 'let's get this over with.'
They reached the double-doors and pushed them outwards, entering into a concrete auditorium. Again, the walls were wholly nondescript- the entire room, floors, ceilings, and walls had a stone gray hue, as bland as imaginatively possible. In the middle of the room, a shirtless man with short, tidy blonde hair sat cross-legged as if meditating. Upon their entrance he opened his eyes and stood, bowing as he did. 'Welcome,' he said, his voice echoing in the vast space of the chamber, 'to my home.'
'This,' Yamcha amusedly responded, 'is your home?'
'You may not see it's value,' he crooned, 'but there is comfort in a room devoid of all ornamentation. For one such as I, it is… replenishing.' He brought his hands together into a fist. 'Excuse me, I've forgotten my manners. My name is General Blue of the Red Ribbon Army. I've been looking forward to meeting you all. I am ready to avenge my soldiers' honor- the honor you have all rudely dirtied.
Rayne suppressed a flinch. The General Blue? Dear Kami, I hope we know what we're doing here.
'So, if you're a general…' Yamcha reasoned, 'were you the one who trained all those soldiers out there? They- they didn't do that well.'
'Hardly. If you haven't noticed,' he gestured to his weaponless body, 'I'm not carrying around anything you would see on a normal soldier. I assure you, however, that I am well prepared for the unique challenge you all face.' he hinted. 'Normal soldiers can only do so much against people such as us. Best to get them out of the way…'
Krillin leaned over to whisper to Yamcha. 'Hey, do you think that if he wasn't in charge of the normal grunts, that he was responsible for all those robot women?'
'Nah, he doesn't look like the brainy type. I bet he spends a lot of time looking at himself in the mirror, admiring his,' Yamcha chortled, 'his muscles, or something stup-'
Both Yamcha and Krillin's head was lightly thumped by a palm. 'Focus!' Rayne chastised them. 'We're about to fight against the single-strongest member of the Red Ribbon Army. You can't afford to be distracted! Honestly…'
Krillin and Yamcha gently touched the spots on their heads where Rayne had hit them. 'Point made,' they groaned.
General Blue patiently waited for them to return their attention to him before continuing. 'Right then. As I was going to say; you three will fight and lose to me. Maybe die, maybe be imprisoned, maybe even be let go! The choice is, admittedly, out of my hands. What I can guarantee, however,' his tone deepened, as he brought up his arms in a combat pose, 'that all of you will be unconscious, on this ground, before this is done.'
Warily, Rayne, Chi-Chi, and Krillin raised their guards in turn. 'Okay,' Rayne said, as they spaced out slightly, 'I think the plan is-'
A ground-shaking lurch interrupted Rayne, as everyone within the room struggled to remain upright. In the far corner of the room, a section of the concrete wall exploded outwards as an enormous, gleaming mech stepped through the newly-made opening. Bizarrely, the pilot was dressed as an office secretary.
'Staff Officer Black?' General Blue exclaimed, 'what the hell are you doing here? And in that mech?'
The mech stomped to General Blue's side. Staff Officer Black held a manic, almost deranged expression on his face. 'Sorry,' he apologized once he was close enough, 'but I'm here on Commander Red's orders. He didn't fully trust you to handle this. He's uh… he's a very insecure man.'
'You don't have to tell me,' General Blue said sourly as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. 'You know how to use that thing, right?'
'Of course! What do you think I do in between the three tasks a day Commander Red asks me to do?'
'Fine, fine. Divide and conquer?'
Staff Officer Black brought up a mech hand and closed it into a fist. 'Affirmative.'
'Okay,' Rayne said dumbly, 'this is worse. The plan then-'
'Get out of the way!' Krillin tackled Rayne to the side as a rocket shot from Black's mech impacted where she had just been standing. Krillin rapidly decoupled himself from Rayne on the ground. 'No time!' he practically screamed as he ran off.
Rayne rushed off the ground. To her left, Yamcha had engaged General Blue- they alternated the ebb and flow of attack and defend, their movements blending together into two beautiful dances. General Blue's the real deal, all right…
She sighted the mech's back and ran off towards it. Black wrenched his controls around and raised one arm, firing a barrage of energy blasts directly at Rayne. She yelped and bent her path to the right, running ahead of the blasts by a matter of seconds.
As this was happening, Krillin charged from Black's behind and jumped, landing two legs to the back of the mech. Black's energy assault on Rayne was interrupted as the suit whined and nearly toppled forwards. He righted, however, and brought his right hand to bear and swatted Krillin away like a bug, sending him flying a good twenty feet or so. Rayne saw her chance and sprinted forwards, delivering a solid blow to the mech's arm that caused the outer end- where the laser firing apparatus was- to decouple and fall to the ground. 'Hah!' she cheered.
'Do you really think,' Black's voice droned as it was pumped through an outside speaker of the mech, 'that was my only weapon?' From the other arm of the mech, a ring of smoke propulsed circularly, detaching the fist from the arm. It sped forwards, propelled by a gang of propulsive rockets on it's back, to head straight towards Rayne. The giant fist smashed into her and lifted her off the ground, ramming her into the far wall, where she cratered and flopped to the ground.
'Rayne!' Yamcha called out after seeing what had happened over General Blue's shoulder, dodging a palm strike. He growled, cupping his fists into claws and delivering a double blow to General Blue's guard. General Blue was staggered back, jolted by the dual hit. Yamcha slowly hammered through his opponent's guard until General Blue was battered backwards, nearly falling over from the onslaught. Preparing a heavy double-fist, Yamcha raised his hands above his head- but then he felt a pressure descend on his body. Yamcha tried, futilely, to move. His eyes battled to flit down at General Blue- he saw that the general was panting, though had one arm outstretched towards Yamcha. 'Better,' General Blue said relieved, He then quickly slammed his shoulder into Yamcha, knocking him away still statue-like, until he hit the ground and felt his limbs be released. Stinging from the last blow, Yamcha glared across at General Blue. Should have known he would have some garbage-cheap-trick…What am I supposed to do against telekinesis?
Steadying himself to lessen his nausea, Krillin quickly scanned the battlefield. Rayne was, for the moment, struggling to her feet, obviously damaged by the mech's fist. Yamcha had rejoined General Blue in close combat, but was now trading worse blow-to-blow than before. Yamcha seemed to freeze every so often, correlated with General Blue raising an arm or hand. Telekinesis, then? Overall, not going well. Hmm… As an idea sprung into his head, Black's mech stepped into view, jogging towards him. Krillin could see a panel on the front of the mech opening, revealing a silver, gleaming rocket. This… could work! Krillin broke into a mad run across the room as he saw the rocket shoot out from the mech's chest, glancing over his shoulder to confirm it was tracking him. Heat seeking! Perfect! He changed direction and then ran directly at General Blue.
Yamcha was driven to the ground again by his inability to defend from General Blue's blows. Bruises and cuts raced up and down his body. I really forgot how much damage a weaker opponent can do when you can't raise a block… That fact was infuriating. He's weaker than me! If I could only finish a full movement, he'd be toast!…
From the ground Yamcha saw General Blue smirk, before turning towards the fast approaching Krillin. General Blue placed a finger on his forehead and concentrated, freezing Krillin in place- until, inexplicably, Krillin's image shimmered and vanished, leaving no trace of him. General Blue had a moment to move his mouth speechlessly until a rocket shot through the spot where Krillin had just been, speeding precisely towards General Blue. The general had a moment to cross his arms in panic before the rocket hit him and an explosion seared the nearby Yamcha.
Officer Black. in the mech, looked on in abject confusion until, out of nowhere, Krillin reappeared and dove into the mech, spinning and speeding through it like a bullet and exiting the other side. The mech stomped and sparked, as Officer Black wobbled and nearly fell over in the pilot's seat.
Rayne, having climbed to her feet, looked on in awe. So that's what the afterimage can do… wow.
Krillin landed with a tmpp, turning back to his opponents.
As the smoke cleared, Krillin could see General Blue still standing- but heavily injured, his placid complexion ruined by smoke and distress, as he held still held up his shaking arms in a block. Shock gave way to anger, as he locked eyes with Krillin. 'What- what was that!' He demanded.
'Oh,' Krillin responded, 'a trick. Nothing more.'
Snarling, General Blue padded over to Officer Black, who still careened within the mech, struggling to keep it upright. It was clear Krillin had damaged some sort of stabilization unit for the mech.
'Officer Black, what we need to do-'
'Aaaah!' Black abruptly yelled, as the bottom of the mech started to glow. Suddenly, rockets erupted from the mech's feet, flying the mech haphazardly towards the ceiling. The mech twisted and spun in mid-air, before colliding with the ceiling and detonating, exploding in a mess of machinery and metal that rained down within the room. General Blue stared upwards with a half-unbelieving, half-despairing look.
Yamcha stood and limped to Krillin's side. 'I feel bad about this now.' he admitted.
Rayne joined them. 'You guys see his face, right?...'
General Blue continued to gaze upwards, lost.
Geez… Krillin glanced at his companions again, then shouted at General Blue, 'Uhh… are you okay?'
Sluggishly, General Blue pulled his gaze from the ceiling and faced them. He seemed to stare through them for a moment, then turned and slunk out of the room via a small side-door to the outside. No one moved to stop him.
'Do you- do you think he just gave up?' Yamcha asked when the sound of the closing door stopped reverberating. 'I mean, he didn't say anything…'
'I... think he did- give up, that is,' Rayne answered. 'That was really weird,' she said, more so to herself than to anyone else.
'Should we go after him?' Yamcha said, scratching his neck.
'Judging from how he just left- no, I don't think so,' Krillin observed. 'His spirit seemed pretty crushed.'
As they began to walk towards the central door leading further in the building. Rayne reflected on the type of man General Blue was. She knew a lot of self-serving, selfish assholes within the Red Ribbon Army, especially among the officers, but from what she heard General Blue was never one of them. He seemed to care about his soldiers, from what she heard. Her mind thought back to the soldiers she and the others had dispatched. Most were dispatched nonlethally, but she couldn't guarantee that was the case for every single one...
She willed her eyes shut, shoving the thought away. Thinking about that will drive me mad. Regardless, either his pride for his training was hurt, or his compassion for his soldiers was broken- he lost the will to fight.
They went through the door and entered a more cozy section of the building. It looked somewhat like an office, except for all the obnoxious red paint on the walls. As they proceeded, they noticed the hallway became smaller, until reaching a final door, embellished with ornamentation at the edges. On the door there was a placard that read, 'COMMANDER RED'.
'Rayne,' Krillin pointed to the door, 'is this the guy? The leader of the Red Ribbon Army?'
'Probably. They were never very clear about the chain of command while I was in it. Though, considering it is called the Red Ribbon Army, and this door says Commander Red…'
Yamcha turned the doorknob and swung the door open. The lights were off and the shades were drawn up, making the room abnormally dark. In a desk near the center of the room, they could glimpse an outline slumped forwards on the desk. They approached silently until Yamcha gasped and quickly stepped back, pulling Krillin and Rayne back. He caught his breath and bent down, running a finger along the front of his shoes, before sniffing his finger.
'Yamcha,' Rayne whispered, 'what are you doing?'
'It's blood,' Yamcha announced, pointing solemnly towards a dark puddle at the foot of the desk. 'He's dead.'
0o0o0
Kakarot scaled what felt like the twentieth staircase in this damn building. Couldn't you weaklings have made this quicker and built a base on one floor? Honestly... The floor he emerged onto was smaller than the previous ones, hemmed in by sloping walls and large slanted glass windows that illuminated the room well. At the far end of the floor, in front of a desk, were two men. A muscular man with white hair held a pistol to the man in front of him. The hostage appeared to be an elderly man, clothed in heavy winter pants and a parka. He was held around his neck by the man in the back. 'Not one more step!' The man with the pistol yelled, 'or your precious village elder dies!' Sweating bullets, General White struggled to keep the grip on his pistol steady. Murasaki, I sent you out half an hour ago! Where's my damn backup?
Confused, Kakarot craned his head to get a better look at the hostage. The village elder shrunk under his gaze, struggling harder- albeit still feebly- against General White. After a moment, Kakarot narrowed his eyes in sweet recognition. 'You think that man means anything to me?' he snickered. Casually, Kakarot raised his right hand, palm outwards towards General White and the village elder. The storm outside wavered for a moment as a thin blast of ki shot out of Kakarot's outstretched arm, barreling towards the two men. General White's eyes widened before he dived wildly to the side, as the village elder received the full brunt of the blow. A deafening phoom went off in the room that broke all the windows outwards, scattering thousands of glass shards into the blizzard outside. Snow suddenly piled into the room, wind whipping in and out, as visibility dropped enormously. The village elder was entirely disintegrated. Kakarot walked through the storm, using his ki sense to locate General White. Grrr... he's so weak that his ki is almost imperceptible… but, there-
General White surfaced from the white maelstrom behind Kakarot, yowling and looking like a bear as he clasped both hands on Kakarot's tail. 'This- this is it- isn't it?' he stammered through shivers. 'The source of your power! Your weakness! Something! No human has a tail!'
Deliciously amused, Kakarot turned deliberately, evincing not one expression of discomfort. General's White facial expression darkened- the storm and the scene taking its toll. 'Did you honestly think,' Kakarot almost chided, 'someone like me would have a weakness? I am a god.' Kakarot wrenched his tail out of General White's grip and slammed a terribly powerful punch into General White's chest. Bones audibly cracked as General White's body flew backward and out of a window, flipping head over heels to disappear in the storm beyond.
Kakarot drew his arm back, satisfied. Never again will I have a weakness. He felt ever hair, every nerve on his tail, flicking it back and forth with willful control. He clenched his fist. Never again will I be defeated by a dirty trick. I've made sure of that.
Releasing the tension in his hand, Kakarot strode over to end of the room with the desk, expecting to find a stairwell. Instead, he found… nothing. That… was it? An entire base, what was supposed to be a challenge- and it's done. Where was that man? The talented energy user within the Red Ribbon Army? Kakarot found himself sighing, as if... disappointed. I dominated them all. None of them could stand up to me. Killing them… it was child's play.
For three years, Kakarot had drifted from place to place, sometimes living off the land, sometimes decimating a village here and there, looking for something to challenge him. Everything seemed… like he was passing time, waiting for something or someone to come along and set his blood afire. Because I still know the end, the goal, of all this. Everyone on this planet must die. It is… something I just know needs to be done. Day by day, I come closer to that. Right?
Deep down, Kakarot let himself feel a twinge of disbelief.
0o0o0
Wiping his hands of blood, a tall, thin man dressed in a pink long coat scowled down at the dead man facedown in the snow. Blood leaked in drips from the corpse, turning the snowfall red. A fool, for thinking I would work for free. He should at least brought an advance. The Red Ribbon Army should know that I am not one of their charlatan amateurs. Far from it. Adjusting his black ponytail behind his head, the man took a moment to find his bearings at the edge of the snowstorm. His ki sense extended outwards, until latching onto a noticeable signature deep within the blizzard. Ahh, so he's still near the tower. Good. I hate having to take multiple trips this way. Ambling over to an out-of-place tree trunk that was sticking out of a nearby snowbank, the man gracefully lifted the massive piece of wood and threw it into the air, jumping onto it a moment later. He sailed away into the sky, leaving a face-down, purple-clothed corpse to be slowly buried by the snow.
A/N: I would have cut this chapter in two if I could, but alas, I couldn't find a natural halfway point. Thus- hope you enjoyed the long chapter!
And write reviews! I love to hear what you guys think.
Reviews:
LWexe: I agree; with Goku out of the mix, stuff like this gets a little more interesting.
