Escalation

Chapter 18: Ill-Fortune


The Red Ribbon Army Headquarters was now… uncomfortably desolate. From a small balcony cut into the side of the base's main building, Krillin looked out on the abandoned rows of tents, trucks, and tarps that now stood as a tombstone to the existence of the Red Ribbon Army. Evil that terrorized the world. Manipulated millions. Yet, it never feels good to bring something to an utter, total end. Doing that… it can stain the soul for a long time. He sighed. He was supposed to be looking for the dragonballs- Bulma assured them that they were somewhere in this building- but at the moment, all Krillin wanted to do was lean on this railing and reflect. Or, more accurately, agonize. Though I shouldn't do that. I can't shut down after every consequential decision I take. Things are different now. My life isn't like how it was before. People rely on me. If, because of my inaction or self-doubt, any of them got hurt, or died- I'd never forgive myself. I have to remain focused, for Yamcha, Rayne, Chi-Chi… all of them.

...still, I did cause Commander Red's death, didn't I? I didn't shoot the gun, sure, but I gave whoever did the opportunity.

That was, at least, how Rayne described it. Classic example of a targeted assassination, she had said. Not a single thing was moved or changed in the room. The death was recent, which meant the perpetrator struck only after the base had mostly cleared out.

Krillin heard the door click behind him. He turned to see Yamcha walking out onto the balcony, a strained smile on his face. 'Taking a breather too, I see.' he nervously joked.

'Come on,' Krillin said gesturing, 'lay on the railing with me.'

Yamcha leaned on the railing next to Krillin, taking a moment to scan the base, then the sun setting on the horizon, before speaking. 'Krillin, about earlier-'

'I know. I shouldn't have shot that Kamehameha at you.' he said, embarrassed, 'I'll apologize as many times as you need me to-'

'No, no. Not that. I want to talk about that fight with General Blue and the mech.'

Krillin clammed up.

'You may not recognize it,' Yamcha said, solemnity piercing his voice, 'but you really saved us back there. I was struggling against General Blue- he was smacking me around by the end. And I don't think Rayne was doing much better against the mech. You… you, in that moment, thought of a plan that essentially took both of them out in one go. I don't think neither Rayne nor I could have done that, in that situation.' He gripped the scuffed fabric of his Turtle gi. 'We could have gotten off much worse than with a bunch of scratched and torn clothes. We didn't get seriously hurt because of you.'

Krillin avoided Yamcha's eyes, staring out towards the far-flung forests. 'What do you want me to say?' he whispered.

'You don't have to say anything,' Yamcha said, pushing himself off the railing. 'I just need to say that, for myself and Rayne. I know what self-doubt can be like; it can eat away at you if you aren't careful. So, thank you. Because of you, we're okay.' With that Yamcha turned and a moment later Krillin was, once again, alone on the balcony.

He strained his eyes towards the horizon- the sun now having set- and wagged his head back and forth in wonder. That happened, Krillin thought, suppressing a smile from forming on his face.

0o0o0

Krillin rejoined the hunt soon after that- to find the hunt over. His four companions had found the dragonballs hidden in some dusty, dank room in the basement of the building. Fitting, that. They were gathered around the six balls when he stumbled upon them in one of the smaller side-rooms.

'All this time,' Bulma murmured, 'and they still look the same… very odd.'

'They're magical wish-granting orbs; "odd" seems appropriate.' Puar said.

'So these are all six then? Right here?' Krillin asked, drawing himself to the circle.

'Yep,' Puar responded, 'all six. Only one we don't have is the three-star dragonball. Which, according to Bulma's radar, is very close nearby, funnily enough.' Puar stopped, remembering something. 'You know that old saying? Hide something from your enemies by keeping it right under their noses, or something?'

'Pretty sure the saying is more concise than that,' Yamcha teased.

'You know what I'm saying, jerk.'

Rayne walked to Bulma's side and glimpsed at the dragon radar. Then she started using her fingers to count. 'If I've been keeping the dates straight, we have a little under two months until the World Tournament. This dragonball is about… maybe a week away on the ground, faster by air. A few people could go there and- '

'Why,' Krillin interrupted, 'are you talking like we're all not going for the last dragonball?'

'Well, it's probably a waste of time if everyone went,' Rayne reasoned. 'we took out the biggest threat in our search for the dragonballs- this base- but we know there's still a second Red Ribbon base, Muscle Tower, where the Red Ribbon Army could regroup. At the same time, it's probable there's going to be some sort of challenge, or difficulty, whatever, in getting the last dragonball. So, I think it's better for us to split into two groups- or even three, depending on whether we want to keep anyone here to keep digging through Red Ribbon secrets.

From the edge of the circle, Bulma grinned mischievously. 'I believe,' she said, wrapping an arm around Rayne's shoulder in suspicious camaraderie, 'that is a fantastic idea.' I certainly don't want to spend more time crouching through some forest undergrowth, anyway. 'I bet the Red Ribbon army has a bunch of nasty secrets hanging around here. Those strange robots you guys fought earlier, that's what you said, right? I bet we can find information on them. too.'

'Wait, wait, wait,' Yamcha said, 'if you stick around here, aren't you worried that the Red Ribbon Army won't come back, try to reclaim their base, attack you?' Worry danced around the edges of his words.

Bulma scowled in response, much like a parent would to a child. 'Have you forgotten who I am, Yamcha? I am the Bulma Briefs. With a snap of my finger, I can bring down an entire scientific staff- complete with a full security detail- to this site for research. I can even pull a few strings and get the sanctioning of the world government to set up a scientific research site here- which would include a military company to safeguard any state-sponsored research. Are you seeing the big picture, Yamcha-' she finished, jabbing a finger into his chest with a bit too much force to be called friendly, '-I can protect myself.'

Too stunned for words, Yamcha, along with everyone else, stood in slight shock from Bulma's response. 'Well, it's agreed then,' Puar said after a few moments of uncomfortable silence, 'Bulma stays here and… "sciences".' She wasn't really being specific what she wants to do here… best to get out her way, though.

Yamcha slunk back, a man defeated, retreating to the edge of the group in sullen silence. Pitying him, Rayne gave him a quick, unseen pat on the back before speaking. 'So, if Bulma stays here, there's four of us left. Makes sense that we should split up into two teams of two. One team heads to Muscle Tower, one team heads for the dragonball. Anyone have any preferences?'

'To be honest,' Puar chirped up, 'I want to see this Red Ribbon Army matter to the end. I'll go to Muscle Tower. One dragonball hunt was enough for me-' then she muttered to herself, unheard by anyone else, 'though I wouldn't mind seeing the dragon be summoned again…'

Rayne nodded. 'In that case, we should split the three of us- she gestured to herself, Yamcha, and Krillin- by power. Yamcha and I are pretty evenly matched- I saw we go to the last dragonball, while you accompany Puar to Muscle Tower, Krillin.'

Recognizing the admission in Rayne's statement, Krillin fidgeted with shyness.

'What?' Rayne said, somewhat annoyed by Krillin response. 'Don't be humble. We all know you're the strongest of us here.' I'll be blunt when needed. Or when not being blunt would waste time, Rayne thought.

Yamcha nodded. Bulma and Puar, not being fighters, vaguely agreed with Rayne's comment.

Rayne glared at Krillin. 'No complaining out of you. You'll take the lead and you'll like it.'

'If you say so…' Krillin managed to force out.

'Good.' Rayne turned to the rest of them. 'And we're all in agreement about what we're wishing for? Information on Kakarot?'

Everyone nodded in agreement. 'Though,' Krillin said, 'we should agree on the wording on the question beforehand, considering not all of us will be there to summon the dragon.'

'Why?'

'Because the wording of the question matters, remember? The dragon grants the request to the T- no more, no less than what was said. If we ask a vague question, we'll get a vague answer that won't help us.'

'Alright, then,' Rayne relented, 'what specific question should we ask, then?'

Everyone began to brainstorm. 'What if,' Bulma said, 'we ask, "What are the reasons for which Kakarot kills people?", or something like that?'

'Honestly,' Rayne said, 'I care much more about finding out his weaknesses- so I'd ask, "What is Kakarot's weakness?"'

Krillin was about to speak up about Kakarot's tail, but then he realized- I never told them about how I actually beat Kakarot. How I stumbled upon the only thing that could have saved my life in that scenario. Oddly, he felt that sharing this fact was a bad idea. Why- what's the reason… He searched his feelings. Ahh. There. It does seem likely that Kakarot wouldn't let a weakness stand, wouldn't it? That he'd correct it in some way. Then again, I don't really know whether the tail was a fluke, or part of a pattern. For all I know- perhaps a wish would be useful in confirming…

'Maybe we can phrase the question in a certain way,' Krillin broke his thoughtful silence, 'that gets us both; Information about his background and his weakness, that is. Who knows, maybe the two are intimately linked.'

'Yea, I think we can do that,' Yamcha agreed. 'We could say, "Shenron, tell us Kakarot's history and his weaknesses".'

'I think we've gone too vague again,' Puar said. 'That seems like two wishes, not one. We need to integrate them into the same statement more.'

'Hmm…' Krillin muttered, 'how about, "Shenron, reveal to us Kakarot's weaknesses and all relevant information." I think if we phrase it like that then we get to know Kakarot's weakness and the reason why that weakness exists.' So, maybe, we learn Kakarot's tail is a weakness- and why his tail is a weakness…

'It'll do, I guess,' Rayne said. 'Yamcha and I can think of ways to shorten it while we're traveling to the last dragonball. But I think the core of the question is sound. Anyone else have any better suggestions?'

Everyone thought for a bit more, then shrugged over the space of several seconds. 'I think that's the best we'll think of, at least for the moment,' Yamcha decided. 'We should head off pretty soon then, right?'

'I think you guys can wait a day,' Bulma said. 'Sleep the night and I can double-check everything is working with the vehicles; considering the distance everyone had to travel it wouldn't be good if any of them broke on you mid-trip. I think it makes sense for Krillin and Puar fly to Muscle Tower in my helicopter, and Yamcha and Rayne travel by jeep. Muscle Tower is pretty far away.' She turned to Yamcha and Rayne. 'Sorry- if I had known this situation could have come up, I would have built a second chopper.'

'Not an issue.' Rayne said. 'Did anyone see a suitable place to bunk down for the night while we walking around earlier?'

'Yea,' Yamcha replied, 'A small dormitory on the second floor has a bunch of bunk beds. I think it's this way…'

0o0o0

It was much later at night, with nearly everyone asleep, when Yamcha was startled while he was sitting outside and gazing up at the stars. He twisted around to see Bulma skulking through the dark, a mess of metal spanners and tools in her hands. 'Bulma! What are you doing?' Yamcha exclaimed, his voice bolstered by his momentary spook.

'I couldn't sleep,' she said, as a tool slipped through her straining arms. 'I- I don't want to ask-'

'Let me help you carry that,' Yamcha said, rising and picking the tool off the ground.

Bulma agreed wordlessly, handing off most of the tools to Yamcha, and then led him inside to an impromptu workbench set up in one of the larger rooms. 'I was too excited by all the possibilities,' she said, directing Yamcha to a spot to gingerly lie down the pile of tools, 'so I snuck out of the dormitory to work through the night.'

'Work on what, exactly?' Yamcha asked, his eyes adjusting to the brighter light level inside.

'All the schematics I found! The Red Ribbon Army was, for some reason, lousy with mechanical blueprints for all types of things- vehicles, tools, weapons, even some really complex mechanical/ electrical stuff, though I'm not quite sure exactly what on that last one. Some of this stuff is really cutting edge. I couldn't wait to work on this stuff- I had to try and build some of it as soon as possible. Did you know that they were producing advanced robotics? And not the simple turn-and-pivot type of stuff- they were producing whole kinesthetic systems, recoil dampeners...

Yamcha glanced down at his watch- a small, simple one he had taken to wearing during his training to time himself over the past few years- noting it was 3:30 AM. It dawned on Yamcha that he knew much less about his girlfriend than he had thought. He watched Bulma gleefully obsess over one blueprint, rotating it in a full circle, conceptualizing the final shape of the design. It was… really sweet to watch. C'mon Yamcha, just say it… He squirmed, feeling like he was going to burst from the self-imposed pressure. Then, he successfully forced out his words, his mouth dry, moving like lead, as he said, 'I'm sorry, Bulma.'

Pausing, she turned to him, arching one eyebrow.

Nearly panicking, Yamcha steadied himself and held his gaze on her. I've committed now… 'I'm sorry about how I acted back at Capsule Corp, and how I acted earlier. I was… I shouldn't have forced my own personal insecurities on you.'

Bulma's face tightened for a moment, as if she was going to lash out at him from remembering those incidents. Then, it softened, as a faint impression of sadness lined her face. 'Oh, Yamcha…' she said, the slightest bit of emotion warbling her voice.

Yamcha blinked- water? Water in my eyes- and continued. 'I don't want to feel like I'm excusing my actions, but- I'm just so worried that we'll lose the good things we have now. The thought of losing you, no matter how small- it drives me crazy-'

Bulma placed a hand on Yamcha's chest, stopping him. 'Yamcha- I'll be honest- I'm not very good at this.' Despite her words, sincerity was shining in her eyes. 'I'm not sure I can help you sort through what's going on in your head.' She faltered, as if hearing for the first time what she said. 'I- I don't mean to come off like-'

'It's okay,' Yamcha cut in. 'I think-' he took her hand in his, squeezing it in his own before dropping it- 'I think… could I stay here, and watch you work? Is that okay? I think… I would really enjoy that.'

Bulma furrowed her eyebrows and nodded. 'Okay then. Come over here- I want to show you this design. It's a variation of a mechanical arm- yea, you know what I'm talking about, right? It's interesting, though, because the internal frame is shortened but it has an external set-up… yes, hand me that piece… you can twist it just like this…'

Before either of them knew it, the sun cleared the tops of the nearby trees, delivering bright, beautiful light to the world outside.

0o0o0

A blast of ki flooded over Chi-Chi, triggering every survival instinct in her. 'Get down!' she yelled to Suno, pushing her into the snow as the top of Muscle Tower exploded outwards, throwing bricks and debris into the sky to catch in the wind and rain down like a meteor storm. Chi-Chi rolled to her right as one sizable piece approached- a moment later, a chunk of brick as big as a horse landed right where she had been. Flattened on her belly on the ice-cold snow, Chi-Chi replayed the last few moments in her head. That tree came out of nowhere and skewered the tower. A small explosion reverberated across the landscape. Then a large explosion…

When the rain of debris stopped, she prodded Suno upright, who, all things considered, was taking the new developments well. Her face was drawn tight, as if bracing against any and all bad events to come. And come they shall. Chi-Chi had felt that small ki flicker out not a few minutes ago- what was, most likely, the hostage village elder Suno had described to her. Suno was sick with worry over the state of the man. She would cry, most likely, when she learned what happened. If I was in her position, I would, too.

The storm was unceasing- the blast had, amazingly, seemed to intensify the onslaught of snow and bitter wind, causing Chi-Chi to draw her clothes tighter around her. Even using a little of my ki to warm my body, I'm still freezing. She glanced over to Suno, who seemed unaffected by the worsening weather. How does she do it?

Sensing another outwelling of ki, Chi-Chi turned her head upwards towards the blasted out top of Muscle Tower. Briefly, she saw a tall, thin figure standing near the edge, crouched into a guard, before she saw the figure disappear into the storm. Then, someone shot from the tower towards the snowfield to her left, landing in a soft phoom that threw snow up in the air to be swallowed by the wind. Glancing back to confirm Suno was still on her heels- she had a quiet look of determination on her face, gazing past Chi-Chi towards the impact- Chi-Chi motioned to her and led them closer to the battle. Storm, keep us hidden, please...

0o0o0

Kakarot's world spun as his vision slowly focused on the buzzing clumps of snow sailing through the air above him. Shaking the snow off of him, he stood, still smarting from the blow to his block that launched him from the tower. About time… for a real challenge!

He lifted his head to see an outline emerge from the storm. The man in the pink long coat approached, keeping his back impossibly straight and a hand held vertical in front of him. His eyes betrayed no emotion, no feeling- nothing except deadly intent. 'A professional knows when to be candid,' he said, 'when confronted by something they did not expect. Let me demonstrate. I did not expect you would survive that blow,' he hissed, 'though, I imagine, it stings quite a lot.'

Ignoring the man's comment- and the horrible pain in his forearms he referenced- Kakarot spread his arms in front of him, bending into a guard. 'Do professionals- a professional of what, by the way?- give their names? Or is that,' he chuckled, 'unprofessional?'

'I am not amused by your sordid attempts at comedy. Especially considering that you are rapidly running out of words to speak while still alive. My name is Tao. I am an assassin. That is all you need to know of me.'

'And what about me? Do you have no interest in knowing your opponent?'

'You? An opponent? Hardly. You are a target. And I was not contracted to write your biography.' With that he rushed Kakarot almost impossibly fast, using one hand to guide away Kakarot's defensive punch while pushing two fingers into Kakarot's neck. Almost instantaneously, Kakarot lost control of his left arm and right leg, as they flopped slack. Kakarot nearly tumbled but bent his right leg back at the knee and planted it into the ground. He then surged forward and headbutted a surprised Tao, knocking the assassin backwards into a snowbank. Kakarot lifted his fist and savagely drove it into his own neck, eliciting a yelp of pain but jostling loose whatever Tao had done- he regained control of his leg and arm. Lucky guess on my part… I need to keep him away from my neck!

Nearby, Chi-Chi watched with avid interest. That was… interesting. That man must have hit a pressure point, but it was more than that- he stopped all ki from flowing to Kakarot's afflicted limbs. Did he hit a ki pressure point? Does that even exist? The precision that man must possess...

Tao removed himself from the snowbank, brushing loose snow from his clothes as he did. He dabbed a blotch of blood from his forehead with a cloth he pulled from his pocket. His durability so far is unexpected, but not impressive. I will have him writhing on the ground in front of me in minutes.

Kakarot finished stretching his recovering limbs, then charged his opponent. Right before he reached Tao, he dove into the snow, throwing it into the air, before launching from the solid ground beneath to uppercut Tao underneath the chin. Tao simply smiled, however, and twisted away before gripping Kakarot's outstretched arm. He pulled and kneed Kakarot in the gut, before delivering a chop to the crook between Kakarot's neck and right shoulder. Kakarot howled in pain as his arm spasmed, then nearly exploded as a halo of ki rushed out from where Tao had hit him. The ki began detonating uncontrollably, surprising Tao, who was knocked back by the uncontrolled explosion, blinded by its sudden production of light. Kakarot dropped to the ground, being buffeted by additional explosions from his arm before regaining control over his ki use and stopping its wild flood out of his body. Nearby, Tao glared on unbelieving, the front of his surcoat singed and charred. The amount of raw ki he must possess to do that… it's unfathomable!... True, he looks tired- but for any other person, using that much ki would have knocked them unconscious, if not dead!

It occurred to Tao he couldn't rely on traditional methods to incapacitate his enemy in this fight. So far his target has shown an uncanny resilience or reactionary power to any move Tao attempted. Very well, then. I will revert to the long way. Unclasping his pink long-coat, he threw off his clothes onto the snow behind him, revealing his bare chest and using a small part of his ki to compensate for his slight loss in warmth. He called out across the snow-ridden field, 'I know I disregarded it earlier,' he yelled over the screeching wind, 'but I am now curious as to what your name is.'

Snarling, Kakarot bared his fists. 'Kakarot! Your end!' he screamed as he charged Tao once more.

0o0o0

Chi-Chi watched as the tall man and Kakarot traded a series of savage blows, all precision lost, as heavy strikes sunk deep and were traded between them. Kakarot was like a rolling ball of destruction, lashing out in each and every direction, while Tao resembled an old, tempered weapon- a well-honed tool that when used with technique and skill could obliterate any enemy. They danced with damage, moving ever so slightly this way or that in an attempt to land crushing hits on each other. It became obvious that Tao was, at the very least, more accurate and more pressing on offense, but Kakarot continued to tank blows that would have staggered normal fighters, taking hits to ensure some form of retaliation. Fists and legs would fly, disappear and reappear, in the whirling storm of snow. It began to dawn on Chi-Chi how stupid her whole plan was. There was no way I would have been stronger than Kakarot- and now I know the gap between us has widened even more- to interrogate him for answers and prevent him from killing me. How was I going to accomplish this if this maniac wasn't seriously weakened or incapacitated in some way? Her thoughts rocked back to the move Tao had used earlier on Kakarot's neck. Hmm…

Next to Chi-Chi, Suno watched with awe and terror. People this strong exist?

A deafening blow snapped both Suno and Chi-Chi out of their thoughts- Tao, with a straining look on his face, had caught Kakarot's right arm at an angle- he had placed his left hand in the crook of Kakarot's elbow and brought his right hand down in a chop near the end of his forearm. A crunnchh followed the shockwave as Kakarot's arm broke, sending Kakarot whirling back, stunned.

Chi-Chi gaped, and instinctively used one hand to cover Suno's eyes.

Kakarot righted himself, however, and blocked the next one of Tao's blow with his left arm, now leading with that side of his body. Tao furiously dodged a new onslaught of Kakarot's blows- and then amazingly, Kakarot surprised Tao by hooking the fist of his broken right arm right into Tao's face. Kakarot's fracture worsened- Kakarot himself screeched in pain- as his arm assumed an even more garish appearance. Once Tao recovered, sensing blood, he redoubled his attack on Kakarot.

Blow after blow fell down until Kakarot could barely keep his left arm out in front of him. Reeling back in pain, Kakarot's guard was broken as Tao pummeled into him, turning his body into a punching bag as crushing strikes rippled through Kakarot's body. Tao finished his onslaught with a jumping kick that Kakarot barely brought up his arm in time to block with. Without another arm to cushion the blow, the tell-tale sound of bones cracking filled the air. Kakarot's left arm bent back slightly in the middle of the forearm, far farther than it should have. This time, his second arm broken, Kakarot fell backwards into the snow, squirming in horrible pain on the ground.

Chi-Chi nearly gasped. There's going to be nothing left of him at this rate!...

Panting, Tao, shoulders drooping, planted one foot on Kakarot's chest. 'I will give you this one blessing,' he practically spat, 'that I will only cripple you as much as it is necessary to prevent you from getting up again. Then, you shall be granted a quick, merciful death.' Tao then pressed his full, ki enhanced weight down, bending and then breaking Kakarot's chest inwards. Kakarot voiced an utterly despairing mix of pain and choking, as it sounded like his own lungs were being crushed by the weight of the attack.

Before she knew what she was doing, Chi-Chi found herself standing, charging Mercenary Tao. This- he's dying but-

Mercenary Tao, half-surprised, calmly regarded her for a moment before he raised one hand and extended a finger. A thin gold beam shot out of it, moving faster than Chi-Chi could see. Then she felt her right shoulder burst into agony as she collapsed to her knees. Her right arm flopped uselessly at her side- the beam had skewered her and had severed a tendon. How… how? She mentally stuttered, as Mercenary Tao sized up his new opponent and approached. He stopped in front of her, looming over her, his face dominated by disgust. 'I hate cowardice,' he said, his voice dripping venom, 'and I hate interlopers even more. Unfortunately for you,' he raised one hand, serrating the edge of it with ki, his eyes focusing on Chi-Chi's neck, 'I have come to expect these things.'

The hand swung down- and missed Chi-Chi's body as Tao was thrown forwards, colliding with Chi-Chi and rolling over her. Kakarot, enraged, bloodied, his body barely functioning, had slammed into Tao's backside like a rocket, every edge of his body sparking and buzzing with energy- he charged himself like a human bolt of lighting. His screams, Chi-Chi dully noted as she was pushed into the snow, pierced through the cacophony of the storm around them. Her vision swam, as bright yellow, pink, and white exploded around the sailing mass of Kakarot and Tao's bodies, sending them convulsing a few feet further to plunge into a snowbank. Kakarot's supercharged body released its energy at that moment, shooting arcs of ki in random directions and exploding the surrounding snow outwards. For a brief moment Chi-Chi felt the air of the storm push past her, then slowly return to the scene as the force of Kakarot's attack subsided. Still gripping her torturous shoulder, she rose to her knees, then her feet, as she staggered over to Tao and Kakarot. She belatedly realized that Suno had come to her side, stabilizing her as she walked. They cleared a high drift of snow, and looked upon the scene before them. Kakarot's body was piled atop of Tao's. Neither moved.

Fearing the worst, Chi-Chi diverted precious ki from her body to reach out and sense their life energy. From Tao… nothing. She turned it towards Kakarot, finding… something. Impossible. Both arms broken, his ribcage nearly caved in- but Kakarot still breathed, shuddering from every burning breath that snuck in and out of his body.

Chi-Chi stared down blankly at Kakarot, a single thought threading through her mind. My chance. Our chance. Grabbing one of Kakarot's legs, and motioning Suno to do the same, they began pulling Kakarot body through the piling snow. Fortune shined on them- the blizzard, at last, began to die.

0o0o0

Dr. Gero's eyes lingered over his console, waiting to see if a relay was broken, or if something had gone wrong with his receiver.

Minutes passed, then hours. Nothing changed in the slightest. The Red Ribbon Army was gone.

He breathed a sigh of relief, running his hands through his long gray hair. If this had happened even a few months ago, the loss of support would have been catastrophic… Dr. Gero moved away from the console to a nearby door, and walked through it. Another short walk and he entered a larger, much more impressive chamber than the one he was previously in. A generator hummed in one corner, drawing geothermal energy deep from the Earth's core. In the other corner, a small extractor was buzzing with activity, unearthing all sorts of useful metal and material from the surrounding mountain.

In the center of the room there rested a single workstation, surrounded by a maze of mechanical struts and harnesses, all designed to be oriented facing the center of the room.

Yes, it would have been disastrous… but now… He walked to the central workstation, and ran a hand over the newly-constructed surface of it. I have all the time in the world.

0o0o0

Everyone bid their farewells a few hours after dawn. A few more hours after that, and Krillin very nearly crashed the helicopter.

'Krillin!' Puar screamed, buzzing around in the helicopter's cockpit, 'watch where you're going!'

'Don't you think I was!' Krillin yelled back, as he pulled hard to bring the helicopter to a mid-air stop. 'You saw it too; this tower came out of nowhere!'

Puar pressed her cat-face to the glass front of the cockpit. Her eyes tracked upwards. 'I wouldn't really describe this as a tower… more like a pillar. And I can't see an end in sight.'

'That's it, I'm landing.'

'What? Why?'

'Call it curiosity. Or anger that someone nearly caused an aerial collision by building this stupid tower in the middle of nowhere. Or… I don't know, I feel the need to investigate this, I guess.

Puar squinted at Krillin, then turned to look out of the windshield again towards the tower. 'I guess Kakarot isn't going anywhere anytime soon,' she said, a note of wryness and hesitation in her voice.

'Hold on- I'm bringing the helicopter down.'

'I float, remember?'

'Oh. Right.'


Reviews:

LWexe: Yep. Kakarot's looking for the challenge Colonel Silver had mentioned to him. He had to do something to fill his time before the tournament.

Belsareth32: Thank you for the review! And I'm glad you like it!