Escalation

Chapter 21: Remorse

A/N: As of this publishing I've finished up writing the rough draft of the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament, and let me tell you- hoo boy, I surprised even myself. This entire tournament was super tough for me to write- but I think it's some of my most solid writing yet. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

Also, I changed the story name. "The Power Within" was way too generic for my liking and I would have changed it earlier if I had known it was possible. Thus- you are now reading "Strength of Many". The title is/will be more descriptive.


After the announcement of the quarterfinal matches, Krillin had crawled away to a far-flung corner of the grounds. There's nothing fun about this, he thought, as he sat in a dark hallway, arms around his knees and his eyes wide. How did I fool myself into thinking otherwise? I've been deluding myself. Martial Arts is pain- suffering- and seeing your friends be brutalized when you aren't strong enough-

Krillin heard a sound come from the edge of the hall. Whoever entered approached him, stepping into the dim light a handful of seconds later. It was… Jackie Chun?

Beneath his disguise, Master Roshi's mind was racing. Okay... how do I do this? 'Kid,' Jackie Chun said. He paused for a moment, then continued, 'what are you doing here by yourself? Is everything okay?'

The former monk gazed up at the old man, wiping his eyes with one hand as he did. 'Why… why do you care?'

Why does Jackie Chun care? Hmm… 'I care,' Jackie Chun said, 'because I care about martial arts. I care about their ability to help someone defend others. Seeing you run away from that last match, well... I thought you might want to hear that from someone who's been doing this for a long time.

Krillin blinked. Master Roshi would get along well with this guy. 'Martial Arts has brought nothing but pain into my life,' he said, letting his emotions pour out. 'I've trained my hardest just so I can watch my friends get hurt, even maimed! They were good people- and I couldn't protect them!' Krillin shouted, more out of anguish than anger. 'Do you understand? Do you understand that pain? Have you ever watched someone you care about be hurt while you stood by, helpless!'

A dark, dim landscape. Master Roshi was young- hair still on his head!- as he realized he was cowering behind an impressive, shimmering man. Mutaito… Fearing for his master, Roshi tried to get up; but his legs were useless underneath him, try as he might to rise. Energy had deserted him- he was as close to death without actually being dead. He was forced to watch his master perform- The Evil Containment Wave- No!... A swirling, bright green beam shot out of Mutaito's arms, encompassing some unseen figure in the distance. The world shook with the power and energy being unleashed, until the beam started to retract backward towards Mutaito. Within the beam, that distant figure was inside it! Mutaito twisted, and with a final motion, he slammed the beam- figure encased- into a rice cooker before him. The rice cooker snapped closed- and Mutaito fell to the ground, dead.

Jackie Chun shook his head, dispersing the memory. He had no idea how long he had zoned out- but Krillin was still looking towards him with pleading eyes. 'Yes,' he replied to Krillin's question. When Krillin didn't respond, Jackie Chun went on. 'I do know what you're talking about. I've lived a long life- a life full of regrets. I've seen many friends get hurt while I was powerless to help. But I've also seen my friends be saved by my actions. If I had never become a martial artist- I shudder to think how much evil would be loose in this world.'

Krillin held his gaze with Jackie Chun. A spring of sadness fed Krillin's eyes, Jackie Chun saw, but he also thought he saw a seed of perseverance taking root. 'All the evil I've stopped…' Krillin murmured to himself.

'Krillin,' Jackie Chun reminded gently, 'don't you have a match to get to?...'

Casting his eyes downwards once more, Krillin nodded and rose. 'Thank you for putting things in perspective, Jackie Chun.' Krillin bowed and hurried down the hallway.

Jackie Chun watched him go, a twinkle of pride in his eyes. Make me proud, Krillin- especially after falling for my disguise again, haha!

0o0o0

Krillin exchanged curt greetings with Launch, Rayne, and Yamcha as he walked out. He saw that Yamcha was casting nasty glances towards the tall Crane fighter. For what he did- serves him right. And Krillin tried his best to ignore Kakarot. One thing at a time...

Entering the main ring was just as overwhelming, if not more so, than the last time three years ago. His opponent, Chiaotzu, eerily waited for him in the center. Krillin walked towards the middle to stand face-to-face with his opponent. He could feel a deadly air surrounding Chiaotzu, in spite of his small stature.

'You two ready?' the announcer asked swinging his head between them. 'Yea? Alright then.' He then ran off the ring, jumping up and down for the crowd. 'Ladies and Gentlemen, prepare for the first quarterfinal match of the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament! Krillin vs. Chiaotzu- begin!'

They immediately charged each other. Fists rammed into blocks- kicks were dodged or knocked to the side- and Krillin, in moments, was driving Chiaotzu back.

'Yea! Get that pale freak!' Bulma chanted from the crowd.

'Bulma,' Puar said, 'that seems a bit rude.'

'Quiet, cat!'

Krillin's pace increased, then doubled, bearing down on his opponent. For what it's worth, Chiaotzu was doing all that he could to prevent a blow from landing. It was too much, though- after feinting to the right, Krillin slid left and down to Chiaotzu's side, and drove a haymaker into the Crane student's gut.

Chiaotzu barely stopped himself from slipping off of the ring. From one blow, his body was pulsing with pain. Krillin straightened, staring down his foe.

A voice flittered into Chiaotzu's mind. Use all available techniques. You have my permission. Anything to ensure victory.

Mentally agreeing- I didn't expect to win in a straight-up fight, anyway- he brought both his arms to his side. He closed his eyes and began levitating into the air. Rising ten, then twenty feet, Krillin watched Chiaotzu ascend in utter shock. He can fly? What the hell? The pale fighter halted his upwards motion, appearing to casually stand on an invisible platform.

The crowd had gone silent, barring Puar. 'Really?' she groaned, 'Haven't they seen someone float before?'

Shaking out of his stupor, the announcer roared, 'Incredible! Chiaotzu has risen into the air, and it doesn't look like he's coming down anytime soon! Does this spell the beginning of the end for Krillin?'

Krillin peered up at his opponent, who remained motionless in the sky. Okay. Flying opponent. Nothing impossible- a pain, sure, but not impossible. So odd. How is he even doing tha- His thoughts were interrupted as a gold blast of energy launched from Chiaotzu's outstretched hand, forcing Krillin to roll forward. As soon as he finished that movement, he sighted another blast speeding towards him. Krillin started scampering madly around the ring as blast after blast shot from Chiaotzu's hand.

From the competitors' section, Kakarot watched closely. An impressive amount of ki control- though the blasts themselves aren't that strong. What's he up to?

Chiaotzu's speed of attack quickened- more and more of the ring was being blanketed by his golden blasts. Krillin was rapidly running out of room to maneuver. Additionally, Chiaotzu was coaxing the former monk towards the center- his pattern of attacks was constricting Krillin's movement like a shrinking circle.

Nearby, Tien regarded the unfolding fight. Chiaotzu shouldn't expend this much energy without a clear goal. He saw Chiaotzu pause a moment, and then raise his other hand. Ah. Clearer now…

Krillin continued his scrambling. He rose out of another roll, standing when he realized he had run out of room to maneuver. He began to face Chiaotzu, intending to take on whatever blast was heading his way- but all at once, he felt his body seize. He couldn't move- just like before during the preliminaries! He struggled to look up- through strained vision, he saw Chiaotzu now had both his hands raised. A brighter, larger beam was coalescing in one hand. This is bad!… I'm out of breath and out of space from running around so much!

With his free hand, Chiaotzu wrenched the tiles surrounding Krillin up from the ground, forming a walled box around Krillin. It was open to the sky in Chiaotzu's direction- perfectly positioned to receive Chiaotzu's imminent ki blast.

'It looks like Krillin can't move! In addition, some strange multi-tiled prison has encompassed the fighter!' The announcer was running around the ring, like a roaming fly. 'Is this some nefarious technique of his opponent?'

The blast swelled, then ballooned, as Chiaotzu struggled to keep his arm trained on Krillin. If I miss- no, I can't think about that right now. I need to focus on winning! Backlit by the climbing sun, he appeared as a god of destruction to Krillin.

The former monk struggled against Chiaotzu's telekinetic grip. Come!... On!... This is hopeless! Barring any massive collapse from him, I'm going to be stuck here!

An idea popped into Krillin's head. Well! If I can't move- he started laboriously bringing his arms up- then I better defend myself!

Far above Krillin, Chiaotzu watched his opponent slowly edge his arms up, to the point where the hands were pressed towards him in a cup. If he's preparing a ki attack- but to do that while paralyzed… impossible! He frantically finished pooling energy into his hand; sweat was now streaming down his arms and sides from the effort of immobilizing the Turtle student. There. In an instant, Chiaotzu released the energy from his palm, shooting out a thick, loping gold blast down at the ring.

To the side, Rayne and Yamcha were silently rooting for Krillin. 'C'mon, buddy…' Yamcha whispered.

Krillin had been staring at Chiaotzu for the last few minutes- but in his head, he had been reciting a familiar word. Meeee… HAAAA! A bright, blue beam burst out of Krillin's cupped hands, staggering in its size and speed. The force from the blast must have been enormous- but Krillin didn't move an inch due to Chiaotzu's telepathic paralysis.

The two beams met in mid-air, struggling for a moment, before the blue beam split the gold beam in two, running down its middle. Chiaotzu only had a moment to gape before the blast hit him, exploding on impact. Krillin felt the telepathic grip on him release- and a few moments later he saw Chiaotzu fall to the ring. The announcer ran over. '...8, 9, 10! Knockout! Krillin wins!'

The crowd, having been mute for the past few shocking minutes, erupted into cheers. Krillin grinned and waved.

0o0o0

Tien ran out as soon as the tournament officials would let him. He ignored the withering gaze of Master Shen from the stands, instead coming to Chiaotzu's side and helping him up. 'Bud,' he said as the pale fighter came to, 'you alright?'

Chiaotzu nodded weakly, letting Tien help him to stand. 'I exhausted myself too much holding him earlier.' They both gazed at Krillin, who began to reenter the competitors' area. 'But Tien- he's strong. Maybe as strong as you…'

Tien burrowed his eyes into Krillin's back.

0o0o0

'Krillin, Way to go!' Rayne slapped a hand on his back, smiling. 'You really showed those Crane bullies what we Turtles are made off!' All around Krillin, his fellow students were congratulating him and clapping him on the back.

'Yea,' Yamcha said, 'that was some impressive stuff. It looked pretty dicey there for a moment. Were you… frozen? What exactly happened?'

'I'm not exactly sure,' Krillin said, 'though something similar happened to me earlier. I think that pale kid has telekinetic powers- he immobilized me in the center of the ring, to maximize the damage of his ki blast.'

'Oh! Like General Blue.'

'Exactly.'

'How exactly did you get out of it?' Launch asked.

Krillin furrowed his brows, thinking. 'This is just a guess, but based on what I saw- and felt- I think the restriction only applies to physical movement. Even though I was paralyzed, my ki was still flowing freely. It was just a matter of pointing my hands at him to do what I did. '

'Well,' Yamcha pouted, 'that would have been good to know two months ago.'

Chiaotzu limped past them, avoiding eye contact. They saw that Tien was waiting patiently in the ring.

'Oh! Time for my match then!' Launch said gleefully, cracking her knuckles. 'This should be fun. Krillin, got any tips against these dirty Crane bastards?'

'I guess,' Krillin said, eyeing the tall youth, 'if he uses any telekinesis, use your ki. Other than that? Dunno. Downside of dispatching an opponent so quickly is that you don't get to see many of their techniques.'

Rayne narrowed her eyes. 'From what I saw,' she said, 'the Crane style involves a lot of precise, injuring blows- so try not to let him dictate the pace of combat. Keep him off balance.'

Launch nodded, then began her long walk forwards.

0o0o0

'So,' Tien said as soon as Launch had stopped opposite of him. 'you're a Turtle student?'

'What's this?' Launch laughed, 'Genuine interest in the backstory of your challenger?'

Tien frowned; he wasn't used to such blatant mockery from his opponent. I can already tell this is going to be a frustrating fight… 'I have respect for all my enemies. It's a basic tenant of being a student of the martial arts.'

'Oh? So I'm an enemy now?'

He felt a vein burgeon on his forehead. What's with these Turtle students and their uncanny ability to get under my skin? Tien frowned, glaring at Launch, and said nothing.

That's right big guy, Launch thought, keep getting worked up. Hmm… let's throw in some confusion, too. 'Tell you what,' she said, changing the tone of her voice to somewhat sincere. 'If you apologize for what you said about the Turtle School earlier, I'll resign from this match. But when you apologize, you have to mean it.'

Visible confusion surfaced on Tien's face. I- what? Would she really do that? All over a stupid, passing insult by me-

'Begin!' the announcer's voice carried across the ring.

Tien was jolted out of his thoughts as Launch barreled into him, raining down a storm of punches and kicks. Distracted as he was, a few glanced him and some even slipped past his guard to slam into him. He steadied himself and counter-attacked with a palm to her sternum, skidding her back a few feet. She stopped herself, smirking at him. 'Still thinking about my offer?' she teased.

Snarling, Tien rushed her, taking the initiative. He landed some glancing blows as Launch wisely kept her distance, being just far enough away to prevent him from doing any real damage. She took advantage of this physical distance to verbally attack him. 'Think about it- you could save your energy for the rest of the tournament if I gave up now! You could fight that Kakarot guy at full strength! All this, if you would just apologize!...'

'Stop talking!' he shouted, as he swung a kick into her midsection- but his kick swung in an arc through her. Her outline shimmered and faded after a moment. An afterimage! Where- a knee slammed into Tien's back, flipping him to crash onto the ground. He deftly sprung to his feet and jumped away from a diving stomp. 'I have to admit,' Tien said while they both caught their breath, 'you're not half bad.'

Launch's face, which had been gloating before, instantly soured. 'Don't patronize me!' she yelled, as he charged him once more. Her strikes, compared to before, became more erratic; oddly enough, this made it harder for Tien to block her attacks. Launch would try to hit him from any direction and with any degree of strength. Tien would rush to block a surprisingly weak kick to then be whiplashed by an incredibly heavy swinging fist. He slid back to avoid an elbow- but amazingly, by sheer luck, she had accompanied the attack with a charge. She surged forward and drove the elbow into Tien's unguarded front, actually tumbling backward with him to roll a few feet.

'Get! Off of me!' Tien yelled, as he disentangled himself from her. When she rose in pursuit he launched a quick, point-blank gold ki blast from his hand, buffeting Launch back a few feet. Smoke ballooned into existence; when it cleared, Launch stood covered in scorches, her gi charred. She glowered at him, her eyes smoldering like embers.

0o0o0

'This doesn't look good for Launch,' Yamcha commented alongside Krillin and Rayne. The three of them were enthralled by the current match- it was, up to this point, both entertaining and impressive. They were definitely surprised by Launch- she would have beaten any one of them at the last tournament- and were whooping for her during her last wild offensive. Things were looking considerably bleaker now, though.

'I agree,' Rayne said, 'that Crane fighter had no problem conjuring that amount of energy, despite how much he's been on the receiving end of the damage dealt out in this fight so far. Meanwhile…' Rayne trailed off, staring at Launch. She was still straightening, evidently delayed by the pain spasming through her body.

Krillin glanced at the standoff out on the ring, then squinted his eyes in skepticism. 'I don't know guys. When Launch is angry- well- never count her out when's she's angry.' Then again… if he's as strong as I think he is, no amount of rage is going to be able to help her...

Not ten feet away from this conversation, Kakarot scrutinized the Crane student. Impressive.

0o0o0

Launch brought a hand to her face, rubbing away a soot mark. 'You pack a punch.' she seethed.

Tien said nothing, and drew into a guard.

Abruptly, Launch changed her posture- from confrontational to conversational- and beginning grinning madly. 'You know what? I just realized something.'

More silence from the Crane fighter- yet he didn't resume attacking her, allowing her to go on.

'We would make great friends.'

'I- what!?' he stammered.

'Yea! Think about it. With your stoicness and seriousness, and with my unpredictability and anger, we'd make the perfect little ying-yang combo!'

'You're speaking nonsense,' Tien said in an unintentional monotone voice.

She tutted. 'No need to be so closemin-'

Launch disappeared right before Tien's eyes. Damn it! He went wide-eyed and spun madly, searching for where she went. She was charging her ki during that entire conversation, so damn- A shoulder rammed into the small of Tien's back, sending him flying forward and toppling to the ground- or he would have, if not for Launch blurring past his falling form and slamming a leg into him from the other side, sending him spiraling back in the direction he came. Her speed quickened, buzzing around Tien like a bee as she moved at a seemingly impossible speed. Blow after blow kept Tien perpetually airborne and moving- he was being punted around the ring like a volleyball.

Speechless, Yamcha could only stare on with a dumb look on his face. Rayne and Krillin were much the same. 'Is… is this real?' he stuttered, as Launch sent the Crane fighter spiraling away yet again before chasing after him. 'How is she moving so fast?'

Kakarot, for the first time in his life, found himself genuinely shocked. If I'm sensing her right… Her level- it's beyond even me… no, there has to be something else going on!…

Even Jackie Chun looked shaken- though not for the same reasons of his fellow competitors. Launch, stop this now! If you're doing what I think you're doing- stop!...

The announcer comically tried to keep his head trained on the action, which was realistically impossible considering how fast they were moving. 'Ladies and Gentlemen, in all my years of announcing for this tournament, I have Never! Seen! Something! Like! This!' His words were coupled with every resounding blow Launch landed on Tien; they rippled through the crowd, riding the blows' shockwaves. The atmosphere was electrifying.

The speed of Tien's rebounding grew faster- then, all at once, a series of blows drove him towards the center of the ring. Launch was there in a heartbeat, visible. She tensed, then jumped and spun in the air, bringing her extended leg out from behind her in a half-circle across her body, right to left. As her leg swung, Tien careened into her- and he was mercilessly kicked to the right, speeding like a rocket towards the grass. As his body spun at an unforgiving speed Tien- working on instinct alone- shot out his limbs in an X as far as possible. His velocity and rotation slowed, then stopped, just as he found himself looking face-down at the grass. He was floating a few feet away from the ring, parallel to the ground- he had come half a foot away from touching the ground and losing the match.

In the center of the ring, Launch suddenly sagged, her limbs slackening to drape at her sides. Damn. I really thought that amount of physical disorientation would do the trick. True to Launch's thoughts, as Tien touched back down on the ring, he fell to his knees and vomited on the ring. So I made him nauseous enough to puke but not enough to stop him from flying? Son of a bitch.

Tien took a few ragged breaths, drool and bile dripping out of his mouth and nostrils. I guess it could be worse, Launch thought. As long as I don't-

She felt an itch. Oh no.

Her nose wrinkled. Please not now.

A familiar sensation rushed up from lungs, coming to a point in her face. NOT NOW!- She arched backward, clenching her every muscle in resistance- but her body could not be denied. 'AAAACHOOOO!' she shot snot into the air, her hair changing instantaneously from blue to yellow. As she finished arching backward, her eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed to the ground.

0o0o0

Once the announcer finished his count, a flurry of medics swarmed Launch. Jackie Chun pushed himself through them towards his fallen pupil. He feared the worse- please, don't be dead- as he flung to the side the last person in his path.

Launch was on her back, her arms spread wide on the ring- but she was alive, her eyelids feebly fluttering. 'Did… did I win, Master Roshi?' she croaked out as she was rolled onto a stretcher by the medics.

Master Roshi-as-Jackie Chun turned his head away and laughed, a single tear of relief running down his cheek.

As soon as Launch's stretcher rushed past Krillin, Rayne, and Yamcha- Launch managed to flash a feeble thumbs-up as she went past- they visibly relaxed. The memory of what had happened to Retu was fresh in their minds.

'Thank… Kami' Rayne whispered, her eyes lingering on the receding ensemble of people surrounding Launch. 'What the hell was she thinking, doing that?'

'Implying you know what she did?' Yamcha asked, incredulous. 'Because I, for one, have no idea what just happened.'

'It was definitely related to her ki,' Krillin said, 'it fluctuated almost inconceivably fast for a few minutes there. When she sneezed at the end- her energy dropped like a rock. I'm guessing her temporary boost was related in some way with that sneezing? Maybe the sneeze was so violent it strangled her ki?' he offered.

'I don't think so,' Rayne commented. They were now watching the Crane fighter stand and walk off the ring- it had taken him a few minutes to collect his bearings and rise to his feet. It was odd that, despite receiving all of Launch's previous blows, he looked almost untouched. 'I'll admit I never really thought about Launch's dual personalities until now, but still; have you guys ever noticed that her ki never… feels quite the same when she turns into her other self?'

'Actually,' Yamcha said, 'now that you mention it, you're right. Blue and yellow-haired Launch have similar but non-identical kis- I'm sure of it. Though, I always chalked it up to her yellow persona getting more training than her blue one.'

'I think that contributes to the difference, but no amount of training should make what should be identical kis feel dissimilar. No- it almost feels like her two kis come from different people…'

'So what,' Krillin said, 'you think yellow-haired Launch tapped into her other self's ki and depleted it?'

'And because of that,' Rayne continued, 'when Blue-haired Launch appeared, she immediately blacked out from the energy loss. That's exactly what I think.'

Yamcha whistled. 'You two make a good ki investigating duo.'

Rayne shrugged, and purposefully looked the other way. 'I'm just observant, that's all,' she said.

'C'mon,' Krillin said, 'if we rush we'll have time before the next match to check where they're taking her.'

About a minute later, after the Turtle students had departed, Tien padded into the competitors' hall. Chiaotzu walked over to meet him. 'Chiaotzu,' Tien said, 'you felt it too, right?'

The pale Crane student nodded. 'Yes. Her power was enormous- yet she didn't use it to decisively defeat you. She just… toyed with you.'

Tien held his gaze at Chiaotzu for a few moments, then shook his head, his eyes distant. 'No. No, I don't think that was it at all…'

0o0o0

Since he was already out on the ring, Jackie Chun figured he would wait out here for the few minutes before his match with Rayne. He also didn't want to risk any more of his students recognizing him. That was a bit… rattling, though at the time I was able to smother it with my relief. In all my years, of all my students, I never would have guessed that Launch would be the one to discover my secret. Then again, I wouldn't have expected her doing what she just did either- err, alright, that's not true. Something as foolhardy and stupid as that is definitely something Launch would do.

He wasn't quite sure what she did, though he suspected that, whatever had just occurred, she had attempted it for the first time. Master Roshi's old, wizened eyes saw Launch, as fast as she was, lurch side-to-side in between periods of dashing- as if she wasn't prepared to handle her new power. An extremely impressive sequence of events, if it hadn't resulted in her nearly falling into a coma. Which means she'll be out of commission for the rest of the tournament. Which means…

Krillin, Rayne, Yamcha. If one of them can't win this tournament, then Kakarot fulfills his promise, and slaughters everyone. And he had no idea how strong Kakarot had grown in the time leading up to this tournament. I've trained myself as much as I could. Surely Kakarot would have done something similar? However, the boy with the tail had shown himself to be very arrogant in the past; he wouldn't be surprised if he deemed training for this tournament unnecessary. But Master Roshi had glimpsed the shock on Kakarot's face when Launch began swatting Tien around like a bug. He knew that, at the very least, in that moment Launch had surpassed Kakarot. Damn it all, Launch- why couldn't you have saved that for an actual crisis?

Perhaps the Crane fighters could defeat Kakarot, hellbent as they were for avenging Tao's death- but Master Roshi doubted even the tall Crane student could overcome an enraged Kakarot who was backed into a corner. That boy has shown an unsettling ability to survive so far- why should now be any different?

So; I will see soon enough whether Rayne has surpassed me, and whether Krillin can defeat Tien. Then, I will have the knowledge I need.

Jackie Chun blinked. Rayne was striding out onto the ring, the scowl on her face centered on him. Good. Fight this battle like everything is on the line- because it is. She stopped opposite of him. The announcer quickly checked that they were ready and scampered to the grass. 'The third quarterfinal match, Rayne vs. Jackie Chun; begin!'

Rayne crouched backward, tensing, then sprung herself forward. Jackie Chun was put on the defensive as she wasted no time warming up or playing around. Her strikes hit strong and true and rushed towards him almost too fast for Jackie Chun to handle. Almost. He set his back foot into the ring and pushed off it, forcing Rayne backward as a couple of glancing blows impacted Rayne's body. She dodged to the right to avoid an arm swing- and fell into Jackie Chun's trap, hammered by a left hook that sent her reeling backward. Her guard broken, Jackie Chun landed a series of strong punches to her abdomen before she brought her arms forward, catching one last heavy hit, and hopped back. Despite the obvious damage she had taken in the form of swelling bruises, she still stood tall, her arms raised at her sides. 'Is that it?' she taunted, 'really?'

Jackie Chun arched an eyebrow. 'Is what it? Are my attacks not to your liking?'

'You and I both know,' a smirking Rayne said, 'that you're fighting at the same exact power level you had at the last World Tournament.'

'Oh? Is that so?'

'Yep.'

Jackie Chun stared at her, then broke into a smile, laughing. 'Since when have you been so observant of ki?'

'Always. Though it helped that I was trained by Master Roshi, the best teacher in the world.'

Flattered, Jackie Chun widened his smile. 'So you have. I assume you want me to fight at my full power, then?'

'Please, I insist.'

'Haha! You're a worthy student of the Turtle Hermit.' Jackie Chun brought his arms parallel to his body, tensing himself. He briefly considered actually using his max power- but he then remembered that he was fighting to win, not to survive. Best to keep it unrevealed.

Jackie Chun drew in a deep breath and accessed more of his ki- using a significantly more substantial amount that before. Briefly, small rocks and pebbles rolled away on the tiles away from him, but for the most part, he tried to conceal how much energy he had summoned. 'Alright,' he said, crouching into a guard again, 'round two.'

Rayne rushed him, launching into a series of complex maneuvers. She jumped, spun, shifted around Jackie Chun, trying to land a clean blow on him. When Jackie Chun, off-balanced, moved slightly with his low block of Rayne's leg, she pounced, swinging a cocked fist towards Jackie Chun's exposed torso. The blow reverberated against his body as he staggered backward. Rayne pursued him, unleashing an onslaught of blows- but frustratingly, her opening blow did nothing to break his defense- he blocked or took minimal glancing blows even as he continued to fall backward. Enraged, Rayne overextended, swinging an overhead double-fist down. Jackie Chun saw her mistake and quickly jabbed her in the stomach, winding her and forcing her to jump back. In the same motion he nimbly brought one leg behind him and pushed off it, rising back into a vertical standing position. As Rayne caught her breath her hands unconsciously cupped her stomach- it hurt like hell, she realized. That was very nearly my best- and he's still smiling? Damn it…

Jackie Chun was indeed smiling. In a way, I'm glad Kakarot gave me a reason to train for this tournament. This Rayne would have given me a run for my money last tournament. Now, though…

He plowed into Rayne, his fist sinking into her gut, doubling her over. She tried to swing her fist to counter-attack- but it bounced off him, as he continued to land blow after blow into her. Damn it! She brought her arms in a cross-block- but Jackie Chun's blows simply smashed through it, forcing her backward. She felt her back foot rest slightly over an edge- the edge of the ring! Okay, no more fooling around, she mentally rallied, as she pushed energy into her left hand, time to reveal my tri-

As Rayne was dodging to her right to avoid an elbow strike, the Jackie Chun skillfully sidestepped to his left, keeping himself parallel to Rayne. Out of position- and more importantly, off balance- Rayne was helpless as the old man jabbed a finger into her chest, toppling her out of bounds. 'Ring out! Jackie Chun advances to the semifinals!'

Shocked beyond belief, Rayne watched Jackie Chun give a quick wave to the crowd until turning back to the competitors' hall. I… I was going to do my last-ditch move. But he just… nudged me out of bounds. I didn't even get a chance to use it...

Bullshit!

0o0o0

Tien edged around a corner, scanning for other people. Once he saw that the corridor was deserted, he briskly walked forward, opening and closing a door as he did, to enter a nondescript medical room.

In the corner, Launch was resting in her cot, bandages littering her body and an IV threaded into her right arm. She was sleeping. Tien crept up to her bed, frowning as he approached. How do I wake her? Is it even okay for me to wake her? Now that I think about it, disturbing a recuperating, defeated opponent is probably something I shouldn't do. I have no idea how she'll react. He noticed that her hair had changed back to what it was during their match- yellow. That's odd. I wonder-

'RAUUUGHHH!' Launch's eyes shot open and she lept out of her bed, spinning over Tien and landing awkwardly behind him. Though she had nearly fallen down to one knee, nevertheless, she maintained a scary expression on her face. 'I knew you'd come back for a rematch!' She aimed her arm towards him like a cannon, one finger pointing accusingly. 'You Crane students can't leave any petty dispute undisturbed- which is good! I'm exactly the same!' Launch swayed as she very clearly struggled to bring her arms into a guard- but still, she looked ready for battle.

Tien had been in many strange situations during his training- nothing, however, could have prepared him for this. 'No! It's not like that!' He held up his hands defensively, backing away a foot. 'I'm not here to hurt you… or, fight you. I just have… a question, that's all.'

Launch narrowed her eyes suspiciously, still holding up her arms. 'What kind of question?...'

'I was wondering; what exactly did you do before, when you were thrashing me around- and why didn't you defeat during this, when you had the chance?'

'What? You mean that fast thing I did?'

Tien nodded.

Launch continued eyeing Tien suspiciously, then abruptly slapped a hand to her forehead. 'Damn it!' she said, her exasperation clear, 'really? That move gave me enough power to beat you? Kami freaking dammit…'

Confused, Tien tilted his head. 'Are you saying… you didn't know you were stronger than me when you used that move? How!?'

'Well, that was the first time I had used it, in my defense…'

Now completely boggled, Tien dropped his arms to his sides. 'That was the first time you'd used that technique? I… what!' Frustration bled through to his voice. 'How could you do something so… irresponsible! Amateur! Using a move you hadn't even attempted before in a match? That's insane! You could have seriously injured yourself, let alone ruin any chance you had to win!'

Launch frowned. Amazingly, throughout this entire conversation, she was still holding her arms up in a guard. 'Yea, a Crane student would think that. You wouldn't understand the drive we Turtles have to push ourselves in combat! To defeat any enemy!' She sneered at him. 'The only thing you respect is letting a little kid be savaged by a monster.'

Tien winced- it had only happened a few hours ago, but already he deeply regretted having Chiaotzu stop Krillin from intervening in that preliminary match. Remorse- so this is what it feels like. A lesson taught to me by someone else's pain. 'I'm… sorry for that.'

Glaring, Launch continued to hold her ground, though she did let her arms down a little.

'What did you say before,' Tien asked, 'about why you performed a technique you had never tried before? Because it was-'

'Because I was pushing myself,' she cut him off, 'and that is what every good martial artist should do. When confronted with an enemy, you push yourself past your limits to defeat them… or something like that. If I'm being honest, I don't pay much attention when Master Roshi gets all philosophical.

That's… huh… Tien brought a hand to his face in thought, rubbing his jawline. They fight to push themselves in combat. To surpass their limits. Because the act itself is noble, and the situation may demand it. Huh… I need to talk to Chiaotzu about this. Tien met Launch's eyes, and dipped his head. 'Thank you,' he said, drawing an even more suspicious look from Launch. 'You've given me something to think about.'

'Uhh… yea, okay. Whatever. Well, if you don't want to fight… get out of my room!' she yelled.

A serene air about him, Tien nodded, and promptly exited the room.

Launch nearly collapsed to the floor the moment he had left. Oh god, everything hurts… She slinked back to her cot, gingerly laying back down. Screw that guy. He can't even give me a proper grudge match. Maybe if I ask him after I'm healed…

0o0o0

This is it.

Yamcha strutted out onto the main stage- he had loved his time in the spotlight at the last tournament, as stupid as that felt to think in his head. Truth be told, though, there really was nothing like a crowd that was cheering you on the entire way- to whatever end. Yamcha's eyes skipped across the stage, and saw an unmoving Kakarot callously regard him. Whatever end that might be. This time, though, will be different.

Across the ring, a single thought coursed through Kakarot's mind. This fool is done for. Oh yes, he'll end up at my feet, one of his limbs broken in tearful agony, before the end of this. Which one, though? Should it be the arm again? Maybe the leg…

The announcer seemed to have been informed about Kakarot's behavior in the preliminaries- he kept his distance from the Saiyan. 'Ladies and Gentlemen, let's give a warm welcome for last tournament's runner-up, Yamcha,' he said as the crowd exploded into cheers, 'and his challenger, the newcomer, Kakarot!' Amazingly, the crowd booed at the mention of Kakarot- something that had never happened before at a Martial Arts Tournament. The announcer was visibly shocked as the crowd roared with its disdain. Uncomprehending, Yamcha glimpsed that Bulma was running around the stands and was whispering into a few attendees ears here and there. From there, these people would turn to the crowd around them and start booing, getting everyone else into it. Did she plant booers? Bulma… you are diabolical... Yamcha waved warmly in Bulma's direction- she gave him back two big thumbs up.

Through all of this, Kakarot stood, unfazed by the negative attention.

'They've been told the rules in red, and are ready to go!' the announcer said as the boos died down, trying to get a semblance of order in the stadium. 'So, without further ado, the quarterfinal between Yamcha and Kakarot; begin!'

Kakarot and Yamcha immediately rushed each other, their bodies colliding in the middle with a heavy dumm. Kakarot tried to swing a punch at Yamcha's midsection- Yamcha caught it with his right hand. Yamcha bent his knees and brought his knee forward, but Kakarot met Yamcha's knee with his own, canceling out the strike. Their strikes slowed, then came to a full halt. Soon enough their hands were locked against each other, trapped in a mutual grapple. Yamcha pushed, pushed harder than he had ever done before in his life. I won't be defeated, not here, not now! Kakarot's smaller height didn't help him in this engagement- Yamcha slowly inched forward using his superior height. When he had Kakarot arching backward, Yamcha suddenly broke off and sneakily swept a leg under Kakarot, taking his legs out from under him. The Saiyan fell to the ground, receiving a few glancing blows from a pursuing Yamcha, and rolled away at the first opportunity. Rising, Kakarot looked… unharmed. Yamcha grunted. Well, I knew what I was getting myself into.

Off to the side, Rayne stood next to Krillin, analyzing the opening moves of the match. 'You were right Krillin,' she said after a moment.

Krillin's eyes didn't budge from the match- the edges of his face showed worry. 'About what?' he asked, as he tracked the rebounding form of Yamcha, who had bounced off a block of Kakarot's.

'About Yamcha's lack of improvement- what you said to him a few months ago in West City. He's gotten stronger- and he definitely didn't slack off the past two months while we were training together- but you can only catch up so much. At this point, I think we're about even in power levels. Which is bad. If I gauged Kakarot right, there's no way I could beat him…'

Krillin's ears perked up in the middle of Rayne's analysis. 'Uhh… Yamcha said you two did some mystical stuff together- right?' he asked, trying to conceal his anxiety.

'Mystical stuff? I- oh. Yea, a witch helped us talk to a dead guy. That was a bit freaky.'

Mentally, Krillin breathed a huge sigh of relief.

In the audience, Bulma grew progressively more concerned as her imagined quick victory for Yamcha failed to materialize. Adjacent to her, Puar floated lower to the ground, frowning. 'Yamcha,' she said, 'be careful…'

Kakarot guided away a number of fast attacks from Yamcha and spun, landing his first solid hit on Yamcha. His foot slapped across Yamcha's face, sending him a few feet sideways to land on all fours. Yamcha straightened, touching a finger to a new gash that ran across his cheek. Gritting his teeth, Yamcha charged again at Kakarot, aiming a heavy elbow strike at Kakarot's head. As he approached, however, Kakarot used his height to slip under Yamcha's attack and deliver a quick, precise punch to Yamcha's chest. Yamcha was staggered mid-movement, teetering then willingly stepping a few feet back, holding a hand to where Kakarot hit him. This… feels like broken ribs. How the hell?... Across from him, Kakarot smirked, and opened his mouth to talk for the first time in the match.

'I remember you, you know.'

'I remember you.'

No more words were exchanged as Yamcha changed tactics and started circling Kakarot. Amused, Kakarot held the center, his arms raised in a defensive block. Yamcha began approaching and withdrawing from the Saiyan repeatedly, as if he was playing cat and mouse with him.

'Yamcha seems to be… doing something!' the announcer said, lacking anything better to say.

Kakarot, now on the verge of laughing, started to walk forward on one such approach by Yamcha- but just as he did, Yamcha bent and flung his arms out, shooting out a hastily formed energy blast. Faint blue energy enveloped Kakarot for a second, obscuring him from the crowd.

Jumping back, Yamcha narrowly avoided a kick that emerged from the cloud. The dust cleared- Kakarot remained exactly where he was before, wholly unscathed by the attack. 'Okay, I'll admit,' Kakarot said, brushing a few particles of dirt from his brown shirt and pants, 'even I don't know what you were trying to do there.'

'This is bad,' a distressed Rayne said, 'the gap between them is large and he's already running out of ideas. Eventually Kakarot will get bored and end this- on his terms.'

Krillin gave no response, his eyes helplessly tuned to the battle before them.

Neither Krillin nor Rayne noticed the appraising eye of Jackie Chun to their right. Nor did they notice his hopeful smile. That's the right idea Yamcha… what you can't make up in strength, make up with your mind...

'You should know that I think very little of you,' Kakarot taunted. 'In fact, out of your entire bunch, you're probably the person I have the least respect for. Where everyone else ran when they realized they couldn't fight toe for toe with me, and the bald one had just enough power to challenge me, you- you were just stupid.

Ungoaded, Yamcha hopped back a few more feet. The former bandit bent his legs and placed two cupped hands behind him. 'You're right,' he said jovially, 'I am a weakling.'

'Yeah, you are!'

Twin spheres of light formed in Yamcha's hands, shimmering in the noon's heat. One sphere was blue, cool and dense, while another was yellow, bright and sputtering. 'Everything is just a game to you,' Yamcha yelled, abruptly grimacing, 'isn't it, Kakarot?'

Kakarot said nothing and lowered himself into a guard position. Though, if his attack is anything like his last one- hah!

'Do you feel the amount of ki he's pushing into that attack?' Krillin asked, as his eyes darted back and forth between Yamcha and Kakarot. 'It's like… the ki he's putting into his attack surpasses his actual strength. He's… magnifying it somehow.'

'Could be that you can do that with ki attacks,' Rayne said, squinting. 'Huh. They're still getting stronger.' It was true- Yamcha's orbs of ki had expanded as much as they physically could in his hands. 'Kakarot would be foolish to take this attack head-on.'

'Yamcha!' Bulma and Puar roared, while furiously waving their banner from the last tournament, 'go Yamcha!'

In the haze of yells and cheers, Chi-Chi alone was wracked by dread. This power won't be enough- if Kakarot made a full recovery- Yamcha, please!

The light spilling from Yamcha's hands was increasing; his entire body was straining to hold together this amount of ki. Would have been nice to test this move before this- but it's now or never. Straining with a final push of energy, Yamcha tilted forward and flung his arms forward. The yellow sphere shot out of Yamcha's hand, expanding so the head was about a foot or two in diameter. Simultaneously, however, the blue sphere disappeared from sight.

The gold beam collided with Kakarot's block- but the beam didn't detonate. It rolled off of Kakarot's form. A faint pink aura surrounded the Saiyan, helping the beam to disperse against his block. He felt the beam peak, then slowly taper off. The fool had even less power than I thought-

A hand suddenly ripped through the beam, blue tendrils of ki shooting out from each finger. Unprepared, Kakarot tried to wrench himself away- but the very last bits of the previous attack were still colliding with his block, preventing him from moving. He could do nothing as the visage of a giant, howling wolf rose above him and clamped down on Kakarot. A rain of swipes laced up and down Kakarot's body, barreling him backward with their concussive force. For a few moments Yamcha turned into a blue blur, wrecking absolute devastation as he raked Kakarot's body. Finishing his movement, Yamcha drew back his leg and twisted, slamming a ki enhanced kick into Kakarot's gut. The Saiyan flew backward, barely succeeding in stopping himself before falling off the ring. Panting, Yamcha allowed himself a small smile as the crowd behind him burst into approving cheers. I still got it.

'What a move!' The announcer had run parallel to Yamcha's offensive- his eyes were now trained on the edge of the ring where Kakarot was currently teetering. 'Will Kakarot be able to recover from such a savage attack?!'

Kakarot momentarily swayed on the edge, nearly toppling over on at least two occasions, before abruptly walking forward without an ounce of discomfort. He ran his hands over his body; his front was marked by a series of thin slashes, for the most part shredding his brown t-shirt. Beneath the shirt, however, there was… nothing. Kakarot grinned. 'That was it?' he called out across the ring.

Yamcha's face was unreadable, as he still struggled to catch his breath.

Please, Krillin begged to himself, please; not again...

In moments, Kakarot was on Yamcha, throwing punch after punch at Yamcha's hastily raised guard. Yamcha was too winded to move; he could only lower himself closer to the ground as the blows bounced painfully off his guard. The hits grew heavier- soon there was nothing Yamcha could do except to cower beneath his arms. Eventually, Kakarot knocked Yamcha's block away and landed a heavy kick to Yamcha's chest, knocking the former bandit flush to the ground. The Saiyan paused, scanning his surroundings. The crowd was dead silent. As they should be.

On the ground, Yamcha was substantially more damaged than just a minute before. Angry bruises ran up and down his arms and chest from where Kakarot had beat on him. His orange Turtle gi was torn and scuffed. Still, he panted, having been given no time to catch his breath. Bad. This is… bad. In one minute Kakarot had done more damage to Yamcha than he thought possible. His strength- it's unreal! How was I supposed to win this fight?...

Use your head, Yamcha… Kakarot had momentarily turned from him, eyeing the crowd. Yamcha's eyes settled on Kakarot's tail, which was swishing behind the Saiyan idly. That's it! With a desperate movement, Yamcha surged into a sitting position, wrapping his arms around Kakarot's waist and grabbing Kakarot's tail with both his hands.

A shudder ran through Kakarot. The Saiyan's head turned, his eyes glinting- not with surprise, or shock, or fear, but with malice. He snarled, swiping a hand to chop at one of Yamcha's arms. Yamcha's wrist crunched away, broken. The former bandit fell back to the ground, gasping from the sudden, unexpected pain. 'You think,' Kakarot said, placing his foot on Yamcha's chest, 'that a cheap trick like that will work on me? Who do you think I am!' He pushed his foot into Yamcha's body, bending back his ribcage in sync with a symphony of screams. Kakarot halted his foot at what he felt like was the precipice of completely caving the fool's chest; then, he drew his foot back slightly, giving Yamcha a momentary reprieve and a chance to talk. 'Did you honestly believe you stood a chance? Against me? When I had beaten you before?' Kakarot taunted, propping himself up on the knee of the leg pressing down on Yamcha's chest. Even this simple shift in weight elicited a gasp of pain from the former bandit.

'I had…' Yamcha wheezed, 'to try.'

'Had to? Because you needed to stop the big, bad monster that I am? So desperate to win, are you, that you and your fellow cretins would resort to old, dishonorable tricks to defeat me? If you think that I am pathetic- well, you should look at yourself in a mirror,' Kakarot ended, with a small note of satisfaction.

'You'd never understand-,' Yamcha coughed raggedly- a hackful of blood came up- and continued, '-the lengths we would go to defend our friends and our planet. From you.'

'Hmm.' Kakarot gazed down impassively at the fighter beneath him. 'I wouldn't understand, huh?' Wrong. I understand completely. He fights to defend his existence. Just like how I fight to defend my existence here, on this planet, so that I may fulfill my task. I guess, in that circumstance, we aren't that different. Were the situations reversed- I would also be fighting for my life, doing whatever it took to survive.

Kakarot remembered something. Right. I can't kill him here, now. Not until I win the tournament. Below Kakarot, Yamcha seemed to be gaining a second wind- he was increasingly trying to worm his way out from under Kakarot's foot. Next best thing, then.

In one motion, Kakarot jumped in the air and twisted, landing with two feet on Yamcha's right thigh. He felt the tell-tale give of a bone cracking; a millisecond later, Yamcha's anguished voice rode out across the ring. It peaked, then died off abruptly- he had, mercifully, passed out from the pain. Backing up from Yamcha's broken body, Kakarot briefly scanned the crowd again. Pure silence. How easily terror grips you all...


A/N: Thought some power levels would be appropriate here. So, without spoiling anything;

Krillin-165 (150ish before climbing Korin's tower)

Chiaotzu- 140 (weakened by the overuse of his psychic powers)

Launch- 120, ? when briefly magnified

Tien-?

Rayne- 145ish

Jackie Chun-?

Yamcha- 145ish

Kakarot-?

Reviews:

LWexe: Kakarot is a bad dude. He provides some rationale for why he does such actions in this chapter, though.

Belsareth32: Thank you for the kind words! Stuff like that really brightens my day (and incentives me to write more/faster, WINK).