Disclaimer, in case it wasn't obvious. I don't own Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, or really any other property. Thank you.
The Cataylst
Act VI
Chapter 79: Responsibility
Son Goku: May 10th
Being around people you didn't like, a lot of the time, was something Goku had never really had to experience throughout most of his life, until he'd met the man who looked just like him. Every day of training was getting more intense for two reasons, they were both turning up the heat, and because he was pretty sure either he, or Turles, were going to snap at one point, or make a wrong move or action that led to a big fight. When he thought about it, it was really sad, because if anyone was supposed to get along, you'd think it'd brothers. Goku didn't really have any other families to compare to though. Yamcha, Tien, Krillin, and Chaotzu, none of them really had siblings or families either. But at least comparing it to the information he'd gleamed from society, told him that people really shouldn't be at one another's throats like this.
Swinging his leg out, Goku finally slipped past Turles's defense, hitting him in the side. A grunt of pain left the other Saiyan as his eyes narrowed on him furiously. That was a predictable face, it usually meant that Turles wasn't pleased Goku snuck in a shot he didn't think would catch him. The two golden auras mixed in the air as he closed in again. The two bodies blurred into a single union of swirling punches and kicks, before Goku felt Turles catch his leg in mid air. Surprise came over Goku's face before his double flung him straight towards the ground.
Landing on his feet, Goku immediately turned up to meet the next assault. Instead, there was a flash of purple energy as a barrage came down from above. Placing his fingers to his forehead and concentrating, he vanished at the last moment, appearing next to Turles.
Now it was his turn to be mad.
There were a series of huge blasts below them as the other Saiyan remained in the air.
"You know we agreed on no energy blasts," Goku said, his own tone stiff, though he felt himself breathing heavily from all the exertion. "The others were watching from down there! You know we don't do that at this level, so that they don't get hurt. Damn it Turles!"
Turning back to face him, his mirror image stared back at him, but matching the angry features he knew he had on display.
"I thought we were training to fight a supposed enemy that can kill all of us. You don't think you or they, can take a bit of energy waves? Oh, we've all definitely improved, but you don't have any risks in your training. You tried to avoid pain. Do you want to know what Vegeta's doing right now? I suspect Vegeta is being torn to pieces at every opportunity by any training method he has, so that he can come back stronger than us. So, you'll forgive me for not caring what you think, or about your stupid rules, Kakarot."
Kakarot.
He hated that name.
"Hey! What's going on up there?" Tien shouted. "I thought there wasn't supposed to be any blasts! That was crazy!"
Goku gestured to the others, implying for them to keep their distance as he leveled a glare at his twin. This was happening more and more. They couldn't really train well together because it always devolved into this kind of death match, didn't it? It was something Goku hated to admit, but he really just couldn't do this with this guy.
"Goku," Piccolo's voice cut in before he could respond with what he'd wanted to.
In truth, he was about to lay into Turles, his aura had already started to intensify. He felt light-headed he was so angry, almost dizzy even. Nostrils flared angrily but he managed to keep things together, turning his head towards the Namekian as he climbed in the air to meet them. Piccolo had already discarded his turban and cloak, floating in the air next to them. They'd been training non-stop for two months since Piccolo's recovery. Of course, no one else knew just how much things had changed but him and Piccolo. Not just that Kami was gone, that was, but that things had changed for Piccolo.
"My turn," he offered up, only much to Goku's surprise, he turned to Turles.
If they didn't need Turles, Goku would rather he just went away. But the fact that Piccolo was choosing to spar with Turles over him kind of hurt a bit. It didn't matter too much, he could go on to spar with Tien, Yamcha, and Krillin. They were doing great, they'd all improved so much. This was one of those days where Gohan had to study for most of it unfortunately, but at least he had fallbacks. Though honestly, it might be a good idea just to watch them.
Because he really hoped Turles didn't push things too far with his new training partner. Piccolo could handle himself, Goku was pretty sure, but still… it wasn't the kind of look he wanted to see. Descending rapidly to the ground, he landed, still breathing heavily as his aura slipped from his body.
They only had one day left of training after today before the confrontation with the Androids. It was a crazy thing to think of.
All of the training, all of the effort… this is what it's all been leading to.
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
Turles:
Pushing Kakarot's buttons had become second nature to him. It was always so easy, and plausible deniability was around every corner. Feigning innocence or ignorance to just about anything he didn't like, or better yet, stubbornly placing him in the wrong inversely, was always spectacular. He was certain that he might get a real fight out of him soon. Certainly, he didn't want a duel to the death, or at least not yet, but the training here, despite being effective, wasn't very Saiyan at all. They were minimizing injuries, they were constantly worried about safety, or their concern for the weak.
The killers they were going to face, soon, would have no such considerations. Though he would admit it, there was one of the fighters who understood this as well. The human, Tien, and to a lesser extent the Namekian, fully understood some of the folly that this little camp had run into. Though they were both his inferiors, so that hardly gave him confidence.
And now, they were a day away almost to the big event. A day away from Armageddon. It was exciting, really. Especially since he was certain that these machines would be overwhelmed by him and Kakarot at the very least, let alone Vegeta. History had been rewritten, as far as he was concerned. Though it seemed to already have been, given his conversations with Bardock. Even his being alive, was a rewritten portion of history, wasn't it?
Of course, he had more pressing concerns. The Namekian was lining up just across from him as they hung in the air. The only one who wasn't completely able to be dismissed by his strength, barring Kakarot, at least amongst their training cadre. It was times like this that Turles was reminded that he didn't have any friends here, and only really one ally. Of course, the kid wasn't around today, which meant he had no one in his corner, but he was a solitary predator anyway.
"Tell me Namek, what was the motivation to step in?" Turles asked as he stretched, preparing to resume his guard a moment later. "You can't tell me that you thought now was the time for us to begin sparring."
"I think Goku's too polite to beat some respect into you," Piccolo noted, his confidence very obvious. "Kicking you out doesn't work, and scolding you doesn't either. And Goku's genuinely too nice to put you in your place."
Turles paused as he looked back at the Namekian, a grin slowly forming across his own features. The Namekian was stronger than Raditz, and despite being able to keep up if needed with a Super Saiyan, he was dramatically behind. Being a gracious winner was something Turles wasn't really used to, but in this case, he certainly didn't want to upset his nephew, who enjoyed having his pet Namekian around. So, that meant Turles was going to need to toy with him long enough to make this look good, maybe he'd even push the Namekian to his limits, before he put him down decisively.
They were far from friends, after all, and the Namekian and himself rarely had fought alongside one another. In fact, he couldn't think of a single encounter when they'd both squared off against the same enemy, unless you counted Slug when he was a giant. He knew what kind of warrior Piccolo was though, they'd had their fair share of run-ins and training over the years. But he was no Saiyan.
"How do you want to do this Namek? You've been holding back since you had your little incident, haven't you? Are you wanting to stretch your legs? Is that where the bravado is coming from?" Turles asked, his own golden aura flickering with his amusement. "Did you want me to return to your level? I can leave my Super Saiyan state."
"You're going to need it," Piccolo advised.
"Well, if you insist. Did you want me to pull my punches for you?" Turles further mocked. "I can if you need me to."
"I'd not advise it," Piccolo further added, cracking his neck from side to side as he stretched himself. "But you do what you want."
Lowering his power to 45%, Turles felt his aura shrink as he kept his distance, keeping an eye on the Namek. The one thing he knew was a threat was that the Namekian could knock you out with an attack you didn't see. Of everyone here, he knew who the best tactician was, and it wasn't himself or Kakarot, it was the Namek. Keeping himself at double Piccolo's strength was the best way to prevent himself from being caught off guard by the numerous illusions, tricks, and fakes that he sure was going to come his way.
When the battle didn't begin right away Turles felt his brow furrow. Was he expecting him to strike first? The Namekian hadn't even turned up his power yet.
"Are you trying to bore me to death? Is this the plan the Androids are going to use too?"
Breathing out, his adversary slowly assumed abraced stance, his arms pulling in towards his sides as his fists balled tightly. Fanged teeth clenched as lightning trailed between the two-antenna hanging in front of his head for a moment. The air around them began to swirl as ki started to emerge, pulling energy towards itself. Keeping his own stance, not relaxing it, Turles felt the power starting to rise all around him.
That's it. Let's see what you… can do?
There was a moment of confusion as white waves of pulsating energy began to emerge from the Namek's body. When the aura hit around him, sparking with a white-hot layer of energy, Turles felt himself wince for a brief moment as the power in front of him started to spike, immediately climbing to almost 25% of his full power. Which was Piccolo's maximum when he'd fought Kakarot during Raditz's bid for revenge. The only problem was, it was still going up.
The trees around the forest started to tip back as waves of force rolled over them. The lands around them seemed to begin to shake, Turles noticing as he felt the vibrations moving through the air. The Super Saiyan shrugged off his shock as Piccolo's power continued to spike, not showing any signs of cresting.
God damn it.
His own power flared up as Turles roared in response to the Namek, golden energy crackling through the air. The worst thing began to slip into the back of his mind. If the Namek's power reached the same as his own, there was a real chance he might get knocked out by him. If that happened…
Briefly, his eyes turned to the observers, seeing all of them staring up with crossed arms. The humans were all smirking, and so was Kakarot.
"Hey Turles!" Goku shouted from below. "You going to take this one seriously?"
Sneering, he turned his attention back towards the Namekian as his own aura reached its largest extent, thrumming energy rolling off of him as the Namekian's power started to peak, rising like a tidal wave… He was almost as strong as he was. It was the difference that the Namek had against Frieza almost.
Going from his braced stance to an aggressive posture, Piccolo's black eyes didn't leave him as he stared him down. Anger continued to burn in Turles's stomach at how he was getting stuck in this situation, and some of it was his own fault. Now he was going to need to not lose. If this ended in an upset, his ability to intimidate or bully others would begin to decline. His source of authority was his power and fighting prowess.
When the Namek launched himself at him, a beam of white light was at the fore of it, it was almost blinding, but it wasn't just about what your eyes could see. Every motion through the air, and the very disturbance of ki, painted exactly what was coming at him. The Saiyan managed to bat away the first attack, shoving the first punch away from him, only to be caught by the next.
It'd begun.
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
Son Goku:
The two figures above turned into blurs of light and noise. What was remarkable was that he didn't expect Piccolo to put his full power on display like this. Clearly, he had something to prove. Maybe he even wanted to put Turles in his place. Well, maybe that was a major factor behind it. Even though Goku had beaten Turles twice, and one of those times as a Super Saiyan, it never felt like he managed to get any control over him. Right now, in the few seconds before and during the now emerging fight, Goku felt Piccolo take control. Turles had gotten as cocky as Vegeta before this opened up.
A gust of force blew past all of them as a thundering crack echoed through the air around them as the two forced collided again. Rays of gold and purple seared across the heavens as Goku saw every attack in perfect captions. Piccolo's style was prodding Turles defenses at every turn, trying to overwhelm him, where as Turles was looking for a knockout blow, or big hits to hinder Piccolo. Each time they exchanged with one another, both sides were trying to do their best to keep the other outside of their best space. This led to a battle that was extremely mobile, both of the warriors ripping over the surface of the Earth as they launched into one another.
"I can't believe how much stronger Piccolo's become," Krillin said, his eyes almost as wide as saucers. "I mean, he's keeping up with Turles! He could fight you with that kind of power Goku!"
Goku gave a grin in return before looking back up at the fight.
"Is it all the training?" Tien asked. "I mean, I feel stronger, but that's just a gigantic power level up there."
Goku had figured it out without Piccolo telling him. The energy inside of him changed after Kami was gone, he was never complete, before. Something came in to fill that void once it was shorn off of him, and he was guessing it was the Namekian, Nail, that had fused with Piccolo. Even if they'd fused before, Nail had been an attachment to an incomplete being. This was something much more complete, Piccolo didn't have half of himself missing anymore. That power increase alone was dramatic, before taking into account how hard they'd been training.
That meant Turles was about to fight one of the most powerful beings on the planet, now fighting without one arm tied behind his back. Goku had learned a hard lesson a long time ago not to underestimate anyone who you were up against. He briefly underestimated Frieza, and he paid for it. He underestimated Slug, even if for a second, and learned to regret it. Well, Turles was regretting underestimating Piccolo, that much he could promise.
With a crash, the Saiyan warrior's body smashed into the forest floor in the near distance. Fragments of trees exploded into the air as Goku saw the first real, big connection, in the 'sparring' match the two were going through. Piccolo remained in the air; his posture remaining in a defensive stance. A cheer exploded from his compatriots, and even Goku felt himself becoming excited.
An explosive roar sounded off as a tidal wave of energy rolled out over the forest. Full grown trees, hundreds of feet high, were torn apart and exploded out in all directions, fiery bits of them raining down on all of them.
I guess he didn't like that one.
When the golden bullet fired out of the forest towards Piccolo in a fury, Goku couldn't help but be mesmerized by the encounter. The explosive energy both sides were exerting was crazy.
We're really going to do this. We're really going to stop the Androids, aren't we?
The sky turned violet a moment later as Piccolo's body was sent sprawling back smoking as the kinetic wave of ki tore into surface of the Earth. Almost immediately in response a wave of gold and purple bolts fired back from where Piccolo had landed.
So much for not using ki blasts, again.
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
Raditz:
The waves rolled in on the soft white sand. This was where the Androids would supposedly be showing up in a day and a half. An island named Amenbo Island, apparently. The locals were completely oblivious that this was ground zero for a cataclysm. In a little over a day, there would be a life or death struggle between warriors from around the galaxy and seemingly time, and the creations of a human man. Had someone told him years ago that this would be his role in the universe, he'd have thought they were mad. But still, here he was.
Scouting out the terrain was an important point behind a fight. Minimal grasslands, lots of trees, large mountain on one side of the island, and of course the city in the middle. There were only three beaches he could find, the rest of it was jagged rocks. Water temperatures seemed warm, and the people seemed to be kind. This was some kind of paradise by human standards. The strange thing about Earth was it draw people in. Favourable weather conditions, plentiful abundance of resources and food, often welcoming people with a few notable exceptions. Even Raditz found this place nice.
When the next waves crashed into the beach, he found some nearby rocks to lean against, just staring out over the sea. The sun was slowly descending in the distance, though it wasn't quite dusk yet. What was he going to do once all of this business was over? What was his fate after the Androids were dead? Revenge against Vegeta had become impossible. It would plague him the rest of his life, but Raditz couldn't hold onto that dream any longer. It was just another failure, piled upon a mountain of failures.
That's what he determined in his months of training atop the literal mountain where his greatest failure took place. No matter how hard he pushed, it never seemed to matter. He was being left behind. Regardless of what Turles had told him so far about the transformation, he didn't understand it. All the pain and frustration he'd pushed into the moments where he tried to transform, got him no closer to the goal. In all of history, there had been four Super Saiyans, at least as far as he knew of. Three of them were Kakarot, Turles, and Vegeta. Then there were the two time-travelers from other realities, but they weren't alive now.
Hell, the other reason to scout this place out was because he knew he didn't want them sensing him on the way here. It was going to be important that he be here, even if quietly. For self preservation if nothing else. If these Androids overwhelmed everyone, he'd be next on the chopping block anyway, at least in terms of how dire the situation was implied to be.
Still, maybe somewhere like this island would end up being his home once this was all finished. Warm weather, an easy-going life, and getting as far away from it 'all' as it could be, sounded perfect. Right now, he just wanted to feel some of the sun shining down on him from above. Closing his eyes, he took in the sea's breeze and relaxed.
This was just the calm before the storm.
When his eyes flashed open, Raditz looked off in the distance, towards where he knew the other powers were. The Namek and Turles were turning up the heat, a lot. When they'd battled Lord Slug, Raditz knew he was behind Piccolo, the question was by how much, but he could tell they were still peers. How ironic, now they weren't equals either, not anymore. The power on display was reaching towards what he knew Kakarot and Turles could output. He was probably 80% of Turles's strength. That was crazy, considering how much Kakarot and Turles had grown in power since their initial transformations. The Namek would have killed Frieza on Namek, that much he was certain of.
The horizon briefly darkened at the power he sensed.
It was a moment of reflection for him, upon his already reflective mind. If this was what everyone was capable of becoming, why hadn't he? What made the Namek special enough to challenge the power of legends? It wasn't motivational by any means, it drained him of anything that resembled motivation after he sensed the difference out there.
Well, the 12th is likely to be my last challenge anyway.
He didn't move from his post against the rocks, his shoes pushed into the hot sand. For the first time, he wanted to just watch the sun go down in the distance. The symbolism wasn't lost on him. His importance as a warrior was setting in the distance. It was the end of a journey, and he needed to see what the next stage of his life looked like. It would be a life without Vegeta or Kakarot in it.
One of them he idolized, he really did come to appreciate Kakarot and his view of the world, even if it was a life he couldn't follow. Living with the Sons had been one of the best experiences of his life, and he ruined it in pursuit of chasing revenge. That much he could see now. Ideally, he at least hoped to see his nephew, and he knew he'd see Turles, much to his own regret really.
A house on the shore.
Even if it was a proxy, he could imagine a home on the edge of the water overlooking the sea. Even if it was a lonely home, he might find something close to peace from it. It scared him, imaging what life would be like when he stopped being a warrior. Saiyans fought until their deaths. Dying in a bed was considered to have failed being what they were. Funnily enough, he could see his people for what they had been now, and even if he failed as a whatever came next, it would at least be his failure.
For the first time in a long time, even if it was a smile laced with regret, Raditz gave a genuine smile.
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
Vegeta:
"Civilization," Bulma's voice carried over. "The Earth. Oh my god this is amazing. Do you feel that breeze?"
Vegeta didn't answer, instead casting a brief glance over to the woman who was holding their young son in her arms. She gave him a sideways look in response, clearly irritated that he'd not answered her question. Reluctantly, he rolled his eyes.
"Yes, woman, I can feel the breeze," he answered, his tone irritated.
"Can you not be an asshole for just a minute? I'm happy that we're home," Bulma said. "Besides, your son is going to actually live on a planet for the first time in forever."
Forever? She always exaggerated everything. They'd lived on a planet for six days, four months ago. It didn't matter however. His return to the Earth was necessary to test his strength against true opponents. His power had grown substantially since his training had begun in the stars. It was almost overwhelming, pushing himself to the edge of what the body could do under all circumstances. Training in the extremes of space. Training in the extremes of gravity onboard the ship. Training in extreme temperatures on different worlds. His power had grown substantially.
"Get yourself accustomed to being home," Vegeta commented simply, his eyes looking over the largely reconstructed Capsule Corporation Building.
The city itself was still worse for ware, but there were cranes in operation across the skyline. These humans rebuilt their surroundings very quickly, it would seem. He was almost confident that if he went to East City, there was a real chance it would be under construction as well. It was remarkable how quickly they could take rubble of their homes and rebuild them. Not that Vegeta cared that the humans seemed to be capable builders, he already knew that from Bulma.
He wasn't some Super Saiyan anymore. He had become more than that, a being of power and purpose. Confidence brimmed from every corner of his being. It would be two days until he outshined them all.
His thoughts were undone when he felt the woman take his hand. Looking briefly at it before looking at her, he saw a smile, something that he'd grown accustom to being rare, reflecting back at him. He didn't pull his hand away or dismiss her, instead letting it stand as he kept his attention on her.
"You're going to keep us safe," she said, not as an order, but as some kind of statement of fact.
It'd be a lie if he said he'd not grown fond of the woman, though he still was less convinced of his affection for their brat. Every time it cried, he instinctively wanted it to just shut up. But she'd been to her word, keeping the ship operational, and constantly keeping his training equipment in shape. Their bargain, protection in exchange for resources had evolved past that, though he would never verbally admit it. How much it had, Vegeta would debate. The woman was tolerable, and they shared a bed. It certainly wasn't at an all time low, like when he'd departed over a dispute regarding his training.
Though reluctantly, Vegeta verbalized his confirmation.
"Yes," he agreed. "We agreed on that."
There were a few moments of silence, but he could read her expression. The chaos and destruction of the battle against Lord Slug, the destruction of much of West City, several times, had made the gravity of Vegeta's job clearer to him. At least this next battle was going to take place on the other side of the world.
There was a tug on his arm as Bulma started to pull forward, wanting to enter the rebuilt home. Behind the glass entrance he could see her parents making their way towards them. Truthfully, he wasn't their biggest fan, and he doubted the inverse was true either. At least he knew his son was going to end up being a doting old fool like her father was.
"Mom! Dad!" Bulma called out. "We're back!"
Before the conversation could begin, Vegeta sensed the two powers battling in the distance. Unintentionally, he smiled to himself as he sensed something that he knew was true. Both of them were ramping up to almost their full powers, if not their maximums. Turles, and surprisingly, the Namekian, were both more powerful than before, both by significant margins even… But he was stronger still. Better yet, he was comfortably stronger, as far as he could tell. If he battled Turles right now, he was confident that even if it were a difficult fight, he'd come out the winner. And if Turles and Kakarot were the same strength, which he knew was very likely… he was in fact the strongest in the universe.
He would prove once and for all, he was the Prince of All Saiyans again. The voices broke through his thoughts as her old man made a passing remark.
"I'm surprised Vegeta's so happy to see us. I barely recognized him with that smile on his face."
Vegeta's smile turned immediately into a scowl, which he cast at the old fool immediately.
"Nevermind. I recognize him now."
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
Turles:
When the last one two hit him, Turles felt his left eye swell almost immediately as the Namekian blasted him back with two well placed strikes. Sliding back across the dirk beneath him, his feet skidding back for almost a dozen metres before his heels dug in, stopping his motion. His back still reared as he kept himself on his feet. No matter how badly he beat the Namekian, he seemed determined to stay standing, and his punches were still delivering hits that were hurting him. He could tell the Namek was tired, and it was increasingly infuriating to see. What had been a sparring match, had become a point to prove for both of them.
Spitting blood from his mouth, Turles cracked his own neck from one side to the other as he kept his composure, but only barely. If this wasn't going to end with one of them backing down, it needed to end with a knockout, and that meant he was going to need to calculate for that. The most interesting note which Turles realized, was that the last one two Piccolo had delivered, were also deployed with the express intention of looking for a knockout. His eye had caught what he knew was meant for his chin.
Striding with determination towards the Namek, Turles seethed quietly as he realized just how close to failure he was looming. That was something which was not on the acceptable outcome of events behind this fight. It'd already gone on for too long, and he'd already been too hurt by it. Hurt physically, but his image was hurt as well. By not winning decisively and quickly, those human jackals were going to lose respect for his authority.
"You'd better make sure you actually knock him out."
And you've been helpful, haven't you? Where have you been?
"I find it's best to just stay quiet when you're making an ass of yourself."
Oh, how very helpful you are. Then stay quiet, I'll make sure I finish this.
"Guys!" Kakarot's voice called out before he approached from above. "That was great! But I think it's time to wind things down. Let's let Tien and Yamc-"
Both Turles and the Namek turned their gazes up, both of them levelling a cold scowl on him.
"Stay out of this!" Turles spat.
"We're not finished," Piccolo said at the same time.
Ignoring the other Saiyan, Turles turned his attention and fury back towards the Namekian as the pair of them slowly started to circle one another. Their guards were both raised, the signs of battle adorning both of their skin. Tears in his micro-fibre Saiyan undersuit were irritating in the extreme as he had a limited number of these. They could both sense the reality of this duel; they were approaching the crescendo of this engagement.
For a brief second, he felt Bardock's hand on his 'shoulder', just as he saw an opening in the Namekian's stance as they made one more loop around one another. Striking out immediately, Turles fired himself forward, throwing his fist straight for his victory. Instead, the hand was blocked, deflected upwards before the Namekian landed a harsh shot into his ribs from the Namek's knee. Gagging, Turles tried to keep up, but his body flinched downwards. The clawed hand in the form of a palm strike came moving in towards him, white energy flowing around it as it brimmed with power, Turles only had a split second before he felt it hit his cheek, just above his chin. Blood flowed into his mouth immediately as he felt his body flicker for a brief moment. Consciousness blanked out for a splinter of a microsecond as the blood in his head rushed away from his brain. Unintentionally, he twisted away from the blow.
Instinct intervened, using the momentum of Piccolo's strike, he harnessed it, swinging along with the blow, putting his own power into it as he cast his leg out. Focusing his ki, purple and golden energy charged around his foot as he narrowed his efforts. The Namek only saw the strike coming from around when it was too late. Widened eyes saw it as he tried to move, but it still caught him high, at the temple at eye. The force of the blow was so hard the grass around the flattered and the Earth cracked beneath their feet. The shockwave from the direction sent an explosion of power down one new corridor forming in the forest as Piccolo's body twisted from the blow. The strike was so powerful it'd torn Piccolo's right antenna off.
When his feet left the ground Turles knew instinctively it was over. The Namek was carried through the air with a strange kind of grace, his body twisted in perfect motion in the direction of the force from his kick. He twisted down before crashing into the shredded forest, dirt turning into a mound in the face of his landing.
Stumbling himself, Turles tried to stay up after the kick, but fell to his hands and knees, breathing heavily as he did before he spit some of the blood out of his mouth. The copper taste on his tongue was all too familiar. His entire world was hazy though as he felt the last blown the Namekian landed on him taking full effect. Even as he started to come closer to 'back to normal', he was left in a daze.
Across from him, he could see the Namekian trying to sit up, determination having not faded. Every time he tried however, he fell back down before his body just slowly ceased his attempts, too far taken with the attack. Turles himself felt his Super Saiyan hair fade away as he blinked several times, no longer having the energy to keep up his transformation.
When Kakarot landed between the two of them, Turles saw the stern look on his face. Clearly, he wasn't pleased with the outcome. Though Turles suspected it was that the two of them told him to get lost while they were fighting.
"Not helpful," Kakarot said bluntly to him. "You two could have killed each other."
"Your concern is noted," Turles responded, smirking, but his voice felt… and sounded… strained, weak even.
It took him only a half dozen more steps before he blacked out, only for a split second, catching himself before he fell. It was strange coming back to the world without any idea, if only briefly, where he was.
Damned Namek.
When Kakarot pulled out one of his magic beans, Turles felt himself keep his attention fully focused on it.
"Next time, don't nearly kill each other."
"The next time any of us fight, it's going to be against your killer friends, the Androids," Turles pointed out.
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
Son Goku: That Evening
"It was so close," Tien commented, standing near the front door of the Son home. "I can't believe he managed to scrape by with that attack."
"Hey, it's the same way I slipped past Piccolo the first time," Goku reasoned. "Turles has nearly beat me before too. He's not stupid."
"Cut from the same cloth," Yamcha observed. "Even if he's a gigantic asshole. I mean, the two of you look identical. Still, I was rooting for Piccolo the whole time. Damn, it was so close! Turles almost passed out after the fight, if he'd not landed that kick Piccolo would have had him."
There were a lot of factors behind a fight. That was something Goku knew full well, they all did. They'd all had close calls, and it was that one pivotal moment that changed everything. Turles's instincts saw him through at the end, but Goku had a suspicion that if it'd been a real fight, Piccolo would have won. But that was pure speculation on his part. In fact, he had an idea that Vegeta was now the strongest on the planet. Things were going to get complicated, and Goku really didn't do complicated very well.
Brushing the sweat from his brow, Goku almost laughed for a second before looking over to Krillin. For some reason his friend was staring at him funnily.
"Uhm, Goku, are you doing alright?"
"Yea," Goku breathed. "Of course. What a great training day, it's really got me winded, that's all."
"We stopped training two hours ago," Yamcha observed.
Two hours? Man, time really flies.
For a few seconds Goku's thoughts drifted to dinner. Chi-Chi was going to have the food ready to go in a couple minutes. That was something he was definitely looking forward to. There were five meals before it was fight time against the Androids. Tomorrow he was just going to rest with Chi-Chi and Gohan. Maybe Krillin would want to hang out, or maybe Yamcha too. They'd seen each other tons lately, given the whole training to prepare for a fight to the death against killer machines, but Goku-
Was kind of having trouble breathing.
Man, that's weird.
"Hey, Goku," Tien cut in. "Really, you look awful. Maybe you want to take a seat inside? We can call a doctor."
Doctor? Why do I need a doctor?
"Yea, sitting down sounds good," Goku breathed, taking several steps inside before pain exploded in his chest.
Panic immediately set in as his body started to feel numb. Gasping for breath, Goku collapsed. The last thing he heard was Chi-Chi screaming, and the last thing he saw was Gohan come bursting out of his room.
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
Author's Notes:
The table is set, and the main course is close to arriving. One more chapter, probably smaller in size, before we get to the first of the Android Chapters. :)
Normally I have a clear view of how I'm going to structure things in advance. In this particular case, I know what events are going to go down, but I don't know how I'm going to structure it over the coming chapters. I'm not sure how short or long they'll be. I'll want to cut them off as they feel right, I suspect.
Man. There are so many big events in the coming chapters, so many things I had planned. It's exciting and nerve racking to see it all come together, lol.
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
Reviewers:
Pyromania101: The Lobster Banditos are being saved for later my friend. Can't have a threat so gigantic come into play yet :P
Super Mystic Gohan: I should pull a bad writer move and just make it a random person rather than who I planned. Just fuck the whole story up just to pretend like no one guessed it, lmao.
J: Yea, at this stage they literally need the Androids to prevent themselves from descending on one another.
Thomas-The-TMC: I wrote it with the lights on though.
Luke: They've got their own problems, lol. Namely, now trust is evaporating between the different Catalysts.
Guest1: Yea, I can't wait either. I was tempted to hire an artist to draw them, but I'm just not sure about that yet.
Instinct: I hope not. Lmao.
Blades of Fury: I think I answered by PM.
TheItchyCocoon: I try to do 19 and 20 credit, but yea, they're not as powerful as like, 3 activer fighters in the roster.
Maximussj: I'm glad you enjoy it! :)
Full Power: Hey! Glad to see you around FP. #Cargo2020! Lmao. Anyway, the different environment effects everyone realistically. Bulma's character's getting her spine back, but she's more loyal to Vegeta than a lot of her increasingly distant friends. Son Goku is frustrated because he's stuck dealing with people he doesn't like very much, and their influence is constantly trying to push him towards being a worse person (and thankfully, Goku is able to resist this. I'm on team Goku myself, lol), Piccolo's got a different path and events have heavily impacted him as well. As for Raditz, his main arc throughout this saga is going to have a great completion, I think it's the most satisfying conclusion I could come up with. I drop hints here and there. The question is will I be able to get to it? lmao
FabDuwangIsFab: Thanks! The Drama has gone to over 9,000 ;)…