Last time on Dragon Ball HPA: Chisa Yukizome and Hercule Satan teamed up to try and deal with Majin Buu. In a bizarre turn of events, it seemed as though Buu was going to turn over a new leaf. But, just as things seemed calm, Mukuro Ikusaba, after six years of training under Mercenary Tao Pai Pai with the fabled mercenary squadron Fenrir, now sets her sights on Babidi's creation, poised to kill. Will Mukuro's rashness destroy the new peace embracing Majin Buu? The story continues now!


EPISODE 12: Shot Heard 'Round the Yard


At Buu's home, things were quiet. No crickets chirping, no cicada's buzzing. The only thing Mukuro Ikusaba could hear was the sound of her own heart. Carefully, she rolled up her sleeve. Ink black lightning sparked around her forearm.

The minute he ends up on guard, I'll have lost my advantage, she told herself. She brandished her knife once more. One strike. One kill. No mistakes.

Very cautiously and without making a sound, Mukuro walked into Majin Buu's abode. Very carefully, she picked up the small Labrador on Buu's stomach and set it down without it waking up. She loomed over Buu and then nodded, rubbing her forearm. Then, like a cobra in the night, she plunged her arm towards Buu, but it never reached.

"What do you think you're doing? Are you crazy?"

Mukuro had, somehow, been completely caught unawares by Hercule. He had her grappled around the stomach.

Very gently, she elbowed him in the nose, forcing him to let go.

Buu made grumbly noises and started to stir. As he stood, he looked at Hercule, holding his injured nose.

Mukuro did not attempt to get behind Buu. A sneak attack now would only put him further on guard given he could see the injury she'd given Hercule.

"Mr. Satan, what wrong?" Buu asked, still half-asleep.

Hercule attempted to grab Mukuro by her bulletproof vest, but she brandished her knife in his face. Shrieking, he slowly stepped backwards. "N-now, now," Hercule sweated. "Th-this doesn't call for violence. I-I'm sure you're a very reasonable young girl. But this ain't the place to be playing around you know. I mean, we just got Majin Buu to go to sleep and he gets very cranky when he's disturbed, don't you know?"

Mukuro did not utter a single word to Hercule. Instead, she kept her head focused on him, while her eyes glanced Majin Buu's way. Buu still appeared confused and incomprehensive of the situation. That was all the opening Mukuro needed. Disappearing before Hercule's and Buu's eyes she suddenly got behind the fat tub of lard. With a simple swing of her knife, she bought herself precious seconds, slicing straight through Buu's antenna and then threw the ugly, disgusting thing aside. Then, she reared back her fist, black lightning coating her entire arm and, like her arm was a scooper through a tub of ice cream she planted her fingers and palm firmly in Buu's back with a strong impact.

Mukuro could feel herself getting stronger on contact. This was her ace in the hole developed since her encounter with Cell: The Black Fang Bite.

Given his anatomy, I can't get my hand around a limb or choke his neck, so plunging my fingers into his body is my next best option. He should be paralyzed for the duration as I sap all the ki out of his body for myself.

Mukuro recounted her success with the technique against other targets, even animals. Even unusable ki could still be absorbed into her with no negative side effects. She conceived the art and Tao helped her perfect it.

"Hahaha, that tickle," Buu laughed.

Mukuro was surprised. Surely Buu had a vast pool of ki, but she'd absorbed enough by now to almost double her base strength. Mukuro hopped backwards out of the open window and got some distance, holding her knife in a battle-ready position, defaulting to her training.

Every enemy I've ever used that technique on has died within minutes. Just how much stronger was Cell than I when we fought? I put Commander Garmr in the med tent with this. Now that he's on guard, I've lost my only chance. The Black Fang Bite won't work on a target that's guarded or aware. It's an assassination technique, naught else.

Boot covered footsteps ran around the building as Yukizome appeared and pointed an accusatory finger at Mukuro. "Excuse me!" she shouted. "Just what do you think you're doing?"

Mukuro grimaced. Her cover was blown at this point. It was likely she'd have to retreat.

"Hey! I'm talking to you!"

Mukuro had barely leaned her body back when she found a knife by her foot and Yukizome was holding several more between her knuckles.

"Who are you?" The redhead demanded to know.

Mukuro took a deep breath. Divulging some information, it seemed, was unavoidable. "This is Fenrir business. If you don't want to be hurt, steer clear of the area. My target is only Majin Buu."

"Fenrir?" Yukizome gasped. "But you look so young. How old are you?"

Mukuro didn't answer.

By this point, Buu, Hercule and Bee had come around to meet up with the graduated housekeeper. Additionally, Buu's little antenna had grown back.

"Who that lady?" Buu asked.

"I don't know her name yet," Yukizome said. "She said she was with Fenrir."

"Fenrir?!" Hercule exclaimed, only to laugh goofily. "That's impossible! They're an elite mercenary band only open to the best of the best. That girl can't be older than Videl, might even be younger." He snorted while laughing.

"I don't think she's lying though."

"You want proof?" Mukuro asked and took off her glove. She used a flashlight to show off her Fenrir tattoo on her palm.

Hercule had a look of shock like he was constipated. Yukizome recoiled in surprise.

"Fenrir?" Buu didn't know a thing about them.

"Buu, that lady wants to hurt you I think," Yukizome said seriously.

"Lady hurt Buu? But why?"

"Because of all the people you've already killed," Yukizome said.

"But Buu not kill no more," Buu said. "Why lady want kill Buu?"

Mukuro looked confused. "What did he just say?"

Yukizome raised her voice so Mukuro could hear her from 20 meters away. "He said he doesn't want to kill people anymore. Please," Yukizome said, putting a hand on her chest. "We're trying to re-educate Buu into a better person. I think he deserves a chance."

"Whether he deserves a chance or not is not for me to decide," Mukuro said. She crouched. "I have been tasked with a mission. And I will carry it out."

Buu laughed. "Lady play with Buu?"

"Sure, if that's what you want to call it," Mukuro said. "We can play."

Dashing quickly, she intended to slice Buu's antenna off again before knocking him away from the two humans. However, she was very surprised when Yukizome got in her way. Mukuro had to use her knife to block Yukizome's.

"Drop the knife," Yukizome said, staring seriously at Mukuro.

"You first," Mukuro said.

Neither yielded.

"That creature is wanted for the deaths of tens of millions," Mukuro stated. "Why are you defending him? You don't seem like a bad person."

"I want to help him," Yukizome said. "Buu killed so many people because Babidi made him."

"Babidi was killed long before the current hour," Mukuro stated.

"But Buu has the understanding of a child. He didn't know that he didn't have to follow Babidi's orders," Yukizome told her.

"I see. So that's how you look at it."

Yukizome was unprepared when Mukuro deftly grabbed her wrist and twisted her arm, forcing Yukizome to drop the knife. Mukuro caught it in her other hand, which somehow had gotten empty in the blink of an eye. Mukuro then pushed and twisted Yukizome's body in ways the housekeeper didn't expect, suddenly finding herself pinned in Mukuro's grip. Her knife was now being used against her, poking her stomach. And Mukuro's fingers were pointing at her temple.

"Don't move!" she told Buu and Hercule. "Move and I'll shoot her."

"Shoot her?" Hercule questioned. "With what?"

Mukuro's fingers glowed, causing Yukizome's heart to jackhammer in her chest.

"Majin Buu! This is an ultimatum!" Mukuro exclaimed. "Surrender your life to be killed by me, or I will kill your friend!"

Buu looked completely perplexed. Hostage situations weren't exactly something he understood.

Yukizome couldn't help, but laugh.

"Why are you laughing?" Mukuro asked her.

"Sorry, it's just, now that it's come to this, I guess I have to fight."

Tensing her muscles, Yukizome boosted the ki all throughout her body and blew Mukuro off her, else the soldier be injured in energy bust. She brought out her combat knife, still holding Yukizome's knife in the other.

"Don't get in my way," Mukuro said, taking an extremely advanced dual-wielding knife stance. "This isn't personal."

"You made it personal," Yukizome said, throwing aside her apron. "Nobody hurts my friends."

Like lightning, the two women flew at each other. To Hercule, they appeared invincible. To Buu, they almost appeared to be moving in slow motion. Both held a pair of knives, the metal clanging repeatedly in the darkness as the weapons clashed against each other. The arms of both young women clashing and weaving like a mobius strip.

As Yukizome stabbed forward with one of her blades, Mukuro allowed her blade to fly out of her hand as she used her free hand to grab Yukizome's wrist, pulling her closer. She then stabbed at the woman, but her cuts were shallow. Yukizome's energy matched and surpassed Mukuro's.

Yukizome dropped her knife and charged an energy blast. She let it fly at Mukuro's stomach, but the girl let go of the housekeeper's wrist and took to the skies. She then turned her body and gathered blue ki in between her palms.

That's…impossible, Yukizome thought, staring up.

"KamehameHAAAAA!" Mukuro unleashed the blast wave down at Yukizome, who promptly dodged backwards out of the way. However, as the attack tore through the ground, Mukuro trailed it forward with precise control, forcing Yukizome to take multiple backwards leaps before she finally decided to dodge to the side.

Yukizome lit her hands up with white energy and flew towards Mukuro spinning like a jet plane performing a barrel roll. "White Admiral!"

Mukuro ducked under the first, overhead strike as Yukizome spun towards her and then slammed her elbow into the housekeeper's stomach, knocking her away.

Yukizome did not go far, but she also didn't fly back into the fray. She eyed Mukuro up, the girl standing with her fists firmly at her hips.

She's good. Really good. But she's not a member of Hope's Peak. How did she get so strong? Fenrir couldn't defeat King Piccolo last I read about them.

Mukuro made the next move, flying towards Yukizome without a knife in either hand. She flew head first, arms down at her sides, one leg bent. She was like a human bullet.

Not entirely sure what her adversary was planning, Yukizome took a defensive stance…only for Mukuro fly below her rise up behind her. She then quickly turned and swung her leg out into Yukizome's bleeding shoulder, connecting with the open wound. The pain caused by the impact left Yukizome briefly defenseless, lowering her energy output due to a lack of focus.

Mukuro took advantage of this opening mercilessly. Her fists struck with the speed of a cobra's lash and all the strength of a wolf's tackle.

Of course, Chisa Yukizome refused to simply keep taking the assault. After about seventeen strikes, she caught Mukuro's next strike and squeezed. Her strong grip prevented Mukuro from getting away as Yukizome charged an energy blast right in her face. However, Mukuro's skill meant that she was far from taken off-guard. Instead, with the two women linked, she flew in one direction, pulling Yukizome with her and then stopped short, attempting to dislodge the woman's grip with pure inertia.

It worked. Yukizome let go and shot her energy blast at a weird angle, giving Mukuro ample opportunity to dodge. She then dove towards Yukizome striking her hard in the stomach before kicking her towards the dirt. The redhead landed, tearing up the Earth a good 10 meters after she landed and slowly rose to her feet.

She's significantly weaker than me, but she's far better trained, Yukizome thought. She then lurched forward, feeling the dirt caked into her open wound and how much it hurt. Mukuro's kick to the affected area really helped turn what should've been a wound no worse than a kitchen accident, into a battle crippling injury.

Mukuro's eyes gazed over Yukizome like a wolf analyzing its prey.

"You can stop this right now and walk away," Mukuro told her, crouching and holding up her palms, fingers bent like claws. "Killing you would serve no purpose, but I'm not against it if you persist in your defense."

Yukizome sighed. She could not underestimate this girl. Despite her youth, she was worthy of being called a Fenrir soldier. Yukizome could work out the hows, whys and whens later, but right now she had to stop this girl from provoking or hurting Majin Buu. If that were the case, she needed to go all out.

"HEEEEEEEEEAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Energy surged around Yukizome like an earthquake as the ground around her and Mukuro trembled. Powerful, white energy circulated around the redhead as she gave Mukuro a tough, battle hardened look and spoke with a very low-pitch tone. "No more holding back."

Her next strike landed against Mukuro's cheek, the first successful strike she'd landed against the mercenary all night. Mukuro went flying back as Yukizome charged forward for the follow-up. Mukuro tried to anticipate the young woman's movements, but she was just too fast now. Mukuro felt Yukizome's shin collide with her shoulder and sent her spiraling down and away and into the ground.

"Take this!" Yukizome shouted and fired a big energy blast in Mukuro's general direction. Too big to deflect and too dense to block. And with the time Yukizome had given her, it seemed next to impossible that the girl could dodge.

However, dodge she did, somehow. And Yukizome could feel Mukuro's energy skyrocket. A wisp of silver energy emanated from the girl's body. Mukuro's blueish gray eyes had turned animalistic and yellow.

What the…?

Yukizome barely had a chance to react as Mukuro's right fist connected with her stomach, causing her to spew saliva. Her left fist rose up in a hook to hit Yukizome in the face, but she saw it coming and blocked with her knee. A barrage of fists ensued, Yukizome and Mukuro's knuckles cracking against each other with such intensity the sound of bone hitting bone almost sounded like fireworks.

The two women grabbed each other's hands and then pulled back away in the very next instant. Yukizome panted a little, watching Mukuro crouch into a three-point stance, free arm bent slightly, palm open. There was something very…wrong with Mukuro's gaze.

What is this…? The power jump is like when Akane fought that Shin guy, but…it's more refined and more…feral. Who is this girl?

Mukuro disappeared instantaneously and Yukizome found herself on the defensive, but easily capable of keeping up with the now feral behaving Mukuro.

I started using my real strength, but then all of a sudden she suddenly found the power to fight me on even ground.

By contrast, Mukuro was hardly thinking about such things. She'd shut her mind off to distractions. Right leg, her mind told her as she observed Yukizome's boot leaving the ground. She deftly dodged backwards, performing a backflip. Left leg, she saw Yukizome bring her left leg up to block and flew backwards to avoid getting kicked in the side of the stomach. Her body didn't even have to think about charging the Dodon Ray. It was already doing it. She also took perfect aim at Yukizome's forehead.

The beam nearly hit its target, instead settling for Yukizome's hair as the redhead dodged left, only to get tagged in the arm by the next Dodon Ray and Mukuro fired a few more. Yukizome, however, now prepared, was able to dodge the attacks and quickly put distance between her and Mukuro, belting her across the face with a left hook, despite the teen's best efforts to dodge. Yukizome landed her knuckles in Mukuro's jaw, knocking her back and unleashed a sphere of energy at point blank, knocking Mukuro back considerably.

Having bit the inside of her mouth during the impact, Mukuro skid back, clothing a bit worn, but for the most part her battle armor had protected her skin, sans her face, which was a bit bruised and bloodied. She nonchalantly spat the blood pooling in her mouth onto the ground to her right.

She took a ferocious leap at Yukizome and Yukizome met the teen at the exact same speed, their fists hitting the other in the face. Yukizome and Mukuro's glares turned hateful. Channeling ki into their fists, the two prepared to slug each other one more time.

"NOOOOOO!"

Both were pushed back by a gust of wind. "No more fighting! Buu say stop!"

Mukuro was so surprised, her eyes returned to their normal color. Yukizome was also so surprised, she jumped. "B-Buu?"

"Friends no fight!" Buu shouted. "Friends no hurt each other?"

"But…Buu…I was only trying to—" Yukizome tried to explain herself.

Steam emitted from Buu's body. "Nice lady and wolf lady not fight with each other."

"Wolf…lady?" Mukuro was surprised by the moniker.

Buu turned towards Mukuro, his whole body now blocking Yukizome. "Wolf lady strong." Buu gently clapped his gloves over Mukuro's left arm. "Buu and wolf lady be friends."

Mukuro blinked. This could not be real. The words that came out of her mouth exited before her brain could process them. "Friends? You…want to be friends…with…me?"

Buu smiled and nodded. "What wolf lady's name?"

"My name is Mukuro," Mukuro answered, pointing at herself. "Mukuro Ikusaba."

Buu put his hand on Mukuro's face and a warm glow washed over her as Buu healed her injuries.

Mukuro could barely believe this. Majin Buu, her target, had healed her. This…went against everything she knew about war and assassination. She was left completely and utterly stumped at what to do.

"See?" Yukizome said, giving Buu a hug. "Buu's just a big softie once you get to know him. Maybe you could give him a chance?"

Mukuro folded her arms. Would the king accept this? No. She couldn't leave the mission in its current state. She stood with her arms at her sides. "With all due respect," she said. "I believe that in order to properly ascertain whether or not the threat of Majin Buu has been neutralized, I will need to carefully observe his new environment."

"Environment? What she mean?" Buu asked Yukizome.

"I think Mukuro plans to stick around for a bit and play, Buu."

Buu clapped. "Yay! Mukuro play with Buu! Buu and Mukuro friends!"

Mukuro continued to blink in dumbfounded astonishment. Ridiculous, befriending a target is unheard of. Still…first time…for everything? Mukuro's eye twitched unnaturally.

"Haha, Mukuro smile funny."

It was true, the corner of Mukuro's lips were curved on one side of her face, but she would hesitate to call this a smile. This mission could not get any weirder.


As it turned out, Yukizome had a spare sleeping bag so Mukuro spent the night in what she still considered enemy territory. Come morning, Mukuro hailed Fenrir to give them an update.

"Pacified?" Garmr asked on the other end.

"That's what they're claiming," Mukuro explained through the communication of her wireless ear piece. "I intend to observe this claim to see if there is any truth to it. I will keep you informed of developments. But I recommend contacting his majesty and seeing if such a result would be satisfactory."

She could practically hear Garmr nodding on the other end. "Understood. Over and out."

After hanging up with her superior, Mukuro turned around to see Buu with a big green ball covered in yellow stars. "Mukuro play with Bee?"

Mukuro tilted her head in confusion, but got her answers a few minutes later, playing fetch with the puppy dog that Buu had healed. Mukuro continued to simply bounce the ball a bit down wind and Bee would chase after it and then headbutt it back to Mukuro, who picked it up in silent astonishment.

"You look so confused," Yukizome said, laughing. "You'd think you never had a pet before."

"I…haven't," Mukuro said, bouncing the ball again. "My sister wouldn't let us keep pets."

"You have a sister?" Yukizome asked.

"I…" Mukuro thought to talk about Junko, but then decided it was best not to say anything. "It's complicated."

Hercule then walked out with a hot frying pan with eggs and bacon sprinkled with black powder. "I've made some yummy breakfast! Get it while its hot!"

"You all eat," Mukuro said and pulled an energy bar out of one of her vest pockets.

"You no like bacon and eggs, but it good," Buu said.

"There is no place to wash my hands after eating. Your sink doesn't exactly have proper working plumbing," Mukuro stated. Grease on my hands or stains on my uniform are not tolerated." She unwrapped her energy bar and munched on it. "This will give me just as many calories and far less to clean up."

"You're not going to litter, young lady, are you?"

Mukuro shook her head. "The wrapper can still have its uses up or can eventually be thrown away."

"Well, suit yourself. I'm having bacon and eggs," Yukizome said and she, Hercule and Buu chowed down on some mighty fine breakfast.

Mukuro stood about ten feet from them and continued to observe their group dynamic. She didn't want to admit it, but another reason she didn't want to share their food was because she wanted to remain an outside observer. She was not their friend. She was not part of this little fake family dynamic. She was a cold-blooded soldier of Fenrir. That was all she needed to be.

Mukuro's thoughts drifted to Junko as she chewed on her bar. I wonder how she's doing, she thought, we didn't exactly leave on the best of terms. I wonder if she's still okay. I have seen her new magazines, but…still… Mukuro watched as Yukizome did a funny trick with her hair, making googly eyes and giving herself a fake mustache, which made Buu laugh. Mukuro took another bite of her energy bar. The distinct lack of insects in the area, made it easier to hear the blowing wind. And, as time ticket by and she tucked the empty wrapper into her pouch, a moving vehicle. A jeep most likely, roofless, thick tires.

Mukuro's right hand shot down for her sidearm. Fenrir used completely different sounding vehicles so whoever was approaching was either a civilian or someone with ill intent.

"Mukuro?" Buu noticed Mukuro's change in demeanor.

"H-hey. Th-that thing's not loaded is it?" Hercule asked, freaking out, terrified Mukuro was going to try shooting him.

"Mukuro?" Yukizome reached for her, only for her and Mukuro to hear the gunshot well before they both saw the incoming bullet. With just her sidearm and having plenty of time to calculate the velocity in her head, Mukuro shot the incoming sniper round of the air.

"What the heck?" Hercule shouted.

"Outlaws," Mukuro said.

"Buu make new friends?" Buu asked.

"No. Not with these people. They can't be reasoned with," Mukuro said. Honestly, I'm not sure how I managed to be talked into this situation, but that's a different matter.

"Mukuro…don't tell me you plan to—"

"Wait here. I'll be back in a bit."

"What Mukuro do?" Buu asked.

Mukuro didn't answer and walked in the direction of the gunshot.

750 meters away, Van Zant was busy reloading his sniper and putting Mukuro in his crosshairs. The blonde, wealthy, muscular man wasn't going to let some kid stop his killing spree. "Well, ain't she a piece of work. Dumb broad just got lucky."

Hercule then got in the way of Mukuro's advance, causing her to come to a halt.

"Hey! Hang on a second! I can't just let you walk over their with a deadly weapon!"

"Move. This does not concern you, Mr. Satan," Mukuro stated.

"Of course it's my concern! You're a girl younger than my daughter! I know what you're gonna do with that gun and I'm not having it!"

Mukuro trained her gun on Hercule. "Bullets might not work on Miss Yukizome or Majin Buu, but they will work on you. My age has nothing to do with my capabilities. I'm not going to ask you again. Move."

Hercule shuddered in place. "Y-yes, ma—" He didn't get to finish his sentence before Mukuro shoulder checked him out of the way, a bullet embedding itself in the ground. Hercule's eyes bugged out of his head when he realized how close that was to hitting him.

"Blast it!" Van Zant shouted. "How'd she do that?" He reloaded his rifle. "Cram it! Third time's the charm, eh?"

Mukuro was not playing anymore. Not even bothering to check on Hercule, she sprinted towards Van Zant's location.

"What the…where'd she go?"

To a normal human, Mukuro was running so fast, she'd disappeared. He did see her again, only after her palm crushed the scope of his rifle.

She gave a stern glare to both Van Zant and his partner, the elderly Smitty. "This area is off limits to the public. This is a Fenrir operation zone. Leave now and your lives will not be compromised."

Smitty gasped. "F-Fenrir?"

Van Zant laughed. "Fenrir? You're saying you're Fenrir, brat? Sure, and I'm the Queen of Spain." Even without the scope, his rifle still functioned perfectly well and he jammed the barrel at Mukuro's neck. "Piss off girlie. This is a battlefield."

How ironic, Mukuro thought, closing her eyes. She opened them. "I'll say this one more time. Leave now." She aimed her gun at Van Zant, not even caring about the rifle barrel resting against her neck. "I will not ask again."

She didn't need an answer from Van Zant this time. She saw him attempt to depress the trigger with the intent to pull it all the way and fire. However, Van Zant hadn't counted on one thing—Mukuro was a faster shot.

Blood splattered Mukuro's uniform and face as Van Zant fell backwards and landed in a pool of his own blood next to Smitty. Smitty gasped and wet his pants, legs opened, squatting, shaking.

"Idiot," Mukuro said and then, without turning to look, fired a bullet through Smitty's head as well.


Chisa and Hercule both heard the gunshots and were barely surprised to see Mukuro return to them, dripping with blood.

"M-Mukuro…"

"None of it is my blood," Mukuro said. "Do you have a towel in your duffle bag?"

Yukizome handed a beach towel to her and Mukuro cleaned herself off.

"Mukuro allowed to kill, but Buu no kill? Why Mukuro kill?" Buu asked, a little offended at the hypocrisy.

"I'm a soldier," Mukuro explained. "It's what I do. I kill people for money."

"For money?" Buu asked.

Mukuro folded the bloodied towel neatly and handed it to Yukizome who graciously accepted it and took it inside to wash it off. Mukuro nodded. "I'm a member of a Mercenary group that's also a PMC or Private Military Contractor. I fight in wars and kill people I'm told to."

"But, Mukuro no have to kill people, right? Mr. Satan and Miss Yukizome say killing bad."

"It is. But it's what I'm good at. So I do it."

"No! It wrong! Mukuro no kill! Mukuro shouldn't kill!"

Mukuro shook her head. "Some people have to kill to survive and to earn a living."

Hercule did not like where the conversation was headed and quickly pivoted in front of Mukuro to face Buu. "Uh, you see Buu. Mukuro's a special type of person that kills only bad people." He folded his arms and nodded firmly, smiling. "Yeah, you see, she's specially trained with years of experience to know what type of people are bad people and she kills the bad people. You're not supposed to kill because you don't know who all of the bad people are yet, but Mukuro's trained to do that."

"But that's bull—"

Hercule covered Mukuro's mouth before she could finish. "Yeah! She's kind of like a superhero."

Mukuro just stared blankly at the sheer lies coming out of Hercule's mouth for the sake of placating Majin Buu.

"Mukuro like killing people?" Buu asked.

Mukuro stared at him in surprise at the question.

"Buu only kill because Buu asked to kill, but if it bad thing, Buu no want to kill. Why Mukuro train to kill?"

"It's…complicated." Mukuro was starting to see that Yukizome was telling the truth. Buu really was like a child. "You're not suited for murder, Buu. I am." She pat Buu on the chest and moved to go inside his house. "Don't become like me."


In the hyperbolic time chamber, Akane and Videl stood side by side. Akane put her hand on Videl's shoulder. "Ready?" she asked.

"Yeah. Let's give it a shot."

"This will be our thirty-fourth consecutive success if we pull this off," Akane stated.

"We're aiming for one hundred, right?" Videl asked.

Akane nodded.

Videl nodded back to her. "Okay then. You first."

Akane nodded and then took off into a swift sprint, Videl running behind her, matching her speed and keeping a set distance. Then, Akane rocket into the air with only a leap and no flight. "Videl!"

Videl took a huge leap of distance over Akane and aimed one foot at Akane's hands, which were now cupped like she was trying to scoop water out of a lake or sink with them.

The second Videl's foot touched Akane's hands, Akane lifted her arms up with tremendous force, hurling Videl into the air. Videl tucked into a roll. Then, just as her back was visible to the sky, Akane landed on the center of it and propelled herself higher into the air. She then flew straight up and kept one knee bent with one leg at full extension. She then began to flip backwards with her leg still at full extension as Videl grabbed her ankle and was then flung across the air just as the sole of Akane's shoe met the sky. Akane didn't wait for Videl to stop and then flew straight past her. Then, as soon as her stomach was over Videl's shoulder, she flew up at a parabolic angle.

Videl, for her part, began charging a ki blast until it was spherical, dense and solid. Then she served it like a volleyball as Akane cut her flight and let herself drop into freefall.

Raising an arm, fingers together, Akane swat down the ki blast and slammed it into the ground, watching as the blast impacted with the white floor below.

Both girls then floated down to the ground. They ran up and high fived each other, absolutely ecstatic.

"All right!" Akane exclaimed.

"Thirty-four times!" Videl cheered. She drew her thumb across her lip. "We just need to keep running drills like this to keep ourselves in sync and Buu will be at our mercy in no time."

"You said it!" Akane exclaimed. "I can feel my blood pumping in anticipation! We're getting super strong!"

"I just hope it'll be enough," Videl said. "And I hope Goten and Trunks are okay."

Akane punched left palm. "If they're not, more people we gotta pummel Buu for. Let's keep at it."

"Yeah," Videl said. "You said it!"

The two friends then linked fists like they were preparing for an arm wrestling match with no table.


As days and weeks flew by inside the hyperbolic time chamber, only a few hours passed at Buu's flat. With the sun at her back, Mukuro was busy using some of her guns to shoot at some aluminum cans Yukizome had set up for her. She was using pellets rather than actual bullets to conserve lethal ammunition.

Buu was asleep inside his house.

"How do you think a girl like that became that way? I mean, she's so cute when she's not…I mean…" Yukizome said, looking troubled.

Hercule nodded, knowing what Yukizome was trying to say. "Her parents must not have been able to care for her like I care for my little girl. It's a darn shame seeing such a precious soul be turned into this."

Yukizome looked eastward at how the targets she'd set up had been shot to pieces. Each shot from Mukuro had hit its mark. "It's…really worrying seeing how perfect her accuracy is. It's like she's not even human."

Hercule sighed deeply. "Kids should be kids."

Mukuro got up within moments of this statement, but not because of what Hercule said. Another vehicle was coming up the road from the north. Mukuro slung her rifle over her back and walked towards the approaching vehicle. Commander Garmr and Chief Skoll were both riding in it.

"Mukuro Ikusaba reporting, Commander Garmr, sir!" Mukuro saluted.

"At ease," Garmr said, lighting up a cigar.

"And you are…" Yukizome said, approaching.

Skoll and Garmr ignored her. Instead, the former addressed Mukuro. "Where is Majin Buu?"

"Sleeping," Mukuro answered honestly.

"What is going on here, exactly?" Yukizome asked.

Mukuro quickly explained. "After the two vagrants that showed up earlier, I felt Fenrir needed to surround the perimeter better. Everything within twenty miles of this location is to be considered an operation zone. Commander Garmr and Chief Skoll came by to bring me a news update and to see Buu for themselves."

Garmr took out his cigar and breathed at the ground. "We heard back from the king. He said if Buu really isn't a threat anymore that we can pull back from the operation."

"I see," Mukuro responded.

"Any idea when he'll wake up?" Skoll asked.

Mukuro shook her head.

"A pity," Skoll said and looked at Yukizome and Hercule. "And what do we have here? A costumed wannabe and the disgraced champion?"

"Hey!" Hercule exclaimed. "I'll have you know I'm still a proper World Martial Arts Champion! Thank you very much!"

Skoll needed to only aim a Dodon Ray in Hercule's direction to get him to use Yukizome as a shield.

Skoll looked over the apron worn tightly over Yukizome's spandex. "And what are you supposed to be? Super Maid?"

Yukizome put her knuckles on her hips. "I'll have you know I'm a graduate of Hope's Peak Academy, thank you very much. I'm also the technical winner of the most recent World Martial Arts Tournament."

"I can confirm that," Mukuro said to Skoll.

Skoll stopped aiming her Dodon Ray at Yukizome. "When Buu wakes, I want to see him. Radio us," she said.

"Understood," Mukuro said, saluting.

Skoll and Garmr then got back in the car and drove off several hundred yards east.

Yukizome looked back and to the right at the cowering Hercule. "You really need to show better backbone for a champion."

"Hey! Cut me some slack, will ya? Those lasers might not do much to you, but they could kill me in one hit!"

"Tragic," Mukuro mused sarcastically, glancing to one side.

Yukizome stifled a giggle, only to end up not being able to hold back seconds later.

"Hey! Don't laugh at me!" Hercule exclaimed, feeling devalued.

"Sorry, sorry," Yukizome laughed. "It's not you. It's just…Mukuro is so," Yukizome puffed her face into a mock scowl, dropping her voice to Hollywood edginess, "serious and professional," she then went back to normal, smiling, "I just didn't think she could be sarcastic is all. It's a bit refreshing."

Mukuro raised an eyebrow. "I-I'm still human. …I think."

Yukizome pat the teen on the head. "Awwww, aren't you just adorable under all those nerves of steel."

Mukuro's expression went pure poker face. "You are mistaken," she said with no inflection of emotion.

"So, do you want to talk about your sister a bit?" Yukizome asked.

Mukuro shook her head rapidly. "No. I'd rather not."

Yukizome and Hercule were both surprised. It was subtle, but they both noticed a crack in Mukuro's composure. "What's the matter? Come on, you can tell me," Yukizome said with a smile.

"I barely know you," Mukuro responded coldly.

Yukizome sweated at the blunt, hard truth. "Er, that's true I suppose."

Mukuro pulled out one of her weapons and went back to firing at aluminum cans.

Something about your sister… Yukizome thought. Frightens you. Mukuro Ikusaba…just what made you the way you are?


In the hyperbolic time chamber, Akane and Videl were moving in perfect sync with each other. Both were in desperate need of a haircut, but that didn't slow them down at all.

"HA! YAH!" They declared, striding into one punch and then another side by side, their bodies not even a centimeter of difference between them.

Akane put her hands behind her head and laughed. "Hey, you know. We're—"

"Getting pretty good at staying in sync, I know," Videl said. "What's our—"

"Record?" Akane asked. "1300 seconds. Let's see that'd be—"

"A little over 21 minutes," Videl answered. "We're getting close. Should we—"

"Try fusing and see how it goes? Yeah, let's give it a shot."

In mere fractions of a second, the girls were in perfect starting positions.

"Fuuuuu-SION. HA!"

Adel was ready to rock and roll for the next thirty minutes. "Let's see how far I can push myself this time!" she shouted. "BRING IT ON!"


Once more, while Videl and Akane trained, only a few hours had passed around Buu's home. And now, the pink alien had finally gotten up from his nap. Yukizome was now serving a small meal of cold cut sandwiches of sliced chicken breast wrapped around raw salmon.

"I call it the sushi supreme," Yukizome said. "It's handy when you have a little too much meat and not enough rice to make a proper rice ball."

Buu ate an entire sandwich in one bite. "Buu like." He ate another one.

"Ah, Buu, smaller bites," Yukizome complained like a fussy mom. "Normal people don't just inhale food. It's bad table manners."

"Buu sorry Miss Yukizome," Buu apologized and took smaller bites of his next slice of sandwich.

What are you, his mother? Mukuro thought and then took her first bite. Her eyes lit up. "This is…good." Mukuro began to eat with more enthusiasm. "This is so much better than the rations I survive on."

Yukizome smiled, giggling. "I'm glad you like it."

"Yeah, these are pretty good. That boyfriend of yours must be super happy."

Yukizome played with her fingers as she held the serving tray in front of her body. "Oh, um, actually, I don't get to make Kyosuke food very often."

"Well you should. He has a charming young lady willing to marry him and god dammit, he should cherish it," Hercule said, tears of manliness pouring down his face.

"Speaking from experience, are we?" Yukizome asked, teasingly.

Hercule's tears stopped instantly and he was socially shut down by Yukizome's disarming question.

However, the sound of a vehicle pulling up the road brough the happy fun time to an abrupt stop.

Skoll and Garmr were back and they brought an entire squadron.

Mukuro approached them. "Commander Garmr! Chief Skoll!" She saluted.

Yukizome immediately put one leg in between Skoll's path and her line of sight to Buu, looking at the blonde sternly.

"Majin Buu," Skoll said. "We have been tasked with eliminating you for all the damage you've caused."

"Buu not do that no more," Buu said, making a hand gesture to shoo Skoll away.

"Your crimes cannot be so easily brushed aside," Skoll said.

"Buu not do bad things anymore. Miss Yukizome and Mr. Satan say not to," Buu said.

"If you want to arrest him, I'll gladly defend him in a court of law. Buu was being ordered to do things and didn't have free will. He can be made better. Babidi is gone, but some of his will still lingered in Buu. An abusive relationship is hard to break. Let him be happy," Yukizome demanded.

Skoll aimed a Dodon Ray at Yukizome's forehead. "You'd lay your life on the line for this beast?"

"No," Yukizome said, fists gripped tightly. "I'd lay my life on the line for a friend."

Skoll put her arm down and folded her arms. "Hmm. So be it. In that case," she about face. "Mukuro, we're leaving."

"Yes, ma'am," Mukuro said and followed Skoll.

"Mukuro leaving?" Buu asked.

Mukuro nodded. "Those are my orders."

"But…no. Mukuro stay! Mukuro and Buu friends!"

Mukuro did not respond to Buu and walked away, following Chief Skoll.

Garmr sighed with relief. "Seems like pink berry dough boy had a change of heart."

Skoll grabbed his shoulder and whispered to him. "Be ready to fire on my signal."

Garmr looked at her like she was nuts, but he, she and Mukuro walked back to the vehicle. He nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

"Mukuro…Mukuro see Buu again, right?"

Mukuro stopped walking. "Once I leave, I probably won't be coming back. I have my orders."

"Mukuro not have to follow orders!" Buu shouted. "Mr. Satan and Miss Yukizome tell Buu that Buu no have to follow orders!"

"This is different Buu. This is Mukuro's job," Miss Yukizome said, trying to calm him down.

"No! Mukuro no leave! Mukuro happy here! Mukuro not be scary wolf lady again!" Buu started to get mad as steam spewed out of the holes in his body.

Hercule scuttled backwards and away like a crab.

"Buu, please! Let Mukuro go. It's fine!" Yukizome exclaimed.

Unfortunately, her please fell on deaf ears. Buu charged an energy blast and aimed it at the back of Skoll's head. "Mean lady give Mukuro orders to leave! Mukuro not want leave without her orders! Buu kill mean lady!"

"Buu, NO!" Yukizome shouted.

Skoll raised her right arm as though it were an elongated knife and then swung it out at shoulder level, speaking calmly to her men. "Open fire."

Dodon Rays flew like a hail of laser blasts from the Fenrir owned military vehicle across the horizon.

"No! Stop!" Mukuro shouted, the words leaving her mouth before she even really had a chance to think on them.

However, as the blasts barreled towards Majin Buu, he would not bear the brunt of the assault. Yukizome stood in front of him, taking every single blast. The only thing this accomplished was scuffing her outfit with dirt.

"Don't worry, Buu," Yukizome said, panting, heart racing from her sudden action, despite the lack of damage to her body. "I'll protect you."

Despite Yukizome being relatively unharmed, Hercule could not cower any longer. "HEY!" He shouted. He stormed over towards Chief Skoll. "Buu ain't doin anybody any harm right now. And even if he was, that's still no reason to go firing on one of his friends."

Mukuro's jaw dropped and her eyes bugged out when she saw what was happening next, too shocked for words to do anything about it. Yukizome, much the same.

Chief Skoll fired a Dodon Ray and tunneled I through Hercule's stomach.

The world martial arts champion fell backwards and started dying in a pool of his own blood.

Yukizome watched in horror as Mukuro returned the favor and Dodon Rayed Chief Skoll in the temple, the blast penetrating through, killing her instantly.

"STOP IT!" She shouted. "That's enough violence for one day!"

"Ikusaba, stand down!" Garmr shouted. All of the index fingers of all of the Fenrir soldiers were now aimed at Mukuro.

"No…NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Dark pink energy started to emanate from Buu, so much of it that Yukizome could not even approach him to keep him calm. She was instead doing her best to hold her ground as she put an arm up to keep the dust from flying into her eyes. The wind was so intense she already had one eye closed.

"Buu…please no…" Yukizome pleaded, but her words were falling on deaf, non-existent ears.

Much to everyone's surprise, the first thing Buu did was teleport over to Mr. Satan and heal his injury. All the while steam kept emanating from Buu continuously.

"Buu…hurting…"

"Sir," One of the soldiers under Garmr's command exclaimed. "What do we do?"

Garmr didn't answer. He just observed the situation. His one good eye, the only one not covered by his eyepatch, darted from Buu, to the dead Skoll, to Mukuro, to Yukizome and then back to Buu and Hercule.

"Commander Garmr…sir?"

"Nobody move," The commander said and put out his cigar against his battle armor. "I don't like where this is going."

"Buu?" Yukizome called his name in concern, approaching with her arms open, one intending to touch his shoulder, the other his hand, but Buu whined and moved away from her.

Buu moved towards the house and dropped onto his stomach and elbows, groaning in pain.

"Buu! Talk to me! What's wrong?" Yukizome asked.

"Miss Yukizome…take…friends…run."

"Run? What do you mean run? Buu! What's happening to you?"

"GO NOW!" Buu's deep voice echoed out of his mouth, frightening Yukizome to tears. They dripped down her face and all over her fingers.

Was I foolish? She asked herself. Was it wrong of me to want the best for someone like Majin Buu?

Mukuro was the only person who understood the emotion Buu was feeling right now. It was an emotion she'd lived with for practically her entire life. The emotion of despair.

With an angry scream, Buu expelled all of the steam from his body into the sky. And then, slowly, the expelled steam began to take a humanoid shape as it began to coagulate high in the air.

Yukizome, Mukuro and all of the members of Fenrir felt that pulse as the steam formed into a solid figure. This figure, an anemic, gray version of Majin Buu emerged, his elongated jaw making his uncanny appearance and beady eyes even more disturbing.

Hercule, who was only now regaining consciousness, gazed up at the sky and saw this second Buu. "Wh-what the heck is that thing?"

It's so strong… Yukizome thought. I've never felt anything like it before. It's like I'm staring into the Abyss of death itself.

This new, gray Buu teleported over in front of Garmr and his men. Without word or warning, he then blasted Garmr, the Fenrir soldiers, and their vehicle into dust, along with the mountain behind them.

The figure then floated towards the direction of Yukizome, Mukuro and the fallen Hercule. "So, who wants to die first?"

Buu, however, appeared from his previous location and threw his arms out wide. "No! No hurt friends! Buu won't let you!"

"Buu, we can fight him together," Yukizome said. "But you have to tell me who is that?"

"I am Buu, Majin Buu," The gray Buu stated.

"No! Buu is Buu! Buu is only Majin Buu!" The pink one shouted.

Mukuro could not believe her eyes right now at the sight before her. She was so shocked she ended up dropping to one knee and just stared in slack jawed astonishment. This is despair…made manifest. If only Junko could bear witness to this.

"Mukuro!" Yukizome called to her. "Can you help me deal with the skinny gray guy?"

Mukuro shook her head. "No. We should get out of here," Mukuro said.

"What do you mean get out of here? Buu needs our help!" Yukizome exclaimed, pointing at the gray monster.

"Neither of us stand a chance against one of them, let alone two. If we have the ability to send backup, we should! Do you know anyone left on earth that might be able to do something?"

Yukizome pondered it for only a moment before taking a step back and gasping. "Ah! The Lookout!"

"Lookout?" Mukuro asked.

"Grab Mr. Satan and follow me!" Yukizome exclaimed and then whistled for Bee. The puppy bounded towards her and leapt into her arms.

"Buu, I want to hear it from you," Yukizome said, looking at him with forelorn eyes. "Do you really not want my help?" She gazed at the pink creature's back, swallowing hard.

"Buu protect friend," Buu said.

"Buu…" Tears fell from Yukizome's eyes. "You truly are a tender heart." She then flew off with Bee, Mukuro following suit, pulling Mr. Satan along by his robe.

"Whoaoaoaoaoaoaaaaaa!" the world champion uttered in fear as the ground got smaller and smaller.

"If you don't want me to lose my grip, stop squirming," Mukuro told him.

Hercule did precisely that. "Hey…is…is Buu gonna be okay?"

Neither Yukizome nor Mukuro answered him.

"Hey! Buu's our friend! We can't just—"

"We have no choice," Yukizome said calmly, but seriously. "Buu is in enough pain from watching you almost get killed. We don't need to cause more bodies to drop. Right now, what we need are allies. And I know exactly where to find them."


Adel, with precious seconds left on the clock, kicked and punched at the open air rapid fire, attacking imaginary foes with gusto. But, eventually, all that power finally ran out of steam, and the girls separated once more.

"Okay, I think we have about 3 hours left in here," Videl said and lay back against the entrance way. "I say we take a power nap and then go out there and assess the situation. We want to be in top form."

Akane lay down next to her. "Yeah, I agree."

The two kept their heads off the ground with their hands, closing their eyes.

"Think we can do it?" Videl asked, opening one eye.

"No choice, but to try, right?" Akane asked, opening an eye of her own.

"Guess you have a point," Videl said. She sighed.

"Worried about your dad?" Akane asked.

Videl nodded. "What about you? Worried about your siblings?"

Akane nodded as well. "Yeah. A whole day has passed for everyone, but a whole year has passed for us. I sure hope somebody knows how to cut hair when we get out." Akane scratched with her nail. "I look like a monkey. Don't even get me started on the manicure. My nails are practically like claws."

"You think mine have become any different?" Videl asked and then spread her arms out on the ground, letting her head rest directly on the floor. She yawned. "Hey, Akane."

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad you're my best friend."

Akane smiled. "I'm glad you're my best friend too." The tanned gymnast then stared up at the light as her eyes started to slowly close and her breathing entered into a relaxed, synchronized pattern with Videl's.

Akane thought she had merely dozed off for a second, but the next time she opened her eyes, Mr. Popo was looming over her. Akane almost jumped out of her skin, bolting to her feet. She then noticed the door to the chamber was open.

"Oh. Good. You're awake. I hope you didn't spend too much time sleeping."

Akane shook her head. "No. Videl and I just wanted to rest up our energy before we ran out of time. How long are we over the line?"

"Only about twenty minutes. I've been watching you since I walked in."

Akane nodded and then got down on one knee and rubbed Videl's shoulder. "Hey, come on. We're done."

Videl snorted and sleepily opened her eyes. "What time is it?" she asked, half-asleep.

"Time to leave apparently," Akane said.

"Already?"

"Yeah, we're twenty minutes overdue. Trunks and Goten gotta go in. Come on."

Videl got to her feet as Akane reached out to help her at a precise angle. Videl grabbed it without even having to look.

Mr. Popo took note of this. "Did you two find your answer?"

"You bet we did," Akane grinned confidently, flexing her muscles with her fists by her waist. "Buu's history."

"I see. You had best go and talk with Piccolo then. He's feeling very anxious."

"Why? Something happen?" Akane asked.

"Well, you'll judge for yourselves soon enough."

It didn't take Akane or Videl long to feel that.

"What the…?" Akane exhaled, running to the edge. "Why does it feel like there are two Majin Buus?"

"Because there are now," Piccolo said. "You two have missed a lot. I'll try to fill you in one what's been happening?"

"Yeah, quickly," Videl said.

"Boys, the girls are out. Go get to work," Chichi told them.

"Yes, mom," Goten said and he and Trunks headed for the time chamber door.

Piccolo sighed. "I'll make this quick. But answer me one question, can you two fuse on a dime right now?"

Videl nodded. "Our last fusion was over three hours ago."

"Good, we might need it to buy time. I just hope I'm wrong about that."


Deep in the forest near Mt. Paozu, a certain blonde was making her way through the wilderness, dressed like Indiana Jones. She eventually found her quarry, the Son family home. The door was, predictably, unlocked and Junko Enoshima strode right in.

"Let's see," she said, skulking about. "Has to be around here somewhere…" She made her way into Goku and Chichi's bedroom and then spotted an important looking folder jutting out from the shelf. "Aha. There we are. Required reading material."

Junko took out her phone and began snapping up shots of every page of Chichi's copy of Goku's student record. Then she put the folder back exactly where she found it.

After that, she strode back out of the home and shut the door behind her. Then she opened her photo album and started with the first image. "Let's find out just what kind of man you are, Son Goku."


Just as Piccolo was wrapping up bringing Videl and Akane up to speed, Yukizome, Mukuro and Hercule arrived on The Lookout.

"Ah, it's you!" Piccolo exclaimed.

"No time to talk! We need help! Buu's in—"

Yukizome was cut off by the entire lookout shaking like crazy. Hercule ducked for cover under a tree with Bee.

"That…what is that energy? It's suffocating," Hajime stated.

"No…" Yukizome gasped. "Majin Buu…he's…"

"We're too late," Mukuro said solemnly.

"Too late?" Akane asked her.

"This is going to sound next to impossible to believe," Mukuro said, looking out over the side of the lookout. Her arms were comfortably folded in front of her chest. "But we somehow befriended Majin Buu. However, he split into his sides of hope and despair before our very eyes. And, predictably, it looks like despair won. It was stronger, naturally. Now they've fused together and Buu is a greater threat than ever."

"But…" Videl stammered. She and Akane had been training like crazy in the hope that they could reach Buu's level of power when he was in his pink, pudgy form. Now he'd gotten even stronger?

"It gets worse," Piccolo said. "Since the dark side won the battle Buu's basically become…pure evil."

"What? That's crazy talk!" Hercule exclaimed. "Buu's a gentle soul that'd never hurt anybody. How could he become pure evil?"

Mukuro stopped him from approaching too close to Piccolo. "The Buu we knew is gone. All that's left is the remnant of his despair," she said. "He's at a level far beyond my reach."

"Speaking of which, I know who those two are," Piccolo said, referring to Yukizome and Hercule. "But I don't know you. Start talking."

"Mukuro Ikusaba," Mukuro said. "Fen…well…former Fenrir for now, I suppose."

"Fenrir? What's that? Some kind of group?"

"They're an elite band of mercenaries," Yukizome explained. "Mukuro is their top operative."

"Elite mercenaries that can fly, hmm?" Piccolo asked.

"No. Only I can fly," Mukuro answered. "I learned it during my failed battle with Cell."

The entire lookout gasped. "That's crazy talk. You fought Cell?!" Krillin exclaimed.

Mukuro nodded. "I died trying. Apparently, I was brought back by these things called Dragon Balls. That's what Master Tao said anyway."

"Master Tao?" Krillin questioned, only to gasp. "Wait, as in Mercenary Tao? Well, there's a name I haven't heard in forever."

"Hang on, I still wanna hear this fought Cell business," Yamcha said. "Nobody got to the guy before we did besides the army and Mr. Satan and his troupe."

Mukuro recounted her experience fighting Cell down to the last detail. While she talked, Hercule noticed Videl's long, shoulder length hair.

"Videl!" Hercule rushed over to her.

Videl had been so caught up in the bad news, she'd barely noticed her dad. "Dad?"

Hercule rushed over to Videl and gave her a big hug. "Videl! Daddy's been so, so worried about you," Hercule blubbered, crying against Videl's shoulder.

"Come on, dad. You're embarrassing me in front of my friends," Videl said.

Hercule then noticed how long Videl's hair had gotten. "What happened to your hair?"

"Oh, uh, well you see…"

Videl explained to her dad what happened with her hair while Mukuro continued on about her encounter with Cell. Hercule was still trying to wrap his brain around the hyperbolic time chamber as Mukuro continued her story. She had just gotten to the part where she was about to use the Kikoho on Cell—she'd just mentioned the precise moment she'd flown for the first time and how it felt—when everyone on the Lookout felt a malicious presence headed right towards them.

"No…No way! Buu! Buu's here!" Piccolo shouted.

Mukuro and Yukizome's eyes bugged out. Everybody else flat out freaked out. The only ones unnervingly calm were Akane and Videl.

"Do or die time, huh?" Akane asked.

"Well, we basically expected it," Videl said.

Majin Buu appeared above the onlookers on the lookout, terrifying them all with his new slender form.

"Well, hey there Buu, you look like you lost some weight," Akane said with a smirk.

"G-Girls…" Piccolo was wondering why they were barely scared of Buu even with his terrifying new power. On their own, they both barely matched his power, which meant they were marginally weaker than Yukizome, who'd soundly kicked his big green behind at the tournament.

"It's suicide for them to fight," Mukuro said. "They'll be killed."

"Just watch and learn, newbie," Krillin said to Mukuro. "You're about to see something awesome."

The new, slender Majin Buu looked at Akane. "You, girl. You look familiar."

"Yeah, I probably do," Akane said as she and Videl moved back quite a distance. "You're a bit early, but that's fine."

"Haaaaa…" Buu exhaled and then laughed. "Buu fight now. Buu promised strong warrior."

"It's coming, don't worry," Akane said.

Piccolo gasped at the smile on her face. It made him think of Goku's whimsically trickster smile when he knew what was afoot but his opponent didn't.

"Akane," Videl said with concern.

"Yeah, I know," The tan gymnast nodded. "He's a lot stronger than last time. But…so are we."

"We're only going to have one shot at this. He'll kill us if we lose," Videl reminded her.

"Then we'll just have to rely on Gotenks if that happens," Akane said.

"So, what? They get a week to our year?" Videl asked, a little nervous about that ridiculous difference in time.

Akane folded her arms. "Yeah, good point." She tried to think of a way to buy the boys more time.

Videl thought of an idea first. "Oh! Hey, Mr. Majin Buu, sir."

"What? What is it? Why are we not fighting yet?" Buu asked, glaring.

"Uh, we will in a moment, but uh, I'd like to make a request," Videl stated.

Buu growled and cracked his neck, but said nothing, clearly waiting to hear Videl talk.

"So, you were promised to face two fighters, right?"

Buu nodded.

"Well, the second fighter, he's not quite ready yet. But you'll get to fight at least one fighter. So, um, if you enjoy the fight, could you, maybe wait patiently a teensy bit more for the second fighter? Please."

"Waiting is boring," Buu said.

"Oh, but, if the first fighter wears you out, you won't be in any shape to fight the second guy, right? You'll want a big meal first, won't you?"

Buu's eyebrows—or what passed for them—raised when he heard the girl talk and he laughed. "Yes, I will need a big victory meal after I defeat the first fighter."

Piccolo breathed a sigh of relief. Good. The girls had bought them more than just thirty minutes. Depending on where Buu got his food from, they might get an entire hour, maybe more.

"Then, a deal's a deal," Akane said. "Ready, Videl?"

Videl gave Buu a sharp look. "Yeah, ready."

Bulma stared at Videl and, for a moment, she felt like she was looking at the same, sharp determined look she'd always seen on Vegeta.

The wind blew across the lookout. Buu watched and waited in anticipation, laughing aloud to himself.

Then, with precise, sharp movements, Akane and Videl began the motions that would begin one hell of a battle for them, their friends, and the earth itself.

"Fuuuu…"

Piccolo, Yamcha, Krillin and several of the others tensed up. This was it.

"SION!"

Roshi swallowed. Dende stared with a slack jaw.

The moment on the lookout as Akane and Videl moved their fingers for the final phase of the dance was dead quiet. So quiet that a leaf could be heard falling as it broke free from its connecting branch.

"HA!"

A gust of wind and a flash of bright light emitted from the girls. And then, there she was in all her dark haired, fair skinned glory.

"AhahahAhhhhh…" Piccolo stammered.

Adel stood there with her fists rested at her waist. Sparks of ki floated about her body like rain drops on a large leaf.

"This energy…" Krillin said.

Adel slowly opened her blue eyes, gazing at Buu with them a little more than half lidded.

"Incredible," Bulma stated, amazed.

"She's so…calm," Chichi stated.

"No way," Yamcha uttered. "She's so much stronger. Is that even the same fighter?"

"I know what you mean," 18 said, just as amazed.

"Piccolo," Dende said, standing close to him.

Piccolo knew what Dende wanted to ask: Could they win? Was this going to be enough? Truthfully, Piccolo didn't know. Both Majin Buu and Akane weren't unleashing everything they could at the moment.

"Ahhhh, yes. There's the girl. Hahahahaha."

"Hey, Buu," Adel said. "Let's move this fight somewhere else. I don't want my friends getting dragged into this."

"No, we go nowhere. No more waiting! You fight me right now!" Buu shouted.

Adel's fist slammed itself into Buu's jaw and knocked him into the air. Buu was so discombobulated that he didn't realize Adel was close until she had her palm right on his rubbery pink face.

"That wasn't a request," she said.

With barely a flick of her strength, Adel launched Majin Buu down and away from the Lookout. Too far away to see, but plenty far away to sense. The impact was so magnificent, several of the Z Fighters played the image over in their heads at least two more times. Adel then pursued Buu faster than most of them could blink.

"What was that?" Mukuro asked, even she could barely keep up with Adel's movments.

"Our best chance at defeating Majin Buu," Yukizome said. "And saving the Earth."


From the strength and speed of Akane's face first fling, Buu landed through a mountain which crumbled upon impact. Cartographers would clearly have to redraw a map of the area. Buu sat on his butt and shook off his disorientation and gazed up. There, in the sky, floated Adel. Less than a minute had passed and she stared down at Majin Buu, sizing him up. However, before she got to the real meat of the fight, she was going to make sure that, Buu knew exactly what he was in for.

"Majin Buu!" she shouted angrily. "I am Adel! I am one of Earth's greatest defenders! For my friends! For my family! For this planet! I'm going to kill you! I don't care if you hold back or not." Her ki flared, blowing away the grass hundreds of feet below her and shaking the landscape like an earthquake. "Because I'm going to go all out. And I'm not going to stop," Adel now put on her war face. She had a serious bone to pick with Buu. This is for you, especially, Gohan. "I'm not going to stop until there's nothing left of you!"

Buu stood up, grinning malevolently. Yes, this fighter would do nicely. She was strong. He floated up to her altitude as storm clouds moved in overhead. Buu's grin met Akane's glare. Only one fighter would walk away from this battlefield alive.

With a year spent in the hyperbolic time chamber, Adel has re-emerged to defend the Earth from Majin Buu. But will it be enough? You can only find out by staying tuned for the next exciting chapter of Dragon Ball H!P!A!