I wish I owned DBZ, but I don't. I own DVD's and tapes, but it just isn't the same. Nor do I own any legal imprinting of whatever theme I'm using, such as a crossover with another anime, movie or TV series. Did I think it up? Yes. Was I the first to think it up? Probably not, but I digress. I also don't own the rights to any of the music pieces you see selected, just the merchandise, such a shame. The artists that created them are geniuses and we all must bow to them.
Chapter 14: Storm
"Shit!"
Verto's fist slammed into the surface, shaking the small planet to its core and making a noticeable dent. King Kai braced himself while Bubbles and Gregory did what they could to hold onto the nearest object for support.
Once he realized what he did, Verto stood up and powered down, "Sorry."
"That wasn't the greeting I expected. You're worse than Goku when he decides to pop in," King Kai complained.
"Not intentional, I was in the middle of something," Verto replied.
"That I can see, what were you doing, learning Instant Transmission?"
"No, I was going after someone…wait, are you unaware of what is going on down there?" Verto asked.
King Kai shook his head, "You do realize that I'm to look after the entire northern quadrant of our galaxy, right? That means more than just Earth."
Verto glanced around, "Yeah, I can see that you've been doing other things. Last I knew you were at Grand Kai's planet with all the dead fighters."
"I got sick of the crowd, so I relocated. So, what were you doing that landed you here?"
Verto sighed, "I think I should fill you in a little more than that." So Verto did, telling King Kai about what was going on since he started tracking down Doctor Wheelo and his associates, ending with the details about Soren. It took a considerable amount of time to do so, which Verto was fully aware of, but knew he'd probably have to appease the Kai to get anywhere. Thankfully though, King Kai did not ask follow-up questions and just let Verto continue speaking unimpeded.
"This guy is as bad as Gero. You aren't going to show up next time with another Cell about to blow up, are you?" King Kai practically pleaded.
Verto smirked, "Well, not planning on it. If you can point me the way out of here. I need to get back to Earth fast. Snake Way will take me what, an hour or two if I push it?"
King Kai looked nervous, "Um, I didn't put my planet in the same spot as before. King Yemma's is a little farther away than before."
Verto's eyebrow went up with a stern look, "How far is 'a little'?"
"At your fullest power, the trip would probably take you a week. Since you're not…"
Verto's temper flared and disregarded the actual statistic, "A week?! What the hell?!"
"Sorry, I really wanted to get away. And I didn't want Goku knowing where I went! Do you realize how much he was showing up? I had to keep this place a secret before I moved here. And you know he'll destroy this place with his reckless need to train!"
"I see your point, but how do you think I'm getting back without needing a knapsack? Sonny is a normal human and he's about to be in the most dangerous situation he could be in."
"I know, I know! I wish I knew who the priest really was, then maybe I could help," King Kai claimed.
"He says his name is Soren, are you saying he's an imposter?"
King Kai covered his mouth suddenly, realizing that he had slipped something, "Oops." The glare from Verto that followed made King Kai glad that he was already dead.
"So, what was that shit a few minutes ago when I described everything? Am I being stalled?" Verto asked with a moderate amount of threat in his voice.
"Look I'm not supposed to interfere with events of Earth! That was one of the conditions of getting my planet back! I didn't know you were going to end up here suddenly! And oh, look at the time, you had better hurry!" Verto folded his arms and planted his feet in the ground more than a little hard, causing another minor shake of the planet.
"Well what do you want me to do? It's not like I can magically zap you back to Earth!"
Verto's lip retreated inward as he resisted the urge to bite it, more than irritated, "Bubbles, get a shovel. Your master clearly wants to keep digging deeper." The monkey turned his head slightly before going into the house and coming back with a garden hoe held above his head.
"Close enough," Verto said.
King Kai frowned, "I can't do anything from here."
"Sure, you can. You can call someone. It probably won't be long before someone notices I'm missing considering the way they keep an annoyingly close eye on me. You know who I mean. Of course, you could go the other way and call someone else. Problem is, the one that won't scold you is the one you don't want to visit. So, what will it be?" Verto said slyly. He had King Kai cornered and he knew it, but felt the need to make one more jab.
"Of course, I could just fly off and figure my own way out. Doesn't have to be anywhere high up, I know my way around Hell…" Verto trailed off as he sensed the panic. King Kai sweated nervously as he weighed his options until he suddenly had an idea himself.
"I know, I can teach you Instant Transmission! Then you can leave on your own accord!"
Verto frowned, "As useful as that would be, realistically that would take a while. Longer than I've got."
"It's actually pretty easy to learn, it's the distance that takes a while to build up. The method teaches you the action first, and then expands your range based on how far away you can sense energy levels. This probably took Goku the most time to adjust to. The way you pick up things, it'll be no sweat for you!" King Kai boasted.
"And the fact that I can't sense anyone on Earth from here, never mind the planet itself, won't present a challenge?" Verto asked in disbelief.
"Right now, maybe not. But if you search hard you should at least be able to sense King Yemma's palace. Teleport there first and you would be able to sense Earth, then go home from there," King Kai suggested.
"If you know the technique, why don't you just transport me there?" Verto countered.
"Well, it's too far out for me to lock on. The further out you are, the stronger energy both you and the target need to have. And neither me nor King Yemma are all that powerful as you know."
"Way to undersell yourself."
King Kai groaned slightly, "Well it's the truth. Plus, there's the little problem of me being dead. Now let's get started. Unless you want to stay longer?"
"Probably don't have a choice at this point," Verto said as grimaced at the choice versus lack of action. Guess it's a good thing that I left the scanner with Sonny, wish I would've kept the earpiece but this far out I doubt it would work anyway.
"Not really. Now, you've seen Goku do the technique haven't you?"
Verto nodded and put two fingers to his forehead, "Plenty of times to know the pose. Is it even needed?"
King Kai shook his head slightly, "Not necessarily if you are focused enough or the target is close, but it helps. The first thing you need to understand is that when you lock onto a target and then move, you are not actually moving to the target yet. You have to use your energy to enter a teleportation zone."
Verto pulled his fingers down, "Teleportation zone?"
"Think of it as another dimension over-laying our own, sort of a pocket-dimension of sorts. We can't see it or interact with it normally, but we can sense things within it, such as a strong being using it to move. Therefore, you can sense Goku shortly before he arrives using Instant Transmission. Attacks coming out of it can be countered as well as it is not normal movement, you already know how to do this. It is not unlike when you move quickly to phase in and out, time appears to slow down from your perspective. However, this is an illusion to your senses to help them adapt to the difference in speed, much like a lesser opponent when you appear to vanish when you actually are moving very fast. The Teleportation Zone is the real thing, and time moves very differently inside of it. However instead of moving slower, time speeds up, sort of like the Hyperbolic Time Chamber on Earth. Does that make sense?"
Verto nodded again, "I think so. It's a matter of entering the zone and then moving within it to your target location. Once there you exit the zone, right?"
King Kai shook his head, "Yes and no. While you are spot on about entering and exiting the zone, you are incorrect about moving. You cannot physically move within the zone, in fact if you do there is no telling where you will end up. You must be very careful not to move within the zone. I'm not talking about holding your breath or staying completely still, but if you take one step, it can throw you off your target by many miles."
Verto frowned, "So that means I have to move my energy around with my mind. It is more of a mental technique."
King Kai nodded, "Impressive deduction, that is exactly what you have to do. As you move your energy, your body moves with it. Moving your energy is not limited by physics, gravity, atmosphere or even the laws of the universe. Unfortunately for me, Goku did figure that part out. So, there is some truth to his simple explanation of turning into a mass of energy and moving at the speed of light."
Verto scuffed, "Except that the distance he can cover is much, much farther than what the speed of light would allow. Even at full power we can't fly nearly that fast. Alright, I think I get it, but to test I would have to know how to enter and exit the zone."
King Kai nodded, "That part is going to be easy for you. All you have to do is match your energy to the field frequency of the Teleportation Zone. You already know how to do that when it comes to your cloaking ability and to an extent your freezing ability. However instead of trying to match it to the environment, you must match it to the pocket dimension instead. Once you do, you will enter it and be able to move at will to your target location. This is the part where it requires an energy source to lock on to. In theory, you can teleport to a known location without anyone there, but you can't do so if you haven't been there. If you become stuck in the zone, do not panic. As I have said, any movement can throw your course off greatly. All you have to do to exit is to lock on to a target, move there and stop focusing. Thankfully you can change course inside the zone and virtually no one will notice the difference as time is drastically different there. You might spend an hour lost inside and not even a second will have passed in the real world. That said, I wouldn't spend too much time in there as a mass of energy. It can have an exhausting effect that would certainly affect you once you returned to the physical world. Matter and energy are interchangeable, but it is best not to test that limit. You know that from using Kaio-ken in the past. Are you ready?"
Verto raised his fingers back to his head, "Just show me the way."
King Kai did the same, "Okay, I am going to teleport around the planet. Since it is a short enough range on this small world, I won't need anything to lock on to. I want you to follow my energy signature. Sense how it changes just before it enters the zone and when it exits. It is doubtful that you will be able to detect its state when I'm in the zone as again you won't be able to perceive it nearly as well. Do not focus on where I end up." Verto separated his legs in anticipation without answer. King Kai suddenly phased out and reappeared instantly being Verto. Verto blinked sharply in disbelief, not having caught the feeling.
"You are sensing my movement, not the state of my energy. Keep trying," King Kai suggested.
Verto closed his eyes and King Kai promptly disappeared again. This time he kept vanishing and reappearing in random spots around the planet. At first Verto didn't sense any change, but once King Kai kept moving around and didn't stop, he sensed the extremely subtle difference. It wasn't unlike when someone powered up to move quickly, but he did notice that the Kai's energy dipped just slightly after each movement. King Kai's state of energy wasn't drastically different, but he was definitely losing some after each teleport. It wasn't until around the thirtieth time that Verto sensed the difference in his energy. It was a small change that was akin to changing the heat setting on a stove when the water was already boiling. Not necessarily to shut it off, but to stop heating it up. Verto's eyes opened as he realized he just needed his energy to be stable and he could enter the zone.
I have a feeling someone is about to pop in and tell me that balance is key again.
King Kai noticed the change in focus and stopped instantly moving, standing directly across from Verto with his arms tucked behind him. Verto concentrated and making his energy completely calm and still. Once it was done, he promptly phased out. The world around him shifted completely to a dark blue setting with the oddest rushing sound. The landscape was mostly dark and without color. To his left near the house, he saw two masses of light, one in the shape of a monkey and the other a cricket. Ahead of him, where King Kai last was, a matching silhouette of light that even captured his antennae perfectly.
Well, at least it will come in handy, Verto mused as he took a step forward. Suddenly the landscape vanished as he travelled many miles in an instant, completely escaping the gravity of the planet without effort. Verto's eyes widened as he used his energy to hover over the yellow clouds covering Hell. Recalling that King Kai had said not to move, he realized his mistake. He managed to turn around using his energy to move himself and glided back the way he came, much more slowly.
Wow, one misstep took me that far in this place. No wonder laws of nature don't apply. Once he felt comfortable using his energy to move, Verto picked up the pace and flew back to King Kai's planet within the zone, landing next to the Kai. He stopped concentrating, which brought him out of the zone instantly and startled the Kai.
"Goodness, you do learn quick," King Kai noted. Verto immediately noticed that he had lost a noticeable amount of ki energy in the process. Not enough to make a large difference in a battle, but enough that multiple teleports would hamper him.
"I might learn quick but that one clearly takes practice," Verto replied.
"It can zap anywhere from one to five percent of your current energy, depending on how you are using it. That amount can be trimmed with training and mastery, just like any other technique," King Kai explained. Verto nodded and focused again with his two fingers, vanishing and reappearing next to Bubbles and then Gregory before moving back to King Kai. He felt a similar amount of energy leave him with each instant movement, but it wasn't as intense as the initial trip when he accidentally went off the planet.
"There you go, you're getting it," King Kai said with encouragement. Verto nodded and vanished again, this time reappearing on the other side of the planet with a blast charged in his hand. He let it build up a little more before vanishing again and landing next to King Kai, palm raised to the air as he fired it harmlessly into the air.
"What was that for?" King Kai asked nervously.
"Testing, and something else," Verto said with a very evil smirk. Within seconds the desired result arrived as Shin, the Supreme Kai, phased in with Kibito in tow, both looking quite frustrated.
"Not what I hoped for, but close enough," Verto said slyly.
"Verto! How did you get here? You are supposed to be on Earth! You are not to be breaking into the afterlife realm! Didn't you learn your lesson last time?!" Shin stated.
"I didn't break any laws. If you've been watching you would know I didn't come here on purpose nor did I do it myself," Verto said in a relatively cool tone.
"He's uh, heh, actually right about that. He just popped in. Weird huh?" King Kai laughed nervously.
Shin's frown did not budge, "And I suppose you had nothing to do with it either? We've been searching for the last several hours only to find him here of all places?"
King Kai rubbed his head Goku-style, "I definitely did not bring him here, sir. Nor am I keeping him here. But currently he cannot easily get back to Earth on his own you know." Verto snorted slightly at the half-truth King Kai had spit out but said nothing.
"Kibito, take him back to Earth, now!" Shin ordered. Kibito nodded and stepped towards the waiting Verto, who folded his arms and offered no protest.
"King Kai, always a pleasure. I'll make sure to keep your location a secret, assuming he didn't already detect it," Verto said with a sneer. King Kai sweated nervously as the pair phased out, before turning to the angry overseer.
"You showed him Instantaneous Movement, didn't you?" Shin asked with disdain.
"Only the basic steps of the Yardrat version, I had to do something otherwise he was just going to fly off and get lost for a while. Or worse, head down to Hell and cause a ruckus," King Kai explained.
Shin sighed, "Well there are worse things than Verto learning Instant Transmission. It would take him quite a while to utilize it fully. The fact that the priest sent him here of all places is puzzling. Yes, we were monitoring him but once that happened we completely lost track. Only the Grand Kai, myself, and very few others even know this planet's new location."
"He clearly didn't mean Verto any harm, but that doesn't mean he is on our side either," King Kai pointed out.
"No, it doesn't. He might've only wanted him out of the way temporarily. To what end I do not know. We will have to wait and see what transpires. At this point however, I don't expect the rest of them are going to stand by and wait much longer once they find out how much that cult has spread. Their problems are only going to increase in the coming days, rather drastically I might add."
Kibito phased back in alone, "It is done. Verto has been taken back to Earth. He was quite anxious to fly off once we arrived."
Shin nodded, "You left him where I told you to, I trust?"
Kibito nodded, "Of course master."
King Kai's jaw slipped as he flipped his antennae around and sensed where Verto was on Earth, "You left him on the other side of the planet from where he was? Why?"
Shin looked grim, "We think his human partner can root some of this mystery out if he is able to infiltrate the cult, and he needs Verto away for a short time to do so. He has already managed so far. And we want time to observe this without any interference. Grand Elder is monitoring as we speak."
"You are using a human being, a normal, non-powerful life form, as bait?" King Kai stammered, nearly choking in disgust.
"I am not pleased with it either, but until we know who Soren is and what he intends to do, we cannot act. There is an additional factor in that village that could very well awaken itself if Verto's power activates it and I am not taking that chance if I can help it!" Shin stated.
"What factor?"
"The legacy of Majin Buu. His spirit is trapped in a human boy, and close proximity to a strong power could awaken it. Buu was never anything more than a destructive machine with the mind of a child. I don't have to lecture you on what could happen," Shin explained.
King Kai nodded grimly, "No you don't. But did you consider what would happen if these cultists and more specifically Doctor Wheelo got a hold of him?" Shin didn't answer as he and Kibito teleported away.
King Kai shook his head, "This is why I prefer to be alone."
A few hours prior, Sonny Satsu stood as still as he could on an elevated post holding a spear. He had been decorated head to toe in tribal garments and his face completely painted in various shades of red, yellow, white and black. The disguise was effective as he pulled out his phone to check his appearance. He looked like a styled witch doctor crossed with an ancient warrior. The appearance looked fierce, however it did nothing to soothe his nervousness. Nam had directed to him to stand on the flat stone post and not move, only observe during the gathering. He however did not mention how long he would have to do so. It had been two hours already and Sonny's legs were telling him to at least shift a little bit. Not to mention how thirsty he had gotten, as after all, they were in the desert. Fortunately, he did have a little bit of company, but it was only in the form of an earpiece that had been covered by a piece of a cow skull and the piece of technology that came with it sitting in his pocket.
"Detective, I am reading that you are getting dehydrated, I recommend at least ten fluid ounces of water should be ingested in order to keep your body temperature below dangerous limits," Kain said.
Sonny scowled and rasped back as quietly as he could, "Thanks computer person. I would love to be able to do that right now, unfortunately I am a little pre-occupied! Maybe you could be useful and locate the kid!"
"Apologies sir, my scanners lost track of Verto when he confronted the priest on top of the nearby mountain. I have been unable to maintain contact, nor can I detect his presence. Had he taken the scanning device and communication piece with him, I would be able to answer more clearly. Although with only one communication device that might have been difficult."
Sonny scowled, "Great. I'm kind of glad he left you here with me but if all you can do is point out the obvious, I'm turning you off!" Below, several hundred people had gathered around a large bonfire, which Nam sat nearest as he was surrounded. Sonny took note of Niboo, Niobe and baby Uub very near him. There were more pouring in from the surrounding lands, all content to sit or stand near the make-shift amphitheater that was basically formed. Most of them were chattering about random things, saying their greetings to friends and family and not much concern. That abruptly changed when several hooded figures approached, flanked by no less than two dozen uniformed men wearing MAX armbands.
"Here we go," Sonny muttered.
"I am reading heightened energy levels with most of them. This is similar to the cyborgs I have detected before, but there is a different reading," Kain said into Sonny's ear.
"How so? So, they're robots too or they are different?"
"The fluctuation that was occurring in the previous experiments, it is no longer there. It is likely that the formula for transformation has been perfected," Kain explained.
Sonny frowned under the makeup, "And what does that mean? Does that mean they can all take on the kid or his friends? Are they all incredibly powerful now?"
Kain paused notably, "Powerful compared to a normal human being like yourself, yes. Unknown to what extent, but highly unlikely they would be on the level of any of the Saiyans."
Sonny's eyes narrowed, "What good would that do then? If the kid and that Vegeta guy could wipe them all out anyway then there's no point."
Kain's vocal tone changed to one of extreme seriousness, "I am familiar with Doctor Wheelo and Doctor Kochin's motivations and goals. Simply making humans stronger is not the only goal they share. And in making humans stronger, they would have no interest in the same humans being able to overcome their own plans."
Sonny took note of the AI's tone shift and said nothing. At the center of the gathering, the men of MAX approached along with the robed figures, all wearing red.
Nam stood up first, "Can we help you gentlemen? This is a meeting of our people and you are outsiders." The first to remove his hood was the red priest Soren.
"We come as friends Village Chief. We hope we remain that way. We come bearing the word of our god Torev and the gift of strength he offers to all of you," Soren began.
"We have heard and seen some disturbing things with your group. Our people taken, strange rituals on the mountain top and even murder. So, we are skeptical of you as one might expect," Nam replied as he sat back down.
"Very understandable Village Chief, perhaps a demonstration can be arranged that we mean no harm? If you and your people would like to visit our campsite we would gladly show you the word of Torev," Soren suggested.
Nam didn't budge, "Meaning no offense, but if this is not something you can demonstrate to us here then we are not interested. Many of my people would not feel safe venturing to your camp."
Soren nodded, "No offense taken, Mary would stand up please?"
One of the youngest villagers, Mary, stood up nervously from the main crowd, "Y-Yes?"
Soren turned towards the nervous teenager, "Do you remember last week when we visited your area by the river?"
Mary nodded, "You promised to help my father, who can no longer walk and fetch water on his own due to untreated gout. You promised to help my mother who lost most of her arm when a bear attacked her, and she can no longer cook food."
Soren gestured towards the other hooded figures, where two of them stepped closer and unveiled their hoods. One was an older man with a scarred face, and the other was a middle-aged woman. Both had a similar bearing to Mary in their own rights, confirming that they were her parents. The man walked forward towards Mary, much to his daughter's surprise.
"Daddy, you're walking!" she gasped.
"Yes, these men helped me. I didn't believe them at first, but they are offering us something great," he said. The mother stepped closer as well, unveiling the rest of her as she dropped the robe, bearing a MAX uniform. She rolled up her left arm sleeve to the elbow, revealing some scar tissue, but it was otherwise quite functional as she demonstrated by clenching her fist and moving her fingers randomly.
"Mother, your arm!" Mary pointed out. Murmurs and whispers filled the crowd in astonishment to the pair as Mary ran forward and hugged them both. Nam said nothing, but there wasn't much he could say.
Soren smiled slightly, "As you can see, despite what you may have heard, we are telling the truth. Our god Torev offers the gift of rejuvenation and strength in the face of a world taken over by powerful tyrants. These exceptional fighters may have saved your planet in the past against even more evil beings, but that does not make them your allies. It is a slow-moving coup that will eventually reveal itself, when it is too late. Join us now and fight back against these tyrants."
Sonny's eyebrow slipped upwards, Interesting selling points.
Niboo stood up next to Nam, "What does your god represent? What is the catch of joining your cause?" Soren didn't immediately respond, which triggered more chattering amongst the crowd.
"It is a good question to ask. One should not take a leap of faith without knowing what could be on the other side. On the other hand, maintaining the status quo has not exactly worked for your people either. Do you like and value the lives you live here? As outcasts? With poor living conditions? Knowing that any moment a moderate wind storm can level your homes made from mud and sticks? We are looking to help all people, rich and poor, to live in harmony. We don't want people to suffer anymore. We understand it may seem like an impossible dream to fight for and thus you are hesitant. Think of giving your people and your children a better life."
Niobe stood up to support her husband, "And how do we know your god is even real?"
Soren stepped back a few steps and turned his back, "A fair question. Our god Torev cannot yet take physical form, but that does not mean he is not here with us, right here and now. He can tell us from time to time when he is present and can tell us his thoughts. So, I'll ask the one true god, Torev. Tell us now your thoughts, wishes and intent. Give us a sign!" Sonny dared to glanced around for any sign of activity, but all that changed initially was a gentle breeze that brushed against his legs.
The earpiece promptly beeped though signaling Kain was alerting him, "Detective, I am detecting an unusual disturbance in the atmosphere. A storm is rapidly forming overhead. There is no storm system in the area, nor any reasonable atmospheric lift or moisture to explain it. It is nearly identical to the storm that was occurring when we arrived." Sonny felt the sudden gust of wind that followed and nearly blew him over as well as the crowd. Cloud to cloud lightning struck overhead as rain began to fall. Soren pulled up his hood to keep his head dry, while much of the crowd scrambled for any cover, which there was very little. Nam guarded his head so he could see clearly while Niboo and Niobe protected Uub. Sonny braced himself against the pillar he was leaning against as rain battered his face and hail began to pelt his skin.
"Where did this storm come from?!" Sonny said aloud.
"There is an energy source nearby that appears to be feeding it, I am running scans," Kain replied. In the center where the campfire used to be, the robed figures remained, with one aside from Soren reaching into his robe.
Soren sank to his knees and held his arms up in the sky, "Great Torev, we have received your message! Now please give us your blessing to teach them your ways!" Sonny could clearly see this person pull out a sizeable controller of some kind, press a button and then pulled it back into the robe in a split second. Suddenly the storm abruptly let up, the rain stopped, and the wind died. Even the clouds quickly dissipated as if nothing had happened. Gasps and further murmurs filled the crowd as they picked themselves off of the ground, many of them covered in mud.
Soren removed his hood again, "As you can see, Torev can send us signs at any time. But he approves of people that are willing to listen to reason and join his cause. No harm will come to those who do not, but understand that someday we will be called upon to fight the Great War for this planet. Man will be against the false messiahs and aliens that have taken over. And without the gift of Torev, anyone caught in the crossfire will be defenseless. We do not want to see that happen to you. Please save yourselves, while you can." Sonny more of less tuned out at this point as he was much more distracted by the weather. While Sonny was silently thankful for the brief cool down, he was immediately suspicious of the sudden turn of events. It was powerful evidence they had all just witnessed, but Sonny suspected that it was a farce.
"Did you see that remote control?" Sonny whispered.
The earpiece beeped just before Kain spoke again, "My scanners cannot visibly see the way a human can. However, I did detect the shutoff signal transmit. The energy feeding the storm ceased immediately and I believe I can find the source if they use it again."
Sonny's eyes widened, "You mean, they're actually able to cause a storm like that to happen?"
"Uncertain on the extent. The last time I was directly connected to one of Doctor Wheelo's computers, I did come across a program regarding weather control devices. However, they were in the prototype stage and not functional on a level like this."
Sonny grimaced, "Great, this just keeps getting better." The crowd gathered back up and began to move towards the MAX members, which concerned Nam.
"Do not go with him my people, they are misleading you!" Nam urged. His pleas went on deaf ears as most of the villagers were following the MAX uniforms away from the campsite. Only stragglers remained where they were, including Uub and his parents. Suddenly a pair of MAX soldiers walked up and grabbed Uub by the arms and began pulling him away. Niboo moved to stopped them but was hit with a swift backhand which sent him flying back with surprising force. Niobe screamed as she gave chase, only to be stopped by the trailing man in a robe. He pulled his hood off revealing a face familiar to Sonny with a thin build and glasses.
"It's Doctor Cash," Sonny whispered.
"Wheelo," Kain corrected him.
Sonny scowled, "Whatever. I thought he was a big robot now."
"That robot was destroyed, but it is likely that this is an avatar made of a fully-fledged android and he is merely controlling it from a distance."
Below, Niobe was on her knees pleading for her son back, "Why, what is he to you?!"
"Pardon us madam, but we are taking your boy to safety. He will only suffer in this environment. Consider it, enhancing his potential," Wheelo said. Niobe wailed as Nam removed his tribal dressing and stepped towards Wheelo.
"I do not wish violence friend, and those amongst my people who want to go with you I will not stop. But you will not take her boy!" Nam declared.
Wheelo eyed Nam, "I'm sure you are quite strong compared to the rest of your rabble, but that is nothing to me!" Nam charged at him, swinging knife hand strikes furiously. They were stopped by Wheelo's bare hands before he kicked upward, catching Nam under the chin. Nam fell to the ground, completely knocked out. More crying and wailing continued from Niobe and other women as they rushed towards Nam to help him. Wheelo scoffed and turned as his minions pulled a screaming Uub away with them.
"Damn, what should we do?" Sonny asked from further away.
"I will not presume to judge your actions Detective, but I recommend caution and to wait until Verto returns. With cybernetically enhanced humans in addition to the priest with strange powers and a powerful avatar of Doctor Wheelo, your chances on your own are quite low," Kain suggested.
"Yeah no kidding. And if they can control the weather, the last thing I want to be doing is getting anywhere near them. Don't need some random lightning strike…" Sonny abruptly paused. Amongst the robed figures, one other had removed his hood and grinned evilly next to Soren and Wheelo as they followed the rest of the crowd. The other man Sonny had seen much more recently than Wheelo and it was all the more surprising considering Sonny himself had put a bullet in his head.
"Schultz, how?" Sonny gasped in shock.
"We can only assume that they were able to restore his body from the brink of death," Kain replied. Sonny scowled and didn't answer as different thoughts flooded his head.
That piece of shit is responsible for Marcus' death and all the bullshit we've been through. There's no way I can let him skirt by living. On top of it, they're kidnapping that kid. This time I'll make sure he's dead. The large crowd had mostly dispersed and were moving towards the mountain. Sonny dared jump down from where he was stationed and moved towards Nam and the others. Pulling the ear piece out of his ear, he handed it to Niboo who was still recovering.
"I'm going to follow them, if the kid comes back, give this back to him," Sonny said as he passed them.
"Detective, wait!" Niboo urged. It was to no avail, Sonny was on a mission of his own.
A/N: The plot thickens.
WDG: Well now, it seems that the Kais are either on the ball, or about to screw up royally! ...And given their track record...
VB: Heh there is a lot of truth to that statement.