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 16: Demon Hybrid
Director Schultz continued to laugh as his body continued to transform into a very non-human entity. His glasses broke away as his head increased in size, being covered in green, lizard-like scales under his hair, which shifted from auburn to blonde. His eyeballs shifted into a pale gold with black irises that became vertical like that of a snake. His body size swelled to nearly eight feet tall, and his limbs lengthened to the point that his arms were nearly as long as his legs. His body build remained slightly thin for his size but was nonetheless imposing. His feet morphed into long talons of three large toes and a heel that looked more like a raptor's claw. His hands had large fingers, but just as they had found out a moment ago, that could change shape into long sharp tendrils. On the ground, Verto coughed up blood as he tried to keep his breath, which wasn't easy considering his torso had just become a pin cushion. I couldn't even sense him coming, how did I let myself get so blinded with Wheelo that I ignored him? Better question, how did he recover after I smashed him a few minutes ago? Ugh, maybe I shouldn't have left Kain with Gohan. But they may not have found everyone without the added scanning ability.
"Oh, how I've waited for this!" Schultz declared.
Verto coughed again as he tried to give his typical snort of an answer, "Y-you were waiting to become a freak?"
"I already was one. You and the detective saw to that. No, I mean I've waited for this moment where you would be helpless at my feet. Where I could achieve strength to surpass you and your friends!" Schultz replied.
Verto smirked despite the blood staining his mouth and teeth, "It isn't that much of an upgrade."
"Then how do you explain your situation now?" Schultz fired back.
Verto's smirk remained, "You're still a maniac, just like him." Schultz grumbled slightly as he glanced towards Wheelo, who was trying to get back to his feet.
"Well Doctor, would you like to finish those two, or this one?"
Wheelo grinned, "Such a tempting offer, and while this brat has been a thorn in both our sides, I believe you owe the Detective your attention. Besides, my communication relays have been damaged. Keep him alive though, his intel would be helpful. The village rat is worthless. Even if he has potential as you say, that might also mean he could be a threat, better to nip that in the bud. So, if you would do me the honor."
Schultz returned the grin and stepped away, "Quite right. I didn't get to test this body the way I would've liked, but they'll do. I suggest that we clean this up before we get interrupted again.
"W-Wait!" Verto rasped.
Schultz glanced down at him, "If you're going to plead for their lives, it's a little late after what you just did."
"Fine, you're right. They can't escape anyway. Answer me one question, how did you get like this? I thought his weird serum turned people into cyborgs, you're clearly not. I sense a demonic energy within you," Verto said. He partially did want to know, but he also wanted to try and stall as long as he could. He couldn't sense the demonic energy completely without access to Psi energy, but at this point it was beyond an educated guess.
Schultz's grin didn't waver, "Yes I bet that is quite the mystery. Well it should be obvious to even your half-Saiyan brain that I was not given the same serum as the others. It was experimental and had a very low chance of success; but let's call it a gift from afar."
Verto frowned at the non-answer, "What is that supposed to mean, are you a demon now or not?"
"You could call him a hybrid I suppose. Quite a dangerous one at that," Soren said as he walked up.
"I'm sticking with freak," Verto sneered. That earned him a painful kick to his side from Schultz, followed by his large foot dropping Verto's chest, right over where he had been skewered. Verto cried out in pain as blood continued to pour out.
"You know, I intentionally missed all the vital organs so as not to kill you immediately. Would you like me to aim more carefully this time?" Schultz threatened.
Despite the pain, Verto stifled a laugh, "Think you're a big bad demon just because you took some bad cough syrup? There's no way in this short time since you took a bullet in the head would you have mastered the body you have now. Even if you did, I wouldn't need half strength to annihilate you."
"Well it's a good thing you're not even at a tenth of your strength in your condition. And you're wrong, but we'll never know now. Truthfully, I wasn't able to figure this body out as much as I would like. Some secrets are still unknown to me, for now," Schultz explained.
"Maybe you should've evacuated with the rest of your minions. I spared them, but I can promise you're not living past today, freak," Verto taunted again. It had the desired effect, as Verto could sense a fair amount of not-so-hidden rage bubbling up. As I thought, the resurrection and subsequent change has not caught up with his mind yet. He won't be able to keep calm, and so far, I doubt he can use any of his potential energy.
Schultz managed to grin, "You're really asking for it boy. Are you sure you want to press your luck? With my new body I can kill you at any time, and with my mind to go with it, I will be truly unstoppable with time."
Verto managed to shrug, albeit painfully, "Maybe. I'll give you this, at least you haven't been reduced to just saying your name over and over. Guess we'll give that time too." He could almost see the vein pop in Schultz's green head.
"I've changed my mind Doctor, I want to kill this one first," Schultz said.
Wheelo shrugged, "It matters not to me. Soren, as I've suffered some critical damage, would you mind using your power to capture those two?"
Soren smiled lightly as he nodded and held out his hand. Dozens of feet away, Sonny was holding onto Uub tightly while watching and listening. He realized what was about to happen and pushed Uub a little roughly to the side just as a red portal opened underneath him. He fell through but clutched the ground and tried to keep from being pulled in, only to have a paired of uniformed hands yank him down and the portal closed. Uub cried as he appeared to have suffered a scrap from the fall.
"Quick thinking, too bad it won't matter for the detective," Schultz noted. A golden blast slammed into his face from below, leaving a noticeable chunk missing from his jaw. Verto chuckled as he rolled and attempted to get to a knee. He didn't get far before Schultz's arm extended outwards as his now much larger fingers became long tendrils that clasped around Verto's throat. One of his tendrils then separated and extended a bit before splitting into another set and ripped into Verto's left arm. More blood poured out and Verto's arm went limp as Schultz's attack left it useless.
Schultz lifted and pulled Verto up by the neck so that he could look him in the eye, "Was that worth it?"
Verto couldn't help but snicker slightly as the hole in the side of Schultz face stood out like a red bird in the snow, "Good look for you. Let go of me and I'll finish the makeover." Schultz growled for a moment, only to pause and appear to concentrate. A moment later, his face filled back in and regenerated. Verto scowled in dismay, earning another laugh from Schultz.
"As you can see, unlike your body, mine now repairs any damage done to it, good luck killing me! Especially in your condition. I could stand here all day to take your attacks and it will do no good!" Schultz boldly declared.
"Dare you to prove that," Verto snipped back.
"Alright, go ahead and attack me boy!" he shouted back in Verto's face. He then swung his large arm and drove Verto into the ground, sending more blood into the air as his arm retracted.
Verto struggled to move afterwards, Damnit, with my arm like this, I can't reach the Senzu bean that's in my left pocket.
"I'm waiting, Saiyan," Schultz taunted.
Verto struggled to even turn to his side, clutching the grass to hopefully push himself up, "You said I had all day, don't worry it's coming. Be patient."
Schultz laughed, "Heh, you make a good point. Doctor, you and Soren can leave if you wish, this might take a while."
Wheelo frowned, "Don't be a fool, he's stalling. He can't attack you as he is now!" Verto finally managed to sit up, but it was excessively painful to do, especially with only one good arm.
"R-Relax dickhead, I won't take that long. Ka…me…" Verto started to chant as he held out his good hand while it filled with blue energy. Schultz prepared himself while Wheelo and Soren backed up a few steps.
The energy blast brightened, "Ha….me…."
"Bring it on boy, I'm calling your bluff!"
Verto's eyes darted to the side for a moment and he smirked again, "It's no bluff, here it comes!" Just as Verto would have fired, a white boot smashed into Schultz's head, knocking him away several feet. Verto stopped channeling as the new figure landed, carrying another person that was set down on the ground. The second figure took off running for Uub as the first sunk into a fighting stance.
"About time Videl. Where's Gohan and Goku?" Verto asked out loud.
"There were more people around that were hiding from the storms, it's taking a little while. You would know that if you ever answer your phone!" Videl shouted back.
"Yeah, because checking a phone during a battle is such a great idea," Verto muttered, earning him a slight feminine huff from Videl. Verto sighed as he glanced over towards Uub, who was now crying again, but being comforted by his mother Niobe.
"Videl, daughter of Hercule Satan, so-called savior of the world. I can't say it's an honor," Wheelo said with disdain. Schultz had recovered at this point and became angry as he stared down the human girl dressed in her Saiyaman outfit but without the helmet.
"Girl, that was a mistake that you will regret," Schultz growled.
"Keep your distance!" Verto shouted to Videl.
Videl frowned at being told how to fight, "I know!"
Schultz laughed, "I'll show you that distance won't matter!" He plunged his arms into the ground as then lengthened, but no one could see exactly how much aside from the apparent stretching that was happening. Videl glided to the side to avoid any potential attack from the ground, but soon found that she wasn't being aimed at. A painful cry from behind sounded, and Uub's mother Niobe collapsed onto the ground as several long green tendrils withdrew into the ground from where they came. She had been poked full of holes much like Verto had been, but this time they were much more precise.
"Oh no!" Videl said as she rushed over to help. Uub had stopped crying and was trying to shake his fallen mother, to no avail. Verto scowled in disgust as he glared a hole through the laughing Schultz. Videl attempted to pull Uub away from his mother as her short breathing came to an end and no amount of coughing could clear the blood that was coming from her throat. Uub's eyes filled with tears as he continued to try and nudge his mother, but she was already gone.
"Get him out of here!" Verto ordered. Videl pulled at Uub's shirt gently, but this time she was pushed back. The toddler's fearful face scrunched up in anger as he turned to give Schultz a death glare of ages. Rocks and dirt on the ground began to tremble and rise as a strong current of energy ran through the area, knocking Videl further away from the toddler.
Verto's eyes widened as a clear aura appeared around Uub and continued to grow in intensity. Uh oh.
Soren looked genuinely concerned, "Doctor, Director, I think it would be wise to leave."
Schultz laughed, "What is he going to do, hit me with his diaper?"
"You can go if you wish Soren, we certainly can't stop you. Besides, you can inform my original and Kochin of what has happened," Wheelo suggested, "We can take care of the rest." Soren grimaced but bowed his head. Just as he was about to cast one of his spells, the ground began to crack as Uub's energy reached them, earning a glance as the toddler's angry cries filled the air.
Schultz was unphased, "Go ahead you little brat, let's see what a village rat like you is made of!" Uub's apparent powerup finished and he charged forward, flying directly at Schultz despite likely not knowing how to fly. The speed of his charge was so frighteningly quick that no one could react to it. Schultz gasped as Uub plowed into his body, erasing his entire torso as he went through it. Uub's own impact shocked even him as he fell to the ground and passed out.
"Help him Videl!" Verto called out instinctively as he attempted to reach into his left pants pocket with his right arm. The awkward motion combined with his still open wounds made this incredibly difficult to even attempt, and Verto grunted and struggled to even get to his center, never mind any further. Videl flew over to tend to Uub, while Wheelo could only stand there and watch. Schultz, or what was left of him, made quite a racket as his head, arms and legs were lain strung about and not connected to each other.
"Damn you! As soon as I get back up, you and your friends are dead!" he threatened. His body began to grow new cells and stretched towards each piece, showing just how real the threat was. Videl gasped in realization and landed next to the prone Uub, who was too exhausted to make any fuss. As she tried to rouse him, Schultz's body parts sewed back together. Verto was able to see this and made another painful effort to reach the Senzu he had hidden away, only for his body to give out and force him down on his back.
"Shit!" he cursed at the air as he laid his good hand open to the air. Schultz, now regenerated, starting stomping towards Videl, who took a position in front of Uub as she activated her aura and began to charge an energy blast above her head with both hands.
"Masenko!" she shouted as she fired the blast. Schultz was unimpressed and was nimble enough to dodge without breaking stride. Videl's surprise didn't deter her any as she fired again, only to see the same result. After the third attempt, Schultz swung to the side as his arm lengthened again, smashing into Videl from the side and throwing her towards the tree line. Schultz watched her land and continued marching towards Uub. Verto slammed his fist into the ground in disgust as he sensed this happening.
"Damnit, leave them alone! Your beef is with me!" Verto proclaimed.
Schultz turned for a moment, "Yes, it is, and you let them be involved. Congratulations boy, they're part of this now. Well done to you."
Schultz then proceeded as he held out his arm and his hand formed into a solid block that resembled a strange cross between a boulder and a hammer despite being green. Verto's teeth clenched as he considering trying to do something desperate. Suddenly a flash of dim red light hit the corner of his eye, and he saw a small hole literally open in the air, followed by a small bean falling out of it and directly into his right palm. He was able to turn his head to see Soren with a finger held to his lips as he disappeared into thin air. Wheelo and Videl were both fixated on what Schultz was about to do to Uub and paid no notice of what occurred.
Verto was more than a little confused as he held the bean up to his mouth, Why did he do that? They had us beat. Even if Goku and Gohan get here any second, they can get away. Oh, never mind, I can find out later. I can't let this opportunity go to waste.
Schultz stood over Uub with his odd weapon held high, "Too young to know better." Just as he swung down, a whoosh of air flew past and whisked Uub away, causing Schultz to only impact the ground. Verto staggered to his feet as his wounds healed, a little surprised that someone else had saved Uub before he could. He glanced over to see Gohan attending to his wife, and Goku with his fingers pressed to his head with Uub held under his other arm.
"Son Goku," Wheelo growled.
"Verto, are you alright?" Goku called out.
"I'll live," Verto said as his body finished healing.
Schultz glanced over in shock at the revived Verto, "How?"
Verto stretched and bent his neck as it produced a relieving pop, "I have a good diet."
"Senzu Beans, I should've known. All the better, we wouldn't want you to fall if you weren't at full strength, it wouldn't be interesting that way. As for you, how I've longed to meet you, Goku," Wheelo said with disgust.
"Um, who are you?" Goku asked.
"Doctor Wheelo, bad guy, is a robot, wants to steal your body and rule the world," Verto summarized quickly.
"Oh."
"Oh? Oh?! Is that all you have to say to me? After you helped that bastard Vegeta bury me in the snow?!" Wheelo yelled.
"Oh! I get it! You were in that big robot that Vegeta defeated? Sorry I didn't recognize you," Goku said.
Gohan shook his head, "Dad this really isn't the time to be nonchalant about this."
"Ok, well what about this guy? What is he?" Goku asked as he pointed to Schultz.
Schultz scowled as he stepped forward and stood next to Wheelo, "Doctor we need to escape and get back to base to repair your body. With your communication link damaged and Soren gone, we can't even signal for help or tell the others what happened. I'm curious to test my body, but against these odds would be foolhardy."
"I agree. A tactical retreat would be wise," Wheelo said with a nod of his damaged head. Verto phased out and appeared on the exact opposite side of Schultz and Wheelo.
"You think after all that we're going to just let you go? Maybe you better call your priest back here, because that's the only way you're leaving alive," Verto said with his eyebrow about as high as it would go. He tugged what was left of his punctured shirt off and threw it aside as he assumed a fighting stance. Across the field, Gohan had allowed Videl to recover and she was on her feet, taking Uub from Goku as he also took a stance.
"Four on one, you Saiyans won't even fight fairly," Schultz claimed.
"Isn't there two of you?" Goku asked.
"Truthfully, I cannot fight in this condition, Son Goku. As much as it pains me to say that. Director Schultz here has acquired a compatible power to yours and would be most obliged to fight each of you individually. If earlier results were any clue, I'm sure it would be quite the spectacle. I swear that I will not interfere," Wheelo promised.
"Yeah, it isn't fair. We shouldn't be bullies. I agree this should be one on one," Goku said. Verto's lip twitched angrily and he phased out, setting himself between Goku and Schultz.
"You stay back, I'm not done with him yet. He gets by me, he's all yours," Verto declared.
"You haven't been sleeping Verto. Even with that Senzu bean, your mental exhaustion is bound to catch up to you soon, are you sure?" Gohan asked.
Verto turned back to give Gohan a very certain glare, "I'm sure."
Schultz chuckled, "A glutton for punishment? Very well, let's see if you measure up this time."
"You caught me at an unguarded moment focused on him. That was my mistake, it won't happen again. You have my complete attention," Verto said.
"All by your lonesome? Oh, this will be fun!" Schultz said eagerly.
Verto's confidence leaked out for a moment, as did his aura, "You might be rethinking that here in a moment." His hair stood back up on end as he turned Super Saiyan, filling the area with the golden glow. It went a step further and his bangs joined the rest of his hair as lightning surrounded him, bringing out Super Saiyan Two. Wheelo was beyond concerned and hobbled away, heading for the tree line. Schultz's confidence remained, but not nearly like it had been before.
Count it down from 10 to 1, faster than a firefly
Callin' out to everyone, "Are you dead or alive?"
Quicker than the curious, and brighter than a meteor
Never knowing who to trust can make me insecure
Let me clear my throat, let me catch my breath
Let my heart bleed out till there's nothing left
It's my day to be brilliant
It's my day to be brilliant
Verto's power-up continued as he considered his options. Well, it is handy that the seal changed so that I don't need to release it to be a Super Saiyan, never mind the next level. With his regeneration, I'll have to play this carefully. With his flexibility, I'll have to be careful and stay in the air to give me enough reaction time to avoid him. He'll try to use his range, so I'll have to use mine to counter. Getting close without seeing his real reaction time is risky, even if he's not used to whatever this body is. Physical attacks won't be much good. His body is like Buu's, which means that it can essentially absorb physical attacks and reshape itself at will, never mind the regeneration. So far, I'd say energy attacks are the best option. Well, plenty of options there. I shouldn't use Instant Transmission unless I absolutely have to, the training alone from earlier is still weighing on me as it is. Using it as much as I have already was risky as it burned up my energy reserves, but with Goku and Gohan here I can rely on my own speed. After this I'm going to need a nap.
Schultz looked more than ready, "Well?"
Verto's smirk returned, "Careful what you wish for." Verto suddenly shot a golden blast aimed at Schultz's torso. Schultz's body contorted slightly and shifted so that it created a hole for the blast to pass through. Schultz looked down to ensure it happened correctly and realized that mistake too late. The snap-hiss of Verto's golden sword sounded as he sliced into Schultz's head before the latter could even turn back around. As a good portion of the green head slid off, and Verto turned the sword to strike at the neck. Schultz's arm reacted and stopped his swing by grabbing Verto's wrist as his face was already bubbling and trying to reform.
Count it down from 10 to 1, faster than a hurricane
Callin' out to everyone, "Are you mad or insane?"
Quicker when you're curious, and better once you realize
Finding someone you can trust gets results, check your pulse
"Nice try," Schultz commented. With his other hand, Verto shot his energy forward in a burst of golden Ki lightning, freeing him as Schultz staggered back in pain. Verto glided backwards as he threw his sword into Schultz's torso, using his control to stop it from going clean through. Schultz glanced down at the golden blade buried in his chest, and at Verto's command, it brightened with intensity suddenly as he held his palm open.
"What is this trick supposed to be? You think stabbing me will even mat…" Schultz was saying as Verto closed his fist. A golden explosion of Ki promptly came out of the sword, following by Schultz's painful scream as his body was blown apart. One of his arms was cut and sent flying to the side, but the rest of his body evaporated.
Let me clear my throat, let me catch my breath
Let my heart bleed out till there's nothing left
It's my day to be brilliant
It's my day to be brilliant
Verto eyed the ground carefully for the piece of the head he had cut, but it too had been vaporized. His eyes darted to the tendril that had gotten away and he took off into the air and hovered over it from a generous distance. He considered blowing it up right there, but he wanted to see the extent of Schultz's regeneration. He wasn't disappointed, because soon the tendril began to writhe around on its own and expand in size. It didn't take much more than about thirty seconds for it to expand enough for arms and legs to form, followed quickly by a head and blonde hair sprouting from it. So, just like Cell and Buu, he can regenerate as long as there is something left. Noted.
Schultz reformed quickly and took in a deep breath of exasperation. "Damn you boy, now I'm mad!" Schultz shouted at him.
"You wanted a test, can't complain now," Verto said with his arms folded as arcs of lightning went through him.
Schultz stood up and promptly stomped his foot hard into the ground, "Then let's see you deal with this!" Verto saw a definite change in Schultz's leg as it expanded for a moment and then thinned out from top to bottom. He hovered a little higher into the air to be cautious, just in time to avoid a long green tendril that shot out from the ground directly below him. Several more shot up from the ground, attempting to stab him like before, but Verto was able to avoid them easily.
"Oh, that's not all!" Schultz called out as he held out his arms. Numerous tendrils shot out of the ground and his arms, arcing towards Verto and surrounding him. Even though they missed his body, Schultz was able to command them to completely encompass Verto in the air, and he brought his arms closer, causing the mass of scaly tendrils to condense into a sphere. He sensed a momentary flare of energy before the tendrils completely encased the Saiyan, and he felt no movement inside.
"Ha, how will you escape now?" Schultz taunted. A bright golden light smashed into his head from behind, erasing it for a moment as the tendril ball collapsed.
"I don't need to try too hard when your eyes clearly suck," Verto said as he lowered his smoking palm.
Schultz's head reformed as his arms and legs retracted, snarling he returned to shape, "How did you get out of that?"
"I won't bore you with the details. Like I said, your eyes suck," Verto replied as he stepped forward.
Say it if you're one of us, the beaten and the furious
Injustice and lies, for the very last time
It's all the same (Believe it or not)
But this ain't a game (And I'll never stop)
So you better run for your life
Schultz yelled with rage and thrust his arm forward, extending it as he did. It passed right through Verto as his after-image disappeared. Schultz realized what happened and spun just in time to avoid another blast coming for him. Schultz moved his head to the side to avoid it, and as he did, spotted Verto with his open hand stretched like before. The blast stopped just as it passed Schultz and exploded right there; enveloping most of Schultz in its light. He couldn't help but scream as his body was scorched in places and vaporized in others. The light faded and he began to regenerate again, but before his body reformed, Verto phased in before him and thrust a glowing fist into his torso just before it burst with more golden light.
"Galic Fist!" The explosion that followed split Schultz in two, sending his upper portion upwards while his lower portion simply collapsed. Verto noticed this and quickly blasted the lower portion, eliminating it. Schultz cringed as he glided towards the ground and attempted to stretch out a tendril to attack Verto while he was distracted. This didn't work and Verto was able to dodge with plenty of time. Schultz's arm retracted and he began to regenerate his legs as soon as it did. Verto's eyes narrowed, I think I just found a weakness. Have to test it to know for sure.
Let me clear my throat, let me catch my breath
Let my heart bleed out till there's nothing left
It's my day to be brilliant
It's my day to be brilliant
Schultz again stomped into the ground as soon as he landed, prompting Verto to jump into the air just before the long tendrils arrived and split to try to catch him. This time, Schultz did not use his arms and relied solely on the tendrils he was creating with his legs. Verto took the chance and threw a small blast at Schultz, who didn't bother to dodge it as it struck his torso and left a gaping hole. The tendril assault continued, and because of the sheer numbers, Verto was unable to make another attack before he had to dodge midair.
This continued for several moments as Schultz grinned, "I think I'm finally getting the hang of this." Verto ducked, phased out and dove randomly to avoid the tendril attacks, knowing that he did not want to get hit by them again. A few times they were close enough for Verto to have to deflect with his bare hands or strike a partial energy shield that he was able to muster for a moment. Below, he saw that Schultz was indeed getting better at controlling the tendrils, but he also noticed that he hadn't regenerated.
He can't attack and regenerate at the same time. Or perhaps he just can't multitask his body enough, hard to tell. His body's ability to create all these appendages also appears to rob him of being able to reform. But the problem with that is if he is too stretched out there's a good chance that I can't blast all of him and I'm right back to this. I'll have to get him off the ground while he's limited for long enough to wipe him out entirely. Verto then stopped and crossed his arms to help focus his energy.
Schultz saw this as a chance to strike and sent all the tendril mass at him at once. Just as they would have arrived, Verto's energy flared and he unleashed a massive explosive wave as he spread his arms, disintegrating all the tendrils near him. Schultz was shocked and retracted what was left of the attack, regenerating as he did. Verto sighed slightly as the blast faded and he dropped to the ground, focused on his task.
Schultz seemed slightly pleased with himself, "It seems I'm holding up better than you expected. I haven't seen you this flustered yet."
Verto shrugged, "I wouldn't say I'm flustered at all. You've made a lot of mistakes already, just not the fatal one yet."
Schultz grinned, "Oh do tell, I am very curious."
"No, you're just insane, especially for thinking you can get out of this one. Even if you're a demon now, you're a shit fighter. No training, just unrefined tricks. Honestly, I have a harder time with house flies," Verto said.
Schultz snorted with annoyance, "Oh really? Then how come you haven't destroyed me yet?"
Verto's hand lit with vivid gold as he charged it into a single finger, "Didn't I tell you already to be patient? Ki Cutter!"
As the world collides and I fight for air
As I crash and burn like I just don't care
It's my day to be brilliant
It's my day to be brilliant
Schultz recognized the attack and leapt into the air just as the vivid beam slashed through his torso, separating his body once again since Verto had aimed high. Verto blasted the lower half away as his Ki Cutter beam retracted and formed into a bright, spinning ball. Schultz, in mid-air, sweated nervously as he realized he was nowhere near the ground and only half his body was still there. He chose to form his arm into a long spear and shot it straight at Verto, spiraling as it did. As before, he couldn't regenerate when he did this, and Verto had his chance. Verto fired the ball of bright energy right into the tendril spear and watched as it spun and quickly tore through the tendril on its way to Schultz's body. Schultz was able to retract enough to regenerate his lower body just as the large orb ripped through his upper half and continued into the sky. He began to fall to the ground, reforming as he did. Below him was a different story though, as Verto had moved again, and the land darkened to the bright green blast forming in his right hand that was pulled back to his side.
Count it down from 10 to 1, quicker when you're curious
Say it if you're one of us, the beaten and the furious
Are you mad or insane, mad or insane
Are you mad or insane, you better run for your life
"Final Shine!"
Schultz screamed as the energy blast increased in size several fold when it left Verto's hand, and there was little he could do about it. His scream faded as the blast erased his body entirely, leaving not one trace or piece of tendril remaining as it soared into the sky and left the planet.
Verto sighed as he glanced around briefly before lowering his arm, wanting to ensure that it was over. He no longer sensed Schultz or the demonic presence that he had become, nor did he sense anything else threatening. Goku, Gohan and Videl flew over with baby Uub in tow, all smiles.
"Great job! You're getting good at this!" Goku complimented.
Verto shrugged it off, "Yeah well, I get a lot of practice. That guy would've been more dangerous if he had time to figure out his new demon body. He couldn't even use his real power. Gohan, did you have Kain record everything?"
Gohan pulled the earpiece from his ear, "Yeah, do you want it back?"
"Not yet, give it to Bulma and make good use of it. And do me a favor, take me back to Master Roshi's island, I don't think I can stay awake that long…" Verto suddenly trailed off as his hair faded and he collapsed. Videl gasped and moved to aid him, only for Gohan to stop her. A loud snore came out of Verto, signaling that he had fallen asleep.
"Geez, he's so tired he finally just dropped!" Videl exclaimed.
"I'm guessing it's been at least a week since he actually slept more than a few hours a night, if that. Right around when all this trouble started, he worries too much," Gohan noted.
"Eight days, and seventeen hours since he last got the recommended amount of sleep spanning a minimum of five hours. Three days and thirteen hours since he slept at all," Kain's voice said from the earpiece, loud enough for everyone to hear.
"That's, kinda messed up," Goku said.
"Dad, I think we need to meet with Vegeta and Bulma about this, they might know more about what is going on. And we need to find where Doctor Wheelo ran off to. I lost track of him during the battle and with an android's body we can't sense his presence easily. Whatever happened to Detective Satsu? I thought I sensed him up here?" Gohan pondered as Videl shrugged.
Goku shrugged, "Maybe he got caught in the battle somehow, but I don't think we need to worry about that busted android. Let's take Uub and his mother's body back to the villagers that survived. Then we should get the dragon balls to bring the ones that died back to life."
Gohan nodded in agreement, "Sure, I'll take Verto to Kame House so he can recover properly." Goku walked over with Uub to retrieve his mother, while Gohan loaded up Verto over his shoulder. All at once, the figures vanished, each of them teleporting in a different direction and leaving nothing behind.
In the tree line, Doctor Wheelo sighed with relief. He jumped down from the tree, and immediately heard a footfall behind him, a foot that was wearing white boots. He didn't even get to turn around before a fist slammed into his body and shattered it into pieces, with his head bouncing away just right to turn and see who it was.
"You?! How dare you! You are all doomed…" his robotic voice trailed off.
Vegeta spat on the remains before firing a blast that wiped out the rest of him, "Tch, he's like a damn weed."
Piccolo emerged from the trees just behind Vegeta, "Clearly we need to find the roots then." Vegeta grumbled slightly but didn't answer.
"Can I take that as a safe bet that you agree that we need to take a more active role and not just leave this to Verto? We've sat on the sidelines enough, it's time to act. We have no idea how many followers this guy has now," Piccolo explained.
Vegeta gave a very subtle nod, "The boy should've come to us sooner."
"He did, you considered it a waste of time, right?"
"Shut up, I didn't realize there was going to be demons involved with this crap," Vegeta countered.
Piccolo grimaced, "I'm not entirely certain that there is, at least not yet. We should meet with the others like Gohan suggested to trade what we've learned so far. Even you have to agree that trying to fight a slippery enemy should involve a careful approach." Vegeta huffed slightly and took off into the sky, heading north. Piccolo followed shortly after, leaving the area to settle as the sun rose enough to bathe the devastated area in its light.
"Brilliant" – by Shinedown
A/N: And so ends the life of the lackey turned demon. I hope everyone caught all the hints I dropped in the last two chapters. I understand if you didn't. And I suppose I can drop some numbers.
Power levels
Verto (tired Super Saiyan): 150 million; severely injured: 4 million. Super Saiyan 2 (healed): 385 million
Dr. Wheelo (android copy): 35 million
Videl: 7 million
Schultz (demon-hybrid): capable of 200 million
Baby Uub (enraged): 200 million
Transformed cyborgs: 1,000 each
WDG: Why does it seem like this isn't the actual end of Schultz?
VB: What makes you think that?
WDG: Because you aren't the red herring type.
VB: I'll let it be a mystery then.