Project Cloud
Chapter 12 - Promise
Seeing Goku, a little incredible boy, now turned cyborg, manage to go toe to toe with Piccolo was nothing short of breathtaking. But eventually, the tables did indeed turn. Pilaf, Mai, and Shuu weren't the only ones watching, on the verge of passing out at what they were seeing taking place right before them.
Goku's entire strategy had been for him to solely rely on his stamina because of the fact that his previous battle with Bulma in her weaponized suit overpowered him in every way and weakened him severely. Despite not having as much power, he had enough energy to keep going. The only downside now was that Piccolo's increased power is now much more superior to his so Goku has to do his best playing the waiting game against someone who intends to kill him with every attack.
Missing Piccolo with a direct jab caused Goku's entire body to tingle and shake due to being plundered into the ground by a ruthless kick to the spine. Struggling to get back up as he turned around, a bright beam coming his way brings Goku's eyes to alert.
His only reaction is to roll over. However, the impact of the beam's explosion once it hit the ground propelled the young warrior sliding into the green grass like rocks skipping on water.
Piccolo shows no mercy as he zooms behind Goku and punts the kid in the kidney like a football. Goku's aerial time was short-lived as he was soon redirected back over to the ground. This time Piccolo didn't wait until Goku was down on the green damaged grass to blast him.
Just inches off the ground, Goku was struck by a ball of energy. The explosion accelerated his fall and nearly crushed his back once he crashed.
Looking down on the boy was as beautiful as star gazing - like a wish to come true. Here, the brat was, just mere moments ago, besting him with sheer and utter confidence. Now, the kid couldn't do as much as protect himself.
Goku's body trembled - not in fear - but in agony. Despite that pain, he put all his effort into not letting it show so that Piccolo couldn't dare receive the validation he so desired from his own victims. The young warrior still hoped that his stamina would last him, but it didn't take long for him to realize that Piccolo was planning on taking him out as soon as possible.
"I-If only I get more time...I can win."
Hovering in mid-air, rejoicing the sweet cool breeze of victory slap his face, brings Piccolo Daimao to uncontrollable laughter. Son Goku, perhaps the strongest person on this planet, has proven himself unable to dethrone the Great King Piccolo. Knowing this just elevated the green demon's ego to much higher degrees. If this brat couldn't take him down, then nobody would ever be able to.
Piccolo's flesh-tearing teeth chattered in excitement as he stretched his right hand out with his left over his right forearm. "You get to be the first great Martial Artist to fall at the hands of the Great King!"
Channeling his energy, a blinding yellow light begins to emit mere inches from the palm of his hands. "By the power of the Demon Wave, PERISH!"
Forcing as much energy as he possibly could to disintegrate his fallen enemy, Piccolo's eyes grow wider and wider the closer that his attack gets. A smile of utter ecstasy is plastered over his demonic mien once an explosion ensues.
Like an overweight kid with an eating disorder in a candy shop, Piccolo starts cheering on about his triumph. He's beaten the strongest. Nobody can stop him. He is number one and his ideal world of anarchy and dystopia shall reign forever on.
But also, like a fat kid finding out he's run out of candy, Piccolo's smile turns upside down. The sight of Goku still lying down in the same position as he was before through the smoke.
"What!?"
The kid should be obliterated - literally nothing at this point! How in the hell could he still even be intact? Hell, how could his clothes still be on!?
"Boo."
Turning around, Piccolo's eyes come into contact with an all black piece of armor, which grabbed him maliciously by the throat and held him up.
His world has taken a complete 180. One moment, he's on top of the world, ready to swipe the world with his feet, yet the very next, he's being held onto like a midget. "L-Let me go...swine! H-How dare you raise the Great Ki-"
Dr. Gero tightens his grip around Piccolo's throat to the point of almost crushing his windpipe, albeit successful enough to silence him.
"Fine, I'll let you go."
Piccolo was tossed down at the ground effortlessly. The mere impact of his crash landing mere meters away from Goku was enough to knock him out of consciousness on impact.
Goku's body is almost feeling numb, but he manages to muster up the strength to stand back up on his two feet as Dr. Gero descends down right before him.
"I warned you that you weren't in proper condition to be able to best him."
Goku doesn't acknowledge the comment. He knows he technically disobeyed Gero, but at the same time, he went on with his goal in an attempt to take him back to HQ as he was told. Though he failed, he knows that Gero sees this as a sign of loyalty.
"How'd you get that thing?" Goku asks, referring to the suit Bulma used to wreck him at the tournament.
"An opportunity arose and i took it," Gero tells him simply. He looks over to the supposed Great Demon King, seeing him laid out like a little doll on the shelf. "Though you're in no condition to fight at the moment, you're still able to bring him back to HQ. Do just that and we'll have a new friend around."
For the first time since he had been converted, a subtle grin formed on the young boy's face. The thought of having an ally being converted just like him had caused his tail to wag back and forth. Despite the fact that he no longer held any authentic emotions or genuine attachments to anybody didn't mean anything. Deep down inside, there was still the thought of getting to test his own power against Piccolo once he was formed. The excitement of battle still dawned onto the kid. He wanted nothing more than to be able to test Piccolo again, this time with an even fairer fight.
But of course, he would have to come out victorious.
The realization of Bulma's ultimate creation being robbed by none other than Gero still had everyone shook.
Shaking in his boots as cold sweats fell down his pig face, Oolong didn't care that he was showing everyone else just how much he was panicking. "Man...man…" Not only was it the fact that Bulma's suit was stolen, but witnessing Piccolo being taken in by Gero was the straw that broke the camel's back. "If they convert Piccolo into one of these things, then the world really is doomed."
"The world was doomed as soon as Gero got his hands on my suit," Bulma growls.
Everyone was hurt and there was great reason for it. They've lost a great person and friend in Goku - who's so far gone that he's actually killed one of their own allies and his own grandpa, who's already dead. But most of all, Bulma's mother. Just when they thought things were looking up a bit with Pilaf coming to their side, his treason was the absolute cause of their current predicament. It was a giant slap in the face. All she ever wanted from the beginning was some immature wish, which developed into growing great relationships with different types of people across the world. Sure, she imagined bad things would happen down the road, but not like this.
Frustrated, hurt, betrayed, and sorrowful, the young woman just couldn't take it anymore. "I have to go."
Before she could let anyone see her tears fall as her mental break down began to set in, she was headed for the door.
Tights knew just how hurt Bulma was. Being the big sister she was, she wanted to at least try to console her. Racing Bulma down outside, she spotted her little sister taking out a jet capsule. "Bulma, whe-"
"Fuck off." After she gets into the jet, Bulma tells Tights that she will see them when she sees them. Nothing else was said after she made the decision to leave.
Everyone was quick to come outside, witnessing Tights mushing her hot red face into her sweaty palms, which were now mixed with her salty tears. The sight of this put everyone's head down to shame. Nobody knew what to do at this point.
"How can we go about this now!?" Puar asks. "It just keeps getting worse and worse."
The time for words of encouragement probably wasn't proper at the moment, but Upa wasn't going to bite his tongue and not speak his mind. No matter how cliche this was going to sound, he knew that he was right. "We have to remain optimistic. We have to keep fighting back."
"Fight back all you want, but none of you will ever be able to get rid of the threats to be with your current power."
A pitch black genie with giant reddish lips and eyes that could pierce one's soul stood on a magic, flying carpet with his hands behind his back. "The training you all require will have to be beyond this world if any of you want even the smallest chance of besting what will inevitably come."
In times like these, there was no telling if anyone was friend or foe. Everyone had a right to be suspicious.
Yamcha didn't fear in asking who the hell he was with hostile intent. They could never be too careful anymore.
Despite the fact that these people were very well capable of teaming up on him and beating on him if he even had the slightest ill-will, the enigmatic figure remained with his jolly smile and responds honestly.
"I am Mister Popo - God's Servant."
Due to the neverending dangers that had been finding itself on the Planet Earth, many people began to panic. However, as most panicked, there were those that had been calm enough to think methodically in regards as to how they could still escape and prolong their lives - even if just a little while longer. Because of the fact that many islands had been untouched by any demons or other villains, this is where a few smart people decided to evacuate to.
Bulma, on the other hand, decided to not go to any islands. She remained by herself, resided in Yunzabit Heights. Staring into the dark grey clouds on top of the grass pillars of the breezy air, feeling the strong winds slap the tears from her face, Bulma couldn't help about everything that has been going on ever since Goku was captured. That sweet, brave, daring little boy that she felt she could call brother snapped Launch's neck, slaughtered her parents...without a second thought. The boy who was willing to help a lost turtle get back to sea even though she only thought for herself at the time wouldn't even care in helping a bird with a clipped wing be able to somehow fly again. He didn't care about anyone anymore. Hell, Goku probably didn't care for himself at this point.
Squeezing her eyes shut, Bulma does her best to keep herself from screaming at the top of her lungs; her voice cracking as she wimpers - fists so tightly clenched that blood begins to stream from her palms down to the tips of her finger nails, dripping one by one as if they were coming from a leaking faucet. Head down in guilt, shame, and the feeling of utter failure, the thought of just jumping off this 100 foot pillar acrossed her mind.
But she couldn't put her friends through that pain. Her leaving them as she did probably hurt them more. No, there was only one more solution. Sure enough, she probably wouldn't be around for a while, but she knew that Upa Yamcha and Krillin would hang in there. They had no choice. Everyone at this point is backed into a corner. And as Bulma knows best, the best comes out of those who are against the ropes.
"Hey..."
Bulma sniffed the snot running down her nose and wiped away her tears with her bloody hands before turning around to face a long-time friend.
There, Jaco was, leaning against a rock. Always the silly, goofy one, he was well aware of Earth's current predicament. After all, he was the one member of the Galactic Patrol who had to check on the place every now and then. He could only imagine the pain that the young woman was going through.
"Hi..." Bulma responds softly. She barely had the strength to speak with confidence any more.
"You know..." Jaco folds his arms. "When you were a little girl, I never thought that you'd actually volunteer to come into the Galactic Patrol after all these years. I was only kinda joking..." he starts to scratch his head. "but then again, you would be a very valuable asset with your intelligence. Are you sure you want to come?"
"Before I make my final decision..." Bulma takes in a final breath. "You mentioned that you can learn information by installing data into your brain, right? Tights told me you've said something like this."
Jaco nods his head. "That's how we learn languages, different fighting styles, etc. Our technology is lightyears ahead of yours. But too much can overload your brain and may make you go crazy. It's happened before."
"My brain can take it." Bulma begins walking over to Jaco, spotting his ship on a pillar down below. "It's taken more than enough to break me already. But here I am."
"Touche," Jaco responds. "Let's go."
As Bulma and Jaco head into the ship, the latter of the two wastes no time in starting his ship and beginning to head out. It would be Bulma's very first time leaving her own planet and heading out. She was leaving behind her home, though not for good.
If there was one promise she could make...she was going to come back better...and stronger than ever.
