The more he fought, the more Veku found he was learning about himself. Every moment of his every existence had been a time for discovery – even his unfortunate, bloated first incarnation. A fusion doesn't have time to think. A fusion is thrust into reality, overwhelmed by a double load of traits and experiences. So when it came down to it, all Veku had was his instincts. Prior to the act, he had no idea he was capable of Instant Transmission. He never recalled having the urge as Gogeta or Vegito. And he certainly had never been empowered by empathic abilities before either.

A battle where potential was completely unknown. What a fantastic idea.

Still, he had to end it somehow. He had been hoped to gain the upper hand and force an opening to destroy Nevrrest's fusion band. But that wasn't happening. Despite whatever new tricks Veku might learn, he was certain at this point he couldn't out muscle her. At least she no longer had her speed advantage. Yes, she could move faster than he could. But even her movements weren't instantaneous. It wasn't speed or power he needed. It was strategy. Simply being the better fighter wasn't going to be enough this time. He had to create that opening or all this effort would be for nothing.

It was hard to think, though, with the way Nevrrest kept coming down on him. Especially when thinking wasn't a fusion's strong point. Nevrrest was like a persistent storm determined to rip his coat off and leave him naked and dying in the cold. Every time she managed to break the skin and draw blood, he felt the rage he was born from intensify. Enough of this. Way past enough of this. With every passing moment, he felt that well of anger boil, ready to explode and take him over completely. Enough of this. Enough of this. Enough of this!

Nevrrest squawked as Veku grabbed her face in a grip so tight, her eyes nearly popped out. His fingers dug like knives into her feathers, his face ridged with livid veins and lips curled to his gums. A beam lit point blank and Nevrrest seized his wrist and yanked it to the side, it blazing over her shoulder instead of hitting her dead in the chest. His eyes showed veins and he screamed as he plowed her downward, throwing so many punches and kicks that it seemed he had grown twenty limbs.

He drew blood from her left earhole and knocked one of her belly plates clean off before she slashed his belly with her right elbow blades. He gasped and fell backward through the air. Dammit…what the hell have I done?! Rocks dug into his back as he landed with a bounce. Why did I lose my cool…I left myself wide open!

But then…that was the answer. He finally knew. He knew because he didn't have time to think, but his instincts told him. The only way he would ever get to Nevrrest was if he made her so angry, that she forgot everything else and left herself open. Veku laughed as blood trickled across his abs and he touched it, laughing louder as he looked at the red on his fingertips. He stood up as Nevrrest landed, holding out the hand to her.

"Sorry, Nevrrest, but it looks like you need to stop pulling your punches." Her feathers stood on end, pushing up through the dragon-like scales as he grinned. "Your attack didn't go nearly deep enough. All you really gave me was a flesh wound."

"…You have incredible defenses," she finally said.

"And you got too excited," he wagged a finger at her, "With the number of kills you've screwed up today, you think you'd finally have it figured out. Find someone else to fight. Maybe you'll miss and kill me by accident." He put up his arms just as her foot talons slashed at his throat. His eyes narrowed as he grinned. Get mad, Nevrrest! Get so mad, you can't even think.

(**Scene Break**)

Nada dreamed that he was falling at full speed down a waterfall toward a sea of teeth. And when he opened his eyes, he knew why. Even with his dull cypher sense of smell, he instantly recognized the distinct sour, sweet aroma of regenerative fluid. The healing chamber next to him was smashed, so someone had ripped out one of the intake tubes and arranged it so that it spewed a continual shower of the solution down on him. His apparent savior stood in the expanding puddle – a strange little man with six dots on his forehead, a near invisible nose, and a shaggy tuff of black hair. The man was holding out a hand toward him for some reason.

"Hey, I think it's working," said the little man, his voice distinctly nasal.

"Good," shivered a figure hunkered down behind the little man, "Now let's get out of here!"

Nada's large fingers twitched, instinctually fiddling for the cigarette that wasn't there. He sat up through the waterfall of fluid, feeling broken bones scream. He looked at his hands and saw they were wrapped in bandages. He touched his face and found more there, ran his hands down his exposed torso and found it tightly wrapped.

He cracked a grin and dryly laughed. "So…how does the other guy look?"

"What's that?" Krillin asked, confused.

"It was a fight…right?" Nada scooted himself forward, "So, how's the other guy?"

"I don't know anything about a fight," Krillin answered, lowering his arm and releasing the flow of ki, "Don't you remember what happened?"

Nada frowned and squinted. "It's…a little foggy," he admitted, "I think I remember using my Talent though…" He gave him a wry look. "You sure there wasn't a fight?"

"To be honest, I don't really know what happened." Krillin pushed the shrunken Juri-dur half way into view. "My friend here found you imbedded in a wall. This ship you're on crashed."

Nada squinted harder. "The ship…crashed?"

Juri-dur squirmed against Krillin's insistence that he remain in view and finally blurted, "You're a probationary marshal, right?!" He glared anxiously at the glowing numbers imprinted in Nada's right shoulder.

Nada scratched a finger against his bandaged temple. "Yeah?"

"See?!" Juri-dur hissed at Krillin, pulling at his shirt, "That means he works for Nevrrest!"

Krillin sighed, turned, and patted Juri-dur on the shoulder. "Hey, why don't you go check on the rest of the crew? I can sense some people who are starting to get low on their energy."

"And leave you alone with him?" Juri-dur gasped. Krillin wiggled his eyebrows at him. "Oh…okay." Juri-dur shot Nada another look and hurried out the bent medical door.

Nada muttered to himself as he dug around his pants pocket and Krillin sat on his knees by him. "So…about all that. I do have some questions for you."

"Damn things…!"

"Eh?"

"My cigarettes are all gone," Nada snarled, "I must have lost them when…the crash, right?"

"Maybe," Krillin shrugged, "But about this probationary thing…it means you used to be a criminal, right?"

Nada stared at him. "Pffffftttt—ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" he kicked back his head and laughed, "Hahahahahaha—ow." He cringed, holding his side. "Ah, it hurts to laugh…ha…you have no idea who I am, do you?"

"Not really. I didn't even know what a Cypher was until today."

"Well then you've lived a pretty boring life, stranger."

"My name's Krillin," he offered in a friendly gesture.

"Heh. I'm lucky enough that you and your jitterbug friend don't know who I am, so I see no reason to tell you."

"Can I at least know your name?"

He rubbed his thumb against his fingers, itching for the cigarette that wasn't there. "Nada."

Krillin pinched his face with disappointment. "Come on. It won't hurt for me to just know your name."

"I just gave it to you, short stack."

"Oh your name is Nada! Should have figured that. But anyhow…we have people like you on Earth. Former criminals who help the police. So…you wouldn't do anything stupid, right?"

"Now hold on," said Nada, putting a hand on a collapsed table, trying to get to his feet, "I don't even know what's going on. I think…I hurt my head in this crash of yours, didn't I?"

"Probably," Krillin said with uncertainty, standing up as well, "You were pretty banged up when we found you."

Nada looked down at his tightly bandaged fingers, flexing them gently. "Huh. I almost remember though…a prisoner had escaped and I was…" Flashes of black hair and black eyes. "…You sure there wasn't a fight?"

"Like I said, I don't know." Krillin folded his arms. "Anyhow, you should stick with us. If you really are working for Nevrrest, just know that I'll have my eye on you."

"Nevrrest…?" Like lightning, the terrible thought passed through his mind and he collapsed back to one knee, clutching his head.

"Whoa!" Krillin jumped to his side, "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

Not a fight…I was trying to detain Vegeta! Nada thought as sweat ran down his face, Kakarot…the doc…Vegeta…and the ship crashed?! No…no! I've failed at every turn…

"You aren't looking so good…"

Nada felt the walls closing in on him. Those walls were more terrible than any foe – any horror he could experience. I can't go back…no! I won't go back in a cell! Damned if Nevrrest wins or loses…either way I'm done for! Come on, think…! There has to be a way out of this…!

"Hey," Krillin dropped a hand on his shoulder and gently shook him, "Come on. Let's get you some air."

Eyes wide and sweating, Nada let Krillin lead him out of the broken infirmary.

(**Scene Break**)

Nevrrest had grown tired. Exhausted, wasted, languished. Not in her body, which was still bursting with incalculable energy, but in her mind. She had never in the whole of her life been in a battle this long. She just wanted it to end. She was desperate for it to end. She found herself longing for the time before Sepis's probes had discovered Vegeta's location. Things were simpler back then. With the criminals under her heel and the galaxy's finest at her back, everything was quick and efficient. Things got done. All was as it should be.

Surely there was still something of that left. There had to be a straight and clear solution. But she had spent so many options already. She had tried victory through strength. She had tried victory through speed. She had tried to outwit and to out-skill. But she was still no closer to winning than she had been when this all started. It was starting to feel like a hopeless, senseless cause. Something inside her was breaking down as a result. Her internal structure was like the quivering supports of a bridge, wavering on collapse.

One way or another, something was going to give. The question was what?

Another punch struck air as Veku vanished and appeared behind her in an instant. She screeched and whipped her tail at him. He laughed as he deflected the blades. "Really, Nevrrest?" the combined man mocked, "Can't you think of any new attacks? You're like that television commercial that stopped being interesting months ago."

Dammit, he's right! she thought as her feathers stood on end, At this point, we're literally just running each other in circles! And I can't afford to keep dragging this out. I'm running out of time…

"But I've got a new one." Her eyes widened as he was suddenly behind her, palm extended. "Big Dragon Bang!"

Everything turned white as Nevrrest was assaulted by a gigantic, exploding dragon head made of yellow light. When she could finally see again, she saw that her defenses had only just held – many of her scales blackened from the impact. A deep growl rumbled in her throat as she shifted to glare at him.

"Oh you want to play the ultimate attack game, do you?" she hissed quietly. Her glowing eyes narrowed. "Fine." Her tail rose in an arch over her head, resting between the two fingers of her right hand to complete the circle. Red energy began to spark across the arch, gathering at the point where the two limbs met. "Then I've got a new one for you as well…"

"Hm!" Veku's brow lowered as he immediately readied himself.

The blazing, angry light of the energy danced across her deadly brow. "Ray of Malice!"

She thrust her tail around her, sending out a razor-like beam followed by a growing tail from the origin point. Veku immediately shot upward to avoid it, the blazing sliver following him. With every movement he made, the attack tracked him perfectly. Veku flashed his teeth and dove right at Nevrrest.

"A homing attack, huh?" he called out, "Frieza tried that once!"

He flashed away with instant transmission just before colliding with her. The ray followed that same course. Nevrrest didn't budge as it shot right at her. It was an inch from her beak when it abruptly changed course.

"I'm not Frieza," she coldly reminded as the attack rocketed after Veku.

Veku growled with frustration as the red sliver found its way right on top of him once again. He weaved his way around rocks and through the still shooting geyser, using instant transmission several times to jump around Nevrrest. But no matter what he did, the thing kept pursuing with scary precision and persistence. He was just considering attempting to beat it back with an attack of his own when he flew right into another narrow red beam. Veku gasped and ducked at the last second, the beam slicing off a layer of vest and flesh from his back instead of his head. Veku roared with pain as the blood ran down his back.

Then he realized the trick. The tail of the ray never cut from its origin point. It was like an ever growing snake that remained everywhere it had been before, hanging there just as deadly as the head that pursued him. The more he fled, the more he weaved an obstacle course of death around himself. By this point, it was nearly everywhere in the landscape – a tangled ball of red yarn ready to cut him to pieces.

"It's a malicious ray alright," Veku muttered as he continued to flee, "A real vicious and clever attack. Just the sort of trick Nevrrest would use. But the question is how do I beat it?"

For a moment, he actually considered using Empathic Reflect. But it was soon clear from the wound he had already received that he couldn't afford to allow the ray to hit him again. He could try holding it at bay with his own attack as he had previously considered. But that would only result in a power struggle that would likely hold out until his time as a fusion expired, leaving his halves to try to fend it off. At this rate, he was likely going to use up his remaining time just evading the thing. Nothing he tried seemed to even slow it down. It cut through everything like a hot knife through butter. Surely there had to be some way to stop it.

Then it hit him that maybe there was one thing that could get in its way. With this inspiration, he flew directly at a section of the ray's unending tail. The red sliver nearly touched his nose when he transmitted away. The ray collided with itself and the whole thing shattered like glass, dissipating into nothing.

Nevrrest snarled. "Dammit!"

"Nice trick," said Veku, folding his arms and floating, "Got any others?"

Her eye twitched and who knew what she would have done next if her fusion band hadn't suddenly started blinking. "Incoming message," said the computer's voice through her band.

"Sepis," she whispered. Veku moved at her and she threw out her arms, pushing her energy out in a constant sphere. Veku gritted his teeth, blasting and slamming his knuckles against the barrier as Nevrrest tapped her band. "Sepis!"

(**Scene Break**)

Sepis wasn't sure how he'd managed to regain himself. But when he had – though weak, terrified, and in pain – he had had no other thought than of Nevrrest. Contacting her was an instantaneous reflex, worry throbbing through his shell like a blood-born disease.

"Nevrrest…" he whispered, "What's happened…? Why isn't the fighting over…? Are you…alright…?"

Her face in the holographic projection twitched. "Sepis…why does your energy feel so low?"

Sepis's antennae fluttered. "I sent half my energy to the Core," he quickly lied, "Every little bit counts, right…?"

Nevrrest grimaced but he was glad to see she accepted the partial truth. The last thing he wanted was for her to become distracted from her peril. "I see. I don't have much time. The fight isn't going well."

"Oh no," Sepis quivered, "What do you want me to do? Do you…" He shivered. "Need more energy?"

"Yes…no. No, I promised you no more increases. Besides…risking lives is one thing. Making the choice to kill them outright…no. No, Sepis, I'll find another way."

"Are you sure? Please, let me do something, anything—"

"No, Sepis," she said firmly, "I see now I have been going about this the wrong way."

"Wrong way…?" Something in her voice made him twitch.

"Lock up the controls, Sepis. Your part in this is done. Stay safe. I'll come for you soon."

She ended the call before anymore could be said. A chill ran through the Arlian as, barely able to crawl, he dragged himself back to the monitoring station and sabotaged the Core's controls so that even he couldn't access it without hours of repairs. The deck was entirely in Nevrrest's hands now. For some reason, the thought terrified him.

"Something's wrong…" he whispered as he dropped his tool belt, having no further use for it, "Something's wrong…Nevrrest…"

As if some thread of fate were tugging him along, Sepis found himself slumped before the massive door of the Core Chamber. He sat in a heap before it for a long time, whispering his beloved friend's name once more and opening it. It occurred to him suddenly that he was disregarding Nevrrest's wish for him to stay safe. After all, there was no place safer than the Core Chamber. But he couldn't stay. Something was terribly wrong with Nevrrest. Somehow, he just knew it in his gut. He had to get to her. He had to save her. Despite what she said, his heart told him his part in this wasn't over.

He moved at a sleeping man's pace, mediating between a crawl and slumped walk, feeling the wrecked ship quake around him from the battle outside. Whenever he'd lose strength and collapse, he'd take the moment to tinker at his scouter, trying to get it to compensate its readings for whatever was taking place outside. He wasn't sure how he was moving or how he'd regained consciousness in the first place, but he simply accepted it as yet another tug of fate.

His scouter beeped loudly. He hardly believed the size of the energy signature coming at him until he felt the gust of wind and he was suddenly being held up in the air like a small child. Sepis cried out and flapped his arms with all the vigor of a dying bird as a man no bigger than he scowled at him from the other end of the grip.

"Thought you could sneak away, huh?" Krillin accused.

"What are you?!" Sepis squealed, "Where did you come from?!"

"I'm the guy who saved your bacon," Krillin informed, watching Sepis wiggle like a subdued fish, "I'm also the guy who's been dealing with your handiwork."

"Put me down! I don't have any bacon!" he pleaded, too scared to get the reference.

"What's the big idea, trying to kill all this people?" Krillin scolded, "You even nearly killed yourself in the process!"

It was then that Sepis noticed that his captor had sweat on his forehead and looked exhausted – though he wouldn't know it from how steady his grip was. "You?" he whimpered, "You're the reason I woke up?"

"That's right," Krillin replied, almost a little smug, "I needed you awake so you could shut all this down. But seriously, did you mean to try to kill yourself? I still don't get that."

"Kill myself…" Sepis's eyes grew wide with terror. "My God…I nearly killed myself! I nearly killed everyone!" He clutched his head, oil leaking from his shell. "Why…why did I do that?! When did everything get so insane?!"

"Um," Krillin blinked with surprise.

"A chain sequence of events…a constant among variables…" His feathered antenna vibrated wildly. "Endless multipliers…and a single constant!"

"Uh…come again now—"

Sepis pinched Krillin's face in his hard little hands. "It was me!" he cried out, "I did this! All of it! Change any part of the equation, it doesn't matter, the end result is the same! Because the whole thing is me!"

"You?" Krillin asked through squished cheeks.

"Yes! Don't you see, she's doing all this because of me! Because I never protected her. I only saved her so she would protect me. It's always been about me!"

"I-I don't follow you."

Sepis looked back, following the line of the emergency lights. "I have to stop it."

"You will?!" Krillin cried happily, "You'll stop the energy drain?!"

"Stop the…no." His eyes shifted to the side. "No, she wanted all the power put into her hands. But she doesn't understand…it never was."

"Wa-ah-ah-ah!" Krillin warbled as Sepis suddenly flopped himself in his arms like a child.

"Well what are you waiting for?!" Sepis cried, looking a little mad, "We have to go right now! We have to save her! Before it's too late!"

"Wait, what are you saying?!" Krillin protested, trying to catch his balance, "You mean you can't stop the energy drain?"

"Krillin! Architect!" shouted Juri-dur, rounding a corner at the other end of the hall. It was soon clear he was just as exhausted as Krillin. "What are you two doing?! I don't think we can keep the crew alive much longer! People in space may be dead already!"

The familiar face woke Sepis up a bit. "You…I remember you."

"Sepis, I don't know why you're doing this, but you have to stop," Juri-dur pleaded, "The Core was never meant to be used this way!"

"Whoa…" said Krillin suddenly. As if hypnotized by its bright violet light and the shimmering green glow of the fluid around it, Krillin was drawn into the Core Chamber. He sat Sepis down at his feet and stared up at the Arlian's magnificent creation. "Is…that it?"

"I've never seen it in person before…" Juri-dur slowly nodded, "But yeah…that's it."

"It's like…" He looked slowly at Sepis with a new fear. "A giant you."

"Mmhm," Sepis said quietly, "My energy is what gave her life…small as it is. It got big fast. My baby…"

"And taking every else's energy and amplifying it so much it's turning a you into a Frieza! And a me into…I don't even know! And this is what Goku and Vegeta are up against?!"

"Architect." Juri-dur put his hand on Sepis's shoulder. "Please, I'm begging you. I know you're not a bad man. You have to shut it down!"

"I can't," Sepis stated, "I rigged all control to Nevrrest's band. Only it can stop it now."

Juri-dur's face looked like it wanted to melt off. "You gotta be kidding me…"

"Well I guess we'll have to do this the messy way then," sighed Krillin. He started to build an energy attack in his hands.

"NO!" both Juri-dur and Sepis about tackled him.

"Krillin, the Core can't be replaced!" Juri-dur cried as he wrestled down Krillin's arms, "It's everything to us! Besides, if you destroy it the whole fleet will lose power and the prisoners will kill everyone anyways!"

"Worse than that!" Sepis squealed, "If it was destroyed right now, there's a three percent chance it could detonate and destroy this entire solar system!"

"Alright alright!" Krillin snapped, shuffling away, "I get it—bad idea. What are we supposed to do then?"

Juri-dur flustered and then grabbed his arm, pulling him toward the controls. "I don't know…but maybe we can find something to cut…?"

Sepis was about to explain how dangerous it would be to try to destroy any part of the major functions and how the rest wouldn't matter at this point when someone hugged his neck from behind. Or, at least it felt like a hug. It was done so gently and without feeling that it took him a full moment to realize he was being pulled back so hard he could barely breathe. Krillin and Juri-dur immediately stopped talking and turned around.

"What the—Nada!" Krillin cried, aghast, "What do you think you're doing?!"

Nada drew a long breath, partly through his nose and quaking into his mouth. "Hey." His voice was completely without life, an empty tone void of passion. He looked up with tarnished and dulled golden eyes. "Stay back or I'll snap his neck…okay?"

(**Scene Break**)

Nevrrest's talons broke dirt and rock as her burning slotted eyes turned to gaze with a sudden, frightening fervor at the Hammer. Veku charged, his golden hair whipping in the wind and mouth open wide in a war cry.

"STOP!" Nevrrest suddenly bellowed. Surprisingly, Veku actually did, his feet scuffing the dirt a few times and as he brought himself to a halt. In the wake of her final transformation, it had been easy to forget her bird-like-ness entirely. But now, it was clear once again, all her remaining feathers standing on end. She didn't stop looking at the Hammer. "I have to leave this battle," she stated. She looked at him with deadly seriousness. "I need a minute—no, half a minute. Give me a solid thirty seconds of withdrawal."

"Why?" Veku demanded, his face cross and knitted with veiled concern.

"I don't have time to explain – twenty seconds if you must! It's Sepis." Veku pursed his lips and Nevrrest blasted him point-blank in the face, sending him hurling into the distance and shattering a mountain. "As if I'd risk your answer," she glared and burrowed head-first into the Hammer.

(**Scene Break**)

"Nada!" Krillin shouted, very angry and concerned, "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"God nooooo!" Sepis wailed, leaking oil all over the arm that held his neck pinned.

Nada laughed, his enlarged fingers shaking and his face shadowed. "Damn, I need a smoke. Like, really badly. So embarrassing."

Krillin took a step forward. "Nada!"

"Ah," Nada pulled back, tightening his lock on Sepis's neck. "Sorry, short stack. I know you're the better warrior…" He laughed helplessly. "And this is so dumb. But this little bug…he's so weak, I could kill him easily even in this state. Before you could stop me. So…assuming you're one of those types that cares about life and all that…stay back."

"I told you," Juri-dur hissed, gripping Krillin's shoulder.

"Yeah, you were right," Krillin begrudgingly admitted.

Nada kept backing away with Sepis and whispered close to the Arlian's crown. "Now…I'm willing to bet you can take me out of the system…right? And get me to a shuttle."

"You…" Sepis whimpered, "You're going to try to escape?"

Nada laughed miserably. "Crazy, right? Crazy sounds good about now…"

"You filthy Cypher!" Juri-dur shouted at Nada, "You release the Architect right now!"

"Filthy Cypher!" Nada laughed so hard he blew spit, "You don't know the half of it! Good grief…" He looked at Krillin with the eyes of a dead man. "Say, Krillin. I know you don't owe me anything but um…don't tell anyone I did this, okay? For a Cypher—" He started laughing again and drew a shivering breath. "For a Cypher…what the hell am I talking about? Hahaha…you know what? Go ahead and tell everyone! I'm already the worst Cypher that ever lived! What an accomplishment, right? HA-ah-ha! …Heh." His head tipped up to a sound only his cypher ears could detect. "Well. It's a good day to die."

It was so fast, Krillin couldn't even sense it coming. The entrance to the chamber buckled out from the force that blew in. Nada vanished from Sepis like a ghost and appeared impaled on the far wall by several blades. The cypher gaged on blood as three pierced his abdomen, red liquid soaking into his already bloodstained bandages. The monster's tail blades held Nada up and Krillin gasped and fumbled back with fright.

"Nevrrest!" he cried, "What is she doing here?!"

"Protecting Sepis…" Juri-dur whispered, suddenly staring at the crying bug like he was a nuclear bomb.

Nada coughed and slowly looked up at Nevrrest. "I really got you that rattled, huh…you should know, goddess, that a wound like that won't kill a cypher."

Nevrrest slowly raised her hand like a spear, talons extended. "I know." She sunk her hand into his stomach. Blood exploded out his mouth as he screamed, his eyes incredibly wide. "Did you think you were clever…?" she hissed, "Trying to goad me into giving you a warrior's death…? No…" Hot liquid squirted from his stomach as she did something horrendous to his insides and he screamed louder. "You are going to die like cattle eaten alive!"

Sepis rolled over and stared at the scene, his antennae quivering. "Nevrrest…?" he said, barely recognizing her. Gore sprayed from Nada and Sepis squealed with horror, fluttering backward on his hands and knees. Krillin's heart leapt with moral importance and his brain clicked with common sense, all which resulted with him putting himself between Nevrrest and Nada, arms spread.

"Hey, d-don't you think that's enough?" he bravely stuttered, "Come on, now, there's no need for this! Look, your friend over there is fine! And if you do this…y-you'll regret it!" Nevrrest's eyes slowly shifted to him and all at once he realized that in the effort to block Nada he had ended up standing right on top of her raised tail. Krillin hiccupped and practically swallowed his tongue, sweating and nearly losing his balance as Nevrrest leaned forward, her fanged and beak-tipped maw pushing in inches from him. Crap! What was I thinking, confronting her directly? I should have come up with some better way to protect this guy! Oh man-oh man-oh man…! Krillin cringed and held up his arms in an effort to shield himself.

"Hmph," Nevrrest snorted and blew on him, sending him flying like a cheap piece of paper and bouncing off the far wall.

"Krillin!" Juri-dur cried, running to him.

"I'm fine," he assured, getting up and anxiously looking ahead, "But we've got to stop this!"

"How?" Juri-dur asked, sweating.

"I have no idea…" Krillin sweated with him.

"Now as for you…" Nevrrest hissed at Nada, "Why aren't you screaming?!"

She jerked her hand inside him and he obliged, howling in agony as more blood soaked into his bandages. Sepis stared at this, his antennae vibrating violently, the scene before him reflecting in his large, bulgy red eyes. Nada's eyes rolled back, veins showing as he gasped for breath. The next spike of agony came and suddenly he started laughing. He laughed so hard he splattered blood on Nevrrest's face.

"The hell do you bother?!" he screamed at her. He grinned and a waterfall of tears started pouring from his eyes, snot running from his nose. "I'm dead already. I always was, wasn't I?" Nevrrest snarled as he seized her face in both hands. "What the hell was it all for, huh? All the death…the destruction. Do you think any of it meant shit to me?!" The tears dripped in giant globs off his chin. In his eyes he saw her and in his mind he saw Frieza. "Is there a god among you who can even tell me what life is? Where is the glory that is my birthright? That joy that you call life was never mine! SO GO AHEAD AND TAKE IT FROM ME!"

Nevrrest grabbed his face and slammed it against the wall, imbedding his head. "This isn't just death, you fool, this is PUNISHMENT!"

"No…Nevrrest…don't…" Sepis whispered, staring.

"Where is the challenge…where is the victory…where is the rivalry…?" said Nada, his eyes, nose, and mouth continuing to run even as metal dug into his skin.

"Stop…" whispered the Arlian.

"SCREAM!" Nevrrest roared, digging further into Nada.

It bubbled up inside Sepis and exploded. "NEVRREST, YOU STOP THIS RIGHT NOW!" he bellowed, eyes snapped shut and fists clenched.

It was like reality stopped. All at once, Nevrrest froze, the only motion Nada's stomach rising and falling. Her glowing yellow, slotted eyes shifted to stare at Sepis with a disoriented and almost frightened expression, like a child caught in some horrendous act. Sepis puffed, his antennae lowered and quivering, his shell dripping oil on the floor.

Someone appeared in the room. "Do you see it now, Nevrrest?" Veku seriously mocked, standing a pace back and between them, "You're supposed to be protecting him. But look at him. He's terrified of you."

He wasn't wrong. Sepis couldn't do anything but shake as Nevrrest stared at him, his eyes like a rabbit in shock. Nada's gasping mouth closed as blood dripped from the corner of it, silently waiting for fate. Nevrrest's own breathing rose heavily as the slots of her eyes widened and she clucked helplessly at Sepis. Then, in seemingly a single motion, she put her back between Sepis and Nada and drove her beak down at the cypher's throat.

Veku was there, right inside Nevrrest's guard as he caught either of her jaws in his hands, holding them back as she snarled and snapped. "Oh no you don't! You've had your fun! Now it's time to deal with me!" He tensed all his muscles and heaved, pulling her off balance and slamming her sideways into the floor. The entire room buckled with the impact, sending cracks throughout the ship.

"Nevrrest!" Sepis cried out, reaching for her as Juri-dur held him back.

Nada slid down the wall, leaving a smear of blood, and eventually falling. Krillin caught him. "You crazy—do you all have a death wish?" the tiny human remarked.

"Please don't—kkkck," Nada choked on his own blood.

"Stop talking, you need to save your strength," Krillin advised, his brow crooked with concern.

"Idiot—nggh—I'm the bad guy."

"I noticed."

"Hrrr!" Veku growled, wrestling with Nevrrest as he held her by the beak, her body thrashing around like a snake and putting cracks all around them as everything shook.

Juri-dur hauled away the crying Sepis and Krillin ran out of the chamber with Nada, wise enough to know when he was out of his depth. Nevrrest's eyes widened and she swiped her tail blades after the human in an effort to cut him down before he escaped with her prey. But the Goku in Veku roared and yanked her back out of reach.

"Krillin!" Juri-dur shouted, Sepis squirming under his arm, "What do we do now?!"

"Well we—pbbbbbbttt!" Krillin's head got turned as, unprepared, he was struck in the jaw by a punch from Nada, "What the hell—you really are crazy!"

Nada's knees shook as, barely able to stand, he held up his fists. "Just…send me to Hell already…I've had enough of this joke."

"Look, I don't know what your deal is, but you're going back to the infirmary," Krillin scolded, holding up a finger, "And this time you're staying there."

"No…" shuddered Nada, shuffling forward, "You don't spare a foe. You—bbbbblllllyyyyy…" They all stared at him with an overdose of awkward pity as he spilled an overflow of red from his mouth onto the floor.

"Yeah, I'm not really buying your argument," Krillin replied with a flat expression.

Veku couldn't help but snicker as he held Nevrrest by the tail and watched as she clawed a pit into the floor trying to get to Nada. She let out a ghostly quiet hiss as all the blades on her back stood upright. Without warning, she turned on him and tackled him straight through the chamber ceiling, burrowing their way through the normally impenetrable hull of the Hammer till they were back in the open air. Veku shoved and flipped away from her as she remained floating in the air, all the whites of her eyes showing.

"Okay, enough is enough," Krillin snapped irritably. He grabbed Nada by one of his hair-horns. "You're coming with me!" He grabbed Sepis by the wrist. "And you're coming with me!"

"But bbbbllyyy…!" Nada vomited.

"No please!" Sepis pleaded.

"Whatever you say," Juri-dur followed.

Veku stared up at Nevrrest with narrowed eyes. Inside, his heart was pounding. He knew in his bones that his time wouldn't last much longer. He had to win this or Goku and Vegeta would be at her mercy—if she had any. And judging by the look in her eye, the last drop of reason in her had finally vanished. Maybe this was his chance. He had to get her to give him an opening. If this was going to work he would have to get in close and unleash his most powerful attack. Ridiculously close. The kind of close she never allowed, certainly not while he was building energy. And speaking of which, the red energy of her aura was growing wildly in size, sparking around her like lightning.

"PLEASE!" Sepis grabbed Krillin's hand in both fists and dropped to his knees. "Please, you have to take me to her!"

"You're both crazy!" Krillin accused, wincing with annoyance as the half-dead Nada continued to try to initiate combat with him.

"No, please, you have to listen to me!" Sepis pleaded, his big eyes staring up at him, "It's not too late! I can still save them!"

That last sentence made Krillin pause. "Them?" He shoved Nada at Juri-dur. "Here, hold him for me."

"Why me?!" Juri-dur squealed like he'd be handed a dead rat.

"Now, what did you mean by them?" Krillin pressed, looking strictly at Sepis.

Tears ran from his eyes, but he didn't look away. "My friends. I've failed my friends. Please, let me make this right. Isn't that what you wanted me to do?"

"And why should we trust you?"

"Because Goku is my friend!"

"Wait a minute—what?!" Krillin sputtered, rearing back with shock. He narrowed his brow and leaned over him. "If Goku is your friend then why did you do all this?!"

Sepis gripped his head. "Because Nevrrest is my friend too!" he pitifully wailed.

The hard lines slowly left Krillin's face and he looked upon the little coward with understanding for the first time. He grabbed his other hand and lifted him up. "Okay then. Let's go."

"Wait, you're actually trusting him?" Juri-dur stared as Nada puked on him.

"Got no time to talk, take me to them!" said Sepis, hopping into Krillin's arms.

Veku's gaze searched rapidly as Nevrrest's raging aura continued to grow. She wasn't talking anymore. She didn't even look like she was thinking. She was like an animal, hungry and desperate. Dark sounds rumbling and hissing through her chest cavity, she suddenly put all her limbs together, stretched out in front of her. Energy crackled across her body as violent red light gathered in the center of all the limbs, building off her chest. The energy sizzled chaotically, like a wild animal trapped in a cage.

Veku's eyes widened. "What—"

(**Scene Break**)

"—is that?!" Gohan cried, standing at the edge of the Lookout.

"I don't know," Dende admitted, next to him and looking especially worried, "It's not like the attacks she did before."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" cried Bulma, holding Goten and Trunks close while glaring with worry.

"It's not controlled!" Gohan shouted, clenching his fists and stooped, "With an attack like that she could destroy everything!"

Piccolo growled, his expression less than favorable. "Worse. Goku and Vegeta's fusion won't last much longer. I'd say they have minutes at best."

(**Scene Break**)

The attack was building, growing at an incredible rate within the circle of Nevrrest's limbs. But it wasn't the size or the power that really mattered. It was the fact that it was pointed down.

"Nevrrest! Don't fire!" Veku relentlessly shouted up at her, "Wake up, you fool! If you miss, you'll destroy the planet! Everyone will die! Even you! Even Sepis!"

She didn't react. It was like she wasn't aware of anything anymore. She had slipped away to some far off place and all that remained was her body and her need to kill. The woman was gone and only the predator remained. He had been trying to tip her over the edge this entire time. But he hadn't meant for this.

"Nevrrest!" he shouted, sounding more desperate, "Please! I won't be able to stop it! There isn't enough time!"

Seemingly as insignificant as a speck, Krillin and Sepis floated up out of the wreck of the Hammer. Sepis gasped and squirmed. "There she is—wah!" he squeaked as he tried to bound forward and instead fell on his face.

"Slow down, you're barely awake," Krillin warned him, lifting him back up. He peered ahead at the situation and sweat appeared all over him. "Doh! What does she think she's dooo-ing?!" he warbled, "That attack's so uncontrolled it's like she's never done it before!"

"She hasn't…" Sepis blinked.

"And using the planet to force Goku and Vegeta's fusion not to move?! That's suicide!"

"I know…" Sepis stared. He slipped gently from Krillin's arms and wobbled a step forward. "I did this to her…"

"What?"

"This is my fault," Sepis rapidly nodded, "I did this to her!" He clenched his fists and raised his voice. "Nevrrest! Listen to me! The bond with the fleet has overwhelmed you! You don't even know what you're doing! Nevrrest! You have to take control!"

"Dammit, I have no choice!" Veku snarled, forming energy in his hands.

"Nevrrest!" Sepis shouted.

"It's no good!" Krillin piped, "It's like she's not even there!"

Nevrrest hissed and growled louder and louder, her jaws opening as saliva dripped from her fangs. The energy entirely filled the space between her limbs. The image reflected in Sepis's large, red eyes, and in his heart he knew that in every way, he had failed his friends.

Goku…

Sharing a meal with him. Beholding him against a mob. Being confronted by him. Kind words and a simple, innocent smile.

Nevrrest…

Blazing against the wicked. Shielding him against danger. Inspired by her unwavering resolve. The reassurance of her words and touch.

And a man. A man he had once hated saving his life.

It's not too late…

"Aaaarrrrhhhh!" Nevrrest roared, pupils like dots.

Krillin stumbled with disbelief as Sepis, with sudden strength he shouldn't have, sprinted with wide strides straight to the nose of the Hammer. Like a bird taking flight for the first time, Sepis leapt into the open air, his arms circling like wheels as he fell. His leap landed him right on Nevrrest's back and he instantly latched his arms around her neck.

"Nevrrest, STOP!" he commanded, "This isn't you! THIS IS LIKE SOMETHING VEGETA WOULD HAVE DONE!"

Nevrrest softly gasped and her tiny dots grew gradually back into the slotted irises of her current form. Her limbs drifted down and dangled, the energy that had built on her chest dissipating into red sparks.

"Yes…yes, Nevrrest! That's it!" Sepis encouraged as they floated to the ground, "You're doing it! Come back to me…"

Her blades flattened and her body relaxed, her head bowing slightly and Sepis continued to hold onto her from behind. "…Sepis," she blinked, as if waking from a dream, "Are you alright…? Did I frighten you…?"

"No," Sepis whispered, hugging her tighter, "It's alright. I'm here now…"

"Holy cow!" Krillin cried, watching with disbelief from atop the Hammer, "I can't believe it! He really did it! He stopped her!"

(**Scene Break**)

"No way!" Dende gasped with disbelief, "This guy just showed up out of nowhere and Nevrrest is powering down!"

"Oh no way—really?!" Trunks angrily cried, "But she can't just give up! We still have to beat her!"

(**Scene Break**)

"Is it finally over?" Chi-Chi prayed, hands clasped and staring hopefully at the television screen, "Tell me that monster is finally done!"

(**Scene Break**)

Veku stared, body tense and ready for anything as Nevrrest and Sepis stood gently together, the Arlian pressed to the monstrous Blecha's back.

"Sepis…I'm…sorry. You're…you're…right," Nevrrest murmured, soft and disoriented, "Vegeta…how could I…be like Vegeta…unthinkable…how…"

"It's alright." Sepis pressed his cheek to her armored back. "I shouldn't have let this happen."

"Vegeta…how…"

He reached up and stroked the side of her neck. "Nevrrest, deactivate the band. And let's leave this place. Together. Forever. And never look back."

"Deactivate…?"

"It's what we should have done in the first place," Sepis continued, "We don't need justice. We don't need vengeance. All I need is you. And if you let me, I can be good with you."

"Good…?"

"Like we used to be. Before this madness. Come on, Nevrrest. It's time to go."

She slowly looked back at him and reached out a hand. He reached back and interlocked his tiny fingers with her much larger talons. "Just you and me…"

"Righting the wrongs of the galaxy. Wanderers without a home. We don't need anything else. And they don't need us."

She blinked. "I need…you…"

He closed his eyes and pressed his cheek to her again. "That's all we need. Time to leave Vegeta behind."

"Vegeta…" Her pupils shrank. "…Vegeta." His antennae stood up as he saw her blades rise. "Sepis. How dare you."

"Nevrrest," Sepis gasped.

Her stance widened. "How dare you allow your cowardice to interfere with our dream?"

"Nevrrest, no!" he pleaded.

"I don't have time to deal with your nonsense," she snarled. She narrowed her eyes at Veku. "The enemy is upon us and I will not stop until he is vanquished."

"Nevrrest—!"

"That is who I am!" she shouted, "I do not simply hope—I make! I do not simply act—I finish!" Her tail blades opened. "And I will do what I must—whether you can stomach it or NOT!"

Sepis's grip on her neck loosened. "…Okay…" He slipped off her back.

Nevrrest readied her talons, pushing a foot forward in Veku's direction. "Now—" A red light smacked her in the face. Nevrrest blinked like a hornet had just died against her cheekbone and looked slowly down in disbelief to see Sepis standing in front of her, the red glow fading from his mouth piece.

Sepis tightened his hands and looked intently up at her while both Veku and Nevrrest stared in shock. "I wish a lot of things, Nevrrest!" he snapped. He took a step forward and she took a step back. "I wish your people had been strong enough to protect you from Vegeta!" He took another step and she fell back again. "I wish you hadn't seen death and destruction everywhere you went!" Again he progressed and she retreated. "I wish we all could understand whatever hell exists in your mind!" He stood tall and she nearly stumbled. "I wish I could have been there with you from the start! But most of all, I wish you'd come with me right now!" He stretched out his open palm. "So deactivate, take my hand, and let's GO!"

Nevrrest stared at his hand. Her plume lowered. "NO!" She fiercely slapped the hand aside. She struck it so violently that she forgot just how strong she was at that moment. The gust of air was so powerful that it sent Sepis flying like a rocket straight at the Hammer. Her breathing stopped and she immediately took off after him. She could see him still reaching back at her and she reached for him, trying to be faster, knowing she had to be faster! She grabbed his wrist and green splattered against her with the resounding thud.

Her heartbeat echoed in every corner of her being. "Sepis…" She took him into her arms as he dripped. "Sepis, it's okay, I got you…" His tattered, brown cloak turned black as it grew wet. "Sepis, it's alright, I promise…" He rested against her. "Sepis…SEPIS!"

AUTHOR NOTE

If you've been following me on Tumblr or Twitter, you know this past couple months have been very hard for me. But through it all, working on this story for you guys kept me going.

As you might have guessed, we are getting very close to the end of A Good Man. So, it's time to start shamelessly urging you all to click that Follow Author button! Though A Good Man is coming to a close, the story will continue in its sequel Light and Shadows. But don't worry, AGM still has a few chapters left.

So as always, please favorite, follow, review, and subscribe to me on all your favorite social media! Just search SwanofWar!