Chapter 22
Videl
The guy that Eighteen had captured was singing like a bird before Videl and Krillin even got to the Police Station. It was honestly embarrassing seeing how quickly he talked. He told them everything he knew; and it was a surprising amount of information. The Doji had been a front to try to recruit the more ruthless students into the real ki training. Shen and Tao Pai Pai had traveled the world before this, recruiting bandits, mercenaries, and crooks of all kinds while also trying to learn new techniques as they went. It had been slow going, but by now they had recruited about a thousand people, before they set up the Dojo in Satan City. The plan had been for the criminals to overwhelm police, and then Shen's other students would 'defeat' them, gaining even more students and wealth for himself while at the same time spreading his teachings; his plan had been to overwhelm the Turtle School eventually with sheer numbers.
The crook Eighteen captured, Joku, explained how she and the Z-Warriors had messed up the plan beyond salvage, and now Shen was going to go into hiding. He was immortal like Master Roshi, he was planning to wait until they all died of old age before trying again. "Yeah, that's not going to happen. We're going to find him and Tao and put them away for the maximum sentence!" Krillin said when Joku told them. Krillin then demanded, "Alright, tell me where those two snakes are hiding, and don't leave anything out!"
Joku looked at them, "I only know three places they could be in. One is in the Tso Mountains, another by the Mochi Valley, and finally in the Mu Gu Gai Pan Desert. I don't know which one of them they're hiding, and they might have more too." "Is that really all you know?" Krillin asked, "I'd hate for Eighteen to have to come here." "I SWEAR IT'S THE TRUTH! DON'T LET THAT MONSTER IN HERE!" "I believe you," Krillin said, "But watch how you refer to my wife." Joku's eyes nearly bugged out his skull, "You MARRIED HER!?" The scarred-up crook then fainted. Videl and Krillin just looked at him and Videl sighed, "Some people."
"Alright," Krillin said as they left the Interrogation Room, "We know three possible locations of where those bastards are." Officers from the Ki Corp were following him as he spoke, "Unfortunately, it's outside our jurisdiction. The Mu Gu Gai Pan Desert is on the other hemisphere, and the closest place, the Mochi Valley, is still a hundred miles outside Satan City's border. Unless we get really lucky, we aren't going anywhere… Times like this make me wish Goku was here." Videl nodded, "Same here, but there's nothing we can do. Those snakes really chose the right rocks to hide under." Krillin suddenly got an idea, "Wait, I think I know who to call. We can get Tien, I'm sure he'd be happy to help! If I remember correctly…" Krillin pulled out his phone and got a Map App on, showing the location of the Mu Gu Gai Pan Desert.
"Yep, his dojo isn't too far from the Mu Gu Gai Pan Desert. He can at least investigate that place for us," Krillin said, and immediately started calling him. Tien answered on the fourth ring. "Krillin, is this important, you're interrupting a class right now," Tien said when he answered. "I'm sorry old buddy, but this is really important," Krillin started, "Eighteen caught one of Shen's guys, and lucky for us, he knew a whole lot that he was ready to share. We now know three possible locations Shen and Tao Pai Pai could be hiding in, but they're all outside Satan City Police Department's jurisdiction." "I see, and you want me to help you. Where are the locations?" Tien asked. "Mochi Valley, Tso Mountains, and the Mu Gu Gai Pan Desert," Krillin informed him. "I see, very well, I will take my five best students and start searching the Desert," Tien promised. "Thanks man," Krillin said. "You owe me for this. You can help by helping with a lesson at the Dojo, when you got time," Tien responded. "Sure thing man. Good luck," Krillin agreed, and they hung up.
Tien
Krillin's call had been three hours ago. He had cancelled the day's lessons for his five best students: Wan, Shinji, Ryuto, Oda, and Akira. All of them were dressed in their green gi and were ready to fight. "Students!" Tien began, he chose to forgo his qipao, it felt good to wear his old gi in solidarity with his students. "Today, your skill will be tested in ways I cannot foresee. I am asking you to risk your lives to help in the battle against evil," he said, and then explained everything that he knew about Shen's return and training new students.
"We do not know what awaits us, so keep your wits about you, and do not let your guard down! You five are my best students, your dedication has inspired the others, and I have taught you many of my best techniques. Have faith in your power and each other, if you see anyone being overwhelmed, help them! Our opponents may be much stronger than even me. However, from what my friends have told me, we have the advantages of discipline, and unity! Remember this, and we will not fail!" Tien told them all. "YES SIR!" his students all yelled. "Let's go, we will search the entire Mu Gu Gai Pan Desert, and if you sense the enemy, then flare out your ki, and the rest of us will converge on the spot," Tien ordered, and flew off, Wan, Shinji, Ryuto, Oda, and Akira all following close behind.
They reached the Mu Gu Gai Pan Desert in ten minutes, and soon split up in six directions. Tien kept his senses open the entire time, opening up his mind ot all the life in the desert. Deserts were far from barren, there were many different plants and animals that managed to survive. Tien sensed a life form larger than the usual hares and lizards and looked down to see what looked like a tent. Tien flew down and went to the tent's entrance. "Hello! Is anyone there?" Tien yelled. A woman in a brown robe entered, her skin was tanned dark brown, and it was clear that she was blind. "Yes? Who is it?" "I'm sorry for disturbing you. My name is Master Tien Shinhan, my students and I are searching for criminals. Have you heard anything?"
"I believe I have, Sensei," the woman said, "Would you come in?" Tien said, "Pardon the intrusion," and entered the woman's tent. Inside he saw that the woman had a fire pit going and had already made some tea for herself. He sat down on a blanket near the fire pit and she poured tea for them both. Tien took the tea and smelled it, he didn't smell anything unusual, and took a sip. It was bitter, but also invigorating. "My name is Moka. I have lived in this desert since I was twelve. It is a difficult existence, but I prefer the solitude and quiet. For the last five years, I have avoided the Southwest, there are people there. I often hear the sounds of fighting and explosions from that direction and have done my best to avoid it. The ones you seek may be there," the woman, Moka, said.
"Thank you," Tien said, "Is there any way I can repay you for your help?" Moka shook her head, "If the ones in the Southwest are indeed criminals, I only want them out of the desert, nothing more." "Very well," Tien agreed. He rose to leave and said, "I was once a nomad like you. It is indeed peaceful, but with no one there to help you, it is also difficult. I wish the best for you." Tien left Moka's tent, and flew off in the Southwest, none of his students went that direction.
He soon sensed more people, at least three dozen, and all of them felt powerful. Tien prepared himself and flew in the direction of those ki signatures. He saw them, a mixture of men and women dressed in clothes ranging from gi's to biker gear and regular clothes walking around what looked like the entrance to a tunnel along with enough tents to house a small community. Tien floated down and walked up to one woman wearing torn jeans and a denim jacket with worn leather boots on. The woman took one look at Tien, and then her eyes grew in recognition.
Quick as a snake, Tien struck her unconscious, only for five others to sound the alarm. "Damn it!" Tien yelled, and then let loose with a loud kiai, unleashing his ki all around and alerting his students to his location. He quickly started deflecting ki balls before answering with a few of his own, knocking several people out before he was forced to fly up. The three-eyed warrior quickly brought his hands together and yelled, "NEO TRI-BEAM!" He blasted out his most powerful technique five times, knocking out thirty fighters with each blast, but there were even more of them coming. Tien flew at them, dodging ki blasts, Dodon Rays, and inferior Tri-Beam blasts as he flew into the crowd of enemy martial artists.
His limbs flew out with lightning speed and precision, knocking out all he struck, determined to overcome quantity with quality, but after an entire minute he made a mistake, and was blasted from behind with a powerful Super Dodon Ray. Tien quickly spun and knocked his attackers out with a Tri-Beam, only to then be grabbed by ten enemies at once. Tien blasted them off with a fast wave of ki, only to then be struck from four directions with Tri-Beams. His gi was torn, and his body showing signs of damage after these mighty attacks, but he was determined to keep on fighting, and blasted ki balls in all directions to gain some distance for himself, but saw he was still radically outnumbered.
Then, when all seemed lost, five Tri-Beams tore into the surrounding enemies. Tien looked up with relief to see his students. "Protect the Sensei!" Wan yelled as the five students charged into battle, all of them enraged to see their Sensei wounded, and determined to protect him with their lives. Tien refused to leave the work to them and joined them after catching his breath. Together, the six warriors of the Neo Crane School overwhelmed their enemies in only four minutes.
Tien looked around, he was the worst injured of all, his students had followed his instructions and protected each other during the battle. "Sensei, can you still fight?" Akira asked. Tien nodded, "Yes, I've suffered far worse than this. Let's finish this. Whatever they were protecting is in here." Tien nodded towards the tunnel entrance, and led the way in.
The tunnel was dark, but Tien didn't sense anyone's presence inside. He led his students into a complex with many rooms, almost like a base, but it seemed that they had defeated everyone at this location. After what felt like hours of searching, they finally came across a large computer room. Shinji said, "Sensei, what will we do with this?" Shinji turned on a light, and Tien saw a massive supercomputer in the room. "I don't know what we can do," Tien said, "However, I have a friend who'll be interested in this sort of thing. I'll contact her, you five go secure our prisoners." "Yes sir!" his students yelled and rushed to do as ordered. Tien left the tunnel and headed back to his dojo, he had left his phone there. Bulma would be a big help with that computer.