Chapter 65
Last time on DragonBall AF, Goku was captured by the evil Daikon. Now, Vegeta must pursue his enemy before it's too late for Goshin and Goku. Danger awaits Vegeta as he nears the hideout of Daikon.
Vegeta flew as fast as he could in his regular state as he blazed through the countryside. "Now if I was a big, lumbering idiot with two captives, where would I go?" he said to himself. He tried to meditate, searching for any ki he could possibly feel. He soon stopped and floated in midair.
"I sense something faint… to the east," he trailed off. "But it doesn't feel like anything I've sensed before. Is it Daikon? I can't even tell, but this seems like as good a lead as I'm going to get." Vegeta started off flying again towards the energy he was feeling.
Back outside of Daikon's hideout, the Super Saiyan was preparing his scheme. Next to him was a oblong, gray blob. It was the creature that had appeared from the capsule. "He can sense you," said Daikon in a serious tone. "He's changed course and is heading this way. I want you to intercept him and do your thing. Now off with you!"
"RYAHHHHHHHHHHH!" screamed the disgusting creature, and in instant it bounced into a sky and shot through the air like a bullet.
"This will be good," said Daikon as he started walking back toward the entrance of his makeshift lair on the mountainside. "That little thing will reveal everything there is to know about Vegeta. I can't wait to defeat him. It will be the first time I can be victorious in years, and I've been looking forward to it for a far long time…"
About 15 minutes later, the energy that Vegeta had felt seemed to be coming closer towards him. Is it just me or is this thing heading straight towards me? he wondered. Soon enough, he saw something in the distance. "What the…?" Moments later Vegeta could make out an orb like shape coming right at him. "That thing's moving pretty fast!" he exclaimed. He stopped instantly, but the orb wasn't.
"What is this thing!" Vegeta put up is arms to block it, and just as it was about to hit, the blob multiplied many times in size. A wave of horror came over Vegeta's face and before he could react he was completely engulfed by it. Vegeta struggled inside, trying to break free, but he couldn't.
About a minute later, Vegeta stopped struggling, and coincidently, the gray mass uncovered his body and reshaped into the orb. Vegeta dropped from the sky and hit the ground. He came to almost instantly, feeling dizzy. The orb floated down and stayed right in front of Vegeta.
Vegeta struggled to stand up. "Unh, what the hell is going on? HUH!" Just as he began to speak, the orb started moving around again and twisting its shape. Arms and legs popped out and took detailed form. The torso began forming as well, and so did the head. Vegeta watched in astonishment as the creature continued to contort itself until it finally took an exact humanoid shape. The last thing to form was it's face. Dark eyes appeared as did a crooked nose and a ghastly smile for a mouth.
"This isn't happening!" exclaimed Vegeta as he recognized what he was looking at. "You're dead! How are you here! BELIAL!"
"Hee hee hee, I knew this image would bring out great anxiety and anger in you," said the creature. "What do you think? I look almost exactly like him, don't I?"
"Are you Belial, yes or no!" demanded Vegeta.
"Of course not foolish boy," it replied. "Although I have exactly duplicated everything about him, or from what your memory can tell me about his features."
"What are you talking about?" said Vegeta. "This isn't making any sense! I should kill whatever you are right now!"
"Let's not be so hasty, all right?" said the Belial look-alike. "Lord Daikon wants a good battle, not some farce that was made in haste."
"You- you're with that Daikon freak then!" yelled Vegeta. "Well where is he! Tell him to get his ass out here so I can hand it right back to him!"
"I'm afraid that isn't possible yet, you must fight me first," it said.
"And what exactly are you anyways?" questioned Vegeta.
"I have no real name, except C-23, my capsule number," said the creature. "I and my 'brothers' were an experiment. We have the ability to tap into the mind of anyone we so choose. Once we have read the thoughts, we exploit the weaknesses of that person, or in this case, personify a memory of something that is haunting to that person. We were used in wars during your future, but Lord Daikon secured me from that line of duty and to serving his own whims, and he has told me to take you on."
"Well if it's a fight you want you've found it! AHHHH!" Vegeta quickly turned into a Super Saiyan 2 and eyed C-23. "Once I finish you, I'll be able to find Daikon. I won't let anybody get in the way of saving my friends."
"Then let's begin!" shouted C-23 and took to the skies, Vegeta following him in pursuit. Vegeta was gaining and put his hands together and let off three quick ki blasts. C-23 veered and avoided the first two but the final one clipped him on the right side, causing him to slow down.
"YOU'RE MINE!" shouted Vegeta, and with that he slammed his fist into C-23's face. But all the creature did was begin to laugh. This made Vegeta grow even more furious. He took his hand and covered C-23's face with it, and threw him down back towards the ground. C-23 face-planted directly into the tundra and Vegeta rocketed down to survey the damage he had dealt.
But to Vegeta surprise, he heard the same annoying chuckle again. "Hee hee, you're a real head case aren't you?" laughed C-23. "You've underestimated me Vegeta!" C-23 began glowing a bright pink and the light encompassed him completely, beginning to pulsate. "Are you ready! AHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
"Grrrrrrrr, come on! A little more!" The grunting coming from deep inside the lair was Daikon. "RAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The cave started rumbling from the sheer power coming from Daikon. Rocks started falling from above him, and cracks began forming in the cavern's lining.
But the rumbling immediately stopped and out from the shadows came forth Daikon as he fell to the ground, exhausted. His body was drenched with sweat and he could barely move a muscle. I did it, he thought to himself. This new perfected technique will mow down Vegeta in an instant. C-23 has served his purpose by buying me time. I just never would've thought it would take me this quickly to master. But this leaves me plenty of time to regain my strength…
Daikon's eyes closed as he fell into a deep slumber, attempting to recover his energy for the inevitable fight with Vegeta.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM The explosion was deafening, Vegeta could barely block C-23's attack since it came from all around him. The blinding light caused him to lose C-23, but he couldn't worry about that as he was being pushed back several yards away by the force of the explosion.
Moments later the light dissipated and Vegeta stood gasping for breath, looking for where C-23 could have escaped to. "That attack hit me from all angles. How was that even possible when he was directly in front of me? Ow, damn it!" Vegeta reached towards his back and felt a bloody cut across his back. His palm was full of his own blood, and seeing it made him all the more angrier.
"I won't lose to this freak of nature, I have to fight Daikon! I must!" he yelled. "Plus, I refuse to lose to Belial twice. This bastard is making it personal, and he definitely doesn't want that."
"Or maybe he does!" Vegeta turned around and was face to face with C-23. "Snuck up on you, eh? Perhaps you're sensing ability needs some fine tuning!"
"RAH!" yelled Vegeta. "SHUT UP!" He swung full force at C-23 but was blocked. C-23 clenched his fist and hit Vegeta in the gut, and then gave him a quick upper cut to the chin with his other fist. Vegeta was sent flying up into the air with a trail of blood coming from his mouth as he ascended.
Before he could stop himself, C-23 reached Vegeta mid air and attempted a kick to Vegeta's chest. Luckily he was sharper this time and he swiftly knocked C-23's foot away with his elbow.
"I'm sure you remember this attack!" yelled C-23. "KAMEHAMEHA!" The copied attack was released point blank in Vegeta's face. "HAHA- WHAT!"
It seemed a direct hit, but Vegeta instantly disappeared and reappeared behind C-23. "TAKE THIS!" Vegeta clenched his hands together and raised them above his head and knocked C-23 to the ground before he could get a moment to react.
"AHHHHHHHH!" he screamed in pain as he hit the ground with a tremendous thud.
"You better get up," yelled Vegeta, "because we're just getting started you bastard!"
The fight between Vegeta and the mysterious creature, C-23 has begun! But what exactly does Daikon have up his sleeve? What was he doing in his lair and what attack does he plan on using on Vegeta? There isn't any time to lose though, Vegeta must hurry and defeat C-23 to get to Daikon and rescue Goku and Goshin. Will he succeed? Find out in the coming installments of DragonBall AF!