Dragon Ball Z: The Rise of Malevolence
Episode 003: The Hunters
Gohan woke up in a bedroom. It was colored pure white, and the Saiyan royal crest was painted on the floor. He was dressed now in a dark blue Saiyan undersuit, the outfit worn beneath the Hunters' Armor. He rose from bed and the door opened.
Kakarot stepped in, holding a set of Saiyan armor. He threw it on the bed.
"The King and Prince want you dressed in that armor and out on the Training Deck now. I'll show you the way," Kakarot said as he turned, while Gohan slid on the armor.
"Why am I here?" he asked.
"Nobody really knows. It was an order from the King and Prince, so we had to do it," Kakarot replied as he led Gohan down the hall.
They entered a room, where the King and Vegeta stood. Beside the Kin, a younger boy, dressed in Saiyan armor as well, stood. He actually looked like a younger version of Vegeta. This was Tarble, his younger brother.
"So, this is the boy? He doesn't look like much!" the King said.
"I could probably beat him," Tarble said.
"I've seen him fight. This is just when his powers are dormant," Vegeta put in.
"Fine then, for his initiation, he shall face Tarble," the King said.
"Initiation into what?" Gohan asked.
"The Hunters. We have decided to initiate you. Should you beat Tarble and complete a task, you will become one of us. If you refuse, I will kill you," the King said.
"I don't want to, but what choice do I have? Is it really worth it? My friends probably think I'm dead anyway. They're probably better off without me around. Ever since the accident at the Kame Island, things have gone downhill. So I guess I can finally make myself useful," Gohan thought.
"Then bring it on, Tarble!" Gohan said, getting into a fighting stance.
"This should be easy," Tarble said.
The King, Vegeta, and Kakarot flew and entered a small booth to watch.
"He reminds me of someone. I can't tell how, but I think I've met him before," Kakarot said.
"I think you took too many hits to the head practicing against your brother, Kakarot," Vegeta commented.
Tarble and Gohan clashed, but Gohan kicked Tarble in the chest, knocking him back before jumping back.
"Masenko-HA!" he shouted as he shot a blast of energy at Tarble before firing a barrage of Ki Waves at him, pushing him back.
"Enough kidding around! Galick Gun!" Tarble said, using his family's signature attack, but Gohan teleported away.
The two both charged at each other ,but Gohan kicked him into the air, pounding at him rapidly before kicking him to the ground. Gohan swooped down and kicked him in the side, launching him into a wall.
"I've seen enough. Gohan and Tarble, I am giving you a mission," the King said.
"Go down to the planet below, the Planet Maguma, and eliminate the five ex-Hunters living down there. Your Pods will have the information in them,' the King said before Tarble and Gohan left.
Gohan and Tarble entered a small corridor, where ten tunnels led to ten waiting Space Pods.
"Just because my father and brother approve of you being a Hunter doesn't mean I agree. So make one wrong move and I'll blow you into smithereens," Tarble said.
"And you try to cross me, I'll make sure to beat you into a pulp," Gohan said before the two jumped down two separate tunnels, landing in Space Pods.
Both Pods rocketed down, and each Hunter saw a screen pop up. A pop-up opened and showed a short, fat man dressed in orange robes, long black hair, a black belt, and a sword.
"Subject 077: Yaji. He was a hitman hired by an unknown group to kill the King, but escaped. Wanted dead or alive," the computer said.
The next pop-up showed a silver bat-like creature with long wings.
"Subject 068: Wing. He was a known killer, and has eluded the Hunters for some time. But now he works for Yaji. Wanted dead," the computer added.
The next pop-up showed a red plant-like creature.
"Subject 020: Sy. A young Saibaman, he is intent on killing Prince Vegeta for unknown reasons. Wanted dead or alive," the computer said.
The next pop-up appeared, showing a human male with blond hair, dressed in blue pants and combat boots.
"Subject 069: Calure. An assassin that once attempted to kill the King, but now works for Yaji. Wanted dead."
The final pop-up appeared, showing a young, white-skinned boy in a blue shirt, green pants, and yellow shoes. He wore an odd black hat on his head.
"Subject: 032: Pathy. A child, but a master of kinesis. Should approach with caution. Wanted dead or alive."
"Capture or kill these targets and report back to the King on the spaceship by morning," the computer finished as the two landed on the planet.
The two Hunters stepped out and saw a destroyed planet, with black land, and magma rising from every crack in the ground.
"What happened here?" Gohan asked.
"This planet has been ruled by fear caused by those five targets. We need to find them," Tarble said.
"Looks like you found us!"
The two Hunters looked up and Yaji stood on a rock. He drew a sword from his side and sent out a barrage of Ki Waves from it. The Hunters jumped to the sides, but each got hit by different types of energy waves.
Gohan looked over and saw Wing standing near him, emotionless. Tarble had been attacked by Calure. Sy and Pathy stood to the sides of Yaji.
"Wing, Calure, kill them!" Yaji ordered.
Calure lifted Tarble into the air and kicked him into the air. He drew a large gun and fired a barrage of bullets at him, but they bounced off of his armor. Wing kicked Gohan in the ribs, launching him back before he shot a storm of blazing energy at him, launching him back.
"Pathy, end it," Yaji said as the psychic boy glowed blue, forcing rocks to fall on both Tarble and Gohan.
"No Hunters can harm me!?" Yaji boasted before the rock piles exploded in bursts of energy. Two figures, Tarble and Gohan, erupted from the ground appeared in front of Yaji, Sy, and Pathy.
Sy cackled and jumped at Tarble, but he was kicked aside before a sphere of purple energy killed him. Pathy started to use a psychic attack, but Gohan shot him with a Masenko Blast, killing him.
"Wing, Calure, get them!" Yaji shouted before running away, while his two commanders jumped up.
Gohan blocked a kick from Wing and punched the creature in the face before hitting with a wave of blue energy. Wing jumped up, only slightly injured, and surrounded himself in flames. He slammed into Gohan and knocked him back before creating a sphere of dark energy in his hands, shooting it out as a flamethrower.
Calure dodged an attack from Tarble, but got kicked in the chest. He drew a large gun and fired it at Tarble, but Tarble dodged and grabbed the gun, stealing it before wrapping it around Calure. Tarble charged a purple sphere in his hands.
"Eat this!" he shouted as he fried Calure into dust.
Wing and Gohan were now trading blows swiftly, but Gohan shot a Masenko straight through the demon's chest, fatally wounding him.
"I won't die like this. I will die in a flash!" Wing shouted before he exploded, shooting debris at Gohan.
Yaji was surprised, appalled, and ready to steal a Space Pod. Gohan and Tarble chased him and cornered him.
"Give it up and come quietly, or else," Gohan said.
"Not a chance! Prepare to die!" Yaji shouted before speeding at them, slashing at Gohan and Tarble rapidly, surprising and wounding them badly.
Covered in cuts and wounds from their fights, Gohan and Tarble fell backwards. Both slowly rose and prepared to fight the samurai. Tarble shot a Galick Gun at him, but Yaji sliced it in half, but while he was distracted, Gohan sped at him and slammed him aside.
"I'll kill you!" he shouted before speeding at Gohan with his sword drawn.
Before he could slice Gohan's throat a blast of energy shot through Yaji, knocking him back. The attack had shot straight through his chest, and Yaji was dying.
"You...rotten..." he said, but he coughed up blood and died.
Tarble's hand was still smoking from the shot he fired at Yaji.
"You saved me," Gohan was surprised. This was the same Saiyan that had threatened to kill him.
"I did it because the Hunters didn't need to lose a good fighter. Nothing else," Tarble said as he turned and walked into his Space Pod, closing it.
Gohan stepped into his Space Pod and followed Tarble into outer space.
"So they're all dead?" the King asked as Tarble and Gohan approached him.
"Yes, sir," Gohan said.
"Good, both of you go to your rooms. But first, Tarble, did it happen yet?" the King asked.
"No, Father. It hasn't," Tarble said.
The King sighed and said,"Very well. You are dismissed."
When they got away from the King, Gohan asked Tarble,"What was he talking about?"
"I'm the only Hunter without a Super Level," Tarble revealed before walking away.