Obligatory copyright disclaimer: Sailor Moon, Dragon Ball Z and relative characters are intellectual property of their respective owners. I'm using them without permission, but this is only a no-profit Fan fiction.
Edit: My heartfelt thanks to Angel-Rias for Beta-reading the chapter!
Chapter 4, Put to the test
Rei, the only one of them still standing, nodded nervously to the huge Saiyan's proposal. Better to fight later than be killed now. She moved to help her friends, but Captain Nappa had other ideas.
"Pick up these idiots, you four! Bring them to testing arena number five." He barked to the soldiers.
"Yes sir!" They immediately obeyed, lifting Minako, Usagi, Ami and Jean in the air. The captain took hold of Makoto's ankle and grabbed Rei by the wrist, then took flight.
"Ouch! You are hurting me!" Being suspended in midair by her wrist was very painful. But the worst suffering was reserved for Makoto, who had a serious flying phobia, her parents having died in a plane crash. "Ohh, let me down, please! Let me down!" She was almost crying from pain and fear.
"Cease your pitiful whining woman! Or I will reconsider my decision and kill you on the spot!" The cruel man landed after a few minutes of flying, throwing them in a heap of bodies. They were brought into an open roof arena, dominated by a mirrored observation bubble. The only exit beside the sky was a metal door in the wall under the bubble.
"Ouch! Rei you weigh too much!" Usagi yelped when her friend landed on her lap. All of them were in bad shape, but still alive. Makoto stood up looking at the Saiyans with rage filled eyes.
"Ah! I like that look! Finally you show some fire! Well, listen up trash!" The man barked. "I am Captain Nappa, of the royal elite. I could have let them kill you, but I am in a good mood today, having been promoted to personal guard of prince Vegeta. So I am going to give you a chance. Kill an enemy, even in a group, and I will allow you to enlist in the army. Failure is not tolerated, it will be a fight to the death!"
"Excuse me, my lord." Jean asked him. "Is there a difference in winning alone or in a group? And what opponent do we have to fight?"
"Impress me and maybe you will be rated as elite. Survive and you will be low class soldiers. Not that I expect anything from you except a funny death! Ha, ha, ha, ha! Your opponent will be a saibai-man, not too much weaker than Nizuki, the woman who crushed you easily. She is a low class warrior" He nodded at the Saiyan female, who blushed in shame.
"Then, if you don't mind, I will fight alone my lord!" Jean exclaimed.
"Oh? We have an ambitious one? Well, you will fight first then, so your friends will know fear!" He laughed exiting the arena by the door.
Nappa climbed the stairs and entered the observation bubble. He was surprised to find another man there.
"Nappa! What are you doing here? Testing new warriors is my responsibility!" The man was clearly angry.
"Cool down Maizen. I only want a bit of fun. Come on guys!" He beckoned to the four soldiers. Entering the bubble they immediately stood at attention.
"Captain Maizen, sir!" They shouted together.
"At ease, warriors." The man told them distractedly. "Tell me more Nappa, you know I don't like your sadistic games. Where's the catch?"
Nappa hated the man. Captain Maizen was an elite, stronger than him, with a power level of over eight thousand. Reluctantly he explained the entire situation to him.
"Hum. I see. Not a bad idea after all. We don't need weaklings, but we can use more good soldiers. Let's see their level with the arena scouter. It is more precise than the portable ones." The officer punched some buttons, and numbers appeared on the screen.
In the arena the girls were arguing with Jean. "Are you mad? The only chance we have to survive is fighting as a group! Why on earth do you want to fight alone?" Rei was practically shouting at her.
"I can do it. Ami, you must analyze my opponent strengths and weaknesses, so you can team up on the following enemy. I'm trying to rate as elite; they sure have more influence than a low class whatever. I need rank to search for the Void without raising suspicion. You have only to stay out of trouble. Then I will contact you when the time is right!" She explained them.
"What if you die horribly here, and without your aid, we die too?" whispered Usagi softly, sadness in her eyes.
Before Jean had the chance to speak, a voice thundered in the arena. "Warriors. Speak loudly your names once at a time. Then the battle will begin." Usagi was startled by the voice, finding it familiar.
Without any other choices they shouted their names and prepared for the worst.
In the bubble, the scouter finished its readings. The names of the girls were added to the power levels displayed on the screen. "Let's see their worth." Captain Maizen said to himself.
Ami - 350
Jean - 430
Makoto - 840
Minako - 450
Rei - 410
Usagi - 300
"The tall girl is almost decent. A bit of training and she will be a fine low class. The group should win if they can fight together well. On the contrary that Jean girl is a goner. She will never win alone against a saibai-man." He punched a last button, activating the saibai seed planter.
In the arena, a robotic arm came out from the wall, pushing a strange seed down in the sand of the arena. It sprinkled some type of liquid over the seed then folded back in the wall. While the girls looked at the strange scene, a green head similar in color and shape to a cabbage sprouted from the earth followed by an ugly green body, all stubby arms, legs and claws. An evil face completed the looks of the creature, who immediately started to chuckle. "Ku ku ku ku!"
"Saibai-man! Your enemy is the older woman in front of you! Kill her!" The familiar voice thundered the command from the speakers.
The monster crossed eyes with Jean then attacked swiftly punching her in the face. Jean managed to grab its hand and punched herself. The Saibai-man grabbed her hand and they began a contest of strength.
In the bubble, the scouter was beeping furiously. "Her power level is rising! How is it possible!" Nappa was shouting, bewildered. On the screen the values were unmistakably displayed for all to see.
Saibai-man - 1200
Jean - 430 ping 516 ping 620 ping 743 ping 891
"She more than doubled her power! How is this possible, captain?" Nizuki asked in awe. A warrior's power level was fixed and raised only after tough training and experience, not during a fight!
"She is concentrating her power to raise it for a short time. I know someone in the Frieza Elite who can do it." remarked Maizen calmly. Nappa was annoyed by this, no one in the Frieza Elite ever told him anything at all. How came Maizen knew it? "Anyway it's still not enough." He added cruelly.
In the arena, the saibai-man was slowly winning the contest. Pushing Jean toward the floor he overextended himself. At the same moment Jean stopped pushing and started pulling. She fell on the floor with her back and kicked the monster in the guts, throwing it against the wall behind her. The saibai-man wasn't expecting something like it and crushed against the wall head first.
It immediately stood up, anger in its eyes, while Jean was standing up. Its head split open in the middle and squirted a green fluid at the woman! Jean jumped back, having anticipated the attack thanks to her karma skill.
The monster attacked her again, but she limited herself to parries and dodges, taking time to think up a strategy. 'I have to finish this quickly; my karma is at its lowest after a dimthread.' It was too strong and fast however, and she started taking damage. Cuts and bruises mostly, however her stamina was drying out.
"She is almost defeated." Captain Maizen was carefully measuring her power level, dropping steadily during the fight. Then something changed. "Wait, what is happening?"
Evading the monster, Jean summoned all of her power. "OK, I'm going for broke, look at me kids!" She shouted. "AAAAHHHH!"
An intense red glow emanated from Jean, while she used her remaining karma to grab the unlikely chance for victory. She found something in her body, a trigger she happened to notice only thanks to her probability manipulation skill. Pushing her luck, she pumped all of her energy into it, and her body answered by powering up... a lot!
The scouter was beeping madly in the observation chamber. Jean's power level was again raising fast. Nappa was astounded. "What is she doing? How high is her power level? Tell me Maizen!" The other captain calmly looked at the readings. "Over four thousand. Can you believe it? The saibai-man has no chance, she is an elite."
In the arena Jean finished powering up then disappeared from sight, while the saibai-man tried to hit her. She reappeared beside it, hitting it with a vicious chop on the neck, easily decapitating it. Then the power vanished, leaving her exhausted, all her muscles aching badly.
"Unbelievable! If she was so strong why she let me hit her?" Asked Nizuki wide eyed.
"She lacks training. She obviously has the innate power of an elite, but has no real skill. She can't fly, nor use energy attacks. But she can focus her power at the time of need. This is an advanced ability, only a real elite can use." he told them while grinning at Nappa, clearly incapable of doing it himself.
"Fine! If she is that good, then I claim her for the royal guards. We will train her to be strong. You are in charge of the low class warrior training, so it should not be a problem." Nappa shouted back.
Maizen nodded in acceptance. "You may take her now, I will proceed with testing the others." He replied coldly.
"I will!" The big warrior climbed down the stairs angrily, then entered the arena, where the girls were celebrating, grabbing hold of Jean's arm. "You will be trained as an Elite, woman. Be grateful. We will go now." He said, immediately starting to fly away. Unable to resist, Jean shouted at the surprised girls "Stay... out... of... trouble!" then vanished over the walls.
"Jean-san! Bring her back here, you sadistic... saiyan!" Minako was still shouting at Nappa, when the voice from the observation bubble thundered again. "Stay alert, warriors. Your opponent is almost ready!" At the same time the robotic arm planted another saibai-man.
Makoto was already in a karate fighting position. Minako and Rei stood by her sides. Usagi, in the back row was still trying to remember where she heard that voice.
Ami, standing behind Makoto, was thinking of a plan. "If that beast is strong as the one Jean-san defeated, than we need to stop its movement, even for an instant. Our attacks won't harm it, but we will give Makoto the time to hit it."
"OK!" The three girls replied instantly. They were maybe unable to transform into their Sailor counterparts, but the long years of teamwork were still at their disposal. When the saibai-man sprouted fully grown from the sand of the arena, they were ready for it.
In the observation room, captain Maizen was looking at the Scouter readings. "Here they go again, their power levels are raising." On the screen, the values were changing fast.
Ami - 350 ping 420 ping 504 ping 604
Makoto - 840 ping 1008
Minako - 450 ping 540 ping 648
Rei - 410 ping 492 ping 590 ping 708
Usagi - 300
Saibai -man - 1200
In the arena, Makoto sprinted toward the monster, jumping at the last moment and kicking at its head. The little plant man dodged her kick by ducking, only to be attacked by both Rei and Minako in a double tackle attack.
The monster however jumped up with blinding speed, somersaulting backwards and landing a vicious kick on Makoto's back. Despite the pain, she bounced on the wall and attacked again hitting it with an elbow attack in the guts.
Minako and Rei, disentangling from each other, tumbled sideways, quickly standing up. Makoto and the saibai-man were exchanging blinding-fast attacks, so they waited for an opening.
Ami, scooping up a fistful of sand from the floor of the arena, charged the monster faking a punch. The plant man easily dodged, while parrying a series of fast punches form Makoto, then slapped Ami on the face.
The short haired girl was prepared to be hit, but the strength of the blow was unexpected. She managed to throw the sand in the face of the monster, before crashing backwards in the wall. Usagi, seeing her hurt, immediately snapped back to reality. "Ami... AMI!"
Meanwhile, taking advantage of the monster's momentary blindness, Minako and Rei grabbed its arms. "Now Makoto!" They held it fast, to give her friend a chance to deliver a good hit.
Makoto charged forward with full strength, punching the beast in the abdomen, with all her might. The saibai-man doubled over, likely in pain. "Good hit!" exclaimed Minako, a moment too soon.
"Ku, ku, ku, ku!" The saibai-man, while in pain, opened wide his skull squirting acid on Makoto. The girl managed to cover herself with her arms, but the pain was excruciating. "Arrrrgh!" She cried, falling down.
"You cheater!" Minako tried to hit the plant man but it started to glow. "Let it go!" Shouted Rei, jumping back. A flash of light blinded her as the monster released a burst of power, hitting Minako at full force. She was pushed away, falling down stunned.
In the bubble, the Saiyan warriors were commenting the fight. "They started well, but now they are done for. Without their strongest fighters, the saibai-man is going to slaughter them."
"Not necessarily." Told them calmly the captain. "One of them is still standing, and another has not powered up." He hinted at Usagi, still trying to aid Ami. Strangely he felt an irrational attraction for the girl with the strange meatball hairdo. He was sure she was hiding something.
"Ami-chan, please stand up. Are you hurt?" Usagi was terrified, her friends were falling one after another, reminding her their final battle against Queen Metallia.
"Usagi... please help Rei, not me... I'm out for good... I've broken ribs and concussion... can't fight."
"But, but I'm not a fighter... I can't transform... what can I do to that monster?"
"I... have faith... in you... It has a large head, which reduces... its peripheral vision. You must attack it... from the rear. You still can... Rei... oh." She fainted.
"Ami, AMI!" Usagi was on the verge of tears, when Rei's voice startled her. "Hey! Rei Here! I can use some help! Ykes!"
The Shinto shrine maiden was not a martial artist in any sense of the word, but five years as Sailor Mars left her with lightning fast reflexes. This, combined with her precognitive powers enabled her to evade the monster's attacks, at least until now. "Usagi, please! Snap out of it! Attack it! Attack it!" The saibai-man, anticipating the kill, was pressing on.
Usagi running at top speed, charged the monster head on, without skill or strategy. Sensing danger, the saibai-man dodged at the last moment, grabbing her in a deadly embrace! Chuckling evilly he started to squeeze.
"Usagi!" Rei punched the monster in the ribs without effect. It was killing her friend, and her attacks were useless. Its skin was too tough.
Suffering greatly, Usagi started to whimper, uselessly trying to free herself. Then unconsciously remembering her first fight against a youma, she screamed out loud, with all her might, born of fear, frustration and concern for her friends.
The mighty yell stunned the saibai-man, forcing it to release the noisy girl. Usagi fell on the floor, but readily stood up, while Rei kicked the monster in the side. The saibai-men recovered rapidly, attacking with a fast punch on Rei's nose, momentarily dazing her.
Meanwhile Usagi, still lost in remembrance, blurred together in her mind the image of the saibai-man with the first youma she faced. She touched her forehead while a golden light shone between her fingers; then she crouched in a Frisbee launching position. A glowing disc of power formed in her hand.
In the observation room, the scouter readings started to fluctuate again.
Ami - 60
Makoto - 101
Minako - 65
Rei - 550
Usagi - 300 ping 450 ping 675 ping 1012
Saibai -man - 980
"Look at that thing! She is about to use an energy attack!" Nizuki was not impressed by the power, in itself still low, but the ability to increase it at will was incredibly useful.
Captain Maizen was proud of that girl, despite not understanding why he cared. 'I knew you had it in yourself, woman. Show them your skill!' He thought to himself.
The saibai-man noticed Usagi and quickly charged her. Exactly at the same time she finished preparing her attack. Shouting "Moon... Tiara... Action!" She threw the energy disc, making it rotate like a flying buzz saw.
Realizing its mistake, the plant man tried to change course, but it was too late. The power disk cut it neatly in half, killing it on the spot. They had won the challenge!
The disc continued its flight, returning to Usagi's hand. She caught it without difficulty, making it fly around her fingers, unharmed. She looked at the strange glowing, buzzing disc, rapidly snapping out of her reverie. "What... what is this thing?" Losing her concentration, the disc harmlessly dissipated.
Rei was stunned. Usagi managed to use an energy attack without transforming into Sailor Moon! It was similar to her tiara attack, yet without the tiara. "How the hell did you manage to do that?"
"I don't know! I remembered my first fight against a youma, and it happened! Rei are you OK? We must help the others, they are wounded!" She said hastening to her friends side.
At the same time, the arena door opened, and the Saiyan warriors rapidly stood beside it. A tall man in black and silver battle armor, complete with a black cape, walked in staring coldly at them. "Well done, women! You are now rated as low-class soldiers in the Saiyan army. Nizuki!" He barked at the Saiyan warrior woman.
"Yes sir!" she snapped at attention.
"You are to receive a temporary promotion to sergeant. I want you to bring these newbies to the medical room, then to the armory. Get them equipment, food and lodging. Book them for a mission then report back to me. I want them ready for action as soon as possible. Understood?"
"Oh, why me? Sir, I'm not the..." She started to argue when the captain interrupted her.
"Are you saying I'm wrong in choosing you? You are not up to the task?"
"No sir! I will do as instructed sir!"
"Well, let's move then. And you three..." He added looking at the remaining soldiers. "You were supposed to patrol the south wall, am I mistaken? Return to your post, NOW!"
The soldiers saluted then they hastened to their duties flying away.
Then the captain noticed the amazed stares of the five new soldiers. Even Makoto, Minako and Ami, greatly pained by their wounds, were gawking at him.
Usagi threw herself crying in his arms. " Oh Mamoru! Mamo-chan! It was so scary! The monsters, the pain! Please take us home! Oh I love you! I... uh what are you doing here anyway, wearing this armor?"
Ignoring Nizuki's chuckling, Maizen pushed the girl gently away from his chest. "I think you're confusing me with someone else, woman. I'm Captain Maizen, in charge of the low-class warrior training program. I have never seen you before. Now cease your whimpering and help your comrades to the medical bay. Nizuki here will be your commander, for the time being."
He started to rise in the air. "Don't disappoint me, women. I have given you a chance to live, prove me right and do a good job; remember your Saiyan warrior pride."
"M-mamo-chan is not Mamo-chan?" Usagi was stammering, stunned by the revelation. The captain flew away leaving them with the cruel eyed saiyan woman.
"This is madness! He was identical to Mamoru! How can that be?" Rei, the only one standing beside Usagi, was trying to help Makoto. The tall girl had her arms horribly burned, but she managed to stand up.
Nizuki grabbed the still paralyzed Minako and unceremoniously dumped her on her shoulders. She waited for Usagi to help Ami, then walked through the door. "Hurry, we have no time to spare. Your friend's wounds need treatment. It was a good fight. You surprised us. That power level raising skill is useful, you must teach me how to do it. By the way, I'm Nizuki, pleased to meet you girls." She told them smiling.
"You tried to kill us!" Usagi snapped at her.
"Yeah, so what? I thought you were useless trash. You are not, and in a real fight you five could have killed me. No need to waste your thoughts on this. I will offer you a drink later, OK? Now follow me, we'll get them in the healing pods in no time."
Rei and Usagi looked at each other wondering how the saiyan mind worked. "Uh, I want something to eat, I'm hungry!" Usagi could not let the opportunity pass.
"Fine, I'm hungry too. First we have your friends healed, then we eat in the mess hall. Here we are!" Nizuki kicked open an automatic door, the mechanisms whining in protest to the abuse. "Too slow, stupid door!" She growled entering the room.
They were in a large chamber full of machinery. Several pods filled with transparent green goo were positioned in the center of a network of cables and pipes. Computer screens dotted the walls and a constant humming sound reverberated, the air smelling of chemicals. An old looking bearded man with bald head and pointed ears met them.
"Planthorr! I have fresh meat for your machines. Nothing really serious. Can you heal them now?" The Saiyaness unceremoniously dumped the still stunned Minako on the floor.
"Yes, Nizuki dear. Please strip the patients of these filthy rags and put them in the medical machines. You two girls, stop gawking and lend her an hand. I want you to enter the pods too. You seem hurt. No one leaves my ward wounded, however lightly." The man was speaking with a strange but gentle accent.
Ami, conscious despite the pain, was staring at the room with wide eyes. "Healing machines? Oh, I MUST learn how they work!"
"A saiyan scholar? What a rarity! Let me heal you, lady, then if you are still interested I may teach you something." The man said softly while inserting her in the medical pod.
"Are you sure these things work?" Rei asked him.
"Sure! You will know soon enough!" Nizuki told her, stripping her by force and throwing her, head first, in a pod. "Eek! You... brute!"
Usagi, sweat dropping, hastened in a machine by herself, to avoid Rei's fate.
Collecting their rags Nizuki dumped them in a garbage disposal chute. "Doctor, do you have some under suits here?"
"Yes, my dear. Some old female ones are in the third locker to the right."
She opened the locker and took out five small objects, resembling doll sized black swimsuits. "These will do. A bit skimpy for my tastes, but better than those reservation rags!" She spat on the ground remembering with hate the old Tsufuru-made uniforms.
"No spitting here, lady!" Planthorr chided her.
Meanwhile, in the pods, the five friends were overwhelmed by exhaustion and drifted in a peaceful sleep.
"Look at them! They are healing fast. While we wait, I will book them for the first mission available. The captain was very clear on this." Nizuki approached one of the terminals and started punching buttons.
"Too difficult, too difficult, too easy... Oh this is good. Planet Babke! One moon, full once every 100 years. Next full moon in two weeks. It's perfect! The inhabitants are modestly strong, but nothing an Oozaru can't handle. There, mission accepted!" She grinned satisfied of her choice.
"And now we wait..." She yawned, sitting on the floor with her back on Usagi's pod. "Wake me when they are finished Planthorr, I'll grab some sleep too."
Sighing, the doctor nodded at her, thinking to himself. "Saiyans! Good only to eat, sleep and fight... morons, all of them."