Chapter 21: Royal Flush
There was indeed something quite endearing about the way Kale took a brief step backwards, as the great explosion of pure light and energy overwhelmed him entirely. Unable to handle the extreme data overload, the scouter over his eye suddenly imploding with a burst of smoke and electrical hissing. Kale merely plucked the object from the slightly burnt side of his face and tossed it aside, squinting his injured eye a moment.
"WHAT ARE YOU?" He shouted up at the Golden fighter in pure disbelief. When there was only silence complete with the coldest stare, Kale growled to himself. It was all rather amusing even, or at least the golden Gohan thought so, with the subtle twitch at the right side of his mouth. Below him was a full-blooded Saiyan noble, reduced to cheating in order to win. He hardly deserved an honourable death, especially not from the hand of a living legend. But a painful death, now that was another subject entirely.
"ANSWER ME, HALF-BREED!"
The continued silence provoked Kale into a fully offensive manoeuvre against this clear challenge, which he would madly face despite the sure warnings. Yet Gohan only had to lean to one side at the last possible moment, to very casually and fluently avoid the charging punch. His rather calm expression was mostly stoic, with the slightest frown adorning very serious and focused features. Kale on the other hand, wore an expression of very deep confusion and heavy concern. Audibly gasping, he jumped back a moment to stare incredulously at this golden monster. The half-breed had barely moved, not even as Kale launched an all out series of attacks. An onslaught barely worth describing, as each attempt to deal damage was met by the mastered defence and evasion of the super Saiyan. It was entertaining though, and so Gohan would permit it for a moment longer. Displaying his new strength over what was only a weak worm, was just a tip of the repayment he would demand. This would've originally been an equal match that should've lasted quite some time, but the explosion of pure anger had changed everything. Not to mention how Videl's desperate ki attack had weakened Kale physically, but strengthened his willpower. It wasn't just the fact that this weakling had dared to harm his intended mate though. It was everything, boiling up inside of him in a time bomb. Kari's incessant plotting, Nappa's insults, the blasphemous change of the trial and even Videl's reluctance to accept him. This was simply the last act that had detonated what was an inevitable ascension. Something he had felt brewing inside him for a long time now, but always refused in fear that it was something ultimately human. That alone had been frightening for a man who insisted on proving himself worthy of his Saiyan blood. Curious, yet altogether daunting.
An opportunity presented itself perfectly, and Gohan ever so simply blocked the incoming kick with his forearm. The effortless force of his counterattack, pushed with a cracking snap against the shin bones, and so the over-confident Kale wailed. A follow-up punch, slammed against Kale's upper arm, easily breaking those bones also.
How could one attack deal so much damage? Such questions would only meet with an empty response however, as the Golden Fighter persisted with his silence. Likewise, Gohan neither cared to ask why this Noble Saiyan was there, or indulge in any other questioning. The sooner this was over with, the sooner he could return to his woman. So as the opponent tried another lunging attack, Gohan disappeared altogether, leaving Kale to hit nothing but thin air in a lengthy momentum. From behind him, a spine-breaking kick to the lower back, sent him hurtling straight for the river embankment in a very swift, spinning and tumbling descent. Eventually sliding through the layers of damp silt to a clear stop, Kale heaved and groaned at the pain still shooting up his back, arm, and leg. Attempting to move was out of the question, and he would be too late either way. Two white boots had already landed in front of him. He managed to lift his head, to stare up into the eyes of his reaper. Ironically, he laughed. It was impossible that he should be dealt with so quickly, and the bashing to his over-confident pride hurt far more than any of his severe injuries. But he would try to redeem himself, even in what he thought to be his last moments in the realm of the breathing.
"I'm glad," he paused to splutter and heave heavily. "This ends, this way. Knowing, even if… if you can defeat me. You haven't won." He laughed again, gaining the lightly arched brow of a less than impressed Gohan.
"Ahaha! … You're not done yet. You won't… you can't win. Not… Not until, you are the only… the only one, left. So kill me… eh-hehehe…"
The pain dealt so far would be nothing compared to the way Gohan suddenly pinned his foot over the noble's lower back, leaned down slightly, and gripped at the one limb which was bound to inflict a spasm of further paralysis. A gruff, all-male cry cracked across the horizon, as the tail was roughly yanked. Kale, almost completely immobilised from the neck down, could do nothing but endure it.
"I'm not going to kill you." The Golden Fighter finally announced in a completely level voice, keeping his hand clamped around the furry appendage. "But I will leave you with a permanent reminder of your ultimate failure."
The tail was pulled again, feeling as though the golden reaper was going to extract the spine entirely from the body. But he didn't, not quite.
"This is for Videl."
Instead, he aimed a single finger, and fired a precise ki beam. The torturing agony of that simple dismemberment, was beyond both sound and words. So Kale cried out, until his voice cracked into pure silence. The continued strain on his face alone, was more than enough.
"Now you will stay here, and rot." Gohan dropped the lifeless tail limb in front of the paralysed Kale, for half-lidded eyes to stare at endlessly. "While you think about the dishonour brought upon your name."
There was no possible chance of him getting up again any time soon. Not without the helping hand of a rejuvenation chamber. Yet the crazed snickering lowly continued, even as Gohan turned his back on what he considered to be a completely defeated opponent. He hadn't bothered to comprehend the words of the noble's failure, as he set his sights on the only being worthy of his attention now. If only it were that simple though. Gohan had barely taken two steps closer, when another disturbance interrupted his focus. Two perfectly white space orbs in fact, that suddenly tore through the planet's atmosphere followed by the appropriate flames behind him. He narrowed his eyes as he traced their descent to the planet. Not only did he hear their impact; he felt it with the ground shaking beneath his feet. The ships had fallen far too close for comfort. More pawns for him to deal with? No matter. He would dispose of them all with the same, effortless expenditure of his pumped energy. But first…
Despite the efforts of her body trying to function beyond her injuries, Videl was lost in a dark place. She could feel the raised soil beneath her; the jagged edges of her armour and the warm moisture seeping from her wounds. She could feel the tortured stinging sensations and the struggles of her sporadic heart and lungs. Although she drew haggard breaths in light pants, it lacked an even rhythm. As did the unsure beating of her heart. Her light faded, and she saw nothing but a dark abyss. That is, until warm hands found her, ever so carefully lifting the ruined body into loving arms. Gohan knew he had to move her, but seeing the state of her injuries up close, was the further trigger of his anger. Where the armour was cracked and dented, wet crimson clotted and continued to stain pale flesh. The perfect face, marked by the broken nose and various cuts, and bruises over the milky skin. His golden aura cracked with his anger, and the sheer heat that intensely radiated from them, abruptly stole the female away from her prison of darkness. Slightly purple and blue eyelids fluttered halfway open, and her cracked lower lip dropped slightly. A hoarse breath escaped her, as her vision focused on an angel of the purest aurous.
"We're getting out of here," the angel told her in a voice that brought a feathery flutter to her heart. Though her facial muscles hardly moved, she was smiling. "We're going home, together."
Home. Earth. The thought transferred the smile through her entire body in a wave of warm relief. It would be nice to be home again, but as the angel slowly lifted her, she winced with the mind-numbing pain. Not only was her body broken. Her willpower and spirit, had finally been dealt a more serious blow.
"Home," she mouthed the word on her lips, not even possessing the energy for sound anymore. But Gohan saw it, and smiled as he rose to his feet with her cradled form. There was no question about it; he wasn't going to leave her, not again. Confident he could protect her now more than ever, while still able to deal with whoever had just invaded the planet; he suddenly took to the skies in a burst of energy. The trail left behind him surreally echoed by the continuous laughter of the fallen Kale, gradually fading into nothing. For that was all he was worth now.
It was easy to locate the two craters up ahead which had created two matching clearings in the forest of equal, perfectly circular size next to each other. So it also was clear that their co-ordinates had been fixed to this exact location. Gohan frowned deeply; someone was meddling with the Trial in the most scandalous manner. First the use of scouters, and now forced combat upon arrival? Choosing his first target, he descended down to the space pod, waiting for it to open. The original plan had been to relocate Kale's vessel for Videl, and then find the pod that should've belonged to the first opponent Nappa had dealt with. But now the plan was far simpler, as long as he dealt with the inhabitants of these shells without damaging the method of transport. Yet much to his odd mixture of surprise, relief and slight disappointment; the door lowered, to reveal nothing but the empty interior of red velvet cushioning. Frowning, he moved to the adjacent pod, which boosted the same surprise. Only on further inspection, did Gohan recognise the sigil of his father's battleship, stamped in red registration digits across the inner door. Wasting no time, he carefully placed Videl inside the pod. Her small frame fit easily in the confined space, and the mask connected to the inbuilt rejuvenation device was quickly fixed over her face, and activated with a burst of released air and toxins. It wasn't as strong or effective as a proper tank, but the chemicals would sustain her body for long enough. A moment of tapping at the control screen revealed a fixed, auto-pilot system already programmed into the systems. Whether it was the work of Kari or his father, Gohan didn't care. The confirmation key was tapped, and he stepped back in time for the door to close. Watching the ship launch of its' own accord, his attention turned to the second pod. The golden ascension was lost with this sudden genuine calmness and relief, and he briefly fell to his hands and knees. Knowing that his mate-to-be was as safe as he could hope for, he no longer needed the power of a legend. In several flickers, the golden splendour was replaced by his dark features once more, along with the sudden realisation of the dream-like transformation altogether. It was too real to be a dream though, as he felt his ki considerably drained from him. Stumbling up the crater, he slid and tumbled down the next, finally crawling to what he hoped to be his salvation from Gelidus. There would be plenty of time to reflect on what he'd achieved and what awaited him wherever he landed next, on the lonely and worrisome projection through space.
Witnessing the Legendary Ascension of King Vegeta had an altogether rather different effect on the select audience of Saiyans. There were some who, like Kakarot, suddenly backed away from the immense display of rather scary power. Then there were others who remained transfixed in one position, refusing to go one way or the other. That included both Kari and the council, with a smirk gradually lifted Kari's features in particular, as her eyes re-focused to the intense light that surrounded her. Tatsoi was right; a pure-blood Saiyan was just as capable of tapping into this things called 'emotions.' Now that the ultimate experiment was a successful, they no longer had any need of the subject. It was indeed time to test the strength and find the weakness of the Legendary Super Saiyan.
"NOW!" Came the order, directed at her followers. The four members of the council joined Kari, as she clenched her fists and charged herself to her full potential. Bursts of individual energies surrounded the King in preparation for an all out attack. Five against one was hardly fair, and yet they would all soon prove themselves barely a match for Vegeta. In quick blurs, he disappeared and reappeared, leaving the rebel team to mostly just hit one another. Ruta's uppercut connected with Baga's gut, while Baga barged Beetro who in turn slammed his hammer-thrusting fists against Tatsoi's back. The only person who invaded any injury, was the swift Kari, but even she was unable to land a blow against the King. He laughed down as he now floated above his throne; cape flapping magnificently behind him.
"Impossible!" Kurrat declared, clenching his fists and gaping at the smirking King, while his oppressors gathered themselves again. "He has become… a Super Saiyan?"
"The Legend is true!" Another shouted, followed by fearful gasps. An enraged Beetro had by then recovered with what he thought to be the wise idea of going against the so-called legend alone. In an outburst of deep yells and wavering aura, he flew at the King. The Executioner didn't get far at all. Lifting his palm so casually, the King pointed two fingers in a well-aimed death beam. Tatsoi had to leap aside as the beam shot straight through the advancing Beetro's chest, and proceeded in cutting through three other unfortunate nobles. Vegeta didn't care, as he gradually laughed in deep, crazed cackles. These weaklings deserved to die. Not a single one of them was a match for his incredible power.
"WHICH OF YOU IS NEXT?"
The sight of the four executions, three of which somewhat underserved, brought varied reactions from the Saiyan populace. Now, the Legend of the Super Saiyan had earned various interpretations. The nobles had strict beliefs that 'he of great power' would appear roughly once every three thousand years. This very important Saiyan would either deliver his people from their slavery and lead them to salvation, or deliver them from the misery of their unworthy existence. The nobles therefore believed that the arrival of the legend was both a curse and a blessing. Others were simply convinced that there was one Saiyan ancestor long ago, who had fought against an impossible opponent and in his deepest desperation, attained the ultimate level of power. The opportunity to reach that level again had never been discovered since then. What had happened to the single Legendary Super Saiyan was also unknown. Some even compared him to the Golden Ape God worshipped by the former, more archaic Saiyans. The former Prince Vegeta's defeat over Frieza had gained him similar status as a Legend in his own right. Yet few had witnessed the truth of his ascension. Now, his golden appearance for all to see, rendered him a Godly apparition. Either way, there was a clear separation of opinion, as the lesser Saiyans vocally reacted.
"He is sent to deliver us!" A noble shouted, complete with various others clenching these fists to embrace this deliverance fully.
"We are not to anger him further!" Another somewhat agreed, while several elites spat at the idea of Gods and legends. This was merely the final challenge of their unworthy King. Besides, that which they did not understand, was a threat.
"Fools! He is blinded by madness and crazed rage."
"He is to be destroyed, not revered!"
"He is to be destroyed before he destroys us!"
"If he is a God, then we must prove our worth!"
"What monster have we unleashed?" Uttered an unsure Tatsoi, as he looked down to the lifeless body of his comrade at arms. Beetro was one of the strongest warriors in the Council, yet he had barely even started to attack the King. A growling Ruta and Baga were next to engage Vegeta, as other Saiyans once more fought amongst themselves. Coming to a joint decision was clearly impossible, though the mentality of the planet's inhabitants had long since suffered since the reign of Frieza. Along with broken allegiances and the shifting of opinions, came the constant rebellions within their fragile society.
"Madness." The Judge again uttered, as he cast his eyes to the clashing of Saiyans against Saiyans. The population had long since suffered from both the genophage and the enslavement of Frieza. These represented a considerable handful of the citizens remaining, and yet they would happily dispose of each other in primitive bids for demonstrations of strength and dominance. Baga flew against the ceiling, bouncing off to advance again, while Ruta was left open to attack. The twins fought bravely as one, but even still, they were no match for the Legend. The King merely toyed with them both, cockily laughing as their constant attacks only failed.
"Don't quit on me now Tatsoi!" Kari grinned, as she pushed aside a noble who deemed himself strong enough to face half-Royal blood. Even in the chaos of mostly her own making, the woman was more than proud of herself. It made very little sense. Clearly they had each been striving for their own unique goals concealed by the deceit of joint efforts. The Supreme Judge saw it now, and could only utter a shortly breathed chuckle. The woman had only proved how she was nothing but a symbol of the madness that had consumed their decaying race.
"Well played, onna."
In truth, the Council had wanted a change in leadership. They had wanted so desperately to overthrow the King while still maintaining the public vote. Kari's enthusiasm was at times very endearing and blinding. The woman had owned the answer to everything, but this wasn't how Tatsoi had wanted things to happen. He'd warned her very clearly, not to push the King too far. That this trial should only be the cover-up that would show the rest of the planet exactly how unfit the King was to wear the Crown. His own, very careful planning, was now collapsing in Kari's centre-stage antics. The public favour was lost. Both Royalty and Democracy had failed, and ironically, the nobles had won. The return of the Savage ways was inevitable. The Legend of the Super Saiyan would indeed deliver his people, but the Council would not be among his chosen disciples.
As Ruta and Baga both collided against the far wall followed by a blinding flash of energy that was sure to end them both, the smirking Kari winked at her father figure. Whether she was simply suicidal or just wished to face her brother at his full potential was unknown, but she surely didn't fear death. Tatsoi shoved aside another crazed noble before he could step within the sacred circle, and watched as the former King's one and only daughter, leapt at her target.
Vegeta heaved with the sheer force of his power. It was beyond amazing, and far beyond what he'd achieved against Frieza. The power had never been lost, but now that he had found it again, there were just three things on his mind. First, to deal once and for all with the female now trying to vigorously attack him. Secondly, to rid his planet of weakness. Thirdly but certainly not the least of his tasks, he had a son to reclaim. Even in her final moments, Kari had the nerve to breathe mocking laughter at the sight of her golden brother.
"The Legend is true then!" She declared, as he moved aside from her intended fist. "You really are the strongest of them all. Or are you?"
Vegeta merely crushed his knuckles against the elbow of the arm that dared to offend him, and delighted in the cracking of her bones as her arm was pushed unnaturally against her chest. She hissed through gritted teeth at the unexpected pain searing through her, and the King took that moment to lift his kneecap under his chin. The woman's body rose with the force, only to descend on her back with a thudding bounce of three counts. Before she could even try to sit up, the King was standing over her, and forcing his foot on her other arm. Her tongue would be permitted movement, but he no longer felt her worthy of even entertaining the attempts to hit him.
"Where is my son?" He demanded in his hoarsely threatening voice, but even still, the woman persisted with her competent insanity.
"I … forget," she spat back, gaining the King's snarl. He knelt down, grasping the material around her neck to lift her face closer. A bad move on his part, as even without the use of her arms, she managed to scorn him. Further laughter followed, as she successfully managed to head butt him square in the raised forehead. Instantly, he dropped her, having actually felt some marginal pain this time. It clearly agitated him that she still held this trump card of information over him, as he straightened and even turned his back on her. Arms folded with the moment of consideration. For the briefest second, Kari was granted the chance to actually believe that the King might actually spare her. That he might torture the information out of her, and give her further chance to offend him with her failure to depart from the words he sought. For a moment, a victorious smirk found her burgundy lips.
But for Vegeta, it was the expression he both expected, and wanted. He's trusted her more than once in his younger days, and this was how she repaid him. Nothing would delight him more now, that to wash that smile off Kari's face, once and for all. Quite literally. With his sudden turning back to her, came the equally sudden ki blast of immense proportion. Dark, slanted eyes widened, but it was too late. The bright light engulfed Kari's entire face, one last breath lifting in her chest, as the King finally had the execution carried out. The woman was not even granted the chance to scream, as the blast dealt the most violent and painful beheading imaginable. Even the scrambling Saiyans paused in their activities, to witness the execution in disbelief.
"Another one bites the dust," the King laughed; the fingers of the hand that fired the blast bending in evil contortion. "Ahahaha!" He turned then to snarl fully at the last remaining oppressor, while two more Saiyans fell at the hands of nobles and elites combined. Only Kurrat and Tatsoi remained of the Council, both standing silent and still amidst the chaos. Vegeta granted them both his full attention, yet another lopsided smirk lifting one side of his lips, as his dark eyes focused on one target alone. Kurrat looked back and forth between Vegeta and Tatsoi, slowly stepping backwards out of the tension mounting between them both.
"What will it be, old man." The King quite simply asked the stoic Tatsoi. "Defiance, or do you finally submit?"
The council member braced himself for the inevitable regardless of what he said or did. Yet he could not completely still his tongue, why should he, when he knew these would be his last words.
"There is no right answer I can give. Your actions are beyond my council."
"What's the matter? You're the one who started this game. Now you're losing and you don't want to play any more?" He grinned wider, even folding his arms once more, as he stepped to the side lightly. A snickering Vegeta extended his right arm then, opening his palm at a 90 degree angle. The straight line of close fingers and bent, hooked thumb, created a gesture that told Tatsoi to halt. The supreme judge didn't flinch; he'd helped Vegeta master this move, after all.
"What's wrong, old man? I hope I am not making you uncomfortable..." As energy begun to collect to the King's outstretched palm, the other Saiyans again paused to direct their attention to what they clearly sensed. The ki levels were beyond anything they'd ever imagined, and suddenly the throne room didn't feel as safe as it had before.
"There's a foul stench in here," the King added, as energy formed in a white-yellow sphere in his stretched palm. "I think it's about time I took out the trash." His expression changed in a snap, from smirking, to considerable frowning. Even still, Tatsoi refused to budge.
"BIG …. BANG… ATTACK!"
As the incredible blast collided with Tatsoi, the great mushroom cloud explosion erupted from the target collision, and spread throughout the throne room. It was all very much intended; those who didn't have the strength to withstand the force of the attack, followed the Supreme Judge on a one way ticket to the Hel For Infinite Losers. When the aftermath of the blast cleared in a searing heat of black smoke, very few remained standing. Among them, was Kurrat, who lowered his defensively crossed arms from his face, and heaved an exhausted breath. When the court trial had been called, never in his wildest dreams had he expected such an outcome. But executions had gone down, and so above all else, the King had stuck to his word.
"And so a new era begins," the last remaining council member uttered. His dark eyes were cast to each of the five remaining Saiyans; two elites, and three nobles. With the addition of himself, and the heavily breathing King, that made seven. A fitting number to take charge of the mess created by the former chair-holders. Dark eyes fixed themselves on the King, and the noble Kurrat sunk down to one knee. Placing one hand to his heart, he dipped his head in complete respect, to the Golden Legend that stood before him.
"My King. You have my honour, and my pride." Vegeta fold his arms to the sight that greeted him, approving highly of the way the five other remaining Saiyans followed the lead of the wise Kurrat. In unison, they echoed as a complete congregation.
"We are yours to command."
To be continued…