Chapter 8: Sneaking in to TRY and Break Out!

Two hours passed and the group, except Bulma and Chi-Chi, landed on the side of the prison-like building with the 'Crane Army' billboard practically in lights.

"Wow! This place is well hidden - you know, for a place with a billboard that gives away the leader and motives to anyone who drives by," Vegeta said sarcastically.

"Ha-ha, right. Dad, I thought you said this guy was smart?" Gohan added.

"Anyone's smart to Kakarot," Vegeta implied.

"WH-what? That's not very nice! But you are probably right," Goku interjected. He really did think Crane was smarter than putting his name in lights. "It's strange that he's so blunt about it." Goku scratched his neck.

"Who cares if he is or isn't hiding it? He's still an evil creep-o!" Trunks said, ready for action.

Goku was deep in thought - this made no sense to him. There had to be something up.

"Hey, Trunks, when you fought those guards to escape, did they go down easy?" Goku was so deep in the land of thought that his face was scrunched up. This had to be the reason. What other reason was there?

"Yeah so-" Trunks was cut off by Gohan.

"Exactly as I thought," said the intelligent demi-saiyan.

"It's a trap!" Vegeta shouted as if on cue, given the fact that there were hundreds of little alien warriors approaching their own rescuers with laser guns.

'Just great,' thought Vegeta. He did one good thing to just help out and now those he was supposed to be 'helping' were ambushing him. He let out a scoff at their feeble attempt of an attack. He was The Prince of all Saiyans, not some amateur karate instructor.

"Ah, Goku isn't it?" a voice came from the mist of children.

"Show yourself, Crane! We know it's you!" Goku yelled, trying to sense Crane's energy, but he couldn't. He knew Crane was here, but couldn't sense him.

"Well, of course you do, Goku," Crane spoke while emerging from the swarm. "You know the billboard and all. I wanted you to know so you'd underestimate me. I mean, do you really think I'm THAT stupid-"

"Yes, yes I do. Did you really believe a bunch of half pint brats were even able to be considered a match for any of us?" Crane was cut off by none other than the Prince himself.

"Aw, but Vegeta, you should never underestimate one by their size." Crane eyed Vegeta up and down and added, "I thought you'd know that best."

Trunks could see Vegeta's blood boiling. He knew what his Dad was going to say - his speech about how he was built for agility and speed, and blah-blah-blah.

"I'll have you know I was-" Vegeta stopped mid-sentence because of Trunks' outburst.

"Hey, old bird! You said 'don't underestimate by size'! Well, then you shouldn't underestimate us," he exclaimed, pointing to himself, then to Goten.

"Oh?" Crane stated with curiosity evident in his voice.

"Yeah!" Goten shouted in agreement with Trunks.

"Goten, let's fuse, now!" Trunks demanded excitedly.

"Sure thing, Trunks."

Following their last statement, Crane quirked an eyebrow. Fuse- what's a fuse? No matter. He had an army. Nothing a bunch of alien children warriors couldn't handle, right?

Shalay had an almost identical look of confusion on her face. 'What's a fuse?' she questioned internally. She didn't want Crane to see she was out of this knowledge loop, so she just smirked and turned to watch.

They began with identical statue-like poses and movements and shouted.

"FU-" They scooted across the floor and shouted again.

"-sion!" Lastly, they leaned towards each other with reached out arms and index fingers and yelled loudly.

"HA!" There was a puff of smoke.

Shalay coughed and wheezed. It wasn't much smoke, but her nose was sensitive. When it cleared, there stood a boy where two once stood. How was that even possible? Shalay scratched her head and leaned towards Gohan.

"So, that's fusing, huh?" She was bewildered.

"Yup, cool, isn't it? I've never actually done it, but seems kind of fun," replied Gohan, now distracted.

"But where's Trunks and Goten?" she asked still on the confused side with the whole fusing matter.

"They fused, you idiot cat. Now stop your excessive talking and watch the fight," said a very annoyed Vegeta. Honestly, how did that thing expect to learn anything if she wouldn't just shut up and watch?

Shalay looked down to her feet then up to Vegeta. He was so rude for no reason. She was nice enough, right? RIGHT? He was just a big jerk!

She walked over to him and said, "I've never seen such an animal! I've been on this planet just long enough to know that, you sir, are jerk! How would you like it if I called you a monkey?" Shalay's swelled to her peak, and without so much as a thought she did something she thought should've been the death of her.

She slapped him, right across his smirking little face. Everyone - and everyone - jaws dropped. Vegeta rubbed his cheek more out of shock than pain. "Hn, guess you're not completely useless."

"Thank you?"

"Um, hello," Gotenks said, "Real action hero, right here!"

"Sorry, he deserved it," Shalay mumbled, feeling quite satisfied with herself. She's not dead and she slapped Vegeta. She was AWESOME!

"Okay, now that the attention is where it belongs," Gotenks said, happy to be the centre again, "I have a question. How come when I come out to fight, it's a Grandpa and his grandkids?" Gotenks gestured towards the old Sensei and his army.

"They aren't my grandkids, you spoiled brat!" Crane retaliated.

"Fuck you, Gramps. I just want to fight," Gotenks said dismissively to Crane.

"Why you- get him!" Crane called to the kid warriors who flew, ran, or teleported to Gotenks. They tried to attack, but Gotenks was too quick. He dodged every hit and countered with his own. The fight was pretty one sided.

As the fight was roaring on, Crane noticed that Shalay wasn't as close together as the others were in their group. He turned to one of the guards, who was a teenager and whispered something to him. The boy was tall, purple and humanoid. The youth put his hand to his head and concentrated on Shalay.

Shalay's hand began to twitch, but she had no control over her actions. She looked down at her hand and tried to make it stop, but it wouldn't. Soon her legs were wobbling and becoming uncontrollable as well.

The next thing she knew she was running towards Gotenks. Gotenks had no idea she was coming at him with full force. She didn't even look like herself anymore. She was somehow forced to transform into her more feline state.

What she doing? Ugh, why couldn't she stop?

Her hands were now outwards, ready to claw her victim, Gotenks.

Before any of the Z fighters could warn Gotenks, she had already clawed into his stomach so deep that one would think they were connected. Tears ran down her face. She didn't want to hurt Gotenks; he was Trunks and Goten after all. The poor boy's face was the word agony and more defined.

"What the heck is Shalay doing?" Goku shouted, about to attack her. What was her problem - they were friends, weren't they? Why'd she hurt his son and Trunks? She had to be still working for Crane. Yes, that's it. She was a traitor.

"No Dad, look- look at Crane's guard. He's concentrated on her way too hard! It's not her doing it." Gohan grabbed his dad's arm, preventing him from hurting the innocent girl. Goku saw what Gohan was talking about. Goku used instant transmission to get behind the purple boy and hit him in his neck. That knocked the teen out instantly, making his grip over Shalay's body cease.

Shalay's grip on Gotenks was also released. Shalay fell to the ground on her hands and knees, ashamed and weeping. As she wept she returned to her normal form. Her tail was limp and lifeless. How could she be so weak and let this happen?

Gotenks looked at her, then removed his hand from his stomach and fell to the ground. Seconds later, Trunks and Goten were laying in his place out cold with hitched breaths.