Mind Over Matter

"First challenge," Goku called out extending his hand to me. I rose to stand next to him. Beside him in the dust were the portraits. Goten had made one of me and it sat there without a place. The other portraits were arranged Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, Piccolo, Trunks, Goten, 18, Tien, Krillin, Vadel, Yamcha, Chiaotzu, and Denda. Just as I had seen them in Gohan's dinning room.

"I challenge Denda." I looked to Denda as he rose. The first battle was his.

We stood opposite each other and pushed each other with our minds. This was not an interesting show for the audience but it was our own little battle none-the-less.

Second wave came; he pushed, I pulled, he fell.

Simple victory, Heshema, Denda mind spoke me. "I concede defeat," He called out to the audience.

I rushed over to help him up. As our hands touched there was no light but a felling in my mind told me I had gained another piece. "I respected you to begin with," He whispered. "You are what everyone wants to be but can't. You will be perfection." He walked back to his seat and smiled to me.

"Next." Goku asked putting his hand on my shoulder. "Or should we take a brake so you can get some rest?"

"I challenge…" I looked to the pictures, Chiaotzu was next in line and he was in my DNA report this would be perfect. "Chiaotzu," I called.

He stepped up to the challenge, simply bowing his head to me. It was obvious to me he wanted me to attack first, but that is a mistake when we knew only little about each other.

I took to the air, circling, waiting for any movement, scanning for any thoughts.

He wasn't going to make a move. It was my challenge!

I dove toward him. He dodged quick right. I pulled up just in time; I could even hear the gasp from the crowd at how close I had come to the ground. I turned facing away from Chiaotzu and pulled my energy in to a ball in the palm of my hand. My energy was clear and undetectable. I took more time to summon it without a energy signal, but I didn't want him to see it coming. I released it as he charged me. Pulling it closed at it surrounded him. The edge was an electric current; he was trapped in a force cage. He took one step toward freedom and was shocked by the result. He simply bowed his head in defeat.

I walked to him, bowing my head in respect for his good sport. I put my hand to the cage pulling the energy back into my body. "I still don't know how you fight." I conceded.

"Most don't." He answered watching his photo being replaced by mine.

"Good fight." I responded holding out my hand for a good sportsman hand shake.

"You certainly are an honorable opponent." He took my hand …

…

…

"You could have really hurt me with that charge," He smiled, "but you held it back. That surprised me. I'm curious to see your future endeavors." I released his hand and he returned to the audience. Nothing…

I must not have earned his respect…

But didn't he say…

"Next?" Goku called, "Or should we take a break?"

"Yamcha," I challenged, he wasn't on the list but I was going in order. I looked to Goten and saw his smile. He was proud of me and I was going to see how long my luck would last…

I beat Yamcha and even Vadel, Gohan's wife, with little problem, but my mind was not in the fight. I didn't have anyone else on the DNA list. Who could it be? I was still missing one piece.

"Next?" Goku called, "Or are you tired yet. You're making them feel bad running them down without even a bead of sweat on you're forehead."

Next was Krillin, I knew that, but I didn't want to fight him. I didn't want him hurt, physically or mentally. "Maybe I should take a break." I gave Goku a half-hearted smile, and walked over to his son.

"How'd I do?"

"Beautifully," He responded.

"She's magnificent." Trunks called from behind us.

"Surprised?" I turned to face him.

"Not at all these warriors are all under me and you did well with me." He kept calm and indifferent. I could have read him but I was still afraid. That made his mind safe, and now I could control my power so his mind would not be mistakenly read. "Who's next for the beating?" He spoke calmly.

"Well in the line up I'm challenging Krillin."

"I think you deserve the beating." Goten turned to Trunks.

"Now… now there are circumstances to everything." Trunks looked into my eyes, he was pleading, but I refused to listen.

"Challenge me!" I heard called down the way. "There is no need to go down the line."

"What are you worried about?" I called to my true nemesis.

"I know who you are." She called to me, "There is no sense in toying with the weak."

"And what makes you think you can beat me." I called to her.

Trunks turned to face her and Goten's face showed true confusion.

"I made you." 18 showed her face. "End this with me." Her face showed hate. She had been regretting me since the day she gave me away, hoping that I had passed away in some experiment of Gero's. No knowledge had been revealed about me for all these years. The more she had watched me fight the more she couldn't deny me. And my list came down to her husband. She cared about him and planned to kill me on the off chance I could hurt him, on the off chance I would hurt him.

"Done," I called to her, "than we can settle the score." Biological or not I had no love for her.

As I walked away Goten ran to get Goku, but he had left me alone with Trunks.

"I know you can read minds."

"So?"

"If I tell you, you won't believe me, but if you get it from my mind… I hate you being mad at me."

"Then you shouldn't have gone behind my back." I turned to him, "You must have known I'd be back. What did you think you were doing? Did you think you could get away with it? Never mind don't tell me I don't want to know."

"That's why you won't read." He dropped his eyes. "You don't want to get hurt."

"…Again, Trunks? What makes you think you could hurt me?"

"The look in your eyes..." He trailed off

"I was warned. I knew what you were capable of."

"But you still trusted me."

"Trust is over rated Trunks. No one even knows what it truly means."

"I want to get over this."

"There's no getting over this. You're after 18; then you can prove yourself to me."

"You're getting cocky."

"Than beat me," I stayed an inch from yelling. I was getting angry not cocky. I could take them all out with one tournament.

Kill them all, He whispered in my head. So close to complete. I pulled my mind from him. When he said that last I used all my power to kill him. He couldn't use me any more, but I had miscalculated. I hadn't intended to survive that explosion. Had he survived as well, within my mind? If they killed me I deserved it. I didn't even want to live, just because of what I was.

But even I hadn't seen the horrible truth of what I was going to become, with just one more piece.