Disclaimer: In no way do I own any part of Dragonball Z or Dragonball. These animes and all characters thereof are the exclusive property of Toei Animation, Funimation, and Akira Toryama. However, Rolo Yeung, Fein, and Hard Copper, are mine so hands off!
Chapter 21: On the Doorstep
"Your blood will sanctify my rise to the heavens!" With that, the current National Champion, Hard Copper, did an about-face and purposefully strode off. Strolling away, the colossus of a man sardonically remarked, "Spend your next few hours wisely. They will be your last!"
Taking one last look behind him, Yamucha flew away with Fein's prone body in tow.
Krillain/Kuririn glared daggers at the monster of a man who had nearly killed his junior student. Gritting his teeth, the former monk groped for words. "How did we miss someone like that?"
"How!" mused the incredulous old Turtle Hermit, "We practically invited people like him."
All those present turned on a heel. Clearing his throat, the aged master elaborated further. "In the last five years we were so fixated on getting ready for threats such as the Saiyans and the androids that a lot of up-and-coming fellers slipped by our notice. The ability to sense ki has its' limits too. The androids and Cell proved that all too well."
"Hard Copper isn't as strong as any of us but he's still stronger than any normal martial artist," Tien added.
"Just how strong is he?" asked Krillain.
"Hard to say but I speculate that his strength rivals the power Goku and Piccolo had when they fought for the world title over ten years ago."
Hearing this, Master Roshi's draw proverbially hit the floor. "B-but that's impossible! Goku and Piccolo are aliens, and Goku reached that level of strength only after spending three years training with Kami-sama! Hard Copper is a human. He hasn't even had access to much more than Korrin's teachings!"
"I think I can shed some light on the subject."
Cupping his still sparking eye socket, Mercenary Toa stepped into the middle of the group. His other hand was on Yeung's shoulder. "I'll tell you now, it's gonna take some explaining so pull up a chair."
"What do you know about this?" demanded Krillain. "You and the kid seem to know a lot about that monster! Let me guess, you found out about Goku's death and decided to make trouble!"
Cracking his knuckles menacingly, the shorter midget stepped up to the former assassin. Understandably, Krillain was still on edge from seeing his junior student suffer at the hands of Hard Copper.
Seeing things were about to get ugly, Tenshinhan stepped in between Krillain and his one-time teacher. "Krillain wait!"
"It's OK Tien." Pulling the burly triclops aside, the cyborg killer stood toe to toe with Krillain. "I can assure you that I am in no way connected with that cretin. A little historical perspective is in order. I'd better let Yeung fill you in on his half first."
"Nine months ago, I passed through a mining town just south of where Cell held his tournament. It was there that I learned of Hard Copper's awesome might. The locals called him the 'King of the Mountain. It was there we fought. I was no match for him!"
"I see!" exclaimed Krillain. "So that's why you were wrapped in all those bandages at the Cell Games!"
Yeung nodded, "Yeah….."
Seeing this as his queue, Mercenary Toa continued, "During Yeung's training with me, he spoke of his battle with Hard Copper. It stirred at the boy's guts and it was his eventual rematch with the Mountain King that my training was geared towards."
"But that still doesn't explain Hard Copper's massive power increase," Roshi interjected.
"I'm getting to that!" Toa snapped. "The crane style is entirely dependent on mastery of Ki manipulation and the removal of fail safes that prevent people from tapping into their inner power. However, there are some factors that allow certain individuals a greater degree of regulation over their ki and by extension their other attributes. One of those factors is body mass."
"I see! So that's why Krillain sucks so much!" remarked Tien jokingly. The said former monk shot his friend a death glare.
"As a person's body mass increases, their ability to facilitate ever greater levels of ki increases with it."
"That explains Yeung's diet," mussed Tien.
"He's still short though," remarked Krillain sarcastically.
"No shit!" Toa spat flatly. "The boy's size at the time created a massive reach deficiency between him and his opponent. I used every dietary means including but not limited to hormone injections. Sadly, he's not old enough to see all the benefits of such a program."
"Yeung will be facing Hard Copper in his next match," said the Turtle Hermit. "How does he fare?"
"After seeing what that oversized bastard is capable of, I wish I had more time to work with the boy," mussed Toa with a defeated tone. "Truth be told, his reach deficiency is still abysmal. He's not very agile. Then there's the added fact that this Hard Copper doesn't seem like the kind to make mistakes. He just carries himself too well!"
Yeung seemed a bit downcast hearing all this.
"I wouldn't worry," said Tien adamantly. Smile broadening, the triclops crossed his arms defiantly. "Yeung can do it! I won't even have to fight Hard Copper in the Finals."
Krillain understood what Tien was getting at. "That's right! The Cell Games!"
"Yep!" Tein concurred, "When this kid is pushed into a corner, shit gets real."
"Huh? Is there something you haven't told me?" Toa inquired.
"You'll see," Tien stated adamantly, "That monster is gonna be in for a big surprise when Yeung and him go head to head."
"Ladies and Gents! We will now commence with the next match of the quarterfinals!"
Predictably, the stands erupted into another heated frenzy.
"And an intriguing matchup it is Akira!" Mr. Firecracker added, "Here we have two contestants who are relatively new to the sport. In one corner we have World Tag Team Wrestling Champion Jezebel Fitzpatrick who in her last fight snapped her opponent in two! In the other corner we have Punter of the Arabian Pit Fighting Association! Let's hope Puntar doesn't meet the same fate as his countryman Ackbar!"
"Hopefully, Puntar will be less asinine about the whole culture shock business…" Mr. Akiraadded.
"Dude! You can't say that," Jody said off the mike warningly. "You wanna get fired again?"
With a barely audible 'Ulp!" Mr. Akira swallowed hard. "Looks like I'll have to do another press conference when this is over…."
The two combatants stood silently in their respective corners. Puntar, being the larger and older of the two, expected an easy victory. Jezebel on the other hand looked like a wild panther invited into a butcher shop.
"Maybe after I win this competition we can go back to my room," suggested the large Arab man.
"Ohhh…., a little loose for one of your type aren't you?" Jezebel replied playfully.
"The two contestants may begin!"
"I've never laid a hand on a woman in my life," Punter stated flatly.
"It's alright if it's your first time," said Jezebel coyly, "I'll be gentle." Smile broadening, the husky woman spread her arms in an octagon stance.
Punter made the first move. The 600 pound Arab dashed into his opponent at surprising speed for a man his size. Halfway bridging the gap between him and Jezebel, the super-sized pit fighter went into a lunar summersault.
"Holy Shit! Would you look at that folks?" screamed an exasperated Mr. Firecracker. "Over a quarter-ton of humanity is literally soaring!"
Jezebel gaped at her opponent's unexpected display of aerobatics. The idea that a man of Puntar's size and weight could perform such feats literally made her zone out.
Puntar came down hard onto the ring floor just in front of her. Coming to a fully erect stand, the massive Arab glowered down at his 'smaller' adversary. Bringing up his gargantuan right hand, he smacked Jezebel senseless. Think about the impact sound a sperm whale would make if it were dropped out of a 30 story window, and that would allow you to picture the scene of Jezebel's ventral side striking concrete.
"Contestant Puntar puts Contestant Jezebel through the floor!" hollered an exasperated Mr. Firecracker.
Jezebel was by no means completely outmatched in terms of size. At 6ft 2in and weighing in at a staggering 307lb, Jez was the most massive contemporary female fighter of any circuit. Her record of besting most men in and out of the ring was nothing short of legendary. Nonetheless, for the first time in her life the chunky women found herself in a pinch.
'H-his slaps feel like a train wreak!' she thought to herself.
"And that is why I cross train in other styles…," Puntar stated flatly.
"What?" Jezebel pushed herself up on her forearms, a tooth falling from her mouth.
"What did you think?" Puntar asked sarcastically, "That just because I was big I was gonna be slow too? Or that I was just some fool with a few extra pounds? I'm fully trained in both Sumo and an ancient art of Yoga-based open-hand known as Arhat Wind's Fist!"
Making it to her feet, Jezebel resumed her octagon stance. She was still reeling from her knockdown. It seemed as if her competition had achieved a significant gain early on in their fight.
Rushing forward, Jezebel took a wide right hook at her opponent. Puntar stepped back and allowed Jezebel to trip over his left leg. The burly dame face-planted unceremoniously on the tiled floor, losing more teeth still.
"At the rate this is going, you'll knock yourself out!" remarked the big Arab man crossing his arms. "I'd suggest just giving up."
Jezebel was fuming! The chunky lady was literally turning red at the embarrassment of being ritually humiliated, not just in front of the audience but also in front of her sister.
"You…," growled Jez darkly. "You smug, fat-bodied piece of inbred, homegrown shit!"
"That's… not very lady-like." Punter stated it as if it were just casual. To him, hazing his opponents was just an everyday thing. He didn't get into this business to be honorable, only for the money and the women.
Stepping away, the rotund desert man let his female competitor stand. The woman spat another lose tooth and cracked her knuckles menacingly. She had a look that could burn through lead.
Rushing forward yet again, Jezebel tried using the same technique on Puntar that she had used on Ackbar. Getting on the inside, she wrapped her arms around Puntar's wide girth and squeezed. She squeezed with all her might until she realized something terrifying: She couldn't lock her hands.
'Shit! It's not working…'
"My apologies lady!" Lifting his colossal arm, Puntar slammed his fist down hard onto Jezebel's unguarded cranium.
Jezebel kissed concrete and she kissed it hard! The touchdown was so great that the woman bounced on impact.
Outside the ring, Jezebel's younger sister Beatrice could be heard sobbing and screaming.
"It's a down!" screeched announcer Akira, "I'll start the count! One!…Two!..."
"She's finished," spoke Tien.
"However, she had great inner strength," added Mercenary Toa.
"Ten! It's over! Puntar advances to the next round!"
Outside the ring, Mr. Satan prepared for his next match. Touching his toes, the afroed celebrity did a few stretches.
"It looks like you'll be up against that guy over there Mistro," said Piroski pointing towards Tien.
"Hmm…, Tien Shinhan huh?" wondered Satan aload. "Why does that name ring a bell?"
"The announcers said he won the Tenkaichi Tournament many years ago," remarked Satan's second student Caroni. "He was on the tournament roster for years until he stopped showing up."
"Coming out of retirement huh?" mussed the hairy man. "I didn't listen to the guy's speech earlier. I was too busy brushing up on my poses."
"He obviously isn't someone you can sleep on." Caroni regarded his master's next opponent seriously which says a lot more about the blonde man than his teacher.
"I saw him fighting in the prelims," said Piroski, "In all his fights, I didn't even see him move."
"That leaves two possibilities open. Either this Tien is somehow faster than the eye can see or he's a cheater."
"Looks like I'm up next!" said Tien.
"And against the grease ball no less," added Roshi. "I've said it before and I'll say it again: I wouldn't put that face on a cereal box."
"You know," started Mercenary Toa, "I was really hoping Yeung would get to fight that obnoxious pompous! It would have been an easy path to renewed notoriety for my school."
Smiling, Tien doubled back and approached the announcer, Mr. Akira. "Hey!"
"Tien Shinhan!" exclaimed the blonde man cheerfully, "What can I do for ya old boy?"
"I have a request I would like to make." Leaning forward, the three-eyed warrior whispered something into the senior referee's ear.
"Hmm, I don't see why it would be a problem," said the man flatly. "The man did train you."
"Thanks!" Tien flashed him a thumbs' up before returning to the ring.
'I hope Toa appreciates this.'
Stepping into the ring, the seasoned Z warrior posted up in his corner. Eyes closed, Tien nodded silently to himself. This was gonna be good!
"Ladies and Gents! Are you ready?" The mood of the audience was absolutely feverish. The Satan fans were absolutely giddy with anticipation.
"That's good, because today we have a special treat for you!"
"A treat?" repeated his co announcer Mr. Firecracker, "I didn't think understatements were your cup of tea! No, the word 'treat' doesn't do this event justice, for in this match we have this tournament's first battle between two Tenkaichi Tournament champions!"
Up in the stands, Bulma, Oolong, Kato, and the others regarded the upcoming match with equal fervor.
"GO TIEN!" screamed Bulma, Puar, and Oolong in unison. Around their little group were piled the unconscious bodies of Satan Fans who made the mistake earlier of bum-rushing Vegeta and Yamucha. At some point due to the antics of said fans, arena crowd control just stopped caring.
"Oh man…., Grandpa is really gonna beat me when I get home," Kato whimpered nervously. He was sure his grandfather had a serious lashing waiting for him. Though Kato tried his best to stay out of the fray, a drunk, middle aged Satan fan slapped his popcorn out of his hand and took a swing at him. Needless to say, Kato knocked the old geezer flat.
"Calm down kid!" implored Bulma assuringly. "This kind of thing happens. The guy touched you first. You were defending yourself. My husband on the other hand…."
"Is it always this bad?" Kato asked.
"I should probably introduce you sometime to a girl named Launch. Now she was a handful!"
"Oh yeah," started Oolong, "Remember when she used to empty SMG clips into the crowds?"
"Or that time she threw a grenade at the World Tournament?" Puar added. "I miss her."
"Hmm…" Bulma turned her attention back to the ring. There, Mr. Satan was going through his usual retinue of idiocy. "I can't wait to see Tien clobber that grease ball."
"You and me both," agreed Oolong. "After what that sleazebag did to Goku and the others, I'd give my pork chops to see him fry!"
"This should be good," murmured Vegeta retaking his seat next to Bulma. "I can see the bloodlust in Three Eyes all the way from up here!"
"I-is he strong?" asked Kato. Aside from him and Master Toa being close, Kato didn't know much about Tien.
"Tien is one of the strongest guys out there!" Bulma said.
On the quad, a standing feud began to erupt between announcer Akira and his coworker Mr. Jody Firecracker…
"I'm telling you that there is no way this Tien guy can beat my friend Mr. Satan!" Mr. Firecracker prattled adamantly. "Fighters coming out of retirement have impossibly long odds against them!"
Mr. Akira was beginning to get a little peeved at the dark-haired correspondent. "I've known Tien for years! I know what the man is capable of! Pitted against him, Mr. Satan isn't even a speed bump!"
"Alright! It's time to put your money where your mouth is!"
"You're on!" remarked Mr. Akira. "Let's say 5000 zeni and a one more thing…"
"What?" Satan's longtime cohort had to do a double-take.
"The loser of this bet has to personally promote the winner's book in their upcoming tour!" offered the blond man grinning.
"Fine! We'll shake on it!"
Back in the ring, Tien stood off to his side of the ring while on the opposite side, current World Champion, Mr. Satan, continued to dazzle and show off to his sheep flock fan base.
"In this corner…," gestured one of the announcers, "Standing at 6ft 5in, weight 327 lbs! You all know him for 8 months ago this man took the bull by the horns and saved us all from the monster of Nicky Town! The 24th Tenkaichi Tournament Champion, Mr. Satan!"
"OH HELL TO THE YEAH!" bellowed the afroed celebrity throwing an eagle spread pose to his paparazzi.
"And in this corner, standing at 6ft 7in, weight 305 lb! An alumni from the proud Crane Dojo! The 22nd Tenkaichi Tournament Champion! Tien Shinhan!"
"Hmph! Let's see just what you're bringin to this fight!" Mr. Satan drawled. The current World Champ smiled at his supposed 'quarry.'
"I could care less what you want to see," retorted the three-eyed Z-warrior. "I only entered this tournament to test Yeung!"
"Huh?" Satan cocked his head to the side.
"Words are wasted on trash like you," Tien spat. "You'll understand shortly!"
"Grr… You should have stayed retired!" Anger seethed in Hercule's veins. How dare this relic from a bygone age treat him so contemptuously?
"You two may begin!"
Mr. Satan spread his arms into a basic karate stance, feet spread on par with his elbows. Tien didn't even need to assume one.
With a hoarse cry, Mr. Satan barreled into the three-eyed warrior. The man landed dozens of punches, elbows, chops, toe kicks…. All of them struck! And yet….none of them registered.
"Uh… What the hell!" The hairy man began to shake violently. 'It's just like Cell!'
"Yes it is," spoke Tien.
"Pardon?"
"Your strikes are just as useless against me as they were against Cell." Tien started walking towards the man.
Mr. Satan for his part looked like he was gonna have a heart attack. Aside from Yeung and Hard Copper, he didn't think he'd have to worry about anyone else. If anything, he was hoping to get to the final round where, hopefully, he could bribe Yeung into throwing the fight. The grizzled man backed shakily away from his opponent.
'What am I gonna do?' A feeling of dread overcame him. Then it occurred to him….
"H-hey, let's not be hasty here!" begged the champion with more than a little desperation in his voice. "If anything, we might be able to strike a deal"
Hearing this garbage, Tien's face contorted in anger. "How dare you?"
"Huh?" Hercule gasped.
"You don't even have the dignity to keep your materialistic poison out of this ring!" Tien growled. "How a guy like you ever came to be champion I'll never know! It says very little about the people for whom me and my friends laid down our lives!"
"Uh-oh…," was the last thing Mr. Satan whimpered before being hurled across the ring by an unseen force.
"The Champ just got thrown for a summerset by what we can only describe as an unseen attack!" Believing what he had just bore witness to be just an optical illusion, Mr. Firecracker adjusted his glasses.
"Oh no…," Tien sneered. "I'm not going to let you lose by ring-out! You're not getting off that easy. A little ritual humiliation is in order."
Propping himself on an elbow, Mr. Satan spat teeth and curses. Standing up, the fraudulent man did an about-face only to find Tien Shinhan looking down at him.
"Err… What are you!" screamed Mr. Satan. Tien's only reply was a well placed backhand that again sent Hercule colliding face first with the concrete.
"A friend of mine gave his life and you spat on his legacy!" Reaching down, the three-eyed fighter yanked the would-be Champ off the tiles by the scruff of the neck.
Reaching up, Mr. Satan grabbed onto the Triclops wrists. The two locked eyes for a moment before Satan began to whimper something incoherently.
"P-please don't do this! You can beat me! Just don't take away my dignity! N-n-not in front of my daughter! I won't lose! The people will! You'll crush their hopes and dreams along with my dignity…."
"You propose I let you save face?" To this, the Champ said nothing.
Closing his eyes, the triclops conceded, "Very well…"
Hefting Hercule over his head, Tien carried Satan over to the side of the ring and plopped him onto the quad below.
"Don't ever ask anything of me again," said Tien authoritatively. With that, the triclops turned away from his now defeated combatant.
"Match over! The World Savior has fallen! The win goes to Tien Shinhan!"
"I-I don't believe it," stammered Jody Firecracker. The shock was too much to bear for Mr. Satan's longtime friend. Unable to keep it together, the man collapsed to his knees. "H-how can this be happening?"
Snickering, his colleague and fellow announcer Akira held out is hand. "So…, you wanna pay with cash or check?"
Just as Tien was leaving the ring, he and the giant Hard Copper walked into one another. Despite his impressive height, Tien had to look up just to lock eyes with the man. Hell, Piccolo himself would have to look up.
"It seems the boy isn't the only big game worth hunting," the Mountain lord chuckled sardonically.
"If not for the harm you are capable of causing, I wouldn't even waste my time with you!' growled the three eyed warrior.
"You lived that life once didn't you?"
"Huh?" Tien cocked an eyebrow at this question.
"The struggles! Being in the thick of things!" quipped the Native, "Modern fighters just don't know what they are missing."
"Hmph! You think that beating Yeung will prove that you're the best eh?" growled Tien demandingly, "Well, I'm sorry to say this but you're wrong! It isn't about winning or being the best!"
Closing his eyes, the gargantuan Korrin Indian chuckled to himself. "It seems you've misread me. I couldn't give two shits about being the best!"
"What are you after then?" Tien asked.
"Being the best, a war against one's self, these are but mere delusions that many would-be warriors fall into," he spoke. "A means does not require an end. To be truly unbeatable, a man must cast aside these things. Why would any man want to have an end when 'the way' itself can suffice?"
"The way?" repeated Tien. "You might wanna cut the cryptic shit and just give it to me straight."
"To live like a moth dancing through a swaying flame," answered the Mountain King. "That is what I am. The best only exist to be surpassed! What I am is timeless!"
"Then what was all that shit earlier about 'rising to the heavens'?" quipped Tien.
"Carrying the banner of natural law has always fallen to me!" said Hard Copper. "I know my time as a great warrior is short! Anyone who treads down this path is destined to be swallowed up! However, individual warriors can choose what kind of legacy they leave to the next generation!"
"A legacy…" repeated Tien at almost a whisper.
"Yes…," hissed the colossal man, "Someone has to usher in the next generation of warriors! My life has served as that catalyst for growth. Why do you think there has been an increase in the number of powerful fighters over the last few years? I'll tell you why! It was me!"
"How could you have influenced that?" asked Tien incredulously.
"You existed to create heroes. I create predators! By giving the up and coming generation of fighters a villain to hate and fear, I instill a sense of totality! A sense of desperation! By threatening their lives, their loved ones, I ensure that someone will come out of the woodworks and rise to the challenge!"
You're a monster!" growled Tien.
"Saint or sinner! These labels are irrelevant in the grand scheme of things! I will be remembered as the one who gave this century it's new breed of fighters! Not you, not that baboon Mr. Satan, and certainly not Son Goku! History is being written even as we speak!"
"That would explain the interest in Yeung," Tien shuttered.
"Precisely! Our battle is a proving ground!" Hard Copper enthusiastically declared. "Whose ideals will dominate the future generation? Mine or those of you and Son Goku? Even if I lose the fight with you, it will be too late! The pot has been stirred! The hype has been set! Perception is everything!"
With that, the towering Korrin Indian stepped into the ring.
"He said that?" demanded Roshi. "Oh boy…, as if we needed this now."
"I don't see what the issue is," Toa remarked.
"You couldn't," explained Roshi. "You're too far removed to understand what's been going on for the past ten years."
"Whether on purpose or not, this Hard Copper is actively working to destroy all Goku ever stood for!" Tien growled.
"Yes," agreed Roshi, "He is trying to destroy an ideal!"
"Have either of you given Yeung any last minute coaching?" Tien demanded.
"I didn't know what to tell him," confessed the retired hit man regrettably. "All I could say was 'Remember your training'."
"Don't look at me!" snapped Roshi waving his hands defensively. "I only give ground-breaking speeches like the ones I give you and the others once a lifetime!"
"One thing is for certain…," whispered Tien to himself, "Yeung definitely cannot afford to lose this match!"