Chapter 012 - Escape to Kame House
Goku and Nappa had suddenly stopped moving, Corset couldn't hear if they were talking. Today had been one big mess; first all of her mama's friends had died one after one by the bigger Saiyan's hand and now this... they actually seemed to have the advantage. The drastic emotional changes she'd been put through today were beginning to take its toll on her, plus the sun was beginning to set. She would need to sleep soon.
A bolt of white light suddenly shot straight out from Nappa, almost at the same time a blue beam came from Goku, creating a large explosion up in the sky. Corset had no time to scream as Krillin grabbed hold of her and Gohan, holding them to him as close as possible, shielding them from the powerful aftermath. Corset held on for dear life, not sure if this was the end or not.
Luckily the wind died down, dust scattered across the ground. Cautiously Krillin released her and Gohan and the three looked up to the sky.
"Whoa!" Corset exclaimed in amazement. Both fighters were still up in the air, neither looked like they were hurt. She wasn't sure whether to feel relief that Gohan's dad was ok or scared that the Saiyan was ok.
"It's incredible!" Krillin gawked. "I've never seen Goku this strong. He might actually beat this barbarian."
Corset smiled, her hopes beginning to rise. It did seem that way and if it were true, maybe it was possible he could beat the other Saiyan.
"That's enough! Nappa, get down here; you're finished fighting!"
Or not. Corset looked over to Vegeta, now feeling a little disheartened. Was it because Goku was winning?
"You heard me! You've disgraced us enough with that pitiful display of fighting! It looks as if I'm going to have to clean up your mess as usual!" Vegeta snarled.
Nappa reluctantly began to descend to the ground... then his eyes fell on the group below.
"Oh no!" Krillin gasped.
Nappa suddenly charged towards them!
Corset couldn't move, fear was keeping her pinned to the spot alongside Gohan and Krillin. This was it, they were done for! The Saiyan was headed straight for them; his jaw opening up. What was he going to do? What was she going to do? This wasn't fair, she couldn't move, she couldn't flee, she couldn't die here!
It happened in an instant.
Goku stood a few feet away from the group, Nappa held above his head in one hand, the Saiyan twitching every-so-often. What had Goku done and how had he done it so fast?
Nappa was tossed towards Vegeta, landing with a thump to the ground.
Corset watched; he didn't seem to be attempting to get up. Was it over? Had they won?
"Go home and get him some medical care," Goku ordered, "his fighting days are over."
"K-Krillin, did you see what just happened?" Gohan asked quivering.
"... I... I have no idea..." Krillin responded slowly. "For one second I saw that Saiyan opening his mouth and then he was down here hanging above your dad's head!"
"I don't understand." Corset mumbled baffled. "Why did that Saiyan go weak when he was fighting Gohan's dad?"
"It wasn't that he became weaker; Goku's just that much better than the Saiyan," Krillin explained, turning his attention back to Goku.
"How did Gohan's dad suddenly get in front of us though?" Corset asked.
"Well Goku, care to tell us how you did it?" Krillin mumbled.
Goku turned around and smiled. "Sure. It's a move I learnt when Kaio was training me in Otherworld; the Kaio-ken."
"Kaio-ken?" Krillin repeated.
"It's a move which amplifies a warrior's capabilities in an instant; speed, strength, the senses; everything becomes that much better." Goku explained. "It's a pretty handy move and when used properly it can multiply a person's strength depending on the level used."
Krillin grinned, "You nut, Goku. If you had an attack like that, couldn't you have just used it from the start?"
Corset tilted her head. She didn't really understand what Goku had said but it sounded smart.
Goku chuckled, "I'm afraid it's not that easy. If I make one mistake when trying to activate the Kaio-ken, it can have serious effects on my body and could actually damage me if I don't concentrate enough or execute it correctly. I had to save it in case."
"Really? Wow, that's a bummer," Krillin mumbled.
From out of the corner of her eye, Corset noticed Nappa reaching up to Vegeta. The shorter Saiyan hesitated before taking his hand...
There was a loud scream; Corset's attention fully focused on the Saiyans now – Vegeta had just tossed Nappa up into the air!
"Vegeta!" Nappa cried, able to be heard despite the distance. "What are you doing?"
"What use is a Saiyan who cannot fight?" Vegeta grinned maliciously. "The only use for you now is to die!"
The short Saiyan focused his energy, clenching his fists and charging up. A white aura began to eliminate from his body as he continued to gather energy, expelling a tremendous force of power. Corset fell to her knees, gripping the ground as much as she could.
"What power!" Krillin gawked, shielding himself and clamping his eyes shut as dust flew through the air.
"It's intense," Goku agreed, watching the short Saiyan before them.
A blinding flash of light was released from the Saiyan's body, bolting up towards its target. Corset held onto the ground for dear life, sensing Nappa's ki diminishing almost instantly. The terrific explosion above rocked the entire area scaring her more. She had to hold on; she didn't want to be blown away! Smoke, wind and dust ravaged the ground mercilessly, blowing away boulders and rocks unable to stand the pressure.
Something snatched her away making her scream, though she couldn't hear anything other than the howling wind.
After what felt like an eternity and with the realisation that nothing bad had happened to her, Corset opened her eyes slowly, stunned to find herself high up in the sky. How had she gotten up here?
Gohan was right next to her, both hanging by their belts in one hand.
"I don't believe it... he killed his own teammate!" Krillin gawked in horror.
Corset suddenly felt herself fall, managing to quickly regain herself with her ki and floating beside Gohan and Goku. There was a funny look in Goku's eyes and it unnerved her a little.
"Krillin, take Gohan and Corset back to Kame House," Goku instructed. "This guy's a lot stronger than I first thought."
Gohan gasped and looked up at his father. "Daddy I don't wanna go!"
Krillin frowned and sighed. "I see..." He looked at Gohan and Corset. "Alright you two, let's get going."
"What? But why?" Gohan wailed.
"Listen, this guy is far stronger than any of us imagined; if we three stayed then we'd be of no help to Goku!" Krillin explained. "We're just holding Goku back now; if we stay here then Goku won't be able to fight freely because we could get in the way. If worst came to worst that guy could take one of us hostage. It's best if we leave so that Goku can fight without having to worry about us."
"Is that true, Dad?" Gohan asked.
"Yes Gohan, I'm afraid so," Goku nodded, patting his son on the head. "Sorry; this guy is just that dangerous."
The small warrior frowned and looked down. "... Alright... I'll go..."
"Listen Goku, before we go I have a request," Krillin added. "Don't fight this guy here; take him to a different location. We don't want to rough up our friend's bodies any more than they already are, especially since we could still be able to bring them back to life!"
Goku looked at his friend baffled. "... But Krillin, Piccolo and Kami are dead. The Dragonballs are gone. No one's being wished back this time.
"Maybe not..." Krillin mumbled.
Goku, Gohan and Corset all stared in wonder at the small monk. What was he suggesting?
"Are you saying... there might be a way to bring them back still?" Goku asked.
"I don't know but there might be!" Krillin shrugged his shoulders. "There's no point in talking about it now; we've gotta beat both Saiyans before we can even think about that!"
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Goku smiled.
'... There might be a way to bring Piccolo back to life?' Corset wondered in her mind. '... But Mama told me the Dragonballs could only make people alive again and the grown-ups are all saying they're gone now! I don't understand!'
"What's wrong Kakarrot? Don't tell me you're getting cold feet now!" Vegeta's voice carried up to them.
"Sounds like he's getting impatient," Goku sighed with a smile. "Alright you guys, get to Kame House as quickly as you can; I'll be sure to fight in a different place."
Krillin hesitated before holding out his hand. "Listen Goku; we grew up together... Let's just make sure that we grow old together. Don't die, ok? You're my best friend."
"Don't worry, it's a promise," Goku smiled, taking Krillin's hand in a pact. He turned and affectionately rubbed his son on the head. "It's just goodbye for now Gohan. When this is all over I'll take you fishing, ok? Make sure that when you see your mum that you give her a big hug for me!"
"Alright," Gohan nodded with a smile, pleased to see his father again.
Corset watched as Gohan's father descended towards the other Saiyan. She couldn't help but feel nervous.
First the Saiyan and Goku talked a little. Then they took off, heading over towards the Sun.
The remaining trio hovered in mid-air watching them leave, each left to their own thoughts. None were sure how this was going to turn out...
"... Gohan, Corset? Come on, we need to get going."
Corset looked around; Krillin was pointing towards some place, she wasn't sure why that direction mattered.
"I guess so..." Corset mumbled, looking down at the ground. All those dead bodies below them; all of them had been her mother's friends from when she was little and now they were all dead. Piccolo had been her mentor for the past year. Tears began to well up in the little girl's eyes yet she refused to cry. Piccolo had taught her not to ever show emotions in that way. She didn't want to let him down any more than she already had!
"... Krillin, will my dad be ok?" Gohan asked.
Krillin smiled, "Hey, no worries. Your dad's got everything under control. It'll be fine; Goku always manages to save the day in the end!" He placed a hand each on their shoulders. "Come on, let's get back to Kame House and leave everything to Goku. I'm sure your mothers will be waiting for you there."
"You think she'll really be there?" Corset perked up, eyes glistening. "I wanna go see mama!"
"Well then, let's go," Krillin pointed behind him.
The three warriors left the scene, heading towards the east.
The flight led them towards the coastline, Krillin seemed to be following it. None of them spoke much but Corset felt like she had a lot to ask.
"... Krillin?"
"What is it?"
She contemplated asking the question as a wave of uncertainty hit her.
"... Which one of those Saiyans was my daddy?"
Krillin looked over his shoulder to the small girl; Gohan looking at her as well.
Corset began to feel self-conscious that they were both staring at her.
"... Honestly, I'm not sure." Krillin eventually answered.
"Oh..." Corset frowned. She didn't like either of the Saiyans – she didn't like any of the Saiyans she'd met – apart from Goku of course. Still she couldn't help but wonder which of the two Saiyans her father was.
"... My money's on the one that's still alive," Krillin was barely audible but Corset heard him.
Her heart leapt yet sunk at the same time; it was a strange feeling! On one hand she was happy her daddy was still alive, on the other hand he was about to fight Gohan's daddy. He'd killed his own friend. He didn't seem nice at all and he was kind of scary. It hadn't even occurred to her to take a step back since this was all based on speculation.
"So Corset's daddy is the short Saiyan?" Gohan asked.
"I could be wrong but there does seem to be a resemblance between you both," Krillin explained. "Don't take my word as law though; I could be wrong... Not that it really matters in the end..."
Gohan smiled, "You found out who your daddy is!"
Corset didn't seem so happy.
It was a while before something else came up.
Corset picked up on something and stopped, Gohan not too far behind her.
Krillin glanced over his shoulder and realised the two were no longer following him. "Hey, let's keep going you guys; we're nearly half-way there."
"I sense something," Gohan mumbled.
Corset nodded. "... It feels mean... the Saiyan's ki feels bigger."
Krillin hovered towards them, he didn't speak for a while. "... You're right. It does seem like the Saiyan's power level has risen."
Gohan began to grow anxious. "... Daddy..."
"H-Hey, don't worry about him. Knowing your dad he's probably not even warmed up yet! I bet he's still hiding his true power as well. He'll soon power up and beat that Saiyan with ease."
Corset frowned. "Why is Gohan's daddy fighting my daddy...? Why is my daddy on the 'bad guy' side?"
Krillin seemed a little uncomfortable with all the questions this inquisitive girl was asking. How was he meant to answer that? How was he meant to explain to a young child that her father was a cold-blooded killer that wouldn't think twice about killing everyone on the planet - including her and her mother!
"... Well... Sometimes people don't turn out the way we hoped they would..." Krillin stuttered, not really sure where he was going with his explanation. "... Your dad is... well... I'll explain while we're flying back to Kame House. Come on, let's keep moving."
Corset frowned, slightly disappointed with his reaction. Was her daddy really a bad guy? She didn't want that! She didn't want her daddy to be the bad guy; he had to be a 'good guy' because she was a 'good guy'. It didn't make any sense to her that he could be a bad person when she was a good person.
It wasn't too much longer until it happened again.
Gohan gasped and stopped.
Krillin and Corset also picked up onto it and turned around.
"... Dad's energy..." Gohan mumbled. "... Dad's energy is rising."
He was right; Corset could sense Goku's ki was rising yet it was going so fast! Just how much power did Gohan's dad have?
The trio continued their journey. Every-so-often Krillin would look over his shoulder to make sure the children were behind him, or so Corset assumed. Her mind raced with many thoughts; her daddy was a Saiyan alien, he was fighting with Gohan's daddy, Gohan's daddy was incredibly strong and she couldn't wait to see her mama again.
"What is it, Krillin?"
Corset perked up and looked behind her, confused at what she saw. "... What's that?"
It looked like the moon yet at the same time it didn't. She'd never seen anything like it!
"I'm not sure." Krillin mumbled. "It can't be the moon but it almost looks like the sun... Weird."
"Isn't that coming from where my dad is?" Gohan asked.
Corset gasped, suddenly able to sense an intense energy coming from where Gohan's dad and her dad were. It looked like she wasn't the only one; both Gohan and Krillin had similar looks on their faces.
"W-What an unbelievably large ki!" Krillin nearly choked on the lump which had risen into his throat. "It's crazy!"
"... Krillin... Krillin we have to go back," Gohan quivered. "I have to go back to help my dad!"
"Back all the way there?" Corset asked in shock. "Aren't you afraid of that big energy?"
Gohan frowned and shook his head stubbornly, although at heart it terrified him. "No, I've got to go help my dad."
"Why do you need to go back? Sure it's an unbelievably large ki coming from the area where the Saiyan and your dad are fighting – what if that big energy is coming from your dad?" Krillin suggested nervously.
"That's not coming from my dad," Gohan wailed, "I'm sorry but I need to go back. Please, let us go back. I just can't shake off the feeling that my dad is in big trouble."
Krillin put a hand on Gohan's shoulder. "Listen, even if we did go back, none of us would be any match against the Saiyan. We'd only end up getting in the way and possibly ending up like Piccolo and the others. What use would we be then?"
"I don't know what I can do..." Gohan mumbled, "... I don't know what I can do to be useful... but I do know that no matter what I've got to go back and help my daddy!"
With little warning Gohan broke loose of Krillin's grasp and headed towards the bright light in the sky.
"Wait for me, Gohan!" Corset called, following her friend. He had become her best friend in the past year so she wanted to help him out; she didn't want to see another person she was friends with get hurt.
"You guys are nuts!" Krillin cried, leaping after the two children. "I guess I've got no choice but to take you there. Let's hurry!"
It took a while but soon Gohan, Corset and Krillin had reached the place where Goku and Vegeta were fighting. The area looked messy to Corset; there were rocks sticking up as tall as skyscrapers and they were everywhere! Surely it wasn't going to be easy spotting the two fighters.
"We're almost there, Gohan!" Krillin called.
Corset's eyes continued to scan the terrain, heading towards the horizon... She noticed something that looked out of place, something big and blue.
"Hey, what's that thing down there, Krillin?" She asked.
"Huh? What thing?"
"That blueish thing down there," Corset pointed.
Gohan looked and gasped, "Yeah, I see it too!" He cried.
Krillin spotted it, his jaw dropping open in horror. "Gohan, Corset, get down on the ground now before it sees us!"