Chapter 081 - Beating the Stages
The gang of intruders stood inside the small room waiting for the next opponent to appear through the only door in the room. Unlike on the first level of the ship, they weren't greeted as quickly as they had been. In fact it felt like they'd been standing around for a while though it was difficult to measure time when all they were doing was waiting. Corset spent most of the time waiting thinking of those back at the tournament, wondering what'd happened after they'd lost half of their fighters! Was it really eight of them who were still qualified or due to fight that had vanished from the Budokai?
"... Aren't they ready yet?" Goku asked growing impatient and itching to fight.
"This is ridiculous." Vegeta grumbled taking a step forward and glancing down at the hatch below which was currently shut. "Let's just destroy the floor and drop down!"
"No!" Kaioshin yelled. "As I've said before, any unnecessary shock could wake up Majin Buu, even if he's not at full power. You don't seem to understand the dangers the monster is capable of – I've seen it with my own eyes; you have not! Heed the warnings I have given you!"
"I'm beginning to think this Majin Buu isn't much to speak of either," Vegeta muttered rolling his eyes. "Just like Dabura!"
"What? Just like..." Kaioshin spluttered slowly, his voice almost fading with every word before finally regaining itself, "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying Dabura's not as terrible as you think," Vegeta retorted. "We saw him outside and judging by his capabilities, we could have easily handled him there and then. The only thing I'd have to watch out for is his spit; if I can avoid that then I can beat him! Kibito was just incompetent, that's all."
Kaioshin looked around at the other Saiyans for confirmation or assurance that the Prince was insane, "... Do you all agree with him?" He questioned.
"Yeah," Goku nodded in agreement with Vegeta, "At the level we're at now I think any one of us can beat him on our own. There was this guy called Cell who was on Earth seven years ago terrorising the planet; I'd say they're about the same."
'As strong as Cell? I guess that's about right...' Corset noted to herself. If this prediction was true then by power alone, Corset knew all four of them could trump him. Question was could they survive his strange capabilities. His spit was deadly; if that were to touch any of them then the battle would be decided there and then. Though she was not as strong as her father and did not have as much experience in battle as he or Goku did, she was certain if they were to meet and battle, she could defeat him. She'd come a long way in seven years (her father would mention she'd have grown a lot more had she not been attending school!).
Goku'd turned back to the door growing increasingly impatient with the lack of an opponent. "... Hey! I said hurry up, it's my turn to fight!" He called.
As if on cue the door began to open. A tall, disgusting-looking monster-type being stepped out; Corset curling one eye as a nauseous feeling hit her, her nose stinging from the stench which stopped her from breathing temporarily. This guy looked both creepy and gross!
"What the heck is that thing?" Goku gawked as the monster took slow steps towards him, drool oozing down his mouth as he eyed the five fighters up. He easily towered over them all.
"Yakon!" Kaioshin gasped.
"Who shall I eat first?" The monster asked, peering at the fighters opposite him; a strange glint of yellow in his eyes as he passed over each one. Something told Corset that he wasn't kidding about the eating part; he looked like the monsters she'd seen in fairy-tale books and children's movies. Figured something like that would actually exist somewhere in the universe.
"Try me!" Goku stepped forwards offering himself up to the monster who eyed him up further. Goku didn't seem as thrilled to have Yakon for an opponent, "... Why'd I have to get this guy? Sure he's big but he looks kinda dumb to me... and it doesn't look like he's very fast either." He mumbled more to himself than the others. Nevertheless the Saiyan put up his guard waiting for the monster to make the first move, if he were to make one at all.
Corset almost missed it, jaw opening a little with surprise! Yakon's fist had been thrown in the blink of an eye and something had extended from it; Goku'd narrowly dodged it. No doubt he as well as the others had underestimated this thing's speed. Goku landed, stunned by the large rip opening up in his orange shirt. There were two large claws sticking out of Yakon's lower arms.
"He's big but he's fast," Gohan noted bringing one hand up to cup his chin between his thumb and index finger.
"You were very lucky but you won't get away with it this time!" Yakon jeered.
"So those claws can pop out? I'd better watch it..." Goku mumbled.
"Good work, Yakon! I knew I could count on you!"
Corset looked up and around baffled. Where was that voice coming from?! "Who is that?" She asked no one in particular, except maybe Kaioshin.
"It's Babidi; he's using his magic," Kaioshin answered instantly recognising the voice.
"You can kill them all except for Kaioshin!" Babidi's voice echoed through the room, "Take their energy and Buu will return to us! To end it more quickly, I'll take you to your favourite planet; the Dark Planet."
"What's the Dark Planet?" Corset asked. No one answered her question; there was no need to. Babidi had once again changed the room... and Corset couldn't see a thing! Again she was grateful there seemed to be oxygen on this planet though apparently there was not much else, not even light! The immediate chill hit her and she instinctively brought her arms closer to her chest, clasping onto them in a bid to conserve body heat. There was a dank smell and a light breeze though for the most part everything was still.
"Hey, I can't see anything in here!" Goku's voice came from a little way ahead of her.
"Welcome to the Dark Planet," Yakon's booming voice was even further ahead. "You can't see me but I can see you."
"It looks like Yakon feels right at home here," Gohan was a little ways to her right, probably the closest person standing next to her from what Corset could tell.
"Yakon was born here," Kaioshin explained, "This planet is in the furthest place in the universe; no light can reach it."
Sight wasn't going to be helpful anymore; Corset began to focus her other senses. She could feel Goku and Yakon's ki moving around in front of them and above them, she could feel the small vibrations and shockwaves in the air as the two of them moved and fought, each strike sending off a shockwave, ki denting and increasing warning them of any oncoming attacks. She could hear them moving and fighting. From the feel of it, Goku was dominating his opponent.
"Can anyone tell what's happening?" Kaioshin asked worried. Corset was a little surprised the man wasn't using the same techniques as she – and certainly her father and maybe Gohan if he remembered – were using to sense the progression of the fight. Surely he was supposed to be one of the greatest fighters in the universe being the Kaioshin and all... Perhaps she overestimated his capabilities. Such a thing seemed incredibly rude and disrespectful to say but she couldn't help it; from what they'd seen so far, Kaioshin had been surprised with almost everything the Saiyans had done! Perhaps he'd underestimated them rather than it being the other way around.
"Kakarrot is winning," Vegeta answered sounding bored. He couldn't be blamed for feeing that way; Goku seemed to be having no problems at all against Yakon who was yet to land a successful blow on the Saiyan.
Goku landed a couple of metres in front of the group. "Looks like we're better than you thought," He spoke to Yakon, "Even in the dark I can tell what you're doing by feeling the flow of tiny air currents. Oh, and I can smell you too! I do have one way I can see you..."
The room was immediately filled with a fantastically bright light; everyone could see again as Goku transformed into a Super Saiyan. The sight surprised Yakon whose eyes had widened, almost appearing as if they were about to pop from their sockets! It turned out they'd been standing under a rocky outcrop which sheltered the entrance of a cave. A small pool of water explained the smell of damp and the drip-drop sounds heard every-so-often in the background. Behind them there was no signs of light, only the cold reaches of space, though the view of thousands of stars spanned across the dark veil above was breathtaking to look upon.
"See, it's as bright as day!" Goku smirked. "Do you get it now? Making it dark won't get you anywhere."
Yakon smirked, "... So you fixed it so I can't hide in the dark?"
Corset raised an eyebrow in confusion. Yakon didn't look too concerned about any of this or the fact that Goku's power had multiplied many times compared to a second ago. The monster's mouth opened wide. Suddenly the wind began to pick up and head straight towards Yakon. Goku shifted forwards against the ground trying to resist, his aura behaving rather strangely as if it too was being affected and pulled by the wind! Corset'd never seen anything like it!
It went dark again.
"What? It's gone dark again?" Gohan spluttered, voice echoing against what Corset now knew to be rocks.
"No, Kakarrot's transformed back to his normal state," Vegeta answered.
"Of course," Kaioshin realised. "Yakon consumes light energy! Goku's Super Saiyan energy is the perfect food for Yakon!"
"He eats light?" Corset repeated unsure of how such a thing would even be possible. "So would he eat energy blasts too?" Perhaps energy attacks were best not used against him if all he'd do was devour them.
"Yes," Kaioshin answered.
"Dad, don't turn into a Super Saiyan!" Gohan called loudly. "He eats light energy."
"That is correct!" Yakon's voice came from up ahead. "I'd love another helping if you'd oblige, I've never had such tasty light before.!"
"... Alright, I'll give you some," Goku responded.
"What is he thinking?" Vegeta muttered.
"Did I hear that right?" Corset asked unsure. She was sure giving Yakon more light to eat would only work to the monster's advantage. What was Goku thinking; he wasn't a fool. He'd have something in mind especially if he was doing something the others considered to be risky.
"No, Dad!" Gohan cried nervously. "Don't transform! I'll fight too, that way you won't have to be a Super Saiyan."
"I'm gonna handle this myself, stay back Gohan!" Goku ordered. As promised he transformed into a Super Saiyan again much to Yakon's joy.
"I'm going to make a meal out of you!" Yakon roared with laughter.
"Has he gone crazy?" Kaioshin asked in disbelief. "Why do you all insist on fighting alone? This isn't a game! He's being stupid!"
"Kakarrot isn't being stupid; he must have a plan." Vegeta retorted impatiently, keeping his eyes pinned to the battle before them.
That strange suction began again, Goku being dragged slowly towards Yakon as his energy was drained. Even from where she stood Corset could feel the difference in the breeze slowly passing them though she was not close enough to be sucked towards it as Goku was.
She noticed it in his ki. Goku's ki skyrocketed. In that same instant Yakon exploded.
"Alright, Dad won!" Gohan smiled in relief.
"Hey, the door's opening." Goku called.
Corset followed the others and jumped down the hole, impressed and slightly excited with what she'd just seen.
"Dad, I felt that ki - that was awesome!" Gohan smiled enthusiastically.
"Not bad, huh?" Goku responded as they fell down the third shaft for the day. The group landed in yet another room identical to the two before much to their confusion and annoyance. Corset rolled her eyes and let out a small sigh. Finally.
"So we're still not through?" Gohan asked looking around discouraged. "I wonder how many more floors we have to go down until we reach Babidi."
"I'm just glad I'm gonna have a chance to fight today!" Corset smiled stepping forwards and stretching out her muscles. "I didn't even get to have my first match at the Budokai thanks to a certain someone being too irresistible for those energy thieves."
"Hey, I didn't know what was going on," Gohan pouted. "That's a little unfair of you to say!"
"I know, I'm joking Gohan," Corset chuckled shaking her head. "None of us except for the Kaioshin knew what was going on."
"It'll be interesting to see how much you and Gohan have progressed in these last seven years," Goku smiled.
"Well somebody wouldn't get off my back about training so I had no choice!" Corset grumbled rolling her eyes, making a quick glance over to her father who ignored her quip for the most part.
"The way things are now, Corset is stronger than Gohan," Vegeta muttered. "Whilst your son took peace-time as an excuse to slack off, Corset's kept up her training. He's been growing weaker and weaker while she's managed to overtake him. Of course whether or not she compares to us is another matter." Naturally he was proud to say to his rival that his daughter was superior in strength compared to his son, though it had come at a price. The new saviour of Earth had slacked off and his hidden powers had been the catalyst of Cell's defeat. His daughter did not possess such skills, even as the illegitimate princess of the Saiyan race, who knew what would happen if Gohan were to have his hidden powers awakened. He was certain Corset would win her battle unless she were to do something stupid. His interests now lay in Gohan's capabilities.
"I hope I'm not kept waiting as long as Goku was," Corset frowned. "I don't wanna go into battle feeling half-asleep!" In truth she was eager to get her fight over and done with or to at least find out who her opponent was.
The door suddenly began to open, much to Corset's relief. Her heart began to pound in her chest; it was her turn now and she didn't want to be the first one of the group to lose. Out stepped a relatively humanoid being. He was pretty tall and muscular, had red skin and dark blue hair, and wore clothes quite different to those of the other minions; clothes which looked a little more human. She could sense his ki was poisoned with that Majin feel, no doubt the extra energy Babidi had provided the fighter with.
He stepped out before them, "Welcome to stage three. I will be your next opponent."
"I'll be the one fighting you," Corset stepped forwards.
The man seemed unimpressed, "... Just you? If you wish to stand a chance I suggest all of you come at me!" He snapped, yanking his head a little as if he were trying to provoke them to charge.
"No way, I'm gonna be your only opponent!" Corset glared more determined at him. "I'm sure I'll be fine fighting you by myself."
The man seemed to be growing annoyed, "... Master Babidi promises me these fighters are tough and here I am being sent a girl with a mouth too big for her own good..." He muttered.
"Kadab, listen closely!" Babidi was using his magic once again. "Underestimate these Earthlings at your peril. They have already managed to defeat Pui-Pui and Yakon! Remember, I am counting on you to get me some damage so we can resurrect Majin Buu! Fight at full power! I shall also be sending you to another planet to give you an even greater advantage!"
With that the room suddenly switched. Those in the room were transported to a rocky planet with pinkish-purple skies, again none of the warriors had no trouble breathing. There were large mountains surrounding them and vast grassy patches between the peaks of rock. Corset felt somehow the area looked similar to Earth in its own strange way. 'We're getting pretty lucky with all these planets having oxygen on them!' She joked to herself. Her opponent seemed at home which wasn't necessarily a bad thing: Corset didn't appreciate the unfair advantages their foes were getting but so far it hadn't worked in their favour. Let them have their advantages, she was determined to win the fight and stop Babidi in his tracks for what he'd done to Gohan.
"It looks a little like outside the ship," Gohan mumbled observing the area, "...only the sky isn't blue! The grass is pretty long."
"So we'll fight here? That's fine by me," Corset smiled.
Kadab glared at his opponent. "... These mere Earthlings took out Yakon? Hah, it must have been nothing but luck!" He lowered his stance and raised his defences. "I'll finish this quickly."
"Oh!" Kaioshin gasped recognising the fighter. "Someone will need to join her in battle! Kadab is rumoured to be one of the fastest and most enduring fighters of his kind! Corset alone won't be able to keep up with him!"
"Just watch and see what happens," Vegeta spat growing annoyed with the Kaioshin's panicked outbursts. "Every opponent we've come across so far has spooked you in some way and look what's happened to them!"
"Don't worry," Goku assured him. "If Corset's been training for the past seven years then this ought to be an interesting fight."
Corset put up her guard and waited for her opponent to make the first move. She'd heard Kaioshin's outburst and it had caught her interest. Her speed was one of her better attributes so it would be interesting to see just how fast this warrior was. She wanted to see how well she could handle him in her normal form and so didn't transform into a Super Saiyan. This wasn't just for Gohan anymore; this fighter had brushed her off as inadequate and for that he would pay, this was also about pride. Goku and her father before him had both handled their opponents with little difficulty by themselves and she wouldn't let them down.