I wish I owned DBZ, but I don't. I own DVD's and tapes, but it just isn't the same. I also don't own the rights to any of the music pieces you see selected, just copies of merchandise, such a shame. The artists that created them are geniuses and we all must bow to them.
Chapter 28: Eavesdropper
Lenz and I arrived at North City and landed on one of the taller buildings near the meeting site a few hours later. I had opted to fly in first and then go low to find the right street corner. It was nowhere near XS Cash's main buildings, which were pretty much all of the downtown districts. Instead, the intersection was more towards the outskirts of town; the tall building we had landed on was the only skyscraper for a few miles. There was little to no activity below other than a few people walking around, maybe a car or two.
"Lenz, stay here," I ordered.
She looked insulted, "Why?"
"This person doesn't trust anyone else right now. She probably doesn't even trust me yet, and it will be easier to gain that trust if I go in alone. She may not show up if she sees you land with me," I pointed out.
Lenz looked agitated, "It's a girl?"
I blinked sharply, "Yeah, who did you think it was on the phone, some guy pretending to be a girl? Or maybe his secretary?"
"Well, I know humans like to disguise their voices over the phone systems when they are trying to be sneaky. I saw it on one of Bulma's mystery programs. Of course one of them wasn't really a mystery, just a girl trying to surprise her mate into meeting her somewhere. Could you imagine my surprise when that mate turned out to be another girl after all? I totally didn't see that coming! I mean I could see why, they were both really hot and…" she rambled until she saw my lower lip twitch and curl just slightly.
"Take this as an extremely good lesson; television won't do your brain any good," I retorted as calmly as possible.
"Well what else am I going to use to learn about this planet more? Humans constantly contradict themselves!" Lenz claimed.
"Tell me something I don't know," I muttered.
"I've only had three true lovers in my life and none of them were as cute as you! That's something you didn't know! Want to know anything else? We can make a game out of it! You know, pass intimate information back and forth, and get to know each other even better!" I managed to keep from blasting her on the sight for that, not that it would have done anything.
"I don't intend to play any damn games," I growled lowly.
She pretended not to hear it, "What was that human game I heard about? Truth and daring or something like that." This time I did blast a portion of the roof clean off, which focused her attention again.
"What is your problem?" she asked.
"Lenz, not now. Your little games are only going to be a distraction," I said.
"Little games? Maybe you should check the mirror again. I play big games; you are the one that plays little games. Let me know when you want to move on, I'm willing to show you the rules and ropes. Maybe tonight?" she grinned. Why do I get the feeling that I'm fighting an uphill battle here? I thought as my fists wrapped up.
"This is serious business Lenz, not one of your fantasies!" I claimed.
Lenz snorted slightly, "A little too serious if you ask me. You're supposed to be relaxing, not adding to your stress pile! Try laughing once in a while, it helps! If you want truly beneficial but still serious business, I'm your girl, where and when?" My eyes narrowed, but not out of anger. Is she deliberately distracting me? Normally she would have been going into curious mode awhile ago. Is she trying to keep me out of something?
"Lenz, what is going on?" I asked carefully.
She glanced around as if I should have known the answer, "As far as I can tell, you were trying to get me to leave and I was trying to get you to relax. You take this saving the day business way too hard. Can't someone else take over for a day or two?" she asked. Ah, so she's just trying to join the cause, should have known.
"Well here's a little truth for you. This person I'm meeting has been working with Bulma on spying around here. It has something to do with who tried to kill us in that frozen temple. Does that drive your interest enough?"
"Barely. How long will this take? You should seriously consider a nice afternoon nap. I'll take one with you if it helps, whatever makes you feel most comfortable!" she exclaimed. Okay, I give up. I sighed heavily and turned around to look towards the ground, seeing if there was any sign of the person I was looking for. While I didn't know what she looked like, I figured it would be obvious enough once I got down there.
"Well, how long will this take? It's rude not to answer a question. We need to think about getting back home soon," Lenz said.
"I don't know how long it will take. Probably a lot less once you stop asking," I replied.
"Hey! I'm just looking out for you little brother, no need to be so antagonistic!" she declared, looking a little unsure about what she said suddenly.
"What's wrong, that word too big for you? Shouldn't have said it," I suggested.
Lenz's face scrunched up now that I finally won a round, "Remind me to smack you one real good later! In fact, I think I'll do it when you're done with your precious little meeting! I'll be back soon after I find myself a new look and if you aren't here, oh it's going to get ugly! I promise that I'll beat you till your black and blue all over!" she warned as she powered up and blasted off. It was enough of a showing that it knocked me down, but I felt a little better once she was gone.
I descended to the ground quickly, and walked two blocks further along Walnut Street to Sixty-fourth. There, only three people were even present. One was sitting on a bench and wrapped in a cloak. The other two were men in suits and sitting directly across the way. All three watched me walk up, but none made a single move until I approached the bench.
"Thank you for coming Verto," the cloaked person said. Her voice matched the one I had heard over the phone, so I assumed that this was the contact that I was looking for.
"First things first, what is your name?" I asked.
"Keep your voice down!" she rasped, probably to keep whatever she was about to reveal between us. The suits didn't look to be in any hurry, but were whispering to each other back and forth.
"My name is Erin Sullivan. I work for one of the local ZTV stations," Erin said as she unveiled her hood. She was a young blonde woman with a few freckles dotting her face.
"Mom hired a reporter?" I asked in slight disbelief. This has got to be a cruel joke.
"I kind of volunteered. I heard that you two had been in town a few weeks ago and I phoned her to inquire why. I was already working on a story for Flandal Cash and I asked her what she knew about him. It kind of took off from there, but only after I revealed something to her. It's something that only I can do as far as I know, and I've had it ever since that crazy virus broke out and nearly killed us all!" Oh great, another mutation.
"So what kind of ability is it?" I asked.
"How did you know it was a special power?" she asked, astonished.
"You're looking at one of the two people that are likely responsible. What can you do?" I asked again. Erin hesitated and looked away towards the two men.
"You see those two? They're following us, well me specifically. Once you're gone, they plan to kidnap me, I heard them talking about it. They were instructed to watch until they identified who I was meeting out here, and then make a move. They are considering when to move right now, they think it might be a sham since you're just a kid," she explained.
"You can hear them from all the way over here? What is it, telepathy?" I asked. I immediately thought otherwise since I should have been able to sense something like that. With Psi energy depleted though, that might not have been the case.
"Not so loud. I can hear almost anything from a long ways away, up to a mile or so as long as the noise level is above a whisper. I heard you and your girlfriend talking on top of that building, a little young for that aren't you?" she wondered.
"Not your concern. Do you recall your situation before that virus outbreak, were you doing anything specific that might have done this?" I asked.
"How could I forget, I was blind!" Erin admitted.
"But you can see now I take it?"
"Yes, perfectly. I wasn't always blind though, which may have something to do with this. Back when the Zerg invaded, I was on assignment with a group of marines. We were under attack and one of the soldiers had tossed a grenade that got knocked off its intended target before it blew up. The shrapnel scorched my optic nerves, and I was told that I had permanently lost my sight. As you might have heard, people that are blind often develop enhanced senses in other areas, specifically scent and hearing. Bulma told me that your ability to heal was likely what repaired my eyes, but she didn't mention anything about what might have enhanced my hearing sense. At first every little sound was deafening, but I eventually learned to focus and control it. I still have a problem with loud noise though. Upon learning about my ability, your mother asked me to spy on Dr. Cash," she summed up.
"Well, sorry about the extra package that came along with healing your eyes. It's not something I can control and any, adverse effects appear to be random and sporadic," I replied, trying to keep the word 'mutation' out of the conversation.
"Do you know how many have been affected so far?" she asked.
"Is this on the record?" I countered.
"No, I'm just curious. I would think that I have a right to know," she fired back.
"Sorry. Let's just say that I've never had a deep fondness for reporters. Especially the pushy ones, get my drift?" I answered with a serious glare.
"I can't say I blame you, some of us do just about anything for a story."
"To answer your question, I simply don't know. I thought that maybe it only affected those around me that were exposed several times over and over, but I'm pretty sure I've never met you before," I said.
"I think the closest we've ever gotten was when I was covering the last world tournament, but we weren't there long, damn cameras blew up!" she claimed. I chuckled slightly, unable to keep it in.
"What's so funny?" she asked.
"Nothing, just a joke that reminds me of. We should probably get down to business before those two get bored. What did you find out?" I asked.
"A lot of things. Cash has been pulling in a lot of resources, using his brother's money and power. And he's been doing military style testing of some kind at a secret lab," she began.
"Do you know where this lab is?" I asked before she could continue.
"It wouldn't be much of a secret anymore if I did. I can only find out what my ears have been able to pick up. Here's what I know. First off, it is harboring alien technology. I haven't even heard of half of the things he has stashed away, never mind what he may have developed with that technology!"
"Protoss equipment. He must have snatched some up in the wake of their departure," I assumed.
"Quite likely. He's called in experts in the field of robotics and biotech to confer, but as far as I know, they are not working directly on whatever projects he has hidden!"
"How can you be sure about that?" I asked.
"Because a lot of those scientists have met their untimely deaths within a few days of visiting North City. Nothing has directly pointed back to Cash from a police standpoint, but who's going to believe a reporter that finally got back on the job from being blinded? There have been mysterious disappearances and sightings over the past month or so. Most of them have been of a randomly shaped creature prowling the city at night. So far, I've heard three different descriptions of this so-called beast. One is pink skinned with spiky armor, another is green with red spots and large teeth, and the last one is yellow with a very big body. I haven't heard anything about the last one lately," she continued.
"That must have been what attacked her and Vegeta down in the temple," I said.
"That would be a good bet, Bulma perfectly matched its description to whatever your dad killed down there," Erin added.
"He's not my dad," I muttered back with a frown.
"Oh, then how is it that…" she started to ask before I cut her off.
"It's not your business, please stay out of it!"
"Oh right, sorry. Well anyway, I believe that these robotic monsters are actually prototypes. Of what I have no idea, but it's got to be big. Some sort of weapon I imagine, given some of the things that Cash industries has been buying up. I might not be so worried if that was the only problem," she said cryptically.
"What else is he doing?" I asked, irritated.
Erin looked frightened now, "They've been abducting people under the guise of psychiatric treatment. People with abilities like me. The disappearances don't just cover scientists and other minor figures, not anymore!"
"What about known fighters?"
"That's what worries me even more. Members of your group are mentioned a lot, but Bulma said that no one is missing or has encountered anything strange, even while in the area. It's as if you are at the top of the list, but are virtually ignored," Erin said, confused.
"It's possible that Cash and his cohorts have realized that trying to take on even the weakest fighter will prove difficult. If that robot was indeed sent to bring in Vegeta, then they likely know how hard that is to do."
"I don't think it's as hard as you might believe it to be. There's a reason I tried to meet with you instead of Bulma, even though she was home. When she answered, I immediately told her the secret pass code in the form of a question, and she not only didn't answer correctly, she acted as if she had no idea what I was talking about. I think your mother has been compromised. I may be overacting and we can find out soon enough if her phones were just being tapped, but I just have this awful feeling that something may have happened to her," Erin explained.
I stared at her hard, but sighed heavily, "Well I doubt anyone would be that stupid. I won't rule it out because stranger things can happen, but if anything was wrong at home you can bet that Vegeta would know pretty quick. There haven't been any huge explosions as far as I know, so I'm guessing that everything is fine. You can come see for yourself if you want," I offered.
Erin looked relieved, "Good, I'd like to get the hell away from here. I have no desire to be next on their list, and it looks like I already am!"
"No problem, I'll take you back to West City right now if you want. No one would dare get near Capsule Corp as things are, especially not after I let Vegeta in on this," I said with a slight grin.
"Bulma said that she was keeping everyone out of the loop on purpose, are you sure that is a good idea?" Erin asked.
"If we don't know the location of the secret lab, then home is where he will likely stay until he does know. All we have to do is find out before he does…or I can play guard duty and let him have fun. Since we don't know what exactly we're dealing with, I don't think option two is the best idea. He might blow more than one place off the map," I suggested, imagining Vegeta trying to hunt down a lab with an unknown location.
"Sounds good, now we just need to do something about my two escorts," Erin nodded towards the two suits.
"No problem," I said as I got up and walked their way. I made it a point to hold one hand behind my back as I got closer. They didn't make much of a move until I got there, and then they stood up to loom over me.
"Excuse me, but I have something for you," I said, trying to sound as innocent as possible.
"Buzz off kid, we're busy!" Agent number 1 said.
"Oh, it'll only take a second. I promise it'll knock your socks off! That nice lady that you're following sent it over; you wanna see?" I asked as I held out my fist, still enclosed.
"What is it kid?" the second agent asked, leaning over. Too easy.
"This," I said, before tapping him in the temple. He flew back a few feet and crumpled against the wall. His partner had enough time to reach into his coat for what was likely a firearm, but didn't get much further then that when he smacked the same wall a moment later.
I brushed some dirt from my hands as Erin walked up, slightly impressed, "Piece of cake!"
"We should hurry, but before we go, I need to retrieve a classified file that I have hidden away at my apartment. It doesn't disclose the location of the lab, but there are construction blueprints and contacts listed inside. It's basically everything that I've been able to gather from documentation. It should prove useful," she suggested. My ki senses suddenly went off as the concrete started to shake just slightly.
"What is that?" Erin asked as she tried to keep her balance.
"I don't know, get down!" I ordered. A long crack opened up in the road and went directly between my legs and further beyond. Whatever it was producing it was coming from below me, I could feel that. And it didn't feel all that powerful, but I wasn't in good shape to argue. A figure popped out of the sidewalk, and a long rope seemed to follow it, trailing back to under my feet. Uh oh, time to move! I jumped into the air and moved aside slightly, and the rope like object flew out, glowing gold and sparking wildly. As I moved to see how long it was, it suddenly bent and flew backwards right at me. I caught it, only to receive a very hot flash through my hands before its energy streaked through my whole body a few times. I dropped to the ground, hands smoking as I landed. I turned back to the new presence, and the rope like object retracted back to him and vanished into his flesh. Must be some sort of electric tentacle. The creature was dark green in color with reddened spots and was baring large teeth just as Erin described. It was also only interested in her at the moment as it stomped forward, eager. I fired a blast that smashed into its shoulder, taking the beast's attention away.
"That was rude. Now what the hell are you supposed to be?" I asked.
Its answer came out as a groggy growl, "Ki…Shi…Me!"
"Kishime, got it. Now I have something to leave on the gravestone. Let's get this over with," I dared with a beckoning hand. Kishime roared at me, but didn't move for the moment. I managed to crack a smirk, but figured since the creature didn't make the first move, that I would take advantage. I shouldn't take any chances; I'm far too weakened right now to play around too much. If one of these things was enough to push Vegeta a little, even without his energy, then who knows what this one might be like. That shock tentacle didn't exactly tickle either. I'm going to be slower at this level as it is. I shouldn't use any energy attacks if I can help it, but if I have to, make it count. I took the chance to power up to full, topping out a little faster than I would have liked. Once my aura displaced again, Kishime leapt into the air before turning and dropping towards me with an outstretched punch. I waited patiently before quickly blocking it with my forearm and jabbing with my other hand. Kishime suddenly vanished just as I did, his body turning colors just as he did. I quickly found him up in the air and flew towards him a few seconds later, but he vanished again when I got there.
"That's not an afterimage is it? You had better stay and fight; teleporting will only get you so far!" I warned. The robot looked like he was waiting to spot an opening, so I stepped forward and slightly left, intentionally leaving my right side open. Kishime teleported again and reappeared exactly where I wanted him to, only a few feet away. Panic filled his face when I turned to him and punched his face hard. Hmmm, he had enough time to get away instantly, I wonder why he didn't? Kishime's power signal winked out again when I chased after him again, this time reappearing behind me again. I turned around and sped after him as fast as I could, and this time I literally saw his body start to change color before he teleported again. I locked on to his power signal and followed it with my ki sense. I felt a tiny fluctuation in it that lasted just a few seconds before it returned to normal. Ah, it takes just the briefest moment to concentrate and another two seconds to recover. I can make use of that little weakness if I guess just right. Kishime looked eager to continue and attempted to come up from behind again. I ducked his kick by a hair's width, countering with a strong uppercut. He vanished again, reappearing behind again to punch at me. I turned and dodged aside, this time faking my counterattack while charging a small blast. As expected, Kishime teleported, and I turned straight around and fired. The small ki blast caught Kishime in the shoulder and took part of it completely out. Kishime got up, holding it in pain as he growled back at me.
"So you're programmed to feel pain? Good," I frowned as I fired another blast. Kishime got away from this one and reappeared on a building ledge with both arms held out. His power fluctuated in a different way this time, as if he were trying to power up. The muscles on his arms bulged just slightly before the veins popped and then came right out of the skin all over his arms. They slithered and snaked together, forming two tentacles like the one before, both glowing golden. Back to this move, gotta be careful. Kishime launched his first tentacle at me straight, which I dodged just as he swung the second. I phased out when I saw it coming, moving towards him as quickly as possible. He stood unaware just as I slowed to take his head off, only to miss when he teleported again. I had barely turned around before one of the shocking snake arms hit me in the gut. The extreme electricity surged through instantly, causing my insides to burn as the tentacle wrapped completely around. I attempted to pull the extended limb off, but the instant I touched it, my hands went numb and I couldn't move them. Damnit! I forced down the urge to scream and attempted to power out of the hold, but Kishime's tentacle wouldn't budge. I had lost control of flight by then, but his appendage was keeping me airborne. I winced in pain as I glanced down towards him, though he was shifting attention to Erin, who was backing off. His other tentacle moved towards her methodically as she tried to get away. I blocked out the pain as much as I could and focused a blast, but the constant shock got a little disruptive during the process. Kishime didn't seem to notice, and continued toying with Erin, who could only crawl away. I fired the blast the instant I felt it was strong enough to do some damage. Kishime noticed the incoming blast, but only stood in surprise as it flew towards him. I had a pretty good idea why, moving or teleporting again at least had a chance of releasing me. At the last second, Kishime jumped to the side and the blast blew a hole in the concrete, missing completely. He snarled up at me as I quickly prepared two more with both hands. He stopped chasing Erin, and the other tentacle rushed upwards, wrapping around my arms and upper body this time. My energy quit flowing to my hands and I was trapped.
Damnit, unless he lets me down, I won't be able to counter attack him. I have to power out of this to get loose, but I'm at max now! Where's Lenz when you need her? I attempted to search for Lenz's power signal, but I couldn't feel anything certain with the surges of electricity hitting me periodically. Kishime grinned just as his tentacles flashed brighter for a moment. A huge painful surge hit me again, and this time I did scream. I bit my tongue by accident as I tried to tough it out, but it didn't seem like Kishime was going to let up anytime soon. Fine, time to get stupid and desperate again!
"Hey freak!" I shouted down. Kishime let up for just a moment to hear me.
"Last chance to surrender!" I declared. Kishime laughed like a maniac, not believing me.
"Have it your way! Kaio-ken!" The intensity of the painful shock increased several times over for just a moment, but then I felt my arms and body loosen. The tentacles were burning up from my power surge, and I regained control within a few seconds. Then I felt it, a huge surge of energy from within. I wasn't sure what kind it was, but it was a lot more than I was currently able to use, and much more than a simple Kaioken burst should have allotted. I gazed down at Kishime, who was shaking in surprise. I rushed down at him, barely missing when he teleported at the last possible moment. I quickly found him a short distance away and charged at him. His body turned colors again, but I caught him with a power kick before he could vanish. I kept going and bashed his face with a hard backhand before backing off and rising into the air. Kishime bounced off the surface once and landed in an awkward position as I drew one hand back, charging it up with the finisher.
"Final Shine!" My green beam blew the bio-fighter to pieces, showering the area with the nuts, screws and whatever other small parts survived. I landed, falling to a knee instantly as I powered down. I could feel my energy plunging out of my control as by breath got short. Shit! I'm getting even weaker! Why the hell is this happening?
Erin ran up and leaned down in concern, "Are you alright?"
I gazed up at her as I panted hard, "Just a little, tired. No problems here…" My head hurt for a brief instant when I smacked the concrete. The rest of it was a blur.
Erin Sullivan gasped as Verto passed out, and checked his vitals to be sure. His heartbeat remained very fast and he was still breathing hard, but that was all. She grabbed both arms and dragged him off the road, depositing him on the bench. She sighed in slight relief until she spotted something glowing underneath his torn blue shirt. Curiosity got the better of her and she pulled the shirt up, revealing a very big scar on his right side. It was glowing both red and blue intermittently. She saw smaller scars around his body doing the same thing, completely in tune with each other. It was as if there was a large lamp shimmering under his skin, only it was deeper than that. She spotted that same intermittent glow coming from just under his eyes lids. She reached up to check there as well, but a powerful wind suddenly blew through. Erin fell backwards as a pair of boots landed. She scrambled to her feet, spotting the taller, lavender haired Saiyan named Lenz. She was wearing a blue dress that was struggling to stay on her chest, but the rest fit rather snugly to her muscular body and was blowing around just above her knees. Erin didn't think the scowl on her face went with the dress, even if the bright purple lipstick did. Erin couldn't feel energy levels by any means, but just the sight of Lenz was enough to make her tremble right now.
"What did you do?" she growled.
"It wasn't me! A biofighter attacked us and he fought it off. He blew it to bits and then he just dropped! I swear it's the truth!" Erin claimed. Lenz's glare lightened just slightly as the breeze kicked up again, blowing her hair all to one side. A storm was moving into the area, and lightning flashes went off in the clouds along with the stiff breeze.
"Who are you?" Erin dared to ask.
"You saw something specific about him didn't you? What was it?" Lenz retorted.
Erin gulped, "Just that he has pretty big scars for a kid. Must be from all the fighting right?"
Lenz closed her eyes briefly before glancing in another direction, "Right." Erin slowly stepped away until Lenz turned her attention back to her with intense eyes below her violently swirling hair.
"Where are you going?" Lenz asked with a vicious tone.
Erin filled with fear, "I have to retrieve documents from my apartment. I'll meet you in West City; I hope he feels better by then!" With that said, Erin ran away as quickly as she could while Lenz stood in the breeze, allowing it to whip around her. Once Lenz felt that Erin was gone, she bent down and ripped Verto's shirt open. There, she saw the glowing scars turning from red to blue and back again.
"What is happening to you little brother?" Lenz murmured. A sudden spark of energy alerted her to someone else's presence. The wind stopped abruptly as a loud clap of thunder assaulted the area. Rain came pouring down in buckets and continued as Lenz turned her eyes to the shadows. There, she spotted another woman wrapped in tight fitting leather.
"What do you want?" Lenz snarled as Leira walked up.
"You should try to point your anger in the right direction girl. Your affection for the boy is clouding your mind, of course that might be an improvement. As for what I want, nothing right now. I'm keeping an eye on him, especially while he's in this pitiful state. You would think he would know better than to use the Kaioken technique in such a weakened state. It figures that Vegeta wouldn't bother to keep watch incase he got into trouble. So disappointing. But maybe this will be for the best," Leira said as she shook her head.
Lenz looked away, "Actually, I was doing that. I only left him alone for a few minutes!"
"As you can see, that was too long. He needs rest and a lot of it. If you can't hunker down and enforce that, then I will have to take matters into my own hands," Leira scolded.
Lenz's eyes lit up with intensity again, "You stay away from him!" Leira paused as she stared into Lenz's eyes, as if she were trying to solve a puzzle.
"Do not let him out of bed for at least two days. No matter what he says otherwise, he should not be under any undue stress or physical activity. He may argue, in fact I'd bet on it, but he will notice that he's going to end up weaker than a baby before long. It's an expected side effect to the power he unleashed against the demon he fought yesterday. It will only get worse if he keeps this up, so don't let him. Do you understand?" Leira asked. Lenz didn't answer, but did nod just slightly, never taking her eyes off the fiery redhead.
"If anyone can get him to relax, I imagine you can. You may notice a few other problems over the next few days, this is to be expected. He may not be able to function without assistance, nor even talk. You may have to force him to sleep, so be prepared for that. Since I can't count on Vegeta, I'm trusting you to care for him. Do not let me down. You cannot let this get any worse, because he could die if you do. He has to deal with some of this on his own. When he's better, you'll know. Stay out of his way when that happens! You can play bodyguard until then!" Leira grinned as she finished. Lenz still didn't answer, but nodded as she stared off to the side.
"What is it girl? You usually have such a passionate aura around you?" Leira said, amused as the rain continued to pour down. Lenz still didn't say anything, but Leira thought she saw a slight hint of a tear running down the side of her face, mixed in with rainwater.
"This is hard on you, seeing him like this?" Leira asked.
Lenz nodded slightly, "At first, I thought, great! He can finally come down to my level and see how it feels. But after seeing his reaction through all my teasing today, seeing him stay strong even though he was drastically weaker, I realized that I was the weak one. I wanted to take the reins today, do all the hero stuff while he got to stand off to the side, make sure he didn't get hurt for once. And I let my stupid obsession over looks get in the way. All morning I was crawling all over him because I knew he couldn't stop me for once, I could do whatever I wanted to him. I wanted to get him to appreciate having me around, maybe then he could trust me enough to get closer. And look where it got me, I was so single minded that he almost got killed! No wonder he doesn't trust me!"
"Don't punish yourself too much girl, he may not tell you, but he loves you, more than you know," Leira smiled slightly.
"How could he possibly like me at all? He ignores me and talks down to me all the time! Even when I have him at a disadvantage he's still smarting off, trying to get the last word in like he has to win every stinking argument! He's had to save me all the time when I get in trouble, and somehow he escapes death no matter how big of a pickle he's in! I've got to be the biggest pain in the ass of all time!" Lenz cried out.
"So tell me, if he doesn't love you, why does he bother to come to the rescue?" Leira beamed.
"Probably just so he doesn't have to hear about it from Vegeta. The stuck up king himself," Lenz grunted.
"Don't be so deluded. Maybe he says things negatively for a reason, as if he's trying to tell you something about yourself. I'm sure if you didn't try so hard to get his attention, he would lighten up a lot. Hanging all over him is more apt to push him away, unless that somehow got through to him more than once," Leira suggested.
"You really think so? I mean that's the only way I've been able to get anyone's attention for a long time," Lenz said sadly.
"I'm sure of it. Fasha did that to an extent before, trying to get him out of a shy mood as you have been. Due to his Saiyan blood, it sort of worked for a time, but only when they were separated for a long time did he truly love her at all. If you don't believe me, that's fine, but I'll promise you this Lenz. Verto is just as capable of evil actions as he is good ones. He can fill his heart with pure malice, or he can fill it with his love for his friends and family. Which one of those do you think he feels for you?" Lenz didn't answer, but managed another nod.
"That's a good girl. He may not admit this either, but he will need you soon, more than ever when he recovers," Leira said as she turned around and started to step away.
"Why? Will this happen again?" Lenz asked in surprise.
"Not after he comes to terms with it. It's his own doubt and guilt that is clouding most of his power, and thus gradually weakening him. I suspect he can push through it, but it's your love he needs," Leira said as she turned around with a big smile.
"But I want to fight along side him, as his equal, not someone he has to protect all the time! That's the only way I could truly be happy with him! Make him know that his efforts to train me weren't for nothing like Vegeta keeps saying!" Lenz said with a concerned expression.
"I suppose that depends on you then girl. How far are you willing to go for love?" Leira asked.
Lenz's eyes lit up, "As far as I have to!"
Leira walked back to Lenz and held up her hand, "Let me see your palm. And close your eyes as well, this may feel a little strange!" Lenz nodded and embraced her hand with Leira's and closed her eyes as she felt a warm energy flow through her. Leira's eyes widened as she felt an interaction that she didn't expect. Lenz groaned just slightly as white light engulfed the area before settling. Both women felt drastically weaker, but only Lenz showed it. Leira still had a stunned expression on her face, but quickly shook it off when Lenz came to her senses.
"What did you do to me?" Lenz asked as she crawled back to her feet.
"My apologies, I didn't intend to scan you that deep. I'm sorry to say that you don't have the hidden power to stand as Verto's equal. That isn't to say there isn't something there, waiting to be unlocked," Leira said reassuringly.
Lenz's face fell, "Ah well. I guess I shouldn't be that surprised. Being a Super Saiyan is still a pretty good accomplishment."
Leira nodded weakly, "You should get him home. Being out in this rain probably doesn't do him any favors."
"Thanks for at least confirming that. To think I actually thought I could keep up with him. He's too special for that though. I guess a sidekick roll isn't that bad; pull his ass out of the fire when I have to. At least until he's grown again. Boy that's gonna be fun, take care," Lenz grinned as she picked Verto's limp body up and blasted off into the distance. Leira watched them go and then hobbled back to the dark alleyway she had been in. She slumped down to the ground as water poured down the front of her face.
"I can't believe this. Out of all people, it had to be her," Leira groaned as she stared up into the sky. Lightning promptly crackled across the sky as Leira sat in the pouring rain, alone. Damnit! I only meant to release her dormant Saiyan strength, if only I had known what she was! My calculations were completely off again, and that means that this planet is doomed, even sooner than last time! And now I've gone past the limit of changes allowed in the timeline. They'll send an agent to investigate, which will only make things worse. Well screw the Guardians; they wanted my help no matter what I had to do. From here on out, it's all or nothing!
Erin Sullivan hurried into her messy apartment and rummaged through the piles of papers that were strung all over. As the storm outside got worse, the wind blew through her window, scattering everything around.
"Damnit, where is that file?" Erin shouted.
"Are you looking for this file?" a voice asked. Erin was startled as she spun to see a young red headed girl standing there, holding the very folder she was looking for.
"Ranso, how did you get in here?" Erin asked.
"I'm just like you Miss Sullivan. Talented, eager to please, and desperate. You should keep the things you steal in less conspicuous places. Finding them can actually be hard when you know not to hide them under a mattress! I'm sure Doctor Cash will be very disappointed in you after granting you that gracious interview you wanted so badly. Such a poor way to repay him," Ranso said.
"I thought for sure you left North City for good after you escaped from his clutches!" Erin claimed.
"Escaped? Why would I run from a kind man like Doctor Cash? I'm helping him achieve his goals! We all are, and you should too!" Ranso said sweetly.
"His goals are to ruin this world and everyone on it! Can't you see that, or has he brainwashed you that much?" Erin asked.
"Brainwashed? Bear in mind whom you are speaking to. It just so happens that he and I see eye to eye on several things. This is an ugly, corrupt world now. He intends to fix that, and it will start by getting rid of those who oppress him! You should join us!" Ranso suggested as she stepped closer. Erin jerked back by reaction, knocking over a few chairs and books in the process.
"I won't be a slave to a little psycho bitch like you!" Erin claimed as she pulled a gun from her coat pocket.
"I thought you might say something like that. My friend behind you thinks otherwise!" Ranso said with a grin. Erin spun right into the arms of a larger security guard, who disarmed her easily and held her down in a chair as Ranso came closer. Erin spit at her, hitting Ranso in the cheek.
"That was mean Miss Sullivan. Why do you hate me so much?" Ranso asked as she tilted her head slightly.
"Multiple reasons, let's start with the way you control people. What you and Cash are doing is wrong, and I won't be apart of it!" Erin shouted as she struggled in the security guard's grasp.
"That's where you're wrong. It's already too late for our enemies, as it is for you! It turns out that Doctor Cash doesn't want your services after all!" Ranso claimed.
Erin frowned, "They'll stop you; I know they will!"
Ranso's grin returned, "Oh really? I don't think so. We've already sewn our seed into their ranks. By the time they realize it, it will be over! As you well know, Kati is very good at her work!"
Erin's face lit up in dread as Ranso stepped to within inches, "So that's how you did it!"
"And now, we share our last moment together, my dear Erin," Ranso said as she grasped Erin's lower lip. Erin's body instantly stopped struggling and simply froze in a daze. Ranso leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the lips, slowly letting them separate before she turned away.
"You were always one of my favorite reporters to watch, it's such a shame. Let's go, she can let herself out," Ranso beckoned as her guard followed her through the door. Erin stood on her feet and walked to the window with a glazed over look on her face. She opened the window, not even blinking as the wind driven rain got into her eyes. Erin stood there at the window, as if she was waiting for something. Outside, the storm continued to rage, leaving partially flooded streets below. Ranso and her guard walked out of the building under the cover of an umbrella. The shorter Ranso glanced up once before getting into a parked car and riding off. Erin crashed into the ground a few seconds later.
Power levels
Verto (weakened): 20,000; Kaioken burst: 800,000
Kishime: 15,000; Shock Tentacles: 22,000
A/N: Don't you just love a good mystery storyline? Add in a nice and sadistic villain or two to go with it. Well get ready, we're taking another strange trip, next time that is.
Oh what the hell, I'll leave one. Next time, Verto is sedated just as he discovers a problem at home, and he is forced to confront some of his mental problems in a strange dream. Meanwhile, Bulma is not feeling like herself, and the others begin to notice. What is wrong, and how will this affect what is to come? You can guess, you can click away, or you can wait to find out. Either way, it's coming at you, starting next time on DBV.