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.
A/n: Starting off with where everyone was, there will be three different versions of Verto speaking. The positive side will be labeled "Good" and the negative "Dark", and this will remain with normal Verto's point of view for the moment.
Chapter 30: Virtual
My two doubles spent several minutes glaring at each other, neither batting as much as an eyelash nor saying anything. Only the clear wall between sides appeared to keep them from each other's throats. I didn't realize that I actually struggled with my emotions like this.
"So, either one of you want to tell me why I'm here?" I asked first. My apparently Good side didn't answer, just growled at his opposite.
"You're here because you need to be. You have shunned your dark tendencies and you have to embrace them to get your powers back." the Dark version of me said.
"That's not true! He's done fine without you!" Good shouted.
"Yes, until he started using his rage more effectively to take out souls. That unlocked a great deal of Psi energy that was dormant, all of it in fact. Every bit of spirit power that he would have if he were full grown can now be tapped. Since his body can only handle a certain amount of energy at one time, his ki must be suppressed or drained to access it for now," Dark explained.
"Quit talking as if I'm not here; I hate that," I warned.
Dark stifled a slight grin, "Yeah, well you're not the only one."
"Aside from that, are you saying that negative emotions are the only way I can access my Psi energy now?" I asked.
"Only the portion that surpasses your current state, not including the Kaioken technique of course. When you used that soul burning attack for the first time, you started to tap into it. Dabura likely knew this would happen, which is why he warned you to use up or suppress your physical energy beforehand. It comes from… let's just say a very unstable source within you. I don't have specifics because frankly I don't know for sure. Keeping your ki down and powering up in this way is difficult, but doable," Dark added.
"Alright, I'll come back to that in a moment, next question. Is there another Bulma over there, doing weird experiments?" I asked.
Dark chuckled and nodded, "Smarter than the other actually, but also a little on the wicked side. She likes proving others wrong all the time with basic facts; it gets annoying. Do you understand everything I just said?"
"Now I do, but why am I so weakened now? I've been so angry ever since dying. Granted it hasn't been an easy time for me either, but if what you say is true then why am I having this kind of problem now?"
"That's true, you have been very negative, but not to a serious extreme like the other day. For the answer to that question, you should ask him," Dark said, pointing to his counterpart. Good didn't respond, but he did have a sad look on his face.
"Your morality is holding back your power. It's at an unconscious level now, thus where this wall also came from. Being so pent up probably doesn't help your cause from here either," Dark continued.
"Liar!" Good accused.
"Call me something else; that one is getting old!" Dark fired back.
"I'm willing to listen to both sides here; I've got nothing better to do until I wake up! Now then, I don't understand how this could have happened. I mean, I regretted what I did, but I didn't think it was this bad," I argued.
"When you cracked the barrier to your deeper power, you not only slipped out of balance with your energy, but also with your emotions. Easy as that," Dark summed up.
"Don't listen to him! He only wants to hurt you and other people!" Good declared. Why do I get the feeling that I'm the moderator of a political debate?
"Well, I can see which one of you is more rational, at least right now. What he said made sense, now what do you have?" I asked.
Good hesitated, "It's wrong to kill off others for good. I understand that sometimes we have to cross the line and take lives to preserve peace for the good of everyone else, but souls? They'll never have an afterlife or punishment or anything, not even memories. They'll just be nothing!"
I sighed, "I share the same opinion obviously, or I wouldn't be here."
"You have to come to terms with this simple fact: some people are simply beyond redemption, and some can come back more than once. We've seen it far too often now, with Freddy, with that demon Vang and many others. Even if it's all a last resort and even if it feels bad or wrong, you have to be prepared to make that call. You don't want someone else to make it for you, like last time. Personally, I think some of Kara's influence is still with you, you weren't like this after Freddy," Dark noted. I was staring at the ground at this point, along with my more positive side.
"Yeah, well Freddy deserved it; Kara didn't. I missed, remember? I got so damned carried away that I fucked it up!" I admitted.
"Your conflicting emotions helped in that department if you recall," Dark said, glaring deeply at Good just like before. None of us spoke for several minutes afterwards, letting the dust settle so to speak.
"I'm ready to fix this problem; I have things to do. Correction, we have things to do!" I added. Dark nodded, but Good was still hesitant.
"I still don't think it's right to let him back into your life! Nothing good can come out of it!" he mumbled.
"And then letting everything else fall into darkness and despair because it feels wrong? Is that such a grand choice?" Dark asked. Good shook his head slightly, with several teardrops leaking out.
"Sometimes you have to give up what feels good to you to help others. Needs of the many and all that," Dark suggested.
"For someone that's supposed to be all of my darkest thoughts and feelings, you sure seem pretty mellow. You really don't seem all that bad," I pointed out.
"There are some similarities between us; it's not all black and white. For example, I'd say your most righteous thoughts come from this side, even if they are in a negative way. Other than that though, look around on this side of your personality for awhile, and that opinion would probably change, guaranteed!" he replied with a smug look.
"Is that why you're an adult and he's not?" I added.
"Well, you know your own thoughts. Would you really want a kid to manage all of them?" he retorted.
"I guess not. Maybe I should have a look around there before deciding how I should handle this, unless there's a better alternative?"
Good wasn't very enthusiastic, but did nod, "I guess that would be best." Suddenly, the ground started to shake and the sky started to flash randomly from black to white, to black again.
"What the hell is going on?" we all said at once. Out of the blue, my head ached like someone was trying to split it apart with a sledgehammer.
"What's doing that?" Good asked as he held his own head in pain.
Dark was on the ground, but still managed to get his head up, "It must be something on the outside. Were you injected with anything?"
"Wouldn't you know if you're me?" I fired back.
"I'm not the suspicious one here smart-ass!" Dark growled.
"It was something blue to knock you out I think, but that had to have been hours ago! This must be something else!" Good suggested.
"Must be that imposter Bulma!" I exclaimed.
"Imposter Bulma?" Dark asked as he winced from the headache.
Good nodded, "That reporter wasn't specific about how she might have been compromised. But after not listening to a thing we said, acting way out of character and purposefully knocking us out, it's pretty much cut and dry! She must have popped us with something that might be mentally damaging!"
"Maybe I can fix this with positive Psi energy then, just like half of the other issues we've been through. After that, I can play it cool until I can reassess everything, then I can make a move! But I have to have my power for this, got it?" I asked.
"Got it!" both agreed. I punched the clear wall separating light from dark, and it shattered on impact as the ground kept shaking.
"By doing this, you have to realize that once your power comes back, so does everything else. That monstrous force hidden within you can easily come back if you let it. You will have to deal with things on the fly without much time to think it over!" Dark said.
"That's going to be difficult if you're going to confront this crazy doctor; who knows what he's done! It would have been better to examine everything here before you continued, but you don't have time. And we won't be able to help you once you leave this place! You may not even remember this dream," Good added.
"As long as I don't go nuts again unless absolutely necessary. I don't care to revisit that and lose my compassion," I replied.
"And believe me, it won't be pretty. I don't think I'll be able to pull you back this time; there are serious control issues there," Dark warned.
"Wait a sec, you pulled me back? I don't understand. How does that work? I was incredibly pissed off and I wanted to kill that demon at the time, and it wasn't till afterward that I had any sort of control. Did I miss something?" I asked in amazement.
"It's complicated and we don't have time for it. Let me put it to you this way; emotional response was the key to both unleashing and controlling that incredible beast. You were able to control it by using your anger instead of completely allowing the power to dictate what happened. If it happens again, you have to remain angry when it initially comes out, but you have to calm down and think when it does, just like turning Super Saiyan. You may feel different and it may give you a harder edge like before, but it's better than the alternative. If you're up against the wall and you feel that power coming up, don't fight it; it can and will build up on you. Allow it to come out long enough for you to get a grip on yourself, and then control it with neutral feelings. But this will not be like the Super Saiyan form; since it's your Psi energy, it is very responsive to uncontrolled emotions. If you slip at all, over the edge you go. I can't tell you what happens after that, because I don't know. The best answer I can give is to get out of any possible situation where you lose control. Letting yourself go and being consumed by that power could very well be your undoing, remember that!" Dark suggested as he stuck his hand out. Good hesitated, but took it within a few seconds.
"Guess I'll have to avoid that one; we don't need a crazy Super Psionic Saiyan or whatever that would be," I muttered as I covered their handshake with my own palm, and a bright white light erupted from our contact. Just as I did, I heard a tremendous roar that sounded like both a huge beast and a freight train at the same time. I lost all sight of them and suddenly felt like I was lying down in a bed, with one horrible headache. I felt my Psi energy surge back, and quickly focused it into everything. Think positive, think positive! The headache started to clear after about ten to fifteen seconds, and my eyes itched to open as I powered back down. I heard commotion just ahead of me and opened my eyes to witness it, but not act until necessary. What I saw sure wasn't what I expected either.
Interlude 30.1: Imposter
Vegeta's scowl didn't do much to stop Trunks and Goten's constant whining for food as they sat at the table, but it did lessen it to a degree. Bulma was taking quite a bit longer than usual with dinner tonight, but she had started a bit late. A long and large rumble shook the table, one of many over the past several minutes.
"Mom! Isn't dinner ready yet?" Trunks moaned again as his stomach announced itself empty.
"In a minute!" she called back.
"We want food! We want food!" the boys chanted.
"Quiet!" Vegeta barked, promptly shutting them up. Bulma walked in with a large tray filled with several platters, and several robots followed her carrying the same thing. None of them could get away from the table fast enough once the feasting began.
"Where's Lenz? She was supposed to help me with dinner," Bulma said.
"I sent the girl out for some fresh air to clear her head. Otherwise she would have rotted away in the brat's room! Speaking of which, shouldn't he have woken up by now?" Vegeta asked.
Bulma hesitated before answering, "Depends on him I guess. I only gave him enough sedative to knock him out for a few hours. The dose I had to use would have probably kept a normal human under for a little more than a full day."
Vegeta grunted in-between bites, "Pathetic!" Bulma shook her head slightly as she started feeding a slightly fussy Bulla, who whimpered back a little but not much once she got in some gooey spoonfuls.
"Hey dad, can we have a match with Verto when he wakes up?" Trunks asked.
Vegeta snorted at this, "Why, so you can take turns beating on him?"
"How did you know that was our plan?" Goten asked before Trunks could stop him.
"You're about as predictable as Kakarot himself!" Vegeta replied. Bulma stifled a laugh as she munched down her own sandwich and continued feeding the baby. Bulla was still fighting it a little, but it looked more like she was ready to fall asleep. Within a few minutes, she actually did.
"Lightweight," Vegeta smirked.
"I'm sure if she actually had teeth she'd be all over the table like you three! I'm going to put her down for the night," Bulma said as she took Bulla away. Vegeta promptly stopped eating and scowled as she did. He didn't do much other than stare at the wall for several minutes.
"What's wrong dad?" Trunks asked. Vegeta didn't answer, and the boys eventually slowed their eating to a crawl as they tried to figure out the Saiyan prince. He didn't budge until Bulma came back, and by then he had a very suspicious look in his eye.
"Did I miss something?" Bulma asked.
"Something is seriously wrong here woman. And I think I know what it is. Out with it!" he growled.
Bulma took in a sharp breath, "What do you mean?"
"This food…it's actually good."
Bulma face faulted, "Gee, thanks for the compliment."
"It's too good to be your handiwork, which can only mean one thing!" Vegeta added. Bulma nervously held her breath, waiting for something she didn't want to hear.
"You've been taking lessons from Kakarot's mate!" Vegeta declared.
Bulma face faulted again, "Yeah, you caught me. I wanted to keep it a gradual secret, you know, slowly appear to improve, but it looks like I overdid it."
"Ha! Like you could ever hide anything from me!" Vegeta grinned as he resumed gorging. Bulma sighed with relief as the meal continued without interruption.
Later on, Bulma snuck away while Vegeta was getting his nightly entertainment from the World News channel. By this point, both boys had passed out in Trunks' bedroom, much earlier than usual. Bulma crept into Verto's room to check his readouts carefully. His heart rate was a little low, but well within tolerances. His breathing and blood pressure appeared to be normal as well. His brain monitor was going crazy though, and his eyes were in a full REM state.
"Damnit, his body is burning off the drugs even faster than I calculated!" she rasped aloud. Bulma pulled out another large bottle of her blue sedative and opened the nearly empty IV bag. Just as she was starting to pour its contents in, a rough sounding throat cleared behind her.
"So, you think drugging the boy will save you? Think again woman!" Vegeta barked suddenly.
Bulma jumped in surprise, "Oh, it's just you. Haven't I told you not to sneak up on me like that?"
"You can cut the act woman, I know you aren't Bulma!" Vegeta growled.
Bulma stepped back, "What in the hell are you talking about?"
"Don't assume I'm a fool. The Saiyan prince is nothing of the sort! You're very talented at playing the role; I'll give you that. You can even mimic her energy signal, one of the first things that I would have checked. Voice, appearance, overall attitude, it's all there. So, want to know where you botched it up?" Vegeta asked.
Bulma frowned deeply, "Do tell!"
"There were several little signs that seemed to announce it, but all of them could have been overlooked easily. A meal that didn't taste like vomit was surprising, but sometimes she can put one out. Then of course, you actually believed that my daughter could be walking already, hah!" Vegeta laughed aloud.
Bulma's eyebrow went up, "No infant develops the same."
"Oh give me a break you stupid woman! She may be Saiyan, but one does not go from crawl to stand in the span of a week, not at that age!" Vegeta pointed out.
"Any other thoughts?"
"I did wonder why you would have to force the boy to sleep with drugs. The real Bulma would have known better than to think that was necessary; I would have just kept knocking him out if it were a problem. None of those mattered though, I knew before any of that!" Vegeta claimed.
"So, what is your ridiculous theory? I'm still waiting," Bulma replied.
"What truly revealed you was when my daughter actually stopped crying in my arms rather than yours. That would never happen if you were really my mate!" Vegeta shouted as his blue aura flashed to life.
The false Bulma sighed, "I admit, you've found me out. It's a shame, I was starting to get used to the hang of things around here."
"Before I rip out your insides, tell me who you are and where Bulma is!" Vegeta ordered.
"No need for threats Vegeta, I would have told you. My name is Kati, and Bulma is with my father in a secured location. She is just fine and will remain that way as long as you do exactly what I say!" she suggested.
"Ha! Like any place is secure from me! Who is your worthless father?" Vegeta grinned.
"A much smarter man than you for one. He probably wouldn't have even bothered with you yet, if your wife hadn't been trying to pry into our business. She would have been taken awhile ago if this kid hadn't been present at the time." Kati replied.
"You needn't worry about him now. Not when you have me to deal with!" Vegeta boasted. Kati's hand dropped into her lab coat, and revealed a small object with a bright blue crystal and with several buttons around it. She pressed on, and Vegeta's aura faded instantly.
"What? Argh, an anti-energy field!" Vegeta groaned as his power vanished.
"Whatever you want to call it. A very nice little present your Protoss friends left behind. It should help keep you compliant," Kati said in confidence. Vegeta laughed loudly as Kati reached through her lab coat pocket again, this time revealing the vial of black fluid and she opened it. She stepped up next to Verto's bed and held it near his IV bag.
"What makes you think I need energy to handle you?" Vegeta asked.
"Come closer and I will pour this in. I do not bluff when it comes to threats. This may kill him. It hasn't been tested on humans yet, but the results from animals were chaotic at best. Every test subject eventually went brain-dead though, and I imagine he will have a similar reaction!" Kati warned.
Vegeta paused in concern, "So, why wait until now if you were going to kill him anyway?"
"Don't be such a pompous ass! I had no intention of harming him or the rest of your family, just you! All you power tripping aliens keep coming down to disrupt our peace, having your wars that wreck our world! It's going to stop; we will see to that! We have nothing against hybrids that are part human as long as they don't cause trouble, but the lot of you need to be dealt with. Even if it's with extreme measures like this!" Kati exclaimed.
"So, what are your demands?" Vegeta asked carefully.
"You will come quietly to my father's lab, or we can do it the hard way if you want," Kati offered.
Vegeta barely hesitated, "I think I'll take option two!" The brief pause was all Kati needed when Vegeta ran at her. She dropped the entire vial into the IV bag and it quickly turned into a mass of black. Vegeta threw Kati across the room and into the wall, where she slumped in pain. Vegeta ripped the IV bag from its perch and tore off the tube, but could only gasp when several drops worth of the substance had already passed into Verto's bloodstream. Within seconds, Verto's body jerked violently for a few moments before stopping. His eyes stopped twitching, and his brainwaves flattened into a straight line. His heart rate fell by nearly half and stayed there.
"No!" Vegeta cried out.
"Congratulations, you've gotten one of them killed, or at least turned into a vegetable! Care to try again?" Kati offered. Vegeta was seething by now, but didn't advance when he saw the control pad in her hand.
"This one is a little different, same result. My dad synthesized a vapor of the same chemical and it's plugged into the air conditioning system. One press, and its in the air. Don't do what I say this time and everyone in the building drops," Kati advised.
"You'd do that to yourself?" Vegeta asked curiously.
"It's worth the risk I think, so what'll it be?" she asked. Vegeta's eyes couldn't turn away from the flat green line on Verto's brain monitor.
"Staring at it won't make anything happen you know," Kati said with a slight grin as she faced Vegeta fully, advancing just one step. A single blip went by on the monitor, and then the activity of the brainwave was off the charts. The screen went blank as Kati pulled the power plugs shutting down all of the monitors. Vegeta's growl could have scared a tiger, but his eyes drifted towards the prone body of Verto when he suddenly twitched again. Verto's eyes flashed open like he just woke up and he looked around carefully without a single word. His eyes were also glowing bright blue for an instant before settling down, enough to register with Vegeta's quick eyes.
"So, do you wish to see the same happen to the rest of your family?" Kati asked. Verto motioned towards her, but Vegeta promptly shook his head, a message with two meanings.
The boy shut his eyes again when Kati turned back around again, "Good, we wouldn't want them all to be vegetables like this one. Come with me, and bring the boys along. You won't be completely alone in your suffering!"
"Leave them out of this!" Vegeta growled.
"They were involved from the start; you're the only one who wasn't drugged because I knew you would detect it! If you don't mind, I'd like to leave the corpse to rest in peace!" Kati claimed as she bravely pushed right past Vegeta, controller in her opposite hand.
"Oh, a little skittish of the dead are we? You seemed to enjoy making him into a brainless zombie. I guess you would really be scared if he suddenly jumped up and walked around in about thirty minutes or so!" Vegeta said, raising his voice just a tad.
Kati turned to face Vegeta's back, though he was still facing Verto, "Don't be ridiculous, that kid will never move on his own again! Get a move on, or else I press the button and your family slowly dies!"
"As you wish," Vegeta grumbled, though flashing a very small grin in the process. Kati hadn't realized that he had just given a signal.
Back down in the lab, Vegeta walked in with Trunks and Goten tucked under each arm. Kati still had her weapon handy as she pressed a button on her computer console. The wall opened into a secret compartment that Vegeta wasn't aware of. A circular platform lifted out and pushed into the room, four chairs lining it with miles worth of cable wiring. In each chair was a large helmet that looked to be plugged into the cables.
"Strap them in, and the helmet's go on as well!" Kati ordered. Vegeta complied, still grumbling mildly as Kati held the deadly release in her hand. As soon as Vegeta was done, he glared back at her viciously.
"Now yourself!" Kati said.
"Tell me what this does first!" Vegeta barked.
"You'll find out. It should entertain you three while I wrap things up around here. It may remind you of your wife's holo programs, but trust me; it will be much more painful!" Kati explained. Vegeta glanced briefly at the clock in the corner, noting that only five minutes had gone by.
"Fine, and when I beat your little toy, I will tear you apart piece by piece!" Vegeta declared as he slid the helmet over his own head. A bright flash of light went off and Vegeta slumped in the chair. He found himself lying on the concrete of a darkened alley. Getting up, he looked around as he walks into the street. There, Trunks and Goten are standing by, confusion written into their faces.
"This is so weird, I thought we were in bed, but I don't remember going to sleep!" Trunks claimed.
"My head feels kind of funny, and I can't feel any energy!" Goten added.
"Mine's gone too!" Trunks said in surprise.
"You don't think that Freddy guy is back do you?" Goten asked. Trunks glanced around nervously before spotting his father.
"Dad! Where are we?"
"I don't think you'll have to worry about any dream demons this time boys," Vegeta muttered as he walked up to them cautiously, "We've been outflanked and double crossed, let's just hope that we can buy some time by playing the game!"
"You may find that to be a tad difficult Vegeta!" a dark voice answered. All three Saiyans spun around to spot a familiar figure standing in the street with them.
"That's the super tough hologram guy, bull crap or whatever his name was! What's he doing outside?" Trunks asked.
"You have not figured it out have you? You are not outside. Your minds are directly linked into my server. And my true name is Kain thank you very much. We are going to play in here for a while!" Kain said.
"We won't be subjected to this!" Vegeta growled.
Kain grinned evilly, "Oh, but Vegeta, I promise this game is to die for!"
Elsewhere, in a bar across town, a certain hybrid Saiyan is sulking her night away.
"You want another one sweet cheeks?" the bartender asked.
"Two," Lenz said.
"Whoo! Looking good baby!" a random drunk called at her.
"Buzz off!" Lenz shouted. Another one sat down next to her and draped his arm around her shoulder, drawing her glare.
"I'll bet you just turned legal today, eh hot thing?" he said, eyebrows lifting suggestively. Lenz wasn't in the mood for this, but was curious about one thing he said.
"And what age is legal around here?" Lenz asked.
"Eighteen to twenty-one, depends on the kind of legal we're talkin' 'bout honey!" he garbled. Judging by the way he was eyeing her, Lenz didn't have to wonder what he truly meant by that.
For the moment, she smiled back, "How about when it's legal to kick some bum's ass for hanging all over a pretty girl?"
"Oh you can do that at any age!" he replied, mistaking the twinkle in her eye for a hint to advance. He did advance, and grabbed her ass in the process.
Lenz frowned, "Glad to hear it!" In a flash she took his arm and twisted it completely around until it snapped. He clutched it protectively and she was suddenly behind him. Lenz tossed the drunk into the rafters, watching as he fell down to the upper level, crashing into a table or two in the process.
"So, anyone else want to try feeling up this girl tonight?" Lenz shouted at the entire building. Several onlookers, men especially, suddenly decided to scatter as Lenz turned back around. One didn't take that suggestion, but only pulled up and sat next to her. It was a very young girl with brown hair and a yellow dress.
"Nice throw. I'm sure you have other talents," she commented.
"Whatever you're about to suggest, I'm not interested tonight!" Lenz growled back.
"Well, maybe I could change your mind, you never know. My name is Ranso, and I'm a good listener. What troubles you?" Ranso asked.
"Just stuff at home. My little guy is very sick and weak right now and it's hard for me to see him in that condition," Lenz admitted.
"Ah, so just getting some air, and some booze by the look of it!" Ranso noted all the empty glasses.
"High tolerance," Lenz replied.
The bartender came back over and interrupted them, "Aren't you a little young to be in here?" he asked Ranso.
"Well, the nice bouncer let me in, so I must be of age!" Ranso claimed.
"That idiot would let a toddler in. ID please!" he said sternly, holding out his hand. Ranso pulled a card from her purse and handed it over, but did make brief contact with the large man's hand. He barely even glanced at the card before handing it back and walking off with a hazy expression.
"You're clearly not of age, how did you do that?" Lenz asked, wary.
"It's a talent. I imagine your super model body has a similar effect on people, it sure does me!" Ranso claimed.
"Wish everyone felt that way," Lenz said sadly.
"Your guy doesn't?" Ranso asked in disbelief.
"Probably because he's still on the young side of things, doesn't feel passion like I do. Seems like he's the only one in the world that can see me on the inside and virtually ignore everything else," Lenz explained.
"Well, that's a little hard to believe, but he sounds like the right one if that's the case. I don't really have that problem now, but I used to. Kind of gets boring when you can tell people what to do now, but still has its advantages, at least they can't be mad at me!" Ranso laughed.
"Sounds wrong to me," Lenz grumbled as she looked away.
"Well, maybe I can change your mind. Come with me, there's someone who would like to meet you," Ranso said as she touched Lenz on the arm.
A/n: I hope everyone is enjoying the roller coaster ride this afternoon! It was suggested to me to go through all of the "Dark" aspects as well, and I did consider it more than once, but I figured the lighter side was enough of a zoo for everyone to get the point.
WDG: Heh, well, it looks like the good doctor isn't taking chances regarding the level of infiltration. And oh dear, how will Vegeta make it out of this one?
VB: You know what they say about supposedly perfect plans? They're doomed to fail.