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 40: Tidings of Doom
"So, Son Gohan, what ability shall we try out next? I can feel the urge for something truly horrifying!" the possessed Verto said under his wicked grin.
"It's not like you'll be able to use them all, so it doesn't matter," Gohan replied.
"True, but a being like me really has no need for techniques invented by prophets to a false god. The truly divine use their powers as they wish. We will go with something familiar then, after all I've always wanted to try this one out for myself," Verto claimed as his hands lit up. They quickly sparked with green lightning, prompting Gohan to glide backwards in caution.
"Yes, you know this one well don't you?" Verto asked. Gohan didn't answer, as he was still extremely puzzled by the person before him, other than the appearance of course. Who could this be, and why is he so angry with me? Verto's evil grin deepened as he prepared to fire the massive Chi storm forming in his palms.
"You can try to run, or even use that teleportation technique if you wish. But I will always be able to track you down!" Verto warned. Gohan held a defensive stance, but made no obvious effort to counter the threat. After a moment, he reconsidered and spread his arms wide.
Verto scoffed at this, "You don't actually mean to take the full brunt of this attack, do you?" Gohan glanced down and smiled just slightly before looking Verto straight in the eye.
"Go ahead and hit me, if you can," Gohan dared.
Verto frowned as he cast his hands forward and opened his palms, "Goodbye!" The teal lightning burst poured out and shot towards a seemingly defenseless Gohan. Just as it would have hit though, a thin energy barrier appeared, scattering the impact.
"Fool!" Verto roared at him. He fired another intense round, with the same result. Gohan managed a grin as Verto pulled back, perplexed as to why his attack didn't work.
"You can copy my friend's power and ability, but no one knows when and how to use them better than him," Gohan said simply.
"I'll admit there is something inside me that's itching to use something else on you. I think I'll listen this time," Verto replied calmly as he pulled back his arms. Gohan's eyes widened when he saw the big blast forming. Why is it the bad guy always does that when I deliver a good line?
Gohan glanced towards the ground in dismay, and spotted Lenz. More specifically, he saw the blue and white bottle in her hands. She's got the sacred water, how did she know to get it? Oh never mind, I'll figure that out later. That stuff will end this in a heartbeat if we can give him a good dousing. The bright light from Verto's attack sparked and darkened the area, filling it with green. Gohan's instinct to shout down to Lenz was held back by his reasoning, knowing that there was a good chance that whatever was possessing Verto wouldn't allow it to happen. Lenz can't take him on like this, no way. Shoot, I hope her mind hears as well as her ears do.
"Aren't you going to counter with something? It would make it more entertaining before I beat you. We wouldn't want the rest of these underdeveloped humanoids to get bored before they flee in terror!" Verto laughed. Gohan's glare deepened, but he managed to focus on task.
"Lenz, if you can hear me, wave!" Gohan said telepathically, focusing on the Saiyan girl below. Lenz's eyes widened and she slowly waved back, unsure about what she was doing.
"Good. Don't jump into this fight until he fires his Galic Gun. When he does, you should have an unguarded moment to use that water on him. He probably won't give us another easy opportunity if he realizes what is in that bottle! Pour it all over him when you get the chance! It should do the trick!" Gohan ordered.
Lenz blinked sharply when Gohan's words went through her mind. How did he do that? She didn't have time to wonder about this too much though, as the skies lit up further from Verto's charging blast.
"Now you die!" he shouted as he fired. The massive missile of doom raced forward, colliding with Gohan's energy barrier once again as he crossed his arms. The blast detonated, blinding everyone to its light. Lenz waited until it the light had just faded before flying towards Verto's position in the smoke. She stopped short however when she realized that he wasn't there. Gohan uncrossed his arms in genuine surprise, wondering what happened.
When he turned to Lenz, he panicked, "Lenz, watch out! He's behind you!" Lenz spun around, finding Verto floating at eye level with her.
"What's this? Another insignificant pest? You had best run along little girl, trying to sneak up on me is ill advised," Verto growled.
"What's wrong with you?" Lenz asked in shock.
Verto cracked an evil smirk that few could match, "Nothing, I have everything I need now!"
"Snap out of it little brother!" Lenz cried out. She dared to reach out to his shoulder, but he quickly snatched her arm out of the air and held it back forcefully.
"Don't touch me! You are not worthy!"
"Don't bother trying to talk him Lenz; he's not in control of himself! Just use the water!" Gohan shouted. Verto's piercing evil eyes snapped to the bottle of divine water in Lenz's other hand.
"Very astute Gohan, but there is no more Verto. Every part of his mind is currently asleep, and he will soon cease to be! Now back off girl, if you know what is good for you. A little enchanted water won't do anything to me," Verto replied as he shoved Lenz backwards. Lenz popped the cork on the bottle and flew at him again, but he was already gone. Lenz tracked him to the shockwaves above, and paused before daring to get in-between him and Gohan's furious blows. She could barely even see the movement even as a Super Saiyan, and at the rate they were going, it would be awhile before she even had an chance at splashing him with the holy water. I can't let this drag on. Even if Gohan is stronger, little brother is better, I'm sure of that! Time to see if my training was worth it! Lenz concentrated hard and took her eyes off them for a moment as her golden aura brightened. When she felt ready, she held her palm up and mentally crossed her fingers. Just as the violent dance above split apart for a brief second, she fired a massive golden beam. It separated both silver auras enough for Lenz to pinpoint who was who. Lenz focused hard on the left figure as her aura changed to a deep red.
"Kaio-ken!" Lenz blasted up to Verto quickly, who was caught slightly off guard by the sudden burst. She didn't hesitate and leveled his face with a vicious punch that stunned him. As quickly as the attack happened, Lenz's eyes widened in dismay when Verto turned his evil glare back at her.
"Just for that, you die first!" he replied in anger. Lenz doubled over instantly when his fist burrowed into her torso. Verto slipped behind her and snuck his forearm under her chin and pulled her back into a rear chin-lock. His grip tightened into a direct chokehold as Lenz struggled to get out of it. Gohan flew closer, but stopped short when Verto's green sword reappeared, aimed at Lenz's head.
"So which one shall it be Gohan? A slow end or a swift one? I'll let you decide on her fate!" Verto asked.
"Let her go, your fight is with me!" Gohan claimed.
"I agree, but she interfered. Something that is punishable by death," Verto warned as Lenz gagged. She opened her eyes briefly as her arms drooped a bit, her elbow making contact with Verto's thigh. Lenz's fading eyes came back to life when she realized that Verto was floating slightly off center, uneven with her. She pulled back and drove her elbow into his stomach, but he held firm. She tried a few more times, each blow weaker than the previous one as she quickly lost strength.
"Can't you understand that you are the weakling here? Now just die and get it over with. Give up!" Verto suggested.
"Never," Lenz rasped. Her hair changed back to purple and she started slipping unconscious.
"There we go, just a little more and you can enjoy the afterlife," Verto laughed.
"N-not if I c-can help it!" she groaned weakly. She was about to deliver another elbow shot, but could barely keep her arm level and swung low. Verto's resulting gasp of pain released his hold and Lenz fell downwards as she took in a deep breath. When she regained control and spun around, she saw that she had hit Verto right in the family jewels. Apparently whoever possessed him had felt it as well, and he was holding that area protectively. Gohan stood by, slightly pale at the sight. Lenz jumped at the chance and flew back up to him, dumping the bottle's contents over his head. The water seemed to snap him out of his painful grimace, but only to one full of rage.
"You'll pay for that girl! Do you not realize how much power I have? I could destroy you with minimal effort!" Verto shouted at her. Lenz backed away in fear and sadness, allowing a tear or two to slip from her eyes.
"Please, come back to me!" she begged. Verto snarled and move towards her, but stopped briefly to cough. When he did, he broke into a fit, hacking and struggling to breathe like he had something stuck in his throat.
"What an insufferable weakness that humanoid males have, t-that will be the first thing I amend at the earliest op-opportunity!" Verto gasped in-between coughs. He gagged and spit something from his mouth into his hand. When he looked at his hands, he panicked upon seeing a black, slimy substance.
"No!" he groaned. Gohan flew closer as Verto arched back and screamed loudly.
"What's happening?" Lenz asked.
"That was sacred water from the lookout. It will remove toxins from the body, especially strange ones that make people deranged. We've had to use it before a long time ago. Whatever got into him should dissipate soon and he'll be back to normal," Gohan explained.
"So it should take care of that Chemical Z stuff?" Lenz asked.
"Chemical Z? What is that?" Before Lenz could attempt an explanation, Verto's scream got louder as blackened steam rose out of him in several places.
"No, they're awake!" he screamed as he clutched his head.
Gohan turned his own head slightly, "They? Oh god, not again."
"What does he mean by that?" Lenz asked.
Gohan shook his head in dismay, "Let's just say he's been through this before, I don't pity him. Poor kid will be lucky if he doesn't have a brain tumor before age thirty."
Interlude 40.1 –Struggle for Dominance
In the innards of his own mind, Verto was surrounded and bound by a mass of black. It was holding his arms and legs together as it held him above the ground, slowly covering his entire being. Below, the two avatars of his personality were lying flat, but were slowly coming to their senses.
"What was that?" Good asked.
"Isn't it obvious moron? It's whatever that black shit is! Somehow it's wrestled control of our body away from us! I almost had it gone, but then it got stronger somehow!" Dark replied angrily.
"You didn't almost have it gone; you just went on a rampage! You even attacked Gohan!" Good claimed.
"No, I didn't. It was an unfortunate side effect that I didn't take into account. Now that we've experienced that power again, I was able to analyze it a little better. It comes in response to a high amount of threat or danger while we're in a weakened and enraged state. But since that threat was from within rather than outside, the body didn't respond to it properly once the robot was destroyed!" Dark explained.
"Look, that's why it's stronger!" Good pointed. Dark looked up to see that Verto's hair had changed to silvery white, though his blue eyes were fading.
"The ki disruptors got shut off, wonderful timing. That thing has control now. It's gonna take forever to get him out now, if we can. I'm sensing a lot of energy coming from – well whatever that is, and it's getting stronger! I don't think we can take it down before it consumes him completely! Great, this will get ugly," Dark said, disgusted.
"Not if we work together," Good said. Dark glanced at him, though the stare was not returned immediately. Good was staring at the ground, and then glaring at the evil fusion slowly forming above.
"Say that again?" Dark asked.
"You heard me the first time. If we work together instead of separately like we have been for so long now, we can do it," Good said.
Dark immediately laughed, "You picked a hell of a time to come to your senses!"
"Well you know, first time for everything," Good grinned lightly.
"Couldn't have said it better myself!" Both got to their feet and powered up, one with a red aura and the other with blue. A large drop of golden fluid dripped down from above and splashed over the creature and it's captive. It roared in apparent pain and let go of Verto, who fell to the ground. It appeared to have a large hole in its mass where the golden fluid had made contact.
Good's eyes lit up in realization, "Now!" Both versions of Verto stood together and charged up a large blast between them, firing it within a few seconds. The large, multi-colored blast drove into the dark creature, driving it back at first before stopping cold. The beam suddenly cancelled out, leaving two slightly surprised warriors at a loss for words.
"That thing is strong, whatever it is," Dark noted.
"I'm not sure, but I get the feeling we've seen it before. Maybe it was different somehow and I just can't recognize it, but I just know I've sensed something just like it before. It certainly acts like it's been here before," Good said.
"How about we kill it before trying to figure it out?" Dark suggested. Good nodded as his blue aura erupted again along with Dark's red.
"Charge in together, the damn thing has to have a weakness somewhere. Just try not to get entangled," Dark ordered. Good nodded slowly, but looked unsure of himself. Dark fired a quick red blast before charging in with a reddened energy sword drawn back. The creature reached for him with a dark tentacle, but he avoided it and then sliced it off easily. Good flew in from a different angle with his own blue sword ready. As he approached, the creature moved towards him suddenly, letting off an interested growl. Good's eyes widened as he backed up a step. A flash of purple energy suddenly flew past him, and Good went down, holding his head in agony. When he glanced up, he saw the image of someone else in the creature's place.
"Lenz?" The creature's black tentacles wrapped around his limbs at the wrists and ankles and pulled towards him. Good screamed in pain as he lost his sword and offered no real resistance. The mass was almost to his shoulders before the tentacles were severed by Dark's red sword. Good fell back and cringed slightly, but appeared to regain his wits as he stared forward. His counterpart's eyes were bright red as he battled the black creature, sword swinging wildly and a few blasts being fired. The creature changed targets and came after him instead, moving much faster this time.
Dark scowled as his red aura intensified, "You wanna go? Let's go!" Dark dropped his energy sword and held both palms up, firing a powerful lightning burst into the creature. It yowled in pain and backed away from the enraged warrior, sparking with red energy as the lightning slowly faded.
"Thanks," Good said meekly.
Dark snorted slightly, "It used some sort of mental attack on you. It recognized your weakness with feelings and took advantage of it. The fact that it knew about that means that it knows us better than we thought," Dark said.
"Alright, how do we beat this thing then? You can't fight it alone forever!"
Dark's scowl deepened, "By combining our strength, completely. That thing can't use any mental attacks on us if we go all out."
"I can't believe you're suggesting that again," Good shook his head. Dark stepped backwards and then to his left, lining up several feet away as he positioned his arms.
He spat angrily, "Shut up and get it over with. We'll have to do this if we have any hope of getting rid of whatever that is. As much as I despise even thinking about this stupid dance, I hate the tourist over there even more! Besides, staying separate like this much longer is going to drive us both insane!" Good nodded and took his own place, mirroring the stance. The creature reacted to this and backed away, more towards the unmoving Verto.
"Oh hell, not again!" Good gasped.
"Forget it, there's no time!" Dark said.
"Fu-sion! Ha!" Bright silver light blinded the area as the slightly new warrior formed. The unknown creature didn't even turn around and chose to completely cover its captive. Verto's skin darkened to a very dim gray and his hair returned to black as he screamed aloud for several seconds. The black mass shriveled as it entered his body and filled his entire being.
The darkened Verto got to his feet and laughed slightly as his eyes turned black, "You won't stop me now!" His voice had deepened greatly into an unrecognizable tone. Across from him, another Verto stood with bright blue eyes and silver hair, donning a bright white outfit with white lightning flowing through it.
"You don't belong here. Leave now, or face me!" True-Verto said.
"I think not boy! All your pitiful efforts to resist me are coming to an end. I wanted to make this a thorough merging, but you force my hand. Your resilient mind won't save you now, not this time!" Creature-Verto claimed.
"I've been possessed before, and I've beaten it, you won't be any different!" More golden fluid started to drip from above, and pooled around the two Verto's, as if it was to be the only witness to the coming battle. Both rushed at each other, catching each other's punches and clenching hands in a test of strength. Both auras came to life, Verto's bright silver and the creature's black. Verto cringed as he felt himself losing already.
"You see, it's no use! I have your power, your abilities and your memories. Added to my own, it's an unstoppable combination! I will rule this and every other world, just as I was destined! Long has been my journey back to greatness, but the end is finally near!" Creature claimed. Verto cringed and pulled back quickly, getting loose from the clench. He didn't give the off-guard Creature any time and blasted him point blank with his Final Shine. The creature flew backwards as he blocked the beam, riding the momentum backwards. Verto paused and stood up straight, glaring sternly at the counter-attack result. Creature grinned and halted, standing firm at the attack canceled out before its usual explosion.
"Can't you feel my energy? It's a great deal more powerful than anything you can do!"
"Wouldn't be the first time I've beaten someone I shouldn't," Verto replied. Creature stepped forward with his palm outwards, conjuring a red sword of his own. Verto mimicked the action, creating a green one. Creature flew at him quickly and swung down from above. Verto blocked against it and was forced backwards from the sheer force behind the attack. He went down to one knee almost immediately as Creature pressed the attack, intent on finishing it. Verto held his sword with both hands initially, but then pulled one hand down to his side and shifted sideways. Creature stumbled forward as Verto stepped away, brilliant blue blast already forming. Creature regained his balance and glanced back at Verto in surprise.
"Spirit Bomb!" Creature dropped his sword and blocked against the small bomb, reacting painfully when the white lightning began to spurt out from it. Creature's arms became laced with purple as he filled with bomb with his own energy. The bomb promptly popped and fizzled out, much to the shock of its original owner.
"Not even your Feedback technique can do anything to me now!" Creature claimed. Verto became determined and powered up as much as possible as he drew his arms back. Creature only walked slowly at him, filled with confidence.
"Super Galic Gun!" Creature didn't even flinch as the green beam smashed into him, and kept moving against its force. Verto's eyes lit up in desperate fear and increased the energy outflow, but it did little to nothing against his powerful opponent. It wasn't long before Verto gave out and fell to his knees again, breathing hard as the beam faded. Creature suddenly phased in from behind and grabbed his head from both sides. Verto screamed in pain as Creature pressed hard, intent on crushing his head.
Creature laughed, "Now, the end!" Verto began to feel feint when he smelled something. Smoke was coming up from the ground, along with a distinct sizzling sound.
"What, what's that?" Creature asked as he let up and allowed Verto to turn his head. Both glanced downwards and saw they were now standing in a full pool of golden fluid. It wasn't doing anything to Verto, but the creature's borrowed feet were melting as if he were standing in acid.
Creature-Verto stumbled as his eyes went wide, "What is this?" His grip released, but as he tried to fly up, True-Verto grabbed his leg.
"Let go!" Creature hissed at him.
"Gladly," Verto said. He then flung his opponent into the acidic golden soup, and the reaction was instantaneous. The blood-curdling scream that followed sounded the hopeful end to whatever had invaded as the black mass spilled out from Creature-Verto's borrowed body, burning away in the golden fluid that had stopped him. The fused warrior split apart as the golden fluid faded and the creature dissolved completely, leaving an unconscious Verto and his good and dark counterparts. Dim, gray light then lit the area, and the dark glanced over at the good.
"So," Dark began.
"Yes?" Good asked.
"I think it's become obvious that whatever happened could happen again. We can't allow that," Dark said.
"I know that, what's your point?"
"We settle things here and now. Bury the hatchet and move on. This fractured mind crap isn't gonna fly an inch off the ground anymore. The only thing it's going to do is continue to spiral out of control. This was only a convenient backwards step that delayed it," Dark explained.
"I know you too well for that. Having you back in the mix…"
"Wouldn't be too much different right now. You can't handle these darker situations, I can. Sometimes the only way to fight evil is with another kind of evil. At the same time I need you to maintain a level of control when the beast is unleashed so to speak. We've been taught that by several others, maybe it's about time we actually started implementing it. We can't take turns and fly solo with these powers. Our body might be Saiyan, but up here it's still all human. You know as well as I do that very few humans would be able to handle the shit we've been through and still be sane," Dark lectured.
"Yeah, but…" Good tried to say.
"But nothing! He agrees with that assessment and so do I. Odds are that you do as well, somewhere in that closet you call a head. You're just too stubborn to admit it, which is a sad trait that we share from time to time. Hiding in the closet from the real world isn't going to help any. Break down the walls and work together like you used to preach. So why don't you step up and fucking do it!" Dark shouted.
"It's just that…I'd rather not see myself become the villain," Good said sadly.
"We don't have to. But then again, being the hero all the time may not be the answer. Just don't let anything bother you, well anything really bad. Harden yourself to the darker parts of life. Harden yourself to me if you have to. Just don't let it consume you, that's what will be your…our downfall," Dark suggested.
Good nodded, "Fine, I guess the world could use more of an anti-hero type of figure. Besides, I wouldn't want to be seen as another hero with an afro, fake or not. Where do we start?"
"How about we just get him… us, back on our feet! We'll let things settle and allow our brain to figure out the rest without interference. It's gonna be hard enough to master emotional control with all the other shit going on," Dark said. Good nodded again as they both walked over towards the unconscious Verto.
"Wake up little brother!" Lenz attempted to shake Verto awake as the last bit of black mist left his body. Gohan stood nearby, watching the mist evaporate and disappear. He didn't like the feeling he sensed from it, but was content to let it go for now.
"Try giving him some more of the sacred water, that might help," Gohan suggested. Lenz stuck the open end of the jar in-between Verto's lips and tipped the bottle. Verto's eyes shot open and he sat up almost instantly, spitting the holy fluid out as Lenz fell backwards.
"What the hell are you trying to do, poison me? That tastes like shit!" he shouted.
Gohan couldn't help but chuckle lightly, "Well that worked. How do you feel?"
Verto glanced towards the ground briefly before standing up straight, "Other than this headache, body pains and that horrible aftertaste, I'd have to say stretched. Like my mind has been pulling itself in multiple directions at once, and then all came together. Then something happened while I was attempting to right the ship so to speak. Whatever that Chemical Z crap was, it did something to me. I'm not sure what it was to be honest, but I've felt something just like it before. Cash's daughter was trying to warn me but I didn't listen and I probably should have. Did I go nuts again?"
Gohan snorted, "You could say that. I wasn't here for the entire thing though. What do you remember before blacking out?" Verto blinked sharply,
"I don't even remember blacking out actually. I was fighting Android Thirteen by myself after he took out Seventeen. I felt something was wrong then, but I was too busy to pinpoint anything. I'm not sure, it's like my head has been fuzzy for days and now it's cleared up. Anyways, in the middle of it all, Cash's girl got stupid and shot at him. At that time, I thought it was Bulma, seeing as the girl's ability is shape shifting. I almost lost it right there when he blasted her, but I was able to calm myself when I realized that she wasn't dead. Then Thirteen started playing target practice and I did lose control. Things just faded out after that into a blur of activity. I knew I was moving around and trying to attack something, but I wasn't sure what. Then at some point my ki returned, everything went dark and I was asleep until now," Verto explained.
"I got here when you were on a rampage. You wiped Android Thirteen out, and then you attacked me and Seventeen. The ki disruptors got shut off in the middle of it all and you transformed. Whatever that Chemical Z stuff is, it must have taken control. It seemed to know about all of us and was particularly angry with me for whatever reason. I can only think of one person like that…" Gohan said.
"It wasn't Cell, I'm sure of that. Much worse than Cell. We'll have to examine a sample or something later. How'd you deal with it?" Verto asked.
"Lenz did actually. She had the sacred water from Kami's with her. How did you know to get that stuff anyway?" Gohan asked her.
"I didn't. I was trapped with Bulma down in that lab and that mean red head showed up. She knocked out that nutty doctor and released us. Then she gave me this and said to splash him with it, like she knew what was going to happen up here and all. And she was really mad at the doctor about that Chemical Z stuff. I think she knows more about it than he does," Lenz said.
"Wouldn't surprise me, Leira has yet to be open with me about anything. How did you get close enough to do it though? If that thing had control of me, odds are I wouldn't have allowed it to happen," Verto pointed out.
Lenz laughed nervously, "Oh I just have that kind of charm."
"Is that why it feels like I got punched in the crotch?" Verto growled.
Lenz backed up a step, "Well, you always say do whatever it takes." Gohan broke out laughing at this point while Verto shook his head in dismay.
"I'll have to rethink that one apparently," he muttered as he turned around. He spotted the unconscious Kati Cash, as well as the cautious Android Seventeen getting to his feet. Verto walked over and knelt down at Kati's side, checking her pulse. It was very weak, but still there, and his left hand glowed green immediately. Within thirty seconds, most of her wounds had healed, along with the facial scarring that had plagued her for so long.
"Lenz, take her somewhere safe. I don't care where as long as it's away from here. I don't think we're quite done yet, and she'll be out for a few more hours," Verto ordered.
"Alright, but what are you going to be doing?" she asked.
"Finishing what I started," Verto said simply.
"And that would be what?" Gohan asked nervously.
"Her father and I still have business to take care of. I intent to put an end to it - one way or another," Verto replied.
Gohan's eyes widened, "You're not thinking of killing him, are you?"
"Let me put it to you this way; that crazy whack job has tried to take us out multiple times without care of who gets hurt as a result. He even put his own daughter in the line of fire. The son of a bitch has had it coming!"
"He's right, Doctor Cash must be taken out of the picture," a voice said from behind. The three spun to see Leira stepping closer.
"Sorry, but I'm not convinced yet," Gohan said in defiance.
"That human has reached into things that should not have been touched. If he is not eliminated, it is you and everyone else that will suffer the consequences," Leira replied.
"You're talking about that weird black stuff right? You know where it came from don't you? Why won't you tell us?" Lenz asked.
Leira scowled at her, "Once again, your mouth overrules your brain."
Verto snorted in slight frustration, "So, you want to answer her question or not? If you know what that shit is and why I got possessed, then spill it! I have a right to know why I damn near killed my friends without knowing it!" Leira's expression briefly changed to that of concern, but she sighed and let it go.
"Very well, it came from…" she began. The ground started to shake just as Leira spoke, interrupting her.
"Great, what now?" Verto said. A rundown building not far away suddenly started to crumble. As the building fell away, it split apart, revealing a large, metallic cylinder slowly moving upwards. As more of the make shift totem pole appeared, the gang could see a black substance behind a clearer glass-like material lining the middle of the pole.
"I have a bad feeling about this," Gohan muttered. The cylinder finally stopped its ascent, and the very top popped off, revealing a smaller but pointed tip.
"What the hell is that?" Android Seventeen asked, breaking his silence. Smoke began to come out of the ground below the pole, revealing its true nature.
"It's a missile," Verto noted.
"You must not let that hit the Earth or the ocean! The results will be catastrophic!" Leira urged. Gohan didn't need any more motivation and blasted off towards the missile as it began to rise out of the ground.
Interlude 40.2 – Maniac's Resolution -
Bulma sighed in cautious relief as she watched the display from Cash's video feed. Seeing the black steam rise out of Verto made her heart jump a little, but also made her feel a lot better. She wasn't too optimistic until he actually woke up again and visually looked normal. Once that was over, Bulma began looking through Cash's computer files. There were a ton of robotic schematics and other nifty inventions that she wanted to explore, but at the moment they didn't matter. The provided mouse flew around the screen at her command before stopping cold at a particular folder. Clicking through, she found only a few documents, and she opened the file marked 'Origins'. She silently read through Cash's words and her face hardened into anger as she did. So silent and intent was she that she didn't notice the shadow sneaking up behind her. She did notice the cold iron and decisive click of a pistol pointed at her head.
"You're snooping around again Bulma and you know I hate that!" Cash growled.
"More than your own name, Flandal?" Bulma asked with a small smirk.
"Don't tempt fate. This gun has fifty caliber ammunition. Do you know what that can do to a human's head at this range?"
"No, but I'm sure you fantasize about it."
"Step back now," Cash retorted. Bulma held up her hands and backed away slowly, trying to figure a way out of this mess.
"So, it says here in your file that you never quite figured out what your Chemical Z comes from. Other than that place you mentioned. Where did you find it on Earth? Or should I say, this Earth?" Bulma asked.
Cash eyed her suspiciously, "Six months ago, in a barren area fifty miles south of East City. Why do you care?"
"Just curious. I am a scientist after all and I like exploring things I don't understand. Like what this Chemical Z does to the environment," Bulma hinted.
"Well, you'd be disappointed then. I haven't found enough samples in that area to mean anything. Now, through that cave, I found rivers of it. The sample had a slightly different protein sequence, but it was more or less the same. That 'parallel world' as you called it, was completely dead. I didn't see any survivors, with the exception of a few ferocious animals that had likely been exposed to it for a long period of time," Cash explained.
Bulma turned around to look him in the eye, "And you think Chemical Z destroyed that world?"
"Possibly, what are you getting at?" Cash asked.
"Well, if that was the cause, who's to say it can't happen here? I for one would want to study it more so we can prevent that from happening," Bulma suggested.
Cash actually pulled his gun down, "You make an interesting point."
Bulma glanced up hopefully, "What do you say we get started then, show me to a microscope."
Cash smiled and walked over to his control panel, "I don't think there's any need for that." Bulma turned her head in cautious wonder. Cash's grin turned malicious again as he brought up some sort of command screen, and punched in codes for a launch sequence. The cave shook, knocking Bulma to the floor.
"What did you just do?" she cried out.
"You said you wanted to study it's affect on the environment, I'm just providing a helping hand. How about making your precious West City be known as ground zero? Or maybe the ocean itself? So many choices. It doesn't matter to me. Once this warhead detonates, it will likely spread all through the atmosphere before raining down on the Earth!" Cash declared.
"You can't do this! You don't even know what will happen! Look at what it did to Verto and the others you tried it out on! Now you're trying to do the same thing to everyone?" Bulma screeched.
"It'll make things nice and interesting won't it? Just perfect for a scientist to study with! I wonder what Frost will think of this beautiful disaster?"
"You're crazier than I thought," Bulma replied. On the video display, flames and some burst out from the ground as the large missile began to rise. Just as it got into the air and gained speed, a silvery vapor trail came rushing towards it from behind. Cash zoomed in the view, revealing the would be saboteur.
"Gohan!" Bulma pointed out.
"Pity, I should have given it a remote detonator. Oh well, guess we'll just have to watch him chase it around the Earth. Maybe he'll blow it up for me!" An explosion promptly went off, but it wasn't from the missile. Cash's head snapped to the lab door nervously as he kept his gun aimed at Bulma. He quickly glanced at the video screen to see that Gohan had grabbed onto the missile and was flying it higher with Verto in pursuit. Another crash sounded from inside the cave, and a proximity alarm went off. The nearest security feed was showing that Lab A had caved in with various fires spreading about.
"Looks like you're about to have a bad day Flandal," Bulma laughed.
"Shut up!" Cash growled.
"Better give up now Flandal, if you know what's good for you!" Cash stepped towards Bulma and smashed the side of her head with the butt of his gun. Bulma dropped to the ground, out cold as the side of her head bled.
"I told you to shut up!" Cash snarled. Cash stepped back when the lab door flew off its hinges. There in the doorway, was the one man that Cash didn't want to see at the moment. Unfortunately, that one man did want to see him.
"You must be Doctor Cash, hello," Vegeta said.
A/N's: I think someone might be in a tiny bit of trouble here.
WDG: Well, Vegeta is rather short. To call him 'big' probably wouldn't fly. Still, 'a tiny bit' feels like a bit of an understatement. So when can we expect Cash's obituary?
VB: Dearly departed, we gather here to say goodbye to the smartest piece of monkey crap to ever walk god's green…wait that's next time.
Next time on DBV: Gohan and Verto take Cash's missile into space to dispose of it while Vegeta gives Doctor Cash a piece of his mind. With the crisis over, Verto decides to investigate the recent occurrences with his power and Leira's time-tampering more thoroughly. Nearby however, Bulma and Gohan decide to finally find out what Chemical Z is and why it had such a disturbing effect on Verto. They aren't disappointed with their findings.