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 60: Chal
Verto and Chal stared each other down, neither in an apparent hurry to start their anticipated battle.
"You must be one of our hybrid cousins, born on Rotaria," Chal claimed.
Verto didn't even blink at the statement, "No, I'm not."
"Really? Interesting that you should have similar energy coursing through your veins. But I suppose you're not lying, those hybrids can't control Psionic power, can they?" Chal asked.
"Not from what I've seen. What about you, what's your story?" Verto countered.
Chal smiled, "I won't give up my secrets that easily. Least of all to an agent of the Kold Empire."
"I'm not with them. This was only a joint venture to prevent a war," Verto replied.
"Prevent a war? Seems to me that you're on their side of this, conflict. That is unless…ah yes. They must have blackmailed you into joining them. So either you have exceptional talent, or have exceptional compassion. I would wager a little bit of both, am I correct?" Chal asked. Verto lifted his eyebrow by instinct at this, All right; we can throw stupidity out the window. I definitely can't make any mistakes here.
Bido started grumbling from the floor, "What the hell are you waiting for runt? Kill him now!"
Verto grimaced, "Answers first, idiot!"
"No, but I promise that if you beat me, I'll be willing to fill in a few blanks for you. If I'm alive that is. This should be fun," Chal said as he took a step backwards. This was a false sign as he launched off his back foot and flew at Verto directly. Verto blocked the first few punches and kicks easy enough before countering with a few of his own. Chal dodged aside several times before landing and firing a quick ki blast. Verto knocked it aside and hovered in the air, patiently awaiting the next move. I have to approach this defensively until I know what he's got. Chal's palms lit up with red, purple and blue once again, prompting Verto to glance at Bido and Gokua. Both of them must have been hit by that, but what does it do? It's mostly Psi energy, but it's not overly powerful. If only I had been here just a minute sooner.
"Shouten!" Chal called out as he fired three bolts. They moved at a slow pace, giving Verto more than enough time to decide what he would do about them. Verto pulled his arm back to defend himself. Low in power, I can just deflect these.
Gokua managed to sit up just in time to witness the action, "Don't let them touch you!" Verto cringed as he glided backwards as the energy bolts raced on by and into the ceiling before dissipating.
Chal looked at Gokua with pure disapproval, "Will you kindly shut up so we can concentrate?"
Verto stared at the fallen warriors as he drew his own conclusion, "Let me guess, your technique somehow amplifies the amount of damage someone takes from every attack?"
Chal grinned, "Very good, you didn't even have to see the full technique to figure it out. And they say Saiyans are brainless apes, so untrue! How did you figure that out so quickly?"
Verto shrugged, "I got here in time to see your weak physical blows do much more than they should have. Though I'll admit that I wasn't sure until he warned me just now."
"So you concede that you were lucky that I played around before killing them?"
"Whatever you want to call it."
Chal rubbed his chin a bit, "I'm curious about your level of skill and power. I can sense you're holding back a great deal, and I'd assume you are stronger than those two peons if Frost actually bothered with you at all. You could be of use to us, your own people."
"Maybe, maybe not. Since you also want to know about me, you'd better throw everything you've got into this fight. It's the only way you'll leave this place in one piece," Verto warned.
"Touché. Alright then, you've intrigued me enough for it. Let's continue this, but may I please pick a different battleground?" Chal asked politely.
"Go ahead."
"The east wing tower in twenty minutes, that should give you time to get those two some medical attention and clear the area of any remaining bystanders," Chal hinted.
Verto was confused by this, "Wait, what? Didn't you want to kill them?"
"I can address them later, you are more interesting to me at the moment. The tower shouldn't be hard to pinpoint, it's the only one left that is undamaged," Chal said as he turned.
"Coward!" Gokua shouted, "Fight him here!"
"I agree, what's the point of waiting?" Verto asked.
"It's the only way you and I will get our answers, take it or leave it kid. I'll be waiting," Chal said with a wave.
"How do I know you won't try to escape?" Verto called after him.
Chal stopped long enough to glance backwards, "You're intelligent, figure it out. Even if I had a functional ship here, how would I get away without anyone noticing?"
Verto's eyes widened just slightly, "You mean, you were left behind. This is a suicide mission for you isn't it?"
"Perhaps," Chal said as he kicked off the ground and flew down the corridor. Verto started to go after him, but stopped short when he glanced at the walls. They were covered in flashing red lights that clearly didn't belong there.
Gokua used his sword to help himself up to his feet, "Get him fool! He's getting away!"
Verto shook his head, "No, something isn't right here." Chal landed at the far end of the hall and pulled a small remote from his pocket. Verto heard a distinct beep followed by a click. Not a half second later, the corridor between them exploded violently and filled with flames. Verto shielded himself, though most of the blast had gone upwards. When it cleared, tons of rubble blocked the way, sealing Chal's escape route.
Bojack and the others caught up a few minutes later, having heard the blast. Since Gokua was able to stand and walk on his own, Verto didn't bother healing him. He didn't heal Bido either per their standoff over Miruk earlier. While a team was called to haul the three injured fighters back to the ship, Verto contemplated what was to come. He doubted that Frost or Bojack would allow him to face this Saiyan alone, not without at least a spectator. He was correct in that assumption, because it was brought up as soon as Gokua explained what happened.
"This Saiyan is a clever escape artist, he anticipated having to run and set up the explosives. Here is what we will do: You go meet him in the tower and fight to your heart's content. We will surround the tower and prevent another escape," Bojack ordered.
"I don't know what's going to happen, so be on your guard," Verto replied.
"You're not getting sentimental with us now are you?" Bojack laughed.
Verto glared at him sternly, "Look, if you guys don't drop the ball, I won't either. I'll keep my end of the deal." With that said, Verto found the nearest opening to the outside and searched for the battle sight. Chal had been right, it was easy to find. It was the only tower still standing on the far end of the base. A balcony door stood open on its side as Verto landed there. He went inside, noting that the door immediately shut itself once he stepped through. Verto found himself in a wide but relatively empty throne room, with a large chair in the center of it. There sat Chal, who appeared oblivious to Verto's presence. He might have looked that way, but Verto knew that wasn't the case.
"You know, Frieza himself likely sat in this very chair years ago. I heard that he outfitted every base with his own personal touch. Waste of resources if you ask me," Chal said.
"Probably, now why am I here? Why not fight me back there?" Verto asked.
"I wanted to face you alone, I'm sure you can understand that if you're a pure blood Saiyan like myself," Chal replied with a smirk plastered on his face as he stepped down.
"Unfortunately, I've heard that one more times than I care to count," Verto said with a scowl.
"You won't be needing that," Chal pointed to Verto's head, specifically the scouter.
"Never have needed one," Verto said as he took it off.
Chal gave him an amused glance, "Then why have one at all?"
"It makes for good long range communication."
Verto then dropped the scouter and stomped it into tiny little pieces, "But I also despise eavesdroppers."
Chal nodded as he assumed a power up stance, "Shall we begin?"
Verto matched him as his energy spilled outwards, "Don't hold back on me." The tower filled with silver and blue light, emanating from Verto and Chal respectively. Verto elected not to go all out, thus his appearance remained the same, despite the lighter blue glow from his eyes. Chal sported a similar lack of changes, except his eyes had a slightly purple hue to them. Mostly Psi energy, very little ki by comparison. That's why the goons went down so easily; they couldn't sense it at all. His amplifying technique probably doesn't require much energy; otherwise he would have used a lot more power earlier. He doesn't feel quite as strong as me, but it's close enough that I could lose this if I make any mistakes. Chal no longer seemed as amused as before, as a more determined look filled his features.
"As I said before, I'm very curious on how well you've been trained. Or are you self-taught?" Chal asked.
Verto snorted lightly, "Start the fight and find out!" Verto sensed an incredibly focused energy build up almost immediately from Chal's palms shortly before they sparked with blue lightning.
"Raiko Ball!" Verto barely dodged the sudden burst of it, and watched the ball crash into the outer wall. Chal had another ball of lightning prepared and fired away. Verto jumped aside again, prompting Chal to up the ante. He fired several shots this time, all around Verto's area. Verto dodged the first three easily, but the fourth came within inches of him. A small stream of the lightning ball arced outward and sliced into the shoulder strap of his armor, cutting it clean off.
Chal chuckled, "Lucky. I've never been able to control that attack's random sparks. I'll just have to hit you directly next time!" Chal launched one more lightning ball, and this time Verto didn't move. Verto brought his hands up, both glowing blue like he was going to block it.
"Don't be an idiot, you can't block that!" Chal claimed. Verto didn't try to; he instead fired a small but fierce beam, which canceled the lightning ball completely. The beam roared towards Chal, who dived out of its way before it blew a large hole in the tower wall.
Chal's face read surprise, "No one's ever attempted that before. It's not an attack that's easily blocked or countered like that, most of the time I've seen ki counter blasts that only end up detonating in their faces."
Verto's eyebrow went up, "Yeah, I imagine it's that way normally. However, with enough applied and focused energy, anything is possible."
"Oh I see, but do that too much and you'll lose energy. You should not be wasteful," Chal declared.
"This coming from the lightning user. Don't try to be the teacher, I know what I'm doing," Verto snapped back.
"Do you?" Chal's palm lit up again, but this time the electric stream narrowed into a very thin band. Verto prepared another counter blast, but stopped short when he recognized the attack from earlier.
"Raiko Arc!" Chal shouted as he fired upon Verto's hesitation. Verto conjured his Psi sword just in time to catch it. Chal's attack increased in size and intensity, and Verto felt the force of it push him backwards. He sidestepped and pulled his sword off the stream, causing the lightning to rush into the wall. Chal did not stop channeling the technique though, and appeared to pull back on it like a rope. Verto's eyes widened as the lightning arced towards him quickly.
Chal grinned, "Dodging won't save you." Verto waited with his sword ready before slicing the edge of the arc in two. Due to the increased output from Chal, all this did was temporarily straighten the lightning arc into hitting the wall again.
"That won't work either kid!" Verto jumped backwards as Chal led the stream towards him again, then ducked below it and rolled the other direction. The stream chased him, arcing randomly but straightening out whenever Verto changed directions. This action continued for nearly a minute as Verto moved around the room, trying to decide what to do. Chal kept up the pressure, not allowing Verto more than a second's rest. Verto however noticed that Chal wasn't using enough power to leave much more than a burning blemish on the tower walls. He must use the beam to stun someone first and then increase the power. He won't attack fully until he feels it's time. Then again, he almost tore Bido's arm off earlier, amplified or not. Maybe it's designed to be a short-range attack and it loses potency with distance. Verto spun in the air as he prepared a small ki blast and faced the coming lightning arc.
Chal laughed aloud, "Haven't we been over this? Just what do you plan to do with that?"
"By all means keep going, I just want to test a theory," Verto claimed. Verto fired at the point of the wall where the lightning stream made contact. The wall exploded with gold, leaving quite a dent in it. Verto prepared another and aimed at the center area between Chal and the wall even as the lightning raced towards him. He fired as he glided backwards, and the blast was skewered and ripped apart by the Psi lightning, no explosion. Short range attack, deadly if I get too close. As long as he stays near the center of the room, I can attack from the perimeter. I could try and attack from close range while dodging that attack, but he'll probably be able to catch me and I'd have to rely on luck. Plus his other hand is free and he's probably waiting for me to attempt it. Better play it safe. Verto stopped and changed directions until he was inches from the circular wall, sword ready. Chal tilted his head slightly, but shifted his aim and directed his attack. Verto blocked against it with his sword again while his other hand prepared a counter.
Despite the zapping and sparking noises, he could hear Chal laughing again, "You'd have to use all your power to counter this one kid. I've had years to practice focusing my energy! You're clearly a greenhorn compared to me!" Verto brought his other arm back up and grasped his energy sword as he closed his eyes to concentrate. Verto's blue sword condensed and formed into a bright white ball between his hands, which swelled in size. Chal's amused expression faded when he saw that his power was feeding it.
Verto's eyes flew open once the technique was ready, "Feedback!" The white ball raced towards Chal, following his lightning stream and feeding off it. Chal flew to his left, but his chain-like stream pulled the Feedback ball along for the ride. In a panic, Chal stopped channeling the technique just as the immense blast was upon him, and it missed by just a few feet. Verto grimaced when the counter displaced harmlessly off the wall, but the shocked expression on Chal's face satisfied him.
"How?"
Verto remained relaxed, "If your only attacks are that amplification technique and lightning based attacks, you're not going to win this. I can use Psi lightning too, but not like you. You're far better than I am with it, but there's a counter for everything."
"That's not what I meant, I've never seen a technique like that. A complete reversal of energy. My attack became yours," Chal pointed out.
"Not exactly how it works, but I suppose that's close enough for now," Verto replied.
"With an attack like that, you could defeat anyone!" Chal proclaimed.
"It doesn't work on everyone, just those with the evil intent to kill," Verto admitted. Chal's eyebrows rose in question, but he merely shook his head.
"In other words, it's based on emotional states of both user and target. Which makes you a sentimental fool, improperly groomed for battle. I take it your teacher was a pacifist?" Chal asked.
"Not all of them, I've had several. Protector is a better word for it. The one who taught me that one was probably the most skilled assassin I've ever seen," Verto said.
"Rubbish, the most effective way to fight is to attack, not defend," Chal claimed.
Verto scowled, "You can lay off with 'the best defense is a good offense' crap. What will you do when your offense fails?"
"Clever, but I haven't played my best cards yet. I doubt you have either, so show me how you'll get out of this one." Chal started charging another lightning ball as he did before, only this one was much bigger. Verto backed up a step with slight concern when it grew large enough to start tearing chunks out of both the floor and ceiling at the same time.
"What the hell are you trying to do, kill us both?" Verto shouted.
"Oh no, just you. There is no escaping this one, in fact I dare you to reverse this level of focused energy!" Chal said. Verto backed up, He's right, I can't. Not easily anyway, and it might detonate if I try, he's throwing a ton of power into this one.
"This is my ultimate technique, Raiko Barrier!" Chal released the attack, and it scattered outwards until it spanned the entire room. Then it moved in, forming a thick net made of bright blue lightning. Verto remained determined even as he brushed up against the wall. The tower shook as the barrier ripped up the ceiling, walls and floor. Chal grinned slightly as it appeared to swallow up Verto in its light. The barrier stopped suddenly though and struggled to move forward. Through the net, Chal could see Verto had surrounded himself with a blue energy shield, one that was offering decent resistance. Chal's hands glowed bright as he released more power, causing the lightning bands to flash and grow with renewed energy. Verto's shield buckled and pushed against him. He cringed as the pressure came down, and he also released more power to his shield. Chal's barrier didn't budge, frustrating Verto a bit. Damn it, he's strong enough to win this if I don't turn things up. I can't let that happen, and it's not as if Frost doesn't already know about Super Mystic anyway. Screw it, I can't hold back anymore while I try to figure him out, I have to end this now. Just need to be careful not to kill him. Verto stood up wearily and dropped his arms back to his sides. His shield started to break apart, sparking a little concern from Chal. Verto's body started to glow bright as the lightning struck around him.
"Don't be a fool, you can't overpower this technique like that! You'd have to be much stronger than me to do it!" Chal shouted.
Verto looked him square in the eye, despite the wall of lightning between them, "I am." Bright silvery light erupted from Verto, outshining Chal's barrier completely. Chal heard the feral cry before he was plowed over by the energy release. His lightning barrier evaporated like water just before the surrounding walls and roof were blown off. The dust scattered quickly, and Chal recovered enough to sit up. When he did, he caught sight of Verto's silver hair and matching aura, along with his intense blue eyes.
Chal was shocked to say the least, "But that's…impossible!"
Verto stepped towards him slowly, "What is?"
"That transformation and the energy it uses. You can't possibly sustain it for very long, your body will fall apart!" Chal claimed.
"Wrong again," Verto said calmly. Chal managed to get to his feet, but Verto could detect a certain level of fear coming from him now, despite his attempts to hide it. His next words however, were not what Verto expected.
"Incredible! Your power is double what it was before, or is that the result of your ki and Psi mixed together, working as one?" Chal asked.
"Both, I suggest you cut the admiration," Verto said sternly.
"My apologies, my respect for great and unusual power sometimes gets the better of me. You're the first Saiyan I've seen to be able to achieve this. What technique should I use to deal with you now…" Chal pondered.
Verto's stance shifted just slightly before he frowned deeply, "You misunderstood me."
"How so?"
"I didn't do this in order to show you up, nor did I intend to let you try to beat me with anything else you might be hiding. I did this because I'm not going to let you attack again," Verto claimed. In a flash, Verto's fist was already deep into Chal's abdomen. Spit flew from Chal's gaping mouth as he double over. Verto backed off a few feet before ramming his knee into Chal's head. Chal whipped back into the ground, face bloodied. The next thing Chal saw other than the dark sky was Verto's green sword.
"Surrender now, otherwise this won't be good for you," Verto suggested.
Chal groaned slightly, "I see, I underestimated you. I sensed the potential all along, but I didn't respect it until it was too late. And you didn't play around once I got a glimpse. It was very wise of you to push the advantage once you had it. You give me no choice…"
"Before you decide to do something crazy, consider something first: I know you can do more than just this, and I'll stop this fight one way or another if you do. Just because I don't want to kill you doesn't mean I'll hesitate if I'm forced into it," Verto warned.
"No need, I'll surrender the battle to you, and you only. I can tell now that using most of the other tricks in my arsenal probably won't work at this time," Chal admitted. Verto sighed and glanced behind, sensing Bojack and his crew coming closer. Well at least he didn't force me into Berserk mode, and he…Wait a second! This can't be all there is to him.
Chal noticed Verto's level of alertness, "If you're concerned about continued resistance, don't be. With your power the way it is, I would have to be incredibly lucky or reckless to beat you. I don't intend to do something stupid while I'm surrounded by enemies." Verto powered down once Chal said this, but kept his Psi sword out just in case. As Chal stood up, Verto couldn't help but notice that he didn't look like someone who had just suffered a defeat. Despite Verto's sword at his back, he had a very satisfying smile.
"This is the Saiyan then?" Bojack asked as he landed.
"I am at your mercy," Chal said as he held out his hands.
"Bujin, Zangya, take this monkey scum back to the ship. If he even looks at you wrong, kill him!" Bojack ordered.
Bujin and Zangya both bowed, "Yes my lord!" Chal's smile remained as he was escorted through the air. Verto watched him go, and a feeling of uneasiness swept over him. Something about this isn't right.
Bojack eyed him carefully, "And just what is wrong with you?"
"I get the feeling that I may have just made a huge mistake in letting him live," Verto admitted.
"If he attempts escape, you can always kill him," Bojack pointed out.
"I know…but that doesn't concern me as much as the fact that he willingly gave up. How many Saiyans do you know that just give up like that, even when they're backed against the wall? I know I wouldn't," Verto countered.
"Hmph, I think you're just worried about nothing. I'll have Zangya give you a nice rub down later to relax your nerves," Bojack said as he lifted off. Verto ignored this prospect and slowly followed him back to the ship. Behind him, a deep red sun came over the horizon, as if an ominous sign of things to come.
A/n: Hmmm, maybe this guy shouldn't have been taken prisoner… just maybe.