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 78: Dark Tourney 1: Leira's Conditions
For whatever reason, Verto found the Capsule living space rather quiet, which was odd considering the time of day. He didn't sense Vegeta, but odds were that the Saiyan prince was in the gravity room and the alloys in the wall would make sensing him difficult. Kibito waited impatiently in the lobby while Verto made his way back to the room he and Lenz shared to retrieve a few things, including his green and blue uniform. He uneasily entered upon seeing that Lenz was still asleep from the ordeal she had gone through the other day. All her wounds had been healed for a good while now and despite the fact that Leira said that she would be out of it for awhile, Verto couldn't help but think that it had been too long. I would prefer to bring her along to keep an eye on her, but I won't know what will bring that demon out again. And my judgment might be skewed because of it, I can't have that in a strange place full of potential enemies. I just wish I would have known before. Kibito walked in after a moment, startling Verto slightly when he dropped a hand on his shoulder.
"You couldn't have known what was going to happen, so don't blame yourself. You're not a Kai after all," Kibito said in assurance.
Verto scowled at him, "Is that supposed to make me feel better? Kais are not perfect either. Had I known about this, I would have approached things a lot differently."
"Well, I have my doubts on that. You are in a unique position of one who cannot always control his own power or instincts, hopefully that won't come into play on your mission. And I can speak from experience when it comes to blaming the person in the mirror. If you recall, the entire incident with Majin Buu was my fault to an extent. And I had no idea that this planet had people like you whose power could surpass the Kais," Kibito pointed out.
"Okay, so we both admit that we have problems with major mistakes. At least yours worked out in the end, but this one is still up in the air. I shouldn't leave her until we're sure that everything is alright," Verto retorted.
"I'm sure it will be fine as long as things around here remain peaceful, or as peaceful as they can be with Vegeta around," Kibito corrected himself.
"Translation, they probably won't," Verto muttered.
"That isn't a very good attitude to have," Kibito scolded.
"No, it's a realistic one. Any other words of encouragement before I go on this little mission of yours?" Verto asked.
"And what mission is this?" a grouchy voice asked from behind. Kibito was the only one who turned around in surprise while Verto merely sighed at the Saiyan prince's sudden arrival.
"Um, hello Vegeta," Kibito said nervously.
"Going somewhere are we? Now I'll repeat myself, what mission is this?" Vegeta asked again as he tapped his foot impatiently. Kibito glanced at Verto for support, but the smaller boy only shrugged.
"You didn't actually think we were going to get out of here without explaining things did you?" Verto asked him.
"I suppose that was very unrealistic of me. Maybe I should let you tell him," Kibito claimed as he stepped away.
Verto had a tight hold of his white hair before he had the chance to vanish, "Oh no, you're going to be the one who tells him why he can't tag along for a big fight."
Vegeta's typical grumpy mood darkened quickly, "And why is that?"
"Well that went well considering the circumstances," Kibito said fearfully as he transported Verto back to the Kai world an hour or so later.
"That depends on your point of view. I doubt that blast would have missed on purpose if I hadn't deflected it at the last second," Verto replied as he shifted the case of capsules in his hand before shoving them into his pocket. In the capsules were food, clothing and anything else that Bulma felt to be prudent supplies. She had been somewhat all right with the Kais borrowing Verto for a few days; she knew there was little she could do about it. Vegeta, though, hadn't taken the news that he couldn't go very well, and effectively voiced his opinion over it. He didn't care for Bulma's screaming after the eruption either, though that had been Verto's fault for changing the direction of his blast.
"Thanks for that by the way, he might not have been powered up, but I'm sure it would have done more than a minor bruise," Kibito said as he rubbed the back of his head.
"Yeah well, I'm still trying to figure how Lenz didn't wake up from that. And while I didn't really like the new window it gave me, I'll consider it a favor for later. I should probably consider it two favors for going along with this," Verto warned as Kibito gritted his teeth a bit.
"Well actually, you're returning a favor," Kibito muttered.
"Oh really, whose is that...oh don't tell me..." Verto said as he slapped his head. Almost immediately he spotted Old Kai and Koenma waiting patiently next to a floating crystal ball, which was currently featuring a fierce matinee of Vegeta kicking the crap out of his own shadow. Standing next to them though was Leira. Yeah, that figures. They're all in on this.
"I shouldn't have doubted him, now I know I wouldn't have wanted that guy along for the ride," Koenma said nervously.
"Yes, I do wonder how you put up with him at this point," Old Kai pondered as he glanced at Verto.
"Because I can occasionally beat the tar out of him and he is thrilled at the idea," Verto answered, causing Koenma to grimace.
"Quite a pair those two make, are the others like this too?" Koenma asked.
"Most of the time no, however there are certain occasions where even the kindest one can snap and turn an evil monster into dust," Old Kai replied.
"How nice, are you ready to go?" Koenma asked.
"No, I think you are forgetting something, I wanted to be filled in when I got back. Guess what?" Verto said with a slight frown as he stared up at Leira, who had her eyes closed.
"Suddenly he reminds me of most of my fighters, all rolled into one," Koenma said as he shook his head.
"I promise you he can get the job done," Kibito said as he put a hand to the boy's shoulder. Verto eyed him carefully at this sudden confidence he was showing, as it wasn't behavior he recognized. His attention went back to Leira, who finally seemed to notice his presence as she looked down at him.
"This is the return favor for me saving the girl's life and resealing the terrible beast inside of her. As you have probably figured out by now, you're going after the cursed Renegade Saiyans. And you're going to have two companions with you, but I'm selecting one of them specifically. Make your choice on the other one, but I have to approve," she explained.
Verto thought it over briefly, "You said that there were demons and such that probably look odd at this place were going, right?"
Koenma nodded, "Of all shapes and sizes."
"Piccolo, he won't look as out of place like he usually does. Besides, it's probably best to have a non-Saiyan along for the right so we don't stand out completely to the Renegades. Piccolo can sense Psi waves better than anyone other than me and Gohan. Although, if the Renegade I fought is with them, this little operation will be found out quickly," Verto said. Kibito nodded but waited until Leira returned the nod before he promptly teleported away.
"I was going to suggest the Namek anyway. Having this operation discovered doesn't concern me all that much, but it's true that they might decide to leave and we may not get another opportunity like this for some time. But I have a solution for that too, and he is the other companion I have selected. We'll cover that in a few minutes," Leira said. Kibito returned with Piccolo a few moments later, who looked very ready for the mission as if he had been filled in ahead of time.
Verto grimaced in annoyance as Kibito vanished again, Yeah, that would figure into things if she's trying to control the situation.
"Verto, have you already been informed about this mission?" Piccolo asked.
"For the most part, the rest of the details of the environment and such still escape me," Verto grumbled as he glanced over at a suddenly nervous Koenma.
"Well, we will have to proceed carefully then. Since you're the only one who has even met one of these Renegade Saiyans, we'll be relying heavily on you for information. You can't allow yourself to lose control at anytime, understood?" Piccolo asked in a stern tone.
Verto nodded, "Yeah, I got it. I'm just wondering who she thinks will be helpful to us."
Leira snorted slightly, "Well, he probably won't be helpful at all. In fact I anticipate he'll be more of a distraction. I originally intended for you to go alone Verto, but this particular person can assist you in luring them out. They may confront you openly with him along, thus why Piccolo will need to be keeping track of him at all times. It's still your mission to perform, so think of Piccolo and this person as your traveling companions, and in a case, bait."
"Bait?" Piccolo asked.
"Well who is he? I can't think of anyone that would lure them out if they don't want to be seen. Unless they have some sort of personal history of course," Verto added.
"Well, this is more of a shared history with the rest of the other Saiyans," Leira said vaguely.
Verto slapped his head again, "Oh god, don't tell me it's..." Kibito reappeared a few feet away, holding onto a white and purple alien who looked severely agitated.
"Him?" Piccolo asked in surprise.
"Can we trade up for Cell? At least then we have some intelligence along for the ride," Verto requested.
"Let go of me you damned freak!" Frieza shouted as he tried to pull away. Piccolo shook his head in dismay at this predicament. Kibito let go of Frieza, who jumped back and observed who else was in his company.
"It's you, the monkey kid with the freakish power!" Frieza claimed as he pointed at Verto first.
"I see you're all healed up, want some new scars?" Verto asked. Frieza fired his Death Beam at Verto, only to see it batted into the skies.
"Strike one Frieza, you get three before I respond," Verto warned. Frieza nervously looked over and saw Piccolo behind him.
"You, the Namek I fought with. You ever find a new home?" Frieza asked in a mocking tone. Piccolo growled back and bared his teeth, but kept from acting upon it. Frieza laughed at this apparent victory as he looked the Kais and Koenma over.
"I remember you fighting with that pink buffoon! If it wasn't for the kid you would have died and rotted in hell with the rest of us, too bad that didn't happen! Hahaha!" he laughed at Kibito.
"It's a pity that monster didn't turn you into candy while he was running loose," Kibito replied in a chilly voice he rarely displayed.
Frieza ignored the resentment and looked everyone else over, stopping when he saw Leira, "Now there's a familiar face. How is my son?"
"Alive, you should be thankful for that," Leira said coldly.
"So, why have I been brought here?" Frieza asked.
"You are going to go along with these two to help stop a team of Saiyans from radically altering another world's timeline. Your primary function though will be bait to lure them out," Leira explained.
"Hmph, why should I?" Frieza retorted.
"I don't need him," Verto added.
Leira's red hair whipped at the air as her head spun around, "Yes you will, the Renegades know of your existence now and they know you're an enemy. They are not likely to turn up without some sort of motivation. They'll sense your presence the instant you arrive there and flee. However, if they sense Frieza, they will likely come to you. They share a dislike for Changelings."
Verto's eyebrow shot into the air, "And why would they run away from me? Chal was nearly as strong as me as long as I don't transform, and I'm guessing their leader is just as strong as Frost, who I could not beat alone."
Leira grimaced slightly, "Let's just say that they're also aware of my connection with you and that risking exposure will jeopardize any and all of their plans."
Verto saw the chance and took it, "Why?"
"Not for you to know at this time," Leira replied, denying the obvious attempt for information.
"If you want me to help you, then you had better come clean with me about everything," Verto snapped back.
"No, it is not your place to know anything outside of what I've been willing to tell you," Leira said with a raised tone.
"This is pointless bickering, let's get back to the matter at hand," Piccolo interrupted.
"I'm not sure, I was kind of enjoying watching the monkey and his guardian go at it," Frieza claimed. Two orbs of energy smashed into him simultaneously, plowing him over.
"Shut up!" Verto and Leira both shouted as they lowered their palms. Frieza painfully stayed down as his skin smoldered and steamed from the distinct burns left behind.
Verto turned back to Leira, "We can't take him anyway, he's dead."
"Check again," Leira said as she pointed at Frieza. Verto glanced over and gasped a bit when he realized that the halo above Frieza's head was gone.
"King Yemma has granted him a temporary life pass that will conclude once this is over, or if he dies again. So I suggest that you don't allow yourself to get too angry about this and decide to send him back until he's not needed anymore," Leira suggested.
Verto scowled, "Fine, but don't push me Frieza, I'm in a bad enough mood." Frieza gulped noticeably and nodded.
"Alright, there's a few more things before you leave. First, as you might have guessed from your short encounter with that young fool, this is a world where energy is much harder to store up. As so, you will feel your power drain and fall off the moment you arrive. And it will be a very noticeable change for you all. There will be plenty of time to adjust, but essentially you'll just have to imagine what it was like to be weaker years ago," Leira explained.
"Guess I should be glad that Bulma packed a scouter. If our powers are lowered, then so is our ability to sense nearby energy. How much of a reduction are we talking about?" Verto asked.
Koenma, who had remained quiet, cleared his throat, "Ahem, when I came over here, I had the opportunity to examine a numerical chart here that was comparable to the system we use to measure energy levels. In my world, my energy would be considered A class at a maximum output of fifty thousand, though I'm no fighter. Do I seem like I'm at that level here?" Koenma asked.
"Not even close," Verto replied quickly, "I'd say you're pretty close to Frieza's level."
Piccolo looked over with concern, "What?"
"Yeah, he's hiding most of it, but I can feel it," Verto said. He pulled the capsule case out and opened the purple labeled capsule, revealing a scouter.
Verto slipped it over his eye, "I don't really need this, but I want to know how much of a power difference I'm about to walk into. Release all of your energy please." A noticeable breeze came from Koenma and the scouter lit up with numbers. It stopped with eight digits displayed.
"Fifty million, which means that you're literally a thousand times stronger here than on your world," Verto said as he shut off the scouter.
Koenma nodded, "Yes, it's quite a bit easier to use energy here."
"Which means that none of us will be able to concentrate our energy into any sort of power we're used to. But that might not be a bad thing for this version of Earth," Piccolo added.
"It also means you'll need to be careful because everyone there will not be accustomed to you either, your power will have to remain low and suppressed until you need to use it. Frieza will have to revert to his base form as well," Leira said.
"What? Why?" Frieza protested.
"Because you can't sense other levels, most likely," Kibito said.
"I can suppress my energy just fine! Besides, I can't return to my base form anymore, not since I fought with you on Namek!" Frieza claimed.
"Didn't seem to stop your son when he went to his ultimate form. He managed to go right back and heal himself completely after I torched him," Verto muttered aloud.
"Frost is not like other Changelings, he's genetically altered to have certain abilities that the rest of us wouldn't have!" Frieza yelled back.
"I suppose being part Saiyan would do that. Having an asshole for a father would do it to," Verto remarked, drawing Frieza's glare.
Leira shook her head slightly, "I suppose it won't matter how it plays out with him. Most of the Renegades would be able to beat him in a one on one contest anyway, even if he had a strength advantage. I have one last thing to address as part of my conditions for this mission, Verto give me your hands."
"What are you going to do?" Verto asked.
"Since the Renegades will likely only rely on their Psi energy in this world, so shall you," Leira said as her hands glowed gold. Verto's wrist bands also glowed with a golden hue and he felt his ki draining away.
The process ended quickly, and Piccolo gasped aloud, "You took away his power?" Verto's hands shook with anger as he tried to summon his ki, but it wouldn't respond. His eyes flashed with red almost instantly.
"No, I merely sealed his ki, using a similar technique that I used on the girl. This is also for a lesson in emotional control, I trust you understand why?" Leira asked.
"You have horrible timing," Verto said with annoyance.
"Think of it as further mastery of your power. I won't tell you not to use your maximum effort in this, seeing as most of the demons in this place are just as evil as anyone else you've ever faced. Since your power will be much weaker than you're used to and since you're currently unable to use your feedback technique, you may have to consider techniques you don't normally use, to multiple extents," Leira added.
Piccolo's breath escaped him once again, "You can't use your feedback technique, since when?"
"Not now," Verto grumbled.
"Since he returned from the battle with Frost, that's why the girl was so difficult to control once the demon was roused," Leira explained.
"Now that is stupid. Sending us into an unpredictable situation and then cutting the power of the strongest team member. Sounds like a death sentence, it's too bad I can't carry it out," Frieza said with dismay.
"Maybe it is, and then again, maybe you're just as ignorant as ever. I assure you that I didn't take away all that much," Leira replied.
"Whatever, you took away half of my full power. I won't be able to transform or use Chi at all," Verto reminded.
"And this is why you have much to learn. I suggest you take care," Leira said as she promptly vanished into thin air.
"Great, I can tell this is going to go well," Verto said, dripping with sarcasm.
"Shall we get going then?" Koenma asked.
"Might as well," Verto said with a shrug.
"I would prefer to fill you in once we arrive, it will be much simpler that way as I will be able to provide you with a visual record as well," Koenma said as he snapped his fingers. A large blue sphere of energy suddenly materialized, and in the middle of it was blackness and stars. It was space, and just off to the side there was a mass of purple colored clouds.
"That is the rift that we must cross. You three may want to stay close to me as we fly across it, I'll form a barrier for protection," Koenma suggested. Frieza seemed hesitant as Piccolo and Verto stood within arms length of Koenma. Suddenly, Piccolo's arm lengthened and forcibly dragged Frieza over next to Verto, bumping into him accidentally.
"Watch it!" Verto growled.
"Blame the Namek!"
Koenma sighed as a thin sphere of white formed around all four of them and flew into the portal. It closed behind quickly, leaving the four unlikely companions in the darkness. Ahead, the purple clouds sparked with lightning and Verto could see a darkened tunnel within it.
"That's the rift connecting our two dimensions," Koenma said as they floated towards it. It wasn't quite as massive as Verto had originally thought, but still big enough to span a few miles across.
"I have a question, how did this rift get here? I'm sure if it's been here for a long time you would have had more than a few visitors. After all, Saiyans are nearly extinct and I know I have not seen anything like this," Frieza claimed.
"I'm not sure how it got here, all I do know is that our side of the rift was not there before these Saiyans crossed. Our universe is pretty quiet for the most part, and ninety nine percent of any action takes place on our Earth or in the adjacent Spirit and Demon realms, as the other species are quite underdeveloped. The common misconception of being the center of the universe is almost accurate for the humans," Koenma said with a disgusted voice.
"Yeah, I've heard that one a few times. Fools are everywhere after all," Verto added as they crossed into the cloud. They remained silent as they flew through the rift, with occasional flashes of randomly colored lightning nearby. To Verto, it felt like a massive storm in the early development stages. But developing into what?
"We're at the end," Koenma shouted as another black expanse opened up. Once out of the cloud, Koenma snapped his fingers again. This time, the portal led to an unnerving location, though instead of pink sky it was primarily white. Along the distant ground, yellow clouds were split by a long river that stretched and twisted into the horizon.
"This is the Spirit World, or roughly translated, the afterlife. Don't be concerned, you won't die if you cross into it this way," he said as he saw the look on Frieza's face.
Verto didn't feel much better about it, "It's not a place I like to be reminded of either. They might not have told you, but I've died twice already."
Koenma eyed him carefully, but he eased up within a few seconds, "Well, obviously you passed whatever trials they put you through to get your life back both times. Once on the other side, you should be able to breathe normally. I ask that you three keep your energy as low as possible for now. We are in the past, so I'd rather not run into someone unexpected quite yet."
"In the past?" Piccolo asked.
"Yes, these Saiyans arrived twenty years ago for me, sorry if you may not have heard all of the details," Koenma said.
Verto couldn't help but chuckle slightly, Well, maybe he wasn't completely prepared. Verto carefully powered down once they crossed over and Koenma released the barrier. They spotted a large castle not far away with many paths forking off from it. The yellow clouds below didn't appear to have a landmass, though Verto could see a river embedded within it. As he was suppressing his energy, Verto felt suddenly feint.
"Hey, you all right?" Koenma asked as he turned. Verto fell for several feet before stopping himself and hovering uneasily before regaining his bearings. Piccolo and Frieza seemed to have similar difficulties for a brief moment, but recovered fine.
"That's some power drop. Doesn't really help that I'm still so used to using ki instead of Psi to fly. At least I've had some practice at it," Verto said as he flew back up.
"Psi? Oh you mean your Spirit Energy. I didn't realize you called it something different. Wait, since your ki is gone then that must be something else. You do know that Ki and Spirit Energy are one in the same don't you?" Koenma asked.
"No they're not, or maybe not to you. Ki is life energy, at least where I come from," Verto replied.
"He's right," Piccolo said.
"No, there are a lot of different types of ki, life energy and spirit energy are two such types. Maybe those that determined that where you're from just had different names for each type since they are on different wavelengths and can be used separately. We have something similar here with both types, although it is far more difficult for anyone here to tap into life energy without serious problems. I trust then you are used to using both types effectively?"
"And mixed together," Verto added.
Koenma's eyes popped open, "Now that is rare. That's nearly impossible here, except for those who are exceptional. I guess I can't ask you to show this to me now can I?"
"No, not like this, nor by myself. For me at least, both energy sources have to be equal in strength to combine together successfully. It feels like my Psi…ahem, spirit power went down by a ton like we expected but it's still there at least," Verto explained.
"I see, well we will just have to deal with it then, can't be helped. Come on, we have to get in that castle and retrieve some information. It's going to be a little dicey since my other self is in there," Koenma explained.
"Other self? Oh right, the past. Wait, how far back have you taken us?" Verto asked.
"About twenty years like I said. This should be the day before the tournament. My other self is probably still here doing that boring paperwork," Koenma noted.
"I take it the plan is to sneak past him to find what you need?" Piccolo asked.
"Roughly. As I said, I traced the timeline changes to around this time, give or take a few days. But I can't ask you three to just jump in and take care of this. I also want to do my best to preserve the timeline as much as possible," Koenma said vaguely as they approached the castle.
"Here comes the part I'm not going to like," Verto muttered.
"Why, I thought you liked to fight?" Koenma asked.
"Yes, when I don't have to hold back. What you're suggesting is probably a surprise assassination. While I can do it, it isn't my style. And if these Saiyans are that powerful and can use spirit power like I can, it won't be that easy. Like the red-head said, they'll sense me the minute I get near them," Verto replied.
"Hmph, Vegeta is clearly not teaching you enough," Frieza muttered.
"I beg to differ on that one," Piccolo claimed.
"That's not quite what I had in mind actually. I want you to join one of the teams in the tournament, specifically one that will be taking on the Saiyans and preferably not the human team that I supported at the time. Certain minor things happened then that allowed my team to become the heroes we needed at the time. We don't need to screw that up," Koenma continued.
"Fine, just don't pair me with a bunch of weaklings. I dislike having to carry a team," Verto groaned.
"Oh, you won't have to worry about that, c'mon!" As Koenma landed, his body faded for a brief moment and he stopped to breathe.
"What's wrong?" Verto asked.
"Looks like someone's having issues," Frieza commented.
"I'm starting to lose my battle with time, we need to hurry," Koenma said as he approached the door.
Upon entering the castle, Verto spotted ogres of various color running around, doing random chores. Most of them ignored him completely; they were too busy staring at Koenma.
"Oh look Namek, they're even uglier in this place than ours," Frieza laughed. Everyone ignored him, though Koenma gave off a distinct roll of his eyes. Along a particularly long hallway, Koenma stopped at some sort of central door and paused for a moment before looking in. He pulled right back and stayed behind the wall. Verto could hear someone speaking inside and dared to look himself, but Koenma waved him off.
"It's me, when I was younger," he whispered. Verto nodded and kept quiet.
"That's it! I can't sit here anymore! I'm going! Forget this stupid paperwork!" the Junior Koenma declared.
"Where are you planning to go sir?" a deeper sounding adult answered.
"Where do you think? The tournament of course!" Junior said.
"Koenma-sir, you have to keep stamping! It's very important work!" the ogre claimed.
"Shut up Ogre! A trained monkey could do this job!" Junior shouted.
"Hahaha, we have the perfect replacement. Get to work kid," Frieza whispered. Piccolo smacked Frieza in the side of the head, shutting him up.
The ogre inside gasped, "Koenma-sir, you're irresponsible!"
"It's a pity you feel that way Jorge, I was just about to take you with me. Ciao Ogre, guess I'll be going alone!" Junior claimed as he began to walk away.
"Huh? Wait Koenma-sir!" Jorge shouted after him. The older Koenma waited for a brief moment until he heard a door slam shut, and then proceeded into the room. Verto and the others followed, spotting a large red chair behind a smaller desk. Other than that, the only thing of note was the large TV screen and the scattered papers on the floor.
"I always did hate this room, ugh," Koenma groaned as he started for the desk. He grabbed a remote and switched on the screen, which immediately skipped to a small group that was sitting leisurely around a hotel room. One of them was sleeping soundly, and the other four were sipping drinks. Among them, Verto recognized Kuwabara in his blue uniform.
Piccolo narrowed his eyes a bit, "I take it this is these are the fighters you want us to join up with?"
"No, but please keep an eye on them. The one sleeping is my Spirit Detective, Yusuke Urameshi. It's most important that he stays alive during all this. The others are part of his team, they need to remain living if at all possible as well. I suggest you stay away from the short one in black with the headband," Koenma suggested.
"I gathered that, he looks a lot like Vegeta, and I'm guessing the attitude isn't far off," Verto noted.
"Indeed, his name is Hiei. The redheaded one is Kurama, and the masked fighter is actually Yusuke's teacher in disguise. Good, looks like that didn't change any. Alright, now to find your team, specifically it's owner," Koenma said.
"Wouldn't it be better if he joined up with yours? At least then we wouldn't be on opposite sides and it would be easier to protect them," Piccolo suggested.
"I thought of that, but I felt that it could change history too much and it would throw things out of control. I realize that might happen anyway, but I'm just trying to stem the damage. Ah here we go," Koenma stated as the video feed switched. This time it featured a slim, black-haired man with a scar over his right eye, wearing a business suit. He was busily discussing something with a much bigger man with sunglasses. He had an odd short haircut that was partially gray on the bottom side, though all black on the top.
"The guy in the suit is Sayko, the owner of Team Toguro. Speaking of Toguro, that's the big guy he's speaking to. If memory serves and has stayed constant, they should only have four members. You will be number five," Koenma explained.
"Yes, because it's obvious they will just let anyone walk up and join their squad," Verto muttered.
"Well, you might have to demonstrate that you're worthy. And if it comes to that, do what you have to. This island is chalk full of evil demons that wouldn't hesitate to kill anyone at any time for any reason. Now for some transportation," Koenma said as he flipped off the TV and left the room. Verto and Piccolo both scowled as they followed him closely, Frieza looked completely disinterested.
"Why do I get the feeling you're going to leave me hanging with no real idea of what is going on other than what you told me? Assuming that's even accurate," Verto said.
"I agree, this does seem strange," Piccolo said.
"Because I have to return to my time before I completely fade away. I knew I would have to leave you guys alone from the start. I might be able to return in short spans, but if not I will try to send a representative that won't be affected by the time shifting," Koenma replied as they reached a ramp leading outside. There, a small white cloud was waiting by a platform.
"This is your ride. It will take you to the tournament grounds on Earth. Once there, find Toguro and join his team. After that, look out for these Saiyans and take care of them," Koenma ordered.
"Yeah, because I automatically know exactly what they look like. I only know what one of them looks like," Verto retorted.
"I'm afraid I don't know either, I only know that there's a full team of them, which is six," Koenma said.
"Six? I thought it was five-man teams?" Piccolo asked.
"But each team can have a substitute to be used only when one of their members is dead. I know from the evidence review that there were definitely six. If we had time to go over all the tournament rules, I would. But we don't, so just try not to get killed down there!" Koenma suggested. Verto jumped on the Nimbus-like cloud and stared back at Koenma, who was now transparent.
"One last thing, I suggest you don't tell anyone else the real reason why you're down there. I seriously doubt that it would be of any use, and if anything it would probably hinder all progress you make. Above all else though, remember that on that island, no one responds to threats well. They do respond to brute force though. Good luck!" Frieza and Piccolo seemed content to sit on the cloud while Verto remained standing as it cruised off into the horizon.
The white cloud dropped the odd trio off at a large hotel in the early hours of morning. Verto frowned deeper when his senses picked up various Psionic signals all over the island, many of them with a darker feel to them. Most of them were nothing to be concerned with, but a decent amount of them felt like they could be something. Of course that's also taking my power drop into account. They might actually be nothing, but now that I'm weakened there isn't such a stark difference anymore. Piccolo seemed to notice this as well, and Frieza looked bored. The hotel door opened automatically for Verto, and he nearly walked into a short black haired man with a headband. Verto's eyes narrowed as he recognized him from the video he had just seen. He also got the full brunt of the dark Psi that Hiei was emitting. To Verto, it didn't quite feel like the same energy as his, but its potency was significant. Hiei eyed Verto with suspicious eyes, and the boy only glared right back. Verto felt an overwhelming urge to make Hiei find his own problem to deal with, but instead elected to back down and suppress his energy lower.
Hiei blinked sharply and turned his nose, "Get out of my way!"
"Gladly," Verto muttered as he stepped aside and walked inside. A taller, red headed boy was right behind Hiei, and was also giving Verto quite a stare. Verto also recognized him to be Kurama, another member of Yusuke's team.
"Excuse us," Kurama said as he walked outside with Hiei.
"Wise move not to start anything kid," Piccolo claimed.
"Hmph, looked like another Vegeta, only shorter. Can I please kill him?" Frieza asked.
Verto shook his head slightly, "No, we don't need to incite a riot. Let me handle this part."
"Go ahead, it's your mission after all," Piccolo reminded.
Verto stepped towards the high hotel desk, as he wasn't looking forward to this particular moment. It might be too out of sorts to ask for the owner of the team right away, maybe I'll just ask for the other guy. The hotel Concierge was eyeing him with another round of suspicious eyes, but softened his stare once Verto walked up.
"Are you lost son? Did your family lock you out of their room?" he asked.
"No, I'm a competitor. I need to find someone named Toguro," Verto said as simply as he could.
The concierge gasped in surprise, but then laughed aloud, "Now now son, there's no need for games around here. There are many demons that would consider you a quick meal. You don't need to be asking to see the strongest one!" Verto scowled immediately, All right, I guess I should take the intimidator route.
"I'm not just a little kid. Don't make me demonstrate!" The concierge continued to laugh at Verto's expense as a few sparks flew off the smaller boy. Verto quickly charged a small blast and fired it at a nearby chandelier. The blast smashed through the cable and sent the decorative assembly crashing to the ground, shattering all of the glass and darkening the room a bit. Piccolo's eyes widened while Frieza looked amused.
The Concierge was instantly furious, "Do you know how much that costs?" Verto aimed another small blast right at the man, silencing his anger.
Verto smirked, "Looks like we're getting somewhere now. Care to handle my request, or do I have to demonstrate again?" The Concierge was too busy trembling to answer and only held up his hands in defeat.
"That isn't very polite," a deep voice said from the side. Verto glanced over, spotting a large, muscled man with a long green trench coat. The sunglasses gave him away, though so did the haircut.
"I don't do polite unless it suits me. You're Toguro I assume?" Verto asked as he dropped his arm.
"Yes, what do you want here, little boy?" Toguro asked.
"I hear you only have four members on your team. I'll be the fifth," Verto said sternly.
"And what makes you think you're worthy?" Toguro countered.
"Give me a test and see for yourself," Verto replied. Toguro paused in thought as his dark eyes scanned Verto thoroughly.
"Do you even realize what you're getting into? This is not a game, and definitely not for children," Toguro warned.
"I asked you to give me a test. Unless you want to become the test and get killed before you even fight, I suggest you comply," Verto growled. Toguro's eyebrow went up in question, but it dropped just as quickly as he turned for the door.
"This way," he beckoned. Verto turned long enough to catch a knowing nod from Piccolo before following.
Verto followed the large Toguro outside and then into the forest nearby.
"I must say, this is unusual of me to do. Granting a death wish like this," Toguro said. Verto's glare deepened as he glanced around. There didn't appear to be anyone nearby, but he prepared his energy just in case.
"Oh? Who's are you granting, because it ain't mine fool," Verto said in confidence.
"Perhaps," Toguro said as he snapped his fingers. Instantly, three figures appeared in a clearing ahead. One was female with pale skin and purple hair above a single horn on her head. The second had two horns and a malicious set of eyes hidden behind a dark cape that covered most of his body. The third was much harder to miss, a brown giant with a large club hanging from his back, he bore three horns from his head.
"This is the Demon Triad, part of a small organization of mine. If you think are worthy of a test, you must kill these three by yourself. If you manage this, come back and I'll personally test you," Toguro offered as he turned on his heel. Verto turned to the small group and then promptly phased out. Toguro paused mid-step when he heard a piercing roar of pain coming from Gokumonki, the giant. The ground shook when he collapsed with a gaping, bloody hole in his stomach. The female demon, Miyuki, gasped at her partner lying on the ground. She joined him quickly when Verto phased in behind her and bashed her head with the back of his fist. The last demon, Inmaki, vanished just as Verto turned to him. Toguro saw though, that Verto's eyes had locked onto his position and was following. While sheathed in shadow, Inmaki attempted to move around Verto and strike him from behind. He stopped suddenly when Verto's boot caught him in the jaw and knocked him from of the shadows and unconscious. Verto turned to Toguro, who only grinned slightly in response.
"Not bad, but I said you had to kill them all. I suggest you hurry it up," Toguro ordered. Verto glanced down at the three prone demons, who were barely twitching.
"It isn't necessary," Verto argued.
"Then you have no place on my team if you can't go for the kill," Toguro said as he spun on his heel and walked away. Verto sighed heavily before stepping over to the giant first and sharply punching the side of his head. A loud crack filled the air as Gokumonki's final groan sounded and he slumped. Miyuki's eyes shot open in surprise and she attempted to run. A quick blue blast followed and erased her from life. Inmaki managed to wake up just in time to see Verto's Psi Sword coming straight at his head.
Toguro smiled and stopped as the last painful wail sounded, "It appears I have a place for you after all. Follow me." Toguro kept walking, not noticing that Verto's eyes had shifted to him with a menacing glare before they briefly flickered red. Verto wiped off what blood had landed on his face and followed.
Power levels (after reduction):
Verto: 312,000
Piccolo: 300,000
Frieza: 60,000
Verto (suppressed): 5,000, Bursts of 20,000
Demon Triad members: 3,000 each
Next time on DBV: Verto is introduced to the rest of the evil Team Toguro as they observe the competition. Tensions rise when Verto is asked to fight the first round by himself, and he very nearly loses control of his power after he utterly destroys the other team.