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 102: Fire and Ice
"So where are we going anyway?" Laysh asked as she flew next to Verto, who hadn't spoken a word since they departed from the previous battle sight.
"You'll know it when you see it," he said vaguely.
"Gee, thanks for keeping me in the loop. I suppose you want me to do nothing this time while you handle everything again?" she grumbled.
Verto glanced at her with a slight frown before focusing forward, "I doubt we'll be that lucky this time. And by the way, keeping those two off me for that long did help quite a bit, despite how pointless it might have been."
Laysh scoffed, "I'll remember that next time we fight and you have to resort to tail grabbing to win."
"There won't be a next time," Verto retorted.
Laysh wasn't sure how to take that and switched subjects, "So do I at least get to fulfill your plan?"
"What plan was that? You do realize that I'm having to make this up as I go," Verto pointed out.
"Well you said this girlfriend of yours has some sort of fire demon inside her right? And that my abilities can cancel those out? That's what you told the prince," Laysh reminded.
"She's not my girlfriend. And I'd prefer she doesn't have to fight either one of us, but if it comes to that and she's herself, you should probably win. That's if she hasn't had much training from Vang, but I wouldn't bet on that," Verto added.
"And Vang is the one that's inside Gohan's father right? Is that this world's version of Gohan's father, or the other one?" Laysh asked.
Verto glared at her, "Probably this one, doesn't really matter now does it?"
"Well I prefer to be well informed and you guys just confuse the hell out of me with everything you say. And while we're on the subject, what is it with you guys and possession? Seriously, it's like none of you are ever in your right mind," Laysh claimed.
Verto's eyebrow shot into the air, "This coming from a tribe of Saiyans that blow themselves up whenever they try to use the hidden powers they don't understand."
Laysh grimaced, "But that was before we had help from the Tuffles and…"
Verto cut her off, "And what? Your teammate proved my point did he not?"
Laysh growled a bit, "Little prick."
"That's what I thought, drop it," Verto warned. Laysh snorted and looked away, effectively ending the discussion for the moment.
Around ten to fifteen minutes of silent flight passed before she noticed something ahead.
"What's with that tall tower over there? I've never seen one go that high off the ground," Laysh said as she pointed ahead.
"It goes up further than you can see, and we'll be going past the top," Verto said as he adjusted his flight to a path parallel to Korin Tower. He considered checking in on the cat master as they approached the tower's top quickly, but decided against it. Above, he could feel two distinct power levels waiting for him, though they were in a relaxed state. He also sensed two very low signals coming from the lookout's interior, confirming some of what he had heard so far.
"Listen, this is probably going to be rougher than the fight we just went through. Be prepared for anything, Vang can strike from anywhere at any time," Verto said.
Laysh nodded slightly, "I take it we're going to that floating platform up there?"
"That's the place," Verto replied shortly. The pair shot past the lookout before arcing around and landing in its courtyard, taking the chance to observe anyone that was present. The place didn't look too much different in comparison to the other version, with the exception of there were absolutely no plants or trees in place. The presence of Goku was recognized immediately, despite who was really within him. He wasn't wearing his traditional red-orange over blue martial arts outfit either; instead he had on maroon over yellow. The girl next to him was taller and older than Verto had expected, but it was definitely Lenz. Most of that growth had been a result of Kaon's emergence previously, but she had certainly toughened up since he had last seen her.
"Is that him?" Laysh whispered as they touched down. Verto answered by stepping forward until he was within a distance of thirty feet or so. The scowl on the face of Lenz had deepened as he got closer, but it only worsened when Laysh walked up.
"It's about time you came boy, I was getting anxious," Vang said.
"It'll pass once you're out of that body. I suppose you have a new name like Vangku or something this time," Verto surmised.
Vang chuckled, "There's no need to create illusions or aliases to cover any tracks here. They are only a wasted effort on one such as you."
Verto snorted lightly, "You got that right. I won't bother asking if you'll give up everything that I've come here for. But I will ask that you relinquish any hold that you have on Lenz and let her be herself."
Vang laughed louder this time, "Oh there's no need for you to worry about that yet. She is herself through and through. You might notice a slight change in attitude, but as you know, we all have to grow up sometime."
"So, who is that supposed to be?" Lenz said with an already raised voice as she locked eyes with Laysh.
"Nice to see you too. And this is basically your cousin," Verto replied.
"Cousin? She's not related to me," Laysh declared immediately.
"Actually she kind of is. Part of your tribe became Frost's leftovers," Verto pointed out.
"Oh, that makes sense. She certainly looks like she would work in one of his whore houses," Laysh remarked.
The spark of energy that came from Lenz's power signal was enough to show that a button had been pressed, "What did you say, wanna repeat that?"
Verto closed his eyes and held the bridge of his nose as he shook his head slightly in dismay, "We could have done without that."
"I do believe that your new friend there wishes to fight first," Vang said.
Verto stepped in front of Laysh, "There's no need for either of them to fight at all, this is between us."
Vang grinned a very non-Goku grin, "My boy, you must have an opening bout to lead into the main event. Isn't that the standard way of things? Besides, I'm sure you're very curious about how much better your pretty little student has gotten. I think you'll be surprised."
Verto eyed Lenz for a moment, who had locked eyes with Laysh, "How much could you teach her in a month that I couldn't? Especially with her level of patience."
Vang closed his eyes, "Come now my friend, I know you're smarter than that. Look where we are. Do you honestly think it's only been a month from her perspective?"
"That's what I figured. At least you admit that you used the time chamber. Funny, I wouldn't think you would dare step in there again," Verto said.
Vang smiled, "Well fate certainly likes to apply ironic twists now and again. But I'm willing to swallow my pride in order to get what I want."
"Yeah I've heard, you want me. Well here I am," Verto said as he took another step closer.
"You're quite brave despite fighting me before. I'll warn you now that you will not have it nearly as easy this time," Vang proclaimed.
"If you say so," Verto smirked as his energy rose.
Lenz suddenly phased out and reappeared in between them, "No." Both Verto and Vang glanced at her and frowned a bit.
"Do you wish to prove yourself to him that badly my dear?" Vang asked sweetly, "Despite what you've learned I'm not sure it would go well for you."
"I don't care what you two do, I want her first," Lenz claimed as she pointed to Laysh.
"It's not necessary Lenz. As soon as I beat him, we're going home," Verto argued. A lightning fast fist caught him across the face, sending him tumbling to the side. Verto was up quickly, wiping the bloodied smudge with slight concern as Lenz lowered her fist. Just as I expected, she's a lot stronger than before. Looks like Vang didn't waste any time on her attitude adjustment either. On top of that he's had two training styles to use on her between himself and Goku's. Who knows what she's gained from the demon inside her in that time. Laysh won't be able to beat her if they fight seriously.
"So I go away for a little while and you just pick up the next chick that comes by? I was going to come back, but now I can't stand the sight of you," Lenz said spitefully.
Verto grimaced with frustration, "Didn't I ever tell you that looks can be deceiving? There you go using your small mind to assume things when you're the one that's wrong. He's obviously got you so brainwashed that you wouldn't know left from right if it reached out and smacked you in the face!"
A noticeably red aura began to enshroud Lenz as her teeth cinched, "Shut up! All I ever did was love you and you've always thrown it back at my face! Well screw you, little asshole! I'm gonna tear you and your new girl apart!"
"Oh my, there she goes again. We really should have spent more time on emotional control," Vang scolded slightly.
Laysh smirked as she stepped forward, blue aura rising, "Relax kid, I got this. It's obvious Frost's little whore needs a spanking."
Verto gazed at both of them, "This is a bad idea. One of you will get killed."
"Nice of you to care so much, but don't worry little asshole, I'll make it quick," Lenz said with a deep grin as she took her stance.
Vang laughed casually, "I don't think you'll be able to stop them at this point boy. Sit back and enjoy the show before your world ends. Popo! Bring us some refreshment!" Verto's eyes shifted quickly to the pudgy assistant, who scampered out of the nearest building, tripping over his own feet in the process. On his wrists and ankles were some sort of brightly glowing violet shackles. Popo got back to his feet quickly but stopped and gasped as soon as he spotted Verto staring back at him.
"Step on it you tub of lard!" Vang shouted.
"Oh, right," Popo nodded as he ran towards one of the other small buildings.
Verto's eyes narrowed, Gohan specifically said that Dende and Piccolo were dead here. So why is Popo still alive, or is it just Vang playing one of his games for the hell of it? Verto's attention was drawn to the two women on either side of him, as both were powering up quickly. Verto folded his arms and stepped back, knowing he wouldn't be able to stop the fight easily.
Deep red clashed with deep blue as both female Saiyans stared each other down, each as eager to fight as the other. Lenz was certainly the angrier of the two, which clearly showed as her eye color threatened to shift to completely red before they stayed blue. Her rage subsided as she appeared to calm herself and her aura fell away. Verto felt her energy out thoroughly, which had clearly increased by quite a bit since the battle with Frost. Her ki was on a level that was much closer to Verto's normal level than it had been previously, despite not being in any sort of Super Saiyan form. Like Verto and Gohan though, once her deeper powers had started to emerge, the Super Saiyan transformation was essentially negated and wasn't necessary. Her Psi level however didn't feel like it had risen anywhere close to what Verto knew she was capable of. To him, it felt as if she were holding it back on purpose.
That's strange, I've never known Lenz to hold back, although most of her battles were against stronger foes. Laysh will have the upper hand with experience alone if Lenz thinks she can get away with that.
Laysh took her stance and waved her on, "Come on pretty eyes, let's see if you can back up that mouth of yours!"
Lenz answered by rushing forward, keeping her feet on the ground but moving at a furious pace. Her initial punch attempt was dodged by hair lengths as Laysh stepped aside. Lenz appeared to stumble off balance and used her hands to brace the ground as she fell forward. Laysh moved in to strike, only to have Lenz's left heel smash into her jaw from below. Lenz twisted around quickly and pushed off the ground, heaving her legs straight into Laysh's abdomen. Laysh fell backwards enough that Lenz momentum carried her too far over, allowing Laysh to counter attack with a kick to Lenz's lower back. Lenz flew up from the impact, phasing out once she recovered. Laysh scrambled to her feet as she lost track of Lenz for the moment, but found her coming at her fast from the side, fist outstretched. Laysh deflected the overpowered blow and struck Lenz in the back of the neck with a hard chop. Lenz broke the tiles of the ground with her landing and stayed prone for a moment while Laysh stepped back cautiously. Verto took note of every move that they had made, knowing his assumption before had been correct thus far. As soon as Lenz recovered the platform became a barrage of small shockwaves and light explosions as the two went back and forth, trying to get the other first.
They're both just testing each other, since they're nearly equal in energy output, this could go on for awhile. But I seriously doubt Vang's training only took her this far unless she resisted him. She must be saving the bulk of her power to fight me, or something else. Strange though, I can sense Kaon's energy buried deep within her whereas I couldn't before, but I don't actually sense the demon's presence. It's like her power is released for Lenz but the demon is suppressed. How can that be? Verto's thoughts were put on hold when Popo stopped next to him, with a glass of orange juice held out. Verto took it without thinking, but then stared at the glass suspiciously.
"This doesn't by chance have any of the Overmind's crap in it, does it?" Verto whispered.
Popo's expression didn't change, "No, he doesn't want you to fall under that creature's control. And I made that myself, I would not poison you Verto. We never stopped believing that you could rise out of the darkness, I just wish it would have happened sooner."
Verto gulped down the orange juice and handed the glass back, "Hate to break it to you, but I'm not the Verto you knew. I went through similar things… but without as much damage."
"So, is Dende alive in the other timeline?" Popo asked.
Verto stared at him strangely, but understood the assistant's concern, "Well at least I don't need to explain that. And everyone is alive there. I didn't fly off the handle enough for that."
"Oh thank goodness!"
"Popo, I want my dinner. Now!" Vang shouted from a short distance away.
"Oh dear, I wish he hadn't inherited that trait from Goku," Popo muttered.
"Yeah I sort of noticed his personality has changed since I last fought him, or he's just that confident this time. Have his powers changed too?" Verto asked.
Popo looked unsure, "I do not know the details of what happened in your world. But the demon's powers and attitude change depending on who he has possessed. He won't be able to use all of his abilities nor to their full potency until he regains his own body or finds one similar enough to him to take over. It is sort of like what happens when Trunks and Goten attempt to fuse and make an error."
Verto's eyes narrowed, "So he's weaker now?"
Popo shook his head, "No, far from it. But his union with Goku is not complete. If it were, he would be a much stronger being and would not have any restrictions on his power. If you had fought him when he had assumed the identity of Mercurial, then you should understand just how horrible his power can be at even a low level. Kara had no comparable power to resist, so once Vang had joined with her, he could use almost all of his powers, but the price of having his energy severely reduced. Inside Goku, he can control the greatest of all the Super Saiyans, but at the cost of using the bulk of his power to maintain control. Should he strain himself too much, Goku could be able to break free."
Verto's eyes darted to Vang, who was impatiently tapping his feet as clashes of energy continued in front of him. The feedback technique will work on him then, if I can pull it together enough to attempt it. The only problem is that I already used my Berserker power on Vegeta, so my emotional control is shot for now.
"Popo must ask, why did you come here alone? Surely you cannot defeat him by yourself," Popo claimed.
"Yeah, there's a slight setback with that, the Overmind wants me too and since it pretty much has control of everyone else, that's a problem. But I know a way around that, and it would be faster if you could help," Verto suggested.
Popo stared at the ground, "Popo is sorry, but I cannot go against Vang as long as I am bound with these shackles. He only has to give a certain command and my body will act on its own. If he gets impatient, he will do horrible things to Popo!"
"Don't worry, I'll distract him enough so you won't have to worry about that. Just act normal until then," Verto said.
"Alright, but what do you wish me to do?" Popo asked.
Verto shifted his glance to Vang for a moment, who looked bored as he watched the rapid combat before him, "Can you hear my thoughts if I project them to you telepathically?"
Popo nodded, "Yes of course, Kami taught me many years ago!"
A loud shout interrupted them again, "Popo! If I don't have my food in five minutes, you will be spinning on that round head of yours nonstop for a week!"
Verto eyes shifted between Vang and the battle, "Go on, it's better if he doesn't hear it." Popo quickly ran towards the left side of the palace where a distinct trail of smoke was coming from the top of its tower. Verto's head lowered slightly as he appeared to concentrate on the battle, but only as a ruse.
"Do you hear me Popo?"
The response was immediate, "Popo hear you!"
Verto smirked slightly, "Good, listen up."
Fists and feet collided over and over as Laysh and Lenz continued to go at it. Neither had even thrown an energy blast as of yet, nor had they taken much in the way of damage from physical blows aside from a few blemishes. The platform of the lookout was barely damaged either, which truly illustrated how easy they were going on each other.
Laysh managed to crack a grin when they stopped momentarily after she had blocked one of Lenz's fierce punches, "I can see some of the brat's fighting style in you. This will be nice, I never got to fight him a second time."
Lenz's eyes widened, "You fought him? I thought you were his new girlfriend or something?"
Laysh closed her eyes and her smile vanished, "Please, you're being a naïve little girl that is easily tricked. Don't mix up the facts with your own misplaced jealousy, he's a kid after all. And yes, me and my crew were sent to another planet like this one and he was sent to stop us. We all fought him and we all got beaten, though part of our mission was to retrieve him and bring him back to our people. We were betrayed and killed off by one of our own. The kid saved my ass and I owe him for it, simple as that." Lenz scowled and didn't answer as she attempted to break Laysh's guard with a strong rising kick towards her chest, but missed when Laysh phased out. Lenz stopped her attack and turned towards Laysh's new position, ready to continue. The action stopped for nearly a minute, and the only thing that changed was Vang had sat down to eat a plate of large turkey legs.
From the other side, Verto noticed that Lenz's energy had shifted rather drastically. It wasn't in an upward or downward manner, but more of a state of fury to somewhat relaxed despite the situation. If anything, Lenz feels like she's in emotional turmoil. She was angry before, but she clearly regrets coming here. Looks like I got through to her after all, or maybe Laysh did.
Laysh confidently stayed in place, "You are pretty decent at standard fighting, but this is boring. How about we stop playing around?" Lenz stood up straight but didn't answer initially. Laysh's grin didn't subside as she turned her palm upwards and began to concentrate her power into a round icy ball. Lenz's eyes narrowed as the air started to cool down, and she began to charge up a powerful answer in her own hand.
Laysh held her Ice Comet and waited for Lenz to finish her counterattack, "Hurry it up girl, I want to get this over with."
Lenz drew back her arm before thrusting it forward, "Final Shine!" Laysh recognized the attack and flew up and out of the way before it could reach her, sending the green colored Ki beam flying into the horizon.
She held her icy energy ball up and gracefully released it with a wave of her hand, "Koori Kometoo!" The Ice Comet hurled towards Lenz with surprising speed, crashing into her arms first as she attempted to block against it. This only resulted in it rapidly covering her body with cold Psionic ice.
Laysh landed next to the block of ice with a slight chuckle, "Too easy." She then grabbed Lenz by the back of her frozen head and slammed her knee straight into the face, shattering both the ice and Lenz's nose. Laysh quickly added a spin kick that sent Lenz flying backwards for a short distance before she landed roughly, breaking some more of the ice on her body. She struggled to get up as her teeth chattered a bit due to the combination of pain and sharp cold.
"You can't win if that's your best little girl. I've been doing this a lot longer than you," Laysh warned. Lenz wiped some of the blood coming from her nose before she stared at her hand. The sight of blood seemed to enrage her more than anything as her aura crackled to life around her. She pulled both arms back and began charging up a very potent purple beam.
From afar, Verto's eyes widened when he felt the energy output coming from Lenz, There she goes, she's released some of her restraint and created a Chi blast. That's what I was afraid would happen.
Laysh seemed to sense at least some of what was going on and prepared to evade whatever was coming. Lenz fired without a word, and Laysh glided to the side to avoid the powerful beam heading for her, which sailed off the edge off the lookout and into the sky. Lenz shot towards her with a much more aggressive look in her eye as she aimed another kick towards Laysh, whose aura began to sparkle a bit. Laysh turned her head as she narrowly dodge the kick, watching as ice built up on Lenz's leg and left her wide open. Laysh dropped and swept out Lenz other leg just as it touched ground, causing Lenz to smack her head against the tile. Laysh pounced on her just as a sharp, icy blade formed from her right hand and wavered in front of Lenz's face.
"Yield, you're beaten!" Laysh warned. Lenz paused in slight surprise, unsure what to do with the sharp icicle inches from her face. From the side, Vang threw down the remains of a bone that had held the meat he had just devoured.
"Are you done playing around girl? We all know you can do better!" he shouted.
Lenz glanced at him and took a quick, light breath before she held it due to hesitation, "No, it's not how I want to be."
"It is your true nature girl, no matter how you deny it. You cannot deny your calling," Vang declared.
"But it's too much like her! I won't go there, they don't deserve it!" Lenz claimed.
Verto's eyes narrowed at those words, So she's figured out how to use the inner power that she gets from Kaon, but she's wary about using it. It also explains her momentary attitude shifts, then again she's always had those. Looks like she didn't change that much, but I'm worried that Vang does have some sort of hold on her. Otherwise how could she stay here even after any supposed training? Even if he told her something that Vegeta knew about to pull her away, she would have been able to resist, she isn't that weak-minded.
"Don't try my patience girl, not today. Don't forget that your life is forfeit in the hands of those fools. You are nothing more than a by-product to do with as they please until you are no longer useful! Is that how you want to live?" Vang asked.
"Don't listen to that lying piece of shit! It doesn't matter what you are or aren't Lenz. You have just as much a right to live as anyone else. I won't let anything happen to you," Verto shouted.
Lenz gasped slightly and looked at the ground, "I know you wouldn't, I'm sorry." Laysh eyed both Vang and Verto before backing away from Lenz to allow her to get up.
Her ice blade broke off from her wrist and she offered Lenz a hand, "About time."
Lenz stood up and sighed deeply as a few tears dripped out, "Thanks." A platter full of empty bones dropped and shattered against the tile of the lookout before being blown away by the sudden energy increase from Vang.
"I see, I was far too easy on you girl. But if you think you're going to just walk away after I taught you how to live again, you had best think twice. I did not waste all that time on you just for your soft feelings to get in the way. If you won't use your true power, then I will force you too!" Vang shouted as he raised his hand which was shrouded in deep purple. On his whim, Lenz lifted off the ground as a red and purple swirl surrounded her.
Verto's eyes widened as he prepared to jump in, "Let her go!"
"No, please don't!" Lenz begged and tried to squirm out of his telekinetic hold, to no avail.
"You brought this on yourself girl. Don't you think I had a failsafe in mind after seeing how soft you are? You chose to come to this place with me to embrace your true nature, you don't get to change your mind whenever you want to! Now they will suffer the consequences!" Vang said as he began to concentrate. Lenz's aura began to shoot out bright purple energy bursts that detonated randomly. Laysh was forced back by one of these bursts, landing on what used to be one of Popo's gardens. She was back on her feet quickly, watching as Lenz began to change slightly. Bright red and purple lightning struck around the area as Lenz's purple hair stood up on end, much like a Super Saiyan.
Verto himself had to block against some of the energy output due to how close he was, Pure Chi waves. Is she turning Super Mystic, or is this something else? It feels just as dark as Kaon, but not quite as strong. Lenz's aura also shifted to a lavender flame-like appearance before she seemed to relax and dropped back to the ground.
Vang's arm dropped as he grinned wickedly, "That's more like it. Now, show them what you've learned since you came here." Lenz's eyes opened, revealing a deep red hue that spoke volumes about her current state of mind.
Laysh felt a rush of surprise and fear as she got a hint of Lenz's new power, "Oh crap."
Verto scowled deeply as he took in the power level he was sensing, "So much for letting her be herself. Looks like you knew she would resist and you put in a measure of control. Release her now Vang."
Vang's smirk didn't waver, "Or what? You'll make me? I think you both have more things to worry about, after all it's not like I'm actually controlling her. I merely unleashed what she wouldn't. She will kill your friend if you do nothing and then you'll have to face the both of us. On the other hand, if you fight her now, you'll be too drained of energy to even consider facing me without resorting to your own demon powers. So, what is it going to be?"
Verto's fists clenched angrily, "So that's your game plan then? I wouldn't bank on it working. Laysh, it's up to you to win this fight, no matter what you have to do!"
Laysh looked at Verto with concern, "Why would he tell me that, he knows I'll do whatever it takes to win."
Verto looked back and nodded to give the go ahead, "Just like before Laysh."
She nodded back, I get it, he wants me to keep her busy while he deals with the other guy. Verto stepped towards Vang with intent, but his opponent remained in place, unthreatened.
Vang even chuckled, "Come now boy, I told you to sit back and enjoy the show. I've merely guaranteed that there will be a show to watch. But if you think you're going to use their fight to distract the girl so you can fight unhindered, I'm afraid I have to ruin your plans." A bright purple shield erupted around both Verto and Vang, which effectively cut them both off from the rest of the action.
"I think you remember this technique from before boy, although you could break through and stop this fight if you try hard enough. However, doing so will, as I said before, drain you significantly. Don't worry though, we can still fight later. First I want you to witness this slaughter," Vang declared. Verto's teeth clinched in rage as he eyed Lenz and Laysh, the latter of whom did not look comfortable with the new circumstances.
Lenz stared at Laysh with cold, empty eyes, as if she were on autopilot. Her opponent stepped back in slight hesitation, unsure what to make of Lenz's current power. It was clearly above her own by a wide margin, she had no problem seeing or sensing that. Laysh concentrated briefly before her swirling aura sparking randomly with blue, insuring that she had at least some protection with her Shivering Armor technique. Lenz responded by lifting off the ground slowly before a swath of fire erupted beneath her feet, hot enough to ignite the tiles. Once they became molten, Lenz's energy began to pour in from above. Laysh wasn't sure what to make of this odd technique until she felt something hot coming towards her from below. She glanced down to see the tiles she was standing on quickly beginning to glow red hot. Laysh narrowly lunged out of the way before a bright column of fire shot out of the ground and high into the air much like a geyser. Laysh only had a second to stare at the result before she spotted a slight bulge in the ground coming towards her like a torpedo. She jumped to the side and watched as it also became a tube of fire that shot into the air. She noticed that both attempts maintained themselves even after missing. Three more fiery bursts came towards her from different angles. She elected to jump out ahead of the one in the middle and watched as it sailed past before it eventually detonated. The others had clearly missed before doing the same, leaving five separate columns of fire burning at the air constantly. That's when Laysh realized that they had formed a semi-circle around her, leaving a small amount of space between each one and only one escape path where Lenz was currently floating.
Laysh grinned and pulled her arms together, "Is that how you're going to trap me? I don't think so!" Lenz didn't answer as another Molten Torpedo formed and headed straight for Laysh. It stopped short to completely surround Laysh with flaming pillars, to which she focused her energy into her forearms.
"Shinsei Toukan!" she shouted as she thrust her arms out and wide. Instantly a bright sphere of cold blue erupted from her and spread quickly through the area. The flame columns glazed over with thick ice almost immediately before the edge of the sphere reached its designated distance. Lenz stopped channeling energy into the molten puddle below her and hovered in place. She watched as the flaming pillars she had created to trap her opponent merely became frozen, empty statues of cold air.
Laysh smirked, "You'll have to do better than fire-based techniques girl, no one has ever beaten me with those!" Lenz's lip twitched into a scowl before she rose higher into the air as her palms glowed with purple and red. She stopped high above the lookout and held them out at short angles. Flames burst from her hands and quickly smashed into the lookout's circular edge at both ends. She then began to slowly spin in the air, causing her flame jets to strike the entire perimeter before she let out. Thick walls of fire erupted around the lookout and remained burning even after she stopped, creating towering walls of purple and red flames. She then dropped back to the ground and set her eyes back upon Laysh, who looked undeterred and more confident.
"You'll still have to come and get me, I don't intend to run into your traps," Laysh said with a smirk. Her confidence was shaken when Lenz held out her hand as a deep, purple blade of energy formed. She phased out and narrowly missed an overhead slash attempt when Laysh barely dodged it. Small batches of ice melted and flaked off of Lenz's hands from the close proximity of Laysh's aura, but didn't do much to slow her down. Laysh herself glided to a safer distance before she dared to stop, amazed by the sudden speed in which Lenz had come at her. Lenz shuddered with fury and charged at her again, sword held back for a strike.
Laysh quickly gathered a counterattack and fired, "Koori Kometoo!" Her Ice Comet smashed head on into Lenz and formed a large and irregular ball of ice. Laysh sighed with relief for a moment, but that relief was replace by panic when the ice ball suddenly glowed red and shattered. Lenz paused long enough to drop her sword and prepare a strong energy beam instead, forming a deep purple ball between her hands. Laysh cringed as she instantly knew that she wasn't going to be able to counter this attack and prepared to dodge.
"Super Galic Gun!" Lenz shouted as she fired straight at Laysh's position. Laysh didn't bother waiting for the beam to even come close before she quickly flew towards her left, which then allowed the beam to plow into the flame walls and shoot into the distance. Laysh paused long enough to witness this before a strong kick struck the back of her head from the phasing-in Lenz. Laysh crashed into the ground face-first before quickly rolling sideways, just missing Lenz's follow-up punch. Laysh scrambled to get up and leapt into the air to get away, only to be struck hard in the stomach by a vicious punch that doubled her over. Her Shivering Armor technique didn't even have time to take effect before Lenz was already through her guard. Lenz moved behind and smashed Laysh's back with another strong kick, sending her crashing through three of the frozen pillars, shattering them. Laysh lay facedown on the ground for a moment before a well of blood came up and her breathing became shallow. Lenz didn't let her have much of a breather before she stomped down hard on Laysh's back, causing her to cry out in pain. Lenz repeated the action over and over, quickly causing Laysh's energy levels to drop from injury.
Back in the twin Shadow Bubbles, Vang stood with his arms crossed, chuckling, "Now that's more like it. Are you impressed yet boy?"
Verto's fists shook as his black hair flashed with silver as it stood on end, "What do you think? I already knew she would probably beat Laysh if her demon powers came into play. Are you satisfied with that answer?"
Vang smirked, "More or less."
"Then how about you undo whatever control you have on her now. It's not like she needs it now," Verto suggested.
Vang glanced at him briefly, "It won't be that easy boy. It's very, very similar to how that Overmind creature has influenced your other friends, unleashing their rage. The difference is that I cannot control her directly, just give her a little nudge in the right direction. It is not easily interrupted as you probably know by now."
Verto grimaced as his hair turned fully silver, completing the transformation, "Then I'll end this, now."
Vang's grin subsided slightly, "And just how do you plan to do that and have enough left to take me on? Besides, maybe the other girl will use her latent energy as well. She could still win at this rate, there's no need to be hasty."
Verto eyed him after those words just before his power reached its peak and brightened the bubble, "You sound nervous Vang. I wonder why that is."
Vang paused in thought, "What makes you think I'm nervous?"
"Your words suggest that you want this to drag on, either to provoke me or to see one of them get killed. I doubt Laysh will be able to use her deep power like Lenz can, they're completely different in that regard. The only other reason I can think of is that you don't have as much control over Goku as you seem to. Either way, this isn't going to continue," Verto said as he held his arms out slightly.
"Maybe you're right, then again maybe you're not. The ball is in your court boy, what is it going to be?" Vang asked. Verto didn't answer as he instead focused on building his power up to break the bubble. It shuddered slightly but showed no real sign of breaking, frustrating Verto slightly. Outside, Lenz was still trying to break Laysh's back with her constant stomping, which only motivated Verto more.
"Kaio-ken!" he shouted. The bubble glowed bright with green before it shattered like glass just as a round ball of light came screeching out. Lenz barely had time to turn before Verto smashed into her unguarded. She was stunned from the blow and landed flat on her back. He wasted no time in stepping down hard onto both arms and summoning twin green swords above his head. In a flash he stabbed Lenz cleanly through both of her hands, effectively pinning her down. She screamed in pain before the swords finally faded, to which she turned onto her side and held her hollowed-out hands as they began to spill blood.
Verto's powerful green Kaio-ken aura faded back to his normal silver one as he knelt down, "Sorry." Lenz winced and nodded from the fetal position, remaining in place as she tried to recover from the attack.
Verto eyed her carefully, Good, looks like the sudden onset of injury was enough to snap her out of it just like Gohan and the others. His influence must make that form just like the Berserker mode, or maybe it's already like that. She didn't want to use it before he made her after all. I didn't want to have to handicap her from being able to fight, but at least this way Vang can't use her directly against us now. Verto went to check on Laysh right away, who was whimpering slightly from the beating she had sustained. He didn't need to examine her much before he noticed that her back had been broken in several places by Lenz fierce attacks.
He sighed and pulled out the last candy that Leira had given him and held it to Laysh's lips, "Try to swallow this." She opened her mouth enough for him to slip it in before he stood up and set his eyes on Vang.
Laysh's injuries healed within a few moments before she sat up and looked herself over, "That hit the spot. Wait, don't tell me that was the last one?"
Verto nodded grimly as he stared forward, "I need you mobile, even if you aren't part of this fight you could get dragged into it." Laysh stood up carefully and looked over at Lenz, whose hands were shaking from the painful wounds.
"Geez, remind me never to piss you off kid," Laysh exclaimed. Verto didn't answer as he stepped closer to the remaining Shadow Bubble that Vang was inside of.
Vang himself looked slightly amused at what had just transpired, "Nicely done, looks like you're at least well versed in that adolescent power that you all possess."
Verto stopped a few dozen feet away, "And what is that supposed to mean?"
"Your demon energy isn't pure since you're part monkey. Therefore when it emerges at a young age, it is not only too strong for you to control, it is also immature. Thus it comes out as the lesser and unstable Psionic energy. Once enough time and training has allowed it to partially mature, it becomes Chi energy. An unbalanced and untrained mind will still not be able to quite handle it, as both you and the girl are well aware of," Vang explained.
Verto scowled, "Your point?"
"My point is that since you are still young, you can still not fathom the powers you possess, or rather, you inherited," Vang replied.
Verto's lip twitched, "So you know about that too then?"
Vang uncrossed his arms, "Of course I know about it young fool. I'm the one that caused it to happen! I crippled your predecessor and forced him to give away his powers before they were eventually lost. I wasn't the cause of his eventual death, but I did guarantee it. That being known as Verto had power far beyond your own, some of which you would never be able to wield. Do you know why that is?"
Verto tapped his foot impatiently, "Are you going to come out or not? I don't have time for a history lessen I could give a shit less about."
Vang's grin re-emerged, "What's wrong, don't you like to be well-informed?"
Verto snorted slightly, "Anytime someone has a moment to spill some truth there seems to be a slew of other shit happening at the same time to distract me. I'll figure it all out later when I'm not caught up in every other mess!"
Vang laughed slightly, "Oh you're not like your ancestor at all, at least he would make time for a peaceful dialogue. I'd blame it on your Saiyan blood, but like him, you're only half Saiyan. The other half is that weakling human blood that somehow manages to excel when it shouldn't."
Verto's eyes narrowed, "If I'm half human, how could you know that for sure?"
Vang snickered slightly, "The last time we met I managed to hold onto your body long enough to at least examine it. I'll give Leira credit, it was very well designed considering it was flowing with unstable DNA. My guess is that it was designed to eventually skip ahead an age or two before it settled down. Your energy signal didn't have that human stain to it last time, now it does."
Verto's eyes widened, The aging potion she gave me, it must've had another purpose! So that's why my appearance changed too. I should have realized it when Gohan mentioned that I felt different. This guy clearly knows more about me than he lets on. I can't afford to get distracted here, but at the same time, I have to know why Leira has interfered with my life.
"And why would that need to be done, since you have all the answers?" Verto asked.
"Oh finally ready to hear some of your history are you? The short answer is this: Leira knew that if you began to show signs of latent demon energy once your powers began to show, it would corrupt your Saiyan blood so much that you would eventually turn into a full-fledged demon. That is how my people used to find recruits you see. A hybrid race is much more resilient to this corruption, thus your human cells would be reactivated to help you resist," Vang claimed.
Verto was taken slightly aback, "Wait, what? Your people? And how would she reactivate human DNA if I was already a hybrid? I was examined thoroughly and judged to be full Saiyan."
Vang smirked, "Technology can be fooled, so can senses. Haven't you wondered exactly how you suddenly started turning into a Saiyan years ago? I mean, why you and not another, let's say, better prepared human? Didn't you find that story that the futuristic Bulma and her son told you a bit odd, or was your life so lacking in worth that you accepted anything you heard? I imagine you've operated on the basis of thinking that Leira just stepped into your life recently. That is not true. She's been involved at least partially from day one. You were selected from a small list of candidates and were the only successful outcome. Your original human body died the day you became a Saiyan, but it had to be used as a partial template to maintain a stable transition. Your soul was quite literally moved to your current body while you slept, making a seemingly seamless transition. Bulma and Trunks had no idea what exactly had truly happened obviously, as they believed that they had solved your problems with a magic pill. The one responsible for that though was Leira herself. She followed the wishes of her brother and handpicked you to be his successor. You were given a large portion of his power at the onset, and then the rest of it at a later time during your encounter with the Zerg. I guess it's too bad that she won't be able to enjoy the fruits of her labor now."
Verto listened carefully, feeling shock and surprise invade his mind as he nearly fell from dizziness, "That can't all be true."
Vang frowned, "Oh it is my boy, I used the special time travel room in this place to confirm it for myself. And it probably clears a few things up for you, like how you're being molded for her personal gains. She doesn't care for any of your friends, they're all expendable. She only wants her brother to come back so they can continue with their plans to conquer the known universe. But we're not going to let that happen are we?"
Verto's head snapped up towards him, "No, definitely not. Tell me though, how is it I have this supposed demon power, where does it come from? You mentioned your people and I know a little about the cursed Saiyans, including these two."
"Looks like I've perked your full attention now, isn't the truth nice? I'll keep this fairly simple, my people are all demons. We are involved in a cold war against a ruling council known as the Guardians. They are a mixed race of god-like beings that were spawned from the true gods and were granted immortality when the creators of the universe vanished. The demon lords are a separate and dark faction that oppose the Guardians' will to interfere only when they see fit. The lower beings, such as you, are constantly caught in the crossfire. Now here's the part that should interest you a bit. The original Verto's father was a half-breed of both sides. He then illegally mated with a Saiyan woman, birthing your predecessor and his twin sister Leira. After he was banished, the children were split between both sides. When they met again years later, they were both very much involved in the Super Saiyan civil war that Vegeta spoke of. Leira betrayed her demon brethren and rejoined her brother, I believe you can probably figure out the rest from there. That is why you have demon energy buried deep within, although some of it is starting to come to the surface. Leira had to take more measures to ensure it didn't become a problem, which is why she likely had you take a special potion to reactivate your human blood while you were away in that alternate realm. Am I correct?" Vang continued.
Laysh stared at Verto with concern as he nodded, "Yeah."
"Your powers won't change much from that, nor will your strength given your training. But she did take away most of the threat of ever achieving a demonic form that, given time, would have been quite disastrous to her plans. And to most of the known universe. It could still certainly happen, but it's much less likely now," Vang added.
Verto closed his eyes momentarily to help push back any anger that he had built up, no matter who it was towards, "Is there anything else I need to know?"
Vang grinned, "Did she tell you the truth about your alter ego? That darker part of your being that allied itself with the Overmind?"
Verto's eyes widened again, "How did you…"
Vang held up his hand, "Please, I already told you how I know. Whether it was by seeing another person's thoughts or by the Pendulum Room, I can research anything. What you probably don't know is that dark spirit was actually the mind of the Saiyan hybrid your body originally belonged to when it was created. When it was released by the Overmind, it discovered some of the power you were given and rebelled against you. And while you think you had gotten rid of it after you expelled it, you would be very, very wrong. It's out there, somewhere, festering like an open wound. It will return someday to claim your head in revenge, and nothing you do will be able to stop that!"
Verto scowled, "But if it's in spirit form, it can't do anything."
Vang frowned, "Be mindful boy, you're smarter than you let on. Would you use that judgment on a being such as me? Your dark side is no different than I am. Leira and those old fools lied to you to ease your mind, but rest assured, it was no random accident that made that creature. It may not have had quite the same power as you did at the time thanks to that Cerebrate creature, but believe me when I say this: You were and still are destined to join our side, whether you want to or not."
Verto sighed deeply as he stared at the ground, "Fine, whatever." The bubble around Vang subsided as his hair suddenly stood on end and turned gold as electric sparks flew up around his body, showing that he had transformed to Super Saiyan two.
"Now that your background is out of the way, I'm ready to start this fight, end your pain and bring you peace. Prepare yourself!" Vang ordered.
Verto sank into his stance as his silver aura reactivated, but the turmoil caused by Vang's speech had clearly rattled him. Verto was so distracted that he couldn't even block the first punch that smashed into his face.
PL
Lenz: 250,000,000; Semi-Demon: 500,000,000
Laysh: 250,000,000
Verto (SM): 620,000,000; Kaio-ken: 930,000,000
Vangku: TBA
WDG: Ahahahaha. Vangku... :'D
VB: Gokang didn't sound quite right.