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 104: Balance Point
"Verto, wake up!"
Verto realized that he was lying on his back instead of being choked and slowly opened his eyes. He saw Goku standing over him, dressed in his usual red-orange gi with blue underneath.
"Goku? Wait, you're Vang!" he said as he jumped to his feet and readied himself to fight again.
"No, you've got it all wrong," Goku said. When he glanced around, he saw that they were in a much different place than before. The skies were blue, the grass was green, and they were both next to a shrine of some sort. It took a moment for Verto to realize that they were at the very shrine that Goku called home for many years before he trained with Master Roshi as a child.
"What's going on?" Verto asked suspiciously.
Goku rubbed the back of his head slightly, "I'm not sure really. One minute I was watching you and Vang fight, and the next we were both here. I can't figure out how that happened."
Verto's eyes narrowed, "Wait, you're the other Goku right? The one from this world, not mine?"
Goku lit up with surprise before grinning sheepishly, "Oh yeah, that's right. I guess I forgot to mention that too."
"Then we must be having a meeting of the minds or something. This happened last time I fought Vang, only it was a human girl that was being held hostage in her own body," Verto explained.
"I guess that makes sense…" Goku muttered as he trailed off.
"What's wrong?" Verto asked.
"I regret that things came to this. You wouldn't be here if I had the strength to keep that creature at bay. But it was also because of you that it happened," Goku said with a distinct change of tone. It wasn't quite anger, but it was more of a heavy disappointment.
Verto sighed, "Yeah, had I killed his previous host fast instead of slow, he wouldn't have been able to come here. Sorry, I was just too hesitant about using my negative energy."
Goku's stern expression deepened, "That's not what I meant. What you're doing now is just like the other Verto did before he fell."
Verto was taken aback, "What do you mean by that? I'm not that guy and I think I've proven it."
Goku shook his head, "No, but you're going down the exact same path, I can see it clear as day."
"Now wait a minute, Gohan and the others explained to me what happened. That the darkness within him took control, he hurt and killed many others including our friends, and that wasn't even including the Zerg part. I conquered that same darkness and expelled it. Even if it does come back to fight me again in another form like Vang thinks, it is still gone for now," Verto argued.
"No, I wasn't talking about that dark spirit. I mean the way you've allowed yourself to rely on your inner power at all times. That power is evil, you should never have to resort to it so quickly! Being in that state is only hurting you inside and you know it. Someday you're going to lose control of it and that will be it. You will become the very evil you've sworn to defend against!" Goku said in almost a shout.
Verto grimaced, "I don't want to have to resort to it, but it hasn't always been up to me Goku. It's so easy for it to happen right now that all it takes is someone to say the wrong thing and I'm already on the edge. There was another group of Saiyans that we met that have Psionic powers like I do. One of them can use a mental ability to flood someone else with negative feelings. He did it to me and I haven't been able to get past it yet. Fortunately I can control it to an extent."
Goku's frown grew larger, "That's just an excuse Verto, you're strong enough that you can push past anything thrown at you. If that guy's power really had that much control over you, then you couldn't have defeated anyone else you fought with afterwards. It's always been easier to use your power in a dark and evil way because destroying things is easier than protecting."
Verto became incensed and his eyes turned red, "All I've done with this power is protect others!"
Goku didn't back down, "I don't mean just your power when you lose your control and start using your demon energy. I mean even in your normal or Super Mystic state as well. You've been much more aggressive and more eager to hurt than normal. I saw your memories of your battles with that strange doctor, Lenz, and then when you traveled to that other Earth to help them against the Renegade Saiyans. You might blame it on that guy's abilities, but what is really driving it is yourself. Look at what you nearly did to Frieza."
Verto's eyes glowed, "Oh don't even go there. No matter what was going on in my head at the time, that bastard has gotten off easy!"
Goku folded his arms with disappointment, "Frieza has paid for his sins with his life and he is in Hell for it. Killing him to the point of not even being able to repent is wrong. Even if he never changes his ways, at least you know that he can't hurt anyone else where he is now. Erasing someone's existence completely should not be up to you. Who are you to judge somebody like that? There is always an alternative! Would you use that same judgment on anyone you fight in the future? Weren't you once told that every soul has the potential to be completely different if they were to come back in a reincarnated form?"
Verto's eyes faded slightly as he looked down, "Well it's not like these guys are born again good guys after I beat them. And besides, it's not like Vegeta or Piccolo were any different when you fought them for the first time."
"You're right. Not everyone can or will change their ways. Frieza, Cell and Majin Buu are like that because they choose to be like that and they've paid for their crimes. Vang and Frost aren't too different in that regard. Nevertheless, that doesn't mean that you should lower yourself to their level just to defeat them," Goku scolded.
Verto sighed heavily again as his eyes shifted to slightly neutral black for the moment, "What if it's true though Goku? What if this demon energy I have turns out to be the real thing? What if I'm just going to turn into another villain that wants to destroy everything?"
Goku turned away for the moment, "You want to know? Here I'll show you."
The scenery flashed bright for a moment before settling into something else. It showed the group of Z warriors donned in Saiyan armor confronting a large swarm of Zerg that were coming out of a huge brown-orange cloud that resembled thick dust. Each of them were taking out the various forms of Zerg whether it be by close combat or by blasting them at range. Verto took note of the presence of Goten and Trunks near the front, both of which looked about the same age as when the Zerg had first invaded. Out of the Zerg swarm, a bright silver aura rushed out and shot towards the boys. Trunks saw it first and shouted a warning to Goten, but it was too late. Goten was punched down easily by a similar sized figure with silver hair. Verto realized that it was really himself he was seeing, with the exception of Zerg appendages attached to his body and a slightly green skin tone. Alt-Verto bashed Trunks away when he tried to attack before reaching down and grabbing Goten by the throat. He lifted him up with only his left hand as he grinned evilly and charged a powerful blast in his free hand. Trunks had barely looked up from his spot on the ground to see this as Goku's voice echoed in the background.
"No, Verto! Stop this!" Alt-Verto only looked back for a moment before he aimed and fired a shot that tore through Goten's chest. Alt-Verto dropped Goten's corpse and blasted off into the swarm of Zerg, vanishing for the moment. A few of Bardock's crew members took off after him enraged and disappeared into the dust behind the Zerg for a moment. Bright flashes went off before they were sent flying back out with energy sword wounds where their hearts were supposed to be. Goku picked up his lifeless son and shook in place as the realization hit. Bardock felt the same for his comrades while the others could only look on in horror. The scene faded to black for a moment as Goku eyed Verto's reaction carefully. Verto was staring at the ground with his eyes closed while a heavy feeling of guilt and sorrow washed over him.
"Do you understand now?" Goku asked.
"You don't need to show me what happened. I get it, the other Verto did some very bad things. My…I mean our dark side was not a good person," Verto replied uneasily.
Goku grimaced, "This was before he expelled the evil spirit that you both had. It was much worse afterwards when he had split from the Zerg."
Verto's eyes shot wide open, "What?"
"Gohan and the others didn't tell you everything there was to tell. When he came back to us from the Zerg initially, he was fighting against his dark side like you did. We helped him to expel it, but even after he did, he didn't recover. There was still a Zerg presence within him and we couldn't figure out a way to eliminate it. Piccolo thought it was because he didn't know how to fully control his Psi energy, and when he started to train at the lookout with Piccolo, that's when the demon energy came into the picture. He killed Piccolo and Dende when he lost control by accident," Goku explained.
Verto hesitated to answer to this, "Are you sure it was an accident?"
Goku also hesitated to answer, "It is difficult to tell, but that's how it was described by Mister Popo. Vegeta and I agreed that it would be best not to push you, I mean him, but the damage was already done. This is what happened the very next night."
The area behind Goku switched to what appeared to be a darkened Capsule Corp at nighttime. Goku was rummaging through the fridge when he heard a loud, piercing scream. "Chichi?" he asked as he ran down the hall. He entered the bedroom to find Chichi collapsed on the floor with a small but deep foot imprint on her neck.
"Chichi no!" Goku cried out as he picked her up, but she was already gone.
As he was putting her on the bed he heard another shout that was from his son, "Videl!" Goku rushed to where Gohan was, finding him collapsed and crying over an unmoving Videl, covered in blood.
"Gohan what happened?" Goku asked with a terrified tone. Gohan shook his head as if he didn't know and continued to weep.
Trunks came up behind Goku, "What's going on?" Goku turned to him and was about to say something before he heard one more scream coming from the downstairs area. Both he and Trunks quickly made their way there to find Bulma being attacked by a small spiky-headed figure that despite being in Super Mystic form had glowing red eyes.
"You think you can control me? Putting a little tag in my neck when I'm out of it? Now you're going to pay!" Alt-Verto said as he suddenly stabbed into Bulma's baby bump with his green sword.
"NOOO!" Goku shouted.
"Mom!" Trunks cried out next to him as Alt-Verto turned and grinned evilly. Bulma coughed up blood as she slumped with her stomach ripped open, also leaking out red and staining the floor. Alt-Verto didn't say another word before he rushed out of the building, shortly before several of the Z warriors chased after him.
The memory faded and Goku faced Verto again, whose expression had changed.
He was no longer even trying to hide his guilty feelings, as he had sunk to his knees and begun to cry slightly, "I-I did all that?"
Goku's sternness softened slightly, "Yes. And I fear that it can happen again if you continue down this path of violence. We can't change the past, but you can change your future, today!"
Verto looked up as tears poured out of his eyes, "How?"
"The first step is to stop burying your feelings and becoming cold to others. I know that it's part of the way you are, but I know you can be caring and loving at the same time, instead of being cold and ruthless. If someone like Vegeta can change, even a little bit, then it can be done. When you don't use your feelings, you may be able to focus in battle better, but at the same time you stop being a person and just become a fighting machine. It's alright to hide your feelings during a fight, but not all the time. When you do that, it's easier to say that you're just fighting for the sake of fighting," Goku explained.
Verto looked at him confused, "Wait, aren't we both Saiyans, well at least partially? And all Saiyans love a good fight?"
Goku blinked sharply, "Oh that's right. Darn, what are the right words for this? I wish Chichi were here so she could tell me, but then she'd just yell at me for growing up in the mountains again and being unedjumacated or something..." Verto's sobbing ended when he let out a hearty laugh instead, drawing Goku's own confusion.
Verto laughed so hard he fell over, "That is so like you Goku."
Goku allowed himself to chuckle for a moment as he rubbed the back of his head again, "I guess it is." Both of them laughed it off before things became serious again, though the tension had eased considerably.
"So, just out of curiosity, what did he mean by control when he attacked Bulma?" Verto asked.
Goku paused, "I'm not exactly sure, but it might have to do with her idea to implant tracking chips under everyone's skin. We all agreed that it was a good idea at the time, I guess he didn't."
Verto grimaced, "I'm not really into that brand of thinking, but against the Zerg I can understand the idea. Were these microchips designed to do something other than track people though?"
Goku rubbed his head in confusion, "I don't think so, but I'm not really good with that stuff. You'd have to ask Bulma about that."
Verto shifted his legs to sit cross-legged as he stared at the ground, "If I get out of this mess first. I know what I have to do to beat him, but I can't to do it. On top of that he's very strong."
"Well, what I've been trying to say is that you've trained yourself to be so cold in battle that you forget why you're fighting in the first place. And I think it's that uncaring ruthlessness that really brings out your demon energy. It's to the point now that when you become furious the effect is increased several times over. You become a different person," Goku continued.
Verto nodded, "That's how Dabura taught me to use the soul burning technique, since it's the polar opposite of the Spirit Bomb. When I used it for the first time, I thought I had no choice since Babidi was using that undead freak from Hell just to get to me. I never even considered telling the Kais or anyone else to help deal with it, I just acted instead. I almost killed Kibito Kai that day when he tried to stop me, and he was only trying to help. It didn't happen again until later when I was really pushed to do it during the first battle with Vang, but once that happened I noticed that I was always really easy to anger. When Doctor Wheelo and his goons were trying to kill us, my mind was trying to tell me that I was on the wrong path and I embraced my dark power in order to maintain some sort of sanity. But then I just took it too far when Android Thirteen wouldn't stop killing others. After that it was so hard to keep control of it, and when Chal flooded me with negative energy I just let it fly. I killed so many of Frost's soldiers and I enjoyed it, at the time. I felt so free."
"And you regret it now?" Goku asked.
Verto looked grim as he turned away, "Completely. I even used that power against Kaon, the demon that's inside of Lenz. I wanted to help her but was so far gone that I couldn't use my feedback technique anymore. At that point it became who lived and who died. When I went up against all those evil and weak demons, all they had to do was say the wrong thing and I killed them without even thinking. It might have been Chal shouting in my mental ear so to speak, but I was the one that let it happen. And here, I even used it against Vegeta, and you."
Goku squatted down and put a hand on Verto's shoulder, "I know, and I know it's been hard. But somehow you kept from killing them. Whether they're our friends from my world or the other timeline, you still held back enough, and because of that there's still hope for you."
"How so?"
"Because if you had actually been able to follow through with it and fight unrestrained by any guilt, then you truly would have become the demon instead. It's never good to hurt the people you care about, even if they're trying to kill you themselves. You showed real restraint today by only injuring Vegeta and Lenz enough to where they snapped out of it. And you saved my son from himself. Zerg or no Zerg, Gohan wanted to kill you again because of what happened before, and you saved him. No evil demon would be able to do that, it wouldn't even occur to them," Goku said. He then grabbed Verto by the underarms and hoisted him up to his feet before turning him around to talk directly to his face.
"I forgive you for everything that has happened, but you still have to change. You have to fight with your feelings, otherwise there's no point. It's alright to feel angry and to use it against the evil that threatens you and your friends. It's never bad to fight for what is right and just. But it isn't right for you to turn that anger on those that love you or try to help you, nor is it alright to lose yourself in that anger and go so far that you don't even give your enemy enough compassion to repent for what they've done. If you do, then you become a cold and ruthless killing machine incapable of love of affection. Is that how you want to live? If that's the case, then you might as well join these demons or Guardian people to fight in their war. I know that it's not fun to feel guilty about some of the bad things we've all done, but at least then you're still a person and not a monster. You have to forgive yourself and not dwell on the past, otherwise it will only make you more miserable. I'm sure Vegeta would agree, in his own way," Goku finished.
Verto smiled slightly, "Yeah, you're right about that. I'm just not sure how I'm going to keep myself balanced after all that's happened. That's the only way my feedback technique will work is if I can keep the negative energy filtered out."
Goku looked thoughtful, "When Vegeta and I were fused together into Vegito, do you know what our plan was going to be before Majin Buu started ripping dimension holes open? We were going to see if we could get the others out, even if that meant being absorbed by Buu to do it."
Verto paled slightly, "Why in the hell would you do that?" As soon as he said it he felt a bit silly, Wait, as I recall that's what was supposed to happen.
"Well, because we believed we could do it. Obviously it didn't matter in the end, but the point is, when you put your mind to it, anything is possible, right?" Goku asked.
Verto's thought process utterly stopped for a moment, "I guess that's true."
Goku stood up with a wide grin, "Of course it is, but do you know why people say that?"
Verto also got back to his feet, "Because no matter how tough things get, if you don't believe it what you're trying to do, you'll never succeed."
Goku's hand returned to Verto's shoulder for reassurance, "Something like that. It's also because it's never easy to take the high road and stick to your morals or beliefs, that's why it's the harder road. You do have a great power within you, but it won't be that way if you're fighting to destroy as you'll only hurt yourself in the long you're strong, but that doesn't make you the one to pass judgments on others. And when you're up against someone like Vang, just remember the people you're fighting for and why you're fighting for them. You're trying to protect them, not hurt them. Let that thought alone be your weapon."
Verto nodded, "Thanks Goku."
Goku held out his hand to Verto as it began to glow bright gold, "I'm glad that you understand. Now go show that monster what kind of warrior you really are!"
Vang scowled as the Z fighters gathered near him, with the addition of Laysh, Lenz, Trunks and the other Goku.
"Now what do all of you want? I'm a bit busy right now," Vang remarked as he continued to channel his dark energy into Verto's limp body.
"We want you to let him and my father go!" Alt-Gohan began.
Vang smirked, "Your father won't matter in a few more minutes, so I'll gladly give him back after I'm done. As for the boy, why do you care? You yourself wanted him dead after he destroyed your family. In fact, I believe it was you that finished him off."
Gohan's glare hardened, "Revenge is in the past, and that was the Overmind edging me on. I care now because he's my friend!"
Vang stopped channeling his energy for a moment, "Some friend, but only a fool like you could call him that after everything that's happened. I doubt you're the same way, are you Vegeta? This brat nearly killed your son and your wife. And he did kill your defenseless daughter while she was still in the womb."
Alt-Vegeta remained eerily calm, "I've been manipulated enough today demon, I will not fall for your tricks. Release the boy and fight us like a Saiyan would. Surely Kakarot would at least want to defeat us properly first."
From the side, Goku turned his head slightly as he held onto Lenz for support, "I don't want to fight you or the others Vegeta."
Vegeta's calm demeanor vanished as some veins on his forehead popped out, "I was talking about the other Kakarot, idiot!"
Goku stared at Vang, or rather his own reflection, "Well if he's really like me underneath I don't think he would want to either."
Vegeta shook his fist slightly at this, "Argh! Just one of you is bad enough! And why are you so damned weak? You were next to that fur ball's tower the entire time! Surely you could have stopped by and grabbed one of those beans! Or are you just this naturally weak in the other timeline?"
Goku winced and rubbed the back of his head with his free hand, "Well the Senzu bean did heal all my injuries, but Vang's energy poison thing can't be cured that easily. Korin said he wasn't even sure if the cleansing power of the sacred water would help. I can't even fly like this."
Vegeta was tempted to blast Goku at this point, "So you come to the battlefield as a crutch instead of an asset, only you would do something as idiotic as that Kakarot!"
Goku frowned, "Well what about you Vegeta? You barely have any energy left, you'll just be in the way too!"
Vegeta's growl filled the air, "Fool, I recover faster than anyone now! Surely the other version of myself has the same ability."
Vang chuckled, "I'll save you two the trouble of speculation, your holy water won't do anything about my spectral poison no matter how much you drink. It isn't like an infection such as one caused by the Overmind's essence that you're all so familiar with. Now, if you're done with your pointless bickering, I would like to get back to it. If you've come to get in my way, then I'm afraid that we have a problem."
Vegeta's trademark smirk appeared as he turned to Vang, "That's where you're wrong demon. Even with our Kakarot's power, do you honestly think you can take all of us at once?"
Vang was undeterred, "Without the help of the Overmind, none of you are as strong as you claim to be. After watching you get blown down by this kid, I'm surprised you had the nerve to show up here. It doesn't matter though, because whether you like it or not, you're not going to interfere!" Vang's purple Chi spread out a bit before forming a solid but dark bubble-like shield around both him and the unconscious Verto. Vegeta responded by suddenly turning Super Saiyan and blasting the shield with as much energy as he could muster. When the smoke cleared there wasn't even a blemish. Bardock and Alt-Trunks followed suit and threw ki blast after ki blast at the dense Shadow Bubble in an attempt to break it through attrition.
Trunks and Tien were about to jump in when Gohan held up his hands to stop everyone, "It's no use guys, we can't break that shield. Even if I blasted it with my full power as it is now, I'm not sure it would even have an effect."
"Then what can we do?" Alt-Trunks asked.
Gohan was flustered, "I'm not sure."
"Can't we combine our power or something, that thing has to have a limit! Everything does after all. I saw the kid break it by himself earlier when he was trapped," Laysh pointed out.
Goku looked like he was concentrating on something rather intently, "Guys, I think you should donate your power to Verto."
"What? What are you saying Kakarot? All we'll be doing is wasting it on that boy, then Vang will use it against us when he takes over!" Vegeta argued.
"He's right my son. I think we have no choice but to wait. It's not the preferred option, but it's better if we wait it out and then fight him together when he comes out on his own. No matter which body he's uses, Vang cannot hope to beat us all and he knows it," Bardock suggested.
Lenz looked particularly crushed over this suggestion, "You can't. If Vang takes over Verto's body, he'll gain more power than you think. He's spoken of a power that's beyond anything we can imagine, and that's a lot as it is. He said that even Gohan's maximum power would seem like nothing in comparison." This drew more than a few surprised glances as they all considered the possibilities.
"But giving him more power is a better solution? At least Bardock's idea makes sense! Even if that version of Verto isn't like the one that we knew, he's still capable of the same evil. I have no intention of giving him any of my power when it's clear that we'll have to fight Vang anyway! I prefer to be able to fight with my full power rather than give it away!" Alt-Trunks claimed.
Tien nodded in agreement, "After what he did to Krillin and Chiaotzu, I can't forgive him!"
"But that wasn't the Verto that came from my world! He needs our help!" Trunks argued. Gohan glanced towards the other version of his father, who stared back with a look of desperation.
"I know we can't look past the things our Verto did, but we can't just leave this one to suffer for it either. That makes us no better," Gohan said.
Goku frowned slightly, "I know it's been difficult guys. I've been able to speak to the other version of me telepathically from time to time, and he's willing to forgive Verto over what has happened. If he can forgive him, then the rest of you have no reason not to. I know you can't hear it, but the other me is calling for you to help Verto now. Give some of your energy to him like you've done for me in the past. If you truly were his friends, you'll trust me."
Everyone glanced at each other before Gohan sighed heavily, "Right, Dad."
Alt-Trunks hesitated, "I guess there's no reason not to try it. I've never seen you steer us wrong Goku."
Tien grimaced slightly, "If Goku says it's the right thing to do, I can't argue with it."
Vegeta took the longest to respond, "Imbeciles. If we all followed what Kakarot said all the time we'd all be long dead. I'm only doing this so I can fight the boy again!" Almost in unison, the Z fighters raised their arms and aimed their energy lightly towards the Shadow Bubble, causing it to glow gold and white after a few seconds.
As it grew brighter, Gohan realized something was wrong, "It's not penetrating through!"
"Argh, I knew this would be a waste of energy!" Vegeta grumbled.
Goku looked thoughtful, "No, it isn't! Keep it going guys! Trust me, it'll go through!" Shortly after he said this, the Shadow Bubble pulsed and cracked apart, causing the donated energy of the Z fighters to quickly shoot through and vanish. It was fairly apparent that it hadn't been them that broke though, but rather it was Vang who intentionally took his own defense down.
Vang, who was still at the stage of Super Saiyan three, looked highly irritated, "Just what are you fools trying to do? Don't disturb me, I'll kill you all when I'm good and ready!" He was quite suddenly punched in the face by Verto and forced away from him. Vang was able to stop himself quickly and scowled as Verto appeared to completely snap out of it. His eyes had returned to their semi-normal blue color while his aura became white and clear.
"So, you're not quite done are you? Well that's fine, but now you'll have to suffer through seeing these losers get killed," Vang laughed.
Verto's nostrils flared as his energy rose quickly, "Those are my friends, you won't touch them!" Bright silver and white flashed as Verto transformed again, and Vang felt a cold shiver crawl up his spine when he felt the power level.
Boom-lay boom-lay, boom!
Boom-lay boom-lay, boom!
Boom-lay boom-lay, Boom!
Verto's Super Mystic power glowed with such vivid intensity that matched the brightness of the sun above. Even Vang couldn't help but feel uncertainty when the younger Saiyan stared him down. Once his power up was complete, Verto felt something strange about his energy and he stared down at his hands for a moment.
He looked to the others nearby, realizing that it was their energy he felt helping him along, "Thanks."
Vegeta snorted slightly, "You had better not waste an ounce of that energy! If you do, you won't be spared my wrath, even at the bottom of Hell!"
Gohan winced, "Oh boy, there's no helping him. Verto, we believed in you once, make us believe again."
Verto nodded, "I'll do what I can, no promises." Verto turned his attention back to Vang, whose uncertainty had faded as he folded his arms.
"So, you think that little boost is going to change anything kid? I hate to burst your bubble, but even at equal power you won't defeat me," Vang boasted.
Verto sunk into his stance, "Maybe, maybe not. We won't find out until I try. But there is something you're forgetting."
Vang laughed, "And what would that be?"
"You're still at Super Saiyan Three. That means the longer you stay powered up, the more energy you'll lose since that transformation demands so much of it. Any sort of heavy damage will accelerate that," Verto pointed out.
Vang smirked, "Maybe, but I also know that whenever you exceed your limits like this, you can't sustain it for much more than a few attacks. So humor me again." Verto didn't answer as he appeared to settle into a deep state of focus. Vang matched this and energy pulsed between them momentarily, sending off occasionally clashes that lit the sky.
Wait, wait a minute take a step back, gotta think twice before you react.
So stay, stay a little while cause a promise not kept is the road to exile
Hey, what's the circumstance, you'll never be great without taking a chance
So, wait, you waited too long, had your hands in your pocket when you should've been gone.
Vang moved first, phasing out and attempting to attack Verto from behind. Verto blocked the punch attempt with his forearm as lightning burst a the point of collision. Vang growled in slight frustration and began punching in rapid fashion. Verto matched the intense barrage with his own display, blocking or dodging anytime Vang got too close, but always keeping pace. Their fists collided so many times that everyone nearby lost track. When they finally separated, Vang gathered a strong blue blast in his hands, one that Verto was well aware of. Vang began phasing in and out rapidly around the area as he charged another Kamehameha, trying to outflank Verto. Verto turned his head at each appearance quickly, unsure where Vang was actually going to strike from. When he felt Vang's attack top out, his fists glowed bright green in anticipation.
(Boom-lay boom-lay boom)
One push is all you need!
(Boom-lay boom-lay boom)
Fist first philosophy!
(Boom-lay boom-lay boom)
We watch with wounded eyes!
(Boom-lay boom-lay boom)
So I hope you recognize!
"HAAA!" Vang shouted from behind. The large Kamehameha obscured nearly everyone's vision of Verto's position since Vang had appeared between them.
"Verto no!" Lenz shouted as the Kamehameha slowed before it detonated on target, covering Verto's position with smoke and dust.
"Damn, we didn't give him enough energy!" Alt-Trunks claimed.
The sound of Vang's deep laugh erupted from in front of the group, "Hahaha, that idiot took it head on! Even he should know that he couldn't have gotten out unscathed! I guess I should feel bad though, I wanted his power after all. Oh well, some you win, some you lose!"
Gohan's eyes narrowed, "Something's not right."
"What do you mean?" Bardock asked.
"I could feel it, Verto's power was equal with Vang's. That blast shouldn't have hurt him that much, but now I can't be sure since I don't sense his energy," Gohan explained.
Lenz's anger overflowed into her aura, which pulsed with random red and blue hues, "I'll make that bastard pay!"
Goku, who was holding onto her for support, attempt to console her, "Hey, don't worry. Verto won't be done in that easily!" The smoke began to clear and suddenly they all sensed Verto's energy again. Once he reemerged, they saw a glowing energy sword that was sparking with excess golden energy, and it undoubtedly had belonged to Vang.
Vang was in shock, "How? You can't hold that much extra energy without it blowing up in your hands! You're already at your limit of receiving extra power!"
Verto grinned slightly as he held up the blade, though far from easily, "Good thing I didn't actually absorb it then. You're right that I can't take in too much, that's probably why some of it did explode, but it wasn't enough to do much."
Lenz's face melted from anger into joy as Goku smiled with assurance, "He's going to win."
Out on the front line, don't worry I'll be fine.
The story is just beginning.
I say goodbye to my weakness, so long to the regrets.
And now I see the world through Diamond Eyes!
Verto kept a hold of his pulsing energy sword that was stuffed with most of Vang's Kamehameha, seemingly waiting for the right moment to attack. He kept his stare on Vang at all times, but shifted his head slightly as if to indicate a suggestion.
Gohan realized it and was the first to move, "Guys, clear out! We're in their way!" The others quickly flew away, though Lenz was extremely hesitant to leave before she did with Goku in tow. They all landed on a semi-distant mountain top and watched patiently.
Vang's borrowed face filled with frustration as he stared down the younger Saiyan, "You really are more trouble than you're worth boy."
Verto smirked, "Thanks for the compliment." He then braced his sword with both hands and held it over his head, preparing to release the stolen energy. Vang readied himself, fairly certain of what attack was coming. Verto knew what attack he wanted to use at first, but decided that it needed a different name as he swung the blade down.
"Galic Slash!" Vang's eyes narrowed at the attack name, but he was well prepared to deflect the arc-shaped blast as it raced towards him. Just as he batted it aside, Verto phased in right in Vang's face, grabbing his head and ramming his knee into it. Vang's head recoiled badly from whiplash as spit flew out of his mouth, but Verto wasn't done there.
Damn, damn it all down. Took one to the chest without even a sound
So, what, what do you worth? The things you love or the people you hurt?
Hey, it's like deja vu, a suicidal maniac with nothing to lose.
So wait, it's the exception to the rule. Everyone of us is expendable.
Verto dropped down behind Vang and thrust his palms up behind the shoulders, sending him flying high. Verto gave chase is he powered up his right fist again, intent to hammer Vang with all his might. Vang's eyes snapped open as he felt his flight slowing and Verto approaching. He phased out before Verto got there and rushed back into him, kicking hard into Verto's left shoulder and knocking him away. Verto cringed painfully as he struggled to control his momentum and swung his right hand forward to release the energy he had built up.
"Final Shine!" Vang's expression shifted to surprise as he was caught completely off guard. He barely managed to block against the force of the attack just as it struck and exploded. Verto's aura came back on as he managed to stop and observe the results.
Out of the smoke, a slightly battered and bruised Vang snarled in anger, "Kid, you're starting to get under my skin!"
Verto's expression didn't change, "Shit happens, get used to it."
Vang dropped his arms momentarily, "I'll put an end to that smart mouth of yours!"
(Boom-lay boom-lay boom)
One push is all you need!
(Boom-lay boom-lay boom)
Fist first philosophy!
(Boom-lay boom-lay boom)
We watch with wounded eyes.
(Boom-lay boom-lay boom)
So I hope you recognize!
Vang's hands charged with energy as he brought them up and shot several small but strong blasts at his target. Verto deflected the first few and dodged the following shots as Vang kept up the pressure. In the midst of the storm of blasts, Verto conjured his sword again and used it to either deflect the blasts or slice them into harmless vanishing acts. Vang became flustered at this and phased out, reappeared above. Verto stopped the last blast and looked up to see Vang coming in to attack at close range. Just as Verto swung his sword into the attack, Vang reached inside and blocked Verto's arm from completing its motion, causing the green energy blade to vanish. Vang quickly grabbed a hold of Verto's shirt collar and pulled him into a hard head-to-head collision. Verto winced sharply as a trace of blood came off his forehead while his ears rung. Vang smirked and repeated the head butt action a dozen more times, causing some of the blood to trickle onto his own bruised head above where his eyebrows were supposed to be. Verto's eyes burned from some of the blood getting into them and he blindly punched towards Vang, who dodged aside easily before grabbing Verto's opposite arm. He then pulled Verto into a hard knee just below the neckline, stunning Verto as he felt his heart skip a beat. Vang held Verto up by the collar again to look him in his pain filled face before he glanced at the other fighters gathered on a cliff nearby.
"Look at those lost sheep. Even if you did convince them that you deserve their compassion, they're still leaving you to die here. Why do you fight for such wretches?" Vang asked.
Verto coughed hard as a trace of blood trickled out of his mouth, "B-Because I choose to, they're my friends."
Vang gave him another knee into his stomach, "Such nonsense. Your bonds of friendship are nothing but an excuse to stay here. You don't love them, you desire to see them suffer. I've seen the depths of your soul, you resent them for holding you down here, in this place. For not letting you rise to your true potential while they play games with your life! You have a fiery power just begging to come out, let it burn!"
Verto struggled to get out of Vang's grip when he heard a single voice whisper to him, " You do have a great power within you, but it won't be that way if you're fighting to destroy as you'll only hurt yourself in the long run. You're fighting to protect others, not hurt them. Let that thought alone be your weapon!" Verto blinked sharply, not realizing initially that what he had heard was not audible. He felt Vang's power fluctuate ever so slightly through the contact of the hand near his neck, and for a brief moment, it didn't feel like the demon at all. Vang dared to look at the other fighters again and Verto saw the opening.
"They're pond scum boy, you have to accept this eventually," Vang claimed as he turned back. Verto kicked forward hard, which struck Vang in a very painful and private area. Vang's eyes exploded with shock as he instinctively doubled over and released Verto, who glided backwards.
"Is that all you can muster now? Cheap shots, you brat?" Vang shouted as he recovered quickly and lashed out angrily with a deadly punch aimed towards Verto's head. Verto narrowly ducked and Vang flew too close to miss.
Verto's fist glowed bright green again as he punched upwards as hard as he could, "Super Galic Fist!"
Out on the front line, don't worry I'll be fine.
The story is just beginning.
I say goodbye to my weakness, so long to the regrets.
And now I know that I'm alive…
The attack hit Vang dead in the stomach and detonated, blinding all to what had transpired momentarily. When it cleared, Vang was painfully struggling to stay in the air as his body had taken the full blow and was showing the effects. His stomach was bloodied all around the point of impact, which was a distinctly dark red dent that hadn't quite pierced the skin, but had clearly damaged him beneath it. The most noteworthy impact though was that Vang was no long in the Super Saiyan Three state, but in the less powerful level two. Verto floated up to match his altitude from a distance but didn't press the attack yet.
From the mountain side, Alt-Gohan sighed slightly, "It's almost over."
Laysh glanced over at him in question, "How so? I still feel their power levels and they're still strong!"
Vegeta's eyes shifted but he didn't turn his head, "Clearly you're not using your senses correctly. He means that the demon is on the verge of losing."
"Then what's the problem? Isn't that a good thing?" Laysh asked.
"We don't know how to get Vang out of Goku's body. He has to come out on his own free will, or be killed while he's still in Goku's body," Alt-Trunks answered. Most of the group nodded grimly to this while the Goku frowned at the idea.
"He's not going to push it that far you guys, have some faith," Goku said.
"Yeah, maybe that sacred water stuff would work!" Lenz suggested.
Bardock shook his head, "If that worked, then we wouldn't be in this position. That may have cleansed us of the Zerg infection, but this is not the same thing." Lenz looked on with concern as Verto dared to float within a dozen feet to address Vang.
"You're beaten demon. Surrender now," Verto warned.
Vang snarled at this, "Amateur, I'm not even close to defeated!" Vang pulled his fists aside and flashed with golden energy as his hair lengthened again, powering back up to Super Saiyan Three.
Verto turned his head slightly, "You're wasting your time and energy. That attack weakened you more than you think, I hit you with full force."
Vang smiled despite the red dripping from his mouth, "We'll see how weakened I am won't we?"
Vang rushed forward with a fierce punch to Verto's face that hit dead on target. Verto's head bent to the side as expected, but he recovered so fast that it was as if he hadn't even felt it. Vang's jaw slipped open in shock before Verto buried his fist into the same vulnerable spot he had just hit before. Vang doubled over and slowly dropped to the ground before he looked up at Verto in defiance. Verto's face filled with fury as he phased out, hammering Vang across the face in an instant. Vang fell backwards a bit before Verto jumped at the opening and began landing slow but very strong blows to most of Vang's upper body, alternating between his face and torso. Dozens of such attacks landed and Vang could do nothing to stop them. The last of this barrage was an uppercut that sent Vang higher into the air momentarily. Verto's silver aura surged to life as he followed with his arm drawn back, punching hard into Vang's stomach again. Vang shuddered from the impact and he lost the Super Saiyan transformation almost immediately, returning to Alt-Goku's normal form as he fell to the ground. He landed near the black lake and it bubbled slightly, as if it knew what was happening. Vang's breath came short as he attempted to stand up, laying his evil eyes on Verto when he landed a short distance away. Blood began to pour out of both the stomach area and Vang's mouth, signaling how damaged he was.
"That's what I meant earlier demon. Super Saiyan Three isn't meant to be maintained for a long time. Once you were damaged enough, you can't hold that much power for long anymore," Verto said. Vang growled slightly and reached behind his back, pulling out a small but sharp dagger that shimmered with purple energy. Verto's eyebrow went up as he detected a spectral power coming from the weapon that clearly told him that he shouldn't get hit by it.
Vang scowled as he turned the blade in his hand, "I really didn't want to have to resort to this, but it's clear that you give me no choice. Do you know what this is?"
"I'm guessing it's the same weapon you stabbed Vegeta with that took away his energy. Same thing for the other Goku," Verto replied.
"Not necessarily the same weapon, just the same spectral poison. I won't bother with the details, but I will make one thing perfectly clear boy, you can't win. One strike with this and not only will you lose your strength, you will lose your body. It will be oh so easy to claim your power now. No amount of holy water will save you from this fate," Vang explained.
Verto scoffed, "That doesn't make any sense, why would you take away my power if you want it so badly? I realize that you're a coward that can't rely on his own strength, but doesn't that contradict your own plan?"
Vang shifted the blade around a bit more, "Not really. There is a cure of my own making, I have to know the extent of my own abilities after all. Suffice it to say, this poison does not work on me the same way it works on anyone else. I've had many occasions where I've had to take an infected host and build it back up. You'll find out soon, so let's put an end to the chatter, this battle ends now!"
Vang flew at Verto with his dagger tucked just back enough to strike at full intensity upon arrival. Verto sidestepped the stab attempt easily and bashed the knife away by striking Vang's forearm just below the wrist. Vang swung his other hand towards Verto, but it was caught easily. Vang didn't even see the knee that slammed into his gut, but he was on his hands and knees afterward regardless. Vang's painful gasp was loud enough to hear for miles before a mixture of blood and saliva dripped out onto the dirt. Verto backed off a step to observe what he would do, trying not to rush into a mistake. To anyone else, it might have seemed like he was toying with Vang now that he was weakened, but that wasn't it at all.
I refuse to think that was his last ditch effort, not after the battle we had before. Whether his powers change with hosts or not, I know what he can do. I have to be ready for anything now that we're in the desperation phase. Vang managed to get back to his feet as blood continued to ooze out of his borrowed body from both the mouth and the torso, making things appear to be far more painful.
Verto grimaced at this, I'm sorry for the pain Goku, just hold on a little longer.
Vang gritted his teeth from both anger and pain, "I can't believe you pushed me this far. I have no choice now."
"Is it just me, or do I hear a parrot?" Verto said smugly, though it was without any sort of smile.
"Laugh while you can boy, there is still one card I can play that will decide this battle!" Vang threatened. Verto stood ready for whatever was going to come his way, but Vang did the one thing he didn't expect. Vang walked over to the black fluid and stepped in.
Verto's jaw dropped just a bit as he stared in confused surprise, "What are you doing?"
Vang was knee deep in the Overmind's remnant before he turned around, "There is something that you probably don't know about the Zerg, or more specifically, the creature that spawned them. The Overmind itself is a being that is not unlike low to middle ranked demons in terms of both energy and composition. In fact quite a long time ago, it was a demon scientist that helped to create it along with the race known as the Xel'Naga. He had infiltrated into their talented ranks and I believe you know most of the story from there. Because it has trace amounts of demon energy, I can make use of its power, even in a dormant form like this. It's not a preferred outcome, but my higher mind cannot fall to its influence and as long as I have a body, my powers will increase greatly." Purple and pink streaks of lightning began to encompass the black pool as Vang held his borrowed arms out to it. Verto jumped off the ground when one of these lightning pulses surged towards him, electing to stay out of range for the moment. He watched as the pool began to rise up around Vang, taking in his hands and completely covering him from the waist down. He felt Vang's Shadow Chi rising rapidly from its previous lower levels and knew he had to act.
Verto took a deep breath in order to help himself focus on what he had to do, It's now or never. If I don't save Goku now, I won't have another chance!
Every night of my life I watch angels fall from the sky.
Every time that the sun still sets.
I pray they don't take mine.
I'm out on the front line, don't worry I'll be fine
The story is just beginning
I say goodbye to my weakness, so long to the regrets…
Verto held his arms wide as two solid blue orbs of energy spun into view while he concentrated. Thin beams of matching color burst out of each orb and rotated in sync before eventually fading, adding a strobe-light effect.
Vang chuckled from below, "Go ahead kid, give it your best shot!" Sweat dripped down the side of Verto's head as he struggled to focus on his next technique. The twin orbs flashed with random shades of white, blue and green momentarily before settling on blue with a bright white core. Verto poured energy into the spinning orbs, which in turn increased their size by several times until they were both larger than an average car.
Vang's grin faded, "No…"
Verto launched both orbs at arcing angles, aimed straight at the black pool, "Spirit Bomb Barrage!"
Vang tried to move his legs enough to jump out of the way, but he was held firmly in place by the Overmind's devouring essence. He screamed loudly as both sizable Spirit Bombs smashed into him from both right and left before exploding into a vivid lightning display that danced all around him as they started to merge together. Eventually Vang's horrified face vanished from view as the Spirit Bombs molded into one larger ball. The black fluid dissipated around Vang's position and retreated from the bright blue Chi energy as it pulsed and flashed. Soon after, it deformed into a bright swath of white that soared through the sky, taking Vang with it. Verto watched intently as the Spirit Bomb did its work, taking note of the hint of black and purple smoke leaking out of the brighter energy. As Alt-Goku's body was riding onward into the ground, the bright white of the Spirit Bomb began to fade harmlessly away. In the skies behind it however, Verto spotted a wisp of black and purple reforming. It didn't quite take a true shape of a person, more like a shadowy silhouette that resembled one. Verto flew at it and held out his palm, firing a quick burst of energy that surrounded the shadow before it could react. Verto's energy formed a tight ball of green around the dark shadow as it reformed to fit the shape of its new prison.
"You little rat, just wait till I get free. You will all suffer!" Vang's snake-like voice said despite the lack of a mouth or even lungs.
Verto scowled, "I don't think so."
Vang managed to laugh despite his position, "Go ahead kid, try and blow me up! In this form I'm composed of nearly all energy. I cannot be destroyed easily, even if you threw me into a bright star. I suggest you go find that Namek's special jar to contain me, too bad he's dead in this timeline!"
Verto's lip twitched slightly before he glanced downwards, "That would be a problem, but I've think I found a solution." Verto dropped towards the ground, holding his energy ball about a foot away as he approached the reforming black pool.
He could already feel Vang's nervousness, "No, don't!"
Verto smirked, "Don't what? The Overmind always came after me every chance it got, so I've got the perfect bait. You said that with a body you would get stronger by allowing it in. But I'll bet that without a body, you'll just become part of its useless essence. You said you and this thing got along pretty well for more than one reason, so how about you get reacquainted?"
"NOOO!" Vang screamed as Verto dropped his energy ball into the black lake. The fluid boiled and steamed as it rose off the ground and washed over the energy ball. There was no explosion to follow this action, just the sound of the Overmind's blood settling back down with a slight hint of dark purple mist rising off of it. Verto no longer sensed nor saw any sign of Vang's presence and he charged up his open palm with a huge amount of green Chi.
"This ends now for both of you monsters!" Verto announced at the lake below. He shouted loudly as he released a huge torrent of teal-green lightning aimed at the black fluid. Upon striking, the black began to hiss and bubble again with distinct sounds that mimicked dying Zerg. Each bolt caused some of the fluid to begin evaporating, and Verto released hundreds of them to cover the area. The steam that rose out was normal in appearance, and the lake quickly shrank away until only a small portion of it remained. Verto stopped channeling the technique and dropped into the area to double check the situation. All he found in the crater was a small black object not even the size of his boot, trying to move and slither on its own. It resembled a slug without the bodily features, and it even managed to thicken enough to look up at him and squeak slightly. Verto's face filled with anger as he fired a small blast that flattened it like a pancake before burning it as well. All that remained when Verto was finished was a small pile of darkened dust that was easily blown away by the wind, leaving only the burn mark.
Verto sighed heavily, Finally, it's over.
Out on the front line, don't worry I'll be fine!
The story is just beginning!
I say goodbye to my weakness, so long to the regrets!
And now I see the world through diamond eyes!
Verto waited patiently just in case there was another surprise by Vang or the Overmind's black blood, but there were no signs of anything left. He took one last look before flying towards the fallen Alt-Goku, who was completely unconscious. Verto landed next to him and channeled his Chi energy into his palms and then calmly released it over Alt-Goku's injuries, causing them to soften and heal quickly. As the other fighters flew towards them, Alt-Goku woke up, realizing that he was himself again.
"I knew you could do it," Alt-Goku said with a deep smile.
Verto eyed him as he stopped channeling his energy and powered down to normal as he wiped the sweat from his brow, "Nothing like a little motivation, thanks for that. Sorry I can't do more but I'm almost out of energy."
"It's okay, I'm sure Korin has some more Senzu beans. I'm proud of the warrior you've become, I wish our Verto could have done it," Alt-Goku said as he frowned.
"Yeah, me too," Goku's voice said from behind. Verto turned to see everyone there, mostly filled with smiles except for Vegeta of course.
Trunks was especially excited in particular, "That was so awesome Verto! You totally demolished that stupid demon!"
Verto chuckled, "One wrong move and he would've demolished me, not kidding. I just got lucky and took advantage of it."
"No, you used your feelings. It gave you more strength than we could have provided, and that's how you defeated him," Goku declared.
"Yeah, what he said," Alt-Goku added.
Vegeta became quite smug but also irritated, "You idiot, that's not how it went at all! He obviously managed to catch Vang off guard and then capitalized on the opening that he created. It's quite simple, even you should understand that Kakarot!"
Both Goku and Alt-Goku glanced at each other before the latter spoke, "Which one of us were you talking to? Me-me or the other me?"
The veins of Vegeta's forehead pulsed, "Argh! Both of you!" He then turned around and muttered incoherently while both versions of Goku glanced at each other in confusion.
"All I know is that was a hell of a job kid. I honestly didn't think you were going to get out of that mess alive, but then again I thought that last time too, shame on me! I guess you're just full of surprises!" Laysh claimed as she clapped him on the back.
Lenz rushed in and pulled Verto away by the shoulder as if to shield him, "Hey! Hands off!"
Laysh filled with confusion, "What the? I don't even…seriously? How are you that thick?"
"He's not yours, he's mine!" Lenz declared.
Laysh blinked slow and hard before shrugging her shoulders and turning away, "Wow…just wow." Verto himself submitted to the urge of smacking his head, which was a bad reminder that he was slightly wounded there but it wasn't enough to erase the scene.
Lenz noticed some of the blood tricking down his hand and peeled off her wristband before holding it there to apply pressure, "Thanks for coming to get me, it was really sweet of you."
Verto stared up at her eyes, which were threatening to spill tears, before he held her wrist snugly, "Just stop running off, that's all I ask."
Lenz wiped her eyes with her free hand, "You got it."
Once the activity seemed to die down, Gohan finally stepped closer, "I know it'll probably seem awkward, but you're welcome to stay here until you've rested. It's the least we can do, besides, Trunks left the Dragon Ball at home so you'd have to go retrieve it anyway."
Verto turned to Trunks briefly, "So you did find it? That's a relief. But that'll only complete our world's set, I'm not sure we can do anything here with those."
"No, I don't think so either, not without bringing the entire set here or something. But we do have Bulma's spaceship blueprints so we can eventually get to Namek somehow. I don't know how much damage we can really repair here, but it's a start," Gohan answered.
"Might as well ask the Kais for help on that, if they're willing. On second thought you might have better luck with building a ship first," Verto grumbled slightly.
"Before we do that, we have to wipe out whatever's left of the Zerg. They attacked during your fight with Vegeta after all. I know that Kerrigan is still around somewhere, she's given us the slip every time. And I doubt that the sacred water would actually eliminate her or the Zerg," Gohan suggested.
"Yeah, we don't want all that trouble happening again. We should head out first thing in the morning," Alt-Trunks said in agreement. As he was finished speaking, an extremely loud groan sounded all around them, loud enough to shake the ground just slightly.
"What in the hell was that?" Tien shouted first. What he didn't realize was that everyone else knew exactly what it was, because all of them were at least partially Saiyan.
"I'm so hungry," Goku moaned.
"Yeah, I think that since we were so close together, they just both wanted to be heard at once! I guess that's called a meeting of the stomachs!" Alt-Goku proclaimed.
"I swear he has some sort of genetic stupidity disease. Now it's ten times worse with two of them…" Vegeta muttered under his breath. Bardock shot a glare towards Vegeta but said nothing to it. Both Verto and Gohan couldn't help but laugh at this even though they were feeling something similar.
"I guess I can't argue with that, I feel sorry for whoever is cooking though," Verto said.
"Alright, let's go," Gohan said with a nod before the group departed.
Hours after they were gone, night began to fall on the area while the bright yellow sun once again set onto the horizon. In the dark of one particular crater, the shadows began to stir.
Diamond Eyes by Shinedown
PL
Verto (Enhanced Super Mystic): 750,000,000
Vangku (Vang-Goku): Super Saiyan 3: 750,000,000; Weakened: 600,000,000 (drops quickly)