Dragon Ball X
Guardians of Tranquility
Gah! It's been like…forever! First of all, just let me apologise for the long wait, I haven't really been myself lately, motivation lost and all that. But don't worry, it's back in full force now.
This has been half-finished for weeks now, I just haven't gotten the motivation to finish it until now. But don't worry, all done!
On with the chapter!
000
The aftermath of the fight was somewhat misshapen and unorganised. Thousands of people told wildly varying tales of what had taken place in the match, and the truth became extremely untrue in a matter of minutes. Even the people who had witnessed it firsthand were already unsure of what they'd actually seen, and what of it was fiction.
The television companies were in an uproar at the taboo that had been instantly placed over the incident. A quick call from Arnika to one of her high-up friends in the industry had ensured that; it had been strictly prohibited to display any footage whatsoever of what had happened. Of course, for those involved, it wasn't quite as easy as that.
The pair of sliding doors did what they did best, sliding open and letting the visitors in. As Arnika stepped over the threshold, she shivered slightly. Hospitals always gave her a feeling of death. The complete lack of background noise apart from rattling trolleys carrying mortally wounded or deathly sick people was just eerie.
Not to mention the sound of clicking pens and clipboards. Eerie.
A few heads turned as they walked in. A smart and beautiful young woman, walking next to a muscular dude with funny hair and a slightly younger looking dude with normal hair, followed by a second woman with mildly odd hair, and a third dude with absolutely no hair but a huge head wasn't the most common sight in the world. But then again, this was a hospital. Strange maladies and what-not. The spectators turned back to their newspapers.
"I hate hospitals," muttered Kenta, looking around nervously. "They're so creepy. Why do we need to do this, anyway? Primal's dead, he's not causing any harm."
Arnika gritted her teeth. "Becaaaaaauuuuse," she replied, "even though he's dead, he's still a bloody pain in the arse. Just think; what happens when they examine Primal's body and find out that he's definitely not normal?"
"I would have thought that that'd be obvious just by looking at him normally…" said Blitzo under his breath.
"They're gonna find out that he's an alien, aren't they?" strained Arnika quietly, as they caught the gaze of a curious-looking guy. She gave him the finger and he looked offended, turning away. "And that's not good at all, because then there's going to be a huge investigation and they'll turn to Ferris for answers because they fought together."
"Good point."
Rhuna and Zeang looked at each other and rolled their eyes.
Arnika stopped at the front reception desk and looked at the woman behind the desk. She looked grumpy, probably because of the waves of injured fighters from the Martial Arts Tournament. It wouldn't be easy around this time of year.
"How can I help you?" she asked in a tone that implied she would not only not want to help them, but wanted to shove a frozen sardine up each of their nostrils.
"Yes," answered Arnika sweetly, leaning casually against the desk. "I was wondering if you could let me in to see one of the doctors. Do you know Sonny Billany? If you don't, you should get to know him, he's a nice guy. Anyway, I need to speak to him."
The receptionist glared dully at her. "What about?"
"That's kinda private."
"All of the doctors are busy," said the woman, smirking, and leaned back in her chair. "I don't want to bother them for something like this."
"You sure?"
"Yes."
"Sure that you're sure?"
"Yes."
"Positive?"
"Yep."
"Positive that you're positive?"
"You're annoying me."
Arnika scowled, and leaned over the desk. "Look, it's really important, as in life or death. Please, call up Sonny and tell him that I'm down here."
Blitzo cracked his knuckles quietly as he watched Arnika and the receptionist debate. Rhuna whispered in his ear. "I swear, if she doesn't do what we say, I'm gonna smack her ugly blonde bitch face clean off her skull."
He chuckled.
As the receptionist denied her once again, Arnika fumed silently, before reaching into her purse and pulling out a chequebook. "Fine," she hissed. "Do you take bribes?"
"Maaaaaaaaybe."
Arnika scowled, scrawling down a series of zeroes on a cheque and passing it over the desk, flinching in mock horror as the woman took it. Suddenly, there was a soft *ding* to their right, and everybody looked over to see a small group of people exit a nearby glass elevator.
Instantly, Arnika reached back over the desk and snatched the cheque from the receptionist's grubby fingers just before she could stash it beneath the desk, and tore it in half.
"Never mind," she smirked. "There he is."
The receptionist's eyes scrunched up as her newfound money exploded in her face, as #1 on Arnika's Most Wanted list strode up alongside the desk, talking briskly to the doctor next to him. The other man nodded and hurried away, as the furious receptionist passed the first doctor a folder, still glaring with pure hatred at Arnika.
"Thanks, Kearly," the doctor said, flicking through it, and then froze, a bland expression on his face. Slowly, he turned his gaze to see Arnika smiling innocently at him, with Blitzo, Kenta, Rhuna, and Zeang close behind.
"Let me guess," he groaned. "The freakish shark-alien that's been cut in half that I have waiting upstairs in the morgue has something to do with you."
"Got it in one," winked Arnika, and Sonny smiled exasperatedly. Arnika's best friend growing up, he was a rare rival in intellect for her, as well as one of the few Haviens on the planet to know the truth about the Saiyans. Dressed as smart as you could look in a white lab coat, he was one of the most handsome people Arnika had ever seen, with neat, jet black hair and a straight nose, complete with two intense hazel eyes which were currently twinkling with amusement.
"Well, come on then," he said, leading the way to the glass elevator. "So, gang, where's Ferris?"
000
Ferris was bored, and not a bit comfortable.
The Grand Champion of the tournament sat alone behind an enormously round table, eight seats arranged equally around it. He watched silently as a guy who looked kind of like a waiter appeared, holding a bottle of wine. The man inclined his head questioningly and held up the bottle, but Ferris shook his head.
"No thanks," he muttered. "I'm not really much of a wine guy."
"Would you like something else instead? A vodka, perhaps, or maybe a glass of gin?"
Ferris shifted his position on his seat, and a bead of sweat ran down the back of his neck. "Oh…that's not what I meant. I'm not really a drinker at all. Just some water will do me, thanks."
"Thanks you, sir," said the waiter stiffly, as if Ferris' refusal to get drunk had greatly offended him, and he vanished through the door he had come from, leaving Ferris on his own once more. The warrior shuffled around again, and cleared his throat even though there was no one else there to talk to.
The table was located in a large VIP room overlooking the arena where Ferris had just defeated Primal. It wasn't quite the impressive sight it was meant to be; most of the arena was completely destroyed or broken in some way, and large chunks were still lying around, both in the ring and half-buried in the field of grass around it. There was still a great deal of people in the stadium, still clamouring to find out the true story behind it all. Geani, Mataro, and Arasha were all amongst them, helping exaggerate and spread rumours. The more twisted and over the top the story got the better.
Ferris coughed, and rubbed his stomach where Primal had launched two ki balls into it. The area was slightly burnt, and his gi had been singed away around the wound, but Ferris had refused any medical attention, purely because he hated anyone but Rhuna poking around his bare stomach.
"I'll kill that filthy Saiyan whore, along with everything on this godforsaken planet!"
Primal's words rang faintly in his head, and Ferris felt glad that the monster was dead, and even gladder because he was the one who had done the deed. No one insulted Rhuna in such a revolting way, not while he was there to hear it. He clenched his fists, but then closed his eyes and sighed in relief. For the time being, at least, Haven was safe again. Just like it should be.
There was a small click behind him, and he looked around, expecting to see the waiter returning with his water, but instead laid eyes on Makurin. The dark-eyed Saiyan smirked as he saw Ferris sitting at the table, all alone.
"Well," he grunted. "We're all here, let's eat!"
Ferris raised an eyebrow as Makurin slumped casually into the seat two away from him, feet propped up on the table as he placed his arms behind his head. The Saiyan glanced at him and shrugged. "What?"
"Where have you been this whole time?" asked Ferris, eyebrow still forking up into the air. Makurin folded his arms and averted his gaze.
"Nowhere," he said defensively. "Just…talking…with someone I know."
"And who would that be?"
"None of your business," snapped Makurin, and then said, "Arasha."
Ferris looked suspicious. "If it's only Arasha, then why are you so snarky about it?"
"None of your business," repeated Makurin, turning slightly red about the ears. Ferris shrugged, and unsheathed Shinsou, examining the blade quietly. Unbreakable – courtesy of Azulong, the Eternal Dragon – its crimson red blade was unmarked by his attack on Primal, not even a speck of blood on its razor sharp steel. As he replaced it in its sheath, Makurin groaned.
"God I'm hungry. When is this "feast" gonna start anyway?"
Apparently, it was tradition after the tournament ends to hold a feast for the eight finalists to attend together, but with Rhuna, Kenta and Blitzo vanishing off to the hospital, Leonardo and Baldwin Coster in intensive care, and Primal dead, the only two even able to attend at all were the two men currently attending.
Ferris smiled. The ravenous appetite of the Saiyans was exhausting to watch, but he had quite the liking for it. He didn't think he'd ever be able to get used to it, though. Watching one person devour enough food for ten and then still be hungry kind of screws with your head. "Hopefully soon. I'm feeling a little peckish myself…"
Silence fell between them, but a comfortable one. Makurin stared at the table with a fierce look on his face, as if he wanted the polished wood to burst into flame. Meanwhile, Ferris continued gazing out of the wall that was also a window (or maybe it was a window that was also a wall) at the stadium, where people flocked in the hundreds. As the clock above the door ticked slowly away, he changed targets, first watching a plump woman in a yellow dress who waved her arms about a lot, before switching to a little girl hanging off her grandfather's arm, swinging above the ground laughing while the man talked to a young guy with sunglasses.
Ferris enjoyed watching people like this. They made him think. He liked to imagine what the people were like; what their personalities were, who their family was, what they had fun doing…
There was a large sigh from Makurin. "God I'm bored."
Ferris frowned as his daydreaming was interrupted by his impatient Saiyan friend. Before he could say something, there was a light tapping on the door and the waiter returned his Ferris' water. He accepted it with a nod and a murmured thanks, and then left it sitting on the table without touching it. The only reason he had ordered the drink was because he had felt obligated to.
"Well," said Makurin, and reached over, taking the glass. "If you're not gonna drink, someone ought to…" The Saiyan tipped back his head and downed the water in a single swallow, before slamming the glass down on the table, shattering it. "Whoops."
Ferris chuckled quietly. "I suppose that's the greatest disadvantage of being super strong," he suggested, and Makurin rolled his eyes.
"You can say that again. Well, that and fighting off all the bloody alien invaders…"
000
Ding!
A pleasant jingling sound echoed through the dead hallways of the hospital, attempting to bring cheer to the place. Well, it also signalled that the elevator had arrived, but that's beside the point.
The steel doors slid open and Arnika and the others followed Sonny as he disembarked, mirroring his footsteps as he turned right and strolled confidently down the hallway. There were no patients up here – it was the top floor, where the morgue was located, as well as where autopsies took place.
"That serious?" questioned Sonny, raising an eyebrow. "Well, all I can say is that it's a good thing we have you guys around to stop things like this from happening, am I right?"
"You're right," said Blitzo, smiling grimly. On the elevator ride up here, they'd given the doctor a quick rundown on the events of the tournament. "So, can you help us out? Have enough leverage?"
Sonny laughed arrogantly. "Of course. The other staff revere me. It might be slightly difficult to explain a missing body, especially one of such high profile, but I'm pretty sure I'll be able to get away with it. It is half-shark, after all. Nobody wants to have that around. Also, he smells."
"Great," said Arnika quickly. "Let's get him the hell out of here then."
"Agreed," nodded Sonny as they turned a corner. He looked back over his shoulder, to where Kenta walked beside Rhuna and Zeang. "By the way, my sister told me that she had a real fun time on Saturday night."
Kenta stopped dead in his tracks, his cheeks turning bright red and eyes wide. But it was too late.
"WHaAaAaAaAaAaAaAT?" squealed Arnika, and in a flash she was in his face, grin as wide as can be. "You're going out with Rachel?"
Kenta grinned dopily and scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, I guess I am…pretty neat, huh?"
Arnika clasped her arms and spun on the spot, looking as if she was about to fly out of her shoes and rocket to the moon. "Ah, that's so sweet, you two are perfect together! Do I hear wedding bells?"
"No!" snapped Kenta, but Sonny spun on his heel and winked at him.
"A very fun time, if you know what I mean…"
Kenta's face turned a hundred shades more red and he hiccupped, as Arnika popped right out of her skin and Blitzo and Rhuna exploded with laughter.
"This is so embarrassing…" he groaned, and Sonny smiled guiltily at him.
"Sorry, was I not meant to say that? My bad."
"Can we just hitch Primal and get out of here before I literally sink into the floor?"
Blitzo crawled back to his feet and clapped him on the shoulder, still struggling to contain his convulsions. "Don't worry about it, mate!" he assured. "Let's do this already!"
Arnika's eyes were sparkling as they continued. "I can't wait to talk to Rachel about this!" she giggled. "I had no idea that you two liked each other in that way!"
Blitzo looked at her. "How come you never got this excited when we were getting married?"
000
The morgue was chilled like ice, the grey of the steel ceiling and floor robbing the room of any warmth. Not to mention the idea of so many dead bodies. Creepy…
The room was large and empty, the walls made up of a grid of small doors, each revealing a sealed compartment containing the dead. Apart from that, the room was almost completely bare, except for three tables of steel arranged in the middle. The two closest to the door were empty, but the slab at the far end of the room was home to a motionless lump hidden under a sheet.
As they stepped over the threshold, a silence feel over them all. Only Sonny was comfortable among the grim dead. He strode through the large room like he owned the place, to where the sheet hung over the edges. He grasped it and whipped the cloth off, revealing the revolting corpse underneath.
"Primal," said Sonny, stepping back. "He's all yours, if you're really willing to take him. Please do, though, nobody wants to do an autopsy on that."
Primal's mottled grey skin had turned a sickly white in death, his beady black eyes looking like those of a lifeless doll. One of them had been blinded during the battle; it had a jagged line running across the glasslike surface. His mouth was twisted into a snarl, showing off his teeth. And, of course, he was in two halves, having been cut in half by Ferris' final attack. The mercenary had pale red blood that looked watery and thin; it stained the open sides of the each half. His insides were visible, a mass of intestines and other organs.
Primal had been frightening in life. Here, robbed of his threatening power, he just looked pathetic. A revolting stench leaked from his body, and Arnika had to cover her mouth and nose to stop herself from vomiting. Kenta looked pale.
Zeang stepped forward, and reached down to the body, to where a red eyepiece was attached to his face. He detached the Scouter and looked at it with an expression that Arnika had never seen before. A sort of painful sadness and hatred. It looked strange on Zeang's normally peaceful features.
"We have the body," he said quietly. "And we have the Scouter. Now all that remains is to find out where our future lies. Free…or crushed."
000
The sun fell and sunk beneath the horizon, and Grandiose City fell asleep. The rush of the day was over, the hype of the tournament dying down. Most people had already discarded the rumours as just that: rumours. The other, more hopeful people had given up for the day, acquiescing to sleep at last.
However, in one location in the city, twelve people were not sleeping. Rather, they gathered together in a room, waiting to share with each other the knowledge of what was to come.
The meeting was in Arnika's laboratory. At the front stood Arnika herself, next to Zeang. In front of them, the three Saiyans sat around a table, accompanied by Kenta and Ferris. At the back of the room, Geani stood with Mataro and Arasha, in their usual line.
Also present was Don Hale, Arnika and Kenta's father. He was smaller than both his children, an intellectual with absolutely no combat experience. A pair of rounded spectacles sat upon his nose, and he had faded brown hair. Don stood near the front of the room, his hands clasped behind his back. Normally immensely cheerful, tonight he was looking rather worn down and worried.
And finally, bringing the total up to twelve was Doctor Sonny Billany. Arnika had invited him along to help discuss the matter with them; his sharp thinking and well of knowledge could prove to be useful. Also, he'd point blank refused to be left behind, demanding to continue on.
"If the world is in danger," he'd said firmly, "then I'm not gonna sit on my ass waiting for the end."
"Alright," said Zeang, and stepped forward. "Arnika and I have finished analysing the Scouter's data, with help from Don, of course."
"My pleasure," piped up Don.
"What about Primal?" asked Kenta.
"Primal's body has been destroyed," said Geani, stepping forward. "I did it myself."
"So that problem is solved," said Zeang. "But another one has forced itself forward. And it is a whole lot worse."
He picked up the Scouter from where it sat at the front of the room and deposited it in front of them on the table. All eyes were drawn to it, the small red eyepiece revealing nothing. Zeang paused, and then finished his revelation.
"Primal was never working for Frieza. He's a minion of Horus."
The name was lost on Kenta, and as he looked around, he saw that everybody else was likewise confused.
And then he noticed the Saiyans.
Blitzo's jaw was clenched tight, his eyes bolted open and staring wide at Zeang, a look of pure shock on his face. Makurin's mouth was open slightly, and he stared blankly at the wall opposite him. Rhuna's normally cocky black eyes were shaking in their sockets. All three had turned as white as sheets.
And as he recognised that instinctive fear…that Primal fear in them…Kenta realised that things had just gotten very bad.
000
I know, I know, shorter than normal chapter. It was meant to have a lot more at the end, but as I was writing that last scene I felt it would be more suspenseful to end it the way I did. Bit of a mood whiplash halfway through there. EDIT: I didn't notice this until I'd uploaded, but it's like the chapter's been broken into a few small scenes, hasn't it? It makes it seem really disconnected, sorry about that :/
So, how's the tension? By the sounds of it, this Horus guy is bad news. He can't be worse than Frieza though…can he?
Sorry about the wait, once again. I have an announcement next chapter, so stay tuned!