Dragon Ball X

Hiya guys, it's time for good old chapter 10.

Last time on Dragon Ball X, the Trinity arrived on Planet Haven. Horus' best minions, Oki, Puchi, and the dreaded Ursula met resistance in the form of Kenta Hale. A valiant battle issued in the very midst of Nao City, and while Oki and Puchi's teamwork was at first overwhelming, Kenta overcame them. But then, just as he was about to finish Puchi off for good, Ursula stepped in and showed him just why she was Horus' right hand woman - beaten to the brink of death, Kenta is saved from the killing stroke by an imposing caped figure; the legendary Korros has finally returned to battle.

Now read that in the voice of the Dragon Ball Z Narrator and it sounds ten times more awesome.

Anyways, part 2 of the OVA is up, so make absolutely sure to read it, including the announcement that it's been extended to 5 parts. Here's the schedule; Chapter 10, then Part 3, Chapter 11, Part 4, Chapter 12, Part 5, and then back to normal once the OVA is done.

By the way, another tiny announcement; remember Borxon? Neither do I. As it turns out, Borxon was the master of the Dragon Balls before Hamasan was, he was mentioned a few times in Part 1. The thing is, even I found him so unmemorable that I actually got his name mixed up with Borg, the master blacksmith and Geani's brother. So what I did, I changed his name. As of now, Borxon's name has been officially changed to Azimuth, a much more badass moniker fitting of his status. I've already gone back and edited Part 1 to account for this.

So, on with the chapter!

000

Sirens blared through the streets as Nao City's emergency services tore between the buildings. A solid wall of ambulances and fire engines advancing through the city. The lights on the roofs of the vehicles flashed.

And behind them, the Haven Special Forces.

Since the Crimson Archfiend almost six years before, the Haven Government had installed specialised units in every city; basically an army. Although initially just a taskforce, virtually unlimited funding had expanded the Special Forces until it had almost replaced the police. In fact, the two were almost synonymous - most officers eventually absorbed into the Forces. There, they took on a new title; A Haven Guardian Rankman.

They'd never had to use their full might. Still, development projects had been undertaken to create situational weapons; if a threat like the Archfiend ever arose again, they'd be ready. And now it seemed the time had arrived. The call had come in.

Directly behind the line of ambulances came the immediate response units, swarming from all over the city towards the column of smoke rising from the city centre. Reports had come in waves from panicked civilians, claiming to have seen three bizarre people shooting lasers from their hands and punching people through walls. Instantly, the order had been put through; supernatural or not, the city was under attack, and the Force leapt in action.

The line of emergency services broke as they neared the danger zone, fanning out through the streets. The response teams were right behind them, swarming. They came in armed vehicles, each mounted with all sorts of wonderful weaponry. Leading the cavalry was Haven Force Commander, Cid Craine. He was in his early thirties, with an attractive curtain of brown hair and a straight nose. Craine's vehicle roared down the centre of the main street and skidded to a halt outside the Bracken Street Park gate.

"Take up positions and wait for my command," he barked, holding his finger to the wired radio at his throat. The device picked up vibrations in his throat and broadcast them to every soldier under his command. "Keep your eyes peeled; the second you spot anything notify me immediately."

Craine stood from his seat, gazing out of the open canopy of his vehicle; his was custom-made to his own specifications. He'd nicknamed it after the critically endangered Sand Condors. Next to him, Force Captain Barrian Lanstar sat behind the wheel.

"Commander!" Lanstar yelled, and Craine instantly followed his gaze to the skyline on the other side of the gardens, and his eyes widened.

"What the-?"

000

"Korros?"

The name clung to the witch's tongue, and her dark mauve lips twisted into a smile. Ursula blinked slowly with her strange wide eyes, and took in the newcomer.

He was tall, equal in height to Ursula herself, and his green face was lined with anger. The Namekian's pink-lined arms were folded in front of his chest, over the top of the dark blue gi he wore on his body. A white cape rose under the air behind him, its heavy fabric catching at the wind and fluttering lightly. To complete the image, there was a large white turban adorning his head, matching the cape. Two pointed green ears lined his face, and a pair of antennae poked from underneath the headdress.

Korros didn't move, his mouth set in a grim line. Ursula hissed.

"Korros, the guardian of Haven…" she whispered seductively. "Come to defend."

"That's right," growled Korros, and jerked his head back. Ursula took the cue and looked at the shattered body of Kenta Hale. Even unconscious the boy was shaking, sobs wracking his body. Ursula's smile widened sickeningly.

"Haven was left in my care," said the Namekian, "and you will not touch another one of its inhabitants. I'm going to break you."

"Break me?" laughed the torturess. She spread her arms wide, delicate-looking fingers touching gently at the air. But those were fingers that had dealt so much damage. "I can't be broken, you poor slug. My body is too powerful for a mere Namekian. Do you not know who I am?"

Korros snarled and Ursula caught a glimpse of white fangs. "I remember another who made such a claim, and he was wrong. Everybody can be broken. Even me…and even you. Even the one who you call your master."

Ursula's anger rose like a snake, and in an instant she was ready to pounce. The alien assassin's talons bored into the ground like it was butter. "How dare you?" she hissed menacingly. "Lord Horus is invincible! You will be struck down for your filthy words."

Korros stood still as she threatened him, and then turned his back to her. Ursula looked on in outrage as the Namekian crouched down beside Kenta and placed his powerful hand on the Havien's forehead. It was covered in sweat and blood, the boy's face wounded and dirty. His mouth hung open and tears swathed down his cheeks, dripping into the gaping hole. Kenta's eyes were shut.

Suddenly, Korros snapped his head and around and his eyes were on Ursula, their black irises burning with dark fire. "What is wrong with you!" he yelled, voice rough and furious. "Do you have no respect for life or others? What gives you the right? Tell me!"

Ursula sprung.

"This is my right!" she screeched, prehensile tongue unravelling and whipping in front of her face. The demoness' hand twisted into a claw, nails like razors, and she stabbed out at the crouching Korros. He reacted with the dexterity of only a master, throwing his own body over Kenta and spinning. The Namekian's leg torpedoed around, a solid trunk of muscle and bone, and Ursula howled as Korros' foot struck her across the face before she could even begin to attack. The momentum of the kick carried her body several metres, sending it colliding with the road and driving into the black asphalt. A twenty-foot long trench was carved where she had been, ending where Ursula rolled to a stop.

Korros stared after her, still poised upside-down over Kenta. He completed his revolution and rummaged around in the folds of the purple cloth wrapped rightly around his waist, serving as a belt and also holding his gi together. From within, the Eternal Warrior pulled a shrivelled green pellet, which he dropped into Kenta's open mouth. Quickly, Korros massaged the Havien's blood-soaked neck until he swallowed, and then the Gaman Pea worked its magic.

Kenta's broken arm repaired itself with several painful sounding cracks and the bruises already covering his skin turned faint and then disappeared. Finally, his nose straightened, his jawbone – dislocated from his constant, agonised screaming – reconnected, and the wide gash on his forehead sealed itself up, the tissue weaving together like world championship sewing on fast forward. Kenta bolted into a sitting position, eyes wide.

"Arnika!" he cried, confusion in his eyes. Slowly it died away as Kenta remembered where he was. The boy's head dropped, examining his body, and his fingers brushed his face, probing it thoroughly. He looked up at his saviour and his eyes widened. "Korros?"

Korros didn't even have time to nod. A ki-fuelled wind swept around, and Ursula thundered towards them. Korros rose to face her, crossing his arms in front of his face to protect him. Kenta flinched as Ursula's punch landed directly in the middle of the cross and Korros flew back over him, backflipping in midair. He crashed to the ground and used his hands to backflip to his feet, landing in a crouch.

Kenta froze as Ursula loomed over him, knowing that he was defenceless. Ursula had already proved herself to be far above his level, and he had little chance against her alone. She saw her chance and her hand split the air above him, coming to stab him through the chest through sheer force alone-

-when Korros slid alongside and propped himself up on his hands and thrust his foot in the air. The longer reach of his leg gave him the advantage, and he slammed his heel into Ursula's chin. The alien left the ground under the impact and Korros pushed with his hands, sending his own body into the air to follow her. The Namekian grabbed her slender ankle and swung her around as if he was building momentum for a sling, and just when it reached the point that Ursula was just a blur in the air, Korros let go and Ursula flew like a ragdoll.

With the crash of shattering glass and the keel of groaning metal, Ursula hit the building nearest them, four storeys from the ground. The wall bent under her and then gave way, and she tore through steel. Concrete floors and plaster walls, it all crushed before her trajectory, before she finally broke out the other side, spinning through the air before coming to a halt, seething. Ursula's single metre-long tail of hair whipped as she turned in midair to look at the destruction left from the attack. Dust and debris fell.

"Kenta!" barked Korros, not taking his eyes off the gaping hole in the office block. A white aura leaked from his body, rippling. "Get up and leave this eldritch creature to me." Korros' highly tuned ears heard Kenta scramble to his feet and he allowed the smallest of smiles to reach his normally stony face. "Good work."

Kenta shook his head, and stumbled backwards, falling back against a street pole that had somehow remained standing. His eyes were wide. "I-I…"

The Namekian half-turned. "The time for fear is past. One of the two you fought is still out there. You have to destroy him, do you understand me?"

Kenta's jaw shook. "K-Korros…"

"Do as I say!" shouted Korros, as the rubble blocking the hole through the opposite building was blown away and Ursula blasted through, purple aura sparking. Korros spread his arms wide and bellowed, and the area before him turned white with his ki, a wide wave that enveloped Ursula and stopped her in her tracks. The torturess tried to throw her arms out to protect herself, but the ki pushed her back and she blasted a second void through the building.

"So strong…" thought Kenta. "I've never seen anything like it."

"Find the other and kill him, and do it now!" commanded Korros, and Kenta snapped back to reality. He nodded hurriedly, ignoring the tempest swirling in his stomach.

"Y-Yes!"

A circle of white light shone beneath Korros' feet and he levitated, the air swirling around his body as he rose into the air. Across the street, Ursula tumbled from the second fissure in the building and hissed at him. "And while you're at it, find a way to stop that army," Korros added, and then leapt into battle. Kenta watched in awe as Korros vanished and reappeared right next to the enemy, only for Ursula to anticipate him, swinging her arm and catching him across the face with the back of his hand. The Havien shook his head, absorbing Korros' words.

"Army? What army?" he thought, and as if in answer to his question, there was an enormous rumble and the ground shook slightly beneath his feet. Kenta turned his head and gazed down the street, and his stomach dropped.

"Oh…that army…"

Kenta swallowed. Three hundred metres away, the street ended at a T-intersection, and directly behind that were the botanical gardens in the centre of Nao City, Bracken Street Park. And setting up a police barricade in front of the park was a line of military vehicles, painted with the symbol of the Haven Special Forces. Each one was mounted with a full-power missile assault cannon, all lined up ready to shoot at the enemy. Kenta began sprinting.

Before he had gone fifty metres the cannons opened fire, at least twenty missiles soaring high over Kenta's head. He knew instinctively that they were aimed for Korros and Ursula. Still at full speed, Kenta looked back over his shoulder and immediately wished that he hadn't; the carnage had already begun between the two aliens.

Completely ignoring the incoming missiles, they were throwing everything they had at each other, and as Kenta watched Korros drove Ursula into a building for the third time, only for her to snap back and punch him in the face, blasting him across the street where he slammed into the opposite tower, the steel crumpling like paper beneath his body. Concrete turned to dust and chalk filled the air, but Korros was already back into the fight, spinning Ursula into the air and sinking both fists into her stomach.

Then the missiles hit and Kenta had to cover his eyes as the sky lit up.

BOOM!

An explosion of flame rolled from the centre of detonation, and a second later the shockwave pounded out like a wall of solid air, shattering every single window in a hundred metre radius. Kenta felt it slam into him and threw up his arms to protect his face as tiny particles of dust pierced the air. When he looked again, a cloud of smoke hung heavy in the air above the street, completely obscuring Korros and Ursula from view. Quite suddenly, it was simply blown away as a second shockwave rippled through the air and the smoke dispersed in an instant, revealing Korros and Ursula still fighting, neither one fazed by the missiles at all. They moved faster than even Kenta's eyes could see, arms mere blurs in the air as they struck one another again and again.

For another few seconds Kenta simply watched, entranced, before he mentally slapped himself and continued running. Not to be deterred by their initial failure, the line of soldiers had immediately uncovered their next set of weaponry; three ridiculously huge chainguns. A Rankman stood behind each one, and suddenly the barrels – each two metres long – came to life and began to spin, and like weapons from hell, the muzzles flashed. The sound was enormous, an incredible chattering that pierced Kenta's ears. This time, he didn't look back. He had to stop them before they did something really stupid.

The storm of bullets lasted only ten seconds before the chainguns slowed, fresh out of ammo after that one quick burst. Kenta leapt over a car and somersaulted, not daring to take to the air for risk of being targeted himself, and then he'd never convince them to stop. Not even short of breath, Kenta made a beeline for the nearest soldier, who saw him coming and raised a machine rifle directly in Kenta's face.

"Don't take another step!" shouted the soldier, and Kenta slowed, raising his hands. "Get inside the nearest building immediately and don't come out until the city-wide all-clear has been given."

"Take me to whoever's in charge!" replied Kenta. The gun didn't scare him at all; he only had his hands in the air for the Rankman's sake. "I need to talk to your commander, and quickly."

"Don't you get it, kid, this is a warzone!" said the Rankman, and jerked his gun. "Get the hell out of here unless you wanna be killed."

"You don't understa-"

"Move it!"

Kenta's mouth gaped, and he didn't take a step. Angrily, the Rankman gestured with his gun and another soldier grabbed roughly at his arm, attempting to shove him behind the lines away from the danger. Kenta scowled and shook him off, almost breaking the man's fingers.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" yelled the Rankman.

"My name is Kenta Hale," said Kenta loudly, and instantly the eyes of every soldier were on him. "I wrote 'The Rise and Fall of the Crimson Archfiend'."

This had the desired effect. There was barely a person alive who hadn't at least heard of the infamous book, and there a great debate all over Haven over whether or not the events detailed in the novel were true, spurred on by the fact that Kenta himself had refused to say anything on the subject.

For a moment there was complete silence amongst the people gathered, and a few of them exchanged glances. The Rankman that had his gun centred on Kenta hesitated, and then lowered his weapon, gesturing.

"Come with me."

000

CRACK!

BPHM!

SHRK!

With identical movements, Korros and Ursula snapped apart from each other, disengaging and moving away until there was a distance of at least twenty metres. The area around them was a complete disaster zone; most windows within a wide radius had been shattered, several chunks had been taken out of buildings, and there was an enormous fissure spearing through the road below them. It had cracked another water main. Korros flipped backwards and landed on the black asphalt, and Ursula descended opposite him.

Korros blinked as his aura pulsed around him. The Namekian stretched, cracking his neck and knuckles, and squared his shoulders. In all of his life, he'd never had a fight with someone as powerful as this. Denkuma had been a literal nightmare, the Devil himself in a material form, but even he was overshadowed by this deadly assassin. She was something else.

Ursula's wide eyes probed his body, and then that poison mouth opened and her veined tongue unravelled. It lashed before her, and Ursula's eyes flashed. She was smiling behind the tongue.

"I can see why you're the Guardian," she said in a soft but deadly voice. "Never have I met such a match. But I'm stronger. I've toppled pillars like you before. You'll feel it before long. The crying fear, as I pull your very essence from your soul."

Korros snarled, showing off his fanged teeth, and then faded through the air before halting right before Ursula, bent slightly at the knees. Fingers curled into a fist and he slammed them under Ursula's chin, launching her into the air. Korros bent again and then followed, punching her in the chest a few times.

"You can't topple me like you have others," he shouted, as Ursula quickly recovered and blocked his next strike with her slender forearm. It didn't even budge. Together, they rose higher into the air, circling, and their fists rained together, sparks flying with every blow. As they fought, their auras mixed together, white flames and purple haze licking at each other. The flickering energies crackled insanely, bolts of miniature lightning shooting off and hitting random buildings. "There was a time…" growled Korros. "There was a time when I feared those who were stronger than me! I quivered and hid away, and it destroyed me. But then I returned to the light!"

"The light is nothing!" hissed Ursula, spongy tongue unravelling. Korros battered it aside and they rose higher.

"The light is everything!" roared the Guardian, as they cleared the canopy of the city and broke apart, both zooming backwards to gain space. The sky above them rumbled, clouds forming, as the two superpowers hovered hundreds of metres above the ground, above the buildings themselves. "And I will not betray the trust the people of this planet have unknowingly placed in me. I am the protector of Haven, and I will not lose to you. Horus has no business here!"

Korros' eyes flashed, and he raised an arm, accusing finger pointing directly at Ursula, who hissed. "And neither do you, witch! I say again…I'm going to break you!"

White energy exploded from his body and he arced through the sky above the skyscrapers to meet Ursula in battle. In answer, the torturess opened her mouth and suddenly her tongue was extending, the spongy flesh stretching like elastic. The powerful muscle slammed into Korros' face and slapped him right out of the air before lithely looping around his neck and tightening. Korros choked and pulled at the tongue slowly strangling him, but it was like iron and pulling at it only made it stretch further.

"Fool," Ursula said softly, and then began to retract her tongue, pulling Korros in. The Namekian's eyes bulged. A bead of sweat ran down his face, and was soon joined by a few more as his lungs tightened. Finally, the tongue pulled him within arm's reach and withdrew, slipping away from his skin; it left a trail of saliva and an angry red welt around his throat. Ursula gripped his windpipe in her slender fingers and began to squeeze. "It doesn't matter how much you believe in yourself. You people always think that it'll save you."

She leaned in, and whispered in his ear. "But here's a secret…" Her voice was soft and tempting. "That doesn't mean anything."

Ursula's moist mauve lips curved into a sadistic smile and she poked out her tongue. It was throbbing. Suddenly, like a snake, it whipped forward and struck Korros between the eyes. He shouted at the sudden blinding pain and then was flying through the air as Ursula let go. Korros gathered his ki and rolled in the air, looping around just in time to see Ursula flying towards him, fist back. A powerful punch hit him in the chest and Korros crashed into the side of a building, yelling, as Ursula shimmered.

"She's faster than before!" thought the Namekian, as Ursula came into his field of vision, her clawed foot stabbing out at him. Korros caught it and pulled her around, but Ursula twisted out of his grip and kicked him hard in the stomach, driving the wind out of him and sending the Namekian dropping through the air. Korros felt the wind rush past his face as the ground came rushing up to meet him, looming closer by the second. Gritting his teeth, he focussed his energy and expelled it from his body, slowing his descent. But then he collided with the ground and what little breath remained in his body was driven out.

He rolled and skidded along the asphalt, gouging chunks into tiny speckles of black powder. Finally, he bounced to a painful stop, and laid still. A small groan escaped from his mouth and his teeth were bared as he rose to all fours. His arms shook.

Korros heard a pulsing behind him and half-turned to see Ursula slowly touch down on the road just metres away. She was smiling that eerie smile.

"Shut up," growled Korros, and rose swiftly to his feet, rolling his shoulders and testing his joints. "Don't think you've beaten me at all. I haven't even started yet."

"Would it interest you to know that I haven't either?"

Korros was silent; he'd suspected as much. Anyone who could defeat Kenta as easily as she had wouldn't be a pushover at all. The boy was Havien, but he was a prodigy, thought Korros. Which meant that Ursula was even stronger. And much more dangerous. Time to pull out the stops.

"You're fast," said Korros, cracking his neck to the side. His arms rose to his head, and green fingers closed around his turban. "And strong."

Ursula tilted her head as Korros lifted the turban from his head, which collapsed into a pile of cloth, unable to retain its shape without a head to wrap around. Under it was a smooth bald head, and two antennae gently felt the air. Korros beheld the turban, lifted it out in front of him.

"But so am I."

He dropped it.

Ursula's eyes blinked and her mouth opened as the cloth slammed into the ground and sunk into the road, the ground just parting for it until there was an actual crater in the centre of the street, at least two foot deep. A cloud of dust rose.

"What?!" hissed Ursula, as Korros hands next moved to his neck, where his cape and shoulder pads were attached. Korros shook his head as he lifted the folds of cloth over his face, and then they were falling too, making an identical impact on the ground. Ursula stared in surprise, mouth open and shock in her eyes, and then Korros just disappeared. His green skin seemed to fade and he was gone.

Ursula barely had time to register that fact before the air in front of her face rippled and Korros stepped out of the air less than a metre from her face. He smiled, a confident leer that sent an unfamiliar shiver down Ursula's spine.

"So let's begin."

000

The weights are off and the battle's really begun. The fighting seems kinda lacklustre from my point of view; Korros is a really tough character to write with, and combined with Ursula it makes for extra difficulty. Tell me what you thought in a review.

And yeah, this one was the shortest I've had in a while. There was meant to be another bit with Kenta at the end there but I wanted to end on a high note. Also, I've had a lot going on in my personal life at the moment so I've lost a lot of motivation. Also, tests are coming up. But I'll do my best to work hard.

Next time on Dragon Ball X, Korros and Ursula step it up. But Ursula's not Horus' top assassin and torturess for nothing; Korros really has his hands full with this freak-show. Tune in for the next chapter of Dragon Ball X!

Now read that in the voice of the Dragon Ball Z Narrator and it sounds ten times more awesome.

Toodles!