I ERN NERTHERN

I'M BACK YALL, YES IM BACK YALL, I'M BACKITTY BACK, YES I'M BACK YALL.

Beast Boy tenderly sat Raven down in the front row of the stands. "Do you need anything? Popcorn, water, book on Darwin's Theory?"

"No, I'm fine," Raven said. She looked at him quickly then back to her own book. "Thanks."

"Is the cast itchy?" Beast Boy asked, propping her cast upward on the railing. "I can scratch your leg if you want."

"No," Raven said. "You should go over to the waiting area. This new announcer seems a bit impatient."

The new announcer was a tall, muscular, pink-skinned demon wearing a blue hood and a belt with the Ma-Djinn insignia on the golden buckle. "Changeling, leave Trigon's portal alone and get back to your place," he sneered raspily.

Garfield's fists clenched. "Don't you dare call her that, asshole!"

"Is succubus more like it?" the announcer said. "You do know what Trigon is planning on doing with you if you survive this, right?"

Beast Boy whipped around with claws extended. Gohan caught his wrist. "Not here," Gohan said calmly. "Not here."

Beast Boy followed Gohan through the hot arena to the waiting room with the six remaining contestants. "Begin!" the Master's voice shouted.

"Welcome to the quarter-finals, everyone!" the new announcer said. "Today's going to be a treat, as the best of the best of the best are here and ready to shed blood for themselves, glory, and for their wonderful fans! Let's bring our final eight out here, shall we?"

The eight contestants headed toward the arena.

"I didn't even have to tell you!" the announcer said. "You all will make such great slaves!"

"Get on with it," Gohan said, leading the contestants on stage.

"Our first contestant is Son Gohan, the half-human half Saiyan warrior who from a young age had trouble controlling his temper! Beating tyrants such as his uncle, the Emperor of the Universe, Frieza, and the Android Terror, Cell, Gohan is now back to test his hand at the might of the Master!"

Gohan stepped on stage and folded his arms. He wore his Daimao uniform with the white cape and turban with the brown moccasins bringing pride to his similarly outfitted Namekian teacher.

"And his opponent, the young protege of everyone's favorite hero, the Boy of Steel, Superboy!" the announcer said, putting the crowds into a frenzy.

The cocky Kryptonian hopped onto the stage. "Ready to get pawned in front of my girl to be?"

"You still think this is a competition," Gohan said bluntly. The six other contestants backed away into the viewing room.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Superboy said with a smirk. "Looks like somebody's afraid to lose."

"I'm having none of it today," Gohan said, spiking his aura. "Give me your best shot."

"My best shot may break you," Superboy said.

The veins around his eyes bulged and his pupils faded. His eyes then turned emerald green as hot, violent wind currents swept throughout the arena and the ground shook beneath his feet. His hair spiked and turned golden in an instant, blowing the weighted turban off his head and outside of the ring. He whipped his cape off and fell into a fighting stance. "Your best shot will have to hit me first."

"I hope you know that I've been waiting for this," Superboy said. "By the time this is over, she'll be mine."

"You mistake her for something you can own," Gohan said, "yes, she's a prize to be won, but in the end, she chooses who she wants to date. Besides, we're technically not even-"

"Blah blah blah," Superboy said. "Hey, Starfire!" he shouted with a malicious grin on his face. "After I thrash this loser, do you wanna go out?"

"Begin," the announcer said, hopping off the stage.

"Hey, buddy," Gohan said.

"Hold on," Superboy said. "Go fire a couple energy blasts or something. Star!"

"Do you want me to do something about him?" Beast Boy asked as Superboy heckled the Tamaranean.

Gohan started walking toward Superboy. "I do not think you will need to."

"Asshole," Gohan spat, standing right next to the Kryptonian. "Come on, let's get this over with."

"Shut up, pencilneck," Superboy said, "I'm trying to score here."

Gohan slapped Superboy across the face.

Superboy glared at him. "That was a mistake, pal." His eyes burned red and two eyebeams flew toward Gohan's forehead.

Gohan ducked and grabbed the Kryptonian by the sides of his head. "Chou Makouhou!" Gohan shouted, yelling a wide wave of yellow energy into Superboy's face. Gohan threw a punch into the stunned Superboy's stomach, arching him over his fist. Gohan swept him off his feet and landed a punch into his face, slamming him into the ground. He hopped back and raised his hands in a triangle on his forehead. "Masenko-ha!" he shouted, lighting up the ring with a flash of yellow chi. He whipped around, blocking a kick. "You can't fool me with that!"

"That hurt," he said. "That actually hurt!" He let out a cry of rage and threw all of his might at the Saiyan, finding himself blocked at every move as a few years of boxing met a lifetime of hard martial arts.

"Is this it?" Gohan asked, getting angrier at the insulting Kryptonian. "All of that talk, you insult me, you court Starfire, and this is it?" Gohan struck back, letting the blow on Superboy's cheek rattle the arena. "I've heard stories of the original Man of Steel. I thought you'd be better than what you're throwing at me now!" He landed a kick in Superboy's chin and followed with a rising uppercut. "Soaring Dragon Strike!" he exclaimed, sending Superboy rocketing into the air. He fazed out, preparing to land a finishing elbow strike in the clouds but was blocked by a very angry Superboy.

"You're going to regret ever stepping into the ring," Superboy said, throwing him higher into the sky. He met him above the clouds and bounced him around ruthlessly. He caught a punch and knocked him back with two eye beams to the cheek. Gohan charged forward and met a blast of extremely cold air, stinging his hands and eyes. He took a blow to the back, sending him flailing toward the ground.

"Where the hell did this power surge come from?!" Gohan thought, landing on his feet and blocking a heel kick by the Kryptonian. Gohan found himself with the advantage, beating him around the square with everyone watching. "What happened to his power?!" He looked up briefly and devised and experiment. He kicked Superboy into the sky and found that they were on equal grounds. "Altitude seems to have a positive effect on his power," Gohan thought, "I want to see him at his full power, but I can't let this go on any longer." He took a blow from Superboy slamming him into the ground on his stomach. Superboy followed with a knee strike into Gohan's spine, making the Saiyan scream in pain.

"What's the matter, huh?" Superboy taunted. "You have nothing else smart to say?"

Gohan rolled to his feet and raised both his hands, forming a chi barrier around him and the Kryptonian. "One person leaves standing," he said.

"I'm fine with that," Superboy said, clashing with Gohan again. The Saiyan gained the upper hand, rocking the ring with every strike. Superboy threw a punch and Gohan caught it, finishing him off with a blue flash of chi. The Kryptonian dropped to the surprise of his fellow Young Justice members, unconscious. Gohan dissipated the barrier and stood over the Kryptonian with his arms folded.

"Son Gohan is the victor!" the announcer shouted, the Saiyan getting a mixed response. "They're both very good fighters! They'd make perfect hosts, don't you think? Let's bring out our next match: Trunks, the herald of doom from the future with more deaths in his family than a Shakespeare story versus Piccolo, the once feared Daimao King turned into a glorified babysitter! Welcome them out!"

Gohan carried Superboy over to Supergirl in the stands who was still watching him with shock and awe. "He's a good fighter," Gohan said, "but too cocky. When he wakes up, tell him to focus more on his training."

"How did you figure out his ability?" Supergirl asked, taking Superboy from him.

"He can absorb solar radiation," Gohan said. "I noticed it after we went above the clouds. The power surge had to have come from somewhere."

"You know he's going to want to fight you again," she said.

"Yes," Gohan said, turning away from her. "I'll be waiting." He grabbed his clothing from the grass and nodded to Trunks and Piccolo as they stepped on stage.

Robin grinned at a thunderstruck Batgirl. They sat together in the front row. He handed her a Titan communicator. "Where do you want your tower to be?"

"No fair!" Batgirl said, folding her arms. "There was no way that fight was fair!"

"What were the parameters of the agreement, Batgirl?" Robin asked, making her scowl.

Trunks and Piccolo stepped on stage. "Gohan has told me a lot about you," Trunks said, going Super Saiyan. Piccolo's aura spiked as well. "And I've been waiting for this chance for a while now."

"Ever since the Cell Games it's bugged me that we couldn't spar either," Piccolo said, falling into stance. "It's been awhile since I've fought a Super Saiyan."

"Don't expect me to hold back because you're Gohan-Sensei's teacher," Trunks said.

"Let's put on a show," Piccolo said.

"Ready?" the announcer said. "Begin!"

The duo immediately vanished, blinking in and out of the sky in clashes faster than the average eye could see. They reappeared above the middle of the arena with Piccolo landing the first strike into Trunks' cheek. Trunks retaliated with a kick to Piccolo's stomach, sending the Namekian sailing toward the grass. Piccolo stopped in midair and charged, clashing again in a fight that could not be seen, but felt around the arena as the stands shook. Piccolo slammed his fists into Trunks' face, sending him spiraling down into the arena. Trunks flipped about, landing on his feet and charging again at the Namekian. Piccolo placed his hands in a diamond level with his chest as Trunks charged. "Light Grenade!" he shouted, blasting out a giant yellow ball of chi. Trunks deflected it into the sky and followed up with a blitz of blue chi beams into the grenade, detonating it on impact into a spectacularly shattering ball of fiery blaze.

Trunks charged a yellow ball of energy of his own. "Finish Buster!" he shouted, firing the crackling ball at Piccolo. The Namekian grabbed the ball of chi and whipped it back, starting a game of dangerous pinball. Trunks punched through the ball and fired a blue ball through it, hitting Piccolo in the chest. Piccolo flew back and caught himself before hitting the stands.

"Get him, Trunks!" Blackfire shouted from the front row. "Show him why you never mess with a warrior race!"

"Come on, Piccolo," Beast Boy said, watching his teacher and Trunks clash. "You can take this guy on no problem!"

"You really are amazing, Mister Piccolo," Trunks said, barely dodging a volley of punches from the green man.

"You're nothing to scoff at either," Piccolo said. "I wish I got to see you fight more in the Cell Games, but your father got in the way."

"I wouldn't wanna go back to the Cell Games even if my life depended on it," Trunks said.

"And it probably would," Piccolo said.

"Like everything we do," Trunks said, sharing a laugh with the Namekian before he started his counterattack. He slowly drove Piccolo down toward the grass as their even martial skills were second to Trunks' brute strength. Piccolo fazed out, attempting to push Trunks into the grass. Trunks fazed out, trying the same thing. They hopped back onto the arena and Trunks fell into stance. "You ready to go again?"

Piccolo raised his hands into the air. "No, actually," he said. "I give up."

"What?!" Trunks shouted, "You can't quit!"

"It's pointless now," Piccolo said. "I know what you're capable of, and if we go any further, we would destroy the arena."

"No!" the announcer said. "You can only be defeated if any part of your body touches the outside of the ring!"

Piccolo extended his arm, touching the grass with his finger. "Look at that."

The crowd gasped. "I guess Trunks wins, then!" the announcer said angrily. "Get off my stage! You're a disgrace to the tournament!"

Trunks followed Piccolo off the stage. "That's not really why you gave up," he said.

Piccolo smirked. "There are better fights to come that I want to see," he said, nodding to Gohan and Vegeta. "Also, it should be one of you to deliver the final blow to Terra. Besides, I plan on taking you on seriously after this is over."

"You mean you weren't fighting seriously?" Trunks asked.

"You weren't either, so don't act too surprised," Piccolo said. "We've all been training immensely, and since my latest fusion, a Super Saiyan One isn't going to be enough to beat me."

"What are you talking about?" Trunks asked. "What fusion?"

"I had to deal with my personal demons," Piccolo said, leaving it at that and heading off into the stands.

Trunks walked back into the waiting room as the next fight was called. "Vegeta, the Prince of Three Saiyans, the leader of an ancient, destroyed, debased race of brutes, versus Starfire, the hot Tamaranean princess that any guy here would pay to screw sent here dumber than any blonde!"

Gohan's fist went through the wall. "Starfire," he said, still a Super Saiyan. "I'll take care of him if you want."

"There's no need," Vegeta scoffed. "Starfire, I have a proposal."

"Yes? What is it?" Starfire asked.

"As you see," he said, pointing to the "M" on his forehead. "The Master has made the foolish decision of giving me his power, taking me past anyone on this planet."

"What are you planning, Vegeta?" Gohan and Trunks asked with concern.

"World domin-"

"No," Gohan and Trunks said.

"But I'll-"

"No," the two Saiyan youths said.

"I'll kill you if you-"

"Try it," Gohan spat first.

"I've already killed a man-"

"And I'll kick your ass for that," Gohan said.

"You dare threaten-"

"Yes," Gohan said, making the Saiyan Prince grit his teeth.

"What kind of disrespectful shit are you?"

"The kind that's known you for more than it would want," Gohan said. "Sorry, Trunks."

Vegeta brushed past him and followed his student onto the stage. "I'll kill all of you," he said.

"Okay!" Gohan said. "Good luck, Starfire!"

After a long, drawn out battle between a Super Saiyan and an angry Tamaranean, Vegeta had asserted dominance of the Saiyan race after his out-of-bounds victory in a long, drawn out speech Gohan cut short by dragging Vegeta off the stage. "Let go of me!"

"Calm down!" Gohan said. "The power has gone to your head!"

"The only thing that will go to my head shall be a crown!" Vegeta shouted.

""No, it'll be my foot," Gohan said. "Sorry, Trunks."

"Don't sweat it," the Saiyan from the future said. "I may end up beating him myself."

Beast Boy and Terra walked on the stage next in silence, letting their own thoughts prepare them for the impending fight. Terra and Beast Boy hopped on stage on opposite sides. Terra smirked. "Are you ready to end up like your bitch?"

Beast Boy bared a face of long, needle-like teeth and growled with a shrill, reptilian rattle.

"You must think you're pretty tough," Terra said, spiking her demonic aura as she let her Ma-Djinn spirit take control, "but I'm going to have you begging for mercy."

Beast Boy leaned back and bent his legs, placing his arms forward.

"You don't wanna say anything?" Terra said.

Beast Boy's eyes narrowed.

"Begin!" the announcer exclaimed.

"I guess there's nothing to say," Terra said, slightly disappointed beneath all of her mockery.

Beast Boy vanished, appearing in front of her to deliver her into the air with an uppercut. Terra caught herself in the air with a grimace.

"That's how it's going to be then?" Terra shouted. "So be it!"

The duo threw all of their might into each other in the sky, forming shockwaves with every blow. Beast Boy landed a donkey kick into Terra's forehead, sending her whirling back. "Come back here!" he barked, charging toward her with gorilla fists. Terra caught his punches and the fight halted in a power struggle bringing them to a stalemate. Beast Boy grew two antennae and zapped her with a chi charge through it. He landed a punch in her stomach and hopped back, lunging forward again to send a kick into the side of her head.

She flipped back and raised both of her hands, using her geokinesis to crush the changeling between two rock pillars. She placed her hands on the side of Garfield's head and let out a war cry, blasting a flash of yellow chi into his ears. "Beast Boy!" Cyborg shouted from the crowd, trying to find him using his scanner. "No! Where are you, damn it?!"

"I turned him into ash, you tin can," Terra said with her arms folded in triumph. "It's a pity. Maybe we could have-"

"DODGE!" Beast Boy shouted behind her, blasting her toward the edge of the arena with a wide chi blast.

She skidded in midair, only becoming angrier at Cyborg's laughter. "You shut up!" she shouted.

"Yo," Beast Boy said. "The fight's over here."

"You've decided to talk now?" Terra said.

"This is a good time to settle our differences, right?" Beast Boy said in a jovial, mocking tone. "I get revenge on you for hurting Raven and sending soldiers to attack my friends, and you get to kick my ass for trying to be your friend."

Terra charged toward him and they clashed again more furiously than before. Terra landed a drop kick on Garfield, forcing him back down to the arena floor. Beast Boy landed on his feet and Terra brought her hands to one side by her hip. "Kame…"

"No way!" The Titans and Gohan exclaimed.

"Hame…" Terra continued. "Ha!"

Beast Boy grew six tentacles out of his back. His two hands fired a Masenko while the other six pelted her with small energy beams to knock her out of the sky. Beast Boy burst after her, appearing above her with his hands in a diamond level to his chest. "Light Grenade!" he shouted, slamming her into the ground with a flash of yellow chi. He dropped to the floor in a fighting stance, waiting for her to get up. "Is that all you have?"

The announcer reluctantly started to count. Terra screamed in rage and raised herself into the air, beating Beast Boy around the arena with a surge of adrenaline. She dragged his face through the cement and whipped him into the sky. Beast Boy roared like a bear and grew dragon wings. "Prepare to meet your demise!" Terra said.

"You're even sounding like Slade now," Garfield said bitterly.

"A good master's true strengths show through his students!" Terra shouted.

"He got punked by a guy standing at five foot three-"

"Five foot five, Earthling scum!" Vegeta barked.

"The point is that I'm going to kick your ass," Garfield said bluntly, fazing out.

Terra's eyes widened and she frantically searched for her opponent, only to her the faint whoosh of his wings. "Come out, you little-"

"DODGE!" Beast Boy shouted from behind her.

Terra smirked and threw a roundhouse kick, hitting nothing. She turned around again, staring into the face of another chi blast. She barely raised a pillar in time to block it, but the impact sent her reeling back. He caught her in a bear hug and nose dived toward the ground, spinning as he descended. "The last time we were this close, I was going to kiss you."

"Shut up," Beast Boy said sharply.

Terra broke free of his grip and grabbed him by the back of the head, kissing him roughly before slamming the dazed Titan into the ground. Terra hopped back and raised her arms, shooting a volley of razor sharp rock spikes at the green boy. Beast Boy morphed into a hard-shelled ankylosaurus and charged, pinning himself on top of her. Gohan's eyes widened and his tomoe spun violently. "No!" he shouted, watching Terra flick her fingers to send a shard through Beast Boy's chest. The Titan wailed in pain and rolled over, morphing back into a human.

"Shot through the heart, and I'm to blame," Terra said with a smirk. "I give-"

"Wrong side of chest, dumbass," Beast Boy spat before blacking out.

Cyborg rushed onto the field. "That's it!" he barked. "Terra, you and me, right here, right now! I'm going to turn you into a pile of ash!"

"The fight's not over!" the announcer said smugly, staring into Gohan's eyes a second later.

"It's over," Gohan said. "We advance to the next round immediately. I fight Terra."

The announcer slowly repeated Gohan word for word and walked off stage in a trance. Trunks took out a capsule and opened it, revealing a surgical kit only to be used in extreme emergencies. He pulled Beast Boy onto the grass. "Will he be okay?" Raven asked, looking over her friend. "Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

"I am a doctor," Trunks said. "The doctor, in some worlds."

"Star," Robin said gravely, "if Gohan doesn't get to her first, we beat her to a bloody pulp for Beast Boy."

Starfire glared at the smug blonde and agreed. "She will pay most dearly."

"I guess my work here is done," Terra said, walking off the stage.

Gohan grabbed her shoulder. She snapped her fingers and several rocky spikes shot out toward Gohan's face. They disintegrated in his aura. "We have unfinished business."

Terra whipped around and punched him in the face. He didn't even flinch. "Everyone, off the stage!" he shouted, clearing the ring for him and Terra. "Trunks, I remember you asking me years ago to see what I did to Cell," Gohan said. "Sorry I'm pitting you against your father, but I need to show her what happens when you mess with my family and me."

"I'm fine with that," Trunks said, watching with Vegeta in the grass.

"You know, Terra, I think I've figured out my superhero name," Gohan said. He snapped his fingers and the announcer came back on in the same trance. "Pain."

"Pain?" Terra said with a fake smirk. His power was sickening and still increasing.

"Yeah, wanna know why?" Gohan said as the announcer called the fight. "Because I'm going to make you feel a lot of it."

"Oh yeah?" Terra said, letting her Ma-Djinn symbol glow.

Gohan's eyes turned red and the black tomoe started spinning, forming what looked like a shuriken in his eyes. "You'll feel more pain in the next 72 seconds than you will for the rest of your life."