Chapter 10: Soldier Dream

Helios ga taosenai! Pan no zetsubou!

How many friggin' times am I gonna write 'Inferno Gauntlet...' in the scene-setting italics? It's my fault for making the enemies there all so formidable. Though I guess all of the Shadow Dragons are, really.

Raditz opened his eyes. It didn't get any brighter. He lifted his head. Now there was some light. He seemed to be lying face-down on wet grass, and as his eyes adjusted to the dawn light, he saw a sparse treeline in the middle distance. One thing to note…I'm an adult this time, and my memories are all there. Maybe…the fact that I knew what was going to happen this time…and went in intending to make this mind-world-thing? Or…something…ah, I don't know. He got to his feet, shaking off dog-like. It didn't work; he had evidently been lying there for a while and was soaked through. Well, I'll just evaporate it off with ki… He took in a deep breath, summoning up his aura.

Nothing happened.

Ah, crap.

That was when he first sensed them. Interesting…ki's almost completely gone, but I can still sense it…I guess that's just one of my normal senses. Good to know.

Anyway…feels like…a couple dozen of 'em. Human, almost certainly. Power above average, but within the normal non-ki-capable range…warriors of some kind.

He made a dash for the trees, crouching behind a particularly thick-trunked specimen, and waited for them to come into view. It took less than three minutes; he'd estimated their numbers correctly, and the group appeared to be made up of soldiers in dark green camouflage pattern. Well, that fits the terrain. Evidently, my subconscious knows what it's doing. Each was armed with an Earth-make assault rifle. What, no Planet Trade blasters? I've been living with humans too long.

He shifted to move to better cover for observation, and heard a sharp noise as his foot snapped a twig. Oh, come on, that's so cliché…

He dived into a line of concealing bushes, gunfire rattling behind him and tearing up the ground where he'd just stood. Shouts from his pursuers carried downwind to him. "Cross the boundary between universes unshielded, they said," he grumbled. "It'll be fine, they said."

"Where'd he go?" the squad commander whispered, taking point and rooting through the bushes their quarry had vanished into. "He isn't here anymore, but I didn't hear anything…"

"Nobody can move that quietly, can they?" a second soldier mumbled.

"Well, he is supposed to be good," the leader replied, circling the small clearing warily.

Nothing stirred in the forest. "…how good, exactly?" she asked.

A shadow descended bat-like from the forest canopy above, landing in the midst of the squad. "You tell me," Raditz growled, springing to his feet.

The next few seconds were a blurred whirlwhind of violence. Two soldiers had limbs dislocated or broken before they were even aware of their enemy. Another raised her rifle, only for the squad leader to push it away; firing at such close range was more than likely to hit one's own allies. As this happened, a third swung his gun club-like, but it was snatched from his hands and smashed back into his face, uneven metal tearing cartilage and cracking bone. He dropped, emitting a wet gurgle.

Raditz let go of the weapon—it had too much momentum in the other direction anyway—and stepped backwards, driving both elbows back and taking out the squad leader and the one next to him, doing this as fast as possible, as the other five members of the squad were now finally reacting. They discarded their rifles, drawing large combat knives or rushing him barehanded. He received a couple of punches and a graze from a blade before getting back into the rhythm of things, and the combat mellowed out into a monotony of crunches and pained yells as his opponents dropped one by one. As the last fell with her own knife in her back, the saiyan leaned back against a tree, panting. "And that…is game…" Ki or no, I've been a soldier on the galaxy's most brutal battlefields…and more recently, I've spent quite a few years training with the very best. Still…not used to normal materials being that hard. He winced as an ache shot up his arm from where he'd missed a target's face and punched their helmet directly.

"Now…" he glanced down at the scattered firearms on the ground. Saiyans didn't usually cover much weapons training, but standard Planet Trade drill included their blasters…can't ever discount for being depowered like this, or finding a weapon so powerful it's better than your own attacks. A few minutes should familiarise me with the differences…besides, I've seen enough action movies to know vaguely how Earth guns work. Well…which way to point them, anyway.

The General shook his head. "Squad 1 shouldn't have gone down so easy…"

A trooper ran up to him, ducking into the command tent. "Sir! Lost contact with squad 2…heard gunfire, evidently he's got hold of squad 1's equipment."

The General blinked. "But squad 2 were over to the East, and since squad 1 was taken out it's only been…" He glanced down at the map beside him. "Damn, he moves fast. It's just us and him now…" Fifteen of us, though, and we have defensible, high ground. He shouldn't be able to… As if to debate this point, a chatter of gunfire immediately broke out to his left. He upended his map-table, diving behind it and drawing his large-calibre revolver.

The gunshots outside grew sparser, and then came to a halt altogether. "Now!" a voice called. "He's out! Move in before he reloads; get—wait, where'd he—" This was followed by a series of cracks, snaps and crunches, and the guards fell silent. "…and set…" a second, unfamiliar voice growled.

Shortly after, the entrance rustled—the General leapt up, fired off a round in the vague direction of the open hatch, and retreated back behind his cover.

"It was a simple mistake, you know," Raditz called in from outside, clutching his bleeding shoulder from the near-miss. "Assuming your perimeter was secure, that if I attacked any point I wouldn't have time to break through before you all got together and ganged up on me. But you underestimated my rate of fire…I'm a big guy, I can shoot one of your little human weapons from each hand, no problem. And I've got plenty of experience with rapid-fire targeting." The wind's distorting my voice, but if I make a move, that'll be a more traceable sound, and he'll shoot me through the tent wall…nearest gun's at least six feet away…what've I got to work with…

"You should've died straight away…" the General muttered, slotting a shell into his empty chamber. "You're out of your element…"

"No, I'm in a warzone; believe me, this is precisely my element." Raditz frowned. All that was in reach was various random objects the General had knocked off his table in upending it. Pen, paper, stationery, and…oh, hello. Now that's one dangerous desk ornament…

The General had decided to try another few shots—he had enough ammunition to miss a few times and not run low—when something metallic rolled across the canvas floor, coming to a halt inches from his leg. It was, he realised with a jolt of panic, the hand grenade he kept for just such an emergency. Attached to it with duct tape was a small square of paper on which an overly-cutesy smiley-face was drawn. "Oh, seriously—"

Raditz lifted his head, crawling out of the ditch he'd dived into to seek shelter from the explosion. "…and match." He looked up towards the sky. "All right…hey, me or the universe or the void or whatever! Finished him. Fatality. I win. I can go home now, right?" Just over ten seconds of awkward silence later, he began to feel weightless, the world fading to a blank white. Aaaand there we go.

Inferno Gauntlet…

Pan and Gogeta retreated warily as Helios Shenron flexed his arms, light-obscured face turning slowly towards them. "Any ideas?" Gogeta asked. "I've still got over twenty minutes of fusion time left…"

"One, maybe," Pan muttered. "I can give you an opening, maybe…but you'll still probably take a hit in return."

"Then I'll use it to grab him, and you can deliver the finisher." He grinned. "Try not to miss and kill me."

"Right…ready?"

"I'd better be." Gogeta shifted slightly. "Do it!"

Pan nodded, circling rapidly, weaving in closer to Helios, who raised his guard. Pan dashed in, receiving a sharp blow to the midsection and falling flat on her back. As she skidded away, she disguised a quick downwards slashing movement as an attempt to slow herself—in reality, she had ripped a chunk of volcanic rock out of the ground and crushed it into dust between her fingers.

Gogeta remained poised, alert. Not yet…he'd still take me down before I even got close…

Helios rushed in to continue his attack, and Pan backflipped to her feet, throwing a straight punch with her left. It all comes down to how he defends…whether he blocks or dodges… Helios chuckled, easily bringing up his arm in time to stop her blow dead. Yes! He blocked! She grinned, releasing the handful of dust from a range of a couple inches directly into his face, propelling it with a burst of ki to turn it into a hail of razor-sharp projectiles, aiming to blind and disorient him.

"Graaah!" Helios lashed out, his arm catching Pan with a glancing blow to her arm as she retreated. Gogeta ran in simultaneously, not giving Helios time to adjust, and grappled the Shadow Dragon's arm and neck—grabbing from behind would have been more secure, but the intense heat of Helios' 'wings' made this impossible. "Pan—!" Gogeta called.

"I hear you!" Pan was already recovering from the force of Helios' wild swing and skidded to a halt, rapidly focusing her ki into a single tiny point in her fingertips. My strongest normal blow didn't bother him…gotta concentrate my power…!

She swung, aiming directly for the joint in Helios' shoulder, arm snaking around Gogeta and swinging straight on course for its target—

He was gone.

Pan stumbled to a halt, mind reeling. Helios now stood a few feet behind her, arms folded, apparently unharmed. Hold on…where's— Gogeta hit the ground behind her, groaned, and fell still, first losing Super Saiyan, then defusing. Pan trembled at this display, feeling her will to fight slipping away. No…no way! We pulled it off perfectly…caught him totally off-guard…is he just that much stronger?!

Helios turned to face her. "I know what you're thinking, and yes. I am. But in addition…including ki detection, I have six senses. You disabled but one of them, and then attempted to immobilise me with that kind of strength…don't kid yourself. You were a pair of insects making war on the sun." He unfolded his arms. "And now you are one."

Break, looking on, sat with clenched fists, nervous sweat joining that caused by the heat. They were both so fast…but to him, they must look like they're standing still! I wish I could help…damn it…I've gotta get to that level! Somehow…

Helios walked closer to Pan, who seemed frozen to the spot. "Lost the desire to fight? That's no excuse, nor is fear, however appropriate." He made a simple gesture, and a burst of fiery energy hurled Pan to the ground once more. "You entered into this battle full of determination. If you could just back out whenever you liked, there would be no risk—no sanctity to it." She lay there, staring up at him. "Well…it was more entertaining when you fought back, but I suppose it makes no difference, given the difference between us." He brought his foot down heavily, driving her unresisting body further into the crumbling rock. "I think I'll finish you now—eh?" A sudden ki spike warned him, and he jumped back in time to avoid a blast hurled directly up into the air.

"Sanctity?" Pan spat, back on her feet and facing Helios. "Entertainment? What kind of crap is that? You think I'm here to play your games? I'm not doing this because I want to!"

"Your spirit returned…" Helios smiled. "That's more like it. You don't like my outlook on battle?"

"Don't trivialise a fight to the death, you bastard!" she yelled, swinging for his head.

He caught it, nails digging into her hand, drawing blood. "Trivialise? You mistake me…I glorify battle. I worship it! This is my reason to exist!" He swung her overhead, throwing her away behind him and hearing with some satisfaction the multiple thumps and crashes as she bounced and rolled to a stop. "That's why I'm superior to you—all of you. You're limited by needing a reason to fight. Fighting is my reason! There's nothing more to it! That's why I'm always pushing myself so hard, and why my power is unparalleled short of the gods themselves!"

Pan wiped away a stream of blood that had trickled down into her eyes, backing away again. "Heh…'all of us'…I think I'm actually related to a couple of guys like you…"

Close by, Break was standing now, taking slow, measured breaths and keeping her energy simmering gently. It's no use…I just can't summon up the emotional depth…I can't break through into demigod ki the 'normal' way Gohan and Pan did…but then…like them, I'm not really a 'normal' Super Saiyan either…

Wait! She stifled a gasp. It's become instinct now…but when I first went Super Saiyan 3, all those years ago…yeah, I combined Super Saiyan 2 and the Legendary form to achieve it, but…it wasn't quite that simple. Legendary Super Saiyan…was just used as a 'spark' or 'trigger'…

…what happens if I fully combine them? Is that even…possible?

Helios paused. "Huh…her ki's acting strangely…"

Pan's eyes widened. "Break, what are you doing?"

"Trying to help…" Break muttered.

"You know those two types of energy are incompatible!" Pan protested. "Do you have any idea what you'll do to yourself?!"

Break remained firm. "If there's even a chance it'll make me stronger…it'll mean you won't have to keep suffering this alone…"

"I'm telling you, don't!" Pan straightened up, burning up her aura. "I'll suffer alone all I want, thanks…and I promise, I will defeat this guy…before I see a friend go through what you're about to try."

Break paused, letting her energy relax. She's reacting pretty strongly…she doesn't know what it's like, surely…unless…

Two incompatible energy sources…when she tried and failed to mix Super Saiyan and Oozaru! She realised. But…she's so desperate to protect me from going through something similar. Shit…was it that bad?!

"You'll defeat me?" Helios repeated back to Pan. "Well, I can't fault your optimism, and this is more fun than when you were giving up."

"I know what I said." Pan clenched her fists, powering up as high as she could manage. "Come at me!"

"All right…" Helios attacked, sending a spray of flame her way. To his surprise, it hissed through empty air, and Pan appeared to his right, thundering towards him. She dodged it?! He blocked her leaping kick, but when he went to slap her away again, she ducked under it, rising under his guard to get a two-handed hold on his head, bringing it firmly down into her knee before letting go, allowing the momentum of her rising leg to fling him back, barely landing on his feet.

Pan came to a halt, shoulders and chest heaving, smiling slightly. "Told you…huh?"

"I didn't think…you could reach such strength…" Helios gasped, before recovering his composure. "I applaud you. But I get the feeling that was a momentary thing. I don't think you have the power to sustain fighting at anything remotely near my level for more than a couple of seconds."

"Try me—gaaah!" Pan cried out as a lightning-fast blow staggered her back.

Helios lowered his arm. "I intend to."

"Damn it…" Pan aimed a leaping kick at him, but he blocked smoothly, flipping her over behind him and using her own momentum to dump her on the ground.

"I must commend you," Helios said calmly, turning. "I didn't think you'd still be alive after so long…of course, I'll soon fix that."

The air folded and stretched outside the Shadow Dragons' tower, the universe grudgingly admitting two new entrants. "Whoa…" Raditz stumbled slightly, adjusting to having ki again. "Hey…" he asked his brother. "You all right? Go through much?"

"Barely worth mentioning, actually," Goku laughed. "It was basically a bunch of old enemies rushing me at once…most of 'em went down in one or two hits."

"We can't have much time left…let's get in there."

"Right." Goku took the lead, sprinting up to the tower's entrance. I don't feel any energy at all from in there…there was supposed to be some kind of magic seal stopping us from skipping levels; it's probably to do with that.

They passed easily through Eden Palace, finding the level empty but for Gaia's lifeless body. "Well, that's one down, at least," Raditz observed. "Promising."

Inferno Gauntlet…

Helios drew back to prepare the final strike. "I've had enough fun now…you were interesting, mortal."

"Screw you," Pan spat.

"Farewell!" Arm wreathed in fire, Helios tensed up to spring—and flinched away before making contact, just as—

"…times ten!" A boosted Kamehameha wave shot past Helios' face, the surprised dragon dodging it by inches. He wheeled, turning on Goku. "Who—?"

"Dragon FIST!" Came a call from behind.

Helios spun around again, facing the onrushing golden dragon that emerged from Raditz's outstretched arm. "What?!" He drove a punch home between its eyes, destroying it, but the shockwave took him off his feet. As he regained his balance in the air, lightly scorched, he glared down at Raditz. Curious…the attack was on our demigod level…but he himself is not… "Feh. More insects."

Pan smirked. "Yeah, but these ones sting."

For those wondering about the end of the first scene: Yes, that wasn't just me making a Mortal Kombat reference, that was Raditz intentionally making a Mortal Kombat reference. He really has been living on Earth a long time.

There might a bonus thingy next week. I kind of ran out of time this week. Sorry.

Q: You really have screwed over Goku in this fix. His rising to save the ones he loves putting his life his body on the line and at risk not caring about himself but most of all the way he always finds away to defeat the enemy for the ones he loves no matter the harm to himself. You have away first his right as the first super saiyan in centuries but also his instant transmission to Raditz. I'm not a huge Goku fan but I admire his almost never ending skill list favorite being instant transmission. Also now he's like a push over now, he doesn't have the things that make him him, also his "I am" speech was one if the best written. I would of rather that been kept but its yours I suppose. I just feel like your giving to much light to the other characters cause I feel like your trying not to give him to much. By chapter 21 I've lost most want to read this fic ill go another chapter to see if you fixed that and I didn't know.

A: Well, I hope you continued, because he got to defeat both Cell and Buu…

Q: I haven't asked major questions before because you're notoriously shifty about them. But I figure I might as well.

1) How was the Eternal drawn to the 13th universe? Another mishap with dragon balls?

2) Is the gap between actual gods and demi-gods the same for the Shadow Dragons and Gods of Destruction?

3) If Whis is the creator, did he witness the Shadow Dragon extermination for the first time in U13 or was that just the latest before the breach in U7.

4) Am I correct in assuming that the entry point for Janemba is different across the universes? And that not all breaches brought the dead back to the world of the living.

5) As the Eternal gets closer will its presence be felt by normal ki attuned individuals?

6) Is it possible to starve the Eternal?

7) What is the average lifespan of Gods and how are new ones chosen or created in new universes?

-Perfect Carnage

A: 1. Either Dragon Balls or some other device of the Eternal's generated enough negative energy.

2. Pretty much, yeah, the Shadow Dragons are on that demigod level.

3. He didn't stay in these universes before, he'd create one, stay for a few billion years to see the local gods emerge and start to cultivate life, then get to work creating the next. 7th was the first time he'd lingered for so long. He might have heard about U13 at some point, though.

4. Yeah, he grabs whatever opportunity he can get, it's different each time. So to answer your non-numbered question above, presumably he had a lesser energy source in U11.

5. When it gets to the point it was in U13, where sufficient negative energy has built up to allow it to begin its final approach and consumption, yes, they will begin to feel as though they are being repeatedly struck in the head with multiple sledgehammers.

6. Yes. Given the amount of universes available, it's unlikely to be feasible, but if it went without sufficient lifeforms for long enough, it could definitely starve.

7. Hmm, now that's a good question. My natural instinct is to say gods don't age, but I think everything in the DB universe does, deities included, and in the movie Whis did offer Goku the position of Hakaishin after Bills dies. So presumably 'longer than the Kaioshin, but not immortal'. There's probably some sacred ritual a dying Hakaishin can carry out to give its successor their apotheosis. Or maybe there are just a certain few races like the saiyans throughout the multiverse that have the ability to elevate themselves to divine levels on very rare occasions, and the Hakaishin candidates are drawn from them. Something like one of those explanations.

...wait...notoriously shifty? Uh...I guess so...?

Q: wow ive been following this story for so long and this has to be the best fic on this site im surprised u don't get more reviews but I think u should try send this off so it get to be on tv it would be such a cool series to watch you created a great story here!

A: Thank you! I'd also love to see that, but realistically it isn't gonna happen.

Q: Hmm.. Now I get it... ""Dragon"" Fist. It must be the only technique that can hurt/destroy Eternal and/or Alpha Shenron.

A: Not…exactly. But it is called that and looks like that for a reason, yes.

Q: As I was waiting for this I realized the excited anticipation was pretty much on par (if not above) my anticipation in my youth to find out what would happen "next time, on Dragon. Ball. Z." And honestly that makes this story pretty darn special :)

A: That's awesome!

Q: According to the series' original author Akira Toriyama, in terms of power, Goku as a Super Saiyan God would be a 6, Beerus would be a 10, and Whis would be a 15.[4]

Got this from dragon ball wika on whis' page, dunno if true or not bcos i havent searched for interview. But is interesting if it is as is close to ur approximations

A: The reason it's close to my approximations is because my numbers are based off those numbers Toriyama gave. I used those three as a base and ranked the other gods compared to them.

Q: Just blitzed through your entire story in one sitting
Took me almost 20 hours...
Fuck I'm tired.
Don't suppose that Janemba will be joining the other Hakaishin in Universe 7?
Keep up the great work man! :D

A: Uh…I hope you got some sleep. But I'm glad you enjoyed it! As for Janemba, I can't say at the moment. We will see him again, though.

Q: At first, I didn't like some aspects of the story, this AU trunks, vegeta dying etc. But gave it the benefit of the doubt and it became my most read story. Caught up in 2 1/2 days because the quality and believability was so high. Not to mention your unusual talent for attack names and explanations on abilities. Keep up the great work!

A: I'll do my best! Yeah, there are some aspects to this story that some people can find disagreeable, I guess. I didn't really think about them at the time, actually; it's only in retrospect that I realised how some people might not like those things…well, whatever. Seems people enjoy it anyway.

Q: Dude i love your work i seriously hope you'll continue to update this story. your my favorite author on this site. i mean come on your stories have humor, action, and all kinds of unexpected twists and turns! I love this story and hope you will still update it for a while.

A: I'm glad you think so!

Q: Since Gohan has MASSIVE potential, are we gonna see SSJG Gohan versus the Eternal? Imagine it! The destroyer of universes being defeating by the humble half breed! :D

A: We shall see…

Q: Hello,this is my first fic is my most favourite one and it's just this story is finished it will be the first ever story to comprise the whole of dbz & GT.I've never read a fic that is so much perfectly written.I wish you all the luck in the world so that this fic becomes the most reviewed story in the world

A: Thanks for reading it, and I'm happy you liked it!

Q: Alpha & Wisterion are still at it, & now Whis' plan is to be a sort of sacrificial lion...gotta give him credit for thinking that far ahead, & trusting in either the gods or the mortals to avenge him. One question though: can he actually die, & if so, what happens to his soul? Being a god, I expect he'd have different rules than the Kaiou & Kaioushin.

A: I did not know the answer at the time of replying to this via PM.

I do now.

All shall be revealed. [maniacal laugh]