Chapter 47
As the wave rolled over her, the Hera offered no resistance. In fact, if an observer could see her shining face, they would have seen that it was graced with a small, cunning smile.
"Fool." She uttered and closed her eyes.
Just as the wave was about to completely encase her, the female fighter felt like she had been rammed by a semi, followed by a sensation of flying through the air. These feelings not being what she expected, she opened her eyes. The shock at the sight before her was rivaled only by the Shock on Buu's own face.
Peeking out of the pink cocoon, and speeding back toward the main body, Zangya saw the disappearing face of the last full blooded Saiyan.
"DAMMIT! BROLY!" Zangya cried in desperation, as she rushed to prevent the absorption from taking place, but she was too late. The Blob and Buu became one and the transformation had begun.
"BROLY!"
As Zangya was screaming Broly's name, Majin Buu was trying to comprehend what he had just experienced. As the pink blob that encased the legendary super Saiyan raced toward him, he made a move to evade it. Buu didn't want to absorb Broly. He wanted him dead. He couldn't stand the thought that the man would essentially live forever as a part of him. That would mean he would have to share his family, and Buu did not share. Nevertheless, despite the Majin's best efforts, once the absorption technique began, there was no undoing it. The blob hit Buu like a homing missile and the two became one.
As soon as the merging began, Buu felt the legendary power of the super Saiyan course through his entire being. It was far more intoxicating than when he absorbed Goku and, while it was nowhere near the power increase he received from the max Kaioken, this power was stable, and most importantly, permanent. He could feel the characteristics of Broly merge with his own and suddenly, he could no longer recall why he hated Broly. In fact, all the confusing feelings he had previously were disappearing. Killing his enemies would be no problem now. Not to mention that with this new form, the Kaioken X 1000 would no longer be an issue. Not that he would even need to go that high anymore.
All these thoughts and feelings the transforming demon was feeling when suddenly he felt a sharp pain interrupt his reverie.
Zangya had not stopped her pursuit for even a moment, slashing the abomination in the hopes of cutting off the technique. Rage and desperation were etched on her features as she swung wildly, trying to free her friend from the monster's clutches. Sadly, all her efforts were in vain. Buu was about to counterattack but was spared the trouble as steam exploded out of his pores, covering him in a cloud and burning his attacker's eyes, forcing her to back off.
Zangya Rubbed her eyes quickly, preparing for another assault. When her vision was clear, the smoke cloud was nearly dissipated, and a lump formed in her throat as the evidence of her failure floated before her. The changes in Buu were far from subtle. The bulk of the demon had more than doubled, giving him a build that was identical to Broly. Even his clothing had changed, having replaced the orange gi top to the plain black shirt that Broly had been wearing.
Buu looked himself over with a smile, clearly pleased with the results of his mistake.
"Now this…" he flexed his fingers. "This is more like it."
"HRYAAAAAAAAAAGH!"
The next thing Buu knew, the Z sword was arcing down at him. He fired up a Kaioken x20 and swayed back to avoid it.
"STOP! EATING! MY! FRIENDS!" With each word, Zangya aimed another sword stroke at her adversary to no avail, while he dodged and swayed to avoid the blade. As tears were forming in the blue girl's eyes, the speed of her swings increased, powered by her overflowing emotions.
"SPIT! HIM! OUT! NOW!" Three more slashes came, but Buu managed to evade them. However, on the fourth slash, Zangya had swung the blade too fast for the Majin to dodge. Unfortunately, the sword failed to cut through the monster's guard, impacting on his arm with a clang. At this new development Buu smiled at the stunned Hera.
"Looks like Heras aren't the only ones who are sturdy." Buu chuckled.
Zangya's surprise didn't last.
"I said," She growled through gritted teeth. "Spit him OUT!" She punctuated her demand by bringing the flat of the z sword down on the top of Buu's head, knocking the smile off his ugly pink face.
"OW!" Yelled Broly rubbing his head, only for the metal to be bashed into his face. "GAH! Quit it!" Another blow impacted his stomach, then his chin, then his side. The blade may not have been able to cut through the demon anymore, but it seemed like Zangya was making good on her threat to beat him like a pinata. Using her sword like a cricket bat, she took out her frustrations on the giant creature. The storm of blows lasted until finally, getting tired of the abuse, Buu decided to put a stop to it.
"Kaioken times 50!"
The sword was caught mid attack by a meaty, pink hand, followed by Buu's other hand grabbing hold of Zangya's wrists. With barely any effort the Majin ripped the weapon from the Hera's fingers and lifted her up till her face was level with his own.
"Quit. It."
The two fighters glared intensely at one another, Buu with annoyance, Zangya with absolute loathing. The stare-down lasted all of 5 seconds before Zangya broke it off by spitting in the monster's eyes.
"GAH! That's disgusting!" Buu wailed, and Zangya pulled herself up, delivering a two feet kick to the behemoth's chin, sending his head reeling back. The blue fighter twisted her wrists out of his grip only to grab hold of his wrist herself. She followed up the grip reversal by somersaulting over and over, whipping the larger fighter around until she finally sent him rocketing toward the ground. The Hera dove down in pursuit, with both hands extended, ready to drill into her opponent. Her descent was halted abruptly when Buu disappeared from her sight, followed immediately by a knee lodging in her abdomen.
The surprise attack knocked the wind out of Zangya. She tried to back away to recover but a massive pink hand squeezed tightly around the back of her head before forcing her downward at supersonic speeds. In barely an instant the Hera felt the pain of being crushed against the earth, while her skull was straining from the pressure of Buu's vise like grip. As she struggled, she caught a glimpse of Buu raising the Z sword out the corner of her eye.
"Let's see how you like getting hit by this thing." The brute swung her own weapon against her but was jolted to a halt when a surprising electric current pulsed through him, courtesy of a loose psycho thread that still connected the sword to Zangya. The Hera took advantage of the opening and landed a kick square in the monster's chest, launching a massive Ki blast from her foot that sent her opponent flying. She flipped to her feet and took a deep breath to collect herself.
She looked at Buu, who was staring at his unblemished stomach with no small amount of satisfaction. It looked like with Broly in the mix, the demon's body had hardened from pliable putty, to rock hard concrete. Zangya quietly berated herself for letting this happen. She had let another one of her friends fall to this monster. She had not calculated on Broly throwing himself in harm's way to protect her. Of course, she was moved by his sacrifice, so much so that she could hardly fault him for interfering in her plan. Still, with the way things had transpired, she couldn't imagine the situation getting any worse.
"You know, I remember you thinking 100 was nothing special." Zangya's attention snapped back to Buu. She glared at him as he continued to gloat. "Well, here I am at 50 and you can barely hold your own against me. If you can call your pitiful resistance holding your own."
The Hera flipped her hair imperiously. "Yeah, I kind of lost my head there for a moment. Watching your friends die will do that to a girl."
"Oh, Broly and Goku aren't dead." Buu chuckled. "They will live forever inside of me. What a wonderful fate, don't you think?"
"A fate I'll be happy to rescue them from. You may have gotten another power up, but even Broly's strength won't save you from me." Zangya looked every bit the marauding villain she used to be.
"HA!" Buu laughed. "Let me clue you in to something little Zangya." His tone dripped with condescension. "You don't have what it takes to kill me. Your sword was merely an annoyance before, but now it's completely useless to you. None of your energy blasts had the power to wipe me out, and now they hardly even phase me. Between Goku's techniques, and Broly's natural strength and durability, I have become the perfect being. Not only that, but any chance you had at mercy vanished the moment I absorbed your friend.
"Mercy from you? Glad I missed that train." Zangya said sarcastically.
"Don't sell it short. See, I don't know why, but Goku's consciousness seemed to have a big influence on me. Almost as much as that fat Kai had."
Zangya quirked an eyebrow at the mention of a kai, but Buu kept going.
"Goku liked playing with you and wanted to keep you around. Broly on the other hand? Well, there's no denying that he cares for you. Maybe if it was just him that I had absorbed, that would be enough to spare you. But as luck would have it, I hit the jackpot with these two Saiyans."
"While their fighting prowess sync up nicely, their personalities could not be more opposed. A peace-loving war machine with a limitless well of suppressed rage and regret, and a fight loving fool with a limitless good will. The two personalities are so well balanced that they cancel each other out. That just leaves me." Buu paused to smile a malicious grin. "An unquenchable thirst for battle that ends in absolute destruction."
Zangya stared at the psychopath as he delivered his monologue. Then she smiled. "Pathetic."
Buu's brow furrowed. "What was that?"
"I said you're pathetic." She repeated. "'An unquenchable thirst for battle that ends in absolute destruction'? More like a bag of hot air."
"Oh really?" Buu asked angrily.
"See, I know you better than you think I do Buu. I know how you were born. A mass of negative energy that somehow gained sentience. You say you desire destruction, but that's a lie. You only destroy because you're afraid. Afraid to lose your freedom, yet too frightened to make use of it. Afraid of life, yet too afraid to die. You lash out at whatever you can, destroying before you can be destroyed. Strip away the powers and all you are is a scared, lonely, little monster." Zangya looked at the monster with disdain.
Buu was taken aback by her speech, but quickly recovered. "Tch. What do you know? Maybe I just like killing."
"Maybe." Zangya conceded. "But then again, maybe you're just like how I used to be. I'd almost pity you, but I'm in no mood for pity today. You took my friends from me, and for that, you're going to pay. I'll strip you down to the frightened creature you are. Hollow you out and make you feel despair before finally killing you."
"And how do you plan on doing that?" The pink demon mockingly asked. "Your sword isn't going to help you now, and I can outclass your power a ten times over."
"The sword was just to mess with you." Zangya admitted with a shrug. She stretched out her hand and pulled back, the sword flying to her fingertips. "It's not as worthless as I thought. But even so..." She raised the blade and Buu readied himself for a fight. Rather than swing the sword at him, she brought it straight down, plunging it into the earth all the way to the hilt. "I'm done playing games. I'm done holding back." The Hera raised her arms parallel to the ground and closed her eyes.
Buu looked in confusion at this strange stance, curious as to what the girl was playing at. Then he noticed the world around him had begun to move. There were no lightning storms that usually accompanied a power up. No earthquakes tearing the land asunder. It was quiet, almost serene. The breeze blew steady and firm, while the sun's pure rays intensified and ushered the clouds away, leaving a clear blue sky. The calm and tranquil atmosphere sent chills down the Majin's spine. He sensed danger, and just as Zangya had claimed, he felt fear.
He didn't understand this sense of foreboding, but then, he never understood his fear. The terror won out over his curiosity, and he lunged at the motionless figure. Just as he reached her, a pillar of light erupted from Zangya, blowing her attacker away in an instant.
Break
Buu looked down at his damaged hand and trembled. The burn he received from the pillar was healing, but not as fast as it should have. Just what did this blue girl have up her sleeve that could do this to him? Was she really holding back the whole time? Why? She wanted him dead, right? No, she had to be bluffing. But another look at his hand gave him second thoughts.
The light died down and Buu turned his attention to his newly transformed opponent. He took one look at the girl, and he heaved a sigh of relief.
"Phew. So, all that show and you're just in your super Hera form. I was almost excited."
At first glance, it really did seem that Zangya's transformation was the same full power form as always. However, on closer inspection, there was so much more to it than a color change. Her height had increased by nearly a foot, and her face became more graceful than impish. Her figure, though more muscular, didn't lose a bit of its femininity. Her now ample bosom was still covered by her blue top, but that is all it covered. The sunlight glistened on her bare arms and abdomen, revealing a well-toned figure. Then of course there were the colors. True, the skin was green, but it was the lively green of a lush garden. Her hair was indeed red, but it glowed like the red of a sunset shining off a shimmering pool of water. Finally, there were the eyes. They were still the usual crystal blue, but now they glowed like a flame reflected from sapphires. These glowing jewels drilled into Buu.
"Excited?" Zangya asked in a tone that made Buu break out in a cold sweat. She vanished from sight, reappearing in front of him to deliver a backhand right to his face. The blow cast him to the ground before he could react, and she picked him back up by the shirt. "I was going for terrified."
The Hera cocked her fist back and Buu quickly engulfed himself in the red flames of the Kaioken. He pushed away from the girl and the fist grazed past his cheek with just enough force to slightly change his trajectory. Broly touched his cheek, not understanding why such a light hit had caused the pain it had. He had no time for reflection, as Zangya was on top of him in an instant. His red aura intensified as he upped the kaioken multiplier, matching her punch for one of his own. The shockwave erupted from the colliding fists and the larger fighter was pushed back by the force of impact. The Majin breathed in sharply at the stinging pain in his hand. He took a moment to examine it but found no damage. He shook his hand in an attempt to ease the pain, but the stinging sensation lingered. Deciding to ignore it and dove back in, upping the Kaioken even higher.
He swung a right hook at Zangya's head, and the Hera ducked under it, coming back up with an upper cut to the torso. He tried again with a roundhouse kick that she took on her forearms, making her skid back. He followed up with a high kick which she bent backwards to avoid. Trying to take her while off balance, he raised his leg high before bringing it down in an axe kick. Zangya leaned further to perform a back handspring, narrowly avoiding the crushing blow. The giant chased after her, only to be met with an elbow in his sternum when she suddenly stopped. He clutched his broad chest and tried to back away, but he tripped backwards when the green fighter hooked his ankle with her foot. As the Majin was falling, Zangya brought her foot down on his gut with a force that sent the earth rippling out in giant wave.
When the earth finally settled, the Hera lifted her foot and observed the results of her curb stomp. Buu was lying on the ground, convulsing in anger and pain. In the middle of his stomach was a hole roughly the size of Zangya's boot that went clean through.
"So, what's the verdict Buu? Excited, or terrified?" Zangya taunted the downed giant.
*Cough* Buu choked and spluttered beneath her gaze. 'Why? Why is this so painful? She can't be that much stronger than me. I know she's not. But then why does it burn every time she hits me? I've never felt pain that's lasted this long. It's maddening!'
Buu got up and the hole in the giant's torso finally started to close. Zangya noted with some hope that the regeneration was slower than normal.
'Not sure why it's slowing down, but either way it's good. This'll make it easier to get him desperate. Let's see if I can keep this up when he goes max.'
Thinking along the same lines as the Hera, Broly decided the time for half measures was over.
"Alright, you're strong, I'll give you that." Buu grudgingly admitted. "Way stronger than I thought you'd be. But you're still too weak to take me on at full power. And this time, you won't be saved by some obscure flaw in my technique."
Zangya folded her arms and raised an eyebrow. "You sure about that?"
"Just watch." Buu forced himself to chuckle. "Broly's body was used to massive increases in power. He's perfect for this technique, even for 1000 times Kaioken."
"Then stop talking and do it already." she prompted harshly.
"Grr, fine then. You asked for it. KAIOKEN 1000!"
The aura burst forth, wreaking havoc as it expanded, and Zangya dove right into the fire. She threw a punch right at his face. Buu caught the fist in his hand, wincing slightly as he did so. He pulled her in to bury his knee in her gut. The Hera gasped as the blow impacted, then she was swung over the behemoth's head and slammed into the ground. Buu continued the savage attack, flailing like a man desperate to exterminate a swarm of ants. Zangya tried to break the grip, but every smash against the earth shook her to the core. This brutal display made it clear to Zangya that she was definitely outclassed in raw power. Still, she refused to give up. She started to gather energy in her hands to blow herself free. As soon as Buu started to sense that she was building up energy, he hastily let her go.
Zangya's body bounced and skipped across the ground, finally rolling to a stop. She groaned in pain, and Buu was almost hopeful that he could just end this fight. Even when he was winning, it was more frightening than fun. But his hopes were dashed when Zangya got back up, breathing heavy, but seemingly unhurt. Not only that, but her energy was livelier than ever. Buu had to put a stop to this nonsense. But the fear of pain made him wary, so he approached his adversary with caution.
Zangya took notice of the brute's unusual caginess. "Well, well. Is that terror I see Buu? Can't say I blame you. I mean, all that thrashing and I'm still in one piece."
"Buu not scared of you!" Buu denied, reverting to his childlike manner of speaking. Then charged his opponent, anger overriding caution.
"Well, you should be!" Zangya leaned back to avoid a clothesline, then pirouetted into a high spin kick that landed on the back of his neck. The giant gasped out in pain but spun around to back hand the attacker. He hit his mark, then caught her by the ankle to toss her to the ground. He did a front flip into an elbow strike that the Hera was barely able guard against. Buu quickly got back up, grabbed the girl by the throat and tossed her into the air before knocking her to the ground again with a chopping punch.
The assault had left several marks on Zangya, but even flattened to the earth, she shot her enemy a condescending smile.
"That all you got?" She kicked Buu in the shins, sweeping his legs out from under him. She lifted herself up on her hands to deliver a second kick to his midsection. Spinning on her hands she continued to deliver a storm of kicks like a green hurricane. Buu did his best to defend against the volley of feet, but they were slowly driving him back. Outraged by the barrage, he jumped back and opened his mouth wide. A massive ki blast shot out and hit Zangya nearly point blank, exploding on impact.
"Heh. ahaha! AHAHAHA! Take that you little brat!" Buu raised his arms and laughed maniacally. "Your pathetic attacks are nothing compared to Buu! You can't frighten Buu! Buu is fear! Buu is destruction! Buu is-"
"Buu is loud and obnoxious."
This comment cut the Majin's bragging short. The smoke cleared to reveal Zangya, bruised and burnt, but still in fighting condition.
"And I wouldn't call my attacks pathetic either. Not when yours are like a summer breeze."
Buu looked her over before challenging her claim. "You lie! Buu knows you're hurt Buu sees the Burns and…"
Just as he was pointing them out, the wounds on the green skin were fading. Any fatigue that the Hera may have been showing had vanished. Buu looked on in horror.
"You were saying, Buu?" Zangya asked calmly.
"H-how!?"
"Who knows." The girl answered mysteriously. "I guess Hera's are just that sturdy. Hit me all you want, you big ape, cuz' nothing you dish out is going to keep me down for long. If this is all you can do, you might as well give up now."
Buu continued to gape at Zangya for a full minute. His power level was far greater than hers. In every exchange they had since he started using Kaioken 1000 he had gotten the best of the exchange.
'So how? How did she shrug off the beatings so easily? How is she healing like that? What else is she still holding back? Just how powerful is she? I… I don't want to die. I can't just give up.' Then a lightbulb went off in Buu's head.
"Or can I? Heh. Hehehe. Kekeke. KAKAKAKAHAHA!" The Majin threw his head back and cackled like a mad man. "Alright, you win. I give up."
Zangya dropped her smile. "Wait, what?"
"That's right." Buu grinned. "I don't know how, but you've managed to prove that I can't hurt you with those 'little' attacks. So, I'm done fighting."
"Oh. Um… Ok?" Zangya was stunned. She wasn't sure what had just happened. Did the bad guy seriously just quit? There was no way. Her gut told her that something fishy was going on, so she kept her guard up.
"But first, I'd like to say goodbye." The Majin suddenly popped out of view. Zangya turned in every direction, trying to locate the pink abomination. Finally, she looked up and sure enough, there was Buu, hands cupped to his side.
"I'm done with this fight!" He yelled. "I'm done with this planet! And I'm done! With! YOU!" The blue Kamehameha formed in his hands, while yellow green energy shells compressed around the ball. "If little attacks don't work, let's see what a really big one does! Super…" The ball expanded. "Meteor…" more green shells converged around it at a cyclic rate. "KAMEHAMEHA BLASTER!" He thrust out his palms and let the sickly greenish blue beam light up the sky as it barreled straight for Zangya and the Earth.
Zangya stared for a moment at the enormous energy. The attack was bigger than anything she had ever seen, and it was heading straight for the Earth. She furrowed her brow and thrust out her palms.
"Alright Buu. One last game." Pure white spheres began to stream their way to Zangya in neat lines. As the energy entered her, she began to channel the power surrounding her hands with an ethereal, bluish white aura. "I'll see your meteor…" the aura intensified to indescribable luminescence. "And raise you a planet! TAKE THE POWER OF EARTH!" At the sound of her battle cry, the energy erupted and charged the oncoming wave.
The two attacks met in the air, and although the Majin's attack was far larger than Zangya's narrow pillar, the beams fought to a standstill. Buu felt the resistance against his attack and couldn't comprehend how Zangya could have matched his power. He forced all the energy he could muster into the beam, and it started to suppress the smaller attack.
On the ground, Zangya was struggling to hold the Majin's blast at bay. She was giving everything she had into her attack, but the combined might of Buu and Broly, amplified by Goku's technique was proving too much for her. She struggled to keep her arms up and her breathing was labored. Her feet sunk lower, and the ground crumbled around her. Looking down at the shattering earth, she imagined the consequences if she were to lose.
'Th-this is my home.' Even her thoughts were costing her an enormous effort. 'I'm not going to let it die. I will defend it. Come on! I'm giving everything I got, just help me out a little more.'
Then, without knowing why she was doing it, the girl from Hera started uttering a chant she had not spoken since she was a child.
"Mother Hera, born of thy womb, thy power descend upon me. Blessings of Gaia be rendered to thy servant. Divine power, our birth right, be my sword and my shield. Mother Hera, born of thy womb, thy power descend upon me. Blessings of Gaia be rendered to thy servant. Divine power, our birthright, be my sword and my shield…"
The prayer had been taught to all children of Hera. It was the first thing they learned once they could speak. It was the lullaby sung by their mothers. Nobody knew what its true purpose was. It was more of a tradition to honor the Goddess. Zangya certainly didn't know why she was chanting it now. It seemed silly that she would speak a child's song at such a dire time. But instinct told her to keep the chant going, so that's what she did. All around the girl, the small particles of energy that had been drifting toward her grew to the size of dragon balls. The energy flowed into her, rejuvenated her, and as her chanting increased, so did the power of the attack.
Buu could not understand why the Earth was not destroyed yet. He was putting everything he had into wiping it from existence, but somehow, the pillar was still matching it. If anything, the Hera's attack was gaining ground. He fought with all his might to win the struggle, but it availed him nothing. He finally abandoned the attack and tried to flee for safety, but his own wave washed over him, followed closely by the enemy's beam.
Break
"Hah… Hah…" Zangya was bent over with her hands on her knees to steady herself. The intense struggle had left her breathless, in every sense of the word. She was surprised that she had pulled it off. Once she caught her breath, she smiled at the ground and dropped to one knee. She placed a hand on the ground and began to rub it gently. "Thanks." She said to the earth. "I couldn't have done it without you."
She stood up and stretched her arms, looking to the sky. "I almost got him. I'm not going to let you down Gohan."
Zangya kept her gaze skyward until she spotted what she was looking for. An object was plummeting to the ground, and she followed it with her eyes until it crash landed, not 20 feet from her. She walked over to the small crater the object had formed and saw a deformed, pink shape. Majin Buu had been hit with his own attack, but the real damage came from the energy that Zangya had thrown at him. It was excruciating, tearing away at his very being with its purity. Though he had managed to escape being completely destroyed, the only thing left of his body was his head, and a half of his torso, cut across diagonally.
"That looks painful." Zangya commented, earning a loathing glare from Buu. The Majin would have retorted, but currently, the whole of his concentration was being spent on trying to regenerate his body. The exercise had never taken so much effort before. Slowly, his torso was starting to become whole.
"You've destroyed plenty of planets Buu. Now you know what happens when a planet fights back."
"Th-the planet?" Despite himself, Buu's curiosity was peeked. He tried to listen to his enemy while he was regrowing his limbs.
"That's right. You may be proud of your stollen power. The Kaioken may increase your power 1000-fold. But your power, your techniques, are nothing compared to this planet. I've been drawing on Earth's energy since I transformed. It heals me, strengthens me. It's the reason why you can't defeat me in combat. This world is my new home, and it is strong. I love it, and it won't let me lose."
Buu's mind was racing. If she was drawing on the earth's power, then everything made sense. He thought of the spirit bomb, how drawing on the earth's energy could create an unbeatable weapon. Zangya was doing the same thing, only instead of collecting it and releasing it all at once, she somehow was managing to constantly draw on it. She was strong on her own, but if he could stope her from drawing on the energy of earth…
One of Buu's arms had grown back, and he propped himself up with it.
"You're right." He admitted. "This planet is strong. I should do something about that." Putting his finger to his forehead Buu vanished.
West City
The Majin appeared over the largest city in the world. He smiled wickedly at the ignorant civilians who had no idea of the danger they were in. He thought about just trying to blow up the whole planet again, but he was still recovering from Zangya's attack. It wouldn't do to waste energy, only for her to destroy him with superior power. He needed time to fully recover before he took her on.
"Besides," The demon licked his lips. "This seems like it will be fun. I'm sure this will make her furious."
Buu pointed his finger at the city and created a small speck of energy. "This should be plenty."
No sooner had he dropped the tiny attack downward than Zangya's furious shout reached his ears.
"You can run, but you can't hide Buu!"
Buu waved. "I can live with that." Then he teleported away.
Zangya halted her pursuit, trying to sense the Majin's energy to track him back down. She didn't think the monster would run like this. She thought for sure he would have tried to absorb her if she pushed him to the brink. What was his plan?"
"BOOOOOM!"
A loud explosion erupted to answer Zangya's question. She put her hand up to shield her eyes from the blinding light. When the light faded, she looked down in horror at the barren wasteland that was once West City.
"No… You MONSTEEERRR!" With unbridled fury, Zangya sped off to prevent another catastrophe at the hands of Buu.
Satan City
"I think she's getting faster." Buu commented with glee. "I better hurry." He dropped another bomb on an unsuspecting city just as Zangya was rushing toward him.
"STOP IT YOU COWARD!"
She grabbed Buu by the neck but could not follow through on her attack as the city exploded behind her. Taking advantage of her distraction, Buu disappeared again.
Pepper town
Buu appeared high in the sky, smiling at the Hera who was quickly closing the distance.
"I can see why you don't want to play games Zangya. You suck at this." He threw another bomb at the city and Zangya dove to intercept it. She succeeded in knocking the bomb away with a kick, only for a beam to zip past her, annihilating the city below.
The pattern continued like this. Buu would teleport to a new location, sometimes a city, sometimes a wilderness landscape that was rich in animal life and vegetation. Zangya would arrive moments after him, but it was too late. Fast as she was, she was unable to sense the monster's new location and get there to intercept the attacks before they did their damage. She could sense the inhabitants of her new home were dwindling fast, and the planet itself seemed to be dying. She couldn't let him get away with this. She had to stop him, but how?
She arrived at the latest site of destruction just in time to see Buu flee. She focused to sense his new location, desperate to stop him this time. The dragon balls could fix things, but she needed to stop this without more people dying. Her eyes widened when she located Buu's energy.
"No… Anywhere but there!"
Mt. Paozu
Buu, now fully formed and recovered, looked down in anger at the location of the Son family home. Goku's influence may have been dampened, but the family's rejection of him left him feeling embittered. He was sure that destroying the whole mountain range would give him some satisfaction. He decided that the earth was weakened enough to where, after destroying Paozu, he could take on the Hera no problem. He gathered energy in his hand and readied his aim. Zangya was approaching fast.
"DON'T YOU DARE!" She screamed.
"Say good by to Mt. Paozu!"
"Goodbye Mt. Paozu." Buu barely had time to register the presence of the voice when a hand grabbed his antenna and yanked him through the sky into the exosphere. In less than a second, the pink monster felt himself being savagely released, or rather thrown, to impact with a pale, dusty surface. The disorientation lasted only a moment. When Buu recovered, he scrambled to his feet and looked around. The landscape was barren and when he looked up, he saw a blue sphere hanging in the sky.
"We're…"
"On the moon." A familiar voice replied. "I've always wanted to come here. A fight's not what I had in mind as a kid, but it could be interesting. One small step for man, one giant kick for your face."
The new fighter's feet touched down lightly on the moon's surface, and Buu immediately recognized his assailant. Something had changed since the last time he had seen him, but the general features and the outfit were dead giveaways.
"Huh. You look different Gohan. Is that a tail?" Buu asked casually.
"Yeah." Shrugged Gohan with the same nonchalant attitude. "I see you've gone through some changes too. Was it Broly this time?"
"Heh. That's right. You Saiyans make for the best fights, and the best power ups. Zangya wasn't any fun at all though." Buu stated sulkily.
"Really?" Gohan asked sarcastically. "I always manage to have a good time with her. Killing and absorbing her friends, along with half the planet, will do that to a person."
"I suppose so…" Buu conceded.
"I'm pretty hacked off about it myself." Gohan continued. "Just thinking of all my friends, all the innocent lives that you've taken. It makes my blood boil. I hate using the dragon balls. especially if I could have prevented the need for their use. But most of what you've done can be reversed. So, once I kill you, I'll take Zangya, and we'll round them up.
"You think you can kill me? That's almost funny. People keep coming at me, trying to kill me, but they fail. At least my rematches with Broly and Zangya, they got a power up after coming back. You feel like you're still around the same level as when I killed you." After thinking about what he had just said, scratched his head. He killed Gohan, right? He was pretty sure of it. How was he still here? How was Zangya for that matter? Gohan broke in and derailed his train of thought.
"Are you sure I'm at the same level?" he asked with a smile. "You know I haven't even transformed, right."
Buu shrugged. "Yeah, so you'll raise your power 100 times or so. That's child's play to me now."
"Oh really? You can raise your power now too?" Gohan asked, feigning surprise. "How about a demonstration then. Let me see what I'm up against. You show me yours, and I'll show you mine."
Buu looked interested in the suggestion. Something was off about Gohan, and it wasn't the minor changes in his appearance. He was being far too casual about this whole thing. Buu was sure he was up to something, but then, what were the chances that Broly, Zangya, and Gohan all had gotten power ups?
"Alright Gohan, if that's how you want it, I'll show you how high I can go. Don't worry, if you can't keep up, I'll dial it back to keep things interesting."
"Don't hold back on my account." The teen replied.
"If you say so. KAIOKEN TIMES ONE THOUSAND!" Once again, the violent energy broke free around Buu, shaking the moon and forming another large crater in the surface. "Your turn." Buu offered a cocky grin to Gohan.
The teen returned the smile to the confused giant.
"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah…" Gohan dropped to his stance and began powering up, but his hair showed no signs of changing from black to gold.
'Maybe he was keeping his power low.' Buu thought to himself as the power continued to increase without the transformation happening. 'No problem. Even Zangya didn't have the power to face my max level of power.' Buu kept his eye on the younger fighter, waiting for the change in appearance as.
"HaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaHAAAAAAAA!" The power continued to climb well past what Gohan's transformation should have been. Buu was getting nervous, but even if he went super Saiyan now, he would still be within his capabilities to handle. Just as he hoped the transformation would take place, Gohan's hair color flickered.
"HAAAAAAAAAGRYAH!"
With a final push, the energy exploded like a dark solar flare, blinding Buu with the sudden wave of light and dark, and knocking him to the ground. For the second time since Gohan arrived, Buu had to scramble to regain his feet. He looked up and gawked at the transformed state of the demi Saiyan.
With pure white hair that stood on end and blood red irises, the black and gold aura swirled and surged around Gohan. The teen was not in his super Saiyan state, or even his super Saiyan 2 form. Buu had no idea what this transformation was, but whatever it was, the power was stifling. Even Buu, who didn't even need air, felt suffocated under the weight of Gohan's incredible power. He had made a big mistake thinking Gohan hadn't gotten any stronger. He was the one to fear most. The monster took a step back, while the other monster took a step forward.
"Forgive me if I don't dial it back." Gohan said with a voice like thunder. "I'm killing you one way or another, but I wanted to try my true power out."
All pride forgotten under the pressure of the teen's power, Buu did an about face and took off. He barely made it a foot when a hand pinned him down, crushing him like a pressed grape. Gohan lifted his hand and stepped back. The Majin tried to take the chance to dash off to the left, but once more, Gohan was on top of him in an instant. His foot dug into Buu's back as he ground him into the moon.
"You might hurt my feelings if you keep doing that." Gohan taunted his victim before taking his foot away.
Buu was wide eyed. He didn't know why he had preferred this kid to Zangya. He was a thousand times worse. At least he could fight Zangya. This? This was just going to be a massacre. He had to run. His only hope was the instant transmission. He concentrated on the furthest reaches of the galaxy, hoping that maybe he could gather enough power to come back and destroy Gohan someday. He vanished, but in an instant, Gohan jumped up, reached out, and with a ripping motion yanked Buu out of his teleportation, throwing him back to the ground.
It was then that Buu knew how well and truly screwed he was.
"Now that we've established that you can't run from me, what else you got?"
"YEEAAAAAAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYA!" Buu flung his arms wildly, sending a rapid-fire volley of ki at Gohan. The Saiyan demon raised a hand and swatted each one away with barely an effort. Buu changed fluidly from casting bombs to throwing destructo disks. Gohan smoothly navigated the barrage of killer buzz saws, casually stepping forward and shattering the disks with his limbs as easy as if he were performing a kata. He was closing in on Buu when the pink fighter jumped up in the air to create some space.
"NEO TRI BEAM!"
Gohan didn't even flinch as he raised a single hand over his head.
"MASENKO HA!" The demon flash canceled out the tri beam and took Buu's arm with it.
At least Gohan wasn't attacking him with natural energy like Zangya. He was able to regrow his limb in an instant, though this didn't comfort him in the least.
"I-I've never seen a beast like him!"
"Beast? Huh…" a voice sounded from behind. "I like it. Doesn't really suit this form, but I'll keep it in mind."
Buu spun around, striking wildly at his tormentor. A he created a wild storm of punches, kicks, ki blasts, candy beams, anything he could think of to do something against this impossible creature. For all his efforts, he might as well have been fighting the wind, as Gohan deftly avoided everything that was thrown at him. Buu continued to struggle, but Gohan simply swept out his arm, backhanding his victim to the ground once more.
Buu propped himself on one elbow, and seeing Gohan land right in front of him, started desperately to scoot back.
"Anything else?"
Buu gritted his teeth and pulled out his trump card.
"HOW ABOUT THIS!" From his body erupted a wave of pink goo that rushed over Gohan. Buu felt a thrill of relief and grinned as he would finally be rid of his monstrous tormentor. Just as he was about to declare his victory, his jaw dropped, and the absorbing goo began to dissolve, corroded away by a mass of black energy.
"So, is that it?" Gohan stretched out his hand and the black energy swirled in his palm.
Terror couldn't even begin to describe the feelings of Buu when he saw a technique that wiped a part of him from existence. He tried one final time to make a break for it, jetting off toward the earth. Maybe he would be lucky, and Gohan wouldn't risk damaging the planet with that attack. He sped off toward the only possible sanctuary he had, while Gohan kept his palm trained on the retreating figure.
"Memento mori Buu."
"STOP!" At the last moment before he fired the attack, two green hands pushed against his wrist, forcing the attack to be fired off course, missing Buu and heading off into space.
Gohan looked in annoyance, then in surprise, to see Zangya was the one who stopped him. He had seen her briefly when he had first grabbed Buu. Looking at her up close, he quickly took in her new form. Even with his newly acquired height, she was over half a foot taller than him. Not that he was complaining. The height difference brought her now very full chest level with his face. Even being in the middle of combat, Gohan made a note to have the Hera show him this form up close at a later, more private time.
"Gohan, what are you doing!? That's your dad in there!"
The comment brought him back to reality. "You think I don't know that!?" Gohan looked furious, but his expression quickly softened.
"I know that." The teen's hand reached out and caressed the face of the older teen. He his ruby red eyes met her glowing sapphires, refusing to break the connection. Finally, with a slight blush, Zangya forced her head away.
"You can't destroy Buu. Not while your dad and Broly are still in him."
"There's no other way Zangya. I wish we could free them, but I can't. I've been using the fight to analyze his energy. I was trying to find if there's a way I can get them out, but I can't think of anything. The only thing I can think of is to destroy him. Then we can wish Broly and everyone else back with the dragon balls." Gohan explained.
"And Goku? If he dies with Buu, then he's gone for good right?"
Gohan paused, but his eyes retained their resolute stare. "Like dad said. You can't always save everyone."
"Yes, we can!" Zangya replied excitedly. "I have a plan. We can free Broly and your father. We can-"
"No." The Saiyan replied firmly, cutting the Hera off. "He's already caused too much damage. We can't risk him hurting anyone else just so I can have my happy ending."
"But Gohan…" The green girl's eyes were pleading with her young friend to listen.
"It's ok Zangya. I won't hold back anymore. I can finish him off now. It's almost done." The demi demon took his hand away from the girl's face and turned in the direction that Buu had fled. Zangya looked at him in sorrow, then her expression suddenly changed.
"This will only take a seGAH!"
Something hard hit the back of Gohan's head and sent him bending forward. He brought himself up, rubbing his head and looking at Zangya. "Ow. Jeez, what was that…"
He stopped when he saw the furious look being sent his way. The woman was intimidating in her normal state, but the added height and aura made her downright terrifying. Zangya was glaring at the boy with a wooden spoon in her hand.
"Why do you still have the-"
"Listen rice ball, I've had just about enough of your self-sacrificing nonsense!" She shouted angrily. "You would kill yourself if you thought it meant one less person would suffer, wouldn't you. Always having to be the hero, right? Well, maybe it's time someone saved you from your own bone headedness. You think you can't save everyone? You think there's no happy ending for you? Well, that's just fine, because I can be selfish enough for the both of us. I'm not a hero like you are. The earth and even the universe is meaningless if you aren't there and happy with me. You're willing to destroy your own father and shoulder the misery to keep the universe safe. But you don't get to be unhappy with me around! You just keep on being the hero, and I'll make sure that you get that happy ending! I've got a plan, and you're going to listen to it."
Gohan was too stunned to do anything but nod. Of course, that quickly changed after Zangya actually explained her plan to the hybrid, beaming at him with pride in her own intelligence.
"Zangya… That…" She puffed out her chest and waited for the praise from Gohan.
"That is the dumbest idea I've ever heard." The Hera quickly deflated.
"Excuse me?"
"I'm sorry. I care about you, but this isn't a cartoon like you and Goten watch on Saturday. There are so many things about that plan that are just too ridiculous to work."
"You're too ridiculous to work!" Zangya retorted with a red face, raising her spoon.
Gohan quickly continued. "Even if your theory is correct, it's way too risky. What if something goes wrong? I'm not going to lose my father and you."
"Nothing will go wrong." She tried to reassure him.
"How can, you be sure? There are a dozen ways I can see this going sideways. You could-"
"Gohan." She cut him off softly. "Please. Just trust me. I know what I'm doing."
Once again, the two warriors locked eyes. Did Gohan trust her? Of course, he did. She was the one who guided him through his inner struggle. She gave him joy. She called him out when he needed it. She was the one who believed in him no matter what. Yes, he was worried about her. Yes, he needed to protect her. But maybe this time, he needed to believe in her too. It was Gohan who finally broke eye contact with a nod.
"Alright. I trust you."
Zangya beamed. "Good. Now all we have to do is catch the little weasel."
"That won't be a problem." Gohan said confidently. "He didn't get too far." Without another word, the demon boy swept the Hera girl up in a princess carry, eliciting a 'kya' from Zangya.
"I love it when you do that." Gohan said, grinning slyly at the blushing beauty.
Break
Perhaps it was foolish of Buu to flee from the boy to his own home planet, but he didn't know what else to do. It seemed that his plan had worked out, the only one that had, as Gohan didn't end up destroying him. At the moment, the Majin was hiding in a deep crevice, as far away from the Son home as he could find. He was keeping his power level as low as he possibly could. But, now what? Hide and wait for the predator to get tired? Maybe he could try to teleport away again. The thought left him quickly though. He wasn't sure how Gohan had pulled him out of the technique like he had and didn't want to risk alerting the brat to his location. He needed another power up. That was his only option. Immediately, he thought of Zangya, wishing he had absorbed her when he had the chance. He doubted he could capture her now, not with the two of them after him. Still, it was his only shot if he was going to have a chance at beating Gohan.
He pulled a lump of pink from his shoulder, and it formed into a slug like form. "We'll take the girl." He whispered, and the pink lug slithered away. "Well, Time to lure them out." He shot out of the cavern and prepared to crank his power to the max, but to his astonishment, as soon as he exited the crevice, Gohan was right in his face.
"Boo."
"Gah!" Buu backed up right into Zangya. He jumped away, forming one point of a triangle between the trio. In his panic, he didn't see Gohan signal to behind Zangya with his eyes. He also missed the slight nod of Zangya's head, acknowledging the warning. When he recovered his wits, he looked closely at Gohan, the bigger threat between them. He had to stall for some time until his technique had been completed.
"So, you found me. Well, good for you…" 'Keep it going Buu.' "I-I like your new form Gohan. Very sinister. What's it called."
Gohan rolled his eyes at the obvious attempt at stalling. "Dunno. Haven't come up with a name yet. Maybe super Saiyan demon."
Zangya decided to chime in. "I kinda like that. It's edgy and has a sinister vibe. Though it's gonna cause some issues with the marketing. Parents aren't going to like the association with demons. What amount 'Beast' or super Saiyan white?"
Buu and Gohan looked at Zangya. She seemed to be in a much better mood after she found out Gohan was not dead. Or she was a really good actor.
"Uh, yeah. Buu suggested Beast, but I don't think it really makes sense." Gohan replied.
'I can't believe this is working.' Buu thought with glee. "Y-yeah. Gohan's right. Super Saiyan white also probably wouldn't be good in the current climate."
"What does climate have to do with anything?" Zangya asked in confusion.
"Oh, well, you know… we aren't in a tundra, and I GOT YOU!"
Zangya turned around as the pink blob attacked her.
"Gah! Gohan, Help!"
Gohan rushed toward her. 'She is a really good actor.'
The goop was quickly encasing Zangya and carrying her to Buu. She reached out a hand for Gohan to grab hold of, but it was covered in pink before he could reach it. Just as it had with Broly, the blob merged back with its original host. And Buu let off a psychotic laugh.
"KAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKA! YOU LOSE! BUU WINS! BROLY, GOKU, NOW ZANGYA! I CAN'T BE BEATEN EVEN BY YOU NOW!"
Gohan observed the abomination warily, waiting to confirm something for himself. After a full minute of Buu laughing maniacally went by, Gohan cracked a relieved smile.
"I guess she was right." He warped over and wrapped his hand around Buu's face, blocking off his mouth. "You know Buu, I pity you."
The young Saiyan threw the giant high into the sky. Buu felt crushed by the G-force, but that was nothing compared to how he felt when the top of his head collided with the tip of Gohan's elbow.
"You've got some amazing abilities, incredible power, but all you can do with it destroy."
"I'll destroy you!" Buu lunged at Gohan and the two began to trade blows.
"I'm not saying I forgive you for what you've done." Gohan continued as he parried every blow that came his way. "I guess a part of me can almost relate to you. I mean, it's not your fault that you were born for destruction." He caught a giant fist, then the other, and headbutted Buu to the ground. The Majin landed with a crash, and Gohan landed softly beside him.
"Maybe if you had been born in different circumstances, you could have put your power to good use. We might have even become friends. Two demons, cutting against the grain. Zangya would love a pink Z fighter for the team too." Buu stretched out his arm to try and hit Gohan from a distance, but with no luck.
"But you're too dangerous to let live." He swayed back and forth, avoiding the elongated limbs of the gummi monster. "You're too volatile to tame. Once your victims are free, you'll just be a mindless savage, almost like I was."
Gohan caught his opponent's wrist and started spinning him above his head. "I don't know, maybe I'm just happy because Zangya's plan is working out, but I can't help but feel sorry for you." He released the giant, who went skipping across the earth, only to teleport behind Gohan, trying to take him by surprise. He wrapped him up like an anaconda. Gohan didn't even react, continuing his monologue. "I guess that what I'm saying Buu, the Buu deep down, I mean,"
Buu started to glow, as if readying for a kamikaze and Gohan flew straight up.
"Is that while I have to kill you, and even want to kill you, HRYAH!" A kiai from Gohan blasted Buu away from him and the abomination exploded into hundreds of tiny pieces.
"What I'm saying is, I hope you get a second chance at life." Gohan finished as Buu started to reassemble.
"Will you…" Buu growled when he was fully formed. "Just stop talking and fight me seriously!"
"Sorry," Gohan replied. "I have a habit of playing with my food. But don't worry, you're almost done."
"Oh, I'm almost done alright! Once Zangya's fully absorbed, I'll blast you to pieces!"
"Really? She's taking an awful long time to process, isn't she?"
Buu growled but realized that Gohan was right. No other absorption had taken this long. He shrugged it off, but just as he was about to dive back in the fight, an indescribable pain shot through his body.
"Gah!" He stopped mid air and grasped his skull. "No, don't You can't GRYAAH!" Another shot of pain seared through the Majin's entire being. Steam started to pour out of every pore, and Gohan looked on in scientific interest. "I'll MAKE YOU PAY FOR AARGH! No! Not him!" He cried desperately. "If you do that… I won't be me anymore! GRYAAAAAAAAA!" Steam was coming out of Buu in intensely hot jets, whistling like a tea pot as he hunched over in pain. Out of one of the pores, 5 microscopic speck escaped with a cloud of steam. Just like popcorn, each little speck burst into human size. First came Zangya, then Broly, then Goku, and finally, there were two bodies that Gohan didn't recognize, one pink and fat, the other muscular and orange, both with a spiky mohawk. Gohan ignored them for now, and looked at Zangya, who shot him a giant grin.
"FIRE WHEN READY, CAPTAIN!"
Gohan returned her grin and cupped his hands at his sides. "If you have a soul of your own, this will at least keep it intact. It's the only bit of mercy you get from me Buu, as one demon to another. Atomic…" The blue sphere in Gohan's hands was surrounded by crisscrossing rings. "KAMEHAMEHAAAAA!"
Majin Buu had just started to revert to his original form. He was powerless to even dodge, as the blinding white energy washed over him, vaporizing him into nothing. So ends the story of Buu.
"So, who are the mohawk guys?" Gohan asked Zangya.
"I don't know. I didn't think it was right to leave them in there though. Maybe we'll find out in the next chapter."
"What?"
"Nothing."
End chapter
We are finally done with the Buu saga. Next chapter will be tying up loose ends. I know it got a bit goofy at the end, but with Zangya realizing that Gohan wasn't actually dead, and Gohan's personality becoming slightly more like his inner demon now that they have merged, I thought this was appropriate. Gohan's new form is basically the beast form from the new movie and has a similar concept, being the transformation reached after his full potential is achieved. I didn't really like the movie, but the form is pretty much what I wanted to do in regard to design for Gohan's true super Saiyan demon form. It's also a cool concept, like Orange Piccolo. I know I'm not the first person to think of a white-haired Gohan, but I think it looks awesome. Maybe I just never grew up. Also, as you may have been able to tell, I like the name 'Beast' but I think it's a weird name for the form in the movie. With Zangya, all I can say about her form is that the ritual works differently for each person. Zangya's race and heritage produced a special result. I tried to describe her transformation to be like a nature goddess mixed with She-Hulk (the comic book one). There is a lot of her story to unfold at a later date. I will admit that Broly and Goku canceling each other out is a stretch, but I think it is plausible. Also I tried to be subtle about it, but once Buu started abusing his family, Goku started to recede into the back of the mindscape. I hope you enjoyed it. Feel free to ask questions.