Hello all! And welcome to the next chapter! This one is going to be good! I'm thankful for the readers that like and favorite this story. I've been trying to stay consistent with releasing a chapter once a month. Should I try to start releasing one every 2 to 3 weeks instead? Let me know guys and gals. Today we see that Shepard is craving for a fight. Who better to go after then the main man, Goku himself. What will happen when the two saiyans finally meet? Find out on Dragon Ball: BtG!
Drunken Hamster: Thanks for your review. And I did notice that little typo. Thank you for picking that up. Now now now, I'm not going to have Tights and Shepard get involved that quickly. I too thought that it seemed a little less fleshed out then what I would like. The thing is, I do try to correct some of that this chapter. They're not going to go and just jump in each other's beds all of a sudden. But there's a...spark. And they're intrigued with each other. Shepard can't imagine dating an older woman, while Tights can't imagine dating someone, an alien no less, who was reputed to be a violent space pirate. So they're both a little jarred, but that's ok ;). Also, question. Does Grammarly go through and change everything you type before you can proofread? I ask because the last thing I want to do is see saipan when I type saiyan or various spellings that are exclusive to the DB verse, I don't want to go through my chapter and see those things be taken out and replace with common phrases and spellings it may think I want. Let me know sir! P.s. I hope you like this chapter.
dreadix: No he will not be like Broly, nor will he be pure like Giblet or Shallot. And maybe there is something about Shepard I'm not telling you yet. The only hint I will give you is that Shepard is an...Old Soul...so to speak. He is just as unaware of what, or who he is, just like the rest of you guys. Only I know what I want him to be. And for power's sake, that is not the only thing that Cell brings to the table. Remember his cunning :-D! Thanks for your review.
Age: March 761
Location: Mount Paozu
"Hey Chi Chi, whatcha do with my gi?" Goku, sensing approaching powers coming towards his house, had asked.
"You mean the one with the rips and tears from your sparring session with Piccolo 2 weeks ago?" Scratching his head at his wife's blunt rebuttal, Goku snickered. "Well I guess I can go and grab another out of the closet, hehehe." Him and Chi Chi had come to an understanding as far as Gohan was concerned. Their son would study 5 days a week, 3 of which would include sparring with Goku, and even Piccolo when the namekian would show up. The boy had discovered his power and was slowly making good strides to control it. Despite being only almost 4 years old, he was catching up quickly. Chi chi had also taken an interest in teaching her son the moving katas of the Ox King style, which her father had taught her at a young age. Being so much smaller then the Ox King, the Princess had adapted her steps and footing to better suit her. She did not know it then, but her son in later years would be ever thankful for learning these katas, along with the katas that Goku and Piccolo had been teaching him.
As Goku was grabbing a freshly minted orange gi from the couple's bedroom closet, a power in the west struck his senses. Turning sharply and closing his eyes, he gave a cursory scan of the power. Whoever it was, could definitely be a challenge. As Goku was thinking this, another power struck his senses, almost as if in a challenge to the other encroaching power.
'Today should be an interesting one!'
Minutes earlier
Shepard's Islands
"Meet the creeper, take it deeper! Meet the creeper yeah, yeah!" As Rob Zombie's Meet the Creeper was playing loudly throughout the living room, the young Saiyan was in his bedroom, listening to the echoing music and getting one of his weighted gi's put together. Out of the many capsules his older self had given him, Shepard was pleased mostly with the various, multi colored weighted gi's. He was still no where close to testing the ones he had put away in his walk in closet. All around, the Human turned Saiyan was very happy with the set up of the house.
Back around Christmas time, Shepard had brought Tights Brief to the Islands. She was thoroughly impressed. When they first arrived, Shepard keyed her into the security of the house immediately. He had not told her of his past just yet. But he was definately planning on it. They had shared an evening of sitting in his living room, sharing a bottle of some very expensive champagne, which Shepard had no idea where his older self would have gotten it from. He was silently thanking him though. They had talked well into Christmas Eve morning, laughing at each others various jokes and stories. They did not celebrate Christmas together however. Shepard had been a gentleman, flying her back to East City. After exchanging numbers, Shepard had flown back to his house, the excitement of seeing the Heiress again keeping him well afloat for the journey. Over the course of the last 3 months, they had talked very much, going out a few more times, and even considering talks of having the beautiful woman move in. Tights didn't know where Shepard had gotten his money, and she didn't ask either, which the saiyan was grateful for.
Thinking back on the last few months, Shepard couldn't help but be excited for the future. But there was ONE big obstacle that was weighing on his mind.
'Raditz. My training has made great strides. I think I'm stronger then Goku was when he fought Raditz, but I won't truly know unless I go out to Mount Paozu and test my limits. His regimen had consisted of an array of calisthenics, using his islands for leaping and jumping exercises, most of the time wearing weighted clothing. Finally settling on a green gi, with a weighted black shirt, black weighted wristbands, and black colored non weighted shoes, Shepard tied the teal colored sash that was hanging just above the knees to finish the outfit off. Grabbing the precious BanHammer, which was now weighted to 300 pounds, he strapped it to the metallic holder meant to hold the weapon in place on his back. Walking out to the living room, Shepard turned everything off except the security system.
Walking outside, Shepard closed his eyes, taking in the early afternoon breeze, the sun shining bright. With early spring coming, the Islands were looking as lush as ever. The saiyan had decided in the future that he may want to house a potential fruit farm. He was pretty sure he would try out oranges. Another of the islands had become a training ground of sorts. It was near barren, with the exception of some boulders and shrubs that were still quite low to the rough ground.
"Hmmmm, what to do today? I could go down to the Training Island but I've pretty much run that one amok." As Shepard was pondering, a power out to the northeast hit his senses.
'Wha?' It felt human. Shepard's senses had been improving just as much as his body. He could make out that it was human, the power definitely felt stronger then what Krillin had shown him in December, but this wasn't Krillin. Krillin was still on Roshi's Island. This was on the mainland. To answer the call, Shepard did the only thing he could think of.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Powering up to his near full strength, the answer he had gotten was stronger.
'Well if that's the way you wanna play it!' Shepard snickered, lifting off the ground, he started heading out towards the power level...
Minutes Later
Diablo Desert
Flying as fast as he could, Shepard could still make out the fleeting power. Dropping down into the desert, he tried to feel it out, closing his eyes.
'There!'
The power was heading east, but as Shepard continued to feel it out, he was struck by another power, this one felt stronger then him. And kind of familiar.
'Wait a minute, this is the Diablo Desert, does that mean? Could Yamcha be heading towards Goku's house?'
Focusing as hard as he could, he could feel the similarities in the power in the east to his own.
Giving up on that thought for the moment, Shepard lifted off of the ground with a push of his ki, soaring towards the 2 powers in the east...
Mount Paozu
"Oh boy this is gonna be so exciting!" Goku said to no one in particular as he walked into a clearing a few miles away from his home. 'I feel 3 different powers now. The one farthest away is definitely Piccolo, but those other 2, I dunno. If I didn't know any better, I would say one is Yamcha, but I don't remember him being this strong. The other one feels further behind him, I can almost grasp who it is but it doesn't feel right.'
As Goku was thinking in his mind, a figure blitzed in, landing feet away from him.
"Hey! Goku!"
Opening his eyes and getting a good feel of the person in front of him, Goku was absolutely stunned.
"Wow it really is you Yamcha, you've gotten so much stronger then I remember. I thought you'd given up fighting?"
Yamcha chuckled for a moment, looking at his old friend. "Well I did, until somebody pretty much gave me an ultimatum. Get stronger or become insignificant. I had to do it. And I won't let you get so far ahead of me that I can't keep up any more. Mark my words Goku. You're goin down today!"
Yamcha was wearing his old Turtle Gi, but there was a change in attire. Goku noticed as Yamcha took them off of his hands, seeing the number '3' before they shut off.
"They're weighted gauntlets, our visitor gave em to me." Yamcha said, taking in Goku's confused look. "They weigh my body down and make it harder to throw punches. I guess they work a lot like weighted Gi's. I also managed to get a few other weighted items as well, but I'll save that for later."
"Ohhhhh, man I can't wait Yamcha. This is gonna be fun!" Dropping into the Turtle Stance, Yamcha adopted a modified version, holding his hands out as claws, but before they could begin, they both felt a rapidly descending power coming towards them.
"WAIT FOR MEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
Shepard was flying east, feeling the two powers meet. He knew now that he was heading towards Goku's house. The beautiful scenery and open areas making for many a great camping adventures, picnics, and other activities that one can find to his or her hearts content.
'Mount Paozu is truly a mesmerizing place to be in. No wonder Goku loves it here so much!'
Soaring through the skies, Shepard could barely make out 2 figures on the ground, seemingly talking. He saw the long haired Desert Bandit and the infamous Palm Tree haired Saiyan staring across from each other before they dropped into stances.
'Oh hell no, they better not begin without me!'
Descending rapidly to meet the 2 engaging Z fighters, Shepard grabbed his BanHammer off of his back, throwing it down between the two.
"WAIT FOR MEEEEEEEEEEE!"
The hammer slammed down into the ground first, cratering between Goku and Yamcha, who both threw their hands up to cover their face from the dust and rocks that were thrown outwards.
"Is that who I was sensing behind me?" Yamcha asked through the dust. Suddenly, the hammer flew out of the dust, catching Yamcha in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him and sending him back a dozen feet.
"AGH, wh-what the?" Before he could ask, the dust started to disperse, as Yamcha watched the familiar weapon fly back towards its owner, who caught it, albeit a bit sloppily and put it back on the ground next to him.
"Hey is that?" Goku was ready to ask, until he saw the dust fully disperse, leaving a figure who was looking at him with a smirk and crossed arms. The man stood taller then him, with spiky black hair that fell everywhere, a green gi with a black undershirt, a teal colored sash that hung just above the knee, but most importantly, he saw a tail wiggling around behind him.
"A TAIL?" Goku asked in shock, taking a step back. "Are you Shepard or someone else, you don't feel like the visitor we had months before?"
Shepard's smirk had vanished, looking at his fellow saiyan in mock surprise. "Oh you mean that old jerkwad who tried to justify his actions by beating you guys up?"
"Iiiii guess?"
"Don't mind him, he is long gone. Something about doing last minute things before leaving me with everything."
"H-Hey, I was about to fight Goku, why don't you back off before I make you?" Yamcha, holding his stomach still but mostly recovered, demanded to the newcomer. When Shepard turned around, Yamcha had immediately stepped back and got into stance, a wave of anger replaced on his face.
"YOU!"
"Me? Well of course it's"- a punch rocked Shepard's jaw as he was sent flying past Goku, digging up dirt as he slid back on the ground.
"HEY WHAT GIVES YAMCHA? HE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG!" Goku yelled out, blitzing in between the two.
"He ruined my life Goku. I had it all, so what I wasn't strong like you are, but I had an awesome career. A great girlfriend. Making money hand over fist. I EVEN HAD A DAMN FANCLUB! But no, none of it mattered. I-I broke up with Bulma."
"WHAT? But.. But why? You two seemed so happy."
"Because of HIM!" Yamcha pointed past Goku to the recovering Shepard, who had spit out a bit of blood. "He said that if I stayed with Bulma I would be nothing in the future, that as great as she was, I would be a footnote. After he took me away from baseball practice and sent me home, I thought about it, and I HATE the fact that he was right. So I started training again, and before you know it, nearly 6 months had passed. I hadn't seen Bulma in all that time. I called her a couple weeks ago, just to see how she was doing.."
2 weeks ago
RIIIIING
RIIIIIIIIIIIINNG
RIIIIIIIIIING
"This is Bulma Brief, how may I help you?"
"Uhh hey Bulma, it's Yamcha. How have you been?"
"YAMCHA?!? WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT? YOU HAVEN'T TALKED TO ME IN MONTHS AND NOW YOU WANT TO CALL? WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU AT YOU SCRUFFY PIECE OF CHEATING-"
"BULMA!?!" Yamcha yelled into the receiver, clearly pissed at the accusation. Trying to calm himself, he thought he heard a gasp on the other line. Before Bulma bit back quickly.
"WHAT YAMCHA?
"Look, Babe, I... We haven't been on the same page in a long time. I have never cheated on you Bulma, as much as you don't believe me. I was a famous baseball player. I had a fan club. Many girls wanted to have a piece of me. I grew in confidence. And I believed in that confidence enough to control myself and my urges. But you've never believed in me, always accusing me of cheating. How many men have you flirted with since we started dating Bulma?"
"I don't have time to be accused of being a beautiful woman Yamcha. Now are you going to explain yourself or not? You've been missing nearly 6 months and-"
"And nothing. I haven't been missing. I had a visitor when I was practicing and he made it clear that I needed to start training again. I don't wanna be a bother to you any more or a hindrance. We haven't gotten along in a few years now Bulma. I thought you would've been happy, or even supportive of my baseball career but you never showed any interest towards it. I think it is best if we part ways. For the sake of saving our friendship. What do ya say?" Yamcha asked, not knowing what to expect from the Heiress.
"You-You're DUMPING ME? Bu-but.."
"Bulma don't you see that this is not working anymore? I want it to so much. Kami knows I do. But I also know that if we don't stop this now, it will end worse for us later somehow. I would rather us part ways and still maybe be good friends who salvaged what was there, instead of all the bitterness that is here now, ending us in such a way that we won't even be able to be around each other anymore. I love you Bulma. Maybe I always will in some way. You're my first girlfriend I've ever had. And besides Puar, I consider you my favorite lady. Can we still be friends in the future Bulma?" Yamcha had been extremely nervous to call Bulma, knowing that the ensuing conversation could lead to a bitter ending real fast.
'Yamcha, maybe.. Maybe you're right. I can't believe I'm agreeing with you but. Maybe you're right. Maybe in the future we can talk again, but I need time to think. Goodbye.' CLICK
Yamcha, putting the receiver down, could only hope he didn't ruin his longtime friendship with the heiress. Gaining a resolute look on his face, the Bandit could only think of one thing.
'Time to get back to work.'
"I haven't heard from Bulma since, and I don't really expect to now, thanks to that jerk who took my livelihood away. I'm gonna make YOU pay for this." Yamcha said, looking angrily at the now mostly recovered Saiyan.
"Look Yamcha, whatever that guy did all those months ago, he didn't do." Goku said, pointing back at Shepard.
"I don't need your defense Goku, it's not my fault the human can't take the truth." Spitting out the last bit of blood in his mouth, Shepard looked past Goku towards the Bandit, and smirked. "So you actually took Him seriously? That's a surprise coming from you. Oh, and you hit like a BITCH!"
"SHUT UP!" Yamcha yelled, charging towards Shepard, only to be stopped by Goku. "LET ME GO! NOW GOKU!" Enraged, Yamcha started to struggle in Goku's grip.
"St-stop Yamcha please. Don't do this." Goku was struggling to hold the Desert Bandit. He was surprised at the strength Yamcha was using to try to get free.
"Aww let him go Goku, I can take him." Shepard said, getting into his kickboxing stance. Before Yamcha could break free to get to the green wearing Saiyan, a yellow ball of energy slammed into the ground between the three, throwing up smoke and rock from the explosion.
"Did you really think you could go through with this without inviting me?"
Shepard, looking over his crossed arms, saw a tall being descending to the ground. Remembering the familiar, deep voice from the show, he saw through the slowly dispersing smoke, a green being landing on the ground.
"PICCOLO?" Shepard in shock called out.
"So, it's you. Looks like our visitor was right after all. I guess you should be lucky I haven't come to end your miserable life yet. I've been sensing your growing power in the west."
Holding his hand out, the 3 other combatants saw the BanHammer fly into Shepard's waiting hand.
"Dude did that old man stick something so far up your dickless ass or what? Why are you both looking like I took a piss in your cereal today?" Shepard nervously chuckled, noticing the sour looks on both the human and namekian.
"I am going to enjoy beating you senseless." Piccolo said, taking off his cape and headwear, throwing it to the ground where it landed with a THUD, digging into the ground a few inches.
"Get in line Piccolo, he's mine." Yamcha, finally breaking free of Goku's grip, started walking past the namekian and towards Shepard. Seeing this, Shepard threw down the BanHammer, leaving cracked earth as he did so.
"You want a piece?" Shepard said, waving the Bandit forward.
"I'm taking more then a PIECE!" Yamcha surged forward, throwing a punch, only for it to be caught by Shepard. Holding the punch with great difficulty, Shepard looked at the angry human, sending a small smirk his way. Before he could react, Yamcha pulled his fist away, slashing with his other hand, which Shepard barely dodged, backing away as quick as he could as he continued to block the savage assault. He was still getting punched and the occasional kick would get through, but he was doing far better then he did against Krillin 3 months ago. 'He is definitely stronger then Krillin!' Shepard thought. Ducking a wild kick from Yamcha, Shepard saw his chance, but before he could take it, Piccolo had taken action.
"AGGHHH!" An elbow jarred Shepard's back, sending him away. Falling forward and catching himself, Shepard turned quickly, flying towards Piccolo.
"CHEAP SHOT BIG GREEN!" Shepard threw a hard front kick, missing the namekian by an inch as he dodged. Shepard dodged a punch from Piccolo, shooting his hand forward with blue energy, which the namekian batted away effortlessly. A furious struggle of strength began, which the namekian quickly won out, catching Shepard in the stomach with a gut busting punch, sending him sliding and falling to a knee.
"I SAID HE WAS MINE PICCOLO!" Yamcha yelled, charging towards the namekian. Piccolo was impressed by the human's speed, but not enough to be surprised. Catching Yamcha's kick, Piccolo smirked down at the Bandit.
"Then you should've started fighting and stopped TALKING!" Piccolo said, twirling Yamcha around and slowly elongating his arm as he did so. After a few seconds, he released him, sending Yamcha several hundred feet away into some rocks, landing with a CRASH.
Before Piccolo could go and do more damage to the human, he felt an arm grab his ankle.
"ACK!" Falling forward as Shepard had tripped the namekian up, Shepard clamped his leg down on top of Piccolo's, grabbing his ankle and beginning to twist. Snarling in pain, Piccolo extended one of his arms, slamming his long armed fist into Shepard's face. But Shepard was relentless, holding onto the leg for dear life.
"DAMN YOU! UNHAND ME! AGHHH!" Piccolo continued to hammer Shepard, but paused moments later and looked behind him.
"KAAAAAMEEEEEHAAAAMEEEEE!" The Bandit had recovered quickly, flying up towards the struggling pair and charging the famous Turtle Wave!
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" The blue beam surged forward. Shepard, also hearing this, had let go of Piccolo's ankle, receiving an immediate kick to the face from the other foot for it. However, it may have saved him from the brunt of the blast, as it surged between the fleeting namekian and recovering saiyan, it missed him by mere feet, exploding shortly afterwards.
"DAMMIT!" Yamcha yelled, flying down towards the saiyan, landing on him with a forearm to his back.
"AHHH!" Shepard yelled out, quickly throwing a leg out, but had missed Yamcha, who jumped away. Shepard got up quickly, flying forward and starting his own assault. As they were fighting, Piccolo started to head towards them, but was stopped by Goku. "Ya know, they seem to have some personal business. Why don't we handle our own?" Goku smiled as he got into stance.
"Fine by me, after I am done with you, I'm dealing with the other saiyan." Piccolo said as he sneered at Goku, before flying forward to fight his rival...
Gohan, sitting in his room working on his studies, had felt the earth quake. Seeing a yellow light erupt in the distance out of his window, he was just about to jump out before his bedroom door flew open.
"GOHAN! DON'T. EVEN. THINK ABOUT IT!" Chi Chi strode across the room, ready to grab her son, but the little boy had other plans.
"Sorry Mommy, I have to see what's going on!" In a burst of energy, the prodigy had lifted away from the window faster then Chi Chi could react.
"GOOOOHAAAAAAAAANNNN!"
"EXPLOSIVE DEMON WAVE!" Piccolo shouted, sending forth a massive yellow wave of energy. Goku had been steadily outpacing the namekian until Piccolo started using energy attacks. Now the fight was at more of a standstill. Dodging the energy blast barely, Goku let out a breath.
"Whew, man Piccolo you're really trying your best to get me today huh?" Goku asked, scratching his head.
"I haven't even gotten started!" Piccolo came forth, clawing at Goku with ferocity. Goku steadily moved back, doing his best to dodge what he could. Grabbing ahold of one of Piccolo's hands in both of his, Goku started to spin Piccolo around, finally releasing the namekian towards the other pair of fighters several hundred feet away.
Shepard and Yamcha were hitting each other with their hardest blows and hardly blocking any of the exchange. Blood was leaking out of Shepard's mouth, while there was a gash under Yamcha's right eye.
"AHHHH!" They both slammed into each other, Shepard taking his kickboxing experience as far as he could. Blocking a right punch, followed by a left kick, he caught Yamcha's next kick aimed for his stomach, before looking up with a smirk, only to see Yamcha's hand in his face, yellow energy surging forth. Shepard barely had time to dodge the blast, moving his head desperately to the side. The eruption of energy nearly caused him to go deaf, but he was undeterred. He whipped Yamcha over, snapping the human to the ground, cratering it in the process. Jumping high into the air, Shepard gathered green energy into both of his hands, before beginning to unload dozens of energy blasts on the ground towards the Bandit. Yamcha, realizing that he would be dead to rights if he stayed there, got up quickly and started dodging as fast as he could. There were many small explosions surrounding the human as he continued to escape the green balls of energy. Deciding to change his strategy, Yamcha dodged a handful of the blasts and quickly flew towards the saiyan.
"Wha-is he stupid?" Seeing this, Shepard concentrated the energy balls towards the human, who was counting on that. Yamcha neatly dodged the center mass of the attack, zigzagging towards Shepard who was late to react. Before he could turn around, Yamcha put his fists together and slammed his hands into the back of Shepard's head.
"AHHHHHH!" Shouting in pain, Shepard hurdled towards the ground, slamming into it hard. As he was climbing out of the small crater his body had caused, Yamcha flew down at frightening speeds, ruthlessly soccer kicking Shepard out of the crater and sliding over and onto the other side, where the saiyan was now bleeding from his nose. 'Damn. My older self really pissed Yamcha off.'
As Yamcha flew forward, Shepard got back up, taking off the weighted shirt. As the Bandit got closer, he was readying a punch to try to take the saiyan's head off. Dodging just barely, Shepard uncorked a massive right hand into Yamcha's gut. "ACKK!" Yamcha backed away, spitting a bit of blood out of his mouth, face contorted in pain. Shepard took off the wristbands next, where they dropped to the ground, causing dirt to kick up.
"Weighted clothing h-huh?" Yamcha wasn't surprised. He had seen Goku use it to great effect. "Well I guess I should do the same." Removing his own weighted wristbands, Yamcha dropped them to the ground. Looking at Shepard, who was walking towards him, Yamcha let out all of his power.
"Well well well, holding back are ya?" Shepard mused, realizing the real fight was about to start.
"AHHHHHHH!" A body slammed into Shepard, sending the pair tumbling into the dirt for several dozen meters. Yamcha looked over from where Piccolo had came from, seeing Goku working out a kink in his arm. "Alright Yamcha, let's do this!" Goku cheered. Yamcha was already into stance charging.
"Fuck, f-for someone who doesn't eat anything, y-you weigh more then a fucking mule!" Shepard grunted, pushing Piccolo off of him. As he got up, so too did the namekian, who barely looked at him before he threw a punch, barely clipping the saiyan on the jaw. Shepard was lucky he had sharpened reflexes, quickly dodging just enough and backing away a few feet.
"You make jokes yet you have no martial prowess whatsoever. The only reason you've even lasted so far is because of your mediocre endurance. I can tell you won't be lasting much longer." Piccolo said, running towards Shepard. Shepard however had nothing to say to that and ran towards the namekian. Throwing a straight right, Shepard missed, turning quickly and ducking a return kick, the pair started exchanging ferocious punches and kicks, Shepard lasted only a handful of seconds before being caught by a palm strike to the chest, sending him cratering the ground once again. Rising up quickly, Shepard concentrated, forming a bright blue ball of energy, squeezing it down to a smaller size and compacting it, making it as dense as he could. "AHHHHHHHH, DODGE THIS!" Shepard fired, aiming at the namekian, who was caught off guard by the sheer speed of the condensed blast, could only throw up his hands to block.
BOOOOOOOOOOM
The ensuing explosion caught Yamcha and Goku off guard as well, being thrown back a dozen feet. But it didn't deter the pair, as Yamcha went in to kick Goku, the saiyan blocked it, as well as the next set of strikes from the Bandit. As they clashed again, their forearms locked up. Looking at each other, Goku could only smile, beyond excited to have a good sparring partner.
"You're stronger then I was when I fought Piccolo in the Martial Arts Tournament." Goku remarked, straining against his friend.
"And I don't plan on STOPPING!" Yamcha yelled, breaking away and launching a kick, which Goku blocked. Goku in turn threw a punch which Yamcha parried, getting under Goku and kicking him away. Flying forward, Yamcha ducked a kick from Goku, readying a punch. Goku was thinking the same thing, their fists colliding several times before backing off. Coming back, they slammed into each other full force once again.
As the smoke had cleared from Shepard's energy blast, he could see the namekian, who looked to have burns and some blood along his arms, scratches on his face, and a look that could scare small children. Piccolo darted through the scattering smoke, sight set on the saiyan. Shepard saw this, throwing a hand forward, only to pass through an afterimage. "FUCK!" Looking everywhere, he caught a glimpse of green behind him. Piccolo had prepared to send Shepard into and through the ground, but was surprised when Shepard afterimaged away as well!
"YAHHHH!" Throwing a kick, Shepard realized his mistake too late. 'If I had just stayed-' his line of thought was cut off as pain exploded across his jaw. Piccolo heard Shepard reappear from his afterimage, having blocked the kick, he turned and hit Shepard with a hard right punch, sending him careening into the ground. Landing on his feet, Piccolo walked quickly to his downed opponent, grabbing him by his hair and holding him up.
"You're definitely nothing like your older self. Pathetic really. You can't win, you should've just stayed home and waited for me to come and destroy you. You got lucky with that energy blast!"
Head butting Shepard twice, Piccolo flung the saiyan a few dozen feet. Shepard landed painfully, sliding across the ground and ruining the front of his gi in the process.
"Ugh, uhhh, owwww." Shepard was painfully getting back to his feet, before being booted in the face by the namekian. He was totally defenseless as he fell back head over heels again.
"STAY DOWN!" Putting his foot on the back of Shepard's head, Piccolo slammed his foot down into the Earth. Pushing up against the resistance, Shepard gritted his bloody mouth, trying to gain breath.
"Yeah that's it saiyan, eat MORE DIRT!" As Piccolo slammed his foot down again, Shepard was preparing. He had been preparing this technique mainly for breathing room. It's effect on the namekian would widely depend on how much stamina he had. Holding his hand out straight, Shepard prepared his desperate attack. It would only last a handful of seconds and it was not very refined, but it would do for the moment. After the 4th stomp into the ground, Shepard, though a bit disoriented and in a lot of pain, reacted...
The furious fight between Goku and Yamcha had heated up, each exchanging a furious array of punches and kicks. Sliding back, Yamcha blocked a kick, several punches and attempted to grab the saiyan, who in turn hit Yamcha with a massive kiai, sending the human tumbling back over a hundred feet. Kicking up as his momentum ended, Yamcha flew back in fast, dodging an energy blast from Goku and returning his own, which was also dodged.
"WOLF FANG FIST!" His aura was red, and a wolf began to embody the aura, followed by a howl. Yamcha had timed it perfectly, catching Goku off guard and landing a tremendous amount of strikes. Claw marks had ruined Goku's gi and his lip was bloodied, but he was still on his feet.
"SPIRIT BALL!" Yamcha was pushing the advantage, hurling the ball towards Goku. Initially dodging it, Goku remembered quickly that the spirit ball would follow, so he prepared to catch it, but it flew just out of his reach and slammed into the back of his head, knocking him to a knee. Before Goku could get up, Yamcha had made another spirit ball, this one slamming into Goku's back, making him fall forward. Within a matter of a second, Yamcha had guided both spirit balls to attack the saiyan's back, Goku now being slammed into the ground multiple times.
"AHH AHH AHH AHH AHH AHH AHH AHH AHH." Goku continued to be pummeled, nearly 4 feet deep into the ground. As quick as he could, he turned his body over and fired a pair of energy blasts at the spirit balls, destroying them both. "Damn, that hurt." Goku said to himself. "Wow Yamcha, you've made that technique hard to predict." Goku said, slowly getting up to his feet and looking at the focused human.
"I expected nothing less out of you Goku."
"AHHHHHHHHHOOOOO!" A guttural pained scream echoed thoughout the land. Yamcha and Goku both looked to the right/left, and were stunned.
Shepard, face bloodied and battered, had stabbed Piccolo's foot with a blue ki blade, purple blood spurting out as he pushed through the skin with a nasty squelch. Pushing himself back to his feet, Shepard grabbed the foot with his other hand, wrenching his blade out and stabbing the side of Piccolo's foot a second time, causing the namekian to shout out in pain again. Pushing Piccolo backwards as he maintained his balance, Shepard pulled the blade out, going for a 3rd stab, aiming for Piccolo's knee. Piccolo saw this however, and lifted himself up, snapping Shepard's head to the side with a violent kick, sending him sliding wildly away on the ground. The blade had vanished, and Shepard was teetering on the brink of consciousness, but after a few moments, he snapped himself awake, slapping his bloodied cheeks. Digging his hands into the ground, Shepard pushed himself back up slowly to his feet. His gi was nearly destroyed, but he was having the time of his life. 'Is this what a saiyan feels like when he is getting his ass kicked?'
"I-IM GONNA RIP YOUR HEAD OFF!" Piccolo screamed in pain as his foot started to regenerate. Flying forward, Shepard was sent skidding back from a brutal knee to his face. Still ginger, Piccolo lightly walked towards Shepard, not taking any chances, he began to charge an intense energy blast up close. He was going to kill Shepard. As he charged it, he looked down at the near blacked out saiyan. "I hardly consider you a warrior, but I'll give you the death you deserve."
Shepard was fading in and out, clearly not listening to Piccolo's words. He spat out some blood and could only accept that his trip to this earth would be violently cut short.
"EXPLOSIVE DEMON WA-WHAT THE FU-!"
SLAM!
Yamcha had flown behind Piccolo, grabbing him from behind and suplexing him back into the ground, hard. Getting up quickly and looking down at the saiyan, Yamcha spat next to him, with a look of disgust. "Get your ass back up. I didn't save your life so you could bleed all over my shoes."
Goku was observing the spectacle with curiosity. Watching as Piccolo recovered from being spiked into the ground, to Shepard slowly getting back to his feet.
'He definitely has a lot of potential. Maybe as much as I do, there is definitely something there.' Goku had made his mind up. Walking over to where Yamcha was, he stood next to his friend, putting his hand on Yamcha's shoulder. "Calm down Yamcha. Can't ya see he can't fight anymore? This is a training session ya know."
"I don't give a damn Goku. He didn't come and just ruin your life. He didn't just hold you in the sky and threaten to drop you because you quit training. He didn't tell you to break up with the love of your life. No, he gave stuff to you, rewarded you, showed respect to you. All I got for my troubles were these stupid gravity gauntlets, a lot of pain and no income now. I'm gonna break him in fucking half!"
"He said my revenge was pointless, that I had no reason to go after Goku. Then he completely humiliated me in front of Kami. Screw killing Goku! I want Shepard dead!" Piccolo snarled out as he walked to the other 2, foot fully regenerated. "So either stand aside and let me deal with him or ELSE!" All 3 heard a distinctive whirring coming towards them, Piccolo recognizing it as he pinpointed the direction it was coming from.
"INCOMING!" Piccolo yelled, bursting into the air quicker then normal. Yamcha had followed, floating next to Piccolo, but Goku was not fast enough.
"Hey where you guys"- THUNK
The BanHammer flew right into Goku, hitting him in the back of the head and making him taste grass and dirt.
"Owwwie owwie!" Goku sat up holding his head. The BanHammer turned a complete 180 degrees and continued its linear direction until a hand reached out, grabbing it and pointing it towards the 2 warriors in the air.
"I-I-I'm not d-done yet!" Shepard breathed out, starting to feel the hammer's power surging through him. It had been absorbing minute traces of energy, slowly but surely.
"A-AHH-AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Feeling his face knitting back together painfully and restoring his energy and then some, Shepard was ready to jump towards Yamcha and Piccolo when he was kicked in the jaw and sent flying.
"That wasn't very nice Shep!" Goku said, still holding his head, which was ringing. Shepard skidded back, able to land on his feet.
"So it's time then Goku?" Shepard wiped the blood that came out of his lip away, smirking at the other saiyan.
"I guess it is. I can tell I won't have to go easy on you now." Goku said, getting into stance.
The saiyans were staring each other down, wind swirling around the pair, their auras white and sending small rocks everywhere.
"Should we even get involved Piccolo?" Yamcha asked.
"As much as I want Shepard's head, that hammer of his has..otherworldly properties. It makes him just dangerous enough that going after him in our exhausted states would be foolhardy. Goku didn't put as much effort into our fight because I think he wanted to fight Shepard. He is still fresh enough to make it interesting."
The saiyans flew towards each other, Goku punching the hammer which Shepard put across himself to block. Skidding back, Shepard took a wild swing looking to take Goku's head off. Goku dodged, coming up with a kick to Shepard's stomach, making him skid across the ground on his feet again, before coming back just as fast. Goku, whose hand was a bit numb, shook it off quickly before desperately dodging the barrage his fellow saiyan had brought upon him. Shepard swung the hammer down, cracking the ground as he tried to think of a way to get closer to Goku. 'DAMN IT! I won't be able to catch him unless I figure out a way to distract him. He's too good otherwise.'
"That..hammer is definitely strong enough for you to do...damage with, but you'll... never catch me clean with it. Maybe..maybe you should give up now." Goku was getting a bit tired. He couldn't get inside the hammer's range to land another clean blow.
'As much as it seems to slows him down, that hammer has definitely made him faster then he was before.'
Slamming the BanHammer into the ground, Shepard started unleashing a barrage of green energy balls, which Goku dodged with minor difficulty. Shepard had to come up with another plan. Thinking back to the show, he began to prepare himself. Flying in as fast and as close as he can, Shepard took a punch to the jaw for his efforts but Goku was in close enough now.
"SOLAR FLARE!" Suddenly bringing his hands to his eyes and making sure he was in front of the bright sun, Shepard had timed it about as well as he could.
"AHHHK! Darn it my eyes!" Goku was effectively blinded, but he knew he could still fight, trying to calm himself, he searched for Shepard's ki.
THUNK! Goku was hit before he could react, sending him careening away wildly holding his side. Barely landing on his feet, he was tripped up from behind.
THUNK! Shepard had phased in behind Goku, sweeping him into the air before swinging the BanHammer vertically, sending Goku into the air in tremendous pain. Shepard flew up after him, getting ahead of him in the sky, before somersaulting in the air to get more torque in his swing.
"TASTE THE EARTH!" Swinging down as hard as he could, Shepard was expecting to hear the precious THUNK again but he nearly lost the BanHammer when it almost flew out of his grip, hitting nothing but air. Looking down, he saw that Goku had stopped his momentum in the air and was heading back toward the ground. Slinging the BanHammer, Shepard threw it right at the saiyan.
Goku had started to recover his vision as he went back down.
'That hammer of his hurts! I have to find a way to separate it from him, otherwise I'm toast!'
"CRAP!"
As he landed, Goku heard the whirring of the hammer this time, dodging away just as it cratered the Earth.
"GOTCHA!" Shepard yelled, getting behind Goku and wrapping his arm around his fellow saiyan's neck. Jumping up and wrapping his legs around Goku's waist, Shepard started to squeeze down, hoping to make Goku pass out from the rear naked choke.
"GO OUT GO OUT GO OUT GO OUT!" Shepard screamed for nearly 15 seconds straight. Goku meanwhile was starting to fade in and out. 'Dude if I beat GOKU of all people right here I swear I will be immo-!' Feeling Goku start to come back to and run, Shepard unclenched his eyes.
"SON OF A-!" SMASH
Goku had saw his salvation and ran as fast as he could with the bigger saiyan on his back. Dropping down at the last second, Goku sent Shepard head first, burying him into a boulder. Taking big gulps of air and stepping back rubbing his neck, Goku observed the damage.
Shepard's head was implanted in the boulder. Trying to pull himself out, his physical strength alone wouldn't help.
Snickering as he watched, Goku rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Do ya need a hand there Shep?"
"UCC HMM!" An aura started billowing around the trapped saiyan. As the rocks started to crack, the others could hear a muffled yell.
"ahhhhhh! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The rocks blew up around the now free saiyan, leaving Shepard's face a scuffed up mess. Cracking his neck and getting back to his feet, Shepard spotted Goku immediately.
'Well, shit. It almost worked. Damn Goku for being so adaptive.'
"I'm surprised you didn't keep up the attack. You had me dead to rights." Shepard said.
"It wouldn't be fair. You couldn't defend yourself. Besides, I wasn't sure if you would call that hammer back over again. That thing hurts hehehe. I'm so impressed you pulled off that solar flare. Did ya train with Tien Shinhan before? I noticed you could fly too." Goku wanted to learn as much as he could from this other saiyan.
"Well, no. But-,"
"Krillin called me an told me you could use the Kamehameha. Can I see?"
"Uhh, sure, bu-"
"What is that hammer made ou-?"
"STOP THAAAAAT!"
"ARE YOU TWO DONE?" Piccolo yelled from across the land, still hovering in the air. The two saiyans shared a quick look, before smirking at each other, Goku putting his finger under his nose and giggling a bit.
"Do ya think they recovered enough?"
"They better have! I didn't come here just to kick your ass today." They both charged towards the pair in the sky..
"Woooooooooow. This is so amazing." Gohan said to himself. He had arrived just before Shepard had stabbed Piccolo with the ki blade. Doing what his daddy had taught him, he had lowered his ki as much as he possibly could and watched the spectacle. When Shepard had started to use the BanHammer, Gohan could barely follow his father's movements. So he had used another trick that Mister Piccolo had started to teach him. Slowing his breathing and reaching out with his senses, he had begun to see his daddy and the other man, who he thought looked familiar, but seemed to be different. He missed that older man who had sat with him in his room and played with his books, giving him funny faces. The man was stern, but also very nice. He remembered the mistake he had made, losing his temper and nearly destroying his home. He remembered the feeling of being helpless in watching his daddy being beaten up like he was. The man had told him something that would stick with him for many decades to come.
'This world will be yours to protect Gohan. Your father will never tell you. But even now, I can see the shimmer of your power. The outline of strength that you already possess. He will want to draw that out of you. And as you get older, and stronger, you will realize yourself the key to wielding that incredible power is not just your rage, but a need. A need to protect this planet. To protect those closest to you. I am already proud of you Gohan. Make yourself proud now and in the coming years.'
Even now, months later, Gohan hoped he was making that old man proud of him.
Watching Shepard go head first into the boulder made Gohan wince, but barely a minute later, Gohan felt the surge in energy from Shepard, which had blown the rock to pieces.
Running to the other side of the clearing as quietly as he could, Gohan got to within hearing range of Goku and Shepard, but right as he did, they both jumped into the air ready to combat the other two spectators once again.
2 Minutes Later
Goku and Shepard had turned on each other pretty quickly. The 4 way fight had escalated into a brawl for all. Piccolo went to punch Goku but it was caught. Before Goku could counter, Shepard punched Goku in the jaw, sending him away. Yamcha had prepared a spirit ball, hurling it towards Piccolo and Shepard. Shepard saw it out of the corner of his eye, kicking back and striking it away from him, making it explode harmlessly. Coming back, Shepard was swiped by Piccolo, catching him across the chest and cutting him, but Shepard ignored it as much as he could, throwing a kick. Piccolo knocked it away, and was about to throw another swipe until Goku came back, kicking Piccolo in the side and sending him skidding. Ducking the punch Shepard had thrown, Goku hit Shepard with a kiai, making Shepard fly a good distance away. Yamcha had come in looking to take Goku out, ready to bash him in the head, but Goku dodged away. Piccolo came roaring back towards Goku, but was caught off guard when Yamcha phased in front of him, punching him in the gut. Throwing an elbow in return, Piccolo caught the Bandit in the side of the head, spinning him back a few meters towards Goku, who dropped to the ground and swept Yamcha off his feet, before turning and stretching both feet out, kicking Yamcha in the side. Yamcha skidded across the now barren ground, getting up quickly and firing a quick and desperate Kamehameha. Goku threw his hands up to block, but noticed the Kamehameha had dissipated before it fully reached him, only leaving a bit of an ozone smell behind.
Piccolo had hit Yamcha on the top of the head with an elbow, sending him sliding through the ground.
Goku heard before he saw, the sound of a blast coming his way. Turning, he saw that Shepard had recovered.
"KAAAAAMEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAMEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
The green wave of energy that Shepard fired held fast for nearly 4 seconds before it was engulfed and overtaken, dissipating as quickly as it was summoned.
"SHIT!" Shepard braced himself as the Kamehameha slammed into him, driving him back.
"FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!" Flying away at near mach speeds, Shepard started to get his hands under the wave.
'N-now I know what Ve-Vegeta feels like!'
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Screaming at the effort, Shepard finally forced the Kamehameha off of him, sending it flying away before a massive explosion occurred. Breathing heavily, he looked down at his smoking hands. They were beat red and he could tell by looking at his forearms that they were burnt as well. He could even feel his chest was probably cooking as well.
Flying back down towards Goku as quick as he could, Shepard could see that Goku was still in firing stance, and was surprised that he had been blown away nearly a mile from where he started, his enhanced saiyan vision doing wonders.
"Wow I can't believe he was able to deflect that." Goku thought aloud to himself. Before he could think more, a long green arm wrapped around him, picking him up and smashing him into the ground.
"MORE FIGHTING LESS TA-!" Piccolo was kicked in the back of the head by the Bandit.
"Follow your own advice mean green." Yamcha said, chuckling as he did. Piccolo rose up angrily, dashing towards Yamcha, ready to scar him up more. Ducking under the swipe, Yamcha went to fire a blast but Goku afterimaged between them, about to hit them with a kiai, before Shepard came in behind Goku and hit him with his own kiai, sending Goku skidding away on his face. As Goku rose to his feet, he saw the other 3 combatants had stopped for the moment.
Sensing the end, they flew in hard towards each other. When they collided, Yamcha had decked Shepard in the jaw with a massive left, who in turn had nearly punched through Piccolo with a fist of his own, as Piccolo had kicked Goku in the solar plexus, just as Goku had palmed Yamcha in the sternum. All 4 flew back wildly in incredible pain in different directions. Shepard flew headfirst Into some trees, scraping up his face and body, landing in a cratered heap. Piccolo landed in a small lake, throwing up a bunch of water. Yamcha went into and through one of the few remaining boulders that had not been destroyed in the massive fight. Goku was driven into the ground, cratering it as he slid through the ground nearly 500 feet.
There was silence for the next several minutes. The creatures in the neighboring forest had all but abandoned the loud clash of the warriors sparring match.
'Cough. Cough cough' "My body." Goku was slowly getting to his feet, spitting up some blood, his gi all but destroyed along with one of his shoes. But he was the only one standing for the moment. "That...that was so awesome!" Goku said to himself.
"DADDDDDDDYYYYY!"
"Huh? Wait. Is that? Go-GOHAN!" Goku saw his son coming through the clearing. Flying into his Dad's arms, Gohan held his Dad.
"Are-are you ok Daddy? You look hurt." Gohan looked up, tears starting to gleam in his eyes.
"Hey-Hey it's ok Gohan. Daddy is just fine. No need to worry. You're getting so big son, I may have to find out what your Mom is feeding you, I would sure like to have some, hehehe." Scratching his head, Goku smiled down at his son, who started to smile back.
Walking through the barren area that had become the epicenter of the massive fight, the father and son walked towards the small lake where they saw bubbles floating on the surface before a geyser erupted from the water, a green figure in tattered clothes slowly making his way to shore.
"Heya Piccolo, you alright?"
"Sh-Shut your mouth." Coughing up a mixture of water and purple blood, Piccolo was still reeling from that final attack from Shepard.
"I..cough* cough* can't believe that bastard had that much... that much power." Piccolo coughed up what remained in his sore lungs.
"That was so cool Mr. Piccolo!" Piccolo looked down and noticed Gohan. "So, I did hear you through the trees? At least you stayed out of the way I guess." Piccolo crossed his arms, looking down at his young pupil.
"I'm pretty sure Yamcha is just over the hill. What do ya say we go see if he's alright?" Goku suggested.
As they walked along through the forest, the trio came across a battered Yamcha, rocks strewn everywhere from his impact with the boulder.
"M-my chest is killing me." Yamcha mumbled on the ground. He didn't notice that Goku, Piccolo and Gohan were approaching him.
"Daddy is that another one of your friends?" The innocent boy asked.
"You bet Gohan, its so nice to see Yamcha training again. Hey Piccolo would you say he was stronger then us when you came by a few months ago?"
Piccolo contemplated it for several moments. He had to admit inwardly that he was impressed at the Bandit's resilience. 'Yamcha has definitely come a long way. He lost so easily to Kami, and yet if he was the one I had to fight that day instead of Goku, I am almost sure I would have lost.'
"Perhaps, it is a bit of a surprise that he was that capable."
Yamcha was groggily starting to come to, holding his chest. Opening his eyes and looking up, he saw a hand out in front of him.
Goku held his hand out, which Yamcha grasped, being pulled up.
"Th-Thanks Goku. I guess I still have a long way to go." Yamcha said, bending over to hack and cough a little more blood out of his mouth.
"Heeey we all do. I was very impressed buddy. Don't stop training. I would love to fight you again sometime soon." Goku cheerily said.
"Now, let's go see how Shep is doin." Goku suggested, positively beaming. "And no, you can't kill him guys."
"But-"
"I said no Piccolo. I thought you would have learned your lesson by now." Goku gained a serious look, looking behind him to the tall namekian, who was seething with rage.
"But he-"
"Just give it up Piccolo." Yamcha said, interrupting the pointless discussion. "Besides, I think his butt's been thoroughly beaten today."
"Shut up you measly human, you don't know what it's like to be humiliated in front of Kami. He...he choked me in such a way I couldn't even defend myself against, with his mind. He left me looking like a child. I will NEVER be put in that position again. EVER!" Piccolo spat out, angered at himself for being so vulnerable.
A hand pulled on his purple leggings. Looking down, he saw the son of his rival looking up at him.
"It's ok to be angry Mr. Piccolo, but you don't have to be now. I think that old man is gone." Gohan said, letting go of Piccolo's leg and looking down at his hands, which were fidgeting. A hand palmed Gohan's head, which caused him to look back up. Piccolo's expression had softened, if only slightly.
"I suppose you're right kid. Th-thanks." Piccolo said, then used what remaining ki he had to materialize a new, slightly heavier cape and headpiece. "Perhaps I will teach you that trick someday, if you continue to train." Smirking down at Gohan, Piccolo couldn't help but be proud of the smiling little boy's progress.
"It's nice to meet you kid. Your Dad and I go way back. I'm Yamcha." Yamcha said. Gohan looked up at the Bandit, then bowed his head. "My name is Gohan sir. It's nice to meet you."
"Wow he looks like you Goku, but he's so well mannered."
"Hehehe yeah. Chi Chi's been really strict with his studies, but after what happened a few months ago, she's letting me train him a bit. He's already so strong. I'm very proud of him."
"Us you idiot. We've both been taking turns training him." Piccolo interjected.
Yamcha, shocked at the idea of Piccolo training his hated enemies' son, got on his knee, looking at the bashful boy who was embarrassed, yet happy at the praise.
"Do you want to learn one of my techniques?" He asked Gohan, who beamed at the idea of learning a new move. "I sure do Mr. Yamcha, pleaaase?" The Bandit appreciated the boy's enthusiasm, so he began to describe and show the boy one of his most prized techniques...
"10 bottles of beer on the wall, 10 bottles of beer. Take one down, pass it around, 9 bottles of beer on the wall."
"Ughhhhh, w-why do I feel like I got hit by a truck?"
"Technically you got hit by a bitch. Or did ya forget already?"
Eyes snapping open, Shepard was in the White Void. As he got up, he noticed his pain wasn't present. Looking around, he saw about 100 feet away, a familiar man sitting in a chair with a glass of what looked like whiskey in his hand.
"You awake yet dude?" As the man snapped his fingers, another chair appeared out of thin air next to him. "Come on man, have a seat." The man gestured to the empty chair.
Shepard was gawking as he walked over. In utter astonishment, he plopped into the chair.
Marc looked over, grinning as he eyed his physical self. "That was a helluva performance you put on. You almost had Goku. And that ki blade you pulled on Piccolo? A stroke of fucking genius."
"Wha-bu-but how? How is this possible? I thought you were just in my head?" Shepard was flummoxed.
"Well that's one way I can communicate with you. Another way is this: my personal space. Yamcha knocked you out, and the fall did the rest. I don't understand all of it just yet. But I am working on that. In the meantime, when you do finally wake up, we need to seek out training. Our skills just aren't up to par with the rest of the warriors. Our kickboxing skills are not compatible in this world. We have to make adjustments." Marc explained.
"Ok but who? I like Master Roshi but I feel like his teachings would go over my head right now. Goku and Piccolo are training Gohan. Yamcha wants to rip my head off and cram it into one of his crusty dusty ass rocks in the desert. And Krillin is still learning under Roshi. Waiiiiit a minute." A light bulb had gone off in the Human turned Saiyan's head. "Do you think-?"
"I know. And it's the perfect idea." Marc finIshed, putting a hand on his chin as he thought about the idea. "He won't take no stupid shit from you. Plus he always trains. Not to mention his partner. It won't be easy to track them however. Maybe one of the others can point us in the right direction." Elaborating more, Marc took in his alternate's facials, noticing the look of inquisitiveness.
"It could work, assuming he'll train me up a bit." Shepard said after a couple minutes of deliberation. "That aside, how the hell do I get out of here?"
"Are you ready to embrace the pain?" Marc asked.
"Look man, I'm a saiyan now. WE are saiyans now. I eat pain for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner." Shepard fist bumped his chest, looking like he was ready to take on the world.
"Hahahaha... well then. The only piece of advice I have is to start wearing that big vest soon. And mayyyyybe trying out the gravity room. When Raditz gets here, we won't have time to wish we did this sooner. So prepare yourself. We don't wanna die like our older selves did."
"Yeah yeah I get that. Can you send me back now please?"
"...Very well dude. Hang tough." SNAP
"AHHHHH!" Lashing out weakly, Shepard didn't realize he had nearly hit a 3 year old child, who had blocked his strike, looking down at him with a curious, yet attentive gaze.
"It-it's ok mister. The fight is already over." Gohan said. The boy had reached Shepard's laid out body first. The saiyan had been rocked by Yamcha's final attack, which sent him through a couple trees and down into the ground. His head was swimming, and as he rolled his tongue around in his bloody mouth, he felt a couple teeth missing.
"G-Gohan?" If Shepard looked closely enough, he could see the shining beacon that the boy was slowly becoming, the glimmer that was getting brighter by the day. "I-I'm sorry." Gohan smiled down at Shepard and released his hand, taking a step back.
"I-It's alright. Are you going to be ok?" Gohan tentatively asked.
As he went to stand, Shepard felt woozy, falling to a knee. "Damn that Yamcha." Shepard said, grabbing his jaw. Looking at the boy, he crookedly smiled. "I'll be ok kiddo."
"I sure hope so! You must've taken a pretty big fall." Goku said, walking with Yamcha and Piccolo in tow.
Finally standing, Shepard looked at Goku, giving the 3 a small smirk. "Yeah but it was soooo worth it."
"Hmph. If you don't curb that attitude of yours, I'll gladly put you back in your place in the ground." Piccolo all but snarled out.
"I'm sorry about whatever He did. But if you continue to act like that towards Me, I will fucking hurt you, Grinch." Shepard was already getting tired of the treatment. Piccolo started to walk forward but was stopped by Goku. Yamcha meanwhile, had approached Shepard.
"Look I'm just gonna tell you. I don't like you. At all really. But, you're not Him. And I shouldn't judge you for His actions. Maybe in the future, we can fight again. Yeah?" Yamcha held his hand out.
"Perhaps we will man. And I will be stronger next time. Mark my words." Shepard shook the Bandit's hand, trying to break it with an iron grip, but Yamcha showed no sign of pain or irritation.
Releasing the hand, Shepard remembered something. Digging into the small brown satchel he brought with him, Shepard pulled out 4 Senzu beans.
"Before I forget, take one dude. We fought hard today." Tossing a bean to Yamcha, Shepard walked past the Bandit, holding out the beans to Goku and Piccolo.
"How'd you get these?" Yamcha asked from behind, eating it and feeling his well of energy return and his body recover fully.
"Well, The guy made a wish all those months ago. For a boundless bag of Senzu beans. I have the original at my house." Shepard answered.
"I hate these things!" Piccolo said, snatching one out of the offering hand and eating it down.
"Tough shit Grinch."
"DON'T MAKE ME-"
"Whoa whoa whoa, guys calm down. Lighten up Piccolo. My turn." Goku said, grabbing the last bean and chewing on it. Shepard in turn, had plucked his own bean in his mouth at the same time. They both felt their energy come back and more. Shepard felt the painful sensation of his teeth pushing through the gums, coming back to their original size.
"God this SUCKS!" Shepard yelled out.
"Damn. You both are quite a bit stronger then before." Yamcha remarked, not realizing he had also received a small zenkai boost as well.
"It's our genetics. We grow stronger after every fight. Specifically, the closer to death we are, the stronger we become if we recover fully." Shepard explained.
"Figures. Then I suppose that's how Goku defeated King Piccolo."
"You bet! He really beat me up that first time around. Climbing Korin's tower after that really made a difference. It wasn't just recovering that made me stronger. Not to mention drinking the Ultra Divine Water! I probably would've lost to him again if I went to fight him right after I recovered." Goku explained
"Hey guys, would any of you happen to know where Tien Shinhan is by chance?" Shepard asked.
"Hmmm, he's likely somewhere peaceful or cold. He never stops training. And with Chiaotzu by his side, he's not going to abandon him to train you." Yamcha said. Shepard had a thoughtful look on his face.
"I mean, I'm not asking for personal training sessions or to be his first or next Crane student. I don't mind traveling with them and trying to keep up with my training. I clearly need to improve."
"Would it happen to have anything to do with the supposed 'threat' in the coming months?" Piccolo sternly asked. Shepard looked over sharply, shock on his face.
"So... You know?"
"These ears aren't just for show." Glaring at Shepard, Piccolo approached him. "Out with it saiyan. What else are you hiding?" Before he could be grabbed, Shepard fazed over a few feet away.
"Sorry Piccolo. Sorry guys. Someday I'll tell you everything. Today is just not that day. You'll be glad I waited." Slowly lifting into the air and calling the BanHammer back to him, Shepard looked solemnly at the 4 people he had met today, knowing that one of them would be dead in the coming months. "If it helps, I'm gonna be right beside you throughout it all. See you guys later!" Taking off with a sonic boom towards the north, Shepard didn't look back. He knew what he needed to do...
'Mark my words saiyan, next time we meet I am ending your pathetic life!'
"Wow he's really fast. Are you guys sure he hasn't trained with Tien already?" Scratching his head, Goku looked thoughtful. 'Could this threat be Raditz like that old guy said?'
"Goku?"
"Oh. Sorry Yamcha. You wanna come back and eat with me an my family?"
"Uhh, sure buddy. I have nothing else to do right now."
"Piccolo?" Goku couldn't help but notice the festering look on his rival's face.
"Piccoloooooo."
"WHAT DAMMIT?"
Goku moved back a couple feet, hands up with his palms forward, clearly not wanting to fight again yet. "Whoa, I was just asking if you wanted to come and eat with the family tonight?"
Piccolo looked down at the other 3, thinking for a moment.
"No. Not today. I will be over in a few days to give Gohan his weekly training session. Be ready." Piccolo said, floating in the air and taking off in the opposite direction, but not before looking down and giving a small smile to the child next to Goku.
"Bye Mr. Piccolo!" Gohan said to the fleeting figure getting smaller in the distance.
"I'm sure he'll be alright. Let's go guys." Goku said, cheerily guiding his son and longtime friend back towards his house.
4 hours later
Shepard had been flying north nonstop, starting to get close to the windy cold mountain scapes. Thinking back on his fight with his 3 opponents, he had been happy with his performance, albeit still a sloppy one. Piccolo's anger towards him had greatly surprised him, considering he did not expect his older self to be so... merciless towards the namekian. Yamcha's strength was also a surprising sight. He had to be at least twice as strong, if not more so, then his tv self.
'Old Shepard really must've took him to task. Why did he fuck with him like that? It has to be some deep seated crap, or maybe the old codger didn't have his vitamins that day. Goku didn't surprise me that much. His adaptability is his biggest strength, and his will. Man I really hope that-'
The sound of a blast firing from a distance caught him completely off guard. Looking below him, he had just enough time to corkscrew out of the way.
"WHERE DID-"
"DODON RAY!"
Another yellow blast was fired, this time from his left. Looking over, he could just make out the diminutive figure with his finger pointed at him. Ducking below, Shepard stopped in midair. But before he could yell out, he was sent crashing to the now snow covered ground from behind, a kick to the back of his head being the cause. Seconds later, his hearing picked up two distinct things. One, feet touching the ground. And two, those same feet making their way towards him.
"Do you think he was part of that battle happening in the south Chiaotzu?"
"He doesn't seem that impressive Tien."
Slowly getting to his feet, Shepard shook himself free of the snow. "D-Damn it's a lot c-c-colder up here then I thought." Turning around, Shepard caught sight of the two legendary Crane students. Tien was around his height, wearing black boots with yellow trimming, green pants, tied off with a red sash, red and green wristbands, with a green shirt and a heavy green and orange cloak wrapped around his neck. His small partner wore a similar colored attire.
"Tien Shinhan, Chiaotzu?" Shepard asked, still holding his head.
"Who's asking?" Tien coldly asked, all 3 eyes glaring at the supposed intruder to their intense training. Shepard, a bit put off, outwardly took it in stride.
"My name is Shepard, I have come from far away to seek the opportunity to train with you, if you'll have me. I have to get stronger. A few hours ago I was involved in a fight with Goku, Piccolo and Yamcha. I feel like I got my ass kicked around the whole time. I need to develop a proper base and what I previously learned just isn't enough. I ask that you take me in and teach me. I do not need to know your methods, nor your prized and treasured techniques. I need training partners I can learn from and go along with. I'll do whatever you ask, I can be a hard worker, and I won't shy away from your instructions." Dropping to a knee and lowering his head, Shepard felt desperate. Desperate enough to bow in respect to the pair.
Tien meanwhile, had gained an inquisitive look. Looking down at Chiaotzu, they shared a look for several moments before Tien straightened up and turned back to the bowing Saiyan.
"You spoke of Yamcha in this fight. How strong was he compared to Goku, if you don't mind me asking?"
"Well, I don't think he was quite as strong as Goku per se, but he certainly was strong enough to knock two of my fucking teeth out from a punch, and, and knock me out." Shepard lamely finished, gritting his teeth and cursing at the recent memory. Tien had a momentary look of shock, not expecting to hear that one of his rivals from the Turtle school was that strong. Fixing his gaze back immediately, Tien looked down at the saiyan. Making his own assessments would not be easy, not without seeing what he was capable of.
"Stand up."
Looking up, Shepard took in the three eyed human and his small companion. After a moment, he quickly stood.
"I won't consider you a student of the Crane School of Martial Arts, especially from what I hear of you not being of the Turtle School as well. If you are to learn, then you will listen to my instructions. I see you have Flight down for the most part. So it shouldn't be hard for you to follow us. And one more thing." Tien walked up to the saiyan, giving him a stern look.
"Don't get left behind. Otherwise, we may not come back for you. I have no reason to trust you with our specific training methods, but I'll permit you to participate in some of our meditations and spars. Is that clear?"
"Crystal clear." Shepard was inwardly beaming. He didn't necessarily want to learn Tien's move set, but seeing it in action was just as good.
"Good. Then we're going. Chiaotzu, do you still have that weighted turtle shell we got from Master Roshi?"
"Turtle Shell? Since when did you start using those?" Shepard asked.
"Since I can't get ahold of weighted clothing at this present time, the turtle shell will have to do. Or perhaps that hammer of yours is suitable enough?" Tien looked at the weapon, intrigued by it for only a couple of seconds before looking back at Shepard.
"I can control its weight, it's a magical weapon that was made for aiding in my training." In reality, Shepard knew the BanHammer could be used for every facet of his fighting life, but the three eyed warrior didn't need to know that. Not yet.
"Very well. Welcome Shepard." Giving a slight bow, Tien walked away, followed by Chiaotzu.
'I'm gonna be ready for your ass Raditz!' Shepard thought joyously as he took off after the pair...
And that's a wrap for this chapter! I hope you guys liked it. I really enjoyed writing it! And this here, is the end of the predetermined Dragon Ball verse. And we now will began with Dbz's part. I'm sorry it took so long to get to this point, but I felt if I tried to make the first chapter when Raditz shows up, there would be no context to any of the prior stuff. With that said, we move onto power levels.
Power Levels:
Shepard: 395- end of the fight/unweighted- 555-Senzu Bean healing with Zenkai- 620
Goku: 525-Saiyan Power-650
Piccolo: Weighted-500-Unweighted-595
Yamcha: Weighted-425-unweighted-500-Zenkai Heal-505