"Mommy…" Gohan said quietly, staring up at the large green warrior that had suddenly appeared on the Lookout. He didn't feel at all like Mr. Piccolo or Mr. Kami. No… the little boy could sense there was something… wrong… about him. Something twisted up in his belly. Or perhaps it was more like the wrong thing had been poured into him, like dumping some pop into a water battle. It just was wrong.
"Stay behind me, sweetie," Chichi said, pushing Gohan behind her even as Bulma moving to join them, Mr. Popo slowly shuffling towards them as well. "Is that…"
Mr. Popo nodded. "That would be the one that brought those invaders to our planet. The one that wanted to blanket the entire world in darkness and freeze us out. The Super Namekian."
"So..." Bulma said slowly as the new Namekian glared down at them, "if Piccolo is the peak of regular Namekians and he can easily fight Goku… then a Super Namekian is a big deal, isn't he?"
"I am afraid so," Mr. Popo murmured.
Gohan swallowed but forced himself to remain calm. 'You are a big boy now. You aren't a crybaby anymore. If that mean man tries to hurt your friends and mom… you fight him, Gohan. You fight him just like dad!'
"Well," the Super Namekian said in a low rumble, slowly landing before Kami "look at what we have here". The older Namekian stood his ground, leaning against his staff as he stared at the intruder, eyes narrowed and face set in a scowl. The Super Namekian's hand suddenly lashed out and Gohan gasped, ready for him to strike Kami… but instead he merely grabbed the Guardian of Earth's chin and forced him to look up at him, slowly turning his head to the left and then the right. "Is this what I looked like only a few hours ago?" he said with honest curiosity. "How did any of my men ever remain with me if I was this old and pathetic?"
"You should know that power is more than muscles," Kami replied.
The Super Namekian laughed at that. "I suppose you are right! I suppose you are right." He shoved Kami's head back, causing the Guardian to nearly topple… but he quickly caught himself, gripping hard onto his staff. "Still… there is something to be said about the power of youth!" He gestured at his arms and then his face. "Look at me, cousin… look well. Only a few hours ago I was as feeble and weak as… well, not you, come to think of it. You look like a stiff breeze could knock you over while I could still crush skulls even in my withered state." He shook his head. "How foolish of you to waste your time guarding the Dragon Balls rather than using them."
"So… you are the one that made the wish. Asked for your youth to be returned to you?" Kami narrowed his eyes, his tone utterly judgmental. "I've seen that wish play out before… it didn't work out for him and it won't work out for you."
"It has worked out plenty well so far!" the Super Namekian declared. "But enough of that… we are both Namekians. Cousins. Exiles from our homeworld forced onto pathetic hunks of rock. We should at least show a bit of respect towards one another, don't you think? Tell me your name, Guardian."
"I am Kami, the Guardian of Earth."
"Hmm… that's a rather grand yet also rather pathetic name. It suits you." He laughed. "I… am Lord Slug. Master of the Planet Slug."
"On Earth we have slugs. They are slow, slimy, soft things that die to a bit of salt. We'll have to see if that is a fitting name for you."
Slug through threw back his head and chortled at that. "So! There is some spunk in you! Good… I was worried you would be a boring sort!" He held out his hand. "Now… come."
"No… no I don't think I will be going anywhere with you. I am the Guardian of the Planet and I will protect it."
Slug considered Kami for a long moment. "I do not give second chances, old man. Take my hand and accept you are now my prisoner or you will suffer."
But Kami merely smiled, shutting his eyes. "I don't think I will. I can sense that you wish to keep me alive, Slug… you wish to control the Dragon Balls and to do that you must protect me, keeping me from harm. You know that if I die the Dragon Balls die with me and whatever schemes you have planned require them."
"Schemes? You make it all sound so… complex. I am a simple man with a simple desire." He folded his arms behind his back, standing in a rigid pose. "When our people cast me onto Planet Slug, just as they cast you onto this planet, I fought with all I had to survive. Because I wanted to survive. Then I wished to escape the hell the Planet was trapped in thanks to the Demon's Eyes so I did that too, turning Planet Slug into a Planet Cruiser. And now I wish to establish the new Slug Empire. There are plenty of species of aliens looking for new planets to settle on. Because they abused their own or they have outgrown it or simply because they know their rivals want more. The Cold Empire has made the selling of such planets the source of their wealth and power and I wish to prove to this Prince Frieza that I can do more than match him… I can surpass him. Taking planets is easy enough but time consuming… but with the dragon balls…"
"Your men are all dead, Slug," Kami pointed out. "You are a leader of no one."
"And there aren't those on this planet that wouldn't jump to join me if it means a chance to indulge in slaughter?" Slug mocked, throwing his arms out wide. "You are appealing to a better nature that I do not have, Kami. I did what your greater half could not."
That little comment startled Kami. "What are you talking about?"
Slug began to circle around Kami, head held high. "Come now… I felt it when my men fought the other Namekian… you two were once a single being. You used the Separation Ritual to split yourself in two…" He tilted his head down, looking at Kami, lightly poking him with his large meaty finger. "Were you a group of Namekians who had joined? No… no, you weren't. He was exiled here, same as me cousin, as a child. I can sense it. He performed the ritual, purging the goodness from him."
"I performed the ritual, casting out my darkness," Kami said. Gohan frowned at that… he remembered hearing the others mention that Piccolo and Kami were connected. Did… did that mean they were like brothers? Or something else? It was very confusing.
Slug roared with laughter. "Then you are even more weak than I thought!" He let out a snort. "You messed it up, old man. Utterly failed."
"What are you talking about?"
"The ritual to separate yourself into two. You failed to perform it properly. That is why I can sense the connection between you and that other Namekian. Instead of severing the connection between yourself and your other half you allow it to remain!" He threw back his head once more, laughing even as Kami stood there, eyes wide with shook. "And this is the guardian of this pathetic planet? A withered old man who can't even cut away his hated aspects properly!"
Gohan glowered at that. He didn't like how the green man was talking about Mr. Piccolo. He was a good person! A nice person! No one could hate him unless they were bad! And Kami wasn't a bad person at all! He was nice and kind and Gohan felt safe with him. Just like he felt safe with his mommy and daddy and all his uncles and his aunt.
His mommy's hand came out and Gohan blinked, not having realized that he'd been moving towards the large Namekian, so angered was he by his comments.
'You're going to regret everything you just said when my dad gets here,' Gohan thought darkly. 'Him and Mr. Piccolo and everyone else are going to make you pay for that!'
~MC~MC~MC~
Kami could feel the conflicting emotions coming off the others behind him. Fear was the main one. Anger too, which he completely understood. Slug had invaded their planet, invaded the Lookout, and then decided that it was his right and privilege to mock and insult him, the Guardian of Earth. But there was also confusion. Indignation. Respect and love. They all roiled together into the wonderful conflicting mess of feelings that was the main reason why he loved the Earth so much. He knew that it had been his own darkness that had made him unfit to be the Guardian of Earth, which is why he had removed such things from his body… but at the same time it was those feelings that made Earth so wonderful. Humans were able to be petty and evil… but they had the ability to not let it taint them. To move beyond that. They were able to take the negative emotions and use them for good.
But… Kami couldn't focused on that. Couldn't focus on the others gathered on the Lookout. In fact, for the very first time since he'd become, well, himself, he couldn't focus on anything BUT himself.
Because… what Slug had said…
'Is it true?' He thought, reaching down and placing a hand on his chest, feeling his heart beat. 'Did I fail in the ritual? I have always felt the connection between myself and Piccolo. Feared what it would mean if he were to die. Been forced to ignore the pangs I have felt that I know are from his own thoughts and feelings… just as I imagine he has done the same for me.' In his mind he saw the two of them back to back only to be pulled away from one another by some invisible force. But no matter how far they were yanked away there was still a cord that connected them. It was razor thin, as if two threads from their garments had become knotted up and pulling them away only caused their clothing to become threadbare, the distance making them lesser. 'My melancholy over what has happened this last year and how Piccolo has been able to experience all I wish to feel and do… is it because of my failure? Are we truly two separate beings? Or one soul that is torturing itself by remaining divided?'
Slug took a step closer, eyes narrowed and a cruel smile on his lips. "I did the ritual too, Old Man. Took all that I hated about myself, loathed about myself, that made me weak and unable to achieve my dreams, and cut it out of me. My compassion. My empathy. My sense of honor. My doubt. I pulled them out and produced a sniveling frail creature that curled in on himself and begged me to just leave it be. "I'll die anyway," he whimpered and he was right. Planet Slug was a harsh place… bathed in darkness, suffering constant quakes, filled with marauders that were willing to use the weak to slate all of their desires. My other half wouldn't last ten seconds."
"So you killed him, didn't you?" Kami asked, tone dark.
But Slug merely smirked. "No."
"…no?"
"No," Slug repeated. "I grabbed him and I dragged him to the first gang of vile raiders I could find and offered him as payment for a single glass of water. And as he screamed and pleaded as they tore him apart all I could think was… that was the best glass of water I'd ever had."
Kami suddenly lashed out with his staff, slamming it against Slug's head.
The Super Namekian didn't even move, allowing it to snap over his skull.
"So… there is a bit of fight in you," he replied before he grabbed Kami's wrists before planting his foot on the Guardian's chest. Kami let out a cry of agonized pain as Slug ripped both his arms off right at the root. "Good… at least you won't be boring."
"Kami!" Mr. Popo shouted, moving towards him, kneeling down and checking him over. "Are you alright?"
He knew that for anyone else that would have been a mildly insulting comment. But thanks to his makeup (which he now understood was thanks to his Namekian blood) such wounds, while painful, were actually just temporary. His arms would regrow… it would hurt but they would regrow.
'And he knows that,' Kami thought as Slug looked down at him, an almost lustful smile on his lips as he stared at his carnage.
"You were right," Slug declared, "I can't kill you… I want the Dragon Balls and that means keeping you alive." He suddenly thrust out his hand and fired off a Ki blast. Not at Kami… but at the humans.
Cries filled the air and Kami whipped around to see Bulma lying on the ground while Chichi had fallen to one knee, bruised, battered, and bloodied thanks to the surprise attack. She clearly was hurt but she was struggling to remain standing, to protect her son. Never in all his time watching Goku had Kami seen why Chichi was the perfect wife for the warrior than in that moment. But the fact remained that Slug's surprise attack had still caught her hard. Even if she had been at full strength she would have struggled but now she found herself bleeding and battered. Worse she couldn't fully focus on the fight because she had to worry about Gohan… and from the way that Slug was leering at her Kami knew he realized that as well.
"But I don't need them." He kept his arm up and straight, more power charging in his palm.
"Stop!" Kami shouted. "I'll go with you! Spare them!" Mr. Popo pulled on him, trying to get him to remain standing but Kami struggled to break free of his grasp. "I mean it, Slug. Spare the Earth and I will go with you." He bowed his head.
"…you act like you have a choice in this." And with that Slug fired again. Chichi raised her arms up in an X shape to try and protect herself but it did little to stop the blast and Kami flinched at the scream she let out as the strike hit her. It wasn't even as powerful as the one he'd sent out before; Slug was toying with her purely for the entertainment value.
"STOP IT!" Kami roared as Chichi, eyes half glazed over, slumped down, barely managing to keep herself from toppling over fully.
"You still don't get it, do you?" Slug taunted. "Life on Planet Slug taught me the only rule that holds true throughout the galaxy: the only rules are the ones made by the strong!" He charged another blast. "They can do all they WISH!"
This time… he didn't get the result he wanted.
Little Gohan had yanked the Dragon Shield from his back and held it in front of his injured mother, absorbing the strike Slug had sent his way. The boy glowered at Slug who merely raised his brow at that… and was rewarded by Gohan firing the energy blast back at him, causing Slug to cry out as he was struck by his own attack. It sent him stumbling back and he reached up to wipe a trickle of blood from his mouth.
"You little-"
Gohan yanked out the power pole and extended it, bridging the distance between him and the invading monster. The Pole drove right into Slug's stomach, making him gasp, and Gohan rushed forward even as the pole decreased in side, swinging it hard into Slug's head. That caused the Super Namekian to stumble to his right, giving Gohan the chance to leap at him.
"COME HERE!" Slug roared, swinging a punch at Gohan only for the boy to block with the Dragon Shield. Slug had expected that his blow would manage to send the boy flying so he was utterly baffled when his strike just clanged against the Dragon Shield… before like a crack of thunder it directed the energy of his blow right back at him, shattering his arm. "You little bastard!" he roared.
"Gohan, run!" Kami shouted as Slug charged towards him. But the boy was his father's son and instead Gohan leapt at Slug, swinging the Power Pole again in an attempt to smash it across the invader's skull. But Slug, even at his most angry, saw the blow coming thanks to how poorly Gohan had telegraphed it and easily caught the power pole before lashing out, sending Gohan flying up in the air. The Super Namekian leapt up and grabbed the boy, his entire hand easily wrapping around his body, and then forced himself down, slamming Gohan so hard into the Lookout that the tiles cracked. Gohan screamed in pain but Slug merely laughed, pressing down harder on the boy.
"That was impressive," Slug said. "I'm almost tempted to let you live, if only to see what else you can do! But… I think it would be more fun to just smear your brains all over this platform!"
"Slug don't!" Kami warned.
"You have no say in this, Old Man! I already warned you of that. There is nothing you can do that will stop this."
"There is one thing," Kami said before launching himself from Mr. Popo's grasp and racing towards the edge of the Lookout.
He could hear Slug's rage as he realized what Kami meant to do. But he didn't dare look back, instead throwing himself off the edge of the Lookout. 'At best he will chase after me, buying Mr. Popo time to get the others out of there. At worst…' He could feel the cold wind biting into his skin as he plunged down from the Lookout, Slug's roars of fury filling his ears.
And then he stopped.
"Yeah," Piccolo said, Kami slowly opening his eyes, "I'm gonna ask you NOT do that again." He slowly rose back up to the top of the Lookout, setting Kami back down before he removed his weighted clothing. "So… you are the Super Namekian."
Slug's lip curled back, showing off his sharp teeth. "And you are the Old Man's other half. The one he failed to properly cut away from him. I can't even begin to imagine how much you must HATE having to save him. Knowing if he dies… you die."
"Oh, it is annoying, that's for sure," Piccolo said, moving past Kami. "I'm just glad whatever happens to him doesn't happen to me. I'm not in the mood to begin regrowing arms."
Slug laughed at that. "I like you, Cousin… I like you a lot. Rare I meet someone that I instantly sense I can trust."
"And you don't trust me either, do you?"
"…there might be hope for you yet." Slug took a step forward. "You and I? We can do a lot on this world, working together. A lot in the universe, come to think about it. I'm sure you have some things to show me… and I can help you break free of that old man."
"Piccolo," Kami said only for the other Namekian the shoot a single Ki blast from his finger at Kami's feet, a warning that he wasn't in the mood to talk.
"Piccolo," Slug said, rolling the name on his tongue. "Yeah… that's a good fit. So Piccolo… you tired of living in fear of this old man slipping and ending your life? You ready to finally live free of him, instead of feeling like only half a Namekian?" He leaned in as the two came within touching distance. "You ready to claim this world… this galaxy… as your own?"
"Oh… like you wouldn't believe," Piccolo said.
And then he punched Slug hard in the face, sending him flying into the grove of trees and flowers that Mr. Popo tended to.
"But someone close to me once asked why anyone would want to deal with that headache."
And with that he leapt at Slug, flinging kicks and punches at him, Slug raising his arms to easily block the blows.
"On your feet, Kami," Tien said, suddenly appearing beside him. He looked over to see that Krillin was bent over Bulma, checking her out, while Yamcha was next to Chichi, seeing if she was able to move. "Sorry it took as so long but once we realized Slug wasn't there it took us some time to figure out where he might have gone."
"How did you figure out he arrived here?" Kami said as Tien helped him up. He debated about regrowing his arms but decided that it would be better to conserve his energy. He saw Chiaotzu over by Mr. Popo, who was fretting as Piccolo and Slug battled. The Super Namekian was more than holding his own against Piccolo, almost toying with him as he blocked his blows with lazy arm blocks.
"Goku felt Chichi and Gohan's distress." He shook his head. "Don't ask me how. Raditz is making sure the last of Slug's goons don't come up here to help out." Tien scoffed. "I can't believe we're actually trusting that guy…"
"People can change, Tien," Kami said, wincing as he saw Piccolo take a hard hit. "Believe me… I know."
Piccolo let out a cry and came slamming down next to Kami, one eye already beginning to swell up as Slug began to remove some of his own gear, tossing aside his helmet and then ripping the sleeves of his shirt. The Z Fighters all tensed as he thundered towards them, one lumbering footfall coming after the other. But Slug moved much like Vegeta, without a single care for the mass of warriors that were standing before him; Kami got the sense, from the dismissive way he moved, that Slug was used to facing hordes of enemies.
"Hmmm… so you got yourself your own band of warriors, huh?" Slug stated. He rolled his shoulders, smirking as he looked over the Z Warriors, clearly weighing them up and determining their strengths and weaknesses. "Good… I do need to test out my younger body… remember just all it can do. Some blood on my knuckles will really help with that." He snapped his eyes over to Gohan and considered him for a long moment. "And what are you hiding?"
"I… I don't…"Gohan said nervously, taking a step back.
"Don't deny it, brat. I can sense it… there is something there. Weak but… also powerful-"
There was a POOF! and Kayos, who must have transformed into a bug of some kind so he could get close to Gohan, suddenly appeared before the boy, a smirk on his face as he lifted him up.
"You're going to die today, Slug," Kayos informed him. "You wasted your wish because young or old, hale and hearty or frail and weak? Death comes to everyone. And its come for you today." He glanced about. "Not here though… I have a better place in mind."
"The only one that is going to be snuffed out is you!" Slug said, suddenly lunging forward only for Kayos to rocket out of reach, floating in the air just beyond the edge of the lookout, still holding onto Gohan.
"First you have to catch me, Slug. And you are going to have your hands full. See… you pressed the Family Button."
Before Slug could even react there was a displacing of air and Goku was suddenly there, looking down at Chichi, tendering stroking her cheek before he glanced over at Kayos with Gohan, staring at his frightened son. Then, ever so slowly, he turned his head towards Slug, eyes narrowed and mouth pressed into a firm line.
"Ya shouldn't have done that," Kayos taunted before he dropped like a stone, disappearing from sight.
"You think I-"
Goku let out a savage roar and blasted himself at Slug, grabbing onto the Namekian and driving him face first into the Lookout, tearing up the tiles as he began to slam the invader again and again into the ground. Slug though reached up and shoved Goku away, rolling his shoulders before he launched himself at the Saiyan Warrior. He threw back a fist, charging his fist with Ki, only for Tien and Chiaotzu to begin pounding him with small Ki blasts that had him forced to shield himself.
'That is the problem with it comes to fighting the Z Fighters,' Kami thought to himself as he watched Goku shake his head before leaping back into the battle, trusting Krillin and now Piccolo to watch over those still on the Lookout that were injured. Mr. Popo had gone to Bulma and disappeared, most likely teleporting her somewhere deeper in the lookout where she could heal and awaken from her blow without fear of further injury. Piccolo remained at Kami's side while Krillin had brought Chichi to a grove of trees that were still standing, it clear from the way the woman was holding herself that, while hurt, she refused to leave the battle if her husband was at risk. 'Even though Slug is far more powerful than all of them their numbers allow them to swarm their foes. And their training has allowed them to learn new abilities and tactics that make it hard to plan and counter them. And most important of all they trust each other in a fight.'
"Enough games, monkey boy!" Slug roared as he caught Goku's arm and brought down his other elbow upon it, causing a crack that had Goku screaming in pain. But rather than back away Goku just snarled and began to attack with his feet, kicking and thrashing as he fought madly against the one that had hurt his family. The strikes forced Slug to let go of Goku but they weren't hurting him that much. "All rage, no focus!" Slug taunted as he blocked the blows. "There are plenty of places for people like you in a squad… but not leader. Your little allies were fools for allowing you to take command!"
"Oh… is that so?" Goku suddenly asked, his fury instantly gone. Slug blinked at that, startled by the sudden change in demeanor before he glowered at the orange-wearing warrior, realizing that Goku had been playing him, making it seem like he was in a battle rage state. He was still clearly hurting from the attack on his arm, pressing it to his side, but he wasn't blindly flailing about, risking himself and his friends by not thinking. It was trickery that Kami wasn't used to seeing in Goku.
"Hmmm… he managed to pull it off," Piccolo said, a touch of pride coloring his words. Kami stared at his other half in surprise. "He wanted to rush up here the moment he felt what was happening but we convinced him to come up with a gameplan. This was part of it. We need Slug on the backfoot." Even as he said those words Yamcha roared out "KAIO-KEN!" and launched himself at Slug, driving his foot into the Super Namekian's back, causing him to stumble right into a waiting Goku who lashed out with his left fist, socking him right in the temple.
"And what Kayos said? About Slug dying today… he has a plan?"
"He does and you aren't hearing it," Piccolo stated. "We can't risk Slug realizing what we're going to do." He looked down at Kami and glowered. "So that means doing EXACTLY what I say, Old Man."
"Now see-"
"No, you see here," Piccolo snapped. "It's a damn good plan. It will have Slug down and allow us to take him out. But we all have a role to play and yours is to stay out of the way. You are the Guardian of Earth, right? Accept that we are saving it and your role is to let us do just that!"
Kami stared at Piccolo for several long moments.
"What?"
"When… when this is done… I think we need to talk, Piccolo. Concerning our situation… and knowledge that Slug provided me."
"Whatever," Piccolo said before launching himself into battle.
"Kami?" Mr. Popo said, appearing beside him. "Come Kami, let us get you to safety."
"Yes Mr. Popo," Kami said, understanding that Piccolo was right. His place was to step aside.
He frowned.
'But… perhaps… not for long…'
~MC~MC~MC~
Slug snarled as he was forced to duck the buzzing, whirling little discs of torment that the small bald human had sent his way. The antenna he was missing was testament of how sharp they were and he had no urge to feel their bite against.
The problem was that no matter where he turned another one of the Earthlings was waiting for him, moving into the deliver a flurry of attacks before backing off.
And there was the matter of the blond bastard and his threats.
Slug had received plenty of proclamations about his demise growing up. Back when he'd just been a little nameless green child, forced to scrape by on anything he could get his hands on, he had heard on a nearly daily basis someone proclaim they were going to kill him. He'd made sure, even at a young age, to make every one of those loudmouths pay for such comments, gleefully delivering death to them in as vicious of a way possible.
'I will NOT let that human's threat stand!' Slug snarled before he finally saw a weakness in his foes' attack pattern. Dropping his shoulder he blasted his way past the other Namekian, Piccolo, getting in one final good hit before he leapt off the Lookout, stretching out his senses to find the little monkey-tailed boy. 'That orange wearing bastard didn't like seeing that female injured… must be his mate and the brat his spawn. Well… I wonder how he is going to feel when he arrives to find his child skinned alive and made into a new glove for me!' Slug grinned as he forced himself to go faster. 'Just need to… there!'
At once he sensed the child and the blond man and Slug smiled, pushing himself a bit harder as he could feel the warriors giving chase.
'Hit him hard. Rip the blonde bastard's head right off his shoulders.' He didn't know what the man could do… despite being able to fly and appearing out of thin air right before him the man gave off no sense of true power. And yet there was also something there… something different from the others. Had he not been on his own, thanks to his men most certainly being dead, he would have taken the time to look into the figure. Torture him until he revealed his secrets. Now though all Slug wanted to do was utterly destroy the bastard and then crush the brat between his hands. 'Then I'll go and wait to pick off these fools one by one. Let them mourn and grieve while I slowly take them out. I'll have a few months before the Dragon Balls are ready again… if I can confuse them enough they'll leave Kami unprotected and I can capture him easily enough. Then it will be time to hunt down the Dragon Balls and use them to turn this entire planet into my new Planet Cruiser.'
He could see it in his mind even as he flew into a dense cloud: his wish that would force everyone on the planet to obey his whims. Those warriors all instantly broken to his will. He would enjoy forcing the Orange wearing one to brutally kill his own family with a damn smile on his face… or perhaps have them tear him apart. Man and Woman attacking each other without a second thought because he demanded it.
Yes… that would be sweet-
Something stabbed right into his brain and Slug screamed, losing control of his flight and slamming down into the hard stone of the plateau the blond man had landed on. He moaned, trying to get up, only for the sound to rip through his senses again, causing him to bellow as he clutched at his head.
And then another high pitch squeal came from his left and Slug shook, struggling to get to his feet. But there came another and another and Slug found himself being assaulted without a single blow falling on his form, making his spin about before he fell to his knees.
"That's the problem with those heightened senses," the blond man said as Slug cracked an eye open, staring at the warriors.
It was all of them except Piccolo and they were in a ring around him, lips puckered as they did… something… that was leaving him trembling on the ground. It felt like his eyes were going to burst out of their sockets and he couldn't form more than the most basic of thoughts because his mind was being assaulted. His ears were the worst and he wanted to just rip them off in hopes that would stop the pain!
"Its called 'whistling'," he informed Slug. "For Namekians it is utter torture thanks to your hearing. One person doing it brings you to your knees. But all of us?" He let out a whistle of his own and Slug curled in on himself. "Of course I'm using a few spells to amplify the sound… make it even worse for you. Didn't you wonder why the cloud was slightly different?" Slug cursed at that; he had been too consumed with his wishes to notice! "Thanks for chasing me… I needed to be away from Piccolo and Kami to make this happen." Slug cracked an eye open to see him stepping back, replaced by the orange-wearing warrior. "Goku?"
"You're sure there is no goodness at all in him?" Goku asked.
"Not a lick. Per Kami he tore out all his goodness and kindness and allowed others to brutally torture and kill it."
Goku nodded before holding out a hand, charging up a Ki blast even as the others continued to whistle, not allowing Slug even a moment to try and fight back. "Then I hope whatever is waiting for you is ready to try and cleanse your soul."
"WAIT!" Slug screamed reaching up for the Goku.
But then the Ki blast fired and Slug screamed as he was torn apart.
~MC~MC~MC~
"Is he done?" Yamcha asked, pausing his whistling.
"Yeah… he's done," Goku confirmed, lips pressing together tightly as he looked at the spot where Lord Slug had been. All that was left was a dark spot on the stone. "We'll have some work to clean up the mess he made but we did it. We-"
"WAIT!" Kayos cried out.
"-saved the world."
"Damn it!" he shouted, looking at his hands as they began to glow.
"Again?" Raditz said as he landed, watching in surprise as the mage began to double over.
"Is this going to happen every time we save the world?" Krillin asked as the good magic began to lash out all around Kayos.
"Maybe we should give him some room," Tien suggested, backing away slowly.
"Or at least-" Chiaotzu began.
"SHUT UP!" Kayos roared. "I'm trying hard not to regenerate into David Tenent!"
And then he threw his head back and screamed as the good magic blasted out of his body.
~MC~MC~MC~
"I can't believe I was taken out of the fight before it even began!" Bulma pouted. She was leaning against Kami's home, watching as the others helped Mr. Popo repair the Lookout.
"He came at us suddenly," Chichi said, Gohan asleep on her lap. "We weren't ready for him."
"Which is why you need to both train more," Raditz stated as he walked by, carrying a large potted tree. Mr. Popo had decided to move some things around, figuring they now had an excuse to redecorate.
"We train enough!" Bulma complained. She pushed herself up a bit, not wanting to appear weak in front of Goku's brother.
"Then what you consider as 'enough' isn't actually enough," he replied snidely. "You rely on that armor of yours… you need to have ways to fight if it is broken." Bulma frowned at that. "Foes won't wait until you are ready with some gadget to attack you. So you need to always be armed or be able to fight without a weapon."
"This was a one time thing," Bulma found herself saying even though she knew it was a lie. "Normally I stay behind and let the others fight or watch from the sidelines."
"Then you're a fool," Raditz said. He never set the tree down, the bastard. He wanted to show off how strong he was. "Slug just proved why that isn't an option."
Bulma grimaced at that. 'He's right. He came here… the Lookout should be the safest place on Earth and he still came here. If he had gotten a hold of one of us he could have used one of us as a hostage to keep the guys back. Too many villains have done that… Wheelo did that to me just a few weeks ago! As much as I hate to say it Raditz is right. I need to train. Find some way to always be in the fight. Because this year has shown that our foes are getting stronger and stronger… and far more cruel.'
As she considered all that Raditz looked to Chichi. "And you were the true disgrace… though I suppose that wasn't all your fault. You just don't know any better."
"Excuse me?" Chichi said, getting to her feet. "And what exactly are you implying?"
"I'm implying nothing," he stated. "I'm telling you that you are a Saiyan and put up a horrible showing."
"I was defending my son."
Raditz scoffed. "Of course."
Chichi glowered at him. "You would only care about the fights, wouldn't you? That is what being a 'Saiyan' is, in your mind: constant battle, never taking a moment to actually worry about other things. Like your family. Your friends. Your world."
Raditz narrowed his eyes. "You don't know a thing about me."
"You invaded our world."
"Yeah, I did," he admitted. "Because it isn't my world. Or… it wasn't. But I've sworn myself to Kakarot and until I am strong enough to overcome him and all the rest of you I will remain loyal to him. And when I defeat him I expect the same from all of you. Its up to you Earthlings to get me to change my mind and see your way is better and right now I'm not seeing it."
"Because I chose to defend my son?"
Raditz scoffed. "Because you only thought about standing there taking the hits instead of attempting to launch an attack or escape to a place where you had the advantage." He waved over at Kayos, who was talking with Mr. Popo. "That one there? You could rip off his arms and legs right now if it weren't for his magic. He is the weakest of you all save perhaps for the machine woman there." He pointed at Bulma who was still deep in thought. "Yet he went in, got Gohan, and got the hell out. He used his head and set a trap for Slug and that is why he's currently burning in Hell right now. You took two hits and still left your son defenseless.
"You are a Saiyan now. According to Kakarot you were always a partial Saiyan and that wish Kayos made just brought it out in you. And a Saiyan, male or female, wouldn't just stand there and die a meaningless death. They would fight so that what they were fighting for actually survived." He huffed. "Whatever… at least you got a power boost."
"What are you talking about?" Chichi said, her anger at his words (even if, in her heart, she knew there were threads of truth woven into his scolding) fading at that comment.
Raditz smirked. "When a Saiyan warrior comes close to death their body attempts to save them by drastically increasing their power. If I had a scouter on me I'd be able to tell-"
"Oh!" Bulma said, going for her bag and pulling out her scanning device. "We can check your Bulma Level!"
"Her… what?" Raditz said, for the first time since the conversation began finding himself confused.
"Her Bulma Level! Now I measured you just before we battled Raditz and…" She scanned Chichi only for her eyes to go wide as she stared at the numbers on the screen. "That… oh my god!"
"What is it?"
"Chichi… you are nearly as strong as Piccolo and Goku!"
Chichi stared at her hands in shook.
Raditz huffed. "Well then, now you really do need to train." Chichi looked up at him sharply but Raditz shrugged. "Kakarot can tell you… as you get stronger you have to put more effort into the little things. Not snap data pads in half, careful with doors… I'd watch how you hugged the kid, just to be safe."
Chichi's eyes went wide with terror at that as Raditz ambled off.
~MC~MC~MC~
Piccolo frowned as he stood across from Kami, arms folded over his chest. They had stepped away from the others, using the repairs to the Lookout as an excuse to have their conversation. While it could have been done telepathically both had realized that it was something that needed to be done with no distractions, with their entire focus on the subject.
"So… I'm not really… me…" Piccolo finally said.
"Not quite, as far as I have gathered," Kami said. "We have always known that we were two halves of the same Namekian, Piccolo. Born of him. But Slug confirmed what I had already begun to realize: you aren't my evil half. You never were."
"I'm just what that original Namekian thought were traits not fit to be the Guardian of Earth," Piccolo said slowly.
"It explains so much, doesn't it? A Guardian doesn't battle… none of the Guardians have gone seeking out fights. I can fight… but I prefer not to. You, on the other hand, enjoy fighting. I have found myself growing weary of my task… and frankly I have felt that since I took it on."
"While Piccolo Sr. was consumed with ruling," Piccolo murmured. There were other things that he knew made them different that didn't quite fit the idea that King Piccolo was purely evil. 'But if I look at it as our past self trying to make himself into the perfect Guardian with everything else getting put into another form…'
Kami spoke up. "Do not think of yourself as lesser. You aren't the… refused bits of a meal." He shut his eyes. "Because you aren't alone in feeling like you aren't complete. I hadn't realized that I felt so… deficient… until I began to truly think about my existence."
"You might say that but its still coming off as insulting," Piccolo grunted. "I am all that wasn't good enough."
"From the eyes of a flawed being," Kami protested, opening his eyes once more. "Who we once were… he wasn't a perfect being. He made a mistake… he made mistakes… and that resulted in him splitting in two. You and I, Piccolo, are two halves, the two possibilities for him… but we aren't whole."
Piccolo didn't like thinking about that. Didn't like considering that he might not be as real as he'd always held. There were enough problems with him being his 'father's son' and everyone just seeing King Piccolo and not him. 'Hell, I didn't even understand what that meant for a long time,' he thought before saying out loud, "And this other mistake you mentioned? The one Slug clued you in on? That is why you asked to talk in private."
Kami dropped his head. "I… no." He suddenly looked up. "I have been wrong to say that it was I who did this, Piccolo. It was us. We performed the ritual. We chose to separate ourselves into these two forms. To claim that it was me is to diminish you and I am sorry that I have done that. I wonder…" He looked off to the side. "I wonder… what life would have been like had I offered your father a hand of friendship rather than locked him away."
"It wouldn't have mattered," Piccolo stated. "He was obsessed with becoming the Ruler of Earth. It blinded him to all else. He would have captured you if you had tried."
Kami smiled at that, which made Piccolo feel rather uncomfortable. "I suppose you are right. Still… I will never again make you feel as if you are some splinter from a greater whole, Piccolo. We are the two halves of the same being and you deserve that." He sighed. "As for the mistake… Slug informed me of the truth. We failed when we performed the ritual."
"I doubt that, since we're standing right here," Piccolo said.
"No," Kami said with a faint smile, walking over to Piccolo. "When we performed the ritual we did not separate fully. You and I should have split fully, with no connection between us. But there is a tether, one that keeps us linked."
"So the fact that if one of us dies so does the other…"
"Should never have been," Kami said. "It is why we both have found ourselves… rudderless. Achieving what we want and desire but still feeling empty. King Piccolo ruled over the Earth but was never truly content during that short time. I am the Guardian and have only longed for my freedom. And you do not know what place you want in the world."
"Hmmm… maybe." Piccolo turned his head away, refusing to speak of such weaknesses to Kami. "But I'm happy with who I am. So no need to worry about me."
"I worry about us," Kami said. "Which is why I ask you to forgive me." He placed his hand on Piccolo's chest.
"Whatever, Old Man." Piccolo went to leave… but found himself frozen in place.
"That isn't what I asked you to forgive me for."
Piccolo's eyes went wide and he let out a cry of shock as there was a great flash of light.
~MC~MC~MC~
"And you're sure?" I asked Mr. Popo.
"I am," he said with a soft smile as he replanted some flowers; I followed behind with a watering can. "The Dragon Balls only came about through Kami. He did it rather naturally but unexpectedly. He was rather surprised when they were the result of his strange urges."
"And no other Guardian created them."
Mr. Popo nodded. "Kami was the first." He paused. "But you already knew all this."
I grimaced at that. "Kami… told you about me then?"
"He did," Mr. Popo said. "But it is fine… I will help you in this lie. I understand you are not ready to tell the others of your true origins. But-" he patted my knee, "-have some faith in them, Kevin."
My eyes went wide at Mr. Popo knowing my actual name but I swallowed that shock all the same. "Okay…" I got out. "So we have a way to lead them to realize that Namek is the answer. Wish back Roshi… and hopefully without Frieza this time learning about-"
I stopped as I heard Piccolo cry out and at once I was racing towards Kami's house, throwing up magical shields as I saw the light shining out of the windows. 'Tell me that idiot didn't decide to attack Kami!' I thought with growing horror as I hurried towards the building. 'The last thing we need is those two killing each other… I thought Piccolo was adjusting far better this time than he did in canon but maybe-'
I came to a halt, Mr. Popo just behind me, as we stared at the single Namekian.
Single.
"Oh… oh my," Mr. Popo whispered, taking a step forward, hand held out. "My friend?"
The Namekian looked down at himself. He looked very much like Piccolo but there some minor differences. The face was a touch softer. Not weaker but… some of the harshness that Piccolo always had, even in his calm moments, was gone. There was a serene aura about him now. Calm. Collected. Focused. He looked a touch older… not much, just maybe a few years, but it was there. He was wearing a blend of Piccolo's clothes and Kami's, so that he looked rather like a warrior monk. He looked stronger too… a bit more muscular than Piccolo and definitely stronger than Kami. It was rather like if Piccolo had dedicated himself to becoming a being of peace or Kami dedicated himself to being a time-tested warrior. A blending of strength, wisdom, determination, and grace.
But the biggest change was the sense of… completion.
The two… had become the one.
Whole.
"Oh… fuck," I murmured.
The Namekian looked down at himself.
"…of course I'd be that rash and stupid," the Nameless Namekian, the re-fused Kami and Piccolo, groused. He sounded very much like Piccolo but… more like Super Piccolo. One who had found friendship and companionship and had lost the bitter drive and replaced it with a love not just for the Earth but himself. He smirked sardonically as he looked himself over before realizing we were staring at him and suddenly become… bashful. It was so odd because he sounded almost exactly like Piccolo but it was so wrong for him to seem so flustered. "Uh… so… the thing is…"
"Fuck," I muttered again.
"Yeah," he said finally.
He blinked.
"You being from another universe explains a lot."
"THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE FOCUSED ON!?"
