Dragon Ball - Heart of the Adventurers
By LastationLover5000, and Demod20, edited by Firegod00
Chapter 27 - A Dangerous Game
A spectacle.
That's what Chi-Chi had come across when she saw trailing comet trails peter across the sky. Painting the viridescent heavens with neon blue they'd eventually make a distant impact in a thunderous *thuum* in the backdrop. With her gaze fixated on the new point in the redundant vista of this alien world she was on, she decided on gut instinct to follow the source of the landing; after all, she wasn't sure if the Saiyans she was pursuing were going to stay put by the time she caught up with them.
Soaring off in a trail of pale silver, she'd descend low to the ground and shear the surface of lakes she passed by in her hasty movement towards her goal. When she began to make out the shapes of a saucer next to the freshly smoldering set of craters that were evenly spaced apart did she finally slow down. Gracing the ground on all fours, she clutched to the earth and scrounged up the bend of a hill, her eyes peering ahead at five silhouettes emerging from the pods, rising up and exposing themselves.
Then, in a shimmering blur of swift motion, they appeared in front of the horned devilish creature -which she remembered was named Frost?- and began to...
...pose?
"Gurd!" A short, rotund thing postured with bulbous eyes wedged on the sides of its head where ears could've been, raising his arms up and arching them off with a bent knee.
"Butta!" A bluish snake man angled himself to the left, pupiless red eyes gleaming with bared fangs while rasping out his own name and bending his broad, lanky body astride in his practiced stance.
"Reacoom!" A deep voiced, human beast of a man with a tuff of orange hair on his mostly bald head with an oblong shaped skull gestured opposite of the blue reptilian squadmate.
"Jheese!" A white-haired humanoid looking man spoke aloud in a dignified shout with his arms arched up similar to the stout fat one, but looking a bit more fashionable doing so with his thick mane whipping back with his motions.
"Ginyū!" A violet skinned, tumour-headed being with his own set of horns jutted out his arse while looking between spread legs and throwing his arms out in his ridiculous posture.
"And together we are-!" They said in union, moving in a combined effort to twirl and frame each other's movements with a flourish of white gloved hands and tightly worn uniforms that exposed a bit more than she cared seeing of them. "-The Ginyū Special Squadron!"
She had to balk, her eyes thinly glaring with a dry sense of disdain. Who were these clowns? Are they enemy reinforcements or just stock entertainment for cheap gags?
Clearing his throat, the horned boss of the showboat crew brought their attention to the fore.
"It's good of you all to be in such high spirits," The pink-faced emperor spoke out of obligation, a thin drop of sweat dripping down his cheek from his head out of embarrassment, as he began the debriefing for their mission. "But I have pressing matters that need to be course corrected. As you know I've come to Namek in search of the allegedly mystical artifacts known as the Dragon Balls. After collecting five of them my luck took a turn for the worst and now I've suffered causalities. Both Dodoria and Zarbon are dead, Tullece is incapacitated and Vegeta has gone completely rogue."
"Hold on, hold on," Reacoom spoke, a curled smirk adorned on his face as he cocked his head over at the taller, leaner built Butta. "Little Vegeta has finally broken his collar?"
"Yeah, the runt finally had it in him to sssstrike out on hissss own!"
"Actually, that's the thing," Freeza interceded, bringing two of the five's attention back towards him. "He's not alone. In addition to his caretaker Nappa and his lapdog Aspara there appears to be other fighters that are working against us. They managed to get the drop on Dodoria and scurrying away with one of the Nameccians. We've yet to determine where they're from but I have a strong suspicion they're Earthlings."
"What's an Earthling?" Gurd queried in his warbled, high pitched voice.
"Some dirtball yokels got recruited by Vegeta? That seems to be a bit out of character for him," Jheese mentioned, side glancing his superior with a curious glint in his eyes. "Maybe they're working on their own?"
"Doubtful," Ginyū replied, grasping his own chin with audible speculation in the form of a pensive frown and stroking his pointed chin. "From my knowledge, Earth has a low level species populating it with underdeveloped technology. They don't even have proper space flight. No, given the timing, it's very likely that the prince has somehow brought them in addition to his Saiyan cohorts to make up the difference."
"I know it's a bit silly to mention such insignificant pests, but I want to make sure you know what you're up against," Freeza intoned with a more satisfied expression. Unlike the threatening tones he took with Dodoria or Zarbon, he looked at ease even peaceful at the prospect such a famously successful squad was here. "Now, did you bring the things I asked for?"
"Yes indeed!" The Captain proclaimed with a deep bass voice trumpeting with enthusiasm. Looking over at his red-skinned, white haired companion, the man wordlessly complied by withdrawing a yellow colored, black striped suitcase of sorts.
"Here you are, Lord Freeza," The second shortest member of the squadron demonstrated, unlocking the latches to reveal a ruby red lens Scouter, similar to the same ones they all wore of varying shades of blue, green and red of their own. "The latest and up to date Scouter, just like you wanted."
"Marvelous!" He exclaimed, his tail twitching alongside him within his hover-pod vehicle he sat within. Grasping the device, he affixed it to the side of his face, testing its setting and grinning at the HUD that flashed with a more pristine flow of updates. Seeing that everything was in order, he turned to address them once more. "Now, thankfully they haven't left that long ago and I still have my five Dragon Balls. Return the ones they have back to me so I may make my wish."
"Easy enough," Ginyū deep-throat affirmed, accentuating afterwards with a dark smile emerging across his amethyst lips. "What about Vegeta and his compatriots?"
"I honestly couldn't care what you do, so long as you bring back the balls," The space tyrant confessed with an equally depraved smirk on his pinkish visage. "Though I could definitely go for a bit of death to pay back my losses."
"Understood," The Captain nodded.
With a flourishing twist, he corralled his men into a ring. Their legs, pounding the earth, and their voices sounded off one after the other.
"It's time we come to bring a just end-!"
"-to the ones who knees we will force to bend!"
"Lord Freeza's given us the task-!"
"-we'll see reach the mark, our enemies in last!"
"And as soon as we meet the traitors head on-"
"-we'll send them flying into the great beyond!"
Twisting about with arms raised, their ki erupting in a flourish of blue, magenta and purple alike.
"GINYŪ SPECIAL SQUADRON," Their Captain shouted, leaping up first, and followed in synchronous, blurring motion that tore through the emerald heavens by the other four. "AWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!"
The icy tyrant sighed, belated in his release after the squadron had been a full minute in their departure. The five were of a sort that his father had full rein of, even encouraged, back before he had taken full control of his parent's legacy. It wasn't his sort of thing to enjoy, the flamboyant nature of their antics and flippant tongue in the present of their superiors. However, their loyalty was unquestionable and their efficiency unmatched by any other that had come under his employ. Due to how vast his empire could be, he'd only call upon them when he felt normal means of handling a situation couldn't cut it.
With Tullece still recovering and his top elite soldiers both dying away from his grasp, he knew it was wise to preemptively call them in to expedite his personal quest for immortality.
Adjusting the rosy lens, he -for a moment- thought he detected a sizable power level by the hill near his ship. Could it be that he was being watched?
Glaring, he adjusted the instrument at his side, fixating his crimson eyes towards the mound of grass that lied just beyond his gaze. Raising a hand, he ignited his fingertip with energy, crackling with an ovular shape of pulsing scarlet hue. Pointing it at the hill he kept a dead calm-
-and then, a gust of wind blew across the air, bringing him to blink at the sudden gale that swept about. Blades of grass flew into his face causing him to spit and gag at the foul taste of nature that assailed him. Baring his teeth, he pointed his finger at the hill and saw that the HUD no longer read a power level. At least, nothing of the size he detected.
Was it all in his head?
"Top of the line Scouter, hmmm?" Freeza sneered, scoffing at the new device already having bugs. He'd have words with the manufacturers once he was done here on Namek.
Turning about, his pod puttered in the air and brought him back within the hold of his ship, where he'd wait patiently for his squadron to announce their victorious return.
All the while, Chi-Chi clung to her Bashōsen with two sets of white knuckled hands as she lied flat against the opposite slope of the hill.
"That was too close!" She thought with sweat pouring down her face. "I thought I wasn't flaring up my energy, but it seems that blasted machine is more effective than Goku's brainiac hussy!"
Regaining her breathing, thanks to her training, she reined in control of her energy while suppressing it. Clawing back up over the lip of the hill she'd peer out, seeing the faint sign of movement through the bulbous protrusions that were assuredly the viewing glass of the dreadnought. Even without sensing ki, she could tell there was still quite the substantial amount of enemies still within without Freeza to deal with. She felt confident in taking them out, with the squad away, but she'd have to find an opening to slip past Freeza.
The Dragon Balls were here, after all. She wouldn't get a better opportunity than this!
It dawned on her the irony of her earlier departure was that she was in haste to stop the Saiyans from reaching Pan and Kuririn. But, as she was, it was likely not going to make a difference. The mountain princess hoped that the goon squad of Freeza could reach Vegeta and Co, possibly cause a distraction to allow his tentative acquaintances to escape.
Much as she was remiss to admit it aloud, but she couldn't bring herself to despise the child of Son Goku. Her earnest attitude was only matched by her innocence and surprising amount of skill she possessed for her age. She had no understanding of who she was, but she seemed to like the older woman enough to find her to be approachable. Even Kuririn wasn't so bad, beyond his timid behavior, he knew when to act serious when the hammer hit the pavement so to speak. She couldn't care less about Jaco, and Tights was just a useless ball of optimism in her eyes.
Regardless, it was her responsibility to make sure the trip to Namek was worth it and that she'd prove her worth. After all, how would it look if she didn't give it her all to the man she loved?
Puffing out her cheeks, she fixed a firm glare at the saucer shaped vessel and decided to do the hardest thing in her life: Wait.
Desperate.
That's what Vegeta was. Kuririn had no fathoming the threat this Ginyū Special Squadron possessed, but the Saiyan prince had an intimate knowledge of what they were like and he looked scared. It was probably the first time the dwarf had seen an emotion related to fear plastered over the normally cocky, arrogant man. If he was this frightened of the strength this group of five possessed, then their situation has moved from bad to worse.
It was also a bit startling just how quick he was to force them to help him. After all, he was prepared to kill them or at the very least beat them within an inch of their lives for the fun of it. But now his mood shifted and he was in a bout of self preservation. It reminded him of how Raditz seemed to behave when he met the man after he had trained for the arrival of his colleagues. But there was still that restrained pride that didn't vanish; he was in control and he was giving the orders, much to his chagrin.
Pan had almost lashed out and he had to force her back. The bald ex-monk had to tell her now wasn't the right time. If they were going to bring back Piccolo and the others, they had to make sure they could live to see the Dragon Balls.
It was maddening to think just how much the situation has changed in the last hour, let alone the last couple of days -at least, they believed it was days- while on this night-less world. What had become of the time, let alone their current stance of keeping a low profile? Drafted into a battle he didn't know he could live through he hoped that Kashiko would understand his premature demise didn't come willingly or through a foolish choice he made.
At least, he hope it wouldn't be.
"So, where are we going?" Kuririn asked with a lump in his throat, already feeling bad about asking it to such horrid people.
"Huh?" Nappa turned to look over his shoulder with a squinting glare aimed at him. "You say somethin', runt?"
"I-I'm asking where are we headed?!" He squeaked out with broad, blinking eyes. "I mean, if they got those Scouters, does it even matter where we are?! They'll find us, eventually, right?"
"As logical as that sounds, it's also incredibly short-sighted," Aspara noted, her smooth mane lapping back in the plume of her own silvery energy. Casting an over the shoulder stare that brought chills down Kuririn's spine, she muttered aloud to inform him while hefting one ball under her arm as Nappa did with the other. "We have the very things that Freeza's more than likely called them to retrieve. What are we going to do if they nab them amidst the fighting and make a break for it back to their master?"
Paling at this dawning that swept him, the Saiyan prince let out a discontented grunt.
"We're going back to that little hidey-hole you call a lair," Vegeta intoned, surprising both of his compatriots as he openly spoke to the shorter man without even shooting a glare. He kept his eyes dead ahead, fixated on the energy he alone could feel that was the weak signatures of those that were behind. Swearing there was at least one other, he briefly wondered where it went; dismissing it with a scoff as he balled his gloved fists at his sides. "We're going to ditch the balls back into their hands and tell them to scram. We'll power up and bring them away so they can disappear, at least for the moment. Scouter tech isn't all that precise when distance and lower energy is taken into consideration; with a planet this large it'd be easy for them to disappear and buy us more time."
The former Orin monk was actually impressed. He had always pictured the leader of the trio as headstrong and ambitious without too much in the realm of forethought and planning. But it was clear he was far more intelligent than he gave him credit for.
Pan, however, had been silently stewing a pouty glare at him. Kuririn could see that her puffed up cheeks, pursed lips and eyes were complemented by a reddish tint. If it wasn't for the snorting spouts coming from her nostrils -almost like fumes from a boiling kettle- he'd thought she was holding her breath for an exorbitant amount of time.
"Maybe, between Pan's new strength and mine, even with Chi-Chi and these Saiyans, we probably have a chance," Kuririn thought, grimacing at the situation he was now resigned to being committed to.
It didn't take long for them to come across the familiar, if not fragmented island the others were left waiting at. Whether it was hoping to be there when they'd return or not having a clear goal of departure, Bulma and Tights were still around the same spot they were when the Saiyans left them. Jaco was cross-legged slouching over the top of the now closed aquatic Capsule Corp entrance, looking sullen and shaken about the near death circumstance he slimly avoided.
So when he perched up, seeing them with his unblinking yellow lenses for eyes, he let out a balking cry.
"OH COME ON!"
Bulma was already peering over in that direction, her eyes briefly flashing the HUD in her optics to give her the familiar energy readings of the Saiyans. But, in addition to that she saw her daughter -now with a much grander level of power than before- and Kuririn, both seemingly unharmed. Their deceleration upon touching down on the ruined island, sloshed with water and uprooted grass, ended with a cascade of soft taps of their feet hitting the earth.
"Mama! We gotta go!" Pan immediately said, rushing past the Saiyans to stop short of her mother and aunt.
"Go?" Tights questioned with a tilt of her head. "Where? The Saiyans brought you here-"
"Hold on," Bulma raised a hand up, her eyes fixing a more solid glare at Vegeta and the other two. "What's going on?! I thought you were trying to pick a fight with us, my daughter, the moment you people left. What have you done with Chi-Chi?"
"Who?"
"I think she means the girl who was giving you a hard time," Aspara proffered to Nappa's query with a sardonic smirk, earning a glare pointed at her in return. Looking over at Bulma, she gave a lackadaisical shrug as she smiled wryly back at the woman. "Beats me. We didn't run into her. Maybe she died from internal bleeding on the way to us?"
"You don't know that woman," The lavender haired mother of one declared, her hand dropping to her side and balling into a tight fist. "She's tougher than you give her credit for."
"Didn't seem so tough when I laid her out flat!" Nappa barked, much to the eye-rolling disbelief of Aspara.
Ignoring their commentary, the Saiyan prince snapped his partially ruined gloved fingers and gestured to the two lackeys of his. Pointing at Bulma and Tights, the two Saiyans reluctantly heaved up the balls and underhanded them in a casual toss that nearly bowled the pair of women over.
"Take the balls," Vegeta ordered stonily. "Find some place to hide, far away from here. And do it quick."
"W-Wait," The older blonde staggered, her breath still leaving her from the enormous spherical object that almost pummeled her chest. "Why?! Didn't you want these?"
"Don't be mistaken. I am coming back for them later, but I need you to keep them safe for the moment," The Prince invoked, placing his arms over his chest while staring at them dangerously. "From this point forward, if any of you Earthlings want to live, you'll do exactly as I say."
"And why should we listen to you-?"
"Listen!" He interrupted her, raising a balled up fist and glaring more heatedly than the woman ever thought possible. "We don't have time to yammer! The Ginyū Special Squadron could be here-!"
"Hi, Vegeta."
"-at any...mo...ment..."
He trailed off, and the air was sucked out of his lungs. The Saiyan prince, the bald caretaker of his and the daughter of Tullece all froze in place. Kuririn felt the wind bring a gust of something eerily cold that brought his sight directly behind him, floating above the water that had been Zarbon's unknown grave. Pan turned around and spread her arms protectively in front of her mother and aunt, now standing directly in front of them, while the others looked on with Jaco trembling at the very unfortunate knowledge of who the five colorful warriors were.
"T-The...Ginyū Special Squadron!" He hoarsely cried from his normally nasally voice. Raising up his gloved hands to cup over his ovular ears, he shook in place, folding into a fetal position as he trembled far behind the rest of the abled bodied fighters. "We're...so...dead!"
"Oh man up!" hissed Bulma viciously, though even though she knew she was feeling afraid. The internal Scouter within her eyes was going haywire trying to read multiple combat strength. They all make Vegeta look like the boy next door! Numbers ranging between the 20,000s at their lowest and the 100,000s at their highest were flashing across her eyes as Bulma looked over the new arrivals. A lump formed in her throat, and she fought to swallow it along with a desire to scream the word 'Run'.
This had to be the end of it.
Nappa and Aspara stood rooted to the spot. Moments before Vegeta even had time to put his plan into action, the Ginyū Special Squadron had caught up to them. The two Saiyans swore as one, and it was only the conscious thought of there being a child with them that stopped the Earthlings from mimicking the same action. The same thoughts raced through their heads: "We're dead."
"You're here," Vegeta said, his voice as calm as he could keep it. In truth, fear had been quelled as quickly as it had come, supplanted by a strong swathe of hatred. The Ginyū Special Squadron were, after all, the highest of Freeza's troops; second only to him in cruelty and callousness. This didn't have to go the way his cohorts were thinking. I've become stronger than I've ever been — stronger than any Saiyan in history! If I play my cards right, I'll mop these fools up...just like Zarbon and Dodoria! If I bring every ounce of my Saiyan power out...no one will stand a chance!
"You lookin' surprised there, Vegeta!" said Jheese, his crimson face twisted into a cruel sneer. "Betcha didn't think we'd get one up on ya, eh?"
"Look at them!" jeered Gurd. "They're trembling!"
"Surprised?" repeated Vegeta. "Irritated would be the right word. I never wanted to see you lot again, but since you're here, I'll gladly pick you all off. Don't think I don't know why you're here—" The Dragon Balls in their possession gleamed with orange fire "—but I'm not going to let Freeza have them!"
Aspara was stunned, her thin eyes enlarging at Vegeta's words. Internally, she cursed herself for her own weakness. She'd been frozen in fear, while Vegeta, the man she loathed, had recovered himself and was taking control of the situation. What the hell am I doing?!
"If you want to rush to your death early, Vegeta, we're more than happy to oblige," said Ginyū easily. "However, I would like to return these Dragon Balls to Lord Freeza free of blood, at the very least."
Jaco, still curled up, had not yet ceased his blind panicking, and the words being thrown back and forth weren't helping his disposition. "It's the Ginyū Special Squadron! They're going to kill us all! And this widow-peaked idiot is just mouthing off to them!" His growing sense of panic seemed to have deprived Jaco of his ability for internal dialogue; his panicked thoughts were all racing out of his mouth at once.
"Would you look at that?" hissed Butta. "They even have a member of the Galactic Patrol with them! What'ssssss the matter, little guy? You're out of your jurissssdiction!"
"He recognises me!" howled the Galactic Patrolman in dismay.
"Can you shut up?!" snarled Aspara furiously. "If you want to die so badly, I'll kill you myself!"
"All of you be quiet!" ordered Vegeta. "Earthling! We're not simply going to give these fools the Dragon Balls! Take them from the women! We'll destroy them!"
"But—" Kuririn protested, unwilling to destroy the entire reason they came Namek to start with.
"Would you rather Freeza get the Dragon Balls and become immortal?!"
Kuririn groaned. Vegeta was right; if there was a choice between reviving their friends or letting the evilest man in the Universe obtain eternal life, there wasn't a choice. "Bulma, Tights, give me the Dragon B—"
"—alls!" The shaved monk's hand was held out towards the sisters, both of whom glanced at each other in complete confusion. Where, only a second ago, they'd been holding two watermelon-sized spheres, their hands now clutched empty air. Feverishly, Bulma and Tights looked around for the spheres, believing that they'd somehow dropped them at first. Kuririn blinked in rapid confusion, but Vegeta presented the answers before the Earthlings had figured a single thing out for themselves.
"Don't waste your energy!" Vegeta's gloved hands balled into furious fists. Gurd was presenting the two Dragon Balls to Ginyū, who levitated them above his shoulders with the slightest hand gesture. "I'd only heard rumours, but it looks like there was some truth to them. Gurd can stop time!"
"That's...not possible...!" stammered Kuririn.
"It's possible," replied Nappa, darkly. He'd finally seemed to regain his voice at seeing the Dragon Balls stolen from under their noises. "That little runt may not look like much, but he's with the Ginyūs for a reason. That little bastard just showed us up!"
"Can—Can we fight against that?" asked Pan nervously. She'd only been trained for typical fighting; being able to stop time wasn't something she'd ever considered, even Piccolo had never brought it up.
"We're...gonna have to!" replied Kuririn weakly.
Keeping the orbs levitated firmly above his shoulders, Ginyū's lips curled into a contemptuous smile. "To be perfectly honest, Vegeta, nothing would make me happier than snuffing you out right now," His expression shifted to one of immense disappointment, akin to someone who had been denied a real treat. "The priority, however, is getting these two Dragon Balls back to Lord Freeza — these two, with his five, make the seven he needs." Seeing the look of shock and horror that crossed everyone's faces — Aspara's more pronounced than anyone else's — only made Ginyū happier still.
"How does it feel, knowing that, for all your insurrection, you were merely fetching the Balls for Lord Freeza?" asked Ginyū smugly. "Men!" A sudden change in demeanor and tone followed, taking everyone but the Ginyū Special Squadron themselves aback, as they had been trained to take any change from their leader into account immediately. "The first half of our mission is now secure! The Dragon Balls have been acquired, and Freeza wants these traitors and rebels to pay in blood! I have only one instruction for you all: share nicely! They're yours to divvy up as you wish! Play janken, draw lots, it doesn't matter! But keep that team spirit as you pick them apart!"
"YES, CAPTAIN!" The rousing cry was almost immediate.
At the assent of his troops, the Captain immersed himself in a vivid aura, streaking away through the sky towards Freeza's ship. He was gone before the group could even blink, and Kuririn let out an involuntary exhale of relief. This action merely earned him an irate look from Nappa.
"You don't think we're safe, d'ya, Earthling?" the Saiyan general growled. "Keep your eyes forward; it's not like the other four are following him."
"But...uh..." Kuririn gestured towards the group of their would-be-killers. Rather than lunge towards the motley crew of Saiyans, Earthlings, and one random Galactic Patrolman, the Ginyū Special Squadron had taken their commanding officer's words to heart, and sprung into to a surprisingly spirited round of janken. "Why aren't we just escaping right now?"
"The most convenient exit is right in front of us," replied Aspara darkly. "And they will catch us if we run. Not that it matters. Even if we fight our way out of this, Freeza will already have his grubby hands on the Dragon Balls! He could be wishing for immortality any minute!"
"I don't think so..." muttered Bulma. She glanced from her allies, to her unwilling allies, and then to her enemies. Her words seemed to light a fire in the hearts of the three Saiyans.
"What makes you so certain?" inquired Vegeta. "Tell us what you know, woman."
"I'll tell you if we make it out of this," replied Bulma sharply. "But if Freeza activates the Dragon Balls, we'll know."
Kuririn, Pan, and Tights processed Bulma's words, and acknowledgment flooded their faces. "T-That's right! If the sky goes dark and everything, that'll be it, right?!" It was young Pan who brought it up, and her mother nodded in affirmation. "That's right, sweetie. If these Dragon Balls work like ours, the sky darkening will be our first clue. Until then, we can still get them back if we beat these lugs!"
"Yes!" came the booming cry of Reacoom. The Janken game had ended, and it appeared only the largest of the Ginyū Squad soldiers was happy with the outcome. "Would ya look at that? Vegeta's mine!"
"Sssssso I'm stuck with the sssshort-tempered woman?" complained Butta.
"How'd I wind up with the bald wanker?!" Jheese wasn't too pleased either.
"I wanted Vegeta," groaned Gurd. "Why do you all sideline me with the pipsqueaks?!"
"Looks like they've got this all planned out then," said Vegeta, overhearing the match-ups. He personally didn't dislike them; if he could take down Reacoom first, ganging up on Jheese and Butta would make it far easier in the long run. If he played his cards right, the Ginyū Squad could be defeated. No, they will be defeated. He convinced himself, practically shouting it internally. "Alright, you two! You're up!" He ordered to Kuririn and Pan. "Pull your weight and give it all you've got!"
"...He sure likes barking orders," grumbled Kuririn, walking forward dejectedly with Pan at his side. "Of all the people to get stuck with—"
Pan shook her spiky purple head, prepping herself. "We can do it! I'll follow you, Kuririn!"
"Here's hoping I don't steer you wrong then, kid!" replied the dwarf. "Release your ki, Pan!"
The duo, one Saiyan-half, the other, a diminutive Earthling, burst into a pillar of vibrant white flame. Furious gusts of winds ripped throughout the area, and water churned. Beeping sounds of various Scouters filled the air, competing with the sound of rushing wind and sloshing ocean. Kuririn and Pan brought their full power to bear, shocking even Vegeta. They split off in an instant, Pan launching high into the sky, Kuririn running deftly along the ground, flanking to Gurd's left.
Thrusting his hand into the air, Kuririn generated a Kienzan, the spinning disc humming dangerously above his palm. He threw the disc towards Gurd, and it cut into the ground, slicing across sheer stone towards its target. High overhead, little Pan thrust both hands forward with a mighty roar of "MASENKŌ!" Death barreled down on Gurd from two directions; in a blind panic, the short alien sucked in all of his breath while shouting "STOP!"
Everything froze.
The Kienzan, merely centimetres from him, was no longer moving. The Masenkō was now a halted beam of light, unable to so much as harm a fly. Even his comrades and enemies alike found themselves frozen, unaware. The progression of time had completely stopped for Gurd, who was now glancing frantically around with all four of his eyes. To his amazement, Kuririn and Pan had vanished, no longer aligned with the direction of their incoming blows. Running hurriedly out of the way, he kept his breath held, and was surprised to see his two opponents had made quite a distance above him.
How...how did they move that fast!? the green alien thought in shock. Feeling the growing pressure in his lungs, a feeling of burning, and his growing lightheadedness, Gurd knew he could stop time no longer. Expelling his breath with a sharp rasp, Gurd heard explosions rock the ground as the Kienzan and the Masenkō crashed into each other, bursting into a plume of flames, smoke, and debris.
Pan was the first to notice that something was amiss. "Kuririn! He's not there anymore!"
"He probably froze time again!" the bald monk said, frustrated. "Don't get distracted, Pan!"
In a burst of speed, both fighters vanished, stunning Gurd into freezing time again ("S-STOP!") and searching for where his enemies had gone. It didn't take him long; Kuririn had been halted midway, closing in on Gurd with his arm wrenched back in preparation for a violent physical strike. Pan was frozen with a kikōdan grasped in her tiny palm, ready to lob it towards Gurd. Astonished, Gurd made a break for it yet again.
How can they move that fast?! They nearly got me! He felt the panic flooding his body, mixing in with the strain of keeping his breath held, and the amount of energy it drained from him by the action alone. I can't...I can barely keep time stopped...I've got to hide somewhere...and get the jump on 'em when they run into each other! The plan was sound, and, under the cover of the nearest boulder, exhaling painfully.
Kuririn and Pan kept moving, nearly crashing into each other before realisation dawned on them that Gurd had ducked out yet again. They felt, however, his ki hiding off in the distance.
"I feel him!" Kuririn called out. "He's there!"
"How...do...they...know?!" Gurd wheezed. "Damn it...!" Gurd felt backed into a corner — almost literally — and knew he could barely keep time stopped anymore. It was time for his second trump card. Using bizarre hand motions, the pebble-skinned alien reached outwards towards Pan and Kuririn with his mind. A sensation that could only be described as paralysis took hold of them by force; Kuririn and Pan were frozen, unable to move yet struggling against a sensation where all of their muscles seized up at once.
"Well would ya lookee here?" chuckled Jheese. "Gurd must've pissed himself with these two, he's using telekinesis!"
"I didn't expect little shrimps like that to clock in with combat strength readings higher than 10,000," Reacoom folded his arms, observing Gurd's attempts to keep the opponents at bay with some level of amusement.
"I thought my Sssscouter was lying," added Butta. "But I guessss not."
"All of you shut up!" shouted Gurd. With both hands, the alien shifted the focus of his telkinetic power. From binding their entire bodies, Gurd focused his psychic vice-grip solely on the throats of Pan and Kuririn. To them, it felt as if an actual hand was clasped around their throats. The two diminutive warriors fought against the hold, grasping as their own necks as if they could fight off Gurd's hold, but it was to no avail.
"PAN!" Bulma shrieked at the top of her lungs in fear for her child.
Gurd laughed loudly, and only increased his focus. "It'll be lights out so—"
The humming of energy, the flash of red, and a splatter of blood cut Gurd's sentence short. Whatever he intended to say, the alien never finished. His head was seen flying into the sky, hurtling in the opposite direction. Standing behind his body, which fell lopsidedly, was Aspara, her palm covered in crimson ki, extended into a blade. Gurd's head somersaulted into the waiting grip of Nappa, who clutched it in a large hand despite the fact that it could still protest...
...and crushed it. Making a horrible squelching sound, the head burst like fruit, blood and brains dripped from Nappa's enclosed fist. The two eyes on the side of Gurd's head bounced after they hit the ground, rolling lazily off in another direction. Nappa grinned horribly, but Aspara's face held nothing but contempt. She sauntered over to Kuririn and Pan, who were descending, taking in grateful gulps of fresh Nameccian air, glaring daggers at them both.
"I expected that sort of poor showing from the Earthling," she snapped, "but you, girl, are a complete and utter waste of the Saiyan blood that flows in your veins! Such a weakling, and a member of my family?"
Pan, who had actually been about to thank Aspara for her help, now thought better of it. She glared at Aspara, but couldn't find her voice to snap back, still rubbing her throat. Bulma shot a reproachful look at Aspara, who had also earned gratitude that was quickly fading away.
"I thought the kid put on a good show," chuckled Nappa, shaking the bodily fluids and remains off of his hand. "For what I could see of it, anyway..."
"Don't forget that this was all just the opening act!" Vegeta barked. He knew well that, even if Gurd was defeated — and that was hardly an accomplishment — they still had the rest of the Ginyū Squadron to deal with.
"Vegeta, what if we just throw the Power Ball into the air and transform into our Giant Monkey forms?" suggested Nappa, hopefully. "Transformed like that, any one of us would be a match for these fools!"
Aspara hadn't expected this stroke of brilliance from her bumbling cohort, and quickly nodded in agreement. "That's...actually brilliant," Her tone was, for once, honestly sincere, even if she was inwardly kicking herself for not considering the possibility before Nappa had. "I'll just throw one up and—"
"Don't do it!" shouted Vegeta. "It won't work against them!"
Jheese smirked, mockingly gesturing towards the sky. "Please don't stop on our account, mate! Go ahead! Throw that moon in the air. See how long it stays up there!"
"Or better yet. How long until Frezzzzza shows up to deal with you himself?" added Butta.
"Trust us. We're givin' ya a sportin' chance. We could just kill you right away; but where's the fun in that?"
Freeza was the biggest caveat to the idea; the three Saiyans knew it, now that the Ginyū Squad had so blatantly said it. The Power Ball was like a flare, easily visible from all portions of the planet. It was meant to be this way, so the entirety of a Saiyan invading force could transform on sight. To make matters worse, Freeza was no fool; the Power Ball had been used in several missions by Saiyans when they were a part of his army, and the invention had been a proud talking point for some time. He would recognise it if they used it.
And he would come.
So they would fight without their transformations. This wasn't a hinderance to Vegeta's plan. The Prince of the Saiyans been planning to fight in his human form from the start, as he'd already considered the ramifications of transforming on a planet occupied by the enemy. Collecting his thoughts, Vegeta saw that Reacoom was clearly stepping up to the plate; ready or not, it was his turn to play their little game.
Reacoom grinned, simply and without any care of how ridiculous it looked on his obtusely shaped head. Long strides brought his muscular bulk to the field, easily being the most swollen by muscles of the whole team. Nappa himself felt intimidated by this walking pile of alien testosterone, and he reveled all of the nervous expressions he garnered simply by walking closer.
And then, he maneuvered in his own special way.
"Prepare to get stomped on, prince! I am the mighty REEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAA," He slurred out, twisting around and placing flared out flat hands by the wrists at his hips with one leg jutting out behind him and his face pointing out like some deformed bird; all while gutturally finishing his introduction. "COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM-AH!"
After waiting to be stared at in awe and terror of equal measure, he spun around in a graceful arc that jutted one knee up, following the other as he took his time to mock his opponent, "Believe what you want about legends, of gods and transformations, or that killing Freeza's soldiers mean anything. Because I don't believe in anything but my strength; and it is unrivaled in all of the galaxy, barring the captain. So prepare yourself, for a clear dish of beating, cause I'll eat up all that despair you'll feel at the end of my fists!"
"I learned a very long time ago, Reacoom, that talk is meaningless! Actions, however, mean everything!" Vegeta's digits curled into a ball of bone and cartilage, his teeth gnashed against each other furiously, and his booted feet spread apart across the grass as the Saiyan began to rev up his power. If Pan and Kuririn had burst into flame, Vegeta erupted like a volcano. Dark flames of navy-hue fulminated around the Prince, shattering the ground beneath his feet and expanding outwards, creating a violent squall. His body was flashing with the intensity of the ki he was generating, every ounce of his power.
ʙᴇᴇᴘ! ʙᴇᴇᴘ! ʙᴇᴇᴘ!
The Ginyū Squadron's Scouters, and the readers lodged within Bulma's eyes were letting loose erratic sounds, and numbers flashed before all of their eyes. The readings were astronomical; beyond anything Bulma had ever seen, and certainly beyond anything the Ginyū Squad thought possible for a Saiyan. Vegeta wrenched his hands backwards, his aura shifting from navy, to indigo, to deep violet. It centered and crackled around his hands, giving off the feeling of electricity.
"GARLIC CANNON!"
Vegeta's cry pierced the heavens, exploding in a flash of purple ki, his Garlic Cannon engulfing Reacoom in an instant. The resulting explosion drowned out the whistling noise from Jheese, astonished by just how quickly Vegeta had released such a large blast. The area — already cratered from Zarbon's crash landing earlier — fractured still further, some of it crumbling and giving way to the might of the sea beneath it. The ground was going to give way more sooner than later.
Wind rushed across the battlefield, sweeping away the thick smoke. Where the blast had struck, Reacoom was standing tall, his combat jacket barely cracked, grinning with all the enthusiasm of a child.
His strongest attack amounting to nothing, Vegeta gaped at the smug countenance of Reacoom. Was he dealing with a monster?
A/N:
Demod20: Ahhh, it's finally here. Happy belated New Year everyone! Here's a present to kickstart the coming decade. Here we get to see what Chi-Chi's up to, and what do you know, she's found herself a good hiding spot next to Freeza's ship. With the GinyūSquad arrived I had a fun time detailing their eccentricities, paying homage where I could while also making it my own thing. Even a little tidbit of Freeza almost killing our heroine if not for a timely use of the Banshosen to distract him, always a fun treat. No significant action here, but that's what I gave my friend; the fight with Gurd against Kuririn and Pan was about as what you'd expect with the added bonus of him being double teamed by Nappa and Aspara. And given that a full powered Garlic Cannon didn't do anything to Reacoom, it is unlikely Vegeta will land any heavy hits this time around. Can't wait to show you what comes after this!
LastationLover5000: あけましておめでとうございます、みなさん！ This might be the quickest release of a Heart chapter immediately after an Erased chapter, and that brings me to a spot of good news, actually! Demod20 and I have picked up on a really good part for our story; we've got plans for its future, and in general are simply loving where Heart is right now. So, we're going to try our best to bring you more regular updates; rather than one chapter every two months, the idea will be, at minimum, one chapter a month. As I am writing Erased simultaneously, and Demod has his own projects (and all of us, including Firegod, have work in addition to this hobby), we'll do our best not to overwork ourselves with more frequent updates. But we're having a lot of fun with this story, it has a lot of potential for the future, and we've got some incredible new ideas coming up for the future! As an aside, I ask that you forgive the spellings of the Ginyū Squad, as I know you aren't used to them, but their names are all a pun on various dairy products, and the English localised manga came closer than the dub ever did on their spellings. So the spellings for the Ginyū Squad are going to adhere to the English localised manga; in addition, we will be using "Ginyū Special Squadron" as their full name, as this is far more accurate than "Ginyu Force" (though I've already assented to Demod and I shortening it to Ginyū Squad in regular descriptors, anything outside of dialogue, to save us a headache. Welp! Here's hoping to see you all more sooner than later!