My Life's Stranger Than Yours
Crane Defectors; The Power of Tien Shinhan
It had been over an hour since Akane and Videl left Kame House and all they could see were grassy mountains.
"Hey Videl, what's this Tien guy like exactly?" asked Akane.
Videl could only shrug in response. "I…can't really say," she replied. "I've only met him a few times at large gatherings. He seemed nice enough though, if a little wound too tightly."
"If that's all the info you've got about him, then how do you know he'll be able to help us?"
"Well for starters, I trust everyone else's judgement, and they all speak pretty highly of Tien so it's in our best interest to at least go see him ourselves. Secondly, and I just learnt this pretty recently, he's a former World Champion."
"Really?" Akane beamed.
"Yeah. I don't know if Gohan mentioned this, but his father was the champion before mine, but before Goku, it was Tien. Though from what I heard, it was just by a hair." Videl explained.
"I see, so anyone who's good enough to tangle with Gohan's Dad, even in his younger days, has to be someone to watch out for."
"That's the general idea." 'Or at least part of it,' she mentally added.
Moments passed and the girls still saw no signs of anything that looked like a shelter.
"Are you sure we're in the right area?" asked Akane.
"To be honest, no. We are in the area Master Roshi gave us, but I don't see any village or farm anywhere."
"Hmmm…well, if we're in the right spot, maybe we'd be better looking on foot?" Akane suggested.
"Maybe, but let's keep to the skies for just a bit longer." No sooner than the words had left Videl's mouth, loud booms suddenly filled the air.
"What was that!?"
"An explosion?"
The girls weren't given much time to ponder as the deafening sounds returned, noticeably louder than before. This time accompanied by the plane suddenly shaking from what could only be described as shockwaves.
A panicked Akane grasped onto Videl who was struggling to keep the plane steady. "Videl, what's going on!"
"I don't know, but could you give me some elbow room!?"
"I told you we should've landed!"
"Landed where!? We're above a mountain!"
Despite the brief bickering, the girls managed to calm themselves enough to get the plane back under control, both of them breathing sighs of relief.
"Okay…what the hell was that?" asked Akane.
"Ummm…turbulence?" Videl half-joked.
"I don't think turbulence goes 'Boom!'!" Akane countered.
"Hey, I'm just saying…." Videl was cut off by another explosive shockwave knocking the plane off course again. "Hang on!" Videl once again pulled hard on the throttle, attempting to steady the plane. As Videl pulled back with all her might, the plane suddenly stopped.
"Huh?"
"Phew…nice job," praised Akane.
"I'm…not making it do that," Videl admitted.
She tried fiddling with the throttle again, but to no avail. The plane was still running, as evidenced by the engines still being live, but no matter what she tried, the two of them were just halted in midair. As the girls tried to figure out what was happening, the plane suddenly descended, slowly, on it's own. Despite no longer being in control, a gut feeling told Videl that her plane would be handled safely.
Still, just to be safe, Videl extended a hand to Akane and said, "Let's go."
Though still unsure because of the current situation, Akane took her hand and the two descended on their own. Videl's plane soon followed.
"Okay…that was weird…" said Akane.
"No kidding."
As the girls took a moment to collect themselves, they were quickly swayed by an approaching male voice. "That was close. Is everyone okay?"
Turning towards it, the girls were met by a tall, bald man with a third eye in his forehead clad in a deep blue robe, white-long sleeve shirt and matching pants, and a large white scarf. Accompanying him was a small, white faced, almost doll-like person garbed in a large (for him) robe and a winter style hat.
'He really does have three-eyes!' Akane inwardly marveled.
"You're…Tien, right?" Videl inquired.
"And you're Gohan's lady friend, aren't you?" Tien replied.
Videl bashfully nodded as the small person added, "Your name is Videl right?"
"And you're…" Videl paused, her blush deepening at her own lack of knowledge.
"Chiaoutzu," he introduced.
"And this is…?" Tien turned to Akane who similarly, bashfully introduced herself.
"Akane Tendo."
"Well, nice to meet you," Tien politely replied. "Though I have to admit, you Videl were one of the last people I'd have expected to run into."
"I'm a little surprised I'm not at the very bottom," she joked.
"You have met Vegeta before, right?"
"True."
"Who?"
"Bulma's husband."
'Huh…now that I think about it, she did mention him back at the onsen a few times,' Akane recalled.
"Pleasantries aside, is your plane okay?" Tien asked.
Videl went over to her jet and gave it a quick once over. Firing up the engines, everything seemed in order. "Yep, looks like it's fine. Though I still don't know what knocked us off course before."
"Yeah…about that…." Tien shied away from the two girls before turning back to them with an embarrassed expression. "I think I may be the one responsible," he admitted.
"What?"
[Moments Ago]
Tien and Chaioutzu stood far apart from each other, the former in a combative stance while the latter had a bevy of boulders floating above his head.
"I'm ready Tien!"
"Fire at will Chiaoutzu!"
The pair remained still before Chiaoutzu swung his arms forward, launching the giant rocks at his tri-eyed compatriot. Tien shifted from combat to defense as he stood straight and clutched his hands together. Unleashing a guttural yell, Tien focused all three-eyes on the incoming projectiles before the rocks imploded.
This repeated as Chaioutzu threw another volley with his telekinesis, but they all met the same fate. Chiaoutzu hurled one final, absurdly large boulder at Tien, though this one took a great deal of effort an the small being's part. While Tien looked perfectly fine, Chiaoutzu looked like he was getting winded.
Tien smirked at the incoming formation and once again shattered it with a mere yell and a flex of his aura. As the pebbles came raining down over the two of them, Tien went to go check on his small charge.
"Are you alright there Chiaoutzu?" he asked helping him up.
"A bit shaky, but fine," he confirmed.
"Think we ought to take a little break," said Tien.
"No, I can still go one more round!" Chiaoutzu challenged.
"If there's one thing I learned from Goku back from when we were fighting Cell, it's the importance of letting your body recover. Pushing yourself is great, but if you push yourself too hard you can…"
"Wait! Tien, do you hear that?"
Tien paused and opened his ears. Before long, he could hear what sounded like a vehicle engine. "Yeah…you think it might be a jet car or something?"
"Maybe but…you don't think our training session might've caused them some sort of malfunction, do you?"
"I should hope not. I think we were far enough away that…." Tien paused as his third eye picked up the image of a vehicle in the sky. From the looks of it, it seemed to be diving out of control. "Shot myself in the foot with that one. Come on, let's go help em' out!"
[Present]
"So then, Chiaoutzu landed the plane for you and here we are," Tien finished.
"Wait, what do you mean he landed the plane?" asked Akane.
Chiaoutzu merely smiled before waving his arm at Akane. In the next instance, Akane shrieked as she felt herself ascending off the ground. "Hey, what the-!? What is this!?"
"You asked how I landed the plane, right? Well, like this," Chiaoutzu giggled before letting Akane down.
"So you're psychic," she asked.
"Yep."
"Among a few other things," Tien added. "Although back on topic, if there's anything I can do to make up for nearly blowing you girls out of the sky, just let me know."
The expression on the girls' faces turned seriousness, a fact that didn't go unnoticed to the three-eyed fighter.
"Actually, there is something we want to ask," said Videl.
"What is it?"
"We were hoping you could show us the Mafuba."
Tien raised an eyebrow. "The Mafuba?"
"Yeah. We heard from Master Roshi that you'd be able to show us," Akane chimed in.
"Well if you heard it from Master Roshi, then why not have him…" Tien halted himself as he gave the girls a once over. "On second thought, never mind, I understand. He'd likely be too…distracted to give a proper demonstration," he cleared his throat.
"So you'll do it?"
Tien grinned with a shrug. "Sure, I don't see why not. I do owe you girls after all."
"Can we take a break first," interjected a panting Chiaoutzu. "Levitating that plane after all those rocks took a lot out of me."
"That's fine with us. We're a little drained from the flight over here anyway,"
"Alright then. That should also give you girls a chance to explain to me why you're so interested in the Mafuba," Tien added.
The girls nodded as Tien led them back to their nearby campsite.
[Meanwhile]
"Uhhhh Goku…are you sure this is a good idea?"
After some trial and error, Gohan was finally able to stand up straight even with the sensitive stub of his tail being touched. Now however, Picclolo's arm still wrapped around his waist, he was poised to fire a Kamehameha with Goku a ways away doing the same.
"Awww, don't worry Piccolo, Gohan will be fine. It's not like this is the first time we've clashed our energy," Goku dismissively replied.
"Maybe, but all those previous times, Gohan wasn't handicapped," Piccolo noted.
"That's not…entirely true Piccolo, considering I was more often than not the weakest link between the three of us when we trained together," Gohan shakily added.
"Be that as it may, you were still at your physical best all those times, but now…."
"No pain, no gain, right?" Gohan countered. "If anything, I'm more worried about you. If I can't repel Dad's blast, won't you get caught in it too?"
"Not if I keep my distance. I may lose this arm, but we all know that's no major issue," Piccolo assured.
"Alright then, ready when you are Gohan!" called Goku.
Gohan summoned as much of his energy as he could. Sadly, it was nowhere near his full potential with his current handicap. Still, the familiar blue orb of light shone between hands as he raised his power even further.
Goku mimicked the motion and a much larger ball of light appeared in his. The Father-Son duo stared each other down, seemingly daring the other to make the first move. Finally, the two thrust their arms forward, releasing their attacks with a pair of deep yells.
"Haaaaaaaa-!"
In a brilliant burst, the two beams collided and almost immediately, Gohan's was overtaken. Still, he was able to raise his power high enough to keep himself from getting fully overwhelmed. Slowly but surely, he began to push Goku's blast back.
"Not bad Son," Goku praised.
Gohan could only grunt in effort as he poured more of his restrained power into his attack. Goku kept his power-level mostly stagnant, only raising it incremental whenever Gohan managed to repel his attack. Eventually however, Gohan's attack stopped pushing back and before anyone knew it, the slight increase by Goku was just enough t completely overpower Gohan, knocking him across the ground and into a bunch of trees.
"Agh-! Gohan!"
Goku and Piccolo rushed over to their hybrid-student where he was brushing dust and leaves off of his body.
"Are you alright?" asked Piccolo.
"I certainly felt that attack…" Gohan spun out his shoulder. "But I'm fine for the most part."
The two masters breathed a relieved sigh before Goku spoke up. "For just being able to stand up, you lasted for quite a while there Son," he praised.
"I admit, Goku may have had the right idea for this one, though I think he had the wrong method," Piccolo spoke up.
"What do you mean method?"
"Wouldn't it have been more sensible to have Gohan try to transform before we got into any sort of offensive territory?"
Goku sheepishly rubbed his head. "Now that you mention it…I guess we did maybe jump the gun a little on this one."
"But would that even matter?" asked Gohan. "I can power-up to my maximum and beyond without transforming thanks to Elder Kai now, remember?"
"Can you do so with your tail being touched?" Piccolo snapped.
Gohan remained silent, catching Piccolo's point. "Alright, I get it. Once I can transform like this, I want to try this again," he proclaimed.
"Alright then, let's take it from the top!" exclaimed Goku.
"Before we do…." Piccolo raised his arm to reveal that, as anticipated, it had been blasted off along with Gohan. "I think I could use a hand in getting all these trees out of the way."
"Did…you just make a pun…?" Gohan asked in disbelief.
"…I've been talking to King Kai from time to time. I think maybe a bit too much actually."
The two saiyans chuckled as Piccolo regrew his arm.
[Back at the Campsite]
Tien wore a contemplative face as the girls explained their reasoning for searching him out.
"So you want to learn the Mafuba to trap this…Happosai character. You originally went to Master Roshi at Gohan's suggestion, who in turn pointed you to me after you likely declined his offer to teach it for understandable reasons. Is that correct?"
The girls nodded, their faces firm and serious. Tien was unsure of their source of motivation, but the determination he could sense from them urged him to see their request through…for the time being.
"I see, though that leaves me with a touch more questions than answers," Tien replied.
"I don't know if we have the time, but if you want to know the full story, then you should probably strap in," said Videl.
"Well, we've got time, so why don't you just take it from the top.
[Many moments later]
"No way! You were attacked by Master Shen and Tao!?" squealed Chiaoutzu.
Tien wore a shocked expression as the girls began a cliff-notes tale of the battle with the Crane Masters. "No way…he actually hired them to kidnap you and kill Gohan?"
Videl nodded. "Partially. He was only hired to kill Gohan, which obviously didn't happen."
"Of course."
"I was kidnapped by their new 'pupil'."
Tien's eyes perked up at that new nugget of information. "Pupil?"
Akane went on to give a rundown on Pantyhose Taro and the workings of Jusenkyo, as well as how menacing he'd become with the Crane School's techniques under his belt.
"I…never would've imagined he'd actually find himself a new student…especially after what happened with his last two…" Tien gasped out.
"What did happen to those last students?" asked a curious Akane.
Tien flashed the young fighter a smirk. "Well…you two shared your story, I guess it's only fair that we share ours…if you think you've got the time for it," he joked.
"Well, you were kind enough to hear us out. It's only polite that we do the same," Videl snarked back.
'I can see why Gohan's so fond of her. She's feisty, but not overtly so.' Tien chuckled before beginning his story.
[More moments later]
Videl and Akane sat, nigh awestruck as Tien neared the end of his story. Briefly going over his battle with Goku in the 22 World Tournament, skipping to the next Tournament where he (and Roshi) put the Crane School in their place, seemingly for good.
"That's insane," Marveled Videl. "I know we don't really know each other that well, but just from initial impressions, I never would've guessed you were part of a school like that."
Tien solemnly crossed his arms, a nostalgic smile on his face. "I was a different man back then. If it hadn't been for Goku…well…in another timeline, it could've very well been Chiaoutzu and I out there trying to catch you two."
The three Z-Fighters all giggled at the seemingly ridiculous potential outcome. The jovial laughter was subsequently halted by a seemingly random shriek courtesy of Akane.
"Akane what's wrong!?"
"I just remembered where I heard the name 'Crane School' before!"
"What are you talking…?"
"Cologne! Remember? When you fought with Shampoo!?"
Videl halted and racked her brain, recalling her match with the young Amazon. Suddenly Cologne's words shone in her mind. "Oh yeah, now I remember!"
"Uhmmm…pardon me ladies but, is this really the best time to be talking about cosmetics?" asked Tien.
[One explanation later]
"Huh…I noticed your energy was significantly higher than when we last met, but I figured that was from training with Gohan. Didn't think you'd find yourself another teacher…outside of our friend group at least."
Videl managed a small smile. She knew it wasn't much, especially compared to the others, but the acknowledgement that she was getting stronger was a welcome notion.
"I've enjoyed all the stories, but don't you think we should get back on topic?" chimed in Chiaoutzu.
"Ah-!"
The group quickly regained their composure and brought their attention back to the current goal. The one to re-initiate the conversation was Tien. "Well, you two have certainly found yourselves in quite the predicament."
"That's putting it mildly," said Akane.
Tien gleamed the girls over, a fiercely contemplative look on his face. "I understand the situation but…I'm not so sure I'll be able to help."
"What? Why not!?"
"I'm sure Master Roshi has at least mentioned how perilous a technique the Mafuba can be correct?"
The two nodded though before Tien could continue, Videl cut him off. "You're going to say we aren't strong enough to handle it, aren't you?"
Tien sighed but nodded his affirmation. "I'm sorry, but it's also because well…I don't think that I, in good faith, can teach someone a technique so self-destructive unless it were a truly do-or-die situation."
Akane breathed a calming sigh. "I guess I can understand that but given the circumstances…" Akane hesitated before clenching her fist, her face showing intense resolve. "I'm willing to take the risk!" she proclaimed.
Tien was honestly surprised that Akane was so gung-ho about the whole ordeal. He knew what shen and Tao were capable of, but if she were willing to go this far to put this Happosai character away (though without killing him), he respected her drive at the very least.
Finally, he returned Akane's statement with a soft chuckle. "Well, you've definitely got spirit, I'll say that much. I'll admit, I may have been a bit too hasty to shoot you girls down…figuratively speaking of course."
"So does that mean…!"
Tien cut Akane off. "Hold on, I didn't agree to anything yet, but I do need to take a moment and really think about this."
Akane was about to voice an objection but was halted by Videl grabbing her wrist. "That's fine with us. Though I hope you don't mind if we stick around until you've made your choice."
"That's fine with us," Tien chuckled back. "Though it's probably not a good idea for any of us to just hang around here."
Getting up from the campsite, Tien dusted himself off before motioning for the others to follow him. "Come on. We have a cabin at a village nearby and I'm sure it's a much more favorable waiting area than a mostly barren mountain."
[]
Moments later, the quartet were casually flowing through the sky, the girls reveling in the fresh air from flying outside of a vehicle.
While the girls were just enjoying the trip, Tien and Chiaoutzu were, unbeknownst to them, engaged in a mental conversation.
"Chiaoutzu, what do you think I should do?"
"Wait, you mean you're not going to teach them?"
"Initially, I wasn't, but I sort of lacked the words to let them down gently. Now that I've seen how determined Akane is, I actually am considering it, but…I still have my doubts."
"I get it. I mean, the Mafuba did kill Master Roshi…"
"It's not just that," Tien added. "There's also Tao and Shen. Even if I train the girls up to use the Mafuba, they don't stand a chance against either of them. From what they told me it sounds like they only survived because Gohan was there. Come to think of it…if he's involved too, why didn't Gohan come to me instead?"
Chiaoutzu put a finger to his chin. After a moment of thought, he perked up. "Wait, doesn't Piccolo know the Mafuba too?"
Realization flashed across the tri-clops' face. "Right! Since Kami knew it and they fused. I see…that's why Gohan sent them to Master Roshi's in the first place, because he knew they couldn't handle Piccolo's brand of training."
"Still…if Gohan's learning the Mafuba from Piccolo, then why do these two want to learn it?" asked Chiaoutzu.
Tien thought for a moment before replying. "Well, they are martial artists. They probably saw this as a chance to better themselves, which is something I can greatly respect."
"Maybe they also wanted someone else to be able to use the technique in case something went wrong. Remember when Kami tried it on Piccolo at the Tournament?" Chiaoutzu recalled.
"Yeah…that makes sense…." Tien remained mentally silent as they continued their flight. Though he ended his conversation with Chiaoutzu, his thoughts remained conflicted. On the one hand, the girls really hadn't given him a reason to refuse their request, and for all intents and purposes, it was inspiring to see two young, mostly normal girls want to try to step up as fighters.
On the other hand, Tien knew first-hand what it was like going into a battle that you know you have no hope of winning. Despite he himself being significantly stronger than Tao and Shen, these girls, as far as he could tell by energy alone, were far below even Yamcha's level. He didn't want to give the girls false hope that his training could let them fight toe-to-toe with his old foes, and he certainly didn't want to knowingly send two young girls to their potential deaths, especially since one of them shared a special bond with his friend.
Speaking of that friend there was also him to consider. From what Tien understood, Gohan was aware of the situation at hand. He did send them to Roshi after all, but why? Was it just to try and appease his girlfriend, or did he truly have faith in their abilities? Either way, it was likely he was going to be involved in the fight, so they shouldn't be in too much danger. Still, if they were anything like the women he usually associates with (excluding 18 of course), then it's probably for the best he tempers their expectations and declines their offer.
They may be capable in their own right, but due to their lack of experience, they both run the risk of trying to 'help' with their newfound skill increase and potentially ruining something for Gohan. With a sigh, Tien steeled himself as his mind was made up. Luckily, they were just coming up on the village too. Unluckily however, since he came to a decision over the trip, he'd now run the risk of inviting the girls' ire for essentially wasting their time. With any luck, maybe they'll enjoy the village and its folk enough so that the trip won't be a total waste for them.
[]
Upon arrival at the village border, the quartet were unceremoniously met with the sound of panicked screaming coupled with many of the villagers sprinting towards them.
"Help!"
"We're under attack!"
"What's going on here?" asked Akane.
"I don't know…" answered Tien.
Amidst the scampering crowd, the quartet managed to get through and Tien paused as he witnessed the quivering form of a short old man. "Elder!"
The Crane defectors darted over to help the old man to his feet, earning a quick thank you. "Tien Shinhan…you couldn't have come at a better time," beamed the village Elder.
"What's happening? What's everybody running from?"
"It's terrible I say," started the elder. "The village is being ravaged by some fearsome…creature."
"Creature?"
"I couldn't get a good look at it myself, what I can say is that it wields power over flames and is already scorching everything in sight!"
"A monster that wields fire? Are you certain it's not some kind of dragon?" asked Chiaoutzu.
"If it is, then I've never seen a dragon breathe fire that bright before," the elder coughed. "Regardless, if it isn't dealt with soon, the whole village could go up in flames!" he wept.
"The crops!" Chiaotzu exclaimed. "Tien and I do farm work here and if that monster burns everything down then all our work will have been wasted!"
"Don't worry Chiaoutzu, I won't let that happen." Tien declared. "Whatever this monster is can't be any more threatening than the foes we've faced all throughout the years."
"Seconded," Videl added.
'Just what the Hell have these guys been fighting?' pondered Akane.
"Oh! Before I forget, there's one person who didn't evacuate yet!" The elder added.
"Who?" asked Videl.
"A woman. Long, dark, curly hair. A real sweetheart from what I could recall. I remember she got swept up in a cloud of dust. I don't know if the monster got her or not, but if by some miracle she's still alive…"
"Wait…a kindhearted woman with long, dark, flowing hair…" Tien pondered.
"Tien, you don't think it could be-?"
Chiaoutzu's question was interrupted by the thunderous sound of rapid, repeated, bangs just ahead in the distance.
"What the heck is that!?" asked Akane.
"I'd know that sound anywhere. That has to be gunfire," Videl sternly answered.
"Gunfire?"
Videl nodded. Given how much of it she's had to dodge over the past few years, the sound of raining bullets was nigh unmistakable for her.
Tien's expression conversely turned noticeably more panicked as if he'd just had a massive realization. 'I knew it.'
"Chiaoutzu, let's go. You girls stay here!" Tien ordered before dashing off into the village.
While Chiaoutzu followed his old compatriot, Videl and Akane quickly called out to them. "Hey wait up!"
Being caught off guard, their call fell on deaf ears as Tien and Chiaoutzu vanished from sight. The elder, now recovered enough to move on his own headed in the opposite direction. "Come on girls, let's join the others and get out of here." Unbeknownst to the oblivious senior, both girls had already vanished themselves, following heading towards the source of the quickly forming smoke cloud.
[]
It wasn't long before Tien and Chiaoutzu found themselves approaching the village square, the smoke getting heavier and the rapping sound getting louder. 'Videl was right, that is gunfire, which means….'
Focusing with his third eye, Tien managed to peer through the thickening blanket of smoke to see the silhouette of a woman form. Upon arrival in the town square, the full picture was unveiled. Many buildings were either crushed or set ablaze. The ground was covered in ash and soot while many nearby plants were also scorched. Somehow, miraculously, the trail of destruction seemed to be leading away from the aforementioned crops, though not without some of them being burned away as well.
"Well, at least there's some good news," Tien stated.
"But Tien where's the…? Gyagggh!"
Tien and Chiaoutzu were both forced to shield their eyes as a giant ball of light illuminated the sky. "What is that thing!?"
"I think that's our monster," Tien noted. 'But where's…?'
The light died down as a stream of fire descended from it. From what they could tell, the source of the light seemed to be hovering over a specific area before it proceeded on. From the erratic movements of the thing, it almost seemed like it was chasing something. Focusing his enhanced vision once more, Tien got a full, better view of what the light was firing at; A woman with long flowing, blonde hair holding an assault rifle, fruitlessly firing back at the light sphere in the sky.
"I knew it!" Tien exclaimed.
The light fired yet another stream of flames at the woman and she looked prepared to dodge. She wouldn't get the chance as a stern-faced Tien zipped in, sweeping her into his arms and away from the opposing heat source.
"Hey! I dunno who you are, but if you don't put me down now, ya gonna be eatin' more lead than that glowin' bitch up there, you hear me!?" The woman frantically struggled trying to free herself from her rescuer's grasp, but ultimately eased up when she heard his voice.
"Launch, calm down. It's me."
Listening for once, she eased up and her gaze fell upon a familiar trio of eyes. "Tien!"
"I'm here too!" called an approaching Chiaoutzu.
"Well, ya sure took ya sweet ass time boys," Launch smirked.
"Where have you gone to impudent wench!?" Boomed a female voice.
"Wait…was that the light?" asked Chiaoutzu.
"Impudent wench?" Tien shot an accusatory glare at Launch.
"Now hold up Tri-Clops, don't gimme dat look! I ain't the one who started it, she did!" Launch defended.
"She?"
The three were forced to shield their eyes as the light approached them before dimming in a brilliant flash revealing a six-armed, three-headed woman, rage spilling on all of her faces. "Step aside fool! The Fool's hubris must be paid!"
"Who are you?" Tien demanded.
"I am called Rouge, the mighty Asura!"
"An Asura?"
"Quit yer yappin' and kick her ass already!" Launch screeched.
"Impudent…!" Rouge lunged at the sharp-tongued blonde, but quickly found herself frozen in midair. "What…what is this?"
The oft ignored Chiaoutzu could be seen with his eyes glowing a cool azure as he held his hands outstretched.
"Okay. I get that you're upset, but maybe we should take a moment to discuss this like civilized people," Tien mediated.
Rouge continued to struggle against Chiaoutzu's psychic paralysis while Tien turned to Launch. "Okay Launch, lets hear it."
"Hear what!?"
"What did you do to upset her?"
"I AIN'T DO NOTHIN'!"
"LIAR!"
Rouge spat flames from all three of her mouths, startling Chiaoutzu away and freeing her from his grasp. In a rage, Rouge dashed past the Crane fighters and lunged at Launch, grasping her by the neck and heading to the sky.
"Let me…go!" she choked.
Rouge merely grunted as she continued to ascend.
"Launch!" Tien quickly chased after the two, but he and Chiaoutzu were both forced back by a bolt of lightning, barely missing scorching the three-eyes' jacket. 'So, it's fire and lightning huh?' "This could be interesting."
Tien continued to pursue the fleeing fiend, though any time he'd make any significant advance, Rouge would spit out a torrent of flames from one mouth, lightning from the other, keeping him at bay. Though Tien did have ranged attacks of his own, he didn't dare run the risk of potentially hitting Launch.
'I can catch her, but how do I get her to release Launch?'
"Begone!"
Rouge spat fire from all three of her mouths, surrounding her and launch in the familiar sphere of flames. As Tien paused to shield his eyes, Launch screeched out, "Hey…can you hurry it up…I'm burnin' up over here! And I ain't…dressed for sunbathin'!"
Beneath his shielded gaze, Tien's eyes managed to perk up. 'Now there's an idea.'
Against the blazing lights, Tien was forced to fall back, allowing Rouge to take off yet again.
'Now!'
In a swift motion, Tien zipped ahead of Rouge. While she was caught off guard, Tien raised his hands to the sides of his head. "Solar Flare!"
"Gahgh-!"
Rouge instinctively covered her first face's eyes with all her hands, releasing a screaming Launch. The feisty blonde, gunslinger was grabbed by the wrist and hoisted up into her rescuer's arms.
"Sorry if I kept you waiting," smiled Tien.
"Blow this bitch out the sky and we'll call it even," she replied.
Tien nodded before handing Launch over to an accompanying Chiaoutzu. "This won't take much longer, but don't think you don't still owe me an explanation," Tien demanded.
Launch could only grunt as Chiaoutzu flew her away from the area. While Rouge was slowly regaining her eyesight, her gaze fell onto the silhouette of a bald man, his arms crossed."
"I don't know what your problem is demon, but I'm ending you now!"
"How can you be so blind yet possess three eyes, fool!?" Rouge spat.
"Launch will get her comeuppance as well, I promise you that, but I can't forgive you for decimating this peaceful village!"
"Arrogant…! My power is divine! I shan't be defeated by the likes of you!"
"Care to test that theory?"
[Back in the village]
Videl and Akane finally caught up to witness the wanton destruction of the apparent flame monster's attack.
"This is terrible…" said Videl.
"That's an understatement…this place looks like it was caught hit by a volcano or something," said Akane.
"Yeah…but I don't think you can fight a volcano. Though speaking of fights, where'd Tien go?"
"What are you girls doing here!?" The two looked up to see Chiaoutzu hovering down carrying a fierce-faced blonde woman.
"Chiaoutzu! There you are, and I take it she's the lady who got left behind the old man was talking about?" guessed Akane.
"The name's Launch," she introduced herself. "And I didn't get left behind. I stayed back on purpose to give that three-faced bitch a piece of my mind! She just…"
"Wait, 'three-faced bitch? Do you mean the one who torched this village?" asked Videl.
Launch nodded and began to explain. "Some freaky chick with three faces that can spit fire and lightnin' and she has six-arms!"
Akane paused at the description. Something about those details rang a bell, but she couldn't quite place it.
"That sounds kind of insane, but I've seen crazier," Videl replied.
"You and me both kid. Though the real crazy thing is, for a while, she looked just like a normal ass kid," Launch added.
"You mean she transformed?"
Launch nodded and Akane's expression lit up. "Ummm…Miss…"
"Launch."
"Launch…by any chance, did she transform after getting splashed with water?"
"Hmm?" Launch pondered momentarily before raising an eyebrow. "Now that you mention it…I think so…."
Videl's own face startled with realization from Akane's question. "Wait…are you saying that…!?"
Akane nodded to the confusion of Launch and Chiaoutzu. "Wait…what is she saying?" asked the latter.
"We'll explain on the way, right now we need some hot water!" Akane exclaimed.
[]
The battle between Rouge and Tien was not going great for the multi-faced fiend. Despite her best efforts, he was able to easily counter and deflect all her attacks. Any physical strike she threw would easily be avoided or deflected. Even with her superhuman strength, Tien's reactions far outpaced her own.
When she attempted to follow up with a torrent of flames, Tien merely blew the flames away with a burst of his energy. He'd been holding back for Launch's sake before, but now that she was out of the crossfires, he felt confident in letting his real power spring forth.
"Give it up. You can't defeat me," Tien simply stated.
"If you continue to impede me in my pursuit of that woman, then I WILL defeat you!" Rouge spat back.
Tien smirked. "Well too bad for you, she's more than likely long gone by now. Face it, even if I let you go to start searching, you'd likely not find her again," he said whilst crossing his arms.
Rouge growled in irritation before a familiar loud sound rang through the decimated lands.
RATATATATATATA!
The layer of sweat that now coated Tien's face came not from the flames, but from the pit in his stomach from where he knew that sound was coming from. 'You've got to be kidding me!'
"Hey freak! You want me!? Well I'm right here!" Launch called to the pair before aiming her assault rifle at the combatants, opening fire.
"Launch you fool! What are you still doing here!?"
"There you are!" One of Rouge's mouths spat fire at the distracted Tien, catching him off guard before divebombing towards the gun-toting woman, hissing as she reached towards her target.
"Dammit!" Tien ripped off his top, dispelling the flames before they could spread across his body and sped off after Rouge. 'She got a bigger head start than I thought, and she's moving faster than before!' he noted. 'She must be serious now!' Tien repeatedly warped ahead, hoping to close the gap between him and Rouge. Though it seemed to be working, it wasn't clear if he'd make it in time or not.
Launch smirked as she sprinted off away from her pursuer. 'Great, she took the bait!'
"You shan't escape!" Rouge roared.
Launch's response was to flip Rouge off as she kept running. With a growl, Rouge's frontward mouth let out an ear-piercing screech as lightning erupted from her jaw.
"Launch, get out of there!" Tien yelled as he pointed at the blast. "Dodon Ray!"
Tien's beam collided with the lowest point of the bolt, causing a small, explosion near Launch, throwing her onto the ground. Thankfully, she was spared from a direct hit by the lightning. That did little to improve her mood as she quickly turned to them and started shouting.
"Hey, watch it! I know she's tryna kill me, but whose side are y-y-y-y…!"
Launch's spiel was interrupted as the resulting dust from the explosion entered her nostrils. A few small inhales later, "YAAAAACHOO-!"
In the next instance, Launch's hair changed from a striking blonde to a cooler, more reserved, indigo shade and the ever-present scowl on her face was replaced with a calmer, more inviting look of confusion.
Off to the side, a trio of spectators, viewed the scene and each voiced their own reactions accordingly.
"Wait, what just happened?"
"Hey wait, I remember her now!"
"Gaagh-! Oh no!"
Leaving their hiding spot, a frantic Chiaoutzu zipped onto the scene, leaving a confused Videl and Akane with a heated kettle in hand.
"Hey! Chiaoutzu, get back here!" called Akane, chasing after him.
"Akane!"
[]
Back in the field, Launch picked herself up and asked aloud, "Where am I? And what…?"
"Begone!"
Turning to the clearly angered voice, Launch shrieked as she was met with the three, furious faces of Rouge the Asura.
Before Rouge could attack, Chiaoutzu flew between the two women, outstretching his arms in a defensive position.
"Chiaoutzu!"
"Launch run!"
Rouge took a breath, preparing to launch flames (or 'flame Launch' as it were [SWACK!] Ow!). As her mouth ignited, she was suddenly beamed in the head by something round and metallic, stumbling backwards.
"What was that!?" asked Launch. She glanced down to find a now dented kettle. "Where did that…?"
"Chiaoutzu!"
The two turned back to see Akane quickly approaching them, Videl close behind. Unfortunately, Rouge had recovered from the surprise attack and was now more irritated than ever. "Who dares to…!?"
"Hrrragh!"
Yet another interruption appeared in the form of Tien, kicking Rouge across her face(s), launching her back. "What are you all still doing here!?" he reprimanded.
He received no answer as Rouge erupted from her landing spot, once again surrounded by a blinding, sphere of fire and lightning.
"All of you stay back, I'm going to put an end to this freak, once and for all!" Tien began to ascend and pressed his hands together.
"Tien wait! There's something you need to know!" Akane spoke up.
With what time they had, Akane explained that Rouge was yet another victim of a Jusenkyo curse, and behind her current form as an Ashura, she's actually a really innocent girl. Tien was skeptical at first, but recalled the times he'd seen his Saiyan allies lose themselves in their own transformations.
"So if we can just splash her with hot water, she'll be depowered and human again?" asked Tien.
"Yeah!" Akane confirmed. "And thankfully we have just the…" Akane stepped forth to retrieve the projectile that had struck Rouge, only to now see that the top was removed and it's contents were spilt all over the ground.
"Ohh…" Akane sheepishly rubbed her head. "Okay, not a problem…we can get more water and heat it up again…but we just need to keep Rouge busy for a little bit longer."
Tien's focused glare quickly turned into a look of realization as he let out a small chuckle. "Do you girls remember why you came to find me today?"
"Yeah…?" Videl answered.
Tien walked over to the discarded kettle and picked it and it's lid up. He then proceeded to glare intently at the container and his third eye began to glow. From the orb came a beam that burned into the houseware's side. After a few seconds, Tien revealed the kettle, now with the symbol for 'Demon Containment' burnt into it. "Well then…you'd better watch closely."
"Wait, Tien! The spout!" called Chiaoutzu.
"Huh…? Oh! Good catch there."
Chiaoutzu let out a relieved sigh as Tien picked up a pebble and jammed it into the kettle's spout. "Okay, NOW watch closely."
Tien, kettle in hand stepped towards the sparking, blazing orb as it began to twist. The rotation turned faster and faster before it began to stretch out, converging into a large, shining funnel. "I've enough of this farce! If you stand with that miserable cretin of a wench, then I shall obliterate you all!" Rouge proclaimed.
"Take your best shot." Tien challenged.
"Asura Ultimate Technique; Flaming Stormy Dragon Dance!"
The funnel erupted into a fiery twister, bathed in bolts of lightning. Slowly but surely, it began to expand.
"Uhh girls…maybe we should get further back!?" suggested Chiaoutzu.
The miniscule fighter was pulled back by launch and held comfortingly against her chest whilst the two younger girls continued watching the scene unfold through the blinding light. 'Geeze…I really wish I had a pair of…oh wait! I almost forgot!'
Back in the battlefield, Tien stood firmly against the (wo)man made natural disaster. His eyes remained unwavering as he took up a defensive stance before standing straight with his hands and legs closed tightly together. With a mighty yell, Tien let his energy flare and he released a full powered "Kiai" wave right into the heart of the twister, blasting Rouge straight through and out of it. The excess burst of energy also blew the flames away, dispelling them before they could cause any further damage to the village.
Rouge managed to keep herself afloat, the quivering of her body was evidence that Tien's attack had shaken her in more ways than one. 'How…how did he break through my technique…and so easily!?'
A panting Rouge finally landed, her body still reeling from Tien's attack. "You're more powerful than I thought, but don't think I won't still annihilate you!"
Tien merely stepped forward and set the kettle down in front of him, much to Rouge's confusion. "I'm not going to fight you. I'm going to end this," Tien proclaimed.
With a yell, Tien reared his arms back, his energy rising. Sensing something amiss, Rouge's exhausted quivering soon turned to worried shivering. She didn't know what his next move would be, but something, probably instinct, told her that she should probably retreat. Not a bad idea considering she'd spent so much energy on that destructive tornado. As Tien continued yelling, Rouge suddenly sprang upwards, intending to flee, but Tien only grinned in response.
"Evil Containment Wave!"
Thrusting his arms forward, a visible, green gust shot forward at the multi-limbed fighter, seemingly sucking her in and swirling her around in midair.
"What the-?"
'Whoa…!'
The young fighters marveled at the emerald glimmer that illuminated the sky, as the form of Rouge continued to flow through the light.
"What is this!?" Rouge echoed through the emerald stream.
Tien continued to yell before raising his arms upwards, manipulating the stream accordingly. With a grunt, he yanked his arms down and the stream once again followed suit, pulling a yelling Rouge downwards.
The scream continued to echo as the green light descended and ultimately crashed into the open kettle. Once the light died down, Tien dashed in and placed the lid back on the kettle. Wiping a layer of sweat off his forehead, Tien grabbed the kettle and strolled back to Chiaoutzu and the girls.
"Well now, did you two enjoy the demonstration?" he chuckled.
(A/N: Somehow, I managed to get this out before the end of the month. I wanted to update last month, but December is ALWAYS a stressful time. Not much time to write, especially for me who went through a LOT this December, and not a lot of it was good. Regardless, I'm back with the first update of the new year and we're starting with a BANG! Akane and Videl meet with Tien and then meet up with two characters even I didn't see coming: Launch and Rouge. When I say I didn't see this coming, I'm not exaggerating. My Plan A was to have Tien just decline and have the girls try to prove themselves, but that felt too much like a retread of Cologne and while it didn't seem unreasonable for Tien to do something like it, it didn't feel fully accurate either [speaking of accuracy, I'm hoping the interactions between Videl and the newly introduced veterans feels alright because, realistically speaking, they HAVEN'T interacted much [Pre-Super at least]. For real, she's interacted with Yamcha more than the Crane gang]. Back on topic, adding Launch was a sensible enough idea since she still likes Tien (and she actually WAS included in the anime version of "Son Goku and His Friends Return" which is how Videl recognizes her in her nice persona), but Rouge on the other hand, I didn't even consider until much later, but ultimately, everything fell into place. She's a powerful enough threat can cause significant damage that neither Videl nor Akane can reasonably defeat, having her target Launch would give Tien extra incentive to want to attack her beyond the village's destruction, but given that she's a Jusenkyo victim and not usually malicious [unless provoked], killing her wouldn't be a great option, making her a perfect target for the Mafuba as opposed to just…Tien using it on Chiaoutzu for the demo. Also, about Rouge herself, I know she doesn't usually talk in stock villain dialogue, but I hope it works since she was enraged here. Why was she enraged? We'll find out next time. Side note, her Ultimate Attack is one I made up by combining her actual TWO ultimate attacks: Fiery Dragon Dance [which creates a fire tornado] and Flames of the Storm [Which shoots a spiral barrage of lightning…despite the name…saying flames…has she been taking naming conventions from Pikkon?]. Also, in a similar vein to Pantyhose Taro being a fit for the Crane School cause he has ACTUAL crane wings, Launch and Rouge were kind of a fitting pair because they both have the whole Sweet Girl/Violent Chick dual personality shtick going on. This one was kind of difficult but hey, things happen and we move forward. Oh yeah, Gohan's making progress too. We'll catch up with Ranma in a bit as well…maybe. Stay tuned for the next chapter, and before I forget, Happy Belated New Year!)