Dragon Ball Z Dynasty

by Feraligreater328

When travelling along Snake Way, Son Goku suddenly finds himself plummeting down to Hell. There, he meets a surprisingly familiar ghost from his past that promises to change everything about his life going forward. How will the Saiyan react to this sudden, positive change in his life? Find out in Dragon Ball Z Dynasty.

165. Chapter 163: Match 4 & Match 5

Dragon Ball Z: Dynasty

Authors: Feraligreater328 and StevenBodner

A/N: This chapter is ultimately a Steven creation. I changed some dialogue around for the Android 17 vs Tien Shinhan fight, but the choreography was all him. Sometimes, you get handed something so perfect that you just can't change a thing. Steven gives me that opportunity more times than I deserve. Please extend to him your thanks if you enjoyed this. And blame me if you didn't, because I probably just didn't write it correctly.

Chapter 163: Match 4 & Match 5

In the tournament ring...

All was silent as Tien Shinhan and Android 17 stared one another down. Because of the previous theatrics, the crowd still wasn't as jazzed up as they had been at the beginning of the day. Thankfully, however, neither fighter in the ring cared much about the opinions of the viewing audience. They were too busy sizing one another up. Tien's first observation was that 17 had been training very hard for this tournament. While still lean, the formerly lanky Android had filled out quite nicely since the last time he and Tien had really crossed paths in a meaningful way, going from someone of a teenager's frame to a man over the course of the last few years of peace. 17 was locked into a neutral fighting stance, as if he were waiting for Tien to strike first. But it couldn't be overlooked the way he was fanning his feet out. Neutral, but ready to sprint. Tien smirked and thought to himself. 'What's the tactic here?'

Android 17 was equally as curious. He knew for a fact that Tien wasn't a slouch. He was probably the only fully serious person among the human beings within the Z-Fighters ranks. The triclops was a hearty sort of person, one who refused to be left in the dust no matter what new wall sprang up before him. Swimming in Tien's eyes were equal measures of drive and confidence. He smirked and thought to himself. 'Wonder what he mighta gotten up to during that six month disappearing act?'

Vale called out. "Be in awe, ladies and gentlemen! Watch as two seasoned martial artists read one another like a book! As they frantically search for weak points in the never-ending battle to-"

All of a sudden, 17 disappeared and Vale stopped dead in the middle of his sentence. "Oh my! Lapis has disappeared!"

Tien gripped his fists. "Where..."

And then the Crane-Style warrior shot his forearm up, catching a harshly impactful kick and holding firm. Tien winced from the pain, but didn't falter. He glared over at 17, feeling the force of a freight train come from someone of 17's stature was never not a shock. Tien smirked. "A lesser man would have lost use of his arm from that..."

17 smirked. "Good thing I ain't fighting a lesser man~"

Tien focused up, shooting out his hand and harshly gripping 17 around the ankle, twisting his opponent and spinning him in the air at the same time. And then, with a sudden strike, Tien leapt up and thrusted his foot right at 17' face. The Android crossed his arms in front, taking the impact head on and getting thrown backwards by the force. He smiled. "Man, I was hoping my sneak attack would at least do something!"

Tien rushed toward him. "Even if you're able to mask your Ki effectively, a real warrior never loses the ability to sense presence nor intent!"

The three-eyed warrior shoulder charged into his opponent, sending him crashing back even faster. 17 didn't have to turn his head to know that the edge of the ring was right behind him. He leapt into the air with a chuckle. "Not gonna get me that way, bud!"

Tien adopted a wry smirk, clasping his hands together and swinging a sledgehammer doublefist into the air, smashing into 17's ribs and sending the Android flying in the opposite direction. 17 coughed, cringing as he gripped a throbbing bruise over his ribs. He didn't have time to recover as Tien shot into the air, delivering a knee strike to the Android's jaw. Both landed on the ground, Tien with a perfect three-point and 17 with a thud. The Crane-Style warrior shot forward, lifting his foot high into the air for a heel stomp.

Moving with swiftness, 17 sprang up and cartwheeled out of the way as Tien's leg came crashing down. The human warrior's foot plowed through the solid stone, making him stumble ever so slightly. 17 was happy to take advantage, springing toward Tien and kicking him in the face. Tien went stumbling back and 17 followed up with a clothesline, sending Tien sprawling. The Android tried to follow up a second time, but Tien quickly snapped back into attention, grabbing 17 by the arm and hurling him over his shoulder.

Tien shouted. "Take this!"

And then he fired a Kiai, with the express purpose of ringing 17 out. But the Android was quick to react, jerking himself out of the way of the shockwave and landing on one knee. He quickly stood upright and straightened his shirt.

The two warriors stared at one another and smiled. Tien clapped his hands together. "Excellent improvement. Not a wasted movement to be seen. You're getting better at planning things out too, it would seem."

17 rubbed his index finger under his nose. "What can I say? I have some good teachers. You, Krillin, Yamcha... heck, even Chiaotzu has given me some truly irreplaceable training. I might be cookin'... but I still gotta give my compliments to the chefs~"

17 gave Tien an artful little bow. Tien chuckled. "In our time together in the Time Chamber, you were able to see how a normal human can evolve and grow, even in a metaphorical arms race with the various Saiyans and Namekians we chose to co-exist with. But those were only the basics. You, Lapis, owe yourself a great deal of credit for taking the ball and running with it."

The Android smirked. "Anything to show Gero that his idea of an ultimate human ain't shit~"

Tien nodded. "With every praise comes a critique, though. You are still too two-step in your approach. You won't beat me with such an unconfident posture!"

Tien came charging forward once more. He launched an elbow strike at 17 which the Android easily caught. But then, in the same instant, Tien slid on his heel and hooking his free arm around 17's hip. He forcefully slammed the two of them together and then dug his hand into 17' side hard, using his original elbow to push in the opposite direction. 17 cringed. It felt like Tien was trying to break him in half.

The human warrior smirked, giving a sudden twist in the opposite direction and slamming 17 hard to the ground. The Android bounced, but quickly made it to his feet, only to be smashed down once more with a stunning chop to the chest. 17 went flipping back, but quickly got his feet under him again. This time, when he stomped his soles down onto the ring, the floor beneath them cracked.

Tien didn't let up, shooting toward 17 and laying chop-after-chop into his opponent's chest. 17 took each one in stride, cringing and clenching his teeth just a little harder with each fluid strike. Finally, Tien wrapped his arm around 17's head, pulling his face down toward a steadily rising knee and nailing him right in the nose.

At least, that's what seemed to have happened. In reality, 17 has managed to stop the knee strike at the last moment with the flat of his palm. He quickly hooked both arms around Tien's leg and heaved the larger opponent up. Then, with an almighty roar, 17 slammed Tien back down onto his back with a forceful powerbomb.

Up in the crowd...

Bulma turned to Android 16. "I see we've opened a wrestling academy? Is that where 17 learned to do that?"

The towering Android smirked. "Perhaps not an academy, but I do have a trick or two that I can teach."

Back in the ring...

Android 17 charged forward, laying into Tien with a mighty elbow to the stomach that caused all of the air to rush from his lung. Tien cringed, gripping his fists and fighting through the pain, only to suddenly grip 17 into a cross-armbar and drag him down. 17 seethed at the pain in his arm, feeling Tien forcing it into more and more of an unnatural angle. He chuckled. "This is pretty boring for the crowd, don'tcha think?"

Tien was silent, torquing the Android's elbow even harder. Clenching his teeth, 17 shakily got to his feet, hefting up Tien's weight along with him, and slammed the three-eyed warrior harshly into the stone tiles. Tien's grip fell off his opponent and 17 wasted no time, flipping forward and smashing his heel down into Tien's chest.

Tien groaned, feeling himself sink into shattering tile. 17 followed up that maneuver by standing up and raising both fists above his head, looking to deliver an almighty punch as a finisher. Tien quickly regained his wits and cut off the prepared attack, however, by slamming the bottom of his foot into 17's chest. The two warriors were both still, 17 dangling on the end of Tien's boot and Tien heaving for breath through his heavily bruised chest.

The three-eyed warrior nodded, and then he got his hands under him, handspringing into an upside-down handstand and kicking 17 with his other foot, sending the Android flying high. Tien gave quick pursuit, following up to 17 and swinging a wide haymaker. At the very last moment, 17 vanished from sight, speeding around Tien and delivering a sharp kick that sent the warrior plummeting back down.

Tien landed on his feet with a leg shaking thud and then thrust his palm into the air. "DODON WAVE!"

This wider, bulkier version of the Dodon Ray arched into the air toward Android 17. The raven-haired fighter rolled his eyes and chopped the blast out of the way with minimal effort, only to be shocked at how quickly Tien had closed the difference between the two of them. The three-eyed warrior spun in the air, launching a roundhouse kick straight into 17' face. 17 went flying a few feet, only to catch himself and charge back in with a warrior's cry. Tien shouted right back and a rapid-fire fist fight broke out.

The barrage of blows was lightning quick and delivered with an equal level of fury. 17, of course, had the advantage in stamina and recovery, the benefit of containing an engine that would never allow him to be tired. But Tien was clearly the more skilled, his precise attacks drawing blood at a much higher rate than his opponent. In terms of strength, to their mutual surprise, the two warriors found that they were equal with one another.

17 threw a heavy punch, but Tien was ready. He knocked the fist aside with a punch of his own, and then he twisted around behind 17's back and chopped him with all his strength across the back of the neck. 17 started to go flying, but Tien quickly seized him by the shirt. Moving with the grace of a bird of prey, Tien shifted around and began to speed toward the ground with Lapis in tow, looking to deliver a devastating Peregrine Falcon Drop.

17 wasn't just going to allow this to happen. Quickly, he produced a bubble barrier around himself and his opponent. And then, with a sharp crackle, 17 produced quite a bit of electricity. "EAT THIS! PLASMA BALL!"

All the arcs of electricity shot out at once, colliding with the barrier and shooting right back toward their point of origin. Unfortunately for Tien, while 17 was more or less immune to electric shock, he was not. The white hot shocks made his skin writhe. He was all but forced to unleash his hold on 17. In that same instant, the barrier shattered and 17 sent his opponent flying with a kick. 17 landed on his feet, scuffed and bleeding ever so slightly, but not that much worse for wear. Tien landed on his back and laid in a heap.

Tien got to his feet, breathing hard. 17 smirked. "Ready for more?"

Tien motioned him forward. "Don't sass me, boy."

The Android charged forward, laying into Tien with a rapid succession of punches. Tien closed his eyes and took his beating, watching with his third eye and waiting for the opportune moment. Finally, he saw his opening and snapped his hands forward, seizing 17 by both wrists at once. Tien pulled 17's arms out wide and then slammed his knee into the Android's stomach, sending him flying into the center of the ring with a gurgling gasp.

Rather than follow, Tien took a moment to collect himself. He flexed and loosened his shoulder muscles. He watched as 17 started to stand and sighed. "That Infinite Energy Engine is annoying. He's not going to tire out, but I already feel like I'm treading half a tank."

In spite of this, Tien took a steady breath. A big part of high-pressure bouts like this was unnerving your opponent. He might be tiring out, but if he showed it that would be where he would begin to lose.

17 regained his feet, marching forward with a curious expression. "What the hell, man? After all of that you aren't even breathing heavily? Did you become an Android too, since we last met?"

Tien smirked. "Real martial arts is more than just strength and flashy techniques. My past years since the Cell Games have been dedicated mostly to building up stamina and studying methods to actively control fatigue. As well as movement efficiency, which I would be happy to teach you if you'd ever like to try it."

17 hooted. "Oh-ho. What a backhanded offer that was~"

In the crowd...

Master Roshi smiled. "Amazing. That 17 sure has grown as a fighter. From a simpler brawler, looking to survive, to someone actively utilizing their battle intellect. And, as always, Tien fights with his whole body. That boy is still a prodigy to this day."

Near Roshi, Goten and Chika were having fun cheering along with 17's family, the children Muffin and Socks excited to see just how tough their step-father was. Trixie smiled and crossed her arms. "That's showin' 'em, Lap. Keep it up."

Blonde Launch grinned from ear-to-ear. "Ain't that just like Tien? He ain't gonna get beat in a tournament without a real fight."

Gine nodded in agreement. "17 is still holding back just a bit, but I don't think the extra pressure would throw Tien off his game too hard. I feel like we still have a lot of fight left to watch."

Back in the ring...

17 chuckled. "Back at it?"

Tien held out his hand in invitation. "Be my guest."

17 charged forward at a fair speed, not taking to the air and making sure his feet firmly planted on the ground every time. Tien noticed this at once and nodded, reacting without surprise as 17 suddenly slammed his sole to the stone and launched himself forward like a missile. The Android fell onto his back, going for a baseball slide and aiming right at Tien's knee.

Tien leapt back once and then followed that with a backflip, dropping into a tighter position and taking on a fighting stance. 17 smirked and then fired a Ki blast at the ground, bringing himself upright and swinging a kick at the three-eyed warrior. Tien blocked the kick with his forearm, but was unable to resist the pressure. He was slammed harshly onto his back and, as he tried to recover, was met by a harsh knee to the face. Tien went flying, but 17 quickly reached out and grabbed him by the ankle, heaving him forward and smashing him harshly onto his face.

Tien winced, but quickly focused a large mass of energy onto his fist. The fist glowed and crackled with energy and Tien whipped around, smashing a heavy punch square into 17's jaw and making his head snap to the side. The move caused some pain, but 17 was able to ignore it. He rushed forward, to Tien's surprise, and launched a furious knee once more. The blow smashed into Tien's stomach and made the warrior double over. Lapis loomed over him with a hammerfist at the ready, but Tien quickly shot up with his gleaming cueball head and caught 17 under the chin with a furious headbutt.

The Android stumbled back, growing as he steadied himself. "OW! DICKHEAD!"

Tien smirked. 17's eye twitched. And then he went in for a headbutt of his own, foregoing the bridge of Tien's nose and making sure that he hit him square in the third eye. Tien howled, falling onto his back with a moan. "CRIPES! BASTARD!"

17 smirked right back and then rushed forward, grabbing Tien by the wrist and heaving him into the air. "Okay, big guy! Let's kick this up another dozen notches."

He swung Tien almost a full 360 degrees and then shot his fist forward, looking to punch the warrior in the face. Tien grunted, shifting his head to the side and swinging up his foot, kicking 17 in the nose. The Android stumbled back and the next target was the ribs, 17 cringing as he fell victim to four consecutive tornado kicks. 17 went flying back and Tien gave chase, laying into him with a barrage of punches and a mighty blow to the chest. Tien raised his hands into the air, summoning a massive Ki blast and launching it down with a shout. "HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"

The attack slammed into 17's chest, but the Android endured. Tien smirked. "Good defense. And smart of you too. My follow-up after that would have been a ring-out."

17 looked annoyed. "Ya know what? Kid gloves off, bud!"

Tien leapt back, allowing 17 to stand. "Foolish of you to enter this ring with them on."

And then, the three-eyed warrior roared. "KAIOKEN x50!"

The force of the shockwave Tien produced was enough to make 17 brace himself. Vale, the announcer, cried out as he was nearly shoved out of the ring. He shouted into his mic. "LADIES AND GENTS! STAY FIRM ON THE EDGE OF YOUR SEATS! IT LOOKS LIKE TIEN IS FINALLY GETTING FIRED UP!"

And then Tien was off with a bang, hitting dozens of Lapis' pressure points faster than the eye could follow. 17 went crashing backward as Tien slammed the final two blows and shouted. "OVERHAND COUNTED STROKE!"

The Android quickly threw up a barrier, staving off a second set of attacks. He reached up and wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth. "Well... shit."

Seeing that his frontal assault was blocked, Tien quickly changed strategy, pulling his leg back and kicked the barrier on the bottom. The sudden jolt sent 17 shooting up and smashed his head against the top of his own shield. He gripped a swelling bump and groaned. "Double shit..."

Tien smirked and shouted. "MULTI-FORM!"

One Tien quickly became four and they all charged at Android 17 at once.

Opening his eyes, 17 flinched back. He chuckled and rubbed his head. "I guess this would be... quadruple shit..."

The Android quickly dropped his barrier sphere and turned to face the two Tiens on the left. He blocked an assault from each clone with one hand and held them in place. A third came from behind, fist drawn, only to have the sole of 17's boot press against his face. The final Tien came from above and 17 sighed, his eyes flashed and a pair of beams shot from them, smashing into Tien's gut and making him cough. 17 smiled. "The real one. Noted."

Taking the two clones in his grip, 17 swung them up and smashed them into the one in the air. Then he sprang off the foot clone's face and flipped onto his feet. The four Tiens regrouped, all of them staring down their opponent. 17 chuckled and motioned them forward. All four Tiens charged and so began a brand new brawl!

17 fired off two Kiais, from both of his hands, and sent two Tiens sprawling back. He sprang up and formed a barrier around his ankle, kicking the third in the face with a shattering blow. The fourth Tien, which 17 quickly noted had a pair of burn marks on his stomach, quickly rushed in and punched 17 in the back of the head. The other three clones quickly recovered and rushed in to take advantage of the opening.

The first clone kicked 17 under the chin, making his head snap up. Then another came in with a kick to the chest. Then the final one came shooting up with a kick that sent 17 sky high. The four Tiens nodded to one another and shouted in unison. "VOLLEYBALL FIST!"

Two of the clones leapt into the air. "SERVING!"

The other two leapt even higher. "SET!"

The first clone punched 17 in the cheek with a Ki-infused fist, sending him flying up. "ONE!"

The other one came up with a Ki-infused uppercut to the jaw. "TWO!"

The two highest up in the air both raised their hands into the air, each delivering a Ki-infused palm strike to 17's back and crying out. "SPIKE!"

Android 17 went shooting down to the ring below, landing with a crash that made the tile beneath him shatter, leaving a 17-shaped hole in the ring that was a mere inch away from an unexpected ring-out. 17 groaned. "Son-of-a..."

The four Tiens came rushing down from the sky, but 17 was ready. With a smirk, he exploded with crackling electricity from the ground, summoning a barrier over each fist and meeting the four clones half-way. He punched the Tien with the burn marks on his stomach in the face and sent him crashing into another one hard enough to make it disappear. The other two came rushing in from behind, only for 17 to trap both of their heads into barriers.

The two clones both gasped, trying to shatter the orbs around their heads, but 17 quickly sped toward them. He grabbed them both by the head and, with all his strength, he cracked their bubbled heads together, making the bubbles shatter and causing both of the clones to fade away. And then, without missing a beat, 17 turned back toward the remaining Tien and fired off an attack. "POWER BLITZ!"

The energy ball shot toward Tien, but the martial artist was prepared. He thrust his finger forward and shouted back. "SUPER DODON RAY!"

The two attacks collided and exploded into a massive cloud of dust. 17 shot toward it with a smile. "Now then, let's-"

Tien roared. "KAIOKEN x70!"

The burst of power dispelled the smoke cloud and Tien came rushing forward with a palm thrust. At the very last second, 17 erected a barrier and flinched as the force of Tien's blow sent him pinballing back. Tien growled. "Those barriers..."

And then he fanned his hands in front of his face. "SOLAR FLARE!"

17 pressed his hands to his eyes and the barrier fell apart. "Gah! Dammit! Dammit all!"

Tien quickly followed up. He extended his finger as if preparing to fire off a Dodon Ray, but instead of yellow, it glowed a bright violet shade. He fired off a beam of this mysterious purple energy and it smashed into 17's stomach with a heavy thud. Tien performed this maneuver five more times, forming a six-sided collar of purple light around 17's midsection and then he called out. "SIX-ROD MEGATON LIGHT RESTRAINT!"

All six rods flared to life and, suddenly, 17 found the pressure of a few hundred tons pressuring into him from six different directions. Even for a superhuman such as him, it was enough to make him cry out. And the gravitational force was enough to make metal in the skyscrapers dotting Papaya Island begin to creak and scream. It was like Tien had summoned a small planetoid into the middle of the ring. 17 couldn't move. He grunted in pain. "... The hell is this?"

Tien smirked. "A gift developed with the help of some friends on the Grand Kai's planet."

He folded his hands and prepared to fire off his ultimate attack. "It's over, 17! Thank you for such a vigorous match! NEO TRI-BEAM!"

As the beam of energy came shooting toward him, Android 17 scowled. "Over? Gimme a break. Maybe if this was back when we first met..."

The attack engulfed 17 and, all at once, the effects of the Megaton attack ended. Tien sighed. "Whew. That was one hellacious-"

A shining blue foot smashed into Tien's face and sent him flying back. He caught himself, gripping his bleeding nose. "Ah, of course. You call his Turbovolt Mode, yes?"

Android 17 hovered there, blue electricity crackling off every inch of him. He nodded. "Yup. Gonna whoop your ass now."

With a speed so fast that it sounded like someone was cutting the air with a blade, 17 slammed his elbow into Tien's gut. The combination of force and electric current was nearly enough to make Tien black out right there, but he was able to avoid the majority of the blow with a quick Kaioken burst. This made the technique deactivated, but it thankfully shot Tien out of 17's immediate range. He landed in a messy three-point stance, collapsing to the ground and slamming his head against the ring. Tien fell to both knees and watched as 17, like a god of thunder, slowly descend on him. Behind him, peals of thunder and bolts of lightning crashed through the sky.

The three-eyed warrior chuckled. "Intimidating. Very intimidating. How are you in such pristine condition after my Neo Tri-Beam?"

17 smirked. "Ki, much like every energy in life, is just a form of electricity when you really get down to it. It follows a current and is easily redirected. I simply just built a road for your attack around me. It never even touched me~"

Tien got to his feet. "So, you're saying..."

17 smirked. "For the most part, big guy, Ki-based attacks are worthless against me when I'm in this form~"

Tien clenched his fists, wincing at the pins and needles that fired to life in his fingers. One blow from 17, mostly deflected by Tien's own doing, was enough to make his entire body numb. He sighed. "Crazy powerful. Looks like..."

The Kaioken flared back to life and Tien glared at his foe. "... Looks like I'm going to have to stick to the basics, then. At least for the most part!"

Tien shot up toward 17 and the Android held his hand aloft. Energy crackled in his palm and quickly formed into a lightning bolt. He drew his arm back and tossed the bolt with all his might. Tien just barely managed to dodge out of the way and watched as the stone in the ring below shattered to pieces. He continued to shoot toward 17 and smirked as the Android receded back. "Hm. Like I thought..."

17 sneered, throwing two more lightning bolts. "THOUGHT WHAT?!"

Both bolts were quickly dodged and Tien got nice and close, throwing a punch that Lapis blocked with a barrier instead of his arm. Tien's white-hot fist smashing against the surface of the barrier sent waves of lightning through the air. Everyone in the crowd gasped as their hair went frizzy.

The attempted strikes continued, with 17 throwing up barriers as quickly as he could and occasionally tossing off a bolt of lightning to try and take Tien out for good. 17 shouted. "One solid hit from me and you're done, you know that right?!"

Tien nodded. "Same to you. I know why you're afraid of me hitting you in this form!"

17 sneered and tossed a lightning bolt. Tien looped around it and charged in. "You're more susceptible to heart palpitation in this form, right?! I'm willing to bet that you and your sister both are! Those energy devices are hooked to your hearts and I can't imagine that the burning flames or crackling electricity is good for either of you!"

17 tossed out four bolts of lightning in rapid succession with a furious roar. Tien quickly activated the Four Witches technique and fired four Dodon Rays in four different directions. As if attracted by magnets, the four bolts went shooting after the attacks. 17 gasped. "WHAT?!"

Then, Tien pressed his four index fingers together and formed one attack, which his quickly launched at his foe. "PRISMATIC DODON RAY!"

This new attack, a complicated geometrical arrangement of energy beams, came at 17 all at once. All the Android could do to defend was throw up his barrier. Without wasting a moment, 17 pressed his hands to the barrier and aimed right at Tien. He snarled. The electrical energy from his palms went over the surface of the barrier in waves, all gathering together back at the point of origin and charging into one massive crackling sphere. Tien began to charge a second Prismatic Dodon Ray and 17 shouted. "RAIL GUN!"

A sonic burst of electricity fired in a straight bolt at the same time Tien's blast fired off. The two beams clashed and, rather than struggling against one another, immediately exploded, filling the air with enough static that the onlookers couldn't touch anything near them without receiving a shock. Tien cocked his head. "Bizarre that they would just explode like that..."

17 smirked. "I've trained in my Turbovolt Mode to have the ability to see currents. I aimed my Rail Gun at the weakest point of your attack and made sure to hit it right on the mark..."

Tien chuckled. "I'm impressed. The rowdy teenager has grown into quite the intelligent fighter. Don't think I am deterred, however..."

17 shook his head. "Wouldn't dream of it."

Then, he dispersed his barrier and fired a different type of electricity at Tien. The three-eyed warrior watched in astonishment as this new attack, charged like electricity but flowing like water, snaked toward him. He tried to dodge out of the way as it got close, but it lashed at him like a cobra and hit him dead center. 17 shouted. "FUSION BOLT!"

The electricity washed over Tien. He could smell his clothes smoking, his skin crisping and prickling under the effects of the attack. 17 used his other hand to shoot a second snaking bolt, but Tien was prepared this time. He flared out his Kaioken long enough to escape this new attack of 17's and then tossed a small Destructo Disc toward the second one, splitting it in half. Just as Tien though, the snaking effect was no mere effect. These attacks were somewhat solid. He retreated and scowled. "How in the hell did you make solid lightning?!"

17 chuckled. "Buddy, lemme tell you, I have read so many boring books since I learned I can do this! You'd be amazed at what you can do with electricity if you get creative! Such as using it to make electric plasma!"

Tien fired several blasts at the plasma tendrils, watching them blow apart and quickly reform. He groaned. "Damn. This is going to eat a lot of energy, but-"

Throwing his arms out, Tien unleashed a small explosive wave. This attack, to his relief, shredded the electrified plasma apart. 17 frowned, watching half of his fun new attack be eaten away. But he quickly shrugged and dispersed it. "Guess I need to workshop that one some more..."

Four blasts came shooting up at 17. He dodged them, but flinched as they immediately changed direction and shot down toward him. With a grunt, he summoned a barrier and watched the blasts collide with it. Then he fell back down to the ring. Once more, he and Tien were standing across from one another. Both were deep in thought.

After a few minutes of silence, the crowd being too stunned to speak, 17 spoke first. "You've figured out how to use my currents against me, it would seem. Damn you..."

Tien chuckled. "I never would have considered something like that if you didn't come up with it first. You must be some kind of genius to have thought of that..."

17 smirked. "Like I said, I've been reading a lot of boring books. And also blowing up Bulma's phone like crazy to ask her to explain things to me about how electricity works. 18's lucky that she got the simple power. This one has taken so much more research to really figure out. But..."

Tien cocked his head. "But?"

17's smile widened. "I haven't even shown you my best trick yet..."

Tien wreathed his hands in energy, focusing on making a current that would route 17's electricity. "Well then, let's see if I can handle that trick!"

The two warriors charged at one another, Tien throwing a punch and 17 tossing up another barrier. The fist collided with the energy field and 17 immediately flooded it with electricity. He watched as the lightning surrounded the energy on Tien's fists and then shot safely away and into the sky. He was shocked that Tien wasn't, well, being shocked, but he quickly gathered himself. He could see in Tien's eyes that this trick was taking all his concentration. He smirked. "How long can you keep that up?"

Tien chuckled. "I might not be as adept as you at barriers, but I know my way around energy manipulation..."

17 smiled, and then shoved his hand through the barrier and seized Tien by the wrist, dragging him forward and into a trip. Tien flailed as he began to fall forward and turned, throwing a hellacious punch directly at 17' face. The Android leaned back in a hurry, dodging the punch by centimeters.

Tien landed in a reverse spider crawl, going several inches and flipping back upright. Then he charged in at 17 with a couple of full force kicks. 17 blocked them both with him barriers, spinning on his heel as he retreated and then heaving another lightning bolt at Tien. With no way to avoid this oncoming attack, Tien reached down deep and pulled out a technique he hadn't had reason to use in ages. He clasped his hands in front, pressing his index fingers together in a specific hand sign, and then performed the Ki blast deflection. The lightning bolt collided against the whole of Tien's energy and, after warping, shot straight into the sky. It collided with a cloud and exploded in a grand display. As a result of the cloud exploding, it began to rain.

Tien flinched, realizing exactly the advantage he'd just granted. "Oh crap..."

17 cackled. "Well, Tien, it's been fun. But..."

Suddenly, to Tien's shock, a new barrier was erected. This barrier, produced by Android 17, cut off the ring from the rest of the tournament arena, rising high into the air like a smokestack. Vale cried out. "What is this?! It would appear as if Lapis had erected a barrier for some non-defensive purpose!"

17 scoffed. "Dammit."

He flicked his wrist and formed a barrier around Vale. 17 sighed. "Shit. Now I don't have a barrier for me..."

Tien rushed forward. 17 smiled, dodging a punch. "Ever hear of electrolysis, buddy?"

Tien flinched. 17 splayed his hands out and used his one the millions of falling raindrops. All at once, the water fell apart and switched from a liquid form to some kind of gas. Tien gasped, and then immediately regretted it as he felt his lungs fill up with poison. The three-eyed warrior fell to his knees and gagged.

17 smirked. "Chlorine gas. The rain around this island is just a bit salty due to proximity to the ocean. It's not for breathing. Hurts me too, so it sucks I don't have a barrier, but I can outlast you in it, bro."

He rose into the air. "Don't worry, though. I'm not going to kill you with poison, you're my friend after all. I just wanted to debilitate you a bit. I'll give you this, man, you scare the crap outta me when you're serious~"

Tien was wheezing. Between the gas and the downpouring rain, he felt entirely overwhelmed. The water was pooling around his feet because it couldn't escape the barrier. Up above, the energy around 17 crackled. "I CALL THIS MY BOLT STRIKE, TIEN! IT'S MY ULTIMATE TECHNIQUE! NOW YOU CAN-"

Tien cut him off. "Chlorine gas... plus hydrogen in water... add a combustive..."

17 felt the gears turning in his head. His eyes went wide. "Crap. If I use my technique, I'll cause an explosion. What do I-"

Tien formed his hands and aimed them right at 17, crying out despite the corrosive gas. "TRI-BEAM!"

17's eyes went wide. He had precisely 2 seconds to realize what he was happening. "... and I guess that this being the Tri-Beam would make it triple--"

The chlorine and the hydrogen in the water, combined with the explosion of the Tri-Beam, caused an explosion so huge that it sent a column of flames shooting up the makeshift smokestack that 17's barriers had constructed. Viewed from space, one would have thought that the Earth had started breathing fire, which was quickly snuffed out by the cold vacuum of space.

17's barriers shattered, and the crowd watched with bated breath as the smoke cleared. 17 hovered there, charred and with a plume of smoke rising from his mouth. He gasped. "-shit."

17 fell to the ring below, into a puddle of water. He turned just in time to see Tien rise up, out of the 17-shaped hole in the ring floor. He was a bit water-logged, but the three-eyed warrior stood tall. 17 chuckled and coughed, falling unconscious all at once. On the sidelines, Vale cried out in amazement. "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! WE HAVE A WINNER! THE VICTOR OF MATCH FOUR IS THE FORMER CHAMPION, TIEN SHINHAN!"

Tien coughed and groaned as the crowd furiously cheered. He had a really bad headache and his throat felt like it was made of sandpaper, but he would soldier on through. Worst case scenario, he might have to quickly visit the Lookout if Raditz didn't bring enough Senzus back from Master Korin.

Walking easily enough, Tien moved over to 17 and gave him a shake. "Hey. Are you okay?"

17's eyes cracked open. "Man. I already lost to you. Can't you let me nap?"

Tien smiled. "Sure thing. May I have the honor of carrying you back?"

17 waved him off, rolling over in a huff. "Yeah. Sure. Whatever."

Tien picked up his slumbering friend and carried him out of the ring. Vale smiled. "That's the magic of the World Martial Arts Tournament, ladies and gentlemen! Two friends can step into the ring and still walk out with their friendship intact! Let's hear it one more time for Tien Shinhan and Lapis!"

The two warriors disappeared into the fighter's waiting area with the crowd's screams of delight at their backs.

In the fighters' waiting area...

Tien placed the lightly snoring Android 17 down on the same bench where Krillin was not too long ago. He sighed and gave a respectful bow, then turned to the other Z-Fighters with a confident smile. "I look forward to our battle, Piccolo."

Piccolo grinned. "Do all humans look forward to their inevitable defeat?"

Tien smirked. "Didn't I technically beat you once at that Gyosan Mane Island tournament 7 years ago?"

Piccolo scoffed. "I don't fall for the same trick twice."

The three-eyed human and the Namekian stood there for a moment, eyes locked. This was another match that both contenders had been looking forward to. Vegeta rolled his eyes. "Bet you wouldn't be so confident if I were the one you'd be facing."

Tien glared at him. "If 'ifs' and 'buts' were candy and nuts, then shut the hell up, Vegeta."

18 gave him a pat on the shoulder. "For someone with no sense of humor, well said."

Everyone shared a small laugh which, sadly, petered out pretty quickly. The absence of Gohan was felt. As was the absence of Videl. All the Z-Fighters had genuinely grown fond of the girl's company, even Vegeta to an extent. Tien turned. "How are things going, Goku? Any news? No. I can feel that Raditz has made it to Korin Tower, but he also said he needed to talk to him. So, I don't know when he'll be back..."

The somber mood was cut into by the sound of Vale's voice. He called out. "Stay excited, ladies and gentlemen! In just a few minutes, Match 5 of the World Martial Arts Tournament will begin! If both fighters make their way to the ring, we can get this thing under way!"

18 nodded. "Guess it's my turn. Wish me-"

A hand pressed onto 18 and Piccolo's chests and shoved the two unsuspecting warriors back. "Out of the way, freaks! Royalty is coming through!"

The Android and the Namekian glared at the pesterer, seeing that 18's opponent, Gyuhime the Cattle Princess was now standing in the doorway leading to the ring. She looked upon the Z-Fighters with disdain and scowled. "You fugly freaks having been making too much of a scene. You and those bald ghouls. How is a girl supposed to go out there and make waves promoting a brand with all of you making a fuss?! Huh?!"

18 scowled back. "Excuse me?!"

Gyuhime shot 18 a smarmy look. "You're excused, honey. I'll make it quick so you can go back to your tattoo parlor or the back of some perverts car or whatever it is you do for a living in that stupid outfit of yours~!"

She flipped 18 off. "See you in the ring~"

A cold silence blew through the fighter's waiting area. Krillin stammered. "N-Now, honey, these are the times when we need to be mindful of our strength and-"

Vegeta shoved Krillin out of the way, grabbing 18 by the collar of her top and pulling her so close their noses touched. "Beat her ass! That's what you want to do! You can't let that untalented cow mouth off to you like that! You get out there, and you CRUSH her!"

18 stared into her best friend's eyes for just a few moments, and then an evil smile spread across her face. "Damn straight!"

In the stands...

As Gyuhime and 18 made their way to the ring, the lustful perverts of the crowd made their presence known. Oolong and Master Roshi both howled with delight, not just at the sight of 18's unfortunately skimpy outfit but at the sight of Gyuhime's purposefully skimpy one. Master Roshi cackled and ogled the new beauty. "Man, oh man, pig! I sure am parched! I could go for some milk~!"

Before the shameless display could continue, Roshi felt the fury of a new fist smacking the back of his head. He crashed to the ground with an annoyed looking Trixie standing behind him. "Keep ya perverted crap down around my kids, ya nasty dingo!"

Blonde Launch smiled. "I like you~"

Not noticing Roshi's antics, Bingo and Socks supported their cousin Marron in cheering for their step-aunt. They chanted in unison. "Aunty Lazz! Kick her azz! Aunty Lazz! Kick her azz!"

Marron cheered. "YOU CAN DO IT, MOMMY!"

16 called out. "BE VICTORIOUS, 18!"

While everyone else was cheering, a few people in the crowd were more apprehensive. The first of them was Bulma, looking wary as she studied 18's face. "Oh crap, I've played too much WoW with 18 to not recognize her pissed off face. I hope this lady will be okay..."

Chi-Chi snarled. "I DON'T! BREAK HER IN HALF, 18! CRUSH HER!"

The Ox-King, meanwhile, simply sat silently with a perturbed look on his face. "I know they couldn't have done it on purpose, but this is just so... uncomfortable... Oh, Chika..."

Back in the ring...

As the two fighters did their warm-ups, Vale spoke to the crowd. "Let me take the time to introduce our competitors, ladies and gents! Over here, we have... Gyuhime, the Cattle Princess..."

Vale motioned to the posing masked wrestler, his voice sounding only a little like he wished he was dead. "Gyuhime is the current spokeswoman for Queen Cattle Milk, a current tournament sponsor. She is a former champion luchador-turned-champion steel cage fighter. And while what you see in front of you is pure flashy attire and stunning sex appeal, please make no mistake that you are only viewing the opening act. She is a rough and tumble competitor with an unpredictable fighting style. She is sure to leave you in awe. And how did she get so strong, you ask..."

The announcer grimaced as if he had just drank a glass of rotten milk. "... by enjoying the finest assortment of Queen Cattle Dairy Products. Make sure to pick them up at your local supermarket today."

Having finished the robotic sales pitch he had been ordered to read, Vale turned to the other competitor and the smile returned to his face. "And here, ladies and gentleman, is our other Match 5 competitor! Number 18! She is a remarkable newcomer to the World Martial Arts Tournament. Belying her warm beauty is an ice-cold focus ready for battle! In the qualifiers, she not only scored one of the highest rankings in the strength test, destroying the machine in the process, but she then managed to steamroll through her opponent in the preliminary match! She is a force to be reckoned with and we're sure to see great things from her today!"

18 crossed her arms. Gyuhime blew kisses and strutting her figure as she walked for all to see.

Vale raised his hand. "Alright then! Competitors! BEGI-"

Gyuhime snatched the mic. "Just one second there! Your Cattle Princess has something to say!"

Vale was taken aback for a moment. But then, he threw his hands up in defeat and simply jumped out of the ring. Gyuhime squealed into the mic. "Remember everyone, make sure to drink your Queen Cattle Milk and eat your Queen Cattle Ice Cream! Dairy products with a rich flavor that just can't be beat and nearly double the vitamins of your average milk product! Got Milk? Nope, You've Got Queen Cattle!"

18 was at a loss as Gyuhime preened to the crowd. She turned to Vale and the announcer shrugged. He had the most bored look 18 had ever seen on his face and she spent most of her weekdays in court. 18 turned back to the masked fool and shouted. "Hey! Can we get to the point already?!"

Gyuhime stopped dancing, turning and scowling at 18. "You want to get to the point? Fine!"

And then, the Cattle Princess tossed the mic to Vale and rushed toward 18. Vale sighed, tapping the mic and then finishing his interrupted sentence. "Begin."

Gyuhime laughed out loud, leaping into the air and pulling back her right fist. "QUEEN CATTLE SUPER DAIRY ENHANCED SOLID IRON RIGHT CROSS AL A MODE!"

The fist collided with 18's face and Gyuhime threw her head back. At first, one couldn't be blamed for thinking that she was howling like a wolf. But, no, she was mooing. "MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Everyone in the crowd fell silent. All the spectating Z-Fighters looked confused or disgusted or both. Gyuhime looked triumphant, staring down her arm toward her opponent's face. Just like with that Ranfan chick, all Gyuhime had to do was wait for this frumpy woman to go flying. An easy victory! Another bonus in her paycheck for winning another match! Heck, maybe she'd even cut another promo to get revenue from that too!

As Gyuhime stood there, mumbling under her breath about all the ways she could profit, Android 18 looked totally underwhelmed. She felt this dumbass' pleather glove digging into her cheek. She was no more damaged than one could consider a forced squint to be damaged.

Noticing that her opponent had not gone flying nor fallen unconscious, Gyuhime turned toward 18 and shouted. "HAVE YOU HAD ENOU-"

Android 18's knee shot up and smashed into Gyuhime's chin, launching the woman high into the air and blasting her silly mask off her face. She flipped through the air a dozen times and landed outside of the ring, with a thud, right onto her head. The stupid mask she was wearing, with its fake plastic horns, clattered to the ground at 18's feet. She looked toward Vale with a shrug and the announcer smiled. "Ladies and gentlemen, the winner of Match 5 is Number 18! Victory by ring out!"

As the crowd cheered, Android 18 turned and walked back toward the fighter's waiting area with a look of unfettered disgust and disappointment on her face. Her next match had better be one hell of a time to make up for this.

Back in the fighters' waiting area...

As 18 walked back into the waiting area, she was met by a hero's welcome. There was applause, cheers, whistling, and all manner of celebration. Vegeta even walked up and shook her hand, giving her three congratulatory slaps on the back. Piccolo walked up and flashed a peace sign, taking a picture with 18 on the phone that the others had bought for him. Tien bowed, repeating "I am not worthy" over and over again. Goku was congratulating Krillin, telling his buddy that he sure landed one heck of a wife. 17 continued to slumber on the bench.

18 grimaced. "You're mocking me, aren't all of you?"

Goku shook his head. "Never! Never! Hey, if you're not busy tomorrow, would you be willing to come talk to my kids? I'm sure they'd love to speak to the mighty cow slayer!"

Two small, flickering flames flashed in 18's eyes. She glared at Goku with a hateful smirk. "Yeah, yeah. Keep congratulating Krillin. Yeah. See you in the next round, Kakarot."

Very quickly, the medical staff from ringside came rushing through with the dazed Gyuhime on a stretcher. 18 looked at her former opponent and then turned back to the others. And they all immediately went back to praising her once again. This time, she couldn't help but laugh, slapping the fake horns onto her head and putting on her best valley girl voice. "MAKE SURE TO DRINK YOUR MILK~~~!"

Everyone burst out laughing at that and Android 18 did as well, tossing the fake horns to the side and wrapping her arms around Krillin and Vegeta's shoulder. "Seriously though, Goku, I'm gonna go back on my programming and kick your ass."

Goku winked. "You'll try~"

All the Z-Fighters breathed a sigh of relief, and then the mood shifted slightly downward once again as Vale announced to the crowd. "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! WE WILL NOW BEGIN MATCH 6 OF THE WORLD MARTIAL ARTS TOURNAMENT! WILL BOTH FIGHTERS PLEASE MAKE THEIR WAY TO THE RING?!"

All at once, everyone remembered just who Goku's opponent was. Goku turned to Piccolo, Vegeta, and Tien. "You guys and 17 know what's up, right? Are ya sure you can't share?"

Piccolo was blunt. "Not at the moment, no. But you trust us. Right, Goku?"

Goku smiled. "Wholeheartedly."

Piccolo nodded. "Then trust me when I say there's nothing to worry about. The only reason you won't win this is if the heart virus comes back."

Goku groaned. "D-Don't jinx me..."

He quickly recovered, smiling that warm Goku smile. He nodded at each of his friends and then stepped toward the exit. "Okay! Let's do this!"

Back in the tournament ring...

The biggest smile he could muster spread across Vale's face as, finally, Son Goku walked out for his turn in the ring. The champion of the 23rd marched his way down, neither paying attention to the cheers from the folks around him nor the jeers from people who remembered the Cell Games and dared to call this great man a faker. Raising his microphone to his mouth, Vale spoke with nothing but earnest passion in his voice. "LET US ALL TAKE A MOMENT TO HONOR THE GREAT MAN MAKING HIS WAY TO OUR SACRED RING! THIS, I CAN ASSURE YOU, IS NO CHARLATAN! FOR THIS MAN IS SON GOKU!"

He motioned his arm around to the crowd, a master orator, and gained their attention as he spelled out what he genuinely believed would one day be a legend. "FOR THE FIRST TIME IN NEARLY 20 YEARS, WE SEE THE BOY WHO FOUGHT GRANDMASTER JACKIE CHUN TO A STAND STILL! WE SEE THE BOY WHO DROVE TIEN SHINHAN TO THE DESPERATE ACT OF DESTROYING THE VERY RING ITSELF! WE SEE THE MAN WHO WON THE 23RD TOURNAMENT WITH HIS DEFEAT OF THE MYSTERIOUS, BRUTAL MA JUNIOR!"

He turned to the crowd to his left. "WE SEE A TWO-TIME RUNNER-UP, A ONE TIME CHAMPION!"

He turned to the crowd behind him. "WE SEE THE YOUNG HERO THAT SLAYED THE MONSTROUS DEMON KING PICCOLO!"

He turned to the crowd on his right. "WE SEE ONE OF THE ONLY MEN ON THE PLANET BOLD ENOUGH TO STEP UP TO THE TERROR KNOWN AS CELL!"

Vale turned back to Goku as he stepped into the ring. "HUSBAND! FATHER! MARTIAL ARTIST! FRIEND! RIVAL! HERO! I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT THIS MAN IS ONE OF THE GREATEST TO EVER THROW A PUNCH IN THIS SACRED RING!"

He walked up to Goku with a smile, stretching his hand. Vale spoke more subdued into the mic. "It is an honor to welcome Son Goku...home. Home for his first match in too long."

Goku shook Vale's hand with a friendly smile and, in spite of themselves, even the jeerers in the crowd couldn't help but give Goku the warm welcome he deserved. Goku scratched the back of his head with a goofy grin. "Awe shucks~"

As Goku began to warm up, stretching his arms and his neck, an aura of happiness and warmth fell over the arena. The fighters in the waiting area were all happy to see Son Goku get the respect he deserved. In the crowd, Goten and Chika both cheered for their father as loud as they could. His mother felt the beginnings of tears welling in her eyes. His wife envisioned a day, seemingly not so long ago but actually 21 years, when she asked the man in the ring to be hers forever and a loving blush shined on her cheeks.

Vale cried out into the mic. "Ladies and gentlemen, I assure you now, this is the man who is most likely to face down Mr. Satan in our grand finale! Now, who thinks they can stand up to this hero of martial arts?!"

As if on cue a second set of feet landed into the ring. Vale and Goku both turned to see Yamu standing there, a sour sneer on his face. The cheering of the masses for their hero quickly shifted to furious indignation for a wretched villain. Vale spoke into the mic. "And here we have... a sore loser from a forgettable round who's back for a second chance. Let's try to keep things civil this time, eh Yamu?"

Spopovich's partner stepped forward, taking his place across from Goku. The Saiyan stepped into place as well, taking on a fighting stance that allowed him to stare Yamu right in the eye. "I've got a bone to pick with you."

Yamu snarled. "Hmph."

And then, with both fighters in place, Vale cried out. "LET THE SIXTH MATCH OF THE 25TH WORLD MARTIAL ARTS TOURNAMENT BEGIN!"