of Murder! Sacred Korin Land!

Tao Pai Pai sat in a chair in front of the desk of Commander Red in the headquarters of the Red Ribbon Army and was rolling a Dragon Ball around in his hand. He was dressed now in his good mercenary clothes: a purple undersuit with a pink longcoat with the character for "Kill" emblazoned on the breast. Perhaps not the most subtle of attires but when you were the most powerful being on the planet, why be subtle? He'd been blindfolded after picking up his change of clothes and airlifted to this fancy little fortress. How droll.

"So if I understand you correctly," Tao said as he looked up from the ball in his hand to the ginger dwarf with a cybernetic eye with his tall, black associate and Colonel Violet standing by his side on the other side of the desk, "When you collect all seven of these pretty little baubles, a great big dragon comes out of the sky and will grant you any wish?" His voice was thick with mock wonder as he smirked and placed the ball down on the desk alongside a second ball. "How quaint."

"Yes," Commander Red agreed with his brow furrowed in frustration. He had the look of a man who did not enjoy being talked down to but was not in a position to do anything about it. "We started with just the one Dragon Ball you were holding before and Colonel Violet found the second just recently." The purple-haired girl smirked proudly beside him.

"And you mean to tell me," Tao said as he brought his fist up to his mouth to cover a dignified chuckle, "That with all your military might, you are still being bested by two little girls?" He laughed aloud and felt the hate on him from every eye in the room, especially the eyes belonging to the blonde man sitting sullenly in the corner behind him. His laughter died down to a chortle as he crossed one leg over the other. "Very well. I shall kill these oh-so troublesome children. My price is five hundred million zeni per head."

"I thought you were having a sale!" the large man balked. Tao smirked.

"I am," he said. "I could be charging the traditional billion zeni per person." Commander Red… reddened and leaned over the desk.

"We only need one girl dead," he said through gritted teeth. "Her allies are resourceful in their own rights but the girl in orange with the spiky black hair is superhuman. Kill her and nothing will stand in our way!" Tao Pai Pai chuckled again. "Superhuman." Really. He had lived for nearly three hundred years. Some of the first things he had seen when he had been brought into the world were demons. What did fools like these know of "superhuman?"

"Enough of this!" the blonde man blurted angrily as he stood up from his chair. "Mein Fuhrer, we do not have to listen to his mockery!" He stalked towards Tao and he idly considered if it would even be worth using his hands to kill the man.

"General Blue!" Commander Red scolded, "You will sit back down! Your track record is the only thing keeping you alive after that miserable debacle at the volcano! I lost nearly a hundred soldiers and one of Gero's damnably expensive robots because of your bungling!" The General winced at the wound to his pride but would not sit down.

"But I am prepared for them now, Mein Fuhrer! I know what they are capable of. They will not defeat me a second time!" He pointed an accusing finger at Tao and his finger quivered inches away from his nose. "We do not need to pay this brute his blood money! I will do it myself! No one can overcome the Übermensch!" Tao rolled his eyes as he stood up from his chair and walked to the other side of the room.

"Very well," he said with his arms clasped behind his back. "Attack me." They all stared at him for a moment and he gave a weary sigh. People could be so slow. "If you can defeat me, then I will leave and you can take on this little demon girl all by yourself." General Blue smirked and slid into a ridiculous guard. "You should know," Tao said, "That when I kill you, I shall do it without even using my hands." General Blue screamed and charged at him. Tao hopped over him effortlessly and landed on the other side of the room by barely bending his legs. He could feel the air move as the General wheeled around and charged again without ever turning to face him. Blue threw a spinning kick at his back that Tao avoided by bending over backwards with his back parallel to the floor. Tao launched himself away still parallel and straightened up again. Now he stood stock-still as the other man attacked with with a series of strikes that he was sure any other person would regard as quite fast. But to him? Tediously slow. As easy to anticipate and dodge as lazily-hurled fistfuls of mashed potato. General Blue was gasping for breath and sweating profusely. Tao smirked and brushed a bit of dust off his shoulder which only seemed to incense the young general all the more.

"I… I am Siegfried von Heigel!" he spat through gulps of air as he tried to hide the fear in his voice. "I am the General of the Blue Division of the Red Ribbon Army and I demand your respect!" He raised an arm up high for a chop that would have surely snapped the neck of a lesser man and his eyes flashed with some strange power.

But Tao Pai Pai was no lesser man.

"No," he said coldly, "You demand my attention." He pivoted effortlessly to the side and stuck out his tongue before driving it into the General's temple. Siegfried froze in place and let out his life's breath before collapsing in a heap, dead on the spot. Tao nodded succinctly and returned to his chair. "Now then," he said as he leaned forward on his elbows and steepled his fingers. "Tell me about the girl."

OoOoOoO

As it had turned out, it was not a straight line to the next Dragon Ball. The four had started off that way before realizing that Goku's wounds needed to be properly treated so they returned to Kame House where Master Roshi thankfully had a full first aid kit. That was Goku's introduction to rubbing alcohol and it was certainly… an experience. It had taken all four of them plus Puar to hold Goku down while Roshi cleaned her wounds. Then she had to be dressed in proper bandages and was given a new gi.

Krillin decided to stay behind and continue his training while Bulma decided to go home. Between nearly dying in a volcano, losing a shirt, and seeing more of her parents' porn than she ever wanted to know existed; she decided that was enough adventure for one day. She did, however, give Suno and Goku her phone number so that they could contact her if they thought they needed her help.

So, with that, it was back to Goku and Suno on the Nimbus and flying across the globe. As the pair followed the Radar's path to the Dragon Ball, Suno spotted something on the horizon that made her rub her eyes in disbelief.

"Hey Goku," she said and gave the other girl a tap on the shoulder to get her attention. Goku looked up from the Radar and turned to look at Suno.

"Yeah?" she asked. Suno just pointed ahead and Goku turned around again and gave a gasp of surprise. Off in the distance was some sort of… tower. It stretched high into the sky above the trees. It was even taller than mountains and got lost in the clouds. "Woooow," Goku whispered in wonder. "What is it?"

"I don't know," Suno admitted as they got closer. It was crazy to look at. It was taller than anything that occurred in nature or made by man. On top of that, it was structurally impossible. Anything that tall would collapse from its own weight if it were that thin without even weight distribution. And why would you even need to build something that tall? Staring at it for too long was starting to make Suno's head hurt. Which was a problem as they were flying closer to it. "Is that where the Dragon Ball is?" she asked with a strange hint of dread. The tower didn't seem ominous to her, it was just… different.

Goku looked down at the Radar and nodded. "Yup!" she said excitedly. She thought the tower looked awesome and was already wondering what was at the top. Someone really strong to fight? Someone who would teach her an amazing new technique? Even if the Dragon Ball wasn't at the top of the tower, it would still be fun to come back and find out someday.

The cloud descended to the ground and the pair hopped off. Suno followed Goku as she continued to follow the Dragon Radar. Suno found herself enjoying the sounds and sights of nature. From the chirping birds to the soft bubbling of water running down a stream; the bright green leaves and grass underfoot to the warm breeze. It was so different from Jingle Village. She would always be grateful, no matter what else, for all these different places that she got to see because of Goku.

Suno was suddenly taken out of her rather peaceful thoughts when her foot sunk into a patch of soft earth. She gave a surprised cry as she found herself stuck and Goku turned around to help her out. Suno's shoe felt… wet. She stared at the patch of dirt she'd gotten her shoe stuck in. It was a pretty big patch of recently upturned earth. They looked around and realized there were several of those patches of dirt around them. Patches about the size of… people.

"Graves," Suno muttered numbly. "They're graves." She looked down at the shoe she'd gotten stuck. It was a little red. "... Fresh graves." There was a sudden rustling of the trees and Goku and Suno moved into their guard stances. Coming out of the trees was the third largest person either of them had ever seen. His skin was a deep bronze and his coal black hair was tied back in a ponytail. He wore brown pants and brown moccasins. They watched his enormous chest rise and fall and realized that this was no android.

"I am Bora. Who are you?" he asked in a deep voice. "Why have you come to this sacred ground?" Suno noticed a young boy peeking from behind the massive man's leg who looked almost a child version of the larger man, wearing a hide vest with a feather in his hair.

"I'm Son Goku," Goku said, "And this is my friend Suno. We're looking for the Dragon Balls so the Red Ribbon Army can't get them." Bora's face darkened when Goku mentioned the Red Ribbon Army. "Have you heard about them?" Goku asked and Suno was surprised by her intuition.

"You stand among them," he said bluntly and the understanding of that statement made Suno move a little bit closer to Goku. "These men came to attack my home, defiling the sacred Korin land with their weapons of war. They attempted to steal my son Upa from me." Upa peered from behind his father's leg before disappearing from view again. "This Dragon Ball. If I give it to you, these Red Ribbon men will no longer trouble my village?" Goku nodded eagerly. "Very well then." Then Bora disappeared back into the trees. He returned a few moments later clutching something in his enormous fist. He opened his hand to display what he held and Goku gasped in surprise.

"The Four Star Ball!" Goku shouted in a voice thick with emotion. She grabbed it out of Bora's hand and pressed it to her chest. She held the crystal as close as she could and ran a hand over the surface and never wanted to let it go. After more than a year, she finally had it back! "Grandpa," she whispered as a few tears splashed onto the ball and ran down its smooth surface. Suno was stunned. She'd never seen Goku so emotional. Goku wiped her eyes and smiled up at Bora. "Thank you, mister!" she said gratefully. Bora smiled and nodded.

"If you truly intend to fight this Red army then that is the least I can do," he said. Goku nodded and sniffled.

"I have a question," she said when her emotions had subsided. "What's with the big tower?" Suno suddenly realized just how close they were to the tower. It wasn't even ten yards away! She must have not noticed in all of the excitement.

"That," Bora explained, "Is Korin Tower. It is that for which this land is named. No one knows who built it or where it came from. Some legends say it rose out of the ground one day. Others that it was planted by the gods." As Bora spoke, Upa looked up into the sky and followed something that no one else noticed. "All the same," Bora continued, "The legends say that if you climb all the way to the top of the tower and do not falter no matter how tired you become, the tower's master will give you Holy Water to drink and it will make you strong." There was a sudden booming crash that grabbed everyone's attention with Goku and Suno whirling around to see what it was.

There was an orange stone pillar sticking out of the ground at an angle as it if had fallen there. Standing perfectly still on top of that pillar with his hands behind his back was a thin man in a pink longcoat that said "Kill" on it. Suno instantly knew that the man was an assassin.

"Hello there," the man greeted them genially as he hopped down from the stone pillar. "My name is Tao Pai Pai but you will address me as Mercenary Tao." His shark-like eyes fell Son Goku and she scowled at him in response. "Ah," he said with mock pleasantness, "You must be Son Goku!" He moved his hands from behind his back and clasped them together eagerly. "It seems you've been a very busy little girl. You've made someone very rich very angry. And I'm afraid I have to kill you." He didn't sound very apologetic to Suno. Before either Suno or Goku could attack, Bora stepped in front of them.

"You will not harm these children," he declared and reached behind his back. Tao Pai Pai raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

"Oh no?" he asked sardonically. "And why is that?" Bora produced a tomahawk from behind his back that was big enough to be a fireax in another man's hand.

"I will not let you," Bora declared and took a fighting stance. Tao Pai Pai had yet to move into any sort of guard. Bora raised the tomahawk high overhead and hurled it at Tao with such speed that it was a spinning silver disc as it came towards him. Not Upa, not Suno, not even Goku saw what happened next.

In one moment, the tomahawk was flying at Tao.

In the next, it was buried in Bora's skull up through his chin. The giant of a man's face was frozen in pain and shock as he gave a gurgle and collapsed to the ground.

"Papa!" Upa cried with tears in his eyes and ran to his father. He fell to his knees and broke down into hysterical sobbing, his face buried in the dead man's stomach. Goku glared at Tao with loathing.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Suno cried in disbelief. How could someone just… do something like that?

"You're gonna pay for that, Tao Pai Pai!" Goku declared with her fists shaking with rage. She couldn't let him just do something like this!

"Mercenary Tao," Tao corrected and glared at them. "Children, I am a fuckmothering mercenary. I have killed an astounding number of people for an obscene amount of money to earn this title and I will be addressed as such." Goku roared with rage and charged Tao with a flurry of blows. She was going to make him pay!

Suno stood in shock as Goku attacked. She had never seen Goku so angry; she was attacking faster than ever! However, without even looking like he was moving, Tao Pai Pai was dodging them all. Suddenly, Goku was sent flying away to crash painfully against the base of Korin Tower. It was only because Tao Pai Pai was still holding his leg out that Suno even knew that Goku had been kicked. He was so fast. He looked at Goku's gi and chuckled.

"Ah," he said, "She must have been a Turtle School student. How fortuitous. My brother has a particular loathing for the old pervert." He turned his back to Goku and headed towards the pillar he'd been standing on as he spoke. "It's funny, I was wondering what to get him for his birthday," as he continued, Suno saw Goku slowly rise to her feet and cup her hands to her side, "What could be a better present than the murder of one of his hated enemy's students?"

"Kamehameha!" Goku thrust her hands forward and Tao Pai Pai whirled around to face it but was too slow to react and the beam hit him dead on. Suno felt relief wash over her. She'd seen Goku use the Kamehameha to blow up robots and tanks and buildings. Tao Pai Pai was just a man. A man who'd let his arrogance get the best of him and now he was…

The smoke cleared and Tao was unharmed. His clothes had been reduced to ash save for his underwear but he himself was untouched. It would have looked funny if it weren't absolutely terrifying. All he had done to defend himself was throw up a cross-armed block. Goku was stunned. That was her best shot. Now she was too tired to do anything else. Even Jackie Chun wasn't this strong!

A strange feeling filled Goku at that moment. It started as a cold numbness in her stomach and spread through her entire body. For the first time in her life, Goku was afraid.

Tao dropped out of his guard and brushed soot off of his forearm. He looked almost impressed. "That," he said with amusement, "Must be the famous 'Turtle Destruction Wave' I've heard so much about," he scoffed. "A cute enough technique, I suppose." He thrust out his arm at Goku and extended one finger. "Now witness the superior killing power of the Crane School! Dodonpa!" A bright beam of yellow light shot out of Tao's finger and sounded like a cannon going off. The beam struck Goku in the heart and she fell to the ground.

Suno stared blankly at her friend's body. This was no supercharged bullet this time. There was no way around this one. Goku was dead and she was about to be with her. Tao Pai Pai walked towards her and she was frozen in fear.

"These are where the Dragon Balls are, yes?" he asked as he plucked the knapsack off her back. She didn't even try to stop him. He reached in and found the three Dragon Balls before throwing the bag back in her face. "What a shame," Tao muttered in disappointment, "Commander Red made you seem like a challenge." With one hand, he plucked the pillar out of the ground and hurtled it into the air like a javelin. He jumped up to land on it and disappear on the horizon.

Suno collapsed to her knees. The pleasant sounds of the forest were gone. Now there was only the solemn whistle of the wind and Upa's broken sobbing.