Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball.
Betaed by: Zim'sMostLoyalServant and a friend.
LAST TIME:
Night had fallen on Papaya Island, granting the contestants, tournament staff, paying customers, and shameless opportunists out to make quick zeni a reprieve before the start of the Tournament.
For some old men, it meant not being invited to dinner. For other old men, it meant trying to hatch plots only for the egg to crack rotten. For some, it was rather uneventful and tedious. And for some young ladies, they learned an important lesson about the perils of peeping.
But the night of shenanigans draws to a close as the sun rises on a new day, bright with the promise of brand-new thrilling carnage!
Are you ready?! Well, ready or not, the first match drops right now on Dragon Ball: Intended Journey!
Chapter Four
Rematch under The Heavens
Rocket vs Turtle 2: The Pummeling
"Krillin, remind me to do a lecture on sobriety to the school children in Frypan," Chichi said, holding an icepack to her head as she ate her breakfast with chopsticks in her other hand.
"Night on the town, huh?" Krillin said with attempted levity. Chichi just flinched and gave him a look.
"This oddly reminds me of the hammer quest," Mai groaned, having barely touched her food in favor of draping herself over the table.
The guys had joined them upstairs in their suite for breakfast. Only Lunch shared the fresh disposition of the guys.
"So, you went out to have fun last night?" Goku asked.
"We failed, Goku, we failed so badly," Bulma moaned, setting aside another empty plate.
"I can't believe you were just acting drunk," Lunch commented.
"Well, dropping the act was better than getting hauled around like a bag of rocks by Yurin," Bulma muttered, "Of all things to fail at."
She flinched again when Roshi emerged from the suite's kitchenette with a steaming teapot of something.
"Not to worry, ladies! You're hardly the first to celebrate too much before a tournament. This is Master Mutaito's ancient hangover cure and reinvigoration potion. It may smell and taste like a stinky foot stomping you in the face, but it will set you right," the old man cackled merrily.
Bulma shuddered, unable to look at him. Chichi held up her cup, letting him pour the stuff into it while Mai just laid there, letting him pour it. Chichi pinched her nose, took a gulp, and spat it back out.
"What is this?" she blanched.
"Let's see, boiled grass, chopped up curdled cheese, smashed wasabi, fresh unripe corn mashed into paste, and goat saliva. With a little secret ingredient. You have to prove yourselves as mighty drinkers before I can teach you the secret," Roshi winked.
Chichi shuddered and forced it down, while Yamcha propped up Mai, letting Goku pour the drink down her throat while she gagged. Bulma propped a foot on her chair and planted her fists on her hips.
"...Social experiments are like any experiment; you can't expect success the first time. We'll do better with tonight's slumber party."
"...Would you guys mind switching with us to bunk with Bulma?" Chichi asked the guys, making the heiress facefault.
Tournament Temple:
"Quite a turnout," Lunch said as she got out of the cab with Goku. The monkey boy jumped onto her shoulders to survey the crowed, not even making her break stride.
"Was it this crowded last time?" Chichi asked, following them out with Krillin.
"Nope, this year has a lot of hype, as the young people say. Last tournament's upset and the new format, it's really piqued interest," Roshi said, as he and the rest got out of the next cab. The crowds were out in force; Goku called their attention to a corridor the monks were keeping with a rope. They saw Tenron walking down it, a few people snapping photos without him batting an eye.
"Guess that's our entrance," Bulma said, puffing out her chest, "I won't be fighting the crowds this time, as I'm getting on stage."
"Indeed, you should be proud of that achievement," Bora said. Bulma flinched.
"Hey big guy, how'd you sneak up on me? I've had what is basically ninja training, and you're huge," Bulma demanded with admiration.
"I am a hunter as well as a warrior. I was wondering if Upa could watch the tournament with your spectators," Bora asked.
"Father, I don't need to be babysat, I'm strong enough for anyone in this crowd," Upa objected.
"I'm more worried you'll neglect this chance to learn for the girls," Bora stated. Upa pouted at that.
"I wouldn't do that while you're fighting, Father."
"I want you to watch every fight, not just mine. There is much to be learned here if you observe carefully."
"I'll watch the boy. Why, he can even get commentary from Master- oh no, never mind, he's gone already."
"He's pretty ninja too," Mai remarked.
"Well, wherever he is, we know he'll be watching us," Yamcha said.
"Unless he's watching some girls," Bulma muttered.
"Watch for me in the crowd, Chichi, I made a banner for you," Ox King said, patting Chichi on the head. She smiled, while checking to make sure her hair was back in its prim and proper bun.
"I know, Dad, you had me pick my favorite, remember?" she told him.
"So I did! Sorry, it's just, seeing my little girl growing up so much!" Ox King cried as Chichi patted his hand.
"This is getting a bit awkward, let's just go in," Yamcha suggested to Krillin and Goku.
The three reached the path and were immediately admitted by a monk unclipping a barrier rope, and had a few pictures taken. And a few questions from reporters.
"Son Goku, do you have any opinion on the proposal for a children's division?"
"What are they dividing?" Goku asked.
"Yamcha! Is it true you were evicted from the Briefs household due to a one-night stand with contestant Ranfan and subsequently murdered the Briefs' heiress?"
"Huh?!" Yamcha went.
"Krillin! The public demands to know if it's true you are in fact bald! Are you in fact the love child of the Muten Roshi and a grey alien with a love of ice cream? Is it true you have three million zeni in unpaid parking tickets!?"
"I don't even have a vehicle!" Krillin objected.
"So, you admit it!?"
"Yamcha isn't that lucky, and I'm not dead!" Bulma shouted, pushing herself between Yamcha and the reporters while giving them the bird.
"Miss Briefs, is it true you died and your corpse is being possessed by the ghost of the Sleeping Princess of the Devil's Castle?"
"...No comment, run for it, boys!" Bulma said, rushing the men inside. They entered just as someone asked Lunch if she had any comments for Women's Sports Today.
"Whew, been awhile since I did a press run," Bulma slumped after they turned a corner inside. The hall had signs placed directing contestants.
"That happen to you often?" Krillin asked.
"That was weird," Goku said.
"It's the press, Goku, they thrive on weird; so long as people buy what they sell, they'll sell anything," Bulma said.
"Yo," the tan woman said as they entered the waiting area, doing some stretches.
"Greetings," Master Chin said, standing by the doorway, doing some stoic stretches himself. Tenron simply nodded acknowledgement, currently standing on his hands. The man called Vendetta just stood in a corner, menacingly.
"Hey, great to see more girls here. Can't call this a sausage fest anymore," the stretching woman said as Chichi, Krillin, and Mai entered. She stopped as Launch entered, looking peeved.
"Miss Launch," she was in the reigning champion's face in a moment. Launch reflexively deflected an extended hand. The woman stepped back, raising her hands.
"I just wanted to offer a shake."
"Sorry, those reporters were pissing me off. I ain't no bandit anymore. Besides, I'm not in Brown County, so they can't arrest me," she huffed.
"Is that how it works?" Yamcha asked. As a former bandit, he perhaps had a stake in that information.
"I'm pretty sure she can still go to jail," Krillin said.
"Nah, I won't let her see the inside of a cell," Bulma waved it off.
"Anyway, I wanted to thank you for the training guide you gave me. I had to adapt it, but it's been unreal these years. I never thought I could get so strong. Heck, I never thought I could go so long without so many daily perks," she said, clasping Launch's hand.
"...You're the stripping fighter?" Launch realized. Ranfan facefaulted.
"Yes, but I would rather that not be my only label."
"You look different," Launch said.
"Yeah, your hair was bigger," Goku noted.
"Well, I had to make some cuts. Ha, cuts," she laughed at her own pun. No one else did.
"If you mean the tan, I do brown up nicely. Tan look wasn't in where I was staying, so I avoided the sun, but there was no doing that training in the wilderness, so I just went whole hog. In my downtime, I insured I have very little in the way of tan lines. Wanna find out how few?" she said, winking at Yamcha.
"That was a strange experience," Bora said, entering the room. Ranfan took a look at him, and slid over to Yamcha.
"Hey, you know him? I saw you talking the other day. Is he married or gay?" she asked.
"Uh, widower, and he did have a wife, I guess?"
"Good enough. Sorry, but I retract my flirting; that is a well-sculpted man mountain, and after all that training, I owe it to myself to try climbing. Sorry!" And she was gone from his side.
"What just happened?" Yamcha wondered.
"Hey there, big guy. It's not every man who can pull off feathers as a look. It takes a man, actually, not a boy trying to be cool but a man who knows what he is and isn't interested in proving it to anyone," Ranfan said to Bora. He blinked.
"I thank you for the compliment. So, do we just wait for the match-ups to be determined?"
"Guess so, but it's a whole new ball game, so who can say?" She wondered innocently. He nodded and walked off.
"He's got a kid, you know, preteen I think?" Launch said.
"Even better, single fathers are well-seasoned. I dated plenty of boys, men are better. How about you, hook up with anyone in the last three years?"
"I've been training," Launch said.
"Ha, guess we're in the same boat. But hey, all training and no play makes dull girls. Ever cut loose?"
"...I'd rather not talk about it," Launch said, shuddering at recent events.
X X X
Idle chatting made its round, with a sprinkling of well wishes for the tournament and expectations of new levels of strength and skill to be witnessed. Though not everyone was interested in partaking.
"Look at them, what a disgrace," Master Shen said, peeking around the doorway with Chiaotzu and Tien next to him. He grit his teeth before continuing, "This is the Budokai, not some afternoon sparring session. Where's the bloodthirsty ambition to crush all who oppose you? The bitter rivalry where you consider throwing away the title to end lives and careers? The martial arts have truly fallen far if this happy friendly tea time is what passes for Budokai activity these days. How fortunate we are here to remind them what it is all about."
"Not to worry, Master, I get the feeling we're not the only ones who aren't here just to have 'a good contest'. Though if he steps in our way, we won't hesitate to trample him with the rest," Tien grinned.
"Well said, Tienshenhan, let's join the rabble now."
As they entered, Jackie Chun stepped into sight around a corner and shook his head.
"How can someone master so much and still understand so little?" the old master wondered, before entering himself.
X X X
As eleven o'clock approached, the blonde announcer entered the waiting area with an attendant monk.
"Welcome, first time fighters, and a hearty welcome back to returning fighters. Thank you for arriving on time. Since all sixteen of you are present, we will immediately move onto the next step, drawing lots to determine the match-ups."
"What, haven't jazzed that up too?" Shen asked, looking to the simple box with the hole on it.
"No, sir. Now, would anyone like to go first?" The announcer asked as the monk shook the box while covering the hole with his palm.
'Ready, Chiaotzu?' Shen communicated telepathically to the small pale boy.
'Yes, Master. I will abstain from fighting a Kame student in the first round to avoid suspicion. And you will get the other match-ups you want.'
'Good,' Shen smiled, not noticing Jackie Chun watching him with suspicion.
'He's up to something shifty. But perhaps I should let it play out for now. My students are not naive, but this is a manner of darkness they have not had much experience with yet.'
Shortly:
"And with that, we have our starting eight matches," the announcer said, writing Shen's name on the final slot on the tournament tree.
"Our first match, which will begin at exactly noon, will be a rematch between Jackie Chun and the reigning champion Launch, sorry, Son Launch of the Kame School. Second match will be Mai of the Turtle School versus the mysterious Mr. Vendetta. Third match will be Bulma Briefs of the Crane School versus Son Goku of the Kame School. Fourth match will be Chichi of the House of the Ox and Turtle School vs Master Tai Chin of the Chin Star School. Fifth match will be Tienshenhan of the Crane School versus Yamcha of the Kame School. Sixth match will be Ranfan versus Chiaotzu of the Crane School. The seventh match will be Krillin of the Kame School vs Bora of the Land of Korin. And the final match will be Tenron vs Master Shen of the Crane School. Thank you all. We ask you remain on the inner temple grounds or in this room for the next hour until the tournament starts after the various speeches and ceremonies. And yes, if you wish, we do offer a free lunch," he preempted Goku.
"Oh, okay. But why do we have to wait an hour?" Goku asked.
"They want to give the bookies time to take bets after the brackets are posted," Launch told him. The announcer sweatdropped a bit at that.
"That is not false, but I would like to say I do not favor that," the announcer admitted.
"Well, no lunch for me, a bit of tea would be nice," Jackie Chun said. Which set off a round of orders from Turtle students, which the put-upon announcer had pen and notepad ready for this time.
Soon, nearby:
Sometimes, public could be the best kind of private, and a noisy diner a better meeting place than a secluded quiet room. Hence no one paid any attention to the odd couple in the back corner booth of this particular diner as they went over the brackets.
The man was blonde, with short-cut hair and sunglasses covering his eyes, and wore a Hawaiian shirt and tight khaki shorts that showed off his buff figure. Somewhat detracted from with the red fanny pack he wore, as the pants were too tight for the pockets to be more than decorative. The woman was a darker shade of blonde, pulled into a prim proper bun, and wore large round glasses that along with her light purple business suit, complete with knee-length skirt made a stark contrast to her companion.
"Couldn't you disguise yourself with some dignity?" Colonel Violet demanded, adjusting her fake glasses.
"What? It's a tourist economy, especially right now, so what better disguise for the wolf than a sheep," General Blue shrugged, before picking up his martini and sipping it through an overly complex straw.
"Well, your agent brought us the videos of the preliminaries. After a night to sleep on it, have you calmed down for some assessments?" she asked.
"Hey, I did assess. It's a sporting event, getting into it is only natural. And blood sport is the best sport," Blue said, licking his lips.
"I worry you aren't taking this seriously."
"And you are worrying too much. We have gathered the data Gero wanted already, and gathering more will be even easier. Besides, our man makes a sweep, we kill at least one threat, with more to follow. And if he fails, we lose nothing that we can't afford. Try relaxing and enjoying the carnage. You'll stand out too much, dear Colonel, if you go to enjoy yourself and act like you're about to fire Dagwood. HOHOHOHO!" General Blue laughed as his grilled chicken sandwich arrived alongside her chocolate sundae.
"We will see," she said, taking a spoonful of ice cream.
"Well, if you want to give advice, maybe cut back on the sweets. Between stress and bad eating, your waistline will surpass your ambition," Blue mocked.
"Tough talk from a man who can't keep track of his agents. It was your operative that took the video, not mine."
"What? No, his operating number isn't on my list."
"Well, it isn't on mine."
"Then which of us is he working for?" they realized with some genuine alarm.
X X X
"Attention, everyone! The first match is to start in five minutes, will the contestants please move to ready position by the external door. Everyone else, you can either stay back here, or spectate from the contestant spectating area," The announcer called, ducking into the room.
"Oh, time already?" Chichi said, looking up from the game of Uno she was playing with Yamcha, Mai and Krillin.
"Finally," Launch said, getting up from where she had been chatting with Bora and Goku.
"This old man is ready to go," Jackie said, stepping up.
"There's a contestant viewing area now?" Ranfan asked.
"Well, in past tournaments, the contestants either peeked over the wall or climbed so often, and last time the wall kept getting broken. So, we just decided to repair one of the holes as a viewing area to spare you all some trouble," the monk with the announcer said.
"Good luck Launch, good luck Jackie," Goku waved.
"Moron, you can't root for both sides in a fight," Shen snapped.
"How come?" Goku asked the old man.
"...I hope I get to beat your face in, boy," Shen muttered, walking away in disgust.
"Well, this will be interesting," Tien said, "We'll see how she fares when her opponent isn't fatigued, but old man Chun there won't have any excuses this time if he comes up short. What do you think?" he asked Vendetta, who had barely moved from his spot in the corner. All he'd requested was a cup of water, which now lay crumpled by his feet. Clearly, he wasn't above littering.
"I'm a bit conflicted," the man answered.
"Oh?" Tien went.
"I'd love to see that woman beaten down, but I'd much rather do it myself. And yet to do it myself she'd have to win, and I'd rather not see her gain more glory even if it's destined to turn to ash. Ah, the dilemmas of a vendetta," the red-haired man chuckled.
"Well, good thing you don't decide then, the match will determine who goes on," Tien remarked, boldly walking past those wishing Launch good luck to head out to the viewing area, following Master Shen with Chiaotzu behind him and Bulma bringing up the rear, giving a thumbs up to Launch as she passed.
X X X
"Wow, a lot has happened, but it feels like it was just yesterday I was here," Launch said, hand shielding her eyes as she stood in the arena.
"Likewise. Time flies at my age, you know. Not a great thing, considering what you're rushing toward."
"Well, thanks for not dying or something. I want to have an indisputable outcome here," Launch said.
"Oh, an 'outcome', not an indisputable win?" he smiled.
"You know what I'm about. My biggest worry after seeing you were here and haven't missed a step was that one of us would get eliminated before we could settle things."
"We could just have a friendly spar after if that had happened," Jackie pointed out.
"Yeah, but it's cooler this way. Well, except for them," Launch said, hooking a thumb toward the crowd. Most were just the usual fans, and Ox King who was waving a turtle banner now, apparently saving the Chichi one for later. But there were also fans with banners for her and Jackie Chun. And their cheering was, well...
"Hit him like a girl, Miss Launch!"
"Send that bimbo back to the kitchen, Jackie!"
"Knock that codger clear back to the retirement home!"
"Put a real man back in the seat for Strongest under the Heavens, Mr. Chun!"
"You go girl, put his other foot in the grave!"
"I LOVE YOU MARSHA!"
"I LOVE YOU TOO DAVE! BUT I SAID YES TO RICK, YOU'RE TOO POOR!"
"Hot dogs, get yer hot dogs!"
"I'll take this many," Goku said, handing some zeni to the hot dog vendor.
"Will contestant Son Goku please return to the contestant viewing area?" the announcer asked.
"But my hot dogs!"
"You just ate lunch, front and center, monkey boy!" Bulma snapped, pointing to the spot between the Crane students and the Kame School. Goku leapt back to take his place sitting on the divider.
"Right then, we have been over the rules and everyone knows who they are. Without further ado, let the 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai, begin. Match one, begin!" the announcer said, stepping back.
Launch grinned, Jackie smiled, and a wind blew through, ruffling their hair as the crowd quieted.
In a blink, Launch struck, closing the distance and lashing out with a punch that Jackie stepped back out of the way of. His kick was blocked by her raised shin.
"Making the first move, so impatient," he tsked.
"And here you are, talking about time going quick, only to let the grass grow around yer feet."
"We've both gotten stronger, young lady. Let's see who made it further down the path to power."
"Let's."
Leaping back from the lock, they both landed easily and assumed stances. Then charged at one another with battle cries.
On the sidelines, the other contestants watched the exchange of blows.
"They're starting small," Tenron remarked.
"Of course, even with the tournament broken up, you don't go all out from the start," Tien sneered.
"I would say it works against Mr. Chun. He is strong and quick, but age takes its toll on stamina and resilience. A drawn-out fight will favor Miss Launch."
"Nah, Jackie may be old, but he's too tough to worry about that too much. Right now, he wants to see how strong Launch has gotten, and Launch is curious if he really has gotten that much stronger. This is just them warming up together while catching up. The real fight hasn't started yet," Goku said.
"That's very nice, Goku," Chichi said.
"Did you actually get smarter while we were separated?" Krillin asked.
"Huh? Sorry, I was thinking about fighting," Goku said, paying more attention to the others now.
"Goku, you have a narrow field, don't you?" Mai asked.
"No, I have a mountain, but I guess you've never been there."
'Hope I don't lose to that again,' Tenron thought.
'I pegged that one for an idiot savant. But it's not like I'm facing him in a quiz show,' Tien thought.
X X X
Jackie Chun and Launch broke apart, and started to circle each other.
"Well, you have improved immensely. If you were this good three years ago, you would have beaten me even had we fought in the first round," Jackie said stoically.
"Who cares about that? You've been training hard, like you said. If you'd been this good in our last fight, you'd have made me look like a chump. But this ain't three years ago," she said.
"Judging by that grin, I take it you want to get serious now?" he asked.
She just widened her grin and charged at him. He evaded her jab and struck at the opening, only for his fist to pass through her.
Launch appeared, her kick already connecting. And passing through the illusion. She twisted on the spot, and Jackie's heel slammed into her palm.
"Ha!" the blonde said, twisting his foot, only for the old man to spin with it and land on his feet. Her fist connected with his face and set him staggering, only to deflect her two follow-up jabs and duck under a kick, bending backward. Falling deliberately to the ground, Chun spun, sweeping at her feet.
Launch leapt over the sweep, only for Jackie's uppercut to take her on the chin. Followed by a punch to the gut sending her flying back to roll on the tiles. She rolled right into a crouching position, and as Chun flickered into sight, she crossed her arms to block the kick before practically shoving him back.
Launch spat some blood to the side as she got to her feet.
"Great! Now, how about I show you something I've been working on. Goku picked up the Kamehameha from the old turtle, but I got my own idea from some jerk named Tao," Launch said, holding up her right hand and forming a finger pistol.
'Tao?!' Master Shen and his three senior students present thought with surprise.
"That's it Launch, show him what you got!" Bulma cheered, waving a fist.
"I wonder how old Jackie will handle this?" Goku wondered.
"You know what she's planning?" Yamcha asked.
"Sure, she trained with me to use it," Goku said, looking at the former bandit like it was a dumb question.
"Ki Pistol!" Launch called, a ball of yellow energy forming at her fingertip. The spiraling energy surged across the arena, and Jackie had to cross his arms. They took it head on, and the wind blew away the smoke to show his sleeves falling away and some scorch marks on his thin arms, but not a great injury.
"That was a Dodon Ray," Jackie Chun said, lowering his arms.
"A bastardized version, the form is off," Shen hissed.
"You see, Master, they must know something about Lord Tao's whereabouts," Tien said.
"Could that fool have shared our school's secrets? He was too proud to properly teach," Shen mused furiously. Bora watched them, frowning.
"Ohh, backstory," Ranfan remarked, smiling. Then Jackie drew attention back to the fight by clapping his hands loudly and charging Launch. She blocked the blow easily, only to cry out as she was shocked by visible electricity.
"What the-?" she sputtered, before he landed another such blow to her gut, her response just a bit too slow.
"Thunderclap Tempo takes time to charge to its full fight-ending might. But if you don't mind reduced power, the technique can be used quickly by those who master it to create the Thunder Fist. If you're not trained to withstand that kind of energy, it can wreak havoc with your reaction time," Jackie explained, clenching a fist, lightning visibly sparking over it.
"Heh, just like my Ki Pistol-"
"Bastard Dodon Ray!" Shen shouted.
"-may not have quite the punch of the Kamehameha Wave, but it doesn't need to charge up so much," Launch noted.
"There's no such thing as a perfect technique. You have speed and focus, but don't think I won't dodge next time. But if I keep tasing you with this, you'll eventually be reduced to a punching bag even if you keep blocking," Jackie said.
"Well, that means you'll have to connect. Come at me, old man!"
"Now what red-blooded man turns down a lady's invitation!?" Jackie asked, charging her with both fists coated with lightning.
"Ki Pistol!" Launch said, firing at Chun. The old master slid feet first under the spiraling energy and rolled to his feet inside Launch's space. Only to see her other hand with a charged blast pointed at his face.
"-Dual Wielding!" she grinned, shooting him in the face. That sent him rolling back; he came up angry, with his hairdo a bit messed up, then went wide-eyed, barely deflecting her right hook. Her knee took him in the gut and he bent over, letting her hit him over the head with both fists clasped. Jackie Chun slammed face first into the ground. Launch stepped back as a bit of dust was kicked up, and the old master slumped flat on the tiles.
"Incredible! After each contestant unveiled new techniques, Launch shows she can fire with both barrels, giving her an opening to send Jackie to the ground. Time to see if he can get up. One, two, three-"
Jackie groaned and got to his feet, wiping blood from his nose and mouth.
"Heh, it's been so long since I faced that technique, it slipped my mind it can be used like a gunslinger if mastered. Apologies, seems I underestimated you despite my better judgement. And while I'd like to test my Kamehameha against that pistol of yours," he said as Shen again shouted out his own school's name for it, "-You still haven't used it at speed, and fight techniques from last time. I'm guessing you could dodge that if I didn't go all out, but that would be irresponsible with so many spectators," Jackie said, ripping off his damaged shirt.
It was not a pretty sight, his old man physique prompting many protests from the crowd but at least a few appreciative calls and whistles that may or may not have been ironic.
"So, I'll show a little trick of us old masters. The Nostalgia Special: Physique Restoration Force!" he called, visibly tensing. Then, the old man burst in growth. His arms and torso inflated, even his neck growing thick, and everyone could swear he grew at least a foot and a half to be slightly taller than his opponent now. Even with his loose pants, it seemed his legs had gotten thicker too.
"Dang! He got hot?" Bulma asked. Then looked at his still old man face, "No, false alarm. It's just creepy-looking."
"I've seen that before," Launch realized.
"Yes, the Muten Roshi knows it, though he rarely uses it. It reduces speed even if you do the shell training, and for a tournament it would be useless because it burns through stamina like a pricy car guzzles gas. But that's not a worry with the tournament broken up like this."
"...Ha! I call bluff. The only time the other old man used that was to intimidate me. But now I'd say you're just trying to psyche me out by inflating like a balloon. Eat this! Rocket Launch!" Launch declared, streaking across the arena and landing a punch on Chun's face and then a flurry of blows across his torso and thighs.
She hopped back a bit, looking at him as he turned his back to face her.
"Nothing?" she asked. Chun backhanded her and sent her flying.
"How's that for a balloon?" he asked, cracking his knuckles.
"So, it costs ya stamina and speed, but ya get strength and a heck of a staying power, huh?" she said as he charged her. He seemed pretty quick to the audience, but to the contestants it was no surprise when Launch dodged his punch and went around it to strike him hard in the gut. His elbow crashed down on her, sending her to the tiles. She gasped and barely rolled away before his foot came down, punching a hole in the floor.
She got to her feet and saw he wasn't stuck, pulling his foot clear with ease.
"I get it, you may not be able to hit me on yer own, so in that form you let me attack and counterattack by trying to predict what I'm about to do."
"What a match, folks. Jackie Chun has elevated his stature, it seems literally and metaphorically. He seems ready to tank as many hits as he needs to in order to catch her in vicious counterattacks. I daresay he is invested more in this match than winning the tournament," the announcer said.
"Amazing, I never imagined the stories about such techniques were true," Chin said.
"Don't get ideas," Shen said, "I can practically smell your weakness; you lack the foundation to build toward that technique. Besides, it's only useful for fools willing to take hits to give hits. The Crane School prizes elegance over such grimy utilitarianism."
"What do you think Goku, who's going to win it?" Mai asked Goku.
"Don't know. It's great," he grinned.
"Heh," Jackie smiled, "There's an old saying about how good hunters know how to track and chase down prey. The best hunters learn to read the trajectory and deduce where the prey is going. And so get there first to lay their ambush."
"Not bad for a saying. But deer don't shoot back. And I'm not going to fall into that trap when I can just hammer you into the ground until you run out of go juice!" She said, charging up two Ki Pistols.
"Ki Pistols!" she yelled and fired. Jackie cupped his hands.
"Kamehameha!" he said so quickly it took a moment for anyone to realize what he had said.
A blast of ki erupted from his fingers and struck the Ki Pistol shots. They tore through the blast, but were much diminished, striking him but barely seeming to do any damage.
"That quick?" Launch said, stunned. Jackie flexed an arm, manifesting sparks of ki.
"This form is based on sending a large amount of ki through your body, enhancing it to restore past power and resilience. That circulation of ki cuts down the charge time on ki attacks significantly. Still, I'm disappointed it wasn't enough to cancel out your Ki Pistols-"
"Dodon Ray!" Shen shouted.
"-entirely. But that's just me being old, I suppose," Jackie said, stroking his beard.
"...Alright then. Let's go then," Launch said, turning her finger pistols into fists.
"Oh? What's this?" he asked
"If this were some high stakes, lives at stake fight, the obvious thing to do would be to bumblebee you till you ran out of steam. But we're not here for a battle, this is a martial arts match. So, you and me, let's go, martial art against martial art, no Rocket Launch for me and no fist of the taser or whatever for you."
"Heh, I like it. My technique mimicking the power of youth against your genuine article. Let's see who falls first," Jackie grinned.
Without another word, they charged toward the center of the arena.
Jackie's opening jab was dodged, and Launch deflected the follow-up to punch him in the throat. He seemed to stagger, but lashed out with a kick that clipped her shin, making her stumble. His overextended smash missed her head as she evaded, but struck her shoulder, making her cry out. Stepping into his defense, still screaming, she head-butted him right on the nose. Both reeled back, Jackie grabbing his bleeding nose and Launch shaking her head.
She blocked a punch as it aimed for her face, but winced. As he pulled his hand back, she grabbed it and leveraged herself around to his side, striking him hard under the ribs with a jab. She turned, trying to swing his fist into her and she grabbed the arm, hauling herself up.
"What?" he wondered, as she slipped onto his shoulders then gasped as her well-muscled legs snaked around his neck and tightened around it.
"Urk!" he said, grabbing her legs. Launch grinned and started raining punches down on his head, making his grip loosen.
"The bigger they are, Jackie, the harder they fall!" Launch crowed. The crowd roared, some cheering her on, more just cheering, and a few imploring Jackie to rally.
What no one expected was Jackie to deflate all of a sudden. Launch gave out a startled cry at the sudden drop and loss of the broad shoulders in favor of a narrower seat. Jackie grabbed her by the wrists and slammed her into the tiles.
"Shapeshifting is so often under-utilized by fighters who lack imagination," Jackie grinned, breathing hard. He raised his leg high over the stunned fighter, and brought the heel down. It smacked loudly against skin, echoing through the arena. The crowd was silent as Jackie winced, his heel caught in Launch's palm, her eyes snapped open.
She pulled his foot down a bit, then she pushed back hard in the same motion, by which she sprang to her feet. Jackie stumbled, blocked the first punch and the second, but the kick to his shin connected, and the right hook caught him on the jaw. With a growl, he thrust his palm toward her chest, and she grabbed the wrist as his eyes widened.
Launch blurred out of sight for a second, and the tiles cracked, only for Jackie to flicker into sight at the center of the splintering cracks, with Launch letting his wrist go. With a gasp, he was still, only his rising and falling chest in motion.
"Count," Launch ordered.
"Right! One! Two! Three!" the announcer went, as Jackie spread his arms and pressed against the ruined tiles, trying to push himself up.
"Ten! Out!" The announcer declared.
"Gah!" Jackie grunted, leveraging himself up to his feet, breathing hard.
"Jackie's up, but about two seconds too late! Launch is the winner!" the announcer said. Yes, there were a few boos, but they drowned out by thunderous applause, including a hearty helping from the other fighters, even Bora clapping his hands and smiling.
"...Hahaha. What can I say, but well done," Jackie gasped, a smile forming on his bloodied face. He made the seal of reconciliation, which Launch returned.
"You still had some fight in ya," Launch said, stretching up and offering a handshake.
"Ah, fight yes, but I'm not sure about win. You have become a most excellent martial artist. The Muten Roshi has nothing to worry about; the old masters' long day is finally done. We can entrust the future to this new generation without regret or worry. How wonderful," he declared, putting his other hand over hers. Launch's face warmed a bit at those words, but she made an irreverent sound to try and cover up.
"Well, in that case, maybe I should fight the old man next. Goku's not much of a teacher, and it might be sick to try and turn the Kamehameha into a ki bazooka or something with him training me on that."
"Uh, maybe focus on the tournament and some R first?" Jackie suggested as they left the arena.
"...that sudden shrinking was a good move, you caught me completely flatfooted with that one," she said as they went to the aid station to get a bit cleaned up while the arena sweeper monks started cleaning and repairing the arena.
"Well, I'm stunned by that leg chokehold you pulled. You couldn't have practiced that with Goku."
"No, I practiced it on trees. Timber!" she grinned.
Author's Note:
And another one down.
Hope you all have a Happy New Year, celebrate responsibly.
Long days and pleasant nights to you all.