A/N: Sorry for the delay, but good news is that I've written over half of the next chapter already, meaning less time to wait before the next update hehe! Almost finished with the tournament, so hold on tight! That'll wrap up this volume of the story. After that the Android saga commences and I've got some really wonderful plans for that, so stay tuned! :D
Chapter 54: Primal power
Videl was avidly watching the tournament battles live on her 22-inch LCD, in her room at the Satan mansion. She was certain that her acclaimed father would emerge victorious. To her abject shock and horror, however, the esteemed wrestling champion failed to make it past the quarter-finals, having lost within seconds to an unknown, dwarfish opponent, named Vegeta. But- how was that even possible?! Her old man had never lost a fight in his life! He was the strongest person on the planet- wasn't he? It was nonplussing. Initially, the little girl was convinced that her father had gotten jobbed, but soon afterwards, a scintilla of doubt surreptitiously crept inside her aggrieved mind.
'What if they're not just tricks?' She wondered. Videl was no expert, but the fights she saw, certainly didn't look staged. 'Just think about all those bizarre laser attacks, auras and explosions.' Even putting all of that on film would require a fortune, so one could hardly imagine the exorbitant costs necessary to make it appear fully bonafide to the overwhelming crowd of first-hand witnesses. On the other hand, since Bulma Briefs was a member of that mysterious clique of fighters, could it be possible that Capsule Corporation was behind this alleged scandal? The Briefs were the richest and most prestigious family on Earth, after all. Even so, it wouldn't account for the other matches where laser tricks and such, hadn't been employed. 'Maybe those were just fixed.'
The little girl shook her head, at the bombardment of conflicting thoughts barraging her bustling brain cells, deciding that she'd have to delve deeper into the matter. For one thing, she would closely assess the tapes of the 21st, 22nd and 23rd world tournaments, keeping a keen eye open for any potential cases of fraud. Hercule had constantly dissuaded her from seeing those fights, claiming that they were a total waste of time, what with all that 'energy nonsense', as he often put it. Now, she wasn't entirely sure if that were so.
The mere thought that her father wasn't the combat colossus she'd always believed him to be, created a vast, unwholesome pit in the burrows of her knotted stomach. Were she any other ten-year old girl, she'd be bawling her eyes out by now. Even so, she felt that the bombastic old man often went too far, scorning opponents before battles, particularly in Vegeta's case. Maybe karma was finally biting him in the ass. In any event, she refused to remain in the dark. It was essential that she get to the bottom of this! If it were truly possible to acquire supernatural abilities such as levitation, plasma attacks and what not, then she was resolved to do just that.
There was also another matter that bugged her, namely, the little boy who was participating in the tournament, alongside the others. That Gohan kid appeared to be her age mate, so why was she barred from entering, while he was there, happily duking it out with adults, three times his size? "It's so unfair!" Videl griped, petulantly folding her little arms. She was very strong and had she been allowed to join, there was a good chance, she'd make it past the preliminaries. "Next time, I'm gonna fight as well!" She fervidly promised herself, with dogged intent. "I don't care what daddy says!" For some reason, the girl was especially eager to square off with Gohan. After seeing him put up such a brave performance against former-champion Tien, she'd felt somewhat fond of the courageous boy. Plus, she had to admit that he was sort of cute. Videl blushed, at the thought.
XXXX
"I'll promise you one thing Goku." Tien vowed, assuming his stance. "No matter what it takes, I will make you go Super Saiyan. I've trained way too hard to be defeated by anything less than your very best."
"Hmph, his new power's making him a little too cocky." Piccolo scoffed.
"That may well be the case, but what if he really can push Goku that far?" Krillin cocked his head sideways, rapping his forearm.
"Don't know why, but for some reason I'm rooting for Tien." Yamcha smiled, in veneration of his awe-inspiring colleague. "I mean, damn. A human Super Saiyan! That is so up there!"
"We ought to call him Super Tien, from now on." Bulma grinned. "What do you say, guys?"
"I'm down with that." The bald warrior nodded, in assent.
"Super Tien, it is." Yamcha followed suite.
"Let the match begin!"
Without preamble, the three-eyed fighter ascended to his new form. Eyes gold and figure alight with a breathtaking veil of crimson, he attacked with all the legendary might of the Super Kaio-Ken.
"Kaio-Ken times ten!" Goku powered up, instantly on guard, as Tien bombarded him with a flurry of brisk attacks, arms and legs working in tandem, like steel pistons. Tien's power wasn't the only thing that had improved, over the years. His technique was damn-near flawless. Goku could barely anticipate his movements. In less than a minute, the crane-master broke through his ex-rival's defense and connected flush, with a high kick beneath the chin. The Saiyan was hurled to the ground on his backside, able to mitigate the fall with the base of his right palm.
"Gosh, you're amazing Tien." Goku grinned, rubbing his aching mandible. "To think that after all these years, your drive to surpass me has never waned, not in the slightest. It's determination like that, which got you where you are today."
"Thanks Goku, but we both know it's not enough, not by a long-shot."
"Maybe, but like I told Yamcha, it's the effort that counts." He smiled. "The concept of surrender holds no place, in your heart. That's something I've always admired about you."
The battle raged on and eventually Goku obliged Tien. One second he was just himself and the very next, a stunning yellow flame burst around his robust figure, hair a shimmering gold and eyes, a vivid teal. Those in attendance were rendered motionless, by the uncanny change. It was exactly what Gohan was attempting earlier, only his father had complete control of this illustrious new form. The power that resonated off the Saiyan was completely surreal.
"Man, I didn't know he was this strong!" Krillin exclaimed, in wonder. "Unbelievable!"
"Tch, disgraceful." Vegeta scoffed, in disgust.
"You'd have been forced to do the same and you know it." Piccolo rebuked, narrowing his eyes at the haughty, flame-haired Saiyan.
"So you think." Vegeta replied smugly.
With the unbridgeable difference in power levels, Goku quickly emerged the victor, scoring an easy knockout. Soon afterwards, Tien was roused awake and lauded by his friends, for his valiant efforts.
"Next up, we have Piccolo, the finalist from the previous tournament, up against Vegeta, a man who shocked many in the audience and infuriated others, with his stunning upset against Mr. Satan."
"Yeah, you can do it Vegeta!" An attractive brunette egged on. "You're the hottest."
A gaggle of vibrant young women joined in, merrily cheering for the discomfited Saiyan.
"Bunch of trollops." Bulma irately seethed to herself.
"Seriously, what do they even see in him?!" An envious Krillin grumbled.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" The heiress goaded.
"Hey, cut me some slack, would you?!" The bald man scowled. "It's not like I haven't had a girlfriend before!"
"I bet she was as ugly as a mule's butt." Yamcha laughed at his short friend's expense.
"Shut up!" Krillin fumed, holding up an incensed fist. "For your information, she was super hot! Sure, she was a bit of a slag and kinda scatterbrained, but she had the body of a-"
"Would you keep it down?" Tien reproached, cutting off his diminutive colleague. "The fight's about to start."
"Prude." Krillin muttered under his breath.
"Who do you think's gonna win?" Yamcha asked.
"Probably Vegeta." The three-eyed fighter grudgingly replied. He was no fan of the Saiyan Prince, but then he'd never been all that fond of Piccolo either, notwithstanding the fact that they'd trained together, under King Kai. Even still, after witnessing the power of the Super Saiyan firsthand, he seriously doubted that any mortal being could ever hope to reach that level.
"Let the match begin!"
In a flash, the two powerhouses shot towards one-another, exchanging relatively curbed blows and in doing so, gauging their respective abilities.
'His fighting style's not quite the same as I remember.' Piccolo noted to himself. 'I can't find any gaps in his defense.'
"Problem?" Vegeta smirked arrogantly.
The Namekian gnashed his teeth, deciding to intensify his assault.
"Wow, it seems that Piccolo's got the upper-hand in this battle, though I can't say I'm surprised." The announcer remarked. "In the last tournament he was literally a hair's breadth away from winning the championship."
"Transform." Piccolo commanded, downing his opponent with a brutal knee to the gut. "Fight me at full strength." Vegeta was on his knees, gasping and wheezing for air, as he clutched his pounding midsection.
"You're still holding back, yourself, Namek." The Prince chuckled, struggling back to his feet and wiping off a bloody rivulet, from the juncture of his lips. With a deep, concentrated breath, he regained his composure. "I want to see if you're even worth turning Super Saiyan."
"Tch, you're gonna eat those words, you arrogant fool." The Namekian seethed, before shedding his weighted gear and gradually proceeding to power up.
"Does he really think he stands a chance against Piccolo, in his base form?" Tien lifted a condescending brow.
"He must be nuts." Yamcha concurred. "Even Goku had to use the Kaio-Ken to beat me and Piccolo's way stronger, so what other option is there, besides Super Saiyan?"
"Wait a minute, I think I know!" Krillin gasped, as realization hit him. "He may be planning to go Oozaru! Holy crap!"
"Wh-wh-what?!" The ex-bandit turned towards him, with wide eyes. "B-But that's crazy." He looked up into he sky. "Th-There's no moon, so how can he even-"
"He doesn't need one." The bald warrior interjected, shaking his head. "Back when we fought Frieza on Namek, he used some bizarre technique to transform, by creating an artificial moon. I don't know how he did it exactly."
"Whoa, that sounds bad." Though Tien hadn't ever witnessed the transformation with his own eyes, he'd repeatedly heard the tales from his friends.
"Well, he does have full control of the form, so I don't see the big deal." Goku shrugged indifferently. "Besides, I doubt he'll use it anyway. That fake moon technique drains his power, plus it won't be enough to beat Piccolo, not by a long shot."
"You really think so?" Krillin asked.
"Trust me, Piccolo's a whole lot stronger than you might think." The Saiyan replied. "Just watch closely and you'll see."
Lo and behold, a thunderous explosion drew everyone's attention towards the battlefield. The crowd sucked in a large, collective breath, as they saw the Namekian enshrouded with a dazzling, ocean-blue aura.
"Holy shit, he's strong!" Exclaimed a wide-eyed Yamcha.
"No kidding." Krillin gulped. "He's more powerful than Goku and Vegeta were, back on Namek."
"And he's not finished powering up yet, either." Tien added.
'He's far exceeded my expectations.' The startled Prince mused, royal blood pumping with exhilaration, as his opponent reached the staggering summits of his strength. 'Seems I have no other choice.'
Hands clenched tight, Vegeta smiled in welcome, as he called upon the cosmic powers entrenched within him. One by one, each and every darkened alcove and lengthy route inside his soul, were quickly ignited with a celestial gold glow. The audience were ensorcelled by yet another preternatural metamorphosis of the heavens.
"Man, between him and Goku, it's hard to tell who's stronger." Tien commented.
"Tell me about it!" Krillin agreed. "Gosh, I'm feeling a little sorry for those Androids, right about now. I really wouldn't wanna face that."
Immensely reinforced with a fresh batch of power and vigor, Piccolo and Vegeta lunged towards one-another, in a stellar collision that shook the very foundations of the stadium. The fight went on, with the feverish audience hooting, every time a resounding blow landed from either party.
"My God, I never expected to see so much action in the span of an entire lifetime, let alone a single tournament." The announcer rhapsodized. "I must confess, people, this is turning out to be the greatest event, I've ever witnessed!"
Vegeta landed a right hook that propelled his opponent back several metres, midair. In an attempt to surprise the juggernaut Saiyan, Piccolo's left arm thrust forward, stretched to around twenty times it's typical length. He swiftly wound the pliant limb around Vegeta's torso, firmly binding his toned arms, before shooting straight ahead himself, in a bid to pummel the pinioned Prince, with a right hand of his own. To his utmost shock, however, Vegeta was able to catch the incoming attack from the Namekian, having rapidly materialized a new pair of arms, one from each shoulder blade.
"What the-" A flabbergasted Tien looked on from below. "That- that's the four fist attack! That's my technique!" He clenched his jaw, in wroth. "How on Earth did he learn that?! It's impossible!"
"There's something really fishy going on here." Goku frowned suspiciously. "Somehow Vegeta's mastered techniques, from both the crane school and the turtle school. It's very clear to me, from the way he fights. What's more, his form's completely revolutionized and his battle senses are heightened to whole new levels. I don't get it. How could anyone improve that much, in the space of a few short years?"
"I- I don't know." Krillin stammered dumbly, unable to make heads or tails of the mind-blowing phenomenon, taking place before his very eyes.
'They haven't seen anything yet.' Bulma smiled inwardly, proud to see the pungent fruits of her newest invention, rock everyone with their overwhelmingly sharp tang. She'd certainly worked wonders with the 'virtual reality simulator' (A/N: Refer to Chapter 46).
"Just when we thought we'd seen it all, shades from the 22nd world tournament, hit us smack in the face!" The blonde-haired man raved, with freshly fortified frenzy. "It appears that Vegeta has the edge now, folks! Can this newcomer beat the odds, yet again?!"
The four-armed Prince clobbered his foe, with a double axe-handle atop the head, plunging him towards the tiled floor. Free of his rubbery restraints, he absorbed the ancillary limbs back into himself, like a forkful of noodles, before rushing downwards. Under the thinnest of wires, Piccolo jumped out of dodge, as Vegeta's knee rammed right into the ground, creating a sizeable crater, in its clamorous wake.
The Namekian fired a Ki blast, where the Super Saiyan knelt, but the Prince materialized out of the way, before reappearing behind Piccolo and delivering a cracking elbow to his nape. The giant howled in pain, as he fell on his face, barely clinging to consciousness. Damn, this Saiyan was good, a lot more so than he'd expected!
"… seven, eight, nine, ten and it's over!" The announcer declared. "With yet another stunning victory, Vegeta makes his unanticipated move into the final round, where he's set to face the current champion, Goku!"
The audience tore into a tumultuous clamor of cheers, for the awe-inspiring underdog.
"You okay Piccolo?" Earth's hero asked, as the defeated Namek exited the ring.
"Yeah, I'm fine." He shook his head. "But be careful in there, I mean it. You don't wanna underestimate this little bastard. It's not just his power, but his fighting wits that are without equal. Trust me when I tell you this: you're gonna be facing a lot of trouble."
"Gee thanks Piccolo, I'll do my best hehe." Goku replied, a tremulous undertone to his voice. He was a lather for the intense, action-packed battle, at hand. The Saiyan couldn't help but quiver, as he saw the fearsome gleam of surety, in Vegeta's deep ebony eyes. This would be no cakewalk, that was certain, but regardless, Goku was determined to see it through to the end, determined to balance the books on their last fight. He didn't care what it took. He would come out the winner!
"And now, the moment you've all been waiting for!" The announcer bubbled up. "Who will emerge victorious, as these two titans face off, in the epic climax of the 24th world martial-arts tournament?!"
"I hate to say this guys, but I really don't see how Goku can win." Krillin pointed out what most of the others were unwilling to vocalize. "Vegeta's fighting style's pretty much impeccable."
"Come on, Krillin, you make it sound like it's a bad thing." Bulma narrowed her eyes, at the bald man. "So what if Vegeta wins? It's not the end of the world. He's still one of us or are you forgetting that?"
"Hmph, hardly." Tien scoffed.
"And what's that supposed to mean?" The heiress loured.
"Well, I know he's a little different and all, but even then, I won't forget what he did to us, all those years ago." The three-eyed warrior replied.
"Oh, is that a fact?!" Bulma walked up, crabbily prodding Tien's chest. "And what about you?! Should I forget the time you broke Yamcha's leg on purpose or the time you tried to kill Goku?!"
"Come on Bulma, you know that's not the same thing as laying waste to countless civilizations."
"That was in the past!" She indignantly shot back. "He may still be a bit of a grouch, but he's nothing like he was, back then! And if you think otherwise, it just shows how little you know!"
"Bulma's right, Tien." Krillin intervened.
"Thank you!" The heiress said.
"Sure, he's not the most ideal person on the planet, but Vegeta's fought on our side, so many times." The bald warrior continued. "Goku, Gohan and myself owe him our lives. In fact, all of us do. If he hadn't beaten Frieza, who knows how many planets would've fallen under his thumb, Earth included." He went on. "Besides, I'm pretty sure everyone here was Goku's enemy, at some point. Heck, even Bulma tried to kill him when they first met. Seriously man, you've gotta let bygones be bygones."
"I dunno Krillin, I can't really argue with you, but I don't see why I should fully trust the guy either." The three-eyed warrior maintained. "Someday that may change, but until then, I'm gonna do the smart thing and keep my guard up, around him."
Yamcha glanced between the contentious parties. As Bulma's ex, he had more reason than any to despise Vegeta and yet, he had to go with Krillin on this one, though he wouldn't openly admit it. While the Prince could be a bit callous at times, with Bulma and Trunks in the picture, it was as though he were a whole new person. They'd truly changed him for the better.
"Let the final match begin!"
Goku leapt forward, like a ravaging lion, only to hit Vegeta's after-image. Senses alert, he whirled around, catching a right lead, from his deft opponent. Goku frowned. There was something suspiciously slow about that attack.
"Aren't we forgetting someone?" The Prince smirked.
"Huh?"
The very next moment, the wild-haired Saiyan tumbled to the ground, struck from behind, with a lower leg sweep, delivered by- another Vegeta?!
"That's the multiform technique!" Tien exclaimed. "What in Heaven's name is going on?!"
The flame-haired duo, each fired a Ki blast on their supine foe, before falling back and coalescing into one.
"Really Kakarot, for someone like yourself to fall for such a simple ruse." The Prince shook his head. "I seriously expected better."
Goku sat up, scowling at his complacent adversary. He should've anticipated that attack, but he was so focused on one Vegeta that he failed to notice another. Evidently, this clone had been suppressing his power, the instant he was formed. Goku realized that against an opponent of Vegeta's calibre, he had to rely on all his senses, lest he fall for such crafty ploys.
"Tell me something, Vegeta." The taller Saiyan smirked. "Have you been training with Master Roshi or something? Or maybe the Crane Hermit, Master Shen, cause you're using techniques, from their school of martial-arts."
"Not quite." The Prince replied, pouncing at his foe.
"Then how do you explain it?"
"Well to put it simply," Vegeta began, slipping a jab and simultaneously countering with an overhand right, across the jaw. "I've been training, inside a computer simulation."
"Whoa, really?" Goku asked, struggling to keep pace, with Vegeta's adroit attacks. "I still don't get it. What does that have to do with-"
"In a nutshell, it allows me to fight any adversary of my choosing, well- amongst that pitiful posse of yours, anyway." The Prince interposed, landing a resounding uppercut that dropped his opponent.
"How?" The other Saiyan asked.
Vegeta explained the distinctive hallmarks of the 'virtual reality simulator': how Bulma spent months of effort, inputting computerized data of the old tournament battles, into a handheld gadget and how it could be manipulated to choose the power level of an opponent.
"I can't even begin counting the number of times I've squared off against you and your chuckleheaded compatriots." The Prince laughed. "In other words, I've been able to break down the fundamental aspects of each of your respective fighting styles, piece by piece."
Goku gaped at his opponent, jaw hanging open in marvel.
"Bulma, what the heck?!" Krillin demurred, furrowing his brows at the heiress. "How could you come up with something that sophisticated and not tell us?!"
"Hey, don't blame me." She replied defensively. "It's Vegeta's fault. I only built that thing, cause he was too much of an ass, to train with the rest of you guys."
"Still, come on." Yamcha joined in. "It could've been really useful."
"I doubt it." Bulma shook her head. "You were all training together anyway, so I didn't quite see how it would help. The entire system's based on techniques you're already familiar with. Still, if you guys are gonna be a pile of wet blankets, I can make you some duplicates."
"Thanks, but no thanks." Tien scoffed. "I prefer learning the old-fashioned way, rather than relying on a computer."
"It's not that simple." Piccolo argued. "You can't just attribute Vegeta's newfound success to a computer. What you need to remember is that unlike the rest of us, he never had the opportunity to train under the guidance of a true master. What we're witnessing right now is his full-fledged battle potential."
"It still gives him an unfair advantage over all of us, including you, Piccolo." Krillin contended.
"You're right, it does." The Namekian nodded. "But you've gotta give credit where it's due. If Vegeta were just mimicking outdated techniques, it would hardly make a difference. He's adapted them into his training and added his own unique spin on each move, knowing just when to use the right one and creating flawless combinations that're extremely effective, not to mention unpredictable." He went on, more solemnly. "That being said, however, I wouldn't count Goku out of the fight just yet. He's had the odds stacked up against him many times before and still managed to come out on top. This right here is exactly the kinda of fight he needs, right now. He needs to be pushed into a corner and look for a way out. There's no better way for Goku to prepare himself, against the Androids."
"Kaio-Ken!" Goku lashed out, with a ferocious onslaught of hand strikes, since nothing else seemed to be working. Vegeta landed on his back, letting out a series of pained grunts that slowly morphed into unsettling laughs. "What's so funny?!" The taller Saiyan demanded.
"You're far too predictable, Kakarot." The Prince rose to his feet, shaking the daze out of his head. He dusted himself off, before gazing challengingly upon his younger adversary. Goku hadn't a clue that this was just the overture. Vegeta had yet to unfurl the true flags of his power. "Try that again."
Without volition, Earth's hero rushed forward, engulfed in the crimson flames of the Kaio-Ken, only this time, Vegeta blocked his move with relative ease.
"What?!" The younger Saiyan gasped, as his older adversary countered with a hefty blow to the solar-plexus. Propelled backwards, Goku clutched his midsection, as unabated pain pulsated through his torso. "H-How?" He stared wide-eyed at the Prince, grimacing as he noticed a significant change in his demeanor. Vegeta's eyes were completely red, like those of an Oozaru. His muscles were observably larger and a cryptic, blackish aura, swept about his stalwart frame. "Is that a new form?!"
"Quite the contrary, this is my true form." He replied, voice more gruff and feral than usual, which was saying a lot. "It took me around a week, but I learned how to summon all the powers of the Oozaru form, without the need to sacrifice my own strength or rely on the full moon. This is what you might call, primal power." (A/N: Refer to Chapter 50). He let out a frightful chuckle, before adding. "And unlike your Kaio-Ken, it's not bound by the limits of time."
A/N: Wow, what a place to end xD. Don't worry, next chapter will be up within a fortnight and that's a promise, since half of it's done already! So, it appears that Vegeta's got the advantage against his rival, from just about every angle. Can Goku find some way to win? Who will emerge the champion of the 24th tournament? All shall be revealed, next chapter! Till then, be sure to leave your thoughts and hit the review button hehe. ;)
Power levels:
Goku: 7.5 million
11.25 million (Kaio-Ken - assuming it's a 1.5x multiplier)
75 million (Kaio-Ken x10)
375 million (Super Saiyan)
Vegeta: 7.5 million
75 million (Primal form)
375 million (Super Saiyan)
Piccolo: 220 million (full strength)
Super Tien: 90 million