Pan walked out of the chamber and looked to her right, sighting two tired children, the very same ones she had saved her first day on Terra, sitting next to food crates holding a watch, "So, you two were the one's feeding me, eh?"
The two children gave a start and glanced up, "Wah?!"
She smirked. "Surprise! I'm done."
She motioned down the hall. "Go on, scoot you two and go get some sleep."
The both nodded, grabbed the food crates, and ran down the hall tiredly. Pan smiled, watching them go, before letting her senses take in the area. She detected Odianna, Aideen, and Aneurin, surprisingly, directly above her high up in the air. Pan thought for a moment, trying to work over what she was going to say to them. Her smile turned into a smirk, better to let her actions speak louder than words. She powered up to a mastered double Kaio-Ken and made her way out of the Lord's Palace. Afterwords, she started to float up, sighting the three of them sitting on the edge of the palace, illuminated by moonlight. Finally, she reached them, and floated a ways infront of them.
Odianna frowned. "It hasn't been a full day yet."
Pan nodded. "I know, but, I'm not really getting any stronger anymore, to be honest, I think torturing myself in that place is going to only make things worse."
Aneurin nodded. "Its wise to recognize one's limits. Though, I am surprised to feel how much stronger you've become."
Aideen leaned forward, her eyes squinting. "Pan... what's up with your hair...?"
Pan grinned, floating a little closer. "Oh, I dunno, you tell me."
Odianna stared at her, dumbfounded. "What the... her hair and eyes, its like she's in the Kaio-Ken, but..."
Aideen glanced towards Odianna. "Isn't this kinda like..."
Pan was surprised to see fury cross Odianna's face. "Like the damn mastered Super Saiyan state! I've been such a fool!"
Odianna clenched her fists. "Stupid! I've had years, YEARS since we first fought a mastered Super Saiyan. Why did I never think of this?!"
She shook in fury for a minute before slowly, she calmed down. "Stupid, that's all I have to say of myself. I got complacent in my power and trump card. I never bothered to look for another path."
She gave Pan a wry smile that made her heart beat with happiness. "I'll give you credit Pan, that was an ingenious idea to master the Kaio-Ken like that. How high have you mastered?"
Pan face fell. "I'm in a double right as to not wake everyone, but, I can't master above a times ten, it just starts wrecking my body and causing a lot of damage."
Odianna nodded thoughtfully. "I see, however, that won't be the case for me."
Pan blinked a few times in confusion. "Would it be useful to you? Can't you already sustain the Kaio-Ken times fifty anyway?"
Odianna smirked. "I can, sure, but, I can't do it like your doing right now. Which means, I still have room to grow. It's been a long time since I've been able to say that about myself."
Odianna nudged Aideen over a bit and patted the spot next to her. "Alright you, get over here."
Pan smiled, she smiled a smile so big she thought her face was going to split. She flew over and sat down between them, feeling a happiness she hadn't felt for so long. It was so good to be with other people again... it...
Aideen looked at her. "What's wrong Pan?"
"I... I've just missed you guys so much," said Pan weakly, "Being alone in there was awful."
Aideen reached an arm around her neck and drew Pan into a hug. "I'm sorry you had to go through that Pan, but, I have to admit, if you've become as strong as I think you've become, you're far stronger than I am. I don't think I'll need to worry about you that much."
Pan grinned sheepishly and hugged back. "Tee hee..."
"How high can you take the Kaio-Ken?" asked Aneurin, "Aideen fights usually at a twenty, and can burst up to a thirty for a very short duration. How much more can you do?"
Pan shook her head. "It's not possible to sustain higher than that. I can fight at a times thirty for a bit, but, going any higher guts my power instantly after one combo. Doesn't matter the level. I'm left completely drained and defenseless afterwards."
Odianna nodded. "Then don't do it. Stick to a thirty, its more than enough to keep you alive and fighting. Just remember, try to leave the Super Saiyans to me, you could probably hold your own for a little bit, but don't get in over your head."
Pan nodded. "Okay."
They sat there, for a time, the four of them staring up into the night's sky, a gentle breeze blowing past them. Pan wished that she could stay there forever with them, in that single moment. For once, everything just felt so right to her.
"Alright you three need to go get some sleep," ordered Odianna.
Pan could have scowled, ruining the moment like that, dammit Odianna.
Aneurin sighed. "I suppose, I'll do a round first then hit the bed."
Aideen got up and started to float down. "See you tomorrow."
Pan watched them, go, mulling a decision over in her mind. Odianna... she deserved to know about Pan's heritage...
"Well? Go get some sleep," ordered Odianna.
"I... um... there's... something I... want to talk to you about," Pan began to stammer.
Odianna glanced at her, eyebrow raised. "What is it Pan? We have Saiyans to slaughter tomorrow, you'll need yourself at full strength with a good nights sleep."
Pan winced, suddenly losing a lot of confidence. "W-well..."
Odianna crossed her arms. "I'm waiting."
Pan stared at her, trembling a bit, before she lost her nerve. "I just... umm..."
Odianna sighed. "Don't worry about tomorrow Pan, just focus on the here and now, and when it begins, doing whatever it takes to survive."
Survive... yeah, maybe she should wait until after the invasion to tell them. There was a chance... well... that she wouldn't even live, and that fact brought a different pain. She didn't want to die here, to be lost and forgotten... forgotten...
"Odianna? Can I teach you something?" asked Pan.
"Eh?" said Odianna, "Teach me what? You already gave me the mastered Kaio-Ken to work towards."
Pan bowed her head. "I... want to teach you my Grandpa's technique, to remember me by, if I don't make it tomorrow."
Odianna went silent for a minute before she finally spoke, her voice soft. "Alright Pan, but, make it quick, you need to sleep."
They flew down to the training grounds, and with a mixture between happiness and sadness, Pan began to teach her the Kamehameha wave...
The next day...
"Pan, wake up you sleepyhead," a voice sounded.
Pan blinked a few times, sat up, yawned, and stretched. "I'm up, I'm up."
Aideen smirked at her. "You snore loudly."
"You're one to talk," Pan shot back.
They both giggled like little girls for a minute before silence took over the room.
"Where's Aneurin and Odianna?" asked Pan.
"Aneurin's meditating ontop of the Lord's Palace, and when I woke up this morning, I detected Odianna on the other side of the world. Not sure exactly what she's doing. She's on her way back though," said Aideen.
Pan nodded, "Okay, well, lets go get some breakfast!"
Aideen nodded and ruffled Pans' hair. "Yeah, were gonna need all of our strength for today."
They moved together and ruffled through the storehouse, grabbing a stack of crates each and munched down. A few minutes later, Odianna flew back and, to Pan's surprise, had a small, worn out fox hermit gi in her hands. Pan was shocked when she handed it to her.
"It... took me awhile to find my old gi from when I was your age, I want you to have it," said Odianna.
Pan was speechless. She took the gi in her hands, staring at it in wonder. Another gi, another treasure. Pan took off her secondary clothes and slid her fox hermit gi over the ruins of her turtle hermit one. She examined herself, smiling, and starting to sniffle.
She threw herself at Odianna and gave her a hug. "Thank you! It... it means so much to me!"
For the first time since they met, Odianna looked a little embarrassed. "Its... not a problem. If you're going to fight for us, you ought to wear our gi, t-thats all."
Pan giggled. "Yeah, sure."
"If you're done with your moment, the Saiyans are coming," Prince Kai's voice came crudely into their minds.
Odianna scowled. "We know they're coming, we still have a few hours to go."
"No, their ships began accelerating the moment they entered the solar system," warned Prince Kai, "They'll be entering Terra's atmosphere within minutes."
Odianna gave a start and separated herself from Pan. "What?! You damn old coot! You should have told us earlier!"
Odianna flew up high and began to shout orders. "Everyone! WAKE UP! The Saiyans will be here in minutes! Get to cover! Now! Defense Corps, stay here and guard everyone, leave the Saiyan's main force to us!"
Panic, that's the only word Pan saw as people began to run this way and that way.
Aneurin flew down to them. "They need more time."
Odianna scowled. "We'll hold them off as best we can"
Pan's mind began to spin, she had just woken up, and they were already going to fight!
She blinked a few times. "Wait a second, why not take the fight to them?"
Odianna glanced at her, eyebrow raised. "To them?"
Pan nodded. "They're all still in ships right? Have a big mothership? What if we hit them as they enter Terra's atmosphere? Blow up their ships before they can even land! That way their invasion force is cut down before the battle even begins!"
Odianna blinked a few times before an almost sinister grin began to cover her face. "Pan, I like the way you think. Let's go, keep our power suppressed as to not alert them."
They began to fly up into the air, heading above the clouds. Pan began to sweet, she could already feel the oncoming mass of energy. There was so much of it... and none of the Saiyan's were even powered up yet from what she could feel. They had to cull them! If they took on that full force, it was over.
"Oh my mark, not a moment before. When I say so, power up. I'll blow up the mothership, you three try to destroy as many attack pods as you can," ordered Odianna.
They all nodded and waited.
Pan gulped, finally seeing the circular mothership enter the atmosphere along with tons of attack pods.
"NOW!" shouted Odianna.
"Times Ten!" shouted Aneurin and Pan.
"Times twenty!" shouted Aideen.
"Times fifty!" shouted Odianna.
Odianna unleashed a beam into the mothership. Pan, Aneurin, and Aideen unleashed sweeping ki waves, trying to hit as many pods as possible.
BOOOM!
The mothership exploded, tons of attack pods were destroyed. For a brief moment, Pan felt victory, but then, she felt it, and then she saw it. Over a dozen yellow glowing specs flew out of the mothership's explosion cloud, heading their way.
"I'll take the Super Saiyans! Finish off the attack pods!" shouted Odianna before flying off to take the Super Saiyans on.
For a brief moment, Pan felt awed to see her going to take them all on like that, before the fact Odianna was immortal reasserted itself in her mind. Pan shook her head and flew off, aiming blasts at oncoming attack pods.
BOOM BOOM BOOM! More and more of them exploded. Pan positioned herself infront of the descent of one and unleashed a Kamehameha wave at it, destroying it. She gave a startled cry when out of the destruction cloud came the yellow glow of a Super Saiyan. The Super Saiyan surged at her and swung a heavy overhead fist.
"Times thirty!" Pan cried out.
She activated it just before the Super Saiyan hit her. The impact was still massive, and Pan was sent plummeting through the clouds. She tumbled head over heels, unable to right herself or slow down.
She gave a cry and threw off ki towards the ground just before she hit, stopping her descent. She floated there for a moment before she felt a massive ki signature barreling towards her. Pan barely managed to dodge to the side as the same Super Saiyan ripped through the air where she had been. Pan gave a warcry and threw herself at him, unleashing a flurry of blows.
Block block block, the Saiyan blocked them all before suddenly countering and slamming a fist into her face. Pan was sent flipping head over heels backwards before she righted herself, massaging her cheek and wiping a bit of leaking blood from her mouth.
The Super Saiyan sneered at her. "I'll give you some credit worm, your not half bad for a human. I'll have your name so I know what to put under your head when I mount it on my trophy wall."
Pan glared at him. "It's Pan! And I'll have yours so I can do the same you sick scumbag!"
The Super Saiyan laughed. "I am Tato, and you will have the privilege of being the first human to die by my hands!"
Tato surged at her and swung a heavy two handed blow. Pan threw herself above it and spun, slamming a kick right into his face. The Super Saiyan spun through the air before righting himself. Pan's eyes went wide, he barely had a bruise after a direct hit that! Oh shit...
Tato took advantage of her moment of fear and rushed her, letting into her with a barrage of quick hits followed by an overhead smash that sent her into the ground, leaving a small crater in the ground. Pan winced and rubbed her back, crap, this wasn't good. He was stronger than she was, even with the times thirty! She would only be able to hold this for a few minutes, maybe even less depending on how badly she got hurt. She only had one chance, she'd have to hit him with a one time high level Kaio-Ken.
"Oh, I'm sorry, did I hit you too hard, little girl?" mocked Tato.
Pan rose to her feet and glared at him. "Not as hard as I'm about to hit you."
Tato sneered at her. "Oh really? Bring it on, I'll give you one free hit."
One free hit. Pan remembered Odianna telling her just how to respond to this.
"Okay then, YOU ASKED FOR IT!" she shouted.
"TIMES FORTY!" Pan roared.
WOOOSH! Her aura exploded around her.
"KAMEHAMEHAAAAAAAA!" screamed Pan, unleashing the most powerful Kamehameha wave she had ever fired in her life.
Pan watched eagerly, anticipating it blowing right through Tato. To her utter horror, he simply moved to the side, letting the wave rush pass him.
Tato snicked and sneered. "Oops, guess I lied. I'll admit, you might have hurt me badly with that little stunt. But then again, I'm not really using that much of my power right now."
Pan trembled, her power gutting, and collapsed to her knees. "Y-you... bastard..."
Tato floated downward and set down on the ground, cracking his knuckles. "Are you ready, human?"
Pan couldn't help herself, as much as she didn't want to infront of this monster, she began to sob. All of that time in the chamber, all of her struggles... it meant nothing...
Tato looked at her in disgust. "You had a chance to die a warrior's death, instead, you cry? Pathetic, this is why your kind deserves to be wiped out!"
He grinned wickedly. "I'd tell you not to worry, and that it would all be over quickly, but I'd be lying. I'm going to enjoy this."
Pan watched, feeling cold, as Tato's aura shrunk. He... he was holding back his power... he was going to slowly torture her to death...
KICK! Tato smashed his foot into Pan's chest, kicking her up into the air. Pan wheezed, coughing up blood and emptying her lungs. WHAM! Tato smashed her to the ground. Tato picked her up by the scruff of her gi and threw her into the nearest building's wall. She hit it and cringed. Before she could fall to her knees Tato was there, hitting her over and over again and pounding her into the wall.
Pan screamed in pain. "Stoooop!"
"You dare ask mercy from me?" roared Tato, pulling his hand back to deliver the killing blow.
BONG!
Pan slid to the ground and looked up in confusion, sighting a frying pan bouncing off the back of Tato's head. Slowly, the Super Saiyan turned around, eyeing a child standing there defiantly. Pan looked at her in mute horror, it was one of the children she had saved her first day here. No... what was she thinking?!
"Leave Pan alone!" the child cried out.
"N-no...," Pan said weakly, "R-run!"
A woman rushed to the child, picked her up, and began to flee. Tato licked his lips hungrily and aimed a hand at them before pausing. Pan followed his gaze, sighting the citizens of Haven rushing towards the Lord's Palace for sanctuary. A wicked grin spread across the Super Saiyan's face as he adjusted the aim of his hand and unleashed a blast of ki.
"NO!" screamed Pan.
The blast hit the largest cluster of people and exploded, killing hundreds. In an instant, the humans of Terra had been made basically extinct. Tears flew down Pan's face at the instant disappearance of their ki. No no no no no... she had failed them... she had gotten them killed... no...
A yellow glow began to surround Pan, and a surge of strength hit her. She rose to her feet, glaring death at the back of the Super Saiyan.
"You bastard...," she whispered in rage.
The yellow aura faded, and a red one took its place. "YOU MONSTER!"
Tato gave a start and whirled around. "What?"
Pan began to scream in fury and rage. "KAIO-KEN!"
Her aura exploded around her. The ground began to buckle and crack, nearby buildings toppled over. Debris began to levitate into the air.
"TIMES FIFTY!" Pan screamed.
BOOOM a shock-wave of energy erupted from Pan, sending Tato stumbling back. Immediately the Super Saiyan began to power up, bracing himself. Pan glared at him before throwing her arms out to her side. Slowly, she brought them together, palms touching, aiming directly above her.
PULSE! RIPPLE!
She fired off the energy into the air, much to Tato's confusion. Pan knelt down and slammed her palms into the ground before shouting one word with all her might.
"JUDGEMENT!"
The clouds parted, and as if from the heavens Pan's energy beam rained downed upon the Super Saiyan. It hit him, slammed him down and to his knees, compacting on his back. Pan was shocked, instead of being forced to the ground and having the energy explode, Tato was struggling and trying to rise to his feet.
Pan gave a roar and struggled, trying to force the energy to overpower him with all of her might. For a moment, it looked like she would win, she would force him to the ground and obliterate him. Then...
BULGE! Her shoulder muscle bulged momentarily, sending pain spiking through her body. No! Not now!
"Body... don't fail me now!" Pan begged.
Pain began to wrack her body as her muscles bulged and relaxed involuntarily. Her power began to drop. The Super Saiyan slowly began to rise to his feet, grinning at her wickedly. With a roar, Tato surged up and threw the energy off of him, sending it exploding in the opposite direction.
Pan's power was shot, she fell to her knees, looking faintly at the Super Saiyan with a sad, grim smile. "Do... your worst..."
Tato smirked. "I intend to."
Faster than the weakened Pan could follow, he closed the distance and kicked her into the air. He flew up to her and two-handed smashed her away. She flew through the air, barely conscious, far away from the ruins of Haven. She hit the ground and skidded along, flipping and rolling until she finally came to a stop, laying on her back.
Tato flew over and landed a few feet from her, gazing down at her with a smug look on his face. "Not bad human, not bad. To bad for you that it's over, you, and your race, die this day."
Tato aimed a hand at her and began to charge a ki blast before Aneurin came out of nowhere and plowed into him, causing him to miss his ki blast. Aneurin pummeled him with all his might, only for the Super Saiyan to grab his right arm and completely twist it around.
"AAAAAH!" Aneurin roared with agony.
Tato put a palm against Aneurin's chest and blasted him, sending him flying into the distance where he hit the ground and did not move.
"An... eurin..." Pan whispered weakly, horror, and fury building inside of her.
"Fool should have never interfered with...," began Tato.
"Times thirty!" came a yell.
Aideen surged at the Super Saiyan, smashing a leg into his head and sending him staggering back. Tato glared at her, infuriated, he surged forward and gut punched her, sending her staggering back. He raised a hand, unleashed a ki blast, and blew a hole clean through her chest.
Time seemed to slow down for Pan as Aideen flew back from the blast and landed on the ground, her aura fading away, and her ki dropping down next to nothing...
"Ai...deen," Pan whispered in disbelief.
"AIDEEN!" Pan screamed in horror.
Pan broke through her weakness, not caring how much her body screamed at her. She scrambled over to the fallen woman and sank to her knees, shaking her over and over again.
"Aideen? Aideen! Wake up!" Pan begged, but she did not move.
"Heh, two down, I think it's time for the little brat to go next," spat Tato as he started forward.
He came to a stop and glanced up, Odianna had arrived, being trailed by three Super Saiyans. She came to a stop, floating far above them, staring at the scene with a stricken expression. The three other Super Saiyans floated a ways behind her, warily keeping their distance.
Pan saw none of that. All she saw was Aideen, bleeding out and dying infront of her. "Aideen..."
Clouds began to darken in the sky. Thunder began to rumble.
CRACK!
A lightning bolt descended and hit the ground a bit from Pan.
One of the Super Saiyans gave a start and examined the storm brewing. "Wait a second, I recognize this storm anywhere..."
Pan rose to her feet, trembling in anger. "You wont..."
Her energy began to rise, to skyrocket. Pieces of rubble and rocks began to rise and levitate around her.
CRACK!
Another lightning bolt descended from the clouds and hit the ground nearby. "You wont get away with this!"
The ground at her feet began to tremble and crack. Pan's head snapped up involuntarily, and her hair briefly flew up and turned yellow before fading back to normal.
Odianna watched, stunned, and mortified. "No... she... she can't be..."
"YOU WONT!" Pan roared in rage, "YOU WON'T GET AWAY WITH THIS!"
CRACK CRACK CRACK!
Lighting bolts descended and hit the ground.
"HEYAAAAAAA!" Pan screamed.
Wooosh! Brrr brrr brrrr!
Pan's hair flew up and spiked, turning and staying yellow. An aura of yellow energy surged put of her skin, engulfing her in it's glory. Her muscles bulged, and her power surged higher than it had ever been before.
Somewhere, in what little of Pan's head wasn't completely consumed by mind numbing rage, she knew what had just happened. She knew she had become a Super Saiyan.
To Pan as a whole, she didn't care. She didn't care where this power had come from. All she saw was Aideen. All she saw was the Super Saiyan who had killed her. All she knew, is that he had to die no matter what.
With a scream of primal fury, she launched herself at him...