Dragon Ball Z: Dynasty
Authors: Feraligreater328 and StevenBodner
Chapter 170: Goku vs Yakon
Stage Four, Planet Darkstar…
With a quiet clicking noise, the flashlight function on Videl's phone sparked to life and she pointed it around her new surroundings. To the girl's consternation, barely a foot of space all around her lit up. Piccolo was half and arm's length away and she could only make out his silhouette. Videl groaned and placed her device on the ground, flashlight facing up and casting a hazy little dome around the group. "What the hell are we supposed to do here? This isn't just any regular darkness, it's... advanced darkness."
Piccolo spoke calmly. "Center yourself. Not only are you not alone, but you have a greater sense than your eyes at your disposal. Feel the flow of energy around you, and you'll find this planet little more than a minor inconvenience."
Videl nodded, immediately trying to follow Piccolo's advice. Shin frowned. "Once again, you prove to be underestimating the situation. I will explain once again. We are on Planet Darkstar, one of the only planets in the universe to thrive under the light of a black sun. The light from your phone, Ms. Videl, is currently being swallowed up by its antithesis just as we are. We were all fools not to simply gang up on Yakon the second he stalked out to face us. Now, we are at risk of being picked off..."
To Shin's fury, he did not hear a single "appropriate" response to his warning. Just some weary sighs. To his right, Raditz groaned. "I always hated when Frieza would send us missions to fight dark-worlders. These miserable black sun plants are always so confusingly hot. I feel like I'm melting inside my suit..."
Piccolo and Vegeta remained quiet, both focused on the sounds of Goku fighting in the dark. The two warriors followed the action quite clearly with their Ki sense.
That monster, Yakon, was not disguising his Ki in any way. Vegeta grunted. "Piccolo, do you think that creature even knows how to..."
Piccolo responded. "My better instinct tells me no. Goku isn't really bothering to either, not that he was using much Ki in the first place, other than the occasional burst of flight."
Vegeta nodded. "Glad to know I'm not crazy. This has been an oddly physical fight thus far."
After another silent 10 minutes of fight, one that all the spectators had to admit was pretty one-sided, even if Goku wasn't trying, Bulla scoffed out loud. "Kakarot is such a dummy!"
Everyone looked down in Bulla's direction. She sounded hopelessly smug. "If this dirty ol' planet is caked in inky, black darkness and Videl's phone flashlight isn't bright enough, then we can use an even brighter tool..."
Videl cocked her head. "And that would be?"
Bulla responded by letting her full power loose, flooding all of Darkstar with the golden light of Super Saiyan. As Bulla's high-pitched shout echoed across the barren, rocky landscape, the dark of the black sun above was overtaken in a shining, radiating warmth. Across the way, Goku stood tall with nary a new scratch on him. Yakon was slumped over on the ground, puffy and quite bruised. The monster squinted and shielded his face with his claws. Goku turned and nodded. "Oh, hey! I was wondering if one of you was gonna do that!"
Yakon pushed himself up to his knees, a warbling growl in his throat. Goku frowned, more than a little bummed out. "I was hoping that being on your home turf woulda given ya some sorta boost. But it looks like all ya have is being sneaky quiet while folks can't see ya..."
Goku crossed his arms. "Eyes and ears ain't the only weapons a good fighter has in their toolbox, ya know? It's hot as can be here and you smell really, really bad. Like a mixture of sweat and rotten meat. Personally, I thought you were a lizard or somethin', but if you sweat I guess you're a mammal..."
Goku sighed. "Hey, answer me a question real quick. Do you know how to mask your Ki?"
Yakon snarled, confused by the question. "Key? Key? No key... cage is locked..."
A sad frown spread across Goku's face as the monster's gaze wandered over toward the spectating Z-Fighters. He cocked his head. "Do you... not even know what Ki is?"
Yakon stood, saliva suddenly running from his mouth in streaming rivulets. He was no longer looking at Goku at all. "Light... light... so much light..."
Goku flinched. "Huh?
Yakon was shaking. "Light. So hungry. Meat not filling enough. "Need... need..."
With a sudden spring, Yakon leapt right over Goku and charged toward the Z-Fighters. His massive eyes were both locked onto Bulla and his mouth was wide open. "NEED LIGHT!"
Caught off guard, Bulla flinched back and fell onto her butt. Yakon landed right in front of her and began to inhale with tremendous force. Neither Gohan nor Videl hesitated, rushing in at once to repel Yakon away from their young comrade. However, to their surprise, Vegeta quickly grabbed onto and stopped them both. They both turned and Vegeta shook his head. "Wait a minute. I want to see something..."
Yakon had approached no closer, inhaling with all his might as he loomed over Bulla. The girl didn't move an inch, but her energy was pulled with excessive force. Her aura wavered and warbled, quickly growing dimmer and dimmer until it was flickering like an under-stoked fire. Yakon gave one last mighty wheeze and then, like flipping a light switch, Bulla's Super Saiyan form flickered off. Yakon grinned in satisfaction, the ventilation holes on his back giving a dim glow. He belched and a cloud of shining gold gas came wafting from his mouth.
The monster glared down at the rest of the Z-Fighters in the dim light and spotted Videl's phone. With a delighted little grin, he shot his tongue out like a frog and pulled the phone in, inhaling the light until the battery died and then crunching what was left with his teeth. Yakon spat the pieces of the broken phone at Videl's feet and then leapt away.
Videl snarled after him. "YOU ASSHOLE!"
As the sound of Goku and Yakon's fight started up again, Bulla gave a little sob. She got back to her feet easily enough, but the little girl still stammered. "I-I thought that m-m-monster was g-gonna eat me..."
Vegeta reached down and tenderly rubbed his daughter's head. "No, dear, that thing wouldn't eat you unless it was desperate and you were the only option. You were lucky enough to be presenting a more appealing option."
Bulla looked up into the darkness, in the direction of her father's voice. "R-Really?"
Vegeta nodded. "Yes, really. It's not even a monster, Bulla. It's a Lucavore."
Everyone else was slightly confused. Raditz groaned. "A Lucavore?! Really?!"
Shin, in a moment of vulnerability, spoke up. "What is a Lucavore? So far as I was aware, Yakon is a legendary monster."
Vegeta cocked an eyebrow. "And you're a god?"
The Supreme Kai stammered. "N-Not of this gal... please just explain!"
Raditz quickly cut into the argument. "Lucavores are annoying, crafty beasts. They're all born on black sun planets like this and leave once they hit maturity. They take up residence in dark spaces on populated worlds and just farm for what they consider food until they decide to leave. If you've ever been on a planet with a 'legendary man-eating mountain monster' it's always either a Lucavore or a Jiggler. I remember Frieza getting so pissed off at one of those things he stopped invasion protocol out of nowhere and escalated things directly to the Ginyu Force..."
At the mention of the Ginyu Force, Raditz trailed off. The gears in his head clicked and turned until he turned in the direction he knew Gohan was standing in. "... Wait a minute."
Gohan stifled back a yelp, his voice sounding subtly more panicked. "S-Something wrong, Uncle Raditz...?"
Observing the loll in the explanation, Vegeta quickly picked it up. "Two Lucavores, actually. They were living in a mountain cave when invasion protocol began. They were sucking entire battalions of Frieza Force soldiers dry and then eating them once they had no more energy, or light in their terms, to offer. They were essentially farming Frieza' entire army. Of course, the second he realized what was happening he made a call to Captain Ginyu and those two were quickly eradicated."
Vegeta sighed. "This one, while weak by our standards, is significantly stronger than any Lucavore I've ever heard of. It must be pretty old..."
Raditz chimed back in, sounding confused and a tad annoyed. "Yeeeeah. I'm surprised we didn't recognize it at first sight..."
They all listened to the sounds of Goku dominating Yakon in the dark, his blows slowly becoming stronger and more devastating. Vegeta responded. "Well, it is a fairly gaunt Lucavore. Those things are no Jigglers, but you normally can't see their ribs through their skin..."
Piccolo spoke up. "So, what? It's starving?"
Vegeta nodded in the direction of Piccolo's voice. "Seems that way."
There was a loud crash, then the sound of a familiar pair of boots landing very close by. "You think so?"
Everyone felt a bit more at ease with Goku being near. Vegeta sniffed. "Yes, I think so. That, and the way it charged at Bulla the second she turned Super Saiyan... the way it ate Gohan's woman's phone... I would say it's quite starved indeed."
The entire group was silent for a moment as that all sank in. They heard the sounds of Yakon groaning as he pulled himself out of the rubble, his moans now sounding significantly less monstrous and significantly more pitiful. And then, as a red "M" began flashing across the battlefield, Yakon howled in pain. Goku frowned as the dumb beast began to whimper and apologize. "I thought so when I first started fightin' him. Poor guy..."
In Stage Six…
Babidi had his hands pressed to the crystal ball. His teeth were gnashing, his fingers were clenching, and his bulging eyes were bloodshot. In short, Babidi had finally had enough of the parade of embarrassments slowly drilling their way down to his inner sanctum. "YAKON! I SWEAR ON MY FATHER'S NAME, I WILL PLACE YOU ON A 3-MONTH STARVATION IF RESULTS DON'T START COMING IN SOON! DO?! YOU?! HEAR?! ME?!"
Yakon whimpered, speaking in a terrified tone. "Y-Yes, Master..."
Babidi pressed his fingertips even harder on the crystal ball, making Yakon howl in pain and claw at his sunken chest. "I WANT THAT ORANGE CLAD MONKEY DEAD! DEAD! YOU WILL REMOVE HIS HEAD AT ONCE, OR I WILL SHOW YOU REAL SUFFERING!"
Yakon stood, his entire body shaking in the crystal ball. "Yes, Master! I will kill him!"
Silently, Dabura glowered down at the crystal ball. Unlike Babidi, however, he was more furious at the way their secret weapon was being so thoroughly outstripped. He snarled and clenched his fist. "At this rate, my own hand might be forced..."
Babidi snarled, watching intently for the results Yakon had promised. Bardock watched on silently, his arms crossed over his chest.
Back on Stage Four, Planet Darkstar…
All at once, the red flashing stopped and everyone heard it as Yakon started running right at them. Goku groaned, pressing his hands to his face. "This ain't right. I don't wanna hurt the big, dumb fella. He's just hungry and scared spitless from the sound of it..."
Piccolo spoke bluntly. "Sometimes, Goku, cruelty is kindness. If you are so concerned about the beast, then killing it and freeing it from the madman down below might just be the cure. Put it out of its misery and allow us to advance. Do not forget that Krillin and Tien are waiting outside for us."
Goku sighed. "I haven't forgotten. But..."
Yakon let loose a ghastly wail. They heard him spring into the air, accompanied by the sound of his blades extending out with a sharp noise and a click. Goku quickly spoke. "Vegeta, I need a favor. Just wait for my signal..."
Vegeta was taken aback, but he quickly recovered and nodded. "Whatever."
Yakon landed behind Goku, turning in the blink of an eye and swinging his arm blade for the fences. Goku quickly snapped a kick backwards that nailed Yakon in the stomach. The beast guttered out a groan and Goku turned, uppercutting him hard in the jaw. Yakon fell backwards and Goku sprang after him. "Sorry, big guy, I'm tryin' to hold back..."
The beast roared, charging at Goku with a barrage of claw swipes and kicks. Goku effortlessly blocked every attack coming at him, even leaning back to avoid Yakon's snapping jaws. Shifting his weight forward, Goku flipped into the air and landed on Yakon's head with both feet. Confused, Yakon froze up and Goku continued his attack, leaping behind Yakon and sending him flying with a kick.
Yakon landed on his feet and turned, only to feel Goku's hand clamp onto his face and plow him into the ground. The beast tried to latch onto Goku with his claws, but Goku quickly leapt out of the way. He snarled and charged after him. He leapt into the air and tried to bounce once more, a predatory animal falling back onto his natural instincts. Goku leapt to the side, but gasped as he felt something new shooting toward him. The Saiyan backflipped just in time to avoid a stab from Yakon's tail. Yakon came charging again, blades still swinging, and Goku groaned. "Gotta put an end to this..."
Goku ran toward Yakon, closing his eyes to block out what little input the useless sense could provide. Hearing Yakon's foot land just right, Goku suddenly fell to his back. He slid between Yakon's legs with ease, grabbing the foot that was still planted on the ground and tripping him onto his face. Reacting quickly, Goku leapt onto Yakon's back and used all his weight and strength to keep the beast prone. Goku grunted, holding onto Yakon's back spikes for dear life. "Listen to me! Y-You don't need to listen to Babidi, Yakon! Just stop!"
Yakon gave a roar of desperation, trying his best to buck Goku off. The Saiyan could feel the fight leaving the beast. He groaned. "Dammit. We're almost there. I guess I'm just gonna have to... use a bit more energy again..."
Vegeta flinched hearing Goku say that and, much like Raditz earlier, the gears began to turn in the Saiyan Prince's head. Goku, meanwhile, was listening to Yakon's labored breathing. He quickly resorted to the strategy of trying to attack Goku on his own back. His arms, while long, were not articulated enough to reach and Goku cringed at the sound of Yakon tearing gashes into his own flesh in a desperate attempt to turn the tide. Goku nodded. And then, he called out. "VEGETA! TURN SUPER SAIYAN AND DO NOT LET IT FALTER FOR EVEN A SECOND! MAINTAIN NO MATTER WHAT!"
Vegeta rolled his eyes. "What? Did you forget how?"
But the prince obliged the request, turning Super Saiyan immediately and illuminating Darkstar to a far greater extent than Bulla had managed. All at once, it was like an entire hemisphere of the planet had spawned a yellow sun. Vegeta crossed his arms, watching as Goku twisted Yakon into submission on the ground. He watched with disdain as the Lucavore and the clown both stared over at him.
Goku smiled. "Now, Yakon..."
Yakon's jowls were dripping as he stared at Vegeta. Goku continued. "You're hungry, right?"
The beast nodded, unable to say a word at the sight of so much food radiating in front of him. Goku smiled and chucked. "Whaddaya say we come to an agreement? You go ahead and surrender and, in return, I'll help ya shake Babidi off and get Vegeta to let you eat some of that yummy, yummy light! Eh? Sounds like a pretty good deal, right?"
Yakon's eyes were sparkling. "You give light... for free...?"
Goku nodded. "Ayup. Just stand up and walk toward Vegeta!"
Yakon nodded back and stood up, slowly marching toward the stoic prince. Everyone else had their guard up, ready to fight if need be. The Supreme Kai had a look of utter bafflement on his face. As Yakon inched closer and closer, Goku swung around and pressed his hand to the beast's chest. He closed his eyes and began to concentrate. "Vegeta, you're better with this move, so I might need your help with this too if it doesn't go how I want it to..."
The Majin mark began to flash beneath Goku's palm. He could feel the warmth. In the back of his head, he could hear a quiet echo of Babidi's furious screams. Goku chuckled and pressed his hand tighter, using Forced Spirit Fission to force himself into Babidi's hex. As Yakon began to suckle on Vegeta's aura, Goku gave a few light slaps to the hungry animal's chest. With each slap, Babidi's miserable voice got quieter... quieter... quieter still...
Yakon gasped as he heard the wizard's voice echo in his head. "... Yakon..."
And then, as the wretched mark crumbled away, Shin gasped and Goku chuckled. "Ayup. So, why don't you just forget that mean ol' Babidi and stick with us, huh?"
At once, the spell keeping them locked on location at Darkstar shattered and the entire group was flung back into Stage Four of Babidi's ship. Yakon stood there, blinking as he loomed over Vegeta. He turned to Goku, looking genuinely grateful. "I really...can eat...?"
Goku dropped down to the floor, immediately rushing up to Vegeta and bowing, his hands clapped together in front. "Please, Vegeta! Pretty, pretty please!"
The prince had a look on his face like he had just bitten into a lemon. He sighed and closed his eyes. "This dumb animal has 3 minutes before I switch from annoyed to angry."
Goku and Yakon both squeed, looking starry-eyed at one another and then back at Vegeta. Immediately, the hungry beast began to wolf down Vegeta's excess Ki while Goku rubbed his belly and gave him praise. "Who's a good boy? Who's a good boy? Who's a good, ol' Yakon~?"
Back in Level Six…
Babidi's arms fell uselessly to his sides, watching on as Yakon fell to the ground and began to kick one of his legs. "And now they've gained a new party member..."
Dabura and Bardock both stood uselessly off to the side. Babidi turned to them and spoke in sheer disbelief. "What the hell is going on today...?"
He glared at Bardock specifically. "Did you see NONE of this coming?"
Bardock bowed to the imp. "Forgive me, Master Babidi. My predictions are typically nested in the realms of common sense and logic based on whatever is going on around me. I have no control of the phenomenon. I never had a vision of this, Master Babidi, because I never expected one of our best warriors to be felled by a child, nor did I expect the much vaunted Yakon to possess hardly any more intelligence than a common Earth mutt."
And then, Bardock went to the next level of supplication and pressed the forehead of his mask to the ground. "Master Babidi, I never would be able to foresee Pui Pui and Yakon failing you so thoroughly. If I had, sir, I would have executed them right away."
Babidi grunted and tugged very hard on his whisker. Bardock's toadying had worked to improve his mood as it always did. He turned back to the crystal ball and sneered. "So, what do we do now?"
Bardock lifted his head. "Well, Master Babidi, I'm sure Dabura would agree that it's time to send out the best and brightest. They're on the doorstep, sir. It's time to chase them off..."
Dabura nodded with a demonic smirk. "For once, I agree with the ape, Master. Allow me to Stage Five. There... they shall progress no further~"
Babidi gave his sacred nod of approval, and the Demon King immediately made his way toward the elevator leading to the upper levels. The aperitif was done, it was time for the main course.
Back on Stage Four…
Freed from his brainwashed torment, Yakon really did devolve into an essentially dog-like state of mind. He padded up on all fours to Goku, his belly distended from his first full meal in ages. He nuzzled his massive face against Goku's ribs and gave a happy little growl. Yakon was still a vicious predator whose breath stank of rotting flesh, but he hugged Goku tight and growled. "Friend... forever friend~"
Much like Babidi below, Shin's arms flopped uselessly to his sides. He watched as Goku scratched Yakon under the chin and behind the ears. The deity turned to Piccolo. "What am I watching right now?"
Piccolo smirked. "We've taken to calling it the 'Goku Effect'. This is it in action. He tends to make friends on the battlefield the same way a 4-year-old makes friends at a public park..."
The elevator leading down to Stage Five opened and Goku hooted. "OKAY, YAKON! LEAD US ON TO STAGE FIVE!"
Yakon gave a vicious roar, extending his wrist blades and plunging into the elevator shaft. Gohan, Videl, Bulla, Piccolo, Shin, and Raditz all quickly followed. Left alone, Goku and Vegeta looked at each other. The prince was blunt. "Why aren't you using your Ki?"
Goku nervously chuckled. "Wh-What are ya talkin' about? It takes Ki to fly and stuff~"
Vegeta frowned. "Don't bullshit me. I know it takes Ki to fly, idiot. But ever since you came back from Other World, you haven't fired a single Ki blast. And, other than showing off to that buffoon, you haven't transformed once. Using Spirit Fission to free that beast was only the second time I've felt your energy even slightly swell up since then. Why?! What are you hiding from me?!"
Goku flinched, several nervous beads of sweat trailing down his face. But then, very quickly, he turned and backed up to the elevator shaft, maintaining eye contact with the prince the entire way. And then, Goku pressed a finger to his lips and said. "Shh! It's a secret!"
Then he fell backwards into the shaft and out of Vegeta's sight. Vegeta's eyebrow twitched, an annoyed vein bulging from his forehead. "... You're pissing me off, Kakarot."
Meanwhile, back on Papaya Island…
Both halves of Mighty Mask just stood there inside their costume, unsure of how to proceed once Vale had declared the match begun. Despite his cocksure attitude, and in spite of her natural aggressive streak, neither Trunks nor Ranch were actually sure how to go about attacking this woman. Android 18 wasn't just an adult, she was one of the adults. She was tough as nails and twice as sharp. And her normally icy demeanor had always rendered her as the "scary aunt" in their lives. Trunks swallowed a lump in his throat. Ranch shuffled in place.
18 cocked her head, no longer winded at all. "Sometime today?"
Trunks' eyes flickered down to Ranch. "Wh-What do we do? I dunno what to do..."
Ranch snapped back. "Well get thinking! This was your idea!"
Across the ring, 18 was rubbing her eyes. Life as an Android had gotten her used to not really feeling fatigue. What Terrablaze did to her was the normal human equivalent of running a marathon and, while she appreciated the boost in power, she genuinely despised the aftereffects. She groaned and pressed her fingers to the tender feeling flesh above her heart. Even after 7 years, she still felt a little tender from where Cell's stinger had pierced. 18 groaned. "At least I don't have to use Terrablaze anymore today..."
The Android knew that this tournament was in the bag. She had beaten that poser outside the ring before and this freak standing across from her and mumbling to himself was no real challenge. She was ready to beat them both, kick out that fame-stealing fool, and take her new belt (and massive cash prize) back to the hotel for a well-deserved nap. Then, once Krillin got back from whatever he and the others were doing... she was going to rock his world while wearing that belt.
As 18 smirked and chuckled to herself, a brief sense of panic as her husband's flagging energy signature just barely flashing across her mind. She took a deep breath and became stoic once more. Prizes, sleep, and sex could all wait until later. Right now... this hooded loser was actually starting to piss her off, just standing there and talking to himself. Without a word of warning, Android 18 shot forward and slammed her elbow into Mighty Mask's face, sending him flying back with a shrill cry of pain. The hooded goon went flying back toward the edge of the ring and 18 leapt into the air to finish the attack. She dropped from the sky like a bolt of lightning, slamming her heel into Mighty Mask's chest.
Mighty Mask grunted like he had just been kicked in the stomach (why did his chest feel so soft under her heel?) and fell back toward the grass. 18 nodded. Her work was done.
The Android went to land when, suddenly, Mighty Mask's weirdly thin legs shot up and struck. One of the legs jammed into 18's shin with more force than she expected, and her calf did a charley horse in response. 18 hissed and the other leg cracked across her jaw, sending her skidding back.
For the first time, 18 really paid attention to Mighty Mask. She hadn't bothered before because she honestly never took him seriously. She watched with silent revulsion as the weirdo got his feet back under him in the most unnatural way possible, almost like two people were working in tandem inside that smock. She flinched. "Wait a minute..."
Fighter Android 18 took a backseat for just a moment. Lawyer Lazuli Lazarus took the stand in her place. Quickly. 18's eyes shifted all over Mighty Mask's body and began to put it together.
Short arms and legs. Two holes halfway down revealing a pair of eyes. Familiar hair color behind the cowl. A familiar young male and female voice muttering behind the costume.
18 smirked.
As Mighty Mask struggled to get their act back together, a Ki blast suddenly came shooting close enough to Trunks' face that he yelped in surprise, the fabric next to his ear was singed. He cried out in panic. "H-Hey! T-Take it easy now, this fight is just getting-"
18 interrupted with a sentence that made both kids' blood run cold. "Oh, don't piss your trunks. I'm not packing you off to the ranch just yet~"
Both children's eyes went wide. 18 was shooting them both a cruel, knowing smirk. They shivered in place as she took a step toward them. Trunks whispered in horror. "She..."
Ranch finished. "... knows."
18 gave a small, malicious chuckle. This little match might actually be fun. She motioned at them. "Come on, now. I'll even give you the first hit~"
Trunks bit his lower lip. Ranch was nervous. "T-Trunks...?"
And then Trunks took off, dragging Ranch with him as he flew forward, his arm drawn back. Android 18 wasn't just any adult. She was his father's best friend. If she knew it was him under this costume and still beckoned him forth, he had no choice but to give this fight his all!
He smashed into 18 with a mighty haymaker, but 18 blocked the attack. She closed her eyes with a serene grin and sidestepped, making Trunks and Ranch both stumbled forward. She delivered a cruel knee to the gut, smashing Ranch right in the nose and elbowing Trunks in the back of the head. The kids fell to the ground in a heap, both groaning in pain. 18 crossed her arms. "Ready to give up?"
Trunks sprang up, once again weirdly folding the Mighty Mask costume in half and fired a Ki blast at 18. She feinted to the side and then pounced on both kids, sitting down right on the back of Ranch's head and grabbing Trunks into a headlock. He yowled in pain and 18 smirked. She whispered. "Sorry, kids. If you wanna play with your auntie, you should know that I was raised to play rough. Now, give up and walk away, or I'll squeeze the air out of you~"
Trunks groaned, pawing at 18's steel band of an arm with severely decreasing strength. Once again, he recalled how rough 18 had been with both his father and her own brother in fights. She was a kind, cool aunt. But she was also mean. 18 squeezed her arm under Trunks' little bobbing Adam's apple and he could feel himself fading. She was going to choke him unconscious and then they were cooked.
Luckily for Trunks, salvation came in the form of a little fist bulging beneath the fabric of Mighty Mask's tunic and punching 18 right in the kidney. Her grip loosened as she flinched in pain and Ranch sprang into action, wrapping her legs around 18's waist and flinging her off.
18 landed on her feet, rubbing a darkening bruise just above her hip. She barely had time to recover as Mighty Mask suddenly snaked back upright and charged at her once again. A barrage of punches met the Android as the hooded figure crashed into her, little fists dinging off her arms as she quickly moved to block each and every strike.
18 chuckled. "Your flexibility in this disguise would give Piccolo a run for his money~"
The Android struck out with her leg and felt her foot collide with Ranch's shoulder. The girl yelped and Mighty Mask spilled over again, turning into a cartwheel and putting as much distance between himself and 18 as possible. 18 continued the pressure right away, breaking into a punching barrage of her own. Trunks was struggling to keep up, his mind racing. 'Shoot, shoot, shoot! This is bad! 18 is the fifth strongest person on the planet after Dad, Gohan, Goku, and Piccolo. This was so dumb to think we could just take her like this!'
18 pulled her leg to the side, sweeping it across the ground and aiming for Mighty Mask's feet. Trunks frantically shouted. "FLY! FLY! FLY!"
Instantly, the two kids took to the air. 18 smiled. "They're panicking~ Cute~"
She shot into the air after them like a bullet, both hands splaying to the sides and summoning Ki blasts. She called out in a sing-song voice as they got higher and higher into the air. "Run as fast as you can, kiddies~! I'm gonna-"
Suddenly, Mighty Mask's legs shot up into the tunic and, faster than the normal eye could follow, Ranch popped out and hammered 18 across the face. The girl quickly shifted back into her normal position as 18 fell back down toward the ground. Ranch was breathing heavily. "That was so scary! What do we do, Trunks?! We can't beat her!"
Trunks scowled, wiping away the sweat pouring from his forehead. "We've gotta be aggressive! We don't have to beat her in a fight, we just have to make her land outside the ring! We can do this, Ranch! We just have to work together... right?"
The boy bent over and looked down into the sparkling, black eyes of his legs. His face felt warm looking her in the eye. Ranch's voice was normally low and sullen, but something seemed different as she looked up at Trunks. She felt more at ease. She felt more confident. Without thinking, she raised her fist up with the tunic. "Right!"
Trunks smiled, bumping his fist against hers. "Right!"
The two kids nodded at one another and cried out. "RIGHT!"
And then, fully united in purpose, the two little half-Saiyan shot down at the falling Android 18. Trunks seized her by the wrist, snapping the Android into attention. Her cheek was scuffed from Ranch's cheap shot, and she looked annoyed. But Trunks didn't care. He began to spin around, swinging 18 with him faster and faster and faster until he suddenly let go and sent her flying toward the edge of the ring.
18 just barely managed to stop herself in time to avoid touching the grass. She regained her balance and shot at her opponents once more. The cocksure grin was back on 18's face. "Oh, so that's the game is it?!"
At the very last moment, 18 shot up into the air. Mighty Mask flinched and looked up in time to see an elbow drop to the face. Trunks grunted in pain and 18, not wanting to leave Ranch out, delivered what almost appeared to be a crotch shot to Mighty Mask, kicking the girl in the stomach and sending the double-warrior flying to the ground below.
Mighty Mask landed with a flop, both halves groaning. Trunks' head was spinning, stars and moons spinning around his head. "Did anybody get tha number of thah bus...?"
Ranch, meanwhile, clutched her stomach in fury. Trunks was too dazed to continue for the moment, but she was pissed. Ranch spoke bluntly. "You're the legs for a while."
18 landed and casually walked up to Mighty Mask, cocking her head as she watched the misshapen form undulate and writhe on the ground. "Are you two okay?"
Mighty Mask took to the air, his legs now limp and his head bowed. 18 scratched the back of her head. "Shit. Did I go too-"
The masked fighter's head snapped up, his eyes now black and his hair now a very familiar dark blue. 18's eyes went wide and Ranch jammed a hand into her face, shouting like a barbarian and firing a dozen Ki blasts. The Android recoiled back, stunned as all of the attacks collided into her. She snarled. "Dammit! What the hell are you-"
Mighty Mask charged forward through the smoke, punching 18 in the stomach hard. The Android doubled over, her eyes popping out at the feeling of Ranch's full strength. Not letting up, Ranch grabbed 18 by the ears and yanked her off her feet, dragging her through the air and slamming her with a massive suplex.
Ranch smirked, hovering over 18 as she held onto the dazed Trunks with her legs and tail. "How'd that feel?!"
18 responded by vanishing, suddenly appearing behind Mighty Mask with a wild look in her eye. 18 threw a punch and the panicking Ranch dodged it at the last second, grabbing 18 by the arms and locking her in place. Acting purely on instinct, Ranch reared her head back for a headbutt. 18 responded by using her free hand to punch Ranch in the forehead, making her head snap back.
Mighty Mask flopped onto their backs and 18 loomed over them, adjusting her gloves. "Man, Mighty Mask! Your fighting style sure did change outta nowhere! I wonder why?!"
She mumbled under her breath. "I wonder how you'll attack now that both halves are knocked senseless, you little-"
Mighty Mask's legs suddenly sprang to life, one of them tripping 18 with a sweeping kick and the other sending her flying with a stomp to the chest. 18's eyes went wide, feeling that Trunks was grinding his foot around as if he were searching for something. He was less than 2 inches away from stomping on her sensitive spot. 18 skidded nearly to the edge of the ring before jamming her fingers into the thick, solid stone. She hissed. "You brat..."
She watched as Mighty Mask writhed in place. Trunks and Ranch were changing positions again. While they got themselves sorted out, 18 thought of what was possibly happening here.
Would Vegeta have told her secret? No.
Would Trunks have been eavesdropping because he's a little shit? Bingo.
Mighty Mask got to their feet. So did 18. She glared at them, unimpressed. "You were off a little ways from your target. Maybe try shifting your aim a bit, if you get the chance too. Personally, I'm done playing with you."
18 gripped her fists, taking on an aggressive stance. "Let's dance, kid!"
Trunks shouted out loud, his voice ringing through the surprised audience as Mighty Mask rocketed toward Android 18 and punched her waiting forearm. 18's eyes narrowed, and she stared Trunks in the eye. She whispered. "Don't worry, I'll give you a nice ass-whooping so your parents don't have to bother..."
Unperturbed, Trunks laid into 18 with a furious barrage of punches. Once more, 18 deflected and blocked each in a furious storm of chops and slaps. Trunks kept up the pressure. He was waiting for the right moment, the right instant, the right window when he'd be able to act. Just a little longer. Just... a... little...
The perfect window to 18's chest opened, and Trunks shot his elbow towards it. Taking advantage of her temporary weak spot was the only way to win this now. Seeing through the boy's ploy, 18 hooked her arm in the crook of Trunk's elbow, catching his attempted strike and do-si-doeing him across the ring. Mighty Mask landed on his feet in a skidding and 18 chopped him across the upper chest for his troubles, striking Trunks across the ribs with a hefty slap. The boy wheezed, nearly toppling off Ranch's shoulders but catching himself.
As 18 focused on Trunks, Ranch aimed from below. She held her hands up to her eyeholes, forming a blast on the other side of the tunic and whispering softly. "Saturday Crush..."
Catching 18 off guard, the blast fired up and struck into her shoulder. The Android felt her arm pulse with malignant lightning and go dead. She glared down and saw two little middle fingers sticking out of the eyeholes. 18 snarled. Trunks followed up Ranch's successful attack with a surprise kick to the gut, his foot bulging from beneath Mighty Mask's tunic. Ranch tried to follow that up with a spinning kick to 18's face, making Mighty Mask grotesquely twist in the middle. 18 grabbed the girl by the ankle and glared. She lifted her paralyzed arm, shaking the feeling back into it, and then she grabbed Mighty Mask's cowl with both fists and headbutted Trunks in the face.
Mighty Mask groaned, stumbling back, and 18 charged in, alternating between the face and gut of the double-stacked warrior, alternating punching Trunks and Ranch with equal force. She pressed her hands to Mighty Mask's chest and shouted. "POWER BLITZ!"
The pink orb shimmered from 18's palms and she jerked it up at the last second, shooting her shot and firing Mighty Mask into the air, shreds of the stolen cape breaking off and burning up as they rose. Floating there, staring down at 18 below, Trunks and Ranch both began to panic once more. Ranch cried out. "Trunks! We can't stop her! She's too tough, and now she knows that underhanded trick you were trying! She's guarding it, Trunks!"
Trunks stammered. "I... I c-can still g-go Super S-Saiyan, and-"
Ranch shouted back. "SHE REGULARLY SPARS EVENLY WITH YOUR DAD WHILE HE'S IN SUPER SAIYAN! WHAT'S THAT GONNA DO?!"
Trunks stared down, feeling the walls closing in. He gripped his fists. "My Dad..."
A short time before the tournament, back in the Gravity Chamber…
Trunks and Bulla shouted in unison, furious and offended and horrified all at the same time. "ONLY ONE OF US GETS TO ENTER THE TOURNAMENT?!"
Vegeta smirked. "Yes. That's exactly what I mean. The winner gets to enter the tournament. And then, if that one does well, they get all the ice cream they can eat. What do you think of that?"
Trunks and Bulla looked at one another, and then they looked up at their father. And then, they both opened their mouths to speak. Trunks frowned. "That is so..."
Bulla finished. "... lame."
Vegeta flinched, truly taken aback. "Lame?! What the hell do you mean it's lame? It's ice cream!"
Trunks crossed his arms. "Yeah, and we already have an unlimited source of ice cream. Her name is Grandma."
For a moment, Vegeta almost threatened to forbid them from asking Panchy for ice cream. But then, the thought of angering his eternally sunshining mother-in-law filled Vegeta with an indescribable dread. Bulla huffed. "Besides, that stacks everything for the winner, Daddy! What about the person who doesn't win? I'm gonna beat Trunks, but I don't want him to just get nothing..."
Trunks growled, smashing his forehead into his sister's. "Why don't you shut the hell up?! I ain't losing to you!"
Bulla growled right back. "You're losing this match and your teeth if you don't get outta my face!"
Vegeta sighed. "Enough!"
Both kids turned to him. The prince scratched his cheek. "Fine. You want a better prize, how about this? The winner between the two of you gets to join the tournament. The loser, on the other hand, well..."
Vegeta looked down, happy to see both of his children granting their undivided attention. "You both know the Galick Gun, my signature technique as well as your paternal grandmother's before me. But... what if I told you I had two more techniques hidden away? Destructive techniques that I've never shared before. The loser, as a consolation, gets first dibs in learning a technique of their choice. The winner gets to learn the other one. Deal?"
Now Trunks and Bulla looked quite excited indeed. To Vegeta's fatherly delight, they both pumped their fists into the air. "DEAL!"
Back in the present…
Trunks gripped his fist. "Bulla got to learn the Big Bang Attack. But I think what I learned might just suit our needs."
He smiled wide. "Yeah! I think I have a way of winning after all!"
Ranch flinched. "Wh-What is it?!"
Without answer, Trunks went Super Saiyan with his full power. The sheer force of it blew all the clouds away in a giant circle. Trunks cackled out loud, swelling all his energy as high as it would go. "HEY, 18! YOU THINK YOU'RE SO TOUGH?! THEN TRY TO TAKE THIS HEAD ON!"
In the ring below, Android 18 cocked an eyebrow. "What the hell is he doing now...?"
In the crowd behind her, something was slowly clicking in Bulma's head. "... Wait a minute."
Trunks spread his arms out to his side and began to shout. "HHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Below him, Ranch was panicking. "T-Trunks?! Isn't this a bit far?! What are you doing?!"
Trunks shouted. "THIS IS OUR BATTLE TO WIN, 18! IN MERE MOMENTS, THERE WON'T BE A RING LEFT TO STAND UNDER!"
18 flinched. "Okay, that's a bit much. What the hell is going to do?!"
Trunks slammed his wrists together, focusing his power in his palms. 18's pupils shrank. "No! He wouldn't! He can't! Why would Vegeta teach a kid something so-"
Up in the air, Trunks shouted at the top of his lungs. "FINAL FLASH!"
Suddenly, Bulma's face was very angry indeed. "FINAL FLASH?!"
In an instant, a railgun of golden energy shot down right at Android 18. She panicked, throwing her hands up and creating a shield barrier. "SHIT! SHIT! SHIT!"
The attack collided with 18's barrier and she suddenly felt greatly pressured. A massive amount of energy was pressing down on her, smashing her deeper and deeper into the already tattered ring. 18 strained and grunted, not even caring about victory anymore. She shouted as she pushed against the attack. "TRUNKS, YOU'RE GONNA BLOW UP THE PLANET! STOP BEING AN IDIOT!"
But Trunks didn't hear her, excited at the prospect that he was hanging in a fight with one of the big adults, he couldn't hear anything more than the sound of his own cheerful laughter. He couldn't see anything more than what was directly in front of him. And that included the sight of his beam shrinking in length, pushing closer and closer and closer, slowly but surely.
Down below, Ranch called out. "T-Trunks?"
Trunks was too caught up in his own power trip. Ranch heard a familiar growl. "T-Trunks?!"
Trunks continued to cackle. He was sure that, any moment now, he was gonna hear that Vale guy declared 18 the loser. He pumped even more energy into the Final Flash, expecting it only needed one more tiny boost. But then, to Trunks' horror, a flaming torch emerged from the base of his attack. And, attached to that torch, was the scowling face and burning eyes of Android 18, her Terrablaze Mode freshly reactivated. Trunks flinched. "Wha-wha-wha..."
18 snapped at him. "DUMBASS!"
And then, 18 slapped Trunks across the face, ripping the Mighty Mask costume right in two and sending him crashing down into the stands below. On the ground, Vale screamed in horror. "OH MY GOSH! NUMBER 18 HAS JUST BROKEN MIGHTY MASK IN HALF! THAT IS CLEARLY A-"
The announcer stopped dead as he stared up, genuinely dumbfounded by what he saw. Hovering in front of 18, shaking like a leaf, was Ranch. The girl looked up at Android 18, a cherished and trusted adult and source of guidance, and tears began to spill down her red, shaking face. 18 glanced down at Ranch and, with her Terrablaze burning away, she looked genuinely furious. A drip of snot ran from Ranch's nostril and she cried out in a panic. "THIS WAS ALL TRUNKS' IDEA!"
And then, Ranch flew off toward the setting sun as fast as she could, hiding her face and audibly sobbing. 18 called after her. "R-Ranch! Wait! I..."
18 looked down at her own burning hand and realized that she didn't shut down Terrablaze. She pictured what she looked like the last time she had turned on the form in front of a mirror and growled in disgust, instantly shutting off the form and pressing her hand to her burning chest. "Smooth friggin' move, Lazuli. She probably thinks you hate her..."
In the crowd…
Trunks sat up in a daze, rubbing his throbbing cheek and groaning. "Ow..."
He looked around and saw that he had landed in the middle of all the other Z-Supporters, none of whom looked too impressed that he had nearly blown up the planet to satisfy his own desire to win a match.
Yamcha sighed. "Is it a good or a bad thing that Vegeta and Bulma's kids are both exactly like them?"
As Blonde Launch desperately dialed on her phone, trying to reach her little girl, Bulma turned to Yamcha and gave him a death glare so intense that several normal people behind him fainted from shock. In the confusion, Trunks stood and started to sneak away, only for Bulma to clamp onto his wrist with an iron grip. She didn't even look at him, continuing to scare Yamcha to death. "Sit. Now."
Hearing Bulma's scary voice, Trunks sat down at once, silently fearful that this was the last comfortable sitting he'd be doing for a while once they got back to the hotel.
As Bulma continued to make Yamcha pray to every god both acquainted and unknown, Vale marched his way up the steps. He leaned over, getting face-to-face with Trunks and held his mic up to his mouth. "Disqualified."
Trunks flinched, the final nail hammered into his coffin. His tournament scheme had officially failed.
Back in the ring…
Standing in the center of the ring, 18 fretfully stared out to the west. Once again, just as with Krillin, the urge to abandon all of this and give Ranch chase was very, very strong. Vale entered the ring and glanced over at 18. The Android was flushed, her breathing slightly labored. Her hand was pressed to her chest as if she were having trouble catching her breath. Lowering the microphone, Vale called over. "Are you okay?"
18 waved him off. "I'm fine. Using that flame mode of mine too much is stressful..."
Vale shot her a thumbs up. "Good for the final match?"
18 shot a lazy thumbs-up back. "Whatever..."
The Android stared down at the ground, thinking back to her own miserable childhood when she was upset. She closed her eyes. "Gotta give the girl space. Let her come to me. Once she comes back, shower her with as much love as possible. Build trust. Can't... force things..."
As 18 thought to herself, Gyuhime marched into the ring. She gave a nod to Vale and the announcer smiled. "FIGHTERS! ARE YOU READY?!"
Once again, Gyuhime gave a nod. Despite her distraction, so did Android 18. Vale smirked. "THEN, I AM HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE, LET THE FINALS OF THIS WORLD MARTIAL ARTS TOURNAMENT COMMENCE!"
As Vale chopped his hand down, Gyuhime came rushing at 18. 18 didn't care. She adopted a loose stance and glared at this dumb cow with disdain. She was going to knock her out with the exact same move as last time, just to rub it in. This time, however, Gyuhime didn't shout the name of some ridiculous, overblown move. She stopped short, locking into a solid stance and gripped her fists tight. Under her breath, in a voice 18 swore she recognized, Gyuhime whispered. "Sorry, Lazuli..."
And then, faster than the distracted Android's eye could follow, Gyuhime slammed a 1-inch punch into her chest, exactly on target with Cell's puncture wound. 18 felt a cardiac arrestive shockwave spread through her entire body and her eyes rolled back.
One step back. Skip a beat.
Two steps back. Skip a beat.
Three steps back. Skip a beat.
And then, Android 18 fell out of the ring, flat onto her back. Her heart started beating again and she gasped and sputtered in shock, but it was too late. Android 18 had lost. Gyuhime the Cattle Princess had won!
In the ring, Vale cried out in surprise. "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! WE HAVE A WINNER! IN A SHOCKING TURN OF EVENTS, GYUHIME IS NOW OUR OFFICIAL CHALLENGER FOR MR. SATAN'S CHAMPIONSHIP BELT!"
In the crowd…
Mr. Satan watched from the stands as that Lapis guy and a hulking red-headed dude he thought he knew both jumped from the stands to check on that Number 18 chick. As they helped her up, he swore he heard a little girl crying her eyes out somewhere behind him.
And yet, Mr. Satan was smiling from ear-to-ear. All the superpowered folk had been taken down. Not a single one was left to be of any threat to his title. He was home free! He was safe!
Much to Hiki Kimori's consternation, Mr. Satan sprang to his feet and shouted, flashing the double peace signs into the air. "I'M READY IF Y'ALL ARE! WHO WANTS TO SEE A CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH?!"
The crowd cheered in response and Mr. Satan continued to bellow his triumphant laugh. Quite a bit of the triumph flooded out of the laugh, however, when he and Gyuhime locked eyes. Something about the look in that woman's gaze told Mr. Satan, to his terror, that he might not be as lucky as he originally thought.
Back in Babidi's ship, Stage Five…
The Z-Fighters, the Supreme Kai, and Yakon all stood in anticipation of who was going to emerge from the door next. Goku turned to his new pet and spoke. "Hey, buddy, do you have any idea who they'll send next?"
Yakon growled under his breath, clasping his claws together. "Not sure. Never saw many people besides Babidi. Ate the guards that let me out the pen..."
Videl snapped at him. "Like you ate my phone?!"
Yakon flinched. "S-Sorry..."
She rolled her eyes. "Damn it, man. That was the brand-new model Capsule Phone too. I paid a lotta Zeni for that..."
Videl glared over at Vegeta. "Hey, forehead, get your wife to hook me up with a new phone!"
Vegeta didn't look at her, scrolling on his own device despite the lack of service. "Sure. I'll get riiiiight on that."
Bulla jabbed a finger at Videl. "Be quiet, peasant! You wouldn't dare order the Prince of All Saiyans to retrieve a phone for you!"
The two girls stuck their tongues out at each other and quickly got into a conversation of making increasingly more grotesque faces. Gohan rubbed his hand over his eyes. "Ay-yi-yi..."
Raditz checked his watch. "This one sure is slow, huh? Maybe they ran out of people they'd want to send away. Apparently, Dad is a big deal here. So, perhaps Babidi is unwilling to-"
The door to Stage Five suddenly began to rise open. Everyone stared at the silhouette in the blinding light, recognition slowly dawning on their faces. Shin was shaking in terror. Yakon yelped and scurried behind Goku in a panic. The warrior of Stage Five stepped out in his regal, blue vestments and his flowing, white cape. A sinister grin cracked across his lips and he glowered at his foes.
Dabura, the Demon King, stood across from the Z-Fighters. "Hello. Who is to die first?"
Without any hesitation, Piccolo stepped forward and stared Dabura right in the eye. His response was bold and very short indeed. "You."