Boom Boom

"AACHHOOO!"

Yajirobe let out a thunderous sneeze, nearly knocking himself over as he fumbled for a handkerchief. "Ugh… space colds suck," he groaned, wiping his nose with dramatic flair.

The underground chamber was dimly lit, the flickering light making everything look ten times creepier than necessary. Somewhere in the distance, a clock ticked ominously, like it was judging him.

Seated on the cold floor, Yajirobe was hard at work, grinding a pile of viciously red chilies in a mortar and pestle. His eyes watered from the sheer potency, but he grinned through it. "Heh. This stuff could probably knock a Namekian unconscious."

Satisfied, he grabbed a long, pointed wooden stick and dunked the tip into the fiery paste. His grin widened into a full-blown, villainous smirk.

"HAHAHA! Come on, Bardock! Hurry up and bring Dodoria here! I can't wait to stick this up his—"

His mind instantly took off, painting a glorious mental picture.

There was Dodoria, big, pink, and terrified, tied up on the floor, his backside raised helplessly.

"M-Mommy… please save me…" Dodoria whimpered, his jowls quivering.

And then there was him, Yajirobe, standing over him like an executioner, twirling the chili-coated stick between his fingers. His grin stretched ear to ear.

"MWAHAHAHAHA!"*

Right as he was about to mentally deliver the final blow—

"HAHA—OUCH!"

Reality hit hard as the stick slipped from his grip and jabbed directly into his own forearm.

"OWWWW! DAMMIT!" Yajirobe howled, clutching his arm as his eyes welled up—not from villainous glee, but from sheer, burning pain.

Tears streamed down his cheeks. His lip trembled. And then—

"WHY DOES THIS ALWAYS HAPPEN TO ME?!"

Krillin and Gohan stood ready, their battle stances firm, eyes locked onto Burter. The towering blue warrior sneered, glancing at his teammates.

"Hey, how about I take these two out as well?" he hissed, flexing his fingers.

Jeice shook his head. "Nah, mate. Besides, you're looking a little roughed up. Don't want ya dyin' on me just yet. Not when ya still owe me a choco-bar."

Burter groaned. "Oh, come on, Jeice! That's ridiculous! These two? They don't stand a chance against me!"

Jeice ignored him, turning toward the largest member of their squad. "Oi, Recoome. Feel like givin' 'em a go?"

Recoome let out a booming laugh, stepping forward with exaggerated enthusiasm. "Sure!"

Burter sighed in defeat. "Fine, fine. Guess it's only fair you guys get some action too."

Recoome, now fully in the spotlight, cracked his knuckles and grinned down at Krillin and Gohan with unsettling glee. "Recoome loves playin' with little kids. Heh heh..."

Krillin, teeth clenched, felt a bead of sweat roll down his temple. 'Seriously? Do I still look like a kid to everyone?' His face momentarily shifted into an expression of sheer disappointment. 'How am I ever gonna get married if this keeps up?'

Jeice, catching Krillin's change in demeanor, chuckled. "Look, Recoome, you've already scared the poor boys. "

Krillin shook off his frustration and turned to Gohan. "Alright, Gohan. Let's give it to them."

Gohan nodded firmly. "Right!"

"HYYAAA!"

With a synchronized battle cry, Gohan and Krillin launched themselves at Recoome from opposite sides.

Recoome raised an eyebrow, watching them close in. "Ohh... Whoa."

Before he could finish his thought, the assault began.

A storm of fists and kicks hammered into him from both sides.

Punch. Kick. Punch. Punch. Kick. Kick.

Recoome stumbled back, arms snapping up to defend himself as the relentless barrage continued. Gohan and Krillin poured everything they had into their strikes, their movements a blur of raw determination.

"HAA!"

Recoome's eyes bulged as a synchronized kick from both fighters slammed into his gut, forcing a spray of saliva from his mouth. Gohan seized the moment, twisting into a powerful upward kick that cracked against Recoome's jaw, sending the hulking brute airborne.

Krillin was already waiting.

With a burst of speed, he appeared above the soaring Recoome and brought his fists down like a hammer.

CRACK!

Recoome rocketed toward the ground, spinning wildly.

Krillin wasted no time, thrusting his hands to his sides as energy gathered between them.

"KAMEHAMEHA!"

The brilliant blue wave shot downward, slamming directly into Recoome's face. The explosion lit up the battlefield, sending him careening even faster toward the earth.

Below, Gohan was already in position.

His hands shot to his forehead, golden energy crackling between his fingers.

A short distance away, Vegeta stood frozen, eyes wide in disbelief. "Impossible!"

"MASENKO—HA!"

The golden beam erupted from Gohan's hands, streaking upward to meet the falling Recoome.

The blast struck with a deafening explosion, engulfing the massive warrior in a surge of light. But even as the smoke cleared, Recoome kept falling.

"Gohan, MOVE!" Krillin shouted in alarm.

But it was too late.

Gohan tried to leap away, but with a thunderous crash, Recoome's massive body slammed down—right on top of him.

"Argh!"

Gohan winced, pain flaring through his body as the lower half of him remained pinned beneath Recoome's massive weight.

Recoome, his armor cracked and battered, grinned down at the boy. His once-bright orange hair was now mostly singed away, blackened tufts sticking out awkwardly. Yet despite the damage, his confidence remained unshaken.

With a chuckle, he reached down and grabbed Gohan's tail.

The moment Recoome's fingers wrapped around it, Gohan's body seized up. His strength drained away instantly, leaving him limp in Recoome's grasp.

Recoome let out a hearty laugh, swinging Gohan around like a ragdoll.

Krillin's teeth chattered as he watched. "Man, oh man… Gohan's in serious trouble. But how do I get him out of this?"

Recoome grinned wider, bouncing Gohan up and down like a yo-yo. Each jolt sent a fresh wave of pain through the boy's body, forcing pained yelps from his lips.

Krillin swallowed hard. "Oh no..."

Then, without warning, Recoome let go—

—only to drive his massive fist straight into Gohan's torso.

Gohan's eyes bulged as the air was violently forced from his lungs. His body folded around Recoome's attack like a crumpled piece of paper.

Before he could even gasp for air, Recoome followed up with a brutal downward elbow, sending Gohan crashing into the dirt below.

Recoome dusted off his hands and placed them on his hips, standing tall over his battered opponent.

"Hah! I don't need to exploit any weakness to beat you, kid. That tail grab? That was just for sh*ts and giggles."

Gohan pushed himself onto his hands and knees, his arms trembling beneath him. A violent cough racked his body, splattering the ground with blood.

Before he could catch his breath—

THWACK!

Recoome's boot smashed into his forehead, sending him tumbling across the battlefield.

Gohan groaned, wincing as warmth trickled down his face. The coppery scent of blood filled his nose, and soon, his vision blurred red as it seeped into his eyes.

Through the haze, he saw Recoome approaching, his towering frame shaking with laughter.

Gohan's breath came in ragged pants. 'This guy… he's a monster.' The sheer force of his blows—it reminded him of when he fought Nappa. No, this was even worse.

Recoome stopped in front of him, grinning ear to ear. With a smirk, he pulled back his leg, preparing to finish the job.

A sudden burst of energy flared behind him.

Krillin, aura ignited, rocketed toward Recoome's exposed back.

But Recoome didn't even flinch.

In a split second, he spun on his heel, the kick meant for Gohan now aimed at Krillin instead.

CRACK!

Recoome's boot connected squarely with Krillin's jaw.

Krillin's head snapped back as he was launched like a missile, crashing into the side of a distant mountain with a deafening BOOM!

Dust and rubble crumbled around him as his body slumped to the ground, battered and broken.

Through the haze of pain, he groaned weakly, eyes rolling back. "Did… did somebody get the number of that bus?"

And then, darkness took him.

Recoome threw his head back and let out a thunderous laugh.

"You two got a jump on me, I admit… but don't let it get to your tiny heads."*

Gohan clenched his fists, struggling to pull himself up as Recoome's voice echoed in his ears.

The brute loomed over him, his smirk widening.

"Especially when you're about to lose them… HAHAHA!"

Vegeta spat to the side, his expression dark.

"Tch… I was a fool to think those two ever stood a chance."

He gritted his teeth, fists clenched at his sides. There had to be a way out of this mess for him.

Meanwhile, Recoome smirked and delivered another punishing kick to Gohan's side, sending the boy rolling across the battlefield like a discarded ragdoll.

Gohan's breathing was shallow now, his body trembling as he fought to stay conscious. He had lost too much blood. His vision blurred, the world spinning around him.

Recoome chuckled as he sauntered toward him.

"Time to reunite you with Mr. Cucumber over there! Hah! Mr. Cucumber! " He threw his head back and laughed at his own joke.

Gohan's eyes snapped open.

Nail.

A flash of memory surged through his mind—the brave Namekian warrior who had fought to protect his planet. And now, this clown was mocking him?

Recoome continued his slow, arrogant march toward Gohan, but—

"HYAAA!"

Before anyone could react, the battered and bloodied Gohan exploded off the ground, his body moving on sheer willpower.

Recoome's eyes widened—

CRACK!

Gohan's foot slammed into Recoome's chin, sending the massive brute sprawling onto his back.

Gohan landed, chest heaving, his breath coming in ragged gasps. His entire body screamed in pain, but for a brief moment, he remained standing.

Then, his knees buckled.

The world darkened.

And with a final exhale, he collapsed, unconscious.

Recoome sprang back to his feet, shaking his head as if shaking off a daze. His grin was gone.

"Oh, now you've absolutely done it." His voice was low, seething with anger. "I won't ever forgive you for this."

Vegeta growled under his breath. His time was coming next—he knew it. Oh, how foolish he had been. He should have taken the Ginyu Force into account from the start… and now, it seemed, there was no way out.

Recoome raised a hand high into the air, a swirling orb of energy forming in his palm, crackling with deadly intent.

From the sidelines, Frost's eyes widened in alarm. "Hey, Recoome! Save the little Saiyan runt for me, will you?"

Recoome let out a deep, mocking laugh.

"You're an idiot if you think I'd do that, Frost! So shut the hell up!"

Frost's expression darkened, his teeth grinding together. His body trembled with fury, but after a deep breath, he forced himself to regain composure. "As you wish," he muttered, face betraying nothing.

Recoome turned back to Gohan, energy ball pulsing in his palm.

"Time to finish this—"

Suddenly, a shadow descended from above.

A figure in old-fashioned PTO armor floated down from the sky, landing directly between Recoome and Gohan.

Recoome froze, his attack still poised.

"Huh?" His brow furrowed in confusion.

Burter took a step forward, eyes narrowing. "Who the hell is that? How did he escape the scouter?" he hissed.

Jeice forced a chuckle, though sweat trickled down his temple. "Must be so weak the scouter didn't pick 'im up."

Recoome's expression twisted in fury. "I don't remember inviting you to get in my way."

The newcomer grinned, adjusting the red headband tied around his forehead. His palm-tree-styled hair swayed slightly in the breeze.

"Oh, what weak memories you all have..."

Vegeta's breath hitched. His eyes widened, his mouth slightly agape.

No. It couldn't be.

But there he was.

His lips trembled as he uttered the name.

"Is that… Bardock?"

Finally, Bardock has revealed himself! But will his shocking arrival be enough to turn the tide against the Ginyu Force? His newfound power will soon be put to the ultimate test!

Find out next time, on DBZ: ONE!

To be continued...