Speedway
A gentle breeze swept over the vast, blue expanse of Namek.
Shock and disbelief painted the faces of Vegeta and Nail, while Ginyu stood with a smug grin, exuding an air of self-assuredness.
Behind him, his men were distracted by their own antics.
"Rock, Paper, Scissors!"
"Rock, Paper, Scissors!"
"Rock, Paper... Scissors!"
Jeice, the red-skinned alien, let out a triumphant squeal. "Oh, yeah, baby! Finally got Vegeta!"
Guldo, however, looked less than pleased, his arms crossed as he muttered to himself.
Burter, ever the optimist, grinned. "Guess I'll just have to settle for the Namekian. What a shame..."
Nail's brow twitched as he watched the absurdity unfold. 'Is this all just a game to them?'
Burter stepped forward, eager to take charge. "I'll go first."
Jeice smirked, arms crossed. "Alright, mate, but be quick about it."
Burter returned the smirk. "Don't worry, Jeice. You're forgetting something."
Jeice raised an eyebrow. "That you're the fastest guy in the universe?"
Burter's smile widened.
Vegeta cast a sidelong glance at Nail. "Looks like you're up first."
Nail nodded, dropping into a defensive stance. His left arm extended forward, while his right stayed close to his body, ready for action.
Vegeta clenched his teeth, sweat trickling down his forehead, tension radiating from him.
Meanwhile, Ginyu turned away and began to stroll off nonchalantly.
Recoome raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Huh? Where are you going, Captain?"
"Spacepod," Ginyu responded casually, as though it were nothing.
Frost frowned, muttering to himself, "He's probably off to play that ridiculous space football video game again... How very... un-leaderly."
Ginyu paused mid-step and turned, his gaze narrowing on Frost. "Did you say something?"
Frost immediately raised his hands in mock surrender, flashing a nervous grin. "Just... thinking of new ways to pose, Captain. Nothing important, of course."
Ginyu huffed in annoyance, leaping into the air and blasting off without another word.
Nail stood poised, his eyes fixed on his opponent, the blue-skinned alien Burter, who remained motionless with his arms crossed. Nail shifted slightly, his feet shuffling in anticipation. A vein bulged on his forehead as frustration mounted. "The heck with it!" he thought, before bursting forward with a fierce cry of "Hyaa!"
His back-handed claw-strike was swift, but Burter dodged it with a simple bend of his neck. Undeterred, Nail unleashed a flurry of jabs and claw-strikes, each one expertly parried by Burter's fluid movements. Realizing a head-on assault was futile, Nail swiftly retreated.
Burter chuckled, his voice dripping with amusement. "What's wrong? Giving up already?" Nail's response was immediate. He extended his arm, palm facing forward, and braced his wrist with his other hand. A beam of energy shot from his palm, hurtling toward Burter. The alien smiled, his eyes gleaming with anticipation, and leaped just in time to avoid the blast.
Nail's eyes flashed with determination as he teleported above and behind Burter. He pulled back his elbow, aiming a powerful strike at Burter's exposed neck. However, Burter was relentless. He ducked forward, using his momentum to drive both boots into Nail's gut. "Agh!" Nail's cry echoed through the air as purple blood spurted from his mouth. He was sent soaring above, his body arcing toward the ground.
BAM!
The impact was brutal, with Burter's kick connecting with Nail's lower back, sending him crashing toward the earth. Nail managed to correct his fall, landing on his feet, but Burter was already closing in. Cold sweat beaded on Nail's forehead as he sensed his enemy's ominous presence. He spun around, unleashing a back-handed karate chop, but it was easily blocked by Burter's knee.
"Grr..." Nail growled, his anger boiling over. He launched a frenzied barrage of punches and kicks, but each blow was effortlessly dodged by Burter. With a triumphant yell of "Hya!" Burter kicked Nail in the chin, sending him flying backward to collide with a nearby mountain. Nail bounced off the rocky surface, crashing to the ground with a thud.
Vegeta's anxiety was palpable. "No. It's over," he muttered, his voice laced with concern.
Nail staggered to his feet, breath rasping as he pushed himself up from all fours. His ribs screamed with each inhale, and his vision swam. 'No... I can't... be defeated...' He clenched his teeth, ignoring the sharp pain stabbing his side. Blood — dark purple and thick — dripped from his mouth, spattering the blue grass beneath him. '..Guru... the entire planet... they're counting on me...' His fists tightened. His legs trembled but held firm.
Burter's grin widened as he approached, his steps slow and deliberate. "Hey, Jeice. Be ready for your turn," he called back, relishing the moment.
Jeice chuckled. "Don't worry, mate. I was born ready."
Nail stood motionless, back turned to Burter, breathing heavy and ragged. Burter kept advancing, savoring the sight of his battered opponent.
From a distance, Vegeta scowled. 'Why is he just standing there?'
Burter reached striking distance. His grin twisted into a snarl. "Tch. Time to teach you some respect!" He drew back his fist. "HYA!"
In a blur, Nail spun and fired a ki blast straight into Burter's gut. The impact launched Burter backward, sending him tumbling across the grass.
"Huh?" Vegeta muttered, surprised. He hadn't expected Nail to have anything left in him. Burter was down — for now.
But not for long.
Burter rose slowly, clutching his stomach. A thin line of dark blue blood trailed from the corner of his mouth. His eyes burned with rage. "Grr... Slug-man... I'll kill you for that."
Jeice howled with laughter. "Hahaha! Can't believe he got the better of you, mate!"
Recoome grinned eagerly, while Guldo scowled. "Should've let me go first," Guldo muttered. "I'd have had his green slug head rolling on the ground by now."
Nail's expression tightened. 'No... That was my strongest blast... and he's still standing...'
Burter's stance shifted — his movements sharp and fluid as he spun in place, striking a pose with his arms outstretched. "Burter!" he shouted triumphantly.
Recoome and Jeice whooped in approval.
"Go on, finish him!" Recoome urged, voice brimming with excitement.
Burter crouched low, muscles tensed, arms poised for a lightning-fast sprint.
Nail raised his guard, one eye half-shut, teeth clenched. 'If this freak won't back down... Fine. Neither will I...'
Vegeta mirrored Burter's stance, eyes locked on the battered Namekian. He was closer to Nail — and if he moved now, he might just beat Burter to the punch.
"HAA!"
Burter shot forward like a bullet, his body a blur of blue.
At the same moment, Vegeta lunged into action — arms thrust forward, eyes locked on his target. He was closer. Much closer.
BAM!
Burter's face twisted in shock and pain as Vegeta's fists drove deep into his gut. His breath hitched — and before he could recover—
"HAA!"
Vegeta surged upward, dragging Burter with him. The sky blurred past as Vegeta flipped mid-air, then rocketed back down — faster, harder.
BAM!
The earth buckled beneath Burter's impact. Dust shot skyward as Vegeta drove him deeper, plowing him into the dirt before leaping free of the crater.
Vegeta's aura flared, crackling like wildfire. A vein throbbed on his forehead as he spread his arms wide, energy coiling in his palms.
"This ends now."
With a sharp snap, his hands slammed together.
"HYA!"
A blinding beam of energy roared downward.
DHISUUUU!
Jeice flinched, throwing up his arms. "Vegeta, you dog! I'll get you for this!"
The blast hit the ground with a deafening crash, sending a thick wall of smoke billowing upward. Vegeta stared down at the chaos below, chest heaving.
He smirked. Then grinned.
"Well... so much for the 'fastest being in the universe.'"
But then — movement.
His grin vanished as a dark silhouette shot out of the smoke. 'No... Impossible...' "You!" Vegeta snarled, launching a flurry of ki blasts.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The sky lit up with explosions, yet Burter wove between the blasts with terrifying speed.
Before Vegeta could react, Burter was there — inches away.
"Surprise," he sneered.
The punch came fast and brutal — a crushing left hook that slammed into Vegeta's jaw. Pain exploded across his face as he spiraled toward the ground. He barely managed to brace himself before crashing hard.
Vegeta groaned, clutching his side. His vision blurred, his head spinning. That punch... It wasn't just powerful — it was precise, controlled... lethal. 'This isn't just some brute… We're up against something else entirely.'
Burter turned to his teammates. "Hey! Let me have Vegeta too."
Jeice's annoyance flared instantly. "Oh no, you don't."
"Come on..."
"No chance."
"I'll buy you a chocolate bar," Burter pleaded.
Jeice stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Mate, you really know how to convince me. But don't you dare walk back on your promise."
"I wouldn't," Burter replied confidently as he faced his two opponents.
Frost observed with an expressionless gaze, contemplating the situation. 'This Saiyan, Vegeta... His power is extraordinary... It's best he gets eliminated soon...'
Recoome chuckled to himself. "This should be entertaining..."
Vegeta rose to his feet, a streak of blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. He wiped it away with a scowl.
Nail floated into the air and landed beside Vegeta. "Looks like we'll have to fight together from here on."
Vegeta scoffed. "Just make sure you don't get in my way."
Nail frowned but nodded. "I won't..."
Burter landed a hundred meters away from them, his presence looming ominously.
"It's time to end this," Burter hissed. "You two have survived long enough..."
A tense silence enveloped the battlefield as a wind swept by, rustling Vegeta and Jeice's hair.
Nail's expression hardened with determination while Vegeta gritted his teeth in fury.
At a distance, each member of the Ginyu Force stood with smug looks plastered on their faces.
Burter—the blue menace—has survived everything thrown at him. Is there nothing that could stop this madman? Find out next time on DBZ: ONE!
To be continued...
Author's note:
It is really encouraging to read all of your reviews. And yes that really is Bardock. How he survived and what is his story, will slowly be revealed, although I think much of it you already know by now.
The view count has crossed 9000.
9.4k to be precise.
Thanks to everyone for sticking around!