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Originally posted on 11/14/18 - 06/26/19 at: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13121168/1/Dragon-Ball-Z-Ultimate-Warrior
   
“DRAGON BALL Z: ULTIMATE WARRIOR”

Prologue
He didn’t know how they found him. He had always been so careful to remain hidden, but they had somehow managed to track him down. In fact, he was surprised that they had been hired at all; it seemed like overkill.Gambling could be considered an addiction, one he had certainly fallen prey to. It wasn’t uncommon for people with his problem to end up falling very far into debt because of it. And that was exactly what had happened to him. He had fallen so far into debt that he ended up owing more than he could afford. With no other option, he had attempt to earn what he owed by gambling some more, but this had, unfortunately, backfired, resulting in him falling even deeper into debt. And so he had gone into hiding until he could earn what he owed.Those he owed were ruthless when it came to collecting, but still, he hadn’t expect them to hire a team of hitmen when his deadline had passed. They had tracked him down in just a few days, and were currently on his tail right now.A ray of energy flew through the air, striking him in the back of his leg and passing all the way through. He cried out in pain and toppled over, falling into a heap on the ground. He rolled over, onto his back and looked up to where the attack had come from. Five figures floated in the air; the hitmen that had been hired to take him out. They came down from the sky, landing a short distance away, and four of the five approached.Fear ran through him as the hitmen approached. They were of different races, each as different as the last. The largest was a light blue skinned hulking beast of a man. He had an obese gut, but his arms and legs were bulging with muscle, as if his body couldn’t decide if he should be fat or ripped. Next to him was a greenish-yellowish insectoid creature with various cybernetic enhancements, over half his body being mechanical. Then there was the reddish-orange one that had spikes protruding from all over his body, most only a few inches long, with larger black ones up to a foot long growing out of each elbow, and even larger ones running down his back.The last one was the shortest of the approaching four, and the most scrawny of the group. Be that as it may, there was an evil vibe about him that made him the most terrifying of them all. He had grayish-brown skin and a tuft of pink hair whose bangs hung over a pair of yellow snake-like eyes. A fanged mouth was plastered in an amused sneer that stretched from pointy ear to pointy ear.“Got you,” he snickered in amusement.The fat one chuckled, his bloated purple lips breaking into a smile. “Nice shot. He won’t be running away any time soon.”The shortest one’s grin grew wider. “I can do better. Watch.”He raised an arm that doubled as a wing, pointing a clawed finger at their target, and began firing more energy rays. Cries ran out as several more holes were shot through the target before they collapsed completely.“The bounty did say dead or alive,” the insectoid remarked in a semi-mechanical voice. “I guess we’re going with dead. You always do take such delight in taking down the targets.”The short one chuckled as he approached the fallen target. “It’s what makes the chase worthwhile, bounty or no. Of course, we could have just saved time and blown up the whole city. That would have been equally as enjoyable.”The spiked one rolled his eyes. “Why do you keep suggesting that method? If we did that, we wouldn’t be able to confirm the kill. Besides, we could end up blowing up potential future clients as well. Bad for business.”“And it might make others more hesitant to hire us in the future if they discover how reckless we are,” the fat one added as an after thought. “I don’t know why we need to keep having this conversation.”The short one snickered as he stood above the fallen but still breathing target. “Oh, come now, we all know that we don’t do this for the money.”“It’s called our need to eat. Might as well make a living doing something you love.”Glancing at his comrade, the short one smirked mockingly. “Well, you seem to be doing fine in the eating department.”On the ground, the wounded target reached up pleadingly. “Please…”The short one’s foot came down on his chest, unnecessarily pining him down. “Have we reached the begging point already? Excellent, I love this part.”“I can… pay you…”This earned chuckles from all four of them. “If you could pay us,” the spiked one commented, “you wouldn’t be in such debt that we would have had to come for you in the first place.”“Even if you did,” the insectoid replied, “we would not accept, no matter how much you were willing to pay. It would be bad for business if our clients found out we could be paid off to look the other way.”The short one held up a clawed hand, and it began to glow as talons of energy expanded from his sharp nails. “I think we should teach him a lesson for trying to bribe us.”Further back, the fifth member, who had been standing with his arms crossed and a bored look on his face finally spoke. “Just finish it already,” he ordered in a voice that dripped with authority. “It’s no fun if they can’t fight back. We’ve wasted enough time with this one.”A look of disapproval crossed the short one’s horse face, and his hand stopped glowing. “Oh, fine.” He pointed at the target’s head and fired another ray, burning a hole clean through their forehead. “There, job done. Way to ruin my fun.”The fat one chuckled. “The boss is just upset that another lead turned out to be a dead end. Oh, and don’t forget the evidence.”The short one rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah.” He flicked his finger. There was a flash of light, and the head of the target was severed from the body. He reached down and picked it up, showing it to his comrades. “There, mission accomplished.”With the job done, it was a simple matter of making the delivery and collecting their payment. And in a matter of hours, they were in their client’s place of business, being led to their personal room.The client for their latest job was a large frog-like creature even more obese than their comrade. He was a stereotypical mafia-like boss who had an air about him that clearly indicated that he thought he was untouchable. Two much smaller female members of his species sat on his lap, showing their affection. The only other occupants in the room were half a dozen creatures known as Saibamen serving as bodyguards.The group of five walked into the room, and once again, the fifth member of their group uncaringly hung back while the other four stepped forward to great their client. One by one, they reintroduced themselves to their client by thumping themselves over the chest.“Beegoh,” said the fat one.“Gorbii,” said the spiked one.“Thoryuk,” said the short one.“Stookz,” said the insectoid.“Reporting in,” they finished.With a grin on his face, Thoryuk held up the severed head of their target. “Job completed.”And then, just to get a reaction, he tossed the head onto the client’s desk. The two females recoiled, but the client seemed completely unfazed. An arrogant smirk crept up his face as his two red chameleon-like eyes stared at the severed head. “Very well done, boys. Your reputation truly precedes you.”“All in a day’s work,” Stookz replied.Beegoh held out a large hand. “Our payment.”Their client motioned to one of the Saibamen, and the severed head was taken away. “Yes, your payment. About that. You see, I’ve been doing some thinking while you guys were away. I can’t have anyone who owes me thinking that they can simply get away without paying me what they owe. I needed to send a nice brash message to anyone who thinks that they can cheat me in the future. That’s why I hired you boys.”He folded his webbed hands together. “However, I can’t help but think about how much I’m losing with this whole transaction. Not only am I not going to get the money that was owed to me, but now I’m going to lose even more for your services. And I don’t like to lose. That’s why I’m thinking we need to renegotiate the price we agreed upon.”This was meant to be intimidating, but the four only looked amused. Beegoh found the situation to be especially funny as he glanced at the fifth member of their group. “Hey, boss, you hear that? This guy wants to renegotiate.”The boss, as Beegoh had called him, was casually leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and his eyes closed, completely disinterested in the conversation. However, at Beegoh’s words, he held out a hand, his index finger extended. A spark flashed at the end, and one of the Saibamen exploded, sending a spray of gore over the others, electing a cry of surprise from them.The boss then redirected his finger towards the client, and a small bead of energy appeared on the tip of his finger, and it slowly began to grow. It expanded to the size of a baseball, then to the size of a basketball, then a beach ball, the air crackling around it.The Saibamen and the two females jumped back in fright, and even their employer looked nervous as he realized he had just made a very big mistake in trying to take advantage of this group.“Wait, hold on!” he exclaimed, trying unsuccessfully to hide his panic. “I just said that I was thinking about it. However, I’m feeling generous today. You’ll be paid what we agreed on, in full.”The ball of energy shrank away and disappeared, and everyone in the room relaxed. The frogman motioned to the Saibamen, and a metal briefcase was placed on his desk. He opened it and turned it to the four before him to show them that he was indeed paying the agreed upon amount.“Well,” said Gorbii, “everything looks to be in order. A pleasure doing business with you. If you ever need to hire us again, we’d be happy to oblige with whatever job you have. As long as you pay us what we agreed.”The client tried to discreetly wipe away the beads of nervous sweat that had run down his head, trying to save face and maintain the illusion that he was in control. “Yes, well, like I said, I’ve been in a good mood since we heard of how the universe was saved.”“Oh?” Beegoh replied curiously as he picked up the briefcase. “How so?”The client raised an eyebrow. “You mean you haven’t heard yet? Word of it has been spreading across the galaxy. Apparently, the ancient mythical destroyer, Majin Buu, turned out to be more than a myth after all. He returned and blew up a bunch of planets before he was finally destroyed by a Super Saiyan from Earth. Supposedly, it was the same Saiyan that defeated Frieza.”Up until now, the boss had shown no interest in the conversation whatsoever. But now his eyes snapped open and shot towards the client. Faster than any of them could see, he moved to stand in front of the client. The large frogman was so startled that his chair tipped backwards, and he began to fall.The boss’ hand shot out, grabbing the frogman by the gold chain he wore around his non-existent neck, and pulled him forward. “What you just said? Say it again.”The client blinked. “Eh, what?”“What you were saying about a Saiyan from Earth. Repeat it.”“Huh? Oh, um, yeah, apparently the same Saiyan that defeated Frieza also destroyed Majin Buu. It happened about a year ago, but we just recently found out about it since it happened on the other side of the galaxy.”The boss’ eyes narrowed, cold up until now, but suddenly shining with emotion. “This Saiyan, what is his name?”The client blinked again. “Uh, his name? Um, let me think. I think it was, um, Gok-kuh, or Gako, or something like that.”“Goku?”“That was it! Goku, the Super Saiyan from Earth.”The other four, who had been looking on with interest, now looked confused. “Goku?” Beegoh repeated. “That can’t be. He’s dead, isn’t he?”“Yes,” said Stookz, “it was confirmed years ago by the Galactic Patrol. Goku the Super Saiyan who defeated Frieza and the rest of the Cold Clan was reported to have died nine years ago.”Gorbii crossed his arms in thought. “It could have been a cover, or misinformation. The Galactic Patrol can be incompetent at times. After all, they once thought the Saiyans were an extinct race until a few survivors were discovered.”Though the boss had his back turned to them, he was listening to every word. Releasing the client, allowing him to fall back, he turned and walked past them. “We’re leaving.”Beegoh frowned. “What, you mean for Earth? I thought you wanted to find another lead.”Gorbii shrugged. “I guess this is a lead. But even if it’s not, we were going to have to go to Earth eventually. Might as well get it out of the way now.”A sadistic grin crept up Thoryuk’s face. “Ooh, this is going to be a lot of fun.”As the five of them walked away, a bead of sweat ran down the side of frogman’s head. “Boy, I’d sure hate to be that Goku fella when they get there.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Chapter 1: After Buu
Things had been relatively peaceful since the defeat of Kid Buu. With the exception of short-lived situations involving Abo and Kado chasing Vegeta’s little brother, Tarble, to Earth, the invasion of Hoi and Hirudegarn, the return of Broly, the situation with Janemba, and the attack of Bio-Broly, there had been no threats that needed to be dealt with, not like the long-term problems faced in the past. It was a welcoming peace after the catastrophe that Buu had caused, all the Buus.In accordance to Goku’s plan, after the six-month waiting period for the Dragon Balls to recharge, the Z Warriors had summoned Shenron to wish away the memories of the now good Majin Buu’s rampage. To this day, seeing Mr. Satan’s reaction to the appearance of the mighty wish-granting dragon remained one of the funniest things they had ever seen.It had now been a little over a year since Kid Buu’s defeat, and things had long since gotten back to normal. Or as normal as things could get for their group. Most had returned to their regular lives, but a few of them had to make some adjustments. Not that they minded.The Son family were thrilled to have Goku back. Things had picked up almost exactly where they left off before he died, with the added addition of Goten of course. True, Chi-Chi now found herself having to do a lot more cooking, but it was a small price to pay to have her husband back. Goten bonded with the father he never got to know very quickly, eager to get to know the man he had only heard stories about from his mother and brother. Gohan didn’t mind sharing either, happy his little brother would finally get to know their father. Besides, he had other things to occupy his time now.The ones who faced the biggest changes were the Satan family. With their eyes now open to the truths of the world, both Videl and her father now faced a whole new world of things they never knew about. Videl had also had a few choice words for her father now that she knew that he hadn’t been the one to defeat Cell and had been lying to the world all this time, but had been more forgiving after Gohan had assured her that he was in fact grateful that Mr. Satan had taken the credit, as it had allowed him and his family to stay out of the spotlight and maintain their privacy. What more, it was even decided to allow Mr. Satan to take credit for destroying Kid Buu.Following the discussion of Mr. Satan being allowed to keep his title as the savior of the world, twice over now, Videl had had another conversation with him regarding her relationship with Gohan. There was very little the world champ could say against it anyway since he himself had set the conditions that he would only accept a boyfriend of hers who was stronger than him. Not that Mr. Satan put up much of a fight after the way Gohan had proved himself during his fight with Super Buu, especially when he found out that Gohan was also the one who had actually defeated Cell. Still, he didn’t like the idea of anyone taking his little girl away, but if it had to be someone, he was glad it was Gohan.Not only did they have to deal with coming to terms with the way the world actually was, but the Satans now found themselves with a permanent new houseguest; two actually if they included their new dog. Having been made personally responsible for the good Majin Buu, the pudgy pink monster had moved in with Mr. Satan and Videl. Mr. Satan didn’t mind in the least, as he found a true friend in the former universal destroyer, someone he could really be himself with and was viewed as a person, not the world champ or savior of the world, but as a true genuine friend. It had taken some time on Videl’s part to get used to their new houseguest, but considering everything else she had gotten used to since meeting Gohan, it wasn’t much of a problem.Currently though, Buu had caused a bit of a panic in the Satan household when he had gone to sleep a few days ago and hadn’t woken up for literally anything. Mr. Satan had panicked, thinking that Buu had slipped into a coma for some reason, and had been quick to have his daughter contact Gohan for answers.“So this is normal for him?” she asked as the two of them walked down the streets of Satan City.Gohan nodded. “That’s what Dad said. According to Kibito Kai, since Buu’s no longer being sealed away by Babidi, he’s going to enter periods of hibernation from time to time. He’ll wake up once he’s replenished his strength.”A relieved sigh escaped Videl. She too had grown fond of the pink blob in her house. It was still hard to believe that the being that had once wiped out so many lives could actually be quite lovable. But then again, she had long since stopped questioning things she didn’t understand about this crazy new reality Gohan had opened her eyes to.“Well, that’s good,” she replied. “Dad will be relieved to hear that. I must admit, I was getting a little worried myself.”Gohan chuckled. “Who would have thought that the key to defeating Majin Buu would have simply been to wait for him to go to sleep?”They laughed at the thought of the most fearsome being they ever faced being defeated in such a way. Despite how ridiculous the different forms of Buu had been, he was, without doubt, the greatest threat the Earth had ever faced, even succeeding in wiping out its entire race, and the planet itself. This damage had been undone thanks to the Namekian Dragon Balls restoring the planet and its people, but it had still happened.They had made sure not to revive any of the evil people killed by Buu though, so the likes of Babidi wouldn’t come back. That had also, apparently, extended to Dabura, even though his soul had been purified thanks to King Yemma’s seal of approval since the demon king would have actually enjoyed Hell. It was still hard for Gohan to believe that Videl, Bulma, and his mother had actually befriended the King of the Demon World, especially since he had seen first hand just how evil Dabura had been.That wasn’t to say that there were no longer any bad people in the world, just none as evil as Babidi and Buu, who wanted to wipe out all life purely for fun. This left the “average” baddies, and Gohan and Videl would be contacted to take care of the situation under their alter egos of Saiyaman and Saiyagirl, clearing up the streets of crime.Videl had to admit, when she had first joined Gohan as the city’s local superhero, it had been a little embarrassing. But then she learned to have fun with it, and found it to be quite enjoyable to just let go and act silly, having a good time while saving the day.Of course, once she had put on her Saiyagirl costume, it hadn’t taken long for her friends Erasa, Sharpner, and Pen to figure out who she was. Since her friends had uncovered Gohan’s identity at the World Martial Art’s Tournament, her own secret identity had been easy enough to work out, especially since she had already been a crime fighter back when her life had been normal. Erasa and Pen had sworn to keep both her and Gohan’s secret, even offering to cover for them when they needed it, but Sharpner had been a little stubborn about it. That is, until Videl threatened to beat him within an inch of his life if he ever told anyone.It was still hard for both Gohan and Videl to believe that they had ended up where they now were. Videl had actually initially considered Saiyaman to be an annoying nuisance who got in her way, and had dismissed Gohan as a strange bookworm from out of town. And Gohan had initially considered Videl to be a stubborn, though brave, bother who kept trying to reveal his secret identity. And the fact that she was the daughter of Mr. Satan, the man who had stolen his credit for defeating Cell, had to have been the universe’s idea of some kind of cosmic joke. But as they had gotten to know each other during Videl’s flying lessons, their opinions, and feelings, for each other had changed.Yes, the universe did have a strange sense of humor. But now that the world was safe again, the two had settled into a peaceful lifestyle once more. Gohan had gone back to focusing on his studies, putting his skills as a martial artist on the shelf once again. Without the universe facing any threats, there was no longer a need for a champion, especially now that his father had returned, and they now had an ally in the good Majin Buu.He had offered to teach Videl more fighting skills and ways to hone her energy in different ways, but she had turned down his offer. Now that she knew that her father was not the unstoppable, all-powerful champion she had thought him to be, she no longer felt obligated to try and live up to his reputation, and had begun pursuing other interests.Like her relationship with Gohan. They had begun officially dating pretty much immediately after the final battle with Kid Buu. Everyone was happy for them, especially Chi-Chi, who seemed to want them to get married and provide her with grandchildren as soon as possibleThey, however, had decided to take things a little slower, and were currently on a date right now. There had been no calls today of crime in the city, and so they were able to enjoy the day together. However, they soon found out that there were other things that could interrupt a date besides crime, and one of them was currently calling their names.“Hey, Gohan, Videl, over here!”They turned around to find Goten and Trunks running over to them, waving happily. A short distance behind them were Bulma and Vegeta, the latter with his arms crossed and his signature scowl on his face, suggesting that he’d rather be anywhere but here.“Oh, hey, guys,” Gohan greeted. “How’s it going?”“Great!” Goten exclaimed. “Trunks’ mom just treated us to ice cream. I got chocolate.”“We’re going to the toy store next,” Trunks added excitedly. His smile quickly fell away though. “But then she said we’re going clothes shopping after that. Ah, man, it’s going to be so boring.”Bulma walked up to them, shaking her finger at her son. “Now, Trunks, you’re a growing boy and need some new clothes.”Goten groaned. “I think I’ll skip that part. Hey, Gohan, can I hang out with you and Videl while Trunks goes clothes shopping?”Smiling patiently, Bulma knelt down to the young Saiyan’s level. “Now, Goten, Gohan and Videl are on a date. It’d be rude to bother them.”Trunks was a little more smug, arrogantly rubbing a finger beneath his nose as he attempted to show off what he knew. “Yeah, Goten, don’t you know that adults like to be alone to do grownup things?”A light chop to the top of his head was delivered by Bulma. “You watch what you say, young man.” She looked back at Gohan and Videl. “So, are you two having a good time?”She winked at them with a knowing smirk, and both Gohan and Videl were blushing at being put in the spotlight. “Uh, yeah, we are,” the former replied. “Thanks for letting Goten come over to play.”Bulma just waved this off. “Think nothing of it. I sort of became his second mother since he and Trunks started fusing.” She glanced at Vegeta. “I kind of wish I could have seen what the fusion of you and Goku looked like though. What did you call yourself again? Vegeku?”“Vegito,” the Saiyan prince snapped. “And I’d prefer not to be reminded of when I was merged with that idiot.”Goten scratched his head. “I thought Dad said it was Gogeta.”Trunks shook his finger. “No, that was when they did the fusion dance to beat that Janemba guy. Vegito was when they used the magic earrings.”“Oh, right. So does that mean that if we used those earrings, we’d become Trunten instead of Gotenks?”“I guess. Here’s a better question though. When our dads were fused, did that make us brothers?”Goten’s eyes widened. “Whoa… I don’t know.”Smiling in amusement, Bulma glanced back at her husband. “You know, I kind of want to see you and Goku do the fusion dance. I bet it was cute. Any chance you guys could perform it form us?”Vegeta turned red, both out of embarrassment and outrage. “I’m never doing a dance like that again! Once was bad enough! I’d sooner let the universe be destroyed!”Bulma resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, I know.” She turned back to Gohan and Videl. “Well, we don’t want to keep you guys from your date. Have fun, you two.”Gohan was kind of glad to see them go. “Yeah, see ya.”“Bye, Gohan,” Goten waved happily as he left with the Brief family.“See you later,” Trunks called over his shoulder.Videl waved. “Right, bye.”Vegeta didn’t bother to say anything. He simply went back to his brooding. To the untrained eye, it may have seemed that Vegeta was the same as always, but Bulma knew otherwise, able to read him better than anyone. Something had happened to him since she saw him last at the World Martial Arts Tournament and the defeat of Kid Buu. He had mellowed out a great deal, for him anyway, and had become much more caring. Maybe dying for a second time had been an epiphany of sorts.The fact that he was with them on this little outing was proof of how much he changed. In the past, he couldn’t be bothered with such trivial things. She decided to use that to her advantage. “Vegeta, we’re getting you some new clothes too.”The Saiyan prince scowled in annoyance. “What? Why? I don’t need any.”A sigh escaped Bulma. “Just because you’re not growing doesn’t mean you don’t need to get new ones. Clothes still get worn out, even if you don’t outgrow them.”Vegeta let out a frustrated growl. “This is ridiculous. Kakarot is off getting stronger while I’m being made into a fashion statement.”Well, at least he hadn’t flown off yet. That was good; she could get him in a few outfits before his patience ran out. “Not even Goku trains 24/7. Lighten up and enjoy some of the other aspects of life.”Trunks glanced at Goten. “Didn’t your dad go to that King Kai’s place?”Goten nodded. “Yeah, he said he can get better training in Other World than he can here.”“Too bad we can’t use the Hyperbolic Time Chamber anymore.”Goten laughed. “Yeah, that place was really cool. Too bad Piccolo went and blew up the door.”Vegeta just humphed at this. He remembered his time in that freaky room of nothingness. He’d spent a year in there with his other son, the version of Trunks from the future, in preparation to fight Cell and the androids, and then another year by himself. With a year inside equal to a single day outside, the room had been good to get stronger faster in accordance to the real world’s time, but he preferred to use the gravity room for his training. It didn’t seem to be enough for him to unlock Super Saiyan Three, but he had absolutely refused to ask Kakarot how he had done it; he was far too stubborn for that.His thoughts turned once again to his “future” son. Though he and Bulma had agreed not to talk about him around their present day son, he did wonder from time to time how he was doing. They knew that he had at least destroyed the androids and the Cell of his time since he came back to tell them about his victory and fight in the Interstellar Martial Arts Tournament, before Bojack and his cronies had crashed it, but they did wonder how things were for him now. With Cell and the androids gone, was he finally able to live a life of peace.Both Vegeta and Bulma’s biggest concern was the possibility of Majin Buu being unleashed in the Future timeline. The androids’ rampage may have prevented Babidi from seeking out and awakening the monster, but with those threats gone, there would be nothing to stop the evil wizard.Vegeta wasn’t too worried about this though. Knowing his future son, Trunks wouldn’t be as foolish as Gohan as to kick back and slack on his training during times of peace, not after living through the hell he did under the androids’ killing spree. He was confident that his son would be able to handle both Babidi and Dabura if it came to it. However, if Buu was released, and Trunks came back for help, Vegeta was fully prepared to go to the future and fight the monster. And this time he would be the one to kill the pink freak.Not for the first time though, he wondered about other threats that might appear in the Future timeline. Would Trunks end up facing the likes of Broly, Janemba, Hirudegarn, Bojack, Hatchiyack, and Meta-Cooler, or would the time alterations, or whatever it was called, prevent those threats from ever appearing? Vegeta chose to believe that no news was good news. Besides, if they had been able to stop those threats, then there was no reason why his son shouldn’t be able to stop them in his time. He was, after all, a member of the proud Saiyan race.Speaking of the Saiyan race, his gaze shifted to his son in this timeline and Kakarot’s youngest brat. They were it, the last of the Saiyan race. They weren’t even pure bloods, even having their tails surgically removed at birth so they wouldn’t become Great Apes should they look at the full moon.It was wit no small amount of egret that Vegeta acknowledged that the Saiyans were slowly going extinct. Oh, he was sure that they would endure for a few generations, heck, even Kakarot’s oldest brat was well on his way of continuing the Saiyan race with his little girlfriend. But with each new generation, their Saiyan blood would become diluted more and more until the Saiyan race truly vanished from the universe completely. In just a few generations, there would be no more Saiyans left. Damn Frieza and his genocidal tendencies.Of course, he had thought of using the Dragon Balls to wish back the Saiyan race, but apparently, that wasn’t an option, as the dragon couldn’t revive anyone who had died of natural causes or who had been dead for more than a year. So that plan had been a bust. And speaking of being dead, Vegeta had long since given up on his goal of wishing for immortality. For some reason, the thought was no longer appealing to him any more. Besides, he’d made a deal with King Yemma in exchange for fighting Buu the last time he had died. In the past, for his sins, he’d been spared from being sent to Hell, but had had his body permanently taken away, only being able to appear as a ghostly and not able to manifest a body. That in and of itself had been a hell for him, being so powerful but never able to use his strength or get stronger. But he no longer had to worry about that now though, as it had been agreed that he would be allowed to permanently keep his body and still not go to Hell despite his past misgivings. As long as he didn’t go back to his evil ways of course.That made him wonder, would he be able to train with that King Kai person that Kakarot seemed so fond of training with? Though he didn’t like the idea of having a teacher, or trainer, or coach, or whatever the deity was, he had to admit that the idea did have merit; it certainly seemed to do wonders for Kakarot. But then again, he was already stronger than this King Kai clown. Heck, he was even stronger than the Supreme Kai, or Kibito Kai as he was now called after having permanently fused with his attendant. What could they possibly do for him? Show him some fancy new way to train? Vegeta didn’t like the idea of having to rely on anyone to get stronger.There was also that Old Kai person. He could do for him what he did for Gohan, but that felt like cheating, having his power amplified like that, and it was not something Vegeta was willing to resort to, and he knew Kakarot wouldn’t either. That brainless oaf was off training right now the way you were supposed to train, with hard work, endurance, and pushing one’s limits.(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)Or Vegeta thought. In all actuality, Goku was currently stuffing his face. An entire buffet that could feed twenty was laid out before him, and Goku was wolfing it down like a man who had been starved to the point of death.King Kai shook his head in disgust as he looked on. A Saiyan’s appetite and metabolism was utterly ridiculous. He knew it was because they burned through so much energy so quickly, but Supreme Kai Almighty, what gluttonous slobs! Every time Goku paid him a visit, usually uninvited, he needed to restock his food supply. Not that he could actually starve being dead and all, but still, sometimes he regretted ever having met the Saiyan and taking him on as a student at all.But then again, Goku was his star pupil. How was it that someone he had only started training less than two decades ago was stronger than the ones he had been training for thousands of years? It really was remarkable how skilled Goku was. All things considered though, that was a good thing, otherwise Kid Buu would have destroyed the universe, and Earth alone would have been obliterated many times over by the various villains that seemed to be drawn to the planet. Still, the potential of a Saiyan was incredible.After all but licking his plate clean, Goku let out a sigh of satisfaction. “Ah, that was good! You sure know how to make a good meal, King Kai.”The guardian of the North humphed. “I don’t envy your wife having three Saiyan mouths to feed. Your appetites are only surpassed by Majin Buu’s.”Goku stood up, patting his stomach. “Gotta keep my body energized. So, what are we going to do today?”King Kai glared at him. “You do realize that I’m a deity, right? I do have other things to do.”Goku cocked his head to the side in interest. “Hmm? Like what? You mean like drive around in your car?”A mildly irritated growl escaped the Kai, but he couldn’t bring himself to be angry with the Saiyan; his question hadn’t been the least bit sarcastic. Goku really did have a one-track mind. And while it made him an astounding warrior, it left him rather lacking in other areas, particularly in common sense.“What I really want to do is train with Grand Kai,” Goku continued. “Or even Kibito Kai.”King Kai sighed. “Kibito Kai doesn’t train anyone; he’s too busy with his other duties. And Grand Kai isn’t budging on you and Pikkon needing to train for 200 years before he starts training you himself.”Goku’s face fell. “Yeah, that’s a bummer. Still, I’ve got to keep training. Who knows how strong the next person I fight will be.”A bead of sweat ran down the side of King Kai’s head as he thought about a certain sleeping destroyer god, but for the sake of the universe’s survival, he wouldn’t mention him to Goku, and he prayed to Zen-Oh that the two would never meet.“So what kind of training are we going to do?” Goku asked excitedly.King Kai thought about it for a moment. “Ok, I got it.” He snapped his fingers, and a large dark gray block with a rope tied around it appeared. “Tie that around your waist.”Goku nodded. “Right.” He did so without question. “Ok, what now?”The Kai smirked as he thought of a joke. “Now you’re going on a monkey chase.” He apparently found this hilarious and began snort laughing. “Trust me, it’ll make sense.”He walked over to his car, and Bubbles and Gregory followed. He instructed the monkey to sit on top of the back of his car as he and the grasshopper climbed into the driver’s seat and glanced back at Goku. “Right, now your training for today is to grab Bubbles from the back of my car while I drive around.”Goku punched his open palm in understanding as he remembered his initial training when he came here the first time he died. “Oh, I get it. Kind of like going back to the basics.”“Something like that. Oh, and no going Super Saiyan.”Goku nodded, looking determined. “Right. Lets get started.”King Kai snickered. “Ok, here we go.”He put the car in gear and began driving at a snail’s pace. Goku charged forward, but the rope yanked him back, the gray block not even budging from its position.Getting up, Goku gave the block a look of amazement. “Whoa, what’s this thing made of!? It didn’t move at all!”An arrogant smirk crept up King Kai’s face. “Come on, Goku, you’re falling behind.”Jumping to his feet, Goku turned to his mentor. “Oh yeah, we’ll see about that.”He took a step forward, but the rope held him back. He grit his teeth, putting everything he had into it as he forced himself to move forward. Slowly, very slowly, the gray block began sliding forward, leaving a deep groove behind. Goku took another step, and then another, each one as difficult as the last. In front of him, the car slowly crept along, going less than one mile per hour, and still getting away from him. Bubbles stood in the back, dancing around and making monkey noises in encouragement.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Chapter 2: Hunt and Seek
The planet was in sight. Just outside the window was the blue orb called Earth. And down there was their target. The five mercenaries stared out at it as the ship flew closer.“I’ve got a reading on the strongest power sources,” Stookz reported, his mechanical eye flashing with alien words and numbers. “There are various ones, but most seem to be in the same location.”“Narrow the search as much as possible,” the boss ordered nonchalantly. “No need to waste our time on useless fools.”Thoryuk licked his lips in anticipation. “Maybe we’ll get to break some additional skulls.”Stookz scanned the planet some more. Nearly everyone had a power level in the single or double digits. They were obviously regular civilians. There were a few handfuls scattered across the planet that were in the hundreds; it was safe to assume that they were either fighters or large beasts. None, however, could possibly be strong enough to be their target, and so he concluded that the really powerful warriors must be suppressing their power. That would make finding their target am little more challenging.“You think this Goku will be able to provide a decent challenge?” Gorbii asked.A chuckle escaped Beegoh. “As if it matters. No one can beat the boss.”“I don’t know. This Goku did beat Majin Buu.”Beegoh rolled his eyes. “So what? We all know how myths and legends get embellished over time. I’m sure his power exaggerated.” He shrugged. “Besides, terms of power was different back then. New training methods have been discovered more recently, so people are getting a lot stronger a lot faster, especially in the last decade or so.”Despite Beegoh’s doubts, the boss was smiling, and he didn’t smile all that often. “No, it was no exaggeration. I felt Buu’s power, even from all the way across the galaxy. I had no idea it was him, but it was immense. I kind of wish I’d gotten a chance to fight him myself; it’s so hard to find a worthy challenge. If Goku was able to defeat someone as strong as that, then this will be a lot of fun.”Thoryuk raised an eyebrow at his boss’ behavior. It wasn’t too often that he got to see him be this excited about anything. He could understand why though, the boss very rarely got to go all out in battle, and when he did, it never lasted long. If he wanted to, he could obliterate all four of them without even trying.“I see the promise of a good fight has you fired up, boss,” he commented with a grin.“But of course,” Stookz agreed. “He’s been waiting for this fight for a long time, and thought the chance had passed him by when he heard that this Goku was dead. What more, the Saiyan might be able to point us in the direction of our other target.”The boss didn’t say anything more on the subject. He simply held his hand out to the image of Earth, closing his fist over it. “Forward. It’s time I got what I’ve been seeking for all these years.”(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)Despite the fact that Kami was no longer around, the home to the Guardian of Earth was still called Kami’s Lookout. Dende didn’t mind, even though he was the current Guardian. Besides, in a way, Kami was still here, just not the same as before.He glanced at his fellow Namekian. Piccolo was doing his standard meditation. He did that a lot, but it worked for him. He was even able to do mental training, and somehow was able to get stronger from that. Dende wasn’t exactly sure how that worked; he wasn’t much of a fighter.It was funny the way things had come full circle. Initially one being, Kami, the son of the Namekian, Katas, had come to Earth, and eventually become its Guardian after having split from his wicked side, his dark half becoming the evil King Piccolo. After Goku delivered a fatal blow, the evil Namekian had birthed a son that would assume his name and become almost an exact duplicate of his father, having inherited his nature and portions of his memory. That son was the Piccolo of today, born solely for the purpose of killing Goku.That had quite obviously changed over the years, and Piccolo had even gone and merged with his evil father’s good half. He’d also merged with Nail, a friend of Dende’s from his home planet. Both Kami and Nail were still there though, technically, their thoughts and minds falling into sync with Piccolo’s until they were quite literally one being in mind, body and soul. And while it was a forbidden technique, it did provide a great increase in power for the individual, and it had, unfortunately, been necessary at the time in order to stand up to Frieza and the androids.But that was in the past. These were peaceful times now, and, hopefully, they would last for many years to come. That’s what Dende hoped for more than anything. And as Earth’s Guardian, he intended to do everything in his power to see that it was done.Almost as if Fate had ironically been waiting for that thought to cross his mind, he suddenly sensed it, and he looked up at the sky in shock. There was a powerful energy source approaching. No, five powerful energy sources, one much stronger than the others. And they were heading straight for Earth.The older Namekian’s eyes snapped open as he picked up the energy signatures as well. He too looked up at the sky nervously as he felt them approach. Like Dende, the part of him that was Kami had an extra sense that allowed him to detect things more than the average person capable of sensing energy due to the power of being Earth’s Guardian.“Piccolo?” the younger Namekian asked.“Yes, Dende, I feel it too. Five energy signatures, and strong ones at that, heading right for Earth.”“Oh dear,” came the voice of Mr. Popo, the Lookout’s attendant, as he came to join them. “Do you suppose they’re friendly?”Piccolo growled as he ran through the long list of aliens that have come to challenge them over the years. “I can’t be sure, but in my experience, most powerful beings that come to Earth are looking to cause trouble.”Dende chose to look on the bright side. “Maybe they’re just warriors coming to pay their respects to the one who beat Majin Buu. News has been spreading across the galaxy.”While he respected the younger Namekian’s optimistic point of view, Piccolo was a little more skeptical. “More likely they’re looking to challenge him, possibly to make a name for themself. Four of them feel eager, especially the strongest one. One of them, however, feels pure evil.”“Really?” Dende asked. He closed his eyes and reached out with his senses, and quickly realized what he was talking about. “Oh no, you’re right.”A frustrated growl; escaped the older Namekian. “Damn it! It seems like every time we deal with one threat, another one steps forward to take its place.”“Strength will draw challenge,” Mr. Popo wisely told them. “And, unfortunately, Earth is home to the universe’s strongest. Not to mention it’s gaining a reputation as being the home to the likes of Goku and Vegeta.”Dende sighed. “I hate to say it, but he’s right. Do you think we should contact the others?”Piccolo considered this. Despite what he sensed, they didn’t know the intentions of the visitors. To suddenly challenge them was just inviting trouble. There was no need to start anything, nor was there a reason to cause any worry until there was something to worry about. However, it was wise to err on the side of caution.“Lets not do anything just yet,” he replied. “We’ll keep an eye on them and be ready to act if necessary. Hopefully nothing will come of this.”(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)The spaceship had landed in a secluded area. Trees and mountains were all around, providing unnecessary cover in the deserted location. Inside, four of the five mercenaries prepared to do what they did best; namely hunt down their target.However, this time they had very little to go on, and no leads to follow. The extent of their knowledge was that their target was a Super Saiyan who defeated Frieza and Majin Buu.“Still,” Beegoh commented as he cracked his neck, “it shouldn’t be that hard. The guy saved the universe. A person like that can’t just go into hiding; he should be a celebrity.”“We’ll start off by asking around,” Gorbii told them. “There will bound to be plenty of those who know their savior.”Thoryuk tapped his clawed fingers together eagerly. “Can’t we just blow up the planet? That’ll make sure we get him, along with everyone else on this mud ball. It’s always so satisfying to see so many lives getting snuffed out all at once.”Beegoh rolled his eyes. “Is genocide your answer to everything? You know it’s bad for business.”“And the boss wants to face this guy head on,” Stookz added. He glanced at the man in the corner. “He’s been wanting this battle for a long time.”Unlike the other four, their leader was sitting in a meditative position. A glow of power surrounded his body as he seemed to be mentally preparing himself for what was to come.Beegoh grinned. “Not to worry, boss. We’ll find this guy for you, and we’ll kill anyone who gets in our way. Then you can give us a real show.”Their boss did not respond, and the four mercenaries took off, heading for the nearest populated city where they had narrowed down their search on the planet. It quickly became apparent from the moment they landed that the earthlings were not used to abilities such as flight. It only served to show them how primitive their race was.“What are they staring at?” Beegoh grumbled irritably. “You’d think they’ve never seen anyone fly before.”Gorbii smirked. “I think they’re looking at Stookz.” He knocked on a part of the insectoid’s metal body. “Probably not used to seeing someone half-robot.”“Who cares,” Thoryuk said excitedly. “Lets make these earthlings scream.”He began to gather energy in his hand, but Beegoh held out his hand to stop him. “We’ll save that for later. Causing a panic right off the bat will just be a hindrance. Hey, you!”He marched over to a random pedestrian. The man looked nervous as the muscular yet obese giant towered over him. “Y-Yes, can I help you?”“Yeah, you can. We’re looking for a Saiyan called Goku. You know him?”The man blinked. “Saiyan? Goku? Um, I’m sorry, sir, I don’t know who that is.”Beegoh leaned in closer. “Come on, you know. He saved the universe from Frieza and Majin Buu. You’ve had to have at least heard of him.”The man shook his head. “Sorry, don’t know him. Our hero is Mr. Satan. He saved the world from Cell, and Babidi’s monster.”With that, the man walked off. Beegih gave his comrades a confused look and shrugged. Thus began their search for any leads. However, much to their surprise, everyone they asked had no clue as to who Goku was, the same went for Frieza and Majin Buu. The mercenaries had no idea how the earthlings could not know the savior of the universe, no matter how primitive their race was. And not knowing about Freiza may have been one thing, but how could they not know about Majin Buu?“Majin Buu?” one pedestrian repeated thoughtfully when inquired. “I think that’s one of the champ’s disciples. Big pink guy, really fat, high-pitched voice. That the guy you’re talking about? Yeah, the only Majin Buu I’ve ever heard if is the champ’s strongest disciple.”Despite not finding anyone who knew Goku, the name Mr. Satan certainly came up a lot. He seemed to be the only savior of the world/universe the earthlings knew of, and the mercenaries began to wonder if this Mr. Satan was actually Goku using a fancy title, that is, until they learned that his first name was Hercule.“Goku?” yet another pedestrian repeated when asked. “Yeah, actually that name does sound familiar. Wasn’t he the champion before Mr. Satan? He disappeared though with his fiancée after he won the 23th Martial Arts Tournament, but he supposedly went to fight the two space aliens that came to Earth several years ago.”The mercenaries paused to think about this. After each of them had questioned several dozen people, this had been the first and only acknowledgement of Goku from one of these earthlings. It wasn’t much to go on, but at least it was something.“Not the most reliable lead,” Gorbii noted. “I can’t believe these earthlings are so ignorant.”“They could be lying,” Beegoh suggested.“No,” Stookz replied. “My senses do not detect any falsehood. The earthlings truly don’t know of whom we speak.”Thoryuk raised a clawed hand, flexing his fingers. “Then lets just kill them; they’re useless anyway.”“Cool your jets, Thoryuk,” Gorbii snapped impatiently. “Lets just think about this. We’ve asked a bunch of people, but so far only one has heard the name Goku. None have known Frieza, and only a few have heard of Majin Buu, who they say is a disciple of this Mr. Satan person, who they say claim saved the world from someone called Cell and a creature known only as Babidi’s monster.”Beegoh pointed at him in acknowledgement. “Yeah, and that guy just said that this Mr. Satan became the world champion after Goku.”Stookz was reaching the same conclusion. “It seems this Mr. Satan guy is involved with Goku. Perhaps he can provide us with answers to Goku’s whereabouts.”Gorbii nodded. “Agreed. Lets see if we can find him.”A sadistic grin crept up Thoryuk’s face. “Allow me.”In a movement too quick to see, he appeared in front of a random pedestrian. Grabbing hold of her, he lifted her in the air, none too gently.“Hey, what are you doing?” the girl cried.He chuckled. “Oh, I do beg your pardon. I’m just looking for someone. And for your sake, you better tell me.”The girl screamed again, drawing attention over to them. This included a couple of cops, who were quick to pull out their guns. “Alright, mister, put the girl down, and place your hands on your head!”Thoryuk turned to them, his eyes shining with excitement. “Oh? Are you going to help me? How delightful.”He carelessly dropped the girl and began walking towards them, showing no fear of their weapons. The cops were completely baffled by this as he closed the gap between them.“S-Stay back, or we’ll open fire.”Thoryuk laughed. “With those weapons? What are they, some sort of prehistoric blasters?”“Stay where you are, this is your last warning!”Still approaching, Thoryuk’s grin widened. “Splendid. I enjoy warnings.”One of the cops panicked as the mercenary stepped closer and fired. Thoryuk’s hand shot out and easily caught the bullet. He studied it with interest, looking amused. “Oh, this isn’t some primitive blaster. It’s an even more ancient weapon.”Chuckling, he crushed the bullet to dust. Now both cops looked terrified. “H-He… He’s a monster!”“Take him down!”They began firing. This time, Thoryuk didn’t even bother to catch the bullets, and they simply bounced harmlessly off his body. His eyes flashed, and both cops’ weapons blew apart in their hands. Then Thoryuk was in front of them, lifting them both in the air.“Now then,” he said with a sneer, “would one of you fine gentlemen be kind enough to tell me where we can find this Mr. Satan everyone keeps talking about. And I do suggest you be quick about it before my claws find your throats.”“W-W-What?” the first cop stuttered. “You want to challenge Mr. Satan? You’re crazy, it’s suicide.”Thoryuk’s forked tongue snaked out, licking his lips in anticipation. “No, my friend, what you’re doing is suicide by not telling me what I want to know. Now I suggest you tell me before you’re successful at it.”The cop pointed in the right direction. “He… He lives several miles that way in Satan City. But you’re no match for him. Just you wait, he’ll make you pay for this.”An amused chuckle escaped the mercenary. “See, that wasn’t so hard, now was it? As a reward for helping me out, I’ll give you a ten second head start.” He dropped both cops. “Ten…”They saw that he was serious and took off. This would be nothing more than shooting fish in a barrel, and Thoryuk eagerly raised a claws finger at their fleeing forms. “Six… five… four… three-”“Would you stop fooling around,” Gorbii interrupted. “You’re only supposed to kill them if they don’t talk. If it gets out that we kill our informants even if they do talk, then no one will cooperate, and it’ll make it that much harder to get information in the future. You know this.”Thoryuk growled and lowered his hand. “You guys never let me have any fun.”“This is not meant to be fun,” Stookz told him. “This is a job.”“More like a personal errand for the boss, Beegoh remarked. “We’re not getting paid for this one. Still, we gotta get it done, so lets find this Mr. Satan person and see what he knows.”(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)Piccolo let out a sigh of relief as he ‘saw’ the four mercenaries fly away from the city. No one had been killed, or even harmed, but the danger wasn’t over yet. It had been close though, that one had completely intent on killing those cops.“I don’t like this,” said Dende, echoing Piccolo’s thoughts. “These guys are bad news. The only thing that’s preventing them from killing everyone is that it would inconvenience their search.”The older Namekian was well aware of this fact, and he hoped that their luck would hold out. That one though, he seemed a little too eager to spill blood. He was going to be trouble, but he hoped his comrades would be able to keep him in check. The only thing that stopped him from going down there and confronting the four of them himself was that he knew he wasn’t strong enough to take on all four by himself.“Try and contact King Kai,” he ordered. “Have him tell Goku that we’ve got trouble back here, and it doesn’t look good.”He returned his attention to what was happening down below. The four mercenaries were heading for Satan City, but the one back at their ship seemed consent to simply wait. Piccolo wasn’t sure what that one’s deal was, but he had a really bad feeling. There was a sense of anticipation and excitement from him, but also something else, a deep feeling of anger and hatred that bubbled beneath the surface, threatening to spill out.‘Can’t worry about that one right now,’ he decided. ‘It’s the other four that are the real problem. Damn it, why did this have to happen during one of Buu’s sleep cycles. Mr. Satan, I certainly hope you don’t push these guys; they’ll kill you without a second thought.’(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)It hadn’t been hard to find Satan City once they had been pointed in the right direction, and it had been even easier to find Mr. Satan’s home; the place was pretty much on display.It would have been simple to just fly down, tear the roof off the mansion, and make off with the so-called world champion, but there was no need for such drastic actions yet. There was a way of doing things that would work in the mercenaries’ favor. It would be better to start off playing nice; they could always start blowing things up later.“My sensors are detecting only two power levels worth noting,” Stookz told his comrades. “One of them is utterly pathetic next to our own, but is very powerful compared to the rest of these earthlings. The other is suppressed in such a way that I would guess that they’re in a deep sleep, but I sense that it’s massive.”Beegoh placed his hands on his hips. “So which one is the world champ do you think?”Gorbii smirked. “Lets find out,” he said, and rang the doorbell.Thoryuk’s tongue snaked out and ran over his claws as they traced his lips. “Maybe I’ll challenge this champion for his title.” His grin widened. “In a death match.”The large doors opened, and a man who was very obviously a servant stuck his head out. He seemed caught off guard by the unusual appearance of the visitors, but quickly pulled himself together. “Yes, how may I help you?”Gorbii went with the humble approach. “Good day, sir. We’re here to see the world champ. We have some very important questions for him.”The servant lifted his chin in a way that suggested that he believed he had all the authority. “The champ is very busy, but I shall see if he has time.”He closed the door and hit a button, contacting a different room in the mansion. As it just so happened, Mr. Satan was sitting in his trophy room, watching a recording of one of his past matches. He cheered for himself on screen, getting hyped up on how great he was. Now that he knew that Buu’s long sleeping period was normal, he was no longer worried about his friend.Sitting beside him was his and Buu’s dog, Bee, barking at the screen as if trying to ward off Mr. Satan’s competition. This just made the world champ chuckle, and he reached down to pet the dog. “Not to worry, little guy. That fool’s no match for the champion of the world. Just watch this next move… Yeah! That’s it! And he’s down!”He crossed his arms in satisfaction of how great he was. Despite his knowledge of what the world was really like and the types of powerful beings in it, his ego was still as large as ever. He chose not to include the likes of Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, and the others into account when he called himself the champion of the world, completely oblivious to the fact that his own daughter was actually a lot stronger than him.Of course, now that he was all buddy-buddy with the Z Warriors, he no longer needed to worry about being exposed as a fraud; once he had paid off 18 of course. That was a major weight off his shoulders. In fact, Gohan had even offered to teach him how to fly and use energy the way he and his friends did. Mr. Satan had tried, but just wasn’t able to wrap his head around the process, not even with Videl’s help, and so he had eventually given up.Fortunately, he didn’t need to worry about any of them taking his title in any future tournaments, as they all agreed to throw the fight if they were ever placed against him. Well, Vegeta might not, and 18 would for a price, but the others were more courteous.Fate certainly had a funny way of working things out. In the past, he would have given anything to never again see any of the strange people who had showed up at the Cell Games. But now he was good friends with them, and his daughter was even dating one. It had not been easy to let his little girl go, but knowing what Gohan was capable of, having defeated both Cell and Bojack, not to mention standing up to Super Buu, he was certain that the boy would be able to take care of her. Not that she needed taking care of, but he was glad to see his daughter so happy.A knock at his door disrupted his thoughts, and he turned his attention to it in annoyance. “Yeah, what is it?”The door opened, and a servant stuck his head in. “Sir, I’m sorry to bother you, but you have some rather unusual guests asking for you?”Mr. Satan’s eyes narrowed irritably. “Unusual guest, eh? Who are they? Did they say what they wanted?”“It seems they have some questions for you. I’m afraid they didn’t specify any more than that.”An impatient growl escaped the world champ. “I don’t have time for people to come up to me all willy-nilly whenever they please. I’m in the middle of some very important training. It’s essential to study your past fights to discover any potential weaknesses in your fighting style. Tell whoever it is that if they have any questions, they can just schedule an interview. Or if they’re interested in any training, they can join my dojo.”The servant nodded. “Yes, sir, very good.”Smirking, Mr. Satan went back to watching his match, having already put the matter behind him. (-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-) “I’m terribly sorry,” the servant told the mercenaries when he was informed of what Mr. Satan had said, “but it seems that the champ is in the middle of some very important training and can’t be interrupted right now. If you like, you can schedule an interview, and Mr. Satan will be happy to answer any questions you may have.”Gorbii’s fingers tapped against his crossed arms impatiently. “We’re kind of short on time. I suggest you tell your champion that he should come out to us before we go in to him.”The servant looked nervous, but had faith in the world champion. “Sir, your threats are not appreciated. Now, I’m going to have to ask you to leave before I call the police.”With that, he slammed the door in their faces. The mercenaries, however, did not seem bothered in the least by this. On the contrary, they looked quite pleased, Thoryuk in particular.“Does this mean we get to have some fun?” Beegoh asked eagerly, cracking his knuckles.Gorbii chuckled. “Most definitely.” He held up his hand, energy gathering in his palm. “Lets show this so-called champion just how serious this is.”The entire mansion shook as the energy blast tore through it. Up in his trophy room, Mr. Satan was thrown from his chair as the whole place jumped. Bee began barking loudly, and rushed to the door, yelping at it excitedly.“Wh-What was that?” Mr. Satan exclaimed. “Did someone set off a bomb?”There was more shaking, and more exploding. Mr. Satan began sweating nervously. ‘Is this some kind of terrorist attack? I’m a martial artist, I can’t face down guns and grenades!’The door suddenly burst open, and the servant from earlier came in. “Mr. Satan, those men you turned away are attacking the mansion! They’re using the same sort of tricks that Cell used!”Mr. Satan’s stomach dropped. He now knew that those fancy explosions and such were not tricks. Which could only mean one thing, these intruders were like Gohan and his friends.“Please, Mr. Satan,” the servant begged, “you’ve got to do something!”Despite the coiling in his gut, he couldn’t afford to lose face. “How dare these hooligans come and start causing trouble in the world champ’s house! I’ll teach them a thing or two!”There was another blast, this one just outside. Wanting to go any which way but towards the source, Mr. Satan worked up his courage and charged out of the room; there had been only one way out anyway, and he didn’t want to end up getting cornered.Out in the hall, he could see down to the lower level. Four creatures that didn’t look like they came from Earth stood down below. The one with the spikes was holding one of his employees in the air by his neck while the man kicked and screamed.Steeling his courage, Mr. Satan pointed down at them. “Hey, you, you’ve got a lot of nerve to come trespassing here! Now you’ll feel the wrath of the world champ!”Gorbii looked up at him. A grin spread across his face, and he dropped the servant. A moment later, he and his comrades vanished, but quickly reappeared right in front of the champ. “So nice to meet you. We have a few questions.”Thoryuk raised his claws. “And we suggest you cooperate, unless you want to put your skills to the test against us.”Cowering against the wall, the servant that had been beside Mr. Satan gave the champ a confident look. “Turn them inside out, sir! Show them the power you used against Cell and Babidi’s monster.”For all intents and purposes, Mr. Satan looked the part of a brave and confident fighter, aside from the nervous sweat pouring down his face. Truth be told, it was taking all his strength to keep his legs from shaking. It was time to unleash his secret weapon.“Oh, ow, my stomach!” he cried, clutching his gut. “Seeing all this destruction has brought back the PTSD I suffered from when I fought against Cell! It’s making my stomach problem from back then resurface!”The four mercenaries no longer looked cocky, but utterly flabbergasted. “Uh, what?” Beegoh muttered.“Oh, the pain! It’s killing me! Oh, my poor stomach!”The servant reached out for him. “Oh no, Mr. Satan, sir! What do we do?”“Don’t worry, I still got this.”He took off running down the hall. The mercenaries just stared after him, not quite sure what to make of the situation. The servant, however, reached out for him again. “Mr. Satan, sir, are you running away?”The champ stopped and glanced back at them, still clutching his stomach. “Of course not! The world champ doesn’t run from anyone! This is just a strategic withdrawal! It’s all a part of my plan!”He took off again, hoping and praying the four men wouldn’t catch up to him as he ran through the mansion. When he reached his destination, he burst into the room and hurried to Majin Buu’s bedside. The large pink monster was sleeping soundly, a snot bubble protruding from his nonexistent nose.Mr. Satan ran to his bedside and began shaking him. “Buu, you’ve got to wake up! Please, I need your help! Please, Buu!”There was no response, Buu just kept sleeping, a big content smile on his face and a trail of drool sliding down his chubby cheek.“Darn it, Buu, wake up! These guys are totally going to kill me! Please, Buu, I’m in some real trouble here!”But it was no use. Buu just kept sleeping, oblivious to the world around him. He had been sleeping for a few days now, with no sign of waking up any time soon. Realizing the futility, Mr. Satan sank to his knees. “Oh, Buu… What do I do now?”There was no one else to help him. Anyone with the power and abilities to challenge the intruders was off doing their own thing somewhere. There was no way he would be able to get to them before the intruders got their hands on him.“Hey, I know!” he exclaimed, and whipped out his cell phone. “I’ll just give Gohan a call and have him come over and take these guys out. The kid can move faster than the speed of light.”He was in the middle of scrolling through his contacts when his phone suddenly shattered in his hands after beings struck by a beam. He cried out and looked towards the door. The mercenaries were standing just outside, the one with the spikes in the lead, his finger raised, having been the one to shoot the phone.“So sorry to interrupt your call,” Gorbii told him as he and his companions entered the room, “but we have a few questions for you.”Aside from the sleeping Majin Buu, there was no one else around, and so Mr. Satan had no problem dropping to his knees in front of the mercenaries. “Oh, please, don’t hurt me! I’ll do anything you say!”Beegoh chuckled. “That’s good. It’s always so much easier when people cooperate.”“We are searching for the one called Goku,” Stookz told him. “Your name keeps coming up whenever we inquire about him. Even though he is the one who saved the universe from Majin Buu, it seems that the earthlings recognize you as their hero. Why is that?”Mr. Satan looked up. “What? You’re looking for Goku?”Gorbii raised an eyebrow. “Then you know him?”Mr. Satan nodded. “Yeah, sure, I know him. He and I fought the bad Buu together.”Gorbii smirked. “Good. It seems we finally have a lead. Now, if you’ll be so kind as to tell us where we can find him, we’ll be on our way.”Mr. Satan blinked. “You’re asking me where Goku is? What makes you think I would know?”It was true. He knew that Goku liked to go off training in some alternate dimension, but he didn’t have a clue as to where it was, or how to get there.The smile left Gorbii’s face, and he now looked irritated. “We admire loyalty, but we also find it to be a nuisance at times. For your sake, I suggest you tell us where we can find him.”Beegoh held his hand out towards the sleeping Majin Buu, and a ball of energy appeared in his hand. “And you better be honest, if you care about your friend, that is.”Mr. Satan reached out to him. “Wait, please! Don’t hurt him! I swear I don’t know where he is! All I know is that he left a few days ago to train with some King Key or King Kay person! But he should be back in a few days!”The mercenaries studied him for a few moments to see if he would break. Stookz scanned him, and his sensors indicated that he was not lying. “He’s telling the truth. He does not know the location.”Thoryuk raised a clawed hand. “Since he doesn’t know, can we kill him?”The color drained from Mr. Satan’s face, but Gorbii just chuckled. “Better not. We may have some more questions for him in the future. However…”He glanced at Majin Buu, unaware of who the sleeping monster really was. Beegoh picked up his cue and let the blast of energy fly. Mr. Satan’s mouth dropped open in horror as Buu’s head was completely blown apart. “BUU!!!”Beegoh chuckled. “Let that be a warning not to do anything stupid, or next time we’ll kill someone else close to you.”“And don’t bother going anywhere,” Stookz added. “We don’t want to waste any more time having to track you down. If we do, the punishment will be most severe.”With nothing more to say, the four mercenaries flew straight up, crashing through floor after floor until they were outside.“Why couldn’t you let me kill that guy?” Thoryuk complained. “I’ve been itching to do it all day.”“You were too slow,” Beegoh remarked smugly.Stookz looked back at the mansion curiously. “It is strange. The one we killed was definitely the larger power that was suppressed I detected earlier. And did not Mr. Satan call him Buu?”“Buu?” Beegoh repeated. “As in Majin Buu? The one Goku defeated?”“Don’t be ridiculous,” Thoryuk snapped. “Majin Buu was the scourge of the universe. He couldn’t possibly be that big, pink blob. Besides, Goku destroyed him. That fat guy must have been the trainee we heard about that simply took on Majin Buu’s name as a fighting name. Fighters do that sometimes.”Beegoh nodded in agreement. “Yeah, that bloated blimp can’t be the real Majin Buu.”An amused grin crept up Thoryuk’s face. “Have you heard the one about the pot and the kettle?”“Hey, I’ve got a layer of solid muscle beneath this gut. My body provides the perfect combination of absorbing blows and rock hard defense underneath.”An annoyed groan escaped Gorbii. “Lets we not get into this again. Our first lead turned out to be a dead end. Now we’ve got to find a new one. We’ll try the next city over. Wherever Goku is hiding, we’ll find him; even if we need to tear this entire planet apart to do so.”(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)Back in the mansion, Mr. Satan was weeping beside the headless Buu’s bedside. “Oh, Buu. Why do you have to be such a sound sleeper? This is all my fault. If only I hadn’t led them to you. Now you’re gone.”Yet even as he wept, a brand new head sprouted on Majin Buu’s shoulders. He remained completely oblivious to the fact that he had just lost his head as he kept on sleeping peacefully.A feeling of awkwardness fell over Mr. Satan as he stared at his friend. “Oh, yeah, I forgot you could do that.” He shook his head and stood up. “This is no time to dillydally! Goku’s in trouble! I’ve got to warn everyone!”He reached for his phone, then remembered that it had been blasted apart. He looked at the shattered smoking remains of the device on the floor, the awkwardness returning. “But that might be a bit of a problem. All my contacts were on my phone.” He looked up at the hole in the ceiling worriedly. “Goku, I hope you’ll be alright.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Chapter 3: Seeking the Seekers
This had been the third city they had checked. No one knew anything about Goku, but everyone constantly mentioned Mr. Satan; it was becoming tiresome. They even tried asking about King Key and King Kay, but no one knew anything about them either.“Key and Kay might not have been the right name,” Gorbii commented. “That Mr. Satan clown didn’t know anything.”“And if Goku really is training,” said Stookz, “then he wouldn’t be able to hide his power, and my sensors should have picked him up. That being said, it’s possible that Goku isn’t even on Earth.”Gorbii crossed his arms. “Possibly, but these earthlings don’t seem to be advanced enough for interstellar travel.”Beegoh was growing frustrated. Whenever they got a job, they were provided with information, and, at the very least, given a picture of their target. But with Goku, they were searching blindly. And with the way the people on this planet with any actual power were suppressing it, they couldn’t even sense anyone who could possibly be Goku.“I hate this,” he grumbled. “I don’t mind tracking someone down for a job, but I hate working for free. We’re just wasting time with this.”“Agreed,” said Stookz. “I too am hoping to wrap this up quickly, but it seems like it may take some time, especially if Goku has left the planet.”Thoryuk had been quiet for a while now. He was quite bored. His companions may not have a problem with killing, but if it caused a problem for their line of work, they would try to avoid it. Thoryuk, on the other hand, could care less about their work. He simply enjoyed hunting down and killing others. And if you had to have a job, you might as well do something you love.He knew his comrades enjoyed killing as well, which was why they were in this line of work, as it gave them an excuse to kill. That was why he had joined them, but he would much rather kill indiscriminately. While they would keep their murderous tendencies in check while working a job, he would much rather slaughter everyone.Glancing down at the city below, a sadistic grin crept up his face. “I have an idea of how we can find Goku. It seems like he’s a protector of this world. If that’s the case, then there’s a very simply way of drawing him out.”Before the others could ask what he meant, he fired a blast of energy at the city below. An explosion erupted, engulfing the entire city. Buildings were obliterated in an instant, the cries of the people lost over the sound of the blast, and Thoryuk grinned gleefully at the sight.(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)A few cities over, Vegeta froze as he sensed the energy blast and loss of life, and his gaze snapped in the direction the blast was in. It was too far away to see anything, but he could certainly feel it.“What the…?” he muttered. “Is the planet under attack?”He hadn’t sensed anyone powerful approach the planet, but that didn’t meant anything; it was easy enough to suppress one’s power. Whoever fired that blast though was pretty powerful. How strong was meant to be seen, but from what he just sensed, very strong.“Dad! Dad!” Trunks cried as he and Goten ran up to him. “Did you feel that?”Vegeta’s eyes narrowed. “Of course I did. Someone just attacked the earth.”“Who was it?” Goten asked. “It didn’t feel like anyone familiar.”No, Vegeta didn’t recognize the energy signature either. It was definitely someone from off planet. The thought made his blood boil. How dare someone attack his home world! They were signing their death warrant.“Hey, what’s up?” Bulma asked, walking over to them. “Why’d you run off like that?” She noticed the look on her husband’s face. “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”Goten turned to her. “A bad person just blew up a bunch of people.”That was not what Bulma had expected to hear. “What!? Vegeta, is that true?”A grunt escaped the Saiyan prince. “It is. It happened a few cities over.”Without another word, he flew off, heading for the source of the blast. Bulma called after him, but was ignored as he disappeared into the sky. An annoyed scowl crossed Bulma’s face at the thought of the world once again being in danger.She pinched the bridge of her nose as she felt a headache coming on. “When can we get a break? I’ll bet other planets don’t face the risk of destruction this much.” She sighed and pulled out her cell phone. “Better give Gohan a call. Honestly, of all times for Goku to be off training with King Kai.”“We’ll go too!” Trunks declared.“Yeah,” Goten agreed as they leapt into the air.Bulma’s hands shot out and grabbed them before they could fly off. “Oh no you don’t! Trunks, you let your father take care of this. There’s no need for you to get involved. And Goten, your mother trusted me with your safety. I’m not about to let you go off to fight some monster.”Trunks turned around irritably. “Ah, come one, Mom, we can handle it.”“Yeah, remember how we fought Majin Buu?” Goten added.Bulma crossed her arms. “I remember that you were both killed by him.”The two half-Saiyans winced. She had them there, but Trunks wasn’t willing to give up just yet. “What if I go get the sword Tapion gave me. I can cut down all the bad guys with it.”“I said no, and I meant it, young man!” She began dialing. “Now you two just sit tight while I let Gohan know what’s going on.”(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)Gohan nodded as Bulma explained what had happened on her end. “Yeah, I felt it too. Completely out of nowhere… No, I’m not too far off… He is? Right now? …Ok, I guess I’ll meet him halfway… No, Dad’s not supposed to return for a few more days yet… Yeah, I think we’ll be able to handle it…”Videl looked on with worry, trying to follow the conversation. Less than a minute ago, Gohan had reacted in shock and horror at having detected something off to the east. She had sensed something happen as well, but she was nowhere near as skilled at sensing energy as he was.“Someone just blew up a bunch of people,” he had told her when she had asked what she was sensing.Shortly after that, his cell phone had gone off, the caller I.D. indicating that it was Bulma. From what Videl had been able to determine from Gohan’s end of the conversation, Vegeta had sensed what had happened as well, and was likely on his way to investigate.“Yeah, thanks, Bulma,” Gohan said into the phone. “Can you keep an eye on Goten too. Mom will kill us both if she finds out we let him anywhere near whoever’s responsible for this… Yeah, exactly… I will, and thanks.”He ended the call and gave Videl an apologetic look. She simply flashed him an understanding smile. “You have to go, don’t you?”His shoulders sank. “I’m sorry, I swear I’ll make it up to you.”She chuckled. “Just come back in one piece and I’ll be satisfied.” She playfully punched his shoulder. “Go get ‘em, Mr. Saiyaman.”Gohan smiled gratefully. He hit a button on his watch, and his superhero suit appeared. Then he was off, flying away to save the day. Videl felt a small twinge of envy that she wouldn’t be able to join him, but from what he had told her of what he sensed, this new enemy was beyond her. She still remembered having been devoured by Super Buu, and the beating she had taken when she tried to face off against Broly. Neither of those instances had been fun.“Too bad Buu’s hibernating right now,” she said to herself. “It would have been nice to have him as backup.” She smiled at the thought of how much stronger Gohan was than Majin Buu, even if he had stopped training. “Not that you need it. Right, Great Saiyaman?”(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)Goten was openly pouting at having to stay behind. But as Bulma turned her back on the two boys, Trunks tapped on his shoulder and motioned for him to follow. They tiptoed away as Bulma began speaking on the phone, slipping between two buildings.“Goten, come on,” Trunks whispered. “Lets go while she’s distracted.”The younger Saiyan was still pouting. “But she said we had to stay here.”A cheeky grin crept up Trunks’ face. “Yeah, she said we have to stay here, but she didn’t say anything about Gotenks.”Goten looked thoughtful at this. “Does… that count?”“Of course it counts. Technically, it won’t be you or I flying off to battle.”Goten beamed. “Yeah, lets do it!”They assumed their positions, getting ready to perform the ritual they had practiced pretty much nonstop for almost two days.“Fuuuuu…sion! Ha-”“Trunks! Goten!” Bulma snapped, poking her head between the two buildings. “What do you think you’re doing!?”The boys flinched, but it was too late to pull back. Their index fingers grazed each other, landing off their intended marks. There was a flash of light that surrounded the boys, and they were pulled into each other.When the light faded, both Goten and Trunks were gone, and in their place was a large, round, obese combination of the two of them.“Um… oops…” Gotenks mumbled.Bulma crossed her arms. “Serves you right!”(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)Piccolo’s nails were digging into his palms hard enough to draw blood. He had both sensed and ‘seen’ what Thoruyk had done, and was now cursing himself for not acting sooner. He’d been hoping that there wouldn’t be any death, but now he realized it had just been wishful thinking on his part.“He did it…” Dende whispered in dismay. “I’d hoped he wouldn’t, but…”Piccolo nodded. “Yes, I know. That one is completely out of control. And his friends aren’t too much higher up on the morality ladder; they’re just more rational, but it was just a matter of time before this happened.”Mr. Popo stepped forward. “Should I go gather up the Dragon Balls?”Dende turned to him. “Yes, I’d appreciate that. Hopefully Gohan and Vegeta will be able to deal with this quickly.”A frustrated growl escaped Piccolo. “Those four are going to be a problem, but it’s the one that stayed behind that’s really worrying me. Have you managed to contact King Kai yet?”The younger Namekian mumbled unhappily. “Not yet. I’m trying, but it’s hard to get through. It’s like there’s something distracting him.”Piccolo humphed irritably. ‘Yeah, and I’ll bet it’s Goku.’(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)In Other World, Goku had moved onto a different form of training. He was now holding the gray block he had been dragging around earlier over his head and doing squat thrusts in time to King Kai’s counting.“One, two. One, two. One, two. Keep up the pace, Goku.”“I’m trying,” the Saiyan replied. “Seriously though, what is this thing made of; it’s ridiculous.”Behind his sunglasses, King Kai rolled his eyes. “It’s all the condensed matter of everything that was sucked into a black hole. Now stop talking and start squatting.”He resumed counting as Goku went back to his squat thrusts. He couldn’t help but smile at his prize pupil. Despite Goku being incredibly dense and somewhat aggravating at times, he very much enjoyed the Saiyan’s company.‘If only I could get him to appreciate my comedic genius. I know, once he’s done with his exercise, I’ll hit him with my newest joke. I’ll ask, “What’s a pirate’s favorite letter?” Naturally, he’ll say, “R”, but then I’ll say, “Ah, you would think so, but it’s actually the C. Get it, the C”.’ He began chuckling to himself. ‘Yeah, that’s a good one. I’m sure even Goku would appreciate a joke like that.’
“King Kai? King Kai, can you hear me?”
The Kai blinked. “Huh, that wasn’t me.”Goku glanced at him. “Sorry, did you say something, King Kai?”“It’s fine, Goku. Nothing for you to worry about.” He focused on the telepathic message. “Dende, is that you?”
“Yes, it’s me. I’m glad I got you.”
The North Kai grinned. “So am I. I’ve got this new joke I want to try out. What’s a pirate’s favorite-”
“King Kai, I’m sorry to interrupt, but we have a bit of a problem.”
The smile left King Kai’s face. “What kind of problem. Oh no, did the bad Majin Buu’s reincarnation lose control of his power and go on a rampage. I told King Yemma that he shouldn’t reincarnate him, even if it was a favor for Goku. He should have just left that monster in Hell where he belongs. But no, he had to go and grant Goku’s request. It’s too much power too soon for someone so young. We could end up with a situation like Broly.”
“Um, no, it’s nothing like that, but we are under attack. Not too long ago, some powerful people arrived on Earth to look for Goku. Now it seems they’re getting impatient with the search, so they’ve begun blowing things up and killing people in order to draw him out.”
“That’s terrible!” Goku exclaimed.King Kai looked over his shoulder and jumped, surprised to see the Saiyan hanging onto him. “Ah! Goku, when did you join in on this?”Goku ignored him. “Dende, who’s looking for me?”“I’m not entirely sure,” the Namekian replied, his words being telepathically transported through King Kai to Goku. “They seem to be mercenaries or assassins of some kind.”“Mercenaries? Assassin? That sounds bad.”
“Yeah, they’ve already blown up an entire city, and tore through Mr. Satan’s home.”
Goku was outraged by this. “All this to find me? That’s awful!”
“And I don’t think they’re going to stop until they find you.”
Goku nodded in understanding. “Got it. I’m on my way.”Placing two fingers to his forehead, he concentrated on Dende and teleported away. He immediately reappeared beside the Guardian, not at all surprised to see Piccolo there too. “What are we dealing with?”Piccolo grumbled as he returned his attention down below. “I’m not sure exactly. There’s five of them, but only four are out searching. Three of them seem to be your standard henchmen, but one of them is a loose a cannon, a total sociopath. The one that stayed behind though… I’m not sure what to make of him.”“And they’re after me?”“That does seem to be the case, yeah. Gohan and Vegeta are already on their way there.”Goku nodded. “Alright, then I’ll meet up with them.”He placed his fingers on his head again, ready to teleport, and Piccolo turned to him. “I’m coming too.”Goku smirked. “I had a feeling you’d say that.”The Namekian placed a hand on Goku’s shoulder, and together they vanished.(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)It hadn’t taken long for Gohan to catch up to Vegeta. They were both heading for the same location, and they hadn’t been too far apart to begin with.Spotting him in the air, Gohan put on a burst of speed, coming up behind his father’s eternal rival. “Hey, Vegeta!”The Saiyan prince glanced back at him and immediately scowled at seeing his Great Saiyanman costume. To see a Saiyan, even a half-Saiyan, dressed in such a way felt like an insult to his entire race.“Where’s your little girlfriend?” he asked mockingly.Gohan either didn’t notice Vegeta’s snarky tone, or he ignored it. “She’s hanging back. From what we sensed, this could be a little much for her.”Vegeta humphed, but, truth be told, he had gained respect for Videl after learning that she had stood up to Broly. She would be a worthy mate for the boy. That is, once they ditched their so-called superhero act.“You felt it too, right?” Gohan asked, referring to the attack.Vegeta felt insulted that he even had to ask. “Of course I did. Unlike you, I don’t let my skills get rusty during times of peace.”“Hey! That’s not fair! Just because I pursue other interests doesn’t mean-”“Will you take that stupid thing off!”Behind his helmet, Gohan blinked. “What, you mean my costume? I use this so no one will recognize me.”“No one is going to recognize you from way up here! You are a member of the proud Saiyan race, even if you are just a halfling. You should be utterly ashamed to be dressed like that. Where’s your Saiyan pride?”Gohan was slightly caught off guard by the Saiyan prince’s hostility. He knew why though; Vegeta was very big on pride, especially when it came to the Saiyan race. To this day, he still called his father by his Saiyan name, Kakarot, somehow considering that calling him Goku would disrespect his heritage. It would be amusing if he weren’t completely serious.“Alright, alright, I’m taking off.” He pressed the button on his watch again, and his Saiyaman costume de-molecularized. “Better?”Vegeta just grunted and said nothing more. They flew in silence for a few moments before they were cut off by the sudden appearance of Goku and Piccolo.“Dad, Piccolo,” Gohan exclaimed in surprise. You’re here too?”Goku raised a hand in greeting. “Hey. Looks like we’ve got a job to do.”Vegeta crossed his arms. “I thought you were off training with King Kai.”Goku laughed bashfully. Unlike him, he knew that Vegeta preferred to train in solitude, not liking having to rely on anyone to train him, usually using the gravity simulator at a few hundred times Earth’s normal gravity. “Yeah, well, Dende contacted me about what was happening.”“Then do you know who it is?” Gohan asked.“We’re not sure,” Piccolo replied. “All we know is that there’s five of them, and for some reason, they’re after Goku.”A vein throbbed in Vegeta’s forehead at the thought of his rival once again getting the spotlight. He may have acknowledged that Goku was a superior warrior during the battle with Kid Buu, but he fully intended to change that.“Why am I not surprised?” he grumbled. “Who’d you piss off this time, Kakarot? Have a little run in with someone during your space travels?”Goku tapped his chin in thought. “No, I don’t think so.”“Most likely,” said Piccolo, “it’s someone wishing to challenge the one who defeated Majin Buu.”Frowning, Goku crossed his arms in thought. “Well, that’s not really fair. I’m hardly the only one who had a hand in defeating Buu.”“Doesn’t matter. You made the finishing blow. Word is going to spread that it was you who did it, even if others contributed.”Vegeta was growing increasingly frustrated. “What does it matter? Lets just find these clowns and be done with it.”Piccolo nodded in agreement. “Right, lets go.”They took off once again, still wondering who and what would be waiting for them this time.(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)A cloud of smoke rose up from the blast site. The entire city had been completely blown away. All that was left were a few destroyed remains and a large crater where the city had once been. The four mercenaries floated above the destruction. Thoryuk looked quite pleased with himself, but the other seemed to be annoyed.“Damn it, Thoryuk,” Beegoh complained. “Why’d you have to go and do something like that?”The mercenary in question chuckled. “Just trying to save time. This should make our target come out of hiding.”“Not if you just blew him up.”Thoryuk rolled his eyes. “Oh, come on. Anyone who can take out Frieza should be able to survive a blast like that in their sleep.”“It’s not just that,” Gorbii told him. “Mass destruction is bad for business. You know that we may have trouble gaining future clients if they find out we go around blowing up large populations. In fact, you may have just killed possible future clients. Maybe someone down there would have hired us at one point.”Thoryuk apparently found this to be hilarious. “Oh, please. These people are so primitive, they’ll never have been able to get in contact with us, let alone hire us. And as for us gaining a reputation of being too destructive…” he cracked his neck, “that’s an easy one. All we have to do is blow up the planet after we take care of Goku. No witnesses, no one to taint our reputation. Problem solved.”Beegoh swiped his hand through the air in aggravation. “That’s not the point! This isn’t the first time we’ve had to reprimand you for getting carried away. I do not want to be out of work because you can’t control yourself.”Thoryuk closed his eyes and crossed his arms. “I like a little mass killing every once in awhile. It’s good to indulge yourself every so often, even if it means your work will suffer a bit for it. Besides, I know you guys enjoy this as much as me.”Beegoh did not argue with this. “Yeah, but at least we have self-control!”It was too easy, and Thoryuk took the unintentional setup, elbowing Beegoh in his enormous gut. “Maybe you should practice some self-control in other areas, eh, tubby?”“I will kill you in your sleep!”“Be silent,” Stookz interrupted. “I am detecting approaching energy signatures. Their power is suppressed, but I sense that it is great.”Grinning smugly, Thoryuk turned to the insectoid. “See, I told you it would work.”“That could be anyone,” Beegoh argued back.“I guess we’ll see. How many are there, Stookz?”“Four of them approaching from the west.”“One four each of us. Splendid. I claim the right to choose first.”Gorbii sighed. “Just make sure you ask about Goku before you kill anyone.”Thoryuk cracked his knuckles. “Oh, I’ll beat the answer out of them.”It wasn’t long before the approaching four joined the mercenaries. A few moments after being alerted to their presence, Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, and Piccolo flew up to the mercenaries. A scowl was plastered on each of their faces, Goku and Gohan’s openly displaying disgust. The former’s eyes shifted to the destroyed city below before darting back to the mercenaries.“Did you do this?” he demanded, trying to keep his temper in check.Gorbii smirked. “So what if we did?”Goku’s expression did not change, and he spoke in a voice filled with promise. “I’m only going to say this once. Leave this planet now, and never come back. Otherwise, you’re going to have to deal with me.”It was no use. Despite Goku’s threat, Piccolo had known right away that these four weren’t the type to turn tail and run. “I don’t know why you bother. Guys like these never leave when you give them the chance to walk away.”Thoryuk snickered. “Very perceptive, big green. We’re not going anywhere.”“We’re looking for a Saiyan called Goku,” Gorbii continued. “Perhaps one of you know him.”The Saiyan in question’s eyes narrowed. “I’m Goku. What do you want from me?”Beegoh looked surprised. “Wait, you’re Goku? The Saiyan who defeated Frieza and Majin Buu?”“I am? What of it?”Beegoh’s eyes drifted down to Goku’s waist, noticing the distinct lack of something. “But… where’s your tail?”A chuckle escaped Gorbii. “Is it not obvious? He had it removed so he wouldn’t transform during the full moon. Guess that partly explains why he’s been able to stay hidden for so long.”Beegoh cracked his knuckles. “What’s it matter? We found him now, so who cares?”Goku gave him a hard look. “What do you want with me? Who are you?”A cocky smile made its way up Gorbii’s mouth. “Put simply, we’re soldiers for hire. Bodyguards, assassins, hitmen, mercenaries, bounty hunters, whatever the job requires. If it pays, we take the job.”Now Piccolo was beginning to understand. “So I guess that means someone hired you to take out Goku.”Gorbii shrugged. “Something like that. Lets just say that our boss has taken a… special interest in him.”Vegeta scoffed at this. “If any of you think you or your employer are a match for Kakarot, or any of us for that matter, then you’re even more idiotic than you look.”“Ah, ah, ah,” Thoryuk muttered, shaking a clawed finger. “The boss isn’t our employer. He’s simply the head of our little group. And you’ll be finding out why very soon.”Goku could sense it, a fight was about to break out. These four may have come here for him, but each of them was itching for a battle.“So,” said Stookz, “are you going to come with us willingly, or would you rather us use force?”Gorbii scoffed and crossed his arms. “Come now, Stookz. He’s a Saiyan. We all know that a Saiyan can’t say no to a fight.”Thoryuk’s purple lips shifted into an arrogant smile. “That works in our favor, ‘cause neither can we. And I’ve got my sights set on the mouthy one.”Vegeta scowled. “If that’s in reference to me, you should know that you’re challenging the prince of Saiyans.”He said it with great pride, just as he always did. However, the four mercenaries did not appear to be impressed. Beegoh in particular found his claim to be rather humorous. “You hear that, Thoryuk, you get to take on royalty. Me, however, I’ll take the odd man out. So you’re mine, big green.”“The name’s Piccolo!” the Namekian snapped as he threw aside his weighted training clothes, unwilling to be called ‘big green’ a third time.Gorbii just shrugged. “It doesn’t matter who you are; you’ll all be dead soon anyway. The only one that really matters is you, Goku.” His good-natured persona suddenly shifted, becoming something much darker. “And I’m very eager to see why the boss is so interested in with you.”Stookz zeroed in on Gohan. “I suppose I’ll settle for the leftovers. That’s fine with me.”It was time. All pretenses and show of civility were gone; the battle was about to get underway. Goku had been sizing up their opponents, trying to get a reading on them. From what he could determine so far, Piccolo’s opponent relied on brute strength and a powerful defense. The guy looked like he had the body of Majin Buu, but the arms and legs of Broly. Piccolo would have the speed advantage, but it could be difficult to do any real damage, and getting too close would be risky.Vegeta’s opponent seemed to be the opposite, relying mostly on speed. But it was very clear from his body language that he was an aggressor, likely going on the attack, even if it was to his disadvantage. This would most likely make him very dangerous in battle.Gohan’s opponent was harder to read with all those robotic parts. More than half his body was mechanical, and there was no telling what types of abilities they would give him. He likely had a wide range of skills, weapons, and hidden abilities. He could be a tricky opponent, one Gohan should be cautious of.Goku’s own opponent wouldn’t be easy either. His body was covered in spikes over his arms, legs, and most of his torso. Hitting him with any physical attacks would be foolish, especially since his skin also seemed to be an exoskeleton. He was definitely the strongest after the big one, and he seemed to have speed on his side too.Still, Goku was confident that they could win. These guys were strong, but nowhere near as powerful as the likes of Kid Buu, Janemba, and Hirudegarn. They should be able to defeat them without too much trouble.“Alright then,” he said in a hard voice, “lets do this. Just remember, you asked for it.”(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)Back in his ship, the boss had ceased his mediation, and turned his attention to the monitors. Stookz was sending both audio and video feed directly to the ship. For the first time, he set eyes on Goku.He wasn’t alone though; he had three companions with him. This wasn’t surprising considering what Thoryuk had done to get the Saiyan’s attention. It may be bad for business if word got out that his group was so reckless and destructive, but it had gotten the job done. And right now, he was more interested in the Saiyan warrior than he was with getting hired again.It seemed Goku had also come with a bonus. His one companion had announced that he was the prince of Saiyans. That would make him Vegeta, son of the king, who also shared the same name; and one of the few remaining Saiyans left in the universe. Yes, this was a nice little surprise. Just how many other Saiyans were on this planet? He was itching to know.And what of the other one who had arrived with Goku? Could he be a Saiyan as well? Aside from their tails, Saiyans were almost identical in appearance to earthlings. And both Goku and Vegeta were missing their tails. Had they had them removed? If this boy was also a Saiyan, had he had his removed as well? If so, then he could very well be a Saiyan too. Or half-Saiyan anyway. Based on his appearance, he looked a lot like Goku. Perhaps this was his son. That was very a very interesting possibility. He would have to look into this further. But first, he was curious to see what Goku was capable of.“Show me, Mr. Super Saiyan,” he said to himself. “Show me that my patience was worth it.”

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Chapter 4: All For One
A bystander may have thought that they had stepped into a war-zone by the sound of it. Powerful shockwaves echoed through the air and shook the ground as the combatants fought it out in the air, moving too fast for the average person to see.Like Goku, Piccolo had picked up on the advantages his opponent had, and found himself struggling to get through Beegoh’s defenses while being wary of the giant’s strength.He delivered a punch to Beegoh’s gut, only to have his fist swallowed up by the mercenary’s large, pudgy stomach. He followed up by bashing him in the side with his knee before pulling his fist free and landing several more blows. Each one left a dent, but his blubber almost immediately filled in the space once more.Beegoh swiped a fist at him, and Piccolo pulled back. The mercenary’s bloated belly had several dents in it, having absorbed the blows, and then they were gone, as if never having been there at all. Piccolo silently swore; he had done little to no damage. It almost reminded him of Vegeta’s fight with Majin Buu, and how the Saiyan’s physical attacks had been almost ineffective.Opening his mouth, he fired a beam of energy. Smirking, Beegoh knocked the attack aside, and it flew off into the distance. “Hey, I can do that too.”He opened his own mouth and unleashed a much bigger blast. Piccolo didn’t bother trying to defend against it, and instead maneuvered around the attack and up at Beegoh. If his torso was not an option, then he would simply attack his limbs and head.He did a roundhouse kick in the air, and Beegoh’s big arm came up to block. It was like hitting a solid wall, so he threw a punch, aiming for Beegoh’s face. Beegoh caught his fist and delivered his own punch. Piccolo ducked to avoid it, and then struck with an uppercut, knocking Beegoh back.Pulling his hand free, he began raining punches into the mercenary’s stomach, only to receive the same results as before, with Beegoh’s belly absorbing the blows. He instead delivered a kick to Beegoh’s face, the blow putting some distance between the two of them, and raised his hands.“Masenko! Ha!”The energy blast shot out of his crossed hands and flew at the mercenary. Beegoh recovered from the kick and reached out, catching the energy attack with little effort, smirking at the surprised look on Piccolo’s face. “Is this yours? Well, here, have it back!”Like a professional baseball player, he wound up and threw the gathered energy back at Piccolo. The Namekian dodged, only to have Beegoh fly at him and land a head-butt. Piccolo was briefly dazed, but was able to recover in time as Beegoh began throwing punches.Piccolo realized that his assessment from earlier had been correct; Beegoh may have been strong, and had a good defense, but he was slow, his body structure making it difficult to move around. It allowed Piccolo to dodge the punches easily enough, and even deliver some of his own.Beegoh didn’t seem too bothered by the Namekian’s punches and kicks. He was able to use his superior strength to block, and his gut absorbed any hits that landed. Except for the head. That spot seemed to be his weakness, and Piccolo made a point to attack him there every chance he got. Beegoh, it seemed, was well aware of his weak spot, and made a clear point to defend the area.“Haaa!” Piccolo roared, firing a blast of energy into Beegoh’s gut. It pushed him back, and seemed to get stuck in his blubber. Beegoh halted his momentum, and flexed his stomach muscles. The energy in his gut dispersed, bursting into light particles, and Beegoh smirked at Piccolo.His arrogance didn’t last long, however, as Piccolo’s arms shot out, stretching several meters long, and snaking around him. Beegoh now found himself in a mock hug by the Namekian, his arms pinned to his sides by Piccolo’s.“What the?” he grunted, shifting to try and get loose.Piccolo was right in front of him, only now he was the one smirking. Lifting his head, he slammed it into Beegoh’s face. The mercenary cried out, and Piccolo did it again and again, his forehead colliding with Beegoh’s face. It wasn’t too pleasant for him either, but the mercenary was definitely taking on more damage.The blows kept coming, each strike making it hard to think of anything more than the pain. Beegoh knew he needed to get out of this, but the Namekian held him tightly in his snake-like arms.With a loud bellow, Beegoh attempted to break free. Piccolo ceased his head-butting as he did his best to maintain his grip. It was all in vain though as Beegoh tore straight through his arms, ripping them apart. Purple blood flew out of his torn limbs, but Piccolo was conscious of little else besides the pain.Now Beegoh was the one smirking again, and he opened his mouth to fire another energy blast. This one struck Piccolo, and he was blasted away. Beegoh chuckled and held out his arms, his hands cupped together. Spheres of energy began flying out of his palms at Piccolo. He didn’t bother to aim, but enough of them found their mark, and the Namekian went crashing into the trees below.Beegoh ceased his attack, grinning down at the dust cloud that had risen where Piccolo had crashed. “Ha, serves you right, green man.” He reached up and began feeling his face, which was still sore from the blows, and his fingers came away bloody. “Damn that guy, he gave me a nose bleed.”From down below, Piccolo rose up into the air again, breathing heavily. Beegoh scowled at him at first, but then grinned as he looked at the Namekian’s missing arms. “Still willing to fight, slug man? Don’t worry, kicks are more powerful than punches anyway, so you still have a chance if you use your feet.”The ‘slug man’ comment really irritated Piccolo, as it reminded him of a certain member of his race he considered to be a disgrace. He let the comment slide though as he forced a smile on his face, knowing he was going to enjoy the mercenary’s reaction to what was about to happen. “Don’t flatter yourself too much. I haven’t exactly lost anything.”There was pain as his regeneration kicked in, and two new arms sprouted from the stumps of where his old arms once were. The stunned look on Beegoh’s face was more than enough to make him smirk. As unpleasant as re-growing his limbs was, he always enjoyed his opponents’ reaction when they saw him do it.“So,” he asked mockingly, “you were saying?”Beegoh growled in frustration, not appreciating being mocked, but then seemed to relax as he broke out into a grin. “Regeneration, huh? I must admit, I didn’t see that coming.” He chuckled. “Lets see how many arms I can rip off before you surrender.”Piccolo got ready to resume the battle. “You can try it, but I’m not going to give you the chance.”(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)Gohan sped through the air as lasers flew past him. Flying from Stookz’s eyes, both his mechanical one and his real one, more beams shot out. Gohan continued to avoid them as he flew towards the mercenary, and delivered a punch to his mechanical jaw.Stookz went flying backwards, but halted his momentum. On his back, a thruster ignited, providing him with extra speed and power as he shot towards the Saiyan. An exchange of blows broke out as the two engaged in combat, soaring through the air as their fists and feet struck their opponent.At one point, Stookz’s mouth opened, and a stream of fire shot out. Gohan didn’t know if it was an enhancement of the mercenary’s mechanical parts, or if it was part of his naturally physiology, but he was quick to avoid the flames.It seemed that they were just meant to act as a distraction, as one of Stookz’s antenna lashed out like a whip. Gohan raised an arm to block, and the antenna coiled around his arm. There was a snickering sound from the mercenary, and Gohan cried out as he was suddenly electrocuted.The antenna remained firmly wrapped around him as electricity pulsed through his body at levels that would have instantly killed an ordinary person. But even with his immense power, he too would eventually fry if he didn’t do something.Gritting his teeth against the pain, he fought to regain control of his muscles as the electricity caused them to tense and lock up. He made a chopping motion with his free hand, slicing straight through the antenna. The pain stopped as Stookz let out his own wounded cry, grasping at his head.Gohan took a moment to catch his breath. Looking at his opponent, he tore the antenna off his arm and tossed it aside. “Looks like you’re down another piece of flesh. If you’re not careful, you’re going to run out of body and end up as a full-fledged robot.”Stookz glared at him. “You think that matters? All the damage I received eventually becomes an upgrade. In the end, I’ll only become stronger and more advanced.”Then thought of that disturbed Gohan as he examined the mercenary’s body. “Mind if I ask how you ended up this way?”Stookz regarded him curiously for a moment. “If you must know, a job went wrong. I was young and naïve. The target I was after proved to be much stronger and much more dangerous than I had anticipated. I was nearly killed as a result, my body torn apart and damaged beyond repair. But through the miracle of technological advances, I survived. What more, I became superior in every way than I was before. Back then, I had made a grave error in underestimating my opponent. That is not one I will ever make again.”A long blade slid out of the back of his wrist on his mechanical arm. He flew at Gohan, swiping at him. Gohan dodged the blade as Stookz stabbed and slashed at him. It became all the more difficult when Stookz’s flesh arm began throwing punches, and both his mechanical legs started kicking.Avoiding the blade, Gohan blocked the other blows while delivering several of his own. It wasn’t easy, as Stookz’s flesh seemed to be a hard exoskeleton, and his metal body parts didn’t seem to take any damage whenever he landed a blow on him.
‘What’s this guy made of? It’s like my attacks aren’t doing anything.’
More lasers shot out of Stookz’s eyes, and Gohan pulled back to avoid them. That’s when the mercenary’s mechanical legs shot out, his talon-like feet grabbing Gohan’s own legs, holding him in place. Stookz stabbed forward with his blade, but Gohan caught his wrist. He threw a punch instead, but Gohan was able to grab this as well.“Your body’s pretty solid,” he told the mercenary. “Must be some state of the art stuff.”Stookz chuckled. “My mechanical parts are made up of pure kachin ore, the hardest metal in the universe. Getting through my defense is all but impossible, even for the strongest of fighters.”That certainly took Gohan back as memories of the Z Sword snapping in half against a block of metal surfaced. “Kachin, huh? I’ve had my own experience with kachin.”“Was it anything like this?”Suddenly, to Gohan’s surprise, Stookz’s mechanical arm split in two, revealing that it wasn’t a single arm, but two arms that had been linked together, each hand only possessing three fingers instead of six. Gohan was still grasping one hand, but the other one, the one with the blade, lifted into the air, ready to come down on him.Releasing Stookz’s arms, Gohan pushed the mercenary away. Stookz’s feet still held Gohan to him, but the motion had caused his blade to miss. Even so, Gohan saw a few strands of his black hair flow through the air, showing that the blade had come a little too close for comfort.Thrusting his hand out, he fired a blast of energy into Stookz’s chest. The mercenary’s feet released him as he was blasted back. He recovered quickly though as he gave the Saiyan an impressed look. “Well done. Most people aren’t fast enough to survive my strike after I use my secret third arm.”Gohan smirked. “I’m a little faster than most.”To prove his point, he vanished, moving at speeds too fast for even some of the most skilled warriors. Stookz did not appear worried as he calmly looked around, his mechanical eye blinking and whirling. “You think you can hide from me with your speed? My mechanical eye doubles as a far more advanced scouter. Even with your speed, I can detect where you are.”He stabbed forward, seemingly at nothing. Gohan reappeared in the same location, just narrowly missing getting stabbed. The two engaged in combat once more, only this time Gohan had an extra arm to worry about. Stookz then surprised him by swinging his mechanical tail, but Gohan managed to catch it in time. Then he gave the mercenary a ride, swinging him around and around before letting him fly.Cupping his hands at his side, he began to build up energy as he prepared to unleash his father’s signature attack. “Ka-me-ha-me-HA!”He fired a powerful Kamehameha Wave. Stookz saw it coming and halted his momentum. Holding up both mechanical arms, a panel in his palms opened to reveal devices of some kind. The energy of Gohan’s attack was drawn into these devices, completely sucking it up.Gohan gasped. “What? No way.”Stookz chuckled. “Impressive, isn’t it? I’m fully capable of absorbing energy and storing it in my body to use it for later. Here, have it back.”This time, his chest opened, and what looked like a cannon protruded from it. The inside began to glow as energy gathered in it, and a blast of energy burst from it. There was more power than what Gohan had released with his attack, and he realized that the mercenary must have been storing up energy for a while now.He still managed to avoid it though, and the stream of energy tore through the air, obliterating all in its path. It eventually struck a mountain in the distance, and the entire mass of land disappearing in a mighty blast.Gohan looked on in horror at the enormous explosion. He didn’t even want to think about how many animals and, he desperately hoped not, people had been on or around it.He turned his furious gaze to Stookz, gritting his teeth in anger. “You… Such reckless destruction. And for what?”“I am not like my comrades,” Stookz replied. “This is a job. Follow the rules, yes, but when the time comes to kill the target, collateral damage is not a concern.”Gohan did his best to hide his outrage. “Collateral damage? Is that what you call it? You’ve got a really twisted perspective. And I’m sick of people like you coming here to try destroy my world and kill my friends.”Stookz shook a finger at him. “You’re mistaken. We don’t care about your friends, or you for that matter, or even this planet. We’ve only come here for Goku. The rest of you are simply… in the way.”Gohan powered up some more, his energy crackling around him. “Well, I’m sick of people trying to kill my dad too.”Looking disinterested, Stookz merely shrugged. “Well, there is a simple solution for that.” Both his real and mechanical eyes narrowed at him. “Just tell your father to stop breathing.”Gohan cried out and flew towards Stookz, and the mercenary rushed forward to meet him. Gohan’s fist met with both Stookz’s mechanical ones, unleashing a shockwave that shook the land.(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)Thoryuk scowled as he stared at the mushroom-shaped cloud that had once been a mountain. “Well that’s not fair. I get chewed out for destroying one little city, but Stookz is allowed to blow up a whole mountain?”“Hey!” Vegeta snapped impatiently, drawing the mercenary’s attention back over to him. “Don’t forget who you’re fighting.”A mocking grin crept up Thoryuk’s face. “Oh, trust me, your majesty, I haven’t forgotten. But I’m afraid you made a mistake. This isn’t a fight; it’s a slaughter.”“Fine,” Vegeta scoffed, “it’s a slaughter. And that makes you the pig about to be made into smoked meat.”With a cry, he fired a beam of energy. Thoryuk’s grin widened as the attack came at him. He let out a cry of his own, his aura flaring up around him, and Vegeta’s attack dispersed against it.Sneering, he flew at the Saiyan prince. He was indeed very fast, but Vegeta was fast as well. He began dodging the punches Thoryuk threw, and picked up on something almost immediately. Simply by judging the way the mercenary made a fist and how he threw a punch. Vegeta quickly determined that, perhaps, even though Thoryuk was strong, he didn’t fight all that much. Simply by looking at his hands, Vegeta guessed that Thoryuk used his lethal looking claws to slash at his opponents, not necessarily fight them.That suited Vegeta just fine; he really wasn’t interested in fighting someone so weak and unskilled. Thoryuk was a killer, not a fighter, but he was still a nuisance to the Saiyan prince.He decided to show his superiority with a well-placed knee to the mercenary’s chest. As Thoryuk doubled over, his hands going to his chest, Vegeta delivered a punch to his face. He then balled up his hands and brought them down on Thoryuk, sending him flying to the ground.Coming in for a landing, he touched-down beside the dust cloud that had risen from Thoryuk’s impact. Crossing his arms, he waited for the mercenary to emerge. “What happened? I thought this was going to be a slaughter.”There was a chuckle from inside the dust cloud as Thoryuk emerged. “Oh, there will be. And I’ll make sure it’s messy.” He opened and closed his hands a few times, as if showing off his deadly claws. “This is going to be a lot of fun. I’ve killed a lot of people, but it’s not everyday I get to kill royalty.”Vegeta growled lightly, not liking the demeaning way Thoryuk had said ‘royalty’. He was about to say something back when what the mercenary said next made his blood boil. “Then again, you haven’t really been royalty for a while. Not since Freiza made you his bitch.”Now Vegeta was seething. He flew at Thoryuk, but the mercenary used his great speed to sidestep him. As Vegeta flew past, Thoryuk’s hand shot out and grabbed the Saiyan prince by the hair. He yanked him back and slammed him on the ground. Vegeta stared up at him in surprise as Thoryuk made to stab forward with his hand. He rolled to the side as Thoryuk’s hand penetrated the ground where he had been. Jumping to his feet, Vegeta kicked the mercenary. Thoryuk went soaring across the ground, but dug his claws into the ground to stop his momentum. As Vegeta flew at him, Thoryuk cried out loudly, and a shockwave erupted from his body. Trees and boulders were uprooted, flying in all directions. Vegeta stopped as the debris came at him, holding up his arms to shield his eyes from dirt and other small particles.Thoryuk flew at him, and Vegeta was tackled to the ground. Punches began raining down on him, too fast for the Saiyan prince to react to. Thoryuk’s laughter echoed all around him as the mercenary struck him again and again.Crying out, Vegeta unleashed a dome of energy. It pushed Thoryuk up and away from him before it burst into a beam that carried him into the sky. Vegeta flew up after him, flying above the beam, and preparing to fire another blast of energy to trap the mercenary between the two. But, much to his surprise, Thoryuk was not at the top of the beam. When had he gotten off?“Looking for me?”Vegeta turned around to find Thoryuk behind him. The mercenary’s hand shot out, grasping Vegeta’s mouth, his claws digging into his cheeks. His other hand stabbed forward, and his claws buried into Vegeta’s gut.“Here’s a little taste of death for you.”Light gathered in the hand grasping Vegeta’s mouth, ready to blow his head open. But Vegeta wasn’t willing to go out so easily. His fist shot out, punching into Thoryuk’s gut. The mercenary grunted, his grip loosening, and Vegeta did a backflip in midair, kicking Thoryuk in the lower jaw in the process.Straightening himself out, he held out his hand to the mercenary. “Big Bang Attack!”He unleashed one of his strongest attacks. Thoryuk went flying as the blast blew him back. Vegeta lowered his hand, looking disgusted, hoping to be rid of the vile villain.No such look though. Thoryuk floated back over a few moments later, and to make matters worse, he was laughing. “Is that all the so-called prince of Saiyans is capable of? Come on, show me what you’ve really got. Or did your time as Frieza’s little boy toy ruin you.”A vein throbbed in the Saiyan prince’s head. He knew Thoryuk was just trying to get a rise out of him, but dammit, it was working. His time under Frieza’s thumb were the worst years of his life. To this day, he still didn’t like to think about it. He would not have this sorry excuse of a mercenary insult him.Thoryuk raised an amused eyebrow. “Oh my, did I strike a nerve?”“It’s not wise to mock me.”Thoryuk laughed. “Forgive me. I have a bad habit of teasing my prey. And yes, Vegeta, you are my prey, make no mistake of that. Killing people is what I do. It’s what I live for. You’re nothing more than another notch on my bedpost.”His grin widened. “And I believe I told you that I would make it messy.” He flexed his fingers, and what appeared to be six-inch long laser-claws appeared at the end of them. “And I fully intend to make it messy.”(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)This was not going well, Goku realized. Not only was his opponent fast and strong, but it was almost impossible to damage him and not get damaged in the process.It was those spikes. They prevented Goku from landing a blow, not unless he wanted to end up with a nice hole in his hand an inch think and deep. Kicking worked better, but the protection of his shoes provided still couldn’t prevent those spikes from penetrating his skin.There were a few vulnerable areas here and there that were not protected, but Gorbii was skilled enough to protect those areas. It left Goku with little choice but to rely on energy attacks.“What’s wrong, Goku?” Gorbii asked. “You seem a little perplexed.”The Saiyan couldn’t help but smile at the challenge before him. “I wouldn’t say that. I’m just working out a way to get around those spikes of yours.”Gorbii returned the smile. “I suppose you could keep relying on energy attacks, even though they are kind of draining. That’s what you’ve been doing so far.”Goku’s eyes continued to look over Gorbii’s body. Really, only his face, his hands, feet, and a small section around his stomach and joints were free of spikes, as having hard skin in those areas would hinder his movements. “Yeah, I guess that’s an option.”Without warning, he fired an energy blast. Gorbii smirked as the attack came at him. He held out his hands and caught the attack, silently laughing at how weak it was. “Are you even trying anymore, Goku? Honestly, I must say I’m disappoi-”Goku was suddenly in front of him. Maneuvering around the energy blast, he drove his fist into the open area of Gorbii’s stomach where there were no spikes. A pained grunt escaped Gorbii as saliva flew from his mouth. The energy blast had been nothing more than a distraction.His hold on the attack was lost, and it blasted against him. He went flying backwards, but before he could recover, Goku was upon him, throwing punches and kicks at the areas on Gorbii’s body that where not protected by spikes. He tried to fight back, to defend against the Saiyan’s next attack, but before he fully registered one blow, he was being hit by another, leaving no time to defend.Gorbii quickly grew agitated. He cried out loudly and unleashed an explosion of energy from his body. Goku pulled back, avoiding the blast as the radius grew larger. Only when it reached 30 meters did it stop and die down.Gorbii was breathing heavily from the assault, his vulnerable areas aching, but Goku still looked ready to go. “Looks like you’re defenses aren’t completely impenetrable. I just have to avoid your spikes.”Clenching his teeth together angrily, Gorbii searched for the perfect comeback. Instead, he got another idea. “Real cute, Goku. But what happens when you can’t avoid something?”He held his hands out. A gathering of yellow energy appeared in his left hand, and a gathering of blue appeared in his right. He snapped his hands together, and the blue and yellow energy began swirling together in a spiral.Gorbii laughed. “Lets just see what kind of hero you really are. Do you value your life, or the lives of others more? Brace yourself, Goku. If my attack hits this planet, there won’t be an Earth anymore.” He snickered arrogantly. “Of course, trying to deflect it could prove to be quite fatal. Now, feel my Drilling Death Beam!”He unleashed a spiral of yellow and blue, the attack indeed resembling a drill, the front coming to a point. Goku gasped as he realized the danger of the attack. Cupping his hands together, he fired a Kamehameha Wave. His attack hit Gorbii’s Drilling Death Beam, but true to its name, it drilled straight through the Kamehameha Wave.Goku grit his teeth as the attack came at him. If he dodged, the attack could indeed drill straight through to the Earth’s core and destroy the planet if it was strong enough. He doubted Gorbii was willing to kill himself, so either he was bluffing about the attack’s power, or, like Freiza, his race could survive in space. But then what of his comrades? Did he not care about them?Either way, Goku was not willing to take that chance. Crying out, he allowed his energy to flow outward, but kept it close to his body. Glowing brightly, he reached out, clamping his hands together on Gorbii’s attack, stopping the drilling motion. To the mercenary’s surprise, Goku was able to hold it back, though it looked very difficult. With a burst of strength, Goku threw the attack straight up, sending it harmlessly into space.Gorbii watched his attack fly away before looking back at Goku with new admiration. “Impressive. Only the boss has ever managed to fend off my Drilling Death Beam.”Goku smirked arrogantly. “You liked that, huh? Well, it also gave me an idea of how to get by your spikes.”Gorbii raised an eyebrow in interest. Goku’s grin widened for a moment before he cried out again, his energy once again flaring out before retracting, surrounding his body in a light glow, similar to the barrier he had used as Vegito when Super Buu had absorbed him.Gorbii cocked his head to the side curiously. “What is this now?”“A theory I’d like to try,” Goku replied. “Lets see if it worked.”He sped forward, punching Gorbii in the stomach. Not, however, in one of his vulnerable zones, but in an area wear there were spikes present. Gorbii gasped in pain, and Goku spun around, kicking him in the side of the head sending the mercenary flying. He used his super speed, not only catching up, but speeding ahead of him. Balling his fists together, he brought them down on the mercenary, and Gorbii crashed into the ground.Up in the sky, Goku examined his hands. There was no damage to his hands. It seemed his theory worked. The thin layer of energy surrounding his body acted as a type of shield, allowing him to strike a blow on the mercenary without harming himself, instead sending the force of his blows into Gorbii as he struck with the intention of punching through the mercenary rather than his actual body. True, the blows weren’t as damaging as they would be if he could actually strike, the barrier preventing him from dealing the greater damage direct contact would provide, but the force of the impact still flowed through the mercenary, almost as if he had actually hit him.Down below, there was a flash as Gorbii took to the air again and rejoined Goku in the sky. The mercenary was visibly angry that Goku had managed to penetrate his defenses, but now he also looked a little nervous.Goku took on a fighting stance, his body still glowing with energy. “What’s the matter? You look a bit on edge now that the playing field is more even.”A low growl escaped the mercenary as he grinded his teeth together. “You think this evens things out? You’re still no match for me.”“We’ll see,” Goku replied confidently. “This is where the real fight begins.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Chapter 5: Assassin Assassination
Vegeta didn’t think there was anything more annoying than Thoryuk’s laughter. Except for maybe his finger energy-blade attack, or whatever it was. Those glowing blades seemed to slice through anything. And with the mercenary’s speed, Vegeta seemed to be spending all his time dodging, finding no time to land a blow.“What’s wrong, your majesty?” Thoryuk taunted as he slashed away. “Is the prince of Saiyans having a bit of trouble beating with a lowly soldier for hire? Are you sure you’re not a disgraced prince?”And that was another thing; the mocking and talking down that Thoryuk kept doing was irritating Vegeta to no end. It ticked him off enough to make a grab at the mercenary’s wrist as he swiped at him, and then again with his other hand. He held Thoryuk arms back as the blades of energy danced a mere inch from his face.Beams suddenly flew from Thoryuk’s eyes. Vegeta shoved him away and leaned back to avoid them while kicking out, knocking the mercenary away from him. He began flying away, trying to put some distance between them to give himself time to come up with a plan. Thoryuk was immediately on his tail. Sensing this, Vegeta turned around and began firing blasts of energy. Thoryuk slashed at them with his claws, causing one to disperse.Vegeta dodged as Thoryuk reached him again, slashing outward. He began maneuvering around the trees, but Thoryuk cut straight through them as he pursued the Saiyan prince, laughing all the while. Vegeta began to think that dying might actually not be so bad if he didn’t have to listen to this freak’s laughter any longer.This mercenary was no warrior, Vegeta decided. He wasn’t a fighter at all; he was a killer, plan and simple. All his power, all his abilities, they were designed around the sole purpose of making him more lethal, no sport, no challenge necessary. There was no fighting spirit in him, just a drive to slaughter as many people as possible, as painfully as possible if he could. It disgusted Vegeta to no end. Thoryuk had great potential, but he used it solely for the purpose of fulfilling his sick taste for murder.“I’m detecting some anger,” Thoryuk commented as he struck another tree while trying to hit the Saiyan prince. “Is something bothering you? If you’re worried about being separated from your friends and family, don’t be. They’ll be joining you after we destroy this mud ball of a planet.”There it was, that twisted desire for death. What more, it irritated him even further when he thought of how he used to be while working under Frieza, like when he had destroyed the bug planet, Arlia, when he and Nappa had been making their way to Earth. But he would be damned if he let Thoryuk do the same to Earth, especially after everything he did to restore it after Kid Buu blew it up.“This mud ball is my home!” he snapped. “For better or worse, and I don’t want you on it anymore!”He unleashed an explosion of energy. Thoryuk was blown back and sent crashing through the forest. Vegeta used the opportunity to fly straight up and into the sky. Cupping his hands at his side, he began to gather energy as he waited for Thoryuk to show his ugly face. The stance may have been similar to Kakarot’s favorite move, but it was completely different. Despite all energy attacks using the power of ki, they were utilized and used in different ways. Some required certain postures to round up the energy, others even required saying the name of the attack to use them properly. This attack was one of them, and it was one of his signature moves.Thoryuk came bursting through the trees, flying up to Vegeta, his energy claws ready to cut through anything in his path. With a cry of “Galick Gun”, Vegeta fired his attack. To his surprise, however, Thoryuk began spinning around, slashing about wildly as he flew higher into the sky. With his energy-blade claws, he was slicing through Vegeta’s attack, moving at speeds so fast that even Vegeta had trouble following his movements.Then he was in front of him. The Saiyan prince gasped in surprise as Thoryuk slashed at him. Thoryuk’s energy claws sliced deeply into Vegeta’s left arm, drawing blood. Vegeta pulled back on reflex as Thoryuk began slashing wildly at him again.That was it, Vegeta had had enough. This guy wasn’t even trying to fight him, just kill him. There wasn’t much of a point for him to keep the battle going, especially since he wasn’t able to go all out.There was a flash of golden light as Vegeta transformed into a Super Saiyan. His eyes turned green and his hair turned gold, becoming straight and spikier, and there was an increase in his muscle mass as well. Moving at a speed now superior to Thoryuk, his hand shot out, wrapping around the mercenary’s neck and squeezing tightly.Thoryuk’s movements halted as his air supply was cut off. What more, his neck was being squeezed to the breaking point, his eyes bulging out of his head, and he completely forgot about slashing at the Saiyan prince.Vegeta’s grip on Thoryuk’s neck tightened, and he could feel it beginning to give in his grip. “You’re disgusting. If you truly take such pleasure in death, then you should experience it yourself.”He squeezed tightly, completely crushing Thoryuk’s neck. A gargled cracking sound came form the mercenary, and he went still, blood seeping from his mouth, nose, ears, and eyes. The energy blades at the end of his fingers flickered out as all traces of life left him.Vegeta let Thoryuk go, and the assassin’s lifeless body dropped from the sky. The Saiyan prince scoffed in disgust and reverted back to his base form, his hair and eyes becoming black once more. As far as choices went, he had gotten stuck with the worst opponent. He wondered how the others were doing. He could sense the fights taking place, and he wasn’t impressed. Hopefully, they were enjoying themselves more than he had.(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)“Special Beam Cannon!” Piccolo cried, firing his strongest attack.The swirling beam flew towards Beegoh. The mercenary didn’t bother to dodge, but instead smacked the beam with the side of his hand, sending it flying in a different direction. Piccolo gasped at the apparent ease in which he had done this, and Beegoh smirked in response.“What’s the problem, green man?” he taunted. “You weren’t actually expecting that to work, were you?”But even as he said this, he was shaking out his hand to relieve it of the sting deflecting the attack had caused, suggesting that he hadn’t been as unaffected as he had made himself out to be.A growl escaped Piccolo as he considered his opponent. So far, the mercenary had been able to withstand everything he had dished out. Beegoh, by far, was the strongest of his group, and Piccolo admitted, albeit very reluctantly, that he was the least strongest of his. Only his superior speed had allowed him to stay a step ahead of his opponent.‘Guess there’s no other choice,’ he thought to himself.He placed his two fingers to his forehead and began charging up to repeat his attack. This time, however, he was going to charge up to full power. Unfortunately, that would take a whole five minutes.In hindsight, an attack that took so long to use was not very good strategy-wise, which is why Piccolo had managed to use less powerful versions of the attack that he could use instantly. For this opponent, however, he would need to charge it up to the max in order to get through Beegoh’s defenses. Hopefully, it would be enough to blow the mercenary away with a single blast. The hardest part would be buying time to finish charging his attack.Beegoh was waiting, likely in anticipation for the Namekian to do whatever he was doing. But after some time had passed and Piccolo still hadn’t made a move, he seemed to have grown impatient. “Hey, what’s up with you? You have a headache or something?”Piccolo didn’t respond, instead he focused all his energy into trying to charge his attack faster. But Beegoh, it seemed, didn’t like being ignored. With an annoyed growl, he fired a blast of energy at Piccolo.The Namekian took to the sky, keeping his fingers pressed to his forehead. He still had four more minutes to go before his attack was fully charged, but it didn’t look like Beegoh was going to just wait around. He immediately joined Piccolo in the air, and began throwing punches. Piccolo dodged them easily enough, though it was more difficult while trying to maintain his posture.“You’re beginning to annoy me,” Beegoh snapped. “Stop meditating, or whatever it is you’re doing, and fight back.”He opened his hand and fired a blast of energy. There was no time to dodge, nor could he block, so Piccolo turned his back to the attack and was blasted back down to the ground. He did a flip and landed on his feet before impact, then leapt into the forest, using the trees for cover. Three more minutes.“Why you…” Beegoh growled. “Think you can hide from me?”He pointed a finger into the forest and began firing beams whenever he caught sight of the Namekian. Piccolo hopped around, avoiding the attacks, and using his free hand to smack away any that came too close.“Damn it,” Beegoh snarled, and flew down after him. “You’re not getting away.”He didn’t even bother to maneuver around the trees; he simply plowed right through them. In doing so, he caught up with the Namekian as he swerved around the greenery.“Die!” he cried, throwing a punch that tore an entire tree in half. Piccolo ducked underneath his fist, and then jumped away as Beegoh’s other fist came down at him, splitting the ground. Beegoh turned around, swinging his arms wildly, and Piccolo was knocked away, though he still managed to keep his fingers pressed to his forehead. Two more minutes.Beegoh opened his mouth and fired a beam of energy. Piccolo took to the air again as the attack tore through the forest, leaving a trail of bareness behind. Beegoh looked up at him and fired a blast of energy. As it came at Piccolo, he sensed something different about this attack and flew out of its path. The attack followed him, confirming what Piccolo suspected; it was a heat-seeker.He flew from the attack, doing some fancy loops in the air to try and get it off track, but the burst of energy trailed him, closing the distance. Piccolo finally turned around and kicked out, knocking the attack away, the force of his kick overpowering the blast’s heat-seeking nature.Then Beegoh was suddenly there, a chop from his large hand striking Piccolo in the side of the head. He brought his elbow down on Piccolo next, and the Namekian shot down, splashing into the lake they had ended up flying over. Beegoh chuckled as he floated overhead, posed and ready to strike the Namekian down the moment he surfaced.Down below, Piccolo sank to the bottom of the lake, but he did so willingly. Looking up, he judged where Beegoh was, and waited for the mercenary to come in after him. When he did not, Piccolo surmised that that his opponent was instead waiting for him to come out. Well, that suited Piccolo just fine. In fact, he could stay down here until he finished charging his attack. One minute to go.Up in the sky, Beegoh was growing impatient again, when the Namekian didn’t resurface. A vein bulged in his temple as he scanned the water’s surface for any sign of him. ‘How long is he going to keep me waiting? Is his race capable of breathing underwater?’ A low grumble began to escape him, and he held out his hand. “I’m not waiting around here all day while you take a bath! If you don’t come out, then I’ll make you!”He began firing at random spots, not sure where the Namekian was. The energy blasts flew into the water and exploded. Piccolo grit his teeth as the blasts went off all around him, stirring up the ocean’s bottom and sending the fish and other aquatic life scattering. Either Beegoh couldn’t sense where he was, or he wasn’t trying to; it gave Piccolo the time he needed for his attack.Beegoh continued blasting. It was a big lake, and there was no telling where the Namekian had gone. He was debating on simply obliterating the entire area when a splash not caused by one of his attacks broke the water surface. Piccolo was flying up to meet him, a grin on his face and his middle and index fingers glowing with power.“Special Beam Cannon!” he cried.Beegoh suddenly opened his mouth and fired a massive beam. Piccolo’s eyes widened at the unexpected assault. He had been in the process of unleashing his attack when Beegoh had fired his, and there was no time to dodge.Reaching out, Piccolo pressed his two glowing fingers to the approaching beam and flipped over it as if he were playing a game of leapfrog. As Beegoh’s attack passed by underneath him, he pointed his glowing fingers at the mercenary. “Beam Cannon Fire!”His full-powered Special Beam Cannon shot out, flying towards the mercenary. As the last of Beegoh’s attack flew out of his mouth, Piccolo’s flew in. The mercenary’s eyes bulged at the unexpected attack as the back of his head blew open from the spiraling energy beam.Piccolo lowered his hand as he stared at the mercenary. Beegoh’s eyes were wide with shock, his mouth hanging open; through which Piccolo could see the forest and sky straight through.A gargling noise escaped the mercenary before his eyes rolled back into his head and he fell from the sky, dropping into the lake below with a mighty splash.(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)It was true what Piccolo had said all those years ago. Gohan was no fighter. He had the skills and power, but no drive to use them unless necessary. Oh sure, he enjoyed a good fight every now and then thanks to his Saiyan ancestry, but he was not a warrior like his father, Vegeta, or Piccolo.Perhaps that was why he was struggling with his opponent, despite the difference in power. Or perhaps it was thanks to Stookz’s cybernetic parts and the unusual abilities they gave him. The guy seemed to have an unlimited number of surprises he could pull off.He was using another one of them now. The mechanical hand with the blade suddenly changed into a gun of some sort that consisted of a ring of twelve holes with a much larger one in the middle. It began firing off energy bullets as if it were a mini-gun while the center one shot powerful explosive blasts.Gohan flew around wildly, avoiding the stream of glowing bullets as Stookz followed him with his gun-hand. He fired his own energy blast at the mercenary, and Stookz ceased fire in order to swipe at the attack with his blade, cutting the energy blast in two.Gohan was right behind it, flying directly at Stookz. The mercenary moved quickly, stabbing forward, only to have his blade pass right through, causing the boy to fade away; an after image.A cry from up above drew Stookz’s attention as Gohan came down at him, slamming his elbow down on the mercenary’s head. Stookz cried out, grasping his head where he had been struck, but it had been no picnic for Gohan either, as half of the mercenary’s head had been metal. But, ignoring his throbbing elbow, he whirled around and delivered a kick that knocked Stookz away.As Stookz went flying backwards, he fired his remaining mechanical hand on a cable. It grabbed hold of Gohan and yanked him towards the mercenary. Stookz was already stabbing forward with his blade before the boy even reached him, but Gohan anticipated this and caught the blade.“Foolish boy,” Stookz snarled as his non-mechanical arm began delivering punches to Gohan’s side. “You can’t beat me. I have upgraded myself to the point where I can’t be defeated.”Gohan chanced letting go of the blade with one hand to catch the next punch. “Your upgrades are impressive, but they’ll never match what you obtain through hard work and determination.”Stookz laughed. “Says you, but I have never once lost a battle since receiving my enhancements. So you can just take your viewpoints to the grave!”His metal tail lashed out. The end seemed to double as a drill, as it began spinning around. He made to drive it into the boy, but Gohan twisted his body this way and that every time he stabbed forward, avoiding the deadly end. He would have pulled away completely, but Stookz’s mechanical hand had a firm grip on him.As Stookz stabbed forward with his tail again, Gohan released the mercenary’s hand and grabbed his tail instead. Before Stookz could react, Gohan drove the drilling end of his tail into the mercenary’s side, in a spot where there was no metal. Stookz cried out, but Gohan gave him no time to process the situation before delivering an uppercut, followed by a knee to his gut.Grabbing the hand holding him, Gohan pried it off, and put some distance between them before cupping his hands together. “Ka-me-ha-me-HA!”Stookz held out his three arms. Energy gathered in his hands and at the end of his gun-hand. Bringing them together, he fired a powerful blast of energy as Gohan fired the Kamehameha Wave. The two attacks collided together, pressing against the other. The opposing energy blasts seemed to form a giant ball of energy.Gohan grit his teeth and pushed forward, trying to overpower his opponent. Stookz did the same, closing the distance between them. The ball of energy was squished between the two, becoming more oval and then figure-eight shaped, like a bubble about to be popped from being crushed.Suddenly it burst, blasting both fighters back, neither escaping completely unscathed. They floated closer to each other, but made no move to attack as they considered the other. Stookz’s gun-hand shifted back to a regular hand, and the blade retracted as he regarded the Saiyan with interest. “You have a great deal of power, boy. Much more than I expected.”Gohan couldn’t help but smirk. “I actually have a lot more where that came from. You have yet to see what I’m really capable of.”“Indeed,” Stookz replied. “If you have that much power, then perhaps you could spare some.”He held up his mechanical arm. The fingertips opened, and several cables flew out. They wrapped around Gohan’s arms, legs, neck, and torso. Before he could react, there was a terrible agony. Stookz was draining him of energy. He could actually feel it being sucked out of him, and he cried out.Stookz laughed as he drained the Saiyan of power. “There’s no need to build up my power when I can just take it from others.”Through the pain, Gohan glared at the mercenary. He’d felt a sensation like this before when Spopovich and Yamu had sucked out his energy at the 25th World’s Martial Arts Tournament in order to resurrect Majin Buu. He hadn’t enjoyed it then, and he wasn’t enjoying it now. What more, he could sense Stookz getting stronger as he sucked him dry. He had to get out of this.Summoning up more power only seemed to make the draining go faster, but Gohan did it anyway as he tapped into his mystic power that Old Kai had awakened in him. With a battle cry, he flew forward, driving his fist into Stookz with everything he had.Stookz’s smug laughter was replaced by an agonized gurgle as Gohan’s fist burst straight through his gut, even breaking through his mechanical parts. Gohan’s arm was buried into his stomach nearly up to his elbow. The energy draining stopped, and the cables went limp, sliding off the Saiyan.“You want my energy so bad,” said Gohan, “then you can take it.”With his hand still buried deeply into the mercenary’s gut, he fired a blast of energy. Stookz’s body visibly expanded, and beams of energy burst out in various locations before he exploded. Scraps of metal and charred remains were all that was left, falling harmlessly to the ground.Breathing heavily, Gohan shook his arm, ridding it of the bluish-purple liquid that had served as Stookz’s blood. The mercenary had really surprised him; he didn’t think he’d need to use as much power as he did. He’d also sensed Vegeta go Super Saiyan. That had been a surprise; he’d thought they’d be able to handle these guys at base level. The mercenaries were strong, but they hadn’t been that strong, not compared to some of the enemies they’d faced. They were unique, for sure, but nothing too challenging.“Gohan!”He turned to find the others flying over to him. “Piccolo, Vegeta, you guys ok?”Vegeta humphed. “I was hoping for a challenge, and instead I got a weak nuisance.”Piccolo chose not to mention the trouble he had faced with his opponent. “Goku is still fighting, and we’ve still got whoever these guys are with.Gohan nodded. “Yeah, we should be on the lookout in case they decide to attack.”Crossing his arms uncaringly, Vegeta floated past them. “For their sake, they should get off this planet before I blast them to dust.”Gohan sweat-dropped. It seemed like some things never changed.(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)Despite his barrier protecting him from Gorbii’s spikes, it was still a hindrance to Goku. It not only took an effort to maintain it, it also prevented him from dealing the full damage of his blows. He was also unable to maintain it if he wanted to use energy attacks, something Gorbii was gaining the advantage of. He could also sense what appeared to be desperation in the mercenary. He chalked this up to Gorbii probably never having had to face anyone head-on like this who could actually hit back the way he was.Goku’s fist slammed into Gorbii’s face, knocking him back. The mercenary bellowed angrily and began launching a series of energy blasts. Goku held up his arms as they blasted against him. They kept coming, and it didn’t look like Gorbii was going to let up.Using his Instant Transmission, Goku teleported behind Gorbii, kicking outward. The mercenary was knocked away, but managed to stop to himself. He turned to Goku furiously, and currents of electricity began running over his body, gathering at the tips of his spikes. With a cry, he gathered the electricity into his hands and launched several bolts at Goku.The electricity struck Goku, racing over him. He grit his teeth against the pain and powered up, causing the electricity to disperse, then sped at Gorbii, landing a punch to his face. Balling his hands together, he brought them down on the mercenary, and Gorbii went crashing to the ground. He knew that wouldn’t keep him down for long though, and he waited for the mercenary to rejoin him.He didn’t have to wait long though as Gorbii flew up into the air a few seconds later, and he did not look happy, nor did he look like he was enjoying the battle. Goku decided to give him an out. “We don’t have to do this. You can still walk away.”This only seemed to make Gorbii angrier. But he seemed to get over it a few moments later and grinned. “You’re good, Goku. I’ll give you that. But you’re nothing compared to the boss. He really wants to kill you himself, but seeing as he’s already defeated me in battle, if I manage to kill you, then he’ll likely consider that his victory over you as well. After all, if he beat me and I beat you, then surely he can beat you.”Goku didn’t quite agree with that. “Sounds rather unsportsmanlike to me.”Gorbii chuckled. “The point I’m trying to make is, I don’t think the boss will be too angry with me if kill you.”He struck a pose, his arms at his sides, held out slightly. A cry began to rise up as he summoned forth his power. His body began to steam as a yellowish aura appeared around him. It wasn’t the standard aura of energy, it seemed thicker, more solid, and it flowed more like a liquid. Goku got ready for whatever was coming, wondering what the mercenary was going to do.Gorbii’s posture shifted from being vertical to horizontal, almost as if he were lying down. Then a smirk crossed his face, and he shot forward, going several times faster than he had before. Goku gasped in surprise and shifted out of the way as Gorbii sped towards him, leaving a lingering trail of his aura behind. The mercenary began zigzagging in the air before speeding back to Goku once more.Again Goku dodged, but this time Gorbii skimmed him, and a tear appeared in Goku’s clothes where he was touched. But Goku barely had time to register this before Gorbii was zigzagging back towards him again, forcing him to dodge once more.This time, Goku threw a punch. His fist all but bounced off the mercenary’s body, sending him shooting off in another direction. Goku hissed and examined his hand. There was now a cut that ran across his knuckles. Whatever this technique was, it seemed as if his energy barrier was useless against it, and so he let it drop.Gorbii was coming at him again. It seemed as if his technique not only greatly limited his movements, also forced him to maintain his current pose. That had to be why he could only seem to move in straight lines and had to zigzag around. The compensation was the it greatly increased his speed, and turned the mercenary himself into a living weapon.A Gorbii whizzed by him again, Goku fired several energy blasts at him. Gorbii’s speed allowed him to easily avoid the attacks as he darted about before heading for Goku again. The Saiyan dodged, and Gorbii zigzagged back at him, faster this time.Goku quickly found himself on the defense as Gorbii shot back and forth, up and down, all around him. Tears in his clothes and cuts on his skin appeared from close calls as he was all but boxed in. He wouldn’t be able to keep dodging like this forever, and a single slip up could mean getting sliced to pieces. And as the trail of aura followed behind the mercenary, it seemed as if Goku was getting boxed in to the point where he would no longer be able to dodge.“What’s the problem, Goku?” Gorbii mocked as he shot by. “If you can’t even beat me, then you stand no chance against the boss.”He shot at Goku again, and perhaps would have hit him this time, but the Saiyan vanished into thin air thanks to Instant Transmission. Gorbii began darting around the area, searching for him, but found no sign of him anywhere.Goku reappeared a good distance away. From where he was, he could just make out Gorbii zigzagging here and there, almost as if he were putting on a light show. This technique was something completely new for Goku, and he wasn’t sure how to fight against it. He’d hoped to buy a few seconds to think, but it didn’t look like he would get that time.“Guess I’ve got no choice,” he said, and cupped his hands together. “Ka-me…”He couldn’t fire it off too soon. To do so would allow Gorbii to use his speed to avoid it. And with the amount of power he was putting in this attack, he couldn’t afford to let it hit the planet. “Ha…”It seemed Gorbii had spotted him and was now speeding in his direction. Goku braced himself as he began gathering energy faster. He was hoping to finish it with the blast. If he failed, then the mercenary would tear right through him. He had to time it just right, and even that would be cutting it close. “Me…”Gorbii smirked, and his aura flared up as he put on an extra burst of speed, shooting at Goku faster than ever. Goku’s eyes widened as the distance all but vanished between them in an instant. There was no more time. He summoned up all his power and thrust his hands outward. “HA!”The Kamehameha Wave burst from his hands, striking Gorbii at point blank range. The mercenary had been mere centimeters from Goku’s outstretched hands before his attack was unleashed. Gorbii’s cry was lost amongst the blast as it flowed over him. Goku could just barely make out the mercenary’s silhouette before it seemed to crumble apart and get carried away by the beam.The attack died down, and Goku was left alone in the air. Gorbii’s energy signal had completely vanished. It seemed his attack had worked.“Phew,” he breathed, wiping his forehead. “Close call. That was certainly an interesting fight.” He looked into the distance. “Feels like the others are done with theirs too. In that case…”He touched his finger to his forehead and teleported to their location. Gohan glanced at him in surprise at his sudden arrival; he’d never get used to that. “Dad, hey.”Lowering his hand, Goku smiled at them. “What’s up, guys. Guess you finished yours too, huh?”“If you could call that a fight,” Vegeta grumbled. “More like a waste of time.”Goku placed his hands behind his head. “I don’t know. My guy was somewhat challenging. Nothing that required me to go Super Saiyan for though.”“You may still have an opportunity for that,” Piccolo replied. He looked into the direction he knew the mercenaries’ ship was. “We’re still not done yet.”Gohan nodded. “Yeah, their boss. I can feel him. He’s not even trying to mask his power.”“He’s calling to us,” Goku told him. “He wants us to go to him.”“Then he’s a fool,” Vegeta declared. “Whoever sent those four may be stronger than them, but he’s no match for me.”Piccolo gave the Saiyan prince a cold look. “Don’t be so sure. They could be suppressing their power to make us think we’ll have the advantage.”Vegeta didn’t seem bothered by this. “You seem to forget what we Saiyans are capable of. Whoever this boss is, he will soon find out.”Whatever was waiting for them Goku was getting pumped up. “Guess the only way to know is to face him.”Piccolo resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Saiyans had such a one-track mind. One day, it was going to get them in real trouble.

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Chapter 6: Motive
“Something tells me that’s it,” said Gohan as he and the others hovered over the mercenaries’ ship.“Oh, really?” Vegeta mocked. “What gave you that idea?”“Lets just be careful,” Piccolo told them. “I have a bad feeling about this.”Gohan nodded. “Yeah, this guy had his men blow up an entire city just to find you, Dad.”Goku was curious about that himself. This boss wasn’t the first person to come to Earth seeking him out. He wondered what the reason was this time. While he had no issues with fighting anyone who wanted to challenge him, something he actually enjoyed, the killing of innocent people was not something he was willing to tolerate. This boss would have to answer for that.“Lets find out what this is all about,” he said, and the four of them went in for a landing, touching down a short distance away. They could sense the person inside, and he was strong, very strong.“Well?” Vegeta demanded impatiently. “Are we just going to stand around all day, or are we going to do something?”Goku cocked his head to the side. “Maybe he doesn’t know we’re out here. Hey, you in there! You’re looking for me, aren’t you? Why don’t you come out and show your face!”They waited some more for any sign of anyone’s presence, but there was nothing. He was definitely in there though, they could feel it.“Gosh,” said Gohan curiously, “do you think we spooked him?”Just then, a mechanical sound came from the ship, and the door slowly opened. A ramp extended out and downward, coming to a rest on the ground. A few moments later, someone appeared at the entrance, and began calmly making their way down the ramp. And the Z Fighters got their first look at the mercenaries’ boss.For the most part, he looked human, only he had teal colored skin and pointy ears; not as big or as pointy as Piccolo’s but enough to almost make him look like an elf. Spiky black hair hung about his head, about the length of Goku’s, but slightly more wild. He was about their height, and heavily muscles, possessing the body of a warrior. He wore loose fitting clothes designed for comfort and easy movement so they would not hinder him in battle.The boss made his way to the bottom of the ramp and stepped onto the ground, stopping a few feet away from the Z Fighters. Dark eyes stared at them hungrily, and he wore an arrogant smirk on his face. He scanned each of them with interest, raising an eyebrow at Piccolo before his gaze settled on the one he had come here for.“You destroyed my men,” he casually remarked, not sounding overly disappointed. “I do hope you know how much trouble it’s going to be to form a new team.”Goku stared him down. From his statement and tone, he surmised that he didn’t really care about the loss of his comrades. “Well, they shouldn’t have been blowing up cities. If you wanted to meet me, there were much better ways to do it.”The boss closed his eyes and crossed his arms. “Yes, my men can be quite troubling sometimes, especially Thoryuk. I sent them out to track you down, not to go around blowing up cities. They know it’s bad for business.”Gohan was outraged. The way he was talking, it seemed as if all the people that were killed didn’t matter to him. “You make it sound as if you don’t care about all the innocent people that died.”The boss opened his eyes. “If you must know, no, I really don’t. What I care about is then inconvenience it will be in my line of work. I’ll be less likely to get a job if everyone is too afraid of me, which is why I’d prefer it if my men didn’t go around destroying everything they see. But as for the people in general, I really couldn’t care less.”“Heartless monster,” Gohan seethed. “Who are you?”“Me?” the boss asked uncaringly. “My name is Exxis. I’m just a mercenary, a simple soldier for hire. And I have been waiting a long time to meet you, Goku.” His gaze shifted to Vegeta. “And look who else is here. Prince Vegeta. What an unexpected surprise.” Then he looked at Gohan. “And you, boy, I can’t help but notice that you look a lot like Goku. Would I be correct in assuming that you’re his son?”Gohan was openly glaring. “Yeah, what of it?”Exxis shrugged. “I meant nothing by it. I hold the greatest respect for the Saiyan race. It’s good to know that they won’t go out quietly. Just out of curiosity, exactly how many Saiyans are left?”Piccolo regarded the mercenary suspiciously, but before he could say anything, Goku spoke. “Including the three of us, there’s also my other son, and Vegeta’s. Also his brother.”“If you can call Tarble a Saiyan,” Vegeta muttered, his disdain apparent.Exxis raised an eyebrow. “So you’re saying that there’s only six Saiyans left in the entire universe?”“That’s right,” Goku replied. “Sorry to disappoint you.”Closing his eyes, Exxis sighed. “Such a shame. What a sad end to such a mighty race.” He opened his eyes again, regarding Vegeta curiously. “Are you sure you’re not an uncle, Prince Vegeta?”The Saiyan prince wasn’t entirely sure if he was being mocked or not. “If my sorry excuse of a brother is even compatible enough with his wife to father any children, then I have no knowledge of them.”A chuckle escaped the mercenary. “I see. Well, that’s not important right now. I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time.”“And why is that?” Piccolo demanded. “Why are you after Goku? And why exactly are you so interested in how many Saiyans are left? I doubt it’s merely due to curiosity and admiration.”An arrogant smile crept up Exxis’ face, and a light chuckle slipped past his lips. “An obvious question, but how to answer? To be honest, there are actually two reasons why I’m after you, Goku. But if you wish to know my biggest reason, lets see… I suppose you could call it revenge.”His answer surprised Goku. As far as he could remember, he’d never even met this guy before. So what purpose could he have for reason would he have to hold a grudge? “Revenge for what? I don’t think we’ve ever met before. Did I offend a friend of yours or something?”Exxis was smirking, looking far too arrogant. “No, Goku, we have never met, but I do know you. I suppose revenge wouldn’t exactly be the right terminology. It’s more of an indirect form of vengeance.”Vegeta was visibly getting impatient. “Will you stop beating around the bush and just say what you want to say already.”The Saiyan prince’s anger did not seem to be bother the mercenary. “Very well. If you must know, my revenge is not personal, not really. I simply seek to kill the one who defeated Frieza.”His answer once again surprised the Z Fighters. Revenge for Frieza? That was quite the throwback. They’d faced it before in the form of Cooler and King Cold, but that had been over a decade ago. They hadn’t expected something from so long ago to be the reason for this.Piccolo scoffed. “I get it. This guy’s one of Frieza’s supports, and now he wants revenge for his defeat.”The smirk fell from Exxis’ face, and his eyes grew hard. The air around him began to crackle as an aura began to flow around him. His hands were clenched tightly in barely suppressed anger, sparks of electricity sliding over his fists.“Accuse me of associating myself with that scum again in anyway, and I will obliterate this entire planet before you even recognize the danger,” he said quietly in a tone that let them know that he was completely serious.The Z Fighters were once again thrown for a loop. Like Piccolo, Goku, Gohan, and Vegeta had also assumed that Exxis must have been a supporter of Frieza. But now he was telling them that that was not the case? What more, he seemed incredibly offended at the accusation. Which posed a new question.“Alright, we’re sorry,” Gohan exclaimed, afraid that the mercenary really might follow through with his threat. “No need to go destroying the planet.”Exxis’ furious gaze landed on him. “Frieza is the one responsible for the deaths of my parents. They were all I had, and they were killed right in front of me while I was left for dead. I was 16 years old at the time.” He raised his fist. Opening it slightly, he began to gather energy in his palm. “If Frieza weren’t dead already, I would have hunted the bastard down and slaughtered his tyrannical ass long ago!”He fired a blast of energy to his right. The attack tore through the forest, shaving a trail through the trees for as far as the eye could see.“I swore,” Exxis continued in a quieter, calmer voice, “I swore that I wouldn’t rest until I hunted Frieza down, and killed him. And not just him, but his entire family, and those most loyal to him. I would make him pay for what he did to me, and regret that I did not die along with my parents.”This was a switch, and it forced the Z Fighters to reassess what they had come to think about Exxis and his motives. If his grudge was against Frieza, then why was he here? Gohan needed to know. “If that’s true, then why are you after my dad. You wanted Frieza dead, right? Well, you got what you wanted. You should be thanking him, not trying to kill him.”Exxis’ dark gaze shifted to Gohan again. “Thanking him? For what? For killing Frieza? I never said I wanted Frieza dead. I said that I wanted to kill him. It was supposed to be me. Ever since my parents were killed, I trained vigorously for the day where I would be able to destroy him. I wouldn’t stand for anyone else to do it. The one to kill Frieza was supposed to be me.”His attention returned to Goku. “But that didn’t happen, did it, Goku? You stole my vengeance from me. What more, you also killed the rest of the Cold Clan, and Frieza’s top men, the Ginyu Force. Now I have nothing. All I’m left with is this burning hatred, and unfulfilled thirst for vengeance with no outlet that can never be fulfilled.”He swiped his hand through the air, sending out a shockwave that tore several trees out of the ground. “That is why I’m here, to take what you robed from me. If I can’t kill Frieza, then I will kill the one who defeated him, the one who stole my vengeance from me. Maybe then I can get some satisfaction. After all,” he grinned, “if I can defeat you, then I as good as defeated Frieza. It’s far from satisfactory, but I will take what I can get.”Goku did not react to the mercenary’s rant. Gohan, however, was completely bewildered as he tried to wrap his head around Exxis’ logic and reasoning. Piccolo seemed stoic as ever, but Vegeta was smirking now, and a light chuckle escaped him.“I understand,” he said, “It’s the code of a true warrior. I was once like you as well. In a way, I still am. I wouldn’t stand for anyone else to defeat Kakarot either. That right is mine alone. If anyone is going to kill him, then it’s going to be me.”Goku let out a small laugh. “Oh, gee, thanks a lot, Vegeta.”“I can understand where he’s coming from as well,” Piccolo admitted. “When I was born, I was instilled with the desire to kill Goku and avenge my father. Me and no one else. It’s the only way I would have been able to be content in life. And I too would have killed anyone who stole that right from me.”This had been why he hadn’t gotten any satisfaction when he had killed him, because he actually didn’t; Goku had sacrificed himself in order to take out Raditz and save Gohan. It just wasn’t the same as actually taking his life.Exxis was smirking. “Then you can see where I’m coming from.”Goku nodded, and, strangely, he too was smiling, despite the conversation being about his death. “Yeah, I got it. And I don’t exactly blame you for wanting to kill me. I more or less took what had been your reason for living. Killing me is now the closest thing you can get to killing Frieza. But tell me, what took you so long? Frieza’s been dead for years now. How come you’re only coming for me now?”A sigh escaped the mercenary. “It seems there had been a great deal of misinformation and miscommunication. Through an informant in the Galactic Patrol, I managed to find out that you were on Earth. However, at that time, I was not strong enough to challenge you. So I trained myself to the breaking point. But once I had determined that I had become strong enough, it was too late. I had heard you had been killed. The details were vague, but the reports stated that you died. It seems, however, that the information was wrong.”No, the information was wrong, Gohan noted, but not how Exxis thought. His father had died during the battle with Cell. Old Kai had sacrificed his own life in order to bring him back to life in order for him to be able to return to Earth to fight Super Buu.“Recently though,” Exxis continued, “my team and I heard the stories of the Super Saiyan who defeated Majin Buu, and that he was also the same one who defeated Frieza, and that he lived on Earth. After looking into this, it was apparent that I had been misinformed about your death years ago.”He snickered. “I suppose it doesn’t matter. I had always planned on coming to Earth eventually, I was simply preoccupied with another little project of mine. Speaking of which, perhaps you could help me out with it.”Goku raised an eyebrow. “How so?”Crossing his arms, Exxis looked up at the sky. “When you defeated Frieza, word quickly spread throughout the known universe. However, many people don’t know the actual truth. There was actually someone else who defeated Frieza, wasn’t there? Someone who finished what you did not.” Smirking, he looked back at Goku. “Even though you’re the one who gets the credit, it was actually someone else who actually killed Frieza, wasn’t it?”Trunks. He was talking about Trunks, the Z Fighters realized. Future Trunks to be more precise. But despite knowing the truth, Exxis seemed to be missing a lot of information on the subject.Goku didn’t bother to deny it. After all, Trunks did deserve the credit. Not just for taking out Frieza, but also for killing King Cold as well. “Yes, it was. By the time I got there, both Frieza and his father were already gone.”Exxis’ smirk grew more arrogant. “I’m aware. There was an audio recording from the scouters Frieza’s men wore that captured the whole thing. His supporters tried to keep it a secret, which is why you get credit for destroying both Frieza and King Cold. But I was able to discover the truth. And so, it wasn’t just you that I became intent on killing, but also the one who actually took down Frieza and his father.”His smile vanished, and he now looked annoyed. “However, an audio recording isn’t much to go on. No one knew who the person was that killed Frieza and King Cold, but it’s widely believed to have been another Super Saiyan, though this was never confirmed. It made finding him to be very difficult. And since I believed you to be dead, I spent all my time in between jobs trying to track down this mysterious warrior.”He placed his hands on his hips and closed his eyes, his irritation evident. “I’ve had tough jobs tracking someone down before, but this one proved to be impossible. Every lead I found either ended up being a dead end, a false lead, or an imposter trying to take the credit; something they very much regretted when they met me. For years I’ve searched across the galaxy, but found nothing.”Opening his eyes, he smiled at Goku. “But something tells me that you know who he is, and where he is. Would you be kind enough to tell me? I’d like to find and kill him after I finish up here.” He shrugged. “Or I could torture the information out of you. I do suggest you make it easier on yourself and just tell me what you know.”He looked at Goku expectantly, but the Saiyan remained silent, his expression unchanging. But soon a mocking chuckle began to escape Vegeta, and Exxis turned his attention to the Saiyan prince. Vegeta then began openly laughing, causing Exxis to scowl at him. “And what, may I ask, is so funny?”Vegeta kept laughing, almost as if he were attempting to irritate the mercenary. When he finally stopped, he gave Exxis a mocking grin. “How very sad for you. You spent all this time trying to find someone you can never find.”Exxis’ eyes narrowed. “Oh, and why is that? Is he dead?”“Even further out of your reach than that. The person you’re searching for is my son, Trunks.” Although his face didn’t show it, his voice clearly held a level of pride in it. “But not my son from this reality. The one you’re searching for came from the future.”Exxis raised an eyebrow. “The future?”“That’s right. About 17 years in the future to be precise. Things are very different there than they are here. In fact, that’s why he came back, so he could save this clown.” He nodded at Goku. “In order to save his life and change the future.”Smiling, Goku nodded. “It’s true. Apparently, in that timeline, I died from a heart virus that didn’t have a cure at the time I caught it. He came back in time to give me the antidote, hoping I could help stop a powerful enemy that would be coming. I still died though, your sources weren’t wrong about that, but the ancestor of the Supreme Kai gave me his life when Majin Buu was attacking so that I could fight him. So your sources weren’t wrong after all.”Exxis was visibly surprised by this information, and he seemed to be trying to process everything he had just learned. “Time travel? From the future? He’s the one who…?”He slowly seemed to come to terms with this information. But instead of getting angry, he began to chuckle. It wasn’t an amused chuckle though, but one of sheer disbelief, and it soon erupted into full-blown laughter.“Well, damn!” he laughed loudly. “I guess the joke’s on me! To think that I spent all this time trying to find someone who doesn’t even exist in this reality. If that isn’t a slap on the face, then I don’t know what is.”His laughter slowly died down, and he became calm. But that was just on the outside. The look in his eyes clearly revealed that he was positively livid. “Time travel. Who could have possibly seen that coming? And here I had thought that the Galactic Patrol had banned anything and everything involving time travel due to the danger it presented.”“Hey, what’s this Galactic Patrol thing?” Gohan asked quietly.“Never heard of it,” Piccolo replied. “Sounds like some sort of space police.”“I’ve heard Bulma mention it before,” said Vegeta. “Apparently, her sister has a friend who works for them.”Exxis sighed in resignation. “I guess I really have been chasing a ghost all this time.” A cruel snicker escaped him. “Well, at least I still have you, Goku. Guess I’ll have to make our fight be two battles worth.”Goku was smiling as well, almost feeling giddy with anticipation. “If that’s what you want. I’d hate to keep you waiting any longer.”Growling lightly, Vegeta stepped forward. “Now wait just a minute, Kakarot. How come you get to fight him?”“Hmm?” Goku glanced back at his rival curiously, then smiled almost playfully. “Well, because I’m the one he came here for.”“It’s not always about you, Kakarot! What I had barely counted as a fight.”Exxis seemed amused by their banter and let out a small chuckle. “Not to worry, Vegeta. After I finish with Goku, you’ll be next. And then you, boy.” His gaze shifted from Gohan to Piccolo. “As for you, you’re a Namekian, right?”“I am,” Piccolo replied coolly. “What of it?”Exxis shrugged as he looked at the Namekian with complete indifference. “Nothing, just an observation. But of you want to live, then I suggest you get out of here now; I have no qualms with you.”That was… strange. But Piccolo sensed that if he wanted to leave, then Exxis was really willing to let him go. He truly had no interest in him whatsoever. “I appreciate the offer, but I’m not going anywhere.”Another shrug, as if it didn’t matter to him either way. “If you have a death wish, I’d be happy to oblige. But don’t say I didn’t give you the chance to walk away.”Vegeta raised an eyebrow curiously. “Why give him the chance to leave? It seems you’re rather choosey with your targets.”Exxis just waved this off. “Not at all. I’d be more than happy to face anyone who dares to challenge me. I simply have a little project I need to get to once I claim my vengeance.” His gaze darkened, and a smug smile appeared on his face. “The extinction of the entire Saiyan race.”There were surprised reactions from the Z Fighters at his claim. Exxis found this amusing and let out a small chuckle as Gohan stared at him in shock. “You want to… wipe out the Saiyan race?”“As I said, it’s a project of mine. This is the second reason I seek your life, Goku; you are a Saiyan after all. By the way, thank you very much for telling me how many Saiyans are left. I now have a definite number. That makes my goal so much clearer.”Vegeta glanced at Goku. “Good going, Kakarot. You just put a target on our sons.”Goku just laughed this off. “Oops, I guess I put my foot in my mouth. But, hey, it’s no problem. We’ll just stop him here and now.”Exxis crossed his arms. “Oh? Confident are you? Just what makes you think you can stop me?”Vegeta rounded on him. “What makes you think that you can defeat us? You dare to dream that you will be the one to end the Saiyan race? Don’t be absurd. The mightiest of races won’t come to an end by anyone’s hand.”“Why do you want to kill off the Saiyans anyway?” Gohan asked suspiciously. “You’d just be finishing Frieza’s work, and you clearly hate the guy. Why do him any favors? And didn’t you say that you admire the Saiyans?”Exxis was nodding along with what Gohan was saying. “Correct on both accounts, boy. However, I have my reasons for doing this. But I think we’ve talked enough for now. I’ve been looking forward to this fight for a long time. So, Goku, whenever you’re ready.”Goku smiled in anticipation and nodded. “Alright, lets do this. I’m curious to see what you’re capable of too.”Smirking, Exxis casually walked away from his ship and over to a tree. “Spoken like a true warrior. I do hope you won’t let me down. I can’t tell you how much I’ve been looking forward to this. It’s so hard to find someone who can provide me with a worthy challenge.”“I can relate,” Goku replied. “It’s the one bad thing about getting stronger, others fall out of your league. That’s why I’m hoping you can live up to your boast.”Reaching out, Exxis placed his hand on a tree, his fingers easily burying into the bark. “Oh, trust me, I can.” He ripped the entire tree out of the ground and turned back to Goku. “This will be the signal to start, just as soon as it hits the ground.”He tossed the tree straight up, and it disappeared into the sky. Goku watched it disappear before turning his gaze back to Exxis. “Fair enough.” He took a fighting stance. “Don’t bother holding back, I can take whatever you dish out.”Taking a fighting stance of his own, Exxis had the same eager smile on his face that Goku wore. “Likewise.”Seconds ticked by, the two combatants staring each other down while Gohan, Vegeta, and Piccolo looked on. From up above, the tree came falling down, leaving a trail of leaves behind. It hit the ground, and Goku and Exxis sped at each other, the entire forest shaking as their fists met.

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Chapter 7: The Real Fight Begins
From up above, one would have a bird’s eyes view of something tearing through the forest, leaving a trail of destroyed trees in its wake. Bald patches were located along this trail, the greenery completely obliterated by an unseen force.This unseen force was Goku and Exxis as the two fought. They flew through the forest, crashing through and uprooting the trees in their path, the shockwaves from their blows responsible for the bald patches that were appearing. Neither fighter seemed to notice or care about the damage they were causing, as all their attention was on their opponent.Goku threw a punch, and Exxis ducked beneath it, driving his own fist into Goku’s ribcage. With lightning speed, he appeared behind the Saiyan, wrapping his arms around him, squeezing tightly. Goku responded by elbowing him in the kidney, causing Exxis’ grip to loosen. He spun around in the mercenary’s arms and slammed his forehead into Exxis’ face, then leapt up to knee him in the chin. Exxis fell backward, and Goku appeared above him, throwing a punch. Exxis caught it, then blocked the knee-jab Goku attempted.Smirking, he whirled around and threw Goku, sending the Saiyan crashing through the trees. He sped after him, easily catching up, and began raining punches against him. Goku vanished amongst the blows, and Exxis spun around, firing a blast of energy just as Goku reappeared.Goku went flying backwards, and dug his feet into the ground to stop his momentum, tearing it apart. “Ka-me-ha-me-HA!”The Kamehameha Wave flew at Exxis. Energy gathered in the mercenary’s hands, and he clapped them together, sending out a quarter moon blade of energy that tore through and down the length of Goku’s attack. Gasping in surprise, Goku rolled to the side, and Exxis was suddenly there, driving his fist into Goku’s gut.Spittle went flying as Goku cried out, the force of the blow knocking him backwards. He used the momentum to his advantage and began doing a series of backflips before kicking off a tree so hard he completely uprooted it, flying back towards Exxis. The mercenary was racing towards him on foot, and when they met, Goku’s fist collided with Exxis’ jaw, knocking him off his feet.Coming to a stop, he turned to face the mercenary. Exxis was getting to his feet, rubbing his chin where he was punched. Yet he was smiling, as if he were really enjoying himself. “Not bad, Goku, not bad at all. But I want more.”A cocky chuckle escaped Goku. “Then we both want the same thing.”They stared each other down for a few moments before disappearing. They reappeared in the air, exchanging blows in a blur of movements most were unable to even register. Powerful shockwaves shook the land as fists and feet collided together.Goku threw a punch, and Exxis caught it. Exxis threw his own punch, and Goku caught it. Both clutching and having their own fist clenched by the other, they pushed back against each other. At the same time, their knees came up, slamming together. They tried again with the other leg, only to achieve the same result.Breaking apart, they flew at each other again, both successfully dodging the blow the other attempted to land as they sped past each other. Exxis whirled around and brought his hands together. Hundreds of energy balls flew out of his palms one after the other. Goku dodged and knocked them out of the way as he flew towards the mercenary. He collided into Exxis, driving his elbow into him. Exxis grunted, but managed to grab Goku’s arm when he threw a follow up punch. Grinning, he dropped from the sky, pulling Goku down with him. He slammed Goku’s arm to the ground, and a cry tore itself from the Saiyan’s mouth.Releasing him, Exxis jumped up and kicked Goku in the side. He went flying backwards, but reached out and pushed off the ground, doing a flip and sticking the landing. A blast of energy came at him next, and he caught it, struggling for a few moments before throwing it aside.Exxis remained where he was after having fired the energy blast; a smile plastered on his face. Goku was rubbing the arm that had been slammed. Still, a smile managed o make its way up his face too.“How’s your arm?” Exxis asked, not showing the least bit of concern.Goku chuckled. “I think you almost broke it.”“Almost? I’ll have to try harder next time.”Another chuckle. “Guess I’ll have to be more careful. You’re a lot stronger than your friends.”Exxis gave him a small shake of his head. “This has been fun, but what do you say we skip the warm-up and get straight to the main event?”Goku’s smile widened. “I knew you were holding back. Guess you realized I was too. I prefer to start out small and work my way up.”Exxis held out his arms, as if he were bracing himself. “As do I. It makes a fight last longer, and makes it far more interesting. But lets stop holding back. I know you’re itching for a real fight, just as much as I am.”Goku nodded in agreement and took a similar pose. “Sounds good to me.”Off to the side, Vegeta, Gohan, and Piccolo had been following along as the two combatants duked it out. A bead of sweat ran down Piccolo’s head at what he knew was coming. “Now we’ll see how strong he really is.”Vegeta humped. “As if this mercenary scum actually stands a chance.”Gohan glanced at him. “He’s hiding a lot of power.”“I’m perfectly aware of that, fool, but no matter how much he’s holding back, he doesn’t stand a chance against Kakarot’s Super Saiyan Three.”That much Gohan had been able to surmise. But still, he had a bad feeling. And based on how nervous Piccolo looked, so did he. There was just something about Exxis, something he couldn’t quite put his finger on, that told him that there was a lot more to the mercenary than meets the eye. Vegeta may be a genius when it came to fighting, but his arrogance and pride was a grave weakness.Surrounding the two fighters, an aura of energy began to flow. Hair and clothes moved around as their power began to rise up. Both let out cries as their energy erupted, their true power coming out. Their screams echoed throughout the forest as they strained their bodies to unleash their greatest power.“That’s a lot more power than I was expecting,” Gohan reluctantly admitted as he felt Exxis energy rapidly spike. It felt even stronger than his father’s. If it weren’t for his ability to become a Super Saiyan, he really would have been worried.“Not bad, Goku,” Exxis praised, “not bad at all. I don’t run into many people with your level of power.”“Same to you,” Goku replied. “Are we going to do this?”Exxis chuckled. “Most definitely. I think I’ll make the first move.”Faster than Goku could register, Exxis appeared in front of him, driving his fist into his gut. His feet left the ground from the force of the blow as Exxis began delivering a series of punches to his chest, pushing him through the forest. The blows came to a sudden stop as Exxis fired an energy blast to send Goku flying backwards.Using super speed, Exxis quickly caught up to Goku and kicked him high into the air. Flying up above him, he balled his fists together and brought them down on Goku, then flew down past him and delivered a kick. Goku skidded across the ground, and Exxis came down on him feet-first at an angle, burying the Saiyan into the hard ground. Jumping back, he held out his hand and fired a blast of energy.Goku was blown out of the groove from the blast. He hit the ground hard breathing heavily, but Exxis didn’t give him time to recover as he charged forward and kicked him in the side once more. As Goku went flying through the air, Exxis fired another blast of energy. This time, however, Goku managed to use his Instant Transmission. He reappeared beside Exxis, delivering a punch to his face. He followed up with a powerful Kamehameha Wave that pushed the mercenary through the forest.Ceasing his attack, Goku’s hand went to his aching chest. Exxis had surprised him with his sudden fury of attacks. Despite the pain, the thrill of the fight got him excited. He wanted more.Exxis came flying back, coming to a stop in front of Goku. He was looking at him curiously now. “How did you do that? I’ve never seen speed like that before.”A pained chuckle escaped Goku. “I wish I could take the credit, but it wasn’t speed. I call it Instant Transmission. Go from one place to another instantly.”Exxis’ eyebrows rose with interest. “Instant Transmission, you say. Fascinating. I’ll have to look into that. It’ll be very useful in my line of work in tracking down my targets.”“I’ll bet. For now, it’s my turn.”He flew at Exxis and threw a punch. Exxis ducked beneath it and blocked the knee-blow he followed up with. Goku balled his hands up and brought them down, but Exxis blocked this too. He delivered his own punch to the Saiyan’s stomach. Goku grunted, but grabbed Exxis’ arm and swung him around, crashing him straight through a tree before throwing him. He fired an energy blast after him, but Exxis smacked it away and flew back towards Goku.The two engaged in combat, exchanging blows. Goku struggled to land a hit as Exxis dodged and blocked. Several of the mercenary’s blows found their mark as Exxis fought back. He fired an energy blast, but Goku vanished and reappeared above him, kicking the mercenary in the head, knocking him away, then fired an energy blast at him. Exxis recovered quickly and caught the attack, but it still managed to push him back until he tossed it aside.“Come on, Goku,” he told the Saiyan. “I know you can do better than that.”Goku braced himself. “Kaio-ken!”An angry red aura appeared around him as his power doubled, and he charged at the mercenary at twice the speed.Exxis blinked. “Kaio-what?”Goku’s fist slammed into Exxis’ face, and the mercenary stumbled back. Several more punches found their mark after that, knocking Exxis back further until he managed to catch Goku’s fist and swing him over his head and slammed him on the ground.Goku’s Kaio-ken vanished, and Exxis twisted his arm in the wrong direction. Goku cried out before gritting his teeth and turning his body in a way that allowed him to untwist his arm and kick Exxis in the head. Exxis’ arm came up to block the blow, and he released Goku’s arm to deliver a punch that sent Goku flying.Doing a series of flips, Goku launched himself back at Exxis. The mercenary was flying at him as well, and they collided together, their fists slamming into each other’s jaws. They both recovered and threw another punch, this time their fists colliding. First the left hand, then the right. Their hands interlocked and they attempted to push the other back. Their energies spiked, the ground shaking and cracking beneath them. Trees bent away from them as clouds swirled overhead, the air crackling with power.Exxis strained to push Goku back, but still managed to exchange a few words with his opponent. “That technique you used earlier was impressive, the one where you turned red. Your energy really spiked.”Goku cracked a smile. “You liked that, huh? It’s called the Kaio-ken!”He used the technique as he said the name, once again becoming engulfed in a red aura. The ground began to give beneath Exxis’ feet, and he started to slide back as Goku gained ground. Exxis grit his teeth and dug his feet into the ground, managing to stop their movements.“That’s more like it,” he said with a smile. “I knew you were still holding back.”“I can see you were too,” Goku replied, unable to make the mercenary budge, no matter how hard he pushed. “That’s not fair; you’re the one who said we should stoop sandbagging.”“Like I said, I too like to start out small.”He let out a cry and began to expel more energy. Goku now found himself being pushed back, even with the Kaio-ken in affect. He broke out of Exxis’ grip and threw a punch, but Exxis dodged. With a smile on his face, he fired a blast of energy. Goku ducked beneath it and nailed Exxis with an uppercut. The mercenary stumbled back and brought his hand up as if to punch, only his palm was open, and a gathering of energy was in it. He slapped his palm against Goku’s chest, and the Saiyan was blasted into the air. The Kaio-ken failed him, and the red aura vanished.Breathing heavily, Goku cupped his hands together as Exxis flew back towards him. “Ka-me-ha-me-HA!”The attack came at Exxis. He didn’t try to avoid it or deflect it though, and instead let out his own cry. A sphere of energy surrounded him, and he slammed into Goku’s energy beam. He began pushing his way through it as he made his way up to Goku.“What!?” Goku cried in surprise. “No way!”Reaching the Saiyan, Exxis sent the sphere of energy around himself at Goku while he remained behind, and the Saiyan was carried. Making a fist, Exxis surrounded his hand in a gold ball of energy. Extending his index finger, he swung his hand, and a beam of energy shot out, stretching several hundred yards. It was flimsy, acting like a whip, and it flew through the air at Goku. The Saiyan managed to dodge the giant whip that easily sliced through everything in its path.Exxis was laughing as he waved his hand around, repeatedly lashing out with the whip-like energy beam. “Come on, Goku. Show me you’re not to be bested by a simple attack like this.”Goku rose to that challenge and used Instant Transmission to appear in front of Exxis. “Kaio-ken Times Four!”“Times what?”The answer he received was a punch four times stronger and faster than Goku’s other hits, followed up by an elbow to the top of his head that knocked him down to the ground. He recovered quickly though and did a flip, managing to stick a landing that created a crater. Looking up, he saw Goku coming down at him and leapt away to avoid a punch that shattered the ground and made the crater bigger.Landing a distance away, Exxis held his hand out straight and grasped his wrist, almost as if he were bracing his own arm for a backlash. Energy began to gather in his palm before a powerful beam burst forth, tearing apart the land without even touching anything, seeming to distort the air itself.Goku put up his hands to block as the attack came at him, and was immediately knocked off his feet and carried away. The Times Four Kaio-ken proved to be useless under the power of Exxis’ attack as it pushed him back, slamming him through trees as if they weren’t even there. Goku knew that there was no way he would be able to deflect the attack or push it back, and instead focused on getting off it.It wasn’t easy, but he managed to jump out of the attack’s path, and none too soon, as the beam struck a mountain a few moments later, borrowed straight through, and kept going. Goku wiped the sweat from his forehead, glad he had missed that close call. “Phew. That could have ended badly.”“Dad!”He turned to find the others flying over to them, and he waved bashfully. “Hey, sorry about that. That attack packed quite a wallop.”An irritable growl escaped Piccolo. “You should take this battle more seriously, Goku. This guy is really out to get you.”Goku placed his hands on his hips. “Hey, I am being serious. I’m fighting with everything I have.”An amused snicker escaped Vegeta. “If that were truly the case, then this fight would already be over.”Goku laughed. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. But this guy came a really long way just to fight me, and he seems to be enjoying it as much as I am. I don’t want to end this too soon.”Piccolo resisted the urge to throw his hands up in aggravation. Saiyans could be so frustrating at times, especially Goku. “I’m warning you, Goku, don’t underestimate this guy. He’s already stronger than you now, but I feel he’s hiding something more.”It was no use, Goku’s cocky smile was in place, and anticipation was dancing in his eyes. “Don’t worry, I know he’s got some hidden reserves, but it’ll be fine. We’re already going to need to gather the Dragon Balls to bring back all the people his friends killed, and to fix all the destruction, but I’ll do my best to keep the damage to a minimum.”Placing two fingers to his head, he teleported back to Exxis. He gasped as he saw the mercenary with his arm straight in the air and his index finger extended. Above him was a giant ball of energy that was growing larger by the second. That much power was more than enough to obliterate the entire forest and more.“No, don’t do it!” Goku shouted to the mercenary.Exxis just chuckled, then seemed to start straining. Goku was afraid he would throw the giant energy ball, but instead it started to shrink. Exxis was condensing it into a smaller package, the power no less great.When it reached the size of a golf ball, Exxis suddenly shot it straight into the air. Smirking, he leapt away and held his hand up to the small flashing orb as it flew higher into the sky. “Energy Rain!”High in the sky, the energy orb burst, and millions of energy bullets shot down to the ground. True to its name, it came down like a deadly rain, right on top of Goku. There was no time to avoid the sudden attack, and Goku quickly raised his arms to defend himself as the energy bullets pelted against him, stirring up a cloud of smoke as the ground was shredded around him.The others had made it back by this point, and they gasped at the sight of the deadly hailstorm coming down. It didn’t take much for them to realize who was caught up in it.“Dad, no!”“Goku!”The energy bullets kept coming, covering a radius of several dozen meters. Finally, it seemed to run out of power, and the attack ceased. Exxis approached the cloud of smoke, looking into it. When it took too long to dissipate, he held out his hand and sent out a shockwave that blew it away.Goku floated up into the air, breathing heavily. He was covered in various scrapes, and his clothes were torn in several places. His shirt was all but ruined, and he tore it off, as it was only in the way at this point.“That was quite the attack,” he complimented. “I never experienced anything like that before.”Exxis looked entirely too smug. “Well, I’ve never experienced anything like your Kaio-whatever technique. Can you go any higher than four?”Goku smirked. “It’s not advised, but… Kaio-ken Times Ten!”The red aura reappeared. Exxis took note of how the aura became bigger, thicker, and more furious the higher the level he used, and he smiled at how he felt the Saiyan’s power shoot up.With his increased power, Goku cupped his hands together. “Ka-me-ha-me-ha-me-HA!”The energy wave flew at Exxis. Bracing himself, he pounded his fists together, and they became engulfed in gray light. Crying out, he held out his left hand to the Kamehameha Wave, catching the attack. The energy, however, did not gather at the point of contact, but instead seemed to get absorbed into Exxis’ hand.“What!?” Goku exclaimed. “But how?!”Exxis’ muscles began to expand as he absorbed the attack, sucking the energy into his glowing hand, pulling the power into his body. When the attack ceased, Exxis lowered his hand, his muscles bulging. A strained look was present on his face as he attempted to control the power, and he seemed to be struggling as he raised his other hand. “HA!!!”A very familiar beam of energy flew from his hand. Goku gasped at what he sensed. The attack was a Kamehameha Wave, yet Exxis had not gone through the motions to use it. Goku grit his teeth and reached out to catch the attack. The attack pushed him back, threatening to overwhelm him, but he could not let it go, for the destruction would be too great.Summoning up his strength and the remnants of the Times Ten Kaio-ken, he managed to direct the attack up, and the energy soared into the air, disappearing into space. He’d done it just in time, as the Kaio-ken ran out a few seconds later. He returned his attention to Exxis and saw that the mercenary’s muscles had returned to normal, and he looked rather winded.“What was that?” he asked, trying to figure out what the mercenary had done.Exxis took a few moments to catch his breath before breaking out into a smile. “A little technique of my own making. It consists of absorbing the power of an attack and then unleashing it again with my own power replacing it. I based it off of Stookz’s ability to absorb and hold energy. Unfortunately, I’m unable to store the energy I absorb like he can, and if I get overwhelmed, it can be quite damaging, but it’s a handy little technique that lets me use my opponents’ attacks against them without learning the attacks myself. It also allows me to gain an understanding of how the attacks work, even allowing me to actually learn them much easier if I so choose.”Goku was impressed. While he was pretty good at learning techniques by observing others use them, Exxis had mastered a way to quite literally use an opponent’s attack against them. “Seems a bit risky. What if you bite off more than you can chew?”Exxis snickered. “Yes, that is a risk I take, but I do so enjoy a challenge. Besides, I have yet to meet someone who’s been too powerful for me to handle.” His eyes narrowed slightly. “That being said, I thought we had agreed to stop holding back.”Goku smiled. “We did, and I’m not holding back. I’m giving you everything I’ve got.”Exxis scoffed at this, now looking amused. “In your base form, perhaps, but I happen to know for a fact that you’ve got a lot more in you than that. Don’t forget, Goku, I know all about you being a Super Saiyan. You have yet to transform. So come now, stop holding out on me. I want to see the power you used to defeat Frieza. A victory over you will mean nothing unless I know you gave your all.”He stared Goku down, letting him know he was serious. Goku stared back, but he was no longer smiling. “You sure you want to see it? I actually don’t think you can handle it. I don’t want to end this fight too quickly.”The warning hung heavy in the air. Despite it, Exxis smiled arrogantly. “So you say, but at the rate we’re going, it won’t be long before I kill you, and I don’t want that just yet. I’m fully aware of what I’m asking for, Goku, and I’m telling you, I want it. Now go ahead and transform.”On the sidelines, the Z Fighters watched in anticipation. Vegeta was beginning to lose interest as he predicted the outcome of the battle from here on out. “It’s over. Once Kakarot transforms, this won’t be much of a battle.”“We’ll see,” Piccolo said quietly. He sensed the difference in power between the two, and it was true that once Goku transformed, Exxis would be outmatched. So why did he still have a bad feeling?Goku got ready as he prepared to transform. “Ok then, you asked for it.”His hair began to sway as his power started rising. The change was more noticeable than it was with Vegeta, as his hair was more all over the place rather than straight up like the Saiyan prince’s. Yet as the change took hold, his hair pointed straight up before turning gold. His eyes changed as well, going from black to green as his appearance matched Vegeta’s when he had transformed against Thoryuk. Goku now stood in all his Super Saiyan glory, his energy flowing around him in a golden aura.The transformation brought forth a massive increase in power, one that Exxis had to have sensed. Yet he proved to be not the least bit concerned as he stared at Goku, his eyes shining with delight. “Yes, this is it. The form that defeated Frieza. And not just him, but Cooler and King Cold as well. The legend the entire Cold Clan feared, but would never admit. I’ve been waiting for this.”“Glad you like it,” Goku replied, his tone taking on a slight edge. “Hope you know what you’ve gotten yourself into.”His voice held a warning in it, but if Exxis picked up on it at all, he ignored it completely. “I’m aware of what the Super Saiyan transformation entitles. A 50 times increase of power, is it not? Show me, Goku.” He opened his arms to the Saiyan. “Show me your Super Saiyan power.”Goku was quiet for a few moments. “If that’s what you want.”He shot forward at a speed too fast for Exxis to register and buried his fist in the mercenary’s gut. A nauseated gasp escaped him as he doubled over, only to have Goku’s fist drive upward into his chin. Exxis was knocked off his feet, landing on his back, seemingly stunned. Goku stood over him, his hand still raised, and now had a slight scowl on his face.On the ground, Exxis’ surprised look soon shifted to him. “Oh, yes, that’s more like it. That’s what I was looking for.”He hopped to his feet, grinning at Goku excitedly. The Saiyan stared back at him, seemingly trying to size up his opponent. He was wary of any possible tricks Exxis might use, recalling how Captain Ginyu had surprised him with his body-swapping technique. Did Exxis possess such an ability? Was that why he was provoking him, to try and get a read on how much greater his power was? If so, he would be disappointed; Goku was not willing to lose his body a second time.But that did not seem to be the case, as Exxis seemed genuinely interested in fighting him as a Super Saiyan. Suddenly vanishing from where he was, he went on the attack.Goku held up an arm to block a hit Exxis tried to land, then blocked another. His arms moved in rapid succession as he defended against an enemy moving too fast to see. It almost appeared as if he were dancing by himself as he blocked blow after blow that came at him at speeds too fast for the human eye to see.Goku threw a punch, seemingly aiming at thin air. Exxis suddenly appeared at the end of his fist, knocked out of his rapid movements. Goku remained where he was with his arm outstretched, then slowly lowered it as he looked down at the mercenary.Despite being knocked down, Exxis was still grinning. He stood up with his hands on his knees, not even looking at his opponent. “Good, good. It looks like you’ll be able to provide me with a decent fight after all. I guess I can stop holding back against you now.”He suddenly thrust his fist out and fired a blast of energy. Goku’s hands came up to catch the blast, his feet skidding across the ground. He tossed the attack aside, only to have Exxis’ fist slam into his face. A storm of fists collided against him, causing Goku to stumble back. His back hit a tree, and it snapped behind him as Exxis’ continued knocking him back.Goku’s hand shot out, catching Exxis’ fist. The mercenary gasped in surprise, but immediately attempted to knee him. Goku’s other hand came up and blocked the blow. His grip on Exxis’ hand tightened and he bent his arm back. Exxis hissed in pain, and Goku bent it back further, twisting his arm in the wrong direction. Exxis struggled to get free, and when Goku finally released him, Exxis gripped his wrist and scowled at the Saiyan.With a battle cry, he powered up, a furious aura appearing around him. He leapt at Goku, punching and kicking. Goku was able to block and dodge whatever Exxis threw at him with relative ease, and when he thrust his hand forward with a gathering of energy in it, Goku knocked it away.Stepping forward, he punched Exxis in the stomach, then delivered another blow to his face, sending the mercenary crashing through the trees. He waited as Exxis got to his feet, breathing heavily, and stared the mercenary down. “Don’t forget, you asked for this.”His words were meant to intimidate, but instead, he heard a chuckle from the mercenary. “You’re right I did. And I’m very glad I did.” He looked up, his eyes shining with excitement. “Things are finally starting to get interesting.”

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Chapter 8: Sole Survivor
Exxis stood up straight and cracked his neck left and right. Despite the superior display of power Goku had shown, the mercenary seemed to be enjoying himself. If Piccolo were honest, it made him a little nervous. No one should be that arrogant when so out-matched. Exxis had to be hiding an ace up his sleeve.“I don’t run into anyone with your level of power that often,” the mercenary said to Goku. “The last biggest challenge I faced was on a planet full of Machine Mutants created by some mad doctor for galactic domination. He tried to have some infant robot creature infect me. Perhaps in another time, another place, you would have enjoyed fighting them as well, but I’m afraid my men and I left none alive.”Goku’s eyes narrowed at the casual way Exxis had just admitted to genocide. “What are you getting at?”The mercenary chuckled. “I’m just pointing out how rare it is for me to find an opponent worthy of my power. It’s not too often that I’m able to cut loose and fight someone I can’t kill with ease.”He hated to admit it, but Goku could relate. There weren’t many people who could stand up to his level of power. That was why when the opportunity to fight a powerful opponent presented itself, he tended to milk the situation for all it was worth, even if there was a danger. It was a flaw on his part for sure, often getting him in trouble, such as when he gave Cell a Senzu bean. Be that as it may, he could understand Exxis’ excitement at finding such a strong opponent.“So, Goku,” the mercenary continued, “in light of your power, I will no longer hold back mine.”He cried out loudly as he began to power up, his screams echoing through the forest. Summoning up so much power was a massive strain on the body, and his cries were evident of that. The ground cracked apart around him as if an earthquake were taking place, trees and boulders rising up from out of the ground.Goku remained stoic the entire time. Though he was inwardly impressed at how much stronger Exxis was than himself in his base form, now that he was a Super Saiyan, the mercenary was greatly outmatched. Exxis had to know this, yet he only seemed more eager to fight because of it. This was something else Goku could relate to, the tougher the challenge, the greater the trill.When it seemed that Exxis reached his peak, he flashed Goku a smile. “Are you ready, Goku? It’s time for round two.”He unleashed an explosion of energy that leveled everything in its path. Goku took to the air as the blast radius expanded. Exxis flew up from out of the blast, his arm extended to punch as he flew at Goku. The Saiyan dodged and then kneed him right in the chest. Exxis sputtered, but recovered quickly and began throwing punches. Goku dodged several before disappearing, moving at rapid speeds to appear above the mercenary and slam his elbow down on Exxis’ head.The mercenary shot to the ground, managing to stick the landing in the destruction he had just caused. Goku came flying down at him, and Exxis held up his hand. What seemed to be smaller versions of Krillin’s Destructo Disk began flying out of his palm. Goku swerved around the Frisbee-sized disks of energy as he flew down at the mercenary. “Solar Flare!”There was a blinding flash of light, and Exxis cried out as he lost his vision. His hands went to his eyes as it felt as if they were being burned out of his skull. “Damn it, my eyes!”Goku kicked out as he came down, but Exxis leapt away, having sensed the Saiyan’s movements, and Goku’s foot shattered the ground. Though he could not see, he could still fell where his opponent was, and as Goku charged at him, Exxis flew backwards, his eyes still burning.“That’s a pretty fancy trick, Goku. Let me try one.”He swiped his hand, his index finger extended, and a beam shot out of it. Goku vanished from out of the beam’s path, and several trees fell over as it cut through them. He reappeared above Exxis and brought his balled hands down on him. Exxis hit the ground, still blind, but immediately began to get up.Goku slammed into him from behind, driving his elbow between Exxis’ shoulder-blades, and the mercenary immediately went down again. He held his hand out in warning, threatening to blow him away. “Stay down.”Growling, Exxis blinked open his eyes, wincing at the stinging sensation. Blurry vision greeted him, but it slowly gave way to shapes and colors as his sight started to return to normal. With an angry hiss, his hand dug into the ground, gathering up a handful of dirt.“That sun attack of yours is quite handy,” he admitted. “Taking away your opponent’s sight can be very useful in battle, especially if your opponent can’t sense energy. However, there is a much simpler method than that.”He rolled over, and threw the handful of dirt in Goku’s face. It was not something he could completely defend against, and the Saiyan got an eyeful of dirt. He fired off a blast of energy, and Exxis flew up to avoid it. He then began raining punches over Gou’s body, hitting anywhere he could. At one point, even without his vision, Goku caught his fist. Exxis didn’t let this stop him though as he fired a blast of energy from the very fist Goku was holding.Goku was blasted back, but skidded to a stop. He carefully opened his eyes, blinking the dirt out of them, and saw Exxis flying towards him. Goku reacted quickly, throwing a punch that the mercenary all but flew into, sending him back the way he came.“Ka-me-ha-me-HA!”A powerful blast flew at Exxis. The mercenary hopped to his feet and cried out as his energy flared around him. Pulling back his hand, it began to glow with power. He speared it forward, into Goku’s attack, and his hand tore through it, breaking the Kamehameha Wave apart and sending fragments of energy flying in different directions.Lowering his hand, Exxis got in a fighting stance again and smiled at Goku. The rest of the Z Fighters flew down to them as Goku studied his opponent for a few moments before lowering his own hands and staring at the mercenary in challenge. “What’s your game?”Exxis raised an eyebrow. “Whatever do you mean?”“You’re hiding something. My guess is some hidden reserves, or a powerful technique. You’re a lot stronger than me in my base form, no doubt, but the difference in our power now is evident. You wouldn’t be so cocky unless you had something up your sleeve. So what is it?”Exxis continued to look at him with a look that seemed to express innocence, but then he dropped the act, seeming to become even more arrogant. “You got me. I was hoping to put this off a little longer, but you’re calling me out.”Goku smiled humorously. “I knew you were holding back. And here you are saying how we should stop sandbagging.”The mercenary wobbled his head back and forth uncaringly. “Yes, well, it’s like you said earlier, I didn’t want to end this too soon. But since you insist…” He took a stance, as if he were bracing himself. “Tell me if you recognize this, it should be familiar to you.”Sparks of purple energy started to flow around him as his clothes and hair began to flap around him as if caught in a breeze. His aura turned green as his power began to rapidly rise at an alarming rate. Goku gasped at the massive increase of Exxis’ power that continued to go up.Then the change happened. Exxis’ hair changed from jet black to bright red. His skin color changed as well, going from teal to a yellowish-green, and there was a notable increase in his muscle mass.Exxis smirked arrogantly. “Well, Goku? See anything familiar?”Yes, Goku most definitely recognized the transformation, even though he had really only seen it in a crystal ball in Other World. “That form…”Off to the side, Gohan was glaring. “I know that transformation. It’s the same form Bojack and his followers underwent.”Overhearing the younger Saiyan, Exxis glanced at him chuckled. “Yes, indeed. What you are looking at is what’s known as the Full-Power Hera transformation, or the Super Hera transformation. It’s a transformation exclusive to the Hera race, similar to that of a Super Saiyan.” He thrust his thumb at himself. “And that’s exactly what I am. A Hera, the only race that could stand on par with the Saiyans as the greatest warrior race in the universe.”A bead of sweat ran down Piccolo’s head. “So this is what he was hiding. He’s a Hera, and was capable of transforming like this the whole time.”Still smiling, Exxis shook his finger. “Uh, uh, uh. I’m not just any old Hera, I’m the last of my kind. The only living Hera in the entire universe. The rest of my race met an unfortunate end long ago when Bojack and his followers began their rampage. They annihilated the entire Hera race, destroying the planet in the process before repeating the process throughout the universe before the Kais finally stepped in and sealed them away in a star.”Yes, Goku remembered King Kai telling him about that, and how nervous he had been when he realized that Bojack had escaped. And with plenty of cause to worry too.“Not all Heras died with their planet though,” Exxis continued. “A group of them managed to escape its destruction and take refuge on a distant planet. They tried to preserve the Hera race, but, unfortunately, there were so few of them that they couldn’t do that without eventually having to resort to inbreeding, and that was not something they were willing to do. Nor were they willing to dilute the Hera bloodline by breeding outside of their species.“And so the Hera race continued to diminish over time until only I remained. And after Bojack and his followers escaped and met their end by your hand, I became the last living member of my race in the entire universe. So you see, I’m not just a Hera, I’m the last of my kind. The sole survivor.”It was a stunning revelation, one Goku and the others did not see coming. It also explained Exxis’ arrogance, and why he’d appeared so confident, even after he’d seemingly powered up to his max; it was because he’s still had a secret transformation up his sleeve.“Well, you’re wrong about one thing,” Goku told him. “It wasn’t me that defeated Bojack and his followers. My son’s the one who did that.”He glanced at Gohan with a look of pride. Gohan, however, did not look proud of himself for taking down the homicidal tyrant. Rather, he looked uncomfortable as he stared at Exxis.“Is that why you want to kill all Saiyans?” he asked. “Because I killed the last of the Hera, with the exception of you?”“Or are you simply trying to prove that the Hera are greater than the Saiyans by killing them off?” Vegeta asked mockingly.Exxis did not rise to the bait. On the contrary, he seemed rather amused. “No to both. If I wanted to avenge my race, I would have killed Bojack and his followers myself if they hadn’t been sealed away, and if you hadn’t beaten me to the punch of course. So no, I hold no grudge against you for killing him and his followers. As for your theory that this is some sort of competition between the Hera and the Saiyan race, once again, no. As I said before, I have nothing but respect for the Saiyans, just as much as I do for my own Hera heritage in fact. No, my reason for wanting to kill off the rest of the Saiyans is completely different. A personal project if you will, with a set goal in mind.”“And that is?” Goku asked.Exxis was quiet for a few moments. He appeared thoughtful, and soon broke out into an amused smile. “I think I’ll keep that to myself for now. Lets make this more interesting. You have a question about my motives, then prove to me your worth. Earn my answer by showing me what you’re capable of. I’m just itching to see how your Super Saiyan power an stand up to my Full-Power Hera strength.”Rather than being put off by the mercenary’s attempt to dodge the question, Goku looked more satisfied than if Exxis had given him an actual answer. “Alright, fair enough. Truth be told, I only ever got in a single hit on Bojack. I’m eager to go up against a Hera myself.”Exxis resumed his fighting stance from earlier. “Then lets get back to our battle. While it’s true that the Super Saiyan transformation is more powerful than my Full-Power Hera transformation, it’s also true that my base form was far stronger than yours was. Does that even things out? Is your transformation’s superior power enough of an increase to push you ahead of me, or is my power still greater than yours now that I’ve transformed despite the lower power increase I’ve gained?”Goku was wondering that himself, and he smiled in anticipation. When he’d fought Exxis in their base forms earlier, he knew the mercenary hadn’t been going all out. He was very eager to see how he faired against him in top form. “I guess there’s only one way to find out.”The stare down commenced, both waiting for the other to make the first move, or to slip up. If one of them did, it happened so fast that no one else saw it. Both fighters suddenly disappeared, and the planet shook from an unseen impact as the battle resumed. The two would appear briefly to exchange a few blows before disappearing and popping up somewhere completely different for another exchange of blows.Goku threw a punch, but was pushed back as Exxis unleashed a shockwave from his body, allowing him to deliver his own punch, sending the Saiyan flying backwards. Exxis flew after him, but had to dodge as Goku fired an energy blast. Now Goku came at him, and Exxis threw a punch. His fist passed right through Goku, proving him to be nothing more than an illusion brought on by the After Image technique. Goku used the distraction to deliver his own blow, only to be treated to the same treatment.Exxis slammed into him feet first from behind, sending Goku soaring through the air. Holding up his hands, he fired a beam from each hand, and they twirled around to form a DNA strand. Goku saw the beams coming and flew into the attack. He used it to his advantage by disappearing and reappearing into different intertwining sections of the double helix, getting closer to Exxis each time.When he was right in front of him, he threw a punch. Exxis’ eyes flashed as he prepared to fire beams from them, but Goku’s fists colliding with the side of his head, sent the attack astray, the beams blasting apart the land wherever they struck. By pure coincidence, they headed straight for the Z Fighters, who took to the air to avoid the blast.By this time, Goku and Exxis had resumed their fight, exchanging more blows. This time, they seemed to be more interested in landing blows rather than avoiding them, as several strikes found their marks. The air crackled with energy around them as the pressure built up from their fight, a crater forming on the ground far beneath them that steadily grew larger and larger at an incredible rate.Exxis brought his hands together in front of him and fired an energy blast. Goku leap-frogged over it, doing a flip that brought his feet down on Exxis’ head. The mercenary shot to the ground, and Goku fired his own energy blast down at him.Recovering from the hit, Exxis kicked off the ground rather than crashed into it, launching himself into the air again. He head-butted straight through the energy blast and delivered an uppercut to Goku’s lower jaw. Reaching out, he caught Goku by the ankle and pulled him back towards him.Keeping hold of the Saiyan, he sped towards the ground. Goku was slammed chest first into the ground, the impact so strong that the trees around them went flying. Exxis leapt up into the air and raised a hand over his head. A ball of energy appeared above him that began to rapidly grow larger. It was, quite possibly, a finishing move meant to level the entire forest.Goku rolled onto his back. He took a moment to assess the situation before he began firing a rapid series of smaller energy blasts up at the mercenary. Exxis immediately gave up on his attack and shifted his arms to protect himself as he was bombarded by the energy blasts. They came at such speeds and in such great numbers that he didn’t seem able to make a move. The large ball of energy above him was pushed away by the attacks as well, flying off into the distance and erupting in a mighty blast.“He’s got him pinned!” Gohan exclaimed happily as he watched Exxis continue to suffer through the onslaught of energy blasts.“Don’t be so sure,” Piccolo replied. “They may seem evenly matched, but Exxis’s power still outstrips Goku’s.”Vegeta scoffed at this. “You know just as well as I do that this is nowhere near what Kakarot is truly capable of. I don’t know why you’re so worried.”Truthfully, Piccolo didn’t either, but he just couldn’t shake the feeling. Maybe it was due to experience, where whenever some new adversary suddenly appeared, their power was always greater; or it became greater later due to a power boost of some kind. Perhaps at this point, it had just become ingrained into him to be wary.Goku continued to fire upon Exxis, the mercenary grunting with each blast. Seemingly frustrated, he cried out loudly, and an explosion of energy erupted from his body. Goku stopped firing as his attacks exploded against it, and the blast radius kept expanding. He teleported away as the blast consumed the spot he was lying at.As the attack began to die down, Goku teleported to Exxis’ side, and delivered a blow to his jaw. Exxis was surprised by the attack, but recovered quickly and slammed his knee into Goku’s chest, then followed up by bringing his elbow down between his shoulder-blades.Goku hit the ground, landing on all fours, and stood again. Exxis came down at him, and Goku jumped aside. Exxis fired an energy blast after him, but it was knocked aside. The mercenary just smirked, however, and motioned to the energy blast. It circled back, heading for Goku again as if it were targeting him.Realizing the danger, Goku took off. The attack followed him, going where Exxis directed it. Picking up on this, Goku realized he wouldn’t be able to avoid it, and instead fired his own energy blast at it. But with a small gesture from Exxis, the attack avoided Goku’s and kept after him.Goku reacted by catching the blast. It wasn’t that strong, and he was able to crush it in his hands, causing it to disperse. No sooner had he done this did he feel Exxis approaching, and he looked up to see the mercenary speeding towards him before landing a punch.The forest sped past him as he flew back. Exxis was faster still, and appeared in his path. Before Goku even realized what happened, Exxis had seized his arms from behind. He felt the mercenary’s feet press against his back, and cried out as his arms were pulled in the wrong direction. He attempted to break free, but Exxis’ grip was too strong, and his arms threatened to get ripped out of their sockets.Mimicking what his opponent had done earlier, Goku let out an explosion of energy, though not as large. Exxis released him in order to keep the blast away, and was pushed farther and farther back.When the blast radius stopped expanding, Goku came flying out of it. Exxis reacted quickly, catching the punch Goku threw. He spun the Saiyan around by his arm before letting him go, then immediately leapt after him. He caught up and threw a punch, sending Goku flying back even faster.Goku stopped his momentum, but didn’t even have a chance to catch his breath before Exxis was on him again. He back-flipped away to avoid the mercenary’s next blow, then launched at him again, kicking out. Exxis blocked it with one arm, and the other one shot out, once more knocking the Saiyan back. This time, however, Exxis did not follow after him.Sensing he was getting a reprieve, Goku took a few moments to catch his breath. Exxis looked somewhat disappointed, and Goku couldn’t help but give him an amused smile. “You’re strong. If you weren’t so dead set on killing me, you’d make a suitable rival.”If he thought Exxis would find this humorous, he was mistaken, as the mercenary simply scowled at him. “By that statement. I assume that you’re still holding back. I thought I had made it clear that I wanted to beat you at your best.” He placed his hands on his hips. “Perhaps you need the proper motivation. So how about this, if I kill you, but don’t feel satisfied by the fight, then after I kill the other Saiyans on this planet, I will blow it to dust when I take my leave.”Goku gasped. “You wouldn’t.”“Oh, but I would. I may not make a habit of it, but I’ve destroyed whole worlds before. Populated worlds. If I have to blow this one up to make sure you take this fight seriously, then that’s just fine with me.”Goku stared at Exxis with new eyes. He’d known that Exxis planned to kill him and the other Saiyans, though Goku had absolutely no intention of letting that happen, but he’d had some sort of personal reason for that, or so he claimed. But to destroy the Earth, for no reason at all, that was something else entirely.Scowling, Goku made no attempt to hide his disgust. “And I thought you weren’t all that bad. A killer for sure, but not like the psychopaths I’ve faced before.”“Then you were wrong. Make no mistake, Goku, I am not a good man. I’m as bad as they come. The fact that I don’t go around carelessly destroying worlds or massacring entire populations on a whim changes nothing. As I said before, this planet of yours means nothing to me. I only prevented my men from going on a killing spree because it’s bad for business, but I don’t care about this world or its inhabitants. And if I have to blow it up to get what I need, then I will.” He got ready to begin fighting again. “So if you’re still holding back, I strongly suggest that you stop.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Chapter 9: Assault
Holding his hands up over his head, Exxis created a ball of energy. He spread them apart, and the energy ball grew in size. The wider he spread his arms, the larger it became, until it was several times his size.“Get ready, Goku. Here it comes!”He motioned towards the Saiyan, and the large ball of energy flew at him. Goku took to the air, and, with a gesture from Exxis, the energy ball followed after him. Smirking, he clenched and unclenched his hand, and the giant ball of energy burst into several thousand smaller ones, each one about the size of a baseball.“What!?” Goku exclaimed in surprise as the swarm of energy balls flew at him at much faster speeds.He put on a burst of speed of his own as he flew up and out of the forest. The balls of energy followed after him as Exxis hovered above the trees as well, directing them where to go.Goku flew back down into the forest, hoping to either hide from Exxis’ gaze or use the trees to stop the energy balls. It proved to be useless as the energy balls tore straight through the trees and kept after him. The only thing this was causing was senseless destruction of the forest, so Goku flew back up again.The energy balls went after him, but this time Goku was ready. He stopped and began knocking them away before they could hit him, which was not an easy feat considering how many there were and how fast they were coming. To make matters worse, the ones he knocked away simply doubled back and came at him again. He missed one, and it blasted against him. This threw off his concentration, allowing others to hit, and he was soon being bombarded by the energy balls.“Kaio-ken Times Twenty!” he cried, and his aura exploded outward in an angry red light. The energy balls were knocked back from the shockwave, but came at him again. Goku unleashed an explosion of energy, and the energy balls blasted against it until the last one was gone.Letting his power die down, he looked back to where he knew Exxis to be. Now that he wasn’t focusing on being chased, he sensed something wicked happening, and he saw it too. The trees around the area were dying, their leaves turning brown and dropping off the branches. The dying area began to spread outward at an alarming rate, and Goku sensed death. It reminded him of what had happened with the Tree of Might, and he didn’t like it.Quickly flying over to the area, he found Exxis crouched down with one hand on the ground, his fingers buried in the dirt. His other hand was in the air, and he had a look of concentration on his face. All the life energy that Goku sensed was being drawn from around them was collecting around the mercenary.He watched in horror as a lone squirrel crawled down a dying tree. The small critter’s movements were slow and sluggish, until it finally dropped down on its side and stopped moving, its life extinguished.“What are you doing?” Goku demanded furiously.Exxis chuckled. “Do you like it? I call it the Dead Ki Blast. It forcibly draws all the life energy from my surroundings and concentrates it into a single attack. Behold.”Above his hand in the air, a ball of dark gray energy about the size of a beach ball appeared. Goku realized it was much like a Spirit Bomb, but there was a feeling of wrongness to it, as if the energy were dark and corrupt rather than pure and full of life.“Lets see how you fair when the energy of the very planet you’re trying to protect is turned against you!” Exxis declared.Jumping up, he threw the energy ball at Goku. There was no telling what kind of damage an attack like that would do to the planet, the energy might even cause the land to become corrupt and rot, so dodging it was not an option. Gokiu braced himself and brought his hands together as the attack came at him.He brought his hands up and struck the energy ball as if he were playing valley ball. The impact was great, and bolts of black electricity shot out all over the place. Goku tried to knock the attack away, but no matter how much power he used, he couldn’t bring his hands up any higher as the energy ball pressed down on him.The ground cracked beneath Goku’s feet, nearly burying him up to his ankles. He grit his teeth as he pushed back against the attack, but couldn’t get it to budge, while up in the air, Exxis chuckled at his futile attempt to knock away the attack.Gritting his teeth, Goku summoned up more power. He cried out loudly as his body changed further, and his power doubled. His hands came up, volleying the energy ball up and away. It flew at Exxis, whose eyes widened in surprise.“What the!?” he exclaimed as his own attack came at him.He swerved out of the way, and the energy ball flew up into the sky, where it eventually burst into an explosion of negative energy. The sky darkened for a few seconds before the sun shined through once more and the negative energy dissipated. But Exxis’ attention was quickly returned to Goku and the transformation he had undergone.The changes were subtle, but they were there. His muscles were larger, his hair was slightly longer and straighter, and his aura now flowed straight upward rather than outward and now had sparks of electricity in it. The change wasn’t just physical; there was a notable increase in his energy levels as well.Exxis was visibly amazed by this sudden change in Goku, and he stared at him in awe. “What is this? It’s like the Super Saiyan transformation, but greater.”Goku looked at the mercenary with narrowed eyes, no longer looking like he was having fun. “That’s exactly what it is. It’s the level beyond that of a Super Saiyan. I call it a Super Saiyan Two.”“A Super Saiyan Two…?” Exxis repeated.“That’s right. You said you wanted me to stop holding back. Well, you’re about to get your wish.”It didn’t seem as if Exxis was paying attention to his words anymore as he continued to stare at Goku’s new form. “Super Saiyan Two… Super Saiyan Two… Such a thing never occurred to me before.” He looked at his hands. “I wonder if I can become a Full-Power Hera Two.”“An interesting idea,” Goku remarked. “Even Cooler was able to transform beyond his race’s fourth form. Want to postpone this fight until you have a chance to look into it?”Lowering his hands, Exxis smiled in amusement at Goku. “Nice try, my friend, but the only way this fight will end is when one of us is dead. It’s the only way a real fight ever can end.”“I disagree. Besides, if you always kill your opponent, then you can never have a rematch.”Exxis chuckled. “A small price to pay for victory. I’m not one to show mercy, Goku. Mercy is a weakness, one your opponents can use against you that can lead to defeat. The same goes for compassion. These are flaws one must overcome in order to truly reach their potential.”Goku frowned at his philosophy. “I disagree. Having something or someone to protect gives you a reason to go on and become stronger.”“Oh, trust me, Goku I’m fighting to protect something alright. My life. I always enter a battle knowing my life is on the line. It’s all the incentive I need to reach my max and go beyond my limits. And it seems you’ve already broken yours. So lets see just how strong this Super Saiyan Two of yours really is.”He launched at Goku, and the two met midway. They collided, and Goku overpowered Exxis, grabbing hold of him and pushing him back and back. They sped through the forest, sending trees flying as they tore through them, and eventually crashed into a mountain.Goku began punching into Exxis’ chest, causing a crack to run up the side of the mountain. As the punches kept coming, Exxis managed to grab Goku’s fist, then grasped his arm with his other hand. His power flared up, disintegrating rock, providing space between himself and the mountain, allowing him to spin Goku around and slam him against the rock wall. He prepared to give the Saiyan the same treatment, but this time Goku caught his fist and delivered his own punch that knocked Exxis back.As he flew backwards, Exxis opened his mouth and fired a beam of energy. Goku knocked it away as he caught up to Exxis and threw a punch. The mercenary vanished and reappeared above him, lashing out. Then it was Goku’s turn to disappear and reappear above the mercenary, only his blow didn’t miss, and Exxis hit the ground.Standing up, Exxis looked up as Goku flew down at him. He took aim with his index finger, and began moving his hand about while repeatedly firing a laser from his fingertip. Goku repeatedly dodged and vanished as he closed the gap between them, then threw a punch when he reached the mercenary. Exxis raised his arms to block, but the punch phased right through him, an After Image.Goku head-butted into Exxis’ back, causing the mercenary to cry out. He whirled around and threw a punch, but Goku caught it, Exxis held up his other hand and blew Goku away with an energy blast.With Goku out of the way, Exxis yelled loudly, his eyes and hands glowing red. He slowly began rising his hands as if he were struggling to lift something heavy. From out of the ground, giant rock formations began to emerge, ranging from the size of cars to as big as entire mansions. He began swiping his hands through the air, and the enormous rocks flew at Goku one after another.As Goku made his way back towards Exxis, he did not let the giant rocks stop him. A single punch caused the enormous rock structure to shatter, or let him punch his way completely through, no matter how big they were. Realizing that this method wasn’t working, Exxis clenched his hands and the last rock structure exploded into fist-sized rocks. He sent them flying at Goku, and it seemed to be more effective, the rocks pelting against the Saiyan.Goku cried out, and the rocks that were flying at him were disintegrated by the shockwave. He reached Exxis and threw a punch. The mercenary’s arms came up in an X formation, and Goku’s fist slammed into it. Exxis’ feet left deep grooves in the ground as he was pushed back. He jumped up and kicked out, only to have his kick blocked. Goku held out his hand and fired a blast of energy, and the beam that shot out carried Exxis into the air.Up, up, up he went before he managed to get off the beam. Looking furious, he cried out loudly, and blasts of energy flew out of every part of his body, flying in every direction, reducing everything to rubble. Not even Goku was able to escape the continuous onslaught of energy blast, as they seemed to be everywhere at once, and he instead used his Instant Transmission to teleport into the air a few feet in front of Exxis.The mercenary gasped at his sudden appearance as Goku unleashed the Kamehameha Wave. The attack knocked aside Exxis’ smaller energy blasts until it reached the mercenary, and Exxis held up his hands to catch it. He once again found himself being carried off by an energy blast, but at last this time he was holding it back.“Ka-me-ha-me-HA!”The cry came from behind him, and Exxis turned to see that Goku had teleported to his other side and fired a second Kamehameha Wave. A snarl escaped Exxis, and he let go if the first attack with one hand to block the second. It hit, and the mercenary found himself sandwiched between two Kamehameha Waves, straining to keep the both back.“Ka-me-ha-me-”Exxis looked straight up. Goku was above him, preparing to fire yet another blast. He had purposely made sure to get Exxis trapped between the two attacks so he could have an open shot like this, and the mercenary’s face twisted with anger at having been cornered. “Damn you!”“HA!”He couldn’t defend against it. The attack hit, and Exxis’s arms dropped, allowing the first two Kamehameha Waves to come crashing together, with him caught in the middle. The larger more powerful one from above pushed the mercenary back down to Earth, and he hit with a mighty impact, followed by the explosion from the attack.Goku looked on, waiting to see what type of damage his attacks had done. They had certainly done significant damage to the forest, but there was no telling how Exxis would be affected.As the smoke began to clear, the mercenary was shown to be lying on the ground. He stirred though, and slowly began to get to his feet. He was still exerting more energy than Goku had hoped for, letting him know that Exxis was far from finished. To correct this problem, Goku began firing countless blasts of energy down at the mercenary.Exxis was just beginning to get to his feet when the onslaught began. Under the rain of countless energy blasts, he was knocked to the ground again as the numerous attacks struck him and around him.Goku kept it up for several more seconds before forming a particularly large ball of energy and throwing it down into the dust cloud. It exploded, making an even larger one, and forming a massive crater from the blast.Coming in for a landing, Goku touched down in the outside of the crater, he stared into the dust cloud, attempting to locate the mercenary inside it with both his eyes his and senses.“Dad!” Gohan called as he and the others flew over.Goku held up his hand to stop them. “Stay back, this isn’t over yet.”Yes, he could see him now, or at least his silhouette. He was floating in the air a few feet from the entrance of the dust cloud. Raising his arms, he moved them outward, and the dust cloud parted like curtains. Exxis flew over and settled down a short distance from the rim of the crater.“Your power has doubled from your previous form,” he noted. “I guess that means that Super Saiyan Two is twice as strong as an ordinary Super Saiyan.”Goku smirked. “More or less.”Exxis shook his head in amusement. “It’s a good form, but can it stand up to my Searchlight Death Beam?”Goku blinked. “Um, your what?”The mercenary chuckled. “Just wait and see. I think you’ll find the name to be quite appropriate.”He began to emit a cry, his voice rising in volume as his body started to glow. A transparent gold bubble of energy form around him, almost acting like a barrier, but Goku felt it was more than that. Then a ring of energy appeared around the bubble and began to slowly gyrate around it. It steadily gained speed, and Goku felt a rise in energy. He realized what was about to happen and turned to his friends. “Get out of here now!”A beam burst from the ring, tearing through the forest for as far as the eye could see. There hadn’t been an intended target, but it did not appear to be needed. The ring rapidly gyrated around the bubble as it continuously unleashed a stream of energy. The way the beam moved about, Goku could see why Exxis had named it so; it did indeed look like a searchlight waving around, a particularly destructive searchlight.They all took to the air as Exxis’ attack brought everything to ruin. The movements of the cylindrical beam appeared to be wild and random, but that did not seem to matter as it appeared that the attack would destroy everything around it eventually.Rising up to join the Z Fighters in the air, Exxis continued his attack. He seemed to have little to no control over where the beam went, but seemed to be able to direct it enough to prevent it from firing in the direction of his ship; everything else, however, was fair game. The ring swirled wildly and randomly all around the bubble, dragging the beam with it.Goku and the others could do little more than dodge the beam when it came at them due to the randomness and speed of its movements. But Goku realized he needed to put a stop to it before Exxis turned the entire forest into a barren wasteland, and he attempted to do so with a Kamehameha Wave. “Ka-me-ha-me-HA!”His own beam struck Exxis’. It held it in back for a few moments before the beam changed direction. He tried again, this time attacking the bubble itself, but it seemed that the bubble did indeed act as a type of barrier rather than just a surface for the ring to travel over. And when the ring changed direction again, the beam cut straight through the Kamehameha Wave.“Damn it,” Goku seethed as he tried to figure out a way to put a stop to this.The attack continued gyrating around, and in the distance, Goku caught sight of a flying dinosaur family fleeing from the destruction Exxis’ attack was causing. The beam whizzed by them, coming a little too close to one of the dinosaurs, and it screeched in protest.“No!” Goku shouted, unwilling to see an innocent get hurt, even if it wasn’t human. “Stop it! Super Kaio-ken!”The power of his Kaio-ken mixed with his Super Saiyan power flared up around him in a furious red aura. He teleported directly in front of Exxis, even though the ring could circle back at any moment, allowing the beam to blast him away. “That’s enough!”He threw a punch, striking the barrier. It caved in under his fist, but held. For a few moments anyway. Under Goku’s assault, the bubble burst, and the ring vanished, the beam along with it. Goku’s fist kept coming and slammed square into the mercenary’s face.Exxis fell back, stunned from the blow, but Goku gave him no time. Doing a flip, he brought his foot down on the mercenary, sending Exxis speeding to the ground. Goku helped him out, flying down and grabbing hold of the mercenary, speeding down to the ground even faster.He hit the ground with enough force to shake the land, and a massive crater formed. Goku immediately flew up into the air while leaving Exxis lying on his back. Unwilling to waste the opportunity, he fired a Kamehameha Wave down at him. Exxis’ hands came up to hold it back. He managed to catch it, but could not keep it at bay, and the attack exploded against him.Letting his attack die down, Goku came in for a landing. With the danger past, the others came down as well as they waited for the smoke to clear. It didn’t take long, and Exxis was revealed to be lying on the ground. He stirred and began to rise, taking long deep breaths. His expression was unreadable as he slowly walked out of the crater and approached the Z Fighters.Taking one last deep breath, he let it out, and then smiled. “Excellent, Goku. Truly excellent. I came here hoping for a worthy challenge, and you haven’t disappointed.”His body relaxed, and he suddenly reverted back to his base form, his hair going from red to black, and his skin from yellowish-green to a teal-blue. A confused look crossed Goku’s face as he felt the mercenary’s power drop, and he shared a curious glance with the others before looking back at Exxis.“You powered down,” he said suspiciously. “Why? Are you calling it quits?”Exxis threw his head back and laughed. “Don’t be ridiculous. This battle is far from over. Just consider this a little break. As I said earlier, the only way a fight truly ends is when one of the combatants is dead.”Goku’s eyes narrowed. “That’s a very dark opinion.”“It’s not an opinion, Goku, it’s a fact. Leave an opponent alive, even if you’re victory is certain, and they could always surprise you with a sneak attack that could end your life in an instant, even if you’re leagues stronger than them. Or they could always come back another day even stronger and kill you then. Sparing your opponent is a foolish move that will only lead to your death. I always enter a fight prepared to die. Kill or be killed, the battle only truly ends when your opponent is dead. It assures your victory beyond a shadow of a doubt.”While Goku did not agree with Exxis’ philosophy, he did, somewhat, see his point. He’d experienced it several times in the past. Frieza, for example, had tried to stab in him the back twice, and had even come back a year later with his father with the intent to kill him and everyone else. But still, Goku could not accept the idea of killing your opponent to be the only way to achieve victory.“So if you’re not giving up, then why’d you power down?” he asked. “Something tells me that taking a break excuse isn’t exactly the truth.”Excited amusement danced in Exxis’ eyes. “I suppose you could say that I want to show you something. I also think you’ve earned the right to hear a little more of my tale.”Vegeta reeled in his anger as his impatience threatened to overwhelm his reason. “We never asked you to explain anything. Whatever your sob story is, we don’t care.”His outburst did not seem to bother Exxis. If anything, he found it amusing. “Trust me, Vegeta, you’re going to love this. You see, I haven’t been completely honest with you all. Or rather, I should say that I didn’t tell you the whole truth.”His hand came up to slide through his hair. “As I’m sure you remember from your fight with Bojack and his followers, they all had bright orange hair. That is a trait that all Hera possess. All pureblooded Hera at least. And if you’d been paying attention, you would have realized that my ears aren’t anywhere near as long or as pointy as theirs.”He cracked his neck. “The truth is, I’m only half Hera. During my little tale, I mentioned that the surviving Heras did not breed outside of their species in order to maintain the Hera race and not dilute the bloodline. This was true for all except for one, the last remaining pureblooded Hera, who decided to break that rule upon becoming the last remaining Hera in the entire universe, not counting Bojack and his followers of course.”Goku raised an eyebrow. “Ok, but what’s that have to do with anything?”Piccolo stepped forward. “I think I see what he’s getting at. He wants us to guess what other race he belongs to.”Goku looked back at Exxis. “Alright, so what is it?”The mercenary’s smile widened. “You mean you haven’t figured it out yet? Well, here’s a little hint.”From around his waist, something uncurled, something brown and furry. Goku had noticed it as part of his attire earlier, but had paid it no mind, thinking it was a belt or some other piece of his uniform.Clearly, he had been wrong. It was not a belt, or part of his outfit, and it was moving around as if it were alive. Seeing it moving like that, he now recognized it for what it was; the tail of a monkey.Gohan recognized it too, and gasped. “But… that’s…”Exxis chuckled. “That’s right, it’s exactly what you think it is. The tail of a Saiyan. I’m not only a Hera, I’m also a Saiyan.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Chapter 10: Origin
“Like hell you are!” Vegeta snapped. “I don’t know what tricks you’re trying to pull, but there’s no way you’re a Sayian. The Saiyan race was all but wiped out decades ago.Exxis simply smirked at Vegeta’s doubt. “And you know this for a fact, that all died along with their planet? You’re certain that the only ones who escaped were the ones you knew of?”The Saiyan prince hesitated. At the time, he had been certain, but he’d learned that he had been wrong before. When Planet Vegeta had been destroyed he had been away on a mission for Frieza, and Nappa had been with him, since he had been Vegeta’s attendant. His brother Tarble had been away too, having been exiled for being so pathetically weak, their father hoping that it would toughen him up.Kakarot had been away as well, having been sent away to conquer Earth moments before Frieza had given the order for all Saiyans to return to Planet Vegeta immediately; an order that no Saiyan would have refused. Vegeta and Nappa had not received that order since Frieza had wanted to keep them around.The other two exceptions had been Turles, who had gone rogue before Planet Vegeta’s destruction with the intent to find a way to become stronger than Frieza, so he had sought out the mythical seed for the Tree of Might. The other was Raditz. According to the gossip among Frieza’s men, Kakarot’s father, Bardock, had gone mad after the death of his team and had started ranting of how Frieza was going to kill them all; a claim that, ironically, had proven to be very true. Only his wife, Gine, had believed him, and had sent her son Raditz off planet with Vegeta and Nappa as backup, telling him to find his brother, something Raditz had neglected to do or even mention to his fellow Saiyans for several years. Gine herself had not been allowed to go with him since she was one of the few Saiyans who was not a warrior, and Bardock had opted to try and stop Frieza himself since no one believed him.The only other Saiyans that had survived the destruction of Planet Vegeta had been Paragus and Broly, who Vegeta had later learned had escaped the planet thanks to Broly’s Legendary Super Saiyan power. However, aside from the eight of them, all other Saiyans had died with their planet. Of that, Vegeta was certain.“Whatever game you’re playing, I’m not amused,” the Saiyan prince snapped. “You can’t be a Saiyan. No Saiyan would weaken their bloodline by breeding with an inferior species; they wouldn’t even risk it for the pleasure of the act.”Gohan gave Vegeta a blank look as he wondered if the Saiyan prince had realized what he had just said. He considered pointing out how Vegeta had indirectly insulted, not only him and Goten, but also Trunks and even Bulma, not to mention the entire human race. In the end, he chose not to say anything.Piccolo, however, had no problem speaking his mind to the overly proud Saiyan prince. “Are you including your wife and son in that ‘inferior’ category?”Vegeta’s cheeks took on a red hue as he rounded on the Namekian. “Shut up! Bulma is different! And Trunks is of my blood! There’s no way the son of the prince of all Saiyans could be weak!”Goku chuckled at Vegeta’s accidental insult, not to mention how quick he was to defend his family. “Hey, you found an exception, maybe another Saiyan did too.”The Saiyan prince turned to him. “Shut up, Kakarot, and stop talking about things you don’t understand. Times have changed since Frieza destroyed Planet Vegeta. Back then, no Saiyan would ever lay with someone outside of their race. And besides, just look at him, he can’t be more than 30 at most, and Planet Vegeta was destroyed over 37 years ago. Meaning he must have been born after the planet’s destruction, and we’ve already established that no other Saiyans had survived.”Goku looked back at Exxis. He had to admit, Exxis did look to be in his early twenties; though it was possible that he only looked younger than he actual was due to Saiyans retaining their youth in order to fight longer, making it very hard to determine a Saiyan’s actual age by their physical appearance. Still, it was also possible that Paragus or Turles, or maybe even Broly, had fathered Exxis, though that seemed very unlikely; he didn’t look anything like them, and not just because he was half-Hera.Exxis, however, nodded in confirmation. “You’re correct, Vegeta. I was, in fact, born 9 years after Planet Vegeta’s destruction.”“That’s Prince Vegeta to you!” Vegeta snapped. “If you’re going to claim to have Saiyan heritage, something I still do not believe, then you’d better pay the proper respect to your prince!”The mercenary continued to look amused. “Tell me, Vegeta,” he said, deliberately leaving out the ‘prince’ title, “I know you were very young at the time, but I’m sure you had at least some knowledge of the top ranking Saiyans. Do you happen to recall a Saiyan named Lettuss?”“Lettuss?” Vegeta repeated. He crossed his arms and thought about the name. “Yes, if it’s who I think it is. She was of the Saiyan elite. One of the strongest of her race, and her team was one of the best. She was wanted by many for her power and skill, but she never took an interest in taking a mate, be it male or female. Not even when my father expressed an interest in her after Frieza killed my mother. If I recall, she rarely interacted with anyone outside of battle, not even her own teammates, and she showed little interest in anything other than fighting and becoming stronger.”Exxis motioned for him to go one. “Anything else? What more do you know?”Vegeta wasn’t entirely sure where he was going with this. “She and her entire team were killed during a mission to take over a planet about a month before Frieza destroyed Planet Vegeta. And what does any of this have to do with anything?”A sigh escaped the mercenary. “Oh, Vegeta, how little you know. There is so much more to the story than that. You did get most of it right, so you’re not completely in the dark, but let me tell you the full story. It was one my parents told me often.“Your description of Lettuss is correct. She was very skilled and very powerful, and she led a team of the most elite Saiyans. Together, they conquered several planets in Frieza’s name. However, there was one planet where, despite surrendering, one of its residents swore revenge on her and her entire team. He hired an assassin known as Xauda to kill the Saiyans that took over his world. Xauda was not foolish enough to try and hunt her down on her home world, but after weeks of surveillance, he managed to discover where their next target was, and so he and his employer intercepted Lettuss and her team during their next mission…”(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)
Another planet of weaklings. The puny residents of this planet were barely putting up a fight. A single Saiyan alone could have taken over a world like this in just a few days. Why send an elite Saiyan, let alone a team of six?

The team consisted of four men known as Brushels, Topato, Peasu, and Tunip, and two women, Zukina and, of course, Lettuss, the leader and strongest member of the group. Dressed in black and purple Saiyan armor, she led the group across the planet, claiming territory after territory with ease.

Like all Saiyans, she had black hair that hung slightly past her shoulders, going in all directions. Her dark eyes scanned the area, and she wore a disappointed scowl on her face at how little of a challenge taking over this planet was proving to be. Her companions, however, seemed to be taking great pleasure in the destruction they were causing as they blasted their way through anyone who resisted them.

With another city in ruins, the team took a lunch break, feasting on the carcass of a beast they had slaughter. Five of the team members proceeded to crack jokes about how weak of a resistance the planet’s residents were presenting while Lettuss showed no interest.

“I’ll bet King Vegeta will reward us for taking over this planet so quickly,” Peasu commented. “Maybe even Frieza will acknowledge us this time.”

A scoff came from Brushels. “Don’t be a fool. Frieza will never give us praise. No matter how good of a job we Saiyans do, he and his men will always find some way to criticize us.”

“That’s because he’s afraid a Super Saiyan will appear one day and overthrow him,” said Zukina. “That’s why he keeps oppressing us. He thinks we’ll never rise up against him if he keeps us down and beats us into submission, even if a Super Saiyan does appear.”

Peasu smirked. “Know what I heard? Apparently, a Super Saiyan killed one of his ancestors, and on his dying bed, he told his men to warn is family to beware of the power of a Super Saiyan, and that’s why Frieza is afraid of us; it was a fear past down through the generations.”

Topato rolled his eyes. “Oh, please. That can’t be true. According to legend, the last Super Saiyan appeared over 1,000 years ago. His power spiraled out of control, and he ended up destroying himself and the Saiyan’s original home world. That’s why the Saiyans that survived migrated to Planet Plot, or whatever our current home world was called back then.”

“Planet Plant,” Brushels corrected. “Until King Vegeta wiped out those rotten Tuffle bastards and took it over.”

Smirking mischievously, Zukina nudged Lettuss. “Speaking of the king, there’s been some talk going around that he’s taken an interest in you. It’s been awhile since Frieza killed the former queen, maybe you can be his new one.”

Lettuss’ expression was completely stoic. “I’m not interested in becoming queen, nor do I intend to be a replace for his former mate.”

Topato laughed. “Yeah, that’s because the only thing you care about is fighting, even more so than the rest if us.”

“A true blue Saiyan,” Peasu joked.

The others laughed, but Lettuss didn’t seem to find the situation to be amusing. She looked off into the distance, her expression unreadable. “Even I have other interests.”

“You say something, boss?” Brushels asked.

Lettuss didn’t reply, and instead took a bite of her meal. The other Saiyans went back to laughing and joking around as they ate. It was then that the meal was interrupted by a rock hitting Tunip in the back of the head. The Saiyans looked in the direction of where the rock came from and saw a lone humanoid alien. It was not a native of this world, but it did look familiar.

“You murdering bastards!” the alien bellowed. “Just how many planets do you need to take over?”

Peasu blinked. “That depends on Frieza.”

“Hey,” said Zukina, pointing at the alien, “isn’t he one of those guys from the last planet we took over?”

Tunip took another look. “Hey, yeah, I think you’re right. I thought he looked familiar.” He stood up. “Well, you’re certainly a long way from home, little guy.”

“The name is Kymar, and I’m here to get my revenge!”

It was such an outrageous claim that the Saiyans couldn’t help but to laugh. The only one who didn’t seem to find it funny was Lettuss, who continued to eat without even glancing at their unwelcome intruder.

“Revenge, huh?” Tunip repeated, bending down to pick up the rock that had been thrown at his head. He tossed it into the air and caught it. “Is that what this was? You getting your revenge? Let me show you a much more effective way.”

He threw the rock back at Kymar. It flew fast enough to break the sound barrier. Kymar flinched, but the rock burst into dust before it hit him.

The Saiyans gasped in surprise. There was suddenly another newcomer standing beside Kymar. A teal-skinned muscular man with spiky orange hair and a goatee. He stood with his arms crossed and an arrogant smirk on his face.

Tunip stared. “Who the hell is this guy?”

Kymar was grinning, looking almost giddy. “Meet my new friend, Xauda. He’s a professional hitman, who has never failed a job. He’s going to make you pay for what you did to my planet. No, not just mine, but every planet you’ve ever set foot on.”

Lettuss glanced at the assassin for a few moments, but then looked away again uncaringly. She did, however, put down her meal.

Peasu stood up. “A hitman, huh? I get it. You’re too weak to do anything on your own, so you had to hire someone stronger than you to get the job done. How pathetic.” He pressed a button on his scouter and got a reading on Xauda’s power. “And speaking of pathetic, this guy’s power level is only 504. Word of advice, my friend, if you’re going to hire someone to do a job for you, make sure they can actually get the job done.”

He fired a blast of energy. It flew at Xauda, who didn’t appear to be concerned in the least. At the last possible moment, he knocked the attack away.

The Saiyans reacted with surprise. Lettuss, too, was now watching out of the corner of her eye. Kymar was pretty much bouncing on the heels of his feet gleefully. “Yes, yes, yes, take that! I told you that you would get what’s coming to you!”

Peasu got over his surprise. “Don’t get too excited. So he’s got some skill. It doesn’t mean anything. I’ll break him like the pathetic worm he is.”

Tunip held out his hand. “Wait, this one is mine. A little payback for that rock.” He pointed at Xauda. “Just so you know, I’ve got a power level of 4,370. Your 504 is nothing to me.”

He flew at Xauda and threw a punch. Xauda vanished, much to Tunip’s surprise, and reappeared behind him with his back to the Saiyan. Tunip barely had time to glance in his direction before he received a blow to the side of his head, knocking him to the ground.

Xauda spun around and kicked him in the side, sending him flying. Xauda appeared in his path and threw a punch, knocking him back the other way. Tunip bounced on the ground hard enough to crack it. A pained groan escaped him, and he struggled to get to his feet.

“Where the hell did that come from?” he grumbled. “I’m going to tear that guy apart…”

He turned to find Xauda standing right in front of him with his hand held out. Xauda fired a blast of energy that consumed the Saiyan, and Tunip was completely obliterated. And when the dust settled, there wasn’t a trace of him left.

Kymar was jumping up and down now. “Yes, that’s right! That’s exactly what you get!”

The other Saiyans were completely flabbergasted by what they had just witnessed. By all accounts, with such a vast difference in power levels, Tunip should have been able to defeat Xauda with little to no effort.

“What the hell just happened?” Brushels muttered. “That guy just took Tunip out like he was nothing.”

Zukina checked her scouter. “It doesn’t make sense, the scouter says his power level is 504.”

“Then it’s obviously broken,” Topato remarked.

“It’s the same reading as Tunip’s,” Peasu replied. “And mine. Are you saying all three of our scouters are broken?”

“Move,” Lettuss told them as she pushed past her comrades. “It’s obvious that he can hide his true power from the scouters.” She removed hers and tossed it over her shoulder for Brushels to catch. “Leave him to me.”

A grin crept up Peasu’s face. “Yeah, just leave it to Lettuss. She’ll take care of him.”

“You may have been able to beat Tunip,” Topato told Xauda, “but Lettuss has a power level of 9,860. She could even provide King Vegeta with a challenge.”

Kymar pointed at them. “I don’t care what power level you murderers have, Xauda’s going to annihilate you all. Now, got get them!”

He expected Xauda to charge into battle, but the assassin calmly walked out to meet Lettuss, still smirking arrogantly. Lettuss, likewise, went out to meet him, a cold scowl on her face. They came to a stop a few feet from each other. They studied each other, looking the other up and down, sizing up their opponent, before holding each other’s gazes.

The ground slowly started to shake as their power began to rise, their auras becoming visible around them. Then, all at once, they disappeared, and reappeared in the air, their fists burying into the other’s face. They disappeared again and reappeared a distance away, rapidly exchanging blows, then vanished again and appearing in another location.

The Saiyans stared in amazement as they watched their leader face-off against Xauda. It had been surprising enough to see him defeat Tunip, but they were astounded to see him holding his own against Lettuss.

“I don’t believe it,” said Zukina, “he’s actually matching Lettuss blow for blow. How’s that possible?”

“It seems he really could hide his actual power level,” Brushels told them, checking his scouter again. “I’m getting a reading on his real one now. It’s 15,010.”

“Can’t be,” Peasu objected. “No way can he be that strong.”

“Check for yourself if you don’t believe me.” Peasu did so, and gasped. Brushels nodded. “See, I told you.”

Peasu shook his head. “No, it’s Lettus, her power level is even higher than we thought. It’s reading at 14,970. I didn’t know she was that strong. King Vegeta’s power level is only 12,000.”

“Must be from all the fighting she’s always doing,” Topato surmised.

Up in the sky, Lettuss and Xauda continued to fight. Lettuss fired a blast of energy as Xauda approached. He avoided it as he flew up to her and threw a punch. She caught his fist and thrust out her elbow, striking Xauda in the face. He responded by slamming his forehead into her face.

They moved back slightly, Xauda raising his hands over his head while Lettuss cupped hers at her side. Both gathered energy before thrusting their hands forward, releasing their attacks. The energy gathered between them, the force pushing them both back before it erupted.

Lettuss flew through the blast and delivered a punch to Xauda’s face. He responded by punching her in the gut. Lettuss grunted before kicking him in the side. He flinched from the blow, but grasped her leg and delivered a punch, knocking her away. She fired a blast of energy at him in the process, blasting him away as well.

On the ground, Kymar was shaking his fist up at the assassin. “Xauda, what do you think you’re doing? I’m not paying you to put on a show. Hurry up and kill that bitch!”

Despite his client’s orders, Xauda paid him no mind. He grinned at Lettuss as they floated a short distance away from each other. “You’re pretty good.”

Lettuss reached up and brushed aside a lock of hair. “As are you. The biggest challenge I’ve had in a while.”

Xauda chuckled. “I happen to believe that you can get to know someone very well by fighting them.”

For the first time since landing on this planet, Lettuss smirked. “As do I. Even more so than someone you’ve known for years.”

Xauda cracked his knuckles. “They say that people get closer together the more they fight. So lets get to know each other a little better.”

He fired a beam of energy. Lettuss avoided it and charged at Xauda, throwing a punch. Xauda blocked the blow and threw his own punch, only to have his fists caught. She kneed him in the chest, and he hit her with an uppercut. The battle resumed in a fury of punches and kicks.

“That’s it!” Kymar shouted. “Kill her! Kill that bitch! Kill them all!”

Peasu glanced at him. “This guy is getting in my nerves.”

He fired a blast of energy. Kymar jumped out of the way and quickly scrambled for cover. “Xauda, hurry up, will you! I’ll double your pay!”

He was ignored as the two combatants fought. Xauda fired a massive energy beam that Lettuss caught. It pushed her far back before she was able to toss it aside. Raising her hand over her head, she created a giant energy ball that grew several times her size.

She threw it at Xauda, and he held out his arms. The attack pushed him down until he hit the ground as it cracked apart beneath his feet. With a burst of strength, he forced the ball of energy up and away, tossing it into space.

Lettuss came at him again. She kicked out, but only hit an After Image. Xauda was in the sky, and he fired a blast of energy at her. She vanished, reappearing a distance from him in the sky, and the two came together, hands interlocking as they tired to push the other back.

The air crackled around them as their power rose. Bolts flew about around them as their auras grew wilder and more intense, powerful shockwaves flying out from their point of contact until, finally, there was a burst of power, and both were knocked back.

They hovered in the air a few meters apart, staring each other down. On the ground below, Lettuss’ teammates and Xauda’s client shouted up at them to take their opponent out.

“Come on, boss, beat that guy! You can do it!”

“He’s got nothing on you! Kill the bastard!”

“Xauda, kill her! I’ll triple your pay, just kill her!”

“You can do it, Lettuss! We know you can! Finish him!”

“You got this! He’s got no chance! Just kill him already!”

The two continued to watch their opponent. Then, slowly, they raised their hands. Energy began to gather in their palms, building up to dangerously high levels, their attacks pointed directly at each other. Down below, the cheering stopped, and the Saiyans looked nervously at their scouters got a reading on the attacks’ power.

“Hey, that’s a lot of energy,” Brushels muttered nervously. “Do you think maybe we should get away from here?”

A bead of sweat ran down Peasu’s head. “It’s… It’s fine. Lettuss knows what she’s doing.”

Up in the sky, the fighters remained where they were, their attacks at the ready. Then Xauda’s look of concentration became a genuine knowing smile. Lettuss’ own stoic expression shifted to a smile of her own. Then, at the same time, they turned around. Xauda fired his attack down at his client, and Lettuss fired hers at her teammates.

“Hey, what the hell!?” Topato cried.

“Xauda, what are you doing!?” Kymar shouted.

The attacks completely leveled the area for miles, incinerating everything in their path. There was no escape, and any and all witnesses were wiped out, leaving nothing left. The only remaining life left consisted of Lettuss and Xauda. Neither batted an eye at the destruction as they disappeared amongst the chaos.
(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)Exxis chuckled as he finished his tale. “They told me that story quite often. They said how upon meeting and fighting each other for the first time, they simply knew.”Vegeta couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “You’re saying that Lettuss, one of the greatest elite Saiyans, was the one responsible for her team’s deaths? That she just threw everything away for some random assassin she met?”Exxis seemed to find the Saiyan prince’s outrage to be amusing. “As I said, that brief meeting was all it took for both of them to know that they had found everything they had been looking for in a partner. And good timing too, for a mere month later, Frieza saw to the destruction of Planet Vegeta, which would have resulted in Lettuss’ death as well. But even though she was not present to witness the event, she knew that he was responsible for the planet’s destruction. She also knew that Frieza would hunt down any other Saiyans he discovered had survived, and so she and Xauda fled to a different part of the galaxy, where she joined him as his fellow mercenary.”He chuckled. “Of course, such a career path isn’t exactly the ideal place to start a family. However, nine years after their meeting, when they deemed their lives in order, I was born. And I too was taught the trade. They trained me vigorously, honing in me the potential of the two mightiest races in the universe.”His smile became a frown. “That is, until it was eventually discovered that my mother had escaped Planet Vegeta’s destruction, and so Frieza sent his men to kill us. I alone survived, and swore to take revenge on the so-called emperor of the known universe. That is, until you stole that right from me.”Goku nodded in understanding. “So now you seek to kill me as a replacement for Frieza since I’m the one who defeated him. I get it. But why the Saiyans? You’re half Saiyan yourself, so why would you want to wipe out the rest of your race?”Something was present in Exxis’ eyes, something dangerous and determine. “You still haven’t figured it out? Well, allow me to spell it out for you.” He held out his arms. “As I said before, I am the last living Hera in the entire universe. What more, I’m the strongest Hera to ever live. Stronger than even Bojack. That’s quite a title, wouldn’t you agree. The last and strongest Hera, never to be surpassed or have someone take my crown. But why stop there when I can have the same for the Saiyans?”Goku gasped. “You mean…?”“That’s right. I also seek to become the last of the Saiyans. The sole survivor and strongest member of the two mightiest races in the universe. A title no one else will ever be able to hold. I say that goal is well worth fighting for, wouldn’t you?”It was a chilling statement, one that Goku found to be rather disturbing. To think that Exxis would hunt down and wipe out the rest of his own race just to be the last of them, that did not sit well.Piccolo knew it would be pointless to try and talk the mercenary out of his goal, but he felt obligated to at least try. “The last and strongest of your races, huh? I can see wanting to become the strongest, but why the last? What are you going to do when you eventually die and end up in Other World with every Hera and Saiyan that ever lived? You can’t kill what’s already dead, so your goal of becoming the last of your kind is pointless.”As the Namekian predicted, Exxis just waved this off. “I’ll take what I can get. After all, they’re called ‘life goals’ for a reason, as they’re goals you achieve in your lifetime. Besides, I’ll still have been the sole survivor of both the Saiyans and the Hera; nothing will ever change that.”A grumble escaped Piccolo. He should have known that someone like Exxis wouldn’t be swayed. There would be no talking him out of not killing Goku, but if they failed to defeat the mercenary, he had at least hoped to convince him from going after Gohan and the others. So much for that plan.“As I said before,” Exxis continued, “I’d always planned on coming to Earth since I knew the last remaining Saiyans in the universe were here, but first I was more interested in finding and killing the one who actually killed Frieza. But now that I know that I’ve been chasing a ghost for all these years, I can begin to claim my title. Thanks to you, I now know that there are six Saiyans I need to kill. Once I deal with the five on this planet, I’ll find and finish off your brother, Vegeta. And if he has fathered any children you’re not aware of, I’ll kill them too. Then I’ll stand as the last and greatest Hera and Saiyan in the entire universe.”He laughed ecstatically at the thought of his goal being within reach. Gohan and Piccolo looked uncomfortable by his claim, but Goku and Vegeta were far more stoic. That is, until the Saiyan prince cracked an arrogant smile.“Sorry to rain on your egotistical parade,” he taunted, “but it doesn’t look like you’ll be getting your wish. You can’t even beat Kakarot in your Full-Power Hera form. Even if you could, you would still have his brat and me to contend with. Face it, your goal is just a pipedream, one it’s time to wake up from.”Exxis met Vegeta’s arrogant smile with one of his own. “You think so, do you? Well, you have a point. My Full-Power Hera transformation is no match for your Super Saiyan Two.” His smile became one of amusement. “But how exactly did I know of the Super Saiyan transformation? Did you ever wonder about that? Yes, it’s known that a Super Saiyan defeated Frieza, but how did I know that Goku had yet to transform when I was fighting him earlier?”No one provided him an answer. Now that he had pointed it out, the question was now present. How did he know Goku had yet to transform earlier? It had been obvious to them since they knew about it, but how did Exxis?The mercenary’s grin widened. “This is how I knew.”His power began rising, slowly at first, then faster, rising up even higher than his Full-Power Hera strength. His hair began moving, beginning to stand up straight, and the color began flickering from black to gold.“No…” said Vegeta, “it can’t be…”Exxis cried out as he completed his transformation. He now stood as a Super Saiyan, his body surrounded by a gold aura. His hair stood up straight and was now a yellowish gold, as was his tail, and his black eyes were now the green color that all Super Saiyans possessed.With his opponents rendered completely speechless, Exxis let out an amused chuckle. “I think this will be more than enough to get the job done.”

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Chapter 11: Going All Out
If Vegeta still had any doubts about Exxis being half-Saiyan before, they went out the window as he stared at the mercenary in his Super Saiyan state. There was no mistaking that form, or that power, and it forced the Saiyan prince to believe what Exxis had said about his parentage was true.“What’s wrong, Vegeta?” Exxis asked in amusement. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” A vein throbbed in Vegeta’s temple. He didn’t care if the mercenary was only half-Saiyan, he was still a Saiyan, and that meant he was beneath him, the prince of all Saiyans. He would not allow his own subjects you speak to him thusly.“You’ve got some nerve,” he seethed, “talking to your prince like that.”Exxis chuckled. “Then just consider me a rebel.”Vegeta’s fists clenched. “Kakarot, deal with this freak before I step in and do it for you!”“Hey, no fair!” Goku objected. “You can’t step in now, it’s just starting to get good.”Exxis cracked his knuckles. “I agree, this is about to get good.”Looking back at the mercenary, Goku let an eager snicker escape him. “I must admit, this is a surprise. I guess it explains why you’ve been so arrogant. I should have seen it coming once you revealed you were a Saiyan too.”Amusement danced in Exxis’ eyes. “You have no idea of what I’m capable of, Goku.”He fired a blast of energy. Goku caught it more on reflex than anything and was pushed back. Exxis flew up to him while he had his hands full and chopped at him, his hand surrounded by a blade of energy that would have surely cut him in half. Instead, Goku vanished and reappeared in the sky.Exxis turned up to him and raised his hand. The energy blade that surrounded it shot out, expanding into the sky. Goku vanished again before it stabbed him, and reappeared somewhere else. Exxis repeatedly shot out his energy blade to try and hit Goku while the Saiyan proceeded to avoid it. Eventually though, Exxis began to anticipate where Goku would appear, and his blade found its mark, stabbing into Goku’s chest and bursting out his back.It was only an After Image though, and Goku appeared behind Exxis to kick him in the back of the head. Exxis went down, but pushed off the ground, rolling over in the air to send Goku flying with a kick. He flew after him, catching up quickly, and proceeded to throw punches that pushed Goku back further and further, until he eventually crashed into a mountain. Exxis didn’t stop there though, and continued to throw punches. The hard rock caved in behind Goku from the blows, and the two burrowed into the mountain, eventually coming out on the other side. Still Exxis didn’t let up as they sailed over the destroyed forest until Goku managed to use his Instant Transmission to get away.He reappeared beside his friends, breathing heavily, and Vegeta scowled at him. “Having a kittle trouble, Kakarot? Sure you don’t need me o step in?”Goku let out a chuckle. “Hey, come on, he just caught me off guard.”A blast of energy came at him, and Goku flew up to avoid it. Exxis went after him, and the two began circling in the air.Vegeta may have been putting up a front, but Piccolo detected his unease. Exxis was already so powerful in his base form that upon transforming into a Super Saiyan, his power had surpassed even that of the Saiyan prince’s maximum strength at Super Saiyan Two. Even Goku’s. But thank the Kais he still had Super Saiyan Three, even if it did rapidly drain the user’s energy.They still had Gohan as well. Although his power had dropped significantly after having not trained for the past year, whatever the Old Kai had done to boost his power was enough to still make him stronger than Exxis.“Ka-me-ha-me-HA!” Goku fired a Kamehameha Wave. Exxis ceased his pursuit, and a gold energy sphere appeared around him. Goku’s attack blasted against it, and when it died down, the sphere was still intact. Exxis let it drop and flew at Goku again, firing blasts of energy at him. Goku knocked them away as Exxis got closer, then brought his hands up to block the punch the mercenary threw.A shockwave flowed outward from the impact, tearing apart the surface layer of the ground. Exxis punched several more times, and each time a shockwave went out as his fist struck Goku’s arms. Goku suddenly used the Twenty Times Kaio-ken and plowed into Exxis. The mercenary was briefly overwhelmed, and Goku followed up with a punch to the face that sent him flying.Speeding after him, Goku threw another punch, only to have it caught. It was clear that Exxis was struggling to hold his fist back, but he managed to accomplish it, and he hit Goku square in the face with his other fist, knocking him right out of the Kaio-ken state.The next thing Goku knew, he was in a headlock. Exxis’ arms were around his neck, attempting to twist it around. Goku grasped the mercenary’s arms to try and stop him, knowing that a single slipup could result in his neck being broken.Kicking off the ground, Goku launched them backwards. They slammed into the side of the mountain, Exxis crushed between the rock wall and his opponent. Goku kicked off the rock wall and then slammed him into it again and again before suddenly flying straight up, dragging Exxis along the rocky length of the mountain.They finally reached the snow-covered top and shot into the air. Goku used the Kaio-ken Times Twenty again and risked letting go of Exxis’ arm with one hand to elbow him in the kidney; or where he hoped the alien’s kidney was located. The mercenary’s grip loosened, and Goku broke free. Turning around, he threw a punch, but Exxis’ arm came up to block. His own fist shot out, hitting Goku in the gut, causing him to double over. Next, Exxis’ tail shot out, striking Goku across the face so hard he lost the Kaio-ken and went spinning away.Goku halted himself and looked at Exxis. Why had he not thought of it before? Exxis’ tail, a Saiyan’s weakness. He still remembered how when he was a child that when someone grabbed his tail, not only was it excruciatingly painful, it also completely zapped him of strength. If he could just grab hold of Exxis’ tail, he could render the mercenary powerless.Exxis came at him, his fists flying. Goku blocked and knocked punches away, looking for an opening. But Exxis didn’t give him time as he raised his hands over his head and then brought them down, unleashing a massive blast of energy. Goku barely had time to raise his hands before he was pushed down to the ground by the beam.His feet hit the ground, shredding it apart as he began to get buried alive as the energy beam pushed him into the crumbling ground. He realized very quickly that pushing this attack away was not an option.He would have to risk Instant Transmission. However, concentrating in the way the technique required under such distress would not be easy; it was the reason Kid Buu had not been able to teleport out of the Spirit Bomb’s path, and attempting to do so could cause him to slip up and fall prey to the attack, but he had no other choice if he wanted to survive.Doing the best he could to concentrate, he placed two fingers to his forehead, nearly losing his hold on the attack in the process, and teleported. A look of surprise crossed Exxis’ face as Goku appeared in front of him and ceased his attack just as Goku threw a punch. He responded with one of his own, but only ended up hitting an After Image. Goku was behind him, and Exxis whirled around to spear his hand forward like a sword into Goku’s heart.It was another After Image. And that’s when Exxis felt it. Goku’s hands grasped Exxis’ tail tightly. Upon leaving behind his second After Image, he had teleported back into the exact same position and posture of his first one just as Exxis had turned his back on him, allowing him to catch the mercenary off guard.“Gotcha,” he said, squeezing Exxis’ tail tightly. “Did you forget that, as a Saiyan, I had a tail once too? You may only be half-Saiyan, but the affect is still the same.”Exxis’ look of surprise became one of agony, and he began to curl into himself. Goku smirked as he kept a firm grip on his tail. Now that he had the mercenary neutralized, he could decide what to do with him. He didn’t like the thought of killing a helpless opponent though. Maybe they could figure out a way to-Exxis’ fist buried deeply into Goku’s gut. His grip went slack, and Exxis’ tail slipped through his fingers. The mercenary lifted his head, smirking arrogantly, then spun around and kicked Goku away. He quickly appeared above him and brought his balled fists down on the Saiyan, and Goku hit the ground like a speeding bullet.Exxis landed a distance away, crossing his arms and looking bored. “Did you really expect that to work, Goku? My mother taught me how to rid myself of that weakness when I was but a small child. As if I would allow myself to have such a vital area.”He held his hand out, and his body began to glow. It was as if he had an outline made of light. And behind him, the mountain that had been taking a beating from their fight gained the same outline.With a look of concentration on his face, Exxis began to raise his hands. The ground shook and began cracking apart as Goku sat up. Behind the mercenary, the entire mountain started to rise into the air, breaking away from the planet, becoming uprooted from the ground, leaving a massive hole behind, so deep the bottom could not be seen. It was a big mountain too, easily 15,000 to 20,000 feet tall when buried. It now floated in the air a few hundred feet above the two combatants, even larger now that it was torn from the planet.Goku jumped to his feet and held out his hand. “No, don’t, stop!”Exxis grinned. “It’s not me who needs to stop, Goku. It’s you who needs to stop; this.”He motioned forward, and the entire mountain flew at Goku. Swearing, he held out his hands to catch it as the mountain crashed into him, just a tiny speck compared to the giant rock structure. It wasn’t just the weight and momentum he was fighting against, but the force behind it.His feet dug into the ground as he slid backwards, rocks of all shapes and sizes falling down around him. He continued to slide back as the mountain pushed him along, but he was eventually able to come to a stop, holding the mountain at bay.Exxis had already gone on the move. He now hovered on the air on the other side of the mountain. He held out his hand and fired a blast of energy, and the entire mountain blew apart. Giant boulders went flying all around, and Goku stared in horror at the senseless destruction Exxis had done; who knew what type of wildlife had been on that mountain?“How could you!?” he bellowed, and flew directly into the raining boulders.Grinning, Exxis flew forward to meet him, and his fist found Goku’s jaw before the Saiyan’s could find his. He recovered quickly though, and the two began exchanging blows as giant rocks continued to rain down all around them. They swerved around the falling rocks, sometimes using them to their advantage as they battled it out until the last boulder fell and the sky was clear.Their fists met as they both threw a punch, and their fingers interlocked. Goku attempted to push Exxis back, but found he was unable to match the mercenary’s Super Saiyan strength.“You’re beginning to disappoint me, Goku,” Exxis told him. “It’s apparent that my base strength is so far beyond yours that my Super Saiyan power surpasses your Super Saiyan Two’s. And guess what, I’m still holding back.”He pulled their hands outward and slammed his forehead into Goku’s face. The Saiyan was knocked back, and Exxis’ fist slammed into his chest. With it came a blast of energy that immediately followed the impact, adding additional damage.Exxis proceeded to unleash a series of punches and kicks, each followed by a small blast of energy that shot out of his knuckles or feet. Goku dodged and deflected the blows the best he could, but could no longer dodge thanks to the energy blasts. Then Exxis surprised him by surrounding himself in a sphere of energy and slamming into him.As Goku was knocked back, Exxis dropped the energy sphere and began thrusting his hands outward like a sumo wrestler. Waves of energy in the shape of his hands began flying from his palms, growing in size as they flew at Goku until they were larger than the Saiyan.The first one slammed into him, but Goku was able to cause the others to disperse with a well-placed kick or punch. Then Exxis thrust both hands outward and fired a stream of energy. Much to Goku’s surprise, the beam missed him, but then it suddenly looped around and came down at him from above. He was able to catch the beam, but was still carried back down to the ground.The planet shook as he hit the ground, the beam boring down on him. Goku felt like he might be crushed beneath it, but refused to give up. He let out a mighty battle cry, and his energy exploded outward, causing the beam to disperse.Exxis watched from up above as Goku panted. He landed a distance away and crossed his arms. “Is this the peak of your power, Goku? I admit, it’s more than I expected, but it looks like you’re at your limit.”Goku continued to breathe heavily. Slowly, his panting stopped, and he stood up straight, a smile displayed on his face. “Yeah, that would appear to be the case. But I haven’t exactly been honest. I’ve still been holding out on you.”Exxis raised an eyebrow in interest. “Have you now? How delightful. Just when I thought our fun was at an end, you throw a new twist into the mix. Exactly how many tricks do you have up your sleeve?”A snicker escaped Goku. “I’m sorry to say that this is it. After this one, I’ve got no more surprises. I really didn’t think it would be necessary, but you’ve pushed me to it. I’m just sorry to say that this battle won’t last much longer once I show you.”Exxis’ eyes widened. Not in fear or outrage, but with genuine anticipation. “Is that so? It must be something if you’re this confident. Come on then, show it to me.”Goku nodded. “Sure thing, but I’ll have to end things quickly afterwards. It burns a lot of energy pretty fast, but I really don’t think I can win any other way.”“The anticipation is killing me, Goku. Let me see this fancy trick of yours before I die before I even get to face off against it.”Goku’s smile became even more cocky. “Ok, here it goes.”His body became tense, and he began to summon up power from his deepest depths. Seconds ticked by, during which the ground slowly started to shake. Small rocks rose up into the air before they were vaporized by Goku’s aura. The rumbling ground began shaking more violently as the Saiyan’s power rose, and a scream began to emit from his mouth.Despite having mastered the different transformations of the Super Saiyan, going long periods without changing could make the process take a little longer, and make the outpour of energy hard to control. Bolts of energy began flying from Goku’s body as his aura flared violently.Exxis watched calmly as he felt Goku’s power rise. But his calmness quickly gave way to disbelief at the rapid pace it rose, showing no sign of stopping or slowing down. He watched as Goku’s hair began to grow even longer, now beginning to flow down his back.“What is this!?” he exclaimed surprise. “What are you doing!?”“You saw before that there’s a level beyond that of a Super Saiyan,” Goku told him as his hair continued to grow and his facial features began to shift. “So doesn’t it stand to reason that there’s a level even beyond that?”His words gave way to another cry as his power continued to rise. The ground cracked apart as if a massive earthquake were taking place as the clouds above swirled around as if in the eye of a hurricane. Exxis tried to keep watching, but Goku began to flash with energy so brightly that he had to hold up a hand to shield his eyes.With one last cry, Goku’s power exploded outward, and everything began to settled down. Exxis lowered his hand a gasped at the sight before him. This change was drastically different from the smaller changes Super Saiyan Two had to Super Saiyan. His hair now reached down to his lower back, and his facial features and bone structure were different. His eyes were different too, they were larger, and the pupils were now visible when they hadn’t been in his last two forms.His power was astounding. Exxis estimated that it had to be at least four times greater than Super Saiyan Two. He also sensed a change in Goku’s personality. It felt darker, rougher. If what Goku had said about this form burning energy quickly was true, then perhaps the change in personality could be to help him defeat his opponents faster.“Do you like it?” Goku asked, his tone now having an edge to it. “This is Super Saiyan Three, my strongest form. I’ve faced many foes in my life, but only Majin Buu, Janemba, and Hirudegarn have ever forced me to resort to it. Until you.”Exxis was still trying to catch flies, but then he caught himself and closed his mouth. A look akin to madness appeared on his face, but his expression was one of joy and excitement. “I don’t have a clue as to who those last two people are, and I don’t care! You’ve once again completely shattered my expectations, Goku! A Super Saiyan Three? I never would have guessed! Yes, I recognize it now! I sensed this power a year ago, around the same time Majin Buu had returned! That was you, wasn’t it!? It had to be! No, this power is even greater than it was then! You’ve grown even stronger this past year!”He closed his eyes and clenched his fists in delight. “I knew this would be worth my while! I knew you would give me a worthy challenge! And I am ever so grateful!” He held his arms out, giving the Saiyan a clear opening. “Show it to me, Goku! Show me your true power!”Goku did just that, flying at Exxis at top speed. The mercenary didn’t even try to dodge or block, and Goku’s fist hit him right in the face. Exxis’ feet left the ground, and he shot backwards, tearing through the massive pile of rocks left behind from the shattered mountain, ending up buried beneath them when his momentum finally stopped.Goku lowered his fist and waited for Exxis to recover. He didn’t have to wait too long, and the rocks began rising into the air as they were caught up in Exxis’ power. The mercenary rose into the air, his golden aura surrounding him. His small bout of madness seemed to have passed, but he was still grinning in anticipation. “Yes, that’s it, Goku. Give me everything you’ve got.”He motioned forward, and the rocks floating in the air flew at Goku. The Saiyan didn’t even bother trying to avoid them as he flew directly at Exxis, the rocks vaporizing upon getting too close to Goku.The mercenary raised his hand and fired a blast of energy. Goku punched forward, his fist going straight through the blast and slamming into Exxis’ face. Several more punches began pummeling into his torso in such rapid succession that he didn’t seem to have time to do anything other than grunt after each hit until an uppercut struck his chin, the blow knocking him backwards and allowing Exxis to backflip away.After putting some distance between himself and the Saiyan, Exxis launched towards Goku, throwing a punch. Goku’s hand shot out, catching his fist, and he held back Exxis’ punch, much to the mercenary’s surprise.Jumping back, Goku kicked him in the head. Exxis went bouncing across the ground and crashed into a pile of boulders, sending rocks flying. He immediately flew up into the air once more, scowling at the Saiyan. Taking aim, he pointed a finger-gun at him, and energy bullets began firing from the tips of his finger as if from a minigun.Goku went on the move; darting across the ground as a trail of energy bullets attempted to hit him. Jumping up, he met Exxis in the air, slamming his knee into the mercenary’s gut. Exxis doubled over, providing the perfect opportunity for Goku to hit him square in the jaw. This was followed by several more blows, the impact of each causing the two to drift through the sky until a knee to the chin knocked Exxis back.Goku’s hand shot out and grasped Exxis’ tail before he was knocked too far away. He spun the mercenary around before throwing him to the ground. Exxis hit with such force that he ended up burying into the ground.When Exxis didn’t resurface, Goku waited, reaching out with his senses to locate the mercenary. He could sense him tunneling beneath the ground, and Exxis suddenly burst up directly beneath Goku. But as Exxis flew up at him, Goku knocked him away with a kick.Exxis bounced off the ground, but turned it into a flip and stuck the landing. He glared up at Goku before crying out loudly. Large bolts of what appeared to be lightning began shooting out of his body, flying about wildly and tearing through everything they touched as they danced around.Goku flew at Exxis, dodging the energy bolts, and threw a punch. Exxis managed to hold up his arms to block the blow, but was still knocked far back, the ground tearing apart beneath his feet as he skidded across it.When he managed to stop, he struck a pose, and his energy danced around him wildly. Crying out, he thrust his hands out towards Goku, and a beam of energy shot out of his entire body at Goku, as if he had created a clone of himself made entirely out of energy that darted across the ground in a continuous beam.Goku waited, letting the attack come, then disappeared at the last second. He reappeared next to Exxis, a few feet away from him. The mercenary glanced at him in surprise as Goku cupped his hands together. “Ka-me-ha-me-”Exxis ceased firing his full-body stream of energy and turned to Goku, raising his hand. A blade of energy shot out of it, flying straight for Goku. It wasn’t fast enough though as Goku unleashed a powerful Kamehameha Wave with a mighty cry of “HA!”An anxious scowl crossed Exxis’ face as the attack came at him. His own extending energy blade he had barely managed to fire off was consumed by the Kamehameha Wave before it crashed into him. He was carried off by the attack, slamming into the pile of rocks, pushed farther and farther back as hundreds of yards of boulders were vaporized upon being struck by the attack.The beam of energy finally died down, and Goku lowered his arms as he waited to see the result. Several long seconds ticked by before Exxis burst out of the rubble, cut up and breathing heavily. He took a few steps towards Goku before falling to his hands and knees. His hair turned black again and became less spiky as he reverted back to his base form.Off to the side, Vegeta smirked. “It’s over.”

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Chapter 12: One Last Surprise
Still in Super Saiyan Three form, Goku approached Exxis. The mercenary remained on his hands and knees, trying to catch his breath. Goku stared down at him with a hard look as his energy flowed around him in a display of power.“Lets end this,” he said, his voice maintaining its hard edge. “You’ve obviously met your match. There’s no reason for us to kill each other.”Exxis took a few more deep breaths, keeping his head bowed. Then a smile crossed his face, and a light chuckle escaped him. “You want me to surrender? Is that it? You think I should throw in the towel and run away?”“There’s no point in continuing any further,” Goku told him. “We can have a rematch some other time. In fact,” he smiled, “I’d really look forward to fighting you again. Maybe you’ll unlock Super Saiyan Two by then, or even Super Saiyan Three. Who knows, you might even be able to take your Full-Power Hera transformation to a new level if there is one.”Slowly, Exxis lifted his head. Looking up at Goku, he saw that even with his intimidating presence, the Saiyan was being sincere. It caused his smile to become one of amusement as he got to his feet.“I have to admit, a rematch in the future sounds like fun. I enjoyed fighting with you a great deal, Goku. As I said, it’s not too often that I run into someone with your level of power.” His expression darkened, and his eyes grew hard. “However, it seems that you were not paying attention to everything I said earlier. I told you that as far as I’m concerned, a battle is not over until your opponent is dead. And I never walk away from a battle. That’s my philosophy, and I stick to it. And it’s served me well.”He thumped his chest. “Retreat and surrender are not an option for me. They never are. I would die first. This always puts my back against the wall. Unless I win, the only other option for me is death. It forces me to fight at my best, to break through my limits and push myself to the breaking point and beyond in order to achieve victory. I must push onwards, because my very survival depends on it. Period.”Goku’s eyes narrowed. “That’s your decision then? You really want this battle to end in one of our deaths? No matter what? Even if it’s yours?”Exxis grin widened, and Goku saw in his eyes that he was serious. “That is what I decided. I made that my philosophy a long time ago, on the day my parents died.” He chuckled. “I never told you exactly how that happened, did I? Well, I think you’ve earned the right to hear the rest of my tale.”“We’re not interested,” Vegeta called to him. “Whatever sob story you’re holding, it’s of no concern to us. We’ve all faced our own tragedies and hardships. We don’t care in the least about yours.”Exxis glanced at him, still smiling. “Oh, I actually think you’ll find this to be very interesting. It even has a surprise ending I think you’ll enjoy.”He looked back at Goku. “You see, Goku, even though I’m only half-Saiyan, I still turn into a giant ape upon seeing the full moon. Now, my parents were already quite powerful, and they had grown even stronger since their meeting. However, they were still far out of Frieza’s league, as was I. They also knew that Frieza sought the extinction of the Saiyan race, forcing ,y parents to keep a low profile when they weren’t working a job, so as not to expose my mother’s race, or mine. However, we got careless one day.“You see, part of the training I underwent was learning how to control myself in my Great Ape form. My mother already had control of hers, and was determine to teach me to control mine as well. This involved us going to isolated areas and using artificial moonlight to transform. She would help me to retain self-awareness while we were transformed while my father kept watch.”He closed his eyes. “But as I said, we got careless. A lowly resident of the planet we were training on spotted the artificial moon in the sky and went to investigate. They got close enough to see my mother and I in our transformed state, and realized we were Saiyans. My father, unfortunately, did not notice them, and they managed to slip away undetected. As it turns out, this person was one of Frieza’s supporters, and they were quick to inform him of their discovery.“Naturally, it didn’t take Frieza long to send out a team to track us down and kill us. Unfortunately for them, they were only partially successful in their mission. For as you can see, I survived…”(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)
Exxis struggled as he attempted to break his captor’s hold, but at only 16 years old, he was a far cry from the mighty warrior he would become one day, and could only watch as his parents fought against their assailants.

His father was strong, especially in his Full-Power Hera form, but even he was no match for the tag-team of Recoome and Captain Ginyu. His mother was incredibly powerful as well, but with Jeice and Burter teaming up against her, she was being overwhelmed.

As for Exxis himself, he was caught in some sort of immobilizing telekinetic attack brought on by Guldo. The purplish-blue cloud surrounded him, preventing him from moving, even with him in his own Full-Power Hera form.

The four-eyed alien keeping him immobile chuckled. “Struggle all you want. No one can break free of my Mind Bind. Now, watch as your parents die.”

Ginyu flew at Xauda, throwing a punch. The Hera managed to block the blow, but was immediately punched in the side by Recoome. This caused him to buckle, allowing Ginyu to kick him in the chest and send him flying backwards.

“Time for my Recoome aerial attack!” the red-haired giant declared.

He leapt through the air, doing a series of summersaults like an acrobat before landing on Xauda’s chest. The Hera cried out, spitting up blood from the crushing blow. Recoome chuckled like a child playing with his favorite toy as Xauda coughed and sputtered.

Lettuss was doing her best to dodge and deflect the punches and kicks of her two adversaries, but was unable to land a blow of her own. When she saw what happened to Xauda, however, she let out and explosion of energy that sent Burter and Jeice flying.

“Get away from him!” she shouted, flying towards the fallen Hera. Ginyu blocked her path, and she became engaged in combat with him.

Xauda glanced at her. “Don’t worry about me. Save our son.”

Lettuss dodged a punch Ginyu threw and managed to kick him in the face, knocking him away. “But what about you?”

Xauda glared up at Recoome, who was still sitting on top of him. “I can handle this.”

Recoome grinned. “Oh, I don’t think so.” He balled his fists, raising them over his head. “Recoome-”

Xauda surprised him by firing a blast of energy into his face. The blast succeeded in knocking the giant off him, and Xauda jumped to his feet. He began assaulting him with a series of blows that made Recoome grunt and groan with each blow. Ginyu suddenly rejoined the fight, now ignoring Lettuss, forcing Xauda to turn his attention to the captain in addition to Recoome.

Lettuss swore and turned away from the battle, flying at Guldo with his death in her eyes. “Keep your hands off my son!”

Guldo squeaked in fright, and cried out, “I’m not even touching him!”

This did nothing to appease Lettuss, but before she could reach him, Burter came flying at her, kicking her in the side. She flew through the air, and Jeice appeared in her path, bringing his balled fists down on her.

“Did you forget about us?” Burter asked mockingly. “Surely you didn’t think that a puny attack like that could beat us.”

Jeice crossed his arms. “She is strong for a monkey though. Guess that’s how she survived this long.”

“Survival of the fittest,” Burter agreed. “At least among her own kind. But still, natural selection had decided that the Saiyans should go extinct.”

Jeice shook a finger. “Not natural selection. Something much more powerful; Lord Frieza.”

The two began laughing at the joke. Lettuss glared up at them furiously. Her gaze shifted to her son, then back to her opponents, and she leapt up to strike Burter. He vanished, and she hit air, then suddenly took a blow to the gut from the very person she had tried to attack. Before she collapsed, however, Jeice grabbed her from behind, holding her in place. Burter grinned, and began raining punches into her stomach.

During the midst of his fight with Ginyu and Recoome, Xauda saw what was happening out of the corner of his eye. “Lettuss, no!”

He made a dash to get to her, enabling Recoome to kick out, his foot colliding with the Hera’s jaw, knocking him to the ground. Both Recoome and Ginyu stood over him, snickering, then began repeatedly stomping down on him. Xauda was unable to rise as he was double-teamed, and reverted from his Full-Power Hera form to his base form.

The blows finally stopped coming. “Aww,” Recoome grumbled, sounding disappointed. “I think he’s feeling blue.”

Ginyu nodded. “Yeah, it looks like our fun is over. Too bad, ‘cause he was really strong. In a one-on-one fight, he might have even given me a hard time.”

He kicked the Hera onto his stomach, then reached down and lifted him up by his hair, causing Xauda to groan.

“It’s too bad you chose a filthy monkey for your wife. This is your punishment for your poor choice in a mate.”

He placed a hand to Xauda’s back and fired. Xauda’s eyes snapped open as a beam of energy tore through his body, leaving a gapping hole in his torso. Chuckling, Ginyu let him go, and Xauda dropped to the ground, unmoving.

“That’s one down,” the captain stated. “Lets finish things up.”

He and Recoome flew over to Burter and Jeice. The former stopped his assault on Lettuss and glanced at his teammates. “All done, Captain?”

Ginyu smirked. “Not quite. There’s still two more.”

Breathing heavily, Lettuss cracked open an eye. To her horror, she saw Xauda lying dead on the ground. Her eyes widened in disbelief, and she began to tremble in Jeice’s arms.

“What have you done?” she seethed. “What have you DONE!?”

Her power erupted, and Jeice was blasted away from her. She lashed out at Burter, striking him in the face and knocking him away. Then she flew at Ginyu and Recoome in a fit of rage. Recoome just smirked and dropped to his back, kicking out with both legs. His feet slammed into Lettuss; stomach, and she cried out in pain. Ginyu moved in after that, leaping up and kneeing her in the face. Lettuss hit the ground, dazed, as Ginyu and Recoome stood over her.

“Stubborn monkey,” Ginyu commented. “Best to put an end to her now.”

“Right there with you, Captain,” said Jeice as he and Burter got to their feet.

Rising up into the sky, the four of them held their hands out at Lettuss. She glared up at them before turning her attention to her son, reaching out to him. “Exxis…”

A series of energy blasts came from the Ginyu Force, and Lettuss disappeared amongst the blasts. Exxis struggled all the more, to no avail, as he watched his mother get assaulted. “Damn you!” he shouted. “Cut it out! Leave her alone, you bastards!”

But the attacks kept coming. Eventually though, the Ginyus did cease their attacks, and looked down at their handiwork. The smoke settled, and Lettuss lay there unmoving with no sign of life left to her, her unseeing blank eyes staring out at nothing.

“One less monkey,” said Burter. “The universe is a better place.”

“Lets make it even better still,” said Ginyu, turning his attention to Exxis. “After all, even someone who’s half-monkey is still a monkey.”

They walked over to Guldo and Exxis. The latter stared up at them furiously, his eyes burning with hatred.

“Oh my,” said Recoome. “This guy looks pretty angry.”

“Yeah, it’s not a good look for him,” Jeice commented. “So lets rearrange his face a bit, see if that improves it a bit.”

Exxis knew it was coming, but that didn’t make it any less painful. All five Ginyus unleashed a series of kicks and punches on him, effectively using him as a punching bag, and there was nothing Exxis could do to stop it while trapped in Guldo’s Mind Bind.

The assault seemed to go on forever. And when it finally let up, it took everything Exxis had to look up at his attackers. “I swear, one day I’m going to kill you. You and Frieza. I’ll make you wish you never messed with us.”

Ginyu smirked. “That’ll definitely be some trick.” He held out his hand. “Especially since you’ll need to do it from beyond the grave.”

He fired a powerful blast of energy. It was meant to be a finishing move, the attack knocking him right out of Guldo’s Mind Bind, and slamming him into a rock wall. Countless boulders came tumbling down, and Exxis was crushed beneath them as the avalanche buried him alive.

He hurt all over, and his power felt completely spent. It took everything he had to remain conscious, but through the pain, he could hear the muffled voices of the Ginyus talking and joking.

“Another job well-done,” said Reccome. “Lord Frieza will be pleased.”

There was laughter from the Ginyu Force, but this was almost immediately interrupted by a beeping noise.

Smiling, Ginyu pressed a button on his scouter. “Lord Frieza, perfect timing. I’m happy to report that we’ve completed the mission… Huh? What’s that…? Planet Namek…? What are Dragon Balls…? Understood. We’re on our way.” He smiled at his men. “Get ready, boys, Lord Frieza’s got another job for us. We’re heading to Planet Namek.”

“Really? Planet Namek?” said Guldo. “What’s the job?”

Whatever Ginyu said next, Exxis did not hear as he finally succumbed to unconsciousness. He didn’t know how long he ended up being out for when he came to, only that at some point he had regained consciousness and dug himself out of what had meant to be his stony grave.

He was bloody and bruised, but still alive. He stumbled forward on wobbly legs before they finally gave out on him. Breathing heavily, he looked at his mother’s lifeless corpse, then to his father’s. They were both gone, killed by the Ginyu Force on Frieza’s orders, and he had been helpless to do anything to stop it.

“Mother…” he whispered. “Father…”

A sound drew his attention, and he looked in the distance to see the five pods of the Ginyu Force flying off and disappear into the sky. He couldn’t have been out for too long, but it had been long enough for him to miss his chance.

“Ginyu…” he hissed, his fists clenching tightly.

No, not Ginyu. The Ginyu Force were only the weapons that took his parents from him. It was Frieza, he was the one who was truly responsible for this. It was on his orders that the Ginyu Force came here at all. He was the one directly responsible for what had happened here.

“I’ll kill you, Frieza,” Exxis seethed. “You and your entire family, along with those most loyal to you. You will all die by my hand. And anyone who gets in my way will meet the same end. I swear it. I SWEAR!!!”

Power erupted from his body in a flash of gold light. His hair rose up to stand on end, changing from black to gold. His black eyes became green as they stared into space, holding the promise of Frieza’s death in them.
(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)“I made three promises to myself that day,” Exxis told his audience. “The first, as you know, was to take my revenge on Frieza by killing him, his family, and those most loyal to him, which included the Ginyu Force. That is a right you took from me, Goku, and it is for that reason that you must die by my hand.”Goku nodded in understanding. “Yeah, I get it. If you can’t defeat Frieza, you’ll defeat the one who defeated him instead. Not just him, but Cooler and the Ginyu Force.” He smirked. “Too bad you won’t be able to get to Trunks.”Exxis glared at him. “You won’t be smiling when I take out the punishment I was saving for him on you in addition to your own. But that is not the only reason you must die. The second promise I swore that day came from a realization. With my father gone, I was now the last Hera in the universe, not counting Bojack and his warriors, but seeing as they were sealed away in a star in Other World, they were as good as dead anyway. And with my mother dead as well, I was very nearly the last Saiyan left as well.”Piccolo gave the mercenary a hard look. “And that’s when you decided to strive to become not only the strongest of both races, but also the sole survivor of them.”“Correct,” Exxis replied. “And to achieve that, Goku must also die. Not just him, but the other remaining Saiyans that are still alive. I shall see to that soon enough.” He turned back to Goku. “The last promise I made was that I would never turn my back on a battle. Never run away, never surrender, never leave it unfinished, and never show mercy. Even if death was certain for me, I would press on. With this ideal, I accomplished things I never would have thought possible, growing stronger than I ever dreamed of.“So, Goku, I will not be running away, not even as a strategic withdraw. I entered this battle with the intent to kill you, and if I can’t do it, then I will face my death. There are no other options. Either you die, or I do. I hope I have made that perfectly clear.”Vegeta crossed his arms, looking irritated. “I hope you’re done monologuing, because I’ve had more than enough of this nonsense. Kakarot, finish this fool off, unless you want me to do it for you.”As he said this, a grin crept up Exxis’ face, and he began to chuckle. “Oh no, Vegeta, I’m not through just yet.”Piccolo’s eyes narrowed slightly. Exxis still had another trick up his sleeve? A powerful technique? Another transformation? Some sort of special ability that would give him an edge? Just how much more was the mercenary hiding?Beside him, Gohan suddenly gasped in surprise. “Hey, wait a second. That story… you said you became a Super Saiyan after your parents were killed by the Ginyu Force?”Exxis’ smile widened. “So you’ve realized it then? Go ahead, say it.”Gohan’s eyes narrowed. “If what you said is true, then that means… you became a Super Saiyan before my dad.”The mercenary held his arms out. “That is correct, boy! It was I who realized the legend first! I was the first Super Saiyan in a thousand years, not your father!” He turned back to Goku. “But it’s not the only transformation I have, nor is my Full-Power Hera form. I still have one more.”Goku’s eyebrows rose slightly. “Another transformation? You mean the one with the full moon?”Exxis snickered. “You’re referring to the Great Ape transformation. While it’s true that I have mastered the technique to create artificial moonlight to become a Great Ape at will, and have managed to retain my consciousness during it, that’s not the transformation I’m referring to.”He didn’t know why, but for some reason, a chill ran down Goku’s spin. He couldn’t remember the last time that had happened. He shook it off though and regained his composure. “Go ahead then. I’ve put all my cards on the table. It’s only fair that you do the same.”Exxis must have had great confidence in his power if he was still smiling that way after the beating he had taken. “With pleasure, Goku. You certainly were arrogant when you showed me your Super Saiyan Three. You even mocked me by asking that if there was a level beyond Super Saiyan, that it should stand to reason that there should be one beyond Super Saiyan Two as well. So allow me to extend to you the same courtesy.” He chuckled. “So far, you’ve seen me use two transformations, the Full-Power Hera transformation, and the Super Saiyan transformation; each powerful on their own. But if I can use them individually, doesn’t it stand to reason that I should be able to use them both together?”Goku’s eyes widened in surprise, and Exxis smirked. His body grew tense and he let out a cry as his power began to flare up. It shot up at such a rapid pace that Goku took a startled step back. Exxis’ muscles expanded dramatically and his skin turned the yellowish-green color of the Full-Power Hera transformation. His hair stood up straight, becoming spiky and turned gold, as did his tail. His eyes changed from black to green as a golden aura surrounded him as his Super Saiyan transformation mixed with his Full-Power Hera form. With his Super Saiyan aura shining around him, it reflected off his yellowish-green skin, given it a gold hue, almost making him look as if he were made entirely out of gold.It was simple enough of a transformation, a blend between the two forms, but there was something different about it. It held an air of menacing intensity that surpassed even Goku’s Super Saiyan Three. And the power he exhibited, Goku had never felt anything like it. It was greater than anything he felt before. Greater than any of Buu’s forms, greater even than Janemba’s second form.Exxis’ body relaxed as he stood in his transformed state. His smile was as arrogant as ever as he smirked at Goku, the Saiyan’s death in his gaze. “Well, what do you think of my ultimate form, Goku? Full-Powered Super Saiyan-Hera is a bit of a mouthful, so I simplified it a bit. I call this form the Hybrid Warrior transformation. It’s not merely my Full-Power Hera power stacked upon my Super Saiyan power, or vice versa, but is in fact a multiplier of the two that goes far beyond what either of them are on their own.”A menacing chuckle escaped him. “I hope you like this form, Goku, because it’s going to be your downfall.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Chapter 13: The Battle’s Conclusion
A bead of sweat ran down Goku’s forehead that was not produced from his fight with Exxis. The power he felt coming off the mercenary, it was far greater than anything he had felt before. This had been completely unexpected. He now knew why Exxis had been so confident when entering this battle.Despite the situation, Goku couldn’t help but to smile. He loved a good fight, could never say no to one. The stronger his opponent, the better. There was nothing he enjoyed more than a good challenge.That wasn’t to say that he didn’t recognize danger when he saw it; or in this case, sensed it. Exxis’ power was indescribable, and he was after Goku’s life. Not just his, but his sons’ as well, and all the remaining Saiyans. And with as strong as he was, there was a good chance that he would be able to achieve his goal.All the same, Goku still couldn’t hide the smile that crept up his face. “This seems to be becoming a trend. One of us undergoes a transformation, only to have the other undergo an even stronger one, and so on.”Exxis chuckled at this truth. “Yes, I suppose you’re right. But it seems we’re both out of tricks and transformations. No more holding back, no more fooling around. We both stand here in our ultimate forms, at the peak of our power. It’s time for this fight to enter the final stage.”A nervous chuckle escaped Goku. “Well, I’m definitely looking forward to it. Though I have to admit, you may be a bit more than I can handle.”A smirk crept up Exxis’ face as he began to approach the Saiyan. “But that’s one of the joys we Saiyans experience, fighting opponents who are bigger and stronger than us.”Goku returned the smile. “Yeah, that much is true. HA!”He fired a blast of energy, and Exxis knocked it away without the slightest bit of effort, and kept coming. Another bead of sweat ran down Goku’s head. He knew that Exxis would be able to deflect the attack, he had simply been trying to get a reading on his power, but Exxis had barely reacted, not even tapping into his real power.“Alright,” Goku muttered to himself, taking a fighting pose. “Here we go.”He charged forward and threw a punch. Exxis’ arm came up and blocked it. Goku gasped at the ease in which the mercenary had stopped his attack, and Exxis smirked. Spinning around, Goku delivered a kick, but had this blocked as well. He tried a different tactic, firing a blast of energy at pointblank range.Exxis vanished before the attack could hit, and a blow that Goku didn’t see coming struck him in the side of his head, sending him crashing into a pile of rocks. He had no idea if it had been a kick or a punch that had hit him, but he knew one thing from the blow, he was in trouble.Stumbling along, he looked over at Exxis. The mercenary stood calmly a distance away, and he smirked at Goku. Realizing he was about to attack, Goku braced himself, his Super Saiyan Three power flowing up around him. Exxis closed his eyes, as if he were amused, and suddenly vanished. If Goku hadn’t known any better, he would have thought that the mercenary had used Instant Transmission with how fast he moved.He appeared in front of Goku and threw a punch. Goku just barely managed to put his arms up in time before another punch came in lower. Goku attempted to block this one as well, but didn’t quite make it in time, and Exxis’ fist struck both his arm and his side.There was no stopping the next one though, or the one that followed, and soon punches were hammering against Goku all over. Exxis continued to hit him with a smile on his face, pausing just briefly before lashing out again so Goku knew he was about to be struck, but moving too quickly for him to block.Goku decided to forget about trying to defend himself, and instead went on the attack, throwing his own punch. Exxis knocked his hand away and kicked his legs out from under him. As Goku fell, Exxis’ hand shot out and grabbed Goku’s long hair. He yanked him through the air, swinging him over his head, and slamming him to the ground.Before Goku could react further, Exxis lifted him up and drove his knee into his face. The blow left Goku dazed, his mind briefly going blank. Exxis didn’t give him time to recover as he followed up his knee to the face with a punch, releasing his hair to allow Goku to go flying, tearing through piles of rock for hundreds of meters.A distance away, the others looked on with unease as Exxis displayed his true power. The mercenary glanced at them, flashing them a brief smile that held a deadly promise before he floated over to where Goku was.“Piccolo,” Gohan said quietly.“I know,” the Namekian replied. “This is really bad. Exxis’ power, it’s unreal.”“You act like that’s anything new,” Vegeta snapped, seething inwardly at how strong the mercenary was. “But Kakarot’s faced the odds and come out on top countless times. We all have. This will be no different.”Piccolo glanced at him. “Not against this level of power.”“This is nothing!” the Saiyan prince objected. “There’s no way some Saiyan half-breed can defeat a true pure-blooded elite Saiyan warrior, no matter what transformation he undergoes.”A growl escaped Piccolo. That was Vegeta’s pride talking, and it was going to get him in trouble again, just as it had several times in the past. Damn Saiyans.Exxis floated over to where Goku remained buried in the rocks, feeling out where his opponent was. He wondered if he had overdone it a bit; he hadn’t intended to end things this quickly.“Goku, come out, come out wherever you are.” Her held out his hand, gathering energy. “If you don’t come out, then I’ll just blow this whole place to hell.”That seemed to do the trick. Before he could fire off his attack, Goku burst up from beneath the rocks. Exxis smirked at him and let his gathered energy die out. “There you are.” He motioned for Goku to come at him. “It’s your turn to get a hit in.” He smirked. “If you can.”Goku was breathing heavily, but was more than ready to continue. He cried out as his energy spiked, and flew at Exxis. The mercenary grinned and lashed out. Much to his surprise, his fist passed right through the Saiyan. An After Image. A clever trick, but not good enough, for Exxis was able to detect and block the real attack that immediately followed the illusion. He smirked at the frustrated look on Goku’s face just before the Saiyan began continuously throwing punches.The two floated along in the air, Exxis dodging whatever Goku threw at him and knocking away the blows he didn’t have time to dodge. The other Z Fighters grew evermore anxious and frustrated at the way Exxis toyed with Goku. At the rate things were going, Goku’s hold on his Super Saiyan Three transformation would run out, and they would be doomed.“Masenko!” Gohan cried, firing a beam up at Exxis while his back was turned.The mercenary’s hands suddenly shot out, grasping Goku’s head and bringing it down to slam his knee into his jaw, knocking him away. Then he turned around and knocked Gohan’s attack away, scowling down at the half-Saiyan.“If you don’t mind, I’m in the middle of something,” he snapped irritably. Holding out his hand, he gathered energy in his palm. “I’ve waited a long time for this fight, and you’re not going to ruin it.”“Wait!” Goku called, flying back over to him. “Gohan, guys, stay out of this. This is my fight.”Gohan didn’t know why he was surprised; he knew what his father was like. But still, he never ceased to bewilder him with his actions. “Yeah, but Dad-”“No buts, Gohan. I mean it. Stay out of this.”The energy in the mercenary’s hand died out. “How very honorable of you, Goku. Or, rather, how very Saiyan of you.” He glanced down at Gohan. “Your father just saved your life boy. Or delayed your death is what I should say. I fully intend to kill you all eventually. But if any of you interfere with our fight again, I’ll kill you on the spot.” He looked back at Goku. “Now then, where were we?”Despite the clear disadvantage Goku knew he was at, he still managed to smile. “I believe I was going on the attack. And I think I found a way to make my punches stick.”Exxis’ eyebrows rose with interest. “You don’t say. Well, Goku, I’m quite intrigued to see what you’ve come up with.”Goku got into a fighting pose. “Don’t blink.”He flew forward and threw a punch. Exxis moved to block, but instead felt Goku’s fist bury into his side. “What?”Goku threw another punch. Exxis blocked again, but still felt the Saiyan’s fist hit him in the gut. More blows followed, landing in different areas of his body. Exxis tried to follow Goku’s movements, but something wasn’t adding up. Goku continued to gain ground, raining blows against Exxis, despite the mercenary’s superior speed and strength.Exxis threw a punch, saw the blow connect, but didn’t feel his fist hit the Saiyan. Then one of Goku’s punches struck him. Exxis had seen it coming, had moved to block it, but it was as if Goku’s arm had become intangible, allowing his fist to pass through the mercenary’s defenses, and then become solid again just in time to deliver a blow.It suddenly clicked as to what was happening, and Exxis smirked. As Goku threw another punch, Exxis’ hand shot out and grasped the Saiyan’s arm, stopping the hit. “Impressive, Goku,” he complimented. “You combined your Instant Transmission with your After Image technique to teleport to the same spot in a slightly different position to get around my defense.” He slammed his forehead down on Goku’s face, knocking the Saiyan back. “I must commend you. Not many people can get around my defenses like that, especially in this form. Unfortunately…” he rushed at Goku, burying his fist into his stomach, “you won’t get the opportunity a second time.”Goku coughed and sputtered, but managed to crack a smile. “Don’t… Don’t be so sure. Solar Flare!”Exxis hissed, his hands going to his eyes. Goku knew he wouldn’t have much time, and instantly began punching Exxis wherever he could reach. But even blinded, it didn’t take Exxis long to pick up on Goku’s movements. He ducked as Goku threw a punch, then reached out to grasp the Saiyans arm. His own fist shot up, slamming into Goku’s torso with such force that he practically did a flip in the air, and would have had Exxis not been holding his arm.Yanking Goku down towards him, he pulled the Saiyan hard over his shoulder blades. His other hand grabbed Goku’s leg, and he bent him backwards over his shoulder. Goku cried out as he attempted to pull free, his back bending in the wrong direction, threatening to break before too long. Exxis chuckled as he blinked his eyes open, his vision still blurry. That Solar Flare attack was a real nuisance, particularly because it was always affective, no matter how strong he was. But he decided that this was a suitable revenge.“Tell me, what do you think will happen?” he asked the Saiyan. “Do you think your spine will break and I’ll fold you in half, or do you think you’ll simply be ripped in two? I don’t really care which, but if I had to make a choice…”He bent Goku further. The Saiyan seemed to lose the ability to keep screaming as he was stretched beyond the breaking point. “Kaio-ken… Times Twenty!”His body glowed red, and he curled up into a ball, breaking Exxis’ hold on him. He spun around and delivered a kick to the mercenary’s head, knocking him away. Ignoring his aching back, he flew after him and began delivering punches to his head and torso. Exxis grunted with each hit, and his hand shot out, grasping Goku’s face. The Saiyan didn’t let up as he began rapidly firing energy blasts into his opponent’s chest.Exxis held on despite the repeated blasts, and slammed Goku’s head down while kicking up, knocking the Kaio-ken out of him. As Goku grasped at his forehead, Exxis balled his hands together and brought them down on the Saiyan. He flew after him as Goku sped to the ground, catching up quickly, and began raining punches against him, speeding up their descent. They hit the ground, and Exxis’ punches kept coming, the blows cracking the ground beneath him for miles and causing the entire planet to shake.“Dad, no!” Gohan gasped.“Get out of there,” Piccolo urged quietly.Exxis chuckled as he continued to pummel the Saiyan. “What’s wrong, Goku? You showed such promise not too long ago. Don’t tell me you’ve tapped out.”He stopped punching and took a step back. Holding out his hand, he fired a blast of energy. Goku was sent flying through the air, landing hard on his back a distance away. He coughed a few times, his whole body aching from the beating he had received. Yet he forced himself to his feet all the same, the effort much harder than it should have been. To make matters worse, he was reaching his limit with his Super Saiyan Three form.Exxis watched from several dozen maters away, a small frown on his face at how Goku was struggling. As the Saiyan cupped his hands together to unleash a Kamehameha Wave, Exxis closed the distance between them in an instant, delivering a punch to Goku’s gut. A pained groan escaped Goku as he doubled over.Exxis took a step back, allowing the Saiyan to drop to his knees, and then collapse onto the ground. His hair retracted back to its normal length and became black once more as he lost his hold on his Super Saiyan Three form. The Z Fighters gasped as they saw this, realizing the worst had happened.“No, Goku’s down,” Piccolo exclaimed. “And he’s lost his Super Saiyan Three form.”Gohan was torn. He wanted to help his father, but he remembered what he said about interfering, and he knew that his father was serious about it. He really could be so stubborn sometimes. But still, if he didn’t do something…“We’ve got to help him.”He made a move to fly over, but Vegeta’s voice stopped him. “Stay right where you are!”Both Gohan and Piccolo glanced at the Saiyan prince. “Goku needs our help,” the latter told him. “If we don’t go down there now, he’s going to die.”Vegeta humphed. “Neither of you truly understand a Saiyan’s pride. Not even you, boy.” He sneered at Gohan as he said this. “As the only one who can truly understand Kakarot, I’ll be the one to decide if and when one of us should step in.”Goku was still trying to suck in a decent breath from the blow to his torso. Exxis stood over him in all his Hybrid Warrior glory, only the excitement in his eyes seemed to have died down. “I guess that’s it then. Well, it was an immensely enjoyable fight that far exceeded my expectations. I’ll always be grateful to you for the experience. Unfortunately, I do still have to kill you now.”Goku grit his teeth and looked up at him. He forced himself to get to his feet, though he was visibly slouching. “I gotta admit, I can honestly say that you beat me fair and square. However,” he transformed into a Super Saiyan, “I’m not ready to die just yet. Kaio-ken!”His aura turned red, and he leapt at Exxis. The mercenary’s hand shot out and wrapped around Goku’s neck, immediately dispersing his Kaio-ken. The look on Exxis’ face was now one of disappointment. “I can understand your reluctance to die. None of the targets I’ve hunted down have been too fond of the thought either. They, however, did not get a say in the matter.” He held out his hand, and a blade of energy appeared around it. “And neither do you.”The others gasped as they realized what was about to happen, but there was no way to stop it in time. Exxis thrust his hand forward, the energy blade stabbing into Goku’s chest, just like a knife would. A cry escaped him, and he spat up blood. Exxis smirked, digging the blade in deeper and twisting it slightly.“Shh,” he gently shushed the groaning Saiyan. “It’ll be over soon. Take pride in the fact that it took the ultimate warrior to bring you down, for you are the strongest of all Saiyans.” He smirked. “Well, the strongest pure-blooded Saiyan.”He twisted the blade some more, extracting another cry from Goku. A chuckle escaped him, and he glanced at the others, knowing that they would step in at any moment. He was ready for them, even if they all attacked together. But it was already too late to save their friend.Something exploded against him from behind. It didn’t feel like an energy blast, but like a literal explosion. Someone must have snuck up on him from behind, masking their power so he couldn’t sense them. Exxis dropped Goku and turned around angrily. What looked like a ghost of an overweight boy was coming at him. There were several dozen others just like it nearby, including one who was not a ghost.“Go, ghosts!” Gotenks shouted.The ghost that was coming at Exxis gave out a battle cry. The mercenary scowled and threw a punch, striking the ghost in the face. Much to his surprise, the ghost grinned, and a moment later, it exploded. It was the same type of blast that had hit him a moment ago. That had been one of these creatures?“Got him again!” Gotenks cried proudly. “Now, everyone, attack!”The kamikaze ghosts flew at Exxis, exploding against him upon contact. Gohan didn’t waste any time. Ignoring what Vegeta had said earlier, he flew down to the battlefield while Exxis was distracted by the exploding ghosts. He knew they wouldn’t be able to distract the mercenary for long, and so he quickly gathered up his father and flew back over to Piccolo and Vegeta.“Dad, you ok?” he asked worriedly.Coughing breathlessly, Goku pressed a hand to his stab wound. “Guess I bit off more than I could chew this time.”Piccolo humphed. “How typical.” He examined the wound. “This doesn’t look good. You need immediate healing.”Gotenks flew over as he left his ghosts to deal with Exxis. “Hey, what’s going on here?”Piccolo glanced at him, eying his obese form. “What are you doing here? Especially like that?”Gotenks waved his chubby arms. “So I screwed up the Fusion! Give me a break. It’s Mom’s fault anyway for distracting me while I was doing the ritual dance.”In the distance, there was a cry from Exxis, followed by an explosion of energy that engulfed the area, evaporating all the kamikaze ghosts. It seemed the mercenary had grown fed up with the sentient explosives, and he decided to simply blow them all away. The attack died down, and he turned his attention to the others.“Oh, man,” Gotenks groaned. “He destroyed all my ghosts. Who is this guy?”“No one you will concern yourself with in your condition,” Vegeta told him coldly, disappointed by his son’s failed Fusion. “So just stay back.”He hopped down and began making his way towards the mercenary. Gotenks openly pouted at his father. “Hey, I can still fight!” he objected, and suddenly changed into a Super Saiyan Three. “Yeah! How do you like that?” Almost immediately, his power vanished, and he reverted back to his base form. He blinked in surprise and looked at his pudgy hands. “Hey, what happened?“You goofed up the Fusion,” Piccolo grumbled impatiently. “It only makes sense that you don’t have access to your true power.”Down below, Exxis studied Gotenks curiously before glancing at Vegeta. “Is that Saiyan energy I’m sensing? I’m pretty sure he just became a Super Saiyan Three.” He smirked as he looked at Vegeta. “Ah, I get it now. Is he your son, or Goku’s?”“He’s of no concern of yours,” the Saiyan prince told him. “Your fight is with me now.”He transformed into a Super Saiyan Two. Exxis looked on in interest as he waited for him to take it to the next level. But when Vegeta didn’t take it further, he raised an eyebrow curiously. “Well, aren’t you going to go Super Saiyan Three too?” He received a scowl in return, and it suddenly clicked. “Oh, don’t tell me you can’t reach Super Saiyan Three. Honestly, a fight with you now isn’t even worth my time.”“I don’t need to mimic Kakarot in order to be the best,” Vegeta snapped furiously. “I am the prince of all Saiyans. I stand above all others. That includes Kakarot, and you.”Exxis scoffed. “Well then, forgive me, your majesty. I was under the impression that true power was something achieved, not something you were born into.”Vegeta flew forward and threw a punch, striking the mercenary’s cheek. Exxis’ head snapped to the side, his face scrunched up from Vegeta’s fist pressing against it. However, he appeared more annoyed than anything, and he fixed the Saiyan prince with a glare. “I certainly hope you were holding back with that one, or this will barely qualify as entertainment for me.”Vegeta jumped back and studied his opponent, as if trying to determine if his attack had done any damage, and if so, how much. Gotenks, however, looked on in disbelief. “He just took a punch to the face from my dad, and he didn’t even blink.”“Which is precisely why you have no business here in that bloated form,” Piccolo told him.Gotenks waved this off. “Don’t worry, I’ve already been Fused for a while now. The half-hour should be up soon, then I’ll be able to help fight.”“Don’t be a fool!” the Namekian snapped. “He’s too strong for you as Goten and Trunks, and it’ll be an hour before you’ll be able to Fuse again once you separate.”“But…”“Gotenks,” said Gohan, “instead of fighting, take Dad to Dende for healing. We don’t have any Senzu beans, and I’m not sure how much longer he’s going to last with this wound.”Gotenks looked at his father, seeing the wound in his chest. He could sense it too, his father’s life energy was fading fast. He needed to be healed, and quickly.He sighed in resignation. “Ok, but get a good hit in for me.” He bent down and lifted Goku up, draping him over his back. “Alright, I’ll see you guys later. Go kick his ass.”He took off with Goku. Exxis attention turned to him as he flew away. “Not so fast, my little friend.”He pointed a finger and fired a beam. Gohan leapt up and swatted it away, allowing Gotenks and their father to make their escape. Exxis stared after them for a few moments before shrugging.“No matter. He won’t last long with an injury like that, and I can always find and kill that brat later.” His gaze turned to Vegeta, and he smirked. “Besides, I’m much more interested in you.” His grin widened, becoming more mocking. “So why don’t you show me what you’re capable of, your majesty.”

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https://www.deviantart.com/silverbuller/art/Exxis-The-Saiyan-Hera-Hybrid-794437049
 
Chapter 14: Crushed Pride
Vegeta didn’t care for Exxis’ condescending tone. “You may only be half-Saiyan, but you’re still a Saiyan, and that will always place you beneath me, and any other pure-blooded Saiyan.”The mercenary’s grin was full of mockery. “Is that a fact? Well, royalty never mattered to me. So forgive me for not kneeling at your feet and groveling in subordination.”Vegeta’s fists clenched furiously. No one spoke to the prince of all Saiyans like that, especially not one of his subjects. And his irritation only increased when Piccolo and Gohan came down beside him.“I don’t think we can beat him,” the Namekian stated truthfully. “But hopefully we’ll be able to hold him off long enough for Goku to be healed and join us.”Vegeta scoffed. “If you think I’m going to fight with the two of you, then you’re even bigger fools than Kakarot.”Gohan looked at the Saiyan prince in surprise. “But… you saw what he did to my dad.”“I don’t expect a pacifist like you to understand, boy, nor you, Namekian. This is a matter of Saiyan pride.”The younger Saiyan’s eyes narrowed. “When isn’t it?”“It’s different this time. It’s time I taught this Saiyan rebel to show the proper respect to his prince.”Exxis cracked his neck. “If you’re done with the big speech, I’m getting rather bored, and that is very dangerous. So lets move this along. I have a vow to fulfill.”Vegeta took a fighting stance. “I’ll make you regret those words.”He flew at Exxis, and the mercenary easily dodged. He followed up with a kick, and Exxis vanished, reappearing behind him upside-down in the air. Vegeta turned around, and Exxis’ fist shot out, hitting him in the face. The Saiyan prince stumbled back several feet. From the feeling of the blow, he could tell that Exxis had been holding back, and it just vexed Vegeta even more. He held out his hands, palms together, and started firing balls of energy.Exxis vanished and reappeared inside the storm of energy balls before disappearing and reappearing again closer this time, then repeated the process. When he appeared directly in front of the Saiyan prince, Vegeta stopped firing out of pure surprise. But when Exxis smirked at him, Vegeta scowled and fired a powerful blast.He missed. At pointblank range, he missed. Exxis suddenly appeared above him, and his fist came down, bopping Vegeta on the head so hard he fell to his hands and knees. Exxis chuckled down at him. “Weren’t you supposed to be the one to make me bow?”Vegeta glared up at him. “I am your prince!” He leapt at him. “You will acknowledge my superiorit-”Exxis maneuvered around his fists and delivered his own punch to the Saiyan prince, using more power than before. Vegeta had the wind knocked out of him, and was promptly knocked away by another punch to the face. Holding up his hand, he fired a blast at the Saiyan prince.Vegeta did a flip in the air and reached out, grasping at the ground to stop his momentum, his fingers tearing it apart. He charged at Exxis, dodging the energy blast that had been fired at him. Exxis let him approach, and began dodging the various kicks and punches the Saiyan prince threw at him with ease. He wore a smirk on his face the entire time, which only served to anger the Saiyan prince further.“Is dodging all you can do?” he demanded. “Where’s that power you displayed against Kakarot. I have no need for a handicap.”Exxis caught the next punch he threw. “As you wish, your highness.”He leapt up, kneeing Vegeta in the chin, then did it again and again, causing the Saiyan prince to stumble back with each blow. Spinning around, he kicked Vegeta, sending him flying. Then, moving at speeds too fast to see, he appeared in Vegeta’s path, and sent him flying in the other direction. And so seemed to begin playing a game of pass the ball with himself, the ball in this case being Vegeta.Gohan winced with each blow Vegeta took. Beside him, Piccolo looked equally as frustrated as they watched the Saiyan prince get pummeled. “He’s not going to be able to beat him,” Gohan stated, “not on his own.”“I know,” Piccolo agreed. “But you know what he’s like.” His fists clenched in aggravation. “Damn it, Vegeta. Why do you have to be so stubborn?”Another blow from Exxis sent Vegeta crashing to the ground. He groaned in pain, his body aching as he lifted his head out of the dirt. “No, no, this can’t be. Bad enough that Kakarot has surpassed me, I can’t lose to yet another Saiyan, let alone a half-breed.”Exxis landed a distance away. “Don’t feel too bad. After all, I’m also a Hera. The best of both worlds, so to speak.”Gritting his teeth, Vegeta forced himself to his feet and turned to face the mercenary. “As if a mere half-blood is on the same level as a pure-blooded elite, let alone the prince of all Saiyans.”The smug expression on Exxis’ face vanished, leaving an irritated scowl in its place as he began walking towards the Saiyan prince. “You’ve brought up your princely status several times now. Like that’s supposed to mean something. But let me tell you something, your majesty, it doesn’t mean a damn thing.”He vanished and reappeared in front of Vegeta, a blow to the head knocking the Saiyan prince to the ground. “So you got lucky and were born as the son of the king. Your position could have easily been granted to anyone. Anyone at all. But by a small chance of fate, it was you that got lucky. You’re nothing more than a rock that destiny just happened to pick up and randomly place in the genetic pool of the self-proclaimed king of Saiyans.”His foot shot out, kicking Vegeta in the side and sending him flying. He sped after the Saiyan prince, catching up quickly and bringing his balled fists down on him to send Vegeta crashing to the ground.“But I understand why you so desperately cling to your title like it’s some kind of security blanket,” Exxis continued. “You had this idea that as the prince of all Saiyans, you should be the best, the strongest of all. I assume it was some sort of coping mechanism to make being Frieza’s little slave tolerable, so you could tell yourself that you’re something more, something special, so you didn’t feel so insignificant. But you’re not special. In fact, Goku, a lower ranked Saiyan than you, is your superior in every way. So you hang onto your title as prince because it’s all you have left. It’s the only so-called indication that you’re superior to Goku, even if it is a mere title due to the chance of your birth. Because without it, you really are nothing. Just one of the many others that is unable to match Goku. And now me.”He dropped from the sky down towards the Saiyan prince. Vegeta leapt up and jumped away as the mercenary’s fist shattered the ground. He turned furiously back to Exxis and cupped his hands together at his side. “You know nothing. You’re nothing but a lowly mercenary. Galick Gun!”He fired a purple beam. Exxis calmly turned to it and held up his hand. The beam struck his palm, pushing the mercenary back, his feet leaving grooves in the ground until he managed to stop. Slowly, he took a step forward, then another, pushing through Vegeta’s attack as he approached the Saiyan prince.“So I’m a mercenary,” he said dispassionately. “So what? That is merely my title. It has no bearings on my power. Just as your prince title doesn’t mean anything either. Your father at least earned his title, back when a power level that small actually meant something, but you were merely born as his son, and you think that means something is special about you. Well, if your princely status is so great, then it should magically make you my superior.” He came to a stop right in front of the Saiyan prince, despite the Galick Gun still pushing against him. “So come on, lets see just how you being a prince makes you my better.”His other hand shot out, hitting Vegeta in the face. He fell over, his feet leaving the ground from the impact, and his attack ceased. Exxis’ hand grabbed at Vegeta’s ankle while it was still in the air, and he threw him, only to appear in his path, and kicking him straight up.Flying past Vegeta, Exxis grabbed him in a headlock. “Come on, Vegeta. Where’s that divine superiority you’re supposed to have over me by default? You’re the Saiyan prince, right? By your logic, that should automatically make you my better. So why isn’t anything happening?”He dropped from the sky, bringing Vegeta with him. The Saiyan prince struggled, but was unable to break free as the ground rushed up to meet them. At the last moment, Exxis pulled out of the dive while letting Vegeta go, and the Saiyan prince hit the ground.Exxis landed beside the crater that had formed and crossed his arms. “Still nothing? Come on, Vegeta. You’re the Saiyan prince. Show me your title means something other than a fancy way to address yourself.”He waited several seconds more until Vegeta slowly floated up into the air, breathing heavily. Exxis smirked at him, then, quick as lightning, fired a beam from his finger. It struck the Saiyan prince, blasting him from the sky. He hit the ground hard, and remained there. Exxis smirked at him as he sensed the Saiyan prince reaching his limit. This proved to be true as Vegeta reverted to his base form.“So,” he taunted, “what’s your title worth now, Prince Vegeta? I’ll tell you. Nothing. It’s always been nothing. Being the prince of all Saiyans doesn’t mean a damn thing if you don’t have what it takes to back it up. It won’t automatically make you greater than anyone or anything. The only true titles that have any meaning are the ones that we obtain ourselves.”He opened his hand, and a ball of energy appeared in it. Holding his hand straight up, he caused the ball of energy to grow larger and larger, until it was twice the size of him. Then he launched it straight up into the air.The ball of energy flew straight up, but a motion from Exxis caused it to stop and suddenly fly down towards Vegeta. It crashed down on the Saiyan prince’s back, crushing him to the ground, and Vegeta cried out in pain. Exxis motioned for the energy ball to rise up again, then brought it down on Vegeta once more.“That is exactly what I’m doing,” Exxis continued as he slammed the energy ball down on Vegeta again. “I’ve earned my title. I unlocked this Hybrid Warrior form and mastered it. I trained hard to become the most powerful being in the universe. I survived the extinction of the Hera race, and am the last one left alive. And soon, I will have finished off the rest of the Saiyan race, becoming the sole survivor of both. These are titles I’ve worked towards and earned, they weren’t something I was conveniently born into, so they actually mean something.”He brought the energy ball down one last time, and with a flick of his finger, detonated it. The blast covered a large radius, forming a crater several dozen meters wide. And when the smoke died down, Exxis walked over to it and looked down at the immobile Saiyan prince.Holding up his hand, he gathered energy within it. “So much for the worth of your title. Goodbye, Vegeta.”“Go!” Piccolo cried, leaping into battle.Gohan fired a blast of energy a moment before Exxis fired his own at the Saiyan prince. It knocked the mercenary’s attack away, and Exxis glanced at Piccolo as the Namekian swung at him. Exxis disappeared and reappeared in the air as Gohan and Piccolo regrouped, and he scowled down at the two of them.“You people have an annoying habit of interfering,” he commented irritably.“Yeah,” Gohan agreed, “we’ve been known to do that.”Exxis cracked his neck. “Well, I was going to kill you anyway. Might as well be now.”Both Gohan and Piccolo fired a beam at him. Exxis vanished and reappeared between the two, kicking one in one direction and the other in another. He then flew after Piccolo, driving his elbow in the Namekian’s chest, then sent him into the air with an uppercut, then back down with is balled fists. Then he was in front of Gohan, and his fists began flying. Gohan took a few hits before he jumped straight to Super Saiyan Two, and caught Exxis’ fist.The mercenary smirked. “Ah, there it is. I knew I sensed more power in you than what was on the surface. Guess I shouldn’t be surprised; you are Goku’s son.”His knee came up into Gohan’s stomach, then his elbow sent him crashing to the ground. He flew down towards him before pulling back as Piccolo’s arm stretched out a great distance to try and strike him.Exxis fired upon the Namekian, and Piccolo retracted his arm just in time to catch the blast. He struggled with it, but then Exxis himself was there, pushing his own attack away to deliver a punch to the Namekian’s jaw. He smirked before an energy blast hit him in the back. He turned to Gohan and began launching multiple energy blasts.Gohan forced his way through them, knocking them aside, and threw a punch. Exxis’ arm came up to block, the impact sending out a shockwave. For a few moments, they stared at each either, Gohan in anger, Exxis with interest.“Tell me, boy,” the mercenary inquired, “are you holding back?”“Not against someone like you,” Gohan growled.Exxis’ eyes narrowed. “I see. How disappointing.”Piccolo tried to attack him from behind, and Exxis vanished. He reappeared above them both and delivered a kick to the Namekian’s head, sending him flying. He held his hand out at Gohan and cried out, firing a blast of energy.Now it was Gohan’s turn to get sent flying, and Exxis sped after him. He reached out, grabbing a handful of Gohan’s hair as he passed, and flipped him over his shoulder, slamming him on the ground. Gohan had the wind knocked out of him, but had no time to recover as Exxis lifted his leg into the air, intending to bring it down on the half-Saiyan’s head. Gohan’s arm came up to block the blow, and he felt as if his bones had shattered as Exxis’ heel came down on his arms. Exxis’ other foot immediately shot out, burying into Gohan’s side, sending him crashing into a rock formation.Piccolo got up, his hand going to his head. It felt like he had a concussion. Well, he’d had those before; they all did, and he was coherent enough to see Gohan get kicked away. “Gohan!” With a growl, he held his hands up at Exxis. “Masenko-ha!The mercenary glanced at the approaching beam and snickered. He pointed a finger at the incoming attack and fired a ray. It flew through the Masenko and struck Piccolo in the shoulder, passing out his back. The Namekian let out a surprised gasp of pain and began to collapse. Exxis rushed over to him before he hit the ground and delivered a kick that sent him flying through the air.The large pile of rocks that had once been an entire structure shifted as Gohan emerged, breathing heavily. Exxis smirked at him and motioned for more. “Come on, boy. At least prove that you’re your father’s son.”The insult really got to Gohan, and his power flared, sending rocks flying. He launched at Exxis, throwing punches and kicks wherever he could. Exxis dodged the attacks a little too easily, seemingly even surprising himself at the ease in which he was able to avoid the teen’s blows.Catching one of Gohan’s punches, he glared at him. “What’s wrong with you, boy? With this much power, you should be better than this.”Gohan glared as he tried and failed to push his captured fist forward. “Lets just say my fighting skills are a little rusty and leave it at that.”The mercenary’s eyes narrowed with disapproval. “I had a feeling. Well, let me help you refresh them a bit. Dodge!”His fist shot out, too fast for Gohan to avoid, and slammed into the half-Saiyan’s face, sending him crashing to the ground. Exxis looked down at him with a scowl on his face that suggested that he was disappointed. “Looks like your skills are even more lacking than I thought. A true warrior doesn’t let peace defeat him.”He dropped from the sky, his foot extended. Gohan leapt away as the mercenary’s foot shattered the ground. He didn’t stop there though as he began firing blasts of energy at the teen. Gohan flipped away from the blasts before kicking off a rock wall and flying towards Exxis, managing to drive his fist in the mercenary’s face.Exxis skidded back from the blow. He looked mildly surprised, but then broke out into a grin. “Now that’s more like it.”“Special Beam Cannon!”Exxis’ head snapped in the direction of Piccolo’s attack as it flew at him. He took a step forward and kicked it into the air, changing its direction. Piccolo was coming at him a moment later. Gohan went on the attack as well as they double-teamed their opponent. Exxis raised his arms to block Piccolo’s attempted knee to the head and Gohan’s punch, holding them back as they pushed against him.All three disappeared and reappeared in the sky, exchanging blows. Despite there being two of them, Exxis seemed to be having no trouble warding off either of his opponents. His elbow flew back, slamming into Gohan’s face, then he turned around and held out his hand, blasting him away. Piccolo used the opportunity while his back was turned to lash out at him, but Exxis whirled around and grabbed his wrist.Exxis smirked as he eyed the Namekian. “If I’m not mistaken, your kind can regenerate, right?”“What of it?” Piccolo demanded.The mercenary chuckled. “Just wondering how many times I’ll be able to do this.”His other hand came up, slicing right through Piccolo’s arm. The Namekian howled as he grabbed his bloody stump, hovering away from the mercenary. Exxis sneered at him before brining the severed arm up to his mouth and taking a large bite out of it. He chewed twice before spitting it out. “You taste like crap.”He followed this up by opening his mouth and firing a beam that pushed Piccolo down to the ground and erupted. Exxis smirked down at the dust cloud, but the smile soon left his face as Gohan grabbed him from behind, locking his arms around the mercenary’s shoulders.Exxis glared at him from over his shoulder. “Sneaky bastard.”Gohan held on tightly as Exxis attempted to break his hold. “Hurry, Piccolo, now’s your chance.”Groaning, the Namekian got to his feet, his arm still missing. “Give me a second.”“You don’t have a second,” Exxis sneered.Lasers shot from his eyes, striking down by Piccolo’s feet, causing an explosion. Next, Exxis slammed his head back into Gohan’s face, then did a flip forward in the air, bringing them both down to the ground, crushing Gohan against the hard surface. He flew straight up, looking down at the half-Saiyan, and, with a wave of his hand, a series of explosions went off across the ground, leaving several dozen craters.Piccolo was getting to his feet again. A different kind of pain shot through his stump, a growing pain, and a moment later, a new arm sprouted where the old one once was. Piccolo released the breath he had been holding from the regeneration pains before turning his attention to Gohan as the half-Saiyan made his way out of one of the craters.Flying over to his former protégé, he landed beside him. “You ok?”Gohan wiped his bleeding lip. “As much as I can be. This guy’s strength is out of this world.”“Yeah, no kidding. I hope Gotenks gets your dad to Dende in time, ‘cause I don’t see us beating him on our own.”Gohan reluctantly nodded in agreement. “Yeah, hopefully he’ll have a supply of Senzu beans with him when he returns too.”How Piccolo wished that were the case. “Hate to break it to you, kid, but Korin and Yajirobe are still growing the next batch. There are no beans to help us out this time.”Exxis landed a short distance away. “I don’t know what these beans are you’re talking about, but they won’t help you. Still, you should be proud of yourself, Namekian. Your power is among the greatest I’ve ever faced, even if it is still leagues away from my own. But as for you, boy,” his gaze shifted to Gohan, “you I’m disappointed in. I sense in you much power, and the potential to be something great; something much more than you currently are now. Such a shame you hadn’t put it into practice.”Both Gohan and Piccolo took fighting stances. “Don’t go celebrating just yet,” the former told him. “This battle is still going on.”“Only because I allow it,” Exxis retorted. “I could have ended things already, but chose not to. But once I get bored, this fight is over. So you better keep me entertained for as long as you can, or else you’ll end up like his majesty over there.”He nodded in the direction where Vegeta had fallen. Lying in the crater, fallen warrior’s hand twitched. Almost as if he had heard the mercenary’s words, the Saiyan prince began to stir, and his eyes cracked open.

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Chapter 15: Charging
Vegeta’s fingers dug into the ground as he dragged himself out of the crater. He grasped at the edge, pulling himself up, and looked over at Exxis as the mercenary stood against a battle weary Gohan and Piccolo.His fists clenched tightly as he thought back to how Exxis had poked fun at him and his birthright. Well, if the half-breed believed that titles needed to be earned, then he would prove that he was more than worthy of holding the title as the prince of Saiyans.“You dare to mock my pride,” he seethed furiously. “You will regret this.”Floating up into the sky, he transformed into a Super Saiyan Two again, gaining the attention of the others. With a mighty cry, he held his arms out, then snapped them together as he began to gather energy. His aura shined brightly and his muscles pulsed as he began summoning forth his power.“Exxis!” he called. “You have dared to challenge the prince of all Saiyans! Now you will see exactly why I hold that title!”A bead of nervous sweat ran down Piccolo’s forehead. This was the same thing Vegeta had attempted against Cell. It had almost worked, had it not been for Cell’s regeneration, but the attack was dangerous; one slip up, and it could destroy the entire planet.The mercenary may have been unfamiliar with the attack, but he did sense the rising power of it as Vegeta continued to gather energy. Yet an amused smirk crossed his face as he looked at the Saiyan prince. “Are you planning on using that on me, Vegeta?” He chuckled. “Well, I hate to break it to you, your highness, but I won’t be giving you the chance.” He pointed a finger at Vegeta, the tip glowing with energy. “I may be half-Saiyan, and thus enjoy a challenge, but I’m not foolish enough to let my opponent fully charge an attack just to see if I can withstand it. I’m afraid that logic trumps pride here. Goodbye, Vegeta.”Before he could fire, a kick to the head from Gohan knocked him away, and he crashed through a rock wall. Glancing at the Saiyan prince, he nodded in acknowledgment. “Whatever you’re planning, Vegeta, you better make it fast.”The pile of rocks that Exxis had gotten buried under trembled before they rose into the air. Exxis stood, relatively unharmed as he stared at Gohan. “I can see you’re going to be a pest. I suppose I’ll just have to squash you.”He made a hand motion, and all the floating rocks flew at Gohan. He began blasting them out of the sky and shattering them with punches when they got too close, and Piccolo did the same.Leaping out of the way of one that had come a little too close, Gohan cupped his hands together. “Ka-me-ha-me-HA!”The storm of flying rocks was obliterated as the attack headed straight for Exxis. The mercenary appeared behind Gohan and got him in a headlock. Gohan’s hands grasped Exxis’ arm as he tried unsuccessfully to pry it from around his neck.Piccolo attacked from above, dropping down and bringing his elbow down on top of Exxis’ head. The mercenary’s grip loosened on Gohan as he turned slightly and held up his hand to blast the Namekian. It was enough for Gohan, and his own elbow slammed into Exxis’ gut. This allowed him to turn around and fire a blast into his chest that pushed the mercenary back. Exxis had managed to catch the attack, but while his hands were preoccupied, Piccolo drove his foot into the mercenary’s face, then leapt back beside Gohan.“Masenko!” they cried out together, firing blasts of energy. It was a direct hit, and Exxis was blasted back by the combo attack.Vegeta’s power continued to rise, and the ground began to shake from the amount of energy building up. Gohan glanced at him in concern as he worried about the damage his attack might cause the planet. “Vegeta’s certainly going all out. I hope he’s careful.”“He’s betting everything on one last attack,” Piccolo told him. “It may be our last shot.”Exxis had recovered at this point. He held his hands out, creating a ball of energy in each, then snapped them together. The two energy balls became one before erupting into a powerful beam. Gohan and Piccolo barely managed to dodge as the attack flew past them, tunneling through everything in its path.“Then he better hit him,” Gohan grumbled. “I doubt we’ll get another chance.”Piccolo was silent for a moment. “Perhaps I can help our chances. Do you think you can distract him on your own?”Exxis scowled at the two of them. “What are you two whispering about? Trying to strategize? Well, whatever you’re planning it won’t work.”He held up his hand and created a ball of energy that began to grow. A nervous feeling settled in Gohan’s stomach as he watched the attack increase in size. “I can keep him busy for a while, yeah. What’s your plan?”“While Vegeta powers up, I’ll charge my Special Beam Cannon to the max. It may not be enough to defeat him, but it should do some substantial damage. At the very least, it should make Vegeta’s attack more affective against him if he’s already damaged.”The ball of energy Exxis had created had grown to a massive size. It suddenly burst, and thousands of smaller individual energy blasts went flying. They didn’t head off in random directions, but instead headed straight for Gohan and Piccolo.The two of them scattered, countless energy blasts following after them as Exxis directed them with hand motions. They dodged and knocked away the ones that got too close. Exxis smirked at the close calls they had, watching in amusement as they futilely tried to avoid his attack.Silent communication seemed to pass between the two warriors, and they flew towards each other. They vanished before they collided with each other, reappearing higher up in the sky. The energy balls began colliding with each other, unable to pull up in time.“Looks like that worked,” Gohan commented.He realized that he had spoken too soon as, from out of the cloud of smoke below them, several more surviving energy balls flew up to the two of them.“Not quite,” Piccolo muttered, and they took off again in different directions. At Exxis’ command, he sent the energy balls after them again.Piccolo glanced over his shoulder at the pursing energy balls before facing forward again. He began firing his own blasts of energy ahead of him, the blasts coming to a stop in the air, forming a tunnel for him to fly through. And once he was through the other end, he turned around and brought his hands together. “Hellzone Grenade!”His own energy blasts collided with Exxis’ resulting in numerous explosions that successfully cancelled out the mercenary’s attack.At the same time, Gohan was attempting to shake off his share of Exxis’ attack. Deciding to try a different tactic, he turned around as he continued to fly away from the energy balls. “Ka-me-ha-me-HA!”He fired a beam that flew into the swarm of energy balls, causing them to explode upon impact. He then directed the beam at Exxis, and the mercenary braced himself. He lashed out at the beam, sending out a shockwave that, upon making contact with the attack, tore the beam apart.Gohan scowled at his failed attack and sent a telepathic message to Piccolo. “Better get started on that attack. I’ve got your five minutes covered.”The Namekian nodded and touched his middle and index fingers to his forehead. His fingers began to glow as he started to gather energy. He was fully aware that having an attack that took five minutes to charge was illogical, but when it worked, the results could not be argued with. Now all he needed was for Gohan to keep their opponent distracted.But Exxis’ attention was no longer even on either of them. The planet was beginning to shake more violently, and the mercenary’s attention had returned to the Saiyan prince as the source. A spark had begun appearing and disappearing in Vegeta’s palms as the build up of energy threatened to spill out.A small scowl was present on Exxis’ face as he watched the Saiyan prince, and he pointed a finger at him, a small flicker of energy appearing at the tip.“Eyes over here!” Gohan shouted, flying towards Exxis and kicking outward.The mercenary glanced back at him and raised his arm to block the kick. They disappeared a moment later, reappearing in the air in a fury of kicks and punches. They disappeared and reappeared several times, still exchanging blows, Exxis fairing much better than Gohan. Vanishing again, they began colliding together over and over again, hitting and blocking their opponent.Upon coming together again, Exxis addressed the half-Saiyan. “You should be better than this,” he noted as he held back Gohan’s punch. “I feel your power, it’s immense, but your skills are sloppy. When was the last time you fought before today?”He threw a punch that Gohan dodged, and flew back to avoid the energy blast that followed. “Aside from against Buu and a few others, it’s been over seven years.”He fired an energy blast that Exxis knocked away. The mercenary was now scowling in disapproval. “Over seven years since you last fought? No wonder you’re so out of practice. Did you even train at all during that time?”Other than with Goten in preparation for the World Martial Arts Tournament and his training with the Z Sword, no, he hadn’t. “I don’t have the same love of fighting that my dad or Vegeta share.”Exxis seemed to get angry at this. “How wasteful!”He flew at Gohan and began throwing punches more furiously than before. Gohan barely managed to dodge and knock his fists away. Exxis then disappeared and reappeared behind him, slamming his elbow into his back. He followed up by balling his fists and bringing them down on the half-Saiyan, sending him crashing to the ground.With Gohan temporarily out of the way, Exxis glanced at Piccolo. He had sensed that he was building up energy to release a powerful attack just like Vegeta was. A part of him was greatly tempted to let them both finish so he could challenge their attacks, but as he said before, he wasn’t foolish enough to let his opponents gain an advantage like that; fighting smartly was important and strategic as well.Raising his hand, he began firing at Piccolo. The Namekian ducked and dodged the energy blasts as he focused on charging his attack. He was almost there, he just needed a little more time.Exxis fired a larger energy blast. Piccolo was about to jump out of its path when it suddenly split into a ring of energy balls. He began back-pedaling as he attempted to dodge, and several explosions went off around him.Standing in a cloud of smoke, Piccolo became conscious of another beam coming straight for him, leaving no time for him to dodge. Then Gohan was suddenly there, holding out his hands to catch the attack. He did so, but it was clear that he was struggling with it.Exxis grinned and suddenly turned to Vegeta, firing two more energy blasts. Gohan gasped, and with a burst of strength, managed to direct the beam he was holding away from Piccolo. He then flew towards Vegeta, firing an energy blast of his own. He managed to destroy Exxis’ first blast, and was able to make it to Vegeta in time to knock away the second.“Better hurry up with that attack, Vegeta,” he told the Saiyan prince. “He’s just playing with us. If he gets serious, it’s all over.”A vein throbbed in Vegeta’s head, both from the strain of his attack and from frustration. “Just do your part, brat. I’ll take care of the rest.”Gohan’s own temper was being tested by the Saiyan prince, but he turned back to the mercenary to find Exxis smirking at him. Raising a hand, he calmly motioned for Gohan to come at him. Gohan obliged, flying towards the mercenary. He threw a punch, and Exxis disappeared. He was behind him now, and Gohan turned around, kicking out, but hit nothing once more.Exxis was floating above him horizontally. As Gohan looked up, the mercenary’s hand shot out, grabbing him by the hair and slamming him face first into the ground. Keeping a firm grip on his hair, Exxis buried his face deeper into the dirt. “You see. This is where the lack of training gets you. You may have a lot of power, but you can’t use it affectively or to the fullest if you don’t keep up with your training.”He began dragging Gohan along, keeping his face buried in the ground. Rocks and anything else in their path shattered as Exxis pushed him along before he finally drove his foot into his side. Gohan went flying into the air, and Exxis appeared above him, bringing down his balled fists.Gohan cried out and went speeding towards the ground. Exxis was already there, and he casually raised his fists for Gohan to fall on. However, Gohan was able to stop his descent at the last moment and pull away from him.Exxis raised an eyebrow and lowered his fist. “Not bad. Perhaps you’re not as rusty as I thought. At least your recovery time is good.”Gohan was about to retort when Piccolo’s voice echoed in his head. “Gohan, it’s time. My attack’s ready.”Gohan nodded internally. “Right, I’ll give you an opening.” He gave Exxis a hard look. “I’ll show you where my skill level is at.” He flew up higher and cupped his hands together. “Ka-me-ha-me-HA!”He unleashed a powerful Kamehameha Wave. Exxis smirked as the attack came at him. He braced himself, digging his feet into the ground, and reached out, catching the attack. A lot of power went into it, and the ground was shredded beneath the mercenary’s feet as he was pushed back. Despite his superior strength, he was clearly struggling against the attack.“Yes, now that’s more like it!” he called to Gohan in delight. “Why didn’t you do this from the beginning?”“Special Beam Cannon!” Piccolo shouted, pointing his two glowing fingers at Exxis. An orange drilling beam erupted from his fingertips, flying towards the mercenary as he held back Gohan’s attack.Frustration filled Exxis’ face as he saw the attack coming. “Clever bastards.”He cried out and forced Gohan’s attack up and away. Piccolo’s attack was still coming at him, and Exxis jumped up, doing a spinning flip in the air. It had come close, but Piccolo’s attack passed by him, nearly grazing his flailing arms and legs as Exxis spun in the air. The beam flew off into the horizon, disappearing into the distance with a small flicker.Piccolo snarled in frustration. “Damn, we were so close.”Exxis landed lightly on his feet. Despite nearly being hit, he was smiling. “The two of you worked that out telepathically, didn’t you? I must admit, I’m impressed. An attack of that magnitude would have hurt even me.”Still smiling, he glanced at Vegeta. The entire planet was shaking violently from the buildup of energy. Bolts had begun flying from his palms as energy began escaping his grasp, tearing up the area around him, the pieces of shredded rock rising into the air around him, only to be disintegrated.Exxis’ smirk widened. “I suppose you’re planning something similar with him.” He nodded at Vegeta. “I guess I should stop fooling around so much and put an end to it. But first…”He was suddenly in front of Piccolo. His foot shot out, slamming into the Namekian’s chest. He felt his ribs break, and Piccolo went flying backwards. He bounced and skidded across the ground, ending up on his back. Exxis came down on him from up above, driving his elbow into his already broken ribs.“Piccolo!” Gohan cried.Taking careful aim so he wouldn’t hit Piccolo, he fired a Masenko at the mercenary. Exxis turned to him and fired his own beam. It collided with Gohan’s and began pushing it back. The teen cried out in surprise before he was overwhelmed by the attack and carried off.Exxis chuckled, while on the ground, Piccolo’s ribs began repairing themselves. The crunching and popping sound of bones shifting drew Exxis attention, and he glanced down at the Namekian. “Ah, that’s right, regeneration. A handy ability if you want to stay alive.” His smirk became cruel. “But a major nuisance if you simply want to die. Which reminds me.” He pointed at Piccolo’s arm, firing a small spark of energy, and Piccolo’s arm was blasted off his body, eliciting a pained cry from the Namekian. “That’s two now that I’ve taken.” He shifted his aim and blasted off Piccolo’s other arm. “That’s three. Shall we move to the legs?”“Good idea.” The response came from Gohan a moment before his kick made contact with Exxis’ head, knocking him away from Piccolo. The mercenary did a flip before landing on his feet and turned back to Gohan, just in time to grab his arm as he attempted to throw a punch.“You recovered quickly, boy. Like I said, good recovery time. I’ll have to up my game.”He flipped Gohan overhead and threw him into a rock wall. Gohan managed to kick off it and launch himself at the mercenary. Exxis flew straight up, and Gohan flew after him. He dodged the lasers Exxis fired from his eyes down at him, and attempted to land an uppercut, but Exxis managed to avoid it, but not the knee to the face that Gohan delivered afterwards.A scowl crossed Exxis’ face. “Don’t get cocky, boy.”His tail shot out, wrapping around Gohan’s ankle. He yanked him down and delivered a kick. His tail remained wrapped around Gohan, preventing him from being knocked away as he continued to kick him like a ball on a string.Piccolo shakingly rose to his feet. He groaned in pain as first one arm and then the other sprouted from his torso. Taking a few deep breaths, he looked up at the two combatants and placed his two fingers to his forehead. There was no time to charge his attack to the max again; he would have to settle for the lower powered instant use version. “Special Beam Cannon!”He fired his beam, striking Exxis in the back, causing him to drop Gohan. Turning back to the Namekian, he smirked. “Well, looks whose back on his feet. Too bad that wasn’t your previous attack.”Then he was directly above Piccolo, bringing his elbow down on his forehead. Piccolo went down, and Exxis stood above him. He held out his hand and began firing low powered energy blasts at the Namekian’s torso. Piccolo cried out as each blast disintegrated what was left of his already shredded shirt, leaving painful burns across his back.Gohan came flying at him. Exxis ceased firing and jumped back to avoid the punch. Gohan went after him, and Exxis came forward to meet him. The two began exchanging blows, their fists flying at speeds too fast to see. A crater formed beneath their feet from the shockwaves of their blows that continued to grow in size.Both their fists came together for a few seconds before their fingers locked and they began pushing against each other. Gohan’s expression was one of strain while Exxis was smiling. He pushed harder, moving his hands up higher, and the ground began to crumble beneath Gohan’s feet as he was pushed into the ground.
“Boy, unless you want to die, you better get out of there.”
Gohan gasped as he recognized Vegeta’s voice in his head. So the time had come; he’d better make it count.Pulling their arms outward, Gohan leapt up and slammed his head into Exxis’ chin. The mercenary stumbled back, and Gohan kicked him away before flying away from him.Up in the sky, Vegeta all but glowed with power. Bolts of energy flew from his hands as he barely managed to keep hold of the energy he had gathered. He took careful aim, focusing his attack on Exxis. “Final Flash!”An explosion of energy erupted from his hands in a powerful beam, obliterating everything in its path as it headed for Exxis. An annoyed scowl with a hint of concern crossed the mercenary’s face as the attack came at him, and he took to the air to avoid the giant beam.Something suddenly latched onto his ankle, preventing him from going any further. He looked down to see Piccolo’s stretched arm holding him in place.“Guess this makes number four,” the Namekian commented in reference to the arm he was about to lose.Fury twisted Exxis’ face as he looked back to Vegeta’s attack, worry now gripping his features as he saw he was directly in its path. He tensed up before crying out loudly, and an explosion of energy burst from his body.There was a blinding flash of light as Vegeta’s attack met Exxis’ energy burst. The massive beam blew apart in different directions in the form of smaller beams that tore the planet apart for miles.

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Chapter 16: When Fighters Fall
Piccolo had known that he was going to lose another arm, but that hadn’t made it any less painful. His limb had been completely obliterated, but the pain was a small price to pay for victory.He looked around, but all he could see was a massive cloud of dust surrounding the area. He tried to focus on sensing the others energy, but certain circumstances could make it hard to concentrate. They came slowly though, and he soon detected that Gohan was alright, having gotten clear of the attack. Next he felt Vegeta. The Saiyan prince was very drained, but alive.“Piccolo, you ok?” he heard Gohan call.Piccolo was about to answer, but a grunt of pain escaped him instead as his arm grew back, the new limb bursting from his torso. He took a moment to collect himself before calling out, “Yeah, I’m fine, kid. You?”“All good here. Vegeta?”The cloud was beginning to clear, and the Saiyan prince became visible. “I’m fine. Worry about yourselves.”Yes, he was fine. Typical Vegeta and his attitude. Not to mention his need for overkill. But now came the real question. Had it been enough? Piccolo had seen and felt Exxis counter Vegeta’s Final Flash. It just came down to whether it would be enough.As the smoke cleared further, Piccolo was able to gather himself together more to feel around better. And that’s when he sensed it. He didn’t know why he gasped in surprise; attempts like this never seemed to work. As the smoke finally cleared out, Piccolo’s eyes confirmed what his senses had already told him.Exxis was floating in the air, breathing heavily. He no longer looked like he was enjoying himself, and instead looked angry. While Vegeta’s attack may not have touched him, he had been visibly shaken.Turning his furious gaze to the stunned Saiyan prince, Exxis growled lightly. “Well, I have to give you props, Vegeta. That was the closest I’ve come to defeat since I fought the Ginyu Force.” As Vegeta looked on in horror, Exxis slowly lifted his hands and cracked his knuckles. In an instant, he was in front of the Saiyan prince, his face right in Vegeta’s. “But I think I’m done playing with you.”His fist collided with Vegeta’s stomach, and the Saiyan prince doubled over, reverting to his base form. Next his elbow came down on him, and Vegeta hit the ground. Gohan used to opportunity to attack, but Exxis whirled around and caught his fist. He smirked into the boy’s face before grasping his arm and spinning him around. When he let go, he deliberately threw him into Piccolo, then fired a blast of energy at them for good measure.A pained grunt from down below drew his attention, and he saw Vegeta getting to his feet, managing to make it to one knee. Exxis all but sighed as he floated down, landing a few feet from the saiyan prince. “You know, I can admire a person’s willingness to never give up, but there comes a point where that iron will becomes an annoying stubbornness.”Vegeta glared up at him, then suddenly jumped up and threw a punch. His fist collided with Exxis’ face, but unlike last time, the force of the blow didn’t even cause him to flinch, and only seemed to succeed in bringing a scowl to the mercenary’s face. He reached up and grabbed Vegeta’s wrist, bending it back. The Saiyan prince winced in pain as his arm was bent in the wrong direction. He tried to pull free, but Exxis kept an iron grip on him.“In any case,” the mercenary continued, “I believe I’ve managed to prove that I’m your superior in every way, your majesty. So I think it’s only right that you, the prince of Saiyans, bows to me.”His foot shot out, slamming into Vegeta’s kneecap. Vegeta howled in agony as his leg bent at an unnatural angle. Exxis finally let him go, and Vegeta fell to his knees, emitting another pained groan as he landed on his damaged knee.“That’s more like it,” Exxis remarked. “It’s always good to see those who fancy themselves at the top to be knocked down to their actual level.”His foot shot out again, hitting Vegeta in the side, and the Saiyan prince went flying through the air before he came crashing down. Exxis smirked, then glanced over his shoulder as he sensed something behind him. Gohan and Piccolo were floating nearby, both poised to attack.“Special Beam Cannon!”“Ka-me-ha-me-HA!”The two attacks came at Exxis, but he disappeared at the last second, and reappeared in the sky between the two. Both gasped and put distance between themselves and him, but Exxis just chuckled. Tensing up, he let out a battle cry as his aura flowed about him. Countless blasts of energy began firing out of his body in all directions, blasting the land apart, along with everyone in the sky.Neither Gohan nor Piccolo were able to avoid the attack. They tried knocking the blasts of energy away, but there were so many of them, and they were never-ending, and eventually they were blown from the sky.The attack kept coming, leveling the entire area. And when Exxis finally let up, they were all surrounded by a massive cloud of smoke. Piccolo groaned as he tried to get up, and he heard someone land behind him. He glanced over his shoulder to see Exxis walking towards him. The mercenary’s hand shot out and grasped Piccolo around the neck, lifting him into the air. The Namekian’s own hand grabbed at Exxis’ wrist on reflex, but he knew that he wouldn’t be able to break the mercenary’s grip.Lifting Piccolo off his feet, Exxis moved in close. “I never gave a damn about you. You should have left when I gave you the chance.” He placed his other hand against Piccolo’s chest. “Too late now.”He fired a blast of energy that tore straight through the Namekian’s torso. It wasn’t the first time Piccolo had experienced such pain, having had the same thing happen to him when he fought Cell, but that didn’t make it any less painful.Exxis just smirked at him before tossing the Namekian aside. “Now then, where’s the other one?”A moment later, Gohan’s arm wrapped around Exxis’ throat as he got him in a headlock. Exxis was surprised at first, but then he grinned. “Ah, there you are.”Reaching up, he slowly pried Gohan’s arm off from around his neck. Gohan growled in frustration, then had to leap back as Exxis spun around to kick him. The mercenary surprised him further by firing a blast of energy from his extended foot. He managed to catch it, but was pushed back several feet before he managed to maneuver around it.Breathing heavily, Gohan powered up, his aura swirling around him like fire. “I’m not going to let you hurt anyone else.”Slowly, Exxis lowered his foot. He glared at Gohan for a few moments before a light growl escaped him. “You know what, boy, you really piss me off.”Gohan blinked in surprise at the mercenary’s statement. “Uh, what?”“You heard me,” Exxis seethed, and began slowly marching towards him. “I said you really piss me off. You have so much power, so much potential, yet you’re letting it go to waste.”He charged forward. Gohan shot straight up, but Exxis was right behind him. Gohan stopped fleeing and aimed a punch. Exxis dodged it, and the two began exchanging blows.“I’m not wasting anything,” Gohan told him as the mercenary’s fists flew past his head. “I may not keep up with my training, but I always fight when I need to.”“For all the good it does you,” Exxis argued back as he knocked away Gohan’s blows. “You have great power, and you know how to fight, but your skills are out of practice, and your movements are sloppy. If you had kept up with your training over the years, you could be so much greater. Stronger than your father, maybe even stronger than me.”He landed a blow against Gohan’s jaw that left him dazed, allowing Exxis to bring his balled fists down on him, and send him crashing to the ground on his back. Groaning, Gohan looked up, and saw Exxis speeding down towards him. He hopped to his feet and jumped back as Exxis punched the spot where he had been, forming a large crater.Deciding not to mention how a good portion of his power was a result of Old Kai bringing out his latent potential, Gohan braced himself for the mercenary’s next attack. “Maybe you’re right, but I’m just not into fighting the way you and my dad are.”Exxis pulled his fist out of the ground and gave the teenager an astounded look. “How is that possible? You’re a Saiyan. A half-Saiyan, yes, but a Saiyan all the same. Fighting is in your blood. It’s not possible for you not to enjoy battle.”Gohan could admit that much. “I enjoy training, sure, and I like a good friendly fight every now and then, that’s true. But these life and death battles, fights that put so much on the line, where it’s either kill or be killed, or knowing that innocent people will get hurt if I fail, no, I don’t enjoy battles like that. I guess when it comes down to it, I like sparing for fun, but really I’m as pacifist.”Exxis’ stopped walking and narrowed his eyes, his jaw clenching in outrage. “A pacifist? You claim to be a pacifist?” He scoffed in disgust. “You know what a pacifist really is? It’s a fancy word that cowards and weaklings came up with to justify their incompetence and try and sound self-righteous. And at the end of the day, when everyone else is dead because they failed to act, they can make themselves feel better about their weakness and cowardliness by claiming that they stuck to their principles. That’s the true nature of a pacifist.”He held his hand out to the destruction all around them. “Is that what you’re going to do as I slaughter your friends and family, claim that you did nothing because it went against your morals? That’s nothing more than a coward’s excuse to make themself feel better so they can still look at themselves in the mirror when it’s all said and done.”Gohan got ready as Exxis began making his way over to him again. “I never said I wouldn’t fight when I needed to, just that I hate it when I have to.”He began throwing handfuls of energy at the mercenary. Exxis let the blasts explode against him as he calmly walked towards the half-Saiyan, seemingly unfazed by the attacks. “And what good will acting then do you or anyone else if your pacifism has made you so weak that you can’t defeat your opponent? That’s what happened to you. You let yourself grow soft over the years of peace, and now you can’t help anyone, not even yourself.”He fired a blast of energy. Gohan stopped attacking and took to the sky to avoid the attack. Exxis suddenly appeared directly behind him, and Gohan whirled around in surprise. Exxis did not attack, however, but glared at him in disapproval. Gohan hovered away a few feet and returned the glare. “I choose to help the world without using my fists. I intend to become a great scholar and a productive member of society.”Exxis scoffed uncaringly at this. “A scholar? How pathetic. Doing something that anyone who sticks their nose in a book can do while wasting your true talent.”Feeling insulted on behalf of the kind of people he was trying to follow in the footsteps of, Gohan was quick to defend them. “Anyone who can stick their nose in a book, huh? That’s a rather simplified description. You should show greater appreciation to those that use their intellect to better the world. Without them, we’d be nothing more than wild cavemen grunting at each other. And that doesn’t just apply here on Earth, but the entire universe.”Smirking in an amusing yet condescending manner, Exxis crossed his arms. “Don’t mistake my words, boy. I’m fully aware of the usefulness of those that bring progress. However, that is where their strength lies. But for people like us, we have a natural talent in other areas, a talent that can make us the most powerful beings in the universe. A talent that is not only very rare, but can put us at the very top, unopposed and supreme. Yet you do nothing with this gift. It’s such a waste.”This time it was Gohan who scoffed. “You want to talk about letting your skills go to waste. Well, what about you? You have all this power, yet you use it to kill and destroy. You could do some real good. Protect people, help them when they need it. Become part of the solution instead of adding to the problem. But instead you use it to hurt people. A killer for hire. That’s more wasteful than anything.”Exxis chuckled at this. “It’s called making a livelihood. I might as well make it something I enjoy. And besides, you make it sound like if I didn’t do what I do that my targets would be spared. If not me, then someone else will take the job and hunt them down.” He smile became a frown. “The point is, I’m still honing my abilities, not setting them on a shelf to rust until I’m forced to pick them up again.”This conversation wasn’t going anywhere. Gohan had had briefly hoped that he would be able to convince Exxis to rethink his life, but now he realized that that wasn’t going to happen. “Well, I don’t approve of your life choices, just as you don’t approve of mine. But at the end of the day, it’s my choice to live my life the way I want.”The two stared at each other for a few moments before Exxis slowly brought his hands together and cracked his knuckles intimidatingly. “Well then, let’s see where your life choice gets you against me.”He vanished, and was suddenly behind Gohan. His hand chopped through the air, and Gohan turned just in time for the blow to land. He shot through the air, and Exxis appeared in his path, kicking out. Gohan’s direction reversed, but Exxis appeared before him again, this time kicking him into the air. He flew into the sky, and Exxis was suddenly above him. He threw a punch, but Gohan was able to stop his movement, and he watched as the mercenary’s fist passed by just inches from his nose.Exxis’ other hand came up and fired a blast of energy. Gohan caught the beam as he was pushed down to the ground, his feet slamming into it hard enough to crack it. Then Exxis was suddenly next to him with his hand raised. Gohan gasped as the mercenary fired on him, blasting him away.Having hit a rock formation, only to have it come crumbling down on top of him, Gohan climbed out of the pile of rocks he had been buried under. Sensing something in front of him, he looked up to see Exxis standing directly above him. Gohan just stared at him for a few moments, breathing heavily, and wishing he had some Senzu beans. And when the mercenary smirked at him, Gohan’s fist clenched, and he threw a punch. Exxis dodged it with ease, along with the next few Gohan threw at him.On the seventh one, he caught Gohan’s fist, raised his own arm, and brought his elbow down on it. Gohan cried out and grabbed his arm. He didn’t know if it was broken, but it felt like it was. He didn’t have time to check though as Exxis’ open palm slammed into his chest while at the same time firing a blast of energy.Gohan ended up on his back several yards away from where he had been a moment ago. He could sense Exxis coming towards him, and he tried to rise, only to have his strength fail him, and he collapsed. Exxis now stood over him, staring down at him for a few moments before lifting his foot and bringing it down on Gohan’s chest. The half-Saiyan cried out as he got the wind knocked out of him, and Exxis stomped down several more times, not stopping until Gohan’s hair went from gold to black as he reverted back to his base form.Removing his foot, Exxis stared down at him for a while longer before glancing at Vegeta. The Saiyan prince was trying to stand up again, but only made it halfway before falling down once more. Next he turned his attention to the fallen Namekian. Piccolo lay motionless on the ground, still alive, but heavily damaged, his body putting all its effort into trying to regenerate the hole in his chest.A sigh escaped Exxis as he looked back at Gohan. “Well, it’s been fun, but it looks like our little game is at an end.” He reached down and lifted Gohan up by his shirt. “Since you’re such an embarrassment to the Saiyan race, I’ll start with you. Your friends, Vegeta and the Namekian, will be right behind you.” He held a finger up to Gohan’s face. “Don’t worry though, I’ll be sending your little brother and Vegeta’s brat to join you soon enough.”Gohan’s eyes cracked open and he glared at the mercenary. “Don’t you… touch them…”Exxis chuckled. “As if you could do anything to stop me. You can thank you pacifism for that, Mr. Scholar.” A ball of energy appeared at the end of his finger. “Do me a favor, when you see your father, tell him I said thank you for such a memorable fight.”Gohan braced himself for death. Exxis moved, but not in the way he had expected. The mercenary’s head had suddenly snapped to the right, as if he sensed something, and his hand shot out and grabbed a disk of energy that was coming at him. Catching the attack, he held it between his thumb and fingers before digging his nails into the top and bottom, causing the disk to explode.With a scowl on his face, Exxis glanced at his hand to see a shallow cut running across the palm of his hand where the edge of the disk had touched him. He clenched his hand into a fist and looked irritably in the direction the attack had come from. “Who’s interrupting me now?”Not too far away, he saw a shorter than average human with black hair standing in a fighting position. Exxis raised an eyebrow at his sudden appearance, and surmised that the human must have been suppressing his power in order to remain undetected. He could sense him now though, and had to admit that he was impressed, as far as humans went.“Put him down now,” the human demanded.Exxis cocked his head to the side in interest. “First you attack me, then you think you can order me around. You’ve certainly got a lot of nerve. Who are you, human?”Gohan reached out in warning. “Krillin, don’t…”Exxis glanced at him. “Krilling, huh?” He looked back at the human in question. “I guess that means you know these fools.”“Yeah, I know them,” Krillin replied, doing his best to keep his voice steady. “Now get away from my friend before you regret it.”For a few moments, Exxis simply stared at him, as if trying to decide whether or not he should be angry or amused. He settled on the latter, and broke out in a smile as he let Gohan fall to the ground. “Rather brave of you, little man.” He began walking in Krillin’s direction. “But there’s a fine line between courage and foolishness, and you’ve crossed it.” His smirk widened. “Or perhaps you simply can’t sense energy signatures and are not aware of what you’re getting into.”Krillin swallowed nervously. Truthfully, it was taking all his willpower to keep his legs from shaking. He could indeed feel the difference in their power very clearly, and was well aware of the fact that he was in way over his head. “No, I can feel it just fine, but I’m not about to let you kill my friends.”Exxis stopped walking and regarded him with renewed interest. “I admire your determination, despite knowing that you’re out of your league. You are indeed remarkably strong, for a human anyway. In fact, I dare say you may even be the strongest human on the planet, one of the strongest beings in the universe even. But still, your power is nothing compared to my own. So, this is you’re last chance; I haven’t decided to kill you yet. Fly away while you still can, little human. This is your final warning.”A bead of sweat ran down Krillin’s forehead. He knew he was strong. In fact, after his wife and brother-in-law, he was indeed the strongest human, with, perhaps, the exception of Tien Shin Han. However, he held no illusions that he may even stand a remote chance against an enemy like this. Still, he couldn’t abandon his friends. “I’m not… I’m not going anywhere.”Exxis studied him some more, then smiled arrogantly and powered down to his base form. “How interesting. Well, I suppose I can amuse myself with you for a while. I’d like to see what breaks first, your determination, or your body.”Krillin took a seep breath. If this guy didn’t kill him, then 18 certainly would for doing something so stupid. But his mind was made up. And it would be better to go on the attack than be on the defense. With that in mind, he launched himself at the mercenary. “It’s Krillin time!”Faster than he could register, Exxis’ tail unwrapped from around his waist and struck Krillin in the side of the head, knocking him to the ground. Krillin’s eyes rolled around in his head, and he thought he had a concussion. “Yeah, not sure why I thought that’d work.”As Exxis stepped over to him, Krillin jumped up into the air. He began unleashing a series of punches at the mercenary that Exxis easily blocked with one hand. He aimed a kick at the mercenary’s head, and Exxis ducked beneath it. His hand shot out, grabbing Krillin’s ankle, and he slammed him to the ground.Krillin had the wind knocked out of him as he laid on his back, looking up at the mercenary smiling down at him. Growling lightly, he raised his hands up to his head. “Solar Fla-”“No,” Exxis interrupted, and kicked Krillin across the ground. “I’ve experienced that attack twice already. That’s more than enough.”Krillin began coughing. That kick had been a lot harder than he had expected. “Guess I should have seen that coming,” he grumbled as he got to his feet. “Lets try this. Ka-me-ha-me-HA!”He fired a Kamehame Wave. Exxis didn’t even bother to dodge or even deflect the attack, and it hit him dead on. He remained where he was for a few moments, letting the energy beam flow over him. Then he began walking forward. Krillin felt a chill run up his spin as the mercenary carelessly walked through his attack, and he released more energy.Exxis just kept coming until he was directly in from of Krillin, then delivered a punch that sent him bouncing across the ground. Exxis was on him before his momentum even stopped, grasping him by the short and pressing him into the ground as he ran along, leaving a deep groove in the rocky ground as the mercenary pushed him along until he was eventually slammed into a rock wall.Exxis held him there for a few moments before cocking his head to the side. “You must have known that this would be the outcome, yet you challenged me anyway. Why?”Krillin cracked an eye open. “I’m guessing you never had any real friends.”“Friends?” the mercenary repeated disinterestedly. “How useless.”He raised a fist and drove it into his opponent, sending Krillin crashing right through the rock wall and out the other side. He bounced a few times before coming to a stop. He remained where he was for a few moments before he tried and failed to get up.Exxis hovered down to him and cocked his head to the side. “Done already? I was hoping for something a bit more.”His foot came down on Krillin’s mid-section, and Krillin grunted in pain. Exxis pressed down harder, and the ground crumbled beneath the fallen warrior, slowly burying him. Exxis sneered down at his would-be opponent. “If you’re going to walk into a fight you know you can’t win, at least make sure you can get in at least one hit.”Krillin glared up at him as he was pressed further into the ground, then suddenly fired a blast of energy up at him. Exxis simply leaned back, letting the attack fly past him, and grinned down at Krillin.“That’s more like it.” He removed his foot and reached down, grabbing a handful of hair, and lifting Krillin into the air. Krillin let out a pained cry before Exxis’ knee slammed into his gut. The pained grunt that escaped him made the mercenary smirk. “You know what I love about fighters like you? You’re not strong enough to do any real damage to someone like me, but you’re strong enough to take a beating. It makes the fun last longer.”Whirling around, he threw Krillin into the rock wall. He hit hard, causing a crack to run up the length, and an avalanche of rocks came falling down on top of him. Exxis waited to see what would happen, and was pleased when the rock pile shifted and the smaller man came crawling out. Exxis smirked and motioned for Krillin to come at him.Breathing heavily, Krillin glanced at his friends. Piccolo was still out cold, recovering from his wound. Vegeta was trying to get up again, but kept collapsing. Gohan looked as if he were barely conscious, and didn’t look like he would be going anywhere anytime soon. And from what he could sense from Goku far away, he was on the verge of death.A sigh escaped Krillin. It looked like he was on his own. If he were smart, then he would have stayed away like the rest of the Z Warriors, who had obviously sensed that they would be way out of their league against Exxis, and would only get in the way.“Guess I’m just a sucker,” he muttered.Mentally preparing himself for the beating he knew he was about to receive, he launched himself at Exxis. The mercenary waited for him to come with a smile on his face. At the last moment, however, he opened his mouth and fired a beam of energy. Krillin mentally groaned as he realized that he wouldn’t be able to avoid the attack.The beam carried Krillin back into the rock wall, and the entire structure was obliterated and replaced by a wall of smoke. Exxis stared at it for a few moments before floating over. With a wave of his hand, he parted the cloud of smoke to reveal Krillin lying on his back. It looked like he was down for the count.Exxis sighed as he landed in front of Krillin, standing over him with his arms crossed. “Looks like you’re done. Guess I was a little too hard on you; I wanted this to last longer.” He smirked arrogantly. “You really should have left when I gave you the chance. Unfortunately for you, once I decide to kill someone, I follow through, so don’t be expecting any mercy from me.”Krillin cracked an eye open. “I… care about… my friends… more than I fear… a mindless brute like you…”Exxis scowled at the nerve of his already defeated opponent. “You really don’t know when to quit, do you?”He bent down and grasped Krilin by his face, his fingers digging into the smaller man’s skin. He lifted him into the air, holding him at arm’s length, and a sadistic gin spread across his face. “Foolish decisions have consequences. You should have walked away when I gave you the chance, but instead you decided to be noble. Now it’s time to learn from your mistake.”He began to squeeze tightly. A muffled cry escaped Krillin as the pressure on his head made it feel as if his skull was going to cave in. He stared at the mercenary through the gaps in Exxis’ fingers. It seemed as if he had decided to crush his head.Krillin’s fingers clawed at Exxis’ hand, trying to pry him off, to no avail, but Exxis refused to let go. Not even the kicks he landed against his chest seemed to affect the mercenary.Realizing that he wouldn’t be able to break the mercenary’s grasp, he fired a beam at Exxis. The mercenary simply tilted his head to the side, letting the attack pass by, and squeezed harder. Krillin’s eyes practically popped out of his head as his hands fell limply at his sides, and he could have sworn he heard a small cracking noise in his head.
‘So, this is how I’m going out, huh? Well, I guess it’s not like dying is anything new for me. This is, what, my fourth time? Maybe I’ll get a free sundae this time around. What was I thinking, challenging a guy like this? What did I think was going to happen?’
His vision was getting blurry, and things started to go dark. Krillin tried to muster up the strength to fight back, but his body didn’t seem to want to listen to him. His strength continued to seep out of him, and he began to lose feeling throughout his body.
‘Why did I even come here? Pretty much ever since Raditz arrived all those years ago, I’ve been nothing more than a human punching bag or a meat shield. At most I’ve only managed to be a distraction until Goku or someone arrives. Seriously, if there were a ‘Krillin Owned’ counter, it’d be off the charts by now. And that was before I quit being a martial artist. What made me think I could do anything against this guy when not even Goku could beat him.’
His eyes may have drifted shut, but it wouldn’t have made a difference. His vision had faded to black, and his other senses seemed to be failing him as well. A numbness had spread throughout him, and even the pain in his head was going away. Krillin knew that he was losing consciousness. Soon he would wake up and be standing in line at King Yemma’s again.‘Well, I hope that I was at least that able to give the others some time.’ He silently chuckled. ‘If 18 heard me thinking that way, she’d kill me herself. I’m sorry, babe, I’m sorry Marron, but it looks like I’m going away for a while. I love you both. Hopefully the others will find a way to beat this guy and wish me back with the Dragon Balls. Until then, I’ll be watching over you guys on the other side, so long as Fortuneteller Baba will let me use her crystal ball. Goodbye…’

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Chapter 17: Turning the Tides

‘No!’
Krillin’s eyes snapped open, and his dark world vanished as he felt whatever reserves of energy he still had flow through him. He wasn’t sure if this was his second wind or what, but he wasn’t ready to go out yet, at least not like this.
‘I’m tired if being everyone’s punching bag. I’m a martial artist! I may not be anywhere near Goku’s level, but I’m still a fighter, and I’m going to go down fighting!’
Exxis was holding him by the face with his right hand. Krillin lashed out with his own right hand, aiming a punch at the mercenary’s face. Exxis’ left hand came up and easily caught the punch, smirking at Krillin arrogantly. Good, that had been exactly how Krillin had wanted him to react.
‘I may not stand a chance against this guy, but I can still do something. If I die, then fine. But I’m not going to die until I contribute.’
His free hand at his side opened, and he swiped it at Exxis. As his hand flew through the air, a Destructo Disk appeared in it, and grew in size to its full length. Exxis’ eyes widened in surprise as he realized what was happening, and he released Krillin, jumping away from him and the deadly attack.Not quite fast enough. The Destructo Disk had sliced him across his torso. It hadn’t cut him in half the way Krillin had hoped, but it had still done damage, cutting the mercenary across his chest.Exxis landed a distance away from Krillin and stumbled back. A deep gash was now present across his chest, going from just above his right hip to just above his left shoulder. The mercenary stared down at the wound in stunned disbelief as blood poured out of his wound in abundance.“You…” he grunted, trying to find his voice as agony flowed through his body, “you actually… hit me…”It was deep too, very deep. Even his ribcage had been partially sliced through. He cursed himself for letting such an inexcusable mistake happen. He’d thought his opponent was done for, that he was pretty much already dead. He’d been so sure that he didn’t pose even the smallest threat, especially towards the end there, that he’d lowered his guard, not realizing what his opponent was up to before it was too late. He’d sensed that Krillin was attacking him in a last ditch effort to get away, but he had dismissed the attack as pathetic and weak, not realizing the type of attack it was, or the damage it was capable of causing until it was too late.Krillin lay on the ground where Exxis had dropped him. He’d failed to cut the mercenary down like he’d hoped, but he’d at least managed to cause some damage. Some pretty extensive damage from the looks of it.A somewhat relieved chuckle escaped him. “I can’t believe it. It actually worked.”Trembling in pain and anger, Exxis turned his furious gaze upon Krillin. “You think… you think this is a good for you? You have no idea how much you’ve screwed up.”He rushed forward, kicking the fallen Z Warrior away. He stumbled forward afterwards as unbearable pain shot through him. His hand went to the gash on his chest, and was immediately doused in blood. Every movement, every breath, caused a wave of agony to flow through him to the point of making him feel like he was going to pass out or vomit.And vomit he did. Only it wasn’t the contents of his stomach that poured out from his mouth, but a river of blood. His hand covered his mouth; he couldn’t believe he had allowed himself to get so heavily damaged, and by a pathetic weakling at that.Glancing down, he looked at the hand he had pressed to his wound. It was completely covered in blood, and his wound was bleeding profoundly. At this rate, he would bleed to death in a matter of minutes. That was unacceptable! He was not going to go out by loss of blood.Gritting his teeth, he held out his hand. The tips of his middle and index fingers began to glow and crackle with energy. Bracing himself for what was to come, he pressed his glowing fingers to the beginning of the gash on his right hip. His teeth clenched together tightly, and a pained groan escaped him as he began slowly dragging his glowing fingers along the length of his wound. Smoke rose from the point of contact as his fingers moved along, effectively cauterizing the wound.When his fingers reached the end of the gash, he threw his hands in the air and bellowed loudly. That alone set an extra flash of pain through him. He may have stopped himself from bleeding out, but he knew he was still damaged internally, and likely bleeding on the inside as well. Never had he known such pain, not even when he’d received his beating from the Ginyu Force. And the thought that it wasn’t a powerful opponent, but a weak, pathetic, insignificant nobody from this backwater planet that had managed to do this because he had gotten careless enraged him to no end.A furious cry escaped him as he transformed into his Hybrid Warrior form. His angry roar mixed with a cry of pain as his muscle mass expanded from the transformation, sending a fresh wave of agony through him as his cauterized wound threatened to rip open. He ended up coughing up more blood, and it only served to anger him further.Letting out another cry of rage, he unleashed a wave of energy that tore the land apart. His eyes darted around as they sought out the one who had dared to do this to him. He would make the human suffer greatly for this.He spotted him a distance away, half buried under rocks, and Exxis began making his way over to him. His injury hurt even when he wasn’t moving, and every step made him agonize even more.Coming up to the fallen Z Warrior, he brought his foot down on Krillin’s back, crushing the rocks on him to dust. Krilling cried in pain as Exxis raised his hand, his palm crackling with energy. “This is going to hurt,” he promised.“Hey, Exxis!”The mercenary turned, just in time to have Gohan slam his fist into his face. He stumbled back, the wound in his chest throbbing, despite not having been touched. But a moment later, the pain multiplied tenfold as Gohan landed a kick to his chest, and Exxis sputtered as he went flying backwards.Gohan stumbled, his own body aching from the beating he received. His hand went to the arm Exxis had slammed his elbow into. It was badly injured, maybe broken; he could barely move it. But putting his own pain and discomfort aside, he looked down at Krillin. The poor guy did not look good, and seemed only semi-conscious.“Krillin, you ok?” he found himself asking, even though he could very clearly see that he wasn’t.A pain-filled cough escaped the fallen Z Warrior. “Oh, hey, Gohan. Glad you’re alright. I’ve been better though.”“Can you get up?” the question came from Piccolo, having finally finished his healing, and was now making his way over to them.“Hold on, let me try.” He attempted to lift himself up. He didn’t make it more than a few inches off the ground before he collapsed again. “No, sorry, I don’t think that’ll be happening right now.”A pained bellow of rage drew their attention, and they turned to find Exxis on his feet. He was breathing hard and looking furious, his hand pressed to his cauterized wound, which had opened up a bit.Despite the threat at hand, Piccolo couldn’t help but smile at the condition the immensely powerful mercenary was in, and he commended Krillin for landing such a blow. “Well, would you look at that, you managed to hurt him. Pretty badly too. Well done. This might give us the advantage we need to hold him off until Goku gets back.”A relieved chuckle escaped Krillin, despite his pain. “Glad I could be of use.”Exxis was making his way back over to them. Based on his movements, it was apparent that every step was agonizing for him. “If you think that you fools even stand a remote chance, then you’re sorely mistaken. Even with this injury, you’re nothing to me.”A bead of sweat ran down Piccolo’s head that had nothing to do with having physically exerted himself as he acknowledged the truth of the mercenary’s words. Injured or not, Exxis still held an advantage over them due to his immense power, even with his injury. And they weren’t in the best condition either. From the looks of it, Gohan could barely use his arm, Krillin was down for the count, Vegeta was nowhere in sight, and Piccolo was hurting and low on power after having to heal the hole in his chest. But still, they had to try.“We have to focus on damaging him as much as possible,” he told Gohan in a low voice so Exxis wouldn’t hear. “Go for his torso every chance you get, even if he’ll block the blow; the impact will still hurt him.”Gohan nodded. “Right. Ready whenever you are.”“Stop whispering!” Exxis bellowed, and fired a blast of energy at them.Gohan and Piccolo vanished, speeding around the energy blast, which, fortunately, did not have Krillin in its path, and appeared in front of Exxis, simultaneously driving their fists into his torso. Shock and pain flashed across the mercenary’s face for a moment before he was bombarded by numerous kicks and punches from the two fighters.It took only a few moments for him to start fighting back. However, his moves were slow and sluggish, not to mention limited due to his injury, and there wasn’t as much power behind them. Gohan and Piccolo used every opportunity they could to strike at his torso, each blow sending even more pain through his already agonizing body.Catching one of Gohan’s punches, he raised his arm to block the blow Piccolo brought down from up above. Gohan used the opening to spin-kick into his chest, and Exxis grumbled in pain. His fist flew at the teen, knocking him away, and Piccolo immediately slammed into him from behind, driving his elbow into his back. Snarling, Exxis turned back to him, just in time for the Namekian to fire his Special Beam Cannon into his chest at nearly pointblank range.Exxis grit his teeth as the attack pushed him back. Opening his mouth, he fired a blast of energy that knocked Piccolo away. A moment later, he sensed Gohan coming, and turned to receive a punch to the face, causing him to stumble back. Gohan followed this up by leaping up and slamming his forehead into his face, then kneed him in the chest while he was disorientated. Exxis doubled over, clutching his chest, and Gohan blasted him with a Kamehame Wave.Exxis slammed into a rock wall, groaning painfully. He fixed the teen with a furious glare before his hand went up to his mouth as he vomited up more blood. Piccolo suddenly appeared beside Gohan, and they both fired a Masenko at him. Exxis vanished out of the attack’s path and reappeared between the two of them. Holding out his hands, he fired blasts of energy at them both. They managed to catch the energy blasts, but were pushed away and down until they hit the ground.Gohan struggled against the beam as he was pushed down, his feet hitting the ground. A distance away, he saw Piccolo fighting against his own energy blast, but having a harder time of it. Gritting his teeth, Gohan managed to push the attack up and away. Turning to Piccolo, he thrust his hand out, sending out a shockwave that flowed over the attack Piccolo was struggling with, allowing him to toss it aside. They both immediately turned up towards Exxis and fired their own attacks.With a growl, Exxis held out his hands, catching the blasts coming at him from the left and the right. His body protested painfully, making it far more difficult to deflect the attacks, something that he would have been able to do much easier if it weren’t for his injury. His teeth clenched together tightly as he held back the attacks, preparing to toss them aside.Gohan and Piccolo appeared in front of him, and drove their fists into his sides at the same time. A pained grunt escaped Exxis, causing him to cough up more blood. They struck again, moving in sync as they rained punches against him, willing to take the blasts they had fired if Exxis lost his hold on them failed.The mercenary’s face twisted with fury as he took the hits while simultaneously trying to hold off their attacks. He finally had enough and let out a loud cry, an explosion of energy erupting from his body that completely absorbed the energy blasts and sent Gohan and Piccolo crashing to the ground.The blast died down, and Exxis lowered his hands. He was breathing heavily, his body throbbing painfully. Slowly, his gaze lowered down to Gohan and Piccolo on the ground. A distance away, he spotted Krillin, having been thrown farther away as a result of the blast. Fury twisted Exxis’ features, and his fists clenched together tightly as he felt whatever control he still had on his temper snap.“You miserable bastards!” he bellowed. “How dare you do this to me! Your power is nothing compared to my own! And now you’ll pay for what you’ve done!”He held up his hand, and an energy ball appeared. It began growing at a rapid rate, increasing in size and power. Gohan and Piccolo looked up as they felt the power of his attack increase to planet destroying levels. An attack of that magnitude would cause a chain reaction that would lead to the planet’s destruction in a matter of minutes, and neither of them had the strength left to stop it. It brought back an unpleasant flashback of when Frieza destroyed Namek.“I never cared about this damn planet, or anyone on it!” Exxis raged. “I came here for a purpose! Whether this planet kept on turning and its people kept on living didn’t matter to me, but you just had to go and piss me off! Now you can all die!”He made to send the attack down at the planet, but was suddenly distracted as something rose up into the air a distance away. He turned to see Vegeta floating in the air, his hands cupped together to unleash an attack.“Galick Gun!” the Saiyan prince bellowed, firing a purple energy beam.For a moment, Exxis suspected that Vegeta had gone mad and was aiming his attack at the giant ball of energy above him, which would have destroyed the entire planet, and he prepared to knock the attack away. But then he realized that the beam was off by several feet, and it flew past him, going off far into the distance before coming down and erupting into a mighty blast.Exxis glanced back at Vegeta with narrowed eyes. “And what was the point of that? Is your aim truly that off target?”Slowly, Vegeta lowered his hands, and a smirk crept up his face. “It seems you’ve forgotten one of the most basic rules of fighting; always be aware of your surroundings.” An arrogant chuckle escaped him. “Now tell me, what could possibly be all the way over there that could have any significance to you?”The mercenary stared at him for several long seconds before his eyes widened and he turned in the direction of the rising cloud of smoke in the distance. “You didn’t…”Vegeta chuckled again. “That’s right, I just took out your ship. You won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.”Slowly, Exxis turned back to him, his surprise now replaced with cold fury. “You bastard…”Knowing it would aggravate the mercenary further, Vegeta couldn’t help taunting him. “Well, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and launch that attack. Of course, without your ship, you’ll die along with us.”A growl escaped the mercenary as he stared at the Saiyan prince, gritting his teeth together furiously. Then he closed his eyes as he seemed to regain control of himself, and his expression became more neutral. The large ball of energy began to shrink as he pulled the power back into his body until it disappeared.“Very resourceful, Vegeta. I must admit, I didn’t see that coming. You really impressed me.” His eyes opened, burning with anger as he stared at the Saiyan prince. “However, now you’ve gone and pissed me off even more.”He vanished and reappeared in front of Vegeta, driving his fist into his gut. Before the Saiyan prince even fully doubled over, Exxis appeared behind him, bringing his elbow down on Vegeta back. As the Saiyan prince dropped to the ground, Exxis unleashed a series of energy blasts that exploded against Vegeta, knocking him to the ground all the faster. The attacks kept coming, stirring up a cloud of smoke and dust that proceeded to grow in size.Piccolo’s Special Beam Cannon came at Exxis from behind, striking him in the back. He cried out and ceased attacking as he turned to the Namekian. Both Piccolo and Gohan were in the air again, and Exxis snarled at them. Down bellow, the cloud of smoke dissipated, and Vegeta groaned. Ignoring the pain in his body, he forced himself to get up, and fell to one knee. He grasped his bad leg as it failed to support his weight, cursing the mercenary for crippling him.“You ok, Vegeta?” Gohan called down to him.His pride hurting worse than his leg, the Saiyan prince skipped over getting to his feet entirely and rose into the air to join the others. “Don’t waste your time worrying about me. I can take care of myself just fine.”“Not for long,” Exxis growled out. “You may have preferred going out with a bang compared to what’s coming your way.”Piccolo harrumphed, trying to look more confident than he felt. “Don’t be so sure. With that injury, three against one might prove to be more challenging than you think.”“Four against one.” The others turned to see Krillin, floating up to join them, looking in no condition to keep fighting, but willing all the same. “Mind if I get in on this?”“Are you ok to keep fighting?” Gohan asked.A humorless chuckle escaped Krillin. “No, probably not, but since the alternative is death, I’ll manage.”Exxis fixed the shorter Z Warrior with a particularly hard glare. “There is no alternative. You will all die by my hand sooner or later.” His eyes narrowed. “And I intend for it to be sooner.”His power flared around him briefly before he launched himself at the Z Warriors. They scattered apart, and Exxis went after Krillin since he was the leading cause for the damage done to him. He lashed out at the smaller martial artist, and a started yelp escaped Krillin as he dodged the blows, seemingly on pure luck and reflexes alone. Gohan quickly came to his aid, attacking the mercenary from behind. Exxis sensed him coming and turned around to face him. He blocked the punches and kicks the teen threw at him, and Krillin used the distraction to drive his fists into the mercenary’s kidney.Exxis grunted and turned around, swinging his arm in the process. His fist struck Krillin in the side of the head, knocking him away. That’s when Piccolo swooped in, grabbing the mercenary’s arm. Gohan grabbed his other arm, and Vegeta suddenly appeared in front of him. He began rapidly firing energy blasts into Exxis’ torso, earning a pain-filled gasp from the mercenary with every blast.Opening his mouth, Exxis blasted Vegeta away with a beam of energy. He then slammed Gohan and Piccolo together before bringing up his knees to hit them both in the gut. This allowed him to pull his arms free, and he blew them away with an energy blast.Then Krillin was back. He threw punches at the mercenary, but Exxis dodged them easily enough. He caught the Z Warrior’s fist after one attempt, holding him in place as he raised his own fist. A terrified look crossed Krillin’s face, but he was spared from the blow as Vegeta flew feet first into the mercenary, causing him to let Krillin go.Snarling, Exxis looked back at Vegeta, just as the Saiyan prince fired his Galick Gun. Exxis caught the beam and held it back. While he was preoccupied, Piccolo fired another energy beam at him. Exxis glanced at it as he sensed it coming, and disappeared a moment before it hit.He reappeared above the Namekian and reached out, grabbing Piccolo’s head. Dropping from the sky, he pulled Piccolo down with him, slamming him face first into the ground. His other hand came up, and the same blade of energy he had stabbed Goku with appeared around it. He was about to stab it into Piccolo when he was forced to leap away as Gohan came flying at him with a kick.Groaning, Piccolo pulled his face out of the dirt and glared up at the mercenary. They flew up into the air, and Krillin and Vegeta joined him on either side of the mercenary. Exxis glared at each of them for a moment before all four of them flew at him at once. Fists and feet flew all about as the four combatants teamed up against the mercenary. Exxis retaliated with punches and kicks of his own, but it became obvious that he was wearing out.It wasn’t too often that Vegeta would willingly fight along side others, but he acknowledged the threat the mercenary presented. He used whatever openings Gohan, Piccolo, and Krillin managed to provide him. And although it stung his pride to admit it, the little man had done well to damage Exxis so thoroughly; it now gave them a fighting chance.Exxis grunted again as the Namekian’s fist slammed into his side. And though he managed to block the Saiyan prince’s punch, Gohan’s landed directly on his wound, causing him to cough up more blood. Krillin used the opportunity to deliver a punch to the mercenary’s face, but quickly realized his mistake as Exxis’ furious gaze landed on him.Exxis’ arm shot out, back-handing the smaller Z Warrior. Krillin was flipped onto his back in mid-air, and Exxis’ elbow slammed down on his ribs, sending the Z Warrior crashing down. He hit the ground hard, clutching his chest, fearing that one or more of his ribs were broken.“Yeah…” he muttered in pain, “I think I’m done here…”Up above, Vegeta, Piccolo, and Gohan quickly picked up the slack. Exxis focusing on attacking Krillin had cost him, and he was now being repeatedly assaulted by punches, another one immediately coming before he could react to the previous one. His anger was reaching its breaking point, and he cried out loudly, sending out a shockwave that knocked the others away from him.Ignoring the pain of his injury, Exxis moved from one fighter to the next, delivering a blow that sent them crashing to the ground. When he was the last one in the air again, he let out another cry, and numerous energy blasts flew from his body, firing all over the place.Explosions went off all around as countless energy blasts flew in every direction. From on his place in the ground, Krillin let out a groan as he saw them coming at him. “Ah, man. Can’t I catch a brea-”Then he too was caught up in the blasts. They kept coming for several more seconds before Exxis let up. He remained hovering in the air, his breathing labored, blood running down his front. Then he broke out in a coughing fit, covering his mouth as wet hacking racked his body.Lowering his hand, Exxis examined his bloody palm. His face slowly twisted into a snarl, and a growl escaped him. Looking down, he surveyed the damage he caused. The area was in ruins, but, much to his irritation, he saw that the Z Warriors were still moving, albeit slowly.Another growl slipped past his lips. Normally he liked when his opponents were difficult to kill, it meant he could have more fun, but these four were just plain annoying. They were like vermin that stubbornly refused to die.“Enough of this,” he grumbled. “I’ll do what I should have done from the beginning.”He raised his hands over his head, creating a large ball of energy. He spread his arms out, and it grew even larger. It wasn’t as big or as powerful as the one that would have destroyed the planet, but it was impressive nevertheless.“I hope you’re ready to die,” he called down to them. “I’m about to level this whole area.” He sneered down at them. “Don’t worry, it won’t destroy the planet, I’m not quite ready to die yet, but it’ll most certainly change the shape of it. Say goodbye!”He swiped his hands downward, throwing the ball of energy, and the attack raced towards the surface of the earth with no one to stop it.

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Chapter 18: Mercy?
Specks of healing light flowed over Goku as Dende tried desperately to revive him. It had been a close call, almost too close. When Gotenks had arrived carrying the mortally wounded Saiyan, Goku had been mere minutes from death, maybe less.“It’s a good thing you got him here when you did,” he told the fused warrior. “Any longer and he would be gone.”Standing off to the side, Gotenks crossed his pudgy arms. “Hey, it’s not my fault it took so long. I only have the smallest fraction of my true speed and power in this form. If I were the real me, I could have gotten him here in a few seconds.”“But you still made it in time,” Mr. Popo told him. “That’s all that matters.”“No, what matters is that my moms are going to ground me forever since I snuck away to the fight, and I barely even get in on the action!”“Don’t worry,” Dende told him as the wound in Goku’s chest knitted shut, “your Fusion should be running out any minute now.” He lowered his hands as he finished his healing. “There, that should do it.”Lying on his back, Goku began to stir, the stab wound in his chest, not to mention his other injuries, completely healed without a trace. His eyes slowly cracked open, and he sat up, his hand automatically going to where his stab wound had been.Looking around, he realized where he was, and let out a sigh of relief. “Phew, still alive. I was afraid I’d wake up in Other World.” He gave the Guardian an appreciative smile. “Thanks for the healing, Dende, I owe you.”The Namekian returned the smile. “It’s really Gotenks you should be thanking. He’s the one who brought you here.”The overweight half-Saiyan grinned, placing his hands behind his head. “Aww, it was nothing.” The words were barely out of his mouth before he began glowing. “Oh, there I go.”There was a flash of light and a small pop, and Gotenks vanished as he split into Goten and Trunks once more. The older of the two half-Saiyans quickly examined himself before letting out a relieved sigh. “Oh, good, we’re not that fat guy anymore. I can’t believe such a little slip up can actually make us so weak.”Goten hung his head in shame. “Sorry, Dad.”Standing up, Goku gave his son a smile and patted him on the head. “Hey, it’s ok, son. We all make mistakes. Don’t worry, you boys did fine.” His expression suddenly became serious. “But, man, this new guy, I’ve never felt anything like him. His power is unreal.”Dende nodded in agreement before quickly updating him on what happened during the battle. “Gohan, Piccolo, and Vegeta have been able to hold him off so far. Even Krillin joined in the fight.”Goku looked at him in surprise. “Krillin too? Really? Wow, I didn’t think he’d be able to handle someone like Exxis, especially since he gave up martial arts.”Dende nodded again. “Yeah, me too, but he actually managed to really damage Exxis with his Destructo Disk.” He frowned. “Unfortunately, that blow really rattled Exxis. He’s furious, and even tried to blow up the planet before Vegeta destroyed his ship. This isn’t sport to him anymore, he’s out to kill now.”Goku nodded in understanding. “Got it. I’ll handle things from here.”He transformed into Super Saiyan Three, and began feeling out for the others’ energy. When he found them, he realized that Dende was right; Exxis’ energy had dropped significantly. Whatever damage Krillin had dealt must have been extensive.“We’ll go with you too,” Trunks declared.“Yeah,” Goten agreed eagerly. “That guy won’t stand a chance with all of us there.”Glancing at them, Goku couldn’t help but to smile at their enthusiasm. “Thanks, but you two stay out of this. Damaged or not, Exxis is still way out of your league. You’d only get in the way.”“Aww, come on, Dad,” Goten begged. “We can Fuse again.”“Yeah, we’ll get it right this time,” Trunks added. “Last time was just a fluke.”A chuckle escaped Goku. “If you could become Super Saiyan Three Gotenks, then yeah, I could use your help. But your Fusion just ended. You won’t be able to do it again for an hour.”The boys’ shoulders sank as they realized he was right. “Oh, man,” Trunks grumbled. “Now we really are going to miss out on the action.”“That’s not fair,” Goten complained. “Didn’t you and Trunks’ dad get to Fuse again right away when you fought Janemba.”An amused smile crept up Goku’s face. “Yeah, but we were both dead at the time, so we didn’t have to wait. Souls work a little differently than living bodies.”Both boys sweat-dropped at this realization. “Oh, ok, never mind then,” said the older of the two.Goku continued to look amused, but then the smile vanished from his face as he sensed what was happening down below. “Uh oh! I gotta go!”Placing two fingers to his forehead, he teleported. Reappearing on the battlefield, he witnessed as Exxis threw his energy ball down at the planet, ready to obliterate the entire area.Goku flew into the attack’s path. Bracing himself, he held out his hands and caught the giant energy ball. The attack pushed him downward, and he hit the ground. His feet sank into the hard rocky surface as the ground crumbled beneath him. He managed to hold the attack off however, and now struggled to control it as he began to get buried alive.With a battle cry, he used the Kaio-ken, and was able to throw the attack up into space. It flew through the atmosphere, getting clear of the planet, before the change in air pressure caused it to erupt into a blast that filled the sky, and likely would have turned the planet into a crescent shape.As the light from the blast died down, Exxis lowered his hand from his eyes and looked down to see who had come to interfere this time. A gasp escaped him as he saw Goku alive and well, standing in all his Super Saiyan Three glory.“No, it can’t be,” he growled out. “I was sure I killed you.”Goku smirked up at him arrogantly, and his gaze landed on the gruesome injury going across the mercenary’s chest. Krillin really had done a number on him.Speaking of his friend, Goku glanced at the others. “Hey, you guys ok?”It was a rhetorical question. He could see for himself that they were very clearly not ok. What he should have asked was if their injuries were serious or life-threatening. It didn’t look like it though, but they were in bad shape. From the looks of it, Vegeta’s leg was useless, and the same went for Gohan’s arm. That meant that Fusing with either of them was out of the question since they wouldn’t be able to perform the Fusion ritual correctly.Like Vegeta, Goku was also greatly opposed to Fusion as well, preferring to face his opponents himself. However, he was willing to resort to it if it was absolutely necessary. He knew Gohan was as well, even though he had never attempted it, but it looked like that wasn’t even an option with his arm like that. As for Vegeta, well, even without his obviously broken leg, Goku knew that the Saiyan prince would probably rather die than Fuse again, especially since his opponent was a fellow Saiyan who thought he was Vegeta’s superior. But even if he were willing, he wouldn’t be able to perform the ritual dance either with a broken leg.His attention returned to Exxis as the mercenary landed a short distance away, fixing Goku with a glare. “How are you still alive? I delivered a fatal blow to you. You should be dead by now.”Goku’s smirk reappeared. “Sorry, but that’s a my little secret.” He nodded at the mercenary’s injury. “It looks like you could use a bit of time to recover too.”A vein throbbed in Exxis’ forehead, but he managed to maintain his composure. “A lucky shot on your little friend’s part, and a cheap one at that. It won’t happen again.”“Looks like once was enough. I doubt that you’ll be able to fight for much longer with an injury like that.” He regarded the mercenary curiously. “Are you sure you want to go on? We don’t have to do this. We can postpone the fight until a later date. I’m at 100 percent right now, but it looks like you’re on your last leg, and I want to beat you at your best.”Despite his injury, his earlier anger seemed to have disappeared as Exxis’ mood changed with the reappearance of his true target. “Oh, no, Goku, this is going to make things more interesting. I’m looking forward to the challenge.”Goku raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure? There’s no shame in waiting.”In response, Exxis caused his aura to flare up, wincing in pain at the reaction it caused in his body. “No more waiting, Goku. I’ve waited years to kill you. I thought I did, but it seems I was wrong. Time to correct that mistake. You die here and now!”He charged forward, his fists flying. Goku began walking backwards as he avoided the swings, sizing up his opponent and trying to get a reading on him in his current state. He noticed almost right away that Exxis’ injury was greatly handicapping him. In fact, he found it much easier to avoid the mercenary’s hits now than before.Bracing himself, he caught one of Exxis’ punches. It took a good deal of effort, but he was able to hold back the mercenary’s punch. He briefly noted the look of frustration on his opponent’s face before he drove his own fist into it.Exxis stumbled back, looking startled. He prepared to retaliate when suddenly Goku’s other fist struck him in the chest. The mercenary’s eyes widened, and blood flew from his mouth from inside his body. Goku followed this up with a kick that sent Exxis flying.Exxis did a flip and reached out to dig his fingers into the ground to stop his momentum. The ground was shredded as he skidded to a stop and glared at the Saiyan. He coughed up more blood before launching forward to engage Goku in combat. Shockwaves flowed outward as fists and feet collided with each other in a battle that found itself much more even than the last time they fought.Goku quickly noted the change in Exxis’ fighting demeanor. His injury was really doing a number on him. While Exxis was still stronger than him, he could no longer use the full extent of his power, or fight to the best of his abilities. What more, his energy was dropping fast, and his speed and movements were much slower than before. It definitely gave Goku the advantage he needed.The other Z Warriors, even Krillin, somehow managed to pick themselves up off the ground and gather together. They watched the fight play out before them as the two duked it out.“It looks like they’re about even,” Gohan noted.Piccolo’s eyes narrowed slightly as he looked on. “Yeah, for now.”Krillin gave him a worried look. “What do you mean, ‘for now’? Goku’s got this, right?”For a few moments, Piccolo was silent as he studied Exxis. The more he watched, the more he could see what almost seemed like desperation in the mercenary’s fighting as his energy continued to decrease. He could also sense what was going on internally in Exxis’ state of mind. The mercenary was beginning to lose it, his current state no longer being the confident and in control fighter he was. And while that did give Goku an advantage, it potentially made Exxis even more dangerous.“From what I can tell from Exxis,” he began, “ever since his defeat at the hands of the Ginyu Force, he’s never lost a fight, and eventually became so strong that he probably hasn’t had a real challenge for quite a while, let alone actually run into the risk of possibly facing defeat. Not to mention there’s that arrogance of his and that stubborn Saiyan pride he has.”He briefly glanced at Vegeta, knowing that he might have taken offense. When there was no reaction from the Saiyan prince, he continued. “But now, in his current state, he’s actually facing that possibility. And with his injury, his body is slowly giving out on him, yet he’s continuing to push himself, willing to do anything to win. That’s his philosophy after all. And while it’s admirable, it’s also very dangerous. If he considers death the only way of being defeated, then he might very well sacrifice himself to gain victory.”“Ok…” Krillin muttered. “So what’s that mean?”A grumble escaped the Namekian. “Lets just say that the sooner Goku ends this battle, the better.”Exxis’ tail shot out and managed to wrap around Goku’s leg. He pulled the Saiyan beneath him while simultaneously dropping from the sky, driving his elbow into Goku’s face. Unable to escape, the beating while being pinned, Goku managed to bring up his arm and deliver his own punch into Exxis’ side, managing to land a blow on the tail end of his wound.The punches stopped as Exxis grunted, and Goku hit the same spot again and again until he was able to land a blow with his other hand into Exxis’ face. This partially knocked the mercenary off him, and Goku brought up his knee, hitting Exxis right in his wound.Slipping out from beneath Exxis, Goku did a spin-kick, sending the mercenary bouncing across the ground. Cupping his hands together, he flew at Exxis as the mercenary rose to his feet. “Ka-me-ha-me-”Turning to the approaching Saiyan, Exxis opened his mouth and fired a blast of energy at him. At the last second, however, Goku vanished with his Instant Transmission and appeared right in front of Exxis, just as the mercenary stopped firing his beam. “HA!”Exxis took the blast head on, and was carried off by the beam. He hit a rock wall, and was caught up in the blast that followed. Goku stood by and waited to see what the mercenary would do next once he recovered. Seconds ticked by as the cloud of smoke dissipated. The pile of rocks present began to tremble, and Exxis suddenly burst up from them, covered in cuts and scrapes. His wound had opened up once more, though not as much as when he had first received it, and was bleeding badly again.Goku’s eyes went down to Exxis’ wound before going back up to the mercenary’s face. A look of disappointment and perhaps a bit of pity appeared on his face as he watched the powerful warrior stand his ground despite his wounds. While impressed with Exxis’ resilience, it saddened him to think that with as mighty of a fighter that the mercenary was, as determined as he was to keep fighting, it was all fore the sake of killing. All because he couldn’t let go of the past, and was now reduced to this because of his grudge.“Goku,” Exxis seethed as the Saiyan continued to stare at him. “Don’t you dare look at me like that. Like I’m beneath you. I’m superior to you in every way. I proved it once before, and I’ll prove it again. No one is stronger than me. No one!”His power flared up around him violently. The blood pouring from his wound began flowing upward before it evaporated within his aura. Goku braced himself as he prepared for the mercenary’s attack.With a loud cry, Exxis launched himself at Goku, attacking wildly. This time, Goku went on the defense. At this rate, all he had to do was continue to dodge and wait for the mercenary to ware himself out. He threw in a punch here and a kick there when an opening presented itself as he dodged Exxis’ attacks. At the rate he was bleeding, the mercenary might very well pass out from the blood loss before he ran out of energy.But the thought of achieving victory in such a way did not sit well with Goku. If he was going to beat Exxis, he wanted it to be in battle, not because the mercenary had succumbed to an injury he had received outside of their fight.“You’re energy’s decreasing rapidly,” Goku told him as he dodged another punch, “and you’re losing blood fast. Your body can’t take this, Exxis; it’s going to give out on you.”“Shut up!” the mercenary raged. “I came here to kill you, and I’m going to do it!”And he meant it, Goku could tell. Although he knew Exxis had intended to kill him from the beginning, he could see that Dende was right, Exxis was done fighting; he was indeed out to kill, nothing more.Exxis threw a punch, and Goku dropped from the sky, touching down on the ground. Exxis was right there with him a moment later. Gathering energy in his hand, he thrust it at Goku. The Saiyan smacked it away and threw a punch. Exxis caught his fist and threw his own punch, only to have his caught. Their holds on each other’s hands became fingers interlocking as they pushed against each other.Digging his feet into the ground, Exxis stepped forward pushing Goku back. They only moved a few feet before Goku managed to stop him. Exxis pressed harder, but found he was unable to push Goku back anymore. What more, he almost ended up losing ground as Goku pushed back at him, and it infuriated him all the more.Goku’s thoughts were on other things. His gaze was drawn between them as the growing puddle of blood beneath the mercenary expanded as it poured from Exxis’ wound. And if Goku didn’t know any better, he’d say that the mercenary was looking rather pale. “Keep this up and you’re going to bleed out,” he managed to say through his clenched teeth.“Thanks for the update, doctor,” Exxis mocked, “but you should be more concerned about yourself.”He jumped up, breaking their deadlock hold, and kicked out. Goku ducked beneath it, and landed an uppercut before firing a blast of energy into the mercenary. The beam pushed him back until he let out a bellow of rage and threw it aside. Crying out again, his power flared around him before he charged at Goku. The Saiyan flew towards him as well, and their fists slammed into each other’s faces. The impacts left the briefly stunned before they began furiously exchanging blows. The ground shook violently as they traded punches, rocks floating in the air all around them. A crater formed beneath their feet from the intensity of their battle that expanded in size and depth until the two were floating in the air while trading blows.Amongst the flurry of punches, Exxis suddenly spat up more blood. Goku got sprayed, but ignored it as it provided him with an opening, and he hit the mercenary square in the face. Exxis’ hands went to his face on reflex, giving Goku another opening to drive his fist deeply into his gut.Exxis’ hands went from his face to his stomach as he slowly floated down to the ground and dropped to his knees. Goku landed a few feet away as the mercenary completely fell forward. He stared down at him, waiting to see if he would rise again. Slowly, he did, but only managed to get to his hands and knees before a violent spasm shook his body, causing him to vomit up an alarming amount of blood. Goku didn’t need to be a doctor to be able to tell that Exxis had serious internal injuries.“This battle is over,” he stated firmly. “Going on is pointless; you’re too heavily damaged.”As Exxis attempted to get control of himself, he glared at the Saiyan. “I don’t remember asking for your opinion.”“Don’t be a fool!” Goku snapped angrily. “If we keep going, you’re going to end up killing yourself. Go and tend to your wounds. We can pick this up another day.” He smirked. “I’d actually look forward to fighting you again. We can settle this when that time comes.”Another growl escaped the mercenary as he diverted his eyes, looking down at all the blood he had vomited up. “Are you pitying me?” he snarled, seemingly talking more to himself than to Goku.“Lets call it mercy,” the Saiyan replied. “You might see it as a weakness, but I don’t. You could actually consider it a challenge. Go heal up, maybe train a bit and get even stronger; perhaps you’ll even unlock Super Saiyan Two, maybe even Three. I’ll be right here waiting for you when you’re ready. I’d look forward to an even greater challenge. And in the meantime, I’ll train too. I’ll need to if I hope to stand a chance against you.”He waited to see how the mercenary would react to this. While wary of a possible sneak attack, he didn’t think Exxis was in any condition to spring one on him. Still, he was ready just in case he did.Exxis’ fingers dug into the rock hard ground as he seethed in what Goku declared to be his defeat. That was something he was not willing to accept, not as long as he was still breathing, no matter what condition his body was in. He’d pushed himself to the brink and beyond many times, and had always come out on top because of it, and he would continue to do so.“You’re suggesting that I retreat?” he whispered darkly. “That I accept this as a defeat, even temporarily? No, Goku, I will never surrender, not to anyone.”“Wake up!” Goku scolded him. “It’s over! Let go of your pride. It’s not worth your life. Live to fight another day. If it makes you feel any better, lets just say that we’re putting our fight on hold. Even I got a reprieve to heal up; consider us even after this, and we’ll continue it later.”Slowly, and with great effort, Exxis began to get to his feet. “I don’t sugarcoat things, Goku. I won’t call what you suggest to be anything other than a retreat. A defeat.” Once he was standing upright, he turned back to the Saiyan. “Apparently you weren’t listening to what I said before. I never retreat, never surrender, never stop or admit defeat. When my back is against the wall, I push through, because the only other option is death. That’s what I’ve lived by all my life, and it’s what I will continue to live by.”His power started to flare up around him. However, this time it rose up slowly, like the calm before the storm. Goku’s eyes narrowed as he realized Exxis wasn’t going to stop no matter what. He seemed relatively in control right now, but Goku felt as if this was a build up, and the mercenary was moments away from exploding.“I hadn’t intended for it to come to this, Goku,” Exxis went on. “I came here with a purpose; to kill the rest of the Saiyans so I may be the last, and to kill the one who stole my vengeance against Frieza and the Ginyu Force from me. I had nothing against you personally; you could have been anyone. It just so happened that you fell into both categories. But for you as a person, I didn’t care for you in the least.”He glared at the Saiyan before him hatefully, and suddenly, it seemed that everything he loathed in life was standing before him in the flesh. From his parents’ deaths, to his defeat at the Ginyus’ hands, to having his revenge stolen from him, to all the years of frustration at not being able to track down Trunks, to the humiliations of being unable to defeat these weaklings, to allowing himself to get injured so severally, to the defeat Goku claimed he had undergone. All of that anger, hate, and frustration was suddenly being projected onto Goku. Even the responsibility of Krillin using his Destructo Disk on him suddenly seemed as if it were Goku’s fault. And right now, more than anything, Exxis wanted him dead, even more than he wanted to live.“But my priorities have changed,” he continued as his power began to flare up at a faster pace. “None of that matters to me anymore. Right now, I despise you more than anything. I don’t care what it takes. I don’t care what I have to do. I will see you dead, Goku, even if I have to destroy myself to do it!”

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Chapter 19: Countdown
Alarm bells suddenly went off in Goku’s head at the mercenary’s declaration. It wasn’t so much what he said, but what he sensed coming from Exxis that suddenly had him worried. The mercenary’s energy was suddenly rising. And it wasn’t a simple matter of powering up. His energy was increasing beyond what he had been capable of before.‘How is this possible? His body’s too damaged for him to have any hidden reserves, and his energy level had been plummeting a moment ago. The only way it could be rising like this is…’ A gasp escaped Goku as he suddenly realized what was happening. “Oh no!”The other Z Warriors sensed it as well, and were equally as alarmed at the mercenary’s growing power. Exxis’ body pulsed with energy, the planet shaking around him as his aura flared violently. His spiky golden hair extended in length an inch or two, and his body mass began to expand greatly. The muscles in his arms and legs grew larger, almost ridiculously larger, to the point where they seemed like they would be more of a hindrance in battle, despite the obvious increase in strength. His torso expanded with muscle as well, ripping his wound open further, but the mercenary no longer seemed to notice.“H-Hey,” Krillin muttered, “do you guys feel that? How can his energy be going up all of a sudden? He was on a downward spiral a moment ago.”“Use your head, you imbecile,” Vegeta snapped. “He’s ascending.”Krillin looked as if he had been punched in the gut. “You mean he’s becoming… a Super Saiyan Two?”Piccolo’s eyes narrowed. “No, this is something different. Just look.”The shorter Z Warrior did so, and noticed something familiar about Exxis’ transformation. Despite the large boost in power he now sensed from the mercenary, he relaxed a bit as he realized it hadn’t been Super Saiyan Two that Exxis had just tapped into. He recognized the Ultra Super Saiyan state that Future Trunks had achieved when he fought against Cell, as did Gohan from seeing his father take it on in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.Goku also recognized the form he had unlocked before dismissing it as too inconvenient to use in battle. The massive increase in muscle mass reduced speed and made it too difficult to move. However, it did provide a great increase in power, even if it did lack the true balance of Super Saiyan Two.From what he could determine, Goku surmised that Exxis had just now unlocked this form for the first time. But with as skilled a fighter as the mercenary was, it also surprised Goku that he wouldn’t pick up on the drawbacks this form provided. All that power was useless if you couldn’t even catch your opponent.But then the mercenary’s gaze met his, and a chill went down Goku’s spine. There was a blank look on the Exxis’ face, and a dazed look in his eyes, almost like he didn’t realize what was going on. It was as if all coherency and rationality had vanished, leaving only a rabid bloodlust behind.‘Something’s wrong,’ he realized worriedly as the mercenary stared at him.He made a slight movement, and that seemed to set something off in the mercenary. A bloodcurdling roar escaped Exxis, and he launched himself at the Saiyan. Goku flew up into the air as Exxis’ fist came down, shattering the ground. He immediately flew up after him, snarling like a maddened animal.Despite his new bulky form, Exxis’ flight speed seemed to be as fast as ever, and he had no problem catching up with Goku. But when it came to actually throwing a punch and trying to land a blow, that was where his limited movement worked against him, allowing Goku to dodge the attacks. Still, he knew that if Exxis did manage to land a blow, it would be bad.On the sidelines, the Z Warriors looked on as Exxis attacked Goku with all the ferocity of a savage beast. It was a far step down from the mighty warrior he had proven to be before.“What’s going on?” Krillin wondered out loud. “Exxis is acting like a raging lunatic.”Piccolo watched nervously as the deranged mercenary savagely tried to attack Goku. “He’s lost all coherency. Like his mind has shut down, but he’s still conscious, being consumed and driven on solely by bloodlust alone.”Gohan studied the mercenary carefully, and a gasp suddenly escaped him. “I think I know what this is.” When the others glanced at him, he continued. “I think he’s gone berserk.”Krillin nearly rolled his eyes. “Yeah, no kidding. The guy’s certainly lost it.”Gohan shook his head. “No, I mean it literally. He’s entered a berserker rage. I learned about it in school. It was most common with ancient Norse warriors. They would fall into a mindless rage and go blood crazy during battle, attacking anything and everything, whether friend or foe, not even aware of what they were doing. It’s mostly described as suddenly seeing red and then blacking out, later having no recollection of what happened while in that state, completely unaware of the carnage they committed.”Next to the Namekian, Vegeta humphed. “It’s that injury of his. His body’s so damaged and weakened that when he made the transformation, he couldn’t handle that much power.”Gohan nodded in agreement. “Yeah, I experienced something similar as a kid when my hidden power awakened when I fought against Garlic Jr. the first time, and again Raditz. My body wasn’t strong enough to handle that much power at the time, and I completely lost it. I still don’t really remember what happened during those instances.”Beside him, Krillin gulped. “Um, hey, Gohan, is there any way to snap someone out of this berserker rage thing?”Reluctantly, Gohan shook his head. “Usually it just needs to run its course, or the person is either killed or knocked unconscious. Not much can get through to someone when they’re like this.”Goku hadn’t needed to hear Gohan’s explanation to understand what had happened to Exxis. The mercenary was now more dangerous than ever, and not because of his power boost. He had become a raging force of destruction, a danger to himself and everyone and everything around him.Fortunately, Exxis’ limited mobility worked in Goku’s favor, and he was able to avoid being on the receiving end of any of the blows thrown at him. The mercenary also hadn’t used any energy attacks either, likely because he couldn’t think rationally enough to use them.Almost as if his thought process had jinxed him, Exxis suddenly opened his mouth and began rapidly firing energy blasts. Goku swerved and dodged the beams as they came at him, but eventually had to fire his own to counter one that came a little too close.Faster than he expected, Exxis suddenly burst from the cloud of smoke. Goku raised his arms to defend himself as Exxis brought his balled fists down on him. Goku hit the ground hard, ending up on his back, and Exxis landed on top of him. He began bringing his fists down on the Saiyan like an angry gorilla would pound on the ground. Goku had his hands up to block the blows, but didn’t know how much longer he would be able to hold him back.As Exxis raised his fists again, Goku’s own fist shot out and collided with the mercenary’s injury. A pained snarl escaped him, and Goku managed to get out from under him before jumping up and delivering a punch to Exxis’ jaw, and then quickly flying off.The mercenary stumbled back from the blow. He looked confused for a moment before rage twisted his features once more. He let out a furious bellow as his aura danced around him wildly. The ground began shaking as his power rose in preparation to unleash a mighty blast of energyFrom up in the air, Goku sensed what was stirring up in Exxis, and he gasped in horror. “No, not that!”Using his Instant Transmission, he teleported directly in front of Exxis and delivered a spin-kick to his head. The mercenary went down, and Goku felt his power drop as his intended attack was interrupted. Exxis looked back up at him, no sign of rationality or even consciousness present in his eyes, before he let out a bloodcurdling yell and pounced at the Saiyan again.The chase resumed. This time Goku was more wary, and he stayed closer to Exxis than before. With the mercenary so out of control as he was in his current state of mind, it would be best to prevent him from using any energy blasts. The explosion of energy he had been about to unleash a moment ago would have been devastating, enough to completely obliterate the entire solar system and beyond if not controlled. And Exxis was clearly not in control of himself, let alone his power.Goku decided that it would be best not to strike back at the mercenary. Doing so might trigger him into trying to unleash another attack that would kill them all, and he might not be able to stop it next time. It would be best to stay close and keep the rampaging mercenary focused on him, and by staying within arm-length of the mercenary, it would more likely prompt him into using physical attacks like punches and kicks instead of energy blasts.But that wouldn’t last long. In his current state, Exxis was quite literally a ticking time bomb. It would only be a matter of time before his failure to catch Goku would cause him to unleash an explosive blast like that anyway. This was no longer a fight, it was a struggle to stay alive. He would have to finish the mercenary off before he blew his stack.From the look of Exxis’ wound and the way it was bleeding, it didn’t seem like it would be too much longer before he bled out, but Goku didn’t think he had that much time before Exxis simply blew them all up. And attacking back might just set him off sooner. What a conundrum. He would need to find a way to take the mercenary out in a single shot.“There’s no other way,” he said to himself. Dodging another one of Exxis’ blows, he reached out telepathically to his friends. “Guys, can you hear me?”A few surprised gasps escaped the Z Warriors when they heard the Saiyan’s voice in their heads. It was Piccolo though who answered for them. “We hear you, Goku. What’s going on?”
“Listen to me carefully, because we don’t have much time. Exxis has completely lost it. He’s acting purely on destructive instinct, his sole focus on killing me. It won’t be long before he simply destroys the entire planet.”
A panicked look appeared on Krillin’s face. “Well, then fight back before he does.”
“Not a good idea. You had to have sensed what he almost did a few moments ago. That attack would have destroyed the entire galaxy. Our only chance is to take him out in one shot. I’m going to try the Spirit Bomb, it’s the only thing that will get the job done, but I’ll need you guys to distract him while I gather the energy.”
Vegeta grit his teeth in frustration. “That Spirit Bomb,” he grumbled out loud. “It takes far too long to create.”“I know I’m asking a lot,” Goku told them, “but this could be our only chance. I need you to distract him for as long as you can.”Gohan nodded. “You got it, Dad. We’ll give you as much time as we can.”With Exxis right behind him, Goku flew towards his friends as they came at him. Moments before they would have collided into each other, he teleported away, vanishing from Exxis’ line of vision. Piccolo, Gohan, Vegeta, and even Krillin shot past the mercenary, and his attention immediately shifted to them. With Goku already forgotten, he gave chase as the Saiyan in question reappeared several meters hundred higher in the sky.Suppressing his power level so he wouldn’t be sensed, Goku dropped down to his base form. He needed to be in as pure of a state as possible in order to appropriately gather the energy he needed for the Spirit Bomb.As his friends fled from the rampaging mercenary, Goku reluctantly turned his attention away from them and flew up above the clouds. Taking a deep breath, he reached out with his senses, going beyond worlds and dimensions. “King Kai, are you there?”
“I’m here, Goku, and I’ve ben keeping track of the battle. Quite the pickle you’re in.”

“Yeah, no kidding. I need your help.”
“Say no more. One massive powered Spirit Bomb coming up.” His antenna danced around for a few moments. “Alright, the connection’s made, just state your request.”Goku smiled in gratitude as he called out to all living things on the planet. While most life forms gave their energy willingly, others needed a little more convincing. But in order to bring the Spirit Bomb to its ultimate form, he needed the consent of everyone. Fortunately, after what happened with Kid Buu, Mr. Satan had made an announcement to the people of Earth, declaring that Goku was one of his “disciples”, and if he ever asked for energy again, that everyone was to take it that he was acting in the world champ’s stead, and they were to treat the request as if Mr. Satan had made it himself.It seemed that this little ploy had worked, as Goku was met with no resistance, and the energy began rapidly flowing in, gathering together in a bluish-whitish ball of energy above him that continued to grow rapidly. The Saiyan silently willed for the energy to gather faster as he worried how his friends were fairing down below.Krillin yelped as he felt Exxis’ hand close over his ankle. Then he was suddenly speeding to the ground as the mercenary pulled him from the sky. The ground cracked apart as Exxis slammed him down, then proceeded to bang him back and forth on the rocky surface. After several of these hits, Exxis lifted him over his head, holding him with both hands, then brought Krillin down on his bended knee. Saliva flew from Krillin’s mouth as Exxis’ knee buried into his chest before he was smashed to the ground.Raising his fist to deliver the finishing blow, Exxis was suddenly distracted as Gohan came flying at him. He plowed into the mercenary, tackling him off Krillin, and pushed him along. They smashed through rock wall after rock wall until Exxis raised his arm and brought his elbow down on Gohan’s back, nearly cracking his spine. The half-Saiyan hit the ground, and Exxis halted his momentum. He charged back over to the fallen Gohan and kicked him hard, sending him flying. He bounced on the ground, and Exxis was immediately there to kick him again.When Exxis made to go after Gohan again, Piccolo’s extended arms wrapped around him from behind. They coiled around him like a python binding its prey, locking tight. Vegeta suddenly came at him and began throwing punches and kicks against the mercenary while Piccolo held him in place.Exxis raged as he struggled to break free of the Namekian, but couldn’t seem to manage it with Vegeta repeatedly pummeling him. Finally, he opened his mouth and fired a beam that blew the Saiyan prince away from him. Without the blows raining against him, Exxis focused on breaking free of Piccolo’s hold, and finally did so when the Namekian’s arms were torn right out of their sockets.As Piccolo cried out in agony, Exxis whirled around and delivered a kick into his chest, sending the Namekian flying into the distance. Exxis remained where he was for a few moments, growling under his breath, before he bellowed loudly and unleashed a burst of energy that shot up and into the sky in a massive beam.Above the clouds, Goku saw Exxis’ attack shoot into the air, and silently thanked Kibito Kai that it hadn’t been directed at the planet. “Guys, don’t attack him,” he telepathically told his friends. “That’ll just agitate him and make it all the more likely that he’ll just destroy everything.”Down on the ground, Vegeta slowly sat up, pushing aside the rocks covering his body. “That’s easier said than done, Kakarot. Just hurry up with that damn bomb.”He forced himself to stand as the beam from Exxis’ attack began to die down. The mercenary seethed where he stood, all but frothing at the mouth. Ignoring the pain in his broken leg, Vegeta took a reluctant step forward, not sure how much longer he would last, but he would be damned if a mere half-breed got the better of the prince of Saiyans yet again.Letting out a battle cry, Vegeta let his aura flare up around him. Just as he knew it would, it drew Exxis’ attention. Getting into a fighting stance, he called out to the mercenary. “I don’t know if you can even understand me right now, but this more than anything shows how unworthy you are. Getting so overwhelmed by your own power because of some little injury to the point that you lose all reasoning, that is far beneath a true Saiyan warrior.” He motioned for the mercenary to come to him. “Now come at me, you pretender!”Whether Exxis understood the Saiyan prince’s words or not seemed irrelevant. Crying out loudly, he charged towards Vegeta, reaching him in an instant. Raising a fist, he threw a punch. Vegeta maneuvered around it. Exxis whirled around to strike him again, and Vegeta once more danced out of the way. And a dance was indeed what they seemed to be engaged in as the Saiyan prince stayed within contact distance of the mercenary, but continued to evade his blows.Then it happened, Vegeta took a bad step, causing his broken leg to bend in the wrong direction, and pain flared through him. As he cried out, Exxis’ arms reached out and wrapped around the Saiyan prince, pulling him into the mercenary’s overly muscular body. Exxis snarled like a rabid animal in Vegeta’s face as he hugged the Saiyan prince to him.Vegeta’s eyes practically popped out of his skull as the cracking sound of his bones echoed in his ears. He struggled to break free, but there was no escaping Exxis’ iron grip, and the mercenary squeezed him even tighter.Up in the sky, Goku sweated nervously as he felt his friends’ energy drop, especially Vegeta’s; his power was dropping at an alarmingly fast rate. He glanced desperately up at the Spirit Bomb above him, silently urging it to form faster.Then it happened, the sudden flash of light that indicated that the Spirit Bomb had finished gathering energy went off. With the giant glowing ball hovering above him, Goku transformed into a Super Saiyan Three again and descended beneath the clouds. The sight beneath him was not a welcoming one. Piccolo, Gohan, and Krillin were all lying motionless on the ground, and Vegeta was being crushed in Exxis’ embrace.Goku grit his teeth. This was going to be their last shot at defeating the mercenary. If this attack failed, then he had no doubt that Exxis would go supernova and kamikaze them, possibly taking out the entire galaxy in the process. There could be no room for error, he would have to take out all the stops.Letting out a loud cry, Goku began to pull the energy of the Spirit Bomb into himself. The last time he had done this had been against the transformed Android 13, and the massive amount of energy had nearly caused him to burst. This Spirit Bomb was several times more powerful than that one, but then again, so was he.As the last of the energy was pulled into his body, Goku dropped down to the ground. His clothes and hair blew around him wildly as he glowed as bright as the sun. It took a great deal of effort to keep all the energy contained, and it felt as if it would explode out of him at any moment.The Saiyan’s glowing form drew Exxis’ attention, and he let Vegeta drop to the ground, already forgetting him. He turned fully to Goku, and let out a roar.Goku stared at the mercenary, knowing that this next attack would be the one that would decide the outcome of the battle. ‘Can’t hold back. Got to go all out. This may very well tear my body apart, but it’s a chance I’ll have to take.’He braced himself for the onslaught his body was about to undergo. “Kaio-ken Times 100!”A red aura consumed his body, stretching far up into the air until it reached the clouds, the outpouring of energy completely disintegrating them. He had only ever used this level of the Kaoi-ken once against Lord Slug, and that had been with Piccolo’s help in maintaining that much power.Exxis let out another roar and charged at Goku at top speed. Goku let out a cry of his own and rushed forward to meet him, his aura tearing apart the ground beneath his feet as he flew along, leaving a deep groove. The distance closed between them, and they both raised their fists to deliver the finishing blow.“Super Dragon Fist!” Goku cried, channeling all his power into his attack.Their fists met between them, sending out a shockwave that nearly tore the planet in two. For a few brief moments, their fists pressed against each other, then there was a sickening crack. Exxis’ fist seemed to partially implode into his wrist, then began snapping and twisting into unnatural angles. Goku’s own fist finally forced Exxis’ out of the way, and his punch slammed into the mercenary’s chest.As Exxis cried out, Goku let out a shout of his own as he unleashed all the energy in his body. From out of his fist, a large golden dragon made entirely of energy emerged. Greatly resembling Shenron, it was the same attack that had taken out Hirudegarn. The dragon’s jaws closed over Exxis, and it took off into the distance as it flowed over the mercenary.Exxis flowed down the length of its body, caught in the powerful beam. And as he traveled through the golden dragon, a look of rationality appeared in his eyes as coherency returned to him once more. All around him was a flashing golden light, and it seemed to be coming from the Saiyan standing before him. He wasn’t aware of what had happened over the last few minutes, but as his body began to break down, he was aware of one thing; he had been defeated.“Damn you, Goku!” he shouted, his voice getting lost over the thundering sound of Goku’s attack. “Damn you! Damn you!”Amongst the flashing light, the silhouette of Exxis completely crumbled apart and was carried off, the pieces dissolving away and vanishing completely, along with any trace of the mercenary’s energy signature.

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Chapter 20: Insight
The golden dragon flew off into the distance, eventually fading away several miles from where it had manifested. Goku stood alone from where he had unleashed his attack, all traces of the mercenary having been obliterated from the planet.All at once, Goku’s body completely gave out on him. He dropped down to his base form and fell to the ground, unable to move so much as his pinkie finger. It seemed he had pushed himself too far beyond his limits, and now he was paying for it.Yet despite immense damage he had probably done to his body, he couldn’t help but to smile. He could sense no trace of Exxis anywhere. It seemed his attack had done the job, finally putting the out of control mercenary to rest. It had been worth undergoing the harm he had done to himself. Besides, he knew a certain Guardian who could heal him up as good as new.He wasn’t sure how long he laid there, but he eventually became aware of someone walking over to him. A couple someones actually, and he just barely managed to crack open his eyes to see Piccolo, Gohan, and Krillin standing over him. Vegeta was there as well, hanging in the back, but that didn’t surprise Goku, and he felt his smile widen.“Hey, guys,” he wheezed. “I think I over did it a bit.”Gohan couldn’t keep the smile off his face. “You could definitely say that. Good thing Dende has healing abilities, ‘cause I’m not sure you could recover from this otherwise.” He glanced at the others, noting their own injuries. “Actually, I think we could all use some healing.”Vegeta harrumphing, but did not argue. As much as he hated the idea of relying on another’s power, he didn’t have the patience to have his leg wrapped up in a cast.Goku chuckled; it hurt to do so. “Yeah, this has to be a record for me needing a healing again so quickly.”“But you did it,” Krillin pointed out. “You saved the day again. Honestly, we’d be lost without you, Goku.”“Hey, now,” the Saiyan teased, “you guys really held your own. Especially you, Krillin. I’d say you did better than all of us.”Looking bashful, Krillin rubbed the back of his head. “Well, I don’t know about that. It was more like dumb luck on my part. You guys were the only ones that provided him any challenge.”As he heard his friend humble himself, Gohan looked away with a frown. He couldn’t help but think of how poorly he did against Exxis, and what the mercenary had said about him being a disgrace and not living up to his potential. A part of him always had felt somewhat guilty for giving up martial arts in favor of studying.On the ground, Goku caught sight of Gohan’s forlorn expression. “Hey, why the long face, son?”The teen quickly snapped out of it. “Huh? Oh, it’s nothing.”Cutting his eyes at him, Krillin nudged him promptingly. “Then what was that look for? We’re still alive. You should be happy.”Gohan let out a reluctant grumble and let the shame he felt show once more. Goku frowned up at him as he wondered what was bothering him. “Gohan, you can tell us what’s bothering you. Do you feel bad because you couldn’t beat Exxis? You shouldn’t. Not even I could have defeated him without the whole planet’s help.”Gohan shook his head. “No, it’s not that, not really. I just… Exxis told me that I’m wasting my potential as a fighter. And I can’t help but think that he’s right. I haven’t kept up with my training at all, and my fighting has suffered because of it. If I kept it up since Buu, then I might even have been stronger than Exxis.”He wasn’t trying to brag, but it was true. After Old Kai had brought out his hidden potential, he had been the strongest out of all of them, even stronger than his father at Super Saiyan Three. Had he not given up fighting after that, then he may very well have been stronger than the mercenary.“I guess I… Sometimes I wonder if he’s right, if I am letting my skills go to waste.”A few seconds of silence passed after this. Krillin opened his mouth to say something, but Piccolo placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him and gave the slightest shake of his head. This was something that Gohan needed to hear from his father. Any input they had would have to wait.Goku looked at his son for several long moments before breaking out into a smile. “What are you talking about? You’re not a disgrace.” He chuckled lightly. “Gohan, fighting is what I love. But that doesn’t mean that you have to love it too. You’re entitled to go after what you want in life. There’s no shame in that. You can’t compare another person’s standards to your own, especially when they choose to live differently that you. We all deserve to be able to do what makes us happy.“And being a disgrace? Who are you kidding? You’re one of the strongest people in the entire universe. You don’t let your skills go to waste just because you don’t keep up with your training. You always rise to the occasion whenever necessary, even though you hate that kind of fighting. You always do whatever it takes to protect others.”“But I could be so much more,” Gohan argued back. “What happens when a new enemy appears, someone who’s even stronger?”“Then I know you’ll do whatever it takes to keep everyone safe. Just like you always do. That’s what matters. You can live your life however you want. But no matter what you do, I’m proud to call you my son.”The others were pleasantly surprised by what the Saiyan had said. While a genius when it came to fighting, Goku wasn’t the most insightful person, and it was almost strange to hear such words of wisdom coming from him.Piccolo couldn’t help but smirk. “Your dad’s right, kid. You don’t need to live your life based on someone else’s opinions. Just live the best way you can without regrets, that’s what’s important. And as for wasting your talent, the fact that you’re always willing to step in and use your power even when you don’t want to shows that you never let it go to waste, even if you do choose not to train.”Krillin placed his hands on his hips and smiled broadly. “Yeah, I mean, look at me. I gave up fighting, but I still step up when I need to.” He narrowed his eyes a bit. “Even if I’m guaranteed to get my ass kicked. But you wouldn’t call me a disgrace or say that I’m wasting my potential, would you?”Gohan stared at the three of them. He could hear the sincerity in their words, and they did wonders to alleviate his concerns. Sighing in relief, he gave them a grateful smile. “Thanks, guys. That makes me feel a lot better.”“Glad to hear it,” Goku told him with a smile. “And now, if you wouldn’t mind helping me to get to the Lookout, I’d like to feel better too. My body is totally beat.”Smiling at the irony of his father currently being so weak despite his incredible power, Gohan helped him to his feet. As he placed one of Goku’s arms over his shoulder, Piccolo did the same with his other. Krillin would have assisted, but wasn’t quite tall enough to manage it.“Hey, guys,” he said, “let’s keep how badly I was beaten from my wife. 18’s already probably going to kill me for facing someone so powerful and dangerous anyway.”Goku chuckled. “Don’t worry, Dende will make us good as new. Our wives won’t be any wiser. Right, Vegeta?”The Saiyan prince scowled at him. “Shut it, Kakarot! I’m the prince of all Saiyans! I don’t need a low-class warrior like you preach to me.”Goku blinked in confusion at his harsh tone and glanced at Piccolo. “What’s up with him?”Piccolo couldn’t help but smirk. With his superior hearing, he’d heard what Exxis had said to the Saiyan prince. “Don’t worry about him. He’s just nursing a wounded ego. Exxis made him feel like his status as the prince of Saiyans was worthless since he was no match for him because it was something he was born into rather than something he earned.”“Keep your mouth shut, green man!” Vegeta snapped, his face turning a shade of red.Goku gave Vegeta a bewildered look. “What? You mean that’s what’s got you so upset?” He received no answer, but, in a way, that was answer enough. “Aww, Vegeta, you don’t need to worry about that. You’re definitely worthy of your title. I mean, so what if Exxis was stronger than you. He was stronger than me too. But just look at you. Look at what you’ve accomplished. You’re a Super Saiyan, and you were the first one to take the step at going to the next level beyond it too. You’re not only one of the strongest of all Saiyans, but one of the strongest fighters in the entire universe. And you’re hundreds of thousands of times stronger than your father, who was the king of Saiyans. Not to mention you’re one of the last of our race. Just because Exxis was stronger than you doesn’t change any of that. Trust me, you may have been born with the title of prince, but you’ve more than earned it.”Once again, Goku surprised them all with his insightfulness. Vegeta stared at him for several long moments before turning his back to him and harrumphing. “I don’t need a clown like you to tell me that.”Without another word, he took off, disappearing into the sky. He may have been trying to make a grand exit, but Goku couldn’t help but notice that he was heading in the direction of the Lookout.“I can never figure that guy out,” Krillin muttered. “But then again, you Saiyans are a pretty confusing bunch. I can’t believe Exxis came all this way and did all this just because he felt like you stole his revenge against Frieza.”Goku let out a chuckle. “There was a little more to it than that. But still,” he looked up at the sky, thinking about where Exxis was right now, “he might just get his revenge after all.”(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)King Yemma could say that he enjoyed his work, or at the very least was content with it. He took great satisfaction in knowing that he sent souls to their proper place.Of course, that wasn’t to say that he wasn’t stressed out or overworked at times. Being the judge of the souls of the dead for the Northern part of Universe 7 was a big responsibility, one bestowed upon him by the Grand Priest and the Omni-King. So even if he didn’t like it, he couldn’t exactly say no.He did run into other problems though. Being in charge of the souls of the dead meant dealing with the troublesome ones that acted up in Hell. And ever since sending a particular soul down below a few months ago, he’d been dealing with the same problem over and over again.When a soul presented themself him, whether they chose to appear in the flesh, as a pure soul, as an angel, or with a ghostly tail, he instantly knew who they were, and their entire life story, including whether they went to Heaven, Hell, or, in a few rare cases, could go to the land of the Kais to become one of their students. When it came to devils and demons though, essentially any evil being that would actually enjoy Hell, he would give them his official stamp of approval, completely purifying them and admitting them to Heaven, as was the case with the demon king, Dabura.Exxis proved to be a rather unique soul, and not because he was the only half-Saiyan, half-Hera hybrid King Yemma had ever encountered. No, what was unique about him was how much of a problem he was being. And it wasn’t just him. Ever since he sent the mercenary to Hell, he’d been having problems with another of its residents.“King Yemma!” a young oni cried, running up to him. “King Yemma! We have a problem!”Groaning at the interruption, the giant judge turned to him. He briefly noted that it was the same oni that had failed to properly attend the soul cleanser and had been infected by the evil energy, turning him into Janemba. “What is it? I’m very busy today.”The oni placed his hands on his knees as he struggled to catch his breath. “Sorry to bother you, sir, but there’s trouble down in Hell again.”King Yemma scowled as his suspicions were aroused. “Don’t tell me…”The oni nodded. “Yes, sir. It’s Exxis and Frieza. They ran into each other again and are destroying everything with their fighting.”A growl escaped the king. Ever since he had sent Exxis down to Hell, the Saiyan-Hera hybrid and Freiza have broken out into an intense battle every time their paths crossed. Exxis, being far stronger, won every time, but that didn’t stop Frieza from trying again during each encounter. Sometimes King Yemma thought that it was a real shame that souls couldn’t be killed.If only he had been able to send either Fireza or Exxis through the soul cleanser to draw out all their sinful nature from them when they were alive. Typically, this was done in order to make damned souls more compliant and less hostile in Hell, but some were so uncooperative when receiving judgment that he had to simply drop them into Hell where they stood, as was the case with both Exxis and Freiza. As such, the negativity from their time alive had remained with them.Hell was universal, but as the judge of the northern section of Universe 7, any souls that died in that area were for him to judge and deal with if any caused trouble. And that included both Exxis and Frieza.“How is it those two keep running into each other?” King Yemma demanded furiously, slamming his fist on his desk. “Hell is infinitely large, literally, yet their paths keep crossing. Do they actively seek each other out?”The oni shook his head. “I don’t know, sir. Nor do I know why they keep attacking each other. Especially Frieza since he always loses the fights. This time he even figured out how to manifest into that freaky mecha form of his, but he’s still no match form Exxis. Even so, their battles still cause a lot of destruction that needs to be cleaned up afterwards.”King Yemma grumbled. Sometimes he wished he had the power to just erase certain problematic individuals the way the Gods of Destruction or the Omni-King could. And while sometimes he was allowed to reincarnate a soul, like he did with Kid Buu as a favor to Goku, those were exceptionally rare cases.Pinching the bridge of his nose, King Yemma prayed for patience. He’d already had to have North Kai send down numerous fighters to deal with Frieza and Exxis’ feud, but it seemed as if the two never learned their lesson. The last time when Frieza, along with Cell, King Cold, and the Ginyu Force, had been causing trouble, both Goku and Pikkon had taken care of them, locking them up in an unbreakable prison for a while. They’d seemed to learn their lesson after that and accepted their place in Hell, but ever since Exxis ran into Frieza for the first time, there had been problem after problem with the two. Clearly, a harsher punishment was needed for them.“Um, King Yemma, sir?” the oni asked when his boss didn’t say anything for a while.With a frustrated sigh, King Yemma looked back at him. “I’ve had enough of those two. Stick them in cocoons and subject them to the fairy band punishment far away from each other.”The oni’s eyes widened. “You mean with the dancing fairies and musical stuffed animals?”While it didn’t sound so bad on paper, it was a rather drastic punishment that trapped troublesome souls and subjugated them to joyful music and playful antics of fairies and cute animals playing in a band. It was a process that could last from months to centuries. It typically was used to annoy the subjects beyond the threshold until they eventually accepted it as part of their daily routine until the joyfulness started getting to them and they eventually took enjoyment out of it themselves. The overall goal was meant to mellow the hostile souls out so they would become more cheery and less troublesome, and was usually reserved for the most problematic of souls.“That’s right!” King Yemma snapped. “They can both go there until they’ve repented and learned to stop causing trouble, even if it takes an eternity!”
THE END