[Unknown Location.]
Junior felt a wave of nausea swimming in his stomach. Pushing himself off the ground, the young bull coughed up a lung after inhaling the toxic air. "S-Sulfur?" Junior deduced while making to his hooves.
"Correct. You have a keen sense of smell," Tirek stated. Junior whipped around to find his father in a meditative position as the Dragonballs circled him. "Wake the others! They've slept enough!"
Junior did as instructed and woke up his comrades. The trio of bulls was hit with the same sensations Junior had the displeasure of feeling as Siren posed a question. "Dearies... Is this place- Are we where I think we are?"
"Certainly smells like it," Raam said while pinching his snout.
"The air tastes nasty," Pudge groaned in disgust.
Tirek let out a warning growl as Junior spoke. "Yes, we are here, in Tartarus. This place was always our final destination," Junior took in the surroundings and discovered they were within a chasm. The dirt below his hooves was hot to the touch. A crimson red hue adorns the skies above, and the air had an ever-present stench of sulfur that burned the centaurs nostrils.
"If you are all quite done with the chatter, it is time we set out to locate my body," Tirek said.
"Forgive my impertinence my lord, but I thought that spell you were performing was meant to place us near your original body?" Raam inquired.
"It would have done so had the dragon not interfered!" Tirek grunts in annoyance before a smirk begins to form. "But thanks to his foolish actions, they were sent to random locations. Tartarus is a realm wrought with danger. To traverse this plane without any foreknowledge is a death sentence,"
"Aw. A most fortuitous circumstance for us then," Siren chirped. "Why sully our hands when the beasts of Tartarus will do the deed for us,"
"You three are going after them. Junior and I will retrieve my body!" Tirek ordered.
The Sons of Tirek stared at their patriarch in disbelief as Pudge spoke. "Uh, sir, we-"
Tirek instantly snapped his attention to the stout centaur while speaking in a menacing tone. "Are you questioning my order?"
Siren quickly stepped in front of a cowering Pudge. "Not at all my liege. What our robust bull here was saying that we fought our enemies before and met less than stellar results. If we want to succeed, we would need an edge,"
Tirek realized his intent as all three centaurs eyes focused on the Dragonballs. Junior looked ready to protest, but Tirek waved him off. "Very well," Tirek encased his magical grasp onto three of the Dragonballs and floated them over to Siren, Pudge, and Raam. The balls glowed briefly for a moment before landing in each of the Bulls' hands. "Go forth my sons. You can find the interlopers from the residual essence of my magic. Destroy our enemies!!!"
"Yes, sire," Raam stated as he teleported away.
"Of my liege," Siren said, following Raam's example.
*BLECH* "Okay!!!!" Pudge said as he was the last to leave.
"Absolute fools. Where ever did you find a trio of characters such as them?" Tirek inquired.
"They were inspired by your exploits as were many of our kin back..." Junior paused as he remembered his father's actions in the desert village.
"You've gone silent. What plagues your mind boy?"
"I..." Junior paused again. He was unsure of how to bring up the matter without angering his father. Junior knew he had his reasons. So there wasn't any point in questioning him. Their enemies were routing them from all sides, and Tirek needed the magic from the villagers to bring them to Tartarus. Surely, Tirek will return it when he retrieves his old body. "It is nothing father. Siren, Raam, and Pudge will not fail. We will get your true body back and bring salvation to our kin,"
"Salvation? For the likes of them? Perish the thought. Scorpan's solution is nary something I would give praise. Those of village would've taken the cure and try to usurp my future kingdom. So I took their unstable magic for my own. I imagine this act hastened the effects of the plague, even accelerate the symptoms. I entertain no delusions that any of our kinfolks remains among the living," Tirek finished as he began walking out of the chasm. Junior remained rooted in place with his eyes pin struck.
Suddenly, Scorpan's words began to form a cohesive binding in his mind. The images and memories he saw replayed like clockwork over his eyes. Junior swallowed a lump down his throat at the implications. 'Could the traitor be correct? No! It is impossible! But I saw what Father has done. I can hear his nonplussed tone in regards to our kin and comrades. Does he not care about our kind anymore? NO! That is not the case. Father's logic is sound. Power and greed would've consumed the others and make them rebel against him. He had to strike first. But Siren, Pudge, and Raam are loyal. Surely Father saw that. We've worked tirelessly to get to this point. Why else would he trust them with the orbs,'
"You are distracted, boy. We must move!" Tirek stated, snapping Junior out of his mental struggle.
The walk was silent for a time before Junior poses a question. "Why are we simply walking? Wouldn't it save time to teleport to your body?"
"Tartarus is a realm where all magic is nullified. However, these orbs are quite fascinating. The rule of this dimension doesn't seem to apply to them, but its best not to take any chances at this point. We are not far from my body,"
Junior wanted to argue on why he allowed the others to take such a risk but decided against it. However, there was one question the young bull found returning to the forefront of his thoughts. "Where is my mother?"
Tirek came to a full stop. He turned around and narrowed his eyes at Junior. "What was that?"
Junior trembled for just a moment before asking again. "Where is my mother? I did not see her amongst the villagers,"
Tirek snorted as he turns back to resume walking. Junior followed as silence reigned again. However, Tirek felt the urging of his spawn to answer the inquiry. "I see no point in talking about your mother. She is dead to this world. Therefore, she is dead to us as well,"
The look Tirek shot Junior was more than enough incentive to discard the issue of his mother. "...Yes, Father,"
"Now who should we test you out on today?" Siren mused to himself.
He marveled at the Dragonball as he moved it from his vision. Off in an open field, Trunks and Piccolo were currently engaged with a gatekeeper. A massive blood red troll that carries a jagged mace. Runic markings adorned the mace as a red gem in the center of it glows ominously. It spoke in a dialect that no one could understand and stood over 15 feet tall. It roars as it brought its weapon up high, attempting to crush the two Z warriors. However, Piccolo and Trunks easily dodged it by jumping in opposite directions. The troll went to press its assault by hurling its weapon at Trunks. However, the Saiyan from the future-shocked the behemoth by kicking the metal ball back to its face. The troll shrieked in pain as it fell over and thrashed against the ground. It grasped its weapon and removed it from its face. White hot angry burned in its eyes, however, it was completely unaware of what its opponents were up to in its moment of recovery. Piccolo primed his signature move and fired a beam drill straight into its open maw thus ripping the gatekeepers head into several pieces. The Z warriors took this time to converse while Siren made his way to them.
"Any idea what that thing was or where we are?" Trunks asked.
"It bears a strong resemblance to the trolls I've seen on Earth. As to where we are at the moment, it is hard to say," Piccolo said in an unsure tone.
"That was a Gatekeeper deary," Siren's voice instantly put Trunks and Piccolo on guard. "They play the role of prison wardens for Tartarus. They are quite brutish as you have doubt experienced,"
"Tartarus?" Trunks asked.
"A place where all the condemned reside. Those 'lucky' few deemed too unruly for society," Siren explained.
Piccolo let out a chuckle as he while he recalled a place similar. "Sounds like a home for infinite losers,"
"Regardless, tells us where Tirek is and we won't hurt you," Trunks demanded.
"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. No need for threats dear. As you both know, I detest to violent confrontations. It is far better to get others to do the fighting for me. For example, you with the lavender mane, strike at your friends face for me, dear,"
Piccolo arches a brow at the outlandish request. "I think the trip over here has--"
He didn't finish as Trunks rears back his left fist and struck his face. Trunks stared at his fist in disbelief. "Wha-- Piccolo! I'm sorry! My body just moved on its own!' Trunks exclaimed.
"Really now? That's interesting. Normally, my charms dull your mental facilities so they don't remember my commands. Then again, that Vegeta character was able to break the hold, but I will chalk that up to your unique genetics. You all are aliens after all," Siren stated as Piccolo returned to a vertical base. A small trickle of blood oozed from his lip. "Oh my, you poor thing. I don't believe I commanded you to strike your friend that hard. I think some payback is in order," Siren tilted his head in Trunks direction and Piccolo acted. He slammed his knee into the teenage Saiyans stomach, making him double over, before finishing with a cross that sent Trunks spiraling to the ground.
Piccolo snarls as Trunks staggers back to his feet. "How are you doing this!?"
Siren pulls out the Dragonball while shooting the two warriors a smug smirk. "This little trinket works wonders a bull. I have full control over your actions, and there is not a thing you can do about it. How delightful! Sadly, things are uneven again. Oh, I know. Why not wail on each other until your both barely conscious. That should work," And thus, Siren's twisted game started with Piccolo and Trunks wailing on each other as per his orders. A grunt of pain accompanied each blow. There was hardly any technique involved in this brutish slugfest. Finally, after five minutes, both the Z warriors stood on their feet battered and bruised, but still very capable of continuing their forced bout. Siren let out a bored sigh as he commanded Trunks and Piccolo to stop. "Well, this idea has turned out to be a bust. You both are remarkably fit. It's not much fun watching a mud fight. Hmm..."
"Do you have any idea on getting us out of this mess?" Trunks panted.
"None at the moment," Piccolo responded.
"Oh! I've got it, dearies!" Siren exclaimed as he pulls both Trunks and Piccolo close to his head with his arms around their necks. "We should add in more players! I'm sure that will liven things up. And I know just the candidates. Two lovely little dragon lovebirds! Grab hold, boys!" Trunks and Piccolo begrudgingly obey as they intertwined their arms together, allowing Siren to teleport to Spike and Ember's current location.
Meanwhile, Ember was not having a stellar time. The botched teleportation spell had divided her and Spike from the group. As an added inconvenience, sensing Ki energy proved to be a fruitless endeavor as the energy she felt was inconsistent and heavily diluted. One moment, Ember could fell the other Z warriors power clear as day and the next it would fade as if they vanished from this plane of existence. The constant shift made it impossible to track anyone down. To make matters regrettably worse, Spike fell unconscious the moment they appeared. He was alive, that much she could tell, but the Dragonlords' worries stem from their bond. It felt as though it was barely intact. Something had changed. Even his Ki was fluctuating wildly within while feeling foreign to her, almost as if her mate was a completely different dragon. Spike would mutter words that were scarcely coherent. Upon seeing his condition, Ember carried Spike to a nearby cave. Tartarus was home to many deadly hazards. So staying out in the open was foolhardy. She gently placed a hand over Spike's head only to recoil at how hot he felt. Ember stared at Spike in disbelief as she rubs her palm.
"Dragons don't get fevers!" Ember said, her voice laced with concern. "Oh, Spike. What is happening to you?"
There was no response given to her as silence reign throughout the area. Then, a threatening growl sounded off from the entrance of the cave. Ember shot up as three different pairs of eyes slowly approached her position. Out of the shadows stepped a chimera; a beast with the head of a tiger and a goat, along with a snake acting as the tail. It slowly stalks towards its would-be meals, glaring at Ember before fixing its gaze on Spike. Ember rose to stand protectively over Spike's form. The chimera took this incentive to attack and pounce towards the two drakes. Ember responded in kind. She darted forward, slamming her fist into the beast torso, and launched it outside. Ember quickly followed and found the beast dazed and confused. She immediately pressed her attack by vanishing behind the creature. Ember grabs at the snake tail and begins to spin in a circle at rapid speeds before letting go. She watched with a satisfied smirk as the chimera became a glint in the distance. However, her moment of victory faded when she felt the presence of three Ki signatures. She looked in mild surprise with the appearance of Trunks and Piccolo carrying Siren.
"You two managed to capture him? Has he told you anything useful?" Ember asked.
"Why hello to you as well, my blue-scaled friend," Siren stated coyly.
Ember crosses her arms while arching a brow at the remark. "We're aren't friends!" She replied flatly. "Whatever. Now that you two are here, you can help me with Spike. There is something wrong with him,"
Ember started to head towards the two Z warriors until Trunks called out to her in alarm. "No, stay back! Siren is controlling us!!!"
Piccolo struck as Ember's eyes widen in shock at Trunks' exclamation. Ember fell to the ground from a vicious kick by the Namekian warrior. "Now why did you have to ruin the surprise?" Siren pouted. He tapped into the power-enhancing glow of the Dragonball as he issued his command. "Go on boys. Miss dragoness here is overdue for a beating!"
Ember returns to a vertical position just in time to avoid Piccolo who stomped his foot down where the Dragonlord's head was laying. Ember assumed her combat stance and eyed her two comrades cautiously. Trunks took a step forward before charging at the Dragonlord. Trunks launch a flurry of punches and kicks that put Ember on the defensive. Piccolo joined in moments later, their combined assault cowing Ember further, and inflicting more damage. Ember found herself defending more and more as the fight continued. She knew her strength. She could, on a good day, contend with Piccolo. However, Trunks and the other Saiyans were leagues above her. The dragonlord's one saving grace was that her two opponents had no synergy between them. The Dragonlord tilted her head back to dodge a haymaker from Trunks. She brought up her palm and slammed it into the teenage Saiyan's wrist, causing his fist to sail toward Piccolo instead. Piccolo saw this and tried to dodge. However, Ember's tail snaked around his midsection and held him in place. Trunks attack connects, causing Piccolo to stagger, as Ember got a little breathing room. She spun in place while outstretching her leg to send a kick into Trunks' back, knocking him against Piccolo as they hit the dirt. Panting, Ember does an about face and charges to Siren. Sadly, she didn't make it far as Piccolo used his stretchy limb to snag her ankle.
"Nice try, honey,"
"Grr. Let go!" Ember snarls in frustration.
Instead of complying, Piccolo whips his arm up, dragging Ember with the momentum and slams her down with a hard thud. "Trunks! Exert more power! Try to power out of his control!" Piccolo commanded.
"I've been trying! Maybe if I was still a Super Saiyan when we got here, I could free myself but not in my normal state!" Trunks explained.
Ember groaned in pain as she tried to sit up. Piccolo had a firm grasp of her leg while Trunks was walking towards her. Ember snarls at them before turning her head to Siren. She opens her maw to spew her flames at the centaur, only for Trunks to kick her stomach. The dragoness lets out a sharp gasp as she curls up. Trunks lift his foot to smash in her face, but Ember catches it. Despite her struggle, the awkward position was making it hard to fight back. At least, without using more lethal means. The Dragonlord had to not only fight for survival but fight against her very instincts to maim her friends. Ember felt Piccolo's arms coil around her much like their last sparring session. The Namekian warrior uses his free hand to pull away Ember's. Thus allowing Trunks free reign to apply pressure to the Dragonlords throat. Ember's pants for beath match Trunks and Piccolo's grunts to stop themselves; all the while Siren watches on with demented glee.
"Oh my! Such drama. Friends pitted against each other in a desperate bid for survival? You can't get better entertainment!" Siren exclaimed.
"You're sick!" Piccolo spat.
"I swear if you don't stop this right now...!" Trunks grunted as his body trembles.
"No, wait! We can do better. Let's have your drake-friend kill you off. That's sure to bring him mental turmoil!" Siren said as he began walking to the cave where Spike was resting.
Ember weakly held her hand out in protest. "N-no...!"
Siren glances over his shoulder to further mock his foe. "Don't be a spoilsport. I'm sure Spike will welcome the idea. I mean look at you; nothing feminine or the least bit beautiful, covered in those rough scales and an awful shade of blue. Why I am doing him a great service!" Siren paused, fling his arms out like he was bathing in light. "But in all honesty, I am doing this because I always get other males to do as I please. So imagine how shocking it was when an overgrown iguana resisted my charms with a kiss!" Siren shudders with disgust. However, he was so distracted by his posturing that he did not notice Spike emerging from the cave and walking up to him. "Frankly I am surprised dragons even know the concept of loving each other when all they are is brutes and savages fueled by their greed,"
"Ha. Only weak little hatchlings let their greed rule them!" Spike's voice spoke out. Siren whips around to find the drake he was looking for staring at him with a dangerous glint in his eyes. "But we all share the desire to protect tour possessions..." Spike looks over to his mate who looks back at him with bloodshot eyes. "And you are trying to break one of my more precious treasures!"
"Something's off about him," Trunks said.
"...Yeah. He's giving off a different aura than usual," Piccolo stated.
"..." Ember said nothing. The focus of her attention was on Spike's eyes. They had shrunken down to pin struck and morphed into slits. It was a look Ember had seen many dragons display when they either enraged or on the hunt for prey. But Spike's voice held no anger, but a frightening calmness. It was hard to believe Spike would ever bore such a visage.
"Perish the thought. I shall step aside and let you do the honors," Siren said in an exaggerated bow. The Dragonball glowed intensely to reinforce his order, but Spike remained in place. Siren arches a brow at this. "You can't resist! No male can resist the Siren's call!" The Dragonball glow brighter in Siren's palm, but Spike made no effort to move or stop him. Siren grunted while sweat dripped down his brow. Whereas Spike shot him a smile that carried a sadistic air to it.
Faster than anyone could perceive, Spike's hand gripped the wrist holding the Dragonball. The strength of Spike's grip was enough to elicit a sickening crack from Siren's limb, causing him to holler out in anguish. Spike continues smiling as he raises his free hand currently charging a dark orb with a green outline. Spike leveled it right where Siren heart resided. "Sorry to break your heart but you're not my type..."
With those parting words, Spike fires his attack. The blast tore the ground behind Siren asunder while a dark green hue covered vicinity. When the beam faded, Siren stood still with a faraway look in his eyes. Several trails of blood dripped from his lip as he grunted in pain. He slowly brought his trembling hand to the large hole in his torso and wiped the blood off his chest. With a shaky gasp, Siren spoke. "L-Look at what you've done, honey...! I-I must look atrocious. Why couldn't you listen to me? My voice, my opinions. They matter to you, right?" No one was sure if Siren was speaking to them or not. But the faraway look in his eyes gave our heroes enough indication. "You must hear my voice! I need you to hear it! I--"
His body went stiff and fell over with a nasty splat. The Dragonball fell out of the corpse's hand and rolled over to Spike's foot. Spike rolled his neck and went to retrieve the golden orb only to grunt in frustration when it disappeared. "Tsk! Tirek!"
Trunks and Piccolo wobbled on their feet as Ember returns to a vertical base. She took a tentative step toward her mate with her hand reaching for him. "Spike? You're well again!" For some reason she couldn't quite place, Ember felt her instinct scream at her to retreat. Shrugging off the feel of unease, Ember gently grabs Spike shoulder to gain his attention. But Spike surprised everyone by spinning around and pulling Ember in a tight embrace.
"I'm glad you're ok!" Spike said in relief.
The uneasiness Ember felt earlier ebbed away as she returns the hug. "I'm glad you're safe too, emerald,"
Piccolo and trunks stared at the two drakes in mild confusion before moving toward them. "I don't get it," Trunks said, gaining the drakes attention. "How did you resist his control?"
"He tried that stunt on us before, but Siren didn't know about our bond!" Spike replied. Ember gave the drake a light squeeze of her hand in appreciation.
"Even with the Dragonball boosting his abilities?" Piccolo asked. "Your method of taking him down isn't something one would expect from a student of Goku's, not that I disapprove,"
Spike shrugs at this line of question. "He was too dangerous with to let go. What if he got to Goku or Vegeta? I don't we could take the both of them so why risk it?" Although Spike's logic was sound, the two Z fighters couldn't help but feel unconvinced. Even Ember cast a worried glance at her mate, but none said a word against it.
"Speaking of the Dragonballs, it looks like that one must've gone back to Tirek. We may not be able to sense the others Ki, but I can still feel the Dragonballs presence accurately enough. We should get moving,"
"No argument here," Spike said.
Our four heroes took off into the sky in the direction of Tirek. Both Trunks and Piccolo wore contemplative expressions over their encounter, whereas Ember cast several glances toward Spike. Where did the apprehension from earlier come from? Why did Spike go for the kill so casually? And why is it that Spike lied about their bond being able to thwart Siren's call? Whatever was happening right now, the Dragonballs were the cause. And Ember resolved to get them back for both hers and Spike's sake.
[Jagged Landscrapper.]
Vegeta stood over the carcass of a crocodile littered with rocks across its body with a disinterested scowl. Since arriving here in Tartarus, and subsequently getting separated from the others, Vegeta had gotten lost in trying to follow any ki signature he could. Much to the prince's annoyance, whenever he could lock on to a presence, it was always an extremely hostile creature with the cragadile being the latest adversary. While the meager threats to his life were of no consequence, Vegeta was growing irritated on the wild goose chases. The area around him was home to nothing but an array of boulders jutting out of the ground. The rocks themselves appeared sharp to the touch, not that Vegeta was eager to disprove that assessment. His thoughts went back to the ones responsible for bringing him to this realm in the first place.
"If that moronic centaur had to transport us somewhere, then the least he could've done was present me with more worthy foes!" Vegeta grumbled.
"Then perhaps you want to try your hand in fighting me!" Vegeta turns to the source of the voice to find Raam paw at the ground with an excited grin on his muzzle. "I was hoping to get you as an opponent!"
Vegeta scoffs at his attitude. "I asked for a worthy adversary, not a subpar one! At this rate, I'm bound to lose my warriors edge!"
"Then let me reignite your warrior's spirit!!!"
Raam wasted little time and charged toward his foe with his horns leveled to Vegeta's chest. The Saiyan prince watched with mild annoyance while the bull drew closer to him. Raam's horn was mere inches from impaling the Saiyan prince had Vegeta not sidestepped the charge. However, Raam drifted to the right to adjust his direction so that he was once again on a collision course with the Saiyan prince. Vegeta repeated the same process of sidestepping the attack. Raam was persistent, however, as he continued to correct his course. Eventually, Vegeta grew annoyed with the monotonous pattern and decided to put an end to it. This time, Vegeta brought up his arm and slammed it into the back of Raam's head as he ran past him. This action caused the Centaur to tumble to the ground. Surprisingly, Raam smirked as he returned to a standing position. Vegeta arches a brow at this, but he couldn't speculate further as Raam launch an offensive spell at him. Vegeta deflects and fires a Ki blast in response. Raam's eyes widened as the blast explodes in his face. Vegeta saw that Raam was still standing and darted towards him, unleashing a barrage of punches and kicks that the centaur had no hope of defending against. Vegeta ends his assault with a swift kick to his abdomen, causing him to hunch over in pain.
"Honesty, you seek me out, and this is all the strength you can muster? Pathetic!" Vegeta spat.
Raam response with a chuckle that caused an irritated growl to escape Vegeta's lips. "Funny you should say that. You claimed that you are strong, yet I have yet to fall. If your the prince then the Saiyan species is nothing but talk!" Vegeta gave no verbal reply instead opting to bash his knee against Raam's face. The centaurs head flung backward before Vegeta grips him by the horns and pulls Raam's face into his face. The blow causes blood to erupt from Raam's nostrils, but Vegeta was far from finished. He grips Raam by his mane and pulls him toward his oncoming fist, sending crashing to the ground. However, much to Vegeta's growing aggravation, Raam continues to goad him. "I know cafe's that throw a better punch-"
Vegeta silenced him by stomping his poot to his head several times, forming a small crater. He steps back for a moment which allows Raam to slowly pick himself back up, only for Vegeta to hold out his palm and blast him along the dirt surface. "It's amazing how everytime you open your mouth you prove that you're an idiot!" Raam stands on his hooves again with the same smug smile as when they started. Vegeta's finally had enough and outstretched his arm to his enemy. He flared his Super Saiyan aura in preparation to obliterate the centaur and move on to a more worthy opponent. However, Vegeta eyes went wide when his aura faded out. "What the!?!?!"
Raam's bellowing laughter echoed through the vicinity. "I love that look of confusion on your twisted muzzle!"
"What have you done!?"
"This Dragonball is a blessing! It has brought my powers to new heights!"
"Don't kid yourself! you've haven't gotten any stronger even with the Dragonball!" Vegeta stated until a realization flashed across his eyes.
"That's right! All the damage you inflicted upon me only drained you of your strength. With the Dragonball in my hands, just being near me will weaken you. Not even that ridiculous blonde hair trick will work. Now killing you will be easy!"
Raam switched tactics and teleported in front of Vegeta. His first sailed forward and bashed against Vegeta's jaw. Raam followed up with a rook hook across Vegeta's left cheek and a sharp uppercut to Vegeta's torso. With Vegeta bend over, Raam hooks his arms around the midsection. He brought the Saiyan warrior over his shoulders and broke out in a full gallop. Raam lept high into the air while shifting the prince so that he would take the brunt of the impact. The resulting power slam caused spiderweb cracks to spread out. Smirking devilishly at his handy work, Raam picks up Vegeta by his armor and hurls him into a protruding boulder. Raam pawed at the ground again with his hooves to attempt to impale the prince of all Saiyans once more. Only this time it was bound to succeed with Vegeta battered to such a degree.
"You should've stayed home! Maybe then you wouldn't die in disgrace, shaming all the Saiyans under your rule!"
Vegeta's hands shot out to grab Raam's horns as his aura burst from his body like a raging inferno. Raam's smug facade fell instantly at the sudden influx of power. Whatsmore, Vegeta appeared to be completely unharmed. "And what does a mere lackey know of the Saiyan race?" Vegeta tightened his grip until the horns snapped from the pressure. "Your only ambition is what your master tells you. You are no warrior. You're hardly a challenge and, above all else..." Vegeta spread his legs and tucked his elbows against his chest while his aura flared intensely. His muscle expanded and became more defined. Vegeta released a powerful roar that shook the very landscape while finishing his rant. "YOU KNOW NOTHING OF TRUE PRIDE!!!"
"Impossible! You shouldn't have any power left!!!"
"Hmph. Perhaps if you appeared before the androids, then your little gimmick might prove to be more than a simple inconvenience. In all honesty, trying to drain away my power would be the equivalent of scooping the water out of the ocean with a tiny wooden bucket. Too bad for you!"
Raam began to backpedal as fear took hold of him. Sweat poured profusely from his brow as he lets out a panic yell before launch a massive offensive spell at Vegeta, using the Dragonball to bolstered his attack as much as he could. The detonation was tremendous while smoke shrouded the area. Raam panted from exertion as he began to laugh, assured of his victory. That laughter died in his throat when the smoke cleared to reveal Vegeta completely unfazed by his strongest attack. "No... No! That's impossible!!! WHAT ARE YOU!?"
Vegeta shot him a confident smirk as he points at himself with his thumb. "I am Super Vegeta!" Vegeta then extended both of his arms while clapping the edge of his palms together. A golden orb of Ki formed over his hands while Raam looks on in despair, unable to flee. "And your as good as space dust-- Final Flash!!!"
"No! Don't you dare look down on me! I won't let anyone do that again!!" Raam regained enough of his facilities to erect a shield over his body as a beam of extremely hot plasma engulfs him. But it was all for naught. Vegeta's attack travel quite a distance before dissipating. Vegeta straightened his posture as he walked over the trench in his path. All that remained in the wake of his signature move was the Dragonball resting on the ground. Vegeta had a hard time distinguishing if that was dirt or ashes kicking up from his footsteps. Not that it mattered either way. He bends down to retrieve the Dragonball only for it to vanish before he could even grab it. Vegeta growls at this. But before he could express his frustration, Goku appears in front of him.
"Vegeta!!!"
Vegeta crosses his arms in annoyance. "What do you want, clown?"
"I saw your attack and came over here,"
"Just what I needed. I go from one nuisance to another!"
"Hey look, its Piccolo and the others!" Goku said as Piccolo, Spike, Ember, and Trunks flew overhead. Goku and Vegeta quickly ascended to the sky to meet them. "Hey, guys!"
"Goku! Father! Glad you could join us," Trunks said with a smile.
"Yeah. This place makes tracking Ki energy impossible!" Goku said.
"At least we're together now," Spike stated.
"I'm assuming we're not just flying around for the hell of it!" Vegeta stated in a dry tone.
"We are heading to Tirek now after taking care of Siren!" Ember spat in disgust.
"From the look of you two, I'd say you both had some fun of your own," Piccolo said, observing their damage clothing.
"I fought the short one. But I would hardly call it a fight. More like a scuffle," Vegeta said with a smirk.
"Yeah, I had a run-in with one of those centaur guys too. He was pretty pricky to beat, but I managed ok. But the Dragonball disappeared," Goku said.
"Which one?" Spike asked.
"The pudgy one," Goku responded as he regaled his battle.
[A few minutes earlier - Elevated Planes.]
Goku stood on one of the multitudes of circular platforms as he calmly walked at a slow pace. He peers over the edge of the platform to spy a liquid bed of purple ooze below. A miasma permeated the area of the support beams, giving off a foul stench. Goku picked up a small piece of the platform in his hand and chucked off the side. The rock dissolved instantly within the corrosive mist before ever reaching the ooze. Goku gulped and quickly moved away from the edge. "When Chi-Chi said I should try using shampoo when I bath, I doubt that stuff is what she meant," He said in a nervous tone. With a sigh, Goku sits down with his legs and arms crossed. He put two fingers to his head in an attempt to try and find the Ki signatures of his friends but to no avail. "Man this stinks. I can't get a lock on anyone. I hope they're ok," Goku sat there for a time, staring into his shadow while contemplating his next move. However, he noticed that his shadow grew larger, causing him to arch a brow. He looks up and found the source of this phenomena as he tensed up in surprise. Goku flips out of the way just in time for a large mass of flesh to slam into the platform.
*BLECH* "Aw, I missed," Pudge said dejectedly.
"Hey, it's you,"
Pudge looked confused as he pointed to himself. "Um me?"
"Yeah, you, you're with Tirek! Did you get separated too? That's weird. I guess his little magic trick hurt him as much as it did us,"
"Oh no. Tirek said to defeat our enemies using these!" Pudge presented the Dragonball much to Goku's shock.
"Uh say, do you think you can hand that over to me? My friends and I need it badly to save our world," Goku pleaded as he clapped his hands together. "Pretty please with ice cream cake on top?"
A sudden realization hit Pudge like a ton of bricks. "Oh! Cake!!! If I kill you and show Tirek, will he give me a snack?"
Pudge rears ack his meaty fist and throws a left hook at Goku; prompting the Saiyan from Earth to leap back. Goku took his stance while channeling his Super Saiyan might. "So much for doing this the easy way... Hah!!!"
Goku thrust his fist forward and watched in amazement when his attack glides from the heavy perspiration on Pudge's face. Slightly disgust but undeterred, Goku launches several jabs to Pudge's face. However, all of his punches met with the same result of sliding off their intended target. Switching tactics, Goku sends a kick to Pudge's that sinks into his fat. Pudge took advantage and trapped the limb with his arm. He rears back his fist and thrust it toward Goku's face. The Saiyan warrior blocks it, but the impact knocks Goku away. The Saiyan from Earth skid across the ground for a time before flipping upright, narrowly avoiding falling off the edge of the platform. Goku glances back at the poisonous gas for a moment before facing Pudge again. He held out his hands and launched a volley of Ki blast upon Pudge. However, the robust centaur did something unexpected and tucked himself into a ball. Pudge started spinning in place as the Ki blast bounced off of him before he sped off.
Goku cuts off his attack to dodge by leaping to the skies. Shockingly, however, Pudge began bouncing against the platform after him. Goku vanishes out of the way as Pudge landed on another platform. Goku reappeared on a different stage and broke out into a sprint as Pudge came crashing down on him. Goku turns to face the ball of flesh and fires another attack. He kept a continuous stream that sadly repelled around the edges of Pudge's ball form. The Centaur continued on its path, forcing Goku to cancel his attack again, and dodge out of the way. Goku found himself in a dire situation. The sweat shielding pudge made him impervious to all his attacks. Whatsmore, the vapor in the air was slowly affecting him, making feel dizzy and nauseous. He had to end the fight soon or else he'll succumb to the hazardous environment. It was at this moment that Goku realizes how unstable the ground has become from their battle.
'All this bouncing is tearing up the floor. I bet it will break if I help it along. There won't be anywhere to land, and he will have to give up the Dragonball,'
Goku put his plan into action by channeling his Ki to his feet. He stomps down hard before leaping away to another platform. Pudge followed close behind the Saiyan warrior just as Goku had hoped, landing right where Goku's foot imprint was, and further destabilizing the ground. Goku sure to hit each platform while adding a little more energy with each landing. Finally, Goku's plan bore fruit. Their footing started to break away until the entire stage broke apart. One after another, the surrounding plateaus collapsed from the combination of Goku's Ki enhanced stomping and Pudge's ball bouncing. Soon, there was only one remaining. Goku opting to face Pudge who in turn stops his attack.
"This fight was some good exercise, but it looks like I win!"
"Um... How?"
Goku taps his foot on the ground to make Pudge aware of the situation. "The ground won't be able to hold together much longer. You can't fly, but I can so if you want to get out of here, you'll have to give up the fight and hand over the Dragonball,"
It took a moment for Pudge to process Goku's words before he understood. Images of Tirek's angry visage ran rampant in the pudgy centaur's mind. "No! Tirek will be angry. He said 'destroy our enemies!'. I got to win!"
"I'm sorry about that. From what I heard, Tirek is not someone that sounds like a good guy,"
Pudge began to panic. The voices of his companion all swirled in his head in an endless cycle of angry and belittlement. He knew they would be furious. He knew they would reject - or possibly hurt him - if failed. "No. No. NO!!! They'll kick me out! Make fun of me!!! I need to win!!!" With that said Pudge tucks back into his ball form and bounced in place. Thus, destroying the platform in the process. Goku hovers in the air as the platform met with its destruction. Pudge started to freefall into the deadly mist as he flailed his limbs. Goku was quick to act as he teleports to Pudge position. He caught the wrist of the arm Pudge was using to hold the Dragonball as he tried to ascend from the horrible vapors of the ooze. However, Pudge refused to stop flailing - couple that with the greasy sweat still covering his body - Goku's hand was sliding off of the Centaur's hand.
"Hey! You've got to stop squirming or else your going to fall!!!" Goku's voice fell on dear ears. Pudge thrashed harder and harder while his sweat was becoming slicker by the second. The only the two combatants had a hold of now was the Dragonball itself. Goku tried to double his efforts at flying away. But the moment he picked up speed, Pudge's slime covered hands slid from the Dragonball. Goku watched in horror as Pudge descended into the acidic cloud. The centaur's silhouette was visible for a moment before it dissolved into nothingness, leaving a dumbstruck Goku as the victor. Goku hung in the sky while bowing his head in silence for his fallen enemy. That is until the Dragonball he was holding disappeared from his grip. Goku's features shifted from solemn to surprise before settling on a hardened expression. He clenched his fist hard enough to draw blood as he spoke in a low tone. "You're going to pay!!!"
There was a bright flash to his left, causing Goku to whirl around just in time to see a massive beam of Ki tear through the landscape. It was a Ki signature that Goku instantly recognized. "Vegeta!!! He must be fighting over there. I better move it!" Goku places his fingers on his forward as he prepared to use Instant Transmission. He gave one more mournful glance at the river of ooze before flicker over to Vegeta.
"...And that's what happened..." Goku concluded. Our heroes remained quiet as they processed this information.
"I just remembered something; Siren said something similar along those lines," Trunks recalled.
"It was something about him wanting to be heard or noticed?" Ember inquired.
"Well, Vegeta?" Goku asked. "Did your guy say anything?"
"It was hard to make out what with him being disintegrated and all, but I believe he was mumbling about others looking down on him," Vegeta scoffs at the thought. "A warrior with a lack of pride doesn't deserve to be called one!"
"Besides that, I think I see a pattern here," Spike spoke up.
Piccolo nodded his head in agreement as he spoke. "All of our opponents were in a vulnerable state at one point in their lives. We may never know their exact reasons, but we do know that Tirek is taking advantage of that,"
Silence reigned once again as the Z fighters reflected on their battles. However, it was Goku that spoke next in a voice of complete conviction. "Then we have one more reason to find this Tirek and make him answer for his crimes!"