Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Dragon Ball: Chaotic Future ❯ Chapter 21: Losing Battles ( Chapter 21 )

I DO NOT OWN DRAGON BALL Z OR ANY RACES, PLANETS, OR CHARACTERS RELATED TO IT. GALDRIA, HEVA, TIRIS, IQUELA, MIURA, ZELLIS, SETH, CLEF, HANZO, TWILIGHT AND ALL RELATED CHARACTERS, RACES, OR PLANETS WERE ALL CREATED BY ME.

 

 

Dragon Ball:

Chaotic Future

 

CHAPTER 21

 

Mad God Saga, Part X

“Losing Battles.”

 

 

 

Hanzo collapsed.

 

The proud Saiyan warrior lay unmoving on the ground as a faint glimmer of dawn sunlight came streaming over the edge of the canyon wall above, filling the deep, rocky valley with pale golden light. He was vaguely aware of the continuing battle, between Trunks and Tempest, and he knew he had to return and help his outmatched comrade. Hanzo took a deep breath and attempted to stand, to no avail.

 

But… But I have no power left, he thought, looking down at his battered body in dismay. The blinding light and confident strength of his new transformation had finally left him at some point in the night, and now he was reduced to fighting in his normal state. Facing Tempest like this is suicide! No matter what we do, he will always hold the advantage!

 

And it was true. It wasn't that Trunks and Hanzo were getting weaker, or rather, it hadn't been until now, it was simply that Tempest was so much stronger than either Saiyan had imagined. All during last night's hellish battle, both Hanzo and Trunks had drawn upon reserves of power that neither of them had known they had, all in hopes of finally ending Tempest's existence, and every time one of them rose to a new level of power, the mad god wasn't far behind. He would allow his two desperate opponents to beat him back at first, to bolster their confidence, but eventually he would lash out with the full fury of his power, dwarfing anything that his adversaries could throw at him.

 

Victory was impossible.

 

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Victory was within their grasp.

 

Gabriel was surprised at how quickly his control over the Power was developing, and he knew that, given enough time, he would be able to unleash all of his rage, all of his hatred, against Tempest. The Power filled him, slowly at first, building up as the minutes ticked by, infusing every part of the young half-Galdrian's body with a tingling warmth. Soon, he thought as the Power began to race through him so suddenly that it almost hurt. Soon Tempest will pay.

 

Clef stood near the entrance to the Time Chamber, staring out at the endless void of white nothingness that had surrounded him and Gabriel for the past several months. The half-breed warrior was barely distinguishable from his stark surroundings, so brightly and so purely did his body glow with the beautiful, yet strangely unsettling, light of his Power. During their tenure in the chamber, between bouts of intense sparring, Gabriel had kept mostly to himself, explaining that without solitude, the strength to manipulate this legendary force would not come to him. Having spent most of his life training by himself, Clef didn't argue with Gabriel's request, finding instead that the quiet, unchanging atmosphere of the Time Chamber served his own purposes just fine.

 

“We haven't got much time left,” the Namekian spoke quietly to himself. “I only hope that Trunks and Hanzo can hold on…”

 

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Trunks shimmered with the power of a Super Saiyan.

 

Somehow, despite all of the pain that he had endured during the night, despite all of the energy he had dispelled while battling Tempest, the light of a Super Saiyan continued to emanate blindingly from his body. Much to Tempest's chagrin.

 

Not that it will do me much good, Vegeta's son thought darkly. If Hanzo and I as Super Saiyan 2s couldn't beat this maniac, I doubt that my normal Super Saiyan power will win this battle either… But at least it was something, and it seemed to keep Tempest on guard, though he probably could eliminate both of the Saiyans at any time he chose. A look to his far left showed Trunks that Hanzo still hadn't recovered from Tempest's last assault. He didn't have time to worry about it, however, as the mad god chose that moment to launch his next assault.

 

The sinister divinity was a blur of multicolored light as he sped silently toward Trunks, and the half-Saiyan was unable to make out any of the attacks that suddenly struck him as he was enveloped by waves of Tempest's disconcerting power. A strangled cry of anger escaped Trunks as he felt his own power weakening from the prolonged contact with Tempest's alien energy. It was as if the power of a Super Saiyan, or any other power for that matter, was rendered absolutely useless around the mad god.

 

And that, Trunks realized, is why Tempest is unbeatable. All other thoughts were wiped from the Super Saiyan's mind as the evil deity lashed out with a thunderous head-butt that took Trunks square between the eyes. The half-Saiyan staggered back, vision blurred and mind swimming as he struggled to maintain his composure. In that moment of weakness, Tempest continued his assault with a roundhouse kick that connected solidly with the left side of his opponent's head, sending the dazed Saiyan spiraling toward the canyon wall as his golden-yellow aura dissipated almost instantly.

 

Tempest wasn't finished, however, and he dashed silently after Trunks, both hands glowing brightly as he prepared to launch a volley of rainbow-colored energy at his stunned adversary. There was a brief flash of light as Tempest discharged his attack, and Trunks was caught completely unaware when the first wave of power collided with him, drilling him firmly into the opposing stone wall of the canyon as he cried out in misery.

 

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Hanzo struck.

 

With all of the power he could muster, Miura's older brother collided full force with Tempest, catching the mad god off guard and allowing almost all of his remaining energy to burst outward from his broken and exhausted body. The screams of both combatants echoed throughout the mountainous valley; Tempest's a scream of rage at having missed this opportunity to destroy Trunks, and Hanzo's a heart-wrenching cry of pain as the close proximity to the dark deity began taking its toll on him. The pale blue light of Hanzo's aura became enmeshed in the extraordinary illumination of Tempest's multihued power, causing the canyon to glow eerily in the pale dawn light.

 

Eventually the pain became too much to bear, and Hanzo separated himself from Tempest, leaping back and sliding to a stop as he assumed a defensive stance. He glared viciously at his opponent, dark eyes shining with anger as he studied the mad god. Despite all of their best efforts, it appeared that neither Trunks nor Hanzo had been able to damage Tempest at any time during the previous night's struggle. In fact, Hanzo judged that Tempest actually looked to be in better condition than he had just months ago, during the battle on Namek.

 

It's as if he feeds on our failure, the panting Saiyan thought as he struggled for breath. No matter what we do, he just keeps on getting stronger! The faint sound of heartless laughter caught Hanzo's attention, and he gasped and took a few steps back as Tempest made his way slowly toward him, body still glowing with a nimbus of multi-colored power.

 

“Very impressive, Saiyan,” the mad god said in that same cold voice that sent shocks of physical pain through his opponents. “I had thought you dead, though I'm very glad to see that I was mistaken. It seems that you're the only one left to play with…” Tempest continued his threatening, slow march toward Hanzo as a smug grin stretched across his frighteningly perfect features. “You two have truly shocked me,” Tempest said, tilting his head toward Trunks, who lay unmoving amid a pile of smoking rubble. “You should both be very proud. In all of my long life, no one has ever—”

 

The air around both combatants instantly became charged with energy, and Tempest gasped as two beams of solid, shining ki descended down upon him from above. It was too late for the mad god to avoid being struck, and he screamed in a mixture of pain and irritation as he was engulfed in a fiery explosion of blue and white power.

 

Hanzo felt his legs finally give out from underneath him, but before he could collapse again, a pair of strong hands took hold of him, steadying him as his vision began to blur. Through vision distorted by tears of exhaustion, Hanzo was able to make out two familiar faces in front of him: Gabriel and Clef. They were the last things he saw as his mind sought solace in the cool, comforting darkness of oblivion.

 

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Tempest emerged from the conflagration unscathed.

 

The rage he had experienced after being robbed of Hanzo's death now increased tenfold when he saw who his attackers were. That damned Namek, Tempest thought, body trembling slightly with resentment. I should have killed him when I had the chance, rather than toy with him. Oh well… His cold gaze turned to a glare when he focused his attention on the other newcomer, a warrior that Tempest had thus far never seen. Another one, huh? And where are all of these insects crawling out from, I wonder?

 

The figure that stood at the Namekian's side appeared to be young, as far as these mortals reckoned things anyway, and both he and the Namek were dressed in the same white and black armor that the two Saiyans wore. The mysterious newcomer's long, raven-black hair was pulled tightly back in a long ponytail that hung nearly to his waist, and his skin was nearly as pale as Tempest's own. But it was the eyes that caught the mad god's attention, and he was shocked to see his own icy glare mirrored in the shining blue eyes of his new opponent.

 

I don't believe this! Tempest mentally roared. I can feel this vermin exuding that same power… the same power as before! Long buried memories flooded suddenly into the sinister god's mind, and he was stunned as his previous defeat replayed itself in short, static scenes: a group of the cursed Galdrians, forcing him back as time wore on, pushing the advantage of sheer numbers; the arrogant Hevan warriors who had entered the fray, determined to assist their new Galdrian allies in destroying him; the three fighters from beyond the rift, where he himself had originated, pouring their power into the attack that would nearly seal his fate. All of these seemingly disjointed memories suddenly focused, and Tempest remembered…

 

One of the Galdrians, he silently mused, sensing the alien feeling of fear as it crept up within him. One of those god-forsaken Galdrians dared to face me in single combat! I should have been able to crush him, but… That strange, painful, blinding power that the Galdrian wielded had forced Tempest back, buying the three from the other dimension enough time to finish their attack. The attack that had ended the mad god's spree of destruction and death almost ten thousand years ago. That same power…

 

“Not again!” Tempest screamed, voice shrill with fear. “This time I will crush you!” The air around the combatants suddenly exploded with light as the mad god called upon even more power, causing the ground to splinter and shift as the canyon began to crumble in upon itself. From within the terrible glow of multihued power, Tempest's roaring voice could still be heard. “I will not lose again!”

 

“Clef, grab Hanzo,” Gabriel said calmly, standing his ground despite the tumultuous powers of the dark divinity. “I'll get Trunks, okay?” The young half-Galdrian saw his Namekian companion nod out of the corner of his eye before bending down to pick up the motionless form of Hanzo. Once the two of them were safely airborne, Gabriel walked purposefully across the quaking canyon, stopping to kneel down before the unconscious body of Trunks. “Looks like he did a number on you,” Gabriel whispered, carefully picking up the battered Saiyan warrior. He was vaguely aware of Tempest behind him, continuing to gather more power, but he honestly didn't care. This time he's finished.

 

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Gabriel and Clef landed lightly upon the ground.

 

The two warriors, along with their unconscious companions, had flown as quickly as possible to escape the crumbling canyon, and they now stood in the middle of a dusty, barren wasteland, at the center of which was the pulsing, glowing light of Tempest's power. The perfect sphere of multi-colored energy floated slowly upward until it cleared the lip of the canyon, barely managing to make it out before the mountains surrounding it collapsed, filling the rocky, decimated valley completely in.

 

“How's Trunks,” Hanzo asked in a weak voice. The Saiyan warrior had regained consciousness shortly after escaping the canyon, but he still looked haggard. His face was pale and dirty, with both blood and dust. His night-dark hair was matted and plastered to his forehead with sweat, and his suit of custom-made Saiyan armor was nearly obliterated. “Well, answer me,” he prompted, pulling away from Clef's supporting grasp to stand on his own.

 

“He's pretty messed up,” Gabriel answered honestly, looking down at the battered form of Trunks. “If he's going to make it, we've got to get him back to the Lookout soon. Otherwise…” he left the thought unfinished and shrugged his shoulders. “Honestly though, we have more important things to worry about right now.” The half-Galdrian tilted his head toward the slowly approaching sphere of glowing power. “He's sure taking his sweet time… Hanzo, take Trunks and get out of here. Clef, you know what needs to be done.”

 

The Namekian nodded once before taking off toward Tempest's energy shell with an explosion of blue power. He cleared the distance between himself and his opponent in no time, striking out with a flurry of attacks that seemed to have no effect upon the ki barrier that surrounded the mad god. Clef didn't give up, however, and he continued to lash out at the sphere of light.

 

“What's he doing?” Hanzo asked, eyes wide with surprise. He's gotten so much stronger!! That Time Chamber is truly amazing, if it could increase Clef's power by this much… The Saiyan looked sidelong at Gabriel, who appeared to be concentrating a large amount of energy around himself.

 

“He's distracting Tempest long enough for me to power up,” Gabriel responded quietly, eyes clenched shut as he continued to focus. “Now take Trunks and go. Leave Tempest to us now, Hanzo.” A fount of extraordinarily blinding energy suddenly erupted upward from the ground around Gabriel, forcing Hanzo to leap back, lest he be caught in the overwhelming display.

 

I think not, Hanzo thought, clenching his fists and watching intently as Clef continued to barrage Tempest's energy shield. Gabriel may think that Clef can fight Tempest off, but I know better. Once that super-powered maniac decides to fight back, that Namek is finished. Miura's half-brother returned his attention to Gabriel once more and bit back a cry of shock. Where's he getting all of this power from?! It isn't possible for anyone to increase their power this much in such a short amount of time, Time Chamber or not!

 

And it was obvious to Hanzo that, regardless of the outcome, this had to be their final battle against Tempest. 16, Trunks, Zellis, and even Hanzo himself were just too emotionally and physically beaten to face Tempest again, and it simply wasn't possible for any of them to get any stronger. If Gabriel's new power couldn't beat the mad god, then nothing could…

 

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Tempest burst forth from his shell of energy.

 

Shards of power exploded outward, forcing Clef to go on the defensive as Tempest launched his assault. The godlike warrior immediately engaged the Namekian in hand-to-hand combat, doing everything in his substantial power to strike the green-skinned fighter down. But much had changed since their last confrontation, and Clef was not caught off guard.

 

With a clash like thunder, the two combatants collided in mid air, kicking up a cloud of dust and debris as flares of spiraling energy tore through the surrounding wasteland. Clef, feeling newly empowered after his time in the Lookout's chamber, threw everything he had against Tempest without any regard for his own personal safety. And it was this newfound confidence that proved to be his greatest weapon against his malevolent godlike opponent.

 

What does he know that I don't? Tempest wondered frantically as he continued to strike out at Clef. He never fought with this much intensity before… The mad god gasped in surprise as he barely avoided a potentially disastrous uppercut thrown by his Namekian adversary, and he became enraged by Clef's obvious self-assurance. How dare he?! What can he be thinking?! But the more that Tempest worried about Clef's ulterior motives, the less attention he paid to the battle at hand, and the valiant Namekian bodyguard found himself forcing the mad god back.

 

Clef grinned as he launched a lightning fast assault of mixed physical and energy attacks against Tempest. A quick glance over his shoulder showed the green-skinned warrior that Gabriel was making good progress at gathering his legendary Power. This is going to work! he thought triumphantly. Just a little longer…

 

But, unfortunately for Clef and the others, their luck was dangerously close to running out…

 

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Power exploded around Clef.

 

As the fearless warrior from Namek was engulfed in an eruption of rainbow-colored light, Hanzo looked on in stunned and silent horror. He took several steps forward before turning around suddenly as an unbelievable amount of power sprung up behind him. What the hell is going on here?! he thought in stunned disbelief as Gabriel's power level continued to sky rocket. Where is that runt getting all of this power from? A second explosion of energy from the direction of the battlefield caught Hanzo's attention once again.

 

Clef skidded to a halt several feet away from Tempest, who had a third blast of energy growing larger by the second in his right hand, obviously preparing to finish the Namekian off. Clef's black jumpsuit and Saiyan armor were heavily damaged, yet the green-skinned fighter seemed determined to stall Tempest for as long as possible, even if it meant his own demise. He struggled to his feet, prepared to meet the mad god's assault head on.

 

“Idiot Namek,” Hanzo cursed under his breath. It was obvious to the Saiyan warrior that no matter how hard Clef tried, victory was surely within Tempest's easy grasp. Another quick glance at Gabriel confirmed Hanzo's dark suspicion: Clef wouldn't be able to hold Tempest off much longer, and the half-Galdrian warrior would be unable to call upon his full strength. “Damn,” Hanzo muttered again as he dug deep for every last reserve of energy that his body could generate.

 

In the blink of an eye Hanzo arrived upon the field of battle, his body surrounded by a flaring nimbus of bright blue ki. With a cry of exertion, the fatigued Saiyan warrior interposed himself between Tempest's oncoming attack and the struggling Namekian and, pouring as much strength as he could into his right hand, Hanzo lashed out at the mad god's devastating blast of energy. Unspeakable pain traveled up the dark-haired Saiyan's arm, forcing him to gasp in disbelief, but he had accomplished what he had hoped.

 

Tempest's blast, having been barely deflected by Hanzo, careened off into the distance where it exploded with a deafening roar. A wave of light and heat, obviously a backlash from the powerful discharge of energy, washed over the three combatants on the battlefield, once again coercing a cry of agony and surprise from not only Hanzo this time, but Clef also. Eventually the blinding flare died down, and a silent, uneasy calm descended upon the battle-weary fighters.

 

If that blast would have made contact, it would have wiped all of us out, Clef thought in astonishment. What an awful, awesome power… The Namekian bodyguard, who had managed to stand up beside Hanzo, switched his attention to his ally's now severely damaged right arm. Blood flowed freely down the Saiyan's limb, and in some spots the white of bone could be barely made out. The charred, now useless arm hung limply at Hanzo's side, and Clef could tell that his Saiyan companion was trying his very hardest just to retain consciousness. My god, he may never use that arm again…

 

“Looks… like I… cut it a little… close this time… eh, Clef?” Hanzo asked, flashing the green-skinned warrior a grin that seemed utterly out of place upon his pale and drawn visage. “Don't… worry,” he continued, voice filled with undisguised agony. “I've… lived through… worse.” It was a valiant attempt at reassurance, but it was obvious to Clef that Hanzo was in a terrible amount of pain.

 

“You foolish, arrogant, idiotic Saiyan dog!” Tempest roared, instantly drawing both of his opponents' attentions. “Why can't you leave well enough alone? Are you really so desperate to die, that you couldn't wait for your own damn turn?” A sudden influx of power caused the supposed god's multihued aura to flare violently around him, causing a spiral of wind and energy to tear outward from his massive body. “Very well then, Saiyan. I'll grant your wish, and kill your friend in the—” Suddenly the mad god's vicious rant came to a screeching halt, and both Clef and Hanzo saw his attention immediately shift to a point behind both warriors.

 

“Gabriel…” Hanzo muttered, raising his good hand to shield his eyes from the terrible brilliance of the half-Galdrian's aura. “What power!” He took a quick moment to look back over his shoulder toward Tempest, and he was stunned to see an expression of undisguised panic upon the mad god's flawless face. He looks like he's about to piss himself! Unbelievable…

 

“Hanzo, do you see how alarmed he looks?” Clef asked, having obviously noticed Tempest's expression himself. “It's about time that he had a taste of his own medicine, if you ask me.” Hanzo's body suddenly went limp, and Clef was barely able to move fast enough to catch his fatally exhausted companion before he fell to the ground. “You've definitely seen better days, friend.” Hanzo nodded once, but further conversation was cut off as a bolt of luminous white power tore through the air just beside the two combatants, coursing straight toward Tempest.

 

It took Hanzo in his current condition a moment to realize what had just happened, but when he finally understood, the Saiyan warrior found himself even more stunned. Gabriel! he thought suddenly, eyes widening and mouth gaping open with awe. But, he's so different!

 

The half-breed warrior's body was emanating an outstanding amount of pure white light that made studying the young Galdrian nearly unbearable. Gabriel's hair, which had been jet black, was now snow-white, with faint streaks of silver throughout. The young half-human's body was draped in robes of the same stunning white as his long, flowing hair, rather than the jumpsuit and Saiyan armor that he'd been wearing upon arrival, and his formerly blue eyes were now glowing red with power.

 

With a clash of light and sound greater than any that the Earth had yet felt, Gabriel, living conduit for the ancient and devastating Power, unleashed the full extent of his fury against Tempest. And, for the first time in nearly ten millennia, the mad god truly felt despair.

 

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Gabriel felt no fear.

 

Fiery crimson eyes narrowed with hatred as he exchanged blows with his godlike opponent, holding nothing back, determined to finish this battle once and for all. The endless amount of raging Power that flowed freely through Gabriel's body empowered him, protected him, and increased his already substantial strength with each passing moment. All in all, Gabriel found himself easily forcing Tempest back.

 

For what seemed like hours, the two immensely powerful combatants fought on, with neither side gaining a clear advantage. It seemed that, with every punch or kick thrown, and with every burst of energy, both warriors simply continued to increase their already astounding strength. Yet, though barely, it seemed as if Gabriel was finally beginning to wear his enemy down, both physically and mentally.

 

What's he doing? Gabriel thought as Tempest threw a hasty, careless punch that the young half-Galdrian easily avoided. This isn't like him at all, to be so preoccupied. It's almost like he's… afraid of me! With a mental shrug of indifference, Gabriel continued fighting. I guess I shouldn't really care, though. The more pensive he is, the better my chances of destroying him completely! And with a sudden, well-placed burst of pure, burning Power, it seemed that Tempest was indeed finished.

 

The mad god screamed in utter anguish as his body was enveloped by the stunning light of Gabriel's Power. His massive body was propelled backwards, and the blast that had struck him left a deep gouge in the ground as it forced him back. The piercing screams of Tempest's pain continued, even long after the attack itself had dissipated. The supposed deity stood several yards away from his iridescent, white-clad opponent, hunched over and trembling as wisps of dull gray smoke rose from his quaking body.

 

“This ends now,” Gabriel stated, walking slowly and menacingly toward Tempest. As he walked, the half-Galdrian lifted his right arm out to the side, opening his previously clenched fist. Suddenly, of its own volition, Gabriel's polished wooden energy saber, which had been tucked safely within his belt-sash, flew straight into his outstretched hand, springing to life instantly in a flash of dramatic blue light. “You've lived long enough, monster.”

 

With barely a thought, the Power that flowed violently around Gabriel seemed to suddenly infuse his energy saber, changing the blade from a straight length of blue Galdrian power to a flaring, flame-like weapon of vivid white. Slowly, deliberately threatening, Gabriel stopped in place and shifted his stance until he held the raging blade of Power in both hands before him, staring down the length of his weapon to meet Tempest's frightened gaze head on.

 

“No!” the mad god screamed, wrapping his arms around himself defensively and shutting his eyes to block out the blinding, pallid white energy that encircled Gabriel. “It cannot end like this, I will not let it!” With a bellow of primal fear and rage, Tempest's multi-colored aura once again sprang to life around him, larger and far more powerful than ever before. The entire planet seemed to shake as wave after wave of disconcerting, dark energy tore from his massive body, scoring the earth around him and darkening the bright afternoon sky. Winds of intense and frightening power emanated strongly from Tempest, lashing out at anything and everything around him, yet Gabriel stood firm, seemingly unconcerned with the display of strength.

 

“You cocky child!” Tempest roared, clenching his fists and taking a menacing step toward Gabriel, who still remained unmoving several yards away. “You are nothing to me, do you understand?! You are less than an insect to me, Galdrian! And despite this newfound power of yours, you will still lose! Only now, I will make you pay for the pain you've caused me!” Tempest's power continued to increase, but the blinding beacon of white light that was Gabriel remained unwavering.

 

“No,” the young Galdrian warrior said, barely above a whisper. “You're wrong, Tempest. You've already lost, you see.” Now Gabriel's own strength began to rise once more, not nearly as much as the mad god's but more than enough to end this struggle for good. “I can sense how much you fear the Power I wield, and it's that fear that has already sealed your fate.”

 

With a sudden explosion of energy, Gabriel dashed toward his enemy, his wildly flaring saber held purposefully before him. A streak of brilliant white light followed behind him as he continued his rush forward, tearing a deep ravine in the ground around him as he went. And, as soon as it had begun, the struggle was suddenly over in a painful, blinding release of energy that shook the very foundations of the world.

 

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Clef and Hanzo were stunned.

 

Gabriel had made a head on assault against Tempest, and suddenly the world around them had exploded into a chaotic display of pure, untainted Power. The very ground had fallen away beneath their feet, and Clef had been forced to grab both Hanzo and the unconscious Trunks before taking off into the air to avoid being swallowed up by the writhing, broken ground below. The air was thick with dust, debris, and, most of all, energy, making it nearly impossible to breath. The minutes seemed to drag on forever before the air cleared, and the outcome of the battle was revealed.

 

Tempest remained standing and was relatively unharmed, other than a deep, long gash along his ribs. He stood to his full height, right arm extended to the side as if he had just thrown a backhanded punch. His massive body trembled slightly, and it was obvious that his strength had been substantially weakened, and his chest heaved as he gasped for breath. His head was turned slightly to the right, and one only needed to follow his gaze to see what had become of Gabriel.

 

The unmoving half-human was sprawled out upon the ground nearly a hundred feet away from Tempest, and there was no sign that he had ever wielded such an incredible power. His right arm was stretched out before him, fingers twitching slightly, as if searching for something that wasn't there. That something was most likely his precious energy saber, which lay just beyond his reach.

 

“Oh no,” Clef gasped, eyes wide with terror. Tempest, he… He dodged Gabriel's attack! He clenched his eyes shut and shook his head as tears of hopelessness ran down his bloodied and dirty face. “How can we ever be expected to win?” he asked to nobody in particular as his body began to shudder intensely. “What can we do?”

 

“We… have to get… Gabriel… and… get the hell… out of here,” Hanzo responded weakly, pulling away from Clef's supportive hold. For a moment it seemed like the battered Saiyan warrior was merely going to fall to the distant ground below, but after a brief moment he floated calmly back up, stopping when he was level with Clef. To the Namekian's amazement, a faint aura of blue energy sprang into existence around Hanzo. “Tempest is… in shock, Clef. Now's… our chance to get… back to the Lookout.”

 

“Right,” Clef agreed, realizing that Hanzo's words were indeed true. “We may not get another shot at this, so we have to do this right.” The warrior from Namek repositioned the motionless form of Trunks, resting the unconscious Saiyan over his left shoulder. “We both strike, with everything we've got left, okay?” Hanzo nodded once, narrowing his pain-clouded eyes as he gazed down upon Tempest. “While he's distracted, I'll grab Gabriel and we'll take off as fast as possible toward the Lookout.”

 

“And… pray that he doesn't… follow us,” Hanzo finished. “Ready when you are, Clef.” When the Namekian nodded once, Hanzo instantly took off, tearing through the air toward Tempest. For a moment, it seemed as though the mad god would be caught completely off-guard, but at the last second he sensed Hanzo's approach. Fortunately for Miura's older brother, Tempest was still stunned from his near-death at the hands of Gabriel, and was unable to put up any kind of defense.

 

Hanzo thrust his uninjured arm forward, focusing all of his remaining power into one massive blast of energy. His vision blurred momentarily and his body rebelled at being drained of so much power, but he pressed on anyway, determined to do everything he could to knock Tempest off balance. The blast, a mixture of Hanzo's precious life energy and what little ki he could manage to gather, burst from the palm of his left hand and coursed through the air toward the mad god.

 

As it made solid contact with its target, Hanzo's blast was joined by a second discharge of energy, this one a vivid blue-white in color. This second attack detonated mere seconds after Hanzo's, and the combined power of both energy blasts rocked the surrounding wasteland, instantly shattering several of the tall spires of stone that dotted the landscape. The impact explosion caused by the joint assault was coupled with a mind-numbing roar that sent shocks of cold pain through the bodies of Hanzo and Clef, and from somewhere deep within that roar, Tempest could be heard screaming.

 

Clef immediately landed beside the motionless form of Gabriel, bending to pick the beaten Galdrian up and rest him upon his free shoulder. After securing Gabriel's precious energy saber within the remains of his armored vest, Clef turned his attention to the sky above. “Hanzo, it's time, let's go!” With that, the brave Namekian fighter and his battered Saiyan ally, along with their two unconscious companions, tore off through the air, and Clef prayed that his and Hanzo's strength would hold out until they reached Kami's Lookout.

 

 

To be continued…

 

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In the next chapter:

 

Clef, Hanzo, and the others return to the Lookout, disheartened after their most recent defeat at the hands of Tempest. Will a former enemy, now turned ally, possess the knowledge to finally defeat the mad god?

 

Dragon Ball: Chaotic Future

Chapter 22

Mad God Saga, Part XI

“Secrets from the Past.”

 

 

 

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