Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Dragon Ball: Chaotic Future ❯ Chapter 25: Refuge ( Chapter 25 )

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 25

 

Mad God Saga, Part XIV

“Refuge.”

 

 

 

Remnants of the shattered Lookout fell to the Earth below.

 

Gabriel, Clef, and Kalen lay unmoving in the very spots they'd landed upon colliding mercilessly with the harsh terrain below the now-lost Lookout. The air around the three broken warriors was filled with a fine white dust that blanketed the surrounding field like snow, and fragments of Kami's floating island, large and small, continued to fall unceasingly from the sky above. Despite being pelted by the hail of broken masonry and stone, the trio of battered fighters remained disturbingly oblivious.

 

“My god, I've found them!” Elysia shouted over her shoulder toward Hanzo, Android 16, and Trunks as she knelt down beside the unconscious form of Clef. Kalen could be barely seen lying several yards away, his body slowly being covered by the falling debris, and Gabriel lay twitching on the ground off to the left. “I don't believe it! I think they're still alive!” The Galdrian Princess stood and moved over to Gabriel's side, brushing an errant strand of night-black hair out of her face and tucking it behind her left ear. “But they don't look good…”

 

Hanzo and Trunks slowly made their way toward the concerned young woman, leaning on each other for support. Due to his extensive injuries, Android 16 was forced to remain where the others had left him, under the relative shelter of the field-encompassing forest. It was painfully obvious to the survivors of Tempest's most recent massacre that, if the mad god were to suddenly strike again, there would be no one strong enough to face him. Out of all the remaining warriors, only Elysia was fit for battle, and she knew that her power was nothing next to the overwhelming force that was Tempest.

 

“We have to get out of here,” Hanzo muttered quietly, looking nervously up into the sky, as if afraid that even thinking of the sinister god would somehow draw his attention. One look at the three battered warriors on the ground before him only strengthened Hanzo's decision to flee the scene of the battle. “If we don't get these guys some kind of medical attention, they're as good as dead.”

 

“I think I have just the thing,” Trunks said as he reached into the front breast pocket of his dark blue Capsule Corporation jacket, which was relatively unscathed despite the recent battle. The half-Saiyan pulled out a single, small capsule of dull gray metal with a red stripe around the center. “Stand back,” he continued, pushing the button on top and tossing the capsule forcefully to the ground. An explosion of smoke followed, accompanied by a slight “popping” sound, and soon a large hover-transport occupied the formerly empty patch of ground where the capsule had been thrown. “Come on, let's get everyone loaded up.”

 

Clef, Gabriel, Kalen, and 16 were all placed in the transport as gently as possible by their concerned friends, who then loaded themselves into the hovercraft. When everyone was in place, the transport took off, soaring high into the air before speeding swiftly west through the darkening sky of twilight. No one spoke during the four hour trip, and the silence that filled the hover-transport was almost tangible. As the seven survivors neared West City, and Trunks' home of Capsule Corporation, it was obvious that something was terribly wrong.

 

The streets of West City were hauntingly empty, and the city itself seemed to be blanketed with the same disconcerting silence that had plagued Trunks and the others on their journey. Not a single vehicle or person could be seen on the streets below, and shops that would normally still be open even at this late hour were conspicuously closed. The streetlights continued their vigil, though the light they cast over the seemingly vacant city seemed dimmer and colder somehow.

 

In counterpoint to the rest of West City, the Capsule Corporation Head Quarters was bustling with activity. Transport trucks and hovercrafts could be seen hastily exiting the compound, filled to the brim with all manner of technical equipment and supplies. People milled about the surrounding yard carrying packages, bags, boxes, and anything else they could fill with the crucial components that Capsule Corporation manufactured. Amidst all of the disorder below, Bulma could be seen standing in front of the massive building, signing papers, directing traffic, and doing her best to keep the obviously frightened citizens of West City calm.

 

As the hover-transport descended, the hectic mob of people parted just enough to allow the craft to land. Recognizing the number that was painted on the outside of the transport, Bulma wasted no time in making her way toward it, and she burst into tears upon seeing her son exit. Trunks embraced his mother and held her close as she cried almost hysterically with her face buried against his shoulder. Eventually the blue-haired woman relaxed enough to dry her eyes, and she stepped back to look up at her only son.

 

“I thought you were dead,” she whispered, holding his dirtied and bloodied face between her hands. “I thought Tempest had killed all of you… Trunks, what happened up there?” Her shining teal eyes searched her son's, and she could sense the pain that he was trying valiantly to hold deep within himself.

 

“Now's not the time, Mother,” he finally replied, turning his face away from her soul-piercing gaze. “What's going on here? It looks like you've got everyone in the city here helping you pack things up…” The young half-Saiyan looked around him as the assembled people continued on with their own projects, apparently oblivious to his presence. “Did something happen?”

 

“Trunks, just hours ago Tempest obliterated Pepper City, after all the work we've been doing to get it reconstructed!” Bulma said as calmly as possible. “He gave no warning, no reason why he did it; just blew it to hell and disappeared.” The look of guilty sorrow that suddenly came upon her son's features was almost enough to break Bulma's heart, and she wished that there was some way to spare her beloved child this burden that he'd obviously taken upon himself. “Trunks, I hate to say this, but I think it's pretty obvious that he won't stop with just one city. We've got to get out of here, to somewhere safe.”

 

“Is there anywhere safe from that maniac?” Hanzo asked, exiting the hovercraft and leaning heavily upon it for support. “I don't know if any of you've noticed, but he managed to find us on the Lookout, which was supposed to be the safest haven on this pathetic rock!” The beaten, battered, and bloody Saiyan warrior shook his head in hopelessness. “Where can we go?”

 

“Trunks, we can use the bunkers,” Bulma said, taking her distraught son's hand in her own. “This is exactly the kind of situation that we built them for, after all. We should be safe enough there, don't you think?”

 

“As safe as can be expected,” Trunks replied, absently brushing a few strands of long, unruly purple hair out of his eyes. “But what about the people, Mother? I can't just abandon them, not now!” He pulled his hand away from his Bulma's as he turned his back on her and Hanzo. “You take everyone to the bunkers, we have a lot of injured in that transport and they'll need medical attention. But I will not let Tempest massacre my people any more! I'm going to do everything in my power to stop him, or at least slow him down. I'm sorry, Mother, but there's no other way for me…”

 

Bulma stepped forward and, with amazing speed, slapped her offspring hard across the face. Her eyes brimmed with tears as she glared up at him, her fists clenched with anger. “How dare you even talk like that, Trunks? Did you even bother to think about me at all? If you rush out and get yourself killed, what would I do?” The tears that she'd tried so hard to hold back began to run steadily down her pale face, and she clenched her eyes shut to stop the flow. “You're all I have…”

 

“What do you expect me to do, then?” Trunks asked bitterly, ignoring the stinging pain in his left cheek. “I can't just leave them to die, or worse! These people depend on me, Mother! How could I live with myself, if I just let Tempest continue what he's started?”

 

“The people of Earth are no strangers to this kind of situation, Trunks,” Bulma explained softly. “It hasn't been that long since 17 and 18 were finally destroyed. Everyone remembers how to keep out of sight, and how to protect their families as much as possible.” She took a hesitant step toward her suffering child and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Trunks, they developed ways of staying alive during the androids' rampage. They haven't forgotten how to keep themselves, and each other safe, you know. And yes, some people will die, there's no avoiding that, but think of how many more will get killed if you don't get back to full strength and protect them! And you can't do that if you're dead.”

 

Trunks was silent for a moment, and he looked past his mother to Hanzo, who stood calmly against the hover-transport. The older Saiyan nodded once, affirming that Bulma's reasoning was sound. Eventually, Trunks nodded also, and he hugged his mother tightly, as if afraid to let her go.

 

“Alright then, Mother,” he whispered into her grey-streaked blue-hair. “We'll go to the bunkers. Go get Dorian and Zellis; we have to hurry…”

 

----------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------

 

The mountains rose dark and ominous against the twilit horizon.

 

Unlike the wearied warriors' last journey, this trip took barely an hour, and when the transport set down in the center of an isolated mountain valley, Clef, Hanzo, Elysia, Trunks, Dorian and Bulma all exited the hovercraft. Of the injured, only 16 was coherent, but due to the extent of his damage, he could do little more than speak. Zellis remained in the unnatural coma that had held her ever since the battle against Tempest's summoned warriors, and Bulma feared that her condition may only worsen now after being moved again. Gabriel and Kalen also showed no signs of improvement, but Clef looked as if he were merely in a deep sleep, and everyone was amazed yet again at the Namekian's resilient nature.

 

“Get the others out and follow me,” Bulma said as she made her way toward the far end of the enclosed valley. “The hatch should be around here somewhere,” she muttered to herself as she searched the area of earth beneath her feet. Finally, after a moment or two of searching, the older woman made a satisfied sound and pulled a small device out from the front pocket of her long grey jacket. She pointed the cylinder of reflective metal at the chosen patch of grass and dirt and pressed a small blue button on its side. Abruptly a section of the ground, roughly eight square feet in area, shuddered and tilted upward, revealing the entrance to one of Capsule Corporation's hidden underground bunkers.

 

16 was the first to be removed from the hover-transport, as it took the combined strength of Elysia, Hanzo, and Trunks to do so. The stoic android apologized several times during the ordeal, as if it were somehow his fault that he was in such condition, and once he was removed, his three exhausted companions were forced to take a moment to catch their breath. Finally, as Bulma entered the bunker to make sure it was properly supplied, Trunks and his two weakened friends managed to half-drag Clef, Kalen, and Gabriel out from the Capsule hovercraft. A few minutes later, Bulma emerged from the darkness of the underground shelter, a faint smile of relief upon her features.

 

“Everything looks like it's in order,” she explained, obvious relief filling her voice. She walked over to the transport and hit the close button, and with an explosion of grey smoke, the large vehicle was once again confined within a single, small Capsule. “Trunks, Elysia, come with me and we'll see if we can't find some stretchers to bring the injured in on. It'll be a lot easier than having to carry them, anyway. Dorian, you and Hanzo stay here with the others, okay?” When everyone seemed to agree with the jobs that had been entrusted to them, Bulma and her two chosen assistants entered the bunker.

 

Inside, the safe-refuge smelled a little musty, and it was damp, as if there was a leak somewhere. The lighting was dim at first, but as Elysia, Trunks, and Bulma ventured deeper into the bunker, it was obvious that this was anything but rustic. They entered a main chamber that must have been hundreds of feet below ground, with round, automatic doors leading to hallways that branched out in several different areas from the room. A small kitchen area could be seen, outfitted with a large walk-in refrigerator, a double sink, a microwave, and even a full stove-top and oven. Another section of this main chamber looked like a kind of living room area, if the array of couches, chairs, and end-tables were any indication. Over all, Trunks and Elysia were pleasantly surprised.

 

When they said as much to Bulma, the blue-haired woman only nodded and frowned slightly. “I'm glad you like it,” she said. “We'll probably be calling this place home for quite a while…”

 

----------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------

 

Bulma's words proved to be prophetic.

 

Elysia spent every spare moment she had with the wounded, giving her all to heal them as much as possible, and Dorian was more than happy to lend his own strength to that of his weakening sister. Due to the Galdrians' aptitude for healing, Clef awakened just days after everyone entered the bunker, and despite his injuries he was determined to do everything he could to help out around the shelter. Kalen and Gabriel remained unconscious for almost two full weeks, but Dorian was confident that their near-comatose states were in no way connected with their outward injuries. He believed that, instead, their bodies were only trying to restore the large amounts of energy that they'd lost over the past couple of months. Kalen himself had said that his power had been draining regularly since the portal to Genji had been destroyed, so it was only natural that his mind and body would do everything in their power to keep the level of his activity low. Gabriel, too, had lost a tremendous amount of energy during his recent struggles against Tempest.

 

“It's the Heaven's Wrath,” Dorian explained to his curious companions. “It has one purpose and one purpose only: to eliminate its enemy.” He sat in a large chair beside Gabriel's bed, in one of the outlying chambers, and he looked down upon his slumbering son with a mixture of pride and regret. “It will do anything it has to, so long as it assures victory, even if the cost of that victory is the very life of its wielder…” You've done well, Gabriel. And I'm so sorry to have placed this burden upon you, my son, he thought angrily to himself. I had always sensed the Power within you, but maybe I shouldn't have thrust it upon you while you were still so very young…

 

Kalen was the first to come around, and he remained curiously and disturbingly silent for days afterward. He was unresponsive, and one usually had to call his name three or four times before he'd realize someone was speaking to him. His eyes were ringed by dark, weary circles, and his cheeks appeared sunken under his graying beard. But, other than his unsettling emotional and mental detachment, the Genjin warrior seemed to have made a full physical recovery, though his fighting power remained dangerously low.

 

Three days after Kalen's recovery, Gabriel finally regained consciousness. The half-human warrior, who had suffered wounds both physically and emotionally, was a wreck, despite the healing attention lavished upon him by his father and aunt. During the actual battle against Tempest, the Heaven's Wrath must have somehow blocked out any of the pain that Gabriel was feeling, for his wounds were easily the worst of the group. As the weeks passed by, however, the young Galdrian began to physically recover, though he remained distant and sometimes even standoffish whenever the subject of Rika was brought up.

 

“Why is everyone so damned worried about it?!” Gabriel exploded one evening after Elysia asked him how he was doing, now that Rika was gone. She felt that, since she too had lost someone she loved, perhaps her nephew would open up to her. Judging by Gabriel's violent outburst, she was wrong. “I wish all of you would just forget about it! Most of the time you don't say anything, any of you, but I can still tell what you're thinking! `Poor Gabriel, he must really be hurting inside, after losing Rika,' but guess what? I'm doing just fine!”

 

“It isn't healthy to keep all of your emotions bottled up inside,” Elysia said quietly, praying that she'd be able to get through to Dorian's son. “I know, Gabriel. I know how you're feeling. Please, let it go. It's time for you to mourn for your loss… If you want to do so in private, I'll understand. Just say the word and I'll leave, but if you need someone to talk to—”

 

“I don't need anyone, damn it!” Gabriel shouted, standing up from his bed and glaring harshly at the concerned Princess. “And I'm not going to mourn her, not yet. Not until Tempest has paid for what he's taken away from me!” Hot tears of loss spilled suddenly down his cheeks, and he turned away from Elysia as his body shook with sorrow.

 

“Gabriel,” Elysia said softly, unsure of her next words. “But… but if you fail to defeat Tempest, if you're unable to avenge Rika, what then?” Silence followed the Princess' question, and she felt tears of her own filling her glowing pink eyes. “Gabriel?”

 

“If I lose in battle against Tempest again,” the young half-Galdrian began, “I won't have to worry about my grief.” He looked over his shoulder, a faint glint of rage flashing momentarily in his shining blue eyes. “If we lose again, Elysia, mourning will be the least of our concerns…”

 

Elysia, at a loss for words, simply nodded and exited Gabriel's room, a cold chill of fear creeping slowly up her spine. He's right, she thought darkly. If we face Tempest again in battle, he won't allow us to retreat again, not with the damage done to him this last time… She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself, trying in vain to warm her trembling body. He'll kill all of us.

 

“Don't take offense, my Lady,” a deep, quiet voice spoke from down the shadowy corridor. “We all deal with lose differently, and the young Lord is merely coping with this in his own way.” Kalen stepped out from the darkness, and for the first time in weeks Elysia saw a faint echo of his former vigor in his grey-green eyes. “I must beg your forgiveness for eavesdropping, but I truly didn't intend to. The words spoken were loud and heated, and I was merely caught up in the topic.” His features became pale and drawn as he remembered his own separation from the one he loved. “It seems that we've all become far too familiar with loss…”

 

----------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------

 

“Well, that's that. How do you feel?”

 

Bulma smiled as she looked over her work again, filled with a sense of pride. Even after all these years, I've still got it! she thought as Android 16 sat up from the table stiffly. Fixing the damage done to the massive robot had been a work in progress for the better part of four months, and Bulma was happy to say that not only had she repaired him, but she'd actually managed to upgrade him in the process. The end result was quite spectacular.

 

The bulky android looked brand new, with a new color-scheme for his armor and all of his previous damage, internal and external, completely mended. Where 16 had once been outfitted with armor of pale green over a black jumpsuit, now he nearly glowed as the light from the overhead lamp reflected brightly off from silver over dark blue. The red ribbon insignia that had decorated the left side of his breastplate had been removed and, with his permission, replaced by the grey and black Capsule Corporation logo. As the newly refurbished android stood up, he could feel an incredible amount of new, raw power surging throughout his body.

 

“Bulma this… what you've done is amazing,” 16 said, his mechanical voice almost filled with awe. “You have truly put Dr. Gero to shame, and that is no small feat.” He ran his fingers over the new logo emblazoned upon his chest, smiling slightly as he did so. “I am honored to wear this emblem, thank you.”

 

“It wasn't any trouble at all, 16,” Bulma replied, her face beaming. “I would've loved to do even more, but we're pretty limited on technology down here. Maybe after all of this is over, I'll take you home to my real lab, and then we'll see what else we can do!” 16 nodded once, amused by how driven the woman was, given the current situation.

 

As 16 left the small chamber, Bulma looked down at her watch, wiping sweat from her forehead with a nearby rag. “I'd better check in on Zellis,” she said to herself, feeling her previous smile turn slowly to a frown of incomprehension. Even after all of these months, the green-haired Galdrian showed no signs of recovery, though physically she was completely restored. Bulma had done several scans of the young woman's brain and internal organs, and everything came up normal. Even her brain waves, which would have been slightly off if she'd suffered any permanent trauma, showed nothing irregular.

 

Bulma left the small lab and entered the main chamber, where she found Trunks, Hanzo, Clef, Dorian, Kalen, and even Gabriel gathered around the small television that provided the bunker's only link to the outside world. It was from this unit that everyone had learned of Tempest's continued destruction of cities worldwide, and if the gathering around the television set was any indication, the mad god must be continuing his rampage today.

 

“How bad this time?” Bulma asked as she approached her silent companions. “Where'd he hit?” The blue-haired woman moved closer and graciously accepted the seat just vacated by Hanzo, who simply nodded to her when she voiced her thanks.

 

Trunks shook his head in a mixture of disbelief and outrage. “More like `where hasn't he hit?'” the purple-haired Saiyan responded. His teal-eyes narrowed as he watched the news broadcast, and Bulma could see the faint trembling that coursed through his body. “He took out four more cities today, and on top of that, he actually left a few survivors to deliver a message to us.”

 

“What… What message?” Bulma asked hesitantly, unsure of whether she really wanted to know or not. Silence was the only answer she received for a long time, until finally Clef spoke, his strong voice sounding quiet and hopeless.

 

“He says that he'll be waiting for us in one month, at Sea Wind City,” the Namekian said, eyes downcast. “He says that if we don't come, he'll destroy the entire city and leave no survivors. But that's not the worst of it,” Clef continued, looking up to lock gazes with Bulma. “Tempest claims that he'll annihilate five cities or villages a day for however long it takes to wipe out every living human on this planet if we don't meet him at Sea Wind. And after that, he'll start in on all of the non-human creatures…”

 

“We don't have a choice, not this time,” Hanzo spoke up, crossing his arms over his chest. Bulma could still make out the faint scars that marked his right arm, the only remaining indication that the limb had ever been injured at all. “If he's so determined to fight us again, so be it. I'd hate to disappoint him, after all.” The full-blooded Saiyan gazed intently across the room at Gabriel, who met his gaze with unwavering confidence. “What do you say, kid? Are you ready for another shot at him?”

 

Gabriel only smiled slightly and nodded before exiting the main chamber and heading for his room, filled with a sense of purpose that far outweighed any fears of defeat that had remained in his mind.

 

----------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------

 

New strength coursed through Kalen's body.

 

The Genjin warrior almost jumped out of his bed as he awoke, body drenched in sweat and glowing faintly with an aura of sudden, regenerated power. The soft green light that emanated from his body dimly lit the small chamber that had been granted to him by Bulma, and Kalen could feel every part of his body being slowly filled with this strange burst of energy. By the complete silence that hung all throughout the bunker, the dark-haired Genjin warrior assumed it must still be night, for Bulma and Dorian were early risers, and had it been morning he would have sensed them.

 

What is happening? Kalen thought in wonder, watching in amazement as more and more energy coursed around his weakened body. I know this feeling… But how can that be? The feeling was incontrovertible, especially for a Genjin who had lived the last ten years of his life in this universe. The rift has somehow been reopened! I can feel it; the power of my own reality is steadily flowing back into this universe! But if the gateway had once again been opened, who besides Tempest had enough power to do such a thing?

 

For several moments, Kalen reveled in the feeling of rejuvenation that empowered him until, finally, the sensation ceased. The link that had been provided by the portal's reactivation was severed, leaving the trembling Genjin fighter feeling empty once again. But unlike his previous experience with the closed rift, Kalen was surprised to find that his power was not steadily draining away, rather it seemed to be stable, neither increasing nor receding, as it had before.

 

What does this mean? he wondered, sitting down on the edge of his small, cot-like bed. Is someone back on Galdria tampering with the tear between our two universes? As Kalen thought about this, he suddenly became aware of another sensation, of his energy somehow pulling him toward a distant point in space. He closed his eyes and concentrated, doing everything he could to locate this strange disturbance in the flow of his Genjin power. Try as he might, however, Kalen could not pin down the source of the disruption. After several moments, though, he realized what this sensation must be.

 

Someone, or something, out there is generating enough Genjin power for me to feed upon, he understood. But from such an incredible distance? How is that even possible, it would take an amount of strength and focus unrivaled by anything I've ever experienced… As the newly restored Genjin lost himself in these seemingly unanswerable questions, another thought came to him. If the portal can be reopened, then perhaps there's a way to beat Tempest after all… A smile played across his flushed and energized countenance, and another realization struck him. And if Tempest can be sealed away again, my love, our plan can finally be made reality. This universe will be—

 

“Kalen, is everything alright?” a concerned voice asked from outside his door. The person outside was given permission to enter by a slightly irritated Kalen, and he was entirely unsurprised to find that his early-morning visitor was Bulma. “Dorian and I are already up, and you're usually the next one after us,” she explained with a smile. “When you didn't show up for our little private breakfast, I got worried. So, is everything okay?”

 

“Yes, my Lady,” Kalen responded with a forced smile. “Please, give me just a moment and I'll join the two of you. Assuming, of course, that you saved me anything,” he finished lightly. Bulma laughed quietly and assured him that there was still plenty to satisfy his hunger, and she left him alone once again.

 

I must be getting careless, I didn't even sense it when the two of them awoke, Kalen thought, feeling a little chagrined. For a warrior of Genji, trained from childhood to sleep lightly and always be aware of his surroundings, the fact that two noisy, uncivilized elderly people could be active without his realizing it startled him. My preoccupation must be to blame, though I'd better be more careful next time.

 

He smiled again as he took a deep breath, feeling better than he had in almost a year, since Tempest had been revived. I'll keep this knowledge to myself for now, and when our battle is once again joined, I'll have quite the surprise for Tempest… And my would-be allies…

 

To be continued…

 

----------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------

 

In the next chapter:

 

A year has passed since Tempest's awakening, and now the final struggle to destroy him prepares to ravage Sea Wind City. Will Gabriel's Heaven's Wrath, and Kalen's newly restored Genjin strength, be enough to finally end this terrible conflict?

 

Dragon Ball: Chaotic Future

Chapter 26

Mad God Saga, Part XV

“Last Ditch Effort.”

 

 

 

“DRAGON BALL: CHAOTIC FUTURE” CAN ALSO BE FOUND AT FANFICTION.NET, POJO.COM, AND DBZDIMENSION.COM

 

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE “CHAOTIC FUTURE” HOMEPAGE AT:

WWW.FREEWEBS.COM/CHAOTICFUTURE