Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Dragon Ball: Chaotic Future ❯ Chapter 26: Last Ditch Effort ( Chapter 26 )

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 26

 

Mad God Saga, Part XV

“Last Ditch Effort.”

 

 

 

The day had finally come.

 

Trunks stood just outside the hidden entrance to the bunker that he and his comrades had called home for last several months. In that time, wounds had been healed, spirits had been revitalized, and broken hearts had been mended. The young Saiyan closed his eyes in contentment, breathing in the scent of fresh mountain air and reveling in the feel of the cool wind through his newly-cut violet hair. The pale golden sun was just rising above the lip of the surrounding canyon, and Trunks opened his eyes again when he felt it's warmth upon his face.

 

It seems like it's been forever since I last saw the sun, Trunks thought, feeling amazingly calm despite the oncoming battle that he knew awaited him. Tempest won't let any of escape this time, I'm afraid. It's all or nothing… The son of Vegeta took a few steps forward and looked down at himself, smiling slightly as he did so. It's been so long since I wore anything but Saiyan armor into battle, but this felt right… His dark gray pants were cinched around his waist by a brown belt, and his black, skintight muscle shirt was tucked in tightly. Over the shirt, Trunks wore his old, slightly beat-up dark blue jacket, the Capsule Corporation logo emblazoned on the upper-left sleeve. Like old times…

 

“Is it time already?” Android 16 asked as he emerged from the darkened exit of the emergency bunker. The early morning sunlight reflected beautifully off of the android's new silver armor, and it brought out the subtle blue-tint of his jumpsuit. “It will be a fine day, I think. What a shame, that we must ruin it by battling Tempest.” A light chuckle emanated from the hatch behind 16, and Hanzo stepped out to join his two allies.

 

“Ruin it?” he asked, raising an eyebrow as he studied 16. “I beg to differ. On a day like this, our victory will only seem that much sweeter.” He flashed his usual, arrogant grin at Trunks, and the purple-haired young man was suddenly struck by how much that grin reminded him of his father. In fact, Hanzo's general appearance today filled Trunks with a sense of déjà vu, for the resemblance to Vegeta was nearly uncanny. Hanzo had opted to go into battle outfitted as his ancestors would have been, in the sturdiest set of Saiyan armor that Bulma could supply him with. The pristine white of Hanzo's boots, gloves, and breastplate stood out in stark contrast with the jet-black jumpsuit that he wore beneath it all, and his spiky, night-dark hair was gently tussled by the light breeze. “And rest assured,” Miura's brother said, his voice dark with emotion, “we will be victorious.”

 

“I've said it before, and I'll say it again,” Kalen said as he also came out into the brightening valley. “Tempest cannot be defeated in battle. None of us will emerge from this struggle alive.” The warrior from Genji was dressed as he had been upon reaching the Lookout all those months ago: dark green jumpsuit, strange, non-reflective gray metal armor covering sections of his arms, legs, and torso, and a long, flowing cloak of jet-black.

 

“If you're so sure about that,” Hanzo said, his voice taking on a slightly malicious tone, “then why are you even bothering to come with us? I don't recall us begging for your help, you know.” The Saiyan warrior glared silently at Kalen, awaiting the Genjin's response.

 

“I go, for the sake of my ancestors,” Kalen finally replied, meeting Hanzo's gaze with one of his own. “They didn't run from Tempest, despite the overwhelming odds against them, and neither will I. I will do honor to them this day, by fighting my enemy with every last breath in my body.” Silence followed this statement, until Hanzo flashed a smile of genuine understanding, much to Kalen's astonishment.

 

“Then perhaps our two races aren't so different,” Hanzo said, placing his hand firmly upon Kalen's shoulder. “I'm proud to fight at your side, Genjin.” The locked gazes held by both warriors softened, just a little, as if some silent communication had passed between them.

 

“We should leave, soon,” Gabriel said firmly as he joined his four companions, squinting his eyes slightly in the brightening morning sunlight. “There's no chance for us to catch him off guard, so why keep Tempest waiting?” He walked past Trunks, 16, Kalen, and Hanzo, crossing his arms over his chest and gazing silently up at the pale blue sky. “This is it,” the half-Galdrian said, as if to himself, as he reached down to clutch the handle of the energy saber that hung at his waist.

 

“So,” a deep, humor-filled voice said from the air above the assembled fighters, echoing eerily off from the surrounding mountain-walls. “I see you've all finally managed to get out of bed, worthless slackers.” Clef, dressed in a set of armor almost identical to Hanzo's, landed lightly beside Trunks, a smug smile on his lips. “While you were all sleeping, I decided to check out some of the surrounding cities,” the Namekian's voice instantly shifted from bantering to solemn as he continued. “Trunks, I should warn you… It's pretty bad out there.”

 

Trunks was dead silent as he felt his muscles tense in preparation for the upcoming struggle against Tempest. “As much as I hate to hear myself say this,” he said through clenched teeth, “we have more important things to worry about.” The atmosphere in the small valley instantly sobered as the gathered warriors seemed to be suddenly struck by the gravity of the situation. Trunks looked at his allies—No, he corrected himself, my friends—and nodded once. He put his right hand forward, palm down, and cleared his throat. “For the people of Earth, who have suffered enough at the hands of heartless creatures like Tempest.”

 

Hanzo was next, and placed his own right hand over that of Trunks', taking a brief moment to lock gazes with the purple-haired youth. “For my brother, and those he was forced to leave behind.” There was a slight catch in Hanzo's throat as he spoke, and the Saiyan warrior was shocked by how much the loss of Miura still affected him, even now, nearly a year after the young Emperor's death. “Yes… For Miura.”

 

“For the honor of my ancestors,” Kalen said simply, resting his black-gloved hand atop Hanzo and Trunks'. “May they guide my actions in the coming battle.” And for you, my lost love, the Genjin thought to himself. Wherever you are now, may you be happy with the life you lead.

 

Clef stepped forward and joined his hand to those already in place. “For the children of Namek, who were used as pawns in Tempest's sick game.” The green-skinned warrior clenched his left fist as his body shook with rage. “May his death bring some peace to their souls.”

 

A cold, lifeless hand of artificial human flesh suddenly fell upon Clef's own, and the Namekian looked up to see Android 16, looking even more grave than usual. “For all of the creatures in this universe who are unable to defend themselves,” was all 16 said.

 

All eyes now turned to Gabriel, who stood several yards away, lost in his own thoughts and apparently oblivious to the actions of his companions behind him. Several tense, silent moments passed by, when finally the young black-haired Galdrian looked over his shoulder. A sudden gust of wind blew through the valley, causing Gabriel's long hair and flowing Galdrian robes to float eerily around him. Finally he spoke.

 

“For revenge,” he said quietly, voice filled with venom and shining blue eyes narrowing to an almost sinister glare. Dorian's son made no attempt to join his allies' symbolic display, and instead he drifted slowly into the air before streaking off toward the south-east, toward Sea Wind City.

 

Yes Gabriel, Trunks silently echoed. For revenge… He looked back toward the slowly-closing hatch that led to the bunker and closed his eyes momentarily. And please, Elysia, just remember your role in our plans…

 

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Three days earlier…

 

Elysia began to protest.

 

“No `buts'!” Hanzo nearly shouted at her, the fury in his voice enough to drive the wide-eyed Galdrian Princess down into the chair she had just stood up from. “Miura didn't give his life to keep you safe just to have you run blindly into a battle that you aren't prepared for! Now, no more of this nonsense, understand?” Elysia nodded once, face pale and pink eyes shining with tears barely kept in check.

 

This scene was one that had been repeated almost everyday for the last week, and the others gathered in the bunker's main chamber had actually become used to the heated arguments between Hanzo and Elysia. Every confrontation ended the same way, with Hanzo losing his temper and the young Princess of Galdria managing to bite back some wrathful comment; but this time, it appeared that the subject had been put to rest for good.

 

After learning of Tempest's challenge, Trunks, Hanzo, Clef, and the others had come up with two plans, a main and a backup. The main plan was fairly straightforward, with the strongest of the gathered fighters—namely Hanzo, Trunks, Clef, Kalen, Android 16, and Gabriel—rushing off to face the mad god in battle. It had been decided that this time, there would be no retreat, and Tempest would either fall or overwhelm them. If the latter happened, the backup plan would be put into action, and Dorian, Bulma, and Elysia would take the still-unconscious Zellis back to Galdria. Once they had arrived, they would do everything in their power to reopen the portal between their universe and Kalen's, for if the Genjin was to be believed, the only way to stop Tempest would be to seal him away again, which required the combined power of three Genjin warriors.

 

Everyone seemed to be in agreement, except for Elysia. Despite the probability of death, Dorian's younger sister was determined to fight alongside Trunks and the others. No amount of arguing seemed to be able to change her mind, for she would not renounce the vow she made before leaving Galdria, the vow to avenge Miura's death. No one was quite sure how to persuade Elysia to accompany her brother back home, until Hanzo began stepping in.

 

The second day of Elysia's stubborn refusal to accept the plans, Miura's brother stood up from his seat, placed one hand on the center of the Princess' chest, and shoved her forcefully down into a nearby chair. He then proceeded to berate her about her stupidity, more than once pushing her to tears. Hanzo's approach seemed to have worked, though, for Elysia was now more likely to say nothing at all when the Saiyan warrior was around, which meant she was no longer arguing about her part in the plan.

 

“This is not your fight, woman,” Hanzo said through clenched teeth. “And I'll have no more of your unnecessary arguing. Rest assured,” he continued, his expression lightening up just a little, “we will do everything in our power to see Tempest fall. But if we do not succeed, the rest will be up to you.” Hanzo knelt down in front of the now-seated Princess, taking one of her hands in both of his own. “And don't worry, Elysia. If you can't figure out some way to reopen that gateway, you'll have your shot at Tempest, sooner or later…”

 

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The planet was decimated.

 

Trunks' anger was unmatched as he took in the full extent of the damage done by Tempest. The ground was scorched bare in many places, and the few small towns and villages that had begun to rebuild themselves over the last few years were now entirely obliterated. As the six warriors continued onward to Sea Wind City, the damage only got worse, and no survivors could be seen anywhere. It seemed that the mad god had finished what Gero's androids had begun…

 

How is this possible! Trunks thought angrily. It took 17 and 18 almost twenty years to wreak this much havoc on the planet, yet Tempest has managed to do the same amount of damage, if not more, in only a few months! His body shook uncontrollably with rage as he gazed down upon the decimated countryside below him. After all of the work that Mother and I did to get everything back under control… How can we ever convince the people that they'll truly be safe again? A cold chill ran down Trunks' spine as he came to a sudden realization. But will they ever be safe again? It had been nearly five years now since the androids had been annihilated, and now Tempest had arrived to pick up where they left off. Who's to say that, even if we do somehow beat Tempest, someone even stronger won't just come along and ruin everything again? I just don't think that I'm up to this… Goku, how did you ever manage to do it; to live your life with the weight of the world on your shoulders?

 

“I told you it was bad,” Clef said softly, slowing the pace of his flight just enough to float beside Trunks. “Just remember, use all of this rage you're feeling, Trunks. Channel it, let if fuel you, and unleash it upon Tempest when the time comes.” The green-skinned warrior reached out and put his hand on the half-Saiyan's shoulder, giving it a brief squeeze. “He'll pay for this, Trunks. He'll pay for everything.”

 

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Sea Wind City was deserted.

 

As the warriors landed in the city's central square, Trunks breathed a sigh of relief at this sight, for he had feared that Tempest would have wasted no time in slaughtering the inhabitants of the city. It seemed, though, that the news of the mad god's ultimatum had spread like wild fire, and Sea Wind's citizens must have taken advantage of Tempest's one month grace period. Not a single living soul remained in the eerily silent city, and Trunks could sense no power signatures that would be given off by any innocent bystanders.

 

So the people will be spared, the lavender-haired Saiyan thought with relief. But I have a terrible feeling that they won't have much of a city to come home to… Sea Wind City was one of the few human settlements that had managed to come back from the brink of destruction after the androids' massacre. It, and West City, had become symbols of mankind's incredible resilience, and though the city was still recovering from its last encounter with battle, it would soon find itself torn apart once again.

 

Trunks looked around, memories of his last visit to Sea Wind still miraculously fresh in his mind. 17 and 18 had been destroyed three years earlier, and the half-Saiyan had just managed to defeat Cell before the organic android reached his full potential. The city had been little more than a shanty-town, and the inhabitants had looked upon Trunks' arrival as a possible precursor to even more destruction. Yet, even though they were terrified, the people of Sea Wind had listened to Trunks' tale, and afterward they had regarded Bulma and Vegeta's son as their hero. Not long after that, the city began to come together again, and in barely a year's time, most of the androids' damage had been undone.

 

“So, where is he?” Hanzo asked no one in particular, kicking absently at a nearby pop can. “You don't suppose he changed his mind? That he's afraid of us?” He flashed his solemn-faced comrades his typical, arrogant grin, taking a few steps forward and crossing his arms over his chest. “Late for his own going away party; the nerve!”

 

“I sense a tremendous power level approaching from the north,” Android 16 said suddenly, his monotone voice taking on a strangely concerned tone. “I don't think Tempest is going to disappoint you, Hanzo.” 16 narrowed his ice-blue eyes and gazed intently into the northern sky as the mid-morning sun glittered brightly upon his silver armor. “His power is much greater than before. I believe he intends for this to be our final conflict. There will be no escape this time.”

 

“Then we shall not give him the pleasure of seeing us retreat,” Kalen responded with a sly smile. The android is right, though, the Genjin thought contentedly as he tapped into a small amount of his native power. As the welcomed strength began to flow easily throughout his body, Kalen's smile grew broader. There will be no running away for any of us. Tempest included…

 

Gabriel and Clef remained silent, understanding more than any of their companions how brutal the coming battle would truly be. The Namekian glanced quickly at Gabriel and locked gazes with the young half-breed. Dorian's son said nothing, merely nodding once, as if acknowledging the truth behind Clef's earlier thought.

 

Yes, Gabriel silently told himself. This will not be like our other fights. This time, Tempest won't hold anything back. A cold, frightening smile spread slowly across Gabriel's face as he prepared himself for the coming storm. And now that he knows what I'm truly capable of, I'll be the first to feel the full-effect of his power. His eyes narrowed and flashed crimson as the familiar ivory light of the Heaven's Wrath exploded around his body, casting eerie shadows upon the walls of the surrounding buildings. So be it…

 

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Tempest plunged down from the sky like a bolt of lightning.

 

The warriors scattered as an unthinkable amount of energy rained down from above, each multihued orb of power exploding with a deafening impact as they collided with the nearby buildings. The mad god himself wasn't far behind his tumultuous discharge, and he wasted no time in picking his target. Power unlike anything that the gathered fighters had ever experienced raged around Tempest's hulking body, and he roared with fury as he collided with Gabriel.

 

The fearless half-Galdrian was the only warrior who had stood his ground during Tempest's opening gambit, and his saber flew into his hand and flashed to life without a thought. Blinding, painful energy detonated around Gabriel when Tempest struck, and he was surprised to find the mad god seemingly unafraid of his Power. In that moment, the Heaven's Wrath took over, and the battle was on.

 

Hanzo, loath to allow Gabriel to steal all of the glory from this battle, immediately powered up to his highest level of Super Saiyan, and yellow-gold power erupted around him as small currents of blue-green electricity crackled throughout his aura. Trunks was next, and he followed Hanzo's example by transforming into his Super Saiyan 2 state and rushing the mad god. Clef and 16 entered the fray at that same moment, the Namekian glowing brightly with blue-white ki and the android shouting as he activated his newly-installed power reserves. Kalen hung back, merely observing the now-heated struggle.

 

What valiant fools, the Genjin thought bleakly. What can they hope to accomplish here, other than finding themselves in an early grave? A form, engulfed in a blast of Tempest's multicolored ki, went rushing back past Kalen to collide fiercely with a neighboring building, bringing the structure down almost instantly. Through the sudden haze of dust and mortar, the armored Genjin warrior could just make out the silhouette of Clef lying amid the rubble. I thought that of all these irrational idiots, at least the Namek would see how futile this all is…

 

“What the hell are you doing!?” Clef shouted as he jumped up and rushed forward to reenter the battle. “Kalen, we need you! Come on!” With that the Saiyan-armored-Namekian leapt unflinchingly into the roaring display of energy that had descended upon the battlefield, leaving Kalen alone to once again observe.

 

This is all for naught, the dark-haired warrior thought to himself. They will be obliterated by Tempest, of that I'm sure. A slight smile graced the Genjin's lips as he silently called upon more of his natural energy, prepared to step in when the opportunity presented itself. Let these fools waste themselves on Tempest, he said silently. They are of no use to me now…

 

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Waves of pure power forced the warriors back.

 

Tempest stood calmly amidst the wreckage of Sea Wind City, sneering at his under-powered opponents as they slid to a stop several yards away from him. Energy crackled through the air, and the sun itself seemed to have gotten dimmer over the course of the last few hours. Yet, despite their obvious fatigue, the mad god's adversaries had refused to give up, and they fought on.

 

Hanzo and Trunks retained their Super Saiyan 2 power, though how they managed it was beyond even them. Clef had taken some severe damage, and it was only by the grace of his Namekian heritage that he had survived, for his body was in a constant state of reparation. Android 16 was the only warrior who showed no signs of exhaustion, and the others envied him his artificial body, which could continue fighting long after even the best combatant's stamina ran out.

 

Even Gabriel found himself breathless, for it seemed that Tempest had settled on him as his primary target. The Heaven's Wrath did it's best to protect the wearying Galdrian, but many of the dark divinity's brutal attacks were slipping through, and it was obvious that neither Gabriel nor any of his allies would be able to keep fighting at this breakneck pace for much longer. Tempest fought with a ferocity that his opponents had never encountered until now, and as the fight raged on, his strength continued to increase.

 

I have to finish this quickly, Gabriel thought as sweat ran freely down his forehead and cheeks. He's set a pace that we can't ever hope to match, no matter how hard we try. Even my Power is hard-pressed to keep up; and that's all I can do, is keep up! The half-human fighter watched his allies out of the corner of his eye, a feeling of pride rushing through him. They're all ready to do whatever it takes to win, he thought with a smile. It's truly an honor to be able to fight beside such valiant warriors.

 

“Clef, Hanzo, Trunks, 16,” Gabriel said suddenly as he felt the Power begin to well up within him, preparing for some kind of offensive strike. “Stay back, but be ready to jump in at any second, understand?” The familiar, and slightly uncomfortable, feeling of the Heaven's Wrath taking complete control crept down Gabriel's spine as more and more Power was gathered in and around him. “This might be—” Before he could finish his declaration, the Heaven's Wrath leapt into action, and Gabriel found himself rocketing across the battlefield toward Tempest, energy saber poised for a straightforward assault.

 

Tempest watched the oncoming rush of brilliant, burning white Power without expression, merely shifting himself into a flawless defensive stance. As Gabriel approached and roared out a scream of rage, the sinister deity simply vanished, leaving the young warrior's saber to slash out at thin air. Before Dorian's son could react, Tempest reappeared right behind him, one massive fist pulled back in preparation for a single, deadly strike.

 

“Big mistake,” the supposed god taunted. “Did you really think I'd fall for the same trick again? You are truly a fool.” With a speed that was clearly unnatural, Tempest lashed out at Gabriel, and his bone-crushing punch took the half-breed fighter squarely in the back of his head. The sound of the strike echoed violently throughout the ruins of Sea Wind, and Gabriel was sent hurtling forward to crash mercilessly through several of the still-intact structures of the city. The bright light of his legendary Power faded instantly, and Gabriel didn't move.

 

“Gabriel, no!” Trunks shouted as he rushed Tempest, letting his temper, inherited from his father, get the better of him. “Bastard!” But before the Saiyan Prince could reach his intended target, a sudden explosion of alien, yet somehow familiar, power sprang up from behind the assembled warriors. In the blink of an eye, a form glowing blindingly with emerald-green energy tore through the air beside Trunks, leaving the young half-Saiyan feeling momentarily dazed and causing his skin to tingle. It was then that he realized who this newcomer was. “That's Genjin power… Kalen!”

 

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The ground trembled.

 

Kalen covered the distance between himself and his “divine” opponent in less than a second, reveling in the sensation of true strength that coursed throughout his body. It had been far too long since the warrior from Genji had felt so powerful, and he was determined to make the best of it. Just as Kalen reached Tempest, who stood awaiting his arrival with an expression of slight trepidation, the black-cloaked Genjin gave him a taste of his own medicine, and vanished.

 

Tempest leapt back instinctually, hoping to avoid the surprise attack that was sure to follow Kalen's disappearance, but the strike came not from behind, but from above. The mad god screamed as a shower of sparkling Genjin energy descended down on him from the sky, colliding mercilessly and searing his flesh as it struck. Tempest quickly tried to remove himself from the rain of agony, when Kalen chose that moment to truly strike. The glowing Genjin materialized right in front of Tempest, unconcerned with the continuing shower of energy that deflected harmlessly from his blinding aura, and before the evil deity could make any attempt at a counterattack, Kalen struck.

 

One well-placed, power-charged kick was all it took, and the blow crashed solidly into Tempest's abdomen, eliciting a mixed gasp of pain, surprise, and outrage. Tempest flew backwards, having been lifted off his feet by Kalen's surprise kick, but the Genjin wasn't finished yet, and he followed the mad god into the air. Time seemed to stop as Kalen drew his arm back, fist shimmering with a concentrated amount of Genjin power, and a sudden look of shock and fear seized Tempest's face. That expression changed quickly from fear to agony as the punch connected, and Tempest cried out in pain and rage.

 

And, for the first time in all of his long existence, the mad god fell.

 

To be continued…

 

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In the next chapter:

 

Kalen faces off against Tempest, who is startled to find himself battling a full powered Genjin warrior. As the conflict rages on, will two newly arrived fighters be able to tip the balance, or will the mad god finally wipe out his valiant adversaries?

 

Dragon Ball: Chaotic Future

Chapter 27

Mad God Saga, Part XVI

“Reunion.”

 

 

 

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