Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ The Red Baron ❯ Red and White ( Chapter 22 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

The Red Baron
 
Red and White
 
It was days later. The Red Baron though with all his power was able stop the incredibly powerful and might Kane, still felt a burden that had not left him since the battle. It was that very battle that let him realize how close he was to dying, how even these powers had little effect on his mortality. Worse of all, he became afraid. He was overwhelmed with darkness and emotion when he fought Kane.
 
Looking into the starlight night, the Red Baron thought to himself.
 
What's wrong with me? Why couldn't I attack? What was stopping me from finishing him off? I was far more powerful than he was and even though I knew my power could overcome his, I did nothing but watch as she took all that beating, just because I couldn't face my own fears.
 
He was talking about the White Warrior and how he had almost lost her due to his fear. It was in the back of his mind why he cared so much for someone he hardly knew but far in front of it was that he almost let her die just because he didn't want to face the possibility of death.
 
When fighting the Soldiers of Death, I was not afraid. I was losing but I had confidence. Now, it all vanished. I couldn't release my powers to stop him from hurting her. WHY?!
 
It was then that the White Warrior came from the skies and very stealthily landed a few meters in front of him. The red Baron looked up at her and she looked to. She was back in her casual white shirt and blue jeans, the Red Baron wore a black shirt and blue jeans and a red vest.
 
When they both saw each other, their eyes met. They were silent in what they wanted to say and to think and to do. The White Warrior made the first move and took a step toward the Red Baron but he quickly snapped at her.
 
“Please, leave me alone. I don't want to have to see you again.”
 
The Red Baron turned his head away from her and the shadows from the surrounding trees covered his face.
 
The White Warrior knew that he was upset over what had happened in the battle. She was still reeling form the battle and wasn't too good a moving the first few days. But now she was able to move and her first move was to him.
 
Yet, as she could now see, the Red Baron was in no mood to speak, especially after what had happened. She knew that he was still feeling the guilt from his so-called failure and though it showed just how much of an amateur he was, she could see he was hurt.
Instead of the noble Red Baron she saw before her and from her oral tradition and legend, this was not the proud, quick-to-recover Red Baron that was destined to do great things. How could he be it? He was feeling pain and anguish. He was feeling emotion. This wasn't and couldn't be how the original was?
 
Yet, deep in her heart she knew how he felt. She could understand him and his guilt. Many times in her exercises and hunts their would be failures made by her. She was given blame and she had accepted it all, whether or not it was true or not. Even now, her failures tingle within her and remind her of her imperfection. That must be what the Red Baron is thinking. That he in imperfect.
 
The White Warrior decided that she wouldn't take no for an answer. She spoke to him in a soft and firm voice.
 
“Please, Baron, listen. This is not how you think it all is. You must fight what you are feeling now. We cannot go on with our duties as long as you linger so much on the past.”
 
The Red Baron wouldn't buy it.
 
“I sad leave, Vanessa. I don't' wish to talk about this. Can you not let me live my failure in my own way?”
 
“No, I can't, Baron. This isn't going to work if you can't let go of the past and stop blaming yourself for what happened out there. It happens to everyone, Baron.”
 
The Red Baron shook his head, his face still not facing her but into the shadows.
 
“But not to me, Vanessa.”
 
The Red Baron quickly powered up, his red aura flashing around him, and blasted off into the night sky.
 
The White Warrior tried to run to him before he took off but it was too late and he began to shoot across the night sky.
 
She was about to turn around until she thought about it.
 
“”No, I must.”
 
Then she powered up as well. She blasted into the night sky and raced after the far ahead Baron.
 
In the night sky, now two bright lights began to flash: one red and one white. The White Warrior was desperately trying to catch up with the speedy Baron. As she gained in, the Red Baron could sense what she was doing.
 
What's the point? Why is she following me? I want to be alone. I don't want to look at her. I don't want to have to face her! I won't!
 
The Red Baron powered up again and increased his speed. The White Warrior, who was at the most part starting to catch up with him, slowly began falling behind.
 
I can't lose him.
 
With that idea set in her mind, she powered up as well and thus began the hot pursuit.
 
Sensing her increase in speed, the Red Baron growled under his breath and began to move toward the city. It would be there where he'd be able to lose her.
 
He went high into the sky, stretching far above the clouds. He went through a thick cloud, the wetness of it sending cold shivers down his body. Then, he reached the other side, the skyline filled with stars as far as he could see.
 
He stopped for a moment, floating there in the sky. He looked around at the beauty that was that night, forgetting all his troubles for a small moment. The moon was bright and the stars were numerous, no longer shunned away by the artificial light of the Earth.
 
Then, he came back to reality, his reality, as the White Warrior was right on his tail, in fact, right behind him.
 
“Are you done with this foolishness, Baron? You know that you can't blame yourself for what happened and you must overcome this. Don't let your emotions get the better of you.”
 
The Red Baron took no comfort in her words.
 
“GO AWAY! I don't need you to tell me what to do with my emotions!”
 
The Red Baron yelled out in a quick burst and powered up again. Not being transformed fully, a simple but strong gray aura swirled around him. With its power, he burst back down toward the Earth at a great and rapid speed. The White Warrior followed.
 
The path the Red Baron created was not an easy one to follow. Going a hundred miles an hour, she quickly reached the very streets of the empty city streets and before hitting the ground, pulled out of his dive and went straight, following the road.
 
The White Warrior was desperate not to lose him. She was not about to give up on him and to do that, she needed to follow and stay close. It was the only way to reach him.
 
The Red Baron made this no easy task. It was down this road that both he and the White Warrior had to dodge incoming traffic and sweep through the darkest and most clutter allies. The Red Baron entered on and went straight back up and twirled backwards to avoid being seen. When that failed, he took drastic measures and flew through buildings at great speeds, barely missing people and furniture. The White Warrior was beginning to reconsider her methods.
 
Once the Red Baron entered the skyline again, the White Warrior did the unthinkable and fired a small ball of energy. As it approached the Red Baron, it was sure to hit but at the last second, the Red Baron spun around and caught the ball with his hands, crushing it a moment later.
 
“QUIT NOW!”
 
The White Warrior didn't once he got into another clearing, this time father from the city; she began to attack him completely. From behind, she began to throw wave after wave of energy balls. Each ball was either blocked or dogged by the Red Baron but she insisted.
 
Though so far successful, the Red Baron was still finding it difficult to move out of the way of her attacks. He almost forgot what he was doing and wondered how she had gotten so much better. That didn't matter though.
 
Tired, the White Warrior yelled out in anger and with great speed, blurred directly in front of the Red Baron. Even at his power, the Red Baron wasn't realizing the situation until it was too late. With one good kick to the jaw, the Red Baron suddenly found himself bulleted back to earth via kick in the chin.
 
The White Warrior next to a wounded by still stronger Red Baron. The red Baron was quiet, breathing hard. The attack really got him. But he wasn't moving and the White Warrior saw this chance to speak.
 
“Baron, please, tell me what's wrong. We can't do this. You have a responsibility to uphold? You have to do what you have to do with that necklace and running away is not going to help!
 
The Red Baron, with his head down, stopped breathing hard. Then, he spoke in a low but clear voice.
 
“That's just it, Vanessa. What if I'm wrong for this job? What if I am not able to be responsible enough to carry the necklace?”
 
Vanessa almost didn't understand what he was saying. But the Red Baron went on.
 
“ANSWER ME! Why am I the `Red Baron?' Why was I given this?! Why do I have to carry this!?”
 
A tear began to roll down his right eye.
 
“Vanessa, I'm not good enough. I can't do this. I'm not the right person. I don't' have what it takes to be the Red Baron, I don't. Maybe I'm just better off giving the necklace to them. I'm just a silly pawn in the wrong game.”
 
Vanessa said nothing. She knew what he meant, at least in the beginning.
 
“Vanessa…you almost died last time. I almost left you for dead. I couldn't do anything. I was scared. I was unable to control my powers and my mind to help you. All I did was watch as Kane tore you and me apart. I can't do this Vanessa…I CAN'T!!
 
The Red Baron fell to his knees and began to weep.
 
“I can sense him, Vanessa. I can feel his energy and I don't think I can take him. I…I'm going to die, Vanessa. I don't want to die. I'm not worthy of this. I'm not good enough. Please….I can't do this any more.”
 
Vanessa, now completely understanding him, walked to the broken Baron and fell on her knees. She grabbed the Red Baron and held him to her chest as he wept in fear and in hopelessness; the things that she carried with her as well.
 
And though the Red Baron did not take it into full thought at that moment he began to weep, he knew that he felt safe and secure. That somehow, without even realizing it, he was where he belonged. That was where he wanted to be.
 
 
It was at that moment that he appeared. Valtuc stepped from the shadows of the night. The surrounding area was nothing but a lush area of trees and woods.
 
The Red Baron ad Vanessa quickly got up and looked around. Not only did Valtuc come out form the woods but several dozen Soldiers of Death appeared. They were all coming together and all forming into 5 of their larger, evolved forms, with Valtuc as their leader.
 
The Red Baron and Vanessa looked to the would-be necromancer who began to introduce himself.
 
“I, Valtuc, rule the night and all the fear it processes. My master wishes to have your necklace, young one, but you don't have to worry about it since I will take it off your sliced neck and take what rightfully belongs to my master.”
 
The Red Baron shook his head with his answer. He powered up and with one thought, shot 5 balls of energy as fast as he could produce them. The energy attacks went straight toward the soldiers and instantly obliterated them. He faced Valtuc once again.
 
“I'm sorry, Valtuc. But you seem to be no match for the powers that I have in store for you…”
 
The Red Baron hardly managed to finish his sentence when Valtuc launched a shockwave of dark energy. At first it did nothing. The Red Baron, whose tears were now dry form this battle, spoke sarcastically.
 
“So, you can be me, right?”
 
But that moment, all the soldiers of death rose back up and began to attack the Red Baron. He was not fast enough and was hit hard with a right to the check. But the White Warrior stepped in and attacked all of them with a few shots of Shinning Finger and some kicks.
 
But before she had a chance to rejoice, Valtuc sent another wave of energy and the soldiers rose again. To the Red Baron it was clear; he had the ability to summon the dead. And as if reading his mind, Valtuc spoke up again.
 
“Sorry, Baron. As long as you keep killing them, I will gladly bring them back without falter. I can raise the dead and the dead will be what crush you, Baron. Like the dead in your soul.”
 
This was not a good situation for them as the Soldiers of Death began to make their attack.