Namek Saga - Part Eighteen: Never Enough
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Namek is a planet without darkness, where its many suns keep the candle of light constantly burning. Cool nights and black skies are only seen when Porunga, the legendary dragon summoned by its seven balls, appears to grant three magical wishes and even then, the darkness is brief, minutes at the most.
There are no droughts here either, not since the one hundreds of years ago that nearly caused the race's full extinction; Namek wasn't intended as a vacation planet, not with so many other great ones in the galaxy, but it resembles an ideal home for a family, one free of war, famine, and idiocy. There's no politics here, no murder, and no crime.
In a galaxy full of scum and villainy, Namek, far away from the corruptness of the Galactic Assembly, stands as the opposite with its people practicing the morals and values they've been taught. In a galaxy full of technological advancements, Namek sticks to agriculture and the ways of old, only having limited technology - most of which, really, was used for the agriculture and farming.
Sadly, Earth wasn't Namek, trading values like kindness and love for money, power, and respect. Tien Shinhan knew this, knew it from a young age and knew it now, now as he spent more and more time on Namek. Vaguely, Tien remembered a training session on Kami's Lookout (how long ago that seemed, back when Chiaotzu was still alive and everyone naively thought that their problems would end with the Saiyans) where, following an early workout, Yamcha had shown him some sort of drink; a blue-colored bottle that, apparently, was the new hot - in trendiness, not taste - drink going around for athletes.
"Guy from the company came and talked to us, trying to sell us on some crap that it'll 'quench your thirst' in record time," Yamcha was saying, explaining to the group how he'd been able to secure a sponsorship with them. "It's overpriced, and maybe it doesn't always quench your thirst, but it's pretty good, man. Gotta get the blue ones, though, that's the best of the current colors."
It'd only been about a year since that conversation, but Tien wasn't sure what he was craving more: the thirst-quenching drink, or being anywhere that wasn't his new home.
No, Tien hadn't picked up his capes, gis, and weighted equipment he'd used to train, asked Dr. Briefs for a spaceship, and traveled all the way to Namek in order to call it home. Home, for Tien, had been the mountains with Chiaotzu after Tao and Shen had parted ways with them following the 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai, when Tien had barely beaten Goku in the final rounds.
Tien's new home, at least for the time being and not of his own free will, was nothing more than a torture chamber.
Gone were the lush fields of Namek, the mountains and plateaus that seemed to stretch for as far as the eye could see. Now, all Tien could see from his three eyes was a dark room, barely lit by thin lights on the ceiling; whoever had been tasked with the project of creating this torture chamber must not have taken light into consideration, but if the assignment was to create the most terrifying room possible, then Tien hoped they'd been paid well for the job done.
Holding Tien in the air were electric cuffs, ones that the triclops didn't even think Bulma would be capable of creating; any movement from Tien caused him to shiver, like an electric jolt ran through his body faster than he'd be able to fly around the planet. Whoever had been able to get Tien cuffed up hadn't bothered placing him in a cell, though the three-eyed man thought the outline of a door was taunting him from the other side of this torture chamber.
Really, this was something out of a horror movie made years ago, and the normally stoic Tien Shinhan did his best to not let the villain get their way. Tien tried reaching out in an attempt to sense Bardock, Gohan, or any of the others he called comrades, but there seemed to be almost like a wall preventing him from using any of his ki skills.
Was I drugged when I was unconscious? Tien asked himself, unable to remember...well, anything after that toad from the Ginyu Force froze him. If Tien was drugged, then whatever drugs likely weren't strong enough to stop the feeling after of pain; had either of his hands been free, Tien would probably be rubbing his neck to get the soreness out of them.
Ironic. Tien Shinhan, who had tortured and caught people like this in a past life, found himself in this exact scenario.
Remember your training, fool. What is the number one thing to remember when you find yourself caught in a trap? Tien heard Tao, his mentor, scream in his head. Tao, the one would beat those lessons into him and leave Tien to lay in the rain, sprawled out in the mud and incapable of pushing himself up from the ground. You spring the trap and you take their fingers one by one, making them regret ever having the balls to believe they could trap someone as efficient as you.
At the thought of his former master, Tien remembered Chiaotzu, so innocent and naive, once asking Tien what Shen and Tao were likely up to. "Do you think they're still alive?" the mime had questioned one winter after the two former assassins had left the Crane School, and Tien, so caught up in his shock, couldn't give the boy the answer he desperately wanted to.
That answer, most definitely, was yes.
There was no doubt that Tao, at least, was still alive and serving as a hitman for whoever was willing to pay; Shen probably still lived as well, trying to find a student that would come close to matching the potential of Tien Shinhan's. That'd never happen, Tien wasn't trying to be cocky when he thought that, but rather just stating the absolute truth. No student would give Tao or Shen not just the power to do well, but the ambition, desire, and emptiness inside needed to become a master assassin in the Crane School.
Instead, Tien had shrugged and told his friend, "I doubt it, and I wouldn't worry about it. That's a life from a long time ago, buddy."
What would Tao say now, watching Tien dangle from electric cuffs in a dimly lit torture chamber? Surely mock him, taunt the 'traitor' about his lack of awareness when the time came to take on five of the galaxy's most deadly assassins. It wouldn't be long afterwards, then, that Tao would cockily approach the Ginyus believing he could show them what a true assassin was made of.
Oh, they'd see what Tao was made of, likely after they skinned him alive.
"Good to see you again, Tien Shinhan," Tien heard from the doorway, immediately cringing at the familiar voice. Of course Tien was going to be stuck in a room with him; fate wanted to taunt him like that, saying you've escaped death so many times I must punish you this way. "I happened to miss you earlier, my friend, and I feared that you left Namek without saying goodbye."
"Frieza," Tien muttered under his breath as he saw the horned devil approaching. "Why am I chained up? What is this place?" Of all the scenarios that Tien had to wind up in, being chained in a makeshift torture chamber and having to deal with Frieza was at the bottom of that list - and for good reason.
Frieza seemed somewhat surprised by Tien's inquiry, almost as if he expected the earthling to be foolish like the men that he employed to serve his every order. "You truly don't know? Well, allow me to officially welcome you to my ship, the Violent Savior! Unfortunately, it's likely headed to the scrap heap after the job that you and your slug friends did, but it's still a beauty of a ship and it's served me well for many years."
Wait, what? The Violent Savior? Tien did his best not to laugh out loud at the name that set a new level in awfulness. Frieza had to be even more batshit crazy than Tien already believed if he was going around with a giant flying saucer named, of all things, the Violent Savior. "You mind if I ask what kind of a name the Violent Savior is? Might it have something to do with me being chained up?"
"No, of course not. One of the main stories in Arcosian lore is of a man who, after an awful upbringing and a life that wasn't what he expected, eventually came to free others by the use of violence," Frieza explained with the patience and smoothness of a college professor, not a terrifying psychopath who was on the verge of becoming immortal and conquering all of the known galaxy. "This man, he had left home to follow in his father's footsteps and returned one day to find that his people had been enslaved. At first, he tried to free his people by means of communication, but the slave masters wouldn't listen and threatened to kill him."
"So, with his options exhausted, he simply killed all of the slave masters and freed his fellow Arcosians," the tyrant continued, a tinge of child-like adoration present in his voice. Was Frieza actually buying this story? "When he returned to the village, he expected a thank you, but that isn't what he got. Violence wasn't one of his village's biggest beliefs, and though many were upset, many others also came to respect him for his realization that-"
"That he would use any means necessary to protect those he cared about," Tien finished, earning an approving nod from his captor. "That makes sense. Now, the people that didn't accept his willingness to use violence, what happened? Did they ever come to realize why he acted the way he did?"
Frieza grinned at Tien's query. "Yes, they did. Perhaps I had you figured wrong, Tien Shinhan, because I definitely didn't foresee you being this smart."
Did Frieza like that story because he had people he wanted to protect? Tien wondered to himself as Frieza walked around the room. I don't know if I could find anything more scary and confusing if I even tried. Frieza trying to help people...
"I'll hush about Arcosian folklore, though there's never enough of it that I can enjoy. I must say that when Captain Ginyu informed me that he ran into you...well, I figured I'd try to reach you, my friend," the warlord said, calmly, almost like the two really were friends. "Not like you ever really gave me an answer on the whole jester thing, by the way."
"I don't think I'd call us friends, but alright. And no, I won't be your jester. I want nothing to do with you, Frieza."
Pouting like a small child - and in a manner that would make Son Gohan blush, nonetheless - Frieza seemed to be disappointed by Tien's response. "We're not friends? Well, I'm sad to hear that, Tien. What would you call us, then? Maybe you can come up with an answer, anyone who treats someone else the way you treated me...again, I'd think that we were friends."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"You do, Tien, and you are going to tell me where the Dragon Balls are," Frieza replied, clasping his hands together and staring at the triclops with those piercing red eyes of his. "Between killing my men at the village, leading an attack on my ship, and then killing Zarbon, you've made a mess of things. Didn't you realize that at some point I was going to make you clean up that mess?"
Most people in a situation like this would have immediately spilled the beans as to where the Dragon Balls were, but Tien remained calm and collected. Frieza was a menace, there was no argument about that, but Tien doubted the Arcosian would dare kill him. "The Dragon Balls? I don't know where you've been, Frieza, but they've already been used."
"Oh?" Frieza apparently didn't take the bait. "You wish they'd been used, but I'll let you in on a secret that one of the Namekians kindly told me about: when the Dragon Balls are used, the sky turns black. I haven't slept since coming to this planet, and I know that not once has the sky turned dark, especially not dark enough for a giant dragon to show up."
SHIT, Tien thought to himself, nearly saying the word out loud while he quickly became unnerved at Frieza's words. Now, there was absolutely no way that the stern human was going to get out of Frieza's ship alive...
"So, Tien Shinhan, you think it's a good idea to kill my men?" Punch to the face, with Frieza's knuckles hitting Tien square in his right eye.
"If he is a vain asshole, then yes."
"Hm. You also want to steal the Dragon Balls from me?" Elbow to the solar plexus, forcing blood to land on Frieza's armor. "Disgusting. This was my favorite pair of armor, you know. Now, I'm going to have to have it washed and wear something new for the rest of this trip!"
"I didn't steal...anything."
"You played a role in it! What about you destroying my ship?" Finger beam straight through the left shoulder, carving a thin hole not much bigger than a bullet wound. "You didn't think that this would come back to bite you?"
Frieza was expecting another response from Tien, but all he got was an ear-piercing scream. "This is your last chance, Tien," Frieza said, watching his victim wither in pain and struggle to break free from his restraints. "Where are the Dragon Balls? Answer me, now! Unless you want me to keep this up, because I have all day to do this and you, I don't see you really going anywhere."
"The Dragon Balls are…" Tien paused, letting the suspense build like he was a comedian doing stand-up comedy. From a room that had been the home of so many different sounds just seconds prior, the silence was unnerving, unfitting. "The Dragon Balls are in a place where you're not going to find them. That's where they are, Frieza."
Frieza bit his lip. "Well, it's a shame that you're going to be so difficult, Tien, as I had taken you for someone intelligent enough to listen to my requests. Luckily, I have ways of making difficult people cooperate."
When Tien had killed Zarbon, all it'd taken was a quick Dodon Ray to blow a hole straight in the latter's temple; that was it, no grandiose elimination ceremonies or brutal torture sequences complete with witty puns. With Frieza, after beating his opponent to a pulp and arrogantly reminding them just who they were dealing with, a thin, pink beam from his finger was all it took to blow two of Tien's fingers clean off.
Tien howled in agony, watching his middle and index digit, now fried like barbecued pork, fall to the ground. Too shocked to come up with any sort of thoughts besides OW OW OW OW OW OW HEBLEWMYFINGERSOFF, Tien's three, quickly bruising eyes all gravitated to the smoking fingers.
"A damn shame, isn't it? But, I shouldn't have to point out the obvious, should I?" Frieza mocked, gesturing at the removed fingers that now made the floor their home. "Not in the mood for sarcasm, are we? A shame, my friend, because guests normally at least give a slight laugh when they know the jokes are bad. Don't they teach those types of customs on Earth? Oh well, I'll just have to find out for myself when I take a visit there after becoming immortal."
As Frieza spoke, his tail began to rise and pet Tien's face, slowly rubbing up and down over all three of his eyes. "Oh, am I going to have fun with you, Tien Shinhan..."
Above the Violent Savior's basement, soldiers still went about their business as they awaited their next order - or, as many hoped, the command to leave Namek and head back to base - but none heard the screams of Tien Shinhan from a soundproof torture chamber. Not like it'd have mattered, really, because Frieza's men would have shrugged the screams off and focused on their tasks at hand.
And, speaking of hands, Tien's right one was probably going to be out of commission for a bit when Frieza was done with it...
The Battle of Namek had seen explosiveness all throughout, but chapter three - which, in an alternate dimension where titles said the obvious, would be titled Earth's Special Forces versus the Ginyu Force - promised even more. Fireworks would light the sky, a beautiful planet would likely be reduced to ashes afterwards, and...
...and, in a time where a tiny green planet saw war for the first time in centuries, bad puns would appear as frequently as the dead.
"Your time's run out? Really, Vegeta?" Bardock sarcastically asked the younger Saiyan warrior in disbelief. The new generation, it appeared, lacked the sense of wit and bravado so common in Bardock's heyday, especially if they were willing to settle such awful puns. "That's the best that you can come up with?"
Vegeta uncharacteristically redenned at Bardock's words. "Spare me your comedic critiques, low-class, I've been wanting to use that for years. You kill someone, you can comment afterwards. Fair?"
"Fair."
Unlike Vegeta and Bardock, however, the Ginyus weren't acting so calm in the wake of their comrade's sudden explosion. Jeice, especially, feebly reached his palm out as he watched the now-dead toad's knees give out. "Ya...ya damn killed Guldo! Ya didn't even give the poor bastard a chance!"
"Did...did you expect me to?" Bardock asked, bewildered. What moron would think that Bardock would let someone as dangerous as Guldo even have the ability to last more than five seconds? "I had Vegeta explain all of your powers to us before we got here and we all agreed that the toad had to go first before he could use his powers. Shit, I'll happily fight fair against any of you four, but Guldo? He had to go, buddy."
"That...that's not fair!" Burter cried, raising his middle finger and presenting it to the Saiyans responsible for murdering his comrade. "What the hell were you thinking, monkeys? You just can't go and kill someone who hadn't done anything to you!"
As if on cue, Bardock and Vegeta both broke out laughing at the exact same time. "He hadn't done anything to me? What was he planning on doing, Butter?" Bardock asked, stopping to let out another laugh. "Steal my grandson? Freeze us all and slowly make our hearts stop? Guy had it coming, and now, he's dead. Don't like it? I'll happily make sure you two are reunited real soon."
Captain Ginyu sighed at the sight of his fried subordinate. "Well, it looks like we'll be in need of a new recruit for the Ginyu Force. Jeice, I don't suppose that your cousin would be interested in trying out?"
"No, captain, I think he's content at his current position," Jeice quietly replied, still unable to take his eyes off Guldo's corpse. Guldo had plenty of faults about him - he smelled awful and had the worst breath that Jeice had ever encountered; he was often lazy which led to mistakes; and he couldn't handle his alcohol - but a death like that where you don't even get a chance to realize your time in this world is gone? What kind of monsters were the Ginyus dealing with? "I can't believe Guldo's dead. You monkeys are going to pay for that! No one offs a member of the Ginyu Force and gets away with it. You cheated!"
"Spare me the theatrics, Jeice, no one is in the mood to hear them," Vegeta sneered, tilting his head backwards to the side and staring his Brench enemy down with those cold, onyx orbs that made him feared throughout the galaxy. "There's no such thing as fair or unfair in battle, don't you get that? There is only victory, or in his case, defeat."
Smirking, Bardock seemed pleased with Vegeta's words. "Now that, I happen to agree with." For an arrogant little runt that wanted so desperately to cling to the ways of a past life - what with low-class this and 'prince of all Saiyans' that - Vegeta would occasionally say something that, actually, wasn't full of horse shit. Maybe Vegeta will have some actual use after all.
Gohan was just as pleased with Vegeta as his grandfather was, probably even moreso. Those glimpses of good that Gohan had noticed in Vegeta during their talk weren't a mistake, it seemed. "Thanks a lot for saving us, Vegeta. Those time powers of his could have really hurt us all!"
"Keep your thanks, brat, I had my own reasons for wanting to destroy that freak," Vegeta coldly replied, glancing at the still-smoking body. All throughout the galaxy, Vegeta guessed, parties were beginning in celebration of Guldo's execution, and who could dare blame them? Vegeta had been in the Planet-Trade for over 30 years, and few topped Guldo on the list of people the Saiyan wanted to beat the everliving life out of. "I saw my moment to strike, and I remembered that our good old general figured it'd be a good idea to knock him out first. Speaking of which, Ginyu, we're winning by a score of one to nothing, yes?"
Taken aback by Vegeta's bluntness, Ginyu was unable to respond at first. How dare Vegeta speak like that about a member of the Ginyu Force, even if said member happened to be a mistake-prone fool like Guldo.
Now, though, with his eyes narrowing, Ginyu's cool persona seemed to break for the first time as he sized up the blue-clothed man. "Yes, Vegeta, that's correct. While your attack on Guldo was uncalled for and in violation of the sportsmanship factor, it doesn't change the fact that he is now dead. This is an unfortunate development, but I didn't expect much less from a monkey."
"So, you are indeed winning, but I promise that is the last death you'll be causing on Namek. You will be fighting Recoome, so just remember that."
"Wah! You dirty Saiyan, do you really think you'll get away with this?" the orange-haired man screamed, pointing a thick finger at the flame-haired man. Most of the Ginyu's opponents seemed to roll their eyes at the brute, guessing that he'd just fall under the cliched dumb bruiser that would turn out to be not much of a big deal. "You stupid monkey! Guldo belonged to the Ginyu Force, and I won't let anyone forget that!"
Faster than anyone could have expected from such a massive being, Recoome appeared in front of Vegeta and drove a fist straight into the man's chest.
Making a gesture to Jeice and Burter, Ginyu bent into a fighting stance of his own. "Clear out, gents! You have your assignment and you know who to leave alive. Don't leave yourself susceptible and unaware like Guldo."
"The same goes to you guys. Yamcha! Appule! Keep an eye on Gohan," Bardock ordered, his brown eyes meeting Ginyu's, watching to make sure the violet-skinned man didn't pull a sneak attack as the five flew away. "As for you, Ginyu, I wouldn't worry about replacing Guldo. You'll be able to tell him to his face that his spot in the Ginyu Force is forever reserved."
"Now look, I may as well let ya know that Lord Frieza wants the boy," Jeice stated, breaking the awkward silence between the two groups. As was normal protocol for a fight involving Red Magma and Blue Hurricane, Jeice stood in front of Burter, the latter remaining a step behind and glaring at his foes. "Appule, you and I both know that I don't want to kill ya, so give up the boy and we'll be alright."
"Yeah? You wouldn't want to kill us? Why's that?" Yamcha asked, ignoring the irritating pain in his still-swollen cheek from Vegeta's earlier onslaught. Now that the medicine he'd been given in Frieza's ship was starting to wear off, the scar-faced bandit began asking himself if he should've come after all...
"We got history, ya see. Appule, mate, I can't believe ya went rogue on Lord Frieza's army," Jeice commented with a sad look in his eyes. "I remember the academy, mate. Ya always were one of the good guys, and I know I speak for Burter too when I say it's sad to see you as someone that is standing in our way."
Appule chuckled, remembering those days all too well himself. "The same to you, my old friends. You, me, Burter, and Orlen occasionally skipping class to go do things more productive with our time made those cold days at the academy well worth our time. You remember when Orlen stole Tagoma's attack fighter that one time?"
All three men laughed. "Yes! And Orlen hacked it so that when Tagoma tried to show us the voice control, it simply said 'I enjoy the company of men' and began to read off random male names," Burter reminisced, suddenly pausing. "Then, when Soubre's name was announced, both of them were so embarrassed that they blew up the voice control system!"
Even with the circumstance they were in, all three of the soldiers couldn't help but laugh out loud at the memory. Perplexed, Gohan looked to Yamcha, who simply shrugged in response and muttered, "I have no clue why they're being so civil, but maybe we won't have to fight them."
Wiping tears from his eyes, Jeice looked at Appule again and sighed. "We had some good times back then, mate. I want you to know, Appule, that I'm sorry that it's come to this. You know that there's a spot for ya still in Frieza's army, right? Captain says the word and you're right back in it, mate!"
"I know, but if I have the chance to leave the game, I want out," Appule replied, thinking back to the murder of Toobi at Vegeta's hands. "Ironically, Vegeta killed most of my crew, and here I am fighting alongside him. Crazy times call for crazy measures, huh?"
"Of course, but I'm more surprised at you wanting out. You always did want to become Commander Appule, leader of a Planet-Trade army," Burter pointed out, watching Vegeta and Recoome squaring off in the distance. "What changed, man? I remember you were so happy when Zarbon finally gave you your own crew."
"I guess I've seen too much death, buddy, and I'm tired of losing friends," Appule replied, shrugging. "Jeice, that offer you gave, the same goes to you and Burter. If you guys want out of this game and would rather try something else, I'm sure that Yamcha can make something happen, right?"
All three men turned to him and Yamcha, now flustered at the attention, did his best to stay calm. "That decision isn't...it's not up to me. We're a group, and decisions like that would probably be a group decision at this point. Goku and Krillin, who are on their way, they'd probably say yes, but Bardock? I'm shocked he hasn't killed Appule."
"Bardock? That's the Saiyan with them wicked scars, right? Something seems off about that guy," Jeice remarked, shrugging. "He ain't right in the head, mate."
"And Frieza is?" Yamcha and Gohan both replied at the exact same time.
"Well...no, but we don't work for Frieza. Us five are freelance, and Lord Frieza just happens to be a normal employer of ours," Burter clarified. "Truth be told, you three aren't on our 'want-to-kill' list. Mainly, our problem lies with Vegeta and the other Saiyan, but as far as I'm concerned, I have no issue with you three."
"Nor do I, but orders are orders, mate," Jeice said sadly, extending his hand outwards. "I shall give you one last offer, Appule and Yamcha. If ya leave now and give the boy to us, ya won't have to worry about anyone coming after you. But, if ya want to be difficult, you know what's next."
Jeice may have known what was next, Burter may have known what was next, and Appule may have known what was next. But, what none of them knew was that Gohan, who didn't feel like being kidnapped again, and Yamcha, who surely wasn't going to allow one of his best friend's sons to get kidnapped, had something planned.
You know, something involving cupped hands and a blue-colored ball of energy.
"KA...ME...HA...ME...HA!"
Ah, how both fighters loved the signature move of the Turtle School, especially when it did its job and knocked its targets down onto the ground; both Jeice and Burter, now, were buried in a crater, the latter on top of the former. Athletically flipping and doing a full somersault backwards, Appule jumped into a fighting stance typical of his race - leg in front of leg, both arms crossed - once the idea that he should take advantage of his opponent's immobilization might be something worth trying.
"Yamcha, you should go back to camp and make sure everyone's alright," Gohan suggested, keeping his eyes locked on Jeice and Burter. "If something happens, you're going to need to get everyone to safety. You're our last defense, you and Nail."
Yamcha wasn't going to say out loud that he felt embarrassed at a five year old suggesting he leave, but the bandit understood; it'd been a difficult decision to accompany Bardock and friends (and Vegeta) on this mission, especially with his body still not fully recovered, yet Yamcha knew that protecting his people was what Goku would want.
And now, with the painkillers the doctors had given him really wearing off, Yamcha truly was contemplating retreating the battlefield. I stay here, I'm just a liability and more likely to let Gohan get kidnapped by Frieza.
With a reluctant sigh, Yamcha flashed a thumbs up Gohan's way. "Alright, buddy, stay safe. I'll see if we have anything back at camp that can act like a painkiller."
As Yamcha began to levitate into the air, however, a blue blur appeared out of nowhere and knocked the shaggy-haired human to the ground. "Where you going, buddy? You're not in the mood for fun?" Burter asked, showing absolutely no signs that he'd been damaged by the Kamehameha waves.
"Ya wanna fight, I see," Jeice commented, brushing specks of dirt off the white plates on his armor. "Fine, but don't say I didn't warn ya! Red Magma and Blue Hurricane are on the case, and ya aren't gonna last long!"
Shit, this guy's better than what I was expecting, Bardock thought, raising an arm to block Ginyu's latest punch. Wasn't expecting this from someone mainly known for the ability to take someone's body for his own.
Spinning to avoid an attack, Bardock responded with a vicious elbow to the back of Ginyu's neck; upon impact, Ginyu spat out globs of saliva, but still had time to recover and stay on his feet. The two warriors continued to trade punches back and forth, neither able to land a hit on the other, until each one stood across from the other, wiping their foreheads and gasping for air.
"TRY THIS!" Bardock yelled, throwing his arm forward and letting a massive, blue energy blast go straight at the Ginyu Force's captain. Leaning to the side, Ginyu was able to dodge the energy blast, but couldn't protect himself from the clenched fist that found itself firmly planted in the center of his armor that came directly from a speeding Bardock. Gasping for air, Ginyu could only watch Bardock, his eyes full of fury, push his other arm upwards in an uppercut fashion.
CRACK!
The next time Ginyu was near one of Frieza's bases, he was probably going to want to consider paying a visit to one of the dentists on staff, seeing as he was going to likely have some lasting damage in his jaw. Feeling around with his tongue, Ginyu could also detect that a tooth or two had been directly affected by the hit, likely now on the verge of falling out.
"You better hope Hell has good health insurance," Bardock mocked, lowering his shoulder into Ginyu's body and sending him flying to the dirt with the strength of a football linebacker laying out a running back. "Damaged pride, damaged eye, and a couple teeth that probably wanna fall out. Wouldn't want to spend the rest of your pitiful existence with a black eye and jaw damage, right?"
Can't...let this monkey get the upper hand in this fight! Ginyu told himself, standing upright and rubbing some of the blue-colored blood off his face. "You'll have to let me know, monkey. Please, send a memo back to the world of the living informing me of how it feels to be with your fellow apes again."
Unleashing an animal-like growl, Ginyu leapt at Bardock and quickly found himself caught in a grapple with the Saiyan general; each fighter tried to break through, and by virtue of a knee to the chest, Ginyu got Bardock to give up his hold. Recoiling and putting both hands to his chest on instinct, Bardock allowed Ginyu to scratch him across the face with those sharp fingernails nails of his.
"Gah! Watch it, asshole," Bardock complained, instinctively reaching for the spot that Ginyu had clawed...and stared in confusion when he saw splotches of crimson blood on his fingers. Right, Dodoria caused a laceration there that we barely got taped up. Shit, as if I needed another thing to distract me with.
Flashing behind Bardock with that super speed of his, Ginyu whipped the back of his hand around and caught the Saiyan with a vicious slap, making sure to hit that bleeding cut for extra damage. "Ah! Same god damn spot!" cried the time-traveler, rearing his right hand backwards and letting a blue ball of energy begin to charge in it. "Taste this, Ginyu! SPIRIT SHOT!"
At first glance, the Spirit Shot looked very much like the Riot Javelin, one of Bardock's signature attacks and the same one he'd used on Frieza the last time Saiyan and Arcosian met. What was different about the Spirit Shot, however, was that when the blue sphere left Bardock's hand, it jumped into the air and split off into different, scattered balls of energy.
The best part about the Spirit Shot? Once they were in the air, they were ki-guided, meaning that once a target was assigned (in this case, Ginyu), the Spirit Shot would chase said target around until eventually making contact with them. It was a unique technique, one that Bardock had been planning and working on ever since the battle on Earth with Vegeta, but now was the first time the Spirit Shot had ever been used in a fight.
Ginyu, not knowing the specifics - and to be fair, no one on the planet Namek did - of the Spirit Shot, found ball after ball of energy colliding with the back of his armor and neck. BANG! BANG! BANG! Each shot pushed Ginyu forward, and the speed at which they arrived left him powerless when it came to defending himself or even fighting back.
Focusing on the chance given to him by the Spirit Shot's success, and at least trying to ignore the pain in his face, Bardock wrapped both hands around Ginyu in a bearhug fashion and flew up into the Namek sky. "Hope you like the taste of dirt, Ginyu. It's not another certain taste that you love, but it'll have to suffice for the time being if that's alright."
Snickering at his immaturity, Bardock flew downwards back to the earth as fast as he possibly could and slammed his horned opponent into the ground. Doing a backflip, Bardock watched with boredom as Ginyu, with cracked armor and a bleeding mouth, slowly tried to stand up.
"Giving up yet, Ginyu?" Bardock asked, crossing his arms and tilting his head to the side. "Cause I got a whole left in me, freak, and I'm willing to make sure any lackey of Frieza gets a nice lesson in pain and suffering."
"You...you're pretty good for a Saiyan. I don't think I've ever seen a monkey handle themselves so well in combat," Ginyu complimented, pausing to catch his breath. "The way you fight isn't like the sloppy, unreformed style I've seen from Vegeta and his cronies, and if not for the fact that you murdered one of my men, I'd be considering offering you a spot on my team. I've forgotten how much fun a real fight can be!"
Disgusted at Ginyu's behavior, as well as the sudden tone the mercenary used towards the Saiyan, Bardock's eyebrows raised up. "Seems like you got over the toad's death pretty quickly, then. Yeah, I'm glad to see you care about the people that serve under you, Ginyu."
"I wouldn't look at it like that, Bardock. Really, it's more of me being willing to accept that death is a part of life," Ginyu elaborated, bringing back that annoying smirk of his. "Guldo served us well, and am I saddened to see him go? Sure. But, as a leader, you have to be able to accept that casualties happen, even if you're not happy about them. Surely, you understand this."
Bardock went quiet for a second, not willing to say out loud that Ginyu was one hundred percent correct; that was one of the first things a Saiyan was taught when it came to serving in squadrons and fighting in wars - you would tell yourself 'you were dead, rest in peace' and then go fight. If someone who served under you died, they would get replaced, but it didn't mean that their comrades couldn't feel bad about it.
Hell, Bardock had been through it himself, seeing as Shugesh wasn't even originally in his squadron, instead only joining as a 'death replacement' for another Saiyan, Articho. Bardock had seen comrades die both as a foot soldier and as a leader, but having lost Aritcho in the War of Peppe hurt, even if he wasn't the best soldier.
That'd been one of Gine's biggest fears when she was on the battlefields, that those serving alongside her would be killed. What a good woman she was, always worried more about others than herself. I didn't deserve her...
"I do understand it because I've been there. I lost my whole squadron in my last days in Frieza's army after he tried to kill us all," Bardock revealed, fists automatically clenching when he recalled seeing his friends' mangled, destroyed corpses back on Meat. People like Ginyu, Bardock reminded himself, were why the Saiyan race had quickly fallen all those years ago. "I understand it because even before then, I had to replace my soldiers and I saw those I served with replaced like they were just numbers. Endure and survive, right?"
Amused, Ginyu nodded. "Endure and survive? I like that! Shame that you're going to die here on Namek, Bardock, because you really would have been a useful addition to the Ginyu Force. You have wit, strength, even a bit of a flair for the dramatic! All of those traits, you see, are vital to us in our conquests of the galaxy."
"And you think I'd want to be a part of those conquests, right?" Bardock asked. smirking. "So I can raise my right arm, my left leg, and do a useless pose that serves as nothing but a complete waste of time? I appreciate the offer, but if I had to choose between serving under Frieza again or doing one of those poses, I think I'd rather make myself a sandwich."
Ginyu reddened at Bardock's taunts. "Waste of time!? And I suppose you have something better to do with your time, Saiyan."
When the remark left his mouth, Captain Ginyu had intended this to be a full-on taunt of his own, one that would be so good and so powerful, Bardock would never dare to mock the changeling or his subordinates again. Finally, this Saiyan and his motley crew of renegades would finally learn the respect that the Ginyu Force absolutely deserved!
But, did that happen? No, of course not.
All Bardock did, in actuality, was laugh; it started off as a chuckle, but quickly evolved into something worse. Never before, in all his years of serving as a mercenary, had Ginyu heard a more cruel, animalistic laugh that surpassed even Frieza. At least with Frieza, you knew that the laugh was done out of being a vain, narcissistic, jackass; that was who Frieza was, it was why the galaxy had feared him and his power for years now.
But this? What Bardock was doing as he fell to one knee, unable to quit laughing, actually managed to strike fear into Ginyu. Just what kind of evil, dark person was Bardock that he could not only make all these quips about killing Guldo, but also find amusement in something that wasn't even funny?
Wiping tears from his eyes, Bardock finally ceased laughing and looked the violet-skinned man in the eyes. "You're right. Winning this fight, Ginyu, is at the top of my to-do list for right now, with killing Frieza up next."
I'm willing to fully admit that this was a really weird chapter to write, mainly because it's three fights going on all at once each with their own subplots. We got Tien in custody, the three separate fights, Yamcha reluctantly leaving, and still no Goku. Vegeta vs. Recoome, by the way, will start next chapter. All of the fights are intertwined, so just keep that in mind. ;) We've been on Namek for almost twenty chapters and we haven't even hit Frieza…
...ok, that will be sooner than expected. Heads up, readers - if you haven't checked out the TVTropes page SC has, I would definitely check it out and maybe add something. Could be a good Hannukah present for the person writing this fic. I also have a couple things planned for the holiday season that tie into SC, so be on the lookout. One of which may or may not happen to be a holiday-related one-shot…;)
I know, weird chapter, but sometimes we end up with those. Anyways, I honestly don't have much else to say here, so let's just move on to the normal Q & A.
R: like the chapter but you made a mistake ginyu calls tien by his full name and then says mr shiinan but tien only tell the ginyu force his first name
A: I double-checked before publishing. Frieza told Ginyu in chapter 31 that Tien's name was Tien Shinhan and Ginyu connected the dots. :)
R: I liked that backstory you gave for Burter and Jeice; too bad about all those other people not giving much thought to Burter's abilities, poor guy. Now I'm hoping both of 'em don't die. I wonder, if they somehow get an offer of mercy, will they take the heroes up on it, or will they learn nothing and pay the ultimate price? Hopefully they don't go with Zarbon's choice.
A: Hopefully not, because I freakin' love Jeice to the point where I originally had a couple fic ideas revolving around him and Burter. It's the accent that I love writing the most haha. And yeah, poor Burter. Butter! I wanted to add a bit more to their backstory in this chapter and reinforce the idea that yes, they're dangerous, but those two aren't the worst of people. Really, all they have is each other (though they both look at the Ginyu Force as family, they're brothers) and neither of them really want to kill Appule.
R: Hmm...why does Vagita continue to refer to himself as the prince of all Saiyan? Shouldn't it be the king of all Saiyans since his father, the previous King is dead?
A: In my headcanon, and take that as you will, but in my HC Vegeta never took up the crown of King because there was never really an official ceremony to name him the King of Saiyans; it's kind of a respect thing to his father, but it's also Vegeta refusing to forget the fact that his race is gone. But, if the Saiyan race were to start up again, maybe Vegeta at this point in the story would be willing to name himself King.
R: Piccolo is still with North Kaio. I wouldn't mind a status update on him in the near future.
A: Chapter 34. Piccolo will be showing up with Kami and King Kai, I promise. I haven't forgotten about him!
R: Man, Yamcha didn't even get a line this time around. I hate to point it out, but come on, you gotta help me here or else I'm just going to start making jokes about him like I do with Canon Yamcha. lol
A: Fun fact - I was strongly considering a scene with Bulma and Yamcha last chapter, but I scrapped it in favor of the Vegeta/Gohan scene.
Alright, I'll try to get chapter 34 up before our three year anniversary, and-
Hey, what about me?
What? Who said that? Who are you?
Bella…
Who?
Remember? The OC who you put in this fic because you were 15 and thought she could be a potential love interest for-
*raises baseball bat* alright, get back into the prison cell.
What?
*swings like Negan from The Walking Dead* GET BACK IN THE CELL! NOW!
FP: See ya'll soon!
7/29: I don't really know how to begin this, so I'm just going to be blunt. Earlier this week, Super Vegetarott - a close friend of mine and a mentor - announced hus official retirement from N and I'm doing the same. After a lot of thought, I'm turning my papers in on this website as a writer and, unfortunately, this means Second Chance will cease production effective immediately. I'm done. For our years, FFN was a great place for me to write but at a point in my life where my writing career has taken off and where I'm really making progress in this career, I can't keep trying to spend time working on a story that I have no passion left for. Hell, that goes with the fandom and even writing fanfics as a whole; I haven't felt the passion for a while now and I can't bring myself to force crap out just for the sake of updating. You guys deserve better than that.
Honestly, I'm over DBZ in large part because, like Rott said, this site has jaded me. I'm tired of the OC fics, I'm tired of these fucking Gohan/Piccolo stories written by feminists who think a half Saiyan can fuck a Namekian, and I'm tired of the pressure that i think fell on myself and other writers - Rott, npb, Captain Space, SauceMonkey - to p the slack that helped turn the DBZ section into a dumpster. I'm sorry if you're offended by that thought, but there's no other way to say it. When you're part of a fandom that is going downhill, you lose inspiration and while there some good fics out there, I'm just tired of getting my love of this part of the site destroyed by crap. Honestly, I don't mean this in a 'I'm better than everyone' way, but there's just too much of the same on here and not enough fics that make me really want to read them.
Hell, Rott and I were gonna come back and do a fic a few months ago, but we just lost all interest. For those of ya'll who write quality fics, keep it up! For those of you who write meh fics but want to get better, keep putting that work in! Hell, this site helped me better my writing to the point where I became a professional journalist and get paid for writing. You cannot beat that.
I started up on FFN four years ago during a time in my life where I needed re-assurance and I needed to fill whole. Over the years, I've bettered myself as both a writer and a person thanks to all of you, but a few stand out especially. I'll keep these brief, but...
ImaginaryInk: This is my best friend on here and my goddamn sister...despite, you know, not being real siblings. I talk to Ink daily despite a twelve-thirteen hour time difference between us and I can honestly say she is one of the reasons I'm still sane. This is probably the only one on here that's going to make me tear up because Ink really is family. All of ya'll are in the sense that we went on this adventure for four years together, but if there's one person from FFN I want fighting ISIS with me, it's this woman. 3
FireStorm1991: Stormie's like Ink in the sense that without her, I wouldn't be sane. Even if I don't agree in the slightest with her optimistic view on life, I know that she's been a big part of why SC even continued after like four or five chapters. For an optimist - and I think being an optimist means you're an idiot - she's a good person. Really. She's still updating so go check her out.
Pointer39: For a Seahawks fan, Pointer's good people. This guy helped me realize the larger world of the fandom on here, introducing me to the Neo Z Fighters in late 2012 and being a loyal friend all throughout. Buddy, if there's one name I'll especially miss in my reviews, it's yours.
Super Vegetarott: Long-time readers know we had beef at one point, but this guy...if Ink is my sister, then Rott's like that older brother who makes fun of you but will have your back when you need it most. Without Rott, SC stops after five chapters, the useless OC Bella is still here, and I'm not able to get the writing jobs I've managed to have. No one bettered my writer more than this guy. Brother, if the time comes where you ever return, just know I'll be in your mentions telling you to put Bella in there.
The Forgotten Phoenix: Let me preface this by saying Phoenix is on here for being an asshole. No, seriously. Any time I thought I was doing good work, this guy smacked me in the face and kicked me in the balls to remind me that there was always a better story, always something better and to never be content.
npberryhill: This is the guy who indirectly inspired me to even make an account and he's become a good friend in the years since. Without Bringer of Death, honestly, I don't even think I look to writing as an option which means my professional career doesn't start. In a way, I owe this guy my life.
Ultimate Black Ace: Ace, we weren't really close before I left the NZF, but you stood by me and kept reading my fics, leaving great feedback. When I decided to show up one day in the NZF again after three years of being gone, you welcomed me back in. Brother, like with pointer, I'll miss seeing your name in my inbox. You're good people, man.
SpiderLedgic: Many of ya'll know I battle anxiety/depression and Ledgic was one of the first people that really helped me through it. Ledgy and I actually would use WhatsApp, of all things, to text during the day and I'm glad I met him. Seriously.
SauceMonkey; GohanDominates/Dark Domination; SkarBandit; TGX: All DBM guys who, like Ledgic, helped me out both when it came to writing and my own issues. I love these guys man...
So, what's next for me? Well, I'll still be doing all the things in my personal career (I AM NOT DISCLOSING THE SPECIFIC DETAILS PUBLICLY; IF YOU WANT TO FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA OR WANT TO CHECK OUT MY WRITINGS, PLEASE LET ME KNOW EITHER IN A REVIEW OR IN A PRIVATE MESSAGE) and keep living my life. Maybe I'll post a Walking Dead fanfic on Archive of our Own eventually (maybe sooner than expected since I have some ideas), but there are zero promises on that - especially considering I have an interview next week for a new job covering college sports. As for DBZ, though, I'm done.
I can't link my social media on here for my own sake, but honestly and in all seriousness if any of you want to follow my Twitter or Instagram or even read my writings, just let me know and I'll send you the info. Just because I'm retiring doesn't mean I'm going off the internet grid entirely! Just a warning for younger readers who want to follow me on Twitter that a lot of what I say is unfiltered...oh yeah, I tweet a lot about U.S. sports so keep that in mind. Also, if you tweet me or leave a comment on any of my works about me being FullPower from FFN, you're getting blocked.
Look, if one of ya'll really want to adopt SC on your own and finish it, just talk to me about it. I'm open to it but I need to know that A. you can write and B. you're not going to ruin it. Seriously. I'll happily discuss letting someone adopt it but, like with everything else, you gotta talk to me.
You guys have given me four great years and part of me feels guilty for leaving, but I know that this is the right call. I'm at such a good place in my life both mentally and with my writing career in large part to all of your support. If you want me to check your story out, just message me. I'll check it out when I can...which will probably be five minutes later.
There's one last thing. A lot of people come on here to escape whatever bullshit is in their lives and I know that because I did the same. If any of you need to talk or need a voice to vent to/talk to about problems in your life, just message me. Please. If I can help any of you just by listening, I want to.
In short, thank you. Regardless of where you are, who you are, ya'll helped a spoiled white boy from suburban NY grow up and decide that writing was the path I wanted to officially pursue. See, now I'm tearing up again because I really will miss ya'll, even the guy who wrote Goten's Legacy and plagiarized Dan Gutman in the process.
It's been real, folks, and I'll talk to some of you soon, hopefully. Never give up the faith and God Bless.
:)
- FP