(Meanwhile)
(Capsule Corp.)
All was well over in West City. The birds were singing outside of the main building and the sky was clear. With the conditions so pristine and perfect, the Briefs family had decided to take their breakfast outside and onto their front lawn, where they could breathe the fresh air and smell the roses in the garden nearby.
Mrs. Briefs had done the honors of bringing along her cooking toolkit and set it right alongside the outdoor table, where she proceeded to make her daughter's family and her husband some delicious waffles, pancakes and oatmeal. Bulma had opted for the healthiest option and included a fruit salad with her morning tea. Vegeta and Trunks on the other hand were simply gorging on whatever the hell was laid out in front of them, not giving a damn about the consequences of their intake.
Things started off incredibly well for all of them, and since a majority of the clan was still dressed in their sleeping wear, Vegeta included, they made it look as though nothing out of this world was going to happen. Heck, every single one of them was looking forward to a quiet, uneventful day at home, with the President planning to spend her time in the office getting up to date on any projects or expeditions her company was conducting.
But then, just as Vegeta was about to start on his third helping of waffles and pancakes for that morning, the man suddenly paused when he picked up a disturbance in the air. Slapping his fork onto the table and getting to his feet quickly, his gaze immediately shot in an Easterly direction.
It was this sight that instantly had Bulma's attention. "What's up Vegeta? Do you want something?"
"Dad?" Trunks murmured, also surprised by his father's actions.
Eyes narrowing after the initial alarm, the Prince of Saiyans clenched his teeth tightly. "What the heck is Gohan doing over there? His energy level just exploded and now it's close to flat lining."
There was no way he or any of the other Z-fighters could've missed a jump like that.
After a couple of hours of feeling the brat training from a distance and then sensing him stop for the morning, the kid then maxed out Super Saiyan 2 from out of nowhere and just kept on going. From the very sharp and powerful influxes the royal was experiencing, it almost felt like the demi-Saiyan was in distress. Then, about a couple minutes later, his power level just dropped like a stone and became stagnant.
Judging from the readings he was able to get, Vegeta knew right away that Gohan was in trouble and with any luck… the other members of their group knew it too…
XXX
(A couple minutes later)
(In the desert)
Having arrived back on the terrace where they'd set off from earlier that day, the Minions of Set wasted no time in maneuvering their floating, paralyzed trophy over to the large, stone gateway that was the entrance to the pyramid. Utilizing the various markings carved into the floor around them as guidelines, they were able to locate the point where the person or power source would need to stand in order for their energy to be transferred into the door.
Since they didn't have a God or a Kai who was willing to open the lock for them, the minions knew that they were going to have to jimmy it open using an old-fashioned method. Thanks to the knowledge bestowed to them by their all powerful master, they knew exactly what they had to do in order to pull this off.
"How long do you think this process will take?" Daryu asked, glancing across at their leader as she walked their prisoner to his station.
Kasim, folding his arms where he stood, also gave the unconscious Saiyan an uncomfortable glare, "Considering he's mortal, I wouldn't be surprised if it took a few days."
Grunting as she directed the hovering teen a little further forward, Shiera then looked back at the others seriously. "It would take only a couple of seconds for one of the Gods or Kais to open this gateway. However, since we're using an alternative means of removing the seal, the process should only take about half an hour… give or take a few minutes." She then fixed her attention upon the seemingly comatose Saiyan. "Until then, it is up to us to guard this platform and protect the key. We wouldn't want any uninvited guests dropping by and disturbing us during the ceremony."
Positioning Gohan a few yards away from the entrance and moving him about, Shiera then instructed her subordinates into position. Forming into a semi-circle behind the Super Saiyan a few more yards away, they then slapped their hands together into four differing hand seals.
"Let us begin," Shiera spoke, earning a nod of acknowledgement from the other three minor deities around her.
After flipping through several more signs reminiscent of symbols seen etched into the ruins, the Minions of Set then gripped their wrists and held their palms forward, firing a telekinetic wave of energy towards the unconscious warrior. This took the form of a ripple of dust across the surface of the terrace.
This blast struck the boy, ruffling his hair and clothes, and forcibly drew on the fighter's energy. The signature golden aura and electric bio-field characteristic of his Ascended Saiyan form sprang up and began radiating off of him. At first the fluctuation was normal. But then, all of a sudden, the cloak surrounding him left his body and began streaming towards the door like water from a river. Moments later, that flow of translucent ki struck the center of the gate, where a perfectly carved block of stone could be seen sitting in the center of it.
Aura continuing to involuntarily pour off of Gohan's body, the handle on the gate suddenly ejected a circular stone cylinder from its center, which slowly started to turn like a dial on a safe in an anti-clockwise direction. As soon as that started going, a couple more cylindrical blocks popped out of other spots on the gate, the energy beginning to resonate within the door and undo the spell that was placed upon it.
Smiling as the stream of power from the boy gained stability, Shiera and the other three minions lowered their hands and allowed the ritual to continue on its own accord.
XXX
(Fifteen minutes later)
(Son household)
Amidst the chaos and devastation brought about to the lonely house in the Mount Paozu region, a familiar figure from the neighboring capital city was at that very moment touching down on the front lawn. Immediately taking note of the massive holes in the dome-shaped building and the enormous smoking craters just over the hills, Videl, adorned in a pink shirt with a white singlet over that exposing her midriff, black bicycle shorts, black fingerless fighting gloves and green boots, landed a few yards from the front door and sprinted towards the figures scattered around the front.
Having spent that morning working out in her personal gym with three ton weights on her wrists and ankles, the girl had gotten herself jacked for the day ahead. However, while she was in the middle of having a nutritious breakfast following her session consisting of oats and bran, Gohan's energy signature suddenly spiked. Now while this normally wouldn't have come as a concern to her, as she was aware the guy often trained at the mind-blowing level of Super Saiyan 2 and had been spending the last few months trying to push it to Super Saiyan 3, from the way his energy read in that moment, it almost felt like he was pissed off.
His ki was fluxing like mad and had been going all over the place.
Then, just when his power was at the point of maxing out, she suddenly felt it drop like a stone and into the water. Upon which his ki fell off the radar completely for several seconds before reappearing hundreds of miles away.
Breaking down the situation for herself, Videl realized instantly that the boy she loved was in trouble and, dropping everything she was doing, flew as fast as she could to Mount Paozu. It was only while she was closing the distance on the Son household that she immediately sensed that something was wrong. This all then led to her discovery of the war stricken area and the figures lying scattered all over the place.
Skidding to a stop alongside Goten, the short-haired girl, expression reflecting extreme concern and fear, checked the boy to see if he was okay. "Goten. Goten," the girl spoke loudly, gently placing her hand against his chest and shaking him, "Talk to me little bro. Please." She knew he was alive. His ki was still there… but barely.
Judging from his current condition and the bruises covering his body, the young Saiyan looked as though he'd been put through hell. It would be a miracle if he regained consciousness waking up after whatever it was that put him in this state.
But just as the girl was beginning to have her doubts, the demi-Saiyan suddenly stirred and, through the haze of his exhaustion, gazed up at the girl leaning over him. "H-Hey… Videl-nechan." He then winced at the bolt of pain that shot through him a split second later.
The girl exhaled in relief when the youngster responded, "Thank goodness. You're alright." Her expression quickly becoming serious, she then gave the child her full and undivided attention. "Hey. What happened over here? Did you run into some trouble?"
Goten, hearing the girl's words loud and clear, summoned all the strength he could to nod, "Yes." he then coughed, choking on the gulps of air he was struggling to inhale.
"Who did this to you?" Videl asked, getting more worried by the second.
"I don't know," the demi-Saiyan groaned, his gaze half-lidded as he tried to think back to what he could remember of the person who attacked him. "A… A dog woman… with a scar across her eye… and carrying a flaming sword…" He then shook his head. "I couldn't sense… her energy. She just… came out of nowhere…"
Instantly discomforted by this info, the raven haired girl gritted her teeth and, having a quick look around, turned back to the child in her arms, "And your brother? What happened to him?"
The boy shook his head, eyes watering. On first glance it looked like he was going to falter and back out. But just before any of them could say anything, a low groan soon followed and drew Videl's gaze across, where she saw Chi-Chi stir and push her face off of the grass. When she did, she looked over and saw her oldest son's number one admirer and best friend staring back at her.
"Videl?" the mother wheezed, her vision blurring as she returned to the land of the living. "Is that you?"
"Yeah. I flew over as soon as I felt Gohan's energy fly off the scale. Are you alright, Chi-Chi?" the Champ's daughter asked worriedly.
"I think so," the woman answered weakly before looking up with a fearful glimmer in her eye, "Is Goten okay?" When she received a nod from the teenager, her instincts quickly kicked up to a high gear. "And what about Gohan? Is he alright?"
"I… I don't…" Videl shook her head, not knowing how to answer that.
But her words weren't needed. At least not right now. Because a couple seconds later, just as the girl was struggling to get something… anything out, a rustling in the bushes nearby soon caught her attention. Her gaze snapping towards the forest and setting off alarm bells in her head, the teen prepared for battle, only to see another familiar face slink into view. Supported on the back of a large pink dragon, a battered and gashed up Piccolo emerged from the undergrowth. His weighted clothing still on his person, the green warrior panted as he slowly approached the Son household.
The raven haired girl looked at him in alarm as she continued to hold the immobile and wounded Goten. "Piccolo? You're here?"
"Yeah. But Gohan isn't," the warrior from Namek spoke in his usual, gravely tone of voice. Growling painfully as he pushed himself off of Icarus's shoulders, the man then gripped his side and eyed the group intently. "Those dog warriors… I don't know who the hell they were… but they were strong. They attacked us and took off with him."
Eyes widening in shock, Videl then stepped towards the man with her fists clenched and held up high, "Then… we have to go after them!
The Namekian nodded his head in agreement, giving his full support to the girl's plan.
He was obviously still sore from the double-teaming he got from those two mutts and after getting hit from behind by that guy with the spear, the man wanted payback. It was while Piccolo was in the process of imagining the most painful way he could deal that asshole his punishment that the two Z-fighters suddenly sensed another figure approaching their position and looked towards the sky in surprise. When they did, they spotted the familiar forms of Krillin and Android 18, the former adorned in a red shirt with brown sports pants and the latter in her usual ensemble, drop down from the clouds and land in front of them.
"Hey! I sensed trouble so we rushed over here as quickly as we could," the former monk warrior said as he jogged over to the pair. Looking from the battered Piccolo, to the down Goten, and to the worried Videl, the man blinked in confusion, "Anyone gonna tell me what the heck's going on around here?"
"Later, Krillin," Piccolo said before narrowing his eyes, "Do you have any Senzu Beans on you?"
"Oh. Y-Yeah," the short fighter answered. Reaching into his pocket and pulling out a large brown bag, the man unfastened the string and began rummaging around inside of it, "I had Yajirobe tell Korin to start stockpiling them ever since that Zeru monster came to earth and attacked us. He gave me a bag on his last visit to Kame House… said that we would need it." Pulling out a couple of beans, the short fighter quickly dashed over to where Goten was and, with the help of Videl, slipped the miracle bean into his mouth.
After making sure the boy chewed and swallowed it, he then passed one over to Videl to give to Chi-Chi, before then flicking one Piccolo's way. During which time Android 18 wandered over and folded her arms in her characteristic way. "So…while we're all just standing around licking at our wounds, would anyone care to explain what all this is about?"
Seeing as how they needed time to gather their wits and put themselves back together, Piccolo began filling the newcomers in on exactly what'd happened before they got here. He told Videl, Android 18 and Krillin about how the first two enemies showed up, while the third one, the leader, ambushed Goten in the woods and used him as a distraction to shoot Gohan down. He also told the group how the gang of dog warriors had come to the Son household looking for the Saiyan. As to what they planned to do with him however the Namekian was uncertain.
The discussion also gave the green warrior time to inform the group of who exactly they were up against and the weapons each of them wielded. While coming up against armed adversaries didn't worry them too much since knives and projectile weaponry were normally useless against them, the fact that they were being wielded by such powerful enemies filled the Z-warriors with some concern.
"Uh… I'm suddenly having some really bad flashbacks of when Trunks diced up Frieza that time he came to earth with his dad," Krillin exclaimed, swallowing nervously when he learned that one of the dog warriors had a sword. He then raised a hand meekly, "Dibs on not fighting that one."
"Don't worry about it. I'll take care of her," Piccolo said, glancing around at Android 18 and Videl, and giving them a serious look. "Our main objective is to save Gohan and to take out the ones who abducted him. Since it's the four of us against the three of them, we shouldn't have any problems in wiping the floor with them."
The blonde woman standing nearby narrowed her eyes. "While I'm all for rescuing a comrade and everything, I think you're overlooking a really important fact here, Piccolo." When all eyes turned to the cyborg, the young beauty frowned nervously. "These assholes were able to take out Gohan while he was in his Ascended Saiyan form."
"Yeah? So?" the Namekian asked.
Eighteen scrunched her face up at that question, "Considering how powerful Gohan is in that form, how the hell are we supposed to take out a group who was able to capture him alive?"
Undeterred by the woman's words or her negative view on the situation, the now fully recovered green warrior frowned, "We have to at least try. For all we know, the fate of the entire world is at stake here… and we're going to need all the help we can get to stop them." His eyes then cut towards Videl, whom he could see was staring off into the horizon with a worried look on her face. Taking note of her expression and her averted gaze, the Namekian frowned. "What's wrong?"
Clenching her jaw tightly, the nervous tomboy spoke, "I can sense Gohan's energy." When the rest of the people in the area looked in the direction she was currently glaring in, the girl continued. "It's getting weaker and weaker… like… it's being pulled out of him or something." It was an analysis that not only filled her heart with dread, but had a listening Chi-Chi and Goten become worried as well.
The child standing beside his mother moved forward, "I want to go save Gohan too! I'm coming with you!"
Piccolo, regarding the child's words momentarily, nodded his head in understanding and turned to the rest of the team. "We don't have much time." He directed a glance towards Chi-Chi, who looked quietly between the battle tested members of her son's group and laced her fingers together. "Let's take what we have and go after them. I'm not sure how long they intend on keeping Gohan alive, so if we're going to rescue the kid, it has to be now." Powering up and generating a strong white aura from his body, the Namekian then turned his gaze west, blasted up into the sky and shot off towards the horizon.
Doing the same as the senior warrior, Videl, Goten and Android 18 took flight after him, two of them shrouded in a similar white aura while the artificial human simply matched their speed with her own. After watching the majority of the squad take off, Krillin promptly turned towards the worried mother standing by the house and gave her a comforting smile.
"Don't worry, Chi-Chi. We'll make sure to bring Gohan back. I promise," the man said.
Smiling at her husband's best friend as Icarus walked over to stand by her side, the woman in the yellow dress nodded and cupped her hands in front of her. "Good luck." A shriek from the dragon also added to her message of best wishes.
Receiving them with a wave, the short warrior dashed across the grass and took off as well, soaring into the clouds and vanishing moments later. The mother of the household waved after the group, as did the family dragon, the former of whom could only sit back, pray and wait… hoping that things turned out alright.
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