Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Errant Exile ❯ Duty's Call ( Chapter 16 )

Errant Exile 

Chapter 15: "Duty's Call"

AN: VTOL stands for Vertical Takeoff and Landing. It's a bit like a helicopter only without the blades.

"... and I told Goku, 'if you're bringing home clothing that's been ripped to shreds, what do think poor Uub's shirts look like?' So I packed up a bunch of things Goten outgrew and..."

Khri stared down into the parfait glass on the table and watched as the last lump of chocolate ice cream melted, sinking into a small cloud of whipped cream. She twirled the long-handled spoon into the puddle, creating a brown and white whirlpool of chopped nuts. The maraschino cherry stem rested safely on the table; it had been eaten first, per Pan's instructions.

Tahi and Sidoni would love this stuff. I wonder if there's a way to get a shipment to them before it melted? The last time she'd seen her trouble-making twin nephews, they'd been too young to start their formal academics and military training. A little math told her that enough years had passed for them to have graduated and be well into their own service years. Both had their grandfather's sunny blond hair and his love of small but harmless jokes, especially if they involved a certain aunt they treated more like an older sister. She winced and shied away from that family memory, afraid it would unleash other more recent and painful ones.

"Khri, dear, are you all right?"

She looked up to see Bulma and ChiChi watching her in concern. "Yes, thank you, I'm fine." She smiled in slight embarrassment. "The sundae was wonderful, but I don't think I'm used to such rich food yet." It was partially true; foods such as noodles and fish went down fine but her stomach took issue with cheese and now ice cream. She pushed the dish to one side and reached for her water glass.

"This place serves the best desserts," piped up Pan, who was slurping down the last of her milkshake. "Grandma always brings me here when we go shopping! It's too bad mommy couldn't come, but she had an appointment." Upon arriving at the little café and being ushered to a table next to the window, the little girl had appropriated the seat beside Khri. 'You're new here so I have to show you what's good!' she'd insisted. Khri had grinned at her and ordered the recommended hot dog, fries and soda. Topping it off with the incredible chocolate ice cream had been an impulse her abused stomach was starting to regret.

After more than a week of abusing herself in the workout room, pacing the floors at odd hours, tinkering with the new slimpad and sitting on the beach and staring at the ocean, Khri decided her sanity needed a change in scenery. ChiChi's timely phone call inviting her on a shopping and lunch trip in Satan City provided the excuse. It took a bit of persuading and planning, but she finally convinced Piccolo that they both needed a break from the daily grind of constant anxiety. Khri couldn't help but feel a little guilty about monopolizing his time - she knew her pacing was driving him crazy - and he needed to stretch his own muscles. She showed him the two-way communicators Sai had left behind. Each one could reveal the other's position anywhere on Earth and both had an emergency beacon. The scowl on his face she'd come to identify with his feelings of concern didn't completely mask his worry, but she assured him she'd use the communicator if there were any signs of trouble. Once she'd addressed all his misgivings he reluctantly agreed. She watched him fly off, smiling at his enthusiasm about the idea of taking out his frustrations on Goten and Trunks. She packed the VTOL with the new armor and her battle array, made a thorough service check of her diacha and tossed in her knapsack with the encapsulated motorcycle, just in case.

The VTOL - another Capsule masterpiece - was purchased with the understanding that sometimes travel by motorcycle was impractical. The Tomahawk kept her from buying furniture on impulse but it also made for an uncomfortable ride when it rained. The weather was sunny and perfect for flying to Satan City and, thanks to Capsule technology, she never had to worry about finding a parking space or shoving change in a meter.

After meeting her shopping partners in one of downtown's most plush department stores, Khri spent the next several hours in the company of two of the most chattiest women she had ever met. Their constant banter and debates over their husbands, children and who was aging the most gracefully confused and amused her. She experienced an extremely uncomfortable moment when ChiChi asked about her marital status but Pan suddenly decided she was starving and wanted to eat now. They walked the short distance to a brightly decorated café and were promptly seated at table next to the window.

What am I doing here, Khri asked herself for the hundredth time as she rattled the ice cubes in her glass. I'm distracted, I'm terrible company and fighting the impulse to jump at every shadow is wearing me out. I've never been this nervous over anything...why can't I keep myself under control? Over lunch Bulma and ChiChi had tried their best to draw her into the conversation, but she explained she was having 'family troubles' and apologized for her unsocial behavior. They seemed to understand and they promptly launched into a series of funny stories about the challenges of being married to Saiyans and keeping up with their incredible appetites.

The evening of Sai's visit, Khri had taken the VTOL up to the Lookout - much to Piccolo's irritation - and delivered the case to Dende. Her guesses had all been wrong; when Dende opened the lid she was shocked to find a compact but very powerful deep space receiver. There was also a sealed parchment addressed specifically to Earth's Guardian. She tried to pretend she hadn't seen Dende's face pale to the color of new lettuce as he read it silently. He said the writer asked him not to share what was written in the letter and Khri didn't want know. She assembled the receiver and set it outside the Lookout on a small table provided by Mr. Popo. Over dinner she gave Dende the short version of the the most recent events. Mr. Popo was disappointed when she left most of her food on her plate, but then Piccolo walked over and practically growled at her. He lingered at the Lookout after she'd left in order to talk with Dende, then growled again when he found her pacing upon his return. Yes, we both definitely needed some time to ourselves.

"Khri?" A tug on her sleeve brought her focus back to the present and the noisy café.

"Yes, Pan?"

"Did you and Mr. Piccolo make up after your fight?"

ChiChi and Bulma's conversation instantly stopped. Bulma's spoon chimed as it fell onto her pie plate and spattered the tablecloth with melted ice cream. Both women turned slowly to look at Khri, who was painfully aware of the heat rising in her face. ChiChi's jaw dropped open. "You...you and..."

"And...Piccolo? You had a fight?" Bulma finished, her blue eyes huge and round.

"And you...made up?" ChiChi dropped her fork into her lap, which left four cherry-colored stains on her skirt.

Oh...shit! They would jump to the wrong conclusions! "It was the night of Bulma's party and it wasn't really a fight," she protested. The innocent expression she managed to conjure wasn't going to fly, not with her mouth going dry and her cheeks darkening. "It was just a misunderstanding that I took out of context! We talked it over and everything is fine."

ChiChi's face went from shock to a scowl. "Humph! You're too polite, Khri. I've known Piccolo a long time so you're not fooling anybody." She tapped a fingernail on the edge of her plate. "If there was an argument, he was the one who started it! He's been a troublemaker for years, so don't you let him push you around!"

Khri's anxiety disappeared in a flash of anger. "He doesn't have the authority to push me..."

"Just how well do you two know each other?" Bulma suddenly interrupted, eyes twinkling. "I know you must have talked the day after you arrived because Piccolo took you from ChiChi's house..."

"Kidnapped!"

"Kidnapped, abducted, whatever. Have you two been seeing each other since then?" Her voice had the suspicious tone Khri recognized from the gossipy old matrons she'd been forced to endure as a child. Jaw tightening, she considered working up an icy reply when a flurry of activity out the window caught her eye. She leaned over and craned her head around her lunch companions for a better view.

Two men and one woman ran past the window. They weren't jogging for exercise; the men were in disheveled business suits and the woman was struggling with a skirt that kept tangling her legs. The man running behind the other two looked back over his shoulder. There was no mistaking the terror in his eyes.

Bulma frowned, lowering her tea cup. "Khri? What is it?" Following Khri's line of sight, both women turned and looked out the window.

The water in Pan's glass, still mostly full because she had guzzled her milkshake first, rippled and sent the ice cubes dancing. Through the soles of her feet Khri could feel the floor vibrate as if a giant had stomped on the ground nearby. "Don't move," she hissed. "I need you ladies to be very still and quiet a moment."

Khri took a long, deep breath and listened carefully. The background music being piped in through the café's sound system droned on with no interruption. Another thud shook the ground but this one was harder. It could be an attack by the Tigradi but that would be a total waste of resources. It could be a Telkarri attack...or it could be just a gas pipeline exploding. Other patrons noticed and looked up from their meals in confusion. More people were running past the window, just as frantic as the first three had been, and one elderly man had blood streaming from a head wound. "They're coming! Run!" a woman shrieked as she stumbled, recovered, and limped forward.

"What's going on out there?" asked a frightened older lady from a nearby table. One by one the other customers put down their utensils and started to stand up.

It's finally come.

There was no way to be absolutely sure about her suspicions, but Khri felt the emotional snap of a soldier who's long, agonizing wait flared into a call for action at last. She stood up and swallowed to clear her throat. "I need every one of you to listen to me," she announced in a calm voice, staring down any man or woman to started to rise in challenge. "If you do exactly as I say you will all survive, but only if you follow my instructions." While she still had the advantage as they wallowed in shock, she snapped at the nearest waitress. "You. Does this restaurant have a back door? If so, where does it go?"

"It...it does," the greying woman stammered. Receipts slipped between her fingers, floating to the floor. "It leads to a service alley."

Khri spied a tall, muscular young man with a military-style haircut who stood watching her. His companion, either his girlfriend or young wife, sat trembling in the seat behind him. "You, Sir. I want you to lead everyone out the back door, single file." She recalled the map of Satan City she'd pulled up on the VTOL's computer. The fields to the west are the only place ships could land easily...to the east its all suburbs. "Once you get into the service alley you are to walk, not run, towards the east side of the city. That direction will take you in the opposite direction of where the trouble is coming from." She let her most piercing glare fall on each adult. "You must walk. Fast movement will attract attention you really don't want. If you're in a situation where you have to hide, don't go underground." Khri knew she'd made a good guess when the young man saluted her with a snappy 'yes, ma'am' and walked calmly towards the back of the restaurant.

"Who are you?" An portly older man who'd seen too many days end in the bottom of a beer bottle wrenched his considerable gut up out of his chair. "Who do you think you are, to order us around?"

"I'm someone who's wasting precious time to save your worthless life," Khri said as softly as she could and still be heard above the growing screams and distant explosions outside. The tense murmuring the man inspired died away.

Once the customers were shuffling fearfully in the right direction, Khri turned back to ChiChi, Bulma and Pan. All three looked terrified but she noticed there was anger, too. "We've still got some time and we need information before we plan any further. Let's go into the kitchen. We need to find either a television or a radio."

The cooks and the wait staff had left behind several simmering pots. ChiChi switched off the cooking surfaces and ovens, then doused a smoking pan of burning poultry in the sink while Khri, Bulma and Pan pushed through to the back office. It had been abandoned by the head cook who had conveniently left the television on. "Let's see if we can find out what's happening," Bulma said as she picked up the remote control and flicked through the channels. She found one broadcasting live news.

Khri stared at the television, mind churning as she watched a terrified reporter dive for cover behind the news truck. "They're headed down South Avenue towards Main now!" the wild-eyed man yelled into his microphone as the image shook. The camera pointed towards the western end of the city where clouds of thick smoke billowed into the perfect afternoon sky. "What's that?" He pressed his finger deeper into his ear. "News Central reports that the Royal Army has been alerted and planes are now being dispatched! We should see the first squadrons overhead any moment now!"

Bulma and ChiChi peered around her shoulder; Pan increased her chi enough to float behind them so she could see too. "Khri, do you know what's attacking us?" ChiChi asked. Her trembling fingers clenched as if in search of a lethal kitchen utensil.

"I have a good idea but I can't be absolutely certain. It could be one of two sources or, in the worst case scenario, both at once. Its very unlikely but it could still happen. I need to know what we're about to fight before I make a plan." The picture on the screen careened wildly as the cameraman pointed it skyward. Khri folded her arms and scowled as a formation of atmosphere-limited fighters roared over the skyscraper rooftops. Seconds later they buzzed the sky over the restaurant, rattling the windows. Earth's military is good at making loud noises, small craters and successfully dealing with ordinary threats, but not what I think is coming. Telkarri shields are too sophisticated for small projectile weapons to penetrate and they're too fast for bombs...

Bulma noticed her dark expression. "You don't think Earth's soldiers can defend us, do you?" she asked in disbelief and a tinge of injured pride. "Well, Vegeta and the others can!" She started digging through her purse and pulled out a cell phone. "I'm going to try calling...maybe someone is home..."

The picture blurred as the camera angle changed again, shooting down to a wide-angle view of the street. The intersection was empty except for a few abandoned cars and the news crew. An unseen blast strong enough to be felt under their feet shook violently shook the camera. Chunks of concrete, steel and glass roared past , followed by large tentacles of thick smoke that curled around the corner building. Khri barely heard Bulma, ChiChi and Pan gasp as she watched three Telkarri Yellows and one Green spider-walk into view and fan out. "Shit," she whispered.

"Goku told me about those things," ChiChi cried. "Why are they here? What do they want?"

Khri drew herself up to her full height. Both women were obviously very frightened and angry, but it was determination that tightened their hands into fists and gave ChiChi the idea to snatch a butcher's knife from the kitchen. Pan's small fists were clenched tightly and her dark eyes sparkled in fury as she hovered midair like a vengeful cherub. "Listen carefully, ladies. Are Vegeta, Trunks and Goten all sparring with Piccolo today?" She slid the communicator out of her jeans pocket and hit the emergency beacon. She noted that Piccolo's current location was far to the south and east of Satan City.

ChiChi nodded. "Yes! I'd call Goten on his cell phone but Piccolo smashed it last week when it rang while they were sparring!"

Bulma echoed her nod. "Vegeta and Trunks are with them. Trunks usually leaves his phone behind and Vegeta just plain refuses to carry one."

Damn. "I just let Piccolo know there's trouble but I want a second way of letting them know what's going on. Hopefully he's not too busy fighting not to notice...can either of you fly? I'm chi-blind so I can't tell if you have that ability..."

Both women shook their heads.

"I can! I can!"

Khri looked over a wide-eyed Pan who was beating the air with her fists. "Look at me! See? I can fly! I've been able to hover since I was two and fly since I was three years old!"

Gohan's daughter. Of course. Khri smiled and folded her arms. "Pan, I've got a special mission just for you. Do you think you can handle it?"

"I know I can!" Pan piped, clenching her little fists.

"Good." Khri took a deep breath, letting Pan's eager anticipation work. "I want you to find your father and tell him that the city is under attack. If you can't find him, see if you can find Piccolo." It would be helpful to have Goku too but if Pan was successful in reaching Gohan, he could notify his father. "Can you sense chi? I know some users can speak telepathically..."

Pan's enthusiasm waned just a bit. "I can't talk to daddy like that yet, and he has to power up before I can sense him."

Khri nodded. The entire building shuddered and bits of ceiling plaster came down, scattering across the desk and dusting ChiChi's hair. Not much time left, they're getting closer. She considered having Pan go directly to Piccolo - at lease one of the fighters had to be powered up to a point she could sense it if they were sparring - but Gohan was closer. If Gohan is in the city, I'm surprised he hasn't figured out what's happening! Why isn't he looking for his daughter? "Pan, do you know where Piccolo and the others are training?"

Her head bobbed. "Uh huh. I've been there many times, even though they wouldn't let me fight..."

"Pan!" Khri took hold of her shoulders and pulled her close. "If you can't find your father, I need you to tell Mr. Piccolo or Vegeta or whoever you find what's happening here and they're needed. Now, can you tell me what you're supposed to do?"

"Find my daddy," Pan repeated. "Mama says he had a big class to teach today at work. If I can't find him I'm supposed to find Mr. Piccolo."

Khri glanced at ChiChi. "Where is the university? Is it east of here? I won't send her into a combat area."

ChiChi nodded. "North and east."

"Good! Pan, after you've found your daddy or Piccolo and told them what's happening, I want you to go to your grandma's house and stay there. Try to call your mother and let her know what's going on. Your grandma will be home as soon as she can."

Pan's eyes started to water with angry tears. "But Khri, I..."

"That's an order, Pan. Its part of your mission." Khri loosened her grip on Pan's shoulders and gently smoothed down her hair. Just like her grandpa Goku's it sprang straight up again. "I know you want to help, but its very important that we know you're safe." Another blast, this one closer, was strong enough to loosen more plaster. "Be careful!" she whispered. "Your grandmother will clobber me with one of her pans if anything happens to you."

Pan tried to smile and gulped back her tears, her little face serious. "I will, and I will find Daddy or Mr. Piccolo."

Khri gave her shoulder a pat, then stood up. "All right. Its time to move."

The moment they left the office the floor trembled with the intensity of a minor earthquake. It didn't feel as close as the previous two blasts but it had a bigger impact; all the lights went out, plunging the narrow kitchen into darkness. Bulma and ChiChi gasped and moved closer together, then ChiChi let out a little screech when she saw two amber lights shining in Khri's face. "It's all right. I know they glow, they're supposed to. I have natural night vision."

"You can see in the dark?" marveled Pan, who hovered near Khri's shoulder. "That's so...wow!"

"Thank you...I think. Just stay close."

Khri navigated easily through the dark kitchen's swinging doors and led them to the service exit. "Pan, you already know what to do. Bulma, I want you and ChiChi to stay together and get out of town. Head east. I don't care how you do it - if you're able to reach an air car, fine - just get out of the city. Bulma, keep trying to reach Vegeta or Videl or somebody on that cell phone of yours. If we're lucky, Piccolo got disgusted with Trunks and Goten again and they called it quits early." Oops...I probably shouldn't have said that, Khri winced. I'll bet I've just given them another reason to poke their noses into my relationship with Piccolo. "If we're really lucky they've turned on the television, are aware of what's happening and are on their way."

"Well, they're not here now," Bulma snapped. "If they were, those explosions would be a lot bigger! Vegeta could give a rat's ass about damaging public property."

Khri reached for her diacha as she pressed one ear to the back door. When she opened it a crack bright daylight streamed in, making her blink. Echoes from the distant explosions and clatter of fleeing footsteps bounced off nearby buildings. A small dog was yapping somewhere nearby and the smell of fresh bread from the bakery next door warred with the stench of burning livelihoods. "The alley is clear. Pan, I want you to go first. Fly at low speed until you've cleared the tallest rooftops. Don't worry about your chi. They can't sense it. I want you clear before Bulma and ChiChi head out."

Pan gave Bulma and her tearful grandma quick hugs. To Khri's complete surprise, she wrapped her little arms around her neck. "Bye, Khri. I'll find daddy or Mr. Piccolo. I promise! Don't get hurt, ok?"

"I know you'll do well, Pan." Khri gently returned the hug. "You be careful. I will too. Now go!"

Pan nodded, slipped out and slowly began her ascent. They watched her through the cracked door until a tall apartment building to the north hid her from view.  

"Thank you," ChiChi said softly. Tears shimmered in her eyes but her expression was one of relief. "Thank you for sending Pan away. She's young but she can fly fast. I'm sure she'll get away."

"Don't be fooled," Khri said sternly. "Pan is on a serious assignment. Our lives depend on her finding Gohan." Or Piccolo. "Are you two ready?"

Bulma brushed a strand of blue hair from her eyes. "My air car is only a couple of blocks from here in a private parking garage. I heard what you said earlier and don't worry, its above ground. I think ChiChi and I can make it safely."

"Why?" ChiChi's trembling voice was approaching a wail. "Why are they here? Why are they attacking Earth? What do they want?"

Khri's voice came out in a throaty snarl. "They want your planet. They don't give a damn who or what they're destroying and will do whatever it takes to get it. I don't know if they've focused on just Satan City alone or if others are being attacked as well, but there's no time to think about that. After I leave, count down one minute. Then go." She pushed past the women and stepped outside, looking up and down the wide alley.

"What? You're not coming with us?" Bulma stumbled out the door after her, ChiChi less than a step behind. "What are you going to do?"

The diacha instantly telescoped into two white, glowing blades. "Fend them off. Buy time. Hope Gohan, Piccolo and Vegeta get the message. It's about all I can do." She gave them a grim smile before she began running.

To Be Continued...