Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Touketsu ❯ Alliance ( Chapter 18 )

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

Alliance

Outside the temple living quarters, Goku and Yamcha had been tracking Bulma's and Touketsu's ki. When they felt Bulma's ki spike with fear they were both moments away from intervening. Yamcha was incredulous when Goku hesitated, keeping a firm hand on Yamcha's shoulder to prevent him from barreling into the living quarters himself. In the next second however the tense moment passed. Goku was relieved, because he strongly felt that suddenly popping in on the two would have more than likely resulted in another brawl. Add Yamcha to the mix and the situation would most definitely have escalated.

Just then they saw Touketsu emerge from the temple with Bulma emerging soon after. She was more than a little wet, much to Goku's and Yamcha's bewilderment. They both immediately noticed the scratches below her shoulder and the broken strap of her dress, and they walked briskly up to her. Goku stopped just short to keep an eye on Touketsu while Yamcha went up to her.

"Bulma what the hell happened?"

She glanced down at the scratches and shook her head dismissively "It's nothing. Really."

"Like hell it is," Yamcha hissed angrily as he examined the wounds. "What the hell did he do to you, Bulma?"

"It was an accident, he didn't mean to. He barely broke the skin." Inwardly Bulma cringed at the words. She sounded like one of those women in an abusive relationship making excuses for her man. But Vegeta was part Oozaru right now, and definitely not himself. A few scratches wasn't going to stop her from doing what she could to restore her husband's mind and body. However, one look into her protective ex-lover's eyes and she knew she wouldn't be able to convince Yamcha of that.

"You're defending him?" Yamcha was trying really hard not to raise his voice at this point.

"He's not himself, Yamcha," Bulma stressed emphatically. "That should be obvious."

Yamcha had flashbacks to when the Saiyan first moved into the Capsule Corp. compound when they were preparing for the Androids. He didn't trust the volatile alien then, and he didn't trust him now. While Yamcha had long since accepted Bulma's relationship with the Saiyan, that was not what they were currently dealing with; he was a stranger once more, and a dangerous one at that. He wasn't going to take his eyes off the prince this time. Yamcha didn't answer her, instead gently grasping both her hands and pulling her close as he flared his ki enough to dry off her wet clothes. He then shifted the conversation.

"Come on," he said, tugging her over to the side. "Let Dende heal those for you."

"Yamcha really, I'm fine. Give Dende a break, for crying out loud.

Before Yamcha could offer a rebuke, Touketsu's rough voice cut in. "If she said she's fine, she's fine." They looked over at Touketsu who was standing off to the side with his arms crossed. He looked Yamcha in the eye. "Perhaps you should respect her wishes, weakling."

Yamcha and Touketsu stared at each other for several tense seconds. Touketsu immediately decided he did not like this other male being so close to the female, and he unconsciously growled when Yamcha made no move to step away from her. Noticing this, Bulma released Yamcha's hands and stepped back in an effort to defuse the situation. "Yamcha," she spoke to him, getting his attention. "It's all right," she said firmly. Finally, Yamcha gave a reluctant nod.

Goku saw that Yamcha's presence was exacerbating the situation. "Why don't you go over to the others. Let them know we're going to come up with a plan, and we'll be over in a few minutes."

Yamcha could tell Goku was trying to get rid of him, but he conceded. They were getting nowhere fast right now, and so long as Goku was there he was confident that Bulma wouldn't be in any danger. He nodded and, giving Touketsu a cautionary look, stepped away to join the others.

Satisfied, Touketu turned his attention to Bulma. Finally, he could start gleaning more information from them about these Dragon Balls. He would have to be careful not to reveal what Frieza already told him about the artifacts. "Both you and the Saiyan here have mentioned these things called Dragon Balls. You said they could…"fix" me. What did you mean by that?"

Fearing another altercation, Bulma attempted to clarify. "Vegeta, I didn't mean it like that-"

"I think you did," he said quietly, his red gaze unwavering. "You believe they can restore me to my previous incarnation. How is that possible?"

Bulma relaxed a little. Was he maybe seeing reason? "Yeah, they may be able to. After all seven Dragon Balls are gathered, Shenron can be summoned. He's the Eternal Dragon."

Touketsu raised an eyebrow. "A dragon?" he stated.

"Yeah, that's right," Goku said, stepping up. He looked to Bulma. "Bulma, you know that after we've restored the planet the last two wishes may be used up after wishing everyone back," he said quietly.

Bulma deflated a bit. "Yeah, I know Goku."

Touketsu turned back to her and scowled. "Just how many can this thing grant?"

Bulma sighed. "Shenron can grant up to three wishes."

So they CAN grant 3. Touketsu quickly forced down the avarice that suddenly rose within him upon having this confirmed.

"But his power is limited," Bulma continued. "We can use a wish to reverse the destruction on the planet, but bringing a large number of people back to life uses a lot of Shenron's power. Two wishes may be all we get this time around, but no matter what we have to wish back all of the people killed by the Kagemazoku."

"…Why?"

Bulma looked deep into his eyes, her brows drawing together. He looked genuinely curious. For a moment she saw the soldier he once was: a soldier that couldn't tell right from wrong…and didn't care. She shook her head a little. "Vegeta. It's because it's the right thing to do. And this will be the only time we can do it. Shenron can only bring people back that have been killed within a year's time. If all the wishes are used up, the Dragon Balls will need a full year to recharge. By then it will be too late."

"They can be used again, though," Goku added quickly.

"That's right," Bulma confirmed. "After they've recharged we can gather them again, and we can do it in no time. If we can't wish to restore you and your memories yet, would you…would you be willing to wait?"

Touketsu would continue to play on the woman's sympathies. It had worked thus far; both of the soft-hearted individuals had just revealed a lot to him about these things. "I suppose I would be," he replied affably.

A smile of relief broke out over Bulma's face and she stepped up to him, taking his hand in both of hers. "You can stay with us. You'll be back home. If we end up having to wait another year you may even recover on your own."

Touketsu looked down at her with penetrating, crimson eyes. He smiled a little. "Perhaps."

"And look, there's still a chance we'll have all three wishes to work with," Goku offered. The Kagemazoku weakened soon after they upped their offensive, and the boys and I have contained them and picked them off quickly. From what I've seen, most of the planet's population survived the attack."

Bulma eagerly turned to her friend. "Goku, I think we should go get the last Dragon Ball now and be ready to use them. I already gathered the other six this past year. One of you can take the Dragon Radar and AW SHIT!" She exclaimed, releasing Touketsu's hands and bringing her clenched fists angrily at her sides.

Goku and Touketsu simultaneously flinched at her outburst. "What? What's wrong?" Goku asked, bewildered.

"The Dragon Radar! It was still in the knapsack that I grabbed when I took my hoverjet into Satan City! The whole thing was destroyed!" By YOU! she wanted to instinctively scream at her husband. She resisted the urge, however. Aside from the fact that he likely didn't remember, it wouldn't have helped the situation any.

"Well can't you build another radar?" Goku asked.

She looked at Goku pointedly before sighing. "Well yeah, but it will take some time." Bulma huffed. "Shit. It drives me nuts 'cause I just had that last - oh wait!"

"Now what?" Touketsu asked, annoyed.

"I almost forgot - I entered the exact coordinates of the Dragon Ball's location into my arctic jet's GPS! It's over in the mountains. I'll just take that baby over and get it myself-"

"Now hang on Bulma," Goku said, holding a hand up. "Don't you think you're rushing into this?"

"Rushing into what?" Bulma demanded, frustrated. "It's because I sat on my hands that I don't have the last damn ball already. I HAVE the coordinates, I can just go get it!" She brought a hand up to massage her brow that was creasing with regret. She sighed, her voice beginning to crack. "Goddamnit, why didn't I just get the stupid thing when I had the chance-"

"Hey it's ok, Bulma." Goku could fully understand why his friend was eager to retrieve the orb. Still, he was concerned about her safety. "I know you want to fix things as quickly as possible, but you shouldn't be getting it yourself. We've been making fast progress eliminating the Kagemazoku, but if we've missed any you could run into them. Besides, we shouldn't be wishing anyone back to life until we're sure we've gotten rid of all those demons first."

"Goku, I can wait to make the wishes, but I'd feel a hell of a lot better if I had the last ball in my hand," she said as she looked back up to her old friend. "You've seen what those demons could do - they can turn whatever they touch into ice. They could destroy the Dragon Ball!"

Goku faltered. She had a point. "Yeah, that may be possible, Bulma. But they've been focusing their attacks on where there's the most human life - cities and stuff. Going to remote places like the mountains is going to be last on their list."

"Goku, do you seriously want to take that chance?!"

Arms crossed, Touketsu blandly watched them bicker. If it's true that the Super Saiyan and his friends have nearly finished purging this planet of the Kagemazoku, then it's unlikely I'll run into them. The woman has transportation, and she knows where this Dragon Ball is. This is my chance.

"Goku," Touketsu interrupted. "If you're worried about her safety I'll go with her." He then turned to Bulma, flashing a confident smirk. "I killed Zhernobog. If we encounter any more of those creatures they'll be no problem."

Goku glanced from one to the other and instantly felt uneasy. After what he had picked up on in the temple he didn't want to be too far from either of them. It would be better to just be present and prevent another situation like that from occurring again. Additionally, he still wasn't convinced that Vegeta had full control of his abilities yet.

"Well maybe I should go too," Goku said.

Touketsu snapped his head in Goku's direction, scowling. "I don't need your assistance," he said coldly. "I can handle these things fine on my own. You'd be more useful elsewhere."

Goku stepped forward. "Now listen Vegeta-"

"My name is Touketsu, when the hell are you going to remember that!?" Touketsu snapped, closing the distance between them while looking down at the Saiyan. "Perhaps you would like me to call you by some other name?" he sneered.

Goku smiled a little in amusement. "Eh, I think I'd be ok with it."

Touketsu scowled in confusion. "Tch. Whatever."

"Just hear me out," Goku continued. "Bulma's not going to be able to defend herself against these things if you guys come across them. You're going to have your hands full defending both yourself AND her, so you could use a spotter."

"Goku, are calling me a liability?!" Bulma snapped, offended.

Goku put his hand behind his head and looked at her sheepishly. "Well…you kinda…get in trouble when you end up on a battlefield."

Bulma choked back a squawk of indignation. "I DO NOT! Not…all the time! And when I DID find myself in trouble I relied on MYSELF and my genius to get out of it! In case you haven't realized yet Goku, you're not always around when you're needed!"

"Aw come on, Bulma! I'm here now, aren't I?"

"SILENCE! BOTH OF YOU!" Touketsu thundered, earning a shocked look from both of them. "You're going to destroy my hearing with your stupid, senseless bickering!" He poked Goku in the chest with a taloned finger. "I SAID I don't need your help, "Super" Saiyan, so piss off!"

There was a stalemate between the two for several tense seconds. Finally, Goku relented. "Well, all right. If you think you can handle it."

Touketsu stared him down for several more moments before giving a terse nod and turning away.

"Could you give her a lift back to Capsule Corp?"

Touketsu froze.

Bulma piped up. "Yeah, the arctic hoverjet is back at the compound. I'm going to need a lift."

"I'd use Instant Transmission to bring you two over, but there's no one at the compound right now, and I need to be able to latch onto a ki signature in order to perform it," Goku added. "Now that you're healed flight won't be problem. She can give you the directions, right Bulma?"

"Yeah, of course-"

"Why don't you just fly her over yourself?" Touketsu ground out, barely giving Goku his profile.

"Well sure, I guess I could. But it would be no faster than you. Besides, you're going with her anyway."

Touketsu's eye twitched. That smug, fucking… He slowly turned to look over his shoulder at Goku, his lips threatening to peel back into a snarl.

"What's wrong?" Goku asked innocently.

He had no choice but to admit his shortcoming. He grit his teeth hatefully. "I…can't fly." Bulma looked to him in some surprise before quickly masking it.

He would have never admitted to that unless it was true. So how did he just fall out of the sky earlier? Unless…"Oh. Well, don't worry, Vegeta," Goku said, unfazed. "Your memory's been recovering, so I'm sure that will come back to you, too. But since that's the case I really should come with you guys. If you find yourself overwhelmed by the Kagemazoku, someone will need to fly Bulma out of harm's way. While they've used projectiles, from what I've seen they stay low to the ground-"

"I KNOW what they're capable of, fool!" Touketsu snapped. Oh, how he wanted to claw that falsely innocent look right off his face. It was taking every ounce of his will power not to do just that.

"Ok, Vegeta, I can see Goku's point," Bulma interjected. Touketsu looked to her and growled softly to himself. He found he was more tolerant of the misuse of his name when it was coming from her. "While I can take care of myself," Bulma said, shooting Goku a look, "It wouldn't hurt to have some backup if things got really bad."

"Aren't you needed here?" Touketsu growled, turning his attention back to Goku.

"Well, I'm not the only Super Saiyan. My sons Gohan and Goten can go Super too. So can Trunks. They've done great beating the demons' forces back, and I'm pretty confident they're close to finishing the last of them if they haven't already. Goku's face lit up just then, and he turned slightly away from them. He looked like he was deep in thought. Touketsu raised an eyebrow at this.

Goku looked back. Hey, I got a telepathic message from Gohan. He and the others just arrived at Capsule Corp. I can IT us over now.

Touketsu gave him a withering look. Yes, why wouldn't he be telepathic as well?

"Let's go meet with Dende and the others, and we'll explain our plan."

The three of them met with Dende, and everyone at the Lookout gathered around. "Hey everyone," Goku called out. I spoke with Gohan, and from what he tells me, he, Goten, and Trunks have been able to eliminate the Kagemazoku. They haven't found any others.

There was a ripple of jubilation from the crowd before Goku put his hands up. "Now it looks that way, but we want to be sure of it. Everyone here will stay at the Lookout where it's safe while we continue to patrol for them. The three of us here are going to meet with the boys and Piccolo over at Capsule Corp and tell them the plan. Bulma already has six of the Dragon Balls, so Vegeta and I are going with her to get the last one and make sure she's protected from any demons that may still be out there." Behind Goku, Touketsu crossed his arms and betrayed a small sneer of contempt. Yamcha didn't miss this.

"So Touketsu's going?" Yamcha asked Goku. He had overheard the demon prince's fierce protests against being referred to as Vegeta. If this is what he wanted then so be it.

Touketsu turned to Yamcha. "Do not speak of me as though I'm not here," he told him, his voice unnervingly calm. "Yes, I will be accompanying the female. Your Goku needn't be joining us, but he's annoyingly insistent," he sneered, as he shot Goku a look.

Yamcha glanced at Bulma, but she was looking at Touketsu. Yamcha could understand perfectly well that she wanted to be by her husband's side, but that demon WASN'T her husband. Not anymore. Bulma was allowing her emotions for Vegeta to cloud her judgement. He couldn't blame her for that, but Yamcha had seen enough. Touketsu was not to be trusted. "Hey Goku, maybe I should go in your place," Yamcha suggested. "I mean, nothing but Super Saiyan ki energy seems to have any effect on these demons. If they're still around I'm no help here, but at the very least I can accompany Bulma for the last Dragon Ball."

Touketsu's eyes flicked over to Yamcha and narrowed. This male had been challenging him ever since that green creature healed him, and the subtle change in his scent confirmed to him why that was: the male coveted the woman. Unconsciously, Touketsu dug his nails into his crossed arms as a wave of jealousy ripped through him. In spite of his earlier convictions to distance himself from the female, he felt his possessiveness for her only growing.

"Well Yamcha, there is still a small possibility that we could come across the Kagemazoku during our search," Goku replied. "That Zhernobog guy sent out his soldiers in every direction, and even though they've been focusing on cities they've been spotted in the countryside. Please don't take it the wrong way, but I should go in case we run into trouble with them."

Touketsu was doing a slow burn; these bastards were screwing up his plans. He needed to separate himself and the female from this group. "Your assistance was never needed, Goku," he sneered. "In fact, neither of you are needed. How many times must I remind you that it was I that destroyed Zhernobog and decimated a large number of his forces?"

"Yeah you've said that, but how can you prove it?" Yamcha piped up. Touketsu's eyes flashed before narrowing dangerously.

"I have no doubt that you did," Goku addressed Touketsu while nonchalantly stepping between him and Yamcha. He took a deep breath and turned to the demon prince. He knew he could be courting another needless fight, but it was time he got to the bottom of this. "But, let's be honest, there are some things you've forgotten…and I'm not just talking about faces."

Touketsu unfolded his arms and clenched his fists, his hard gaze daring Goku to continue.

"I think you're still learning how to use your abilities," Goku spoke carefully. "It's understandable - this body of yours is new. You were that…creature - that Oozaru, for a very long time from the sound of it. I'm sure you'll gain control over time, but if you and Bulma find yourself faced with those things you're going to need some people with experience."

Touketsu kept his furious eyes locked on Goku's, his nostrils flaring like that of a bull ready to charge. "Spare me your platitudes," he hissed. "You dare question my abilities, you insufferable clown?" It was bad enough to admit his shortcomings in front of Goku not moments ago, but to do so in front of all these strangers?

"What? What else doesn't he remember?" Yamcha asked, turning his attention back to Goku.

"I SAID DON'T SPEAK OF ME LIKE I'M NOT HERE!" Touketsu roared, on the verge of tearing the disrespectful weakling's throat out once and for all. His skin darkened to gray for a moment, and a current of dark energy pulsed through the markings on his face and arms, lighting the stone in his chest briefly before disappearing. There was an undercurrent of alarm from the others at the sight of the brief display.

Touketsu had had enough of this one. He couldn't stand how he looked at the woman, and the smell of this interloper's repressed desire and protectiveness for her was now emanating off of him to the point that it made Touketsu's nose wrinkle. The woman was apparently oblivious. Either that, or she was being ridiculously tolerant of his attentions. Hell, the stupid male didn't even seem to be aware of his lust for her.

Goku outstretched his hands as he looked between the two antagonists. "Hey, hey - this is not the time guys. Vegeta, If we're going to be working together we need to be honest with each other. Please - why don't you tell him."

Touketsu grit his teeth and glared at Goku before turning his attention back to Yamcha. After a moment of deliberation he relented. He wanted to stop wasting time and get this last goddamn ball already. If some of his pride had to be sacrificed then so be it. And if anyone thought they could take advantage of him upon learning of a few chinks in his armor, then they were in for a terrible surprise. He would be ready to turn the tables on these interfering little pests when the time came.

"I killed Zhernobog with an energy attack. Similar to what this one here can do, I suppose," he said, nodding in Goku's direction. "But…until that point I had never done it before."

"And you're still learning," Yamcha stated. Touketsu simply glared back, and Yamcha was gripped with the desire to put this guy in his place. "Well, Goku isn't the only one who can use ki energy." Yamcha held up his hand and summoned a basketball sized globe of ki. "All of us fighters here at the Lookout are trained to use it, and I've been doing this for years," Yamcha explained, the tone of his voice dangerously close to arrogant.

Touketsu betrayed none of the shock he felt upon realizing this one wasn't so weak as he had believed. However, he wasn't so successful in hiding his envy, or his anger over the unspoken challenge. Yamcha dissipated the ball of ki and they stared each other down for a tense moment.

"Hey it's normal to have difficulty at first," Goku offered, eager to defuse the situation. "I can see that you went through some kind of transformation. Like, twice already now," he laughed forcefully while Touketsu continued to angrily stare Yamcha down. "It took a me a lot of training and practice to handle Super Saiyan, and a lot more to reach new levels."

Touketsu did a double take at Goku. He cocked his head. "What? New levels? What the hell are you babbling about?"

Goku swallowed. Oops. Bulma covered her face in dismay.

Touketsu stared with dawning realization. "Your appearance. It changed each time. They weren't just part of your Super Saiyan transformation…they're all different transformations."

Well, I did tell him myself that we need to be honest with each other…so long as he doesn't go on a rampage again. "Uh, yeah, that's right."

"How the hell many are there?"

Goku hesitated. "I reached Super Saiyan 3."

"There are three levels," Touketsu stated, his voice level.

"Well, that's as far as I got."

As if possessed, Touketsu demanded, "How far did Prince Vegeta get?"

Goku faltered. Bulma lowered her hands to cover her nose and mouth while she watched the worst possible scenario unfold. Damnit Goku…

Touketsu's eye twitched. It's no wonder he didn't bow. This "Prince Vegeta" was weak. He took a step towards Goku. "How far?"

Bulma cut in, desperate to stop a possible fight while still being truthful. "You reached Super Saiyan 2 - same as Goku when he died. He only reached 3 after training in Otherworld!"

They both swung their heads in Bulma's direction, a look of surprise on Goku's face; he had no idea that Vegeta had made it to Super Saiyan 2. He barely refrained from giving the other a slap on the back in celebration, his hand going behind his head when Touketsu turned back to him. "I don't like having information kept from me, Goku." He told the other coldly.

"I'm sorry. It just didn't occur to me."

"Hn. Somehow I can actually believe that. Moron," he sneered. Touketsu conceded that he could learn a lot about Vegeta from the vacuous idiot. He was reaching his limits conversing with the fool however and his interest in the subject was waning; the Super Saiyan prince's golden appeal was tarnishing more and more.

Knowing Vegeta, Goku steered the subject onto something that would boost the other's confidence and mollify his anger. "So you must know teleportation now too, huh?"

Touketsu faltered, suddenly caught between a sense of pride and apprehension that Goku had figured this out. Frieza had warned that he needed to keep things close to the vest where others were concerned. He was already revealing too much about himself with his emotional responses and impulsive questions.

Goku smiled good-naturedly. "If you can't fly just yet then you must have learned something like my Instant Transmission technique. You pretty much fell out of thin air when you clobbered me," he chuckled.

Disarmed and a little uneasy, Touketsu subtly glanced around. He noticed the tension in the scarred fighter's face, and he submerged a smirk as his prided welled up. He straightened a little more as he returned his attention to Goku. "Yes, that's right."

"Wow, Vegeta, you couldn't do that before. Knowing teleportation before learning flight is like learning how to run before you can walk! Ha ha! That's great!" Goku crowed as he clapped a hand on Touketsu's shoulder.

"DON'T touch me, idiot!" Touketsu shouted in surprise as he knocked Goku's hand away.

"Heh, sorry." Goku said sheepishly, holding his hands up. He smiled broadly and planted his fists on his hips. "But if you can master that move, then flying will seem like second-rate transportation!"

Very concerned now, Yamcha turned his attention to Bulma. "Bulma, I should go with you guys. If you come across those demons, then Goku and…Touketsu will have their hands full fighting them. At the very least I can fly you out of harm's way if necessary. Please, Bulma."

Bulma looked into her ex-boyfriend's imploring eyes. She knew he didn't trust Vegeta to be alone with her. But, he had been her shoulder to lean on when her husband disappeared. He had been so supportive, and it meant all the more to her because she knew her relationship with Vegeta had always been a sore point for him, however dulled with time. He just wanted to be sure she'd be all right. At the very least, she could humor him and give him peace of mind. To be honest, she was in fact a little afraid about encountering those demons, no matter what she told Goku. And at this point it was confirmed that whatever power Vegeta had was still not fully under his control. What if he couldn't fend them off? Goku and Touketsu looked to Bulma expectantly.

"All right. You have a point, Yamcha."

Touketsu's eyes slid closed in exasperation…and something else.

"Ok. It's settled then," Goku announced. "Let's go, you guys. Dende, I'll keep you posted," Goku said, tapping his temple for emphasis.

Touketsu crossed his arms and sneered, but otherwise didn't challenge the decision. He would worry about ridding himself of the dead weight when the time came. Then, the Dragon Balls would be his. The three of them approached Goku and they each placed a hand on his back. Goku then put two fingers to his forehead, and the four disappeared from the Lookout.