[Quest] Ben Weeks redwizardb@yahoo.com ------------ Chapter Four ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chi-chi was pissed. As she fixed herself some coffee, dressed only in her panties, her black eyes were tinged red and she yelled at the coffee pot. Loudly. "That Son Gokou! If he's not off galloping around the galaxy with his no-good friends, he's off digging up trouble late in the middle of the night! What kind of example is he setting for Gohan!?" The coffee pot was, alas, inanimate, and always had been. But it's total lack of discernable response was lost on Chi-chi; her anger had carried her far, far away..... "And speaking of Gohan; just who does he think he is, off training with Piccolo? He's neglecting his studies! That boy will turn out to be a dunce, just you watch!!" The coffe pot did not respond. It also did not watch. "I've had about enough of this, let me tell you! If it wasn't for me, Gokou would be lost!" Chi-chi was about to cross that thin red line between sanity and madness, when suddenly there was a knocking upon the door. She whirled, her face shining with the anger of a thousand housewives pumping in her blood, and if Freeza had seen her, he would have taken a big step backwards. "If that's Son Gokou coming back to beg for mercy, I'VE GOT A BIG MIND TO JUST LET HIM SLEEP IN THE DIRT!" Even so, she walked towards the door, slipping on a nighty over her breasts out of modesty. Faltering in step for just a moment, the knocking continued unabated, it's sound starting to crescendo higher and higher. This was in direct correlation to Chi-chi's anger, and her face was steaming red. Finally, she grabbed the brass handle and threw open the door, her lungs preparing to utter forth such amazingly graphic and disgusting curses they would have made Vegeta blush, her arms ready to slap any cheeks readily available. But no-one was there. Chi-chi narrowed her eyes. "Son Gokou, YOU'D BETTER PRAY I DON'T FIND YOU!" As she stepped out into the cool night air, the sky filling with stormclouds rapidly, she felt a chilly breeze hit her. She looked around, her anger cooling with her skin. "Son Gokou? This isn't funny, dammit!" No response. After several silent moments, Chi-chi turned back to the door. As she stepped up onto the small sidewalk that was the doorstep, she suddenly felt something cold and hard grab her arms, throwing her down into the dirt. As her face was buried in the soft green grass, she felt adrenaline pumping harshly through her veins. She tried to scream, but her mouth was covered in dirt and mud. She closed her eyes and tried to bring her arms down to push against the ground, but they were being pinned behind her by something incredibly strong. She suddenly felt something prick her in the spine, and then her whole body was woozy, as if she'd just taken a sleeping pill. Her eyesight was dimming, and her struggle was becoming weaker and weaker. As she tried to utter out one last word, the weight on her back was lifted, and the rocks digging into her skin painfully began to fade away... Fade away into a deep, blissful darkness..... *Is the being currently unconscious?* *For now. I calculate the time of her repose, for her body weight and density, as well as metabolism, to last precisely 3.1934 Earth Hours.* *Is Snag 3 inside?* [Beginning Scan: Threedate......23..4.....scanning:] [(Log: 2:39:20 Functions: 97%) Scan complete: No sentient life forms] *Negative. Switch communications to binary, set functions at 39%.* [Beginning Binary Switch: SA54 DLKA 24 2820 1993 FAH = 000001000 110 0010101111010000100011111101001000111010000011111110101 10 1100 101] [Switch Complete. Mission Objectives: I N C O M P L E T E] [T-34: T-11 and T-12: Search House for Primary Target.] [T-12: Affirmative.] The five robots were the first group of fighting machines that Doc had ever completed in his rather long and colourful life, and they were also the most emotional; that is, they were capable of displaying human emotions and thought. The Sol's Dogs were called so because Sol doted over them, as if he and Doc were the two loving parents of these machines. This had an interesting effect on the Dogs, because as they matured in ways previously incapable for pure robots, they began to look upon their two masters with what could only be described as love. Unfortunately, they were dismissed by the Field Marshal of all military operations, Rahl, as impossibly kind and forgiving. He ordered Doc to created a new batch of robots, and so, Sol's Dogs were stuck in the back of the closet while their basic components were improved upon to create the Hellcats. Alas, these had that same twinge of human compassion that seemed to overflow from Doc like a teacup and infect anything he created. Sol didn't see this as a detriment, but he recognized the need for a ruthless creation, a team of robots that would have no equal. Thus, it was that Doc's lifelong project, robots who were sentient, was sabotaged intentionally by Sol and Rahl. And then the Alpha Team was created, but they were so deadly and powerful that Sol was relucant to use them. They were stuck back into the closets and put out of sight. Gone, but not forgotten. Certainly not by Rahl, who thought they exceeded his expectations amazingly. And neither by Doc, who noticed that Rahl's eyes gleamed with vicious pleasure everytime he spoke of them. But now Sol's Dogs were out, and they were ready to prove their worth. Five robots: T-11, T-12, T-13, T-14, and the strongest, T-34. Each with an instinctive emotional and touching personality. [T-11: Search completed; it's not here.] [T-34: Damn. That means Snag 2 must have warned Snag 3 that his Primary Target was stolen.] [T-14: We must revert to Plan Q.] [T-13: Plan Q is still in developmental stages; without a solid force, we may be unable to defeat Snag Gold.] [T-34: Snag Gold may have been able to kill Lord Freeza, but each one of us is more powerful than that. Teams of Two have nothing to worry about.] [T-11: I've located a Primary Target. Switching to Vox activated sensors.] [T-12: I must agree with T-34. A vote is called for.] [T-11: T-34 is correct.] [T-13: I disagree with T-34. The Hellcats need to complete this.] [T-14: Disagreed, T-13. We must prove our capabilities to Master B. He has chosen us, we cannot let him be disappointed.] [T-34: We will not split now. T-11, transmit coordinates. Radar must be set to Trim, and make sure it's Audio Actuated.] [T-11: Affirmative. Bearing Latitude 124', Longitude 23'. Azimuth Two o'clock High.] [T-34: T-13, since you are so contrary, take female back to base. She could prove crucial in any negotiations.] [T-13: Affirmative. Good luck.] The smallest robot, T-13, reached down and grabbed Chi-chi by the arm, lifting her into the air and slinging her over his shoulder. As he lifted up into the night climate, the other four zoomed off into the distant mountains, bearing down upon a small plateau nestled snugly in the Swiss Alps.... T-13 looked at her half-naked form. If I was truly human, this would stimulate my reproductive functions. But I am, alas, all too metal. Thus it was meant to be. As he pondered his being, he carried her back to Nanga Parbett. Vegeta and Gokou zoomed through the night sky, the red moonlight glinting off of Vegeta's armour, Gokou's form shaded orange and swift. The roaring sound of Ki power overwhelmed their hearing, blanking out much of their sight with blue Ki flames dripping from every pore and falling back behind the two saiya-jins like a comet drops water. Sleekly, smoothly, faster than any jet, they banked above the Ural mountains and started moving into Eastern Europe. As they flew, Vegeta thought about the unusual events. Someone has obviously heard about the dragonballs, and they know that we're powerful as we are. What's going to happen now? Vegeta wasn't sure, but he could bet it wasn't going to be fun. He still enjoyed the purity and bloodlust of the fight, but he wasn't exactly looking forward to defending Earth and all that. A little ridiculous, but oh well. Gokou concentrated hard upon something that Vegeta had lost in his deep thinking: Two other Ki's were around the dragonball in the Swiss Alps, and they were fairly powerful. At this range, they were too faint to make out, but Gokou was a little disturbed. As they continued shifting through the cool night climate, the two powers became stronger and more familiar, leaving recognizable traces of Ki energy that Gokou instantly noticed. Vegeta picked it up a few seconds later, and he smiled. The dragonball definitely hadn't been stolen; it was protected by two very powerful people. Piccolo and Gohan. Gohan had matured much since the titanic battle with his father. Not only was he a teenage boy, he had also remarkably managed, with much training from Piccolo and Gokou, to go Super Saiya-jin. Now he was a force to reckoned with. Vegeta's first son had been born as well, Trunks, but he was only a five years old and pretty much helpless. Gokou had thrown a huge party for the arrogant Saiya-jin Prince, and Kurillin invited some strippers, but Chi-chi refused to let them hold it in the house, and Vegeta was indifferent, so it ended up just Kamesennin (Master Roshi for you American fans), Kurillin, Gokou, and Yamucha drinking non-alchoholic beverages while throwing rocks into the water and arguing about how they got the little 'm's on M&Ms. Piccolo was the same badass Piccolo. Together, they guarded a single powerful dragonball while training in the abandoned Swiss Alps. The saiya-jin pair finally reached their destination, breaking from their formation of speed and banking down, graceful and deadly, down to the cold, snowy earth, high in the mountains. Piccolo and Gohan were both floating in the air, cross-legged, beads of sweat freezing on their foreheads as they fought in the mystical spiritworld of the psyche. Before them on the ground, nearly totally buried in the snow but glaring harshly out of place with it's brilliant orange color, was the single object that the two warriors guarded. Together, they seemed unaware of the two arriving Saiya-jins. Vegeta's foot buried knee-deep in the snow, his short body shaking in the freezing cold, but his teeth gritted and his eyes narrowed. Gokou landed next to the dragonball and swooped it up, then hovered back into the air. Piccolo suddenly grunted and opened an eye, breathing harshly. Gohan opened an eye as well, breathing just as roughly. The Namek saw Vegeta and bristled. "What are you doing here?" "Don't worry, Piccolo! We're just here to get your dragonball!" said Gokou, moving down on top of the snow and shivering. "Geez, it sure is cold up here! Why don't you train somewhere warm?" Piccolo looked up at the orange-clad warrior. "You can coddle the body all you want, but don't whine whenever I'm the strongest on the planet!" Vegeta sneered. "You!? Hah! Hell will freeze over before you're more powerful than the Saiya-jin Prince!" Piccolo snarled and stood down onto the icey earth, glaring knives and daggers at the smirking Vegeta. Gokou held up his arms placatingly. "Now, now, you two! We don't have time! We've got to hurry up and go after the other dragonballs!" Gohan frowned. "What? Why?" "Because someone's stealing them, Gohan!" "But...who!?" "I don't know, but they already got Vegeta's dragonball!" Piccolo grew grim. "Take it, then." "But Piccolo! Aren't you two going to come and help!?" "No. We'll just get in your way. Gohan and I will stay here." "But-" "Now, if there's nothing else, we have some training to do, don't we Gohan?" "Yes, Mr. Piccolo!" Gokou spluttered some more, but Vegeta cut him off. "Forget it, Kakarotto...we don't need the help of a half breed or a Namek." "But-" "WE DON'T HAVE TIME!" Gokou sighed in frustration and watched as Piccolo and Gohan both resumed their meditative positions, closing their eyes. Vegeta lifted up off the snowy ground, small fragments of ice falling down from his blue jumpsuit and cold metal armour. The Saiya-jin Prince rose higher into the air, looking down at Gokou impatiently. Gokou turned back to Piccolo and Gohan, watching them almost pleadingly. But they couldn't even see him. "Kakarotto! Are you coming or not!?" Gokou sighed and turned around, facing forward and looking up into the cloudy night sky. With a rush of determination, he tightened his grip on the dragonball and flew up into the sky, Ki squeaking and muscles clenching. Together, they both flew off into the distant south, towards the newest location of the dragonball: Somewhere in the vast Sahara desert, in the dry North African steppes..... Behind them floated Piccolo and Gohan. Alone once more, surrounded by the roaring of a blizzard and the harsh bite of the freezing night air... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- End of Chapter Four -------------------