1156/Vegeta's Return

From Multiverse Crisis MUSH
Jump to: navigation, search
Vegeta's Return
Date of Scene: 16 December 2014
Location: Earth-4555 <DBZ>
Synopsis: Vegeta returns with his new army. He gets the full welcome wagon.
Cast of Characters: 37, 180, 238, 334, 486, 663


Serori (37) has posed:
The Void's home to countless planets. Some are populated; some aren't. Some are home to primitive species; others support sprawling civilizations advanced enough to explore the galaxy. Some are gas giants only good for staring at from a safe distance; some possess valuable resources waiting to be mined. Some are small, labeled dwarfs; others are giants slowly circling even bigger stars. No matter how many variations are discovered, however, one common fact unites every planet nestled into the Void's endless expanse:

The Planetary Trade Organization will find it, claim it, and sell it.

Such distasteful business drags Serori from the Citadel today. As a representative of the PTO, she's come to a small world inhabited by an alien species who barely know what a radio is. The soil of the world is dark and dense with valuable ores -- a commodity which turns even the smallest rock into a metaphorical (and sometime literal) gold mine -- and so the PTO has wasted little time negotiating. The squadrons under her command don't look to be in the mood for any disagreements. "Accept our terms," Serori states again to the fearful but defiant creature quivering before her, "and your people survive. Refuse, and you will be evicted from your homeworld by force."

Though shorter than the bodyguards flanking her left and right, she's no doubt the one in charge. Between her attitude, her pristine armor, and the flapping scarlet of her cape, she cuts a slight but forceful figure unbending to any pleas for mercy.

"This is our home!" The creature tries again to move her stony heart. "You can't simply move us to another world!"

Elsewhere on the planet, three of the aliens work together to broadcast a frantic distress signal from the cobbled remains of a fractured communications station. It looks like the building was hit in an early attack; some part of it still smokes.

Taylita (180) has posed:
     Taylita happens to live in this vast Void, so when the distress signal comes through, crackling with static, she responds quickly. As the creatures try to convince Serori to leave, there is a sparkle of blue overhead which quickly grows into the aura-shrouded form of Taylita. She frowns as she sees who is down there and what they appear engaged in. So, Taylita decides to make an entrance.

     She flies in fast enough that no one could miss it, so loud is the sound. She comes in like a comet, blue aura surrounding her and a trail of blue flowing behind her. And she lands only a short distance away, kicking up dust and shaking the ground just a bit.

     "I keep hoping you will turn your back on this terrible enterprise." comes a familiar voice from the dust cloud. The cloud gradually dissapates to reveal Taylita, standing tall and confident, her arms crossed, and a smirk on her face. "That you will prove me wrong some day." she continues, then shakes her head. "But, everytime I see you, you seem to prove me right. Serori."

Raditz (486) has posed:
    It takes a few minutes for a response team to get out there, but someone does arrive. There are experts who take care of threats like the PTO. As soon as the expert arrives, he stands there floating in the air for a few moments, gauging the situation, before smirking, "Come and get me."

    He shifts his stance in the air, and his energy spikes up, black hair floating as the energy billows up, the being roaring as he focuses and energy crackles around his arms and body. The huge mane flickers gold. The dark eyes glow green. And with a shockwave, it makes itself known to everyone who's paying attention to their scouters.

    Raditz takes a breath, and grins, "COME AND GET ME!"

Gohan (334) has posed:
    Gohan, as the risen leader of the Planet Trade Organization, has stayed behind on the flagship. However, once the beacon goes out, he rises from his throne-like seat and sighs, setting off toward the surface. A royal blue cape billows behind him as he steps onto the planet, his ornate battle armor showing the PTO symbol on one breast and the Saiyan Royal Crest on the other, both embossed in the same color as his cape. The shoulder pads, and really the entire piece, seem to glisten pristinely as he takes to the field, black eyes narrowed. He is a hardened warlord, and it is imperative that he look the part.

    He makes his way to the front of the procession, standing before the group of natives and crossing his arms. "You know what I really hate?" he asks, before his arms uncross and he lowers them. "When puny little cretins such as yourselves cling so desperately to the hope that perhaps you can convince us to leave. Your options are clear, and no amount of backup, no matter what this backup ends up being, is going to stop me. So, allow me to rephrase. And if you do not give me the correct answer, I will default to the second option. Surrender peacefully, or become a bloodstain on the surface of my new planet."

    As Taylita arrives, a growl rises in Gohan's throat. "I should've expected you. All that's missing is..." And then there's Raditz. "... Son of a... I was joking, damnit!" He raises a fist, allowing the energy of a Super Saiyan to course through him and causing his power to spike. His hair flashes into gold, and his eyes to green as he slips into the form as though it were as simple as breathing. "I was hoping to give you a place more fitting for your grave, Uncle, but somehow, I don't think this planet has any dumpsters. So the cold dirt will just have to suffice."

Beli Klum (238) has posed:
    Beli's dealt with the members of the PTO more than once before. Considering the deal she's made with them to attempt a 'trade' in the future, now seems like as good a time as any to try and get a better idea of what she's up against.

    Fortunately for her, she comes with her own mode of flight. The rephaite glides high in the air on six black wings, scanning the landscape below for the source of the distress signal. Eyes narrowed, she looks for any sign of a threat that may be apparent...and soon spots Taylita streaking down at a beeline, followed by Raditz's sudden appearance. Beli pauses in midair, glancing down to where Taylita descended, and then, finally, notices a familiar face there. Two, in fact. Just as expected.

    Beli brings her wings in to swoop down after the rest, banking up briefly when she comes near the ground so that she can alight on the planet's surface with remarkable gentleness. More so than her allies, at least. A glance is given to Taylita, then a wince to Raditz, before Beli's attention turns to Serori. In stark contrast to her allies, she raises a hand in a casual greeting and offers a slight, tight smile. "Hello, Serori," she greets in her soft voice, echoing with soft bells and a dull, volcanic rumble. "Busy day at work, it seems? More exciting than standing behind a desk, I suppose. And hello to you too, Gohan," she adds as a note to the other saiyan.

    This is really not the place to be polite and cordial, but she's sure doing it anyway. Her arms fold over her chest as she glances over the assembled group, letting out a brief sigh. "Well. I guess we cannot work this out peacefully? Some negotiations of resources or marking down territory? Maybe over a pleasant meal? For once?"

Vegeta (663) has posed:
The people of the planet are hoping for backup, some sort of savior. The PTO is just plain hoping to end this as soon as possible. The members of the Union want to save the planet, and probably settle whatever vendettas they have going on. But some people in the universe just plain don't give a damn about what anyone wants.

At least one-hundred saiyan pods rocket through space like bullets, so fast that when they show up on sensors they're already cracking through the atmosphere. It sounds like thunder, thunder all over the planet. Red hot fireballs raining from the sky from every possible direction. But at least twenty of said ships are squarely aimed down at the group doing the negotiating. It doesn't seem as if they're going to ram into them, but considering the impact those ships are known for making, well... being near them is generally the worst idea.

ETA?

1 minute.

Serori (37) has posed:
The instant the first space pod breaches the atmosphere, Serori puts her back to the Union's agents and sets her focus on the arriving threat. Many of the PTO soldiers do the same, though the more disciplined keep their hands trained on what they consider to be the more immediate danger, power already crackling among their spread fingers. Tension is an almost audible humming presence across the field. Serori doesn't even notice whenever the alien she'd been confronting decides to take advantage of the distraction, and haul ass into the nearby town, where safety might be found.

Light flashes, and the escaping alien falls, smoke rising up from a hole blasted into his back. One of the PTO soldiers lets out a soft 'heh', and shakes out his now-empty hand.

Serori is no longer there to chastise him. Thunder bursts across the immediate area in a buffeting shockwave as she streaks toward the heavens to /meet/ the lowest space pods. By the time she's sunk her fingers into the pod's external plating and begun to forcibly slow its descent, her hair has brightened to gold, and her eyes to shining emerald green.

As she plays catch, she tries to peer into the pod's viewport, to see who or /what/ is waiting inside.

Raditz (486) has posed:
    That PTO soldier? He will probably find himself suddenly vaporized by way of an energy ball coming from the palm of Raditz's hand, as the Super Saiyan glares down furiously, "DO NOT test me right now." He has an itchy trigger finger right now and he's not going to put up with the PTO's shit right now.

    Without another moment's of hesitation, Raditz shoots off into the sky, and puts himself right into the path of one of the incoming space pods, and he himself cachtches it and brings it to a halt, before ripping the door off.

Taylita (180) has posed:
     Well, this is certainly more of a gathering than Taylita was expecting. Seems like all of the saiyans are here. At least those that are still around. Does everyone have that glowing hair except her? She takes off from the ground to avoid the incoming impacts as well, then watches Serori go and try to force one of the pods open. Or whatever Serori is planing to do with that pod. And since Raditz already vaporized that cowardly PTO soldier, she just watches for now. Catching the pods in mid-air seems pointless when they will all land in a moment. "So, not Raditz, not Gohan, and not Serori...who else is there?"

Gohan (334) has posed:
    Gohan immediately disregards Raditz, Taylita, Beli, and even Serori, as the pods begin to fall from the sky all around them. His green eyes are wide, and his jawline is twitching violently. He knows. Deny all he wants, he knows. Trunks has no reason to hide now, and surely he wouldn't bring such a force.

    There's only one option, but it should be impossible. No way could he have made it off that rock. And yet... here Gohan stands, very possibly coming face to face with his greatest success. Or failure. This is starting to look like a failure.

    "Vegeta..." he whispers, and his shoulders sag. He places a hand against his face, a stunningly soft gesture. "It... it can't be... I..." The pods descend. Others start to investigate, but Gohan just waits. He is just hoping, somehow, he's wrong.

    Gods help him if he's right.

Beli Klum (238) has posed:
    Well, her attempt at negotiation was met with a resounding 'no'. Beli lets out a soft sigh of resignation as things seem to start gravitating toward an inevitable and brutal conflict. "I suppose that was to be expected," she remarks. Her black wings gain a crimson sheen, and flames of a similar color appear in her halos...

    And then things take a complete turn. Blinking, Beli's confused glance shifts up toward the sky, where the atmosphere has apparently been breached by far too many swiftly-falling objects.

    Beli, wisely, considers that it would be best to get out of the way.

    The sheen over her wings and the flames in her halos shift to light blue as she spreads her wings and flies back several feet from the apparent point of impact. Just in case of any further assaults, she thrusts her right hand forward as well, manifesting a sphere of golden light around her as Compassion appears to protect her from whatever may come of the ensuing impact. Hopefully, that'll be more than enough as she tries to stay in one piece long enough to find out just what's going on here.

Vegeta (663) has posed:
As the pods are falling, a few things happen when Raditz and Serori interfere. First, since Raditz ripped the door off, a random grunt in saiyan armor, shoulder guards and all, opens his eyes and smiles wide. He looks a little older than Raditz, possibly in his fifties, but still incredibly fit and covered in scars. But most notably, there's a brown tail wrapped around his waist. "Hey, kid." He holds his hand out and fires a small beam directly at Raditz' face.

But Serori is less fortunate. She chose one of the pods that first entered the atmosphere. When she spots the blonde, said blonde's eyes immediately open, and a hand smashes through the window to grab Serori's wrist, then she bursts through the pod door herself. She tries to drag the woman through the sky, laughing and wielding strength equivalent to that of a super saiyan. "He told us to be on our best behavior. But if you're just going to ruin my grand entrance, I -guess- I can play with you right now!"

But those two pods aside, it suddenly sounds as if the entire planet is being bombed. Pod after pod hits towns, forests, deserts. Many people die as large impact craters open up. The now nineteen pods immediately closest to everyone land in a perfect V pattern flattening down large portions of the area and sending quite a large shockwave of force that extends for a few miles, but largely just knocks some people over in the distance.

Pod doors open, saiyan men and women stand, largely equal in numbers, with tails wrapped around their waist. But the two pods in the front have Seventeen standing, and then... Vegeta himself, slowly standing from his pod, smiling and staring up from the massive crater. He yells, in a loud, booming voice. "Merry Christmas! Daddy's home."

Gohan (334) has posed:
    Gohan braces himself. The impact ruffles him, sure, but it's knowing, for certain, what awaits him in the pods that keeps him standing. And, when the hatch pops and his fears are confirmed, his body tenses like a spring. He steps forward, moving toward Vegeta. His movements are stiff, locked. Mechanical almost. He had dreamed, had nightmares, that this day would come. But never like this. Not with such a following. Not with the Androids. Not just after he had proven himself a terror in his own right. His lips curl back, his eyes narrow, and he unleashes a cry that's so feral it would be easily confused with a rabid animal. "Why... can't... you... just... stay... DEAD?!?!?!" The words tear from his throat, violence and rage promised in every note as he launches forward. His vision is red, his pupils are gone, and all he sees is Vegeta, wreathed in blood-red and blocking out all other senses. He feels his fist being drawn back, feels the energy coursing into it, before he swings forward, a blast not unlike a massive bomb exploding outward from it, golden energy hurtling toward the returned Vegeta.

Serori (37) has posed:
Speed's always been Serori's finest asset, and her reaction time is as insane as her ability to cross miles in an unseen flash; however, not even she's good enough to recoil from shock in time to dodge Eighteen's hand. The space pod door's crushed against her armored torso, cracks put through itself and Serori's chestplate at impact. Wind knocked clear from her lungs, Serori can't even finish her sentence, but she does have the facility necessary to look /pissed off/ once Eighteen starts dragging her across the sky.

First thing's first -- the door. Serori digs her free hand into the open port pane and makes a rough downward motion, jerking the space-tolerant armor-plated door into a crumpled mess like it's made of tissue paper. Gravity sucks it to the ground once it's no longer stuck to Serori's limb.

Next -- the Android. Eighteen's grip is like a vise, and the usual twist-pull maneuver isn't enough to guarantee freedom, even if it /is/ a Super Saiyan making the attempt. Serori only tries it once before she reaches for her shoulder, unclasps her cape, and sends the billowing scarlet fabric up into Eighteen's face.

It can't be anything more than an annoyance, but it's all the cover Serori needs to launch a nasty explosive sphere into the young woman's stomach.

The PTO soldiers meanwhile react to the saiyans like they should -- spreading out into two-man teams for each pod that lands. Even more will soon enough come boiling out of Gohan's ship like a fleet of bees. Angry bees, that sling ki bolts instead of stingers! Until reinforcements arrive, the PTO pairs prepare themselves to meet Vegeta's saiyan army.

Raditz (486) has posed:
    There's a moment where Raditz gets blasted in right in the face, and there's a bit of pause as is impacted, before the smoke clears and Raditz, with his glowing hair kind of frazzled, just narrows his eyes into a glare. "If I was less of a nice guy, I'd probably just rip your head off right now, old man... But since we're kind of an endagered species, consider this a warning."

    The Super Saiyan proceeds to yank the older Saiyan grunt, and flings him out of the pod into a mountain side, following that with flinging the Saiyan Pod right afterwards. "Jackass."

    With that little moment over with, he glances around to where the other space pods landed, and growls, "Dammit... I hate you so much, Vegeta."

    With that, he drops back down to the ground and drops down behind Vegeta, growling in annoyance, "You know, when Gohan told me he left you buried somewhere on a planet, I kinda figured this exact thing would happen... Except for the part where you got an army of Saiyans from somewhere." He doesn't interfere in the actual fight, though. He watches, he waits, and if it gets kinda dangerous, he moves.

Beli Klum (238) has posed:
    Craters slam down with incredible destructive force, but Beli is, fortunately, spared. The rephaite's shield suffers little more than cracks before the onslaught comes to a halt, at which point she lets it flicker away and give her a moment to look over the situation. All things considered...it certainly seems like the best decision right now is to not continue harassing the PTO.

    Once more, Beli switches back to her demonic aspect, blue shifting to baleful red as her expression hardens. Gohan and Raditz are already facing down Vegeta, and Serori is dealing with Eighteen in close quarters. Any of these people would probably be capable of smashing her with relative ease if she were to take them on directly...so instead, Beli decides to serve as an assist.

    Her left arm is thrust toward Eighteen first, sending off a bolt of darkness rippling with blood-red hellfire that curves around to strike the android in the back and explode on impact to try and distract her even further. Then her arm thrusts toward Vegeta a moment later, manifesting dark portals beneath him that throw out blood-caked, hook-tipped chains that wrap and bind around his legs and lower body in a tight embrace. Hopefully that should be enough to slow him down for a moment, or catch him off guard as Gohan and Raditz deal with him.

Vegeta (663) has posed:
The older saiyan warrior goes flying, but other grunts are very quickly charging out at the PTO soldiers. They seem to embrace the battle with an almost frenzied enthusiasm. They fire blasts, some just jump on men and quite literally bite out their jugulars. Others are less fortunate are struggle against the two man teams, but, win or lose, the saiyans -enjoy- it.

Today, the saiyans go to church.

Eighteen -is- taken by surprise by the cloth, reaching up with an insulted grunt right as she's blasted in the gut.

The cape is tossed, and the android gives Serori an icy cold stare, beginning to charge an amount of energy that only someone with unlimited energy would toss into a basic attack. But then she begins to calm down, taking a breath as energy fades away. "I'm not supposed to kill you. You should go down there while I'm still in the mood to follow that order." she coldly warns.

And then hellfire explodes against Eighteen's back, and the android looks back, narrowing her eyes. "I don't know who you are, but no one said I couldn't kill you." So the woman immediately darts down, trying to wrap her arms around Beli's waist, intend to squeeze the life out of her. Hugs!

But Vegeta, well, he's just -full- of glee, showing teeth and all as he smiles at Gohan's reaction. "That's right, boy. Let me taste your tears. Have your tantrum." Golden energy suddenly explodes from him as he rises to his first level of super saiyan, drawing his fist back and meeting Gohan's blast with an equally powerful one, trying to slam their fists together while looking the younger, and taller, of the two in the eye. "This is all you. You brought your species back. And for that, I won't kill you. I am, however, here to kill Raditz for my title, and take my woman back. You... you can keep your organization. You opened my eyes, you opened my eyes to the fact that I've been doing nothing but following in Frieza's footsteps. And for that, I thank you. From here on out, I am my father's child, I act for my people and my people alone. Because I am the Prince of Saiyans..."

He turns, looking back at Raditz when he lands. "At least, once I kill you for the title again." He looks down, noticing chains wrapped around her legs. He doesn't tight against said chains, he instead adds, "I'm not sure if I should be insulted or proud that I've been given such a warm welcome. And here I was worried that you'd all go soft in my absence."

Taylita (180) has posed:
     When Taylita sees who is emerging from those pods, she makes a quick decision. That despite what Gohan and Serori have done, they are not as bad as Vegeta. The lesser of two evils is usually preferable. But then, Vegeta says something interesting. That he is no longer following in Frieza's footsteps. The not-so-saiyan-like saiyan isn't sure what to do. She knows Vegeta was far worse than Gohan or Serori before he disappeared, but...if he is acting for his own people now, then perhaps things would be different.

     Then, she shakes her head. Saiyans rarely change like that. Raditz is the only one she knows. She is certain that -if- Vegeta is back, even if he has different objectives, he is still going to be the megalomaniacal madman he was before. But, then again, he is attacking the PTO. She is hesitant to stop a battle between two factions that she considers enemies.

     Finally, she realizes, there is only one thing she needs to fight for here. And that is protecting her friends and allies. So, when Eighteen closes in on Beli, Taylita appears in the way and unleashes a ki blast right at the psychotic cyborg. "I don't know who YOU are, but you will have to get through me to attack Beli." Taylita says, her tail flicking in annoyance.

Serori (37) has posed:
Consternation descends like a storm cloud onto Serori's fox-like face. Green eyes simmering like sunlit emeralds, she pounces to the ground after Eighteen, and attempts to put herself between the Android and Beli Klum. "He asked you to /spare/ me?" Serori snaps. She's as disbelieving as she is furious. "What's his scheme, then?! Tell me what you know!"

If Serori fails to slow or stop Eighteen's attack on her own -- a likely possibility, given the Android's capricious violence -- she'll join Beli and Taylita in trying to restrain the Android. At least, until she realizes she's surrounded by saiyans.

Serori stops fighting altogether to stare at the clustered pods, and the figures emerging from each. Gold and heat continue to sweep back her hair in a steady vortex-like energy aura, but can do nothing to erase her astonishment at the evident return of her people.

A knotted feeling of uncertainty takes over her stomach.

"PTO forces, stand down -- fall back at once. Do not engage the -- Gohan?!"

The anger Serori experienced is nothing compared to the wrath radiating from /that/ corner. She ducks down slightly as another shockwave blasts wind and debris into her face. "GOHAN!"

Gohan (334) has posed:
    Gohan feels his punch meet with Vegeta's fist, staring back at the older Saiyan with malice and rage in his gaze. "You're like a fucking phantom! Why now, you bastard?! WHY NOW?!" he roars in his face, before he pushes back against the punch and slides backward. Gohan snarls. "You don't have a woman, you cretin. You're a pathetic little man with the unfortunate ability to never die. I am stronger, superior to you in every way! I'll leave you like Frieza if you try to interfere with me, you understand?! I'll keep your head sealed in a fucking jar for eternity!"

    He lets his aura flare brighter, his body seeming to pulse with energy as he pushes his power to its maximum. Unfortunately, however, he has not yet ascended beyond. His eyes go blank as his face seems set in a perpetual snarl. "You have no reason to fear death, Vegeta, but you should fear me. Go ahead, take Raditz' title. It'll be just as empty on you."

Beli Klum (238) has posed:
    It's a good thing Taylita and Serori step in, because Beli is certainly not able to survive or avoid something like that easily. The rephaite gives a brief nod of thanks to the saiyans, then a glance toward Eighteen once more. There's not much more time to waste; at the very least, this woman needs to be restrained. Beli heard enough to make out that Serori was trying to question her, and at the word that this person is apparently artificial, that gives her a slight peace of mind toward not holding herself back too much.

    Before Serori calls for the PTO forces to stand down, Beli's arm is already held toward Eighteen. From behind the android come several more dark portals, each one sending out another set of chains tipped with hooks. Unlike with Vegeta, however, these chains of Fraud dig their hooks into Eighteen all across her body and immediately try to yank her down to the ground with all their strength. Even if /that/ fails, Beli will at least use them to try and keep Eighteen from moving any further, sending out more chains if needed.

    A frown forms on her expression as the battle progresses. Gohan's rage and Serori's uncertainty are too difficult to miss. If she needs to spread her powers even further to try and calm things down, she's going to have to be ready to do just that.

Raditz (486) has posed:
    Raditz doesn't interfere, he doesn't want to have to get himself wrecked as much as he can help it, especially between two super Saiyans who have every desire to kill him. He keeps shifting himself out of the way as the brwl continues, keeping a gauge on Gohan's anger and power level. "Not ascended yet... Kinda wonder what'll push him to that edge."

    To Vegeta, he directly addresses, "As per usual, you're welcome to try, Vegeta." He can't help but smirk a little, at the challenge, before addressing, "You have no idea how much 'I told you so' I want to say right now, with the whole PTO being basically cancerous. But I think I'll skip that in favor of asking... -WHERE THE HELL- did you find an Army of Saiyans from?!"

Vegeta (663) has posed:
Eighteen stops when Taylita and Serori seem intent on stopping her from going after Beli. The ki blast from Taylita catches her in the face and she spins back in the air a few times, then raises her hand to lightly touch her cheek. His face twists, and she seems absolutely -furious-. "You... Do any of you think I'd tell you -anything-?"

When chains wrap around the android, Seventeen vanishes from Vegeta's side and immediately appears below her, catching his sister in his arms. He stares down at the three women, then his eyes begin to glow red. "What my dear sister meant to say was, we don't care. We follow and then we kill when ordered to, or when we don't have orders -not- to kill. We're not allowed to kill saiyans, so you should stand down and perhaps we will too."

The saiyans stop fighting when the PTO forces are ordered to stop, even if a few take some last minute swipes.

But Vegeta watches Gohan, at first appearing to ignore him and his insults to address Raditz. "I barely escaped the planet I was left to rot on. But I managed to store enough energy to attract a ship with energy flares. I stole it, and after a long time I actually managed to come across what appeared to be Planet Vegeta, or Planet Plant as it was once called. It was full of ancient saiyans, but the planet was at least a few years away from being swallowed by a star, entirely doomed. So I trained these saiyans, and I taught them to fight, I taught them everything they needed to know about who they are and how to direct their instincts. They're as pure as saiyans can be."

He finally takes a breath, then closes his fists tightly, raising his head to announce to everyone. "I don't know when this boy went insane. But it appears I should fear him more than deaths, that he is far more powerful than me. So..."

He crouches slightly, a lightning storm beginning to brew in the sky as clouds darken. "Please, show me how empty the title will be, show me this power of yours. I won't hold back, not even an ounce. Show me the man you seem to believe you've become. Show me how much -better- than me you are. I'm sure it'll make you feel much better. HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"

He suddenly explodes with yellow energy, ground cracking, pods going flying in every which direction. The one immediately behind him just plain melting away. His muscles become more defined, hair a lighter, more white-gold color. And his aura a much wilder yellow with electricity flowing through it as he ascends to his second stage. "Please, show me your power."

Gohan (334) has posed:
    Gohan's eyes go wide, but the order across the radio is clear. He'll leave Serori to handle things, let his rage simmer down. It's a difficult thing to do, but he knows he's outclassed. He needs the next level to even have a chance. "PTO, retreat, now!" He sweeps across the battlefield, giving a withering glare toward Raditz. As he passes him, Gohan whispers a simple line that only he'll be able to hear. Once that's done, he rockets back to the flagship and begins to pull them into orbit.

    "Kick his ass, Uncle. You've got this."

Taylita (180) has posed:
     Taylita blinks in surprise as Serori lands beside her, then she smirks. "It doesn't matter what your orders are. There is no way you are getting through me and Serori. So, I guess, if you don't mind being destroyed, by all means keep doing what you're doing." Taylita says, seeming pretty confident in herself and her former friend. "And with Beli backing us up, you're pretty much gauranteed to lose."

     Taylita takes a wide stance, then with a 'hyaaa!' she powers up, letting her aura appear again and causing the wind to kick up around herself.

Serori (37) has posed:
The skies darken. The ground rumbles. Fissures open up, and a crater steadily forms beneath Vegeta's feet. To some, it'd be like a coming apocalypse -- the end of all times. Serori closes her eyes, turns her head from the debris spray, and assesses the situation. Power spikes around Vegeta to incredible levels. Gohan's own fury matches the threat Vegeta represents, but he's blinded by the same force given him strength, putting him at a disadvantage. Taylita's strong, but her hands are full keeping the /two/ Androids occupied. Beli Klum must do the same, though Serori thinks another task may be more suiting to the half-angel.

In an instant, Serori acts.

"I'm treating this as a Confederate matter," she informs Gohan across the short-wave radio. "Gather your forces, Lieutenant, and fall back to safe territory."

His immediate obedience speaks to his discipline; for once, Serori is relieved that Vegeta beat Gohan as hard as he did. Gohan's managed, removing one element from the scene. The PTO goes with him, managing another.

Serori takes a look at the Androids, and delivers a sharp nod. "Captain Klum, retract your chains. Raditz will require your support when this is done. I'm no longer engaging Vegeta's 'toys', unless /they/ step out of line again, first."

Turning back to her radio, Serori transmits to the PTO flagship: "Deploy three carriers. We're evacuating the nearest settlement to safer territory. This region's going to be wiped out by what's coming."

Finally, Serori addresses Taylita: "Taylita. An evacuation is about to begin. If the Androids get clever, shut them down."

Raditz (486) has posed:
    Raditz smirks a little at that little bit of support in that minimal amount of uncle/nephew bonding that is probably few and far in between, and Raditz proceeds to zip right into the spot where Gohan was standing, facing himself against Vegeta and says, "It's kind of funny, since you've been gone Serori's kind of made a name for herself in the Feds and she's pulling Rank on my Nephew, so I guess your fight with him is postponed."

    He then smirks a little more as he pops his neck, and begins charging his Ki some more, "BUT since you can't wait to get your title back, I suppose there's no need to stall anymore." He grins, "Remember... You're gonna need to -kill me- for it, anything less just won't count."

Beli Klum (238) has posed:
    Beli is more than capable of realizing how quickly this is escalating. Vegeta's burst of power is enough to break the chains she had around his legs, and a second android has come in to spare the first from being too incapacitated. Her frown sharpens as she considers the situation, a tense breath pushed through her nostrils as her hands slowly clench into fists.

    Before she comes to a decision herself, Serori offers her an order, and she finds herself willing to comply in this instance. If the androids aren't going to attack them without provocation, then maybe she can turn her attention away for now.

    Again she shifts back to her angelic nature, red turning to blue and the demonic chains dissolving into ash on the wind. The rephaite lets out a sharp sigh, then nods back to Serori. "Very well. I will ensure that he does not die, at least not before he gets to medical."

    Broad wings extend, then flap in a powerful blast, sending a gust of wind over those around her as she launches into the air. She's an easy target, glowing as she is with holy light against the stormy sky, but she doesn't make a move to interject in the ensuing battle. Blue flames lick at her right arm, but that's only a preparation for the results of Raditz's conflict. Right now, she's mostly concerned about staying out of the way so that /she/ doesn't end up being the one having to go to medical too.

Vegeta (663) has posed:
Once Eighteen is released, the androids seem intent on floating there, arms crossed as if simply waiting for the opportunity to kill or blow something up. The coldness of their eyes suggest an absolute lack of interest in anything else.
"Since all of you appear to have forgotten, to the point of apparent insanity, I believe I'll have to remind you of who exactly I am." Vegeta seems to laugh when Serori orders Gohan away, seeming intent to focus on his purpose for being here in the first place. Well, one purpose at least.

He begins to slowly approach Raditz, ignoring the chaos around him. The saiyan soldiers start to return to their pods, some uncomfortably sharing due to a few destroyed pods. They lift up and away because they know what's coming next.

"I find it amusing. You actually believe I'd commit something -less- than murder on a cretin like you?" Then he stares up, taking his eyes off of Raditz as if not entirely concerned. "Though, that power... I'm absolutely fascinated by the fact that -she's- reached that level. Still... I have things to do, so, let's begin, shall we?"

A hand is held up, then he fires -hundreds- of little yellow spheres into the air. "Let's play a game. Save yourself or be distracted by mass murder." He lowers his hand, then spheres start falling and exploding all over the area. He has no idea that the settlement is being evacuated, he doesn't even seem to be -aiming- at anything. He's just trying to blow up anything withint even a few miles of them.

And soon after he vanishes, then appears, sending a fist toward Raditz' gut.

Taylita (180) has posed:
     Taylita blinks in surprise as Serori orders Gohan away and orders an evacuation of the locals. That seems unlike the Serori she knows. Or, at least, the Serori she thinks she knows. So, when the evacuation craft come down, Taylita moves toward them. She completely ignores the blustering android, but those hundreds of yellows spheres catch her attention. "What the-?!"

     Taylita acts as fast as she can, trying to meet those shots with her own bolts, but she can't hope to stop anywhere near all of the ones headed toward the nearby settlements. Bolt after bolt comes flying from Taylita, but all she is doing is perhaps slowing the death toll. At least she can tell herself she was right about Vegeta...

Serori (37) has posed:
"Taylita!" A sharp call to action, just before Serori takes off. In a golden flash, she puts herself in position to intercept or destroy many of Vegeta's projectiles, and that's what she works to do. The carriers -- now descending in a rush from Gohan's flagship -- must be protected. The evacuation must be given the chance to succeed. In the wake of issuing so many orders, determination and authority have replaced any lingering confusion, and given Serori the face of calm competence. The bolts fly from her hands in perfect tandem to Taylita's, and form an explosive barrier between Vegeta's assault and the nearby town.

The three carriers settle, and soldiers begin a force evacuation. It's then that Serori begins to grow overwhelmed, and Taylita begins to falter; pretty soon, their defenses will be destroyed.

The number of close explosions tears fragments from Serori's armor, and rips into her battlesuit, too. Having to avoid the blasts slows her down, but she keeps going no matter how hard she's hit.

Beli Klum (238) has posed:
    Bolts go flying from Vegeta, spreading rampant destruction in all directions. Taylita is trying to handle it, but Beli can clearly see she's not going to be able to manage all of them while working on evacuation as well.

    Thinking quickly, Beli once more holds her hands out, though this time down toward where Vegeta and Raditz are. The area around them is suddenly filled with golden light for a very large distance as Compassion begins to manifest in a giant dome of protective holy magic. Beli has to focus to make it more solid than just light, but she focuses her efforts toward the side near the evacuees first. Orbs crash into the shield's inside, exploding and snaking cracks through the barrier of light, but it's holding...for now, at least.

    Beli's expression tightens in concentration. It's taking most of her focus to keep that shield up right now, and it's not going to be healing itself. Enough to endure several of the blasts, at least, but if Raditz or Vegeta use greater strength to burst through it, it may not be able to hold.

Raditz (486) has posed:
    Raditz unfortunately doesn't have the time or the ability to keep Vegeta's catastrophic attack from trying to blow up the entire surroundings. Instead, he has to deal with Vegeta himself, and he does so how he can by starting from guarding that first strike. There's a bit of a growl before he smirks, "Insanity is relative, Vegeta... Now let's get this show on the road! HAAAAAAAAA!"

    With that roar, he proceeds to unleash a storm of fists and kicks, at a speed beyond the eyes of normal beings to see, it's a giant blur as he aims to find a crack in Vegeta's defenses from the get go.

Vegeta (663) has posed:
Rather than try to catch fists, Vegeta tries to match fist for fist. Slamming his directly into Raditz'. Though the wild assault finds some of them flying directly into Vegeta's face, pushing the saiyan back. "You can't kill me with this level of anger! You're just like Kakarot!" He swings his head forward, trying to impact with Raditz' head with enough force to crack the ground with a slight shockwave. Then he begins swinging his fists forward as well. Rapid blurs of fists meant to smash into vital organs and occasionally the face, trying to push -Raditz- back this time. "These are the last moments of your life. That witch's barrier, Serori, and whatever that other saiyan girl's name is. They're not going to stop me. Your death is inevitable."

Raditz (486) has posed:
    A few strikes slip past Raditz's defenses, and one kick nails Raditz accross the face and sends him flying across the battlefield, and crashing into the barrier set up by Beli. Rather than stay still, which would be the death of him, the super Saiyan flips himself back into the air, and charges energy into his hands, before roaring and flinging it at Vegeta in a giant explosive ball.

    However, Raditz knows better than to think that simple blast will do anything more than dazzle Vegeta for a second, which is why he's using the barrier wall to launch himself off at breakneck speed, volleying himself at Vegeta in an effort to grab him by the head and try to smash his face into the ground.

    Repeatedly.

Taylita (180) has posed:
     Taylita keeps firing, keeps racing between shots. She blocks them with her ki shots, with her hands, even with her body if she has to. She is NOT going to let that madman commit mass murder just because he is...well...she can't even guess why he launched this attack. The people of this world did nothing to him. There is litterally nothing to be gained by this attack, as far as she can tell. Unless he just wanted to give Serori and Taylita something to do.

     Those carriers come down, and the people of the town are ushered on board quickly by slightly confused PTO soldiers. After all, they were preparing to possibly wipe out these native creatures not ten minutes ago. And the creatures, so determined to stay here before, are no doubt eager to board the evacuation ships with all those destructive bolts coming down.The evacuation takes longer than it might otherwise, thanks to the impromptu nature of it, but pretty soon the ships are pulling back into the air. But, there's one that is shaky, having taken several hits from those explosive ki shots. Taylita leaves Serori and Beli to keep the interference going and flies to see if she can help with the engines. She is, after all, an engineer.

Beli Klum (238) has posed:
    Cracks continue to snake over Compassion's surface, creating a spiderweb pattern through the shield of golden light as the remaining energy blasts crash into it. Once that ceases, though, Raditz soon finds himself slamming into it, practically turning the barrier into a white, erratic sheet with how cracked it is now. Beli strains to continue to hold it up, but it certainly can't hold for much longer at this rate. Another hit and-

    There it is. The barrier holds up long enough for Raditz to rocket off of it, the force of which finally shatters into glittering motes of golden dust in the air. A tense sound escapes Beli as she quickly dispels the remnants of the barrier and attempts to put up another, breathing heavily and pouring her focus into the new shield of Compassion to form that second golden barrier while Raditz has Vegeta occupied. This should last a little longer, especially without the enery blasts smashing into it like before.

Vegeta (663) has posed:
Vegeta crosses his arms as the blast explodes in his face. But soon he's getting his face smashed into the ground, which shatters the ground quite easily considering how hard his face is. But it's still not pleasant.

Then, just as his face is about to hit the ground -again-, he slams both fists into it, then holds himself completely still. "So many of you have entirely forgotten what it means to be a saiyan. The -ruthlessness- we require to spread and conquer. So I'm going to remind you, -all- of you. I am your prince, and I will lead by example!"

He swings his foot up, trying to slam it directly into Raditz' crotch. Then he flips himself forward, landing upright and on his feet again, turning around to face the other saiyan. "You've had your five minutes. Now..." He holds his hand up, and a small, incredibly condensed ball of energy forms above his hand. "Raditz, this is where you die." He licks blood from the side of his lip, the ball shifting from blue to yellow. "Right along with anyone else who can't escape. -This- is what it means to be a saiyan, absolute ruthlessness. You do not allow yourself to be softened by strangers, by -lesser- species. You do not spare the weak, the weak are -food-. All that matters is power, pride, and respecting those of royal blood. Big Bang... ATTACK!!!"

He unleashes the ball at point-blank range, and hit Raditz or not, that thing explodes and begins to spread throughout the entire area, like an actual big bang. It'll stretch so far that it'll consume the settlement, and if the ships don't fly away fast enough, those as well. Though it extends slowly enough to be flown away from, if people choose to save themselves.

Beli Klum (238) has posed:
    Those few moments are enough for Compassion to solidify again into a sturdy barrier, but it finds itself immediately pushed to its limits. Vegeta's attack is not only powerful, but broadly encompassing. Beli's eyes widen as she sees the blast spreading, and her attention immediately shifts toward the settlement and the evacuating ships. There's progress being made there, but there's no telling exactly how quickly that blast is going to grow. She needs to buy time for them, even if it's only a few more moments.

    Beli's natural will to protect comes to her aid. She focuses her energy on maintaining Compassion even as the Big Bang Attack starts pushing at it, spreading cracks along its surface and seeping its blaring energy through them. Her desperate will to buy time for the ships to escape infuses it with a little more strength, enough to hold a moment...two...three...four...

    Of course, it can't hold up forever. A few precious seconds are what Beli manages before the barrier's surface shatters into sparkling dust, allowing the blast to continue spreading and consuming. A curse is hissed through her teeth, but there isn't much else she can do at this point. Wings spread and beat, hurling her higher into the air and away from the obliterating explosion. Hopefully, that will be enough to let the last of the refugees escape.

    Now she just needs to find out what's left of Raditz once all that passes.

Serori (37) has posed:
The Big Bang crawls toward Serori in the peculiar slow motion brought on by adrenaline-exaggerated senses. Silence descends save the thudding of her own heartbeat, and the distant whine of the gushing engines belonging to the three carriers.

Serori weighs the lives of the evacuated aliens against her own -- and chooses to save herself.

Snapping her arms out and forward into a rigid, braced position, Serori concentrates all her energy and directs it to flow outward from her palms. It sparks to life between her fingers and spreads outward until it has taken on the curving shape of a massive, brilliant shield, delicate enough to be semi-transparent but strong enough to withstand tempests, missiles, and the outrage of a displaced saiyan Prince.

Vegeta's power crashes into Serori's barrier, and spiderweb cracks start to appear. Torrents of energy pummel the barrier in an endless stream of relentless force. Serori grits her teeth and returns strength for strength, giving her every last /ounce/ of stamina into this moment, but soon the burn and drain is too much for her to bear. Her clenched jaw parts to loose a furious scream -- "HaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" -- and she pushes herself to go beyond her limits.

The Big Bang Attack consumes Serori in its destructive rush, and drives her gasping to the ground.

Half-deafened by the noise, and more than a little disoriented, Serori remains poised where she fell onto her hands and knees. Golden light still stirs her hair and keeps a green flicker in her dark eyes, but she's beat -- her armor wrecked, her insides bruised. She's slow to stand. Stiff, too.

Still conscious, though. She slants her cold gaze Vegeta's way, and lets the blood run down her chin from the corner of her mouth.

Raditz (486) has posed:
    Raditz isn't about to let anyone kick him in the dick, and though he twists himself out of the path of the Vegeta's intended target, he does wind up still soaking it in his gut, which is hard enough to get him paralize him for Vegeta's next move. Raditz goes wide eyed and reflexively throws his hands up to guard.

    Then there's an explosion. It fills the entire area where Raditz is standing, and fills quite a bit of the entire battlefield. Once the dust settles, it would appear that the Super Saiyan had been vaporized, because there's no immediate sign of him...


"No."

    "Ka......"

    There's a syllable uttered, as an energy read can be once again picked up once the explosion has cleared.

    About a mile away, there's a figure standing with hands cupped, hair glowing and armor shattered, and he doesn't seem to have his eyes focused. Instead it's all rage in his eyes, as he utters out, "Meee....."

    The energy between his hands gathers and expands as Raditz keeps it under control, growling in barely contained futy, "Haaaaa...."

    The Saiyan shifts is stance and looks up at Vegeta, snarling as he keeps uttring, "MEEEEEE....!!!"

    There's a brief pause..




    "HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA...!!!!"

    With that, the Super Saiyan throws the massive beam out at Vegeta, defiant to the end.

Taylita (180) has posed:
     The ships are all clear. Except the last one. Which Taylita is frantically working on to try and get it moving faster. She is hanging on the outside of the ship above the hole closest to the engines, cranking, tightening, straightening, and kicking to get the thing working properly again. As the blast wave from the Big Bang moves closer, Taylita's eyes widen. "...we aren't going to make it..." she says to herself, then lets go of the ship, which keeps limping upward. Taylita holds her spot.

     Then, she holds a hand up, and a blue stream of light lances upward. "Staaaaar Chiiiiild!!" Taylita practically screams. A moment later, something akin to a comet comes hurtling down and crashes into the approaching Big Bang. It dimples the approaching energy wave before exploding with its own force. Something along the lines of a powerful atomic bomb. Taylita is hoping it will cancel out the approaching energy from this side, sparing the fleeing wounded transport ship. She, however, has to form an energy barrier much like Serori's in order to resist the effects of her own attack. If her attack isn't completely consumed by Vegeta's attack, the energy keeps going toward Vegeta.

Vegeta (663) has posed:
The Big Bang is strangely warped by the Star Child, also being about the force of an atomic bomb. The two things cancel each other out, creating a rather massive mushroom cloud that can likely be seen for miles. Then Vegeta looks up, coughing, glowing, and he spots Taylita. "Impressive. To cancel out the attack of someone more powerful than you... that would require an expert knowledge of energy attacks. Taylita, was it?"

But then... Raditz? "What?!" He stares up as the smoke begins to clear. He hasn't had much time to recover enough energy for -another- large attack like that. "Impossible..."

He does the only thing he -can- do. He holds his hands back, yellow energy shifting to an incredibly bright violet. Then he yells, "GALICK GUN!!!"

He extends his hands, and the purple beam is about the same amount of energy that Raditz produces, still a bit spent from the Big Bang. The beams clash, and he tries to push against the kamehameha as best as he can manage. "I WILL HAVE MY TITLE!!!"

Serori (37) has posed:
Serori takes a deep breath.

Two fingertips touch her forehead.

In a flicker, she's gone from where she stands. The next breath finds her standing in the backwash generated from the collision between two impossible forces. Vegeta's figure, braced no more than a foot or two from Serori's new location, doesn't offer much shelter from the storm. Serori is briefly rocked, and her plan is nearly rocked to pieces by the jolt.

Vegeta feels the weight of her hand suddenly on his shoulder.

In the next instant, Raditz's kamehameha carves into the planet's surface unchallenged, unopposed. Vegeta is gone. So is Serori.

Raditz (486) has posed:
    The beam-o-war suddenly ends, and for whatever reason Raditz finds his Kamehameha flying off the Earth with no resistance, and Vegeta is apparently gone. Still, the energy dissapates and he just sucks in a breath, "Still... Got it..."

    His hair then dims to black and he proceeds to collapse onto the ground.

Taylita (180) has posed:
     Taylita is pretty tired after her use of Star Child and all the countering ki blasts she did. So, she is also pretty surprised when Serori and Vegeta suddenly just...disappear. Blink. "Well...that ended suddenly." She flies over to Raditz, then looks over at Beli. "Are you alright?" she asks as she hefts the unconscious king of saiyans and walks toward Beli. "That was a pretty awesome shield you made."

Beli Klum (238) has posed:
    The fight comes to an abrupt, yet relieving halt. It takes a minute or two for Beli to process what happened, but when she does, she allows a slow, quiet sigh to fall from her lips. Finally, that's over...with possibly the best resolution that could have come of it.

    The rephaite gently alights on the ground beside the fallen Raditz, looking him over with a frown for a moment. Fortunately she doesn't have to worry about carrying him back; Taylita handles that, and gains a slight nod of thanks from Beli, coupled with a light smile. "Yes, I am...fine. And thank you. Compassion...is the strongest force of protection, and I am fortunate to have it with me."

    Her right arm lifts, then, that hand hovering over Raditz as blue flames begin forming around it and pouring down his form like burning water. The seraphic flames aren't painful, however, or even immolating: their only warmth is that of gentle comfort, and they gradually begin mending Raditz's wounds as they pour over him.

    Beli gives another nod to Taylita. "I can give you some healing on the way back, if you need it. For now, let us bring him back to medical. He can recover there." That light frown reappears on her gentle features. "...and I suppose we will be hearing from Vegeta again soon enough."

Serori (37) has posed:
Serori dumps Vegeta into Confederate's basement medical facility under guard. Without saying much to him except what was broadcast to the Multiverse, she leaves him to his recovery, and stalks away from him looking broody.