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Fan Fiction Dragon Ball: Chaotic Future CHAPTER 6 Mylember Saga, Part II “Climactic Battle?” Miura watched his brother out of the corner of his eye. “What do you make of it?” the half-Saiyan asked as he turned to Iris. They had picked up on a weak signal, possibly a distress code, which seemed to be coming from a nearby planet called Neth. Iris shook her head and shrugged, and Miura nodded understanding. “It could be a trap…” Zellis agreed, and she walked toward the control panel to closer examine the supposed distress signal. “We should be careful, after all the trouble we’ve been in lately,” she said, casting a sidelong glance at Hanzo. He snorted quietly as he exited the bridge, obviously having taken offense at Zellis’s offhanded comment. It had been two weeks since Hanzo had joined the crew of Iris’s ship and, surprisingly, he had proven his worth dozens of times since then. He remained silent most of the time, which unnerved Miura and Clef, but the Saiyan warrior was always courteous and polite to the girls, and he never complained when asked to do any small chore on the ship. On the few occasions that he had actually spoken to Miura, Hanzo was brief and to the point: joining up with his half-brother’s group was only a means to an end, and he still meant to see Miura dead. Clef had been struggling for weeks to understand Hanzo’s motives, and he was still unsure about the odd look that he had noticed on the face of his enemy before escaping the space station. As time wore on, the Namekian bodyguard slowly began to realize what that look had been: uncertainty. It seemed to Clef that Hanzo was uncertain of his own quest for revenge, though the green-skinned warrior hadn’t mentioned this fact to Miura. “Well, we should still check it out you guys,” Iris said, ignoring the glare she received from Miura. “Listen, what if it isn’t a trick? Neth is a dangerous place; it gets incredibly cold down there. What if someone really needs help, and we just ignore them?” She rose from her seat and crossed the bridge to stand before Miura. “We can’t just keep on going.” “Yes we can,” Miura said through clenched teeth. Twilight looked to Clef, who returned her look of surprise; neither of them had seen Miura so determined before. Iris glared at her old friend, obviously upset with his response. The Galdrian nobleman turned his back to her as he made his way to the bridge’s exit. “Something strange is happening on Galdria, and it’s of the utmost importance that I get there as soon as possible. We’re too close now… I’ll risk nothing else, got it?” He pressed a button on the wall, opening the sliding steel door, and left his companions on the bridge. “Well, good thing it’s not your ship,” Iris muttered as she approached the control panel, altering their course toward the planet Neth. ________________________________________________________________________ Miura awoke as the ship shuddered violently. He sat up, looking across the small chamber to see Hanzo laying on his bunk, eyes closed and arms behind his head. The Saiyan warrior smiled, sensing his half-brother’s distress. As Miura stood up from his bunk, Hanzo laughed quietly. “Well, it looks like we’re entering the atmosphere… the question is, which atmosphere?” He slowly sat up, opening his eyes to look at Miura. “I have a bad feeling about this, little brother.” Miura nodded, ignoring Hanzo’s tone of sarcasm as he made his way back to the bridge. The older Saiyan smiled slightly at his brother’s concern as he followed him out of the small room. Miura entered the control room, eyes narrowing as he took in the scene before him. Iris stood several feet away, in front of the view screen, her body hidden under a heavy winter cloak. Clef and Zellis stood off to the side, but both were similarly attired. Upon seeing her adopted brother, Zellis blushed and looked away, obviously ashamed of herself for going along with Iris’s plan. Clef stared at the young nobleman, his face a mask of determination, and Twilight was also nearby, her eyes wide with concern. Miura walked further into the bridge, Hanzo just behind him. “What the hell is going on?” the former bounty hunter asked, biting off every word clearly. “I know Galdria isn’t cold enough this time of year to warrant those heavy cloaks, so unless I’m mistaken we’re about to land on Neth, right?” He heard Hanzo laugh behind him, and he flashed his older brother a sharp look, obviously not amused by his comrades’ decision. “You may as well put on one of these cloaks, little brother,” Hanzo said as he approached a wall of lockers, pulling out one of the heavy winter shrouds. “It’s obvious that Iris has made up her mind, and since it’s her ship, you have no say in the matter.” After wrapping himself in the large grey cloak, Hanzo grinned evilly at his half-brother. “So suck it up, since we might need you out there.” He slowly walked to the other end of the bridge, standing beside Clef and Zellis. Without a word, Miura removed a cloak from the locker, put it on, and stared coldly at his companions. After several moments he spoke, his voice even and controlled, despite the trembling of his body. “Alright then, if you’ve all decided.” He turned his gaze toward Twilight. “But she stays here, understand? After all Zellis and I went through to keep her alive, I’ll not risk her life for some stupid, outdated distress signal.” Iris nodded, and turned toward the control panel, not wanting to look Miura in the eyes, so intense was his anger. “Alright, we’re setting down, everyone get ready.” The ship shook violently as it broke through Neth’s atmosphere, and it shuddered again as it set down on the surface. “This is it. Watch yourselves out there, the temperature is unbelievably low.” She looked at Miura out of the corner of her eye and sighed. “And keep your eyes open for any signs of a trap…” ________________________________________________________________________ The wind shrieked as it tore at the heavy cloaks. Miura could hardly comprehend how cold it was, and from the distressed looks of his companions, he wasn’t alone. They had left the ship almost an hour ago, and, using a handheld receiver, had been steadily making their way toward the mysterious distress signal. The Galdrian half-breed still felt that a trap was likely, though he followed Iris’s lead without question, confident that whatever was lurking on Neth would be easily dealt with by himself, Hanzo, Zellis, and Clef. “It’s close!” Iris shouted over the roaring wind, her words almost lost to her four companions. “Just over this ridge, I’d guess!” She looked back toward her friends, locking eyes with Miura for a moment before nodding and readying her weapon. Clef also looked to the young nobleman, nodding in agreement with his unspoken suggestion. Zellis and Hanzo followed their companions’ examples, preparing themselves for trouble. After several minutes of struggling up the steep, snow covered ridge, the five fugitives stood looking down on a large, bowl-like valley, surrounded on all sides by a steep range of mountains. Miura instantly felt something unusual, and he gasped in amazement as he felt the hair on the back of his neck begin to rise. “My God…” he uttered as an enormous blast of red energy descended on the group from above. The impact was incredible, and everyone was sent flying in different directions as the ground beneath them erupted upward in the blast’s aftershock. Snow, earth, and stray wisps of energy filled the air, and Miura lost sight of his companions as he was buried beneath a mound of debris. After several minutes, Miura came to his senses and managed to dig his way out of the pile of earth and ice. He gasped in disbelief as he took in the scene before him. As far as he could tell, he had been blown at least a hundred feet away from the top of the rise, which was now nonexistent, replaced by a massive, smoking crater. The young nobleman jumped to his feet, frantically scanning the surrounding area for any signs of his companions. He staggered to the edge of the crater, discovering to his amazement that there was no apparent bottom to it. Unbelievable… he thought. What kind of person could possibly be powerful enough to do this? “Miura!” someone shouted from the opposite side of the seemingly bottomless pit. The half-Galdrian looked up, staring through the haze of smoke that continued to drift upward from the crater. As the air became clearer, Miura could see Iris running around the lip of the depression. Before the she could reach the former bounty hunter, Miura felt the atmosphere around him charge with energy, once again causing his hair to stand on end. “Get down!” Miura screamed as a bolt of searing energy collided with the ground between them. This time, however, Miura was able to keep his footing, though he was forced to cover his face with his arms, so bright was the flash of energy. The young Saiyan warrior gasped in surprise as he heard chilling laughter in the air above him. He looked up and saw a mysterious figure floating above the crater, his arm extended and still coursing with leftover energy. Miura jumped back several feet, assuming a defensive fighting stance as the unidentified combatant lowered himself to the ground. “Who the hell are you!?” the half-Saiyan growled, his body trembling with rage. “Who am I?” the mysterious fighter asked rhetorically, his back turned to the furious Galdrian nobleman. Slowly he turned, and Miura was startled by the madness that was easily noticeable in this warrior’s eyes. This man, whoever he was, was clearly insane. He wasn’t very large, standing almost three inches shorter than Miura and looking fairly slim, almost gaunt. He wore a long red cloak, and underneath he appeared to be clothed in a dark grey and crimson jumpsuit. His hands and feet were covered by heavy grey gloves and boots, and he wore a thin circlet of silver on his brow. The seemingly insane warrior’s hair was grey, streaked through with silver, though his face was smooth and unmarked by wrinkles or other signs of age. His eyes were a very pale shade of blue, bordering on grey, and they were bloodshot and surrounded by dark circles, as if he were extremely exhausted. The grey-clad stranger began laughing once again, taking his attention off of the opponent before him as he started to pace back and forth. Suddenly, Miura was struck by a frightening realization. “My God…” he whispered. “You… You’re Mylember, aren’t you?!” The mysterious warrior stopped his pacing, looking over his shoulder at Miura, an unsettling smile slowly spreading across his face. The former hunter took several steps back, his body trembling with fear. “But how? How did you know we’d come here…” “For a hunter you are extremely dense. Do you honestly think that I’d allow you to leave Head Quarters so easily? I made it perfectly clear to Ashe that your ship was to be tagged with a homing device. I knew you’d make straight for Galdria, and since this was the fastest route, I decided to wait here for you.” Mylember’s smile faded and was replaced with a look of hatred. “I was surprised to learn of Daerist’s death, though. He was one of my strongest and most trusted assassins.” The Hevan walked toward Miura, a dim aura of energy slowly forming around him, causing his red cloak to stir in the unsettling wind. “You will pay for killing him, as you will pay for costing me my cargo. You and your partner should have stayed out of things that didn’t concern you, Galdrian.” Before Miura could react, Mylember was upon him, lashing out with a crippling punch that took the young nobleman in the side of his head, drilling him into the ground at the Hevan’s feet. Miura shook off a spell of dizziness and leapt back, narrowly avoiding another blow from Mylember. The half-Saiyan screamed as his body was engulfed in an aura of purple energy, and he launched a furious assault against his smaller opponent, but all of his attacks were easily countered by the insane warrior. Again Miura was knocked to the ground as Mylember brought his knee up into the Galdrian’s abdomen. Miura lay in the snow before Mylember, gasping for breath as he clutched his ribs. The mad Hevan warrior lifted his hand above his head, gathering energy for a final attack against the young half-breed. “After all I’ve heard about you, I can’t believe how simple this was. You are pathetic.” Mylember pointed his hand downward, toward Miura, as a ball of energy began to appear in his palm, growing larger as the seconds seemed to drag by. “Now you die!” Miura was helpless as the Hevan lord fired the blast, and the ground around him erupted in a searing flash of light. As the unnatural glow died down, Mylember realized that Miura’s body was nowhere to be found, and he began to laugh hysterically. “Too bad, I guess I must have vaporized him!” “Not quite!” a voice shouted from behind the Hevan warrior. Before Mylember could turn around, his body was engulfed in a powerful blast of energy. He screamed in frustration, causing the attack to dissipate. The evil Hevan whipped around to face his opponent, who looked shocked that his attack seemed to have had no apparent affect. Hanzo stood stock still, his left arm pointed toward Mylember as he supported the exhausted Miura with his right. “Damn me,” Hanzo whispered as the Hevan rushed at him. The black-clad Saiyan shoved his younger brother aside, prepared to meet Mylember’s assault head on. The two warriors clashed and immediately took to the air, filling the surrounding area with the echoes of their struggle. Miura shook off his momentary shock and quickly joined the battle in the air, feeling strange to see his brother fighting beside him, as an ally. For all their power, however, the two Saiyans were unable to overcome Mylember. The sinister Hevan lord continued his chilling laughter as he seemingly made sport of his two opponents. Hanzo and Miura’s power levels continued to increase, and they used every technique at their disposal in an attempt to subdue the Hevan, who was more powerful than either of the Saiyans could believe. “Enough of these games!” Mylember shouted as he disengaged himself from his opponents. Waves of energy emanated from the evil Hevan’s body, leaving Miura and Hanzo too stunned to move. Before either Saiyan could react, Mylember flew toward them and attacked, drilling his fist into Hanzo’s face as he took Miura in the chest with a powerful kick. Miura and his half-brother fell to the ground, smashing into the snow covered floor of the valley they had seen from the ridge. “Now, just in case,” Mylember snarled, preparing two large orbs of glowing blue energy. “You two are finished!” he shouted as he tossed the blasts downward, hoping to wipe Miura and Hanzo out in one final attack. As the energy balls approached the two Saiyans, Mylember heard a voice behind him. “Z, hurry!” Clef screamed, looking past Mylember to where Miura and Hanzo lay on the valley floor. The malevolent Hevan lord turned around, only to see the Namekian’s fist collide with his face. He uttered a cry of surprise as Clef pressed the attack, lashing out with a flurry of blows that kept Mylember on the defensive. Using her incredible speed to good advantage, Zellis dashed toward her partner and his brother, looking up to see Mylember’s attacks racing toward them. She came upon Hanzo first, picking him up and throwing him over her shoulder. Damn it! she thought as she continued running, praying that she could reach Miura before it was too late. Hanzo’s weighing me down too much, I’m sinking in this snow! After what felt like hours to the Galdrian noblewoman, she finally knelt by her adopted-brother’s side, and she struggled to lift him onto her other shoulder. I have to hurry, Zellis thought as she took to the air, flying slowly at first until she was able to compensate for the extra weight. She couldn’t have cut it any closer, as Mylember’s attack plowed into the valley with an ear shattering explosion. The young Galdrian and her two dazed companions were caught in the explosion’s aftershock, and it took all of her strength to remain airborne. Miura and Hanzo regained consciousness as Zellis set them on the ground. “You guys wait here until your strength comes back,” Zellis said over her shoulder as she turned to watch the distant battle between Clef and Mylember. “Clef needs my help, he can’t hold out forever.” She looked at Miura and smiled. “Wish me luck, okay?” ________________________________________________________________________ Clef screamed in pain. “Have you had enough yet, Namek?” Mylember taunted as he tightened his grip on Clef’s throat. “Why are you willing to die for something that doesn’t involve you?!” The Hevan’s face was contorted with rage as he shook Clef, causing the Namekian warrior to cry out in agony. Mylember spat in Clef’s face before driving his fist into the bodyguard’s stomach. “I only wish to punish the Galdrians, not you… Although this has been most entertaining.” The evil Hevan released Clef from his grip, watching as the Namekian fell to the ground below. Suddenly Mylember gasped as he felt the air around him charge with power, and he spun around as a bolt of bright green energy collided with his torso, blasting him backward as he struggled to deflect it. Before the Hevan lord could divert the mysterious attack, Zellis was upon him, her body engulfed in an aura of pure Galdrian energy. Mylember gasped in surprise as the young noblewoman struck him in the face with a powerful roundhouse kick, followed shortly after by a thunderous uppercut. The Hevan growled in frustration, preparing himself for the girl’s next attack. As Zellis closed in on him he vanished, leaving the startled Galdrian floating in the air, looking vainly about for any signs of the evil warrior. “Where are you, God damn it!” Zellis screamed as she continued searching for Mylember. “Show yourself, coward!” She gasped in disbelief as she felt a high power appear behind her, and her body went rigid with fear. “Fine, little girl. Here I am,” Mylember whispered into the noblewoman’s ear. Zellis cried out in pain as the Hevan lord pulled her head back by her hair and drove his elbow into her throat. He then lifted the Galdrian above his head, spinning her around by her short hair before he threw her to the ground below. “Looks like you’ll be the first to die, Galdrian bitch!” Mylember clenched his teeth as he began gathering energy, and his body was soon illuminated by a dark crimson aura. Zellis continued to fall as the Hevan drew more energy to him, preparing a devastating attack obviously meant to utterly destroy the Galdrian noblewoman. “Now die!” Mylember shouted as he thrust his hands toward the quickly descending Zellis, firing a large orb of sizzling red power. Zellis closed her eyes as she slipped into darkness, sensing that death was now only moments away. To her surprise, her descent suddenly stopped as she was caught by someone in mid air. She opened her eyes and sighed in relief, seeing her adopted brother, his hair the unmistakable golden-yellow of a Super Saiyan. The air around them was suddenly illuminated by an eerie red light as Mylember’s attack continued to rush toward them. Zellis was forced to squint as the red light grew brighter, closing in on the two Galdrians. Just when it seemed like the end, a figure surrounded by a nimbus of golden light interposed itself between Mylember’s energy blast and the two former hunters. The figure pulled its fist back and with a yell of exertion knocked the crimson energy orb away, where it exploded in the distance. Hanzo, who was now utilizing his Super Saiyan power as well, floated back to hover beside Miura and Zellis, an arrogant smile on his face. “Is that all you’ve got, you Hevan bastard?” Hanzo taunted as Mylember glared at him, his body trembling with wrath. “Just as I thought,” the Saiyan warrior continued, “you’re pretty cocky when fighting someone weaker than you, but let’s see how you fare against the most powerful race in the universe.” Hanzo looked over his shoulder to see Zellis floating silently to the ground below. Miura nodded once, indicating that it was time to end this. Hanzo again flashed his usual, confident grin as he returned his attention to Mylember. “You’re no match for us, Hevan.” ________________________________________________________________________ Mylember easily held the two Saiyans at bay. The battle had begun instantly, with both Super Saiyans pressing the advantage of numbers. To their utter amazement, the evil Hevan lord was more powerful than they had imagined, and he met each of their attacks with an ironclad defense. On several occasions Miura and Hanzo had thought themselves victorious, but each time the smoke cleared, Mylember stood before them unscathed. The two Saiyans were slowly being overwhelmed, both physically and mentally. After another failed assault, the brothers floated to the ground below, hoping to distance themselves from their opponent and come up with another plan. “This is madness,” Miura gasped as he used his tattered grey cloak to wipe sweat from his brow. “What power…” He looked to his left, seeing his brother nod in agreement. “How can he keep on fighting?” Hanzo asked, not taking his eyes away from Mylember, who stood calmly with his arms crossed several yards away. “He isn’t getting weaker at all, if anything he’s only gotten stronger.” He shook his head and ran a gloved hand through his golden-yellow hair. “What are we supposed to do?” “I have an idea for you, Saiyan scum,” Mylember shouted at Hanzo. “Stand aside and let me finish my business with your friend there.” The sinister Hevan began walking toward the two Super Saiyans, his crimson energy aura flaring around him. When he saw that Hanzo had no intention of leaving, Mylember laughed. “Fine then, you’ve chosen your fate, Saiyan.” Miura and Hanzo both assumed defensive stances, watching in awe as the Hevan lord began gathering more energy, easily enough to end this battle once and for all. “Miura, I say we attack right now with everything we have,” Hanzo said, watching his younger brother out of the corner of his eye. “There’s no sense in letting this maniac get any stronger, got it?” The younger Super Saiyan nodded agreement, and Hanzo immediately launched himself toward Mylember. Upon seeing the two Saiyan warriors rushing toward him, Mylember began to laugh maniacally. “Have you learned nothing?!” he shouted as he thrust his hands toward Miura and Hanzo. Immediately the two Super Saiyans felt an unbelievable pain tearing through their bodies as strands of red energy, which seemed to be emanating from Mylember’s finger tips, began to constrict around them. Their golden energy auras dissipated as they gasped in pain. The evil Hevan renegade laughed in glee as his opponents fell to the ground before him, writhing in agony. His mirth was cut short as a ball of energy, no more than ten inches in diameter, sped toward him from his left side. Suddenly the pain that had been coursing through the Saiyans’ bodies subsided as Mylember turned his attention to the unexpected attack. He wasn’t fast enough, however, as the energy orb collided with him, engulfing his entire body in a blinding flash of light. The brothers lay in shock for a moment until they felt someone shaking them, trying to get their attention. Miura shook off his disorientation as Zellis helped him to his feet. Hanzo also stood, though he had to be supported by his younger half-brother. “We have to hurry,” Zellis gasped. It was obvious to Miura that his adopted-sister was in a great deal of pain, most likely due to her earlier confrontation with Mylember. “Clef’s hurt too, he can’t distract that maniac for long. We have to get back to the ship; Iris says she has a plan.” The young noblewoman staggered for a moment, and Miura released his hold on his brother to catch her, causing Hanzo to fall face first in the snow. As the Saiyan warrior cursed his half-brother, another series of flashes, accompanied by several ear shattering explosions, returned his mind to the conflict at hand. “We’d better get moving,” Hanzo said, pulling himself up out of the deep snow. As the three weary warriors began their trek up the steep ridge, the sounds of battle rang out behind them. Miura was tempted to stop and look back, but a firm grip on his arm and a threatening look from Hanzo convinced him to keep moving. ________________________________________________________________________ Clef pressed his attack. The advantage of surprise had bought him some time, but he was weakening and Mylember was regaining his bearings. The Namekian bodyguard knew that his only chance was to keep the Hevan lord guessing, and Clef had used every offensive technique he could remember against his opponent. He had no illusions about defeating Mylember, he was easily the most powerful being that Clef had ever encountered, but if he could keep his tactics fresh, he might have a chance of surviving this. Clef risked a moment to look over his shoulder, and he smiled to himself as he saw his companions cresting the ridge that surrounded the valley that had served as their battlefield. Just a little longer, he thought as he returned his attention to Mylember. His curiosity turned out to be a mistake, as the evil Hevan warrior exploded out from the center of a cloud of dust and debris and flew toward the exhausted Namek. “Oh no,” Clef muttered as he prepared himself for the fight of his life. ________________________________________________________________________ The ship hovered above the battlefield. Miura, Zellis, Hanzo, and Twilight watched in amazement as Clef fought a desperate, but losing, battle against Mylember. Iris sat on the floor behind them, assembling what appeared to be a large energy rifle. As she attached the final component, the former bounty hunter stood up and balanced the weapon on her right shoulder. Miura turned to face her and raised a questioning eyebrow. “An Obsinian Burst Rifle?” He closed his eyes and shook his head. “Iris, that type of weapon is good for leveling a city block during urban warfare, but against that?” he asked as he pointed out the open rear cargo hatch at Mylember. “I think you’re underestimating our opponent.” She pointedly ignored him as she walked to the edge of the hold, kneeling to aim the Burst Rifle. An infrared view screen folded out from the side of the large weapon, and Iris used this to zero in on her target. “I think Clef could use a distraction,” she said without taking her eyes from the small screen. Miura and Hanzo looked at each other and shrugged, each taking up a position on either side of Iris. “Now,” she said calmly. The two Saiyans, both exhausted from their clash with the Hevan, drew upon their last reserves of energy, launching two powerful blasts toward Mylember. The evil Hevan immediately ceased his struggle with Clef as he sensed the approach of the Saiyans’ attacks. Taking advantage of the situation, the green-skinned warrior made a fast getaway, using all of his remaining strength to propel himself into the air. As he entered the ship, Iris fired the Burst Rifle, and a solid beam of white-hot power sizzled through the air beside him. Clef could only stare in awe as the blast made its way steadily toward Mylember. The Hevan lord easily deflected the weak attacks launched by Hanzo and Miura, but his eyes widened as the Burst Rifle’s discharge sped toward him. He braced himself for impact, and he growled in rage when he realized that Clef had managed to escape. Instead of the expected contact, the searing beam of energy flew past Mylember, merely singeing his now tattered red cloak. He gasped in disbelief, watching as the attack flew harmlessly by. Miura clenched his fists in anger as he looked at Iris, who now stood up and began disassembling the large weapon. “You missed,” he said in a calm voice, though his body was trembling with rage. Suddenly the ship was rocked by an immense explosion, and it sounded as if the sky were being torn apart. An amazing flash of white light was followed by a second sound, like rock grinding against rock. The light died down, and Iris’s companions looked out of the hatch, their faces showing their disbelief. The tall mountain range that had formed a half-circle around the valley was crumbling, and as far as they could tell, Mylember had been buried somewhere underneath the ensuing avalanche. The hatch closed with a hiss as Iris made her way back toward the control room. “I wasn’t aiming for him,” she said as she left the small cargo bay, leaving her stunned and silent comrades behind. To be continued…
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