[5] Prison

[Raditzu]

?Big Bang Attack!?

?Fuck??

Vegeta had executed the attack with speed that surprised even Raditzu. The long-haired saiya-jin leapt backwards, turning his back on the attack as he did, and shot across the sand. His legs pumped wildly as they distanced him from the heat of the incoming energy. Vegeta, however, was not simply going to let his prey run from him. With a burst of energy, the beam picked up speed. Even without his sixth sense, Rad could feel the power of Vegeta?s ki crackling behind him. It made his hair stand on end. With the beam growing closer, Rad would have to think of something more than simply running. Taking a small hop, the saiya-jin twisted his body in mid-air and his the ground sideways. Skidding as he did gave the attack time to catch up, and it was only by a hair?s breadth that he managed to get away. In effect, Raditzu had turned a ninety degree angle and escaped the immediate path of the deadly energy. Vegeta, however, was not one easily outdone.

?Think you can escape me so easily? Fool!?

Twisting his hand, Vegeta snapped his arm in the direction Raditzu had turned. Obediently, the column of energy arched backwards and picked up Raditzu?s trail once again. Running was proving to be rather disadvantageous to the long-haired wonder, though that thought was have trouble processing through his emotion riddled brain. Somewhere behind the veil of anger and contempt, he knew it would take much more than feral rage and brute strength to beat a warrior of Vegeta?s caliber. He needed to retake control. He needed to focus. But, above all else, he had to get that damned Big Bang Attack off his back.

As he ran, Raditzu summoned forth a massive aura of flaming ki. The energy streaked through the air as Raditzu continued fleeing. Shortly, however, it began whipping into a frenzied column. Raditzu came to a screeching halt and, without being distorted by his movements, the aura of ki appeared to be like a golden whirlwind, with the super saiyan at its center. Sand was whipped into the air as the vortex of ki expanded. Grinning with delight, Vegeta forced another surge of power through his attack and took aim. The beam streaked towards Raditzu, entering the vortex as it did. To Vegeta?s surprise, Raditzu was not simply putting on a show. The beam of energy was caught up in the whirlwind, and begun spinning about uncontrollably. Luck, however, was not on Raditzu?s side. The Big Bang Attack was flung from the vortex at the ground directly behind the long-haired warrior.

The arena shook as a powerful explosion rang out. Saved from a direct hit, Rad was flung haphazardly through the air, bouncing across the ground several times before slowly skidding to a stop. Under the force of the blast, his body felt like little more than a ragdoll. Satisfied with the result of his attack, Vegeta moved towards his opponent. Or tried to. His body shuddered and he was almost forced to one knee. His chest heaved with slow, deep breaths as he tried to steady himself. Maintaining and controlling an attack of that magnitude for an extended period of time had certainly taken its toll. His fatigue, however, was nothing compared to the raw pain that Raditzu was feeling.

His vision blurred, Raditzu was painfully slow in getting back to his feet. Once he did, however, he found his footing unstable and his legs wobbling. He tried to shake it off, but the movement simply produced more pain. He took a mental inventory of his damages. Most prominently, he was becoming light-headed: a product of the blood loss he had suffered. This, however, was an almost welcome feeling; one he had lived with for more years than he could remember. Moreover, he was certain Vegeta was feeling similar effects by now. Both of them were showing several lacerations. That aside, both of Raditzu?s legs seemed to be ok, which was about as fortunate as the saiyan got. He could feel at least two broken rib as he probed his armor. In general, he just ached all over. His breath was coming short, though it was steadying quickly. The most grievous injury he had suffered was his left arm. The left shoulder pad had been completely torn from his armor. The skin along his left shoulder had suffered a similar fate. Half of his back was completely exposed. His armor had been half destroyed and his cloak was little more than threads clinging to the back of his neckline. He was confident in his ability to repair the armor ? he had already had to do so several times ? but the cloak was never something he had tackled before. Not that any of that mattered right now.

?Maybe I should ask if you need a breather, hmmm?? Vegeta smirked at Raditzu.

?Tch?don?t worry about me.?

?I never do.?

Rad simply rolled his eyes and brought himself back into a full standing position. He inhaled deeply, despite the pain it caused in his chest, and steadied himself. His emerald eyes had returned to their rightful place and he looked infinitely more composed than he had previously. The damage he had suffered had been depressingly sobering. Whatever raw emotions he had been under the control of had been swept aside in that blast. A grin spread across his face? he almost wanted to thank Vegeta. Grasping the bottom of his armor, Raditzu pulled what was left of it off of his torso and dropped it to the ground. The sleeveless muscle shirt he had been wearing served no purpose, and was torn away with no effort. From the armor on the ground, the katchin metal slinked along Raditzu?s body, settling on his right arm, once again creating his metallic limb. While that was going on, Raditzu had seared the wounds on his left shoulder shut with the heat of his ki. While incredibly painful, it would be better than to let even more blood flow freely from his body.

?Oh? What do you think you?re doing?? Vegeta cocked an eyebrow at the discarded armor. ?Trying to insult me??

?Heh? don?t flatter yourself, prince. You?re not worth the effort. That,? he nodded to the armor, ?was just slowing me down.?

Vegeta slipped into a fighting stance, and prepared for another attack. He had already let Raditzu recover more than he would have liked, but he had needed the time himself. The long-haired warrior opposite him was now going through a stretching routine. The sight was enough to make Vegeta?s blood boil. The nerve of the long-haired saiya-jin. Just as that thought passed through his mind, however, Raditzu vanished. Vegeta shifted his weight backwards and scanned his surroundings. He had been completely unable to follow his opponent?s movements: an unwelcome realization. In the meantime, Raditzu was streaking towards Vegeta from straight above. His body was wracked with pain: using his zero stance while in the shape he was in had not been the best idea. Even more so since it the attack hadn?t paid off. Moments before striking, Vegeta?s scouter flashed and the prince lunged to one side. Twice now Vegeta had barely managed to avoid that strike. Dust, dirt, rock, and sand were flung in every direction as he turned towards the source of the disruption. A bolt of ki sailed through the cloud of debris, catching Vegeta square in the chest and flinging him backwards. The blow hadn?t been powerful, but it had been potent.

?Hmmm?? Raditzu was looking down at this Strong Arm. The vents along his forearm were slowly closing. ?Still not enough.?

Vegeta took in his opponent as the smoke around him cleared. Though Rad?s attacks had retained their brutal ferocity, his mannerisms had changed drastically. He was no longer facing off against a brutal madman, he was now fighting against the seasoned, powerful warrior that he had accepted as a worthy rival. The situation, for both saiyans, had become significantly more dangerous as the realization dawned on Vegeta that lethal forces was going to become morbidly common in this fight.

The prince?s thoughts were interrupted as Raditzu began summoning forth energy. Vegeta could only stare at, somewhat dumbfounded, at the saiya-jin. Did he himself possess such capacity? It wouldn?t surprise the prince one bit. Raditzu had had a significantly longer time to unlock the secrets of his second transformation than Vegeta had. The prince went over his options: he could either strike now, while his opponent was in a prone state, or use the time to regain his own strength. He chose the former. He shot forward, preparing a ball of ki in his open hand. He was about to strike when he noticed it: Rad?s right arm no longer bore the katchin metal he had previously been wielding. Too late, the prince abandoned his assault. The katchin burst from the ground in thin strips, wrapping themselves around Vegeta?s royal limbs and immobilizing him. At the same time, Raditzu burst forward.

?Burn Knuckle!?

With a fiery fist extended, Raditzu landed his attack squarely in the middle of Vegeta?s chest. As he struck, the katchin tendrils released their captive, allowing him to be flung through the air from the force of the blow. The wisps of metal returned to their place along the long-haired wonder?s right arm. Though it had been a clean blow, it didn?t keep the prince down for long. His recuperative and defensive abilities were the one thing that actually struck Raditzu as a threat. He would simply have to find a way to hit hard, and hit fast. Extending his arms to either side, Rad unleashed a trademark grin along with a wave of monochrome energy.

?Quicksilver... Grand Dome!? The saiyan revealed the name of his technique.

Reacting quickly, Vegeta brought his arms across his face in hopes of defending this oncoming wave of energy. No defense was required, however. He looked about, quite surprised at the effects Raditzu?s move had had on their surroundings. Everything had been reduced to pale shades of grey. Even the viewing area that housed the other members of Friend of Foe had been overtaken by the technique. The prince had to admit: ?grand dome? was an appropriate title. He turned his eyes back his opponent and braced himself for whatever was coming up next. As he did, he almost laughed. Raditzu had coated himself in some kind of energy, turning himself into some kind of glowing, silver avatar. How typical of the saiyan race. Always making themselves the center of attention.

Wisecracking, however, was not something Vegeta had time to do. Raditzu vanished once again, this time leaving only the slightest of blur as he did. This glowing aura actually served to hinder his technique, as it made it easier to follow his movements. Not that Raditzu cared. He was far too XTREME to worry about such things. Vegeta shifted his weight backwards and held his arms in a defensive position: one hovering in front of his neck, the other over his stomach. His muscles tensed and his eyes were sharp. Something flashed in front of him and he reacted instantly. He tried to block the attack, but Rad?s katchin fist shot between his arms and into his chest; moreover, it shot into the same place his Burn Knuckle had hit. With a loud ?oomph? Vegeta was propelled backwards. Before he could recover, though, Raditzu followed up. A katchin elbow cracked against the back of Vegeta?s skull, throwing the prince face-first into a vertical position. From there, the shining form of Raditzu blinked out of existence, reappearing to drive a knee into his opponent?s face. The force of the blow propelled Vegeta head-over-heels into the air? or would have had it not been for the finale to one of Rad?s favorite combos. Reaching out, Rad caught a hold of Vegeta?s ankle and threw their bodies into a frenzied spin. Quickly becoming nothing more than a shining grey blur, Raditzu built up momentum. Vegeta tried to free himself, but the series of blows, along with the ridiculous speed at which he was spinning was unbelievably disorienting. He didn?t have to worry about that for too long, though, as he was released from the spin, only to be sent streaking into the ground.

?Woah? maybe that was a bit much.? Raditzu felt himself tumbling through the air. Though he tried to stop himself, he was having trouble summoning the strength at that point in time.

Even with his outstanding stamina, Raditzu was feeling the effects of the damage he had taken. He could feel that Vegeta had yet to move from his spot at the bottom of the crater, and that was fine with him. The long-haired warrior lay on the ground, taking deep breathes and steadying his body. What he had planned next was not going to be fun. In fact, as amazing as he was, Raditzu was inclined to think that it was going to hurt like the proverbial bitch.

Much to his surprise, Raditzu was the first one to his feet. By the time he had regained his standing position, he could see Vegeta crawling from the crater. Rad waiting patiently for his opponent to return to his feet and catch his breath. Simply from standing, it looked as though Vegeta was about to stagger. His face, however, did not betray his stoic pride. Rad knew not to try and read into the prince?s condition. Never before had he met someone so adept at hiding any pain they were feeling. It used to unnerve the long-haired warrior? now, it was merely an inconvenience. Not that it would matter much longer. Rad looked down at his metallic arm for a moment before grinned at Vegeta. Without his armor, it was easy to see the metal on Raditzu?s arm flow over his shoulder and expand to create another set of vents. The vents open and shut a few times, releasing minor amounts of ki as they did.

The long-haired warrior opened his mouth to say something. Some witty one-liner, or nonchalant remark, but nothing came. It wasn?t needed. Vegeta knew what was coming, he could see it in his opponent?s eyes. All he could do was brace himself and wait. Luckily, ever the gentleman, Raditzu didn?t keep Vegeta waiting long. His body blurred forward. All Vegeta could see was the glowing aura that continued to surround Raditzu. It was growing brighter at an alarming rate. The prince steeled himself for the impact of the blows, knowing that he would never be able to escape Raditzu?s attack. The long-haired warrior?s voice echoed throughout the arena.

?Burst Knuckle!?

A dull impact resounded through the air and blood spilled along the sand. The two saiya-jin stood, eyes locked. Raditzu was the first to move. His knee buckled and he felt himself falling against the saiyan prince. Though he had remained standing, Vegeta was unable to fathom how or why. He looked down at Raditzu with a grimace, then turned his attention to the saiyan?s outstretched arm. His eyes widened when he realized what, exactly had happened. In the rush of the attack, he had missed it. There was the only thing keeping Raditzu standing: his arm was lodged through Vegeta?s shoulder. Rad?s fist extended through Vegeta?s armor, skin, muscle, bone, and protruded out the other side. The katchin spikes that had rent the prince?s flesh and bone were slowly melting off of Raditzu?s fist. The air around the warrior?s shimmered and everything returned to its normal hue.

Rad had felt his leg fail him. He idly wondered why. He could feel pain? well? a lot of pain. His eyes traveled along his left side. Ah, there it was. Vegeta?s hand. It was almost waist deep into Rad?s side. Raditzu had seen it happen, but there was nothing he could do at that point. The prince had thrust a knife-hand forward as Raditzu approached. The bastard. Summoning what strength he could muster, Raditzu ripped his arm free of Vegeta?s shoulder and stumbled backwards. Vegeta let his arm drop free once Raditzu had dislodged it, but didn?t move past that. It was obvious that both saiya-jin were fighting just to stay standing.

Almost simultaneously, the warrior felt their hair change and their forms revert. Neither were capable of maintaining their transformations any long. It wasn?t until then that Raditzu really took in his surroundings. It was actually a pretty nice arena. Well? it had been. The various battles that had taken place had clearly taken their toll. That was when Raditzu caught sight of the holding cell. He could make out 18 watching him, her form obscured by the glowing green field of energy between them. Even from the distance they were at, Raditzu could see it. Fear. Her eyes were wide and her hands trembling. Rad smiled and tried to wave. Tried to let her know he was ok, but once again his knee buckled. He caught himself on a large piece of rock before he fell. Seeing that, the android lunged forward, grabbing at the energy that imprisoned them. The beam crackled and hiss in protest, easily repelling the android. An image flashed before Rad.

?Let me out!!? White hands reached out, the end was in sight, and the sounds were nonexistent to her ears. She grabbed the glowing bars that held them in. Her fragile hands gripped them with such power, but only a fool would bother to touch the damn things. Her scream pierced through the cell, the room, the halls, the building. It tore through her like some captured prey, some sorrowful beast. The pain shook through her, pulsed through her hands and flowed through her arms. The bars were meant to keep them in, indefinitely. Why? Why? Why!? She let go as her body shook uncontrollably. Tears flowed without stopping down her cheeks. Her hands burned, twitched, hung limply at her sides. ?Let me out?? A pitiful sob sounded from her parted lips. She felt eyes on her back, heard whispered from behind. Who cares? She knew this would happen. She fell to the floor and huddled against the wall near the horrid bars that held them captive. ?Let me out??

Why hadn?t Raditzu been there for her? What had he done? Done a picked a fight with a little girl. Real smooth. Instead of looking to help someone he loved, he then went and picked a fight with this arrogant jerk in front of him. Not that he had much room to talk? being a well-documented arrogant jerk himself. That?s when Rad caught sight of the aforementioned little girl. She was standing next to 18, a similar look of fear on her face. Raditzu turned to Vegeta. The prince had fallen to one knee, gripping his shoulder. Raditzu stumbled over to him, trying to think of what to say as he did. Upon his approach, Vegeta tried to rise to his feet, but was unable.

?I?m? done, Vegeta.? Rad?s voice was quite and labored.

?Coward,? was all Vegeta could muster in response.

?Yeah, I am? but not ?cause I don?t? wanna? fight you.? He extended an arm towards the holding area. ?You?re daughter?s over there. You know she?s watching us.?

?Good? she?ll? see me kill? you.? With shaking legs, Vegeta rose slowly.

?We?re supposed to be there for them.? Raditzu was now including 18, though he didn?t mention it to his prince. ?We?re supposed to be the strong ones. We?re supposed to be the ones they can rely on? not the ones who run off every time we?re needed.?

That?s when it really sunk in for Raditzu. How many times had he done that? How many times had he simply abandoned 18 to go do his own thing? How could she stand him!? It was completely unfathomable to the long-haired warrior. His actions had completely escaped him.

?? coward,? Vegeta repeated. He was starting to sag? once again on the verge of losing his footing. ?I?ll prove? once and for all??

?? that you?re stronger than me,? Raditzu finished. ?With that borrowed power??

?What?? Vegeta?s eyes widened in surprise.

?Whatever? I don?t care.? Raditzu stepped backwards, putting a small distance between the two injured warriors. ?We can either stand here and play this little game, or go back to the people that matter and find a way to get them out of this.? Rad shook his head. ?You don?t like being manipulated anymore than I do, Vegeta. Do you even know what your own children have gone through? Did you even realize that I probably know more about them than you do!? And you?re going to stand there make them suffer even more than they already have??

?Silence!? Vegeta?s voice was surprisingly forceful for the condition he was in. Nothing less could be expected from the prince of all saiyans. ?Enough of your preaching.?

?Fine,? Rad shrugged, then immediately regretted it. He felt the action tearing the wound in side open even further. ?Whatever. Your choice. Strike me down if it means that much to you, but I?m not fighting anymore.?