He could feel the immense power long before the man stepped into the repair shop.

It was a sobering weight to be sure, almost heavy enough for Null to feel as a tangible burden upon his stout young shoulders. But he would never show a sign of weakness -- his many years on the streets taught him that lesson early on.

Still, he would have to be careful.

Biting his tongue in order to stop the natural rude retort Null always reserved for strangers foolish enough to speak to him sans his permission, Null turned and appraised the Saiyan. He didn't look to be anything special at a glance, yet sat in his chair as a man with little to fear.

Unconsciously, Null unfolded his arms. Call it 'battle instinct', not wanting to appear aggressive in any way, shape or fashion towards this outsider. Null could sense he was strong, and probably hiding the bulk of his strength as well.

Which was a problem, as Null didn't bother hiding his own power level at all. This stranger didn't even blink at it.

"Null," he finally replied. "I'm waiting on the old man to finish repairing my scouter. You may want to consider another repair shop, for it my scouter malfunctions again, I might just put the poor fool out of his misery."

He finished with a pointed stare at the older Saiyan, who ignored him to continue his work. Null returned his suspicious gaze to the seated stranger.

"I don't recall seeing you around here before... what do you want?"


word count: 261
Etohn

Null could have retched right there on the spot.

It wasn't that he'd never seen a prosthetic limb before, and truth be told, this was one of the better ones. Null had fought in battles where both allies and foes lost limbs during the assault. And nothing brought a pair of warriors closer together than having your bits blown off.

Not that it had ever happened to Null. He was far too skilled of a fighter for that.

Or he'd never had a real challenge.

"That is disgusting," he remarked, temporarily forgetting to mind his manners. "If I had lost my arm, I'd proudly consider it a badge of honor. Merely an opportunity to become an even more skilled fighter, really."

It almost sounded as if Null were bragging. He couldn't help it. His pride was at the very core of his being, and it was just as difficult to ignore that as it was for Null to willingly suppress his power level.

Why put himself at any disadvantage? He'd trust no arm at all over a fake one that could be broken or worse, sabotaged. There weren't many reputable repairmen remaining these days.

Still, this stranger piqued Null's interest. He decided to take a seat near him, propping his feet up onto the table. Arms folded, he regarded the man with open curiosity.

"Are you a fighter? Or did you lose that arm doing something menial, like farming?"


word count: 241

"Impressive?"

Null raised an eyebrow at the Saiyan's use of the word.

"If we're comparing battles, well... I can't honestly say I've faced certain death. And considering you've faced off against Emperor Polaris—a notorious enemy of Saiyans—perhaps it's safe to say you're quite a bit stronger than you look."

At a glance, there was nothing formidable about this man. Yet there was no denying the underlying tone of power that seemed to bubble cautiously beneath the surface.

The term Saiyan could be wielded loosely here. He didn't speak of his battle experience with the arrogant pride most Saiyans would, especially having come away from a battle with the emperor mostly unscathed. Minus his arm, of course.

Yet, still...

"No, I wouldn't use the word 'impressive'. My commanding officer points me at the enemy, and I give them plain hell until they wisen up and surrender," Null replied, deciding to directly answer the man's question. "I cannot say I've been truly tested in battle."

"Of course," he continued, grinning. "If you should rather be the first..."

What better way to gauge the true depths of this stranger's strength? Null was a Saiyan, born and bred, through and through. The one thing he couldn't resist, no matter the urgency of whatever errand he might be upon, he simply could not bring himself to resist a good fight.

"I should love to see what someone who was once part of the Queen's Guard can really do."



word count: 235 (1329)
Etohn

"What the?!"

He expected the Saibaman to fold beneath the force of his blows. His hubris would be his own undoing. Null fought to wrench his arms away from the slimy creature. It was much stronger than he anticipated—perhaps even as strong as he was. But as its skull split open, showering Null with acid spray, Null blanched at the disgusting manner in which this creature fought. He managed to avoid the majority of it, but some of it landed on his clothes, easily eating through the fabric and searing his exposed skin in the process. The vaporous fumes made him nauseous, and he felt some of his power slip away.

So preoccupied he was with the surprise assault, Null barely got an arm up to defend against the first energy blast that slammed into him. The second got through his guard entirely, and it was a powerful blow, knocking him backwards and onto the ground.

It certainly did its intended damage, stinging quite a bit more than Null would have liked. More than hurt, though, Null felt embarrassed.

His aura flared up, sizzling and sparkling as a lightning aura enveloped him. "Congrats on a lucky shot. It'll be the last time get the advantage over me!" Null dove at the Saibaman again, his body spinning in the air as he leveled a powerful roundhouse kick at his foe. The toxic fumes from the acid was still affecting him, and Null could sense his blows didn't have the impact he would have wanted them to.


word count: 260 | total: 1594 | Etohn

This battle was going downhill fast. Null struggled to regain his bearings, but it was difficult. The acid spray was unfamiliar territory, and even now, the skin exposed to the vile spray stung. The pain was distracting, and as the green creature grabbed Null's leg and whirled him about, he was useless to stop it.

It released him suddenly with great momentum and Null went plummeting toward the ground. He flailed his limbs wildly, trying to regain his bearings and right himself.

"Damn it!"

He managed to flip upright just seconds before he hit the ground, his feet being drilled painfully into the earth. It sent a shockwave through his body and along the ground, ripping up soil and grass in a diameter of about ten feet. A crater which only grew wider as the Saibaman slammed into him, rocking the earth beneath their feet and kicking up a huge cloud of debris.

As it cleared, Null could be seen on one knee, arms crossed as they absorbed the brunt of the attack. Taking a page from the Saibaman's book, Null grabbed it roughly by the leg and pulled it close, going for a vicious headbutt. And should it manage to dodge that, he doubted it was fast enough to dodge a point-blank explosion.

Thrusting a palm directly into it's face, Null let out a battle cry, firing a powerful blast of energy.

word count: 233 | total: 1827 | Etohn

The explosion was deafening.

It left a massive smoldering crater in the ground which reverberated with aftershocks. Null floated high up in the air, having barely managed to dodge it.

Sneaky bastard... tch. The damn thing was laughing maniacally at him, as if it enjoyed almost blowing him to bits and pieces. He shot a glance at Etohn, who still stood off to one side, observing the battle. "This is your idea of a test? Pathetic. And I don't need your help." His pride kept him from thanking the half-Saiyan for preventing Null from winding up in a million pieces, strewn across the battlefield.

"Hey, you—ugly!" Null yelled, wanting to get its attention. "You wanna see a real explosion?"

The corner of his mouth twitched upward as thrust his right hand forward, bright energy crackling at his palms.

"You're a tough little bugger, I'll give you that! But I hate cheap shots. I'm going to grind you into paste, and I want you to see it coming! Null and Void!"

It surged forth from his palm, a wide beam of destructive force as it barreled toward the ground, looking to slam into the Saibaman and decimate it. But Null didn't want to run the risk of it dodging him. Using powered flight, his aura flared as he zipped toward the ground, both fists aimed downward as he sought to drive the Saibaman further into the crater with a plummeting double fist slam.

The creature had dug its own grave, quite literally. And Null was about ready to bury it.

word count: 257 | total: 2084 | Etohn

So.... that hurt.

His mind was far too overloaded with sensory information to form a more coherent thought, his body's pain receptors completely overwhelmed.

...am I dead?

His vision was blurred, a low dull hum ringing in his ears in the sudden, startling silence.

What... what happened—?

It hit him all at once—the shock from the explosion, and the resulting pain. His clothing was torn and shredded, hanging in tattered strips in some places. His body had fared much better, though it too was bruised and battered, covering in bleeding wounds.

He tried to take a step, but his legs buckled beneath him. Null slowly teetered forward, collapsing onto the ground in the middle of the massive crater.

The pain soon ebbed away as darkness enveloped him, dragging him down into its swirling midst.

---

He awoke a few short minutes later to a loud ringing in his ears.

Null forced his eyes to open, blinking groggily as he peered through clouded vision. He let out a low, guttural groan that perfectly voiced how he felt. Everything hurt—literally everything. He'd felt tremendous pain before, even thought he would die from his injuries once or twice.

But never had that pain been all over, all at once.

Despite his predicament, lying face down in the midst of the crater, his body paralyzed and wounded, Null couldn't help but let out a dry, raspy chuckle.

"Guess that means I won. Give me a sec... I'll kick your ass too."

It was a weak show of bravado, but a Saiyan was a fighter till the very end.



word count: 264 | total: 2,348 | Etohn

He was teetering on the edge of unconsciousness.

That is until the strange white energy began to flow into him. It felt warm and gentle, like a caressing wind as it flowed and ebbed through his body. It was a sensation Null had never felt before, and deep within the pain of his lonely upbringing, Null wondered if that was what it felt to have a loving, nurturing family.

He quickly tucked the feelings away, focusing instead on the pain. Most of it had faded to a dull throb, and a good portion of his stamina had recovered as well. Null began to pull himself together, slowly climbing back to his feet.

He stood unsteadily for a moment, as if the restorative energy had temporarily impaired his natural motor functions. With a scowl, Null looked down at his tattered clothing, then back up at Etohn.

"...you owe me a new outfit. Ten thousand zeni doesn't grow on trees, you know."

Null could only sneer, turning away in a huff as he closed his eyes and folded his arms over his chest.

"Though I suppose you did help me kill some boredom with that pathetic Saibaman. Stupid thing blew itself up, and tried to take me with it. Obviously I was a greater threat than it, and you, realized. Still..."

Null glanced down at his hands, covered in fingerless wrist guards. He balled them into fists, feeling new strength course through his body. It was the infamous Zenkai of his people—when brought back from the brink of death, their strength increased ten fold.

"I won't complain about the increase in power. But what was your purpose for all of that, anyway?"



word count: 281 | total: 2,629 | Etohn