Episode #11: Preparation for Confrontation

The night had come and passed. Things were analyzed, orange hedgehogs left to complete basic training, and aliens trained in their own ways. All the while, chief scientist Terra was going over the feeds of the battles as well as the data plifered from the terminal, trying to come to conclusions on both fronts. Once the latter was analyzed, though, it would be time for the final battle of the School Wars.

The former? He could hardly resist the opportunity to analyze such interesting creatures.

Zukai, Nadie, and Corey. The three were moving forward, making their way to anywhere. Occasionally Nadie would ask a question or say something to Zukai with her somewhat shaky voice. Occasionally Corey would look from one person to the other as if confused.

The rocky land had been torn apart. Craters a fissures every which way. It was odd seeing such a clearly battle struct area in such a peaceful corner of the country.

Except there had been no battle. Only a one man army...

Makuta struck the mountain again, shards of rock flying out. Outside of the crater created by his fist was a large crater. All around that were several more craters, even larger. These were all contained however, within a single skyscrapper sized fracture in the mountain. It was as if someone had taken a gargantuan knife to it.

But no, it was only a warm up...

Elsewhere, a yellow streak zipped low among the clouds, heading for [location of where you think Streak's clan should be]. This was no fast moving storm, though.

It was NESF member Streak the Hedgehog.
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Drew and Zach remained at the base, having sent out the others to seek training in their own ways. Being the more or less commanders of the operation, it made some level of sense.

"Until Terra figures out what we're up against, we can't say how strong we'll need to be..." Drew said, "But we can't just sit around while the others are out training...
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Corey looked to his travelling companions, not getting at all what was going on between them. He held on to his backpack, wondering where the group was heading off to.

Nadie began pointing forward, "Hey! Look a city!"

It was true. In the distance buildings stacked up. The three headed towards it.

"Man am I hungry." Zukai said.

"Didn't we eat a while ago?" Nadie asked. Corey tilted his head

"Actually I think that was just us two." Corey corrected.

"...Oh..." Nadie shut her mouth. She steadied herself.

The three continued towards the city, holding their selves up, wondering what was ahead.

Sweat dripped off Makutas body, as he finished up using the mountain as a punching bag. He walked away, and sat down on a rock. Lifting his large jug of water, he took a swig and swallowed.

"And for the sake of those fights, we'll get tougher and tougher!"

He took another drink. "And so we will..."

"Well, maybe the city might have something--" Corey began. However, just as he said it, the group began to get close enough to the city where they could see things weren't so...normal. Though there was no present evidence an attack had happened, there were visible craters all around.
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Drew and Zach began to have a spar.

"Does it seem like we do this too much?" Zach asked.

"...Not sure." Drew responded, "But it beats letting the others catch up!"
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"Wha....What happened here?!" Nadie questioned as she quickened her pace, arriving at a crater.

Zukai began to look around, as did Corey, "I suppose that's a no then stomach..." Zukai said

"Don't say it like that!" Nadie responded, "But...really...this is." Zukai's lips fell to a frown, as if he was in deep thought.

The trio continued to draw closer. As they did, they could plainly see that the city was wartorn. The Saiyans continued forward, finding that the town, at first glance, was utterly devoid of life.

"This is..." Corey started, at a total loss--this was the first time in the war he'd seen a city after the battle was done.
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The three arrived towards and entrance of the city. Zukai, Nadie, and Corey looked around as they entered.

Zukai lowered by a crater, moving some debris, examining the area. A faint noise, Zukai's eye quickly faced the source; nothing.

Nadie and Corey seemed to not have noticed, "What could have done all this?" Nadie asked.

"This war has been going on for some time I'm guessing. This could have been a battlefield," Zukai began to stand looking at the many craters and debris, "And it must have been one of high scale for this much damage."

Then before anyone could react, a child jumped out at Corey, pushing him down and taking his backpack, while more lunged at Nadie and Zukai, one taking Zukai's sword, and Nadie's money pouch. while others held them off guard. After a few seconds they quickly began to run off and hide.

"What in the--" Corey started, caught off-guard. He was so used to fighting for his life against robots, weak and strong, and sparring hard against older beings. Now, however, he could only stare about in rapidly annoyed wonder as he began to realize he was attacked by children, of all things. "Those were...kids, weren't they?"
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Zukai got onto his feet while helping Nadie on hers, "I..I think so.." Nadie began to dust herself.

"It makes sense," Zukai said looking towards the direction the children ran off, "They must be all that's left from all the destruction, struggling to survive...doing so anyway they can..." A flash in Zukai's mind, "We should follow them." He began to walk in that direction with a waning expression.

Makuta stood in the middle of his personal training area, letting out a deep breath. He lifted his fists. One fist instantly blurred forward, blurring.

"At least two dozen..." he confirmed. The process repeated with his opposite arm. "In a second...two dozen punches..."

He looked at his hands, clenching and unclenching them. "I can throw punches beyond the speed of sound, but that's not enough. My Kugi Punch requires each punch to be delivered at a incomparable speed...and a five fold is my absolute limit..."

His fist clenched hard, an audible sound being released.

"Five won't be enough..."

Corey nodded, "These kids have got to have some kind of clubhouse nearby or something..."

In his mind's eye, he pictured, for some reason, a very high-tech looking treehouse that was at least a mile high.

"You see anywhere there could be one?" Zukai asked, looking around. Corey looked around, reminding him he was in a former warzone, and the picture in his mind's eye spontaneously combusted.

"Oh..."
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Deep in a forest, a yellow light ball finally hit the ground. It was Streak, and in front of him was a large gate. It was made of stone, but two rather intimidating gargolyes of sorts guarded the gates. Streak recovered a bit, taking steps towards the gate and reaching up towards it.

Report, report, report...Saiyans are still alive, the formation of the NESF with my help is pushing back the SIA... Streak thought to himself.

The three Saiyans followed a trail of debris. The carnage from the chaotic event was heartbreaking.

Zukai continuously wandered his eye in search for anything or anyone suspicious, but as he did so he met the unfortunate visions of his past. He shook them to the back of his mind as the search continued, "That way..." His eye reared towards the left. Pointing in that direction, both Corey and Nadie turned in reaction.

"You sure..?" Corey asked blinking.

Nadie started in that direction looking downwards, "Hey look. Footprints...."

"Exactly..."