The Kids Are Strong!! A Tough Fight for Number 18!?

The Z Senshi wait impatiently inside Babidi's ship. Vegeta, "Aren't they ready yet? They're late." Gohan stretches in preparation for his upcoming battle. "I hope they didn't give up after they saw Dad and Vegeta-san fight." Goku, "We're in no rush. There's nothing to worry about." Kaioushin simply watches, speechless. Gohan continues his stretching, and inside the meditation room, Dabura continues raising his ki. The white ball of light sits around him and long strands of electricity run everywhere, yellow electricity keeping a constant presence around the ball and white electricity sparking up occasionally and then disappearing again. Dabura sits with his eyes shut, arms and legs crossed. Outside, Babidi paces in front of the door. He looks up, stopping, and giggles. "Incredible! Dabura's ki is going up! I like it, Dabura! I like it a lot! I can almost see Majin Buu's resurrection now!"

The crowd cheers at the Tenkaichi Budokai. In the air above the stadium, Mighty Mask and Number 18 charge at each other. They go into a flurry of punches and kicks, neither side truly on the offensive or the defensive. Announcer, "It's a battle royale to decide the outcome of the Tenkaichi Budokai! Incredibly, Contestant Mighty Mask and Contestant Number 18 are fighting in the air!" Number 18 pulls back for a minute, then charges in again. It's all Trunks can do to defend against her onslaught, let alone fight back. "Damn it!" Goten, "Punch her! Punch her, Trunks-kun!" Trunks, "I know that but I can't get my back into it!" The fighting stops for a moment and it looks like Trunks is about to fall of Goten's shoulders, which must look especially strange to people who don't realize who Mighty Mask really is. Suddenly, Mighty Mask lunges forward, but Number 18 dodges each punch. Trunks continues, but can't make contact, until finally his fist slams right into her left cheek. Number 18 cries out as it hits. Goten, "Way to go, Trunks-kun!"

Announcer, "Killa and Jewel have already been knocked out of the ring." Stretchers carry away Jewel and Killa below, both with dazed looks on their faces. "Only Number 18, Contestant Mighty Mask, and Mr. Satan are left!" Mr. Satan clenches his teeth, a look of horror on his face. His mouth drops open as he watches the battle in the air. Number 18 and Mighty Mask continue until they come to a brief pause when they cross forearms and neither can immediately gain an upperhand. They both separate and pull back, then both rush forward again. They meet right where they first split and send out a shockwave. The battle begins once again. One man gasps. Another, "Incredible! I've never seen anything like this before!" Chichi, "Go, go! Number 18!" Bulma waves her fist in the air and other members of their party shout random things like "Do your best!"

Goten, "No one's cheering for us." Trunks, "It looks like not many people like Mighty Mask." Number 18 begins her assault once more, but Mighty Mask seems to be improving, as he dodges her attacks with more ease than before. She stops for a moment, then lunges forward. He flies up, she follows. She lunges again and he disappears, coming back down behind her as she spins around. The fight begins again as the Z Senshi families watch. A very brief pause and then another shockwave when they begin again. Another brief pause, another shockwave. And then it repeats again. Chichi, "She's doing pretty good!" The announcer and Mr. Satan watch the fight from the ground. The formula for the battle seems basically to be that they fight in one place for a few seconds, move somewhere else, start with a shockwave and then fight again for a few more seconds before going to a new place. Satan, "Wh-who are they...? How can they do that?"

Number 18 is on the offensive now as she drives Mighty Mask back. He drops below her and she cries out in surprise, then he jumps above her and she gasps. She glares at him. "That guy is weird. His arms and legs are too short for his body, and he's very strong." She's torn back to reality when Mighty Mask dives into her and they collide with another shockwave. They go into another frenzy of punches and kicks, but it only lasts a few seconds before Number 18 gets a strong kick in on Mighty Mask's head. Mighty Mask falls, but catches himself after a few feet. Trunks, "Number 18-san sure is strong! She's way different than Killa." Goten, "Do your best, Trunks-kun!" Trunks replies angrily, "Goten, you haven't done anything yet! You should kick and stuff." Goten, "But I can't see very well!" Trunks, "You don't have time to complain! If you help out, I'll give you another toy." Goten, "Really!?" He kicks his legs happily. Trunks cries out in surprise, and Number 18 just stares at him. Goten, "Okay, I'll try!" Number 18 adopts a fighting pose. "Let's go, Goten!" Goten, "Yeah!" They both scream as Mighty Mask dives in and begins his attack.

Number 18 throws up her arms to block and is driven back by Trunks' punches and Goten's kicks. Now, everytime a hit connects, it gives off a small shockwave. The assault ends when Goten delivers a strong kick to her stomach and then Mighty Mask throws her down. She plummets, but catches herself just above the stage, throwing up a lot of dust around her. She glares up at Mighty Mask. "This is odd. I can't tell what he's going to do." Goten, "Trunks-kun, you punched her pretty good." Trunks, "Yeah, you helped out too. Let's get her!" Goten, "Yeah!" They dive in again and Number 18 flies up to meet them. Mighty Mask is once again on the offensive and Number 18 has to throw up her arms and legs to block, though she manages a punch or two here and there. Marron, "Mommy's going to lose!" Bulma, "She'll be okay!" Chichi, "Get him, Number 18!" Satan stares up with eyes the size of saucers. "Damn. This looks dangerous. I hope I don't die."

Trunks, "Alright! We can win!" Goten, "Yeah!" They once again charge in to attack. Suddenly, Number 18 disappears. Trunks, "Huh!?" She drops in from above and smashes into Mighty Mask. He plummets toward the stage below, on a course straight for Mr. Satan's head. Satan cries out in surprise and fear and attempts to jump out of the way. Mighty Mask crashes into the stage and bits of it fly up everywhere (not to mention the huge cloud of dust). Satan is launched out of the cloud, screaming. As it dissipates, Mighty Mask lies face down at the bottom of a crater. Man, "H-he's dead!" The announcer peers into the crater. Satan struggles to stay on the stage, hanging by one hand above the grass. He lifts a foot up and it slides off. He tries again and gets it on, then grabs on with his other hand. A better view shows us that he's just inches above the grass in a horizontal position. He gets his second foot up and struggles to lift himself onto the platform. "I can't believe I have to fight them. What did I do to deserve this?" He finally gets back on and crawls away from the edge.

Meanwhile, Mighty Mask hasn't moved. Everyone is silent; all eyes are on the crater. Mr. Satan stands, rubs his shoulder, and grins. He suddenly notices the silence and looks around, his eyes finally stopping on the crater. He clears his throat, throws his hand into the air with the V sign, and shouts. "I can't be defeated that easily!" But there's no cheering, no "SA-TA-N!" Everyone remains silent, transfixed on the crater. The announcer slowly approaches the edge and looks down into it. Satan slowly lowers his hand, still smiling like an idiot.

Mighty Mask moves his hand a bit. Trunks groans in pain. Goten, "Are you okay, Trunks?" Trunks, "Damn, that hurt." He adjusts the mask. Goten, "Okay, let's trade places! I want to be on top now." Trunks, "That might be good." And so, some shifting takes place under Mighty Mask's clothes, but no one seems to notice. "Co-Contestant Mighty Mask, are you giving up?" Suddenly, Mighty Mask jumps out of the crater, and the surprised announcer falls over with a startled shout. Mighty Mask puts his hands on his hips. "Of course not!" Satan's mouth drops open and he cries out in shock. The crowd murmurs in surprise. One man notes, "He got back up!" Another, "Wow!" A third, "Way to go!" Gyuu Maou claps. "Contestant Mighty Mask is pretty good." Muten Roshi, "Hm?" He concentrates on Mighty Mask, but says nothing.

Mighty Mask suddenly rockets back into the sky. Number 18 watches as he comes up, and when he gets to about the same height as her, he begins flying circles around her. She watches as he goes, gasping. "His movements have changed!" She watches,. but doesn't attack. "Now, get her Goten!" Goten, "Yeah!" He dives in, screaming, and punches. She jumps out of the way, but cries out in pain when her stomach meets Trunks' foot. He kicks her again and she flies back. Goten, "You did it!" Trunks, "Let's keep this up!" Goten, "Yeah!" Number 18 finally recovers, and gasps to see Mighty Mask already racing toward her. He punches, she dodges. He kicks, she dodges again. He spins around and they go into another flurry of punches and kicks with Number 18 on the defensive. Finally, she falls back. Trunks, "Let's finish her off!" They charge ahead and the furious Number 18 throws an energy blast at them. Surprised, Goten and Trunks barely manage to dodge. Trunks, "That was dangerous!" Goten, "It's hard to move dressed like this." Number 18 breathes heavily. "He really moves oddly."

Marron, "Mommy, do your best! Win!" Number 18 looks down at her and her angry expression softens. She smiles. "Alright! I won't lose!" She looks back up, glaring at Mighty Mask.

--COMMERCIAL--

At Babidi's spaceship, Dabura is still raising his ki in the meditation room. The entire area is lit up briefly by bright sparks of white lightning extending out in five directions, in addition to the much less impressive yellow electricity that maintains a constant presence. Babidi stands outside with his eyes shut, smiling. He opens his eyes and giggles. "The King of Darkness is impressive!" He looks over at the crystal ball and approaches it to check up on the Z Senshi. "I'm sure he can defeat them and get enough energy to resurrect Majin Buu. I'm glad I brought Dabura." On a distant planet, Dabura stands among piles of dead bodies as he creates more with an enormous ki blast. His expression is that of supreme happiness. Later, he kneels before Babidi. "The more evil there is in your heart, the easier it is for me to control you." Babidi laughs.

Number 18 flies straight at Mighty Mask, screaming. This time, she's on the offensive, and Mighty Mask spends most of his time blocking. The crowd watches in awe. Marron, "Do your best!" Number 18, "I will win!!" Goten watches with alarm. "The look in Number 18-san's eyes has changed!" Trunks, "That doesn't matter, just fight back! If you don't fight harder, I won't give you any toys!" Goten, "That's not fair, that's not what you said! You're sneaky!" Number 18 pulls back and punches Goten hard in the face, and he screams in pain. Trunks, "Ah, you idiot!" As they fall back, Number 18 smashes them again and they once again plummet into the stage, forming a new crater. The announcer shields his face from dust and debris. Announcer, "What an incredible fight! This is the kind of fight that the Tenkaichi Budokai was made for!"

The dust clears and Mighty Mask moves his arm. Trunks, "You have to keep looking forward! I'm going to get on top again!" Goten, "Okay." They shift around again, and once again, no one notices. The announcer peers over the edge. "A-are you going to give up now?" Mighty Mask rockets back out of the crater and the announcer falls over in surprise. He picks up his microphone. "Contestant Mighty Mask has flown into action again! We've never seen a fight as exciting as this before! You wouldn't think this is a battle royale. This has developed into a fight between Contestant Number 18 and Contestant Mighty Mask!" Satan simply stares ahead, dumbfounded. "No way..." The crowd watches in awe as the fight continues. Man, "I-incredible!" Mighty Mask flies straight back up at Number 18 and she once again fires an energy blast. "Dodge it, Goten!" And dodge it he does. It continues toward the ground and does a fine job of shaking Satan back to reality as he dives out of the way. He screams and lands at the announcer's feet, hugging him. The announcer looks down at him. "Huh?" Satan looks up. "Huh?" And then Satan jumps up, hands on his hips, laughing nervously.

Mighty Mask arrives in the sky with Number 18 once more. She stares at him angrily, and Trunks glares back. "We can't win like this." Goten looks up at him. "Trunks-kun, let's change into Super Saiya-jin." Trunks, "Th-that's right! And since we're wearing this, she won't notice! Alright, let's change!" Goten, "Okay!" Mighty Mask and Number 18 move apart, revolving opposite each other, and come to about an equal level. "Are you ready, Goten?" Goten says that he is (he doesn't really say any words, it's more something along the lines of "uh huh") and Trunks throws up his arms, shouting. A golden light erupts from inside Mighty Mask, and suddenly he sports a golden aura. Number 18 gasps, her eyes going wide. The crowd is just as surprised. Man, "What's that? What's going on up there?" Muten Roshi, "Hm?" All of the Z Senshi party watch in surprise; Yamucha rubs his chin. Marron, "What's that? He's glowing."

Number 18 drops her fighting pose. Trunks, "We can't fight hand to hand wearing this. We're going to have to finish this with a ki attack." Goten quirks his eyebrows. "But will she be okay?" Trunks, "Sure. After all, she is Number 18-san." He holds out his arms to either side as Number 18 watches. She smiles. "Hm. I see. He's a Super Saiya-jin. Or should I say, they are?" A light wind blows her hair to her right (viewer's left) side as Trunks forms a ki blast in either hand. "Trunks-kun, don't use full power!" Trunks, "I know that." He puts his hands together so that the two ki blasts form one larger one, and he fires. Number 18 gasps. She narrowly manages to dodge it and the blast continues on to somewhere outside the city before it explodes in regular DBZ nuclear weapon-esque fashion. The crowd, as well as Satan and the announcer, are stunned. Satan falls over. Muteh Roshi, "Thought so."

Trunks, "I missed!" Goten, "Fire some more!" Number 18, "That wasn't funny! That energy blast was incredibly strong and fast! Those kids are really powerful! This is dangerous. I'd better finish it off fast." She announces to Mighty Mask, "I'm going to win this now, Trunks and Goten!" Both of them cry out in surprise at having been discovered. They say in unison, "She knows who we are!" She charges ahead and creates an energy disk, not unlike Kienzan. Trunks lets out a surprised shout. Goten, "She's serious!" Number 18 screams and throws her blast, and Goten and Trunks both go opposite ways. The blast slices clean through the costume. The announcer cries out in shock. "Contestant Mighty Mask has been cut in half!" Trunks turns around and yells down at Goten, "You idiot, Goten! Why did you run the other way!?" Goten angrily replies, "Why did YOU run the other way, Trunks-kun!?" Chichi cries out in surprise. "Goten! So that's where he was!" Bulma, "And the other one is Trunks!" Muten Roshi chuckles. "I knew it was those two." Trunks and Goten meet each other halfway. Goten, "What are we gonna do, Trunks-kun?" Trunks, "We're just going to have to fight like this." They shed the remnants of their costume. Trunks, "Let's go!" They both charge forward together. Number 18 gasps in shock. "Hey!" She takes both of them on together for a few seconds before the announcer intervenes. "You can't fight in pairs! You're disqualified! Disqualified!" They all suddenly stop. Trunks, "Huh?" Goten, "Disqualified?" Trunks, "No! Run!" Goten nods. "Yeah!" And they fly away together as Number 18 watches. Chichi yells angrily, "Hey you, Goten! Where do you think you're going!?" Bulma, "Trunks, get back here!"

Number 18 wipes her forehead and breathes a sigh of relief. She drops to the platform, landing in front of Mr. Satan, who is currently laying face down on the ground. He slowly looks up, and she simply stares down at him. Finally, he jumps to his feet and stands in front of her, hands at his sides, then sighs and lowers his shoulders. Announcer, "That was an incredible fight! But according to the rules, Contestant Mighty Mask has been disqualified. Now the remaining contenders are Contestant Number 18 and Contestant Mr. Satan. Whoever wins this fight wins the competition!" The crowd cheers, and such things as "Do your best!" are heard throughout the stadium. Marron, "Get him, Mommy!" On either side of her are the very unhappy Bulma and Chichi. Number 18 stands with one hand on her hip and the other at her side, staring at Satan. He looks back at her in fear. "What am I gonna do!? I'm going to get killed!"

At Babidi's ship, Goku stretches and yawns. "What's taking him so long?" Gohan, "I hope he comes soon." Vegeta stares at the door without a word. Babidi watches them through his crystal ball, but turns around when he hears a noise. He looks back and sees the door opening. He smiles. "Dabura!" Dabura steps out, grinning. "Sorry to keep you waiting." Back in the third stage, Gohan rubs his wrists as he awaits the arrival of his opponent. And at the Tenkaichi Budokai, Number 18 and Satan stare at each other, Satan in fear and Number 18 simply waiting for him to do something. The crowd cheers as they await the beginning of the battle.