Return of the Red Ribbon

Return of the Red Ribbon


“WELCOME, LADIES & GENTLEMEN, TO THE SEMI-FINALS!!!”

It’s a packed arena in West City, where the West City Martial Arts Tournament is being held. Tens of thousands of fans are cheering at the top of their lungs. It’s been a long road to get here, with 64 fighters originally in the Tournament. It is now down to four, and the Tournament Announcer is about to announce the first two fighters.

“This should be one helluva match-up.” He says. “In this corner, you have the World Martial Arts Tournament veteran. He’s regarded as one of the most skilled fighters on Earth. Lets here it for KRILLIN!!!” The bald-headed Monk steps into the ring area and waves to the crowd, acknowledging their cheers. He then focuses his eyes across the ring at his foe. “And his opponent, a newcomer to the West City Tournament. He’s been on quite the lucky streak in this Tournament, lets see if he can keep it up. Show your love for DANIEL!!!” Across the ring from Krillin stands Daniel, a well-built Karate expert, wearing a pink Gi, a Black Belt, and his hair in a Ponytail. He looks over at Krillin, and decides to taunt him.

“You have come to the end of the line, Baldy!” He says, shaking his fist at him. “My technique is flawless! My skills are masterful! I will grind you into the ground! I will shatter your round skull with my mighty fist!”

He continues to talk as the Tournament Announcer leaves the ring, walking past Krillin. “Try to leave this poor sap conscious.” He tells him.

“Heh. I make no promises.” Krillin answers confidently. Once the Announcer is clear of the fight area, the bell rings, and the fight is on. Daniel dashes out of his corner, charging at full speed towards the powerful Shaolin Monk. Krillin waits for his moment, judging the steps Daniel is taking. Once he reaches the middle, Krillin leaps into action. With blinding speed, he sweeps Daniel’s feet from under him, knocking him into the air. He then leaps straight upwards, and connects with a spinning front kick that propels him out of the ring, out of the match & out of the tournament. He hits the ground hard, bringing up a large cloud of dust and leaving a small crater. Once the dust clears, he looks like a Freight Train hit him dead on.

“Krillin has defeated his foe!” The Tournament Announcer says. “HE MOVES ON TO THE FINAL ROUND!!!”

The crowd cheers loudly, applauding for such a show of power & skill. Krillin grins to himself as he walks out of the fight area. Immediately he’s greeted and congratulated by his friends and battle partners, Yamcha & Tien. “Man, you are a beast!” Yamcha says.

“That enhanced training you’ve been doing with Master Roshi has really made you more powerful.” Tien adds.

“Thanks!” Krillin says. “Hey, you guys have had the training, too. Why didn’t you join the Tournament?”

“Eh, I’m trying to get back on good terms with my Baseball Team.” Yamcha says. “And one of the conditions of their contract says ‘No fighting’.”

“Well all I know is…” Krillin stops in the middle of his sentence when he notices someone hiding behind a large pillar, wearing a familiar hairstyle. He calmly walks over to the pillar, then looks behind it, finding out that it’s Gohan who’s been spying on him.

“Uh, hi Krillin.” He says, laughing nervously.

“Hey, Gohan. Here to see my fight?” Krillin asks, as Tien & Yamcha join him.

“Yeah, you were awesome.” Gohan tells him. “You should win this tournament no problem.”

“Yeah, I hope so.” Krillin says. “Hey, what’s with the hiding? Do you have permission from Chi-Chi to watch this Tournament?”

“What? Of course.” Gohan says, wearing a nervous smile. “It’s not like I snuck out or anything.”

“GOHAN!!!”

The yell is loud enough to rattle anyone’s bones, and it’s unmistakable. It’s Chi-Chi and she makes a beeline through the crowd straight for the Z Fighters. “Gohan, how dare you abandon your studies to go off and see this…this…brutality!” She says, scolding him before she turns to the others. “I bet this was YOUR idea, wasn’t it?”

“OH NO, NOT ME CHI-CHI!!!” Krillin says, putting up his hands.

“WE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS!!!” Yamcha adds, doing the same.

“HONEST!!!” Tien chimes in.

Chi-Chi just scoffs at them and grabs Gohan by his ear. “I can’t believe the worry you put on my heart. Do you know how hard it is as a Widowed Mother to maintain…”

“Aw, Mom.” Gohan says. Krillin & Yamcha begin laughing to themselves about the situation. But the laughter stops once they notice a match about to start in the ring. On one side of the ring is Bacterian, also a veteran of the Martial Arts Tournament. And one that Krillin knows very well. Across the ring from him is someone who Krillin would like to know very well, but not ever battle…Android Eighteen. The Bell rings and the match has begun. Bacterian charges Eighteen, arms raised and ready to rip her apart. But once he gets close enough, Eighteen simply bats him away with a backhanded fist, sending him far out of the ring & winning the match.

“And it’s over! Number Eighteen wins the match!” The Announcer says. “And that means in the West City Martial Arts Tournament Final, it will be Number 18 vs. Krillin! Join us here tomorrow for that monumental match!”

As Eighteen exits the ring, she finds herself walking towards Krillin. A small smirk appears on her face, and she flashes it at him as she passes by. All of them can sense her power level, which hasn’t changed since her last meeting with them at the Cell Games.

“She’s still as powerful as ever.” Tien says.

“Of course she is, she’s an Android.” Yamcha tells him. “They never lose power, they never weaken…it’s like they’re the perfect fighters.”

“Wait, you have to fight her?” Chi-Chi asks, looking worried for Krillin.

“Don’t worry, Mom.” Gohan chimes in. “Krillin can beat her. He won’t back down from the challenge.”

“Uh, yeah.” Krillin agrees nervously. “Won’t back down.

Later That Day…

Krillin walks the grounds of the West City Arena, as various fans congratulate him and wish him luck in the Championship. The fights for the day are over, and the combatants are either packing up to leave, or preparing for their matches in the future. As Krillin travels through the ground, he notices a familiar figure standing in front of the Female Fighters Tent. Looking closer, he finds out that it’s Jacky Chun a.k.a. Master Roshi. And he’s trying to talk his way into the tent.

“Hey, you know I’m a former World Martial Arts Champion. Hell, I’m a Martial Arts Master.” He tells the guard. “Those girls in there would love to get Martial Arts advice from me. Heh, and maybe a little hands-on training.”

The guard is about to speak when someone steps out of the tent. It’s Eighteen, wearing a smirk and looking like she heard the whole conversation. “Martial Arts Master, huh?” She says, slowing moving into her fighting stance. “Then you won’t mind if we have a little sparring session. I promise not to hold back.”

“WAIT! Uh, we can’t fight here!” Roshi says, not ready to deal with the powerful Android. “I’m not limber! I haven’t even done my stretches yet!” His words are useless, as Eighteen looks like she’s about to attack. But a split second before she moves, Krillin appears in front of Roshi, ready to fight himself.

“Knock it off!” He demands. “Not here.”

“Hmm, the cute bald-headed one.” She says, developing a smirk. “It seems you’ve become significantly stronger since the last time we met. We’ll see how strong tomorrow in our match.”

“Yeah, we will.” Krillin says, not backing down. “Just make sure you’re not a sore loser when I’m presented the trophy.”

“Awfully cocky now, aren’t we?” She asks. “Care to make this…interesting? If you win, you get anything you want of me.”

“Anything?” Krillin says a little shocked. But he shakes it off and stands firm. “OK, if I win…you…you…YOU GOTTA GO ON A DATE WITH ME!!!”

Master Roshi drops his jaw in disbelief. That was the last thing he expected Krillin to say. Eighteen however, widens the smirk on her face. “Alright, deal. Just don’t try to take me to some Fast Food place. I’m not a cheap girl.”

She starts to walk away from the two, until Krillin calls out to her. “WAIT! I told you my conditions. Now what happens if you beat me?”

Eighteen stops and stands still for a moment, before turning around and giving Krillin a sinister, yet seductive look. “Don’t worry, tough guy. You should be able to handle it.”

As she continues to walk off, Krillin can’t help but to think of what she might have planned for him. Thoughts of whips, chains, gags, burning hot pokers, and other torturous devices run through his head, at least until Master Roshi smacks him back to reality, literally.

“WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM, BALDY???” He yells at him. “You’re not Goku, Krillin. You don’t get stronger after each fight. I could feel her power level, it’s still much higher than yours. It’ll take all of your training & skill just to survive one attack from her, yet you’re willing to step into the ring and fight her? HAVE YOU LOST YOUR ROUND MIND???”

“I know what I’m doing, Master Roshi.” Krillin says. “She’s strong…but I still believe I can defeat her tomorrow.”

“Krillin, the training I’ve given you can only go so far.” Roshi tells him. “It can make you the strongest human fighter on this planet…but against a Android…”

“Don’t worry.” Krillin replies. “I’ve had some other training to prepare myself.”

“It won’t be easy.”

Krillin & Roshi look up to the source where the familiar voice came from, and see Piccolo up high above them, floating downwards. He lands beside them and turns to Krillin. “Take it from someone who’s fought an Android. They’re persistent, relentless, and ruthless. You can’t hold back against them…or they won’t give you the chance to attack again.”

“I know.” Krillin says, sounding serious.

“I saw your match earlier.” Piccolo says. “You’ve come a long way from the man I fought alongside when Nappa & Vegeta first hit earth.”

“So, you think I got a chance against 18?” Krillin asks.

“You’re very powerful.” Piccolo tells him. “In fact, you just might be the most powerful human on this planet.” Those words bring a confident smile to Krillin’s face, until… “But compared to an Android, it’s like you’re an ant.”

“Ugh. Thanks a lot, Piccolo.” Krillin says solemnly.

“But…I’ve seen Goku & Gohan defy the odds on countless occasions.” Piccolo continues. “Hell, even I’ve done it. So a human defeating an Android isn’t out of the question.” With that, Piccolo flies off away from the Arena area, leaving Krillin & Roshi to themselves. Krillin lets those words sink in, and he begins to become more confident that he can do the impossible.

“Yeah…I can beat her. I can beat an android.”

The Next Day…

“WELCOME TO THE WEST CITY MARTIAL ARTS TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP!!!”

The arena is packed yet again today, as thousands have shown up to see the final fight of the tournament. Within the crowd, sitting near the front row are Krillin’s sparring partners Tien & Yamcha. They are joined by Bulma, Master Roshi, Chi-Chi, & Gohan (who got to come after finishing his homework). Even the shadows of the arena have eyes watching this match. Vegeta, fresh from his intense training, looks on from a dark corner, and Piccolo watches from the rafters high above the arena. All eyes are not focused on the ring area, as the Tournament Announcer begins to speak.

“In this corner, we have our first finalist, you know him & you love him, give it up for KRILLIN!!!” Krillin gives a wave to the crowd as they cheer him loudly, but he doesn’t take his eyes off of Eighteen, who’s staring back at him.

“And in this corner,” The Announcer continues, “you have a newcomer to the Tournament, but she is Dynamite! Let’s hear it for EIGHTEEN!!!”

She doesn’t move a muscle as the crowd gives a mixed reaction to her. Some boo, some cheer, all want this match to get underway. They won’t have to wait any longer though, as the bell rings, signaling the start of the match. Krillin crouches down into his fighting stance, expecting Eighteen to attack him ruthlessly. Instead, she just grins & folds her arms over her chest.

“Aren’t you gonna charge up?” She asks.

“Huh, Wha?” Krillin says, caught off guard by her question.

“Don’t tell me you’re planning on fighting me at that level.” She says. “This is the championship, and I at least want to know that I beat you at your best.” Krillin takes a moment to ponder over what Eighteen has just said, but he keeps his guard up, thinking it’s a trick. “Don’t worry.” She continues. “I won’t attack. I want a challenge.”

Against his better judgment, he decides to trust her. “Alright…you want full power? Then you get it ALL!!!” Krillin digs deep within himself and brings up every ounce of power inside of him, even the hidden power that the Elder Namek released during his battle with Frieza. Letting out a loud yell, he begins to glow brightly as his power level skyrockets. The arena even starts to tremble, much to the surprise of his friends.

“Whoa! Looks like Krillin isn’t playing around.” Yamcha says. His other friends watch on in amazement. Chi-Chi stares with her jaw dropped & Gohan wears a huge grin on his face. Bulma however, carrying baby Trunks in her arm, decides to get some information. Digging into her purse, she pulls out something that hasn’t been seen in a long time…a Saiyan Scouter.

“Last time I checked Krillin’s power level, it was near 9000.” She says, putting the Scouter over her ear & eye. Activating the button on the side, she sees the calculations of numbers scrolling on the screen in front of her eye. Tien looks up and notices Bulma.

“Bulma, what does the Scouter say about Krillin’s power level?” He asks.

Bulma takes off the Scouter and looks out at Krillin in disbelief. “It’s over 9000. Way over.”

Within the shadows by the ring, Vegeta develops a smirk on his face. He can sense Krillin’s power without a Scouter. “Well, looks like cue-ball has gotten more powerful. He may be the strongest of all these earthlings.” He turns away from the match, still wearing the smirk. “But he’s still no match for me.”

Krillin looks across the ring at Eighteen, who’s still wearing her grin. There’s no hint of nervousness on her face. Not even caution. “She didn’t even flinch!” He says to himself. “Well…I’ll give her a reason to!” Powered up, he charges forward at an incredible speed, bringing back his right hand, ready to strike. But his strike is easily blocked by Eighteen, who effortlessly puts her left hand up to catch his fist. Krillin is caught off-guard by her speed, but recovers to try a roundhouse kick, which is again easily blocked by Eighteen, who puts up her right arm to deflect it. Krillin’s not done, though. He drops to the ground and attempts a sweeping kick. But Eighteen leaps over it and counters with a front thrust kick that sends Krillin tumbling violently towards the edge of the ring. Luckily, he’s able to stop himself before he falls out of the ring and gets eliminated.

“Damn!” He says, picking himself up. “I forgot just how tough Androids are.”

Eighteen giggles to herself as she tosses her hair aside. “Tell me when you’re ready to quit the warm-ups and begin, baldy.” She taunts.

“GRRRRR! Warm-ups?” Krillin repeats, before calming himself down. “Take it easy. She’s trying to get in your head. I don’t care if she is an Android. If fighters like Frieza & Cell can be beaten…SO CAN SHE!”

He charges forward again, looking ready to strike. But as he gets within a foot of Eighteen, she unleashes a hard straight right punch…and hits air. “Huh?”

She sees Krillin in front of her, but her fist feels nothing. Krillin has instituted a maneuver he hasn’t used since the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament, the After-Image Technique. Eighteen then senses Krillin’s power level behind her, but it’s too late. He connects with a thrust kick that sends her stumbling forward to the middle of the ring. Turning around, she’s greeted with a flurry of punches from Krillin, all of them unleashed at blinding speeds. Unfortunately for him though, she’s able to block each & every one of them. After a minute, she grows tired and ends the punch-fest with a quick axe kick that stuns Krillin higher into the air. Everything moves in slow motion for him, as he finds himself dazed & defenseless. What’s worse, Eighteen follows it up with a 360 Crescent Kick that sends him back to the ground, hard. He skids against the floor, only stopping a mere inches away from the edge…and elimination.

“Pathetic.” She tells him, as he struggles to his feet. “You’d think with all the time you’ve spent with Goku, you’d at least get some of his skills.”

“I’m not done yet!” Krillin responds, stretching back into his fighting stance. “I can still take you down!”

“Sure, whatever you say.” She sarcastically responds, in her usual cool demeanor. “Mind if I lead this time?”

The moment those words leave her lips, she disappears from site, shocking & confusing Krillin as to where she’s gone. He finds out when he’s knocked into the air by a violent knee to the back from Eighteen. As she watches his stunned body flip in the air, she goes in for the final blow. But it’s only a ploy, as Krillin baits her in with a mid-air side kick that she’s barely able to block, followed by another one that knocks her back. He lands on his feet and takes the fight to her, but Eighteen quickly recovers, dodges his attack and grabs Krillin from behind, wrapping her left arm around his neck. Wearing a subtle sinister grin, she calls up a Ki Energy Ball in her free hand. This causes Krillin to panic and break away from the hold, distancing himself from her.

“HEY! This is supposed to be 1-on-1. No Ki attacks!” He tells her.

“Well if you want, you can use yours, too.” Eighteen responds. “Don’t you wanna look like you put up a fight in front of your friends here, before I put you down? I mean your skills are rather feeble.”

“THAT’S IT!!!” Krillin yells, tired of being ridiculed repeatedly. “I’ve had it! I didn’t want to do this…King Kai said it would rip my body apart if I even try. But you’re asking for it! Let’s see how smug you’ll be in a moment!” Clenching his hands into a fist very tightly, he firmly plants his feet down, looks up and screams a shocking word to the Heavens.

“KAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-KEEEEENNNNNNN!!!!!!”

It’s the infamous Kaio-Ken attack, often used by Krillin’s pal Goku to power up beyond his limits when the battle called for it. Krillin’s body starts glowing again, but this time it’s an unearthly red glow. The entire arena starts to shake, as dozens of fans are shaken out of their seats, including Chi-Chi, surprisingly. Instinctively, Bulma checks her Scouter for Krillin’s power level. But as soon as she activates it, a crack develops in the screen. She quickly turns it off and takes it off, so that the screen won’t shatter.

“This…this is unreal.” She says, before turning to Yamcha. “Yamcha, isn’t that Goku’s move?”

“Yeah, King Kai taught it to him.” Yamcha answers.

“And to us!” Tien adds. “But I didn’t think that Krillin would use it!”

After a few more moments, the shaking stops and Krillin’s ceases his charge-up. The red glow still surrounds his body though, and other changes have taken place. His muscles have pumped up more and tightened, and his eyes have a hint of redness. Not to indicate evil, but determination. He stays focused on his opponent Eighteen, who’s now taking him seriously after the impromptu Power Boost.

“Krillin!” Tien asks. “You know King Kai said only to use the Kaio-Ken attack when the earth’s in danger. Because our bodies aren’t Saiyan and probably can’t handle the strain.”

“Consider this a test run!” He answers, not taking his eyes off of Eighteen.

“Alright!” Gohan cheers, as Chi-Chi picks herself back up and sits down. “I knew Krillin got a lot stronger when he came back to life. GO KRILLIN! YOU CAN BEAT THAT ANDROID! I KNOW YOU CAN!!!”

Krillin hears Gohan’s words of encouragement, but doesn’t acknowledge him. He doesn’t want to let Eighteen out of his sight, especially since their powers are closer to being even. A stare down develops between the two, but it lasts only for a moment, before both of them dissapear from the human eye. A second later, they reappear in the middle of the ring, Eighteen blocking a Haymaker Right from Krillin that rattles the whole arena. It escalates to a trading of blows, both moving at a lightning pace, blocking and parrying punches, kicks, knees & elbows. Krillin keeps pace with Eighteen, until he sees a small opening. Taking it, he connects with a brutal right knee to her gut, then follows up with an Ax Handle Smash that puts Eighteen on the floor for the first time. She quickly rolls over onto her back though, and fires off a Ki Blast that Krillin barely avoids. He does several flips backwards and lands a good distance away from Eighteen, who quickly rises and fires off another one. This one Krillin isn’t able to avoid, but he gets his arms up quick enough and holds it back. The small ball of Ki energy spins rapidly, trying to break through Krillin’s block, but after several moments of struggling, Krillin’s able to deflect it upward, sending it through the roof and into the sky outside. The fight is starting to where on him, as he looks beat up. But that doesn’t stop him from retaliating, as he raises his right hand into the air.

“DESTRUCTO DISK!!!”

A ball of Ki Energy appears in his right hand, then morphs into a large spinning blade of Energy, with razor sharp sides.

“Uh-oh, not good!” Yamcha says, knowing what the disc of energy can do. “EVERYBODY DUCK!!!!”

Krillin hurls the disc at Eighteen, who first prepares herself to deflect it, but thinks twice. “Whoa! It’s too powerful to deflect!” She says to herself, jumping out of the way, just barely avoiding it. But Krillin anticipates her avoidance and begins to maneuver the disc through hand gestures, sending it after Eighteen. She leads the disc on a chase throughout the arena, soaring up to the rafters first, then down through the crowd. Fans leap out of the way, clearing a path for her as the disc continues to stay hot on her tail. The chase even passes the Z Fighters, as they duck and let it pass over them. Chi-Chi holds onto Gohan as the chase passes by, even though Gohan could’ve easily deflected the disc. The chase leads back to the ring area, where Eighteen decides to end it. She stops in front of Krillin and lets the disc get closer, before disappearing from his sight, leaving the disc barreling towards him. Panicking, he fires a Ki Blast that ignites the disc, sending it up in a cloud of smoke.

“Phew.”

Krillin breathes a sigh of relief, but its relief short lived as Eighteen emerges from the smoke. In a flash, she connects with a left knee strike, then floors Krillin with an Ax Handle Smash, just as he did her. Only this time, she adds a vicious kick to the face than sends him violently tumbling towards the edge again. To his luck thought, he comes to a stop…though his left leg hangs lifelessly over the edge, just an inch from the ground. Somehow though, someway he finds the will to turn and rise to his feet. He stumbles a bit though, and finds out that he’s bleeding from the mouth when several drops hit the floor in front of him. His vision is blurry from the kick to the head, and he can barely stand, but he stretches back into his fighting stance, ready for more.

“A glutton for punishment, huh?” Eighteen asks. “While this has been enjoyable, I’m afraid it must come to an end. To be honest, you’re starting to bore me, and I never could take a boring game.”

“Is…is that what this is to you…a game?” Krillin replies. “People…fight in this tournament…to BETTER themselves. To better their skills! And you think it’s a GAME???”

Rage now fills his eyes as he glares at the woman across the ring. The red glow around him becomes even brighter, as he brings both of his hands back and cups them close together.

“Let’s see if you’re bored after this!”

A small, yet fiercely concentrated ball of Ki Energy appears in the middle of his cupped hands, and it slowly grows.

“KAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA…”

Master Roshi’s eyes widen in horror, as he hopes the next syllable doesn’t leave Krillin’s lips.

“MEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHH…”

“He can’t be serious!” Yamcha panics. “He’s not gonna release the Kamehameha Wave in here, is he?”

“I got a bad feeling.” Bulma says, holding onto young Trunks and taking cover under her seat as the Ki energy steadily rises in Krillin’s hands.

“HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA…”

“AAAHH!!! He’s lost his mind!” Chi-Chi yells. “It’s all those years of hanging with Goku! He’s a bad influence!”

“Don’t worry, Mom.” Gohan tells her. “I’m sure Krillin knows what he’s doing…I hope.”

“MEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHH…”

“KRILLIN, YOU MANIAC!!!” Roshi yells at him. “Don’t do it! There are innocent people in here, ya idiot!”

The warnings go unheeded.

“HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!”

Krillin shoots his arms forward and unleashes a massive Kamehameha Wave, aimed at Eighteen.

“Guh! What the F—!”

She’s not able to even finish her sentence, as the Wave is upon her. She puts up her arms and blocks it, but ends up pushed back a good 30 feet in the process. It’s one of Krillin’s strongest Kamehameha Waves, and the Kaio-Ken just amplifies the power. Eighteen hasn’t felt this kind of energy since she went toe-to-toe with Imperfect Cell, who Krillin is rivaling right now in terms of power. The beam is surprisingly focused completely on Eighteen, with the whole crowd safe from the blast, so far. The struggle seems to fair well for Krillin, as Eighteen feels herself pushed back inch by inch with every second that passes. The Z Fighters and family look on in shock & awe.

“Go Krillin, go!” Gohan cheers, enjoying this moment more than anyone else here.

“Heh, looks like Baldy’s got some potential after all.” Vegeta says, still watching from the shadows.

Eighteen can feel herself weakening from the force of the wave. A few more seconds, and she won’t be able to hold it back. Desperate, she leans back and flings her arms apart in an attempt to deflect the Wave upward. It works, as the Kamehameha crashes through the roof and soars into the sky. Krillin, unable to control it, cuts off the attack and falls to his knees, looking half-dead. The Wave did a number on Eighteen as well, but she’s still standing.

“I guess that was your best shot.” She says, smugly. “Gotta hand it to you, I didn’t know you had that much power, but it wasn’t enough.”

“Oh yeah…” Krillin replies, wearing a smug grin himself. “…I think it was.”

He weakly raises his left hand and points down. Eighteen, confused, looks down at her feet, then realizes what Krillin meant. The blast did defeat her…it pushed her well out of the ring area, eliminating her from the match. It takes a moment for the crowd to realize this as well, but once they do, thunderous cheers emerge from the crowd.

“THE WINNER OF THE WEST CITY MARTIAL ARTS TOURNAMENT…LET’S HEAR IT FOR KRILLIN!!!!”

Deafening roars fill the arena, all of them for Krillin, who’s won one of the biggest matches of his life. Usually he would enjoy it, but extreme exhaustion makes him fall forward to the ground. Before he hits though, Tien & Yamcha grab hold and pick him back up. They’re quickly joined by the rest of the gang, all of them concerned about Krillin.

“Is he gonna be OK?” Chi-Chi asks.

“Don’t know.” Tien responds. “At least he’s still conscious.”

“Hey, maybe we can get some Senzu beans for him.” Gohan suggests.

“Good idea, Kid.” Bulma tells him, pulling out her cell phone. “I’ll get Korin over to drop off some. Then he’ll…”

She stops her sentence when she notices a scary sight out of the corner of her eye. Eighteen is slowly approaching them, casually brushing the dirt & dust off of her outfit. Immediately, Tien & Yamcha hand over Krillin to Master Roshi, and stretch into their fighting stance. Gohan follows suit.

“Krillin won fair & square, OK?” Gohan tells her. “Now back off. He can’t even fight you now!”

“Relax, kid. You’re right.” Eighteen agrees, walking past the young half-Saiyan. “I’m just here to confirm my part of the bet.”

“Bet?” Gohan, Yamcha & Tien say, as they watch Eighteen squats down to address a barely-conscious Krillin.

“Looks like you won, Baldy.” She tells him. “You can pick me up here at 5 tomorrow. And remember, no Fast Food joints. I’m not a cheap girl.”

That being said, she stands back up, tosses her hair aside and walks away from the Z Fighters, no battle, no threat, nothing. Krillin heard every word she had to say, but is barely able to answer.

“Heh…Date…” He says, before passing out.