6- Into the Ring
Pan sighed and closed her eyes as the planet's sun warmed her skin. She held out her arms, basking in the light. The fresh air and natural light were such a mood booster.
"What are you doing?" Trunks' voice was nearby.
"I'm sucking in all the nutrients this sun will give me," Pan answered. "If only I could use them to grow a little."
Trunks snorted. "You're no flower, and I think you're done growing."
Pan opened her eyes to glare at him, but she was surprised to see that he was standing next to her. His face tilted towards the sun with his eyes closed as well. There was a small smile on his face.
"The sun sure does feel nice," Goku commented as he walked up. "I feel as if it has been forever since I last saw sunlight."
"Yeah," Trunks straightened his head and opened his eyes.
"This place feels like home, just a little," Pan said.
"Yeah, if you don't think about the pink and purple sky," Trunks said.
"It's like a sunset on earth," Pan retorted.
"Or the brown grass," he glanced down.
"It could be a little dry," she said.
Goku chuckled and shook his head. "It does have a few similar qualities. Which way is the market? Do you think they'll have food places? 'Cause I don't know about you two, but I'm getting hungry," he said as he rubbed his stomach.
"Papa, you're always hungry," Pan reminded him with a fond smile.
"I'm sure there will be food," Trunks commented. "It's a supply planet. I'm sure there's a lot of stuff here." Trunks pulled out the Dragon Radar and turned it on.
"I thought the Dragon Ball was on the other planet?" Pan asked curiously.
"It is, but I programmed the Dragon Radar to pick up heat signals. That way we'll know which way to go to the city. Look -" Trunks held out the Dragon Radar towards her.
Pan reached for it carefully. The last time she had taken the Radar from him, she had landed on her butt. Her bottom had been sore for hours afterward! Trunks didn't hold on this time, and the Dragon Radar slipped right out of his palms. Pan looked at the screen, which was laid out in a map format. It must have been connected to the ship's database somehow. In the northern part of the planet, several tiny red dots were clustered together.
"Is that it?" She asked.
"It would be safe to assume so," Trunks nodded.
"And you programmed the Dragon Radar to do this?"
"Yeah," Trunks said with a shrug as if it were nothing.
"That's amazing, Trunks," Pan awed as she looked at the Radar again.
Pan had always been amazed at how Bulma could work her inventions and put things back together in a matter of minutes. She had seen Trunks tinkering with stuff on the ship, but it had never occurred to her that he was like Bulma in that sense.
Pan glanced up and was surprised to see that Trunks was looking at her like he had never seen her before. She held out the Dragon Radar, and he it took it wordlessly before walking away. Pan blinked after him in confusion.
"Panny," Goku called from behind Trunks. "Come on."
"Coming!" Pan smiled as she ran to catch up to them.
The supply planet, labeled as Yoi in the ship's database, was very different from the last planet they had been on. This planet seemed open and friendly. Stores laid out across the strips, their doors wide open as aliens shopped and chattered about happily. Most of the aliens were humanoid in appearance, but some weren't. Some had long snouts and others tails! They didn't give the Saiyans any second looks, because they were probably used to having strange visitors around.
"Do you smell that?" Goku asked as he straightened his back and turned his nose towards the air.
Pan sniffed, and instantly she knew what her Papa was talking about. The delicious, sweet smell of barbecue ribs. The smell of meat! Real meat! Bulma had done her best to provide for them during their trip, but the meals they had to choose from were not very filling. It had been so long since Pan had tasted real meat that she could feel her mouth-watering.
Trunks had frozen, but it was evident by the way he was sniffing the air and licking his bottom lip that he had smelled it as well. He turned towards Goku and Pan. "I think we should eat first," he suggested.
"Okay!" Pan and Goku were too quick to agree.
XxXxX
The planet Yoi was surprisingly nice and well stocked with goods. After eating, the group had gone to the main market store and stocked up on food. Goku had wanted many things, and Trunks let them splurge a little with meat and other perishables. It would be food that would need to be eaten soon, but with the three of them being Saiyans, he figured it wouldn't take long. Other food items were non-perishable foods. They didn't know when they would find another supply planet or come close to this one again, so they had to stock up well.
With their supplies safely in capsules inside Trunks' pocket, they walked around the plaza to examine the booths. The booths were primarily snacks and jewelry. Goku stopped at everyone he could and tried to take a sample.
"I hope tomorrow goes smoothly, and we'll be able to get the Dragon Balls without any problems," Pan sighed as she stretched.
Trunks but back a snort; he wanted to retort that she was why they had problems with the previous two Dragon Balls. He didn't say anything, though. He still felt guilty for what he had told her the day she had been kidnapped. The look in her eyes the night he had found her in the hatch was enough for him to at least try to be kind to her. He never wanted to see that empty look on her face again.
"As long as we stay focused on obtaining the Dragon Balls and get out as soon as possible, I think we'll be okay," Trunks said.
"Hey!" Goku, who stood in front of a booth, waved them over. "Come and try these!"
Trunks followed Pan over to the booth and stared down at the golden candy. The alien behind the booth gave them a warm smile
as she handed them samples. The candy was sweet and syrupy. It seemed to melt inside the mouth, and it had a pleasant honey flavor mixed in with the sugar and vanilla.
"It's so sweet!" Pan sighed in delight, a soft smile on her face.
"Thank you," the alien smiled happily.
"Via, tell her what the name of it is," Goku grinned at the alien.
"It's called Panna. It means something is sweet on our planet. That's your name, isn't it?" Via asked.
Trunks threw his head back and laughed, and Pan huffed up at him as her cheeks turned pink. "It's close to it," she told the alien with a smile.
"Sweet," Trunks was still snorting.
"What are you laughing about, Trunks?!" Pan huffed at him. "I am sweet!"
Before Trunks could reply, there was a rustling sound and a gush of wind. He glanced up just in time to see a spaceship fly over the market. The aliens gasped in horror, and the lively market grew quiet.
"Who's that?" Pan asked quietly.
Via swallowed hard. "They are Heilkins. They come from the planet next to ours, Heil," she explained quietly. "They are cruel and cause many of us to fear. Whenever they visit, they take whatever they want without paying, and usually, there's a mess to clean up afterward."
"Those bullies!" Pan gasped.
"And you said they're from the planet next to yours?" Goku raised an eyebrow. He must have been thinking the same thing Trunks was - the Heilkins were the aliens that occupied the planet the Dragon Ball was on.
An alien suddenly ran down the strip, their dark eyes wide and fearful. "They're here!" They shouted with a tremor in their voice. "The Heilkins are here!"
The air seemed to still as the ground shook with the heavy footsteps of the Heilkins. They appeared in the distance, towering giants compared to the aliens on Yoi who were around the same height as Pan. The Heilkins were every bit of 8 ft, if not more. Trunks could see why the aliens of Yoi were terrified of them. The Heilkins skins were a muted tone of grey ash and dark greens. Their heads were small, but from their shoulders down, they were huge.
With deep rumbles of laughter, the Heilkins stopped at the first booth and began to ransack it.
"Trunks," Goku whispered. "Look at the one in the front."
Trunks' eyes scanned the Heilkin leading the group. He was the biggest of them all, his bottom fangs poking out in an underbite. He had on the same kind of fur cloth the other Heilkins had on, but around his neck shimmered an orange necklace. It took Trunks only a few seconds - it was the seven black-star Dragon Ball.
"Shit," Trunks hissed under his breath. "We need to come up with a plan to get -"
A rock zoomed past Trunks and Goku and thunked the Heilkin's leader right on the forehead. Trunks' eyes widened in shock. He knew who had thrown that rock without even turning around.
Beside him, Goku laughed nervously, "oh boy."
"HEY, UGLIES!" Pan yelled from the middle of the street. "LEAVE THIS PLANET ALONE!"
The Heilkin's turned towards Pan, and Trunks felt himself cringing. This was not going to be good.
"Lord Gog, I think the pipsqueak is talking to you," spoke one in a deep voice.
The leader laughed. His voice was a raspy hiss as he glared at Pan. "Who's gonna stop us? You?"
Pan set her chin out proudly as she placed her hands on her hips. "If I have to! But just so you know, I have two of the strongest people in this galaxy with me!" She said as she pointed towards Trunks and Goku.
Goku raised his hand and waved. "Hi! I'm Goku."
Trunks sighed, "This family is going to be the death of me."
Gog stared at Trunks and Goku. His eyes said he didn't believe her, and Trunks wondered if he would still think that if he and Goku powered up into Super Saiyans. Despite the situation being tensed, Trunks was almost eager for a fight. He felt like it had been a long time since he trained adequately. He kept up his routine morning workout In his room, but there was no Gravity Room to push his limit, nor was there any space for safe sparring.
"Why don't we make a deal?" Pan asked Gog, a smile on her lips. "You're a tough guy, right? So we'll fight you! If we win, you hand us that necklace of yours, and you leave this planet alone!" She said.
"And if we win?" Gog looked at her wickedly.
Trunks was impressed that Pan was still standing tall. She looked tiny next to Gog. "You can choose," she told him. "Whatever you want from us, we'll give."
Gog stared at Pan for several moments. "Deal," he said, "but I choose the fighter, alright?"
"Go ahead -" Pan motioned towards Trunks and Goku. "Either one of them can crush you."
"Oh, I hope he picks me," Goku said with an excited voice. "It's been so long since I had a good fight."
Trunks snorted, "yeah, too bad my Dad didn't come with us, huh?"
"I know!" Goku nodded, "but we should spar sometime if we have a chance to. I don't think I've sparred with you for a while."
Trunks found himself smiling, "sure. Sounds fun," he said.
"You!" Gog pointed one of his four beefy fingers at Pan. "I choose you!"
"Me?!" Pan gasped, feigning shock and fright.
Trunks let out a snort. "Oh my stars, she played him."
"What?" Goku looked over at Trunks with a frown. He was obviously disappointed at not being chosen.
"She hyped us up to make it seem like we were the only fighters. She did it so that Gog would think she was weak and pick her to fight," Trunks said. He was actually impressed.
"What?!" Goku gasped. "Panny!" He yelled towards her. "I wanted to fight!"
"Sorry, Papa," Pan smiled with an innocent shrug. "I was the one he picked."
"Aren't you two worried about her?" Via asked with a tremble in her voice. "Lord Gog is known to be cruel and to play dirty."
"Nah," Trunks said with a smirk. He had seen Pan spar with Goten plenty of times. She could hold her own, and she knew how to play dirty herself.
XxXxX
Just outside the city market was a desert terrain that everyone had moved to for the fight. The aliens of Yoi crowded around Pan as she stretched. They were whispering in fearful voices, begging her to be careful or to quit. Pan wouldn't quit, though. If she didn't do anything, Gog would continue to terrorize the aliens, and they needed that Dragon Ball around his neck.
Pan pulled up her hair in a messy bun and looked over at the boys. "Don't tell me you're still pouting, Papa," Pan said.
His lips pooched out farther, "I wanted to fight. But I am excited to see you fight," he said with a smile. "I know you'll do great, Panny."
Pan beamed at the compliment before turning towards Trunks. He was looking at her curiously, and Pan braced herself for a scolding. "I know," she told him before he began. "I got us into a mess again, but -"
"You'll get us out of it," Trunks finished for her. A small smile tugged onto his lips. "I know you'll kick his ass, Pan. Make sure to throw in a punch or two for me."
Pan smiled in surprise. She hadn't expected that, but knowing that Trunks believed in her and supported her made her feel more confident than ever.
"Hey!" Gog roared from the opening space. "Come and fight, Little Girl!" He snarled. "Let me crush you."
Pan held her head high as she walked over to him. She could hear the other Heilkins laughing and snickering. They thought this would be an easy win for them; that's why Gog had chosen her as the fighter. Pan would show Gog and the Heilkins that size didn't matter.
Pan stopped a few yards away from Gog. "We fight until the other surrenders," she told him.
An evil glint ran through his beady eyes. "Not to the death?"
Pan felt a shudder run through her. She knew that sometimes, for the greater good, some things had to be dealt with in such ways. Freiza, Cell, and Buu we're all examples of it. But if Pan could help it, she didn't want to take Gog's life. She just wanted that Dragon Ball and for him to leave Yoi alone.
Pan held her head high as she spoke, "If that's what you want, but you'll be regretting that decision soon enough."
Gog let out a loud nasty laugh that had the other Heilkins laughing. Pan could feel her eye twitching.
"Well - come at me!" Pan yelled, "if you think you can knock me down."
Gog snarled and rushed forward. Even though he was big and bulky, he was slow. Pan could see every movement he made, and before he made it to her, she avoided him and slid behind him. She raised her leg and kicked him, making his knees buckle. Gog fell to the ground, landing on his hands and knees.
Pan glanced up at the shocked faces of the other Heilkins and smirked. She knew she had her Saiyan side to thank for her fast reflexes and strong muscles.
Gog shot up with his heavy fists aimed towards Pan. She jumped back and used her foot to kick him again - this time in the face. "You know," she said as she straightened up. "For someone who thinks they're big and bad, you're not strong."
Gog was bleeding from his lip now. "I'm going to make you pay for this," he hissed.
"I'd like to see you try."
Gog rushed forward once more, and Pan avoided his fist as she gave his stomach a few quick hits. She heard him sucking in his breath. She made her hits faster and as she pushed him back further. Pan smirked as she gave Gog an uppercut that sent him flying into the air. He landed back on the ground with a thunk.
The aliens of Yoi were whispering loudly, though adrenaline had caused Pan's heart to grow crazy, and she couldn't hear anything they were saying. She walked over to a groaning Gog.
"I give," he muttered.
"Really?" Pan raised an eyebrow. "I thought we were fighting to the death?"
"No - please, no," Gog shook his head.
Pan smiled as she turned towards Trunks and Goku. "I did it!" She beamed.
Goku was smiling brightly. "Great job, Panny! Let's get the Dragon Ball and finish shopping."
Trunks was smiling at Pan softly, and he opened his mouth to say something before his eyes widened, and he screamed, "PAN!"
Pan felt the sting on her side before anything else. The aliens of Yoi screams were mixed in with the sounds of blood rushing to Pan's ears. Slowly, Pan glanced down and saw that the right side of her orange shirt was soaking with blood - her blood.
Gog laughed. He was standing with a blade in his hand. Pan hadn't even heard him move. "I'm tired of playing with you," he growled at Pan. "I let you have your fun; now I'm going to have mine."