Chapter Sixty-five: Barracks the Mighty

There was dead silence in the lab. Kakarot gritted his teeth as he stepped forward and took a stance. 'Barracks! You're going to pay for before.'

Barracks crossed his muscular arms. 'If it's all the same to you I'd rather take this fight outside. Far too much valuable equipment in here.'

Kakarot surged forward, but Barracks darted away, and his punch hit nothing but air. The red-haired man surged past the rest of them, Kakarot rushing after him. They followed him out into the courtyard.

There they found the wrecked and burning remnants of the Red Ribbon HQ. Barracks was pulling rocks away from where the building had fallen on Silver.

'Get back here!' roared Kakarot.

Kakarot surged forward with a roar. Barracks straightened up. 'As you wish.'

Then Barracks turned around. Before Kakarot could move a boot was slammed into his gut, and he was thrown backward reeling. Kakarot stood, clutching his stomach. 'You bastard…'

'I've perfected the superhuman serum.' said Barracks. 'Now nothing can stop me from creating a new master race. One greater than any who came before.' He reached out and snatched Kakarot by the throat. He tightened his grip with a smile. 'And you won't stand in my way.'

At that moment Bulma shot forward and kicked him in the neck. 'Let him go.'

Barracks hardly moved. 'Ms. Briefs. I am glad to see you are still whole. But surely you don't think you are my equal?'

Kakarot was dropped, and a karate chop hit Bulma in the neck.

'Bulma!' cried Krillen, surging forward to unleash a flurry of punches.

Barracks dodged them easily, raising an eyebrow. '…I have no idea who you are.'

'The name's Krillin.' said Krillin, rising into the air. 'Remember it!' 'I'll be sure to add it to your tombstone.' said Barracks.

'Kamehameha!' cried Krillin, sending a wave of blue.

Barracks raised a hand and caught the wave. It flowed against him, but he sent it right back. Krillin stared helplessly as his own attack surged toward him.

Then Chi Chi was there on her Nimbus, pulling him away. She landed and set Krillin down carefully.

'Thanks, Chi Chi.' said Krillin.

'No problem.' said Chi Chi. Then he unleashed a kamehameha and surged toward Barracks.

Barracks shifted his stance and caught her by the arm as she came. Swinging her around with her own momentum he sent her flying toward Kakarot as he charged again. Both were flung head over heels.

Then Yamcha was there. Barracks engaged in a flurry of blows. Back and forth they fought, and Barracks was driven slowly backward. Finally, they separated. Barracks looked impressed. 'You are a talented martial artist, to match the serum with nothing but hard work.

'Interested in a job?'

'No way.' said Yamcha. 'Wolf fang fist!'

Yamcha surged forward. Before Barracks could move the former bandit unleashed a flurry of strikes on his arms. Barracks hissed in pain before a final blow sent him flying backward to crash into a wall, which broke.

'Go Yamcha!' cried Puar.

Yet the rubble shifted, and Barracks emerged. 'Hmm, rapidly striking all the pressure points in my arm to induce pain. Interesting technique. Very cunning. Here, allow me to reply.'

His eyes flashed, and suddenly Yamcha froze. His every muscle tensed as Barracks walked forward.

'Yamcha. what's wrong?' asked Puar.

'I… I can't move…' gasped Yamcha.

'That's impossible!' said Kakarot. 'That was Blue's attack!' 'Who do you think helped Blue and Silver develop their moves?' asked Barracks. 'Commander Red? Here's another one I created.' A golden ball of energy appeared in his hand. 'Mint flasher!'

The sphere shot towards Yamcha. Faster and larger than anything that had been thrown before by Silver. And many more of them came behind.

There was a flash as Puar screamed.

But Launch was flashing there. Her hands were in front of her, and she was panting. Then she collapsed.

'Launch!' said Yamcha.

'Not… not quite…' said Hasky. 'darling…'

'Hasky… why would you save us?' asked Yamcha.

'Because… there are more important things in this world than money…' said Hasky. 'And I never got to know any of them… I'm just a data chip. A series of electrical bursts in Launch's brain meant to induce a specific personality. I don't really exist. But… when I look at the memories, I don't have… I wish I did…'

'Okay…' said Barracks. 'understanding an attack in theory and using it are too different things. I don't think I'm ready for this fight.'

'You just realized that?' asked Roshi as he stepped forward.

Barracks dodged away from a punch and was pushed back by a flurry of strikes. Many of them connected and he took several bruises. 'Master Roshi. Your reputation proceeds you.'

'Son, I don't care what kind of drug you gave yourself.' said Roshi, catching Barrack's punch and elbowing him in the gut. 'Superpowers are no substitute for good old fashioned discipline.'

'Sure, but I still possess the advantage in raw strength.' said Barracks. Then he ducked and unleashed a sweeping kick. Roshi dodged back. 'Don't be sure about that sonny.' he said. Then he closed his eyes and focused.

Suddenly Roshi's muscles expanded outward to huge proportions. Barracks observed as he grew to have a body that bodybuilders would cower at.

Barracks threw a punch and Roshi caught it in hands. They pressed against each other in a contest of raw strength. The shattered pavement broke beneath them as they growled. Chi surged around them and energy surged from them.

Finally, there was a flash and an explosion of energy as Barracks leaped back

'Hmm, you used your chi to increase your muscle mass to compete with my strength. Impressive.' said Barracks. 'You certainly live up to the legend.'

'I'm warning you sonny, I'm not in a good mood.' said Roshi. 'I'm going to give you one chance to back out. And if you don't take it, you're done.'

Barracks looked as the various other fighters were readying themselves around him. Then he raised his hands in defeat. 'Okay, okay, I back out.'

'What?' said Roshi.

'I quit the field. You have successfully destroyed my fortress. And you've demonstrated that you are far more powerful than I am.' said Barracks. 'Congratulations, a winner is you.'

'So you're not going to keep attacking us?' asked Chi Chi.

'Why would I do that? I wasn't looking for a fight anyway.' said Barracks. 'All I've done so far is defend myself from you.'

'Defend against this!' roared Kakarot. 'Kamehameha!'

A massive wave of blue energy, larger than any other, surged towards Barracks. At the same time, Yamcha came from behind. 'Wolf fang fist!'

'The same trick won't work twice, I'm afraid!' said Barracks.

He sent a mint flasher at the kamehameha. The flasher struck it and pushed back the kamehameha. Kakarot dodged back in time to see it flying into the air to explode. Barracks leaped over Yamcha's lunge. Even as he did the other fighters surged from all around him.

Hemmed in, Barracks drew out a sphere and closed his eyes.

There was a blinding flash and all of them fell to the ground. 'Ah, my eyes!' cried Krillin. When they got up, Barracks was gone.

'Flashbangs.' said Roshi. 'Now that's a nasty trick.'

'Why weren't you affected?' asked Bulma.

'Kid, when you've got sunglasses as cool as these a bit of light no biggie.' said Roshi.

Kakarot roared in anger and sent a kamehameha wave to destroy a building. 'Damn it all! How could I lose to that weakling?'

'Calm down, Kakarot. He'll be back.' said Roshi. 'You just need to train for the day.'

'Train?!' said Kakarot. 'He didn't train! All he did was seal himself in a device and all of a sudden he could beat all of us! That isn't fair!'

'And whoever said life was fair?' asked Roshi. 'You were born far stronger and faster than anyone else on earth. You've got natural abilities that martial artists have trained their whole lives for.

'There is always someone better, Kakarot. You can either keep improving to be the best you can be. Or you can whine and complain about how life isn't fair.'

Kakarot remained silent. '…All right, fine. Good point.'

'Besides, we won.' said Roshi. 'The way I see it we beat the snot out of the Red Ribbon Army, we got our friends back, and we got all the dragon balls.'

'That reminds me.' said Yamcha, drawing out his dragon radar. 'Bulma, catch.'

Bulma caught it. 'Hey, the radar I built you! Nice, now we can find the last of the dragon balls…' She paused. 'Um…'

'What is it?' asked Yamcha.

'According to this, six of the seven dragon balls are heading away from here now.' said Bulma. 'In the opposite direction, the Red Ribbon Army went.'

'What?' asked Puar. 'But who could have gotten them all here so quickly.'

'Actually Yamcha, something is bothering me.' said Kakarot. How did you get here so fast?'

Yamcha paused. 'Um, well I sort of had to team up with Pilaf.'

'PIIIIIIIILAAAAAAF!' roared Kakarot skyward.

'Come on, let's find a capsule and go after them-' said Yamcha.

'No, no we are not doing that.' said Kakarot. 'We're going after the last dragonball. Once we've gotten it in our hands, we'll target Pilaf.'

'Kakarot is right.' said Chi Chi. 'As long as we have one dragonball, Pilaf can't win.'

'Okay but there is one thing we need to talk about first.' said Bulma.

'Yeah, what is it Bulma?' asked Yamcha.

'I'm wearing a prison uniform!' roared Bulma, motioning to the clinging orange. 'I wouldn't be caught dead in this outfit?! And the Red Ribbon Army's stupid genetic alterations have made it so I can't even fit into this! Ugh, how am I ever going to find bra in this size!' Her sudden movements sent her enlarged breasts bouncing. 'I might be able to help.' said Roshi. 'I have an entire set of capsules for this occasion.'

He drew out a capsule and hurled it. What emerged were a series of bathing suits, catsuits, bunny suits, and others. All of them were for a very curvy woman and all of them were risque, to say the least. Bulma looked at them.

'How could you ever attract someone with these sizes, Master?' asked Krillin.

'I can dream, can't I?' asked Roshi.

'I'll go look for some capsules.' said Puar.

'All of you look away!' snapped Bulma. 'If any of you peep you'll be sorry!'

In the end, Bulma ended up wearing a french maid outfit. It didn't bare her legs as much as the others, and the cleavage didn't reach down to her stomach. It just showed it off. Which was more than could be said for the others.

'Shut up!' said Bulma.

'Nobody said anything.' said Chi Chi.

'I'm back Yamcha!' said Puar. 'I have the capsules.'

'Ugh, I feel like I'm on the cover of a dirty magazine.' said Bulma.

'Don't worry, Bulma. It would be the hottest selling version of all time.' said Roshi, eyeing her.

Bulma punched him in the face. 'Okay, now I'm done. Listen, you guys go on ahead without me. Launch and I are going to stick around here.'

'Why?' asked Yamcha.

'I want to get the details on those experiments Barracks was working on.' said Bulma. 'If I can find out what he was doing I might find what his plan was. You go after the dragonball.'

'But should I take Launch with me?' asked Yamcha.

'No,' said Bulma 'I need to use the lab equipment here to examine Hasky. I can't save her if I don't have any equipment.'

'Can we do this pathetic group therapy session later?!' roared Kakarot. 'Say, at a time when Pilaf isn't on the verge of gaining world domination! Chi Chi, summon your nimbus. Let's go.'

As the group set out Kakarot looked to the sky. The Red Ribbon Army was no more. But the adventure had only just begun. Kakarot didn't care what it took. Pilaf's mad schemes would never succeed.

Oh and also he'd crush Barracks at some point. Barracks was a personal nemesis. But Pilaf was the primary threat.

Author's Note:

And so ends the Red Ribbon Army arc. Originally I was going to kill Barracks off in this chapter, but that didn't fit with the characters.

Sorry, the update schedule has fallen behind. I've been working on a lot of different fics, and this one was a bit low priority.