The Last Tuffle: Chapter 7

6:00AM: morning routine. Have all beds made, wash up, and get dressed. Males and females sleep in separate quarters but all take the same tests. Messing around, or having sexual contact is prohibited. Anyone who is pregnant or has severe disabilities are banned from entering the military.

6:45AM: Be ready for inspection and head down for breakfast. The most common meals include eggs rich with protein, bacon strips, and milk.

7:20AM: Lectures for newbies, meet ups with staff. New members quickly learn manners and proper behavior. An important rule is addressing authority and the commander by “sir,” “ma’am” or “samma.” Those who don’t follow the rules are forced to do extra chores during breaks, run a second mile, or are expelled altogether. Arguments between members are quickly cut off by authority. Working together and strategy on the battlefield and off is a must.

8:00AM morning drills begin. Push-ups, and mile runs to start

8:05AM morning group begins their patrol shift

10:30AM obstacle courses (including how to dodge lasers and attacks that mimic Saiyan ki blasts)

11:45AM lunch in the mess hall

12:05PM Afternoon group begins their shift. Target practice and weapon instruction begins for everyone else. Members learn how to properly use guns, blasters, and other weapons. Scouters are used for members to communicate with each other and to read power levels of the enemy. Members are constantly observed by the staff, so they have to perform at their best at all times.

3:00PM Harsh weather test/survival skills (includes how to stay hydrated in deserts, stay warm in snowstorms, and the rare moments when one must camp without the assistance of technology.)

6:00PM: Dinner with assigned groups and break (bathroom breaks are most often 5 minutes or less during the day)

8:30PM: Wash up and get ready for bed.

9:00PM: Lights out. Everyone who is not on night duty must be in their rooms and bunkers at this time. Those on night duty patrol the area until 7:00AM.

Enoki never would have imagined being thankful for the training that his father had given him. Yet here he was, pushing his muscles and his mind past previous limits. When Enoki found himself going Super Saiyan, the exercises became much easier. He ignored the envious looks of his fellow Tuffles as he sped past them during the mile runs. The officers were not too pleased to find out about his advantage. They blindfolded him and then announced that he would practice hand to hand combat with an opponent. With the blindfold off, Enoki could see his new opponent: a scared, buff Saiyan with messy black hair. Enoki quickly went Super Saiyan and charged, but his punch got blocked by the warrior using just his left hand. Enoki punched and kicked at the speed of sound, but they had no effect. As a last resort, he used instant transmission, but the older warrior saw it coming. He punched Enoki hard in the gut the moment he appeared behind him and kicked him so hard, he fell backward on the asphalt ground. Many of the Tuffle warriors were pleased at the outcome. The warrior just grunted in disapproval as he was led away by the Tuffle guards. Enoki never went Super Saiyan during his tests after that.

Target practice was easy, whether he was Super Saiyan or not. His mother had taught him how to safely operate her pistols outside when he was younger. It was similar here, except slightly more complicated. Enoki was easily able to maneuver the obstacle course, dodging lasers, crawling through tires, and practicing his quick footwork. He did fairly well on the survival skills test, but got lower scores for trying to use technology in a simulated forest environment. Apparently, it was common for Tuffles to do poorly on that section.

Feeling like an outcast, Enoki sat at a table and ate dinner by himself. The Tuffles around him either admired him or feared him. Many were suspicious of him. They would gossip among themselves, low enough so the staff wouldn’t hear.

“Did he really defeat a gang of Saiyans and his own father?”

“Why would he murder his own family?”

“Defeating a ruthless Saiyan like that. That is quite the achievement!”

“I wonder why his parents gave him such a strange name. I can hardly pronounce it.”

Enoki tried to shut the conversations out, but they kept repeating themselves in his head. He pushed his meat and mashed potatoes in a messy circle. For obvious reasons, he missed his mother dearly, even though it had only been a couple of days. He wished that his father were here to encourage him to push himself harder. His criticism would be preferable to the looks he was receiving at the moment.

Enoki finished dinner early and walked down the hall toward the bathrooms. They were the only rooms where there were no security camera installed. Pushing the door open, Enoki walked inside and found the bathroom empty. He frantically pushed buttons and knobs on his scouter, trying to find his mother’s name and number. Nothing.

Enoki cursed under his breath. He should have known that it was protocol for new members to have their scouters altered so that they could not contact anyone from outside. The only exceptions were emergencies after war, and that would not be an ideal situation to make a call. He looked at his reflection in the mirror. Looking back at him was a teenage boy with messy black hair, thick eyebrows and dark bags under his golden eyes. Enoki was no longer the curious young boy who studied endlessly in his comfort zone. There was a new steely determination that had started to appear in his eyes and face. The one good thing was that he didn’t have any wrinkles…yet. Even with technology to enhance beauty and youth, Tuffles still aged like every other race in the universe.

Heaving a deep sigh, Enoki headed back to his quarters. He washed up in the small bathroom nearby. It was now 8:55PM. Before Enoki could get to sleep, he heard footsteps approaching. Two Tuffle officers arrived at his door, wearing metallic armor and blue scouters. “Enoki Halusa,” one of them stated. Enoki got up from his bed, walked forward and saluted. “That is me, sir.” “At ease,” the Tuffle said and Enoki relaxed. “We have come to inform you of a change in your schedule. The commander has reviewed your progress and is pleased with your results. You will now be assigned to night patrol. Be ready in five minutes.”

Right. Right. Left. Right. Left. Scan to the left, then right, then left again. Repeat the process around the perimeter. Enoki repeated the steps so much, he could memorize it in his sleep if he had to. The scouters also had a feature for night vision and additional lens for people who were partially blind. The squad consisted of Tuffles of various backgrounds; old and young, men and women. Age, gender, and race did not matter, as long has one had the necessary qualifications and experience.

This was the seventh night patrol that Enoki had been on, and he still was not used to the change in his schedule. When he yawned, he had to snap himself back into focus. There were too many things that even an expert Tuffle could miss in the night…and that could spell disaster for innocent civilians. “Keep your eyes peeled for any sign of movement,” stated the Tuffle in charge, a man with short black hair. “Stun them first in case they are a civilian. Only aim to kill when you are certain that the enemy is a Saiyan.”

The groups were spread out to cover different sections of the city. Enoki and his group were positioned by circular buildings, while another group was stationed by factories that were still operating; smoke swirling from the power plants. The second group was dressed in uniform; light blue shirts, white pants, black belts and dark colored boots. They carried their double barrel guns with white gloved hands. Enoki and his group wore beige colored jackets, dark pants, and dark gloves.

Throughout the city, the Tuffles were busy doing night jobs, going to clubs, or working on late-night gadgets in their homes. Enoki noticed a family of five smiling together, while eating at an out-door sushi restaurant. One of the young boys at the table had put a pair of chopsticks up his nostrils, causing his sister to giggle hysterically.

“Beri, that’s not funny,” their mother mentioned. “Take the chopsticks out, Pinapp.”

The boy removed the chopsticks and moved them up and down. Exaggerated laser sounds came from his mouth.

This time, even the mother found herself cracking a smile. The father gave his son an affectionate pat on the head. “You’re going to be quite the guy when you grow up.”

“Oh, he’s never going to grow up,” remarked Beri with a grin. Pinapp stuck out his tongue in response.

“Enoki-san. Let’s move.”

A voice from his companion snapped him back to the present. He took one last glance at the happy family and continued on his way.

Up above, the sky was a clear dark blue with billions of stars visible. A hint of pink signaled the approach of dawn. The full moon shone brightly in the sky. It was a rare occasion to see a full moon on Planet Plant, unlike very month on Earth. “Once in a blue moon” was very applicable, literally. Enoki looked up at it for a moment in wonder. Then he remembered his father talking about a full moon by himself and he began to worry. A sharp pain in his chest caused him to double over. “Argh!” He clutched his stomach with both hands and took deep shaking breaths.

His brown-haired companion, Lemonin turned around. “Enoki-san! What’s wrong?”

Enoki’s answers were grunts of pain. Just as quickly, the sharp pain went away. He slowly stood up. “Sorry about that. Stomach cramp came out of nowhere,” he gasped. “Stay focused or they’ll send you back,” Lemonin reminded him. The last thing Enoki wanted to deal with was reprimands from the officers and double the chores over the week, so he decided to stick with it. “I understand. Let’s be on our way.” Enoki followed him down the street.

During the past nights on duty, Enoki had helped his group catch a bank robber who had tried to break into the city bank. There were no Saiyans to be seen. Another night, he caught a group of drug dealers in an ally red handed, saving a young Tuffle woman from getting mugged. No Saiyans in sight. There were several more quiet nights and still no Saiyans to be seen. This night was eerily quiet. “Where could they have gone to?” asked Enoki. “Maybe they decided to stay in the badlands,” suggested Lemonin.

“It’s not like them to go weeks without fighting us. I have a bad feeling about this,” said Enoki with a shiver. He couldn’t explain where the strange new feeling was coming from. “Remember to stay calm and focused, yes?” asked Lemonin. Enoki nodded quietly. They continued on their way through the city.

Enoki thought he saw something move up ahead. He checked his scouter, but nothing came up. A sound of running footsteps came from not too far behind. “What, what was that?” Enoki asked quietly. There was nobody behind them except Tuffle citizens going about their night. “I don’t see anyone,” Lemonin stated, peering into the dark.

Enoki looked to the far left and saw a figure concealed in shadow leaning against the wall. “What the?” he asked himself. Then he notice something that made his heart stop for a moment. A curvy silhouette of a tail was moving in the dim light. “T-that figure had a t-tail,” he stuttered. “Did you see that?”

Of course, Lemonin had not. “That’s it, I’m taking you back to headquarters. You are being way too jumpy tonight, Enoki-san.”

“I swear I’m not making this up! I know what I saw.” Enoki pulled back his arm when Lemonin grabbed hold of it.

“I’m not going back.”

“Do you want to get into trouble?”

“I’ve gotten into many situations. This one can’t be that bad.”

A loud explosion in the distance caught them off guard.

Enoki looked at Lemonin and he answered before Enoki could speak. “Yes, Enoki-san, I did hear that one.”

The two Tuffles ran toward the sound and leaned themselves against a nearby building. Several citizens were yelling in panic and coughing from the smoke. Apparently a large truck had been turned over and had caught on fire. “Was that a bomb?” asked Lemonin, scanning the area with his scouter for a closer look. Enoki peered through the black smoke. The smoke cleared, revealing a leering face of a male Saiyan. His triangular white eyes looked demonic in the dark. Large sounds of footsteps made the ground rumble. “Um…Lemonin…I think we should run.”

“We have to protect our people from this guy…” Lemonin started to say. Then his eyes grew wide as several more giants came to join them. The Saiyans wore tattered brown caveman-like clothing held together with rope and furry brown boots. They towered above the Tuffles like large children about to smash their new toys for the fun of it. Their brown tails waved in anticipation. “Yes, let’s run,” gulped Lemonin in terror.

Soon, the Tuffles ran for their lives from the giant Saiyans. One of them tried to grab a Tuffle with his large meaty hands. Two more Saiyans with dark beards came around the corner, blocking the way. Bits of stone and debris fell from the roof. A crashing sound was soon heard as another Saiyan kicked a car into another citizen.

Back by the factory, the Tuffle army stood at attention, having spotted three Saiyans. The Tuffles held their guns at the ready and one of them operated a large tank. A Tuffle with black hair read the power levels of the three Saiyan men. The levels were steadily increasing. “Now!” he yelled. The Tuffles fired their weapons in sync. The Saiyans moved their arms in front of their faces to protect themselves. The Tuffle operating the tank fired two long shots at the same time. The blasts blew craters into the ground, black smoke rising and covering the scene. The Tuffles waited cautiously. The smoke cleared and the Tuffles looked up in horror. One of the Tuffles dropped his gun in fear. The Saiyans were standing in the exact same spot, completely unscathed. The Saiyans looked at each other and grinned.

Meanwhile, Enoki and Lemonin were evacuating the area as fast as their legs could carry them.

“There were so many of them,” Enoki said between breaths. “They were huge and appeared out of nowhere!”

“So it was a surprise attack all along,” Lemonin stated. They stopped to catch their breath.

“Find somewhere safe,” said Lemonin. “I’ll see if I can hold them off.”

“Are you crazy?” asked Enoki. “They’ll crush you to bits if you go back there.”

“It’s my duty to protect our city and its people,” he replied. “Why don’t you go fight them? You’re part Saiyan and all.”

For one, Enoki was downright terrified at the unexpected invasion. Second of all, he felt strangely uncomfortable with the thought of killing members of part of his heritage. Although Enoki did attack Endo and Pinach, but only out of self-defense. He tried to focus on feeling angry but all he got was fear. Fear that only grew when he saw a sudden blue blast fly toward them. “Look out!” he cried, jumping to the side. Lemonin turned around with fearful eyes. The blast hit the ground with a large bang. After a moment, Enoki pushed himself up, coughing from the smoke. The smoke cleared, revealing a small crater…and the charred remains of Lemonin.

“No!” he yelled, tears falling down his face. He heard loud laughter from the distance and saw two Saiyans. The one who had attacked was a man with shoulder-length black hair and a long scar down his right cheek. The other was a Saiyan woman wearing a brown dress and holding a silver dagger in her mouth. Knowing that his gun would be useless, Enoki threw it down and ran for his life. The Saiyans ran after him, enjoying themselves in a cat and mouse game of death.

Enoki sprinted as fast as he could, jumping over metal scraps, poles, and on occasion, a fallen Tuffle. Tears fell from his eyes and he didn’t bother to wipe them away. He moved to the right, and then to the left, trying to throw them off, but they always followed close behind. At last, Enoki reached a dead end. The Saiyans chuckled evilly as Enoki found himself backed up into a corner. Their shadows rose against the beige wall.

“Looks like it’s game over for you, little midget,” said the man, clenching his meaty fists. “

Shall we fry him with a ki blast?” asked the woman.

“I’d like to see him squirm as I crush him in my hands,” the man smirked. Enoki tried instant transmission, but his fear clouded his concentration. He closed his eyes, the Saiyan’s large hand inches from his face…

A series of gunshots made Enoki open his eyes. Electricity made contact with the Saiyan and he twitched. The female Saiyan turned, but was met with the base of a gun hitting her hard in the nose. “What the…” she yelped. Standing before the enemy was…

“Mom?” he asked.

Kinoko was there, holding her gun and staring defiantly at the Saiyans.

“Get out of here, Enoki-san!” she called.

Then to the Saiyans she yelled, “Over here you vile apes!”

Usually the insult would fly Saiyans into a rage, but the Saiyans just grinned widely and went after her. Enoki gathered his energy and powered up to Super Saiyan. The male turned around in surprise. Before he could say anything, Enoki blasted him backwards, with Kinoko moving out of the way just in time. He crashed into a nearby wall and then picked himself up. The female glared at them and rushed to help her ally.

Wasting no time, Kinoko and Enoki made a run for it. “Don’t worry,” she said. “There are androids up ahead that can drive is to a safer place. I called the whole brigade ahead of time. They were worried about you when they learned that you joined the army.”  ''‘I guess raising an exceptional son has its perks,’ ''Enoki thought.

ThemTuffles arrived to the hover car and the androids…or what was left of them. Smoking bits of metal and an android head littered the ground. They got into the car and drove off.

“I missed you so much, Mom,” said Enoki. “I did too,” she replied, squeezing his shoulder warmly. “I’m just glad you are alright. I packed several things for you in the trunk.” She pressed a button that showed a hologram of items that were stored in the trunk.

Enoki's eyes widened. “My music set! My language books! And are those…” “Childhood pictures,” she giggled. “I had to.”

Enoki rolled his eyes and his cheeks turned red in embarrassment. “But what about your things?”

“Your belongings are more important. I want to make sure that you stay safe and have all the things you need.” Then she added, “But I do know that you can take care of yourself. You are the bravest Tuffle, and perhaps the smartest Saiyan I know. I shouldn’t have been so overprotective of you…”

“It’s okay,” Enoki answered, no longer caring about having his parents invading his personal space. In fact, he wanted to be as close as possible to the family he had left.

Enoki peered through the window and saw no commotion going on outside. The only things that were different were the burned buildings and craters in the street. The Tuffles still standing were screaming and some were holding each other, sobbing. There were other Tuffles who were now corpses, sprawled on the ground, empty eyes seeing nothing. The still fresh blood flowing from their heads made Enoki sick. Many of the glass windows had been broken and shards decorated the ground. One of the tires suddenly hit a smoking hole in the road and the car leaned forward slightly. Both of them yelped. The air bags inflated from every direction.

“Are you okay, mom?”

“Yes, I’m okay. Let’s hop on out.”

Enoki and Kinoko opened the car doors and walked to the front to inspect the damage. Sure enough, one of the tires had deflated and the car had gotten stuck. “Don’t the androids have hover cars?” Enoki asked.

“All of them were destroyed in the fires,” she replied solemnly. This car was one of the few left.”

“Well we can still fix this one…”

“We don’t have time. We need to get to a safe place, or a space ship.”

Enoki scanned the area and noticed a crooked sign pointing to where the underground science labs were located. “Let’s hope that the labs are still in one piece.”

“I think they are,” Kinoko said. “Let’s go.”

Meanwhile, the Saiyans were looking up at the full moon. Their moment of victory was here at last after many years. A Saiyan with thick black hair yelled loudly as the transformation began. He grew razor sharp fangs and his eyes glowed red. The other Saiyans yelled in pain as their muscles grew in size and their clothes burst free. Soon, all of them were brown Great Apes, with large snouts and red eyes. One Great Ape fired a pink blast from his mouth, obliterating several buildings. Another group of Tuffles were shooting bullets at a Great Ape, but the blasts had no effect. Grinning, the Great Ape lifted his large foot and crushed the fleeing Tuffles like they were ants.

Enoki looked up at the moon and sharp pains raced through him again. “Enoki!” cried his mother.

Enoki felt his muscles grow slightly bigger. It felt like all his nerves were on fire. He felt a pricking on his skin and saw brown hair grow coarse on his arms and legs. Feelings of rage flooded his brain. He wanted to destroy all the people that did him harm; the Saiyans, his father, the bullies. His mother’s face appeared in his view.

“Calm down, Enoki! Look at me!”

Enoki looked into her eyes and saw fear and desperation there. The dire situation came back to him and fear took over his thoughts. The sharp pains went away and he gasped. “What was that?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” Kinoko said. “You were turning into some kind of monster. I saw your eyes go red for a second.”

Enoki looked at his hands which were larger and hairier than before. He then realized that had almost became one of them. A Great Ape. His mother’s warm embrace, melted his bitter feelings at himself away. “I’ll always love you, for who you are, no matter what form.”

“But weren’t you scared?”

“I was, I’ll admit. I’m just glad it wasn’t worse.”

A loud roar caused them to look up. One of the Great Apes had found them. Kinoko fired several fast rounds from her gun, which bounced harmlessly off of the Great Ape’s body.

“Mom, run!” yelled Enoki.

Before she could flee, the Great Ape picked her up with his large paw. “Let her go!” Enoki yelled, going Super Saiyan again.

“Save yourself, Enoki!” she cried.

Enoki refused to budge. He fired sonic beams faster than he ever thought possible. The Great Ape just roared with laughter…literally. A blast from his left hand knocked Enoki onto the ground. Large fingers slowly closed around Kinoko. She gasped in pain, her eyes closed. “No!” he cried, standing back up. She opened her mouth to say something to Enoki and managed to croak out a word; “lu…la…ra…chi.” Enoki heard a scream and a crunching sound and looked away. He looked back up just in time to see a large foot above Enoki’s head. Enoki took a deep breath and put his fingers to his forehead. He disappeared before the Great Ape stomped his foot into the spot where he was moments before.

Enoki appeared in another area, and caught his breath. Sensing no one else around, he slumped against a nearby wall and sobbed at his loss. What was he supposed to do now? A series of earth-shaking stomps put his senses on high alert. Enoki scanned the area…and his scouter exploded at the high rise of power. He took off the remains of his scouter from his left ear and put it aside, confused as to why it broke so suddenly. He looked up…and then realized why. He soon found himself staring into the dark maw of a Great Ape. An ear-splitting roar knocked him off his feet. He got up and sprinted in the opposite direction, only to almost run into another Great Ape, who had turned to face him. Beams of light shot from his fingers, Enoki narrowing dodging all of them. More beams hit an old building to the right. With one swipe of a paw, the first Great Ape broke through the stone and cement of the wall. Large chunks of debris fell to the ground. Enoki covered his head and his eyes. The second Ape shot a blast of light from his mouth and blew up most of the wall and the structures nearby. The force of the blast knocked him forward and his head rammed into a large piece of metal that used to be part of a car. Enoki’s head was throbbing and he thought he felt something hot and wet flow from it. The stars above turned into thousands of moving white dots. The last things that Enoki saw and felt, was a pile of debris falling from nearby buildings and onto him.