The Last Tuffle: Chapter 10

“Enoki-san,” said the robotic voice of Shitake''. “Our ship has been repaired and is now fully operational. I suggest we plan our next move before we are discovered by the Earthlings.”''

Enoki lifted his head from a brown wooden desk in front of him. The table was cluttered with diagrams of notes and contraptions that had failed. A small pile of tools lay haphazardly by a white toolbox to the far right corner of the table.

“Shitake, I’m not ready for any jobs on this planet…” Enoki mumbled, eyes half closed.

For the past several days, Enoki had been working on more plans, but none had come into action yet.

“Though finding a job would be beneficial, I am more concerned about your current state,” replied the robot.

“There is nothing to worry about,” said Enoki.

“I disagree with that statement,” he said. ''“Judging by my calculations, you haven’t eaten quality food, nor had sufficient amount of sleep.”''

Shitake was right. There were dark circles under Enoki’s yellow eyes and growling could be heard from his stomach. The supply of frozen meals was almost finished. Senzu beans were still around, but Enoki wanted to use them only for emergencies.

Every time Enoki tried to step outside, or even when he looked out the window, something inside him held him back. It was a gut-wrenching pain that stayed with him even after several deep breaths. Nightmares plagued Enoki’s head, visions of burning buildings, Great Apes with mouths open wide, the terrified look on his mother’s face during her last moment…

Shitake then said something that Enoki had dreaded to hear, yet knew it was the only way forward: ''“You need to go outside and check out the area for enemies.”''

“You’re right,” said Enoki with a sigh. “We landed here on this planet, so there is no point in leaving just yet. If it’s true that there are Saiyans out there, I have to defeat them.”

''“Unlock your previous power and get back into shape.”''

“So now you’re a gym coach and a career adviser?” asked Enoki. “What’s next, a psychologist?”

''“As a droid, I do not fully comprehend the dynamics of the human mind and emotions.”''

“Just keep working on it,” said Enoki, with a dismissive hand. He walked over to a large square door that was the same metal as the walls around it. He typed in a code and the door slid open. He took several deep breathes and stepped outside.

The sunlight was blinding for a moment and Enoki squinted as he walked. When his eyes adjusted to the brightness, he looked around. The grass was a vivid lime green and was faintly blowing in the breeze. The sky was a stunning light blue, a color that Enoki was still not used to seeing. Conton city was behind the Portabello ship; round white buildings towering over the land.

Enoki concentrated on his inner ki and lifted himself off the ground. He flew a distance from the ship with no effort. He looked down and found himself higher in the air than he normally would have been on Planet Plant. Enoki had almost forgotten that the gravity on Earth was lower than it was on his home planet. Previously, flying had taken lots of effort, like traveling with weights on his legs. On Earth, it was more like an easy stroll.

Enoki clenched his fists and shook his head to wake himself up. He pushed aside thoughts of sleep and instead focused on the rage hidden in his mind and heart. He and his family would still be together, if only the Saiyans weren’t so selfish and barbaric. If only they had left the Tuffles alone and fought somewhere else…

Black spots danced across his vision and sharp pains invaded his chest and head. Almost without knowing it, Enoki heard himself scream as his black hair turned blonde. Power surged within him and his thirst for battle was reawakened. After transforming into his second form, he reverted back to his base form, descending to the ground. He fell on his knees, exhausted. Shitake was beside him in a minute.

“Drink this,” said Shitake, holding out a bottle of water. The lid was already loose. Without saying a word, Enoki took the bottle, screwed off the lid and took several big gulps. He sighed in relief when he was done.

“Enoki-san, your hair…”

“What about it?” he asked.

Enoki walked over to a nearby pond and looked at his reflection. Instead of his usual black color, his hair was now a bright red.

“That’s strange,” he breathed, moving his fingers through his hair. He closed his eyes and relaxed. He opened them and his hair was still red.

“Why…why won’t it change back?” he asked himself out loud. “It always turns black when I go back to my base form.”

“Your power must be stabilizing,” answered the droid.

Shitake was right once again. It was like the energy inside Enoki wanted to be released…like it had a life of its own. His new hair was a reminder of how much he had changed. No longer was he an eager scholar comfortable in his safe haven in the Tuffle city. Now…he was a warrior, out on his own, on an unfamiliar planet that would never truly be home to him, no matter how long he stayed.

Enoki knew that there was no turning back this time. He turned back to Shitake. “We better get moving. I need food and a way to blend into this place. Plus I’ve got some Saiyans to hunt.”

Shitake gave a small approving nod and followed the Tuffle toward the city.

Out of Enoki’s line of sight, a Saiyan with a Majin symbol on his forehead and spiky blue hair waited in the shadows, eyes glowing red…

“Holy Fruitan” breathed Enoki, referring to a long forgotten Tuffle king. “I have never seen a place like this.”

Enoki and Shitake were standing on a brown cobblestone path with giant palm trees lining the sides. A vast futuristic city stood before them (though not as advanced as Enoki’s home world). Enoki marveled at the palm trees, green grass, and clear blue water that was pouring into a round fountain in the center. Ironically, back on Planet Plant, the harsher conditions did not allow for many plants to flourish. Here, however, one could mistake this place for a tropical island. However, typical islands would not have round white metallic buildings of different sizes scattered throughout the area. Or a long winding staircase with an elaborate Japanese archway of white and purple. Dirt paths weaved over grassy hills and ended at several mountain peaks, which appeared to be floating in midair. Enoki looked around and saw not only humans who looked similar to himself, but also bipedal animals who were shopping, talking, and relaxing completely at ease with the humans. Enoki’s heart raced when he saw several green-skinned aliens with pointed ears meditating in a flower garden. One of them with their eyes closed shot a beam absentmindedly from their long green finger. It burst through a pink rosebush and sailed over Enoki’s head. Enoki had ducked just in time. He heard a faint beeping sound and jumped.

“It’s only me, Enoki-san,” said a familiar voice.

“Don’t sneak up on me like that in transparent mode,” he muttered while taking a calming breath.

“My apologies,” Shitake replied. ''“I deduced it would be best to take precautions and blend in.”''

Enoki peered at the invisible space that his robotic companion occupied. Using a black wristband on his left arm allowed him to track Shitake’s location. Obviously, he had forgotten to check it earlier.

“You talk about blending in, and you do it too well. What about me?”

''“You look just like the Earthling humans,”'' Shitake replied. ''“I’m sure you can find somewhere to stay and work for a while.”''

“And hunt down every last remaining Saiyan along the way,” Enoki muttered.

''“Not until you gain physical and mental security,”'' Shitake advised.

Enoki stared at him blankly, and not just because he couldn’t see him with his eyes.

''“I mean, find a place to reside, get your emotions in order, make some friends.”''

“Make some friends,” Enoki said with a forced giggle. Then his voice was tinged with anger. “I bet you didn’t notice already: I have no friends left!”

His yell caused several onlookers to stare in confusion. A woman with the face and limbs of a gray cat pointed at him, and whispered to her feline friend. “Who’s that boy talking to?” asked a girl with orange hair to a brown-haired woman in jogging attire.

Her mother responded, “He’s probably drunk. Let’s keep going.”

Enoki’s cheeks flushed red in embarrassment.

“Keep it down, Enoki-san,” warned Shitake. “You have to make a good first impression in this new place.”

“You’re right,” said Enoki with a sigh. “Let’s look around for a bit.”

The two companions walked down the path and observed the area. To the left was a giant white building with thick glass windows and a white dome. The logo consisted of two yellow Cs, one outside and a smaller one inside.

“Capsule Corporation” read Enoki from the dark blue words etched onto the building.

“Only the finest company to produce the latest gadgets and technology,” said a voice.

Enoki turned around to find a teenage girl with long dark purple hair, wearing a blue dress. “Of course you knew that, right?”

Enoki stayed quiet a moment too long.

“Oh, are you new here?” she asked.

“Yes,” he replied.

“That’s cool. It’s nice to encounter newcomers on occasion. My name is Sleeve Harris. What’s yours?”

“These people have strange names,” Enoki thought. He came up with an Earthling sounding name on the spot.

“My name is…Steve Xiaong. I come from a remote village nearby.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she said, shaking his hand. Her blue-green eyes lit up. “How neat that we have similar sounding names!”

“Yeah, neat,” replied Enoki. He felt heat come up to his cheeks as he gazed at her beautiful face.

“So anyway, I might as well tell you about Capsule Corp,” Sweater said.

“Oh right, please do,” Enoki said. “Do you work there?”

“I wish, but I’m not qualified enough as of yet. You see, that place belongs to the wealthy Briefs family: Dr. Briefs, his daughter Bulma and her son Trunks.”

''“Who names their children after undergarments?”'' thought a bewildered Enoki.

“So Dr. Briefs invented a popular gadget called Hoi-Poi capsules. They are pill-like objects that allow the user to fit anything into them.”

“Anything?” asked Enoki.

“Yes. Clothing, hovercars, food, houses, you name it.”

“That’s incredible!” he marveled.

“I know,” she replied.

Indeed, Enoki was truly amazed at this invention. Not even the Tuffles could figure out how to make the capsules. He fought the urge to sneak in and steal some.

“I wish I could work at Capsule Corporation,” Sleeve explained. “But I can’t pass the physics test and several other qualifications that come with a position. Additionally, I work for a much smaller gadget company: Retro Electro.”

“What do you make there?” Enoki asked curiously.

“Mostly hovercars, vehicles, cell phones. We are known for recreating technology form past eras to use for parties and museums.”

“That’s cool,” said Enoki. “I wish I had a place to stay though. My house got struck by lightning and my family…left me behind.” He lowered his head slightly.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” said Sleeve. “I have a spare room in my basement that you can sleep in.”

“Much appreciated,” said Enoki.

“But,” she said. “If you want to get a job at the company I work at, you will need to go through some formal training. Tell me, how much do you know about the mechanics of plasma TV’s and air skis?”

Enoki smiled as they walked toward Electro Retro. Compared to Capsule Corp, this building was a mere shack. In reality, it looked more like a typical garage and mechanic store. Parts of cars were positioned on high racks close to the gray ceiling. Hammers, nails, screwdrivers, and metallic devices were positioned on hooks against a large board with holes.

By sheer luck, and after three weeks of training, Enoki had managed to get a position at the company, albeit a lower one than most. His responsibilities included changing tires on cars, repairing circuits and testing tablets. The majority of his work was janitorial work, since he was the newest person. It wasn’t as engaging as scientific research but it was good enough. It did take several days for Enoki to figure out how to use Earthling technology, as he was used to using his own. A couple of people were impressed when Enoki showed his colleagues how his scouter worked.

“No one knows about scouters except the Briefs and aliens that recently visited this planet,” remarked a red-haired woman, who was busy putting a car engine into place from above. “I don’t know where you got your fast learning skills from, but we are glad to have you here.”

“Thank you,” said Enoki.

Enoki could feel redness creep up to his cheeks and quickly turned back to his work.

"Name New Order: a Planetary Government squad from Planet Name..."

Enoki scratched his head in confusion at the poster that stood out from the regular news articles at the Galactic Patrol station. It was just like any other day: Enoki rolling out of bed, sending messages to Shitake on his device around his wrist, then making his way to the mechanics shop. Since the concept of Earthling money was still new to him, the young man decided it would be best to read what was already posted outside. (Though to be honest, so many individuals where using phones and their computers to read the news, that it was a surprised when anyone read what was on the board for more than several minutes.)

Enoki walked toward the board and found the recruitment poster that caught his eye. "Planet Name" was written in bold golden letters in front of a magenta planet surrounded by a starry background. Enoki looked a little closer and for a moment, it looked like Planet Plant. Below was another smaller image of a logo of two dark red F's encircling each other with white outlines. A harsh black X was slashed over the image.

Enoki read further down.

"Calling all Earthling soldiers, the infamous Frieza Force has annexed dozens of planets and enslaved countless races. Hundreds of thousands of warriors now fight for Frieza, Glacin, and the army in their names, with no regard to the people they have colonized. One planet, by the name of Planet Vegeta (pictured above) was one of the unlucky locations to be destroyed. With our GPS system and spaceships, we have managed to track the Frieza Force across the universe...really far away, we might add, thanks to our trade with the Tsfrujins in the year 718."

Enoki's heart skipped a beat. His people had interacted with the people on that unknown planet. How did they manage to survive this mysterious Force's threats? Enoki seethed with rage. The Saiyans had to be working for the Frieza Force. To think that those human-looking beasts would wipe out his race, then destroy their own planet for a tyrant emperor?

Enoki wondered if he was missing something some crucial information. After all, he had not witnessed the Saiyan’s fate at the hands of Frieza.

The Tuffle sighed and continued to read.

"Our science organization, "Research in our Name..."

"Why do I keep pronouncing that wrong?" Enoki asked in mid-read. "It's "Nee-me, not name."

She shook his head and continued.

"...fears that Earth may be in danger of the Frieza Force next. Call at this number to register..."

Enoki's mind was racing. So his race had traded with this civilization that didn't appear to exist beforehand. This could be his chance to eliminate more enemy Saiyans who were out there!

But his job...and Shitake...

He had other duties to attend to as well. How would he manage to tell his company about a better offer? Okay, so maybe this poster advertised some shady ninja business that may not be the best to get involved in. Yet at the same time, Enoki felt a peculiar urge to charge out into the world and blast his battle-driven enemies away.

Also, Shitake couldn't bear it if Enoki were to travel all by himself to another foreign place he didn't know. Although slightly annoyed at his companion’s overprotective nature, Enoki knew he had good reasons for being so.

His rational mind was telling him to stop thinking about the poster and the potentially dangerous message that it implied. He had only been on Earth for several months...how could he trust anyone or anything that caught his attention?

Enoki stared at the image of the planet again.

"Could that be Planet Name?" he thought.

"Wait...that definitely looks like Planet Plant. I've seen the planet dozens of times in my textbooks...But why are they calling it Planet Vegeta?"

He heard a beeping sound from behind him and whirled around, fists raised.

''"Enoki-san, it's only me." ''

Enoki took a deep tensed breath. "Shitake, stop sneaking behind me like that!"

"What are you reading?" the robot asked.

Enoki covered the poster with his hand. "Nothing."

But Shitake had already scanned the poster he had been reading and was storing it in his mechanical database.

'' 'At least he can determine whether this advertisement is genuine or not,' '' he thought.

"This is, indeed, real' "said Shitake. "This government was formed several years before you were born. With technology and luck, they managed to avoid the threats of the Frieza Force."

 'Looks like I'll have to become...let's see...' 

Enoki glanced at the positions listed:

Mechanic

Scientist

File organizer

Customer Service

General

Data Collector

Bounty Hunter

'' 'Okay then, bounty hunter it is,' '' thought Enoki, mentally kicking himself for making such a rash decision.