The Last Tuffle: Chapter 8

Dawn had arrived. Across the land, debris and rubble was all that was left of the once grand Tuffle city. Having reverted to their normal forms, the Saiyans celebrated for the remainder of the night. They searched the ruins for any valuables they could find. Several things they gathered were food, smaller devices, and scouters. Thanks to the Tuffles’ technology, the Saiyans could use their resources to build a kingdom and expand upon it. After stealing the scouters from the dead Tuffles, the Saiyans burned the bodies with a cruel satisfaction.

Out of the Saiyans’ eyesight, a large droid by the name of Shitake silently observed the area in the shadows. It had the appearance of a large beige robot, with claws for hands and two dark green holds on each foot. The droid’s face consisted of a large camera with a blue dot in the center. The camera head could move in any direction and see the surroundings 270 degrees, similar to an owl. As silent as a rather large mouse, the droid walked across the rubble-littered ground, careful not to fall.

Approximately six and a half hours since the end of the battle. 

The words appeared on the blue screen in the droid’s view.

Enemy Saiyans now moving northwest. 

Sure enough, the rest of the Saiyans were either flying off into the distance, or getting into their space crafts, presumably to conquer more planets. The droid had remained hidden due to the Saiyan’s inability to sense the power level of droids and androids. With no one else around, the droid moved from behind the ruins of a building.

The area had been picked clean of most of the objects and of course, the former inhabitants. The ruins of the buildings as well as scattered bits of metal and wire, were the only pieces of evidence to show that the Tuffles had ever existed. To the casual observer, it would feel like exploring the archeological ruins of an ancient society. To the droid, however, it was more comparable to walking among a graveyard.

It felt strange whenever Shitake would get occasional bursts of what people called emotions.

Shitake was viewed as slightly more “masculine” in terms of gender. Which kind of made sense. Enoki’s maternal grandfather had created him many years ago and had portions of his DNA transferred into Shitake’s mechanical mind. Perhaps that was the source of the occasional emotions that the droid experienced. After Kinoko’s father died and Endo had arrived into her life, Shitake thought it would be best to do outside research to potentially find more resources for the Tuffles. He had based his reasons off of a sense of duty to the community; taking a mushroom-shaped ship called the Portabello with him for shelter from the harsh weather.

However, there would be moments where he would feel empty and distracted from his routine tasks. Conjuring up pictures of Enoki’s grandfather, Kinoko, and Endo in his mind activated a sense of…abandonment. Shitake had been created to help with chores at Kinoko’s household and heal injured Tuffles at workplaces nearby. He was one of the few droids who could be a source of comfort for those in need of it. Not an empathetic being capable of giving lots of hugs…but a supportive one in his own way. At night, he helped the police force catch troublemakers, thanks to the movable high definition camera used for his head.

Shitake had warned Kinoko not to trust the Saiyan, but she would not listen. She had claimed that it would bring peace between the two races in time. Judging by the state of the land in the present, her wishes had not worked in her favor. Shitake had lost a sense of purpose over the years. For one, Kinoko did not have a use for him once Endo arrived to keep her company. In addition, newer models were made every month by other Tuffles to assist in mundane urban tasks. Longing to find a new purpose, Shitake set off for the nicer, less dry area of the badlands.

Shitake searched for any signs of life. All the Tuffles had been killed, their bodies burned to ashes. One of his sensors allowed him to see several feet underneath the ground. No signs of life, save for weeds and bugs roaming through the dirt. He used his claw-like hands to lift up rocks and heavy boulders. Guns that had been bent up in the fight, lay on the ground next to a pile of used bullets. Shitake had decided that the best course of action would be to leave the planet and search for a new home. He did not want to be around once the Saiyans decided to return.

On his radar, he noticed a faint yellow light flashing slightly to the west. Shitake matched in the direction of the light. Further up north, another set of lights revealed a set of flora. Shitake arrived at the remains of what used to be a garden in a yard. The brown pots had been smashed to pieces and the brick planter was beyond repair, even for Tuffles. After scanning the garden, it was revealed that the garden had once belonged to a Tuffle family and used by an individual called Endo. But where were the plants? Dirt was the only material that the droid could see at the moment.

The green lights were shown on the radar as being underneath the ground. Shitake dug up the dirt in neat strokes with his hands. His hands felt something small and slightly round. He scooped it up and observed it. It was a small green bean. He dug with his other hand and lifted up one more bean. After scanning the object, words appeared in front of him.

Senzu bean: a magical plant with incredible healing powers. Has the ability to heal wounds and restore a person’s energy. 

He was not sure if they would ever be needed but decided to keep some just in case. A small square compartment opened up in his chest. He placed the beans in the holders and shut it back safely inside.

Shitake continued to scan the area, searching for any signs of life apart from the green dots that represented insects and plants. However, there was nothing except for a large pile of rocks and metal beams. Shitake inched forward, standing right at the spot where the light was fading off and on. The ki of this nearby being was equivalent to small candlelight that was nearing burnout.

Deciding to investigate, the droid carefully stepped up the hill of debris and lifted a gray rock with his clawed hands. The smaller stones rolled down the small hill at the release of the larger rock. The droid set the rock to the side and began lifting other rocks. After breaking apart some nearby bricks, he then focused his attention on the large metal beam. Using both appendages, Shitake maneuvered the heavy beam over to the side. A small dark hole was revealed where the beam had covered it.

A beam of white light shined from the droid’s main camera. From inside the hole, the light revealed a limp white hand and arm. Sensations of dread began to fill Shitake’s head. He figured that this was probably another lifeless body. Perhaps the sensing radar had a glitch? To confirm what it was, the droid lifted more rocks one by one. The figure was then revealed: an unconscious teenage boy with jet black hair. Shitake used a mechanism similar to an x-ray to scan the boy. A small part of his skull had been damaged by debris, cracks visible. A sharp beam had impaled the boy, breaking a rib but thankfully, it had not reached his heart. Both of his ankles had been dislocated. Shitake examined the flashing light again in confusion. Could this boy still be alive?

Shitake gently lifted the boy in his arms like a wounded child. He briefly considered examining this boy further to confirm his identity. Then he pushed that idea aside. Right now, he needed to get this boy the necessary medical attention. Since there were no hospitals remaining, there was only one place to go.

The droid stepped down from the hill and made his way back to the Portabello. It was a mushroom-shaped ship of brown, green, and gray. Like Shitake, the ship was also built by Enoki’s grandfather back when he would travel to distant places for research. In the blink of an eye, an alert sounded from the radar in the droid’s view.

Foreign individuals approaching from the northwest. Power levels: moderate to severe. Estimated time of arrival: 3 minutes. 

The figures were shown in red on the radar and were slowly approaching his location. Sure enough, three Saiyans were flying in the air in his direction. All of them were wearing brown Saiyan armor.

“What is that up ahead?” a large male asked.

“I think it’s an android,” his companion answered. “One of the ones the Tuffles made.”

“Well, don’t keep waiting. Destroy it!” called a Saiyan woman.

Shitake ran as fast as his long metal legs could carry him. He frantically maneuvered around blasts of light that the Saiyans were firing from above.

“Hey get back here!” they yelled. One of the blasts hit the remains of a building and it exploded on impact. Shitake felt a chunk of metal fall of his back. A blast hit another spot on his leg, but the droid kept moving. He held the boy close to him. The woman Saiyan sent a blast of blue flames that spread not too far away in the distance. They were right in the way of the droid’s path. He glanced at the Saiyans closing in from the sides and behind him.

“Ready to give up?” one of them called. The droid ignored him. He picked up his speed and lifted his legs for a jump. He was leaping over the flames, the heat nearly reaching his feet. He landed and ran some more. The Saiyans were momentarily stunned but soon flew after him. The Portabello was parked not too far away. At last, Shitake was getting close.

A Saiyan appeared in front of him in the air. “Where do you think you’re going?” he asked with a smirk. The other Saiyans had caught up.

“Why is it carrying a body?” asked the woman, noticing the still form of the boy.

“Maybe it wants to grieve over its fallen citizen,” the thinner Saiyan laughed.

“Or maybe the boy’s still alive,” the large man guessed.

If Shitake were human, fear would have been apparent on his face. He lowered the boy and dropped him by his feet. A Saiyan fired a red blast and the droid caught it in both hands. He was glad that his creator had equipped him with defenses against the enemy. His mechanical muscles strained against the moving blast. With a final push, the droid lifted the blast back toward the Saiyan who dodged it in the nick of time.

“So the droid can fight, huh?” said the woman. “Who knew that such a weak race could conjure up such an invention?”

“It’s still no match for us,” stated the large man.

Shitake formed a green energy shield just as the three Saiyans fired a flurry of yellow ki blasts. Cracks slowly crept around the energy bubble. Even a droid could not hold the barrier forever. Using one shaking hand to hold the shield, he lowered his left hand and scooped up the boy. He placed him over his left shoulder and held up the shield. “That is one strange droid,” the woman remarked as he ran.

“A powerful attack should do the trick,” grinned the large Saiyan leader. “Big Bang Attack!”

A powerful beam of blue light shot from his hands. It exploded the green shield on impact, almost knocking the droid to the ground.

"Shield system deactivated. High probability of system failure." 

“He’s defenseless, finish him!” called the Saiyan.

The droid spoke a voice command and pushed a button on a remote from another compartment in his chest. Orange-yellow flames spewed from the holes below the ship. He had made it to the ramp just as the ship lifted off the ground. He jumped and grabbed hold of the ramp in the air.

The Saiyans were blowing smoking holes into the sides of the ship. The strong flexible glass of a window had already been broken. The droid used his right hand to hold onto the ramp and his feet to crawl up. Another blast blew a part of the ramp apart, inches away from his right arm. As a last resort, he used his other hand to toss the boy inside and maneuver his way up the rest of the ramp. Shitake stood in the ramp doorway, taking more blows until the door had closed. He briefly glanced at the boy and then rushed to the front of the ship. He pushed a few buttons and pulled a lever down. The ship picked up speed and rose higher into the air. Looking out the window, Shitake could see the three Saiyans standing together with their hands cupped in circles.

Not good. 

“Ka…me…”

The ship stopped in place and the droid held a button down.

“ha…”

Accelerate speed and engine power. 

“me…”

Shitake feared the worst for several seconds. Then the ship finally moved again and flew straight ahead to the east.

“…ha!”

Three blue blasts of light were flying toward the ship at lightning speed. They appeared on the radar screen, showing where the ship was and where the blasts were coming from. The droid steered the ship left and then to a hard right. The first blast missed. The second blast ripped apart the ship’s surface on the left side, but otherwise, the structure remained intact. He heard a rumbling explosion from down below.

Engine 2 detonated. Estimated landing time: 3 minutes. 

Now he knew where the third blast had hit. The ship slowly started to fall.

No, no, no, no. 

He couldn’t see the Saiyans anymore, but that did not matter at the moment. His mechanisms turned at the sensation of their decent. Shitake frantically pressed all the controls to no avail.

Crash landing protections and airbags in place. Landing in T minus 2 minutes. 

Shitake found a door to the right of the controls that was sealed shut. With a swift kick, the door was broken down and fell with a crash. There was a broiler-like device that was labeled “Emergency backup generator.” There was a small blue screen slightly to the right. The droid pushed a red button nearby. The screen read “Family thumb fingerprint scan required.” Shitake made a mechanical grumbling noise. There were no humans around and droids did not have finger prints.

Landing in T minus 1 minute. 

Shitake had to act fast. There were no family members left as far as he knew. His creator, his family, and all the other Tuffles were long gone.

Unless…

Shitake glanced over at the boy who was lying in a heap on the metal floor.

T minus 10 seconds… 

Shitake hurried over and picked the boy up.

9…8…

He carefully carried him into the room and took hold of his right thumb.

7…6…

He placed his thumb on the screen.

5…

He waited.

4…

The screen beeped and loaded. Shitake braced for impact.

3…2…

“Match found” read the screen.

“Backup engines activated.” 

The ship came to a stop, inches from the ground. A burst of rocket power emerged from the remaining holes below. The ship rose like a rocket, heading quickly toward space. Shitake easily managed the rest of the controls, getting the ship past the planet’s atmosphere and flying around chunks of floating asteroids. He checked the radar; there were no Saiyans or incoming blasts. Shitake felt a sensation of relief.

Shitake set the ship on autopilot and walked back into the small room. He carefully picked up the boy and took him to a lower level of the ship. He spoke a six number code and the metal door in front of him slid open. The room inside was small and circular with white walls and bubble-shaped windows. A metal operating table was placed in the center of the room. Two beds to the left and right were positioned to the sides of the room. Fake plants in pots stood nearby in an ineffective attempt to give the room a more natural feel. To the right of the table, there was a wooden cabinet that was stocked with medical supplies: first aid equipment, oxygen masks, surgical tools, and needles. The fast healing microbots were, sadly, not included.

Shitake grabbed an oxygen mask and a defibrillator device used to revive a person’s heart. He walked over to the boy and placed the oxygen mask over his mouth and nose. He then placed the white sticky tabs in the proper places on the boy’s bare chest, careful to avoid any wounds. He pressed a button and stood back. A shock was administered and the boy’s body twitched for a second. The sound of flowing oxygen rushed through the tubes. The droid pressed a switch and stepped back. Another shock was administered to his heart, but nothing happened. He then gave thirty chest compressions and a couple of rescue breaths. After several more cycles, he checked the oxygen levels and repeated the shocking process.

Just when he was about to give up, Shitake noticed the boy’s chest slowly rising up and then down. His breathing slowly became regular. He took the mask off and put a clear breathing tube under his nose. Shitake removed the pads from the boy’s chest and quickly got to work cleaning and disinfecting the wounds. When that was done, Shitake stuck a needle in the boy’s shoulder and received a blood sample. The blood was poured down a clear tube that was close to a large screen. The computer analyzed the blood and DNA that was provided.

"It can’t be. Is he really…" 

Sure enough, Enoki Halusa’s name, picture, and health information had appeared on the screen. His date of birth, occupation, and his parent’s names were also listed.

"So he is indeed my creator’s grandson. The son of Endo and Kinoko. A Saiyan-Tuffle hybrid." 

He would be crying a river of tears had he been a human. He had just saved the life of the last surviving Tuffle, while risking his own.

The droid walked back to Enoki. He noticed the beam of metal still protruding from his chest. Shitake carefully removed the beam and tossed the bloodstained piece of metal aside. An agonizing scream and gasping breaths from Enoki rang throughout the room.

"Enoki-san, calm down, it’s okay." 

Enoki didn’t hear the droid. He only screamed some more. His hair flickered between blonde and black. Below him, black cracks began to appear in the floor.

"You’ll destroy this ship if you don’t settle down!" 

Consumed by pain, Enoki ignored him. At times Shitake wished that he could experience the emotions and even the pains of organic beings. He certainly could not imagine how excruciating it was for the Tuffle in front of him. The hole in his chest had started to bleed profusely and the area on his head had started to swell. He needed healing or he would die in minutes. Shitake frantically scanned the room for any kind of healing technology that could work. Nothing.

Shitake stared at his metal chest and came up with a solution. He opened the square compartment in his chest and took out one of the senzu beans.

"Eat this. It’ll heal you." 

Shitake placed the bean into Enoki’s screaming mouth. Enoki moved the bean in his closed mouth and swallowed. He screamed for another minute and then sighed in relief. His rib had been repaired and the throbbing in his head subsided.

“Where am I…what, what’s going on?!”

Enoki was hyperventilating at his new surroundings. He had never seen the android before. For all he knew, the Saiyans had used this droid to capture him and was now their new subject in a death experiment. Furthermore, the memory of the rubble falling down on him plagued his thoughts. Judging by the Tuffle’s current mental state, Shitake concluded that Enoki was not in a condition for a rational talk. His yellow eyes darted back and forth in fear. A single thought appeared in Shitake’s artificial mind.

"Enoki-san needs to rest." 

Shitake went over to the cabinet and opened the small doors. He scanned the objects that were left and found what he was looking for. He came back to Enoki and rubbed some alcohol on his right shoulder. Enoki saw the needles in his hand and freaked out.

“No! No! Get them away from me!”

He thrashed and tried to free himself from Shitake’s steel grip.

“I won’t die by your lethal injections, Saiyans!”

"That’s enough, Enoki-san." 

“You monster! How do you know my name?!”

His eyes briefly glowed white and his hair had turned blonde. Saiyan power started to flow through his veins. A sharp pain entered his shoulder and he yelped. His hair shifted from black to blonde and then stayed black. Another sharp pain spread through his shoulder as the second needle was inserted. Though his tears, Enoki slurred, “Subarashi, world.” The sedative soon took hold and Enoki’s head slumped to the side.

Shitake took the needles out and safely disposed of them. Walking back, he gently grabbed one of Enoki’s dislocated ankles. In a quick twist, the bones were snapped back into place. After he relocated the bones in Enoki’s other ankle, he was glad that Enoki was not awake to witness that. Shitake wondered for a moment why the senzu bean had not healed his ankles. "Perhaps the beans take longer to work on a person near death" he figured.

After cleaning the area, he picked Enoki up and carried him to the lowest level of the ship. Shitake stepped into a larger room, with pipes that spread across the ceiling. To the right was a rectangular door that housed the ship’s engines, air conditioning, and other mechanisms. To the left, there were several empty rejuvenation tanks.

Shitake gently placed Enoki down in a sitting position and filled up one of the tanks with water. Once the water was at the right temperature and all the mechanisms were properly functioned, Shitake got the oxygen mask ready. He carried Enoki toward the tank and placed the oxygen mask securely over his mouth and nose. Enoki was gently lifted to the top and lowered into the tank. His black hair moved slowly from side to side in the water and his eyes were closed. Nutrients were transferred to him via a hidden tube into his stomach. The waste was filtered out through another tube toward the back.

As Enoki slept and recovered, Shitake wandered toward a storage closet. Opening up a steel box that he pulled from the closet, the droid was met with a folder, containing blue prints of unfinished projects from Enoki’s grandfather. One was a design for a purple oyster shaped droid. The second one was for a dark pink android named Porchini, which could have the power to possess any sapient being. Other projects were listed, but some of the designs that were shown had faded with time.

Eventually, Enoki was healed enough to get out of the tank. It had been several days and during that time, Shitake paced back and forth, figuring out how to talk to him about the events that had happened. Shitake helped Enoki from the tank, his hair and chest dripping wet. Fortunately, there were spare white clothes in drawers in the small clinic. It seemed that the Tuffles were prepared for anything…except their own defeat.

“What…what happened?” Enoki asked, shaking his head. He sounded much calmer than he did in the operating room but still quite fearful and confused.

"Take it easy. Everything is going to be alright." 

“Who are you?” Enoki asked, staring at the droid in disbelief. He was used to seeing droids all over the Tuffle city doing service and manual labor. However, Enoki never got the chance to really interact with them. They had just been programed to do their jobs. He never imagined that he would be talking to an android face to face. Shitake spoke.

"I am called droid Shitake. I was the one who rescued you from the debris and brought you here. Your grandfather, Kinoko's father, was the one who created me." 

“My grandfather made you?” Enoki asked.

"That is correct. He put me together and created me similar to any other droid. I followed my programmed instructions on how to do chores and help the community. The only difference was that your grandfather transferred some of his DNA into my artificial brain. Perhaps due to that, I occasionally experience what you Tuffles call “emotions.” They are complex, but quite interesting when they do come up." 

“Why didn’t my mom and dad tell me about that?” he asked.

The camera that was the droid’s face pointed to the floor, slightly downcast.

"Kinoko became busy and distracted once she and Endo got together. Your father scared me to be honest." 

Enoki couldn’t argue with that.

"I stayed away from Endo, the Saiyan who said threats to me every time he looked at me. Back then, I was only concerned with doing my job and making your family happy. When it seemed like they didn’t want me around anymore, I decided to find my purpose elsewhere. I had left before you were born.  I did research out in the badlands to search for potential underground resources to expand our civilization. That is until the Saiyans invaded. I would have been exterminated if I were a living thing that they could sense the ki of." 

Enoki started to feel sorry for this strange droid, despite the fact that he was not human.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Enoki said. “Where are we anyway?”

"We are currently on the Portabello spaceship, heading away from Planet Plant. I am searching for a new habitable place that is safe for us to land to." 

Memories of the Saiyan invaders came back to haunt Enoki’s mind. “Wait! Can’t we go back? There might be more survivors down there. We could help them!”

"Negative."

“What?!”

Shitake shifted his words.

"I am sorry to say this, but we cannot go back." 

“We can’t just run away and flee like cowards!” Enoki emphasized. “Now that I have recovered, we can go back and find other individuals to help us.”

"I already said we can’t go back." 

“Why not?”

The droid went silent. Under normal circumstances, he would have stated the fact, plain and simple. It was his nature to do so. In this moment however…there was something within him that was holding him back. His artificial brain could not form the words.

“Is there something you are hiding from me?”

"Yes."

“Tell me what it is, then!”

There was a moment of somber silence.

"All the Tuffles that were on the planet are now…gone." 

Trying to deny what he had just heard, Enoki’s mind came up with something else. “G-Gone as in…escaped from the planet like us?”

"No. The Saiyans…they slaughtered every last one of them. They have taken over the planet and claimed it as their own." 

Enoki’s eyes grew wide and his breathing hitched. “No…no…That can’t be true. It can’t!” He dug his fingers into his hair. “I must be dreaming right now,” he told himself. “I’m still in a coma and I will wake up back where I was…”

"It’s true Enoki-san. There’s nothing that can be done." 

“There’s got to be! We can’t give up.”

"Enoki-san…"

“If you won’t go back, than I will! I have to do something!”

He placed his fingers to his forehead and concentrated on the pink sky, the sights and sounds of his home. The thoughts were interrupted by a clawed hand forcefully pulling his right arm back from in front of him.

“Let me go right now!” he yelled, struggling to break free to no avail.

"Stop this at once, Enoki-san!" 

Now for the first time, the droid sounded angry.

A flash of fear crossed Enoki’s face, but he scrunched his face in anger again. “Why are you doing this?”

"I risked my life to save yours! I did not know if you would even survive. A group of Saiyans started to attack me and the ship almost crash landed because of them." 

Enoki paused and listened in shock. “I…I had no idea…” He felt the grip of the droid loosen.

"I had to tell you the truth. Although I suppose you would have eventually found out…" 

Enoki knelt down to the ground and let out a piercing scream of devastation. Shitake had let go of him and was now standing close by. Enoki’s screams grew louder and his hair started to change to blonde.

"Power levels increasing at a faster than average rate." 

Shitake stepped back and looked at Enoki. He would have had a shocked expression on his face if he were an organism. Instead of Enoki’s usual golden hair, the Tuffle’s hair had turned a bright red color...and then briefly shifted to a light purple. “What…what is this power?” he asked, admiring the electricity surging harmlessly through his fingers.

"It’s a hybrid Saiyan-Tuffle form: Super Tsfrujin 3. It went to STJ 4 for a second…" 

There was no way that Enoki could have gotten that powerful just after waking up without training. Then Shitake realized that zenkai boosts were earned when Saiyans were close to death, resulting in an increase in their power. Enoki had gotten a zenkai boost just now.

Enoki’s Super Saiyan form abruptly ended and his hair turned black once more. He curled up into a ball and sobbed until his eyes and cheeks were red. Shitake retracted his claw-like fingers and awkwardly rubbed his back with his metal hand. Enoki didn’t try to escape this time.

After being emotionally worn out, Enoki sat quietly on a nearby seat, staring off into space. Literal black space just outside the window.

A new planet had appeared in the distance, sometime later. It looked very different from his home planet. It had vast blue oceans and green continents. White clouds blanketed parts of the planet.

"Planet Earth. Suitable for life." The words appeared in the droid’s vision.

It wasn’t long before Shitake found a safe place to land. It was in the outskirts of a place called Conton City. Enoki and Shitake stepped down the ramp and onto the green grass.

Enoki observed the blue sky above him. “Why is the sky such a strange color?”

Shitake provided explanations involving the reflection of oxygen molecules but Enoki was too curious about the strange habitat to pay much attention.

As he walked, Enoki also felt strangely lighter, like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. The droid provided an explanation.

"The gravity on this planet is weaker than the gravity on Planet Plant." 

After five minutes, Shitake had gotten information about the lifeforms of the new planet. There were various flora and fauna, similar to those on Planet Plant but on a much more diverse scale. There were beings very similar to Tuffles, with the main differences being that they were taller and less technologically advanced. They were referred to as Earthlings or humans. When Shitake revealed that there were Saiyans who had survived and lived on Earth, Enoki could barely breathe.

“There are Saiyan’s here? How is that possible?”

"There may have been some kind of disaster that forced them to escape Planet Plant." 

It was messed up enough that Enoki’s entire race was dead. Now it seemed that the universe had decided to mock him, sending Saiyans and bad karma wherever he went. The uncontrollable situations, and especially the Saiyan’s themselves, had stirred a heat of hatred that he had not felt before. It was different than the hatred he had toward his father. Back then, he hated Endo for turning against his family and forcing him to make a life or death choice between two races that were both a part of him. However, he did still love him, and he knew that he did not betray him willingly.

With the Saiyans as a whole, on the other hand…they were ruthless, careless barbarians who only cared for themselves, bloodshed and material greed. They had ruined Enoki’s life and they could ruin the lives of other living things in an instant.

The young Tuffle could not let that happen.

If he could take on a new role in this world, perhaps as a bounty hunter, then he could feel a sense of purpose, as Shitake had mentioned before. Enoki was somewhat curious about the lifestyle of humans. How did they survive if harsh weather ever came in? Shitake stated that the weather on Earth was not as bad as on Planet Plant. As he observed the humans, he felt like he had gone back in time to when his ancestors had lived more than 200 years ago.

Enoki’s curiosity was soon replaced by his ever-increasing hatred for the Saiyans. Enoki had made his decision. He would become a bounty hunter and exterminate the remaining Saiyans as payback for what they did to his people. It would be much easier with the help of Shitake and the other new androids that he planned to build. It was satisfying to conjure up images of traps for the Saiyans, using piles of food as bait. Even Saiyans had their weaknesses, and food was one of them.

Enoki put on his new yellow jacket and set his new red scouter to his left ear.

"Enoki-san, I managed to retrieve parts of your music set. Your digital band recordings have been saved on a flash drive." 

Shitake pulled out a pile of smashed parts of a keyboard, wires and busted speakers. Enoki felt sad that he wouldn’t be able to contact his friends anymore. Especially Guava. If only she could see him how and how much he had been through. The good news was that those parts could easily be fixed in time.

“Thanks, Shitake,” he replied, thankful to have a companion of some sort so he was not truly alone.

Enoki looked to the unfamiliar Earth horizon and grinned. It was time to enact his fruitful revenge against the Saiyans. “Subarashi,” he chuckled. His hunting mission had begun.