Nam's Big Dive

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A sickly smell of disinfectant wafted through the room. His head was killing him. Half of what Can’t Believe It’s Not Butterbean said went in one ear and was lost in the waves of pain before he could process it. The real reason he had come had not eluded Nam, however. The man had lost to him in the preliminaries, and still he persisted.

“You should’ve seen it. It was a real nailbiter!” The portly man displayed his gnawed fingernails. “See? See?! They went down to the wire. But in the end, that Goku kid was no match for Tien Shinhan.”

He hardly mustered a grunt in response. He was saddened to hear of Goku’s loss, but such was life. Outside, puffy clouds, blown in from the sea, were moving at great pace through the powder blue sky. He longed to be home.

“Aw, cheer up, Nam. You’ll get ‘em next time.”

“I fear that my time in the ring is over. I am getting too old for this.”

The ruddy-faced man with the curly black hair growing across his beer belly had a trunk for a neck. “You can’t give up, mate. You’re just coming into your prime! C’mon, the next tourney’s not for another three years. There’s plenty of time to prepare. Don’t give up now.”

A nurse came into the room, forcing a smile as she closed the door. “Alright… How are we feeling today?”

“Better.”

She set a tray of food down in front of him and poured him a glass of juice. “If you need anything else, let me know.”

“Water,” he rasped. “Some water, please.”

Bowing, she retreated out the door. He thought of Ami and Dabu. Shame crept into his mind. Last time, he had been a semi-finalist. How could he return to them with the news that he hadn’t even reached the quarterfinals? At least he hadn’t needed to. The lack of motivation may have been his downfall.

His heartbeat quickened, throbbing blood through his skull. He tried not to wince, for that only made it hurt more. The failures built upon one another. He just wasn’t good enough.

“Hey man, look, I’ll introduce you to Master Flyre. He runs a late-night dojo in the alley behind the Katachi Saru sushi bar in Central City. I’ll book you a session. Heh, no sweat off my back, heh.” His bare belly bobbed in and out of his chest cavity like a cork in the sea.

“I’ll think about it.”

She was taking forever, so he got to his feet. He was surprised that he had the strength to do so. He waddled to the bathroom as CBINBB continued to ramble on. The door shut with conviction. It was heretical how the water spilled out. Guilt overcame him. Weak though his bones felt, he was grateful to have some privacy for the first time in a long time.

The window shattered; CBINBB grunted. A loud thud came from behind. He closed his eyes, feeling the pounding in his temples. It was hard to stay in the present, to remember why he had come into the bathroom. He washed his face and endured the pain.

Someone ripped open the door. Anemic yellow light spilled in, and he felt the cool sea wind washing over him, its strong salty aroma sticking to his lips.

“Well, well, well, look who’s a little wet behind the ears. You must be Nam.”

Before him stood a hideous creature, its face pulled back like that of a fish, its green scales reflecting artificial light every time it moved. He held onto the sink to maintain balance. CBINBB lay in a pool of blood by his bed. He was having trouble remaining conscious. “Who are you? What do you want?”

The demon cracked his neck, stepping forward. “Your life.”

“I don’t know who you are, but you must leave at once.”

The door creaked open. Shattering glass was drowned out by the nurse’s screaming, and the beast couldn’t help but smile.

Nam steadied himself. His thoughts were of his brothers. Water gushed into the sink unchecked. His head ached. A fist, confidently swung, came at him, and his memory was overwhelmed by a numb, throbbing sensation. The mirror shattered and once more he heard a woman screaming. Seeing spots, he staggered back, sluggishly raising his fists, but now his head was hurting so bad, he could hardly see.

The creature kicked him to the floor. She pounded on the demon’s shoulder, begging for mercy.

“No! Get out of here!”

Momentarily distracted, the creature did not block his attack. They hit the wall, the woman fell away, and Nam swung in with a chop. The green devil caught his hand, twisted it, and flung him into the sink. He slipped, water spraying upwards, and all he saw were spots.

“Humans are such fragile creatures.” The monster raised the toilet seat, grabbed him by the neck, and thrust his face into the water. “What a shame. I had expected more from a semi-finalist.”

His memories were old, older than he had expected, passing by in a fractured blur as his lungs burned. Goku was smiling with two fingers raised in the air. Roshi threw him the dynocap. The crowd roared as Ranfan collapsed. And there was his little brother, all skin and bones, begging him for relief: I’m so thirsty, Nam. Please, we can’t go on like this…

His chest spasmed. Above, the monster cackled. He didn’t give up, would never give up, but once again, he was second-best. The shame only passed through him long enough to be acknowledged before the monster released its grip.