Bayonetta IV

Chapter 4 - Future Meets Past

As the gang continued onwards towards the remaining Dragon Balls, they were surprisingly silent. This awkward silence lasted a few minutes, before Leon broke the silence.
"So, can someone remind me of the plan again?" Leon inquired.
"We're collecting all seven Dragon Balls so we can summon Goku so he can defeat Sephiroth and Vegeta." Luka said. "Actually, about the Dragon Balls... can I ask you something, Leon?"
"Uh, sure." Leon said. "Lay it on me."
"Why did you just... have the second Dragon Ball?" Luka asked.
"I found it lying around in the street." Leon explained. "It looked interesting and valuable, so I picked it up."
"¿Y no tenías ni idea del objeto que sostenías? ¿Ni idea de su poder?" Mr. Game and Watch said, looking up at Leon.
"Not a clue." Leon confirmed. "Although now that I'm aware of its power... I'm glad I got my hands on it before someone else. These Dragon Balls could be dangerous in the wrong hands."
"Especially the hands of our enemy." Sonic remarked. "If they have even one of the Dragon Balls, then they stop us from being able to summon Goku."
"Which spells doom for us, I assume?" Leon asked.
"Exactly." Sonic said, nodding. "Even without the Dragon Balls, Vegeta and Sephiroth are powerful. What could we do against them?"
"Sonic, literalmente tienes una espada. Y eres tan rápido como puedes ser." Mr. Game and Watch said.
"You and I both know a sword and some speed can't compete with them." Sonic retorted. "Sephiroth's a genetically modified super soldier, and Vegeta's a pure blooded Saiyan. What's a group consisting of a fast blue hedgehog with a sword, a two dimensional man with a hammer, a normal guy with a gun, and someone who doesn't even know how to fight gonna do to them?"
"Hey, I can fight!" Luka snapped.
"Es curioso que digas eso, Luka. Me parece recordarte ahí de pie, indefenso, durante nuestro encuentro con Sephiroth." Mr. Game and Watch said.
"Shuddup, you." Luka mumbled.
"Do you three always argue like this?" Leon quizzed.
"Sí." Mr. Game and Watch said. "Muy a menudo."
"I see." Leon said. "Quite the group you've got here. Intertwined by fate. A hedgehog from the future, a normal man from the present, and... uh, another normal-ish man from the present."
"¿Qué quiere decir con esto?" Mr. Game and Watch said.
"Nothing, you're just... a little... uhm, flat...?" Leon said.
"Guys, look!" Luka exclaimed. "The third Dragon Ball!" The four rushed up to it, and Sonic picked it up.
"Lucky find." Sonic said. "At least there's no Sephiroth to deal with this time."
"I would think again, hedgehog." A voice came from behind the four. They whipped around, and stood face to face with Sephiroth.
"Sephiroth..." Leon said.
"Oh? What have we here?" Sephiroth remarked. "You seem to have recruited another for your little fetch quest, haven't you?"
"We've already got three Dragon Balls, Sephiroth." Luka said. "We're gonna collect all seven, and you and Vegeta will be toast!"
"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Sephiroth said, reaching into his pocket and pulling something out of it. "Take a look at this."
"That's... the fourth Dragon Ball!" Leon exclaimed.
"¡¿Cómo conseguiste eso?!" Mr. Game and Watch inquired.
"I found it lying around in the streets." Sephiroth said. "These things seem to be in very convenient places."
"Drop it, Sephiroth." Sonic said. "If you hand over the Dragon Ball to us peacefully, we won't have to fight."
"What makes you assume that I do not wish for a fight?" Sephiroth said smugly.
"Do you just get a hard on for fighting or something...?" Luka said, sighing.
"Enough of this... this hooey." Sephiroth said.
"Hooey?" Luka quizzed.
"Who the hell says hooey?" Sonic asked.
"Extraña elección de lenguaje." Mr. Game and Watch said.
"Just say shit, man." Leon said.
"You assume I wish to stoop to the lows of your vocabulary." Sephiroth said.
"Honestly, it'd be better than saying... hooey." Leon remarked.
"Yeah, man." Luka said. "Significantly better."
"By a wide margin." Sonic said.
"Enough of this!" Sephiroth said, raising his blade.
"Right, we were supposed to fight." Sonic said, also raising his blade. "Leon, you ready?"
"I suppose so." Leon said, brandishing his firearm.
"What have we here?" Sephiroth said. "Two against one. Seems rather unfair, don't you think?"
"You're a genetically modified super soldier." Sonic said. "You don't get to talk on fairness."
"I suppose you've got a point." Sephiroth said. "Now, let the battle begin." Sonic lunged forward at Sephiroth, his blade clashing against Sephiroth's. The two clashed blades, sparks flying, while Leon just stood there.
"What the hell are you waiting for?" Luka shouted. "Shoot him or something!" Leon complied, raising his gun and aiming it at Sephiroth. After a second of aiming, he shot. The bullet whizzed through the air, and hit Sephiroth's blade. Leon continued to shoot, but Sephiroth seemed to block every shot while still fighting Sonic.
"You're going to need to be a lot faster if you wish to hit me with a mere projectile." Sephiroth hissed as he continued to clash blades with Sonic. Leon quickly reloaded his gun, and began to fire again.
"Shit, nothing's fazing this guy." Luka remarked. "Can't you do anything, Mr Game and Watch?"
"Intentaré algo." Mr. Game and Watch said. "Esperemos que funcione." He then suddenly ran towards Sephiroth.
"What the hell are you doing?" Sonic shouted at Mr. Game and Watch.
"Algo que podría ser estúpido." Mr. Game and Watch said.
"Hm, what do you intend to do to me?" Sephiroth said. Mr. Game and Watch jumped up at Sephiroth, and swung a hammer.
"Nueve." Mr. Game and Watch said as the hammer came into contact with Sephiroth. In an instant, Sephiroth was sent flying into the side of a nearby building. The bricks crumbled as Sephiroth flew into them with the force of a speeding vehicle. He hit the wall, and thudded down onto the ground. Everyone was speechless.
"What... the fuck...?" Leon said, his mouth agape.
"How the hell did you do that?" Luka asked.
"Tenemos suerte. Cada vez que golpeo ese martillo, es casi como lanzar un dado." Mr. Game and Watch explained.
"How do you know which number it is?" Leon inquired.
"Lo siento dentro de mí. Como una corazonada, o algo así." Mr. Game and Watch continued. "Cada vez que golpeo el martillo, siento qué número hay dentro. Es un número aleatorio del uno al nueve."
"That's... interesting." Luka said. He looked back over to where Sephiroth lay, and saw Sonic walking up to him.
"So, Sephiroth." Sonic said. "I believe you have something I want." He reached into Sephiroth's pocket and pulled out the fourth Dragon Ball.
"Thanks a bunch." Sonic said as he walked back over to the others.
"Well, now we know that... most of us can fight." Leon remarked.
"I know how to fight!" Luka snapped.
"¿Dónde estabas cuando golpeé a Sephiroth con mi martillo?" Mr. Game and Watch said, smirking.
"Shuddup, you!" Luka hissed.
"No, no. He has a point." Leon said. "Sonic, Mr. Game and Watch, and I have proven our worth in combat."
"And that's why I'm here." Sonic said. "Because this big goof can't defend himself, so I had to come back from the future to save him." Luka rolled his eyes and scoffed.
"So, now we have four out of seven of the Dragon Balls." Leon said. "We've just got three left to collect."
"¿A qué esperamos? Pongámonos en marcha." Mr. Game and Watch said.
"Right, let's move." Sonic said. The four began to continue onwards towards the remaining Dragon Balls, Luka grumbling and mumbling along behind them.
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Sephiroth continued to lay on the ground where he was left after Mr. Game and Watch sent him into the wall with his hammer. As he lay there, a mysterious figure stood over him.
"My, my. It seems you took quite the hit in that battle." The mysterious man said, staring down at him.
"Who... are you...?" Sephiroth said, breathing heavily. "Are you... the reaper...?"
"Hmhm. You're quite humorous." The mysterious man said. "No, I am not the reaper. Stay still. I shall heal your wounds." The mysterious man cast a spell using his restore materia, and Sephiroth slowly rose to his feet.
"Are you also a master materia user?" Sephiroth inquired. The mysterious man hummed.
"Of course." The mysterious man said, looking Sephiroth up and down. "You are a master materia user, are you not?"
"That is correct." Sephiroth confirmed. "But what does my mastery of materia have to do with yours?"
"Much more than you assume." The mysterious man said. "In fact, a lot about you determines my fate."
"I... pardon me, but what?" Sephiroth quizzed. "Who are you?"
"I suppose I have some explaining to do." The mysterious man said. "I am... well, you, but from the future. The wretched heroes succeeded in their quest, and Prince Vegeta banished me for failing. So, I've come back in time to defeat the heroes, and save me... er, us, from being banished by Prince Vegeta." Sephiroth was speechless. He looked up and down the man in front of him. The similarities between the two were now very apparent. The long silver hair, the voice, the coat, etc. This man standing in front of him... was him from the future. He wouldn't believe it if the most damning piece of evidence wasn't literally staring him in the face.
"You're... really a future version of myself?" Sephiroth said, staring in disbelief.
"Indeed I am." The future Sephiroth said.
"And you've returned from the future to alter the fates of our adversaries?" Sephiroth catechized.
"That is correct." The future Sephiroth confirmed. "I cannot allow our foes to succeed in their plan. I must allow Prince Vegeta to see his ultimate plan through, by any means necessary."
"I see." Sephiroth said. "And I assume those necessary means involve returning to the past to defeat the adversaries you failed to before?"
"Indeed." The future Sephiroth confirmed. "Though, I didn't return just to challenge them by my lonesome. I figured that with some... extra help... I would be able to take them down quite easily." The future Sephiroth stared Sephiroth in the eyes as he spoke.
"You're referring to me, aren't you?" Sephiroth asked.
"Precisely." The future Sephiroth said. "Think about it, if I help you defeat our enemies, Prince Vegeta will certainly reward you for this. And it will prevent you from ending up like me... banished in shame."
"My apologies for interrupting your... incessant ramblings." Sephiroth said drily. "But can we cut to the chase? I don't wish to stand out here the rest of the day while our adversaries continue on their quest."
"I suppose you have a point." The future Sephiroth said. "We cannot allow them to collect the remaining Dragon Balls."
"Yes, I agree." Sephiroth said, walking ahead. "Come along. We must intercept them at the fifth Dragon Ball."
"I disagree." The future Sephiroth said. Sephiroth froze in his tracks, and spun to face the future Sephiroth.
"Could you repeat that for me?" Sephiroth asked, staring daggers at the future Sephiroth.
"I said that I disagree." The future Sephiroth said. "We shouldn't intercept them at every single Dragon Ball. It will only weaken us."
"Well then, what's your plan?" Sephiroth demanded.
"I need you to speak to Prince Vegeta when our adversaries get the sixth Dragon Ball." The future Sephiroth explained. "Tell him that the enemy is close to receiving all the Dragon Balls, and tell him that his combat expertise will be needed to fight them off once they arrive at the seventh Dragon Ball."
"But, won't that leave the seventh Dragon Ball out in the open?" Sephiroth asked, confused.
"Not at all." The future Sephiroth said. "I'll be there to hold them off until you and Prince Vegeta return. Then... then we will crush them, seize the Dragon Balls, and take over the world. I trust there will be no issues with this plan?"
"No... I suppose I don't have any issues with your plan." Sephiroth said. "What do we do in the meantime?"
"We rest and prepare ourselves for the battle ahead." The future Sephiroth said. "You got beaten up pretty bad during your last battle. I would recommend you learn counter attacks."
"I know what a counter attack is." Sephiroth hissed.
"Well, if you're so sure of yourself, then let's test that." The future Sephiroth said. Sephiroth nodded, and raised his blade. The future Sephiroth came charging at him, and swung his sword. Sephiroth jumped out of the way, and swung his blade at the future Sephiroth. But, as his blade was near enough to the future Sephiroth, a magic wall stopped Sephiroth clean in his swing, and knocked him back with double the force.
"That..." The future Sephiroth laughed. "...is a counter attack."
"What... was that?" Sephiroth said, catching his breath.
"That was Scintilla." The future Sephiroth explained. "I'll teach you how to do it while we lie in wait." Sephiroth nodded, and the future Sephiroth healed him yet again.
"Come with me." The future Sephiroth instructed. "We shall stalk our adversaries from the shadows, lying in wait for the perfect moment to strike." Sephiroth reluctantly nodded and followed behind him, off to watch Luka and his gang closely to plan their next move.