Power crackled around Bra, her heart elating with the sheer power on display. There was no guilt or shame—just power. Power that was hers to command. She’d finally broken the barrier her father had erected. Bra was in command of her own destiny now.

  She smiled as she caught the fear in Buu’s eyes. Even with her ki-draining ability, it was like cleaning up a flood with a napkin. Her smile widened as the little toad Babidi began panicking.

  “Amazing,” Lila muttered, her voice a croak. Bra felt her life ebb away, hastened by the ability Buu had stolen from the zombie girl.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll get you to a healer right away.” Her first point of order was getting Buu away from her friend.

  “Gah!” Buu cried out in pain as a sudden punch drove her clear across the arena. The impact of the blow had blown her body to pink bits, her resilient body unable to resist Bra’s fiercer attack.

  “Remarkable. And that’d only been one punch.” Her Saiyan blood sang for violence and conquest, telling her none could oppose her. But she reined it in, making the power her servant.

  In a second, Buu had already reformed, but Bra was already upon her, ki gathered in her palm. She wasn’t playing around, knowing from her brother’s stories how dangerous Buu could be. Stupid as the creature was, Buu wasn’t to be underestimated. She’d destroy the evil creature before it even had the chance to turn the tables.

  But Buu foresaw her attack, splitting in half as she launched a beam that would have annihilated her in a single blow. Instead of getting blown to bits, Bra had only destroyed half of Buu’s body. The half-face of the creature grinned maliciously as she stretched out a hand to grab Bra and drain her dry.

  Bra was quicker, however, slipping out of its grasp and grabbing hold of Buu’s arm. “Sorry, but you’re going to have to do better than that.”

  A knee struck into Buu’s still-reforming face. The blow drove Bra’s opponent back, and she gathered ki into both hands and fired a destructive concussive blast. “Big Bang Attack!”

  A cut-short howl escaped Buu’s lips as she was annihilated, little remaining of her but scraps of pink. While Buu’s regenerative ability was remarkable, she was vulnerable when reforming. Ki gathered in Bra’s palm to eradicate the rest of Buu. But she hesitated, part of her annoyed at herself for finishing the fight so quickly. Her Saiyan blood wanted a real fight, not a slaughter. But Bra shook her head, readying her attack. That split-second hesitation was the time Buu needed to launch a counterattack.

  “Hey, let go!” Bra said as pink goop stretched out to envelop her arm. Pain seized her as her ki was ripped from her body like someone had cut away with a rusty knife. It made Bra feel violated, and she immediately fought to rid herself of it.

  Her body exploded with energy, shredding the portion of Buu that had grasped onto her. But the damage had been done. The afflicted arm had lost much of its muscle, almost emaciated. Only Bra’s quick thinking and vast reserve of ki had saved it.

  “Damn it.” Already, Bra felt the effects of Buu’s draining attack. She felt winded, like she’d spent hours in hard training. It had taken away her ability to fight, but it’d cost her. She growled as she caught Buu’s pleased expression as she reformed.

  “That’s it.” Bra’s ki flared to previously unknown heights, her fists flying as she launched a sudden attack. While she’d lost some power, it’d done little to impede her lightning speed, moving at a pace Buu couldn’t hope to match. Bra wailed into her opponent, holding nothing back. In the background, she saw she’d gained an audience.

  The real Pan was watching with utter delight, cheering her aunt on. Gohan-as-Piccolo had grabbed hold of Lila and propped her up. Krillin and his students were watching with rapt attention. Piccolo-as-Gohan gave her a proud smile, pleased his former student was performing so well. Babidi watched with utter terror, knowing he was helpless to affect the fight. Only Bardock, her alternate half-grandfather, seemed dour.

  “Let’s make a show of it, then,” Bra thought. Buu’s eyes bulged as she elbowed the creature’s skull from above. She launched a barrage of ki blasts, obliterating the area beneath her. When the smoke cleared, Buu seemed worse for wear, having trouble standing. The creature’s eyes told Bra she’d lost the fight, and she knew it.

  “No more tricks, Buu,” Bra said, gathering the ki necessary to destroy this monster once and for all. Worn out as she was, Buu shouldn’t have the strength for any counter tricks. Besides, Bra wouldn’t fall for the same trap again. She’d make sure not a scrap of Buu survived.

  “No!” Babidi said, frantic. If his servant died, all his efforts would have been for naught. “No, that’s it!”

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  “Whatever. He can’t do anything.” The arena brightened as ki gathered in Bra’s palm. She smirked, eager to deliver the killing blow. But then a chanting filled her head, and she seized up.

  Dark words passed through her, injecting themselves into her. They promised power, darkness, and absolute freedom. They rid her of morality, love—anything that would hold her back. She would become the absolute Ruler of Darkness, unmatched by anyone, even her father. Bra only had to accept them.

  And why not? Bra knew how everyone feared and despised her. They saw the power hidden within her and trembled. Why not cast them aside like useless junk? All they’d done was hold her back. Yes, she should take this power and become the monster she was destined to become.

  Bra smirked as a black “M” formed on her head, her power rising beyond anything she’d felt before. She’d done it. Son Bra had finally obtained absolute freedom.

  The others had realized what Master Babidi was attempting, launching everything at him. In his panic, her master erected a barrier around himself. While his magic was mighty, it wouldn’t hold them off forever. Not that it mattered. These pathetic fools were no match for her. She’d have fun killing them all. Bra ignored Buu and launched herself at the nearest foe, her worthless, sentimental half-brother in Piccolo’s body.

  “Bra, no!” a voice said, insistent and desperate. Pathetic. Why should she care? She smirked as she saw the helplessness on Gohan-as-Piccolo’s face. She delighted as his green face twisted in pain as her punch connected. It hadn’t been enough to kill him, though. No, she’d have fun tearing him apart first.

  “What can we do?” Tien said, eyes wide. “We can’t fight her.”

  “I don't think we have a choice, bud,” Yamcha said, getting into a fighting stance.

  “You plan on fighting me? Cute,” Bra said, amused. Her smile widened as more fighters got ready to join the slaughter. They were all collapsed in a heap in a thousandth of an eye blink.

  “No, Bra. Fight it,” Piccolo-as-Gohan said. He’d already dropped his bundle and was ready to square off against her.

  “Who says I want to fight it?” Bra said, arms stretched out wide. All that had opposed her had already fallen.

  “Yes!” Master Babidi said, delighted, pleased his fortune had turned for the better.

  “Oh, this is getting interesting!” the real Pan said, taking delight in the carnage to come. It made Bra furrow her brow. She wasn’t under Master Babidi’s control. Why would Pan act like that? Whatever. She’d give her niece a show she’d never forget.

  Blood spilled down Piccolo-as-Gohan’s mouth as her fist connected with his tiny chest. He hung from her fist like it was a hook. His eyes screamed for her to spare him, to show mercy. Silly fool. Why would she do that? Ki gathered in her hand still impaled in his chest.

  “Don’t. Please. Bra.” A hand grabbed her leg, stopping Bra from delivering the kill. “Don’t.”

  “Why you—” But Bra froze as she saw who had stopped her. It was Lila.

  The Kai didn’t say anything, only her eyes pleaded for Bra to stop. With how wounded she was, Lila wasn’t in any shape for much else. Even grabbing Bra had cost her.

  “Get off me.” Bra raised her other hand to cave in Lila’s skull, but something stopped her.

  “Why am I doing this?” a voice inside whispered.

  “Why should it matter?” But Bra hesitated.

  “Because I’m not a monster,” the voice argued back.

  “Monster.” That word. That terrible word. Bra recoiled, dropping the still-bleeding Piccolo-as-Gohan.

  “I’m a monster?” Bra stared at her fist covered with purple lifeblood. She stared down at the fighters she’d beaten into submission.

  “Kill them,” the dark voice argued. “It’d be so easy. They are helpless against you.”

  “No,” the quiet voice said, firm and resolute. Bra trembled, not sure which voice she should heed. She stared down at the dying Lila for several long moments.

  “What are you doing?” Babidi screamed. “You idiot. Kill them already!”

  “Kill them.” The words sounded odd on her lips, like they were spoken by another person. Another voice spoke—hers. “No.”

  “What?” Babidi said, shocked. “No, you will listen to me.”

  “No, I don’t think I will,” Bra replied simply. Her fist trembled, but not from anguish—from emotion. “I’m not a monster.” She repeated those words over and over again, like a holy mantra.

  No, Babidi was wrong about her. Her father was wrong about her. The darkness screamed at her to obey, but Bra was having none of it. Much to her disgust, this darkness was a part of her, now and forever. But like SSJ2, she was its master, not the other way around.

  “No. I’m not going to hurt anyone,” Bra said, resolute. “Not for you.”

  “Impossible. S-she broke my control?” Babidi said in utter disbelief.

  “That’s right,” Bra said, ki gathering in her palm. “Fuck you.” The evil wizard didn’t even get a chance to cry out, his pathetic barrier doing little to save him as he was blasted to pieces.

  “Bra, you did it,” Piccolo-as-Gohan said, a slight smile on his bloody lips.

  “Yeah, it looks like I did,” Bra said, amazed. The M had disappeared from her forehead. The darkness still lurked within, but she’d contained it.

  She stared down at the warriors she’d nearly beaten to death. “I’m sorry. I lost control.”

  “Hey, it’s okay. You did right in the end,” Yamcha said, a smile on his pained face.

  “You’ve grown, young lady,” Master Krillin said.

  “Yeah, I’m proud of you,” Gohan-as-Piccolo said, a hand grabbing his wounded arm.

  “I suppose I have,” Bra said. Lila smiled up at her, but she didn’t have the strength for anything else.

  “No, behind me.” a scream cried out. Bra’s heart seized in her chest, realizing they’d forgotten someone. She turned to see Buu screeching her entire body at two figures.

  Bardock tried bravely to fight off Buu to stop her from absorbing the other Pan, but his power was nothing compared to his attacker. Buu didn’t bother going around him, taking both figures inside herself. Weirdly, the real Pan didn’t bother fighting back, more intrigued by this development than anything. Then they were both engulfed.

  “No.” Stupid. How had she forgotten about Buu?

  “That’s better,” Buu said, flexing her fingers. “I knew I was incomplete without the other one.”

  While at first glance the new Buu seemed little different from her previous version, there were subtle differences. Her pink skin was a darker shade. Her face had changed, more serious yet still keeping its playful edge. But her aura was the thing that had changed the most. Even touching it made Bra feel unclean.

  “No, how about we continue our game,” Buu said with a smile that caused Bra’s heart to freeze in her chest. It was like a vice had literally grabbed it and started squeezing, causing real pain. What the heck was this new Buu?

  ---

  Author's note:

  Next time: Bra, Gohan, and Cell team up against Nightmare Buu, can even this mighty team stop her? Little Pan makes a hard decision, can the Potara Earrings save the day?