Learning to Live
Summary: With Son Goku dead following the conclusion of the Cell Games, Seventeen realizes that he lacks a true purpose in life. As he makes an attempt to get accustomed to a normal lifestyle, can Seventeen find something beyond a reason for existing?
This is a story meant to entail the life of Seventeen between the Cell Games and the Tournament of Power, a 13-year gap. This will include how he ultimately became a park ranger, met his eventual wife, and many other elements.
Disclaimer: The Dragon Ball franchise and all of its characters belong to Akira Toriyama.
Prologue – Finally Free
"You should have listened to your friend!"
That was the phrase that kept replaying and repeating in his mind. Had he not been so arrogant, so foolish, so overconfident…
He, his sister, and their friend would have all been fine and able to continue on with the game of finding Goku. Instead, his thirst for amusement ultimately led to his capture and integration into this monster, aided in severely damaging his close friend, and made an opening for his sister to join his fate in becoming nothing more than a power-source for the Earth's current nightmare.
The past ten days had worn heavily on Seventeen, with this living nightmare constantly chipping away at his once-unbreakable sense of self. When he had been absorbed, Seventeen had expected death to follow. In the short period of time since his permanent activation, he had only experienced fear when he saw that horrible creature's tail open up to beckon him towards hell. However, Seventeen had not only kept his life, but also was granted consciousness inside Cell's body. Witnessing the subsequent attack on Sixteen was maddening, but when Cell had used his voice to try and persuade Eighteen to join him, Seventeen truly felt powerless and broken. Even though she had seen through Cell's devious plan, Eighteen joined him just hours later in their mutual void of suffering.
Now, their hopes rested with a mere kid who clearly lacked not only the requisite power to stand up to Cell, but also the desire to fight at all. Worst of all, Seventeen had no choice but to observe. Cell had such control over his "perfect" body that he could redistribute the damage he accumulated so that Seventeen and Eighteen would remain unharmed. Beyond that, neither cyborg could call upon their respective power. There was no way to launch an attack from inside Cell: he had full control of their perpetual energy sources, and attempting to activate their self-destruct devices would take far too long and alert Cell to interrupt the sequence.
In a mere two weeks time, Seventeen had gone from the self-proclaimed "Ultimate Android" to a mere battery. Dr. Gero had managed to somehow get the best of him again: first by removing his humanity and making him one of his pet projects, and then stripping him of his pride and purpose by relegating his purpose in life to make Cell complete. Somehow, a fate worse than death awaited both Seventeen and Eighteen.
"Damn it! If only I had just listened to Piccolo and Sixteen and escaped when I had the chance...none of this would have happened."
"Still brooding, Android 17? Even had you successfully escaped me on that isl and, I would have eventually found you. Piccolo proved to be no match, and with just a bit more bioextract from a different city, I would have had all the power I needed to destroy Android 16. You would have never been able to escape your destiny!"
"I promise you: I will find a way out of here and kill you by my own hands! You won't win!"
Cell, highly amused by Seventeen's defiance, cackled in response.
"You seem so confident, 17. Who among this pathetic lot can defeat me? Piccolo, Krillin, and Vegeta have all been beaten within an inch of their life by me once before. Tenshinhan couldn't even damage us before we merged with 18. Trunks has the raw power, but his inability to calculate in battle and utter lack of awareness regarding his limitations makes him nothing more than child's play. Goku has already fought and is not only exhausted, but lacks access to the Senzu to recover back to full strength. Surely you don't believe anyone here could possibly stop us?"
Cell paused, as if he were considering something momentarily, before continuing.
"It seems you forgot about the last time you showed such futile resistance. Perhaps another lesson in pain is in order? Perhaps our sister can join in on your pain as well!"
"Leave Eighteen out of this, you freak!" Seventeen was seething in anger, while Eighteen was worriedly observing the conversation between the two. It was bad enough that his sister was ultimately in this situation because of him, but he refused to let her get hurt for his actions any longer.
Suddenly, Cell was distracted by a new fighter entering the fray. To the horror of both Seventeen and Eighteen, it was Sixteen, draped over Cell in what was surely a last-ditch suicidal effort.
"Sixteen, no! What do you think you're doing? You can't expect to beat him! You'll be killed!" Eighteen cried out, pleading for the taller android to reconsider.
"Sixteen, get out of there!" Seventeen was horrified at the events unfolding in front of him.
"I will kill him by self-destructing. I have a powerful explosive embedded deep in my body. It was intended to be a last resort. I am sorry that we androids have caused so much suffering here on the Earth."
'No way,' Seventeen thought. Is Sixteen trying to atone for the sins of Gero and Cell by giving up his own life?
"Cell, you destroy life. You are a parasite to this planet, and I see now that this is the best way to destroy you. Dr. Gero's sick ambition to terrorize the world through us will ultimately be put to rest by his own devices."
With that, Sixteen began to power up and initiate his self-destruct sequence.
"Sixteen, it doesn't have to end this way! Please, stop!"
In a cruel twist of fate, the sequence did stop, but not because Seventeen had pleaded for it.
"WHAT? Something is wrong. The trigger's gone!"
Oh no...if the trigger was missing, then that meant that whoever had repaired Sixteen had discovered the bomb and removed it.
"Well, well: I was only hoping to terrorize the Earth through the Cell Games, but seeing the look on both of your faces is delightful! But, my dear brother and sister: the fun has only just begun!"
"Cell, what do you mean?" But before he could finish, Cell began speaking.
"Sorry, 16. I'm staying. But if you have a death wish, far be it from me to let you down."
"Don't blink, or you'll miss what you're about to do to your friend!"
"DON'T DO IT, CELL! PLEASE STOP!"
The blast, formed by Seventeen and Eighteen's energy, completely eradicated Sixteen's body.
"16. His petty existence proved Dr. Gero had his flaws." And with one final kick, Sixteen's head crashed into a mountain and disappeared out of sight.
"You monster…you destroyed Sixteen! I'll kill you: I swear I will!" Seventeen screamed and tried to attack, but every movement was futile.
"Really, now? Still resisting, 17? Then allow me to introduce an even greater degree of pain for the both of you!"
Seventeen and Eighteen, still utterly shocked at the destruction of their friend, had no idea what Cell could have meant. The twins did not notice Cell counting the people on the cliffs and opening his tail up until they felt the pain surging through them. Both Seventeen and Eighteen screamed in agony.
"What's happening?"
"Heh. You two are powering my children."
"Your what?"
"My children. Thanks to both of your infinite energy supplies, each Cell Junior I create can retain power close to that of my own without costing me any stamina or fatigue. Since your power supplies are limitless, I can produce as many children as I please. I only need the two of you to be alive: it is my gift to you that the two of you are conscious at all right now."
Neither Seventeen nor Eighteen were able to respond to Cell, as the pain almost knocked them unconscious.
"For now, I need just seven children. But later, perhaps we can play one of those games you enjoy so dearly, Android 17. We can try and set personal bests on how many children the two of you can produce for me before passing out. After all, we'll have all eternity together to keep each other company!"
Finally, the searing pain subsided from Seventeen and Eighteen's bodies.
"Now, just enjoy the fireworks! Who will be the first to fall? Isn't this just marvelous, brother and sister?"
This whole exercise to Cell was just a game, Seventeen realized. And to his horror, the cyborg realized that he had been acting the same way from the time he was first activated. Causing fear and chaos through mayhem was incredibly fun and satisfying, but now Seventeen saw his actions from the other perspective. Perhaps this is why Eighteen would always scold him about not taking things seriously and failing to work efficiently. But Seventeen's games were not out of malice. Finding and fighting Goku was not about killing him: that would be following Dr. Gero's programming, and that was the last thing he wanted to do, especially after Gero had disabled their control mechanisms.
No: the game regarding Goku was to see the extent of Sixteen's fighting capabilities. The truck was to give himself a human experience after Gero had taken them from him: flying and ki blasts were things he was now capable of, but things that he would refuse to use except for combat.
Cell, on the other hand, set up his game to cause global suffering. Yes: Seventeen was not entirely innocent in his games either: he stole a truck and injured some members of a bike gang, but Cell was choosing to prolong and maximize suffering before ending people's lives.
"Playtime is over, children! You can kill them now!"
In the flurry of action, Cell, Seventeen, and Eighteen were interrupted by a noise between them and Gohan and stunned when they identified the cause of the noise.
"So, the hunk of junk is back for more punishment, huh? I guess he will be the first true loser of the Cell Games today!"
"You had better not even think about it!" Seventeen was distraught. Sixteen couldn't run, and Cell was closing in on him. Barring a miracle, he knew that this was the end for his friend. Seventeen knew that he wouldn't be able to thank him for going along with his shenanigans, for trying to protect him. Seventeen knew that he wouldn't even be able to say goodbye.
When Sixteen began talking to Gohan, Seventeen almost felt like the tall android was talking to him as well.
"Seventeen, let it go...it is because you cherish life that you must protect it. Please...protect the life I loved. You have the strength...just...let it go."
And with those words, Cell brought his foot down and crushed Sixteen, destroying him completely. Mockingly, it felt like Cell was not only talking to Gohan, but also to Seventeen.
"Yet another fighter you could have saved. What a pitiful excuse for an android. 16 truly was a failure in every aspect."
Seventeen felt something in him snap. For the first time, he felt tears, and he knew Eighteen was sobbing over the death of their friend.
"YOU BASTARD: I'LL KILL YOU!"
When the planet began to quake, Seventeen wondered if it he had awakened a new power, but it was Gohan. Quickly, he stole the Senzu beans back from Cell, dismantled all seven Cell Juniors, and engaged in combat with Cell. To the amazement of all three, none could believe what they were seeing: not only had Gohan unlocked a new level of power, but Cell was both lacking in speed and unable to deal any damage.
"Time to get serious!"
The pain flared for both Seventeen and Eighteen again as Cell raised his power to the maximum. He had been holding back this much this whole time?
But even Cell's absolute maximum was meaningless. In two hits, Cell was severely damaged and unable to entirely redistribute the damage away from the twins. Seventeen doubled over in pain, shocked at the dramatic turn of events. Each successive attack and tactic proved futile, until Cell decided to power up a Kamehameha wave large enough to detonate the planet. Even that, however, ended up reflected back.
Two punches and a Kamehameha: in three strikes, the "perfect" warrior had been reduced to a bloody mess of half-limbs.
"That brat! I will kill him even if it means the death of everyone!"
"Cell, stop!" Seventeen saw that Cell was irrational, but he was unable to stop the bioengineered warrior from going berserk.
The energy strain on Cell's body was reaching a breaking point, but the pain from the attacks had also knocked Eighteen entirely unconscious. Seventeen's body was so wholly focused on the pain that it took almost all of his willpower to just stay conscious. He couldn't even cry out in pain as Cell tried to achieve an even greater level of strength.
Cell's new, bulky form was unable to match Gohan at all. The form lost speed and consumed far too much energy for the power boost, and in one kick to the face, Cell was staggering.
Seventeen felt Cell's total control slipping, and he realized that he had access to his perpetual energy again. The damage, regeneration, and fatigue necessary to maintain this form meant that Cell could not keep everything under control, which meant that maybe, just maybe, there was an opening.
"You want a power boost, big guy? Well I've got energy to spare for you!" Seventeen started firing out energy, trying to further loosen the insect-looking android's control. He had no idea what to expect, but this was a chance that may not come again. After taking a powerful kick to the stomach from Gohan, along with Seventeen overloading energy and chaos internally, Cell's body began to fail. From the inside, Seventeen realized that Cell had accumulated damage and stress to the point where his body was rejecting what was inside. Seventeen saw his major opportunity and tried to capitalize on the miracle.
"Just a bit further: I can almost do it!"
"Android 17, I command you to stop! You'll regret this! Cut it out!"
"Not a chance! Eat this!"
With one final burst, Cell's body gave out and Eighteen was freed. Cell had been unable to meet the unsustainable energy demands put on by his power, damage, and regeneration, and Seventeen felt his captor's power fade down into his second stage.
"So, it was possible for you to devolve into this state. It's only a matter of time before I'm out of here as well." Seventeen observed, pleased with the progress. Cell's body, mind, and ki were completely off balance, and with just a minor push, Seventeen could free himself as well. He just needed one more opening.
"It won't be that easy, Seventeen. Now that our loss against Gohan is confirmed, it is time for everyone to die!"
"You're bluffing, you overgrown cicada. You don't have a trump card that can defeat Gohan, let alone kill him. On top of that, your systems are wildly uncalibrated."
"Ah, but you are not entirely correct. Even in this state, I can constantly expend enough energy to destroy you all! I shall take a page out of your friend's book and self-destruct, destroying the whole planet! Even if I just have your power, I can generate enough of an explosion to take the whole Earth down with me!"
Cell had begun to swell with energy. Gohan had created the opening, but it was Cell who capitalized on it instead. Just as they had with Seventeen, arrogance and hubris had cost the half-Saiyan the fight against Cell, along with the fate of the planet.
In an instant, Seventeen had lost his chance at freedom and life.
And then, right in front of them, Goku materialized. Gero's nemesis gave his farewell before putting his fingers to his forehead. Seventeen and Cell both recognized that as his skill that allowed for teleportation.
In an instant, Seventeen realized he was at a faraway planet while Cell was on the verge of detonating. He realized that these were his last moments for real, but unlike when he was being absorbed, Seventeen felt at peace. He would be free of this hell inside Cell. He might be able to see Sixteen again. He managed to free Eighteen and gave her a potential chance at life. Even with death staring him down, Seventeen found himself smiling and eagerly awaiting its embrace. After all, death was preferable to an eternity in captivity. In the end, despite the mess he had created, Seventeen had done everything he could to fix things and repented in his own way. Perhaps he would eventually even be forgiven for his mistakes.
And then, his vision went white.
A/N: This is a lengthy prologue, but I wanted to give some context on the Cell Games after it was revealed in Dragon Ball Super Chapter 31 that Seventeen was conscious and aware of the events after his absorption (this could also have been inferred in Episode 87, when Seventeen acknowledges that he died on King Kai's planet after being transported there via Instant Transmission).
I use a lot of quotes from the English dub, but Seventeen's character will be more based on the original Japanese script. The dub portrayed Seventeen as someone who is extremely condescending towards humans. In the Japanese version, Eighteen notes on a number of occasions that many of Seventeen's actions reflect that he has a little bit of humanness still inside him (such as Episode 146, when the trio are off-roading. Eighteen blasts the trail to make a more comfortable drive, and Seventeen comments that this was no fun. Eighteen makes the humanness comment there).
I switch between referencing Seventeen, Eighteen, and Sixteen by spelling the names out and using the numbers, but this is intentional. The main difference is based on character perception: when Cell talks about the androids, he sees the cyborgs as pure power sources and Sixteen as a failure, hence just referencing all three by model number. However, spelling the entire word out treats the designation as not a number, but a name. It's meant to illustrate that different characters see the twins as just androids and machines (think Mirai Trunks), while some might take a more human perception of the two (think Krillin).
Please remember to leave a review and let me know how I can improve for future chapters!