Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z or Dragon Ball GT.

Claimer: I own this plot and all my original characters.

Chapter 2

Mortality

Android #1 haphazardly exited his rocky abode which had held him for decades, pushing through the roof of the underground laboratory with ease and seeing the outside world for the first time in his life. A dense forest with pine trees and a large mountain range greeted the machine, a grey sky thick with clouds hung above.

Auditory sensors picking the faint noise of pattering, 1 looked to his shoulder and observed as tiny droplets of water broke apart as they collided with his synthetic skin. The rain suddenly increased in ferocity, pelting the machine with water from on high and making the world before him look hazy and improperly formed. Curiosity growing, the android slowly reached out with his right hand and let the rain strike his palm, a tiny pool forming in his hand.

A numb, dull sensation alerted the creation's processors that there was increased pressure put on his hand. It was a dull feeling, barely present, nothing like real touch. 1 knew this somehow, subconsciously.

A flash of lightning lit up the android's features and brought him back into reality, 1 turning his palm into a fist as he remembered his duties, the water in his palm splashing outwards.

Android #1 flew across the planet, heading to Mount Paozu as fast as his power would allow him. Not so much as stopping to admire the vast fields of vibrant flowers and green grass, the machine searched the landscape up and down until he found the homely residence of Son Goku. Scanning the abode, 1 was informed there were no life signatures so much as near the cottage.

Thinking of another place the Saiyan could be, 1 made another trek around the world and landed on the sandy beach of Master Roshi's island. Stepping inside the pink beach house, the mechanical man scanned the area with his optical sensors, the scan informing him that the only occupants were a sleeping pig on the couch, an adult magazine on Oolong's face as he snored, and an elderly gentleman relieving himself inside a small bathroom on the same floor.

About to turn around and head for Capsule Corporation's main office, an advertisement on the television caught the machine's interest.

"Don't touch that remote folks! We'll be right back with the 28th World Martial Arts Tournament! You don't want to miss a single match when the likes of Wild Tiger, Mr. Buu and Son Goku are going to step into the ring any moment now!"

The android paused, searching his databanks for information on a location for the World Martial Arts Tournament. Once a match was found, 1 realized he would need the element of surprise on his side and thus a disguise, so as to not alert the Earth's Special Forces to his presence prematurely.

Blasting off towards his target, now with a confirmed location at last, 1 didn't notice the power of his blast off had shaken the small house, Oolong falling off the couch as a result and being awakened from his slumber by the proceeding clash with the floor. Opening his eyes groggily, the pig looked around confused, while inside the downstairs bathroom, Master Roshi looked away from his magazine and placed a hand on his stomach, stating, "Hmm… maybe I oughta lay off the broccoli a while longer."

These humans before him had gathered in one large mass, larger than he had ever thought possible. It was odd to see firsthand that people would come together to watch as others attacked one another all for glory or wealth. It didn't make sense for them to be so happy upon viewing violence and pain, at least not to his processors.

The crowd cheered once more as Goku and Uub matched blows in the ring, Earth's hero blocking the boy's leg as it came down hard, sending shockwaves throughout the stadium.

It wasn't long before the pair broke up and then charged at one another once more to continue the fight, moving faster than the human eye could see. This speed, however, was nothing to the artificial being in the crowd, waiting for the opportune moment to strike. The machine had kept his presence hidden through his disguise, which consisted of a large brown overcoat and fedora, the outfit having been 'borrowed' from a costume store on the island.

Waiting for the opportune moment, however, allowed the creatures mind to wander freely. As he spectated silently, Android 1 thought of how he would kill Son Goku so as to cause the least pain possible. But what of the android himself? Would he feel pain? Ever since he had awoken from his long slumber, his body felt numb and odd, as though it rejected him. Perhaps then no physical pain, but what of mental anguish? What would it feel like to kill someone? Would he, like all the other androids, desire to only slaughter and destroy, turning this world into a cesspool of destruction and death? Or… was he meant for more?

"S'cuse me son, mind scootin over? My kid can't see," a southern accented voice drawled, drawing the android out of his thoughts. 1 turned around slightly to catch a glimpse of a man in a white ten gallon hat, a small boy next to him.

"Of course, sir. No inconvenience at all," 1 replied in his deeply synthesized voice. He moved over while pulling his hat down slightly, momentarily confusing the cowboy before he was distracted by another shockwave of power from the ring.

The fight wasn't long, but it sure was spectacular, yet the audience was surprised when Goku suddenly flew his opponent back into the ring to have a talk with him. Whilst many were confused as to what the two could possibly be saying, 1 was able to stay in the loop thanks to his advanced auditory capabilities.

"Sorry about insulting you earlier," Goku said cheerily. "Your true power was all bottled up inside and the only way to bring it out was to get you mad. But I think you learnt a lot about yourself today. You're strong, real strong! But I don't think you've ever had a fight quite like this, am I right?" The Saiyan spoke while walking around Uub and looking him over.

'What on Earth are you doing, Kakarot? Just end the fight!' Vegeta thought as he looked on, the prince in a rush to commence his battle with his rival.

"No, not really," responded the shorter fighter. To this, Goku put his hand on his chin in thought. Uub was greatly confused to say the least. At first this guy was making him fight at an unknown level and insulting him over and over, and now he was acting all buddy-buddy? What the heck was up with that?!

The great Majin Buu suddenly stopped stuffing his face with candy backstage, a sudden change in the world earning his attention as he simply stated, "Hercule."

"Huh?" the aging world champion responded as he turned away from the ring to look at his friend, confused. "What is it, Buu?"

"Buu think bad thing is about to happen. Tell everyone to leave." The champ was about to respond with a laugh, thinking his less than intellectual associate was just playing a game with him again. But then he saw the look on the demon's face. This was serious. With a nod, Hercule began a fast run toward the stage to make up some fake emergency so that the place would be evacuated.

"Hmm…I've decided." The Saiyan declared, "I'm going to come and live with you in your village and train you! What do ya say? You'll get a lot stronger!" Goku asked with a smile, a nagging feeling in the back of his mind slowly growing stronger.

Uub was overjoyed on the inside. If this man would really train him, he could probably win every tournament till he was a hundred! His village would own all the world's food and water! Wait, his village... How could he abandon them?

"Yeah!" Uub started happily, but his face suddenly became sullen, "But-"

Time froze for Uub as his words cut off, suddenly unable to speak. There was a sharp pain in his chest that had appeared without warning, the sensation unlike anything he had felt. The world slowly started shifting colors, going from blue to red to grey and then finally black.

Meanwhile, in the land of the conscious, Uub fell forward as a thin, white beam of energy pierced his chest an narrowly missed vital organs by mere nanometres. The area went quiet as all stared at the right edge of the ring as a tall, cloaked figure stood like a statue with a smoking finger pointed in the direction of Uub's now fallen body.

Many gasped in awe and shock as the figure slowly lowered his smoking hand and then ripped off his disguise, revealing his chalk-white body to all. The arena was abruptly filled with screams as people ran for cover or some form of sanctuary, heading towards any available exits and a few trampling over the champ as he still made his way to warn them a tad too late.

The stands were now emptying out except for the Z-Fighters, knowing that they were needed here or, in the case of Bulma, Chi-Chi and Videl, were simply too stubborn to leave.

"Wh-what speed!" Vegeta cried, flabbergasted at the android's movements and now ready to attack.

The ring itself was currently the most tense place of all, neither conscious combatant saying a word to one another, Goku keeping his eyes on Uub's fallen body and 1 keeping his eyes on Goku, scanning to make sure this was his target.

"Hair: 93% match. Body shape: 86% match. Height: 99% match. Eye color: 92% match," 1 said coldly, reading off his HUD as he was given the information. "Overall match of subject to Son Goku: 92%."

Small sparks of electricity appeared around the warrior's body as it shook violently, desperately searching for a heartbeat in the young boy's body as he tightened his fists in fury. Finally finding a faint thump in Uub's chest, Goku calmed down and took in a deep breath, finally facing his pale foe.

"You… you monster!" Goku declared as he raised his fist in anger towards the android. "Injuring a child for no reason! Who are you? Why did you hurt him?" the Saiyan asked with ferocity in his words few had seen before.

Seeing no reason not to answer the warrior's question, 1 responded, "I have no name. I am, however, designated as Android #1 of the Red Ribbon Army. I attacked the child in question so as to spare him. If he had agreed further, he would have become part of Earth's Special Forces and therefore a new target."

"Another android, huh?" the Saiyan responded as he entered the signature Turtle Hermit fighting pose. "I think you'll find I'm a lot stronger than you think, especially if your memory banks or whatever are as old as I think they are." Goku was now slowly building up energy so as to go straight to Super Saiyan 3. From the looks of how this guy moved, he was going to need to go all out.

"Scanning. Scanning. Records updated. Opponent's full power has been recorded. Are you Son Goku?" This was it. The final piece of identification 1 needed to know as to whether this man was indeed his primary target.

'Almost ready to go all out. I just need to stall him a little longer.' Goku thought as he hurriedly increased his power.

"Dad, get out of there!" Goten yelled at the top of his lungs. He could feel that something really bad was going to happen any second now.

"Yes, I am." Goku finally responded, now ready to transform at last.

"Understood. Forgive me."

In all his life, Goku had faced villains who would brag about their power and then be blown away as either he or his comrades powered up themselves. It was sort of an unspoken code between Goku and his opponents, to always let the other power to their maximum so as to have the best fight possible. Except for this adversary. Android 1, unlike his other opponents, didn't care about fighting, in fact, he detested causing others pain. It was one of the few things he knew about himself. As such, he always wanted to end a fight quickly.

No one had powered up enough to see what exactly had happened, and as such everyone still there was hit by a shock of pain upon seeing the gruesome site. Goku stood still, mouth open as his onyx eyes became faded and blood tricked out of his mouth, the hero gasping in anguish. Looking down, he found the source of this great pain to be a large, pale arm lodged in his chest.

1 had used his greater speed and strength to end the fight before it could even begin, abruptly putting an end to the existence of Son Goku.

The simple Saiyan saw his life flash before his eyes. He had grown up a lonely life after his kindly grandfather had passed on, then he had met Bulma that fateful day, altering history forever. The two went on unbelievable adventures and sorrows, making and losing friends and enemies during their travels. Before too long, Goku had become Earth's champion and his power had outgrown that of his home, so the stars beckoned him. On a faraway world, the Saiyan managed to avenge his race at last and, in a way, gain Vegeta's respect.

Upon returning to Earth, he and his friends continued to do the impossible, saving their home from a narcissistic weapon of destruction and a long forgotten demon that had toppled the gods. But it was all for naught now. His life's work had done nothing to prepare him for the moment he would actually die.

With his life force fading away slowly, Goku's final thoughts were not of his greatest achievements, but of his family. He could hear Chi-Chi, Goten and Pan yelling out in denial. With his last few breaths, he couldn't believe how happy he was to hear them a final time. Chi-Chi had always been there for him, with only the best of intentions while he had gotten to see Goten grow up into a well-mannered man. Pan was probably the hardest hit of all, but he was sure that with her strength, she would find a way to push through all this. While Gohan didn't call out, he was proud of his firstborn most of all. The hybrid had started his own family and could provide for his wife and youngest son now that he was gone, as well as more than ready to stop this threat that had defeated him.

Vegeta too appeared in his mind as the warrior slowly fell backwards. They had come far from enemies to knowing each other better than the best of friends. They were practically brothers. With his last bit of strength, Goku gave his friends and family a smile, so as to give them strength for the future, and as a final sign that he would go out fighting.

Son Goku, the Saiyan formerly known as Kakarot, had died with a grin on his face, dead before his corpse hit the ground. His head was turned to the side, facing his allies and kin, knowing he had lead a good life.

"Primary target eliminated. Moving onto secondary targets," 1 stated coldly.

At least he was aware of something now: he did not enjoy killing at all.

With a burst of energy, Goku's blood evaporated off his arm as the machine turned to face the building where the remaining Z-Fighters watched in horror.

The same thought rang across everyone's mind: what would happen now? Goku had been their failsafe, their fallback plan and their shining beacon of hope. That beacon had now been snuffed out before them like a candle against a forest fire.

"This doesn't look good," Krillin mumbled under his breath as he stood before his family in a battle stance with Yamcha next to him, doing the same. Sniffling could be heard in the back of the room as the three young girls cried into their mothers' arms, apart from Pan who cried into the equally distraught Chi-Chi's shoulder. All the mothers were ready to leave at a moment's notice as the silent android watched the building, scanning it and picking up details that matched the people inside to their databank entries. Almost all his targets were here, ready to fight to the last.

"Hey!" a gruff voice suddenly yelled, causing the machine to turn his attention to where the tournament competitor's made their entrance. In front of the tournament banner stood the proud Saiyan prince, Vegeta, with Goten and Trunks on either side of him, all in combat stances and ready to take the android down.

"Why don't you pick on someone who puts up an actual fight?!" Vegeta roared in anger as he and his comrades simultaneously assumed the Super Saiyan form, lighting up the area with golden energy.

1 remained unfazed as he read their power levels. "Updating combat data. Target: Vegeta. Two other hostiles are unknown. Preparing to engage."

"You'll pay for what you've done here..." Goten whispered under his breath, not caring that the machine had basically said he had no idea who he was.

The ground began to rumble with the energy of a Saiyan, but not that of the three facing the android, no, it was far greater than that. 1, and the three Super Saiyans, again turned his attention to the building where the other Z-Fighters were, his sensors picking up an energy spike.

The handle of Gohan's seat had been crushed into dust. Slowly the man stood up, crackles of electricity erupting around his body. For a long time he had tried to suppress his anger, so as not to ever harm his friends and family. But now, what had happened here today, had brought back too many memories.

First there was Raditz, treating him like some pathetic animal and then crushing his father. Next Nappa made his appearance, killing his friend and mentor and laughing about it. Then there was Frieza rearing his ugly head, laughing as the tyrant proclaimed his father's death. And Cell. Worst of all Cell. The creature who would stop at nothing to have some deranged entertainment at the expense of the people of Earth.

It all came back. The helplessness. The soul crushing defeat. The non-caring glance enemies gave as his friends and family died. He had had enough.

"Krillin..." Gohan said in a clear, imposing tone while keeping his eyes forward.

"Huh? Ah yeah. What is it Gohan?" the monk asked as with a gulp upon seeing the look on his friend's face.

"I want you and the others to leave now. Make sure they get out safe," the man answered, eyes forward as he removed his glasses slowly, crushing them in his hand, Piccolo himself feeling somewhat on edge towards his former pupil.

"Are you sure, Gohan? I mean, everyone?" Yamcha asked, not wanting to leave his ally alone in the midst of a battle like this.

"Yes. Because I don't want you guys to see what I'm about to do."

Everyone knew right then that Gohan was about to get serious, more serious than he had ever been. Before anyone could get a word in to stop him, Yamcha, Krillin, 18 and Piccolo quickly picked up all those in the room they could and made a beeline for the exit.

"Daddy!" was all Pan could yell out as she was spirited down the hall at great speed, only able to hope her father could beat that monster down there.

"Of all the, rrrgh! I save their lives and this is how they treat me?!" Hercule mumbled as he stood up and dusted himself off. "Still, I better warn them before-"

The champ suddenly stopped upon seeing the lightning fast quartet of Krillin, Yamcha, Piccolo and 18 as they ran down the hall with less than willing passengers on their backs. "Hey, what the heck is going- woah!" Hercule suddenly found himself yanked off the floor as Yamcha tossed 18 her daughter gently and picked up the elderly man.

"No time to explain; we have to move now!" the scarred bandit responded without slowing down.

Slowly, Gohan took in a deep breath. Suddenly, he let go of everything, simultaneously releasing not only his power but all the anger he had kept bottled up inside for years. The room was ripped apart. Concrete was turned to dust as the explosive energy made a large hole in the stadium, almost launching his brother and the two remaining Briefs into the air.

"I-is that Gohan?" Trunks asked with his mouth wide open, staring at the man as Gohan kept his eyes focused on the ring. It had been years since he had seen Gohan in action, but it looked like his power hadn't gone down a bit.

"It's about time," Vegeta said with a smirk, dropping his stance. "Boys, I want you to stand down. Gohan needs this chance to avenge his father, but this time, on his own."

"This time?" Goten asked as he did what was told, turning to Trunks and getting a shrug in response.

The son of Goku slowly floated onto the white ring, facing his fathers' killer with eyes so cruel, the bravest of warriors would have surrendered on the spot. But 1 merely stood there, analyzing his opponent for weak spots. It was obvious the man before had far greater power, battle experience and skill, whilst the android only knew the basics of karate. It wasn't going to be an easy fight.

"I didn't catch your name before," Gohan suddenly said in a low tone. Again, the android saw no reason not to respond.

"I have no name. I am, however, designated as Android #1 of the Red Ribbon Army. Scans cannot identify you, but the logical assumption, based on your reaction, is that you are Son Goku's offspring. Updating files." The android was barely able to pick up the snicker that followed from Gohan as he lowered his head.

"Why am I not surprised? Only two kinds of people have ever been able to kill my dad. Either an android or another Saiyan. It's not fair, really. I may have lead an extraordinary life, but in exchange, I've had to watch my father die now, not once but twice, right in front of me. And both times I've simply sat by the sidelines and watched him die."

Android 1 suddenly sped forward with his fist reared back. According to his processors, this was the primary time to attack, while his opponent was looking away and distracted by emotions. His pale fist struck with the force of a meteor, landing a direct punch on Gohan's cheek and sending shockwaves throughout the entire city. But it only succeeded in turning the angered warrior's head slightly.

1's hand was suddenly grabbed by his opponent as Gohan turned his head, eyes filled with more malice than any would have expected from the mild-mannered father. "But all that stops here."

For Gohan, what happened next was all in slow-motion. His fist was reared back as the tiles around his feet cracked from the raw power he was putting out. His arm suddenly lurched forward with the full weight of his body and the force of a megaton bomb as his punch launched the android sky high, breaking into the troposphere at unparalleled speeds.

Not wasting any time, the warrior flew off leaving a supersonic boom in his wake. Gohan flew a few hundred feet above the android's ascension and prepared a double fisted blow, with his fingers interlocked, that crashed into the machine's midsection and sent 1 twirling back to Earth where he landed in the centre of the ring, creating a large hole in the fighting arena.

The now dented machine slowly stood up, assessing his situation. He had suffered minimal damage from the two blows, but he also hadn't gained any energy from them. It was clear he would need to engage Gohan in close-quarter combat so as to gain some power.

It wasn't long before the man himself appeared back in the ring with a thunderous crash. Gohan wasn't going to waste any time on this foe who seemed to already be healing himself, two distinct pops heard as the damage his body received was undone. Gohan knew he had to play this smart and fast so as to get rid of the monstrosity. But all that was suddenly thrown out the window upon seeing his father's corpse.

It was true Goku hadn't been around often, but the times he was there were the best times of Gohan's life. His mother would ease up on studies, he would get to go out fishing with his father and Krillin would even stop by every now and then. But now all those good memories felt like they had been ripped away and cast aside by this atrocity. Gohan had managed to keep some form of his cool during the fight, but seeing that body was too much.

He snapped.

With a sudden scream to the heavens, the man's power increased exponentially. Any reserves he had kept so as to prevent the city's destruction were now fully opened. The clouds began to part above as the remaining fighters struggled to maintain their footing.

"Your brother was this powerful?" Trunks asked his friend in great surprise as he crossed his arms in front of his face to shield it from the wind.

"I'm as surprised as you are! I guess this is the power he used against Buu when he absorbed us!" Goten responded, amazed. Vegeta smirked once more.

"It's about time he got serious. I was wondering why he had been holding back." The prince suddenly turned around to face the two boys. "I want you two to head to the Lookout. In case Gohan fails, we need a backup plan. Buu and I will hold off that thing for as long as we can, should he fail."

"Fail! Are you seeing the power he's putting out right now?" Goten answered with a large grin, certain of his brother's assured victory.

"I'd hate to disagree with you dad, but I think Goten is right! There's no way Gohan could lose now!" As a response, the two received Vegeta's signature death glare. Knowing that the prince wouldn't listen to any further disagreements the pair nodded and took to the sky, quickly heading west.

With a backup plan now in place, Vegeta turned around to find Gohan's power finally leveling off and the winds slowly calming down. 'If only they were right. But I have a feeling that today, things just aren't going to go to plan.'

1 was on high alert now. He had already been trying to cease Gohan's sudden second power up but the winds had kept him at bay. The android had begun to run simulations through his processor in the event that Gohan would fire a blast with all his power. In that occasion, the android had no hope of survival.

In a way though, 1 was lucky as Gohan no longer had any intention of ending this fight quickly. He wanted his father's murderer to suffer the pain he had been put through all his life. And in the event that the machine couldn't actually feel some form of mental or physical pain, then he would just beat the android like a punching bag till he felt better.

Gohan suddenly lurched forward with great speed and landed a strong kick to the machine's face followed by a series of rapid punches to its abdomen and finished his combo with a blow to the chin, sending the monster sky high once more. 1 quickly righted himself and began firing small white blasts in hopes to slow Gohan but the man merely batted them away or let them hit as he soared closer to the android, barely paying attention to the minute damage he received.

1 saw Gohan rear his fist back and prepared a defence in the form of crossing his arms in front of his abdomen, but found his defense useless when his opponent summersaulted over him and elbowed him in the head.

Gohan spun around with a roundhouse kick that hit the machine in the small of his back resulting in 1 losing his balance. Taking the opportunity to move the battle elsewhere, Gohan moved to the side of the machine and kicked his disorientated body like a soccer ball, sending him over the horizon with Gohan quick to move after him.

Down below in the city, many were confused by the sounds of thunder during such a beautiful day with clear skies. It only added to their confusion when a random, white comet suddenly appeared overhead with another comet moving in right behind, as if chasing the first heavenly body.

The android speedily stopped his movement with a great deal of effort and spun around so as to face his quickly moving opponent. Ever the opportunist, 1 quickly gathered a substantial amount of energy in his hands and fired a large, white beam of energy aimed at the avenger.

Gohan saw the blast coming and ceased his movement midair so as to backhand the large blast as it reached him, diverting it towards space. "You're going to have to do much better than that. For example, try this." Putting his hands above his head, the man calmly diverted energy into the palm of his hands before reciting the attack's name. "Masenko… ha!"

The golden beam of energy was thrice the size of the machine's, who quickly made an effort to dodge upwards, only moving his torso out of the way in the nick of time and as a result had his legs blown off.

"What is that boy doing?" Vegeta yelled quietly to himself while clenching his fist. The man was currently standing atop one of the taller buildings in the city so as to view the fight. "He needs to stop wasting energy on those over the top attacks and finish this now!"

In the meantime, Gohan waited patiently while his opponent quickly grew himself a new lower half. The android's legs quickly appeared from below his remaining body, good as new. Seeing as Gohan was now simply waiting for 1 to make his move, the android decided not to waste the opportunity.

The machine took off directly upwards at great speed, flying directly towards the sun and Gohan took the bait without thinking. Upon reaching a decent altitude higher than his previous, the machine fired a ball of energy upwards that hung in the sky like a small star. 1 suddenly switched direction and headed full speed toward the city and sending two more balls of energy to either side of him as he fell and they too hung in the air when reaching a decent distance from him when the android was about halfway down.

Gohan, meanwhile, had had great difficulty in following his pale opponent as they flew towards Earth's blinding source of life, and thus it was to his great surprise when the android suddenly moved just past him and headed downwards towards what seemed to be a school at great speed.

Fearing for the lives of the children inside, the man turned around as fast as he could, but it wasn't fast enough to see the android fire off one last ball of energy downwards that now floated just above the street. 1 again changed direction but this time went west at an angle, so as to face the warrior on a level viewing plane.

"Alright I've had enough of this," Gohan declared, stopping his momentum and hanging in the sky, finding his strange target to be a few hundred meters in front of him.

1 raised his hand and spread his fingers as though readying a blast, and thus Gohan crossed his arms before him, prepared. It was to the Saiyan's great surprise, however, when the android suddenly clenched his hand and an abrupt whistling sound coming from above, below and either side of him.

"Look out!" Vegeta's yell was the only warning Gohan received before the four balls of energy collided with his form and released a gigantic, white explosion above the city.

Residents of the city down below ran for cover, screaming as broken glass from the skyscrapers came crashing down and car alarms activated from the explosion's shockwave while electronics all around blew circuits.

Gohan quickly flared his aura so as to clear the smoke that came as a result of the attack and again find his energy signal-less opponent, the man now sporting some burn marks from the maneuver he had fell for, but was not truly harmed beyond a bruised ego.

"Where did you go now you piece of trash?" the man whispered to himself as he searched for the android desperately. Then finally, he felt it. 1's ki signature was hard to find thanks to his odd makeup but it was most certainly there.

It was an even greater surprise when he found out that the signature was coming from right behind him.

The warrior suddenly found two gigantic arms wrapped around his torso as he was trapped in a bear hug. The attack had been a distraction so that 1 could finally put his energy absorption skills to work.

Squirm and struggle as he might, Gohan found himself fighting a losing battle as his power was slowly drained away. Finally deciding to go with a more direct approach, the warrior shoved his elbow hard into the android's gut and forced his head back against 1's face. Now with machine's grip loosened, Gohan quickly broke free of 1's grasp and spun around to release a large blast right into the machine's torso, once again gaining some distance.

The avenger was now panting heavily as he began to sweat. 1 had only been able to get about 10% of his energy, but he could sure feel the difference. The draining process had reminded him of what had happened all those years ago at the tournament with Babidi's minions. It had also reminded him that, like with Majin Buu, there was something bigger going on here.

Calming his mind, the man began to think coherently once more. The Red Ribbon Army had clearly been defeated, and it wasn't very likely that Dr. Gero had exactly come back from having his head squashed. Unless the evil doctor was acting from beyond the grave, there was clearly something off here.

He wanted answers, and he was going to get them, one way or another.

1 quickly returned and was certainly no worse for wear thanks to the fresh amount of ki he had just received. It felt odd though, almost sickening to have someone else's power inside of his body. It clearly didn't want to be there and 1 wasn't sure if he wanted to keep it anymore. But the machine pushed those thoughts out of his mind. He had a job to do here.

"Alright I've had enough of this." Gohan suddenly proclaimed, gaining the android's attention. "I want some answers. It's pretty clear you didn't just decide to come out here and go on a killing spree, so who sent you?"

"I was not given orders directly to kill anyone. It is however my prime directive to eliminate all of Earth's Special Forces. In the case that you are thinking this may be for some personal vendetta, I assure you it is not. I am merely following my programming." The android was no fool. He knew Gohan was planning something, most likely stalling so as to gain back some stamina.

"That can't be right. Someone must have activated you. I know that much. Who do you work for?" The son of Goku was almost prepared now. Just a few more moments and he'd be ready for round two.

"The explanation of my activation is far too long than I care to tell. I'm afraid we must now reengage in combat. I apologize in advance for your death at my hands." Before Gohan could try and stall any further, the machine suddenly fired a two-handed blast which Gohan barely dodged by jumping backwards.

This attack had again been a simple ruse to distract the Saiyan as 1 suddenly moved forward and kneed Gohan in the stomach with all his strength. The attack did minimal damage but was able to stun the man. Taking this to his advantage, the machine interlocked his fingers and brought his now joined fists down upon Gohan's neck, sending the man flying down into the street.

The few citizens who had remained behind to observe the awe-inspiring spectacle now fled as the Saiyan half-breed struck the street with a thunderous crash. Aiming specifically at the hole Gohan had made, the machine fired precise orbs of energy at his opponent, forcing his opponent deeper into the Earth with small but powerful explosions.

Gohan was in trouble and he knew it. These blasts were keeping him down and he was well aquatinted android stamina. 1 could probably keep this up for hours and if the man didn't do something quick, these blasts would soon begin to do some major damage. He needed a plan and fast.

Meanwhile, topside the pink blob known as Majin Buu finally arrived next to Vegeta with a stern face. "Buu here to help! Buu gonna beat up bad guy for hurting Hercule's friends!" the monster declared, ready to go but found Vegeta's response less than satisfactory.

"No. We'll stay here until we're needed." This statement confused the already slow monster to a new level.

"Huh? But what if mean man gets all of boy's energy? Then he'll be too strong for us to beat!" the blob declared loudly, but Vegeta merely scoffed.

"As if Gohan would be beaten by that thing. Besides, don't count me out that fast. I have a few tricks you haven't seen yet." Vegeta's declaration did little to ease Buu's mind, but he did as told and stayed put.

1 was currently having some private thoughts while he blasted away. Was he really ready to take another life so easily? He truly despised himself for having to do the messy work of Android #20, but he had no will to speak of so as to fight against his programming. He wanted to tell the Z-Fighters something, anything that would allow them to win, but his self-preservation protocols made sure he could do no such thing.

How the machine loathed his existence at that moment.

Sensing that the area was finally clear of civilians within a good radius, Gohan screamed loudly as he added energy to his aura, forming a sort of shield against the wave of blasts. The crater suddenly expanded tenfold as the Saiyan finally felt the burn of energy blasts against his body stop.

Not wasting his chance, the hybrid used the smoke created to cover his escape out of the machine's line of sight. 1, meanwhile, expected Gohan to jump out of the fumes at any second and was thus surprised when a strong kick was landed to the side of his head.

1 was sent careening off into the distance as Gohan entered a familiar stance with his legs spread and his hands cupped at his side. "Ka… me… ha… me… ha!" The blue energy of the attack burst from Gohan's hands as he pushed them forward, the cobalt ki moving at supersonic speeds and striking it's still whirling target with a tremendous explosion, sending the remainder of the android towards the sea.

Gohan meanwhile was still floating at the position which he had launched the attack from, now sporting more burn marks and panting once more with drops of sweat on his face. "Well, this is starting to become a decent workout. But, it's time to end this."

The Saiyan had finally pushed thoughts of vengeance out of his mind completely, at least for the moment, so as to focus on ending the fight. This android was clearly no pushover and everyone would be in danger until it was taken down.

Meanwhile, 1 had been blown into several hundred pieces, the most damage he had suffered so far and it was not a pleasant experience. While disassembled, he felt even more numb than usual as magic did its work and his body parts reassembled themselves. The white mass that was his body slowly becoming more humanoid in shape and his consciousness slowly came together, eventually everything back in its intended place and 1 was once again ready to throw down.

And apparently so was Gohan. The hybrid came in fast with a deafening sonic boom in his wake as he reared back his fist and nailed the android in its face, sending the machine further from land. The man then charged up a blast of energy that blew off 1's right arm.

Flying behind the disorientated android, the man shoved his elbow hard into the machine's back, forcing it under water with a humungous splash. Not wasting time, Gohan fired blast after golden blast at the ocean, turning the salty ocean water into steam as his onslaught of energy ripped his opponent apart. Not letting up for a single moment, the man dashed underneath the water to find his opponent now with half his head gone, his left leg missing and chunks of his torso fish food.

The heavens had given Son Gohan the opportune moment to end the battle and he was taking it without hesitation. The boy adopted the same stance he had earlier used and began the chant that went along with the attack, his words turning into bubbles as blue energy formed in between his hands.

Steam began to arise at the water's surface as Gohan's attack grew brighter and larger, fish and other creatures of the deep moving away as fast as they could while the young man out to end this poured every ounce of his power into the attack.

Meanwhile, the still repairing android's HUD began to flash more rapidly than a pop star looking for attention. Warning lights went off left right and centre as the machine tried to move its broken body out of the blast radius, but he knew it was too late. There was only one option left.

The machine forced its remaining arm back and began to pour all its residual power into a final attack of white energy.

The ocean floor shook as the energies atop it conflicted with one another, the energies' controllers staring each other down and ready to end the final round, each with their own desire spurring them on.

Gohan, his drive to keep the world safe from this monstrosity and Android 1, silently screaming on the inside as he fought another battle against his programming.

Their attacks were now fully charged and ready to go, a mere mile lay between the two and their attacks were finally at maximum capacity. With no more pleasantries to exchange, the blasts were fired without reluctance, any unlucky coral or underwater plants vaporized as the blasts moved forward like giant bulldozers.

Suddenly the two blasts met, forming a colossal dome of light blue energy, the sheer power of the resulting explosion quickly turning a large portion of the surrounding water into vapour and finally allowing Gohan some air as the unstable dome of energy moved back and forth between the hero of Earth and the broken android.

Each fighter pushed forward with everything they had, knowing this moment was do or die. The colossal mound of energy between the fighters moved back and forth as Earth's fate hung in the balance, tremor's forming on the sea floor and energy bursting from the dome in all directions.

The skies darkened with clouds as a result of all the steam produced and the struggle continued with no clear winner yet in sight.

And finally, but slowly, the dome moved towards Android #1. While the machine had infinite stamina, he had only one arm remaining, giving less energy control and one leg which meant less base for him to hold onto as he ran out of his energy supply.

With a scream that shook the heavens and beyond, Son Gohan gave one final shove of power and the colossal mound of energy rocketed towards the android like a steamroller with no signs of slowing down. The dome of power quickly overwhelmed the machine as the remainder of his body was atomized, piece by piece and his systems shut down.

The energy slowly dissipated as it ran out of steam, rain now coming from the sky and marking the android's end.

Gohan fell down onto one knee, panting heavily with a smile. "I did it father… I… I got him for you."

Vegeta looked down upon the man with a smile. Gohan had proven that he still had a fighting spirit within him and had now finally avenged his father. Things would most likely go smoothly from here on. All that was left was to do now was gather the Dragon Balls and wish Kakarot back. Then they could begin to unravel this mystery of the android's awakening.

If only fate were so kind. Buu was confused as to why they were so relieved all of a sudden. They had to check for any remaining pieces of the android that were blow off in the water, and had the pink blob voiced his concerns sooner, things might have turned out differently.

Gohan stood up slowly as he regained his bearings, trying to gather the energy to fly. But it was too late. 1 suddenly burst from the water, having reformed his body from some of the chunks that were blow off. Although his power was low thanks to the energy battle, Gohan had lost more than him and was now without the needed stamina to put up a fight.

Not even having the chance to turn around, the man suddenly felt two large hands grab his face. The Saiyan's eyes bulged in surprise as he breathed his last.

"I apologize for what is about to occur." With a harsh twist to the left, Gohan's head was shoved in the aforementioned direction with a loud cracking noise from his neck.

Gohan's body hit the dry dirt that was once ocean floor, waves crashing around his corpse and his murderer, who finally spoke after a few moments of processing.

"Secondary Threat eliminated. New target: Vegeta."