Episode 3: Android 17 Alive?

"Now you've done it Kita. She is going to be so pissed, what the hell did you do to her?" Android 17 asked, running down the hall.

"I ripped her arm off." Kita replied simply.

"Right, that would do it." 17 stood amazed at the human's ruthlessness.

"You really don't believe in Mercy, do you?" He asked.

"Mercy is for those who have no power, do I look weak to you?" Kita growled, temper rising. Not a good sign 17 observed. This girl got unpredictable when she got angry.

"No." He thought it best to keep quiet and not chance her patience.

"Which way out?" She barked.

"Down that hall and to the right." He replied as she took off at remarkable speed.

Halfway down the corridor, five android R-53 prototypes appeared from around the corner.

"Oh look, we have company." 17 smirked, "I was beginning to think this was too easy."

"Go ahead, I'll wait right here." Kita crosses her arms and leaned against the wall.

"Thanks, I'm going to enjoy this." 17 leapt forward knocking the first android into the wall, sparks flying, circuits catching fire.

The remaining four androids charged at once, leaping over his head, punching, kicking but Android 17 blocked all the attacks effortlessly.

With one large energy blast, Android 17 turned the prototypes into scrap metal.

"Hm, Hm, Hm!" 17 laughed, clapping the dust and metal from his hands.

"Took you long enough." Kita pushed off the wall, "Can we go on now?"

"Patience is definitely not one of your virtues." 17 smiled, "Let's go."

They continued down the hall, but something felt wrong. What could it be? This feeling, she didn't know and frankly didn't want too. But if there was one thing she learned it was to trust her feelings.

"Something's not right." Kita broke the silence, stopping 17 in his tracks.

"What…" He never got the chance to finish the sentence, in the blink of an eye two defense blaster popped out of the ceiling. The last thing Kita saw was a blood red bolt of energy coming towards her head.

"You can't stop me Krillin, I know 17 is in trouble and I am going to get him." 18 repeated for the last time.

"But 18, at least let me come with you." Krillin begged, not wanting his wife to get hurt.

"No, I need to do this myself." 18 gazed at her husband. He was clearly worried about her, "I love you Krillin and I promise you I will come back."

"Okay, if you have to go. I love you too, please be safe." Krillin pleaded, 18 smiled and kissed his forehead.

"I will. Be back soon, watch Marion closely. Don't worry, everything is going to be fine." 18 picked up her bag and headed for the door, what she didn't know was that someone had been listening to their conversation. Iszumi was passed out on the couch from last night's exertions, or was she. Iszumi's eyes sprang open, quickly and silently she flew off the couch and out the open window.

"Don't worry Krillin, I'll follow her." Iszumi whispered, then took flight after 18.

Several hours passed, and Iszumi was extremely bored by that point.

"Where is she going?" Iszumi murmured under her breathe, watching the scenery as it passed by.

"Turn around and go back Iszumi." 18 yelled behind her.

"What…damn she spotted me." Iszumi snapped her fingers, and she thought she was being so sneaky, "No I came to help you."

"I don't need your help, now go BACK!" 18 bellowed angrily.

"NO!" Iszumi replied stubbornly.

"Hhhh, fine. Just stay out of my way." 18 huffed.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you." Iszumi cried and speeded up to catch 18 as she accelerated.

"Heart rate is constant, pupils dilated, muscles relaxed. I think the anesthetic is finally kicking in. Kita can you hear me?" Dr. Gero loomed over Kita's paralyzed body; three days of torture had led them here. If she remained silent, maybe Dr. Gero might turn her back, and that would be the last thing she ever did. Kita willed her muscles not to move, she breathed slowly as if she were sleeping.

"Afraid she might rip off your other arm Doctor." 17 laughed, peering at her with his all knowing gaze.

"Is the great and powerful Dr. Gero afraid of one little girl?" His laugh reverberated throughout the room, mocking her.

"Shut up you pile of rubble." Gero hollered. She glanced down at her missing arm, nothing was left but a stub; she had been careless while torturing Kita. It had only been a moment, but she dropped her guard long enough for Kita to take advantage. Within the blink of an eye she had gotten off the table, breaking the bonds holding her and snapped her arm down the middle, ripping it clean off. She damn near escaped but being weak as she was, Kita got temporarily overpowered by Gero's defense blasters.

"You think I would be stupid enough to allow that to happen again?" Gero growled at 17, "Just wait 17, and you'll be next." She laughed maliciously, finally driven out of her mind. In the end Akuma and ended up just like her lunatic father.

"We're almost there, 17's signal is getting stronger." 18 called to Iszumi.

"How is it that you can sense him?" Iszumi asked.

"We're twins, we have psychic bond. Always have."

"Cool, must come in handy." Iszumi replied, picking up the pace after 18. Slowly in the distance a large mountain materialized.

"That must be where they are." 18 powered up and shot of like a bullet.

"Krillin, have you seen Iszumi?" Piccolo asked.

"Not since last night. Why?" Krillin answered.

"I can't seem to find her, I can't sense her either. Something's not right, where could she be." Piccolo wondered out loud.

"Uh oh, I think I know where she is." Krillin slapped his head, shaking it furiously.

"Where?"

"With 18."

"And where is 18?" Piccolo asked.

"Um…gone." Krillin cringed, waiting for Piccolo to explode.

"WHAT?"

"There, you see that opening. 17's in there, I know it." 18 pointed to the top of the peak, where a metal door stood.

"Alright, let's go get him." Iszumi lunged forward towards the door, knocking it off its hinges. The door slammed to the ground, creating an echoing clank throughout the corridor.

"What was that?" Dr. Gero turned, hearing the noise.

"Whatever it was, it was big." 17 squinted, the pain was unbearable. Dr Gero quit twisting the blade in 17's stomach, and wrenched it free. She went to the computer mainframe, opening up the cameras viewpoint.

"It's seems that we have some company." Gero commented, looking at the two women standing beside the entrance, "I should invite them in." She pushed a red button on the corner of the consol. Red lights started flashing, and an alarm sounded over the speakers.

"I think we tripped some kind of alarm." Iszumi said, gazing down the hall.

"Let's go, 17 is that way." 18 started down the left side of the hallway, at a brisk walk, guard up, searching for any sign of opponents. Turning around a corner 18 comes face to face with twelve androids, "Oh look, the goon squad is here."

"Don't worry about them, go find your brother, I'll take care of these droids." Iszumi gets a serious look on her face, the way she does only in a battle.

"Okay, thanks Iszumi." 18 somersaults over their heads and takes off at a startling pace. The androids attempt to turn around and pursue her.

"Not so fast, your quarrel is with me." Iszumi forms a fighting pose, ready to engage. The droid turn around and rampage toward her at full speed, Iszumi uses her super speed to transport herself behind them and slash off one's head. She proceeds to the next punching right through the head, then did a low kick to another, knocking it to the ground.

Meanwhile 18 made her way toward her brother, running down corridor after corridor. The place seemed like a maze, every turn led her further from her goal. Finally she got a lucky break, she ended up in the holding room and found 17 on a metal slab.

"Hello dear brother, miss me." 18 smiled.

"18, I never thought I'd see you again." 17 beamed back, glad to see a familiar face.

"Let's get out of here, my friend is waiting." She went and undid the straps restraining 17, and gathered him onto his feet.

"My thoughts exactly." 17 pushed away from his sister, determined to walk on his own, gaining strength each time he took a step.

18 and 17 take off at a run, heading back the direction where Iszumi was. When they reached the same hallway, they were surprised to discover that Iszumi had destroyed all the androids.

"Nice job Iszumi." 18 smiled at her brother, "17 this is my friend, Iszumi."

"Who is this girl; she destroyed all this androids by herself?" 17 asked stunned to discover another strong human. What had this world come too in the last seven years?

"Yes, I did." Iszumi replied, still serious from the battle. Adrenaline rushing through her veins.

"Let's go before more droids show up." 18 suggested. They took off down the hallway, running at top speed; they were inches from the entrance when Dr. Gero appeared with a legion of droids.

"Where do you think you're going?" Dr Gero smiled, confidently, as if she had already won, "Get them!" She roared.

The droids charged forward, aiming their energy blast towards 17 and 18.

"Let's get them." Iszumi smiled, positioning herself for attack.

"No…" 18 raised her arm before Iszumi, "We'll handle this, won't we 17?"

"Oh yes, we can handle this." He replied powering up.

"Hhhh, alright." Iszumi huffed, disappointed. 17 and 18 lunged forward knocking everyone outside in the air. Iszumi watched as the two Androids attacked, blocked, lunged forward, escaped, evaded, all in flawless motions.

"No fair, I wanted to help." Iszumi blew out air and took to the sky, watching the battle was more then she could take, flying in midair but unable to participate. When it looked like 17 was in danger, surrounded by ten droids, pinned against a wall, Iszumi jumped at the chance to help. She lifted an enormous boulder from the mountain side and hurled it towards the center of the droids, obliterating them in a show of fireworks.

"I thought we told you to stay out of this?" 18 screamed.

"Sorry, it looked like you needed help." She yelled back.

"Where did you find this girl?" 17 glared in disbelief. 18 just shook her head and continued fighting. When the dust cleared Iszumi looked at where she threw the boulder, it had created a huge hole in the side of the lab.

"I think there's something in there." She whispered to herself. She took off towards it, dashing in before the droids noticed her. Low and behold, there in the center of the room was a cryo tube, a regenerating one.

"Umm…." Iszumi moved closer to examine it, "Oh my God, there's a girl in here." She moved back to the entrance of the hole.

"There's a girl in here." She yelled, but to no avail. 17 and 18 were too busy fighting to notice her. She returned to the side of the cryo tube and began to examine it.

"I wonder how you open this thing?" She thought aloud, but instead of waiting to ask she just starting pushing random buttons. The cryo tube blinked to life and started ejecting the girl. The top slowly started to lift up, and water began to spill out of the tube.

"Ewww…gross." Iszumi backed up to avoid the water. Finally all the water had evaporated in a blaze of heat and the only thing left was the woman. She sprang to life in a series of coughs.

"Aghaghagh." She coughed, fluttering her eyes open, "Who the hell are you?" She whispered in a weak voice, then collapsed again. Iszumi moved closer to get a better look at her.