Chapter 9: An Unlucky Number

Alright, so Elephant in the room, I left this project for five months. For that, I apologize. It's not that I wanted to quit but it became my last summer at home before college and while I was thinking of this project, I sort of just put it to the side. I do plan to complete this but I can no longer guarantee weekly updates due to not wanting to rush it and being busy with work and other projects I'm doing other than this fanfiction. That being said, I think that because this is my last month of the semester I'm likely to just work on this and class work so this'll be what I do during my free time. I don't know if that means when a chapter is finished I'll update it or if I'll try to type up a bunch of chapters so that I can release them all for you guys to binge. Regardless, I want to emphasize that I won't be able to keep a weekly schedule but will finish this fanfiction. Also, I already have a general idea of what I want to do with this story wise and I don't plan to change that because of the introduction of new material because of Dragon Ball Super. Now that I finished with my little rant, enjoy.

Master Roshi had spent several decades as a warrior, unrivaled in skill until the later years of his life. Regardless, he mastered an ability to detect ki at a level few others could and as a result had sensed some of the greatest battles Earth had ever faced. He was there for Goku to defeat Piccolo in the World Martial Arts Tournament, witnessed the savage duel between his pupils and the Saiyans via the TV but the fight that seemed to show pinnacle of power was when Goku returned from Namek to defeat Frieza and King Cold. It was a battle that shook the planet to its core and made the average human think that a Nuclear War had begun.

However, even that paled in comparison to what the Turtle Hermit was sensing now. What he was sensing was several levels above the power of the Super Saiyan from 13 years ago. It was the power of that man's son against Dr. Gero's ultimate Android.

"I never thought a power like this could exist. Then again, these newer generations keep surprising me," he spoke as a hand ran across his white beard.

13 stumbled back and clutched his chest, the fake skin spliced apart by the unexpected attack. His body now displayed its inner components with flashing lights and colorful wires replacing the natural skin tone provided to him by his creator. He looked up from his wound onto the man before him. His eyes squinted as he processed the sight. It was familiar and new at the same time, reminding the Android of his primary target.

"You ain't Goku, are ya?" He asked, finally becoming interested with one of his enemies.

The warrior starred back silently. He wasn't here to answer any questions. No, the only task before him was to end the tyranny that had kept an iron grip over his home for all these years. Still without a word he moved into a striking pose, his body turning to the side and his fist pointing out to its target. 13 tilted his head questioningly before feeling the impact of his opponent's fist ramming into his chest and thrusting him out into the air. The orange clad warrior pressed off his right foot and leaped into the sky after 13.

Sixteen's man-made eyes followed the warrior until only an orange speck could be detected. His eyes recalled the image of a man wearing an orange gi that was programmed into him. There was a time where he would've felt compelled to reach out and crush that image with his bare hands. Now that Bulma had modified his programming, that desire had been removed from his mind. All that Sixteen could feel for that image was hope. Hope that the man his master had deemed such a threat as to design several monsters to combat him could overcome the challenge. His head turned down to the unconscious Trunks. His face was bruised but his breathing was regular. Sixteen smiled at that face. Good, at least he's alright. But the Android knew that if 13 wasn't stopped that fact would soon change. An entire planet rested on the shoulders of this unexpected fighter.

The entire planet rests on my shoulders!

That thought drummed through Gohan's mind as he pursued the Android. He had never seen this foe before but he was able to figure out what he was quick enough. This man attacked Trunks. This man bore the Red Ribbon insignia. This man would fall by Gohan's hand, that he was sure of.

Now the Android was back in Gohan's sight. He pulled his arm back and began charging a ball of energy into his open palm. Just as he fired it, the drifting Android suddenly stopped and disappeared. He emerged in front of Gohan and as the stunned fighter looked up, his back was overwhelmed by the downward force of 13's left fist pressing against it.

Gohan's flight was quickly thrown off course and his body crashed into the earth, rocks shooting out from around him as his impact developed a crater. He stood up from the ground and dusted himself off. He glared at the floating 13 above him. The Android's face showed a twisted smile, proud of his hit. Gohan's hand wrapped around his sword and he pulled it out from the scabbard. 13 glared hatefully at the blade that had cut him.

Gohan took in a deep breath and fired off a blast of ki straight at 13. The Android sighed at the gesture. "Thought ya were smarter than the rest of 'em." Gohan smirked as he saw 13 prepare to swat the blast away.

The swordsman teleported right behind the blast, following the ki, right before the Android's hand slapped it to the side. He charged straight at 13 and forced the blade through the chest, pressing farther with each second. 13 coughed out in pain as he felt some of his circuits begin to malfunction. He wasn't out of the fight though, and quickly thrust his hand in front of Gohan, firing a blast of ki to stun him and allow the Android to escape the sword's hold over him. He winced as the oil inside leaked out and panted weakly. Seeing the results of his attack, Gohan swung his sword to the side, splattering the liquid staining his blade off into the distance.

"It's obvious you're one of Gero's machines but who exactly are you?" Gohan asked. With only one eye open 13 looked into Gohan's eyes.

"I'm Android Model # 13: The Ultimate Android," he answered, his voice booming with egotism despite his situation. Gohan however, was not amused. He tossed his blade up into the air, causing the Android to look up. Seeing the opportunity Gohan barreled forward and planted his elbow firmly into the chin of his target before spinning up and striking the same location with the sole of his boot. As 13's body arched back, the Z-Sword tumbled down and Gohan caught the hilt. He shot it out of his hand like a javelin aimed at the neck.

13's eyes snapped open and he slid to the side, making a fatal blow merely scratch the side of his neck. The sword tumbled below and crashed into the Earth, its weight now forcing it through the surface. "Damn..." Gohan muttered, realizing the sword was lost for now. 13 floated up to his height and the two began to drift in a circle, each waiting for the other to strike.

Gohan went first, a fist flying forward at the Android's head. 13 had learned from his injuries and ducked, grabbing the outstretched wrist and pulling it towards him. With the two in closer proximity, the Android kneed Gohan in the gut and followed up by giving a head butt. Gohan reacted before 13's fist could make contact next, using his wrist to push his opponent's arm to the side and throwing him off balance. Within a second, his left leg crashed into 13's right side, barely phasing the Android as his right arm pushed the limb against his side to maintain hold over it and his left hand formed a fist that smashed into Gohan's knee.

The Saiyan screamed out in pain as he felt his bones crack and his connection to the limb weaken. "Now we're both a little broken," 13 taunted. Unwilling to let the pain overcome him, Gohan shook it off and retaliated with a head butt of his own, following through with a flurry of punches that 13 struggled to avoid while his grip on the damaged leg continued. Finally a punch made contact, pressing into 13's nose and loosening the hold he had over him. However 13 would not submit to one hit and instead used his now free hand to fire a red orb of ki at Gohan's chest that dragged him across the sky.

Gohan felt his shirt dissolve and his flesh be burned under the ball's power. Ignoring the smell of his own burned chest, he titled his body backwards and floated horizontally in the air, allowing the orb to drift on without him. He looked down at his broken leg, knowing that it would only provide a hindrance now. "Bastard..." he muttered to himself as he began adjusting to one less usable limb. "I can't let this stop me!" He yelled out as his yellow aura burst through the sky, his body rocketing towards 13.

The Android looked over as a yellow glint in the sky suddenly appeared. "MASENKO-" a voice roared out. 13 began to charge up another blast, anticipating his opponent's attack. The Android fired his attack off towards the distance, ready to intercept the other's. "HA!" The voice finished, a yellow line of ki encompassing 13's own red line and slowly moving closer.

"What the-?!" 13 began before a fiery line of ki blasted him. The Android's body was now consumed in a yellow blaze. His voice screeched out in pain, echoing across the entire world. As Gohan appeared before him, his face expressed satisfaction with his work. He began to charge up a Kamehameha at the smoke before him.

As his mouth opened to begin the chant, 13's scorched arm reached out from the black cloud and grabbed a hold of the Saiyan's neck, taking his breath away. Gohan looked to see the smoke fade away and an exoskeleton be exposed underneath the freshly burned rubber skin. "Look...at what ya did ta me! I'm the ULTIMATE ANDROID! YOU WILL NOT DISGRACE ME!" The grip tightened and Gohan's body grew limp as he began to lose control over it. The world would fade to black and the hateful piercing eyes of 13 would be Gohan's final sight before passing on.

At least, that's what the Android expected. Instead, Gohan's eyes lit up briefly, and his aura pushed away 13's hand, allowing him a brief reprieve to catch his breath. Irritated, 13 moved forward and pushed through the force created by the Golden aura, a burning sound emerging from his hand as it coiled into a fist and moved across Gohan's face. In response to the blow, Gohan's field shut down and he spun to the side before 13's fist collided against each of Gohan's ears, pressing into his head. "I'm gonna make ya as deformed as yer little stunt did ta me!" 13 cackled, his anger overriding his body and driving his fight forward. Gohan felt blow after blow against his body, each one more powerful than the last. 13 wasn't going to stop his assault out of boredom as he did with the others. He wasn't going to stop until all that he saw was a pool of blood.

The Android beat his opponent further and further into the earth, sharp rocks cutting Gohan's sides. Gohan tried to push back but 13's hits were too forceful, leaving him no chance to regain control of the situation. It was just him and 13 deep into the earth. And that glint out of the corner of Gohan's eyes. He focused on it, ignoring the fists beating into his chest and processing the sight. The Z-Sword! Gohan's eyes lit up as he fired a ki blast that 13 easily dodged, unaware that its target was the earth surrounding Gohan's sword. The energy broke it up, allowing the blade to tilt downwards and eventually tip over. The blade barreled down before finding a home in 13's back.

"Graaah!" The Android yelled out in confusion, suddenly letting up on his beat down. Gohan reached for the blade sticking out of the chest and pulled it all the way forward, making a clear hole through 13. The Android's eyes seemed faded and he was frozen in place for a while, allowing Gohan to use his functioning leg to kick him out of the hole the two had formed.

Gohan meet up with him at Earth's surface, both leaning on the ground for support. They starred at each other and simply panted for what amounted to minutes. 13's insides were entirely exposed and his system was losing power with each passing second. Gohan's chest was burned and his left leg was broken. The two were wounded completely, either one unable to give in due to their intense desire to win this battle.

As though a silent exchange had occurred, the two pushed off the ground and fired off a straight beam of energy at the other, resulting in an explosive cloud in between the two. Gohan sheathed his sword and rested against the ground to regain his energy. This would only last a minute however, as 13's boot slowly drifted into view when the Android descended in front of him. Gohan began to rise up from the ground but as he stumbled 13's leg struck him across the face, propelling him up and forcing him into the air. Gohan's face shot downward and he flew back at the Android, wrapping his arms and right leg around him before teleporting away.

The two reappeared in an arctic area as the Android shook Gohan off him and flew some distance away. 13 glanced around to see the area. "What, you think a change of scenery'll help you outta this mess?"

Gohan smirked at him, clearly knowing something his foe didn't. "No, I just figured your system wouldn't be too keen on the cold." 13 looked back quizzically and folded his arms.

"Aren't ya somethin'? Brains and brawn...unfortunately for you..." 13 began. The Android flew straight to Gohan, his right arm rocketing into the Saiyan's scorched chest. "I ain't gonna be here too long." Gohan kicked off the Android's chest with his right leg and began to recover his breath.

"I didn't want to use this since it'll leave me weakened, but you're too tough for me to take out without it," Gohan admitted. 13 moved back uneasily, anticipating his opponent's attack. Gohan relaxed his body and closed his eyes. "Kame..." his voice began. Familiar with the term from Gero's programming, 13 began to guard. "...Hame..." Gohan continued. The Android refused to let a single blast be his downfall. "HA!" Gohan yelled as his eyes shot open and a beam of energy fired out of his outstretched hands.

The beam rocketed towards 13, who began to brace for it. A swift wave of Gohan's hands however, changed things up. The Kamehameha suddenly spliced into 10 separate beams, each one linking back to Gohan's original orb of ki. They all moved in different directions, making 13 unable to keep his mind on them. Just as he dodged one, another struck him until he finally found himself overwhelmed by all the blasts.

Gohan would not let just a single maneuver leave him distracted and charged through the newly formed smoke, dragging the damaged body of 13 out of it and through the sky at rapid speed. All the while, Gohan pulled his right arm back, a golden glow forming around the fist.

Sixteen's eyes lit up as the two fighters returned into view, the orange gi adorned fighter clearly controlling the current state of the battle. The two crashed straight into the Earth, right in front of Sixteen. The Android rose up from the ground and stumbled forward to see the result. As the smoke settled, his eyes lit up at the sight before him.

The new warrior's right hand had plunged right through 13's chest, right where the heart would be. The wounded android could only stare in disbelief at the arm penetrating his body. "H-how is this possible? I was designed to kill Son Goku, why is he beating me?!"

Even though Sixteen was satisfied with the results, he too was curious as to what was happening here. How had Goku managed to defeat 13? How could he even be alive for that matter? Both machines received the answer with a short sentence from the golden enigma.

"Simple, I'm his son, Gohan." With that, the fighter's fist was retracted from the tyrant and 13 fell back, struggling to remain functioning. Gohan shook off the oil that covered his skin and floated towards Sixteen and Trunks.

"Trunks!" Gohan yelled as he approached his pupil. He shook him and listened for his breathing. "Thank goodness," he sighed as he heard the steady breathing. His eyes quickly shifted towards the other three androids, two of which he was familiar with but the other was unknown to him.

"You're an android," Gohan said coldly to Sixteen. The machine nodded his head. "Do you have any idea the amount of pure chaos you've all caused?!" Gohan's voice echoed through the ruined city.

Sixteen winced at the aggressive screams but spoke up. "I am aware of our actions as a whole. But I do not wish to harm others. I have come only to help." He gestured to Trunks before Gohan reacted protectively.

"Don't touch him!" He yelled as he stepped in between the two. Sixteen merely shook his head.

"I was working with Trunks to stop my brethren. I too want to end this world's sadness." Sixteen replied. Gohan eyed Sixteen, doubting the story. Before he could comment however, the two turned to the sound of a groaning Trunks.

The purple haired boy lifted his head and his eyes slowly opened. At first, he just stared at Gohan, unable to process what he was seeing. But as his mind analyzed the sight, his eyes filled with water and he ran towards his master, hugging him tightly. "Gohan...Gohan..." he sobbed as the two embraced.

Gohan patted his pupil's head, smiling to see him safe. "You've gotten bigger Trunks, hard to believe you've changed so much in a month." The two released each other and Trunks dried his eyes.

"Actually, I used the Hyperbolic Time Chamber," he replied. Gohan gasped, shocked that Trunks could handle such a feat. Seeing this reaction Trunks admitted that he was only able to handle it because Sixteen helped him escape. "He might seem like the other Androids but he's on our side now," he explained. Hearing this, Gohan turned to Sixteen and offered him his hand, accepting Trunks' story and Sixteen responded in kind.

Now that Sixteen's allegiance had been clarified, Gohan turned to the other two Androids. Both were unconscious and looked like hell. "Nice job with these two," he said, nodding to his allies. Trunks and Sixteen exchanged a glance before Trunks spoke up.

"Actually, we didn't fight them. They helped us," he said hesitantly. Gohan backed up, trying to process the words.

There's no way those two would've helped. After everything they had done... The images they had left him with. How could that of changed? It's impossible. Gohan shook his head, denying Trunks' words. "There's no way in hell those two would do that..." he mumbled, eyes welling with hate at the sight of those two. He clenched his fists, enraged by even entertaining the idea of them not being enemies anymore. "They're monsters."

13's body was broken beyond recognition. He had been battered, burned and utterly beaten by Gohan. Even his rage could not force his body to move. This system was failing. But there was a backup system. 13's mind worked at an incredible pace, working out a complex algorithm to send out a signal.

The three fighters turned to the sound emanating from 13's crater. A loud cry was echoing throughout the ruins. "What's happening?!" Trunks yelled, the first to speak.

Suddenly the scattered limbs of both 14 and 15 began to rise and drift through the air. Without any warning the parts began to charge towards the crater, colliding into 13's body and covering it before a large field of energy surrounded the image. Although Gohan couldn't sense anything, the scenario wasn't unfamiliar to him. "The bastard's transforming!"

Panicked, he flew toward the crater, firing off several ki blasts, all of which only bounced away unfazed by his efforts. No! No! No! His mind raced at the thought of once again being unable to stop the androids. All he could do now was try to give it all he had. His wrist linked together and his arms swung to the right as he pressed on his right leg, planting himself into the ground. "Kame..."

The field was now getting smaller, forming a large silhouette.

"Hame..."

Color began to return to the image, revealing the hulking blue skinned and red haired figure of what used to be Android 13. Its eyes opened, revealing eyes of pure yellow fire. It took one step forward, the boot decimating the ground below with incredible force.

"HA!"

Gohan's arms swung to face the machine and an ocean blue beam fire out of his hands, stronger than any other attack he had ever done. It crashed head on with the figure, completely covering his image. Gohan pressed on with his attack, applying more and more ki into it until he could see nothing but blue. His arms released the stance as he fell forward, landing on his right knee. He breathed heavily. He had never attempted something like that before. His right eye was now failing him, his exhaustion now affecting him. His golden hair and emerald eyes faded to their natural black color. He looked up to see the line of destruction his attack had made.

In the center of it stood the Android, now with smoke on his chest and a few steps back from where he was before. For a minute the two stayed at their positions, neither moving. But then the Android took a step forward, followed by another. Soon 13 was right in front of Gohan. The wounded Z-fighter looked up at him with his one good eye and gritted his teeth. He knew what would happened next would be painful.

His whole body was lifted into the air by the force of 13's boot colliding with his stomach, forcing Gohan to spit out blood into 13's face. The Android only smiled at the gesture, amused by the impact of his attack. He followed through by ramming his fist into Gohan's ribs, causing a cracking sound to cry out. His left hand wrapped around his opponent's hair as he pulled Gohan's face towards his rising left knee, forcing the two to smash together and repeated this action several times. By the end, 13's regular green pants now had stripes of red scattered about his knee cap. He then released Gohan and began to throw a fist towards him.

This time, Gohan reacted immediately, his hands pushing off the oncoming arm and his right leg swinging to the back of 13, striking the neck from behind. The Android only turned his head and reached for the right leg, ready to give Gohan's legs a broken pair.

"Let him go!" Trunks cried out as he fired off a barrage of blasts that dissipated upon contact with 13's new armored body. The giant released his hold over Gohan, instead choosing to plant him in the ground with a stomp of his boot before beginning to face Trunks. He raised an arm to strike before feeling the force of Sixteen's own arms wrap against his own.

"You will not harm anyone else!" Sixteen declared, pinning the Super Android in place. Trunks used this opportunity to give out as much damage as possible, bashing 13's head in with several blows. Gohan rose up from the ground and aided the assault, his and Trunks' attacks in complete unison. For each hit Trunks landed, Gohan smashed down one more, adding to the impact. Yet 13 never showed signs of yielding. Instead, he roared like a beast, shooting out a barrier of ki that sent the two Saiyans flying and Sixteen completely stunned. The monster turned to his brethren and proceeded to fire off a ki blast the blew off part of the Android's head, exposing the inner wiring. He was about to "even it out" when another blast intercepted his.

Enraged, 13 turned to see 18 floating above him, her body scraped up from her earlier fight with him and his brothers. The Android flung Sixteen at her, using the distraction to zoom in front of her and kneed her in the gut. He then pulled his leg back and with both hands locked together, struck her back. The hit left her tumbling downward just as the tossed Sixteen reached 13 in the air. The Android began to charge up another ball of ki when he felt a punch to his side. Again, 13 turned, this time facing a wounded 17. Seeing his attack had no effect, he tried to escape the titan before him. 17's legs were quickly snatched by the giant brown gloves worn by 13, and its grip tightened, locking the two in place.

The blue android spun in place, 17 forced to move alongside him. As 18 rose from the ground, 17 launched the brother at his sister, leaving the siblings in the dirt. He drifted downwards, forming another ki blast in his hands. He released the blast as the two were still recovering, leaving them only able to stare at the red demise intended for them. A green figure rushed in front of them, taking in the blunt force before being scattered into the wind.

Sixteen's broken figure drifted to the ground and laid there motionless.

Alright, so that chapter was significantly shorter than the previous one. I'd like to reach that same amount at some point but since it's been a while this is what I could muster. I wrote this chapter in about 6 hours so hopefully it's fine for what it is. I would make it longer but I feel that I wrote what was necessary and I don't want to drag it out. The ending sentence should stand on its own. Anyway, onto the Q&A!

Q&A:

Q: really like this so far, though I think 18 and 17 reformed a bit too quickly. I mean they've been killing people for years and they suddenly realize its wrong? even Vegeta and Piccolo took a few years to come around on that issue

A: Fair point but 17 and 18 were people with morals before Gero got a hold of them. Vegeta and Piccolo grew up without that aspect, so their reform would be easier. Also, from a story perspective it kind of needed to happen when it did. A 2v5 fight is much harder than a 4v3.

Q: Finally! Gohan's here to kick 13's redneck ass! But the main problem I had was that 17 & 18 reformed wayyyyyyyyy too fast. I mean, somebody won't just regret the things they did for the past 13 years in one moment, even if it is in a circumstance like this, right? But all in all, great chapter. Hope to see more.

A: Thanks for your praise. Like with the previous question, I admit that it can seem rushed and maybe I'll go back and add some scenes but I tried to show their character development from their first appearance, when they were annoyed by Gohan's lectures and confused by his emphasis on peace. In all fairness though, 13 years of tyranny make redemption hard and I see where a lot of people are coming from. Don't worry though, I'll have a chapter at the end of this saga that basically deals with the ramifications of their past.

I'll try to give you guys the next two chapters as soon as possible. Given how quickly this one came out from when I started it, I think it's possible to at least finish this arc and start the next one by the end of the week. Though to be fair, I did say "next week" on the last chapter and ended up taking 5 months so...