Nimu was mad at her. He didn't quite know how to express his emotions, but Nico could tell her partner was upset by her choice. They were supposed to fight for humanity, to defend them. Because of her, they were helping two of the planet's most dangerous killers.
Nico wasn't happy about it either. It probably paid to have a brain that only focused on logic, rather than instinct or emotion. That way they could have stayed out of the fight and let their enemies kill each other, not ruin the element of surprise to save them.
When she had a moment with him to properly explained, she hoped Nimu would understand her reason.
The warehouse they approached was less than what they hoped for. On the surface, it was apparent that the building had seen better days. There was a massive hole blown open through the front door, and the building itself was covered with overgrown vegetation, with vines and hanging moss acting as makeshift covering for the door.
"Great," 18 said with a dry tone. "Anyone got a weed whacker?"
"That will be unnecessary," Nimu replied. He cut the vines and moss away with a simple, precise finger beam swept across the top of the opening. The vegetation spilled onto the ground, removing all minor obstructions. "Is that satisfactory? I could do a scan for spiders as well."
Nico and even 17 got a laugh out of Nimu's remark, but 18 was less than amused. "Nice use of sarcasm, mandroid," 17 said.
"I am not programed for sarcasm." Nico smiled as Nimu was the first to enter the compound.
The warehouse was ransacked, long ago. Remnants of the Red Ribbon Army trying to take what they could after the fall, to defend themselves once they were at the full mercy of King Furry and his army. Nico remembered those days clearly, even in the height of her illness.
The Red Ribbon Army, a faction of radical, violent supremest who threatened to go to open war with the rightful King of Earth. King Furry did his best to negotiate a treaty, to keep peace, rather than go to war, but the Red Ribbon Army could not be appeased with anything less than total domination.
As soon as they invaded however, the Red Ribbon Army crumbled out of nowhere. King Furry did not take credit, claiming some third party was fighting the Red Ribbon Army, taking down its top officers and stopping their advances in dominating the world.
Nico remembered the celebration throughout the world when the Red Ribbon Army was brought down. King Furry's forces were quick to reclaim lost territory and push out the stragglers, rebuild towns, cities, and homes for those who fell to the Red Ribbon's campaign. The world was at peace. She remembered the people being happy that the war was over before it began. She could pass on to the other side since the world was safe. She could be at peace during her final moments.
At least, that's what was supposed to happen.
When she awoke again, it was in Doctor Gero's lab. She didn't know who he was, or why he helped her. At first, he played the part of a generous, brilliant man who genuinely wanted to save her life, and fix the otherwise terminal, incurable disease she was wracked with. He seemed sincere, and even allowed Nico some minor freedoms around the laboratory. She couldn't leave, due to being 'incomplete.' Aside from Gero, the only other human Nico ever met in captivity was his son, General Copper. Copper was always polite, always checking on Nico and sparing some extra time to spend with her, to help her feel less alienated.
Their true allegiance, as well as Gero's intentions for Nico, were revealed over time. She was supposed to be a super soldier for the Red Ribbon Army, the latest in a long line of Androids Gero created to destroy the man who brought down their regime. When she learned the truth, she confronted her apparent savior. The confrontation ended with Nico being shut down and thrown back into stasis.
She was a lot like 17 and 18. She only knew a bit, but what she learned was thanks to the data transferred into her brain implants. She wasn't quite as mentally enhanced as Nimu, but she knew enough to be aware of the other Androids, before and after 11. The Devil's Pair were orphaned on the streets before they were stolen by Doctor Gero, and turned into his killing machines. A familiar story with a much different ending.
Nico never wanted to be used to kill or to destroy. She wanted to be cured, to go back home to her mother and father, to be a family again. Gero wanted his revenge. Did anybody ever ask what 17 or 18 wanted? Gero stole the choice of dying in peace from Nico, he lied to her in order to keep her in check, and he refused to let her go. He stole any choice from the Devil's Pair the instant he took them off the street. Even his own creations weren't allowed to have any free will. Nico didn't want to believe that 17 and 18, Androids who were formerly human like her, were just pure evil like Doctor Gero.
"Scans reveal limited resources in the compound," Nimu announced. "The odds of finding the necessary components to bring Android 17 up to full functionality are unlikely."
"Oh, great," the juvenile 17 said. "Guess this is why we don't trust strangers."
"With the equipment here, I should be able to at least mend the damage done so it doesn't get any worse." Nimu narrowed his eyes on his look-alike. "You'll be able to walk, at the very least. Though I suppose accidents could happen that would render your mouth useless."
"I please do," 18 said. "Where were you when we were activated, smart guy?"
"In stasis." Nimu walked away silently after his impatient remark.
Nico quickly followed him. An explanation was due sooner, rather than later it seemed. Nimu stood in an empty office room, with a hole in the ceiling. Moss and vines hung down from the edges around the skylight. The sun cast a light down on him as Nimu examined the office.
She stood in the doorway, watching him. She wasn't sure what to say. She knew him less than a day, but Nimu, 16, Bulma, they were her friends, and she betrayed them. Now, Nimu was mad at her.
"Nimu...thank you again for helping me..."
"I had no choice in the matter."
Her heart twisted at the coldness of his words. "I guess I kind of forced your hand, huh...?"
Nimu turned over his shoulder to look back at her. She ducked her head down. "I understand your reasons why. You sympathize with them because you see certain similarities between yourself and them. You want to believe those two can be redeemed, just like Android 3 was." Her hopes of making Nimu less angry were almost completely shot down. Of course he knew her reasons. What couldn't he just figure out with a few seconds of thought? That just made it harder to make her defense more convincing, for both of them. "Nico...I understand wanting to protect life. But...these two—,"
"Are no different than Android 3 was."
"Android 3 was programmed to kill, and she overcame that. Doctor Gero could program a personality, he could program loyalty into constructs like myself and 3. You know better than anyone that he couldn't do that with Androids who use to be human. They made their choice. They had freedom the entire time while Android 3 had to evolve to gain hers. Do you truly think that they would stand and allow the Resistance to cast judgment over them? And even if they did, what do you think their ruling would be?"
She knew all of this. Even if they were saved, 17 and 18 were as good as dead on Earth, whether they were judged, sentenced, and executed, or whether they were hunted down and destroyed like dogs. Didn't they deserve better?
"Look I...maybe they can help us against Android 20, a-and maybe they'll help us against this Cooler guy. All I know is that both of them deserve better than to be ambushed and destroyed by 20's goons."
Nimu stared at her with cold, calculating eyes that seemed to look right through her while his mind worked. She hated that look of his, when it was aimed at her. It made her nervous, because it meant Nimu was preparing his side of the argument.
"What about Android 13? Does he deserve better?"
"No! He's just a..." Her argument died on her tongue.
"Did you know he use to be a human as well? One Captain Green, under command of Doctor Gero, throughout the rise and fall of the Red Ribbon Army. He was killed in battle, but Gero managed to bring him back to life. Does 13, Captain Green, not deserve his second chance too?"
"He—,"
"What if he could be shown a different way? What if he could repent and be redeemed? All his crimes should be forgotten then?"
"That's not what I—," It was frustrating, being backed into a corner through undeniable logic. She couldn't care less whether 13 was a pile of scrap or a corpse in the ground. His track record with the Red Ribbon Army, his actions as an Android, it was all obvious that 13 only cared about destroying anything in his path. "Nimu...you heard those two, remember? They want to get away from all of this. They care about each other and they...they have hopes and dreams. 17 and 18 are still people."
"And the millions they've killed over the years? The innocent people with lives, and hopes, and dreams, and families that they slaughtered with their power and free will?" Nico cast her eyes to the floor again, feeling the guilt weigh in. She tried to think of how many people the Devil's Pair had actually murdered. Families that struggled, that grieved, like her own. Daughters, sons, mothers, and fathers, all lost thanks to Gero's mad ambitions. Taken away forever by the hands of the Devil's Pair.
"Nimu...I know what they've done is unforgivable. I'm not even optimistic about their chances if they did agree to being brought in by us. But...they're like us. They're Androids, like us. They never got the choice to be anything else once Gero got his hands on them. And I'm not saying that they would agree to the same conditions Android 3 agreed to. But...whether we like it or not, Nimu, we're their kin."
Nico walked forward and stood next to her partner. She could see him running through information. Nimu was nothing if not a logical genius, but he never calculated his human instincts. She knew he had them, somewhere in his programming. He was as much human as she was.
"I agree with you, that they've done awful things with their free will, and their power. I'm not saying we let them get away with it. I just...don't see what right we have to act as their judge, jury, and executioner."
"Do you truly believe that they will allow themselves a chance at redemption?" Nimu turned his eyes to her. In that moment, he wasn't running calculations or trying to reach the next logical conclusion for the argument. He was looking for her answer, testing her circumstantial loyalty to the rebellious siblings.
"Probably not," she answered. "In all honesty, they'd probably laugh us off if we gave them the chance to make up for their crimes. But...I don't feel like 17 and 18 are inherently evil. They're just...kids with a big toy and a really big playground. I believe they should answer for their crimes, and they will. But...not to us. Besides, as long as one of them isn't fully repaired, we hold the advantage, isn't that right?"
There was only a slight chance in Nimu's eyes when Nico unveiled his crime. "I...don't know what you're talking about." A bright, giddy smile spread over Nico's face. The smartest person on the planet, outsmarted and caught in a lie. Nimu managed to repair the internal damage Android 3 had caused to herself when fighting 19. Even without any bio-mechanical components, a few puncture wounds would have been child's play to patch up.
"Just make sure they believe that," Nico teased. She stopped halfway on her trek to the door. "Nimu...I—,"
"Don't thank me again. You know that if they force our hand, we can't save them." The statement was true for either side of the narrow line they walked. Either humanity or the Devil's Pair were likely to pull the trigger before allowing any sort of peace negotiation, or fair judgment. If that happened, there would only be one side both Nimu and Nico would take.
But 17 and 18 at least deserved a chance, even if it was a slim one. They owed them that much from one Android to another.
The work that Doctor Gero's machines were capable of was...astounding, to say the least. They left that morning, and as the sun began to set, the drones in Resistance control had almost finished repairing the damage done to the Iron Line. It was a far cry from its original glory, but at least it was something of a wall again. Considering the damage that was done when Trunks came through with Gohan, it was definitely a marvel that the tireless machines managed to make so much progress at all.
When the refugees reached the wall, they approached with understandable caution. Though the sight of Resistance soldiers overseeing construction of the wall helped ease some doubts among the nomads. After his own mother activated more Androids, the drones seemed to be the least of their worries in Trunks' view. At least he had no reason to doubt their efficiency, or loyalty.
Even with just Android 16 around, Trunks was on edge. It didn't help that the giant chose to ride in the same vehicle as him and his mother. 16 sat silently with his eyes closed, as if he were asleep. He was completely motionless the entire ride out.
There were over a dozen ships, all of them civilians, carrying anywhere from a single passenger to a whole family. Trunks hoped that whatever defenses Vi set up while they were away would be enough to defend the people.
Bulma flipped on the radio to a hailing frequency to the main fortress. "Vi, this is Bulma. Do you read?"
"YES! FINALLY! Transmissions are being thrown every which-way while trying to adjust this crap! Damn Red Ribbons are still just a pain in the ass..."
"Vi, we've got the nomads with us. They're all safe and accounted for. We're gonna need some space for these people though." There was a pause over the radio.
"All...all of them? How did you...how did you guys get there that fast?"
Bulma smirked at Trunks, since they both knew the answer. He didn't like it, but the Overseer was just beside herself with her own sense of smugness. "We had a little help. I'll explain once we land. Has Launch made it back yet? There's something we need to talk about."
"No, I...I haven't heard from the Boss since she left. The drones she took with her are offline too..."
Bulma paused for a brief moment to reflect, but answered Vi quickly. "We'll find her Vi. Right now we need to get these people set up."
"You got it ma'am."
"And...there's one other thing I need to discuss with you. I'll tell you once we're grounded."
She was tense. Whether it was the big reveal for the Androids, or the fact that Launch was missing wasn't clear. She had every confidence in 16, and the other two, and everyone else seemed utterly convinced that Android 3 had turned over a new leaf. Only the Resistance's reaction would tell if anyone else bought it or not.
"Additional targets approaching," 16 said. Trunks felt his heart clench in his chest, as he immediately assumed the worst. "Energy signatures detected."
"How many, 16?"
He paused. "A lot. More reinforcements?"
Trunks perked up. "Wait, Gohan said he was going to get Videl and the others at Jingle Outpost didn't he? That's gotta be him!"
The possibility brought a smile to Bulma's face. "Well, I guess there's only one way to find out." Trunks moved to the side of the ship and looked out the window.
Between the two groups, there were enough ships to fill the field around the entrance of the main complex. Dozens of vessels from the other group were filled with Resistance soldiers, and citizens from the frozen lands of the northeast. At the head of the second group was Gohan, and two of Cooler's goons.
A few of the surrounding Resistance soldiers shared the same hesitation when seeing Dore and Neiz following their hero's lead. "Gohan!"
He looked over to Trunks as the younger demi-Saiyan approached. Gohan was rather surprised by the accompanying sight. "Trunks? What are you guys—are those the civilians in the mountains?!" Bulma smiled as Gohan rushed past her and Trunks. He moved quickly through the crowds before spotting his mother and grandfather. The latter was easiest to spot, as he towered over everyone. "Mom! Grandpa!"
Before Gohan moved closer, he spotted a small, familiar woman standing next to his mother. The crimson haired woman met his eyes. Gohan recognized her immediately, even without her Red Ribbon uniform. The cold, calculating, unmistakable eyes of Android 3 staring at him like a deer in the headlights.
"Get away from them!" Gohan's aura exploded around him, lifting his hair and burning his black locks into a fierce golden color. His transformation startled everyone around him, but Gohan wasn't about to take any chances with the wolf in sheep's clothing trying to hide among the Resistance. Especially not when that wolf was standing so close to Gohan's remaining family.
He charged at Android 3, barely registering the look of terror and fear on her face. Gohan threw his fist for Android 3's face, but the blow stopped short. The giant's hand wrapped around his wrist tight. The hand was attached to a man nearly as tall as the Ox-King himself, wearing lime green armor, with a reddish-auburn mohawk. Gohan quickly twisted around and threw his boot up at the giant's head. The man lazily lifted up his other arm and blocked the strike without a break in his expression. In that moment, Gohan realized that the giant had no life energy he could sense.
"Gohan, stop!" His mother's voice got through to him. Gohan jumped back, putting some distance between himself and the giant Android. He refused to power down, but it was obvious there was an explanation he was missing. Chi-Chi moved in front of Android 3. The sight made Gohan's heart tighten in his chest with worry. "She saved all of our lives!"
"What...?!"
She turned to the timid looking Android, gently taking her by the arm. They both walked past the towering Android, who stood at attention, watching over his fellow Android cautiously in case Gohan tried something again.
"We all gathered when Hercule came to deliver us the news," Chi-Chi explained. "The new Androids appeared at our meeting. We would all be dead if Android 3 didn't intervene." Gohan stared at Android 3 as he tried wrapping his mind around the concept. Chi-Chi smiled at him as they walked closer. He didn't drop his Super Saiyan form, but Gohan's footing shifted slightly. "She saved my life. The Androids—the bad ones, they wanted to take me in order to draw you into a trap. Android 3 nearly destroyed herself fighting off the other Androids."
"She looks fine now," Gohan stated, snapping venomously at her. The way 3 flinched did not go unnoticed. He pushed the slight pang of guilt to the side before turning back to his mother. "How did she win then? How did you all survive?"
Chi-Chi turned around and stared at the towering Android. Gohan followed her stare and met the eyes of the silent warrior across the clearing. "That one, Android 16, and two other Androids showed up and drove them off."
"W-wait, more Androids?!" Gohan turned around sharply to scream at Bulma. He never got the chance when he saw that she was already standing behind him, along with a scowling Trunks, a cautious pair of aliens, and even Vi with a trope of Resistance soldiers, Android 8, and a group of drones backing her. "You had something to do with this, didn't you?"
"Guilty as charged," Bulma admitted. "But these Androids weren't activated by Gero's little doppleganger, Android 20. By Gero's standards, they were never complete. Android 20 didn't get the chance to finish them, so he left."
Gohan stood up straight. He shot one last glare over in 16's direction before he turned back to Bulma. "Let's say for now that I buy that. What about her?" He pointed directly to Android 3, refusing to look at the murderer. "She was apart of the Red Ribbon's campaign from the beginning. She's responsible for hundreds, thousands of deaths, and I'm just supposed to expect that she's turned over a new leaf like that?!"
"Well..." Gohan's emerald eyes snapped up to Neiz. The overgrown amphibian rubbed his neck as all eyes traced to him. Neiz himself was only staring at Android 3, wrestling with himself on whether or not he should reveal what he knew. "Ah...when Salza and I fought her during Lord Cooler's assault on the Red Ribbon Army, she sort of...renounced her loyalty to them."
"During the assault?" Neiz nodded his head. Gohan could tell by his expression that he wasn't lying. He had no reason to lie about it. He had no reason to even speak up about Android 3 going turncoat in the first place. For Dore and Neiz, their situation was an uncomfortable one, but when it was all said and done, they knew their master was just going to blow up the planet anyway. It was just a matter of time before that happened for the Armored Squadron.
"Gohan..." The Super Saiyan turned as Android 3 approached him. She stopped before him, head bowed slightly toward the ground. "I...I know I cannot undo the things I've done in the past. I really wish I could, for whatever it's worth. I am guilty of the crimes I've committed under Doctor Gero's programming, and Commander Red's directive. I...I don't want to be a tool of destruction anymore." She lifted her head and looked behind Gohan to the blue haired genius that supported and helped her. "With Bulma's engineering, I'm no more capable than Android 8. You would not need your Super Saiyan transformation to destroy me. Trunks, or the two aliens there could destroy me without any assistance." Gohan stared at her as 3 finally looked up at him. He did not see the cold, lifeless eyes of a machine. Android 3's eyes reflected a spark of life, of a person desperately seeking something. "I do not want to be a threat to you, or to the people of this planet. I...I want to live a life of peace with you people, and I will do whatever I can to repay my debt to the planet. And...if that debt can only be paid for with my destruction, I will gladly pay it still."
He stared down at her. She didn't tear her gaze away from him. Despite the face she put on, Gohan could see the fear hiding behind her eyes.
Her actions, her part in destroying the world made Gohan furious just thinking about it. The deaths she had caused, the destruction she had a hand in, they didn't go away just because she turned over a new leaf.
Gohan looked over at the Brief family, at Bulma and Trunks. Android 3's plea was more than they ever got from Vegeta, and he fought for Earth without Goku for nearly two years before the Devil's Pair took him down. And Bulma clearly stood by her choice of allying with certain Androids. By admission of Gohan's own mother, Android 3 risked her life to save a portion of Earth's remaining population.
He looked back down at Android 3. She was ready for whatever his choice was in the end. Gohan released his Super Saiyan form. The tips of his spiked hair drooped as they returned to their normal color.
"If nothing else, I owe you this chance for saving what's left of my family," Gohan said. "And saving everyone else behind you...I think the Resistance owes you the chance to prove your sincerity too. Right, Vi?"
The purple haired woman wore the same scowl on her face as Trunks. It softened, once she saw just how many lives had been saved thanks to Android 3's actions. Lives they would have never been able to get back, if Android 3 chose not to act. Vi relented with a sigh. "Alright, alright, fine. If she pulls her weight, and if the Boss approves too, I can't really say anything."
"It would be more productive of me to pull more than my weight," Android 3 explained. "Wouldn't it?"
Vi's remark reminded Gohan that he had a heartbreaking piece of news for everyone. But it wasn't the time for that. Gohan looked back at Android 3. A small part of him still felt uncertain with the decision he made, uncomfortable with allowing an Android into their ranks. They had been enemies for half a lifetime. With any luck, it wouldn't take nearly as long to get use to being on the same side.
"Alright," Gohan said as he turned to Bulma and Vi. "I guess a meeting is in order, huh?"
"Sounds about right," Bulma agreed with a smile. "A lot has happened it seems."
"More than you know..."
The minor damage caused by Android 17's injuries had been fixed and closed up when night came. Nimu finished closing up the puncture holes in 17's chest and leg when he was done. "As I said before, this isn't a permanent solution."
"Are you kidding? You patched up the holes in my body! What else is there to fix?"
The small cables and mechanical tools in Nimu's arm retracted into place, tucked and locked behind the plating that covered his arm. "Your design is...rather unique, even compared to Nico. Gero must have spent an incredible amount of time on you."
"Yeah, way to make it creepy." 17 jumped onto his feet, putting weight on his bad leg. His knee buckled, but he was quick to catch himself. "Son of a...why does it feel so stiff?"
"I could only fill the hole, but your bio-mechanical components are more difficult to replace once damaged or destroyed," Nimu explained.
"My bio-what now?"
Nimu sighed as he rolled down his sleeve and pulled his glove back up on his arm. "Bio-mechanical components. It was something Gero perfected after he rebuilt Commander Red into a cyborg. With it, he was able to fuse flesh and metal together to create...something between. It's what allows you, your sister, and Nico's body handle energy, and the incredible power, speed, and durability without the training and conditioning Goku and his allies went through."
"Yeah, yeah, boring shit. So you can't fix my leg?"
He narrowed his eyes at 17. How anyone put up with him for so long was a mystery. "I did what I could. But without anything bio-mechanical aside from you, Nico, and your sister, I can't completely patch it up. Those spots Cooler hit will be a weakness, but with my repairs they're not critical weaknesses."
17 made a face before he bounced back and forth on his feet to test the limits of his bad leg. "Well...thanks for that much at least, mandroid."
"Nimu." 17 turned his curious expression to Nimu after he was corrected.
"Really? Everyone else wants to be called Android-something."
"You're no exception to it either. Nico says that giving us names makes us more human, rather than machines."
17 laughed as he started rolling up his sleeves. He started throwing punches, focusing on his injured right arm. The injuries weighed on him, but not as heavily as before. "In case you didn't know, mandroid, we are machines made by Gero. Our humanity went out the window when he got his hands on us. And, no offense, but you were never a human to begin with."
Nimu said nothing. 17 technically was not wrong in his statement. His mind and body were all artificial, created by the hands of Doctor Gero. But he had sentience, he had the free will that came with any life. He never expected 17 to ever understand though.
"Hey uh...mini-me...?"
"Do not call me that," Nimu snapped. He was only a few inches shorter than 17 to begin with. Beyond that, he had no idea what cruel coincidence gave them their similar appearances.
"Sorry. Listen, uh...thanks for...this."
Nimu found 17's awkwardness to be confusing. "It was the least I could do," he answered. A flicker of emotion crossed 17's eye as he nodded to Nimu.
He suddenly understood the other Android's awkward demeanor. 17 was had never shown thanks for anything before. Nico's assessment wasn't too far off for the Devil's Pair. Nobody had ever helped them, shown them any form of kindness before. Nimu allowed himself to believe that maybe they could change for the better.
All they had to do was convince the rest of the planet that they were worth sparing. And the odds were stacked against their favor.
Android 18 sat in the light of the moon overhead as Nico examined her crooked, chopped hair. She had fussed about it while the boys were busy with repairs when Nico volunteered to help. It wasn't like her hair could get any worse, though 18 had her doubts about what could be done with it.
"I hope you weren't too particularly attached to the length," Nico said. She lifted two locks of 18's hair between her fingers, straightening them out to eyeball their length.
"Not much I can do about it now," she muttered. "What about you? Were you lucky enough to have hair that grows after...?"
"No, unfortunately." There was a hint of sadness in Nico's answer. "I use to have long, curly hair that went down to my waist. It drove my dad nuts," she laughed. "When I became sick, I started losing my hair."
"Cancer?"
Nico shook her head. "Not quite. The doctors thought that's what it was at first, but the disease affected my blood, turning it into a poison basically. My muscles, nerves, organs, I was essentially decaying on the inside. My body was tearing itself apart..."
18's eyes flickered to the side. "You...you're Android 11 then?"
She laughed as she snipped an uneven lock shorter. "Did Gero talk about me I take it?"
"No, I...I browsed some files I found at his old lab. You were that girl he..."
"Lied to my parents in order to take my body? Yep, that's me."
"That makes you older than me and 17," 18 realized. The girl was shorter than 18 was, and she looked at least a few years younger too. Nico was just altered at a younger age, looking forever young, and thrown into stasis for most of her time since then. It chilled 18 to the bone to think of how deep Gero's obsession ran.
"I suppose it does," Nico said. 18 couldn't quite judge what, if anything, Nico thought on the matter. "I don't suppose that means you'd be willing to listen to anything I have to tell you."
"You save our butts against the Red Ribbon Redneck, your friend is making my brother slightly less useless, and you're cutting my hair. The least I can do is listen."
Another uneven lock of golden hair fell to the ground. "Do you have any regrets?"
She gave a dismissive shrug. "Getting used for Gero's science experiments is pretty high up there."
"You seem to be enjoying the fringe benefits."
"We make the most of what's given to us, good or bad." 18 knew what Nico was aiming toward. She said nothing as she raked her fingers through 18's hair. "You gonna tell me how killing is wrong?"
"I'm amazed that you would need someone to distinguish that fact for you."
"Well, 17 and I didn't have a mommy and daddy to tell us right from wrong." They had a cold upbringing in as orphans, and then a life on the streets where they were taught how worthless they were. They've always had nothing growing up, nothing except each other. "The world treated 17 and I like shit all our lives. When we finally had the chance to stand up for ourselves, we didn't complain, and we decided it was time to hit back."
"No, you didn't." 18 waited for a lecture, but she only heard the sound of snipping as her hair fell. It had just occurred to her maybe irritating the person with control over her permanently set hairstyle. "Done." Nico threw the scissors somewhere across the room and walked away. "Nico and I will give you and your brother ten minutes to make a break for it. Next time we see you, we're not going to help you."
18 stood up and shook her head, running her fingers through the short, chopped locks. She didn't feel any uneven lengths, or any balds spots. "So that's it? You just help us out for shits and giggles and then throw us to the dogs again?"
"I just realized that you aren't worth the kindness," Nico replied coldly. Her remark stung more than 18 cared to admit.
"Just like that, huh? You know, we didn't ask to be turned into Gero's science experiments. But you certainly seem to be enjoying the hell out of the fringe benefits too."
"I'm not running around killing innocent people for fun!"
"And what fucking right do you have to judge!?" She turned sharply on Nico, who couldn't even look at her. "My brother and I were alone, and we had to fight to survive! We had nothing but each other, and we never asked for anything else, except another day. The world threw us out in the gutter from the day we were born, until the day we would have died!" Nico's eyes hardened against 18's story. She had no right to judge them. Nobody did. "The people you're so eager to defend, they're all garbage. People who looked down on me and my brother, Gero...hell, even your parents gave your corpse away pretty quickly. 17 and I had everything taken away from us before we had anything. The world is cruel. We didn't change that, we just moved to the top of the list. Why should we give a damn, just to make your conscious feel better?"
The half of Nico's face that 18 could see was twisted with emotion. She almost thought the smaller girl was about to cry. It didn't change the fact that she was right. The world didn't care about them, and it didn't care what they did. No matter who they killed, or who they fought, nothing changed. They were the ones in control of the world around them, rather than the world controlling them.
"You were both on the run, weren't you?" Nico looked at 18. She hid her frustrations well behind a blank face, and an impassive glare. "What was his motive for hunting you both down? He was angry, holding a grudge?" Nico's stare became harder, more furious as she turned squarely to face 18. "So you got hurt, and you ran. Were you scared? Scared that maybe you would die? Or maybe that you'd have everything you care about taken away from you? And how long were you scared? A couple of days, maybe? Why don't you take that feeling, extend it to every single day since you and your brother have been terrorizing the planet, and multiply it by a billion."
Nico became unmistakably enraged, making no effort to hide or mask her frustrations. "The world is cruel, but you don't get to use that to justify you and your brother being a pair of murderous assholes! You had the choice to use your powers to make things better, but you chose to make things worse. I can sympathize with you, but I can't forgive the horrible things you've done, just because you could."
18 tried not to let Nico's words get to her, but she was failing. "You thought a talk could just change who we are?"
"I had hoped that maybe you could be reasoned with, instead of acting like self entitled brats! But if you think that your survival is more important than anyone else, then you're beyond my sympathy!"
"Well nobody asked for your sympathy, you little shit!" 18 turned around sharply. She saw both Nimu and 17 standing in the doorway, watching with quiet looks of shock on their faces. "Come on 17, we're leaving!" She lifted off and flew out of the collapsed hole in the ceiling without another word.
Nico and Nimu stared at 17, who looked as surprised as a deer caught in the headlights. "Uh..." He gave Nimu a pat on the shoulder. "Thanks again buddy." Nico softened her eyes when 17 turned to her. "And thank you for saving our butts."
He took off after his sister, leaving his feelings of guilt with the other pair. Nico watched 17 as he left. Nimu saw that she was conflicted about her choice. She still sympathized with them, even after they scorned her offer. But Nico chose to risk her life in order to give 17 and 18 a chance to make up for their crimes. It was a better chance than anyone else would give them. Some people were just beyond help.
"Nimu?"
"Yes, Nico?"
She lowered her head, her voice breaking as she spoke with a small voice. "I'm sorry. I should have just listened to you in the first place. I'm an idiot for thinking I could change them..."
"We are not machines," Nimu said. His immediate response took Nico by surprise. "You gave them a chance. You showed them kindness and understanding when they had never known that in their lives. Mercy is not a weakness, Nico." He looked away from the moonlight casting down into the room, and smiled across it at Nico. "It's what makes us human. And it is something we should embrace, not scorn."
Nico allowed herself to let go of her remorse, thanks to Nimu. She smiled fondly at her partner and stared back up into the moon casting its pale light down on her. "Nimu...thank you."
"Don't mention it." They stood together in silence, staring up at the dark, endless night sky above. He finally understood what it meant to be human. "Ten minutes then?"
"Ten minutes." Nico hardened herself for her second meeting with the Devil's Pair. She had a duty to fulfill to the people of Earth. The people she swore to protect.
Gohan knew that the news of Launch's death would have a heavy affect on the Resistance, especially on both of her top officers, Videl and Vi. The room was silent, barring the quiet, choked sobs Vi did her best to stop. Vi was the youngest, but one of the most accomplished members of the Resistance. Launch practically raised her from a bratty teen into the woman she had become. It was a difficult loss to bear, especially for her.
Vi finally lifted her head and wiped away her tears quickly. "So how do we kill this thing...?"
"You leave this thing to me. You and everyone else in the Resistance needs to focus on keeping people alive, and defending everyone we possibly can. The more people Cell absorbs, the stronger he gets. We can't let him get anyone else." Vi didn't like his answer, but it was the best that could be done. "We're still blind as long as there are more Androids around, and as long as Cell can hide his power level. And we can't forget the Devil's Pair are still out there."
"Not to mention the Androids under our own roof," Vi added bitterly. Both Android 3 and 16 were in the room. Only 3 took Vi's remark personally. "So we just sit here and hope that what we have can stand against whatever shitstorm might come knocking on our front door?"
"We're up to our eyes in drones," Videl said sharply. "If we keep cranking them out, we can make damn sure that we take them with us."
Videl's confidence was normally inspiring, but Vi was too frustrated to accept a docile role in the new war. She wanted blood."We should focus on what we do know," Bulma said. "16 and Nimu both were connected to the sensors Gero's old lab. Something tripped one of his alarms before we left the mountains."
"That is correct." Android 3 pulled up a projection of the northern mountains in front of the room. A flashing red dot marked the location of Gero's laboratory. "Shortly after Nico and Nimu left, the signal coming from Doctor Gero's laboratory was cut," 16 explained. "Even with their speed, there is a zero percent chance that they were the ones who destroyed the location."
"So what does that mean?" Hercule asked.
"If the other two Androids couldn't get there in time for that location's destruction, then it means a couple of different things," Neiz said. "Either one of the other Androids tripped the alarm and destroyed the whole place, or the other group tripped the alarm and then the second rolled through and wiped it out anyway."
"Both likely options," Gohan agreed. He knew virtually nothing about Android 20 and his team, but he knew the Devil's Pair. "17 and 18 are more prone to wanton destruction. My money is on them being the ones who destroyed the lab. Bulma could have tripped the alarm when activating the rest of you, and 20 could have went to check on the disturbance."
"No," 3 stated bluntly. "When Nimu saved me from Android 19, 20 was shocked to learn that the others had been activated. He was angered to learn that 'his' creations were tampered with."
"Also, probably should have mentioned that I reactivated the sensors at Nimu's suggestion," Bulma added, aiming a smile at 3. "When Commander Red made his last gambit for domination, the sensor is what activated Android 20. From there, he took over and didn't see the forethought in leaving it on."
"So the Devil's Pair are likely the ones who tripped the alarm," Hercule concluded.
"And Android 20 will have undoubtedly detected the intrusion of Gero's laboratory," 16 added. He knew that meant Nico and Nimu were in danger. "Androids 17 and 18 were looking for something at Gero's old laboratory. If they didn't stay, we must find out where they fled."
Android 3 typed in something into the command console on the war table. Around the northern mountains, five targets dotted the surrounding area. Two of them flickered out immediately. "Gero had small supply outposts around his main base," 3 explained. "Apparently, only three remain. If 17 and 18 are in the mountains, they'll search these locations as their most likely targets."
"Then we need to search each one of them," Gohan stated. "The other two Androids with us, Nico and Nimu? Do they know about these outposts?"
"Affirmative," 16 said.
"Then by the time we get out there, they'll be searching too. We should split up in order to cover more ground."
"I agree. I will cover the east. The rest of you shall cover the west."
Gohan watched as 16 left the meeting without objection. He could tell in an instant when 16 blocked his strike that the giant Android was stronger. By how wide a margin, he couldn't say, but it wasn't something he wanted to find out.
Dore and Neiz waited expectantly for Gohan to give the order. "You heard the man. Stay on guard, and let's move." Gohan turned towards the young man giving him a scowl for excluding him. "That means you too, Trunks." The Devil's Pair, Android 20, Cell, whoever was hiding in the mountains, they wouldn't be hidden for long.
"Hold that monster back! Give him everything you have!" The students formed two lines before the green monster, defending their king. The first line knelt down, giving the second line a clear line of sight. The creature did not move. "Fire!"
Each of the dozen fighters launched a golden beam of energy from their fingertips, each shot fired with extreme precision. The monster didn't blink as each attack struck him, barely scratching his body. The sight alone was enough to make each of the martial arts students stumble back with fear, breaking formation.
"Th-that's impossible!"
"M-Master Shen said the Dodon Ray wouldn't fail us!"
Cell hummed curiously at the frightened men's blabbering. He had Tien's DNA inside of him, he knew all the tricks and secrets of the Crane School. Though he had no idea that it was still active, let alone training so many powerful morsels.
Android 20 stood behind Cell, waiting patiently for his creation to finish playing with his meal. The recorded data that the late Doctor Gero gathered about Goku and his associates gave 20 relevant knowledge of the refugees hiding out in the mountains.
Master Shen was a founder of the Crane School, rival and enemy of Master Roshi and the Turtle Hermit School. Though Shen was by no means an ally of Goku's, he did train Tien and Chiaotzu, two allies of Son Goku. Other than that, Shen's only ties with Gero's ambitions and the Red Ribbon Army were the fact that Shen was the elder brother of Mercenary Tao, the apparent security chief of Commander Red's territory before it was destroyed.
Behind the Crane School students were a rather large race of winged reptiles known as the Giras. An earth-born species, gathered together into a small tribe, and having taken refuge with the human survivors hiding in the mountains. Goku was known to have a Giras ally, though the race themselves were hardly considered a threat by 20, let alone Cell's, standards.
The warrior monks who made up Master Shen's students, as well as the apparent leader of the group, were none other than King Chappa and his disciples. Chappa was a former champion of the World Martial Arts Tournament, had fought against Goku twice, and lost both times. His survival in the wake of the Androids' attack, let alone the impressive force he was gathering, was a bit of a surprise. If they had joined with the Resistance, or even the Fury Force, it would have meant trouble for Commander Red, or even the Devil's Pair if they got lucky enough. Instead, they were hiding in the caves, away from the rest of the world.
"Master Shen isn't here...we're doomed!"
"Wh-what do we do? K-King Chappa?!"
The self proclaimed 'king' stood with the Giras leader, a grizzly veteran warrior named Aoi. He looked back at the warrior's red eyes, and he saw the silent, furious determination to fight to the very last. Chappa was their leader. The Giras, the wayward survivors from the North City Blitz caused by the reborn Red Ribbon Army, even his own people, they all gathered together under his leadership. They followed Chappa because they believed in his promise that humans could achieve the power of the Heroes of Earth had before they fell. They believed him when he said that they could be the ones to strike down the Androids, and save the world. Master Shen always had his own reasons for agreeing to train Chappa and his followers. He had no loyalty to anyone, so long as he had something to throw to the wolves as he ran. But Chappa had seen with Goku and his allies that they would need more advanced training from someone older, someone stronger, and wiser. Master Shen was the only person left after, Master Roshi went missing four years ago.
Shen would have a safe haven, and he would have the opportunity to regain his vengeance against his traitorous younger brother, should they succeed. Chappa would be able to give them that fighting chance, and gain a following powerful enough to make that dream true some day.
But Shen was gone. And even with his help, they never would have stood a chance against this monster, and his cruel master.
"I think they're scared of you, Cell," Android 20 said with cruel amusement.
The foul bio-Android licked his lips and laughed sadistically at his frightened prey. "They think they could become strong enough to contest with me?" They all twisted under Cell's assessment of their group. Humans who tried to survive did not understand their place. They were less than dirt. "They're only good to provide a meal for me. You think you could get strong enough to face the likes of me? You foolish little worms..."
"Chappa!" Aoi snarled, bracing himself for the monster's assault. "What do we do?!"
The former king, the former warrior, had lost his family, his precious Ruhna because he was too weak to stop the Androids. His three children, all gone before he could tell them he loved them one last time. He would not lose another family due to his own inaction.
"Everyone run! I will hold this fiend back!" Chappa's roar echoed throughout the cave as he drew on his power, a white, translucent aura blazing around him. "Run! Now!"
King Chappa launched himself forward with all his might, cutting through the air at blinding speeds. With a furious roar, he threw his punishing Iron Fist, driving his knuckles directly into the side of the creature's cheek. The blow shook the mountain that hid their former sanctuary, and twisted the monster's head a bit to the side. Chappa could see immediately that his attack was having no effect, as Cell's slit pupils were still fixed directly at him.
He had to save his followers. Even if it meant his life. He would not be lucky enough to live as a hero, but he could still die as one.
Chappa twisted around and drove his elbow in the same cheek he had pulled his fist away from. The monster started to lean, but he still didn't blink, did not wince. He was taunting him. Chappa's pride took a hit, but he wasn't going to back down. If he was nothing more than a bug biting at him, then King Chappa would bite down hard.
"TAKE THIS!" Chappa ducked down, squatting to the ground before he shot up again, driving his fist into Cell's chin. The ground shattered below his feet as pushed himself skyward, striking with enough force that Cell was lifted into the air. The monster was still giving that unblinking, chilling stare as if waiting for more.
Cell gently dropped to the ground. He wasn't even lifted up a foot off of the ground, but he still kept his head lifted up, staring at Chappa down his metaphorical nose.
Chappa barely saw movement out of the corner of his eye. When he turned his head, he saw the old man going for Chappa's followers. There was no way he could catch up with the attacker in time.
It was Aoi who stopped the assault, his white/blue aura flaring around him as he crashed into the Android with enough force to stop him. Although he was stopped, Android 20 did not stop pushing, and Aoi was slowly losing ground.
"You...won't...get past ME!" Aoi opened his mouth wide, and roared in the Android's face as a gooey substance shot out and started to cover the old man's body. The goo moved over every inch of 20's body, until he was completely encased in a coffin of Merry-Go-Round Gum.
Once trapped, Aoi punched the bound Android straight into the ground. The dragon-man charged up his power inside his stomach, taking in a deep breath before exhaling a full wave of energy down on his opponent. The energy attack hit its target, unleashing a powerful explosion on impact that threatened to collapse the cavern that King Chappa's followers build with their own hands. When the smoke cleared, there was nothing left in the center of the crater Aoi created.
"Pathetic." Aoi turned around and saw Android 20 floating right behind him. "That blast wasn't even worth absorbing." Before the Giras leader could launch another attack, the Android appeared before him in the blink of an eye. Aoi barely had time to comprehend his opponent's speed before the old man before a striking elbow struck the side of his head, shattering his eye socket. The Giras leader howled in agony as he was shot toward the ground at break-neck speeds. Aoi was barely conscious, and the attack damaged his bleeding eye.
King Chappa looked in horror at how truly outclassed he and Aoi were. Barring Master Shen, Chappa and Aoi were the strongest warriors they had to offer, and they were little more than game for the monsters that attacked them. His followers were still running away for their lives, moving toward the holes in the cavern roof to fly out of. They were gone, and the two monsters they face could easily kill them and still reach his men. His people were at risk, unless Chappa could provide them with every possible second he could to occupy the monsters.
"Aoi! You need to get out of here immediately!" Chappa drew out every ounce of his power, pushing far beyond his limits as veins bulged out over his dark skin. "You need to lead our men to safety! GO NOW!"
Cell laughed as the feeble human's power shook the cavern. He still thought he had a chance. Whatever tricks the powerless fool had up his sleeve, he didn't stand a chance.
King Chappa moved his hands together, forming a triangle between his hands, fingers extended and touching at the tips, with his thumbs sticking out at the bottom of the open space. The former king roared as he summoned all the power he could into his hands.
Aoi watched in awe of Chappa's power, recognizing the technique he was about to use. Chappa's path could only end one way. Aoi could only honor his sacrifice by surviving, and getting the remainder of their people to safety. He flew off, his wings kicking up dirt as the heavy fighter flew away.
Android 20 shifted his eyes over to the fleeing Giras, but made no move to stop him. After this attack, Chappa was done for certain. 20's sensors kept a steady track of the former warrior's rising power. Chappa's attack might have damaged one of Gero's lesser Androids, such as Androids 5 or 7, but even in his current form, Cell was peerless. There was no threat to Android 20's ultimate creation.
Chappa's body strained and ached with the pressure he was putting on it. There was more he could feed into the attack, but he would wait until the last moment to catch the monster by surprise. Cell only laughed in the wake of King Chappa's full power. Time for the surprise.
"NEO TRI-BEAM!"
Chappa howled in fury as he poured out every last ounce of his power, and his life energy into the attack. Android 20's sensors suddenly skyrocketed far beyond Chappa's outburst as he fired a golden wave of raw power that threatened to engulf even him. Cell's eyes widened as the kamikaze attack pressed on him.
The attack pierced through the mountainside, blasting far off through the forest, leaving a heavy, smoking trench for nearly a mile out. Aoi and the other survivors watched as the mountain fell in on itself, breaking down into a pile of boulders stacked into a pile of rubble. They mourned the man's sacrifice, before Aoi led them away. Their king's sacrifice would be worthless if they did not survive.
Miles in the opposite direction, Master Shen stood on the edge of a cliff, watching as the Neo Tri-Beam blasted off into the distance from the collapsing mountain. Shen shook his head with disappointment, turning away before continuing his trek onward with his two star pupils that were smart enough to join him.
In the wake of the mountain, the dust began to settle after the mountain collapsed in on itself. One boulder was turned over, as a dirtied Android 20 emerged. He wore a look of intense fury on his face. First Android 3, now some no-account had rose above and beyond his calculations. If their current predicament was any indication, Cell's rise to perfection would be a more difficult than they expected.
Android 20 looked over, and saw Chappa dragging himself across the rubble. He was barely clinging to life, and even in death he was attempting to defy them.
Cappa's vision blurred as he moved his body. He had to get away. There was nothing left to fight back with, so the only thing he had the smallest chance for was to survive. It was a fruitless hope, but it was the only thing that drove the dying man forward.
"An impressive display," a wicked voice spoke. Chappa stopped, his heart freezing in his chest. He almost wished the shock alone would have been enough to end his life, rather than go through what the monster would do to him. "If nothing else, I got a little laugh out of this." Over half of his people already fell to the evil being, swallowed up and gone due to the creature's ravenous appetite. He was about to experience hell like he could never have imagined. As long as his people survived, it was worth it. "And even if you exhausted your power, I get such a bigger boost out of a living person than a corpse. And if you think your friends are safe, you're wrong. Because there's nothing to stand in my way. And I will kill every last person on this planet sooner or later. You've changed nothing."
Cell brought his foot crushing down on King Chappa's spine with a heavy crunching sound. The warrior gave a dying howl of agony as he felt his spine cracking under the monster's foot before everything went numb. "Any last words?"
Chappa turned his head, staring directly up at his murderer, looking at its foul tail that would be the cause of his death. He had nothing left but to strike at the monster with words.
"I...will die honored...and remembered. When you meet your end...nobody will care about...you."
Cell smiled before he struck his stinger deep into Chappa's shoulder. The dying man cried out in pain as his insides corroded rapidly, which sucked up the liquid remains through a ravenous tail. Chappa decayed, fading entirely into Cell, becoming apart of his being. When the bio-Android finished, he turned his head to Android 20.
"Well, good thing 13 wasn't here. That attack might have hurt him."
Android 20 frowned. "Don't underestimate Android 13. He may not be up to your level, but he has his uses."
"For now," Cell chimed. 20 did not argue. Although, the others had been gone longer than he expected. They would have to go looking for 13 sooner or later. Either to confirm he was alive, or to question him on why Android 15's signal transmitter was turned off. "I can almost sense them...17 and 18, my brother and sister...they're close."
They were close. Android 16 arrived at the first outpost, and found signs of small disturbances that meant someone passed through recently. The blond hair was an indication of the Devil's Pair. 16 could detect from the lengths that it was something rather precise, trimming off jagged split ends off of even, straight cuts.
The most likely possibility was Nico. 16 knew exactly why she would have given haven to the Devil's Pair. The last thing they needed was for the humans to figure it out. Nico and Nimu both knew what that would mean. Giving their enemy any mercy was a risk they couldn't afford to take.
Thankfully, the last remaining base was the same distance between his location and Gohan's. Though the others had a further distance from the starting point, it would be easier to meet up together. If he couldn't find anything at the next location, he would move to Gohan's to ensure his group's safety. If the enemy was at the next location, then 16 would be the first to encounter them before reinforcements would inevitably arrive.
Nimu would have the capabilities to fix 17's injuries completely, though he never would. He just hoped that Nico wouldn't find out that he truly could. If she saved the Devil's Pair, there was the chance that she would try to pressure Nimu into fixing him completely. Though it was a small chance, according to his calculations. H still had doubts about how much mercy she would grant her fellow victims of Gero.
Android 16 took off into the sky, moving quickly as he kicked up and scattered the blond locks away, ridding the outpost of any of evidence.
They gathered on the mountain cliff side overlooking the windy ocean out before them. 18 had the chance to stop and stare at her reflection through the steady ripples in the water. Nico had trimmed her hair into a stylish, shaggy bob-cut that still suited her, and was reminiscent of her former hairstyle. She had hair sweeping across her forehead, giving her bangs, rather than her hair parted over to one side. It was certainly easier to distinguish her from 17 now.
It looked good. It was a courtesy Nico didn't have to give, but 18 certainly appreciated it. She almost regretted leaving the brats behind. "Alright, so if we have to fight Gohan and Cooler again, we're taking them down from the start. No more chances for them to make a comeback."
"I still think stealing that spaceship is our best bet," 17 said, arms crossed, and a scowl on his face.
"That was before you got fixed up. Now it's time to dish out some payback. Besides, if we kill the overgrown lizard, we can still steal his ship later."
"Or we could just move faster to the ship if we go now, without you having to drag me."
18 turned and met her brother's scowl. She wrinkled her nose and narrowed her eyes on him. "Since when do you want to run from a fight?"
"Since when do you want to find one?"
She shrugged, waiting for him to expand on that statement. "So, are you scared of fighting?"
"I'm just wondering why your pissed off. And before you give me shit, I'm still not a hundred percent, so going up against anyone like the Lizard King or Blondie is a fucking awful idea."
"Well boo fucking hoo. We can still take those bastards!"
"And the other Androids? We're going to risk going through that shit again when we could just make a run for it?"
18 was getting fed up with her brother's reluctance, and his attitude. "What the hell is your problem, 17?!"
"What's yours?"
"I'm pissed off, okay?! I want to hit something!"
17's scowl hardened. "And when you get pissed off, you don't think straight. The rational, careful 18 yesterday would have never considered this to be an option. So that means that you're really pissed off, and you need to kill something to think straight. And since I haven't pissed you off, that means you're really shaken by what that girl said."
"Shaken?!" 18 suddenly had an urge to hit her brother. Where did he get off suddenly throwing accusations at her all of a sudden? "I'm pissed off because she thinks she knows us! She thinks she has any right to judge us after everything we went through!"
He didn't believe her at all. He knew his sister well enough to know when she was making excuses, when she was lying. "Maybe you're not pissed about what she said." 18 would have just blasted Nico on the spot if that was the case. The issue was something more than just another person thinking they were monsters. "You're pissed off because you think she's right. You think we should turn ourselves in?!"
"What? No you idiot! We wouldn't have a chance in hell if we did that! We're not going to surrender to them and hope for mercy!" 18 tensed up as a spike of anger coursed sharply through every inch of her body. Her fingers went numb from how hard she was squeezing them into a furious fist. "We've never expected any better from them before we were killers."
17 understood then. She was wondering what life they could have lived if they hadn't destroyed most of the planet in an thoughtless, chaotic road to the end of the world. "You're just...having regrets." She didn't want to admit it. They never regretted their choices before, but they didn't realize that as far as destroying cities went, in for a penny, in for a pound. They had both known that sooner or later there would be nothing left to kill. It just never occurred to them that sooner or later, their actions would catch up to them. "There's nothing we can do about it now. And staying around to pick a fight when we already had a solid plan is my level of stupid. We can get off this rock. We can go anywhere we want sis. We could start over and be whoever we want. You know that, but you're still pissed off enough to go down swinging. If we just leave, all of these assholes will kill each other sooner or later, and we'll be on the other side of the universe."
She knew that. She knew that leaving was the best chance to start over, to make new lives for themselves. They could leave everything behind for good. They had the power to make it anywhere. But she was starting to feel guilty about their actions on the planet. 17 had stopped feeling guilty long ago. He thought 18 had too.
"Look, we both know there's...no way to start over here. Space is a big unknown, but if the space king is the strongest in the universe, I say we stand a pretty good chance out there."
She nodded. There only option was to run away, and to take the opportunity as soon as possible. They could choose how to live their lives this time. "Let's go find a spaceship then."
"Just making sure you knew what the smarter option was. Plus, I'll get to fly a freaking spaceship! Though I guess I regret not having the chance to punch that 13 asshole. He'll hold a special place in my heart for most obnoxious asshole."
"Well, maybe if we're lucky, we can punch his face in on the way out."
They walked into an ambush. Gohan and the others made it to their first outpost, which was a few miles outside of the ruins of an old city in the mountains, just a bit north of North City. When they went to investigate the ruins of the former settlement, they found the new trio of Androids when they jumped out from the empty buildings.
The lead Android, number 13, was quick to separate Gohan in a one-on-one brawl through the city streets. The other two Androids kept Trunks, Dore, and Neiz busy.
Neiz raced down the street, with the shorter Android 15 keeping pace with him across the other street. The Zaltian attempted to lose the Android several times, but 15 never lost track of his target. The game of cat and mouse finally ended when 15 used his superior speed to close the gap, and hover right in front of Neiz.
"Gotcha!" Neiz shot his hands out to grab at the purple skinned Android. 15 swiftly grabbed the soldier's wrists with a cocky smirk. The Android's smugness vanished when he realized Neiz was smiling back at him. "Point-Blank Shocker!" Neiz's body was suddenly enveloped in a pink, electrically charged power. The gathered energy moved through Neiz's arms, and latched directly onto 15.
The short Android sputtered and went rigid as the electric ki numbed every motor and sensor in his body. Neiz managed to break his wrists free from the paralyzed 15's grasp.
"Dore's...!" Above the battle, a burning green aura was coming down like a meteor. With both of his powerful fists put forward, Dore came down at shattering speeds on 15. The impact of his fists smashing into 15's back unleashed a booming thunderclap that echoed throughout the city. "COMET CRUSHER!" Android 15 went smashing through the city floor, lifting up the nearby buildings off of their foundation. The rupture brought down an entire city block's worth of buildings into collapsing piles of rubble around and in a newly formed crater.
Neiz turned his head as he heard blasts of energy going off nearby. "Come on! We've got to help the Saiyan brat."
Dore spat to the side with a cocky smile on his face as he looked at the results of his destructive handiwork. "Even if that purple shrimp is alive, that's gotta hurt him."
"Well just remember there's two more we gotta destroy," Neiz snapped. Dore nodded his head and followed his partner as the pair quickly shot off towards the sound of explosions nearby.
Trunks jumped back, dodging 14's strike as he threw another golden bomb at the large brute. He learned quickly that direct attacks didn't stop 14, so he hoped to wear him down with a series of run-and-hit tactics. It hadn't worked, but Trunks did manage to stay one step ahead of 14's attacks.
14 dove forward and reached out to grab the demi-Saiyan. Trunks ducked below 14's arm and pulled his arms back to charge a point-blank energy attack. 14 brought his head crashing down on Trunks before he could fire his attack off, and sent the lavender haired hero smashing through the side of a skyscraper.
He decided to end the minor pest off from the start, and launched a compressed green energy wave that went slicing through the lower half of the building. The tower started to collapse in on itself, likely to bury the child inside.
Trunks came blasting out, his roaring blue aura trailing in a streak behind him as he drove his fist straight for 14's face. The Android snatched the boy's hand out of the air without so much as a blink. Trunks scowled furiously as he poured more power into his arm, trying to push through 14, who had yet to make an effort.
A gigantic fist came crashing into Trunks' stomach, causing the boy to double over with a choked cry, before 14 threw him toward the ground. With the boy defenseless in the air, and holding a clean line of sight, 14 prepared another bladed energy wave to launch at Trunks. The edged wave of energy fired out and cut its way toward Trunks.
"Move, brat!" Dore shot across the clearing and lifted Trunks out of the way of the Android's strike. 14 scowled at the new annoyance and followed Dore's trail through the air.
"Neiz Slicer!" 14 turned around as the tall crimson alien threw its arms forward in a downward X formation, releasing two bladed energy strikes. He retaliated quickly, launching an energy blast up to stop Neiz's ambush.
Trunks saw their opening, quickly breaking himself out of Dore's grasp. "Hit him now!" The green skinned brute caught on quickly, charging a charge of power in his hand, causing sparks to burst out around his arm. "Masenko! HA!"
"Blitzing Blaster!" Both Trunks and Dore launched a pair of overwhelmingly charged waves of yellow energy.
The attacks moved too quickly for 14 to stop it when he turned to them. 14 tried to weather the storm by raising his arms up over his chest to block the cataclysmic attack. The combined blasted unleashed a devastating explosion that ripped out with enough force to break the surrounding buildings in half. When the smoke cleared, 14 was revealed to be undamaged from the twin attacks.
"Shit," Dore murmured.
Things turned even bleaker as Android 15 arrived next to his partner. There were only a few scuffs on his person, and his large green hat was gone, revealing the mechanical brain underneath a glass dome on the top half of his head.
"These punks got some fight in em, 14." The silent warrior said nothing as he stared directly at Dore and Trunks. "You don't think they got any tricks left, do you? If that's all they got I say we toy with them awhile. 13 is gonna wanna enjoy going one-on-one with Mister Gohan for awhile."
"I do not find sport in toying with our enemies. But there's still the Devil's Pair to hunt down later."
"Exactly. We can play with the small fry as a warm up."
Trunks, Dore, and Neiz prepared for a full assault from the pair of Androids. Their chances of survival were dropping fast. That didn't mean they were going to give up without a fight.
Gohan lured 13 into an abandoned building through a broken hole in the side of the wall. He turned halfway through and launched a golden energy bomb at the pursuing Android. 13 spun to the side to avoid the trap Gohan was trying to snare him in. The bomb hit behind 13, allowing him to gain distance on the explosion that brought the building down around them.
Both Gohan and 13 came blasting out of the skyscraper just before it collapsed behind them. 13 rushed Gohan swiftly to stop his endless dodging. The hero turned to meet the Android's attack, breaking out in a brawl with 13. Gohan moved to keep up with the highly advanced Android, trading and blocking blows equally. Though it did not bode well that 13 was simply smiling the during the entire exchange.
13 threw a sweeping kick for Gohan's midsection. The Saiyan hero blocked the attack, bracing his forearm to absorb the hit without giving in to the Android's attack. Gohan lashed out in retaliation, bringing his foot in an upward strike. His boot slammed hard into 13's chin, sending the Android flying upward through the air. Gohan sought to end the fight quickly, summoning Krillin's signature Destructo Disc hovering in his hand. He threw it straight and true, hoping to destroy Android 13 quickly.
Android 13 looked down to see the serrated attack flying towards him. He quickly stopped himself in the air and swung his arm sideways, chopping through the flat side of the Destructo Disc. The attack was spread through the air as brief, faint flickers of light. However, this left 13 open as Gohan came powering through, driving his fist into the redneck's jaw. The blow certainly hurt, but it didn't do nearly as much damage as Gohan wanted.
13 was quick to counter, throwing a spinning windmill kick at the hero. Gohan was gone long before the blow could connect with him. "C'mon city boy! Is that all ya got?!"
"Don't count on it." Gohan powered up with a golden aura exploding around him. His hair spiked upward and and turned the same golden shade as his power, unleashing his Super Saiyan form.
"Good," 13 grinned. "Now we can get this fight started for real!"
"After you."
13 rushed forward, and Gohan raced to meet him. The two warriors crashed into each other, breaking out in another, faster brawl together. Their blows collided against each other, causing echoing impacts bouncing off the buildings nearby. 13 was making an effort to keep up with Gohan as a Super Saiyan.
The skirmish was broken when Gohan pulled his head back from a haymaker 13 threw at him. Gohan narrowly avoided the heavy strike, and then quickly shot both legs up. His boots connected to 13's chin, throwing the Android into the outer wall of a building. Gohan moved in, his fist cocked back and aimed for 13's chest. He drove the punch forward, plowing 13 through the wall he was embedded in. They both pushed into the building as the wall collapsed.
13 launched a red energy blast that Gohan narrowly avoided. The Super Saiyan retaliated with a golden shot that his opponent dodged as well. The two continued to move and fire at each other, dodging and blasting each other's attacks out of the air. Golden and red blasts tore out every direction of the skyscraper, along with the occasional explosion from within the building itself. They finally took their battle outside when 13 finally booted Gohan out of a window.
Gohan quickly dodged 13's follow up strike, and spun around him, driving his knee into the back of the Android's head. 13 cried out as the blow nearly broke his neck. Gohan placed his hands out in front on 13's back, and blasted him straight towards the ground. The energy blast carried the Android straight through the roof of a smaller building, and upon impact with the ground itself, created an enormous explosion that left only a smoking crater in its wake.
Gohan could tell that 13 wasn't as powerful as 17 and 18 combined, nor was he as crafty or underhanded. In a one-on-one fight, Gohan could hold his own against one of the Devil's Pair, but he was so accustomed to being outnumbered and having his focus divided. Unfortunately for 13, he overestimated himself compared to what Gohan had been raised to battle.
13 rose up out of the smoking crater, his vest all but burned away, and scorch marks covering his body. The arrogant Android was no longer smiling. Gohan had finally damaged him and his pride. "I'm gonna take you apart slowly, boy."
"You'll have to do better than that if you want to have a chance." Gohan's ready challenge only made 13 even angrier.
"Then maybe I could have a shot?" The new voice echoed over the two warriors, and incited the same reaction. Fear.
Gohan turned around and saw a towering green monster standing on the ledge of a building overlooking the battle. He could sense its foul, twisted energy. He could sense the raw chill of death coming off the creature. A fear Gohan felt back when he faced Frieza as a child on Namek.
"I know Android 20 said you had your uses, but maybe you should leave the heavy lifting to me, 13?" Cell descended down on the same level across from Gohan and Android 13, hovering in the air with his arms crossed. "As for you, Gohan, it's a pleasure to finally meet the son of Goku."
He tightened his fists as he glared directly at the creature. He knew what it was. He remembered what Cell did. "You..." The people in Jingle Outpost. Launch. The countless others who fell victim to Cell's cruel appetite. "You're gonna pay..."
Cell laughed at the statement, even as he sensed Gohan's energy spike skyward on the rise. "Oh? I'd love to see you try and make me."
Gohan tightened his jaw, his muscles tensing as they surged with raw energy, fueled by the demi-Saiyan's rage. "Oh don't worry...I'll make sure you will!" The hero pulled on every raw, angry emotion he had building. His power boosted beyond his limits, his aura booming out with explosive force. Gohan's power rose up higher and higher until it finally hit a ceiling. The sudden stop almost caused Gohan's focus to snap then and there. But he held onto his new raw boost in power while it was at its peak, and he was going to use every last bit of it on Cell. "I'm going to make you bleed, monster."
Cell cackled as he raised his fists up. "You're more than welcome to try."
Gohan's golden aura gave another tremendous explosive boost as he charged towards Cell.
So...I'll admit to being guilty for sitting on this chapter for awhile. I finished it I think...a few weeks ago, just never got around to editing it ; That one is on me.
BUT hopefully it was worth the wait. I think so far this is probably one of my favorite chapters as far as writing went. I know some parts might feel...kinda rushed, but I wanted to get everyone into the chapter as much as possible. This is the longest (page-wise) chapter I've written for this story so far.
That being said, I'm hoping Nico's reasoning for offering the Devil's Pair a one-time offer made sense how I wrote it? I don't feel like I'm as good at writing points of morality as well as I think I am. But either way, 17 and 18's development serves the story for the greater good as far as the long run goes. Speaking of Androids with morality, yay more Android 3!
As for the random scene with King Chappa and his group, while random and brought up last minute, there are reasons for it. A, a good scene for Cell. B, to show that there was more than just the Resistance and the Fury Force trying to fight the good fight. C, power boost for Cell without him having to gobble up four cities while being chased by Piccolo and Tien like in the original series. So instead, one small pit-stop where a bunch of extra powerful humans are. As for Master Shen...well, he's not going to be relevant to this story anymore, but him surviving by running is to possibly save his character for a sequel...if I do decide in fact to make a sequel to this story (which is still up in the air, because I want to be 100% satisfied with my idea before committing to it). Frigid Future went through a LOT of ironing, as I've mentioned to a few of you, so any sequel stories would have to go through the same process. But for now, I'm focusing on finishing THIS story, so bear with me xD
As for the final scene, yeah, I kinda just threw Gohan and the others in the thick of it without any build up. But...I kinda hope there was enough kinda-sorta foreshadowing that it didn't just seem completely out of left field. And for those of you wondering, the next chapter is going to be action, action and holy crap-baskets, tons of action. So hopefully I can breeze straight through all of that quickly enough, because fight scenes are easy to write...for me at least.
Thank you for reading this far! As always, I appreciate it after eleven chapters of my madness! Eleven chapters with moar to come!