Author's Note: Wow. Time sure flies, eh? It's already been almost a year since I last updated this story. Honestly, I've mostly lost interest in Dragon Ball Z and thus this story. Nevertheless, I don't like leaving things unfinished. So, I'll keep going with this thing as long as I can for those of you out there that have taken the time out to read. Thanks, by the way. Anyway, enjoy! You all know me well; I can't promise when the next chapter will pop up, but stick around.

Chapter 26

Gohei let out a low, drawn out moan in response to the pain pounding through his aching skull. He felt like he had been run down by a truck and sitting up from a bed, he placed his hand on his temple.

"Huh? W-What's going on? How did I get here?"

His surroundings were unfamiliar to him, though at this point, he was more than a little accustomed to waking up in strange places.

"'Bout time you got up, kid," stated someone nearby. Gohei turned his head to see Kain standing against the wall next to him.

"...You," replied Gohei with a frown. "What'd I do to deserve seeing you the first thing after I wake up?"

Kain laughed. "Well, excuse me then. I get it though. You'd rather have your girlfriend greet you instead."

Blushing, Gohei answered, "T-Tyla is not my girlfriend!"

"Hmm? That's a rather specific denial there, don't you think?"

Gohei, becoming even redder, chucked his pillow at Kain to shut him up.

"Alright! Alright! Calm down there! I was just having a little fun with you! Anyway, if you've got that much energy, you must be alright. That's good. I was actually starting to get worried."

Gohei was ready to launch another pillow but lowered it upon suddenly remembering the reason he was out to begin with. "W-Wait! What happened with Doctor Miro and those robots he had?!"

"We got our asses handed to us, that's what." Kain crossed his arms and sighed. "Man, we're honestly lucky to even be alive. Ebony managed to get us here before those damn androids finished us off."

Gohei nodded. "Alright, but where is 'here' exactly?"

"Dende's Lookout." Kain garnered his explanation wasn't enough from the confused stare Gohei was giving him. "You'll see what I mean when you go out and take a look for yourself. Hope you aren't afraid of heights though."

"...I-I seriously have no idea what you're talking about, but...how long was I out for?"

"About a week. Damn, kid, you sure can sleep."

"A week. ...Yeah, that sounds like me alright."

Gohei climbed out of bed, yawned, and performed a much needed stretch of his limbs. The second he finished, he stomach growled loud enough to echo in the room.

"Looks like someone's hungry," said a grinning Kain.

"Y-Yeah, I...guess you could say that." Flustered, Gohei changed the subject. "I-Is everyone else okay? Is Tyla...?"

"Yeah, she's fine. She's outside with the others. She's been pretty worried about you, so if I were you, I'd go see her ASAP."

"R-Right..." Gohei was only half listening, paying far more heed to Ivory sleeping in the bed adjacent from his. "W-What happened to her? Did Miro's goons do that?"

"No. I don't know all the details, but those Artificial Humans or whatever they're called attacked this place while we were all down for the count. Ebony and Ivory had to fight 'em off. Ebony said something about her sister collapsing not long after that. Heh. Make sure you thank Ivory over there when she wakes up, got it?"

"O-Okay! I'll thank Ebony too! Uh...w-what are we gonna do now though?"

Kain shrugged. "You got me, kid. That's what everyone is trying to figure out. As much as I hate to admit it, we're toast if those robots show up again."

Hearing this, Gohei groaned. He knew Kain as being obnoxiously overconfident for the most part, yet if even he was having doubts about the situation, perhaps things really were dire.

Maybe we should ask Mr. Piccolo what to do. He's fought those Red Ribbon guys before...

"I never was good at coming up with plans. I left that kind of stuff to Sarai," Kain continued. "I'm more of a man of action!"

"...Like anyone would've asked you to come up with something anyway," said Gohei as he opened the door to the room and left.

"H-Huh?! What was that?! Hey, get back here, you little...!" Kain watched the entrance slam shut with a sour expression. "Dammit! That kid really does get on my nerves!" He moved his head back to Ivory and added, "...He's the least of our problems though."

#

"U-Ugh! I-I can't decide if my stomach or my head hurts worse!"

Shedding tears of anguish, Gohei shuffled down a corridor and clutched at his midsection. He couldn't recall another time where he was so famished, and the only thing he could think of was getting something to eat.

"T-There's gotta be a kitchen or something around here!"

At that moment, he let out a high-pitched shriek. His latest bout of suffering came around as a result of someone stepping on his brown tail. The act sapped what little strength he had, causing him to hit the ground face first.

"Oh, Gohei! I'm sorry! I didn't see you there!" said Tyla, peering from behind a tall stack of soiled dishes she held. "W-Wait a sec! Gohei?! You're awake!"

In her haste to embrace him, Tyla dropped all the plates, bowls, and silverware onto her friend, who could only scream in terror once again. A series of earsplitting crashes filled the area.

Gasping, Tyla said, "Ah! G-Gohei! I-I'm so sorry! I really didn't mean to...!"

"I-It's fine. I-I'm fine..." Gohei spat up a piece of fine china and questioned if getting out of bed today was truly the right decision. "W-What's with all this crap though?"

"E-Everyone just got finished eating, so I was running this stuff to the kitchen."

Gohei's pupils dilated. "...D-Did you just say eating?! As in food?! As in just now?!"

"Huh? Well, y-yeah! W-Were you hungry too or something? Hey, are you crying?!"

"N-No. Of...course not..." Gohei didn't even bother to hide the warm tears rolling down his cheeks. "T-There's just something in my eyes!"

Tyla bent down to him and smiled. "I saved you some if it makes you feel better."

Gohei, turning his frown upside down, had to stop himself from kissing her on the lips out of gratitude.

"H-Hey, wait a sec! When did that icky tail come back?!" she asked, lifting it up.

"D-Don't touch it!" said Gohei, hurriedly snatching it away. "It's sensitive! And...I-I dunno. It must've grown back while I was out cold."

"Well, cut it off! We don't need you turning into...!" Tyla stopped midsentence, much to Gohei's confusion. "Er...n-nevermind! Anyway, you really should chop that thing off!"

"Who cares about a stupid tail?! I just wanna eat already!"

"Uh...before that, we should probably tell the others you're alright! Come on!"

Grabbing his hand, she began to drag him somewhere he just knew wouldn't be the kitchen.

"...I-I just wanna get something to eat already!"

#

Sweat and punches soared through the air while Axel and Ebony went at each other with everything they had. After dodging another strike, Ebony retaliated with a kick aimed for Axel's head. He caught it in his hands however, visibly stunning her. He then tossed her away, but she returned the favor by launching an energy wave at him. Alarmed, he managed to extend his arms out in time to block it. It shoved him backward, threatening to overwhelm him even. At the last second, he shoved it over his head, where it harmlessly sailed off into the distance. The two combatants panted for air before grinning at the same time.

"You are faster than I imagined. Your movements are hard to follow," said Axel.

"Tsk. Like you're one to talk. Fighting you is really annoying," Ebony replied. "Don't you have any openings?"

"I try not to give my opponent any if I can help it."

"That so? Heh. I wouldn't get so high and mighty if I were you! I'll find something I can exploit!"

"Heh. I am certain you will. I suppose that means I will have to keep my guard up."

As their sparring session continued, Dende and Daigu observed the two intently.

"Perhaps my eyes are beginning to show their age. I'm having a hard time keeping track of their movements as well," said an amused Dende.

"Indeed. The two of them are quite impressive," said Daigu, gently whisking his fingers through his lengthy, white beard. "Still, a week's worth of training may not be enough for them to take on the Red Ribbon Army."

"Assuming they even have enough energy after all this to take them on," Dende joked. When an energy blast nearly struck him, he added, "...Perhaps we should stand back a bit farther. I may be God of Earth, but I'm not immortal."

He and Daigu were startled by a pair of voices permeating the air. Gohei and Tyla, exiting the inside of the Lookout, were arguing about something or another. They were so loud in fact that Axel and Ebony put their battle on hold to get a glimpse at what was going on.

"I told you, I wanna eat!" blared Gohei.

"And I told you to hold your horses!" Tyla snapped back. "Everyone's been worried sick about you, and all you can seem to think about is stuffing your face!"

"I've been asleep for a week! Did you think I'd be full or something?!"

"Oh, you're full of it alright!"

Gohei hastily plugged his ears. "Jeez! I just woke up! Can't you at least wait a couple of hours before trying to scream my head off like usual?!"

"Maybe I wouldn't have to 'scream your head off' if you didn't act like such a brat all the time!"

Ebony shook her head. "Tsk. There go the husband and wife again."

Axel replied, "Yes, they are quite a pair. Watching them almost makes me forget there is a crisis happening on Earth right now."

"...It times like these when I wish Namekians didn't have such sensitive hearing," said a grimacing Dende.

Gohei and Tyla ceased their shouting match once they noticed the others gazing at them.

"Uh...h-hi, everyone!" said Gohei awkwardly. He became totally rigid when Dende abruptly walked over to him and began glowering down on him. "Er...hi there…"

"You..." Dende began.

"Y-Yes? D-Did I do something wrong?"

Dende shook his head. "...No. Piccolo was right though. You really do resemble him."

With those cryptic words, the Namekian stepped away.

"W-Wait! Look like who?! And who are you, gramps?!"

"It would be wise not to speak to the God of Earth in such a rude manner, Gohei," scolded Daigu.

Gohei's skull began to throb again. "'G-God of Earth?!' That guy?! Dammit, nothing's making sense today!"

His stomach angrily roared for a third instance, reminding him he still hadn't gotten anything to dine on.

"You woke up at an opportune time, Gohei," said Daigu. "You can join Axel and Ebony in their training."

"'Training?'"

Gohei's eyeballs almost popped out of their sockets at the ongoing battle between the aforementioned individuals. This mostly had to do with him witnessing Ebony half near break Axel's jaw with a fierce right hook. Reeling backward, he wiped a trail of blood from the afflicted area.

"What's the matter? Giving up?" Ebony asked him. Confidence swelled in her words.

"...Although I am not fond of fighting against women, I must admit that you are beginning to strike a nerve with me," Axel answered, his eyelid twitching.

"Ha! Looks like I can get underneath your skin if I try hard enough!"

With annoyance coating his visage, Axel charged in wordlessly. He then loosed a blinding series of punches and kicks at Ebony, who wasn't smirking anymore. Neither was Gohei.

"'T-Training?!' That doesn't look like training to me!" he hollered as he pointed a trembling finger at his friends. "I-I'm liable to be killed if I try to get in between them!"

"You crazy? That looks like fun to me!" said Kain, who was sitting next to Gohei, making the latter jump in fright.

"W-Where in the world did you come from?!"

"Hmm? Well, I was gonna take a nap back there, but all that yapping you and your girlfriend were doing kept me up, so I decided to see what was going on out here."

"I-I already told you! She's not my girlfriend!"

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say." Kain waved him off, keeping his eyes glued to the action. "Damn! They're really going at it! Maybe I should jump in!"

"He really is out of his mind," said Gohei out of earshot.

"At this rate, they're going to kill each other before those Artificial Humans do!" exclaimed Tyla. "Shouldn't we stop them?!"

"It's not a problem. If worse comes to worse, I can heal them," said Dende casually.

"Yeah, forget about that. Isn't someone missing here?" inquired Gohei.

Before he could get an answer, an energy blast narrowly missed frying him to a crisp.

"W-What the...?! W-Watch where you're aiming those things!"

"My bad!" said Ebony. "All of you better get the hell out of the way though! I can't promise I really won't charbroil you next time!"

Axel used the fact that Ebony's attention was elsewhere to his advantage by attempting to kick her head clean off. She realized what was happening at the last second and ducked.

"Bastard!" she cried, forming a ball of Ki in her fingertips. She unleashed it at close range, but Axel batted it aside easily. "Hey, what's the big idea?! I wasn't even ready!"

"Remember, Ebony, distractions can happen at any time in the heat of battle. It's how you react to them that can determine the difference between winning and losing," explained Daigu. "Axel clearly understands this well."

Ebony began to steam like a vegetable. "W-Whatever! It won't happen...!"

Axel went on the attack again, this time landing a knee into her stomach. She tried her best to ignore her pain and answered with a mighty headbutt. Axel's neck lurched back, yet the blow wasn't enough to take him down. He came in with a twisting kick, one that Ebony was able to block. Nevertheless, Axel didn't give in, using his leg to gradually push her backward.

"Y-You really are pushy, aren't you?!" complained Ebony. "Tsk! Like I'm…!"

Without warning, Axel transformed into a Super Saiyan. The extra burst of strength that came along with the power-up allowed him to outmuscle his opponent and send her sailing toward the ground. Everyone else cringed while she hit it with a deafening thud.

"You know what? I don't wanna join in anymore," said Kain, gulping.

Axel landed a good distance away from his foe. He knew his last shot wasn't enough to keep Ebony down, so he waited for her to get on her feet again. However, when she did, she irately marched up to him and shoved her nose into his.

"W-What's the big idea, pal?!" she hollered.

Axel glanced about nervously. "I-I am not sure what you mean..."

"Oh, you know damn well what I mean! That gold-hair bullshit! That cheating!"

"Ah! That's who's missing! Where's Mr. Piccolo, guys? I don't..."

Kain interrupted Gohei. "Ha! Looks like someone's a sore loser!"

"What was that?!" Ebony shot back. "You better pipe down over there unless you want me to shove your teeth down your throat!"

Mr. Popo, who was watering flowers in the distance, glanced up from his work and stated, "Remember to keep that temper of yours under control, Ebony."

"Yeah, I know! Calm as the sky, and fast as the lightning! I'm totally calm over here!"

Mr. Popo chuckled before moving onto a row of daisies.

"Quit ignoring me!" cried Gohei. "I wanna know where Mr. Piccolo is!"

"I don't care what these guys say! That's cheating and you know it!" said Ebony. She then jabbed her finger into Axel's chest a few times. "How do you even do that anyway?"

Axel, returning to normal, responded, "My apologizes. I am not good at holding back, and I never said I would not become a Super Saiyan, so I say it is fair. Distractions are not the only thing one must prepare for on the battlefield. You must also consider the fact your opponent will have abilities and techniques you have never seen before. Complaining about them will not help you one bit; you must learn to adapt."

"Well, that is true!" said Tyla.

"Aw, come on! She's just whining!" chimed Kain. "Crybaby!"

"I am not whining!" declared Ebony, crossing her arms and pouting her lips. "And that is so cheating!"

Axel could only laugh at her behavior at this point.

"GOD DAMMIT! ARE YOU GUYS DEAF OR WHAT?! I'M ASKING YOU IDIOTS WHERE MR. PICCOLO IS!"

Gohei sudden proclamation certainly did the trick, silencing everyone and attracting their attention. Embarrassed, he scratched at his face and then cleared his throat.

"W-What I mean to say is I haven't seen him around, so I was wondering if one of you guys knew where he was," he explained in a much softer tone.

The question prompted the others to peer at one another uncomfortably. It was clear to Gohei none of them craved to say anything, preferring he drop the subject entirely. He wasn't going to take silence for an answer though.

"...I was...uh...gonna tell you when you woke up, but I...uh...guess I forgot," mumbled Kain.

"Huh? Forgot what? What were you gonna tell me?"

"We were gonna tell you, honest! We just...didn't know how without upsetting you!" said Tyla.

"Tell me what?! Did something happen to Mr. Piccolo?!"

"...As we speak, Piccolo is in the clutches of Doctor Miro," said Dende just then. "We...cannot say for sure if he is alive or dead. I have been unable to sense his Ki for quite some time now."

Gohei allowed this development to swirl around his mind for a moment, yet processing it remained a problem. "W-What are you saying...?! M-Mr. Piccolo would never let himself be captured like that! I-I mean...!"

"Gohei, it's true," said Tyla gently. "H-He's really gone."

"It's...my fault, kid," stated Ebony. "He...told me to take you guys and come here while he held off those androids. I wanted to help him, but he told me to just go. Look, if you wanna blame somebody, go ahead and blame me!"

"W-Who cares about how it happened?! Shouldn't we be going after him instead?!" Thoroughly riled up, Gohei couldn't believe everyone was standing around and wasting time like this when their friend needed them. "Come on! Let's go!"

"Calm yourself, Gohei," Axel warned.

"H-How can you expect me to be calm in a situation like this?! This is Doctor Miro we're talking about here! Who knows what he'll do to Mr. Piccolo?!"

"You heard Axel! Put a sock in it already!" snapped Kain. "We've already had this discussion while you were counting sheep! You don't think we care about that green bastard?! Just because we're standing around doesn't mean we've given up on him!"

"T-Then why...?!"

"That is enough, Gohei." Daigu slammed his walking stick into the ground in a fashion that made the boy zip his lips post haste. Despite his tone being quite calm and reserved, Gohei could tell the Ryu Jin'ei master wasn't fooling around. "Both Axel and Kain are right. Piccolo would be most disappointed if he saw how you were acting."

Dende sighed. "Why are young people always so rash? Look, Gohei, none of us like what's happened either, but jumping headfirst into your grave to go after Piccolo isn't going to help anyone! He isn't worth all of you dying over, nor would he want you all to put your lives on the line to come rescue him! What you all really need to focus on is the fact that Doctor Miro and the Red Ribbon Army will be back at some point to try to take the Dragon Balls in your possession."

Gohei growled and replied, "E-Even so, how can you all be so cruel?! Piccolo is our friend! If one of us was captured by Miro, I'd bet he'd come and rescue us in a heartbeat!"

"Then you don't know Piccolo as well as you think you do," stated Dende harshly. "He would never do something as foolhardy as that."

Gohei was left at a loss for words.

"God dammit, you little punk!" Kain lifted Gohei up by the shirt and pulled him close. "Unless your scrawny ass can become a Super Saiyan too, you should sit back, shut up, and listen to the grown ups for a change! I just told you we haven't given up on Piccolo yet! All everyone else is trying to say is we can't just go waltzing into Miro's base without a plan! We'll get slaughtered! Understand?!"

Gohei, taking a moment to calm himself, nodded his head. Kain trusted in this reply enough to lower him but not enough to take his eyes off the boy.

"You okay, Gohei?" Tyla asked, concerned.

"Y-Yeah. I'll live..."

"Well, since we're talking about this anyway..." Ebony began. "...We might as well decide what to do once and for all. It don't feel right letting that creep Miro make the first move."

"Agreed. The longer we wait, the more time he has to cook up something sinister," said Axel.

Kain slammed his fist into his other palm, stating, "What I wouldn't give to break that asshole's nose in!"

"Any move we make is risky though. It's all over if it gets the other four Dragon Balls," said Dende. "That's what's likely to happen even if you all did attempt something. If it weren't for those Artificial Humans of his..."

The conundrum of doing something or nothing was beginning to drive Gohei mad. This frustration got his creative juices flowing, and before long, an idea came to him.

"Say, we're just worried about Miro getting our Dragon Balls, right?" he asked. The others basically agreed this was the issue at hand. "What if we just left them here at the Lookout while we go and get Mr. Piccolo back?"

"A sound plan in theory," retorted Dende. "Of course, Miro could be expecting this. In fact, he's likely counting on it. If so, he'll likely attempt to steal the Dragon Balls while you're all away."

"O-Oh yeah. I...didn't think of that." Gohei, a bit discouraged, wasn't ready to give up just yet. "Okay! How about we just leave some people here to guard the balls then? Then the other group can go and attack Miro!"

"Can we afford to divide our strength like that?" speculated Axel. "Remember, we were not able to defeat Miro's Artificial Humans even with all of us there last time."

Groaning, Gohei said, "Ugh! W-What are we supposed to do then?!"

"Actually, I think there's a way we can make your idea work!" exclaimed Tyla abruptly.

"Huh? You got a plan?"

She nodded. "Let's just say I think we should go ahead and call Miro's bluff!"

Ebony turned her head, puzzled. "Okay, I'm seriously lost here. Even so, whatever you've got cooking in the head of yours is better than anything I can think of."

"Isn't your brain like...half robotic?" inquired Kain. "You should be coming up with plans left and right!"

"Oh, be quiet already!"

"Quickly, Tyla. I believe time is of the essence. Tell us what you're thinking," said Daigu.

"Yes, there is no telling when the Red Ribbon Army will strike again," added Dende.

Tyla nodded. "Okay! Well..."

#

Doctor Miro wondered if perhaps now was the time to make his move. As he stared down at the three Dragon Balls he spent untold resources to track down, he sincerely felt it should have been more. In fact, he felt he should have already made his wish with the Eternal Dragon the magic balls housed. The fact that he hadn't, and the source of all his current troubles, were thanks to the fools who had the rest of the Dragon Balls. Indeed, if it weren't for them, he and the Red Ribbon Army would be reigning supreme across the globe. Though he considered himself and his army far superior, his enemies had four Dragon Balls, whereas he only possessed three. This needed to change.

"Patience. That's all I need. Just a bit more patience," he said to himself as he continued to work on something from within his laboratory. It was something that would turn the tide in his favor, something that would make all his dreams come true once and for all. "I will succeed where Doctor Gero and so many others failed, mark my words!"

The door leading into the lab creaked up, with footsteps trailing behind. The noise broke Miro both from his thoughts and his work, and with a look of irritation, he turned around to see who dared have the audacity to disturb him. Artificial Humans 21, 22, and 24 stood before him, all seeming agitated.

"...What?" said Miro bitterly.

"We're...sorry to disturb you, Doctor, but..." 21 started.

"Tsk! I ain't!" bellowed 22. His remark earned him a sharp glare from 21. "Just what in tha hell do you think you're doin' holed up in here, bastard?!"

"How dare you talk to our creator like that, 22!"

"How 'bout you mind your own business over there! I'm talkin' to him!"

"Would you like to repeat that, you malfunctioning piece of...!"

The hulking 24 got in between his fellow androids before things escalated. Miro shook his head at their conduct in exasperation.

"Well, it's nice to see you all are getting along," he said, not even bothering to hide his sarcasm. "Did you three want something, or do you just get your kicks from getting on my nerves?"

"O-Of course, Doctor!" 21 hurried to get to the point. "We were simply wondering..."

"Enough of this bullshit! Standin' around and doin' nothin' is fuckin' borin'!" proclaimed 22. "We were built for action, right?! Then order us to go kill those good for nothin' punks from before! I wanna break some heads already!"

Out of the blue, Miro began to laugh like a funny joke had been told. 21 sensed this as a sign she and the others had crossed a line, whereas 22 became even more irritable.

"I suppose you have a point there, 22," Miro said after getting all his chortles out. "I certainly did construct you three for combat. It would be a shame then to waste the resources spent creating you all by having you remain here in the lab."

21 saw her chance and said, "O-On that note, give us another opportunity to destroy those humans and retrieve their Dragon Balls! We will not fail you again, Doctor!"

24 nodded his head in agreement.

"The three of you needn't expend your energy going after those fools. You see, I have a feeling my Dragon Balls are going to come and deliver themselves."

The Artificial Humans saw his words as prophetic when an alarm sounded off throughout the lab.

"An intruder?!" said 22. "Impossible! Those losers couldn't have possibly...!"

"I see now." A sinister smile wrapped its way around 21's lips. "You knew those humans would come here given enough time, Doctor. That's why you didn't bother to move your lair to another location once they stumbled upon this place the last time."

"Heh! That so? I don't give a shit about the details so long as I can fight! 24, let's go!"

24 followed after 22, and they soon disappeared to deal with their guests. 21 prepared to do the same but stopped when Miro called out to her.

"Wait. Those two can handle things here. I have a 'special' assignment for you."

#

The sounds of people running across metallic flooring intertwined with the flashing red lights and ear grating siren swelling a certain corridor. Axel, Gohei, Tyla, and Ebony ignored these distractions and turned corner after corner inside Miro's secret laboratory. The locale was a bewildering maze to them however, slowing them down greatly.

"Looks like they're onto us!" said Ebony.

"A-Are you serious?! There's no way they wouldn't have realized we're here after you guys practically burned down the forest to find this place!" cried Tyla.

"You're just being dramatic! We only torched a quarter of it tops!" argued Gohei.

"T-That isn't the issue here!"

"Hey, this was your idea, so quit with the yapping!" Ebony told her.

"Excuse me?! I never said anything about blowing up half the area! Besides, I said we should try to get in here quietly!"

"Sorry, Tyla, but that was out of the question. After those dozen or so guard robots outside spotted us, blasting our way in here seemed to be the only option," stated Axel.

Tyla knew he had a point. "W-Well, even so...!"

"Jeez, how do you deal with her every day?!" Ebony asked Gohei.

"I just drown her out for the most part," he replied. "We don't have time for this though! Let's just figure out where the Dragon Balls and Mr. Piccolo are, alright?!"

Axel checked his Dragon Radar. "It appears they are not too far from here! If we keep going in our current direction, we should reach them soon. Hopefully, Piccolo will be nearby!"

Ebony said, "Sounds good! Let's grab those guys and get the hell outta here! We can give Miro and the Red Ribbon Army the ass beating they deserve after we've used the Dragon Balls! Maybe we can use them to turn him into a guinea pig or something..."

In spite of the others having no complaints, any ideas of putting her idea to action were put to rest when the doorway in front of them was blown open suddenly. The billowing smoke made the four cough. Meanwhile, Tyla could hear the distinct sound of snickering coming from within the miasma.

"W-What in the world is going on now?"

She got her answer in the form of Artificial Humans 22 and 24 stepping out into the open.

"Dammit! Like I really wanted to see your ugly mug so soon!" said Ebony to 22.

"Yeah, I thought we'd at least run into some more of those weaker robots first!" remarked Gohei.

"It appears we will have to deal with the big fishes right off the bat," added Axel.

"Heh! You four lost or somethin'?!" said 22. "If so, don't worry! I'll show ya the way...the way straight into your graves!"

"I'm sick of hearing this jerk talk already!" declared Ebony. She got into a fighting stance and added, "Guess we'll have to give the Red Ribbon that ass beating right now!"

"That so? Ya know, you're pretty funny for an outdated model!"

"Oh yeah?! Then it's going to be really funny when this 'outdated model' gets through turning you and your fancy, new parts into scrap!"

"Uh...yeah! Okay! We'll just uh...let you two have at it then!" mumbled Gohei. When he attempted to sneak past everyone, he crashed head first into something hard and metal. "Ouch! D-Didn't even see that wall there..."

The 'wall' began to stare down at him. It was then Gohei noted this 'wall' looked an awful lot like Artificial Human 24.

"Give me the Dragon Balls," the android said in a monotonous voice, holding out his hand.

"Uh...I'm all out actually! S-Sorry?"

Gohei determined 24 didn't take 'sorry' for an answer once the machine snatched him up by his tanktop.

"What are you doing, Gohei?! Get outta there!" screamed Tyla.

"T-Trying!" he informed her, squirming about.

"Leave it to me!" stated Axel before he flew toward 24 and nailed the android upside the head with a kick. The blow did little to slow his target down. Axel's eyes enlarged when 24 grabbed his leg.

"Oh no you don't, you big palooka!" exclaimed Gohei. He fired off a point-blank Masenko that forced 24 to release him and Axel. Even so, the blast, like Axel's kick, didn't so much as scratch the android. "Man! W-What does Miro make these guys out of?!"

"The Dragon Balls," repeated 24. "Give them to me."

"This guy sure has a one track mind!" said Tyla.

"I really hate persistent jerks like that!" barked Ebony.

"Hey, 24, try not to kill these guys too fast, alright?!" said 22, licking his lips. "I wanna have a little fun with them before stealing their Dragon Balls!"

Ebony stated, "Trust me, pal! We're the only ones that are gonna be stealing Dragon Balls around here!"

"Huh? You're meanin' to tell me that's why you idiots came here?! Hahahaha! God, I never imagined humans were so stupid!"

"Enough of this," said Axel, getting to his feet. "Talk is worthless against foes such as these! There is only one thing they will listen to!"

Golden light momentarily flashed through the corridor as he transformed into a Super Saiyan.

"That's more like it!" yelled 22. "Let's do this!"

#

It took some time, but Artificial Human 21 managed to arrive at Dende's Lookout without incident. She placed her hands on her hips and stared back at two people glaring in her vicinity.

"What's this now? I didn't think anyone would actually come out to greet me," she said playfully. "I certainly hope you're here to give me the Dragon Balls as well."

"...Even if you are a mere machine, you have a lot of nerve disturbing this sacred place once more with your presence," said Dende unflinchingly.

"Is that so, old man? How unfortunate then that I give no care about your opinion. I'm simply here for the Dragon Balls. Don't try lying and saying they aren't here any longer either. You can't fool my Dragon Radar."

"Is that so? Perhaps you've noticed something odd then," said Mr. Popo.

21 raised an eyebrow at his claim though soon figured out what he was getting at by checking her radar once more. "What?! Impossible! Some of them are gone, three to be exact! But when...?!"

Dende smiled. "It would seem even machines can make errors, Mr. Popo."

"Hmph. I see no logic in you getting so pleased with yourselves. Even if some of the fools that were here took the Dragon Balls and left, it seems they've done nothing more than bring them right to my creator! Honestly, I'm quite astonished by their stupidity! It's fine though. It saves me the trouble of having to hunt them down after this. There's one Dragon Ball left here, correct? I don't know what you imbeciles were planning by leaving it here on its lonesome, but I'll gladly take it from you!"

"...Don't think it'll be that easy. I'll only warn you only once, Artificial Human: leave this place and never return! Either that or forfeit your existence. It's that simple."

The 'threat' induced laughter out of the android. "Perhaps you're going senile in your advanced age. Just who exactly am I supposed to be afraid of?"

A voice abruptly declared, "That would be me, sweet cheeks!"

Kain strolled past Dende and Mr. Popo prior to winking at 21 suggestively.

"You..." she muttered.

"So, you remember me then?" replied Kain. "I'm flattered! I remember you too! I've still gotta pay you back for knocking out my filling, girl! The least you could do is pay for my dentist bill, you know? That kind of stuff is expensive!"

21 rolled her eyes. "Your prattling is torture to my circuits."

"Well, that's certainly a new one. Most women just tell me I'm irritating."

Rolling her eyes a second time, 21 carefully surveyed the area. "...I see. You're the only one left here."

"That's right! Axel offered to stay, but I know he has trouble fighting against the ladies, so I volunteered to take his place! You should feel fortunate! If anyone knows how to show a woman a good time, it's me!"

"...Are you suggesting you knew this would happen? You knew me specifically would come here and come here alone?"

Kain, trying to loosen himself up, started hopping around and throwing punches at the air. "Eh...calling it intuition, sweetheart. Maybe I should say woman's intuition? Tyla figured you punks would try something like this, so she had us divide the Dragon Balls amongst ourselves in the hope you guys would split up trying to steal them all at once! She's pretty clever, huh?"

21 didn't respond.

"I trust I can leave this to you, Kain?" asked Dende.

"Of course! You worry too much, old timer! Just head back in and rest before you break your hip or something!"

"...You know, you're still talking to God, you know. Come, Mr. Popo."

The two retired inside without so much as a glance backward.

"Guess that's enough messing around then!" said Kain. He leered straight into 21's eyes and asked, "You're rather quiet now! You nervous?"

"...No. I was just thinking about how you referred to your friend's little plan as 'clever.' It might've been if it weren't for one fatal flaw: them choosing you as the one that stayed behind."

In the blink of an eye, she completely disappeared from sight. Kain, now one hundred percent serious, got on guard.

"Shit. Me and my big mouth..."

A blow drilled him in the back of the head, and by the time he noticed, he had already been sent sailing into the side of Dende's already ruined home. The God of Earth palmed his hand across his face.

"I find it remarkable these people can desecrate a sacred place such as this again and again without batting an eyelash."

"I'll have the place fixed up in no time after all this, Dende," Mr. Popo assured him.

Though struggling to do so, Dende took some solace in these words.

"Okay, where the hell did that last attack come from?!" asked Kain, springing to his feet. Blood leaked out of a freshly opened wound on his skull, but he paid this little heed. "Agh! I hate it when women play hard to get!"

He became swallowed by purple light before whipping his head up to see a rain of purple energy waves heading for him. They made impact, destroying everything in their path.

"Is he already dead? Tsk. What a complete waste of time," said 21 afterward. Her sensors then detected something in the smoke ahead. "What is...?"

A Ryunaru-cloaked Kain soared into the open at breakneck speed and then thrust his knuckles right into 21's cheek.

"...Why are humans so stupid?"

Kain, gulping, noticed she seemed more perturbed than hurt. With a simple knee strike, she nearly broke him in two. Blood spluttered out his mouth, and the aura of orange Ki around him dissipated at once. Before he hit the ground, she caught him by the arm.

"Well, playboy, do you still think you can handle me?"

Forcing his blood-stained lips into a smile, Kain answered, "...All night!"

He wasn't sure his comeback was worth it after 21 knocked him across the sky with an energy blast. As his smoking form writhed on the ground, she walked over to him, seemingly trying to decide what to do with her prey. She settled on grinding her foot on his face, which allowed her to enjoy his cries of agony.

"And you seriously deluded yourself into thinking this wasn't going to happen. It was logic, yet you still challenged me. Stupid human. Can't you at least do that trick your friend can do and make your hair blonde?" She devilishly smirked and added, "Then again, I suppose your hair is already that color."

Kain placed his hand on her leg just then. "I-I may not be a Super Saiyan like Axel, but...I'm still more than good enough to turn your ass into junkyard fodder, honey!"

"Tsk!" 21 leaped away from a Ryuho that would have done some serious damage had it come just a bit closer; her singed bangs were a good indication of that. "Maybe you aren't all talk!"

Kain struggled to his feet. "I-I told you! I can go all night!"

Cloaking his right arm with orange Ki, he grinned and employed high-speed movement to close the distance between him and his foe. 21 tried to block it, yet Kain's uppercut broke through, landing right on her chin.

"Cho Ryu Upper!"

The moment was more than a little surreal to Artificial Human 21. Somehow, an inferior opponent had managed to knock her off her feet. Although she managed to break her fall, the damage had been done. If Doctor Miro had programmed the human emotion known as pride into her mainframe, she was without a doubt feeling the effects of an injured one.

"W-Why you...!"

"How long are you gonna force me to mess up that pretty face of yours?" Kain again winked. "Just give up! I'll even take you out on a date if you do! Even though you're a robot, I don't discriminate!"

"Fool! You aren't the only one that can go 'all night!' I'm an Artificial Human! I'll never run out of energy, while you'll do nothing more than exhaust yourself in a futile effort to defeat me! If anyone should be giving up, it should be you, human!"

Kain shrugged. "Looks like I managed to push some of your buttons! I wonder if I can find one that'll get you to shut that mouth of yours!"

Pushing some bangs aside that were blocking her vision, 21 felt her patience diminishing by the second. "...Why couldn't the Doctor have saddled an ingrate like 22 with a bothersome job like this?"

"You fallin' asleep over there? If you're that bored, then watch me carefully! I'll show you something real nice!"

21 only gave Kain her full and undivided attention after he used the Ryukage technique to make four copies of himself.

"An interesting trick," she stated as they took up positions around her.

"Glad you like it," the Kains replied. "Because it's gonna be the last one you ever see!"

Her opponents hoped to overwhelm her by attacking all at once. Nonetheless, 21 had little trouble fending them off.

"Indeed. It is a nice trick," she said. "However, it's pointless if you have to divide your energy amongst the duplicates to do it. You're already weak enough as it is."

She swatted the clones aside like flies in different directions and then fired off an energy wave at who she determined was the real Kain.

"God dammit!" he hollered, bracing himself. The violet Ki hit him straight on, although he did manage to keep it from inflicting a fatal blow. Considering the amount of pain he was presently in, he took little solace in this. "D-Does anything work on this chick?! Sheesh! I really can't stand stubborn women!"

His eyes broadened upon seeing 21 about to drive her fist down on him. Letting out a shrill scream, he rolled out of the way, letting the spot he rested be destroyed in his stead. She went after him again, yet he used a handspring to get up and then avoid her blows.

"B-Back off already!" he cried, distancing himself from her.

"Do you really think you can run?!" she responded, making chase.

"You wouldn't be the first crazy chick I've tried to get away from!"

21, gritting her teeth at the remark, disappeared ahead of reappearing behind him. At the last second, Kain realized what was going on and flipped around to block a punch that likely would have rearranged his skull. Even with both arms though, 21 began to overpower him, pushing him further and further toward the ground.

"M-My back!" Kain voiced. "Q-Quit it already! I have a bad back!"

21 smirked. "Is that so? Allow me to put you out of your misery then!"

She gathered Ki into her other hand, enveloping the area in deep violet. Kain reacted on both instinct and fear at the sight of this and drove his head into 21's in the hope of stopping her. Unfortunately, the sole thing he managed to do was give himself a migraine.

"A-Agh! W-Why did I think that was a good idea?!"

21 raised an eyebrow. "You really are an imbecile, aren't you?"

Kain uttered a curse when she turned her energy blast at him and readied to blow him into oblivion. However, a yellow disk of Ki whizzed past the two, chopping off 21's hand in the process. Both she and Kain watched her limb roll across the ground in stunned silence.

"S-Step away from him if you know what's good for you!" declared a timid yet determined voice in the distance. Kain recognized it straight away as Ivory's. "I-I'd rather not have to fight you, but don't think for a second I won't if you continue to try to harm my friend!"

"...So, the outdated model shows its face at last," said 21. Despite her speech, Kain could tell she was pleased with this turn of events. "I have a bit of a score to settle with you."

"'A score?' I'm...not sure what you mean! Please, just leave this place!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that. I have my orders. Now then..."

Kain interrupted the discussion by driving his foot into 21's face, sending her flying. He followed this up with an enormous Ryuho that prompted Ivory to brace herself.

"O-Oh my!"

Gasping, Kain shouted, "Take that, bitch! M-My back though...!"

Ivory ran over to him, asking, "Kain, are you alright?!"

"O-Of course!" he replied. He quickly straightened up and gave her a thumbs up. "L-Like I could be beaten by the likes of that android! H-Hahaha..."

"That's good! I-I apologize for resting so long! You know, I don't even remember going to sleep to begin with!"

"It's fine. I'm just glad you got up when you did! Thanks for the save!"

Pointing forward, Ivory replied, "Looks like you shouldn't thank me just yet."

Kain got what she meant when he saw 21 alive and well. The Artificial Human lowered the black barrier around her while she landed on the ground.

"Nice try though," she told Kain. "Still, this works out in my favor. Now that all you vermin are done hiding in your hole, I can dispose of you properly."

Kain rubbed the back of his head. "Man, and here I'd thought she'd give up considering she's missing a hand. Oh well. Ivory, I don't mean to interrupt your beauty sleep, but could you give help me out here?"

"Of course! I-I'm a little confused at what's going on though," she admitted with a slight hint of embarrassment.

"One hand is more than enough to rid myself of you two once and for all!" shouted 21.

#

"H-Hey, hey! D-Do we have to resort to violence like this?!"

Gohei's comment fell on deaf ears as Artificial Human 24 thrust one of his massive arms. Tyla hastily pulled him out of the way, and the two grimaced at 24's fist completely destroying a steel wall. His head slowly rotated their way, freaking them out even more.

"W-What's with this guy?!" asked Tyla. "H-He won't stop coming after us!"

"The Dragon Balls...give them to him." 24 began walking toward them, making the room quake with each step. "Resistance is futile."

Gohei and Tyla could hardly argue; neither was all too interested in taking the Artificial Human on. Rather, they backed away from him, each trying to think a way out of their predicament.

Super Saiyan Axel suddenly entered the fray, shoving his shoulder into 24 and sending him crashing into a nearby wall.

"Are you two alright?!" he hurriedly asked.

"Y-Yeah! Thanks for the…!"

Gohei, nearly biting his tongue, was cut off by Artificial Human 22 catching Axel off guard with a left hook. The Super Saiyan was launched into the distance not far off from where 24 ended up.

"You punk! You just got lucky earlier with that last shot!" 22 snarled at his fallen foe. He then leered at Gohei and Tyla, who held their breaths. "What are you small fry lookin' at?! You want some of this too?!"

They were quick to shake their heads.

"Hey, punk! Leave them alone!" blared Ebony in the distance. "Pick on someone your own size for once!"

"My own size, eh?! You talk like yer even worth my time, bitch!"

The two, staring one another down hard enough to kill, vanished on spur of the moment. They then came back into sight high above Gohei and Tyla, attacking with reckless abandon.

"M-Man, just look at them go..." muttered an awed Gohei.

"Do you...ever feel like we're sorta...out-of-place at times like this?" asked Tyla. Gohei grumbled, unable to argue her point. "Uh...I say we just leave this to Axel and Ebony while we go find the Dragon Balls! We can track down Piccolo while we're at it. We'll probably just get in their way if we stay here anyway."

Raising his finger to speak, Gohei paused after a green energy wave flew over his and Tyla's heads.

"Ha! You missed, you worthless piece of junk!" they heard Ebony proclaim.

Grabbing his friend's arm, Gohei pulled her along with him and said, "I-I think that's a good idea, Tyla! Let's go!"

The two dashing into a close-by hallway caught 22's attention. "And just where do you think you no-counts are goin'?!"

Ebony flew in front of him, barring his path with her body. She then socked him across the mouth. The blow, while powerful, wasn't enough to knock the Artificial Human out for the count. Rather, it increased his already billowing rage, it now bubbling like lava in an active volcano.

"You're fighting me, jackass! Remember?!" stated Ebony. "I can't have you fleeing with your tail between your legs!"

"Tsk! You just signed your death sentence, you outdated piece of shit!"

The clamor from their blows, which sounded similar to car crashes, awoke Axel from his short nap.

"Hmm? Oh, my aching head! I have not been hit that hard in some time..."

His misery solely increased; 22 slammed into him out of the blue, having been whacked out of the air by another of Ebony's unrelenting blows.

"S-Shit! That little…!" 22 punched the ground in frustration, leaving a sizable dent. "She's really gettin' on my fuckin' nerves now!"

"Y-Yes. I am beginning to feel the same way," groaned Axel. He then recalled the severity of the circumstances. 22 did as well; the two of them sprung to their feet simultaneously. "Y-You…!

"What?! You want some too, Blondie?!" said the android.

"If a fight is what you desire, I will be more than happy to give it to you!"

A shadow, a massive one at that, loomed over Axel at that moment, inducing a lone bead of sweat to roll down his neck. His fear was validated when 24 suddenly clasped his arms around the Saiyan. Holding him with the strength of a vice grip, Axel found himself hard pressed to break free, even with his Super Saiyan powers at his full disposal.

"Heh. Guess I'll just leave that freak to you, 24," said 22 coolly.

Ebony cried, "Hold on, Axel! I'll be there in a sec!"

22 made certain she wasn't able to do a thing to assist her friend by blasting her back.

"Maybe you shoulda listened to yer own talk! Yer fightin' me, right?!"

Shaken up, Ebony paid the wobbling in her knees no mind and stood. "Alright, that fucking android is dead for sure now!"

Axel, still in 24's clutches, took an unorthodox approach to freeing himself: he rammed the back of his head into his foe. Hitting the ground, he next unloaded an onslaught of attacks. Being such a huge target, 24 was struck by every one of them, and Axel prepared a final blow to finish the machine once and for all. However, 24 saved himself at the last moment, fashioning a black barrier that repelled his foe.

"Yes, that one is indeed tough," said Axel, skidding to a stop across the floor. "Perhaps I will have to..."

He became quiet, unnervingly so, after he picked up on something somewhere in Miro's lair. It caused his blood to run cold, ice cold.

"N-No! T-That is impossible!" he uttered.

Ebony, busying fending off 22, noticed his odd behavior. "Yo, what's the deal?! You lose your nerve or somethin'?!"

Axel gradually turned to the hallway Gohei and Tyla had disappeared into just minutes ago. Whatever he was sensing stemmed from there.

"I-I merely pray that this is my nerves playing tricks on me. Otherwise..."

#

The quietude of the long and seemingly unending pathway they were trekking down got Gohei and Tyla on edge, even more so than when they were face to face with those Artificial Humans. There wasn't another soul in sight, not even a guard to stop them from waltzing around Miro's headquarters to their heart's content.

"Uh...t-the Dragon Balls should be up ahead," Tyla said in cautious whisper. Her eyes were darting to and for, convinced something was going to pop out to get she and Gohei at a moment's notice. "I-It sure is creepy around here though..."

"Yeah, you can say that again," replied Gohei. "W-Where are all those robots that bothered us when we were trying to get in here though? There were dozens of those things, but now..."

"H-Heh. I...um...guess we shouldn't be complaining?"

At the very least, with every step they took, they drew closer to their goal: the Dragon Balls.

"I sure hope Piccolo is alright," Gohei said just then. "We're the reason he's in this mess to begin with."

To hopefully make him feel better, Tyla responded, "Aw, don't say that! Piccolo wouldn't want you to think that way! The reason he let himself get captured by Miro in the first place was so we could get away! He did that because he cares about us!"

"I...guess you have a point," Gohei said without much enthusiasm.

"Seriously! How long are you gonna stay a Grumpy Gus?! We're here, aren't we? If you really wanna save Piccolo, you can't do it acting like that!"

Gohei stopped gazing at the ground. "Y-Yeah, I guess you're right! Besides, I owe it to him to come and save him after everything he did for us!"

"That's more like it!"

The two encountered a pair of steel doors that reached all the way to the ceiling.

"The Dragon Balls are in there!" said Tyla, peering at her Dragon Radar.

Gohei added, "Hopefully Piccolo too."

It took some effort, but the two were able to push open the heavy doors. Afterward, they stepped inside Miro's dimly lit laboratory.

"W-Whoa. This place is kinda cool," admitted Gohei, admiring all sorts of strange machinery and unfinished creations.

"Kinda creepy too," said Tyla. "Guess this where Doctor Miro made those Artificial Humans."

"I-If that's the case, you never know what he'll have hidden here. We better keep our eyes open."

"O-Okay. Y-You're not scared, are you?"

"Ha! 'Scared?' You've gotta be kidding me!"

When an old, rusty robot fell from the rafters and landed before the two, both of them shrieked at the top of their lungs.

"N-Not scared, huh?!" whispered Tyla.

"S-Shut up! Let's just find those Dragon Balls, alright?!"

The two didn't have to search for long. Tyla's Dragon Radar began to go crazy before Gohei spotted four orange objects shimmering in the light. Nearly stumbling over themselves, they rushed to the table where they were resting.

"They're here! They're all here!" shouted Tyla jubilantly. "Miro's Dragon Balls!"

Holding the one star ball up to his face, Gohei said, "Yeah, these are the real deal alright! Okay, let's find Mr. Piccolo, then get the heck outta here! Hopefully, Axel and Ebony have taken care of those stupid androids by now!"

"Sounds good to me! Uh...n-not that I'm complaining or anything, but don't you think this was a little too easy?"

"Uh...I wasn't going to say anything, but yeah. This really doesn't make any sense. After all the crap Miro has done to get these things, you'd think he'd have someone guarding them."

"Maybe he just never thought we'd get this far. Then again, we shouldn't be wasting time trying to figure this whole thing out!"

"Right! Lemme just..."

As Gohei reached for the Dragon Balls, a voice, a very familiar one at that, stopped him.

"My, my. It's not very nice for little brats to sneak into places like this without an adult's permission." Miro, pushing his sunglasses up, stated. Stepping forward into the light, he added, "It looks like I'm going to have to punish you two somehow."

Gohei made haste to jump in front of Tyla just in case the good doctor attempted something funny.

He then said, "Save it, buddy! You've lost!"

"Oh? You seem rather certain of yourself, kid."

Tyla flinched at how content Miro was. "A-Axel and the others will destroy your Artificial Humans! I'm sure of it! After they're outta the way, you'll have nothing else to hide behind!"

Miro laughed. "I see. If that's what you two are hanging your hats on, I'm afraid I have some bad news for you. I fully anticipated my androids being dispatched at some point. They're nothing more than disposable pawns. So long as I gain the seven Dragon Balls, I could care less about who or what has to be destroyed in the process."

"T-This guy really is insane!"

"Sucks for him though!" said Gohei with a smirk. "We've got his Dragon Balls now!"

Miro, pacing the floor, retorted, "Yes. That much is true. Nonetheless, I'm confident that won't be the case for long, boy."

He snapped his fingers, and a figure neither Gohei nor Tyla had sighted beforehand walked out of the shadows. The two exhaled sharply, straight away recognizing the individual as Piccolo. The Namekian, his eyes glowing as red as rubies, didn't say a word. For reasons beyond Gohei, this disturbed him down to the core.

END