A/N: Hello. :) I'm sorry I put this story on a long hiatus, but this is to help tide you over during the Cronoavirus outbreak. I should note, though, that it'll be a long time before I post another chapter as I should focus more on the stories that are closest to being done. I hope you understand. Also, there's an update to the case of voice actors. Oren would actually be portrayed by Robbie Daymond while Daikan is portrayed by Yuri Lowenthal. Just thought it should be said since I can't edit the chapter where the above characters are laid out anymore.
Chapter 28: "Two Twins for the Price of One; The Tuffle-Android Counterstrike!"
First, it showed Leek summoning a small blue energy orb in her hand, preparing to volley it at Baby as she shouted at him.
"Leave me alone!"
As Leek tossed it at Baby, the blue energy blast was about to be flicked away with his hand. However, that did not go as planned for him as it detonated on him, at the very least providing smokescreen for her to take off from the tyrant, much to the Tuffle's surprise and Zach's notice as he saw the smoke from far away alongside Kamin and Oren. To make matters worse, Leek was showing that she's not stopping there as she repeated the volley over and over again, the energy blasts detonating on him like mines. All the while, Baby was now beginning to get unfazed by Leek's blasts on him, shown by his defense position now slowly lowering itself into a normal pose as he began to smile before he took the opportunity to prepare an attack amidst the smoke from Leek's barrage as he held his hand to the air and summoned a Destructo Disk like attack above it, allowing Leek to see it in the smokescreen before he tossed it at her, forcing Leek to brace herself for it, only for the latter to be taken by surprise as Zach leaped to her just as a Death Beam to pierce it and cause an explosion in between them before Baby took his turn to shield his eyes as it cleared away the smoke while both sides grunted from the force of it as Zach helped Leek out of the blast range. After which, it her getting into an argument with him before it showed her walking in the ring past Bikal, only for her to stop before glaring at her, making her worried before she retorted.
"Previously on Dragon Ball Super, Leek found herself in the sinister clutches of Baby, a Tuffle Warrior who grew more powerful with every strike of hatred. Just as it seemed her time in the ring was over, Zach came to her rescue, and warned her of his lethal powers. But it only spurred her to wipe him out herself..."
"If you think I'd ever believe in love after what you put me through, you're blind! LOVE IS JUST A CORNY, POINTLESS, SHAM!"
The instant those words left Leek's mouth, Baby could feel the echoes giving off the energy he needed to be completely healed as he growled, summoning a purple pillar of energy around him and catching Bikal and Leek's attention as they noticed a malicious energy rising from him before Leek lunged at Baby and tried to fight Baby with the hatred in her fists, but Baby simply dodged, amused that a member of Universe 2 would act contrary to their beliefs.
"Unfortunately, Leek's overflowing fountain of rage towards her own Universe rejuvenated the Tuffle, even outside of combat."
"I have to ask, if you'll permit me. Just out of curiosity what caused you, the one who hails from Universe 2 to refute its ideals about love? At any rate, you remind me of myself."
Once Baby finished his question, Leek found herself surprised that Baby would even ask that. As a result, she stopped her attacks and turned to see Bikal, looking worried to her. After which, Leek began to hold her hand close to her chest as she recalled the most precious memories she had as Bikal was struck by the story. As for Baby, an unexpected thing happened. His eyes began to soften at hearing that before Leek and Bikal looked at him in confusion before he spoke.
"In truth, Leek's loss of her younger brother was the source of her hatred for Universe 2's foundations of love, earning her sympathy from friend and foe alike."
"I will be at least gracious enough to take your best shot head on. After all, this is a tournament."
Hearing him make such an offer, Leek must already guess that he must be overly confident in his boost from hatred. It was a moot point to even try. But then again, she is a Saiyan, and they're never ones to turn away from a challenge. As a rule, they've always been known to surpass their limits. And Leek was determined not to be the exception.
"Fine by me."
Leek faced Baby with a determined look and then began preparing a blue energy blasts from both of her hands. At first, they were energy orbs like the ones she volleyed, but then, they started to take shape as the orbs became one and turned into the shape of a muffin which piqued Baby's curiosity as he raised an eyebrow. Following this, Leek gave a smirk before she spoke.
"Gotcha."
With that, Leek began firing it, the muffin expanding as it zipped through the shattered stage and right towards the Tuffle, catching him off guard as he was forced on the defensive. The moment it made contact with him, it set off an explosion that sent smoke upward, taking the shape of a muffin, confusing the fighters present in the arena, before Baby was revealed to be unfazed by the attack while Bikal became surprised as she stammered. With that, Baby took the opportunity to speak to the determined Leek.
"You know, despite that attack having nothing but positivity, I'll admit, that didn't feel half bad."
"So? What happens now?"
"Now... I shall spare you. At least for the time being. But only if you can get stronger throughout this Tournament before I face you again."
This earned a cautious glare from Leek. No matter what he said about him being alike, she knew for a fact he still saw her as his prey. And she wasn't going to let anyone view her that way again as she spoke to him.
"You'll regret that, you know. Because I will get stronger. And I will throw you off this ring."
Hearing such a threat, Baby only gave a loud burst of laughter before he spoke back to her.
"Oh, I hope you do. Until then, I'll be waiting for you."
With that, Baby began to walk away with a smirk as Leek and Bikal looked at the horizon above them, hoping they could find help.
"In the end, Baby walked away from Leek with the intention of ensnaring the Saiyan for himself. In the process, Leek and Bikal are forced to seek out help while fending for themselves amidst the chaos in this ultimate battle royale, now!"
Play Super Music: "Fierce Battle Against a Mighty Foe"
In the battlefield, Cooler, who had now taken the appearance of his Final Form, stood in his usual stance against Chamel, his opponent. The demon had just been forced to extricate himself by blinding the titan in front of him when he was in his clutches. It was effective, but tricks like that can only get him so far. He'll have to pull his own weight as well. That was what Cooler expected him to do.
"So, you say you're not finished yet. Care to elaborate?"
A small grin on the demon's face was enough to confirm Cooler's suspicions.
"Allow me to show you."
Chamel then clenched his fists together and charged up his dark red aura which flared around his person. The aura grew more and more intense as Chamel started to bellow, giving Cooler pause for a moment, but he could tell that he must be getting stronger. Sure enough, his aura started to cover his whole body in its dome until nothing was to be seen of him. Not long after, Chamel's aura dissipated, revealing him in a different appearance. His red hair was spiked up on end and his red eyes have turned blue, though the skin near his eyes have gained markings on them. While this power-up made Cooler interested, Beerus became concerned.
"Well, this is getting interesting..."
"Just what kind of power-up is that? Does this mean he was holding back from the start?"
Much as she hated to, Lila would agree with him. In her time at Akamu's domain, she was never blind to Chamel's potential. Demigra did train him, after all. Even Whis was aware of him as he elucidated his Destroyer while Lila theorized what pushed Chamel to this level.
"That does seem to be the case, Lord Beerus."
"Cooler did hit great strides through fighting in his final and golden forms. Arcosians naturally get significantly stronger in a matter of 6 months. Chamel, on the other hand, is completely different."
This earned an interested glance from Gine as she looked over to her.
"Huh? Different how?"
"Chamel's been training tirelessly since being recruited by Demigra. For how long, I can't say. But still... for Chamel to use that form... I think he might be done holding back."
Beerus only gave a glare to her as he retorted, making her glare back at him.
"Yeah, I think that's what power-ups usually mean, Lila."
"That doesn't automatically make it the case, Beerus."
Gine could see the two of them didn't get along, though she was confused as they death-stared each other while both Supreme and Elder Kais tried to discourage it.
"Lila, Lord Beerus, please! This is not the time for such behavior!"
"Especially not when the fight for the whole multiverse is at play!"
Back at the arena, Cooler can easily make an assumption based on this surge of energy, glancing to the grinning demon.
"So, that's the true power of Redhead Chamel. Fascinating."
"I take it you're amused?"
"That would remain to be seen... but not for long!
Cooler and Chamel then made no hesitation to continue their battle, clashing fist with fist as they scattered themselves around the arena. Though, it wasn't without consequence. Their fighting actually triggered several sudden explosions of dust, especially near the area where Leek and Bikal were trying to mask themselves amidst the carnage of battle. Being caught in the wake of it, they were forced to duck to the ground as the dust moved in. It was true what their destroyer said. It is all-out war. And this was quickly proving to be something Bikal began to regret taking a part of in. Leek knew it was a new experience for her, so she won't hold it against her.
"What kind of madness is this?"
"Uh, it's called war, Bikal. I thought you maidens knew what you signed up for."
"Honestly... so did I."
Meanwhile, Cooler and Chamel's clash continued until they both landed on the ground, the Katchi Katchintite beneath them breaking into rubble from their pressure as Chamel charged a dark purple-blue orb in his hand before chucking it at him as they split into five more orbs.
"Bloody Sauce!"
Cooler acted quickly, jumping over the spheres before lunging his large foot right at him. Right when it could've hit him, however, Chamel's body vanished with a smirk before Cooler landed on the ground and looked around to find his opponent.
"Where did the pest go?"
Frustrated as he was, this did not deter him as he stood normally on his feet, keeping a fix on his energy signature. It seemed to swirl around Cooler in a circle, closing in on him. Then, just as Chamel got close enough, Cooler turned his head to his right before landing a punch with the back of his fist just as Chamel appeared.
"Hello."
With Chamel incapacitated, Cooler teleported to appear behind Chamel smashing him to the ground with a sledgehammer move, pushing him farther to the ground while he traveled far away from the blow. Cooler then gave chase as he dashed towards Chamel before landing a blow to his gut and pinning him to the nearby mountain created from the crater, making Chamel groan as he tried to speak.
"It looks like I've underestimated you, doesn't it?"
"What do you think?"
Cooler then dragged his body along the mountain crater before slamming him to the ground, creating a large crack that expanded all the way to the other side of the arena. Champa was practically thrilled to see the might of Frieza's brother, especially when it's in his favor, though he's still mindful about the consequences of killing opponents.
"Oh, yeah! Keep it up, Cooler! Smash that demon to pieces, but keep him alive!"
In that moment, that same crack reached another mountain crater where Kamin, Oren, and Zack took notice of the battle, the Tuffle siblings becoming interested in the results.
"Wow, Oren. Did you feel that?"
"Yeah. It totally felt like an earthquake. I guess they don't call him Cooler for nothing."
However, Zack's attention was caught onto something else, or rather someone. Amidst the battle, Zack noticed Leek and Bikal practically crawling under the smokescreen caused by Cooler and Chamel's nearby battle. This must be humiliating to her at this point, having to hide. Then again, it is a war zone. At least, she started to treat it like it is. Oren and Kamin noticed their "brother's" look and began to wonder what was cooking in his head.
"Okay, what's with the look?"
"It's about that Saiyan girl, isn't it?"
"Yep. Think you two can do something for me?"
Meanwhile, Chamel emerged from the crack that Cooler caused as he stood up, unfazed by his recent attacks as he rushed off the dust on his clothes while a smile remained on his face. Cooler wasn't entirely surprised by this. Still, he had to have taken some damage from those attacks.
"So, it looks like you can hold up."
"You've performed commendably, I'll give you that. However, I haven't even begun to fight yet!"
In a flash, Chamel vanished from his sight, urging Cooler to lock onto his energy signature before he found out that he went behind him again. However, he countered it once, so it was a safe bet that he'll do so again.
"Nice try, but you couldn't even pull off that trick once!"
Cooler then used his tail to thwack at Chamel just as he reappeared. However, to Cooler's surprise, his tail went right through him.
"What?!"
Suddenly, Chamel reappeared in front of him before punching him in the gut, making Cooler double over before he continued his barrage of punches and kicks, using the last blow to fling him to another area before teleporting and continuing the assault. The next last blow there repeated that process before Chamel teleported again and began his final barrage of punches and kicks. For the last blow, however, he sent a quick kick to his gut, sending Cooler straight to the ground as a pillar of dust rose up and blanketed itself all over the arena, much to Leek and Bikal's worry as they were in the radius of Cooler's crash landing. The dust in the air was hard enough to breathe in already, let alone see through it. With more of it scattered in the air, it's practically poison gas.
"Aw, great. More dust? And neither of us can fly, for obvious reasons."
For Leek's case, it was because of the rules that were held as part of the Tournament of Power to begin with. However, for Bikal's, Chamel clipper her wings sometime ago. And while Leek would normally let her fend for herself, her conscience just wouldn't allow it, especially not when she now understood her reasons for not being so believing in love.
"What now, Leek?"
"I don't know, but if we can't fly... we might as well jump."
"But where? It's too dusty to see anything in here."
"It's a good thing we won't need eyes, then."
Leek closed her eyes and tried to get a fix on Zack's energy signature. Since she and Bikal were left to fend for themselves, Leek thought of one person who could help, especially since he'd done it before, whether she liked it or not. In trying to sense his energy, however, she sensed two more headed right for her. She sensed it before when she was rescued. It must be coming from...
"The twins."
Bikal overheard this and became worried, knowing the faction they worked for.
"What?"
"The twins. They're on their way here."
Bikal saw the smile on Leek's face and started to think she might be going crazy.
"Why do you sound so happy about that? They're with Baby, remember?"
"Actually, you'd be surprised."
In that moment, Oren and Kamin emerged into the smokescreen before landing by the two women as the brother of the twins spoke up to the group first.
"Don't worry, guys. We're here to help."
Bikal, however, wasn't so quick to trust his word, though Leek tried to help her along with it.
"Help your dark master, maybe."
"It's okay, Bikal. You can trust them."
"Yeah, of course, you can trust us. Come on."
Oren knelt down to pick up Bikal bridal style, much to the embarrassment and panic of the maiden.
"H-Hey! Who do you think you are?! I'm not going to let you defile my body for your dark master!"
"Geez! I'm just carrying you to safety!"
Oren then jumped in the air with Bikal in his arms while Leek held her arms around Kamin's head before they jumped in the air as she spoke to the sister.
"Sorry for the way she's acting up."
"Nah, it's alright. We didn't exactly give off a good vibe."
Far away, Cooler lied in a crater as the dust cleared before Chamel reappeared near the crash site as he smirked at the Frost Demon before he spoke.
"That was almost too easy. Care to go for round two?"
Cooler only glared at him as he extricated himself from his crater, lifting his arms from the debris huddled near his arms and stood up before he retorted.
"Perhaps I would."
End Super Music: "Fierce Battle Against a Mighty Foe"
Meanwhile, Zach was looking amidst the chaos in the battlefield. He was expecting the twins to show up any second now. Not long after, Zach noticed them in the air headed down to him along with Bikal and Leek, though the former was trying to get herself free, much to Oren's dismay.
"Put me down! I'm not going to let you taint my body with your evil ways!"
"Hey, cut it out! I'm not trying to taint it or whatever!"
Bikal still had her doubts as the twins landed with their rescues.
"Ha! Like I'm supposed to fall for that, especially since you just delivered me in the hands of your—!"
Before Bikal could finish, Zach cleared his throat, catching her attention. She turned her head around to see Zach, becoming confused about the situation. Her assumption was that they intended to take them to Baby. Yet, they weren't anywhere near him.
"Wait. You're not their dark master."
Oren reiterated his position as he spoke to Bikal in a flustered tone.
"Uh, that's what I was trying to tell you the whole time."
Zach turned to Bikal and tried to explain the situation to her.
"It's okay. The twins are with me."
Bikal blinked her eyes in surprise as she turned to Leek, who smiled back at her.
"I told you you'd be surprised."
Later on, Bikal was filled in on how Leek met Zach and the twins. Apparently, this was not her first rescue. Leek asked for neither one, but she somehow knew they'd help her in a pinch. Bikal was mainly focused on that part, knowing how prideful she usually is.
"So, they rescued you from Baby before?"
"That's right."
"So that means... you found your soulmate!"
While Bikal exhibited joy on this occasion, Leek and Zach became flabbergasted that she'd suggest it, exclaiming in unison.
"Wait, what?!"
"You needed someone to save you, whether you admitted it or not, and he came to answer your silent plea!"
This made Leek growl at Bikal, reminding her that she didn't believe in love the way she did. Quickly, Bikal held her tongue before she apologized for bringing it up to her.
"Sorry. I got carried away."
Leek eased herself on the growling some. Zach did save her when she needed it when she fought Baby. Though, it's debatable whether or not Zach is her soulmate.
"It's fine, Bikal. You weren't wrong. He did save me, but there's actually nothing going on between the two of us."
However, in spite of Leek's words, she had a small blush looking his way. Thankfully, Bikal didn't notice as her face was turned away. Zach, on the other hand, was more concerned about how she's taking his advice concerning the Tuffle.
"So what now? Are you gonna go after Baby again?"
Leek turned her attention back to Zach. She couldn't get over how Baby was so interested in her despite being a Saiyan. Of course, the two of them related to each other in terms of misplaced trust and its consequences. But it was obvious from the get-go that Baby had no intention of peace. He'd rather enslave the multiverse than to accept it. Besides, she was already aware of what he could do with the hatred from every foe he fought.
"Not without help."
Zach turned back to Leek. He didn't think it was in her nature to ask for that considering her repeated insistence that she didn't need help. She must've come to her senses.
"Even when I was able to let that anger go, it didn't do a thing against Baby. And we're running on a time limit here. We need to get rid of him before he becomes a problem for everyone else."
"The feeling's mutual. But we don't have a single clue how to do that yet."
Little did they know that as they tried to work it out, the Tuffle Twins noticed 17 and 18 on the battlefield as the latter was faced with Javura, the demon of Universe 3 fighting on behalf of the 10th who clashed fist to fist with 18 while 17 was dodging the blasts launched at him by Sunrise, a warrior appearing similar to Zarbon but in a different gender and with pink hair and light pink skin. The twins paid attention to the androids' fights and became interested, having formed an idea on what to do next.
"You thinking what I'm thinking, Kamin?"
"Don't I always, Oren?"
This made Zach curious as he looked to the twins.
"What is it? Did you come up with anything?"
The twins turned to Zach with Oren going up to him.
"Well, I think I know just how to deal with Baby."
Oren then leaned into his ear and whispered into it, making Leek and Bikal curious as they were out of the loop. When the whispering was done, Zach widened his eyes in surprise as Oren spoke ecstatically.
"It's practically foolproof."
Surprised by this apparent plan, Zach tried to give it some thought as he placed his finger on his chin.
"That could work. But if it's gonna work... we'll need Leek."
This earned her attention as she blinked her eyes.
"For what?"
"Let's just say you and I would be more closer than you'd like."
Play Norihito Sumitomo Music: "Unnatural Power (String Version)"
Meanwhile, Baby was leaning against the large tower of debris made from Katchi Katchintite as his eyes looked around past the dust to see countless fighters. But as much as his attention dwindled from one to the next, his mind was always fixated on only one of them: Leek.
He had to admit that her story touched his heart. It was almost as if he was staring at a possible version of himself, created from some sort of paradoxical scheme that is the Multiverse. Granted, she was a Saiyan, the race he despised, but she still piqued his curiosity nonetheless. He had to make her his... But to do so at her current level would barely be called a triumph. It would be more meaningful if he claimed her at her strongest.
It would easily serve as an example to the rest of the Saiyans that even the strongest among them would fall prey to his power... The mere thought of it was enough to make him grin. Right in that moment, though, Baby heard two whooshes by his side. After reading the energy signatures, Baby's grin faded, turning towards the figures who approached him.
"It's about time. What took you two so long?"
Oren only played along with him as he replied casually alongside Kamin.
"Calm down. We were just having some fun out there, Chief."
"Yeah. You don't have to worry."
Of course. He shouldn't expect anything less out of those two. Thanks to Akamu, they had data on every fighter that would participate, including the infamous Time Skip. It's practically a cakewalk for them, no matter how strong the opponent would turn out to be. Perhaps it's time to put them to good use...
"I should hope not. Because it just so happens that I need you to do something for me. I need you to train the Saiyan, Leek."
The twins bore surprised looks as they looked to Baby. Even with their plan in mind, they didn't expect Baby to make that request: naturally, he wished to toss them off the ring. He must really be into her. Nevertheless, Oren knew where to start.
"Sure, but just on one condition. If we're gonna train her, Kamin and I get to do our thing."
Baby was well aware of their "thing". Being a Tuffle mutant himself, symbiosis was a given trait. It's how he managed to steal this Saiyan body for himself. If their own symbiosis would allow her training to be fulfilled much sooner, so much the better.
"Oh, very well. But you better not take anyone pathetic."
"Oh, I wouldn't worry about it. Because Oren and I found two perfect candidates for it. And they're right over there."
Kamin pointed her finger to their subjects, causing Baby to look where it was pointing. They saw 17 and 18 as they regrouped near a tower of debris. Baby didn't quite understand it beyond their power until Oren explained.
"Turns out, they actually have unlimited energy. These guys don't ever break a sweat."
That's where Baby became practically ecstatic with a grin.
"Of course! With their boundless energy, they won't ever be knocked out trying to keep her in line. This is becoming all too easy."
Baby turned back to the twins, maintaining his smirk as he gave the order to Oren and Kamin.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Go out there and take those bodies."
"Got it!"
"Gotcha!"
Oren and Kamin leaped towards the twins and away from Baby as he looked on.
"It's only a matter of time now, Leek. Soon, you will rule as my queen by my side... and the Multiverse will bow before us."
End Norihito Sumitomo Music: "Unnatural Power (String Version)"
Meanwhile, 17 and 18 were by the tower of debris, looking around as Vegetto fought against Ize with both of them going at it swiftly while Broly, Caulifla, and Kale went up against the fighters of Universe 3, just to name a few battles. Considering the stakes, 18 didn't see it as a surprise.
"It looks like Akamu's Rings of Power have been a real inspiration for everyone left."
"How cute."
"Let's not miss the fun."
Before 18 could stand, however, she began to wince, catching her twin brother's notice.
"Your leg's bothering you. Let me see it."
"It's nothing. I'm fine."
"Just let me look."
He knelt down to examine her leg, moving up the right sleeve of her pants to see a red bump near her ankle. That must be what was making it difficult for 18 to stand. He felt the wound to determine how bad it was. Of course, it didn't come without 18's smaller wince before 17 spoke to his sister.
"This wound is swelling up pretty bad."
"Yeah? What's your point?"
"Hold on."
17 began to tear up his left sleeve before breaking it down to act as a bandage to wrap around 18's bump. As he did, 17 explained how he came to be something of an expert on matters like this.
"When Tenshi and I do our work as Park Rangers, we come across a lot of animals with injured legs. Tenshi had her own leg injured during the first week, so she understood how effective it was. So this kind of first aid is a big part of our job."
"Probably a part of your job as a father, too."
"Yeah."
As 17 wrapped up her leg, 18 looked over the distance and saw Tenshi holding her own against Ganos as he came at her with several punches and kicks before she saw an opening and swung her foot at his leg, injuring him as he let out a groan. Ganos had no choice but to tend to his leg before she took the opportunity and kicked him to another pile of debris, much to Quitella's dismay.
"Aw, come on! That has to be a foul!"
Tenshi, however, wasn't quite as proud of her attack as she shouted to him.
"I'm sorry I hurt your leg, but I had to!"
18 couldn't help but smile at Tenshi's good-natured side before turning to 17 again, remembering what Goku told her.
"Hey. That reminds me. I asked Goku. He told me that I'd you win this thing, you'll wish for a big cruise ship for your family to sail around the world."
17 looked up to 18, seeing the smile on her face before he returned the gesture with his own. 18 continued to speak with a smile as she looked to Krillin, who stood alongside 21 and the newly transformed Artich.
"That sounds really nice. I spent so much of my life looking after Marron and my husband, I barely have enough time for daydreams. I guess mostly, I wanted Krillin to be paid a little more so he wouldn't have to scrape by."
When 17 was done, the leg was tied up by his sleeve along with her foot.
"Okay. All done. That should hold you for a while."
"Alright. Are you ready to kick some tail?"
"Try not to do anything too crazy."
Suddenly, 17 and 18 took notice of the twins landing in front of them, forcing them to stand up as the former spoke of their presence.
"Well, it looks like we're just in time."
Oren and Kamin turned over to see the androids behind them and became interested at their appearance, mainly how similar they looked.
"Hey, look at that, Sis. They're twins just like us."
"I know, Oren. I wonder if they have the same power."
Meanwhile, 17 could see how identical the Tuffle twins themselves looked as he made a small grin.
"So, I take it you're twins, too. It really is a small multiverse, after all, huh?"
18, on the other hand, didn't see anything to joke about.
"I guess, but I still have to wonder. How did you two get by before meeting Baby in the first place?"
Kamin didn't see any need to waste her story on them, giving her a smirk before 17 connected the dots.
"Well, you wouldn't believe it even if we told you."
"Let me guess. You turned on your own creators not long after you two were created, right?"
This earned a surprised gasp from the twins. They didn't expect the Androids to know their backstory right off the bat. Oren tried to solve that mystery as he spoke curiously.
"How did you know that?"
"Because the same thing happened with us. Not long after being activated by Dr. Gero, we took him out so he won't boss us around."
Oren became astonished to hear that answer. Not only did they share the same story, but they practically share a similar way of thinking. It's like looking into a mirror.
"Kudos for you guys. Maybe we are more alike than we even think."
"Maybe, but I don't plan on holding anything back."
Oren and Kamin assumed their fighting stances as the former spoke first with warning.
"Funny you should say that. We don't plan on holding back, either."
"Yeah, so do us a favor and try not to fall off?"
18 only grinned as she responded to Kamin.
"If anyone's gonna fall off, it might as well be you."
Oren's grin still maintained itself as he replied.
"I wouldn't count on it."
The two sets of twins then charged each other and engaged in fisticuffs, with Kamin against 17 and Oren against 18. 17 dodged most of Kamin's punches and kicks, making her curious as she tried to force him to do something other than dodge.
"What's the matter? Is dodging all you can—?"
Before Kamin could finish, 17 caught her fist with his right hand before delivering a blast with his left, knocking her past the tower of debris before 17 gave chase. With that, 17 rapidly went around the arena, attacking Kamin from several weak points before kicking her to the ground, making her slide near the arena, much to her concern as she looked behind her to see a great chasm of nothing beneath her. She looked ahead to see 17 come at her, smirking as she made a blast to veer herself away.
"Have a nice trip, and see you next fall!"
17 went over the edge, but he wasn't fazed by this. Instead, he fired a blast at the chasm beneath him, propelling himself back into the arena, with Kamin maintaining a small grin as 17 turned around to see her.
"You really thought I'd fall for that?"
"A little. But honestly, I'm a bit disappointed. Just a bit."
"Don't worry. I've got something better in store for you."
17 vanished, catching Kamin off-guard before he reappeared in front of her whilst delivering a powerful kick in her gut. He followed this powerful kick by unleashing a powerful energy blast from his right hand, throwing her backwards towards the arena.
Meanwhile, Oren and 18 both trade blows at equilibrium so far. The pace went on until they backed away from each other. 18's getaway would've been clean if it weren't for her ankle. Unfortunately, she landed on it, making a cracking sound and earning a wince from 18. Oren saw his cue and moved in.
"Gotcha now!"
Oren first delivered a left punch to the gut, making 18 groan before grunting in anger, the fuel of which allowed 18 to retaliate with an elbow and a kick to his face, propelling him away. At the same time, Kamin crashed down to the arena and landed beside Oren, who recovered from being thrown himself as Beerus, Lila, and Supreme Kai looked on with the Destroyer rooting for them.
"Nice work, you two! Keep it up, and they'll be knocked out for sure!"
Lila, on the other hand, didn't seem too convinced.
"I wouldn't be so sure, Lord Beerus."
"Huh?"
"The Tuffle Twins are actually much stronger than that. And there's more to this than you think."
Meanwhile, 18 took this chance to look at her ankle, seeing the swelling getting worse from her misstep.
"That guy's really getting on my nerves."
It was then that 17 walked in the arena from the opposite end, still holding a face of indifference.
"Honestly, I'm starting to get a bit bored. Maybe we're not so much alike, after all."
Hearing this, Supreme Kai grew afraid to ask, but he needed to know the outcome to ensure that his Universe survives.
"How so, Lila?"
"They're Tuffle Androids just like Baby. And just like him... they could hijack any wounded warrior and assume their bodies for power."
This made Supreme Kai do a double-take in fear for what might happen to them before he looked over to see Oren and Kamin give a chuckle to each other before they stood up and faced each of their opponents when they started with the former speaking first to 18 before Kamin to 17.
"No, you're right. We are similar. Although..."
"Me and Oren have something you two couldn't imitate. Ready to do our thing, brother?"
"You bet, sis."
As 17 and 18 got in their stances, Supreme Kai shouted to them.
"17! 18! Don't waste any more of your time on them! You need to get away from them, now!"
Fu overheard this from the bench of Universe 6 and piped up, getting his and Lila's attention.
"Relax, Shin. Everything's gonna be fine. Nothing bad's gonna happen."
"How can you say that?! If the twins take control of our members, we'd be down by two fighters, and the whole team would get eliminated right on the spot!"
Fu only raised his pointer finger up in the air before he explained.
"Uh! Technically, you still have all the necessary members, even if they do get body-jacked. Besides... it's all part of Zach's plan. Well, it's actually the twins', but hey, at least they're thinkin' for themselves."
Lila and Supreme Kai became confused and looked around the arena, finding no sight of Zach. Then, they looked back to Fu, noticing he was nowhere on the stands. Lila began to get the gist as she inquired of him.
"Wait. Is this another trick of yours?"
"I told you, it's not my plan. But something tells me you're gonna get a real kick out of this one..."
With that, Oren and Kamin charged simultaneously towards 17 and 18, forcing them to counter, only for their attacks to be dodged and be kicked for 17's case and punched for 18's, making them double over. The twins used this as an opportunity to grab onto 18's leg and 17's arm.
"Huh?!"
"What the—?!"
Then, what happened next caught them by surprise. Oren and Kamin turned into energy particles, the former being blue and the latter pink before getting into their skin, mainly through the wounds they'd received during battle, with 18's from her ankle, and 17's from his arm where he tore his sleeve. In the process, 17's hair turned white with his eyes becoming blue pupils while his face received red markings like he was a machine, with 18 undergoing the same changes. In that moment, Kamin, now inside 17, burst her aura while Oren did the same in 18's with his blue aura.
"Sorry, guys, but your bodies..."
"...belong to us now."
Beerus's face quickly shrieked in fear over the event that played out. With 17 and 18 under the Tuffles' sway, his team would be forced to knock them out to ensure that they don't lose all of their numbers. Thinking on such an alien concept, Beerus called it out swiftly.
"H-Hey! You can't do that! Body-jacking isn't allowed!"
However, the Grand Minister has a different opinion.
"Actually, it's quite allowed. In fact, there's no rule that prohibits such an unorthodox technique, so long as termination doesn't ensue on either end."
This caught Beerus' tongue rather quickly like a cat would have. And that wasn't his favorite phrase to use. He was only forced to grumble as he looked down at the possessed Androids.
"Darn it. What is that Akamu up to with these parasites?"
On the arena, Kamin-17 looked at her new body with interest, starting with her arms while Oren-18 did the same, though he was checking his body's reflexes.
"Hmm... This body feels nice."
"You don't have to tell me twice. What do you say we put them to good use?"
Kamin-17 nodded to her brother before they took off from their spot in the same direction. It wasn't hard for them to sense energy themselves. And, as per the plan, they immediately focused on the energy of Leek. On their way there, however, Oren-18 had some concerns about it, knowing how vicious Baby tended to get.
"You think that Saiyan's ready, Kamin?"
"Well, she's gotta be, Oren."
Meanwhile, Leek was sitting beside Bikal. It'd been a while since the plan was put into action by the Tuffle Twins. For her part in the plan, though, it was a mystery to Leek, looking at her arm as though it had a large bump.
"So, how exactly is this part of a plan?"
Just then, the twins landed on a pillar before looking down to see Leek and Bikal. The former looking up to see Oren-18 and Kamin-17 before she and Bikal became surprised.
"Huh? What happened to you two?"
"And what did you do to the Androids?"
Oren was the first to answer with a smirk before Kamin explained it to Leek.
"Oh, we just infiltrated their bodies through their wounds, and bam! They became Tuffles without even knowing it."
"Became... Tuffles?"
"That's a part of me and Oren's biology, to go inside a host and take their powers and abilities. And Baby's, too. We were both created by the Tuffles' scientists to help the Saiyans being peace to Universe 6."
Their story puzzled Leek as she blinked her eyes curiously while the twins jumped off the crater to be at their level.
"Really? You were created to bring peace?"
"Well, we were. But after Artich's experiment, Mareth, went crazy, the Tuffle scientists began to worry we might end up going crazy, too. The fact that we had data on every fighter in our universe didn't help."
Leek linked up the pieces of the puzzle being realizing what they did, with Kamin confirming it.
"So they tried to get rid of you, just like that, just because of that data? That's... heartless!"
"Kinda sad, huh? One minute, they told us we would protect the universe. And the next, they try to get rid of us..."
Leek made a small gasp of sympathy for the twins before going over to them, putting her arms around the twins to hug them, confusing them and Bikal before Leek explained herself.
"I'm sorry you two had to go through all that. I guess Zach did you a favor by being your brother, huh?"
In that moment, Oren and Kamin hugged Leek back with a gentle smile before they ended the hug with Bikal smiling at the scene. Leek turned to see her grin, confusing her for a bit before scowling and telling her how she's currently feeling about love in case she had doubts.
"Just so you know, it's not love, Bikal. It's just sympathy."
Just then, Leek remembered what the twins said about their abilities, looking to Kamin for verification.
"Wait. You said Baby has that ability, too?"
"Yeah. What did you think I said?"
This earned Leek's gasp as she recalled Baby's request.
"Now... I shall spare you. At least for the time being. But only if you can get stronger throughout this Tournament before I face you again."
This earned a cautious glare from Leek. No matter what he said about him being alike, she knew for a fact he still saw her as his prey. And she wander going to let anyone view her that way again as she spoke to him.
"You'll regret that, you know. Because I will get stronger. And I will throw you off this ring."
Hearing such a threat, Baby only gave a loud burst of laughter before he spoke back to her.
"Oh, I hope you do. Until then, I'll be waiting for you."
It all made sense to her now. It wasn't just out of sympathy that he let her go. It was to let her get strong enough to make her his. Leek could only growl at that as she spoke to herself.
"That creep...! He was gonna try to take over my body when I got stronger!"
Her fists began to tense in anger, but she remembered what hate could do for Baby. Leek ceased her grip as she took her breath. That's why the twins are playing along with Baby's orders, to ambush him when the time is right. And of course, she obviously had to be the bait to make it work.
"Zach... I hope you know what you're doing..."
Zach's voice began to echo in her head to let her know.
"It'll be fine. Trust me."
Leek then turned to the twins and gave a smile to them. This was the part of the plan she was eager about, given her Saiyan Blood. It's practically boiling at the thought of getting the chance to fight them. It was almost enough to make her forget about Baby. Almost.
"So, you guys ready to do this?"
The twins both smirked at her as Oren and Kamin responded eagerly.
"You bet."
"You better not hold back, now."
"Don't worry. I don't plan to."
Bikal's eyes widened at the confrontation to take place, still afraid she might get further damage in her condition.
"Hey, wait! Shouldn't I get out of the way, first?!"
Oren answered her question by extending his left palm to Bikal, giving her a stream of blue energy as it courses through her. From that exchange, Bikal could feel her wings becoming more able to lift themselves up high, with no pain to hold it down. She could fly again!
"M-My wings...!"
"You said you needed to get out of the way, didn't you?"
This made Bikal blush a bit, confusing Oren as he gave her a look.
"Uh, you doing okay?"
Bikal responded by taking off to the air before she shouted.
"Thanks for your help!"
As Bikal flew away, Oren gave her a small smile before looking back to Leek as she got in her battle stance, as did the twins while Bikal thought to herself, looking over to Leek our of concern.
"I just hope this plan works..."
Leek maintained her smile as she challenged Oren, to which he reciprocated by agreeing to it.
"Okay. I'll let you two go first."
"Fine by us."
With that, Leek and the twins lunged towards each other, their battle beginning in earnest.
Meanwhile, Baby was on the move, rushing throughout the arena. He sensed an increase in the twins' power level some time ago. This could only mean one thing: the twins have acquired the Androids' bodies. And he could also sense a more powerful energy from Leek. He was well aware of how Saiyan strength worked after each battle, but he didn't think she'd be stronger so quickly. However it happened, he just couldn't pass up the opportunity.
"This is it! I can't afford to miss this! It's now or never!"
Unbeknownst to him, it got the attention of Demon God Demigra as he was surveying the chaos to take advantage of it.
"How peculiar. I wonder where he's off to in such a hurry..."
In that moment, his cheek suddenly ended up grazed in a flash, much to his surprise, making him look down to see that Dyspo had landed before turning around to face Demigra.
"That's what you get for taking too much of your time, Demon Chump."
Demigra only smirked at Dyspo as he responded confidently.
"Hmph. Perhaps I need to learn from that mistake, then."
Meanwhile, Baby had finally caught up to the spectacle that is the battle between Leek and the Twins. His eyes widened in excited abandon from seeing the battle. Both Oren and Kamin blindsided Leek, though she was able to react just in time to catch their feet. She followed it up with a quick throw to the ground for them. Despite this, the twins recovered from the fall with their hands, showing great teamwork as they countered with a blast at her from below, making Leek cross her arms to block them as she fell to the ground.
The twins quickly took the opportunity to counter as Oren appeared behind Leek and did a full-nelson to hold her back as Kamin lunged at her, aiming to kick her in the gut, only for her to turn herself around with Oren still holding on to her, making Kamin kick Oren in the back. As a result, Oren released Leek from the impact before she somersaulted on the floor and used the momentum to turn towards them and fire her Muffin Bomb at the twins, triggering a massive explosion that vibrated the arena. When the smoke cleared, Kamin was using 17's barrier to shield themselves... and it was cracked.
Although he managed to shield himself and Kamin, the twins' shield sustained what would've been a deadly blow on them. Baby saw the damage himself and was impressed. She'd truly gotten stronger since the last time they met. Her potential truly is something to behold. This made him all the more eager to take the opportunity as Leek smiled at how she'd fared before Oren concurred.
"Well, that's a surprise."
"No kidding. I guess that's why you're picked to be the next Destroyer of Universe 2."
This caught Baby's interest quickly as he raised his eyes. Could that be the source of her power? Was she calling on the Energy of Destruction? He did hear of it from Akamu, but he had to admit he didn't quite understand how it worked.
"What? She's the next candidate for Universe 2's title of Destroyer? That would explain her power. I must've gotten too caught up in my own boost of power to notice. Maybe she was stronger than I thought. But how did she come across this Energy of Destruction? Maybe she can answer for me... once she's mine."
"So, you guys wanna keep fighting?"
The twins were ready to oblige, but Baby's voice cut through the air.
"That's enough."
The twins and Leek turned over to see Baby on a pillar with a smirk.
"I believe she's proven her strength well enough by now."
Leek made a small scowl towards Baby, having pieces together what he had planned.
"Let me guess, you sent them after me?"
"Of course, my dear. How else were you to reach new heights in power?"
Leek's scowl then turned into a smile as she faced him.
"I suppose I should be flattered."
"I hoped you would be. I wouldn't want to disappoint my queen."
Leek's eyes closed before she spoke.
"You'd make a lowly Saiyan your queen?"
"Well, no one is perfect. But my cells can change that. That is, if you would accept."
Leek stood still for a moment before walking towards the Tuffle. He was convinced her answer was yes, each step she took further verifying it. She kept walking until she stopped in front of Baby, who began to chuckle in eagerness.
"At last... you'll be mine..."
His hands hovered her shoulders before Leek spoke gently.
"Sorry, Baby..."
Just then, Leek's eyes opened to show blue eyes, catching Baby by surprise as she spoke in Leek's voice.
"But she's already taken!"
With that, Leek's hair turned white with a red scar appearing over her face before she burst her aura with a shout, pushing Baby back as he was struck by how suddenly his plan failed. All the while, Leek began to form dark grey armor over her current outfit with black coloring below the grey armor that went over her chest. Then, her skin took on a lighter mint blue color with her blue eyes taking on a new color of emerald green. Having witnessed this himself, Baby was caught by surprise rather quickly.
"What the heck are you?!"
"Seriously, Baby? Don't you know a Tuffle when you see one?"
Then, Zach-Leek's aura dissipated before Baby began to piece it together. Even as a candidate for Future Destroyer, she must still be green in fighting tactics. That's why he didn't take as much damage despite the positivity she ensued before. To top it off, Zack made Leek stronger with his own power added into it to trick him into coming all the way here! The very idea that he was fooled quickly infuriated him as he growled.
"Oren, Kamin! Knock this fool off of the ring!"
The two of them only walked over to Zach and stood by his side as they got in their stances with Oren speaking rebelliously prior to his sister.
"No can do, old man."
"You don't get to tell us what to do."
Baby's eyes widened in shock from their words. Why weren't they listening to him?! He was sure his eggs would ensure their total loyalty! How dare they defy him! Zach answered his flummoxed look with his words.
"You must be shocked, right? Truth is, I got rid of your eggs the last time I fought them. Now, they can think for themselves."
Baby growled in vicious anger as he began shouting.
"CURSE YOU, TRAITOR! Forget the rules; I will eliminate the three of you here and now for betraying our race!"
This only earned a scoff from Zach-Leek before he spoke angrily.
"Like you betrayed your allies? Let's be honest here, Baby. You've earned that name for a reason, for crying over nothing to begin with."
"What was that?!"
"Didn't Vegetto tell you already? What the Saiyans did to your people was your own ancestors' fault. I looked deep in that history on my own to know the real truth behind everything. Tuffles and Saiyans used to co-exist and get along."
Baby felt he saw where the story was going as he spoke.
"Of course, but that was a lie, like everything else."
"Maybe it was. But it was your people who made that lie. The first month since then, the Saiyans were treated poorly, essentially like slaves or second class citizens, by your people, the Tuffles, and forced them to live in the harsh badlands of Planet Plant. Your people is the reason the war happened the way it did, and you lost. When you were made from the Tuffle King and his people, you weren't just scared of the Saiyans' power, but you sought it for yourself."
"Of course I did! To take revenge and to avenge my people, to ensure a new era of peace for the Tuffles!"
"If declaring war and invading other planets like the Saiyans used to do is your idea of peace, then you're a bigger fool than I thought! You've always been a fool. That's why you only use that so-called cunning brain of yours for cowardice, for taking the energy and power from every host whose bodies you stole. And it's not just that, but their free will, too! You don't care one bit about what happens to them. You only want them alive because they're nothing but playthings and toys to you. You even force yourself on the innocent, and for what?! Because you don't want your people to be forgotten again?, That excuse is really sad and pathetic, considering how you treat your own people like slaves."
Baby's anger began to reach fever pitch as he growled, glaring at Zach-Leek.
"They got what they deserved for their sins. Now, it's your turn. And after that, I'll do what your species should've done in the first place! Moving on and forgetting the past!"
Baby's teeth gritted harder, threatening to break apart from the pressure as he spoke while holding his right palm out towards him and preparing a dark purple orb.
"I... will never be a memory...! NEVER! BIG BANG ATTACK!"
Baby didn't hesitate to launch it at Zach-Leek, forcing him to block it with his arms. The collision moved him further away from the twins, quickly sliding on the floor.
"Zach!"
Kamin and Oren became concerned as the former took off after him while the latter engaged Baby, clashing their fists together. Meanwhile, Zach-Leek was getting closer and closer to the edge, but Kamin caught up to him and kicked the dark purple orb towards the outside of the arena where it exploded before Baby scowled as Kamin checked with him.
"Are you okay, big brother? He almost knocked you out."
Zach-Leek gave her a smile before petting her head.
"I'm fine, though. Thanks to you."
Zach-Leek and Kamin-17 looked ahead to see Oren-18 go at it with Baby, with the tyrant catching his fist before kneeing him in the gut, making him double over before Oren retaliated with a punch in his gut, causing Baby to double over as he groaned before growling as he saw that Zach-Leek caught up and fired a Muffin Bomb, forcing him to retaliate with a Big Bang Attack.
The resulting collision triggered an explosion that created smokescreen, making Baby growl before Kamin appeared through it to kick him in the gut.
"You leave my brother alone!"
However, Baby intercepted Kamin's kick with his hand grabbing her foot before throwing her back out of the smokescreen.
"You think that dust will keep you safe?!"
While it began to clear some, Baby's rage boiled over as he began to fire viciously at it to get a clear view of the arena. When his rampage was done, the smokescreen was no more, but his rapidly firing blasts left him more tired. He was getting worn out... his breathing became more ragged. To make matters worse, Oren-18, Kamin-17, and Zach-Leek surrounded him with the twins by his sides and their big brother in the middle.
The trio ran towards Baby with Oren-18 leaping at Baby first before Kamin-17.
"Crash Break!"
"Smash Break!"
With that, Zach-Leek leaped up towards him as he shouted.
"Onslaught Thrust!"
In unison, the trio formed a barrier each around them, one in pink, the other, blue, and the third in grey before before exploding in harmony, launching Baby a great distance away from the arena as he fell into the chasm of nothingness below him, shouting in agony over his defeat until he vanished and appeared in Universe 9's bench beside Towa, Mira, and Dabura as the Grand Minister announced the vanquished.
"Contestant Baby from the 9th Universe has officially been eliminated."
This made Sen relieved as she took a deep breath before speaking to herself.
"Thank goodness. I didn't want that scary man to win."
Grand Zeno then tapped on the GodPad, going to the 9th Universe banner as Baby's image appeared before Grand Zeno darkened the image.
"Tap, tap. Baby goes... bye-bye!"
Baby was growling in contempt as Dabura turned towards the Tuffle and demanded an explanation.
"How could this have happened to you, Tuffle? You weren't supposed to be defeated that easily."
"It's that traitor, Zach... he won over my subjects and used them against me!"
Dabura raises his eyes in curiosity before looking over on the arena to see Zach-Leek glowing a silver aura before the particles left Leek's body and restored her to how she was before as she looked at herself while Kamin and Oren exited 17 and 18's bodies in a similar fashion. Dabura's eyes narrowed down in understanding.
"I see..."
Meanwhile, on the arena, Leek and Zach shook hands as the former spoke to him.
"Thanks for helping me out, Zach. I honestly didn't expect you to go inside me like that, but it looked like it worked."
"Yeah. It must've been hard for you, asking for my help."
"Well, I had to. My anger would've gotten the better of me eventually if I didn't."
He then gave Leek a smile before she did the same with him while 17 and 18 talked with Kamin and Oren.
"So, you were just using our bodies to gain Baby's trust?"
"Yeah. We took care of him pretty quick, thanks to you guys."
"But Oren, why couldn't you have told me and 17 before?"
"We wanted to sell the act. If he heard what we said, we'd be having a different conversation.
Just then, Bikal shouted far away.
"Leek!"
The group turned to see Bikal landing by the Tuffle twins, particularly Oren as she began speaking quickly in concern.
"I saw that explosion from far away in the arena. Is he—?"
"You don't have to worry, Bikal. Baby's not going to be a problem for you or anyone else ever again."
This gave her a moment of respite as she sighed, resting her hand on Oren's shoulder.
"Thank goodness. I thought we'd never get rid of that evil man."
Unfortunately for Oren, he began to blush before Bikal noticed, making him speak nervously as he gently lifted her hand off his shoulder.
"Yep. We were a great team."
Leek gave a soft smile to the two of them before 17 spoke up to her.
"So. You must be that Saiyan from Universe 2, then."
Leek became confused as she blinked her eyes at him.
"Huh? You know about me?"
"The twins filled us in on the story. All I can say is that I'm glad Universe 2 isn't always going on about love."
"Oh. Uh... thanks?"
"You're welcome."
18 took her turn to speak as she looked at the group.
"But don't go thinking that we'll go easy on you. The next time we meet, we won't hold anything back."
18 then made a quick scowl towards Oren and Kamin, still hot over their act of taking over their bodies.
"And for the record, that goes for you, too."
The Androids then leapt away from the group as Leek looked on with a smile while she spoke determinedly.
"I wouldn't have it any other way."
In that moment, Future Zamasu could be seen walking amidst the arena, seemingly oblivious to the carnage around him as he set his sights on the one he's been promised a fight with: Goku.
"With the Tyrannical Tuffle defeated by an unorthodox technique, the arena is free of his terror. However, in that same moment, a rogue god from the future has set his sights on his prey."
Goku turned behind him to see Future Zamasu bearing an indifferent grin. He could tell by the outfit that this must by the Zamasu from the future timeline that came with the other Black. From experience, he could already guess who he's here for.
"I guess it was coming a long way."
"Indeed. I trust you desire to fight me?"
Goku then gave him a scowling grin as he got in his fighting stance.
"Don't I always?"
Zamasu returned the grin with his own as he entered his own stance, holding his hands in front of him while the pillar at the center of the arena went down.
"Zamasu is as determined as ever to surpass Goku. Who will be the victor of this upcoming battle? Just 29 minutes are left in the Tournament of Power, next time on Dragon Ball Super."
