Chapter 24

The three Androids 13, 14 and 15 were quickly approaching their intended targets, Yamcha, Pan and Marron.

Goku was still being cornered by two powerful enemies and Kefla and Gotenks being occupied with their own opponents Freeza and 21.

Fourteen had now nearly reached Marron, who went into a defense stance. This was not good.

Marron was powerful in her own right. She would be able to easily deal with the far majority of fighters in the universe. Basically anyone weaker than Freeza had originally been all those years ago on Namek.

The Android however was still a level beyond her.

But right before the Android could reach her, he was suddenly hit by a ki blast and was blown up.

They all turned their eyes to the one who had fired the blast.

"Neo Eighteen!" Gero screamed at her. "What do you think you are doing?"

The Android herself looked just as confused as everyone else at her actions.

She was starring down at her own hand that had fired the blast. It was like she had acted nearly purely on impulse. Something that should not be happening to her at all since she was an Android.

"I - I don´t know," she answered. "I must be malfunctioning. It has... The time I was merged with Number 18 must have somehow influenced me."

"Yes - It seems so," Gero replied sardonically.

He gritted his teeth. Damn it, he thought. This was the last thing he needed.

The time-travelling Neo Eighteen was more powerful than he had ever even hoped for one of his Androids to become. Maybe even rivalling his own new body. He had been intrigued when she had first appeared. To think that an asset like that would just appear like that.

But if she went out of control now? Then she could turn into a dangerous liability.

Marron for her part could barely believe what had just happened. Why had the copy of her mother protected her? She came to the same conclussion as Neo 18. Her Fusion with her mother must have somehow influenced the Android.

But how far exactly had she changed? Marron asked herself.

xxx

The rest of the Z-fighters however had already used this chance.

It was just a split-second but Uub had powered up again, took aim and fired a blast at Android 15, who had just been charging at Pan and Yamcha, who were floating close to each other in the air.

The single shot completely disintigrated the small Android.

But it was already too late. Thirteen had reached his target - Pan.

The Android opened his palm and was ready to fire a ki blast at the young girl.

But before he could fire, he was tackled from the side.

Yamcha had thrown himself at him and grabbed his hand. He was by far not strong enough to be a real threat to Thirteen.

But it was enough to throw off his aim. The blast that might have killed Pan otherwise missed her by a half meter.

But Thirteen instantly responded by turning around and rammed his hand right through Yamcha´s chest.

Goku remembered a simlar scene when Gero did the same thing during their first confrontation years ago.

He tried to rush forward to help him, but the cloned version of Gero was blocking his way.

"Get out of my way," he said, while throwing a punch at his opponent.

But Gero powered up and countered with a strike on his own and their fists clashed.

A powered- up Half-Android version of Broly against Goku in his teal haired God Wrath-Form.

The Pseudo-Broly that was Gero´s new body had also transformed into a state ressembling a Super Saiyan. With his hair first turning gold, then a green color.

Neither of them had been able to overpower the other.

Thirteen however simply finished what he had started by firing a ki blast through Yamcha´s body.

A split-second later the Android was himself being blown apart by another shot from Uub.

But it was too late. Their old friend was looking up to them, then he was not moving anymore.

Goku, Marron, Uub and Pan were starring at what had just happened.

Yamcha had just sacrificed himself to save Pan.

Goku felt even more grim anger rising up inside him as he saw the death of his old friend. Even if this was a future-version of him and it would have no effect on his actual life.

An he clashed with Gero once more.

He was now switching his transformation to SS Blue Kaioken times 20.

This form consumed far more energy and also put enormous stress on Goku´s body. But it also had more raw power.

In turn, Gero´s cloned body powered also up even more. The green color in his hair darkened and the glowing energy around him intensified.

xxxxxxx

Kefla was still fighting against Freeza. She was currently pushing him back with a barrage of smaller ki blast that she was raining down on him.

This guy was powerful, she admitted to herself. Even far more than he had been at the tournament.

But at the same time his personality and emotions seemed to have taken more than just a nosedive. They were practically gone.

All what was left was basically just a drone that followed orders from this other bastards without questions.

If she was honest, she nearly pittied him. Despite that he had been a real asshole before he had lost his memories.

If something like this happened to herself (that meant either Caulifla or Kale) she would hope someone put her out of her misery.

And that was exactly what she intended to do with Freeza now. He might be strong, but by now she was even stronger than that.

xxx

Gotenks meanwhile was struggling with 21. In power alone, he was actually stronger than the insane female Bio Android.

Her regeneration and inherited supernatural abilities however caused trouble for him. This meant her ability to turn people into candy or other things.

There were a few times when he had barely managed to dodge her magical attacks.

Now however Kefla was using her chance now.

While was was fighting with Freeza, a few hundred meters from them 21 and Gotenks were currently locked in a beam-struggle on their own.

Kefla temporally distracted Freeza with a huge ki blast, that was pushing him backwards as he was blocking it. Then she suddenly turned around and fired another one at 21.

The crazy female Android, who was already concentrating all her power into the struggle with Gotenks, had no chance to avoid it and Kefla´s blast ripped through her body, quickly followed by Gotenks blast that blew away half of her face.

About two thirds of 21´s body had been disintigrated. They had beaten her, for the moment. But they knew it was not enough.

Her regeneration was not quite at the same level as Buu´s, whose cells she possessed, where every single cell needed to be destroyed. But it was still more than enough to regenerate this kind of damage.

"Gotenks," Kefla called out. "We are taking them one after the other. Help me."

He nodded.

They now turned both around to Freeza, who had just recovered and was flying at them through the air again.

He was charging up an attack in both his hands.

But before he could unleash it, Gotenks and Kefla had both turned back around to him and firing their own blasts at him at the same time.

Freeza made an desperate attempt to stop their attacks, but it was hopeless. Against both their powers at the same time, his was quickly being overwhelmed.

He did not scream as the two blasts of his opponent were pushing his own back to himself and their energy started to burn his body.

The being that had once been Freeza did not make a noise when he was being vaporized by their combined attack. Not a single sound came out of his mouth.

All feelings of fear, pride or self-interest had been long erased from his mind anyway. What had been left was just a brainwashed killing-macjine, an empty husk of a person.

A moment later he was gone.

"We did it," Kefla said.

21 however had by now regenerated herself. She wasn´t looking very happy about what had just happened. Not at all.

"You - you have just killed my best warrior," she exclaimed angrily.

"Sure we did," Kefla commented.

"And I was hoping to eat him up by myself after he was not longer useful." 21 pouted. "But now because of you I can not do that. And he was so powerful. Do you know how good he would have tasted?"

Both Fusions simply facepalmed at the deranged Android´s words, who was talking about devouring one of her underlings like it was the most normal thing.

"You truly are crazy, aren´t you?" Kefla said.

"You will be next," Gotenks stated as well.

The two Fusions and the rest of the Z-fighters including Cabba were not taking fighting positions in front of their remaining enemies.

Goku and the recreated Gero were still locked in a close struggle, trying to overpower the other.

Gero´s clone-body´s natural raw power rivalled that of the real Broly. Actually, technically it was even stronger than he had been during his first fight with Goku, since it´s genetic structure had been optimized.

But Goku´s strength had drastically improved during the last months and he was now on a completely different level than in his first fight with the original Broly.

He was not only keeping up with his opponent´s raw-power, he was actually starting to overpower him.

Gero/Broly was already looking strained. While his energy resources were practically endless, his body was still taking stress and damage.

A quiet growl escaped his lips without himself even noticing it.

"Neo Eighteen," he then addressed his new Android who had so far only been standing back, "you help 21 to rid us of this nuisances," he said.

"Goku is mine."

"Wait!" Marron suddenly called out.

Everyone around now looked at her, no matter which side they were on.

"You don´t need to do this. You might not be my mother, but you now have her memories. You know that she broke free. So can you. You don´t have to follow Gero´s and 21´s orders."

"W-what?" Gero now called out in a mix of complete surprise and anger. "What do you think you are doing girl?"

He wanted to kill Marron, but his hands were still locked with Goku´s.

xxxx

Marron was feeling anxious and that not just because she was in the middle of a fight. She had no idea if there was any chance her gamble might be paying off.

She believed that her mother´s personality had started to influence the mind of this copy during the time they had been connected. If she actually managed to reach out to her... maybe, just maybe she could make her switch sides - or at least hesitate.

If she was honest, she was not even sure how she personally felt about this. Just seeing the doubles of her mother and uncle usually hurt. And now one who actually had her memories.

She was not sure if she deep down even wanted to succeed. How would it be if this copy actually switched sides and they would have her around the entire time?

But this could help them to win and ultimately save the entire world.

xxxx

"D-don´t be ridiculous," Neo Eighteen replied, visibly unsure. "I am a Android created by Doctor Gero. I have to follow his commands."

"No - you don´t have to," Marron responded. "Eighteen and Seventeen and even Sixteen resisted their programming. You can think for yourself, make your own choices. You know that."

"Don´t listen to her!" Gero screamed.

"I - I owe Doctor Gero my existence. My life belongs to him. I am not a failure like the original Eighteen."

"Yes," Gero said.

"My mother was not a failure!" Marron shouted angrily. "The opposite - she and Seventeen were too good to be controlled by someone like Gero, who treated them like tools, placed bombs inside them and only ever cared about his own interests. You are the one who will be a failure if you just continue to be his puppet.

You say your life belongs to him? What is your life even worth if you are just his slave?"

"I... " Neo Eighteen was now at a complete loss for words.

"Enough!" Gero shouted enraged, while he was still struggling with Goku´s grip on his arms.

"Kill that insolent girl right now," he ordered.

"I - I..." Neo Eighteen was still hesitating.

In her mind the real Eighteen´s memories were flashing up again and again.

xxxx

She recalled 17 and 18´s rebellion against the Doctor Gero´s original self. How Seventeen had cut off his head and then stomped it beneath his foot.

She remembered their confrontation with Cell and how she and 16 fled from him.

She remembered how Eighteen and Seventeen started new lives after Cell´s defeat.

She remembered Marron´s birth and how Eighteen held her in her arms the first time.

Even if none of all this ever actually happened to her. No - this was the life of the original 18, not hers.

She remembered fighting with the others for the survival of their universe and all the others in the Tournament of Power.

And Seventeen´s final wish.

"Please restore all the universes that were erased." She clearly heard Seventeen´s voice inside her mind.

Why had the original 17 even asked for something like this? Why helping this other universes?

It seemed to serve no purpose for them.

But at the same time she recalled the feelings the original Eighteen had when she originally watched this scene. Why had Eighteen been so happy about it?

And then she remembered the original Eighteen´s possession by - well, by her...

... and how everything Eighteen had become was nearly taken away from her again. How she was forced to try take over the world, threatening her husband and daughter and try to kill her allies and friends.

And finally the Android understood. Not just why the original 17 and 18 had turned on Gero - she just... understood.

xxxx

"I can not," she finally said.

Gero in this moment lost all restrain he had left.

"Twenty One!" he screamed in a wild rage. "Absorb this failure of an Android... and then kill them all."

"Oh - yess!" 21 shouted. She threw herself at Neo Eighteen with a wide grin, preparing another magical blast to transform and eat her.

While Neo Eighteen was still hanging confused and undecided in mid-air.

But before she reached her, Gotenks interferred and send her backwards with a kick. The magical attack 21 send out missed her target and disappeared into the air.

Gotenks was not sure if the Android would even thanks them her rescue. But there was no way he would allow 21 to become even more powerful.

Beside that, it just felt right to do this.

One moment later however another unlucky thing happened. The time for the Fusions had run out.

And suddenly it were not longer Gotenks and Kefla, but Trunks, Goten, Caulifla and Kale, standing beside them.

Gero now finally managed to break free of Goku´s hold on him and free his arms, as another terrifying wave of energy was flowing through his body.

To keep himself from loosing control like the original Broly did, Gero and 21 had placed several security systems inside his new body. Partly through the genetic engineering itself, partly through bio-mechanical power-relais, that were helping to regulate the energy flow.

But this safety-systems were already at their absolute limit.

And Gero/Broly let out a terrible scream as more and more green shimmering energy was flowing into his body.

Here is the new chapter. It is a bit shorter, but this seemed like a good point for the break.

So the final end of the New-Future Arc will then be in the next one.