Author's note: Hey, guys, thanks for the reads, & the reviews. I love getting those alerts. Please feel free to keep them coming, & let me know your thoughts as the story progresses.
Written by: SparkerLightning & StevenBodner.
Edited by: StevenBodner
Chapter 67
As smoke rolled and fire climbed, Goku and Android 16 squared off. Goku's hair was golden and his eyes were set. Looking up at his enemy, he let a slight smile cross his lips.
Android 17 and Android 18 stood behind their big, younger, brother. They each kept an eye on the father in front of them, and the son behind him.
"You don't need to do this." Gohan asserted. "You don't have to kill me. We don't need to fight. You don't need to die here, today."
Android 16 slowly shook his head. His eyes shifted as he did so, never leaving their position in space. "I was created to destroy you. This is my only purpose, Son Goku. I exist to kill you, and for no other reason."
"I get that." Goku said, slowly lifting his hands in front of him, lowering his aura, and trying to make himself even smaller to this giant. "You're not the first Android I've met whose purpose was to destroy. I have a friend, his name is Eighter. He's an Android created by the Red Ribbon Army, Android 8. But he doesn't want to fight. He doesn't want to kill. He was created to be a weapon, and now he is a shield for his entire village."
Android 16 did not move, nor did his companions.
Goku's smile warmed. "What I'm trying to tell you, Android 16, Sixteener, is that you, are not a gu..."
Android 16 cut off Goku's words, as he cut off his air supply. Snapping his hands to Goku's throat, he held his palms back as he dug his fingers into both sides of his neck. Stop the air. Stop the blood. Stop the air. Stop the blood. Stop the Saiyan.
Goku clutched Android 16's wrists in his hands. Gasping for air, he pulled on them. He tried to pull them apart, or away, or squeeze them so they'd loosen, but they would not move.
"The failure of previous models does not indicate a failure in myself." Android 16's voice drawled. "Son Goku, prepare for death."
Exhaling, Goku nodded at Android 16, his chin colliding with the brute's thumbs. Feeling his neck begin to throb, he knew that this was it. The Android would not be reasoned with. The Android was out for blood, and would not be satisfied until he was dead. His lunges empty and oxygen failing to get to his brain, Goku's body reflexively reacted. His Super Saiyan aura surrounded him once more, and his power spiked to its peak.
While Android 16 expected death throws, expected to be lashed out at, the power Goku unleashed was beyond what he had anticipated. He would still kill Son Goku, he just may be a bit more dented than he had expected.
Still acting purely on well-honed instinct, Goku adjusted his grip to focus only one wrist. At the same time, he snapped at the waist, wrapping his legs around the arm he held.
As Goku's vision began to darken he snapped himself once more, forcing Android 16's arm to bend, and for the large fighter to bring him closer. Now within range, Goku smashed the bottom of his other foot into the base of Android 16's jaw.
Against his will, Android 16's grip loosened on Goku's throat as he was pushed away. He tried to maintain grip, let the Saiyan go but claim his throat, but he was too slow and Goku had escaped.
Landing on his feet, and immediately taking several long steps backwards, Goku inhaled his first breath past his last. Reaching up he rubbed his neck, front and sides. "Straight for the throat." He said under his breath. Looking over his shoulder he spotted Gohan, just a few paces away. "Don't get involved. Stay out of this one. Okay?"
Reluctantly Gohan nodded, fingers crossed in his pocket.
"Okay, Sixteener, have it your way." He exhaled again, quickly drawing in fresh breath. His aura pulsed as he did so, growing slightly larger than just a moment ago. "If you want to fight, we'll fight. If you want to die, you'll die."
Android 16 took a moment to respond. While he stood there, he analyzed Goku. His body, his ki, and his vitals. Comparing what he saw in front of him to what he knew of the warrior's past, Android 16 built a virtual model of Goku. A million times he battled that foe in the moment it took him to respond, and a million times he adjusted his strategy. "My calculations show that you may win this battle, however the chances of such an outcome are low. You only have a 46.995% chance of victory at this moment, and those odds continue to decrease as the fight continues."
"If you'd like to discuss math, you're fighting the wrong guy." Goku said as he sank back into his fighting pose. "I've never been a fan, so forgive me if I don't take that comment all too seriously."
Quickly dropping his front leg to its knee, Goku sank forward before charging. Staying low he ducked a wide block, before bolting up over a knee strike. Hammering his fist into Android 16's guard, he knocked him backwards.
Keeping up the pressure, he delivered several heavy punches into Android 16's metallic gut and face. As elbows crashed down at him, he had no issue curling out of the way and replacing his fists with feet, and his own elbows with knees.
Bringing his knee up, Android 16 forced Goku's right hand to stop short of impacting his Red Ribbon symbol. Acting on the information as soon as his sensors were aware of it, Android 16 wrapped Goku's fist in his own, forming a metal boxing glove for the Saiyan.
Lashing out, Goku smashed his left fist into Android 16's grasping hand. His fingers dully throbbed from the impact, yet Android 16 seemed to be unmoved by the attack. Winding up to swing again, Goku found his free hand also within Android 16's.
Pulling his hands together, towards his face, Goku curled his legs up. He'd plant his feet on Android 16's chest and force himself away. He was big, he had a lot of reach, but he wouldn't be able to stretch his arms the length of Goku's body…
Denying Goku his freedom, Android 16 snapped his arms out. Pulling Goku into his chest, he threatened to pull his arms out of their sockets.
Goku screamed as he fought to keep himself from being ripped apart.
Android 16's mouth dropped open, nearly echoing Goku's gesture. Where agony and volume poured from Goku's open mouth, at first nothing did from Android 16's. Then, a hint of white light, and then, a massive, coning, beam. He tried to maintain his grip on Goku, to let the Mouth Beam burst through his chest, but the blunt power of the beam overpowered even his own grip, and Goku was sent flying once more.
As the beam moved towards the distance, it widened. As the beam widened, its force on Goku gradually lessened. When it reached the first building in its path, it had no difficulty destroying three of the lower floors, and driving Goku through it and onward. When it reached the second building, only two stories were erased, and when it hit the third, only one. At the fourth building, it fizzled out before pushing Goku clear.
While the floor Goku found himself on was not completely destroyed, the women's footwear section, he found himself in was virtually unrecognizable, as were the numerous people that occupied the floor.
Rocketing forward, Goku came to a quick stop. The three buildings he had just battered through, were nothing more than rubble. Smoke once again filled the air, hiding the Android from his sight. Taking a moment to examine himself, he found that the left side of his shirt had been torn to rags, his shoulder completely exposed. His knuckles were cut, and he had bruises forming from impacts he couldn't remember. Rotating his shoulders, he found slight discomfort, yet full mobility.
Turning back to see where he had come from, he saw a wall of glass, with falling lines of concrete and metal marking its surface. No. No. He hadn't been pushed through the building entirely, yet enough of the structure was weakened that it was collapsing only a few lanes of traffic away from him. Looking down at the road he saw cars. He saw tons of glass and rubble. He no longer saw cars.
There were too many people here. Too many deaths already. He wouldn't target them, he'd pull his punches if they were in the way. But Android 16 wasn't the same. He didn't seem to want to target them, but he had no issue killing them if they were in his way. In Goku's way when he was the subject of an attack… he had to get out of here.
"UP!" Goku shouted as he shot himself into the air. In a matter of seconds the buildings were nothing but a carpet below him, and after a few more seconds his son was at his side once again.
"Are you okay, Dad?" Gohan asked, concern not quite filling his voice, as he took in his relatively unharmed father.
"Yeah." Goku responded as he looked around. He saw the blonde girl, slowly rising into the air, but her brother, and Android 16, were nowhere to be seen. "Where are they? I need to get Android 16 away from the city." He asked as he continued to search.
"I'm right here." Lapis said from behind Gohan, arms crossed.
Goku snapped his attention to the Android, but he did not move to attack.
Uncrossing his arms, Lapis pointed one hidden palm towards Gohan's back, and his other hand pointed up. "My friend is up there."
Goku followed Lapis' finger, and the sun was eclipsed for a moment as Android 16 came into view. Spinning like a whirlwind, he barely avoided the meteoric attack.
As Android 16 flew past Goku, he began to slow. He had put too much energy into the attack though, and wasn't able to stop before hitting the ground. Without losing sight of his target, Android 16's feet challenged the Earth, and the Earth lost.
Immediately Goku began his downward charge. Android 16 had a good idea, but Goku was too quick, too nimble. With the shoe on the other foot, he should have no issue landing his blow.
A wave of energy washed out from where Android 16 hit the ground, moving two city blocks in all directions. The surrounding buildings, both previously damaged and untouched, were reduced to rubble, which both piled where their foundations had been, and flew out in all directions over the rest of West City.
Android 16 raised his arms over his head right as Goku's fist came down. While he was pushed down, he kept his arms up, and Goku away. As the force fell away, and Android 16 was free to move, he struck out at the suspended Super Saiyan.
Goku flipped backwards, before taking to the air. As he baited the Android to a new battlefield, he failed to notice that his foe had already moved.
Android 16 appeared in front of Goku, fist already swinging.
Goku brushed it aside with his right arm, pushing himself to his left. Letting the motion carry him onward, he ducked under Android 16's right arm, and came up behind him. Bringing his fingertips from both hands to the sides of his forehead, he pushed off of Android 16 with both feet.
Android 16 spun freely as he counteracted the force put on him by Goku. Surprisingly, the Saiyan hadn't fled. He was there, only a few strides away.
"SOLAR FLARE!" Goku called as he let his ki rage out from him. It was less forceful than usual, but far brighter and far quicker. A second sun had blipped into existence in West City, before vanishing once more.
Android 16's world vanished just as quickly. He could not see. He could not hear. He could not detect the outside world. Ten, nine, eight. He lashed out in all directions… he tried to lash out in all directions, but received no feedback, no confirmation his desired actions were performed. Seven, six, five.
Taking his time, not wanting to have his skull crushed, Goku waited for Android 16 to overextend himself. Since his flailing had no set pattern, he did not need to wait long. As Android 16's arm was outstretched, Goku grabbed onto his wrist with one hand. He bought his other hand to his forehead, and in a pop they were gone.
Gohan charged forward landing where his father had been a moment ago. There was nothing. "Where did you go?" He muttered to himself as he touched his two fingers to his forehead as well. "Dad." He closed his eyes and focused.
Android 16 was a nonentity, but Goku stood out plainly. He wasn't far, not too far anyway. He was still on Earth, on the far side… not too far from his brother, from Korin, from Kami… if Kami was still there.
Pushing the thought away, Gohan pushed himself away. He'd move, West City to Kami's Lookout. Except, he didn't move.
He opened his eyes, and the world was blue.
Trying to use his own Instant Transmission once again, he again did not move.
"What the?"
He punched out at the blue barrier that surrounded him. He had no impact on it. Pulling his ki to the surface, he brought his power to its maximum. Charging forward with a single kick, he bounced harmlessly away to the far side.
"Feel free to keep it up." Lapis said from behind him.
Gohan turned to face Lapis. They were only a few feet apart, and Lapis' hand was glowing with the same blue that surrounded him.
Lazuli landed beside her brother, and a moment later a red shell appeared over the blue prison sphere.
"Don't worry." She said. "We don't want to kill you, yet."
"Yeah, we're just going to keep you out of Android 16's hair for now. We wouldn't want you to accidentally get involved… because then we would need to get involved." Lapis winked at his sister.
"We'd rather let Android 16 focus on your father. If Son Goku would stop resisting, then he'd get a quick death." Lazuli licked her cold, unfeeling, lips.
"Once he's done with Son Goku, we'll let him take care of you. The less you resist, the less it will hurt, and the quicker we can move on to the rest of the world. So, just relax. It'll all be over soon, Son Gohan." Lapis smiled at his sister, and the pair of them rose into the air, their captive dangling between them. Slowly, they set off towards where their sensors told them Android 16 was.
At Kami's Lookout
Mr. Popo had a thought, and his nearly empty watering can was refilled. Moving from his section he had just finished tending to the next, he smiled at a small blue bird that followed him. Leaning forward to inspect the delicate orange and white flowers in this section of garden, he became level with a spontaneous cloud of dirt and detritus. Falling backwards he took in Goku, brawling a giant of a man.
"No!" Mr. Popo shouted as he lifted both his hands, palms up, towards the fighters. "Goku, you cannot fight here!"
As Mr. Popo spoke, Android 16 swung his arm wide, trying to free himself from Goku's grasp. Unfortunately for him, Goku held strong, and simply moved freely through space, not losing his stance, still attached to his wrist.
"I'm sorry!" Goku shouted in return, trying to not be thrown away. "I couldn't think of anywhere else safe." In a flash he adjusted his grip, and delivered a powerful blow to the back of Android 16's head.
Barely reacting from the punch, Android 16 took a moment to process his new location. Goku was still grabbing him. Reaching out, he grabbed Goku's shirt in a clinched fist, and began to rise further into the sky.
"Get Kami and get out of here!" Goku's shout quieted as Android 16's speed picked up.
"Release me." Android 16 said flatly.
"No." Goku shouted back as he tried to draw more power forward.
"Okay." Android 16 did not hesitate. Smashing his fist upward, he processed a sharp crack from Goku's jaw. Taking advantage of the dazed Saiyan, he snapped his own, restrained, fist towards his head, smashing Goku's hand between his arm and his forehead.
Goku cried out a gargled scream of pain as his grip, and fingers, broke under the Android's assault.
Quickly inverting both himself and Goku, Android 16 adjusted his grip on the Saiyan. Flipping over once again, he left Goku upside down. Flinging his gripping hand down, he shot Goku towards the Earth, far below. Letting his free fist follow the attack, he delivered a powerful downward chop, ensuring that once the Gohans were destroyed, even if Goku lived, there would be no more Saiyan offspring to exterminate.
Barely avoiding biting through his tongue with jagged teeth, Goku curled into a ball as he soared towards the Earth. His golden aura made him appear as a shooting star, one that wouldn't grant a wish. Forcing his energy down and out, he was barely able to slow himself, stopping only a few dozen yards above the trees in the Land of Korin.
Spotting Korin's tower in the distance, Goku barely had time to process the energy coming from it before Android 16 was on him again. Getting his guard up, he failed to dodge a single blow. He deflected many, and blocked more, but each attack made contact. Each kick threatened to snap him, each knee promised to shatter him, and each punch nearly went through him.
He wasn't taking any direct hits, but each hit still hurt, still drained him and his reserves.
With a flicker of thought, Android 16 projected a heavy blow towards Goku's skull. If it landed, it would turn his head to mist. If it was blocked, it would leave him undefended. If it was deflected… Goku would strike back, but he couldn't strike hard enough.
Goku crossed his arms in front of his face, and Android 16's fist felt unstoppable. Goku didn't go rigid, he resisted, but not as much as he could. He let Android 16 push his arms back, he let his arms smash into his face, he sacrificed his arms to cushion the blow to his head, and he left himself wide open.
Android 16 jabbed out with his other fist. The attack was fast and, while planned, was unprepared. He didn't, couldn't, put nearly as much force behind it as he intended, not without allowing Goku to block. Goku couldn't block though, at Android 16's fist buried itself in Goku's gut.
Behind his arms, behind Android 16's fist, Goku's mouth opened yet again. Air rushed out, followed by a wave of red blood and yellow bile.
The fist was retracted from Goku's head, and he crumpled over the one in his stomach. He gasped for air, taking none in. Another wave of fluid coated Android 16's leg as he delivered his next attack.
Android 16's leg shot up into Goku's downward gazing face. His knee directly struck Goku's nose, which shattered into a puff of red.
Goku's head snapped backwards, and now facing the sky, the sun, his conscious thoughts began to fade, and his subconscious thoughts began to race
A short distance away, atop Korin's tower, Mr. Popo's flying carpet hovered just inside of the railing. With Korin's help, Mr. Popo loaded the infirmed before stepping onto his artifact as well. Reaching a hand out to Korin, the duo paused.
"Please come with me." Mr. Popo begged, his eyes filling with tears.
"I said no." Korin shook his head as he turned his back to Mr. Popo, as he turned his attention to Goku and the beast he was battling. "Now, get 'em help."
Korin watched as Goku was launched backwards, but the beast was instantly on him. The larger fighter grabbed Goku's ankle and whipped him left, right, up, and released him on the down swing.
As Goku flew headfirst towards the ground, he lifted his hands over his head. One palm open, fingers splayed, ready to absorb the impact. The other hand had several fingers fanned out, yet several twisted in unnatural ways. Reaching the ground he let the impact roll over and through him. His fingers and wrists, his elbows and shoulders, would probably never move without pain again, but he stopped himself from smashing headfirst into the planet.
Android 16 was on the ground a moment after Goku. Where Goku was coiled from the impact, Android 16 was bent backwards, hands clinched over his head, smashing a double fist towards the base of Goku's spine.
Goku acted first though. Releasing his energy he forced the planet down, and his feet up. One foot shattered against Android 16's smashing hands, but was able to knock them off course. The other caught Android 16 in the chin, and actually knocked the Android a half step back.
Android 16 quickly caught himself, pulled his right fist back, and swung low, aiming between Goku's inverted shoulders.
Goku was too nimble though, and while his body screamed at him to stop, he continued. Rotating on his hands he pushed off of the ground, flipping as he bounced himself away, and landed on his feet.
Hopping backwards, away from Android 16, Goku took a moment to push his hands into his stomach. The good held the bad, and they both rubbed his stomach. "I'm impressed." He spoke honestly. "I can't remember the last time a single blow cause that much damage." With his breath caught, he moved to straighten his broken nose, only to find a mess of bloody pulp. "I thought it was harder to breathe."
"My data shows that you have a passion for combat, even when losing." Android 16 droned. "Are you enjoying your death?"
"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't enjoying this." Goku said with a slight smile. "But this isn't my death. I'm not going to die here. I'd rather neither of us die, but if you insist, one of us will, and it isn't going to be me." Taking a deep breath through his mouth, he shot the air through his sinuses. A blob of mush flew from his face, and Goku tried inhaling through where his nose was. It was uncomfortable, but it worked.
Flexing his fingers and toes, Goku took inventory of his injuries. Left hand, two broken fingers. Right foot, who knows how many broken bones, but he could still move his toes. Nose, gone. Ribs, at least one cracked.
"Are you ready for round two?" He asked as he slid his right foot back, making a line between it, his left foot, and Android 16.
Goku waited a moment for the Android to respond, and he did not.
Charging forward Goku led with his fists. His attacks were fast and heavy, but inaccurate. None were landing, as he didn't have time to aim while this close to Android 16, while in his range, while having to dodge.
Android 16 dodged every attack, while returning his own. Something had changed though, Goku wasn't blocking, wasn't deflecting. The attacks were either being dodged, or glancing blows. He just couldn't nail him down.
Using his left hand to push Android 16's left arm across his body, Goku struck at the momentary opening. Delivering a heavy haymaker with his broken hand, Goku stunned Android 16.
With the Android not reacting to the blow, not recoiling, not countering, not moving, Goku ducked down low, sinking to his left knee. Whipping out with his already broken foot, he smashed his boot into the center of Android 16's jointed knee. Completing the combo he planted his right foot on the ground, lifted his left elbow in front of his face, and launched himself up, smashing his attack between Android 16's eyes, from within his guard.
Android 16 fell backwards. Hitting the ground he sprawled out. The sun was bright, appearing yellow, but white in reality. He saw both colors, the visible, and the unfiltered. As moment later, he was once again functional.
Goku bounced on his toes, appearing nearly as a boxer, as he put more distance between himself and the Android. "Come on, get up." He said, blowing more air through his remainder of a nose. "I know you're not done yet."
Android 16 shifted his eyes down towards his feet, towards the nearly dancing Goku. In one fluid motion he lifted his back off the ground, pushed himself over his legs into a runners stance, before charging forward.
His attacks were heavier now, even glancing blows threatening to remove limbs. However, Goku was too fast when not countering every attack. Kicks went wide, punches went high, and elbows fell short. While Android 16 lashed out, Goku nimbly danced through the assault.
Taking his time, letting Android 16 set the pace, Goku waited. The force of each blow was intimidating, but beneficial as well. Air was condensed in front of the attacks, and their pressure waves aided Goku, pushing him in the correct direction to avoid being struck down.
After over a minute of nothing but avoiding death, Goku finally found his first opening. Android 16 had kicked out with his right leg, his left arm was extended backwards to balance him out, and his right arm was drawn back, prepared to strike once the leg was retracted. Goku smashed a ki-powered chop into Android 16's throat, a death blow for any organic being that had to breath, but nothing more than an inconvenience for the Android. Once the damage had been done, and the fleshy tone plating cracked, Goku let his attack spin him around, bringing his foot around to crash into Android 16's nose, before pushing off his chest with his other foot, and once more putting distance between them.
"You're tough, but you're starting to break down." Goku pointed at Android 16's throat, before using his thumb to mime cutting his own. Widening his feet once more, Goku planted both his hands at his right side.
Android 16 studied Goku's stance before recognizing the signature attack of the Turtle Hermit. "Your hand is broken. Summoning the Kamehameha will destroy your inward twisted fingers."
Goku smiled and nodded. "I can live with a few less fingers. Can you live, function, without your chest?" Under his breath he began the chant. "Ka… Me…"
"That attack will have no impact on me. You will die." Android 16 began to walk towards Goku, who shifted his feet, half step by half step, to stay away from the Android.
"Ha… me…" The ball of blue light spawned between Goku's palms. The mass of energy formed around his inward bent fingers, as Android 16 had predicted, and just as Android 16 predicted, they were instantly destroyed, the wounds being sealed by the attack's power. The pain shot through his entire body, however he was able to seal it away in his mind, close it in its own ball, let it swirl, twist, rage, grow, until he could use it. "HA!" He shouted as he launched the attack, nearly at pointblank range, towards Android 16.
Android 16 put both of his hands in front of him. He couldn't absorb the attack, but he could handle it. He caught the wave in his hands and stepped forward. He did not move. He stepped forward again, moving backwards. Setting his feet in the ground, he continued to be pushed. Leaning forward, bracing himself against the Earth, he arrested his retreat.
The attack was easy to hold back, even if it held him back. It's power was growing, but not quickly enough to matter. Goku would fizzle out long before the attack got to the point of being dangerous. Retracting one hand, Android 16 split the beam to either side of himself as he prepared a counter.
Reaching down, Android 16 grabbed a large rock, the size of one of his massive fists, and concentrated on it. Wrapping it in his artificial energy, he prepared to throw it before, without notice, the Kamehameha stopped. Jolting forward by the sudden absence force against him, Android 16 was sent to the ground by Goku's hammer fists smashing into the back of his head.
Android 16 let his energy go, dropping his regular rock back to the ground. Pushing himself up to all fours, he pieced together what had happened, and thought about what he could do, what he would have to do, to stop it from happening again. Goku was too quick, to slippery.
Dancing several paces backwards, Goku kept his eye on Android 16's rising back. He wanted to strike, to chop him in half, but he knew he didn't have the power at this moment, or rather, Android 16's defenses were still too high. He'd have to keep picking away at him, weakening him, wearing him out, before delivering a final blow.
"You may have data on me." Goku acknowledged. "You may know my tactics, my strengths, and my weaknesses. But your knowledge of combat is lousy. It doesn't matter if you know what I'm going to do, if you don't know how to react to it."
"I have data on your combat tactics. I have data on your master's combat tactics. I have data on other Saiyans, other aliens." Android 16 droned as he turned to face Goku once again. "It is not just you I know."
"Knowledge and experience are two different things." Goku rephrased his previous statement as he returned to his fighting stance.
"I have limited battlefield testing. That is correct." Android 16 took a step forward, and Goku matched it backwards. "But I have been gaining experience as we have battled so far, and will use what I have learned now, as I use my maximum power." The ground around him began to shake, as no visible aura appeared.
Goku sharply inhaled through what was once his nose. Semi-dry blood clogged the hole and he choked for a moment before clearly his airway. "Wait, what? Maximum power?" That wasn't it? He was holding back?
Android 16 closed his eyes, and a moment later the ground finally settled. Tilting his head back he widened his stance and brought his hands to the height of his shoulders. Snapping his arms down, his head forward, and opening his eyes, the landscape around them cracked like a marble struck with a sledgehammer.
The ground under Goku's feet crumbled apart as he took flight. He couldn't sense any power, but he felt it. There was no aura, but he was being pushed back, repelled. He tried to hold his place, but was unable to.
Nor were the surrounding trees. The Land of Korin was uprooted as a wave rushed out from Android 16. An invisible tsunami carried rocks, trees, and wildlife, in a spiraling, outward rushing, current.
"You will die today." Android 16 said as the chaos around him settled. "Your power level is currently only measured at 352,736,182. Mine is registering at 420,055,016. Surrender now and this will not hurt."
Goku gulped air through his mouth. His face was coated in dirt, blood, pulp, and now rivers of sweat mixed with it all. Android 16 is sloppy, absolutely unskilled, but at the level of power he's packing, that didn't really matter. All it would take is a few lucky blows, or possibly even one, and he'd be dead. This was bad, and putting his mind to it, he didn't know of a way out.
"Do you know who else boasted about his power level?" Goku said as he visibly surged his golden aura. It wouldn't make a difference, he was already at his maximum, but he hoped Android 16 would assume he was still holding back, as he typically would, as he would if he could. "Frieza. And you know what? He's dead and gone."
Android 16 disregarded Goku's comment as he charged forward. One punch and it would be over. As he threw the attack, Goku raised his guard.
Goku blocked the attack, leaning into it. His bones ached before, but they cracked now. While he stopped the fist from connecting with his head, he was still pushed backwards, thrown backwards, shot backwards. He kept his feet under him, behind him, until he hit the nearest still solid ground. He was buried knee deep before he finally stopped.
Android 16 was in front of him, eye-to-eye, already swinging his follow up attack. Goku reflexively jumped backwards, but his feet were stuck, and while he managed to dodge the attack, he was still too close.
Forming a, what could generously be called a Kamehameha, in his broken and burnt right hand, Goku slammed it in the form of an uppercut into Android 16's jaw.
Android 16's head was knocked back, and for a moment Goku felt a glimmer of hope. Then, Android 16's head snapped back, smashing his forehead into his victims.
The force of the attack rang Goku like a bell. The ground that trapped him shattered to dust as his brain violently shook in his skull. This wasn't good, but he was free. He was flying backwards, but he was free.
Sticking both of his hands out in front of him, Android 16 pointed his palms at Goku, before closing his fists. As he calculated his next move, he focused his energy.
Goku, once he regained his senses, was able to thrust his energy behind him, once again stopping. As four Android 16s became two, and two became one, he tilted his head. This was new.
"Goodbye, Son Goku." Android 16 droned as rings of smoke puffed from each of his wrists, followed by fire, as his fists shot towards the Saiyan scum who destroyed his creator's creations.
The two fists spiraled around each other as they flew, and Goku tried to calculate a way to block them both. Finding none, and eventually fearing an explosion, he decided to take to the air.
As the pair of fists drilled under his feet, Goku turned to watch their retreat into the distance. Unfortunately for him, he saw them curl up, and around, to again aim directly for him.
Glancing over his shoulder, seeing Android 16 hadn't moved, Goku considered blasting the ground, throwing up dust. If Android 16 couldn't see him, perhaps the fists couldn't either. But, the Android could sense his energy, and he couldn't sense anything from Android 16 or from the fists. That wouldn't work.
Focusing on the fists Goku began to charge to the right, they followed. As they began to close on him, he hooked around to fly towards them, and as they neared, he shot down, diving under them, before returning to their level. Turning around, he watched as they turned once again.
This time, the spiraling, drilling, fists separated. The left went right, and the right went left. In addition, both fists opened, and slowed.
While bullets began firing from one, ki blasts shot from the other. While each projectile was distinct, the rate of fire made the bullets appear to be a rail of metal, and the energy spheres appeared to be a single beam. Where the bullets hit the ground pits were formed, cored with needle like bullets, several feet deep. Where the energy blasts hit the ground, craters formed, the center of one only inches from the center of the previous. While each one only ate away a small chunk of the planet, they were quickly compounding, and the trench formed by the attacks would be as deep as Korin's Tower was tall if they persisted.
"Just how many tricks do you have?" Goku asked as he barely avoided the attacks. They weren't just rotating in the air, but they were tracking him, and moving through space. They were invisible to his ki sense, and he had no way of knowing how dangerous they were, aside from the impact they were having on the Earth.
"As many as you can handle, plus one." Android 16 answered as he monitored both his attack, and Goku's defense.
Back at Capsule Corp
*beep*, *beep*, *beep*
Deep under Capsule Corp Piccolo was laid flat on a sterile white table. His arms were at his side, and his clothes were completely removed.
Jeice stood at the end of the table, near his feet, red tinted energy flowing from him into the critically wounded Namekian.
"Bulma?" Dr. Brief asked as she pulled back a section of flesh on his patient.
*beep*, *beep*, *beep*
"Yes, Dad?" Bulma asked as she scribbled notes on what she saw.
"When this is done, remind me that my next degree needs to be a practical astrobiology degree, okay?"
"Dad, probably less than two dozen people on Earth know for a fact that aliens are real, and they almost all work for us." Bulma noted that the burnt, dead, flesh inside Piccolo was unmoving, but when her dad scraped a sample away, the raw flesh underneath pulsated, and almost seemed to bloom. It grew, but wouldn't touch the dead tissue. He was trying to heal, but he'd need help, and fast.
*beep*, *beep*, *beep*
"Then, remind me to invent the field of practical astrobiology, please." Dr. Brief dropped his scraper to the table and held a hand out behind him.
Videl and Panchy exchanged a glance.
"Scissors." Dr. Brief barked.
*beep*, *beep*
Before Panchy could register the words, Videl already had them in hand, and passed them to Dr. Brief.
Dr. Brief identified the largest chunk of burnt flesh. He didn't know exactly what it was, nor a human analog, but it appeared to be entirely dead. Slowly, millimeter by millimeter, he began to cut through it, hoping for live tissue.
He found none.
*beep*
"VIDEL." Dr. Brief barked as he discarded a chunk of removed flesh.
"Yes, Dr. Brief?" She looked away from the tray of tools, already having it memorized.
"His heart stopped." He checked the slowly monitor. '"You're going to need to pump it for him."
"I, I don't know CPR..." Videl looked from the doctor, who had just cut away another hunk of flesh and discarded it near Piccolo's hand, and Piccolo's cracked open chest cavity.
Silence.
"Not CPR. Grab it, and pump it." Dr. Brief made eye contact with Videl, who took only a moment to process the words.
Stepping up to Dr. Brief's right, near Piccolo's head, Videl reached down, into Piccolo's body. She grabbed what she thought, everyone hoped, was his heart.
It pulsed. The machine detected electrical signals. It must be his heart.
She raised it slightly, quickly discarding the electrode that had been attached with some kind of jell.
"Bulma, add a cardiopulmonary bypass machine to our supply list. We shouldn't need to do this manually."
Videl squeezed the squishy flesh with both hands before releasing it. It reinflated quickly, and she squeezed again.
"That's it, Videl, just like that." Dr. Brief returned to cutting, finally exposing raw flesh under the largest destroyed mass. As he took a four second break to sip water, he watched as it slowly began to pulse, slowly began to rebuild. "Bulma, we need to find a way to use, a way to mimic this in human biology."
"Noted." Bulma scribbled her note, followed by the word "Senzu?".
Back at the Land of korin
Appearing behind the pair of rocket powered fists, Goku fired a pair of his own attacks. One energy blast struck a glancing blow against Android 16's right hand, but a finger still came off, and its balance seemed to be affected. The other scored a direct hit against the left hand, and the rocket began to sputter.
Giving chase to the off-balance right hand, Goku grabbed it in his left hand. Delivering an uppercut with his right, he failed to shatter it like he hoped, but he did manage to stop the attack, and knock the rocket out of normal working order as well. As he turned to throw the hand at Android 16, he was stunned.
He was stunned to see that Android 16 was gone from his place on the ground, and now floated only a few yards away from him in the air, empty arms pointed directly at him.
He was also stunned by the hand he held in his own. As wild electricity shot through his body, he released his grip on the robotic part, which quickly flew away, circling behind Android 16 with its left counterpart.
"Goodbye, Son Goku." Android 16 vocalized as he fired his already prepared Hell's Flash. A pair of energy beams fired from his arms, making immediate contact with Goku, and carrying him down to, and into the ground.
Goku felt more like the planet had been dropped on his back, then he had been fired into it, as Android 16's attack faded. Taking shallow, jagged, breaths, he rolled himself over. Slowly, he pushed himself onto his hands and knees.
With his attack complete, Android 16 brought his legs together. Lifting his arms to the sky, he shot himself downward. As he did so, he also remotely connected his left hand first, before manually connecting his right.
Goku spat blood to the ground, several shards of teeth coming out with it.
Android 16 spread his feet out slightly as he impacted Goku. His left foot smashed into the base of Goku's spin, and his right smashed into the base of his neck. He was amazed that against all odds, the Saiyan was still fighting.
Goku opened his mouth to scream, but nothing but a rush of silent air escaped.
"You are still alive." Android 16 said as he lifted his right foot, smashing it down onto the back of Goku's head. He did not wait for a response, as his mouth would be too full of dirt to talk, assuming he had enough teeth, and his tongue hadn't been removed. "Surrender now, and I can kill you quickly."
After delivering one last, powerful, kick to the side of Goku's head, Android 16 jumped away from the Saiyan. Planting himself on the ground he began analyzing the latest exchange.
Slowly, painfully, Goku was once again able to turn himself, to face Android 16. With nothing but pure determination, he forced himself to his feet. Talking through gritted nubs of teeth, Goku cursed. "You don't get it, do you? I am not going to die today. Neither of us have to. But if you insist, you will. Stop this, now, and we can both live."
"You will die." Android 16 stated. "Nothing else matters." He lifted his closed fists towards Goku once again. His hands were damaged, but so was he. This should work this time.
Before Android 16 could fire his attack, Goku was gone.
Before Android 16 could turn to face where he knew Goku was, Goku attacked.
Goku's double ax kick cracked into Android 16's head, and to both of their amazement Android 16 was sent flying from the assault.
Not wasting the opening, Goku rapidly fired a barrage of high-powered energy blasts from both hands after the out of sorts Android. Every blast hit. Every hit chipped away more and more at the beast. While he couldn't see the damage to Android 16, not through the smoke and the fire, he knew damage was being done. These blasts would have harmlessly bounced off of him at the start of this battle, but now they were detonating, and their power was compounding.
Not wanting to give Android 16 room to act, Goku charged after him as he continued his assault. He couldn't see his target, but he knew where he was based on the where his blasts were detonating. Quickly catching up he stopped his assault for just a moment, before releasing a fresh, charged, assault at point blank range, from directly above the Android.
Goku stayed in the air, and when he knew Android 16 was no longer in control of his own movement, he allowed himself to stop his assault. He needed to breathe. He needed to recharge. He needed a break. He needed his sons. He needed his friends. He needed help. This was too much.
Smoke filled the air for several seconds, and Goku couldn't see anything, but carried by a single bubble of pressure, it cleared.
Android 16 stood on the ground. His synthetic flesh was either burnt black or peeled away. No one could mistake him for human at this point. Furthermore his armor was gone, leaving him only in his black bodysuit. Even his boots and gloves were gone.
Goku didn't know what that fabric was, but quickly noting the state of his own tattered clothes, he thought he'd have to talk to Bulma about getting some of it for himself.
"Congratulations, Son Goku." Android 16's voice carried a slightly different tone, as if excitement was supposed to be expressed, however it just sounded fowl to Goku's ears.
"Your chances of victory have increased to 49.55%." Android 16 slowly began to rise into the air. "Assuming you are able to continue fighting at the level you just displayed."
As Android 16 rose, Goku fell, until they were once again level. Both warriors were showing extreme signs of wear, but only one could be judged on their appearance.
Goku charged, and Android 16 did not react. Delivering a mighty roundhouse kick to Android 16's face, he sneered.
Before Goku could get more distance between them, Android 16 retaliated with an uppercut to Goku's already bruised jaw.
Goku narrowly dodged the life-ending attack with the use of a spin. As he came around, he delivered an elbow, intended for Android 16's jaw, but to his throat instead.
Following Android 16's instructions, Goku maintained the assault. Without retreating he smashed fist after fist after fist into Android 16's unprotected face. He managed to land nearly a dozen blows before Android 16 countered.
Android 16 reached out, grabbing for Goku's torso, planning a bear hug, but the Saiyan was too quick.
Goku flipped over Android 16's hands, delivering a knee to his nose while doing so, followed by a series of swift kicks to the surrounding area of the Android's face.
Android 16 opened his mouth, getting several teeth knocked loose by Goku's assault, but managing to securely grab his foot while doing so. Getting a fresh hold on the Saiyan's ankle, Android 16 suffered several more kicks from Goku's free foot as he grabbed the Saiyan's shin in his other hand.
With a violent backwards snap, Android 16 securely removed Goku's left foot as a factor in the battle. Coupled with his already damaged right foot, he expected the Saiyan wouldn't be able to stand anymore. Ready to test his theory he lifted the screaming Goku into the air, before whipping him down towards the ground.
Goku was once again face first on the ground. This time though, he knew what to expect. Not wasting time getting on his hands and knees. Not wasting time nursing his broken ankle, he rolled. Using his arms and legs he managed to clear several feet of distance before Android 16 smashed into the ground where his head had been only a moment before.
Riding the shock wave from Android 16's attack, Goku tumbled onto his back. Bringing his hands to his side, he began to chant. "Ka… me…"
Android 16 was already on him. Grabbing Goku's right foot and lifting it into the air, he chopped at the front of the Saiyan's knee, forcing it to bend backwards.
Goku stopped chanting as a fresh scream filled the area around Korin's Tower.
Lifting Goku by the destroyed leg, Android 16 smashed him into the ground face first, then back first, then face first again, before throwing him into the air.
Locating the fresh pains in his mindscape, Goku isolated them. Knowing what would come next, he spun in the air.
Android 16 didn't expect the sudden rotation, and his head crushing blow glanced harmlessly, not painlessly, off of Goku's shoulder.
"ENOUGH!" Goku hollered as he launched a fresh assault of punches. Android 16 still wasn't experienced. Android 16 was still sloppy. Android 16 lowered his guard, and Goku lashed out with his right knee, only to receive a sudden jolt of pain.
Android 16 took several heavy blows, but gave just as many as he took. While his attacks mostly glanced off, they were still wearing down Goku at the same rate as Goku's direct hits were wearing him down. Goku would run out of gas first, and Android 16 would finish him well before he was in any real danger of death. His battle with Son Gohan would be difficult, but Lapis and Lazuli would be more than capable of finishing him off if he couldn't do it himself.
As Goku took the beating of his life. As Goku was beaten to death, he began to focus. Android 16 already couldn't land a complete hit. He just had to slow him down further. Redirecting his attacks from the monster's chest and head, he began to aim for his shoulders, his elbows, and for just a moment, his wrists. When he remembered the powerful cannons waiting to fire though, he quickly decided he should try not to give Android 16 reason to detach his fists again.
With his new, focused, attacks, Goku felt as if he was gaining more progress. Android 16 was still hard, nearly immovable, but with every repeated strike to the same joint, he felt slightly more give, slightly more flex, and he knew that if he could keep this up, if he could avoid death long enough, he could disable Android 16, and if he could disable him, he could destroy him.
Where was Gohan? Why hadn't he used Instant Transmission to follow him? The Androids likely couldn't use the technique, since it was the Yardratians technique, so he could have escaped. They could have fought Android 16 together, without the other two getting involved. Why wasn't he here? Was he okay? Had the Androids teamed up on him once he got Android 16 away?
No, he would have felt, even from this distance, if Gohan had begun to battle.
Goku aimed another jab at Android 16's left elbow, yet Android 16 shifted forward, trapping his fist in his armpit.
With the rat trapped, Android 16 snapped. He crushed his arm against his body, hoping to turn Goku's fist into a similar pulp as his nose, and at the same time he delivered a devastating right hook to Goku's ribs.
Several shattered, and once again Goku's mouth hung open in a silent scream.
Android 16 wound up, delivering a second punch, higher, on Goku's side.
This time though, Goku copied Android 16. Each warrior had the other's hand trapped, and their free hand stuck against their side, pinning the other. Goku would win this one, he had already began his counter.
"HA!" Goku screamed, spitting blood into Android 16's face.
A burst of blue light shout out from Goku's trapped fist, and it was immediately free. Furthermore, Android 16's exterior had visible cracks forming. It wasn't a bodysuit, it was paint.
That didn't matter though. What mattered was Goku's hand was free, and Android 16 was trapped… trapped against the weaker foe, who was now virtually immobile, that he had been programmed to destroy… Goku wrapped his hand around Android 16's captured wrist before releasing it, and quickly twisting to throw the brute to the ground behind himself.
As Android 16 soared towards the ground, Goku raised his damaged hands into the air. Flat palms up, he focused his ki, sharpened it, and let it shoot out. A dozen Kienzens shot from Goku's hands, following the unstable Android 16, ready to disassemble him as soon as they caught him.
Android 16 hit the ground, and immediately rolled back to his feet. Raising a single hand towards the incoming swarm, a green barrier formed around him. The first three discs shattered against the barrier, the next three glanced off in different directions, the third three began to crack the shield, and the last through managed to stay stable long enough to cut a six-legged X in front of Android 16's face, before fizzling out.
"Goodbye, Son Goku." Android 16 droned as the assault ended and he released his barrier. Rising into the sky, first matching Goku, then looking down at Goku, Android 16 shot both his hands forward at once, releasing a massive energy blast that was added to by a spherical Mouth Blast.
Goku raised his arms in front of him. He couldn't dodge this. He couldn't deflect it. And, even if it missed him, it would probably do too much damage to the Earth to allow. Letting the attack carry him towards the Earth, he was embedded into the ground.
As he was pushed deeper and deeper into the Earth, he spread his arms as wide as he could, and tried to do the same with his legs. No matter what he would be at the front of this attack, but if he could widen his area, he could reduce the force on any given point of his body.
To his amazement though, the attack vanished into thin air. At the same moment though, Android 16's foot appeared in his stomach, blowing him even deeper. Countless yards of bedrock later, the Earth gave way and Goku fell free of Android 16's path as they broke into a subterranean chamber.
Android 16 continued in a straight line, forming a small crater where he struggled to stop.
Goku flopped to the ground, and struggled to roll onto his stomach. He wouldn't have to worry about being stomped down here… and even if that was a concern, there was nothing he could do to stop it.
Reaching down Goku felt his stomach. He felt like Android 16 had kicked right through him, and while blood poured from his gut, the wound did not go clean through him as he had feared.
Not bothering with his legs, Goku hovered into the air.
"Goodbye, Son Goku." Android 16 droned as he stepped out of his crater, out of the beam of light from the surface, towards Goku.
"Do Androids have souls?" Goku asked as he grabbed the spheres of pain inside his mind and gathered them.
"No." Android 16 answered.
"Then I'm sorry. You won't even burn in Hell when I'm done with you." He cracked the isolated sensations open, and let the pain wash over him. "Kaio-Ken!" He shouted as blood red ki bled from every pore. "TIMES TWO!" His scream threatened to deafen himself, not that he would have noticed.
Goku's world was gone as his body moved. There was pain. There was anger. There was nothing else. He knew he was attacking, he knew he was ripping, tearing, punching, pulverizing, but nothing more.
Android 16 lifted his arms to block the charging Saiyan, and was buried in the wall of the cavern for his efforts. His left arm began to crack even further, and when he lashed out with it, trying to push Goku away, the Saiyan latched onto it. A moment later, the arm was on the cavern floor, and his combat effectiveness was greatly reduced.
Subconsciously realizing the change in combat circumstance, Goku released the Kaio-Ken, returning to his normal Super Saiyan state. The drain was over, but the pain continued, now refusing to be overlooked.
Seeing Android 16 deep in the wall, missing an arm, Goku smiled as he pulled his two hands together. "Goodbye, Android 16." He closed his eyes, pushing through the pain he found what little ki he had left. "Ka… me…"
"Goodbye, Son Goku." Android 16 droned.
"Ha… me…" Goku felt the familiar blue ball of energy form, and opened his eyes.
Android 16 was there.
Android 16 closed his right fist around Goku's throat and lifted him into the air before rocketing upward.
As Goku's head crashed into the rock ceiling, his Kamehameha dissipated.
Android 16 sent a signal, and his left fist detached from its arm and securely grabbed it.
As Goku's head carved a path to the surface, his Super Saiyan transformation was lost.
Android 16 watched Goku's power decrease.
As Goku's head collided with the soft dirt under blue sky, his remaining left him.
"Target, eliminated." Android 16's voice droned as Goku's body fell beside his head.
A moment later Android 16 extended his right hand once again, catching his left arm as it exited the hole he had cut through the rock. Contemplating it for a moment, he was able to seamlessly reattach it, before his left fist retook its place.
"GOOD SHOW!" Lapis called out.
"That was bloody brilliant!" Lazuli shouted from beside her brother.
Android 16 looked at them both, then between them, at the captive Saiyan. "Son Gohan. Prepare to die."
"No." Gohan said. "No. No." His lower jaw began to tremble. "No! NO! NO!" His aura burst into life once more.
"Dad." He couldn't see Goku's face, just the back of his head, and, and the base of… and… the gore… "DAD!"
Electricity began to run through Gohan's aura as the inside of the purple prison sphere was filled with his power. "NOOOOO!"
"What's happening?" Lazuli asked, turning to face her brother.
"I don't know!" He shouted back.
They each extended their free hand towards their prisoner, reinforcing their grasp on him.
"DIE! DIE! DIE! Gohan shouted from inside his cell. "DIE! DIE! DIE!" He repeated his scream.
As the twins struggled to contain Gohan, Android 16 flew to their level.
Placing his hands in his armpits, he removed them both, revealing his ki cannons. "Goodbye, Son Gohan."
Brilliant energy quickly formed in both of his arms, before the twin cannons fired at, and through, the twin's prison sphere.
Dust filled the air as all three Androids were thrown backwards. Swirling electrically infused energy began to rage, began to condense, began to clear the smoke.
When the smoke had been blown away, Gohan stood, unharmed. His gaze was focused on Android 16. His hair stood on end, and lightning ran over his body. "DIE!" He shouted as he prepared to strike.
Author's note: I'm sorry, there was no way Goku would have been able to win that fight. He came close though.