A/N: I'm back, with another exciting chapter of Rebirth of the Red Ribbon Army! It may seem like I'm rushing with the chapters, but the fact is that I'm also working on other fanfics, which I'm pretty some of you are aware of, and I find it difficult to focus on one sometimes because new ideas are continually entering my head for each story, so if I don't get them down fast, there's a chance I might forget them. But enough about that, thanks to my reviewers and hope you like this chapter!
Disclaimer - I own nothing
"I am Android number Zero, but you can call me Dr. Zero!" the Android introduced himself.
The Saiyans stared at the new Android with wide eyes. Needless to say, they were more surprised than disbelieving. "A-Android number Zero?" Gohan stammered.
"Impossible! We have Intel that there have only been 20 Androids total, the twentieth being Dr. Gero himself, and if you count the Bio-Android Cell, that makes 21! There's never been any more Androids than that, let alone an Android 0!" Trunks argued.
Dr. Zero chuckled at Trunks' reasoning. "True, Gero only created 21 Androids, and some were completed and improved by the supercomputer, but I was the only one aside from Cell that was created by the computer from start to finish," Zero explained. "In fact, I'm actually the Artificial Intelligence that belonged to the supercomputer."
"What?" the Saiyans cried.
"That's right. After the son of Vegeta here destroyed Cell before he could travel back to the past, I knew that it was only a matter of time before you came to the basement laboratory and wiped it out," Zero revealed. "I spent the last few months creating an Android duplicate body of Dr. Gero and transferred my own consciousness into it. Once the underground chamber was destroyed, my body was activated, which meant you came back to this timeline, Trunks."
"What about the rest of these guys? Where did they come from?!" Gohan questioned.
"You already seem to know the mercenary Tao child, which means you met him in the past," Zero deduced. "In fact, according to my sensors, you're Goku's son, Gohan. That means you're from the timeline that Trunks journeyed to. And if you know Tao, then you should know that this is him from this timeline."
"What about the others?! How are 13, 14, 15, and 19 here?!" Trunks inquired.
"Dr. Gero had already created us before he built 17 and 18, we were just put aside since we weren't strong enough to face Goku or his friends," 13 answered. "You must've already defeated our past selves since you know who we are, boy."
"I was created after Zero's body was built. The Supercomputer spent its time completing us and recruiting Master Shen, Tao, and even improving Major Metallitron, all of which were fighters that fought Goku and lost," 19 replied. "Shen was given cybernetics, and everyone else was upgraded to compete with the Super Saiyan state."
"Ha! If none of you could defeat Goku before he became a Super Saiyan, what makes you think you stand a chance at defeating us?!" Trunks asked.
"Trust me, boy, we know that we stand very little chance against the two of you, especially if both of you were stronger than Cell," Zero admitted. "However, our objective is not to fight you two till our deaths, it's to acquire your time machine."
"What could you possibly need the time machine for?!" Gohan inquired.
"It is very essential to our quest for world domination," Zero divulged. "An entire army of the best soldiers were no match for the power of one super strong alien warrior, a small battalion of fighting machines was still defeated by another alien fighter and his comrades, and the Bio-Android was defeated as well. Even though Commander Red and Dr. Gero are dead, their dream of conquering the earth still lives as long as someone is willing to follow it."
"What are you getting at?!" Trunks questioned.
"You've seen how much destruction 17 and 18 were able to cause with their power; imagine what would happen if the entire Red Ribbon Army had been like that from the start," Tao spoke up. Gohan and Trunks' eyes grew wide when they realized what the world would be like if there were more Androids than just those two. "Picture it: an entire legion of Androids, Bio warriors, and Cyborgs. Not even the Z Fighters of the past could save the earth from that kind of force."
"I believe you're both aware that Frieza was capable of conquering numerous planets with his soldiers of the Planet Trade Organization, as were his father and brother," Shen said. "If the Red Ribbon could produce fighters like that, it wouldn't be long before the earth, or even the universe was under our tyranny."
"Even if you could create an army of super soldiers, there aren't enough members of the Red Ribbon left alive for that," Gohan pointed out.
"What do you think we need the time machine for?" 15 asked.
The Super Saiyans' faces turned to one of shock and realization. "A-Are you saying that you want to use the time machine to somehow rebuild the Red Ribbon Army?!" Trunks shouted.
"You're as smart as your mother and grandfather, Trunks Briefs. Too bad they decided to waste their talents by opposing our organization. To answer your question, yes, we plan to recreate the Red Ribbon in the image of super soldiers," Zero answered. "With an entire army of the world's greatest Martial Artists, Military officers, Assassins, geniuses, psychics, and beings with extraordinary capabilities and Ki manipulation, all powered by cyber enhancements, the Red Ribbon will be unstoppable!"
"Not even Goku would be able to stand a chance against an army like that!" Tao said nefariously.
"There's no way we'll let you achieve that goal with the time machine!" Gohan told them.
"You have your father's spirit, Son Gohan; however, you and your friend are injured from your little sparring match. Your energies have reduced while my comrades are fresh and immune to pain as well as fatigue. Their energies are infinite; you stand little chance against us in a fight, so do the just thing, and surrender the time machine to us!" Zero ordered.
"If you want the time machine…" Trunks declared as he and Gohan took fighting stances. "You'll have to take from our dead bodies!"
"Saiyans are such a stubborn species, but if that is what you wish…" Zero sighed before he addressed his followers. "Kill them if you must, just make sure you get that time machine!"
All of the androids aside from Dr. Zero immediately charged at the Demi Saiyans. 13, 14, and 15 attacked Trunks while Major Metallitron, Mercenary Tao, Master Shen, and Android 19 went after Gohan. The son of Goku dodged a grapple attack from 19 since he was aware of his absorption abilities. "19 can absorb Ki through his hands. Energy attacks are a no go, and I need to avoid him grabbing me," Gohan thought as he blocked 19's assault; he then grabbed the large robot and tossed it away. He aimed his hand at it and cried, "Haah!" unleashing a kiai that blew 19 into a large rock; it crumbled immediately after he crashed into it. "Absorb that, android!" Gohan said mockingly.
"Eyes forward, monkey brat!" Shen yelled as he appeared in front of Gohan; before the boy could react, the crane master uppercut him in the chin. The boy was sent flying upward before he caught himself in mid-air; Gohan rubbed his chin as he stared at Shen.
"He's a lot stronger than I thought; his cybernetics must have boosted his skills to our level. Plus, since he's a fighter like Tien, he's even more dangerous than 17 and 18 were," Gohan thought. He then noticed something coming up from behind him; he turned around to see Tao descending toward him with his blade hand. Gohan quickly clamped his hands together and caught the sword before it could reach him. The two separated and Tao swung his sword at Gohan again; the black-haired Saiyan brought his power pole out and blocked the attack. The immortal Mercenary repeatedly slashed at Goku's son, who intercepted every one with his father's staff.
"You remind me so much of your father. I could never cut him with my sword either," Tao commented. "However, you're still not strong to defeat me!"
"Wanna bet?!" Gohan said as he kicked the Mercenary away. He then prepared to jab him with the power pole before he noticed a missile coming at him and dodged it. He looked down to see Major Metallitron with his mouth open; another rocket escaped the android's mouth and flew toward the Saiyan. Gohan swatted it back at the launcher with the power pole, and it crashed at the Terminator's feet and blew him backward.
"Not bad, kid, but try this!" Metallitron declared. He leveled his fists at the boy before firing them like rockets, yet Gohan just swung the staff like a baseball bat and sent the rocket fists back at the Android.
"You'll have to do better than that!" Gohan shouted.
"Don't get too cocky, boy!" Shen cried. The crane brothers both had their hands pointed at Gohan; they focused Ki into their fingers and shouted, "Double Dodon Ray!" as they fired two beams that fused into one superheated attack that flew toward their target. Gohan quickly tossed the power pole upward and placed his hands forward; the blast collided with his palms and pushed against his skin. Gohan gritted his teeth, and he struggled with the beam before finally deflecting it upward. The half Saiyan then started blowing at his now singed palms, attempting to cool them down. "Man that stung!" Gohan exclaimed before shaking it off and catching his staff. Android 19 suddenly jumped up and fired a blast at the monkey prince; Gohan simply extended the power pole and span it rapidly, blocking the attack. The explosion, however, created a cloud of smoke that surrounded Gohan, limiting his vision. Tao suddenly phased behind the half-breed and jabbed his arm that held the magic weapon. Gohan grunted as his left arm went numb and the power pole fell from his hand. "My arm, I can't feel it anymore," Gohan thought before he said out loud, "So, you can use pressure points, huh?"
"That's right boy! I wonder if you can fight with one arm as well as your future self-did before he died," Tao taunted.
"Why don't you see for yourself!" Gohan yelled as he roundhouse kicked the assassin in the face. He soon found himself surrounded by all four of the machines he was battling; they charged at him as he held up his one arm to defend. He evaded all of their strikes simultaneously; Gohan then grabbed Shen's wrist and slammed him into the Mercenary Tao. He blocked a punch from Metallitron and sent him plummeting toward the ground with an invisible eye blast. Gohan proceeded to dodge 19's attempts to grab him and elbow bashed him. "You're so focused on draining my energy that you're barely attacking me," Gohan noted. "You should be more offensive!"
"Shut up, brat!" 19 cried in outrage as he rushed at Gohan again. The chubby android resumed trying to get a hold of the Saiyan hybrid, who easily dodged him. 19 finally decided to take Gohan's advice when he fired eye beams at him, but Gohan ducked under the attack and punched 19 in the gut twice. The Android showed no sign of harm as he smirked and hand chopped the Saiyan. "Oh yeah, I forgot machines don't feel pain," Gohan recalled as he cracked his neck to recover from the blow. He then resumed battling 19, still incapable of using his left arm.
With the Saiyan prince, he blocked a punch from Android 14 and started trading blows with him. "You know, I defeated the Android 14 from the past," Trunks stated. "I'm going to enjoy cutting you in half a second time!" He then kicked 14 away and pulled out his sword; he rushed at the mechanical man, intending to slice him when he was intercepted by an energy blast. Trunks looked over to his right and saw 13 extending his hand to him while 15 stood beside him. "Hold your horses there, boy, he's not the only one you're fighting!" 13 said as he charged at the time traveler. Trunks sheathed his blade and took a fighting position; he then ducked a kick from the Android and uppercut him before blasting him into a cliff. 14 appeared behind the Saiyan and brought both his hands down, yet Trunks caught his hands and tossed him into the same cliff he knocked 13 into. 15 advanced on the time traveler and started throwing multiple punches at him. "I can't believe you were a challenge to my father; you're just a midget!" Trunks said. He grabbed 15's arm and slammed him into the dirt.
13 and 14 stood up and saw Trunks besting their comrade; they looked at each other and nodded before charging at the Saiyan prince. Trunks saw them coming and braced himself for combat; the two fighting machines threw multiple strikes at the Demi Saiyan, which he managed to block. He eventually grabbed both of their fists with his hands. However, this left him open, and so he took a direct punch from 13 before being restrained by 14. "Now, number 15!" 13 ordered. The tiny android flew right at Trunks with his fist reared back; the lone warrior closed his eyes as he waited for a devastating blow to the head, but it never came. He opened his eyes to see the little man reaching into his jacket pocket and pulling out something: his case of capsules. "I'll be taking this," 15 said before he tossed it to Dr. Zero. "Heads up, doc!"
The lead android caught the case and opened it to look for the time machine capsule. "Sorry boy, you were expecting to get punched?" 13 asked mockingly. "Well, I'd be happy to give you what you want!" The mechanical man started rapidly punching the Saiyan teen in the face. While taking serious blows, Trunks managed to see Android 0 pulling out one of his capsules before tossing the case aside. "Ah, this is the one," Zero said as he examined the dyno-cap; he pressed the button and released the capsule, and the time machine appeared in a puff of smoke. "Truly magnificent, not even Dr. Gero was capable of creating something this impressive. And now, it will be the key to achieving world domination!" Zero opened the glass covering and hopped inside the pod.
Seeing Zero enter the time machine, Trunks started to raise his Ki until it exploded and forced 14 to let go of him. He then charged his fist with Ki and punched 13, his fist going right through his abdomen. The android backed away as Trunks brought his hands to his side. "Take this! Galick Gun, fire!" he cried as he fired a purple laser at the machine, sending him flying. 14 tried to punch Trunks from behind, but the Saiyan quickly roundhouse kicked him in the head before grabbing his wrist and hand chopping it off. 15 tried to attack, but his head was elbow bashed off by the son of Vegeta. Trunks then looked over and saw Gohan being ganged up on by 19 and Metallitron; the Terminator grabbed the ox prince's head and slammed him into the ground before holding him up for his comrade. "Hehe, your delicious energy is mine, boy!" 19 chuckled as he grabbed Gohan's neck. The Saiyan child gasped as he felt his life force being drained out of him, slowly and painfully.
"Gohan!" Trunks cried as he pulled out his brave sword. The swordsman dashed at the fat android and swung his blade, cutting off Android 19's hand that held Gohan in the process. 19 flinched in shock, allowing Gohan to kick him away; he then blasted Metallitron in the face before grabbing his head and slamming him into the ground. "You ok?" Trunks asked him.
"Been better, but I'll be fine," Gohan replied.
The Saiyans the noticed Dr. Zero pressing buttons to set the course of the time machine while the Androids got up and regrouped. "We're running out of time, we've got to stop him now!" Trunks warned his friend. Gohan's face held a look of determination as did Trunks'. The son of Goku's left arm started twitching before he clenched his fist. "Looks like my arm got its feeling back," the half Saiyan thought. "Good, 'cause now it's time to get serious!" Gohan let out a mighty yell as he powered up to Super Saiyan 2. It was so powerful that Dr. Zero temporally stopped what he was doing to scan the boy's power. "Incredible, his energy has increased dramatically," he muttered. The Androids braced themselves as they observed Gohan's new form.
"Hey! It took these guys to get you to transform?" Trunks complained. "I'm insulted."
"Don't feel bad, I'm sure you would've forced me to transform eventually if our battle wasn't interrupted," Gohan tried to comfort his partner. "Now, are you ready to fight?"
"Let's take out the trash!" Trunks proclaimed. With a mighty battle cry, the two Super Saiyans charged at their opponents.
While the Saiyans continued to battle the androids, Dr. Zero finished pressing the buttons and started the time machine. The engines roared to life as the glass hood closed when suddenly, something fast rammed into the device. Zero growled as the attacker continued bashing against the time vehicle. The android pulled the lever on the machine as electricity sparked around the pod. Gohan then kicked Metallitron headfirst into a tree before rapidly blasting at him. 19 attempted to grab Gohan from behind, but he backflipped and stomped the fat machine into the ground. Trunks then appeared beside his friend as the rest of the battle droids gathered around the Demi Saiyans. The son of Goku reacted by raising his arms, creating a massive force of energy that blew the androids away. 13 quickly got up and charged at the Super Saiyan 2; however, he didn't get to him as Trunks elbow bashed him aside and stabbed 14 in the chest. The time traveler looked over to see the dragon causing damage to his machine.
"Gohan, let's wrap this up! We don't have much time left!" Trunks warned his fellow Saiyan.
"I know!" Gohan replied before he shouted, "Blaster Meteor!" The Saiyan child unleashed a barrage of blasts that rained down on their enemies, all of the androids fighting were struck and damaged except for one. 19 held out his good hand to absorb the blast coming at him, but before he could, Trunks had kicked him into a large mountain before letting out a kiai that made it collapse onto the metal man. The crane brothers were the only ones to get up right away. Tao brought out his hidden blade and rushed at Gohan. "Taste my blade, brat!" he cried as he swung at the Saiyan multiple times. Gohan dodged every strike before holding up his left arm to defend. The sword collided with the Saiyan's arm and shattered on impact. Tao stared in shock as Gohan smirked while pulling back his fist. He punched the mercenary in the face so hard, his right cybernetic eye cracked as he fell on his back.
Shen stood behind Gohan, who seemed unaware of the crane master's presence. Roshi's rival pointed his index finger at the son of Goku while channeling an enormous amount of Ki into it. Just before he could fire his attack, Trunks appeared in front of him with his hands pointing at the old fighter in the form of a gun. The Crane master's face became horrified as the prince's hands started to glow while he smirked. "Bang!" Trunks said. An energy bullet exploded from his fingers and blasted Shen aside. The two Z Fighters gazed at Dr. Zero in the time machine still being attacked by Icarus. "Stop damaging the machine this instant, you pathetic creature!" Zero ordered as Icarus' horns disabled one of the thrusters. "Icarus, get away from there!" Gohan yelled to the dragon. With one final ramming, Icarus had knocked the time machine over and backed away.
The Super Saiyans flew toward the machine while Zero struggled to get it to work after being damaged. Even though it wasn't standing, the pod roared as it sparked electricity and created a sphere of light around itself. The thrusters fired and launched the machine horizontally before it swerved and flew vertically. "Yes, yes, it's working!" Dr. Zero cried triumphantly. The orb of energy surrounding the machine started to expand before it turned red and let out small combustions. Gohan and Trunks watched as the machine's propeller moved faster and faster as it only had a few seconds before it disappeared for good. "We've only got one option; we have to destroy the time machine!" Gohan suggested.
"But if we do that, you'll be stuck in this timeline! You won't be able to get home for another three years or so!" Trunks warned his Saiyan brother.
"That doesn't matter right now! What matters is stopping Zero from using the time machine! We can worry about getting me home later!" Gohan declared.
Trunks nodded, and the two flew to the machine. Each Saiyan positioned themselves at a side of the machine as they raised their hands above their heads. "You're too late to stop me, Saiyans!" Dr. Zero shouted. "The world as you know it is about to end and be reborn in the image of the Red Ribbon Army!" "We'll see about that, Zero!" Gohan retorted as he and Trunks focused their Ki into their palms. Androids 13, 14, 19, and Tao witnessed the Demi Saiyans charging up their attacks to destroy Zero along with the time machine and flew to stop them while Icarus flew toward Gohan. "Masenko...ha!" the Saiyans shouted as they fired the demon flash attack. The beams collided with the machine's energy sphere just as Android 0 pressed the go button; in that instant, the Saiyans, Icarus, and the Androids aside from 15, Metallitron, and Shen were consumed by an enormous explosion that stretched to the heavens.
In West City, Bulma Briefs was washing dishes from the lunch earlier when she felt the house begin to shake. "What the heck's going on?! An earthquake?!" she wondered. "Or is it the boys going overboard with their little fight?!" She started frantically catching plates before she noticed something out the window; she peeked outside and saw the Ki pillar that tore through the fabrics of reality before it faded out of existence. "Boys," she muttered.
At the battlefield, 15, Metallitron, and Shen got up and approached the crater where the explosion had been. There was no trace of the Saiyans or their Android comrades; the three androids looked up at the black sky that still sparked electricity.
YJ Universe, Tokyo, August 2, 2011, 8:25pm
Somewhere deep in a broad valley, the winds started to become aggressive. The night sky began to swirl as a beam of light drilled through it and descended toward the ground. The blast dug into the earth and let out a great flash of light that could be seen miles away. When the strange phenomenon ended, a large crater was left behind and in that trench laid Gohan, Trunks, Icarus, Androids 13, 14, 19, the Mercenary Tao, and the severed head of Dr. Zero along with the totaled time machine. The Demi Saiyans were severely injured but nothing serious; the Androids, on the other hand, were in an even worse condition. The skin of 13's face was burned off, revealing an iron skeleton, his right leg was missing and parts of his body were damaged, letting out sparks of electricity. 14 had a large hole in his chest, and his right hand was gone from Trunks' earlier assault. 19 was now missing both of his hands and had a big chunk of his body vaporized. Tao was the only one in fair condition; although one of his robotic eyes was destroyed, his chang pao was ruined, showing his burned chest, and his arms were damaged, he seemed to be in a better state than his allies.
Tao looked around to try to identify their location; when he couldn't, he looked at the Saiyans who were down on the ground. "Looks like Zero's plan didn't work the way we hoped. He did manage to use the time machine, but we were transported to an unknown time period, and we brought the Saiyans with us," the Mercenary thought. "We could kill them now, but our bodies are in need of immediate repairs, and our power levels are probably too weak to match theirs." He then turned to his fellow androids who were just getting up. "13, take Android 19! 14, grab Dr. Zero's head, it's time to retreat!" Tao ordered. "I'll get the time machine."
The damaged mechanical fighters obeyed their instructions and ascended to the sky, leaving Tao alone. Just as the Assassin approached the pod, a Ki blast was fired, intercepting his path. "I don't think so, mercenary!" Gohan exclaimed as he stood up. His forehead was bleeding, as was his injured left arm, the top part of his Gi was half torn, and his body was covered with bruises (basically, the state he was in when he fought Super Perfect Cell), but he got back on his feet through sheer willpower, telling himself to keep fighting. He quickly jumped in front of the broken time-craft and took a fighting stance. "I'm not letting you guys escape with the Trunks' time machine," Gohan declared. "Or at all for that matter!"
Tao shook his head solemnly at the Demi Saiyan. "You are indeed the Son of Goku! You have the same stubbornness I saw in him," Tao commended the boy. "However, your body has taken significant damage, you can't expect to beat us like this!"
"Wanna bet?!" Gohan challenged as he flared his Ki. Tao watched as the Saiyan's golden aura emerged and electricity sparked around his body. "Even in my current state, none of you are any match for me when you're damaged!"
"The boy is correct. If the others were to engage him, they might shut down due to their bodies' malfunction," Tao thought. "I suppose I could exploit his weakness, but if he's still stronger, and if he's anything like Goku, that means I can't beat him that way."
"Are you gonna stand there all day or are we gonna fight?!" Gohan questioned.
"Sorry, child, as much as I would love getting back at your father by killing you, I'm afraid we have to part ways for now," Tao said.
"Do you really think that I'll just let you escape?!" Gohan asked.
"Perhaps not, but one thing I've learned about your father is that he's not known for being perceptive," Tao taunted as he pulled a grenade with the Red Ribbon symbol on it. "You may be smarter than him, but I doubt you're any different." Gohan's eyes widened as the killer tossed the bomb at him. Tao then fired a finger beam at the device, causing it to detonate automatically. The explosion consumed the Saiyans and Icarus with a wall of smoke covering them. When it finally cleared, Gohan could be seen holding up an energy barrier around himself, Trunks, Icarus, and the time machine. He lowered the Ki dome and looked around for his enemies, but they were gone without a trace.
"Blast it, they're gone! I didn't see which they went nor can I sense their Ki, so there's no way for me to track them," the boy thought. "Well, at least I stopped them from getting Trunks' time machine." Gohan walked over to the time craft and inspected it. "It looks completely fried; there's no way we can use it to get home now. Which reminds me, where or when are we anyway?" The half Saiyan pressed the button on the machine, returning it to its capsule form. He then winced in pain as his hair changed from gold to black. "Guess my injuries are more serious than I thought. We need to get out of here before someone finds us here."
Icarus then came up to Gohan and licked his face; the Saiyan pet his friend's head before walking over to his Saiyan comrade. He picked up Trunks and placed him on the dragon's back before getting on himself. "C'mon Icarus, let's get out of here!" Gohan instructed. Icarus flapped his big wings and flew off into the sky at amazing speed. "Whoa, I've forgotten how fast you are, boy!"
After a few minutes, an investigation team came to the area where the Saiyans and the Androids crash landed; they only found a significant trench as both parties were long gone. Gohan had eventually passed out from exhaustion while riding on Icarus' back. Trunks woke up afterward and directed Icarus to land in an uncharted territory. The Saiyan prince carried Gohan as he examined the boy's wounds. "Gohan needs a Senzu bean or to get into the healing tank," the Saiyan teen thought. "We didn't get any beans for the trip, and the Androids stole my capsule case when they took my time machine!" Icarus then nudged the teen to show that he was holding something in his mouth: Trunks' case of capsules. "Thanks, Icarus," Trunks said gratefully as he smiled and petted the dragon. After retrieving his case, Trunks opened it and pulled out the capsule that contained the gravity chamber his mother made for him. He pressed the button and let the cap fall to the floor. It burst in a poof of smoke and appeared in its true form.
Trunks carried Gohan into the chamber and placed him into one of the two rejuvenation pods; after putting the breathing mask and a few wires on the boy, the swordsman closed the machine and pressed the start button. The medical apparatus filled up with its unique synthetic Saiyan DNA and began healing the boy's wounds. Trunks then placed himself into a tank and repeated the same process; both Saiyan slept soundly for their recovery while Icarus curled up beside Gohan's machine.
An hour later…
Trunks' machine beeped to indicate that the Saiyan prince was healed entirely; the liquid drained before the tank opened, and the lavender-haired teen stepped out of the pod. He threw a few punches and smiled as he felt his strength was fully restored. Trunks then looked over to Gohan's machine to see that he was still in recovery. "His arm was broken, the machine must need more time to heal him," Trunks figured. "Plus, he hasn't fully mastered the Super Saiyan 2 form; the strain on his body was probably greater than he's used to." Trunks then stepped outside the gravity machine and stared at the night sky. He sensed many life forces in the distance. "Must be a city or town somewhere. Better check it out, maybe I can found out where and when we are." The older Saiyan shut the door to the chamber and took off into the air.
Another hour later…
Gohan's machine finally beeped to announce that the boy was healed of his injuries; the pod flushed down its fluid, and the tank opened up. Gohan slowly regained consciousness before stepping out of the medical machine. Icarus awoke as his friend stepped beside him, noticing him. Gohan examined himself curiously before performing some moves. "It's nice that my strength has returned, but how did I get here?" Gohan wondered. Icarus started licking the boy's face, making him smile. "Hey, Icarus! Do you know where Trunks is, by any chance?" the black-haired Saiyan inquired when he saw that his comrade was not around.
Right on cue, a voice from outside said, "Good, you're finally awake." Gohan gazed at the entrance as Trunks Briefs came inside the chamber. "How are you feeling, Gohan?" the teen asked.
Gohan jumped into the air and flipped before landing on his feet. "I feel good as new, but Trunks, what is this place?" he questioned.
"This is the gravity chamber. My grandfather and my mom built one for my dad to train in," Trunks replied. "You've probably never seen it since your dad stopped using his."
"Well that answers my first question," Gohan said. "My next one is where and when are we?"
"I went outside and found a large city nearby. There, I found out that we're currently in a place known as Tokyo, which is located in Japan," Trunks explained. "It's apparently August 2, 2011, and the time is 10:15pm." (A/N: Don't know the actual year the Young Justice universe is in, so I'll just go with the year the show came out. Please correct me if I'm wrong.)
"The place doesn't sound familiar, but the date is 3 months after the Cell games," Gohan stated. "How did you find this stuff out?"
"I spoke to a few people in the city; they seem to speak English and Japanese like we do," Trunks informed him. (A/N: I gave the Saiyans those languages since they seem to already speak both based on some of their attack names.) "From what I could figure out when we attempted to destroy the time machine, its time field expanded through the explosion, and somehow transported us to a whole new universe or dimension. Speaking of which, where's the time machine and what happened to the Androids?"
"The Androids escaped," Gohan responded as he looked down in shame. "I'm sorry, they managed to slip past me."
Trunks sighed. "It can't be helped; they are a tricky bunch. But what about the time machine, did they still have it?" he asked.
Gohan shook his head "No, but it's not like they could use it anyway." The monkey prince pulled out a capsule from his pocket and pressed the button; the machine appeared in a poof, still very damaged from the trip.
Trunks stared at his time craft with wide eyes. "What happened to it?!" he questioned.
"This is how it was when I found it," Gohan replied. "So, do you think you can fix it?"
"I'm not sure, I don't even know where to begin," Trunks answered. "And even if we do end up repairing the machine, the power source it uses probably doesn't exist in this universe."
"Could you find a new power source for it then?" Gohan inquired.
"It's possible, but there's still the matter of configuring the machine to travel dimensions as it does time," Trunks explained. "And that could take a while."
"How long would you say?" Gohan asked.
"Months, maybe years," Trunks said.
Gohan's expression turned sad at hearing Trunks' words. "So, what you're saying is that we could be stuck here for years, maybe even forever," he surmised.
"Maybe," Trunks said. "But that doesn't mean we should give up! I don't care how long it takes! I'll fix the time machine and figure out how to get to take us back to our homes, even if it takes me a lifetime!"
Gohan smiled at his friend's resolve. "I guess we'll just have to wait till then. At least I'll have time to work on my project."
"Mind telling me what it is?" Trunks asked.
"How about later, right now…" Gohan ran to chamber's entrance. "I want to explore this new world!"
"I suppose if we're going to be living here for some time, we should learn a few things and get comfortable," Trunks mused. "Who knows, we might like it here."
"Then what are we waiting for?!" Gohan asked with excitement. "Let's see what this world has to offer!"
Unknown Location
Tao led Androids 13,14, and 19 into a large cave; once there, the mechanical fighters set down the severed head of their leader. After a few seconds, Zero's head sparked, and his eyes lit up. "13, 14, 19, and Tao, your bodies have been damaged, but you're still alive," Dr. Zero observed. "Does this mean our plan was successful? Have we traveled to the past?"
"I'm afraid our plan has failed," 19 answered. "The Saiyans' interference has set our journey to a different course."
"The damage done to the time machine seems to have caused a malfunction that plunged us into a whole new universe," Tao explained. "We escaped the Saiyans, but we lost the time machine in the process."
"Your body was destroyed in the time combustion Zero," 14 added.
"Darn those Saiyans, they're a thorn in our side!" 13 cursed. "How in tarnation are we supposed to rebuild the Red Ribbon Army now?!"
"Calm yourself, 13," Zero said calmly. "I know our plan didn't turn out the way we desired, but fear not my brothers. This is nothing more than a minor setback."
"A minor setback?" Tao questioned.
"Yes, although it was an accident, if the time craft brought us here, then it can take us back," Zero assured.
"Your brain must be malfunctioning, Dr. Zero. You don't seem to be processing that we lost the machine to the Saiyans," 19 said.
"Well then we'll just have to build our own," Zero replied.
"How?" 14 inquired.
"Number 13, please bring out the case," Zero instructed the Android. 13 pulled out a small case and opened it to reveal multiple Dyno-caps inside. "Although it irks me to have to resort to using the Red Ribbon's rival's product, they are beneficial at times. Please open the capsule marked number one." 13 pressed the button on the capsule and dropped it; it instantly turned into a full-sized laboratory that cracked part of the cave. The Androids stepped inside the lab and saw numerous pieces of technology. They walked up to a big screen where Zero told 19 to plug him in, and on the screen appeared a schematic of Trunks' time machine. "Gero always had a back plan, so I made sure to have one as well."
"Impressive, how did you acquire these blueprints for the machine?" Tao asked.
"I had a few of the spy drones download them from Bulma Briefs' lab, and I scanned the machine myself went I entered it," Zero explained. "Now, if you gentlemen will follow me, we have an appointment with someone important."
The Androids walked over to an odd looking machine; Tao pressed a button on the device, and it lit up. Immediately, the image of a strange-looking, elderly man with gray skin, no pupils, and sitting cross-legged on some crystal sphere appeared. "Dr. Raichi, how are you this night?" Zero asked the newcomer.
"Cut the formalities, Zero, and tell me if your plan has worked," Raichi said, not beating around the bush.
"I'm afraid there have been some minor setbacks, as we seem to have entered a new reality," Zero informed him.
"What does this mean for our plans for the future?" Raichi questioned. "You promised me that you would help me eradicate the remaining Saiyans if I agreed to our partnership."
"Rest assured, you will have your revenge on the surviving Saiyans; our plan has just taken an unexpected turn, thanks to a couple of Saiyans," Zero explicated. "But the day will come when we will create a universe void of any Saiyan disease. For now, we must be patient."
"Hmm, very well," Raichi complied. "So, what is our next move?"
"First thing, we must repair our damaged comrades. If our plan is to be set in motion, we must be at full strength," Zero said. "However, we are in a new world at the moment, one in which we know nothing about, so it would be foolish for us to make any moves without gaining some knowledge about this universe…" Dr. Zero's eyes suddenly started glowing, and immediately a container came up from the floor. When it opened, swarms of robotic bees flew out and hovered above Android 0's head. "So why don't we see what this world has to offer?" The spy drones flew out of the cavern and spread out in multiple directions while Dr. Zero smirked evilly.
A/N: And thus the adventure begins! Thank you, my fellow readers, for your supportive reviews. Things are only gonna get more exciting as time goes on, trust me. Just stay tuned and wait for the next chapter of Rebirth of the Red Ribbon Army! In the meantime, anyone wanna guess what Gohan's secret project is? Or how Dr. Zero plans on rebuilding the Red Ribbon Army? The winner(s) gets their request for what they want to be put in this story granted, sound nice? Well, gotta go, still got other ideas to put down before I forget them. Until next time BBFN AntiHero out!