A/N: I'm back! Here's another chapter of Rebirth of the Red Ribbon Army and I think you'll really like this chapter!
Disclaimer- I do not own Dragon Ball Z or Young Justice
Chapter 6
New Orleans, September 14, 16:53 CDT
On the Louisiana Bridge, a few of the bars were broken as a fight between two heroes and two villains transpired. Superman and Martian Manhunter flew above the bridge, deflecting cars that were being tossed at them. "This is Cat Grant, reporting live from New Orleans French quarter, where the Martian Manhunter and Superman are in mid-battle with the so-called Terror Twins, who have been on a three-stage rampage through the south," the reporter stated. The super strong teens then jumped at the Leaguers; they were easily caught and tossed into a warehouse by the aliens. The twins crashed through the roof and landed hard on the ground; as they stood and looked around, they were grabbed from behind by Red Tornado and Aqualad. The heroes placed strange collars on the twins, sapping away their strength so that apprehending them was easy.
"That don't feel right," a surprised Tommy Terror said. "My strength! But I'd done just gone toe-to-toe with Superman!"
"Congratulations, that's more quality time than he's ever given me," Superboy commented as he appeared, looking exactly like Tommy Terror. Miss Martian stood beside him before walking over to Tuffin Terror. "Got cher inspiration, sister Tuffins?" he asked the Martian, using an accent similar to Tommy's.
"I believe I do, Brother Tommy," Megan replied as she morphed into the female Terror and went back to Conner.
"Somebody tell me what the heck's going on?" Tommy demanded.
Batman suddenly came up behind the pseudo Terror Twins and said, "It's simple. They're under arrest," before placing the same collars around their necks. (A/N: This is just to tell you where I'm up to in this story, this chapter will not contain the full episode.)
Unknown Location
Inside their lair, 13, 14, and 19 were watching the news; they had just seen Cat Grant's live report about the battle between the alien leaguers and the Terror Twins. They shut off the television after watching the police arrest the super strong delinquents and the Leaguers wave to the camera and their audience before flying off in different directions. "The Kryptonian should be arriving at Metropolis shortly," Android 19 stated.
"Then you'd better get there to welcome him," Dr. Raichi said as he appeared on his floating ball.
"No worries, doc, he'll get quite the surprise from us!" 13 assured the Tuffle. "Tell the boss we'll be back in a jiff." The three mechanical warriors then exited the lair, leaving the ghost warrior alone.
"The Light thinks that we're their lapdogs, but we'll show them that they can't deny us what we want for long," Raichi murmured.
Metropolis
The Man of Steel flew back to his home city. He sailed over the city, waving to anyone that got a glimpse of him. "It sure feels good to be home," he said to himself. Suddenly, he was struck in the back by an energy blast; it knocked him out of the sky and sent him plummeting, crashing through a building and into the street. People gathered around the crater where their hero had landed. "Well, didn't much to make that city boy buckle," a voice remarked from the sky. The citizens of Metropolis looked up to see Androids 13, 14, and 19 hovering over their city. Superman then flew out of the crater and into the sky; he stopped in front of his attackers and gazed at them.
"Seriously, first the Terror Twins and now this," the Kryptonian groaned. "Alright, so who are you guys?"
"Meet your unlucky numbers, boy: 13, 14, and 19!" 13 introduced himself and his comrades.
"Okay," the confused hero said. "So what do you want?"
"Ain't it obvious? To give you a real ass whooping, boy!" Thirteen answered with a smirk.
Superman raised an eyebrow at the Red Ribbon soldiers. "I can't hear their heartbeats," the Man of Steel thought before he used his x-ray vision to see their insides; he was expecting to see human organs, but what he actually saw were cybernetic parts. "What are you, machines?"
"Androids," 19 corrected.
"What, were you built by Lex to destroy me?" the Kryptonian questioned.
"No, we weren't," 14 said.
"Then why do you want to kill me?"
"It's just a job, city boy," 13 said. "And if you even think about calling your little friends for help…" The Android then fired an energy blast at a nearby building; Superman quickly flew to intercept the blast and swatted it into space before looking back at the Androids. "We'll bring this whole darn place down in a few seconds, and you wouldn't want that, would you?" Superman glowered darkly at the Androids but nodded in compliance with their terms. "Atta boy! Alright you Indians, let's get 'em!" The three mechanical men suddenly flew at the Kryptonian; 14 got to him first and tried to punch the alien hero, but Superman grabbed his fist and tossed him into the ground. Thirteen got to him next but was stopped by his freeze breath; the iced Android was then knocked into the earth by the Kryptonian. 19 made an attempt to grab the superhero, but he used his super speed to evade every strike. Superman then punched him in the face, but 19 simply smirked and kicked him in the gut, making him cringe.
"Machines don't feel pain, unlike you, Kryptonian!" 19 mocked the alien.
"Then maybe you'll feel this!" Superman said as he fired red laser beams from his eyes. 19 just smiled as he fired his own eye beams to counter the heat vision. The two beams collided and made an explosion in between the fighters. Superman stared at the smiling Android with shock before his expression turned serious. "Guess I'll just have to take you apart with my fists!" he exclaimed as he charged at 19 with his fists ready. 19 was still smirking as the alien hero threw two punches at him. The chubby Android grabbed the Man of Steel's fists and easily held against his strength. Suddenly, the Kryptonian started to get weaker. His arms kept quivering as he pushed against Nineteen. "What's happening to my strength?" he wondered before he freed his hands from the Android's grasp and moved away from him.
"That's some nice energy you've got," 19 sneered. "I can't wait to absorb it all!"
"My… energy?" Superman repeated. He was then punched in the face by 13 before getting kicked in the back by 14. "Man, these guys are actually hurting me a little bit," he muttered.
The three Androids then aimed their hands at the Man of Steel and channeled their energy into them; they fired multiple energy blasts at the Kryptonian, who shielded his face with his arms. After getting hit by numerous energy attacks, Superman quickly flew upward and the Androids flew after him. Superman then stopped above the clouds and took a deep breath; 13 and 14 appeared at his sides and tried to punch him. The Man of Steel easily blocked their fists, which surprised the mechanical warriors before they were slammed together by the hero. 19 then appeared in front of the Kryptonian and reached to grab him. Superman quickly slammed 13 and 14 into 19 and the three Androids were sent into the ground.
13 got up first and charged at the superhero. He threw multiple punches and kicks at the Kryptonian, who managed to evade every strike. Superman then phased behind the Android and put him in a stranglehold. "Now that's more like it, boy! Finally got you to get serious huh?" 13 said.
"Now I'm gonna end this!" Superman declared.
"I don't think so, city boy! This little scuffle here is just getting started!" 13 retorted.
"I doubt you can overpower me now!" Superman said.
"Maybe I could, if I had… this!" 13 reached into his vest pocket and pulled out something: a small, green glowing rock. The Man of Steel's eyes grew wide as his body started to ache and he got significantly weaker. He released the Android and started grasping his head in pain. "That's right, city boy! We know all there is to know about cha!" Thirteen said. "That your power is drawn from that there sun and that this little space rock here can weaken you!" 13 then punched Superman in the chin, sending him plummeting toward the city. He crashed into a tall building, causing it to tip over; the alien hero flew in front of it and caught it before it could crush the innocent bystanders. After putting it back in place, he was struck in the back by 19's eye beams. The chubby Android then flew in front of the Kryptonian and punched him multiple times. He then grabbed the superhero by the neck and started absorbing his life force. Superman struggled against the Android's grip before he managed to muster up enough strength to force 19 to let go of his neck and toss him aside. The Man of Steel took heavy breaths as the Androids surrounded him. They then started flying around him rapidly, creating a sort of dome to imprison the alien. (A/N: The one Baby Gohan and Baby Goten used on Vegeta in GT.)
Inside the dome, the Kryptonian was being pelted by numerous energy attacks from the Androids. The eventual collision of Ki blasts caused the dome to explode, sending the alien hero plummeting into the ground. The three Androids descended to the ground and approached the fallen hero; 14 then picked him up and held him. 13 pulled out the kryptonite that started weakening the Kryptonian again. 19 then grabbed his neck and mouth to absorb his life force once more. People watched in horror as their hero was being slowly stripped of his life.
Tokyo, September 14 2011, 18:05pm, Capsule Home/Laboratory
Gohan sat on the couch with Icarus beside him; he was reading a few books while the TV was on. The channel suddenly changed to a news report in the city of Metropolis. "Everyone watches with fear as the Man of Steel is helpless against these new threats. The question on everyone's mind is: where is our hero's hero?!" the reporter said. Gohan's face turned serious. He put his books down and brought his costume watch; he pressed the button, immediately changing into his Saiyan Armor before putting on his headband and scouter. Icarus started nudging the Son of Goku. "You should stay here, Icarus, it's too dangerous," Gohan told the dragon. Icarus persisted and started licking the Demi Saiyan's face. "Heh, heh! Alright, you can come too, boy!" The two then made their way toward the Gravity chamber. They went inside to see Trunks and Ranger sparring together. They stopped when they saw the spiky, black-haired Saiyan coming toward them in his armor.
"Gohan, are you going out on a solo patrol?" Trunks inquired.
"No, something serious is happening in Metropolis," Gohan replied. "Superman is being attacked by Androids 13, 14, and 19!"
Trunks' and Ranger's faces became serious. "I'll go suit up!" the Saiyan Prince said before he left the chamber. Ranger went over to the controls and shut off the gravity simulation before going over to the Son of Goku.
"Are you positive that my brethren are the ones attacking the Superhero?" he asked the boy.
"I'd recognize the machines that attempted to kill my father anywhere," Gohan answered before asking, "Why do you think Zero would send them to attack Superman?"
"I do not know," Ranger admitted. "It is not like Dr. Gero to send his soldiers to attack without gathering enough data on his enemies, and if Android Zero is made to think like him, then he would not make the same mistake."
"Well, whether it was intentional or not, the fact is that those machines made a mistake," Trunks said as he appeared in his Saiyan Prince armor. "They attacked a hero and endangered innocent people, so now they're gonna pay big time!"
"Let's stop the Red Ribbon Army just like dad did!" Gohan cheered. The three heroes and the dragon then left their Capsule lair and returned it to its Dyno-Cap form. "Super Ranger, can you locate Metropolis with your built-in GPS?"
The Android nodded and glanced out into the sky; in a few seconds, his eyes flashed and he pointed west. "Metropolis is in that direction. Follow me." Super Ranger took off to the skies and headed straight for Metropolis with the Demi Saiyans and Icarus right behind him.
Metropolis
The Man of Steel was crying in agony as 19 continued to drain his Ki. Thirteen held the Kryptonite out to ensure that the Kryptonian would be too weak to fight back. "Ha ha! How could this worm be one of the greatest heroes in existence?!" 19 laughed. "He didn't even last half as long as Son Goku did! His life force is almost extinguished!" Suddenly, 13, 14, and 19's sensors started to go off like crazy. "I'm detecting three essentially powerful life forces close by!"
"It's those darn monkeys!" 13 snarled.
"The signal feels like it is coming… from above us," 14 stated. The three Androids looked up to see the Saiyan Prince, Saiyan Kid, and Super Ranger descending toward them. Trunks pulled out his sword and swung it down, severing 19's hand from his arm before he could react. Gohan kicked 13 away while Ranger elbow bashed 14. The two Androids crashed into buildings while 19 backed away from the Son of Vegeta. The Kryptonian began to fall to the ground since the hand that was holding him had been sliced from its owner, but was quickly caught by Gohan's trusty dragon. The heroes descended to the ground and regrouped, as did the Androids. "It's the monkeys and their pet Android," Fourteen noted.
"Just what are you walking trashcans up to?!" Trunks demanded.
"None of your business, city boy," Thirteen retorted. "Now if you know what's good fer ya, you'll hightail it out of here!"
"Not gonna happen!" Trunks denied.
"Brothers, why do you wish to bring harm to this Kryptonian?" Ranger inquired.
"We're not brothers to a traitor!" 19 sneered.
"And we have personal business with this alien, that of which does not concern you!" 14 stated.
"Now, we're going to warn you one more time!" 13 said. "Scram or die!"
The Z Fighters looked at each other before looking back at the Red Ribbon Androids "You were right, 14, you're no brothers of Ranger," Gohan said.
"And we're not going anywhere until we stop you from hurting that hero any further!" Trunks proclaimed. The Saiyans then brought their weapons up while Super Ranger took a fighting stance. The Androids glared at the Z Fighters before preparing to fight as well. The two sides stared at each for some a few seconds before they charged at each other to fight.
Moments Later… Unknown Location
The Red Ribbon Androids had entered their secret lair. Their bodies were damaged; sparks flew off them as their cybernetics grew unstable. They stepped into the lab, where they found Dr. Raichi working on another machine with Mercenary Tao standing at his side. "The mission was a failure?" the Tuffle questioned without looking at his comrades; the Androids nodded in shame.
"Those Saiyans are becoming a real nuisance as the days go by," Tao growled. "Did you at least get what we require?"
Thirteen smiled as he brought out a small veil filled with red liquid. "Heads up, doc!" he said before tossing the veil to the ghost warriors, who caught it with his telekinesis. Dr. Raichi examined the small blood-filled container before smirking.
"Zero should still be able to carry out his plans," the Tuffle said. "Those monkeys can continue playing the hero, but they'll never be able to stop what's coming."
"We may not live long enough for the plan to take action," 19 said. "It's pretty obvious that 16 was built to be the strongest, so his power far surpasses our own. And it's clear that the Saiyans' strength is much greater than our data of says, that's why we always have to retreat. But we can't keep running forever."
Raichi thought for a moment before replying, "Yes. I think it's time we did some winning rather than retreating. We must show these Saiyans that we will stop at nothing till they're dead and we've accomplished our ultimate goal. I believe it's time for some new upgrades… and new recruits."
Mount Justice, September 18 20:30 EDT
The team had gathered in the mission room, where they saw their den mother, Red Tornado waiting for them. On the holo-screen was an image of the Z Fighters. The six teens glanced at each other as they suspected what they were called to talk about. "Greetings, team. I'm aware that some of you had recently finished your missions and would prefer to… relax, but there is an important matter to discuss," Red Tornado said. "A few days ago, Superman was attacked."
"Well, that's not much of a surprise," Kid Flash said. "Someone's always trying to take out the big guy, but they never succeed."
"These three were close," Tornado told him as a screen with the androids on it came up. "Superman was in critical condition when he was taken to the Watchtower."
"So is he alright now?" Miss Martian asked.
"Of course he is, he's Superman," Conner said. "No way could these three take him out!"
"But they came close," Artemis reminded him.
"Who are they?" Kaldur questioned.
"They call themselves 13, 14, and 19. They are a trio of Androids, like me," Tornado explained.
"Except they're not like you," Robin stated. "Someone has to have like… super intelligence and a lot of free time if they can build nineteen super strong machines like these three."
"What exactly are their powers? How can they do all that they can?" Kaldur inquired.
"We do not know. Their abilities are not known among the capabilities of even Meta-humans, and they don't appear to be copying powers like Amazo," Red Tornado explicated. "However, we learned that the one called 19 has the ability to absorb energy from others through his palms, and if he holds on for too long, the victim could die."
The six young heroes looked at each other before Conner asked, "So, what does the fact that these goons failed to kill a Kryptonian have to do with the other three or us?"
At that moment, the zeta entrance to the cave activated and Red Arrow walked in. "Because those so-called heroes are the one who saved Superman. In case you care to know how you dad survived, it's thanks to them," he said.
Superboy glared at the archer but was stopped from making a move by his girlfriend. "So, are these guys androids, too?" the Martian asked.
"Yeah, maybe they were all built by the same wacko scientist, and the three heroes are trying to infiltrate the Team or the League," Wally suggested.
"Although these six share the same powers, the two teens that saved Superman are neither machines nor humans, while their comrade Ranger is indeed… another Android." The team seemed to notice the robot's hesitation in mentioning the Super Ranger.
"Is something wrong, Tornado?" Kaldur inquired.
"Forgive me, I appear to feel a slight dislike toward the Super Ranger since he's an Android who can pass for human while I cannot," the Android hero admitted.
"Didn't know a machine was capable of being jealous," Red Arrow remarked.
"So if these guys saved Superman, then what's the problem?" Kid Flash questioned.
"After Superman recovered, a meeting was held at the Watchtower concerning these six," Tornado went on. "The Android Trio seem to be impossible to track, but the heroes always appear when they do, so tracking them should be easier. You were given a mission to find and bring them in the past, and now the League has deemed them potentially dangerous if they're not dealt with immediately. We request that you attempt to apprehend them as soon as you can or we might have to act." And on that note, the Android turned to the zeta tube and left the cave, leaving the team to converse among themselves.
"Well shoot, there goes our day off," Wally commented, earning him a punch from the female archer.
"Quit complaining, we've got work to do," Artemis berated.
"And I don't suppose that you have a way to track down these vigilantes?" Red Arrow asked.
"Do you?" Conner challenged.
"As a matter of fact, I do. That's why your fearless leader called me here," Roy said. He then pulled out a receiver device that showed a beeping dot on the screen.
"On one of his missions, Red Arrow and I had encountered the Saiyan Prince, who came to apprehend Tao, an enemy of his," Kaldur explained. "Before he left, Red managed to tag him with a tracer arrow, but for some strange reason, the tracker's signal was lost for some time."
"Until a few days ago, when it suddenly went active," Red Arrow finished. "Now we can pinpoint their location."
"Then what are we waiting for?!" the Kryptonian clone asked. "Let's find these guys and bring 'em in!"
Robin glanced at the receiver and brought out a screen to determine the location. "The signal's coming from somewhere in Tokyo, but it's not anywhere we can zeta too, so we'll have to take the Bio Ship."
"Before we go, let me say this first," Aqualad said. "Our objective is to bring them here. They're not villains, so we shouldn't have to rely on brute force. Let me try to talk to them before we take any action." The team nodded before they all headed toward the Bio Ship, and in a few minutes, the Martian aircraft had exited Mount Justice and made its way to Tokyo.
Tokyo, September 18, Capsule Corp. Gravity Chamber
The Son of Goku and the Son of Vegeta were currently training in gravity chamber; Gohan was in his Super Saiyan 2 form while Trunks was in his Super Saiyan form. The younger half Saiyan was on the offensive, throwing multiple punches and kicks while his sparring partner attempted to defend himself. Gohan finally ended the fight by punching Trunks in the chin, sending him flying backward and landing on his back. The Saiyan Prince sat up and rubbed his jaw. "Damn, I thought I'd reach the next level this time, but I'm just not getting it for some reason," he said.
Gohan powered down to his Super Saiyan form and stood beside his friend. "You're just not there yet. The first step for me was to getting used to the Super Saiyan form and minimizing the strain it causes. You've managed to master that faster than I did but you just haven't had that final push you need to break past your limits," Gohan explained.
"Guess that's something that runs in the family," Trunks remarked, making Gohan raise an eyebrow. "Think about it, my father reached the Super Saiyan form much later than your dad did, and now I'm trying to acquire the next level after you did. I can see why my father is always upset; our family seems to always be second to yours."
"That may be true, but that seems to be the problem to me," Gohan stated.
"What do you mean?"
"The way I see it, Vegeta desires to be the strongest, but is that the same as beating my dad?" Gohan asked. "If you're focused on surpassing a single person, you might just end up doing that, but there are others who are even stronger than who you want to beat, and you'll never get to them. Instead of focusing on surpassing me, try to surpass all, including yourself. My dad just wanted to get stronger, but it wasn't to beat other people, it was to beat himself."
"Guess it makes sense when you put it that way," Trunks relented before getting back on his feet. "Alright, I'm ready to go again!" The two Super Saiyans took their stances as they prepared to fight again, but before they could, their scouters that were on the control panel started beeping. The Son of Goku went over to the panel, picked up his device, and placed it on his ear.
"Yeah Ranger, what's up?" he spoke into the scouter.
"I think I might've picked up the other Androids' power levels," Ranger reported. "I should be able to trace it back to their hideout. You must come right away!"
"Okay, we'll be at your location soon!" Gohan replied before turning to his partner. "Ranger's got a lead on where we can find Dr. Zero's lair."
"Then there's no time to waste, let's go!" Trunks said. The Demi Saiyans shut off the gravity simulator and quickly put on their Saiyan armor. They exited the chamber and returned it to capsule form before taking to the air. As they flew over the city, they pressed the buttons on their scouters to pinpoint Sixteen's location. "Alright, I've got Ranger's coordinates, and we should be there in a few minutes!" Trunks stated.
"Hold on, Trunks!" Gohan said as his scouter started beeping. "My scouter's detecting something, and it's heading toward us."
"Yeah, mine too," Trunks agreed as he closed his eyes. "I'm sensing eight power levels; they all seem to be stronger than average humans."
"Well, we can't stay here, we've got to meet up with Ranger!" Gohan said. He flew very fast but then suddenly stopped when his scouter beeped again. "What the?"
"Why'd you stop?" Trunks inquired as he flew beside him.
"My scouter said that eight energy signals are coming from right in front of me now," Gohan answered. "But I don't see anyone; is the device malfunctioning?"
"I don't think so. I'm sensing those life forces for sure, but…" Trunks trailed off. The Saiyans squinted as they tried to see what they were sensing.
Inside the Bio Ship, the seven young heroes were gazing at the Super Saiyans. "Can they see us?" Red Arrow questioned.
"No, but they can sense us somehow," Miss Martian responded. "They're just confused."
"So what? Are we just gonna stay here and look at each other all day?!" Superboy demanded. Before anyone could respond, the Demi Saiyans descended to the ground.
"Looks like we don't have to," Wally said.
"Remember, we are not to attack before they do. We have to earn their trust," Aqualad instructed.
"Don't be so laxed, Kaldur. Even if they do attack, we can handle it," Robin assured. The Martian spaceship descended to ground level and opened up; the seven protégés then walked out and stood face-to-face with the Super Saiyans. Both simply stared at each other, observing one another.
"Hey Saiyan Kid, got any idea who these guys are?" Trunks whispered to his friend.
"Only some of them," Gohan answered. "Four of them are well-known sidekicks: Aqualad, Kid Flash, Robin, and Speedy. I don't know the other three."
"The guys with the 'S' on his chest is probably affiliated with Superman. The green-skinned chick is most likely a Martian like that Manhunter, and the Archery girl's wearing green like Green Arrow," Trunks observed. His eyes then landed on the team leader and ex-sidekick. "I recognize those two, Aqualad and Speedy. They were at the summit in Taipei the night I went to capture Tao."
While they were whispering, the team was also talking among themselves. "So these guys are the Saiyan Prince and the Saiyan Kid? Not that impressive, but nice costumes though," Kid Flash commented.
"Shh, I can't hear what they're saying," Artemis said.
"Basically they know who we are, and the Prince guy remembers Red and Aqualad from Taipei," Superboy informed them.
The Saiyans glanced at each other. "Looks like Superboy there can hear us talking," Trunks noted.
"Then we make it so he can't," Gohan suggested.
"They possess super hearing like me," Superboy told his team. "Now they're going to stop me from hearing their conversation."
"Then we shall do the same to them. Miss Martian, link us up!" Kaldur ordered.
After a second, M'ggan said, "Link established."
"So, what now? Do we attack yet?" Artemis asked.
"No, first we talk," Aqualad said. The Atlantean then noticed that the Saiyan's eyes were moving, looking at each other before glancing at the team. "It appears that they are also capable of telepathy."
"Do you want to know what they're saying?" Megan inquired.
"Not yet. Only if they seem to be lying to us," Kaldur instructed before addressing the Demi Saiyans. "Greetings. I am Aquaman's protégé, Aqualad, and these are my comrades, Kid Flash, Red Arrow, Robin, Superboy, Miss Martian, and Artemis. We form a team of covert operatives for the Justice League."
"You guys form a team for the League! I work alone!" Roy corrected sternly.
"If that's true, then why is it that both times we've met, you're with other people?" Trunks asked.
"That last time was an exception… as is now!" Red Arrow answered.
"Right. Well, I'm the Saiyan Prince," Trunks introduced himself.
"And I'm the Saiyan Kid, it's a pleasure to meet you," Gohan said while bowing.
"We know who you two are, and we tracked you down to talk to you," Artemis said.
"How'd you find us, anyway? I thought we were being very discreet," Gohan stated.
"More like you were creet," Robin said, confusing the Saiyan.
"I'm not sure what that means, but this is how they found us," Trunks told his partner as he pulled out Roy's tracking device and faced the archer in question. "You tagged me with this the day we met. I put it in a place that prevented you from tracing the signal until now."
"So he knew about the tracer the whole time," Aqualad thought.
"Then why would you bring it out again where it can be detected?" Wally questioned.
"I just wanted to see who would be the ones coming to see us, but I didn't expect you to be here so soon," Trunks replied.
"So, what do you want with us?" Gohan asked.
"You guys were the ones who rescued Superman when he was attacked," Kaldur stated. "Although what you did is worthy of praise, the League has asked you be brought in for questioning and we were tasked to bring you, peacefully."
"So this superhero group doesn't trust us and wants to interrogate us," Trunks said through telepathy.
"Makes sense. We're kind of like vigilantes. Our way of doing things may be different from theirs," Gohan mused.
"Hey!" Kid Flash called to the Saiyans. "It's rude to ignore us, you know."
"So, are you guys gonna come quietly or not?" Robin inquired.
"Look, we would, but we're a little busy right now," Gohan told them. "Our friend Super Ranger needs our help and we have to get to him."
"Seems like we caught them at a bad time," Artemis thought.
"If they're telling the truth," Red Arrow thought.
"Miss Martian, check their minds," Kaldur ordered.
"Okay," The Martian obeyed. Her eyes glowed green as she peered into the minds of the Demi Saiyans. Gohan and Trunks suddenly felt a slight pain in their heads; it lasted for a few seconds before fading. "They're telling the truth. Those Androids that attacked Superman are their personal enemies, so they're trying to track them down."
"You felt that sensation, right?" Trunks asked his friend.
"Yeah, felt like someone was trying to drill into my head," Gohan replied. "One of them can read minds, probably the Martian girl. It's weird; never felt it when someone did it in our world."
"I don't appreciate you going through my mind like that!" Trunks told the team.
"Forgive the intrusion, but we needed to be sure that you were telling the truth," Aqualad explained. "Now, will you please come with us?"
"If you know we're not lying, then you realize that we can't stay here or go with you," Gohan said.
"Look, our mission is to bring you to the League, which means that we can't allow you to leave here!" Artemis countered.
"This is getting us nowhere!" Roy exclaimed in frustration as he pulled out an arrow and launched it at the Saiyan Prince; he easily caught it and snapped it in half. The rest of the team readied themselves for battle, except for the Atlantean leader.
"We don't wanna fight you guys," Gohan said.
"Well, we gotta fight you guys now since you won't come willingly," Kid Flash said.
"Do you guys really think you stand a chance at apprehending us?" the Son of Vegeta asked with disbelief.
"Someone sure sounds confident when he should be more fident," Robin commented.
"Why wouldn't I have a reason to be confident?" Trunks asked before he disappeared and reappeared behind the protégés. "I can say for certain that you guys don't stand much of a chance against me."
Reacting to what he said, Superboy retorted, "Sure about that?" before he threw a fist at the teenage Saiyan. Trunks simply blocked his attack and pushed him back. The Kryptonian clone glared at the half Saiyan, who gave him a smirk similar to his father's.
"Team, wait! Do not engage them!" Aqualad ordered.
Conner stared at Trunks, who held up his hand and gave the 'come on' gesture. "Sorry boss, but I refuse to lose to these guys!" the clone shouted. He then charged at the Saiyan, throwing his right fist at him. The Lone Warrior grabbed his right fist before he grabbed the left one that was thrown at him. The Genomorph hero pushed against the Super Saiyan with all his might, but he showed no sign of struggling against his super strength.
"I'll admit you're much stronger than the average human…" Trunks complimented before skull bashing the clone of Superman. "But then again, so am I!" He then hurled the hybrid aside. An arrow flew toward Trunks, missing him by a hair. He looked behind himself to see the two archers taking shots at him; he pulled out his sword and used it to deflect the flying projectiles. After a few more arrows were cut down, the archers attempted to fight the Prince in hand-to-hand combat; however, Trunks blocked their assaults before kicking them aside. He then turned to face the Atlantean, who pulled out his water weapons and shifted them into dual swords. Kaldur charged at the swordsman and swung his weapons at him while Trunks blocked them as he engaged the team leader in a sword battle.
Meanwhile, Gohan was facing against the protégés of Batman, Flash, and Martian Manhunter. First off was Kid Flash; he zoomed all around the Demi Saiyan, trying to catch him off guard. Gohan's teal eyes strayed right and left as he followed the speedster's movements. Finally, Wally dashed toward the Saiyan Kid to right hook him, but Gohan deflected his strike and sidestepped him. The speedster stared at the Saiyan in awe before deciding to try it again. Just like before, Gohan managed to disable his assault again with no trouble.
"Whoa, how's he doing that?" Wally wondered.
"He seems to be able to keep track of your movements. Could it be that device on his head?" M'ggan inquired.
"Don't think so. It wasn't active at all while his eyes were following you, plus his reaction shows that he's dealt with someone super fast before," Robin deduced.
"Look, I don't wanna hurt you guys, which is why I'm holding back, but if you continue to attack me, I may decide to cut loose," Gohan said with his mind. The thoughts of an outsider entering their heads surprised the team members.
"Did he just hack our link?" Kid Flash questioned.
"It's more like he added his thoughts to our own," Miss Martian corrected.
"Let's see how he handles this!" Robin said as he threw two disks at the Saiyan.
Gohan easily caught them, and after they ticked a few times he threw them back. The three separated to avoid the explosion. Miss Martian countered by using her telekinesis to levitate a few pieces of rubble and hurl them at the Son of Goku, who reacted by using his own telekinesis to catch them and toss them back to sender. M'ggan then levitated multiple pieces of rubble and threw them at the Saiyan Kid. Gohan easily evaded every single one of them as they continuously flew through the air trying to hit him. "Hammer time!" Gohan said as he started to smash the flying rubble while avoiding the rest. Miss Martian sent more boulders at the Saiyan, but it was futile against his incredible speed and strength. "So you wanna play rough?!" he exclaimed as he fired an energy blast that disintegrated every flying boulder the Martian threw. The half Saiyan descended to the ground and dusted himself. "Could we at least take this outside the city?" he asked.
"Don't worry about that, this'll be over quickly!" Kid Flash declared as he sped toward the Saiyan and started throwing multiple punches at him. Gohan blocked every one of his strikes before palm striking him away. Megan rushed at the Z Fighter, but her inferior combat training against a warrior with superior martial arts skills didn't allow her to last long before she was knocked away. Robin then brought out his dual bo sticks and jumped at the Saiyan Kid; Gohan brought out his power pole and extended it, allowing him to easily block the Boy Wonder's attacks.
Back with Trunks, the Atlantean continued to swing his weapons around until Trunks managed to knock his weapons from his hands. He then sheathed his sword and took his fighting stance. Aqualad charged at the Saiyan and tried to strike him, but every one of his blows were blocked. When Trunks grabbed his fists, he used that opportunity to channel electricity toward the Z Fighter in an attempt to stun him, but Trunks just smirked as he flared his Ki, warding off the electricity. He then skull bashed the team leader before kicking him away. Artemis and Roy both fired bombed arrows at the Saiyan Prince; he easily caught before they could hit his face, but they detonated seconds later. When the smoke cleared, the archers were surprised to see that the half's face was completely unharmed by their attacks. Trunks used his hands to release a kiai that blew the archers away. He then sensed something above him and looked up to see the Boy of Steel descending on him. He blocked Superboy's attack and withstood the force that shattered the concrete ground. Superboy then tried to punch the Saiyan Prince but he dodged the assaults, which seemed to anger the Kryptonian. Trunks then revved up his energy and struck Conner in the chin, knocking him out cold. "You're too angry… kinda like my father," Trunks muttered before looking over at his partner.
Gohan eventually ended his fight with Robin by whacking the Boy Wonder in the head, knocking him unconscious. The team then regrouped, minus their unconscious comrades. The Demi Saiyans' scouters started beeping, making them glance at each other and nod. "Sorry, but we really need to go, so we'll have to settle this some other time," Trunks told them as he placed eight fingers by his head. "Solar Flare!" he exclaimed, and a brilliant light exploded from the Prince's face, blinding the protégés. When the light faded, the heroes-in-training opened their eyes, but the Demi Saiyans were already gone without a trace.
"What? Where did they go?!" Miss Martian questioned.
"They couldn't have gotten far," Kid Flash reasoned. "Maybe we can still track them if we get in the Bio Ship!"
"No," Aqualad said as he walked over to the unconscious Kryptonian and picked him up. "They've escaped us. Carry Red Arrow to the Bio Ship so that we can return to the cave."
Although they were confused, the Team obeyed their leader's instructions. Kid Flash and Robin went over to their fallen friends, and the Boy Wonder spotted the tracking device the archer had used to track the Demi Saiyans. "Guess we can't track 'em anymore," Robin noted. The protégés carried their comrades onto the Martian spacecraft. Miss Martian silently went to take the controls while the rest of the heroes-in-training placed their unconscious friends down and took their seats.
"Are we really just gonna head back to the cave?!" Artemis demanded.
"Yes," Kaldur answered. "We could not get them to come peacefully, and we did not expect them to be such a challenge to us. We underestimated them and we lost."
"But, if we go back empty-handed, that means…" Wally started to say.
"We have failed our mission," Aqualad finished. The Team flew back to their base, feeling like failures; they soon entered Mount Justice and went to the mission room. When they got there, the Dark Knight stood there waiting for them, along with their robotic den mother and their combat instructor.
Robin's mentor only said a couple of words: "What happened?" The Team quickly explained how their confrontation with the Saiyans went; needless to say, Batman was not happy with their failure. The Team tried to assure their boss that they would bring the vigilantes in, but the Gotham hero denied it. "We'll put off apprehending these rogue heroes for now, but when the opportunity presents itself again, the League will handle this mission." The young heroes looked like they wanted to argue, but the Dark Knight glared at the teens intensely, dismissing the matter entirely.
Four days later, the Team was attacked by the siblings of Red Tornado; the four super-powered teens were captured and placed in deathtraps, leaving the task of protecting their base to their gadget-wielding comrades. After running all over the cave, the teens managed to incapacitate Red Inferno and Red Torpedo when Artemis shut them down with an electro magnetic pulse. Moments later, their den mother arrived to assist them, but the pulse had faded and the intruders had managed to take control of their heroic little brother. Tornado quickly used his powers to sap the air right out of the lungs of the young heroes, rendering them unconscious until the Justice League had arrived. "Artemis? Artemis, can you hear me?" a voice asked the unconscious archer; she opened her eyes to see the face of Superman. "She's alright!" he alerted his comrades. Artemis was pulled to her feet and looked around to see more Justice League members assisting her teammates. "What happened here?" he asked the archer.
"What happened? The Reds happened! Red Tornado and his…" Artemis began to explain before she noticed something. "Wait, where are they?"
"Gone. All three of them, gone," Robin answered.
Tokyo, September 18, Capsule Home/Laboratory
It had been four days since Super Ranger alerted the Saiyans that he detected the Androids' energy signals somewhere, but their confrontation with the Team slowed them down, and by the time they got to Ranger's location, they had already escaped his sensors. After four days of empty trails, the Z Fighters had decided to take a break from searching. Gohan was currently playing catch with Icarus while Trunks was sparring with Ranger. The Saiyan Prince threw multiple strikes at the machine man, but he easily blocked every single one of them. The time traveler stopped to take a few breaths. "Okay, I'm ready to go again," he said.
"I do not think it is wise to overexert yourself, Trunks," Ranger advised. "You shouldn't try to rush your progress."
"But I need to get stronger, and fast!" Trunks argued.
"You are getting stronger. My sensors have detected that your power has increased drastically," Ranger told him.
"But I'm not at Gohan's level. I still haven't attained the second Super Saiyan level," Trunks stated.
"That is correct," Ranger said. "But I believe you will get there eventually. It's only a matter of time."
"Time that I've already spent training, but there's still something preventing from breaking that wall inside me," Trunks said angrily as he clenched his fists. "I just don't get it."
"Gohan told me that Goku said the power comes in response to a need, not a desire," Ranger mused. "Perhaps your desire to have this power as soon as you can is creating this problem for you."
"What's wrong with wanting to get stronger?" the lone warrior questioned.
"Your desire can only take you so far, but it cannot push you past your limits," 16 explained. "It is only when you are at your breaking point that your desire turns into a need if you wish to survive the task at hand and move forward."
Trunks glanced at his right palm. "I just wish I could reach that breaking point faster," he muttered. Before anyone could say anything else, their scouters started beeping; foreign numbers started flashing on the screen along with moving arrows. "Looks like we're about to get a few visitors."
"Scouters detecting about six energy signatures headed toward us," Gohan said. "Could it be the Androids?"
"I do not believe that my brethren would foolishly seek us out, but my sensors do not lie," Ranger stated.
"Icarus, stay back!" Gohan ordered to his dragon while he capsulated their base. Pretty soon, Androids 13, 14, and 19 had appeared before the Z Fighters, but it wasn't just them; the three heroes were surprised when they saw Red Inferno, Red Tornado, and Red Torpedo were standing beside Gero's mechanical soldiers.
"And to think, we wasted four days looking for you mechanical morons when all we had to do was let you come to us," Trunks mocked. "Big mistake! And look, they brought a few friends; like they'll be able help you defeat us."
"Wait a minute, isn't the one with the cape supposed to be a member of the Justice League?" Gohan questioned.
"Based on my data, I can confirm that is the Android hero and Justice League member known as Red Tornado," Ranger said as he analyzed the Red Androids. "And the other two are former heroes of the past: Red Torpedo and Red Inferno."
"Why would three heroes be siding with those killing machines?" Gohan inquired.
"What does it matter? If they're here with those Red Ribbon rejects, then they're our enemies, too! That means we'll have to pound them all into scrap metal!" the Saiyan Prince stated.
"Wait! Please do not harm the android heroes," 16 pleaded. "These are machines like me, and they are heroes who protect life just as I do. I wish not to destroy them without knowing why they are siding with my former brothers."
"Why, Ranger? For all we know, these androids just turned evil!" Trunks retorted.
"Maybe not. Since they're machines, it is possible they were reprogrammed to attack us. If Dr. Zero is anything like Dr. Gero, it wouldn't be too hard," Gohan mused.
"If they were reprogrammed, then their actions are not their own," Ranger said. "Until we know how they are being controlled, I don't want to destroy them unless it is the only way, and if we can, I'd like to help them."
Trunks thought for a moment before nodding. "Okay, you robo slaves! What do you want from us?!"
The machines gave no answer; Thirteen simply glanced at Red Tornado and muttered, "Do it." The Justice Leaguer obeyed by creating twisters around his arms and the lower half of his body; the three tornados started sucking in the air. The Demi Saiyans grasped their throats as the air was pulled from their lungs. Super Ranger was about to act but Androids 19 and 14 quickly restrained him.
"What's Tornado doing?" Gohan thought to Trunks.
"He's sucking the oxygen right from our lungs," Trunks replied.
"Does that mean they're trying to kill us since they can't beat us in hand-to-hand combat?" Gohan inquired.
"Don't know yet, but for now, play dead!" the Saiyan Prince instructed. He then spotted Super Ranger preparing to make a move against his brothers and quickly gasped, "Ranger," and shook his head no. After a few minutes, the half Saiyans collasped onto the floor and Red Tornado stopped sucking the air.
Thirteen then said, "Nice work, air boy, now get with the reprogramming while I finish off those Indians!" The chief descended toward the Saiyans along with Red Inferno and Red Torpedo while Red Tornado approached the restrained Android 16. Thirteen aimed his right palm at the Z Fighters and channeled energy into it. Just as he was about to fire it, the Super Saiyans quickly stood up and fired a combined Ki blast that knocked 13 and the Reds away. The Saiyans' attack managed to distract Red Tornado, who was reaching for Super Ranger, and 16 reacted by using his feet to kick Tornado away. Then he skull bashed 14, making him release his right arm, before blasting him aside, and then punched 19 in the gut with his rocket fist, blowing him away. He then regrouped with his Saiyan allies.
"Are you two alright?" Ranger asked them.
"Yeah, we're fine, Ranger," Saiyan Kid replied.
"Darn it! That attack plan was foolproof! How did ya'll withstand getting your air tanks cleaned out?!" 13 demanded.
"Did you really think you could suffocate us?! We are Saiyans, ya know!" Trunks responded. "Both of us can survive without air for long periods of time!"
"Well, gosh darn it! Guess we'll just have to rely on old plan B!" Thirteen said.
"Gohan, I think they're after Super Ranger," Trunks said to his friend telepathically. "They attacked us while trying to capture him without inflicting any damage."
"Well, I won't let them have him!" Gohan declared as he reached for his Power Pole; as he prepared to use it, an energy beam knocked it out of his hand along with Trunks' sword. The weapons landed on the ground and the Demi Saiyans glared at Android 13, who had his hand stretched out and smoking.
"14! You and Mr. Twister take on our brotherly traitor! Me and Aquabot can handle city boy's kid! Chubby 19 and fire lady, 30 dollar haircut is all yours!" 13 ordered, and the six Androids immediately charged at the Z Fighters. 13 threw a punch at the Son of Goku, which he easily blocked. The Red Ribbon Android then moved as Red Torpedo launched a torrent of water at Gohan; the Demi Saiyan's entire body was consumed in water as Torpedo tried to drown him. Gohan smirked as he started channeling his Ki. The water prison glowed yellow before it exploded and blew the mechanical men back as the Saiyan Kid was freed.
"Good luck trying to drown or restrain me with water! Now give your best shot!" Gohan demanded while gesturing for his opponents to come at him; 13 growled before engaging the younger Saiyan in combat.
With Trunks, Android 19 was ferociously trying to grab the Saiyan Prince with his hands, but his prey was too fast for him. Trunks then elbow bashed the chubby Android to the ground. "There's no way I'm gonna let you steal my energy, fatso!" the Son of Vegeta proclaimed. He turned around to see Red Inferno holding out her hands at him; the Android heroine unleashed a massive blaze attack at the Saiyan Prince. Trunks reacted by creating an energy shield to protect himself; when she stopped throwing fire at him, he lowered the shield, phased above her, and kicked her to ground. "Sorry babe, but fire ain't gonna come close to scratching me!" Trunks said just as 19 got back up and started trading blows with the Saiyan Prince.
Ranger wasn't having much of a problem against his opponents either. Red Tornado used a whirlwind blast to try and keep Ranger in place, but he easily withstood it. 14 tried to kick him in the head; Super Ranger he caught his assault and slammed him into the ground. Ranger then charged at the current Android Hero, but before he could get to him, Tornado created a wall of wind that blew the former Red Ribbon Android away. 16 was about to use his eye beams to pierce through the twisting barrier, but he was uppercut by Android 14. The two Androids glared at each before exchanging blows. Although the Super Saiyans weren't having any trouble keeping up with their robotic adversaries, they weren't exactly winning their fights either.
"Is it just me, or are these Androids actually matching us in our Super Saiyan forms?!" Gohan asked.
"Yeah, they must've got some serious upgrades from Zero!" Trunks replied. "So what do you say we get serious?"
"Sure, let's show them the true power of a Super Saiyan!" Gohan agreed. The Son of Goku blocked 13's kick while channeling energy into his right fist; he swung with full force, striking the Android in the shoulder, disconnecting it from his body in an instant. Trunks used the same attack to sever 19's upper body from his lower half. The Androids gasped at their injuries while the Demi Saiyans charged at 14 and ripped his arms off. The Z Fighters then prepared to face the Reds when they saw multiple wires extending from the Androids' pieces; the wires instantly connected together and reattached the severed body parts to the main body. Trunks and Gohan's eyes grew wide as the Red Ribbon Androids were once again in one piece.
"What the heck was that?!" Trunks questioned.
"The Big Gété Star!" Gohan gasped, getting his comrades to look at him in confusion.
"The what?" Trunks asked.
"Ah, so one of you monsters knows of the Big Gété Star?" 19 asked as he smirked. "Then you know of its ability to adapt and improve."
"What is this Big Gété Star?" Ranger inquired.
"It started out as a damaged microchip that began adding pieces of technology to its system as it drifted in space," Gohan elucidated. "It eventually expanded into a satellite the size of a planet. It's capable of creating thousands of robotic soldiers of equal strength, but the true danger is in where the main computer monitors the soldiers in battle. If they are damaged, they can be instantly repaired and whatever flaw that allowed the damage to be inflicted is corrected."
"Heh! You must've encountered the Big Gété Star in your own time, and that's how you know so much about it," 19 figured. "That means you've realized that now you have no chance of defeating us. But why don't we show you what you're truly up against?" Suddenly the Red Ribbon Androids' skin changed into a shiny silver-like color; they each smirked as they flexed in their new armor.
"That's Meta Cooler's armor!" Gohan exclaimed.
"Meta Cooler?" Trunks repeated.
"Not important. Bottom line is, that armor's not gonna be easy to crack!" Gohan explained.
"Oh, it's more than that, Saiyan! This Gété Star armor was made from the strongest metal alloy in our universe. In this form, our bodies are completely indestructible! " 19 stated.
"We'll see about that!" Trunks retorted as he dashed toward the Androids; the battle resumed with Gohan taking on 13, Trunks fighting 14, and Ranger going toe-to-toe with 19. Saiyan Kid threw multiple punches and kicks at 13's face, but he shrugged every blow off, showing no sign of pain while his armor didn't have a single scratch on it.
"How is this possible? My Father and Vegeta destroyed the Big Gété Star!" Gohan said.
13 smirked at the Saiyan Kid. "Maybe you're right, boy. Maybe it was destroyed without a trace… in your timeline," he said. Gohan's eyes grew wide as he realized what the Android was saying. They were from an alternate future, one whose events became different from his own time due to Trunks and Cell traveling to the past. That meant there was a possibility that in Trunks' future, a piece of the Big Gété Star survived the battle, or maybe it was never confronted by the Z Fighters. 13 then used Gohan's moment of hesitation to his advantage by grabbing him by the throat. Trunks flew to help his comrade, but Android 14 gut punched him before locking him in a full nelson. Wire suddenly sprouted out of 13 and 14's bodies and attached themselves to the Demi Saiyans; gold streams of energy started flowing out of the Super Saiyans' bodies through the wires and into the bodies of the Androids. "Now this is another darn good power that comes from having the Big Gété Star," Android 13 explained. "We can absorb your energies in an instant! At this rate, your entire life forces will be sucked right out of you!" The Saiyan Hybrids screamed in agony as the Androids fed on their Ki.
"Prince! Kid!" Ranger cried. He rushed over to assist his comrades but was met with an uppercut to the chin by Android 19.
"Don't bother, brother. It's too late for them," 19 said as Red Inferno and Red Torpedo appeared by Ranger's sides and grabbed his arms to restrain him. "And it's too late for you! Tornado, now!" The Android Hero flew in front of Super Ranger and grabbed is head; wires spread out from his fingers and connected to 16's scalp. "The reprogramming shouldn't take long, so don't worry, 16. You will be our brother once again."
"Ranger!" Gohan shouted when he saw his friend was in trouble. The Son of Goku powered up to Super Saiyan Two, grabbed the wires, and yanked them right out of 13's body. He blasted the western Android away and flew toward Super Ranger. "I WON'T LET YOU TAKE RANGER AWAY!" Gohan proclaimed as he cupped his hands together and poured Ki in between them. "Kamehame…ha!" The Son of Goku fired a brilliant blue beam at the Reds. Android 19 jumped in front of the blast and placed his hands forward to absorb it. The beam collided with the chubby Android's hands and was slowly sucked into his palms. Gohan glared at the mechanical warrior before pouring more energy into his attack; 19 continued to absorb it, but his silver armor started to crack as the energy being stored inside him was overloading. "More power!" The Demi Saiyan yelled as he released the majority of his Ki into his turtle shockwave. 19's face twisted into a psychotic smile as his body started breaking apart. The Android eventually absorbed the last of the Saiyan Kid's attack but couldn't contain the energy and immediately exploded; the only thing that remained was his power core and his microchip brain.
Gohan took a few heavy breaths as he powered down to his Super Saiyan form; he then glanced at the Reds still restraining his friend before he flared his Ki and rushed over to them. The Demi Saiyan grabbed Red Tornado and tossed him away before kicking both Red Inferno and Red Torpedo, freeing Super Ranger. "Ranger, are you ok?!" Gohan asked him. The Red Ribbon Android gave no reply as he stared at Gohan with an emotionless look; 16's right arm suddenly shot forward and grabbed the Saiyan Hybrid by the throat, surprising him completely. "R-Ranger, what are y-you doing!" Gohan managed to gasp out as the Android tightened his grip around the boy's neck. Super Ranger then placed his hand at the half Saiyan's stomach and charged an energy blast; the blast drilled right through Gohan's armor and came out his back, leaving a hole in his suit and stomach. Gohan coughed out blood before he powered down to his base form. Ranger then released the boy, letting him descend to the ground, alive but beaten.
"No, Gohan!" Trunks cried. He finally blasted 14 away before diving toward his partner, but he was immediately stopped by an energy blast intercepting his path, courtesy of Android 13.
"Going somewhere, pretty boy?" the Android mocked as his brothers appeared beside him. Trunks revved up his Ki and charged at all three Androids head-on; 13, 14, and 16 rushed at the Super Saiyan and engaged in a three-on-one battle. The Saiyan Prince managed to hold his position for a few minutes but was quickly overwhelmed by the triple Android beatdown. As Trunks was beaten, he managed to get a quick glance at his fallen friend; Gohan lay on the ground with blood spilling from his stomach and his mouth while his body was twitching slightly. The time traveler was suddenly reminded of the state he found his mentor in when Androids 17 and 18 killed him; he clenched his fists as he remembered the advice Gohan gave him "The power comes in response to a need, not a desire. And I need that power now!" He then yelled and unleashed an enormous wave of energy that blew the Androids away. Standing before them now was Trunks channeling electricity with his golden aura. He then fired an energy beam, but not at the Androids; the blast hit Gohan and lit up his body for a few seconds.
"That should stabilize Gohan's Ki until I can get him to the healing chamber," Trunks thought before facing the Androids. 13 and 14 glared at the Saiyan, who raised his hand at them; he blasted 13 with kiai and charged at 14. The two were soon locked in combat. After a while, 14 managed to get a good hit in when he struck Trunks in the stomach. The Saiyan Prince simply glared at the machine before grabbing his wrist and immediately ripping his arm off his shoulder. The Android winced seconds before he noticed Trunks charging an energy blast. "Galick Gun, fire!" Trunks exclaimed as he vaporized the Red Ribbon Robot with the purple beam; when the attack vanished, 14's ashes fell from the sky along with his microchip and power core. He then faced Super Ranger, who face remained expressionless. "Oh Ranger, what have they done to you?" the Saiyan Prince wondered as his comrade charged at him. The robotic replica of Gero's son threw multiple blows at the new Super Saiyan Two, who easily blocked all of them with little effort. He then grabbed his friend's arm and muttered, "Sorry, pal," before tossing him into the earth with great force. 16 crashed landed into the ground like a meteor, making a large crater upon impact and having half of his body buried in the earth.
"Don't let your guard down, pretty boy! This fight ain't over yet!" Android 13 yelled as he appeared behind the Saiyan Prince and tried punch him, but Trunks blocked the blow and kicked 13 in the face, making a dent in his silver armor. The remaining Red Ribbon Android glared at the Demi Saiyan before glancing at the remains of his comrades."14 and 19 have been destroyed, huh." He then smirked as he used telekinesis to levitate the microchips and power cores toward him. Knowing what was about to happen, Trunks dashed to stop 13, but he immediately grabbed and restrained by the Red Androids. Trunks watched as Android 13 absorbed the power cores and microchips into his body. "How sweet it is!" 13 stated as his physical features began to change; his long loose hair turned red and spiky as it stood up in a style similar to Trunks'. His muscles expanded to twice their original size as his skin turned black and his eyes turned yellow with no pupils. Trunks powered up and used his energy to blast the Reds away from him; he fired an energy blast at the Red Ribbon Android, but the transformation was already complete. The blast hit 13 in the chest, but he remained unharmed. Trunks then flew straight at Super 13 and punched him right in the face.
"Heh, sorry, pretty boy, but that ain't gonna cut it!" 13 taunted as he grabbed his wrist and started to crush it. Trunks fired a blast into Super 13's face before using his sword to cut off his hand, freeing his wrist and allowing him to gain some distance. 13 smirked as his severed hand was instantly repaired thanks to the abilities of the Big Gété Star; he then used the new hand to gesture the Saiyan to come at him. The Super Android and the Super Saiyan charged at each other and began ferociously trading blows. 13 got the upper hand when his onslaught became too much for Trunks and he nailed the teen with an energy blast. Trunks was blown away but stopped himself and held up his fists to show that he wasn't backing down. He took deep breaths as he braced himself for 13's continual assault, but before that could happen, Red Torpedo called to the Super Android."That's enough, Android 13! We have our objective; there's no need for you to battle this hero any longer! Let's not keep our creators waiting!"
Super 13 growled at the fact that his fun had to be spoiled but complied just as Android 16 appeared beside him. He then smirked at Trunks as he forced his hand through Ranger's chest and ripped out his power core. Trunks gasped as his comrade shut down and fell into the grasp of the Reds. Super 13 then created a red energy sphere around the power core before encasing both in another enormous red sphere of energy. "I've managed to outrun that speedy hero and his sidekick, Flash and Flash Jr. They're supposed to be the fastest, but let's see how fast you are," 13 stated before tossing the energy attack, not at Trunks but at Gohan. The Saiyan Prince's eyes grew wide before he raced toward his partner to save him; he got in front of the Saiyan Kid and placed his hands out. The giant energy blast collided with Trunks' hands and he pushed against it with all his might. The ground around the Saiyan began to sink while he struggled to stop the attack; he then fired a beam at full power, repelling the attack and launching it into space, where it detonated. Trunks was breathing heavily as he looked around to see if the Androids were still in the area, but they disappeared without a trace. "RAAAAH!" he roared as his aura exploded in a fit of fury.
The Saiyan Prince then powered down to base form and went over to check on his partner; he placed his hand by Gohan's neck and closed his eyes. "I can still sense Gohan's energy but it's starting to fade again. Better get him to the healing chamber fast!" He picked up his Saiyan brother and carried him back to their spot. After releasing their base from its capsule form, Trunks hurried Gohan to the gravity chamber before glancing at the boy's costume watch. "It must've been damaged during the fight." He brought Gohan to the healing tank and opened it. He then pressed the button on the watch, removing the Saiyan armor, and placed Gohan inside the healing pod. After putting the life support mask on his face, he started the machine and watched as it closed and filled up with the Saiyan DNA synthesized liquid. Icarus came over to the tank and pressed his nose against the glass, watching Gohan's becoming steadier as he fell into a healing nap. Trunks petted the dragon's head. "Don't worry, boy, Gohan's gonna be just fine. But you can stay with him till he's fully healed," he assured Icarus before leaving to the laboratory.
After removing his armor and patching his own wounds, Trunks got to work on fixing Gohan's costume watch. But he was still upset over the loss of his fellow Z Fighter. "Dammit! How could we have lost Ranger to those mechanical monstrosities?!" he thought. "I don't know what Zero and Raichi are planning or why they took Ranger, but I'll get him back no matter what! I'll stake my life on it!" He then heard a beeping noise and glanced over to the source, which was his scouter; he picked it up, placed it on his ear, and commanded, "Play message." The beeping then stopped and a familiar voice spoke from the scouters' recording.
"This is Red Tornado," it said "If you're hearing this message, then your enemies and my siblings along with myself have succeeded in our attempt to capture the one called Super Ranger." Trunks growled and almost destroyed the scouter but calmed down so that he could listen to the rest of the message. "My apologies. I was also recently abducted by my siblings and could do no more than record this message on your devices with my little willpower. I do not know what more to say, other than this… if you wish to rescue your comrade, then you must find the team of young heroes. They are the only ones who can help you get him back!"
Trunks took off the scouter and placed it on the table. "I have half a mind to destroy that Tornado for playing a hand in what happened to Gohan and Ranger… but I'll follow his instructions, for now," the Son of Vegeta decided.
A/N: Finished! What'd you think of this chapter?! Hope you like it! Now after having a bad run in with the Team, the Demi Saiyans need their help in order to find their friend; how will that turn out? Stay tuned and find out! Until then, BBFN AntiHero out!