Thanks again to those who read and distinctively to those who reviewed. =P
Without further ado, the next chapter.
Piccolo and Gohan stared each other down long and hard. Piccolo emitted rays of hatred, his eyes became a bloodshot crimson, his muscles bulked out to its maximum proportions and his mouth foamed.
Gohan's face showed nothing but disgust and in the interior a wonder of "why?"
" Piccolo what do you think you are doing?" Trunks asked. " There is one of you and four of us and even with your super speed you cannot beat us."
Piccolo smirked and than returned to his normal size. Instantly, Piccolo became four Piccolos and each charged at a Z-Fighter.
Yamcha and Tien took their battles to the air while the super saiyins stayed on the ground.
Trunks was easily dodging all of this Piccolo's attacks but to save his life he couldn't get a hit on him.
Yamcha was being pummeled with energy attacks. From blast to blast, it was a cheap cheese move, which would probably allow Piccolo to cream Yamcha.
Gohan blocked or countered all of his Piccolo's attacks. But Piccolo was far to fast to be hit.
Tien and Piccolo were blow for blow with each other. However, Piccolo still had the upper hand.
Yamcha was the first to fall. The ki blasts had torn his clothing and battered his skin. He hit the ground. He still had enough power to fight him.
[What's the use,] Yamcha thought, [Even if I can still fight him he'll still beat me].
Yamcha's Piccolo smirked and combined with the Piccolo Tien was fighting.
[Oh great, the saiyins only have to fight Piccolo at quarter power but I have to beat Piccolo at half power!] Tien thought.
Gohan had enough, if Piccolo wasn't willing to talk he would make him. He had just slugged Piccolo, which kept him down or a while. Unbeknownst to Gohan, Piccolo was faking injury.
" Now, Piccolo jus-HEY! Get back here!"
Piccolo darted in the air heading straight for Tien.
" Not this time pal, Masenko!"
Gohan shot his trademark energy beam. The explosion was enormous. But when the dust cleared two Piccolos were still floating and Tien fell to the ground, shot down by his own ally.
" Oh no! What have I done?! Tien I'm sorry!"
The one Piccolo Trunks was in combat with ditched him regroup with the others. Piccolo was at full power once again.
" Yamcha, take Eighteen and Tien and go to Capsule Corp., get my mom to get them the medical attention they need!" Trunks ordered.
Without hesitation Yamcha glided over to Tien and slung the triclops over his shoulder and unto his back. He then dashed over to Eighteen but before he could so much as touch her Piccolo charged at him. The namek was prepared to deliver a final blow.
Both Trunks and Gohan saw this but to far away to get there in time, Piccolo was too fast, he would strike.
And then He struck.
Yamcha opened his clenched eyes and looked behind him to see Piccolo on the floor in two parts. A nice, sharp, clean cut across his midsection. Purple liquid oozed out of his body.
" Looks like I got here in time," came a voice from above.
" Krillin!" All three said in unison.
"I thought you were dead!" said Trunks in complete disbelief.
" I almost was, Thank Dende." Krillin replied looking to the skies.
Yamcha didn't waste any more time, he grabbed Eighteen and took off.
Krillin, Trunks, and Gohan knew what would come next. Piccolo would regenerate, but this time the ball would be in their court now.
* * * *
Yamcha had an easy flight and landed at Bulma's front lawn where Bulma was coincidentally there yelling at Vegeta.
" Now TELL me VEGETA!! Where did you GO?!"
" Look WOMAN just shut the HELL UP and leave me alone!"
" Or what?"
" I'll BLAST YOU TO HELL!"
" YEAH RIGHT! You couldn't you super saiyin WANNABE!"
" Um guys?" Yamcha's voice was incredibly meager. Both Bulma and Vegeta turned to him a look of impatience on their faces.
" Omigosh! Yamcha what happened to you! And is that Tien and Eighteen? What happened to them?"
Vegeta smirked, knowing he was the one who beat Eighteen to a pulp. Although, he was curious of what happened to Tien.
[The stupid humans probably got into a trivial spar. They will never reach saiyin potential.]
" It was Piccolo, he did this to Eighteen and Tien, he also beat Krillin up pretty bad but Trunks and Gohan have Piccolo subdued now."
Vegeta was shocked. Once he regained his outward composure he was enraged on the inside. Why should the namek get credit for the work of a Prince? He waited before doing anything though.
Bulma summoned two robots to carry the injured Z-Fighters to the Med-Ward. Vegeta had wanted to go check out what was going on. Piccolo had been defeated by the android so how could he beat Tien and Yamcha? He stretched his ki to see Piccolo's ki was still just a low, perhaps even lower. Something peculiar was going on and Vegeta wanted in on whatever it was.
* * * *
Krillin picked up Piccolo's now regenerated body and tossed it into the air. From the air Trunks kicked Piccolo's body towards Gohan where he smashed it down back to Krillin. They played this game of 'Pass the Piccolo'.
Piccolo was insulted. There was nothing he could do as he was thrown like a rag. They wanted him to talk.
Krillin punched Piccolo in the air.
There was no time for talk.
Trunks caught Piccolo and twirled in circles before throwing him to Gohan.
Only listen.
{And the time is now.}
Gohan waited to roundhouse Piccolo. While Piccolo sailed through the air he stretched his arms and extended them for an unexpected punch.
The double fist hit Gohan in the stomach. Now free, Piccolo charged up his power.
* * * *
" Doctor," Bulma started, " How is the status?"
" Well Mrs. Briefs, Yamcha will be fine and so will Tien, although I have never seen a three-eyed person in my life." Dr. John Takaishi said.
" And Eighteen?"
" Eighteen," he spoke in a lower, more pessimistic tone, " well, come with me ma'am."
The two walked into a room filled to the brim with reports, files, and other tedious data. Dr. Takaishi walked them to a wall.
" It would appear that we have discovered something in Eighteen's brain. Upon further inspection under microscopes a virus attacked her brain and took over in minutes. It should have taken months or probably years for a virus to infect the whole organ! For some reason this unprecedented virus left. We know it didn't die, bit it didn't exit onto the face or into the rest of the body. It is as if it magically left. All we have is the residue of the virus, we never even seen anything like this. She may be the very first person to have this unusual brain cancer. Perhaps we could use her to cure cancer. Ma'am?"
But Bulma was listening. On the X-ray image she had seen something. It looked like a blur to the untrained eye but she had been working with computers since she was a little girl. She knew binary code when she saw it. Somehow machine language was implemented into Eighteen's brain.
* * * *
Trunks had no idea what came over Piccolo, but it was time to put an end to him. Gohan, Krillin and himself had Piccolo cornered. But Piccolo wasn't done yet.
{Now Piccolo, show them the pinnacle of your power, literally.}
Piccolo chuckled, "Prepare to die all of you!"
Piccolo began to bulge. His body grew in bulk. With it Piccolo rose, higher and higher into the skies. The others stood in awe, their minds failing to register this rapid development. Now before them all, Piccolo stood four hundred feet tall.
Gohan charged forward, " Don't think your transformation can stop us! You're going down!"
Gohan's aim was the namek's eyes, with Piccolo blinded by ki blast it would be easier to stop him.
As Gohan approached Piccolo's face the unexpected happened.
With one might breath Piccolo inhaled, helpless, Gohan was sucked into the vacuum that was Piccolo's mouth, and in one gulp, the half saiyin hybrid was swallowed.
" Gohan!" Trunks and Krillin replied in unison.
Trunks wasn't going to make Gohan's mistake. [Where are the others?]
" Muahahahaha! My digestive juices will finish Gohan, now who will be my next delicacy?"
" You creep! Destructo Disc!"
The powerful disc impacted the namekian skin and bounced off in another direction. Trunks in Krillin regrouped to determine a plan.
" Okay Krillin, a good Solar Flare will stop him then we'll have enough time to think of a better plan, for now I'll distract him."
Trunks zigzagged through Piccolo's legs, around Piccolo's neck, and down Piccolo's arm while Krillin slowly flew 400 ft in the air.
And then he seized him.
With a swift grasp Piccolo held trunks in one hand. Trunks began to scream while the namek crushed his bones and squeezed him into a saiyan pulp.
Again another scream.
Krillin hesitated, at the sound of his friend's pain he dashed off to Piccolo's antennae.
Krillin thought, [If what I heard was true, this should hurt like hell.]
Krillin began to tug and stretch, and pull the antennae. All the while Piccolo cursed and shook his head vigorous to get the bothersome human away. Meanwhile, Trunks still screaming in pain and then, losing his super saiyin glow, transformed back to his regular self.
* * * *
" Goshun, can you feel that? It's my dad, he's in trouble, he's no longer a super saiyan!"
Ryu didn't get a foot off the ground before Goshen caught one of Ryu's legs.
" Even so Ryu, if Uncle Trunks is in trouble there's probably not much we could do, don't worry my dad will come and save him."
" NO! Let me GO!"
With a powerful back kick, Ryu sank Goshun into the dirt and shot into the air.
* * * *
" Goten you were wonderful."
Bra stroked Goten's muscles, each touch making Goten feel more at ease. Goten had been worried, he felt something wrong, but his worries were cast into the shadows as his wife continued to enchant him by her love.
But when he felt a huge power drain, he was brought to his senses.
" Trunks!"
" What? Goten what's come over you?"
" It's Trunks, his power!"
" My brother? Is he okay? Goten tell me what's going on?"
" I don't know what for sure."
Goten kissed his wife and then proceeded to change into his fighting outfit.
* * * *
{This is becoming annoying, Piccolo, finish this.}
With one hand still squashing Trunks, Piccolo used his other hand to swat Krillin off, sending him to the ground.
Piccolo threw Trunks to the ground, his master's orders must be carried out.
He lifted his foot high into the air, and brought it down upon Trunks.
Trunks screamed, but Piccolo's foot muted the sound. Piccolo raised the foot again, Trunks blood had already began to abandon him. The red liquid colored the dirt, turning the earthly brown to defiled purple.
" And now to finish you off!" Piccolo roared, raising his foot even higher.
A trivial tingling feeling had made its way to become an irritating rumble inside Piccolo, Gohan burst forth from Piccolo's stomach. Purple blood and black guts decked Gohan's tired body.
" Piccolo, I don't know what you've become but it ends here. You are responsible for the fatal injuries to my friends, you're responsible for the city you destroyed, but now: No more!"
Gohan cupped his hands, ready to fire an attack he knew all too well. Krillin smiled, happy to see his partner was alive. To Gohan this was just like fighting Cell, he had to make sure not a single cell had survived, but he knew for a fact that Piccolo could always regenerate as long as his head was undamaged. His head would be Gohan's target.
* * * *
" What is it now woman?"
Bulma sighed in annoyance, " Just get over here and look at this monitor! I found this in Eighteen, it's a virus. I've inspected the virus to determine this: a master plan encoded."
" Bulma get to your point!" Vegeta spat out her name.
" Vegeta, look for yourself and see what I see."
And when Vegeta did he was shocked. He read each word carefully.
" But how?"
" I don't know Vegeta, I don't know."
Piccolo and Gohan stared each other down long and hard. Piccolo emitted rays of hatred, his eyes became a bloodshot crimson, his muscles bulked out to its maximum proportions and his mouth foamed.
Gohan's face showed nothing but disgust and in the interior a wonder of "why?"
" Piccolo what do you think you are doing?" Trunks asked. " There is one of you and four of us and even with your super speed you cannot beat us."
Piccolo smirked and than returned to his normal size. Instantly, Piccolo became four Piccolos and each charged at a Z-Fighter.
Yamcha and Tien took their battles to the air while the super saiyins stayed on the ground.
Trunks was easily dodging all of this Piccolo's attacks but to save his life he couldn't get a hit on him.
Yamcha was being pummeled with energy attacks. From blast to blast, it was a cheap cheese move, which would probably allow Piccolo to cream Yamcha.
Gohan blocked or countered all of his Piccolo's attacks. But Piccolo was far to fast to be hit.
Tien and Piccolo were blow for blow with each other. However, Piccolo still had the upper hand.
Yamcha was the first to fall. The ki blasts had torn his clothing and battered his skin. He hit the ground. He still had enough power to fight him.
[What's the use,] Yamcha thought, [Even if I can still fight him he'll still beat me].
Yamcha's Piccolo smirked and combined with the Piccolo Tien was fighting.
[Oh great, the saiyins only have to fight Piccolo at quarter power but I have to beat Piccolo at half power!] Tien thought.
Gohan had enough, if Piccolo wasn't willing to talk he would make him. He had just slugged Piccolo, which kept him down or a while. Unbeknownst to Gohan, Piccolo was faking injury.
" Now, Piccolo jus-HEY! Get back here!"
Piccolo darted in the air heading straight for Tien.
" Not this time pal, Masenko!"
Gohan shot his trademark energy beam. The explosion was enormous. But when the dust cleared two Piccolos were still floating and Tien fell to the ground, shot down by his own ally.
" Oh no! What have I done?! Tien I'm sorry!"
The one Piccolo Trunks was in combat with ditched him regroup with the others. Piccolo was at full power once again.
" Yamcha, take Eighteen and Tien and go to Capsule Corp., get my mom to get them the medical attention they need!" Trunks ordered.
Without hesitation Yamcha glided over to Tien and slung the triclops over his shoulder and unto his back. He then dashed over to Eighteen but before he could so much as touch her Piccolo charged at him. The namek was prepared to deliver a final blow.
Both Trunks and Gohan saw this but to far away to get there in time, Piccolo was too fast, he would strike.
And then He struck.
Yamcha opened his clenched eyes and looked behind him to see Piccolo on the floor in two parts. A nice, sharp, clean cut across his midsection. Purple liquid oozed out of his body.
" Looks like I got here in time," came a voice from above.
" Krillin!" All three said in unison.
"I thought you were dead!" said Trunks in complete disbelief.
" I almost was, Thank Dende." Krillin replied looking to the skies.
Yamcha didn't waste any more time, he grabbed Eighteen and took off.
Krillin, Trunks, and Gohan knew what would come next. Piccolo would regenerate, but this time the ball would be in their court now.
* * * *
Yamcha had an easy flight and landed at Bulma's front lawn where Bulma was coincidentally there yelling at Vegeta.
" Now TELL me VEGETA!! Where did you GO?!"
" Look WOMAN just shut the HELL UP and leave me alone!"
" Or what?"
" I'll BLAST YOU TO HELL!"
" YEAH RIGHT! You couldn't you super saiyin WANNABE!"
" Um guys?" Yamcha's voice was incredibly meager. Both Bulma and Vegeta turned to him a look of impatience on their faces.
" Omigosh! Yamcha what happened to you! And is that Tien and Eighteen? What happened to them?"
Vegeta smirked, knowing he was the one who beat Eighteen to a pulp. Although, he was curious of what happened to Tien.
[The stupid humans probably got into a trivial spar. They will never reach saiyin potential.]
" It was Piccolo, he did this to Eighteen and Tien, he also beat Krillin up pretty bad but Trunks and Gohan have Piccolo subdued now."
Vegeta was shocked. Once he regained his outward composure he was enraged on the inside. Why should the namek get credit for the work of a Prince? He waited before doing anything though.
Bulma summoned two robots to carry the injured Z-Fighters to the Med-Ward. Vegeta had wanted to go check out what was going on. Piccolo had been defeated by the android so how could he beat Tien and Yamcha? He stretched his ki to see Piccolo's ki was still just a low, perhaps even lower. Something peculiar was going on and Vegeta wanted in on whatever it was.
* * * *
Krillin picked up Piccolo's now regenerated body and tossed it into the air. From the air Trunks kicked Piccolo's body towards Gohan where he smashed it down back to Krillin. They played this game of 'Pass the Piccolo'.
Piccolo was insulted. There was nothing he could do as he was thrown like a rag. They wanted him to talk.
Krillin punched Piccolo in the air.
There was no time for talk.
Trunks caught Piccolo and twirled in circles before throwing him to Gohan.
Only listen.
{And the time is now.}
Gohan waited to roundhouse Piccolo. While Piccolo sailed through the air he stretched his arms and extended them for an unexpected punch.
The double fist hit Gohan in the stomach. Now free, Piccolo charged up his power.
* * * *
" Doctor," Bulma started, " How is the status?"
" Well Mrs. Briefs, Yamcha will be fine and so will Tien, although I have never seen a three-eyed person in my life." Dr. John Takaishi said.
" And Eighteen?"
" Eighteen," he spoke in a lower, more pessimistic tone, " well, come with me ma'am."
The two walked into a room filled to the brim with reports, files, and other tedious data. Dr. Takaishi walked them to a wall.
" It would appear that we have discovered something in Eighteen's brain. Upon further inspection under microscopes a virus attacked her brain and took over in minutes. It should have taken months or probably years for a virus to infect the whole organ! For some reason this unprecedented virus left. We know it didn't die, bit it didn't exit onto the face or into the rest of the body. It is as if it magically left. All we have is the residue of the virus, we never even seen anything like this. She may be the very first person to have this unusual brain cancer. Perhaps we could use her to cure cancer. Ma'am?"
But Bulma was listening. On the X-ray image she had seen something. It looked like a blur to the untrained eye but she had been working with computers since she was a little girl. She knew binary code when she saw it. Somehow machine language was implemented into Eighteen's brain.
* * * *
Trunks had no idea what came over Piccolo, but it was time to put an end to him. Gohan, Krillin and himself had Piccolo cornered. But Piccolo wasn't done yet.
{Now Piccolo, show them the pinnacle of your power, literally.}
Piccolo chuckled, "Prepare to die all of you!"
Piccolo began to bulge. His body grew in bulk. With it Piccolo rose, higher and higher into the skies. The others stood in awe, their minds failing to register this rapid development. Now before them all, Piccolo stood four hundred feet tall.
Gohan charged forward, " Don't think your transformation can stop us! You're going down!"
Gohan's aim was the namek's eyes, with Piccolo blinded by ki blast it would be easier to stop him.
As Gohan approached Piccolo's face the unexpected happened.
With one might breath Piccolo inhaled, helpless, Gohan was sucked into the vacuum that was Piccolo's mouth, and in one gulp, the half saiyin hybrid was swallowed.
" Gohan!" Trunks and Krillin replied in unison.
Trunks wasn't going to make Gohan's mistake. [Where are the others?]
" Muahahahaha! My digestive juices will finish Gohan, now who will be my next delicacy?"
" You creep! Destructo Disc!"
The powerful disc impacted the namekian skin and bounced off in another direction. Trunks in Krillin regrouped to determine a plan.
" Okay Krillin, a good Solar Flare will stop him then we'll have enough time to think of a better plan, for now I'll distract him."
Trunks zigzagged through Piccolo's legs, around Piccolo's neck, and down Piccolo's arm while Krillin slowly flew 400 ft in the air.
And then he seized him.
With a swift grasp Piccolo held trunks in one hand. Trunks began to scream while the namek crushed his bones and squeezed him into a saiyan pulp.
Again another scream.
Krillin hesitated, at the sound of his friend's pain he dashed off to Piccolo's antennae.
Krillin thought, [If what I heard was true, this should hurt like hell.]
Krillin began to tug and stretch, and pull the antennae. All the while Piccolo cursed and shook his head vigorous to get the bothersome human away. Meanwhile, Trunks still screaming in pain and then, losing his super saiyin glow, transformed back to his regular self.
* * * *
" Goshun, can you feel that? It's my dad, he's in trouble, he's no longer a super saiyan!"
Ryu didn't get a foot off the ground before Goshen caught one of Ryu's legs.
" Even so Ryu, if Uncle Trunks is in trouble there's probably not much we could do, don't worry my dad will come and save him."
" NO! Let me GO!"
With a powerful back kick, Ryu sank Goshun into the dirt and shot into the air.
* * * *
" Goten you were wonderful."
Bra stroked Goten's muscles, each touch making Goten feel more at ease. Goten had been worried, he felt something wrong, but his worries were cast into the shadows as his wife continued to enchant him by her love.
But when he felt a huge power drain, he was brought to his senses.
" Trunks!"
" What? Goten what's come over you?"
" It's Trunks, his power!"
" My brother? Is he okay? Goten tell me what's going on?"
" I don't know what for sure."
Goten kissed his wife and then proceeded to change into his fighting outfit.
* * * *
{This is becoming annoying, Piccolo, finish this.}
With one hand still squashing Trunks, Piccolo used his other hand to swat Krillin off, sending him to the ground.
Piccolo threw Trunks to the ground, his master's orders must be carried out.
He lifted his foot high into the air, and brought it down upon Trunks.
Trunks screamed, but Piccolo's foot muted the sound. Piccolo raised the foot again, Trunks blood had already began to abandon him. The red liquid colored the dirt, turning the earthly brown to defiled purple.
" And now to finish you off!" Piccolo roared, raising his foot even higher.
A trivial tingling feeling had made its way to become an irritating rumble inside Piccolo, Gohan burst forth from Piccolo's stomach. Purple blood and black guts decked Gohan's tired body.
" Piccolo, I don't know what you've become but it ends here. You are responsible for the fatal injuries to my friends, you're responsible for the city you destroyed, but now: No more!"
Gohan cupped his hands, ready to fire an attack he knew all too well. Krillin smiled, happy to see his partner was alive. To Gohan this was just like fighting Cell, he had to make sure not a single cell had survived, but he knew for a fact that Piccolo could always regenerate as long as his head was undamaged. His head would be Gohan's target.
* * * *
" What is it now woman?"
Bulma sighed in annoyance, " Just get over here and look at this monitor! I found this in Eighteen, it's a virus. I've inspected the virus to determine this: a master plan encoded."
" Bulma get to your point!" Vegeta spat out her name.
" Vegeta, look for yourself and see what I see."
And when Vegeta did he was shocked. He read each word carefully.
" But how?"
" I don't know Vegeta, I don't know."
