Tales of the Futures' Sons
Episode One
Chapter Three: Death of a Warrior
Pain flared in his abdomen, as the fist seemingly appeared in it, not even a second after the bolt of lightning had struck.
The veil of dust was still clinging in the air, being blown around as tremendous bursts of energy swirled in the air. The sky had become so thick, so dark with clouds, that the sun was blocked out completely, making it hard for the warriors in the melee to see there opponents, and even harder to strike them. The rain was coming down harder then ever, and the lightning strikes were becoming more and more frequent; and with each strike that occurred, the ground became more and more torn, and the air became thicker with dust.
Tien was having tremendous difficulty fending off his opponent's blows. The blonde haired monster seemed to be completely focused on him, ignoring all others around. Her blows were becoming quicker and quicker with each passing moment, and it was taking all he had to stop them. And even when he managed to fend them off, pain would rise up in the area that was hit.
He knew that if he couldn't get off an attack soon, he would be finished. His eyes---all three of them---watched intently on the feminine android, anticipating each move and studying her technique, which was as no more predictable then where lightning would strike. As he ducked under her fist as it arched past his head, he saw an opening that called out for him to attack, so he did.
With as much momentum and strength he could put into it, he threw a monstrous fist that made perfect contact her face. Without looking at her, he pressed on, bring his leg in a full circle kick, which hit her squarely in the chest. As he finished his spin, he saw his opponent starting at him, her cold, blue eyes piercing his, and sending a chill down his back that made him shiver despite. Hatred seeped into his mind as she continued to stare at him, smiling a small, cruel smile that infuriated him even more, encouraging him to attack more. With a blur of a motion, he charged at her and then leapt into the air with an unholy holler that echoed in the surrounding city blocks.
Even before he could blink, he saw a blinding white flash of ki that seemingly swallowed him into its endless depths. It burned him the instant he touched it, seeping into his skin with its burning skin energy. There was a moment of blackness, and then, to his dismay, he could smell something strange, a smell he had smelled many times before, and one that still made his heart speed up with worry.. It was the smell of burnt skin, his burnt skin.
He looked down at himself, finding that most of his clothes had been burnt off in the resulting explosion. As he looked around, he saw, through his center eye---he had learnt many years ago never to take his attention away from an opponent---that everyone was looking at him each with a mild look of surprise on their faces. Even the androids were watching him intently. He dismissed the gazes, and almost as he did so they stopped, and returned his to Android 18, sizing her up with his third eye.
He felt terrified.frightened.disturbed.. He almost felt sorry for her.
Her life flashed before his eyes. It happened in an instant, but every moment came across his mind crystal clear. She had been through so much adversity, so much pain and grief, that it ripped at his soul and bled into his mind. For the brief second he had experienced her life, her very essence- --from her neglectful father to her abusive boyfriends---and it had made him question what he was doing. He shook the feeling off though, and looked at his opponent once more, this time seeing the evil that now existed in her, the hate that consumed her life and the fury that was in her mind.
A warning went off in the back of his head. He realized with a sudden jolt of fear that the android had disappeared from his sights. He tried to sense her ki in the surrounding area, but felt nothing. Panic took grip of him as he looked around, hoping to catch the slighted glimpse of her. Nothing.
There was a sudden force behind him, like a wave hitting an ant, which sent him flying downwards, with a slight angle to his fall. With a puff of dust and a shower of debris, he landed in a partially burnt down building. Pain racked his body as laid amongst the remnants of the building, and he could feel overwhelming weight crushing his chest. His breath came out in short, ragged gasps, that were painful to take, but necessary to live. He felt his anger rise and bubble in his blood, and felt the familiar surge in ki that came with it. Flames, golden white and burning the rubble that encased him, exploded all around him, throwing pieces of cement that were on fire into the air, and letting it rain down on the city below. No one seemed to notice it this time, as the were all intent on their battle to care.
Fires now raged wildly around him, and smoke and dust united in a screen that blocked him from the sight of Android 18.and his in hers. Though, that didn't do him any good, as she didn't have a legitiment aura of energy to sense, but that left the question open.'Can she sense mine?'
As if to confirm his thoughts, small, pink, cadaver-like blasts of ki rained down around him, none hitting, but many striking the ground at his feet. That proved it..'She can't!' Tien clenched his fists even tighter, not even noticing the blood that was drawn as he did so. All around him he could hear the sounds of battle; little Gohan's screams of anger mixing with the crackling of raging fires; Yamaha's screams of pain, and Piccolo's growls of desperation; all of the sounds, the sounds of a battle being waged, rang in his ears, calling him to come out. The sudden urge to destroy, to kill, to fight, rushed through his veins, and he loved it.
Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Tien emerged from the rubble, scared and burned, and feeling refreshed. He looked up Android 18 and clenched his fist behind him, narrowing his eyes in a frown and leapt towards her, ensuing the melee once more. His fist thundered towards her face, but she seemed to disappear before he could get close enough to hit her with it. He something to his left, a flicker, and then he saw her, standing there, staring at him hard as ever. Without even thinking, he threw his left elbow in her direction, but only hitting thin air. She appeared above him, and with a boost of energy he flew upwards, hoping to hit her, but failing again.
It seemed that whenever he would attack her, she would just disappear and appear somewhere else, and it was beginning to infuriate Tien even further. And then something unexpected happened.
Tien's arm sailed where her head had been only a moment ago, and as if materializing from the air, his opponent appeared to his side, not even an inch away. He was breathing hard, and she, he noticed, wasn't even sweating. He swung his arm at her once more, more mechanically then thought out, and was surprised when she just caught it with her hand, not bothering to dodge it. He pressed forward with all of his strength, but she didn't move, or even seem to push back, she just floated there, one hand clasping his fist and the other at her side.
She sneered at him, and he could tell she was about to say something, but he stopped her by throwing a fist at her before she could get any words out. Again, the blow never struck; her hand had moved too quickly to be possible. His fist was an inch to her face, but he couldn't do anything about it. It seemed to him that the harder he made his attacks, the stronger she became, like she had endless vaults of power.
He was helpless, and he knew it. He looked around desperately, and noticed that everyone else was having trouble. Vegeta seemed to be doing the best against the black haired android, but the rest were exhausted, and absorbed the blows with painful grunts. Gohan was pretty bloody, but still fought like a demon, but Yamcha was becoming weaker with each passing moment. Piccolo's body was nothing more than an eight- foot mass of blood and green skin, and Chaouzu.where was Chaouzu?
He couldn't feel his ki anywhere. Was he dead? He couldn't be, he just couldn't.
Relief rushed over him as he saw Chaouzu's body, lying in the rubble of another building, but something was wrong. Horribly wrong. What had that monster done to him? It seemed even paler then before, and blood flooded from a wound in his stomach.and then he noticed it. A large piece of burn metal protruded from Tien's friends' stomach. Blood rolled down the edges, but Tien could still sense the faint ki hallmark of his buddy, but it was failing, and it seemed to be hanging onto the world of the living by a thin thread.
As Tien watched around him, everything seemed to be going on in slow motion. Piccolo's arm was blocked by Android 17's arm, and as Vegeta rushed in from the other side, Piccolo was hurled, and the two met with a sickening thud against each other, and the two bodies dwindled down towards the remnants of the city street. He felt Gohan's power rises steadily, until it was more then five times what it had been before, and it seemed he was even stronger then Vegeta. There was a cold breeze, and then a rocking motion that shook the entire city; thunder without sound. The next thing he saw was Gohan's foot planted in the android's temple, and it even seemed to affect him, 17 just shook the blow off and landed a perfect blow into the boys spine, sending him downwards at break-neck speeds, and causing him to create a large crater that made piles of rubble and scrap metal collapse. Chaouzu fell free of the meal that he was stuck on, but he also caught the attention of his attacker.
Tien tried to tug his arms back, but it was no use, Android 18 had a death grip on his hands. He looked back at her, but she didn't move; she just stood there smiling. He tried to kick her, but she just flipped neatly over him, her hands still clasped on his, landing behind. Tien's arms felt like they were snapping, and he cried out in agony, but he could still hear her laugh, her evil, sick and twisted laugh at his pain. In horror, he watched as Android 17 raise his foot over Chaouzu's head, and then slowly brought down on it.
Blood erupted from the tiny warriors mouth as his head was pressed in against the ground, and dust rose into the air, blocking Tien's view of the gruesome act that was happening, but he knew what was happening, and it tore at him knowing he couldn't do anything about it.
He knew what he had to do..
He threw his head back, smashing the back his head onto hers. In shock at the sudden attack, she let go, and Tien immediately flew down at 17, letting is rage take control. He never even stopped to think about what he was going to do, he just threw his body at the android, no doubt saving his friends life. His body landed on the ground with a painful skidding stop, but 17 just staggered back. He looked down at Tien, as if noticing him for the first time, and then up at his sister.
"You haven't finished him off yet? He's a weakling." His voice was so soft and cocky that it down right pissed Tien off, but he didn't dare to move.
"I was just playing with him. You don't think one as pathetic as him could defeat me, do you?" She landed next to him, and flashed Tien another smile. "Why don't we finish him off together?" Her brother nodded.
Fear swelled in his chest as the two machines picked up pieces of metal and began to swing them in the air. He had to do it, now, to save everyone he cared about. He knew what he had to do...
He had to stop them here.
He looked up, as he sensed Gohan and Piccolo floating behind the androids. "Piccolo. Take Krillin and Vegeta back to the C.C, now. And Gohan, take Yamcha."
The female android looked up at him, lifting a delicate blond eyebrow; behind him, Piccolo spluttered. "What the hell are you going to do? Come on, we've got to go, now!"
"They'll catch us before we've gotten a hundred meters," Tien replied evenly. "Now shut up and take themm, and get out of here. I'll hold them here. Go." He heard a shuffle behind him as Piccolo and Gohan do as he asked. The two androids seemed frozen in curiosity.
Piccolo picked up Krillin's limp form and slung over his shoulder, while he placed Vegeta's unconscience body between his arm and body, moving upwards away from the battle field; the other warrior paused for an instant, however, before picking up his passenger and flying off. "Tenshinhan-san . . ."
Tien slowly rose to his feet and shifted into a combat crouch, and placed his hands together in front of him; the blonde girl cocked her head curiously, smiling in mild amusement.
The android dropped her weapon, letting the metallic ringing sound to echo freely behind her; the black-haired boy stood behind her, grinning at Tien with his hands on his hips, the long piece of metal still in his hands.
"Go," Tien repeated. And then, more softly: "Tell the others . . ." He lowered his eyes briefly. "Tell them goodbye for me." There was stunned silence behind him.
But after a moment, Gohan complied, and he felt the brief surge of ki as the other man flew away with his burden. And Tenshinhan stood alone, facing the two androids. The blonde girl lifted her hand and brushed a stray strand of hair from her face; 17 chuckled.
"Very heroic," said the creature that looked like a black- haired Human youth. Tenshinhan knew better. He could see their colors, and whatever they had once been, they were not Human any longer. Even their minds had been perverted to serve their task. "Staying behind to buy an escape for your friends? Self-sacrifice is very noble."
The black haired android laughed, moving to stand beside her brother; standing together like that, they could have been mirror-images of each other, male and female, her hair light to his dark. "Self-sacrifice is very stupid," she retorted, "when it has no point. He can't possibly hope to stand against both of us, can he?"
Tenshinhan closed his eyes, focusing on his hands in front of him. He hadn't used this technique in years; it was powerful, for sure, but the price of using it was usually far higher than he'd been willing to pay. Now, however, the price would be too high if he didn't use it. For a moment he almost balked; he'd stared death in the face many times during his years, but never had he done so willingly. But he had no choice. These monsters were powerful; too powerful, in fact, for even a Saiyan to defeat.
Dr. Gero had been a fool to install such power in these creatures; who knew when their programming would cease to function? And then they would be loose, and all but unstoppable. Perhaps a Super Saiyan could defeat them, but any warrior below that level---and that included everyone on Earth---had no chance against them. They threatened more than the planet; they threatened the very universe itself. So wasn't the price worth paying, to save so many?
The power was ready, drawn and spun from the threads of his own life-force, his ki; he concentrated and shuddered, feeling his entire ki expand and grow, and then focus itself in his hands. It hurt, drawing upon the power; it felt as if every nerve in his body was afire, with every cell trembling. His heart was pounding in his chest: louder, louder, as the power grew. He'd never drawn so much power at one time before; for a moment his knees buckled, but then discipline reasserted itself. He would have to strike one blow, throwing all of his power into it at once. It was the only way to eliminate them all.
His hands suddenly glowed, outlined in a dazzling white nimbus; the two cyborgs gasped, abruptly sensing the magnitude of the power that he was calling upon. He ignored them, keeping two of his eyes closed. His third eye was fixed on his hands, seeing the startling intricacy of his own ki concentrated there. It startled him---in all of his years, he'd never been able to see the colors of his true aura---the aura that defined him---before. It had been only a mild disappointment to him; he was not a vain man. But now, at last, he could see the complex patterns of light and shadow, dazzling color and pristine whites.all blending together in a tapestry patterned by every experience he'd ever had in his lifetime. Years of training, fighting, struggling . . . alone.
No, not alone. There was Yamcha, and Krillin, and Goku, and even Piccolo and Bulma, and there was young Gohan. There had been Chaouzu, the truest friend he'd ever had . . . damn the androids for killing him. There had been Lunch, the only woman he'd ever loved . . . she, too, waited for him Elsewhere. And a dozen other faces, all comrades. Friends. He'd lived a long and meaningful life, and the richness of it-- -everything that he was and all that he was meant to be.all that he'd achieved and everything that made him Tenshinhan--- swirled and glowed amid the colors that emanated from his hands.
He'd never seen anything so beautiful in his life.
Opening all three of his eyes, he looked at the androids and saw the realization of their own imminent deaths flicker in their cold, barely Human faces, and he smiled. He bracketed them in the square formed by his hands. Then he spoke, softly and with malice:
"We win, this time."
And then he threw his life at them. ***
Piccolo grieved inwardly as he watched from above his friend sacrificed his life in a blast that gave everything he had; mind, body and soul, all to destroy an enemy and save a planet. As he looked down from a above, barely noticing the people who he carried, the strange blast that Tien had thrown at the androids was still blazing away, and then it finally exploded. The power that was emitted was amazing; he had seen and felt a Super Saiyan, but even that power seemed dwarfed in comparison to the blast Tien had just used. But Piccolo knew why, and it sent shivers through his body.Tien had used his soul in the blast, and that was the true power to the blast.
At last, the pinkish-white and bluish-black blast flickered, and then shrunk as it returned to the source it came from. Seconds seemed like hours as the dust settled. Piccolo waited patiently, and he could feel Tien's ki leave the dimension. He looked beside him and saw Gohan---his Gohan---crying as he too watched the scene. His heart shed a tear for Gohan as he watched the young boy cry; he did not try to stop it.. The boy had been through so much in the months following the androids, even harder than his mother had.
Gohan turned to look at him, and it was then that he noticed his eyes. Before they had been young and innocent; even on Namek he had retained his innocence and naiveté, but now he looked so much older, so much more hardened than he had ever before. When had this happened? But he knew the answer: It was after Goku had died. But there was something in Gohan's eyes that scared him, that shocked him to his core.in Gohan's eyes he saw Vegeta, he saw the Saiyan in him. Yes, it was there, plain for all to see, the ruthlessness and thirst for vengeance, the want for blood and the love for battle. It seemed so alien inside of a child, but it was there. He wasn't scared that Gohan would suddenly turn a 360 and decide to destroy the Earth, he was scared tat Gohan would do something stupid and foolish.what he did not know.
"T-T-T-Tien.." Relief swarmed over Piccolo as he heard Gohan's voice. It was a cascade of innocence and worry that betrayed his eyes. Piccolo smirked, but quickly replaced it with a frown.
"He was a brave warrior," Piccolo's voice was soft and comforting. "And a good friend."
Gohan looked back down as the dust began to settle. Piccolo's eyes followed, and settled as he saw bits and pieces of the machinery lying on the ground, with the bodies and heads still intact. An arm fell, causing both to jump slightly, but they quickly regained they're composure. With no more words passed between them, they shot off into the distance, happy to have the threat of the androids gone. Gohan let out a small laugh, and Piccolo smiled, happy to see that the boy could find some joy.
Authors Note: Too short for you.? C'mon, do you really think I would end it like that? Nooooooo, I've only explained a few of the things that happened in that timeline. But remember, Trunks had said to Goku that the Androids were stronger then the ones in his (Goku's) time, meaning something happened.Just keep that in mind.Hope you liked the longer chapters!
Episode One
Chapter Three: Death of a Warrior
Pain flared in his abdomen, as the fist seemingly appeared in it, not even a second after the bolt of lightning had struck.
The veil of dust was still clinging in the air, being blown around as tremendous bursts of energy swirled in the air. The sky had become so thick, so dark with clouds, that the sun was blocked out completely, making it hard for the warriors in the melee to see there opponents, and even harder to strike them. The rain was coming down harder then ever, and the lightning strikes were becoming more and more frequent; and with each strike that occurred, the ground became more and more torn, and the air became thicker with dust.
Tien was having tremendous difficulty fending off his opponent's blows. The blonde haired monster seemed to be completely focused on him, ignoring all others around. Her blows were becoming quicker and quicker with each passing moment, and it was taking all he had to stop them. And even when he managed to fend them off, pain would rise up in the area that was hit.
He knew that if he couldn't get off an attack soon, he would be finished. His eyes---all three of them---watched intently on the feminine android, anticipating each move and studying her technique, which was as no more predictable then where lightning would strike. As he ducked under her fist as it arched past his head, he saw an opening that called out for him to attack, so he did.
With as much momentum and strength he could put into it, he threw a monstrous fist that made perfect contact her face. Without looking at her, he pressed on, bring his leg in a full circle kick, which hit her squarely in the chest. As he finished his spin, he saw his opponent starting at him, her cold, blue eyes piercing his, and sending a chill down his back that made him shiver despite. Hatred seeped into his mind as she continued to stare at him, smiling a small, cruel smile that infuriated him even more, encouraging him to attack more. With a blur of a motion, he charged at her and then leapt into the air with an unholy holler that echoed in the surrounding city blocks.
Even before he could blink, he saw a blinding white flash of ki that seemingly swallowed him into its endless depths. It burned him the instant he touched it, seeping into his skin with its burning skin energy. There was a moment of blackness, and then, to his dismay, he could smell something strange, a smell he had smelled many times before, and one that still made his heart speed up with worry.. It was the smell of burnt skin, his burnt skin.
He looked down at himself, finding that most of his clothes had been burnt off in the resulting explosion. As he looked around, he saw, through his center eye---he had learnt many years ago never to take his attention away from an opponent---that everyone was looking at him each with a mild look of surprise on their faces. Even the androids were watching him intently. He dismissed the gazes, and almost as he did so they stopped, and returned his to Android 18, sizing her up with his third eye.
He felt terrified.frightened.disturbed.. He almost felt sorry for her.
Her life flashed before his eyes. It happened in an instant, but every moment came across his mind crystal clear. She had been through so much adversity, so much pain and grief, that it ripped at his soul and bled into his mind. For the brief second he had experienced her life, her very essence- --from her neglectful father to her abusive boyfriends---and it had made him question what he was doing. He shook the feeling off though, and looked at his opponent once more, this time seeing the evil that now existed in her, the hate that consumed her life and the fury that was in her mind.
A warning went off in the back of his head. He realized with a sudden jolt of fear that the android had disappeared from his sights. He tried to sense her ki in the surrounding area, but felt nothing. Panic took grip of him as he looked around, hoping to catch the slighted glimpse of her. Nothing.
There was a sudden force behind him, like a wave hitting an ant, which sent him flying downwards, with a slight angle to his fall. With a puff of dust and a shower of debris, he landed in a partially burnt down building. Pain racked his body as laid amongst the remnants of the building, and he could feel overwhelming weight crushing his chest. His breath came out in short, ragged gasps, that were painful to take, but necessary to live. He felt his anger rise and bubble in his blood, and felt the familiar surge in ki that came with it. Flames, golden white and burning the rubble that encased him, exploded all around him, throwing pieces of cement that were on fire into the air, and letting it rain down on the city below. No one seemed to notice it this time, as the were all intent on their battle to care.
Fires now raged wildly around him, and smoke and dust united in a screen that blocked him from the sight of Android 18.and his in hers. Though, that didn't do him any good, as she didn't have a legitiment aura of energy to sense, but that left the question open.'Can she sense mine?'
As if to confirm his thoughts, small, pink, cadaver-like blasts of ki rained down around him, none hitting, but many striking the ground at his feet. That proved it..'She can't!' Tien clenched his fists even tighter, not even noticing the blood that was drawn as he did so. All around him he could hear the sounds of battle; little Gohan's screams of anger mixing with the crackling of raging fires; Yamaha's screams of pain, and Piccolo's growls of desperation; all of the sounds, the sounds of a battle being waged, rang in his ears, calling him to come out. The sudden urge to destroy, to kill, to fight, rushed through his veins, and he loved it.
Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Tien emerged from the rubble, scared and burned, and feeling refreshed. He looked up Android 18 and clenched his fist behind him, narrowing his eyes in a frown and leapt towards her, ensuing the melee once more. His fist thundered towards her face, but she seemed to disappear before he could get close enough to hit her with it. He something to his left, a flicker, and then he saw her, standing there, staring at him hard as ever. Without even thinking, he threw his left elbow in her direction, but only hitting thin air. She appeared above him, and with a boost of energy he flew upwards, hoping to hit her, but failing again.
It seemed that whenever he would attack her, she would just disappear and appear somewhere else, and it was beginning to infuriate Tien even further. And then something unexpected happened.
Tien's arm sailed where her head had been only a moment ago, and as if materializing from the air, his opponent appeared to his side, not even an inch away. He was breathing hard, and she, he noticed, wasn't even sweating. He swung his arm at her once more, more mechanically then thought out, and was surprised when she just caught it with her hand, not bothering to dodge it. He pressed forward with all of his strength, but she didn't move, or even seem to push back, she just floated there, one hand clasping his fist and the other at her side.
She sneered at him, and he could tell she was about to say something, but he stopped her by throwing a fist at her before she could get any words out. Again, the blow never struck; her hand had moved too quickly to be possible. His fist was an inch to her face, but he couldn't do anything about it. It seemed to him that the harder he made his attacks, the stronger she became, like she had endless vaults of power.
He was helpless, and he knew it. He looked around desperately, and noticed that everyone else was having trouble. Vegeta seemed to be doing the best against the black haired android, but the rest were exhausted, and absorbed the blows with painful grunts. Gohan was pretty bloody, but still fought like a demon, but Yamcha was becoming weaker with each passing moment. Piccolo's body was nothing more than an eight- foot mass of blood and green skin, and Chaouzu.where was Chaouzu?
He couldn't feel his ki anywhere. Was he dead? He couldn't be, he just couldn't.
Relief rushed over him as he saw Chaouzu's body, lying in the rubble of another building, but something was wrong. Horribly wrong. What had that monster done to him? It seemed even paler then before, and blood flooded from a wound in his stomach.and then he noticed it. A large piece of burn metal protruded from Tien's friends' stomach. Blood rolled down the edges, but Tien could still sense the faint ki hallmark of his buddy, but it was failing, and it seemed to be hanging onto the world of the living by a thin thread.
As Tien watched around him, everything seemed to be going on in slow motion. Piccolo's arm was blocked by Android 17's arm, and as Vegeta rushed in from the other side, Piccolo was hurled, and the two met with a sickening thud against each other, and the two bodies dwindled down towards the remnants of the city street. He felt Gohan's power rises steadily, until it was more then five times what it had been before, and it seemed he was even stronger then Vegeta. There was a cold breeze, and then a rocking motion that shook the entire city; thunder without sound. The next thing he saw was Gohan's foot planted in the android's temple, and it even seemed to affect him, 17 just shook the blow off and landed a perfect blow into the boys spine, sending him downwards at break-neck speeds, and causing him to create a large crater that made piles of rubble and scrap metal collapse. Chaouzu fell free of the meal that he was stuck on, but he also caught the attention of his attacker.
Tien tried to tug his arms back, but it was no use, Android 18 had a death grip on his hands. He looked back at her, but she didn't move; she just stood there smiling. He tried to kick her, but she just flipped neatly over him, her hands still clasped on his, landing behind. Tien's arms felt like they were snapping, and he cried out in agony, but he could still hear her laugh, her evil, sick and twisted laugh at his pain. In horror, he watched as Android 17 raise his foot over Chaouzu's head, and then slowly brought down on it.
Blood erupted from the tiny warriors mouth as his head was pressed in against the ground, and dust rose into the air, blocking Tien's view of the gruesome act that was happening, but he knew what was happening, and it tore at him knowing he couldn't do anything about it.
He knew what he had to do..
He threw his head back, smashing the back his head onto hers. In shock at the sudden attack, she let go, and Tien immediately flew down at 17, letting is rage take control. He never even stopped to think about what he was going to do, he just threw his body at the android, no doubt saving his friends life. His body landed on the ground with a painful skidding stop, but 17 just staggered back. He looked down at Tien, as if noticing him for the first time, and then up at his sister.
"You haven't finished him off yet? He's a weakling." His voice was so soft and cocky that it down right pissed Tien off, but he didn't dare to move.
"I was just playing with him. You don't think one as pathetic as him could defeat me, do you?" She landed next to him, and flashed Tien another smile. "Why don't we finish him off together?" Her brother nodded.
Fear swelled in his chest as the two machines picked up pieces of metal and began to swing them in the air. He had to do it, now, to save everyone he cared about. He knew what he had to do...
He had to stop them here.
He looked up, as he sensed Gohan and Piccolo floating behind the androids. "Piccolo. Take Krillin and Vegeta back to the C.C, now. And Gohan, take Yamcha."
The female android looked up at him, lifting a delicate blond eyebrow; behind him, Piccolo spluttered. "What the hell are you going to do? Come on, we've got to go, now!"
"They'll catch us before we've gotten a hundred meters," Tien replied evenly. "Now shut up and take themm, and get out of here. I'll hold them here. Go." He heard a shuffle behind him as Piccolo and Gohan do as he asked. The two androids seemed frozen in curiosity.
Piccolo picked up Krillin's limp form and slung over his shoulder, while he placed Vegeta's unconscience body between his arm and body, moving upwards away from the battle field; the other warrior paused for an instant, however, before picking up his passenger and flying off. "Tenshinhan-san . . ."
Tien slowly rose to his feet and shifted into a combat crouch, and placed his hands together in front of him; the blonde girl cocked her head curiously, smiling in mild amusement.
The android dropped her weapon, letting the metallic ringing sound to echo freely behind her; the black-haired boy stood behind her, grinning at Tien with his hands on his hips, the long piece of metal still in his hands.
"Go," Tien repeated. And then, more softly: "Tell the others . . ." He lowered his eyes briefly. "Tell them goodbye for me." There was stunned silence behind him.
But after a moment, Gohan complied, and he felt the brief surge of ki as the other man flew away with his burden. And Tenshinhan stood alone, facing the two androids. The blonde girl lifted her hand and brushed a stray strand of hair from her face; 17 chuckled.
"Very heroic," said the creature that looked like a black- haired Human youth. Tenshinhan knew better. He could see their colors, and whatever they had once been, they were not Human any longer. Even their minds had been perverted to serve their task. "Staying behind to buy an escape for your friends? Self-sacrifice is very noble."
The black haired android laughed, moving to stand beside her brother; standing together like that, they could have been mirror-images of each other, male and female, her hair light to his dark. "Self-sacrifice is very stupid," she retorted, "when it has no point. He can't possibly hope to stand against both of us, can he?"
Tenshinhan closed his eyes, focusing on his hands in front of him. He hadn't used this technique in years; it was powerful, for sure, but the price of using it was usually far higher than he'd been willing to pay. Now, however, the price would be too high if he didn't use it. For a moment he almost balked; he'd stared death in the face many times during his years, but never had he done so willingly. But he had no choice. These monsters were powerful; too powerful, in fact, for even a Saiyan to defeat.
Dr. Gero had been a fool to install such power in these creatures; who knew when their programming would cease to function? And then they would be loose, and all but unstoppable. Perhaps a Super Saiyan could defeat them, but any warrior below that level---and that included everyone on Earth---had no chance against them. They threatened more than the planet; they threatened the very universe itself. So wasn't the price worth paying, to save so many?
The power was ready, drawn and spun from the threads of his own life-force, his ki; he concentrated and shuddered, feeling his entire ki expand and grow, and then focus itself in his hands. It hurt, drawing upon the power; it felt as if every nerve in his body was afire, with every cell trembling. His heart was pounding in his chest: louder, louder, as the power grew. He'd never drawn so much power at one time before; for a moment his knees buckled, but then discipline reasserted itself. He would have to strike one blow, throwing all of his power into it at once. It was the only way to eliminate them all.
His hands suddenly glowed, outlined in a dazzling white nimbus; the two cyborgs gasped, abruptly sensing the magnitude of the power that he was calling upon. He ignored them, keeping two of his eyes closed. His third eye was fixed on his hands, seeing the startling intricacy of his own ki concentrated there. It startled him---in all of his years, he'd never been able to see the colors of his true aura---the aura that defined him---before. It had been only a mild disappointment to him; he was not a vain man. But now, at last, he could see the complex patterns of light and shadow, dazzling color and pristine whites.all blending together in a tapestry patterned by every experience he'd ever had in his lifetime. Years of training, fighting, struggling . . . alone.
No, not alone. There was Yamcha, and Krillin, and Goku, and even Piccolo and Bulma, and there was young Gohan. There had been Chaouzu, the truest friend he'd ever had . . . damn the androids for killing him. There had been Lunch, the only woman he'd ever loved . . . she, too, waited for him Elsewhere. And a dozen other faces, all comrades. Friends. He'd lived a long and meaningful life, and the richness of it-- -everything that he was and all that he was meant to be.all that he'd achieved and everything that made him Tenshinhan--- swirled and glowed amid the colors that emanated from his hands.
He'd never seen anything so beautiful in his life.
Opening all three of his eyes, he looked at the androids and saw the realization of their own imminent deaths flicker in their cold, barely Human faces, and he smiled. He bracketed them in the square formed by his hands. Then he spoke, softly and with malice:
"We win, this time."
And then he threw his life at them. ***
Piccolo grieved inwardly as he watched from above his friend sacrificed his life in a blast that gave everything he had; mind, body and soul, all to destroy an enemy and save a planet. As he looked down from a above, barely noticing the people who he carried, the strange blast that Tien had thrown at the androids was still blazing away, and then it finally exploded. The power that was emitted was amazing; he had seen and felt a Super Saiyan, but even that power seemed dwarfed in comparison to the blast Tien had just used. But Piccolo knew why, and it sent shivers through his body.Tien had used his soul in the blast, and that was the true power to the blast.
At last, the pinkish-white and bluish-black blast flickered, and then shrunk as it returned to the source it came from. Seconds seemed like hours as the dust settled. Piccolo waited patiently, and he could feel Tien's ki leave the dimension. He looked beside him and saw Gohan---his Gohan---crying as he too watched the scene. His heart shed a tear for Gohan as he watched the young boy cry; he did not try to stop it.. The boy had been through so much in the months following the androids, even harder than his mother had.
Gohan turned to look at him, and it was then that he noticed his eyes. Before they had been young and innocent; even on Namek he had retained his innocence and naiveté, but now he looked so much older, so much more hardened than he had ever before. When had this happened? But he knew the answer: It was after Goku had died. But there was something in Gohan's eyes that scared him, that shocked him to his core.in Gohan's eyes he saw Vegeta, he saw the Saiyan in him. Yes, it was there, plain for all to see, the ruthlessness and thirst for vengeance, the want for blood and the love for battle. It seemed so alien inside of a child, but it was there. He wasn't scared that Gohan would suddenly turn a 360 and decide to destroy the Earth, he was scared tat Gohan would do something stupid and foolish.what he did not know.
"T-T-T-Tien.." Relief swarmed over Piccolo as he heard Gohan's voice. It was a cascade of innocence and worry that betrayed his eyes. Piccolo smirked, but quickly replaced it with a frown.
"He was a brave warrior," Piccolo's voice was soft and comforting. "And a good friend."
Gohan looked back down as the dust began to settle. Piccolo's eyes followed, and settled as he saw bits and pieces of the machinery lying on the ground, with the bodies and heads still intact. An arm fell, causing both to jump slightly, but they quickly regained they're composure. With no more words passed between them, they shot off into the distance, happy to have the threat of the androids gone. Gohan let out a small laugh, and Piccolo smiled, happy to see that the boy could find some joy.
Authors Note: Too short for you.? C'mon, do you really think I would end it like that? Nooooooo, I've only explained a few of the things that happened in that timeline. But remember, Trunks had said to Goku that the Androids were stronger then the ones in his (Goku's) time, meaning something happened.Just keep that in mind.Hope you liked the longer chapters!