Chapter Twenty-Two
17 groaned as he turned on his side, What happened? It's like I was struck with lightening . . . again.
The android chuckled weakly, he didn't like being hit with lightening. The bastard was going to pay.
Dikon coughed, jarring his scorched feeling lungs, and was surprised he didn't see smoke.
I don't get it . . . Dikon thought blearily, That hasn't happened since I tried to take energy from a machine . . . a machine!
Dikon shot to his feet despite the protests from his body. He watched his opponent get to his feet slowly and noted the almost perfect symmetry of the male's body as well as the ageless face.
"You're a machine . . ." Dikon stated with shock.
17 shook his head trying to clear his vision, "Yeah, I know."
Dikon's eyes shot to Ava, the question was obvious.
A reluctant smile crossed her face as she shrugged, "He's cute."
17 grinned her, "I love you too."
"Cute?" Dikon was perplexed, "How can you be a machine, saiyan?"
"Who said I was a saiyan? I'm human . . . android." 17 finally got his head to stop ringing, "What did you do to me?"
Dikon blinked, "I tried to take your energy . . . but it doesn't work with machines . . . there's a feedback . . . "
He trailed off uncertainly as he glanced at the people around him. Just what exactly had he gotten himself into here?
"Is that a fact?" 17 lowered his head, "Besides that power you're nothing and I'm tired of playing with you."
**
Bardock felt a chill of awareness, he was being watched. He glanced up in the sky and wasn't surprised to see a vague outline of a ship before it disappeared.
He frowned as he moved back toward the ship, his eyes on the sky.
Who is--
Bardock's thoughts were interrupted as he felt a small body push past him. He almost ignored it when he realized exactly who the owner of the body was, Sasoli.
He whipped around and, sure enough, the little saiyan was running toward the two warring males.
A quick glance revealed Prince Vegeta focusing on restraining the female android from escape as she was determined to break his hold.
The Princess was oblivious to her upcoming offspring, her entire attention on her mate.
With sudden awful clarity Bardock knew what was going to happen and he knew he had to move . . .
**
"Playing?" Dikon sneered, "No one is that strong."
"You would be surprised," 17 laughed and struck Dikon to the ground.
Dikon hit the dirt with a solid thud on his back and watched almost calmly as 17 moved to finish him with the edge of a hand.
**
"Be careful, Goku," Chichi gave him a final kiss.
"Bye, Chichi," Goku put a finger to his forehead.
He located the kis he had been keeping track off since take off and he disappeared.
**
Ava jumped as Goku appeared next to her.
"Hey, Ava!" The male saiyan grinned at her.
Ava twisted her body to face him, "Kakarot! What are you doing here?"
"Chichi said I could come! What's going on?"
Ava's brow wrinkled, why should he need permission to join a battle?
"17's going to kill Dikon and we're going home," Ava turned back to the fight.
Her heart stopped and her eyes widened in horror, "Sasoli!"
**
Bardock watched with disbelief as someone appeared next to the princess making her turn away from the girl.
I have to get there faster! He thought desperately as he dove for her foot, gods, please let me change it! She's so damn fast . . .
**
"Die," 17 put most of his strength into his descending hand.
"Sasoli!" Ava's voice rent the air simultaneously.
"Daddy!" Sasoli jumped between 17's hand and Dikon's heart.
Oh my god, I'm going to hit her . . . flashed in his mind as he tried to avert it to no avail. She was too close and he had put too much power into it.
Time slowed to a mere crawl and the scene became etched painfully clear in 17's mind.
Instead of hitting Dikon's black heart he was going to hit his baby girl's. He couldn't stop.
I can't stop . . .
She was looking at him so trustfully.
Then the impossible happened.
With his hand two eyelashes away from Sasoli's breast plate her momentum changed, she went backwards . . . Her eyes showed surprise and then pain as his hand hit her collarbone.
The crunch was loud in everyone's ears.
Time returned to normal as Sasoli's small body was sent spinning away before she landed with a sickening thud.
Silence had never been so loud.
17 blinked as he turned to see Bardock. He had Sasoli's shoe in his hand. It dawned on the android that Bardock was the one who had pulled Sasoli . . . Sasoli . . .
"Sasoli!" Ava appeared at her daughter's side afraid to touch her.
Goku knelt beside her as well.
17 looked at his hands in disbelief, I almost killed her . . .
He barely noticed when Dikon shoved past him but snapped to attention when Ava demanded, "What are you doing with her?"
17 turned to find Dikon surrounded by his comrades. The android's mind sharpened and shock dissipated as he realized one important fact: The bastard had Sasoli.
**
Goku kept a very close eye on . . .
"Dikon put her down!" Ava flashed super saiyan, her threat obvious.
. . . Dikon. Goku frowned, remembering how the energy-sucking alien had put a hand on his and Ava's shoulder using that strange power of his, like the Android 19 and 20. Out of reflex the saiyans had rolled away from Dikon inadvertently giving him plenty of time to scoop Sasoli up.
Goku glanced around the circle they had formed to see Vegeta, Ava, and . . . Dikon was blocking the third person from view but Goku could hear them growling threateningly at Dikon. While 18 and himself watched the alien coolly, waiting for him to make a mistake, as for Dikon, he wore a determined expression as he held a crying Sasoli.
"It hurts," at Sasoli's whimper Vegeta soared to super saiyan.
Goku was somewhat confused, Dikon didn't look like he was going to hurt her.
"I'm not going to hurt Blue," Dikon flicked his eyes at everyone nervously.
"Her name is SASOLI!" 17 appeared in the circle, "PUT HER DOWN!"
Power swirled around everyone angrily.
Dikon paled, "Sasoli, don't worry it'll be over soon . . ."
With those words Dikon's eyes rolled back into his head and collapsed with Sasoli in his arms.
They didn't move.
Ava snatched her daughter into her arms, "Sasoli?"
The question urgent.
17 placed a hand on Sasoli's cheek, "Baby?"
For one agonizing moment their daughter didn't respond.
"Mmm," Sasoli murmured as she opened her eyes, "Daddy, you play too hard."
"I . . . I'm sorry, Sas," 17 glanced at her shoulder, "Are you hurt?"
Sasoli blinked and touched her bone, "No. Where's Dikon? I saw you playing and . . ."
17 yanked her into his arms and clutched her tightly.
"Don't do that ever again, Sasoli, sometimes fighting isn't a game."
"Ok, Daddy."
Ava sighed relieved.
"Is he dead?"
The small family turned to see Vegeta talking to Bardock who was leaning over Dikon's body with Goku.
"No, unconscious," Bardock frowned at the body, "What did he do?"
"It looks like he poured all his energy into Sasoli in order to heal her," Goku smiled and raised his eyes at the exact same time Bardock did.
The two saiyans stared at each other with shock. It was like looking into a mirror only the image was both young and old, scarred and unblemished.
"Kakarot, this is Bardock," Vegeta's voice was faintly amused, "Bardock, this is your son Kakarot."
**
A lone ship circled the planet and the ship's owner wasn't happy. He had tapped into Dikon's ship and was listening to the events occurring on planet side.
"Damn it! Dikon was defeated! Some partner he turned out to be!" An angry voice snarled, "How will I get the blond now?"
A sinister smile curled the male's lips.
"I guess I will just have to get her myself."
**
My son . . . Bardock blinked at Goku.
"Dad . . . ?" Goku asked softly as his eyes devoured Bardock's face.
"Dad!" A grin split the saiyan's face as he dove over Dikon's unconscious body and lifted the older saiyan off his feet in a bear hug.
"I knew it! I felt you! I--"
"Kakarot!" Bardock grimaced uncomfortably, "put me down!"
"Huh?" Goku glanced at his father's uneasy look, "Oh! Sorry, I guess I got carried away."
Goku set his father down on the ground and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.
**
Vegeta watched Kakarot's family reunion with something akin to envy.
Hearing a sigh, Vegeta glanced to his side to find the blond android eyeing his sister's family.
"I'm ready to go home. How about you, Vegeta?" 18 asked, not looking at him.
"Hn," he agreed, it was time to return to their own families.
They stood next to each other in silence, lost in thought when 18 broke the silence.
"What are we going to do with the stiff? Kill him?" The question came out flat and uncaring.
Vegeta chuckled, "I could almost think you were saiyan . . . but no, we can't. The challenge still stands though it is on hold."
"Vegeta," 18 locked eyes with him, "17 would have won."
Vegeta shrugged, "Doesn't matter, it would be dishonorable to kill him in this state after he helped Sasoli."
"True, I guess," 18 sighed again turning to Goku, "Hey Goku!"
"Just wait until you meet Gohan!" Goku's excited voice floated to them.
"Kakarot!"
"And . . . What Vegeta?" Goku glanced at Vegeta missing his father's sudden lack of color.
Sure, Bardock could understand 17 and 18 not using the Prince's title but his own son!
"Kakarot, use that instant thing to take us home and then you can babble Bardock's ears off," Vegeta ordered absently.
Bardock watched his son nod with an enthusiastic, "Sure Vegeta!"
Strange, he didn't even notice the lack of title, Bardock shook his head with bemusement as he thought of his crew, I wish you guys were here to see this . . .
"Who wants to go first?" Goku smiled.
"Take Ava, the androids, and Sasoli first," Vegeta directed, "I need to capsulate our ship then tap into Dikon's ship, and send it to earth."
"Ok," Goku placed a hand on 17's shoulder while the android held his family close to him.
18 rolled her eyes and placed her hand on her brother's other shoulder.
Goku put a hand to his forehead and they all disappeared.
**
A shapely woman opened the door to Capsule Corp. The guards on the ground did nothing to prevent this woman from entering the property and had even went so far as to open the gate for her.
Had they looked closely they would have noticed that despite her blue eyes and hair, this woman was not Bulma Briefs.
"Krillin?" A pouty voice called, "Where are you Krillin? I'm bored and no one could ever make me laugh like you, Krillin."
Her name was Marron.
End of Chapter Twenty-Two
AN: Ah ha! I'm on time! Thank you for all your support and extra love to anyone who can guess what's going to happen! Review!