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Chapter 6
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Piccolo snapped his eyes open. An evil force, it was here! He gave a small growl. Not yet! It was too soon! He stood up from where he sat, and he peered around the look out. Nothing was different... but he could feel it in the air. Piccolo frowned. He knew the warriors would need a place to hide, and a place to recover from any battles.
He noticed Dende, the new guardian of the Earth walk out into the light. Piccolo was aware of what the young Namek was doing. He was preparing the hideout for the warriors to use. He was aware that they would need a place to rest during hard times.
The new earth Kami turned to Piccolo and smiled. "The Chamber of Time and Spirit have been opened for use." The older Namek nodded as he walked over to the edge. He gave a small smirk as he jumped over the edge of the Lookout and to The Kame house... where he knew he would see a few familiar faces.
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Seventeen gazed up into the sky while a frown graced his face. Ever since he had been modified into the super being thanks to Doctor Gero, he had always had a sixth sense. He could feel danger. He knew when it was going on, and who's fault it was for causing the trouble. The two androids were able to use it when the Z gang was after them years before, to stop them from the terror they caused earth. And it was also used when Cell was after them...
"What are you staring at?" asked a woman's voice from inside the Kame house. Seventeen glanced to the wooden staircase on the porch. He looked back into the beautiful ocean as it glistened from the sunlight. The android/human still wasn't quite sure WHY he was allowed to survive. He was... and still is at the hands of the Z warriors.
'Why would they give me a second chance?' he questioned as he folded his hands, and let his chin rest on the balled fists. His blonde sister walked onto the porch with a frown on her face. "Seventeen." The black haired android looked back. Anyone around could obviously see that his younger twin sister was seven months pregnant, thanks to her husband. The chrome dome, as he and the saiyan prince called Krillin, had gotten married just a year before and started their lives together. They both chose to stay at the Kame house, located on a small island in the middle of a blue ocean. Seventeen was just visiting his sister for the time being.
"What is it?" asked the older brother as he continued to stare out into the endless sea of blue water. He heard her growl as she walked beside him. He noticed her shadow from the corner of his eye as he continued to stare out into the ocean.
"Do you feel it?" she asked him as she too took a seat beside him on the porch step. She pulled a strand of hair behind her ear as she too stared out into the blue. She also groaned slightly. Seventeen turned his head to her questioningly.
Eighteen gave off a quiet laughter as she rubbed her swollen stomach. "The baby's kicking again," she stated. Her brother gave a nod as he looked back into the sky.
"As for your question before, yes. I do feel it," he muttered. He gave a small frown into the horizon. "They are close. Too close if you ask me."
Eighteen bit her lip as she also looked into the sky, "So. They are after us too." She noticed her brother nod slightly. "Well then," she started as she began to lean her head on one of her upturned palms. Her elbow rested on one of her knees, which she brought up. "Should we wait here until they arrive?"
Seventeen stood up, and walked onto the sand as a few dots came into view from the blue sky. He frowned deeply as the men came into view.
He stood a few feet before his sister, who continued to sit on the wooden step. He continued to look to the sky, and he folded his arms. The creeps began to be felt thru his skin as that night he went to check up on Videl. It was the same sensation when that assassin came to get Gohan's love.
There were three men as they landed on the island. All were the same size, and very built. They made the twin androids look like twigs. Nevertheless, the two had incredible and limitless power that was usually a very big disadvantage to their opponents.
Seventeen's lip curled into a snarl. "What is it that you want?"
The middleman gave a smirk as he walked up to the android; his armor was slightly cracked, most likely from a pervious battle. The black haired android happened to notice a few gold tinted stripes on the man's shoulder armor. He must have been high in the military.
The alien's cold red eyes turned to the android mockingly. "Well, I had assumed that I would be facing a challenge. You are, after all, the ki-less man." He paused before he too folded his arms; "All I see here is a twig, a ki-less twig that doesn't look like he can survive a few seconds on the battle fiel-" The man was cut off as he slumped over.
The two other men gasped when they noticed their commander on the ground. A hole was his stomach and a satisfied smirk coming from the male android's face as he looked to his bloodied fist. His sadistic smile became wider when he looked to the two others and began to advance.
"A twig, eh? I will show you how twig I AM!" he exclaimed as he vanished from sight.
The two remaining men gasped as they looked around. Since Seventeen's ki couldn't be picked up, they couldn't find him anywhere. That was when they heard a female chuckle. One of the two soldiers snarled at her.
"What's so funny?! Huh? Where is that black haired basta-" That warrior also fell to the ground, dead before he even hit the soft sand.
And there was one.
Eighteen stood up from her place at the porch, and walked down the steps as her brother reappeared back in beside her. She smirked at her brother, and he smirked back at her. The two looked to the trembling warrior left.
"What should we do, Seventeen? Kill him now? Or give him a head start?" she asked crossing her arms over her chest, her arms resting on the swollen stomach.
The android brother gave a cruel laugh. "Of course, Eighteen. I think he deserves to get a ten second head start." Both gave all their attention to the warrior, and their eyes closed ever so slightly as they began.
"One," stated Seventeen.
The warrior gave a small gasp as he powered up.
"Two," said Eighteen.
The lone soldier blasted off into the sky hurriedly.
"Three."
"Four."
"Five."
The androids brought up a finger as they continued to follow the warrior as his form began to disappear from view.
"Six," Eighteen said louder.
Seventeen smirked as he began to power up, "Seven."
"Eight." Eighteen also began to power up so her power was equal to her brothers.
"Nine," said the male as the two had a small ball of light appear at their fingertips. They raised their fingers, and aimed for the retreating figure from Cold's evil army.
"Ten," the androids said in unison as they shot a thin beam of light from their fingers. And the two bought their fingers down with a small smirk.
"Do you think we got him?" asked Eighteen as she began to rub her stomach again, and walk back into the home.
A manly scream was heard in the distance followed by a 'splash'. Seventeen smirked as he too began to walk back into the home. "Yes."
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A messenger gave a small sigh as he wrote a few things down. He was one of the aliens put in charge of the saiyan emperor's technology, and this stuff wasn't easy to work... That must have purposely been done to try and keep snooping enemies, like Cold and his crew, away.
The purple man pointed to one of the servants who walked in, and motioned for him to come over. And the servant did as he was told. "Yes sir? Is there something I can do?"
The purple skinned alien handed the servant a newly sealed envelope. "I want this message to get to King Cold. Tell him that the ki-less man has been found. The specifics are on the paper."
The servant looked to the man of higher rank before him pale as a ghost. "Sir! With all due respect... Cold will KILL me! He's... um... kind of busy now..."
The messenger gave a sigh as he rubbed his temples. "Look, just give the king this message. If he knows what it's about, you could have a good chance of living. Or you face my wrath, got it?" asked the purple tinted man.
The servant nervously nodded as he slowly backed away from the messenger and scampered away from the man. The servant was starting to sweat. He didn't like this mission at ALL! He just knew he was going to die...
The servant turned a corner and headed to 'Cold's' chambers. He noticed two guards stationed outside the room, and the servant winced when he heard screams, female screams, come from inside the room. He gritted his teeth. He wished that he could do something to help the lady in distress... but he would die as well as she... He didn't want to be selfish, however he wanted to keep his life.
He looked up to one of the burly officers, and he handed them the envelope. "This is for King Cold. It's about the ki-less man. Make sure his highness gets it..."
The guard gave a nod, as he hastily grabbed the envelope. And the servant was shoed away from the area.
The servant gave a small disappointed sigh as he looked to the newly bloodied ground. Many have died, thanks to the evil fiend. And there had been no sign of the true emperor for over a week. That was about how much time Cold had been there. The servant shook his head as he turned a corner and to a closet. And closing the closet door, the servant felt around on the ground looking for a loose board or tile. And he smirked when one moved under his hands.
He pulled the tile up, and pulled a lever that was hidden under the tile, and the floor the servant stood on disappeared from under. Although he fell, it was on soft cushioning so no one could hear from out the door.
The servant gave a small smile as he noticed the small tunnel. Finally he would have a chance to send a message to the true emperor...
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Gohan looked around the room one more time. A pained look graced his face as he continued to search and search and search. Bulma was gone. She was really gone. The hybrid saiyan ran a hand thru his spiky black locks of hair as he turned back to the other warriors in the room.
He noticed the saiyan prince carrying his only son that had fallen asleep in his arms just moments before. He turned his head noticing his uncle carrying his young brother. The young hybrid was also sleeping peacefully.
Gohan gave a frustrated sigh as he lifted his head up. 'Why?' he asked silently, 'Why is this being done to us?' He gritted his teeth, 'Is this the curse of being an emperor?'
Videl looked up at him from the side as she tilted her head, and slightly frowned. She didn't like seeing Gohan like this. Sure, in school he was always calm and collected, and lived up to the reputation that everyone had given him on the first day. Bookworm. Many of the jocks at the school had mocked him making jokes about how they could snap him in half.
Were they ever wrong. Videl gave a smirk. Were they ever wrong.
She walked beside him, and laced her fingers with his own as she leaned her head on his muscular arm. She gave a small smile. 'Comfortable...'
Gohan noticed the look on her face, and his blush grew even more. The saiyan teen didn't know what to do when he felt her fingers entwine with his. And when she laid her head on his arm... he felt he was about to explode from either happiness... or embarrassment. 'Damn saiyan hormones...' he thought as his blush brightened even more.
"The woman should have some sort of communication device with her... I made sure of it," the saiyan prince told all around as he continued to pace around the room.
"So?" asked Raditz as he adjusted the weight of his nephew in his arms. "If you do have a communicator, then why not use it? It's the only thing logical."
Vegeta stopped his pacing, and he growled at the saiyan. "The communicator is in the labs!"
Raditz blinked for a moment till he caught onto what the prince was saying, "And Bulma has the door to the labs 'saiyan proof'?"
Vegeta gave a brief nod as he began to pace around once more.
Zarbon gave a small snort. "The lock shouldn't be THAT hard to decode."
"Not unless it's a hand scanner and a voice activating lock," snapped Vegeta back.
The green tinted advisor raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?" asked Zarbon as he warily sauntered to the prince. "I-is this... world more advanced in technology than the head space station?" Zarbon turned his attention to Gohan; his voice was in a more tentative tone. "Is it?"
The young emperor turned to his advisor, and gave a small nod. "Yes. This planet has more technology-"
"Sire, with all due respect, why didn't you bring it onto the space station?! It could greatly help our own warriors and workers!" argued the advisor. Gohan's emotionless guise to the older man began to slip as guilt began to show. Zarbon's lip straitened out as he sighed, "And I assume that you have your own explanation for this? Sire?"
Gohan turned his gaze away from his advisor. "If the technology was added... and Cold got his hands on it, then there could be a possibility that he could become stronger." He clenched his fists. "I am aware that his scientists are very pliable creatures to do his evil will. I, for one, don't want him to use the technology to adulterate the delicate balance I have with these worlds and their citizens." The hybrid saiyan's dour expression returned, as he stood up as tall as he could up to Zarbon, who was clearly a few inches taller. And I sure as hell don't want to see the universe and its people fall because of this insidious fiend." Gohan's eyes darkened more, "Do I make my self clear? Or do I have to reiterate what I stated to you earlier verbatim?"
Videl watched gaping. This was not the Gohan she had come to know. He must have been hiding his partially, stolid emperor side from everyone in the class and of the world with a guise of cheerfulness. She bit her lip. Sure, there was times that an intimation of Gohan's unknown double life had shown when the jocks at school gibed him. He looked as if ready to charge at them, but he always walked away, and placed a fake smile on his face. His actions were as if nothing had happened.
"N-no s-sire..." muttered the advisor as he lowered his head in respect to the emperor. "I apologize for my rudeness..."
The tension in the room seemed to stop immediately when Gohan's smile returned to his face, and when he placed a hand on Zarbon's shoulder.
"All is forgiven... but I'll make sure to upgrade some of the technology when we take control of my empire once more," stated Gohan as he backed away. He took a peek at Videl, and noticed her glowering face. He silently gulped as he turned away from her and began to shuffle his feet out of the room with a lowered gaze. "Come on..." he mumbled.
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Piccolo landed on the sand of the Kame house, and he frowned when he noticed the dead bodies of Cold's men. He noticed the bloodied holes that the two men had, and his eyes turned to slits. He knew it had to be Seventeen's work. He always liked to play with his victims before they were done with... His sister always thought of him as childish because of how he finished off his victims. Piccolo agreed with the female android.
Lifting a hand, he used his energy to destroy the bodies that lay on the white sand. Some of it was soaked with their crimson blood too. The Namek couldn't help but deeply scowl at the thought of leaving the bodies to rot here. Seventeen must have had some kind of sick pleasure in doing that. The male android was a strange one.
"Seventeen! Eighteen!" shouted Piccolo as he continued to walk up to the house. "I need you out here-" Piccolo narrowly dodged a ki beam that came from the house. The Namek growled. The things he had to put up with...
"Ah, it is the walking green bean," stated the monotone voice of the male android as he walked out of the house with a smirk.
Piccolo rolled his eyes. "Seventeen. We need you and your sister to come back with me to the Lookout. It seems that the two of you are in greater danger than we think."
"Danger?" asked the android with a smirk. "I think not. I was able to single handedly destroy three warriors who came looking for my sister and me just moments ago." The android walked into the beach so the sunlight could cover his pale skin. He looked to the bloodied sand. "I see you must have done away with the two bodies that were left here on the land."
The Namek folded his arms, "Oh? Then what happened to the last warrior?" He noticed Seventeen's cynical smile as he pointed to the water.
"See for yourself Green Bean," said the android.
Piccolo turned his head slightly, and out of the corner of his eye he noticed a beyond mutilated body being washed up towards the shore as it floated on the waves.
The android's smirk widened, "See? I told you I could take care of them."
Piccolo's lip began to twitch when his gaze went back to the male. "And you have the nerve to do such a thing? Even if it's to an enemy?"
Seventeen shrugged as he smiled. "Why not? There's a lesser chance that the true enemy could find us. And it's fun to destroy the enemy, if I must say so myself. They make good target practice-"
"Seventeen! Who are you talking too out there?!" exclaimed the female voice of his sister. Her appearance became known when she walked to the front door to look out. Eighteen's frown turned into a smile as she noticed Piccolo. "Greetings Piccolo."
The Namek gave a nod. He respected her. She wasn't like her belligerent brother, although Piccolo did have to admit, he did enjoy a good battle once in a while.
"I've come to warn you. You both could be in jeopardy, so I greatly advise for you both to come with me, back to the look out, or be meticulous warriors if you both have to face off some more of Cold's men," warned Piccolo as he turned back to the horizon. He felt something in the back of his mind, and he scrutinized the clear sky.
"Well, thanks for the offer Green Bean," stated the male android tepidly. "I think we can take care of ourselves just fine."
Piccolo rolled his eyes as he looked to the blonde. She gave a nod as she rubbed her ripe belly. "I'll go to the Lookout. I'd rather be safe than sorry as this averse, lunk-head would be," she said in an amicable tone right before she thwaped her brother up the side of the head.
The brother howled in pain as he rubbed the new lump forming, and growled at his sister. "What the hell was that for?!" he shouted.
She looked to him coolly and gave a small smirk with her reply. "Because you're an idiot." With that stated, she lifted off into the air and flew towards the Lookout. Seventeen gave a scowl as he too levitated into the air. Usually where ever his sister went, he went also. He felt it was his duty to protect his sister even if she did tick him off.
The male android shot off after his sister.
Piccolo looked back to the Kame house, and shook his head. He had a feeling that Master Roshi would be safe. His ki level was quite low if King Cold came back. And he looked back up into the direction the androids left. He slightly grimaced. The Namek didn't exactly know HOW to break the news to Eighteen about Krillin. He was aware that the reaction wouldn't be pretty. Forcing that problem back down, he concentrated his energy down, and lifted off to the Lookout.
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Gohan gave a smirk as the chrome door to the large, but empty labs opened. Ever since Gohan was a boy, he had always been able to enter the labs. His mother made sure that the hybrid saiyan would know as much as he could, and Bulma had agreed to Chichi's thinking.
Gohan was very thankful he was able to get into the labs without complications. His keen sense of hearing picked up a faint beeping sound in the middle of the room. It continued to sound. The alarm of the computer could have been on for hours...!
He ran to the computer and pressed a button on the screen to turn it on. The screen flashed once, then again as it powered up, and gave the soft light glow as a message appeared in the center of the screen.
Gohan's lip tightened into a firm line as he read the message.
Videl noticed this as she looked to her guy friend, then back to the message. It was all in some foreign language. It looked like cuneiform... or some kind of message written in an ancient language! And taking the chance, she tilted her head to the side in order to glance at the men who also looked at the computer screen. Even young Trunks were reading the message! And all the expressions on the faces of the men soon turned to the look just as the expression Gohan wore on his face. Being human, it made her very curious... but she wasn't quite sure that she wanted to get the total truth. It was at that moment, an expression came to mind. 'The Truth Hurts.' It did. She gulped down a glob of saliva that seemed to build up in her mouth.
"What does it say?" questioned the female. Her blue eyes were now completely filled with concern as the blank expressions began to appear on the men's faces.
Gohan turned his head to her, and he stared at her in the eyes. Such beautiful eyes she had at that moment. Completely innocent of the dangers that lurked in the universe... He wished he could be like her. Gohan wished he could have had a different life... a life were he wouldn't have to worry about space pirates... or evil villains.
Gohan licked his lips just now noticing how dry they were. He continued to stare in Videl's eyes till he looked to his lap.
Videl raised an eyebrow as she placed a hand on his sinking shoulders. He better not give up! If he did, she would kick his ass all the way to the end of this earth!' She mentally smirked as a thought came to her mind. 'Or... maybe some motivation...'
Gohan finally spoke.
"My men and I will be going to the ship... and taking back what is rightfully mine."
The aliens jaw's dropped as Gohan stood up and turned to leave the room. Videl felt her hand fall off from Gohan's shoulder, and she brought the hand up to her chest with the other.
Raditz frowned as he fazed out, and back before Gohan as with crossed arms. The older saiyan was completely blocking the door, and it surprised the men, even Gohan! The saiyan teen looked up to his uncle, and frowned.
"What are you doing? We need to finish off Cold. He's pissed me off too much, and now he's going to pay!"
Raditz remained in his spot as he stared down at his nephew. He was still a few inches taller than the teen. This seemed to make Gohan's energy level rise as well as flare up his fragile temper.
"Raditz. Do as I say, or I will kick your sorry ass all the way to the other side of the universe, and you know very well that I can."
His voice was very bold.
Raditz remained still and unflinching.
Videl couldn't help but think to the phrase that Gohan stated seconds before. It sounded much like the one she thought up of moments ago... She shook her head and rubbed her eyes. 'I've been working too hard... I need a vacation...' And the last thought was one that had been stated over and over again. Only this time... she might get what she wished for... but it wouldn't come in a way that she would want it to.
