Chapter XV

"Ha! You think a little attack like that is going to do any damage to a Saiyan elite, let alone a Saiyan Prince?" Vegeta scoffed and threw the android's own attack back at him. The male android dodged easily but growled. The Saiyan was stronger than anticipated. Obviously, the doctor's data was a little off and Ten concluded it to be due to a result of the lack of surveillance. No way to remedy it now though.

"I'm tempted to eliminate you just to shut you up."

"Let's see you try, you mechanical reject."

Ten was all too glad to take up that challenge and his hands lit up with ki and without another word, he was a blur as he charged the Saiyan Prince. Vegeta dodged, although it took more speed than he liked. He had thought his training was far above the Androids but now, even if it was just internally, he realized that if anything his agility and speed were dangerously slow.

Still, being a Saiyan Prince of the highest order, he merely filed this away and focused on the matter at hand, attempting to determine the best way possible to beat his opponent. Vegeta was usually driven on rage and fury but this was a different kind of anger. On a conscious level, he wanted to preserve any amount of his race that he could, even if that meant half breeds like Kakkarot's brat. The boy had the fighting skills of a worthy Saiyan if they could encourage it against the home wife wench's ridiculous obsessions.

He was not about to let the only chance his kind had to survive to be wiped out without getting some revenge.

The Android's overconfident laugh made him sick. Ironic as he probably had given a similar chortle many a time but in the reverse situation with him being the receiver and not the deliverer made it annoying and infuriating. He focused primarily on stopping that laugh even if he had to tear out the throat to do it. That was not something he was above after all!

Ten charged with a speed Vegeta barely avoided. He barely turned before his hands had to fly up to block an incoming blast. As soon as the bright light left his eyes, he found himself on the receiving end of a harsh punch to the face. With a rapid pace, Ten pounded his metal fists into Vegeta's stomach, chest and neck. Bruises burst out from his skin but the Saiyan Prince ducked one blow finally, a result of mere luck and slammed a harsh blast to the Android's belly, sending him flying backwards.

Panting, the Saiyan wiped his face off with the back of his palm. Smudges of red were left behind on the white glove and that made the Prince grit his teeth and growl. Hard enough to not have been fast enough to block those pathetic blows but far worse to have shed blood, royal blood for this…human made monstrosity. Well, it was not an error he would repeat, he set his mind to that.

"Wouldn't you like to know how inevitable your plight is?" Ten scoffed, easily finding amusement in the Saiyan's Prince's anger and predicament. "Wouldn't you like to know how for years we have watched your every move, how we know your every fighting style? How do you expect to possibly win against someone who knows your every move, your every attack?"

Vegeta delivered a blast straight to the Android's neck. "The same way I always do: by being strongest." He powered up, as high as he could go. His ki rose in astronomical amounts almost triple its original capacity since the defeat of Freeza. For a brief moment, his eyes turned a slight green shade but as always, he had yet to achieve the level of Super Saiyan and it faded away. This only resulted in angering him and thus extending the capacity of his skill and power. "Kakarott has remained ahead for too long, Android. With this battle, I reclaim my place as Saiyan Prince, the most powerful in the universe!"

Infuriated, he threw an attack of immense proportions. Ki blast after ki blast, proceeded by a series of kicks and punches to all his enemy's vulnerable spots: the neck, under the arms, the shins and the groin. The Android groaned, growled and spat but he didn't back down. It was like punching a steel wall the Saiyan Prince discovered. Driven to blinding rage, Vegeta backed up and called upon his signature attack.

"BIG BANG ATTACK!"

The blue white light was nearly blinding to all surrounding areas but the Prince of all Saiyans had grown accustomed to the flash after using it so often. His eyes easily filtered it out. He charged towards the Android as soon as the potency of the attack made it safe to approach. The aftermath of the light still caused a faint burning sensation but Vegeta ignored it, not about to admit it caused anything similar to pain.

He charged his hands up, ready to unleash a smaller ki blast to finish the Android off.

"Not too bad, Vegeta." Came the smirking voice.

"What?" He couldn't believe what he was seeing…or hearing! But it was true! As the flash cleared completely, there stood Number Ten as calm and collected as ever. He used his left hand to brush some dust off his uniform. The twin Rs on his chest shimmered. His dark eyes narrowed and powering up an attack, he sent it shooting towards the Saiyan Prince.

Vegeta dodged it easily and the two charged towards one another again. Fists collided with fists, knees with knees and ki blast with ki blast. The Android knew every one of his moves, every one of his attacks! He always had a collision with which to respond. He always matched his attacks, every single one! And that infuriated him!

"This ends now Android!"

"FINAL FLASH!"

OOO

Goku moved his arms to block his face, taking the full force of the Android's sword and ki attack. It burnt like fire but his skin had grown accustomed to such attacks over the years. It was the sword that was Goku's main concern. He hadn't a lot of practice dealing with enemies that used weapons. The Red Ribbon Army had but that seemed like it had happened forever and a day ago. So much had happened since then. The Dragonballs, Baba, Kami-sama, King Piccolo, Piccolo Junior, the Saiyans, King Kai, Freeza, and now the threat of the Androids…so much time had passed. He'd grown so much stronger but now he saw that he had slackened in the traditional ways of fighting. He only hoped that it wouldn't cost him this battle and thus his son, his life.

Moving his hands behind his back, Goku cupped his hands, "Ka…me…ha…me…HA!"

Nine merely cupped her own hands and caught the blast. It made her hands burn to absorb such a powerful attack. Her design was not an absorbent model; her circuits were simply designed to absorb any attacks as a defense mechanism. That attack had taken a lot of her energy to absorb. She couldn't use the incoming energy herself unfortunately. The Doctor was working on improving that for Androids Eleven and Twelve. In the meantime, she realized she was going to have to depend more on her sword.

Still, she was beginning to see Son Goku's lack of skill against weapons. He did quite well avoiding her ki blasts but her sword was another matter altogether. Her katana had connected with skin several times, drawing thin lines of blood which was an improvement over no contact whatsoever. Unfortunately, he was quick in the air. Almost too quick. However, her energy could last as long as the doctor kept the source at his lab going. She wasn't infinitely powered but if he kept adding in fuel to their wireless energy compound, they could go far longer than mere mortals.

Goku glared at the Android, so calm and collected. He wished desperately for a way to read her mind, to see her intentions and her plans. Her face never even looked annoyed or frightened which made her almost impossible to read. It made him nervous. His arms were decorated with the scars of her attacks. Her katana was sharp and she knew what she doing. She had skills that Yajirobe would die for.

Goku eyed the liquid dripping down his left arm a moment and then turned his attentions back towards the Android. He had a few senzu on him but he didn't want to use them because they were so limited. He wasn't losing enough blood for it to be a threat to his safety yet. He tried to focus his energies into keeping her at bay and hopefully finding and exalting her weakness.

Suddenly as a strike of lighting, Nine was darting towards him, katana out, her arms moving fast as water. He did a back flip in the air, narrowly avoiding losing his head but her blade slice through his gi, puncturing his stomach, making him hiss involuntarily. Blood seeped out of his belly, turning his gi a dark orange, the color of overripe citrus.

"Goku!"

Krillin charged the Android, powering his hands up in his signature attack, "Destructo Disc!"

The white discus immediately formed over his hands and he threw it with expert aim. Nine turned and ducked her head aside, rendering the only damage received to be a shortened hairstyle. Krillin cursed under his breath. These Androids were so fast! So much faster than they could have ever anticipated or prepared for. He turned to Goku who flew backwards a little to float beside his best friend.

"How's yer stomach, Goku?"

"Aside from the throbbing pain, it's great."

Krillin eyed it nervously. It was seeping an awful lot of blood. That was a deep wound. Yet, Nine wasn't receiving any damage from their attacks, none at all! The only thing that even showed she'd been in a battle was her hair was shorter on one side. A whole lot of good that was. She didn't even have a bruise on her. How were they supposed to beat something they couldn't even harm?

Nine lifted her katana in front of her face, the fresh red blood shimmering in the light. "So this is the mighty Goku Doctor Gero has had such trouble beating? You hardly seem a challenge to me."

Goku narrowed his eyes, his golden hair swaying. He couldn't stay Super Saiyan forever and he had been in the form since Nine had infiltrated his home. The gash in his stomach wasn't doing a heck of a lot of good for his ki's power level. Nine wasn't suffering at all. At least Vegeta was keeping Ten busy! They were having enough trouble with just this one.

Pain! Mind stabbing pain! Nine, in fluid liquid speed, had slammed her elbows into both Krillin and Goku's necks. Whipping her katana around, she aimed for Krillin's neck only to have the human dodge but keeping in the same fast motion, she created a three hundred and sixty degree angle, setting her aim for Goku, who likewise dodged the blade. Fed up, she drew upon most of her reserved energy, putting it into her speed.

What had been fast before seemed slow as molasses now!

Slice, slice, slice, slice, stab!

Blood oozed from Krillin's arms and legs so quickly he almost didn't feel the blows that created the wounds. It was like someone simply took a spongue and sucked half of his ki out of him. He mbarely managed to dodge a katana for his neck. The blood loss was already making him woozy. He was fighting to keep airborne. The sword seemed to move so fast it was almost pointless to try and follow it…

"Krillin!"

Goku slammed his best friend to the ground with a punch. A rather crude way to move him but it got him out of the katana's path nonetheless. He dodged a little better but Nine was landing more and more blows, more and more cuts. His own blood loss would kick in soon and he knew it. He was fighting to stay Super Saiyan. Cupping his hands, he called on his signature attack again, hoping that it would give him some much needed breather space.

"Ka…me…ha..me-"

Nine, having been programmed with no honor what so ever, moved with her lightning quick speed, vanished from in front of Goku and slammed her blade into and through his back before he could even track her, let alone dodge her. Sharp, white pain pierced Goku's consciousness. His hair shimmered a moment and then fell back to black.

Nine jerked her sword out of Goku and threw one of her stronger ki blasts at him, knocking him to the ground. Krillin forced himself to his feet and made his way to Goku. "Goku! The senzu…"

"FINAL FLASH!"

Goku blinked, "No, Vegeta! What are you doing!"

Ten got caught into the oncoming blast and with such force and so close not even he could withstand it; the physically weaker android was not built to take ki blasts head on. He was built to throw and generate them but not to resist them. Caught in the hot white ki, Ten attempted to absorb it and take it into his own body but with no success. His circuits began to burn almost right away, despite his sophisticated programming. His absorption techniques were simply designed for small ki blasts, not a lethal wave like this. His hair caught fire and melted away. His skin burned dark black and blew away with the wind, leaving behind only a metal skeleton that exploded under the pressure.

Krillin sighed "One down."

Goku's thoughts were currently on a more serious concept. The fact that Vegeta's Final Flash had not stopped. In fact, if they didn't move and soon, they would meet the same fate as the Android! Struggling to get to their feet, they felt the stinging heat on their faces. Krillin squeezed his eyes tightly shut, bracing himself for the mind searing pain…

…that never came.

"MANSEKO HA!"

A smaller ki ball landed right behind them both and the impact of its collision with the earth was just enough to throw them both out of harm's way although they got slightly singed on the clothes and in Goku's case, the hair, from the ki. Krillin shook his head as the Final Flash vanished away and lifted his head to find their rescuer. His mouth dropped and his heart froze in his chest.

Goku shook his head, digging out some senzu from his pocket. Biting off half of one, just enough to stop the blood loss, he offered the other half to Krillin. His best friend's jaw was locked in a downward position. Goku eyed him oddly, staring at his shocked expression before turning to see what had so captured his attention. His own eyes nearly tripled in size.

"GOHAN!"

Sure enough, there was his little son. His hair was blazing bright golden, shimmering in the light. Narrowed aqua eyes were focused only on Android Nine and nothing more. He completely ignored Vegeta's onward charge at the female android as well as her half hearted slice at his stomach with her katana that rendered him on the ground with his father and "uncle."

"GOHAN!" Goku repeated, staring, hardly believing and then as the shock wore off, he couldn't help an enthusiastic whoop! "That's my boy! Look at yourself Gohan! Look at yourself! You're a Super Saiyan!"

Gohan didn't seem to hear him. He kept his eyes on Nine. When he spoke it was the same cold voice he had used when Freeza had nearly killed Krillin. It was a voice of ice, of ruthlessness, of a loyalty determined to protect at all costs. His voice was mature, the warrior within him having taken complete control, using knowledge of the past battles to guide and the emotions of the heart to drive.

"You. Hurt. My. Daddy."

That said, he exploded forward with a series of lighting quick fists.

"You hurt my Daddy!"

Nine dodged and ducked, swinging out with her katana, rendering quite a few wounds on the boy's arms and torso but he didn't seem to even feel them. Blood flowed down his arms but he was only focused on one thing: ridding them of Nine. She had been created solely to kill his father and his young heart was not willing to lose his father again, not so long as he had air in his lungs. He'd seen his father fall and he had never felt such anger, such loss and it came out in the form of a livid fighter.

Krillin shook himself out of his daze and called out "Gohan! Stop! You're getting too hurt! Back down! Back down!"

Pools of blood were forming underneath the boy as he assaulted the sword bearing Android. He wasn't even feeling the sword strikes. He was completely obsessed with beating her! Goku's heart stopped, seeing the pools spread and he took to the air to go and aid his son, knowing all too well how his son could get when he was determined at something.

A few Months Ago…

"Daddy, go harder! I can take harder!"

Goku chuckled and ducked under his son's blows and strikes, smiling at the boy's determination but he was careful to keep his own strength in check so as not to harm his little son. Gohan was in a fury, so determined to match his father's speed, his father's strength. Inwardly, Goku found it flattering. But it also worried him. Gohan was almost too determined.

Eyeing his boy, sweat was pouring down the boy's face and his face was flushed. He stopped and caught his son's next punch. "okay, kiddo. It's time for a break."

"No! Daddy, I can keep going! I can!"

"Nope, maybe later Gohan. You need to get a quick rinse down and then a nap."

"NO NAP! I'm too old!"

Goku raised a brow. "Oh, you definitely need one. Yer cranky."

"AM NOT! I WANNA TRAIN MORE!"

"Nope, no more today. You can't go nonstop."

"I have to get as strong as you Daddy!" He broke away from his father and attacked the sky, doing punch after punch, kick after kick. He ever powered up his hands "Ka…me…ha-" the ball lost and disintegrated and the boy fell to the ground and cursed his young age, slamming his fists and then his feet into the ground, resulting in a full fledged tantrum although it was aimed mainly at himself,

"WHY CAN'T I DO THIS? WHAT AM I DOING WRONG? WHY CAN'T I GET AS STRONG AS DADDY? WHY CAN'T I GET AS FAST? WHY? WHY? WHY! IT'S NOT FAIR! IHAVE TO GET STRONGER! I'M SON GOKU'S SON! WHY!"

Goku waited until the screaming stopped and walked over and brushed the boy's hair. "Feel better?"

A sniffle "Little…"

"Good."

Gohan sat up "why can't I get this Daddy? Huh? Why?"

Goku chuckled and sat down by his son. "You're improving every day Gohan. Training improves little by little. Stop being so hard on yourself."

"But…I want to get like you, Daddy."

"And you are, Gohan, little by little. Stop expecting it overnight. Daddy's been training for years to get where he is. You're a ton stronger than I was at your age."

"Can't do a kame wave yet."

"In time, little man." He gently stroked his son's hair. "When the time's right and you've enough motivation, you'll remember and your body will respond and you'll do it. I promise, little man." He smiled and kissed his son's forehead. "But it won't be able to if yo uwear your body out." He pointed to the boy's flushed face and sweaty palms. "See that?"

"yeah?"

"Know what that is?"

"Sweat?"

"Know why you're sweaty?"

"Why?"

"Cause yer body's crying 'Gohan, I'm tired, I can't do this anymore…I wanna REST!'" he added in a high pitched voice before letting himself fall onto his back.

Gohan stared at his father for a moment before the giggles escaped. "Daddy, yer so crazy!"

Goku sat up and grinned. Gohan jumped into his father's lap. "Thanks. Daddy's gonna rest too little man."

"Can I stay with Daddy?"

"Of course, little man."

Gohan nuzzled into Goku's chest. Goku smiled gently and for a moment just watched his son sleep, using Goku's chest for a pillow. He even suckled on Goku's gi for a moment. He never tired of seeing that. No matter what was going on, seeing his son like that was so comforting, so soothing. Gently standing, he walked out of the forest, settled for a patch of clover by the river and then laid down, his son still cradled on his chest.

Present

Daddy was in danger…Daddy was hurt.

Those were all young Gohan could think of. He saw the blood flowing and he felt it flowing but he didn't care. He was merely focused on keeping this Android away from his father. She scoffed several times, taunting him, taunting his efforts and that only succeeded in making him ache and hurt more and more. What if he couldn't save Daddy?

That thought made his already burning heart break.

No…Daddy would live…he would live…he WOULD LIVE.

Eyes flashed with emotion, barely contained love and emotion. His hands sparkled and his mind became focused.

Cupped hands moved backwards "Ka…me…" the ball formed. "ha…me.." the light grew. Android Nine charged, her katana connected with Gohan's neck just as he placed his hands completely against her chest. Skin again skin, point blank range. As the blood began to squirt from his neck, he managed the last cry.

"HA!"

The white blue blast exploded, smothering both machine and child. As Nine screeched in agony at the point blank range blast, Gohan's emotional rush died down and he could only think one thing as he felt the backlash of a successful, and very potent kamehameha begin,

"This is gonna hurt…"

Whether it was the Kame wave or the blood loss first he didn't know but now he heard nothing, saw nothing.

All went black.