Chapter 13: Reunion

When I came out of the Void I was standing in front of Capsule Corp. I was nervous, I had no idea how long I'd been gone and no idea what to expect. I took in a deep breath and opened the door.

Dark. The house was dark, but as I started in toward the living room it started to get brighter, though a human would have still been half-blind.

The light was the TV, the channel off the air for the night, and it was nearly four in the morning now. I looked over to the couch and saw Bulma, and in the loveseat was Gohan, and sleeping on the floor was Chi-chi, but it didn't look as though they had planned on sleeping there.

Have they been waiting for me? Did I really worry them this much? And how long have I been gone?

I sat on my knees near the couch and looked at Bulma. I gently shook her, and her blue eyes opened slowly.

"Hey, guess whose back?"

"Katie! Oh thank Kami!" Bulma shot up and the noise she woke up Gohan and Chi-chi.

"I knew you'd come home!"

"Katie, what happened to you? We call the police and everything!" Chi-chi asked. Chi-chi was nearly crying.

"It's a long story. How long have I been gone?" I asked.

"You don't know?" I shook my head, "Nearly a year now. The police couldn't find you, and none of the guys could sense your Ki. We thought that maybe you were…" Bulma didn't have the heart to finish.

"I'm fine, for the most part. Dr. Gero is back." Bulma gasped at me. She knew who he was, if no one else.

"Is that where you were?" Gohan asked.

"I don't think its what you're thinking." They remained silent as I told my story. I explained about the androids, my new abilities, and Gero.

"But you're okay now?" Gohan asked.

"Yes, I am. I'm Katie, or Katrin, but I am not 22. I'm stuck as an 18 year-old kid forever. I can't believe I was gone over a year. I thought maybe a few months, but not a year."

"You missed Trunk's birthday, and his first word was 'mama'." Bulma gave me a sad smile, "Its good to have you back. Even if you are a cyborg now, that really doesn't matter. We'll inform the police of your return in the morning, right now I think we all need some sleep."

"Yeah, I hear that." I said.

Gohan and Chi-chi went toward their rooms, as did Bulma, but I decided to check-in on someone first.

"Hey little guy, I'm back. Did you miss me?" Trunks was awake when I came in, and he held out his little arms to me so I'd pick him up. I did and walked him around the room. He remembered me.

"I'm sorry I've been gone, Trunks, but I couldn't help it. I'm glad nothing happened to you, I've sworn to protect you, you know. I promise to keep you safe as long as I can, and since I'm a cyborg now I'll be able to do that for a long time."

The next morning the police were informed and they had to come and interview me. That's when the State Army got involved.

General Hendricks was the commanding officer. They brought me in and tested me, interrogated me, and held me prisoner for weeks. They didn't want to believe my story, so in turn I decided not to show them my power.

Gen. Hendricks was taller than me, and well built. He had a mustache and blonde hair, and was dressed in a khaki colored uniform. He was an older man, but not old. I think he was basic military.

Hendricks was a nice enough guy, it was just hard for him to understand what was going on. He didn't believe 17 and 18 could be as dangerous as I claimed. But I knew if they thought they could take a Super Sayjin they had to be a lot tougher than they had let on.

When I lead the Army to Gero's lab, everything was gone. The computer was smashed in, the papers were burned or missing, and no one was left. All the other androids that were still in cold sleep were destroyed.

I was pissed off. I kept thinking I should have done something before I left. I should have fought harder.

I should have downloaded his other base locations… I should have waited a little longer before I escaped… I should have fought 17 and 18 harder…

I lost my temper and punched a hole in a nearby wall, making a hole exactly the size of my left hand. I stared at my foreign appendage and nearly got sick. It felt nothing. There was no pain from hitting the wall.

"Don't beat yourself up over this, Son." it was Hendricks.

"You have no idea how intelligent and resourceful Gero really is. You see this hand? It's completely robotic. Most of my body is now mechanical, and Gero just did it to avenge an army that stood for nothing. Their leader did all that he did because he was short. Can you believe that?"

"I can, and I do. Commander Red was insane, and so is Gero. But when I look at you, I see a weapon we can use against Gero, if you don't mind my saying so."

"I'd like nothing better than to get my hand on Gero." I said, flexing my attached weapon.

"If we find him we can destroy those other two bots." Hendricks stated.

"Sir, Son, we need you to look at this." a private called to Hendricks and me. He led us to a room, and I was aghast. There, in the floor, was Gero. His robotic body was more or less intact, but next to it was the flattened remains of gray matter.

I ran out of the room, and made it to a trashcan, where I proceeded to lose my lunch, and breakfast, and the previous dinner. I thought I had seen some awful things, but I guess I was wrong.

When I regained my composer I went back to the doorway, but I couldn't look at Gero. In that room was the only hope we had in stopping 17 and 18, and his brains were scramble all across the floor.

Goku, we need you now, but you can't help us. I have to take your place as earth's defender until Gohan is of age and ability, but I don't know how, Goku.

Vegeta could destroy those bots, and he wouldn't hold back. He is a Super Sayjin, so maybe Gero wasn't our only choice.

"Son, what did this? Do you have any idea?"

"It was 17 and 18, you army Bakas! Can't you understand that yet? They are strong enough to destroy this planet, why won't you believe that?"

"Calm down, Son." Hendricks said.

"This metal is Dextryte, much harder than steel, do you really believe they could have done this?" the private asked.

I went over to a steel pipe in the room that had recently been removed, and I tied it into a knot. They believed me.

"Both 17 and 18 and I have Dextryte in our bodies. My skin is made out of an alloy of it. But unlike me, 17 and 18 no longer have a sense of humanity. Without Gero, they will run ramped until no one is left on the planet. Or only the weak are left to terrorize!"

I took out the door in a hurry and teleported once I was out of sight. Gero may not control 17 and 18 anymore, but he programmed them to avenge the Red Ribbon Army by destroying Son Goku and anyone related to him. They'd see it as a challenge. They'd start with the strongest first, but not only the strongest, but the one most closely related to him. They would also want to tech me a lesson. They would go after Gohan first.