Chapter 11 – An Old Enemy

"Chi-chi, hi," said Krillin as she opened the door. "18 and I just stopped by to see how Goku was doing."

"Oh, that's real sweet of you!" said Chi-chi happily. "Come on in! Goten, get down here! We have company!"

The four of them sat around Goku's bed and had tea. "Any idea why he's not waking up?" asked Krillin.

"None," said Chi-chi, shaking her head. "Trunks looked at him and couldn't find anything unusual. We can't figure it out. I guess I shouldn't be worried though. As long as he's still breathing calmly, he should wake up soon, right?"

Krillin and Android 18 exchanged a glance. "Uh, right, right," said 18 nervously. Krillin cleared his throat. "So, uh...how's Gohan doing?"

Just then there was a knock at the door. Chi-chi got up to answer it. She opened the door and saw Super Android 17 standing there. "Hello," he said. "I came to visit Goku."

Chi-chi looked him up and down. "17, you look different. What happened to you?"

"I just decided to change my look," said 17, his smile beginning to fade. "Can I please see Goku?"

"Well...I suppose so," said Chi-chi nervously. "You can say hi to 18 too, she's-" 17 pushed her aside and walked in.

"Hey!" she yelled. "Be a little more polite!" 17 kept walking. He walked into the room where Krillin, 18, and Goten were still sitting. 18 looked up. Her eyes narrowed.

"17," she said, getting up from her seat. "You're not yourself. What happened? Who did this to you?"

"I don't have time to talk about it, 18," said 17. "I have to do what I came here to do." He looked at Goku, unconscious in the bed. "This will be easier than I thought."

18 snapped her head around to look at what 17 was looking at. She snapped her head back. "Oh, no you don't," she said angrily. "You're not going to kill Goku."

"I don't really think you can stop me," said 17. "I've had a few improvements recently."

"If these," she gestured at his hair and clothes, "are what you call improvements, I'm not impressed. Let's take this outside, shall we? It's a little cramped in here."

"I guess I can afford to have a little fun," said 17. He shot through the roof and into the sky. "Come on."

18 turned to Chi-chi. "Sorry about the roof, Chi-chi," she said, and flew up through the hole after 17.

"Jeez," said Krillin apprehensively. "Do you think 18'll be OK out there? 17 was stronger than her to begin with."

"I'll go," said Goten, getting up from his chair.

"Goten, be careful!" cried Chi-chi, her eyes filling with tears. "I don't want to lose you again!"

"Don't worry, Mom, I'll be fine," said Goten. He flew off. 17 and 18 had flown over to an island to fight. They landed.

"I hope you'll forgive me for doing this to you, 18," said 17. "But all machines become obsolete eventually."

"You're all talk," said 18. "Nobody likes a machine that doesn't get down to business."

They looked at each other; their muscles tensed. Then 17 raised his hand and charged. He brought it down on 18, but she blocked it with her forearm and punched him in the stomach. She grabbed 17 by the shoulders and swung her foot upward, but 17 flipped around to her other side, grabbed her arms and threw her forward. She hit the ground with her feet and shot herself back at 17, head-first. He caught her in the stomach with his foot and she gasped. He grabbed her arm and jumped into the air, swinging her in circles around him. He finally let her go; she went flying below the surface of the water. 17 smiled and aimed his hand at the spot where 18 had disappeared. Just as he was about to shoot, 18 shot out of the water, behind him. He redirected the blast behind him; it hit her directly, and she cried out. 17 turned around and smirked.

"I'm not called Super 17 for nothing," he said. Goku wasn't sure what kind of situation he was being put through now. All he was sure of was that it wouldn't be any use. He gazed into Old Kai's crystal ball and found himself in a deserted area. Looking to his left, he saw Tenshinhan lying unconscious on the ground. Looking to his right, he saw Gohan, scratched and bleeding, looking up at him in horror. Only at the last second did Goku realize that Gohan was looking past him, at something directly above him.

He felt the impact before he could react. He saw the ground rushing up at him, felt it injuring him as he was forced down into it. He hadn't realized that he had been a Super Saiyan 3, but he realized it now as he reverted to Base form. Coughing and gagging, he looked up and saw Majin Buu floating over him. This was a Buu from the past: he was muscular and thin, his eyes radiated cunning and intelligence, and he was wearing a yellow-and-black vest.

"You turned out to be a disappointment," he said. "But I suppose I shouldn't have expected much. If he couldn't do anything..." he gestured at Gohan.

"No," said Goku. "You're...supposed to diffuse...Gotenks..."

"Diffuse?" said Buu in amusement. "Me? I don't think so. Why would you assume a thing like that? If you're so desperate for me to change my form, however, I may be able to oblige you." He turned to Gohan. "You may be an insect, but you're an annoying one. You'll do."

"No!" said Gohan as he tried to fly upward. Buu stretched his arm out and grabbed Gohan; he slammed him back down into the ground. "You'll stay put," he said. He detached a portion of his back and sent it over to Gohan. Gohan struggled with all his might, but it was in vain.

"You're too eager to get away. Would it help if I prolonged your moment of death?" Buu's body part wrapped itself around Gohan's arm and pulled. Gohan screamed in agony as his arm was torn off. The portion of Buu's body reattached itself to him, and his ki power increased.

"Mmm," said Buu in satisfaction. "That feels good. I imagine it doesn't feel as good from your end, Son Gohan."

Tears and sweat were pouring down Gohan's face; he clenched his teeth in agony. Goku felt the anger bubble up inside of him, and was further enraged to find that he couldn't move. "G-Gohan!" he cried.

"I'm getting hungry again," said Buu. "Perhaps I'll have another piece." He began to detach another part of his back.

"Aaaargh!" yelled Goku in anger. Goten was flying around aimlessly. Helping 18 to fight Super 17 had seemed like a good idea, but he had neglected to realize that he had no way of finding them. The androids had no ki signal, and Goten was forced to find them by looking. He wasn't enjoying it. This is ridiculous! he thought. I can't even find them, let alone fight!

Android 18 had unlimited energy; she didn't feel the fatigue of losing to Super 17. But she was losing, and if the battle continued at the same pace, it would spell trouble for her.

"Hmph," said 17 irritably. "You're more resilient than I remembered. I guess Gero wasn't as much of an idiot as I thought."

"Now I know you're not yourself," said 18. "Tell me the truth. Who did this to you?"

"Who did this for me is more like it," said 17. "A scientist more brilliant than anyone on this planet. He saw my potential for being the strongest android in the universe, and he utilized it! Dr. Myuu knows what I am capable of!"

18 was dumbstruck. "I can't believe you, 17!" she yelled. "Still the inflated male ego, I see! What makes you think you're special? This idiotic scientist is only using you to kill Goku! If it weren't you, it would have been someone else!"

"Shut up!" yelled Super 17. "I've had just about enough of you!" He fired several energy blasts at 18. She dodged some of them, while others grazed her arms and legs. She winced, and fired her own volley. 17 grinned and extended a hand. Meeting each blast with his palm, he absorbed the blasts into him.

"You see, 18?" he smirked. "A combination of infinite-energy and energy-absorption models. I am the perfect android. You're just an inferior piece of junk."

"There's more to my life than being an android!"

In an instant, 17 had her in a headlock. "No," he said. "Starting now, there's nothing more to your life."

At that moment, he unexpectedly released 18 and crashed into the water. 18 looked around wildly, and finally saw the surface of the water begin to bubble. Out of it splashed Super 17 and Son Goten.

"Looks like I found you just in time," said Goten, breathing heavily.

"Give me a break, you fool," said 17. "That was only a minor delay. Now you'll both die."

"Oh, you think so?" said Goten, turning Super Saiyan. "We'll see about that." Krillin gave a start. "What is it?" asked Chi-chi nervously.

"Goten increased his ki dramatically," said Krillin. "He must be getting ready to fight all out!"

"Oh, please be OK, Goten!" cried Chi-chi to no one in particular.

"Grrr," grumbled Krillin, clenching his fists. "I feel so useless just sitting here. I have to go help!" He prepared to fly out of the hole in the roof.

"Krillin, no!" yelled Chi-chi, grabbing his arm. "Don't leave me here alone!"

"I have to go, Chi-chi," said Krillin desperately. "That's my wife out there! Besides," he gestured to the bed, "Goku's here." He flew off.

Chi-chi looked at Goku briefly. "Oh, Goku, please be OK," she whispered. Goten was on one side of Super 17. 18 was on the other side. They tensed, waiting for 17 to do something, but he just floated there. Finally, Goten performed a flying kick. To 18's surprise, it caught 17 under the chin and he lurched backward with a grunt.

Goten seized the opportunity: he began punching and kicking Super 17 wherever he could. It was effective at first, but as soon as 17 recovered from the surprise attack he had no problem blocking. Goten shot his fist toward Super 17's face; 17 moved his head to one side and grabbed Goten's fist. With his other hand he punched Goten in the stomach, and shot his foot straight up in the air. It hit Goten in the face, and he was thrown several feet backward. He cupped his hands at his sides. "KA, ME-"

"Goten, stop!" yelled 18. "You can't use energy attacks, he'll absorb them!"

"You'd better listen to her," said 17. "It's for your own good." He disappeared and reappeared with his forehead impacting Goten's. Goten screamed in pain from the head-butt.

"That's it!" yelled 18, and she charged back up into the battle. 17 turned and hit her with the back of his hand, and shot out his left foot to kick the recovered Goten. They charged again, but disappeared just before they reached him. 17 waited. They reappeared above him and slammed down on his head at the same time. 17 went down toward the water, but flipped around, threw his hands out, and expelled two huge blasts of energy. 18 and Goten did their best to avoid being hit, but the blasts came so fast that they were both damaged slightly. 17 came flying back up with both arms out to the sides. He flew straight past Goten and 18, slamming his wrists into their necks as he passed. They gagged and floated there, clutching their throats. Super 17 stopped to look at them.

"You look like you could use a break," he said to them. "Maybe I'll give you one. Let's see...what should I break first?"

He didn't see Krillin land quietly on the island below him. He didn't notice Krillin's arm over his head, and the Kienzan forming over it. Krillin threw the disk silently, and it flew straight at Super 17. It hit the back of his neck...and Krillin gaped in horror. Instead of decapitating him, the Kienzan flowed into his body. Only then did Super 17 notice Krillin. He turned around.

"Oh, hi," he said. "I guess you haven't heard. I absorb energy now."

"But...you..." stammered Krillin.

"Oh, I don't have to do it consciously," said 17. "I'm constantly absorbing energy from all around, into any part of my body. You can't sneak up on me. Even dissipated energy, all around us, flows into me. I grow stronger by the second."

At that moment, Goten drew his hand back as far as he could, and slammed it into Super 17's back. 17 blinked. "You see?" he said. He reached around, grabbed Goten's arm and swung him into Krillin. "So, welcome to the party," he laughed. Kibitoshin saw what was happening on Earth. "This is bad, Elder!" he said. "They're losing, and there's no way to contact Gohan, Vegeta or Uub!"

"Why don't you teleport?" asked Old Kai. His eyes were on his crystal ball, watching Goku.

"I wouldn't be able to find them! They're all suppressing their ki; I'd have to look for them, and who knows how long that could take? We need to send Goku back to Earth!"

"All right, all right, if it's needed that badly," said Old Kai, waving a hand in silence. "Let's just see how this plays out."

They watched the crystal and saw Goku screaming in rage. Super Buu looked at him in mild surprise as he reached for Gohan's other arm. Goku had become a Super Saiyan 3, his maximum power level, and was on the verge of more power. Old Kai frowned. "Why isn't he undergoing the transformation?" he wondered.

Then it hit him. "The moon!" he yelled out loud. "He needs a full moon to complete the transformation!" He looked again. "But look how angry he is! Well...all right, let's pull him out of it."

Goku was back on the Planet of the Kais. "Damn!" he yelled. "Why did you stop me?"

"We had to, Goku," said Kibitoshin. "Your friends need you on Earth."

"What?" Goku asked in alarm. "Is it what you sensed before?"

"No," said Kibitoshin. "It's something else. Someone has reprogrammed Android 17, and he's going to kill 18, Goten and Krillin if they don't get help soon!"

Goku jumped up. "OK, I'll go!" he said. "Send me back to my body, hurry!"

"I don't know, Goku," said Old Kai doubtfully. "You may not have trained enough."

"I don't care about the training any more!" yelled Goku as he burst into a Super Saiyan. They stared at him in shock. Goku realized what he had done and quickly reverted back to Base form. "I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean for that to happen. But please, can I go back to Earth?"

"Yes," said Kibitoshin. He chanted a few words, and Goku disappeared. Old Kai and Kibitoshin exchanged a glance.

"Did you see that?" asked Kibitoshin.

"Yes," said Old Kai thoughtfully. "He has certainly trained enough. When the conditions are right...he'll be ready."