Dragon Ball Z: Dynasty

By Feraligreater328

A/N: Happy Anniversary to my editor, StevenBodner. He's been a real help with this story, a good friend, and a guy who (despite not wanting to take credit) has put in a lot of work onto the more recent fight scenes in this story. I couldn't do this without him. :)

Chapter 75: The Hunt

In the ruins of Gingertown...

Piccolo roared in frustration, his power flaring across the ruined hellscape that Gingertown had become. "Dammit! I can't believe I just let him escape!"

Everyone flinched back at this explosion of power. Future Daikon was gobsmacked. "Piccolo is so freaking strong! H-He's even stronger than our Gohan was!"

Meanwhile, Future Trunks consoled Future Ranch. "It's okay. You couldn't have done anything..."

Her head was buried in her knees. "If I wasn't so skeeved out by bugs, I could have stopped him..."

Tien and Krillin both stood to the side, watching as Future Ranch lamented and Piccolo raged. Tien had a sweat drip going down the side of his head. "A monster with all of our techniques is loose and everyone is out of it at the moment. How could this get worse?"

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!"

Krillin sighed. "Had to ask, huh?"

Vegeta landed, his Super Saiyan form raging. "Where's Frieza and Cold?!"

Future Trunks turned, seeing his father standing there. "F-Father! Where-"

Vegeta blew him off. "I don't have time for you right now, boy! I sensed Frieza and King Cold! And I sensed Kakarot and the rest of you fools too! Where the hell are they all?! And why was my energy signature here?!"

Krillin quickly marched up. "Vegeta! Calm down, man!"

Vegeta glared down at Krillin. Krillin held his hands up. "Frieza isn't here. Neither is his Dad. Our problem is actually kind of worse than that..."

Vegeta cocked his head. "Worse?!"

His Super Saiyan form dispersed. "How could it possibly be worse that Frieza's family being here?!"

Piccolo calm, his fury having subsided for the time being. "We don't have all day to stand around here, so listen carefully Vegeta! I won't be repeating myself!"

Vegeta crossed his arms and glared at Piccolo. "You have my attention."

The Namekian took a deep breath and then sighed, speaking clearly. "The creature I was fighting just a few moments ago is yet another creation of Dr. Gero, Android 22."

The Future Trio all gasped, flinching back. Vegeta glared at them and sneered. "Of course, he is."

Piccolo continued. "This Android, this monster, came back to our time from some point in the future."

Krillin interjected. "B-But Piccolo, that doesn't make sense! Every Android we've faced so far hasn't had a ki signature! This thing had multiple ki signatures! What-"

Tien cut him off. "Krillin. Let's just let Piccolo finish. We can ask questions after he's done."

Piccolo nodded. "He calls himself Cell. According to what he told me, he's a bio-mechanical, genetically-engineered warrior. A modified clone created by combining the cells of, basically, every powerful warrior that has ever stepped foot on this planet. And several that haven't, at least in our time. I'm sure you could all sense just how deep his pool of various, stolen powers is. And it was only made deeper by the version of himself that he absorbed from this timeline..."

Tien stroked his chin. "So, that explains why I could sense myself on the flight over here. And, I guess...given that our DNA was sampled, our techniques were also observed so that that thing would know how to use moves like the Solar Flare. Gero did mention that he's been watching us back when we were facing down him and Android 19..."

Future Ranch shuddered. "But...even with all of that said, I still don't understand why we felt Trunks within that monster..."

Piccolo shrugged. "Who knows..."

Future Daikon shook his head. "It's concerning. Trunks was within that beast, but Ranch and I weren't..."

Future Trunks sighed and closed his eyes. "So, I guess that creature is what came out of the other Time Machine. From...a different future..."

Everyone went silent. This was almost too much to comprehend. Gero's research went beyond robots and went into making a monster out of their stolen DNA. A mutated freak made from all of them. And, beyond that, one that seemingly came from a different future than the Future Trio had. Future Trunks reached into his jacket and gripped his Capsule case. "How is this possible...?! So many things that we didn't know about all converging here all at the same time. Dammit..."

Future Ranch stood and placed her hand on Future Trunks' should. "T-Trunks...your Mom said this herself, time travel is complicated and hard to make sense of. We have to focus on what's in front of us. This creature is here, so we have to kill it. That's all..."

Future Trunks' shoulders sagged. Piccolo cleared his throat. "Just a couple more things to note. Gero is dead and Cell killed him."

Everyone flinched. Future Daikon shook his head. "Well, that's one small blessing I suppose. Old lunatic just couldn't figure out how to make a strong creation that wouldn't go for his throat. It's almost fitting."

Piccolo glared away. "He used that stinger tail of his to suck Gero's brain right out of his head..."

Vegeta shuddered. "WHAT?!"

Krillin and the Future Trio's jaws dropped. Tien frowned. "So, he's the one that killed everybody in Jingle Village, eh?"

Piccolo gritted his teeth. "He stabs that tail into people, injects them with fluid and makes their insides melt, and then drinks them up. And that's the where we are now. He's been scouring the countryside, sucking up entire villages within minutes. And, from his tone when we were having our chat, he doesn't plan to stop anytime soon."

The Namekian clenched his fists. "As long as he's allowed to roam free, every innocent life on this planet is forfeit...he's plans to continue along doing that until he meets up with Android 17 and Android 18 and evolve into his 'ultimate perfect form'..."

Future Trunks' eyes widened. "What...?"

Piccolo closed his eyes, summoning a new cape over his shoulders. "That's the part where things become unclear. He said he wants to join up with 17 and 18 and have them help him to evolve. But...something seemed off with how he said that..."

Vegeta sneered. "Fine. Then nothing has changed."

Everyone glanced over at Vegeta. The Prince shook his head. "If we kill those brats, like I plan to, then this monster's ultimate goal is eliminated. And, believe you me, I will kill those brats."

Piccolo glared at Vegeta. "And the innocent people that Cell is hunting and absorbing?"

Vegeta spoke blunting. "Not my problem."

Piccolo narrowed his eyes at Vegeta. "So, business as usual then? Fine. Do what you will Vegeta. You prepare yourself and handle 17 and 18 the next time they show up. I will task myself with finding and eliminating Cell."

Vegeta chuckled. "Very well. Have your fun with that. But, once these Androids are gone, I plan on turning my attention to you, Namekian..."

Piccolo didn't bother to look at Vegeta. "Only if Android 18 doesn't embarrass you again."

The tension between the two warriors was so thick that even Future Trunks' sword couldn't cut through it. Piccolo started walking in one direction and Vegeta in the other. Future Ranch scowled at Vegeta. "Friggin' asshole..."

But then, to her surprise, Future Trunks stood up and ran after Vegeta. "Father, wait!"

Vegeta stopped and glanced over his shoulder at Future Trunks. Future Trunks stared back at him. Things were silent for a long while, but then Vegeta spoke. "I'm actually glad to see you. I want you to come with me. I need a sparring partner."

And then, Vegeta continued to walk. Future Trunks stood there for a minute, but then he nodded. "Of course, Father."

As Future Trunks began to follow, he was suddenly seized from behind. Her turned to see Future Ranch gripped onto his jacket sleeve. The two lovers stared at one another and Future Ranch spoke through gritted teeth. "Are you kidding me, Trunks? He didn't even apologize and you're letting him off the hook?! What's wrong with you...?!"

Future Trunks blushed. "R-Ranch...I..."

Before the situation could escalated, Future Daikon stepped in. He gently removed Future Ranch's hand and nodded to his partner. "Go ahead, man. Just stay safe. We'll catch up later."

Future Trunks paused for a moment, but then he nodded. "Thank you..."

As Future Trunks ran off, Future Daikon and Future Ranch looked to one another. She looked angry. But Future Daikon sighed and whispered. "Just...let him have this. He needs this, Ranch..."

She shook her head. "Fine. But I don't have to like it..."

After Vegeta and Future Trunks flew off towards West City, Piccolo spoke up again. "Okay then. With him gone, let's be strategic. We need to divide and conquer in order to get anything done. Krillin, you go and regroup with Bulma. Explain everything that is going on to her and see if she's made any progress on figuring out how 17 and 18 work."

Krillin nodded. "R-Right!"

After Krillin took off, heading towards West City as well. Piccolo turned to the others. "You three are with me. We're going to find Cell and we're going to put a stop to him!"

Tien, Future Daikon, and Future Ranch all nodded. And then, following Piccolo's lead, they all took off to the east.

On a highway leading to Nicky Town...

The nightmarish, clomping footsteps of Dr. Gero's monster echoed through the woods running along a ridge above the highway that led to Nicky Town. As Cell ran, he spoke to himself with a vicious desire in his voice. "I have to hurry; time is of the essence!"

The monster chuckled. "I need to absorb as many of these worthless human fools as possible. I must gain strength so that, when the time arrives, I am able to meet up with Android 17 and Android 18 and attain my perfect form!"

But then, Cell's smiled faded. "They know of me and they've known of the Androids for at least a day, so I'm on borrowed time now. If my hunch is correct...then Bulma is already working on developing that damned shutdown remote..."

Cell gripped his fists. "If only I could reach her and kill her! But...she is most likely under heavy guard..."

He closed his eyes and sensed, nodding as he felt Vegeta and Future Trunks near West City. Cell shook his head. "No time to focus on irrelevant matters! I need to feed!"

The sound of brakes de-pressuring ahead of him caught Cell's attention. He peered from behind a tree and saw a massive tour bus, containing the Toad Warriors Battleball Team. Cell chuckled. "A delicious mid-day treat~"

And then, before anyone on the bus could see what was going on, Cell's stinger tail shot through the side window, jamming itself through the bus driver's skull and ripping him out of his seat. The bus went out of control and swerved, dragging off of the road and tumbling down the side of the hill and into a small ravine below.

The team captain dragged himself out through a shattered window, dazed. "Wha...what the hell just hap-"

An echoing, clomping footstep.

The team captain looked up as a figure approached, looming over him. His pupils shrank. "What the hell are you...?"

And then, the helpless screams of the Battleball players echoed through the peaceful countryside.

Meanwhile, with the three Androids...

Their van left parked in the woods to avoid any cops catching sight of it, the three Android walked into the Full-Throttle Biker Fest lead with purpose. Android 18 was unimpressed and Android 16 was indifferent, but Android 17 was in awe of all of the culture surrounding him. Hardasses dressed up in leather jackets and wielding chains and knives and pistols gathered all about, taking part in burnout competitions, games of darts, knife games, and all other manner of tough guy challenges spoke to 17 and he was ready to take part.

And then, Android 18 spoke up. "17, this is so lame."

17 quickly snapped at her. "You're lame!"

And then, without another word, 17 ran off towards what appeared to be a mechanical bull. Android 18 rolled her eyes. "He is such a child..."

Android 16 spoke up. "Bio-scans suggest that both 17 and yourself are in your post-teen, young adult stages of life."

18 opened her mouth to say something, but then decides against chastising her literal-minded companion. She sighed. "Yeah, 16, 17 and I were both about 20-years old when Gero did what he did. So, we're at least old enough to drink."

She pointed to a nearby bar. "Wanna grab a beer with me?"

Android 16 shrugged. "I suppose my internal systems might be able to process out the alcoholic content of a beer in order to utilize it for secondary and tertiary functions."

He smiled at her. 18 nodded and smiled back. "Right. Let's go, then..."

At Capsule Corp...

Krillin walked into Bulma's workshop at Capsule Corp, looking confused. "Hey Bulma, you here?"

Bulma called to him from her desk in the opposite back corner of the room. "Over here, Krillin!"

Krillin marched across the workshop, glancing over at Chiaotzu and waving hi. Chiaotzu politely waved back. Looking past Chiaotzu, Krillin saw that Dr. Briefs was welding something together on a slab and briefly wondered what it was. But that was the least concerning thing at the moment.

Stepping up to Bulma's desk, Krillin took one last look around. "Wh-Where are Vegeta and Trunks?"

Bulma didn't look away from the binded together stack of papers in front of her. "My baby Trunks or the future Trunks?"

Krillin nodded. "The one from the future."

Bulma shrugged. "I don't know. Vegeta's been missing for a day now and the last time I saw the Trunks from the future, he was with the other two future teens and Gohan."

Krillin cocked his head. "Huh, weird. I wonder where they are, then?"

Bulma spoke again. "So, why are you here? Did you just come to ask about my family or is there something else?"

Krillin sighed. "No. A lot has been going on, so I came to fill you in on some new stuff and ask you how things are going on your end."

Bulma flipped a page. "Well, on my end, I'm still looking through the blueprints for 16, 17, and 18. 16 is, weirdly enough for an older model, a whole lot more intricate than 17 or 18. I'm attributing a lot of that to him being all mechanical, but even compared to Android 8, a lot more work appears to have gone into making him."

Krillin frowned. "I-I see. W-Wait! Android 8?!"

Bulma nodded and pointed over to her father. "My Dad is nearly done working on the big guy, so you can go talk to him yourself once he's finished."

Krillin nodded and walked away. "Okay then."

The monk stepped up next to Chiaotzu and glanced down at his fellow warrior, sitting on the floor. "How ya holding up, Chiaotzu?"

Chiaotzu sighed. "I'm okay. Just waiting for Eighter to get put back together so I can take him to Kame House and he can be with Suno."

Krillin nodded. "So, this is Eighter guy is that other person that Tien was talking about back at Kame House. The one that was with Yamcha and that girl when Yamcha lost his leg?"

Chiaotzu nodded. "Yup."

But then, the pale dwarf glanced up at Krillin. "Krillin, what the hell was Piccolo fighting earlier?"

Krillin took a deep breath and forcefully sighed it out. "Hoo-boy, that's a lot to explain..."

Before Krillin could get into it, though, Dr. Brief turned to him and Chiaotzu. "And done! Android 8 is as good as new!"

The golem-sized Android stepped off the slab, his repaired body creaking as weight was put on it for the first time in a while. He stretched and smiled. "Thank you so much, Doctor~"

Dr. Briefs chuckled and scratched the head of the cat on his shoulder. "Anytime, my boy, anytime. Feel free to come back for tune-ups as you need them~ Any friend of Goku's is always welcome at Capsule Corp!"

Krillin stepped up to Eighter, looking the big guy up and down. He smiled. "So, you're friends with Goku, huh?"

Eighter chuckled and nodded. "Oh yes~! Goku is my best friend! He saved me from having to do terrible things in the name of the Red Ribbon Army. He gave me my name and helped me find a new home~""

Krillin paused for a moment, but then he warmly smiled and offered Eighter a fist bump. "Goku's my best friend too. So, I guess that makes us friends as well, huh?"

Eighter returned the fist bump. "Any friend of Goku's is a friend of mine."

Krillin enjoyed the brief moment of levity, but then the graveness of the situation set back in and he turned to face everyone. "Okay then..."

He took a deep breath. "Gingertown has been utterly destroyed. Piccolo was fighting with some sort of hideous, insect monster that calls itself Cell..."

Bulma gasped, looking up from the blueprints. "Did you say insect monster?!"

Krillin nodded. "Made by, of course, Dr. Gero."

Bulma shuddered. "Damn it...so, that monster must be what came from that husk...and from that egg in the Time Machine..."

Dr. Briefs cocked his head. "Gero made a biological monster? That's not really his style..."

Eighter frowned. "Dr. Gero was always the meanest of the people that the Red Ribbon Army sent to work on me. Not like Dr. Flappe or the smiling lady..."

Krillin continued. "We aren't really sure what his final goal is, but Cell did say that he was seeking out the other Androids. So, we should really get to doing something about Android 17. And, uh, Android 18...I guess..."

Bulma sighed and went back to her reading. "Well, I think I might have an idea of how to do that..."

Everyone looked at her as she pulled out her wireless keyboard and began to type. "Looking at these blueprints, 17 and 18 are two of the most fascinating things I've ever seen. Their design is simple but still very effective. They have enhanced durability, strength, speed, and reflexes that puts them on the superhuman level, and yet they only have two additions to their organic frames..."

Krillin flinched. "So, wait, you're saying that the two of them are cyborgs?!"

Bulma shook her head. "I wouldn't even go that far. They're both just augmented humans. All that separates them from a normal person, like me for example, is that they both have an implant in their spinal cord that connects into their brain...and they both have one of these Infinite Energy Engines that Gero somehow created attached to their hearts...and some sort of sub-dermal modification..."

She stroked her chin. "So, their brains function faster and they heal faster, while also requiring less dietary input to sustain themselves and having their bodies become so efficient that Gero hypothesizes they'll age a lot slower. According to his records, 17 and 18 are both actually about as old as you and Goku are, Krillin..."

Krillin nodded. "So, what does that mean?"

Bulma smirked. "It means that, seeing as I have a schematic for how the Infinite Energy Engines work and how they are attached to 17 and 18's hearts, I can create a remote that broadcasts a signal to shut those down. Basically, it's kind of like a pacemaker. If I can make a remote to shut those engines down, it would give 17 and 18 a massive heart attack and give us and opening to shut them down for good!"

Krillin looked non-plussed. "You...want to give 17 and 18 both a heart attack? Isn't that a bit cruel?"

Bulma frowned and immediately turned back to her work. "You heard what those two have done to the planet in Trunks' time. They're both sociopathic monsters. We should focus less on how cruel it is and just get rid of them before they snap and start slaughtering people."

Krillin nodded. "Y-Yeah...I guess so..."

But then, as he started to walk away, the monk thought back to the mercy the Androids showed after their last battle. And... doubt began to grow in his heart.

On the highway leading into Nicky Town...

Piccolo glared down at the wretched sight of dozens of empty Battleball uniforms being tossed around the countryside by the wind, each one having a whole stabbed into it somewhere. The Namekian maintained his composure, but he was fuming on the inside.

Meanwhile, Future Ranch and Future Daikon were both very outwardly angry. Future Ranch shouted and kicked a Battleball helmet. "SON OF A BITCH! How does he mask his energy like that?!"

Future Daikon growled. "This is bad. We didn't sense this going on at all. If he can keep himself masked away like that, how are we supposed to find him?!"

Tien stroked his chin. "Well...we're in a bad spot here for sure. Cell is a crafty predator: resourceful like Goku, aggressive like Vegeta, tactical like Piccolo..."

Piccolo cut in. "And somehow even crueler than Frieza."

As the other three began to further discuss Cell, a voice suddenly spoke up in Piccolo's head. "Piccolo! Can you hear me?"

Piccolo mentally snapped back. "What do you want, Kami?! Did you remember some other threat that you bothered to tell nobody about?!"

Kami sighed. "We do not have time to argue, Piccolo. You are right, I made an error in judgement when it came to how I handled this monster. And now, he has reached a point where he is even able to camouflage himself from my godly gaze. But I am willing to do anything to make up for that mistake! Perhaps, if you were to take me in as you did Nail or your father, the additional boost I could provide to your already overwhelming strength would-"

Piccolo cut him off. "AND LOSE THE DRAGON BALLS IN THE PROCESS?! Are you capable of making a wise decision anymore?!"

Kami quickly argued back. "We would lose the Dragon Balls anyway if you were to die! And this Cell creature-"

Piccolo snapped. "Is weak. He only got my arm because I was unaware of the full scope of his abilities. Next time I see him, however, he's dead. End of story! I have no need of you and I refuse to be around you! Now, goodbye Kami!"

Kami started to speak. "You shortsighted, arrogant-"

But Piccolo quickly closed off the mental connection. He turned to the other three, all of whom were staring at him. Piccolo growled. "If we can't sense him, we need to try and anticipate his next move. He's going after large groups of people to feed on them, so we should start with the nearest settlement."

Tien nodded and turned, pointing into the distance. "That would be Nicky Town."

All four warriors turned in the direction of the settlement, seeing it barely visible in the distance. But, as they focused in on it, the four of them realized something. If they focused hard enough, they could not sense Cell's energy...but they could sense the rapidly disappearing life forces within the town. Tien nodded. "I see..."

Future Ranch smiled. "He can hide his energy all he wants! But, if we focus, we can feel the people he's preying upon vanishing! So, if we go along with that, we'll eventually catch him!"

Future Daikon frowned. "Screw that! We should hurry so that we can catch him right now! Enough people have suffered at his hands!"

Piccolo leapt in the air, flying forward at full speed. "I agree! Now hurry! We can't let him escape again!"

In Nicky Town...

Empty clothing billowed through the streets of Nicky Town. Hanging from trees, in broken windows, in doorways, and in chairs, all that was left of the former, lively townsfolk were cloth ghosts of what used to be.

Cell's menacing form stood in an assisted living facility, his sinister chuckle rumbling from his throat as he finished draining the last bits of bio-mass from a bedbound, elderly woman. The monster lifted his stinger tail and smirked. "What a lovely town. So much valuable bio-mass. But still...not enough..."

The monster sighed. "Now, where should I go from-"

Suddenly, the feeling hit his senses like a truck. Cell's head jerked towards the rolling hills in the distance and felt four energy signatures barreling towards him. The monster snarled. "Shit."

He looked around, knowing that he needed somewhere good to hide, and then saw his exit opportunity. Out the window of the building he was in, across the street, was a storm drain. Moving quickly, Cell leapt out of the window, briefly compressing his insect-joints inward, and barreled down the storm drain, hunkering just out of sight and watching.

A few moments later, the four energy signatures touched down and Cell sneered. The Android silently thought to himself. "Piccolo...and Tien...and those no-accounts..."

The monster watched as his four pursuers lamented over the remaining detritus of his latest victims. He snarled and raised his tail. "Perhaps...I should absorb one of them. Tien or one of the two meaningless ones..."

But then, Piccolo entered Cell's vision and he lowered his tail. "No. Not yet. Piccolo could hold me off for long enough for more back-up to arrive. For now...I had better just follow this sewer to my next meal..."

As he slinked into the darkness, using the water and the muck to disguise the sound of his footsteps, Cell thought to himself. "They must have found me by sensing the lives of the fools I was draining disappearing. I suppose I will just have to work faster to avoid them coming down on me..."

Back at the Full Throttle Biker Fest...

As hard rock music played in the back, Android 18 swigged down her drink and chuckled. "Hot damn. It's been a while. I'm really glad that I never have to go into that dank, dark coffin again!"

Android 16 drank as well, pausing between sips to allow his body to break down the alcohol for its components and utilize what it could. 18 glanced over at him. "So, do you have a stomach or what?"

16 nodded. "I have a compartment in my gut analogous to a human stomach, in case of a need to restore energy levels in a pinch. And then any unnecessary components are filtered out through the process of micturition."

18 cocked her head. "Micturition...wait, you pee?!"

16 nodded. "In a sense, yes."

They both continued to drink in silence for a moment, and then 16 turned to 18. "You mentioned that you would never be placed in a 'dank, dark coffin' again. I assume you are referring to the stasis capsule?"

She nodded at him as she drank. 16 continued. "How would you be aware that the inside of the stasis capsule is dark? Would you not have been immediately placed into stasis once placed into the capsule?"

18's jovial smile faded. She set her bottle down and reach to the back of her neck, rubbing a permanent scar over where her spinal cord entered her skull. She sighed. "No, 16, I'm not a robot. The process of...shutting me off...took longer than it would take for you. It was..."

16 turned to his friend. "18?"

18 chuckled and put her smile back on. "It was something I had to get used to after a while, that's all~! It was like when they put you to sleep at the dentist~!"

16 stared at her for a moment, but then he chuckled. "I would have no concept. My teeth are entirely synthetic."

She shrugged. "Well, I can certainly say that going to the dentist isn't exactly a fun day out..."

"But hey, the results are worth it in the end? Eh, babe?"

18's smile faded again, this time replaced by an annoyed look. She and 16 both turned to see a slightly overweight biker guy walking up to them. He chuckled and plopped down onto the seat next to 18. "You got a pretty smile, little lady~"

16 began to speak, but 18 kicked him in the leg under the table. They shared a brief look, and then 18 turned to the guy and smiled. "Well, thanks for the compliment~! Butter a lady up and she'll stick by you for life, ya know~?"

16, even with his limited perception of tone, could sense that 18's voice was dripping with faux interest and sarcasm. She gave her best, ditzy laugh. "I showed you my smile, so how about you? Can a lady have a look at the firepower you're packing?"

The guy chuckled and held up his semi-muscular arm, flexing and making a small muscle bulge emerge from a sea of dad-bod flab. 18 squeeze his arm and gave a ditzy giggle. And then, being very forward, she reached behind him and gave his ass a hard squeeze. He yelped and she smirked. "Looks like you've got the goods~"

She turned to her companion. "He's got the goods, 16~"

The guy smirked. "Yeah, well...you can have some fun with the goods if you want~! My wife didn't come with me this year, so I get to have a bit of fun! If you know what I mean~"

18 could barely stifle back a disgusted sigh. "Oh, that's too bad. You see, there's two problems here: 1) I think monogamy is hot, so you doing this to your wife behind her back is a big turn off; and 2) I happen to have a boyfriend who you really don't want to piss off."

She nudged 16 in the side. "Right, 16?"

16 and 18 shared another glance and then, taking the hint, 16 turned a rather intense glare at the man. Sufficiently intimidated, the man held up his hands. "Hey now...I don't want any trouble. Y-You both have a nice day, okay?"

18 chuckled. "We plan to~"

And then, reaching into a wallet that had appeared in her hand, 18 pulled out a few zeni and tossed it at the guy behind the bar. And then, with no fuss, she and 16 both got up and walked away. As they made it out of the tent and into the crowds of bikers, 16 and 18 both heard their new friend shout. "WAIT A MINUTE! THAT BITCH STOLE MY WALLET!"

16 flinched. "18, did you..."

18 glanced up at him, removing a huge wad of cash from the wallet before throwing the remaining wallet into a nearby bonfire. "Did I what?"

16 glared at her expectantly and 18 groaned. "Don't look at me like that. You gotta do what you gotta do to survive, 16. That's how 17 and I lived for years before Gero got a hold of us."

The redheaded Android sighed. "I suppose no physical harm was brought to that man, and he was acting in a very uncouth manner towards you."

18 nodded. "Yeah! I could've busted him in the face, but I only took some money in exchange for him bothering me. You're starting to get it, 16~"

16 remained silent as the two of them walked deeper into the crowd.

Meanwhile, across the festival...

Gunshots rang out and glass shattered at Android 17 managed to shoot down twenty empty bottles in a row. The man running the shooting contest laughed out loud. "Damn, son! That's one hell of an eye you got on ya!"

17 chuckled and spat. "Nothing to it but to do it. And I've been doing it for years~!"

He turned to the group of bikers he had befriended. "So, only two challenges left before I win that sweet motorcycle, right?"

A big, bearded biker chuckled and chugged his beer. "Yeah, buddy!"

A big-breasted biker chick motioned over to a nearby, long stretch of track. "Looks like it'll be a race between you and Deuce for the final challenge. Winner takes all!"

17 smirked and cracked his knuckles. "I'm game. Someone needs to get me a bike, though."

Upstairs at Kame House...

Raditz sat in the corner of the room, reading a book as he watched over Goku and Yamcha. Chi-Chi and Suno were both in desperate need of a break, so Raditz volunteered his service to allow them a chance to relax. As he turned the page though, Raditz noticed a rustling out of the corner of his eye. He turned and saw that his brother was still lying still and peaceful, so he turned his attention to the other. "Yamcha. Are you awake?"

Silence for a moment, but then an answer came. "Yeah...I'm awake..."

Raditz marked his page and set the book to the side. "How are you feeling?"

Yamcha sighed. "You know, same as always. Irrelevant..."

Raditz frowned. "What do you mean 'irrelevant'?"

Yamcha chuckled from beneath his blanket. "I... failed, man. I failed to save Suno's village. That monster ate everyone. And all I could do was take my beating and lose my leg. If real warriors like Tien and Piccolo hadn't have shown up, me and Suno would both be dead..."

Raditz sighed, leaning his head back. "Yamcha...you can't look at things like that. Sometimes, your best is all you can give. You know what I mean?"

He glanced over at the lump under the blanket. "People in life will always try to tear you down, but the moment you start to tear yourself down is where you truly start to lose. I let Vegeta and Nappa do that to me for years, and then I died. If it weren't for Kakarot meeting up with me in the afterlife, who knows where I would be right now..."

Yamcha chuckled. "Y-Yeah, Goku has that effect on people..."

Raditz smirked. "So, chin up, okay? You lost a fight, but that doesn't mean it's all over for you. You just have to reassess and think of a different approach going forward. And, I mean, you could always look at the benefits that came out of all of this..."

Yamcha emerged from under the blanket. "Benefits?"

Raditz nodded. "Yeah. For instance ...you've gained a pretty big fan out of all of this..."

Yamcha cocked his head. "A big fan?"

Downstairs...

Suno sighed and drank from her glass of fruit juice. "Thank you, Miss Gine..."

Gine smiled, sitting down and pouring a glass for herself from the pitcher. "No problem, dear. I hope it's refreshing~"

The Saiyan mother called out the door. "Master Roshi! Are you thirsty?!"

Roshi called back from his lounge chair outside. "I'm fine! Thank you though!"

Gine nodded and turned back to the table, starting a polite conversation among herself, Chi-Chi, Launch, and Suno. The four of them discussed everything from their husbands, to current events, to recipes that they had each tried out.

As they did this, Gohan quietly studied in the corner.

The conversation and the company helped Suno to lighten up a bit, allowing her to get her mind off of everything that she had lost. As she poured herself another glass of juice, she spoke. "All of your relationships sound so nice. Goku seems like he'd be a great guy to be married to and Mr. Raditz seems like a real sweetheart..."

Gine chuckled. "Well, keep in mind when you meet him, my Bardock is the same way. It's just buried under a thick layer of gravel and sand~"

Suno blushed. "Y-Yeah...I, um..."

She nervously laughed. "It's hard to explain, but I feel like I might have...feelings...for someone special that, uh..."

All three of the other women chimed in at the same time. "You have a crush on Yamcha."

Suno flinched. "D-Don't make it sound so juvenile! It's not a crush! He...he leapt in to save my life without a single concern for his own safety. That's the type of person I've always thought I'd like to end up with...ever since I thought I had feelings for Goku way back when I met him..."

Suddenly, a terrifying aura erupted from across the table. Suno turned and saw Chi-Chi's face, framed by shadow and she immediately yelped. "N-No! Don't be upset! I don't feel that way about Goku anymore! I mean, h-he has two kids for goodness sake! I'm not a homewrecker!"

As the four women continued to chat, everything seemed peaceful and serene for just a moment. A serenity that was sharply contrasted by the muted TV in the background, showing a report of the horrifying disappearance of everyone in Nicky Town.

In Basil Town...

The bustling, Basil Town airport was rife with people waiting to board their flights and head out for a nice, long vacation. Sitting to the side while their parents waited in line to get their tickets, a teen girl named Samara watched as her young brother, Tommy, ran around on the sidewalk and played with the toy plane that the friendly concierge had given him. She rolled her eyes, pulling out her earbuds. "Tommy! Be careful! You're gonna get hit by a car if you don't watch out!"

Tommy whined. "I'm fine, sis! Don't be such a worrywart!"

Samara rolled her eyes and turned on her music player. "Whatever."

And so, Tommy continued to play. He ran around in a circle, making zooming noises and waving the plane around. It was a world of bliss for a boy his age. And he was so distracted by his fun...that he didn't notice the raised-up part of the sidewalk.

Tommy tripped and his plane went clattering off of the sidewalk, skidding across the asphalt any into a nearby storm drain out of sight from the rest of the airport. Tommy cried out. "No! My plane!"

He crawled across the ground, making his way up to the storm drain and peering into the inky darkness. "My plane..."

And then, to Tommy's shock, two pink eyes with slit pupils shined out from the darkness. Tommy was speechless with fear and the raspy voice attached to the eyes spoke. "Hello Tommy~ I think...I have your plane~"

And then, a four-fingered green hand shot out from the darkness, grabbed the yelping boy around the throat, and dragged him down into the sewer.

A few moments later, Samara looked up from her music player and saw that her little brother was no longer in sight. She glanced over to the line and saw that their parents had finally reached the front. In a panic, Samara stood and ran over to where she last saw her brother playing. "Tommy! Th-This isn't funny! Get back over here before I get in trouble with Mom and Dad!"

Becoming fearful, she looked around frantically for her brother. "T-Tommy?!"

And then, as she was starting to panic, Samara heard a metallic clattering. She turned and saw, to her horror, that Tommy's plane was laying on the ground next to a storm drain. "N-No! No! He couldn't have..."

Samara picked up the plane and looked down at it. "No, Tommy...please don't tell me you fell down the storm drain..."

"He did."

Samara looked up. "Wha-"

And then, a massive, stinger tail shot out from the darkness and stabbed Samara in the chest.

In the sky over West City...

Eighter fearfully squeezed his eyes shut as he, Krillin, and Chiaotzu flew away from West City. "Th-Thank you for being so kind and c-carrying m-me back to S-S-Suno..."

Chiaotzu cocked his head at the massive Android, holding onto Krillin's back like a spooked kitten. "You okay, big guy?"

Eighter shook his head. "I-I'm so s-s-sorry. I didn't notice on the f-first trip o-over here h-how high w-we were f-f-flying. I'm s-s-scared of h-heights..."

Chiaotzu chuckled. "It's fine, bud. We won't drop you. Right, Krillin?"

Krillin was terse. "No."

Chiaotzu was even more puzzled by Krillin's demeanor. He had been in this mood for a while now. Something was going on in his head and Chiaotzu couldn't tell what it was.

As Krillin flew, he mind continued to race around the thought of the shut-off remote that Bulma was making. She had said, as they were leaving, that she would call Krillin and let him know when it was ready so that he could come and get it.

And now, Krillin was left with that weight on his shoulders. As he flew, the monk thought of 16, 17, and 18. How they had shown that they were more than just merciless killing machine. They had thoughts, personalities, free will. They were people, just misguided ones. And, feeling the weight of Eighter on his back only compounded this feeling for Krillin. Eighter was a Red Ribbon Android that was convinced to be good.

What made those three any different from him?

In Basil Town...

Cell's four pursuers hovered over the sight of a ruined Basil Town. Tien glanced down and saw a flipped car, clothes hanging out from one of the windows as if the occupant had tried to crawl to safety. Future Daikon observed the front of a house ripped open, like little more than a cardboard box. They clothes within told a story of a surprised family trying to enjoy a lunch, only to be mercilessly slain. Future Ranch stared down at the parking lot next to a small airport, observing a music playing still ominously belting out a catchy pop song, next to what appeared to be a toy plane.

The sights before them were truly horrific.

Piccolo's fists were gripped tight. He let loose a ragged sigh. "This is the fourth town since Nicky Town that we've found like this. We're merely chasing a ghost and it's getting us nowhere."

The other three turned towards him. Piccolo was scowling. "We need to go back to Kame House and regroup with everyone else. I can feel that Krillin and Chiaotzu are flying back there as we speak. We can gather everyone up and form a new plan of attack..."

Everyone could hear the anger and distress in Piccolo's voice as he spoke. And they couldn't disagree with him. This was an exercise in futility because, even when they became aware of where Cell was, they were always too late to stop him.

So, with three affirmative nods, the group of hunters flew off into the distance to head back to Kame House.

Back at the Full-Throttle Biker Fest...

Deuce zoomed past all of the competition, gleefully seeing the finish line in the distance. It never ceased to amaze him how these fools who challenged for his crown thought they might be able to win. Soon, the race would be done and that brand new bike would be his to scrap for parts.

But, as Deuce approached the finish line, he heard a rumbling coming up behind him. He glanced out of the corner of his eye and, from the woods, came another racer. Deuce snarled. "What the hell?! I didn't wreck all of them?!"

17 rode up next to Deuce, the wind whipping his scarf around on his neck. He winked at Deuce, and then he gunned it.

To Deuce's shock, 17 sped towards a junker car in the middle of the track, smashing into the rear and using it to propel himself into the air. Deuce could only watch in awe as 17 soared ahead, creating a gap too big to be closed. 17 landed on the ground and shredded over the finish line, doing a donut and stopping to smirk at Deuce.

Distracted, the bigger biker failed to see the pothole in the road in front of him. He hit it full speed and was thrown over his handlebars, landing face-first in the must.

17 laughed out loud and stood up on the seat of his bike. "YES! Who's the man?!"

The other bikers all gathered around 17, cheering him on and applauding his victory. However, not every biker present was impressed by his showboating. As 17 was lifted onto the shoulders of the other bikers, and handed a victory beer, a voice called out from the crowd. "ENOUGH!"

The celebration stopped and 17 glanced down to see another biker that looked a lot like Deuce. One of the bikers holding him up groaned in frustration. "Don't make a scene, Domino! Your brother lost fair and square!"

Deuce chimed in, stepping up next to his brother and rubbing mud off of his face. "Fair?! This little brat took a detour! He cheated!"

17 scoffed. "Every part of this forest is part of the track, dipshit! I just took a slightly shorter, much funner path. And you complaining about it is rich coming from the prick who was using a lead pipe to wreck people out of the race."

Domino scowled. "Shut your mouth, boy! Or I'll slice you up!"

Deuce pulled out his lead pipe. "We'll see how this pipe looks next to your caved in skull!"

17 jumped off of the others' shoulders, snorting and turning his nose up at Deuce and Domino. "Why do the biggest losers always scream the loudest?"

Domino sneered. "Say that about my big brother again!"

One of the other bikers started to speak. "No! Not this time! We ain't doing this, Deuce! You lost! That's it! You don't get the bi-"

17 smirked. "I'll fight you for it."

Everyone fell silent. 17 chuckled. "There's a big brawling tournament happening tonight, right? So... how about we have a fight? Two-on-one, winner takes all~"

The other bikers were stunned, but Deuce and Domino both chuckled wildly. Deuce snorted. "So, you think you're hot shit eh?"

Domino smirked, pulling a hunting knife out of his belt. "These fights don't have any rules, kid. We'll beat the hell out of you and cut you into pieces~"

17 nodded. "That's just fine~"

Back at Kame House...

"Eighter!"

"Suno!"

The young girl and her massive Android both ran across the room and into each other's arms, hugging one another tight. The rest of the Z-Fighters, minus Piccolo, watched this touching reunion with a smile on their face.

Everyone had gathered back at Kame House: Piccolo, Gohan, Future Daikon, Future Ranch, Tien, Krillin Chiaotzu, and Raditz were all sat in place around the coffee table. Chi-Chi, Gine, Launch, Suno, Roshi, and Eighter all sat down as well. Even Yamcha had been convinced to come down and join everybody from the upstairs bedroom.

Tien, Future Ranch, and Future Daikon were all happy to have a break, but Piccolo seemed uneasy.

Eighter laugh out loud and gripped Yamcha into a tight hug. "Thank you so much for the kindness you showed us and for saving our lives. I will always be grateful to you!"

Yamcha smiled, even though the bigger fellow was crushing him. "N-No problem, big guy..."

It was a happy atmosphere amongst the regathered group. An atmosphere that was almost immediately dashed when Piccolo spoke up. "Turn up the television! I need to hear what they're saying on the news!"

Roshi obliged, turning up the TV and letting everyone hear what the news anchor on-screen had to say. "...and thus, with the recent terror attacks on the Amenbo Islands, North City, and Gingertown, King Furry has ordered a protective shelter in place on all small communities effective immediately. In addition, larger cities have been ordered to be on high alert to potential threats. While the economy has been a key feature in King Furry's recent addresses regarding this on-going catastrophe, the King stresses that the lives of his citizens are paramount."

Raditz sighed. "It's sometimes hard to remember that, to people on the outside of these situations, this is just a bunch of unexplained happenings. They're probably convinced that whatever God they believe in doesn't care about them..."

Piccolo mumbled to himself. "If their God was competent, things wouldn't be how they are right now..."

The reporter sighed. "And thus, we end this breaking news flash with a call-to-action for our Z-TV community. In these dark times, friends and families of those lost in these crises are in desperate need of closure. And with the recent spate of mass disappearances, any information is helpful."

His voice wavered. "So, p-please...if anybody out there has heard from any of the following missing persons, please call in to Z-TV and share this information. Thank you, and goodbye."

And then, to the horror of everyone sitting and watching the television, a list of names began to scroll by. And it continued on for quite a while.

Krillin was in desperate awe. "H-Hundreds..."

Launch placed a hand over her mouth. "Th-Thousands..."

Yamcha's gaze was hollow. "N-No... tens of thousands..."

Piccolo, Tien, Future Daikon, and Future Ranch watched in horror and disgust as the names of several towns they visited scrolled by, followed by the names of several towns that they hadn't been aware of. In such a short time since he had appeared...Cell had already claimed that many people?!

A power began to swell behind everyone else and all of the ki sensitive people turned to see Piccolo, power boiling out of him and a massive vein bulging from his forehead. The Namekian's fangs were bared as the names continued to scroll on the screen. Gohan tried to talk to him. "Mr. Piccolo..."

Suddenly, Piccolo stood up and spoke. "We don't have time to sit around here and twiddle our thumbs. We need to act!"

Not a single voice spoke up to disagree with him. Instead, every warrior in the room nodded in solidarity. "That monster is out there preying on the innocent and running whenever he feels us coming! We can't keep letting that happen!"

Future Daikon cocked his head. "B-But what do we do? We need to exert energy to fly! We can't just walk to where it is that Cell is lurking!"

Gine stood. "That's why we have aircrafts! We have the plane we brought Kakarot here in! If we take that, we can sneak up on that monster and catch it by surprise. And then, we can overwhelm it with numbers!"

Raditz stood. "I have the capsule right here, in my armor. Let's get going!"

And then, before anyone could raise any objections, Raditz marched out the front door. Following behind him were Gine, Future Daikon, Future Ranch, Tien, Chiaotzu, Krillin, and Gohan. Yamcha tried to get up as well, but his lack of a leg quickly made him stumble.

Piccolo glanced down at him. "No, Yamcha, you stay here and wait for Goku to wake up. He's going to need someone to explain everything that has happened so far to him."

Yamcha stared up at Piccolo. "A-Are you sure...?"

Piccolo used his energy and, in a flash, created a crutch. "Positive."

And then, after handing Yamcha the crutch, Piccolo marched out from Kame House as well. They were going on a Cell hunt. And, hopefully, they would yield better results this time around.

In nearby Peppertown...

In the empty streets of Peppertown, a single young lady was running as fast as she could. Somehow, she had managed to sleep through the alarms being sounded for everyone to head into the town's emergency bunker. Sixteen-year-old Hiki Komori ran as fast as she could, totally out of breath. "Wh-Why didn't Mom wake me up? W-Was she not home when the alarm sounded?!"

Hiki had been up way too long the night before, playing video games and reading manga to get over the bad day she had had at school. And now, she exited the house so frantically that she had forgotten to wear her face mask. As Hiki stopped to catch her breath, she looked at her reflection in the window of a nearby storefront and saw the birthmark that ran across her cheek. It looked like a massive, spotted welt going across her face and made her cringe. "D-Dammit..."

She stood there a bit longer, staring at the mark on her face and the dark-rings under her eyes. And her lower lip began to quiver remembering the mockery of her classmates. She closed her eyes as the tears began to form. "Not now, Hiki, not now. We can cry later...we have to get to the bunker for now so that we don't make Mom mad at us too..."

And then, she opened her eyes and looked at her reflection again...only to see that she was no longer alone. Hiki turned and saw, to her horror, that a massive green monstrosity was looming behind her, its orange beak spread into a grin. It spoke at her. "Hello~"

Hiki responded as any person would have in this situation: she screamed at the top of her lungs and went sprinting as fast as her legs could carry her. But, as she ran, the poor girl heard a sound she wasn't expecting. It was...crying?

She came to a stop, turning around and seeing that the supposed monster was now crouched on the ground, its hands pressed over its face. And it was sobbing. "Why? Why does everyone treat poor Cell this way? I'm not a monster...I just want friends..."

Her shoulders slumped as she heard the thing cry. It continued. "I guess that's just my life. Doomed to be alone forever..."

It stood and began to walk the other way. "Poor, ugly Cell..."

Hiki swallowed a lump in her throat, a bad memory from her peers at school cropping up. "Ugly Hiki~ Ugly Hiki~ Ugly Hiki~"

She pressed her face to her birthmark as her lip quivered, and then she called out. "Hey wait!"

The creature came to a stop, turning and looking to Hiki and she ran up to it. "I-I'm sorry! I shouldn't be so quick to judge people based on their appearances! Y-You aren't ugly!"

Cell smiled down at her, his tail squirming behind him. "You really think so...?"

She nodded, a tender smile on her face. "Yeah! People don't deserve to be judged by how they look on the outside! It's...it's what you have on the inside that should matter!"

Cell nodded, touching the black diamond on his chest. "I couldn't agree more. Thank you very much, Miss..."

She smiled. "Hiki! Hiki Komori!"

Cell reached out, stroking his finger down her face and over her birthmark. "What a lovely name~ A lovely name for a lovely young lady~"

And, like that, Hiki gravitated into Cell. She grabbed his hand and gripped it tight and Cell gently gripped her hand back. "So, Hiki, I just arrived in town... in search of friends. Where is everybody?"

Hiki flinched. "Oh! W-Well, I'm glad I missed the initial call then! You would have been all alone!"

Cell cocked his head. "Oh?"

She nodded. "Y-Yeah. King Furry called for a lockdown on all small towns! I think only North, West, East, and South City are still open..."

He nodded. "I see..."

She nervously chuckled. "Y-Yeah, apparently there have been a couple of terror attacks over the past couple days. So, everyone in small towns like these are probably hiding in their Royal Army bunkers until King Furry puts out the all-clear..."

Cell chuckled. "I see. A relatable response~"

Hiki smiled. "It's okay though. People might treat you poorly, but I won't be one of them! Everyone might yell at me, but I'll take you to the underground bunker so that you can be safe too!"

Cell smiled and allowed himself to be led. "My...aren't you just the most caring person~"

Back at the Full-Throttle Biker Fest...

The crowd cheered as the all gathered around the Rage Cage, stomping their feet and shouting at the top of their lungs. They were thirsty for blood. Seeing the gathering crowd, Android 18 and Android 16 both joined in the writhing mass of people as well, managing to shove their way to the front. 18 cocked her head at the sight of the arena below, watching two bikers beat each other bare-fisted. "Oh, I see. Bum fights."

16 glared stoically. "Such unnecessary violence."

18 watched, unamused, as one biker crossed the other one across the face and sent his teeth flying. She rolled her eyes. "What sort of idiot would participate in this shit?"

And then, a female voice got onto the loudspeaker. "And there we have it, folks! New Jack has defeated Gypsy Joe! Next up, we have a real treat for you: a two-on-one blood match with a brand-new bike on the line!"

Everyone cheered. The woman continued. "Coming in on your left, directly from South City, Deuce and Domino!"

The two bikers stepped into the arena, one holding a lead pipe and the other armed with a combat knife. The crowd roared for them. The woman continued. "And coming in on your right, from Parts Unknown, Android 17!"

18 and 16 both flinched. They turned and watched as 17 ran in, jumping atop of a totaled car and playing up the crowd. 18 planted her face into her hand. "Of course..."

Down in the arena, unaware that 16 and 18 were watching, 17 turned his attention to his opponents. "This is it, losers! You could've just accepted that you lost the race, but nah...I guess you're a couple of masochists, huh? You like being embarrassed in front of people?"

Deuce snarled, smacking his lead pipe against the wall of the fighting pit. "Shut your mouth, ya wiry little prick! Get over here so we can kick your ass!"

Domino chuckled and tossed his knife into the air. "Come and take your medicine, little pig~"

17 rolled his eyes. "Fine..."

And then, out of nowhere, he charged forward. "Here I come~!"

Deuce scowled and Domino chuckled, both of them swinging their weapons, But, to their shock, Android 17 ducked beneath their attacks. The young Android smirked. "So lame~"

And then, he popped up and shoved both of the bikers hard enough the they flew through the air and into the side of the cage. Deuce and Domino stood and growled at 17. 17 ushered them forward. "Come on! Come on! While I'm young!"

Deuce snarled and ran at 17, swinging his lead pipe all around, with 17 deftly dodging each swing. 17 twirled around, dodging the pipe, and then gave Deuce a spinning kick to the crotch, flooring the biker. "Man, you suck~"

Deuce growled. "Domino! Stab this little bastard!"

Domino rushed in, knife raised, but 17 was prepared. He grabbed the knife with his hand, turning and smirking at Domino, and then slapped him across the face. Domino went flying across the pit and eventually slammed into the side of a car. 17 shook his head, wagging his finger at Deuce. "Come on, man. You've gotta step up! I don't have my sibling fighting my battles for me, do I?"

Deuce snarled and got to his feet, reaching down and yanking Domino up as well. Both of them held their weapons aloft once more. They charged, screaming at the top of their lungs, and 17 sighed. "Some people never learn..."

17 got into a stance as the two brothers made it to him. Deuce went first, swinging down his lead pipe, but 17 quickly countered with a palm strike that broke the pipe in two. Deuce cried out. "What the hell?!"

Domino went to stab the Android, but 17 quickly dodged out of the way. He kicked Domino's wrist, knocking the knife from his hand, and then kicked the knife itself. The blade shot forward and embedded itself into Domino's shoulder. The biker cried out and Deuce went for another swing with his remaining pipe, only for 17 to punch him right in the nose.

The two of them were dazed and 17 smirked. He quickly reached up and grabbed each of them into a tight headlock under his arms. "Now then, let's get serious!"

And then, with very little effort, 17 lifted both men off of the ground and delivered a double suplex. Deuce went flying, tumbling across the ground and skidding into the side of the pit. Domino was smashed onto the top of a rusty, old car and knocked out cold.

Deuce stood up. "You little-"

But, 17 was right there. Effortlessly, he kicked Deuce in the face hard enough that the biker launched a few feet into the air. And then, he grabbed him by his arm and slammed him into the ground. 17 chuckled and twisted Deuce's arm backwards, trapping the biker into a standing armbar. "Come on~! Say it~!"

Deuce snarled. 17 chuckled. "Say you give up..."

A harsh twist of the wrist. "Or I'll rip your arm off~"

Deuce roared in frustration. "ARGGHH! I GIVE UP!"

17 chuckled and dropped the guys arms, allowing it to fall limply to the ground. He stepped on Domino's head and used it as a springboard to jump on top of a nearby car. The crowd cheered and 17 played up to it, having the time of his life. On the ground, Deuce snarled to himself and began to dig in his jacket. "You little..."

The woman on the loudspeaker cheered. And then, she announced to the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen! Your winner, and the winner of that brand-new motorcycle, Android-"

A gunshot rang out and 17's eyes widened. The entire crowd fell silent. On the ground, Deuce laughed out loud, holding a smoking gun aloft. "That'll learn ya..."

Everyone watching was speechless. Android 16 glared down at Deuce as he began to laugh. Android 18, meanwhile, shook her head. "What a pathetic, little punk."

And then, to Deuce, the crowd, and everyone else but 16 and 18's surprise, 17 turned around and glared at his defeated opponent. He reached up to the back of his head, grabbed the flattened remains of the bullet, and then sneered. "Did you just try to shoot me while my back was turned?!"

Instantly, everyone began to scream and run away in shock and fear. Most of the people at this gathering had witnessed a cold-blooded murder before, but none of them had ever seen someone survive getting shot in the back of the head. Deuce tried to crawl away as Android 17 marched towards him, but he fumbled and at dirt for his trouble. He turned and stared fearfully at 17. "Monster!"

He began to unload his gun, each bullet ricocheting meaninglessly off of 17's skin. Deuce continued to fire until he heard the empty click from his pistol. And then, before he could react, 17 pulled his foot back and kicked the pathetic biker all the way across the pit and into the wall, leaving a sizeable dent. Deuce coughed up blood and shakily tried to push himself up, yelping in fear at 17 marched towards him again.

Domino reached out, grabbed 17 by his neck scarf. "You leave my bro-"

17 quickly shut him up with a harsh punch to the jaw. "No! No mercy now! You just had to try and pull that, huh? Shooting me while my back is turned! I hate people like that and I am absolutely sick of pathetic little nobodies like you!"

Deuce was terrified, meekly try to stammer out that he was sorry. But, before he could form the words, 17 was on top of him and beating him senseless once more.

As 17 assaulted his attempted murderer, Android 16 and Android 18 both watched from the stands. 16 turned to 18. "Are you going to attempt to stop him?"

18 shrugged. "Why should I? That guy shot him; he's getting what he deserves as far as I'm concerned."

16 turned his attention back to 17, and then he sighed.

17 laid another harsh punch onto Deuce's face, breaking his cheek. "Had enough?! Huh, punk?!"

Deuce meekly nodded. "Y-Yesh...I'm sho shorry..."

17 glared down at him. "Good. Now, let's finish this."

And then, 17 raised his hand into the air and charged a Power Blitz. The green energy swirled in his hand as he stared emotionlessly at Deuce. But then, before 17 could blast the biker in the face and kill him, a larger hand reached down and grabbed 17 by the wrist. 17 flinched and quickly turned around, coming upon the sight of Android 16.

17 glared at the giant. "And just what the hell do you think you're doing?!"

16 glanced past 17 and down at Deuce. "Go and retrieve your brother, and then turn yourself in to the authorities. They will be the only ones able to keep you safe from further harm."

Deuce didn't argue, quickly stumbling to his feet and grabbing his brother. 17 shouted as he saw the two of them making their getaway. "No!"

He tried to snatch his hand away from 16, but the giant held firm. 17 glared up at him and snarled. "What do you think you're doing?! What gives you the right to stop me?!"

16 was silent. 17 was only getting angrier, yanking at 16's grip and smashing his fist into the giant's wrist. "Let me go, 16! Let me go right now! Before I get angry and break your giant, red-headed ass in half! LET ME-"

The silent giant's grip suddenly loosened and 17 went tumbling backwards. 17 stood up, Power Blitz still in hand, and hatefully glared at 16. "You! Who do you think you are, huh?!"

16 remained stoic, simply staring at Android 17. "What purpose is there in killing someone that much weaker than you? Allowing you to do something so foolish would be illogical."

This made 17 snap. He ran towards 16, blast in hand. "Nobody gets to tell me how to live my life! Especially not a hunk of junk like you!"

As 17 charged, 16 refused to budge. The massive Android raised his hands up, as if he were preparing to defend himself. But, before a fight could break out, both sides were cut off by a third-party intervening. Android 18 stood between the two of them, one hand holding 17 back and the other hand pressed against 16 for stability. "Both of you stop! There's no reason for us to fight amongst ourselves!"

18 harshly shoved her brother back and then turned to 16. "Look, 16, I guess I get where you're coming from here...but that fight was none of your business and you should've stayed out of it!"

16 stared at 17 and 18 for a moment, and then he closed his eyes. "Noted."

He turned his back to his two travel companions and plodded away towards the exit. "I shall go and wait in the van."

Once 16 was out of sight, 18 sighed. "Okay then. Now, 17-"

17 quickly cut her off. "18. I am done with that guy."

Back in Peppertown, the Underground Bunker...

A knock on the bunker door made the Royal Army soldier next to it jump with fright. As the knocking continued, a wave of murmurs started spreading amongst all of the people crammed into the bunker space. Soon enough, a woman burst from the crowd and ran up to the solider. "Who is it?! Is it my daughter?!"

The soldier raised his hands up. "L-Listen ma'am. I know that tensions are running high and that you are concerned, but-"

Ms. Komori shook her head. "But nothing! You rushed me in here before I could get back to my house and get my baby! If it's her, you've got to let her in!"

The soldier groaned. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place here. But, after some thought, his better nature got the better of him and he turned to open the door. Off to the side, three bratty teenagers all rolled their eyes. One of them scoffed. "I can't believe they're risking opening the bunker to let Ugly Hiki in! We're better off without her!"

The three girls were largely ignored and the door was opened revealing that, indeed, Hiki Komori was standing on the other side. Her mother smiled. "Oh, Hiki! I was so worried!"

She blushed, bowing her head. "S-Sorry Mom..."

She glanced off to the side. "I...t-tried to get here as fast as I could, but...I met a friend on the way here~"

Ms. Komori flinched. "A friend?"

Hiki nodded. "Y-Yeah! He's a good friend! He doesn't make fun of me for my birthmark or anything. He's...he's a nice guy..."

The Royal Soldier cut in. "Ma'am, I'm afraid we can't let anyone who does not have a Peppertown Citizenship I.D. into this facility. Unless they have that identification, I am afraid that I will have to turn them away."

Hiki shouted. "B-But you can't turn Cell away! He's such a nice person, and-"

Suddenly, a massive green tail shot out from the side and batted Hiki down the hallway. She smashed against the brick walls of the underground chamber with a crunch and then fell silent. A raspy chuckle immediately followed. "That will be quite enough, Hiki~ I shall take it from here~"

Undeterred, Ms. Komori ran from the bunker. She desperately shouted for her daughter. "Hiki!"

The Royal Soldier tried to run out after her. "Wait a min-"

Suddenly and violently, the shocked soldier was stabbed in the gut by a massive, syringe-like stinger. The tail that the stinger was attached to lifted the soldier out of sight, and then the echoing, clomping footsteps started.

The people of Peppertown all stared out the open door, and were eventually horrified to see the looming form of Cell stood in the doorway. The clothes of the Royal Army solider fell down behind Cell as Ms. Komori and her injured daughter ran off unnoticed.

Cell chuckled. "So many sources of bio-mass..."

The monster stepped into the doorway, looking around the bunker and seeing no other exits. "Such foolish creatures, humans are. You rush into an inescapable box for safety~"

Cell laughed a dark laugh as his tail curled into striking position. "Now then..."

He stared at them with his hellish eyes. "Who's first?!"

Proofreading: StevenBodner