Dragon Ball Z: Dynasty
Written by: Feraligreater328 and StevenBodner
Edited by: StevenBodner and SparkerLightning
A/N: Sup?! I told you all that this was going to be a weird year for uploads. I'm hoping that I'll be able to get to a more rapid-paced schedule soon, but there is a lot of life getting in the way at the moment. My goal is still the start of the World Martial Arts Tournament before 2023!
Also, sorry about not cleaning up the never-ending spill of irrelevance from those people who use the guest reviews as a dumping ground. I'm going to get on cleaning that up soon.
Finally, this is kind of a rough draft (I wanted to put something out for those of you who have been patient). I'm going to post a more acceptable, final draft once my beleaguered editors get a chance to look it over.
Chapter 131: Invasion – Planet M1
On the Planet Cruiser, Turles' Quarters...
Bardock roughly sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Look, all I'm saying is that maybe you should just give commands from up here. I know you're stronger now than you ever were when we were kids, but I just got you back Turles..."
Turles smiled, sitting up and gently removing the slumbering Hisho's hand from his chest. On his other side, Bonyu was getting her clothes back on as quietly as possible in order to avoid disturbing her and Turles' new paramour. Turles seemed genuinely touched. "I missed you too, ya know? That's why I can't just sit up here. I'd never stop kicking myself if you died because I wasn't there to jump in front of a fatal blow~"
Bardock scowled. "That's not funny."
Turles countered. "Neither is the thought of having to go to Earth just to tell Gine that you're dead."
Turles chuckled. "Look, I might not be a golden warrior, but I can handle myself."
Bardock rolled his eyes. "Super Saiyan."
Turles rolled his right back. "Yeah. Sure~"
As Bardock turned away to stare out a nearby window, Turles leaned over and gently kissed Bonyu on the back of the neck. "So, how was it~?"
Bonyu chuckled. "Fine. I like her. I don't think I love her, at least not like that...but she's your girlfriend, not mine."
Turles nodded. "Yeah...when we get done with all of this on Planet M1, I'm thinking about upgrading that girlfriend title. For you and for Hisho~"
Bonyu snorted. "You've known her a week."
Turles shrugged. "And I could die tomorrow. Love is love, Bonnie~"
Bonyu nodded, drawing her white hair back into a ponytail. "So, what about the blue one? She's a Heran, right?"
Turles nodded. "Uh...yeah. What about her?"
Bonyu adopted a knowing smirk. "I've seen how you look at her~ Are you sure this threesome isn't due to be a foursome, love?"
Turles frowned. "I...uh...I don't know. I think that...I messed that up. My fault. I..."
Turles sighed. Bonyu gave him a gentle pat on the back. Bardock turned back towards them. "Zangya was talking earlier about showing up here for her blood treatment. If you don't wanna piss her off, I'd suggest you get Bonyu and Hisho to clear out before she shows up. And I'd hurry too, we're getting close to M1."
Turles looked to his brother, smiling as he started to walk towards the door. "Thanks Bardock."
Bardock shot a thumbs up, and then he was gone. Bonyu was quickly on her feet, walking around the bed and carefully swaddling the slumbering Hisho in a blanket. "I'll take her to my room so she can sleep a bit more. This poor thing doesn't look to be a fighter, so I can't imagine how she's going to react to the war we're sailing toward..."
Turles sighed, standing up and quickly sliding on a pair of pants. "She's strong in her own way. I think she'll be fine~"
Bonyu sighed. "I hope we all are by the end of this."
Turles chuckled. "Stay positive~ What could go wrong?"
On the bridge of the Planet Cruiser...
Lord Slug sat on his throne, mindlessly munching away at the massive chalice of medications that Kakuja and Gyoshu had prepared for him. On this, the eve of a massive battle, he could find no strength to rest. His demon blood was boiling for bloodshed.
Suddenly, the ship's communication network began to chime. Slug wordlessly turned to Angila and Angila quickly responded. "It is a communication from the Armored Squadron's vessel."
Slug groaned. "Put them on the line."
The channel opened and Slug growled. "What do you flamboyant fools want?!"
Salza responded in turn, his tone venomous and his words seething. "Unless you want us to open fire on you tout de suite, put zat lying monkey on ze line at once."
Back in Turles' quarters...
By the time Zangya had shown up, Turles was dressed and preparing the bloodwork chair. He sat her down and hooked her into it, but forewent all of his normal banter and humor. The mood between the two was tense. They both just sat there in silence, Turles watching the monitor and Zangya listening to the machine hum.
Finally, as the treatment nearly reached its end, Turles spoke up. "I'm sorry."
Zangya sneered. "What?"
Turles scratched his head, not looking at her. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize I was doing something that hurt you. I didn't realize that you might have such a negative reaction towards me carrying on with Bonyu and with Hisho. I'm sorry that...even if indirectly...I...used you, in your view of it."
He still didn't look at her. "I truly didn't mean to. And I'm sorry."
Zangya was silent. She sensed nothing but sincerity in his voice. So much sincerity that it actually made a lump form in her throat. She opened her mouth to speak back, even starting to reach out to touch him...but then a bolt of pain rocketed up her face with such intensity that Zangya couldn't help but press a hand to her cheek.
She thought to herself. 'Sincerity...'
She thought of what she had heard from the other Galaxy Soldiers when they thought she wasn't around. Their opinion of her. Of all the false love and compassion on Bojack's face and eyes. Of all the pain that she endured when his true colors flowed forth. She thought of all of this, and then she thought of Turles...who had never been anything but kind and genuine toward her, even in making this mistake he was nothing short of caring and concerned. Zangya's fingers curled up and clawed into the skin on her cheek. She closed her eyes, and then the machine beeped and the treatment was over.
Before Turles could even turn around, Zangya was on her feet. She ripped the needles from her arms and marched as fast as she could toward the door. She spoke in a harsh tone. "I forgive you. Now leave me alone."
Turles tried to call after her. "Zangya, wait!"
The door slammed. Turles sighed and looked back at the monitor, seeing the readout that Zangya's blood was now 100% clear of the Kaio-Water toxin. Her treatment was finished. Turles bit his lip and stood up, ready to chase her down at let her know. He grabbed the button that controlled the shackles locked around her wrists. But then, as he prepared to give chase, a call came in from the bridge. Slug spoke. "Turles!"
Turles responded to the voice echoing from the speakers above. "Yes?"
Slug sounded annoyed. "Salza and the other idiots are on the deck. They know. Get out here now before a brawl breaks out."
The communicator cut off and Turles sighed. "Great. Things keep piling up..."
The Saiyan scientist looked over his desk as he shoved the controller for Zangya's shackles into his pocket. He looked at his inventions, several containers of half-eaten food, dreamy doodles of his friends and loved ones both present and past, and then to a vial of Bardock's blood that he had been tampering with. Turles grabbed that vial and a hypodermic needle, shoving them both into his pocket at well. "...what could possibly go wrong?"
On the deck of the Planet Cruiser...
Turles stepped out into the open and the first sight he caught was that of Planet M1, a visibly mechanical planet with a spooky silver glow. He nodded. "Target in sight. Good."
But then, Turles turned his eyes from the haunting splendor of that heavenly body and toward the growing tension on the deck of his own ship. On one side were his men, with Bardock, Bonyu, Slug, and Zangya at the forefront. On the other side, with their ship firmly docked to the starboard hull behind them, were Salza, Neiz, and Dore. Salza looked angry. "Liar!"
Turles ran his mechanical hand through his hair. "I tell so many of them, apparently. Mind narrowing it down?"
Dore roared. "DID YOU THINK WE WOULDN'T RUN YOUR THINGS THROUGH OUR THINGS?!"
Turles cocked his head, turning to Salza again. "I'm sorry. My 'moron' is a bit rusty. Would you mind translating that?"
Salza sneered. "We ran ze information you provided us about M1 zrough our computers and it revealed zat your proffered data is incomplete! You are wizholding somezing from us and I want to know what before we go into zis invasion wiz you!"
Turles was a bit taken aback. He shook his head. "I gave you everything important. No surprises on M1, nothing that would specifically involve you."
Salza snapped back. "Not good enough. What was in zat ozer five percent zat was not given?"
Neiz sneered. "I bet it's something that would result in us dying and you getting to steal the Big Gete Star. Untrustworthy Saiyan filth!"
Turles seemed annoying, his chipper attitude somewhat lacking compared to the norm. "I don't give a shit about Dr. Gete's mobile robot factory. You three can have that. The missing five percent is nothing important to you, so can we please just drop it?!"
Salza shook his head. "Absolument pas."
The Brenchian motioned to his comrades. "We are backing off for now. Ze Saiyan and his comrades can go first and we will go for what we are after at our earliest convenience."
As the three of them turned and walked away, Turles growled under his breath. They had him by the neck and he knew it. If they left, along with their army, there was a solid chance that he and his crew would be overwhelmed.
He didn't want to bring it up. The very words felt like venom bubbling in his throat. But he had people here whose lives depended on him and they were more important than this vile, hideous thing he was keeping secret. "Vegeta II's Black Box."
Salza, Dore, and Neiz stopped in their tracks. Salza turned. "Pardon?"
Turles continued. "The missing five percent is Vegeta II's Black Box. A vault containing the scientific pursuits of King Vegeta II. Everything that he did and that he learned while he was the ruling monarch of the Saiyan race. That's what is not there."
Salza adopted a smarmy smirk. "Zere. Was zat so hard? Now, just share ze information zat is missing and-"
Turles interrupted. "Can't. It's gone. Destroyed. Been destroyed for years now."
Salza flinched. "Wh-What?!"
As the two of them stood-off, Bardock turned to Slug. "Hey, Slug, what's he talking about?"
Slug looked uniquely grim. Bardock looked around. Zangya and Hisho both looked confused. And, to his surprise, so did Bonyu. Everyone else, however, looked just as grim as Slug. Amond, Daiz, Cacao, Lakasei, Raisen, Angila, Medamatcha, Wings, Zeeun, Kakuja, and Gyoshu stared off into the distance, as if trying to forget something and failing hard.
Turles spoke again. "You heard me. It's gone. Destroyed. I destroyed that particular bit of information not long after we found all of it. It's gone forever. The only place that it still exists is in the hearts and minds of me and my crew here. And when we die...it disappears forever."
Salza snarled. "But what is it?! You are being overly cryptic! Just what is zis zing?!"
Turles shook his head. "I told you. It's nothing important to you. Not to a Brenchian. Not to an Alpha Amphari. Not to a Beppan. Not even to a Namekian or to any of the mutts that live here on my ship. The only people that...hideous bit of info is relevant to are the Tuffles...and the Saiyans..."
Turles took a step forward, Salza wanted to step back but found himself frozen. Turles got close and whispered with utter dread. "Because Vegeta II's Black Box contained video and written record or every single thing he ever did to the Tuffles in those labs of his. Every last cut and jab. It was a dark tape full of every reason Dr. Wheelo, Dr. Myuu, Dr. Raichi, and Dr. Gete have to want me and my brother and the rest of our kind dead. Now, let me ask you Salza...do you enjoy having the ability to comfortably close your eyes?"
Salza flinched. "O-Of course I-"
Turles was blunt. "Then be glad that information is gone."
A cold bead of sweat ran down the side of Salza's face. He looked past Turles to the rest of the Demon Crushers. Gone were the confident smirks of vicious space pirates, now replaced with the gaunt expressions of truly haunted men. Dore sneered. "You think you can just spook us and-"
Salza threw up a staying hand. "Fine. We will drop zis subject. Forgive me for bringing it up."
Turles shook his head. "No problem. I'm actually glad that you're here. You see, I wanted to talk to you about something before we arrived at M1."
Salza nodded. "Go ahead."
Turles crossed his arms. "You said that you were after that project of Dr. Gete's. That will most likely bring you into conflict with her. So... all I ask is that you take every measure possible not to kill her, okay? I... have something that I need to do and I need all four of them there to properly do it. Can you...do that for me? Please?"
Neiz growled. "Listen to this arrogant little bastard making demands of us! Can you believe this Dore?"
Dore sneered. "No, I can't! He has some nerve! Right, Salza?!"
Salza was quiet once more, calmly stroking his chin. Finally, he nodded. "Very well. If she will cooperate wiz us, zen I would have no issue with taking Dr. Gete alive."
Turles smiled and nodded. "Thank you~"
Salza continued. "But...if you are going to do what I zink you are going to do, it would be cruel not to let you know zat you are deluding yourself..."
Turles flinched a little, looking back at his crew. He looked at each of them, his gaze finally resting on Bardock. The smile returned to Turles' face and he sighed. "It's worth a try, I feel. I mean...what could go wrong?"
Turles sighed and walked away from Salza, marching onto the bow of his ship and staring ahead at Planet M1. He was gradually joined by the rest of his men, his brother, and eventually even the Armored Squadron. Turles regarded M1, thinking about his primary goal of the Revenger Crystal and his secretive secondary goal. And then he spoke again. "This moment always makes my blood freeze...the moment before diving into another war. I always hated this..."
He turned and glanced over at his brother. "It's been a while for you, Bardock. How are you feeling?"
Bardock tightened his bandana and then slotted his mask over his face. "Business as usual, little brother. Business as usual."
Down on Planet M1, in the sanctum of Dr. Wheelo...
Preserving fluid bubbled as the dome containing Dr. Wheelo's brain lit up. One-by-one, all of the monitors within his inner sanctum flashed to life. He spoke in a deep baritone. "They're here."
In four flashes of light, the other members of the Tuffle Academy of Science arrived. Dr. Myuu, Dr. Gete, Dr. Kochin, and Dr. Raichi all stared up at the screen displaying the two approaching ships. Myuu, Gete, and Raichi all looked positively furious. Even Gete's serene smile as she lit a perfumed cigarette was laced with venom and hatred.
Kochin, however, had a voice full of mad glee. "Well then, as the youngsters say, let's get this party started~"
The surface of Planet M1 (formerly Planet Meridius) was once awash with lush fields of green and sparkling crystalline rivers of the freshest water in the Western Galaxy. Now, everything streched as far as the eye could see glowed with an artificial chrome sheen. The Meridians, once a peaceful hunter-gatherer species, had been reduced to little more than punch-clock workers for the ambitions of the Tuffle Academy of Science. The generations that remembered the natural ways have been all but phased out, leaving only a people that know little more than servitude towards their ingenious and rather insane masters.
Normally, the surface of the planet is possessed by the frantic bustle of these punch-clock slaves. And yet, today, they all huddle in fear within their box-like living units. On the orders of their masters, they are to stay out of the way of the M1 Defense Force as they battle an oncoming, but entirely expected threat. The poor Meridians can only cower in fear as they hear the sounds of metal hatches snapping and clattering open just outside their doors.
On the deck of the Planet Cruiser...
As Turles and his crew breached through the atmosphere of Planet M1, with the Armored Squadron's ship in tow, they were met by quite the distressing sight. Turles' eye went wide and he flinched back. "Oh shit..."
On the planet's surface, hundreds upon thousands of hatches were popping open in a wave. Salza sneered. "Are zey going to be unleashing ballistics upon us?!"
Turles shook his head. "No. Worse."
And he turned. "Men! We're going to have to leave the ship in the upper atmosphere if we want it to remain unharmed! Disembark at once! Prepare for combat!"
Hearing his order, the Demon Crushers immediately sprang to action, leaping over the sides of the Planet Cruiser in droves and rushing towards the surface of M1, led by their various commanders within Turles' inner circle.
Bonyu walked up to Turles, grabbing him by the face and roughly pressing her lips to his. She pulled back and stared long and hard into his eyes, both organic and mechanical. "Don't die. You hear me?"
Turles smiled and squeezed her hand. "Same to you."
Once Bonyu left, Zangya passed by as well. She shot Turles a look that, for a second, Turles almost mistook as sadness before his vision adjusted and he saw anger. Zangya leapt off the bow without a word. Turles turned to Salza. "You might want to leave your ship up here too."
Salza shook his head. "No."
He pressed his finger to his scouter. "Attention, ze three of us will be engaging wiz ze enemy directly! While we do zat, you lot on ze ship shall be in charge of scanning around for ze Big Gete Star and alert us ze moment you find it! Understood?"
Salza waited for a response and then nodded when he got one. Not even a moment later, the Armored Squadron's ship disconnected from the Planet Cruiser and flew off to begin its search. Dore smiled from ear-to-ear and did a running leap off the ship. "FINALLY! SOME ACTION!"
Neiz followed. "Let's do this~!"
Salza watched his comrades leap into the fray and then turned to Turles. He nodded at the Saiyan and the Saiyan nodded back. And then Salza leapt down as well.
Finally, Turles turned and looked to who was left. Gyoshu and Kakuja were fretting over Slug. Bardock was standing with his arms crossed. And poor Hisho was shaking as the full weight of what was happening was dawning on her. Turles smiled a gentle smile and began to approaching, watching as Slug booted Gyoshu out of the way and through Kakuja off of his back.
In spite of the Namekian's cruelty, these two imps...his oldest children...called out to him. "LORD SLUG!"
Slug brusquely waved them off. "Quit fretting and go prepare a back treatment for me. I'm sure to be stiff when we finish this."
Before they could protest any further, Slug jumped from the bow of the ship. Meanwhile, Turles wrapped his arms around Hisho, holding her gently but also quite firmly. He kissed her head. "It's okay. You don't have to be afraid. Everything is going to be fine~"
Hisho looked up at him, tears building in her eyes. "B-But-"
Turles kissed her quickly on the lips. He smiled warmly. "Just stay up here and keep watch, okay? And if anything seems like it's about to go wrong, you take this ship and get out of here! Your safety is more important to me than anything. You, and Bonyu, and..."
Turles took a deep breath and ruffled Hisho's hair. "Just stay calm, okay? I mean...what could go wrong? You have Gyoshu and Kakuja to keep you company and they're doctors. They'll keep ya safe~"
Hisho seemed unconvinced, but she nodded in agreement. "Okay. Just...be safe, Turles."
Turles winked at her. "You got it~"
Turning and leaving Hisho, Kakuja, and Gyoshu standing there, Turles walked up to his brother and smiled. "So, you ready?"
Bardock cocked his head. "You have to stop saying that."
Turles cocked his head. "Saying what?"
The two brothers walked to the bow of the ship, watching as clusters of explosions began to ring out from below. Bardock spoke again. "You keep saying 'what could go wrong'. Are you trying to jinx yourself?"
Turles chuckled. "Not really. Just...trying to reassure myself. I mean, I'm surrounded by the best, worst people in the universe. So, ya know, what could go wrong?"
Bardock shook his head as he and Turles both leapt into the fray. "That question is going to end up biting you."
Within Dr. Wheelo's sanctum...
The screen displaying the sky above Planet M1 was twinkling and bleeping as it locked onto key targets. One-by-one, the various records of the key players in this assault rushed by for the Tuffles to view: Commander Zeeun, Wings, Medamatcha, Angila, Lakasei, Raisen, Daiz, Cacao, Amond, Bonyu, Dore, Neiz, Salza, Lord Slug, Zangya, the Masked Saiyan, and Turles.
Out of all of these profiles, the images of Turles and the Masked Saiyan were brought forefront and into view. Dr. Myuu and Dr. Gete scoffed in disgust. Several veins bulged and convulsed from Dr. Raichi's bulbous forehead. Dr. Wheelo's tank fluid practically boiled at the sight of them. "My brothers and sister, would it not be a most wonderous sight to watch that vile Saiyan blood pool on the floor before us?"
Dr. Kochin cackled. "Oh yes, yes it would! What say we get the Cyclopean Guards to do that for us?!"
The balding, hunched man tapped his ornate cane against the floor. "Deploy at once!"
In the sky above M1...
All at once, from the various hatches that had opened across the surface of M1, thousands upon thousands of Cyclopean Guards began to pour out like a swarm of angry wasps ready to defend the hive. Neiz's eyes went wide and he stalled in the air. "HOLY CRAP!"
Dore laughed out loud. "MAN UP, NEIZ! IT'S A PARTY! LET'S DANCE!"
Speeding up, Dore rocketed past everyone else and was the first to engage the army of robots that was threatening their lives. The thick-skinned Beppan crashed into them like a wrecking ball, sending sprays of fluid and debris flying as he tore through at least a dozen Cyclopean Guards like tissue paper. Dore called out. "LET'S NOT GET OUR PANTIES IN A TWIST, LADIES! DON'T LEAVE ALL THE TOYS FOR ME TO BREAK~"
Amond snorted, cracking his knuckles. "Is it weird that I'm kinda starting to like this guy?"
The hulking, orange brute summoned a ball of energy into his hand and then crushed it like a snowball, flinging the various bolts of energy toward the oncoming Cyclopean Guards. The energy bolts rushed towards their targets, each becoming a miniature energy disc that sliced through the bots and shredded away their armor.
Amond smirked and then turned, to face his next targets. He rushed towards the Cyclopean Guards, ready to brawl. The Cyclopean Guards responded to this by raising their hands, transforming their hands into arm-mounted energy cannons, and blasting away at Amond with cold efficiency.
Amond went crashing down to the surface below, smashing into a metal street and leaving a massive dent. His attackers all landed with heavy thuds and prepared to shoot him again, but Amond was ready. He leapt up and delivered a punch, knocking a Cyclopean Guard's head off. Amond smirked, only to be trapped into a headlock by the guard at his back. He struggled to get loose, but then the pummeling began afresh. Amond was helpless at metal fists pounded against him and metal claws tore through armor and flesh alike. He scowled. "Damn it. C-Can't die like this! I can't-"
A pair of Eye Beams sliced through the three Cyclopean Guards, reducing them to piles of scrap metal in an instant. Amond looked up and saw Lord Slug looming over him, holding a Cyclopean Guard in place with a single hand before coldly crushing its head. "This isn't a bar brawl, idiot! Keep your head in the game or lose it!"
Several more robots tried to jump Slug from behind, but the aged Namekian quickly turned and fired a hellish mouth blast, blowing them away with little effort. Watching as Slug continued his assault, Amond groaned. "I can't just lay down and let myself get lectured by that old fogie..."
Another Cyclopean Guard raced at Amond, its fist drawn back for a punch. Before that blow could even by thrown, Amond charged the bot and smashed its head apart with a grueling headbutt. Blood ran down Amond's face and his licked it as it started to trickle down his upper lip. "I won't just lay down and let myself get lectured by that old fogie!"
Atop a nearby building...
Medamatcha made his signature hand signs and deployed several of his Mini-Matchas from his back. These little imps flew towards their master's attackers with glee and latched on, attempting to absorb energy from the emotionless automatons. The Cyclopean Guards paused for just a moment, but then rid themselves of the nuisances with a quick jolt of electricity.
Medamatcha gasped as his Mini-Matcha's fell from the Cycloean Guards, smoking like freshly grilled meat. Medamatcha leapt toward the guards, his fist drawn. "My babies! How dare-"
Suddenly, the frog-like demon was seized by all his limbs at once and held in place. Medamatcha struggled, but found himself tightly bound. The last remaining Cyclopean Guard that hadn't laid hands on him glowered coldly, and then it began to spin its prehensile claws like drill bits. Medamatcha shrieked as the robot approached him. "NO! No no no! Not like this!"
Before the Cyclopean Guard could get any closer, a massive fist suddenly smashed through its chest. The robot fell to the ground in a heap and on the other side stood wings. The fat gargoyle smirked and then fired another blast, blowing one of Medamatcha's captors to pieces. With his arm now free, Medamatcha began firing blasts as well, quickly helping Wings finish cleaning up.
The two of them regrouped, but didn't have long to rest. Two claws came shooting in at them. Medamatcha cowered, but Wings quickly seized both, yanking the Cyclopean Guards attached to them forward and smashing their heads together.
Yet another guard tried to pile over its dead comrades and attack Wings, but Medamatcha quickly dispatched it with a mighty mouth blast. And yet still, even more Cyclopean Guards piled towards them, forcing Wings and Medamatcha to leap back. Medamatcha cried out. "There's so many of these things! And they're not just brainless drones! They're attacking with on-the-fly strategy! How could a computer this smart exist?!"
Wing snarled. "They ain't shit! Just a bunch of overblown junk! We'll smash them all! Just watch!"
As ten of the Cyclopean Guards piled towards them, Medamatcha and Wings both began to charge their energy. Medamatcha sniveled. "I-If you say so, but I still think we're going to die!"
Wings shouted back. "Think positive, damn it!"
And then the two fired a joint energy blast that overtook all ten of their attackers.
In a nearby plaza...
Turles nimbly dodged as yet another claw attempted to grab onto him and hold him in place. The Saiyan scientist responded to this by smashing the Cyclopean Guard in the chest with his metallic arm, crushing it in, but only barely. He cocked his head. "I swear that the last few of these I killed weren't this tough. They can't be evolving, can they?"
Another attempted strike, another deft dodge. And this time Turles responded with a Kill Driver that blew the robot's head apart. "That would be nuts."
A Cyclopean Guard from behind attempted a haymaker, but Turles hit the ground and sent his attack flying into the air with a kick. Moving quickly, he grabbed the severed arm of one of his previous foes and tossed it like a spear, watching with consternation as the arm didn't pierce the chest of his foe, but merely shattered instead. Turles groaned. "They are getting tougher..."
The Cyclopean Guard landed and opened the gun barrel in its arm, firing out what appeared to be a grenade charged with ki. Turles shook his head. "Not a chance!"
And then, he used the ki magnet in his artificial hand to repel the grenade right back at the Cyclopean Guard, blowing it away. Turles breathed a sigh of relief, only for another robot to appear behind him. The Saiyan turned to defend himself as a punch came shooting towards him, but was quickly saved.
Bardock landed between Turles and the Cyclopean Guard, Rebellion's Edge at the ready, and he deftly sliced his brother's attacker into scrap. Bardock and Turles stood back-to-back, each taking on a unique fighting stance. Bardock smirked. "I gotta say, you really have grown as a warrior, Little Brother."
Turles smirked. "Thanks. How are you doing?"
Bardock sighed, adjusting the mask over his face. "I could be on Earth helping Gine check nests for eggs right now..."
Turles chuckled. "Sounds fun~ Room for one more?"
Bardock gripped his fists. "Focus! We can discuss this sort of thin when we aren't staring death in the face."
The older brother lunged forward, punching his fist through a Cyclopean Guard's chest and pulling out its mysterious, glowing core. He ripped the core out and tossed it towards a big group of them, firing a ki blast at it and causing a massive explosion. Turles chuckled. "Might wanna rethink that, I've been in a staring contest with Death since I was born, Big Brother~"
Turles fired a ki blast at a Cyclopean Guard, blasting its arm off. Quickly, he picked up the arm and swung it like a sword, cleaving several of them down at once. "Okay...it's not dynamic adaptation..."
Tossing the arm aside, Turles laughed. "Man! This is just like Planet Chimichurri, huh?"
Bardock grimaced. "You and I remember Chimichurri very differently..."
Turles chuckled and did a backflip over Bardock, charging a Kill Driver. At the same time, Bardock turned to where Turles was standing and charged a Ravager Cannon. At the same time, the brothers loosed their attacks onto the approaching enemies and blasted them all into pieces. Turles landed and gripped his fists. "Well, that's the fun of going places together. Unique perspectives equate to unique memories~"
Bardock snapped. "Quit waxing philosophical and focus on the damn fight!"
At the opening of a sewage canal...
Zangya scowled as she looked over at her partner. This Bonyu woman. Again. Zangya groaned and, using her hydrokinesis, sent dozens of water blades shooting towards the oncoming robot horde. She growled. "How does this keep happening...?"
Bonyu responded. "If you're talking about working alongside me, then that's just how the cards appear to have fallen. Quit whining like a spoiled teenage and focus or we're going to die!"
Bonyu ducked a punch from a Cyclopean Guard, sliding between its legs and shooting a kick upward, through its chest plate. She stood and threw a chop at another nearby bot, smashing its head off with ease. Wary of their foe, the remaining Cyclopean Guards transformed their hands into gatling guns and opened fire. Bonyu flinched in shock, preparing to defend but also preparing to be shot, only for an ice wall to spring up in front of her and stop the bullets.
Zangya snarled. "Don't talk to me like that!"
And then, with a forceful shove, she sent the ice wall barreling into the bots and smashed them into pieces. More attempted to charge, but Zangya quickly impaled them using spears of icy sewage. "You don't know my life! Don't make assumptions!"
Bonyu sighed, summoning her ki drones and having them lay covering fire on the approaching mob of Cyclopean Guards. "You're right. I don't know your life. But this isn't the time to squabble due to a knowledge deficit. We WILL die if we can't function."
Zangya sighed and mumbled. "...who would even care?"
Bonyu turned to her and snapped. "TURLES WOULD CARE!"
Zangya flinched. Bonyu glared at her. "Turles would care! I don't know what you've been through up to this point, but I'm telling you right now that he would care if you died! He would care if ANY of us died! So, even if you don't have the desire to work together to save yourself, at least work with me so we can come back for him!"
Zangya paused, visibly shaken. Bonyu cried out. "BEHIND YOU!"
The Heran woman turned just in time to see a massive claw shooting toward her face. She had no time to dodge and Bonyu had no way to make it in time. She was dead to rights. But then, salvation came from a different angle. "Angelic Quasar!"
A rapidly rotating ki blast crashing into the side of the Cyclopean Guard in front of Zangya, twisting it as one might a soda can and crumpling it into a heap of smoking metal. Angila landed and tossed three ki blasts, in succession, over Bonyu's shoulder. Three more Cyclopean Guards fell dead. Angila took a fighting stance. "Having trouble, ladies?"
Bonyu wiped sweat from her forehead. "Thanks Angila."
He turned to Zangya. "And you, Miss?"
Zangya took a deep breath. "I...can fight."
"GOOD TO HEAR!"
With a smashed up Cyclopean Guard stuck on the end of his foot, Amond landed in the canal. He was beat and bloodied and his armor was gone. "Holy shit! We...we're all gonna die at this rate. These things are endless!"
Angila scoffed, as Zangya and Bonyu took a stance on either side of him. Amond pressed his back to Angila's as the four of them found themselves surrounded. "That's no attitude to have. Maybe Turles will try and make friends of them~"
Amond laughed out loud at Angila's joke. "Shit, I didn't know Slug birthed you fellas with a sense of humor..."
And then, all four warriors roared at the top of their lungs and charged their foes.
Back up in the air...
Dore laughed out loud at he went from robot to robot, smashing the majority of them dead with one punch and them moving onto the next. As he levied a massive blast towards a grouping of them, Lord Slug appeared next to him. "Having fun, Beppan?"
Dore cackled. "Hell yeah! This is a scream!"
Slug snorted and then took a deep breath, unleashing a screaming ki blast that sliced through the Cyclopean Guards like butter, making them explode in sequence. Dore sighed. "It's a shame I wasn't around when you were younger. It woulda been an honor to have you kick my ass at your strongest~"
Slug rolled his eyes. "I'd kick your ass right now if I wasn't busy."
Dore gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Sure, Pops, sure~"
Slug turned. "Hey, you're dense right?"
Dore scowled. "You calling me stupid?!"
Slug shook his head. "Not this time. I'm just making sure I don't kill you yet. You're still useful alive..."
Dore was confused. "What are you talkin'-"
Slug enlarged his hand, gripping Dore tightly and coating him with his own vile energy. With all of his strength, Slug pitched Dore towards a massive swarm of Cyclopean Guards. The energy-charged Beppan smashed through them effortlessly and, soon enough, the energy around him exploded with a fiery boom.
Dore emerged from the smoke with a hefty cough but not much in the way of damage. "Nasty old bastard..."
Salza appeared next to him, a Sauzer Blade on each hand. "Are you okay, Dore?"
Dore nodded. "Yeah. Me and the Namekian are just getting acquainted..."
Salza raised and eyebrow, but then quickly turned and thrust his Sauzer Blade right past Dore's head, impaling an oncoming metallic claw. Dore followed suit, turning and heaving a massive blast toward the attacking robot. Dore growled. "Where the hell is Neiz?!"
Salza sighed. "He was assaulted by a massive swarm of zese zings. Turles' robot monster gave chase..."
Another Cyclopean Guard came rushing in, only for a battery of ki bolts to crash into it and kill it. Turles quickly joined the two squadmates. "He has a name! Call him Cacao!"
Salza sighed. "Zis is even more zan eizer of our intel sources suggested. I am not sure how long we can last like zis. Even if I were to call in ze rest of my men..."
Turles shook his head. "Don't worry about that. No point. But..."
A Cyclopean Guard shot up past them both, wreathed in electricty. Once it reached the apex of its upward ascent, the lightning charged into it shot off like a thunderstorm and crashed into several more. Neiz quickly joined the others, breathing hard. "What do you mean 'no point'?! What are we doing this for, then?!"
Turles waved him off. "Calm down. Did Cacao make it safely to the ground and meet up with Zeeun?"
Neiz sneered. "Do I look like I have the time to keep up with your men?!"
More Cyclopean Guards rushed at them, but these ones were quickly dispatched by a battery of Destructo-Darts piercing through and shredding them to pieces. Bardock quickly joined Turles and the Armored Squadron, half of his mask broken off. "Yes, Turles, I saw Cacao and Zeeun sneaking away. Now, what are they sneaking for?!"
Turles shook his head. "The Cyclopean Guards all probably have reciever radios on them. I can't talk, lest we tip off our enemies..."
Turles point to his own face. "Hey...your mask."
Bardock flinched and reached up, realizing that half of his identity protection was gone. With a snarl, he ripped it off and tossed it aside. Then he turned to Salza, Dore, and Neiz. "Name's Bardock. I murdered King Cold."
Salza gasped. "What?!"
Neiz shrieked. "That was you?!"
Dore, however, laughed out loud. "Hell yeah! Nice to meet ya, brother!"
Bardock flinched. "N-Not the reaction I thought I'd get..."
None of them had time to process this revelation, however. More Cyclopean Guards rushed them and quickly engaged in combat. Bardock and Salza each summoned their blades and charged in. Dore howled with excitement and ripped his foes asunder. Neiz and Turles provided coverage from the rear.
Salza sliced a robot in two and turned to Bardock. "Our leader has been wanting to speak wiz you! Lord Cooler has a vested interest in talking wiz ze one who ended his fazer's life!"
Bardock used his Rebellion's Edge to cut down another robot. "Well I have no interest in speaking to him! Tell your boss to meet me in Hell when he dies if he wants to chat! I don't have time for meetings! I have a family to get home to!"
Salza didn't react. He simply nodded. "Noted."
At the rear, Neiz called over to Turles. "So, this plan that you refuse to talk about in front of these bots...how is it going to help us?!"
Turles sighed. "I don't wanna talk too much on it, but...the main issue we're having is that we're essentially hovering over a factory right now. As long as that city below is protected by this never-ending storm of Cyclopean Guards, we'll never be able to get close enough to search for what we came here for. We just have to wait for Cacao to do his thing and then the production will stop!"
Neiz was concerned. "And how exactly will they do that?!"
A Cyclopean Guard appeared behind Neiz and raised an arm to crush his head. But then, a ki blast came shooting up from down below and smashed it to pieces. Daiz came flying up and kicked another robot away. "We're cool, Turles! Zeeun and Cacao are in!"
Neiz scowled. "In?! What's that supposed to mean?!"
Turles smiled and fired another Kill Driver into a cluster of Cyclopean Guards. "Like I said, I don't wanna tip my hand too much...but Cacao is a product of Planet M1. Unlike the rest of us, he can interface with this place~"
Within the inner-workings of Planet M1...
With a furious roar, Commander Zeeun smashed through several Cyclopean Guards at once, his club reducing them to sparking chunks with ease. Next to him, Cacao was hard at work too. The murder machine was firing all manner of lasers, rockets, and missiles toward his extended, M1 produced family and killing them all wholesale.
Zeeun tossed his club, cracked down the middle from over use, and then picked up a nearby metal pylon to continue his assault. "You and Daiz seemed pretty sure this was the place! Are we close?!"
Cacoa responded with his usual gibberish. "ЩЕ ЩИЛЛ ФУЦК ТХИС ПЛАНЕТ ЛИКЕ ЦХЕАП БИТЦХ ЩХОРЕ!"
A bead of sweat ran down the side of Zeeun's face. "Would it kill you to say something I can understand just once...?"
Cacao responded. "ФУЦК ЙОУ!"
Zeeun shook his head. "Okay, okay..."
He reared the metal pylon back and swung it like a baseball bat, smashing the head off of a Cyclopean Guard and sending it crashing into a wall. The severed head hung there in place and Zeeun admired his handiwork. "Well, at least we're making progress. I might not understand ya, but at least killing shit together is a fun time~"
Cacao turned his grim, fleshy visage toward Zeeun. It took some effort, but the pink folds of his face eventually twisted into something half-resembling a scream and half-resembling a smile. "ФУЦК ДЕМОН ЦРАСХЕРС АРЕ БИТЦХ-АСС ФРИЕНДС~!"
Zeeun nervously chuckled. "Well...whatever you just said at least sounded happy..."
The two of them continued on, deeper into the inner-workings of Planet M1. Unfortunately, neither seeme to be aware that the head embedded in the wall was still functional. Nor that it was still steadily transmitting.
Within Dr. Wheelo's sanctum...
Dr. Gete was the first to state the obvious. "That's not good. They're descending deeper into the Planet. They're going to find the power core that supplies all of our labs at this rate!"
Dr. Myuu gasped. "But...we need that power supply! Th-The Cradle!"
Dr. Raichi sneered. "Damnable Saiyan. How dare he use one of our own projects against us?!"
Dr. Wheelo's booming voice echoed out. "Do not panic. Going by the readings we are getting from that thing, it is one of Kochin's projects. He is just as much a Tuffle as the rest of us, I am sure he has a failsafe in palce. Right, Kochin?"
Dr. Kochin looked annoyed. "This is a slap in the face. I'm usually so much better about placing failsafes in my dolls. This is almost more annoying than Goichi making off with the OG Project..."
But then, Dr. Kochin cackled. "But, worry not my dearest friends. Whether that Turles fool broke the failsafe on my work or not, there is more than one way to punish a rebellious doll~"
Outside...
As Turles continued to fight alongside the others against the massive army of Cyclopean Guards, his prosthetic eye suddenly began to ring and flash. He pressed a button close to his ear. "You've got Turles!"
Zeeun's voice boomed out from the other end. "Hey. Cacao and I made it down here to the power supply for this shitty planet. He's interfacing now."
Turles smirked. "Wonderful~ Good job, fellas~"
Deep within Planet M1...
Zeeun stood by the door, metal pylon gripped tightly in his hand. "I'm nervous, Turles. We're pretty far from back-up..."
Turles tried his best to be reassuring. "Once Cacao is able to shut down that energy core, the factories making these things should go offline. And the result EMP should knock any that are left out of commission. Just watch his back a little longer, Zeeun..."
Zeeun nodded. "R-Right..."
Cacao stood over the interface port to the energy core and glowered down at the console. This was a moment that had been running through all of his minds ever since Turles had brought all of him back to his collective senses. He could not recall much, merely that he used to be many rather than one. He couldn't recall names, just vague feelings: men performing a hard day's work, mothers preparing meals for their hungry families, children playing fanciful games without a care.
All of these memories were so distant, and yet they were all his. But there was one memory that every mind within his being remembered distinctly. Cold metal around wrists, fear and pain, and that hunch-over balding geezer with the ornate, golden cane. He held up a mysterious, flaming black orb and cackled. 'Thank you for your sacrifices, my newest doll~'
And then the many became one and Cacao came to be.
He boiled with hatred as his chest compartment opened and his interface cables shot out. Once this core went down, he would find that hideous old man and remove his head. Apologies could be made to Turles after revenge was achieved.
Cacao's interface cables connected and his mind was suddenly thrust into the systems of Planet M1.
Within the M1 computer systems...
It did not take him long to locate the networks that controlled the energy core. With all the surgical precision of a sledgehammer, Cacao began to destroy the structure that made up the computer code for the energy core. Then entire time, he ranted out but a single word. "ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ-"
A digital hand clasped onto Cacao's shoulder and his consciousness turned. Dr. Kochin was there, bearing a horrific, toothless grin. "Welcome home~"
Back in reality...
Cacao was screaming. "ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ..."
Zeeun shuddered. "Such unrestrained rage..."
But then, Cacao's screaming suddenly stopped. "ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ ДИЕ-"
Zeeun flinched. "C-Cacao?"
The robotic henchman stood up rail straight, his body shuddering as if it were being struck by lightning. And then, to Zeeun's horror, the legion-esque voice of Cacao split apart. If only briefly, the rumbling and rage-filled voice of Cacao separated into that of individual men, women, and children. They all screamed in pain and fear before, in a massive explosion, Cacao's chest blew apart. The stubs of his interface cables were left flailing and smoking in place, like severed octopus tentacles. And then Cacao simply fell over and didn't move.
Zeeun cried out. "Cacao!"
On the communicator, Turles called out. "Zeeun! What's going on?!"
Zeeun tried to respond. "Cacao! He-"
Three laser beams shot into Zeeun. One of them blew off the hand that was holding the communicator, one of them exploded through his knee, and one of them pierced right through his chest. Zeeun hit the ground with a bloody splat, the communicator clattering just out of his reach. "ZEEUN! WHAT'S GOING ON?! ZEEUN?!"
The foot of a Cyclopean Guard stomped down onto the communicator, smashing it into pieces. Mortally injured and barely alive, Zeeun sat up and saw that he was staring death right in the face. "Shit...we failed..."
There were twenty Cyclopean Guards standing there. Zeeun wasn't sure how he didn't hear them coming. Perhaps they had just spawned right there without need of a single footstep. Either way, that thought didn't matter. His method to warn Turles was gone and all twenty of them were aiming their transformed gun arms right at him.
With his last moments, Zeeun didn't struggle. That would have been pointless. He simply threw his head back and called to his comrade. "C-Cacao..."
It took a moment, but bare whispers of life flashed back into the fried murder machines eyes. "ЩХАТ?!"
Zeeun wheezed. "Before I die...just promise me that you, all of you, whoever you are...you'll meet me and Maffei in Hell and we can finally talk...person to people, right?"
For once, Cacao could feel genuine clarity in his mind. The rage-filled and sorrowful screams had been all but quieted by the assault from Dr. Kochin. Without much thought, Cacao closed his eyes. "Йес."
Zeeun chuckled. "Good. All of you had better keep that promise..."
And then Commander Zeeun was shredded into bloody chunks be a hail of gunfire. Cacao's entire body groaned as the Cyclopean Guards marched up to him. They began to charge their guns again. All of him knew that he was next. And, in those final moments, Cacao thought back...
Long ago, on the Planet Cruiser...
Yellow-tinted vision booted up and the OF69c was immediately in attack mode. Hastily, he pointed his weapons towards Slug's Demons, and then towards Turles' Crusher Corps. Both sides recoiled back and Slug was on his feet, ready to kill it.
OF69c was ready to fight, the only thing his jumbled, screaming brain could process. But then...a gentle hand touched his galvanized flesh. OF69c looked down and saw Turles standing there, motioning for Slug to be at ease. Turles turned to him and spoke in a language that he barely understood. "It's okay. I know...you're scared. I've heard about the horrors that go into making one of you..."
The Saiyan scientist smiled. "But, that's okay. I de-bugged you of the programming that the Tuffle Academy put in place. You're free now. They can't hurt you from a distance. And you're among friends, even if you don't know it yet~"
OF69c jammed the barrel of his gun right up against the side of Turles' head, but Turles didn't flinch. "I know that every aspect of your being is demanding violence, but the people who are in you weren't like that. I'm so sorry about what the Frieza Force did to you all. About what they did to you on M1..."
Gently, Turles pushed Cacao's gun down. "But it's okay. Fresh starts are hard for anyone, even a homunculus of misery such as yourself. But, as long as you're willing to stand by us, we'll all stand by you~"
His voice. So calm...warm...reassuring...kind...
Turles laughed. "Good. You've calmed a bit. Now then...you need a name before I introduce you to everyone else. And OF69c doesn't roll off the tongue that well. Hmm..."
Turles snapped his fingers. "Call me crazy...but Cacao~ How's that sound? You like it~?"
Back in the present...
As the Cyclopean Guards prepared to fire, Cacao's body began to glow with a bright, white light. The miserable homunculus that was once hundreds of people closed his eyes as a sense of peace washed over all of him. "THANK YOU...TURLES..."
On the surface of Planet M1...
The explosion and the column of fire that followed were enough to catch everyone battling off-guard. Such stunned pauses would normally be enough to shift the flow of a fight, if not for the army of Cyclopean Guards all falling out of the air like bricks. They hit the ground and smashed through the metal like stones.
Bardock and Salza both dispelled their blades, Bardock breathing a sigh of relief. "Zeeun and Cacao did it!"
Bardock looked around. "Hey, Turles! Where are you?!"
After scanning around for a moment, Bardock caught sight of his little brother. Turles was standing at the edge of the smoldering, flaming crater. Next to him was Slug, looking no worse for wear. Bardock landed and marched up to them. "What's up?"
Slug snarled; his arms crossed over his chest. Bardock was used to anger emanating from the Namekian, but this feeling was different. Sorrow...and grief.
Turles' finger continued to jab against the button attached to the sensor of his prosthetic eye. He jabbed and jabbed and jabbed, more desperate by the second until blood began to trickle from beneath the metal embedded in his skin. "They..."
Bardock placed a hand on his shoulder. "Turles..."
Bardock flinched. There was a stream of tears pouring for Turles' single, organic eye. It was unclear whether he even noticed or not as he continually pressed a finger to the button that controlled his prosthetic. Turles was making the bio-sensor within tune in closer and closer. Closer and closer. So close that he knew he should have seen signs of life by now.
And then, as everyone else gathered around him, Turles' arm fell down. "They're dead. Zeeun and Cacao are dead."
A miserable hush fell over the crowd. For a brief moment, especially amongst the members of Turles' inner circle, looks of genuine pain and sadness crossed everyone's faces. Even Zangya and the Armored Squadron seemed dismayed at this unpleasant news.
Shakily, Turles reached his trembling, organic hand up to his face and roughly wiped it. And then he turned and glared back at the others with a look of focused rage. "Well, what are we waiting for?!"
Turles lead the charge, marching towards Dr. Wheelo's fortress with purpose. "Let's go get that goddamned crystal..."
