Several minutes passed by, and 21 finally calmed herself down.
The duo let go of the researcher, who got up to her feet.
21 let out an emotional sigh, "I'm sorry, everyone. The death of Android 16, and the birth of my evil side...it's all my fault. If only I'd been stronger..."
Mafin cupped 21's hands in his own, and said, "21, it's okay. I should have had you absorb my technique right before you fought Cell. If anything, it's my fault."
21 smiled softly at the Pesutorian, "Even so, you still did all that you could to help me throughout our travels. And for that, I am deeply grateful. But, I must take responsibility for my recent actions."
17 spoke up, "So, what are we gonna do now? Where'd that other 21 head off to?"
21 turned to the black haired android, and stated, "I think my counterpart is heading to one of the labs. They are hidden all around the world. She wants what she fears destroyed!"
18 questioned, "What is it? What are you talking about?"
21 replied, "Well, once we catch her, you'll see soon enough."
17 nodded and said, "I suppose we should get to it then."
Mafin exclaimed, "Oh, but first, hold on a minute!"
He turned to 21, "Um, is it okay if the two of us head back over to the main lab? I was going to put your coat back in your room. I don't want your items to get messed up in battle."
21 smiled, "Sure thing. Thanks, Mafin."
Mafin took off the coat, and handed it over to the researcher, who grabbed it, and carried it over her shoulder.
The two heroes were about to fly off, when 18 interrupted,
"Actually, 21, I think you should head back alone. I want to ask these guys some questions. Questions pertaining to you, specifically."
The blonde woman stared at Mafin and Begu with a stern gaze, making them shiver with fear.
Knowing what this meant, 21 stammered, "O-Oh. Um, okay then..."
She leaned over to Mafin, and whispered, "Good luck..."
The Pesutorian nervously gulped, and replied, "Thanks..."
21 then floated upwards, and she proceeded to fly off.
18 folded her arms, and focused her attention on the duo, "You two knew about 21's true nature all along, didn't you?"
The duo awkwardly replied in unison, "Y-Yes..."
17's eyes widened, "Really? Then why the heck didn't you say anything?!"
Neither Mafin nor Begu responded, as they just looked away in shame.
Mafin then decided to speak up, albeit in a nervous manner, "I-It...It was because...um...because we were worried about how you guys would react to all of...well, that."
17 said, "Well, it was pretty insane to learn about..."
18 nodded, "Agreed."
"Right.", said Mafin, who let out a sigh, "And because of that...we deeply apologize for not letting you in sooner."
Begu added, "Yeah. Sorry about that."
18 said, "It's fine. Just don't act so secretive around us anymore, alright?"
"Y-Yes...", nervously replied the duo.
At that moment, 21 flew back over and landed next to the group.
"Okay, I placed the coat back in my room. Are you all ready to resume?"
Everyone nodded in response, and they proceeded to fly out of the landscape.
As the group soared across the clouds, Normal 21, Mafin, and Begu each tried to sense where Evil 21 flew off. It took a while to pick up on her energy, but once they did, the trio informed 18 and 17.
The group flew downwards to another grassy landscape, and they saw a large cave in the distance. Everyone promptly flew inside it at a much faster pace, and they soon arrived in a large underground lab, which was filled with dozens of mysterious green glowing containers.
They saw Evil 21 next to a large control panel, holding up some sort of remote control.
17 quickly charged up a massive ki blast with both of his hands, and fired it out at the bio-android, causing a small explosion. The smoke cleared up, and like before, Evil 21 was unphased by the attack.
17 growled, "Tch! Useless, huh?!"
Evil 21 smirked at the entire group that was now standing in front of her, "So, you actually managed to follow me all the way here. You truly are pests..."
17 stated, "So, that's the wave machine you're holding."
18's eyes widened, "I...I can feel the waves..."
She questioned Normal 21, "This is what Krillin was talking about?"
The researcher replied, "Yes. The other 21 started on it long ago, prior to my awakening. She used that to seal the power and souls of every single one of Earth's warriors. She was probably hoping to devour them all...while they were paralyzed."
Both Mafin and Begu had disgusted expressions on their faces in response to this.
"...The hell?", questioned Begu, "What kind of sick plan is that?!"
Mafin stated, "That sounds horrifying..."
17 added, "And a little convoluted as well."
Normal 21 said, "I agree. It is also a very risky plan. In addition, since she and I both possess power, the waves will affect the both of us."
17 raised an eyebrow, "Then why did she wait to activate it? She'll only end up sealing her own powers."
Normal 21 answered, "Naturally, she prepared herself for that danger, as well. At that time, I had just fallen into a deep sleep, and she assumed I would never resurface. And then, the waves ended up having a great effect on her, than she could have planned or imagined. In the end, it was her weakened..."
Normal 21 stopped herself upon seeing her counterpart mime her in an exaggerated manner, complete with a 'blah-blah' hand gesture.
Evil 21 then said, "You talk too much, you know that? So much exposition! Geez..."
Normal 21 frowned and continued, "Her state allowed me to be awoken. Ironically, I only managed to suppress her then, due to how surprised she was."
"If you knew that much, why didn't you just go out and find the machine yourself?", questioned Evil 21, "You are aware that you could have easily increased the output to further suppress me?"
Normal 21 stammered, "W-Well, I...I couldn't..."
"Wait, let me guess. It's because you didn't want to leave your precious Android 16, isn't it?", smirked Evil 21, "You just wanted to continue having stupid little dance parties with him, didn't you?"
Normal 21 looked away from her counterpart, and rubbed her arm. She felt a combination of shame and regret for not taking care of this matter sooner.
Mafin glared at the bio-android, "Hey! Don't you dare insult 21 like that! Who cares if she didn't find this machine at an earlier time?! She just made an honest mistake!"
Begu thought, "Dang, dude. You're fiercely defending your girl, coming in with all that rage..."
Evil 21 rolled her eyes at the Pesutorian, and looked back at her normal counterpart.
She smiled, "In any case, I should be thanking you, really. I'm only here now because you couldn't find it...you failed the test, after all."
Evil 21 then stared down at the remote that was resting in her right hand, "However, leaving this intact will only cause problems. So, I guess I'm left with no other choice..."
The bio-android grabbed the device by its antenna, and held it directly above her mouth. Evil 21 slowly lowered it towards her, licking her lips with anticipation.
"NO!", shouted Normal 21, her hand stretched outwards.
But before she or anyone else could do anything to stop Evil 21, the bio-android plopped the remote in her mouth. She chewed down on the device, destroying it, and swallowed the remains.
"Bleh! Disgusting!", exclaimed Evil 21, "What a horrible aftertaste of garbage!"
The group stared at her with a collective mixture of disturbed expressions.
17 exclaimed, "She swallowed it!"
Normal 21 thought aloud, "But, the machine is emitting waves! If she swallowed that..."
Evil 21 grinned, "Oooh! Do I see that you're worried?! Isn't that so very kind! It's okay, because that machine was just the controller. Swallowing it was the least bit dangerous!"
She held her hands up in an 'oh well' manner, "Daaaah! And now it seems nearly useless and unable to send out any waves..."
Normal 21's eyes widened in horror, "N-No..."
Evil 21 smirked, "If you want to beat me that badly, go on a sweets binge and strengthen yourself! Oh, wait, I guess that'd make you a hypocrite, now wouldn't it?"
Normal 21 exclaimed, "I hate you!"
Evil 21 said, "Okay, then. Guess I might as well finish you off, since you're here and all."
She quickly charged a dark red ki blast within the palm of her right hand.
"EVERYONE, GET DOWN!", shouted a familiar voice.
The group turned around to see Krillin, who was holding back some sort of energy disk. He was joined by another, taller figure. This new figure had spikey black hair, and wore an outfit similar to the monk, except he also wore a blue undershirt, a blue sash, as well as dark blue boots.
As everyone ducked for cover, Mafin's eyes widened at the sight of the new figure, and he thought, "Is that...?"
"Dude, get out of the way!", exclaimed Begu, who then pulled his friend downwards by the arm.
"DESTRUCTO DISK!", shouted the monk as he fired the attack towards Evil 21. The evil bio-android fired out her red blast at the disk, instantly destroying the attack.
Several bits of debris fell from the cave's ceiling as it shook from the attacks.
Krillin turned to his wife, and worriedly asked, "18! Are you okay?!"
18 let out a soft chuckle, "What took you so long, idiot?"
The other figure walked toward the group, "Are you guys alright?"
17 replied, "We're fine. Just dealing with Ms. Crazy Eyes over there."
Krillin spoke up, "Goku, we'll hold her off while you go and get some Senzu Beans from Korin!"
The one named Goku nodded, and placed two fingers on his forehead, "Okay, hold on..."
He instantly teleported away, much to the shock of both 21s.
Evil 21 exclaimed, "Huh?!"
Normal 21 questioned, "Was...was that Instant Transmission?"
Krillin replied, "Yeah, it was. Don't worry, Goku will be alright. In the meantime, we need to hold her off!"
Suddenly, Goku reappeared, holding a small bag in his right hand.
"Y-You're back already?!", questioned a startled Krillin.
Goku smiled, "Yep! Korin already had some prepared! Everyone, eat what's in the bag!"
He tossed the small bag over to Krillin, who caught it with both hands.
"You're going to regret this!", snapped Evil 21, who walked closer to the group.
Goku sent a glare at the bio-android, "So...you're the evil half of 21, isn't that right?"
Normal 21 asked, "How do you know about that?"
Without looking away, Goku replied, "Sorry, but I'll explain later."
Evil 21 folded her arms, "Hmm...it looks like he somehow found out about everything. And also, was that Instant Transmission just now? He's just as dangerous as I feared. There is no doubt."
She proceeded to charge up a brand new red ki attack.
Goku quickly transformed within a blink of an eye. His black hair was now blonde, and his body was slightly bulkier. He also had green eyes, and an even more serious look to him.
Evil 21 smirked in response.
To everyone's surprise, she stopped charging up her attack, and it quickly dissipated.
"What's the matter?", asked Goku, "Aren't you going to fight?"
The bio-android replied, "No. On the contrary, I always save the best for last. For now, I think I'll go off somewhere, and meditate for a while. I wanna savor my newfound power."
18 scoffed, "You? Being the type to meditate?"
Evil 21 shrugged, "Hey, I'm open to trying something new."
She placed two fingers on her forehead, "Oh, and Goku? Thanks for letting me snag Instant Transmission. Bye bye, now!"
The bio-android quickly teleported away in a flash.
Goku then powered back down to his usual self, "Man, she's even crazier than I thought. And a little creepy, too."
Krillin sighed, "I'm glad that's over..."
17 asked the monk, "I'm curious. How did you guys know we were here? Seems like you knew about 21 splitting apart too."
Krillin explained, "Yeah, we heard the news at the Lookout. About what's been happening, and even about 21 herself."
Mafin raised an eyebrow, "You managed to get all of that information within a few hours? All while on a single location?"
Krillin replied, "Um...y-yeah."
The Pesutorian grinned, "That's amazing! I wonder, what else can you do at that Lookout place?!"
Goku spoke up, "Well, you can train with the Guardian of the Earth, and there's a bunch of other stuff up there too!"
He cheerfully waved at Mafin, "Hi there! You're Bisuk's nephew, right?"
Internally, the Pesutorian was thinking, "OH MY GOSH! OH MY GOSH! THIS IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING!"
Mafin stammered out, "Y-Yes. M-My name is Mafin..."
He pointed over to Begu, who was also just as starstruck, "...And that's my best friend, Begu."
Begu excitedly said, "H-Hey!"
Goku smiled, "Nice to finally meet you guys!"
The duo replied in unison, "Same here!"
The Saiyan warrior then asked Mafin, "So, what are you and your friend doing here on Earth?"
Mafin took a deep, calming breath, and explained, "Well, Ms. Supai sent us here to train with you, since she believed you have a more diverse education in martial arts than she does."
Goku bashfully rubbed the back of his head, "Aw! That's really sweet of her to say!"
He thought, "Come to think of it, I haven't really trained anyone in a LONG while. This could be pretty fun..."
The Saiyan placed his hands on his hips, "Alright, then! Once this whole situation is sorted out, I'll make sure to train you guys! How's that sound?"
Mafin grinned, "That sounds great!"
Begu wrapped an arm around the Pesutorian's waist, "We did it, man! We're gonna finally train with him soon!"
Mafin happily said, "I know, I know! So exciting!"
Krillin then opened up the small bag, "Alright, I know 18 and 17 don't really need Senzu Beans, so do any of you need it?"
21 replied, "No, I'm okay, but Mafin and Begu definitely need some. They're rather exhausted from today."
The duo stared into the bag, and saw several small green beans.
Begu asked, "What even are these things?"
Krillin explained, "They're mystical beans that restore your energy. It works if you're extremely injured or tired."
The duo nodded. They each took one bean out, and plopped it into their respective mouths.
All of a sudden, both men felt their respective energies quickly spike back up.
Mafin stammered, "My...My power! It's back to it's former health!"
Begu sighed with relief, "This feels so much better..."
21 grinned, "I'm glad to see you gentlemen back at your full strength!"
"Thanks, dude!", happily replied Begu.
"Thanks, 21.", smiled Mafin, "It was a little startling though..."
18 asked her husband, "So, Dende told you what you need to know, right? The monster we're dealing with here?"
Krillin nodded, "Yeah. That android can turn people into candy, and eat them. Just like Majin Buu."
18 stated, "It's possible that at some point in her development, someone put the same kind of cells in her body."
Krillin added, "If that's the case, then she'll eventually lose all control over her hunger."
Goku stated, "So, we're going to have to put a stop to her...before she ends up eating every last person on Earth."
The entire group nodded, and said, "Right!"
21 then smiled warmly at the two new people in the room.
"Thank you both. I'm very grateful for all of your help.", said the researcher as she bowed politely.
Goku smirked, "Hey, don't mention it."
Mafin asked the Saiyan, "Do you have an idea as for what's next?"
Goku placed a hand on his chin, "Hmm...I think I have an idea for you and your friends."
The trio looked at Goku with confused expressions.
Krillin raised an eyebrow, "Um, Goku? What do you plan on doing?"
Goku replied to the monk, "I'm gonna take these three over to the Lookout. I want to introduce them to the Hyperbolic Time Chamber."
21 stammered, "Th-The...what?"
Krillin's eyes widened in realization, "Wait, if they go in, then that means..."
Goku chuckled, "Oh, yeah!"
Krillin grinned, "That's awesome! That's a great idea, Goku!"
Begu asked, "Uh...can someone tell us what a time chamber is?"
Mafin nodded in agreement, "Yeah, I'm also a little confused."
21 added, "Same here."
Goku turned to face the trio, "Sorry, but I'll explain once we arrive at the Lookout."
He placed two fingers on his forehead, and held out his other hand, "Now grab onto me."
21 grabbed Goku's hand, as did Mafin.
Begu, who was much shorter than the other two, held onto Goku's leg instead.
The orange-clad warrior smirked, "Okay, let's do this!"
He looked over at the twins and Krillin, "I'll see you guys in a bit."
Goku then teleported himself and the trio out of the lab.
