Dragon Ball Z: The Catalyst

by Drakthul

Catalyst: a person or thing that precipitates an event or change. A traditional encounter is changed, and begins a series of events which will alter the fate of millions. From the beginning of the Saiyan Saga forward. Rated T for violence and themes.

102. Chapter 102: Fire at Will

Disclaimer, in case it wasn't obvious. I don't own Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, or really any other property. Thank you.

The Cataylst

Act VI

Chapter 102: Fire at Will

Android 23:

He could feel the rush. This was the moment he'd been waiting for. How perfect was all of this? The dumb brute who was pretending to be a CO, was badly damaged. His counterpart, Colonel Violet, was also critically damaged. He was fresh, and all he needed to do was feign to be on 17 and 18's side in the mess that would unfold. This meant that the good doctor's plans were about to come together. The stupid simians weren't going to catch on to his evolution even as he selected his first victim, they'd be too busy trying to survive against the other Androids. Better yet, he was going to get his revenge for the disrespect he'd been given so far at the hands of these children.

A smile was now stretching across his features, almost from ear to ear as he observed the latest arrivals. The Son Goku look-alike was certainly more handsome than his similar counterpart, and he certainly was a lot smarter, as far as 23 was concerned. Then of course, the disgusting hillbilly and his degenerate counterparts from the Diner were here as well. Seventeen and 18 didn't realize they were alone, which meant he needed to use the confusion of the battle to come to acquire 24 first. He was the most injured, and his power had been reduced the most.

"I'll retrieve 24, he's in no position to fight," he offered.

Seventeen seemed to be weighing what he said before the other units stepped in.

"You're other units from Dr. Gero?" Seventeen asked, his tone stiff as he asked, ignoring 23's request.

"You can't be serious," Turles said, his own tone becoming as rigid. "How many of you fucking things do I need to kill?"

"You've not killed any of us yet," Eighteen corrected, before her attention too went to the newcomers.

"Hey boss, I was thinking that 14 and I take care of the Doctor's project, and you take care of the aliens?"

The blonde with the slicked back hair couldn't stop smiling as he looked between the two groups before narrowing his eyes on Turles, Trunks and Vegeta, before his optics spied 22 and 24. Clearly, he was making a calculation of incoming threats, and thankfully he himself appeared to be whitelisted, just as the plan described. His own directives had long ago changed from restricted to fire at will. After the disaster with the Namekian, he knew better than to strike before he was ready…

"You know 15, I'm likin' the sound of that. Look at em, you know, I really do think I hate the fleshy-types more than anything else. Look at how weak they are, yet they're all out here, acting like they're the top dogs when they don't even know what real power looks like," Thirteen commented. "You hear that monkeys? I know what you three are, and it ain't so much of one of my shit's."

"Did the doctor program you to be retarded, or is this just a glitch in the programming?" Turles was quick to fire back, making even 23 smile in amusement. "Because I 'ain't' heard anything run out of your mouth beyond a line of trash you could hear from any human trailer park."

The android's face turned to dead seriousness as he took two steps forward, his eyes almost drilling holes through the Saiyan already. Already, 23 was formulating his plan. He would retrieve 24 in the chaos of 13's assault on the Saiyans, while 14 and 15 made their advances on 17 and 18. Funnily enough, his lower threat rating was going to let him fly under the radar. Already he was imagining everything he was going to have. The unification protocol in his system was running at the top of his priorities now, and he could taste his new power already.

He would supersede Android 17's capabilities as soon as he had 24, and once he dealt with 22, who was also in a crippled state, he would have more than enough power to defeat anyone alive, machine or not. That kind of power, in his restored, living body, made General Blue almost euphoric.

"Alright then boys, you slip those leashes and deal with the good doctor's subjects. Now remember, he wants those two back alive."

"What about the others?" Fifteen asked.

"My batch? Don't you worry yourself about them. I'm gonna be showing these boys some proper manners before I send their asses to Hell."

Perfect.

The first thing 23 noticed was the pair launch themselves at 17 and 18, sweeping between one another to prevent target focus, before the big one crashed into 17, and the smaller one collided with 18, the machines tumbling into the street as he already felt the booms resonate through the air as blows began to be exchanged. A brutal, straight forward fight was emerging as the cyborgs were unleashed upon one another, like pit-bulls in a cage, or slaves given a chance at freedom through the death of their comrades. He would have loved to watch them tear one another part piece by piece if he didn't have better things to do.

There was one noteworthy thing however, 16 was no longer distracted by whatever was in the distance, but instead was examining all of them, his passive stare seemingly much more intent on something. It was like he was interested in all of their fighting for the first time. He remembered this idiot standing aside and doing nothing when they fought against Piccolo, but now he seemed at the very least interested in what was happening.

Sixteen, you're the one Gero didn't want hurt. I'll enjoy tearing you apart after I acquire my missing parts from these two fools.

In truth, Blue wasn't loyal to anyone but himself. Not anymore, he could remember how Commander Red had left him to be killed by Mercenary Tao. If anything, it'd proved something to this new hybrid-intelligence. It proved that one should never follow other's leads. This was even further proved when 17 displayed the kind of 'leader' he was. Saving some stupid bitch, and going on a bus tour? They should have been subjecting the world to their power, or ruling over these insects like the Gods they had become. Instead, they wanted to have fun.

And 22 and 24 were complicate in all of it as well. He felt no mercy for them.

What caught his attention a second later, were the series of blasts already rolling along the side of the neighbourhood as 13 rushed into the Saiyans. Taking this as his cue, 22 launched towards the prone 24, attempting to 'rescue' his comrade in arms, landing next to him, he smirked down at the commander, who was still active, and trying to get up.

"Hurt yourself, old man?"

"Get me up," the other Android grunted, trying to pull himself up before 23 grabbed his hand, smirking as he did.

"Let's get you to somewhere quiet."

"How about get me back in the fight?" Twenty-Four spat. "Or didn't you notice a battle going on around us?"

"You're in no condition-"

Before 23 could feign anymore support, his eyes widened as he felt the air around him displacing. Letting go of 24's hand, he dropped his own frame to the ground as a blade swung through where he'd just been kneeling. Rolling forward a moment later, the sword came down where he'd dropped to. Pulling himself to his feet, he watched as 24 was kicked in the face, sending him tumbling to the side as he almost reached out for him, anger bursting through his veins as he locked onto his newest obstacle.

Standing there was the youngest of the monkeys, his golden aura glowing around him as he held the blade dangerously staring him down.

"You shouldn't have done that," Twenty-Three warned, his own disdain growing with every second. "That was a mistake."

There was a moment of calm that came over 23 as he felt himself just breath in, trying to calm himself down. Energy crackled around his feet, followed by his joints as he took another breath, trying to keep himself in line. This handsome young man was just getting in his way because he didn't know any better, or, at the worst-case scenario, he knew exactly what he was doing and was trying in futility to deny him his goal. Admittedly, he would enjoy gouging his eyes out, and pulling his fingers off one by one, as soon as he finished this fight, or achieved his upgrade. Still, his vindictive streak didn't go away as he tried to keep it together.

He failed to. He opened his eyes again, his teeth almost shattering at how hard he was gritting them while his fists balled to the point where even his enhanced, android body broke through the skin of his palms.

"You and all of your friends are going to get stopped here," Trunks, the boy, warned. "Or at least you're going to know that you were in a fight."

How utterly foolish. The juvenile view of how this battle would go angered him even more.

"That is a very dangerous viewpoint to have," Blue snarled before cracking his neck from side to side. "I'll know I'm in a fight once I've drenched myself in your blood. You stupid boy. You think you can just interrupt me?! I am your superior in every way, and you think you, some monkey, can get in my way while your friends get butchered?! Well FINE! I'll give you what you want. You can die first!"

Joins glowed with a burning orange as he prepared to launch himself forward, his anger growing even now as he plotted two paths of attack. Within a micro-second, he was already engaging, his body thrusting forward before he swept to the side of the Saiyan as his opponent's sword swept towards him…

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Turles:

I really need to learn to keep my mouth shut sometimes.

"Do you ever know when you keep your fool mouth shut!?" Vegeta shouted.

When the first three ki blasts landed with no effect on his counterpart, the redneck, for all intensive purposes were negligible. Which meant if he was calculating things correctly, this thing was powerful enough to probably kill a creature like Frieza with a stare. Jumping back, Turles knew he needed distance instinctively as his would-be killer made his way towards them. It was beyond parody something that looked and spoke so ridiculously was coming to murder him, and appeared to be stronger than the other Androids.

"Think you can run your mouth?" the machine demanded. "Think that I'm just some nobody you can take the piss out of? Boy? You listening to me?"

Scowling, Turles looked to Vegeta, who was already breaking from him, there was an invisible message there, and he knew when they made eye contact it was given. Any Saiyan worth their salt knew what an ambush could look like, and Turles had just offered to be the bait. The boy was off trying to liquidate the creepy one Piccolo beat to death almost, which meant that this was going to be their problem until the boy came back in. He was hoping that sword could make a dent in it. Either that, or he was hoping he had a chance to hit this thing with the Collapse Cut, though he wasn't sure if he had the distance to force the spinning ki blade, or that the machine wouldn't catch on. He'd need surprise to catch a stronger opponent with it.

Only a fraction after Vegeta had gotten the note, Turles realized he was already being overtaken by the machine. It was slightly taller than himself, its slicked back hair bristling in the wind of its motion. He felt a tick, something small in the back of his mind, a flash of the future, a fist connecting with his face, shattering his nose and crushing his cheek. Instinctively, he flinched, tucking his head down as the fist shot overhead, the Android looked irritated before Turles struck back at the opening, taking his shot where he could, his own fist slammed into its ribs. The machine halted in place, but didn't flinch. There was no give from where his fist landed, no movement. Pressing into the outer layer or muscle, he met a wall of bone and metal that rejected his fist as if it were nothing.

The Super Saiyan hung there for a moment, his eyes widened as he realized how he'd just done nothing with a head on attack.

"You got your tiny punches, Saiyan?" he heard from the Android, it'd not even moved to attack him yet. "You able to open your ears? Or are you in a condition that you cannot understand the words that are comin' out of my mouth? Do you not speak Trailer Park, as you so kindly put it, to the accent of my origins?"

Instinctively, Turles struck him again, his fist coming back in, striking the machine from the other side. The result was the exact same, and that meant this was no fluke.

That's. Bad.

Suddenly he felt a single shot hit him in response, the Android's fist almost seemingly punched a hole through him. His body almost launched forward, but instead he felt another blow come in, this time hitting him in the side of the face. His vision on his left side went blank for a split moment the hit was so hard, he was almost worried he'd broken his skull open it was so powerful. Thankfully, he had a thick skull, apparently a trait he and Kakarot shared. Al the same, the damage was severe.

There was a flash behind his eyes however as he saw another punch coming, he could almost feet it. The Android was going to strike him from the other side, and without fully realizing it, Turles had already ducked it as best he could. He felt the force of the punch swish over his head as the machine looked confused. A split second before a kick tried to snap out, aiming for his stomach, despite its superior speed, Turles had already started moving before it had even started, barely slipping out of the way as the machine tried to cut him off already, his speed increasing as well as his ferocity, before he landed a hand left jab into his sternum well after it's own leg had pulled back from the kick, but while Turles was still in motion from his dodge.

His body skipped back, breaking through a small house before ploughing into an already ruined garage, his frame smashing into an already half destroyed car. Trying to recover, he didn't even pull himself up before the machine lorded over him cracking its knuckles, instead of joke bone snapping, he heard what sounded like metal places clicking at the same time.

"You're a fast son-bitch, aren't you?" it asked.

God damn it. I hate the way this thing talks.

"Think your fast enough to get out from under me?"

What was the best answer to any of this thing's grating questions? He barely knew. It might have been the head injury, or the fact he was angry that Vegeta hadn't taken his chance to intervene yet, but Turles knew exactly what to do, as far as he was concerned.

"Speak up boy, I can't hear you. Or are you too scared, like some low-lyin' piece of trash," Thirteen commented.

Phlegm sucked up the back of Turles's throat before he spat back his response. The lump of mucus and saliva traveled through the air just as the Android leaned in, trying to mock him, before it caught him just under his eye, hitting him in the cheek, a bit of the spittle undoubtedly hitting the eye ball as well before Turles snapped forward as it pulled back, instinctively wiping the 'attack' from its face. His leg snapped up, connecting with the side of the manchine's torso, hitting it as hard as he could, this time the machine stumbled back, if barely, before he snapped his other leg around, hitting him square in the chest, sending the machine off its feet, if barely once more, his back hitting the paved driveway, or what was left of it.

Already Turles was searching for Vegeta as the machine lay there for a second, it started to sit up as Turles brushed his own lip of excess spit.

"You hear that?" Turles responded.

"Yea, I think I did," Thirteen remarked back. "Think I heard you just say you wanted to suffer before I put your ass in the dirt, you monkey-loving-son-of-a-bitch!"

Prior to this, the attacks from the machine had been almost mechanical, but as it launched itself up at him, not only did he feel the force radiating off the machine as it appeared in front of him, he felt the fury behind its first hit, crashing into the side of his body as his ribs resonated along with the meat around them from a series of body shots. He felt bleeding opening up inside his body, knowing only Saiyan physiology was going to save him from a miserable death already before he felt the machine's fist make a solid connection with his face. A glimmer of blue energy behind them was the only thing Turles caught as he sensed the next blow coming to his head again, shifting his head to the side before he slammed his own skull into the Android's nose.

It took only a brief moment of it stepping back before Turles jetted backwards, throwing a hastily configured Calamity Blaster forward, connecting with him head on. The blast was still being thrown by a Super Saiyan, this time causing an explosion that only leveled most of the block. When the shockwave finished, and the smoke faded, the Android was standing there, unscathed, just checking his nose for blood.

When his hand pulled away, he looked down at his hand before looking back up at him.

"Really?" he asked. "Is that the best you can throw at me? I hear all this badass talk about Super Saiyans and murder-machines, and here I am fightin' a god damn nobody who couldn't beat his own grandmother, and that's after she tied both her hands behind her back. You know what? I'm sorry about that, I'm not sure if you have a grandmother, because as far as I can tell you're just some piece of shit that rolled out of someone's ass after a long night of drinkin' bleach and eating bananas."

Turles narrowed his eyes as the Android started to swagger towards him, his stance angry and raw as he moved with purpose, trying to intimidate him. The trash-talk with such a cold, but hostile inflection definitely had the desired effect of making him angry, while at the same time whittling down confidence. Though Turles was thankful that he had an overabundance of confidence in his own plans, if other people did their jobs.

"Careful, you might slip on the peels."

There was a pause before the machine narrowed his eyes on him.

"Big. BANG. ATTACK!"

The world swept with blue light as Turles's smirk only grew, he gave a small wave of one of right hand, flicking out his fingers in a gesture of goodbye before blasting himself backwards, only seeing the Android turn to look behind him a moment later as the bright blue light shone past his shoulders as the entire world seemed to go white and blue, the machine seemingly flinching at the last moment. Turles barely got out of the blast-range before the wave appeared, annihilating the eastern outskirts of West City as well as the small communities nearby. Windows shattered across the entire city as buildings he took cover near simply vanished in the pure force of the wave as the giant blue fireball rose into the sky behind him. Taking in several breaths before the darkness swept over him as all the light around them was absorbed by the wave itself, he heard the sound of a million thunderbolts mixed in with the noise of the explosion, as the noise of the storm of materials, concrete, wood, glass, and other assorted parts, created a maelstrom of noise all around him.

Even with his Super Saiyan power, even as he hunkered down and used his ki as a shield for himself, Turles knew he was playing with fire as he felt his energy almost buckle, even this far away. His insides still felt like tenderized steak, but his ki was still flowing as it should.

The only problem was, even as the storm of destruction finished all around him, the clouds of dust and smoke fading as fires broke out across what was now a wasteland, with a massive crater in the middle of it, Turles felt himself take a small sigh of relief, almost expecting to hear the sound of the Android's head bounce along the ground like 19's had in the near-silence that followed the blast.

It wasn't in the crater that Turles then noticed the big problem. It was hovering above it, exactly where he had been. Beyond them, he could see Vegeta hanging in the air, a look of pure disbelief on his face. That attack had been charged, if it'd not made contact with the Android, it'd have burrowed into the Earth and caused a gigantic explosion, likely big enough to devastate a country or continent. The Big Bang Attack appeared to be a concentrated blast as well, an attack with enough energy, despite its "smaller" blast size, would release a more devastating impact across its area of effect. It could kill stronger fighters, more easily.

Well, that thing was now floating there, just looking back at Vegeta, and Turles felt the hairs on the back of his neck join his Super Saiyan hair in that they were rising. This was a big problem. Even with plans, he was beginning to doubt they had the tools to stop this thing.

The other fights had seemingly stalled due to the attack at least, which brought Turles to his next plan, and this one seemed to be a much better one…

"So, the king of the fucking monkeys' thinks he can get involved with my business? I hope you got another one of those in you, because I ain't felt a damn thing. What was that? Did you just try spitting on me, your royal highness? Oh, that was the real attack? Aint' that the shits," the Android mocked, even from behind him, Turles could almost feel the sinister nature of what was being sad bleed through.

This thing was a wrecking ball, and it was almost entirely composed of a bad attitude and testosterone. Above and beyond, Vegeta's stance was clearly nervous, as Turles knew how much power Vegeta had focused into that attack. If it didn't get the job done, they both knew just how outclassed they were.

"You're about to find out what happens when you pick a fight with someone who's better than you. Because I am better than you, you and your worthless piece of shit, Goku-look alike back there. Your royal majesty, your princeness, or whatever the Hell you call yourself, you vegetable-headed failure, I'm feeling bad for you, so allow me to open things up for you. I'll give you a chance to either fight or run, you pick. Now, don't let me pick for you now, because otherwise there is a big ol' can of whoop ass waiting for you. Hell, there is a can waiting for you either way. But I'm gonna let you pick how you want it. You want that can of whoop-ass opened up on you gently, like you're a princess in waiting, you son of a bitch, or did you want that fucker shaken-"

Swinging both his own arms out while Vegeta remained back in the air, Turles formed the Collapse Cut before launching it a split second. The double sided ki blast spinning through the air as it flattened, heading straight for the Android's back. It turned to face the attack only for a second, before to his own surprise it'd already flipped over it, the blades sweeping past, cutting into ground a few metres away.

The Android pointed his finger at him, the machine's cold, unfeeling eyes almost seemed to stare through him.

"I guess you monkeys like to give that can a good shake, well, you can't say that I didn't warn you. The Android 13 ass whoopin' class is about to get started."

Shit.

A second later, Turles felt the beating resume.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Android 17:

The blast-wave had been like being next to a meteor strike. The wave sent him, 18, and the other two androids flying off of their fighting positions and tumbling through the open road in the now completely annihilated neighborhoods on the outskirts of West City. One thing 17 had been learning while fighting the big one, was that the guy was completely relentless. They were trading shot for shot, and he had to stop holding anything back in the fight. The big guy was hitting him as hard as he was being hit, and the only notable difference, was he seemed to utterly not be phased by anything 17 landed on him, where as 17 was definitely registering the effects of the pain of the attack.

But now that there was a mild reprieve in the fighting, he knew he was going to need to make an active decision in terms of where the fight was taking place. A third of West City was burning, and even though he might have found that amusing some days ago, it seemed a lot less amusing now. Even now while the smoke was billowing out of the hole Vegeta had blasted in the face of the Earth, this was a fight that was only going to escalate until two groups of them were dead. These other slaves to Doctor Gero were not going to hold him down.

It looked like the Good Doctor had vacated, and now his lapdogs were here. The real concern was though… how were these things so strong? It was clear to him that the thing he'd been fighting was his equal.

I am the ultimate Android though, how can these inferior models be on par with me?

"That little one is fast," Eighteen said, her own tone irritated. "He nearly knocked me out, if I wasn't taking it seriously, he would have. These things are much stronger than the 20's series."

"Yea, I'm noticing that," Seventeen commented as the other two machines could be seen regrouping as well, the little one mouthing something to the big one as 17 looked at 18.

"We've got to get distance from the city, I'd rather Lade not get killed if we can avoid it. That'd be bad manners on our part, wouldn't you agree?"

"Hm," Eighteen sounded back. "Fighting for our lives and you're worried about your girlfriend? What about 24, 23 and 22?"

"Oh ha, ha. I thought you said you were taking this seriously? They'll be fine. Twenty-Three was fighting some Saiyan, he'll kill that one and retrieve 24. I can't keep a leash on 22, but she might even finally get to kill Vegeta. She's beat him enough to do it. But we need to relocate our side of the fight."

"I say we trade up. I don't mind handling big strong and stupid, if you want to handle short, vicious and fast," she added.

How much worse could the little guy be, really? That seemed like a fair trade.

Gesturing his head to one side to indicate it was fine, and they should move, she nodded.

"Hey, you two," Seventeen addressed them. "Are you defective? Because I thought the idiot from south of south city gave you guys orders to try and take us. I'm guessing Doctor Gero handed those down? Well, either way, think you can keep up? Or are you just going to stand around?"

"You know, those kinds of hurtful things, like sayin' we are just pawns of Dr. Gero, or that we are bad at following orders, is really out of line," the short Android responded. "Look, we even gave you guys the food you asked for. You then go crazy and blew up the diner? Wasn't even our diner, and you gone and tried to kill us? That shit's messed up man. I ain't even bring that up while you been fighting back against Dr. Gero's plan. This stuff isn't personal man, why you gotta be like this? Calling your brothers defective. Shit's wrong."

For a brief second, 17 almost wanted to apologize, but instead rolled his eyes, before jetting past the ruins created by Vegeta's blast, ripping through the desolated forest before bursting through another hundred kilometres were of space before stopping. Through just detections of changes in the currents around them, even when moving through the trees, as well as audio and visual detection software interacting with his enhanced senses, he knew full well that they'd been followed.

As soon as they hit the clearing, 18 already had her guard up, and so did he. Fortunately, their counterparts were already across from them again.

"Now you tryin' to run from us? I thought you were the ultimate Androids. You're supposed to be the big ultimate badass the doctor made. Well, for all those fine features, my sensors are saying our odds seem pretty good. Now that you're running too, shit, I'd say you're even a step behind. Wouldn't you say, 17? Or how about you 18? You got an opinion? Tell you what, how about instead of all this fightin' and killin', we just head on over to Dr. Gero's lab, where you can power down and he can sort out some of those bugs you got goin' on in those heads of yours."

The big one didn't say a word, a killer's stare just shot through both of them as he let the little one talk.

Seventeen felt something scratching at the back of his mind as he looked at the two of them. They were familiar to him, buried within layer upon layer of deleted files and restricted memory locations inside his human brain. It took him several moments, but staring at them as they continued to square off, he heard 18 first.

"Subjects 14 and 15," she almost mouthed. "You were… at the facility."

The other two paused themselves upon hearing it, before the small one smiled.

"My files aren't as restricted as yours, I've been a good boy. Yes, these host bodies were acquired and utilized, on-site," Fifteen responded. "Our design is fundamentally different than yours. Which I'm sure you are noticing."

The change in his language spoke to the same changes they all went through themselves. He was more relaxed, his tone more like his native tongue, when addressing anything that involved them truly interacting, but as soon as they mentioned his original self? He went completely computer. These ones were 'chipped', there were much stricter controls on them. He was guessing that meant their combat effectiveness, despite their power, might have some shortcomings.

At least, he hoped that was the case. Because right now he was more than angry that he wasn't the ultimate Android.

The Hell with that, I'm not going to get dragged back anywhere with these two idiots.

"The only thing I'm noticing is a lack of taste," Seventeen offered in response. "And maybe a few extra defects in your design. Why don't we have a discussion with our fists and find out just how different we are, junior."

His implication of the small stature of the other Android led to the small figure pulling a flask from his pocket, taking a swig before putting it away, the glasses wearing machine then stepped forward.

"Look, I'm gonna level with you, I don't like it when people take shots at my height. So, I was being friendly-"

"I don't think you're able to level with anyone," Seventeen responded, knowing exactly what the response would be.

Tilting his head to one side, taking in the words before pointing his finger at 17 menacingly.

"You see," he started, his voice clearly annoyed, more than annoyed, even. "You see, that's the kinda shit I can't just let stand."

"I mean, I could sit, and then you might be able to level with me on it."

Well, his plan to antagonize the little guy into making the first move definitely worked, because 17 saw several flashes from beneath his glasses before the smaller Android lunged at him, his mouth twisted into a furious frown. He wished he had time to remark about how adorable it was when people the same size as children threw tantrums, but he quickly found himself in a flurry of motion, unable to keep focused on anything else but the fight. And while the blows were being exchanged, he did give a small smile all the same.

Because he could tell he was a fraction stronger than this guy, and between their two processing units, he was willing to bet he had the better one.

Which meant this was going to go his way.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Android 22:

Booms thundered out over the landscape ahead of her as she hovered in the air, her eyes darting between the three main conflicts which had emerged all around her. This had been so simple up until only a few moments ago, and now everything was a damn mess.

Some buff looking southern moron was beating the Hell out of Turles, and now Vegeta, as far as she could tell, and her sensors, based off impacts, speed, and movements were telling her he was much stronger than Android 17. Then there was 23, attacking Trunks, which looked like it was strangely closer than it had been before, though she could still see the other Saiyan putting up a fight. Then there were the other two machines, fighting 17 and 18 on the outskirts of the city. The other problem was still lurking here as well, as the Saiyan Raditz hadn't been eliminated by her attack, on purpose, mind you. It meant she'd need to kill Vegeta sooner, rather than later, whether her arm was up to it or not.

Her eyes shifted dead ahead as she felt the air move around her. He was moving nearby, and fast, though clearly not as fast as she was in any respect. Was he really about to start a fight with her? Over what? The fact she wasn't who he thought she was? It was juvenile. Admittedly, pining after someone who'd been dead for years, and held you in disdain, whether you knew it or not, was also juvenile.

"I told you to leave and stay out of my way," She warned, not even looking as he materialized behind her, she could sense his guard was up as he halted in the air behind her.

"I'm not going anywhere until I get answers," he ordered her in response. "If you are wearing her face, and know who she was, then you have to know what happened with her."

When she turned to look at him, she felt herself glaring daggers. So, this was what she got for showing any mercy? No wonder Colonel Violet killed anyone who crossed her path, if she could. It sparred you the annoyance of having to deal with such verbal demands, that reeked of desperation or stupidity. The dog was clearly not satisfied with the answer, but she doubted that any answer she'd given him would have been satisfactory. Her stance, his guard, was so brazen to be aggressive towards her. Really? Was that how insane this man had been driven since he'd last met Violet?

"Colonel Violet was crushed by a landslide, caused by the Saiyan's Nappa and Vegeta," she said bluntly. "She died in your arms. You should know her fate well."

His stance softened right away as his eyes widened in surprise.

"But… but you're here," he almost urged. "How is that possible? How are you not her, but you know what happened? No one knew what happened except for myself, Nappa, Vegeta… and you."

Another series of booms exploded nearby them as the battles raged all around them, but they felt oddly silent. Strangely, he was having a conversation with someone who wasn't there anymore, and she was trying to have a conversation with someone she needed out of the way. The fact anyone would care about Colonel Violet of all people was beyond her. In her limited activation time with the other Androids, she'd already experienced more connections with others, even if they were also machines, than Colonel Violet had experienced in the decades since she'd left her upbringing.

"I am wearing her corpse," she answered bluntly. "I am a machine. I am a series of scripts and code, being utilized by an advanced series of micro-processors utilizing micro-fused cores."

As she spoke, she moved her hand up next to her, moving the meat-puppet of her body, moving the fingers in her hand as if to demonstrate a point.

"This frame was selected due to its potential when I was designed. It is only alive by virtue of regenerative treatments. It has no soul. It isn't inhabited by the lost spirit of your colleague, or anything other than myself. I have access to detailed files on her, and I have access to her memories when necessary."

Another boom echoed out as her eyes turned briefly, noting how close it was as she saw Vegeta's body smashed through a series of ruins below. Her eyes traced him as her other arm lay uselessly at her side. When she turned back to Raditz, his guard was gone now as he just hung in the air where he was, his expression one she couldn't read.

"So, you're just an android then? Nothing but a machine pulling the strings on a puppet?"

"Yes," she answered. "You knew Colonel Violet, Raditz," she added the name this time, to stress the point. "You should heed my advice and just move on with whatever life you've built for yourself. Despite being a monster, you were better than she deserved, in any capacity. I've seen who she was from behind her eyes. She's worse than any Android I've met, except maybe him."

She gestured towards where 23 and Trunks were fighting while not breaking eye contact with him.

"Why are you warning me about this? Why haven't you tried to kill me yet?"

That was an odd question, wasn't it? She had a dozen answers come to the fore, the most prominent was the fact he was a weakling compared to the others, and was no real threat to her. The other one was that she had pity for him, knowing already that he'd allowed his life to be consumed by a few moments on a mountainside years ago. She could see that just from how he was now, she could even connect some of the dots from her interactions from Vegeta, even if they were vague. It was hardly that she cared, truly, that was minimal, it was that she herself was plagued by ghosts. The only way she knew she could put those to rest, was killing Vegeta. Once that was done, the phantom memories wouldn't be brought to the fore in the way they were anymore. Somehow, solving that for this simple creature, felt like perhaps she could close the book for him as well.

The last thing she wanted to mention to this deluded creature, was that she was haunted by the memories she could still see through the filter of a dead mind. Even now, the last memory she had access to was the final memory. The thoughts of desperation and fear in a body that was failing, as she looked up at the desperately worried Raditz, who just seemed to be in denial that the creature was dying.

Another explosive boom rang out as Trunks now went tumbling away, it looked as if 24 had reactivated, intervening in the fight happening behind her.

"You are the only one who ever cared about this corpse, and even if I'm not her, I have learned enough to know what pity is," she answered him, almost unthinking. "You also aren't a threat, and you're not on my target list. Though my tolerance is beginning to run thin. Leave, and stay out of my way."

Her warning was issued again, this time being backed up by the fact her stance was slowly shifting.

"She really isn't in there," Raditz remarked, sounding sad? "Violet would have never told me that."

Really? This thing was looking for this woman? Still? She'd informed him that she'd have killed him only a few minutes ago. He understood that, even before she'd said that to him. What a bizarre creature this thing was.

"You were still holding out hope for that? I told you, she'd have killed you," she responded.

"I know she would have," Raditz responded, his tone becoming depressed as he spoke. "But at least she could have avenged herself. I… I tried to avenge her. I told you before that I tried to do what she would have wanted. I… I failed though."

It was strange, wasn't it? The monster Violet had seen, and who 22 still saw herself in this moment, was willing to be killed for failing to complete her revenge. To this day, he was clearly still trying to appease her. She wouldn't have even called it admirable at this point. He bore the scars of those failures, clearly, however, even if they were mental.

"I… I knew when I failed to get the Dragon Balls, I'd failed her already. I thought perhaps I could still convince Vegeta, but… I was wrong. You know, clearly, that I was wrong," he admitted, sounding like a confession which had been held tight for years. "I felt invincible when she was with me. I remember her displaying her power as a warrior amongst the weaklings on this planet, her ruthlessness. She reminded me of the familiar, of my own people. The dragon balls were the things we sought, but it only mattered to me from duty. Every day we were together, my strength increased as well. I thought it would go on forever."

She didn't know what to even say to that as he looked away from her, looking towards where Vegeta was, clearly desperately fight for his life against one of the new Androids that had appeared. She looked as well, and even if she couldn't sense energy, she could sense the desperation of the struggle.

"And just like he always did, Vegeta took that away from me and asserted his authority. He tarnished my honour by breaking my word for me, and I was powerless but to grovel in front of him. Something that he's always cruelly taken pleasure in and then left me to suffer anyway. The fact I've failed to kill him, or avenge Violet, still, is my greatest shame," he said honestly. "That is why I would have let her kill me, if you were her. Because I know she'd get the revenge I never could, and she'd take her revenge on me as well for… failing her."

Honour cultures, she could remember how much Violet loathed them. A bunch of self-deluded apes somehow thought it had any bearing on their lives. All the same, when she turned to look back at him, she could tell something. Letting him live was almost crueller than killing him. The way he spoke of his failures, she could tell they perhaps consumed his life, being unable to restore his fictional honour, and address the balance book of his revenge.

The only thing she could understand, was the craving for revenge.

"I will kill Vegeta," she informed him coldly. "If you want to watch that's up to you. But I don't want you around. I don't care if you loved this suit of meat and bone. I-"

Her own voice halted as she felt the world beginning to rumble, as a field of energy formed behind them.

What the Hell is that?

Her eyes widened as she peered at what she saw. It changed everything when she realized what exactly had happened, her optics zooming in as her blood ran cold.

What?

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Android 23:

The punk with a sword was getting on his nerves. Despite him landing several critical strikes on him, the warrior had kept himself in the fight, his tenacity clearly had grown since his last encounter with Android 22, even if his power had seemingly only increased to a minimal degree. Twenty-Three did detest those who held on too long, it was humiliating for both themselves, and their betters. The fact that the better warrior was made to struggle, and was forced to delay the satisfaction of victory was a great shame emotionally, and the fact that the weaker opponent only delayed the inevitable hardly did them any favours either. The whole affair would turn to tedium, it turned the fight into a lie, something that concealed the truth of the matter.

As the Saiyan was lying to himself, if he believed for even a heartbeat that he could maintain a stalemate with him for much longer. The only thing that brought 23 any joy, was the idea that he would slowly kill the Super Saiyan for this, rather than finishing him cleanly. He'd enjoy pulling the bones out of his hands, or breaking every bone in his body one by one, simply for the joy of doing so. Though that level of sadism would need to wait until he achieved the completion of his design.

Another shot landed on him, this time a right from his cheek as 23 was sent sliding back across the already scarred surface of the cement on the sidewalk. The teenager, his clothing torn, stood defiant, his chest heaving, the remnants of his jacket hanging over his shoulders as 23 licked the blood from his lip. In truth, he'd enjoy watching the screams of agony of his opponent once this was over. His own ecstasy could be formed in the pain of others. He'd be so lucky to see that happen. He would need his own luck to be better, to be more fortunate, than his victims.

Another series of explosions rocked the world around them as 17 and 18 battled 14 and 15, they'd attempted to draw themselves away from the city, he could tell, but even now the other Androids sent by Dr. Gero, were drawing the conflict back towards West City. They were truly machines after his own heart if they were so cruel as to bring the battle back towards this bastion of humanity. Even now, there were terrified noises coming from basements, or the groans of suffering and dying coming from rubble which had yet to see all their occupants die.

They too, had been dealt poorly from fortune's cards.

When the teenager swept towards him, sword in hand, 23 focused his energy, preparing to launch a bolt of blue energy into his attacker, hoping to gain distance to complete the first step of his plan.

Instead, he saw the boy fold in on himself in the air as a gigantic arm slammed into his gut, before a crack thundered out a second later, a giant blonde skull, colliding with the smaller one, sending the boy rolling back across several dozen metres of ruined lawn and road. Twenty-Four had apparently rested enough to at least function in a fight.

The boy was already getting back to his feet, blood trickling down his forehead. He seemed determined, clearly trying to prove something. Fanatics were the worst for this kind of behaviour.

"Never say die," he heard his brutish commander remark.

"Thanks," Twenty-Three offered, stepping up behind him.

A series of schematics rolled across his HUD, picking out the expansion of his own design, enacting protocols from behind. Killing the interloper would be easier with 24's help, but it'd be yet easier with 24's purpose being fulfilled.

"You ready?" he heard 24 asked. "Because my reserves are still low. But I think this one shouldn't take long to finish off, then we've got to head to provide support for 17 and 18."

"Really? What about 22? Shouldn't we help her?" he asked, making small talk.

"If she's lucky, she'll get a chance to finish off Vegeta."

She'd be so lucky, wouldn't she?

Overdrive kicked in as 23 finished his necessary executions internally. The weakest point on the body was identified as his hand jetted forward, plunging into 24's back. The familiar sense of blood on his skin, drenching over him as specks of it splattered against his lip and face, were exhilarating. There was a complete look of confusion and horror on Trunks' face, and he suspected the same was true for his now gurgling CO. How he'd longed to do this, to acquire the first components, but more importantly to put this piece of meat in his place. The processor onboard his commander had thought himself to be his better, well who was better now?

He heard no questions, no last words, as he'd done such trauma to the lungs on his attack, that he doubled there was much to say.

As 24 dropped to his knees, he felt the giant's hands clutching his own, now on the front of his body before he slowly pulled it back within the other machine's chest. Leaning forward 23 whispered something he knew only the giant would hear.

"Do you feel that, 24? That is the fulfillment of purpose, the completion of one's designed goal," he said, his voice hinging on excited.

"But…" the stunned Trunks remarked. "But he was one of your own kind. He was on your side."

There was a struggling noise from his victim, it was the sound of vindication, the sound of greater things to come. He could almost hum an old tune from his youth, or from Blue's youth. The first time the General had taken a life, it'd been after hours of excitement and anxiety, having brutally mauled some poor boy after a battle with the Red Ribbon Army. He enjoyed the fear, and exhilaration of the entire affair so much, it'd been a sensation he'd chased for too long.

"Your luck, is not my luck," he whispered to 24, his tone soft, almost compassionate, almost speaking as if it was a melody. "It's not my luck… Your luck, is not my luck… yours is bad luck, my luck is destiny…"

That was as far as his compassion would go as he tore the primary power supply out of 24's chest. The body went limp immediately as its head went down. The gore-soaked device was held in his hand as he stared back at Trunks, an ever-darkening smile pulling at his lips as his own body started to glow, and the nodes in 24's body began to glow as well. The device was pressed against his own abdomen a moment later, before being sucked into it, pushing through the outer layer of his flesh as he felt it interconnect with specially placed points within his body. The nodes in 24's body tore out of his as well, all of them pressing against his skin, entering his frame, doubling his Overdrive capacity in seconds as his optics saw the last piece pull out of the giant's skull, leaving a bloody trail behind it, as the next processor slipped into his own head, going to the base of his skull and pushing into it.

Energy sparked off his body as he felt his muscles tighten. A field of energy emerged around his body as 24's frame burned, having no energy to protect its outer layer of clothing and flesh as the field expanded around him. The stunned onlooker, the Saiyan, jumped back only at the last moment as 23's voice cried out in vindication.

"YES!" he laughed. "Delightful! Wonderful! Every second I've waited for up until this moment! Every humiliation, washed away in a moment of violence!"

The field of energy only grew as his twin-power plants interconnected, providing his body with more power. His slave-processor began to scream in a silent horror as 24's personality was erased and his own was copied over it. It was the final death. His files were no necessary. He could hear himself, resonating twice within his own skull as the two chips integrated, before offsetting tasks more efficiently as the two chips became one. The blood on his arm evaporated, much as 24's mind did, as he was left standing, pure, new, reborn in every sense of the word.

Stepping over the half-charred corpse, he looked at the Super Saiyan, intent only on taking a moment to stretch. His own power estimates placed him at almost 3 times his original capabilities, with a potential to be 5 times his superior if under the right overdrive conditions. Those numbers would increase by a full half, or double, after the integration of 22's components.

The trinity of design. He could see it in his files now. Thirteen, 14, and 15 were of the same concept. Seventeen and 18 were matched with another design as well, though he didn't have all the specifications. They were all the concept of completion, the three series of Androids, created conceptually by three scientists, all working together under the overall genius of Dr. Gero and the banner of the Red Ribbon Army.

And he was the first to begin realizing his potential. The joyride he would take with his power, especially once he finished acquiring 22, was going to be fantastic.

His sensors already picked up 22 in the air, along with a long haired Saiyan, the pair were staring down at him as he brushed his shoulders for a brief moment, smiling devilishly at them before 15 flew past him, the smaller Android screaming as he did, breaking through what was left of some wreckage nearby.

His optics then saw Trunks hanging in the air as well, sword in hand.

"What have you done?" Trunks demanded. "Did you kill your own

"He's betrayed me," Seventeen's voice emerged from behind him, clearly rife with fury. "And he's betrayed all of us. Or is it not as it appears, 23?"

Too bad you caught on this quickly. My power field was too much of a beacon. The energy readings must have been high enough for them to realize it.

There was a small laugh before 23 began to bellow with humour. Now, despite his power not being at its greatest, he would be able to fulfill his objective of humbling 17. In fact, he would kill 17, and 18, as their very existence was a threat to his future domination. After he absorbed 22, he would kill 13 as well. With each death, his prominence as this world's future ruler, as the most powerful being alive, would be guaranteed.

"I betrayed you? As if anyone would follow you, 17. You pathetic fool! You're nothing but some punk-youth with a power trip. You act as if I'd simply take orders from someone who's nothing but a battery for his betters. You should feel so lucky that I played along with your games as long as I did."

For now, he would need to use his allies, but once this was finished, he would find and liquidate Dr. Gero and 21 as well. His dominance, his revenge, his ascendancy had begun.

He didn't have ki, so it was likely the radiance of the energy spike. To an Android, it would have been like sensing a storm coming in the air, like an animal before a great storm.

Another body plunged into the road, this time the Goku look alike. Before 15 landed near him, looking as if he'd been fighting intensely so far. Vegeta's frame landed next, his body hitting the ground hard on his feet however, he looked exhausted even as the other Saiyan pulled himself up.

"Yee-haw, that was fun, wasn't it boys?" he heard from above.

So, new battle lines were being drawn, it would seem.

But it was 17 who was glaring at him intensely more than anything that drew his attention, even drawing it away from the injured 22. It was the same burning disdain he'd felt for Piccolo. That idea that this one had felt himself above him for so long, when it was 23 who had been the real master behind everything. It was 23 who had plotted and schemed to maintain his own power and strength. It had been 23 who was far more important than 17, who was just some battery for another organism. Being ordered around by a battery, being humiliated by him, 24, and the others.

"What's the plan?" Fifteen asked him from the side.

"I think the first stage of the plan is to deal with 17," he answered in turn.

The Saiyans seemed confused, as they hadn't expected machine to fight machine as they were. It was the Goku look alike, who looked at Vegeta, before looking at Trunks.

"New plan," he voiced. "Support the teenagers. We'll kill these other things first."

"Ain't that a fine sentiment, joining forces to try and stop us? Damn shame that all of you together couldn't stop the three of us, let alone us havin' our good friend 23 joining the ranks. Tell you what, surrender now, and I might even let you die quick."

"Hey!" Vegeta shouted, turning his attention to 23's former 'master'. "Stay out of our way, and we'll stay out of yours!"

This was getting bothersome, but with his power at new levels, there was one trick he had left in his arsenal.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Android 17:

Twenty-Four's body was laying there, lifeless, and he knew why. Even if he didn't fully understand it, as soon as the energy pulse had radiated outwards, he knew that something had happened in the city. Even with his fight with the smaller Android, 17 knew his place was to come back and find out what had happened. The discovery was… disappointing, to say the least. The dead body of Android 24 was laying there, burnt, and with a hole in its chest, with 23 standing over him. The realization in that moment had told him enough.

The least liked of his allies, had turned on them. Betrayal wasn't something he took well, it seemed. His own eyes now stared intensely at the one responsible for this. The Saiyans themselves also seemed to be willing to participate on their side. That meant the three of them, 18, and himself, fighting against the three newcomers and 23. The only problem was, if that power discharge was right, then 23 was as strong as he was. He also didn't have a bead on how powerful 13 was. This was now actually a problem.

If this goes sideways, I'm going to make sure that 23 dies at the very least.

So, it was all apart of Dr. Gero's plans then? He should have never let him live. Now he saw why with clarity. These Androids were his failsafe, and 23's betrayal was inspired by him. This was his attempt to regain control over him and acquire his revenge. Which meant now as well, that Dr. Gero cared more about evening the score between the two of them, than he did killing Son Goku or his friends.

A final test for himself was in order then. Kill his creator's puppets, and then kill him, before completing his objective of killing Goku. Even now his priorities were reconfigured internally, especially as he looked at the smug look on 23's face. The fact this nobody called him just some battery not only was offensive, but it didn't make any sense…

Unless he knows something I don't?

Seventeen's eyes narrowed on him before he looked at 18, who now stared back at him seriously as well.

"Work with the Saiyans," Seventeen ordered. "I'm going to handle our friend 23, after he's finished, I'll come and help finish off these things."

"You're too kind," she said, rolling her eyes before zipping to the ground, landing next to Turles and Vegeta, who stepped back hesitantly at her presence.

How things were changing. But right now, as he stared down at the traitor that had been under his nose, his questions still itching at his mind, 17 did his best to control his rage, keeping it in check at the arrogant look he was being given.

"So, you think they're gonna last that long against us?" Fifteen asked as their leader landed next to them.

"These boys ain't gonna last more than a few minutes," Thirteen mocked. "Hell, I bet they won't last as long as they would with a woman, only it'll be even less satisfying for everyone involved."

"You know, I think that one's the worst," Eighteen commented.

"He's all yours," Turles sounded off.

"Aren't you generous?"the sarcastic response came.

While that was being sorted out, 17 gestured towards his former underling, clearly indicating that he was interested in continuing their conversation in a more violent capacity. Twenty-Three's smile didn't waver as his body started to lift into the air, the ground beneath him resonating with increased force. He'd definitely increased his power, and substantially so. Still, until they made contact with one another, he'd have trouble judging his exact strength.

"You remember the doctor's orders, Blue?" Thirteen asked from below. "Cuz if you forget, I may need to head up there and remind you."

"Yes, I know, alive," Blue answered scathingly, turning his head briefly to answer 13.

It was in that split second, 17 took his moment, snapping forward and landing a kick square on 23's face. There was no reason to play honourable with someone who'd turned their back on them. When the body smashed into the wreckage of a small property, the ground split open and devoured two other wrecked homes. The ground rumbled before he heard the sounds of battle running past his ears below, flashes of energy, ki, and power flaring beneath him.

When the Earth started to rumble, he saw the ground around the impact side rupture as 23 screamed into the air, his body shooting straight up like a missile before throwing his hands in both directions, the blonde killer stared back at him, breathing in and out heavily before regaining control, something he'd never known 23 for.

"I'll need to keep focused on you it would seem. You're playing very aggressively today, 17," he breathed, before calming down entirely, relaxing his stance and raising his guard, his blue optics matching his own. "Though I do admit, I'm going to enjoy hearing you scream as I pull out your insides."

Great, he's gone full Hannibal Lector on me.

Putting up his own guard, 17 didn't break his gaze. The two remained stationary, either one of them looking for the slightly flaw in the other from the wide-view of their sensors. There was a tick, and he could see it, if only briefly. He was fast, but 17 matched it as he snapped his forearm in place, blocking the first strike as it came in. A wave of pure force rolled out from their centre as a flash of light followed from the impact. It took only a microsecond before his own combat computer programs came into full effect, blocking and deflecting the next two strikes, before aiming his own kick towards 23, only to find to his surprise his own attack stalled, kicked back by the other warrior.

There was a blur of motion and speed between the two of them as fists, palm strikes, kicks, knees, and elbows were shot towards one another, each one of their attacks rhythmically deflected or blocked as they chased one another in a flurry of motion across the sky, a rapid succession of booms following out from their attacks as 17's energy supply ramped up, increasing his speed and power, only to find to his surprise, 23 was matching his elevation in power and performance.

There was no sign of the taxing the 20's series models normally went through either, and he could see the sinister grin growing on his adversary in the frames which they could see one another that wasn't a motion blurred image.

When they snapped back from one another, he could feel his lungs taking in air, just as he had with Piccolo, his body looking for more oxygen to move his muscles faster, attempting to give a human response to his taxation. Twenty-three was in the same condition, though neither of them truly benefited from this response, that wasn't what was powering them any longer.

"Quite the fight for a battery," he commented, before looking off to the side, his eyes peeling towards 22 again, who had yet to enter the fray once more.

Something was significant about her, and he was already beginning to clue in. Twenty-four had been from the same series, and given that all signs pointed to 23 killing him, and given the new power it'd clearly allowed him to achieve, 17 realized exactly what that look meant. He'd eaten 24, that much he was now certain of… and he was going to gain more from eating 22, wasn't he?

Blue eyes focused intensely on him before 23 looked back at him, seeing the realization.

"Ah, I see you understand, you're not as dim-witted as I thought," he remarked, his eyes playing coy even now however. "If you're struggling to keep up with me now, imagining how hard it'll be to keep up with me in a few minutes."

"Who says I'm having any trouble keeping up with you now, 23? You're just as pathetic as you were when you fought Piccolo. You were overconfident and stupid then, just like you couldn't even beat Trunks all on your own. You're a nobody."

There was a hint of concealed anger as 23 started to give a low laugh again, not breaking eye contact with him.

"Is that so?" he asked tightly. "Well, let's see how pathetic I am."

When his eyes flashed with a glow, 17 didn't think much of it, until he felt something resonate through the air. It was almost a signal being called out. His eyes darted around him as he realized the air was vibrating. He was doing something, wasn't he?

There was a soft rumble, like an avalanche in the far distance as he saw how amused his counterpart looked. The fighting below seemed to stop itself.

"What the Hell?" he heard Trunks remark.

It was then that he noticed a few small pebbles and fragments of concrete beginning to rise around him, ascending into the air before halting in place.

"Is that all?" Seventeen asked. "A few rocks?"

Wooden beams, pipes, shattered walls, chunks of road, broken rooves and shattered cars began to join the collection of objects. And it started to span out across dozens of square kilometres.

"What is this?" Seventeen asked, before feeling the current around him beginning to pick up, almost as if it was a storm of invisible power.

Three cyclones of ruins scattered through the air as these random fragments before forming into gigantic sets of objects, crushed together by pressure before hundreds of them shot towards him like cannonballs. It only took a second before he dodged the first one, before noticing immediately the huge orb shot back up towards him. It took all his speed a second later to dodge the next two, then the next dozen, though none of them seemed to disappear, all of them orbiting around him before coming back for another strike.

It was very clever.

There was only a second of him slipping up before he felt one huge pass collide with his legs, sending him spinning in the air before he smashed into another, before one more came colliding int ohim.

The sound of thousands of tons smashing together, followed.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Android 18:

Fast.

That was how she best described this thing she was fighting. The three Saiyans seemed totally hopeless in the corner of her optics as well as the other Androids smashed into them. Despite their being weaker than this one, they were both clearly leagues ahead of their Saiyan counterparts. And she knew she was the equal of the other two, if not a little stronger, but this one was as tough as nails.

When she'd landed her first punch on him, he actually looked stunned, like he'd been hurt for the first time in his life. Now she was trying to deal with an onslaught she could barely keep up with. Her frame being smaller than his was the only real advantage she had as her body barely slipped around the fists, directing them as she could, and getting precisely zero offense in.

It only took a second for a fist to find her however, this time catching her in the left side of the head, her hair went flailing before her body went scattering backwards, the force of the blow was hard enough she almost lost consciousness. Whatever this thing was, it was leagues ahead of her and 17.

She was dizzy once she hit the ground, even picking herself up was a task almost beyond her, and it'd just been one hard punch she'd been delivered. He'd been toying with her up until the blow landed too. Anyone who could hit her that hard, could move faster than she could, by a significant margin.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the Goku look-alike and Vegeta smashed into one another as 14 and 15 tossed them together, the smaller one seemingly taking on quite the amused look. This was bad. Once 23 had turned on them, they were heavily at a disadvantage, and right now she could already imagine herself in shackles. He body's memories of the labs came to the fore as she felt her resolve increase, but uncertainly loomed. Just how the Hell were they going to manage this? If it'd just been 14 and 15, or even 13 as well, there seemed to be a way out of this.

Beyond those two however, her eyes spied another familiar figure. Standing over 24's… dead frame. It was hard to think of him as dead, even now. He'd been with them only a few moments prior.

When her attention turned back towards the larger figure striding towards her, she could see his look, a familiar one, staring back at her.

"I think I'm done playin' with you, so let me explain how this is gonna be," he remarked. "You're gonna give up, and go into stasis, and I'm gonna be kind enough to deliver you back to Dr. Gero, in tact. How does that sound? Sound fair enough to you? Or do you want me to keep amping things up until I start breaking every bone in that pretty body of yours."

If she had fangs, she'd have bore them at that point, instead just flaring her teeth as she spat a second later, pulling herself up.

"Ain't that cute," he chuckled. "You think I can't stomp those teeth out. Well, let's see how pretty you are when I'm done."

As he prepared to lung towards her, clearly with a kick, she saw a flash of silver and stopping himself mid motion, his fingers caught the blade between his fingers. Trunks materialized, his blade in hand, and a surprised look on his face.

"Now, that wasn't very nice," she heard the southern machine remark, his eyes dangerously turning towards the clearly stunned Trunks. "Didn't your mom ever teach you any manners, or not to play with knives? Here, let me show you how it's done."

Taking it as her moment, 18 shot forward, her eyes not breaking from his smug face before she found a boot straight on ahead. It appeared so fast even her processor couldn't imagine it in time, or determine a course of action. When it hit, she felt her entire body lose function before she slung under the boot, rolling along the ground barely conscious for several seconds before she heard a gargling sound. As she came to, she saw 13 now holding the boy by his throat. He took one step to turn towards her.

"You'll need to forgive the noise; I like hearing them choke before they die out. It was always a favourite of my host, so I figured no time like the present to try it for myself," he remarked, clearly amused. "You hear that boy? That sound is like music to my ears. Look at him, goofy bastard."

Several kicks landed but didn't seem to do anything as she started to pull herself up once again.

"Destructo Disc!"

That caught his attention, with mechanical precision her turned to the source of the nose, seeing the disc at the last moment and hopping back, letting go of the teen as he did. The huge saw cut past his head, and she saw a small glint of blood trickle through the air with its passing. He paused for several seconds, his gloved hand reaching up and touching the side of his face, pulling away with blood before he looked towards the small fighter who'd come to their rescue.

The human, Krillin.

"You ugly god-damn dwarf, I'm gonna oil that head up and shove it up this little prick's ass," the Android fumed, preparing to make his next assault.

The human prepared to defend himself, raising his guard as he did, his nerves clearly shot even at his approach, when another blur appeared, this time in front of 13, point blank range.

"Try this first, Saturday Crush!"

The tall Saiyan stood above 13 in stature as the surprised Android was enveloped by the attack, the blast wave kicking up around them as she instinctively, surprisingly, grabbed the struggling teenager and pulled him to the side as the huge attack tore through the suburb around them.

The blast rumbled around them as it domed to one side, annihilating a kilometre worth of space.

Already, she looked up, seeing the fading light and streaming layers of smoke, but she could already tell the Saiyan had failed in whatever attack he'd launched, if only because his body snapped to one side with a thunderous boom as a single kick landed on the side of his jaw, sending him spinning through the air a dozen times before he smashed through a small building, leaving only the small human in his path.

"Rotten son-bitch," Thirteen spat before turning his attention back to Krillin. "You ready boy? You got your oil out? You gettin' shined up? Or do you need some lubrication for your journey up the pretty boy's ass. I wanna see you wear that 30-dollar haircut by the time I'm done with the two of you."

Eighteen managed to climb to her feet, reengaging her combat protocols as her system resumed full operations. Subject 13 was a cruel piece of work, and it appeared the unit based on his chassis was no different. She didn't mind cruel, but this guy was mentally unfit, and sadistic.

"Go and help the other two. There is still time to stop the others."

She almost didn't believe what she heard as she looked up at the shadow looming over her. She couldn't believe her eyes.

"Sixteen?" she asked as he lumbered past her.

As soon as he did, 13 stopped in his tracks from his agonizing walk towards the human.

"Well I'll be damned, look who decided to show up. The effigy of the Doctor's Son his-self," Thirteen commented.

What? Sixteen was made to look like… Gero's son?

That wasn't on her files, not at all. But even now the giant was striding towards 13, and she knew quite frankly how gentle 16 was. The fact he was going to try and fight, when that wasn't his specialty seemed crazy.

"Stop," she urged. "He's stronger than 17, there is no way you can take him."

The larger android stopped, turning to smile at her sincerely.

"I can see now, after what 23 did to 24, that I must stand by my friends, and that means standing against creatures such as this."

"Creature? Look at you, ginger, trying to act like I'm the odd man out. Well let me tell you what, I'm gonna kick your ass, and celebrate with a beer once I'm done taking you to task. Then, I'm gonna come back, and I'm gonna beat the Hell out of your friends, go celebrate again, come back, and beat the Hell out of them again," Thirteen threatened. "What do you think about that big man? Does that make you angry? Does that make you think you can fight me, like a man? Go back to hiding among those flowers over there, boy, you're nothing but a spineless, weak-"

Sixteen launched himself forward, landing one clean shot across the side of the other Android's head. Even she saw the surprise on his face as the other Android fell back, his body smashing into the ground before he flipped up to his feet. He cracked his neck from side to side before tossing his vest away, spitting some of the blood out of his mouth.

"Well, I'll give you some credit, you've got a strong arm," he remarked. "And you're gonna need it!"

When the silver-haired Android blasted back into 16, the two collided, the force of the collision sent shockwaves out from their centre. It was the human, Krillin, who was next to her, grabbing her hand.

"Come on! We've got to get moving, we need to help Vegeta and Turles!"

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Turles:

All of the spare debris around the battlefield had been pulled into the air by a force which Turles could only detect with his eyes… or at least that was what it seemed. An extra sense beyond what the others possessed, something which had allowed him his connection with Bardock, informed him of what was happening, at least peripherally. It wasn't ki being utilized, or some random energy source which created the pull, perhaps that was what was powering whatever was drawing up the rubble, but in truth, it went beyond that. It was a psychic ability. It was the exertion of the mind over matter itself, something which his own cognition wasn't geared towards, but it was most definitely something he could now sense…

The weasel of an Android was doing it, in his battle with Android 17 above them. Of course, his own ability to fight was in decline at this stage, as was Vegeta's. The battering he'd received from Android 13 had been bad enough, but now he was pushing himself to his maximum, just trying to keep up with this juggernaut that was assaulting him. Every fist strike felt like he was suffering a space-born collision, those fists were as heavy as mountains as far as he was concerned. Worse yet, he couldn't dodge, and was relying on blocks to try and keep them back, and his arms were so battered at this point he felt like he could barely lift them.

The big picture indeed, what a joke.

When the next attack came, regardless of what was happening around them, Turles felt the giant's huge leg crash into his side, when his body flipped back once more, this time he hit the remnant of a light post, before it too tore from the ground, only to see a hand pointed straight at him from the silent giant. Red energy crackled at the end of his fingertips before the machine said one simple word.

"Terminated."

The blast was intense, his body sizzled before he was sent rolling back, his armour breaking apart in the wave as he felt the street behind him vaporize. He rolled in the heat of the wave. It was a familiar feeling, very much similar to the results of Frieza's Super Nova attack, the one which had taken his life. The same smell filled his nostrils, taking him back to the Planet Namek as he felt his everything slowly peeled away from him, skin, muscle, bone, and of course his lift, before the blinding explosion which ended his suffering.

Only this time, there was no critical blast at the end. The light just faded as he was left gurgling, gasping for air. His shredded, burnt body was left in a near-coma like state as his eyes, barely functioning, his vision scarred by the heat, saw Android 18 engaging the brute once again, the giant turning around to strike her now, as the two collided, her body flipping back several times as she dodged around his attacks as he followed her.

Expiration would occur soon, however. Either unconsciousness, or his death. He could see exposed bone on several points of his torso through his hazed vision. That bode poorly for his overall health. But there was one thing left in play. His right hand, three fingered, reached carefully under the last shreds of his armour, pulling up the last precious bean in his possession. His charred lips barely functioned as he pushed the bean past his teeth, his half-destroyed tongue barely managing to suck the bean down the remnants of his throat.

His vision was immediately restored as Turles felt himself rise to his feet, a devilish smile coming across his lips as he pulled himself up, feeling a rush of power and invigoration through his system. Another near-death survival, and the nearer the death, the better. Rising to his feet, he felt himself chuckle before hovering in the air, careful to keep his energy levels down.

Perfect. Even if that was a bit of a close call.

Vegeta's condition was severe, so helping him might have seemed the wiser choice, but as his gaze followed the two Androids as they savaged one another, he looked for the opportunity not afforded to him so far. Third time's a charm, it was a human saying, but it seemed apt for what he was more than willing to participate in.

Another blow landed as the two machines scattered through the sky. This time it was 18's strike, a hard fist hitting the titan in the cheek, only for him to respond with a kick, sending the smaller machine flying back before he launched a gigantic wave of crimson energy after her. Predictably, she dodged, arching overhead, coming in to strike from above. The only problem was, it was the predictable pattern she took in the air. There was a thunderous boom in the air above, briefly catching Turles's attention as the psychic energy threw two huge pieces together, though his focus quickly turned back to what was.

Fourteen had been on the ball, the ogre had twisted to meet her kick in the air, slipping to the side while grabbing her foot. He roared as his gigantic body thrust towards the ground, a surprised 18 yelped before her body crashed into the ground, smashed into the Earth with the impact of an asteroid. A crater almost a kilometre in diameter formed, sucking more and more of the Earth into it as dozens of metres of Earth and earthworks were displaced over the surface area, her face half buried in the ground.

A glowing bolt fired out a second later as she tried to strike back, firing an energy blast at close range.

Hovering ever closer, Turles noticed the larger Android gave him a look just before it stamped it's foot down on 18's head, the smashing sound expanded the crater further as he could almost feel the Android beneath the boot losing consciousness. It gave a gruff looking appearance, as if daring him to make another move.

Two small feet cracked into the side of the beast as it barely struggled to one side as Krillin interjected himself. In that second Turles saw his opportunity, just as 18 pulled her head from the ground, taking in air. The giant backhanded the human, sending him sputtering across the surface of the battlezone.

He wasn't going to ask where he came from, or why he was there and not with Piccolo, because Turles took the opportunity that was given to him. He didn't want the machine thinking about what he was doing.

Forming the two energy bolts in his hands, he cast them at the monster. The two orbs swirled together as the spun towards the target, getting every faster velocity to their spin, flattening their curve from being an orb in shape, until they at the last moment finished their transformation into a single, spinning blade. The Android reached out, much as Android 19 had when he first encountered him, only this time no warnings were offered. The machine barely showed any sign of worry or contempt as Turles prevented his smirk from appearing.

It's face didn't change until the moment the blade hit it on the diagonal, cutting a horizontal line through the body between the palm and thumb, carrying through it's arm and across the entirety of the body, the blade of energy hitting the pelvis to shoulder, as well as half the arm on the same degrees. When the violet arc flashed through him, there was only a single, searing, glowing energy line hanging there in the middle of the machine's frame.

The alarm on its features said it all as Turles kept his eyes in contact with the other. Now, he let his smirk out as he slowly hovered to where it was standing, frozen in place, unable to move for fear of the consequences. He heard it barely managing to stutter, trying not even make a noise. Eighteen on the other hand had started to scramble slowly away from the brute as Turles approached, not even in Super Saiyan form.

"I guess I'm tied with Vegeta now," he chuckled. "I would have hated for him to be the only one to get on the scoreboard."

The machine sneered at him, its body trembling as it attempted to control its rage, its fate was sealed, of course. Or rather, perhaps it was unsealed. Humiliating, he was sure. Even these machines seemed to have some kind of pride or dignity.

"Why isn't it moving?" Eighteen asked him, trying to comb her hair away from her bruised face.

Turles just gave her a smirk.

"Why?" he asked. "I think our friend here might just be a bit stiff."

There was a questioning look on her face as she saw the other machine trying to hold back its fury.

"Arrogant," it murmured to him darkly. "You think you've won? A cheap trick won't help you defeat 13."

"Perhaps you're right," Turles admitted, knowing the trick hadn't worked against the other Android as he saw a flash of violence in the distance as 13 and the big one collided.

Perhaps I don't need to do that though.

"But it was good enough to work on you, wasn't it?" he chuckled, before slapping his shoulder, as if in jest.

As soon as he did, the top help of the machine slid off of its lower body. Blood, oil, bone, flesh, cybernetics, and machine split at the purple line as a gurgling noise escaped the colossus. When it fell back to the ground, its liquid contents began to ooze into the crater before Turles gave 18 a half smile.

"Not bad for a monkey, wouldn't you say?" he asked, just as Krillin started to rise up from the ashes.

Briefly, he considered thanking the human.

But in truth, he didn't want to build up the brave little human's ego, instead he just gave him an arrogant half smile before Vegeta ploughed into the side of the crater a second later.

"FOURTEEN!"

Before Turles could turn to respond, he felt a boot connect with the side of his head, sending him sprawling towards 18, Vegeta, and Krillin before sliding to a stop as he forced his power behind himself. The smaller Android hunched over the dying frame of the other.

"You're gonna be okay man, don't worry, we'll get your best parts back to the Doctor."

The big lug didn't respond as the smaller figure scowled at them. However, this was short lived as his attention turned back to his comrade as a few struggling noises came from it. The larger machine in its small arms just went silent, it's head falling to one side as its eyes went from blue to grey. The smaller figure took a moment to look back at his comrade, before beginning to tremble with anger.

"You killed him," it breathed angrily before rising up, pulling the flask from its jacket, taking a sip, before wiping its mouth clean. "Some fake-ass Goku, just killed my main man, using some bullshit attack when you're not strong enough to clean my fucking shoes."

"That's right," Turles responded, before his hair lit up, golden energy arching over him as he smirked, feeling fresh strength circulating through his veins. "I'd ask you to rise to the challenge, but we both know that's not going to happen."

Its shoulders tensed as he saw its lip curl with real rage as the little machine stepped forward, its fingers twitching violently.

Things are going my…

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Android 23:

It was satisfying to hear the collapse, explosive crunch between the two gigantic constructs he'd pulled together with his mind alone. The culmination of his power in this state, the reactivation and enhancement of the abilities of his former-self. Truth be told, he was almost disappointed he'd managed to kill 17 so easily. That was one problem down. Now all he needed was her. It was disgusting in some sense, to have to absorb the components of a girl into his body, but it was a phobia that would be short-lived. The satisfaction of a complete upgrade into a newer, greater whole would see him shirk any such… disappointments.

Already he could imagine the power. It was to be beyond an Android such as 17. Certainly, he already knew he wouldn't be the most powerful design Dr. Gero had created, but he would be powerful enough to achieve his own goals.

As the wreckage of the collision floated through the air, drifting through the sky, he was almost prepared to let the orbs go with his mind, only to realize he glinted a green energy field at the heart of the collision. It cut through the swarm of fragments for him to note for only a brief second that 17 was staring directly at him.

A cascade of green light emerged a moment later as he heard his former master cry out in a fury. The shield grew a moment later, warping outwards as the gigantic constructs of rubbish were beginning to be atomized as they were pressed into the shield. The junk which had been hovering in front of his vision, obscuring it, began to be cleared as he saw the bruised and bloody 17 almost snarling at him. His own smile had long-since disappeared as he felt his nose recoil with irritation as his lip turned into its own snarl.

Alive? How utterly disappointing. But it's nothing to worry about. An energy field won't stop me.

Gesturing his hand outwards, the huge orbs he'd created of stray matter, all pulled back, before surrounding 17 once more, this time closing his fist as all of them almost buckled, even under the pressure from his mind as they broke the sound barrier. It all crashed into the centre, there was a flash of exertion from 17's field as the huge pile formed into one whole, closing into a hardened surface as he compressed the matter with the force of ten thousand earth's gravities. Holing the now unified orb, he hoisted it to one side, before throwing It towards the heavens.

If he wasn't crushed, then 17 would need to learn how to breathe in space. Zooming and enhancing his optics, he saw the artificial sphere breach the clouds, before vanishing from view.

"Well, that's one problem solved."

Pain exploded in the back of his head a moment later as his torso and body jerked downwards, causing him to do a mild spin in the air. When he stopped himself, he narrowed his gaze on the figure that attacked him, only for his pain and frustration to vanish almost immediately. A scathing looking 22 was staring directly at him. His own smile was only growing as he felt increasingly cunning merely by the fact that she'd come to him.

"You killed 24," she breathed angrily. "And now you've killed 17? Are you out of your fucking mind?"

The demand was rational, as she clearly didn't have the insight into his treachery as 17 seemed to. Really, if she thought she was going to beat him when the power between them had grown this much, it was more than amusing. One armed, less capable overall, and fueled by anger? This was going to be a quick battle.

"Hardly," he assured her. "I am just fulfilling our purpose. It's a tragedy that 24 and yourself weren't made away of it, but I was given a glimpse into the brilliance of our design. A glimpse into the brilliance of all, our designs. From my new friends below, to 17 and 18, I know how we all fit together now. Each island truly apart of a greater whole in the chain of archipelagoes."

"What the Hell is that supposed to mean?" she spat.

"It means, my dear sister, that you are apart of me. You are just once piece not yet integrated into my design. Just as 17 and 18 are pieces of another design as well. If our strength fails on our own, we can obtain new heights by acquiring the parts of others to complete our designs. Twenty-Four's death was regrettable I can assure you…" the last comment was made with a mild chuckle, unable to hold back his amusement, given his open disdain for the 'leader'. "But a sacrifice required to make us more viable, together."

Her anger was boiling as he noticed the telltale signs of her overdrive kicking in.

He'd not even begun to display his own true power yet, and she believed herself able to compete with himself? What a laugh.

"You're just as much of a rat as I thought you were," she commented, before rushing towards him, kicking out with an intense level of speed.

He caught her ankle between his knee and elbow as his smile grew, before delivering a right hook, connecting with the side of her head, sending her spinning back through the air. By the time she'd regained control, he was already on her. With only one hand capable of blocking, she caught his first attack before his next punch broke through, hitting her in the ribs, she gagged before her body almost went limp in the air.

"Just between us," he told her softly. "I intend to kill our good friend Dr. Gero once I have your components as well."

Kicking down, sent her body plunging into the city below, breaking through a half dozen badly mauled buildings before crashing into another ruin.

His eyes briefly spied what was happening below, 14 was disabled, and 15 looked prepared to fight a group he likely couldn't defeat on his own, his own throat constricted with nervousness as he realized that 14 could be harvested by 13, and soon, let alone the issue if 15 was destroyed as well.

A gigantic wave of power rolled past him, invisible to the naked eye as he saw 13 and 16 locked together, their hands pushing back against one another in a test of strength.

Sixteen has engaged? How interesting, I never thought that weakling would find the resolve to fight anyone but Son Goku. It's no matter.

He needed to still resolve this quickly. There could be no more waiting,taking his time, though amusing, was going to result in his own demise. It was a trait which General Blue had had, gloating over final victory before it occurred, he was not prepared to make the same mistake. He let his body fly through the hole 22 had made. When he descended towards the impact point, he could feel destiny's hand on his shoulder. Today was going to be the day where he achieved it all.

Thirteen, and the others, would be vanquished without problem. He would tear 16 to pieces, and enjoy ripping 18 to pieces, now that 17 was already as good as dead. When his feet pressed against the asphalt of the street, he breathed in a full breath of air, just enjoying the moment. Even if he didn't mean to dither, he still wanted to enjoy this moment.

There she was, trying to pull herself up.

"You really must forgive me, 22," he commented. "I would play with you more, but I really can't take as much time making this enjoyable for the two of us when I'm on such a tight time-budget."

Her response was to spit towards him, even as she struggled, and failed to raise.

The hand which had been drenched in 24's blood, pulled up, forming the same pointed tip of his fingers, making his arm into a blade without an edge. His own dark smile continued to grow before he felt something.

A huge pair of hands grabbed him at high speeds as his atmospheric sensors detected a shift in mass around him. The huge Saiyan tackled into him as they were both sent off their feet. When the larger man ended up on top, he saw only the huge form of the Saiyan lording over him, his face twisted with fury. Huge hands came down on him, each blow landing without any response for several seconds as 23 felt nothing approaching pain from the shots.

Swiping his own hand back, the Saiyan roared in pain as he opened up his chest in a long gash before he simply thrust his hand out, telekinetically grabbing the weakling's body before almost crushing his bones and casting him off him. Climbing to his feet but a second later, 23 scowled to himself while dusting himself off with his spare hand. The other 'warrior' hung in the air, still trying to come at him despite his injuries.

"Really, do you think that you could stop me? You're not even a Super Saiyan, are you?" he scoffed. "How pathetic."

Before a response could even be rendered, he discarded the trash with another flick, sending the body crashing into the distance, launching him into the city proper, his body shattering through a high rise before he paused, turning his attention back to the now standing 22, who was trying to keep herself upright.

"This is a complete joke, you know that, don't you? You're not a match for me," he warned her. "You're just delaying the inevitable…"

"If you think you can kill me, come try," she demanded, though they both would have known just how futile it was.

Fine, if that was how she wanted to go out, it was at least somewhat admirable. The heroic last stand, trying to go out on your own terms, he understood it. She was a machine, bound to the nature of her processor and her body's previous personality. He would enjoy formatting her personality from the remains of her chip. Sensing the final death, as he had with 24, had been more than satisfying. He relished the idea of inflicting such a torment again. The twin processors in his brain resonated with excitement as he took another step forward, as atmospheric sensors went wild.

Energy readings started to spike off the record as well as he looked around for the new threat, feeling heat and displacement on a gigantic scale.

What now!?

Furiously, he looked at her directly, looking for some sign of a secret attack, only to see the injured android carefully stepping back, away from him. From him, meaning… he was the source of whatever was happening? His Thermal-sensors picked up the sound of something moving at a high velocity, and something burning. Turning and looking in its direction, up high on an extreme angle, his eyes widened as he saw the flaming bolt coming towards him.

No, that can't be… 17?

Before the thought was totally completed, he felt the bolt collide with him, the burning hot foot, moving faster than the speed of sound by many fold, and the true noise of the repeated sonic booms it'd undoubtedly made so far not even having hit him yet. The shoe planted in his chest was all too familiar, if only a little burnt. The bones in his body almost felt like jelly for a moment as he sucked in his breath, his eyes pairing up with the other Android's, his opposition looking furious with him, and understandably so.

He had nothing to say in the split fragment of a second before he felt his body launching back, already smashing the sound barrier before he'd even traveled no more than a few feet. The rate of acceleration caused all the blood in his body to pool on the front of his body even, if only for a second before his energy regulators forced it back into regular rotation, draining the blood back into his veins where it belonged. It spoke nothing of the pain, feeling as if someone had just lanced him through the heart with a blunted flag pole. Only once his body smashed through several ruined before crashing through a skyscraper, did he have time to scream out in his outrage and discomfort, before he was shredded through the side of another building, glass ripping at his clothes but blunting off the edge of his skin. When he came to a stop, it was on the third building, throwing his arms out as he forced himself to hold still in the telekinetic force wave.

His breathing became heavier and heavier with every passing second as he realized how close he'd been.

Seventeen… 17…. I'll kill you!

Howling in frustration, his voice carried out over all of West City, let loose in a battle cry as his mind reached out, flailing furiously in all directions as telekinetic waves tore what glass was left from the buildings and crushed structures in its wake.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Android 17:

Take that you son of a bitch.

The pathway of destruction was immense, broken roads, buildings, and streets littered the pathway he'd sent 23 down.

"Do you know what he's trying to do," Twenty-Two asked him bluntly, turning his head slightly towards her, he nodded.

"Go," he ordered. "I'll stop him here, but if he gets a hold of you, I'm not sure what will happen. Now that I'm guessing he clued you in on what he's trying to do."

There was a pause from her before the echoes of 23's enraged scream shattered past the barriers of West City. He could sense something, that wasn't ki or energy, lash out over the city as he witnessed buildings be shorn in their exteriors by an invisible force. It was the same thing he'd done when he'd formed those gigantic debris orbs to collide with him, before throwing him into space.

The pause from the other machine left him confused as she stared back at him, only briefly glancing towards the origin of the scream. There was a brief appreciation, and it was odd. For all the mockery they'd given him for wanting to play hero, and this wasn't his intention as of right now, it felt more than ironic that he was playing that role right now.

"Can you beat him?"

"Probably," he answered sincerely. "Now, get going. The longer you stay here, the less likely I'm going to actually beat him. You got me?"

There was a nod before she turned to leave.

"Thank you, sir," she said, her tone serious, the last word delivered with respect for the first time he could remember, before the Android jetted in the opposite direction.

As if he'd heard it, like a bat out of Hell itself, 23 rose from the city in the distance, clearly still tracking 22 before shooting towards them.

"You won't get away!" he heard the other android snarl as his body began to glow with his overdrive function.

Shooting in front of him, intercepting his path and powering his shield, 17 took a direct hit from the other Android, his shield resonating as he did while he intercepted him.

"Do you think I'm going to just let her go?" he seethed. "Do you think I'm going to let some punk get in my way!?"

"Seems like you don't have a say in that," was all 17 had to respond with.

The other machine no longer had the impassive stare of an Android, instead, he was looking into the eyes of a killer. Whatever 23 had been before, it was clearly running the program more than his onboard personality had been, if that personality had been running things ever for the warrior. Even now, it appeared that 23 was looking through him. And he felt something reach past him, moving around his shield. The dark, knowing smile on his counterpart made 17's blood chill as he felt whatever it was move around him.

What the Hell is he-?

Looking down, 17 saw the ground itself lifting up to meet them. He could hear the ripping of millions of tons of Earth before he turned and looked behind him, seeing 22 being pulled in towards them as well, despite her clawing at the ground, which was now being pulled towards them, and exerting her power.

From within the bubble, his own offense was limited. But as soon as he dropped this, whatever force was being exerted on it, would be exerted on him. It was a gamble to drop his field, and 23 knew it. It took him a few full seconds to decide, his processor calculating every variable, trying to deduce his odds of success or failure, but at the top of all of his decisions was the most obvious one. If he did nothing, 23 might be killed, and her components harvested, as 23 clearly indicated he wanted to do. Even if the risk lead to more damage, he needed to do something.

"Surprised?" he heard 23 say a moment later. "My dual processing capabilities, unlocked some of the best elements of my body's old powers. I hope that you are enjoying the spectacle. Once I have the third component, the last processor and power supply, I can only imagine what new powers I will unlock."

Narrowing his gaze on his former underling, he could almost taste the ambition on every word 23 was saying. He was exuberant at the prospect of what he was saying. That was how he'd been throwing all the terrain from, and his grasp on the power seemed to be growing more and more dramatically even now.

"And to what ends? You'll still be a slave to Dr. Gero."

There was a small shirk of disdain.

"That, 17, is where you are wrong," he remarked. "I've been no slave for some time. I have liberated myself. I am no machine. I am the fulfillment of who I had been before. Once I am done with her, I'll be killing all of you. From you, to 18, to those three newcomers. Then I will hunt down and kill Dr. Gero for thinking himself my master."

That brought him pause as he admitted all of it. He was clearly using everyone. He'd used them as a cover, then he'd used Dr. Gero for support to get what he wanted. Now, he was going to betray Gero as well, and then what? What was it all for?

"And then what?"

"And then what?" he started to chuckle as the ground continued to bulge and surge towards them, now it was so close he could hear 22 struggling, his sensors picking her up as she was pulled from the surface of the road finally. "Once I'm done destroying his plans, and cementing myself as the strongest being alive? I will extract my revenge on Son Goku, and his friends… and then on this world for letting my life end the way it did. I will become the ruler of this world, and will remake it in my image. I will succeed where the Red Ribbon Army failed."

Despite him clearly malfunctioning, or perhaps saying something that was completely true, 17 listened to this thing and realized just how close it was to realizing everything it wanted. If he could bring him to a straight fight, without all the mental powers, he had more than a chance of overwhelming him.

Opening the back of his shield based off of verbal indicators as to where 22 was, he sensed her pass the barrier before he quickly reintegrated it, her body slamming into the front of the shield as 23 started to simmer to a boil, noticing what had just happened. His eyes darted between him and her as 17 saw 22 push herself off the edge of the energy bubble.

"Thanks for cluing me in," Seventeen remarked, smirking as he did. "I think we'll keep playing keep away then, don't you think?"

The barrier around him constricted so much force was exerted on him as soon as he asked the question. Even with the field fueled by his infinite energy source, he was almost afraid it would crack so much power was forced down on it. The reflective bubble fluctuated around them as the intensity grew.

"I am going to squeeze you put of that bubble, second by second, and then I am going to enjoy when I start flaying the skin from your muscles, before I peel the flesh off your BONES!"

Yea, there was the 23 he knew all too well. The ground beneath them gave way, falling back to Earth, as 23's psychic might was pushed in one direction, namely, in all directions around him. He could see the killer in front of him already calculating out his plan if the shield would fail. The bubble around him constricted more, and more as well.

Twenty-Three moved back from the edge of the constricting sphere before she looked at him. She had a clear understanding of what was happening, and the other killer had a resigned look on her features. It was like she'd done this before, seemingly.

"Plan?" he asked her as he felt the shield constrict once more, keeping his tone quiet as he recalibrated his energy shield to reduce audio output from within it. "Right now, I'm thinking that once this shield breaks, you fire an energy attack and then I go for him when he goes to block."

It was an overly optimistic plan. If his mind was going to be able to grab hold of them the second the shield closed, he doubted very much they'd have much of a chance to perform the actions necessary to stop him. But there was a finality to 22's look as he told her about the very vague plan as the shield fluctuated again. This wasn't going to hold much longer.

"Disable me," she told him, ignoring his plan in its entirety. "You have the power right now. My own energy reserves are low, and yours are consistent under all conditions. A significant enough energy blast at this range should atomize my body and destroy my base components."

"WHAT?!" Twenty-Three screamed, hearing clearly enough to hear what she'd just proposed, his face twisting further and further with anger as his eyes looked around daringly for some means to hasten his progress.

Kill her? She's asking me to kill her?

It was… he didn't have words for it. His throat felt dry as he lost track of what to even say. Twenty-Two had always been loyal, and had worked with them the entire time. Even if she'd killed a few more people than he'd liked along the way while they were having fun, she was one of the better sports about it. She was…

She was his friend.

There was a small half smile on her part, as if trying to reassure him.

"I've seen enough," she admitted. "Of what this host was, of what things like him are. My objectives won't be completely, but it's better to spoil his, and lose mine, than to lose out and help him in the end."

A thump came on the shield as 23 had started to batter it with his fists, becoming increasingly frantic.

"Okay," Seventeen heard himself respond as his processor seemingly lagged behind it, feeling energy gathering in his hand as he looked at the other machine.

He was hesitating, and he didn't know why.

A crack appeared in the energy vortex around him as he felt his resolve stiffen.

"Goodbye, 22," he said, feeling the charge in his hands grow several times, as he prepared to unleash the attack. The damage to himself would be significant, being this close to the blast as well, but it was about the win, not about his own self preservation.

It was strange, he'd wanted to play the hero for a few days, and now that he was being given the chance to play at being a hero, it was the worst thing in the world. This was what he was being left to, killing his friend to stop his enemy.

But then, suddenly, everything froze. A pulse of blue energy rippled past the two of them, before rolling over the horizon around them. He felt his muscles freeze in place, becoming completely unresponsive. His processor's ability to interact with his mind or body, was entirely paralyzed. There was fear in 22's eyes as she realized it as well, her own body going into paralysis. The only thing he could move was his eyeballs, as he turned his optics to look at 23, just before his body drifted out of the air, falling back towards the ground.

The look he saw, before he fell from the sky like a bird with a broken wing, was the exasperated, but excited look on 23's face as he grinned back at him.

When his body hit the ground, he was left there, mute, immobile, completely without function.

What was happening? How was he doing this? It didn't make sense. The other battles around them seemed to cease as well.

His nemesis's body blurred into view, landing next to him.

"I was wondering if I could still do that," Twenty-Three mentioned, his blue eyes glowing unnaturally as he grinned, stepping forward. "I'll be finishing you after I finish with her.I intend to repay you for all your kind acts of leadership… but in the meantime, let me start you with an appetiser."

Swinging back his leg, 23 skipped forward, planting his boot square into 17's unguarded chest. His lungs, which were barely functioning either, had the air sucked out of them as his heart almost felt like it stopped, his body shooting past the ruins around them before he rolled into a street, utterly limp.

Where he lay, he looked at the fallen Android 13, he too laying there, completely helpless, their eyes meeting as they expressed their mutual confusion, and mutual horror at what they were experiencing.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Turles:

The wave of electric energy rolled past them. The small Android had been fighting like a caged animal, but he could sense it beginning to lose its grip between his own attacks, Android 18's, and Vegeta's. The latter had begun to struggle, and there was of course no senzu beans for him. He felt his own superiority over him, but there was a battle to win, so it wasn't much to dwell over.

The only problem was, as soon as that wave had rolled past them, he noted Android 18 stopped moving, and so had Android 15? Even Vegeta seemed still. There was no trash talking, and certainly no fighting. The bald, short human looked horrified as he too was frozen in place, standing at the back of the battle, waiting to 'help' he was sure.

Turles himself tried to move, feeling only his fingers twitching as something assailed his mind. It froze neurons in place, pushing the consciousness down within the body, it was smothering him, trying to trap him within his own mind. Even as he tried to fight against it, he felt it pushing back against him at every turn. The others were seemingly even more lost, and his own ability to resist was born of his connection to Bardock, he more than suspected. Managing to move a single boot forward, he felt himself take a step, his lungs taking in a full breath of air, rather than the shallow, near suffocating ones he'd felt before.

Still, he couldn't do anything more than step.

The others were all looking at him as he gritted his teeth, trying to push back against the tidal wave that was seemingly invisibly moving around them. His mind reached out, ceasing his futile efforts to do much more than breathe, investigating the periphery of Vegeta and Krillin's minds, feeling the Prince's completely reject his approach, but sensing Krillin's mind responding to him.

Do you know what's happening?

"I… I don't know," the human responded. "But this is familiar. I remember it. I think… I think this is coming from the other Android. The one that looked like General Blue."

Who the Hell was General Blue, and why did he care? It seemed ridiculous, and more than pointless. Some human was doing this? It seemed insane.

How is he doing this?

"It's a psychic power. He paralysed me… but before… before it was only to one person, and he had to stare directly into your eyes-"

That obviously wasn't the case anymore. Stiffening his resolve, Turles tried to take another step, almost falling over like the others as his feet stumbled, his anger fueling his attempts to move. He would run this Android through for this.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Android 23:

Seventeen's body went flying after his boot made impact, the self satisfaction he felt himself feel was more than enough to bring a smile back to his face. He'd had no idea if his powers had returned to such an extent… and grown just as his telekinesis had. But now as he heard nothing, nothing but silence across the whole city, he knew that his first stage of apotheosis had gifted him with powers beyond human imagination. It wasn't merely that he could fight as well as Android 17, or that he could simply move matter, he had become the master of the realm of the mind. Even these other primitive Androids would fall victim to him without much effort. One of his processors only had to operate at 50% to keep this field in generation, subduing all of his adversaries. This was what true power looked like.

It wasn't just merely the ability to swing a sword, or outrun someone, it was a master of the fundamental forces of life, of thought itself. He had transcended a mere mortal, even in this new, immortal, and soon to be supreme shell. With his feet gently lifting off the ground, 23 hovered in place for only a few seconds before he glided over to where he suspected 22 would be laying. The ruins of the ground which he'd let fall dozens of metres were in a shamble, but he found the landing site.

Strange.

It didn't take more than a few seconds for his optics to find the other machine, on her belly. She was moving. It was quite the sight to see, wasn't it? She was somehow strong enough to exert enough control to pull herself along in her paralysis. He certainly knew it wasn't from her raw strength. Only someone far in excess to his power… such as Mercenary Tao, when he'd been in human form, was so far beyond him as to break free without much consequence. Every pull at the ground she made was adorably pathetic.

Taking several steps over her, he kicked her onto her back without any fanfare, looking down at her as she could barely move her facial muscles. Even her breathing seemed desperate. He did, truly, feel sad for her. It was like watching a fish being pulled out of the water and left to drown in the open air. His first instinct was to cut her throat, just so she could have the accompanying sensation with her death, but he decided against it.

Instead, he made eye contact with her. They both knew what was coming. When he knelt down, he decided to be gentle. In the same way he'd been gentle with Android 24. He recited the old song that felt most appropriate, the one to describe anyone who'd ever gotten in his way, or whose fate hadn't been on part with his own. It'd a song his friend… Midnight, had sung many a time when they'd captured someone from the Central Army. It was the song they sung together, before torturing someone to death for anything of use.

It was sublime truth, art in its purest form.

"Your luck, is not my luck, it's not my luck…. Your luck, is not my luck…" he paused, humming for a moment as his hand arched up, forming it almost into a blade as he prepared to punch it through the other Android to acquire the parts he wanted, despite the disgusting original of them. He would get over it…

"Yours is bad luck," he said, his tone generous, friendly even before his own facial features turned to stone as he easily found the resolve as to what to do next. "My luck is destiny."

Shooting towards her sternum, intending to inflict the single killing blow, he felt the edges of his fingers hit the outside of her clothing before something interrupted. The air around him had already been disturbed mid-attack. The side of his face twisted with the full force of the impact as his body lurched away. He felt his frame flip to one side, rolling through the air before he clipped a piece of upbroken road, clipping off it and sliding against the rough surface, feeling his skin scrape beneath his now shredded clothing. When he came to a pause, the Android recalibrated, his processors and mind working as one to try and square what had happened with the round peg that had been his reality. A series of calculations were run in a split second, running through a series of scenarios where someone could have intervened, given he was still maintaining his paralysis bubble across most of the city.

It couldn't have been Android 17. It couldn't have been any of them. None of them were this strong. The force of the impact wasn't enough to kill him, or cause permanent damage outright. It seemed functionally impossible. Had it been Android 18, somehow? It was the only one he might be able to line up with such an occurrence. Still, the taste of blood in his own mouth was exhilarating, as much as it was infuriating. His impatience for his final stage of ascension now outstripped his interest in bloodlust by multiple factors now, thus making this far more frustrating, despite his initial excitement over another fool to confront.

When he got to his feet, he saw Colonel Violet still laying there, trying to move back, and he saw something which drew his attention far more than the helpless opponent he was about to finish. For a brief second, 23 felt his heart stop. Mechanical compulsion forced it back into motion a second later, but it didn't stop his throat from tightening as he felt confusion roll past him at the sight of the figure.

"Sixteen," he managed, feeling a bead of sweat roll down his forehead as he felt himself tighten up, running plans through his mind, plans within plans, even. "I don't need your assistance I can assure you. Everything is well in hand."

There was a stoic look in response as 23 felt himself beginning to falter under the gaze of the giant. It felt like he was being judged, by some impartial being, some arbiter who cast down some kind of odd truth. Trying to compose himself had become more difficult than he'd imagined, what had been, he thought, the end of the beginning of his journey, was now a pitched battle against an enemy he thought had been subdued like the others. Even now he was trying to process how 16 was not impacted by the field in the slightest. Was it some kind of feature Dr. Gero had specifically built inside of him? An internal, inertia barrier of some kind that avoided psychic disruptions? The answer was in all probability, something much more mundane.

His own sensors desperately looked over the titanic foe, trying to find the source of its peculiar resistance. Unfortunately, as his gaze penetrated the outer layer of the machine, he realized it. There were no organic components to its brain or internal systems. The realization was far more concerning than he'd even realized at first glance. Namely, it had no thoughts for him to read or steal, it had no lungs for him to crush, or innards for him to pull out.

"Are you alright?" Sixteen asked the woman as she barely pulled herself back.

"I… I can… b-ba-barely- sp-spe-speak…"

The response left him looking at the last components for a few seconds before narrowing his gaze on 16 himself, cracking his knuckles, before snapping his neck to one side.

Very well. The battered old unit is in all probability going to have been worn down by 13. Even if Gero's rough projections of its powers were correct, I won't be facing that. Even then, even without the ability to simply paralysis it, I have more than an arsenal of sufficient weapons at my disposal. This will be no concern to me.

The return of his confidence, lead to the return of his composure, one washing the hand of the other as he felt himself come to ease, skipping several times off the ground as he felt himself grin.

Oh well, one more fight. One more hurdle until he defeated them all.

"Wait here, do not waste your energy. I will kill Android 23," Sixteen remarked, immediately breaking 23's train of thought as the giant started to walk towards him once more.

"Kill me?" he asked, sounding almost distant. "You? But you wouldn't kill a fly. Clearly there must be some misunderstanding, 16."

The stone face of the machine left no compassion, it wasn't even the logical face he wore so often. It was the mask of hardened determination, and that was enough to shake 23's newly found confidence. Sixteen wasn't behaving normally. Even fighting 13 at all had been outside of his normal behaviour patterns, let alone threatening to kill him.

"You have killed Android 24, and you will try to kill Android 22 next. Then you will kill all the others. You will do this for only your own gain. You must be stopped. Twenty-Four was my friend. What you did to him cannot be reconciled."

Ah, so there it was. The naked face of truth. The judgement passed down from the arbiter. Taking a few lax steps forward, he moved towards the softest of the Androids. He'd wished there was more to him to torment before he killed him. Whether he just broke past him to get to 22, or he killed him first, 23 had every intention of slaughtering this thing like the pig it was. The sub-android, the defect, the killer without a killer's instinct, was something he'd enjoy slaughtering, if only because it would be the destruction of something cherished by so many.

"Your friend? How rich. After getting a better look inside you, I know there is nothing there. You have no organic components worth nothing. You are little more than some backwards toaster. I know something was different about you, wearing Dr. Gero's son's face the way you do. But even I didn't understand how much of a machine you really were," Blue commented, before spitting to one side. "It's pathetic. You're just a cheap copy of the frail old fool's son, if my mind recalls. I even think I bumped into the real you before my original death. I'll enjoy ripping you to pieces. Before I kill him, I might even bring your head along to let him relive his most cherished experience, I'm sure."

The determined features of the giant hardened as it blasted off towards him. Throwing up a telekinetic barrier in front of him, the behemoth connected with the barrier, slowing before it 23 connected with a kick in the machine's side. There was a crack as the metal beneath met his own reinforced flesh. It caused the machine to stumble before he leaped into the air, landing a fist, on his jaw a moment later. It staggered his opposition, not taking him off his feet, which was a confusing moment for him. The strike should have sent his opponent flying, and instead, he'd managed only to stagger him.

I don't understand, that was a direct hit.

The machine's head turned straight back towards him before the bull charged once again. Desperately, he threw another barrier in front of him, this one barely even slowing the red-head. He barely had time to dodge the first punch, his body twisting to the side as he did. Only when he had a second to turn back did he feel the impact at the exact same moment he saw it. The world was just the fist of what he considered a useless brute. When the blow landed, he felt his processors jostle in his skull as he almost felt his face flatten. It was his body which flipped backwards several times before crashing into pile of rubble. The shredded concrete scraped his skin, leaving him stunned at just how fast and strong his final layer of opposition was. It was hard for him to even get over his disbelief, let alone regain his immediate senses.

By the time he looked up once again, the shadow of his attacker was already over him. It took him only a moment to recalibrate as he giant grabbed his arm as he attempted to pull away. Being drawn towards the goliath like a planetary body towards a star. When 16's knee collided with his gut, he felt himself cough immediately, spittle coming out as it splattered against the broken road beneath him. Without even an opportunity to strike back, he was yanked to the side once more before another punch landed on his head, his frame shooting back once more, this time his cheek feeling like it'd just been crushed into the back of his skull as the already ruined terrain beneath him was sent back in two waves in his wake, his body tumbling before crashing into the wreckage of a small truck.

This time, despite the additional damage, he managed to get a grasp on what was happening.

He's so strong. Stronger than I could have anticipated.

When he saw the image of Gero's son walking towards him, step by methodical step, he felt himself resist the urge to spit back at him and attack. The Namek had proven to him that blindly assaulting someone beyond himself, was a foolish way to commit to a battle. Overdrive protocols were already beginning to compile as he tried to estimate how much time versus power that he would need to budge to overwhelm his noble adversary.

He needed time to complete his calculations.

"Wait," he urged, raising a hand defensively, the monster not taking his request. "Wait! I'm no match for you like this. I surrender."

"You are lying," Sixteen remarked. "Just as you lied to 24, and everyone. I see you for what you are."

Internally, 23 scowled furiously at the complete dismissal of his tactic. Until he was ready, he'd need to buy time through other means. Standing up, his pulled both his hands in the air, his palms facing upwards as his mind reached out.

"Fine then, if you won't accept my surrender, then accept this."

The obstacle to his last steps paused as the ground began to rumble. In the distance he pulled towers of concrete from their foundations, feeling the organic meat who were dumb enough to stay on the upper floors panic. His mind sensing their fear as he pulled the full frames of the skyscrapers into the air like gigantic spears, pointing them at 16.

The Android seemed to pause, its optics scanning the gigantic structures in the air, even it seemed surprised before 23 threw one arm forward, then the other. Hurtling towards the machine at break-neck speeds, the first of the buildings smashed into him, immediately turning into a mountain of shattered concrete, broken steel, and the debris of furnishings and other components. As the other one crashed into the pile next, the gigantic plum of waste poured into the air, locking the giant under a mountain. That would buy him the time he needed, if not to overdrive… then to acquire his prey.

Dashing to the side, his calculations still running as he burst towards where 22 had been, he caught her pulling herself away still as he smiled devilishly, running towards her, not even taking his time.

This time, he wasn't going to be stopped by some other force. This time, he would acquire exactly what he…

The symphony of rumbling from the mountain he'd forged in mere moments suddenly broke through his thoughts, just as he arrived. The sound of electrical surges and pulses were loud enough that he'd not been able to ignore it.

What now?

The thought overwhelmed him, even as he was about to finish his prey.

When the mountain split apart at the centre, a ray of blue light at its core surging through it, he felt himself pause in place as his eyes widened in shock at what he was witnessing. Sixteen was prone, trying to rise, he'd never catch him, but his arm was pointed directly at him. Realizing this was his chance, he pulled his own arm, preparing to plunge through 22's exposed back.

"Rocket Punch!"

There was an explosion in the distance, before he felt it. It was the hardest thing he'd ever felt in his life as the knuckles collided with his forehead and grazed his temple. The impact was so harsh it split open his skin as he felt himself launch back. Barely, through hazed optics, did he manage to look towards the origin of the assault as his body flew back once more. Only in this case, he only saw a fist getting through the air, water vapor streaming off it as it chased his body back.

When the arm's body came into view, he saw 16 grab the lost appendage, affixing it back to his arm before the giant drove his fist into him stomach. This time, when 23 gagged, blood came up, before he felt his entire world go hollow with the following uppercut, his body sprawling backwards and up, before 16 followed up with an axe handle smash in the air. When it collided with his back, he felt his spine click out of place before he cried out, his frame smashed into the ground below. A crater formed beneath him upon impact, leaving him almost broken in the pit.

When the titan landed near him, he looked up spitefully at him, spitting blood from his mouth.

Pushing his disc back into place, he grunted with pain before the giant prepared his final blow, just as 23 finalized his last calculations. Without a word, 16 pulled back, before striking down, aiming to punch through him. In a rapid motion, 23's hand came up, meeting the other machine's as he felt himself grin through bloody teeth, before sucking back his lips and enjoying the taste over them. The copper was more than delightful, he even felt celebratory in this moment as he heard the gears and servos in 16's arm grind to a halt as his own arm absorbed the strike. His own joints started to glow through his skin as his blue eyes shined back at the other machine.

"I've finished my analysis and entered my overdrive protocols, my dear friend 16," he remarked as the giant threw the other fist, 23 catching it as well. "I believe that I will be the one walking away from this, you outdated piece of slag."

Pulling both arms in, he sprung his lower body up, delivering a double check to the other Android's chest, sending him sliding back, his physical form stunned once more. When he followed up, sweeping in with a kick in the head, taking the other machine straight on, 16's body flew back, sliding against the broken city as 23 grinned devilishly. He'd need to win, and decisively, to reacquire his target and complete his mission.

Jetting after 16, he heard a cackle, realizing it was his own voice on the wind as he charged towards the other machine. It pulled itself up, launching its fist at him once more as a projectile. This time he swept around the limb, not even breaking off his assault before he drove straight into him, his fist catching the giant in the side of the face before grabbing him by his leg, flipping him overhead and smashing the machine into the road once more. As if remotely guided, he saw the arm pulling back, flying back to its source.

Not changing his plan of attack, he reached down, grabbing 16's head, pulling it back before smashing it into the ground again.

"You should learn to respect your betters," he spat, letting his true disdain show through. "You are soft, and weak, just like the fool you were modelled after. No wonder Gero never wanted you woken up. You are nothing but a toy built by a lonely old fool!"

Suddenly, the wind sucked out of him as 23 felt himself lurch back in surprise, 16's elbow finding him stomach as he felt himself let go of the red-hair he'd clasped and stagger back. Wobbly feet almost slid on the chips of asphalt beneath him. Managing to raise his guard in time, the sparse chips of road and buildings around them lifted off the air as 16's next strike landed on his guard. The Giant's face had finally twisted into something he recognized. He could see its hatred, particularly of him, and it was enough to allow his own face to mirror it.

This was it, the familiar coming back into view. It was contenting, fulfilling even. The reflection of hatred and disdain were the core fragments of his own emotion. It was relieving to see them pushed back on him, almost like he was drinking them in. This was it, what he'd been wanting from the moment he saw this stupid machine.

The moment in time lasted only for a split second as every particle around them shattered, the two of them taking up their full powers and speed to begin their strikes at one another. In a blizzard of assaults, the two machines began trading shots, each one dodging or blocking a seemingly infinite number of attacks, their frames lifting off the ground. In this great series of attacks both combatants twisted and turned, their kicks and punches neither finding a significant mark on the other. It was only when a single shot escaped through the web of attacks on both sides, that they separated, and only for but a second. Sixteen's fist smacked into the side of his face, just as his own foot clipped the Android's head. The two of them swept back and 23 formed a bolt of pure energy between his fingers.

"Die," he spat, launching it towards the other machine, the blue orb burning through the smoke riddled sky around them.

Without seemingly any struggle, 16 caught the attack, allowing 23 to grin as he saw the giant holding it in place, preparing to deflect it back, or disperse it. Focusing his telekinetic energies into his hands once more, a blue field of psychic power rumbling around him, Blue started to chuckle before he honed his fist, striking out with a single punch despite being multiple metres away.

When the invisible blow landed, it the blast exploded in his adversary's hands. Flesh was blasted off the mechanical frame of the giant as his green wrist-guards were annihilated. The juggernaut was left in place, even as the energy faded, clearly stunned before the next blow landed. Twenty-Three struck out again, this time testing his strength as the target staggered back in the air, clearly confused as the focused blow shot through him. Grinning as theory became reality, 23 started to chuckle.

"An inferior design, with inferior power," he remarked, striking out again, this time striking the head hard enough to ripe the flesh and optic covering from the left side of 16's face, revealing the machine within, beneath the false flesh and fake blood.

Another strike landed, before 23 unleashed his true assault, dozens of rapid-fire kicks and punches shot into the primitive machine as it tried to blue, but his strikes simply passed through, only landing on his desired target. It was struggling to even stay in the air as he cackled to himself, finishing his bombardment with a sweeping round-house kick, as well as a diving foot immediately after. The two blows sent 16's now battered body lifelessly into the wreckage of the east end of West City.

There was no movement, his sensors noted a distinct lack of significant power sources as he smirked to himself.

Yes…. YES!

The grin now plastered on his features only grew before he turned his attention to his true prey, the last steps towards his ascension. Bolting on the ground a moment later, knowing his overdrive would fade within moments, 23 halted as he saw 23 struggling, her nose bleeding even as she tried to move anywhere. His joints ceased glowing as he felt himself regress out of his enhanced state. Energy reserves were low, but were still enough to keep his psychic paralysation in place.

"Apologies, 22, I am so sorry to keep you waiting. It's not fair to you to keep stalling your death like this. I enjoy cruelty, mind you, but it's highly inconvenient to me to leave you in such a state of anxiety."

The animalistic, fight or flight look on her face, twisted with her contempt made him smile. He couldn't wait to see the same look staring back at him as he killed 13, then 14 and 15. Hell, he would love to see fear in the eyes of Son Goku and all his friends. The suffering, the pleading he wanted from all of them… it was exciting, exhilarating, even. He was on the cusp of that even now. His grin grew only as he walked towards her.

A bolt of energy shot past him, only by virtue of the fact he sensed its light source at the last moment. The purple haze of energy rolling into the distance before shattering across the horizon. Something hit him, not physically, but mentally. Again.

He was being denied AGAIN!

This time it was even worse. A more than familiar face was staring back at him. The face of Son Goku, even if it was worn by the one named Turles. What was worse, was this thing was looking back at him with the same look that wretched child had displayed when they'd confronted one another in the past. The only issue was…

How… is he still standing?

The Super Sayian looked amused and just as determined as that pile of scrap Android 16. He felt his lip curling further and further with disgust as he looked back at the image of the one who'd caused his original forms demise. What was he so happy about?

"I see you're as big of a pest as the other one like you," he remarked coolly, keeping his fury in check at this latest disruption. "You found a way to avert my paralysis. Your power however, is no match for my own. You must know this. You are hardly my equal. You couldn't even beat Android 18."

The Saiyan's smile only grew as he spoke, itching the back of 23's anger as he felt himself almost snarl, wanting to know exactly was so amusing. He knew something that he didn't. Just like his ability to move was more and more infuriating to 23 as he realized this pest had something up his sleeve.

"What's so funny?"

"For the guy who is well above me, I think you're taking time we both know you don't have."

With a vicious scowl, 23 blitzed ahead, roaring as he did, his anger boiling over to its fullest extent, the dam finally breaking.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Turles:

Great. The full motor control he needed had come to his control. He'd liberated his mind from the paralysis, and was the last one standing in front of this thing that had beaten at least two other Androids and paralysed everyone else. Even after his small bump from surviving the other Android's attack, he was going to be far from a direct challenger of this guy's power. But what he could do, was delay.

Because he suspected that the big one wasn't done yet, even if he was stunned. What he needed to do was buy time. Being an observer to the battle so far, he'd heard enough to know this guy killing the woman, would be a problem. Especially if he got the pieces out of her. Which meant that for Turles's own goals and agenda, this guy needed to get dead. The plan was simple, let the big machine unbury itself, and come in for the save. Just so long as he didn't die for his cause, Turles was more than agreeable with fighting this thing, just as he had been willing to fight alongside the bitch only a few minutes earlier.

When 23 came at him however, he managed to block the first strike, knowing whatever boost it had been doing was recharging, he anticipated it was as strong as 18 was. Measuring the blow as it connected with his forearm, he felt vindication and continued to devilishly smile at his counterpart, his turquoise eyes meeting blue ones before the exchange escalated, as if on que, when 23 snarled angrily. He was faster and stronger, but Turles could almost see the attacks coming, each blow moving around him as he played defensively.

"Why can't I hit you!?" Twenty-Three shouted in frustration, clearly noticing the difference between their speed and power.

Seeing an opening, Turles felt his confidence rise again, managing to score a hit on 23's abdomen, feeling a rib fracture behind his fist, it clearly having been battered prior by 16. Shifting back along the ground, the Android slid for three metres before he came to a halt, his breathing ragged and his eyes painted only with rage.

"You…" he breathed. "You're just like him, aren't you? You're as annoying as that rat Son Goku!"

Now he's hurting my feelings.

There was clearly a personal vendetta in the works, and Turles felt his own eyes narrow.

"I don't like comparisons to Kakarot, if you don't mind," he remarked. "Besides, I'm clearly the better brother. If that helps you with any of the shame you're feeling, well, you can thank me later for letting you know."

A bluish glow emerged across the machine and Turles felt himself narrow his eyes, sensing the psychic energies running off of him. The machine's eyes flashed with surprise for a moment as his energies clashed with his own, a barrier only the 2 of them could see emerging for them both to view. Raising his guard, Turles felt the tension rising in the air as the machine's lip curled up once again.

"So that's how you've avoided being paralysed," he snapped. "You are a psychic."

"I told you," Turles commented lightly. "I'm the better brother. Besides, I had a trick that clearly helped me out of that little trap everyone else has fallen in."

There was a grin, before it flashed to anger, clearly the rage this guy was facing was still boiling over.

"Let's see if those cheap tricks can help you now!"

Throwing a dozen fists at him, Turles saw them, even as they were thrown at a distance. The mind bullets being fired at him in physical form, telekinetic punches, would normally go past any block. Even if he didn't have the same power as the Android physically, he wasn't sure that it wasn't the case mentally. Whatever this thing had been doing to suppress everyone else clearly taxed his potential, and out of confidence, Turles raised his hand, pushing forward a block. The air around him thrummed before the cracking sound of blows echoed around him, visible impacts of force could be seen in the air around him as he felt the air brush past him.

There was a pause, his opponent trying to grasp what had just happened, his muscles already tensing as he could feel something beyond rage setting in. Lowering his own arm, Turles's mind observed the battlefield around them. Once this got physical again, he was likely going to only hold on for another minute or two, unless he played to his advances.

"Why… Why you…" he heard barely make noise through angry breathing in front of him.

"Are you impressed with the cheap tricks yet?" Turles asked sincerely. "For my next trick, I can read your future. But, well, I don't want to spoil the ending so close to the finale."

"RAAHHHH!'

When it attacked, he sensed its power having increased, seeing the familiar glow of the overdrive around the machine. He tried to pull back, but felt a punch land ahead of time, his body jerking back before he managed to catch the Android with a knee, punching the same damaged rib as before. The recoil from his opponent in pain was enough to give Turles a clear shot to land a punch on his face, sending the blonde staggering back for a brief second before Turles himself felt the reprisal of a sharp kick to his own ribs, feeling two fracture from the velocity and impact of the blow. Unlike his opponent, he didn't have the strength to hold it.

When his body plunged into the bleak, destroyed ground beneath him, he didn't even have time to get up before the first strike hit him in the face, the machine almost spitting it was so angry.

"I'm going to do to you what I should have done to that BRAT brother of yours!" he heard it screamed. "He ruined everything for me! I'll be sure to leave you as my first message of what I'm going to do to him!"

Another blow landed and Turles felt his head cock to one side, he knew that his ability to influence the outcome the battle was coming to a close, but felt 23's mind grabbing at his own as he struck down on him, as if trying to gain access to somehow do more damage for humiliating him. He could sense it through the energies intermingling.

Opening his mind, Turles unleashed his mind's true potential, feeling it opening into a future he'd not be able to see on his own, not consciously or willingly, pulling 23 into it as well.

He could see 23, he could see him battered, but arrogant in his posture. Then he saw the light, like the mouth of Hell itself had opened in a Flash, and he saw 23 scream while his body enveloped in the light itself as the other Android recoiled off him. Turles felt the machine get off him, holding his head, even as Turles felt his hair descend back to its normal state, his power sapped.

Reaching out his mind to the closest ally he could, the one that was the key to all this, he knew he had one last opportunity to help fate along.

"No! NO! NO NO NO NO NO!" the android screamed, trembling as he stood there, clearly still experiencing the tail end of his gift to him.

This wasn't his place to die. Not yet. For some strange reason he could see it, far in the distance. He could feel himself falling, like he was falling away from somewhere he wanted to be. Yes, even as the current of air around him swirled in the fall, Turles looked towards an endless sea of sky, clouds and blue tinted atmosphere as far as the eye could see. That was where he would meet his end, and it wasn't now.

Even as the Android recovered, he saw the murderous machine stop himself, breathing in and out heavily before he looked down at him, clearly having enjoyed his opportunity.

"Do you think that's going to save you?" Twenty-Three spat. "Showing me some false vision! I know you attacked my mind, and I'll grind you into pulp for-"

"Seeing the bigger picture?" Turles countered. "I'd pay more attention if I were you."

The machine seemed to realize that Turles had allowed himself to be paralysed again, focusing his mental energies elsewhere…

A boot connected with his opponent's back as red energy cascaded around it. The machine was sent hurtling forward as a wave of energy wrapped around him, sending his screaming across a dozen streets, his body breaking through ruin after ruin, the crashes exploding around them.

With his head falling to one side, Turles looked at the Android which seemed to hate Vegeta so much. The one that Raditz had been talking to before. The one he was now allowing to move about as he had only moments earlier.

Either run or fight.

He offered the mental message as he felt himself drift back into his own mind, feeling the internal injuries to his head from the several harsh blows 23 had landed on him.

I don't care which. Just play it smart. Time is on your side.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Android 22:

Return of the control to her body had been unexpected. When she'd found herself with the ability to freely function with enough speed and strength to assault her immediate threat. Once she'd finished her attack, her mind slowed, not because of a waxing of her power, but because of uncertainty.

What to do?

Everything had gone so wrong. Her friends were dying, or betraying them. She had no idea where 16, 17, or 18 were. The other machines were immobile too, and now Son Goku's friends were helping them. That still left her at odds with all the other things happening around her. Even now, her processor didn't know what to do, and it needed to decide, fast.

Either run, or fight.

Her eyes widened with awareness as she looked towards Son Goku's other brother. He was laying there, staring at her, clearly on the cusp of potentially losing consciousness. He'd intervened to buy time then? Did that mean 16 was still alive? How could he tell? By the time her eyes darted forward again, she could almost feel 23's range pouring through the streets he'd passed through.

I don't care which. Just play it smart. Time is on your side.

A scream echoed out before a wave of destruction rolled out from the centre of the suburb. A wave of blue energy crackled to light before rolling past her, sending debris in all directions as she felt the energy ripple past her. It took less than a second for her to raise her guard, feeling the surge crash into her as her feet wobbled before initiating her own, full Overdrive.

As soon as she did, she saw him in front of her, only a split second away. Instinct kicked in before her processor did, dropping down and pushing forward, her shoulder slammed into his gut as she heard an auditable retching noise from her would be killer as his own force and momentum were used against him. Wrapping her arms around her back, clasping them together as her fingers locked in place, she pulled back violently, using his own momentum along with her overdrive and suplex him back, cracking him into the ground with a thud before rolling back over herself, not letting go as she rolled into another suplex, still holding him in place, the second impact being hard enough that cracks exploded through the ground around them as a wave of kinetic energy emerged with the collision.

Breathing in herself, she pulled back, releasing her hands as she prepped herself to lay into him, slamming her fist into his face with all the aggressions he could muster. When her first punch made impact, her knuckles ached. His head tilted to one side before he spat blood out from his mouth to one side, his hand reaching up, grabbing her by the face before wrenching her back. Her spine almost bent in two as he pulled himself up, pushing her back further as he did. Her legs gave way before her ass hit the ground, her feet kicking out.

"Finally," he breathed, trying to keep himself under control. "No more obstructions, no more waiting. Even if it's disgusting to think I need something from you inside of me, the process can now begin. Don't worry, I promise to take good care of you, 22."

Realizing she had one shot to break free, her eyes peaked through his fingers, seeing where her own foot was in relation to him. She scowled from behind the almost suffocating grip, seeing him preparing to strike. Focusing the remains of her reserves into her leg, she shot straight up, her boot slamming into the other machine's groin, smashing his testicles against the bottom of his pelvis. There was a blink on his pat before she felt the grip on her face loosen. As soon as she could even get an inch free, she bit his hand. Copper tasting fluid filled her lips as she tore into his hand. A shriek left him before she felt him stomp her stomach.

It was enough for her to release her grip. Her entire body felt like it'd been smashed in one hit. The force he'd brought down felt like enough to crush a building. She managed to roll over, her arms wrapping around her midsection as she felt herself just gulp back noises of pain and misery. Unsurprisingly, from the corner of her eye, she saw the same from her counterpart, as he took several steps forward, before vomiting to the side, hunching over and holding his knees for support as he just breathed in and out. A few spits later however, and his head turned up, his eyes twisted into pure malice as he stalked towards her.

She felt the blow land. His hand almost pierced through her torso as his fingers dug into the outer layer of her skin, clipping bone. He tried to reach inside of her, and then, even as the gore flooded through her clothing, it suddenly stopped. She wasn't wholly sure why it'd stopped, but even as her vision hazed, she saw 23's body vanish in a blur, before the only thing she heard was a crash.

When the shadow fell over her again, it felt all too familiar as a giant stepped past. The metallic skull on the left side of his face, revealing the inner workings of what they were. The blue optic of its eye turned as his face did, revealing Android 16. Despite his horrifying appearance, she could see the same gentle look on his face.

"Keep your head down," he warned.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Android 23:

SO CLOSE!

When he looked up, his vision now hazed, his ribs were badly battered. Ever motion he made with them made him fear a break. A break, a full break rather than a fracture of bruise, could highly inhibit his ability to fight. Worse, it could disable him entirely, or kill him, if the break was bad enough. When his blurred optics came back into focus however, he was met with the least welcome sight he could have imagined. His overdrive needed time, and this time he knew 16 would not be quite as accommodating to his need to regenerate it.

In the split second they mutually recognized one another, 23 felt the understanding between himself and the other, full machine. This was the end, the last barrier between himself and his prey. Both of them understood that this was complete, it was final. He knew that he was only seconds away from his complete, and total victory. Every other threat to him alive would be killed, and then he would stand atop the world itself a god among playthings. But this was the last barrier.

The plaything of Dr. Gero, the face of a lost son. A face, proudly, he'd marred, ripping away at the synthetic flesh which covered a mechanical body. The façade of 16's features was torn away, leaving only the would-be killer it was meant to be. It was so pathetic; it couldn't even embrace what it was meant to be. Or rather, Gero was pathetic for programming it to be so pathetic, his old heart making this pitiful tribute of a robot so soft.

"So," Twenty-Three comments, beginning to get to his full stature once more. "You really want to stand in my way? I know how much you hate this. Wouldn't you rather be off saving the birds? Or the trees? I know I killed 24, but that was in the past, it was so long ago I can't even remember it happening almost."

The lack of a response was enough to make 23 just smirk briefly, huffing through his nose before spitting to the side, shooting out a mixture of saliva and blood.

"You really think you have it in you to kill me?" Twenty-Three asked. "I know you, 16. I know this isn't in your nature. Do you really think this will help things? Do you not think that he doesn't have other plans? What about the others?"

Sixteen's stride was unbroken.

"Yes," Sixteen answered bluntly. "I will kill you, and then if I must, I will stop anything else he has planned as well. He is unwell, his plans are not born of a rational mind."

"Strange," Twenty-Three chuckled, just as 16 finally closed with him. "That means you aren't the product of a rational mind either, now are you?"

The response was only for their fight to reignite. He barely managed to shift around the first strike, his heart thumping in his chest. It took only a few more motions, a few more exchanges of motion and strikes, before 23 found himself on the wrong end of an attack from the faster machine. A strong blow landed on the side of his jaw. He almost felt it displace, his teeth banged together and the top of his mouth hurt almost as much as the location of the strike. It sent him dizzying back, twisting and swirling on his feet across the surface of the rough group as he slid back. When he came back to a halt, it was only from where the next strike landed, 16 roughing before he engaged him, looking into his exposed optic and seeing the shine of the metal around the left side of his face in a blurred motion before a gigantic left hook connected.

This time it was enough to launch him off his feet. Calculations began running through his twinned processors as he felt his twinned minds working in tandem. When his hands grabbed the road, slowing his approach, he'd already plotted out his next moves, and simulated the responses from his would-be killer. Even if he wasn't natively as strong as 16, he could keep pace at vital moments and achieve the victory he deserved. Overdrive engaged at the right moment as 16 came into range, moving on the flank he knew he seemed the weakest on.

As soon as his would-be killer came into view, he shifted his weight around, slipping past the first strike, before throwing his mind out, rather than his fist, catching 16 with a telekinetic throw, shoving him back, before striking forward four times, landing four telekinetic punches on the larger Android's midsection. Even of the strikes battered the metallic frame, trying to cause structural damage internally to the other Android. It had an effect, but it was limited, but that was just as expected. It caused the giant to tilt back, and he already could see the response.

Shooting forward, he smirked as 16 responded mechanically, the right attack was to swing out with a right fist, and that was exactly what he did. Calculating the difference of responses, just as he had before, just as he'd planned everything out, 23 slipping around the attack, not going inside the punch, to where he'd battered 16, knowing a knee would be waiting for him, but shifting around the outside of the blow, coming up with a vicious kick, catching 16 in the side of the face, sending the enlarged fool skipping along the ruins before his body shattered into a jagged formation of broken concrete.

Throwing both his hands up into the air, 23 started to laugh, feeling exhilaration at what he was about to achieve. Blue energy crackled in his hands as the orb grew larger and larger, his own eyes catching fire with blue energy as he combined psychic energies with the energies of his chassis.

"Psycho-Electric BOMB!"

Throwing his hands forward, the twisting orb of crackling energy collided with the ruins. When it exploded, the blastwave rolled past him. Such was the intensity it was even beyond what he'd expected. The giant blue wave of power washed past him as well. It blinded him, even, before he threw up his own guard. Standing firm, he was only able to resist the power for a few moments before he was sent hurtling back, but in no real danger himself.

Only when he emerged from the ruin, did 23 start to smile, pulling himself up from the wreckage of the pathetic hovel of a city. His mind scanned the area, selecting the minds of relevant, still sensing the imprisoned minds, as well as the damaged Android 23 and Turles. The latter however, thankfully seemed to still be incapacitated, and the former, he knew, was if not mortally injured, injured enough that she would not be relevant to the fight.

Finally, FINALLY! HAHAHAHA! After all this time, I'm the one in charge! MY destiny is in my hands!

No signs of movement. His own scanners ran past his feed with the information on hand that was required. No target found. Target terminated.

With a laugh coming into the open, 23 began humming for a moment as he took to the air, before gently singing to himself a simple tune, the same familiar song. It was a celebration, a great moment of triumph. First 24, then 17, then all the others, and now even the mighty Android 16 had all just been barriers to his destiny, and all of them had been overcome.

"You're luck… is not my luck… it's not my luck…"

The air burst around him as he climbed higher into the air, his body feeling more powerful than ever, despite the near empty reserves in his frame. The triumph of the moment, the conquest, was what fueled him now.

Behind him, an explosion blasted out as he turned his head rapidly, seeing an armourless Android 16 launching after him in the air. Two golden bolts of energy fired past him, his frame twisting in the air to avoid them as he saw a titanic energy field forming around the other Android on his approach.

I… I…. I… am going to fucking kill him!

It snapped, the self control, the barriers around his mind. Any pretense of his façade of civilization or his external personality. All that remained was his rage. Rage at being humiliated by Son Goku, and then killed by his own Army. Rage at being left in this inferior chassis, before he took his opportunity to expand. Rage at being a puppet of Android 17, or having to tolerate the madness of the old man. Rage at 22, and all of these other insects trying to prevent him from finally seizing his dream. All of it became something pure. There was a truth in violence, and his rage, brought out the truth as to what Android 23 was.

With a scream of fury born from within him, his overdrive turned on, all of what was left in him came to the fore as energy crackled out of every pour of his body as he drove back down towards the other Android. The two fields of energy clashed before their bodies did, starting the almost merging of their forms before 23's fist slammed into 16's. The barrier of energy that expanded out around them became a glowing orb, as if they were both in the heart of an intense, enormous energy blast. The World shook around them, the very air trembling.

Once more their eyes shared each other's gaze. This time, his mouth was trembling he was so furious and he didn't care.

"I may not have Android 22 yet, but I have more than enough power to finish YOU! After I kill you, I'm going to finish my ascension, and there is NOTHING YOU CAN DO! MY WILL IS MANIFEST!"

"You are a sick mind, and I will not allow you to achieve what you desire. I will stop you."

When their fists separated, in the heart of this glowing core of energy, they exchanged blows. Fists striking into one another's bodies sending shockwaves out in all directions. One after another they slugged into one another, each attack battering the other as their powers flickered about them.

For a brief moment they split, he felt himself spitting with fury, sending the other machine hurtling back as they broke away after another exchange of blows, 23 once more gaining the advantage.

"You'll pay for this, 16! You and anyone else whose come in my path!" he shouted at the other machine, his rage continuing to grow, so much so it felt like his mind itself had broken. "I'll serve your head to that miserable father of yours after I finish slaughtering your friends! I'll turn this world's forests into a PYRE for this!"

It wasn't that he was fueled by programming, or even the desires of General Blue anymore. The only thing he could feel any longer was hatred. Hatred and rage were the only two things he could conceive, both in his processors and in the organic part of his mind. As their bodies clashed in the skies, striking back at one another as they shot through the sky, each strike becoming somehow stronger than the last, 23 would scream into the heavens as he made his final approach.

A hard right, a strong knee, and a vicious headbutt, all landed in a row, completely knocking 16 ajar in the air, before 23 spun once, looping above his target, before cracking straight down on 16's head, sending the giant back down to the Earth once more. When his body impacted, 23 knew that if he made another attempt to acquire 22, it would be intervened on by this unit.

But this time, as he landed, seeing the hulk trying to get up, he saw how fatigued, and finally, broken his opposition was. Even now his rage subsided, replaced with a smug, self-satisfaction. It was more than enough to cool the heat of his rage, knowing that he had proved himself superior to everyone, and everything that had intervened thus far. The task was done, or it would be very soon.

He couldn't help it.

A low chuckle escaped his lips before bursting into an amused, full laugh. The plight of his lesser enemy was more than enough for him. Even now, with his overdrive completely consumed, he was better able to move and fight than the piece of scrap before him.

"The only thing you've succeeded in doing is delaying me, 16. But I think that's quite over now, don't you? How exactly are you going to stop me? Even I can see how lost you are," he laughed before his face twisted back into place, leaving only a smirk as the residual to his laughter.

When 16 pointed his arm at him, 23 briefly paused before laugh surrounded the huge Android's forearm. The sound of a massive dislodging followed, and 23 knew this trick all too well already. The hand shot straight towards him as a missile. Reflexively he caught the hand out of the air with his mind, holding it in place as he looked at the stunned Android 16. Raising one finger in the air, he wagged it gently at the giant.

"Now, 16, that wasn't very nice, was it? You should know I don't exactly fall for the same tricks over and over again…"

The other arm blasted forward a moment later as the giant reactively pulled his other arm up, launching it next, as if trying to catch him off guard. Catching the other hand in the air, 23 just deepened his vindictive smile before his mind turned the two hands around in the air, opening the fingers to wave at 16 with them. With both limbs well in 'hand', he threw them aside, each hand being shot in one direction, then then other, launching them hard and fast enough that even if 16 called them back, they'd take more than a few minutes to do so.

Walking towards the prone goliath, he started to chuckle, before humming to himself. The noble warrior seemed to finally accept his fate, averting his very gaze in the moment of his defeat.

"Your luck… is not my luck," he repeated back gently to 16, beginning to gather energy in his hand, his palm crackling with pure power, though his sing-song voice disappeared as his face twisted to how he genuinely felt about the peaceful machine. "I'll see you in Hell, 16."

Raising his hand up to finish his attack, seeing the other Android look up at him. It was jarring, the sense of determination, but more so, of certainty, on his opponent's face. It caused him to pause briefly, as if thinking he missed something. 16 threw his two limbless arms forward, shoving them at him, as if it was a child waving about a broken toy. He almost thought to laugh again before he sensed heat, and he heard noise.

"Perhaps you will," Sixteen confirmed. "HELL'S FLASH!"

Suddenly, there was light. It was… it was what he saw while he was fighting Turles. He could see the light, staring straight into it. He'd long since lost sight of 16. His mind flailed out, trying to push back the torrent of energy as he felt the ends of his fingers beginning to burn away. Flesh started to vaporize off his body while he was caught hanging into the intensity of the light. What energy he could marshal tried in vain to keep himself held together as his processors ran at full capacity, trying to find an escape, trying to use his powers to avoid what was happening. What breaks in the wave he made, were only enough to hold himself together, even as he felt systems being taken offline within the body as trauma wracked through it while he was left to burn.

The violence of the energy wave was such that he hadn't even noticed what had happened to him. While he skipped through debris or was thrown about in the midst of the torrent, it didn't seem to matter. His mind came in and out of consciousness, his internal chronometer telling him only by seconds how much time passed as he flashed in and out, but he was barely aware of it.

He was on his back. He lay there without a sensor functioning beyond his right optic. Trying to reassert himself, he couldn't move his right arm as he tried to get up. In total, his body spasmed as it tried to respond to any command. A diagnostic report ran in front of him.

Right arm, disabled/destroyed.

Left arm, disabled/destroyed.

Primary body, compromised.

Vital Organs detected being in failure, Heart, Liver, Lungs.

Able to rectify…. …. …. No.

Unit 22 detected as being online.

Beginning Savior Protocol. Dead Hand initiated.

As it ran through his feed, his breathing stuttered several times as he felt his body beginning to shut down. Panicking, he realized what was happening as his vision started to darken, just as Android 16 came into view.

"No… No… I… I was… I… it can't… end… … not… like… this…"

The stoic figure in front of him was all he could see, the last images in his fading mind as he saw it look at him with pity. It was the worst sensation of all as power flickered within his system.

"Yes, it can," he confirmed. "And it should. You belong in the past, regardless of anything else you've done, General Blue. You can now stay there."

They were the last things he heard, and the other Android was the last thing he saw… before his mind returned to the darkness, before it went to oblivion, returning to the void which spawned it.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Author's Notes:

What a trip. Almost 30,000 words, tons of characters to follow, but a lot of it was just setup. This was Android 23's chapter. This was the moment of his betrayal and his attempt to seize power. Just this heinous piece of shit, he was even going to betray Gero himself. Next chapter is going to be the blowoff chapter. But we're two Androids down. Android 14, Android 24 and Android 23 are all down.

Now, because of the size of this Chapter, being 83 pages, I've edited it as best I can. I do wanna spend more time doing it, but I will flatly point out I've not had a lot of time the last few weeks, so there will be a few mistakes, I just don't want you guys to wait any longer for an update.

Android 13 is based off like, 4 different characters, including Android 13 from the movies of course, but I really wanted to chimera him together into something new, and I'm not sure I succeeded. But I knew he needed an overhaul from the movie, as he just doesn't have enough to him in Movie 7, even from the outset. Fan creations have made Android 15 easier, lol.

For 23 himself, as this is really his chapter, I will say that I really wanted him to be as much like General Blue as I could make him, while still being a vicious Android. He's obsessive with his chance to achieve his goals, as he can feel them on the edge of his fingertips. I also find it really fitting that it was also really about Android 16.

I should also point out, this chapter is named after "Fire at Will", from Rammstein. I usually don't listen to them, but when I was writing Android 23's fighting scenes, this was the most common music I listened to, it also inspired the "Your luck, is not my luck" line in it, as it felt necessarily creepy and mentally ill, something I've envisioned Android 23 as being, lol. I deliberately tried to find something German to listen to for his character's big fight chapter, if only because of how Toriyama designed the character and who he based him on.

You'll note, I don't write from 16's perspective… ever… the reason for this, is because 16 has no fleshy brain-bits. He's a pure computer. I'm also trying to make his journey as a character, mostly seen through the lens of others.

Now, some sad news for the readers, Warhammer 40,000 9th edition is coming out this week, and I'm gonna be spending a bit more time painting for the next few weeks, so my updates will still be slow probably through August. However, more content is being worked on, and more content is going to be released, fear not.

For those of you wondering, Raditz's role in this chapter was deliberately kept small because he's weaker, this Chapter was never intended to be when he gets his big moment. Without spoiling when or how, things are in motion. They are coming. Lol

THANK YOU EVERYONE for reading and Reviewing Chapter 101!

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Reviewers:

Atanor: You mean the Perfect Monster?

IcwinterSoldier: Answered by PM.

Blades of Fury: Answered by PM.

Nreunn: It is spoilers, sorry! I don't really like having Beta readers, if only because I feel really protective of spoiling important moments in the story. It might just be me being paranoid, but there it is.

Perfect Carnage: Answered by PM.

Thomas-The-TMC: Answered by PM

ThePowerfulKira: Nothing will be spoiled, but you'll be surprised.

Guest1: Thanks! Less characters to handle now though, lmao

Guest2: Thank you!

Herraidous: Answered by PM

Luke: Yea, time's been a bit of a pain for some of these chapters to get the editing down right, unfortunately. But you'll have to see what happens with Cell, I think it's more how the Cells interact with the new cast that I find interesting, over what he's specifically doing.

FightingChampion: This Saga's only gonna get crazier, I promise. :P

AC97: Answered by PM.

Red Power: I'm using the same method of Time Travel as The Long Road, so yea, it's actually a complete nightmare XD. And yea, Beerus and Supreme Kai are mediocre at their jobs, lol.

Guest3: The Trucker Hat of Ultimate Destiny! Lol

Trusen: Answered by PM.

Guest4: King Piccolo's plans are horrifying, and will be explained as the story goes on. But let's just say I'm most excited for his story, lol.

Mouse from Hell: Tien's not gonna Tri-beam nobody under my watch! Lol. But yea, Chad-Piccolo's the best, I love writing him managing crisis to crisis XD

Guest5: I really don't hate them. They just aren't that relevant, just like in the canon. The universe of Dragon Ball itself has put far too many limitations on them. And I will reiterate, they have important moments lined up, specifically for Krillin (starting with this chapter funnily enough)

Guest6: The King Piccolo Mind Fuck is only going to get more extreme, I promise, lol.

Guest7: Nah, King Piccolo's pretty different from Taro. He's evil, certainly, but he doesn't believe he's the only being alive. He wants something very different… Based off his line in the original canon, which is that he really wants chaos and anarchy. I see him as more of a Joker figure, or rather a closer allegory to that, as I don't really see him as the Joker either, beyond his motivation for Chaos and Anarchy.

TheItchyCocoon: Answered by PM.

Super Mystic Gohan: Answered by PM.

RedHunter87: I hope you enjoyed this part of the ride as well, lol.

DarkFalconZ: Answered by PM.

RoxaShadow: Answered by PM.

Instinct: I don't think in a rate T, or even Rated M story, I really wanna delve into the idea of the Saiyans exploding their sexual partners, lmao.

Guest8: You're missing what I'm saying when I say that. I am saying that the Power Levels will always be what the author needs them to be, making them an illusion for the public to consume. That's why I don't give a shit about them.

James: So much of your review is answered by this Chapter, lol. Thank you!

FabDuwangIsFab: Answered by PM.

Maximussj: Answered by PM.

Ardee: Answered by Pm

Transformers G1's-Prime: So many bad things are coming down the pipe, lol.

: Not similar plans. King Piccolo wants anarchy, he doesn't believe he's the only being in existence, pretty big difference. :)

The Rocha: Answered by PM.

JasonBourne: From the future where Trunks never came back. Lol