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 103: Blowback
Raditz:
It was eerily calm.
Much like he assumed the others were, he'd felt himself imprisoned, locked behind a wall of invisible force holding not his body, but his mind in place. All he knew were his senses had been sharp enough to sense the remains of the battle happening around them. Immense energy discharges, brutal impacts, and the tone of desperation filled the world around them. That was until a few moments ago. That was the strange calm.
Even now as his senses returned to him, as Raditz sat up in the place where he'd lay, his temporary grave brushed off him as his eyes peeled around himself, looking for signs of anything. Not only was there no movement beyond his own, but there was silence, save for the ricochets of rocks and concrete clanking against the ground while he'd pulled himself up. It took only a brief examination of his own self to realize his own battle damage was high, but not severe. His head still ached as well, whether that be from the mind control, or it be from the blow he'd suffered before being sent tumbling away, it didn't really matter. There was a general sensation of grogginess about him as he managed to drag himself forward.
The only thing that he became clear-headed about wasn't the threats looming large over them, or his comrades in arms, who were injured or perhaps even killed, his mind flooded with a panic as he realized the corpse he'd been trying to save, wasn't in view. None of them were. Normally it'd have been suicide to draw attention to himself, perhaps it still was, but Raditz didn't care. Shooting straight into the air, bursting his aura as he did, he peered around him, looking for any sign of anyone. His eyes scanned to Vegeta, Krillin, and the blonde-haired Android, before he peered elsewhere, trying to get a lock onto the two machines they'd been fighting, not even getting any signs, before he at last spied his target.
The giant machine, the biggest one, the red-head, was standing tall as he seemed to be attaching his arms? Next to him, a critical looking Turles was standing as well as Violet. Or… whatever this thing claimed to be. He could tell at the very least she'd changed significantly since they'd last met. Well, if that was her at all.
It was the same voice, but a different inflection. Her face was the same, and her eyes were just as cold, but different. He knew even now, that it wasn't her. Despite all the similarities, and even some of the quirks he'd noticed in their very brief encounter, that… it wasn't really her. It was more insulting this way, sadly. The woman Vegeta and Nappa killed was here in front of him, only it wasn't her. Whatever amends he could make, whatever feelings he could confess, whatever pain he perhaps could confront, were pulled away from him. It felt like the final robbery, the last failure he could experience. It was just another thing on the list of everything. Briefly, he managed to look away, instead his eyes darting towards where Vegeta was still standing, clearly having some kind of minor confrontation with the other female corpse.
They didn't have souls, that was why they had no ki. The realization was significant. Was that why Gero chose corpses, or machine-bodies at every turn? It didn't matter, not anymore, it just seemed surreal. The woman who'd died in his arms all those years ago was gone, and her face was now walking around in that thing down there. What was worse, was even knowing that, he still felt like he was trying to save her. The fact she knew who he was gave him some kind of false hope that perhaps Violet was still in there somewhere. But he knew how ki worked, if Violet was that strong, he'd sense her ki in some way. It was a void, even when she'd been demonstrating her power.
Descending towards the trio standing below, he heard Turles first.
"-those other machines are still on the loose. We can work together to deal with that problem first, and then we can sort out our differences."
The stone-faced giant was glaring at Turles, it was strange to see such emotion on display from it, but he could see Turles standing in defiance to it, even if he was approaching from behind.
"Our primary goal is to kill Son Goku," Sixteen said bluntly. "The other machines will not interfere with this task."
"They seemed intent on interfering back there. In fact, if it wasn't for me and my allies, I'm relatively sure that you and your allies would be heading to the scrap heap, wouldn't you?"
There was no motion, a subtle breeze brushed past the two of them, their hair both bristling to one side for a moment before Raditz landed next to Turles, not saying a word as his height loomed over his sibling, coming closer to the giant's statue. This guy, or whatever he was, was bigger than Nappa, which was definitely saying something. Whatever he was, even Raditz knew the big guy was the one to stop whatever the other machine was. They all looked battle scarred, but Violet… 22 looked to be the most torn-up of everyone here.
Behind these two, he could see Android 17 beginning to walk into view, the mechanical movements of the machine were unmissable as it scanned the area on its way towards them. When it stopped in front of the two of them, he felt increasingly cornered. If these things weren't diverting their task, even when under attack, then that was a big problem. The odds were stacking up against them, and in all the worst ways right now.
When the two-different eyed machine stopped in front of them, seemingly casually, it gave a smile, something that looked human, but not quite real. These things were all plastic, mock-ups of what they were before, if they were that at all anyway. That, most of all, was the part Raditz could find the truth in. When he saw these things, he saw what they were… even 22. It wasn't just that 22 displayed, somehow, more compassion, it was that her movements, her expressions, everything, were a close approximation of alive… but they were either too perfect, or they lacked… life in them. It was only more obvious with the other machines nearby.
"I think we don't need help, especially now that our big friend here is online. Notice something? The Red-neck and the midget decided to back off without their hulk-friend back there. Do you want to guess why? It's because we are superior to them in power. I think we'll be fine," the black-haired Android remarked. "And I think that you and your friends have bigger problems now, don't you?"
Shit.
The big one didn't seem to respond further, and 22 seemed amused, which was crazy given what just happened.
"The best Dr. Gero could come up with was that thing over there," Seventeen remarked, casting a remark to the scorched earth and badly mauled remnants of a corpse of what had been Android 23. "I'm not that worried about whatever else he has planned."
Taking a step forward, 22 moved towards Turles and himself before looking between the two of them dangerously.
"Now, why don't you tell us where Son Goku is?"
The first thought that entered his own mind was the abundance of concern he had for the ability of his sibling to remain tight-lipped. Turles wasn't exactly renown for his love of their brother, and Raditz knew he'd save his own skin first. Despite Kakarot's… falling out… with him, Raditz knew he couldn't betray his confidence. It'd not only endanger Gohan, but it'd kill his nephew as well. Then there was the fact that he knew Violet herself would kill them with either answer, and if this machine, despite her not showing that kind of nature before, displayed that here and now, it'd not even save them.
"Right here," Turles responded back, taking a step forward and looking back at the Android with a steeled resolve.
Who the Hell is this, and what did he do with Turles?
Something had been changing, not just with Turles, but with all of them. The Namek, himself, even Turles, and perhaps even Vegeta. Was it the desperation they faced? Was it just what life on this planet would do to you with time? Or was it something else? He didn't know, but what he did know was only a year ago, and even today, he couldn't have imagined that kind of response.
There was a cold smile in response, and unfortunately Raditz read it as exactly what it was. He reached over to grab Turles's shoulder before 22 could attack, only to find himself having fallen behind the other two fighters. Because of course he did. Being as weak as he was now was apparent to all to see. Turles was already radiating with Super Saiyan power before he even had anything close to an opportunity to intervene.
By the time his hand even half-way reached his brother, Turles had slipped to the side, grabbing 22's foot, much to her own horror, clearly written in the brief snapshot of a frame he did see, before he heard her body drop to the ground as Turles grabbed her ankle, shoving his own knee into the side of her leg as he took control, looking between the other two machines, who were already beginning to motion aggressively towards him.
"Back off," Turles warned.
"We were just fighting together," Raditz reasoned. "There is no reason for this. Turles, let her go."
There was a stillness in the air before Vegeta dropped out of the sky, his black-haired frame colliding with the damaged surface of the city behind them. A moment later Trunks followed suit, though he was still awake, seemingly, landing behind them, his body looking savaged already. When Krillin landed, of course he looked no worse than he did at the end of the fight, but hovering above was the pale death-dealer, the last of the machines they'd found themselves in league with only minutes prior.
When he made eye contact with her, he could see the same cold indifference in her eyes as he'd seen in 22's before her attack. Things had finished coming apart. In the distance he could sense the Namek's power moving towards them, but it was too far out to save them, even now. Just as everything seemed set to implode, he could hear something. It was squirming and rustling at first, before it became more and more apparent. The sound of a body flopping about was too much and Raditz turned his attention towards the noise, noting that 17 had started to redirect his attention as well.
What the Hell?
How could this guy not be dead? There was barely a torso remaining, and only part of its head, but the corpse of Android 23 was moving again. Its body was rustling across the surface of the broken road it lay upon. Astonishment and disbelief were the first things to hit him, before there was a single, solitary blast where it had lay.
Seventeen's hand was reached out, clearly the culprit behind the attack.
"Some people just can't stay dead around here," he remarked, sounding more than irritated.
But as the noise of the falling bits of debris ended, he could hear what he only thought were bones breaking, and flesh tearing. A glow burst through the small cloud made by the dedicated attack as Raditz braced himself. How the fuck was that thing still alive. Even as the conflict seemed ready to reignite, and this time with very predictable conclusions, Raditz couldn't help but remain in awe of this thing's survivability. Just how badly did you need to kill something for it to stay dead?
There was another rustle as 22 tried to break free from Turles's grip, but Raditz knew the two of them were mutually staring at whatever the Hell was happening.
Four bolts shot through the cloud, driving straight towards him. The blue energy was scorching, and it was all he could do to throw himself to one side, looking back as he did, seeing the attacks redirect in mid-air, but not towards him, but towards 22. His eyes widened as he felt his breathing pick up, an instinctive reaction by virtue of the fact he still affiliated that face with someone else. The first two bolts hit her head on, ripping her from Turles's grasp and sending her flailing backwards into the ruined foundations of a small hovel. The other two bolts quickly followed, steering into the desolated pile of rubble.
Unlike before, this time he had no pause. He almost shouted her name before moving to the ruins. Before any of that could happen, the other machines had descended upon ruin, trying to find their own comrade. The blonde quickly turned, as if instructed by procedure to turn towards them, attempting to hold them in place.
"Well, that's at least one less problem," Turles commented.
With an angry snarl, Raditz shoved his brother before rushing past him, trying to see what was happening. The machine in front of him was leveling a cool gaze on him, but even she was distracted, just as he was.
"Get out of my way," he ordered.
The machine barely seemed to understand what he meant. There was a confused look about her for a brief moment before the cold frost re-emerged. She looked past him towards Turles, before looking back at him.
"This is our business," she remarked, her own told being as much a warning as her words.
Explaining anything felt cheap. He felt his anger rising with every moment however. His hands gripped as he tried to look past her, he could feel something had happened.
"Raditz," Trunks' voice cut in. "It's not worth it. It's one of them anyway."
Turning his head towards the wounded boy, Vegeta's boy, Raditz could definitely see traces of the father who'd rejected his son. But more than anything he saw a lack of understanding. It was strange. He knew what this thing was. It wasn't even about what Violet wanted. He knew Violet would want this machine destroyed, and if she was suffering or dying right now, it would be little different if Vegeta was.
It was about what he wanted. It wasn't even wholly because she looked like Violet, or she sounded like her. It wasn't even that she'd wanted, or even tried, to kill Vegeta. He wanted to save this machine because he knew it. Even if they'd only spoken for a few minutes, she not only had Violet's memories, it was a creature that had shown him… empathy. Even if it had been cold, she'd not killed him out of hand, which it easily could have done. She'd instead told him some of the things he'd not been willing to hear. And she did it for no other reason than she could remember him in the memories of another person.
It wasn't love, or affection that tinted his view, no, it was honour.
When he turned back to 18, Raditz felt his power flare, a red aura beginning to surround him.
"Raditz," Turles sternly said, kicking the lump of meat that had been 23, clearly it was no longer moving beyond outside forces interacting with it.
When he didn't even turn to face him, feeling his energy rising further as he tried to concentrate his power into his body enough to get past this thing for even a second to get where he needed to be. The machine in front of him crossed her arms, as if daring him to try and get past her.
"Raditz," Turles's voice cut through again, this time it was enough to turn his attention.
"What?" Raditz snarled, turning his head towards his sibling, seeing Turles standing behind the still kneeling, wounded Trunks before he started to approach him.
"Drop it," he ordered. "We're done fighting here today."
Drop it. Let it go. They were all the words that were used time and time again regarding anything around what he'd been trying to do. Those words increasingly meant nothing to him.
"We're not finished yet," Raditz snarled. "You don't understand-"
"I don't care, we're done here," he repeated.
There was something else that was unsaid, but he didn't have time for it now. Every second passing was vital, and whatever was happening they were concealing. It felt like he'd been the only one looking out for this machine, really. There was only the small voice in his head almost mocking him, asking if he really needed to look out for her-
Seventeen's body shot past them, sliding along the surface of the ground as 22 rushed out, her eyes looked frantic, even if he couldn't see them anymore. Just in her disposition she was frantic, scared, and he knew it immediately. Something had happened, he immediately let that click. Whatever final attack had come from 23, it'd been something horrifying. There were no marks beyond a few tears in her clothing, a blood marks on otherwise flawless skin. Her muscles were tensed, like she was prepared for a battle against everyone…
And her eyes were black. Entirely black, there was nothing but pools of the abyss, but he could still see the fear.
"Shit," Turles muttered, grabbing his shoulder to pull him back violently.
But for the first time, Raditz braced, barely trailing back at all as he broke his shoulder free from Turles. The other Saiyan looked confused, and more than that, angry before Raditz burst past the now alerted, and turned Android 18.
"Twenty-Two," Eighteen said. "What's wrong?"
"What happened?" Raditz asked 22.
The woman looked between the two of them before grabbing her head, seemingly in horrifying pain. Electric bolts started to ripple off her body as energy started to gather in the air. The thrum of an electric machine resonated in the air before he heard her scream over the noise. It was horrifying, made doubly worse because he'd heard that scream before. It sounded like a death scream. A moment later the body vaulted into the air, shooting straight up beyond jetting into the clouds. The sound of the booms hadn't even met him before he felt himself burst into the air, launching himself after her, chasing towards a trail of vapor before the other machines jet past him.
No matter how hard he pushed, even now, no matter how fast he went, they disappeared from his view. Even now, even when he was trying to help someone… He fell behind.
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Turles:
"What the Hell was that?" Trunks asked.
Just what the Helli was that? First, Raditz was acting like he knew the Android, which he didn't understand to begin with. What was worse, was that he was acting like he had ten times the clout, and power, that he actually had. It was like watching a lamb living as a lion, if only for a few moments.
So, one of the machines seemingly went crazy after being struck by four things from the dead one's body? He couldn't put that together, because he couldn't read energy levels, but he knew that thing was faster than the other machines now, by a fair margin. That was another big problem. Great, he was surrounded by big problems. At least he had the opportunity to survive today. He hadn't put his odds at being particularly high in that fact, beyond the idea that he knew this wasn't his death. If only because he'd seen his death, in that moment he shared with the now deceased lump of meat which had been thoroughly ravaged.
"I don't know," Turles answered bluntly, his mind scanning towards where he could detect Raditz's energy.
Trying to pull his brother back from whatever strange obsession he had, was the best he could do. If he rejected his own obviously superior advice, then there was nothing Turles could do about that. Quite frankly, there were bigger problems then Raditz's issue, whatever it was. Two Androids unaccounted for, and a missing Android corpse. Kakarot was still down and out, at least as of this moment. They'd been just bit players in some inter-Android conflict, which he also didn't fully understand or know about.
Still, he was guessing Vegeta had shot his mouth off, in regards as to why he was unconscious. Or he'd made aggressive movements. Despite his not enjoying the presence of the woman who'd shot a hole in his chest, that machine was fairly predictable.
"We need to try and help the people in the city," Trunks managed, starting to finally pick himself up as he hobbled forward, moving near him as he looked out over the destruction around them. "There has to be thousands-"
"Not to intentionally live up to your view of me, but what exactly are you going to do for them? Fly people in and out? Give them a light show? Don't be an idiot. They'll make due."
The dismissive disregard for the people here wasn't born of malice or disdain, it was the truth. They had the power to destroy, but their power to help or create was very limited. The people here, the civilians all looking at the ruins of their lives, sadly, it was their burden to put everything back together. If they were lucky someone would summon the Dragon, though that no longer existed. So, this was the grim reality of it.
It was almost ridiculous to think it was Vegeta's kid mentioning this at all, given he knew Vegeta might say worse than what he had.
"But all those people-"
"Are on their own. Who are you going to help, a half dozen of them? Any of them that notice what you're doing, will notice that you knocked down their homes. Leave it," Turles advised before walking back over to Vegeta's still living carcass. "Besides, we've got our own problems."
The silence in response was exactly what he expected. With Piccolo's power rapidly approaching, he suspected that he was going to find out what exactly the strange energies they sensed prior were.
"Uhhhh," Krillin's voice emerged. "Ahem. Not to uhm. Not to intervene. But Piccolo was saying they'd found the monster that attacked Gohan, him, and Raditz before. I mean, now that we're done fighting the Androids…"
"We're not done fighting the Androids, or did you notice this?" Turles gestured to the body at his feet as Vegeta started to groan.
"Well, to be fair, she was pretty nice to me," Krillin admitted. "Vegeta was treating her pretty badly."
"He picked a fight? Shocking," Turles remarked. "Or at least his attitude set her off? Also shocking. Nothing you've brought to the table has been all that useful, so you'll need to forgive me for not caring about anything else you say. I'll let the Namek explain himself."
There was a small noise of humiliation from the midget when he looked down. How useful had the humans been so far? What exactly was this fool bringing to the table? Really, in general, his disdain for the humans was hardly surface level. They weren't worth the effort of placating. Certainly, in his day to day life where they more or less served him, he provided the right levels of consideration to them in order to maintain an informal relationship with the weaklings. Having them be resentful and bitter didn't help him, when they could do things for him. Whether that be the person he paid to clean his condo, or the person he paid to make his suit. If they weren't useful, he didn't need to clothe himself in a friendly demeanor.
There was no reason to provide any courtesy to any of Kakarot's pathetic friends. As even if they were strong than these humans, they were less than useful.
"Well, Piccolo sent me to warn everyone," Krillin said, sounding like he was trying to grow a spine. "You can take what I say seriously. Things didn't work out the way he wanted down here, that much I'm sure of, but you can't just dismiss-"
An irritated glance was cast towards the human, who immediately took a step back, his lionization vanishing in seconds. There wouldn't be two lambs making a transformation to irritants today, that much he'd not be able to tolerate, and this fool didn't have a shield of blood relation towards him to free him of his wrath.
A second later, his black hair returned as he allowed himself to depower as he sensed Raditz get further and further away. Walking away from Vegeta, he could feel Trunks' eyes on him, as if warning him as he approached Krillin.
"The next time the Namek has something important to tell me, he can send someone who can give me more than just the gist of whatever he's up to," he pointed out coolly. "He might even send someone worthy of some modicum of respect. I am not Kakarot, I don't pretend to think you are useful, do you understand me? Or will that human stupidity shine its way through that bald head of yours?"
The smaller human swallowed before stepping back, looking to the side and not saying a word. Probably the smartest thing he'd done all day, if Turles was honest.
"You must be really lonely," Trunks observed. "You make enemies of everyone you don't think is useful, don't you?"
Well, someone is keenly aware, aren't they?
It wasn't that he was wrong, it was that he was an idiot. Having certain people as your enemy was fine, so long as you used your stature to keep them in line. He played nice with people such as Kakarot, despite their near open animosity, because he was a warrior of significant power, and was someone he needed, at least for now. Even if this world seemed to be trying to soften him, he always kept his goals in mind. What those goals were had become the part he was trying to grasp at. Being nice to someone as pathetic as Krillin, didn't help any of his goals.
Being the strongest in the universe? That was most certainly at the top. Being the leader of his species? That was also on the list. How to achieve those goals he'd rather questioned before, and in the last months and years, he'd adjusted as needed. It was the worst when he allowed his emotions guide some of his decisions, but it was a necessity of being alive.
"You say that as if someone as pathetic as this one can be anything beyond a speedbump for someone like me," Turles commented, almost wanting to strike Krillin to prove his point, but holding his better nature back.
Finally, a flash of light appeared in the sky as Piccolo came into view, his frame bursting with the power he now lauded over everyone. That was a problem he'd need to solve once these machines were out of the way. Even if that meant just surpassing him, Turles was no fool. That green figure was the most powerful being on this planet, and likely would have killed 23 himself, had they come to blows.
His power was suffocating, and infuriating. However, unlike Vegeta, he knew when to play nice with his betters.
"Namek."
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Piccolo:
It was worse than he'd thought it would be. Half of West City was levelled, and the scars of battle ran deeply across the very foundations. Raditz's power had been in rapid motion a few minutes earlier, but the others remained here, and at the very least Turles's power seemed stable. The only problem was, he didn't have a single clue as to what happened on this side of the world while they'd been trying to deal with Cell.
Whatever it was, it was catastrophic. Even as Gohan and Tien caught up with him, the three of them could only look on in… well, in shock. Even Piccolo, as hardened as he could be, could see and hear the misery taking place over such an immense area. This was why you didn't fight in cities. How many people's lives had been annihilated because people had been irresponsible? Whose fault was it? The Androids? Was it Turles? Was it Vegeta? There was likely blame to go around in all directions, but he couldn't act as a judge or jury right now.
Even if by all means he could imagine, he truly should have acted as the judge and executioner for the people responsible for this. Especially after what happened on the island prior. People were dying. He was far from innocent in the broad scheme of things, but he didn't seek out these environments to fight in. Becoming friends with Son Goku, and his family, over time had shown Piccolo a different way to see the world. The fight against Cell, or the Cells, in North City had been literally unavoidable. Another Android, this one built to prey on people.
"God damn it," Gohan's voice emerged behind him, sounding half-torn and half-furious. "Why? Why would they pick to fight here? They let the city get decimated. What the Hell?"
"We don't know if they had a choice, just like we didn't," Piccolo said. "Being a righteous crusader right now too, isn't going to bring any of those people back. What we need to do is stop these monsters."
"We've got more monsters to worry about than just the Androids and even those things we fought," Tien spoke up. "How long can we just pretend that everything is fine with these guys? Look what they've done, again?"
Piccolo knew Gohan was being silent, and so was he. Further escalating what was being said wouldn't help them. But it did illuminate an issue. Once the Androids were gone, exactly what was going to happen with Vegeta and Turles particularly? He was stronger for now, but with these Saiyans they climbed in power very quickly. Even his own climb was incredible, but if he compared where he was on Namek, to where Vegeta, the Saiyan had moved past him dramatically by the time they returned to Earth. Goku, Turles, and Vegeta were becoming more and more dangerous with every passing day that they weren't dying of a heart virus.
Part of him knew that all of this could have been prevented if Goku just hadn't been taken out the way he was. At least in terms of the cataclysms that were produced by the machine-androids. That much weighed on him, because he'd not been able to keep a lid on everyone. Managing every crisis was impossible, and even being as strong as he was it seemed impossible to stand alone in all this. Strangely, up until this city was destroyed, he'd been relying on Turles to help hold everything together.
"We don't know what happened," Piccolo commented, trying to balance out the situation. "Vegeta was the first power to spike, and near his home. It's very possible he was intruded on. Yes, it was his responsibility to clear the city, but it's not always that easy."
"But… all these people…" Tien struggled; his voice straining while he spoke. "How many people are dying because-"
"-Because we've not done our job," Gohan cut in, his own voice taxed. "All of us. Trunks and I should have stayed longer and trained, despite the changes. We should have made sure everything worked out. We didn't, and this is what we get. Everyone is guilty of this, Tien. We all have our burdens to bear."
The admission rung true, which made it all the worse. Funnily enough, they couldn't go back and change things, not now. It'd just create another timeline, and not fix this one.
"I know a couple of those guys down there, and they aren't exactly feeling a weight on their shoulders over this," Tien countered.
"What they shoulder isn't our concern," Piccolo said bluntly. "What matters is stopping the Androids. If anything comes afterward, that's on them. We'll be ready."
Zipping straight down, Piccolo had enough discussing this subject with his peers. His feet connected with the surface of the fragmented city below before he looked at things on the ground level, before turning his gaze to Turles, just as Vegeta started to sit up. The Prince was bleeding from his hairline, and Turles looked like he'd been through a blender as well. Trunks looked worse for ware himself, and Krillin looked bruised. There was no sign of Raditz, beyond the trails of his power shooting into the distance.
If he was chasing the Androids, that seemed unlikely that he was still moving in their direction. He expected some explanation, at some time.
"Well, look who decided to show up," Turles remarked. "Just in time to see the triumphant victors? I can see you basking in our success."
"Shut up, Turles," Vegeta snapped, trying to pick himself up. "From what we can tell, 3 machines were destroyed."
"But there are more of them now than before," Krillin cut in. "It's bad, Piccolo. Three more powerful machines showed up. We don't know what happened to all of them, but the strongest new one, and that Android 16, had some crazy power between the two of them."
"You're forgetting the part where I killed one," Turles remarked, turning his head and giving a smirk. "And that the strongest machine is dead now."
"But we can't sense where they went, and another one seemed to go completely nuts before she took off. That's the one Raditz is-"
Trying to visualize what was being said was beyond rational, especially as they were all speaking. New Androids, random powers, and supposedly the other machines descending on one another. Truth be told, he needed one person explaining it all.
"Quiet!" Piccolo ordered, cutting off the melee masking as a conversation.
All the voices stopped before he eyed all of them harshly. This wasn't the time to be disorganized, or to be unprepared. They needed to keep things together, which meant that he was going to get the story straight, from one person. Out of the four there, he trusted Krillin the most, but he also knew Krillin hadn't been there for the whole thing. The one who'd been there the longest was Vegeta. Whether he liked Vegeta or not, or even trusted the whole series of events around what he'd say, was another story, but if anyone was going to lay things out, it was going to be him.
"Vegeta is going to speak first, any and all information he doesn't cover, Trunks will follow up with," Piccolo instructed. "After that, I will explain what we found."
The Prince stepped forward, looking across the wasteland and ruins of the outskirts of the city before clearing his throat.
"Fine, Namek. I'll give you a briefing on what happened. I'm not going to bother with unnecessary details-"
"Maybe you should," Trunks cut in, his voice sounding irritated.
Piccolo didn't disagree, nodding towards Trunks before deadeyeing Vegeta.
"All of it, Vegeta."
The Saiyan seemed to pause, clearly thinking of other options as he looked around. Was he really intent on no showing them on this? Piccolo knew at the very least Turles saved his life, along with Trunks' involvement as well. How one person could be so arrogant he didn't know. Or there was the fact he was hiding something.
"They attacked me at Capsule Corporation in order to find Kakarot. I tried to lead them away from the city, it was destroyed. I did my best to defend myself. Then these fools showed up, and then more machines showed up."
Before he'd even gotten to the next step, Piccolo could hear the half-truth. There was something that he knew the others didn't know, but he'd heard loudly and clearly when Vegeta had been fighting the female Android before, in their first real encounter with the Androids. He found it extremely unlikely that 22 would be able to do anything but try to kill Vegeta from the start.
"You did nothing to instigate the fight?" Piccolo asked.
"What?" Vegeta snapped dangerously, eyeing him in response. "I instigated the fight? By having a pulse? Don't be an idiot. I offered to lead them, they realized too quickly it was a lie."
"The purple-haired Android likely would be trying to kill you at every turn, as far as I can tell," Piccolo remarked bluntly, not fully buying the series of events. "That's why I'm surprised that you mentioned that were having you be a blood-hound for Goku, or really any conversation if she was involved. I don't know everything about that one, but I do know that she'd try to kill you on sight."
It was unexpected to hear silence like this from the Prince as he calculated what he was going to say next. When he eyed the others, Piccolo knew that Vegeta was assessing his answer.
"She didn't attack immediately," he said conservatively, as if trying to test how much he knew. Which meant that Vegeta was hiding some of the information. The only thing Piccolo knew for certain was one thing. "The other machines tried to keep her in check while they looked for Kakarot."
Vegeta had killed her, which had been why she'd so viciously attacked before. They'd known one another. It didn't matter before, at least not in the desperate context they had been in. But now, Vegeta's story didn't seem to play out the way Piccolo imagined it.
"Why would that Android try to kill him on sight?" Tien asked. "Not that these machines are particularly nice anyway, but it doesn't line up? Especially if they were looking for Goku, wouldn't they need him?"
"I have other things to attend to," Vegeta snapped back. "Let me know once Kakarot wakes up. Don't get yourself involved with things that aren't your business, Namek. I've told you exactly what happened. Get the rest of it from these fools."
When Vegeta started to walk away, Piccolo noticed something. Turles was looking at Vegeta in a way that was unnerving to him. Briefly looking to where Raditz's power had last taken flight to, before looking back at Vegeta.
"You know her," Turles said coolly, as if starting to put pieces together that even Piccolo didn't see yet. "You know that Android, don't you? The other machine, 23, had full memories of Kakarot's childhood, and resented him. She knows you, and resents you."
Tension was beginning to rise in the air and he didn't fully understand why. He could sense Gohan and Trunks beginning to realize this tension as well. The only one who seemed completely oblivious was Krillin. Right now, he didn't get it. Just how the Hell did Vegeta know any of these people?
"Is there anything else you want to say, Turles? Are you still doing your Kakarot impression? I'll kill that one, it won't be a problem the next time we meet, I've already surpassed her. Whatever you think you know is wrong. I don't have any real connection to that machine. And I am not here to be questioned by you. If you want to know more about that thing, then ask that wretch Raditz, he knows better than I do."
Piccolo paused as his own eyes slowly started to widen. He'd seen her before. It wasn't exactly her, she looked older before, worn, and weakened. Her hair had been slightly different as well, and her eyes weren't like the machine-eyes that these creatures he'd seen, but he could remember it, if only briefly. It'd been the only time he'd seen her, but she'd clearly been Raditz's companion throughout his quest for the Dragon Balls on Earth.
Things started to fall into place, ironically enough for him of all people. Tien, Krillin, Gohan, and Trunks seemed completely in the dark. Piccolo had been there the day Raditz switched sides. The way he attacked Vegeta and Nappa had been like an uncaged animal. The way he'd tried to kill Vegeta recently, and murder Bulma, had been like a vengeance starved husk. It wasn't his place, this wasn't his vendetta, but there was enough information on the floor for him to realize an approximate series of events.
That woman knew Vegeta, because she'd known Raditz. And Raditz's hate towards Vegeta and his attempt to murder him and Nappa, had started because Vegeta had killed that woman, or was involved with it. He knew it, because one of the few lines he heard exchanged between the two, which Piccolo knew the others would have struggled to hear, was almost haunting when she was preparing to kill Vegeta on the mountain roads.
You killed me. That's what she said to him.
And that also put the pieces in place for him to realize why Raditz wasn't here. He'd taken off after the Androids despite whatever risk might have been associated with it, because these machines used to be humans, and that woman had been important enough to the Saiyan, clearly, to throw away everything for him.
Out of everyone there, Piccolo was perhaps the closest thing to a friend Raditz had. They'd fought along side one another against Frieza, they both looked out for Gohan and really only wanted what had been best for him. He remembered, ironically, the pair of them trying to stop Vegeta from cruelly killing Gohan, something he still hadn't forgiven Vegeta for. It was Raditz who'd found him when he was dying when Kami's soul vanished, the day Nail vanished from his mind and gave up everything that was left of himself to patch the hole in his soul. They'd trained together for years, and Piccolo had only thought Raditz's hatred of Vegeta was born of tyranny or resentment over envy.
He felt his fist tightening as he looked at Vegeta, clearly not fully understanding just how much of his own feelings on the matter were coming to the fore. Raditz's pride had been too much for him to discuss this with anyone, and it led to this very city being half-torn down over a year ago. Even after the rebuilding that was taking place, much of this place was already still under reconstruction before this battle wiped out the outskirts and tore through the fringes of the city centre. But in reality, Piccolo could see what caused that wound to form on his friend's psyche now.
"Something wrong, Namek?"
The words broke the silence, instead of breaking the tension, drowning them all in it as the intensity of it pressed down on his shoulders. Even after what had just taken place, with this battle raging across the city, the realization that so many tragic series of events were Vegeta's fault, and no one even knew about it, was disgusting in a way Piccolo couldn't put to words.
"What the Hell is going on," Gohan asked quietly from behind. "What is it?"
"The truth," Piccolo responded to Gohan in a full voice, his tone cool as ice.
Vegeta stopped in his tracks just as he was preparing to leave them.
When he looked back at Piccolo, there wasn't arrogance in the way he normally displayed, but an equally cold glare.
"This isn't your business," Vegeta reiterated.
"Wrong," Piccolo added, instinctively wanting to reach for his cape and turban, only stopping himself with a calmness that he knew he'd required to keep a level head, as much as he could right now. "This stopped being your business when you got this city levelled, or when you tried to kill Gohan."
If Vegeta didn't know before, he knew now.
"W-what?" Krillin almost squeaked.
"Piccolo?" Tien asked from behind.
The cold glare from Vegeta turned into the arrogance he'd expected to see from him, a smile curving over his lip, but the smile didn't reach his eyes by any means. It was something born of cruelty, the same Saiyan cruelty he'd come to expect from at least two Saiyans he'd met before.
"So, is that how this is? You think Raditz so pathetic that he can't handle his own debts, so you're going to step in to settle things for him? I'm not surprised, he's as pitiable as these humans. If you only knew how insulting that was to him. So, Namek, is that how we're going to do this? Are you coming to settle the score now then?"
Part of him wanted to punch Vegeta in the face right then and there, but he needed him. They all needed him.
"This will be dealt with, once the Androids are-"
Vegeta's face warped to one side before his body launched into the side of a ruin. Concrete shattered as dust scattered into the air.
Turles?
It was, for Piccolo, one of the great oddities to see. Though perhaps in a way he shouldn't have been surprised. It'd been Turles who'd stopped Vegeta on Earth when they first came back from Namek. It'd been Turles who'd fought for Raditz to distract Goku from intervening in West City. It'd been Turles who'd been the only one to keep any real connection with Raditz until the Androids themselves assaulted. He knew the other Saiyan, and even if he didn't credit him with a moral character of any kind, Piccolo began to think actions might speak louder than words.
"That's enough, Turles," Piccolo ordered.
A golden aura burst into the air instead as Piccolo stepped back, seeing waves of force rolling off the other Saiyan as he stood in their midst. For a brief second, he might have even thought it was Goku. The stance he held while standing there wasn't that of a conniving schemer or of violent monster. It was the stance of a friend, or a brother, standing up for someone else. It wasn't even how he appeared when he saved Gohan, now over three years ago.
When the ruins tore open a second later, Vegeta stepped out, wiping some blood from his mouth as he glared down range at them.
I can't let this happen.
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Turles:
It wasn't something he took lightly. It was a strange thing to even feel for him. Everything he'd worked towards, all of his goals and objectives felt more distant than ever, because it felt like he was throwing them away. Planning years in advance, he'd intended to use Vegeta was a useful tool, using his drive and ambitions to help propel his own power and anticipate the other Saiyan's behaviour.
For Turles, he'd never felt much of a stake in Raditz's revenge, beyond how it fit his interests. But as the truth came out to anyone in the know, Turles had, for some strange reason, heard his heart beating in his chest. It'd been like a hammer, striking against an iron, ever beat of it crashing against his plans. It was in the silence that he realized the completion of events he'd not cared to fully grasp before.
He knew, Vegeta had killed Raditz's woman. He'd not realized Raditz's woman had been that machine. The odd behaviour, the fact his brother chased after those machines, risking his life for the ghost of a person who had once been there, was something he didn't want to admit he might have found… tragic. Raditz's wound on his pride was so great, that even now, the wound being in the open, wasn't acknowledged. It was why he wouldn't listen to him, and it was why he had been so driven.
And it was why Vegeta had been smirking. Acting as if no one could involve themselves in this conflict. They'd all been drawn into it at some point. From Namek, to Slug's assault, to training, it was the overcast that hung over all of them in some way, without knowing even all the actors in the events. Whatever happened to that woman since her untimely death at the hands of Vegeta, it was significant in so far as she was now a killer android. How, or why, he didn't understand, but he didn't fully need to.
Despite Bardock not being there, even as his heart thumped in his chest, he could almost hear the echoes of the reality of things. Their father had only cared about Kakarot for his own reasons. No Saiyan alive today, no full blooded Saiyan, had an easy existence, that much was true. But, despite how… wrongheaded it was, the first time he'd met Raditz, his older brother had tried to look out for him. Of all of them, in his own strange way, he knew Raditz had been trying to look out for at the very least him and probably even Kakarot. In contrast, he'd used his brother for his own gain, and only returned the favour when he'd thought it benefited him.
But seeing that smirk on Vegeta's face as he ran his mouth about how Raditz couldn't enact his own revenge, had been enough for him.
When his fist slammed into Vegeta's head, sending the Prince flight back into the ruined buildings nearby, it felt like perhaps it was the first step on a road he didn't want to walk, but perhaps it was the road he needed to walk. It wasn't about the weak humans, or anyone on this planet. It wasn't about the Androids, or his own personal goals. It wasn't about him. It felt like… it felt like how it'd not been about him when Bardock had severed their connection before what would have been his own death.
He'd lived a life filled with injustices, violence, and cruelty. He'd pushed those on others and felt near nothing for it. Regardless of what it meant for Raditz's honour, he didn't care. Whether him stepping in to defend his brother's honour was a slight or not, wasn't the issue. He knew, in his own way, that no one would step in for Raditz. Kakarot wouldn't, even now, even with the hardened look on the Namekians face as he took figured things out, he knew he wouldn't either. The two weaker Super Saiyans knew nothing of this, and wouldn't intervene even if they did. They didn't understand, they couldn't understand, not like a true Saiyan would.
When he let his aura reignite, it was a declaration, it said perhaps what Turles couldn't bring himself to say openly, just as much as Raditz couldn't tell him who that had been.
It said that he was here to settle his brother's account. If Raditz couldn't, perhaps he could. Removing such an important piece from the game as Vegeta felt… off-putting, even with the situation at hand. But there were a few pieces on the board that even if Turles could never admit it… he'd play to keep them on the board, or punish those who endangered them. Though he'd never want to admit it to himself, Raditz was one of those pieces.
"That's enough, Turles."
The golden energies gathering around him intensified as Turles heard the command from his superior. If the Namek wanted to stop this, that was on him, but he wasn't going to just listen in this instance. A burst of power saw the ruins he'd knocked Vegeta into being tossed into the air. As the Prince emerged from the wreckage, he was already brushing his mouth for blood with the back of his hand, the scathing glare he was giving him was enough to inform Turles he'd reignited their less than cordial relationship.
"You?" Vegeta asked coolly. "Really? You are the one who thinks he needs to stand up for that idiot? I'd say I'm surprised, but given how you look like another idiot, I shouldn't be. I am not as weak as I was before, Turles, you've sensed the differences between us, I am still your better."
"Guys, it's time to cool it," Triclops tried to urge. "The Androids are still out there, this isn't helping! The city's already in bad shape, no more fighting. Please, let's settle this-"
"My better?" Turles responded back. "If you were my better, you'd acknowledge a challenge when you see it."
There was a hesitation on behalf of the other Saiyan. They were close enough in strength that Vegeta would have normally been confident, he knew that child well enough by now. They'd fought enough, though most of the time Turles had the distinct power advantage. Right now, if he were guessing, Vegeta was either slightly stronger than him, or all the resent battles he too had experienced, now gave him a small elevation over Vegeta once again.
When the golden fire wrapped around Vegeta in response, the Prince took his battle stance.
"You've always been a worm, Turles. You stand up for that miserable brother of yours now? Now you decide to play hero? Did wearing Kakarot's ridiculous clothing really give you that much of a complex? Or did it make you as stupid and foolish as he is?"
Other torches lit up as Gohan and Trunks let their power as well.
"Both of you, it's time to stop," Gohan ordered. "We can't do this right now."
They were strong, but they wouldn't be able to stop this battle from taking place, and any idea that they could would be ridiculous.
"I'm going to make you wish Raditz had killed you and that family of yours, Vegeta," Turles commented bluntly, earning him a scathing glare from the future warriors. "You've only struggled to keep up with Kakarot and me since you met us. Even if that fool is an idiot, he's still twice the warrior you've ended up being, Prince Vegeta. We all see how deserving you are of your title. You're a second rate Frieza."
Vegeta walked forward, his aura thrumming as everyone began preparing for what was to come, his facial features twisting into a moniker of the quiet fury he was now experiencing.
Cracking his neck to one side, Turles smirked as he started to mirror Vegeta's stride.
Just as Vegeta was prepared to launch, and just as Turles was moving to charge himself, Piccolo appeared between the two of them, his own aura burning white, for now, but in a blink of an eye that power could change to something far more dangerous. Turles had seen the way Piccolo tore through the Androids, at least peripherally, and he'd sensed the extent of his power. His intervention was somewhat unexpected. He expected someone like the Namek to understand how honour worked well enough to understand that they were required to fight. Vegeta had wronged his elder sibling, who was incapable of enacting his own vengeance. It was a slight with consequences that impacted himself, even. There was a price to be paid.
The two of them stopped, hitting the edges of Piccolo's energy as they glared through the Namek at one another.
And now, that debt would be pushed further down the road, just like it always was. This was what was left of their race. A weakling, a failed prince, an earthling, and himself. All of them had grievances, all of them had their own interests and goals, and Turles suspected that there would only be one of them left all too soon. It wasn't even going to be the monster that Piccolo squared off against, or the Androids that killed them.
They would kill each other, or destroy themselves recklessly.
"The next one to make a move against the other, fights me," Piccolo said bluntly. "And I may not kill you, but you'd better hope that there is a Senzu bean here for you."
Turles knew it all too well. Vegeta, he almost expected to jump in, but even the Saiyan Prince was cowed enough to stand down. Reluctantly, Turles's hair descended to black, just as Vegeta's did.
"No more blood debts, no more trying to kill one another, not until this is over," Piccolo declared. "The next one who tries to kill the other, or starts this again, is going to the one who gets doesn't get what they want."
The Namek didn't need to explain himself further.
"Now, I want to know exactly-"
"Hey guys, what's going on?" Kakarot's voice emerged from above them.
Turles's eyes widened before he looked up, seeing a single figure hovering in the air, a 'serious' smile stretched across his stolen face as he gave a small wave to everyone.
"Kakarot," Vegeta almost sneered.
"Dad," Gohan followed almost immediately, his voice sounding relieved.
"Goku… GOKU!" Krillin laughed. "Thank Kami, you're back! Oh thank Kami, you have no idea how bad it was! There was Turles and Vegeta and-"
"Androids!" Tien added. "And a new monster, it's-"
"Hey, wow, wow, calm down everyone," he said quickly. "Don't worry, I know most of what happened already. Let's just figure out what we're going to do next."
They were all so relieved, even Vegeta, despite seemingly being infuriated by his presence, seemed to embrace the certainty. Turles himself did to some extent as well. The Namek already looked like a burden was lifted off him.
Turles hated that feeling, even admittedly, he felt some relief. The reason he hated that feeling however was a simple one.
Kakarot… ugh… I hate Kakarot.
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Author's Notes:
Oh yea! Son Goku is back. Lol.
I realized while writing this that Piccolo would put the pieces together, and that Turles would as well. It created the standoff situation. Without Goku there, I really wanted to stress that things were on the brink of totally breaking down, because they have been, and they were. Goku's back now though, so thank. Fucking. Goodness.
Beyond that, it was hard to write in a lot of respects. Turles wants to play his 'game', but increasingly is bothered by his conscience. Vegeta is trying to uphold Bulma's wishes, and I thin that the Vegeta of right now, wouldn't have killed Colonel Violet. They are both in these transitionary points of the characters. Now technically, we're all consistently in a state of flux, but all of these characters tend to push back against the tide, including and especially Raditz.
The time travelers are going to get increasing exposure going forward as well, as events are starting to draw them in as well. Vegeta's current 'arc' for this Saga is going to start accelerating as well. I'm not aiming for this just to be a 'retelling' of the Cell Saga, there is a lot of changes coming, though I will add I don't tend to like to steal fights from canon characters. Still, I've got a framework completed now, and know where and how I want this to go.
22's gotten her upgrade, but that may not be as 'clean' as one would like… 2 processors have been added to her design, with very specific memory groupings. As of right now, she's probably the most powerful creature on the planet.
So, let's address a few other things. My job has changed a bit in my role at work, and now leads to me commuting. IE, less time to write, by like, at least an hour a day. This has a direct impact on eating into writing time, as you might imagine. The Long Road has been on hiatus for too long, but sadly, will continue to be probably until the end of the Year. I am not expecting that I will have a lot of time until February of March to go back to large quantities of updates. I am hoping to put out monthly updates for The Catalyst for the rest of the year.
As to why? Well, as I mentioned, my work has changed, it's more stressful and absorbs more time. But also, there is an important note. I am involved in a short-term writing project for a friend. I am designing his backstory for his Warhammer 40,000 chapter. I'm also doing a timeline of events for them, a series of biographies, and a short story. This will eventually get published on his relatively successful 40k Youtube Channel. It's a small, but ironically large project. This is the only outside project I'm doing, and after this it'll be full time back to this. I offered to help him out just because I wanted to make sure this project worked out for him. Now of course, my anxiety is up, as I usually just write my own stuff, but that's neither here nor there.
So, with all that said. I deliberately crunched this chapter to get it done. I've done one level of proof reading and editing, so forgive any mistakes. After I am done the project for my friend, I intend to release my roadmap for The Catalyst and The Long Road, to give people an idea of how I intend t o write these stories going forward, namely, focusing on one, and then the other, rather than 2 concurrently, to make sure I get arcs finished, before moving back to the other.
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Reviewers:
Just on a quick note, thank you to everyone who reads the story, this is my main passion project and hobby, so I do appreciate all of you! Even the ones who call me a butthole, just not spammers, lol.
Blades of Fury: Answered by PM.
Perfect Carnage: Answered by PM.
Be Lekker: Answered by PM.
Sigmakleim: I think I answered by PM.
Mouse from Hell: The divergences from the canon grow the further away from the Saiyan Saga we get. I'd originally intended to eventually do Buu, but I'm honestly unsure I even could at this point. Of all the canon stories awaiting in the future, I think there aren't many that could, or would be adapted, or at least not without gigantic changes. Also, Chad Piccolo is best Piccolo, lmao.
Warga: Answered by PM.
Super Mystic Gohan: Answered by PM.
Guest1: Not all that different in appearance, just a bit buffer. Also, Trucker-Hat is a major issue coming up. What a complete nightmare that guy is going to end up being… things definitely have a swerve as a result of 13. I think people will be surprised by his arc. He's an unapologetic psychopath and villain, but he's gonna have a Hell of a Run.
Luke: Yes, Deranged was redundant lmao. You called the upgrades. One Cell is smarter than the other two, but that may not work in his favour… And yea, 17 and 18 are pretty boss in this. It is intended that there will be a really big moment with those 2, coming up soon, probably one of my favourite planned fights, if I have the will to write it, lol.
FightingChampion: Raditz is meant to be shown to have fallen behind at this stage. Don't worry. He's got a massive role coming up. And when I say coming up, I mean within 5-7 chapters, at least as I plan it. The action isn't going down, it's going up for the next while. We've got 2-3 break chapters basically, before things go crazy again. This part of the saga just has a lot of fights coming out of it.
ILiekFishes: Answered by PM.
Guest2: I love his trash talking, expect it to accelerate, not decelerate, as he upgrades, lol.
Guest3: Blue totally got what was coming to him, what a complete cock-handle that guy was, lmao. Turles and Goku are ridiculous, they'll always fine a way to make themselves useful, even in battles they don't 'win'. It's just part of who they are. I love writing them, especially together. By the way. Expect to see the twins soon. It's gonna be amazing.
Trusen: Answered by PM.
Guest4: Psychic Powers will be a card in Turles's deck, at least for a while… but a good question might be, why does he have them right now to the extent he does…
Ardee: Answered by PM.
TheItchyCocoon: Answered by PM.
Guest5: Yep! 23 was more blue than 22 is Violet, in some way. They literally don't have their souls, so they aren't them per say, but they are born of who they were. Turles bothers to be somewhat inundated by the local culture, just to know how to manipulate people.
DarkFalconZ: Yup! :D
The Rocha: answered by PM.
Janem-Dragnove: Answered by PM.
Zagoat: Poor Krillin, lmao.
Instinct: Tien was fighting against the Cells up north, that's why Krillin is there, lol. And Raditz's time is coming.
AC 97: Answered by PM.
Kacarrot: Answered by PM.
Guest6: He flushed the toilet, lmao.
Guest7: It's coming soon. I keep telling everyone. You'll all believe me when he has the greatest moment in the god damn story, just hold on, lol.
T: Power levels are also just things that were invented for narrative purposes. The reality is, there is no scientific metric to measure who will win a fight in Dragon Ball, it's all hells and faces. Those "power levels" were added to convince the reader that someone is really tough or weak, and to show that people relying on them were arrogant.
Guest8: YES! There will be, lol.