Chapter 12: Reprogramming

Just minutes before, inside The Big Gete Star, the echoes of Trunks' scream rang through the halls. The Half-Saiyan cried out in pain as his energy was forcefully drained from his body. The giant Metal Cooler's laugh boomed loud enough to hear over the screams, his joy a contrast to the immense pain he was causing the Super Saiyan. "The Big Gete Star will drain every last drop of your precious Super Saiyan energy. You will become part of something much greater than yourself, Saiyan! You should be proud."

Trunks stopped screaming, the pain was still shooting through his body, but the Half-Saiyan took whatever strength he had left to lift his head, staring at the looming Metal Frost Demon. "Proud? What would a despicable, malicious, planet stealing monster like you know of pride?" Trunks gathered the little energy he had, channeling it as his aura began to flash a familiar bright gold and his hair turning bright gold, "I am the last of my race, I will go down fighting. That is pride!" Trunks let out a large scream, the tone different from his earlier screams of pain, his aura growing bigger, brightening up the room.

"What is this?! You were drained. This shouldn't be happening." A look of fear came across Metal Cooler's face as the now Super Saiyan Trunks' energy flared higher, "Damn these Saiyans!"

Trunks soon found that this surge of power was not long lasting. His golden aura subsided and his hair went back down, changing to its familiar purple. "Damn it..not enough.." Trunks thought to himself, "This can't be the end. We were so close.."

The booming laugh of Metal Cooler returned as he realized his enemy was truly spent, "Ha! Saiyans always need to have the last word. Even if it's their dying breath. Say your prayers, monkey boy!" As soon as Cooler finished his sentence, a bright spark flew from the side of his head and his left eye twitched. "What the hell is this? What did you do?!"

Trunks was barely breathing, his eyes were difficult to keep open as his vision of Cooler blurred, "I..I don't think I did anything." His voice barely audible, but the Metal Frost Demon persisted.

"Damn filthy Monkey!" Both of Metal Cooler's eyes were twitching at this point, sparks flying from his form in all directions. "Big Gete Star, what is happening?"

A monotone voice rang through the air, as if it were coming from the walls itself. "The answer to your question is this; The Big Gete Star is rejecting you."

Trunks was barely conscious, but he recognized the voice clearly, though he couldn't see where it was coming from. "16..?"

Almost as if it were liquid, the floor began to bubble a few feet away. A familiar figure came up through the boiling metal, first it was a head, then broad shoulders, and finally the rest of it's large body ascended, feet separating from the floor. It was the form of 16, though not the same color. He was bright silver, the same silver gleam as all the Metal Coolers that Trunks and him had just fought. It was as if he were covered in a shell.

"You?! How is this possible? I had you disassembled and your parts were absorbed into The Big Gete Star?!" Metal Cooler's speech was not stuttering as if he were a nervous little boy, fear all across his face. He couldn't call for help, his mechanical servants were no longer responding. "I am one with The Big Gete Star, it will not reject me!"

16 ignored the now manic Metal Cooler, walking slowly over to the barely conscious Trunks and waving his hand at the cables restricting the Half-Saiyan. The cables retracted to the floor, Trunks' body drooping over onto 16's frame. The now silver Android caught his friend, slowly letting him to the ground, "Rest now, Trunks."

"What are you doing? What the hell is going on?!"

16 turned around, sternly facing the panicking, gigantic head of Metal Cooler, "It's quite simple, really." 16's cold face turned into a coy smile, as if he were mocking Cooler, "The Big Gete Star is a parasitic mechanical lifeform. It feeds off the energy of whatever it can, usually this comes in the form of planets, such as New Namek." Walking slowly towards where Metal Cooler was being suspended in the air, "However, due to my impressive programming and unlimited power source...The Big Gete Star and I have come to an understanding."

"Unlimited power source?! What do you mean?" Metal Cooler's fear grew increasingly large as the gleaming figure of 16 approached, "How is that possible?"

"My creator, Dr. Gero developed the technology so that other models and myself would never have to recharge or rest. The Big Gete Star seems to quite enjoy it, if you hadn't noticed, the energy sapping of both Trunks and the planet ended a few moments ago." 16 waved his hand at the cables suspending the gigantic head in the air. "The Big Gete Star is now feeding off my power source and mine alone."

"What are you doing?!" Metal Cooler's gigantic skull started falling to the ground, landing hard and bouncing across the floor in front of 16, "This betrayal! This is crazy. I have done everything for The Big Gete Star!"

"As an Android, I am unsure of these feelings, but someone once told me that breakups are hard." 16 crossed his arms, putting his hands under his shoulders and detaching his forearms to reveal the cannons built in. "Therefore, it is only logical to end your pain." Bright energy charged at the end of each arm, forming bright orange balls. "Hells Flash!"

Metal Cooler's screams of pain were not unlike Trunks' before him, but they faded much quicker as 16's patented attack ended what was left of the last Frost Demon. All that remained was a black spot, burned onto the floor from 16's attack. Satisfied with the ending, 16 turned back to his now barely moving friend.

Trunks had made his way back to one knee, a hand on it to support his exhausted frame. "16...what the hell happened?"

"Trunks, it's good to know you are still awake." The bright silver Android walked closer, extending a hand to the downed Super Saiyan, "I have become one with The Big Gete Star and it has expelled Cooler from its body."

"Um..what does that mean in layman's terms?" Trunks grabbed 16's hand and pulled himself up.

"The Big Gete Star will now feed off my power supply and will no longer be a threat to anyone." 16 smiled, "It has integrated itself into my programming, so once we leave, it will no longer need this vessel either. I am unsure of what it will do with it though."

"So..you're kind of like, some sort of Super Android now huh?" Trunks laughed a bit, "Silver and all."

"I am running at approximately two hundred percent my former capacity. I believe I can repair damage to myself as well, such as the Metal Coolers did." 16 looked down at himself, "I was however, unaware of the color change. I do prefer my original color. Please excuse me as this process will only take a minute."

As if he were being painted, 16's color slowly turned back to normal, beginning with his orange hair, white skin, and yellow frame. "There. This program will maintain my old self."

Trunks smiled, "Good to have you back. Let's go."

The Namekians outside were still perplexed about what had happened. Porunga hung in the sky, though the impatience he had for the situation was becoming increasingly clear. The muscular dragon's voice boomed through the dark New Namek sky, "Are you going to make a wish, or can I go back to sleep now?"

Dende was about to respond when he noticed the beaten and bruised body of Trunks walking from inside The Big Gete Star, 16 following behind him. "Trunks!" The slender Namekian ran towards the Half-Saiyan. "You did it!"

"Dende, it's good to see you." Trunks' smile brightened, "But it's all thanks the 16 here. I was beaten pretty badly."

16 acknowledged his defeat as well, "Honestly, it was strangely due to Dr. Gero that we are still functioning."

Trunks' thought for a minute, "Strangely..I guess so.." Dr. Gero was also responsible for the murder of millions of people, including his family and friends. "Thought I won't be singing his praises anytime soon.

"Thanks to the both of you! Here, let me heal you!" Dende extended his arms onto Trunks, a rush of energy flowed back into the Half-Saiyan as his bruises and burns healed. "There. You should feel much better now."

Porunga boomed out in anger again, "Please make your wish!"

"Oh, right." Dende motioned for Trunks and 16 to follow as he ran back towards the Dragon Balls, "How many wishes did you need, Trunks?"

"Just one will do. I need Piccolo brought back to life..that should bring Kami back."

Dende nodded, facing up towards Porunga he yelled in his native language, "Please bring the one called Piccolo back to life!"

Porunga nodded as the Dragon Balls below him shined, "Your wish has been granted."

A few moments before, on King Kai's planet.

"Haha! He did it!" King Kai's excitement rang through the sky, "It looks like you're truly going to be brought back to life."

Goku pumped his fist, "Trunks truly is amazing!"

Gohan smiled brightly, his thoughts raced of Earth, he hadn't been dead for nearly as long as the others, but he longed to feel the warmth of the Sun on his face again. The blue sky and raging oceans, his mother and grandfather, his home. "I'm so proud of you, Trunks."

Piccolo spoke up, his face emotionless as usual, "I suppose I will be the first to go. That way the Dragon Balls on Earth will come back."

"Yeah, then we can come back!" Krillin yelled with excitement, "We can go home!"

"It looks like Dende is making Trunks' wish now." The blue deity wiggled his antenna, "Should we tell the others?"

"I'll go get Tien, Yamcha, and Chiaotzu." Krillin quickly flew off, racing back to King Yemma's palace.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye Piccolo." Goku walked over to his long time Namekian ally and extended his hand, "Until we meet again."

Piccolo took Goku's hand earnestly, "I'll try not to come back for a while."

Gohan ran up to his mentor, hugging him. "I'll see you soon, Mr. Piccolo."

Piccolo's body began to fade as his halo disappeared, Gohan's arms now went completely through him, but his voice still could be heard as he said his temporary goodbyes, "See you on the other side, kid."

Back on Earth..

Bulma was waiting impatiently, sitting in her workshop away from the hustle and bustle of the outside world. She had been trying to keep her mind off of Trunks by helping with rebuilding, but now that it had been more than two weeks, she was increasingly worried. Her hand was shaking as it held the familiar Dragon Radar, clicking the button repeatedly, desperately hoping for a blip to show up, just like all those years ago.

In her other hand was a capsule, she sighed and clicked the button, throwing the capsule onto the ground. Smoke expanded through the air as the capsule popped, revealing a cryogenic pod. This wasn't needed for the others, but for this body, it was needed. Bulma slowly ran her hand up the glass, a tear dripping from her cheek and onto the floor.

Desperately, Bulma clicked the radar again, this time her heart nearly stopped as the familiar beep was heard. She couldn't believe it, she wouldn't believe it, this had to be a dream. She frantically hit it again, the beep came again, revealing the familiar continuous blinking of seven dots on the small screen. Tears now ran from her eyes like an open faucet, they were not from sadness or longing, but from the joy that now radiated through her body. She ran to the door as fast as she could, the image of the cryogenic pod running through her mind, specifically of who was inside it. "I know I won't look the same, but I have waited for you for so long..I can't wait to welcome you home, my Vegeta.."