I wish I owned DBZ, but I don't. I own DVD's and tapes, but it just isn't the same. Nor do I own any legal imprinting of whatever theme I'm using, such as a crossover with another anime, movie or TV series. Did I think it up? Yes. Was I the first to think it up? Probably not, but I digress. I also don't own the rights to any of the music pieces you see selected, just the merchandise, such a shame. The artists that created them are geniuses and we all must bow to them.
Chapter 7: Polarity Shift
Verto stared down with what appeared to be Doctor Wheelo in his human body. It looked exactly like the man, but Verto could sense something else inside. That aspect also confused him, having seen firsthand that Wheelo had other means at his disposal.
"So, you made yourself an android body eh?" Verto asked first.
Wheelo grinned slightly, "Something like that, but not quite like Gero's models. This is more of an avatar, allowing me to control it and to operate independently in the world like a normal human being. Unfortunately, I am still confined to an ugly metal shell for the time being. It's powerful and it sustains me, but it is not quite the same. I do not yet have the perfect body to transfer to, and I do not intend to transfer to anything until I do. You have no idea how bothersome that aspect is." Verto's eyes narrowed in realization when he realized that he couldn't tell if Wheelo was being truthful or not.
He quickly decided to play it in a different manner however, "Oh I have a pretty good idea. It's like an annoying itch that won't go away, or a mad scientist."
"Still the clever one, that's fine. You still have no idea what awaits you, so enjoy the time you have left in this world. I shall personally enjoy the day you fall," Wheelo claimed.
"Well if you're not here to try to take me on, what do you want? I have other things going on right now Wheelo," Verto said sternly.
"So I've heard. Director Schultz was quite dismayed that you destroyed his prototypes. In fairness, I did warn him about the attention he was starting to draw," Wheelo replied.
"So you are behind all of this? I thought so, but I wasn't quite certain yet. So would you like this new body in pieces or disintegrated? At this point I could go either way," Verto warned.
"Destroying this avatar won't mean much, I've got many more that I can replace it with. I doubt you want to be wasting your energy on me right now, as little as it is."
Verto's eyebrow went up in concern, How could he know about that?
Wheelo recognized the facial motion, "If you're wondering, I've been monitoring each of you ever since I was defeated by Vegeta. Your substantial power has taken quite the nose dive ever since your battle with that demon."
"How do you know that I'm not just hiding it?" Verto countered.
"That is possible, I won't deny that. However your penchant for attracting attention and trouble works against you in this case. Pity," Wheelo said as he shook his head.
"Don't pity me Wheelo, pity yourself when I find out where the hell you are," Verto threatened again.
Wheelo's grin did not subside, "My safeguards are in place. However, I don't think you'll be able to determine my location as easily this time. Instead, you will be so busy trying to figure everything out that you will never see clearly until it is far too late. I learn from my mistakes, I suggest you do the same."
Wheelo pulled his hood back on and turned to leave. Verto yanked him back by the same, to which Wheelo spun and punched Verto hard in the face. The surprising force sent Verto flying into a stop sign, breaking it off completely. Verto rubbed away the blemish on his chin as he stood up on the twisted metal and prepared to attack again.
Wheelo held his hands up, "I have no doubt that you can defeat this avatar, but you have bigger things to deal with boy. Like the safety of your friends." Verto's eyes dated towards the REDIC facility and he realized he couldn't sense Krillin or Trunks. The ground shook slightly from below, prompting Verto to press the switch on his earpiece, hearing nothing.
"What did you do?" Verto asked in slight anger.
Wheelo's smile had yet to fade, "My work here is done for now, Director Schultz is the one to blame for events tonight. And I gave him some rather large toys to play with. You might want to hurry." Verto's eyes widened and he shot off the ground, clearing the wall and flying straight inside REDIC, crashing through a wall in the process.
Wheelo closed his eyes and sighed, "Yes, go have your fun. Play hero while you can, before the people decide that they don't want you or your friends around anymore." Behind Wheelo on a wall, the shadows suddenly moved like someone new had stepped in next to it. Wheelo's cyborg eyes shifted and he tensed up.
"Interesting tactics you have Doctor," a shadowy figure said from the darkness. The voice was male and dark, but very little could be seen or detected otherwise. Wheelo turned and eyed the figure, recognizing him despite the apparent lack of form.
Wheelo seemed to relax just slightly, "Oh it's you. Are you here to congratulate or admonish me for my part?"
"Neither, I have been monitoring the situation, nothing more. I can appreciate your cleverness, although at times I wonder about your motivations. You seem to be setting a long and precarious plan in place that could easily fail. When given the opportunity, you do not always act as many would; with ruthless impunity," the shadow said.
"You have to have patience when dealing with powerful enemies. I have had to learn that acting too quickly against these foes can be disastrous. I've made those mistakes, I will not do so this time. My plans will have backup plans, and the backup plans will also have backup plans. Being one step ahead is not enough," Wheelo declared.
"Very astute, impressive. Perhaps you will finish what you started after all. I will be watching."
"By the way, my assistant was very impressed with the material you graciously donated to our cause. We are curious about its properties however," Wheelo said, leaving an unasked question in the air.
"I leave you to discover the secrets of that compound on your own. I should point out that since you and your assistant are performing experiments on a material not found on your world, do not expect the same outcome as I could hint you towards. You would be a fool to make any assumptions on that compound. I suggest an alternative approach," the shadow said.
"Speaking of alternative approaches, why the plan with the boy? I thought you wanted him dead?" Wheelo asked in confusion.
"Oh I do, but some of these decisions are not up to me. Besides, we have seen another possibility with him that was thought lost previously. You will ensure that possibility becomes reality by continuing your work in that particular area."
"I see, well I live to serve. Is there anything else?" Wheelo asked.
"As you know, I cannot interfere any more than I already am at this time. Great rewards may await you in the future, if and only if you fulfill your part. This world is not as important as much as elimination of the powerful forces in this realm, preferably before certain forces become aware of what is going on. If possible, those powerful forces should appear to take each other out, but that will be difficult to happen at this time as the cards must fall in the proper order. Speaking of which, I must go meet with another like-minded individual such as you. You and him would probably be in agreement, with a slight difference on methodology," the shadow said with the hint of amusement.
"Perhaps, is there anything else you can be certain about?" Wheelo asked.
"Do not trust your allies, but you already know this. And hope beyond hope that you never meet the God of Destruction of this realm. He is not a foe that you, your allies or enemies could hope to deal with. Thankfully, that is unlikely at this time." The shadow appeared to fade as Wheelo felt more tremors coming from underground.
Wheelo smiled as he turned away from the REDIC facility, So, I am officially a double agent now, this should be amusing. I think I know what side I will support more than the other. How ironic that he would choose me to be the one who induces the coming chaos, and not her. I almost hope that boy survives tonight just to see what happens next.
Super Saiyan Trunks slammed into a wall and dropped to the ground, having been smashed by the gigantic Mark Five model's arm. The MK-Five had suffered no more than minor blemishes on its limbs and body, but nothing more in terms of damage. Krillin landed awkwardly next to Trunks a moment later while his wife attempted to draw the MK-Five away with a small barrage of energy blasts.
Krillin held his side painfully, "Oh man, that's going to hurt in the morning. You okay Trunks?"
Trunks wiped away blood from his forehead, "I've got a plan. Can you shoot it with your Destructo Disk?"
Krillin nodded, "I'll give it a try. If all else fails it'll be a good distraction."
Trunks got to his feet as his golden aura flashed back on, "Okay, try to cut off one of its limbs and throw it off balance and then I'll blast it. If it doesn't work, I'll sneak up from behind and use my Ki Sword to cut its legs down. It can't go after us if it's in pieces."
Krillin didn't look so confident, "Can you cut through that armor? I know you perfected it with Verto, but that's gotta be some tough metal."
Trunks nodded grimly, "It'll take more energy than usual. As long as that robot doesn't have some sort of energy shield, it should work. I'll get his attention first so you have a clear shot."
Krillin nodded and held up his palm, "Okay, looks like you're learning more from Verto than just techniques."
Just as the MK-Five was closing in on Eighteen, Trunks phased in just above its head, bringing down both of his fists as he did. The MK-Five barely budged from the sneak attack and swatted at the air, missing Trunks by inches.
Krillin's energy disk spun into view just before launched it, "Destructo Disk!"
The disk was aimed well and hit the MK-Five in the lower leg, but only managed to slice through its outer armor, barely leaving a small cut. The MK-Five did however turn towards Krillin and aimed its claw as it opened up and ignited with golden energy. Trunks snapped to action and held out his hands, grasping his golden blade of energy as it materialized. He dove down and swung into the MK-Five's left leg above the knee, searing right through it as he did. Once its balance was gone, the MK-Five stumbled sideways, firing its blast into the wall. Trunks didn't let up though and quickly cut through the other leg while it was still down. He was about to turn to the upper body when it aimed and shot another blast at him instead. Trunks was able to avoid it by phasing out, reappearing next to Krillin. The MK-Five attempted to get up, but with its stubby legs it only managed to flop around a bit.
"Looks like your overgrown robot wasn't so tough after all!" Trunks shouted towards Director Schultz.
Schultz laughed from the side of the room, "Is that right?" Trunks and Krillin both looked towards the robot, which was no longer flopping around like a fish. Long bundles of cable suddenly shot out of its remaining legs, attaching themselves to the detached portions. The MK-Five turned just right as the legs pulled back together, making a loud snapping noise upon completion. To Krillin and Trunks' horror, the robot got back up fully repaired. Bolts of electricity danced around it momentarily before the single eye lit up with an eerie red.
"Stage one battle tactics insufficient. Moving to stage two, activating polarized armor!" it bellowed in a deep robotic voice. MK-Five's whole body lit up with a swirling blue light that faded quickly, but was enough to give Trunks heartache.
"So much for that plan," Krillin muttered.
Eighteen fired several shots at it anyway from the far side, dismayed when a dim shield appeared just over the armor where they should've hit. The MK-Five lifted its open claw and aimed to fire again at Trunks and Krillin, prompting them to split off with Krillin moving towards his wife. MK-Five followed Eighteen and Krillin and fired a large blast, barely missing them when it hit the computer panel. The explosion though was strong enough to send the pair flying across the cave, colliding with the hard, rocky wall. Eighteen clutched her left shoulder painfully while Krillin lay slumped against the wall. MK-Five turned to them for a moment before a potent blast hit it from behind but caused no damage.
"Hey ugly, over here!" Trunks shouted. MK-Five turned towards Trunks, who was standing at the blocked exit and taunting the robot. "Bet you can't hit me!" Trunks claimed as he waved his arms in the air.
Marcus popped his head out of cover, "It's a robot Trunks, I don't think it'll fall for anything."
Trunks put a quick finger to his mouth, "Shhh, I want it to shoot here! And you better move."
Marcus noticed what Trunks was referring to and sank back down to crawl away out of sight. MK-Five stomped towards Trunks slowly, though at its huge size it could've been considered a brisk pace. Once the robot didn't show any intentions of firing, Trunks hovered upwards slightly, ready to dodge at any time. That moment came when it suddenly jumped towards him with its head leading. Trunks flew up to avoid, causing MK-Five to crash into the thick pillar. It cracked and split apart down the middle, leaving just enough room to get through it.
Trunks pumped his fist slightly, "Yes! Marcus, get outta here! Go find Verto! We can't fight this thing alone!" Trunks then dived down and kicked MK-Five's legs out from under it as hard as he could, causing it to tumble to the ground. Marcus jumped out of his hiding place and made a mad dash for the open door, disappearing into the tunnel well before the MK-Five could recover. Trunks glided backwards a bit, unsure of what to do next now that he had opened the door. On one hand, they could now escape. On the other, he was a Saiyan, a brave warrior that didn't run from battle.
Schultz seemed to notice the dilemma as well, "I don't think you want to run away boy. Or else I will turn my pet loose on the city. It is just playing now, I assure you. It won't be playing if it goes up there."
Trunks glared at him, "But you'll slaughter innocent people!"
"And? Why should I care about those imperfect sacks of meat? They kill each other every day."
Trunks' aura switched on angrily as he aimed a blast towards Schultz instead, "I won't let you!" Before he could fire, the MK-Five swatted him out of the air and bouncing off a wall. It quickly followed up by leaping towards him with its huge foot, intent on crushing the Super Saiyan. A loud roar followed by a rush of blue light entered the cave, and the MK-Five was knocked aside, sparing Trunks.
He recovered to see Verto offering a hand to help him up, "Come on, we've got work to do."
Trunks gladly took it, "You're telling me. That sure was fast!"
"I was already on my way, passed him on the way in," Verto said as he helped Trunks to his feet.
The MK-Five got back up and its red mechanical eye fixated on Verto, "Primary target has arrived. Standing by for stage three deployment."
Verto turned and stared down the robot before glancing behind it, "I see you were expecting me this time Director. That sure was nice of Wheelo to hand over a spare robot so we can make a new junkyard out of it."
"He is very generous to his loyal subjects. However I've made some improvements to this model. It lacks the full strength of his version, but it more than makes up for that with sustainability," Schultz claimed.
Trunks moved a bit closer to whisper, "He's right. Me and Krillin cut off its legs a little while ago and it pulled itself back together in no time. Now it has a shield too, so the sword technique won't work on it."
Verto made note of this before casting a questioning eyebrow at Trunks, "Maybe not right now. Why didn't you take your power to the next level?"
Trunks was taken aback, "What? Here? I'm not sure I can control it that well yet!"
Verto frowned, "There's a reason I taught you how to better focus your energy, it wasn't just for sword training. Use that to better handle Super Saiyan Two. This thing is plenty strong enough that your current power is not enough. I can't handle every situation myself, that's why you need to be able to pick up the slack."
Trunks nodded, "Okay, but will it be enough against this thing?"
Verto smirked, "Between the two of us, we should be able to manage something."
"Oh you'll manage something alright. But only as a pair of flies being swatted by an entire army," Schultz declared.
Verto pulled his wristbands up, "Director, you'll be lucky if you leave here alive and not in a body bag. I suggest you shut down your toy before I decide which one."
Schultz grinned slightly, "MK-Five, execute order number seventy-nine!"
Verto crouched down as the robot turned towards him, but made no movement. Unknown to Verto, a circle was being formed around his feet, drawing a dim outline in the metal flooring. He finally noticed at the very last second but couldn't move when a sudden burst of red and gold light shot up around him. Verto cried out in pain as the energy seemed to burn him. Trunks moved to help, but wasn't sure what to do. Under Verto's feet, a long pair of cables came out of the ground and wrapped around his legs before continuing to his arms. Verto resisted and thrashed around a bit, but struggled to do much more than that. Once he was securely held, the cable ends extended out to reveal open wired beneath. They wrapped around his wrists and unloaded their voltage, shocking Verto with an extreme amount of current. The red-gold column of light gradually faded and Verto caught his breath, but far from easily as he continued to struggle with the cable restraints. He immediately tried to power up and felt absolutely exhausted as no energy came out of him. My ki is gone? That must have been a trap designed specifically to drain energy, whether it was intended for me or not. Great.
"Listen Trunks, you have to unleash your full power. Show these fools who they're dealing with!" Verto urged. Trunks nodded grimly as he had sensed the power drop.
Schultz chuckled at this, "I admit, I didn't think snaring you would be so easy. Doctor Wheelo clearly overestimates you."
Verto smirked right back at him, "It ain't me you have to worry about now."
Trunks' nostrils flared along with his golden aura before it exploded outwards, kicking up wave after wave of dust. His body tensed as his muscles bulged slightly while all of his hair stood straight up. Brighter bursts of light surrounded him as the cave started to shake violently. His battle cry seemed to cause the floor to crack slightly around his feet, as did the ceiling directly above his position. Electric Ki crackled through Trunks' body once the change was complete and he set his sights on the MK-Five, which offered no real reaction to this change at first. Schultz picked himself off the floor in surprise, staring at Trunks' new appearance as the cave had brightened further from the light Super Saiyan Two was producing.
"What was that supposed to be? You changed your hair again and made the wind blow a little, big deal," Schultz claimed. The MK-Five's red eye turned slightly, indicating that it was seeing something that Schultz had not.
"Energy levels have increased to approximately three hundred percent of target's previous capability," MK-Five said.
Schultz was shocked, "What?! How?!"
"Recommend evacuation. Estimated strength and speed of current target now far exceed previous estimates. Require nearly eighty percent of maximum output to combat target," MK-Five continued.
"Eighty percent? That's ridiculous! This kid isn't nearly that powerful. Continue at fifty percent MK-Five!"
MK-Five's red eye flashed, "Override recommendation, continuing assault."
MK-Five launched at Trunks, hitting only air with a swing of its claw. It turned into a hard kick by Trunks, sending the robot into the wall instead. Schultz's jaw dropped at this while the MK-Five appeared to struggled to even get back up, sporting a large dent in the side of its head. Trunks phased out and smashed the robot's head again, which made it slump to the ground and spark a bit as the head was now caved in from both sides.
Trunks landed next to its arm and looked towards the other side of the room, "Krillin, Eighteen, move!"
The two recovering allies realized what was going to happen and scrambling to get out of the way. Trunks grabbed a hold of the robot's arm and used his immense strength to hurl it across the cave, where it crashed into the rocky wall and became buried in several large boulders. Trunks wasn't done though and held out his hand, producing a strong, pulsing blade of gold. He swept in and began tearing through each metal limb, slicing into them at least five times each before stopping. The MK-Five then resembled a small junkyard with random sparking wires strung everywhere as Trunks turned his sight towards Director Schultz. The mad scientist's look of surprise would've even been comical, but Trunks was in no mood for that.
"So, it looks like our data on you is a bit outdated. Very well, I hope you are ready for MK-Five's full power!" Schultz said with glee.
Trunks' sword faded as he folded his arms, "I'm waiting!"
He didn't have to wait long for MK-Five to start pulling itself together again. It stood up before its arms were even reattached, and its mechanical eye turned slightly as it appeared to be processing information.
"Stage Three battle mode activated. All non-combatants evacuate immediately!" MK-Five announced.
Schultz rolled his eyes, "Just kill them!"
MK-Five's eye flashed, "Complying."
It launched towards Trunks, whose electric aura sparked with anticipation. Before it could reach him, Trunks phased out, moving to the robot's side and kicking hard into its shoulder. MK-Five tumbled to the side of the cave, only to recover out of its roll and fire a quick blast back at Trunks. Trunks knocked it aside and returned fire with a barrage of small but powerful Ki bolts. MK-Five was overwhelmed and forced into the cave wall as small explosions covered it in dust. Trunks kept firing with the intent of blasting the robot to pieces. As this was going on, Krillin staggered over to Verto, who was actively pulling at his restraints. Krillin attempted to help, but was shocked when he touched the cables, which were shimmering blue between their plates on the outside.
"Well this is a role reversal, I thought you were supposed to save us?" Krillin joked.
Verto glared at him, "Shut up. Whatever this trap is drained my energy away."
"Well, the least I can do is get you out of this, but how?"
Eighteen walked up behind him, "Stand back!" She aimed a small blast and hit the mesh of metal cords near Verto's feet, severing them. Krillin gave her an annoyed look before helping Verto untangle what was left.
"You sure know how to make me feel useful," Krillin muttered.
Eighteen frowned, "Well, you are a bystander nowadays, be glad he bothered to include you in the mission."
"You two can have your married couple moment later, we have to find a way to shut that thing down, or at least stop it from rebuilding itself so we can wipe it out," Verto said.
"I can't imagine that Schultz guy is going to just give us that information," Krillin said.
Eighteen smacked a fist into her palm, "Not without convincing. Shall I take care of that?"
"Be my guest, though watch out for the robot," Verto said. Eighteen nodded and moved towards Schultz's position under cover of some of the debris and pillars.
Krillin glanced at Verto, "I thought you weren't into torture? You do realize what she is going to do to him don't you?"
Verto shrugged, "I'm not, but the dickhead deserves it."
Across the large room, Trunks had finally stopped firing blasts, if only to see what damage he might've caused. The MK-Five was partially buried in rubble and had yet to move or counter-attack. Trunks dared to float a bit closer and the robot suddenly came to life.
"Imminent danger!" MK-Five announced. Its arm rose up and the claw-hand opened, charging a potent looking blast. Trunks was more than ready for it, but was slightly surprised when the robot's aim appeared to be off. It fired and missed Trunks completely by several dozen feet.
Trunks turned in realization, "Eighteen! Look out!" Eighteen barely had enough time to roll out of the way before the blast detonated right behind her. She flew out of control into the far wall, close to the entrance and hit with a sickening thud. Krillin flew over to assist her, sighing with only slight relief when he found she was only knocked out.
Verto's eyes narrowed at this, That thing is protecting him, it must be programmed to do so. If I had the energy for it, I could help Trunks by distracting the robot. I doubt I'll be able to just sneak in, especially if it was able to detect Eighteen. Trunks charged at the robot again, but was suddenly hit by its large claw from above and slammed into the floor, cracking it slightly. He was up just in time to dodge the robot's foot before it crashed down on him. MK-Five lifted its foot a few more times as it tried to crush Trunks while he rolled around underneath to avoid it.
Once he was able, Trunks dashed out of range and pulled his arms back, "Kamehame…HAA!" The immense blue beam washed over the MK-Five almost immediately, but did not explode nor push it back. Instead, Trunks' attack was slowly being pushed by a slightly stronger burst of golden energy from what appeared to be the robot's mouth cavity just below its eye. Trunks cringed at this and glided out of the way as he stopped channeling, avoiding the robot's blast by inches.
Verto grimaced as he saw this, That thing still has more power than him? Looks like me falling into that damn trap was the worst thing that could've happened. He glanced down at his wristbands and sighed, Well, any little bit will help at this point. I should still be able to draw something from the reserves, even if it is only to escape. The cave briefly lit up with gold again as Trunks had launched another blast at the robot's leg. The blast collided with a dim energy barrier around the limb, causing very little to happen. Trunks cursed slightly at this and aimed another blast at the floor. MK-Five jumped up to avoid at it exploded off the floor. The explosion was close enough to break off part of its foot and it tumbled to the ground when it tried to land.
Trunks smirked, What a dumb design plan. That barrier only works when my energy hits it directly like a weak blast. Physical explosions can't be dealt with as easily! MK-Five looked up at him and aimed its claw, causing Trunks to stare back in horror. Several blasts fired out and Trunks quickly flew away as more explosions literally followed him through the cave. Verto quickly moved his wristbands up while the robot was distracted and pressed his wrists together. Upon opening the seal, his aura switched back on and filled him with energy, but it wasn't of the type he had expected. Bursts of lightning cut through his body harmlessly while his eyes suddenly shifted blue. Verto's eyes widened in surprise while his previously lost Psionic Energy quite literally came bellowing up from the depths with little to no hint of his Ki present.
He stared at his hands in shock as his old power returned, What the? How did that happen? I've practiced releasing the seal dozens of times and it never happened, why now? He didn't see any visible difference with the tattooed lettering, nor any other signs of why things were different.
Strange, I've been low on power in training before and released the seal with no problems or changes at all, but this time… He froze mid-thought and stared at the formerly electrified cables that had given him quite a jolt. Of course! That trap was only meant to hold me, not drain my power like I assumed. The seal must've reversed itself when the electric current ran through it. So by that theory all I'd have to do is get shocked again in order to fix things. However… He watched at the MK-Five continued blasting at Trunks while its foot was being repaired before it stopped and stood back up for another round. Trunks stopped flying away and flew back towards it cautiously, breathing a little heavier but still appearing to have plenty of energy left.
Verto stepped forward with renewed determination, Best to take advantage of this before I worry about the consequences. Now let's see if I remember how to do this. He dropped one hand to his side and concentrated hard as a blue spinning swirl of Psi energy formed. Meanwhile, Trunks dashed under MK-Five again, dodging its legs and trying to figure out a way to defeat it without bringing the whole cave down on top of them. he had chosen to maneuver underneath as it seemed to have trouble reaching him there despite the size of its huge feet and legs. He had just glided out of the way of its right foot when the MK-Five chose to jump straight up and hover there for a second, giving it a clear shot at Trunks with its aimed claw.
Trunks stopped and looked up, "Oh crap!"
"Psi Freeze!" Verto shouted as he launched his chilling blast. MK-Five turned just in time to see the small ball of cold blue collide with its side, instantly spreading thick ice over its body. In only a few seconds, the MK-Five was completely frozen and it fell to the ground.
Schultz was confused, "What the? How did you do that?" Trunks was wondering the same thing as he hovered over the robot.
"I thought you couldn't use Psi energy anymore!" Trunks called out. The ice over the robot quickly started to crack however as it began to break free, faster than expected.
Verto's hands both glowed blue as twin swords formed, "Trunks! Slice and dice!" Trunks gasped and nodded as he formed two golden Ki blades in his hands. Both Saiyans then swept over the robot, slashing at everything in sight as it tried to move. Metal, wire and circuit boards flew everywhere as they methodically knifed through the robot piece by piece until it was in shambles. Both Verto and Trunks then jumped away to observe and gather themselves.
"My Psi energy isn't gone, it was just sealed. The moron doctor over there just showed me a way to dig it out again. We don't have much time before that thing decides to come together again," Verto said. Already before them, the wires and cables were beginning to stitch the MK-Five back together, albeit a bit slower this time.
"Geez, how are we going to beat that thing? It's like dealing with Buu all over again!" Trunks complained.
"Well obviously we either shut it down or vaporize it all at once. There are only a few options on this one," Verto replied. He held out his hand and concentrated more Psi energy, creating a white, sparkling ball this time. Trunks knew full well what this was and moved back.
The robot was about halfway together again when Verto arched back and fired, "Feedback!" The white ball struck the robot's now pieced together parts and dissipated completely, with no reaction at all. Both Verto and Trunks' eyes widened in surprise.
"It didn't work? I thought that worked on everything?!" Trunks asked. Verto stared at the robot as it continued to bring itself together.
"You know, I've never actually hit a robot with it before. And the technique reverses negative energy and damages those with evil intent, which relies on emotions. This robot would not have emotions, or at least not enough free will to determine that," Verto explained.
"But it worked on Kain when he was trying to kill us in that virtual reality place," Trunks argued.
"I'm not sure about that one, but Kain had evil intent at that time. He was programmed to have emotions as well as understand them. This robot just follows orders and nothing more. So Feedback must not work on mechanical things, even if my lightning techniques actually do," Verto said, perplexed.
"Well that's just great to know. Can you not do anything else?" Trunks asked in irritation. Verto glared at him as he prepared another icy blue ball and fired it. MK-Five was almost completely pieced together when ice covered it again. Verto quickly created and fired off several more Psi Freeze blasts, covering the robot in layer upon layer of ice.
"That will hold it for a moment," Verto said.
"Okay, well what are we going to do? Combine power beams? Maybe use that awesome Shock Cannon move?"
Verto's eyes darted around the battered cave, "That might not be the best idea. A Shock Cannon explosion will probably kill everyone down here."
"But I thought it didn't affect anything outside of its range?" Trunks asked.
"But everything here is in its range. We'd bring the whole area down on us. Any blasts should be kept to a minimum and aimed so that they don't affect the surface too much. It looks like the walls here are tough but they're falling apart as it is. I see two options," Verto said, pausing in thought. I'm going to catch hell for this one.
Trunks nodded, "Okay let's hear it."
"We lure that thing up to the surface either through the building or by blasting straight up. Then we can call the others here…"
Trunks was already dissatisfied, "But that'll lead it right into the city. Plus you just said no blasts that affect the city!"
"…Or I donate my power to you and you destroy that thing yourself," Verto finished.
Trunks was taken aback, "What?! We can't do that! I don't even know how to use Psi energy or the combined thing, whatever it's called."
"Chi."
"Well I still can't use it! Can't you just take my energy instead?"
Verto glanced at his wrists, "I don't think so. The seal was reversed and logically it will be blocking out regular Ki now. All we'd be doing is wasting time and energy. But you can handle it, I already know you can."
Trunks grimaced, "I'm willing to try I guess, but how can you be sure it'll even work?"
"If you drop your restraint on your memory reading ability, I can pass along the knowledge you need to control the energy," Verto suggested.
"But, I'm not like you or Gohan. The Kais never did anything with me!" Trunks argued.
"They didn't do anything with Lenz either, at least nothing helpful. But last year we saw Goku fuse with that other Goku and they generated Chi waves automatically without that knowledge. While this will be a little different, it will work. You are half-Saiyan like I am, and that's all it will take. Trust me Trunks," Verto said, offering out his hand.
Trunks still looked nervous, "Okay, what do I do before I have to figure it out on the fly?"
Verto stifled a chuckle, "The change to Super Mystic isn't too different from Super Saiyan Two. You just have to add another step to get it to work. You'll figure it out when you get my memories. It'll double your current power and you'll shred that thing. If I didn't think you could handle it, we wouldn't be discussing it." Trunks still looked very uncertain of himself until Verto put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "Trust me, this will work."
"Are there any side effects?" Trunks asked.
Verto paused, "Does it matter? The most that will happen is that you're a little tired after this is over."
"I just don't want another weird ability," Trunks said.
"Well, do you want to take that thing down now or wait for someone else to do it?" Verto countered.
"Couldn't we just use fusion or combine power beams?" Trunks asked.
"With fusion our levels need to be the same. Even if we could match up perfectly with our current energy, I doubt it would work. Plus I'm a bit taller than you by a fair margin now, so we would not be as synced as you are with Goten. Combining power beams can only work if we can get the output synced up just right, which will be tricky since we have to aim just right and catch that thing without blowing up most of the city at the same time. I get that you're not sure about this, but trust me, you can handle it. It is basically another form of fusion. If anyone can do this, it's the crown prince of the Saiyan race," Verto said, adding in the extra push.
Trunks' expression changed and he nodded, holding out his hand, "Okay, I'm ready." The ice around the MK-Five started to crack as its limbs began to move slightly.
Verto's left hand glowed blue just before he grabbed a hold of Trunks' left, "Here goes."
He then carefully focused his thoughts on energy control while he donated his power. It was no easy task for either donor or recipient. Trunks could only gasp in awe as he felt the new energy wash over him like a tidal wave. The transfer didn't take much longer than a dozen seconds, but for Trunks it was considerably longer. The memories from Verto varied from actual instruction from his various teachers to techniques and effects that he learned on accident.
One key phrase kept repeating in his mind though, Balance is key. You must keep both energies level with each other for it to work properly. Once you do this, everything else will seem natural.
Verto let go and stepped back, nearly collapsing when he did as he had given nearly all of his power in the effort. Trunks trembled slightly as a smoky aura surrounded him. Once he seemed to grasp things, his power erupted, turning his hair from gold to silver and his eyes back to a solid blue color. Verto was able to get away before Trunks' energy overwhelmed him, but not by much. His aura filled with white-silver as lightning continued to streak through it and flash vividly. His eyes filled with light as he struggled to hold onto a new level of strength that he clearly wasn't used to.
"Focus Trunks! Force the two energies to merge together as one, just like fusion!" Verto called out. Trunks screamed a bit in agony, but seemed to calm down as his energy settled. By this point, MK-Five had broken free, but was making no more to attack Trunks.
Its red eye flashed much more quickly than before, "Target's energy is far beyond projections. Danger! Recommend escape! Danger!" Trunks smirked slightly before charging in, tearing right through the robot's right side with just a punch. MK-Five staggered as its arm fell off, sparking. Trunks turned around and held out his hand, which burst with green Chi before lengthening into a sword. He quickly slashed through the robot's other limbs in the blink of an eye, causing its body to tumble. He landed in front of it as the sword reformed into a bright ball and swelled in size.
MK-Five's eye lit up, "Danger! Danger!" Trunks fired, striking the robot's body square in the middle and blowing it to pieces. The head was thrown over near Schultz while the severed arms and legs struggled to move around. Trunks turned around but stopped when he heard the cables emerging from each pieces of MK-Five save for the head. Each cable was stretching and searching for all of the detached parts. The arm cables managed to find the shoulder sockets and began reeling themselves in as if they were on a fishing line. Trunks lifted into the air and charged green light into his palm, bracing it with the other hand.
Verto grinned, recognizing the technique, Well, pulling out the big guns already. Trunks fired a mesh of green Chi lightning into the area, channeling it from his palm continuously as it streaked through the robot's parts. The result was the robot coming to pieces instead of being put back together. The cables and wires vaporized and the various larger parts burst open and caught fire. Trunks stopped for a moment and landed as he began charging a much more powerful blast.
Schultz began to panic, "Enough! I concede, you may leave in peace! I'll order it to stop!"
Trunks snorted at this, "You should've thought about that earlier! If there's anything I learned from my dad, it's to finish what you've started!" He held his blast up, making it expand in size as he turned back around.
"Please no, if you destroy that model, Doctor Wheelo will have my head! I'll tell you anything you want to know!" Schultz pleaded.
Verto frowned from across the room, Okay, either he's telling the truth, or he's utterly obsessed with that hunk of junk.
"How about you tell us what that jerk is planning?" Trunks asked.
Schultz paused, "I'm afraid I can't."
"Thought so."
He promptly tossed his energy ball at MK-Five, and the next explosion blinded everyone as the cave shook violently. When the blast cleared, only the robot's head near Schultz remained, severely damaged and smoking. The rest of the robot was vaporized completely, leaving nothing but settling dust in a new crater that spanned the width of the room.
The head rolled towards the center of it, "Malfunction…mal…func…tion…"
Verto popped up out of cover just in time to see this, smirking at the irony of the robot's head when considering the history of Trunks' family and robots. Schultz peered out from his hiding place and trembled in fear. Trunks stood still in silence for a moment before turning on his heel and giving Verto a weak thumbs up. His hair promptly faded to its natural lavender color as he collapsed. Verto was quick to run to his aid, but relaxed when he saw that he merely passed out.
Okay, maybe he wasn't completely ready for that, Verto thought as he turned towards Schultz, who was extremely dismayed at what had occurred.
"So, you going to come quietly or not? I'm guessing you don't have any more tricks or surprised to spring on us," Verto guessed.
"You won't take me alive, none of you will!" Schultz declared as he pressed a red button on the side of the console he was standing next to. A loud alarm sounded as red lights took over the room.
Schultz laughed as he began to run away, "None of you will leave here alive!" He took off into the darkness, leaving the rest of them behind.
"Attention! Emergency! All personnel must evacuate immediately! You have two minutes to reach minimum safe distance!" a female computerized voiced announced.
"Aw hell. Krillin, Eighteen! Time to go!" Verto quickly tossed Trunks over his shoulder and went for the door. Krillin was assisting his wife, but looked grim. Due to his lack of energy, Verto couldn't even fly. Even if he could, it would have to be a maximum speed to get out in time, and they both knew there was no way do to so.
The computer alarms continued regardless, "Ninety seconds until detonation. All primary and secondary departments must evacuate!"
"Do you think we can make it to the elevators in time?" Krillin asked.
"Probably, but even if we do, they do not move fast enough. Even if we live through the blast we'll still be buried. You think you can blast us a hole in the ceiling to fly out of instead?" Verto suggested.
Krillin nodded, "I can try! Hope I don't hit anyone. At least I can be useful now!"
"Sixty seconds until detonation!"
Krillin dropped into a stance and pulled his arms back, "Ka..me..."
The words were barely out of his mouth before the cave suddenly shook again from some sort of impact. Krillin and Verto glanced at each other before they spotted a portion of the ceiling cracking apart, sending dirt and rock pouring through. Two long and green arms then dropped in, with each hand motioning to come closer.
"Never mind. I think we've got a better option, let's go!"
Krillin looked depressed, "Great timing as always Piccolo!"
With Trunks and Eighteen in tow, Verto and Krillin each grabbed onto Piccolo's arms and they began to retract at once. They could faintly see the surface above, though it was still nighttime. Verto winced as he pushed back the urge to wipe the dirt that was covering his face. Despite the distance, it didn't take very long to reach the top, which was thankfully an empty field behind the REDIC facility. Once out, Verto and Krillin scampered away on foot while Piccolo simply floated upwards. By the time they were a fair distance from the newly created escape hatch, the ground shook again and they dared to turn around. A bright burst of light shot out of the hole as the earth around it cracked. Further behind, a similar thing was happening in multiple places around the REDIC compound. A flume of fire erupted out of the hole, and a little of what appeared to be molten lava leaked out as well. The REDIC building started to explode from the inside while it sank into the ground. In less than thirty seconds it was already too low to see, aside from the fence line and walls. Once the ground stopped shaking, Verto handed Trunks over to Piccolo and ran on foot to see what happened. Upon scaling the outer property wall, all that was left was a wasteland of rubble, concrete and metal, sunk nearly a hundred feet down. Random sparks went off from several electrical lines, which when joined with a few of the water lines made a perfect combination of things not to touch.
Verto eyed it all carefully, That must have been a self-destruct device designed to bury all evidence within the compound. Anything in the cave was probably wiped out by lava. The police and local residents slowly approached from the surrounding area, which reminded Verto of something.
"Damn, I forgot about Marcus," he muttered.
"Hey kid! What the hell did you do this time?" a voice shouted.
Verto turned to see the detective in training flagging him down nearby next to a squad car. Next to him, his cousin Sonny was being let out. His arm was confined to a shoulder sling from the previous incursion, but he looked relieved. Verto nodded to the pair and jumped down from the wall, where Piccolo was now waiting. He noticed Krillin and Eighteen flying towards West City with Trunks in tow.
"I know what you did. The only question I have is how you did it," Piccolo said in a stern tone.
"What do you mean?" Verto asked.
"At first I thought it was you that was suddenly emitting all that power, but I know you wouldn't have faded that quickly. And once I realized it was Trunks, I figured that you must've caused it to happen. You are as reckless as ever. Now tell me how you released your sealed Psionic energy," Piccolo demanded.
"I got trapped down there and I was hit with a really strong electrical current. I thought at first it was to drain my Ki, so when I got out of it I released the seal to restore it. That's when it just came pouring out. The Soul Binder Seal must have flipped around somehow," Verto explained.
"And you determined the best option was to give your power to Trunks, who couldn't possibly know how to control it? How could you even be sure it would even work?" Piccolo pointed out.
Verto smirked, "Well, he does know how to now. And I knew it would work from previous tradeoffs with Gohan…along with some advice from let's just say, higher-ups."
Piccolo looked grim, "I see. Can you fly?"
"Barely, I'm pretty used up."
"Alright then, I'll take you to Dende just in case," Piccolo said.
"I'm not hurt, I just need to rest," Verto argued.
"Maybe, but seeing as this has never happened since your power was sealed away, it is best to take the side of caution," Piccolo suggested.
"Okay, guess I'm in no position to argue."
Powerlevels - you know, because I know you all love those.
Verto (suppressed): up to 50 Million; Psi release: 315 Million
Dr. Wheelo's Avatar: 50 Million
Super Saiyan Trunks: 135 Million; SS2: 340 Million; Super Mystic: 550 Million (due to both fatigue and it was his first attempt)
MK-Five (50%): 200 Million; Full power: 400 Million
Eighteen: 65 Million
Krillin: 26 Million