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 9: The East City Incident
After Bulma and Trunks left, Verto, Sonny and Krillin found themselves channel surfing while they waited for Maize to show up. Verto was half-tempted to just fly over to Korin Tower to get him, but thought better of it when he considered how tired he still was. His Ki level was fine and he even ate a Senzu Bean to be certain, but he still felt fatigued. It had been like that before whenever he ran out of Psi energy, but that had been primarily when he had overused it. In this case, he hadn't used too much before transferring it all to Trunks. While the other two scanned the TV for any worthwhile news, Verto went over the previous battle several times in his head. Specifically regarding if he had needed to do what he did.
I'm fairly certain that the reason my Feedback technique didn't work was because it was a full robot with no emotions. Because it wasn't a human-based model it's hard to tell. Plus, there's a very good chance that it had Psi-resistant metal like Wheelo did with Android Thirteen. Since I sliced through its legs I would think not, but I didn't hit the core body and the way it self-repaired it might not have mattered. We have to be ready for that next time, we may not get lucky again. His thoughts were interrupted by a distinct knock on the door.
"Hello, anyone home?"
"Come on in, brother," Krillin called out.
Android Seventeen stepped inside, removing his long tan jacket, "I'm still not used to you calling me that."
Krillin shrugged, "Comes with the territory."
Little footsteps sounded as Marron scampered down the stairs, "Uncle Seventeen!"
Seventeen reached down and scooped her up, "There's my girl! Didn't your dad teach you to fly yet?"
"No, it's still kinda scary!" she said with a frown.
"Well, we'll have to see what we can do about that! I promise you it is really fun!" Seventeen claimed.
"Okay!"
Verto eyed Seventeen, specifically the fact that he had two hands again, "I take it Bulma fixed your arm?"
Seventeen nodded, "While you were in space last year. I wasn't planning on keeping that ugly cannon, no matter how powerful it was. I heard we're having another Doctor Wheelo problem."
Verto returned the nod, "Yep."
"I'm in, as long as you don't freak out on me again."
"Doubtful, but even if that did occur, I can control it now. Last year was a, unique situation," Verto admitted.
"Good to know, where's my sister?"
"Looking for a fighting outfit that isn't shredded!" Eighteen called down from upstairs.
"Well, somebody's motivated. Who's this guy?" Seventeen asked, finally noticing Sonny Satsu.
"Detective Sonny Satsu. Doctor Wheelo or whoever, and his people killed my cousin. Need I say more?" Sonny stated with a raised voice.
Seventeen looked him over, "Unless you're packing more than a pistol, you should stay out of any fighting. I'm not here to play bodyguard to a weakling."
Sonny rolled his eyes, "Yeah yeah, I know."
"Hey, what's this?" Krillin asked as he stopped at a particular channel on the TV. A press conference was being shown in front of a large building. Verto was quick to notice the REDIC logo on the front of the podium.
To his surprise, Schultz was the one speaking, "It is unfortunate what occurred at the Satan City facility. Rest assured that all necessary safeguards are being put in place for our Eastern City citizens. Another meltdown will not occur!"
He stopped mid-speech to take a question from a reporter, "What about the rumors of illegal human experimentation within your company?"
Schultz smiled lightly, "Lies spread by our jealous competition no doubt. All of our patients come to use strictly on a volunteer basis and only after a carefully outlined screening process. Our treatments are one hundred percent effective in curing their ailments, even those with debilitating diseases or any other painful conditions."
"But isn't it true that your company is under investigation by the GPF?"
"If law enforcement wishes to look into our affairs, they may do so at any time. We're a public company and we have nothing to hide."
Krillin promptly hit the mute button, "Guy sure likes to hear himself talk. Looks like he hasn't learned his lesson yet."
"We clearly didn't put enough fear into him yet then," Eighteen said as she came down the stairs.
"Pause it Krillin," Seventeen said suddenly. Krillin glanced at his brother-in-law in question but shrugged and hit the pause button, freezing the live feed.
"What is it?" Eighteen asked.
"Look at the guy behind him to the right," Seventeen said. The man in question was an elderly man with a fading hairline and an eerie grin plastered on his face. He had a long white lab coat and was clutching a thick cane that seems to be the only thing holding him up.
"Kochin," Verto said in annoyance.
"There's an annoying face I didn't miss," Seventeen grumbled.
"I remember him, thought for sure he was dead after last year," Sonny claimed.
"He managed to escape obviously," Verto replied.
"I blew up half his metal body with a grenade and ripped his head off," Sonny argued.
"Or it's a different version of him," Verto countered.
Sonny looked disgusted, "Tch, these guys and their robots. So annoying." Both Seventeen and Eighteen stared at Sonny, which made him realize what he had said, "Oops, sorry."
Eighteen shook her head slightly, "So, looks like we're going to East City first."
Verto got up and tightened his belt, "Yep."
"Okay, who's my ride?" Sonny asked.
Verto grimaced, "It's best that you stay here."
"Oh c'mon! I won't be in the way!" Sonny claimed.
"Yes, you will be. Even if you stay at a distance, we still have to be careful not to kill you by accident," Eighteen said.
"Only if we run into something, my status as a GPF detective could come in handy you know," Sonny continued to argue.
"True, if we were going to be subtle and try to get in and out undetected it wouldn't be a bad idea, however…" Verto trailed off as his face went serious. He and Seventeen exchanged glances and nodded.
Krillin realized what the trade of facial expressions meant, "Oh boy, count me out."
Sonny was confused, "What? What's wrong with being subtle?"
Verto's serious glare returned to Sonny, "We're not going there to be subtle. Before the sun rises tomorrow, there will be a big ass crater where that building used to be!"
Just after dark, the three warriors descended upon East City. The REDIC facility there wasn't as large as the one in Satan City, but it was still quite noticeable around the northwest section which was devoid of residential homes.
"Hmph, we should just blow it up now. You know, send a message," Seventeen suggested.
"Tempting," Verto admitted.
"You morons, we need to go in so we can access their mainframe. Have your fun after we cross-check the data from the other lab!" Eighteen argued.
Seventeen frowned, "Spoilsport."
Verto snorted at this, "Well either way, this place becomes a dust pile before we leave. I suppose we should disable the front security station so we don't attract unneeded attention."
"After the other night, I can't imagine the GPF would want to get in our way," Eighteen claimed.
"Probably not, but better to err on the side of caution," Verto agreed.
"Man, you two are no fun at all!" Seventeen pouted.
Eighteen shook her head at her brother, "Always such a kid."
"And I'll never age," Seventeen said as he stuck out his tongue. Verto rolled his eyes and dropped down out of the air right next to the guard station at the entrance.
The one guard on duty jumped slightly in surprise before stumbling out with a clipboard in hand, "Names please."
Verto blinked sharply as the twin androids landed behind him, "Are we expected or something?"
"Only if your name is Verto and their names are Seventeen and Eighteen. You fit the description. Doctor Kochin has been expecting you, please enter the main lobby. The elevator on the left and floor B-2 is what you want. Good day to you." The guard then went back to his station as if nothing happened, while the rest of them were in stunned silence.
Seventeen was first to speak, "I can't say I expected that."
"I think we may need to check all of our homes for monitoring equipment, and maybe ask Bulma about some of the satellites in the sky. They clearly knew we were coming from the get go," Verto suggested.
"Right. And this has got to be the most obvious trap I've ever heard of. Even Krillin would know it," Eighteen said with a scowl.
"Well, we're still springing it," Verto said as he stepped forward.
"And if there's another one of those machines to fight, what then?" Eighteen asked.
Verto shrugged, "We'll improvise."
Seventeen chuckled, "Ha, they won't be able to touch us!"
"I wish I shared your enthusiasm Seventeen, you didn't fight the one we did. Let's go," Eighteen said as she followed Verto.
Once inside, they found the appointed elevator relatively quickly. What surprised them was the amount of people inside that took one look at them and began leaving. Verto could sense that most of them were probably cyborgs, but none behaved abnormally. Their basic movements were not robotic, and some of them even slouched some.
Seventeen was the first to say it out loud, "Are these people really human?"
"Not anymore I'm guessing," Verto replied in a low tone.
"We need to do something about this," Eighteen stated.
"Oh I don't know, having a few more androids around won't be so bad. We know they'll be weaker than us," Seventeen claimed.
Even though it was clearly a joke, Eighteen shot her brother a look that most men would cower from, "Do they all deserve a shutdown switch too?"
"Well, some do," Seventeen admitted.
"Argh. Can't you take this seriously?!"
"Where would the fun in that be?"
Verto stifled a laugh, "No need to give her a blown circuit, we have enough problems."
"I'm going to kick both of your asses when this is done," Eighteen claimed as she slammed her fist into a wall and left a rather severe dent.
Verto smirked but didn't answer as they reached the elevator. By this point, the building had cleared out as far as they could tell, with most of the disguised cyborgs leaving through the front door. They entered and rode the elevator down to floor B-2 and entered a short hallway that ended at a single metal door. Verto turned the door knob, only to find an emptiness behind it. The flooring was non-existent, leaving a wide gap in the dark that appeared to go down several hundred feet.
"What is it with these clowns and underground labs?" Seventeen asked.
Verto shrugged, "Gotta put them somewhere I guess. Don't really see the point of an elevator stop when we have to go into this, but whatever." Verto walked up to the edge and charged up a weak but bright ball of golden Ki before shooting it into the abyss. They watched it detonate harmlessly at the bottom just before several lights turned on, revealing the area fully. Verto could then see that the walls were made of a hybrid of stone and metal unlike anything he had seen before. It was mostly a dull grey color, with various darker spots covering it in a seemingly random pattern.
"How nice, they turned on the porch lights for us," Seventeen remarked.
Verto's eyes narrowed as his thoughts went back to the task at hand, "Hmmm, why invite us in like this? It's like they're begging us."
"What do you mean?" Eighteen asked.
"While it's obviously a trap, they have to have known that more of us could have shown up or that we could just as easily leave, never mind wipe this place out. Either they know that they have an advantage, or they want us to see something. This lure is just too tempting considering last night," Verto summarized.
"I say we don't disappoint them. With your power, what chance do they have?" Seventeen asked.
Eighteen glanced at him, "You do remember that he's not as powerful as before right?"
Seventeen nodded, "And? It still won't matter."
"Don't underestimate Doctor Wheelo. You should know that firsthand. The man is extremely smart, resourceful, and desperate. Bad combination," Verto pointed out.
Seventeen waved off the warning, "Yeah yeah."
Eighteen was about to say something to this when part of the lower wall began sliding upwards, revealing a darkened tunnel behind it. Verto was the first to jump down before it, but waited patiently for the androids to join him. The tall doorway opening full and stopped, but even after Seventeen and Eighteen landed, Verto didn't budge.
"Well, let's get this show on the road," Seventeen said.
Verto stared at the displaced part of the wall and held out his right hand. It sparked with gold and ignited into his Ki sword before he leapt into the air and slashed downwards through the slab of stone and metal. Verto strained just a bit as he was slicing it apart, as the material was a lot stronger than he expected. Once he finally split the slab, it broke into two parts cleanly and fell away, stirring up a fair amount of dust. Seventeen gave him a questioning look as he landed, but Verto already had the answer.
"It was a bit too close the other night, I'd rather have the escape route ready this time," Verto explained.
"Not that, it seemed like you had to put some effort into that," Seventeen pointed out.
Verto nodded grimly, "Tough stuff. Probably some sort of new metal alloy they've been playing around with. Doesn't help that I'm still feeling worn out." Seventeen charged a blast and fired at one of the split pieces, leaving a blemish at most.
"This material, I've never seen it before," Eighteen commented.
Seventeen nodded, "Me neither. It's actually energy resistant."
Verto rubbed his chin slightly, "Kind of, but not like the stuff he stole from the Protoss technology. Otherwise I may not have been able to cut through it since Ki isn't that effective against energy-based barriers. It's probably something brand new that we haven't seen. Hopefully he can only make doors out of it."
Seventeen snorted, "Well, it still shouldn't be a problem. Let's go."
The doorway led to a small but short tunnel that did not stretch for miles like before. It did however branch out into five different paths that led elsewhere, but there was light coming from only the center one. From that lit corridor, Verto sensed a strong energy ahead, but nothing from the darkened branches of the tunnel. It was definitely a Ki energy he sensed, but it was in a similar state of flux to the other cyborgs he had sensed before.
"There's something quite strong up there," Verto said.
"I'm not detecting anything, 18?" Seventeen asked his sister.
Eighteen shook her head, "Me neither. How strong is it kid?"
Verto pulled his wrist bands up to reveal the tattooed seal underneath them, "Enough for this."
Eighteen stopped in her tracks, "We should regroup with the others."
"Aw, c'mon sis!" Seventeen whined.
"I can beat whatever this thing is, I'm pretty sure of it. I need you two to take care of Schultz and Kochin plus download their files if you can," Verto stated.
He then pulled out his scanner and tossed it to 18, "Kain has been running on silent mode this whole time so you may need to reset it." Not wanting to risk anything, he promptly crossed his wrists to unlock the seal, causing his power to surge. The area lit up as he transformed to Super Saiyan 2 for a moment before relaxing his aura and allowing it to fade, but maintaining the form.
"All out right off the bat? That's hardly fair," Seventeen chuckled.
Verto glared at him with his now more menacing green eyes, "Tell you what, you get the first crack at it unless it comes after me first. If you last longer than a minute, they're all yours."
"You're on!"
"Ughhh, boys," Eighteen groaned. A loud burst of static suddenly filled the air before a distinct and familiar old cackle followed.
"Please now, don't be shy little boy, we've been waiting for you. I have a visitor you know who would like to get reacquainted. And it would be a pleasure to see Android Seventeen and Eighteen again," Kochin said over some sort of speaker system.
"There's an annoying voice I didn't miss. Goes along with your wrinkled face!" Seventeen declared.
Verto's face filled with determination as he stepped forward, "Makes no difference what he has, it's getting smashed."
Kochin continued to chuckle over the PA system, "We'll see, we'll see."
"At the very least I get to rip him to pieces," Seventeen muttered.
The branch of the tunnel soon let into a large circular room with various stations scattered around. Verto made a brief note of a few robotic arms and legs, though much smaller than the excessively sized Mark-Five robot. These were much closer to the size of the average adult human, which basically confirmed anything Verto needed to know at this point regarding the new cyborgs. In the middle there was a large platform with heat and steam coming from its center. Verto climbed the short set of stairs and saw liquid metal bubbling from a square that was about five or six feet on each side. He noticed that the metal seemed to be filled with dark clumps, much like the special material in the entrance had. As Seventeen and Eighteen joined him, Kochin cackled again from the far side of the lab.
"Welcome, welcome. I'm so glad you could come. You three are just in time for a very important experiment!" Kochin claimed with glee.
"Is it the one where you find out that you can't get away this time? I'm pretty sure we all know how it ends," Verto said.
"It doesn't matter whether you achieve that goal or not, Doctor Wheelo will not be stopped this time. Very soon, you and your friends will come to understand this," Kochin argued.
Seventeen lifted his palm as he charged a blue blast of energy, "At the very least I'm going to shut you up."
Kochin quickly backed up a step, "Yes I thought we might hit this little snag. Allow me to re-introduce you to our volunteer subject." Kochin pressed a single button and the floor opened up as a new figure shot up from below. It was a human male with dark hair and a grimy face with a poorly shaven jaw line.
"And who is this supposed to be?" Seventeen asked.
Verto's scowl relaxed into a neutral expression, but he was still unimpressed, "Really? You upgraded, him?"
The man's brown eyes opened slowly as he glanced at his hands, "What gives Doc? I don't feel any different."
"You will, the process is painless, especially now that you don't have those bothersome pain receptors anymore. I believe you know our guest Duke," Kochin said as he pointed towards Verto. Verto's eyebrows went up in a motion that read dissatisfaction as he clearly recognized the bank robber from several days prior.
Duke locked eyes with Verto, "You! Let me at him Doc, I'm gonna rip his head off and shit down his neck!"
"Seriously, do you practice those ripped off lines all day?" Verto asked.
"Let me out Doc, I have to kick ass and chew…crap I forgot!" Duke started before he stopped and tried to figure out the words.
Verto's lip twitched even though his facial expression was almost stone, "If the idea behind this was an expendable subject, you clearly succeeded."
Kochin grinned, "Oh possibly. There are multiple facets to this particular experiment. Shall we get started?"
Clamps around Duke's ankles released and he stepped out on his own, "Don't I get a weapon of something Doc?"
"You fool, use that idiotic brain of yours. Your physical strength and speed are far greater than before. I also took the liberty of uploading valuable combat data into your circuitry."
"Oh, right! Here I come you worm!" Duke declared.
Verto planted both feet and folded his arms, "So where's Schultz?"
"Didn't you hear me? I said here I come!" Duke shouted.
Kochin's grin didn't waver, "Director Schultz could not be here for this I'm afraid, he has other matters to attend to. I wouldn't underestimate this one if I were you."
"I'm waiting," Verto said as he eyed Duke again. Duke ran towards Verto, his legs and feet a blur as he was much faster than he ever could be before.
He pulled his arm back, grinning all the way, "It's payback time runt!" Duke charged in and went right through Verto, who didn't appear to move a muscle. Duke stumbled off the platform with a stunned expression as he spun around, "Huh?"
Verto didn't bother turning, "I'll ask you again Kochin, where's Schultz? I know you won't give up your butt buddy Wheelo, but I'll settle for the other one."
Duke stood up enraged, "Don't ignore me!" He ran up the stairs and punched towards the back of Verto's head, going right through it again. "What the hell? How did I miss?!" Duke cried out as he stopped and turned again.
Eighteen smacked her head, "Idiot."
Seventeen chuckled, "Amateur!"
"What's the point of giving someone like this so much power if he can't use it? You were better off with a big robot instead," Verto said. Duke came at him again and aimed a kick at Verto's body, only to see it caught easily with one hand. Duke was pulled into the air by Verto's grip before being tossed aside and into the far wall.
"That was a waste. He's all yours Seventeen," Verto said.
Seventeen rolled up his sleeves, "I was hoping you'd let me have a turn. Too bad he's a worse fighter than Krillin."
Eighteen glared at him for a moment but let it slide, "Just hurry up."
Duke had recovered and was running back towards Verto, only to have Seventeen cut him off, "Hi there, let's play!"
Verto and Eighteen stepped off the platform and moved towards either side of Kochin, but were careful to make an immediate move.
"You really shouldn't underestimate him, otherwise you will make the same mistake that we did with you," Kochin warned.
"Even if that moron somehow figures out how to use what you gave him, he still won't win," Verto stated.
Kochin grinned, "We'll see about that. His body is still incomplete after all. There was one more thing to add, but we have yet to see if it is viable or not. That's what you three will help me decide."
Verto snorted, "What's that, a brain or a mute button?"
"Hm hm hm, you'll see," Kochin chuckled. Across the room, Seventeen faced off with Duke, who took to shadow boxing for a moment as if to test his reflexes. Seventeen phased out and popped Duke under the jaw with a rising knee, following with a quick spin kick to send the new cyborg bouncing off the flood. The surprised Duke got up without much effort but was clearly rattled.
Seventeen smirked, "Good, you can take a beating at least." Seventeen fired a quick barrage of blue blasts, covering the area around Duke as he attempted to shield himself with his arms. When the smoke cleared, Duke was covered in small blemishes and his shirt was torn.
"No fair! Hey doc, how do I do that light trick?" Duke called out.
Kochin scowled, "Just keep attacking him you fool, stick to the plan!"
"We have a plan?" Duke asked before Seventeen's knee found his face again. Kochin grumbled in disgust as Duke was sent flying into a table, getting back up quickly.
Verto's eyes narrowed as he observed Duke, He isn't even winded by everything he's taken so far. He isn't putting out the same level of energy that I sensed when we first got down here either. Seventeen may not be as strong as some of us, but he's still one of Gero's best models. That's a hell of an upgrade. Duke lunged towards Seventeen again, stumbling up the platform when he completely missed the android.
"This is pitiful, can't you even hit me?" Seventeen asked.
"Stay still and you'll be sorry chump!" Duke declared. Duke turned to charge again, only to see Seventeen's shoe smash into his nose. Duke tumbled backwards towards the pool of bubbling metal, barely stopping before he would've plunged into it. Duke swung his arms frantically to regain his balance, eventually succeeding and sighing in relief as he tip-toed away from the edge and turned around. Duke was instantly doubled over by Seventeen's swift punch to his torso. Duke backed up as he clutched his cybernetic stomach and slipped off the edge of the pool, falling into the excessively hot metal and being completely submerged quickly.
"Whoops," Seventeen exclaimed as he peered over the edge.
"No big loss, the one we wanted is still here," Verto remarked.
Kochin's smile reappeared, "Give me a moment to turn on my recording instruments. I don't want to miss your fall."
Verto snorted slightly, "I hope for your sake that you're packing more than that cane." Out of the bubbling metal, Duke rose back up, glistening and steaming from the heat. His skin had shifted color slightly to a duller color with a few black spots on his face and hands. His expression had also changed to almost a stone-face as he stared at the ground in front of him. Duke hovered over the hot metal as it slowly dripped off him, leaving almost none of it behind to Verto's surprise. Only the slight shimmer from the lab light and the skin color showed any change, but Verto could sense the change in energy.
"Excellent, phase one is a success! Subject survived the second application of Thomasite!" Kochin said aloud.
Verto's eyes shifted to Kochin, "What is that?"
From afar, Eighteen came to realization, "Is that the same material that the door and this lab are made of?"
Kochin seemed delighted, "You catch on quickly my dear, Thomasite is a new element that Doctor Wheelo and I have created using both raw material found on Earth and a special type of ore that isn't. It is far superior to any known metal, including that which is used by the various alien visitors we've had. What you cut through out there was only the raw unrefined ore. Each application of Thomasite strengthens whatever it is covering greatly and even changes its properties slightly. Now that Duke has two full coatings for armor, you haven't a chance. Hahahahaha!"
Seventeen was unfazed by this, "How about we put that to the test!" Seventeen flew at Duke, who had yet to move, and punched hard into his face. Duke didn't budge an inch, aside from bending his head up to stare at his attacker.
Verto's eyes widened, Uh oh. Seventeen pulled back to attack again, planting a fierce fist right between the eyes of the bridge of Duke's nose. Much to Seventeen's shock, this blow also did absolutely nothing. Verto heard a flurry of buttons being pressed by Kochin and was about to move towards him when he sensed another change. Duke's eyes flashed with blue light as he snatched up Seventeen's arm with one hand. Seventeen struggled to get out of Duke's grip briefly before Duke swung into Seventeen's forearm with his other hand in a knife strike. Duke's hand went right through and severed Seventeen's arm clean, wires and all. Seventeen winced as he dropped to one knee, holding the stump of an arm in agony. Duke stood over him with a cold glare and lifted his fist into the air, intent on causing more damage. Duke was promptly blindsided by Verto, and was sent flying by a powerful kick. Verto watched carefully as Duke landed in a pile of junk, but was back up just as quickly.
"Tag out, I've got this," Verto said.
"Be my guest," Seventeen replied as he got to his feet.
Eighteen flew over to assist him, "Seventeen, your arm!"
Seventeen gritted his teeth, "Nothing that can't be fixed, again."
"Just make sure that prick Kochin doesn't leave," Verto said.
Eighteen nodded, "On it."
Kochin laughed, "And what will you do?"
Verto didn't bother to turn, "I'll end this with my full power asshole." Verto's Super Saiyan aura shot up and sparked as he powered up to full strength.
No time for chances or sympathy, I can't hold back. Duke shoved a shelf aside and lumbered forward slowly, his cold expression had yet to waver.
Looks like he's running on autopilot now, so much for that volunteer attitude. Verto's fist glowed gold as he charged forward, intent on hitting Duke as hard as he could. Duke stopped and stayed completely open for attack as the golden fist came forward.
"Galic Fist!" Blinding golden light exploded through the lab, with the wind taking out any light-weight objects. The light cleared quickly, revealing Verto's fist pressed against Duke's chest with the latter not having moved more than an inch or two.
"Crap," Verto muttered aloud. Duke swung wildly with both arms, missing when Verto phased out. Duke looked around frantically for his target, stepping slowly forward once he turned and spotted him. Verto's palm lit with golden Ki briefly before he fired a sizable blast, hitting Duke almost dead on. The smoke hadn't even cleared before Duke stepped out of the explosion cloud, not a scratch on him.
Kochin cackled, "Good, good! The new armoring is even better than I had hoped!" Verto's palm sparked with gold again as he focused it into a vivid and much more condensed beam that he promptly launched. The beam struck and pushed Duke back into the furthest wall, which dented and cracked when he hit it, but not much more. Verto discontinued the beam as Duke pulled himself out of the wall, showing very little effect as he stepped forward again.
Verto grimaced at this, This armor stands up to physical attacks that should've flattened him. Energy waves don't seem very effective either, though I haven't yet used my sword. If that armor is stronger than the batch in the tunnel though, my sword technique may not do much considering the drastic change from earlier. That only leaves some sort of full power attack or my Ki Cutter, both should be a last resort right now.
"Are you ready to give up boy? Surely you can see the result of this fight already," Kochin claimed.
"All I see if a slow and shiny rust bucket," Verto answered. Duke suddenly ran at Verto with murderous intent, hitting only air upon arrival as Verto phased out. Duke's cyborg head turned frantically again before he spotted Verto and ran towards his target again.
As I suspected, he's still too slow to catch me. His power is also lower than mine by quite a margin. It's his resilience that's the problem. It must be something new they've been preparing to use against us and this idiot just happens to be the guinea pig, Verto thought as he phased out multiple times as he studied Duke, not allowing the cyborg to get close.
Then again, I doubt Wheelo would want a bunch of transformed androids as strong or stronger than anything he would possess for himself, and those other cyborgs the other night were nothing. Even if he has them all under control, too many that are this strong could pose a problem. This must strictly be a test to see how well his new armor technology holds up against us. Unfortunately, I think I'll have to participate so we know as well. Verto changed his movement and kicked low, tripping Duke and sliding past him. As he did, a brief burst of gold shot out of Verto's hand, forming a solid blade of Ki. Duke had barely regained balance when Verto sliced into him from behind. To Verto's dismay, the energy displaced upon contact with Duke's metallic skin, barely leaving a smudge. Duke missed on a counter-punch as Verto moved to the far end of the lab to buy time.
Damn, nothing. Adding concentrated power to my sword might work, but I can't risk using too much energy or I could lose my speed advantage. However, I can't let this drag out. So I had better end it now before I get too tired. That means I've got to hit him with everything now and hope to hell I can get through that armor. Verto's aura surged, blowing away lab tables and equipment alike as he brightened the room with his energy. His right palm charged with gold as Duke stepped towards him, slowed by the release of energy. Verto glared at Duke with intensity as he shifted his stance and braced his right arm with his left, shifting his now glowing fingers into a gun-like pose. Duke was undaunted at this and continued to march forward without caution.
Kochin seemed to realize what was happening as Ki lightning arced off Verto's form, "Stop you fool!" Duke turned and glanced at Kochin, giving Verto an opening.
"Too late moron! Ki Cutter!" Verto shouted. The golden laser burst from Verto's hand at light speed, ripping right through Duke's shoulder. Verto cast his arm to the side and the laser cut through the cyborg diagonally right to left, lobbing off both arms. Duke's upper body fell off and his glowing eyes faded while his remaining torso and legs collapsed in a heap. Verto stopped channeling the intense Ki laser and panted slightly as he caught his breath. He sensed absolutely nothing from Duke's remains, nor did he expect to.
Seventeen was first to say anything, "Holy crap, wicked attack kid!"
Eighteen glanced at Kochin, "Now there's just one left."
Kochin looked angry but not in shock, "Hmph, we'll see how you like this!" He pressed a series of buttons and the ceiling opened up. A large robotic set of tools emerged, each with clamps attached to metal joins for maneuvering. They reached across the lab and snatched up Duke's remains, pushing and pulling them together. A bright welding light came on as the robotic arms pieces the cyborg's parts back together quickly before going back up into the ceiling. Duke still didn't move afterwards and Verto still sensed nothing from him. The only thing different was the long, shiny scar left behind from the Ki Cutter technique.
"Looks like he needs a new battery doctor, better call a mechanic to jump start him," Verto said smugly.
Kochin grinned, "Yes, I had something like that in mind." He pressed another button and the flooring under Verto's feet glowed bright for a moment. Instinctively, Verto hovered off just before it sparked all over, following a grid-like pattern all the way to Duke's prone body. The electricity rushed through, covering the cyborg in blue light. Duke then glowed with energy just before he rose off the ground, floating in midair. Verto scowled at the development as Duke's cold eyes opened and he turned in the air before touching down on his feet and standing on his own again. The glow faded from both Duke and the floor, aside from a few electrical sparks from his body.
"There now, we'll see if you can deal with him at full power," Kochin proclaimed.
Verto snorted, "You would hold back against me? Not the move of a supposedly smart mad scientist."
"As I said, this experiment has multiple facets. Now Duke, kill him!" Duke turned towards Verto with his emotionless stare, and promptly phased out, reappearing behind the younger Super Saiyan. Verto made quick note of the sudden speed Duke was showing and dodged a heavy blow aimed for his head. Verto glided away but Duke was on him quickly, chasing him across the room.
Ah hell, this battle just got a lot harder, I have to end this. I'm going to tire out, Verto thought as he changed directions. Duke anticipated the move and jumped ahead, but missed on his punch attempt. Verto flipped up and kicked him in the side of the head, but it had little to no real effect. Verto put his hand down as he dropped, flipped off the ground and fired an intense golden beam at point blank range. Duke stepped down hard enough to break through the metal floor plating and dug his heels in as the energy wave crashed into him. Verto immediately stopped channeling the beam and rushed in, gathering his energy sword and filling it with enhanced power. Duke had no time to move as the golden blade was thrust into his forehead. Duke's eyes went to the beam at first before he stuck out his arm and swiped at Verto's face, catching him in the side of the jaw. Verto fell back as his sword faded, blood dripping down the side of his face from the ear down. Duke moved to go after him, but his legs would not respond. A few sparks came from his head, signaling that some damage might have been done after all.
"He's disabled kid!" Seventeen called out. Verto sprang to his feet and gathered his sword again, darkening the room as he fed most of his energy into it. He flew at Duke, who tried to swing at him again. Verto phased out and appeared behind the cyborg before slashed down. The sword cut and burned through the top of Duke's head and all the way down to his torso. A ball of gold formed from Verto's hands and shot down the length of the sword just before Verto disengaged. Duke prompted exploded from the inside out, sending the split head flying one way and the severed lower body another. Verto gasped for breath and held his sword at the ready as he turned towards Kochin, his fair fading to black.
Verto panted and wiped some of the blood off the side of his face, "So, are you done yet. Or do I have to decimate him again?"
Kochin frowned, "It appears we'll have to move to the final stage. Unexpected, but it may turn out to be a pleasant surprise." Kochin pressed the same sequence of buttons again, causing the large robotic arms to descend from the ceiling once again. Verto didn't wait and leapt into the air, slashing the metal arms apart with his sword as he darted from point to point. For good measure he cut through them several times a piece, all the way up to the ceiling and leaving nothing attached. The ground was still being littered with small and large debris as Verto floated down, still short of breath.
Kochin grinned, "Quick thinking boy, but all for naught." He pressed another button and the floor around Duke's parts opened up and tilted, sliding the heavily damaged body down. On the other side, a similar panel had opened up and Duke's head rolled down into the dark before the floor repositioned back into place. Despite the speed of the floor closing up, Verto could see light from welding beneath it.
"You know, I should be flattered by how over prepared you are, but seriously. How much is it going to take before you get the point?" Verto asked.
"Only once more will do fine," Kochin replied calmly. Verto snorted and phased out, reappearing just above where Duke's body had been taken, Ki Sword in hand. His breath was coming quite a bit heavier than before as he felt fatigue's grasp coming soon.
"Kid, you sure you've got enough in the tank for another round?" Seventeen called out.
"We can step in to give you a rest, you've done enough," Eighteen suggested.
"One more round with this piece of scrap metal won't even tire me out," Verto boasted despite how he felt. Inwardly he knew that they didn't have a chance against Duke as tough as he was before, never mind now.
Kochin cackled, "Oh aren't you the cocky one. Too bad I expect you won't last this time." He had already pressed another button while Verto was distracted, and the floor lit up with blue light again. This time Verto didn't react fast enough and was caught by the electrical surge. He screamed in agony as his body was zapped relentlessly several times over. Kochin laughed evilly as this went on for about thirty seconds before he cancelled the sequence. As the floor faded, Verto's painful cries ended as he collapsed with a blank expression on his face.
"Kid!" Seventeen shouted. Eighteen glared at Kochin and prepared to jump in when the floor opened up with Duke rising out of it, full repaired.
"Crap," Eighteen muttered as Kochin continued to laugh.
Power levels, because why not?
Verto (SS2, tired): 350 Million
18: 65 Million
Seventeen: 80 Million
Duke: varies between 1 million and 200 million (armoring makes him tougher but not necessarily stronger)