Chapter Ten - Crushing Defeat
Android 20 stood stunned as the dust cleared and Gohan amongst a smoldering crater with no sign of 19 ever having existed. "Impossible!" The boy was supposed to be one of the weaker fighters and an utter coward. Now his power how exceeded anything 20 had been expecting with this unforeseen transformation. He destroyed 19 without breaking a sweat. The time for games had clearly come to an end. 15 was powerful, not as much as 17 or 18 though.
20 lifted his hand and pointed at 15. "Wipe them out, full power!" 15's eyes flashed in acknowledgment and charged towards Gohan with no hesitation. A boot came out of nowhere and caught the unsuspecting android in the jaw, and sprawling along the ground. Vegeta stood before them, smiling wickedly. "I hope I wasn't interrupting anything." Vegeta looked over at the now powered down Gohan, who had prepared for battle, but now relaxed. "The legendary transformation of our people attained so easily by a child.." Vegeta shook his head but the slightest hint of pride shown through his voice. Though he enjoyed being number one, seeing other Saiyans becoming attaining huge strides like this did strike a happy cord within him. He'd trained incredibly hard for this day, and he wouldn't be left behind in the dust again. He knew he had finally passed Kakarot this time. Despite him not even being here, where was he anyway? Probably slept in, the clown.
Then he returned his gaze to the androids, the large one finding his way back to his feet. "If one of you was so easily felled by the boy. None of you stand a chance against the Prince of Saiyans. I'll wipe you both out at once!" Vegeta flexed his muscles and a wave of power shot out from him in a golden flash. "now prepare to experience fear, Android." 15 shot towards him, and the battle commenced.
Trunks watched on in awe. He hadn't been expecting Vegeta to show up so suddenly. He must have been training hard, he had surpassed Trunks by a decent margin. He'd have to try speaking to him after this battle. He'd love a proper training partner. He hadn't had anyone after Gohan had died. I wonder what made the difference in this timeline. Had him coming here been a good thing after all? Everyone was far stronger now then Gohan had told him at this point in time originally. They might just be able to win the day after all.
Yamcha, having taken a senzu bean and recovered. Stood next to Mizuna and Piccolo. "So, looks like we're gonna live after all, huh?" Piccolo only grunted, ever serious. Not keen on declaring victory until they were all scrap metal. Mizuna shrugged. "I'm pretty sure he has more androids hidden away somewhere. Stronger ones. I don't think we'd be winning so easily otherwise." Mizuna cracked her knuckles. "So, let's take care of the last one before he gets a chance." Mizuna floated over to where the last android was standing, watching the battle between Vegeta and 15 with disdain. Another clear loss. "So, it looks like we win this one. Are you going to volunteer to get destroyed as well?" The old looking cyborg growled in anger. "You haven't won anything, you lesser creature. I'll see you all dead soon enough. You'll all perish against what comes next." Then his hand shot forward and a massive purple beam of energy shot towards her. She narrowly avoid the attack as it connected to the ground and kicked up a large amount of debris and dust. Obscuring him.
She brushed it away with a simple pulse of her energy. But he had gone missing. She could see him at the edge of her vision. Jumping away among the rocks in the distance. "Coward!" She yelled after him. She looked back at the group of fighters, moving closer to see what happened. "He knew he was losing so he fled. One of you should stay with Vegeta to keep him updated. The rest of us should go after the old guy." Trunks lifted his hand. "I'll stay behind. Go on ahead." Mizuna nodded. "Thank you." Then she took off through the air, the others following close behind.
Vegeta caught another punch aimed for his head and planted his foot on the large androids chest. With a yell he ripped the androids arm clean off and kicked him back into the ground. He looked away briefly as everyone left the area towards the rocky, mountainous area in the distance. Leave it up the gang of incompetents to let the last one get away. No matter, he'd let them chase after him and finish the android when they found him.
Vegeta landed on the ground across the android who picked himself up off the ground for the twelfth time this fight. "I'll admit you gave me a decent fight but now I'm growing bored of this fight. Hurry up so we can finish this already." The android held the stump where his arm used to be, oil leaking from it. "You will die here, Saiyan."
"Oh, the toaster can talk after all. Remarkable craftsmanship." Vegeta said chuckling as he walked slowly towards him. A blue ball of energy forming in his palm. "So long, the rest of your pals will be joining you soon." He extended his palm and the ball quadrupled in size. "Big Bang Attack!" Then it shot from his palm towards the android who had attempted to turn and run but got caught in the side by the huge attack and a gigantic explosion swallowed him up, a mushroom cloud shooting up into the air afterwards. Trunks landed on the ground next to Vegeta after he finished gloating. "Fa-Vegeta, everyone went to follow.." Vegeta cut him off with a wave off his hand. "I already figured you're my son. No one else could have such a ridiculous hair style but a brief." Vegeta said bluntly. Trunks felt relived to be noticed, but it wasn't exactly all that he had been hoping. Still, he smiled. Which quickly faltered by his next words. "You're my son, but you have no true Saiyan pride. I've been watching you. You're soft. Until you toughen up, stand back and watch how a real Saiyan conducts battle." He flared his aura and took off to the skies, leaving Trunks somewhat dumbfounded. "Well, that wasn't the best of first meetings. Mother did say he was difficult, but I figured it was an exaggeration. I'll just have to break through to him somehow." Trunks said with a sigh. Then followed quickly behind.
Mizuna had landed on a high rocky outcrop and looked around her surroundings, Krillin landing nearby. Everyone had stayed in pairs while searching. Didn't want anyone getting ambushed. He'd probably try absorbing anyone's energy he caught alone.
Piccolo and Gohan were flying high in the sky looking around the area, while Yamcha and Tien were on the ground. It seemed unlikely they'd stumble on him until he showed himself. Hopefully sooner rather then later, as much as she wanted to fight the other two androids, it risked the safety of the planet if they got away.
"Do you think we'll actually gonna find this guy? There's no way to sense him, but he can detect us." Krillin asked after a few minutes of silence between them, halfheartedly taking a look around.
Mizuna could only shrug. "Only if we draw him out." She lifted off the ground, looking back at him. "I'm going to try, if you see him, power up so it'll draw the others over here." She lifted a palm into the air and a large silver ball of energy gathered in it. "Android! Stop being a coward and come out!" Then she launched it at the ground. Only enough power to clear all the rocks in the area, not enough to do any real damage to anyone.
Just as she expected, he had been stalking them the android launched out his hiding place and lifted his hands, absorbing the entire blast and then moved to run away again. Mizuna teleported directly in-front of him and kicked him directly into the air. It didn't hurt him, but she didn't want him to get away again. She charged after him. Flashing into Super Saiyan as she went. She draw her fist back and aimed a blow for his stomach that he narrowly avoided and she smoothly transitioned to a kick that connected to the back of his head and spiraling into the ground. Then she launched a beam of energy towards him. He moved to absorb this one too, but then she teleported behind him, and grabbed his wrists, holding them behind his back and the energy blast connected. She heard him yell out in what she assumed was pain then he faltered to his knees. Why someone would give an android pain receptors in the first place was beyond her. Then she threw him away into a large rock that collapsed around him.
Everyone else had arrived by now, and Vegeta and Trunks had finally arrived as well. Krillin had done his job. She could hear Vegeta speaking out loud as he watched. "These androids are all pathetic, I expected more." He said, incredibly pompous as always. "Unleash those deadly androids you have locked away. I demand a challenge." Trunks' eyes went wide at that. "Don't encourage him, we can stop everything now if we finish him off!"
"Quiet boy. A half breed such as yourself has no true pride. Not unlike the woman down there." Vegeta said pointing directly at Mizuna.
She grinned in response. "Oh, it's like that, is it?" She looked over at where android 20 was picking himself out of the pile of rubble slowly and immediately rushed towards him. Savagely grabbing him by the face and pounding him into the ground, creating a massive crater beneath her. He stopped struggling shortly after and went still. She casually finished him off with a blast afterwards and looked up at Vegeta, shrugging. "Oh look, he blew up. Guess no one gets a proper challenge now."
He landed on the ground inches from her and leaned in. Being a full head shorter took away from his intimidation. Veins pulsing on his forehead in fury. "Who do you think you are? You just ruined my chance at glory."
"Maybe you should tone down the pride talk a bit," Mizuna said, her head turned slightly sideways. The smile never leaving her face. "Maybe then I'd be more inclined to help you. It gets a little stale."
His aura flashed around him and he pulled his fist back for a punch. "Why you smug.."
An engine could be heard from above and an aircar set down alongside them. It was Bulma. "Hey guys! Did I miss all the action?" She said as she hopped out and everyone else gathered in a group together. "What's going on?"
Gohan jogged quickly over to her side. "Yeah, we beat the androids. Well, some of them anyway."
She noticed the dead body of android 20 in a crater and walked over to check it out. "I see, he kinda looks familiar though." Krillin appeared at her side a moment later. "He does? Just looks like some strange old man to me."
"Yeah, I recall his face somewhere. One of my dads magazines maybe? He's the spitting image of Doctor Gero."
Trunks looked up at her exclamation. "Gero? Why would he turn himself into an android then?" Bulmas hand came to her chin in thought. "Couldn't tell you for certain. Maybe just as a back up plan or something."
Mizuna spoke up next. "Apparently he had other androids hidden away somewhere. Do you know where his lab would be?" The blue haired scientist shrugged. "I think I recall it not being far from here. Off to the north I think, up in the mountains, though I'm not quite sure where." Mizuna nodded. "That's good enough for me. I'm going to go find it and level the whole thing, just to be safe." Then she took off.
Gohan looked at Piccolo, unsure what to do now. "Should we go too?"
"Absolutely, never sure what she'll find there. We should be sure all these things are dead." Then they followed after her, Trunks left as well. Vegeta only huffed, not interested in what else Bulma had to say, he just wanted the battle promised to him. He too followed. Krillin sighed. "Bulma, thank you for the help, I think things are going to get worse from here on out though. You should head back." Bulma huffed, annoyed. "I just got here, I don't want to leave already."
Yamcha patted her on the back. "Come on, Bulma. I'll go with you. I already lost today."
"Already?"
Mizuna was blazing through the clouds, when she could see the mountain range in the distance. Piccolo and Gohan on either side of her when they all saw it. Smoke rising into the air from one mountain in particular. The three of them landed in what used to be Geros lab. Vegeta, Trunks, Tien and Krillin all landed behind them quickly after. "What the hell is this?" Vegeta yelled in annoyance. "Just a destroyed lab? Where are the androids?"
Trunks walked around the totaled lab, taking note of everything. There were various capsule looking pods that were open and damaged. Thrown around the ruined lab. They were numbered 15-20 "Which ones did we kill? It seems 17 and 18 escaped. As well as a third one, I have no idea which. Possibly this android 16. I had no idea he made so many of these things." He said in anger.
"Also, if we killed Gero, who released the other ones? These things can't be opened from the inside." A moment of silence passed as everything thought that over, but no answer came to mind. Someone knew these androids had been here and was helping them, it was a disturbing thought.
Gohan pointed at other one in the corned that was still sealed, but the number was scratched off. Only the number 2 was visible on it. "There's another one," He said as he walker closer and looked in the small view port on the top. "There's a body in here, but it looks decayed. Seems like he didn't go forward with this one, weird." Trunks pointed his hand at the closed pod and blasted it, completely destroying it and everything inside. "I won't let another one of those terrorize this planet."
Vegeta looked over at him, annoyed. "Are you done throwing a hissy fit?"
"At least I did something other then staring at it.
Krillin commented to himself at that. "We do do that a lot."
Mizuna looked around the lab and sighed. "We're not going to find anything worthwhile here. We'll have to track them down."
"How? We can't even feel them." Tien spoke up from the back.
"They'll be headed for Goku, right? So we'll have to look at everywhere between here and his house. Also, someone will need to go move him so he's not found before we find them."
Gohan nodded in agreement. "Good plan! I'll help go move my dad to Master Roshi's. It'll take them awhile to find him there." Krillin raised his hand, volunteering. "I'll go help as well." The two of them flew off towards the Son Family home.
"Fair enough." Mizuna said, looking over at Vegeta. "And you?"
"I'll track them down and wipe them out myself. Don't bother helping, you'll just get in the way." Vegeta said taking off again. Trunks flew in front of us. "Wait father! We have to wait for Goku!"
"Do you know who you're talking to?! I am Vegeta, I need no ones help, especially that blubbering fool!"
"We need him, he's stronger then yo-" Vegetas fist had been firmly planted in Trunks' gut, dropping him to the ground gasping a bit.
Mizuna walked over to him, putting her hand on his shoulder. "He's an ass, I wouldn't take it personally. He's been like that since childhood. We can't wait for Goku regardless, it could be weeks before he's better."
Mizuna looked over at Piccolo and Tien who were standing nearby. "Let's go find those androids." The four of them took off again and were flying over a busy highway when they noticed something. A few smoking cars and a lot of stopped cars and people fleeing in the opposite direction. Vegeta had found them after all.
They landeded a few feet behind the group of fighters. Vegeta, and three androids, just as Trunks had guessed. Two young ones and a large red head. Vegeta was facing off against the younger blonde and was doing alright. He had her on the back pedal. The taller b
17 looked over at them as they they landed and smiled. "Well, hello there. I was expecting the rest of you to show up eventually."
"I see you guys didn't get very far." Mizuna said, smugly. "I'll let Vegeta handle your friend. I'll be taking you on.
"New members to the group or something? I don't recognize two of you. More Saiyans, of course. Are you a loudmouth like that one?" He said indicating Vegeta with his thumb.
"Hardly, I don't like to waste time trading insults like he does. I'm just here to end you."
"Why though? 17 mussed. "You all show up out of nowhere and attack us, we haven't done anything yet."
Trunks steeped forward, fuming with rage. "You bastard, you're really going to play innocent after everything? I've lived my life in fear because of you."
17 cocked his head to the side in confusion. "I don't even know who you are."
"You will." Trunks said, putting his hand on his sword.
"I don't think so, this one is mine. Watch me for now." Mizuna said, interrupting him. "Come on and face me kid." She said, staring down the young looking android and powered up to Super Saiyan again.
"I will" The cyborg replied, just as confident.
16 spoke up from behind him. "I do not recommend fighting her."
"Why not?" 17 questioned, curious. "We're much more powerful then them. You can help out though, if you want."
"I will not fight anyone but Goku." 16 stated staunchly. Not explaining his statement from before.
"Suit yourself then." 17 said with a sigh, ignoring 16's advice. "I'm still going for it."
17 kicked off the ground, and launched himself high into the air. He lifted his hand above and charged a blue sphere of energy over his hand, it couldn't be sensed though. Which made fighting them disconcerting.
"Take this, Saiyan!" Then he launched the blast downwards. Mizuna readied herself, pulling her arm back and deflected the attack effortlessly as it came down.
Bam! As she finished deflecting the attack, 17's fist hit her hard in the face, knocking her on her back but she turned it into a roll and got back onto her feet.
"Not bad," Mizuna said as she touched her face briefly with the palm of her hand.
"We're just getting started!" 17 retorted.
The cyborg charged directly at Mizuna this time. His left leg ready to hit the blonde Saiyan in the gut. Mizuna responded by dropping low and letting the attack fly harmlessly over her head. She placed her palm on the ground for leverage as she swiped her other leg off the ground, putting him off balance and used her other leg to kick him off into the distance and then chased after him.
18 had knocked Vegeta on the ground, and he struggled to pick himself up again. She landed on the ground across from him, the smile had left her face, her clothes were in ruins but she only seemed slightly worse for wear. This is insane. I'm tossing everything I have at her and she's still not going down. Vegeta flared his aura around him with a shout, and grinned. He wouldn't lose this fight, he just needed to try harder. "You look like a mess, are you a little ruffled, android?"
"You ruined my only clothes," 18 said with an annoyed scoff. "So yeah, ruffled is a good word."
Vegeta chuckled. "You've only begun to see my power." He pulled his arms back to the side of his head and his body lit up with pulsing purple energy. Then he threw his hands forward and a massive blast of energy shot towards her. "Galick Gun!" 18 swatted the attack away without a thought and it went sailing off into the distance. Then she moved in quicker then Vegeta could react and kneed him in the face.
That jolt of the blow sent him backpedaling. Trunks charged in a moment later, transformed and angry. He attempted to hit her from behind with a punch but she effortlessly caught his arm and threw him at Vegeta, sending him rolling across the ground in a heap. "What, we're teaming on me now?" Trunks and Vegeta both picked themselves up off the ground and charged her together. She had a harder tie fending off the combined volley of attacks and they started landing more blows on her. Trunks went high and Vegeta went low and they kept her constantly off balance. Then Trunks managed to swipe one of her legs out from under her, tripping 18 up and they both launched massive blasts at her that exploded and launched her away.
Vegeta looked at Trunks from the corner of his eye with the slightest hint of approval, then they waited for her to resurface.
Mizuna and 17 were locked in a deadly struggle. Their hands interlocked as they both tried to overpower the other one and were matched pretty evenly. As the ground violently shook around them from the force of their colliding energies. 17 then pulled her towards him and headbutted her brutally. She back-stepped from the pain as he came on again with another punch. She narrowly avoided the strike and focused energy around her hand, forming a blade of energy around it and slashed sideways across his chest. To his credit, he managed to jump back at the last moment but his shirt was slashed open and he was bleeding now. "Look at that, I guess you machines do bleed after all."
Then she charged in again, this time jabbing at his chest and going for a killing slash. She kept avoiding her attacks but he was still getting nicked on his arms and legs.
18 yelled and with a blast of ki all the rubble that had gathered on her was blown away, she was definitely hurt now, not expecting that level of joint attack from them. But she had unlimited energy, she could draw this out as long as she wanted. Vegeta and Trunks came on again, Trunks using his sword this time. She was ready, she grabbed his blade as it came on and punched it clean in half and kicked Trunks away as well as Vegeta at the same time. Suddenly a spiraling ray of energy pierced her through her shoulder. She grabbed her shoulder in agony and turned around to look. It was Piccolo with his fingers extended towards her, a smile on his face. She should've payed more attention, her left arm was useless to her now and the Saiyans charged in on her again. Fear was beginning to set in.
There was the briefest of movements from behind them and they both dropped to the ground unconscious. Tien an Piccolo attempted to move in to help, but 18 blasted them both before they got close. They were still alive, but she didn't care. Then in the distance, she could see Mizuna turn around in time as he appeared behind her but too slowly, 16 punched her in the stomach, dropping her out of Super Saiyan and onto her knees in pain. "I warned you not to fight them." He stated in his monotone voice. "Let's go, we must find Son Goku." 17 looked at him flabbergasted. "Wow, I had no idea you were that strong 16. With you, we'll be unstoppable. Well unless that other woman that helped us earlier were to show up again.."
18 made her way to the other two androids, holding her shoulder. "Can we go? I need to get fixed up, and maybe some new clothes wouldn't hurt." 17 nodded, concern clear on his face. "They did a number of you. Let's head out." Then the three of them floated into the air and began to leave. Mizuna could only watch as they left, pain was rocketing through her body. "Just what the hell is that guy?" She managed to say as she laid down flat on the ground. "We didn't stance a chance against him. I hope Gohan got Goku away in time.."