Dr. Tottle decided about ten minutes ago that he would show more respect to ship maintenance workers from now on. Before entering the mechanical lines, he had no idea just how tight and cumbersome they could be. As healthy and full of pep he liked to consider himself, he had to admit he was getting up in years and these vents had been designed for young, agile folk to squirrel their way through. Of course, a little crawling through tight spaces was nothing compared to the challenges Kakarot was likely facing right now. Dr. Tottle was fully aware of the sort of hells awaiting any prisoner who dared attempt to escape Seven. Even with the saiyan's strength returned, it would only make marginal difference. If they had had more time, he would have warned Kakarot of what he was up against. But instead, he could only pray and continue to do his part.
Plus, he was on a timer himself. It was inevitable that the system would eventually discover his treachery. Then his security clearance would be revoked and the terrors unleashed on him as well. It wasn't the second part, though, that worried him half as much as the first. Kakarot's bio record had to be destroyed. And if Dr. Tottle's security clearance was revoked before he reached the ship's Biometric Records Storage – or 'the Fridge' as some called it – he wouldn't be able to keep the computer from feeding their foes essential data.
"Still," he muttered to himself, "Gods' help me, I can't believe I'm going through all this trouble for the sake of a couple of dirty saiyans. I could have been in the next solar system by now."
At long last, he was able to climb down into something that at least resembled a proper hallway. No doubt, it was still the mechanical, what with all the open, live wires and tubes running across every surface. But now at least he could stand up straight and walk, not be forced to crawl about and worry about hitting his head every two seconds. Dr. Tottle straightened out his lab coat and continued on his way, knowing that the Fridge was near.
He let out a sigh of relief when he at last found himself standing before the heavily reinforced, icy cold door. He studied the locks for a moment and considered how lucky he was in this situation to be a doctor. Even the security staff wouldn't be able to enter here without special clearance. But since he was one of the senior medical staff, he had complete access to anything related to the prisoner's physical wellbeing. That included making sure that their bio samples were up to date.
He held up his wristband to the scanner. "Recognition: Dr. Betatom Tottle."
"Voice key, recognized," answered the computer, "Biometrics, recognized. Energy signature, recognized. Access granted."
The door opened and Dr. Tottle stepped through. But no sooner had the door closed behind him than an energy explosion went off in his face. Dr. Tottle blocked as best he could, crying out as he was thrown through the air, hitting the ground so hard the wind was nearly knocked out of him.
Someone appeared over him. "Hiya, Doc," said Nada. He reached for him but Dr. Tottle abruptly swelled in size, knocking him over and throwing a ripped lab coat in his face. Nada slapped the lab coat aside and growled with annoyance, cursing when he saw that the rogue doctor had given him the slip, disappearing somewhere into the dark rows of refrigerated shelves. He picked his cigarette off the frosty floor. "You're a transformer," he observed, clenching the smoke in his teeth, "Now I get how you were able to side wind me before." His eyes shifted about, trying to sense his quarry. Nothing. "Oh. Hide and seek, is it? I always hated that game." He picked a direction and scouted that way.
Dr. Tottle tried to control his breathing, his back pressed against one of the many, many shelves where the vials of blood were stored. He had transformed back soon after fleeing, dropping his power level to absolute minimum. He had gotten lucky. Once again, he had barely avoided allowing the Master Marshal to witness his face. If Nada managed to identify him, it was all over. He looked sidelong at the dark row of shelves and considered for the first time what a deep, deep mess this really was.
Now that they knew he was here, he couldn't just look up the shelf where Kakarot's blood was stored. The moment he accessed the system, he'd be easily pinpointed and locked out. No. He'd have to save his login for the exact moment he exchanged the samples. Plus, there was a small chance that Kakarot's blood wasn't even on this vessel. Considering Nevrrest had been keeping him here, it was most likely on Seven. But what if she had had the blood delivered to Four instead? No, couldn't waste time considering that. The real issue was he'd have to search for Kakarot's blood sample the old fashion way, all while playing ring around the gods-damn cypher.
"Well I best get started," he muttered to himself, sidling down the row.
(**Scene Break**)
Goku gave a strangled cry as he tried to push back against the robot known as Monster, his shoulders screaming with shooting pain. The bleeding in his knee had slowed, but he still couldn't move it. Before he knew it, Monster had wedged him beneath its behemoth, metal body. Goku struggled and screamed painfully, his muscles punishing his broken bones. His back hit the floor and Monster held his arms pinned in a vice grip. Goku growled and Monster hummed, bending over him with its big, empty, red lenses.
Sepis breathed a heavy sigh, all the intensity leaving his voice. "I got you," he said in quiet relief, "I got you."
He did, Goku had to admit. At least for now, till he could figure out something. He gave up struggling for the moment – deciding it would only cause him further injury – and put his mind to work. He felt confident he had enough strength to overpower Monster. But the machine had targeted key points on his body – ones that would make movement nearly impossible no matter how strong he was. But he knew in his heart there was still a way. There was always a way.
He relaxed his muscles, his golden hair becoming a little less stiff, and studied Monster's large, red lenses. Was Sepis looking at him from behind them? "Answer me something, Sepis," said Goku, "Why?" Monster was still. "Why are you doing this? I know how smart you are. Why can't you see that things are different now? Or are you really just as stubborn and cruel as Nevrrest?"
Sepis's breathing hissed and then was silent. "You really want to know?"
Goku nodded. "I do."
"…I'm not doing this because of Vegeta anymore. I…I don't believe this is what he deserves. I don't know if I regret the things we did before. I can't deny it was…cathartic at times. I got the feeling you understood that. There's something wonderful about putting a person who's caused you horror in their place."
Goku's shining eyes drifted upward, his mind flashing with images of Frieza, Cell, Buu, and many others…and yes, even Vegeta. "I do understand," he agreed, "I may not agree with the way you went about it…but at the same time, I don't think you were entirely wrong either." His brow lowered slightly. "Still. I don't understand your decision."
"I know what I'm doing is wrong," answered Sepis, "I guess there's…some odd peace in that. I don't have to lie to myself."
"But why, Sepis?" Goku insisted, his tone taking on a drop of kindness, "If you know what you're doing is wrong…and I get the sense that you really don't want to be doing all this…then why do it anyways?"
Sepis stopped breathing. And back in Central Control, the arlian's head, incased in the helmet, tipped slightly. "…Because I love her, Goku…" The saiyan's brow rose. "Hate doesn't have anything to do with it anymore. Not for me. I'm not even doing this out of fear…and that's something for me. Everyone has always assumed I stick by Nevrrest out of pure gratitude. And while yes, I'll always owe her for saving my life all the times she has…"
In his mind's eye, he saw the Blecha standing in the cockpit of their shuttle, gazing into the darkness of space as though she were part of it. "Everyone looks at her and sees only power, terror, or greatness. There have been people who admired her, who feared her…even some who despised her." His voice clogged with emotion. "I used to think I wanted revenge…but somewhere along the line, I realized all I really wanted was to see her smile. Just one, genuine smile that was nothing but her, and none of him." His mind flashed with the familiar photos of the once terrible Vegeta. His hands gripped the arms of his chair and he shook. "I know… someday, somehow, I'll be punished for what I've done. The thought makes me want to die. I hate myself. Hate myself more than I ever have before…"
His thoughts burned with images of his life on Arlia – all the squalor he had lived in, all the times he had been crushed under foot, all the times his familiars had looked away from him in disdain. "Truth is, I've never known much good in this life. In many ways, I've spent all this time trying to decide what that even is. Is it bad to hurt people who do bad things? And if a good person does something good for someone who's bad…does that make them bad as well? Why is it a lifetime of good can be undone by a single act of self-service? And once evil, is death the only recourse?"
He saw himself grasping Nevrrest's hand for the very first time and the way she looked at him, her large, bird eyes trembling like she'd never been touched before. "For all my supposed brilliance, these things are a riddle to me. I'm like a naïve child, wandering about just trying to decide whose hand to hold. But I never had to make those difficult decisions. Till you." Goku blinked, listening intently as Sepis's robots stood over him and Sepis's voice shook. "I wanted to be part of your world, Goku! God damn it, I really did. I thought maybe I could someday really see your Earth…and all those things you described. But those things aren't reality to me.
"Justice…isn't a reality to me. The one thing I know is real is the one person I truly love. So given the choice between justice and love…I chose love!"
In the eyes of Monster, Goku's face was something Sepis couldn't understand. He looked strangely happy, like he'd just made some wondrous discovery. His lips pressed into a thin smile. "Well. I gotta hand it to you, Sepis. I'm still not happy with you for the decision you made. I don't like being your enemy either. Frankly…I'm nothing short of furious with you." He smiled softly again. "But at the same time…I'm proud of you as well."
Sepis's breath caught. "What?"
"Well, you said it yourself," Goku remarked with a vocal shrug, "You never allowed yourself to make a choice like that before. I know it wasn't easy…and I'm sorry Nevrrest and I forced that on you. And I'm even more sorry you chose to do something wrong because of it. But you also chose to let go of your bad feelings toward Vegeta. I don't know…call me crazy, but I think you're wrong about being evil. And even if you are evil now…" He sat up, putting his face right in front of Monster's headpiece, smiling with determination. "No matter how bad you get, there's always a chance to turn that around! You can count on it!"
"Damn it, Goku, no!" Sepis screamed, steeped with pain, "I can't care about that anymore! All I have left is protecting her! That's the only thing I have left. I don't have what it takes to be a hero! All I'm capable of – all I've ever been capable of – is aiding the woman I love!" In his mind's eye, his digits interlocked with her deadly yet soft fingers and talons. "So she can live to a day far past all this. So I can give her a day where she can only smile. I will commit any sin if it means I can set her free!"
"No, Sepis!" Goku suddenly barked. The arlian quieted. "That's a price you never have to pay!
Sepis was silent as Goku gazed into Monster's empty stare. "…So you say…"
Monster's chest-piece opened, emerging electrified whips. Goku's eyes widened.
(**Scene Break**)
Dr. Tottle screamed with fright as an explosion went off some ways behind him. "I think you've convoluted your priorities a bit, moron!" he shouted, uncovering his ears, "If you destroy one of refrigeration units—"
"Shut iiiittt, you whiny old man," Nada drolly replied, glancing searchingly about, "How green do you think I am? I'm in absolute control of my Talent. I'm not gonna hit anything I didn't have in mind." He tapped his cigarette and whistled out smoke. "Besides, if anyone's a moron, don't you think it's pretty stupid to be calling out to the guy who's trying to nail you?"
"Ha! If that was the case, that supreme Cypher hearing would have pinpointed me by now. No. Because the acoustics in here are throwing you off, aren't they?"
"Tstch," Nada clenched his teeth, "Cocky bastard."
Of course, he was right. Cyphers were known for their excellent hearing and eyesight. But this guy had been using the echoes of the walls and the fog caused by the machines. His people had a poor sense of smell compared to most races, so that was out. And Nada's energy sense was weak at the best of times. This wasn't the best of times, not with the doctor hiding his energy.
As for Dr. Tottle, he was trying to riddle out the issue of Nada's Talent. Even though he was pretty sure Nada was nowhere near him, he had been causing explosions clear across the room. Years ago, Dr. Tottle had learned the laws that governed this special Cypher trait. One, the Talent was unique to the individual cypher. Two, a Talent could not be learned or forgotten – it was an ability the members of the species were born with. Three, once the Talent was enacted, it couldn't be stopped, only endured. Four, each Talent had rules of its own.
So what rules governed Nada's Talent?
Another explosion deafened the good doctor, making him wince and squeal with frustration. "Gods damn it, he is making it hard to concentrate!" He stopped at another shelf, running his finger down the listed numbers. They had gone down since last time. He hissed. "Damn. Another wrong turn."
While it was difficult to think in this situation, Dr. Tottle had determined the best way to find Goku's blood sample was to follow the organization of numbers to their highest point. The computer determined a prisoner's number based on their threat level. This was balanced against not only their abilities and strength, but what the computer determined, based on their registered crimes, their likelihood was to commit another violation. Thus, though Kakarot's threat level based on his known power was very high, he was only registered for a single account in the categories of assault, obstruction of justice, and accessory to a crime. Thus, he had ended up with the moderate number of 4747. Considering nearly all the prisoners on Seven were not only incredibly strong, but had numerous crimes attributed to their name, that meant that if Kakarot's blood was stored here, his would be in the highest range of numbers.
Another explosion went off. "Gods! Dammit, how are you even doing that?!"
Nada laughed, tossing a cigarette and lighting a fresh one before breaking into a run, diving straight into the aisles now. "Sorry. I like to play my cards pretty close to the chest. Besides, I don't consider it too bright to explain your abilities to your opponent." His oversized boot planted, kicking up ice shards from the floor as he slid to a halt and snapped his fingers.
"Geeeerrr!" Dr. Tottle winced as that one came too close for comfort.
Nada's brow lowered, the smoke of his cigarette twisting about his golden hair-horns. Sure. I can't pinpoint you, he smiled, But any sane person moves away from danger. I keep this up…and it's only a matter of time.
He raised both hands and laughed confidently. "Damn chasing him. You'll come to me!" Snap-snap!
"Damn is he making it exceedingly hard to concentrate," Dr. Tottle ground his teeth. Were this any other situation, he would blow his top at the man. But there wasn't room for lectures when lives were on the line.
"Why don't you just give up already?" Nada called, looking about for any sign of the doctor, "You know you'll never find Kakarot's blood. It's like a maze in here."
Looks like he doesn't know anything about filing systems, thought Dr. Tottle smugly.
"And even if you did, it's not gonna matter."
"Oh?" Dr. Tottle shot back, "And why is that?"
Nada paused to smoke, ready to drop the bomb. It was amazing what a little bit of intel could do for you in any situation. "Because it turns out my distrust of the bug was misplaced." He trained his golden eyes in the direction of the sensation. "I just noticed that Kakarot's energy has shifted. Feels like he's injured. Badly. Come on. You must sense it too."
Dr. Tottle's eyes shifted in that direction as well, his finger pausing as he read the label on another shelf. The corner of his mouth lifted. "Yes, I do. What of it?"
"Uh," stopped Nada, the cigarette hanging loose in his mouth. He pinched it in his fingers. "Come on. My energy sense isn't the best and even I can tell he's not moving. What are you, daft?"
"Hardly. As a matter of fact, I'm extraordinarily clever." He chuckled, quickly and quietly moving down the row. "Not as strategic as yourself, perhaps, or quite a genius necessarily. But clever as a trickster god, if I do say!"
Nada started feeling uneasy, quickening his search. "Stop talking out your ass!"
"Oh-ho! Getting under your skin? I have a poor habit of that. Never was the best at parties." He giggled with glee. "But I assure you! I am not 'talking out my ass' as you say. No! In fact, any minute now, this vessels' security is going to find out that Kakarot is anything but disabled…"
(**Scene Break**)
"HYAAAA!" Goku screamed, heaving and shoving his knee into Monster's front plate. The plate buckled in, crushing the whips' projectors. They sparked violently and fizzled out.
"Huh?" Sepis gasped, "But…what? How did…?"
Goku blinked as the sparks rained down on him. "Wait…how did I…my knee!" He stared at the still bloodied knee now embedded in the giant robot. The hole that had gone straight through it minutes before…was completely gone.
(**Scene Break**)
"You might even go as far as to say he's been enabled," Dr. Tottle briskly continued, Nada biting at his cigarette as his eyes twitched with frustration and fear, "You see, my bad-habit addled cypher, before Kakarot and I parted ways, I gave him a near lethal dose of what you, a common layman, knows as 'healing solution'. Right now, his body is in recuperative hyper drive!"
"But that's insane!" Nada cried, putting a foot forward.
"It was," Dr. Tottle agreed, daring to move a little faster and louder in his search, "Most doctors wouldn't have dared attempt it. But I happen to know a good deal about this endangered species. Of all their traits, their greatest strength is not in their battle prowess, not in their potent sense of smell, not even in their famed transformations! No…the true wonder of those goddamn monkeys is their bodies' narcissistic obsession with recovery…"
(**Scene Break**)
"Alright, let's do this! HeeeeeeeeeeyaaAAAAAAAHH!" Goku howled, his muscles bulging as he pushed back against Monster's arms, his golden hair turning stiff and energy flashing like lightning around him.
"Wait, what?!" Sepis squeaked, "What are you…?! How are you…?!"
I can feel it! Goku thought, as he gradually pushed his way to his feet, I don't know how…but my body is recovering really fast! My shoulders are starting to feel in one piece again! His eyes shifted to a healthy slab of skin where a blade from the traps had struck him earlier. I hadn't even noticed till now…this is great! Now I know I can win this!
Monster put a dent in the floor as Goku shoved it off its feet.
(**Scene Break**)
"I can't believe it," Nada scowled, "You would risk killing the guy just to give him an edge?"
"Do I detect an offense to warrior's pride there?" Dr. Tottle remarked, pausing to catch his breath as he scanned the numbers on another shelf, "In a word – yes."
"But that's just stupid," Nada snorted, his disproportionally large fingers gripping a shelf as he searched around it, "Even if you didn't poison the guy to death, it's gonna take a killer amount of energy for his body to work that hard. You've doomed him either way!"
"Clearly, you have no idea just how much energy a being like him has tucked away," Dr. Tottle crassly retorted, "I doubt he'll even notice the falloff."
"It just doesn't make sense," he said with refusal.
"I stand by what I said before. I'll admit, I'm not too fond of any of you 'warrior races' at the best of times. But Saiyans least of all. And it's the very thing that I hate that's going to get Kakarot by. Their obsession with being the best fighters isn't merely a matter of psychology or culture. Their bodies resist the effects of aging, their digestive systems metabolize ridiculous amounts of calories, their immune system crushes pathogen and toxins alike – it's as though their very DNA screams with entitlement 'make…me…stronger'!"
(**Scene Break**)
Goku jerked his head deftly to the side, Monster's fist embedding in the roboGuardian level 9 just behind him. Grunting, Goku leapt to the side, his golden locks stiffly flapping in the air. Faster than he expected, Monster ripped its fist free of the other robot, parts flying as the motion shredded it. Planting a foot, it charged after the ascended super saiyan.
Wow! Goku thought, weaving through its whistling punches, Look at it move! This thing is serious!
Goku seized Monster's arm, throwing the robot as he turned. Monster rolled through the motion, getting back to its feet and assuming a fighter's stance. As it did so, the other remaining level 9s opened fire on Goku. Fortunately, at this level, the energy blasts didn't pose much of a problem for him. He could move so fast, they didn't have a chance at hitting him.
But as it turned out, Monster was a good deal faster than the other roboGuardians.
Goku growled a yelp as Monster shredded the air around him, forcing him to move back. Crap! Goku thought with frustration, He's even stronger than I thought! I gotta end this before it gets dragged out too long.
Goku started to charge a Kamehameha. That's when Monster's gun reappeared and shot a bullet at him. Goku saw it coming and released early, pouring the blue beam through the projectile and into the battle robot. Half a second later he found himself screaming, clutching his right wrist as it bled.
Sepis's voice returned, filling the air around him. "Goku, I warned you!" he cried, whining like a fussy mother, "There's a reason I called it Monster."
Goku looked up from the blood that dripped down his hand and his jaw dropped with shock. "What?! No way!" The smoke ahead had cleared, revealing Monster standing there. A literal metal shield had appeared on its arm and not a single inch of the robot had been scathed.
"I know, right?" Sepis stated with an oddly placed tone of apprehension, "I made the thing and it scares even me. Its bullets and that shield are made of the same metal – a metal that somehow denies the natural flow of ki. It may even have magical properties, according to…well, Nettelish. Before the…yeah."
Monster marched toward Goku, the Saiyan gritting his teeth as the other robots closed in. "It's the same material that makes up the circuitry in the inhibitor chips. I discovered an entire moon made of it. It's the only known source." Monster's gun folded back into the mouthpiece. "Each bullet is worth the cost of incarcerating someone on Seven for a year. I don't know how you recovered from your earlier injuries, but know I am just as serious as you are! I will protect Nevrrest's life and future!"
A shadow hung over Goku's eyes beneath his golden bangs, energy streaming around him. "Don't you see?" Sepis pressed, "You keep pulling miracles, but I promise you I will meet each one of them head on. I have walled you in in ways you haven't even noticed yet, Goku. So keep fighting all you like...you won't win." Back in the Control Center, Sepis gazed at all the data that streamed into his helmet. "It's not your fault. It's just numbers. Numbers control us all."
(**Scene Break**)
Nada found himself experiencing what did not often occur for him. He was losing his temper. "Just where the hell are you, you slimy green bastard?!" Biting his cigarette, he started snapping rapidly, back and forth, with both hands.
"Gaaaaaaahhh!" Dr. Tottle squealed, running as explosions started going off everywhere, the walls vibrating with the force and sound of it. Tucking his head under his hands, the doctor ran blindly in the direction he hoped was correct.
"I'm not supposed to kill you – but if you're too stupid, you dying isn't my damn fault, you hear?!" Nada hollered, the room lightning up like a grand finale of fireworks.
"Iiieeeyye!" Dr. Tottle squeaked, his teeth rattling from the force of a nearby explosion. He ducked and ran faster. "I'm suddenly feeling underqualified for this!" Just as he said it, his foot slipped out from under him on the icy floor. "AAAAAAHHH!" he howled as he was sent spinning on his back down the row, crashing into a shelf. Dr. Tottle's vision danced, his feet in the air as he gazed upside down at the opposing shelf. The colors came together to form a series of numbers. Dr. Tottle's eyes widened. "Huzzah and thank the gods! I believe that's it!"
He threw open the door to the refrigeration unit, shelves holding blood of various colors sliding out. He spotted an individual cell containing a vial of red blood. "Forty-Seven Forty-Seven, that's it!" He touched the cell and it lit up. Dr. Tottle took a deep breath, knowing it would be the last command he gave as a doctor of the justice.
A memory flashed in his mind.
"I will openly say, we are highly impressed by your resume," the examiner told him with a generous smile, "We have several openings on our capital ship, the Hammer, that would suit you perfectly, I think."
"I've already decided on the opening I'd like to accept, thank you," Dr. Tottle briskly replied. He pushed a sheet of paper over to the examiner.
The examiner's nearly lost his grip on the paper. "But-but this is on Seven!" he cried, jabbing at the paper wildly. He laughed nervously. "Surely, you must be joking…"
"On the contrary, I feel like you're the one that must be joking with me," he answered, provoking a further stupefied look on the examiner's face, "I didn't come to the Justice hoping to acquire some cooshy position. I came here because I figured you'd be in need of someone like me. I'm not saying I'm particularly fond of mass murders. But the old gods saw fit to send their lot my way for many years past. I see no reason to attempt to evade what is clearly my destiny."
Dr. Tottle's eyes narrowed, his free hand gripping the vial of tainted blood. "…Access: Dr. Betatom Tottle – fully licensed physician of Prison Ship Seven!"
(**Scene Break**)
Goku's green boot slid back, his muscles tightening as he moved his fingers up like a hook. "Sepis," he stated firmly, the shadow still over his eyes.
"Yes?" Sepis quietly answered.
"I'll admit…I don't know much about numbers. Frankly, they've always confused me. But I do know about having the odds stacked against me."
Back in his chair, Sepis sat up hopefully. "So…you admit you can't win?!"
The closing robots hesitated as Goku suddenly smiled. "I didn't say that." He straightened up, his eyes confident. "Truth is, even now, I've been holding back a lot."
Sepis's breathing stopped. "…Oh please don't say that…"
"Don't get me wrong, it's not that I wasn't respecting the strength of your creations," Goku continued, "The fact is from the very beginning I've been trying to conserve my strength. If I ended up fighting someone like Nevrrest, I'm going to need every bit I can get." The energy around him intensified. "I'm sorry I didn't take Monster seriously enough before. But now that I've seen what all it can do…I'm going to give it the fight it deserves!"
(**Scene Break**)
Nada's wristband screamed the alert that one of the coolers had been accessed. "Daaamn it!" He lost his cigarette and his feet left the floor as he took off flying.
Dr. Tottle sensed him coming, knowing he would be on top of him in seconds. The jig was up, so he let loose his energy, switching out the vials as fast as possible. The cell sealed again around the tainted sample.
"NNNOOOO!" Nada howled, snapping his fingers midflight. Dr. Tottle dove away from the explosion only to be tackled by Nada shortly after. The vial of Goku's untainted blood flew from his hand. In half a second, Nada had grappled up Dr. Tottle's tumbling form, his big hand reaching out for the vial as it spun through the air.
Dr. Tottle gritted his teeth and his fingertip lit with energy. Kakarot…win this.
They both hit the floor, Nada's jaw frozen open with horror as the dust gathered in his palm.
(**Scene Break**)
Goku screamed, the golden flame around him turning into an inferno, lightning wildly flashing around him. Sepis's antennae vibrated rapidly as the data flooded across his visor. The numbers coming from Goku were even more insane then they were before. But they were still just numbers. And he was a master of equations. His brain sent the order to Monster and it instantly ejected its gun again. Goku dodged the first three bullets it fired.
It doesn't matter, Sepis sharply reminded himself, He can throw whatever data he wants at me. All I have to do is recalculate and then incapacitate him again. He can't win! Monster prepared another set of shots.
And at that very moment, the equation that was Goku vanished.
"Da-aaaah!" Sepis screamed in horror, "No!"
In that same second, Goku became a living bullet, shooting head first through every single remaining level 9. The roboGuardians toppled over or fell to pieces as they impacted with Goku's skull. Sepis flew into a panic. Goku's bio tracker was gone. Without it, Sepis's once easily predictable data stream had become an endless set of variables. All he had left to go off of was Goku's datachip implant. It wasn't enough.
Monster moved on its own, trying to track its target, its body locked in a defensive pose. Something materialized by it and it swung a punch. It hit only air. This repeated several times till suddenly a muscular arm emerged straight through its headpiece.
Goku gritted, yanking his arm back out. "HAAAA!" he cried, spinning through the air and kicking Monster's sparking head clean off.
"No!" Sepis yelped.
Monster creaked and tumbled forward onto the floor, leaking fluid. Sepis couldn't breathe, his whole body quaking. Monster had succeeded in all its test runs. Save against one opponent.
He recalled how Nevrrest had gazed down at Monster's smoking bulk with disappointment. Sepis had wanted to cry, ashamed. But when she had turned to leave, she had praised him. Marvelous work, Sepis, as always. But I don't think anything can beat me now.
"…You beat it…" Sepis quivered, "Are you really…like her…?"
Goku breathed a deep sigh, the storm around him dying a bit. Eyes focused, he walked through the security checkpoint, causing a siren to wail. But it seemed Seven had run out of things to unleash on him. He could hear Sepis's heavy breathing in the air around him as he pressed the button that would extend the transit tube.
There was a beep. "Access denied," said the computer.
Sepis was silent. And then he gave a rumbling squeak. It took a long moment for Goku to realize that Sepis was laughing. "You really thought it'd be that easy?!" Sepis cried, rumbling and squeaking some more, "Goku…you aren't leaving this ship. The transit tube won't extend without access privileges."
"Damn it!" Goku stated crossly. He honestly felt embarrassed for not expecting that.
"All that and I stopped you with a door…" Sepis breathed, laughing with amusement and relief, "I guess you're just going to have to stand there until someone better than me comes for you."
"No way," Goku said sourly, folding his arms, "There's got to be a way around this…" He frowned heavily. Then his eyes bulged. "Geaaah!" he cried, nearly falling over and grabbing his head, "Why didn't I think of that before?! I…I could have just used Instant Transmission this whole time!"
Sepis whistled. "Actually, I bet your subconscious noticed you couldn't."
"What?" Goku pressed two fingers to his forehead and gasped. "Wait a minute…where did the fleet go?!"
"I was wondering when you'd eventually notice that," Sepis laughed a little more, "One of the first things I did after activating my neurolinker helmet was put every ship but Seven into stealth mode. Didn't you ever wonder how you didn't sense the fleet coming when we captured Vegeta on Earth?"
Goku's eyes widened. "Of course!" His fist tightened. "And that's how you're hiding Vegeta from everyone, isn't it? You must have put him somewhere with this stealth mode you're talking about."
"I warned you about me being smarter than you, friend Goku," Sepis stated calmly, "Heh…even though you escaped both the collar and the bio tracker thanks to that traitor, I was right after all…miracles upon miracles and you're still never leaving that ship."
Goku gazed down heavily, his brow tight with thought. He looked at the door again. "Tell me something, Sepis…are all the other ships still out there?"
"Of course," Sepis replied, "You just can't pick them up with your energy sense or with a scanner."
"So the ships haven't moved at all from what I remember?"
"No," Sepis tittered a little, "Not a single inch. Amazing, isn't it?"
Goku put a hand to the door. "It's pretty impressive, I'll admit. In fact, I'm pretty sure it leaves me with only one option." The golden flame flashing brightly around him once more, Goku grunted and sank both fingers into the crack in the doors.
Sepis stopped breathing again. "Wait…friend Goku…what are you doing?!"
Goku snarled and hissed, struggling with all his might as he forced the metal of the first layer of blast doors to peel open. Breathing heavily, he sank his fingers into the crack in the next set.
"No…no!" Sepis cried, terrified, "Friend Goku, please stop!"
Goku bellowed with exertion, ripping through another set.
"You don't know what you're doing!" Sepis pleaded, "The tube won't extend for you!"
The veins in Goku's body swelled like rivers flooding their banks, his fingers bleeding a little as he kept forcing the unconquerable metal to bend.
"There's nothing out there!" Sepis squealed, "Nothing but the vacuum of space!"
"I'm aware of that," said Goku, pausing to catch his breath. He started pulling again.
"You'll die! You'll suffocate or freeze to death out there!"
Goku bent his knees as he felt the last layer start to buckle. He felt an incredible force from the other side.
"FRIEND GOKU!"
The final blast door gave way and Goku pushed off with the pull of the vacuum, disappearing into the blackened void.
(**Scene Break**)
Nada remained crouched over Dr. Tottle for a long moment, a shadow hiding his golden eyes from view. He tipped his hand to the side, letting the ashes of the vial of blood sift off onto the elderly doctor's chest before standing. His shadow passing over Dr. Tottle, his giant hand then stiffly came up and planted over his darkened face. A painful grin spread and his shoulders heaved as he softly laughed.
"And to think I had the guts to go right up to my goddess and promise her that I would handle this. Hehe…hehe…hehe… Man. This is gonna cost me my hide, you know that?" His hand fell to the side, revealing that his golden eyes had turned as reflective as mirrors. "Do you know that…" he angrily smiled, "YOU OLD BASTARD?!" Dr. Tottle saw the blood fly from his mouth in the image in Nada's eyes, the cypher's fist embedded in his stomach. "Yeah," Nada breathed, "I'm royally screwed this time. But you know what? If I gotta pay for this, I'm thinking I should at least pay it forward onto you first. DON'T YOU THINK?!"
Dr. Tottle held onto Nada's wrist as his buckled chest balanced him in the air. As a doctor, he knew that the change in Nada's eyes was a result of Cypher battle rage. A clear, protein shell coated their eyes, protecting them from attacks that would disrupt their vision. And though he was a practical man, in this moment, Dr. Tottle couldn't help but recall an old saying he had once heard.
That when a man finds himself gazing at his reflection in a Cypher's eyes, he is about to bear witness to his own death.
AUTHOR NOTE
Hey, beloved readers! Just a couple of quick notices. One, my spring college semester will be starting soon, so the updates might be slowing down again. However, I'm gonna try to make extra time for writing this semester, so hopefully not as slow as last semester.
Second, for those of you hungering for the next chapter, the first two pages of it should be uploaded at (slash) dragonballsw by tomorrow. If you'd like to support me, please join me there!
Till next chapter, my cherished fans!