Chapter 13: Last Ditch Efforts.

West City

Android stared down Tuse but before she could attempt to make a move she noticed a tap on her shoulder. Android 18 quickly turned around but just as she did she was greeted with the fist of her own shadow knocking her back several feet.

"Oh, what the hell is this now?" 18 wondered as she stared down her shadow.

18 took her fighting stance as her shadow did the same in perfect sync with her own movements. 18 formed a ki blast in her right hand as her shadow did the same. She launched it at the shadow before quickly darting to the side, her shadow again moving in perfect sync with her. 18 and her shadow lunged at each other colliding in a flurry of equally matched strikes just as the ki blast collided in the air.

"It's like it can read my every move." 18 stated right before the shadow managed to land a punch on her.

"It doesn't just know you every move..." Tuse replied. "Your shadow knows you better than you know yourself."

For a moment 18 still didn't have a problem keeping pace with her shadow but the shadow kept landing more and more strikes and soon she 18 had no choice but to go on the defensive. Much like her offense her, 18 was able to keep her defense up for a few moments but again the shadow was able to land a strike here and there as if anticipating her movements and soon 18 found herself being pelted with strikes.

'Damn...It's pushing me back.' 18 thought as the shadow pushed her back several feet with each strike. 'It's pushing me back towards...Oh no. Everyone who's not dead or didn't evacuate is holed up at Capsule Corp...Does this thing know?'

18's shadow caught 18 with a hard right hook sending her several miles back through several buildings.

'Damn, I'm less than a mile away...' 18 thought as she slowly stood up.

"I'm impressed you're still able to stand after that..." Tuse stated as he and the shadow approached 18.

"I can't let them get any closer...I need to do something right now..."

Suddenly a light bulb went off in 18's head.

'That's it...'

18 began moving rapidly side to side firing ki blast at the shadow which the shadow did in turn.

"...This is fruitless." Tuse declared. "Give up now and I will make your death qui..."

Android 18 suddenly fired a strong ki blast through her own shoulder causing the shadow to do the same just as the shadow moved in front of Tuse. Unable to move out of the way in time Tuse was hit with the full brunt of the blast.

"...Clever girl." stated as he and 18 both collapsed to the ground while the shadow faded away.

Gingertown

"Now where to start?" Quil wondered as he leaned over the battered Tien. "I...Huh!? What!? Aaaaaw come on! Do I have to!? ….Fine. Looks like I don't have the time for torture. So any last words before I finish you off?"

"Yeah..." Tien replied. "You talk too much."

Just as Tien finished his sentence he suddenly sprouted a new pair of arms from his upper back and brought his newly formed fists together in a double ax handle down on the top of Quil's head causing the pavement to crack upon hitting the ground. Tien then took the sky as fast as he could.

"Oooow that hurt!" Quil exclaimed as he quickly stood up. "But ya gotta hit harder than that if you wanna..."

Quil looked up at Tien who had put all 6 pairs of hands together in the Tri-beam formation.

"NONA-BEAM!" Tien exclaimed

"Oh shi..."

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Quil was hit with the full force of the attack causing all the crystals on his body to explode.

Tien quickly plummeted to the ground collapsing next to the already collapsed Quil.

IDS BA-MYU - COMMAND ROOM

"Whoa! 18 with the sacrifice play." Goku stated as he watched 18's fight finish.

"...An unfortunate loss." Isol stated. "Sire if this Master Roshi is as dangerous as you say he is then perhaps we should send Quil to the island after he finishes off Tien."

"Hmm, Alright. Tell him to hurry up and finish him off."

"Quil, You do not have time for this. Finish him off and head to the coordinates I am about to send you. Yes, you have to this is a direct order."

Gohan's eye lit up as he watched Tien suddenly mount his comeback.

"Oh, would ya look at that." a slightly surprised Goku stated as Tien finished off Quil. "I didn't see that coming. I'd my tip my hat to him if I had one. Hey, can someone find me a hat? A fedora maybe?"

"Sire, what shall we do now? Tuse and Quil were two of our best soldiers."

"I want you to head to Roshi's Island."

"Are you sure I am needed, sire?"

"If we wanna capture that focal point then, yeah."

"As you wish." Isol replied before taking his leave.

"Say Gohan, How about we talk a little trip home?"

Gohan's face filled with dread as he wondered just what his father or the man he once knew as his father had in store for him...and his mother.

Forest of the Alpha Kai

Chronoa and Piccolo continued there we through the dense forest as the trees began to turn a solid white color.

"Good, we're over half way there now." Chronoa stated. "With any luck will be able to get there before they find the first focal point."

"Focal Point?" Piccolo replied.

"Oh, did I forget to mention those. My bad. In every universe, there is at least one planet that contains the focal points of that universe. In some universes, the focal points are spread out across several planets and some are contained to just one or two. You ever wonder why Earth has had as many powerful threats as it has? It is because Earth is the planet contains 4 focal points. Planets with focal points have a bad tendency to have powerful beings drawn to them."

"But what exactly are these focal points?"

"Oh yeah, I started getting a bit a head of myself, didn't I? Focal points are essentially the locks of the universe. They prevent one universe from being able to go into another. The planet Vegeta, as well as your original Namek, actually had a focal point each but they were destroyed when Freeza blew it up. It was actually the destruction of Namek that allowed the IDS Ba-Myu to travel into your universe. That ship works by finding a universe where either the focal points are weakest are at least one or two has been destroyed and makes a tear large enough for it to enter."

"Why do they want to destroy all the focal points to our universe if they're already here?"

"Because they're not the only ones left from their universe. The Sankakukanei is actually comprised of several inhabitants from multiple planets in their universe. With just the one focal point destroyed they can only send the IDS Ba-Myu which is comprised of their universes strongest fighters which are primarily made up of a race known as the Sankurisu. I think it's supposed to be a portmanteau Sankaku Kurisutaru. A lot of that universe has a whole triangle pun thing going on with their names for some reason. Actually, if you think about a lot of names are...I mean even my name is a...anyway, they're still a dozen ships waiting to enter your universe. That's why we have to get to the Alpha Kai before it's too late."

Roshi's Island

Master Roshi was at 50 percent power with a large turtle shell still strapped to his back as he nearly finished off the last of squad 12.

"You're just an old man how are you this strong?" The foot soldier.

"I drink plenty of prune juice. Helps keep me regular." Master Roshi replied before hitting him with a strong chop to the back of the neck. "It's nice to give these old bones a good workout."

"I wonder what they wanted with our island?" Turtle wondered.

"Better not have been my stash."

"Which stash?"

"Either one."

"You think these are the same guys that took Goku."

"I think that's a safe bet. Yamcha, Gohan, Vegeta, Krillin, and Piccolo's energy signatures have all disappeared and Tien's is very faint and for a second I thought I felt...What is going on? "

Roshi turned to go back inside Kame House but stopped as he felt the arrival of another energy signature.

"And who is this now?"

"You must be Roshi." Isol inquired as he landed on the island.

"I am. Who's asking?"

"That is right. You were not among the fighters present when we abducted Son Goku."

"That's because I'm supposed to be retired. You guys aren't making that easy for me right now."

"I was not aware you were this strong."

"Just because I'm retired doesn't mean I stopped training." Master Roshi replied as he took his fighting stance. "And that's Master Roshi to you."

A/N

"As Master Roshi and Isol prepare to square off, will Roshi be able to overcome his new foe? And just what does Goku have planned next. Find out next time on Strained Bond!" Hope you enjoyed the latest chapter of Strained Bond: A Hero's Fall to Darkness. I think this chapter turned out quite nicely if I do say so myself but let me know your thoughts and as always, have a great day ~TheUltimateMystic