Chapter 15

Tien´s dojo

They all watched what happened, as Android 13 absorbed the parts of the two destroyed Androids and his body started to change.

His skin turned into a deep blue color, his muscles were growing as more and more power was channeled to them, his hair turned red and his eyes were glowing brightly yellow.

For a moment both Tien and Sixteen were starring at this creature in surprise. They both had the same thought... Cell.

Was this some kind of prototype for him. But how strong exactly was this being? Strong enough to beat two young but powerful super saiyans at the same time?

Goten and Trunks on the other side had moved nearly instantly to attack the last of the three hostile Androids. Powered up by parts of the other two or not.

Trunks had fired a Galick Gun (one of the techniques he had learned from his father), that 13 however dodged. Only to be hit by a Kamehameha from Goten. His blast pushed the Android back, but for now didn´t seem to cause much actual damage.

It was not as if they had used all their power for this first attacks. The two young half-saiyans had learned the lesson to conserve their strength by now. Especially as Gotenks they used to have a habit of wasting energy.

After firing their blasts they flew forward and tried to land a punch and a kick at both sides of their opponent.

13 however blocked both Trunks punch and Goten´s kick with both his arms simultanously. Then he send a punch at both of them, that Trunks and Goten blocked in return, but it pushed them backwards a few meters.

The three opponents had now crossed the distance to the small town close by and 13 was now standing between the houses.

Around them the town-citizens, they all had watched what he and the other Androids had been doing to the dojo, were starting to panic.

"He has grown a lot stronger," 16 stated as he looked at the transformed and powered up 13.

"Thats for sure," Tien replied. "Do you think Trunks and Goten will be able to deal with him?"

"That is good possible, but not sure. It depends on how they apply their strength."

"This guy is quite strong," Goten called out. "Should we try to become Gotenks?"

Trunks was about to answer him. But at the same moment he was forced to dodge a couple of ki blasts 13 had fired on him.

"Forget it. He will never give the chance to fuse," he shouted. "We will get shot before we can even make the first move, as you can see. Let us take him down as we are."

"Okay," Goten responded. "You are right."

The two super-saiyans started another double teamed attack.

13 however reacted in a way that none of them would have quite expected.

He just turned to the panicked crowd of villagers, that were running all over the place... and grabbed one woman.

13 was holding her in his grip, close to his own body. With his hand around her throat.

"Now don´t make a move boys," The Android said. "Or this woman here dies."

"No - Maira," a man who had been running next to her called out.

Trunks and Goten could not tell if he was her husband or some kind of relative. It didn´t really matter right now either.

For the woman herself it was nothing else than a nightmare, as this blue skinned monster suddenly appeared and attacked the town and this two young boys with golden hair started to fight him.

But it was not a nightmare that came out of nowhere. They all remembered how just a little over a half year ago this woman named Yurin had mind-controlled Master Tien´s students to rampage through the town.

And they had also seen a few of the things Master Tien himself could do. In opposite to most people, the citizens of this town were aware that there were powerful and dangerous beings in this world.

But this knowledge didn´t do anything to help her now.

Goten and Trunks both kept their distance. They were fast, but not fast enough to keep 13 from just snapping her neck.

"Maybe they can use out help after all," Tien stated.

"Yes," 16 replied.

They both moved in the direction where 13 and the two young super saiyans were having their stand-off. They only hoped that most of his attention would stay focused on them.

Both 13 and the woman named Maira saw to their surprise how Master Tien suddenly appeared right in front of them.

The Android however just lifted a hand and blasted him.

But in the moment the ki blast hit him, Tien body seemed to just dissolve into thin air and a second Tien appeared behind 13. The body-split technique, he realized.

In the same moment the blue skinned Android was hit into the face by 16´s fist, who had distached his hand and fired it at their opponent.

Just as they had planned, Tien in his real body used the chance to grab the arm of the now disoriented Android, with that he was holding the woman and forced him to release her.

Then he laid his hands around her and jumped at distance to 13 as quickly as he could.

"Son Goten - Trunks," he shouted. "Now."

The two super saiyans understood and nearly instantly fired another Galick Gun and Kamehameha at 13. Aimed exactly in a way that they would hit their target and then shoot over an open field out of the town and into the sky, where the attacks would cause no damage.

13 tried to block, but the powerful attacks from Trunks and Goten, who were now not longer holding back, were too much even for his upgraded form.

His body was disintigrated with a last angry shout by the two blasts.

A second later Trunks and Goten were looking at each other smiling.

"Th-thank you," the woman said to them.

"Good job you two," Tien said.

"You were not bad yourself," Trunks responded.

xxxxxxx

The copy of Android 17 moved with unimaginable speed and punched Freeza into the guts.

It was clear that his strength and speed had increased even more. He landed another blow on Freeza´s head and send him falling from the sky.

With 18 it was the same. She was now overpowering Gohan just like he did her a few minutes before and Cooler was now practically unable to do anything of consequence.

To that came that Gohan was now paying the consequences for his rage-boost earlier. His energy was running out quickly.

He was hit by another vicious strike from the mind-controlled 18... and was spiraling downwards.

One second later he felt a terrible pain as the 17 copy fired a blast at him that pierced right through his chest.

In the same moment however, Son Goku appeared through Instant Transmission. He caught Gohan´s body in the air and then teleported again to grab the falling Freeza...

... before appearing right next to Cooler, who had been following his movements with interest.

"Grab my shoulder," Goku told him. "We are getting out of here now."

He teleported another time.

"Son Goku," Artificial 17 said flatly. "Priority target Number One."

He raised his arm to fire another blast. But Goku and the others had already disappeared, teleported away.

The Android turned around to Eighteen.

"We are moving to the meeting point," he said. "We will deal with Son Goku later."

"Yes," 18 replied flatly.

xxxxxxx

Meanwhile Piccolo had come up again and had by now moved back to 21´s base.

After he had arrived, he had not wasted any more time and just fist blasted the entrance gate apart and then a clean hole into the metal floor on the installation.

What he found was just as expected, a secret basement level below it. Very good so far, he thought.

xxxxxxx

Capsule Corp

Goku and the others appeared right in front of Bulma, the Pilaf Gang, the two Marrons and Krillin.

"Gohan," Bulma exclaimed as she saw the state he was in.

"They really got him," Caulifla stated. She, Cabba and Kale were standing a few meters aside.

"And Gohan is stronger than he had ever been before," Krillin commented. "I could sense that." Just how strong had 17 and 18 become, he thought.

Goku was pulling a few senzu beans out of his pocket.

He put one into the half-conscious Gohan´s mouth and gave two more to Cooler, while making a gesture towards Freeza.

"You should have tried to take them out when you had the chance," Cooler commented. He ate one of the beans and gave the other to Freeza. "If you have gotten as strong as you intended to, you should have a good chance."

"Then I would risked Gohan to die," Goku replied.

"We all might if this Androids get even stronger," Cooler retorted.

"I have to agree with him father," Gohan, who just woke up again, said. "They just kept getting stronger. It was frightening."

Freeza frowned and looked downwards. His memories were empty, a void. Whatever had not been wiped out by brain damage through his former injuries, had been by the `treatment´ from 21´s machines.

But he could not help to think that he had experienced this feeling of defeat before... and he hated it.

"I understand," Goku said.

Had he made a mistake here? he asked himself. Should he have stopped the enemy as quick as he could, no matter the cost?

The saiyan instinct in him was actually excited of the idea of an opponent

"Why are their copies of Eighteen and Seventeen anyway?" Krillin asked worried. "21´s computer must have created them, but why?"

"We have never figured that out either," Future Marron stated. "This copies exist in our time as well. But if they just wanted two new powerful Androids, they could have just created them, but there was no reason why they should look exactly like Mom and Uncle 17.

And if they wanted to mind-control them... I don´t know. I did not even know the copies could do that."

"I can not quite figure this out either," Bulma stated. "There must be something we overlook."

Goku thought so too. He had a bad feeling about this. He could not even lock on their ki and teleport to them, now that they were not longer fighting anyone.

"I will go to Seventeen´s Island and try to find him - the real one," he said. "We don´t know for sure if he is being controlled as well. But if I can find him and bring him back to his senses or defeat him, maybe I can help to put an end to all of this."

"And we will go with you," Caulifla announced.

"You?"

"Yes we will. Kale and me have spend the whole time training this strange technique you call Fusion Dance. An this is a perfect opportunity to try it out."

"I think the same," Cabba stated. "Since we are here, we should help. And I fear there are not many worthy opponents for a fusion of Caulifla and Kale in Universe 6 anyway," he said a bit awkwardly.

Goku finally nodded.

"I will try to inform Vegeta as well. The quickest way should be to send a telepathic message to Master Kaio," he said.

"Master Kaio..." he called out. "Do you hear me?"

"Yes Son Goku," he heard the reply. "What is it this time?

xxx

Gohan meanwhile was making a call on his own. He was holding his phone in his hand with his wife Videl on the other end.

"Gohan - are you alright?" she asked him. "I had sensed incredible powerful energies and in the news they said something about a terror assault on West City. What is going on?"

"I am alright," he said. He decided not to tell her, at least for the moment, that he had nearly been killed.

"It is... the Androids. Someone is controlling 17 and 18. And they have also grow much stronger than ever before. We can only hope that father and Vegeta are able to stop them."

xxxxxxx

Seventeen´s Island

The two Androids were just landing at the beach of the island.

Here the real Seventeen was already awaiting them... together with the copy of Eighteen, who had arrived a few minutes before.

Seventeen was right now not wearing his usual green and white ranger shirt, but a black one that he was often wearing off duty and that somehow ressembled his old original outfit, only without the bandana.

While Artificial 17´s appearance was exactly identical to how he had been looking these years ago.

But the four Androids were not the only ones present.

A group of armed men, led by a quite familiar bearded poacher leader had been monitoring the island and noticed the quite bizarre scene.

As they saw the super strong park ranger they knew all too well and a very similar looking girl standing completely motionless at the beachline.

It were now nearly ten minutes in that they had seen the two not even moving a limb.

What the hell? they all thought. What was with this two? Why were they standing here frozen as if they had been hypnotized?

The poacher leader had known for a long time that the park-ranger of this island was all but normal. But this was strange even for him? And who was this girl who looked pretty much like his sister? Well - she probably was his sister. But what was she doing here?

But still, he could simply not miss the chance to finally kill the troublesome ranger. Sure - he had strength beyond understanding and could even fly (like the Great Saiyaman or this guys from the Cell Games, he remembered), but sure a good long reign of armor-piercing bullets would kill even him, right?

His bosses had told him that they had paid a small fortune for this ammunition after all.

They had provided it to him after they had heard his report how a trio of incredible strong rangers had shrugged off their regular bullets (who had in truth been three weird pretty young girls, wearing dresses that seemed completely out of place on this island. But there was no way he would be telling his bosses this.) and then beaten up his last team.

His current group consisted mostly of new recruits. Most of the old one had quit after the last one. Being beaten into a pulp by some kind of bulletproof super-ranger was obviously okay, by bullet-proof young girls however was not.

Did the idiots not realize that they just needed to get lucky a single time and they all would have more money than they could ever spend? And it was not as if the ranger calling himself Seventeen would ever kill them. For them there would ever be second chances.

They were now only a few meters away from the dreaded ranger and the blonde girl who looked like him.

Then however they saw to their shock how it got even more bizarre - as suddenly two completely identical looking people sank down from the sky and landed directly next to them. What in the world was going on here?

His question would never be answered. Because in this moment the two copies Artificial 17 and 18 raised their arms and send a reign of ki blasts at them.

The poacher leader was the first who died, as the blasts ripped through his body. Followed split-seconds later by the rest of his group.

After a second the dead bodies of over 20 poachers were lying scattered before the four Androids.

"It is time," Artificial 17 stated towards his original.

"No." Something in the real Seventeen wanted to shout for a moment. Pictures were risng up in his mind, of his wife and the children.

Then it was gone. His face turned emotionless again.

Instead he replied with an emotionless: "Yes."

They were moving closer to each other.

Their on the surface identical bodies were starting to merge into one. They didn´t need a special technique. This was what Artificial 17 and 18 were created for.

While their organic bodies were cloned from samples from the original Seventeen and Eighteen, the mechanic parts implanted into them were designed to interact with the ones in the originals and to control them.

The effect of the fusion was not as extensive as the Portara or even the fusion dance, but his already tremendous power doubled once again.

The resulting Super 17 was not the single most powerful being in this universe.

Physically he was not looking much different. He was slightly taller, more musculous and had a bit longer hair than their normal form.

It had worked as planned, Artificial 17 realized. His consciousness was in control of their fused body.

"We have not reached current our full potential yet," Artificial 18 stated next to him.

"Continue to power up," Super 17 responded. "When you have reached the highest current possible power, perform the fusion as well."

"Yes." "Yes." Both Eighteens answered simultaneously.

"What will you do?" one of them asked him. It was the real 18. It was possible that on some level she was still resisting the control.

"I will test my now abilities," he said and lifted off into the air.

He moved now with a speed that came close to teleporting. After a short time he stopped.

He lifted a hand and fired a blast up into the air that disappeared into space. If it had hit something, it would have enough firepower to blow up every single object in this galaxy many times over.

And that was not even his full power.

Son Goku was as good as dead, he thought. And then the entire human race would follow. Who would not be upgraded into an Android would be destroyed, just like Doctor Gero had commanded it.

Somewhere inside of him however, there was something that resisted this thought with all it´s strength.

xxxxxxx

21´s base

Piccolo was now moving through the basement of the Red Ribbon fascility. He had been looking around for a bit and what he had found so far was more or less what had to be expected.

More cloning tanks. A few of them contained some secret projects. One of them he saw was actually labelled `Special Project: Broly´.

And to no great surprise he found two more Android pods with the writings Android 17-0A and 18-0A. The copies of course.

Then however he heard something. It was a few chambers away. But with his advanced hearing, he made it out easily. Someone was talking.

As he came closer, he recognized both of the voices. The first was Twenty One, but the second... that was impossible.

It was Doctor Gero. But he saw him die. Did he came back to life? But how? If someone had used the Dragon Balls they would have noticed.

The conversation continued.

`Conversation´ meant more however that 21 was ranting and shouting and seemingly talking with herself, while Gero´s voice was talking to her smoothly.

"13, 14 and 15 had been destroyed," 21 called out, "we have lost them."

"It doesn´t matter," her own voice answered, however in a completely different tone, "they were just cannon fodder to beginn with."

"You are right 21," Doctor Gero´s voice said, "13, 14 and 15 were expandable - three completely outdated models. It is more important to concentrade on your current task."

Piccolo arrived at the door of the room where the two were talking. What he saw however took even him greatly by surprise.

What 21 was talking to was actually a console of the computer... with something like a glass-jar with a human brain inside. And it was speaking with Gero´s voice.

But Gero´s brain had been destroyed. He had seen this as well. So this one must have somehow been recreated.

"Now calm down 21," Gero´s voice, coming from the computer, said. "What is important for you now is to concentrate on your work to create me a now body. So that, when Super 17 and 18 have destroyed the Z-Warriors, I will be able to return."

Author´s notes: The versions of 13 and 16 who appear here are stronger than they had originally been.

Both the rebuild 16 and 13, who had been upgraded a few times were rivalling or a bit stronger than Semi Perfect Cell.

13´s combined form was somewhere around ASSj level.