Chapter 23
New Future Timeline - Capsule Corp
They were now ready to go.
Right after their arrival Bulma and the other Z-fighters from this time had given them a full explanation of of the current situation.
Then, before they left to confront 21 and Doctor Gero, there had been only one other thing they had done.
They performed the Super Saiyan God Ritual for this timeline´s versions of Goten and Trunks. Both were more than ready for it. Having gone through years of fighting and training after all.
And now they had more than enough saiyans present to do it.
So they spend another half hour performing the ritual twice and giving both Trunks and Goten access to God Ki. Rudimentary one at least for now. It was not as if the SSG Ritual could instantly replace actual experience.
But both of them had managed to adapt their bodies to the new form of ki use and their raw power had increased enormous.
After that however they were going without any more waiting or delay.
xxx
They all knew that the time-travelling copy of Android 18 had probably already arrived in this timeline. And that the Android would easily be able to figure out that they would follow her here as well.
They would act before the cloned Doctor Gero and 21 would be able to.
So they flew up and headed right in the direction of 21´s base in this timeline.
Three of them however - namely Marron, Yamcha and Pan - staid behind in some greater distance.
Should any of 21´s clones or other enemy fighters manage to slip away from them and maybe try to attack other parts of the planet, they would intercept them and deal with them.
Besides that, they themselves admitted, if they came with them to the attack on the base, they would probably not make a great difference.
While Yamcha was still one of the best fighters on this planet and had proofed that many times, he still had his limits.
Marron - having inherited some of the genetic enhancement from her mother and being well trained - was powerful in her own right. But it was not nearly enough against a God Level fighter or one of the stronger Androids.
And Pan was simply too young and had not even reached the full extend of her power yet. Not even talking about Super Saiyan or God Powers.
xxxxxxx
So the actual strike-team consisted now of Goku, Trunks, Goten, Uub, Caulifla, Cabba and Kale.
Out of them, Goku admitted he was curious to actually see Uub in action. As the reincarnation of Buu´s evil half, he was incredible strong. That was save to say.
Goku was pretty sure he was already much stronger than his past incarnation as Buu had ever been. But he was not sure how much exactly.
Of course after receiving the power-up through their new God Ki, this timeline´s Goten and Trunks were even stronger than Uub. Even more so as Gotenks. So he was quite eager to see what they could now do too.
But despite his curiosity about his allies, most of Goku´s thoughts were of course on his enemies.
How strong exactly was this world´s 21? And this brainwashed Freeza?
Then there was of course the copy of Eighteen. And whatever else they might had.
"We are nearly there," Goku said.
"Yes. By what you told us, it will probably be the best if you take care of this Eighteen copy father," Goten told him. "If she is as strong as you said."
Goku nodded.
"We will see," he said.
xxx
He remembered how Seventeen and Eighteen told him that they had kept most of the power of their fused `Super Android´ forms. Goku was pretty sure that meant the copies had retained the same powers as well. Not to mention knowledge and experience of the real 17 and 18.
He had only barely been able to beat Super 17 - and that only with help, a lot of luck and a surprise move.
But with the Eighteen copy being somewhat weaker than her fused self, his chances should be good, right?
xxx
"Goten and I will take care of 21," Trunks stated with a grim expression. "With our new power, I am pretty sure we can take her."
"At least as Gotenks we should," Goten added.
"How strong is this 21 here compared to the one from the past?" Goku questioned. "How many people did she absorb?"
Both Trunks and Goten´s faces darkened for a moment at the question. It was clear that they had bad memories involved.
"A lot," Trunks replied meaningful.
"Buu, Tien and Chaotzu, Mister Satan, most of the other remaining martial artists on the planet," Goten said. "She also absorbed all of the Cell Juniors who had been living on Seventeen´s Island. And countless other people - entire towns. They were all turned into candy and eaten to make her stronger.
From what she said, we also know that she had eaten a number of this clones her lab had produced over the years. But we have no idea how many."
"Her minions also killed Krillin and Master Roshi," Trunks stated. "And Sixteen, who had gone and tried to stop her at one point. But she had destroyed him instead."
"That is also the reason we want to fight her ourselves," Goten explained. "There is a lot we have to settle a score with her for."
"I see," Goku replied.
The anger of the two was easy to hear out of their words. It was clear that they were enraged by the loss of so many friends and the death of all these innocent people.
And by all what he had heard, Goku was pretty sure that in opposite to the 21 from the past, this one was permanently being controlled by her evil half. There was no telling if there was even anything left of the more friendly personality after all these years.
"And who should me and Kale fight then?" Caulifla asked.
"Freeza-" Trunks answered simply. "Or rather what is left of him," he corrected himself. "As far as we could tell, his personality had been erased and 21 had turned him into nothing but her personal attack dog.
You said you know the Fusion as well, right?" he asked Caulifla.
"Yeah - we do," she replied. "Freeza? Sounds good. He had challenged us at the Tournament, but we never really came to fight him."
"Cabba - can you watch our backs and take care of any weaker opponents?" Goten asked.
"Are we not all getting a bit ahead of ourself here? Maybe they have something else we don´t know about," Cabba told them.
"He has a point," Goku said. "You can never tell exactly how a fight will turn out before it had might be other opponents than this three."
They were in this moment reaching the forest area surrounding 21´s base.
One figure was already waiting for them in the air.
It was nobody else than Freeza.
Their group was stopping in a few meters distance from him.
"Son Goku - we have been awaiting you," he said in a flat and emotionless tone that was completely untypical for him.
It was as if with what 21 had done to him, everything had been removed what had made Freeza - well Freeza.
He was quickly joined by a number of more figures who were rising up from the base below.
It was another group of clones.
This one consisted of one Gohan, two Piccolos, a Krillin, one Tien and a clone of Goku himself.
None of them was even close to the power of the originals. And Goku was pretty sure none of them could become a Super Saiyan. But they were clearly stronger than the group of clones that attacked a town earlier.
Still it was somehow unsettling seeing an enemy with his own face. It reminded him of the experience with Goku Black.
Not to mention that he was also facing someone looking exactly like his own son.
He reminded himself that these clones were not more than mindless puppets, being controlled by their Masters.
The clones were quickly followed by Neo Eighteen... and finally by 21 herself.
The cybernized Freeza now started to power up. He was not changed as much as a true Android, so they could still sense his energy.
Goku on his part was powering up as well, for now into Super Saiyan Blue.
Behind him the others were transforming into SSJ form as well.
"Goku, Cabba - can you buy us a few seconds for the Fusion?" Trunks asked them.
"Of course," Cabba replied.
Both Trunks and Goten and Caulifla and Kale were starting the Fusion Dance.
Freeza suddenly leaped forward, right towards Goku.
He reacted and their fists clashed with each other.
This Freeza was stronger that the regular one had been. But not overwhelmingly.
The difference was not too much.
In the same moments however the clones were also attacking, trying to move around them.
But Cabba and Uub interferred and finished them off in moments.
This was no real surprise. Cabba might not look like it, but he was actually a powerhouse. And Uub for his part was simply living up to expectations.
And while this group of clones was stronger than the other ones, it was still the difference between simple cannon-fodder and in this case glorified cannon-fodder.
The fight was over in a second.
Still, it was somehow unsettling to see the normally mild-mannered Cabba killing opponents off so easy and efficiently.
xxx
The clones were gone. What was left were the two Androids 21 and Neo 18 and the artificially modified Freeza.
Out of them however only the last three were an actual threat. Still - with Kefla and Gotenks on their side, they should be able to take them.
The clones were however not the only ones who intended to keep their friends from successfully fusing.
21 raised her hand and tried to shoot a blast at them in the middle of their Fusion Dance.
Goku however reacted and powered up further into his new SSJ Form.
He simply pushed the brainwashed Freeza aside. Who was now no longer a match for him and moved between 21 and the others, blocking her blast.
Trunks and Goten and Caulifla and Kale had in the same moment already finished their fusion-dances and merged into Gotenks and Kefla.
"I see," she commented. "He is just as powerfull as you said Neo 18," she said to Eighteen´s double floating next to her. "Now we have two Fusions to deal with. Well - it will not make that much of a difference.
But this Goku - I would really like to eat him," she called out, suddenly grinning in an insane way.
"I fear he is far too powerful for that," Neo Eighteen replied.
Like to prove her right, Goku suddenly moved forward, sending a combination of punches and kicks at all three of them.
The sudden onslaught forced 21, Freeza and Neo 18 backwards and distracted their attention from their two new opponents.
xxx
The copy Android thought back at her last fights before she came here. While she had not been fighting Goku in person, she had sensed how powerful he became.
Her artficially created mind was trying to calculate the chances in a direct confrontation.
She admitted she didn´t think they were good. Could she win against Son Goku on her own? If she was honest, she doubted it. She had seen not only his raw power, but also his ability to adapt and push himself.
It was a good thing that Master Doctor Gero had by now finished his new body and was ready to use it. Their opponents would be taken completely by surprise.
While the Android was reviewing her memories, other - different - thoughts were slipping themselves into her mind.
xxxx
She saw the picture of Krillin and the future version of Marron, when they were confronting Super 18.
Then she recalled other scenes. She - no, the real Eighteen - sitting together with Krillin and Marron in their home.
She saw them meeting with Android Seventeen before the Tournament of Power. She saw Seventeen a short time later introducing his wife and children.
She recalled Krillin all those years ago, smashing the remote-switch meant to deactivate `her´.
xxxx
What was happening to her? Neo 18 thought.
The original Eighteen´s memories - were they somehow affecting her?
This should not be. These thoughts and memories were worthless.
She was an Android. Her only purpose was to destroy Doctor Gero´s enemies and to help him to conquer the world.
The original Eighteen was flawed - malfunctioning - to be corrupted by things like this and turning against their creator.
She was improved, freed of that `flaw´.
If that was true, why was she so dependant on the original Eighteen´s skills and experience to actually be worth anything at all? A small voice inside her head asked.
xxx
Kefla and Gotenks were now placing themselves beside Goku, facing their chosen respective opponents Freeza and 21.
Uub and Cabba were keeping themselves in the background a few meters behind them.
It looked very much like they had the upper hand. But that should change very quickly.
In exactly this moment another figure came rising up from the base´s entrance.
It was a very tall muscular man. On his head he was wearing a strange looking metallic helmet. One that nearly looked as if it was mounted on the back of his head (and maybe it was). And coming out from under this helmet, long black hair that fell down over his shoulders.
"Broly?" Goku asked surprised as he saw his face.
"Not quite," the being replied. "I am glad to see you again Son Goku. Or should I say for the first time? After all it was my original self who had met you in person years ago... after he became Android 20."
"Gero?" Goku asked.
"Indeed," he answered. "As you see my own resurrection has finally come to pass. And I did not even needed the Dragon Balls for it. Just advanced technology and know how," he declared.
"And as you see, I found a fitting body for the new ruler of the world." He raised both his arms in a (self-)important looking gesture.
"You had your own cloned brain transplanted into a clone of Broly?" Goku questioned.
"I did. I briefly considered to just transfer my memories into the clone, like I did it the last time. But I did not belive that I simple saiyan brain could hold my intellect. So I preferred to use my own."
"At least Broly´s brain is not sick like yours," Goku replied.
"Really? Do you even beginn to understand the greatness of my vision?"
"Sure. You want to take over the world with an army of Androids and clones you have created. And then you want to use them to wipe out and replace all the humans and replace them. Because you hate everyone," he said.
"In short - you are a bad guy."
"Oh really? I am a bad guy?" Gero/Broly grinned sinisterly. "Who I am to disagree with you?"
"Well - let us test out my new body."
He suddenly powered up and transformed into SSJ... and shot forward.
But not towards Goku... instead to Cabba and Uub.
Goku tried to interfere. But in the same moment Neo Eighteen got into his way, sending a kick out to him.
He tried to get around her, but this Android was too stong for that.
Broly-Gero meanwhile powered up even more, his hair flashing from golden to bright green as he punched Cabba in the gut.
Rips were breaking and the Universe 6 saiyan was spitting out blood, before he dropped out of his ssj-state and fell lifelessly to the ground.
"Cabba!" Kefla shouted in shock.
Gero then, in the same second, turned around and shot a blast at Uub, that pierced through his upper body and his body fell down next to Cabba´s.
Damn, Goku thought. Maybe they could still help them with Senzu Beans. If only the Eighteen copy were not in his way. Goku and the Android were now exchanging blows in a rapid pace.
Gero turned to 21 and Freeza.
"You can deal with these two, right?" he said, gesturing to Gotenks and Kefla.
"Of course darling," 21 replied. "And by the way, your new body looks really yummi." She grinned at him insanely.
Gero decided to ignore her. 21 was a recreated version of his wife, but he was the first to acknowledge that her transformation and especially Buu´s cells had affected her mind.
Yet - she was still usefull. Very usefull.
21 and Cyborg Freeza were engaging their two opponents. It was too early to say who would get the upper hand. Both sides seemed pretty even so far.
But that also meant that neither of them would be able to help Cabba and Uub.
Goku now switched into Super Saiyan Blue Kaioken 20. Which was stronger than the greenish form, even if far more unstable and energy-consuming.
He was now starting to force her back. But it was still not quick enough.
xxx
Gero at the same time send out a signal back at the base and three more figures were rising up in the air from inside.
It were this timeline´s versions of Android 13, 14 and 15.
So they had yet something else in the backhand the whole time, Goku and the others thought.
"Kill their comrades," Gero ordered the three `new´ Androids.
He was pointing at a spot nearly a kilometer away, where Marron, Yamcha and Pan, had been keeping themselves in a greater distance, watching the fight.
"Yes Master," 13 replied.
The trio of Androids was flying towards their new targets.
This was bad. The three had been ready to fight clones, not full-powered Androids.
Goku was trying to push himself even harder and to find a strategy to take out his opponent quickly.
The same went for Kefla - who was currently bombarding Freeza with a barrage of ki blasts - and for Gotenks.
But then something was happening that none of them would have expected.
Neo Eighteen, who had just been involved in a heated fight with Goku a moment ago... froze in her movement.
Her gaze had turned to a point far away. The same spot where Marron was just about to be engaged by Android 14.
Here is the new chapter.
The next will be the last for the current story Arc and the decision for the new future-timeline. After it the story will probably have a time-skip of a few years.