Chapter Six - The Training Continues
Vegeta floated down towards the lab and landed softly near what looked like the entrance. As he looked over the large door for the best place to blast an opening it suddenly hissed and then slid up allowing him entry. "Well, I guess someone's home." he said smirking and walking into the structure. As he passed into the building the door hissed again and slid back down into place with a loud click, obviously locking. He'd glanced over his shoulder and watched it slide down into place and smirked as it locked.
Turning his attention forward again, lights began to flare up along the ceiling and floor lighting a path for him through the darkness. With a grin he started down the lit trail, his feet making soft clicking sounds on the cold metal floor. As he walked his eyes roamed back and forth in the large room he was in. There were tanks on either side of the lit path, each full with red, blue, green, yellow, orange, pink, or purple fluid and each with an oddly deformed creature floating inside. He was beginning to think that, perhaps, he was right, and this was where these Androids were.
After having gone quite a distance he came to a stop, a large set of double doors stood blocking his path. However, a moment later they began to whine and slide apart opening the way for him. As the doors clicked into the open position he stepped into the next room and cocked an eyebrow at the sight before him. There, standing before him, where several dozen grey creatures that looked a lot like cyborg Saibamen. "Intriguing."
"Biomen, attack." a voice echoed through speakers around the room.
The little grey creatures shreeked and lunged toward Vegeta. The Sai-jin raised an arm toward them and waited till they were almost upon him. Then a blast of purple energy flared out from his palm and engulfed the creatures, destroying them. Lowering his arm he looked up into the darkness. "Is that any way to thank the person who freed you?" he asked smirking. "I mean, really, where are your manners?"
His only answer was the sound of another door across the room opening allowing bright white light to flood out. With a shrug he moved on and passed through the door. Now he was in another hallway lined with pillars and at the far end a set of stairs that lead up to another doorway. Standing atop those stairs were three unusal looking people. The one in the middle was large, yellow, and looked almost like a blob. A small and very ugly looking green guy. And a tall and muscular pinkish purple guy with red hair.
"So... are you the welcoming commitee?" Vegeta asked crossing his arms.
"We are Dr. Kochin's Bio Warriors." the green man rasped. "He's asked us to... test your abilities."
With that the three of them lunged at him. Vegeta merely smirked. Only inches from reaching him, the Sai-jin sent out a rush of Ki that blasted the three creatures back toward the stairs where they'd come from. The three slammed into the wall and fell to the floor dead. "You call that a test?" he asked grinning. "Pathetic." Still smirking to himself he lifted into the air and then flew along the hall, over the bannister at the top of the stairs, and through the door.
There was a whoosh, thud, and click as the door shut and locked behind him. Vegeta landed and looked around the room he was now in. It was large, massive. At least a hundred feet high and a good seventy to eighty feet across. There was a computer terminal along the right wall, a glass window on the left that showed another room with more tanks full of fluid and creatures, and the wall across from him was distorted. Some sort of large device stood embedded into the wall, a glass dome atop it with some more fluid and something that looked like a giant brain inside it.
The room had five small podiums in it as well, around a tall metal column that reached up to the top of the room. The column was at least ten feet wide itself. The podiums seemed to be little more than raised surfaces. "So... this looks like a dead end... apparently this 'Dr. Kochin' took off... oh well. He's not Dr. Gero anyway, so it's not important." Vegeta turned to leave.
"Dr. Gero is a simplisctic and egotistcal moron." an old and wizened voice said. Vegeta stopped and looked over his shoulder as an old man emerged from behind the column using a walking stick to support his weight. "So sure in his mechanical abominations, that man." The old man shook his head as Vegeta turned to face him. "He never understood the true power of the biological realm. Yes. Living creatures possess far greater potential for strength than his wind-up toys could ever hope for."
"You must be Dr. Kochin... tell me, do you know where Dr. Gero is?" Vegeta demanded.
The old man shook his head. "I've not seen anyone in fifty years. Yes. Last I saw of him he was just taking over as Red Ribbon's head science officer. Beat me for the position he did, yes. I must say, I'm impressed you beat my Bio Warriors so easily."
"Hmph. Those... things were weak." Vegeta retorted. "I am the Prince of all Sai-jins, no genetic freak could match my power."
"Sai-jins? Hmm?" Dr. Kochin asked. "So then, it would seem Roshi is no longer the strongest in the world..."
Vegeta smirked. "That old fool? You really have been out of the loop for a while, haven't you? I'm far stronger than that pathetic old geezer."
"Yes. Yes." Dr. Kochin said grinning. "Come forward, closer, I can't see too well these days."
"What for?"
"Come, come, onto the platform. I must scan you, yes. Must know your power... To melt the ice of these mountains is no easy task."
Vegeta grinned. "Sure, why not." he said stepping forward and climbing onto a platform. The old man moved over to the computer and began pressing a few buttons. Suddenly the floor beneath Vegeta began to glow and an image of Vegeta appeared on screen, numbers appearing under him.
"Let's see now, let's see." Dr. Kochin said. "This is... beyond impressive, yes." he said after a moment. "My strongest work only has a power of 50 and yet you rank at 170.
Vegeta smirked again, he'd still yet to power up. "I'm not even at full power."
"Really? Well, he shall do nicely, yes?" Dr. Kochin asked turning to face the brain.
"Yes. With his body I shall be free of this wretched tank and I will have the power to take this planet!"
Vegeta instantly turned his attention toward the large brain, his eyes narrowing. "My body?"
Suddenly the white glow beneath his feet shifted to red as energy lanced up from the floor and wrapped around his wrists. "Dr. Kochin is going to transfer my consciousness into your body and yours into this brain."
"Hmph, I think not!" Vegeta replied. He went to move off the platform but found any kind of movement highly difficult. The energy that had wrapped about his wrists, arms, waist, legs, and chest held firmly and it felt like his feet had been glued to the floor. "What is..."
"Suspension system holding." Dr. Kochin said as he typed rapidly. "Engaging Transfer Connection Systems... TCS are online. Spirit Barrier Compensator engaged."
A new light flared up above Vegeta, this one green. As the light flowed over him he felt something... unusual. It felt like his energy was being moved and shifted, and he didn't like it. With a cry he pushed his power up to it's max and then let out a burst of Ki that shattered the energy bonds around him and destroyed the platform he'd been standing on. "My body is mine, not yours!"
"Dr. Kochin!"
"Yes." the old man said turning and raising his staff. Suddenly he thrust it forward and a stream of energy surged out toward Vegeta. The Sai-jin raised a single arm and caught the blast holding it off with ease.
"I don't have time to waste on you. I need to get back to my training. Get lost!" Purple light flared around his hand and then pushed back against the energy he was holding off and a second later slammed into and destroyed Kochin. "Hmph. Later." he said turning. Suddenly the room shook and he looked back and saw the device that the brain was in pulling free of the wall. "A robotic body, huh? Well then... I'll just blast this whole place to hell!"
Vegeta turned his eyes toward the ceiling and they flashed blasting a hole in it. He launched up into the air and then, once several hundred feet above the lab, began to charge a new Galick Gun. A moment later he cocked an eyebrow as the roof of the lab exploded and the large robotic body housing the brain began flying up toward him. The Sai-jin royal licked his lips. "Galick Gun Fire!"
The stream of purple energy surged down and engulfed the large machine driving it back down. As soon as the beam hit the lab, both exploded savagely. Relaxing, Vegeta crossed his arms and scowled down at the remains of the lab. He still didn't feel quite right, he wasn't sure what that green light had done exactly but it had changed something. He shook his head and took off to train elsewhere. Whatever it was wasn't important. If that guy had wanted his body then he wouldn't have done anything to him that'd be problematic.
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Mountains:
Gohan was dodging back and forth in the sky avoiding Videl's attacks with relative ease. Every now and then he'd catch a glimpse of Bardock and Piccolo sparring and it'd distract him just enough that she'd land a blow, but other than that he wasn't having much trouble. Suddenly the female hybrid shot up and back, cupping her hands at her side. "Kaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa..."
"What?" Gohan cried, his eyes snapping wide. /When did she... how did she... who showed her.../
"Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee... Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa... Meeeeeeeeeeeeeee... Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" She thrust her arms down firing the Kamehameha. The blue energy stream wasn't very big, only about the size of Gohan's hand, but it still packed quite the punch. The boy was still too shocked that she'd even used the Kamehameha to move and the attack hit him square in the chest driving him back through six rock pillars and then into the ground. "Oh no, Gohan!" Videl cried ending her attack and charging down toward where he'd hit.
As she landed he was already climbing to his feet. "Ow... oh... when did you..." He stopped as he heard soft laughing off to the side and turned to look. There, floating down off one of the pillars, was Appla.
"I taught her while we've been sparring. She's part Sai-jin so she's a quick study."
"Are you okay?" Videl asked.
"Ya, I'm fine. You just suprised me..." Gohan stopped as a loud crack sounded through the winding canyons created by the towering pillars of rock. The sky went alight with a blinding flash of red and the ground shook. "What was that?"
"Felt like Bardock and Piccolo..." Appla said lifting into the air and taking off, the two children following. A moment later they saw Piccolo and Bardock floating in the sky over a large clearing, the pillars having been blasted away in the spar. The two warriors still had their right arms outstretched, their fists pushing against each other. Red and green energy sparked around them wildly pulsing, flashing, and flaring for nearly fifty yards around them.
"Wow... look at them..." Videl said softly.
Suddenly a streak of red came surging up from below and Piccolo pulled back from Bardock. The Namek began dodging quickly as Goku and Bardock both came at him, bright red auras pulsing wildly around them. The three warriors were moving far faster than Appla or the two children could follow. A second later another loud crack rang out, a flash of red washing across the ground, shaking the area, and knocking over more pillars.
Piccolo floated with one leg raised blocking Bardock's foot and one arm out holding Goku's fist. The Namek smirked and flew backward quickly, his hand reaching up and gripping his cape and turban and then pulling them off. As they fell toward the ground he pulled to a stop and then launched in at the two Sai-jins once more, his green aura trailing behind him. There was a resounding crack as his right fist smashed across Bardock's jaw sending the Sa-jin spinning and sailing away. Turning he launched a kick at Goku but it was blocked and then countered. A moment later Bardock was back in the fight and the two Sai-jin's powers had jumped up to match Piccolo's.
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Capsule Corp:
Hotaru sighed and fell back onto her bed with a soft thud. Her brain felt like it was on fire. She was smart but she wasn't in the same league as Bulma or her father and the last hour had seriously drained her mental reserves. She could still feel Yamcha and Krillin sparring outside and the faint brushes of the larger powers far off in the distance still going at it as well. However, despite how much she wanted to sleep, someone else had other ideas.
Just as her eyes closed she heard the crying start. With a groan she pushed herself up into a sitting position and looked over to the crib that Bulma had loaned her where Sakura lay. As she moved over and picked up her daughter her mind drifted back to that day a month ago. She still had trouble picturing the little girl she had now as the young woman who'd beaten Frieza.
She moved back over to the bed and settled down to feed Sakura when she heard a knock at the door. "Who is it?"
"It's Bulma." the woman called through the door. "Mind if I come in for a bit?"
"Sure, it's open."
Bulma came in and then closed the door gently behind her before making her way to one of the soft chairs and sitting down. She was quiet for a few momemnts, just staring at the ceiling, before she spoke. "Do you think we actually stand a chance?" She lowered her gaze and looked over at Hotaru. "These Androids..."
"I'm still absorbing it." Hotaru said. "I mean... beings stronger than Frieza and King Cold..." she shook her head. "You saw how easily those two from the future defeated them... and yet they don't even stand a chance against these Androids... it's hard to imagine... But we have warning now. We have a chance to get ready."
"I'll take that as a maybe." Bulma said leaning back into the chair and closing her eyes. "After you left..." she said after a moment. "I spoke some more with King Vegeta. We've got a Plan D sitting on the back burner now. You, Goku, and the others are all Plan A. The barrier is Plan B. We don't have a Plan C yet... but destroying the Earth is D."
"Destroy the Earth?"
"If there's no one left to fight the Androids... King Vegeta will send fifty of the Generators with the Space-Time Compressors into the sun. They'll detonate and cause the sun to go nova... That will take out the Earth and should destroy these Androids."
"But... the people?"
"Wished off-world." Bulma said with a sigh. "It's the best we've got as a fall back plan."
Hotaru nodded. "Let's just hope we don't need it."
"Ya..." Bulma went silent again as she opened her eyes and gazed out the window across from her at the blue sky. "Chi-Chi's probably going crazy home alone... I think I'll see if she wants to move in here for now..." Bulma stood and walked toward the door. "I'll talk to you later."
Hotaru nodded as the woman left and then called after her. "While you're at it, ask her if she's interested in babysitting!"