Ghosts
The dark, elderly old man continued to laugh and chuckled at the horrified looks on Goku, Trunks, and Pan's faces. Dr. Gero, the mastermind behind the Red Ribbon Army, Perfect Cell, and the android army that has taken control of planet Earth, was standing right before Goku's very eyes.
"Come now Goku; don't tell me you actually thought a Red Ribbon army could exist without me, did you?" Dr. Gero said wickedly.
Goku frowned "You're the last person I expected to see in this future Gero".
Trunks added "With good reason, you're supposed to be DEAD. Piccolo beat your sorry butt years ago and then your own creation turned on you and cut off your head".
Pan nodded "Yeah, what they said".
Gero laughed "Quite right, but thanks to your beloved, precious dragon balls I've been granted a second chance. I must thank you for those balls Goku; they really did prove to be quite useful".
The 3 Sayians blinked in confusion, bewildered at the mentioning of dragon balls. They knew someone had taken the balls and jettisoned them into outer space in a shuttle. But something clearly wasn't right here, and the sour, upset look on Goku's child like face showed the same concern.
"Wait a minute you big fat liar, there's no way that happened. Grandpa always said the dragon balls can't bring back anyone who's died twice, or been dead for over a year" Pan said.
Trunks added "And last I heard, you've been dead for about 43 years now".
The old doctor snorted "Smarmy little rodents aren't you? You're both correct, but I assure you that I would not be standing here if it were not for a wish made on the dragon balls, a very special wish".
Goku smirked "Enlighten us then, we've got some time before the end of the world, let's hear it Gero".
Dr. Gero smiled "Forty three years and you haven't changed a bit, that's the same final request you made before the original Android 19 and I engaged you and your friends in battle. But anyways, getting back to the matter at hand, the person who used the dragon balls to bring me back was Dr. Malcolm J. Wrath".
Pan gasped "Android 30?".
Gero chuckled "Yes, interesting fellow, always was one of my best students. His android creations were mere tinker toys compared to mine of course, but still, they were quite impressive. After I died at the hands of Android 17, Wrath became psychotically obsessed with getting revenge on you for ruining his life. He shut himself out of society, and disappeared into his lab.
Once he had completed his android army, he still had one final ace up his sleeve……the dragon balls. Wrath gathered the balls up by zeroing in on the frequency of Bulma's dragon radar. Once the balls were together, Wrath summoned the eternal dragon and commanded him to resurrect me. Of course like you stated before, I had been dead for longer then a year.
Unable to accept defeat, Wrath begged and pleaded for the dragon to bend the rules and return my soul, the dragon still refused. Finally, in his desperation, Wrath attempted something very dangerous, something so strange and bizarre, it had never been heard of ever being performed. Dr. Wrath BARGAINED with the dragon".
Trunks and Pan both shouted "HE WHAT?".
Gero continued "Even though Wrath had a brand new army of android soldiers willing to do his bidding, Wrath still feared the raw strength of your Super Saiyan 4 powers Goku. There was a good chance that Wrath could possibly lose the fight against you Saiyan scum. So, Wrath made a deal with the eternal dragon, a sort of fail safe device if you will, to ensure victory.
In exchange for his immortal soul, Wrath begged that I would be resurrected back onto Earth from the depths of Hell. Wrath only agreed to this bargain if he should happen to perish in combat. The dragon agreed and though Wrath failed to kill you Goku, the bargain was honored and my life was restored. I woke up in the ruins of my old lab, buried under tons of rock and bent steel.
After I did a little bit of searching, I found Wrath's lab and found a video disc with my name on it in his lab. I played it and discovered the message he left for me. Wrath explained his plan to me just as I have explained it to you, he also revealed a vast fortune of stolen cash hidden inside his laboratory. I found it and used it to bring my glorious empire back to life from the ashes.
I went under the name Vanguard and used all of Wrath's resources and wealth to capitalize on the destruction of the sun, and turn the whole world against you. They flocked to me like frightened lambs, just begging to be taken care of. My androids were disguised as ordinary servant robots, suckering those fools into thinking that we'd protect them from your kind.
By the time they knew the truth, it was already too late, and my empire had assumed total control of Planet Earth. All of my so called protection robots turned on their owners and wiped out their resistance in a sea of fiery death. Now the human race is all but extinct, and the only thing standing between me and expanding my vast empire to the rest of the universe……is you".
Goku, Trunks, and Pan immediately resumed their fierce, fighting positions. A look of fierce determination boiled brightly in the youthful eyes of the valiant Sayian trio. No doubt the same passionate fire burned brightly inside the blood vessels of the three warriors as it did in their eyes.
Goku frowned "I failed to save this world, I will DIE before I let another fall before your abominable machines Gero. It's time we put an end to this".
Dr. Gero smirked "For once I completely agree with you Goku. But first, I think a little privacy is in order".
Gero's royal dressed shoulder pads started to whir and move as grinding gears generated inside the elderly man's robotic body. Two large, long missiles slowly rose out of Gero's open shoulders.
WHOOSH!
The twin rockets soared at blinding speeds towards their practically paralyzed targets: Trunks and Pan. The missiles struck the Saiyan teens and hurled them outside of the throne room. Goku gasped as he watched the bombs simply push them out, a breath of relief exhaled from Goku's young child like cheeks. It appeared the bombs were simply a means to vacate Trunks and Pan from the area, and not designed to explode on impact.
"Leave my friends and family out of this, enough innocent blood has already been spilled. This is between me and you now, not Trunks and Pan, got it?" Goku demanded.
Gero laughed "I wouldn't have it any other way. You needn't worry about your team mates any longer Goku; they now have……other matters to tend to".
Goku gasped as he spotted a small remote control device resting in Gero's left hand, the elderly, wrinkled digits clicked on one of 3 red buttons. A twisted smile painted Dr. Gero's face as he had secretly activated something.
"What did you do?" Goku scowled.
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Back in the reactor zone……
Krillin gasped in unimaginable horror as the sight before him made his stomach wretch with file disgust, his eyes burning with sickening tears of repulsive suffering. Inside the tall, green, fog covered human shaped tube was a figure. A very familiar figure. The body was covered with black and purple colored wires, pulsating bubbles of boiling flesh on the body's arms and legs. One leg was missing, while one arm was shriveled and withered.
The figure's face was plastered in a permanent stare of horror and fear. The locks of hair framing the wires violently jabbing into the figure's cheeks was blonde, gold blonde. The faint sound of a beeping heart monitor eroded the dead silence in the cold and seemingly lifeless reactor room. Krillin wiped his eyes clear of his heart broken tears as he begged God to blind him now.
"18? Honey? Is that you?" Krillin whimpered.
Android 18 gagged as her faint, half eaten ice blue eyes weakly stared into the sorrow filled face of her husband. The female android was being drained of her biological and mechanical components into the tube's wiring. Somehow the tube was keeping her alive while also draining her of her life.
"For the love of all that is holy what the hell have they done to you?" Krillin shuddered in sadness.
The monk warrior could see nothing but pain, pain and misery bleeding out of those dead, egg like eyes that seemed to rot every time he blinked. Krillin noticed a second tube next to her; he wiped the fog away and found her brother, Android 17. Same condition, same wiring, same ghastly appearance.
Krillin gulped "So this is how Mastermind made all those copies, he kidnapped you and 17 and used these tubes to duplicate your biological shells and components. All this time I thought you were dead……and now you can't even die in peace".
Android 18 and 17 gargled something; their strained voices were unable to form words. The wires violently slicing into their skin and circuits pulsated more input as their bodies trembled with pain no mortal could even fathom. Krillin didn't need to translate what they said……he already knew.
"Kill me" Krillin whispered.
The monk wrapped his scratched fingers across the two cables hooked up to 17 and 18's tubes. Krillin grunted as the cables sparked upon disconnection, the tubes ceased their mechanical humming and the heart monitors went dead, as did its occupants. 18 and 17 smiled at Krillin before sulking their heads in eternal slumber. Krillin kissed 18's tube and sobbed into prayer.
"Goodbye my love……take care of our little girl……I'm so sorry" Krillin said.
BEEP!
A glaring, flashing red alarm light sprung to life on a 3rd, more sophisticated looking tube. Krillin blinked as he noticed that this tube was seemingly more distant from 17 and 18's, like this tube was special or something. The curious warrior clicked his war torn, black shoes and pants towards the tube as the alarm grew louder. Smoke started to pour out from the coffin like casing of this strange and mysterious container. Krillin watched cautiously.
ZAP!
A gushing laser beam suddenly blasted out of the tube and sliced into Krillin's stomach, he screamed as blood gushed from his lips and gaping open wound. Steel chrome fists burst out of the human sized tube as a figure lurched from the darkness and smoke of nothingness. Mechanical legs stomped over to the fallen warrior, a robotic body stared down upon Krillin.
Krillin choked "It's imp-p-p-p-possible……you're dead".
ZAP!
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"I won't ask you again Gero, what did you just do?" Goku shouted.
Dr. Gero replied "Killing 3 birds with 3 stones. Every fighter worth his metal has a good trump card prepared; I being the genius that I am have 3 instead of 1. And with each button pressed another instrument of your doom is placed into my disposal".
Gero pressed the 2nd red button.
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Piccolo roared as he slammed his cybernetic forearms across an attacking Android 18. The robot fell and was blasted into bits by the Namekian warrior, Vegeta and the other quickly followed.
"Keep it up, there beginning to retreat" Lance shouted.
Piccolo, Vegeta, Lance, Pepper, and Goten continued to unleash their barrage if energy blasts and EMP grenades. The hordes of android soldiers and gunners quickly began to retreat into the shambling halls of the heavily damaged castle. Pepper cheered her young and feisty voice with glee, the rebel humans did the same as it seemed victory was ensured.
Vegeta blinked "Wait a minute what's that?".
Beside the space shuttles, a gray portal like tube opened up amongst the rocket launching pad. Four black and incredibly dangerous looking missiles shot out from the ground and into the sky. Vegeta gasped in horror behind his fogged up breathing mask. The Saiyan prince had spotted a symbol on those missiles, a very dangerous and familiar symbol.
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Gero said "Nuclear missiles, four of them, each one genetically enhanced with my molecular uranium chargers. They have been programmed to strike the Earth at its 4 most critical points around the globe. Once they detonate, the world will over flow with floods, earthquakes, thunder storms, and with a fury unlike anything you have ever seen, it will literally tear this planet apart".
Goku gasped "What? No! You monster! Why in the world would you want to do that?".
The dark doctor replied "I was planning to detonate them after I left the planet in order to ensure total annihilation of the human race. This way, no one's getting left out. And as always, I have saved the best for last".
Gero pressed the final button.
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Trunks and Pan groaned as they rubbed their aching heads, lying amongst a sea of stunned warriors and scattered robot parts.
Pan grunted "I think I broke my butt".
Trunks coughed "What a landing, man, feel like someone just ran over my chest a few times. Pan, are you all right?".
The girl blinked "I think so, what about you Trunks? And grandpa, is he, Huh?".
Pan's words were interrupted by the thundering roar of a rising, 50 foot steel door. The door was in fact the central gate to entering the dark master tower Trunks and Pan had just been ejected from. The door revealed a towering monstrous creature of metal and steel. It was a robot suit, armed to the teeth with massive steel fists, missile loaded chest, and triple thick armor plating.
"Well now, there's something you don't see every day" Trunks said.
The hulking robot stomped forth on its stubby legs, mechanical knuckles cracked as the dim, dark purple colored coating on the armor came into view. Pan and Trunks immediately jumped back as the lumbering giant bot loomed over them with hulking, iron like forearms. Pan blinked as she spotted a cockpit glass like bubble on the center of it, someone was inside.
Trunks and Pan gasped "Android 13?".
Android 13 laughed "Skin the cat and shoot the dogs, we got ourselves a winner! That's right, your old ass whooping chief, number 13 is back. Now I'd like y'all to give my friend a warm welcome howdy and hello, his name is Gigabot and it's time for some Saiyan stomping AH HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA".
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To be continued……