I wish I owned DBZ, but I don't. I own DVD's and tapes, but it just isn't the same. I also don't own the rights to any of the music pieces you see selected, just copies of merchandise, such a shame. The artists that created them are geniuses and we all must bow to them.
Chapter 71: Secrets of SHARC
"The last time I saw you, Flandal, you were slowly dying after my husband ripped you to pieces. You can't tell me that you've recovered that fast. It's only been a month and a half, but you shouldn't have even survived," Bulma began.
"Seeing is believing Bulma. I'm surprised that your esteemed husband didn't come along tonight, not that I'm looking forward to being anywhere near that disgusting monkey again!" Cash said.
Trunks tensed up at the insult, though Bulma held him back by the shoulder, "No Trunks, at least not yet."
Cash didn't take the possible threat seriously, "So Vegeta junior wants to get into the act? Maybe tear off an arm or a leg and give it to his father as a trophy?"
"I'd go for the throat first just to shut you up," Trunks growled.
"I guess it's too bad that you need me to talk and tell you what is going on. Whether I cooperate or not is a different story altogether," Cash countered.
"I'm pretty sure I know what it is already. You're experimenting with Chemical Z again aren't you?" Bulma asked.
Cash smiled evilly, "Now what would make you think that? My lab was both compromised and destroyed after all."
"Don't play me for a fool. I may not practice as much in-depth research as you, but even I have more than one lab," Bulma pointed out.
"That is an excellent point, but it doesn't prove anything. All of my samples of Chemical Z are gone thanks to you and your family," Cash remarked.
"As far as we know you're hiding more of it somewhere. In addition, I know you've been trying to perfect a super human type of serum. Since it's possible that you've suffered a setback and loss of your primary ingredient, you may have turned to something else. Even if you don't have anymore of Chemical Z, you and I both know that there is more than one way to experiment using compounds that shouldn't be agitated. Looks like the results this time are even more inhuman than last time," Bulma deduced.
"Very good Bulma, spot on as usual. The golden rule of science is to expect some setbacks. I certainly wouldn't call this a great achievement, but it's not bad if the right funding demands something like it," Cash claimed.
Bulma's eyes widened in horror, "What? Who in their right mind would support what we just saw down there?"
"I'm afraid my associates would prefer to remain anonymous."
"What are we talking about here, Miss Briefs?" Chief interrupted.
"A biological weapon, isn't that right, Flandal?" Bulma said with a deep scowl.
Cash closed his eyes and dodged the question, "You know I hate that name, maybe I won't cooperate anymore if you keep using it."
"A bio-weapon? Those have been banned for years! Not even the Red Ribbon Army made use of those!" Chief declared.
"Times change. Maybe you and your officers should wake up from this dream we've all been having and see the world for what it is becoming," Cash suggested.
"And what dream is that?" Chief asked.
"That everything is just fine, and our alien residents are only here to protect us. Let's be real with each other for a moment, these aliens are not our friends, they're not our saviors. They're here to contaminate our culture and eventually erase humans from existence. Even if they aren't destroying us directly, they can wipe us out just through genetic cross-breeding. A shining example is that young monkey over there," Cash said as he pointed at Trunks. Trunks' fist balled up, but he didn't move an inch towards Cash.
"Such a closed mind you have Flandal. Despite what your personal views are, I've still figured out what you've done. Your serum, whatever it's made of, yielded impressive enough results for someone else to fund you since your brother wised up. It's probably a military group that is just starting to come together and you've found a common target. Your weapon isn't complete, but it makes for a good alternative for those of us 'normal humans' that decide not to join you. Especially with the recent activity with powerful monsters and aliens dropping by Earth. Your initial goal will generate xenophobia in the population, and then it will drive them to either join you or die. But it's pointless," Bulma said.
"Perhaps for now it is, but science can unlock unlimited potential in humans. With the help of technology, I will find a way to not only oust the aliens here now, but prevent them from ever stepping foot on our soil again. We will eliminate any and all alien intruders," Cash proclaimed.
"That's not the point Flandal. No matter what you think of aliens, human minds are unstable enough as a whole before you add in synthetic and unnatural components. You're proving my point right now with just your words. I'm not saying that all the aliens that come here are any better either, but that doesn't mean that we should be using their technology and genomes to make war on ourselves! Stop this madness now before you drive Earth back into the old days before we had peace. We don't need to go back into the endless wars with each other," Bulma pleaded.
"And you say I've missed the point? What about what you're doing at Capsule Corp? I couldn't help but notice large orders of steel and quite a bit of refining equipment. Not to mention the loads of dirt and rock being carted out on a daily basis. Building something that isn't for public eyes Bulma?" Cash asked as he avoided another verbal jab.
Trunks glanced up at Bulma when she didn't respond, "What's he talking about Mom?"
"I'll show you when we get home, don't worry about it," Bulma said with assurance.
"What's wrong Bulma, have I caught a hypocrite in the act?" Cash taunted.
"Hardly Flandal. It's more of an improvement and safety project, something you clearly wouldn't understand. What I want to know is what you've done here, and just how much you're willing to help us get out of your own mess," Bulma stated, getting back to the point.
"Since you seem to have all the answers, tell me why I should even bother?" Cash asked.
"Here's why: We're going to find a way out of this place, and we'll leave you here with your monsters if you don't tell us how to get past them," Bulma said.
"Your point is...well put," Cash admitted.
"Good, we can start with all prudent information in your database. Access it, or I'll have Trunks start breaking you down a piece at a time until you have nothing!" Bulma threatened.
"Another empty threat. I do not intend to assist in gathering anything that would incriminate myself. Besides, I don't expect many of you to make it out. The boy perhaps, but the others, well, I guess you'll see for yourself," Cash said with a sly grin.
Chief lost his patience and stepped towards Cash, "That's enough of this!" He pulled the scientist to his feet and threw him up against the wall.
Just as he was about to lay into him, Sonny stepped in, "I'll do this Chief."
Chief let go after having a brief stare off, "He's all yours." Sonny sighed slightly before grabbing Cash by the shirt collar to look him in the eye.
Sonny gritted his teeth, "This is for my partner, one of the many you've killed!"
"If you're trying to use violence as a means of getting what you want, I assure you that it's an exercise in futility," Cash replied calmly.
Sonny snorted as he pulled his fist back, "Maybe, but it's damn sure gonna feel good!" Sonny viciously punched Cash about as hard as Trunks had ever seen, and the doctor dropped to his knees.
Cash chuckled despite this, "I can't imagine that actually felt good at all."
Sonny staggered back as he grasped his shaking hand and groaned, "Damnit, what the hell are you made of?" Cash stood back up, and his face had been peeled slightly to reveal metal underneath.
"Pity, I was hoping to amuse myself a bit longer, oh well," he said.
Chief had his gun aimed at the robotic doctor in an instant, "You're a damned robot?"
"Cyborg is a better term you simpleton," Cash replied.
"A robotic body, now it makes sense. Your real human body couldn't sustain itself, could it?" Bulma asked.
The remaining flesh half of Cash's face smiled, "I'll give credit where it's due, your husband is quite adept at breaking someone weaker than him without killing them off completely. I'm surprised that you can even survive in bed with him."
"That is none of your business Flandal. Give me a reason not to let my son use those killer Saiyan instincts on you now," Bulma warned. Cash's left arm suddenly burst open to reveal his metallic fingers, each with holes drilled at the tips. They snapped together as his arm clicked sharply, showing that he was armed with a chain gun.
Cash aimed at the group, "I wonder how many bullets he can stop?" Trunks jumped in front of Bulma to shield her, standing ready for the assault. It never came, because in that moment, Cash's body suddenly erupted with random and erratic electricity. Arc lightning shot through the robot, as if something had shorted out. Behind him, the plump secretary stood with electrical cables that had been shoved into Cash's robotic back. Cash groaned as the overload took him to the ground and he ceased to move.
"Nice move and quick thinking," Bulma applauded.
"But how did she get out of the handcuffs?" Sonny asked. The secretary dropped the cables and stepped out holding her hand up. It suddenly became quite a bit smaller in girth and more defined.
"I've been waiting for him to reveal that for awhile now. It's a very good thing you came tonight, otherwise my father would have been able to get away with this experiment and cover it all up," she said.
"Your father? Wait a sec..." Bulma paused in realization. The secretary's body started to shrivel as her clothing became much looser and her hair changed color. Within seconds she bore a much more slender appearance, as well as a familiar one.
"Kati Cash, well I'll be," Bulma stated.
"You again?" Trunks exclaimed.
"Nice to see you too Trunks," Kati said as the secretary's outfit fell off, revealing a tight black bodysuit underneath. The officers attempted not to stare, but it proved difficult.
"So what are you doing here?" Trunks asked.
"Trunks, don't be rude," Bulma scolded.
"I can't really blame him considering our last meeting. I've been keeping tabs on my father after I discovered that he had survived what Vegeta did to him. Trunks was rather close to him when he crossed paths with Ranso, but due to certain circumstances, my father managed to slip away unnoticed. This robot is programmed with his memories, but it isn't him anymore. He has a different body now, and it literally could be anybody," Kati said.
"In that case, he also could be anywhere in the world. That's not going to be a fun search," Bulma grumbled.
"No, he's likely around here somewhere, maybe even in this very room, though I doubt it. His assistant Kochin is likely nearby as well, seeing as he was the one who helped him escape the lab under North City before it collapsed. I haven't been able to pinpoint where they evacuated to. I assumed it would be another one of his underground facilities but I didn't know which one. I would have contacted you sooner about this, but I thought there would be more time until Mister Satsu here threw a monkey wrench into everything. That likely made my father step up his plans," Kati surmised as she glanced at Sonny. Sonny scowled back but said nothing as he released the other SWAT officers. Chief was busily trying to revive Ace with smelling salts, though was paying complete attention to the conversation.
"Okay, we have more pressing matters right now anyway, and we'll need your help," Bulma said.
Kati nodded, "I'll tell you what I know and help where I can."
"The more we know about his serum, the better. Is he still messing around with Chemical Z?" Bulma asked.
Kati shook her head, "No, this is a new compound that he found, though I'm not sure where or how. He has crossed it with a viral strain in order to better synchronize genetically with the test subjects. The idea was an enhanced form of regeneration to promote rapid healing, and then the following tests were to create superhuman strength. The results have been...unstable to say the least."
"Viral? You mean what we saw down there might be contagious?" Bulma asked in horror.
"Yes, but it's not airborne. I believe it's only transmitted by direct contact, such as clawing wounds and bites, but I'm not completely sure. There isn't a cure I'm afraid, so we have to protect ourselves at all times. Anyways, the new virus hasn't mutated everyone it's come in contact with, so I believe that it only responds to certain genetic markers, but I don't know which ones. As far as what we should expect from these monsters, superhuman strength and rapid healing, that part of the experiment seemed to work after all. Conventional weapons do work on them, to an extent. Aim for the head to be certain though, as I said, they heal fast," Kati explained.
"Alright, do you know of a way out of here?" Bulma asked next.
"Through the sub-basement, unless Trunks wants to blast a hole through the armor plating...wait, are you actually planning to leave now? These things have to be stopped immediately!" Kati claimed.
"We're unprepared for this, we should gather reinforcements first, namely our friends. But I don't plan to go far yet, just out of harm's way. That armor plating should provide good containment for us so that we have time to gather our team. Go ahead and make us an exit Trunks," Bulma ordered.
Trunks grinned as he started charging his ki, "No problem." Just as he was going through the motions to fire a potent blast, the lighting flickered rapidly.
A warbled computer voice sounded alarms over the intercoms as Trunks paused, "Now what?"
"Warning! Nonhuman presence detected, breach in sectors zero-one through thirty-five, sub level five to level two! Implementing containment and quarantine procedures now. Evacuate into your safety zones until threat level has passed. Armor plating online and secure..."
"We should have heard that awhile ago, maybe there was a short in the com systems," Kati said.
"Anti-energy disruptor fields online and stable, elevators offline..."
"Anti-energy? Trunks, can you..." Bulma started to ask.
Trunks was staring at his hands in disbelief, "I don't get it, I was fine a moment ago."
"Then that means someone else is here, or maybe it was a failsafe device in Flandal's robotic clone there," Bulma pointed out.
Kati shook her head, "It's probably Kochin, which means they're both here. They would be down in the main lab, working on ways to cut us off from any help before he sends those things after us."
"Can they be controlled?" Bulma asked.
"I don't think so, most of their intelligence fades and raw instinct takes over, as well as misdirected rage at anyone nearby. Rounding them up and transporting them wouldn't be too difficult though given the right resources," Kati said with disgust.
Bulma grimaced, "Well, either we chase them down and shut this project off, or we can bunker down and wait for help. Should we vote on it?"
"I think I speak for everyone here, let's get moving," Chief suggested. Kati shook her head lightly as the remaining police force busily gathered up the small arsenal Sonny had collected, though Sonny himself was glaring into space.
Ace walked up to him, "Look, about earlier..."
"Forget it, I probably would have done the same thing. Makes me feel sick," Sonny admitted. Bulma took note of the conversation, but didn't think much of it. She was much more concerned about what Kati was thinking. Kati was in the midst of brandishing a large pistol with an extended barrel when Bulma walked up next to her.
"Hey, what's wrong, well other than the obvious?" Bulma whispered.
"If both my father and Kochin are still here, that means that something else is too," Kati rasped.
Bulma stared at her, "What do you mean?"
"There's something else he's been working on, an ultimate weapon of sorts. It's supposed to be designed better than that android of Gero's. If he's completed it, then we're all in trouble. That's the only thing I can think of as to why he would intentionally lock himself in with all these monsters and you guys," Kati said.
"If he has something like that, he wouldn't need this virus that alters humans. That aside, we should investigate this very carefully. And don't give the law enforcement anymore reason to worry about it," Bulma suggested.
Kati nodded, "True."
"Are you sure you're going to be alright though?" Bulma asked.
"Me? I'll be fine, I've undergone some combat training in the past month to better handle situations like this," Kati claimed.
Bulma eyed her carefully, "I hope so." Trunks stared at the two having the conversation, but declined to address it as Chief stood in front of the door and loaded his rifle.
"All right everyone, we have to stick together. No one leaves the group for any reason and if you see something, point it out. We're not losing anyone else to one of those fucking things!" Chief announced.
The remaining intern looked scared to death at this point, prompting Bulma to attempt to reassure her, "What's your name?"
"Rosemary, just Rose for short."
"Don't be scared, we'll get through this. Stay close to me and my son and you'll be fine," Bulma replied as Rose nodded.
"Jarvis, Coleman, you two take point. Ace, Satsu, bring up the rear. Miss Briefs and her son will take the middle with me. Miss Cash, lead the way and everyone stay tight!" Chief ordered.
"We'll need to go back through the front lobby to access the basement since the elevators are inoperative," Kati said as she shifted slightly to a more focused awareness. Bulma smiled lightly as she witnessed this, but despite that fact, she couldn't shake the unnerving feeling that there something else that was very wrong. She decided not to dwell on it as the group reached the stair case.
Lenz nervously shuffled her feet a bit as she watched Verto tear apart a leg of freshly cooked meat. They had trained silently all day long with little if any real movement. As usual, Lenz struggled to focus while Verto appeared to meditate with relative ease. She had refrained from saying much to him for several hours because he still looked very agitated. She could feel it in the air around him at almost all times, like an overlapped layer of negative force that was slowly pushing down on everything nearby. It wasn't quite to the crushing point for any of the forest or wildlife, but she saw far fewer animals around than she was used to. Even the insects had wisely stayed clear of the portable capsule house and it's two occupants. Lenz thought she knew why Verto was like this, but she kept from asking about it until he was in the right mood. Luckily for her, she didn't have to expect an explosion, nor did it happen.
"Ask your question Lenz, I can tell that you've been itching to for awhile now," Verto said as he gnawed more of the meat off the bone.
"Oh, are you sure you're alright?" Lenz asked.
"Fine, why?"
"You don't look fine, you look stressed out or something. Is it because your fight with Frost got interrupted?"
Verto snorted, "Hmph, I'd be one of the biggest hypocrites in the world if I was upset about that, considering how many I've cut into."
Lenz looked confused, "Well, if it's not that, then what?"
"Spending time in the enemy's camp wasn't too pleasant, we can leave it at that," Verto said, pausing notably.
Lenz didn't take the small hint, "Ah, I'll bet it's because you had to use that crazy red power, right?"
"Spot on as usual," Verto remarked sarcastically.
Lenz continued on regardless, "So, do you think you can handle it better now?"
Verto grimaced, "Since you're so curious, take this to heart: I did not want to go there. My feelings got in the way and I hesitated at the worst time. I don't know if I could have beaten him on my own or not, but I blew my chance both times. The first time was when I had Frost beat and your brother interfered. He didn't help any obviously, but I made the call not to fire before he used that sleep trick of his. If I had, only two would have died. Sorry to say this but I should have pulled the trigger. That led to the second chance when I lost control again. I let myself get carried away and look what happened. All those soldiers are gone forever, they won't even have a hell to repent in. Once that happened, I pretty much lost the fight, even if it didn't seem that way. After that I was doing everything I could just to keep him at bay. Once he revealed that restoration ability, I knew we weren't going to win. The fact that Goku showed up is the only reason we're still alive, not because of anything I did." Lenz was speechless for once as Verto gave her an apologetic glance and left the capsule house. She only spent about thirty seconds alone before she got up and rushed out the door, where Verto was gazing up at the stars.
"Are you saying you should have been the one to kill my brother, not Frost?" Lenz asked in shock.
"In a roundabout way. Don't listen to me though, it's easy to second guess everything after the fact. All you can do is learn and move on," Verto replied. Lenz's lip quivered slightly as she wasn't sure what to think at the moment. The mood changed rapidly though when Lenz's aura appeared in smoky waves around her. Verto glanced over at the energy increase, but it wasn't enough to be threatening yet. Lenz hair hung low over her face, concealing the salty fluid coming from her eyes.
She managed to maintain composure though, "Don't be an emotionless prick and stick to what should or shouldn't happen. Your feelings are what makes you how you are, Verto." Verto's eyebrow stabbed at the air for her sudden change of attitude, and it was his turn to be silent.
"Please, don't ever change. I could never love anyone who couldn't feel. Whose to say that they would've even let us leave if you had beaten Frost and killed him? You might've had to wipe them all out anyway, instead of just those idiots that attacked while you were fighting with him. Maybe they were supposed to die anyway," Lenz pointed out.
"That doesn't mean that I should've allowed it happen. Even if that Renegade Chal influenced the destructive path I took, I'm the one who walked it," Verto countered.
"Maybe not, but we're alive because of it. That's all that matters to me. I know that's what Vegeta would say, and probably Goku too," Lenz suggested.
"I'm not Goku or Vegeta, so don't compare me to them. Compassion is a good asset, but it can burn you just as much if you let it. It's the compassion that allows the extreme rage when a loved one goes down. If I had been detached, Chal's ability probably wouldn't have done as much to me at all," Verto explained.
"You always talk about how compassion gives us the power we need to fight these bastards, how it's better than being like them and all that. You just gonna give in and be like them now? If you had, Frost would have won, we'd all be dead!" Lenz shouted. Verto remained silent as Lenz give him an angry eyeful and for a moment he felt her energy surge higher than usual before it died off.
He finally shrugged, "Good point. Alright you can have this one, after all we could debate this till we're blue in the face, or black and blue all over. Let's drop it, since for once you seem to be able to make a good argument. Maybe I'm in the wrong, but opinions change sometimes based on experience. I'll say that it hasn't been easy on me, but it probably has been just as bad for you."
Lenz sighed and relaxed a bit, "I guess I just have to bring you back down to my level whenever you lose it from now on."
Verto chuckled, "I'll pray that doesn't happen again."
Lenz grinned slyly and stepped a bit closer, "You know what has to happen now right?" Verto's shifted over just in time to catch Lenz lower part of her outfit down to just above a revealing level.
"The lover's quarrel is over, so we have to make up..." Lenz hinted.
"Don't push it Lenz," Verto said sternly as he turned the other way.
"Aww, you're no fun! You at least owe me some massage practice!" Lenz claimed as she grabbed onto his shoulders. Verto stood with his arms crossed, gazing to the south and east. Lenz glanced in that direction quickly when she noticed something was off.
"You feel that?" she asked.
"No, actually. That's what concerns me," Verto replied.
"I thought I sensed Trunks down there somewhere a little while ago, but I can't feel it now," Lenz said.
"What does it feel like to you?" Verto asked.
"Like there's a huge area of nothing out there. It reminds me of when I was in that underground lab and I couldn't use my ki. That's when Bulma and I figured out that I had Psi energy when I could feel yours," Lenz explained.
"I'm guessing it's for the same reason. Trunks can probably handle it, but let's check it out anyway. If it's Wheelo again, he picked the wrong night," Verto said with a deep scowl. Lenz nodded and they both took off into the night.
Bulma held her breath a bit as she, Trunks and the rest of the make-shift team approached the lobby. The door that Trunks had wedged into place was lying on it's side, several feet from where it had been. Trunks sniffed at the air a bit just before Bulma smelled the strange blood scent again. Chief took notice of this and silently signaled Jarvis and Coleman to hold up.
"Looks like another one of those things is around here, you'll know it when you see it," Chief whispered.
"Remember, aim for their heads!" Kati added.
Jarvis nodded, "Coleman, I've got the left!" Both SWAT officers went through the door, shining their flashlights in both directions initially before they both stepped into the main lobby.
"Clear!" Jarvis rasped. Kati followed with Trunks close behind. Bulma waited until the overly nervous Rosemary finally found enough courage to come through. Sonny and Ace brought up the rear, though the former of the two seemed distracted. He kept his eyes forward, but was constantly glancing at Ace as if there was a definite lack of trust. Bulma wasn't the only one who noticed this, but the Chief also elected to stay quiet on the matter.
"Contact left!" Jarvis shouted aloud. Everyone shifted in that direction and spotted the next large creature in the light. This one growled slightly and shielded it's eyes. It dropped what appeared to be a human hand that had been torn from it's body. That turned out to be the least troublesome thing that was out of place though.
"What the? He's one of ours!" Coleman claimed. Chief's eyes widened as he saw the torn SWAT vest around it's upper body, one that still had a nameplate.
"Smith?" Bulma allowed a gasp to slip when she saw three deep scars in the creature's chest, the very same ones she had examined not long ago. Smith roared like a huge lion and charged at them with murderous intent. Jarvis and Coleman hesitated very briefly before opening fire. Smith howled as the two unloaded several dozen rounds into his mutated body, but he barely staggered despite this. If anything, it only made him angrier. Both Jarvis and Coleman's guns clicked, signaling the need to reload. Smith stomped towards them, only to be cut off by Trunks when he hammered Smith with an uppercut from below. Smith was knocked backwards and landed on his back, stunned. Smith didn't recover until he saw the pistol Kati was holding a few feet from his head. Smith bared his sharp slimy teeth as Kati pumped one shot into his head right above the eyes. Smith slumped down and remained motionless, though this didn't stop Kati from shooting a few more times to be certain.
She gave both the creature and the officers a particularly cold expression, "I told you, shoot them in the head. You'll waste all your ammunition."
"Uh, thanks," Coleman muttered as he stared at the ground. Jarvis' palm went to his face for a moment as he switched out his ammo magazine.
Chief rolled his eyes for a moment, "Way to go guys, next time just use the ladies' advice and check your pride at the door. Miss Briefs, I know she said this was contagious, but how could he have changed so fast?"
"It might have moved through his system faster due to injury, and then encountered no natural resistance upon what we thought was his death. It's obvious that genetic mutation kicks in almost immediately. We couldn't have been gone longer than an hour. We should check for the other two. If they're gone, then we know," Bulma suggested.
"Quimby landed over there somewhere," Chief said as he pointed to their right. Bulma used her flashlight and found both a streak of blood and the body that went with it. Rose gasped and turned away with tears in her eyes.
"Why didn't he change?" Jarvis asked.
"He wasn't wounded directly, blunt force killed him. There was one other, not including the team that went down in the elevator," Bulma pointed out.
"It was Jenkins, and it probably won't be pretty," Chief replied. The group spread out a little before finding a large pool of blood near one of the main corridors, but there was nobody there. Along the edge, there was a bloody set of foot and hand prints leading away into the darkness.
"Looks like Jenkins was wounded badly, but managed to leave somehow. That trail will probably lead us right to him," Coleman said.
"Partially, he probably changed first, so the only thing that will lead to is a trap. At the same time, we need to think about containment. We don't want one of those things getting out into the city," Bulma claimed.
"Chief, I recommend we try to get out first and let a properly equipped team handle this," Ace piped up.
Bulma turned in slight frustration, "That will only risk exposure!"
"They can bomb this place to wipe out the virus," Ace said.
"The guilty parties will escape and return with someone else, we have to end this here! Doctor Cash was responsible for most of North City being destroyed. He has more than just this to pay for!" Bulma urged.
"Enough! Ace, I recognize your assessment and general desire to leave, but Miss Briefs is right. We have to think about the bigger picture here," Chief said sternly.
"It's suicide!" Ace shouted back. Sonny's head snapped to attention, but he said nothing when Chief waved him off.
"I don't know about you Ace, but the whole reason I joined the police force was to protect people, especially my family. If this thing gets out, we can forget that. You've been on the force almost as long as I have, so you can relate. Until we deal with this here and now, we're not leaving, is that understood, Lieutenant?" Chief asked. Ace grimaced slightly but nodded in defeat.
Chief cleared his throat, "Alright, we know of at least one more of those things with Jenkins missing. We also have to see if anyone survived the elevator fall, because whose to say they haven't been attacked?"
"And there's the matter with Doctor Kochin and my father if they're still here," Kati added.
"Yes, and we'll have to sweep floor by floor for that," Chief replied.
"Only the sub-levels. He wouldn't have put his advanced research above ground," Kati pointed out.
"That's positive, since we don't have the manpower for even that."
"Perhaps we should split up into two groups, it will make the searching go faster," Ace suggested.
"Normally I'd say that's a good idea, but not this time. There's too much unfamiliar area here and your firepower is limited. If there's more than a few of those things remaining, we may not be able to fight them all off," Bulma argued.
"How many floors Miss Cash?" Chief asked.
"There are seven sub-levels, not including any secret floors that aren't in the building's layout. With my father, that is very likely," Kati said.
"Sorry Miss Briefs, but I agree with Ace this time. The lives of our teammates take priority here, and we will run out of time with your plan," Chief replied.
"I understand," Bulma said with slight disgust.
"We might be able to implement both plans if we split up and act accordingly to each team's strengths and missions. You guys take Rosemary and look for the rest of your team. The elevator bottoms out at sub-level four. It will be fastest if you can force the doors and climb down through the elevator shafts. Bulma, Trunks and I will search for the hidden lab," Kati suggested.
"All right, but one of us will go with you, if only for radio contact," Chief ordered. Kati scowled at this but nodded slightly.
"I'll do it, I've got a personal bone to pick with these bastards," Sonny volunteered.
Chief nodded, "We'll meet up once we finish investigating our team's whereabouts, good luck." The small force of cops then headed for the elevator doors while Kati directed their group to another stairwell.
"We'll start with sub-level five and go down from there. The elevator's will not go down that far," Kati said.
The group remained silent as they slowly and carefully descended down several flights of stairs. The quiet and unnerving setting stayed that way, until Trunks' stomach rumbled hello. Sonny was holding onto the handrail as the stairs shook, but was only met with an eye roll from Bulma.
"I know Mom, it can wait," Trunks said.
"It'll have to. I would have brought food capsules if I had known we'd be here this long," Bulma replied.
"I'll pay for your whole meal once we get out of this mess," Kati claimed.
Trunks filled with excitement, "It's a deal!"
Bulma shook her head, "I hope you realize what you just did."
"Oh don't worry about me, he'll get what he deserves for a job well done," Kati said with a deep smile. Trunks had a renewed sense of enthusiasm while Kati led the way.
Sonny's radio blared to life just as they cleared the next flight of stairs, "Satsu, we found the elevator team. Only three bodies are here, be on the lookout."
"Roger that Chief," Sonny whispered quickly, "Miss Cash, we should take this search one room at a time." Kati nodded as they reached sub-level five and entered. The hallway was long and dark, despite being covered in white paint and tile. Only a few emergency lights were even on, but they provided very little light. Sonny toke the lead as they entered the first room on the left. It was merely a small office with a desk and a small computer. Other than a stack of papers highlighting an economic presentation, there was nothing else there. The same thing could be said for the next half dozen rooms. The eighth featured an empty broom closet, and also the end of Trunks' patience.
"Where are they?" Trunks shouted.
"Relax Trunks, we're bound to get lucky sooner or later," Bulma said.
"It's possible that one of these rooms has a secret passage to the lab. I've checked the blueprints for all the levels above ground and there weren't any there. That's what he had setup in North City after all, he was probably just wiser and placed it in a lower area, out of sight," Kati suggested.
Sonny scowled, "In other words, we'll have to check every square inch of every level. How exciting." Trunks grumbled lightly and kicked the wall of the closet for no apparent reason. The wall broke at that spot and fell away, revealing a black tunnel and a narrow ramped stairwell.
"That was easy, good job son," Bulma said as she patted his head.
Trunks' jaw had slipped for a moment before he attempted to save face, "This Cash guy must be an idiot! I mean come on, that was so obvious!"
Kati frowned, "Choose your words carefully, he probably has plenty of traps waiting for us down there."
Bulma stepped towards the tunnel, "Well we shouldn't keep him waiting then." Sonny's radio blared to life again, drawing everyone's attention.
"Contact right...kill it Coleman...too many...Ace get back here...Satsu, get out of there!" Sonny's eyes widened as he stared up at Bulma, his face full of dread.
"I should've known, that bastard Ace betrayed them! Sorry Miss Briefs..." Sonny started to say.
She nodded at him, "Go ahead, we can handle this without you." Sonny took off running as fast as he could down the hall.
Next time on DBV: Bulma, Kati and Trunks make their way down to Dr. Wheelo's lab to confront both him and Kochin. In the process, they are outmaneuvered and captured by the diabolical duo. Unexpected to all however, Verto and Lenz arrive to interfere with the latest plan.