Chapter Six - Road to Defeat

It was beautiful day outside. The stars and five moons were shining, the birds were singing, and not a cloud in the sky. Cell smirked as he looked out upon his world. It was a good feeling, seeing such a beautiful day outside his palace, when he knew of the horrible weather outside the Changeling palaces. Turning his head he looked off into space as two powers flared up in the distance. "Cooler and Pan if I'm not mistaken." Cell said. Then he felt another power behind him and turned. "Piccolo." he said in acknowledgement, the two of them were almost never formal.

"I just got a few interesting reports in." Piccolo said. "Seems Nail's escaped Frieza, with the aid of Tao none-the-less. And now Frieza is on his way to Earth, to destroy it." Piccolo emerged from the dark confines of the palace as he spoke, the wind billowing his cape out behind him. "I'm surprised it took so long for Vegeta to have it destroyed actually."

Cell shrugged. "Probably wanted to keep the Dragonballs around in case they were ever needed. I suppose, since their signals vanished a few years ago, he's decided it's pointless, and too dangerous."

Piccolo snorted. "I don't see Hybrids as any real danger. Gohan's the only one with any real power."

"If I remember correctly Goten, Pan, Bra and Trunks are all stronger than you."

Piccolo scowled. "They are." he said gruffly. "But Goten, Bra, and Trunks could be a lot stronger than they are. Hell, Bra's never trained a day in her life and she's still stronger than Goten. Him and Trunks are only about seven years younger than Gohan and neither would last two seconds against him. I'm thinking Gohan was just an abberation."

"What about Pan then?"

Piccolo shrugged. "She's Gohan's daughter. He probably just passed along the abberation to her."

"Perhaps. But Goten and Trunks were born rather powerful and with the ability to transform. I think it's simply a lack of training." Cell turned his attention back into space. "Now what is he... what the hell?"

Piccolo glanced at him and then looked off into space as well, stretching his senses. "Is that... Cooler?"

"Indeed, but... his power is beyond mine now. What happened?"

"Another transformation I suppose." Piccolo said.

Cell grunted. "One more drop in the bucket." he said. "How Vegeta could think any of us, even you, could possibly be defeated..."

"There are threats out there." Piccolo said. "But I think Vegeta's looking in the wrong direction for them. He insists on obsessing over these Humans when greater dangers roam the universe."

"You mean Slug and his men?" Cell asked.

Piccolo nodded. "Turles is fairly powerful, stronger than Pan's base power. If he transforms... Well, he'll be powerful."

"Not as strong as Vegeta or the others." Cell said. "Weaker than me even, and Cooler now too."

"Yeah, that is true." Piccolo replied walking to the balcony railing and gazing down into the valley below. When Cell had chosen this world as his, all Masters had their own planet, the natives hadn't even developed space travel yet. When Cell first came, with a small army under his command, they'd been at awe of the aliens. The natives had been fairly weaker, average power of 200, but they respected power and their ruler had a power of over four thousand. Of course, he'd challenged Cell and lost and since then the people here had practically worshiped him like a god, as well as the other Masters. This had to be the most peaceful of the Master's planets.

The Namek sighed. "And Slug is weaker than me..." he said at last. "But they are stronger than the Humans..." He placed a hand to his head and rubbed it scowling. "To much thinking these last few days." he muttered. "I'm going to go meditate for a while, if anything major comes..." he stopped and gazed down into the city below the palace and frowned. "Did you feel that?"

"Feel what?" Cell asked looking down as well.

"I don't know... something felt... off down below."

Cell frowned and looked behind him. "Go down to the city and scout it." he ordered. "If anything is wrong let me know at once." There were a series of unintelligable noises and then a short blue version of Cell sped past them and down into the city.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Nail leaned back against the cool rock wall of the cave and drank water out of the canteen the other man had given him. After a few good gulps he looked through the darkness at where the man stood, hands clasped behind his back. The thick clouds and pouring rain put the man into dark shadows and Nail couldn't see his face. "You never did tell me your name friend." the Namek said closing the canteen and setting it down.

The man turned and looked at him for a moment before turning his gaze back out into the storm. "My name is Tao." he said at last. "You're a Namek, are you not?"

Nail nodded even though he knew the other couldn't see him. "Yes, my name is Nail."

"How did you find your way to this Kai forsaken world?" Tao asked.

"I left Namek several years ago in search of a legend, a chance to defeat the Masters so that my people would no longer have to hide in fear." he sighed and closed his eyes. "Luck was not on my side and I came across Frieza as he was coming home from a meeting with his father."

"And you have been here since." Tao said. "No doubt Frieza desired the location of your world, eternal youth is not enough for the Masters, they desire eternal life." He turned from the cave entrance and walked over to where Nail sat and seated himself on a nearby rock. "Couldn't you have used your own Dragonballs to go where ever you were heading?"

Nail looked at him for a moment not sure how much to tell him but then decided he had nothing to lose in the end. Perhaps this person had some way off of the planet, he certainly didn't. "Unfortunately no." Nail said frowning. "The world I need to get to is sealed off much like Namek itself."

Tao's face remained blank but his eyes sparked with interest. "Tell me, Nail, are you in search of the ancient's Homeworld?"

Nail looked up at him in shock. "Yes... how did you..."

"I came here in search of the location of one of the artifacts." Tao replied. "I've attained four of the seven artifacts so far."

"Four!?"

Tao nodded. "Indeed. I have the Soul Forge, Soul Wand, Soul Urn, and Soul Mirror so far. I managed to track the Soul Sphere's to Kanassa but when I got there I found they'd been taken already by Slug."

"Slug? Sounds like a Namekian name."

"It is." Tao replied. "I first met Slug over twenty years ago when he came to Earth in search of it's Dragonballs. He and Turles used them for the same wish as the Masters, myself, and my allies. Eternal Youth. Now it seems Slug is chasing down the same legend as us."

"But what use could he make of them?" Nail asked. "He could always simply merge with another Namek..."

Tao shook his head. "Slug is as black hearted as the Masters and no other Nameks travel with him. As far as I know only three of you exist outside Namek. But with all the artifacts and the knowledge needed... he could make a set of Potaras and fuse with Turles. I don't know what result if a Super Namek and a Sai-jin fuse, but the warrior would no doubt be powerful."

Nail nodded. "And you are seeking to forge a set as well?"

"Yes. Four sets in fact. When I left Earth we only had need of two sets but decided two extra pairs may come in handy." Tao stood again and moved to the cave entrance before taking a look around. "I can feel Zarban out there in the distance..." he said. "Nail, could you stand watch for a few hours. I need to sleep."

"Yes, of course." Nail said moving to where he stood and seating himself. Tao waited a moment before going back into the cave and laying down to rest.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

"Isn't there something we can do?" Marron asked. "I mean... all of those people..."

18 shook her head sadly. "No, there's nothing." she said casting her eyes down at the ground. "I don't think Earth is going to be the end of it either... I think Vegeta's going to start hunting down Humans across the entire Empire." Her eyes came back up and looked at Marron again. "I have a meeting with Vegeta in an hour, I'm going to tell him about you and see if there's... anything that can be arranged." Marron nodded.

There was a sudden knock at the door before Marron could say anything. The two women glanced at each other quickly before Marron ran over to the closet and closed the door. It would be better that she wasn't found before 18 spoke with Vegeta. The Android waited a moment and then opened her door only to have her head knocked on by Trunks. "There's no one home." she said with a smirk.

The Sai-jin prince turned his eyes back toward her and saw where he was knocking. "Oh, nope, guess not." he grinned.

18 scowled at him a moment before rolling her eyes. "So, what's up?" she asked. "You don't usually come by my room, I have to track you down all the time."

Trunks shrugged. "Got bored. That meeting was so dull and now there's no reason for me to be down in the holding cells anymore. Plus Spear hasn't been moved just yet so I don't have to deal with guard placements and shifts and all that shit. So I've got, oh, about forty-five minutes of free time..." he grinned.

"Oh really?"

Marron craned her neck to peek through the slats in the closet door to see what was going on. She could make out bits and pieces of the conversation but not enough to follow it. However, it was quite easy to follow what she saw. Trunks and 18 were moving slowly toward her bed, his lips locked firmly on hers. "Oh... no, you've got... to be kidding me." Marron thought wide eyed. Moving back she slumped down into the corner for the next forty-five mintues holding her hands over her ears to drown out the sound.

Finally the room went quiet. She waited where she was in silence, just in case Trunks hadn't left yet. And then the door swung open and 18 stuck her head in. "Hey... um, sorry about that..." she said softly.

"I-it's okay." Marron said standing and stepping out of the closet again. As she did she noticed that 18 hadn't bothered to dress yet but as the woman grabbed the purple and black armor off the hanger in the closet remembered her meeting with Vegeta. "Um, do you... do you think I'll be okay?" she asked as 18 pulled on the white gloves that completed the outfit. "I mean... Master Vegeta's..."

"Don't worry too much." 18 said. "You're my daughter, I don't really expect too much of a problem with it." The other girl nodded, still not entirely convinced. "Anyway, I need to get going, I don't want to be late. I'll be back as quickly as possible." With that she turned and went out the door.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Trunks was grinning the whole way down to the holding cells. "And here I'd thought today was going to be dull when I'd gotten up." he thought as his grin widened. "Got to kill someone this morning, had some fun with 18, and now... Bald and four eyes isn't exactly my thing, but damn she's got a body..." He rounded the corner and saw the guards emerging from Spear's cell with the girl behind them chained to prevent escape. Not that it was needed, her power was only 11, beyond small.

"Oh, Master Trunks." One of the guards said bowing. "I was told to expect you."

"Yes, well, I have to make sure our little friend is okay. She's saved us a lot of work with the information she gave us." he winked at her and she turned her eyes toward the ground. "Come on, I'll lead you up to her room. And you can remove those chains, she's a guest now, not a prisoner."

The walk through the halls was nothing but boring, but Trunks didn't notice. His mind was running on auto-pilot as it worked over-time on the ideas. He was so deep in thought he didn't even notice Goten until the other slapped him across the back of his head. "Hey, what was that for?" Trunks asked rubbing his head.

"To get your attention Mr. Lala-Land." Goten said rolling his eyes. "I just thought I'd let you know, Gohan and my father are on their way home."

"Yeah, so?"

"So?" Goten asked arching an eyebrow. "That means Gohan will be talking to Videl soon. You do remember what he nearly did to your father, don't you?"

"Oh relax Goten, it was just a kiss."

Goten grinned and stepped in front of the prince walking backwards as they moved down the hall. "Sure thing Trunks, but I heard her screaming at you clear across the planet. And she did put you in a Regen Tank for a solid week."

"That's only because I hadn't transformed." Trunks huffed. "Unlike you I'm stronger than her."

Goten shruged. "Someone's got to be the weakest Sai-jin." he said, his eyes roaming back to the girl. "Say... isn't she?"

"Yeah. We're taking her to her new room." Trunks replied. He glanced over at the other and noticed his eyes moving up and down. Grinning he elbowed him. "Care to help me out?" he asked.

"Huh? Oh... sure!" Goten said falling into line again. The rest of the trip was made in silence. When they reached the room that had been set up for Spear, Trunks posted two guards outside, one patrolling the hall in front, and one patrolling each of the two connecting halls as well. Then he and Goten lead her inside.

The room wasn't exactly fancy. Just a simple double bed, as per Trunks's request, a small dresser, desk, TV, and Computer. The only light came from an overhead hanging lamp as there were no windows. "Well, it's not much, but it's home for the next few weeks at least." Trunks said.

"Yes... thank-you again." Spear said after a moment. She fidgeted a bit seemingly nervous about something, her eyes constantly moving from Goten to Trunks and back again. Then, much to both of their shock, she moved in and kissed them. Not just quick kisses but long ones each. And then she turned from them and dropped into her bed. "You will fall eventually." she said after a moment.

"Wh-what?" Goten asked, finally coming out of his shock.

"You, your families, the other Masters... eventually you will all be dead. I wont get to see that day though... I probably wont even see the sunset tomorrow now. But if it makes the universe safer than it is worth my death."

Trunks was having trouble figuring out what she was talking about. At first she seemed to be talking about the Masters dying but now she seemed to be talking about what she'd done. "Don't worry so much." Trunks said after a moment. "The guards wont let..."

Spear laughed. "You... you're leading the way to your own doom and you don't even see it." She sat up, her four green eyes training onto the two Hyrbids. "Everyone makes a mistake now and then. Everyone eventually gets caught. And everyone eventually dies. Including you two."

Goten laughed. "Us? Die? Heh, that's a good one. And here I'd thought you weren't like the others."

Spear grinned. "Oh, but I'm not. I'm better than them..."

"I can imagine." Trunks interrupted with a grin, a glistening sheen of sweat now starting to soak through his body suit.

Spear laughed. "Oh, I bet I'm better that way too, but that's not what I meant. What I meant is, unlike the others who've tried to kill you, I didn't fail."

Goten looked at her like she was crazy. "What are talking about? Last I checked I was still very much alive. And you don't have nearly enough power to even scratch me let alone kill me."

"What do you think the next world is like?" she asked licking her lips. "Well, anything is better than this world." She looked at them for a moment, Goten was sweating now too. "Tell me, have either of you ever heard of the Kiss of Death?"

"The what?" Trunks asked, his head was starting to hurt.

"Kiss of Death." she said shrugging. "There's this flower on my homeworld, highly poisnous. For centuries assassins would put the nectar from it on their lips, kiss their victims, and the person would be dead within days. And if they were ever caught they'd lick their own lips clean of the nectar, suicide. Not exactly the way I pictured I would die... Not exactly the most pleasnt way either I've been told. Though I'd imagine it's better than meeting either of your fathers after they hear about this." She reached a hand up and brushed some sweat off her brow and then lay back in the bed and closed her eyes.

Trunks was about to say something but all that came out was a painful grunt. His hand reached up and gripped the armor over his heart as he fell down to one knee. Spear spoke again as she heard him fall. "It's fairly fast acting stuff, but it takes a good day or so to kill. It'll do the two of you good, to be the ones to suffer for once."

She could hear Trunks gasping at the pain that was now tearing through his heart, head, and body. Then, a second later, Goten's pained cries and gasps joined in. She could feel the headache coming on now too and closed her eyes again as the pressure built in her chest. "If only I knew how to control my KI. Then I could do this less painfully... No matter. Mom, dad, Axe, I'll be with you soon."

"Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!" Trunks screamed falling completely to the floor, his left leg spasming as one hand gripped his head and the other his chest. Within seconds the guards were in the room to see what was wrong.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

18 walked into the Throne Room a few moments early and approached Vegeta's throne. As she reached it she knelt before him and Bulma. "You can stand 18." Vegeta said. "What is it you wished to speak to me about?"

18 was quiet for a moment as she tried to order her thoughts and phrase everything the right way. "Years ago... shortly after I was activated... I let my emotions rule my judgement." she began. "I wont go into detail, that's not important, what is important is that I had a daughter. Have a daughter. I gave her up all those years ago because I was worried that... that Gero would use her in one of his experiments. But I've found her again..."

"Yes, so? What's the issue?"

"Well... she's Human, obviously." 18 began. "And her father... is Krillin."

The room went silent for a long moment as the three of them just looked at each other. After a moment it was Bulma who spoke. "This daugther of yours, is she a fighter?"

18 shook her head. "No. She's more of a scientist than anything. I found her because she applied to Capsule Corp..."

Bulma nodded. "I don't really see a problem... Vegeta..."

"I'm thinking woman!" he said gruffly. The room fell into complete silence again for several long moments. Vegeta was just about to say something when a guard burst in through the front door running at full tilt.

"Master Vegeta! Master Vegeta!" he cried. "It's Goten and Trunks, something's wrong!"

"What?!" he demanded.

"Something's wrong with them, and that Spear woman. They're all being taken to the Regen Tanks now."

Vegeta stood and started out of the room. "We can finish this later." he said over his shoulder before vanishing through the door. It only took him a few moments to reach the Regen Tanks and by then the two Hybrids and the Eawpon had been placed inside. The techs in the room were highly agitated as they ran about adjusting this and that.

"It's not working!" one of them called.

"Condition still unstable... cellular degeneration continuing!"

"Do a tox and viral scan of the tanks, stat!"

"Viral scan is negative, beginning tox scan now."

"Increase the DNA levels in the solution."

"Tox is positive! They've been poisoned!"

"What is it? Is their an antidote?"

"Checking.... shit! It's the Kiss of Death, there's no antidote for that!"

"Kiss of Death? The Eawpon woman must have brought it with her..."

Vegeta growled as he looked around the room. "Would someone tell me what the hell is going on!" he shouted.

The room went quiet for a moment before one tech swallowed and explained the situation. "Somehow the poison known as Kiss of Death, it's from a flower found on the Eawpon homeworld... well, somehow it was introduced into the systems of these three." he explained slowly, nervously. "It's highly potent and... well... there's no antidote. All we can do is prolong their suffering two, three days at the most. But by the end of the week they will be dead."

Vegeta growled again as he looked at the two of them. "Poison! How the hell would anyone get that in here? Everyone is screened, even the girl was screened for any traces of infection or poison!" "You will do everything you can to save them, is that understood?" Vegeta said slowly.

"Y-yes sir."

"Good." And with that he turned and began his way back to his thrown room. "Time for those ingrates at Capsule Corp. to do something useful for once."

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Shin stood, his arms behind his back, beside the Grand Kai. As luck would have it he'd come looking for warriors to train the Earthlings during one of the Grand Kai's tournaments. At the moment Olibu and Pikkon were going at it in the ring. "So these two are still the strongest then?" Shin asked.

"Yes. Pikkon is nearing your power now actually." the Grand Kai said. "And Olibu... well, just watch."

"Any others you would suggest for this endevor?"

"Hmmmm." the Grand Kai rubbed his chin in thought as he watched the continuing match. "Well, North Kai is a bit of an odd one but you should have him kick off the training. It's not exactly normal but it comes in quite handy, so I've heard. And I have a pair of Metamorians... they have a few skills that could aid the Humans greatly." The Grand Kai paused as Pikkon removed his weighted clothing. "Ah, here we go... I think you'll find this interesting."

Shin turned his eyes back to the battle as Pikkon's clothing landed outside the ring. Olibu smirked and clenched his hands into fists letting out a cry as his aura flared to life around him. His arms, chest, and legs began to bulge and he began to grow taller. To the naked eye it seemed like the already bulky Olibu was merely powering up even further. However, both the Grand Kai and Supreme Kai knew differently. "So he's done it at last." Shin said. "Olibu managed to transform."

"First Human in more than ten thousand years." Grand Kai said as the two warriors went at it again. "He's still nowhere near the power of Pikkon though."

"No, he is not." Shin said. "But he is more powerful than a few of the Super Sai-jins..."