Chapter Eighteen
A tremendous shudder ran through the floor and the Saiyans had to fight to keep their balance. The room tipped slightly and they slid across the floor, banging against the computer terminal. Vegeta's body slid partway under it, his legs sticking out at an awkward angle.
"What was that?" Gohan asked as the floor leveled out and they were able to stand normally again.
"It felt like an earthquake!" Goku said.
"No," Trunks said, fear showing in his eyes. "It's the ship!"
"What ship?" Goku asked.
"This whole mountain is one giant space ship," Trunks explained. "He was using your energy to power it up! We're taking off!"
Just then, a low rumble started in the deepest reaches of the mountain and continued to grow until they had to hold their hands over their ears. The entire ship shuddered as it broke free of its mountain camouflage and rose slowly in the air. The force of its pitching threw the Saiyans around the room until it finally stabilized and began to rise into the air, the last of the rubble dropping from the metal ship.
"Where are we going?" Gohan asked.
"I'm not sure," Trunks admitted. "The computer wasn't set to any particular destination. He could be taking us anywhere in the universe."
"Not yet," Nossoreg's voice sounded from a speaker overhead. "We're going to remain on Earth for a little while longer. Just long enough to take care of some business. Then, when I'm finished, we'll be moving on. Too bad you didn't take me up on my offer. Now, I'm afraid, your family and friends are in danger."
"Nossoreg!" Goku shouted, his veins popping out in anger. "You'll pay for this!"
"Oh, I don't think so," he said with complete confidence. "I believe you'll be the ones paying. You see, I've come up with a more efficient way to harness your energy. By using the transmitters in your bodies, I'll be able to drain your energy without the use of the chambers. It's too bad about Vegeta, though. With him dead, I guess I'll just have to content myself with three Saiyan powers instead of four."
The news took everyone by surprise. With all the chaos of the ship taking off, they'd forgotten about the Saiyan prince. Frantically, they looked around for him, but he was nowhere to be found. The only trace they found was a small pool of blood near the computer terminal.
"He's faded away," Gohan said. "He must be in the next dimension already."
"No! Dad!" Trunks cried out in grief.
Goku tried to comfort him, but Trunks pushed him away. He knew Trunks still blamed himself for the computer draining too much energy from his father, weakening him to the point of death. There would be nothing he could do for him until he calmed down.
Trunks seethed with anger. At himself and at Nossoreg. Energy crackled around him as his power level soared and his hair raised up on end, turning bright gold. His emotions alone changed him into a Super Saiyan. His green eyes flashed as his power level skyrocketed.
"Take this, Nossoreg!" he shouted and released a powerful energy beam at the steel wall.
Goku was sure the beam would easily melt a hole in the wall, but the attack was cut short. Trunks' hair and eyes flashed back and forth as he screamed in pain. They finally settled back to normal just before he collapsed to his hands and knees on the floor.
"Trunks!" Gohan yelled and ran over to him. "Are you all right?"
"My...energy," Trunks panted. "He sucked...it right out...of my attack."
"That was quite a lot of energy, Trunks," Nossoreg said. "You gave me enough power to reach The Lookout at record speed."
"No! Not The Lookout!" Goku yelled.
"Yes," Nossoreg agreed. "I thought that would be where you hid the women. Clever, but not clever enough. Once I destroy the Guardian Dende, the rest of the earth will be mine for the taking."
Goku's anger rose. One thing he couldn't stand was senseless destruction of the innocent. His own power level began to build up out of frustration, but Trunks stopped him.
"That's what he wants you do to," he said. "Then the computer can drain more power faster."
There was a sudden lurch of the ship and Goku and Gohan joined Trunks on the floor.
"What do you suppose that was?" Trunks asked.
"I'm not sure," Goku said. "I can barely sense anything outside of this room. It must be the shield."
"I believe the cavalry has arrived," Nossoreg laughed. "Since I don't want you to miss the action, I'll patch the video through to you."
The Saiyans made their way over the shaky floor to the computer terminal. The screen showed them that Goten, Krillen, and Yamcha were posted between the ship and The Lookout. They were firing a multitude of blasts at the ship in an attempt to stop if from reaching its destination. Their attacks were rocking the ship and slowing it down.
"What do you say we give them something else to worry about?" Nossoreg asked.
The ship came to a halt and they watched as the clones they changed clothes with flew from the ship to intercept the fighters. The attacks stopped.
"They think the clones are us!" Gohan exclaimed.
"Hey, Goku!" Krillen called out in relief. "Are we glad to see you! Did you take care of everything?"
The three clones stopped in front of the fighters and floated there in silence.
"Gohan, what's the matter?" Goten asked the clone before him. "Is something wrong?"
"What's going on, Goku?" Krillen asked. "You seem different somehow."
Yamcha got more and more nervous the longer their three friends remained silent. He looked closely at the warrior in front of him. "Vegeta?"
"Your friends have decided to join me on an extended tour of the universe," Nossoreg's voice bellowed from the ship. "We'd be happy to have you join us."
"Goku, is that true?" Krillen asked his silent friend.
'Krillen!'
Krillen blinked his eyes and looked at him again. He'd know Goku's voice anywhere, but his lips never moved. He was sure of it. "Goku?"
'Krillen, it's me,' Goku's voice sounded inside his head. 'We're locked inside the ship. Those are clones. Be careful. They have our powers!'
"These aren't our friends!" Krillen told the others as he crouched down in a fighting stance. "They're clones!"
"What?" the other two exclaimed, dropping back into their own stances.
Krillen flew in to attack, but the Goku clone easily swatted him away. Goten and Yamcha tried to do the same, but they also failed to make contact. The clones turned to face their attackers.
Powering up his Destructo Disc, Krillen launched it at Goku. The clone disappeared, using his incredible speed, and reappeared behind Krillen. With one quick smash, he was sent down to the ground with such force that a crater formed on impact.
Yamcha faced off with Vegeta, but quickly found that, like the original Saiyan, he was no match for the clone's speed and strength. He soon joined Krillen, smashing down into the ground.
Goten lasted the longest against his brother's clone. Since he'd spent the last few years studying under Goku while Gohan was in school, he was much quicker. He blocked every punch and kick easily, but was driven backwards by the sheer ferocity of the clone's attacks. Goten gave a hard kick, which sent the clone back a few yards. It didn't seem like much to Nossoreg, but the Saiyans knew it would give him just enough time and room to power up.
The air sizzled with energy as Goten's power rose dramatically. He stopped just short of changing into a Super Saiyan and flew into the Gohan clone. It was driven back and finally sent to the ground by a tremendous ax-handle smash on the back from Goten.
The teen quickly spun around, just in time to counter a double attack by Vegeta and Goku. If he doubted it before, he now knew for sure that these were not real Saiyans. Never would two proud Saiyan warriors attack an opponent together. It took all of his concentration and speed just to keep up with the two, more experienced, fighters.
"Wow! That's impressive!" Goku said as he watched his youngest son hold his own against the two strong clones. "Look at him go!"
"You sound surprised," Trunks noticed. "You were training him. You should know his abilities."
"Yeah, but he's just had me," Goku explained. "I had no idea how good he would be against two fighters. This is great! I wish I could be in there, too! I think I'll have to step up his training!"
Trunks sighed and shook his head. He knew Goten wouldn't share his father's enthusiasm for extra training. The boys always tried to think of ways to get out of their training sessions with their warrior fathers. They couldn't see the point of practicing so hard when they were, by far, the strongest group of fighters on Earth already.
He then looked at the screen just in time to see his clone father blast his best friend to the ground. Maybe there was a need for training after all, Trunks thought. You never knew what could happen.
"I can't believe I fell for that!" Goten scolded himself as he pulled himself free of the hole he'd made upon landing. "I should've sensed Vegeta's attack coming even though Dad was powering up!"
"Goten, are you all right?" Krillen called as he limped over, half carrying a battered Yamcha along with him.
"I'm fine," he answered. "How about you guys?"
"I'm out," Yamcha groaned as Krillen carefully set him down on the ground. "What I wouldn't give for a Sensu bean right now."
"Same here," Krillen admitted. "But at least we know they're not indestructible. You knocked the Gohan clone out cold."
"Not long enough," Goten said and pointed into the air. Three figures were heading straight for them. He knew there was no other choice if he was going to save his friends. His energy soared as he turned Super Saiyan 2 and flew up to meet their enemies.