Chapter 2
Some time later
Trunks was standing in front of the alien warrior Tapion... with Tapion´s own sword in his hands.
"Please Trunks - you have to do it," he said to him.
Tapion had his flute in his hands, ready to play it for a last time.
They were in the middle of West City - the hometown of Trunks family. That had so far been mostly spared from the worst of the Android attacks.
But now it was being attacked by something else.
A short distance behind them, the a bit strange pair of Gohan and the Galactic Patrol Agent Meerus were fighting against a giant monstrous being.
The giant monster had a dark green dragon-like body, as large as a house, a long tail with a sharp end that it used as a weapon and a menacing looking skull-like face with bright glowing red eyes. It was looking like the very incarnation of terror, a being out of a nightmare.
The creature, that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, was running amok through the town, tearing walls of buildings apart, killing random people, spiting concentrated energy blasts from it´s mouth into the landscape and at the superpowered warriors challenging it and causing thousands of West Citiy´s citizens to try to flee in panic.
Dozens had already lost their lives to the creature´s rampage.
And it was also clear that the two fighters at least so far were so far on the loosing side against the monster.
xxx
From a greater distance away two more beings were watching the scene, the Androids 17 and 18. They were just floating in the air above the city without actually doing anything.
"Well - that is interesting," Seventeen commented.
"I admit the creature at least looks quite impressive," Eighteen said regarding the monster.
Both continued to watch the fight silently.
The question was: How had it come to this?
xxxxxxx
Two Days Earlier
Son Gohan was flying in the direction of a small town in the Eastern Regions.
It was the side of Android 17 and 18´s latest attack.
Sadly this was not an unusal thing. Quite the opposite. Android attacks were happening on a regular base... and that Gohan reacted to them.
Of course Gohan was not able to appear every time the Androids attacked somewhere. Either because some smaller attacks did not even made it in the news, some were only reported afterwards... or in some cases because Gohan was still recovering from the encounter before.
In the past injuries of the Z-fighters could be healed nearly instantly by the senzu beans. But since Master Korin was not longer alive, their number had become limited.
Gohan had found Korin´s tower broken and destroyed a couple years ago... and the dead body of the cat-sage himself. The work of the Androids without a doubt.
And like so many times before, he came too late.
As Gohan arrived, the small town was lying in ruins.
He was not sure if the Androids were still here, so he had to be careful as he was looking around.
Between the broken or completely blown up buildings and the craters were lying a few corpses. The ones who had not been completely destroyed by the explosions or the Androids ki attacks.
It was a sight he had seen countless times before.
Everybody here was dead.
Or maybe not. Gohan could sense one life-energy close by. The ki of this being however... it was different. It was not particular strong, but clearly alien in origin.
A alien, here? he asked himself. He continued to fly in the direction.
A moment later he arrived at the spot where he had sensed the energy.
But it was not only the stranger he saw. Standing in front of the man of clear alien origin... was Android 18. Since she possessed no ki he could detect, he had not sensed her earlier.
So they were still here.
And she was charging up a blast that she was aiming straight at the alien man, who had light pinkish skin, pointed ears and red hair in a mohawk cut. And he was crrying a large sword in a sheeth on his back.
Gohan reacted instantly. He turned his body around in the air in full speed and then kicked his foot right into her face.
Eighteen who had concentrated on her target, didn´t noticed him until it was too late. She was send flying nearly a hundred meters through the air by his kick and then crashed through multiple burned out and broken buildings before she came to an halt.
"What are you doing?" the alien shouted at him.
"Come on," Gohan said. "We have no time."
He grabbed the extraterrestrial young man´s hand and pulled him with him, as he flew away in full speed.
"Gohan!" Eighteen shouted angrily after them. But he and the stranger were already far away.
After a few more kilometers they finally stopped.
"You saved me," the alien said. "You shouldn´t have."
"Why?" Gohan asked, surprised by his reaction. "They would have killed you, just like everyone else."
"I know," the alien man replied. "That is why I was there. My name is Tapion. I had been released in this world a few days ago. I had already heard about them and so came to that place."
"Why? Tapion-... you want to die?" Gohan said in realization. "And you hoped that they would kill you? What do you mean, you had been released?"
"It might be hard for you to believe, but there is a monster sealed inside my body," Tapion explained. "And sooner or later it will break out. I am an even greater threat to your planet than these Androids."
"Is this monster that terrible?" Gohan questioned.
"I will tell you the whole story," Tapion said.
"Better wait with that until we have reached my friend Bulma and her son Trunks."
xxxxxxx
Capsule Corp - a short time later
Like he said, Tapion had told them the entire story.
"So you are saying that a race of Dark Wizards called the Kashvar came to your world and created this monster called Hildegarn," Bulma stated.
"Yes," Tapion replied. "They created Hildegarn by summoning and channeling the evil energies that existed on our planet."
"And then the creature terrorized your world and killed countless people," Gohan repeated.
"Yes - Hildegarn and the Kashvar would have destroyed all life on my planet if they had not been stopped."
"That sounds not so different from what is happening on our planet," Bulma´s son Trunks said quietly. "Only here it are the Androids who are destroying our world and not a supernatural monster."
"Yes - I have seen it after I woke up here," Tapion responded. "I am sorry."
"But you and your brother were able to somehow hypnotize the monster with these flutes you were playing while it was attacking a city?" Trunks stated. "And then a priest used the sword you are carrying now to cut it in half?"
"Yes," Tapion replied. "The flutes and the sword are both sacred artifacts that the God of our planet gave to my people. Because of that they could affect Hildegarn."
"Yes - I can sense some kind of power radiating from the sword," Gohan mentioned.
"And then me and my brother Minotia had volunteered to have the two halves of the monster sealed inside our bodies and then ourselves into two different containers," Tapion explained.
"And these two objects were then to be send to two different planets in different galaxies, to keep Hildegarn from ever being complete again. It seems one of this planets was Earth. I know this all is hard to believe..."
"Trust me - we had things that were not that much different on our planet," Bulma said. "Supernatural Beings, magical artifacts, wizards... The Demon King Piccolo - the evil half of a Namekian who was Earth´s God," she explained for Tapion´s sake, "the Saiyan´s attack, then Freeza. Yes - we had our share of strange things."
"At least your planet was saved in the end," Trunks stated. "I only wish something like that could happen here too."
"I am sure it will some day," Gohan said.
`Maybe it will even by you Trunks,´ he thought silently. But he would do anything he could to find a way to defeat the Androids himself, so he would not need to put that burden on him.
"I am not even sure how long ago I was sealed away," Tapion admitted. "I am pretty sure it has to be centuries at least - maybe even thousands of years. While I was in that box it was like a long sleep. Then I was suddenly here on this planet, that is going through the same thing like mine did. And now with me here, everything could get even worse."
"You mean because the monster inside you could awake," Bulma pointed out.
"Oh - believe me, it definitely will," Tapion responded. "If we could hold Hildegarn in our bodies forever, there would have been no need for Minotia and me to let ourseves get imprisoned for eternity. The only question is how long I can last before he breaks out."
"And this is why you wanted to die," Gohan concluded.
Tapion nodded.
"Is just one half of the monster still that dangerous?" Gohan asked.
"You have no idea how terrifying Hildegarn is. Even one half is more than you imagine.
And he is not like a nomaly living being. Even cut apart, his parts can still act independant from each other," Tapion claimed. "It would still be better if you just kill me. Then the monster will die with me."
"B-but that is not fair," Trunks called out. "You sacrificed all that to save your world. And now..."
"Better one person than an entire world," Tapion stated flatly. That was the thought with that Minotia and himself had made their sacrifice in the first place.
Gohan and Bulma exchanged a short look. How dangerous was this Hildegarn really? Worse than the Androids?
"Before we do the worst thing, please let us see if we can find another way," Bulma said.
But Tapion was ust looking down dejected.
"If this is what you want," he replied. "But it might be too late when... argh!"
He suddenly doubled over and cried out like in pain.
At the same moment a aura of dark energy appeared around him... and...
Gohan and Trunks could both sense it... a sinister, incredible dreadful and powerful energy.
Both paled and froze in shock.
"Gohan, Trunks," Bulma said concerned.
"Tapion is right," Gohan responded. "It is more powerful than we than we could imagined."
And then it suddenly happened. A hole was opening right in the air before them, right in the middle of Bulma´s kitchen.
And then inside this hole in the air, they were seeing something... and this being was looking back at them, red eyes in a giant boney face with sharp fangs.
The monster was growling at them in an inhuman way... and a giant clawed hand reaching out to them from the hole.
Tapion desperately too out the flute he was still carrying out of his pocket and started to play.
After a few moments the creature seemed to be calming down and the rift in the air closed and disappeared.
They all were just starring at the spot where it had been in shock and horror.
"You can stop it like that?" Gohan said.
"Not forever," Tapion stated resignated.
For a moment Gohan was tempted. If he just killed him, he could remove this threat. Tapion had himself asked for it after all.
But this would not be the right thing to do. Tapion was not responsible for this. In fact he was a hero who was responsible for originally stopping the monster in the first place. It would be wrong to kill him without even trying to find another way.
"Give us a few days at least," he said.
And what then? he asked himself. If they didn´t find a solution, would they actually do it?
xxxxxxx
The same evening
Trunks could not sleep and was walking through the corridors of the building.
After a few minutes he entered the kitchen and saw Tapion who was sitting by the table. He seemed not to be able to sleep as well. Not a surprise, given his situation.
His mother had made him a bed inside inside his father´s old gravity trainings-chamber. The room had been out of use for years, simply because they didn´t have the energy left to power it.
But the gravity-chamber had especially enforced walls, which Bulma had strengthened even more, in hope that it would at least temporally hold Hildegarn back, should he attempt to get out. This should allow Tapion to get at least small periods of rest.
"Tapion," he greeted him.
"Trunks," he responded.
"I guess we both can not sleep," Trunks commented.
"I am worried," Tapion said. "Not only for us, also about my brother. My if my release was not a coincidence? What if both halves of Hildegarn are trying to break out? I don´t even know if my brother is still alive."
"I am sorry."
"None of this is your fault Trunks."
At this moment they saw Gohan walking outside and lifting off the ground. He was flying in a direction out of the town.
"Where is Gohan going at this time?" Trunks questioned. "Do you think we should follow him?"
"He surely has his reasons," Tapion said.
"Still," Trunks said. "Maybe it are the Androids, but I have heard nothing in the news... and I don´t sense any people dieing right now," he added.
He finally made his decision.
"Excuse me Tapion," he said.
"Wait - I am coming with you," Tapion called after him as Trunks run outside and then lifted up in the air as soon as he had left the house.
xxxxxxx
Gohan was on his way to Orange City, to meet a certain person.
Like West City, Orange City had so far been mostly spared from the Android attacks.
But Gohan knew it was only a question of time.
He could not barely believe what he was planning to do. But he had no real choice.
He finally arrived at a large multistorey house that contained several appartments. The person he had come to met was living in one at the third floor.
Gohan simply landed on the appartment´s balcony.
"Keira," he called out the name.
A few minutes later a woman opened a door. She had shoulder long black hair and looked to be in her middle to late thirties.
"Son Gohan?" she said.
xxx
Keira was a news-reporter and she and Gohan had met for the first time around ten years ago. It was back when Android 17 and 18 had just started terrorizing the world and the former World Champion Mister Satan had come out to challenge them.
And Keira and her team had been the ones to moderate and broadcast Mister Satan´s challenge in life TV.
Back then many people still had the illusion that someone like Mister Satan could have a chance to defeat the Androids and that this job was actually a great luck and maybe the chance of her lifetime.
That was until the Androids suddenly appeared, cracking through the roof and started killing most people in the studio, including Mister Satan.
Afterwards Seventeen and Eighteen had forced her to broadcast their news-announcement instead.
Declaring themselves the new rulers of Earth and everyone else who was still alive only existing for their amusement, until they would kill them.
Keira had never seen the Androids that close again since then... and she never wanted to again. She had still nightmares from this day.
If it were not for Gohan coming and distracting them to give the rest of them a chance to get away, she would have probably been killed as well.
And instead of interviewing Mister Satan during his `great day´, she ended up watching Gohan risking his life to save people.
xxx
"How have you been?" Gohan asked her.
"Quite well, I guess. As well as you can be in this times," she said.
"And your children?"
"They are alright as well," she replied.
"Gohan - why are you here at this time? We have not met in nearly three years and now you suddenly show up in the middle of the night?" she said.
xxx
In the years after the literally crashed newscast of Mister Satan´s challenge, they had met sporadically. She had at that time tried to become something like Gohan´s `personal reporter´ and aired several stories about his fights with the Androids, the people he had saved, interviewed witnesses and even publicy asked Gohan for a personal interview.
Until Gohan suddenly came to her and asked her to stop. Or at least to keep a lower profile. To not risk drawing the attention of the Androids.
It was only then that she realized that her continued reports about Gohan might actually tempt the Androids to search her out.
And she nearly had a mental breakdown. It took her over two years to dare to even come close to any other story even remotely involving Gohan or the Androids.
xxx
"Keira - I need you to do something for me," he said.
"And what?"
"I - I want you to make a news-announcement, a message that I am asking for a meeting with the Androids... to ask them for a ceasefire."
"W-what?" Keira called out. "Why?"
Gohan said nothing for a few moments. Then...
"There is a monster on this planet, that could breal loose very soon, one that is even more dangerous than they Androids."
"What?"
"We are trying to deal with it somehow. But we at least need to keep the Androids from continuing their attacks until then," he explained. "If they destroy another city while we are trying to stop the monster I will not be able to do anything. And should they show up and interfere while we are fighting it, it could mean a disaster."
The worst case scenario, he thought to himself: `Hildegarn manages to get loose, the Androids hear about it and get involved without knowing anything and interrupt him and Tapion as they are trying to restrain the monster again... and the entire world gets destroyed as an result.´
Yes - he knew this here was a crazy and risky move, but he needed to at least try to take the Androids out of the equation. Trying to keep Hildegarn imprisoned and finding a way to get rid of him for good was dangerous enough without them running amok the entire time.
"I understand," Keira said. "But why do you not ask your friend Bulma for such an announcement? She is very influencial even with the world being in this state."
"Yes - Bulma could easily arrange something like that, but it would still take a few day and it might be too late by then. I need you to make the broadcast now."
"Now? In the middle of the night?"
"Yes - the fate of the world could depend on it. And I need you to repeat the message at least every hour. There is no telling when and if the Androids hear about it. One reason more to do it as fast as possible."
During their entire conversation he had kept paying attention for another outbreak of Hildegarn´s ki. But luckily there had not been any. On the other side however he had noticed that Tapion´s and Trunks energies were not even at Capsule Corp anymore. Instead they were...
"Okay," Keira gave in. "I will call my boss Carl and tell him what you told me. I think we can make the broadcast within the next hour if we hurry up," she said.
"But before that..." she opened a drawer on her cupboard and took out a small recording device. "... could you repeat what you just said for the announcement?" she asked.
xxxxxxx
A few minutes later Gohan was on his way back to the Capsule Corp Building.
Would the Androids even react to his message? Yes they would. Simply because the idea of a monster more dangerous than themselves would draw their interest... and their curiosity. He knew them well enough.
On his way he met up with Trunks and Tapion.
"You should not have followed me," he told them.
"You suddenly left in the middle of the night," Trunks said.
"I had something important to do," Gohan replied. "I will tell you on our way back."
xxxxxxx
But when they returned to Capsule Corp, two people were already waiting for them, the Androids 17 and 18.
"Hey Gohan - nice to see you," Seventeen greeted him in a fake-friendly tone. "I hear you want to talk to us? And what is that story about a monster stronger than us? I find that a bit hard to believe."
"Get behind me," Gohan said quietly to Trunks and Tapion.
"And who are this two?" Eighteen asked. "There are not many people left who can fly. Not after they met us at least."
"My name is Trunks," he said.
"I guess you are the son of Bulma Briefs and Vegeta," Seventeen stated. "Doctor Gero had heard that you existed, but since you were just a baby back then, he had no actual data about you. And the other one? He looks like he is not really from here."
"Tapion came to our planet to warn us about the monster," Gohan told a half-truth, "and he is the only one who has an reliable way to stop it."
"The monster - yes," Eighteen said, not kind believing it. "Not have not made that entire story up to buy your belived humans some time, have you?"
"I am certainly not," Gohan replied.
"Besides - I still owe you for ruining my clothes earlier today, when you saved alien-boy here," Eighteen stated.
"You are killing people and destroying stuff nearly every day," Trunks said.
"That are just worthless humans, I am talking about my clothes here," Eighteen replied.
Both Trunks and Tapion noticed that the Android seemed entirely serious about her last statement.
Gohan however reacted in a way they had not expected at all.
He reached out his arm to Eighteen.
"Here is my hand. Break it, burn it off, do whatever you want with it... but give us at least two days," he said in a heavy voice.
"Wow," Eighteen admitted somewhat impressed, "you really are serious about that."
xxxxxxx
At the same time however, their other enemies had by now arrived on Earth and appeared at the other side of the city.
"It is here my friend," Hoy said. "Your other half is very near. Now then, let us draw them out - destroy."
The lower half of Hildegarn´s body smashed it´s long tail into a line of buildings and broke through their walls apart.
xxxxxxx
Gohan, Trunks and Tapion sensed at the same moment the incredible power of the monster close by.
"This is hildegarn´s lower half," Tapion said, "and one of the Kashvar. He must have brought it here." T
hat meant Minotia was probably dead, he realized.
The Androids however had never learned to detect energy. But they heard the explosions and saw the smoke coming up.
"So it seems there truly is a monster," Eighteen said. "I guess I have to apologize to you Gohan," she commented sardonically.
Not quite understanding how dangerous the situation was, since she didn´t realize the monsters true power.
"I guess we will accept your offer Gohan," Seventeen told him. "We promise not to kill any humans for the next couple of days. We will just stand aside and watch how you three are doing."
A few details about this chapter. In this version Tapion had been released on Earth before Hoy and Hildegarn´s lower half arrived on the planet, so he does not know what happened to his brother, how much time has passed or that Hoy is even still around.
The interaction between Tapion and Trunks is slightly different because here
Tapion is also not acting aggressive, since he wants to convince him and the othes to kill him, instead of keeping them at distance like in the original.
xxc
Powerlevels:
Future Gohan: (10 years after the Android´s Arrival): 4.400.000 - SSJ: 220.000.000
Future Android 17: 280.000.000
Future Android 18: 270.000.000
Hildegarn/Hirudegarn: Lower Half: 8 Billion - Upper Half 9 Billion - Form 1 complete: 17 Billion