Author's Note: Hello there, been a bit, hasn't it?
So yeah, burnout hit me hard, just as I feared it would. The good news is that it was mostly because of a lot of good things happening at once and having to prioritize my time in a way that writing just wasn't something I could fit in. Eventually, it culminated in me letting things slip and having to dedicate less time than I'd like.
I won't dwell on it though, as I never forgot about this series or my intention to see it finished. I do apologize for disappearing, and I'd like to say that it won't happen again, but life happens and I'm only human.
Moving onto the chapter itself, I'm happy with how this turned out. It's a longer one than my usual length, and we do get some fun character interactions as we conclude this battle. Looking for feedback as always and hoping that I'm still able to leave you guys wanting more with this cliffhanger.
I hope you all had a wonderful summer as we make our way into the fall, and thank you for your patience with this chapter.
And as always, please enjoy.
In
He inhaled a steady and calm breath, letting it fill his lungs and calm his mind. His posture was straight as he sat with crossed legs and felt the steady beat of the lookout resonate with his breathing. He felt himself rising above his problems, above his fears, climbing higher above where the only thing on his mind was his own.
Out
The slow exhale brought him back down. The weight of the world settled on his shoulders, driving back toward reality. Fear and doubt bubbled in his core, and as it always had screamed in horror at his decisions and choices. His harshest judge was still himself.
In
So he flies above it. Soaring and reaching heights in his mind, he had yet to see. Letting the fresh air of his surroundings carry him to a place where there is a peace he could never find with eyes open. Yet, even in the inhale, he knew that this peace was not complete; he was not whole. Which brought out a forced exhale.
Out
He had dismissed a part of himself. Rejected the human side of him that still needs others for strength and told himself that this was the best way to protect them. He had to focus on a future where he was Earth's Guardian, and to seek anything more would only put those he loved in danger. The Guardian of Earth needs to be on the lookout to oversee the safety of the planet. It was the best solution and the proper road towards the strength he required to form the dragonballs and fulfill his promises.
The dragon disagreed.
In
Even with the peace of the inhale, he could still feel that loss in his chest. That moment when the dragon left, and his heartbeat returned to just a single sound. The extra thump in his chest he had grown so accustomed to was gone in an instant, leaving him hollow, no longer whole. There had been strength in that sound. The heartbeat of the dragon would constantly reassure him he was on the right path. He would form the dragonballs, restore the dragon, and grant the wishes of his loved ones and fulfill his promises to everyone.
Out
So why had the dragon rejected him? Was he wrong in his belief? What should he have done instead? Was he on the wrong path?
In
"No," Krillin told himself, ending the meditation. "I have made my decision and must follow them through. Earth needs a guardian, and that must be me."
The old monk stood tall, resolute in himself and his power.
"I cannot let anything else distract me from this."
"You need to get out of here."
It was Trunk's voice that got Bulma's attention, taking it away from the broad back of the prince of all saiyans. Looking over to the young man, she could see he was filled with concern and still had his hands on her shoulders, stabilizing her as he continued.
"I can fly you out of here now, get you some blocks away, and..."
"No," Bulma said, removing his hand and standing up straight. "I need to be involved in this, even in some capacity."
"But it's dangerous."
"She's used to danger, boy," Vegeta said, his eyes not leaving Cooler's. "What did you have in mind, woman?"
"This," Bulma said, pointing to the time machine she had risked her life for. "It's not fully operational, but it can at least get airborne. With my roof destroyed, I can at least get an aerial view."
"Airborne? It's already that far along." Trunks said, nearly stunned into silence. "But it's only been a year since you started working on it."
"15 months actually; I thought I would be done with it by now."
"Enough stalling woman!" Vegeta shouted, looking behind for just a moment. "Get out of here before-"
The metal monster took that moment and used it to its fullest. Crossing the length between him and the prince, it struck out with a punch powered by the strength of aliens and androids. Vegeta turned and faced a strike with the best defense he could conjure.
"Damn. Are you-"
"Already gone," Bulma said, climbing up the time machine. "Needs about thirty seconds to charge enough to fly, though."
"Of course it does!" Vegeta shouted as he struggled against Cooler's attack.
"Don't worry," Trunks said, drawing his sword and flashing his aura, letting loose his power and turning his eyes green and hair gold. "We'll hold him off."
Bulma nodded and lifted the lid of the time machine and slipped into the driver's seat. As she started powering up the sequence that would fly her out of the lab, Trunks joined the fight in a violent dash. Cooler saw the golden teen and put more force behind his punch and shrugged Vegeta off, skidding him to the side. With a clear path, the tyrant whipped his repaired tail right at Trunks's throat.
"Not this time!" The Super Saiyan shouted and parried the grasp with his sword before leaning into a spin strike.
The sword swing held enough strength in it that Cooler was forced to block it with his metal arm; it also pushed him down to one knee. Reveling in his accomplishment, Trunks didn't catch Cooler's eyes glowing with energy until it was too late to dodge.
"Die!"
Landing a solid blow against the alien android's face, Vegeta grinned as the fistful of energy held in his fist detonated at point-blank range, covering all three of them in destructive ki energy.
"I need to get out of here," Bulma said to herself as the entire floor buckled under the weight of the fight.
A beep on her dashboard told her it had been thirty seconds, and she was ready to fly. Punching in the commands, Bulma started the hovering sequence just as the floor gave out from under her. Pushing the machine to its limited limit, it took off up and out of what remained of her roof.
Once outside, she could get a clearer picture of the severe damage Capsule Corp had sustained. As well as how much of the chaos had bled out beyond the facility. Without SPHERE to keep the battle contained, Bulma saw that debris was being launched onto the sidewalks while cracks had started to develop through the streets. She could also see that there was a police presence doing its best to maintain order.
This is bad; at this rate, the entire city is going to be involved. Need to get the dome back online.
Looking at her wristwatch, Bulma entered in a code and spoke aloud, the small screen buzzing to life.
"Launch, are you there?"
Static answered her, forcing the scientist to mess with the signal a bit before she heard a response.
"Boss! You're okay!"
"Just barely," Bulma said, still scanning her company as it slowly collapsed. "Looks like Gero sent some backup for 13."
"Backup? Is it another android?"
"Worse, I don't know how, but he got a hold of whatever remained of Cooler and stitched him back together.
"Cooler is here too?!"
"Yeah, but so are vegetables and trunks. They pulled me out before things got worse for me but couldn't stop SPHERE from being brought down."
"Was afraid of that. Things got worse here too; that android is back on his feet. Tien's holding him back, but it's not looking good."
"Then we need to adjust; the best thing right now is to get SPHERE back up. I need you to go directly to its source on the lowest level."
"That's a lot of power, Boss; you want me messing with it?"
"We don't have a choice, telling Tien to push the android up while you go down. The best we hope for is that three against two will work better for us."
"Okay, I'll do my best."
An explosion of ki that cut out a chunk of the shooting range's wall stopped Launch's conversation as she was forced to roll out of the wall. Activating the scouter, covering her right eye, a series of numbers and arrows pointed her in the direction of the fight. Without the aid of the alien tech Bulma had long ago repurposed and replicated, it would be nearly impossible for Launch to keep up with the battle between man and machine.
Thankfully, one of the many modifications her employer had added to the device was a highly advanced tracker able to guess where a scanned target's path would take them. The accuracy of this mod was not 100%, but it was close enough that even at speeds beyond human comprehension, Launch could call her shots better than any earthling alive.
Unfortunately, even that wasn't enough.
Launch could track the conflict well enough to avoid the worst of it, but she could do little else to help Tien as 13 attacked her date with far more ferocity than before. Every arm Tien had was cloaked with a furious typhoon blocking the worst of 13's assault, yet the human found himself on the back foot as the android had increased his power, speed, and energy output in every strike.
He was holding back. Tien shuddered as a vicious punch broke through his airtight defense and shot into his stomach.
"What's wrong, three eyes?" The android grinned. "Starting to feel the difference between us?"
Despite blocking most of the strong right hook, Tien was still knocked off his feet and pushed backward. Landing and stabilizing himself, the human pointed four index fingers at his opponent and shouted.
"Dodon Rays!"
A barrage of ki beams rapidly fired out of Tien's fingertips at the approaching android, who in response raised a single hand and blasted back a dense energy wave. The surge inhaled and destroyed the multiple blasts and forced Tien to jump to the side to avoid a direct hit. 13 rushed him back but was forced to back off as a gunshot whizzed by his head.
"Not this time, Blondie," 13 glared over at Launch, picked up a chunk of debris and hurled it at her head.
Launch's scouter lit up with warnings as the slab of ceiling sped toward her, but the chunk of capsule corp was moving faster than she could dodge. Launch could only put her hands up in the hopes her arms would break instead of her head, yet she was saved as a powerful wind tunnel blasting at the debris destroyed the bit of building.
"You okay?" Tien shouted as he joined the bodyguard at her side.
"I'm fine; don't worry and don't take your eyes off of him!" Launch shouted.
"But-"
Any argument was silenced as the android rushed at them both. Tien refocused and engaged first, attacking with four fully formed tornadoes covering his arms. His punches were a blur of wind and fury, seeking any opening it could in the killer android's defense. Yet even with the added force of the typhoons surrounding him, 13 was no longer wasting time and had increased the power behind his attacks. Leaning into two punches that flew faster than Tien's, the mechanical man smashed his knuckles against the human's. Despite the covering the evil containment fist provided, Tien still felt the instant his hands shattered under the weight of 13's punch.
With two hands out of commission, Tien continued his attack with his other two that connected 13's chest. The three-eyed human discharged a gust of wind that nearly split apart the ground of the shooting range but did not budge the android.
"Sorry, three eyes," 13 smiled. "Got no more time for games."
A swift kick smashed against three of Tien's ribs and cracked them in several places. Heaving blood and losing sight of his opponent, the human had no defense against another punch that landed squarely in his face. His nose broke first, the android's fist bending it in the wrong direction. The punch knocked him off his feet and onto the floor with no intention of stopping; 13 continued his rush even with Tien on the ground. The force of the android's fists reverberated through the human, shifting his shoulders and twisting his back.
Yet even through the barrage of blows, 13 could see in Tien's eyes that he had yet to give up the fight. The human's unwillingness to give up enraged the android, driving him to focus on making the martial artist, which meant that he had missed Launch sneaking up behind him. It wasn't until he felt the steel of Launch's gun pressed against the back of his skull did he stop his flurry.
"Get off my man," Launch said, pushing her handgun into the android's head.
"You're starting to annoy me, blondie," 13 sighed. "Listen, by now you should see that you aren't making a real difference. Your little guns just aren't going to cut it in here."
"Not a strong argument, android," Launch said with narrow eyes. "You know, my arsenal has been enough to keep you from running rampant. So, I'm thinking that you are more nervous about this gun than you're letting on. Seeing as how the boss could stop you cold for a bit there, you might be more concerned about the other weapons she designed."
"Please, if it's not something the doctor made, then it's not worth noticing at all. Put that thing away and wait your turn for me to kill you."
"Not happening, but if you aren't worried about this, then ignore me while I pull the trigger."
"Bad idea, human. Maybe you haven't seen how fast I can move, but I'll take your head before you get that chan-"
The gun in Launch's hands was one that Bulma had specifically designed for her to the best of her specifications. Launch had asked for a small handgun contact enough to remain by her side instead of in a capsule but could hold enough kick to level a building. The concentrated burst of energy the handgun could shoot out was powerful enough that it couldn't be fired multiple times because of the stress on the wielder's arms. Yet Launch wasn't thinking about herself as she pulled the trigger.
Tien felt the heat of the blast wash over his battered body as Launch's gun fired out. The blast was powerful enough to send the android sailing over him, crashing into the wall on the other side of the range. He saw Launch's arms go limp and her grimace in pain. Yet she carried herself over to him and placed a finger inside his ear.
"You haven't used your Senzu yet, right? I need you to say the word real quick if you can."
Tien watched the blond bodyguard do her best to hide her fear as she looked at the horrific state the android had left him in. Despite the pain, he did his best to obey the request for her.
"S-senzu," Tien mouthed bitterly, his jaw broken into pieces.
The healing effects hit the three-eyed human instantly as broken bones and shattered limps were stitched back into place without any resistance. The masked fear left Launch, and she offered a wide smile as Tien sat up and took a sturdy fighting stance.
"Update from the boss," Launch said, speaking quickly. "Gero put Cooler back together and sent him as backup."
"Cooler?!" Tien exclaimed, his focus wavering for a moment.
"Yeah, that's why the power is down, which took out SPHERE too. Vegeta and Trunks got here in time to save the boss, but without a barrier to keep this fight contained, things are going to get a lot worse real fast."
"I'm assuming you or Bulma have a plan?"
"The start of one, you go up and join Vegeta and Trunks. Maybe you'll have a better time with two more on your side, making this three against two. Meanwhile, I'll go down and get everything back online."
"Alright, but he's got you in his sights now; if you try and leave, he might know something is up," Tien said. "We'll have to force him away."
"Got something new that can do that?"
"No, something old, but the setup might be difficult. Can you fire that gun again?"
"Yes," Launch said, clutching her right arm for a moment. "What do you need me to do?"
These two are working my last nerve. 13 said silently as he picked himself off the floor. Bad enough I had to send out a distress call for the doctor, never going to hear the end of that as it is. But if I don't bring in or kill the Briefs girl, then this whole thing is a bust.
Looking up with a frown already planted on his face and a glare to go with it, the android found his prey separating from each other and running to either side of the shooting range.
Scattering already? Guess you want me to choose which one of you I kill first. Fine, then it's time for Blondie to go.
Stomping down with enough force to crack into floor 13, he propelled himself toward Launch with murder on his mind.
The blond bodyguard's scooter picked up the blur that the killer robot had become and flashed several warnings in advance. Unsurprised, she had been picked, and with the danger of death nearly upon her launch, it quickly took a second to slap the Capsule Corp logo on her jumpsuit. Forming faster than 13 could strike a barrier emanating from Launch's suit that enveloped the former criminal, covering her from head to toe. As the punch landed, it carried enough velocity to push Launch backward, but otherwise, she was unharmed.
"You must be joking," 13 growled. "How did you survive that?"
"Because my boss is smarter than yours."
Holding up a shaking arm Launch took aim with her gun and fired a second time. The point-blank denotation added additional stress on her arms, but the gunfire hit and completely enveloped the android. 13 found himself being thrown back once more by the ki bullet, sending him airborne and soaring across the range. The speed at which he flew was faster than he could recover as the android did his best to slow his flight.
I am going to take that girl's head when I get
"Volleyball Fist!"
The shout came from behind him, so the android turned the best he could only to see Tien with all four arms pointed in a downward position and encased in a violet wind.
"Oh hell."
Slamming into the android's back, Tien pumped all his freshly restored energy into his four arms. 13 felt himself being taken by the wind and pushed straight up just as Tien shouted.
"SET!"
A controlled gale erupted from the three-eyed warrior as he leaned back and lifted his four limbs up above his head, shooting the android up and through the ceiling above him.
A typhoon rising up through the floors he had just smashed through carried 13 up and out of the shooting range. Catching his breath and watching the wind carry his opponent away, Tien looked toward Launch and gave her a thumbs up with both of his right arms.
"Good luck."
Vegeta skidded backward, his arms throbbing with pain from the punch he had blocked with his forearms.
Damn. The prince thought to himself as he watched Trunks continue to dive in to continue the fight.
The golden hair and aura clashed with the alien turned android shaking the freshly destroyed laboratory in a conflict that shook the foundations of the capsule corp. The power his son from the future displayed caused conflict deep within the prince's heart. Envy took hold, but a sense of pride was there as well—a sense of pride for someone, not himself.
Shaking off the inner turmoil, Vegeta prepared himself to rejoin the fray when a rumble beneath his feet delayed him. Erupting in a geyser of wind, the bottom of the lab was ripped apart as the typhoon jetted up and through the destroyed ceiling before dispersing.
Trunks and Cooler were far enough away from the attack to remain unaffected, while Vegeta was forced to jump away in time before the hurricane took him in.
"What was that?" The prince asked as he stared in awe of the wild display of power.
As the winds died out, Vegeta noticed a being that was in the center of the storm fall out of the sky and land on its side with a soft grunt. Unsure of who he was looking at, the saiyan only watched as the man picked himself off the ground, shaking with fury.
"Oh, I am done with this place!" the man roared.
Watching the man howl, Vegeta couldn't help but notice that despite the winds cutting into this person's attire, he could clearly see two capital R's stand out on his vest.
"Ah, the red ribbon android, I presume," Vegeta said with a mocking grin. "Having some trouble, are we?"
13 answered the question with a glare that only deepened as he recognized the man. "If it isn't the'saiyan prince.'"
"You've come after the wrong person today, Android. Not sure what you are trying to accomplish here, but your next stop will be the scrap heap."
A sudden clash of swords on metal cut off the conversation as Trunks pushed back Cooler after a struggle and took his father's side as he stared down at the android.
"Boy, do you recognize this one?" Vegeta asked gesturing to 13. "You must have seen it running around in your time, no doubt."
"No, I don't," Trunks said, still in his Super Saiyan form. "I've never seen that one before."
"Maybe because he isn't worth remembering."
Rising up through the hole he created, Tien smoothly landed next to the father and son.
"Tien!" Trunks said excitedly.
"Good to see you, Trunks," Tien said with a smile before turning to the full-bloodied saiyan. "I see you're here too."
"Human. I suppose that little wind was your doing."
"It was. Unfortunately, this android is too much for me to handle alone. Though I see you have your own problems."
Cooler wordlessly stepped next to 13 with his restructured body, catching Tien's attention.
"Hard to believe that's the same monster that we struggled against. It looks like he's falling apart."
"Don't let this freak's looks fool you, human," 13 said with a sneer. "He's packing even more power than before thanks to the doctor's upgrades."
"Upgrades? HA! Have you let this halfwit tinker with you Cooler? Are you more machine than warrior now?" Vegeta laughed.
There was no response from the alien android, save a slight twitch in its right arm.
"How the mighty fall."
"Don't let him get to you freak. Tell you what, and I'll let you have the prince all to yourself. He's got a bone to pick with you after all," 13 said in a mocking tone. "Plus, out of three of them, he's the weakest."
A full vein bulged out from Vegeta's forehead as his easy smirk fell into a dangerous frown.
"I'll show you weak!" The prince screamed, falling for the taunt.
Propelling himself at the two androids in a burst of speed, the prince brought all his power to bear, looking to destroy one of the two machines in front of him.
"Sic him," 13 said with a sharp whistle.
Following the command, Cooler leaped at Vegeta, arms wide. Embracing the full-bloodied Saiyan in a grapple, the mechanical monster fell Vegeta first through the wide hole Tien had created and dived, sending the prince deeper into the heart of the ruined Capsule Corp.
"Father!" Trunks shouted, watching the two alien warriors fall out of sight.
"Wait, what? Father?" was all Tien could say before 13 charged at him.
"Heads up!" The android shouted while drop-kicking Tien with both feet.
Even distracted as he was at Trunks exclamation, Tien was able to block most of the blow with his four arms. Yet he was sent skidding backward, leaving Trunks alone to face the killer machine. With a sword swing that he had started as soon as the attack landed on his companion, Trunks sent a slice aimed at 13's neck.
The android blocked the swing by holding up a single finger in the sword's path. "Going to have hit harder than that."
Curling his right hand into a fist, 13 lashed out at Trunks exposed side, looking to break a rib, maybe two. However, a wind tunnel shifted his aim just enough to miss as Tien rushed to rejoin the fight. With the android's strike going wide, Trunks repositioned himself and gripped his sword with two hands. His golden aura flaring, the half-saiyan leaned into a cleave and lunged at 13's head once more.
Even caught off guard, the android had enough sense to put up a defense with both arms to protect his vitals. Trunks's cut landed on 13's forearms and served to push him further back, drawing a thin slice against the android's arms.
"Hard enough for you?" Trunks mocked, taking a deeper fighting stance.
13 growled before dashed forward with steel fists and an eagerness for blood.
"Trunks!"
Tien's cry from behind him caught the young man's attention, and he paused in his rush.
"Let me follow up!"
"Right!" Trunks answered, understanding the callout and sheathing his sword.
Moving his arms faster than the android, Trunks flashed through a series of rapid arm movements, ending with his arms crossed across the chest. Placing his palms forward with the thumbs and index fingers touching each other, forming a diamond shape facing the charging android while crying out.
"Burning!"
"Ray!" Tien roared from directly behind him.
Dumping a sizeable chunk of Ki trunks fired out a large energy sphere out of his palms. Seeing the blast coming toward him, 13 prepared his defenses and planned on charging right through it. Only for this plan to fail as two thin beams of ki flew over Trunk's shoulders and two more shot out from under his arms.
The four dodon rays collided with the burning attack, amplifying its power and speed and transforming the burn into a blaze.
"Son of a b-"
The Burning Ray hit 13 faster than he could put up a defense, engulfing the android and blasting through the wall behind him, reducing it to rubble. With the ceiling already dusty, the additional damage to the lab had the entire floor groaning as the capsule corp struggled to keep itself together.
"Thanks," Trunks breathed out as Tien joined him at his side.
"Don't thank me yet," Tien answered. "He's been shrugging off bigger blasts than that. You said you don't have any knowledge of him in the future?"
"Never seen him before," Trunks said, shaking his head. "He's here for Bulma?"
"Indeed, he seems to be fully committed to Gero's plan of taking over the world in his own image. I'm guessing he sees Bulma's intelligence as a threat and is looking to capture or kill her."
"Bastard! I won't let that happen!" Trunks growled, just thinking of the possibility.
"Yes, I imagine you'd want to prevent anything from happening to your mother, I would guess."
"Ah," Trunks flinched. "I…um-"
"Your secret is safe with me. Trunks I had my suspicions, and you merely confirmed them. Where are the others?"
"On their way, we just moved faster than them."
"Alright, then we just need to hold him here and keep him from harming anyone else before then."
Trunks nodded, but his frown told the human that the young man was anything but confident.
"You don't think we can beat him with everyone?"
"No, I actually think we stand a good chance. Training with you and the others in the past few months has made me stronger than I ever thought possible. Yet we still aren't at the level of the two androids I've fought in the future."
"They were that strong?"
"They are, and the fact that we haven't seen them yet might mean we are in a lot more danger than we think."
"Finally," Launch gasped as she threw open the stairway door to the lowest level in the Capsule Corporation. Since she had helped Tien get rid of the android, the blond bodyguard had been sprinting all the way down to the energy chamber, where the power for the SPHERE had been gathered. The SPHERE grid.
Dashing into the wide, circular room from the ceiling to the bottom, where the walls had been lined with thick metal plating, stopping anything from escaping to the upper levels. Launch scrambled toward the control panel that lay only a few steps from the elevator.
Running up to the dashboard, Launch looked over the multitude of buttons in front of her and felt the trickle of sweat coming from her head turn into a flood.
"Okay, boss, I'm here in the chamber," Launch said to her watch while patching it through to Bulma.
"Good," Bulma answered quickly. "Alright, there should be enough power to reactivate the SPHERE. Just run through the commands like I showed you before, and it'll be fine."
"Right," Launch said, looking back over to the dashboard. "Can you run me through how to do that again?"
"Launch,we reviewed this a week ago!"
"I had a lot on my mind a week ago!"
"Fine, then we'll do this step by step. Just listen close."
An explosion overhead stopped the blue-haired scientist's explanation as Vegeta and the Cooler doused in metal fell from the ceiling and landed heavily onto the ground.
"You have got to be kidding me!" Launch said, as the two aliens immediately continued to fight as soon as they got back on their feet.
A surge of strength from Cooler pushed Vegeta back, skidding on his heels, giving him a chance to look over in Launch's direction with disdain.
"Oh, you," Vegeta said before being slammed by another attack from the former tyrant.
"What are you doing here, 'prince'?!" Launch shouted at her, and the chamber shook from the intensity of the battle. "Tien went up to keep you guys away while I get SPHERE back online! How did you mess that up?!"
"Quiet human!" Vegeta shouted back as he stepped back on the defensive. "I'm not here because I want to be!"
"Unbelievable!" Launch growled before looking back to the dashboard. "Just keep him away from me while I work on this you useless alien!"
"What?!"
The prince's retort cost him the seconds needed to avoid Cooler's kick that struck his side. Coughing up air and blood, Vegeta had to stop himself from losing his stance and refocus in time to see Metal Cooler point a single finger at him.
Three thin energy beams were fired at the Saiyan's skull fast enough to take away the option of escaping them. Pumping his right arm with all of his ki Vegeta, he slapped the three beams away in various directions into the chamber's wall and ceiling. Avoiding death came at a cost as Vegeta's right arm went completely numb because of the power of the beams; his limb was still shaking from the collision as Cooler charged again.
"Dammit!" Launch seethed as the deflected blasts shook the chamber and nearly knocked her off her feet.
"Focus Launch!"
The demand from her boss got the blond bodyguard's attention even as another explosion rocked the platform she was standing on.
"Let's do this one at a time, okay?"
Bulma's instructions were calm and clear, taking each step into account and trying to make sure Launch could understand where to go on the dashboard and what to do. Unfortunately, this was not enough for the former bandit to understand the intricacies of the Capsule Corp's power system.
"Slow down, boss!" Launch shouted, unable to comprehend the instructions, as the chamber seemed to buckle around from the force of the battle surrounding her. "I'm not getting this!"
Another clash between the two aliens sent Vegeta crashing onto the platform, shifting Launch's footing and having her land on a particular command as she tried to stabilize. The dashboard sprang to life, and a dome of Ki energy instantly formed surrounding both her, Vegeta, and the platform in an instant. Cooler while chasing after the prince wasn't fast enough to get into the small sphere before it fully formed, locking him out.
"What? What did you do, human?" Vegeta snapped as Cooler pounded against the sphere. "Release me this instant!"
"How am I supposed to know?! All these buttons look the same to me!"
"Then step aside and let me do!"
Pushing Launch away before she could say something, Vegeta picked a button at random and pushed it.
"Wait, not that one!"
Bulma's warning came too late, as the dashboard registered the prince's entry and followed it accordingly. A compartment within the dashboard opened up, and a small platform rose up, lifting its contents for both humans and saiyan to see.
A jar with a lid no bigger than a water bottle was raised on the small platform with various wires sticking out of it from almost every angle. Etched on it's center was a small symbol made of dried blood.
"Wait, isn't this?" Launch started.
"It's the jar that Tien used to seal up Cooler's energy attack that almost blew up Earth," Bulma said, cutting in. "It's also the source of power for the entire Corp, and it's still active, so don't let anything happen to it!"
Another shake rattled the small sphere with enough force to shift the jar, causing Launch to react and grab it with both hands to steady the container.
"We're sitting ducks here, humans! Drop this barrier so I can finish this fight!"
"Are you out of your mind, Saiyan?" This barrier is the only thing saving our skin right now! How are you going to 'finish this fight' if you were getting your butt handed to you?!"
"I will not die a coward with only you as company!"
"Well, I'm not letting anyone else die, period!" Launch snapped back, getting up into Vegeta's face. "If I don't get SPHERE back up, then a lot more people are going to get hurt! Try and think about others before yelling like an as...an aaaa."
The prince could only look on in confusion as Launch's face contorted in an attempt to stop what could not be stopped.
"ACHOO!"
Vegeta dodged the explosion of snot and watched blond hair shift to blue as the new Launch shook her head while trying to get her bearings.
"Oh, hello Vegeta, What are you doing?"
Another punch from Cooler cut off the bodyguard, rattling her off her feet.
"What is going on?" Launch said in horror as the mechanical alien slammed itself against the barrier.
"Launch, I'll explain everything later!" Bulma shouted from the wristwatch, taking the blue-haired bodyguard's attention. "Right now we need you to get SPHERE back online from the chamber dashboard. Do you remember how to do that?"
"Yeah, Ms. Briefs, I remember."
"Good, then maybe you also remember how to get me out of this deathtrap!" Vegeta snarled.
"Oh, I'm not sure that's a good idea," Launch said, flinching as she stood up while Cooler continued his assault against the safety of the small dome.
"It'll be okay, Launch. Cooler already broke through one barrier; this one isn't going to last long. As long as he doesn't touch any more buttons, Vegeta will keep you safe," Bulma said, cutting in. "It's what a prince would do after all."
Vegeta crossed his arms in a show of annoyance but held a small smile he reserved for himself.
"Okay, if you say so," Launch said while pulling out her gun and turning toward the saiyan. "H-here."
"What? What are you doing?"
"If Ms. Briefs trusts you, then so do I," Launch said, holding her weapon out. "My other half practices a lot with it, but I'm no good, so maybe this will help you instead."
"I have no need for a weapon, human!" Vegeta snapped as if insulted.
"It's helpful, I swear! It discharges a burst of energy that does more damage the closer you are to the target. I call it the 'little bang'."
"What you call it is of no concern to me, human," Vegeta said while taking a fighting stance. "Drop the barrier."
"…alright." Walking up to the dashboard, Launch entered in a sequence to both redirect energy to the space surrounding the corp and hovered over the button to drop the dome around the two of them. "Good luck."
The barrier faded just as Cooler leaned into a strike, leading the metal monster to miss and rendering him off-balanced and exposed. Lunging forward, Vegeta seized the opportunity to plant a vicious right hook into Cooler's unguarded temple. The punch gave Launch enough room to reform the small dome around the platform, giving her enough space to concentrate on her goal.
Yet in only a few moments, that was going to become far more difficult.
"Do you see him?" Trunks asked Tien as the human scanned the area 13 had fallen with every eye he had.
"No, it seems like he's left the area entirely. If we could sense his energy, this wouldn't be an issue."
"Did he run away?"
"Not likely; we pushed him back, but that shouldn't be enough to dissuade him from going after Bulma. He didn't strike me as the coward type."
"You don't have to be a coward to realize two against one is a losing fight."
"You're right," Tien said slowly. "Which might mean he's decided to even the odds."
A hard quake rattled the corp from the bottom up, confirming Tien's fears.
"Dammit, he's going after Launch and Vegeta!"
Flying downward into the hole he had created, Cooler dove through Tien, focusing his power purely on speed. Trunks followed just as quickly as the two warriors free fell deeper into the depths of the Capsule Corp. They arrived just as 13 broke into the chamber.
"You're not getting away!" Trunks shouted while charging at the android with a sword swing ready.
Anger-fueled annoyance took over 13 as he was forced to engage with the half-saiyan, leaving Tien free to drop down next to Launch, still encased in the small dome of energy, while entering in key commands over the dashboard.
"Tien!" Launch said, looking up from the dashboard for only a second. "You have to keep them away from me while I work on getting SPHERE online."
"How long do you need?"
"At least a minute."
"Then that's what you'll get," Tien said before looking over at the two ongoing fights. Trunks against 13 in his Super Saiyan state seemed to be holding his own. Glancing over to Vegeta, Tien didn't even need three eyes to see that the saiyan was struggling against metal Cooler. With his mind made up and a heavy sigh in his breath, Tien flared his aura and flew to aid the prince.
Vegeta didn't see Tien approach as he took a swift knee to the chin, blurring his vision as he shook his head to regain his sight. The metal monster saw the opening and rushed toward it with freshly built hands, waiting to close around the saiyan's throat. Only to stop short as four hands grabbed him by the tail. Turning just in time to see Tien begin to spin with his grip on the tail steady and strong. Twirling twice, Tien released his iron-clad hold on Cooler's tail and watched the alien sail away.
"Human, stay out of this!"
"Not a chance, Saiyan," Tien said, cracking the knuckles on every hand he had. "I know you've got something to prove, but now is not that time. We need to wrap this up and get these two taken care of."
"This is my fight! I don't need-"
"He's coming!" Tien said, interrupting the prince's rant as Cooler shot towards them. "Get your guard up!"
Despite the silent growl under his breath, Vegeta took a stance and joined Tien's side as Cooler smashed against their united front. The collision set the two warriors sliding backward in the air for a few steps, but eventually the impact died down and the combat opened up. Seeing the prince was unwilling to let go of his spot in the front, Tien slipped to the side and engaged the metal alien from there. Cooler fired off twin beams of energy with his eyes as he planted a kick into Vegeta's stomach with a heavy crunch. Tien dodged the blasts and the follow-up strike by Cooler's tail, blocking it with the two arms on his left side.
Having regained his breath after the kick, Vegeta grabbed Cooler's ankle and applied all of his strength inward in an attempt to crush it. This attention caught the attention of the metal monster, leaving Tien free to fire off two-point blank dodon rays. The ki rays hit their mark, removing his foot from the prince.
"Galick!" Vegeta shouted as both of his hands gracefully moved into position. "Gun!"
A purple wave of pure ki exploded out, slamming into the rebuilt tyrant and carrying him upward through the battered ceiling of the dome, carving a brand-new exit from capsule corp's lowest point.
"You'll bring this whole place down on top of us, Vegeta!" Tien snapped.
"Quiet, human, don't tell me what to do!"
Before the argument could get underway, Cooler returned. Smashing through the countless floors of concrete, he appeared with a vengeance. A giant metal hand collapsed around Tien's head and was driving right into Vegeta's skull. Ringing like a gong, the two fighters were tossed to the side as Cooler resumed his rampage.
Only to pause as a sharp shout rang out from the center of the room.
"Done!" Launch said to herself as she entered the last key sequence to finish off the computer command needed for SPHERE. The small platform holding up the jar filled with deadly ki energy started to hum and pulse as the wires injected into the container began to siphon the power needed for the task. Even buried deep in the depths of the capsule corp, every warrior could feel SPHERE take shape again as it encased what remained of the company's headquarters.
The process was dense enough to get the attention of 13 just as he finished throwing off trunks to the side.
"Damn, look like the humans finished up whatever they were trying to do. This has been a complete disaster, but whatever they have on that platform looks like it's containing some serious energy. If I can get that back to the doctor, he can at least use it for something."
"Oi keep them busy for a bit," 13 said casually to Cooler. "I'm going to see a lady about a jar."
Cooler seemed to acknowledge the order and whipped his tail against Tien and Vegeta, pinning them flat against the upper ceiling of the chamber.
"No!" Tien said he was struggling against the metal alien as he watched the android descend upon the woman he had come to care for. "Launch!"
The cry of the man she had come to care for grabbed the bodyguard's attention as 13 launched an assault against the small dome, keeping her safe from certain death. The first punch shook the tiny sphere, changing the protection it offered into a prison.
"Blue hair, huh?" 13 laughed as he let loose another strike. "Not sure what you're doing in there, human, but there ain't a hairstyle in the world that'll stop me from killing you!"
Launch cowered away from the second attack while stabilizing herself on the dashboard. The third punch had Launch notice the small crack that seemed to form against the dome, and the fourth had her looking back towards the small jar on the platform. Slowly, a plan began to take shape.
Returning to the dashboard Launch began a new series of commands, including the sequence of pulling more energy out of the jar. The same loud hum sang out as power was filtered through the attached wires and into the center of the chamber.
"LAUNCH!" Tien cried again as he struggled against Cooler's metal tail, trying and failing to break free.
Vegeta looked over at the human, his battered body shaking with fury while his face tightened with rage. Yet the prince couldn't help but notice that all three eyes of the human displayed an emotion he recognized, one of pure fear but not for himself. For the woman he cried out to and could not save, not alone.
"Boy!" Vegan shouted over to Trunks, who was just now peeling himself out of the wall. "Your sword!"
The half-saiyan heard his father and instantly understood the demand. Throwing the weapon overhand sent the blade spinning towards the trapped saiyan. Vegeta pushed through with his strength and reached out with the one hand he could free, catching the sword at its handle. Remembering the conversation he had with Yajirobi during the fight with Frieza, the prince felt and flexed his energy and sent it along the blade his son had trusted him with. Encased with ki, Vegeta struck down with the sword and severed the metal tail.
The cut was quick and clean, leaving the once powerful tyrant reeling as the familiar sensation of losing his tail sent him reeling, but only for a moment. Despite the loss of the artificial limb, Cooler lunged after Tien with an attack ready to let loose. Yet again, Vegeta was there to block the strike, stopping the brunt of it with his son's sword.
"Human go!"
The surprise of being freed lasted less than a second as Tien sent a nod of thanks to the prince before diving toward the android and to Launch's side. Yet before he could reach either of them, the blue-haired bodyguard's plan went into effect.
A new dome of energy bigger than the one surrounding Launch phased in and around 13, encasing the android in a small sphere of his own. Tien wasn't fast enough and had to stop sort of joining his opponent in the ki prison.
"What the?" 13 said looking around and realizing there was no immediate way out. "You planning on keeping me trapped here? That's not going to work for long."
The android's comments were cut as Launch silently drew her gun out of its holster and pointed it at the jar brimming with explosive energy.
"Woah, woah, woah, let's slow down a minute here," the android said, his tone shifting from hard to soft. "That's not the best idea right now."
"If it gets rid of you, then it's a great idea!" Launch said, her voice quivering as much as her hands on the gun.
"That'll kill us both, idiot girl!" 13 shouted before he saw the shaking hands of the bodyguard. "Why don't you do the smart thing, sweetheart, and put the gun down before your trigger finger slips? You don't want to hurt anyone else, right?"
"N-no," Launch said, straightening her stance and resolve. "Just you."
"Launch, don't do this!" Bulma's voice cried out from her watch. "The resulting explosion will-"
"Be contained by the second barrier," Launch countered, her eyes still on the jar and her gun. "The blast will break through the first barrier due to the crack, but I've made sure the second one will stay up even after the power source is gone. The only ones that will die will be me and the android."
"That doesn't matter to me; I order you to stop!"
"It's my choice, Ms. Briefs," the bodyguard said sharply. "I couldn't fight when Vegeta attacked Earth. I couldn't go to Namek, and I couldn't do anything when the aliens invaded, but despite all that, you still gave me something I could do. A job I could do. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have anything, so who even knows what I would be doing right now? So let me do what you hired me to do. Let me make the choice to protect you."
"Laun-"
A quick flick turned off the screen on her wristwatch, leaving the bodyguard focused on her task and prepared for what came next. Yet a heavy punch shaking both domes once more made her pause. Looking beyond the frightened android and into the three eyes of the human, Launch felt her determination shake.
Tien had all four arms moving in a sequence, trying to break through the two barriers as his aura burned him from the outside in. He had multiplied the power of the Kaio-ken further than he ever had before as he wordlessly threw his body against the barriers, just in the hopes of saving the woman he had grown to care about.
"It's alright, Tien. This is what I want."
Not again.
"I can't do much to help, but I can do this."
Not again.
"I'm sorry I couldn't do more for you."
Not again.
"Maybe this doesn't have to be goodbye though," Launch said as she watched the man trying to claw his way inside. "If Krillin can get the dragonballs back, maybe we can have that tea date. I would really like that."
Not again.
Tien heard every word from Launch, but he did not respond to one. Every ounce of his concentration and power were focused on gaining access inside of the barriers. He did not notice the fear on 13's face as he tried escaping on his own or the creeping gray crawling alongside his skin as he burned through his life force. The only thing that mattered was stopping this from happening again.
But how?
The man's mind raced as the seconds between seconds vanished, leaving him with nothing but a memory.
"Hey Chiaotzu? Can I come in?"
In the memory he was back on the lookout years in the past. Just a few hours after his sparring session with Krillin as they prepared for the arrival of the saiyans. The spar had ended with Krillin blocking Tien's attack with a ki barrier, a technique he had mimicked after seeing Chiaotzu use it during their spar. Or according to Chiaotzu Krillin he hadn't mimicked the technique, the monk had stolen from him.
"Go away."
The voice came out more of a groan than anything else, but its presence none the less brought out a soft smile from Tien.
"Sorry buddy, I was just knocking to be polite. I'm coming in anyway."
"Nnnnnoooo."
Despite the extra groan, Tien pushed forward into Chiaotzu's room on the lookout and quickly found his friend face down on the bed with a pillow covering his entire head.
"I'm here to tell you it's just about dinner time. Will you be joining us?"
"Is the thief going to be there?"
"Krillin? I imagine so. Is that going to be a problem?"
"Maybe, if he steals my food too."
"Come on, Chiaotzu, you know Krillin didn't do that maliciously. Besides, it's better for the team if we use each other's techniques against the saiyans."
"I know that," Chiaotzu said, taking off the pillow and sitting up on his bed. "It's just that I worked hard on that technique. I thought it would be something I call my own, but with Krillin taking it, it isn't really mine anymore. If I can't contribute anything to the fight, then why am I even here? I just want to be pulling my weight with you guys. I want to make sure I'm doing my part and helping."
"I understand how you feel," Tien said, joining his friend at the foot of his bed. "But I don't think you have to worry about that so much. We all know you'll have our back when the time comes."
That got out a smile from the smallest fighter before doubt started creeping back in.
"Still, I'm annoyed. I know it's childish, but Krillin taking my technique stings a bit."
"Well, put it this way. Since you invented it, then you have a better understanding of how it functions correctly. Krillin might know how to make a barrier, but I bet there's more to it that only you know."
Chiaotzu blinked through the suggestion before grinning widely with eyes wide. "You're right!"
A sinister giggle escaped the small fighter, which told Tien that this talk must have helped, even a little.
"Seems like you are feeling a bit better now. So how does dinner sound?"
"Good!"
The two friends stood up out of bed and started to leave, with Tien leading the way. It wasn't until the three-eyed warrior reached the good did Chiaotzu speak up again.
"Um Tien, you know if you want. I can tell you something about the barrier technique."
"Don't you want to keep that for yourself? I don't want you to feel like you're giving up more secrets just for me."
"If it's you, then it'll be okay, but maybe don't tell Krillin, okay?"
"Heh, you have my word."
"Okay, here it is," Chiatozu smiled and floated to Tien's ear to whisper. "The top of the barrier. That's where it's weakest."
(cut)
Tien's could hear Chiaotzu's words in his head as clearly as if he were right next to him. That small secret that just seemed precious then was essential now. As Tien changed his tactic from striking widely against the barrier to focusing on just one spot, the very top of the small dome. Rearing back with all four arms, Tien lunged with a single punch with four different fists. The impact shook the barrier, but it wasn't enough to break through. Again, one punch from four identical hands smashed against the top of the sphere, but not even a crack appeared.
I need more. Tien thought as he dug deeper within himself, pulling out every inch of strength he could give. Ash slowly overtook his skin as he pushed himself to the limit and further beyond.
I need to reach her.
A new sensation flowed through the martial artist as he scrounged for power, clawing for anything that could help him now. Clawing for anything that could help, Tien followed the feeling and expanded on it, pumping what little strength he had left into this feeling. Perhaps it was his body following what his heart and mind desired or just primal instinct fueling him, but he did not question how a set of two more arms exploded out the side of his body. With his arms now totaling six, Tien once again reared back and focused all of his cultivated power on one spot. As six new wind tunnels swirled around his arms, he lunged just as one last thought entered his mind.
Chiaotzu, thank you. For saving me again.
Okay, Launch, you can do this; it's easy; just pull the trigger and it'll all be over. I don't think it'll even be painful. I imagine the energy will just wash over me, and that'll be the end. Bulma did this, Tien did this, Krillin, Goku—all of them died, and they must have been just as scared, but they didn't let it slow them down. So, if this can help the others even a little, then I can't let this stop me. I have to do what I can!
With her breathing accelerating, Launch spent the seconds between seconds focusing on the jar and calming in her shaking hands. Moving through her fear, the blue-haired bodyguard tried emptying her mind for better aim. Launch didn't realize she was crying until her tears rolled off of her chin.
Why?
Instead of improving her mental state, her attempts to calm herself only served to bring new thoughts to the front of her mind. Possibilities of the day she could have shared with the man she had grown to care for. The man who drove himself past the limits of a human should just for the sake of the future that he could share with the woman he had grown to love.
I should do this to help. I can make a difference if I do this. I can matter to others. If I help, I won't be forgotten.
The tears increased in size and speed as a final thought crossed her mind.
I wanted to matter to him.
And the trigger was pulled.
Bulma saw the explosion from the time machine. The terrible destructive energy was contained by SPHERE as it reached the edges of the capsule corporation. The eruption of contained energy was far greater than Launch had anticipated, and whatever precautions the bodyguard had taken seemed to have failed. From Bulma's perspective, it appeared that the detonation had reduced everything inside to atoms.
What…what happened?
In silent horror, Bulma landed the time machine next to the edge of the new crater and watched the remnants of SPHERE sputter and fade away. Opening the hatch, Bulma scanned the hole as well as she could, trying to understand what had happened.
Launch said she had the android properly contained in a second sphere. If that was the case, then the blast shouldn't have breached above ground. Something went wrong, something-
It wasn't until that moment did Bulma truly realize what she was looking at. Her family's business, her business—everything she had ever worked on or planned on starting was gone. Her home had been destroyed.
Is there anything left?
"Ms. Briefs! Ms. Bulma Briefs!"
Turning toward the voices, the scientist saw multiple police officers and several members of the press rushing toward her.
Oh no.
"Ms. Bulma Briefs, can you comment on what just happened to the capsule corp building?" One reporter said they led with a microphone as they ran toward the blue-haired woman.
"We understand that you had a building-wide evacuation before a strange barrier encased the building. Was this an experiment gone terribly wrong?" Another asked just as quickly.
The mass of people rushing toward her frozen Bulma in place. Still grappling with the sudden loss of her home and uncertain as to what had happened to her friends inside the dome, the scientists couldn't even put up a fight as she was bombarded with questions. Yet she did not have to withstand them for long.
A quick rumble from the remains of the capsule corp stole the mob's attention long enough to see a geyser of dust and debris fly upward, close to the edge of the crater.
"W-what is that?"
The mass of reporters pivoted toward the eruption with microphones and cameras on hand. Which meant that all their recording equipment picked up a man landing in front of them as if shielding the blue-haired woman. Coated in bits and pieces of building, Vegeta's stare carried an enormous weight among the crowd as his body was littered with proof of the intense battle. His battle armor had been cracked open in several areas to make way for burn marks and cuts. In his right hand, he carried a sword that looked sharp enough to cut through the crowd with ease. With the scars of battle apparent and the heavy glare weighing them down, the mob of reporters could only look on in confusion and awe at the saiyan, forgetting their duties as professionals.
So, the first word went to the prince.
"Leave."
The word's tone was harsh and heavy, leaving no room for argument. Yet it was enough to spur the mob into some action, and it was obvious that a wave of questions would come soon. Until the prince spoke again.
"Leave."
This time the command was followed by a display of raw power that the group could not understand. A flash of light seemed to surround the man, and a sharp rumble rattled the ground beneath their feet. Awe and confusion shifted into fear, and the basic human instinct of survival grabbed hold of the mob. The saiyan's strength seemed to have robbed the crowd of their voice as well as they started to run away with microphones, cameras, and notepads all in silent fear.
"That might be a problem later," Bulma said, still shaking a little. "
"Humph, we have no reason to fear cowards," Vegeta snorted before looking over to the scientist. "Still alive, woman?"
"I could ask the same of you."
"That explosion was bigger than expected, but not enough to kill me."
"Did you see the others down there at all? Are they okay?"
"No, but the boy will be fine. The humans were far closer to the source of the blast. They might not have been as lucky."
Bulma was quiet but started to approach the edge of what was once the capsule corporation.
"You intend to go down there?" Vegeta asked with an eyebrow raised.
"Yes, unless you think you can stop me."
"I do not."
"Good, then you can carry me instead."
A playful smirk adored the prince's face as he handed Trunks's sword to the human. Once taken, the prince turned to offer Bulma his back. Getting a full view of the board backside of the prince Bulma climbed on and patted his shoulder twice, indicated that she was secure. Lowering down into the chasm, Vegeta remained on guard as Bulma was forced to look at the remnants of her home.
Bits and pieces of hallways she had spent her childhood walking through. Charred outlines of offices she had worked and studied in. The main center square that had once been so full of greenery and the fountain she had loved so much. It was all gone.
"There."
"What?" Bulma asked the prince's voice, bringing her out of her own head.
"There," Vegeta repeated, pointing down at the lowest point of the chasm.
With a direction to follow, Bulma saw that at the center of the blast, a small bubble of ki was rapidly blinking in and out of existence. Wordlessly slapping the shoulders of the alien warrior indicated that the blue-haired scientist needed the man to move faster than he already was. Landing on the rubble and dust that was the capsule corporation, the humans and Saiyan could see that a tiny bubble of energy was being held aloft by Tien. Most of his skin had turned ashen gray, and what wasn't had been dyed in a foul mixture of sweat and blood. Four of his arms were dedicated to maintaining the barrier, pumping it with the last of his ki. The other two arms that he had grown in the time of his greatest desperation were cradling Launch as she remained still, but alive.
"T-tien?" Bulma said slowly as she walked over to the small bubble. "Are you alright?"
"Bulma? That you…that you?" The three-eyed human's question came out haggard and hurt. "Sorry, I can't really get my head straight."
"What happened here? I thought Launch said the blast was going to be contained by the spheres."
"Maybe it would have been," Tien said, his four arms collapsing and his barrier dropping. "If I hadn't broken through them."
"You broke through them?"
"Had to. I had to...reach her," Tien said, squeezing Launch a little tighter. "I'm sorry about the corp Bulma, but I didn't know what else to do. I didn't want to lose her."
"It's…okay. I'm just glad you two are alive."
"Still… I am sorry," Tien said weakly before turning to Vegeta. "… I don't want to wake up and learn she's gone. Can I trust you to take her somewhere safe?"
"You can."
"…thank you. Vegeta."
Without the strength to go on, Tien slumped over with Launch still in his arms.
"We need to find Trunks and get out of here now," Bulma said, walking over to her two exhausted friends. "Between this explosion and your stunt with the reporters, I think it is safe to say whatever cover we were trying to hide behind is gone. If we can get these two to the lookout, at least there'll be a place for them to rest."
"No time."
"What?"
"Can't you tell?" Vegeta said, scanning the surroundings. "Even weak as these two are, we should be able to sense some flicker of energy. The fact that neither of us can means-"
"The androids are still functional."
Vegeta caught sight of Cooler's lunge a second too late. The rebuilt arm gripped the side of the prince's head and slammed it against the side of the chasm. The explosion of his own ki had heavily damaged the metal tyrant as sparks and snaps littered the body the mad scientist had developed. Yet the drive to kill hadn't diminished as the alien android clawed at the Saiyan skull.
"Vegeta!" Bulma shouted, running toward the fight with a sword in hand.
"Stupid woman, move!"
The insult raised the scientist's temper, but it brought up her natural instincts as well. Just in time to see the other android make a move toward her.
"You're mine, Briefs!"
Backing up just a few steps to avoid the lunge, the impact with what remained of the ground was still enough to knock Bulma off of her feet and onto her side. She pivoted onto her back with the sword pointed toward her attacker and could get a good look at her attacker.
The damage 13 carried on his body was far greater than Cooler's. The blast had seared off parts of the android's skin, leaving splotches of mechanical machinery in view. A heavy limp was the next thing Bulma noticed, as the android was unable to put a lot of weight on his right leg due to most of it having disintegrated completely.
Yet it was the 13's smiling face that caught off guard and had her scrambling backward. The slow walk with the limp didn't help her fear as the android dragged itself toward her.
"Mine!"
Her eyes darted toward Vegeta, still pinned down by Cooler, unable to help, and back at the killer robot, who continued to smile at just the thought of her death. Flashes of Namek ran through Bulma's brilliant mind. That day on the small rock, with her chest opened up by Frieza, the pain that enveloped her and the darkness that followed. The incident that denied her sleep at night, the event that kept her working far past her own limits. Her death seemed imminent again.
However, despite her fear, a glimmer of gold caught her eye as it shined through the dark battlefield directly behind the android. For the precious few moments she thought she had left in her life, Bulma saw the golden light and chose to believe in it.
Hurling the sword at the enemy did little to slow him, as 13 tilted his head and dodged the sword easily. The crazed smile only grew at the feeble attempt to fight as 13 bore down on the helpless human.
A shout stopped him.
Filled with enough emotion to make the injured android turn to face it, and beheld the thrown sword that was now caught and wielded by its original owner. With a golden aura covering every inch of his body and a rage burning out of his green eyes, Trunks descended with his sword raised high and his power heightened with the scream of a super saiyan.
The first cut was clean. With 13's body being weakened by the continuing battle and being caught in the dead zone of the capsule corp explosion, Trunk's sword came down on what little was left of the android's right arm and severed it completely. The second cut slid through 13's torso, separating the body into two. The cuts that followed were too fast for Bulma to track as the young teen unleashed a barrage of swings dedicated to reducing the android into pieces. In a flash, 13's body was reduced to chunks, but the young man wasn't done. With his sword arm crossed over his face, Trunks snuck a hand underneath his elbow and sent out a wide blast of energy from his open palm. With another flash of golden light, every chunk of android disintegrated in the burst of ki, save one.
13's head bounced once off the ground before rolling to a stop just a few feet away from Bulma. Experiencing a level of anger he had never felt before, 13 could barely choke out a roar as he realized that he was in a position he never wanted to find himself in, completely helpless.
"COOLER!" the head shouted, unable to even see if the metal monster was near but had no other choice but to order it back to his side.
Despite the ongoing fight with the saiyan prince, 13's shout had Cooler turning away from the battle and toward the head on the ground.
"You're not getting away from me!" Vegeta snarled and lunged with fists held high.
The android alien caught the fist and tossed it aside before following up with a punch that found purchase in the side of the prince's face and sent him flying into the dirt. With the saiyan handled, Cooler propelled himself at a speed faster than Trunks could react and only stopped to pick up the discarded head of Android 13.
Rising it up to face the human and half-Saiyan Cooler kept its eyes trained on Bulma and Trunks while the android hand in its hands struggled to speak.
"You...what have you done to me?"
"I cut you down to size," Trunks said, sliding into a fiercer sword stance. "What's wrong android? Not used to being on the losing side of a fight?"
"Disgusting brat!" 13 shouted. "I'll kill you! I'll kill all of you!"
"No."
The voice came from above and captured the attention of everyone on the battlefield, giving them just enough notice to see Goku, Gohan, Chichi, and Yamcha touch down by Trunks's side.
"You won't," Goku continued his rage coursing through every word.
"E-everyone," Trunks said, looking at the others. "You're here!"
"Sorry, we're late," Yamcha said keeping his eye trained on the threats. "Looks like things really got out of hand."
"Mr. Tien, Ms. Launch," Gohan said, looking over to the two collapsed humans. "Are they-"
"Alive," Bulma said, joining the others. "But we need to get them to safety. Which we will once we handle these two."
"Who are they?" Chichi asked, looking over the mechanical monster and the head it held. "Androids?"
"The head is, but as for the alien," Vegeta said, walking up and looking over to Gohan and Yamcha. "You two should recognize him."
"Wait, is that Cooler?" Yamcha said, his one eye growing wide. "What happened to him?"
"From what we know, Gero got his hands on him after the fight. It looks like he rebuilt him or something."
"It doesn't matter who you are," Goku said firmly to the android duo. "You'll pay for hurting my family and friends."
"Son Goku, the man himself!" 13 laughed, trying to mask his fury and failing. "Howdy partner, I didn't think I'd be meeting you just yet."
"Why? You thought you could just attack my family, destroy my friend's home, and kidnap someone I care about, and I wouldn't be there to stop you?"
"Well, the idea was that by now I'd be long gone with Briefs in tow, alive or dead."
"It wasn't a bad plan," Bulma said with a glare. "Finding a way to hide not just your energy but mask ours from being sensed was key to making sure it would take longer to regroup. Along with cutting off our main source of communication, we also added to the confusion. So, hitting one of us randomly so we start panicking and spread out gave you the chance to go after me while the others were away. You get rid of me, and the others would be a lot easier to pick off. Too bad, we're stronger than either you or Gero thought. Or more likely, you're weaker than he counted on."
The blue-haired scientist expected another growl of frustration or an insult from the android. So, the hearty laugh caught her off guard.
"Nicely done Briefs look like you saw through our little operation. The good doctor thought that would be the best way to start isolating Son Goku from the rest of you. Had that old saying in mind too: If you cut off a snake's head, the body will die."
"You're in pretty good spirits for someone whose road ends here," Yamcha said, flowing into a fighting stance.
"Hard not to be human. Sure, I failed, but with all of you here, it's pretty clear that the doctor's plan is going off without a hitch."
"What are you talking about?" Bulma asked.
"Come now, Briefs; we both know you're not the snake's head," 13 smiled. "You may have gotten the better of me here, but there is no way you're ready for the twins."
"T-the twins?" Trunks repeated slowly. "You…you can't mean-"
"Cooler, now."
With his free arm, Cooler pointed a single finger at Trunks and fired something faster than the young man could see. Yet not fast enough to go unnoticed by the younger half-saiyan.
"Trunks! Look out!" Gohan shouted, shoving his companion to the side.
The boy succeeded in keeping Trunks out of harm's way but was hit square in the chest by Cooler's attack and collapsed onto his back. Trunks could only watch on as the youngest fighter went down.
"G-Gohan?" Trunks stammered out his eyes wide in horror.
"GOHAN!" Both Chichi and Goku went to their son's side in an instant.
The parents held Gohan up and saw what happened to be a nearly microscopic syringe embedded in the boy's chest.
"Huh, I wanted the kid who cut me to go down, but I guess this will do," 13 said causally. "Only had one injection, but maybe the doctor will get a kick out of this. Cooler, we're leaving."
"Oh no, you don't!" Yamcha shouted, his aura flaring red as he dashed forward. "You're not going anywhere!"
In a blaze of ki, Yamcha lunged at Gero's creations, burning with fury. His hands cloaked in explosive ki as he shouted out.
"Wolf fang fist!"
With only one arm to defend himself, Metal Cooler faced off against the human while it retreated. Unable to focus on the fight, Yamcha was able to land several blows against the rebuilt tyrant. The ki-coated claws burned out visible scratches across the already weakened metal body of Cooler. Yet the damage was not enough to stop the two androids from starting their upward climb to freedom. A swift smack by what remained of Cooler's tail into Yamcha's blind spot sent the former bandit backward out of the air. The blow caused more confusion than pain as Yamcha had to shake his head in an attempt to recover his bearings.
As he did, he refocused enough to see that everyone else had gathered around Gohan, who was still unable to get back on his feet. His anger reignited, and Yamcha reached up toward his face, his hand edging toward his eye patch.
"The doctor is not going to like any of this," 13 grumbled to himself as Cooler flew up and out of the deep crater that once was the capsule corp. "This was supposed to be a simple snatch and grab, but now the only thing that's been accomplished is getting rid of the corp and killing Goku's kid."
The android's head glared at the metal monster carrying it as it redirected its rage.
"And I thought you were supposed to be a lot stronger. Didn't the doctor pump you with enough energy to at least kill the prince? Or are you still being difficult and holding back like you did in the testing phase?"
Cooler offered no retort and continued to fly.
"Useless hunk of garb-"
Yamcha's attack came out swift and strong as it collided with the back of Cooler's head. A vicious kick snapped into the metal monster's head with enough force to rattle the sky and force Cooler's grasp on 13's head to slip.
"IDIOT!" 13 shouted as he began to plummet. "PROTECT ME!"
Cooler looked over at the falling skull, leaving his defense down and unprepared for another attack from Yamcha. Raising a burning fist above his head, Yamcha brought down a punch into Cooler's unprotected chest. The fire of the kaio-ken sizzled through the metal as Yamcha brought forth his full power and directed it into this one strike. Cooler's chest was ribbed open by the attack, creating a small hole that dug deep into Cooler's center. As Yamcha pushed further into the metal tyrant, he could see a flicker of expression from the rebuilt alien cross his face. An expression that Cooler had worn all throughout the fight on Earth during his invasion months ago was excitement.
Yet that faded as 13's shouts and screams continued, almost robbing Cooler of the moment of joy and dimming the alien's expression back to one of steel. Smashing his wide forehead into Yamcha's nose broke off the hold the human had on him, leaving Cooler free to dive-bomb toward the free-falling head. Pumping out far more speed than before Cooler grabbed 13 out of the air and blasted off, leaving Yamcha alone and rubbing the blood off his nose.
"Don't go too far now," Yamcha said, tracking the pair of machines as far as he could. "We'll be seeing you real soon."
"Gohan? Gohan, sweetie, what's wrong?" Chichi asked as her son writhed in pain. "Gohan, please talk to me."
The best Gohan could do in response was gasp for air and the ox princess could only helplessly look on as her child's pain worsened.
"Bulma, do you have any extra senzu beans on you?" Goku asked, feeling just as helpless as his wife.
"No, everything I had as a precaution is gone. Maybe Vegeta can lend him his communicator."
"Used mine during the explosion," the prince muttered. "Boy, what about yours?"
When he didn't receive an answer, Vegeta looked over to Trunks. The young half-saiyan's hair had lost its golden luster and his eyes had dimmed to their natrual color. The super saiyan warrior who had driving into battle so earnestly now could do nothing but stare at the distressed family as they crowded around their only son.
"Gohan," Trunks repeated quietly. "It's my fault; it's going to happen again, and it's my fault. Again."
"Boy!" Vegeta snarled, breaking through to Trunks and snapping him out of the black hole that was his own despair. "Stop sniveling and pay attention! Do you have your Senzu Kakarot's brat that you can use?"
"N-no, I don't," Trunks said, shaking his head. "But even if I did, it wouldn't help."
"What?" Chichi said in shock. "What do you mean?"
"His symptoms are almost identical to the heart disease Goku had a year and a half ago. I had the antidote ready for Goku, but I only brought a dose for him from the future. I'm not sure how, but it looks like Gero must have recreated the virus somehow."
"Then…then there's nothing you can do?" Goku asked, completely terrified.
"That medicine that cured you won't be invented for years. I'm not sure there's anything anyone can do."
"Mom...My chest," Gohan said weakly, with both hands covering his heart. "…it hurts!"
The small cry from Gohan was answered by Chichi grasping her son by the hand. "I know Gohan. I'm here, baby. I'm right here."
"We have to get him to the lookout now," Goku said picking up his son. "Tien and Launch can rest there and maybe Kami can help Gohan with some remedy."
"We may have to rethink that," Trunks said nervously. "Right now, the lookout might be the most dangerous place to go."
"What do you mean Trunks?" Chichi asked.
"That android, he said that Gero was going over after the snake's head. If that isn't Bulma, then he could only be talking about one other person."
"Krillin," Bulma said slowly. "Then this whole thing started now because Gero has finally figured out where the lookout is!"
"That's probably it but what's more is that he mentioned the twins."
"Does that mean something to you, boy?"
"Yes, the twins, they're the ones who killed everyone in my time," Trunks said, his hands clenching into fists. "Android 17 and 18, they are the ones who killed my future."
The breeze flowing through the lookout's deck was a gentle one. Cool air caressed the tops of the blue ajia trees, ruffling the leaves as Mr. Popo tended to their needs. Dipping back the watering can as it emptied out the last of the liquid, Mr. Popo smiled to himself as he studied the growth of the Namekian trees.
"Coming in very nicely."
The lookout's keeper was so enchanted by the plant life he missed the approach of two figures flying up and touching down on the deck. It wasn't until Mr. Popo heard two voices he didn't recognize did he turn away from his gardening.
"So, you think this is the place?"
"I don't care if it is."
Mr. Popo looked over at the strangers and just became more perplexed as he got a good look at them.
The man looked handsome and fair-skinned. Average in height, though slightly taller than the woman he walked alongside. He held a slim frame, a tan complexion, and a lean build. He has straight shoulder-length black hair that parts above his forehead, thin eyebrows, and narrow, light blue eyes. The keen eyes of Mr. Popo also caught a gold hoop earring on each ear. He wore a belt to hold up his medium blue jeans, which had a tear just above the knee of the left leg. Even down to the green socks and blue and white sneakers, Mr. Popo might have thought little of the man until he caught sight of his shirt. The short-sleeve black shirt was also adorned with the Red Ribbon Army's logo on the left of his chest.
The other stranger was a woman, a slender and beautiful woman of above-average height and fair complexion. She wore shoulder-length blonde hair that parted over her left temple, which she kept tucked behind her ear. Like the man, she seemed to be wearing small gold hoop earrings on both ears. Her top half she wore a blue denim vest and black shirt with white and black striped long sleeves. While her bottom half wore dark blue tights, a brown belt, and brown boots.
"May I help you two?" Mr. Popo asked with a polite tone, yet remained on guard as she tracked the two intruders.
"Huh? Oh yeah, guess you can," the man said, seemingly unconcerned with Mr. Popo's presence. "We're supposed to destroy someplace called Kami's Lookout. Is this it?"
The question was horrible enough to catch Mr. Popo off guard, resulting in an answer that was more of a stammer than words.
"Yep," the dark-haired man said to the blond woman. "Looks like this is the place."
A straight shot of energy erupted from the mystery man's outstretched arm, aimed directly at Mr. Popo. The shift into sudden combat had Mr. Popo surprised but still in control as the keeper prepared to dodge the blast as it neared. However, a quick glance behind him reminded Mr. Popo that he was all that stood in between the mighty burst of power and the ajisa trees he had been tending to. Unsure if he would survive, the lookout's keeper prepared himself to meet the attack head-on. With resolve made of steel, he calmly placed the watering can to his side and focused all his power into his forearms, resolute to stop a single leaf from coming to harm. Yet this sacrifice would not be needed.
A sudden figure appeared at Mr. Popo's side, using a hand or foot he would never know, but in an instant the blast was dispersed, leaving neither the keeper nor the figure injured. It was not until the light of ki blast dimmed from the lookout did Mr. Popo relax, knowing both he and the trees were now safe.
"Are you harmed, Mr. Popo?" Krillin asked his eyes on the intruders.
"I am not," the keeper said, picking up his watering can. "Are these two acquaintances of yours?"
"They are not," Krillin answered, stealing a glance at the blond woman for a moment. "I would remember them."
"I see. Shall I leave these two in your care? I fear I will only get in the way if this comes to any more blows."
"Yes, inform Kami of the intrusion and stay safe. I'll handle them."
With a quick bow, Mr. Popo turned and began making his way into the lookout's center, leaving the combatants to their battle.
"Not bad, old timer," the man smirked. "Gero's notes didn't mention anyone here that would be able to stop a blast like that."
"Then Gero is even more inept than I believed. I take it the two of you are androids."
"You're pretty cocky for someone older than sliced bread." The man laughed. "Listen, why don't you be a good little human and fetch a guy named Krillin for us? We'll kill you nice and quick if you do."
"If you're looking for Krillin, then you have found him." The old monk said, steeping forward. "However, I can assure you that if my death is your goal, then you will not succeed. Against me, you are outmatched."
"You're Krillin? Wow, Gero was off the mark in that case. Well, nothing for it; we're here to kill you."
"You can try."
Krillin took a fighting stance. He eased into it as he had a thousand times before, flowing into the stance as easily as he breathed. He hadn't been able to track any of the others down on the Earth's surface, neither through his senses nor the communicator, and their unknown whereabouts had weighed on him. Yet for this, he cast that aside, as the only thing that mattered now was this fight. The years in the time chamber had given him the ability to seal off his doubts in the heat of battle. He would be as calm as an ocean without waves, but as fierce as lighting through the sky. He would defend the lookout with every ounce of his cultivated power.
As his eyes scanned the two androids, trying to gain as much information from them as he could, the old monk went over to the blond woman, who had yet to say anything. As much as he studied her, Krillin could feel her stare match his. The man and woman looked over each other silently until it was the android who broke it first.
"You know," she said with a smirk as if she had learned a secret. "If you were younger, I'd bet you'd be pretty cute."
With just that, Krillin could feel the peaceful ocean in his mind burst wide open. As if a bomb had just detonated deep under the waves. The peace he had made for the fight was gone as a typhoon of confusion took over. In the same moment, the ferocity he intended to bring to bear seemed to fade entirely. The lighting he would become gave way to a small rumble of potential instead of the bolt of power he wanted to unleash.
In the same instance, the heavy weight of the age and power he had amassed through his training left him. The façade he had put on to assure himself and others that he was in control even as he made the difficult decisions weakened. The mask he wore even while banishing a part of himself into training slipped as he emerged from the compliment as something he had intended to discard entirely. Simply, human.
"H-huh?" Krillin stammered, unable to suppress a blush crossing through his cheeks. "W-what are you talking about?"
"Ha, I was right," the woman chuckled, her blue eyes sparking like the clearest sky. "Cute."
