Daily Life with A Saiyan Teenager
Chapter 12: The Red Storm 7
The ride to the hospital wasn't very long but it was a struggle to keep Goten alive. Draconis had injuries but it was nothing she couldn't recover from and even if she couldn't, she had magic that could heal her over time. Unfortunately, Beta No. 1 did not have those luxuries and he wasn't able to survive the transportation to the hospital. Suu's ki didn't work very well considering androids did not use ki, they used an alternate source of energy. Beta No. 1 was officially deceased. Speaking of Suu, she was uninjured during the fight but that was just her nature as a slime. Her core can be damaged but Goten was there to protect her and now it was her turn to be there for him.
They eventually got to the hospital and the sight of Goten was enough to shock everyone who saw him. Soon they would start operating on him. The nurse didn't know how Goten was even still alive but what she did know was it wasn't going to be easy to keep him that way.
After Goten had left to fight Cell, M.O.N. went back to headquarters but not before giving Kimihito and his homestays a ride back home. The house was very quiet and everyone was dealing with the loss of Goten in different ways. Miia had her face buried in a pillow on the sofa and sobbed into it. The sight of Goten's partially digested body was something she would never forget. She was so traumatized by what happened that she had forgotten about the pain Cell inflicted upon her.
Papi was acting very out of character. Instead of being the cheerful and playful girl she normally was, she was openly avoiding everyone and trying to ignore them. She couldn't move on her own due to her broken talon and she didn't even want to move. She just wanted to sleep in her bed so she could wake up only to realize that today was nothing more than a bad dream. Her cheeks were stained from the crying, and she didn't have the will to drink or eat anything at all. Drinking anything reminded Papi of Suu and Goten by extension since he tried so hard to save her and ended up being mortally wounded as a result.
Centorea wore a stoic look on her face but was eyeing the floor. She stood in place and not a single word escaped her mouth. She had grown to understand Goten's true nature and she respected it. Goten wasn't a mere child, the assistant of her master, nor was he just an admirable warrior to her. The age of 16 was the age of maturity in her culture yet Goten's antics made her think of him as much younger than he was. Centorea respected Goten's wishes to not be treated as a prince, but she still felt it was her duty to keep him safe even if she knew he was stronger than he let on. When she saw Goten fight Cell, her opinion changed. He was a hero, a fighter, a proud Saiyan, but most of all, he was Son Goten, her friend and comrade in arms.
Mero said that she would live her life and she intended to but she was probably one of the people most broken up by Goten's inevitable demise. The day had been terrible for her. If seeing Miia and Kimihito happy together didn't shatter her love of tragedies, then the fate of Son Goten did. She felt sad when it seemed like Kimihito loved someone else, but then she was nearly killed by Cell and saved by Goten. Goten did a lot for her, he reunited her with distant relative Melody when she made an insensitive comment about her sad life, he protected Melody from assassins and the boy who had been abusing her, and he saved her from Cell.
Her feelings for Goten may have not been romantic, but she couldn't deny that he was like a knight in shining armor when he saved her. Even when Goten was overwhelmed by Cell, she continued to have faith in the Saiyan. But when Mero saw Goten being eaten by the android, it seemed like all hope was lost. Despite his insistence on fighting Cell after being partially digested by the bio-android, Mero had little hope that Goten would survive after he won. The old Mero would have taken great delight in this unfortunate turn of events, but after seeing what Cell did to Goten and hearing about what he did in the past, Mero didn't even know if she could ever enjoy a fictional tragedy ever again.
As for Rachnera, she didn't seem to care that much. She knew Goten the least out of everyone who lived at the Kurusu residence, but that wasn't to say she disliked him. Whether she showed it or not, Rachnera pitied Goten for being in a pitiful state after he was taken out of Cell's tail, and under any other circumstance, Rachnera would have tried to euthanize Goten, but she didn't for two reasons. 1, Goten was the only hope of defeating Cell and if Cell wasn't defeated, everyone including her would die and 2, The entire point of killing Goten would have been out of mercy but the Arachne saw the damage the Saiyan was capable of taking and wasn't sure she could kill Goten and she could have made things worse by trying. Rachnera shed no tears over Goten, but it would be incorrect to assume she didn't feel anything about the boy's inevitable demise.
Kimihito spoke. "Hey girls, did we make the right decision? I mean letting Goten go back to Cell."
"Darling, if I'm being honest, I'm not sure. If it was the right decision, I still feel bad. We all saw what Cell did to Goten and yet we let him go back to the same monster who did it to him. I can't help but wonder if it was possible to get Goten to a hospital in time. He said it was too late for him but it feels like we just accepted that and let him fight that… thing without even trying to stop him so we could at least try to save him." Said Miia.
Kimihito put his head down in response. He felt responsible for Goten. Although he was almost an adult, Goten was still one of his homestays and more than that, he was a teenager who still had a future ahead of him.
"Darling, I didn't mean it like that! I'm not blaming you or anything! No one is at fault, and I think Papi needs to hear that most of all. No one could have predicted that ugly bug-looking freak would show up and ruin everything. It's just… It's not fair! Why did this have to happen to Goten of all people? His entire species was enslaved and wiped out, he was taken away from his home, and now he's going to die from the same monster who took his father from him!" Said Miia.
"Please don't be upset Miia, you did what you could have and more. As gruesome as the sight was, you were quite brave when you wrapped your tail around Cell's neck, and you bought time for Manako to remove his tail and free Goten. If he had been successful in merging with Goten, he would have become part of him and poor Goten would be unable to die as he lived on inside of Cell forever. It's okay to be sad, I am too. It may be of little consolation, but your actions saved Goten from a fate most certainly worse than death." Said Mero.
"I did what I could've? How do you know that for sure?! We all saw Goten's condition! He didn't even look like himself anymore! To put a nail in the coffin, Cell poisoned him! Unlike bug breathe, I'm pretty sure Goten can't regenerate which means he's not going to make it! We might as well have just fed him to him!" Said Miia.
"Miia, that's enough! He made his choice! Goten was beyond saving but he used the last of his strength to eliminate the threat!" Said Cerea.
"I know that… but there had to be another way. It feels like we just let him go so easily. To be honest, I knew there was a chance that Cell might absorb Goten and I didn't protest as much about him going because I was afraid for my life and Goten was so insistent on going back to fight Cell! Now that I'm in a safer place, the guilt of possibly letting Goten become a part of Cell forever is eating away at me." Said Miia.
"If you ask me, it was the right decision to let him fight Cell. Under normal circumstances, I'd volunteer to put the poor boy out of his misery, but that wasn't an option here. Goten himself told us we couldn't save him and if we could, how would you expect us to deal with Cell if he came back to finish what he started? He'd find us and kill us on our way to the hospital." Said Rachnera.
"Lady Rachnera is right! Goten knew what he was getting himself into! Even knowing he was not long for this world after being half-digested by that vile beast, he chose to stand up and fight like the proud Saiyan he is! He knew he was going to die, but he accepted that reality so we along with the rest of the world could live! Goten's last wish was for us to live our lives! Do you wish to disrespect his final wishes? If we stopped Goten from going back to Cell, we'd only be dishonoring him as a warrior!" Said the centaur.
"Girls! Let's try to get along. I'm sad about losing Goten too. He was like the little brother I never had, but Goten wouldn't want us to argue!" Said Kimihito.
"You're right master. I apologize for losing my temper." Said Cerea.
"Yeah, I'm sorry too. Now that I think about it, Goten scolded us about arguing on the night that we met him. Darling is right, Goten wouldn't want us to fight. I'm sorry Centorea." Said Miia.
"Sorry to interrupt your mourning but we still have the culprit to worry about." Said Rachnera
"Rachnera, it's not the time to worry about. Goten is going to die and there's nothing we can do about it for all we know, Cell is still out there and as long as he's out there, no one is safe. The death letter is the least of my worries right now." Said Kimihito.
"On the contrary, I think you underestimate how relevant that letter is. Remember you weren't the only one who got a death letter, but Goten did too. On the way back, I remember Ms. Smith said this Cell creature was created by the Red Ribbon army. I wasn't there the entire time, but I do know this bug was specifically targeting Goten." Said Rachnera.
Mero spoke up. "You do have a point. At first, that monster was consuming people by injecting his tail into them. It was as if he were drinking them, leaving nothing but their clothes. With Goten, Cell tried to swallow him whole as opposed to how he consumed his other victims. It was Goten who came to Cell and he rescued me, but Cell admitted he was fueling up on energy so he could go after Goten." Said Mero.
"Exactly my point. Cell specifically came after Goten shortly after the death letter, so perhaps it wasn't a coincidence. That other boy who would later be confirmed to be an android like Cell also targeted Goten. He did a poor job of stalking him, but he claimed that Goten was a clone of someone else that his master created. Although this is doubtful, we have more details about their relationship now. If you remember, Goten admitted to being Saiyaman X2." Said Rachnera.
"You're right! He did say that." Said Miia.
"We know the blonde haired boy is the same person who attacked M.O.N and tried to kill Saiyaman X2 correct? This Beta person worked under some sort of master, but from what Goten said, they planned to kill people solely because they're evil and Goten opposed them for it." Said Rachnera.
"Goten was correct to oppose them. Although I do not agree with his vigilantism on that day, he was right to oppose an irrational ideal. One cannot claim to be an ally of justice if they use said justice to veil their sinister intent. Those ruffians were dangerous criminals but they were already incapacitated by Goten. Taking their lives wouldn't have done any good for anyone." Said Cerea.
"He did have a point about how the bill allows for humans and liminal to take advantage of each other. My sweet Melody was a victim of an awful person abusing the bill and he wasn't just using the bill to get away with his crimes, but also his wealth." Said Mero.
"I know that… but he still broke the law. We all saw what he could do, but what if those criminals were as powerful as Cell? He'd have been endangering civilians and himself. He likely wasn't expecting Beytah to attack him but he did and from what the reports said, they were roughly equal in strength." Said Cerea. As she wasn't present, Cerea wasn't sure if Goten used Super Saiyan or not against Beta No. 1.
"But do you remember what he said? The authorities weren't able to do their jobs because of the Bill so wouldn't their inaction endanger innocent lives regardless? If I may be honest, it doesn't seem like a very efficient system of law enforcement if those sworn to protect cannot perform their duties. I'm sure M.O.N. is very capable but police officers are forced to wait for them giving the perpetrators plenty of time to freely wreak havoc. I may be a little biased since he did save Melody from the clutches of that no good Hisato but surely you can agree that it's worth consideration?" Said the pink-haired mermaid.
"Mero, believe me when I say I understand, and now that I know who Saiyaman X2 is, I can confidentially say he's not some common thug. What I said earlier about respecting him as a warrior still rings true. He protected my master, and for that, I truly do respect him. That said, he did break the laws whether or not they were flawed, I am merely acknowledging that fact. I saw firsthand what he was fighting against when he incapacitated those orcs." Said Cerea. She grew silent for a while as she struggled to speak. She eventually managed to get words out. "When I took out Master to get away from Arachne, I was… almost violated by humans abusing the laws, but Rachnera saved me… But that's beside the point and I do not wish to be pitied. I bring that up because I know the truth of the situation. On that day it was not the orcs Goten was fighting against, it was against the laws he believed endangered both liminals and humans alike.
"Guilty as charged. It's like I said. It's only illegal if you get caught!" Said Rachnera trying to lighten up the mood. "In any case, we know Cell has connections to the Red Ribbon Army even if they aren't positive, but Ms. Smith mentioned that Cell is an android and Beta was also an android. Considering their strength, it wouldn't be too absurd to believe that they come from the same organization or at the very least have a connection. That brings us back to the letter. Could it be that those letters belonged to someone from this Red Ribbon Army?"
"Why would an army send a letter like that though? The letter to me told me they'll kill me if I marry one of you." Said Kimihito.
"Perhaps they did that to downplay the threat they posed. After all, an army is much more of a threat than a petty nobody who is jealous of the affection you get from yours truly. " Said Rachnera as she nuzzled Kimihito's head. "They likely wanted to alert Goten because they understood the threat he posed so by downplaying how dangerous they are, they could catch him off guard."
"Are you implying that the Red Ribbon Army that's responsible for making Cell is after my life?" Said Kimihito.
"It's possible though I doubt it. Don't worry honey, I won't let them get close to you. In any case, I think they succeeded in eliminating their true target. Goten may have claimed that this Hedo is a good person but we only have his word to go off of and this Beytah person has a connection to him. We also know that he's the son of a scientist of this Red Ribbon army." Said Rachnera.
"Be that as it may, I won't let them harm my master! I already failed Goten… But I will not fail my master! Not again!" Said the blonde Centaur.
"Cerea, don't say that! You didn't fail me." Said Kimihito.
"Well, it's true is it not?! My blade could not even scratch that villain! Goten fought his hardest while I could only stand and watch! You needn't tell me that there was nothing that I could do because I know that. But that still doesn't change how I feel! I felt like I wasn't good enough like I wasn't worthy of being your noble servant. When I saw Goten pushing back that crimson sphere of flames, it made me painfully aware that no matter what I did, I could never have protected you if Goten wasn't here! Even if we ran away, not only would we have left the others behind but we'd still perish at the hands of Cell!" Said Centorea.
"Cerea…"
The Centaur grew quiet. "Still… I'm grateful for what he did. It's unfortunate, but perhaps it was fate that Goten came to this world. If Goten had not come here, I fear none of us would be standing. All this time he was a true warrior who was severely underestimated by all including himself. It all sounds silly now, but I thought of him as a child to be coddled. He was capable of handling himself yet I couldn't help but be protective over him. I stand by what I said. I do not endorse the actions of Saiyaman X2, but while do not agree with his actions, I acknowledge that his actions were for a noble cause and he was a true friend until the end. I will miss him." Said the Centorea.
Everyone in the room nodded and Rachnera just closed all 6 of her eyes.
When it was time for dinner, they managed to get Papi out of their room. The mood was somber as not only had they lost plenty of their friends, but for all they knew, this could have been all of their last meals. They wanted to have faith in Goten, but they remembered how mangled his body was. Suddenly, Kimihito got a phone call from none other than Ms. Smith.
"Hello, Darling." Said the woman on the other end of the phone.
"Oh hey… what's up Ms. Smith."
"It's Goten… He was seen fighting Cell over in Odaiba by some people. There is footage of their battle from people who recorded from inside buildings but for the most part, both Goten and Cell moved too fast to be recorded."
"Odaiba? How and why did they end up there?" Said Kimihito.
"It's unknown why but given both Goten and Cell's ability, it's understandable that they'd be able to get there. Darling, I have good news and bad news. The good news is Goten defeated Cell. From the photos that were taken, it was quite a sight. There was something in the sky that could only be described as a ball of golden lines followed by a prismatic ray that blew right through a building. It's said that the beam completely consumed Cell and so far there has been no sign of his return. Property damage aside, I do believe Goten was successful in killing Cell."
"That's wonderful news! How about Goten himself? Is he alright? He was in a really bad condition and I know that no normal doctor could help him… But what about a non-human doctor? Maybe there's a non-human species that can heal him?" Kimihito asked desperately.
"Unfortunately, no. We do have demi-humans with magical abilities and while some can heal, it's usually on a small scale. That brings us to the bad news…," said Smith ominously.
*Gulp* "Kimihito braced himself to hear the news he didn't want to hear.
"Goten is… he's in critical condition. The ambulance found him but he was unconscious and they did everything in their power to keep him alive but… I'm sorry darling, but Goten's on his last legs and I'm afraid he's not going to make it."
"You don't know that! You saw firsthand what he's capable of surviving! You can't just expect me to accept that!"
"Goten may be an alien but he more or less has the same anatomy as a human. Perhaps he can survive longer than a human with fatal injuries but even for someone as powerful as Goten, fatal injuries are still fatal."
"No… NOOOOOOOOOO!" Kimihito screamed at the top of his lungs.
"Goten wasn't the only one involved in the battle against Cell. Witnesses say that Cell changed the entire landscape into some sort of futuristic city or something like that and some even say that another Earth was crashing into the planet which is preposterous. But what is known for sure is that Goten wielded a large blade and stabbed Cell with it. It's unclear what happened but after Cell was impaled, he coughed up our target Beta 1, the very same one who almost killed my team before Saiyaman X2 intervened in our operation. He also coughed up Suu." Said Smith.
The footage did not show the futuristic city as that was merely an illusion from Cell. He figured it would it would weaken Goten's mental state which would lower his ki. Ki was more than just physical strength, it also involved courage and being in the right frame of mind. This was part of why Cell Max wasn't as strong as he should have been. Unfortunately for Cell, the Kitsune's power to create illusions did not cause Goten's courage to diminish as the only thing on Goten's mind was killing Cell and he was determined to get it done before he died.
"Suu's alive?! I'm so glad to hear that. Thank you, Miss Smith. I needed to hear that. Now where is she?" Said Kimihito.
"Yes, Suu is alive and she has given information to authorities about what happened and that information got to me. Right now, she should be at the hospital where Goten is. I thought I'd tell you the good news after dropping that bombshell. You know, if you want to say goodbye to Goten, I can get you a ride to the hospital. I can only imagine what you're feeling right now."
"I'd like that. I think the girls would too."
"Then it's settled." Smith hangs up.
Kimihito speaks. "Alright girls, do you want to see Goten? You know, to say our goodbyes? I won't blame you if you don't want to go. Seeing him after we removed him from Cell's tail was hard to watch and I don't think I'll ever forget what happened there. I still want to say goodbye to Goten and I want to thank him in person for all his help."
None of the girls wanted to see Goten like he was but they all wanted to say goodbye so they agreed. He'd then go to Papi's room.
"Hey, Papi?" Kimihito's voice was quiet and gentle.
"Please don't look at me! I don't want to go anywhere anymore. Suu is gone, Goten is gone, 16 is also gone. It feels like all my friends are dying and I don't want to watch anymore. It's all Cell's fault! I hope he disappears and never comes back! I hate him!"
"Papi, we're leaving to see Goten in the hospital. The big scary bug monster is gone now, Goten took care of him, and on top of that, he saved Suu from Cell."
"Suu is, okay? If Goten saved Suu does that mean he's okay too?! What about 16?!" Said Papi who had a newfound sense of hope.
"Suu is fine according to Smith. She says she's at the hospital where Goten is. I don't know what happened to 16 but he was fine after most of his abdomen was destroyed so I'm sure he'll be okay in the end. As for Goten, he…" Kimihito couldn't find the right words to say to Papi.
"Come on, tell me! Whatever happened, I can take it! I'm not a little kid, I'll understand!"
"Goten isn't going to be around much longer. The doctors tried everything they could but there's nothing that could help Goten." Kimihito stared at the ground in sadness and let out a sad sigh. "I'm sorry."
"No! But he's, my friend! He can't go! There has to be a way to save him! I'm going to go and find him!" Papi tried to get up
"Papi, your talon is still broken. If you land, it's going to hurt. Knowing Suu, she's probably with Goten at the hospital. Oh, and we'll need to get your leg looked at but if we go, it won't be the usual hospital. Are you fine with that?"
"Of course I am! If I can see Goten, then I will go as far as I need to! I forget a lot of things but I will never forget Goten."
But you're right about Goten… He's not dead yet according to Ms. Smith but he's not going to make it. He's too injured from fighting Cell. He's going to look as bad as he was after Cell ate him and I understand if you don't want to see him. It's up to you if you want to go or not.
"I said I'll go! If I don't, I'll never have a chance to say goodbye!"
"Alright Papi, then get dressed. We're all about to head out."
M.O.N HQ
M.O.N was at HQ and it didn't take long for news of Cell's demise to reach them. After all, Smith was contacted about Suu who was now known by the public and because she wasn't legally a resident of Kimihito's household, that meant there was more work to do with Suu, and deporting her would be difficult because they wouldn't know where to send her. They also mentioned Suu was seen fighting Cell and was working with the doctors to try to heal the boy who killed the monster responsible for the deaths of many. The world was safer place now but at what cost?
"None of this is real right? Is it all just a bad dream caused by too much stress?" Said Tio, but her coping mechanism didn't work as everything felt all too real because it was. She buried her face in her hands and sobbed uncontrollably. "Why Goten?! Why did you have to die!" Said Tio who was still crying at the sight of Goten's mutilated body.
"I don't think he's dead yet but I know what you mean Tio. I still can't get over what happened today! What happened to Goten was screwed up, even for me, and I'm used to stuff like that! I wouldn't have wished that on my worst enemy! Speaking of enemies, I guess we won't be getting any information on Beta 1 since Cell ate him. Ain't this a bitch. I've been training for round two with that jerk and wait... now that I think about it, Goten became friends with that guy, didn't he? Does that mean he knew where he was this entire time?" Said Zombina.
"Well even if Goten knew his identity, he couldn't sense Beta 1, right? I remember Zombina getting annoyed at Tio for telling Saiyaman X2 where Beta 1 went but if Goten could sense energies, why would he even bother to ask? Goten likely didn't know of his whereabouts and even if he did, Beta 1 more likely than not knew Goten was Saiyaman X2 as they are from the same world." Said Manako.
"You make a good point Manako but regardless of what their relationship was, it doesn't mean anything now. According to Darling, he along with Rachnera and Centorea had a run-in with Beta 1 and he told me that Beta 1 nearly killed Rachnera and a man who had nearly assaulted Centorea. It wasn't difficult for me to find out his identity. A costume like that was never going to fool anyone especially with an alias like that." Said Smith.
"Enough about that jerk! We were supposed to be catching an assassin and we ended up finding someone worse! It would have been an easy mission but nooooooooo, the stupid bug man just came and made things harder than they needed to be. Not only that but it turns out Goten is not only one of the guys we were after but he's this super powerful alien from an endangered species!" Said Doppel.
"I still can't believe Goten is going to die. To think that sweet boy we met not too long ago was such a brave young man. It was obvious that Goten wasn't a normal human by the time he beat Tio in an arm wrestle. I think we all more or less understood that Goten was likely Saiyaman X2 after we learned his race was called the Saiyans but for him to admit it to us and apologize for derailing our operation was heartbreaking." Said Manako.
"Goten survived long enough to beat Cell, right? Maybe there's a chance the doctors could save him?" Tio asked.
At this, Ms. Smith shook her head and spoke up. "Unfortunately, I don't believe that is likely. While Goten has proven to be able to take more physical trauma than a normal human, he's not immortal and he has the same biological weaknesses as a human despite his alien heritage. He lost a lot of blood and his insides are probably a fine paste. Goten said it himself. Time wasn't on his side and the fact that he managed to beat Cell was a miracle." Said Smith.
"What do you know about Cell and this Red Ribbon army Smith? We're your team and we deserve to know! We're in this together." Said Tio.
At this, Ms. Smith sighed. "Fine, you're right. You are my team and it's only fair that you know. I'll admit I was a bit iffy on what Goten told me but considering Cell showed up, it's safe to assume that everything Goten told me was not just his imagination. Everything Cell said about how he was created in a lab to kill Goten's father to being hunted down only verifies what Goten told me on the day I skipped ou- I mean took a break from doing paperwork to stop a human disease from spreading to liminal species. The people and liminals who are seemingly invincible are known as androids."
"You mean like that big guy with the guns? Whatever happened to him anyway? We kind of left him after he put the bug guy in that weird glass bubble." Said Doppel referring to Android 16.
"I hope he's alive so I can ask him about his weapons. He's was seriously awesome out there! Too bad he's technically one of the bad guys." Said Zombina.
"Well, he didn't seem so bad. Besides he said he was interested in joining us. If it weren't for him, Goten would have been lunch for Cell. I only aimed his arm at Cell, but 16's the one who charged all the energy. I hope he's okay." Said Manako.
"I will have a search party for him. After all, he does possess crucial information on this elusive Red Ribbon Army. That said…" Ms. Smith's tone darkened. "I'm going to go visit the hospital." Ms. Smith began leaving HQ.
Earlier… in a village far from Japan.
Lamias, a mono-gendered species of snake women who are notorious for kidnapping men or tricking them into coming to their village and forcing them into mass orgies to increase their numbers. This has been a practice for ages until quite recently due to the Interspecies Exchange Bill. To keep the Lamia's from going extinct, they were given communal husbands who would mate with the entire village and the Interspecies Exchange became very cautious about people visiting the country so almost no men aside from the communal husbands sent by the government were allowed in the village. This led to a decline in Lamia birthrates and as it would turn out, Cell had absorbed many lamias from all over, and some of them happened to be in the location of this particular village. This decreased their numbers even more, making them desperate to survive as a species.
As a result, some Lamia's have resorted to secretly tricking or abducting humans from nearby human settlements in secret. Fortunately for them, the Interspecies Bill had not caught on yet. After all, this had just happened today. The Lamias knew that if they captured too many humans at once, the nearby human government would notice, so one particular Lamia hired a team of stealthy Lamias to kidnap men. Because they didn't want to cause suspicion, they only kidnapped five men for the time being to be communal husbands for the village.
"Excellent work. You brought us 5 human men." Said a Lamia with dark pink hair to a team of Lamia's who excelled in stealthily kidnapping humans. This particular Lamia was a doctor and a woman with a lot of wealth and a team of rogue Lamias at her command. She was referred to as Dr. Sevris by the people of the village. She was one of the Lamia who despised the Interspecies Exchange Bill from the start, but through a majority vote, Lamia's became a part of the Interspecies Exchange.
"A single communal husband is no longer enough! The Exchange Bill in of itself caused our birth rates to dwindle but word has it that creature has decreased the population of our species even further." The pink-haired Lamia stared at the 5 men. Three of them felt anger, sadness, terror, and hatred towards the group of Lamias, one of them was elated to end up in an orgy but the other one looked at the pink-haired Lamia with a blank smile.
"I'm sure some of you are afraid of your situation but we'll need your seeds. We're experiencing desperate times. I'm sure you understand~" She then noticed the man who was smirking.
"Oh, and do tell. What is so funny?" Said the pink-haired Lamia.
"Oh, it's nothing. Just the fact that you think you're the one in control when the reality is… You signed your death warrant when you kidnapped me." Said the man.
"Oh, that's cute. And how do you plan to back up what you- "The pink-haired Lamia was unable to finish as one of the members of her Lamia team felt a slash across her neck. Her head rolled off her neck and fell right into the hands of another species that was not a human or a Lamia.
"Hmm… Well, she's got a pretty face but that's all she has going for her. Oh well, it's another unique head to add to my collection!" Said the Empusa is known as Alpha 3. She then crouched down and began drinking the blood out of the decapitated corpse. "Ugh! Their blood is disgusting! The blood of human men tastes way better! Hey, you there! Will you give me a donation? I'm not asking for much. Pretty please?" Said the Empusa to the smirking man. The Empusa had messy dark green hair, and one of the bangs covered her eye. She had two humanoid arms and two mantis-like appendages above her arm. She wore a red and brown outfit and fishnet stockings.
OST: Imu Theme – One Piece
"Y-You killed her! When did you get in here?!" Said the Pink-haired Lamia.
"We had our ways." Said a Jorōgumo known as Alpha 2 who had been hanging from the ceiling. She looked and what she saw was a woman in a Kimono. The leader of the tribe could tell this wasn't a human. The eyes gave it away. This woman had six red eyes like an Arachne. She motioned her body in a way that would implicate she was shooting out a web but seemingly nothing came out. However, seconds later, blood shot out of one of the Lamia's heads. She had shot out a web but it was extremely small and Alpha 2 moved the web around to swiftly slice apart her brain.
"GUARDS!" The pink-haired Lamia let out a loud and panicked cry which alerted nearby Lamia to the building. They witnessed a few dead Lamia's and decided to run but the guards along with some of the braver Lamia's went to attack this unknown foe.
The Lamias targeted the Empusa who was now done sucking the blood of what was now a husk of a Lamia and one of the Lamias wrapped their tail around her neck as the others charged her with their weapons. Unfortunately, none of their attacks even phased the Empusa. The weapons broke on her skin and the tail that was supposed to constrict her did more harm to the Lamia than the Empusa.
"Hey, I can play with you another time but can I finish feeding first?" Alpha 3 asked.
"You won't be finishing any- "One of the Lamia's tried to retort before her back was impaled by a chain. She coughed up blood looked around and saw that three other Lamias were impaled by even more chains. The four chains flew into the air dragging the Lamia guards along with them and spinning them. The spinning chains became charged with electricity and the guards were shocked from the inside out. The one responsible was a human-based cyborg known as Alpha Zero. His chains were made of the same glass-like material that Android 17's barrier was made of.
After the Lamia died, Alpha Zero lifted his robotic arm above his head and shot out a yellow beam through the ceiling. The beam scattered throughout the village, killing any Lamia the energy missiles touched. The Lamia's in the building could only look in shock at the gruesome scene.
Before any of the Lamias knew it, something crashed into the building, knocking all the Lamias both dead and alive away. As it would turn out, it was a Quetzalcoatl known as Alpha Four. She had light grey hair, a red tail, orange feathery wings, and she wore a feathered skirt. The lamia-like being flew straight at a pair of Lamias causing them to flinch. However instead of striking then and there, Alpha 4 stopped and flapped her wings, sending both herself and the pink-haired Lamia back along with her lackeys and the bystanders.
"You have committed a grave sin against the humans you have abducted! Repent with your lives!" She said before she fired a powerful wind blast from her mouth. The wind blast was large and powerful to the point where it simply sliced through every Lamia it passed into. "I'll collect your bones and maybe you can redeem yourself in your next life." Said Alpha 4.
"Make sure you save some for me!" Said a Manticore girl. She wore a dark purple shirt that revealed her belly and red shorts to go with her outfit. She looked at the remaining group of Lamia and wore a twisted smile. "This is going to be fun!" She spoke. She then proceeded to sprint around the entire village at high speeds, brutally beating the Lamias around the village with her punches and kicks. She cut them apart with her claws and the least lucky of them were stabbed by her venomous tail. To say this was a massacre would be an understatement.
Realizing she was outmatched, Dr. Sevris hastily slithered out of the building through a window in tears. She tried to get as far away as she could. Maybe she'd hide in a human civilization of some kind. As she slithered away as fast as she could, she heard explosions behind her and the screams of her fellow Lamia. She heard the screams of children and adults alike and hoped that none of her children were caught in the blast but that was wishful thinking. On her way to her escape Route, Dr. Sevris saw two of her daughters one of which was 15 years old and the other was 11. She had plenty of daughters due to the many orgies she participated in over the years but most of them were likely no longer in the realm of the living.
"Serpentina, you need to take Silisk and get as far away from the village as you can! If you hear me scream, continue to keep going and find a human village! You may face some discrimination but it's better than getting slaughtered!"
"What's going on Mom?! Who's doing this?! Why are they killing us?!" Said the 11-year-old Lamia.
Sevris remembered what the smiling man had told her. That her team had sealed their fates by kidnapping him. "Honey, there's a lot I haven't told you but I'm sure you know us Lamia's tend to kidnap human men for reproduction purposes. I think that's why they're attacking us."
"But what about the Lamias who never did that?! They aren't heroes, they're murderers! No, this is worse than murder, it's genocide!" Said Serpentina.
"I-I know… You've always had a kind soul and you were a much better person than your mother. I want you both to hide." Said Sevris.
Suddenly, the three Lamias heard a loud noise. The two daughters of Dr. Sevris eyes widened and when Sevris looked back, she understood why. What these three Lamias saw was a massive purple Dragon descending from the sky and breathing a flamethrower of energy from its mouth onto the village which without a doubt killed dozens of Lamias. The body of the dragon had been mostly replaced with mechanical parts and very little of it was organic. As Alpha One breathed flames down her village, the blasts from Alpha Zero continued to rain down on the village destroying many businesses and people alike.
Ost ends
When the group of Lamias saw this, they knew that if they stayed in this village, they would not live and so they tried to flee to a human civilization for safety and assistance. They weren't the only Lamias fleeing the village. After moving through the village, they witnessed some of the other Lamias being killed by stray blasts from their invaders but the three Lamias decided to go through the space between a building to avoid being a target. The daughters of Sevris were the first to go in between the space but as Dr. Sevris herself tried to make it through, her tail was caught by something, and then she looked back in terror as she saw the spider girl approaching her with her. She then whispered to her daughters.
"They got me! Girls, I want you both to hide and don't make a sound. Mother will be fine I promise, just please stay safe. Girls, I want you to know I will always love you!"
"Mom, I won't do it! I won't leave you!" Silisk whispered.
"Mother, you know I can't do that!" Said Serpentina.
"This isn't something I'm asking; I'm telling now, hide!" The mother looked at her two daughters she knew were alive before pausing he gaze on Serpentina. "Think of your sister Serpentina! I'm sure I'll find a way out of this but just in case, I want you to make sure your sister is safe." Sevris whispered back in an assertive tone. "I don't know what happened to the rest of your sisters but I will make sure that you two survive."
"Mother… I swear, if they harm you, I squeeze the life out of every last one of them." Serpentina reluctantly took her sister and retreated into a nearby bush as one of the invaders approached her mother. They listened as Alpha 2 got behind their mother and spoke.
"Hello there Dr. Sevris, who were you talking to just now? I don't believe our business is over." Said the spider lady with spider legs protruding out of her spine.
"H-How do you know my name?"
"That's classified information but you can say we have our sources. I won't ask again, who were you talking to?" Said Alpha 2.
"I wasn't talking to anyone here, I was thinking out loud, hoping my family would get away from the destruction you're causing to our village! Why are you doing this to us?!"
"I see little reason to tell you but if you will bring you comfort as the life leaves your eyes, I will explain. We are doing this for two reasons. The first reason is our objective is to eradicate evil but unfortunately, an evil man masquerading as a business owner has possession of a powerful weapon capable of reshaping the world in his image. He's an impulsive man and should he feel cornered, he will activate a device capable of reshaping the world in his image. It's an unfinished invention but if he uses it, he can still destroy the world in its entirety. One of the men you abducted may have knowledge that could endanger the entire world if revealed so It's only natural that we will not take risks.
Dr Sevris spat. "Eradicating evil? Don't make me laugh. Do you even care for how much Lamia blood you spilled? Some of them were children who have never hurt anyone! If anything, it's that Bill that's evil! In case you haven't noticed, we're an all-female species so we need men to survive which is why we had no choice but to abduct human men!"
"And why not sneak willing humans? Plenty of willing humans would be more than happy to be smuggled over. Regardless of whether or not you needed to do this, your treatment of your captives was appalling."
"Oh please, you have no right to lecture me about what's right and wrong." She spat. "I as an individual chose to do this along with a few other like-minded Lamias, it didn't involve the other members of the tribe. I had to make sure that no human civilization would find out so the comfort of my captives wasn't a priority. I see you looking at me with contempt but you're slaughtering an entire tribe based on a what if?! Perhaps I'd be a lot gentler if that damn Interspecies Exchange Program let willing humans come here! Our birthrates were already low thanks to the Interspecies Exchange Program and their incompetence but thanks to that creature that slaughtered us, our numbers are even lower so excuse me if I don't take consent into account! I'm not going to let the humans bully us into extinction anymore! You may see my actions as abhorrent but I will do whatever I need to ensure my species doesn't die out!"
"Oh? Is that a fact? Well, the fact is you kidnapped one of our associates and while it is impossible to know exactly where his allegiance lies, he's a very important figure in our organization and we got word of you kidnapping him for your little mating tradition. Under normal circumstances, we'd only execute the offenders but your tribe has a history of kidnapping human men, violating them, and despite being made illegal, some of your tribe members have managed to sneak men into the village. Tell me how many men have you killed in your mating rituals? And don't try to lie because we have eyes and ears everywhere. You may see us as evil for destroying countless families, but how many families have you Lamias destroyed?"
"How many innocent Lamia's did YOU kill?! What about the Lamia who are too young to pose a threat to innocent humans? What about the babies that you killed?! There have been a few accidents but we rarely kill the humans in this village and when we do, we punish the Lamias that do!" Said Dr. Sevris.
"It's.. regrettable but we have orders. A kindhearted kidnapper is still a kidnapper and you took something or rather someone who belongs to us. Our orders were to retrieve General Platinum and eliminate all witnesses. We were ordered to attack your village to send a powerful message for your tribe to cease kidnaping humans but unlike most of us, Alpha Zero and Alpha One have very flawed programming and will sometimes take the commands of the Doctor too literally. Be that as it may, their presence was necessary. General Platinum is a very important figure and we can't risk anything happening to him or him ruining things for us. From now on, he will be in our custody."
"Get a message across? That's your justification?! I just wanted our species to flourish! Is that so wrong?! If you wanted to do good, we could have had an arrangement where you'd bring willing humans to us under the nose of the Interspecies Exchange but that doesn't satisfy your bloodlust does it?" Dr. Sevris spoke with venom in her voice. "You didn't have to slaughter us; you chose to because you enjoy our suffering. They don't even offer us enough human men to keep a healthy population so why is it so hard to understand why we'd revert back to the method that has worked for generations?!" Tears filled the pink-haired Lamia's eyes.
"It's a pity yet you have yourselves to blame. There have been cases of Lamias violating the Bill and there would have been adjustments after hearing the state of your species. You are at peace with the humans yet your inability to trust them has led to your downfall as a species. They could have taken care of this monster and sent more volunteers to your village once they recognized your plight. Humans are physically weak, but there are no bounds to either their intelligence or their libido. Even with your current population, it may have taken some time, but you will be able to slowly but surely build your numbers back up. You did not need to resort to your old ways and because you resorted to your old ways, you will perish." Said Alpha 2.
Sevris grits her teeth. "Funny, for someone who's done research behind the scenes, you certainly are clueless. You should know as well as I do that it isn't an option! I'll admit that there have been some incidents of humans dying from us being too affectionate but those cases are rare. You, that disgusting bug monster, and that damn Bill have all played a part in condemning our kind to extinction! You criticized us yet you didn't come up with a solution, you wiped us out with no hesitation! How is it fair to kill us for trying to survive as a species?!
"Hesitation is a luxury of the living. Indeed, it is not fair but our orders were clear and as stated prior, we cannot run the risk of letting you live knowing General Platinum may have spilled information. I sympathize with you and your people. However, as long as you remain a threat to innocent lives, you will be dealt with as such. For every man you kidnap, another family is destroyed and as androids of justice, we must eliminate you. It's nothing personal, it's what we're programmed to do." Said Alpha 2.
"Programmed? You can't honestly expect me to believe that! Are you using that as an excuse to shield yourself from the guilt of slaughtering our species?! Why should I trust the same people who put all Lamia kind at risk?! You self-righteous spider, you're going to pay! All of you will someday!" She got very quiet for a moment. "I'm no fool… I know I can't defeat you… BUT I'M NOT GOING DOWN WITHOUT A FIGHT!" Unable to run away due to her tail being caught by Alpha 2's web, Dr. Sevris pulled out two throwing knives at Alpha 2 but the knives were seemingly frozen in midair. To both of their surprise, Alpha Zero appeared from seemingly nowhere, casually grabbed one of the knives being held, and slashed Sevris in the neck before doing a roundhouse kick that separated Sevris's upper human body from her snake tail. It all happened so fast that Sevris wasn't even able to scream.
"What a shame. I was willing to let her go if she agreed to tell her village about our warning and I was starting to feel bad for her." She sighed. "I guess we'll have to do it ourselves. I pity them but the Doctor knows best." Said Alpha 2 in a sad tone. "You know, it wouldn't kill you to show some emotion for once, Alpha Zero."
"It has been decided that General Platinum can be safely secured without being seen. Should anyone witness us retrieving him, we must eliminate them. Those orders are directly from our master. We exist to follow orders. Nothing more, nothing less."
"Why are you content with that? You're the only one of us who doesn't show any emotion nor do you have a known past. For example, I was once a seamstress known as Kuminade-No-Hime. Perhaps you've heard of me?"
"Irrelevant. Alpha Two, I will advise you not to let your guard down in the future. While these lifeforms known as Lamias did not possess the necessary vigor to harm you, I cannot be certain that this will be true for all foes in the future. The likelihood is a low percentage but things with much lower odds have occurred. It would be wise to account for all possibilities." Said Alpha Zero.
"We can't all be like you Alpha Zero. Most of us aren't programmed to analyze every scenario." Said Alpha 2.
At this moment, one of the two young Lamias decided to peek behind the wall to see if their mother was okay but instead, they saw their mother's bisected body. They looked down at her only to realize she was looking back at them. They watched in horror as the last bit of life left their mother. Silisk began screaming but Serpentina quickly covered her mouth. Unfortunately, the younger Lamia still made a noise.
"What was that?" Said Alpha 2.
Serpentina grabbed Silisk and began slithering away as fast as she could. As she was grabbing her younger sister, she glanced at Alpha Zero's empty red eyes that indicated he felt nothing for what he had done. It was moments like these where Serpentina was glad she didn't have legs because her snake tail allowed her to make less noise. Unfortunately, her movement was already noticed and she could have sworn that this merciless cyborg had glanced back at her showing is dead and uncaring eyes. Thinking she had been found she threw a rock into the air and fled into the same bush that they were hiding in earlier, hopefully it would divert his attention from them.
Alpha Zero heard both noises and spoke. "It was likely the wind and a piece of one of the buildings could have fallen."
"But it's not windy and we barely touched any of the buildings on this side of the village. This is quite unlike you, you're usually more thorough." Said Alpha 2.
They were interrupted by a new face.
"Alpha 6, where were you all this time?" Said an irritated Alpha 2.
"Oh me? I was simply watching the show. There was nothing for me to do. Hey, don't look at me like that! It's not like I'm lazy or anything. It's just it wasn't their time to die yet. You mortals are so silly. I'm a Shinigami, I do not kill directly unless it's their time to die. How people react to the crap I say and do on the internet is a different story though."
"This is not the first time you disobeyed orders. If this continues, you will face consequences. I will also inform our master that you have continued when you were ordered to cease your trolling. Doing so is not the model of a hero which goes against our commands." Said Alpha Zero.
"Hey, it's not like I didn't do anything! While you were wrecking this poor village, I took care of the backup that was supposed to be coming. You know, you've always had a stick up your ass. You really should start thinking for yourself for once. It doesn't hurt to live for yourself for once but if you want to live your life doing nothing but following orders for the rest of your life, that's on you." Said Alpha 6.
"Your taunting is meaningless. I will have Alpha One take General Platinum back to HQ. We were specifically ordered to take him alive and eliminate all witnesses as well as forcing the Lamias to cease the practice of abducting men for reproductive purposes." Said Alpha Zero. He then began speaking as a communicator with the other members of the Red Storm 7. "Did you all accomplish your tasks and eliminate all witnesses?" Said Alpha Zero?
The members of the Red Storm 7 all gave positive answers except Alpha 6 who continued to do absolutely nothing. Suddenly Alpha Zero got a call from Dr. Hedo himself.
"Alpha Zero, you're needed immediately! Cell escaped and he's already defeated two androids! and even absorbed one of them and evolved into a completely different being from all the species he absorbed! The power he gained is exponential and he's only getting stronger until nothing can stop him! I need you to destroy him before it gets too late!" Said Hedo.
"It would seem some miscalculations were made. Very well. I will ensure that this time Cell is completely obliterated." Alpha Zero turned to his allies. "I will be leaving the mission of finding General Platinum and ensuring we aren't followed to you. I have signaled for Alpha One to carry all the innocent civilians back to their homes. I will be leaving now to correct an error." Said Alpha Zero with an emotionless tone. He then took off flying.
'He's so mysterious. I can never get a read on his true emotions. He acts as if he's just a machine but there must be more.' Kuminade-no-Hime thought about how he didn't even both to check what was the voice of a Lamia who witnessed him kill Dr. Sevris.
Alpha Zero left the area and took off flying as he began trying to search for Cell by reading his energy signature. He felt… something, but it wasn't Cell. The energy felt familiar to the Android but it wasn't his mission to investigate. His task was to kill Cell and he was going to hunt him down no matter what. Hedo then Spoke to him through his communicator.
"Cell was last seen in Japan. He was in Asaka in the Saitama prefecture. Listen, I don't want any accidents this time around. I debated with myself whether or not to send you but I can't afford to underestimate Cell. Cell has absorbed many different species which are unknown to us. I could send another member of the Red Storm 7, but why would I send in a weaker android and risk him absorbing them so he could slowly climb the ladder to being an unstoppable force? That's why I need you, Alpha Zero! You're the strongest android we got!" Said Hedo.
"As you wish to master. Parameters updated: Approaching location. Master Hedo, there is an unknown signature. Are they friend, or foe?" The android asked.
"I wish it didn't have to come to this, but assuming they are who I think, then they are indeed a formidable foe." Hedo sighed. "If he doesn't die, then he might expose too much and if he exposes too much, Mr. M will unleash Project Ragnarök on the world, and then no one wins. Now that I think about it, based on 16's recent report, going after him won't be necessary. He was already beyond saving when 16 last saw him. If you do see him, I'd like for you to end his suffering. We may have been enemies with different world views but he helped a lot of people and he was there for Beta No. 1. He deserves to rest in peace once he passes away."
"Whether he dies a hero, or he dies from our hands, the result remains the same. As of the present, our organization is already infamous albeit widely unknown. Many are aware of our androids but they don't know where they originated or what they truly are. As your creation, I will ensure your temporary cooperation with the Red Ribbon Army remains a secret." Said, Alpha Zero
"I hate what I had to do for them but if I didn't, the world will see me as nothing but another villain, just like my grandfather was. Because of my folly, Beta No. 1 was absorbed by Cell and Cell killed millions of people! I shouldn't have let that boy join me but I was so desperate for an android who could take on the evils of the world! I hate to do this but Cell must be destroyed at all costs! Even if it means killing Beta 1, I want you to obliterate Cell!" Hedo sounded broken.
"Affirmative. I will return with results." Alpha Zero spoke in the same uncaring voice as usual but for some reason, Alpha Zero's voice was very unnerving to Hedo. Whenever Alpha Zero spoke, Hedo always felt a sense of dread. As if he feared Alpha Zero would eventually kill him without any emotion like he had killed plenty of people beforehand.
Alpha Zero eventually got to Japan. When he was sensing a huge energy, it was unlike Cell. It was as if many energies had come together at once. Alpha Zero decided to ignore it for now and flew straight towards the signal from Android 16. Unfortunately, when Alpha Zero got to the location, Android 16 himself was not present but some of his remains were. Even the device to track him was on the ground. Alpha Zero decided that if he followed this unknown energy it may lead to him getting some answers.
Alpha Zero then took off flying. When the android reached the energy, he watched from afar to analyze the situation and strategize based on the data he'd collected but as he watched, he saw a bloody teenager lift Cell's tail and vaporize it by shooting a ki blast inside of it. He then uppercut him and attacked him with a series of hits before using a beam attack known as the Kamehameha. A pretty light destroyed the building and glided down diagonally into the water below. Alpha Zero began holding his head in his hand as if he had a headache of some kind. He decided to rest somewhere around the area and observe the dying teenage boy who defeated his target.
Alpha stood there and watched as the teenager fell to the ground and his hair went from blonde to black. He witnessed what he could only assume was his friend's morning over him. Additionally, he found Beta 1's unconscious form and knew that the likelihood of him surviving wasn't a likely scenario. As the Ambulance took the bodies of the heroes who fought Cell, Alpha Zero couldn't stop staring at Goten until he was out of view. Eventually, the truck drove away.
The cyborg pulls out some sort of communication device. "Reporting new data. The target has been eliminated. Beta No.1 has been located but is in critical condition and has been taken to receive treatment. The probability that Beta No.1 will survive is overwhelmingly low. Android No. 16 has yet to be located." Said the cyborg. His voice was robotic and as he spoke, he was staring right at Goten as he was being taken into the ambulance truck. This lasted until Goten was put into the truck and even then, the cyborg didn't stop staring until the truck had been driven away. "Objectives updated: Eradicate all traces of Cell and proceed with retrieving Android No. 16."
The drive to the hospital in Odaiba was a lengthy drive that felt even longer than it actually was. However, Kimihito and the liminals living with him were eventually were able to get to the hospital. Kimihito spoke to the lady at the front desk.
"Hello, we're here to visit Son Goten. I'm his host family." Said Kimihito.
"His host family? Ah, you must be Kimihito Kurusu. The slime said you were her host family."
"Then it's true. Suu is okay! Thank goodness! I'm sorry, it's just a lot has happened and so much was lost. How is he?"
"Goten… he put up a good fight against that creature that attacked the concert, but right now he's in really bad shape. The other boy with blonde hair unfortunately didn't make it. We had one of our extra species spells cast a spell to slow down the process of his death. Its purpose was to be used for torture but we found it could be used for medical reasons as well. That's why it pains me to say that despite all our resources and our efforts, Goten isn't expected to live much longer. It's a miracle that he survived longer than the boy they referred to as Beytah. Our Elder Devil nurse cast a spell on both of them to keep them alive for as long as we could, but it wasn't enough to save them. We believe Beytah was seconds away from death when she cast the spell while Goten may have somehow had a little more time. Either that or he has a strong will. The kid's a fighter but we've done all we could and it would be cruel to prolong his suffering. If you'd like, I'll speak to my superiors to see if they'll let you visit. I will warn you; he isn't easy to look at and you might not recover from it." She said.
"I understand and I accept the risks. I just want to see Goten. He's done so much for me and everyone else. I expected to say goodbye soon, but not like this. Before he's gone, I want to say thank you." Said Kimihito clearly distressed by the news. "While we're at it, I would like to schedule an appointment for Miia and Papi. Papi's talon is broken and Miia was also injured by that monster, Cell.
"I'm sorry, Cell?"
"Cell is the monster that was all over Japan who was responsible for the disappearances of all those people. He sucked them into his tail from the inside out and he's an android created by an organization known as the Red Ribbon army and he came to Japan specifically to absorb Goten. He almost did it and we were almost completely powerless to stop it." Said Kimihito.
"While I am curious as to how you know all that information, I would more so like to know what Cell did to inflict the injuries the doctors found on Goten. He had cuts, bite marks, and bruises from being beaten by something hard, so much of his skin and flesh was dissolved to the point that he shouldn't even be alive right now, his blood was coagulating far too much, and he had rashes all over the remaining skin he had left. Not only that, but he's lost a lot of blood and I don't believe we can find a donor with a compatible blood type in time. If you want to visit, then sign this and we'll be right with you." Said the lady.
"Alright, I understand." Said Kimihito Kurusu.
After they scheduled an appointment for Papi and Miia, Kimihito went back to his seat.
"What's the matter, Darling? What did she say?" Said Miia.
"She said they did everything they could but Goten isn't going to make it. They said we'll be able to visit so we can say our goodbyes. He went back to fight Cell so he's probably going to be even worse than he was the last time we saw him."
"Oh no!" Said Miia.
"And what of Cell? Was Goten able to overcome this beast? Are we certain Cell is no more?" Centorea asked.
"I'm sure if our insect friend were alive, he would have shown his grotesque face by now. He did come to Japan to devour Goten and considering Goten is right here in this hospital, Cell most likely can't regenerate anymore." Said Rachnera.
"I can't believe Goten's going to die. I thought Goten could do anything. He was so smart, he could fly, and he could use magic to save people. He was good at video games too. He was my friend and I'll never get to thank him for saving Suu. I-I'll miss him." Said Papi.
"I will too. He was like the little brother I never had. Looking back at it now, it makes sense that he didn't mind you girls. All along he was a liminal himself but at the same time, he was more human than a lot of the humans I know. He was also an amazing person. They say power corrupts and as much as I hate to agree with Cell, Goten could have easily conquered the world but he instead chose to live as a regular person. Well, I guess that's not entirely true. He didn't mind using his powers in public but he always used them for good. Whether that be entertaining kids or helping the elderly, Goten helped everyone with a smile. Sometimes we'd have random people thanking him when we were heading home from places. He's helped so many people without expecting anything from it which goes to show you that the idea that power corrupts isn't always true. Goten was someone special and I don't think there will ever be someone like him again." Said Kimihito.
Everyone looked down with a somber look on their face until they were called up much later. As time went by, Papi went to get her broken leg checked. As for Miia, she insisted she was fine but Kimihito was worried after witnessing her being slammed to the ground and thrown against a tree. Eventually, Miia relented and agreed to be examined. As it would turn out, Miia had cracked bones in her upper tail from Cell's assault and was given the proper care.
By the time Miia was out, Goten was ready to be visited. The doctors had finished operating on him and they managed to keep him alive through the use of liminal magic and medical knowledge but despite that, Goten took too much damage from Cell. The venom had previously been removed by Suu, but that did not heal the side effects of the venom. They decided to visit one at a time since some of them needed to prepare themselves while others wanted to say things in private to him.
"Kimihito Kurusu? You can visit now." Said the lady at the desk.
Kimihito looked at the girls. "I'll be right with you soon." Kimihito then followed the lady. When he got to the room, he saw Goten, or rather the sheets that covered Goten. His head was exposed by his face was not a pretty sight yet he was still identifiable by his hair.
"He's here. We did everything we could but unfortunately, he doesn't have long. He's unconscious and he's not expected to ever wake up again. The fact that he was even alive when we found him is a miracle."
"I understand." Said Kimihito with a solemn expression.
The nurse nodded and left Kimihito with Goten. He walked towards Goten and looked down at him. His face was exposed, or at least what was left of it. His hair was what made him possible to identify. The rest of his body was covered by a blanket but Kimihito remembered the state of it before he left to fight Dr. Gero's greatest creation.
"Goten… you have done so much for everyone and I don't just mean me. Sometimes you would come home late but in reality, you were just doing community service and helping people with daily tasks. I guess someone who can move as fast as you could fit that on your schedule easily." Kimihito let out a weak laugh.
"I can't even begin to express how much I appreciate your help. The girls are great but they can be a handful sometimes and cleaning up after them was difficult, especially with all the new homestays. But you didn't just help with that, you helped me with chores like cleaning plates or setting up dinner. I'm so sorry. This must have been stressful for you. You lost your home, you had to live in an unfamiliar world, and right before it all happened, you found out something bad might have happened to your brother and now you'll never get the chance to see if he's okay. You didn't deserve this. You didn't deserve any of this!" Kimihito shouted.
…
"Part of me feels responsible for this. I'm an adult yet I let a teenage boy in my care die. You may be an alien with superpowers but I still regret letting you go back to fight Cell even if it did end in the world being saved. Should I have let you fight Cell? Should I have fought harder against you to get you to a hospital? On the one hand, you were the only hope we had but on the other hand, I might as well have just sacrificed you to him and I didn't forget what he said either. If he did end up eating you, you wouldn't die, you'd be a part of him for eternity which honestly sounds far worse than just dying. You knew that and you still chose to fight Cell even knowing how hurt you were.
As mangled as Goten's head was from the constant beatings, the venom, and the digestive fluids within Cell's tail, he somehow looked peaceful. He had passed out with a smile, a smile that broke Kimihito. As tears flooded his eyes, Kimihito spoke again.
"You told me you wanted to find your brother, right? I know you can't hear me right now but if I do see your brother, I'll make sure to tell him what you did for the world. I wish you could have been able to go back to your world but now that can't happen anymore, I'm glad we were able to make you happy at my house. I know we could never replace the family you had but to me, you're just as irreplaceable. Thank you for everything Goten, and goodbye." Said Kimihito. He would then leave the room.
The next person to go into Goten's room was Miia. As Goten was being operated on, she was examined and while she did have some cracked bones, it was nothing she'd never recover from. She still felt pain but since she was a Lamia, she was more durable than a human. At the sight of Goten, she couldn't help but cry. Goten's half-digested body remained fresh in her memory.
"Why did it have to be you?! It's all that Cell's fault! If he didn't come to Japan, none of this would happen! You would still be with us, but now you're going to die and none of us can do anything about it! He had no right to complain about the torture he had to go through after what he did to you! It just isn't fair!" Miia bawled her eyes out.
"When I came to Japan, I was so used to people being disgusted by my snake tail but I didn't mind because I knew Darling accepted me! But then you showed up and you didn't even care about that! In fact, you thought it was cool! You were nice to Papi and Cerea too! I thought it was odd that you didn't mind non-human species but back then, I never would have guessed that you were also a liminal."
Miia had to take a breather and she had to calm herself before she began speaking again. "We were more similar than either of us ever knew. There aren't any male Lamia's so we need human men to have children. You Saiyan's were almost completely wiped out but you were able to survive through humans which is why you were even born in the first place. You Saiyans needed humans to survive just like us Lamias did and we both did terrible things. I know mass genocide and kidnapping and sexual assault aren't really comparable but they're both very bad things. However, that doesn't mean either of our species deserves to be wiped out. You were one of the last members of your species and now you're going to die…"
Miia lamented the fate of the Saiyan race. She knew there were other Saiyans but there was such a minuscule number of them that one Saiyan death could be a major blow to their species as a whole.
"Just between you and me, my reason for coming to Japan wasn't so pure. I was supposed to abduct a human to make them the communal husband of my village but then I fell in love with darling and I didn't want to share him with anyone." Said Miia. She looked ashamed of her original intentions for participating in the interspecies exchange but she ultimately continued talking to the unconscious Goten.
"For as long as we knew, Lamias always abducted human men to increase our numbers and sometimes the men wouldn't come back especially when we got too excited. Over time, we became a lot more cautious and gentler because we realized we were taking people from their families but we kind of saw it as a necessary evil. It was rare but sometimes there were human casualties which dissuaded people from visiting. When the cultural exchange came into play, we were forced to return the humans and agree to the terms of the Interspecies Exchange Bill for the sake of our survival. After this, some of us still tried doing it in secret and we didn't feel guilty about it because in our minds, it wasn't wrong, it was for the sake of survival and it was just what we always did. Your ancestors probably didn't think much about their genocidal business and maybe they didn't care if it was moral or not. I can't say what their motives were back then but I can say they've changed."
Miia looked at Goten's smile and remembered that Goten wanted everyone to live their lives. She thought a woman with a snake tail like herself could never be accepted by humans but her darling proved her wrong. She still had doubts that humans and Lamias could ever truly co-exist. She had bad experiences with judgmental humans and she was aware of the sex-trafficking practices of Lamias.
In a way, Miia could somewhat understand people's fear and to a certain extent disdain towards Lamias. While most humans she came across were disgusted by her for simply being different and having a snake tail, the vitriol some humans expressed towards Lamia was more complex than just xenophobia. Some humans have lost family members because they were smuggled by a Lamia and taken to their village to become communal husbands. While the men sometimes enjoyed the pleasure of having intercourse with dozens of women, this was not only not always the case but even when it was, the men would sometimes albeit very rarely die from exhaustion, bringing much grief to their families. It didn't justify discrimination against her species, but Miia understood where they were coming from.
There may have been isolated incidents of humans and lamias living in harmony but they were just that, isolated incidents. Why would humans want to be around a race that is notorious for kidnapping, and raping human men? Even if Lamia's all collectively agreed to stop kidnapping humans, all it took for a Lamia to kill a human was to get overly affectionate and Miia knew this first hand from wrapping her Darling around in her coils. Why would humans want to live around a bunch of snake women who could easily kill them on accident if they got too affectionate? Could humans be safe around a dangerous species such as Lamia? These were all thoughts that plagued Miia's mind.
Miia started to realize a pattern in how she was proven wrong about humanity. First by the man she loved and then by the boy who saved the world. In the case of Goten, it wasn't because of any action he did, but rather because of his existence. There were many dangerous liminals to the point where some were considered too dangerous to be involved in the cultural exchange. However none of these species could ever compare to the danger a Saiyan could pose.
Goten was a good person, Miia knew that, but she also knew what his race did in the past. Goten's species was so powerful that just one of them could effortlessly slaughter everyone in the world. They didn't just have the power to destroy all civilizations, but they were naturally inclined to do so which was terrifying. Miia wasn't aware that Saiyans were born with tails, so from her perspective, Saiyans were not only beings with God-like strength but they could infiltrate human society without anyone knowing.
If Goten cared about hiding his power, no one would suspect a thing. He could have quietly rebuilt the Saiyan race through humanity and perhaps non-human species as well and then there would be a group of unstoppable beings who could easily destroy the world. Her tribe would have loved to get their hands on someone like Goten because with Goten's genetics, the next generation of Lamias would have Saiyan blood and they wouldn't have to abide by rules that significantly lower their birthrates. Degrading as it would be, Goten's seed would be seen as nothing more than a tool to strengthen the power of nations. In the case of Lamias or at least most of them, they didn't care for having power over humans but because of their survival instincts, they'd likely pursue Goten if only to ensure the Interspecies Exchange Bill could not prevent human men from going to the village or acting against them.
Despite all of this, Goten's existence gave her hope because he wasn't just a Saiyan, he was also a human. He also had an older brother which meant the human that married his father had another child with him meaning their relationship lasted for quite some time even after Goten's mother most likely knew her husband was a Saiyan. This meant that a genocidal race that once terrorized the galaxy was able to co-exist with humans without any issues, and if they could why couldn't Lamias?
"You inspired me, Goten. I want to make a change to my culture. Instead of having to rely on abducting people or mandated communal husbands, I want us Lamias to live in harmony with humans all around the world and we shouldn't just be forced to accept our declining birthrates, we should have a say on what to do about it too. Being with Darling taught me what it meant to truly love someone romantically, and being around you taught me what it was like to form a connection with a younger male friend who I could have fun doing silly things with, and making amazing memories.
People have lost family to my tribe and now the same has happened to me." Said Miia sorrowfully.
"I hate this feeling. I hate it so much that it's making me sick and yet we Lamia's did the same to humans. We took people from their families even if it was for the sake of our own survival. How many mothers were grieving their lost sons? How many humans were left wondering what happened to their brothers? How did the victims feel when we tricked them and used them to breed? Well, no more! Next time I go home, I'm going to advocate for us to change our ways and I will prove to the humans that even us Lamias can live among them! Goten, I'm so happy I met you and I'm sad to see you go. When you told me your dad was here yesterday, I expected you to leave us, but not like this. When I saw you after we removed you from Cell's tail, I saw the pain you were in and I think it will haunt me until the end. I don't want you to suffer anymore so please! …Rest in peace Son Goten." Said Miia with a face full of tears. She left the room a broken mess.
When Miia returned, it was Papi's turn to visit Goten, but before she got up, Suu appeared as she was done lending energy to patients in the hospital. She had seen Miia and followed her to the lobby.
"Suu!" Everyone in Kimihito's group exclaimed. The slime girl immediately hugged her best friend Papi. Suu was a liquid so it was easy for her to avoid hurting Papi's leg even more.
"I'm so happy to see everyone again! Papi, your leg!" Said Suu before transferring energy to the Harpy's leg. It unfortunately didn't heal Papi but at the very least she felt better.
"Hey, I feel so much better! This is just like what Goten did to master!" Said Papi.
Suu gave Papi a sad smile. "Your leg is still broken, but I'm glad I could make you feel better. I saw what happened from inside of Cell. Beytah also tried to save you and the little children you were protecting but he was also eaten by Cell and he's gone now."
"No way!" Papi began to tear up.
"16 is still alive. Before Cell could destroy him, Goten appeared and took him away and then he came back. I saw everything through Cells eyes until Goten set me free."
"Then he can still be fixed right?!" Said Papi
Suu pondered this for a moment but then Kimihito spoke.
"I know he can! 16 was sent here to beat Cell so whoever sent him here will probably come back for him. Even if they don't, I'm sure the Japanese government will want to fix him up! He does have information on the Red Ribbon army after all, and I bet Smith can put in a good word for him." Said Kimihito Kurusu.
This managed to cheer up Papi just a little. She was still sad about the death of Beta 1 and the moribund Saiyan but at the very least two of her friends were going to turn out okay.
You want to see Goten, Papi?" Said Suu.
"Yes, I want to say goodbye to him too!"
Where was Suu this entire time? Well after Goten was put into the ambulance truck, Suu had gone with them to the hospital. After Goten had passed out, there was barely anything keeping him alive. Not even the liminals with magic were able to heal him but they were able to use magic to prevent him from dying and being stabilized by Suu's ki helped keep Goten alive as well. Suu had tried the same with Beta No. 1 but unfortunately, it didn't work and the Android passed away, this time for good.
Suu was greatly saddened by the news but Beta, Draconis, and Goten weren't the only ones injured. After Suu had absorbed half of Cell, she also stole half of his memories and therefore had some of the abilities and energies of Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo, Frieza, and King Cold and used them to help out the other patients at the hospital harmed by Cell. She also had to talk to the authorities due to being a liminal without a host and knowing about the creature known as Cell. Of course, Ms. Smith was called about this much to her annoyance but she was able to get information on what happened in Odaiba. After explaining everything to Smith, Suu went back to the hospital and began sharing her energy with the injured people once again.
Normally staff would try to stop Suu, but they were shocked that she was helping people who would have died if Suu hadn't given them energy much to their surprise. There were other liminals capable of healing but they couldn't heal fatal wounds or missing organs and besides, their healing was limited as they did not have unlimited magic. Suu on the other hand had half the ki of Cell without him absorbing anyone as Suu had released all the energy Cell got from absorbing people into Goten.
Because of Suu's large pool of energy, she was able to reenergize many people and give them more time for nurses to bring them back to health. Due to absorbing half of Cell, she gained access to some of Piccolo's abilities. Although Piccolo was a member of the Dragon Clan, he possessed magic, but he couldn't heal people. Suu was still inexperienced at using both ki and magic but she was able to combine them both and was able to heal some of the survivors but she was only able to heal minimal damage. In other words, she was unable to save Goten. Suu would take Papi to Goten's room and Papi was saddened by the poor state Goten was in.
"Goten is that you?" Said the harpy. Please tell me you're still alive! I never even got a chance to say goodbye!" *Sniffles* "Y-You were always so nice to me and when I thought Suu was going to be deported, you were on my side! You were also really cool as the Great singing man X3. I met your friend by the way. After Cell sucked Suu into his tail, he came to save me and the kids I tried to protect. I heard what happened to him. He's dead, right? And now you're going to die too!" Papi began bawling loudly. I snuck out and I even brought Suu with me! The kids lost their parents to Cell and that stupid bug went after them next! I kicked him and I broke my talon and he was going to get me next but then Suu sacrificed herself for me and then your friend Beta came and saved me. *Sniffles* "He was so cool too. He was like one of those superheroes I saw on television! The ones we would watch together sometimes."
"Papi, please don't cry. Cell is gone, and Suu believes we'll find a way to save Goten." Suu reassured her friend but Papi was too sad to speak so she hugged Suu while crying on her slimy shoulder. Papi looked at Goten one last time.
"I guess this is goodbye Goten. Thank you for saving Suu! You were the best!" Said Papi. Both Suu and Papi returned to the lobby and the next person to visit was none other than Centorea Shianus. The noble Centaur stood by the covered body of Goten.
"Son Goten." Cerea wore a stoic expression. "Words cannot begin to describe the amount of respect I have for you. When I first saw you, I saw an innocent boy with the potential to become something great and when I saw Saiyaman X2 on television, I saw a scoundrel who cared only for notoriety regardless of who was hurt by your actions" Centorea sighed.
"Now I see who you truly are. A warrior with a noble heart. To say I was impressed by your vigor would be an understatement. However, what truly gained my respect most of all was your unwavering will to fight. Cell brutalized you; he cut you, and he even devoured you yet you never gave up and you continued to fight. When you were on the brink of death, you still went back to make sure Cell could no longer threaten the lives of the people in a world that wasn't even your own. Some of whom saw you as a villain for your vigilantism. It has come to my attention that you were victorious against the fiend known as Cell and I could not be prouder of you than I am in this moment. What you said about Saiyan pride, I understand it perfectly. The Saiyans did not have a pleasant reputation, but I can tell they became a truly noble race of warriors. You don't take pride in their sins or the pain the inflicted upon others, you take pride in the good things Saiyans have done and in their unbreakable will to fight. I too take pride in being a Centaur for the same reasons."
Although Centorea Shianus tried to remain stoic, she couldn't help but muster a smile. As she smiled, however, tears slowly fell down her cheeks. She stood there and watched the motionless Goten in his bed with his innocent smile that shined despite how messed up his face was.
"When you told me about your father, he seemed like an honorable man who I would have loved to meet but you Goten, were just as honorable." Centorea tensed up and her expression darkened. "You weren't wrong. About the bill I mean. It is flawed and it does allow for people to take advantage of it. After you stopped those heinous outlaws, people tried to take advantage of me and I couldn't defend myself because it would violate the bill. At first, I thought you did it as some sort of publicity stunt but now that I know the identity of Saiyaman X2 and knowing what happened to Melody, I understand why you did it. You prevailed because you did as you said and fought as a Saiyan of justice. Before you leave for the next world, I wish for you to know it was an honor to witness your battle with Cell and an even greater honor to have been your friend. It saddens me to know you will be departing soon, but I'm sure we will meet again my friend." And with that, Centorea left the room.
Now it was Mero's turn. She sat in her wheelchair and looked right at Goten.
"Goten, it was very brave of you to go back to fight Cell! You were quite the dashing young man! This was a dreadful turn of events, to say the least, but you made me feel safe. When I saw Cell consume those poor people, I was beyond terrified. I was certain I would meet my end. What was going to happen would certainly have been a tragic end for me yet even knowing that was of no consolation to me. My life flashed before my eyes and I realized I'd never be able to understand the outside world. The old me would fantasize about your fate, but right now I just want you to get better I saw you after Cell devoured you and I am heartbroken after learning there is nothing that can be done to help you, and the friend you tried to rescue also passed away. I enjoyed tragic tales and I wanted to be a part of one myself because I thought it would fulfill me but there is no greater tragedy than the events that transpire in reality. At first, I thought I didn't understand humans but the truth is I didn't understand people, and I didn't even understand myself or my feelings. If Cell got me, I would have left the world, and I would have got the tragic end I thought I always wanted. But you saved me and you looked quite gallant when you did so. I know you can't hear me, but please allow me to sincerely thank you for keeping my secret. Like you, I also didn't want to be treated like royalty but you not only admitted to being of royal birth, you didn't seem to care very much. Lady Cerea was pretty nervous around you after that big reveal." Mero giggled.
"Goten is a nice name. You said it means understanding the heavens, yes? Your name has a beautiful meaning befitting of a beautiful person. I will name my first child after you and what you did will never be forgotten within my kingdom. We will honor you as a hero and one day when it's our turn to die, we will be reunited and all of us will understand the heavens together. Maybe the tragic stories I admired so much had happy endings in disguise. 'While the two star-crossed lovers departed this world due to unfortunate circumstances, their souls were to be reunited in heaven'. Isn't that romantic? I thought I'd think of a positive end like you always do." Mero laughed slightly. "I suppose I said enough, but in any case... we love you too Goten. I promise you; you will not be forgotten." Said Mero before leaving.
The last person to speak to Goten was none other than Rachnera Arachnera, the woman who knew Goten the least. She was the only one who did not cry at Goten's supposed death and was willing to put him out of his misery after he was severely wounded by Cell. Rachnera approached Goten.
"So, you finally reveal your true colors. A member of a vicious warrior race that was once feared across an entire galaxy who chooses to protect the world instead. I must admit, when I first met you, you gave me quite the scare when I realized I couldn't restrain you. Not to mention you were incredibly annoying. But that was part of your charm. It wasn't every day where I could find a human who genuinely wasn't afraid of me and you goofing off while I held you hostage was even stranger. I was at a loss when you broke through my web and I thought I no longer had any control over the situation. Luckily the situation sorted itself out. That said… I wasn't able to uncover your true nature at the time but I knew you were hiding something. On the one hand, you were silly, fun-loving, and a joy to mess with but on the other hand, you were the boy who gave so much trouble to my previous host family to protect non-humans like me and I wanted to see if you were as accepting as you would have others believe. I thought you were putting on a false front at first, but you genuinely didn't care at all. I'd say you cared too little." Said Rachnera.
Rachnera recalled the times that Goten was in a position where he should have been terrified for his life yet he just didn't care. Rachnera knew when someone was trying to remain calm when they were scared but Goten was unafraid of her and made fun of the situation, she put him in. It wasn't just situations involving her either. She remembered how he was not only shot by someone but he also was willing to meet the person who sent him a death threat.
"Of course, now I know you're not fully human and I was never a threat to you. You belonged to a species of fighters who were nearly unstoppable or so you say but regardless of the validity of that claim, you've proven to be a fighter not just through your fight with Cell, but through the fact that you lived as long as you have. It was only natural that you didn't fear me. But, after closer inspection, I realized you were afraid. Afraid of losing the connections you built while you were here. It took me a while to believe you were from another world but after I accepted it, it all made sense. You could destroy the very earth we live on and you didn't know how not just humans but all races would react to that knowledge. You were fine with showing your abilities but you didn't want anyone to know just how powerful you were. You admitted to that much yourself.
Flashback
Back when Rachnera had kidnapped Goten and Kimihito, there was a short conversation that Rachnera remembered.
"Yeah, I may have got in a fight with someone. Someone as strong as me, I might add. The problem is I can't sense their energy, and they wouldn't leave me alone. They kept finding me everywhere I went. I ended up punching him. The last I saw of him; he was on the ground. After that, I just left, but I still wanted to make sure he didn't get to follow me again. No matter how far I went, he always managed to find me. I used a hint of my full power, but I was right not to use too much of it otherwise I could have caused too much damage. The guy is annoying but I don't want his blood on my hands." Said Goten.
'What is he on about? He mentioned he didn't sense any evil intentions from me earlier but what does that mean? And full power? Just how old is this kid?' Rachnera thought.
And then Kimihito spoke. "That's for the best Goten. How strong are you exactly? You weren't bothered at all by being tied up by Rachnera." Said Kimihito. From Kimihito's point of view, Goten seemed invincible. After all, he was able to survive a night with the girls after they were affected by the full moon. But then Goten gave a response that piqued Rachnera's curiosity.
"Some things are better left a secret." Said Goten.
Flashback end
"You were right to be cautious but knowing you, I doubt you were cautious for the right reasons. If the world knew you had to be the power to destroy the world, they may try to get rid of you or force you to serve them. If you were strong enough to defeat them, then I highly doubt the nations of the world would stand a chance against you. However, none of that compares to what you really should have been afraid of which was people trying to have your children to benefit their communities. For example, if one of us Arachne had your children, we wouldn't need to hide anymore nor would we need to abide by the rules of the Interspecies Exchange Bill. We could kidnap humans freely and we could make the world a living nightmare for humans. You were one of a kind. After that insect swallowed you, I thought about putting you out of your misery but I didn't because I knew if you died, we were all next. The Saiyans may been monsters in the past but if it's of any comfort to you, your sacrifice won't be in vain. I know this won't be of any consolation especially since you probably can't hear me but for what it's worth, I'm sorry for making you wait. You look terrible but at the same time, you look peaceful. It's all over now, you don't have to wait any longer sweetie. Rest well okay? When you wake up, I promise you all the pain and suffering will be gone." Rachnera walked towards the door but before leaving she looked back at Goten's lifeless body. "Goodnight."
Rachnera joined her host family and housemates in the lobby and they decided to return home.
"Come on girls, Goten wouldn't want us to grieve for him forever. He risked his entire existence so we could live our lives. We should let him have his peace. We owe him that much." Said Kimihito
The girls nodded and they followed Kimihito out of the building.
As established earlier, Beta No. 1 died. He was unconscious when he passed out but he died on the way to the hospital. Suu was not injured at all due to being a slime. Draconis had some injuries, especially on her wings but out of everyone who was injured, she was doing the best. Speaking of Draconis, there was a reason why she was not present when Kimihito and the gang showed up.
When Draconis was being operated on, she struggled as she wanted to check on Beta 1 and Goten. She wasn't close with Beta 1, but he went to her high school so she cared for him as a schoolmate. As for Goten, he went from her first friend to the man she wanted to become her mate. She wasn't sure if humans and dragons could have children but she still loved him and wanted to be with him regardless. She thought of what she could do to help him.
Draconis was a magic user, but she did not have healing magic. Her magic was based on destructive damage, maneuverability, transportation, and redirecting attacks. Draconis realized that she wouldn't be able to fly properly for a while. Her magic could heal herself overtime but not anyone else. However, she was desperate to save Goten and she needed to think of something fast. But then Draconis remembered something.
"Melody's pendant! She once told me she could heal people with it! Maybe that will work!" Said Draconis. And so, the Dragon girl pulled out her phone and began talking to Melody.
"Draconis? I must say I'm surprised that you're calling me but I'm so happy you are! I must ask, were you not supposed to be in a concert today?"
"That doesn't matter right now, it's an emergency! Goten is critically injured and he's not going to last long! He fought bravely against a creature known as Cell and though he proved to be victorious, he was mortally wounded. The doctors have done everything they can to keep him alive, but so far, they haven't found a solution. I would say the only thing keeping him alive is the magic of one of the non-human nurses slowing down his death but even then, she only has so much mana to spare. Once it's out, Goten will die." Said Draconis.
"Oh no! Goten can't die! I love him! I thought he was going with his father. What happened?! How bad is he?!" Said Melody.
"He lost a lot of his skin, and there are cuts all over his body, some of his flesh has dissolved, and he doesn't even look like himself anymore! I am unaware of everything that transpired but it was like a lot of him was dissolved and I only have Cell to blame!"
"I'll be right there! Make sure Goten stays alive until I get there! This is risky. My host family is a police officer so I can get into serious trouble if caught but if I can save Goten, then it will all be worth it." Said Melody.
"I'll find you myself and I'll take the blame if you get in trouble! I can get you to Goten faster than a car can! I'm in Odaiba, but I'll be there as fast as I can be, so let's decide on a place to meet up! I can get to Asaka in minutes if I'm using my magic!" Said Draconis.
"I know a certain café we can meet at but I'm still a liminal so we would have to be careful not to get the attention of police officers." Said Melody. "Luckily, I know a certain someone who can pose as a human. He's a Monoeye, but he can just cover his face and wear a hood and I think we can get away with it." Said Melody.
"Very well. I will accept your terms!" Said Draconis.
Draconis had trouble flying due to her injured wings but she managed to get to the address that Melody texted to her.
"Melody, I'm here!" Said Draconis.
"Good." Melody turned her attention to the Monoeye named Solai. "Thank you for accompanying me. Even after I revealed my identity as the woman who destroyed the lives of men, you decided to help me." Said the Monoeye.
"So you really were M all along. I'm surprised you're my age let alone female. I mean, my boss always referred to M as male though I guess that may have been to conceal your identity for some reason. I do find it odd that you'd care for school drama though. I know what you've done but I know you're planning on helping Son Goten. We have never met before but I need him alive. We've been keeping an eye on him since he mysteriously appeared in Japan because we think he's another outworlder, just like my boss and well... you."
"Outworlder?" Melody asked. Of course, she already knew about Goten being an outworlder but she wasn't going to admit to that.
"Yeah, people who claim to come from a different world, usually from wormholes in the sky. My boss is one of them but he doesn't talk about his previous life much. All we know is there are people in this world, most of whom are human yet they are said to have come through wormholes in the sky. We need Goten alive the find out more about the phenomenon that occurred a year ago. I'm surprised you got involved in something like this, M but thanks to you, I was able to prove my friends' innocence. I thought you may have been an enemy based on how my boss talked about you but I owe you for that. I didn't expect you to be the person our boss used to work for. You're so young but you have so much power." Said the Monoeye.
"Wait, I'm not from a different world! I was born here! Unless you mean I went from the ocean to the surface world, I am not an outworlder. Also, what do you mean your boss used to work for me? He's a human is he not?" Said Melody.
"Really, but my boss said he knew you. You are M right?"
"I am... but I was trying to keep it a secret so I didn't have to socialize with men... Sorry, I don't mean to be rude to you after you helped so much but I still haven't gotten over my fear of men. You were a big help and I can't thank you enough. However, I must apologize to you once more for I haven't the slightest clue as to what you're referring to. Perhaps you knew my mother? I beg of you, please do not reveal my identity or inform her of my whereabouts!" Said Melody.
"I apologize, I didn't realize this conversation should be discrete." The Monoeye bowed. "Melody, I'm aware you're in a hurry and as mentioned before, I need Goten alive. In any case, I will return to my host family. We will talk some other time." Said Solai before leaving the café.
"Thank you! You're a lifesaver!" Melody waved at the Monoeye. "How bizarre…" Said Melody to herself when he was out of sight.
Suddenly, Melody turned to Draconis and used her pendant and some of the water stored in it to heal Draconis's wings.
"My wings! They're back!" Draconis hugged Melody. "Thank you so much!"
"I-It was no problem…," Said Melody. Her speech was halted as she suddenly became fatigued. "Let's just get to Goten so I can perform the ritual."
"Are you alright Melody?" Draconis asked.
"I'm fine. Just take me to Goten."
"Alright Melody, get on my back."
The Siren nodded and wrapped her arms around Draconis's shoulders. Draconis flew to the sky and transformed into a dragon. A thought occurred to Draconis. Now that Draconis had sorted out her feelings for Goten, Melody was officially a love rival but despite that, she still cared deeply for the Siren. They were able to get to the hospital quicker than Draconis got to the café.
Now that Melody and Draconis were at the hospital, it was only a matter of getting into Goten's room. Draconis ditched her Sindraco disguise meaning she was back to her blue-haired dragon self. Of course, this had eyes peering over at her. She came to the lady at the front desk.
"I have come to visit Son Goten. He's a classmate and as class rep, I have taken it upon myself to see to it that he is okay. My attendant here believes we have a way to save him." Said Draconis.
"So, you're friends of Goten? Then are you aware of what he is? We have reason to believe he's an unknown liminal species. He appears human on an anatomical level but witnesses say he was enveloped in a golden flame while holding an object as tall as a skyscraper. To make matters more complicated, before we had our liminal staff use magic on him to retard the process of him bleeding out, he was very disfigured yet he was fighting the monster that his host family referred to as Cell."
Draconis growled at the mention of the monster that took Goten's future from him.
Soon enough, they were both in Goten's room. They had been operating on him and for the first time, Melody had witnessed Goten's lifeless body. Melody only had one word.
"Oh lord Neptune, GOTEN!" Melody cried as Draconis comforted her.
"I understand how you feel, but don't cry, Melody. With your pendant, you can save Goten, right?"
"I think I can but before I do, can you promise me one thing?"
"Of course! Anything Melody!"
Despite her tears, Melody was able to muster a smile. "Please take care of Goten." Said Melody.
"You needn't ask! There is no one better for this task than a majestic Dragon like myself." Draconis smiled confidently but moments later, she took note of Melody's melancholic expression and felt concerned. "Melody, what do you mean take care of Goten? Wouldn't you want to do that yourself? You, yourself are also enamored with him, correct?" She asked.
"I am. I love Goten with all my heart, more than I love my own mother, and yet… I wasn't there to support him when he needed me most! When I first came to Japan, I hurt people and no amount of good deeds can undo that. Even knowing that Goten was still kind to me and treated me as a friend. Goten deserves to be with someone who loves and appreciates him and can be by his side like you were. That's why I'm begging you..." Melody became a tearful mess. PLEASE MAKE GOTEN HAPPY!"
"Melody, no! Don't do that! Do you think Goten would be happy knowing you died in his place?! He cared about you and if he found out about it, that would break him!"
"Then don't tell him. If he doesn't know, then he shouldn't feel any guilt. What does it matter if I die anyway? It's only retribution for being such an awful person! Even what happened to me in Hisato's home… I deserved it."
Draconis slapped Melody. "Don't ever say that again Melody! Even if Goten doesn't know you gave your life for his, he'll still feel terrible about your death!"
"Goten already lost everything and you're the one who told me he might not ever go back. Please don't do this Melody."
"Well, I decide to make is it not! Besides someone like Goten deserves to live unlike me! He deserves to be happy with someone who doesn't find his sadness arousing."
"You deserve to live too! Think of the people you'll affect. Your parents, the people in your Kingdom, Goten, and myself. Melody, I care about you too! I never had many actual friends and that may sound cruel to the people who like me, but they all put me on a pedestal or view me as a figure to be feared and/or worshipped and can anyone call that a friendship? I hated it, but Goten didn't do that. He even had the gall to talk back to me which made me feel disrespected but at the same time, I liked it because it was a breath of fresh air. He became my first real friend after this. Melody, you also weren't afraid of me and you treated me like a normal person too so I consider you one of my friends even if you are a love rival! When we fought over Goten, I enjoyed it because you did not falter at my presence despite knowing I am a Dragon."
"Draconis? Do you mean that? But I'm nothing but a troublemaker who hurt a lot of the students in our school. I tried to ruin Goten's life! I've hurt many others too and I was given a second chance! This is my time to do something good for someone, someone who I know will bring more to this world than I ever could. Still, I'm glad you care someone like me who didn't deserve to be born."
"You know I'm not going to let you do that right? Being born isn't something anyone deserves or doesn't deserve but once they are born, they deserve a chance at life. You never got a chance to live your life! You've done horrible things but you developed into a much better Siren. If you want to help Goten, then heal him without sacrificing yourself!"
"And you think I didn't think of that? Allow me to enlighten you on how my pendant works. I can almost heal any injury provided I have the same body parts or an equivalent. There is a way I can heal body parts I don't possess myself but in doing so, it will take years off my lifespan. What's more, when I do heal a body part, I take on the pain myself in turn for it to be healed. I could also heal myself if something caused me pain recently but it has to be a direct source of pain such as being struck with something or being pushed against something. When I heal Goten, I won't be able to heal myself because I wasn't the one who was initially injured nor was I directly attacked."
Draconis eyes widened. "No wonder you looked so tired after you healed my wings! I seriously owe you one for that. Melody, I want to save Goten too but think about what he would want. He wouldn't want you to go through with this."
"You're such a caring fool Draconis! If you must have a reason then think of this! If Goten dies, who will help people like me? Goten has many inhuman abilities and I fully believe he can make a change to this world. You say Goten was attacked by this Cell, but who exactly is he and where is he now? Certainly, my Goten was victorious in his battle with this creature."
"Cell was a horrible monster that once plagued Goten's world. He threatened to destroy the entire planet but Goten's brother put a stop to him. He came to this world and began killing people and I tried to stop him but I was too weak… then Goten came in with blonde hair and a blade as tall as a skyscraper and dropped the blade on Cell. He held a huge great sword and was able to move freely and swiftly with it. His strength was unimaginable despite his size." Said Draconis.
Melody smiled after hearing that about Goten.
"That's amazing! I'm aware of what he is. Goten is a Saiyan, a humanoid race that once terrorized the galaxy and drove many races into extinction. Goten told me this, but he also told me the Saiyans on Earth simply want to protect their home. Isn't that beautiful? For someone with the power to conquer entire planets to use their power for good instead of evil?"
"Admittedly, it is quite delightful. Cell was the creature responsible for the disappearances of people around Japan. Perhaps you heard of people being reduced to nothing but their clothes?"
"I did hear of that. My host family mentioned that but at the time, we thought it was some liminal messing with the populace in truth, but I had a bad feeling that turned out to be true. Those who disappeared leaving nothing other than their clothing, they're no longer with us." Said Melody.
"Cell nearly killed Goten and I tried to escape with his unconscious body, but Cell shot my wing which was why it was injured. Cell opened up his tail and made an effort to swallow both me and Goten with it but Goten grabbed his tail and launched him into the sky with a punch!" Draconis did the motion of an uppercut. "He went so fast that all we could see was a ton of lines that made this huge circle and then Goten pummeled Cell against this wall and shot this huge magical blast at Cell, killing him! And he did it all while on the brink of death! He's a fighter until the end, an excellent one at that and he has my greatest admiration for that!"
"That's wonderful!" Melody smiled and then she frowned. "I wish I could have married him. At least now I know he's in good hands. Draconis, please make Goten happy. Thank you for caring about me."
"Melody no! Are you just going to forget what Goten stands for? He'd never want someone to die just so he could live! You aren't alone anymore and you have friends! You aren't the same person you were before! I know you feel guilty about what you've done and I couldn't even begin to understand but what I do know is you'll be missed because you're so important to the people who call you their friend.
"It's okay Draconis. I want this. Besides, I know huge Goten will play a huge role in the future. It's ironic really. All this time I wanted to see Goten in anguish because the thought of it aroused me but now… I want nothing more than to see him smile again. Next time you see Goten, tell him he will always be my perfect Prince and that I'll be watching him once I join Neptune." Said Melody. She took out her pendant and holy water came out of the middle. It covered Goten's body and began to glow.
"Melody!" Draconis exclaimed.
"Goodbye, Draconis. Thank you for caring about me." Melody smiled with tears in her eyes but suddenly...
*CRASH*
"What was that?!" Said Draconis as a massive cloud of smoke filled the room. When it became clearer, A figure was revealed to be behind Melody and karate chopped Melody in the neck, rendering her unconscious.
"WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE! GROVEL BEFORE ME AS I ROAST YOU ALIVE FOR THIS TRANSGRESSION! HOW DARE YOU HURT MELODY AND ENDANGER MY BELOVED MATE?!" Draconis prepared her flames from her mouth but then she was met with a punch to the gut. She didn't even see the figure move. Within a millisecond, the being was punching her in the stomach."
"This boy has fulfilled his role and is worthy of respect, however, his demise is a requirement. He fought well against the monster known as Cell when I failed to eradicate him. For that, I will put him out of his misery so he will not have to suffer any longer." Said the Cyborg. Despite praising Goten, his words lacked any emotion and he had no expression on his face, not even a hint of boredom.
Draconis could only look to the ground at the figure. Unbeknownst to Draconis, this was none other than Alpha Zero. As Draconis fell to the ground, she could only look up at the being as she slowly went unconscious. Before she was completely unconscious, she witnessed the cyborg pull out some sort of green object and then she blacked out.
Draconis would be the first to wake up. She looked around and saw Melody on the ground.
"Melody get up!" She said as she shook Melody's unconscious form.
Melody did not get up immediately but then Draconis looked at the bed and noticed Goten was gone.
"He took him! No! Please tell me this is a bad dream! Goten can't be gone! What did he do with him?!" Draconis asked.
Melody started to wake up as a result of Draconis shaking here. "What is it? Shouldn't I be with Neptune by now?"
"Melody! I have bad news!"
"Draconis? Why are you here? How did you die?"
"We aren't dead Melody! I'm not sure I can say the same for Goten but rest assured, I won't accept anything until I see a body!" Draconis ran out of the room to see if she could catch the cyborg but he was nowhere to be found around the hospital. She found that there were a lot of unconscious workers all over the building and on top of that, the cameras were broken too.
"It's like someone ransacked the place. What happened to me Draconis?"
"When you were beginning the spell, some guy with a mechanical arm appeared and chopped your neck. I tried to burn him with my breath but before I could breathe out a single fume, he punched me in my stomach and instantly knocked me out… I will burn him to ashes and then I will burn his ashes into nothingness for kidnapping Goten!"
"How could you think about that at a time like that?!" Said Melody.
"Oh, Neptune no! Whatever could they be doing with him!"
Without warning, a Woman approached them. It was none other than Agent Smith and M.O.N. They were all currently off duty as a result of Cell but they had come here to visit Goten.
"Melody? What are you doing here? Where is your host family?" Said Smith.
"I can explain-"Melody didn't get to finish her sentence.
"I brought her here, so if you're going to punish anyone, punish me! I brought her here because she had something that could heal Goten, but I didn't know it would cause her to take Goten's pain upon herself!"
"Draconis, you don't need to do this. I ultimately agreed to it. It's just Goten has helped me in a way I never thought was possible and he forgave me for something I shouldn't have been forgiven for. I wanted to save him even if it cost me my life."
Ms. Smith sighed. "I will overlook this just this once but I need to know what happened here. Why is everyone here unconscious?"
"About that… There was a man with a mechanical arm and though he wore a hood and a face mask, his eyes were red and filled with malice. I believe he was what you humans call a cyborgs. He knocked out Melody and then he punched me. Before I passed out, my sight was blurry, but I saw him holding this small green and when we woke up, Goten was gone."
"Oh, you have got to be kidding me!" Said Smith.
"That's low, even for traffickers. Seriously?! Kidnapping a dying kid from the hospital? How evil can you get?! Who does that?!" Said Zombina.
"You think that maybe this Hedo guy had something to do with it? He did try using a monster like Cell as some sort of guardian and ended up letting him out to the public. You know he's just got to be hiding something." Said Doppel.
"Goten trusts him so that's good enough for me." Said Tio.
"Doppel does have a point. Goten told me that Hedo was just a person who made a lot of mistakes but has changed but his actions don't show it. His android nearly killed us and he let Cell out into the public! All of this is on him! It wouldn't surprise me one bit if Hedo was the one responsible for the androids taking people from all over the world!"
"Smith, are you alright?" Tio asked.
"No, I'm not alright. Someone who was supposed to be in my care died! I also got word of what happened to our little friend from the day we fought those orcs. He… has also passed away. If it weren't for Cell, we could have interrogated him for information on the Red Ribbon army and Hedo. Mark my words, I will take them both down if it's the last thing I do. I swear it!" Said an angry Kuroko Smith.
Location: ?
No one knew what happened with Goten's body nor did they know the identity of this mysterious cyborg. What they did know was Goten was gone for good. There was no way he was alive after being kidnapped in his condition especially after he was moved. The only reason Goten was able to stay alive was the magic essentially freezing him. However, Goten was removed from the spell and now he was certainly deceased… Or was he?
Goten woke up in a strange room with white walls. "Huh? Where am I?" Goten placed a hand on the right eye which previously wasn't functional.
"My vision! It's back! And my arm isn't all melted anymore and my face is fine too! Wait, if I'm all healed up, does that mean I'm dead?" Goten looked up and saw there was no halo. He then pinched himself. "Ow! I'm not dreaming either, but how am I still alive?!"
Goten got up and started punching the air as if he were fighting someone and found that he was once again full of energy.
"YES! I'M ALIVE! I'M ACTUALLY ALIVE! I FEEL SO MUCH STRONGER THAN I WAS BEFORE!" Goten shouted. Before he knew it, someone walked into the room.
"Ah, you're finally awake. I've heard quite a bit about you…" Said a mysterious man who walked in.
Goten looked over at the mysterious man. "Who are you? Why am I here?! How am I still alive?! How long have I been unconscious?!"
"I'm sure you have many questions but they'll all be answered in due time. As for why you're here, I have no clue as to why someone from Red Pharmaceuticals brought you here, but I think a great opportunity for both of us has presented itself to us! I heard what you said about the Bill on television. That it allows for too many people to abuse the loopholes and I certainly agree with you. What do you say about us working together and perhaps we can make a difference in the world? What do you say... Saiyaman X2?"
"WHAT?! HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT?!" Goten exclaimed. He had forgotten that he had confessed to being Saiyaman X2 when he thought he was going to die so he didn't consider the possibility that his identity was already revealed to the public.
"Oh, it was just some deductive reasoning and for all I knew, that person fighting that giant bug in Odaiba was someone completely unrelated to Saiyaman X2 but I appreciate you confirming it for me."
'DANG IT! I REALLY WALKED INTO THAT ONE!' Goten thought. "Um sir, are you going to reveal my identity to the public or contact the authorities?" Said Goten with a nervous expression.
"Oh, of course not! Nothing of the sort! I'm not a cruel man, I simply want what's best for you and other species just like you!"
"How do you know I'm an extra species? No matter how you slice it, I look human."
"Well humans don't fly around cities fighting cyborgs and monsters now do they? Some of my employees were in Odaiba at the time, and they recorded you surrounded by yellow flames, from a distance of course. Our business partners, Red Pharmaceuticals made it possible to observe you from a distance in excellent quality and speed. They're a shady bunch but they offered so many opportunities for my business to flourish!"
"Um... what are your intentions? You said you're partners with Red Pharmaceuticals, but do you realize what they're doing? They're the Red Ribbon Army, and they're the reason Cell got out! The people you're working with are rotten to the core! They're likely the ones kidnapping liminals and humans and turning them into androids!"
"Really now? Those are quite the allegations. Well, you must understand as a businessman, I can't simply cut ties with them on a whim, especially with what they're offering. You see, they're a pharmaceutical company as the name would give away but they're so much more than that! The technological advancements are beyond anything humanity has seen before! They've even helped me expand my business!"
"Just a word of advice, they aren't trustworthy. Take it from me, they aren't good people." Said Goten.
"Well, if they're as bad as you say, then I would have no issue with cutting ties with them but I can't do so on your word alone. Surely you can understand that right? Rest assured, if you have any valid proof, I would be more than happy to oblige."
"Well, I! I..." Goten thought about the proof he had, but he soon realized he had none. Sure, Cell said Red Pharmaceuticals is the Red Ribbon Army, but what kind of proof is 'Oh, the monster that terrorized the world told me so!'. "You're right. I don't have proof, but please trust me on this!" Said Goten realizing that Cell wouldn't exactly be considered a reliable source.
"Oh, worry not my dear friend! We aren't friends and our relationship is simply business! Besides, I have information on them that I certainly wouldn't want to get out if I were them."
"I don't think they care." Goten thought back to what Cell told him. Red Pharmaceuticals was indeed the Red Ribbon Army. "No, I mean they're an evil organization hellbent on taking over the world and they won't stop until they do it!" Said the Saiyan teenager.
"Taking over the world? You have quite the imagination, my friend. In any case, the offer still stands. If you work with me, I'll make sure you're financially independent and I can even arrange a real superhero suit for you. How does that sound?"
"That does sound pretty awesome… but I don't know..." Said Goten.
"Doesn't it? Tell me, what is your name?"
"I'm Goten."
"Then Goten, why don't you follow me?"
"Okay!"
Goten followed the man out the door of the room he woke up in. As Goten followed the man, he saw what appeared to be an observatory of some kind.
"Woah, what is this place?" Said Goten with childlike wonder.
"This is the Black Lily Advanced Materials Laboratory, and we sell liminal products."
"Um... I'm sorry what?"
"Oh, rest assured, it's all consensual. We sell products like Arachne silk or spores from a Mantango and we pay them good money for it too. You see, it's a bit rough for species to find work in human society and when they do, it can still prove to be difficult for them. Wouldn't it be better if they could be paid more for something easy? Our Resource Production Department offers that and more! We also offer top-notch support for their daily lives and you Goten, would be no different."
"Okay, I think it's great that you're helping out liminals and giving them those kinds of opportunities, and no offense, but that sounds really gross. And you wanted me to work for you? What would I even sell to you? My fingernails?" Said Goten.
"Oh, nothing of the sort. As I established previously, I am aware of your actions as Saiyaman X2 and I empathize with you. That's why I took it upon myself to have a suit made for you. I meant to contact you, but I didn't know who you were and there wasn't much information on you to begin with. Anyway, I'd have you continue doing what you did as Saiyaman X2 as well as being a spokesperson. If you get in trouble with the government, I'll get you out of it. Besides, I'm sure people wouldn't be happy about the person who saved their country being treated like a criminal. How does my offer sound?"
"You made me another suit?!"
"Well, it was my workers. I could never take credit for what they did. I'm sure you'd like to see it. It's a lot better than that flimsy black clothing you wore before."
"Really?! I'd love to!" Said Goten with childlike glee.
"Then follow me."
Goten began following the man but suddenly he started walking slower until he suddenly stopped.
"Hm, is something wrong?"
"It's just, I don't know about this. Don't get me wrong, I love being Saiyaman X2, and I still have my issues with the Interspecies Exchange Bill, but I think I'm going to take a break from the superhero stuff because quite frankly, I don't feel very heroic right now. If I did start doing the Saiyaman stuff again, it would remind me of my friend who died after I beat Cell and also my old partner who might be dead for all I know."
"Well, I can't force you to make a decision now, but the offer is always open to you. That said, is there anything you'd like to say to the public? I can have an interview set up on national television. Perhaps you'd like to speak on a few things? Your fight with the monster? Who you are and where do you come from? Perhaps you'd like to talk about your grievances with the Bill? Well at the end of the day, the choice is yours. I know you can fly, but I take it you don't know how to get home from here?"
"You're right, I don't. Normally I'd sense someone's ki, but I don't know if there's a ki signature I can lock onto right now. Well, I guess there's Suu but I'm really hungry now and that makes it hard to concentrate.
"Well, I suppose I can get you a ride home and I promise you, you will be fed. I wish the best for you Goten and it was a pleasure to meet you. Just let me make a phone call, and you'll be home shortly." The man pulled out his phone but then Goten spoke.
"Sorry sir, you've been nice to me this entire time and I will consider your offer when I have a better frame of mind. I just realized you never told me your name."
"Oh right, where are my manners? Well, my workers commonly refer to me as 'Mr. President and it has a nice ring to it wouldn't you say?"
"Well, it was nice to meet you Mr. President and you know what? I'll do it. I'll do the interview. There's a lot I want to say to the public. Normally I wouldn't want this kind of attention, but Cell didn't just attack Japan, he attacked many countries around the world and as the man who killed him, I can bring some closure to the families that he hurt. I also have many other things to say.
"Really? It brings much joy that you'd agree to do this interview! You know, it takes a lot of courage for someone so young to speak to everyone, especially after the global tragedy that just occurred. Are you sure you want to do this?"
Goten clenched his fist and spoke with confidence. "I am."
"Then it's settled! I'm looking forward to your interview Goten!"
Authors Note: Alright so who thought I was going to kill off Goten here? Don't lie, I know at least one of you thought that. Well in the future, I doubt anyone will believe that because they'll see that I have more than just 12 chapters and realize I came up with something to save Goten. Anyway, last month was great for me and it's actually when I wrote this chapter. I must say, when it comes to writing this story, editing takes far longer than writing which makes sense if you already have what you want to write in mind. With that said, I finally concluded how I wanted to deal with this story. Originally, I was going to make this a three-part series and this story was going to be extremely long. However, after some thinking, I decided to divide this story into even more parts. I even have a name for the next part of this series but you'll have to wait for that. Let's just say I have an ending that I think you'll all like a lot. In terms of words, I think this story will have over 500,000 but it probably won't go above one million like I originally intended and I don't know how long the sequels will be either. Yes, that wasn't a typo, I said sequels as in more than one. I had to re-edit because I realize some of this note got deleted.