Dr gero (cell dr) si

by Dextrode

Posted for tts. Still updating every few months. Og author sb. /threads/the-pinnacle-of-humanity-dbz-doctor-gero-si.1155028/reader/

2. 2 (to ch10)

Gero was in no better of a mood the following morning, and yet, he felt different all the same. He could not say why: tears threatened to gather in his eyes if he so much as thought about Gevo, and he could not bear to go back down into the sub-basement where Android Sixteen still resided. Yet, something felt different about him, as if some fundamental aspect of his very soul has broken or fractured in some way.

Whatever the truth was, Gero absolutely hated it, and hated feeling the way he did. So he did what he'd always done whenever his emotions threatened to get the better of him: return to work.

He was in the middle of analyzing the data his Androids had retrieved from Doctor Wheelo's base when Vomi strode back into the main lab. Gero spared her a single glance, noticing the bags under her eyes, and the slightly haggard look on her face.

Had she had just as bad and sleepless of a night as he had?

Vomi greeted him with a wordless nod, though Gero soon found his attention diverted to the two cups of steaming coffee he now saw were in her hands. She reached over, offering one to Gero, who took it after a belated pause.

He drank a grateful sip, already feeling better as the caffeine started to course its way through his system. Vomi, meanwhile, absently slipped her free hand into the pocket of her lab coat, bringing it back out a moment later and up to her mouth, before she audibly swallowed something.

Perhaps some sort of energizer pill, or some such thing? Gero certainly wouldn't blame her, if that was the case.

The two of them stood in silence for a good few minutes, both taking idle sips of their coffee while Gero browsed through Wheelo's recovered research. As he did so, he eyed his ex-wife out of the corner of his eye.

"So," Vomi casually spoke up, matching his stare. "Are we going to talk about what happened last night?"

"...No," Gero answered gruffly, looking away from her with a grimace.

Vomi made a noncommittal noise in response, though mercifully she didn't press him any further. Instead she took another swig from her coffee cup and said,

"You said you had a bio-lab for me, didn't you? I'd like to see it."

Grateful for the change in topic, Gero nodded and gestured for her to follow him. It was a quick jaunt to the space he'd set aside for Vomi, and Gero gave a more detailed overview of the equipment on hand as they arrived.

"...You also have plenty of equipment here to help conduct tests and experiments, rest assured. My supercomputer has the DNA of countless species of animals and plants on file, and of course there are plenty of human test subjects to choose from: I have the DNA of most of Earth's greatest fighters on file," he explained, stroking his mustache with one hand before he gestured to a large glass tube in the center of the lab.

"You'll even have a cloning chamber to work with, as well. Though I myself have yet to…produce any viable cloning subjects, I can verify that the process as a whole works in theory. Though I do not plan on just using this chamber to clone organics. In fact, I—!"

"Gero," Vomi interjected, a hint of warning to her tone. "Stop. I want you to listen to me very carefully here, and answer me in total honesty. Just what do you expect me to do with this equipment?"

"Pardon?" he asked, blinking in surprise at her sudden tone shift.

Vomi gave him a withering glare in response, her arms crossed as she testily said, "Gero, you have equipment here meant for cloning, including human cloning at that, which raises all sorts of ethical and moral concerns for me. So I want you to be explicitly clear on what you expect me to contribute here: because if you think you can just order me to make you a clone army, then I want you to say it, right here and right now."

Gero blinked rapidly, his brows raising in surprise. That was her concern, of all things?

Well, to be fair, he could see why Vomi might be worried about such a thing. Ethics of cloning aside, it did seem like a valid way to make a quick-grown army, potentially even a faster process than making more of his Androids. He had the DNA of Goku, Yamcha, Tien, Krillin, and Piccolo all on file as well, which meant that he could, in theory, make flash clones of them. Though how well these clones measured up to the originals, he wasn't quite sure.

Still, from what little he knew of the FighterZ video game, he knew that clones of the Z Warriors had been the main enemies of that particular game, created and used by Android Twenty One as both henchmen and a food source. So the flash clones must have had some power behind them, when it came to fighting the originals. But again, that was decades down the line, and potentially done by an Android of his that may not have even been the original Vomi.

There was no telling how Majin DNA may have played into events as well. Perhaps that particular DNA had been used as a stabilizing factor in making the flash clones? It was an intriguing theory, though he had no way of testing it for another ten to twenty years, depending on if Babidi still came to Earth. Given what he knew of Majin Buu's properties, it was possible he might be able to synthesize something akin to him, potentially by combining together several different samples. Perhaps if he experimented with Namekian, Saiyan, and Frost Demon DNA…ah, but the latter would require him to get a sample from Freeza or his father. Or potentially Cooler, if he existed in this worldline. Hrm.

Well, whatever the case, he doubted the artificial DNA would compare to the actual thing, likely making such an experiment pointless. And even if it did work…Gero was uncertain the results would be worth it.

While his knowledge of FighterZ was spotty, he did know that Android Twenty One was a bioandroid like Cell; and much like Cell, she had the DNA of other warriors coded within her, with the added DNA of Majin Buu truly taking her into a higher tier, making her a thousand times more powerful than any of his other creations. Though Gero also knew that Twenty One's incredible power had come with severe drawbacks: namely an insatiable hunger that had split Twenty One into two distinct personas. Such hunger would make her impossible to control, let alone reason with, and he had very little doubt that any other experiments given Majin DNA would turn out similarly. Majin DNA seemed far too unwieldy and unstable to use, given those facts.

Regardless, there was no changing the state of cloning as it stood in the present day. He would hem and haw about the potentials of the future all day long, but it wouldn't do Gero any good here and now. And the sad reality was, despite its tantalizing possibilities, cloning was nowhere near as viable a field of science as making his Androids was.

"A clone army? Don't be absurd. Commander Red may have demanded that of us back in the day, but that project was more of a pipe dream than anything else," Gero dismissed, rolling his eyes. "The field is still in its infancy, and I've made no breakthroughs whatsoever in advancing it. Perhaps I could have, if I deigned to focus on it, but I've been occupied with building my Androids more than anything else."

Besides that, he was an engineer at heart, not a bloody biologist. Even his magnum opus, Cell, had only been possible in part due to Vomi's prior research into the field of biology. And it had still taken his supercomputer years to actually create Cell in the future that could have been.

"Perhaps decades into the future, the both of us together will be able to crack the main issues that prevent mass cloning from being a feasible strategy," he continued, stroking his mustache thoughtfully. "But as it is right now? Cloning is an imperfect process, and certainly not an ideal path to follow in the upcoming fight against the Saiyans. Besides, even if our clones survive the gestation process, they won't be liable to live longer than three weeks at the most. I doubt any such clones would hold up in a training match, let alone an actual fight."

Vomi paused, regarding him with a disbelieving stare before she abruptly pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Oh, so that's your objection," she groused, shaking her head. "It just isn't practical. Ugh. And here I thought that…"

She trailed off, giving a disgusted sigh before sending another glower his way.

"What?!" he yelped defensively, glaring back at her.

"Nothing. At least you realize it's impossible now," Vomi hissed, before giving a scoff. "It would have been nice if you'd said as much back in the day. Commander Red would have believed you. As it was, he thought I was just dragging my feet!"

"Ah," Gero said, looking off to the side.

He'd been the darling of the Red Ribbon Army's scientific department, so to speak. Whatever he personally thought of the man, Commander Red had seen Gero as a valuable asset and the greatest mind inside the RRA. After all, Gero had helped build or otherwise pioneer a great deal of the cutting edge tech the Army had employed. Red had been especially pleased with Major Metallitron, the mechanoid Gero had built as both a prototype and proof of concept for his precious Android Project.

Vomi, on the other hand…well, she had been the redheaded stepchild of the organization, to put it one way.

Perhaps he'd been sexist, or perhaps Red was just a hard man to please. Whatever the case, he had always come down hard on Vomi and her department. Due to a variety of reasons, the Biological Research arm of the RRA had always lagged behind the other major branches, and Red had often taken his frustrations on that upon Vomi.

At the time, Gero had been content to ignore that. He'd been focused on building his Androids, after all, and little else had mattered to him. But now, looking back on it…

God, what a fool he'd been. He'd just watched Red heap tons of abuse upon Vomi, and done nothing to protect her or shield her from it. What the hell was wrong with him?! They'd still been married, at that point! Why hadn't he—

Well. It didn't matter now, Gero supposed. It was just yet another idiotic mistake he could chalk up to his foolish past self.

"I apologize," Gero muttered stiffly, still looking away from Vomi.

"...What?" she questioned, her tone suddenly small and unsure.

"I said I'm…sorry," he repeated, finally looking back at her. Staring her right in the eyes he added, "I was, well, I suppose there's no excuse for my behavior back then. I was just so…blind and arrogant, so trapped within my own work. I should have been there for you, I should have stood up for you, I…well. I should have done a lot of things differently back then."

All the prior anger and bitterness drained completely from Vomi's expression. A mixture of incredulousness and hurt lingered in its place, his genuine apology once more taking her aback. When he saw the sparkling of tears gathering at her eyes, Gero finally looked away, his mouth twisting into a helpless grimace.

Gero curled his hand into a fist, clenching it as hard as he could to stop the tremors of rage that threatened to rock his body. Not for the first time, he was reminded about what an utter, gods damned fool his past self had been. No, not just a fool, but a monster. After all, only a monster would have been content to let his own wife get abused like that.

"Why…"

Vomi trailed off, looking at him as if she didn't even recognize the person in front of her.

A long, tense silence fell between them. Gero didn't dare breathe a word, certain that if he talked now, he'd start screaming profanities, and wouldn't stop until he'd completely, verbally eviscerated the man he had been.

Thankfully, it was not he who ended up breaking the silence.

"What," Vomi said, swallowing thickly. "What do you expect me to do then, if not furthering cloning research?"

Gero let out a shaky sigh, immensely relieved at the change in topic. He cleared his throat, looking off to the side as he started to explain.

"Truth be told, I am far more interested in creating Biowarriors," he said. "Artificially created biological lifeforms, that is. More or less what my Mechanoids are, but of flesh and blood instead of machinery and oil. Such creations, in theory, would be capable of strengthening themselves far easier than most of my Mechanoids, given their biological nature. Though their potential isn't as varied or expansive as a cyborg would be, in my humble opinion."

Vomi tapped her chin, a thoughtful look flashing over her face. After a moment she said, "I still have my reservations about this line of scientific experiments, but as long as they're not full-out clones of real people…but, is such a thing possible? Creating sentient life is complex and incredibly difficult, to say the least. It's not nearly as simple as your machines, Gero."

"It's not that simple," he muttered mulishly, shooting her a cross look.

Gero cleared his throat a moment later, speaking louder as he said, "That is, yes, I do believe it is very possible. Doctor Wheelo managed it, and given we have access to his research, I think we'll be able to build off of what he pioneered."

"Wheelo?" Vomi questioned, giving him a surprised stare, before a look of remembrance dawned over her features. "Right, you had mentioned this. Yes, having Wheelo's research into the matter certainly would give me a leg up in advancing this field. I won't deny that. Can you show me this research you found?"

Gero nodded, moving over to a computer console he'd set up in that area of the lab. After a few moments, he pulled up everything his Androids had found from Wheelo's trashed lair, and stepped back to let his ex-wife pour over it. She studied it all intently for a good ten minutes, parsing her way through the gathered records with lightning speed.

"Now this is revolutionary," Vomi finally said, a hint of awe in her tone. "The stories we grew up with regarding Doctor Wheelo's genius weren't an exaggeration, that's for sure. Still, these records aren't complete. It's like trying to assemble a puzzle, but only having half of the pieces."

"Yes, my Mechanoids were only able to retrieve so much. Doctor Wheelo is, regrettably, quite dead now, and his main laboratory was left in ruins," Gero admitted, a frown marring his face. "Associates of mine were given the coordinates of his base, so perhaps we might be able to find more of his research once they've recovered and cataloged everything. Still, I'm confident that you can figure out the missing pieces here."

Indeed, given what he knew of at least one potential future, he was confident that Vomi would be able to get very far indeed with her research and experimentation. Though how much of a difference it would make against the Saiyans, that he was less certain of.

He had managed to salvage the blue-prints, so to speak, of Wheelo's Bio-Men, the blue-skinned carbon copies of the Saibamen—which, incidentally, he now knew wasn't just a confusing metafictional piece of trivia, but a genuine piece of fact in this reality, because the Bio-Men were based upon Saibamen samples Wheelo had obtained. Where and how Wheelo had gotten those, though, he did not know: the records he had salvaged did not say. It was a curious mystery, to say the least, but one Gero was willing to let die for now, given he had bigger fish to fry.

Regardless, being able to recreate the Bio-Men was a good boon here. The Bio-Men were created to be relatively simplistic in their intelligence, capable of following commands from their masters, but not built for complex, independent thought beyond that. They probably wouldn't make a dent against Vegeta and Nappa, but still, they'd serve as useful cannon fodder, and potential sparring partners for his Androids.

Perhaps they'd make for good guards for his secondary labs, as well? Hm, yes, that was a good idea actually. Gero was confident in the security system he had at work already, but still, having some organic muscle around to protect his labs would be good as well. Perhaps he should look into that later…

Alas, Gero had been less successful in salvaging genetic blueprints of Wheelo's so-called 'Brutal Warriors' line of Biowarriors, which was endlessly annoying. Still, having this much was a good start for this wing of their research.

Vomi studied the files for another few minutes, before pulling away from the computer console. Gero could detect a keen sense of curiosity and excitement pulsing from her, though Vomi did her best to maintain a neutral and disaffected aura.

"Alright, I think I can do this. Certainly, it shouldn't be too hard to make new copies of Wheelo's Bio-Men. But I can't promise you anything beyond that, Gero. Not until I've had more time to analyze this data," she warned him.

"Of course," he replied in a demure tone. "I'd expect nothing less. Once you have had time to properly digest these records, we can discuss this some more. I have some ideas for potential Biomechanical warriors we could create, but we'll have to see just how feasible such projects will be."

Vomi nodded at that, the wheels turning in her head as she seemed to mull over her own ideas for the project. Before Gero could question her, however, a soft chime started to sound throughout the lab.

"Priority message incoming for Doctor Gero," the feminine voice of his Supercomputer dutifully informed him.

A message? Strange, he wasn't expecting anything. Who could be messaging him now?

Brows furrowed in puzzlement, Gero turned and left that wing of the laboratory, leaving Vomi behind as she went back to studying Wheelo's data.

He walked up to his main computer console soon thereafter, typing away at the keyboard as he pulled up the electronic video message he'd been sent. His surprise only grew further as the familiar visage of a short man nearing middle age appeared on his screen.

He was dressed in a fancy magenta-colored suit with a black undershirt visible, and a gold chain necklace around his collar. His black hair was slicked back with some sort of gel, while a pencil thin mustache framed his lips. The man had a lit cigar in one hand, and took a long drag from it as he stared into the camera.

Gero stared for a long moment at Magenta, his lips curling into a grimace at the sight of his unwelcome benefactor. It made him immensely glad Magenta had sent him a recorded message, and hadn't tried to call him instead.

Regardless, he played out the man's message.

"Gero," Magenta began, an arrogant smirk tugging at his lips. "Sorry for the short notice, but something's come up, and we need to meet as soon as possible. So come down to the corporate headquarters ASAP, no excuses. Let Carmine know as soon as you're on your way."

With that, the video cut off, freezing on the still image of Magenta's smug smile.

Gero blinked rapidly, a flux of emotions swirling within him. A potent mixture of confusion and fury became the strongest of those feelings, and Gero wished he had access to the Force then and there. Oh, what he wouldn't give to be able to Force Choke Magenta over the computer…

But, still. Magenta wanted to meet with him? Now? But why? Gero did have scheduled check-ins with Magenta, meetings to assuage his benefactor and keep the money rolling in. But they typically only met twice a year, and it would be a few months until their next scheduled appointment. So what was different now?

Perhaps he had some sort of update about the excavation of Wheelo's ruined laboratory? Gero couldn't think of what else he'd want to meet over.

Briefly, he mulled over the idea of just blowing Magenta off. Before he'd gained access to his meta memories, he'd never had a particular fondness for Red's son, and now, he liked him even less. Of course, Magenta was every bit as ego-centric as his father, and copied his leadership style too. Red had never truly earned the love and loyalty of his forces, no matter what the man himself might have thought. Most of the RRA had been there because of his money, or their belief in the cause, versus personal loyalty to the man behind the cause. Gero himself had never had any sense of fealty toward Red, and even now, he was only 'loyal' to Magenta and the RPC because of Magenta's funding of his research.

But it was because of that funding that he knew he couldn't just ignore his benefactor. If Magenta chose to cut off his funding at any moment, it would seriously screw him over. Gero intellectually knew he could continue his research without Magenta, but…how would he pay for all his necessities? The power bill for all of his labs, his supply of spare parts, the funding needed to maintain his cutting edge equipment…without Magenta's donations, Gero would be overwhelmed by all the logistical concerns that he didn't have to worry about normally. Perhaps in time he'd be able to overcome that limitation, but it would still cripple him in the short term, especially when it came to the fight against the Saiyans.

Besides that, he'd still need to find a new source of income, and doing that would be easier said than done, given he was legally dead. And if he were to pop out of the shadows, then without Magenta's protection, the World Government would come after him.

So it was with a growl and a grimace that Gero knew he couldn't put this off. He exited out of the video message, and paused only to send a text memo to Carmine's cellular device that he was on his way. Once that was done he strolled back over to the operation bay of his lab, moving over to Android Thirteen's stasis pod. After some fiddling with the device, it hissed open, and Thirteen climbed out of his pod.

"Thirteen, you are to come with me," he gruffly ordered. "I have a meeting to attend, and you shall act as my bodyguard whilst I am away."

It was, no doubt, an overreaction caused by paranoia on his part. He seriously doubted that Magenta was going to try and liquidate him: after all, he and his research were the key to Magenta's goal of reestablishing the Red Ribbon Army. Still, it couldn't hurt to bring some protection along, just in case. Besides that, he could also use this as an opportunity to show Thirteen off, and give Magenta some clear signs of his current progress.

Maybe if he was lucky, Thirteen would help earn him some extra money the next time Magenta sent over his paycheck.

"Of course Doctor," Thirteen obliged, taking a confident and relaxed stance.

His attitude irritated Gero some, but he couldn't blame his Mechanoid. It wasn't like Magenta would have anything that could seriously threaten him, not while he had Thirteen around.

With that done, he moved back to Vomi next. Once she was in earshot, he called out,

"Something's come up, and I have to go to a meeting on short notice. I'll try to be back as soon as I can. In the meantime, feel free to use the lab as you'd like."

He saw Vomi's head briefly peek up from her computer monitor, her tangled red hair shaking slightly as she gave him a hurried nod, right before going back to what she was looking at.

Gero didn't bother to stop the smile that flickered over his lips. It was just like Vomi to lose herself into her research. Some things never changed, it seemed.

After that, he went down to the garage with Thirteen, climbing into his car while his Android took the passenger seat. One turn of the key later, and they were off, his flying vehicle swiftly exiting the opening garage doors.

"You know Doctor," Thirteen began, his distinctive Southern drawl drawing a flash of annoyance from Gero. "I had an interestin' idea occur to me just recently, and I reckon' you'd want to hear it."

"Oh?" he questioned, shooting Thirteen a skeptical look. He wasn't sure if any idea professed by his Mechanoid would be worthwhile, but his curiosity was piqued all the same.

"Yes. Your orders are to help Son Goku and his allies during the eventual Saiyan Invasion, and stop the Saiyans no matter the cost. However, we also have prime directives to kill Son Goku and his allies at the earliest possible convenience," Thirteen pointed out, leaning back in his seat. "Which got me to thinkin'. Let's say that at least one of us Androids is still kickin' after we dust those alien invaders; would the best, most opportune moment to strike at Son Goku not be right then and there? He'd no doubt be severely weakened in the aftermath of the fight, with most, if not all, of his allies dead at that point. Seems to me he'd be easy pickins'."

Gero tilted his head, giving the idea some serious thought. It wasn't a bad plan per say: assuming Goku still did most of the heavy-lifting in defeating Vegeta, he'd be virtually powerless in the aftermath. And while it was possible that some of that burden would be alleviated by his Androids, Goku would still undoubtedly be exhausted from the fight. Meanwhile, his Mechanoids would be ready to ambush him right away. Even if Goku were theoretically stronger than Thirteen and the others due to his training from King Kai, he'd be in too weak of a state to properly resist Thirteen and the others.

Assuming his Androids survived the battle intact, of course. And that was a big 'if'.

That aside, however, Gero knew he couldn't go through with the plan. No matter how tempting it was…

"Negative, Thirteen. We cannot afford to let Son Goku die after defeating the Saiyans," he said, shaking his head. "The events of that battle will inevitably see Freeza and his minions descend upon Planet Namek, and Freeza cannot be allowed to gain immortality. Much as it pains me to say it, Son Goku is our best chance at killing Freeza before he can accomplish his goals. Thus he must be allowed to live."

Thirteen stared at him for a few moments in response, before giving him a curt nod. "As you say, Doctor. Just thought I'd bring up the idea, that's all."

Gero grunted and turned his attention back to the expansive sky before him as he piloted his hover-car. His absolute concentration on that task, however, ensured that he missed the dark glower Thirteen sent his way. For that matter, he also missed how the Android's hands curled into fists at his side, as if suppressing a jolt of anger.

Thirteen didn't say anything else for the entirety of the car ride.

An hour later, they arrived at South City and Gero flew them to the corporate headquarters of Red Pharmaceuticals. By the time they arrived, a familiar figure was already walking out of the main entrance to come greet them.

"Doctor Gero," Carmine, Magenta's right-hand man, greeted him cordially. "It's good to see you again."

The man was dressed the same as he always was, to Gero's distaste. His raven black hair was still styled in that ridiculous looking pompadour, while Carmine was clad in a garishly red business suit that clung to his tall, muscular frame. A pair of dark glasses completed his look, and Carmine adjusted them as he glanced over at Android Thirteen.

"Carmine," Gero gruffly acknowledged in return. Gesturing to Thirteen he said, "This is one of my Mechanoids. I thought I might bring him over for Magenta to inspect, as a way to show how my research has gone thus far."

Carmine raised an eyebrow, giving Thirteen a more speculative look before he stared back at him. He nodded and gestured for them to follow, as he turned to head back inside.

Gero and Thirteen trailed after him, Gero inspecting the sterile halls of Red Pharmaceuticals the entire time. The place hadn't changed that much since his last visit, though this was the first time he'd been here since the arrival of his new memories.

It didn't take Carmine long to escort them to Magenta's office, the entire space large and expansive, with a splendid view of the cityscape visible from the office's main window. Gero's attention was more on the mahogany desk that his unwanted benefactor sat behind, however.

Magenta offered him a smile as he walked up, and waved toward a pair of seats placed in front of his desk. "Please, take a load off, Gero! So good to see ya again! I see you've brought a friend this time, too."

Gero nodded idly and took a seat, resisting the urge to give a soft sigh as his back sank against the plush material of the chair. Thirteen took a seat beside him, beating a perturbed looking Carmine to the punch. The incredibly tall man glowered at Thirteen, before moving to stiffly stand at Magenta's side.

"Yes, this is Android Thirteen," Gero introduced, gesturing to his creation. "I wanted to bring him along to show how my progress has been with the Android Project. Although, I had hoped to do that at our regularly scheduled meeting…"

"Yes, yes, sorry about that," Magenta said, not sounding all that apologetic. "Still, I wanted you to be here in person when we talked about this."

Magenta paused, his eyes blatantly inspecting the Android next to him. "Hm, Android Thirteen, huh? I thought you said he was one of your failed products."

"I revisited his line, and have since ironed out the previous errors present within him," Gero tersely explained. "Now, mind telling me what this is all about? I do not appreciate being ordered here like a lapdog."

Magenta smiled at that, and reached inside of his desk. Gero tensed for a moment, almost certain he was about to pull out a gun. But instead he pulled out a glass of champagne, and set a pair of glasses on the desk shortly thereafter.

"We're celebrating, Gero!" he declared, giving a victorious laugh. "Why else would I bring you here so suddenly? You see, my boys finished excavating everything you said was at Wheelo's lab in the Tsurumai-Tsurubi Mountains. Got my personal scientists analyzing things now, and if half of what they've found so far holds up, we're sitting on a fucking goldmine! This is everything we've needed for the revitalization of the Red Ribbon Army!"

Gero blinked rapidly, not expecting a response like that. While he digested Magenta's words, the shorter man opened the bottle of champagne, pouring into both glasses before sliding one of them over his way.

He mindlessly took it from Magenta, not about to turn down free booze. Gero took a small sip from the champagne, enjoying its smooth flavor.

"Wheelo's records were that much of a good find?" he asked at last.

"Of course! Granted, some of the stuff was damaged or degraded due to whatever the hell happened up there. Still, with what we've got? It's jumped forward the RRA's Bioweapons division by decades, Gero! The DNA blueprints for those Bio-Men alone are gonna do wonders for making a new class of foot soldier for the Army, and then there's all the experimental stuff that Wheelo was working on. My scientists are still parsing through all of his research there; and of course, I'll be sending over what we found to you soon enough," Magenta declared.

Gero gave a noncommittal hum, buying himself some time to think. Of all the potential consequences that could have come about from giving Magenta the location of Wheelo's lab, accidentally strengthening the power of Magenta's Red Ribbon Army wasn't something he had considered. In hindsight though, he really should have seen this coming. He and Magenta did have different priorities, after all, and Magenta would naturally have his own plans and ideas on how to use Wheelo's research.

Hmph, now this was a complication that he really didn't want to deal with…

"Now, my question for you, Gero: what can you do with this research?" Magenta pressed, adopting a more serious look. "You're smarter than most of my eggheads combined, so I want your expert opinion on this stuff."

Gero couldn't help but sit up straighter at that, a flare of pride bursting through at Magenta's flattering words. He cleared his throat a second later, closing his eyes as he mulled over the matter.

He certainly didn't want to add more work to his plate, despite Magenta's praise. Besides that, he already had his own plans for Wheelo's research, and he didn't want Magenta involved in that at all. Perhaps it'd be best to deflect, and pass the buck onto Magenta's men. Gero knew for a fact that the RRA's scientific team would be struggling just to develop most of Wheelo's work, if not improve upon it. And with the Army's R Department stuck in development hell…

Perhaps he wouldn't have to worry about Magenta's ambitions for a while yet.

"I can improve upon Wheelo's research, of course," he finally said, giving his benefactor a confident look. "That goes without question. But my expertise isn't in biology, per say. And I only have so much time to work on my projects for the Army. Right now, my priorities lie with the Android Project, as should yours. I've made great strides lately, and while further research into the Bioweapons division would be beneficial, I think it would be something better managed by a team of your own choosing."

Magenta gave a slow nod, taking a sip of his champagne as he did so. Or at least, that's what he attempted to do: what Magenta did instead was accidentally spill a bit of champagne on his suit, much to the man's displeasure.

Carmine immediately moved to dab at the stain with a handkerchief he pulled out of his pocket, but Magenta waved him off.

"That does make sense, I suppose," Magenta allowed, turning his attention back to Gero. "Doesn't hurt that you brought the trucker guy here to back up your point. How strong is he, anyway? Same level as Major Metallitron? Or stronger than that, like Android Eight?"

Gero allowed himself a haughty smirk, a heady mixture of pride and arrogance swelling within him. His voice dripping with pompous dismissal, he stated, "Stronger, Magenta. Far stronger than that. If I had to put an estimate on it…I would say that Android Thirteen, right now, is stronger than even Piccolo Junior."

"Really?" Magenta's eyes widened at that, giving Thirteen another look.

Thirteen leaned back in his chair, propping it with one foot and balancing himself like that. He crossed his arms over his bare chest, a proud smile of his own resting on his lips.

"Oh yes, Doctor Gero does not exaggerate," Thirteen drawled, before shooting Carmine a vicious smirk. "I'm stronger than anyone currently on this planet. In fact, I wager I could kill that lackey of yours in two seconds flat, and after that, take down everyone in this establishment within a minute. Maybe less, if I don't try to be flashy about it."

Carmine tensed at the blatant threat, and his hand dipped into his jacket, reaching for the gun holster hidden inside. Magenta, meanwhile, seemed far more impressed with that assessment than frightened, if the smile on his face was any indication.

"Oh? Heh, if you can build more Androids like that Gero, then maybe we won't even need Wheelo's research," Magenta replied, absently reaching for his champagne glass.

Instead he grabbed a pencil holder on his desk. Magenta paused, casting a glance at it, before moving it elsewhere, acting as if he'd meant to do that the entire time.

"Perhaps, but there's always strength in diversity," Gero advised. "And Wheelo's research may have some applications with my Mechanoids as well. I plan on branching out into Bioandroids eventually, after all."

"Right, right," Magenta frowned at that, before pointedly asking, "Speaking of, you still against getting any further test subjects for that cyborg process of yours? Could be that the twins we found were just defective. Maybe if you operated on someone else, you'd have more success."

Gero did his best to maintain a carefully blank expression at that question. While he knew the truth now of why Androids Seventeen and Eighteen were 'faulty', he wasn't about to tell Magenta the truth. That would be a one way ticket to getting some RRA lackey assigned as a Cyborg test subject, someone whose loyalty Gero would not be able to assure.

"Perhaps, but it feels too dangerous to entertain such a notion," he hedged. "Better to focus on the field of making home grown Bioandroids, as it were, versus cyborgs."

Magenta shrugged a moment later, seemingly deferring to his expertise. "If you say so. Still, while this Bioandroid stuff is a good long term project…do we need it? If you've already got a working robot who can take down even Demon King Piccolo's son, who else in this world could threaten the new Red Ribbon Army?"

Ah, now this was a dangerous path to trod as well. He still needed Goku's allies to survive long enough to defeat the Saiyans and Freeza, after all. How best to put Magenta off of this…

"Thirteen is but one Mechanoid, who could be overwhelmed and beaten if Son Goku and his allies work together. We need an entire team of Mechanoids if we've got any hope of defeating our greatest foes," he cautioned. "And thus, I need more time to create these Androids. And if I'm afforded enough time to create a perfect Bioandroid…"

He carefully refrained from mentioning anything about Fourteen or Fifteen: the more surprises he had up his sleeve, the better.

"An entire team, huh? Yeah…I can see the logic in that. Just make sure these things don't go growin' a conscious on us, yeah? Last thing we need is another Android Eight," Magenta remarked with a scowl.

Gero gave a dismissive scoff, waving his hand as he said, "Please, that won't be a problem at all. My Mechanoids are made to obey my every order, no matter what."

Unnoticed by Gero, Thirteen's eyes twitched over to him, giving him a lingering stare before a carefree smile stretched over his features.

"It's as he says," Thirteen declared airily. "I'm built to follow Doctor Gero's orders, no matter what."

"Besides that," Gero continued. "That messy business is all Frappe's fault. Android Eight was his precious baby, and he convinced me to give Eight a more complex personality matrix and emotional array. Blasted charlatan. And to top it all off, the bloody bastard had the gull to fake his own death!"

Magenta paused at that, giving Gero a keen stare. "What's that, now?"

"Hm?" Gero questioned, not picking up on the tension in his benefactor's tone. "Oh, yes. This wasn't common knowledge at the time…this was maybe six months before Son Goku utterly dismantled the organization. We were working on building Android Nine at the time, and there was an incident at the main lab. Half the building was gutted in the resulting explosion, and nothing was left of Frappe but blood and torn clothes. I figured he must have been vaporized in the blast…but as it turned out, he had staged the whole thing in order to escape the Army. Bloody traitor. I reported my findings to your father, but by that point, we were already busy building a radar system to find the mythical Dragon Balls, so Red had bigger things on his mind."

Red had also found Frappe's defection rather inconvenient. Rather than risk losing face at one of his top scientists disappearing in the wind, he'd instead covered it up, with most of the Army unaware that Frappe had supposedly 'died', let alone the truth of what had actually happened. Though Gero wasn't going to say anything that might disparage Red to his son's face.

"I see, I see…" Magenta hummed, before reaching back into his desk, pulling out a cigar. Carmine reached over, clipping the tip and lighting it for his boss.

Magenta took a puff from his now lit cigar, blowing a smoke ring as he drummed his free hand against his desk.

"Well Gero, you've given me a lot to think about," he finally said. He glanced at Thirteen, before saying, "You're free to go, but why don't you and Thirteen here head over to the Army base just outside the city on your way out? I want to put your Android here through some tests, to get an independent assessment of his power. No offense meant, of course."

Gero shrugged, not minding at all. If anything, it would be a good chance to show off the power of his creation. "So long as I can take the champagne with me."

Magenta gave a careless wave, and Gero gladly reached over to take the bottle. He nodded his head respectfully to him and Carmine, before rising out of his chair. From there, he and Thirteen swiftly left the room, leaving Magenta and Carmine alone.

A long silence lingered in the office, as Magenta continued to smoke from his cigar.

"You know about this shit with Frappe?" he finally asked, glancing at Carmine.

Carmine shook his head, saying, "It was before my time, sir. And my father was only a mere sergeant in the Red Ribbon Army, before his passing. He certainly never told me anything like that."

Magenta grumbled in response to that, before abruptly standing up from his desk. He waddled over to the expansive window behind him, stepping up onto a milk crate as he gazed upon the city in the distance.

"Well, Gero's right about one thing: he's got his own priorities with the Androids. They're our big ticket back to power, and I shouldn't do anything to overburden the man. Still, Wheelo's research is a fuckin' goldmine, be a waste not to do something with it…"

He snapped his fingers a moment later, a devilish smirk appearing on his face.

"Doesn't Baron Jaguar have a team of scientists on his payroll? Yeah, yeah, I remember him sayin' something about it during the last Board meeting. Something about building Biowarriors or some shit. Carmine, make a note to schedule a meeting with Jaguar…I think it's time he contributed a bit more to the Red Ribbon Army than just his financial backing," Magenta declared, a determined gleam shining in his eyes.

Carmine nodded, taking out a notepad and scribbling something down. "As you say, sir."

"Also," Magenta went on, taking another puff from his cigar. "That shit with Frappe…I ain't letting it slide like my old man did. Dunno what he was thinkin', but disrespect like that can't be allowed to stick."

A vicious sneer spread over his lips as he said, "I think we ought to call up Mercenary Tao: I got a new job for him. A man of his talents, should be fairly simple to kidnap one old scientist."

"Of course, sir," Carmine said, smirking as he wrote down those orders as well. "I'll see to it, don't you worry."

With that said, Carmine soon departed his office, moving to carry out his new directives. Magenta, meanwhile, continued to stare out into the cityscape in the distance, envisioning the glorious rise of the new Red Ribbon Army.

Spoiler: Author's Note

Last edited: Nov 4, 2024

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Magus1108

Nov 4, 2024

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Threadmarks Interlude: A Doctor's Melancholy

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Magus1108

Magus1108

Nov 20, 2024

#396

The more Vomi combed her way through Doctor Wheelo's research, the more convinced she was of his utter madness.

Growing up, she had heard stories of Wheelo and his legendary accomplishments. Doctor Wheelo had revolutionized the field of biomedicine during the seventh century, leading to all sorts of advances: he had helped create miraculous cures to diseases long thought impossible to eradicate, pioneered cloning technology, published scientific theories that helped to further their understanding of the natural world, and so on and so forth. Wheelo had even helped to found the Royal Academy of Science with King Furry III, a school that Vomi herself had attended in her youth. For a time his genius had been celebrated the world over, and he'd become just as famous and popular as Doctor Briefs was in the modern era.

Around fifty years ago, however—just a few years after Vomi herself was born—Wheelo had vanished from public view and retreated to his major laboratory in the arctic wastes. It wasn't long after that that the rumors and whispers followed: that Wheelo was engaged in dark experiments, creating biological monstrosities with which he planned to take over the world. As a result, the worldwide admiration for him had slowly turned to fear and scorn, and even Furry the Third—the current King's predecessor—had issued a warrant for his arrest. Despite this turn in fortunes, however, Wheelo's tale had no dramatic finish to it. From the perspective of the world at large, it just seemed as if Wheelo had disappeared: and thus over time, he and his legend had faded into obscurity, only remembered by scientists such as herself.

For the longest time, Vomi had been a skeptic of Wheelo's supposed turn to darkness. She had thought it more likely that he'd simply turned into more of a secretive reclusive as he'd gotten older, which just spurned false rumors about his work. It wouldn't be the first time that the work of a great man had been misinterpreted by a fearful and ignorant populace, after all. All sorts of scandalous rumors had swirled about Capsule Corp and Doctor Briefs back in the day, and Briefs was still well liked by society. So Vomi had never truly believed in the tall tales and rumors surrounding Wheelo, and had instead continued to view the man as an aspirational hero.

Alas, it seemed that the rumors had been right. Whatever had become of the supposedly kindhearted man he'd been at the height of his career, Vomi could not say. Perhaps it had all been a façade, a mask Wheelo had worn as he carried out his real research in the shadows. Or perhaps his goals had become twisted over time, as his mania and lust for power overwhelmed his better judgment. Whatever the case was, Wheelo had been every bit as evil and insane as the stories had painted him as.

What else could he have been, now that she had his actual research notes laid out in front of her?

Meticulous, detailed logs on human experimentation, monstrous cloning projects, detailed notations on the capacity of human pain and how best to maximize it: and all this data was incomplete and fragmented. Who knew what awful secrets and revelations hadn't been recovered from the ruins of his laboratory?

Perhaps the saying about never meeting your heroes held true with Doctor Wheelo.

Regardless, Vomi knew she should be absolutely horrified at what she was reading. The research data and accompanying experiments were absolute nightmares, and would have upset those with even the strongest stomachs. At the start of her career, she certainly would have found this horrific beyond belief.

And yet…she found it hard to muster up the necessary emotions. She found she could only look at the information in front of her with the cool, clinical gaze of a heartless scientist. Because that was what she was, at the end of the day. Whatever puffery Gero gave about her being a better person…

It was a lie. Because, as Vomi dove more and more into Wheelo's research, she found that it was all so achingly familiar. And it was familiar because everything he had done, she had done too. And much, much worse.

She had worked eighteen years at the Red Ribbon Army: first as a senior researcher in its Bioweapons and Biological Research Department, and then as its Department Head. She had done everything Wheelo had done, and more, at the orders of Commander Red. She had experimented on unwilling test subjects, cultivated terrifying and horrendous diseases, engaged in unethical cloning of not just animals, but actual human beings, and so much more: all to satisfy the vanity of a tiny little man desperate for more power.

In a way, Gero had been lucky. His hands were relatively clean. He'd only worked on robots and his precious Mechanoids. He'd rarely, if ever, experimented on living people. He'd never had to hear the screams of a man as she conducted a live vivisection: he'd never transplanted a fungal parasite onto a teenage girl just to see if it could be weaponized; he'd never had to help create batch after batch of distorted human clones, monstrous abominations that had begged for death the moment they had been born.

His fingers were only stained with motor-oil. Vomi, meanwhile, would never be able to wash the blood off of her hands.

So when Vomi poured through Doctor Wheelo's research, she only saw the glimpse of what she had been, and what she might have become had the RRA not been destroyed. And she had become so dead inside, so numb to all the everyday horrors she had committed with the Army, that Vomi couldn't muster even the smallest ounce of humanity in the face of these new horrors.

Vomi knew that fact should horrify her, too. And yet she continued to remain numb: a remnant of her main defense mechanism, born from her days with the Army. Certainly, deadening her emotions had been one of the only ways she had coped with the abominable things she had done each and every day. It had helped her stay sane during those near twenty years under Commander Red's thumb. Or perhaps there was more to it than just that. Maybe...

Gero had clearly abandoned his morality long before they'd joined the Army. But Vomi herself? She'd had to chip away at it, piece by piece as she worked to refine the RRA's war machine. She had compartmentalized, repressed, done everything under the sun in order to live with herself as a scientist. And what had remained of her afterward? A husk of a person, so repulsed by the idea of picking up a scalpel again that she'd burned her doctorate. She had never intended to put her skills as a Biologist to use again, until Gero had wandered back into her life: until he had given her a reason to to pick up the metaphorical blade once more.

Vomi told herself it was for a just cause, this time. She was using her skills for the greater good, and not to further some madman's schemes. She was going to protect her family, protect the world, and...

And it was a lie. It had to be. Because Vomi had never felt more alive, the moment she had joined Gero in this mad crusade. Browsing through his Android's schematics, digesting the research of Doctor Wheelo, imagining the new experiments she could undertake, the new creations she could give birth to...

Maybe she was every bit the monster she had denounced her dear husband as. Maybe she and Gero weren't as different as she liked to think.

Perhaps they really did deserve each other.

And just like that, it felt as if something snapped inside of her. That single thought disrupted Vomi's concentration, bringing her back to reality.

She blinked in a daze, a potent mixture of disgust and fury now boiling within her. Those unwelcome feelings caused her to grimace, though she swiftly found her attention pulled elsewhere. For that sudden awareness of herself brought her own physical state back to her attention, and she became intimately aware of just how out of sorts her body felt: how her knees ached, how her hand was starting to twitch, how queasy her stomach was starting to feel. And with the eruption of those symptoms, Vomi knew that she needed another dosage of her medicine, and quickly at that.

So she rose from her seat, her hand keeping a tight grip on the computer console to stabilize herself. Her legs felt shaky, but she managed to remain upright all the same. Her free hand, however, started to shake and tremble even worse, drawing an immediate note of alarm from her throat.

She clutched at the offending wrist, her teeth bared in a silent snarl. That proved to be a mistake, however: her knees buckled in that moment, and she found herself tumbling to the floor.

Vomi let out a hiss of pain, stars flashing in her eyes as her forehead smacked against the metallic surface beneath her. She curled up on herself, gritting her teeth as she did her best to ride out this wave of weakness and pain from her treacherous body.

Thank the gods Gero wasn't here to see her like this.

Vomi's relief was short-lived, however, as she heard the march of footsteps echo through the lab. For a moment she panicked, terrified that Gero was already back. But instead of her ex-husband, she saw the lumbering form of Android Fourteen stomp into view.

"Doctor Vomi?" Fourteen stopped short as he entered her section of the lab, his head cocked as he stared down at her prone form. "I thought I had heard a disturbance back here. Do you require assistance?"

Vomi bit back an instinctual, venomous retort, and instead counted herself lucky that it had been one of Gero's creations who had found her like this rather than the man himself. In a clipped tone she managed to say,

"Yes, please. Just…help me to my room."

Fourteen gave her a curt nod and moved to ease her back to her feet. From there, he escorted her over to the living quarters, Vomi leaning against him the entire time.

Once they were inside the bedroom, Vomi practically collapsed onto her bed, giving a soft sigh as she let her body relax. A moment later she reached over, plucking a pill bottle from her nightstand, before popping it open and dispensing a trio of pills into her palm.

She swallowed them dry, doing her best to not gag at the awful, artificial taste. After that, she settled back onto her mattress, letting the medicine course its way through her system.

When she focused back on the world around her she noticed that Fourteen was still in the room, his towering figure now seeming somewhat awkward as he leaned against a nearby wall.

"You may leave," Vomi said, giving him a dismissive wave.

Fourteen nodded and proceeded to do no such thing.

Vomi's brow twitched in annoyance, and she moved to sit back up, leveling a glare at the taciturn Mechanoid. "I do not require your assistance any longer, Fourteen. Please leave."

Fourteen nodded a second time, yet he still made no move to exit. Instead he said, "My medical knowledge indicates that a period of observation is necessary after an elderly human has suffered a fall, to ensure there is no further distress or potential of additional injury."

"Oh, please. I'm not that old," Vomi retorted, giving a scoff. With a biting tone to her words she added, "I might have a grandchild but I'm not at the age where I need to be confined to a retirement home."

"Then if it was not old age, what was the cause of your tumble?" Fourteen countered, giving her a critical stare. "Are you ill, Doctor Vomi?"

Vomi stilled at that, glancing off to the side as she folded her arms. She gave no verbal reply to Fourteen's query, but that was an answer in and of itself.

She decided to ignore him instead, and so Vomi closed her eyes, letting her body rest. Though as she relaxed, she felt her scalp start to itch, which in turn alerted her to just how hot and humid her head was starting to feel. She reached up to scratch her head, but it only helped to dull the itching sensation, and it didn't make her scalp feel any cooler. So it was with an irritated growl that she sat up and reached for her hair with both hands, meticulously peeling back her auburn locks until her wig finally came off. She scratched at her now bare scalp a moment later, letting out a satisfied sigh.

Fourteen raised an eyebrow at that but notably decided to remain silent.

Vomi tossed her wig to the side thereafter, content to go without it for the moment. Then she closed her eyes once again and settled back against her mattress, trying to lull herself into an impromptu nap.

Alas, her quest for peace and quiet was once again foiled by Android Fourteen.

"Does Doctor Gero know?" he asked, his voice surprisingly gentle and soft.

Vomi gave another scoff, sitting back up as she gave the Mechanoid a baleful stare. "Of course not. He's one of the most brilliant men on the planet, and yet he cannot read people at all. He didn't notice our marriage falling apart, so I doubt he'd notice me now unless I was literally dying in his arms. I have no plans to tell him, either. I won't let him hold that weakness over me."

Though even as she dismissed her ex-husband out of hand, she felt a twinge of discomfort and guilt in her stomach. Even after all these years, a part of her still recoiled at thinking of him in such gruesome, awful terms. Yet, with all that had happened between them, what else was she supposed to think? The simple fact was that man she had loved had been twisted by his ambitions and pride, and turned into a monster she didn't even recognize by the end of their relationship. Whatever fragile kinship they had shared utterly broke at that point, and now, Vomi didn't consider her ex-husband anything close to trustworthy.

Self-interested and cowardly? That, on the other hand, she could buy. Whatever he proclaimed about the Saiyans, Vomi just knew his desire to stop their invasion was rooted in selfishness. Saving the planet was just a means of prolonging his own survival, and giving him time to carry out his perfect revenge. Vomi was almost certain he'd abandon the Earth entirely if he could: but to do that would mean admitting defeat to these alien invaders, and Gero's stubbornness and arrogance would never allow for that.

And yet…

Would the monster she had divorced really apologize to her? Repeatedly, at that?

Vomi did her best to push past that doubt and confusion, and not for the first time she tried to convince herself that it was a façade: a trick Gero was pulling to try and get back in her good graces. But that explanation was becoming harder and harder to swallow, as she witnessed more cracks develop in her husband's armor.

Fourteen must have noticed the uncertainty in her face, given what he said next. "I don't think you believe that, Doctor Vomi. And I do not believe that either. Doctor Gero, as he is now, does not seem the type who would take advantage of you over an illness."

Vomi felt another flash of doubt flare up inside of her, but she pushed it away as quickly as it appeared. She covered up her ill feelings with another scoff, crossing her arms as she shook her head.

"You weren't married to him for twenty three years, Fourteen. I know Gero inside and out, better than he knows himself even. You give him an inch, and he'll take a mile. He is definitely that kind of person, and I'd sooner trust a perfect stranger with my troubles than him."

"Like me, I presume?" Fourteen pointed out, a small smirk gracing his lips.

Vomi snorted in amusement at that, dipping her head as she said, "I suppose so. Still, I can at least trust that you won't use this as psychological leverage to pursue whatever mad scheme Gero has running in the background. I doubt you're that much in his confidence."

"Hm," Fourteen gave a noncommittal grunt, a frown now marring his features. "I suppose you are right in that regard. Gero has not divulged the full details of his master plan to us, even when it makes us act in direct opposition to our programming. This lack of information has proven…vexing to my brothers and I."

Vomi smirked at that. "That proves my point beyond a shadow of a doubt. In the end, Gero trusts no one but himself, and he'll do whatever it takes to accomplish his goals. He's a selfish bastard of a man, through and through."

Fourteen remained silent for a long moment, his eyes closed as if in thought. Then in a small, quiet tone he said,

"And yet, he's changed. Hasn't he?"

Vomi froze at that, the surety in Fourteen's tone taking her aback. When she stared back at the Mechanoid, she saw that his eyes were focused right on her.

"Gero did not have us awake for long during our initial activation phase. You see, my brothers and I, we were built years ago by Gero. He sought to make us the perfect killing machines, but there were defects that resulted in him shelving us. Years passed and we remained untouched; to be honest, I never thought we'd awaken again. And yet, several weeks ago, Gero turned us all back on. Upgraded us, even. And the differences my brothers and I observed in his behavior and personality, between the Doctor Gero who made us and the one who reactivated us…they were stark indeed," Fourteen declared, giving her a meaningful look.

Vomi felt her heart skip a beat, though she tried her best to maintain a stoic façade. But that was oh so hard to do, because now, she had validation. Now, she had outside confirmation of something she'd started to suspect the moment Gero had walked back into her life.

Gero had changed, and she wasn't the only one who had noticed.

No, wait. She couldn't get ahead of herself now. To even think something like that, it was…insane! Gero wasn't the type of person who'd just turn around on a dime like that. He never apologized, and he never admitted he was wrong!

Whatever he was doing now, it was a ploy: a trick meant to deceive her. It had to be!

"People are capable of change," she finally said, her voice hardened and steely. "We grow older and our attitudes can shift. But Gero is different. He's utterly incapable of change; or rather, incapable of changing for the better. I witnessed his downfall for over twenty years, and he never even hesitated in his fall, not once. So even if his anger has started to lessen, even if he's gotten better at pretending to be nice, he'll never truly change. His hatred will never go away, and he'll go to the ends of the earth to carry out his mad vendetta. Of that much, I'm sure."

"Are you?" Fourteen countered, giving her a knowing look. "Who are you trying to convince here, Doctor Vomi? Me? Or yourself?"

Vomi scowled at the accusation, a mixture of anger and fear surging through her. She pointedly looked away from Fourteen, though her mind couldn't help but race, the implications of his words turning over and over inside her head.

Her mind flashed back to Gero's emotional breakdown over dinner: she still didn't know what to make of that. It had been so jarring, so unexpected…part of her wanted to forget it, to ruthlessly purge it from her memories. But she wasn't one of her husband's simple machines: she didn't have the capacity to do something like that. So Vomi had instead tried to ignore the event, and tried pushing it far back into the corner of her mind.

But that wasn't the only instance of Gero acting…abnormally. He'd apologized to her, twice over now. He'd compromised with her, forgoing his revenge for the sake of this partnership. He had even surrendered his bedroom to her without a fight.

The Gero of the past would never have done any of that. Which begged the question: why was he doing it? Why now, after all this time, would he have tried to change? Why now, and why not...

Why not before their little boy had died?

Unshed tears pricked at her eyes, and Vomi desperately wiped them away, scowling as she tried to clamp down on her emotions. Unnoticed by her, Android Fourteen's face morphed into an expression of pity, before it smoothed back to his default, neutral state.

"I will not trouble you any longer, Doctor," Fourteen spoke up, drawing her attention back to him. "It seems you are in better physical shape now. And I give you my word that I will not tell Doctor Gero of what transpired this morning."

Vomi started at tat, giving him cautious, uncertain stare. Frankly, she was surprised he'd even say something like that. She hadn't thought Gero's Mechanoids were capable of such independence. "I…appreciate that. But aren't you compelled to obey him?"

"Oh, of course. There is a control chip that is hardwired into our positronic brains that ensures our loyalty. But there are…gray areas we can navigate, should we so choose. I may be loyal to the Doctor, but I am not compelled to tell him everything, not if he doesn't know to ask first. Which means that as long as he does not ask the right questions, your secret is safe," Fourteen gently assured her.

With that explanation made, he moved to leave the room. He hesitated near the entrance, however, and turned back to look at her.

"The Doctor is not the same man he once was. My brothers are not yet sure what to make of that. I, however, believe that this change should be embraced. We all have the power to evolve beyond our limits. Even Androids."

And then he left, closing the door behind him.

Vomi stared after him for a long moment, not sure of what to make of his final statement. Clearly, there was more to Gero's Androids than she initially believed. And clearly, there was more to her ex-husband than she'd been willing to acknowledge.

For the briefest of moments, Vomi allowed herself to fantasize. That now, a decade after she'd truly needed it, Gero had finally come around. That slowly, oh so slowly, he was starting to change, and become something similar to the man she'd initially fallen in love with. Maybe this was all the start to a new Doctor Gero, a prelude to the man she'd always wanted him to be. Maybe...

Alas, those hopes and dreams faded away, for the foolish optimist in Vomi had died almost twenty years ago. Her hopeful musings were thus replaced by the well-honed cynicism Vomi had used to survive the latter half of their marriage. So Vomi closed her eyes, donning the persona of the heartless scientist she had become so accustomed to wearing. She looked again at Gero with that cynical gaze, and considered what else this change could be a prelude to.

It didn't take her long at all to come up with a plausible hypothesis.

Perhaps Gero had changed: he'd certainly acted strangely enough to show that something was going on with him. But just because he had changed, didn't mean that it was for the better.

Gero had wanted to go after Gevo's murderer as a team. He had believed that united, the two of them could create the perfect being, one strong enough to destroy Son Goku. Vomi had rejected him, and Gero had gone off on his own. Now, a decade later, and where was he? Older and more bitter, but perhaps with age, had come some modicum of wisdom. Perhaps he had finally evolved his social skills to become a better liar and manipulator, and was now running the greatest con of his life on her. And what lies weren't made better without a sprinkling of truth to them? The Saiyans were a threat to everyone, after all, and he'd taken advantage of them to worm his way back into her life. And it had worked, hadn't it? She was here, now, working with him to try and combat the upcoming invasion. And after those aliens were taken care of...

Gero had promised her he wouldn't use her research against Son Goku, and perhaps he was even telling the truth. That didn't mean he still couldn't use the fruits of her labor to refine his own projects, and give him the edge he needed to successfully enact his revenge.

If anything, that prospect seemed far more likely than Gero suddenly growing a conscious. Though as appealing as this idea was, Vomi had to admit there were some holes in her theory. This entire chain of logic relied on the fact that Gero had finally learned how to handle interpersonal relationships, and that felt like something of a stretch.

Hmph. She needed more data to further refine her theories, and find out just what her husband was really up to. So she would need to investigate further, and carefully observe Gero going forward. Perhaps with enough time and dedication, she could find out what he was really up to. In which case, she ought to take advantage of the fact that he was outside of the lab. She could look around without him being any wiser: and with her having unlimited access to his laboratory, it wasn't like the Androids were going to get in her way. The only potential issue she had would be accessing his computer files...no doubt Gero had those heavily protected.

Perhaps a physical search of the lab could be done first, then. Explore every nook and cranny of this place, and see just what Gero might be hiding from her. And speaking of...

He'd yet to really show her the basement, hadn't he? That seemed as good a place as any to start her search.

With a gleam of determination shining clear in her eyes, Vomi rose from her bed. She snatched her wig, securing it back in place within moments. From there, she proceeded to leave the bedroom, heading straight toward the lab's elevator.

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Magus1108

Nov 20, 2024

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Threadmarks Sixteen Is Just A Number [Arc 1 End] New

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Magus1108

Magus1108

Feb 21, 2025

#467

Gero and Android Thirteen arrived at the secret Red Ribbon Army base just outside of South City in no time. Magenta must have called in ahead, as the two of them were waved in without issue, and thereafter escorted into the main building proper. Gero glanced around the base as they went along, idly taking in the sights. And what a sight to behold.

It would be an understatement to say that the base was massive: there was a whole array of buildings and towers, each serving a unique purpose, and divided up into several different sections or 'sectors' that were connected via an extensive railway that traveled all over the base. And in the center of the base was the main headquarters, a mighty, bulky tower that served as the new Red Ribbon Army's beating heart. All of this, and the entire place was invisible to the naked eye, shielded under the expansive scope of a holographic dome.

Gero couldn't help but be somewhat impressed by the sight of it: it was one thing to see it in a movie in a far distant, past life. It was another thing entirely seeing it in person. Not to mention that the last time he'd been here, the entire base had still been under construction, with only a tenth of the needed work done at the time. The new headquarters had come a long way since his last visit, all those many years ago.

Hm. How long had it been, anyway? Gero honestly wasn't sure. Ever since Gevo's death, he'd largely kept to himself in his laboratory, only venturing into the outside world for his regular meetings with Magenta. This, and the recent visits to Ponshu's house, was likely the most he'd traveled in quite some time.

Perhaps he ought to change that: for the sake of his inventions, if nothing else. If he didn't put some focus on personal relaxation and recovery, then his genius would inevitably suffer, and thus his precious Androids would suffer by proxy.

Hmph; it was likely they already had, truth be told. The uncompromising perfectionist he had once been had been content to scrap three perfectly good Androids, after all: and honestly, what had he been thinking back then? Thirteen, Fourteen, and Fifteen might have their quirks, but they were certainly far more reliable than those blasted twins.

Then again, he'd been questioning his past judgment quite a lot lately. Perhaps that was just one more thing he could add to the pile.

"Thirteen," he spoke aloud, glancing over at his creation. "You're an excellent creation. Be proud of your perfection."

Thirteen's brows rose in genuine surprise, and his mouth opened and shut in rapid succession; giving Gero the rare, albeit amusing sight of a flummoxed Mechanoid. "I, um…thank you, Doctor?"

"Just something I felt I should say," Gero replied, giving a light shrug. "Eccentricity aside, I am quite proud of how you and your brothers have developed so far. Even with Fifteen being…himself, I can honestly say that you three have exceeded my expectations."

There was a moment's pause as Thirteen absorbed his reasoning. As soon as he did so, the Mechanoid's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, while his lips twitched into the brief visage of a grimace.

"Yes," Thirteen slowly drawled, glancing at him in askance. "Well, thank you, Doctor. I am very glad you've changed your mind on us. It's so humbling to know that you've decided to evolve your highly esteemed opinion on us, given how you initially told us we were all, and I quote, 'defective, ill-content, and feebleminded simpletons'."

"Yes, well," Gero gave another shrug, feeling vaguely embarrassed by his past self's recriminations. "As you say, my opinion has…evolved on this. I suppose you could say I've developed a new and fresh perspective on things."

"So it seems," Thirteen agreed, a hint of something in his tone. "Quite the curious change you've undergone, Doctor. Very curious indeed."

"People change," Gero deflected, looking off to the side. "And that's what happened with me. It's as simple as that."

So, even Thirteen had noticed the changes in demeanor he had undergone? Well, that wasn't entirely unexpected, truth be told. He had built his Mechanoids to be both intelligent and observant, so if anything his scrutiny was proof positive that his creations were operating at peak performance. Besides, it wasn't as if Thirteen's insight was going to change anything. He'd still programmed his Mechanoids to be loyal to him above all else, and to obey his every command. Unlike Seventeen and Eighteen, or even Cell, they were completely unable to turn on him.

Hrm. Cell. He really should figure out what he was going to do about his perfect creation. Save for perhaps Android Twenty One, Cell was the greatest of his Mechanoids…and had the greatest chance to go rogue. His capacity for death and destruction surpassed even that of Lapis and Lazuli, and if Gero were being honest with himself, he wasn't sure at all he'd ever be able to control him.

At the same time though, he didn't want to scrap Cell outright. Gero had already invested a great deal of time and effort into his magnum opus, and was loathe to axe the project. Sure, the version of Cell that existed in the Canon timeline was a rogue agent, but perhaps he could modify his bio-android whilst he was still in the womb, so to speak? Make him more malleable and controllable?

Gero hummed idly to himself as he mulled over the matter, completely missing the speculative look Thirteen shot him as a result.

Not long afterward, he and Thirteen parted ways, as Thirteen was escorted to the main testing chamber for the day's performance. Gero, meanwhile, found himself brought to an observation platform above the central testing chamber, granting him a perfect view of the proceedings to come. At the same time, Gero used his bird's eye view to get a good look at the area below.

The testing room was a vast, high-ceilinged chamber, with walls constructed of sleek, metallic panels that shimmered faintly. The floor was made of a matte black material, while a series of devices dotted the space; each machine designed to test a particular facet of strength, endurance, and other categories. These included towering weighted columns, obstacle walls that could shift configurations, and a treadmill-like platform capable of adjusting its incline, speed, and surface texture at a moment's notice.

Gero could also discern faint outlines on the floor beneath each device, suggesting that they could be stored away beneath the flooring within mere moments. No doubt that was a feature largely used to clear space for fighting matches and the like, as well as to house sensitive equipment safely while such tests were conducted.

The moment Thirteen stepped into the room, his Mechanoid was flanked by a host of doctors and scientists. It didn't take long for them to begin their little experiments, and Gero watched with increasing pride and satisfaction as Thirteen began to clear one test after another.

However, Gero's scrutiny came to an end as he heard someone enter the observation area with him. He glanced over at the room's entrance and proceeded to do a full double-take once he realized just who had walked in.

"It's been awhile, hasn't it Gero?" a familiar voice airily declared, obviously amused at his gawking.

In any other case, Gero would be furious, looking like a fool in front of someone else. In these circumstances, however, he was willing to let that slide: it wasn't everyday that a ghost from his past just walked through the door.

She looked practically unchanged, though it had been close to a decade since he'd last seen her. Her face carried nary a sign of age, while her captivating blue eyes still shone with cool disinterest. She still wore that same green, sleeveless top with the Red Ribbon Army logo emblazoned on the front, along with a pair of sleek brown gloves and tan cargo pants. And, of course, her short hair retained its vibrant, violet hue.

"Colonel Violet," Gero uttered in a shocked tone, his eyebrows rising dramatically. "I'm…"

"Surprised to see me?" Violet finished, flashing him a small smirk. "Well, I don't exactly blame you. I never imagined I'd be back with the Army myself."

Gero blinked rapidly, struggling to comprehend her words. At the same time he still felt his gaze drawn to her face, marveling at how youthful and ageless she seemed. It was as if she'd simply bypassed the weathering of time, transferring from one era into the next as one might walk from one room into another. Indeed, the fact that she retained her youthful vigor at all set off alarm bells in Gero's head.

He certainly wasn't jealous at how she'd gracefully aged; no, not at all. Such petty grievances were beneath him.

"You've…" he finally said, realizing he'd stayed silent for far too long. "You look well, Violet."

"Ah, thank you, my dear Doctor," Violet preened from his praise, her smirk transforming into a haughty smile. "Oh, and it's General Violet now, just so you know."

Gero narrowed his eyes in response, looking her up and down for a third time. This time his gaze carried a cool, calculating look to it, as he evaluated the story behind her simple correction.

General Violet, eh? Interesting. While he knew Violet was a capable and ruthless soldier, he'd never thought her capable of such a high, esteemed rank. He'd heard constant stories of how her men kept dying during the few missions she was sent on, with only a handful surviving each assignment, if that. Her reputation was so notorious that he and Vomi had used their combined influence to keep Gevo out of her chain of command, despite him initially being assigned to one of her squads; a wise decision in retrospect, given what he knew of Violet now, due to his meta-knowledge.

Then again, Gevo had still died whilst stationed at the Red Ribbon Army Headquarters, and that was supposed to have been a safe assignment for him. So perhaps it didn't make much of a difference, in the end.

Regardless, the meta-knowledge he had pertaining to Violet did give him a few puzzle pieces he'd been missing previously. If the Dragon Ball anime were to be believed, Violet had turned deserter during Son Goku's attack on the Headquarters; and to add insult to injury, she had robbed the Army Vault while Commander Red and Staff Officer Black had watched on camera, gleefully stealing hundreds of thousands of zeni in the form of jewelry, gold bars, bank notes, and other valuable artifacts.

By all accounts she should have disappeared entirely following such a bold heist, especially if she knew the Army wouldn't be totally wiped out. And yet, here she was, back in the employment of the RRA, and now a General to boot.

What was Magenta thinking? Did he even know that she had robbed his father blind? Had Violet wiped out the records of her bold heist in the aftermath?

Well, whatever the case was, it didn't concern him. If she stabbed Magenta in the back too, all the better. He'd just need to keep a close eye on her and ensure that she didn't pose a threat to his Android Project.

"Is that so? Well, I beg your pardon, General Violet. I was unaware of your promotion," he drawled, crossing his arms.

He and Violet hadn't exactly had a close relationship during the first iteration of the Red Ribbon Army, so any hostility from him wouldn't be seen as abnormal. And so long as he refrained from spouting any hint of his meta-knowledge about her, Violet shouldn't pay him any special attention.

"I'm not too surprised: you are holed up in your lab quite a lot, aren't you? I suppose some things never change, do they?" Violet mused aloud, moving over to join him at the observation window.

Gero glanced over at her, but he gave nothing more than a grunt as he forced back on his Mechanoid, purposefully ignoring her.

"So, this is your new fabled Android, is it? I had to see it for myself," she continued, uncaring of his silence. "I have to say, it doesn't look as imposing or menacing as Android Eight or Major Metallitron did."

Gero bristled at that, sending her a sharp glare. "Perhaps so, but Android Thirteen is a thousand times more powerful than either of those two Mechanoids combined. Indeed, I would wager he is the strongest being on the entire planet right now."

"Is that so?" Violet questioned, glancing over at him.

She switched her gaze back to the mechanical man, idly watching as he demolished an entire strength-testing apparatus, much to the chagrin of the scientists below. At that display of power she gave a low whistle.

"Perhaps he is," she conceded, her smirk returning full-force. "Certainly, he looks like the most handsome man on the planet. You sure know how to build 'em, Gero."

Gero gave an uncomfortable grumble at that, unsure if he should feel proud or embarrassed at her remarks. If Vomi were here, she'd no doubt choose to enlighten Violet on just who he had modeled Thirteen off of. And how Violet would react to that…

Thank Christ that Vomi was busy back at the lab. The last thing he needed was everyone and their mother finding out he'd modeled Thirteen off of some fantasy version of his younger self.

Gero cast aside any further musings as the door to the testing chamber opened up, and a young woman walked inside. She had dark green hair shaped into two loops over her head, resembling a bow, while she was clad in a blue, Chinese-style dress that left her upper arms bare. After a quick conversation with both Thirteen and the attending scientists, most of the testing equipment sunk down into the floor, quickly turning the room into a proper fighting arena. From there, the mystery woman and his Mechanoid marched to opposite ends of the room before dropping into fighting stances.

Within seconds the two of them raced toward each other, and exchanged a flurry of blows so fast that Gero could hardly keep track of who was doing what.

"And who is she?" Gero questioned, looking over to his compatriot.

"Ah, have you not met? That is Yurin, the Red Ribbon Army's resident Martial Arts and Magic expert," Violet replied, not taking her eyes off the fight below them. "She's a graduate of the infamous Crane School."

"A martial arts expert?" Gero questioned, raising an eyebrow. "We have one of those?"

"Magenta saw it as a necessity. After all, a little kid just waltzed into the path of the old Red Ribbon Army and annihilated two thirds of its forces, including the old headquarters, in just a handful of days. Wouldn't you try to take steps to stop that from happening again?" Violet countered.

Gero conceded the point, bowing his head before returning his attention back to the fight. So, she was one of Master Shen's pupils, was she? Intriguing. He didn't even know that Shen had taken on any other students besides Chiaotzu and Tenshinhan. Clearly, she was a step above the average fighter, if she was a graduate from that school of assassins…

Alas, that likely didn't even put her in the top ten of the world's strongest fighters. Gero doubted that she even measured up to her old classmates: after all, he'd never even heard of her in his meta-knowledge before. So surely she didn't amount to anything special.

His suspicions were confirmed moments later as the fight came to an abrupt end. Thirteen suddenly delivered a punch that sent Yurin flying, resulting in her crashing hard into the northernmost wall: so hard, in fact, that she left a decent-sized crater from the impact. Yurin gave a small groan from her new home, indicating that she was still alive, but that was about all she did.

"Hm, I would have expected her to put up more of a fight," Violet noted in a disappointed tone.

"Oh, in most other circumstances, I'm sure she'd trounce her opponents. Being a graduate of the Crane School would put her leagues above most martial artists," Gero countered, idly stroking his moustache. "But my Androids are on a whole other plane entirely. Unless she undergoes a massive shift in her training, I doubt she'd ever be able to match Thirteen's strength."

"Really?" Violet turned to stare at him, something more glittering behind her interested gaze. "Well, it sounds like your creations have come a long way then, Gero. With a dozen of him, I imagine the RRA could overthrow the world government single-handedly."

"Oh, most definitely," he absently agreed, smirking at the thought.

Violet hummed idly to herself, staring back down at Thirteen as the Mechanoid walked over to help pry Yurin out of the wall. "And your Android down there…he's purely mechanical, yes? Not one of those bio-androids I've heard about?"

Gero gave a discontented grumble. "Hmph, and here Magenta promised to keep a tight lid on that particular project. Yes, he's purely a mechanical being. I have done research into making cyborgs, but progress there has been…stalled due to some unforeseen circumstances."

Violet gave a noncommittal hum in response, and the two of them lapsed into silence once more.

Meanwhile, Yurin got back onto her feet, and seemed to get in a heated exchange with Thirteen, though Gero had no way of hearing what they were talking about. Whatever it was, he doubted it was all that important. He just hoped Thirteen wasn't embarrassing himself, and Gero by proxy, by trying to flirt with Yurin or something.

"Well, do let me know how that cyborg stuff goes," Violet said a moment later, turning around and walking back toward the door. "I'd love to see what the end result of that is, if an Android like Thirteen can become so powerful."

Gero grunted, ignoring her utterly as she left the room. He continued to watch as Thirteen interacted with the scientists down below, consenting to a few more tests and experiments, while Yurin stormed out of the testing chamber in a huff. After a few more minutes Gero glanced over at the clock mounted on the wall, hoping that this whole farce wouldn't take too much longer.

Wait. Hadn't Violet said that Yurin was the Army's Martial Arts and Magical expert? Hm. Well, perhaps he ought to look into that later. Magic was the one area of this world he was least familiar with, and Gero would love to figure out just what made that esoteric art tic.

Thirteen aced the remainder of the Red Ribbon Army's tests, much to Gero's satisfaction, so he was in quite the good mood once they finally left the testing facility. It was some hours later that Gero and Android Thirteen finally arrived back at the laboratory, Gero quite eager to get back to his real work by that point.

He immediately dismissed Thirteen, commanding him to go back to his stasis pod. He himself, meanwhile, ventured back into the laboratory proper, seeking out Vomi. But much to his confusion, he didn't find her at her work station, and she wasn't in her room when he checked in at the living quarters. He searched through the main laboratory one more time thereafter, just to check that he hadn't missed her somehow, but his second search revealed no further signs of his missing ex-wife.

A small sense of foreboding filled Gero thereafter, though he did his best to remain calm. He had to think about this logically, and not overreact. Still...if Vomi wasn't in the laboratory nor in her bedroom, then where else could she be? He'd just come from the garage, so she wasn't there. Perhaps she was down in the basement, for one reason or another? Well, it wasn't like there was much to find down there, not at this particular lab anyway. Androids Seventeen and Eighteen were safe and secure at his main laboratory base, as was the embryo for Cell. What she would find down there wasn't much, besides some old equipment and half-finished products. Like the frames for Android Twenty, Android Nineteen, and Android Sixte—

"Oh shit."

Gero's eyes widened in horror while a jolt of fear and panic raced down his spine. Immediately he bolted toward the lab's elevator, desperately punching in the number for his sub-basement.

It took him only seconds to arrive, but those seconds felt like an eternity. So it was that the instant the doors opened back up he broke into a dead run, his eyes desperately searching for his wayward ex-wife. He didn't find her in the immediate threshold of the elevator, nor did he find her among the junk and clutter that must up most of the storage space here.

He did, however, find her in front of the pods for his incomplete Androids; to be specific, he found her in front of Android Sixteen's pod, and had it opened up to reveal the half-finished Mechanoid, with the lifeless, cold eyes of Gevo's lookalike staring back at them.

Gero froze in place just inches away from Vomi. She, meanwhile, had her back turned toward him, hiding her expression from view entirely. But from the way her shoulders shook and trembled, Gero had a sinking inclination about how his wife was taking this.

He swallowed thickly, reaching out with a hand before abruptly drawing it away. His heart pounded fiercely within his chest, going a mile a minute while a stifling, oppressive silence filled the room. Words failed him in that moment, leaving Gero a helpless bystander in this unfolding tragedy.

Vomi continued to maintain her silence, and Gero wondered for a moment if she hadn't heard him come in. But then she finally did talk, dispelling that notion as she spoke in a tightly clipped tone.

"When were you going to tell me?" she asked, her voice icy and filled to the brim with barely suppressed fury.

Gero flinched back as if struck. He stuttered and stammered, eventually managing to get out, "I—soon, I promise, soon! I just, there wasn't, I was waiting to—!"

Vomi didn't let him finish. She whirled around to face him, tears streaking from her eyes while her face contorted with pure, unfiltered rage. Her entire body shook, and Gero could almost sense a potent aura of grief and wrath swirling about her. The look on her face, the way she stared at him, as if she wanted to kill him then and there, rendered him speechless once again.

And then she did actually strike him, whipping out her hand to slap him square across the face. Gero didn't even see the blow coming and was consequently unprepared to take it. He stumbled back from the sheer force of it, his head left ringing while the taste of iron filtered through his tongue and his cheek radiated with pain. He managed to catch himself on a piece of machinery behind him, just barely averting a disastrous fall, though it did little to help him come to his senses.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" Vomi screamed.

She closed the distance between them, pining him against the rusting piece of junk behind him. At the same time she grabbed Gero by the scruff of his shirt, yanking him forward and bringing them face-to-face.

"I knew you were a coldhearted bastard, but I didn't think you were this much of a monster," she hissed, staring daggers into his eyes. "How dare you make a mockery of our son like this! How dare you!"

"It's not like that," Gero gasped, pleading with Vomi with his gaze; begging for her to listen to him, to understand him.

"Don't you lie to me! Not now, not after I found this—this thing! To think that you'd desecrate the image of our son with one of your murder machines, it's—!" Vomi cut herself off, letting out a frustrated growl.

She slammed him against the machine with surprising force, knocking the back of his head against it and sending a spike of pain all throughout his frail body. She let go of him immediately thereafter, stepping back as he collapsed to the floor with a pained wheeze.

"We're done," Vomi continued, her intonation as cold as space itself. "You can find some other lackey to help deal with these Saiyans, assuming you're even telling the truth about that!"

"Vomi, please," Gero groaned, wincing as he clutched his head.

"No. Don't you think you can weasel your way out of this. Not this time. I won't listen to your lies any longer. Gods, I was a fool for even listening to you in the first place," Vomi rebuffed, her voice dripping with disgust.

Gero grimaced and shakily got back to his feet, leaning against the machinery behind him to help support his trembling frame. He stared back at his ex-wife, a hint of ire returning to his features at her continued refusal to hear him out. Intellectually he knew she had every right to distrust him, to toss aside anything he might have to say out of hand…

And yet his pride drove him forward all the same, demanding to be heard.

"Just listen to me, damn it!" he thundered, baring his teeth. "Look, I understand that you're hurt. It…it was a mistake not telling you sooner. But—!"

"Do you think Gevo would be happy, knowing you gave one of your murder-machines his face?" Vomi interrupted, practically snarling with rage. "What about Ponshu? How would he feel about seeing his brother turned into a weapon of war? What gives you the right to twist Gevo's memory like this?!"

"I'm not doing that! I'm not!" Gero insisted, his own anger beginning to strengthen and fester inside of him. "Listen to me, you damn wrench! Let me explain!"

"Explain what, then? I'd love to hear what sort of tale you'd spin about this!" Vomi declared, giving a derisive, scornful laugh. "Or are you just going to tell me not to trust my lying eyes, hm? What sort of game are we playing this time, Gero?!"

"Oh, come off it! When have I ever—!" he began to say, but stopped himself short with an irritated grunt.

He had lied to her plenty of times, after all. He was lying to her still, even after trying to get her cooperation against the Saiyan invasion. So to try and deny that he'd ever spoken falsely to her, at any point in their relationship…it was a ridiculous notion to even entertain.

And yet, he'd almost done just that. How easy it was for him to slip into old habits, to deny, to deflect, to distract. It was never his fault. Nothing was ever his fault, he was always betrayed by others, by the incompetents Gero unwittingly surrounded himself with. Commander Red; Doctor Briefs; Doctor Frappe; Magenta; even Vomi herself hadn't been safe from his accusations.

He'd made that abundantly clear the night their marriage imploded, if not throughout the duration of their relationship.

And here he was, ready to deny her accusations and blame her once again.

Gero fell into a frustrated silence, not trusting his treacherous tongue to say anything. Though how he could even salvage things at this point, he wasn't sure.

Nevertheless, Vomi seemed to take something from his sudden silence. She gave another disbelieving scoff, shaking her head before turning her back on him. She moved to leave, but stopped short a moment later. Her gaze turned back to the half-finished carcass of Android Sixteen and her hands curled with anger thereafter.

"I'm leaving, but not until you dismantle this abomination," Vomi abruptly declared, turning her baleful stare back to him.

"Never!" Gero hissed instinctively, a flash of fear and fury surging through him. "I'll never dismantle Android Sixteen! I can't! He could be the strongest of my Mechanoids yet. If I can get him completed in time for the Saiyans' arrival, he could prove instrumental in our victory!"

"And then you'll, what, use him to murder Son Goku after that?" Vomi challenged, her lips twitching into a snarl. "No, I refuse to let anything of Gevo be used for your cruel revenge."

"Fine! Then he can be included in our deal. Android Sixteen will never touch a hair on Son Goku's head!" Gero bargained, glancing back at his creation.

Vomi scowled harder and retorted, "As if I'd believe that. You hid this from me, and you expect me to believe anything you'll say now?"

She paused, glancing again at the machine that bore their dead son's face. A resolute expression flickered over her face, and she gave a decisive nod. "You leave me no choice then. If you won't dismantle this thing yourself, then I will."

"Don't you dare!" Gero gasped, his eyes widening in alarm.

"Or what? If you want to stop me, you'll have to make me stop. Are you willing to go that far, Gero?" she challenged, walking into his personal space again.

"I'm not afraid to toss you from this laboratory, don't think I won't!" he blustered, gritting his teeth.

"And I'll keep pounding on your door until you let me in or you make me leave. And the only way I'm leaving here without that thing ripped into pieces is in a body bag!" she coldly proclaimed.

Gero stopped short at that, staring down at her in shock. Vomi matched his gaze with an unrelenting one of her own and said,

"You heard me. So, are you willing to go that far, Gero? Or are you going to get one of your precious mechanical dolls to do it for you?"

Gero flinched back at the accusation, looking away from her in distaste. But Vomi's stare was unrelenting, her eyes challenging him to stop her.

Whatever tenuous control he had over the situation was slipping fast, he knew that much. Forget salvaging their fragile new partnership; how could he talk Vomi down from destroying Android Sixteen? He didn't want to get Thirteen or the others involved, he didn't want to force her out of his base, hell, he didn't want to kill her, but damn it, she wasn't leaving him any good options here! And besides that—

Besides that—

"For the love of God, I can't lose him again!"

The words were torn out of his throat before he could stop them. Gero felt his eyes widen, but he quickly averted his gaze, unable to look at his ex-wife at that moment. Before he looked away, however, he saw an expression of surprise and sorrow flash across Vomi's features.

A heavy silence hung in the air between them. Gero continued to stare down at his feet, his face twitching as regret and anger warred within him, the potent mixture leaving him unable to form a single sentence. Not that he even wanted to talk in the first place: not after that disgraceful declaration.

Another line had been crossed, now, and it was one that Gero knew he couldn't walk back from. He'd already been uncomfortably vulnerable and open with Vomi since the start of their new partnership, but this was veering into territory he did not want to dwell on, let alone have his wife watch the resulting spectacle. It was a complete and utter disgrace, a display of weakness that equal parts horrified and disgusted him.

How could he ever—

"Gero."

He blinked, brought back to reality by the simple utterance of his name. Slowly Gero looked back at Vomi, and flinched at the unexpectedly soft and pitiful look in her eyes.

"Gevo is dead," she continued, her voice dropping to a quiet whisper. "He's dead, and there's nothing we can do now to bring him back."

Gero grimaced, but he mustered the self-control and strength not to look away from her this time. Instead, he met her gaze, his grief and pain expressed clear across his features.

"I know. I know he's gone," he said, his own tone quiet and surprisingly timid. Then in a firmer voice he insisted, "Android Sixteen is not Gevo. I know that."

Vomi was quiet at that, her eyes searching his own for a few moments. Then she asked, "Then why does he look like him, Gero? Why did you model one of your Androids off of our son?"

Gero opened and closed his mouth rapidly, grimacing again as he lapsed into silence. It was a fair question, but one that he didn't have a ready answer.

Why had he built Android Sixteen to resemble his dead boy? What purpose had that served in the first place? Back during his initial creation, Gero had had a specific plan in mind for Sixteen. He had envisioned Sixteen as his ultimate creation, the magnum opus of his career. Sixteen had been meant to be the final realization of his vengeance, the instrument meant to destroy Son Goku once and for all. And how fitting it would be, to make a shade of Gevo slay the man that had killed his real son in the first place...

Of course, his plans had changed since then. He had first come up with the idea of cyborg-type Mechanoids, and then a few years after that, he had conceived of Cell. Between that and his initial failures with Androids Thirteen through Fifteen he had decided to, if just temporarily, shelve the idea of fully mechanical Androids being his weapon of vengeance.

Still, that didn't fully explain why he hadn't decided to scrap Sixteen, as he initially had with his other Androids. Nor did it explain why he had made Sixteen in Gevo's image.

"I…" he spoke at last, giving a weary sigh. "I think I…wanted to bring him back. I didn't think of it that way at the time, but…looking back on it, I just…I just wanted to see Gevo again. To see him living, and breathing, and happy, and…"

He trailed off, glancing past Vomi to the expressionless, lifeless visage of Android Sixteen. He stared at him for a long moment, as if wanting a spark of life to enter the Mechanoid's eyes and for Sixteen to meet his gaze.

But of course, that didn't happen. And even if it had…it wouldn't be Gevo that looked back at him.

"But Sixteen is not Gevo, and I realized that too late. So I just left him in this half-finished state. Perhaps it would be a mercy to dismantle him at this point, but I can't bring myself to do that either. He may not be Gevo, but I…I couldn't bear to destroy anything that looked so much like him."

It was the honest truth, however much it pained him to admit it. Gero looked away from Vomi once more, his grimace widening as he left himself so emotionally vulnerable. Vomi made a small noise in response, but he still didn't dare to look back at her.

Already, he could feel the sting of regret starting to make its presence known. God, what was wrong with him? He never would have considered making such an admission in the past, let alone to someone so intimately connected to him like his ex-wife. But Gero supposed it was only further proof of how he had changed and grown since the emergence of his past memories. That supposition only left him more uncomfortable, however, and Gero was left wondering just how much more these pesky meta-memories would continue to influence him.

Perhaps…he should find a way to isolate and extract these memories: if he were to do that, they wouldn't influence his mind anymore, would they? Hm, he was no brain doctor, so Gero honestly had no idea if it would work like that. Still, if he continued to notice alarming changes within his personality like this, it might end up being a necessary contingency.

Then again, were these changes so bad? All this new perspective had seen him make remarkable improvements to his Mechanoids, to say nothing of the new ideas he had with regards to future creations...

He was abruptly brought back to his senses when he felt a hand gently touch his shoulder. Startled, Gero whirled his gaze back on Vomi, and found himself stunned further at the sympathetic, almost understanding look in her eyes.

"I'm still not happy about this. But, I...I understand," she said, her voice carrying an unexpected undertone of warmth. "If you still want to keep Sixteen, then I won't stop you. But only on the condition that you never use him in your vendetta."

He gave a slow nod at that, more than happy to strike that bargain. "You have my word. Sixteen will never be used in anger, nor as a weapon of war."

It was a promise Gero was more than willing to keep, as well. Better for Sixteen to become a Defender of Humanity, then an instrument of his vengeance, like Android Thirteen, or Cell. Yes, Sixteen would be a fitting replacement for Son Goku, once he finally disposed of that infuriating Saiyan. Certainly, he would program Sixteen to be far more pragmatic than Son Goku; no creation of his would ever give Freeza or Vegeta a second chance.

But, that was a consideration for the future. For now, Gero would have to contend with his present.

Vomi nodded and took a step back, issuing a long sigh before running her hand through her hair. Their eyes met once again, a multitude of things left unsaid in the lingering, still somewhat tense silence. Gero looked away first, issuing a groan of his own before he begrudgingly said,

"I truly am sorry that I kept this from you. I...should have told you about Sixteen far sooner than now."

"Oh really? You think?" Vomi crossly retorted, crossing her arms.

Gero felt a flush of anger at that, but he managed to restrain his temper. Before he could say anything else, however, he felt a sudden, stinging pain along his cheek. Specifically, where Vomi had slapped him.

He brought a hand to his flesh, his eyes widening when he pulled his fingertips back and saw a small trickle of blood across them.

"You cut me!" he couldn't help but exclaim, incredulousness and outrage mixed within his tone.

"I regret nothing," Vomi flatly retorted, her eyes not sparing him an ounce of sympathy. Her gaze softened a moment later, however, and she added,

"But I can at least help you clean that up. Come on, let's go back upstairs."

Gero grumbled under his breath, but he accompanied her nevertheless as they began to leave the sub-basement. It didn't take long to arrive back at the elevator, but before he could step inside, Vomi suddenly turned around and faced him once more.

"No more secrets," she declared, her voice brokering no argument. "If we're going to be partners in this, Gero, then you are going to be upfront with me about everything. If I find out you're holding anything else from me, then we are done. Got it?"

"Fine, fine, I understand," he groused, doing his best to ignore the lance of fear and uncertainty that shot through him.

She stared at him for a long moment, her eyes narrowed as she read his face. Then without saying anything else she turned and stepped into the elevator, Gero falling in behind her.

Gero let himself relax ever so slightly as they ascended back to the upper floors of his lab, praising his foresight at switching bases before the start of their new partnership. As bad as the Sixteen discovery was, if Vomi had found Seventeen and Eighteen...well, he wasn't sure he'd be able to talk himself out of that one.

That meant he had to be even more vigilant, however. He couldn't let his wife discover any of his darkest secrets, least this all completely blow up in his face. Especially when he still didn't know what he was going to do with the twins, or Cell. He'd have to take measures to fortify the security of his other labs even more, both in terms of electronic and physical defenses. Perhaps he should come up with a cover-story too, in the event Vomi started asking some pointed questions...

Still, even as he schemed on how to further cover up his crimes, a distinct sense of unease lingered within Gero. A strange, previously foreign sensation continued to prod at him, gnawing away at the edge of his conscious. Gero did his best to ignore it, and shoved that feeling as deep inside of him as he could manage.

Yet all the same, it remained. And it would stick with him, weighing him down more and more as the lies continued to build up, and his cognitive dissonance grew.

Of all the emotions Gero had had to become accustomed to thanks to his past life, guilt was one he was still struggling to get a good handle on. And whether he acknowledged it or not, some part of Gero knew that if he continued on his current path, it seemed all but inevitable that one day, his guilt would become far too much to bear.

But that was a problem for Future Gero to contend with. Wasn't it?