The sky rumbled as I smacked #17 hard on the shoulder and sent him flying to the sea, already feeling Yajirobe's energy fading in the distance as I rushed after the Android.
To be honest, I didn't expect the attack to touch the Android let alone sent him flying, but I'm happy it did as I simply wanted to make sure his attention was on me to make sure that Yajirobe could make it out alive.
'Now, I'm stuck with a dilemma. Keep attacking and make sure he can't figure out what's going on.' With a grunt, I tossed the pole at his falling form like a javelin while flying around to get at his back, the Android knocking it away while spinning around to face me right before I lifted a hand to the pole & made it expand.
The Android grunted as the pole smacked into his back while I concentrated ki to my hand before throwing out two precise blasts, the first flying into the pole and sending it spiralling back to my grasp while the other curved high & disappeared above the clouds.
Catching the Power Pole, I flowed ki into it and made it expand once more, #17 spinning around the attack with a fist pulled back and I quickly placed the staff in front of me before grunting as I felt the Android's punch impacting it.
I do not know just how I was even capable of doing all of this when I haven't even been training or if #17 was just feeling amused by me fighting back against him, but I didn't waste a single second thinking on it as I spun to the side while pushing #17's punch away as well, the pole expanding behind my back before I grinned as I sent the Android flying back into the water with a loud splash.
Spinning the pole in front of me, I was able to sent a barrage of ki blasts off to the side before catching it, spinning the pole around my neck & extending it rapidly just as #17 flew out of the water with a glare, watching as the Android flew over the attack & rushed towards me with a glare on his face.
However, I smirked and retracted the pole again, waiting until he was on me with ki charging to his hands right before I expanded the width of the pole to cover the entirety of my body just as a large explosion echoed on the other side of it.
As the force of the explosion sent me flying back, I frowned as I retracted the pole back before kicking it towards #17 as hard as I could, watching as it sliced through the air & made the Android dodge for the first time right before I grinned as the blast from earlier fell down and exploded on one end of the pole with a devastating explosion.
Watching as the explosion made the staff spin rapidly through the air, I expanded it and caught the end of it that got hit with the explosion just as #17 dodged the attack from behind, his eyes widening as I gave a wink right before he raced towards me.
"Solar Flare!" Unfortunately for him, I snapped my eyes shut & activated the technique, hearing the Android exclaiming in pain as I let the momentum of the Pole carry me into the clouds while retracting it.
Quickly suppressing my energy as much as I could right as I flew and stopped inside the clouds above us, I raced through the cloudy sky as fast as my suppressed state could with my heart beating a mile a minute as I heard the Android letting out a scream of rage.
"Gohan! Gohan, get back here, you bastard!" I completely ignored #17's enraged shouts and the sounds of explosions behind me as I flew away as fast as I could, making sure to send out a few ki blasts to the side charged with my ki as fakes while I tried my best to get away.
It was only after flying for nearly five minutes straight that I finally slowed down, putting the Power Pole on the sash around my waist before diving out of the clouds and head first into the water below me with a deep gulp of air.
Not even stopping at water, I continued even further until I neared the bottom of the ocean, my ki lighting up the darkness as I flew towards West City, hoping that Nimbus had taken Yajirobe to West City like I thought.
'Man, that fight was fun and also informative. I don't know if the Androids are capable of sensing ki or not as I didn't pay that much attention into the minor details in the series, but even if he wasn't, that ki blast barrage should be enough to distract him long enough to make sure he didn't find me.'
When I finally made it to West City after flying in a wide arc just to be sure that no Android was following me, I let out a relieved sigh as I began flying to Capsule Corp, making sure no one was around before landing with a thud and rushing towards one of the abandoned houses around it.
"Nimbus! I can't shout, but if you can hear me, come here!" I whispered/ shouted, waiting a few moments before letting out a relieved sigh as I saw the cloud descending from the sky above, Yajirobe looking surprised to see me waiting for him with nearly no injury.
"How the hell did you even get away?"
"A combo of Solar Flare and years of hiding from the Androids." I answered, to which his eyes widened and I chuckled and nodded right before gesturing for him to follow me.
"Nimbus, follow after." I said and started walking towards the headquarters building, hearing Yajirobe's footsteps following after me with Nimbus' humming following after us.
"So, why did you go and get the staff?" The swordsman asked as we walked into the building, to which I shrugged as I pressed a few buttons on the touchpad next to us & Yajirobe looked surprised at the elevator forming around us.
"Not much. I lost an arm and since I can't fight like I usually do, I needed to figure out a new way to fight. Hence, the Power Pole."
"Can't you just make an arm out of ki since it can make bombs like they're nothing?" He asked as we descended and I went to answer before slowly blinking as I looked at my stump of a left arm.
The next moment, I frowned in concentration as I formed my ki into roughly the shape of an arm, sweat gathering in my brow at how much I had to focus to slowly force my hands to clench before letting out a sigh as I dismissed my ki.
"I didn't even think of that. Thanks for the idea, but it seems that I need far more control with my ki before I can comfortably use it." I answered as I flexed my arm a few times, adding a note to make sure that my limb is covered in ki as well to make sure I don't burn myself like I did just now as Yajirobe snorted & nodded right as the elevator doors opened.
"We're back!" I called out as we walked out of the elevator, enjoying the look of surprise on the swordsman as he walked out to see Bulma and Mom busy in the garden with Gramps feeding the animals & Trunks training in the background.
"Hey! Glad to see you made it ba-Wait, you actually went and got them?" Bulma asked with a surprised look as she saw the Power Pole on my hip & the Nimbus floating behind us, to which I smirked and nodded as I took the staff from my waist.
"Yeah, which reminds me. Think we have something simple yet sturdy enough to hold this while I fight?"
"…You being serious right now? Forget that. Did you find anything else?" She asked with a raised eyebrow and sighed as I shook my head while watching amusedly as Trunks walked over to touch Nimbus with a look of awe.
"I see you're still as loud as ever."
"I could say the same about your physique, if one can even call it that." Bulma fired back at Yajirobe, the two staring at each other with frowns before they both smiled and shook each other's hand.
"Glad to see you're still alive and kicking, Yajirobe."
"Same to you guys. I thought me & the old Turtle pervert were the last ones?"
"Wait, Master Roshi's still alive?" Gramps asked as he finally stopped marvelling at the staff in my hands and Yajirobe let out a soft sigh as I smiled softly & nodded.
"Yeah, he's living off of a submarine around the Kame House and I think he only has about a few months before he finally goes."
"Master is getting up there in years." Gramps muttered with a sad frown and I nodded before turning to Mom as she cleared her throat.
"I'm glad to see you're okay and all, but the Androids didn't see you, right?" She asked before frowning as I just gave an apologetic smile.
"Unfortunately, we came into contact with #17 while we were flying back. Don't worry! I made sure to use the escape routes we had planned around the ocean near West City to make sure he doesn't follow me." I answered before Bulma could speak, to which she gave a proud smile before frowning in slight concern as her eyes scanned over me.
"You hurt?"
"No, I made sure to attack continuously and not give him a chance to counter. I don't know whether he was just playing around with me or not, but I didn't want to stay around to find out so I escaped using the Power Pole and Solar Flare."
"When did you learn that one?" She asked and I chuckled & shrugged.
"Didn't. Just decided to figure it out on the fly and was glad that it worked."
"So, you attacked him knowing that your path to escape hinged on luck?" Trunks asked with a smirk and I shook my head before answering.
"No, I attacked him because he had already seen us and wanted to make sure that Yajirobe & Nimbus got away before I tried to escape. Besides, even if it didn't work, I already had a few other routes planned out."
'That was a complete lie. If it didn't work, there was nothing a good ol' suicide bomb couldn't fix.' I thought with a smirk, a bit surprised at just how easily the thought came to me while Mom stared at me with a frown before letting out a tired sigh.
"Maybe this whole plan was a mistake."
"Too late for regrets, Mom. Besides, I'm sure you guys had better luck on your side than I did, right?" I asked before frowning slightly as Mom and Bulma groaned in unison.
"Don't remind us. Apparently, the soil here is not strong or fertile enough to produce even half a Senzu Bean and the plants can't even be find here. We have to find some seeds in Korin's Tower so did you perhaps find any?"
"The tower is in ruins, so not at al-"
"Oh, you mean these?" We turned to Yajirobe as the man reached into his kimono before my eyes widened along with everyone else's as he took out a transparent packet, staring at the small green seeds inside of it.
"Yajirobe?"
"Yes?"
"Have you had those the whole time?"
"Uh, yep?" He answered and I chuckled as Bulma simply sighed while Mom walked forward and took them with a smile.
"Well done, Yajirobe!"
"…Thank you?" He said/ asked while looking at Trunks & I, to which the two of us looked at each other before giving him an unsure shrug.
"We don't know if that's sarcastic or not."
"It was sincere. However, there's still the problem of us not having the right soil or environment to grow them."
"What if you could make an artificial environment where it could grow? Would that help?" I asked as I looked to Bulma, who frowned as she was in thought for a few moments before shaking her head.
"Even if I could make it here, I don't have the necessary materials to do so. I used nearly everything to build this." She said while gesturing towards the surrounding area and I groaned as I palmed my face.
'Okay, okay. Minor setback, but I can figure it out. We need materials to build an artificial environment. Where would we find those?'
"Uh, I've been wanting to ask. Is Dr. Gero's lab still in tact? I'm sure he might have the necessary equipment you need, Mom." Trunks spoke up and both Bulma and I looked at him before I smirked as she grinned.
"That's right! If his lab can help him make two homicidal Androids that can erase nearly the entirety of the population, it can most definitely have enough equipment to make an artificial environment for the Senzu Beans. However, that's if it's still in one piece and we don't even know where it is."
"We have someone we can ask. Uh, King Kai?"
"I miss the time where you guys didn't even know I was here." I gave a sheepish grin at his words while the others laughed at my expression.
"Sorry for bothering you this much, but just one last question if that's okay?"
"I already know what you want to ask. The northern side of the continent near the lake to the south-west of Bells Village. Just find the area where the old Red Ribbon Army headquarters is and head north-west from that spot. The lab itself was destroyed, but the back-up lab under the first lab is still intact. Now, no more questions."
"Sure, thank you for the help, King Kai." I said and the response I got was a hum before I felt his presence disappear from my mind, turning to the others before nodding.
"Looks like we have a destination. Now, let's pack up and get ready."
"You got everything you need?" I asked as I waited in front of the Capsule Corps HQ, Bulma nodding as she adjusted her satchel whilst placing a capsule container inside it.
"Yep, five capsule carriers filled to the brim with all kinds of capsules also filled to the brim with all the resources we need. Now, who's going to carry us?"
"Trunks, you got your mom. Gramps, can you sit on Nimbus?" I asked, watching as Gramps gingerly sat down before giving a relieved sigh as he didn't fall through, Mom leaping on top of it and landing on it with a smile while Trunks grunted as his Mom jumped onto his back.
"No way am I flying with you." Yajirobe spoke with a frown and I rolled my eyes as I adjusted the staff that was sheathed on the middle of my back.
"Would you rather run to the location we're heading to?"
"I never said that. It's a piggy back, right?"
"Yeah, get up." I spoke as I turned around & just gave a soft grunt as the swordman jumped onto my back, tying the strap around my shoulder and around his back before nodding at the others as I began to float up.
"Everyone got on their oxygen masks?" I asked, watching as everyone put on their mask right before a shield of ki surrounded me, a frown appearing on my face as they all lined up behind me before I spread my ki out to cover them before we began to take up into the air.
The next moment, I dove head first into the ground with Trunks following after me and Nimbus taking up the back, my ki protecting them from the rubble and the heat of the ground around us as I continued to drill through the ground before tilting my body and beginning to fly to the north according to the compass Bulma gave me.
'Next stop: Dr. Gero's base. Hopefully, my ki can keep up until then.'
"What happened to you?" #18 asked with a raised eyebrow as she sat on top of a destroyed building, #17 taking deep breaths while wiping away the scrape wounds on his face.
"Gohan. The idiot got Goku's Power Pole and distracted me before disappearing."
"That's what you get for playing around. Besides, you should have gotten me instead of just raining down fire from above."
"You should have just came up to me & helped out." #17 said with a glare, to which his sister rolled her eyes with a sigh.
"That's because I thought you could handle a one-armed Saiyan that we crippled a few days ago. I guess I was wrong."
"Don't test my patience, sister. I'm this close to just blowing up island after island to find the crafty blonde bastard."
"Aw~ And now he wants to throw a hissy fit. As to be expected from the weaker one." #18 spoke with a teasing smile, watching in sadistic amusement as her brother simply scoffed and walked away, sending a ki blast out into the building besides them that blew it up along with the few people hiding inside of it.
However, in the building to the south of where the Androids were, a young woman with black hair gritted her teeth as she covered her mouth, waiting for a few moments as she watched the Androids flying away before letting out a shaky sigh as she sunk to her behind.
"Damn, that Android is really pissed at this Gohan guy, huh Videl?" Her best friend whispered as she brushed the blonde hairs that was sticking to her forehead thanks to the sweat and Videl nodded slowly as a frown adorned her face.
'Whoever this Gohan guy is, he's strong enough to fight against the Androids, which means that he could teach me how to be strong.' Videl thought as her ponytail swayed in the wind,taking another quick glance out before her friend groaned as she gestured for her to follow while the two of them made their way back to their safe house.
Only one thing was on her mind, that being the name Gohan & where she could find him.
A/N: And a quick chapter done~!
No one expected Gohan to last long against #17, so I tried to use some tactics to show that he's merely trying to distract the Android before trying his best to get away as fast as he possibly can.
Like Starscream said, it may be a cowardly tactic, but there's a reason cowards survive and brave men sometimes not.
Next chapter, the lab~
Anyway, check out my Pat-reon-.-com-/-KingCrimsonNova to read seven chapters ahead on this as well as many other stories that may peak your interest. If you want to, you are free to, but if you don't want, all's good as I will still be uploading here. This is just me trying to get some extra cash.
As always, read, enjoy, review and until the next one...
Ba-Bye~!