Information has been discovered about where Marie-Alice was taken. It took two weeks to establish a warp gate or any other sort of transportation method that would take the rescuers directly to their destination. Just like the East Kaioushin had said, this world was 'sealed off' from the rest of the Multiverse. This world is the same as the one that Vegeta comes from as far as anyone can tell… But it is 392 years in the future from the point where Vegeta Unified into the Multiverse. That means it is even beyond the time from which Trunks originates (783 Age, if anyone is keeping track).
The world has been changed in many ways. It once was populated not only by humans and mutant animals, but also with a number of namek-sei-jin/namekians, and even the off-spring of Majin Buu himself, simply known as 'majin'! For about a century, the Earth was a place of both strife and progress. The ability to wield Ki was relatively well known to the world at large thanks to Son Gohan (or Gohan Son, if one prefers western name order) writing a book on the subject that became -very- popular. Remnants of the Planet Trade, no longer controlled by Frieza or his family, had attempted to invade Earth. The world even saw a re-emergence of Super Saiya-jin/Super Saiyans when those humans with at least a small amount of saiya-jin blood were able to use the Dragon Balls to wish for that inheritance to be awakened in full…
And then came the meteors. It was thought to simply be a meteor shower of previously unseen proportions at first, but when millions of these meteors swarmed towards Earth on a direct course, even adjusting their trajectories to hit the planet, Kami's replacement, Dende, realized the truth. This was an invasion. Intelligent, living meteors is what they were. Some bizarre alien species that was all stone and fire. They rampaged across the Earth, devastating everything and everyone. They were eventually defeated and destroyed, but not without setting civilization back hundreds of years. The world was still recovering by the time that Marie-Alice was first 'born' as a Bio-Android.
And then Malice wiped out every living thing on Earth except for herself awhile later. The Kaioushin had said they could return everyone Malice had killed to life with the Dragon Balls. But it seems not to have happened yet. When the Union members arrive through the warp portal that was forcibly punched through the 'seal' around this universe, they would find themselves standing in the middle of 'Satan City'. This may be a bit ominous to those who do not know that 'Hercule' is known by the name 'Mister Satan' in some versions of the Dragon Ball universe. Why is a city named after that loud-mouth though? Who knows?
A more important question would be, 'Why is the entire city empty?' If Trunks were here it would likely be all too familiar. The absence of life, as people are either dead… Or hiding from -becoming- dead. But those cities in his time were also ruined and battle-ravaged. The buildings and streets were damaged because of the destructive impulses of the Androids. This city seems mostly intact. The only strange thing to note is that there is an awful lot of abandoned clothing lying in the streets, and on the sidewalks, and inside of buildings, and everywhere else. It looks like it has been lying on the ground for a long, long time. Some of it is little more than weather-beaten scraps and rags.
It is late in the day and the sun is setting.
The overabundance of discarded or worn-out clothing, unfortunately, has an arriving Eternal Sailor Mars on guard, though she hadn't been quite so much moments before arriving in the large city. "I'm not liking this… I know an entire city doesn't just fall silent, not without some sort of catalyst…"
Vegeta flies through the warp-gate, unsure of exactly what was awaiting him on the other side. When he arrives, he seems shocked. But only midly so. After all, he had worked for Frieza, and had done planet eradications before. Seeing a place so desolate wasn't new to him, but knowing that it was Earth, a version of the world he inhabited, seems to shake him. He recovers quickly, however, realizing that it's not HIS world. Only one that is similar.
"Hmph," he says, "No life here. Not a soul. Not unusual, I suppose. It would seem that the Kaioshin have yet to make good on their promise of returning these people to life. Lazy…" He restrains his words a bit, crossing his arms. "So she's somewhere here, right? Let's hurry up and finish this."
Makoto Kino likewise is already transformed, and pulls out the spear she'd brought with her, but keeps it at a neutral stance. "You're right, but we've SEEN the catalyst, I think. This world's 'Sovereign of Silence.'
It is the day after Marie-Alice was taken to see her 'father'. It was actually a somewhat crude robotic replica, though perhaps sophisticated compared to 21st century technology. It had failed to capture her interest, awaken any hidden memories, or activate any dormant 'programming'. This is because she is no longer a Bio-Android. She has been in her 'bedroom' for more than 24 hours after that incident, and no one has even come by to give her food! That mushy mud-looking stuff had been making her feel weird after eating it. Her dreams were becoming stranger and stranger.
But she is less focused on the gnawing, painful hunger in her tiny stomach or the unusual nature of her dreams, and more on her writing. Then the sound of the door unlocking is heard and Marie turns her head to face the barrier. The door slides open only through the great strength of the android that looks like a saiyan —- #50. It is not supposed to be moved manually. Marie tried to move it herself already but she could not even make it budge. Maybe the lock was responsible for that, but the door itself was also quite heavy. When she sees that it is #50 she turns fully to face him and starts to stomp across the room, doing her best to demonstrate what an angry little girl she is. Stopping in front of #50, Marie places her hands on her hips and looks up at the android accusingly.
#50 is distracted, however. He is looking around the formerly sterile-white room, plain, undecorated, and seeing the names 'Vegeta' and 'Makoto' written on the walls and the plain, white-tile floor, over and over and over again. "How did you write this—?" he starts to ask, because Marie was -not- given any pens or paints or anything else to write with. Then he looks down at her hands. Marie's fingers are covered in a mix of a dried, rust-brown substance, more vibrant red smears, and fresh crimson liquid that matches her eyes. 'Blood,' #50 thinks to himself. 'She wrote their names in her own blood. How…?' The fingers are swollen and a bit purpled, and some red stains Marie's lips too. She bit her fingers hard enough to draw blood, just so that she could write on the walls.
"I want to go back to Miss Kino, Fifty. I want to go back to Vegeta! You said they were here, but I haven't seen anyone but you and that dummy in the rolling chair!" Marie yells hotly. #50 places a smile programmed to generate maximum comfort and trust in others on his face and says, "There is someone else I want you to meet first. He's" "No!" Marie interrupts, clenching her hands into fists now and glaring up at #50. He fights the urge to frown. "Now, now. You should try to show manners to your elders" "-I want to go home NOW.-" Marie interrupts again. #50's built-in scanners indicate that Marie-Alice's Ki is gradually increasing from a power level of '1' to where it is now… Around 10. That is the place she -should- have been at as a Bio-Android. No match for #50, of course, but as he opens his mouth with fake-smile in place to offer more lies, Marie's right eyebrow twitches upwards as she bares her teeth, and white whisps of Ki begin to rise from her. Her power level spikes upwards to around 100. #50 frowns now and stares at her. He can't waste anymore time here. He starts forward, intending to pick her up and carry her to the hover transport, but as soon as he reaches for her, Marie screams out loudly, her aura of Ki swelling and growing intense enough to push the artificial man backwards slightly. He is stunned, really. "2,000?" he asks outloud.
Then Marie-Alice tries to slip past him and out the door. When she is blocked, her frustration and desperation to escape take over. A number flashes in #50's right eye. It has six digits. Marie throws a fist at the android as she screams again, though this time it is so loud and forceful that the research facility vibrates!
There is no way that energy can -not- be felt by someone like Vegeta. Right now, Marie-Alice could probably beat Captain Ginyu with one hand tied behind her back based on energy levels alone! It's coming from the east, across the ocean, and on the west coast of the continent there. That is a long way to run, a somewhat shorter distance to fly, but it is definitely where Marie is. Her energy feels different from when she was Malice… But it is at least -partly- the same as back then. The part that was her, instead of other people she had absorbed.
For those who can not sense Ki, there is something else to catch their attention. Some sort of flying vehicle is approaching, zooming through the air above. Low-altitude flight, moving at a decent speed but not -too- fast, and identifiable as one of the vehicles from 'Dragon Ball Earth'. That means it is not an explorer or alien. It is someone from this world.
The hover plane thing is heading east — the same direction as Marie's energy is coming from.
The spike of energy catches her attention, just before she casts a sidelong glance at Jupiter and Vegeta, and Eternal Sailor Mars sighs before focusing intently. "It'll be quick for you to follow that energy signature, Vegeta-san, but for us… Jupiter-chan, what say you to the Sailor Teleport, even if we don't have as much power to put behind it?"
Vegeta's eyes flash. He felt the power radiating, growing suddenly. He could sense it clearly, and even beyond that, he recognized it. "That's her," he says, slightly stunned, "Marie-Alice's power… That's incredible! A human child capable of drawing out that kind of power?!" It was small compared to his own, but impressive nonetheless. He wasn't waiting around for the Sailors, though. Before Mars can finish her statement, the Prince is skyward, rocketing toward the source of the Ki.
"Time to find out what this other Saiy—" he starts to himself, but then realizes he can't sense another power. "She's either already disposed of him, or… another machine?!"
Makoto Kino nods, and reaches for Rei's hand. "It'll be rough, but we could do it, I think." She nods, "Let's get going."
The Ki-shrouded fist streaks towards #50, and it is met with artificial flesh acting as a coating for some material beyond the technological standards of even some of the most advanced universes in the Multiverse. #50's master and creator had told him that the material was so durable that when the universe eventually burned out and died, even if the android's power supply had long since been exhausted, his artificial skeleton — his 'shell' would remain. He would drift forever in a lifeless void, billion of years after his computer 'brain' had stopped working. Alone, dead, and yet whole.
Forever.
That scared #50. Not for the first time, he wishes that his maker had not found fear such a useful tool for controlling underlings that he programmed it into him. Not for the first time, #50 wonders if perhaps Doctor Gero had allowed him to feel fear because he enjoyed making everyone else suffer. But there are more pressing concerns. The fist of Marie-Alice strikes him alright… Right in the palm of the hand he had already moved to intercept the blow. It is a tremendously powerful punch, of course. For a child it is beyond comprehension for most. Marie-Alice is a Bio-Android, and so #50 just assumes that this is why his master wanted 'it' (as he called her) so badly. This untapped potential for power… This ability to just suddenly -surge- with strength… If that can be controlled and if the girl can be forced to evolve to her 'Perfect' stage, she might render Gero all but unstoppable.
If she can not be controlled, however… She would be a threat to more than just the scientist's enemies. Thinking and reacting at 'computer speeds', #50 easily intercepts the second punch from Marie-Alice, thrown without thought or concern for the fact her first had been stopped so easily. This second one is stronger than the first, however. As untrained as Marie is in combat, essentially just swinging her tiny fists without any intent other than to drive him back so she could escape, #50 finds himself driven back a couple inches as her Ki continues to climb. Where was she getting all this power!?
His artificial eyes widen in an uncontrolled facial expression of shock as Marie's power level peaks at about 3 million and then see-saws back and forth between slightly lower and slightly higher. 'This is ridiculous,' he thinks furiously, watching the girl moving even faster than before, pulling back her right arm and balling her hand into a fist so tight that her injured fingers start to bleed heavily from the pressure. Then she roars out a high-pitched cry of fury and fear and the desire to go home and be somewhere -safe-. #50 mutters some curses as he crosses both arms over each other in front of his face in an 'x-block'. Marie's fist strikes him on both forearms, and a shockwave ripples outwards, flinging the disinfectant-soaked blanket against the far wall, flinging the open door out in the hall and off its reinforced hinges, and pushing #50 backwards so far that his back strikes the wall behind him, feet digging lines of tortured metal where they were 'dug in'.
Marie-Alice's Ki suddenly begins to plummet almost as fast it came to her as she drops to the floor from where she had momentarily hung suspended from the force of her punch alone. Gasping for breath, the blue-grey hair of the girl frizzled with static in the air, she stares at #50 and fails to understand what just happened. Further, she fails to understand what she is seeing. The bracers and forearms of #50 are shredded to the point of exposing what lies underneath. A gleaming, silvery metal that almost looks -alive- such is it vibrancy. It is more reflective than polished chrome. Further, it appears to be what the 'saiyan' is -really- made out of.
#50 stands and lowers his arms. He stares seriously at Marie and then says, "Fine. I'll take you to Vegeta now." Marie wobbles on her feet a bit, but relaxes slightly as the android approaches her, picks the exhausted girl up and races to carry her out of the laboratory. He is not going to wait for the shuttle to arrive. He will just go and meet it.
Meanwhile, the shuttle is far slower than Vegeta and its pilot does not spot Mars or Jupiter, but it -is- on the way and the sight of a flying man -is- somewhat noticeable. So it locks onto Vegeta and begins to track his movements while waiting for orders on whether to shoot him down or not.
Amid a decidedly Christmas-like glow, Eternal Sailor Mars takes Jupiter's hand in response, just as the sigil of Mars flares into existence in the place of her tiara. "Right, and… Sailor Teleport!"
A faint 'boom', and she lands lightly on the sand knee-first, before recalling her tiara and rolling into a sprint towards the lab. "Could it be here…?"
The Prince ratchets his speed up, paying no mind to the shuttle as he pushes his body as fast as it will go. Which results in him reaching a strange lab in probably the blink of a normal human eye. He slows down and hits the ground in full stride, the fury of the royal Saiyan nearly palpable in the air. His aura hums wildly, spiking around him as his eyes settle on a door. He can no longer sense the overwhelming (to most normal people, not to Vegeta) power, but had noted its gradual fade. Crossing to the door in a few fluid strides, he wastes no time in knocking it off of his hinges and making his way inside.
That's the Saiyan way of "asking to come in".
Makoto Kino arrives in a big boom along with Sailor Mars. The twin hatchets of blue and green jade come out, as she steps in through the smashed-in door behind Vegeta. "Well, that's one way to knock, yeah."
Sailor Mars and Sailor Jupiter both arrive on the beach. They had teleported a comparatively short distance and it had been done rather safely since Mars was able to use her psychic awareness to pick up on the huge amount of energy being radiated. If Son Goku (or Goku Son, if one prefers western name-order) were here, he would likewise have told anyone who asked that teleporting (or using 'instant transmission') without something to home in on — a 'destination' that one can mentally track — is not something he would ever do. Then again, he probably does not know -how- to do that anyway. But King Kai at least would have likely explained at some point that just trying to 'transmit' to some place without ever being there, not having any energy to lock onto, or similar, is basically 'teleporting blind'. And to teleport somewhere you have never been before and have no idea what you will materialize on or in is crazy! To jump blind you have either got to be incredibly desperate or incredibly stupid!
If any of the senshi heard that said, a spontaneous coughing fit would likely break out amongst them. Sure, teleporting to the North Pole was incredibly foolhardy, but those were desperate times and it required desperate measures! And just out of curiosity, trying to teleport to an object in outerspace, such as, say, the Moon Kingdom, would have worked fine due to Kunzite's spell providing 'coordinates'.
On the other hand, teleporting to, say, an atmosphere-bearing asteroid on a collision-course with Earth… If someone familiar with teleportation were asked about -that-, he or she would likely say, "Well, given the immensity of space, the odds of not winding up trying to breath vacuum are ridiculous. The senshi could merge their powers to create a forceshield holding air but that would run out pretty quickly — long before they reached their objective."
It is at that point that Usagi would begin making choking noises, everyone else would look at Mercury, Rei would say something along the lines of, 'You never told us that!' And Ami, for her part, would combust in a fit of embarassment. Yes, that was not one of the safest or cleverest of plans the Sailor Senshi had ever enacted.
Teleportation tangent aside, this time around they -did- have something to home in on, and so Mars and Jupiter arrived safely.
Vegeta likewise arrives safely. Though his speed and Ki power are such these days that he can cross the vast expanse of water seperating the so-called 'eastern continent' and the 'western continent', and arrive on the west coast of the latter, he still touches down near the laboratory -after- the near-instantaneous teleportation of the two senshi. However, in the time it takes the senshi to finish re-materializing, get up from the sandy beach, and run up to join him, he has already made his way inside by simply disposing of the side-door that was quite solidly rusted shut before he removed it. It was a utility entrance rather than the main doors, but that does not seem to matter in the long-run, as this simply means that when Vegeta and Makoto are both within, they do not have to trek through the ground-floor's lobby, hallways, and all the rest, looking for a likely place for a reincarnated monster to be imprisoned.
They already have access to various stairwells and hallays, leading both up to the first floor, along this 'basement' level, and deeper. Choices, choices… The energy of Marie-Alice is now so minute that it would be easy to overlook it if one were not specifically sensing for it. It is the level of a child her age, or perhaps a bit lower. There is no sign of the power she displayed moments ago. However, whether one is listening for sounds or 'feeling' for energy, it would take only a few moments of quiet to get a rough direction and then proceed there. Basement level, same as the rescuers are already on… But both that weak Ki and the faint sounds of heavy boots on floor panels are moving away at a hurried pace. Hurried, but not running. It seems that no one knows they are here yet.
Sailor Jupiter falls in behind Vegeta. "You got anything, Your Highness?" Still being polite, even here. "I think I HEAR people moving away, but… I can't be sure."
Goku isn't usually one to arrive late in these situations, but this time he had been busy. As a Senior Ally of the Union, the Saiyan actually does a surprising amount of work within the Union! Not only battles, too. Peace keeping talks, for instance, is what takes up a lot of his time. But with those now over, the black haired, orange gi fighter can show his complete attention to the task at hand. Stepping through the warp gate that brings the Saiyan to Satan City, Goku looks around with narrow eyes. It was almost as if Cell were back. But then, with all the talk of bio-droids and such, he shouldn't be surprised. With a careful look at the eerie surroundings, he gets a lock in on Vegeta's high power level. A white aura rips across his form, the Saiyan charging into the sky. A white 'tail' of energy can be seen dragging behind as Goku hurtles over the ocean, leaving Satan City behind him. Unlike Vegeta, he isn't transformed into any 'super' state. He's just as he normally is, black springy hair lagging a bit behind him as he flies.
Vegeta can likely feel the Saiyan coming, as his energy is anything but discreet. Goku is still minutes away at best, but he was still on the way. He doesn't use Instant Transmission, simply because he believes that he doesn't need to. The highest energy level he could feel was that of the Saiyan Prince. Vegeta should be able to handle the situation for the moment.It is the level of a child her age, or perhaps a bit lower. There is no sign of the power she displayed moments ago. However, whether one is listening for sounds or 'feeling' for energy, it would take only a few moments of quiet to get a rough direction and then proceed there. Basement level, same as the rescuers are already on… But both that weak Ki and the faint sounds of heavy boots on floor panels are moving away at a hurried pace. Hurried, but not running. It seems that no one knows they are here yet.
Vegeta frowns. "I don't have time to negotiate a labyrinth. I hear footsteps. I can fly through these petty walls while you follow behind. I've got something in this direction. Don't dawdle." And, with that, Vegeta turns straight toward the energy, crosses his arms, then turns his head for a moment. "On second thought, wait here for Kakarott. When he gets here, he'll be able to get you to us. Got it?" He turns again, focuses on the minute power, then charges straight toward it, walls becoming walls with holes in them as he does.
At the moment she and Jupiter arrive via Sailor Teleport, Super Sailor Mars has Inferno out and cloaked in fire at almost the same time she conducts a psychic sweep of the building-besides her, however, Phobos, Deimos, and Blazer are also present, mostly to provide any aid to the team rushing to rescue Marie.
"Of course… Take too much time, and she could end up hurt-not something I'm particularly keen on having happen. I'm right behind ALL of you."
The false saiya-jin does have a sensor equivalent to a 'scouter' in many ways built into him, though able to measure energy levels as high as he likes without risking an explosion. At worst, it will just display an error if the energy can not be gauged. However, #50's range is a bit limited and he was not focusing on his surroundings, but rather on both the child carried under one of his bulky arms as though she were simply a sack of potatoes, and also on the location of the shuttle that is on its way to pick said child up.
He is not going to wait for it to arrive. He is going to fly out to meet it. Malice is too much of a burden to do things how they have been done so far. He was given instructions by his master… To trigger certain dormant programming lying in the bio-android's memory so that she would then be pliable, subservient, and manageable. He did exactly what he was told to do, but the child had -not- reacted how he had been told she would. It was as though this Marie-Alice was not actually a bio-android at all… He -had- entertained that notion for a moment, actually. But the recent display of enormous power that had previously been completely absent dispelled these doubts.
The armor and artificial flesh on his forearms had not vanished all on its own, after all. Malice had struck him with her full strength and simply destroyed the material. Of course, that strength could be attributed entirely to her Ki level at the time, as all indications were that her muscles were underdeveloped — the same as a young human child. What he found most strange was this obssessive behavior in regard to Vegeta and Makoto Kino. Just as the Doctor had said, this 'familiarity with Vegeta' was 'displeasing'. That she had written the names of both of those individuals on the walls and floor, over and over, in her -own- blood, was simply… Bizarre. Some sort of 'imprinting', akin to certain animals?
#50 does not know. But just as he places one booted foot on the step of a staircase that will lead him to the ground level, his internal sensor triggers an automatic alert. He technically does not need to -see- the number that starts flashing in the lens of his right eye, as his brain is a computer and thus the data is run through there directly, but for some reason his maker decided to display the number there anyway.
He glances down at the tired little girl he still carries apprehensively, but there is no indication this enormous power level is coming from her. This is good, because otherwise it would mean he is about to be destroyed. The number is in the hundreds of -billions-. #50 turns around, as his internal compass indicates this energy is coming from the south—
Just in time for a series of tremors and loud noises to reach him as Vegeta comes barreling right -through- the ceramic and metal walls and into the hallway he is in, right in front of him.
"Shit," #50 says in monotone.
#50 looks remarkably like a healthy saiya-jin male. If one does not see the exposed, gleaming, unnaturally-reflective metal of his 'skeleton' at first, he is, by all accounts, -identical- to such a being. But he has no energy to sense, and he is heavier than any flesh and blood being his size would be. Also he is carrying a weary, blue-grey-haired 6-years old girl under his left arm. She lifts her head, still breathing a bit quickly from her earlier exertion, but aside from her fingers being swollen, and a mix of red and purple, and covered in dried blood, she does not seem too terribly unwell. Paler than usual, perhaps a bit malnourished, but her crimson eyes still look upon Vegeta in the same way as usual. At first, just widened and taking in the world around her. Then they squint slightly as her tiny mouth spreads and turns upwards into a broad smile. "Vegeta! Vegeta!" she calls out and starts trying to get to the floor. #50 does not let her go, however, and even seems to be ignoring her efforts. This is a bad situation for him.
Marie-Alice wiggles a bit more, trying to pry the muscular arm off of her, and then looks up with a frown. "Fifty, you can put me down now!" #50 ignores her. She frowns more and raises an eyebrow. "You did what you said. You took me to Vegeta. I do not need more help. Please, put me down—" The android snaps out of the corner of his mouth, "Hush!"
Something is wrong here. Her new friend has acted very strangely in her opinion, but Marie assumed she just did not know enough about other people to judge. He took her to Vegeta. He promised, and then he did so. So what is going on now?
She just allows her short arms and stubby legs to dangle as she hangs and waits, focusing on Vegeta and not who is holding her. She looks at him -carefully-. "…Why did you dye your hair, Vegeta?"
It should be easy for the senshi — and Goku too — to make their way to Vegeta's location, even if they did -not- have instant transmission. There is a nice little tunnel through the building that the prince left behind.
Leaving a trail of white energy far behind him, Goku closes in on the energy location of Vegeta. As he gets close however, he picks up the energy signatures of Makoto and Rei. Both of them allies, no doubt. Likely passing the shuttle without much of a thought, the black haired Saiyan arrives at the Senshi's location only minutes after Vegeta went all Juggernaut on the building. He lands with a hard crouch, wind sweeping through the area as his momentum suddenly comes to a stop. The white aura around his body also fades. At this point, his energy suppresses to a bare minimum. If the Android hadn't senses him coming before, it's likely he won't now — Goku giving off not much at all.
"Makoto," He greets with a small smile and a wave. "Rei." He also greets the other, of course! "What's up guys? Didn't think I'd find anyone else than Vegeta here. What's the deal? Where's Mar…" It's now when he notices the holes in the wall.
"You didn't make fun of Vegeta's pink shirt, did you?" Doing so often sends him into a rage, after all. "You guys lead the way. I'll bring up the rear."
Vegeta frowns, glaring at the machine-Saiyan. "50? Is that what she just called you?" he says, eyes narrowing, "Put her down." He speaks the command as though issuing it to another Saiyan, but he raises a hand, aiming it toward the android. "Comply. NOW!" He glances toward Marie, noting her hands. "I didn't dye my hair, girl," he says gently, "This is what an ascended Saiyan looks like. Now, /FIFTY/," he sneers the last word, spitting it out as though it tasted bitter, "Put her down. And I promise you this. I will make your death swift."
About the moment that she arrives at Vegeta's location with Jupiter in tow, Super Sailor Mars, with a nod to Goku, readies the large bow and arrow of fire she's known for, taking aim at Fifty in case he decides to try running. "It's nice to see you too, Goku-san, even if this isn't the best time for pleasantries…"
A fierce frown, and the Soldier of Fire keeps her focus on the android holding Marie. "Don't you think of hurting her, or trying to run-make either move, and I'll make SURE that you go down. PERMANENTLY."
Makoto Kino leads the way. "Marie was taken here. Vegeta decided he'd clear the road. I won't argue with it." They start running to catch up., and what they see when they arrive. "Drop my girl without hurting her… And I won't have to crush every chip in your motherboard. One. By. One." Yeah. Makoto's a little pissed.
#50 considers his options quickly. Thinking at 'computer speeds' means he compiles a list of options very, very fast. None of them look very good. By the time Vegeta has made his demands, the android has narrowed it down to three feasible choices. He does not hesitate more than a second to do as commanded. Perhaps most of Vegeta's people would simply have let go of the girl at this point, dropping her, being so rough with someone that the Prince of saiyans cares enough about that he has offered a warning first before acting is an act that even a dull-witted warrior would be hesitant to do. Perhaps they are not gentle, but they would at least lower the child closer to the ground… And that is what #50 begins to do as Marie does not react with confusion to the explanation from Vegeta but just nods her head as though she understands what 'ascended saiyan' means. She finds herself being lowered to the floor carefully, and she winces briefly as the android takes one of her fingers and squeezes it just enough to get some fresh blood. That is probably not going to go over well, but Marie is not resisting. When she finally stands on her own two feet, #50 carefully lets go, eyeing the fire-bearing girl, the one with two hatchets… And possibly Goku himself coming up behind?
A Super Saiyajin at the second level, Son Goku and his who-knows-how-many levels if he gets serious, and two unknowns — with at -least- one of them apparently able to wield magic. Fifty has no defense against magic. Only his insanely durable metallic skeleton/frame would be resistant, and the android thinks the thermal energy would eventually transfer through that and destroy his electronics even if the flames themselves did not touch anything.
He finally removes his hand completely from Marie-Alice and rises slowly, offering a bow to Vegeta. "I'm sorry, your majesty. I didn't know this child was important to you," he offers in a remorseful tone. Is he seriously going to try to act like he is a real saiya-jin now? Well, as far as he knows no one knows what he really is… Except for the brunette. How did she…? Quickly, #50 figures it out. The damage he took… He did not inspect his arms afterwards. Well, time for plan B then.
Marie-Alice seems to hesitate. She wants to run to Vegeta — and Makoto! Her little heart is swelling with joy at seeing those two again! But something is almost… Holding her back.
Physically holding her back, that is. She is trying to lift her feet and walk forward, but each movement is slow, labored, and each step she takes winds up sliding backwards so that she stays in the same relative position. She does not know who the woman with the fire bow is nor the man with big hair like Vegeta's, but she wants to meet them. They came to see her! She does not understand why they are talking about Fifty that way though. They want to hurt him? Why? Her index finger throbs a bit where it was squeezed, and all of the digits are half-way between benumbed and pained. She does not understand why that finger was squeezed, but she did the damage to her fingers herself to begin with!
And still, her attempts to walk are hindered. She tries to run, but this barely goes any faster and is much harder. It is odd, seeing her running as fast as she can while remaining in the same place. It is not 'running in place', because she making full strides with her short legs, rather than just pumping her knees up and down. To those who see this, it would not take any genius to tell there is something happening.
#50 speaks up then, speaking to Makoto but not taking his eyes off of the man who could crush him easily. "She's not 'your' girl." He pauses only a couple seconds before adding on, "Infact, she is no one's 'girl'. 'She' is not even a -she-." He looks down at Marie as she continues to run in place, either ignoring or just not responding to these words. "It is a living weapon, designed by Doctor Sean Regal and created with technology invented by Doctor Gero. It is -property-, and its name is -Malice-. It was always named this… Ever since my creator provided Doctor Regal with the means to 'resurrect' Alice-Marie — Regal's daughter."
His eyes quickly flick back up to those who are confronting him. "It is a bio-android, just like the first of its kind… #21, also known as 'Cell'. Its owner wants it back now. You never had a claim on Malice in the first place, so you have no right to take it from him."
Super Saiyajin 2… Two times as strong as a Super Saiyajin's first level. #50 was not built to take on opponents like that. There was never a -need-. If Vegeta reverted to his 'basic' state and then powered down to only half of his maximum, he would still have ten times more energy and power than Fifty himself. He is an assistant and not a weapon. A protector and not an assassin. Or he -was- those things. Now he is a kidnapper, a liar, a jailer… He hates this existence, but he has no choice but to be what he is.
"I would like for you to leave now. You are trespassing. You can say goodbye to her—it, and then you should go home. My gravity beam will ensure Malice is not stolen a -second- time."
Indeed, Goku brings up the rear. Following in after Rei and Makoto, the black haired Saiyan takes a quick glance to Vegeta. No wonder he could sense the Prince. He was blazing away without hesitation! This could be bad. His eyes go from Vegeta back to the android, who, looks like a Saiyan. "…who are you?" He queries. Oddly enough, he felt no lifeforce or energy whatsoever from this being. Did that mean he was an android? "Vegeta, what's going on here? Fill us in?" He could have sworn that the things just said Prince.
But then… Fifty speaks. "Marie? You alright?" The sight of her caught in some sort of field is indeed an odd one. "Gero? Again? His lame technology is still around? Tch." It does seem that things are going on here which Goku cannot understand. A deeper thought, maybe.
"You're an android, right? Where are you taking her?"
Makoto Kino shakes her head. "You should keep better track of your toys. The weapon known as 'Malice' is gone. Destroyed. What you're tormenting is a little girl." She frowns. "And I will NOT sit by while another innocent girl is forced into being something like the Sovereign of Silence, ever again!" Were she more familiar with ki, she might be radiating, about now… instead, lightning crackles over the hatchets in each hand.
Despite having a Flame Sniper primed and aimed at Fifty, Super Sailor Mars knows well enough to keep from actually launching the attack, and especially as she watches Marie gets trapped in that field-there's no way the Soldier of Fire is going to risk hurting an innocent person, after all, and her expression becomes oddly calm as she regards the android.
"Even if we had no claim to her in the beginning, it doesn't mean we're just going to leave someone we care about in the hands of mad people. I'm holding back, but only because I've no intent on hurting her-let her choose of her own volition what she wants to do. Mako-chan, stand down… I'm going to try reasoning with him."
"Don't you DARE insult me, MACHINE!" His rage spikes, his hair turning a more brilliant shade of blonde. Mostly because of his aura becoming more lightning charged. "I gave you your choice. You chose wrong. No one tells the Prince where he is able to be. You stole her. She's not Malice anymore. Maybe you'd know that if your damn circuits were worth a damn!" A massive upsurgence of energy and be felt, physically, as a blue ball appears in front of his hand. The earth beneath them shakes and shatters as he charges. "RELEASE HER NOW! OR THERE WILL BE NOTHING LEFT OF YOU!"
Marie-Alice hears the words that her 'friend' speaks as she keeps running. She hears him explain. Not all the words are familiar, and there is much of it that goes over her head. However, adults often underestimate children. 'Grown-ups' do not realize just how much that a child picks up on. They are new to the world, paying attention, and learning from everything they see, hear, feel, or otherwise experience. Marie-Alice is still running despite not going anywhere. She is running even though she is gasping for breath from this unaccustomed exertion on top of two weeks of eating nothing but a muddy paste-like material. She is running not because she does not comprehend or is merely a simple, unevolved organic machine, but rather because she is too scared by what she is hearing to do anything else. She wants to get away! She wants to get away from Fifty and these bad things he is saying! But she can not. She is stuck in place, running, running… Can she -ever- stop running? What happens if she stops? Her body feels so heavy…
She lowers her head, tilting it forward, and strains as much as she can. Where is that power she had before? Why was she so strong then and so weak now? She feels vague flutterings of strength from within as her desperation grows, but it is like a small candle flame struggling to stay lit in the wind. It needs something more if it is going to burn as it should. She does not understand.
One might expect a wide variety of expressions or responses from the android… As 'real' as he looks, he is a machine. Will he react like one? He is advanced, but he also clearly serves an evil master. Will he sneer and offer speeches and reveal his true colors as a villain?
No to both of those questions. He starts off with a response to Goku. He does smirk a bit, nervous about this situation, and yet still amused or confident enough to offer a little smile. He does not shake in fear, he does not sweat. There is no way to know if he is really able to be a threat or not. "'Gero's technology is still around'?" he asks in mock confusion. "Yes. Yes, I suppose you could say that's true. And yes, I am an android. I am going to take her—it to where it can be of use to my creator." However, when Makoto speaks all pretense of confidence vanishes. His face shows shock and surprise!
"…You know the name 'Malice'? What do you mean 'destroyed'?" he demands. He files the name 'Sovereign of Silence' in his memory banks for now, though at this rate he does not know if he will get to actually use it for anything. On impulse, he switches on his internal communicator and sets it to transmit. The action is silent and has no visual indicators. Electricity in alarming amounts crackles around the woman whom #50 has identified as the same 'Miss Kino' that Marie has been whining about all this time. "You are already familiar with Malice…" He looks down at the girl, watches her long hair sway back and forth in time with the movements of a body that is not going anywhere.
"Let her—it…" He pauses and then continues, "Let -her- choose? My master said that someone had 'polluted' her mind and 'corrupted' her. He even said perhaps the gods of the universe were involved somehow. If you have altered her so that she does not remember what she really is, then of -course- she will choose you!" His voice is raised, his modulator fluctuating as all his programming and all of the experience he has gained since being activated are in conflict with this situation, these words, these people… All of it.
#50 doesn't know what to do. He knows what he -wants- to do, but he does not know what he -should- do. He raises his hand, the one with some of Marie's blood on it… He had intended to analyze the fluid and see if it could be duplicated somehow or otherwise turned to serve the ends of his master. Vegeta's power is concentrating so much Ki in one place that the light is nearly blinding and the walls and ceiling actually explode outwards without even launching an attack!
Exposed to the open air, #50 knows there is little option. He sticks the bloody finger into his mouth — a rather disturbing thing to see, honestly — and uses the sensors in his tongue to analyze the life's fluid on every level it can. His eyes widen and he withdraws his finger in disbelief. He looks at Marie, sees how hard she is trying, how her miniscule strength is failing her, and deactivates the gravity beam.
She nearly flies forward at first. Marie-Alice stumbles and windmills her arms in an attempt to regain her balance, but she eventually manages to cross the intervening distance and attempts to latch onto the leg of the nearest person she trusts. If that is Vegeta, then he may have a bit of a distraction. If the leg belongs to Makoto, then hopefully that electricity she is generating will not impact Marie somehow. Regardless, she clings on tightly and unless prompted to do otherwise she does not let go. Her breathing comes in short, shallow gasps. She has never been so tired before.
She looks back at Fifty as she stares at her. "What's… Wrong… Fifty?" she gets out. The android says in a stunned tone, "They're right. You're a human. I don't know how, but… You're not Malice. You're just a human." The android knows he has a job to do still. He knows he has a master and he can not disobey that man. But he also knows he was wrong. He drops both arms to his sides and falls to his knees. His heavy body makes the floor vibrate from the impact. The night sky is full of stars, a chill wind blows, and the sounds of settling masonry and such are the only noises other than electricity and the strange resonating of extremely focused Ki.
"I'm sorry," he says finally. He lowers his upper body then too, and bows fully, forehead to the floor, palms down. "I didn't know. I did what my master told me. He said… He said she was Malice. I didn't know Marie-Alice was just a girl. I didn't know there was another. I just didn't know." He is not begging for Vegeta or anyone else to spare him. This is not a repeat of Raditz or Frieza. #50 does not appear to be trying to negotiate his surrender, his release, or anything else. He is just apologizing for doing something he knows is wrong. Marie-Alice is confused. Confused, tired, worried about Fifty, but she still says the thing that only a child would say.
"It's okay, Fifty," Marie's voice drifts over as she regains control of her breathing somewhat. The android jolts as though he had been shocked. He was expecting the next thing he heard to be either a lightning bolt or 'Big Bang Attack', followed by his own circuity being blasted to oblivion. His shell would remain of course. The frame that holds him up. He does not think anything can destroy -that-. But he would still be 'dead'. When he hears Marie instead, he remains where he is, waiting. The little girl takes another few deep breaths, and then she says, "You aren't alone. If I'm human or bi-andro… androde…" Frowning slightly, Marie tries again. "If I'm like me or you're like you, you're still my friend. Don't be lonely! You're not alone!"
She somehow misinterpreted this whole thing. She thinks #50 is apologizing because -he- thought that Marie was the same sort of 'thing' as him, and that he had come to her because he was lonely and the only one of his kind or… Something.
Fifty raises his head slightly and stares at Marie in wide-eyed disbelief. She smiles at him.
In a rare display of nonaggression, Super Sailor Mars lets the bow-and the arrow, as well-dissipate harmlessly into the air, lowering both arms to her sides and moving to guard Marie as she runs towards either one of the two people she recognizes.
"There, there… Everything's going to be alright now, Marie-san. You're safe."
It's at the time that Fifty goes through the dogeza that the Soldier of Fire looks over at him, still remaining oddly calm. "You realized your mistake, and made an effort to atone for it."
The blow out from Vegeta causes Goku to back-step a little. The sheer volume of energy and power hits the low class Saiyan like a physical force, his hair blowing back. "Vegeta…!" He cries out in surprise, lifting his arms up to protect himself a little. He's actually getting very bright. "Vegeta, calm down! You don't know what he's capable of with Marie in such a position!" He cries, but unsure if his voice will even enter the Prince's ears.
When #50 continues to talk, it seems to seal the deal that the android wasn't going to be good for her. It was evidently clear that Marie wanted to get away, and be away from this android. But still. How strong WAS this android? They would only get one shot..would Vegeta's powered up form be enough? It's impossible to tell. The Saiyan grits his teeth a little, thinking. His black eyes go to the powered up Prince once gain, then to Rei.
And, just like that, he releases her. With Marie stumbling forward and then Fifty falling down in a defeated motion, Goku takes a bold step forward, as if looking at the droid carefully. "You might be looking for the older version of Marie, who self-destructued a month or so ago." The Saiyan speaks. "This Marie appears to be a… new version of her. Reborn anew. It happens sometimes, when King Yemma deems it fit or not." Unless there was something else going on. "Android Fifty, huh? Who is this Master? You can start fixing your mistakes and living a better life once you tell us some things. Is your Master a Doctor? Like Gero?"
Here's hoping Vegeta just doesn't blow the thing away. That could be bad. ._.
Vegeta's rage is extreme. The earth continues to shake, even as the android drops and releases Marie-Alice. His eyes remain locked on Fifty, rage coursing through his veins like the lightning through his aura. "HOW CAN YOU ALL BE SO FORGIVING?!" he bellows, his voice sounding feral, "THIS THING HELD HER HERE FOR HOW LONG?! AND NOW YOU WANT TO JUST WALK AWAY?!" His eyes widen, giving him a stark raving look. Before…
BZZT. Within a moment, Vegeta simultaneously, releases his Super Saiyan Two form and disperses the energy for his Big Bang Attack. "YOU'RE TOO GODDAMN SOFT! IF HE DOES -ANYTHING- TO MAKE ME REGRET THIS, I SWEAR…!!"
Makoto Kino tosses the hatchets aside as Marie is suddenly released. Her arms, now devoid of the electricity, reach down to catch the exhausted girl. "I gotcha, kiddo." He holds her close. "You okay?" She looks to 50. "We could take him in. Even if he can't tell us about his master, I'm sure Winry and the others could. Might even be able to give him more autonomy, even."
"Atone?" #50 asks with a quavering tone that implies he is either very scared, crying, or otherwise very upset. As his forehead thunks back onto the dusty floor, his body shakes all over, spasming, and then a most unexpected sound can be heard. #50 is laughing. He keeps laughing into the floor for awhile, until Goku starts to speak, at which point the laughter just cuts off so suddenly it may sound as though someone hit the 'stop' button on a tape player. Did they break his sanity or something? When he speaks again, his voice is still uneven for a moment, but it soon levels out. "Malice self-destructed… A month ago, you say? I guess the gate was not properly aligned if we missed by that much. We knew she had left this universe, but not -when-." He sighs and turns his head to the side, eyes closed, waiting for Vegeta to render judgement. He expects to be destroyed before he can divulge any information. When the Prince of Saiyans spares him, he considers begging for the elite warrior to reconsider. If he is destroyed he can not betray anyone. If he is destroyed he can not be forced to follow any more horrible orders. But he knows his communicator is still on. Everything he is saying, doing, hearing, seeing… All of it is being transmitted back to his master.
If that man thinks #50 would serve better as a walking neutron bomb than as a servant, his self-destruct will be activated remotely. There is no way the others would escape in time… hypothetically, at least. He sighs again and raises himself up onto his hands and knees and stays there. Looking at Goku, he says, "I can not 'atone' for what I have done, but I can at least help you keep her safe. Yes, my master is a scientist like Gero." A warning light comes on in #50's head. There are two such lights. The first is yellow, and is both 'strike one' and 'strike two' combined, essentially. It means his self-destruct has been primed.
"His name is Doctor Willow," he says without hesitation.
The red light does not come on. His master has chosen not to destroy him for now. "He is brilliant, but was paralyzed in an accident and thought dead. He had to have his brain transplanted to survive, and has been in hibernation ever since. His servants have been looking for the strongest body in the world so that he will never again be at risk of death by mere accidents — or by violence. Sadly, when the defenders of Earth such as yourselves finally passed away, no one else was deemed suitable. Doctor Willow decided to -create- a body he could inhabit and that would fulfill his needs. A body that can regenerate like a namek, grow stronger from every injury healed like a saiyan, survive in any environment and even with horrible wounds like one of Frieza's people, and pick up the abilities of any other species it encounters along the way? Perfect. He did not have the hands or the materials to make such a body, but he had the knowledge. So he gave it to the distraught father of Alice-Marie, and convinced Doctor Regal to use it. That was the plan. Malice would be his 'ultimate body'."
#50 goes silent. He will have to explain to his master later the meaning of this deception. And he will also have to try to give some indication that he does -not- want to serve this master anymore and would welcome any chance to be free of him. He has to give this secret message -without- letting his master realize he sent it too. The android hates his existence.
"I wish I could come with you, Miss Kino. But I have a self-destruct as well… A very strong explosive that can be activated remotely. If Doctor Willow finds out that I have betrayed him, he might use me as a weapon against all of you. He monitors my location at all times. Perhaps I can trick him somehow and have him send me on a mission to 'try again'… Then he will be expecting me to be in another world, and will not realize until it is too late that you have removed the explosive. I do not want to be his slave and I do not want to keep doing these evil deeds. As long as he can destroy me or use me to hurt innocent people, however… I have no choice."
Marie continues holding Makoto's leg, she looks at Mars, up at Jupiter — somehow recognized even with Disguise Magic in place — and then to Vegeta's fury and Goku's compassion… And then back to #50. "Come see us soon, Fifty. I want to go home. You should go home too. I don't get it… But I don't think you're bad." Then her eyes start to droop as she is held in Makoto's arms. She has never been held like this before. It makes her feel safe. She is so tired that feeling safe is all that she needs to doze off. Right in the middle of talking, she just falls asleep.
#50 looks at her and closes his eyes, and then rises to his feet. "I will provide you with any information I can the next time we meet. Perhaps you can even stop my master for good." He then just stands and waits for them to leave… or to change their minds and blow him up. Marie, for her part, just sleeps.
Vegeta growls. "I don't buy your story. SHE is the only thing saving you right now. If you ever show up before me for any reason other than to BEG for my forgiveness, you won't be so lucky. We're leaving. Now."
With Vegeta screaming at them, Goku just sort of looks at the Prince. "We both know he was under orders." Goku replies. "You know, people said the exact same thing about you after you tried to kill me on Earth." A grin, before he shrugs. "Anyway. You're right in a way, we can't just let him go around loose. That could be bad. He'll probably go back to his Master and report on things, who will then plan some more stuff." The Saiyan gives a brief nod.
"We'll take him back to Union HQ, and the officials will work out what to do with him. Judge his risks and all that."
Then Fifty begins to speak simply, much to the surprise of Goku himself. "Doctor Willow." Goku says, before taking it in. His eyes widen a little when learning that this android could self destruct, just like the other one did. "That'll do for now. I guess you cannot come with us just yet." The Saiyan clears his throat, before peering around at everyone. "Time for us to make way, gang. If you want a ride back to HQ, just give me a touch on the shoulder. I'll use Instant Transmission." Placing two fingers to his forehead, he focusses. "…in three….two….one….now." And just like that, he dissapears. Gone. Anyone who was touching Goku will also go, transported back to base.
A burst of fire, and Super Sailor Mars is gone, replaced just as quickly by a miko-robed Rei, and keeping close to both Jupiter and Marie.
"Mako-chan, if the two of you want to, you can use the shrine for rest-I'll be waiting for you to show up there."
The POP of a time-rift, and she steps back into it, and returns to her residence-turned-business.