Dragon Ball Z: Paradise Found

Close Call

"Dr. Flappe..." Tenshinhan turned to the old man sitting on top of the burly Android flying while engulfed in a light-bending, electromagnetic force field that sparked with teal electricity from time to time. "Where are we going and what exactly did you mean by saying that Android 21 will destroy the world?"

"It might be too long of a story, dear boy," Dr. Flappe closed his eyes with a solemn look on his face.

"Please, I must request that you explain yourself, as I can feel the Ki of Son Goku and Chayote dipping. Right now I am feeling like I must separate from you and go help them," Tenshinhan asked the old scientist.

"That would be a grave mistake. Artificial Human No. 21 is prepared for every one of you. In a way, the place I am taking you to and the reason I took you along is related to that very thing that makes her so invincible," Dr. Flappe replied.

"What do you mean by that? You mean Android 21 mastered some sort of powerful and secret technique to defeat us?" Tenshinhan's eyebrows tilted in surprise as his mouth gaped ajar.

"You still seem fixed on thinking of Artificial Human No. 21 as a martial artist. She is not. She is a scientist and through cybernetic and genetic tampering, she may very well be the most fearsome one in the entire universe. No. What I meant by that was that she's specifically designed plans to deal with every warrior of remarkable battle power, even Trunks, who came from the future," Dr. Flappe explained.

"And, because of her ability to consume technology, not even other Androids, not even Super Androids can challenge her," Super Android 8 turned up and to his left, looking right at Tenshinhan, to say.

"But you've absorbed Android One-Eight, didn't you?" Tenshinhan wondered about what he saw Artificial Human No. 8 do back during his clash with the fearsome Android. "Even when he lacked a physical body and was just a floating artificial intelligence, you've still absorbed him and became a Super Android, didn't you?"

"The ability of Artificial Human No. 21 to assimilate technology and upgrade herself goes beyond that. It's true that she's able to absorb separate pieces of destroyed Androids like us and become a Super Android, but she's also able to assimilate any piece of technology, meaning any Android, no matter what state they are in. She could have become far stronger than she is now by simply assimilating all of her One Models, but she must have thought them to be more useful to her at the time acting separately," Super Android 8 explained.

"Artificial Human No. 8 doesn't think like you martial artists. She doesn't want or need more power, so she'd never just gobble down Artificial Humans unless she needs that power-up or to use a function that those Artificial Humans can perform. That's why it's so perilous that you see her as just another powerful enemy you must surpass and defeat. That is why you keep losing to her ambitions and strategies," Dr. Flappe wiped the sweat from his forehead. Even if Super Android 8's electromagnetic field and all the electrical sparkles didn't hurt him, it didn't mean they didn't bother him. Not to mention the internal qualms he had about this entire situation.

"You said you've been an ally of Dr. Puri's for the longest time. That you've worked alongside her even back when her husband was still alive. Someone like you must know a lot of crucial information about her plans and how she thinks. We should head to God's Temple, I'll raise my Ki to its limits, which the rest will see as an alarm to rush back and regroup. Together we can put a better plan together and finally defeat Android 21 for good!" Tenshinhan suggested with a confident look on his face.

"There may not be time for this. You're right, I've worked alongside Dr. Puri for decades. I've worked alongside her husband, Dr. Gero, back when we were co-workers when both of us have been youths about your age. Then, Dr. Gero joined with the Red Ribbons and, out of tremendous respect for him and the work we've been doing, I followed suit, despite my reservations about using my brilliant mind for a rogue military complex and their world domination goals," Dr. Flappe shook his head, going through belated regret that shadowed over his expression.