Reprogrammed

Taking Control

Lowering his hand, Trunks nodded in satisfaction. "And that ends that."

18 breathed a sigh of relief. "You know, you actually had me worried there for a minute."

Trunks smiled and gave her a thumbs up. "Hey, come on. You didn't think that bucket of bolts could get the best of me, did you?"

18 cut her eyes at him. "Maybe when he revealed that ability to repair himself." She looked down at some of Cooler's remains, kicking them away. "Though that ability is quite useful. Do you think your mother could design a program like that for me?"

Powering down, Trunks laughed nervously. "I doubt it. He was all machine. You still have organic qualities. I don't think-"

A blast of energy hit him from behind. Stunned, Trunks doubled over before falling flat on his face. 18 was at his side in an instant, helping him up.

"You ok?" she asked.

Wincing in pain, Trunks forced himself to stand up. "Yeah, I think so. But who hit me?"

He turned around and received a shock, as did 18. Standing several feet away was none other than Cooler, completely intact. He was smiling at them with that cocky look on his face.

"It can't be." Trunks muttered. He looked down at the broken pieces of the Cooler he had destroyed before looking back at this new Cooler. "It's not possibly."

Cooler laughed. "But it is. This battle is far from over. And when it finally does end, it will be with your death."

Trunks powered up again. "We'll see about that!"

He flew at Cooler, and the two began fighting again. 18 remained on the ground, staring up at Cooler in disbelief, unable to figure out how he was still alive. But as she watched, something shiny caught her eye. There was a figure standing on the Big Gete Star. It appeared to be a person, but they were clearly made of metal. And whoever they were, they were aiming at either Trunks or Cooler, and she the feeling that it wasn't Cooler.

"Oh, no you don't!" she cried.

She raised her hand, preparing to fire a blast of energy, but a pair of metal hands grabbed her arm, pulling it back, before two more seized her other hand.

"Don't interfere."

Recognizing the voice, 18 looked over her shoulder. Cooler was one of the people holding her back. And the other person was Cooler as well. There were two Coolers. No, including the one Trunks was fighting, that made three. And she had a feeling that the shiny person standing on the Big Gete Star was a Cooler was well.

"Trunks, behind you!" she shouted.

The Cooler standing on the Big Gete Star fired. Having heard 18's cry, Trunks noticed the attack and dodged it. Being up high, he got a better look at the person, his eyes confirming what 18 had suspected.

"What?" he gasped. "Another Cooler?" He looked down at 18, seeing two more Coolers holding her. "Two more?"

The Cooler he was fighting chuckled. "Are you surprised? I told you that the Big Gete Star constantly monitors my body and corrects any flaws in my design." His grin widened. "Even if that flaw is that I have only one body."

Trunks looked at him in horror. "What? You mean you can have more than one body?"

The alien sneered at him. "If you like that, you're going to love this."

He nodded towards the Big Gete Star. Trunks looked and couldn't believe his eyes. Coolers, there were Coolers everywhere. It was an entire army of mechanical clones, all itching for a fight.