Humanity (Trunks x OC)

Part 2

18 steps back as the two Saiyans drop into a defensive position. 21's eyes seem to bore right through them as a long silence ensues and tension rises. She feels confused, unsure if she should listen to the command 17 gave her. Why should she attack them? She'd like to know.

"Any day now 21." 17 urges impatiently.

It is then that everything seems to go into overdrive. The moment 21 so much as twitches, wanting an answer to her questions, Gohan seems to react almost automatically. Before she knows it, she's sprawled out on the ground.

Her hands shoot out to stop him from landing more punches, locking his wrists in her steel grip before pushing him away from herself slowly. She sets them both on their feet, looking her assailant in the eye. "That wasn't very nice." she hisses.

"It wasn't supposed to be." Gohan counters before firing a blast right in her face.

In her surprise, she releases him, making him able to put some distance between them. As the dust clears, 21 is revealed to be slightly dirty and disheveled, but otherwise she's in perfect working order. Her expression doesn't forecast anything well.

"Now you've made her mad. For someone who survived this long, you're not very smart." 17 mocks Gohan.

"Ha!" 21 shouts, jumping after Gohan and ensuing a rapid sparring match. Their limbs move so quickly, an ordinary human would have no chance of following their movements.

21 keeps it up until Gohan's energy seems to waver for one moment, giving her the chance to lash out and hit him into a building. Sending a blast after him, she makes the building collapse around him.

"Gohan!" Trunks shouts after his friend in worry.

17 and 18 look on, pleased. "Glad I woke her up yet?" 18 questions her brother with satisfaction lining her voice.

"I'm getting there." he muses, smirking. "Seems she has use after all."

21 blinks curiously as Gohan's energy signal seems to rise exponentially all of a sudden before he comes darting out of the ruins glowing a bright golden. His hair and eyes seem to have changed, making 21 wonder about it. However, she has little time to do so as he's on her again quickly. Blasting her unrelentingly.

When he stops, he is breathing heavily. He has no time to catch his breath however as 21 once again emerges from the dust. Having blocked most of the blasts, she is in a decent condition still and not tired at all. Her energy is limitless as per her design.

"I do not enjoy being treated in such a way. I am uncertain as to your motives, but if you insist on acting like this, than I will pay it back to you tenfold. Be ready, because I will no longer hold back on you!" 21 shouts before seemingly disappearing and reappearing before the fighter in front of her.

She kicks him in the side, knees him in the gut and slams her elbow into his back before anyone can blink, sending her opponent towards the ground, making him slam into the dirt.

She does not stop there however and gathers energy in her palms before sending it after him. She can see his eyes widen in alarm and fear before he disappears in a cloud of dust.

"No! Gohan!" Trunks shouts from the sidelines before powering up and darting towards the one who is hurting his dear friend. He does not get far however as 18 appears beside him, slamming into him and right into the waiting arms of 17, who keeps him locked in his grip.

"No meddling kid. You should just watch and enjoy the show." he chuckles in the boy's ear, making him struggle, but it is fruitless.

21 lowers herself to Gohan, seeing he has returned to the same form as he was before the power-up. She grips him by his collar, pulling him up to meet him face to face.

"Go ahead 21. Finish him off." 18 chuckled in delight.

"Noooo! Don't kill him! Gohan!" Trunks screams, struggling harder, making 21 glance up at her opponent's friend, seeing the sheer panic in his eyes.

Turning back toward the young man in her grip, she looks at him as he looks at her through half-lidded eyes, panting hard, groaning in pain. Her anger has started to subside, making her realize the position she is in. She takes a moment to reflect.

She isn't sorry about punishing him for the way he has acted towards her. He shouldn't have attacked her. But 18 is asking her to kill him. Should she? Somehow...that doesn't feel right. Like it will be taking things too far. She's not a killing machine, is she? She's only defended herself.

Glancing one more time towards Trunks, his face stricken in the onset of grief, she tells Gohan; "Please refrain from attacking me again. I cannot guarantee my control next time." she warns him before dropping him like a sack of potatoes.

She turns away from him. "I'm done here." she announces before blasting off.

In his shock, 17 had let go of Trunks, who doesn't waste the opportunity to come to his master's aid. "What the hell?" 17 mumbles, stunned by the other android's actions.

"21! Come back here!" 18 calls out irritated before following after her. 17 sneers at the two survivors before making his departure as well, leaving the two to gather themselves to fight another day.

..............

"Why didn't you kill him as I asked?!" 18 yells at the other female android after finally catching up to her. 21 flew to a place that caught her eye, standing before a large lake that catches the sunlight as it sets beyond the horizon.

"What is the point?" she retorts to the other android stoically.

"What do you mean, what's the point?" 18 huffs indignantly in reply.

"For what reason should I have killed him? I fail to understand the reasoning behind the action." 21 clarifies, making 18 lift a brow. 17 touches down near them, quietly observing the argument.

"Because their weaklings, that's why. Pesky flies that get in our way." 18 counters.

"If they are no danger to us, then I fail to see why I should bother. If they prove to be a threat, I will defend myself, but as of yet, they are none." 21 explains blankly.

18 opens her mouth to continue, but 17 stops her. "Don't bother 18. It seems our new companion has little know-how on being a true android. Perhaps there is just too much humanity in her left." he muses.

"Hmph. The doctor seems to have done a poor job. Perhaps you were right all along 17. Should we take our pet to the vet and let her sleep in quietly?" she wonders bitterly.

17 shrugs. "Perhaps, but that would be a bit of a waste won't it? I see potential. It would be better to put it to good use." he suggest, making 18 look at him curiously.

"You've lost me."

"Look at it this way: The Saiyans aren't much of a challenge, but we know they have potential to grow stronger. It would be fun to wait a little longer until they actually become a challenge. Killing them then would be more gratifying and I'm sure that if they are up to 21's standards, we can count on her cooperation. Can't we, 21?" he questions with a relaxed smile.

"And should she not..." he continues, catching 21's eye as she watches him from the corner of her eyes. "We will slam that passiveness out of her until she's nothing more than some bolts an rivets."