(West City)
Inside the enormous, dome-shaped building that was the home and headquarters of the largest and most powerful Research & Development conglomerate in the world, the president was hard at work trying to resolve her group's latest debacle. This took the form of the hulking, busted up armored suit lying on the operating table in front of her, with its limbs and joints plugged with wires and its chest piece cracked open, allowing the scientist full access to its contents. Adorned in her white lab coat, working jeans and blue halter top, Bulma Briefs narrowed her eyes on her computer screen as she tapped away at the keys, allowing the automated eyes to do all the routine work for her, while she analyzed the specs up close.
She wasn't alone in the room either. Standing together and watching her in the background, the people responsible for bringing the body in with them were all arranged into a group directly behind her station. This included Gohan, Piccolo, Videl, Erasa, and a newly arrived Vegeta, the latter of who had just finished a routine workout in the Gravity Room earlier that morning. Obviously having sensed the battle from a distance, the flame-haired man had prematurely retired from his training session to come see what all the fuss was about when the Z-fighters' ki signatures appeared in his wife's workplace.
Needless to say, he had been rather surprised when he found out the exact cause of the atmospheric disturbance.
Narrowing his eyes as he stared down at the burnt and busted up army mech lying on the operating table, he then looked across at his teammates to see that all of them had tidied themselves up as best as they could following the fight, and had slipped on three respective sets of brand new clothing.
This was especially noticeable for Gohan, who had previously been short one T-shirt and a pant leg, both of which had been incinerated during his fight. But now he was back in full casual gear and looking just as troubled as the rest of them.
It didn't help that he was still looking a little bit grungy and busted up from his battle.
"So this was the thing that was responsible for causing all that ridiculous power fluctuations I could feel several hundred kilometers away," Vegeta muttered in his usual, gruff tone, "This walking pile of scrap metal?"
Gohan shot a hard glance at the man, "Trust me, it was a lot more impressive back then compared to what it is now."
Blinking at the teen's response, the Saiyan Prince then looked behind him at the other operating table, where he could see the deceased pilot of the mech lying underneath a white sheet. After getting a good look at the now dead human, who was being examined by a separate computer, Vegeta frowned and, looking back at the group, directed his next question towards his rival's son.
"And you're saying that it was a human inside this suit that actually forced you into using Super Saiyan 3?" the royal asked, still sounding incredibly unconvinced.
"He didn't exactly have much of a choice, Vegeta," Piccolo spoke up, also glaring across at the Saiyan when he scowled in their direction.
"The suit was able to absorb both energy attacks and physical attacks, meaning that whenever we landed a hit on him, he would simply nullify the force behind our blows and gain strength from them," Videl continued, giving her own two cents on the matter. When Vegeta glanced in her general direction, Erasa, who had met the Saiyan on a couple of occasions, slinked behind her friend a little due to how intimidating the prince was coming off. "It didn't help that he was built like a damn tank either. He practically strolled through everything we threw at him."
Vegeta blinked and focused back on the metal frame strewn across the desk, "So he had a modified version of the old androids' abilities to absorb energy, huh? That sounds fun." His voice was almost literally dripping with sarcasm, indicating how unappealing he found this information.
Absorbing energy from your opponent was such a cheap way to gain strength to win a battle. However, despite how vile and despicable the concept was, the Z-fighter still had to tip his hat to the person who developed that idea, since taking power away from an enemy to use as your own had the potential to give members of a weaker, inferior race the ability to match blows with someone far above their class. This soldier in the armored exo-suit was no exception.
"How bad was it, exactly?" Vegeta asked, giving Gohan and Piccolo an inquisitive glance.
Knowing exactly what he was asking, the demi-Saiyan took a deep breath and shook his head in a dejected manner. "Let's just say if Videl hadn't stabbed him in the back when she did… I wouldn't be standing here talking to any of you right now."
That was pretty much all that needed to be said to get his message across to the full-blooded alien. Once that piece was spoken, all the people in gathered together in that group then turned their attention to the hostess, who was currently finishing up her diagnosis on the suit.
Swallowing nervously on the sidelines while standing alongside her best friends and their compatriots, Erasa looked up at Gohan and spoke in a soft voice. "How are you feeling, Gohan?"
Acknowledging the girl's question, the demi-Saiyan smiled back down at her and nodded. "I'm fine, Erasa. Don't worry about me." In truth, he was more worried about her and her condition, and he tried to make that stand out in the look he had reflected in his gaze.
"Are you sure?" the blonde asked, stepping closer and, after slowly raising her hand, placed it against his shoulder. "That prick didn't go easy on you out there. The two of you completely wrecked one another across half of Satan City."
The young male responded with a bright and radiant grin, one that had the blonde's heart skip a beat. "I'm alright. Though I may not look it the way I am now, covered in dirt and crap, my friends and I have taken a whole lot worse in the past. Trust me." He then bowed his head to her kindly. "But thanks a lot for asking."
His gratitude towards the teen's consideration earned a balk from Erasa and a blush, which then led to the girl looking away and locking her hands in front of her in embarrassment. It was a reaction that was easily noticed by Videl, as well as the ever vigilant and battle ready Vegeta. However, instead of saying anything on the matter, the Saiyan Prince merely threw a glance in the hybrid's general direction, before quickly returning his sights to the computers in front of him and to the woman that was running them.
The automated arms of the operating device ran over the entire suit, hitting it with beams of light that outlined its entire casing and burrowed deep into the heart of the armor. This incredibly meticulous and robotic routine continued on in the foreground, even when Bulma was done performing her tests and affirmed this by pulling away from the screen, breathing a heavy sigh as she watched the lines of data continue blazing away in the side window.
Sensing she was done, Gohan stepped forward with his hands on his hips and a firm expression in play. "Well? What's the scoop?"
Looking to see that every single person behind her was patiently waiting for an answer, the blue haired president of Capsule Corp crossed her arms and fixed her sights on the team of super-powered fighters. "I don't know what it is about your group and the rest of the universe, but you guys have a really interesting way of making new friends." She narrowed her eyes specifically on the strongest warriors there, coaxing looks of discomfort from each of his comrades. "And here I thought it was Goku that always attracted the unwanted attention. I stand corrected."
Her statement drew an indignant grunt from the Saiyan Prince. "Spare us the third degree, woman, and tell us what the hell this thing is and who sent it."
Frowning back at the man that was her husband, the blue haired company president huffed irritably while sticking her prominent chest out. "Hey, I may be one of the top five smartest people on the face of the planet, maybe even the smartest, but I'm no miracle worker… and I'm certainly no fortune teller." She then glanced back at the broken suit lying behind her and gave it an annoyed look as her computer continued its diagnosis, "Whoever designed this suit and put it on the guy lying on the gurney behind you, did a really good job making sure the software or any of the parts built to make the thing move couldn't be traced back to him."
Normally that would've been impossible. Just like the pieces of a car, which came straight out of the factory, the pieces could be tracked via the serial numbers and general craftsmanship. However, all of the bits and pieces of the suit were custom designed straight out of some random person's workshop. There was no groove, curve or cut that Bulma could identify, with absolutely no personal marks whatsoever. It was baffling.
Almost instantly, every single one of the Z-fighters standing in front of the woman frowned at this bit of news.
"I assume that that's a bad thing," Videl murmured, finding absolutely no joy or comfort from the scientist's statements.
"If by 'bad' you mean there's another mad scientist that's set his sights on the group and has put into motion some sort of evil plan for us, then yes. I'd say that's quite bad," Bulma replied with a firm nod of her head, turning to look at the group with her unshaken gaze. "The last time we dealt with someone that not only had the intellect, but also the means, skills, and the drive to create an artificial abomination capable of fighting and killing members of our team; Goku, Trunks, and a good portion of the earth's population ended up getting killed." She was of course referring to Doctor Gero and the spawn of his twisted genius. When she nodded over to the busted mech, the woman shook her head. "Whoever made this suit is no different from him."
Finding this news as troubling as every other flash item that they'd heard in the past, Piccolo narrowed his gaze further on the motionless robot before quickly shifting his gaze back to the woman tasked with examining it. "In other words… you weren't able to find out anything?"
His question put a smile on the scientist's face. "Even though I wasn't able to draw up a signature of the person who made this, I was still able to learn a great deal about the armor itself that I'm sure you guys will be interested to hear." Sliding back on her office chair, Bulma then dialed blindly into the touch pad she'd been working on and caused a hologram to jump up from the ceiling-built projector overhead.
A blue screen of light appeared before the team as the scientist began flicking through images likes slides on a power point presentation. The team of fighters was soon presented with two sets of blueprints, followed by a third that was obviously a layout of the mangled suit of armor. The woman then posted them side-by-side, and zoomed in on each of them, allowing the gathering of warriors and visitors to get a good bead of what they were looking at.
Bulma looked at the hologram as she began to speak. "The suit is of hybrid design, combining elements from both the Red Ribbon Army mechs and the recent double-digit android models, all of which were designed and constructed by the late Doctor Gero." She then pointed at what the group suspected to be the blueprints for Eighteen's brother, which was splayed out across the digital canvas. "Notice how the nervous system of Android 17 mimics the wiring in the suit and the distinct similarities between their key components. Both the suit and the androids employ the exact same science in their respective frame constructions, allowing them to perform unbelievable superhuman feats of strength and agility. However, instead of implanting these components inside a living, human body, the chassis has been modified and adapted into a highly versatile, multi-purpose combat armor, which negates the need for extensive surgery and the use of cybernetic implants. That makes this a far more all-around and deadly killing machine that can be worn by anyone."
Tilting her head at the floating blueprints, Erasa frowned, "It all sounds like one big headache to me." It was a remark that earned nods of agreement from both Piccolo and Videl.
"That's not even the half of it. Not only does the suit enhance the strength and speed of the user just like the wireframe models used in the androids, but it also masks the life-force of the person it's surrounding and utilizes an advanced weapon system very similar in range to Android 16's," Bulma informed, moving her hand over the basic elements of the suit and enlarging them on the big screen. When she looked back at the group, her eyes reflected both amazement and concern. "The rockets and projectiles are loaded with a red mercury compound that creates an explosion similar in power to your energy blasts, which it can also fire from its hands, chest and feet. In addition to that, it's outfitted with an active camouflage system, allowing it to turn invisible at a moment's notice, as well as beam weapons capable of cutting through the densest materials, and jet pods that can be used for sudden bursts of speed and sustained flight."
Gohan chuckled in surprise and took another look at the battered mech. "That's a lot of high tech gear crammed into a single suit of metal. What the heck was powering all of that stuff?"
This question drew a smile from the woman. "That's actually the most interesting part. After analyzing the remains of the shattered core, I discovered traces of Struve particles along the surface of the heat shield, a substance that can only be found on planets orbiting new stars. By using the matter as a fuel target in the form of a concentrated pellet, the person was able to create a miniature fusion reactor that could generate an energy mass equivalent to a celestial body." She then pulled up a diagram of said power-core on screen, allowing the Z-fighters to see exactly what they were dealing with. "Judging from the elemental composition of the resulting radioactive dust, the energy source that was powering the suit was most likely a neutron star. The same core designed to maintain the solar sphere was also built to take in external energy and add it to its center, allowing it to increase its output and lifespan, which also explains why it was able to drain so much energy from you."
This news brought a smirk to Vegeta's face. "Hmph. Apparently it could only handle so much power before it eventually decided to pop like a water balloon." He then glanced across at Gohan, who also looked in the prince's direction. "I guess this will teach him never to underestimate a Super Saiyan."
While the two warriors interacted, Videl regarded the suit's power source with momentary suspicion. A few seconds later, she then looked across at the one spearheading their current lecture and issued her next question, "You said the material needed to power the suit came from a different planet, right? Well… how in the heck did the person who made this manage to get their hands on stuff that came from millions of light years away?"
A smile formed on Bulma's face, "That part's actually quite simple to explain. You see, the only reason we have Struve particles in our Solar System is due to the amount of space debris that drifts in from other galaxies. The meteorites that crash land on our planet sometimes come from other systems, and can carry all sorts of surprises with them, most notably rare and valuable elements." She then shrugged in their direction. "Modestly speaking, my father and I are two of the most gifted technicians on the continent. But since Struve particles are one of the rarest elements in the world, there's no way in hell I'll be able to replicate whatever technology went into making this without it."
"So in other words, whoever sent this guy after us knew it was going to be a one-shot deal, even if he failed?" Gohan asked with a gradually deepening frown, "That was a pretty big risk for such an outrageous play."
"A big risk that ultimately led to his defeat," Piccolo stated, his own expression set into a cold one as he watched Bulma scroll through an even longer batch of information. He then grunted and looked down at his students, seeing both the demi-Saiyan and Videl looking up at him. "Regardless of the outcome, this suit of armor was still unbelievably strong. I'm actually surprised it managed to take as much punishment as it did without breaking into a thousand pieces, especially when it was taking hits from a Super Saiyan of Gohan's level."
"That's because the person who made the armor infused the casing with the exact same metal used to make the androids and the surface of the gravity room," the blue haired scientist informed, allowing another schematic to pop up onto the hologram, showing the group the compounds in question. She then directed their attention towards a collection of loosely connected grey molecules. "This is a sample of the metal used in Android 16's original chassis. The alloy composing the frame underneath his artificial skin is made out of ten percent adamantine, the hardest and most versatile substance on the planet." She then pointed towards the image next to that one, which also consisted of molecules, only there were far more of them, with several of them stuck together. "And this is a sample of the metal used in the suit, showing an adamantine percentage of roughly twenty five percent. Even a slight difference in the quantity of adamantine used can have a dramatic affect on even the smallest plate of metal."
Her announcement earned a slight grimace from Gohan, who then proceeded to massage his knuckles from the sudden rush of phantom pains he received. "No wonder it felt like I was batting around a block of iron. That thing was literally built like a tank."
"Since adamantine is difficult to mold at high quantities due to the viscous nature of its raw state, it's normally combined with common alloys to enhance their strength and durability. It also allows for a reduction in material weight, making it ideal for military vehicles and prosthetics," Bulma said, typing away at her pad and shutting off the hologram. She then proceeded to analyze the formulas her computer was now bringing up for her, at the same time the Z-fighters waited patiently behind her. "I'm actually finding out quite a bit of fascinating things looking at the spectrographs of this suit. Perhaps I can borrow some of the design elements used in its construction and build one or two of my own."
The Saiyan Prince looked at his wife oddly, while the rest of the troop appeared somewhat surprised. "You're not serious, are you?"
"Oh, I'm dead serious," Bulma exclaimed as an eager grin formed on her face and her eyes darted over the blueprints of her handheld device. "It's been forever since I've come across an idea for a project this exciting. I mean, sure, building robots to assist in manual labor and human services is one thing, but piloting a suit of armor that can give me super-strength? That's friggin' awesome!" She then turned around and winked at the group, causing a nervous shiver to run through Gohan, Piccolo and Vegeta. "If I play this out right and use my time wisely, maybe I'll be able to make a mech strong enough to punt your sorry butts around the planet."
Gohan emitted a nervous chuckle and placed his hands on his hips, "Now there's a scary thought."
Videl also smiled uneasily, "No kidding." The world's most famous scientist kicking bad-guy ass in a mech? The idea was almost unheard of.
Almost…
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