Hearing a loud clank behind him, Gohan looked over his shoulder to see his opponent had landed on the other side of the plaza, dropped into a fighting stance. Spinning to face him, the Z-fighter suddenly saw the robot take aim at him with his fist a third time before, without warning, the pilot launched it at him at blinding speed.
Gohan, responding in alarm, ducked under the fist and watched it slam into the building behind him, demolishing it in spectacular fashion. The instant he avoided it, the Super Saiyan 2 powered up and, his aura exploding around him like wild fire, launched himself towards his quarry at full speed. Bathed in gold, the demi-Saiyan cocked his fist back and prepared to drive it straight through his target's chest while he was still assumed in a firing position.
"Let's see you block this!" Gohan roared, watching as rocket pods opened up on his target's shoulders, limbs, sides and chest, before launching another hail of high explosive projectiles in his direction. Plowing through the missiles effortlessly so that they either missed or detonated harmlessly against his aura, the young Z-warrior barreled towards the intimidating mech. Then, with a bellow of rage and effort, he threw a punch straight into the armored suit's chassis, intending to rip straight through it.
However, just as he was making his final approach, Gohan suddenly saw his opponent's form shimmer before, in a flicker of blue electricity, the mechanized suit vanished into thin air. The sight of his target turning invisible had the demi-Saiyan's eyes widen the moment he let his attack fly, only to hit nothing when he passed the very spot Vulcan had been standing. The miss caused Gohan to throw himself into a forward flip and slam his feet into the ground, slide to a stop and spin around. His aura still active, the teen glared in the direction his foe had previously been positioned before beginning to look around for any sign of him.
For the next couple of seconds Gohan attempted to track down his now invisible foe. But thanks to the suit's ability to completely mask its pilot's ki and presence, the demi-Saiyan couldn't find even a single sliver of it. However, this all changed moments later when, picking up a faint whirring sound on the breeze, the defensive hybrid suddenly felt the equivalent of a train being plowed across his face as his head was smacked painfully to the side. This punch was then promptly followed by a barrage of other punches flying in from all directions, an assault that literally had the teen's body lifted off the floor and knocked around through the air like a ball on a string. His invisible opponent took full advantage of the young man's confusion to assault his target and mercilessly beat the stuffing out of him at his own leisure.
After a couple of seconds of attacking the Saiyan, the phantom brawler's body reformed out of thin air and, with his free hand cocked back, slammed it into the teen's stomach and sent him flying through the plaza statue. Gohan bounced across the quad along with the remains of the monument for several dozen yards, managing to land on his feet and, taking aim, charged towards the mech at full speed. Aura blazing around him, the Saiyan slammed an elbow across his target's face in a running blow, a loud clang ringing out as he blew past the unit and knocked him backwards. Immediately after which Gohan then leapt after him a second time and landed two more blows across the pilot's face. He then kicked Vulcan in the temple area and attempted to nail him with a hook, only for the armored warrior to duck it and land a swift body shot in his side instead.
The blow slammed into Gohan's waist, dispelled his aura and crumpled the Super Saiyan to the ground, allowing Vulcan to grab him by the head and throw him into the floor a few yards away, punching a crater into the damaged tiles with an earthshaking tremor. While the boy was down, the mech marched over to him, simultaneously holding his stump of an arm out and retracting the missing fist he'd fired earlier from the rubble of the downed building. As soon as the gauntlet reattached to its limb and locked up, the mech loaded his arm and threw it down at his target.
On his hands and knees, Gohan spun around and fired another shockwave at the soldier, which slammed into Vulcan's chassis like a cannon shot. When he stumbled, it allowed the Ascended Saiyan to leap to his feet and drive a right cross into the soldier's face. A thunderclap rang out from the hit, which the Z-fighter prepared to follow with a left hook, only for the mech pilot to catch his arm with his massive hand and begin twisting his arm into submission.
Gohan, attempting to resist, heard his bones and muscles creak as his limb was twisted into an uncomfortable position, bringing him to his knees. The Super Saiyan 2 then growled and powered up, golden flames and blue electricity shooting up around him in an attempt to muscle his way out of the hold. But just when it seemed like he was about to break free, he suddenly saw his aura start to get sucked into his opponent's arm and felt his energy begin to leave his body at an alarming rate.
The nodes and channels all over its armor starting to glow a bright gold, the large mech's eyes flared up as it continued forcing his foe towards the ground. At the same time, the pilot looked on with growing satisfaction as an expression of utter bewilderment and disbelief formed across his victim's face.
Hair reverting back to its original state as his Super Saiyan form dissipated, the now base form Gohan gasped as he continued to watch his aura flood into his opponent's suit like water down a drain and his strength gradually leave him. "W-What the hell?"
Having observed the entire fight from the safety of her fixture, Erasa, who initially believed her classmate was going to win the fight, was now looking on in fear as her friend was slowly brought to heel under his powerful enemy's grip. When she saw his golden form fade and his legs crumple under the weight of fatigue and exhaustion, her eyes widened in panic. "Oh no."
Vulcan, watching the numbers in his helmet skyrocket, gave a robotic chuckle as he continued to feel the boy's energy course into his suit and leaned in closer when his adversary dropped to both his knees. "Remarkable isn't it? The incredible feats we humans are capable of achieving with today's technology." Hearing his opponent groan brought a wider grin to the soldier's lips. "All this time you thought you've been fighting smart and trying to break through my armor. But what you didn't realize was that with every blow you managed to land against me, I've been subtly siphoning off of your energy and steadily growing in strength."
Looking up in disbelief, the demi-Saiyan gasped in disbelief, "What?"
So that's why his attacks felt like they were slacking. The force behind them was being dissipated by the man's suit!
A sinister look flickered across the mech's visor. "This armor was designed with the ability to absorb energy, including the kinetic energy of punches, to augment the strength of the user. It doesn't matter how strong or how precise the blow is, whether it's a flick from a finger or a thermonuclear explosion at point blank range, the suit will simply nullify its force via the anti-vector field coating the surface and absorb the energy into its neutron core. That means the harder you fight against me, the stronger I get. Sure, it's expensive as hell and the technology is impossible to replicate, but as long as it gets the job done, I say it's worth every zeni." He then brought his fist up and began to load it, seeing his steadily weakening enemy glare up at him in anger. The look on his face drew a grunt and a menacing leer from the pilot. "Don't pass out on me just yet. We're just getting started. I know this isn't all you've got. Get mad. Show me what you can really do… Gold Fighter."
Gohan, gritting his teeth, caused his eyes to momentarily flicker turquoise. "You really don't want to do that."
This statement drew a laugh from the armored man. "Oh, I'm pretty sure I really do. Come on. Let's see that full power of yours."
The metal in his arm creaking as he drew it back like an arrow in a bow, Vulcan prepared to bury it into his stubborn enemy's face. But then, just as he was about to fire off his attack, Erasa, sneaking up behind the hulking suit of armor, pulled back the metal pole she was holding and slammed it over the back of the mech's head. The blow impacted against the soldier's helmet with a loud and hilarious 'clang' reminiscent of a bell being rung, which had the soldier stand there in nerve rattling silence before turning to look behind him.
When the suit's eyes fell upon her, the girl stood in place, staring back awkwardly at the robot as it glared at her. Realizing a few moments later what she'd done, Erasa frowned and took another stance, holding the frame of the window she'd picked up like a bat.
"You wanna fight? Bring it on, tin man!" the blonde shouted, narrowing her gaze upon the intimidating machine.
Gaze hardening, the robot turned to her, brought his free arm up, and pointed it at her like a gun. When Erasa saw an RPG pop out of the gauntlet, her eyes widened and she froze up.
But just before it could launch its rocket at its new target, a shadow suddenly fell over the mech before Vulcan was unexpectedly struck across the face by a kick. The impact of the blow forcing him to release Gohan from his hold, he was then sent flying across the plaza, sliding to a stop some yards later and looking back to see that his attacker was none other than Videl Satan. He raven haired defender of the city landed in front of her kneeling boyfriend and stood at her friend's defense.
Blinking in surprise, the pilot then prepared to focus his attention on the strong newcomer, until a second figure dropped down in front of him and began nailing him across the face with a blur of punches. Deafening clangs ringing out, the mech staggered backwards through the ruined plaza as Piccolo, cape and turban long gone, drove his strongest blows into the soldier as fast as he could. His surprise attack stunned the pilot momentarily, forcing the mechanized enemy into a retreat as he bore down on him with the fury of a Namekian warrior.
Yelling out as he plowed a kick into the mech's stomach, sending the hulking block of metal skidding along the floor, Piccolo then looked back at the others with a glare filled with intensity and desperation. "I'll hold him off! Help him!" He then went at the armored soldier a second time, grabbing the machine man by the shoulders and pushing him back across the quad, straight into a shopping mall and into a wall.
Nodding after she watched the green fighter cave in the complex in a shower of rubble and debris, the girl reached into her pocket and, yanking out a Senzu bean, tossed it over to her boyfriend. "Here!" When the demi-Saiyan caught it, he wasted no time tossing the herb into his mouth and biting down. "Go Super Saiyan 3 and finish this sucker. Don't worry about any damages you make to the city. They can be fixed."
Considering how dangerous their situation was becoming, the demi-Saiyan didn't have any reason to argue. His opponent was just too strong for him to show any restraint and he acknowledged this with a firm and understanding nod. "Right." He then looked across at Erasa to see if the girl was alright.
When his eyes fell upon her, the blonde dropped the pole she was holding and brought her hands to her chest. Blue eyes meeting his, she smiled encouragingly his way and nodded. "Go get him."
Acknowledging her words with a grin, the spiky haired teen then used a quick Kiai to break the rope around her wrists, looked ahead of him, and allowed the Senzu bean he just ate to take effect.
As Gohan continued his speedy recovery, over on Piccolo's end, the Namekian's assault on the mech had come to a screaming halt. After burying body blow after body blow into the armor with murderous precision in an attempt to cripple it in some way, the green fighter was suddenly punched across the face by the armored suit, picked up by the waist, and thrown to the ground like a bag of rocks. When he struck the floor and punched a substantially large crater into the cement, Vulcan then lifted his right foot and prepared to stomp him into the ground. But the Z-fighter, not willing to give up yet, rolled out of the way and leapt to his feet. He then launched himself at the mech a third time, only to see the robot lift its arm up and fire a red blast from his fingertips, which struck the Namekian in the chest and sent the man barreling across the plaza.
Piccolo then collided with a nearby center, flying straight through the window and several stores inside it before eventually crash landing in the clothing department.
Taking aim at the building with the same hand, the pilot of the mech prepared to disintegrate the structure along with his opponent as a red sphere of energy formed in front of his palm. However, just moments before he was fully charged, Videl suddenly teleported in front of him and kicked his arm skywards, causing him to misfire and send the ball of light hurtling into the atmosphere. The attack detonated with the force of a nuke safely above the city, yet still managed to shake the countryside with the explosion it generated.
After redirecting his blast, the raven haired girl drove a punch into the mech's side, hitting it with a loud 'clang' but failing to damage it. She then ducked a swing from one of its massive arms before hiking off of his forward leg and running up the robot's chest. She then used its face as a springboard and, after slamming a foot into its mask, back flipped away. As soon as she landed safely a few feet in front of the hulking metal suit, she then brought both hands up for a Kiai, only for the mech to thrust its hand forward and unleash a torrent of red lightning at her. The blast of electricity sent the girl flying back to the floor, where the bolts of energy proceeded to fry her.
Screaming out at the top of her lungs as electricity coursed through her entire body, all Videl could do was writhe and flail uselessly as the mech advanced upon her.
Vulcan chuckled as he continued bombarding Satan City's poster girl with red lightning. "Want some more?" He then brought his other hand forward and took aim.
But then, just before he could fire a second stream of lightning at the girl, he suddenly heard a sonic boom ahead of him before something fast and powerful slammed into his chest, knocking him into one of the still standing shopping complexes and pushing him straight through its many walls. Barrier after barrier was blown apart as the metal soldier was plowed through the structure at terrifying speed, where he eventually exploded out the other end and onto the main highway. As soon as he was clear of the building, the mech was promptly kicked down the street and sent bouncing across the road, before coming to a grinding stop on his hands and knees.
The people on the street who saw the explosion and the one responsible for it tumble onto the highway, destroying several parked cars in the process, panicked and ran for it. Once again, only those bold enough and curious enough chose to stay, wanting to watch the conflict that was now starting up in the middle of their fair city.
Rising to his feet and shaking his head, the slightly stunned Vulcan looked up to see his previous opponent Gohan standing at the other end assumed in his Ascended Saiyan form. His body bathed in a golden glow with bolts of blue electricity running up and down his frame, he looked as awe striking and fresh as the minute he started out in this fight.
Nevertheless, the sight of the ethereal-looking Saiyan drew a dark chuckle from the mercenary as he rose up to full height once more. "Seriously? This again? Don't you realize that no matter how hard you try, you're never going to be able to beat me?"
Scowling unpleasantly, the now well and truly infuriated young man spat venomously at his opponent. "We'll see." Then, clenching his fists tightly, the boy focused his energy and, with a bellow of rage and a flash of blinding light, his aura exploded off of him like wildfire and his short, blonde spiky hair grew down to his waist. At the same time, his eyebrows vanished into his forehead and his form bulked up, showcasing a considerable increase in power. Energy skyrocketing as a result, the conclusion to his transformation was marked by a flash of lightning and a shockwave that punched a massive crater into the road beneath him, startling the observing civilians and cracking the nearby structures. The hurricane wind also generated by the boy's power up damn near knocked all the people and the surrounding buildings over.
Shielding himself from the blazing gale and looking back at his opponent to witness his drastic transformation, Vulcan narrowed his eyes when the numbers on his visor went through the roof. A smirk then slowly pulled across his lips when the readings stabilized. "So… this is the power you've been hiding from me? I'm not impressed." When he saw the Super Saiyan 3's frown deepen, the robotic man raised his head and sneered. "Although… now that I think about it, your hair would look pretty good sitting on the wall next to all my old army relics. Perhaps once I kill you and take your body back to my boss for study, I think I'll bring your head home with me as a trophy. Your friends' heads too."
It was a split second later that Vulcan soon realized that that probably wasn't the best thing for him to say.
Before the soldier could even blink, Gohan eyes widened into an expression of pure rage and, with enough force that he literally caused the space and matter around him to distort through a visible ripple, fired a full-body shockwave at the armored warrior. The attack slammed into Vulcan's frame with such power it split the earth around him and knocked him stumbling away like he just tripped over something. The instant he was thrown off balance, the glowing warrior dashed over to a nearby range rover, picked it up by the front bumper, and hurled it at the mech with the speed of a meteorite. Vulcan barely had enough time to throw his hands forward and catch it before it rammed into him like a locomotive, causing him to skid back a few feet.
At first he thought he'd blocked the attack. But the instant his hands stopped the vehicle, Gohan's fist suddenly crashed through the car and slammed into Vulcan's face, sending him hurtling down the road along with the remains of the four-wheel drive as it was practically disintegrated by the punch. The mech bounced several times before eventually throwing its feet back and digging them into the tarmac, forcing its pilot to a stop. However, the instant his momentum ceased, the soldier saw his opponent come blazing towards him in the form of a golden comet, which crashed into his chest, lifted him off the ground, and sent him flying down the main road.
Traveling faster than light, Gohan grabbed his opponent by the visor and, with a roar of effort, slammed the back of his head into the road and began to drag him through the cement. The pair tore a trench down Fifth Avenue like a bolt of lightning, sending rubble, debris and parked cars flying in all directions. Eventually, after feeling his skull rattle against the inside of his helmet for a solid few seconds, Vulcan then kicked his opponent in the stomach and sent him flipping through the air, ceasing his own momentum and allowing him to coast to a gentle stop. The demi-Saiyan meanwhile, his aura dissipating, spun through the air and landed against the side of a nearby skyscraper, which he crouched down upon and glared towards his grounded adversary.
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