No Surrender (Artery Gear Fusion / Dragon Ball Super)

[Stimpak Medic]

Prologue: New World, Old Android

"The Frontier is always hiring".

I've heard that slogan more times than I'd like to remember, and I haven't been on this world for more than a year at most. The thing is, it's not the jingo or some patriotic call to action you might imagine. It's the reminder of the reality this world finds itself in. We face a foe that is relentless, and even with my power, I doubt we can end this war so soon.

Our enemy is The Puppets. Don't let the name fool you. These are not cloth dolls, or wooden mannequins. These are an alien species resembling mannequins of pure white metallic substance that assimilates and destroys everything in it's path with strange abilities that alter the very reality around them, and the very atoms that make up anything they touch, puppetizing it and adding it to their army. I don't know how many worlds they have conquered before this one, but Earth can't be their first. Of that I am sure.

If I were to take drastic action, there would be no life at the end of this war. Our enemy is not just one strong being, or even an army of them. They are in the tens of millions, and multiply faster than even I can comprehend. They appear and disappear like a ghost, leaving behind only bits and pieces of the armies that destroy and corrupt.

They're not dangerous to me much, but I'm not their main target. Humanity is, and I can't be everywhere at once.

With every person I save, every child I defend, a city falls elsewhere on the planet.

When I sleep at night, there's a war still raging, and I can do nothing but let it happen. I've tried learning to sense energy, but it's almost impossible for me. Maybe in the future I will find a way, but for now I can do none of the sort. I live my life in the Frontier, and save who I can, when I can.

Now, I can hear you asking me "What is The Frontier?", Well, Let me explain.

First you need to know about this Earth and it's history. It's far different than the one I come from.

This Earth is split between two Nations. The Frontier, and Autoluna.

The Frontier is an Anti-Puppet Alliance formed by the nations of the ground after the puppet war broke out. It only existed in name at first, since few nations acknowledged each other at first, but once the Puppets destroyed over sixty percent of the world's land, finally the world leaders were forced to work together as to defend the human race from this threat.

The Puppets were too strong as a force for Humanity to deal with alone.

Their jets were ripped apart in the sky. Their ships blown apart at sea. Guns were equally inefficient and worthless. Puppets are faster than bullets and shells. No amount of infantry would matter.

So what did the nations do?

They traded off lands in order to frantically develop weaponry capable of killing puppets.

It took several years, but Anti-Puppet weaponry became a thing. Guns capable of disrupting their molecular structure and stopping their regeneration were developed. And soon those weapons were deployed with robotic soldiers and vehicles. Now, Humanity holds the puppets at a standstill, while slowly recovering in numbers. However, this isn't a pretty story, not by a long shot.

Just as Humanity has developed technology of fighting puppets, the puppets have begun advancing their own beings, making such weapons less effective, and in turn, Humanity has created super soldiers capable of going toe to toe with even the strongest of puppets: Artery Gears.

With most of the men on the planet lost in the war, Women have taken up the call in their honor. Those who were once housewives, office workers, and teachers have taken up the call just as the brave men did before them, and the lucky few have survived the process of the technology, becoming Artery Gears.

However, just as The Frontier has advanced, so has the last safe haven of Humanity.

Autoluna.

As for Autoluna, It was a space colony used by the United Nations. A prototype of the soon to be created Frontier.

As country after country fell to the puppets, Autoluna gave haven to the best and brightest of the remaining humanity below. And well, in the face of the puppets, a safe haven with seemingly unlimited resources was too much to turn down. So, what was once a small space colony grew both in size and in technology having taken many nations best and brightest.

In short, it became the functional opposite of The Frontier.

While The Frontier is at constant war with the puppets, and it's citizens face large scale puppet attacks daily, and many of it's citizens are poor and in abject misery, Autoluna operates on a Nobility system, and resources and food are plentiful. I've heard from some sources that Autoluna is capable of creating matter from nothing, and that is how they keep their populace rich and well fed.

I've also heard that anyone who doesn't fulfil their roles and jobs in Autoluna is cast out, and sent down to the Frontier. Noble or not.

It's strange. I haven't been up there to check it out, as I'm not exactly a big fan of the whole caste system or whatever they have going up there, but I'd be lying if I didn't say I want to see how things worked up there.

Anyways, Autoluna declared itself an Autonomous nation, and the immigration process, if you can call it one, is strict. Anyone who wants to go up there has to be pre screened by their Queen, and have something they can offer Autoluna that it doesn't already have. Needless to say, that's not many people anymore these days.

But me. I'm sure I have more than enough to offer that lady who sits up on her throne playing God.

Regardless of what I've just said, I wouldn't turn down an offer from Autoluna, but I only work as a mechanic in Azure City, and I protect the people of this city. That's enough for me for now.

Eventually I'll make it home and see my family again. Gods above know that I miss my wife and kids. Still, I have things to do, and I can't keep being stubborn about this.

Who knows, maybe the Queen of Autoluna can help me get back home?

Whatever happens to me, I hope my family is okay and my kids don't get into trouble while I'm gone.

Don't you worry kids, Your dad is coming back one way or the other.

 

[ArsMagna1337]

Artery Gear Fusion

Click to shrink...

Watched immediately. Sad that the servers shut down.

 

[Stimpak Medic]

Watched immediately. Sad that the servers shut down.

Click to shrink...

Thanks for the watch! It sucks the game shut down since it had some really fun lore that just went unfinished when it shut down. I'm going to try to put everything to gather that I can as to not butcher this fic too much. I hope you stick around.

 

[Stimpak Medic]

Chapter One: I See You

Azure City was quite large for a post puppet war city, boasting a 800 square mile rectangular shape and size, with a well founded defensive force, including dozens of Artery Gear squadrons, and defensive fortifications that could hold off a land assault from puppets for many days on end. However, puppet assaults were never so simple. They appeared as if materialized from nowhere before causing mass casualties.

Still, Azure City was much safer than the outlying cities and outposts. Those were death traps for anyone sent to do their duties there, which were mostly criminals sent there with promises of lowering their sentences should they serve time there. Only the most desperate took those jobs. And very few returned from their second tour of duty.

Now Azure City itself was a city of pure efficiency in design, with almost no aestheticism of the earlier ages in their buildings. They were thick metal buildings of steel and titanium, with very few windows that weren't reinforced with glass and metal that could withstand rockets, and even minor attacks from Artery Gears. This wasn't only due to puppets. Not by a long shot.

There were various factions at war. Some terrorists, and others corporations that would be more than willing to stage attacks on each other, innocents nearby or not. Several dozen Artery Gears had fallen to these bitter conflicts, and even the strongest of them would be wary entering certain districts in the labyrinthine city of dark metal and neon signs.

In one of these buildings of dark metal, lived Android 17. It was a short flat square building of three floors, in which the whole first two floors had been renovated into a machine shop. The whole front wall of the shop had been blasted out, and replaced by large sliding metal grate doors that would open to reveal the large open machine shop. There were all sorts of tools and hangars for various vehicle.

From end to end, the first floor could hold a dozen vans side by side with ample room to work on each of them all at once. Of course, Android 17 wouldn't just employ any old man or woman who walked in off the street- he knew better than that. Such was the general situation in which Android 17 found himself with a pretty young lass by the name of Samantha Green as an assistant. She was a young woman of gentle bearing, and was quite good at the more precise aspects of working on vehicles.

In fact, she was the daughter of the man who gave the building to Android 17 who used to be a mechanic in his youth, before he took to investing in high risk real estate all across The Frontier.

The young lady had a long head of red hair that she tied in a long braid down her back, and a pair of wide green eyes, a thin nose, normal face, with thin red lips and healthy pale skin. She was on the closer end of twenty than approaching thirty, likely either twenty two or twenty three, being a good seven or eight years younger than the Android she was hired by. She could usually be seen with a green bandanna tied over her head with a brown leather apron with many pockets over her white cloth shirt and blue jeans. She wore a pair of blue running shoes which she sometimes swapped out to a pair of brown work boots depending on how heavy the workload was.

This was an apprenticeship with the Android in which her father paid a pretty penny, almost spending a small fortune to keep her safe while in the city. You see, the only reason the man knew the android could keep his daughter safe was to the sole fact that Android 17 had saved him from a kidnapping attempt and attack in a local mall he had taken his daughter shopping at when looking for a buyer to a nearby hotel chain he had been looking to sell.

A group of thugs armed with high end anti Artery Gear tech and weapons had been hired to kidnap him and his daughter for ransom they expected to extract from his wife when Android 17 who had been in a nearby store heard the commotion and gunshots as the thugs killed several security guards and bystanders in a quickly ended gunfight. The android quickly incapacitated the thugs and crushed their weapons into small balls of metal in seconds, rescuing the man and his daughter.

It had made such an impact on his life, that he had given the Android the property and paid for it's renovation along with offering him the job of protecting his daughter under the guise of an apprenticeship whilst he had gone up to Autoluna to handle business there for two years.

Since the android showed no signs of malice nor made any attempt to take advantage of either of them, and the lady of the house wished to finally move out of the mansion, the three had come to a conclusion.

Since the young lady had rather expensive tastes, her father had given her a card which had all she would need, even for such an affluent girl as herself.

And so we find ourself in the present, where Android 17 found himself repairing a delivery companies truck's engine. This was thanks to many things programmed into him by Dr. Gero. The mad doctor had programmed many skills into the two androids, and Android 17 found himself the recipient of the utility and combat information, whilst Android 18 found herself with information on cooking, cleaning, gardening, sewing, and other home related issues. After all, Dr. Gero had the rather standard preferences of his time when programming the information into the androids.

This combined with his training as a ranger which involved repairing vehicles that had broken down among other things gave him the perfect chance at becoming a mechanic.

Android 17 would never thank the doctor, but he would begrudgingly feel a sense of completeness from it. Android 17 wasn't a gregarious man, but he wasn't completely antisocial. He was somewhere in-between arrogant, patient, and pragmatic after all these years had passed. A far stone's throw from the arrogant cocksure nature he had in his youth.

"Samantha. Can you bring me a rag? Some oil spilled on the cylinder" He called from his position as he floated above the engine. The truck's hood had been held aloft and was barely above the floating android's head.

"Coming right up boss!" The cheerful light voice of the young lady came from across the room as the sound of someone getting up from a chair and the patter of shoes over concrete before stopping next to a sink at the back of the shop. Then after a slight muffled sound of cloth, she sped up and came over to the android, passing him the cloth rag.

"Thank you" the android said, taking the rag and wiping off the bright metal cylinder. The clear oil dyed the rag brown over a few moments, and Android 17 smiled at his work.

"You consider that to be important?" Samantha asked, taking down mental notes.

"Yeah. You don't want any loose oil getting caught up in the engine, especially on trucks like this. It could catch fire and do major damage, even if it's only a small spill" He explained, looking towards the young lady before folding and placing his rag atop a small rolling toolbox next to him.

"Alright, I'll remember that" She answered, nodding her head vigorously and giving him a firm determined look.

"Good, it's about 2 o'clock now and this truck is nowhere near fixed yet, how about we get some lunch then close up shop for a few hours?" Android 17 asked, closing the hood and wiping his hands on his gray apron that rested over his blue T-shirt and blue jeans.

"I'd love that. How about burgers?" she asked with a somewhat pleading look. Both of them knew she could go out at any time and order burgers, but as someone who grew up with a respect for authority, she deferred to him on most things. Besides, her diet had been heavily curated and monitored back at the family grounds, so burgers, fries, chicken tenders and soda were her treats that she didn't tell her father and family about.

"Sounds good to me. I don't really care what we eat" Android 17 shrugged and floated down to the ground next to her.

"You always say that. Do you really not care?" She asked, finding it hard to understand why her temporary guardian never seemed that excited about food, and just treated it like something ancillary.

"How do I explain this?" Android 17 asked, putting his right hand to his chin and looking up in thought. She had asked similar questions before, and they were beginning to get slightly annoying.

Samantha just looked at him expectantly. This was the superpowered man, so surely he would have some logical explanation.

His eyes lit up at a realization, and he looked to her and explained his situation somewhat vaguely. It was the same explanation he told her father before, but hadn't broached the topic with her yet.

"Consider me like an Artery Gear in that regard. I don't need to eat. It's something I do to feel more human" He explained, trailing off at the end. It should be noted that he wasn't entirely sure if Artery Gears needed to eat or not, but they had an almost mythical presence to most of the general populace. So he went with that explanation, and it seemed that that worked.

Samantha's eyes lit up with excitement.

"This is the first time I've heard of a male Artery Gear! I have to tell all my friends about this!" She shouted with excitement, pulling out a phone, standing next to him with a grin and flashing a peace sign before snapping a photo of the two of them.

"What are you doin-" Android 17 could only ask in confusion before she shared it to social media with the hashtags #MaleArteryGear #Teacher #Savior #Hero

Android 17 froze, a look of horror on his face. He didn't want his face plastered over a rich girl's social media.

"And done. You're now known among my friend group as my mysterious Artery Gear teacher" She laughed, only to stop upon seeing the horrified look the android was giving her.

"Did I do something wrong..." She asked sheepishly, trailing off at the end as if she had been struck by him.

Android 17 closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"No, probably no harm was done if it's just your friends, just please ask me before taking pictures ok? I'm not exactly trying to stay hidden, but I don't want any rumors spreading" Android 17 sighed and slumped down a bit before composing himself.

"Anyways, lets go get lunch. Want me to drive?" Android 17 asked, his calm demeanor returning to his face after a brief moment.

"Ahh, don't worry big man. My friends know there's nothing between us. I'm just super excited to hear my teacher was an Artery Gear. Like c'mon, who wouldn't be excited about that?" She asked, nudging the android in the shoulder, and that seemed to convince him.

"Yeah, you're right. I'm probably just worrying for nothing. Let's get out of here" He said, walking to the door to the stairs going up to their temporary home.

After the two had cleaned off and changed into more comfortable outfits, Android 17 and Samantha got in the sleek but defensible car her father had sent down for the two. A moment later they were speeding down the road to the steakhouse not too far away.

--------------------

In a spacious lowly lit black walled command center sat a young girl atop a spinning chair. She had long sliver hair, a tiny frame garbed in a black military jacket, sleek black pants, black boots, and a commander's hat that was just as black as the outfit itself aside from the silver spread winged eagle insignia at it's face. The outfit was vaguely reminiscent of the Hugo Boss outfits the National Socialists wore back in World War Two. She had large red eyes that were halfway lidded like rubies against her ghost white skin.

She slowly and lazily spun around in the black leather chair, occasionally playing with a strand of her long silver silky hair. A large holographic screen opened in front of her. On it were thousands of posts on social media passing by in a blur that no normal human could have processed at such a speed.

"Stop" She commanded in her soft youthful voice. Instantly the screen stopped on a post by a young lady named Samantha Green. It was of the young lady posing next to a surprised man in his very early thirties, though he looked more in his mid twenties.

"I've been seeing this man on video feeds and satellite imagery a lot lately. Teufel, is this one of your projects?" She looked up, raising her silver eyebrow to a woman who was standing nearby ready to receive commands. She passed the screen to the woman who looked at the man.

She wore a similar outfit to the young girl's except instead of covering her stomach and legs, it was cut to show her sleek and firm stomach, and quite attractive legs. She had long white hair that was slightly wavy tied in two puffy twin tails and bright pink eyes. Her large breasts were barely contained by the white shirt she wore under her open jacket, and a large black serrated great sword was secured to her back.

One would not like to be struck by such a blade, as the wounds it would leave would be fatal if it somehow did not bisect you completely.

"No My Leader, I did not create him, and what's this about a male Artery Gear? There are no male Artery Gears. That would be impossible" The lady named Teufel responded with a vigorous voice that was quite deep and imposing. It fit her slightly crazed and violent smile.

"Impersonating an Artery Gear is a serious crime. Find me his name, where he lives, who he lives with, and where he was born. I want everything about him you can find as soon as possible. I believe there is more to this man than meets the eye" The young girl commanded, and the woman named Teufel bowed.

"Of course My Leader. Do you want me to bring him into custody?" Teufel asked, reaching over her shoulder and gripping the hilt of her sword.

"Not just yet. If he is really impersonating an Artery Gear, he's bound to slip up, and then we'll take him in" the young girl said, spinning around on the chair again, and pulling out a red lollypop that she gave a small lick of.

"Of course My Leader" Teufel bowed again before running out of the room.

"So, Mr. "Artery Gear" What's your next move?" She asked, looking onto a screen that was quickly filling with various video feeds and satellite images of the man doing extraordinary things at incredible speeds over the past year.

Long snaking silver cables slithered out from the walls nearby and plugged themselves into the back of the young girl's neck, and she shuddered for a second before her red eyes began flashing brightly.

Then, when her eyes stopped flashing, a sinister grin formed on her small face.

On the screen was the video feed of the dining room of the steakhouse the android and his charge were eating at. The two were casually conversing at a table and the camera zoomed in to the android's face.

"Gotcha" The young girl exclaimed, making a finger gun with her tiny right hand, pointing it at the android, and making a bang sound.

 

[Stimpak Medic]

Chapter Two: Artery Gear Attack!

Android 17 lazily chewed his food quietly. He had chosen a normal burger with fries, without any of the flourishes one might imagine getting and a large glass of water. What was most important to him was the water. That was the only thing he actually needed. Water.

He didn't need to eat or sleep, nor did he find himself craving food at all. When Dr. Gero placed the Infinite energy generator within him, it replaced his need to eat. However, it didn't replace his need to drink water.

Aside from the drinks, he would forego food altogether if there was nobody there that required him to act like a normal human after all. Still, eating with someone else in this world wasn't entirely bad, even if it was a young woman seven or eight years his junior. Though the two had very little to converse about, being from two completely different backgrounds and worlds, Android 17 wasn't so unreasonable as to not enjoy time spent with the people around him.

"Sooo...are you just gonna sit there silently like a robot, or do you want to talk about something? It's weird just eating together silently" Samantha exclaimed awkwardly, looking out the wide window that stretched the front wall of the restaurant. Cars, trucks, and the occasional flying transport vehicle passed by, and the blue neon lights above the roads and on buildings gave the world outside a blue dyed hue.

Android 17 shrugged with little regard to etiquette.

"What do you want to talk about?" He asked after swallowing and putting down his food onto his plate.

"Why you of course! I've never met someone like you before. You said you were an Artery Gear right? That's the only way you could do what you do for sure. Tell me, what squadron were you from?" Samantha sked, leaning forward and clasping her hands together in a insincere prayer.

Android 17 took a deep breath.

"I swear, you'll be the end of me" he grumbled before speaking up.

"No, I didn't say I was an Artery Gear. You weren't listening. I said I was like an Artery Gear in that I don't need to eat. Why I am as strong as I am is a different matter. One I don't want to share with you" He finished with an attempt at being stern, but the young lady still pressed the issue.

"Oh, but now you have me more interested. Are you a secret agent working for Frontier's Secret Service? Were you sent to protect me and my family?" She asked, resting her chin in her hands, her green eyes sparkling with poorly restrained intrigue.

"No, now you're just saying whatever you want" android 17 said, rubbing his temples.

"Oh can't you tell me anything? Really just anything will do" She said, slumping down a bit.

"Fine, I'm not a secret agent, but I did work a government job a while ago. I was a Ranger working for the forestry department before all this happened. Between you and me, I miss my wife and kids a lot" Android 17 motioned with his head towards the window and looked out at the world outside.

"Oh.. Sorry, I didn't mean to bring up painful memories. I didn't know you had a family" Samantha winced, and withdrew back to her seat after seeing the pained look in his eyes.

"Don't worry about it. You didn't do anything to them...One day I'll make it back home, but for now I'm here" He said wistfully, looking far out to somewhere that very much was not the street outside. Somewhere far beyond this world itself.

"Right, so what was the world like before the Puppet wars? I wasn't even alive during the worst parts of it, and a long time has passed since then. Do you know anything about it? My mom and dad don't want to talk about it, and my granddad doesn't either. Not to mention, all the stuff we can read online is just pictures and articles" She finished.

Android 17 narrowed his eyes.

"You mean there's no videos?" He asked curiously.

"No, there's none that I have seen, except those Autoluna tourist videos. They're mighty pretty I tell you. Clear water under a bright sun. Vast green forests, and fields of grass and grain. There's about everything you could imagine up there. Too bad only my dad and mom can go up there for business..." She grumbled, finishing her words with a sour tone.

"Don't think too hard about it. I'm sure you'll get to do those things eventually" Android 17 shrugged, picking up his burger and taking a bite.

"How can you say that? I bet you've never seen an open field just like me! I bet you've never breathed in clean air and felt the feeling of real grass under your feet. I'm sure you've never sat by a river that wasn't polluted and full of trash and dipped your toes in the water on a summer morning!" She finished, almost shouting as she vented her frustrations at the android.

How could this man who couldn't have been alive before the Puppet war say such things. Any resident of the Frontier would pay a fortune to go up to Autoluna and enjoy such luxuries, and here he was saying such pleasant luxuries were meager and unimportant.

"Alright alright I get it. I didn't know things were so bad for you" Android 17 replied with a soft breath afterwards.

Unlike he who had taken quite a few trips beyond the safety of the cities and enjoyed the nature that was recovering in the lands the Puppets had devastated before and left behind, this young girl could not do so, and had likely spent her entire life in the metal city around her, perhaps only going to a small botanical garden that no doubt charged lots of money to enter.

Only then did he look up across the restaurant and by sheer coincidence see the security camera on the far wall rotate and look directly at him, not moving or changing for several moments. It simply watched him, and that creeped him out or some amount. However, he dismissed it as perhaps a response to the loud commotion. It wasn't the first time that he had seen cameras react to loud noises.

Samantha was recovering from her loud outburst with a few deep breaths.

"Sorry about that, I just haven't felt these things before, and I can't bear to have someone speak down on them" She finished in a softer tone.

Android 17 looked back to her.

"Yeah, I guess I was being a little callous. We're both stressed out these days" He offered an olive branch, and the young lady gave a small smile.

"Let's forget about it and enjoy our meal...or well, I'll enjoy mine at least" She finished as she remembered what the android had said earlier about eating.

All went silent as if time had stopped for the Android as if time stopped and he looked out the window. As if moving in slow motion, several huge explosions were beginning to bloom on nearby buildings and over fifty white mannequins each twice the size of grown men with their ball joints and faceless visages could be seen crawling up buildings and punching through the reinforced windows around them outside.

"Everybody get down!" Android 17 shouted as he could see a small rocket heading straight towards the restaurant.

Speeding around the table and grabbing Samantha in a tight grasp, Android 17 created a barrier around her and him just in time before the rocket blasted into the restaurant.

BOOM!

With an earthshaking explosion, the room was blasted apart and a heat washed through the room. Android 17 felt his ears ring from the loud sound as he lay on top of the young lady shielding her with his body.

When the dust settled and the shrapnel fell, Android 17 and Samantha were the only ones in the room alive.

The remains of tables and the unlucky patrons who ate there that day lay scattered around as Android 17 got up off of her and tended to her.

Samantha was quite disoriented and temporarily deafened and Android 17 picked her up and placed her on her feet inside his barrier. He grabbed her shoulders and shook her out of her daze.

"Samantha, listen to me. I'm going to go destroy these puppets nearby. I need you to go hide in the basement of this restaurant. I'll put a barrier around you. Don't worry. Nothing can break it, especially not puppets. When I'm done here, I'll come get you okay? " He commanded, and Samantha just nodded her head on shaky legs before running off, a turquoise barrier shimmering up in a sphere around her.

"Alright you ugly puppets, Come and get some" Android 17 said with a angry tone, a barrier forming around himself and blasts forming in his hands. He ran up to the destroyed front wall and jumped out into the air.

Dozens of explosions and sonic booms of blows being landed shook the ground all around them, and then there was near silence not a minute later. However, in the now silence explosions could be heard far in the distance, followed by even more thunderclaps and earthquake level tremors. This continued for several more minutes before silence quickly followed.

When Android 17 returned to the restaurant, he went down to the basement, punching through a door that was weakly blocked with furniture. It seems the few survivors from the attack in the building had similar ideas to him, and they hid in the basement. He was met with a man holding a rifle aimed at him as he broke through, but the man quickly lowered it upon seeing that the man wasn't a puppet.

"Is it over?" Samantha asked loudly as she ran over to the android.

"Yeah, it's over" Android 17 replied, lowering her barrier.

"Oh thank god!" She exclaimed, pulling him into a tight hug as she sobbed into his chest.

"I was so scared" she continued.

"Let's go home now" Android 17 said, pushing her off of him and taking her hand.

"If you really stopped those puppets. Thank you sir" The man with the rifle said, a relieved look on his elderly face as he walked up to the android.

"Don't worry, they're gone, but you might need to get a new job." Android 17 nodded to the man before walking up the stairs out into the burned out shell of the first two floors of the restaurant with Samantha who was still on shaky feet.

As they walked out into the street over a dozen people were flying across the sky directly towards them. Fast.

The rumbling of a ship engine could be heard overhead as a large transport ship hovered overhead, larger than most skyscrapers.

Android 17 sucked his teeth and shook his head.

Tch.

Samantha looked up in awe as the people descended to the ground around them while five hovered in the sky surrounding them.

"Damnit! I didn't want to have to deal with this" Android 17 growled, his scowl visible and eyes darkening.

However, Samantha was exactly the opposite.

"It's the Artery Gears! Over here!" she shouted running over and waving her hands as they descended around her. They were women in many different forms of mechanical augments and various guns and weapons on their body that clearly were used for vicious combat.

Slamming into the concrete in front of them and throwing up rubble and dust as she landed with a boom from the sky was a tall blonde lady who had massive red mechanical wings on her back that stretched wider than she was tall and long golden talons fashioned longer than swords that exuded a golden hue of barely contained energy extended from her golden boots.

She had white skintight metallic battle armor over her chest, arms, and legs that also seemed to glow with a white energy. Her light skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes were reminiscent of a woman of European descent in her early to mid twenties.

As the rubble fell and the woman stood to her full height, she was seen with golden claws on her hand like talons of a raptor.

As Samantha ran up to her in excitement, the Artery Gear lady raised her hand and spoke loudly into a voice modulator that resounded loudly from speakers in her wings.

"Stop! You two are under Arrest by The Frontier Secret Service for hundreds of counts of property damage, Terrorism, manslaughter, unregistered use of military grade weapons technology, and over a hundred other offences. Lie down on the ground with your hands behind your backs and do not resist" She commanded loudly, and the sounds of dozens of rifles trained on the two clicked loudly.

"No, you've got it all wrong!" Samantha responded, trying to run up and explain the situation to the Artery Gear.

As she approached the Artery Gear, the woman blurred and backhanded Samantha into a nearby wall with a loud crack, or well, that's what would have happened if Android 17 hadn't interfered.

"You're gonna need to take your hands off my charge" He growled, gripping the Artery Gear's arm before the blow could connect, and the high tech armor began cracking under his grip.

"Let Go!" She growled, lashing out with her clawed feet, trying to slash Android 17 who didn't let her take to the sky.

"No. Call your women off first" Android 17 growled using his other free hand to create an energy blade that blocked the slashes.

"Not happening terrorist. Fire!" The blonde woman shouted, and the women, mechs, and artery gears around them fired on the two.

Samantha screamed in terror, however, none of the energy blasts, shells, rockets or bullets struck either of them.

A bright turquoise barrier surrounded Android 17 who had let go of the Artery Gear and had flown over to Samantha placing a barrier around them.

"HOLD" The sound of a young girl's voice could be heard from loudspeakers on the ship above them.

Instantly the attacks stopped and the Artery gear and her compatriots looked up to the ship.

A hologram was projected out of the side of the ship large enough to be easily seen by everyone there. It was a small girl with silver hair, pale white skin, red eyes, and a black military outfit with red flourishes. It looked almost ceremonial.

"Milvus, I told you not to agitate the two. They aren't your enemies...yet" She said, giving the Artery gear a slit eyed frown.

"I'm sorry My Leader" She bowed deeply to the young girl in the hologram.

"No harm was done" She continued, looking down to the Android.

"You know Mister. It's a shame we meet under such harsh conditions. I've seen the things you've done, and I'd like to apologize for my subordinate's attack, thank you for the help you've given my nation" The young girl spoke before taking a long breath.

"Some thanks that is. You almost killed my charge" Android 17 growled and glared up at the girl.

"An unfortunate incident indeed, but necessary. Right now I don't know your allegiance, and you did quite some damage to the city in your little rampage. There are many bodies are being recovered from buildings you had collapsed while destroying those puppets. Those people weren't killed by the puppets, they are on your hands. Why shouldn't I take you into custody for the many crimes you just committed?" She asked, and Android 17 tensed, energy beginning to coalesce in his hand.

"Are you sure you want to do that? I'm not on this ship. You would only be killing innocents if you blew that up" The young girl said with an emotionless voice.

Android 17's mood soured even more at the blatant false accusation that he was going to just kill innocents. It was obviously a provocation. But to what end?

"I wasn't going to attack the ship" Android 17 said as he rose into the sky to be face to face with the hologram, still maintaining the barrier around Samantha.

"And how do I know that? You just destroyed hundreds of buildings in my city, accidentally killed dozens of civilians, and used an unknown technology to do so at a speed even Artery Gears would find extremely hard to replicate, and you expect me to just believe you?" The girl asked, narrowing her eyes.

Android 17 sighed, lowered his arms and responded.

"Alright, What do you want? I can tell talking with you is going nowhere good, just promise me Samantha won't be hurt if I come in willingly" Android 17 acquiesced. Life would get really hard for not only himself, but Samantha as well if he fought everyone here. He was sure he could win. That wasn't even a question, but becoming an enemy of the nation he lived in would not help him get home. Best to minimize the harm now while he still could.

A vicious grin plastered the young girl's face, and it was clear that this was not only a young girl, whatever she was was more akin to an evil spirit instead of some young politician or royalty.

"I'm glad we are on the same page. You catch on quickly. Don't worry, Samantha isn't going to be harmed. I want you, not her. She's completely useless to me" The girl spoke, and Android 17 sighed and floated down to the ground next to Samantha who was terrified at almost dying.

"Don't resist them, it will only make things worse" Android 17 said as he put his hands behind his back and lay on the concrete. Samantha who was shaking did the same as women ran up to them and put handcuffs on the two before picking them up and marching them over to a transport ship.

Things had just gone from bad to worse, and android 17 hated the feeling that was built up all over again. It felt like he was walking into Dr. Gero's hands all over again. This time instead of a crazy old man, it was a scheming young girl.