Before the Dam Breaks (3461)

Android 23 walked calmly onto the training grounds. He had come to train against Saibamen, although he preferred to call them GG, Green Grunts. It had been quite a long time since he chose the method of training, not particularly liking the way Saibamen looked and their unnerving cackles. He searched for the man who could give him the seeds, observing the training of others as he searched. Some training looked like something insanely past what he could do, and it was. He finally found the large saiyan who could supply him with his training and identified himself, "I'm Android 23 and I'm here for some Saibamen training."

The large man just looked Android 23 up and down before pulling out a pouch and handing Android 23 a Saibaman seed. "This is it? Just this?" Android 23 stared at the seed in his palm, handed to him for training. One Saibaman seed. Was Planet Vegeta in such economic crisis that they could only spare one Saibaman per training session? The mass-production soldiers, they literally grow from the ground and all that could be spared is one? The thought of this was somewhat disappointing to Android 23 but he would have to make the best of it. "Yeah just one, if it don't kill you I might think about giving you another one. By the way, the seed I just gave you has read your energy level and adjusted itself to match it. Have fun." The large man responded. Off to do other things, far more important and entertaining then being annoyed by some low-class soldier.

Android 23 watched the man leave and he searched for a nice open area to plant it. He finally found it in a mountainous area. He planted the seed in the ground and waited calmly for the Saibaman to grow. "Maybe it won't be so bad if it's as strong as me. I mean, let's see what I'm made of I guess." A little green arm popped out from the ground and Android 23 jumped back. Taking his typical defensive battle stance. Left forward, right foot back and leaning on it. Hands up and only presenting the side of his body. Another arm popped out, digging it's claws into the Geta around out it and pulling itself out from the ground. The little Saibaman looked around until it saw Android 23, grinning evilly having found it's target.

"I wish I could get MY garden to pull itself out. Certainly would save me a lot of time." Android 23 said this but realized the Saibaman was probably too stupid understand what he had said. Which really took all the joy out of any smart-mouth comments. "Let's see what you got little guy, give me your all." The Saibaman disappeared from sight. Android 23 was not one to let himself be caught by surprise. There's only two places enemies strike from when they want to get the best of you, behind or above. This Saibaman was probably too stupid to even realize that it could strike from above so he turned, in time to block the kick coming from the Saibaman. "Please, is this all you have to offer me?" The Saibaman flipped backwards and landed on it's feet. Cackling like a maniac.

Android 23 decided it was his turn to take the offensive and he took to the sky. Jumping up and kicking down towards the Saibaman's head. To his surprise the the Saibaman grabbed his leg and flung him down onto the ground. A rather painful experience no doubt. Especially since it threw him onto the ground face first. It didn't stop there of course, grabbing his leg and flinging him into a mountainside. This was not going according to plan. That Saibaman was definitely more ruthless than he was.

Android 23 threw a ball of ki at the now charging Saibaman, it wouldn't stop him but it should keep him from picking up momentum. The ki blast didn't go as planned as he felt a claws foot smash him back into the mountainside. "Ok, ok. Keep calm, you can handle a little green man..." The Saibaman came to punch him in the stomach, a manuver that failed when Android 23 predicted the blow, stepped to one side, grabbed the arm of the Saibaman and smashed him into the mountain. "Your turn you dirty stupid green thing..." He charged up a ki blast and exploded it on the Saibaman's head at pointblank. Jumping back to avoid any debris. "How do you like that? Where's your big head now?"

Android 23 stared at the clearing debris, no Saibaman. That meant he won, well, no. He felt a ki blast explode on his back. Throwing him to his knees. "What the...? How did I miscalculate that?" The Saibaman kicked him in the back of his head, burying him into the ground once more. "I'm becoming much too familiar with the taste of dirt." He said as the Saibaman charged a ki blast, stealing his previous idea. Android 23 brought his arms back and grabbed the Saibaman's head, "Come here GG..." He pulled the Saibaman into the ground in front of him. Disrupting his collection of ki.

Android 23 jumped back and initiated a close-combat fight with the Saibaman. But the Saibaman was matching him punch for punch and kick for kick. For every blow Android 23 landed on the Saibaman the Saibaman landed one on him. "Of course... you're my same power level..." He continued the encounter until he realized that it seemed to be preparing something. It's mouth opened and he saw acid fly from it, "Oh..." Was all he managed to get out before dodging although not completely. The acid burning into his clothing and burning his right shoulder.

"Bloody little..." He charged a blue ball in his hand and moved behind the Siabman. "Here you go GG. Blizzard Bomb!" The Saibaman tried to dodge but wasn't quite fast enough, the ball struck the Saibaman's arm and froze it. The Saibaman stared at his arm as Android 23 grabbed it's arm and pulled it off. "How'd that feel shrimp?" The Saibaman laughed gleefully as it regrew the arm. "That's cheating!" He yelled in frustration.

The Saibaman charged a ki blast and threw it at Android 23, it was deflect and Android 23 dodged the incoming punch. Kicking the Saibaman in the back and knocking him a good distance away. He had two choices now, see how his shoulder was doing or press the attack. He chose the latter, he could always find another moment to look at his arm but this was no time to lose his advantage. He chased after the Saibaman and charged a ki blast, throwing it into the Saibaman although he missed. The smell of burning flesh was hard to ignore and it hurt an insane amount to move his arm.

The Saibaman seemed more than eager to press the weakness of his right shoulder as he felt the Saibaman's claw come down on it. "Aaaaaargh!" He brought his left fist down onto the Saibaman's head. Picking it up by the neck and throwing it against the mountainside before it could hit him with more acid. Android 23 held his hand out and pointed at the Saibaman. "Ring Jyou No!" He threw out four rings at the Saibaman, pinning it's arms and legs against the mountain. "Now I got you, you little thing." The Saibaman was struggling against it's bonds and then laughed gleefully. It charged it's aura and managed to break free of it's bond just as Android 23 threw a ki blast at it. "I hate you..."

Android 23 was beginning to feel the burn of the battle. His muscles were starting to react slower. Blood was flowing from his shoulder and various cuts on his face. He was sweating a great deal and his clothes was tattered. "This thing is as strong as me? Then what's wrong with me? How can I lose against something as strong as me? But it just keeps doing all sorts of crazy things. Things that were completely reckless and unexpected. Things that didn't make sense. How was he supposed to react to these things?

The Saibaman wasn't going to let him think things through anymore. It charged up a yellow beam of energy and let it loose against Android 23. Android 23 put his arms out infront of him and pushed against the beam. Drops of sweat and blood dripping from his face as he felt his muscles fight against the beam. "I will not be beaten by a little green man..." He told himself through clenched teeth, charging ki blasts into his hands and using this to deflect the blast into the sky. The Saibaman also seemed to be beginning to feel the strain. Although maybe not, he couldn't tell if the Saibaman's moves were slowing down much.

"Wait a minute, this isn't like me. Calm down Android 23... it's just a little green man... how hard can it be to beat one little green man?" Android 23 closed his eyes for a moment to relax and opened them, he noticed the Saibaman no longer stood where it had before but that was no longer a problem, Android 23 dodged an incoming attack from behind by jumping over the Saibaman. Using it's head to propel himself farther into the air, as he expected the Saibaman gave chase but met only a fist that brought it down onto the ground, hard.

Android 23 wasted no time and chased after it, the clash was in close combat as Android 23 fought against the Saibaman. He took a hard hit to his torso but matched it with a hit of his own to the Saibaman's head. The next blow coming from the Saibman met Android 23's fist, the kick was met with a block from Android 23's shin, "Come on, you ain't so tough once a person relaxes." The Saibaman was still smirking as the traded blows. Keeping up with Android 23 in their flurry of attacks.

Android 23 noticed that his punches were getting slower but he couldn't lose to a Saibaman. The Saibaman's punches also seemed to be slowing down, which he took as a good omen. However, the Saibaman didn't have to try and ignore the pain everytime it threw a punch. Unlike Android 23 who still had his injured shoulder. But aside from a little pain that it caused him everytime he threw a punch, he didn't think it was serious enough to actually hinder his movements.

Android 23 jumped back to gain some time and catch his breath. The Saibaman didn't seem to want to allow Android 23 a reprieve and chased after him, his outstretched claw aiming at his face. Android 23 ducked his head to one side, brought his fist up and punched the Saibaman into the sky, he followed after the Saibaman and charged his ki into his fist. The blue ball reapeared and he shouted, "Blizzard bomb!" The Saibaman twisted aand this Android 23 managed to get the Saibaman's right leg, but he knew better now, as long as he didn't shatter it a new one couldn't grow to replace it. He grabbed the Saibaman by the head and smashed him into the ground head first.

"This should give me some time to think." Android 23 said to himself as he watched the debris clear and the Saibaman struggling to stand up with it's frozen leg. His only choice was to press his newfound advantage. As he charged at the Saibaman it looked up and saw him, it charge a ki blast in each hand, but it only sent one after Android 23. Android 23 dodged the ki blast without any trouble and continued his charge on the Saibaman. It had popped out a new leg. "The stupid thing used the other one to shatter the ice! What a jerk!" Android 23 thought to himself as he only managed to graze the side of the Saibaman's head as it got out of the way.

Android 23 was forced to do a handspring on the ground since he couldn't stop himself in time to land properly, stupid momentum. As his hands touched the ground he felt his hand give out, due to a sharp pain in his shoulder and instead of completeing the handspring he fell and hit the ground. This worked to his advantage since an incoming ki blast missed. The Saibaman hadn't been expecting the saiyan to fall but grinned as it threw a barrage of ki blasts at the fallen saiyan.

Android 23 wasted no time on the ground, jumped to his feet and dodged the sudden wave of ki blasts. The Saibaman really didn't want to give him a chance at resting. "That was no time for a nap anyway. Not with a GG trying to kill me." Android 23 thought with a smirk as he dodged the seemingly never-ending barrage of ki blasts. He waited carefully as he charged a ki blast in his hand and let it loose at the first opening he saw, forcing the Saibaman to stop throwing ki blasts and dodge.

Android 23 followed after it, it was his turn to press the offensive not that he had gotten the Saibaman to dodge. The Saibaman seemed to disagree however as it let Android 23 get close before opening it's large mouth, "Not again!" Android 23 yelled as he dodged the incoming acid and maneuvered behind the Saibaman, kicking it in the back of the head. He chased after the flying body and kicked it in the back, straight into the ground. "Let's see how you handle that." Android 23 said, his muscles were aching and he wasn't sure how much more of the battle he could handle. It was already taking far longer than he expected.

The Saibaman stood up, it seemed particularly angry now, it's mocking grin had disappeared from it's face. Android 23 watched curiously what the newly angered Saibman would do. It just stood there, and then he realized something, "Afterimage!" Android 23 turned and only to feel a kick connect with his face and then a punch in his torso, followed by his injured shoulder being kicked, hard. "Aaaaaaaah!" Android 23 put his arms up as another kick came for his face, he took hold of the Saibaman's leg and swung him into the sky.

"I wasn't aware that they could do the Afterimage technique. I'll have to be more careful." He noticed the Saibman image flicker and he turned, putting his arms up and dodging the incoming blow, the image flickered again and he did a one handed handspring, learning from last time, and he felt his foot connect with the head of the Saibaman, as he landed on his feet he noticed the Saibman on the ground flicker and he jumped back to dodge an incoming ki blast. "This is insane! Doesn't it get tired?"

Android 23 realized that he wasn't quite sure of where the Saibaman had come but judging from the angle the ki blast had come from... Android 23 turned quickly and crossed his arms in front of him, blocking a punch from the Saibaman that knocked him back. "Jerk!" He yelled as he did a back flip and landed on his feet. The Saibaman pressed it's attack and Android 23 got back into his defensive stance, presenting only the side which let him dodge the incoming blow easily and jump over the Saibaman, hitting it with a ki blast in the process.

The Saibaman bled for a moment before returning to it's normal state, the regeneration taking place. "Only reason that it's winning is that." He muttered to himself as he saw the Saibaman charge ki in it's feet and hands. "Oh no..." The Saibaman charged at him and as he brought his arms up to block he felt a great deal more of power from the hit. "What the...?" He was knocked back into the nearly destroyed mountain and chased after him. Hitting him reapeatedly with hie ki charged fists and feet, easily breaking through Android 23's defenses.

"This...is...unacceptable!" Android 23 roared as he launched a ki blast at the Saibaman, his loss of temper only granted him another few punches in the face as the Saibaman easily dodged the ki blast. The Saibaman jumped back as the ki faded from it's hands and feet. Obviously not able to keep up the strain on it's body that it took to charge itself up with ki.

Android 23 was bloodied and he had taken too many punches to his shoulder, and he noticed that he couldn't move that arm anymore, without feeling excrutiating pain. "Now what?" He wondered as he stood up. Bloodied, beaten and confused. "How could I possibly be losing to this thing?" The Saibaman was still grinning. "What are you smiling about stupid? I'm not dead yet. I can still fight." He said it but he didn't feel like it. He wasn't sure how he could possibly win the fight anymore. He had completely underestimated the Saibaman and it had been his downfall.

"No, this isn't over. What will people say if I get killed by a Saibaman?" He could already imagine it. It would be the biggest humiliation. That was unacceptable. Not to mention he was smarter then this stupid thing. He was a better fighter then it. He jumped back to avoid being hit by the charge the Saibaman had taken and hit it in the back of it's head with his left hand, he charged a ki blast and sent it after the body of the Saibaman. The ki blast made contact with the Saibaman but he knew that wouldn't stop it.

The Saibaman quickly recovered and charged Android 23. "Oh no you don't, Blizzard Bomb!" Android 23 sent the blue ball at the Saibaman and charge another one and sent it out behind him, "Blizzard Bomb!" The Saibaman was struck as it attempted to approach Android 23 from behind, the image flickered. "Darn it all!" He brought up his left arm but the kick smashed into his right shoulder. "Ahhhh!" Android 23 managed to stand his ground, and grabbed the the Saibaman's leg, throwing him against a mountainside.

Android 23 lifted both of his hands and pointed at the Saibaman, ignoring the pain. "Ring Jyou no!" The rings shot out once more and struck the Saibaman. "Not over yet." He kept his arms stretched out and two ki purple ki balls appeared. "Feel the pain GG. It's over now." He said as the ki balls compressed and separated into five different ki balls each. He shot them out at the restrained Saibaman, smiling.

The Saibaman managed to release it's arm from the ring restraint but the balls of ki struck it and the rest of his body. He could hear it screaming as the ki balls struck and exploded. "You deserve it you annoying GG. Can't believe one Saibaman nearly took me out." He continued grinning. But as the debris cleared he saw the Saibaman walking out from the remains of the mountain. "Unbelievable..."

The Saibaman was bleeding, and he didn't seem to be regenerating at his usual rate. It was horribly damaged and started walking towards Android 23. Android 23 took his stance for one last time. "You're done with GG." He said as he realized he probably only had enough energy for one final ki attack. He'd save it for now." He grinned and so did the Saibaman, each charging at the other.

The Saibaman started to glow once they were near each other and Android 23's eyes opened wide. "Oh no..." He stopped and knew just what he'd have to do with the last of his energy. He charged everything he had left and put his arms out. "Energy field!" He was just in time in activiating his energy field as the Saibaman exploded. The field protected him from the explosion but he didn't have enough energy to keep it up and the force of the explosion threw him back unharmed, at least from the self destruction of the Saibaman.

He landed on the ground with a loud thump and smiled. "I win." He said with a chuckle as he started to draw to himself to his feet. Barely managing to stand. "Well, that hurt quite a bit, but at least I won. Can't believe the thing tried to take me out with it. I was almost done for." He didn't have any ki left and he felt extremely tired. He barely managed to make it to the edge of the training grounds before collapsing on the floor. "Nap time." He said as he fell asleep, snoring slightly.

A medic saw him come in and went to get him and see how he was doing. The medic decided his wounds, while serious, weren't fatal. He called for another medic and a stretcher. They picked up Android 23 and set him on the stretcher. "Come on fella, you'll be resting in one of those for quite a while." Android 23 only snored in response. Smiling faintly, apparently having nice dreams.