Goku's punches continued to rain down on Android 19, but the android barely reacted, standing there unfazed by the blows. Goku gasped for air between every strike, his heart condition worsening, but he kept pushing, determined to take Android 19 down. Yet, despite the relentless attacks, Android 19 didn't even flinch or attempt to fight back.
On the ground, Dr. Gero smirked, his voice smug as he addressed Piccolo and Tien. "I'll admit, your composure is extraordinary, even in the face of your demise."
Piccolo, unimpressed, glanced back at Gero. "Don't you see? Your android isn't even fighting back. Goku's beating him senseless."
Dr. Gero turned to look, his face shifting to shock as he realized Android 19 was, indeed, just standing there, taking the hits. He quickly regained his composure. "Impossible! Android 19 is simply toying with him. You wouldn't understand with your feeble minds."
At that moment, Krillin, Gohan, and Yamcha arrived, landing next to Piccolo. Gohan, concern written on his face, asked, "Uncle Piccolo, what's happening in the fight?"
Piccolo, with his usual dry tone, answered, "Your dad's currently working that dough-faced bot over. Not much to worry about."
Dr. Gero's expression turned sour as he overheard. "Hmph! Android 19 is merely playing with Goku. You simpletons lack the intelligence to grasp what's really happening."
Meanwhile, Goku kept attacking, his breathing growing heavier with each strike. Android 19 remained still, absorbing the punishment. Dr. Gero, realizing something was wrong, finally barked, "Android 19! Stop playing around! Dodge and fight back properly!"
But even with the order, Android 19 failed to dodge Goku's next punch, taking a heavy strike that sent him crashing into the nearby mountain, creating a massive crater. Goku, desperate to finish the fight, gathered his energy, his hands forming the familiar stance of the Kamehameha wave.
"KAME...HAME...HA!" he shouted, releasing a powerful beam of energy straight at the android. The beam exploded on impact, but instead of a massive eruption, the explosion began to shrink unnaturally. When the light faded, Android 19 stood there, unharmed, absorbing the energy.
"MURDER.EXE fully online," Android 19 droned robotically, his eyes glowing.
Goku stared in disbelief, shocked that his attack had no effect. Desperate, he began gathering his energy again, thinking that maybe his previous attack hadn't been strong enough.
Yamcha, watching in horror, suddenly realized what was happening. "Goku, stop!" he yelled, panicking. "They can absorb energy! You're only making him stronger!"
Piccolo and Tien Shinhan exchanged horrified looks, their faces filled with shock. "Is it true?" Piccolo asked, his voice tense.
Yamcha nodded solemnly. "Yeah... when the old man grabbed me, I felt my energy drain. They're absorbing energy."
Before they could react further, Android 19 suddenly appeared in front of Goku and struck him hard in the face. Goku staggered back, and Android 19 quickly followed up by driving his knee into Goku's chest. The impact made Goku cry out in pain as he crumpled to the ground, blood pouring from his mouth.
Everyone froze in horror. Goku, even in his toughest battles against Frieza, had never bled like this. Piccolo's eyes widened as he realized something more sinister was at play. "It's not just the android... there's something else wrong."
Goku, his face twisted in agony, managed to speak between gasps. "I... I don't want you guys to worry, but... I'm pretty sure I'm dying."
The words hung in the air, leaving the group in a state of shock. "What?! But how?!" Tien asked, looking around at the others in confusion.
Goku winced and asked for a Senzu Bean from Krillin. Krillin quickly tossed one to him, but as Goku chewed and swallowed it, instead of getting better, his condition worsened. He doubled over in pain, his body trembling violently.
"Goku!" Piccolo shouted, rushing forward. "What's wrong?!"
Goku, clenching his chest with a pained expression, struggled to breathe. "My heart... it hurts... it's like I can't catch my breath."
Piccolo's expression grew grave. "It's the heart virus... it's happening now."
Gohan, wide-eyed and panicked, asked, "Dad, did you take the medicine?"
Goku was about to respond when suddenly, Kairos appeared in front of them. Calmly, he tossed a small pill to Goku. "I know you didn't take the medicine. So, I brought it from your home."
The entire group exhaled in relief. Goku quickly swallowed the pill, and within moments, the pain began to fade. His breathing steadied, and he managed to stand up straight, testing his limbs by throwing a few punches into the air. His body felt lighter, stronger, like it had before.
"Thanks, brother. That was a huge help," Goku said, smiling at Kairos.
Kairos nodded. "I saw you grabbing your chest earlier and knew you hadn't taken the medicine yet."
Krillin chuckled in admiration. "Senior brother, you're incredible. But... why was your shirt wet when you showed up? When you first arrived, it was dry..."
Kairos, caught off guard, blushed slightly and offered a nervous smile. "Uh... well, teleporting requires a lot of focus... made me sweat a lot."
Goku tilted his head, confused. "But I don't sweat when I teleport."
Kairos quickly changed the subject, pointing at the androids. "Alright, let's focus on taking these guys down now."
As the others nodded in agreement, *only Kairos knew the real reason behind his sweat. Teleporting wasn't the problem… what he had gone through to get that pill in time was a story for later period to be told. *