17 smirked, tilting his head toward the headless, sparking torso slump against the wall, then gestured over to the doctor's severed head sitting face-down near a pile of shattered glass.
"Right there," 17 said smoothly, pointing with a casual thumb. "Though I wouldn't count on him answering any questions. We just officially canceled his subscription."
Android 21's breath hitched slightly. She stepped out of the pod, her heels clicking softly against the cold metal floor. She knelt beside Gero's head, her blue eyes scanning the fried circuits and leaking oily fluids.
"Doctor..." she whispered, her voice carrying a strange mix of shock and faint analytical detachment. She brought a hand up to her temple, her brow furrowing behind her thick glasses as if experiencing a sudden, sharp headache. Diagnostic subroutines and corrupted file paths flashed across her internal interface. "The creator... compromised. Threat level: null."
"Don't waste your sympathy on that senile old parasite," 18 said, stepping up beside her brother as the towering, green-armored frame of Android 16 fully stepped out of his pod. "He built us to be his slaves. 17 just did what needed to be done."
From the destroyed entrance, Trunks, Vegeta, Piccolo, and Escallion watched the scene unfold. Piccolo's sharp eyes narrowed, his brow furrowed as he stared at 21.
"Something's off about that one," Piccolo grunted under his breath. "Her Ki... it's faint, but it's mixed with something unnatural. It's not like 17 or 18."
Escallion stood towering behind the group, his arms folded tightly over his chest. His eyes locked onto 21, sensing an erratic pulse of energy buried beneath her quiet demeanor.
Android 21 slowly stood up, adjusting her glasses once more as she turned to face 17, 18, and 16. Her polite, gentle expression returned, though a faint shadow of confusion remained in her eyes.
"I see..." 21 murmured, looking around the ruined laboratory. "Then... what are our directives now?"
17 folded his arms, a confident grin spreading across his face. "Whatever we want. First step? We go hunt down Son Goku. Just to pass the time."
Trunks' eyes widened with absolute, terrifying realization as 16 stepped out of his container and 21 stood beside 17. The nightmare of his apocalyptic future was repeating itself right in front of him, except this time, there were even more monsters awake
Trunks screamed, his voice cracking with pure desperation. "If these androids are free, it will be the end of all of US! NOOOOO!"
BOOM!
A violent pillar of golden Super Saiyan energy ignited around Trunks, blowing his lavender hair straight up as his aura flared with sheer panic. He thrust both hands straight forward, extending his palms toward the lab's interior.
A blinding, colossal wave of golden Ki erupted from his hands, tearing through the air and engulfing the entire laboratory in a fraction of a second. The extreme heat detonated the fuel lines, computer banks, and reactor cores deep within the cliffside.
KABOOM!
A colossal mushroom cloud of fire and smoke billowed up into the sky, vaporizing the side of the mountain and showering the canyon in pulverized rock and burning metal debris. The shockwave knocked Krillin and Tien back, forcing them to shield their faces from the blinding flash.
As the roaring sound of the explosion faded, a heavy, suffocating silence settled over the valley. Smoke rolled out from the massive, gaping crater where Gero's laboratory had stood seconds prior.
Krillin coughed, picking himself up off a rock ledge and wiping ash from his eyes. "Hey, Trunks! How about a little more warning the next time you do that?!"
Vegeta didn't even turn around, keeping his arms crossed with a cold, disgusted scoff. "Bad move. What'd you go and do that for?"
"What's wrong?!" Trunks panted, his golden aura fading back as he stared wide-eyed into the smoke. "I... I don't understand! There's no way anyone could survive that! That was my most intense blast!"
Vegeta sneered, casting a dark glance down toward the base of the clearing. "Well, look down there. Looks like you spoke too soon."
As the thick plume of brown smoke drifted away, the dust revealed a pristine, untouched circle of earth.
Standing in the center was Android 17, casually dusting off his sleeves, flanked by Android 18, the towering, dark-armored frame of Android 16, and Android 21, who was calmly adjusting her thick black glasses while looking around at the pulverized mountain with mild curiosity.
"Now that's too bad," Vegeta chuckled darkly, mocking Trunks. "By doing that, you just showed them how weak you are."
17 glanced over his shoulder at the smoldering crater of the lab, then up at the Z-Fighters hovering above the ridge. A slow, indifferent smirk spread across his face.
"Well, that was a nice warm-up," 17 said, dusting off his denim jeans. "Come on. Let's get out of here."
Without another word, 17 kicked off the ground, ascending smoothly into the afternoon sky. 18, 16, and a slightly hesitant 21 rose right behind him. Instead of flying toward the waiting Z-Fighters to start a fight, the four androids turned around and streaked away across the sky, heading southeast in the complete opposite direction.
Up on the ridge, the Z-Fighters watched in stunned silence as the four distant silhouettes rapidly vanished over the horizon.
"Wait... they're leaving?!" Tien called out, lowering his guard slightly. "They aren't even trying to attack us!"
"Should we give pursuit?" Piccolo grunted, his sharp brow furrowing as his cape snapped in the mountain wind. "Vegeta, Trunks—what do you think? If we let them get away, we lose track of them entirely."
Vegeta scoffed, keeping his arms crossed tight against his chest. "Let them run. They're heading away from us. When I feel like destroying them, I'll hunt them down myself."
"No! We can't just let them go!" Trunks pleaded, his hands clenching into tight fists. "In my timeline, they didn't care who they killed or where they went. But why would they head in that direction? There's nothing out there except mountain passes and—"
Krillin suddenly gasped, his face draining of all color as his eyes went wide with sheer terror.
"Guys..." Krillin stammered, pointing a trembling finger in the exact trajectory the androids were flying. "That... that direction... that leads straight to Master Roshi's house! That's where Gohan is taking Goku!"
"Think about it!" Krillin yelled, sweat dripping from his forehead as he stared in the direction the four androids had disappeared. "Gero built these monsters because of his grudge against Goku! He never forgot what happened when Goku wiped out the Red Ribbon Army all those years ago! Their main programming has to be finding and killing Goku first!"
Vegeta's eyes narrowed into slit-like embers. A heavy, dangerous air pressure began to build around his shoulders. The mere thought that these synthetic freaks were ignoring him—the Prince of all Saiyans—to go after Kakarot sent a wave of pure, insulting rage through his veins.
"They aren't ignoring me... they're running from me!" Vegeta snarled, his teeth grinding together. "Cowards! Every last one of them!"
BOOM!
A blinding, violent pillar of golden aura erupted around Vegeta as he instantly transformed into a Super Saiyan. The surrounding ground cracked beneath the sheer pressure of his Ki, his hair glowing bright gold and his teal eyes burning with reckless arrogance.
"I'm going to tear them apart piece by piece!" Vegeta roared, leaning forward to launch himself into the sky.
SWOOSH!
Before Vegeta could take off, Future Trunks streaked through the air, dropping into a wide stance directly in Vegeta's flight path.
"Out of my way, boy!" Vegeta barked.
"No! Stand down!" Trunks pleaded frantically, his golden aura flaring as he held his ground. "You have no idea what they are capable of! In my time, fighting them alone is suicide! You can't just rush in without a plan!"
"Step aside, or I'll go through you!" Vegeta growled, his golden aura flaring higher. "What do you want us to do? Sit here like helpless cowards and wait for Kakarot?! Face reality—Kakarot is already history!"
Trunks let out a low, furious growl, his teeth clenched in desperate frustration as he refused to budge an inch. "I won't let you throw your life away!"
"I told you... GET OUT OF THE WAY! "
Before Trunks could react, Vegeta lunged forward with blinding speed. He drove a heavy, armored fist directly into Trunks' jaw.
THWACK!
The crushing blow snapped Trunks' head back, sending him tumbling violently through the dust and rock debris. Without throwing a second glance at his son, Vegeta sneered and ignited his Super Saiyan aura, blasting across the sky in hot pursuit of the four androids.
Escallion scoffed, shaking his head as he watched Vegeta's golden streak vanish over the horizon.
"Unreasonable bastard," Escallion muttered under his breath, his voice laced with annoyance. "Always letting his pride drive the ship."
Without waiting for Piccolo or Trunks to recover, Escallion widened his stance. A sharp, localized shockwave cracked the stone beneath his boots as his suppressed Ki erupted into a tight, dense aura.
With a deafening sonic boom, he launched himself into the atmosphere, leaving a white trail behind him as he streaked through the clouds in hot pursuit of both the Prince and the four androids.
The four androids touched down smoothly onto the cracked asphalt of a deserted, windy mountain road, their boots kicking up small puffs of dust. High above, dark rain clouds tumbled across the sky, and the howling gale whipped through the surrounding pines.
"So, where are we going again?" 21 asked softly, brushing a stray strand of her long auburn hair out of her face as she adjusted her heavy glasses. "If Dr. Gero is... gone, do we really need to pursue this 'Son Goku'?"
"It's not about Gero," 17 said, leaning back against the rusty guardrail with his hands stuffed lazily into his pockets. "It's about having a goal. Besides, what else are we supposed to do? Get normal jobs?"
18 chuckled, tossing her blonde hair over her shoulder. "I'd rather shop. But finding Goku sounds like a decent road trip for now."
16 stood silent and towering beside them, his dark armor unaffected by the mountain wind. "The birds are quiet here," he murmured, his deep, robotic voice incongruous with his peaceful expression. "I like this planet."
Before 17 could reply, the howling wind suddenly died down—replaced by a sharp, static hum that made the fine hairs on the back of 21's neck stand up.
BOOM!
A golden meteor of pure Ki detonated onto the asphalt fifty yards down the road. The force of the impact shattered the pavement, sending chunks of rock flying into the ravine below.
As the dense dust cloud blew away, Vegeta stood tall in his Super Saiyan form, his golden hair gleaming against the overcast sky and his arms folded tightly over his chest. A cruel, arrogant sneer stretched across his face.
"Running away so soon?" Vegeta's voice cut through the whistling wind like a razor. "I'm not finished with you tins of scrap metal."
Vegeta hovered above the cracked mountain road, floating down slowly, his golden aura roaring like a contained sun. He smirked down at the group, his arms folded tightly across his chest.
"So, there you are," Vegeta sneered, his voice dripping with condescension. "I didn't think you'd be this easy to find. Run out of gas?"
17 casually turned his head over his shoulder, his dark eyes taking in the glowing golden warrior. "There's something different about you," 17 noted smoothly. "What happened?"
"I'm showing my true self!" Vegeta declared, his smirk widening arrogantly. "I'm the most powerful being on this planet... and you're not welcome here!"
18 glanced at Vegeta with complete indifference, her arms remaining crossed. "You're quite brave for someone all alone."
"Don't worry, I came prepared," Vegeta scoffed, extending an open palm toward them as his fingers slowly curled into a tight fist. "I'm going to put you back in the crate you crawled out of!"
17 chuckled softly, shaking his head.
Vegeta's eyes narrowed, a vein pulsing on his forehead. "You're laughing? Why is that? This is not a joke!"
17 turned his full body around, looking up at the Super Saiyan with a smirk. "Tell me... are all of you Saiyans so full of yourselves? Is Goku like you?" He tilted his head, his tone laced with amusement. "Is this the way you try to hide your incompetence? We androids will always be superior to your kind."
"You take that back!" Vegeta roared, his golden aura surging violently around him as he pointed a trembling finger. "You'll regret saying that! You're nothing but a machine made of tin! You're just a bunch of toys made by a crazy old man, and don't forget that tin toys can be broken!"
18 didn't even flinch. She simply sighed, tossing her blonde hair as she glanced sideways at 17. "He talks too much."
Vegeta's jaw dropped, his teeth grinding together in pure, unadulterated fury. "WHAT WAS THAT?!"
18 looked over at the towering, dark-armored frame standing silently beside them, her hand resting casually on her hip.
"Hey, 16," 18 said, tilting her head toward the glowing Super Saiyan above. "Why don't you handle this loudmouth? Give us a chance to see what you can actually do."
Android 16 didn't flinch. His sharp, mechanical eyes remained fixed on the quiet forest lining the cliffside, completely unbothered by Vegeta's roaring golden aura.
"I refuse," 16 replied in his deep, resonant monotone. "My directive is to kill Son Goku. I have no interest in fighting him."
Vegeta sneered, dropping his arms from his chest and letting out a sharp, mocking laugh. "A wise choice! At least one of you rust-buckets knows when it's outmatched."
18 scoffed, rolling her blue eyes as she stepped forward onto the cracked asphalt. She casually tossed her blonde hair over her shoulder and unbuttoned her denim vest, letting it slide off her arms and drop to the ground.
"Fine then," 18 said, rolling her shoulders with a cold, dangerous smirk. "I'll handle him myself."
The blonde moved strands of hair from her head, tucking them behind her ear. "Ready, little man?"
"So, it's ladies first, is it?" Vegeta scoffed, his golden aura flaring with explosive intensity as he dropped into a low combat stance. "Don't expect me to go easy on you. I fight to win!"
Before his final sentence even finished echoing off the canyon walls, Vegeta launched himself forward like a golden streak. The pavement beneath his boots shattered into dust as he closed the distance in the blink of an eye, throwing a lightning-fast, Ki-infused right hook straight for 18's jaw.
18 threw up her forearm at the last microsecond, catching the crushing strike. The shockwave of the impact blew a crater into the asphalt beneath their feet and sent a gust of gale-force wind ripping through the valley, snapping nearby pine trees in half.
Without missing a beat, 18 brought a knee straight toward Vegeta's midsection. The Saiyan Prince pivoted, parrying her knee with his palm and throwing a blinding flurry of left hooks and straight jabs.
What followed was a violent, near-invisible blur of high-speed combat. The air split apart with continuous sonic booms as the two traded blows in fractions of a second. Shockwaves rippled out in every direction, shattering the rock faces around them, carving deep trenches through the mountain road, and kicking up a blinding cloud of dust and debris.
Vegeta pressed the offensive with relentless force, his golden aura roaring louder as he drove 18 back into the cliffside, both of them moving so fast that only shockwaves and flashes of light marked their path across the gorge.
Vegeta delivered a brutal, Ki-infused kick straight to 18's midsection, sending her crashing hard into the side of the windy mountain face. The rock splintered on impact, raining debris down into the valley below as 18 skidded across the ledge, coming to a halt with a cloud of dust rising around her.
Vegeta hovered back, his golden aura crackling violently as he uncrossed his arms, a cocky, razor-sharp smirk plastered across his face. He looked down at her with pure condescension, dusting off his white gloves.
"What's the matter? Starting to realize you're out of your depth?" Vegeta mocked, his voice echoing over the howling mountain wind. "Tell you what, if you throw in the towel right now, I might actually show some mercy. Once I dismantle you, I'll recycle your parts into something actually useful. Maybe a clothes dryer, a washing machine... or a nice little toaster."
'He's starting to annoy me.' The blonde tucks another hair behind her head as a sinister smirk dances on he lips.
18 stepped out from the mountain ridge, lunging in with a heavy left hand. Vegeta snapped his guard up, blocking the blow—but the sheer impact sent a jolt up his arms, the look on his face betraying his surprise at her immense raw power.
18 wound up a follow-up right, but Vegeta closed the distance early, smothering her extension before she could generate leverage. He threw a right hook of his own, but 18 slipped on the inside, instantly whipping a high head-kick toward his chin. Vegeta barely managed to get his arm up in time to deflect it.
They traded rapid frames along the highway, both looking for an opening. Vegeta planted his foot, positioning and threw a crisp straight right, but 18 broke his guard, diverting the blow and pulling her head just out of range. Vegeta pressed with a barrage, but 18 stayed defensively responsible, keeping her chin tucked behind her shoulder and shelling up.
She fired a back-kick to his midsection, but Vegeta caught the leg and countered cleanly. 18 parried the follow-up, backing away to draw him out. Overzealous with her opponent against the rock wall, 18 telegraphed a left hand.
Vegeta seized the mistake, grabbing her arm and hurling her across the canyon.
Following right on her tail, Vegeta faked a left jab before driving a hard knee toward her stomach. As 18 dropped her guard to block the knee, Vegeta exploited the opening, cracking a massive left hook flush across her jaw. The shockwave echoed down the gorge, but 18 absorbed the strike without flinching, her cyborg frame completely unfazed.
18 took to the air, drawing Vegeta into a high-speed chase through the valley. Vegeta unleashed a volley of yellow Ki blasts, but 18 swerved left and right through the explosions, completely untouched. He caught up to her on the roof of a parked semi-truck along the highway.
"Ooh, Vegeta's following 18 right into a trap." 17 remarks, watching them fly off.
Vegeta lunged in with a furious combination: a right hand slipped on the inside, a body kick blocked. 18 shifted her weight effortlessly, avoiding a leg sweep and diverting his body shots. Recognizing that Vegeta's pride made him dangerous in close-quarters exchanges, 18 deliberately disengaged, backing off to throw off his rhythm and force him to burn through his finite Saiyan stamina.
Vegeta pressed the action, unleashing another heavy barrage that forced 18 to duck and weave. Swooping in with zero warning, 18 cracked Vegeta with a sudden, vicious headbutt that cut his forehead.
Spurred by pure rage, Vegeta lunged forward again, expecting her to retreat. Instead, 18 stood her ground, baiting his body shot only to counter with a devastating knee straight to his sternum. Vegeta gasped, stunned, as 18 capitalized with a sharp, disrespectful palm strike straight to his jaw, sending him skidding across the asphalt just as Escallion, Piccolo, Trunks, Tien, and Krillin arrived on the ridge.
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A/N: Tried to get my boy Vegeta right; he is my favourite character but damn is he a fraud.