"Interesting. I didn't expect Android 17 and 18 to make an appearance," Son Goku mused. His gaze lingered a moment longer on the blonde woman before shifting to the final, still-closed stasis pod. "And the one still sleeping… that should be Android 16, right?"
Dr. Rocco and Dr. Gero stared, their expressions shifting from smugness to shock. "What? How could you possibly know that? They've never been activated before!" Dr. Rocco sputtered.
"From the sound of it, you kept their designations the same. Good. It would've felt a bit awkward otherwise," Goku said with a casual shrug. He then turned his full attention to Android 18, offering a friendly wave. "Hey there, Android 18. A beautiful woman like you really shouldn't be my enemy, you know?"
"You are Son Goku," Android 18 stated, her voice cool and detached. "The purpose of our creation was your elimination." Her pale blue eyes held no warmth as they scanned him. Then, ignoring him, she walked purposefully toward Android 16's pod and reached for its release mechanism.
"Android 18, stop!" Dr. Gero shouted, a note of panic in his voice. "Android 16's control firmware is incomplete! He cannot be released in this state!"
"And that is my concern… how?" Android 18 replied without looking at him, her fingers hovering over the switch.
"Damn it! It seems the more powerful the unit, the less effective the baseline obedience protocols!" Dr. Rocco snarled. He raised the remote controller he still held. "If you will not obey, then you leave me no choice but to initiate termination!"
Android 18's hand froze.
Android 17, who had been observing the scene with detached interest, finally spoke. His voice was as cold as his sister's. "Are you certain that is a wise course of action, Doctor? If we are terminated, you will be left utterly defenseless against Son Goku."
"Are you threatening me?!" Dr. Rocco's eyes blazed with fury. "Then we shall all perish together!" His thumb moved decisively toward the central button.
Son Goku's hand twitched. With a thought, he willed the controller into his World Ring, then immediately brought it back out. To everyone else, it simply vanished from Dr. Rocco's grasp and reappeared in Goku's open palm.
"While I'm not particularly invested in Android 17's survival," Goku said, examining the device, "I can't just stand by and let something happen to Android 18."
"The controller! When did you—?!" Dr. Rocco's face went deathly pale, his hand clutching at empty air.
"And that's why mad scientists like you always lose," Goku stated flatly. In a blur of motion, he was in front of Dr. Rocco. A swift, powerful kick lashed out.
The scientist's head snapped back with a sickening crack, separating cleanly from his body. Before the headless corpse could even hit the floor, Goku fired a quick Ki Blast, vaporizing Dr. Gero where he stood. The co-creator of the androids was gone, erased without a chance to utter another word.
"Agh! Such carelessness!" Dr. Rocco's severed head hit the ground with a thud, yet somehow his voice still issued from it, a feat of grim cybernetics. "But don't celebrate yet, Son Goku! Once Nōku fully awakens, he will avenge me! All of you will be buried with me! Hahaha!"
Goku's brow furrowed. "Nōku? Another of your creations? I've never heard that name."
"Hah! He is no mere android! Like Android 16, he is a being of pure biotechnology, a genesis from nothing! But his composition… he is forged from the genetic cells of you and another supreme warrior! When his awakening is complete, your destruction is assured! And that's not all!" The disembodied head's laughter was manic. "There was an egg in this lab! A perfect, ultimate bio-android that Gero and I created together! It may not compare to my Nōku, but if it is allowed to reach its perfect form, it too can defeat you! Want to know where they are hidden? Find them yourself! I'll take that secret to oblivion! Hahahaha!"
"So the changes run deeper than I thought," Goku muttered, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "A 'Nōku' appears out of nowhere… but that 'egg' he mentioned must be Cell."
Before he could ponder further, Android 17 stepped forward. With a look of utter contempt, he raised his foot and brought it down on Dr. Rocco's still-chattering head.
CRUNCH. SPLUT.
Silence.
"And with that… we are finally free," Android 17 said, his voice quiet but filled with a palpable sense of release.
Simultaneously, with a powerful kick, Android 18 blasted the door off Android 16's stasis pod. Goku made no move to stop her. His interest in Android 16 had always been minimal.
The massive form inside stirred. Android 16's eyes flickered to life, scanning the room with a soft electronic whir. He climbed out of the pod with deliberate, heavy movements. His gaze settled on Goku, the targeting systems behind his optics locking on.
"Son Goku," he stated, his voice a deep, synthesized baritone devoid of inflection. "I did not anticipate encountering my primary target immediately upon activation." As he spoke, he shifted into a combat stance, his massive fists clenching. Dr. Rocco's tampering had clearly intensified his core directive, burning away any trace of the gentle giant from the original timeline. This Android 16 existed for one purpose only: elimination.
"Is that wise?" Goku held up the remote controller, giving it a little shake. "Remember, Android 18, I'm holding your leash right here."
"Wait, Android 16!" Android 17 moved to intercept, placing himself between the larger android and Goku.
Android 16's response was immediate and brutal. He didn't speak. He simply lashed out with a backhand that caught Android 17 squarely in the chest, sending him crashing through a bank of computer consoles with a sound of shattering metal and glass.
"I have no obligation to heed your commands," Android 16 stated, turning his unblinking eyes back to Goku. "My programming contains a single, non-negotiable mission parameter: terminate Son Goku."
"You bastard! Don't get carried away!" Android 17 roared, pushing himself out of the wreckage. Fury etched his normally placid features. He launched himself at Android 16, ki flaring around his fist.
Android 16 met the charge head-on. Their fists collided with a concussive BOOM that shook the entire underground facility. Dust and debris rained from the ceiling, and deep cracks spiderwebbed across the reinforced walls. Android 17 was driven back several paces, his arm trembling slightly from the impact.
"Do not force me to dismantle you. My target is singular," Android 16 warned, his gaze flicking briefly to Android 18, who had taken a step forward, her own energy beginning to rise.
"It seems you're not like those other disposable bio-units," Android 17 said, a fierce grin spreading across his face as he steadied himself. "You actually have some power. In that case, I'll have to get a bit more serious."
"Wait," Android 18 said, her voice cutting through the tension. She placed a restraining hand on her brother's arm, her eyes fixed on Goku. "Let's see how his fight with Son Goku plays out first. After all… he holds our controller."
Android 17's jaw tightened, but after a moment's hesitation, he gave a curt nod and lowered his hands, though his fighting stance remained.
"Now then, Son Goku," Android 16 intoned, his whole body thrumming with barely-contained power. A bloodthirsty, electronic light seemed to glow deep within his optical sensors—a stark contrast to the peaceful nature of his original counterpart. "Your opponent is me."
The air in the crumbling lab grew thick with anticipation. The battle was about to begin.