AN: Just here to say that Silverhawk88 was pretty sharp at anticipating what was coming! I wonder how many more of you saw this one coming. Still fiddling with what direction I'm gonna take this saga in...

- Lildbzbuddy89

Chapter 21 – More Androids?!

Chiri had felt herself be grabbed around the waist by her father just before the explosion threw them off their feet. Her head spun and her ears were deafened by the roar of the explosion. The smoke from the burning engines stung her eyes and forced her to cough as she accidentally inhaled some of the toxic smoke in. Knowing she was in danger but in safe hands, she focused on clearing the inhaled air from her lungs, opening one eye cautiously as her father loosened his hold on her.

She saw the remains of the craft – now in flames – tumble towards the ground below. It sent shivers down her spine knowing she could have been inside that...

"You ok?" He asked, that serious tone of voice which he used only in dangerous situations. It unnerved his daughter to hear it.

"Y-Yeah," Chiri responded. Her heart shot into her throat threatening to choke her, it had just dawned on her that Gohan was also present when the plane had exploded! What had caused the explosion in the first place? Was everyone alright, or had someone been hurt?

"Heeeey!" Krillin's voice called, the short fighter approaching Goku and his daughter. Chiri looked around and was relieved each time she spotted one of the fighters alive and well: first Krillin, then Tenshinhan, then Piccolo and her brother, then Yamcha. Everyone was accounted for. Chiri's eyes shifted back to Yamcha as Tenshinhan suddenly shot towards him, a noticeable red streak falling from the tall warrior's body. Chiri's eyes widened and she inhaled with shock; Yamcha had been injured!

"Goku, we need to get Yamcha some senzu beans!" Krillin exasperated as he reached the Saiyan. Goku had seen Yamcha buckle over and was now calculating a plan of action, still preoccupied with the cause of the explosion! It hadn't been a malfunction of the craft; something had attacked them.

"I didn't sense anything!" Chiri whispered, the shock still overcoming her. "... Dad... is it the androids?"

"I don't know," Goku answered grimly. "... Chiri, take Yamcha to Korin's. Get him a senzu bean and come and find us. Fly there as fast as you can!"

"There!" Piccolo's voice carried over the high winds. He was pointing to a spot in the skies around Chiri's eight-O'clock position. Eyes scanned the area until they fell upon two dark objects. Chiri could sense no power coming from them, filling her further with a sense of dread and dismay; they had to be androids! They weren't the androids... This baffled her. One shadow was short and stubby; the other tall and muscular. Neither were slender and mid-height from what Chiri could tell.

The objects suddenly zoomed closer towards them, quickly becoming visible and details easier to see. Then, metres from her and her father (causing her to float back a little), they stopped.

Goku observed them cautiously, still aware of the trouble Yamcha was in whilst Tenshinhan tended to him. "Chiri, go. Quickly!" He barked in a hushed voice.

Chiri knew now was not the time to disobey her father. He had that tone in his voice, a tone that told her he was not messing around. With one last peek at the strange new androids, Chiri turned and floated down towards Yamcha and Tenshinhan, quickly reaching the suffering warrior. On closer inspection she could see a wound similar to a gunshot had emerged on Yamcha's chest and right arm, both bleeding albeit not heavily. The ki blast – or possibly just a fragment of debris – had pierced straight through his arm, another piece of shrapnel had partially lodged itself within his chest but had not come out the other side. It was definitely causing him some discomfort which upset Chiri, but she knew to hold in her alarm. She had a job to do.

"Mr Tenshinhan, my dad wants me to take Yamcha to Korin," Chiri explained, taking Yamcha under his left arm and holding him over her shoulder. "Mr Yamcha, we'll get you a senzu bean and make you all better."

"You're not the androids we were warned about," Goku's voice carried on the winds, momentarily snatching Chiri's ear. As much as she really, really, really wanted to learn about these new foes, she knew her father would be furious with her if she stayed a moment longer. Against her need for knowledge, Chiri started up her aura, surrounded by a powerful jet of white as she launched herself and Yamcha through the skies, heading westbound for Korin Tower. At least they'd had one stroke of luck; they weren't too far away from their destination!

The two androids had spotted the craft moving in the distance. A smile emerged on the smaller android's face as his scanners indicated their target had suddenly appeared inside the vessel. It was fortunate that despite heading south-east, they had come across the aircraft Son Goku's friends were in. Then what luck it had been when Goku had suddenly vanished from Kame House and appeared in the craft before them! They had wasted no time in grabbing their foe's attention.

The taller of the androids had fired off a small ki blast designed to destroy the ship. Neither cared for the other warriors inside the craft, their only objective was to destroy Son Goku, just as the doctor had programmed them to do. Today had been their lucky day; the last time either android had seen the light of day was over two years ago when Dr Gero had regarded them as his plan B, should his better, stronger creations Androids Seventeen and Eighteen malfunction or be considered too powerful to be controlled. They had not been aware that after their final activation, Dr Gero had unleashed Android Nineteen and transformed himself into an Android, ultimately deciding he and Nineteen would be adequate enough to get the job done. When this had not been achieved, Gero had panicked and decided to jump straight to his strongest android creations, though technically Seventeen and Eighteen were cyborgs as they'd both once been human. Fearing Thirteen, Fourteen and Fifteen wouldn't be strong enough, he had woken Seventeen and Eighteen from their slumber. Little had he suspected within fifteen minutes of their activation, he would be dead.

Fourteen and Fifteen had woken to a scene of rubble and destruction. The reinforced steel roof of the second basement floor had saved them from the destruction seen on the floors above; it was clear someone had been here. They didn't know Trunks and Krillin had broken into the laboratories above and found the plans for Seventeen, as well as finding the barely-formed larval form of Cell in his static tank. The two warriors had assumed Cell was the only creation left in the labs, had proceeded to destroying the floor he was contained on before firing one last finishing attack down the shaft, destroying everything on the first basement floor. Fourteen and Fifteen had survived the destruction; the last explosion had been what had shaken them from their slumber. From then on they'd proceeded to carrying out their goal; locate Son Goku and kill him at all costs.

The craft in the distance exploded as the ki ball struck its target. The shockwave of the explosion hit them as the engines erupted into flame. Judging by their sensors, all passengers of the craft had survived the strike and were now floundering around trying to make sense of it all. The smaller android smiled to himself and began to slowly float towards them, the taller android following. By now Piccolo had spotted them approaching and had alerted everyone else to their presence. Both androids, still orientated vertically, shot forward at a much faster pace, halting metres away from their main target: Son Goku.

Fifteen's eyes, hidden behind his large glasses, observed those in attendance. He identified the others present without issue. Krillin was to Goku's left and to the former monk's left, Piccolo and Son Gohan hovered a little closer to the ground. Just below them were the Earthling warriors Tenshinhan and Yamcha.

The small girl to Goku's right was the only one neither android had much information on though they were aware of her existence: Son Chiri. So she had joined her father, brother and their friends in fighting after all, just as Dr Gero and his computer suggested she may do... Fighting seemed to run in Son Goku's family so it was little surprise to them.

"Chiri, go. Quickly," Goku had ordered his daughter in a hushed voice, not hushed enough not to be heard by the two androids. Fifteen reached into his large coat and pulled out a small silver flask, unscrewing the lid and taking a small swig of its contents before returning it back into his coat's inside pocket.

The young girl went without question, floating down towards Yamcha and Tenshinhan.

"Who are you?" Piccolo asked before anyone else could. "It's clear you're both androids since we can't detect any trace of ki."

"That's correct." Fifteen spoke, unfazed by the knowledge their foes held about them. It was already clear that Androids Seventeen and Eighteen were activated and that something had gone wrong in Gero's plans. Neither Android had been in their pods when Fourteen had searched through the rubble – Sixteen was also reported to be missing. Neither were sure on the details and whether their successors had been approached or made contact with their objective and Fifteen wasn't about to let them get the pleasure of strangling the final breath from Goku's lungs! It was a miracle in itself that he and Fourteen had survived, judging by the state of the laboratories. Rubble and ruin were apparent on the higher floors, although it was fortunate it hadn't gone through to their levels. The reinforced sealing the doctor had used had paid off and spared them from an untimely demise.

"Just how many of these monsters did Dr Gero create?!" Krillin grunted rhetorically, frustrated with the way events were unfolding. Just when it seemed there was hope again, suddenly their hope was stripped away from them! Not only were they still in the middle of locating Cell, they were also stumped for ideas on how to handle Sixteen, Seventeen and Eighteen!

""You're not the androids we were warned about," Goku muttered. "Which numbers are you? Twenty-One?"

"Incorrect," Fifteen answered. "Fourteen," he waved one hand over to the towering android beside him before bringing it back towards himself, "and I am Fifteen."

Fourteen noticed Chiri and Yamcha suddenly make a dash for it. This did not sit well inside the silent warrior's stomach and he extended one hand forward, gathering ki into the palm of his hand.

A quick dash from Goku caught the android completely off-guard; the Saiyan warrior roaring as he lashed out, landing an uppercut into the machine's cheek. Fourteen bolted back a few metres before righting himself and coming to a halt.

"They're of no concern to you, right?" Goku snapped. "I'm your target, right? Dr Gero created you to destroy me for destroying the Red Ribbon Army, right?"

Neither android responded.

"If you want me then you'll have to follow me! We won't fight here! I know of a better place!" Goku roared. His body was suddenly consumed by the aura of his ki, bright white and flaring around him like an all-consuming flame. Without another word he turned on the spot and dashed towards the north.

The movement of the two androids was almost impossible for the majority of the other fighters to follow, bar Piccolo who at present was likely to have been the strongest amongst them all. The fused Namekian immediately followed the deadly duo, prompting the others who were almost oblivious to follow them.

Goku glanced over his shoulder as he dashed over the landscape, hoping he could stall these new androids for as long as possible. If it was possible, he still wanted to get himself, Gohan, Vegeta and Trunks to Kami's Lookout to get his plan started, just as Piccolo had agreed. However he could see himself becoming preoccupied with these mechanical fighters. The Saiyan blood inside of him stirred and despite his recent brush with death and his defeat against one of Gero's android creations, Goku was determined to prove himself and to show he meant business. Now he no longer had to worry about the heart virus killing him, there was nothing to hold him back from fighting these machines. The only problem was he couldn't currently determine just how strong they were compared to Nineteen and Twenty, much less Seventeen, Sixteen, Eighteen or even Cell! He cursed Dr Gero for his genius at hiding his creations' power levels.

The duo seemed to have little issue keeping up with him much to his concern, though the prospect of a challenge did excite him. With that in mind, Goku turned to face the direction he was headed for, hoping that a little luck would play into their hands and that no harm would come to Chiri or Yamcha as they travelled to Korin Tower.

Close behind the androids and Goku, Piccolo led Gohan, Krillin and Tenshinhan across the barren landscapes, the Namekian intensely watching their foes before them. This whole thing did not sit well in his stomach. Here they were now fighting yet two more of Dr Gero's blasted androids and Cell was still on the loose! Their top priority should have been tracking the green monster down in order to stop him from assimilating with Androids Seventeen and Eighteen, not being distracted by yet more androids claiming they wished to destroy Goku for what he did to their creator's army!

"This is nuts!" Krillin growled with frustration, doing his upmost best to keep up with Piccolo. "Just when you think it can't get any worse, even more androids make an appearance!"

"I know what you mean, it's frustrating," Tenshinhan nodded in agreement. "Just how many of these machines did that Dr Gero make?"

The flight lasted for quite some time. The wind soon grew colder and bitter against their skin as the grassy valleys and hills were slowly replaced by mountain ranges and large coats of white dusting the ground, slowly thickening as they travelled further and further north. Soon it was easy to see their breath on the air despite the speed in which they travelled.

Goku glanced down, relieved to see no signs of life down below them: there were no animals he could sense, nor were there any signs of civilisation. This looked like the perfect spot to fight.

The Saiyan suddenly descended towards an outcrop halfway down a mountain, feet landing firmly on the ground, sinking slightly under the sheet of snow that covered the top of the outcrop. About five metres from him hovered Fourteen and Fifteen; neither showing any signs of fatigue or distress to the bitterly cold wind currently howling through the peaks of the mountains surrounding them. Further back from them, his allies all hovered around the two machines, each in their own thoughts about how the battle would go, except for Krillin who was too busy muttering about needing a jacket!

Goku took in a small breath preparing himself for the conflict that was about to come, his heart beating loudly in his ribs. If he was right, he should hopefully stand a decent chance against these machines. However there was information he needed to get first. "I see Dr Gero didn't neglect you two; you seem as sturdy as the others we've faced." He muttered, eyes flicking over the two androids, taking note of just how well put-together they both seemed.

Neither android spoke or even acknowledged him.

"Dr Gero never made any mention of you two when he came face-to-face with us," Piccolo spoke, breaking the silence. "Why was this? Perhaps you were not adequate enough to take us all on?"

The accusation didn't seem to sit well in the shorter android's expression; Fifteen merely grimaced and shook his head. "Only a fool would make such an assumption. Dr Gero began our construction but it was not he who completed it."

"What do you mean?" Goku asked baffled and a little alarmed. "Was there someone else working with him?"

"No, not someone: something," Fifteen answered. "Our progress was monitored by Dr Gero's computer, hidden deep underneath several basement floors. All three of us were completed by the computer and have been woken. We see Dr Gero is no more..."

"Three?" Gohan mumbled quietly, gulping a lump down in a bid to clear his throat. "Did you hear that, Krillin?"

"I-I think so," Krillin nodded grimly. "I only see two of them here..."

"Could he be talking about Cell?" Tenshinhan pointed out. "Krillin, didn't you and Trunks destroy the small Cell in the laboratory?"

"Oh, yeah!" Krillin nodded in remembrance. "Good call! Maybe they're mis..." His smile quickly faded, left by a puzzled look. "... No... That doesn't make full sense... These guys say they were in the basement but neither Trunks nor I saw them! If they were really there, we would have destroyed them whilst we were destroying the little Cell in the tank!"

"Our goal is to kill you, Son Goku," Fifteen interrupted. "Dr Gero's other androids must have already been activated and killed by you if you still live. We shall finish the job they failed to do."

"They think the other androids are gone?" Gohan whispered in wonderment.

"Looks like these androids can't feel whatever sort of energy the others emit," Krillin responded quietly. "Strange how they were able to track us down though..."

"That's a good point," Piccolo perked up, eyes falling back to the androids. "Tell us, how did you find us?"

"We have energy detectors built into our systems," Fifteen spoke. "We can sense the location and intensity of the ki you organic beings emit. It was quite a challenge finding you all but very convenient to find you all in one place, especially when Son Goku appeared amongst you all."

Goku bared his teeth a little, feeling frustrated. Dr Gero seemed to have put in a lot of time and dedication into all of his android creations and it astounded him that each new batch seemed to have their own capabilities and strengths. Nineteen and Twenty had been able to absorb energy and could identify each fighter from the information Gero had provided them. Then Seventeen and Eighteen were supposed to have infinite energy – Goku recalled hearing the others downstairs talking about it whilst he was dreaming – though from what everyone could tell, they weren't able to detect energy. Sixteen was still a complete mystery. Cell was capable of absorbing matter and making himself stronger, able to detect ki and also having an array of different fighter's DNA within him giving him a variety of capabilities and techniques. And now there were these two new androids; they could also detect ki. What other powers would they have? Infinite energy? Absorbing ki?

"Hold on, this still isn't making sense!" Krillin protested. "Trunks and I went to Dr Gero's lab – we found the basement! We found Seventeen's blueprints, we found Cell in his larval form and we found the computer keeping him alive! We destroyed it all! The entire lab went up in smoke! How are you two androids still alive?"

"You destroyed only the top layer of the basement floors," the much taller Fourteen spoke quietly. "We were three basement floors further down."

"Dr Gero's computer is merely a super computer split into several interconnecting computer systems; in reality it is several super computers all linked up by the same network," Fifteen explained, clearly indifferent to answering questions based on his master's work. "You can destroy one and the rest will function perfectly fine without it. This Cell creature must have been one of Dr Gero's more recent creations... insignificant in determining your fate. We will be the ones to kill you, Son Goku."

"So you're all after me?" Goku raised an eyebrow. "Well if you want to kill me so much, go ahead and try! I've just beaten a virus that should have ended my life long before any of you machines would have done! I'm back and stronger than ever before, I can feel it. I'm eager to see how I compare against you two." He clasped his hands into tighter fists and lowered his stance slightly, an excited smile slowly forming across his face. "Let's see what you can do."

"Don't rush in so fast," Piccolo butted in. "You've only just recovered from that virus. Even with the power boost you've surely obtained from recovering, I am still the strongest amongst this group. You said you had a plan, remember?"

"Yeah but..." Goku frowned looking back at the Namekian as if he were a child trying to coax his parent into letting him play outside a little longer! "... It can wait for the time being. I'm confident we can handle these guys... and besides, you heard it with your own ears. They can sense us; if I run and collect Trunks and Vegeta, surely they'll just follow me wherever I go? I'm better off staying here and dealing with them right now."

Piccolo didn't respond, instead he just growled and put up his hunches. He couldn't see a logical way to get Goku to leave the fight up to him; it was likely these androids would chase him down no matter where he went. His own claims of being the strongest weren't all hot air; he had recently joined with Kami and proved to be more of a match for Cell. He was certain at this level he could pose a serious threat to Seventeen and Eighteen, though with the two fighting together he wasn't so sure. He had little idea how these two androids before them compared to the ones they'd already faced...

The snow suddenly leapt into the air as Goku lunged forwards, vanishing quickly from normal sight. Both Fourteen and Fifteen vanished with him.

The fight had begun.