"Would you two stop following me!" Vegeta yelled at the time travelers behind him.
"We're not going to let you face these cyborgs on your own," Trunks told him, as the landscape beneath them became more mountainous. "You'll die if you do!"
"You! Girl!" Vegeta shouted back at Ranch. "You're Raditz's brat, aren't you? Go back and bother him instead."
Ranch didn't say anything. She kept flying behind them keeping pace.
"Did you hear me?" Vegeta demanded, coming to a sudden stop. Ranch and Trunks stopped too, and she stared down Vegeta as he got in her face. "You know who I am, don't you? There's no way that you don't! So answer me, girl, why don't you just go back and bother your worthless, low-class father instead?"
If Trunks wasn't right there by them, Ranch would've flown off the handle. So, repressing the urge to throw a punch, she just glowered and crossed her arms. "Your son and I have been watching out for each other since we were kids. There is no way in hell I'm going to let him get killed just to keep your ass alive."
Vegeta gave her what he clearly thought was an intimidating look, but she didn't even flinch. Seeing that it wasn't having the intended effect, Vegeta said to them, "As if I need help staying alive. Fine then. At least make yourselves useful and help me find this damn lab."
What a jackass, she thought bitterly. Ranch recalled a moment with Gohan when she was younger. She had asked him why he and Bulma didn't talk a lot about Trunks' father. All he told her was that he respected Trunks too much to tell him what he really thought. That left her confused back then, but she understood now. Trunks gave Ranch an apologetic look as they began to scour the mountains, and at the same time Raditz, Tien, Piccolo, and Krillin arrived on the outskirts of North City and began their own search.
As Raditz flew around the mountains, he was searching for Gero but he was also keeping an eye out for his future daughter. There was no doubt in his mind that Ranch could take care of herself, but his main concern was that she had followed Vegeta…. No, she followed Trunks who was following Vegeta. If that blue blood bastard gave her any lip, Raditz would pummel him. He'd do it if it was his baby girl now—he would damn well do it for his girl from the future, too.
As they searched and Gero closed in on his lab, it was Krillin that was the first to come across him. He was following a trail that Gero was leaving behind him, when all of a sudden the cyborg jumped and ambushed him. Krillin was injured but stood back up. After Krillin got back up, he saw that Gero was ready to strike, but the cyborg realized how close the stronger opponents were and dashed off. Despite the pain, Krillin followed as best he could. Upon spotting Gero as he entered his lab in the side of the mountain, Krillin started to power up to let the others know his location.
All the heroes that were scattered around sensed Krillin's energy, and made a beeline for him.
"Hey, guys! I found Dr. Gero! And his lab! I found Dr. Gero's lab!" Krillin said desperately as Raditz, Tien and Piccolo arrived on the scene.
"Krillin, you're hurt!" Raditz said.
"Yeah, he beat me here," he explained.
"What!" Piccolo exclaimed, flying to the entrance. "Damn it. Let's get in before he can activate those things."
They went into the cave, and found a steel door blocking their way into the lab. They began banging on the door, trying to pry it open, but it was sealed shut.
Raditz growled angrily, stepped back, and raised his palms. "This is ridiculous. Everyone get out. I'm going to vaporize this entire mountain!"
"Hold it right there, Raditz!" Vegeta's voice rang out. He arrived with Trunks and Ranch right behind him. "Those cyborgs aren't going to be destroyed before I get my hands on them!"
"Ignore him," Trunks yelled desperately. "They have to be destroyed before they're woken up!"
"Seriously, you guys have no idea how dangerous they are!" Ranch shouted.
"I've had enough!" Vegeta said, pushing Raditz aside. "I came here for a fight!"
"We won't stand a chance against them without Goku!" Trunks pleaded.
"For the last time! We don't need Kakarot!" With a shout, Vegeta shot an energy blast from his hands, blowing the doors away and kicking up dust and smoke in the confined space. As the smoke cleared away the three figures behind the doorway appeared. A blonde young woman and black-haired young man stood not far from Dr. Gero. "So…where are they?" asked Vegeta.
"They're right there," Trunks said, fear and anxiety coursing through him.
"Yeah, didn't I describe them, earlier?" Ranch said tersely. "And they're stronger than all of us."
"Oh, I'm shaking in my boots," Vegeta said snidely.
"Goku's friends are persistent," Dr. Gero said. "17, 18, eliminate them now!"
"Hold your horses," 17 said casually. "We'll deal with them when we feel like it."
18 walked over to a closed pod, and looked inside. "And when we do we might need some help. How about we wake the big guy in here up?"
"No, absolutely not! Stay away from 16!"
"16?" Ranch said, a wave of terror crashing over her.
"Another one?" Trunks asked.
"Go on, Sis, open him up," 17 encouraged.
"I said no! He isn't ready yet!" Gero yelled angrily.
"Trunks, we need a plan," Ranch quietly told him, leaning over to him. But Trunks was still too stunned by the additional cyborg to respond.
"18, don't!" Gero kept on yelling, when she pushed a button on the pod. "I am your master! And you will do what I say!" Suddenly 17 sprang forward and hit Gero so what his hand went right through him. When 17 withdrew his hand, Gero started, "You dare! I gave you life!" Without hesitation, 17 spun around and kicked Gero's mechanical head right off. When Gero's head rolled to a stop in front of the fighters, 17 jumped up in the air and landed on top of head, crushing it beneath his foot. Everyone standing in the entrance stood there horrified.
Smirking at them, 17 calmly walked back to 18 and said to her, "Go ahead and get our new friend out."
Ranch was about to go to her father and hopefully get him to help in getting them all out, when Trunks suddenly yelled and went Super Saiyan. "No! If it gets out it'll be the end of us!" Before Ranch could try and stop him he let out a big blast aimed right at the cyborgs. The group of heroes all got away from the explosion caused by Trunks, and they all floated in midair looking at the destruction he caused.
Coughing, Krillin said, "How about a little more warning next time?"
Ranch let out a cry of frustration, and grabbed Trunks by his jacket. "You idiot!" she shouted angrily, shaking him. "I said we needed a plan, didn't I! But no, you decided to go off the rails! Tell me, what the hell good did that do, huh?"
"Wha—" Trunks then regained his composure, and he argued back, "Hey at least I did something instead of just standing around talking!"
Despite the seriousness of the situation, Raditz couldn't help but stare at the two of them. As Ranch and Trunks yelled at one another, Raditz couldn't help but picture all the times he and blonde Launch got at it. That did not bode well.
"See! Look!" Ranch yelled, pointing down at the clearing dust. The two cyborgs and the pod were intact.
"No! That was my most intense blast!" Trunks said.
"Yeah, and when did that ever help?" she shot back.
When Trunks didn't have an answer for her, Vegeta said scathingly, "Pathetic; letting her talk to you like that. If you're really my son, act like it."
"What's up with that?" 18 asked, holding the pod over her head and looking up at the scene.
"Lover's spat, I suppose? Who cares? How about we crack the big man open?" 17 replied.
18 tossed the pod next to them, and pressed the button. It let out a hiss as the pod began to slowly open—so slow that 18 just kicked the hatch off. The massive cyborg opened it eyes, sat up, and climbed out of its pod.
"So, does it feel good to finally stretch your legs?" 17 asked. He got no answer. "What's wrong? No voice box or just the strong silent type?" Again, the cyborg didn't speak.
"So what now?" 18 asked.
"Not sure…. 16, are you programed to kill Son Goku?" 17 said.
That got its attention. "That is affirmative," 16 finally replied.
"Well that settles that," 18 announced. "Let's get out of here and kill Son Goku."
"Sounds like a plan," 17 agreed.
Together, the three of them rose up into the air and took off, leaving the warriors behind and forgotten.
"Are they just leaving?" Vegeta yelled angrily. "Where the hell do they think they're going?"
"Should we follow them?" Tien said uncertainly.
Before anyone answered that Vegeta let out a roar and went Super Saiyan. "I am not letting them get away!"
But before he could fly away, Trunks sped forward and got in front of him.
Again? Ranch thought in dismay.
"How many times are you going to get in my way?" Vegeta yelled.
"As many times as it takes for you to understand that we need Goku!" Trunks said. "You're not as strong as—" Vegeta shut him up by punching him in the gut, shocking everyone.
"I'm over this. I'm going to end this right now!" Vegeta said as he blew past Trunks, who was doubled over in pain.
Damn it, Vegeta, how can you treat your own son like that? Raditz thought as Krillin, Tien, and Piccolo closed in to check on Trunks.
Ranch clenched her teeth and her fists, glaring at Vegeta's retreating figure. "That…bastard!" she raged, charging up a shot on her palm and taking aim at Vegeta. But Raditz rushed in and grabbed her wrist.
"Don't, Ranch," he told his daughter.
"Oh…dad," Ranch said a bit awkwardly, her anger subsiding. "Guess I lost my head. And, uh, sorry we haven't really talked yet."
"It's understandable, things have been nonstop since you arrived," he said.
"How long did it take to figure out who I was?"
"It became obvious pretty quickly," Raditz told her. With a smile he added, "You're definitely your mother's daughter."
"We have to go after him!" Trunks said, coughing. "If he takes them on alone he'll die!" Ranch sighed as she and her dad approached him, not daring to say out loud that she didn't care if his dad lived or not. Raditz, though, gave her a knowing look.
"Ranch," Piccolo said in thought, "are you able to become a Super Saiyan?"
Ranch just smirked, and replied, "Well, duh."
"Ha! That's my girl!" Raditz said proudly.
"So, including Vegeta, that makes seven of us, four of which are Super Saiyans," Piccolo analyzed. "What do you two think our odds are if we teamed up on them?"
"There…might be a chance, I suppose," Trunks admitted reluctantly.
Ranch thought about it, and said slowly, "While every instinct tells me to run, the numbers are on our side."
"Alright, then I propose this: Trunks, when we catch up you should back Vegeta up. Out of all us you're probably the most likely he'll accept any kind of aid from. Ranch, you know those cyborgs' strength, so go after one of the first two with Krillin and Tien. Raditz and I should team up on the last one."
They all agreed on the plan and flew off after Vegeta and the cyborgs.