This story is my version of the events of the fourth timeline of the Android Arc. The timeline where Cell didn´t appear and the Z-fighters faced the Androids without his interference. And where Trunks travelled back to the future only to be killed by him.

It will probably lead into a larger AU story for this world.


Dragon Ball - Unseen Timeline

Nearly a week had passed since the Androids Seventeen, Eighteen and Sixteen had been activated, killed Doctor Gero and had since then been searching for Son Goku.

And then happened... nothing actually so far.

The Androids kept a low profile. To everyones surprise, especially Trunks, they were not destroying towns and killing people left and right.

The world was not being thrown into chaos... so far. It was small consolation... it seemed the future he came from had already changed. And so had their enemies.

As far as they all knew, right now there was only one person who was currently in direct danger from them.

And that one person was in no condition to fight.

But there was also no guaranty that it wouldn´t come so far anyway. That the Androids would not some day change their minds and take over the world.

Or that the loss of Son Goku would not made it vulnerable to some other threat later.

Right now there was no telling what the future would bring.

xxx

Son Goku was waking up

His sleep had been filled with dreams of a devastated future... and a dangerous present.

But now he opened his eyes.

It was now nearly a week since the heart virus had broken out that had nearly killed him. Thanks to the cure Trunks had brought from the future three years ago, he had been able to survive... barely.

He knew that the Androids were looking for him. That they were after him.

Goku begann to stretch himself.

After a few moments the door was opened.

It was Chichi.

They had a short heartful greeting, that ended up with Goku putting her in his arms an lifting her off the ground.

The question was... what now?

"You can not fight," Chichi told him.

He knew she was right. He might have been healed from the virus but he was still far from being in good shape.

And even if he were, these three Androids were simply too strong for them all.

What he - what they all - needed was more time.

xxx

Time! For a short moment the idea to use the Room of Spirit and Time crossed his mind.

But then something inside him resented the idea a short time later. He remembered his training in his childhood and how he had nearly lost his mind during it.

But at the same time, even more important, something inside him was just fundamentally against the idea. Something that some people did not even really realized he possessed... his saiyan pride.

With the Room of Spirit and Time you could train an entire year or longer, while for the rest of the world only passed a single day. Even two years by what Kami had said, before you got to the chamber´s limit.

But what was such a victory truly worth? he asked himself. You did not win because you were truly stronger than your opponent or more skilled or because you were training smarter - no, you did win just because you had access to the chamber and could train for months and years, while for your opponent barely any time passed at all.

No - he realized somewhere in his mind, Vegeta might see that differently, but to him - such a `victory´ would be ultimately worthless.

If the Androids had been destroying cities and the fate of the world had been at stake - or maybe if they were facing an enemy who could get stronger without training, he might have taken this route.

But so... if he fought them and managed to win, the win would be his, not the time-chamber´s.

xxx

He and Chichi were going down to the living room. There Krillin, Gohan, Oolong and Muten Roshi were waiting for them.

"Goku!" Krillin called out.

"Dad - you are alright," Gohan said happily.

Goku gave him a short smile.

"It is good to see that you are well again," Muten Roshi said.

"Yes," Goku stated quietly. "I am back. I have already a picture of what happened while I was down. The Androids are after me, aren´t they?"

"Do you have any idea what to do about them?" Roshi asked.

"I will be waiting for them here?" he stated.

"What?" Chichi practically screamed. "You just said yourself you were in no state to fight," she yelled at him.

"I don´t want to fight them. At least not right now. Just listen to me for a minute.

It is me they are after. But while they are looking for me, they could also get into fights with other people. With Piccolo, Trunks or Vegeta or with anyone else who gets in their way and they could die.

I want to give them a challenge. I will fight them in two months from now on, as long as they agree not to harm anyone in that time."

"What?" everyone asked now stunned.

"Do you really think they will agree to this?" Krillin asked him.

"I have to try at least. I don´t want anyone to die in my place while I am training for them."

`If you would just use the time-chamber, you wouldn´t have this problem,´ he thought to himself, but forced it down.

"I will give a quick heads-up to the others," Goku said. "Could you give me a sign if the Androids actually show up here when I am gone?"

"No problem," Krillin replied.

Goku concentrated on the energies of the others.

Vegeta and Trunks were both somewhere at a remote area west from here.

Piccolo was in the northern areas. His energy level was high. He was obviously training.

So were Tien, Chaozu and Yamcha at another place.

Goku concentrated on Piccolo first... and then used Instant Transmission.

xxx

"Goku." the Namekian greeted him as soon as he appeared. Piccolo had just been sparring with a ki created double of himself.

"You are back," he stated.

"Yes."

"Do you have any idea what we should do now?" Piccolo asked him.

"To be honest, I have one. But I think you won´t like it," Goku said.

"That´s nothing new here. I even went as far to go to Kami and offer him to become one being again. But he refused," Piccolo admitted.

"He claimed that since the Androids were not attacking the world as a whole, there was no need to. And he said it was not worth loosing the Dragon Balls."

"You know, he had a point there. So far they are just after me. They even left you alive. By the way, I am surprised that you went that far just because you lost against them," Goku questioned. "This is hardly the first time you loose a fight."

"It is not just that," Piccolo responded with a raised voice.

"Freeza wa the strongest being in the known universe. The Super Saiyans even surpassed him. But this three artificial beings make them look like weaklings. If it comes down to it, we have nothing to counter them."

"At least, like Kami said, they are not destroying the world like Trunks predicted."

"Yes." Piccolo grimaced. "But if they should change their minds about that some day, there is nothing we can do to stop them."

"We will," Goku replied. "I am pretty sure we Super Saiyans can surpass our current power. And so can you."

"Yeah? If the Androids leave us enough time, maybe."

"That´s what I want to do. I will try to buy us some time."

Goku explained what he intended to do.

"What? You just intend to ask them to fight us in two months and wait so long?" Piccolo asked.

"I intend to make a challenge. A fight between us in two months," Goku responded.

"What makes you believe that the Androids would agree to this? How do you know that they won´t just kill you on the spot?"

"I have a feeling that they will agree. Did they not tell Krillin that their search for me was a game to them? Now - fighting me like I am now, barely recovered from the virus and too weak would not be very interesting, wouldn´t it?

And about killing me? I am pretty sure with the Instant Transmission I can avoid that for an entire while."

Piccolo was looking at him perplexed.

"I hate to admit it, but that might actually be true. But even if you could convince them to give us this two months, do you think it might be enough to catch up with them?"

Goku hesitated for a short moment.

"I admit I am not completely sure. But then - when had it ever actually been sure if we can defeat an enemy or not?"

xxxxxxx

Now Goku appeared at the side of a cliff a few meters from where Vegeta was standing. His expression grim and unreadable... or mostly.

"Goku," Trunks called out as he saw him.

"Kakarot," Vegeta said, "what do you want?"

Goku explained his idea to them as well.

"Let me get this straight," Trunks said. "So ultimately you just want to ask them to wait some time till we have trained?"

"Well - Krillin told us that this 17 had said the Androids treated this as a game," Goku replied, "and would not this only make the game more interesting?"

"Kakarot - I have to give it to you, this sounds crazy, but it will probably work," Vegeta stated.

"You can sense it as well, can you? This Super Saiyan state we have right now is not our limit. There is something beyond that. We can brake though that barrier if we just train some more."

"Are you serious about that Goku?" Trunks asked curious.

"Yes."

Vegeta just scoffed.

"Give these Androids your challenge Kakarot. I will train," he said. "But one thing. After this thing is over you and I will fight."

Goku showed a small smile.

"We will," he responded.

xxxxxxx

A few hours later. Goku had by now decided to train a bit on his own as well. Just some light exercises for the beginning, since he had barely recovered.

It was then when he sensed the signal agreed with Krillin, coming from the Kame House.

The Androids had arrived.

As he appeared on the beach before Master Roshi´s home a moment later, Goku saw them face to face for the first time.

The one closest to him, who seemed to be the leader of the group, was a young man with shoulder long black hair - Number 17, he recognized from what the others told him. Next to him a blonde girl, looking very similar to him - Number 18... and standing behind them a very tall man with red hair and a mohawk - 16.

"So you are the Androids," Goku said.

"Be careful Goku," Chichi, who was standing with the others in front of the house, said to him.

"Son Goku," Seventeen stated, "so there you are finally. Nice trick by the way. It is nowhere stated in our data that you can appear out of nowhere like that."

"Doctor Gero had already discovered that your data is outdated by a few years."

"It seems so," Eighteen commented sardonically.

"Son Goku - I am programmed to kill you," Sixteen announced flatly. He took one step forward.

"Now - could we first talk for a moment?" Goku said.

"You don´t actually want to ask for mercy or something? That would really disappoint me," Eighteen stated.

"Right. That would be unlike what we were told of you," Seventeen said, "and no fun at all."

"I don´t. I just want to ask you to wait with killing me for two months," Goku responded.

17 and 18 exchanged a short surprised look.

"Why?" Seventeen asked.

"To be honest... " Goku shrugged with his shoulders somewhat carelessly. "... I am just recovering from a deadly heart-virus that had nearly killed me. That was also the reason I had missed the last fight. So you see, killing me right now would not really be a challenge."

Seventeen looked at him for a split-second, before he started to laugh.

"Son Goku - you are truly something," he called out.

"And if we say no and just get over with it?" Eighteen questioned.

She lifted her hand and shot a ki blast at Goku.

"Dad - look out," Gohan shouted.

But he just teleported again and appeared behind Krillin.

Muten Roshi´s house however could not and the blast blew a large hole right through it´s left side.

"G-good that none of us was inside anymore," Oolong stammered as he saw the damage.

Chichi standing next to him only nodded.

"Hey!" Roshi called out. "Young lady - this is my home."

"And I should care, why?" Eighteen responded. "It is not as if I live here."

Sixteen leaped forward towards Goku - with Krillin making a frightened face... but he had already moved again and was now standing next to Muten Roshi.

"Interesting," Seventeen observed, "So you can use that technique many time in just a short seems catching you will be harder than killing you."

"Right. Why do you want to kill me in the first place by the way?" Goku questioned.

"I am programmed to," Sixteen replied. "It is my purpose."

"And is it the same with you two?" he asked 17 and 18.

"No. For us it is just a game we are playing to spend our time," Seventeen stated.

"Are you sure about that," Gohan shouted suddenly. "Because your `game´ just happens to be the exact same thing what Doctor Gero wanted you to do in the first place. Don´t you think that a bit strange?"

17 frowned. 18 as well did not look all too happy about what the young half-saiyan was implying.

And Goku had alread moved places again and was now standing beside Gohan.

"Enough!" Seventeen called out, with some traces of real anger now. "We will give you this two months."

"Seventeen - are you sure?" Eighteen asked.

"If we don´t, he will just keep dis- and reappearing all over the planet and we would just be running after him for far more than two months. And that would be more than annoying."

"I guess you have a point here," Eighteen stated.

"I have to destroy Son Goku," Sixteen argued.

"I could even move myself and my family to another planet and stay there," Goku explained. "You would never find me unless I want it. But I always face my battles head-on... well - at least when I am in good shape."

"I see," Sixteen replied. "In this case I agree as well. My mission is to kill you... but it is nowhere stated that it has to be now."

"Something else - I would also ask you not to harm anyone else in that time."

"Yeah - sure," Seventeen said casually. "Then in two months - you better give us a good fight."

With that the three Androids lifted off the ground and disappeared with impressive speed.

Back at the small island Krillin let himself sink sitting on the ground. He started to laugh.

"They have actually agreed," he called out.

"They are gone! They are gone!" Oolong shouted as well.

"For now," Muten Roshi stated.

"B-but in two months, you will be able to beat them Goku, aren´t you?" Krillin questioned. "I mean you have won fights that seemed more hopeless."

"I am not sure," he admitted.

Goku said down next to Krillin. The others saw that he was breathing heavily.

"That was lucky," he said, "I am not sure if I could have done the Transmission another time."

"What?" Chichi called out.

"Y-you mean you were just bluffing right now?" Krillin asked horrified.

"Krillin - the Instant Transmission, like any other technique needs energy... and I am still not really back in good shape."

"Then maybe you should take another day before you return to training," Chichi said worried.

"Maybe you are right," Goku admitted.

"It seems you actually got to them," Chichi told him quietly with a smile. "See - you can do more than just fighting if you just use your head a bit from time to time."

"Yes-" he smiled back at her, "now I only need to return to being a `dumb´ fighter and beat them somehow in atwo months."

xxxxxxx

One and a half week later

Ten days had passed since the agreement. A few, like Krillin or Yamcha were still surprised that the Androids actually accepted. Others like Vegeta had seen it coming that way. These Androids were not unlike saiyans, he admitted, in that they went for the greater challenge.

In another world the events of the Cell Games would have already passed. But here everything was quiet and most peoplewere not aware of any lurking threats to the planet.

Like Chichi had suggested, Goku took a day off first, before beginning with the actual training, while the others started right away.

After the ninth day however he decided to take another break. Mostly because Chichi wanted them to go to a trip to Orange City and go shopping.

He had already made some progress in the short time. He was now only a few steps away from overcoming the limits of a Super Saiyan, he knew it.

But at the same time, like he told Gohan and Chichi, you needed to give your body time to recover while training.

So they went to that trip to the city.

As it turned out however, they were not the only ones. Master Roshi, Krillin and Oolong had actually dragged Trunks along because they wanted to see a beauty contest (or more seeing the women taking part in it).

xxxxxxx

At the same time however, in a secret underground installation far away, a machinery controlled by a super computer had been working non-stop ever since Doctor Gero died.

And now three Android pods were being activated - with the numbers 13, 14 and 15.

The first two were being opened.

xxx

Only a short time later the Androids 14 and 15 - with the quite bizarre appearance of a tall gray skinned man with yellow eyes and black hair he was wearing in a long ponytail and a very short being with purplish skin, an oversized head and sunglasses - were making their ways through the streets of Orange City.

To say that they were not holding back would be an understatement. Without any care at all they were brutally pushing entire crowds of people aside, wrecking cars while crossing the streets and even breaking through house-walls... if it meant the slightest bit of shortening their single-minded way to their target - Son Goku.

Who was in this moment together with his family sitting in a restaurant that was located inside the highest level of a building close to the city-core.

As they had finally arrived at the building, they were flying upwards through one of the elevator shaft. At that they were simply breaking through one of the cabins, that got damaged and crashed downwards with over a dozen people inside.

But ironically the loss of these lives was exactly what tipped Goku and Gohan off that something was wrong.

As 14 and 15 had arrived at the level below the one where Goku and his family were sitting, they simultaneously charged up ki blasts to detonate the entire upper part of the building.

But Goku and Gohan had already moved with super-human speed, grabbed Chichi and several other people and carried them outside, just before the entire top of the building blew up.

After they landed and released the terrified and completely shocked people, Goku looked around for the attackers, but couldn´t find them.

He could not sense them either. But he saw them as they charged up two more blast and finally came out in the open.

For a split-second Goku though 17, 18 and 16 had broken their agreement. But he saw instantly it wasn´t them.

Great - more Androids, he thought.

What followed was a short but brutal fight between Goku, Trunks - who came to assist - and these two new Androids. Several more buildings were damaged and they weren´t sure how many people harmed before they finally managed to draw 14 and 15 out of the town.

xxx

At the same time far away the third pod was opened and the last Android stepped outside.

He was a tall man with long white hair and light blue eyes similar to Seventeen, Eighteen and Sixteen, wearing an outfit that ressembled a truck driver.

"Son Goku," he said.


Like shown in the end, the events of Movie 7 are being included in the story. The town were the fight with 14 and 15 started is not named in the Movie. I chose for it to be Orange (Satan) City for this story.

One change I made to that movie is that the installation 13, 14 and 15 are being activated is not the same where Cell is grown, but another one.

The story is an AU to my story Dragon Ball Aftermath and it unrelated to Alternates and Timelines, that have another continuity.

xxx

Powerlevels:

Son Goku: 5.800.000 - SSJ 290.000.000 (Zenkai after recovering from heart virus.)

Vegeta: 5.700.000 - SSJ 285.000.000

Piccolo: 170.000.000

Future Trunks: 5.400.000 - SSJ 270.000.000

Android 17: 370.000.000

Android 18: 350.000.000

Android 16: 450.000.000

Movie 7:

Son Goku: 6.000.000 - SSj 300.000.000

Vegeta: 5.900.000 - SSJ 295.000.000

Future Trunks: 5.500.000 - SSJ 275.000.000

Piccolo: 177.000.000

Android 13: 300.000.000 ... - Super-form: 450.000.000

Android 14: 150.000.000

Android 15: 150.000.000

I don´t own Dragon Ball or anything related to it.