3rd Person
It was absolutely horrifying seeing Orion just fall over like that. The others were losing their minds as they rushed Orion back to his house. Nappa and Tien laid Orion down in his bed as everyone else desperately looked for the medicine, with Krillin finding it. They gave the medicine to Orion immediately, and he seemed to calm down a bit. At the very least, he didn't seem as if he was in as much pain. Once the panic died down, Bulma called Goku to let him and the others know what had happened. Almost immediately Goku and his group made their way over to Orion's place to check up on him. "Is he ok!? What happened!?" Goku shouted as he got to the house.
"Did he take the medicine!? Where is he right now!?" Raditz asked in a panicked voice.
"H-He's fine. He's resting in his room right now." Bulma answered, still shaken up by what had just happened. "We found his medicine and had him take it, so he should be fine. As for what happened, I'm not sure. I was talking to him and he seemed like he was in pain, though he didn't seem to want to bother me with it. Then he just fell over, it really freaked me out!"
"Why didn't he take his medicine before this?" Tien asked.
"We were told to take it when we started seeing symptoms, so the medicine wouldn't have done anything until then." Goku answered.
"Really? Then that means you haven't taken the cure yet either?" Yamcha asked, with Goku shaking his head as a response.
"Then when did he start having symptoms? He should have realized something was wrong immediately." Piccolo stated.
"H-He might have started having them around the time we ended our training." Nappa answered. "I was wondering why he ended our training today earlier than usual, but he just told me he was more tired today than usual."
"He only told me that it was heartburn too." Bulma said. "I don't know if he didn't realize what was happening to him, or if he just didn't want us to know he was going through that."
"But why wouldn't he want to tell us? I'd say that's pretty important." Krillin said.
"Orion was never one to share his burdens with others." Raditz said. "Even when we were kids, I don't think I ever saw him cry or complain about anything. The first time I'd even seen him cry was when Kakarot died. It's actually a bit concerning."
"Really? So that's just how he is?" Bulma asked. "Seriously, he needs to take better care of himself. "
"There's nothing we can do now but wait for him to get better." Tien sighed. "He took the medicine, so he should get better eventually; however, I'm not sure when he'll wake up."
"Yeah...he's been asleep ever since we brought him here." Yamcha said, turning his head to the room Orion was sleeping in.
"H-He's gonna be ok, right?" Gohan asked nervously.
"Of course, Gohan. Your uncle's tough. He won't let a virus take him down." Goku told his son.
"He has to be ok. I...I don't know what would happen if he…" Raditz trailed off as his voice got softer.
"...We just have to wait and hope." Nappa said while leaning against a wall and crossing his arms, his fingers tapping restlessly while resting on his arm.
"We'll keep an eye on him until he wakes up, and Goku, make sure to watch out for symptoms as well. Orion wasn't supposed to get this virus for another week, so the same could happen to you." Piccolo said.
"Right. I'll be careful." Goku said with a nod.
"That's another weird thing. How come Orion contracted the disease earlier than the future kid said he would?" Krillin asked.
"It must have been some sort of butterfly effect." Bulma said. "His coming to the past and informing us of what will happen must have caused something to change the timeline."
"So what could that change be?" Chiaotzu asked. "It couldn't have just randomly changed just because that kid came to the past, right?"
"If I were to guess, it would be Orion's living circumstances." Piccolo said. "I don't know how he lived for these 3 years in the future, but in this timeline, he's been living in West City so that he can work for Capsule Corp and so he can more easily train with Nappa and the others. Maybe being around more people than he usually would have caused him to become infected with the virus earlier than he would have if he hadn't been living here."
"That does seem possible." Bulma pondered.
"Then what would happen to me by that logic, since I've been training in the mountains with Piccolo, Gohan, and Raditz for these 3 years?" Goku asked while tilting his head.
"Wouldn't that mean you would contract the virus later than usual since you've been isolated from society?" Tien said.
"Either way, we can't just stay around and wait for Orion to wake up. We'll have to continue training without him." Raditz said, composing himself.
"He may be one of, if not the strongest fighter we have, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't get strong too!" Nappa said.
"Agreed. He wouldn't want us slacking while he's recovering either." Yamcha said with determination. "We'll train as hard as we can. For him." With that, the Z fighters continued their training, making sure to keep an eye on the resting Orion during the remaining days before the Android attack. They would notice Orion would have what looked like vivid nightmares during his recovery, but there was nothing they could do but continue working harder. However, Orion remained asleep throughout the rest of the time. He was alive, thankfully, but he was asleep for the remaining 4 weeks. The only bright side to it was how Goku had yet to show any symptoms.
Despite Orion still stuck in a seemingly endless slumber, the fateful day had finally arrived. "Please just promise me that you'll be careful. Stay safe, and make sure Gohan doesn't get hurt." Chi Chi told Goku as he and the others were preparing to leave.
"That goes for you too, Raditz, you stubborn idiot. Don't get killed for some stupid reason. You better make it home alive, you hear?" Launch, who was in her blonde form, told Raditz as he was leaving.
"Right. We'll be safe." Raditz told Launch.
"And we'll make sure Gohan is safe. I promise." Goku told Chi Chi as the 4 flew off towards the meeting place. When they got close to the island, they saw Krillin heading towards them to lead them to where the others were already waiting. "Wow. Pretty big island." Goku commented as he looked down at the large city on the island.
"Yeah, and a densely populated pretty big island from the looks of it." Krillin added with a bit of worry in his voice.
"We'll have to think of some way to lure these Android things away from the city once they show up. That way, people living there won't be caught in the crossfire." Gohan said.
"Right you are, nephew, though we'll have to find them first." Raditz agreed. Krillin then led them all to where Yamcha, Tien, Nappa, and surprisingly Bulma were waiting, with Chiaotzu not there since he felt like he wouldn't be much help. Some of the Z fighters were sporting new looks, like Yamcha having shorter hair, and Nappa no longer wearing Saiyan armor, but a white tank top with black jeans and leather gloves. The strangest thing to see though was Bulma holding a baby in her arms.
"Hey, Bulma, not to be rude, but whose idea was it for you to be here?" Goku asked.
"I'm not participating, just observing. So once I get a look at the androids, we'll be out of here." Bulma explained.
"I'm more curious about the child. I think it's safe to assume it's yours?" Raditz asked. Bulma nodded, which caused Gohan to smile widely.
"Wow! So you and Yamcha got married? That's great!" Gohan said.
"The kid's not mine." Yamcha responded grumpily. Raditz and Gohan were a little confused before Goku walked up to Bulma and crouched down to look at the baby.
"Hehehe, the proud papa's Vegeta, right Trunks?" Goku said as he smiled at the young boy. Gohan and especially Raditz were completely surprised by that revelation as Bulma looked shocked.
"V-Vegeta!? You had a child...with Vegeta!?" Raditz exclaimed, not seeming to understand or believe that.
"I was the same way when I found out, believe me." Nappa grumbled as he turned his head.
"...How did you know Goku?" Bulma asked. "I hadn't even said a word about it, and no one that already knew about it told anyone. I even made sure to hide his tail to surprise you, so how did you know?" Goku quickly realized his mistake and tried to fix it.
"O-Oh! It's just the impression I get from the kid, I guess! I-I mean, with that nose, it's kinda obvious! Hahaha…"
"Someone's headed this way, though I don't sense evil." Piccolo told them as a hover car got closer. Once the car landed next to them, Yajirobe hopped out with a small bag.
"Yajirobe! Did you come to join in on the fun?" Goku asked as Yajirobe gave him the bag.
"Here. Some senzu beans from Korrin. Enjoy." He told Goku.
"Nice! Thank you! This is really going to help."
"Good. Give 'em hell for me."
"Wait, you're not going to stay and fight with us?"
"Sorry, but I have this little thing I like to do called 'staying alive', so I'll have to take a rain check on that." Yajirobe said before driving off. The group shrugged, knowing that was just how Yajirobe was. However, the sound of Yajirobe's hover car exploding broke the calm the group had. The group where the explosion happened and they saw two silhouettes fly down into the city.
"They've landed in the city!" Tien shouted.
"Did you see where?" Yamcha asked as the group scanned the city for any signs of destruction or even an energy reading from the androids.
"Did any of us see who they were?" Krillin asked.
"...No, sorry. I wasn't able to get a good look at them."
"I can't even sense any power from them." Raditz pointed out.
"Do you think it's because they're androids? Maybe they don't give off energy like us." Gohan suggested.
"Could be." Nappa said. "There were more mechanical races I've encountered, and scouters couldn't pick up anything from them."
"We'll just have to look for them on foot then." Piccolo said.
"None of us should take them on alone. If you get a fix on them, let the rest of us know. Keep an eye out for the Red Ribbon Army logo. And Gohan, I need you to go check up on Yajirobe. I think he bailed out before the explosion." Gohan nodded and flew off to Yajirobe while the others flew into the city and started their search. As the group began their search, they quickly realized how difficult this would be. These androids, without any noticeable energy, wouldn't stick out as much as they originally thought. The group continued to search though, and that's when Yamcha found them. Yamcha heard a scream and ran to it, only to see multiple bodies. He saw an old man and a fat man nearby and ran over to warn them.
"Hey, you two see anything? I'm trying to hunt down the psychopaths who did this." That's when Yamcha noticed it. Both of them were wearing hats that had the Red Ribbon Army logo on it. Yamcha's eyes widened as he quickly backed away from them. "GUYS, THEY'RE HERE!" Yamcha yelled before the old man tried to grab him. Yamcha dodged the grab and backed away again. Yamcha couldn't fight the both of them by himself. He didn't even know how strong they were, so he wasn't going to take any chances. He had to find a fast way to get the others to where he was. He could only think of one surefire way. He immediately began to charge all of his energy at once as he evaded the two androids. He was left with no choice though and had to fight back a bit, but thanks to his training with Orion, he was able to handle himself against the foes without even using the Kaioken.
Despite his caution, the old man still managed to grab his arm. Yamcha tried to break free from his grip, but he noticed something very strange happened before that. His energy was dropping, being syphoned out of him by the old man. Yamcha couldn't believe it. To prevent his energy from being drained even further, Yamcha used the Kaioken and broke out of the old man's grip. The old man's eyes widened at Yamcha as the bandit backed away from him.
"You know the Kaioken? I thought Goku was the only one to know that technique." The old man said.
"Yeah, well think again." Yamcha shot back, powering down from the Kaioken and clutching his arm. Eventually, the others, including Gohan, made it to where Yamcha was.
"Yamcha! Are you alright?" Tien asked when he and the others landed.
"Yeah, I'm fine, but these guys...they can absorb your energy just from touching you." Yamcha told the others, the information taking them by surprise.
"So these are the fearsome androids? Not quite the monsters I had imagined." Piccolo stated as he looked at the foes.
"Hmm? Strange. You've already identified us as androids before we could give any indication." The old man said with a raised eyebrow. "What's more, you appear to have all gathered here in anticipation of our arrival. Explain this. Who informed you of our plans?"
"As if we'll tell you! The only thing we're here to do is to turn you into scrap metal!" Nappa barked back.
"We know that you're here to destroy, so we'll just have to beat you and the other androids." Raditz stated.
"You also know there are other androids? Strange."
"If you're really curious, we also know that one of you is an android version of Doctor Gero himself." Krillin stated. The old man began to chuckle a bit at that.
"You are quite informed. Very well, I will indulge you. Doctor Gero no longer lives, but he created me, Android 20, to take his place as the new Doctor Gero and continue his work. I suppose by your standards, it wouldn't be wrong to say that I am Doctor Gero now. My associate, Android 19, and I are here to fulfill his plans."
"As if we'll let you!" Krillin said. The Z fighters got into a battle stance but Goku stopped them.
"Hang on. There are too many innocent people here. Let's take this somewhere else." Goku said. The old man raised his eyebrow before giving a nod.
"Very well. It hardly matters what happens to these people here, so we will follow you. You may select the place for your defeat, Goku." Everyone's eyes widened at that.
"What? How do these freaks know your name?" Tien asked.
"We know who all of you are. Tien, Piccolo, Krillin, Yamcha, Gohan, Raditz, and Nappa." Everyone was now really unnerved by these androids, but Goku didn't bother with them.
"We'll have time for questions later. We need to get out of here first. Come on!" Goku said as he flew off, the others following behind him. After flying to an isolated location where there were no living things, they landed. Goku, who was taking a few deep breaths, turned to the androids with a stern expression.
"Alright. Before we get into things here, tell me how you two know about us." Goku asked the android.
"That is a simple matter." Android 20 said. "You see, using a fleet of miniature surveillance drones, we have kept a close watch on your exploits for some time now. We have cataloged your progress as a warrior. We've noted every milestone. You've been studied with an eye on how to best beat you, on behalf of the Red Ribbon Army."
"So you've got a grudge." Goku summed it up.
"Of course. Your actions almost single handedly led to their ultimate disgrace and disbandment, as well as…" Android 20 stopped himself and hardened his glare at Goku. "All that matters was that Doctor Gero...I was humiliated."
"Then what about our battle on Namek between Frieza and Cooler? Did you spy on that fight?" Raditz asked.
"There was little point. The sum total of information extracted from your prior battles provided a superb data model. Therefore, any gains in strength at this juncture would be sufficiently offset by your age. To all intents and purposes, your limits are clear." Android 20 answered.
"Is that so? Hahaha! That's pretty funny! That means he has no idea what any of us are capable of!" Nappa said excitedly.
"Yeah, you're in for a real shock since you missed out on that fight." Goku said with a smile. Android 20 looked perplexed at this, not really understanding what the two Saiyans meant.
"Take my word for it. Your data model isn't calibrated to Super Saiyan." Piccolo said with a cocky smirk.
"Super Saiyan?" Android 20 asked.
"Here, let me show you." Raditz said as he began to charge his energy. He had been training for these past three years, and he only had one thing on his mind during it: to become a Super Saiyan. He knew what had happened on planet Namek, and how his death was one of the main contributors for Goku and Orion turning into Super Saiyans. While he was proud of his brothers for achieving that power, he couldn't help but feel powerless. He had died in such a helpless way. He didn't feel like he had contributed during the fight with Frieza and Cooler at all either. He felt powerless.
When his thoughts went there, he became infuriated. It made him think back to his days working on Vegeta and always being treated as the weakling. Raditz the Runt. He despised the title Vegeta and Nappa gave him. He was desperate to prove everyone wrong. He would show them just how strong he was. And during those 3 years of training, he finally bore that fruit. Raditz let out a massive scream as a golden aura surrounded him, his eyes turning blue and his hair blonde all the while. His long messy mane began to show tufts spiking upwards while resting on his back. His transformation was complete, and he was now a Super Saiyan. Goku joined his brother as well as he transformed into a Super Saiyan too.
"No data. Present technique is distinct from Kaioken." Android 19 stated.
"Hmm, no matter. It shouldn't make a difference. You can take Goku, 19. I'll handle his brother." Android 20 told his ally as they both got ready for battle.
"Everyone, let us handle this. This will be over quickly." Raditz told the others as he and his brother then rushed at their foes. Both of the androids thought they were ready for the Saiyans, but when the Saiyans vanished and reappeared behind them, they were taken by surprise. They're speed was far greater than they had anticipated. The battle continued as Raditz dominated Android 20, while Goku was having a bit rougher time with Android 19.
Android 20 couldn't lay a finger on Raditz while Raditz continued to essentially toy with the old man. Goku though, while being far stronger than 19 and being able to do massive amounts of damage to the fat android, was beginning to lose his breath. No matter how much he hit 19, he couldn't seem to finish the job. Goku was running out of energy, so he decided to finish the fight with a Super Kamehameha. Raditz noticed this and tried to stop his brother.
"Kakarot, wait!" But it was too late. Goku had already fired the beam at 19, who was all too happy to extend his palm and completely absorb the blast.
"What!? They can absorb blasts as well, not just energy with physical contact?" Goku asked.
"We'll just have to avoid using blasts and not get grabbed." Raditz said. "Will you be ok, brother? You look tired."
"I-I'm fine!" Goku said as 19 flew at him. The two's fights continued, however, while Raditz was still out maneuvering the old man, Goku was now being tossed around by 19. His hits weren't having as much effect anymore, while 19 had grown stronger from absorbing the Kamehameha. The others who were watching were now utterly confused.
"Ok, something is definitely wrong here. Did they absorb more energy than we thought?" Yamcha asked as they continued to watch the now panting Goku land. Gohan then saw it. His father was clenching his heart.
"His energy hasn't been drained, it's his heart!" Gohan shouted in terror.
"Wait, hold on! Are you saying it's the heart virus!?" Piccolo asked.
"But Orion's virus manifested weeks ago!? Why is Kakarot's virus now showing up!?" Nappa shouted.
"Our theory from before must have been correct. Orion's virus showed up sooner due to living in the city for longer than he did in the future, while Goku's virus showed up later from training in the mountains for that time." Piccolo concluded. Krillin, who had the bag full of senzu beans, grabbed a bean and threw it to his friend immediately. Goku, who had fallen to his knees from the pain, caught it and gave a pained smile.
"Thanks, Krillin." Goku said as he ate the bean. "I'll be fine. I just...needed a little pick me up." 19 fired some eye lasers at Goku, which he dodged by flying back into the air, now seemingly fine. However, 19 appeared in front of him and began to easily pummel him once again before smacking him down to the ground.
"Damn it, the senzu bean didn't work!" Krillin shouted.
"The only thing that will help him is the cure!" Tien exclaimed. Goku, who was now lying on his back, barely conscious, reverted back into his base form, now unable to hold his Super Saiyan form. 19 then landed on him with a heavy thud and pinned him down before grabbing his throat tightly. Raditz and the others immediately rushed to help Goku, but Android 20 stopped them.
"Stay where you are." Android 20 said before hitting Piccolo with his own eye lasers. Piccolo fell to the ground while Gohan flew down to him in concern. Raditz tried to get past the Android, but the old man now held the advantage by using his multiple energy beams to keep Raditz and the others back. 19 then began to absorb Goku's energy, which only served to increase the pain that Goku was going through. The process was cut short though by someone swiftly kicking 19 in the head, pushing him off of Goku. Everyone was surprised to see Vegeta, who had returned from his training in space.
"No painted scrap heap steals my thunder. The pleasure of vanquishing Kakarot belongs to me." Vegeta told the androids.
"Vegeta!?" Gohan cried out.
"Are you kidding me!?" Piccolo yelled as he got up from where he was.
"M-Mister Piccolo? I thought you-"
"I had it all worked out. I set up that ridiculous act to save Goku while the android was distracted by the others. Then Vegeta had to come in and make it pointless." Piccolo explained. Android 20 heard that and was a little shocked to see his attacks not only had little effect on Raditz, but Piccolo as well.
"So you were faking all of that?" Gohan asked.
"A better question is how you think such a basic move could deal me out in the first place." Piccolo said in an angry tone. Meanwhile, Vegeta was looking down at Goku.
"H-Hey, Vegeta…"
"Kakarot, you idiot. What are you doing?"
"Dying...mostly…a little help?" Vegeta's 'help' was to just kick Goku over to Piccolo. Piccolo caught Goku and Goku smiled through the pain.
"Th-Thanks buddy." Vegeta scoffed at that as he turned his focus back to the androids.
"One of you needs to take that broken rag doll back home and shove that miracle cure down his throat. I hear you've already done it with Orion, so it shouldn't be too hard." Vegeta told them. Piccolo set Goku down and the others tried to figure out what to do.
"Alright. I'll get dad out of here and give him his medicine." Gohan offered, but Raditz stopped him.
"No, I'll do it. With my Super Saiyan transformation, I'll be much faster getting there and back then anyone else." Raditz told them. Raditz picked up his brother and turned to the androids. "I will be back, and I will make sure you pay for what you've done to Kakarot." He then turned to Vegeta, who only scoffed at his appearance.
"So you've reached the level of Super Saiyan?" Vegeta asked.
"Yes, and those androids were nothing to me." Raditz responded as he turned his back to Vegeta. "So if you're truly the Prince of all Saiyans, they won't even be a challenge for you." With that, Raditz flew off, Vegeta smirking as he did.
"Of course they won't be. Useless buckets of bolts could never compare to one such as me." Vegeta said. Android 19 wanted to follow the two Saiyans, but Android 20 stopped him.
"As you were. No point in giving chase. We will save the best course for last. His canny little friends can wet our appetite for the feast." 20 said with an evil grin. Vegeta could only chuckle at that statement.
"Then number 20, may I have permission to destroy Vegeta?" 19 asked.
"Very well. I will handle the remaining few." 20 said as 19 smiled and turned to Vegeta.
"Where I'm standing, you both don't look nearly as tough as everyone said you would be." Vegeta told the androids. "It's a shame you're not even a fraction as tough as you both seem to believe. It's easy enough to tell from the few moves I've seen that all anyone needs to do is to avoid that node on your palm."
"You have insufficient data to make that conclusion. Your analysis is premature. As for us, we already know the full extent of your fighting prowess. Victory against us is impossible." 19 stated.
"Oh? I seem to recall Kakarot and Raditz being fed the same line right before they transformed. The look on your faces when they went Super Saiyan didn't exactly inspire confidence. I think you'll find you need more than calculations to understand us Saiyans." Vegeta said before his grin grew wider. "I'm curious. Tell me, are androids capable of feeling real fear?" Vegeta then began to power up as veins started to become visible on his head. He gritted his teeth as the Earth began to shake and his hair and eyes started to flash a different, but all too familiar color. The other Z fighters were completely shocked, not truly believing what they thought they were seeing. Androids 19 and 20 were much the same. Vegeta let out a mighty scream as he transformed into the powerful form of a Super Saiyan, the light from him blinding everyone until the transformation was finished.
"Vegeta's a Super Saiyan!? How is that even possible!?" Krillin shouted. "I thought this was a level a Saiyan could only reach if they were totally pure of heart like Goku and Orion! I thought Raditz could only reach the level because of how he changed for the better!"
"Oh believe me, my heart is exceptionally pure. Pure evil to the core." Vegeta answered. "You can not know how single mindedly I had dedicated myself to getting stronger. Soon though, my limits had become painfully clear. When I truly owned the self hatred the realization of my limits brought me, the Super Saiyan within me erupted to life! I've never known such elation. My time was at hand, a time to reclaim my throne as the Prince of Saiyans!"
"Enough of this delusional nonsense!" 20 stated. "Whatever you may or may not have turned into, you still grossly overestimate your abilities. Make him suffer the same fate as Goku." 19 smiled and fired his eye lasers at Vegeta. 19 continually fired the blasts at Vegeta, but they didn't even leave a mark on his armor. 19 then rushed to Vegeta and punched him right in the face, but he only succeeded in making Vegeta smile at his pathetic attempts to hurt him. It was Vegeta's turn now. With a single kick, Vegeta almost completely went through the androids chest. He began to pumple the fat robot in an endless barrage of blows before knocking him away. Oil was now pouring out of 19's face like blood as the android was becoming more and more frustrated at not being able to handle the prince. 19 then saw his chance and grabbed Vegeta's arms.
"I have you now! And I won't let you go until your energy is completely drained! Fight all you want, you cannot escape!"
"You don't say?" Vegeta said with a laugh. "Well then," Vegeta then jumped up and pressed his feet into 19's face. "Focus on keeping your grip!" Vegeta began to push himself against the robot, who began tightening his grip on Vegeta. "Yes! Keep that grip for all your worth! DON'T LET GO!" Vegeta shouted as he pushed harder, finally ripping 19's arms clean off. 19 now had a look of terror on his face. Vegeta looked at the robot's hand and dropped them on the floor as he walked to the now disarmed robot. 19 shuddered and began running away as fast as he could. 20 was mortified to see his ally in such a state. Vegeta only smiled as he flew high into the air. "So androids do feel fear."
"S-Stop right there!" 20 said, about to attack Vegeta to help his ally.
"You wait your turn!" Vegeta yelled at the old man. "Once the fat one's marked off my list, you're next!" Vegeta then powered up as he pointed his open palm at the running android and charged a small ball in it. "Now, feast your eyes on my BIG BANG ATTACK!" Vegeta shot the orb and hit the fat robot, causing a massive explosion of energy. The only thing left of 19 was his disembodied head. Vegeta powered down and flew down to the old man, who was now also feeling fear.
"I-It's possible our data model was a bit premature. But it's only a minor setback, though, nothing more. You will not prevail."
"Well then, now would be the ideal time to make a move against me then. My power is a little low, thanks to your former cohort. So go ahead and attack me, if you feel up to it." Vegeta told the old man as he stood there waiting to see what the android would do. The android only wasted a second before flying off as fast as he could.
"He's getting away! Quick! Don't let him hide!" Krillin yelled out to everyone.
"Don't just stand there! Toss me one of those senzu beans!" Vegeta demanded of Krillin. Krillin looked hesitant before Piccolo and Nappa nodded and told him to do it. Krillin threw a bean to Vegeta, who powered back up to Super Saiyan after eating it. "You kids can now run home to your milk and cookies if you want. Just stay out of my way!" Vegeta then flew off, making the others angry as he did.
"Talking to us like we're kids… Like hell I'm gonna run home!" Krillin growled as he and the others flew after Vegeta and 20. They followed the old man to a rocky wasteland, which only proved to make the search for the android even harder. They couldn't sense his energy, and the land was littered with hiding spots. The group all split up in hopes to find him, but it was taking a long time. Android 20 on the other hand, was lying in wait for the opportune time to take them out one at a time. That's when the old man noticed Nappa all alone. His data model had Nappa at a level weaker than 20, with Nappa having only been a bit stronger than Raditz back when the data was calculated, but after that fight, Goku and Raditz seemed to get much stronger. Even if Nappa had improved as well, he should be easily taken out if taken by surprise. 20 got up behind Nappa and grabbed him, covering his mouth with his palm. 20 smiled as Nappa muffled out a cry of shock.
"No one can see us. I know where every last one of your friends is. Now, I believe you have something I want." 20 said as he began to absorb Nappa's energy. 20 cruelly smiled as he started to drain Nappa of his energy, Nappa grabbing his hand in an attempt to pull him off. 20 thought he had him right where he wanted, but there was one slight miscalculation. 20 began to notice a faint golden glow start to form around Nappa, and upon closer examination, Nappa's mustache was turning golden and his eyes blue. "...No!" 20 shouted, but it was too late. In reality, Nappa had 20 right where he wanted him. Orion was right. Sometimes letting the enemy get into a comfortable position of confidence was the perfect way to catch them off guard. Nappa always tended to forget that strategizing was useful after all, as before he came to Earth no one was strong enough to need a strategy, though Nappa's favorite part was coming right up.
Nappa let out a shout as his power flared, pushing the old man off him. Nappa turned to Android 20 with a grin as he was surrounded by a Super Saiyan's golden glow. Orion had been teaching him how to unlock the form, but it wasn't until after Orion had fallen victim to the virus. Nappa began to think back to how Orion had sacrificed himself for Nappa. Seeing Orion in so much pain while he could do nothing was just as infuriating as watching him die for him back then. Nappa started to realize just how powerless he was compared to everyone else. He didn't want that. He never wanted to be in a position where he would be tossed aside as useless again. So he trained even harder, pushed himself to his very limits, and he grasped what lied before him.
"Your one mistake in this was underestimating me." Nappa told the old man. "Now I'm gonna crush you like trash!"
"H-How is this possible! How could all of you Saiyans have gotten this power!" 20 stammered as he backed away from Nappa. To 20's displeasure, he noticed the other Z fighters surrounding him.
"You've become a Super Saiyan too, Nappa?" Vegeta asked with a grin.
"Of course. I wasn't going to let everyone else pass me in power. I'm Nappa the mighty!" Nappa shouted. "This fool thought he could take me down, but in the end, he only gave up his position. And I'm not about to let him go trying to take my energy!"
"Then let me in on the fun as well." Piccolo said as he took off his cape and turban. "I'm starting to get really sick of this guy."
"Sure. Just don't hold me back." Nappa said as he vanished and kicked Android 20 to Piccolo, who in turn kneed him straight into a rock pillar. Android 20 growled and tried to attack Piccolo, but the Namekian disappeared before he could land a hit. Piccolo then dropped down on the old man with his elbow, sending him into the ground. Nappa appeared where 20 was heading and uppercutted him before he touched the ground. Nappa then flew up and grabbed him tightly, crushing him between his arms before he piled drive him into the ground. 20 looked at the two in terror as he got out of the ground.
"That's impossible! Not only Nappa, but how could Piccolo get this strong!?" He yelled in disbelief. Piccolo and Nappa continued to beat the android to a pulp, until 20 tried to absorb Piccolo's energy. However Piccolo grabbed the old man's arm and smiled.
"So, you seem to feel pain. Why? It sort of comes off as an intentional design flaw." Piccolo told the android.
"Don't you criticise my methods like you understand the neural system! Pain is imperative to recognize when you are in peril, to give the human mind context-" Piccolo cut off the android by cutting his arm clean off, making the android scream in pain.
"So, contextually speaking, how fucked are you?" Nappa said with a grin as Piccolo crushed the arm he ripped off.
"N-No...This can't be happening…!" 20 said as he landed and shook in fear. "I planned for every contingency! I left nothing to chance!"
"From what I understand, this was always meant to happen. You would always show up and we would always beat you. The problem seems to stem from what happens if another pair of androids show up, so let's finish this now. That way, history will be thoroughly changed. As for you, perhaps you're weaker than any of us thought you would be, or maybe we're just much stronger than your precious calculations could account for."
"Doesn't matter. All that matters is that this old bastard is as good as dead now!" Nappa said as he charged his energy for a Super Blazing Storm. 20 thought it was the end for him, but then he saw a ship heading towards where they were. Bulma's ship. Perfect.
"I was speaking the truth when I said you had no hope of winning. You're correct! As soon as the other androids, numbers 17 and 18 are released, they will avenge me and completely destroy you!" 20 shouted as he fired a massive blast at the ship and others to give him cover for a getaway. The others except for Vegeta began to panic at not only the android's escape, but also Bulma's safety. But when they went to see if Bulma was alright, there was Trunks and Raditz, who had gotten Bulma and her baby out of the ship before they were hurt. Bulma thanked the future boy, not even realizing his identity. Trunks then looked up with an angry look at Vegeta.
"Trunks? You're here?" Piccolo exclaimed.
"Trunks…?" Vegeta repeated, the boy now gaining his full attention. Could that boy be…? It would explain a lot but… Vegeta shook his head as his thoughts were quickly brought back to Android 20, who had disappeared. "Damn it, where'd he go? That cowardly rat!"
"You!" Trunks yelled at Vegeta, flying in front of him. "They were in trouble, and you didn't lift a finger to help them out!"
"Clearly." Vegeta scoffed.
"Don't you care about your son and his mother!?"
"Should I? They're only weaklings that serve to get in my way." Vegeta said as he flew past Trunks to the others. "Never question me, whelp." Trunks was left stunned at his father's attitude. He had never been informed of Vegeta's...personality and attitude, at least not very much. Seeing him like that was concerning, but Trunks didn't have time for that. He turned his attention back to the group.
"...So, you guys have already dealt with one of the androids, right? 19, if I remember what I've been told." He asked them.
"Yeah. Vegeta essentially ripped him apart." Tien answered.
"What about the other one? Number 20, the one who's Doctor Gero?" Trunks asked.
"We had him cornered, but he attacked Bulma's ship as a distraction to get away." Yamcha told him. "He mentioned something about numbers 17 and 18." Trunks shuttered at those words.
"Are those the androids who...take us all out in the future?" Krillin asked.
"Yes." Trunks answered. "We need to find that android before he releases them! If they are released, this entire timeline is done for! The reason why they're so dangerous is what the Doctor gave them. Numbers 19 and 20 had energy absorption I believe, but 17 and 18 have infinite energy reserves!"
"What!? That's not possible! Infinite energy is only a myth!" Vegeta exclaimed.
"But if he's right, then those androids might be a problem if they're even around as strong as us." Nappa pointed out.
"And with my brothers still out of commission, things aren't looking too great." Raditz added.
"I think I can help with finding that android." Bulma said as she walked towards the group, her baby in her arms. "You mentioned how that old guy is actually Doctor Gero, right. He definitely looks like him anyway. If that's really him, then that android might still use one of his labs that I recently read about. There should be one close to here near the mountains over by North City, at least that's where it used to be. Rumor had it that he converted the inside of an empty cave into a secret hideout."
"If that's where he is, then I think I'll go pay him a visit. Better yet, maybe I'll let him release these other androids. The more I hear about these ones, the more I want to see what they can really do."
"No you can't!" Trunks cut Vegeta off. "You don't understand what these androids are really capable of! This is the entire reason I went back to the past: to prevent these androids from being released at all! We need to destroy them as quickly as possible or prevent them from ever being released!" Vegeta just ignored the boy and began to fly off, only to have Trunks block his way again.
"Wait! If you're going to fight them no matter what, then at least wait for Goku and Orion to get better! Don't do it by yourself!"
"Oh? And why should I? After all, I don't listen to bastards." Vegeta told the boy as he flew off.
"N-No! We have to stop him! I'm not going to let my father die again!" Trunks shouted as he flew after Vegeta. Everyone was left speechless from what they had just heard the boy say.
"W-What did he say? Did he say...father?" Bulma quietly said.
"I guess it's time to tell you more about that boy." Piccolo said. "That boy's your son. You're his mother, and Vegeta is his father. He's who that baby in your arms is going to grow up to be."
"...WHAT!?" Everyone, especially Bulma shouted.
"Well, that certainly explains why he can become a Super Saiyan." Raditz points out.
"And now that you mention it, there is sort of a resemblance." Nappa added.
"Alright, enough chatter." Piccolo said. "We have to follow Vegeta and Trunks to make sure they don't get killed. Gohan, you're going to have to take Bulma back. It's too dangerous for her now."
"Right." Gohan said as he flew off with Bulma while everyone else flew after Vegeta and Trunks.
