SailorStar9: Chapter 1 goes up. This is Chapter 2 of the Androids Saga. Read and review.

Disclaimers: Only the plot is mine.

Chapter Summary: As they search the mountains for Dr. Gero's laboratory, Future Trunks tries to warn a stubborn Vegeta that the Androids are more powerful than he realizes. Meanwhile, the remaining Z Fighters arrive at North City and decide to split up in their search. Krillin is attacked by Dr. Gero, but manages to follow him to his laboratory and signals the others. While the Z Fighters try to break in, Dr. Gero activates Android 17 and Android 18, who are not inclined to be under his control.

Chapter 2: Nightmare Comes True

After Ami's Divine Ki surge in the previous book...

The Senshi had awoken from their prolonged slumber upon sensing the immense aura wave.

"Mars." the not-yet-fully-ascended Neo-Queen Serenity instructed the Senshi of Fire. "Consult the Holy Fire to find out where that power comes from and who is emitting it."

"At once." Mars bowed and led the Senshi and her Queen to the Fire Chamber where the priestess knelt before the Holy Fire and chanted. It was not long before the fire showed the girls the image of Ami with her Divine Ki radiating around her, with Trunks standing beside her and Goku in front of the couple.

He's so cute! Venus and Jupiter gushed, hearts coming out of her eyes, focusing on Trunks.

He is by far the most handsome man I have ever seen. Mars flushed, her eyes looking unwaveringly at the half-Saiyan, before sensing a spiritual link between the lilac-haired teen and Ami. It can't be! She recognized the bond anywhere. A 'Soul Twin' bond? I wonder if Venus sensed it too.

The yet-to-be-crowned Neo-Queen Serenity, however, had a different train of thought. The yet-to-be-crowned Queen grinned as she centered her attention on Trunks. Mamoru has to be the Prince and should act it. He will be my husband and also should act it. He needs to learn his place... he will be the poised and controlled King, he will be my man. That is all he is needed for and all he is worth. The girls would agree with me... he is weak and useless. He is only good enough to be a figurehead husband at the my side... if even that. He will bear the my heir while a real man shares my bed, and I've found him at last, the one worthy of being my bed-mate.

How dare she! Venus fumed as the group saw Trunks carry Ami off.

That should be me! Neo-Queen Serenity huffed. I should be the one in his arms! I should be the one he keeps so close! I should be the one at his side!

Back in the Dragonball Z world...

What an utterly self-centered know-nothing! Trunks growled as he followed the proud Saiyan Prince. What foolishness! I have to find a way to stop it! Until Goku returns to us...

I am the Prince of the Saiyans. Vegeta hissed. I will not be placed on the same level as that lower-class warrior, Kakarot! It is I who am the Super Saiyan among Super Saiyans! Be they No. 17, No.18, or anything else, I'll turn them into scrap quickly.

In Goku's dream...

Goku was having nightmares about his battle against Androids 16 and 17.

"It's already too late. The pummeled Android 17 stood up. "You will all be killed!"

"This is my first time against anyone like this..." Goku choked when a solidified liquidated object proceeded to choke him "Against anyone this strange!"

Back in the real world...

"Goku, Goku!" Chi-Chi tried to rouse her husband. "Goku, Goku!"

"Goku!" Yamcha called. "Hang on, Goku!"

"Goku, are you alright?" Chi-Chi asked in worry. "Get a hold of yourself, Goku! He must be having a pretty terrible dream." she wiped his sweat off.

"Goku, I beg you." Yamcha pleaded. "Please get better soon!"

"Goku!" Chi-Chi wept.

Back in the sky...

"How much further is this Metro North?" Piccolo questioned.

"We should nearly be there." Tien replied.

"I see it!" Krillin exclaimed.

"What about Vegeta?" Piccolo inquired.

"If we don't find the laboratory before Vegeta does, things are going to get really bad." Krillin pointed out.

"How long were you planning on watching over me?" Vegeta shouted to the teen slightly behind him. "Get lost! You're annoying me!"

"I can't do that!" Trunks retorted. "You want to fight with the Androids, don't you?

"What do you think you're going to do once we get to the laboratory?" Vegeta taunted. "Are you planning on destroying the Android, even if you have to fight me to do so?"

"That's probably what it will come to." Trunks warned. "How many times must I tell you? You underestimate how terrible No. 17 and No. 18 really are."

"Being told such a thing only makes a pure-blooded Saiyan want to fight even more." Vegeta snorted. "So then, where is this laboratory of Dr Gero's?"

"You don't understand any of this!" Trunks growled.

"Gohan, aren't we at your place yet?" Yajirobe complained. "I'm getting worn out."

"What are you talking about?" Bulma chided. "That huge bulk of yours is just being carried along. You've got some nerve. Think about what Gohan must be going through."

"I don't really mind." Gohan assured.

"Yajirobe, did you hear that?" Bulma scolded. "How big of you! Trunks, you be sure to grow up like big brother Gohan here." she looked over at her baby in Ami's arms.

"He'll be fine." Ami smiled at the mother, the gargling child in her arms. "Didn't we just see how sharp Trunks was?"

"You're right." Bulma agreed. "He was pretty sharp, wasn't he?"

"You sure you can believe that about him?" Yajirobe was skeptical.

"I beg your pardon?" Bulma retorted. "How dare you speak so rudely about my son!"

"Bulma!" Gohan warned, feeling his grip on Bulma slip.

"Sorry, but Yajirobe's..." Bulma protested and causing Gohan to lose his balance, resulting in the small group to fall to the ground.

"Oh dear." Ami muttered. "Hold on, chibi." she told the infant and hurried towards the falling group.

"There's no mistaking he was your kid, Bulma." Yajirobe admitted after Gohan regained his balance. "But you have to consider he's also Vegeta's kid."

"What's that?" Bulma retorted. "Let's tell Vegeta about that." she grinned evilly at her son.

"Forget I said that, okay?" Yajirobe stammered. "Bulma-sama!"

"Trunks is a good man." Gohan noted. "He came back through time just to warn us about the upcoming danger."

"That's right." Bulma agreed. "Leave it to Gohan to come up with that."

"He still had a mean look about him, though." Yajirobe pointed out.

"And that's just what we'll relay to your father, Trunks?" Ami chuckled.

"Please stop kidding around, Hime-sama!" Yajirobe pleaded.

"If Trunks hadn't warned us ahead of time, we won't have known about Father's illness." Gohan reminded. "Or about the Androids or any of this. On top of that, he prepared that medicine."

"He really is a bring, considerate young man." Bulma agreed.

"I sure hope Father is taking his medicine and getting better." Gohan prayed.

"Of course he's getting better." Bulma assured.

"Yeah, you're right." Gohan concurred. "I'm going to speed up some!"

"Wait a minute!" Yajirobe protested, as he was blown off Gohan's back after the boy sped off, causing Gohan to return and grab him before he fell.

"She said that Dr. Gero's laboratory was in a cave around here somewhere, right? Tien reminded.

"It sure is cold here in the north." Krillin shivered.

"Do you think we can find it?" Tien asked. "There's nothing but mountains all around us, but there's no way we can feel out his Ki."

"We'll have to split up and search." Piccolo commented. "Whichever one of us finds it first will signal the others."

"So, what kind of signal should we use?" Krillin asked.

"Suddenly raise your Ki." Piccolo replied. "We'll know what you mean."

"Indeed." Tien agreed.

"It's so cold!" Krillin complained, freeing himself from the ice block he was frozen in after a gust of icy wind blew past him. "We should have dressed warmed!"

"Live with it." Tien chided. "I'm cold too, you know."

"How inconvenient for you, Earthlings." Piccolo remarked. "If we don't act fast, No. 17 and No. 18 will be started up."

"Alright, let's split up and find it." Tien agreed. "Our future as Earthlings depends on it."

"Hold on." Krillin voiced.

"What, so you can tell us how cold you are again?" Tien joked.

"That's not it." Krillin protested. "I was just thinking of dividing up the remaining Senzu among us."

"That's right." Tien agreed. "They'll be helpful."

"There are 6 of them here." Krillin poured out the Senzu into his palm. "There are 3 of us, and since 3 times 2 is 6, we each get 2." and handed 4 of them over to Piccolo and Tien.

"I sure would like to take care of all this without having to use these." Piccolo remarked.

With an unison nod, the 3 split off.

On the ground...

"So, they're here alright." Android 20 mumbled from the ledge he was hiding behind. "But they won't find my laboratory so easily. Just keep prowling around! I'll kill you all soon enough!" he laughed, darting towards his laboratory.

"I mistook you for some game." a hunter stammered after Android 20 stopped his bullet with his hand. "You okay? Good golly!" he gaped, seeing Android 20 scatter the bullet in his palm.

Spotting the flash of light, Krillin hurried over to the hunter hanging on a tree. "What's the matter?" he asked.

"There's this nutty old man..." the hunter stuttered.

"That's Dr, Gero." Krillin realized. "Which way did he go?"

"That way." the hunter pointed.

"Alright!" Krillin took off.

"Hey, don't leave me here like this!" the hunter shouted.

I thought this was supposed to be a 'No Trespassing' area. Android 20 mused.

"This way!" Krillin shot off towards the flash of light.

With a quick jump, Android 20 leapt onto the over hanging ledge to the entrance of his laboratory. "Krillin!" he saw the Z Senshi.

"This is terrible." Krillin looked at the trail of destruction left by Dr Gero's energy attack. "This must have been done by Dr. Gero. That way!" he stood up and took off, only to be stopped when Android 20 grabbed his foot from under the rotting tree he was hiding under and tossing Krillin into a cliff, before slamming his knee into Krillin's face. "Meddlesome insect!" he snorted, after landing a foot stomp on Krillin's stomach. "Your level of energy will be absolutely no use to me.

"Dammit!" Krillin winced. "Mock me me, will you?"

"I'll crush you once and for all." Android 20 declared. "Piccolo?" he stopping in mid-attack when he noticed the Namekian flying above him. "There's no need for me to dirty my hands at this point. You get to live a little longer." he told Krillin. "Consider yourself fortunate. It's just a matter of time now."

"I have to let the others know..." Krillin sank to his knees to catch his breath. But first, I have to locate the laboratory.

"Here it it." Android 20 arrived before his laboratory. "I finally made it back!" entering the cave, he was about to type in the security password when he saw Krillin outside the cave.

"I found it!" Krillin gasped. "I found it! Now to inform the others."

"He intends to call his friends,does he?" Android 20 noted. "Well, he's too late. Time is on my side now." and typed in the security code.

"I have to hurry and call everyone." Krillin realized he had no time to lose as Android 20 entered his laboratory. "Everyone, come quick!" he prayed, rising his Ki sharply.

"He found it!" Tien realized when he and Piccolo felt Krillin's energy..

"What's with this Ki?" Trunks gasped when he and Vegeta, too, felt the energy surge.

In his laboratory...

"If there were another way, I wouldn't think of activating these two." Dr Gero muttered, standing before Android 17 and Android 18's pods. "But at this point, I have no choice. I hope they're back in order." he prated, standing before Android 17's pod. With a push of the button, the pod opened. "So, have you awakened, No.17?" he asked as Android 17 stepped out.

Turning his head, Android 17 noticed the remote control in Dr Gero's hand and smirked. "Good morning, Dr Gero-sama.? he greeted.

Android 20 was astonished. "Cordiality towards me?" he questioned.

"Of course." Android 17 replied. "You are my creator, after all."

Looks like he's in good working order, all right. Android 20 thought. "Now, for No. 18..." he trailed, turning his attention to Android 18's pod.

When it opened, the female Android stepped out.

Noticing the remote control in Dr Gero's hand, she smirked, "Good morning, Dr Gero-sama," she greeted Dr Gero just like Android 17 did.

"Oh!" Android 20 remarked. "Even you greet me so cordially."

"It is only natural." Android 18 replied.

Apparently, they're both working properly. Android 20 mused.

"I see you have also become an Android." Android 18 noted.

"I wanted eternal life as well, you know." Android 20 replied. "Frankly, I'm a bit relieved. What with most of your parts being hooked in to an eternal energy source, and having so much power at your disposal, it was hard to keep you under control and you would not accept any of my commands until now. From now on, I will have you do as I command. Now, I have to put you to work right away. Very soon, some of Son Goku's friends will arrive. Deal with them all and spare no one. Understood?

"Yes." Android 18 nodded.

"We understand." Android 17 added.

In the air...

"That's Dr. Gero's laboratory." Krillin informed the arriving Tien and Piccolo.

"Krillin, good work in finding it." Tien noted.

"I guess so." Krillin replied.

"We've done it." Piccolo stated. "We can take care of them before he comes back."

"Great." Tien agreed and the two shot towards the laboratory.

"Yeah, well, about that..." Krillin stammered.

"What's wrong, Krillin?" Tien asked, he and Piccolo stopped in their tracks.

"Dr Gero has already returned." Krillin admitted.

"What?" Tien gasped.

"Sorry." Krillin muttered.

"You should have said so sooner!" Piccolo barked. "What can we do if we're too late?"

In his laboratory...

"They're here!" Android 20 looked at the trembling door. "Those fearless, contemptible fools! So, you guys are on." he told the two activated Androids.

Outside...

"This door is awfully strong." Krillin remarked, trying to push his way in as Tien rammed his body against the metal door.

"Stand aside, I'll destroy it." Piccolo ordered.

"Nice of you to find this." Vegeta voiced, he and Trunks having arrived on scene too.

In his laboratory...

"Beat them all to a pulp!" Android 20 ordered his creations. "No. 17! What's this?" he demanded when Android 17 grabbed the remote control out of his hands.

"This is your controller, used to execute an emergency interrupt on us, isn't it?" Android 17 questioned. "Just in case anything were to happen. I have no use of such a thing." and crushed the controller in his hand.

"Why you..." Android 20 hissed. "What do you think you're doing? Is this a joke?"

"You think we're going to let you put us to sleep again, you old geezer?" Android 17 smirked.

Outside...

Piccolo was readying a Ki blast when Vegeta warned, "Destroy the Androids, and you'll pay for it."

"That can't be allowed!" Trunks protested as Piccolo charged up. "You do not understand how terrifying these Androids really are!"

"You shut up!" Vegeta barked.

"No. 17!" Android 20 ordered from the inside. "Stop kidding around and destroy our enemies on the other side of the door!"

"The Androids have already been activate!" Krillin exclaimed in shock.

"Out of the way, you jackasses!" Vegeta readied his blast.

"You must not!" Trunks cautioned. "We should get out of here right now! Please wait until Goku is back on his feet. After that..."

"That won't be necessary!" Vegeta insisted and released his attack at the door, blasting it open.

"A scarf around his neck... of a young man with long black hair." Vegeta recited. "That's No. 17. No.18 is a cute female type. Trunks, they're just like as you described, unmistakably so, right?"

"Right." Trunks confirmed.

SailorStar9: Phew, another chapter down. Stay tuned for Chapter 3: Goku's Assassin.