Sorry for the wait everyone. This is round two for Gohan and the Androids going at it. Don't have much to say about it, but thanks so much for the support. As powerful as Gohan is, he just can't stop those androids. Well, without further ado, Enjoy!

DM777

Dragon Ball Z: Timeline Zero

Chapter 5: Gohan's second confrontation

Previously on Dragon Ball Z, Gohan and Trunks kept a very low profile, training vigorously to achieve the strength needed to stand against the enemies. As they reminisced at the hero's memorial, they realized how difficult it was to become the legendary Super Saiyan. While Gohan earned it at his time of need, it was time to bring that power out of Trunks, but that was easier said than done. Even though the times seemed to have become quiet, there was still restlessness in the air, and everyone lived in fear for their lives, wondering when they'd make another assault against the innocent people. Ultimately, Trunk's eleventh birthday celebration suffered a terrible interruption when Gohan sensed that Chi Chi was in grave danger. Making his return to the small home in the middle of nowhere, he discovered that the place that was once his home got thrown up in flames and demolished before his very eyes. His beloved mother died in his arms thanks to the two menaces, which caused Gohan to unleash his inner fury. After telling Trunks to get Bulma so she could perform a proper burial for his fallen mother, he began the hunt for the two killers. Consumed by fury, the loss of another loved one drove him to pursue the cyborgs, chasing their tracks, unaware that this was all a part of their plan.

The infernal gates of hades opened, and the blazing hero surfaced into what was previously the thriving metropolis of Hope City, Three hundred miles northeast of West City. The searing flames silenced the millions of innocents who cried in vain. Plowing through the scorching heat, trying his best not to land without getting burned alive, Gohan heard all of them. He felt the helpless agony that the wicked monsters brought forth; a return of their invasion. They stood dead center of the ravaged city, showing only amusement as they blasted at anybody who happened to survive. To have the privilege of living only delayed the inevitable since they made sure that nobody escaped alive.

"Take a three year vacation, and they give us more places to bring down… they sure know how to rebuild." Android seventeen laughed in thrill.

"And they were so convinced that we were gone for good. Hah! The look on everyone's faces when we made our triumphant return… it was so priceless!" Eighteen stepped in with her onslaught of fun.

"Maybe if we take more breaks, we can do this forever. Killing all of these stupid humans never gets old." The male cyborg continued, bringing another sky scraper down where it plummeted to the bottom, burying more citizens in a cloud of dust and concrete. Noticing the approaching glow, the androids dropped what they were doing. It made them curious to see that strange glowing light which grew larger by the second.

"Hey check it out sis, it's a flying light bulb." He indulged mindlessly in his insult. "Oh wait! It's the lone wolf you were talking about. Hah! Light a city on fire, and he comes straight for the bait." While Seventeen grinned menacingly, the blonde cyborg expressed a mix of fear and anger. Finally, Gohan stood against the androids face to face. Glowing like the sun, his blazing aura brushed the dirt away with his rage.

"You! This is the end of your reign of terror! I'll make both of you regret ever being created by that old bastard Gero!" Gohan vented out, keeping himself firm while keeping his stand. The ring leader seventeen didn't take his treat seriously, spitting a wad to the dirt in disrespect.

"Such a valiant jester, but that's what your friends said too. We've been waiting for you buddy. I got a bone to pick with you for not coming out to play with us. We were getting… bored, so we killed your mommy in your place. It's too bad you weren't there to keep her safe." The dark haired machine pulled his strands back, as the other cyborg stepped back a little bit, angered by remembering the same golden glowing aura from Gohan. It was the same powerful form, the super saiyan that brought the bitter woman to her knees, triggering the nightmare from three years before.

"It's that strange golden glow again! I remember it from that night… Seventeen, we can't underestimate him. Let's kill him now before he becomes a real threat to us." She anxiously warned him, looking hard at her brother.

Seventeen's lips smirked ominously. "Don't worry, it's the same trick that Vegeta pulled off and I wiped him out in a matter of seconds, remember?" but his insisting didn't encourage her one bit, and Gohan had cut him off by shouting out,

"I haven't forgotten about that! I'm going to avenge his death, along with my mother's and everyone else you've murdered in cold blood!" his firm shout still failed to shed the cold cyborg's confidence.

"Please, you have no chance. You're still too weak." Seventeen cockily insulted him.

"You should access the saiyan file number thirty two, sections six through ten and then tell me…" Eighteen said.

After a few seconds of beeps and flashes in his eyes, several paragraphs of information uploaded into his artificial sight. After reading the info carefully, he uttered out, "oh, I see, I get it now. Saiyans have the gift of becoming more powerful after recovering from injuries in battle. I see why you're concerned."

"Hmph, told you." She groaned, aggravated. It seemed she's been having some anger issues lately.

"Before we begin to carry out your death sentence, let's see how far along you've gone. Surely, you're no more powerful than Vegeta was…" giving Gohan a firm scan, a series of numbers overtook his vision, keeping a sharp stare at him. Beeping a couple of times, the results loaded a few seconds later, making the android grimace, and then his eyes opened wide a bit after reading the concluding number. "If my calculations are correct, his fighting power is over one-hundred million! Maximum threat level…" He looked over at her real quick. "Now, let's get started sis. We're taking him out today!"

"No chance on my life!" Then Gohan stretched his arms out towards his enemies, sending forth great winds, knocking the twins senselessly into the air. Charging towards them, he quickly caught up with the stronger android, Seventeen. Delivering a powerful double handed slam, he hurled the cyborg into the ruins, but suffered retaliation by the other machine who threw a cheap shot fist to his face, which gave her time to send countless waves from her hands. Thanks to their self-recharging energy supply, they were able to fire all the ki blasts they wanted too without fear of becoming exhausted. Dodging her waves, he charged back at her, but the other android had resurfaced, and they all clashed in the skies above. Two on one, they exchanged light speed punches, kicks, and blows. For a few moments, the super powered warrior held it together, but their numbers proved otherwise. Gaining the upper hand, they shoved two fists deep into his midsection, forcing him away. While he got thrown into the wind, he recovered himself, giving chase, unleashing a devastating double handed clothesline that threw them back straight for a tower leaning to the side and beyond that.

Taking a landing, Gohan knew that it was only the beginning of another brutal struggle against them. After the early throw down, the cyborgs returned to their feet, feeling unhindered by the savage battle that took place. As they approached Gohan on foot, they grew mutually frustrated at the opposing hero.

"I give you my respects Gohan, you're a lot tougher than Vegeta and Piccolo were, but you still won't live to see another day." Seventeen grumbled out, wiping that glop of blood from his lip, shocking the super saiyan greatly.

'Wait a minute. Is he bleeding? I thought that they were totally mechanical… something isn't right. I heard rumors that they were once human, but it's only rumors.' He concealed his fear by confidently uttering out. "You two are the ones who are losing! I'm already stronger than you guys."

"Oh don't get too cocky, boy! We aren't like you. We don't get tired and our energy doesn't dissipate after every attack." Eighteen snickered at the hero, giving him a confused look.

"What do you mean?" he asked confused.

"It means that Dr. Gero created us with self-replenishing energy generators, so in other words, our energy supply is infinite. It doesn't matter to us how strong you are. We'll just wear you down until you can't defend yourself anymore." Seventeen finished the explanation.

Gohan remained steady, but once again, he felt like he was another rat caught at the end of a corner with nowhere to run. 'No wonder we've had such a hard time. That means I'll have to destroy them quickly before this body of mine breaks down. Darn it! I can't give up; the whole world is counting on me.' The discouraged warrior uttered quietly, trying all he could to keep his hope intact, wanting to reason with the androids, but he also wanted to know something else if they chose to continue the fight.

"We don't have to do this… why do you want to hurt these innocent people. They're defenseless. What wrong have they done to you?" he questioned them, demanding to know their motives. "But if you have no reason to hurt them, then I guess you guys have no human left in you at all." And when he said that, it only angered them further.

"You have no clue how much we despise this human scum!" the blonde cyborg tensed up. "We were once just like them, completely human." She gritted her teeth, angrily explaining her side, but then seventeen stepped in, showing a disgusted look on his face.

"What?" Gohan gasped. 'So the rumors I heard about them were true. That's why I saw blood from Android seventeen. I can only imagine what they had to go through.' And he was about to find out about all of the torment they had suffered while under the evil scientist's control. The leading android continued with the story.

"We were children when it happened. We grew up in a small, quiet town until a group of bandits invaded our home. They took what they wanted, shot and killed our parents, and then ran off after burning our house down to the ground. They left us alone to die. While we managed to live through it and escape, the four of us roamed the streets alone." Seventeen explained.

"Wait, there was four of you guys?" Gohan asked in shock.

"That's right, we had a younger brother, and an older sister. Then he showed up. That old man adopted us, promised that he'd give us a good life." Seventeen had to pause, sharing a side that Gohan never thought to have seen; pain, sorrow, and anguish. Seventeen couldn't say anything else without tearing up, so his twin sister took his place.

"He kept us locked up in that damn bunker for I don't know how many years…" Eighteen continued the story, as she showed her side of misery. "He tortured and performed experiments on all of us… He put us to sleep whenever he wanted to… just to wake us up, causing us to feel… different. My older sister and younger brother died a long time ago, and he didn't show any remorse for killing them. Instead of giving them a burial, he disposed their bodies by using it for fuel to keep his secret base running, labeling our siblings 'Failed Experiments'." Eighteen showed tears in her eyes in front of the saiyan hero, and for once, Gohan felt pity for them, but he kept quiet as seventeen picked up where she left off.

"It felt like an eternity in there. Whoever thought that never seeing the sun again would make you crazy?" he explained. "He kept saying that he wanted to make the perfect fighting machines over some grudge he had against Goku for killing his partner and destroying the Red Ribbon Army." He lowered his head towards the ground, feeling heavier by the moment having to relive those moments of suffering. "For ten years, we had to go through all of his splicing, testing, and having him force chips and circuits into us. Gero drugged us constantly, manipulating us, taking away our sanity and humanity more and more each day. So people killed our family, and people took away our right to live as peaceful human beings! That old man did us a favor when he turned us into super cybernetic warriors, so we killed him as payment for what he and this world have done to us." Seventeen gripped his fist in rage, as his eyes boiled strongly. The pain he was going through was unbearable.

"So let me ask you something Gohan?" the young man, infuriated took a sharp, firm gaze at him. "Where were you and the earth's greatest heroes when we lost our parents? Who came to help us when that old gruff tortured us to satisfy his selfish ambitions?" He grabbed a hold of a broken, thick piece of broken road pavement, squeezing it firmly until it shattered, falling like dirt. "Nobody! So because of what we had to go through, everyone else will suffer!"

"Just seeing everyone blindly living in complacency makes us want to throw up… we hate them! So they'll spend every second of their lives in fear, exactly like what we had to go through!" the moody gal concluded it. "You will never understand what we had to deal with… we even lost our names. We have nothing!"

The glowing hero stood in astonishment at the androids, the same ones whom killed his friends and family so mercilessly. The hellish life, the misery, and their horrific torment caused Gohan to feel nothing but sympathy for them. Looking blankly at them, he collected his thoughts, allowing his compassion to flow out of him.

"I can't even imagine what you've had to endure being prisoners to Gero, but revenge isn't the answer for it. Not everyone in this world is that cold blooded. There's so many out there who cry out for peace." 'Man, I'm starting to sound like dad now, but it's the truth.' "You don't have to keep killing innocent people. Do you really think that this is going to take back your humanity?" Gohan gave a compassionate testimony that Goku would have been proud of, but he learned the hard way that there was no reasoning with the relentless cyborgs.

"There's not a damn thing you can do to make us reconsider! So stop wasting your time with your 'good guy' talk. Everyone will die, and those who manage to survive can fear for their lives just as we did!" the black haired cyborg shifted his sound from anguish to thrill in killing humanity. "You'll see your friends and family again in whatever pit you guys call the afterlife." The ground below tremored violently around them as their eyes turned completely white which drove them mad. Gohan didn't see it, but there were two spots on their necks, sending signals to their brains that forced them to have the desire to kill and destroy. Later on, they would have found out that the androids were being influenced by synthetic emotion glands that brought out the negative feelings in them.

"The next dimension welcomes you!" the female cyborg showed the same thrilling look, as they prepared to fight again.

"Then I have no choice… no more bloodshed. This ends here!" Gohan accelerated his power, pushing his golden aura into a speeding, spinning wave but then he suddenly heard what sounded like numerous shouts and cheers from behind. At first it sounded faint and distant, but it was building up, becoming louder, and broader. It seemed that the remaining survivors of the city gathered together, witnessing someone stand against them. Thousands from different sections of the city cheered him on, many of them heavily armed, some of them police, and other armed citizens. Even women and children stood in support. Despite being powerless, the people of the earth have had enough of the oppression. Turning back to see the vast numbers come together, he sensed their pain, their losses. They've had enough.

"Do you see them?" Gohan stated, staring back at the two tyrants. "They're crying out for someone to save this world, and even though you've killed so many of them, they will stand up for what they believe in, longing to live in peace!" Gohan bravely shouted at the androids, only to turn and look at them one last time, his expression turned very serious. "What do you guys think you're doing? Get away from here!" he yelled at them, and at first they were hesitant. They didn't want to retreat since they had faith in Gohan to stop them, but he kept pressuring them to get out. "Go before it's too late!"

Thankfully, they listened to his warning, organizing quickly to get them all out of there, departing from the area as quickly as their feet would let them. Most of the armed forces led the evacuation, but the two machines had something else in mind.

"Sorry Gohan, but I can't allow them to leave… so instead, they'll all die, wondering why their hero couldn't save them." Seventeen uttered out maniacally, both laughing like two lunatics at a psych ward, sending ki blasts in every direction.

"Oh no! I can't let anyone else get killed!" the super saiyan vanished, then reappearing as fast as he was able to, trying everything in his power to divert every energy blast that was heading for the retreating people. Where the beams were going, Gohan managed to stop all of the blasts from destroying them, but then he looked to his right, where a wave of energy zoomed past him, crashing into some of the helpless evacuees.

"Darn it! I missed one!" then "BOOOOOMMMM!" followed by hundreds who screamed to their deaths, as the androids stood in amusement, mockingly clapping at his efforts.

"Way to go hero! You saved most of them. Nice job." Seventeen insulted the golden warrior.

"I've had enough of your games!" he screamed, charging at the twins for another round of fighting.

Leading Gohan back into the clouds, they clashed again. Back and forth, their fists swung wildly, causing sonic booms to echo everywhere, but being out numbered two to one worked against the lone fighter. The androids started throwing him around like ping pong ball bouncing against both ends, but he finally broke out of it and hurled a shining fist at Seventeen, knocking him out of the way, but the artificial warrior landed on a ruined building, dashing at Gohan as Eighteen pursued him from the other side. Before they were able to give him a double whammy, the lone fighter vanished instantly, causing the twins of evil to crash into one another. After taking a painful collision, they saw Gohan making haste above them, with his palms over his head yelling out. "Masenko Hannnn!"

A giant beam of light pushed out of his palms while the twins of doom powered up, sending their waves to counteract against it. Meeting halfway, they struggled for the win, but Gohan pushed his power to the max, and he overwhelmed the androids. "GAHHHH!" the screamed as his energy attack send a dome of flames into the skies above. Leaving behind a gigantic pit, Gohan carefully stood nearby, gasping heavily, trying to recover as quickly as possible since he was totally exhausted from his ultimate move.

"Did I get them? I can't tell since I'm not able to sense their power levels." He asked himself.

For a moment, he thought that he finally destroyed them, but that fragment of hope slipped away, as two beams of light emerged from the dirt below. Soon, the bright beams faded, and the two androids took its place.

"Aw man, you gotta be kidding me. I put all of my energy into that blast… Dad what do I do now?" he said to himself in disappointment, seeing the moderately wounded cyborgs crossing their arms, showing evil smirks when they took their stands again.

"Getting tired already Gohan? We were starting to have fun too. It looks like that it's game over for you." Android Seventeen threw another taunt at him.

"You could always eat another senzu bean, but I think that killing you is a better solution, hehehehe." The young beauty giggled ruthlessly, as they posed to finish the fight.

'Oh geez, if I keep going, then they'll get me for sure. Who the heck am I fighting? These guys are insane.' He gazed over at the sun, hovering midair in the middle of the afternoon, and that gave him an idea. 'Yeah, that's it. I have no choice, but hang in there everybody. I gotta live to fight another day. I need to train some more.'

With no time to lose, he leaped towards the shining sphere. "Well guys, I had fun, but I'll see you later." He said, showing a kind grin at them.

"Seventeen, he's trying to get away." She said in panic.

"Heh, he's not going anywhere!" he declared, scurrying into the air for Gohan with Eighteen behind him, but they suffered a rude interruption when they saw him using the sun for another move.

"SOLAR FLARE!" he screamed loudly, blinding them momentarily.

Not even their enhanced vision was able to handle handle the intense brightness of the sun. After a minute of error pop ups, their visual sensors rebooted, restoring their eyes to normal levels, but it was too late. Their threat went missing in a flash.

"Ugh, he got away. We need to find him before he goes into hiding again." The angry young lady hollered.

"Heh, let him go. He's bound to turn up again eventually, and when he does, we won't let him get away." The other android explained calmly.

After narrowly escaping their wrath, Gohan went into the shadows, preparing himself once again for his next shot at fighting the diabolical androids. During the next three years, nobody knew where Gohan went off to. Not even Trunks saw him again. In fact, nobody knew his whereabouts, and he wouldn't surface again for a long time. However, the survivors of Hope City spread word throughout the world that a golden angel came to stand against the evil monsters. Being the biggest talk on the news, the encouragement gave humanity hope for the first time since they learned about young Goku defeating King Piccolo. As the legend of the Golden Guardian continued to headline the TV and newspapers, he and the young Trunks went their separate ways. One stayed in hiding, trying to earn more power to end their grasp, but the other half blood saiyan did the same, training on his own to become a super saiyan. As the son of Vegeta's power grew, he also wondered if he'd ever see his mentor and best friend again, next time on Dragon Ball Z: Timeline Zero.