Dragon Ball Z: Dynasty

Written by: Feraligreater328 and StevenBodner

A/N: This one was becoming way too large for my tastes. I know that some people prefer larger chapters, but I'm not a fan. I feel like bringing too much to the table at once distracts from certain, important details being noticed. And, as I've stressed to a few people a few times before, these flashbacks are essential to the rest of this arc going forward.

Chapter 70: Present, Part 1

In the Present Timeline, on the airship…

Blue Launch looked utterly perturbed. "Raditz... and Blonde Me...?"

Raditz quietly glanced over at his wife, giving her a consoling pat on the back. Blue Launch shook her head and sighed. "I just... losing her like that. Blonde Me and I don't always get along... but she's a part of me. I... I love her..."

Blue Launch glanced over and gently caressed Ranch's face. "I love her just as much as I love any other member of my family. She's like a sister to me..."

Watching Blue Launch show such tender affection to her infant counterpart made Future Ranch's face twist into a mask of discomfort, sadness, and rage. She hung her head. "Just like any other member of the family, huh...?"

Future Daikon flinched. He glanced over at Future Trunks and, after receiving a nod, he took a deep breath. "This is a lot to have to remember. I think..."

Future Daikon watched as Future Trunks gently gripped Future Ranch's hand. He sighed and gave a small shudder. "I think I'll take over from here with the story, if that's alright..."

Everyone nodded and Future Daikon gripped his fists. "Gohan..."

Gohan glanced over at him. "Y-Yes?"

Future Daikon perked up, adopting a nervous smile. "O-Oh! Sorry. I wasn't talking to you. Not... directly."

He cleared his throat. "Gohan was everything to us after everyone else died. He was our mentor, our friend, our... big brother..."

Future Daikon sighed. "He made us the warriors we are today. If only he were still with us... to come back to this time and to be able to see everyone again... he would have been so happy..."

In the Future Timeline, the Blake Bog (5 years after the initial attacks)...

A larger shadow jumped from the brush and was followed by three, smaller shadows. Rapid-fire attacks were traded back and forth at speeds that were too quick to follow. From a distance, the sounds the four figures were making would almost sound like desperate battle cries echoing through the wilderness. But, up close, it was clear that these battle cries were both furious... and jovial.

With a shout and a burst of energy, 15-year-old Gohan sent his three attackers flying back. The young man's voice had become slightly deeper than it was when he was 5 years ago. His left eye had healed well, but was permanently marked with a long scar running down over its eyelids. He chuckled and charged two light Ki blasts. "Come on, guys! You three can do better than that~!"

A purple-haired young man leapt above Gohan, his wooden sword held aloft. "We're gonna get you this time, Gohan!"

A black-haired young man went for Gohan's legs with his wooden staff. "And then we get to split your dinner between the three of us!"

Finally, a dark blue-haired young woman leapt up with a slingshot pulled back taut. She had a jovial blush and a small stream of drool leaking from the corner of her mouth. "And the Mom Squad is making pot roast tonight~"

Gohan smirked at the three kids, all of them dressed in worn-down orange training gi demarcated by the Demon-School symbol. "I think you three are overestimating yourselves."

The teen chuckled, and then he shouted and his hair went golden. Gohan charged forward, his Super Saiyan power rushing out, and dodged the sword and staff strikes that were coming at him. He shot towards Ranch with a smirk. "Why don't you shoot?! Huh, Ranch?!"

The girl squeaked in shock and fired her slingshot pellets. The ten rocks all launched towards Gohan, but he easily dispelled them into dust with his golden power. He grabbed Ranch by the face and tossed her across the field into a nearby swamp. Gohan smirked, and then was immediately set upon by Ranch's favorite partner. Trunks shouted. "Don't bully her!"

A few swings of the sword came slashing towards Gohan, but he dodged each. He chuckled and winked. "What's the matter, Trunks? Upset about your girlfriend getting muddy?"

The purple-haired boy hesitated, his face turning bright red. "G-Girlfriend?!"

Gohan laughed, using that opportunity to fire a weak blast at Trunks that sent him bouncing back. "See? That's what happens when you get distracted~"

He glanced around. "Now, where is-"

"STAFF JAB!"

Gohan gasped at the sound behind him, he turned... just in time to have said staff jab him right in the crotch. Gohan's eyes bugged out and Trunks and Ranch recovered, leaping over him. Trunks shouted. "Get his legs! Ranch and I will attack from above!"

The black-haired boy nodded at his partners, tackling Gohan's legs and leaving his back exposed for the other two to crash down on him. Gohan landed in a heap and was immediately set upon by the frantic kids punching and kicking and stomping him into submission. Realizing he had lost, Gohan chuckled. "Okay! Okay! You guys win!"

The three of them stopped, all of them out of breath. Gohan stood and brushed himself off. "I was really looking forward to tonight's dinner. But, a promise is a promise~"

Later that evening…

It was a hectic affair making dinner in the Z-Fighters' household. What previously comprised the three mothers, the three kids, Gohan, and Yajirobe, now included Master Roshi, Puar, and Oolong. The three newcomers had moved in from Kame House shortly after Vegeta and Raditz's demise. This was decided as it meant the combined group could share resources from Kame House. As for Roshi's companion, Turtle decided to return to the sea as it would be safer for him with the Androids around. The surrogate family gathered around the table enjoying the simple things that life had to offer. During the day, they spent all of their time focused on the problems that Earth was facing: Roshi training Gohan. Gohan, along with Roshi and Yajirobe, trained the three kids. The three kids learned all they could. Chi-Chi focused on housework, and Bulma and Launch focused on trying their best to try and develop a way to weaken the Androids.

It had been a challenging 5 years in the Blake Bog, but they had all come through it relatively together. Not that there weren't issues bubbling under the surface. As Gohan sat there, his plate empty from his portion being given to the kids, he glanced around. Eventually, his and Launch's eyes met. Gohan's gaze shied away as Launch shot him a look of pure scorn. Gohan took a deep breath and sighed, and then he turned in his chair to face the three 6-year-olds. "H-Hey, guys..."

The three of them turned to him, their faces slathered in gravy. Gohan chuckled. "Um... I wanted to wait until dinner was over. But... I think I can give you these surprises now~"

Reaching under the table, Gohan pulled out a bag. "You've all done so well with your training weapons that, well... I think it's time to move up to the next step..."

The teen warrior reached into the bag and pulled out three things: a broad sword with a red sheathe, a miniature uzi with a modified trigger, and a very familiar-looking red staff. "Okay... for each of you..."

He handed them off and spoke about each one. "This sword is like the one that Mr. Piccolo gave me back during my own training in this bog..."

"... This gun has been specially modified to allow Ki to be focused into it through the trigger..."

"... And this staff... well...I'm sure you've all heard the stories about the man that once wielded this staff..."

Gohan sat back and smiled, watching as the three kids stood up and started messing with their next-level weapons. As he chuckled at the sight of the kids testing out their new gear, Chi-Chi squawked behind him. "You three be careful! Those are dangerous! And furthermore-"

Chi-Chi yelped in shock as the Power Pole extended right past her head, smashing through the window in the kitchen. Chi-Chi growled and stood up. "Young man! You are in so much trouble!"

As Chi-Chi chased the reckless boy, the other two kids watched in the background, much in amusement. Trunks stepped forward with a sheepish look on his face. "Th-Thank you... G-Gohan..."

Gohan smiled. "You're more than welcome! You've earned it, after all~"

He glanced down at Trunks for a moment and his smile slightly faded. "What's... wrong?"

Trunks looked up at him. "You took the time to get us these new weapons to train with. We should be more grateful than we're acting. A-Aren't you hungry?"

Gohan chuckled. "Hungry?! Me?! No, Trunks! I'm not hungry! You won that food fair and square! I'm not-"

Gohan's stomach gurgled and his face turned bright red. He and Trunks stared at one another for a moment and then, wordlessly, Trunks slid his extra-large helping of food across the table to his mentor. "P-Please eat. I'm not worried about some dumb promise and neither are either of them..."

The Saiyan teen glanced over at the other two Saiyan kids, the boy cowering behind the girl before the wrath of Chi-Chi's broom, and chuckled. "Fine, I guess I'll-"

Suddenly, a dreadful racket filled the room. It was a noise that all of the occupants of the home had all become too familiar with by this point. The raucous, droning dubstep beat that the Earth's new rulers had made the signature tone of their address videos. "PAY ATTENTION, LOWLY SCUM! FROM THEIR LUXURIOUS PALACE ON THE BURNING RUINS OF CENTRAL CITY: THE GLORIOUS GOD-KING 17 AND THE GORGEOUS GOD-QUEEN 18!"

"I said I wanted to be called 'glamorous' this time, you hack."

The sound of an energy beam being fired followed by the sudden thump of a body hitting the ground. And then another voice took over. "The Glorious God-King and the Glamorous God-Queen have decided to personally address you losers across the world face-to-face! So, pay attention!"

Everyone had gathered around the television in the den. And, after a moment, the two Androids showed their sinister smirks to the world. Having totally ignored his gifted dinner, Gohan snarled at the sight of those two on the TV. "Bastards! What could they possibly want now?!"

In Android 17 and 18's palace, the ruins of Central City…

17 and 18 both stood there, dressed in robes and jewels and crowns with crowds of followers bowing on the ground around them. The two of them had been living the high-life ever since they had conquered West City and moved on to Central City. After they had personally murdered King Furry, they declared themselves the rulers of the Earth. If anything good came from this, it caused their wanton violence to become significantly reduced as it was less often and more targeted. Now, when they killed for fun, it wasn't just random slaughter. They killed anyone that even dared to oppose them. Soon, the two had gained a stranglehold over the entire planet and people seemed to settle under their rule just fine. The Androids had fully seized control of the planet. 17 took a deep breath, a smile on his face, and then he spoke. "Okay. Show's over."

18 rolled her eyes. "Finally."

The Androids' followers all murmured in confusion as the two of them stripped off all of their finery, going back to their base outfits. One of the followers dared to speak. "Y-Your Majesties...?"

17 shot him dead. "Cut that 'Majesty' crap. We aren't doing that anymore..."

18 shrugged and chuckled, seeing the rising fear in her servant's eyes. "Let me explain really quickly. 17 and I saw that humanity was already on the brink after we slaughtered that stupid dog king. So, we talked and came to the conclusion that we didn't want the fun to end there. So, instead of snuffing out the last of humanity... we decided to let you losers thrive and repopulate~"

17 cocked his head. "But it's been 5 years. Y'all have had enough time to bring some new meat to the table. So, now it's back to real hunting hours~"

18 grinned from ear-to-ear. "Just... slower this time. Instead of doing the job in a couple of weeks, 17 and I have decided that we're going to spend the next couple years satisfying that killing urge~"

The new presenter spoke. "W-Wait! We've all served you so faithfully! We've done nothing but serve you for the past 5 years!"

18 chuckled. "I know~ Funny, right?"

The Android then shot the presenter dead. 17 smirked. "So, here's what's happening today. First, me and 18 are going to kill all of our followers here, just cuz they're close. And then..."

18 glared into the camera. "We heard that some punk called Mr. Satan has been saying that our power is nothing but a cheap trick. So... you'd better prepare yourself, Orange Star City~"

And then, with no hesitation, 17 and 18 began to savagely murder their loyal followers and the feed cut off.

Back in the Blake Bog…

Bulma's pupils were pinpricks. "They... They can't be serious..."

Chi-Chi's hand was clamped over her mouth. "All of those innocent people... they don't stand a chance..."

Launch grimaced. "Just... just like in West City... Raditz..."

Puar, Oolong, Yajirobe, and the kids were speechless, none of them knowing how to respond to what they just saw. Even Roshi's voice had gone unsteady. "This... This is horrible. But we can't allow it to distract us from what we need to do. We need to train and become stronger! Right, Gohan?"

Silence.

Roshi turned, seeing that Gohan was no longer standing behind everyone else. "Gohan?!"

Everyone looked around for the teen warrior. Eventually, all of their gazes landed on the same place: the front door of the house, hanging wide open. Chi-Chi called out in shock, running out the front door with a frantic pace. "Gohan! No! Come back!"

Master Roshi groaned, gripping his staff tight. "That boy... just like his father..."

In Orange Star City…

Smoke rose from the burning center of Orange Star City as Android 17 and Android 18 made their assault against the city. In the biggest house in the center of town, the two killer machines marched forward in search of the first target of their terrible campaign: The World Martial Arts Champion, Mr. Satan. A yelp echoed from within the destroyed ruins of Satan's home, followed by a deep voice shouting as loud as he could. "Videl! Miguel! Where are you?! Are you okay?!"

The world champion emerged from beneath the burning ruins of his house. His head was bleeding and he cried out. "Vide! Miguel!"

He crawled across the ground, eventually coming across a horrible sight. A hand was stuck out from beneath the rubble. A hand wearing a fingerless, leather glove. "N-No! Videl! No!"

He reached out to move the wreckage, but a beam shot from the smoke and nearly hit the champion. He yelped and glared over towards the smoke, watching as 17 stepped out and glared at him. "Man... for all the shit that you talked about us, this is all you could do?!"

Mr. Satan stood up, striking an aggressive fighting stance. "Y-You... you killed my b-baby girl..."

17 coldly smirked. "Aw, did that bother you?"

Tears built up in Mr. Satan's eyes. He prepared to charge, but then a sharp scream cried out behind him. "MARK!"

Satan cried out. "M-Miguel!"

A heavy thump echoed out, and then 18 stepped out from the smoke behind Mr. Satan. He glared, tears streaming down his face. "Y-You..."

And then, he gasped. The champion glanced towards Android 18's ring finger and saw, to his horror, the ring that his wife wore every day. Mr. Satan was shaking. "H-How could you...? She was sick...she couldn't even get out of bed... and you just..."

18 chuckled. "Killed her. Yeah, I killed her. And I took her ring, cuz I like the way it looks~"

Mr. Satan snarled. "Y-You bastards... I'll... I'll kill you both! I swear I'll kill you both for this! Y-You hear me?! I'll kill you both!"

17 chuckled. "You hear that? He's gonna kill us both."

The raven-haired Android pointed his finger towards Mr. Satan. 18 rolled her eyes and pointed her finger as well. They both charged energy beam attacks and 18 scoffed. "Yeah, sure he will."

The two of them fired their beams and Mr. Satan yelped in fear. He knew he was staring death in the face. But then, to his shock, a golden form landed in front of him and knocked both energy beams aside. The golden form, a young man with a scar over one of his eyes, turned and shouted at Mr. Satan. "Get out of here!"

Satan stammered. "B-But, I..."

Gohan screamed at the top of his lungs. "GO!"

Mr. Satan seemed reluctant, but he relented. He turned and ran as fast as he could, not daring to look back. Once he was gone, Gohan turned and glared towards the Androids. He saw the hand sticking out from under the rubble 17 was perched on top of and he saw the blood staining 18's hands and the boy's Super Saiyan power flared. 17 cocked his head. "Another one, huh? Who is this guy?"

18 narrowed her eyes, studying his face closely. 17 flopped his head the other way. "He's wearing the same kind of outfit that Goku wore when he was alive, but this can't be Goku... can it?"

Soon enough, it dawned on Android 18 who she was looking at. She stared at the scar and her memory soon drummed an injured brat a few years back. She laughed and turned to her counterpart. "17! I can't believe this! That's Goku's kid~!"

17 gasped. "You're kidding!"

She shook her head. "No! I'm serious! We injured his eye 5 years ago when we were fighting with Vegeta and Raditz! He's dyed his hair blonde since then, but this is definitely that same snot-nosed little punk~"

17 smirked. "I see, so... we didn't kill all of the superpowered fighters..."

18 chuckled. "Looks like we didn't..."

Gohan snarled at them both. "No! You didn't! I'm here now, and I'm going to destroy you bastards once and for all! This is where it ends, Androids!"

17 and 18 both seemed to ignore Gohan, the two of them both seeming rather happy. 17's eyes narrowed. "It's nice to see you're still alive, kid..."

18 took on a fighting stance. "We were both afraid that we'd killed anyone who could challenge us on this stupid planet. But, with you here, it looks like we will have one more fun fight~!"

And then, the two Androids charged at the lone Super Saiyan. They both attacked, 17 with a punch and 18 with a kick, but Gohan was able to deftly dodge. The young warrior skidded to the side, and then he launched forward and tried to deal a heavy punch to 18. The female Android ducked under Gohan's arm and then returned the favor by landing a hard knee into the boy's gut. Gohan coughed and 18 followed up by slapping him across the face. As Gohan stumbled back, 18 smirked. "What, are we done already?"

Gohan responded by bouncing back into place with a massive blast charged in his hand. "Not by a longshot!"

He levied the blast into 18's face, catching the feminine Android off guard, and then shot forward and sent her sprawling with a heavy headbutt to the bridge of her nose. As 18 stumbled, Gohan hit her with a spamming of lefts and rights, his fists smashing against 18 and unleashing years of pent of hatred and aggression towards his cybernetic foe.

As he went for a finishing strike, a heavy kick to the side of 18's head, the Android recovered and caught Gohan by the ankle. "Naughty~"

18 heaved Gohan off of the ground, swinging him around in the air before tossing him sky high. Up in the air, Gohan took a brief glance around. He saw that droves of people were managing to make it out of the city, saving themselves from the Androids' slaughter. He breathed a small sigh of relief... and then the rest of the air was forced from his body as 18 shot up and planted both of her feet into Gohan's stomach. Gohan wheezed and 18 shook her head. "You humans and your need for air...~"

She grabbed Gohan by the throat and swung him back down towards the ground. "Your turn, 17!"

Gohan smashed into the ground hard, crying out in pain. And then, he was immediately set upon by 17. Gohan managed to spring up in time to block a strike from the male Android, being forced to skid back across the rubble he had landed on. 17 chuckled. "Look at that dumb scar~"

The raven-haired Android smashed Gohan in the face with his free hand and sent the boy flying back. Gohan landed on his arm, sliding through a small puddle of blood that had gathered. He stared, wide-eyed and in shock at the hand that had once belonged to Mr. Satan's daughter, shuddering in horror as he realized that the puddle he was laying in belonged to her. 17 was indifferent, strolling forward with a chuckle. "That dumb scar of yours reminds me of Goku's dad... I guess he would be your grandfather?"

17 scoffed. "You're going to turn out just like that old man, ya know? The only difference is that, unlike him, you don't even have a wife we could make you kill first~"

Gohan snarled in frustration, pushing himself back to his feet and making his power flare. The force of his Super Saiyan energy erupting forth actually made 17 and 18 slide back a good bit. Both Androids were somewhat astonished. 17 even called out. "Wow! Feel that pressure! This guy is actually pretty-"

Gohan sped towards 17 and slugged the Android right across his face. 17 stumbled back and 18 tried to pick up the slack. She raised her hands into the air, charging a blast, but Gohan's quick reflexes allowed him to turn on his heel and kick 18 right in the gut. Both Androids went bouncing back and Gohan finished his counterattack with an old favorite. "DOUBLE MASENKO!"

Both Androids were engulfed by the attacks and caught in the ensuing explosions. Gohan stood there, gasping for breath but looking satisfied. "Th-That had to do something... right?"

The smoke cleared and, to Gohan's shock, both Androids stood mostly undamaged. His assault had done little more than wrinkle clothing and cause minor burns. Gohan gasped, his hands subtly trembling as they fell to his sides. All at once, he remembered the sheer desperation and helplessness of 5 years ago. 17 sighed and glanced at 18. "He's pretty strong. He got us all dusty..."

18 nodded. "He did. But he even seems to have thought he did more than that. Poor guy..."

17 shook his head. "Wanna beat the hell out of him to remind him of his place?"

18 smiled wide. "Absolutely~!"

The two Androids then descended on Gohan, deciding to try just a bit harder than they had been prior to that point. At first, Gohan was able to fend off their attacks, managing to even tackle 17 to the ground. As he laid into 17, however, 18 hit him from behind and sent him sprawling across the rubble. Gohan shakily tried to stand, but 17 launched forward with a kick to the chest and 18 looped in from behind with a punch to the back of the head. Gohan was staggered and 17 and 18 finished their assault by each firing a Ki bolt directly into the boy's chest. Gohan fell back with a sputtering cough and landed hard on the ground. As Gohan laid there, barely conscious, Android 18 loomed over him. In her hand, she charged a bright Power Blitz and aimed it right at Gohan's face. "Shame that didn't last longer. But, you're just too weak. So I think this is where you die."

18 was prepared to fire. But before she could, a hand reached out and grabbed her by the wrist. She turned and glared at the hand's owner, Android 17, and scowled. "Pardon me?"

Android 17 shook his head. "Look, you're gonna say I'm getting soft... but just hear me out. I don't think we should kill the poor, dumb bastard. Not yet, at least."

Android 18 lowered her hand, glaring at 17. "Why?"

17 sighed. "I mean... think about it. This guy is probably the last bit of fun that we have at our disposal on this entire planet. Once we kill him, all we have left after that is hunting for sport. And that would get monotonous after a while if that's all we had. Don't you agree?"

18 cocked her head. "So... you're saying we should let this little punk live just so we can continue to have fun with him?"

17 nodded. "At least for a few years, ya know? He's the only real challenge we have left..."

18 didn't seem convinced. "And what if he just runs off? Huh? What if he cuts his losses and just disappears after this...?"

17 shook his head. "He won't do that. He's one of Goku's people. Those schmucks refused to back down even when it was clear we had the ability to kill them. And he has the same look in his eye that the rest of them did..."

18 sighed. "Fine. I guess you have a point. We'll let him live so that we can continue to play with him... but, he needs to have rules to follow too! If we're not going to kill him, I mean."

17 nodded. "Of course. I was just about to get to that."

The raven-haired Android turned and delivered a sharp kick to Gohan's ribs, stirring Gohan back into full-consciousness. 17 chuckled and spoke down to him. "Listen up, kid. Here's the game the three of us are going to play from now on. We're going to tone down our slaughter of all of these pathetic idiots just to extend our own fun a bit. But that comes with a cost to you. If you want us to continue killing less... then you have to meet us at every single one of the places we attack. No matter the time of day, no matter how hurt or tired you are. If we show up, you show up~"

17 knelt down and got right next to Gohan's ear. "And if you ever miss a single playdate... then we'll go full throttle and empty this planet in less than a month, understand?"

Gohan visibly shuddered, and the Androids both took that as a sign that he understood them. The two Androids, satisfied with this new arrangement, both took to the air with a cheerfully playful smile on their faces that did not match the sadistic look in their eyes. 18 cheerily called down. "Get well soon, Gohan~"

17 smirked. "Can't wait to play again, bud~"

And then, they flew off, leaving Gohan injured and lying in a pile of burning rubble.

2 years later…

Since the Androids' dropping of a royalty display, Son Gohan's life had become harder than he ever thought possible. The noble warrior, possibly the last hope of the planet, acted so selflessly, maintaining an appearance as if nothing in the world was wrong. He continued along, leading his three pupils into becoming stronger and more skilled, smiling all the while. It was a time in their lives that all three could look back on and smile at. Just the three of them and their big brother.

What they didn't know was what was on the other side of that coin for poor Gohan. While he still trained them, keeping his mild manner and his cheery demeanor, everyone else present knew just the sort of struggle that Gohan was facing. For 2 years, since 17 and 18 had resumed their rampage, Gohan leapt at every opportunity to stop them. Whether he was injured, whether he was tired, whether he was hungry, thirsty, or sick, Gohan answered every attack that the Androids carried out with heroic resolve.

He threw himself in their path at every junction, fighting tooth-and-nail against the cybernetic menaces and allowing the desperate innocents to flee away towards another day of safety. And every time he came back to his hidden away home, he was beaten and bruised and broken in some horrific way. Never enough to mortally injure him, as the Androids did not want to break their toy. But no matter how smoothly he physically recovered, the emotional damage was quickly building on him.

The Blake Bog…

It had been 3 days since Gohan's last encounter with the Androids. Watching from a stump he was sat upon; the warrior observed the weapons training that the three kids were undertaking. Yajirobe was teaching Trunks more advanced swordplay, Launch was teaching her daughter how to wield more complicated firearms, and Roshi was teaching the finer aspects of the Power Pole to his young charge. Gohan cringed as he felt Bulma remove the bandages. "C-Come on, Bulma... I'm a tough guy, but I'm still a little tender…"

Gohan let loose a nervous chuckle, but Bulma showed not a speck of joviality. She hated to see Gohan return so banged up. She pulled out a roll of bandages and tightly wrapped them around Gohan's shoulder. "Gohan, I know you're tough. I know you Saiyans heal fast, but that doesn't stop us from worrying about you..."

Gohan nodded. "I-I know... but..."

He sighed. "But I have to keep it up. If I don't... they'll kill everyone. And, I... I can't let-"

Bulma sighed. "I'm almost to the point I want to say screw 'em."

Gohan flinched. "Bulma..."

Bulma's hands shook as she continued to inspect Gohan's body. "It's not worth losing you, Gohan. It's... it's just not... none of this is worth losing you too..."

Gohan shook his head. "I-I know how you feel, Bulma. But-"

Bulma stood, closing her first aid kit. "Not just me. We all feel that way, Gohan. Even the kids are starting to notice how drained you are. Your mom is such a nervous wreck about it she won't even leave the kitchen..."

Gohan closed his eyes. "Are you and Yajirobe having any luck with the Senzu shrub?"

Bulma shook her head. "The plant died. We're trying to culture some Senzus from the oil we extracted from it, but that's a much slower process than we'd hoped it would be. If only I had my lab in West City..."

Gohan sighed. "At least all of these beatings are giving me some good progress. I'm nearly as strong as Dad was..."

Bulma sadly glanced down at him. "Are you really happy with that though? Taking beatings to get stronger..."

Her lower lip trembled. "What about becoming a scholar...? You wanted to become a scholar, didn't you...?"

Gohan sadly nodded. "Y-Yeah. It's just-"

Suddenly, the handheld radio burst to life and started to shout. "This just in! Androids 17 and 18 have been spotted traveling towards Iguana City! All citizens of Iguana City should evacuate straight away! Repeat: All citizens of Iguana City should evacuate straight away!"

Gohan stood from his stump, putting on her undershirt and then his shirt. Once he pulled his head through, he was met by the saddened and worried looks from everyone around him. Even the cold and distant Launch gave him a concerned look over her sunglasses. Gohan sighed and turned his gaze towards the sky. "Sometimes you just have to let your dreams go to do the right thing..."

In Iguana City, the ToyLand store on Iguana Street…

Android 18 stalked through the Iguana Street ToyLand looking through the various plushies and dolls. "Hmm..."

She picked up a bear, looked it over, and then callously tore its head off. As she walked down the line of stuffed animals, tearing them to shreds when she found them displeasing, 18 didn't seem to notice that she was not alone in ToyLand. Hidden under the same table she was stalking near, behind a large, stuffed gorilla, a little girl was desperately trying not to attract attention to herself. Across the store, her mother lay beaten and unconscious on the ground: a victim of 18's volatile temper. The little girl whimpered, realizing that 18 was looking over the shelf she was on. Soon, she would be found and then the scary Android lady would hurt her too.

Stuffed animal after stuffed animal was picked up and examined until, finally, 18 reached the gorilla the girl was hidden behind and lifted it. She looked it over and then callously ripped its head off. And then, 18 noticed the little girl herself. "Oh, look... They doubled stocked this shelf~"

18 lifted the girl by the collar of her shirt and looked her over with a sinister glint in her eye. "Oh... just as ugly as the rest~ Too bad..."

He reached her other hand up and clamped it over the girl's mouth. "Guess I'll have to rip off your head too~"

The little girl shrieked in fear. But then, a heroic voice calmly spoke. "Not today, Android."

18 turned and was immediately met by the bottom of a boot crashing into her face. She was forced to drop the little girl and was sent flying across the store.

Outside of ToyLand, on Iguana Street…

Android 17 was growing impatient. He sat on the hood of a police car, a freshly killed officer behind the wheel, and scoffed. "Spending this long in a friggin' toy store. And she calls me childish..."

Suddenly, to 17's shock, 18 came crashing through the front window of ToyLand. She crashed into the street and tumbled, eventually coming to a rest in the gutter near 17's foot. 17 smirked. "What happened? Did one of the plushies have a Kung Fu grip~?"

18 got to her feet, snarling in a rage. "No! It's him! He's here for his beating again!"

17 stood as well, and the Androids watched as Gohan stepped out the front door of ToyLand with an intense look on his face. 17 sighed and shrugged. "Still coming for your lumps, eh? At least you're consistent, bud~"

Gohan fumed at 17. "We aren't buds!"

17 mockingly looked sad. "Oh~ After all this time together~? That's just mean~"

18 sneered. "This is starting to get boring. I feel like I might actually want to kill you, this time!"

Gohan sighed, moving slowly and deliberately to gather his focus, and then striking a fighting stance. "Well, you aren't going to kill me just standing there. Right?"

18 narrowed her eyes. "Cocky little prick."

17 laughed. "He won't be cocky for long!"

Once again, the two Androids charged at Gohan. Gohan watched them intently, waiting for as long as he could, and then feinted out of the way. The two Androids were both surprised, turning just in time for Gohan to punch 18 right between the eyes. And then, as 18 started recoiling back, Gohan fired a blast that doubled the ocular punishment. 18 cried out in pain and frustration and Gohan immediately focused all of his attention onto 17. 17 reacted with little more than a chuckle as 18 cursed on the ground and held her injured eyes. "I think you made her mad~"

Gohan sneered and went for a kick, which 17 blocked. Gohan spat at him. "A step in the right direction. It means I'm making her try! Now I just have to make her dead!"

The warrior used his foot as a hook, pulling himself into the air using 17's arm as leverage, and then threw a heavy blast down onto the Android, driving him into the ground. Gohan flipped back and braced himself, watching as 17 and 18 both stood up. Gohan roared. "These last 2 years have been such hell! But they've made me stronger than I had ever hoped I could be! This little game with you two ends here and now!"

17 smirked, cocking his head. "He's pretty cool, huh, 18?"

18 snapped. "Shut the hell up, 17!"

The feminine Android shot forward and she and Gohan clashed. Strikes were exchanged back and forth at supersonic speeds, with both fighters desperately and passionately trying to end one another's lives. The back-and-forth display ultimately was put to an end when finally, to 18's surprise, Gohan locked his grip around her wrist and yanked her forward into a heavy elbow smash to the face. 18 was stunned and Gohan took advantage, laying into her with his combination of Turtle-Style and Ox-Style Martial Arts. 18 was beaten and bashed all the way down Iguana Street before Gohan finally finished the combination of moves with a charged Kamehameha to the face. It seemed as if the blast was going to send 18 flying, but she dug in her heels. The beam ended and 18 stood there looking singed and furious. "17! Are you going to help me with this piece of trash or not?!"

17 gingerly responded. "Coming~"

Gohan groaned in frustration and turned just in time to catch a knee strike from 17. The male Android bounced back and then he launched forward with his fist drawn. 18 sped forward with her fist drawn as well and they both attempted to punch Gohan. However, to their shock, Gohan managed to catch both of their fists. And then, deftly as he could, Gohan flipped into the air and gave a solid kick to each Androids' face. 17 and 18 went stumbling back and then Gohan roared as loud as he could. "DODON RAY!"

He extended each of his pointer fingers and fired a beam of energy, hitting 17 in the chest and 18 in the knee. Both Androids fell to the ground and landed in a heap. 17 pushed himself up, wincing in pain. "Wh-What the hell was that?!"

Gohan landed and his Super Saiyan power flared. "You might not remember them, but that was a gift from Tien and Chiaotzu. Two of the first people that you bastards killed so long ago!"

Each of the Androids responded by throwing a blast at Gohan, but he smacked each of the attacks away. "For years now, this planet that they all loved has been under the tyranny of you two hellions! But, today, I represent all of them! I have their techniques learned! I have their powers memorized! I am Son Gohan, and I will avenge all of them!"

18 snapped and lunged forward with a heavy kick. "Cut the sanctimonious crap!"

17 was even starting to lose his cool, somewhat, vengefully launching himself towards Gohan. "You haven't won a damned thing!"

The battle began again in earnest. 17 and 18 both hit Gohan as hard as they could, sending shocks of pain throughout the warrior's entire body. But, Gohan endured it without falter, and provided just as much back at them. The three brawled all across Iguana City, smashing down buildings and leaving destruction in their wake. His reflexes at their sharpest, Gohan was able to counter a great deal more strikes from 17 and 18 than he had in the past, laying into them with his own strikes and seemingly doing damage to the two out-of-control monsters.

Gohan cried out as he found an opening, shooting his knee forward and catching 17 on the chin. 17 was sent launching back and Gohan followed that with a spinning ax kick that launched 17 to the ground below like a missile. 18 tried to attack him from behind, but Gohan was able to catch both of her hands and flip her over onto his knee, making her back pop. Gohan palm thrust 18 down onto 17 and then charged up another familiar attack. "SHINING FRIDAY!"

17 and 18 both gasped in shock and then jumped out of the way, watching as the attack exploded and left a mighty crater in its wake. 17 shook his head. "What the hell?! Where's all this coming from?!"

18 sneered. "He's gotten stronger! Much more and quicker than makes sense! How'd he do this?! Has he been holding back?!"

17 sneered. "He has to have been."

Gohan interjected. "No. I haven't been holding back..."

The warrior smashed his fist into the back of 17's head. "I've been building myself up!"

He kicked 18 in the gut. "The more you toyed with me... the more you brutalized me... the worse you just made for yourself!"

17 snarled and launched a Power Blitz, but Gohan cleaved it in half with a downward chop. He shouted. "Clearly, you didn't read Gero's notes on Saiyans! For every failure or struggle, for every injury or moment of pain, the more intense we endure such setbacks, the faster, stronger, and just plain better we perform as we recover! I knew that you scumbags would continue to allow me to grow stronger until I finally surpassed you! Your own overconfidence will be your undoing!"

18 hissed in frustration. "That's it! No more games! I'm going full-throttle and he's going to die, 17!"

18 shot forward and kicked Gohan across his left arm. The warrior's feet buckled under the weight of 18's kick, but he did not lose his ground. As 18 was shocked by Gohan completely resisting her attack, Gohan glared at 18 and then his power flared again. He punched her and she collided with the street below. 18 rushed Gohan again, but the half-Saiyan easily dodged and launched back into her previous hole with another mighty punch. As 18 shook her head to get wits back, she freaked at the sight of a blast heading right at her.

As she managed to dodge the blast at the last second, 18 smirked at Gohan, making him flinch. From behind, 17 came at Gohan with another Power Blitz. Gohan leapt over the attack, allowing it to sail under him, and then slammed his feet down onto 17's head. Gohan then reached into Goku's old bag of tricks and fired a Kamehameha from his feet, driving 17 into the ground and launching himself up at 18 for a devastating headbutt to the Android's stomach. As 18 gagged in pain, Gohan secured his arms around her waist and slammed her over his back and onto the ground, cratering it.

18 snarled and summoned a massive blast, slamming it into Gohan's chest. The power of the blast seared off Gohan's shirt, but the boy did not shy away. Instead, he reached down and grabbed 18 by her hair. And then he hurled her directly to her counterpart down below. Gohan focused again, and then summoned two Spirit Balls. He threw the two attacks down at the Androids, but both were able to dodge. Gohan steeled his focus and then frantically gestured to get the two attacks to follow the fleeing Androids. 17 and 18 were able to dodge at first, but the attacks eventually started colliding into the Androids more and more.

Finally, Gohan raised the two attacks into the air and combined them into one ball, and then slammed them back down on top of the two killer menaces. 17 and 18 both cried out, reaching up and stopping the massive Spirit Ball with their bare hands, but Gohan was prepared for this. He abandoned the Spirit Ball and formed a diamond with his hands. "TRI-BEAM!"

The life-force expending attack zipped through the air and collided with the Spirit Ball, creating a massive explosion that threatened to topple all of the buildings surrounding the explosion. Smoke curled up from the crater, masking everything in the surrounding area from view. Soon enough, a strong wind blew through and cleared the smoke, revealing Gohan still floating high above the city.

Gohan landed on the ground, out of breath. His energy had been depleted quite a bit by the series of attacks. As he landed, however, the warrior was disheartened to see that Android 17 and Android 18 were both able to quickly recover. The two Androids rose from the rubble, their clothes tattered and their bodies visibly injured, but with no signs of tiring out. Gohan, in spite of his fatigue, did manage a chuckle. "I can't believe... that you monster's bleed red blood..."

17 chuckled back, clapping as he walked forward. "Yeah. Gero wanted to make sure that everything he created was as human as possible, but better. The guy certainly had an aesthetic~"

18 sneered. "I have no idea why he wouldn't at least dull our ability to feel pain, though. You've made me even sorer than Vegeta did..."

The two Androids loomed over the kneeling Gohan and Gohan merely lowered his head. 17 sighed. "Really? You're done already? That sucks, man...this has really become fun..."

18 was far less casual. "Too bad. A little longer, and you might have killed us..."

Gohan chuckled and shook his head. "So... this is where I die, huh?"

17 nodded and raised his arm back for a chop. "Uh-huh!"

18 did the same. "Like we said. No more games. Die!"

Both Androids struck down at Gohan and both of them landed a solid, critical hit on the warrior. Their hands sailed through Gohan's neck and chest, completely severing it and leaving the half-Saiyan with a look of shock and horror on his face.

But... that look quickly turned into a satisfied smile. 17 and 18 were both confused as Gohan started to laugh. "I told you two that your overconfidence was gonna get you..."

And then, Gohan suddenly dispersed into nothing.

As the Androids were shocked by this, rising from the rubble and forming a circle around 17 and 18, a grand total of eleven Gohans appeared, all of them charging a separate attack. The Gohans all spoke in unison at the shocked and confused Androids. "I told you, I'm here as a representative for everyone you killed! This battle doesn't end today without you Androids meeting your end! You're both finished with the combined might of all of the Z-Fighters!"

"SPIRIT BALL!"

"TRI-BEAM!"

"DODON RAY!"

"DOUBLE SUNDAY!"

"GALICK GUN!"

"MOTHER BURST!"

"SPECIAL BEAM CANNON!"

"SCATTER BULLET!"

"RIOT JAVELIN!"

"KAMEHAMEHA!"

"MASENKO!"

The Androids quickly erected a barrier together. All eleven of the attacks shot towards the Androids like vengeful bolts of lightning, crashing into the barrier with such unrelenting fury. As the Gohans began to tire, they roared loudly and pumped even more power, shattering the barrier. The stunned cybernetic menaces were left defenseless as the combined assault created a massive explosion that shook the entire city. Underneath the sheer, rolling force of the attacks, the sounds of 17 and 18 screaming could barely be heard, eventually falling silent all together.

As smoke rumbled up from the center of the crater once more, Gohan fell to his knees. The Multi-Form Gohans all vanished, eventually only leaving the one that had fired off the Masenko. Sweat poured down Gohan's brow, but he knew this wasn't over. He shakily got to his feet and his Super Saiyan Power flared. "Come on!"

No response. Once again, he furiously shouted. "COME ON!"

Nothing.

After the smoke completely cleared, Gohan was left bewildered. The space that the Androids had once occupied was empty, only burnt tatters of clothing remaining in place. Gohan stared at the empty space, slowly registering in his mind that the Androids were not there.

He had... won?

No... that couldn't be, could it? After all of that effort, after all the Androids had done before... was this really it? Gohan fell onto his butt, his Super Saiyan power fading away. The feeling of victory slowly washed over the young warrior... but with that feeling of victory came a feeling of pure unease. Gohan knew that something was wrong here.

3 years later…

Things in the world took a significant upturn after the Androids "death". Without the Androids constantly hunting them and killing them for sport, humanity was able to bounce back from their second near-extinction and rebuild society and the majority of cities. The rise of the new cities came about and, soon enough, the Z-Survivors were able to leave the Blake Bog and move back to New West City.

The first surprise that came about upon their grand return to society was one that caught everyone, especially Bulma, off guard. The Brief daughter walked onto the Capsule Corp lawn and was flabbergasted to find that not only were her parents still alive, but that the Pilaf Gang were alive with them. The 9-year-old Pilaf, Shu, and Mai all spat at Bulma, but they were otherwise quite well-behaved. Panchy had done an excellent job of educating the three former troublemakers on how to be a proper young man, woman, and dog. The three of them quickly joined up with Gohan's trio of students and all became fast friends.

And so, as quickly as ruin had set upon the Earth, peace set back in for the remaining populace. As that peace continued to set in place, the Androids became less of a real threat that had once affected all and more a rumor that was only whispered in private. The more skeptical people across the planet began to wonder whether their tormentors had even existed in the first place. Conspiracy theorists and talking heads quickly took to the airwaves to declare the two killer Androids to be little more than a cheap trick or an illusion. Some even went as far as to call them a plot by the deceased King Furry to stymie the growing population that had blown up in his face.

As time passed, among the Z-Family, the narrative shifted on poor Gohan as well. Even as he returned from the battle where 17 and 18 apparently perished, the young warrior was in a state of disbelief. And that disbelief never went away. No matter how much Chi-Chi, Roshi, or Bulma tried to convince him that he had overcome the challenge, grown stronger, and done what Goku had always managed to do, the feeling of unease never left Gohan's mind. Even when faced with the argument that it had been over 3 years without so much as a peep, Gohan still couldn't shake the feeling off.

He was hardly any stronger than Piccolo, Vegeta, or Grandpa Bardock were when 17 and 18 killed them. So, if they couldn't kill those two by themselves back then... then how in the hell did he manage such a feat himself? One-on-one, he was fairly sure he could win against either of them. And sure, he expected his final assault on both of them to seriously harm them, maybe even give him the advantage. But outright obliterate them? No. It was too easy.

Going into the future, while everyone else chose to look towards the light, Gohan couldn't make himself stop staring back in the darkness.

In the Gizard Wastes…

Gohan sat in a staunch meditation. In his mind, he fought against various shadows of fights that he had experienced in his past. He fought with the shadows of Piccolo and his father, Krillin and Bardock, Frieza and Recoome, and of course, Androids 17 and 18. He needed to be ready because he knew that, eventually, the other shoe on this would drop. Even if everyone called him crazy, Gohan knew that he had to be ready. He would use this time to get even stronger.

What Gohan was not ready for, however, was three heavy lumps landing on him with all of their weight. So focused on his training, Gohan was unprepared for this sudden assault and he, alongside his three attackers, all tumbled down the hill and into the sand below. Gohan stood quickly, taking a fighting stance. "I don't know how you think you are, but-"

Trunks stood up, quickly trying to get Gohan to calm down. "Wait! Wait! We're sorry! We thought you'd sense us coming!"

The other two stood, Ranch nervously chuckling. "How have you been, Gohan...?"

Gohan chuckled, watching as his three pupils stood up. The three of them were still wearing their West City primary school uniforms, as if they had all just left the school and rocketed straight to him. Gohan cocked his head. "What are you three doing out here like this? You're going to make the Mom Squad angry if you shirk responsibilities with a paranoid weirdo like me..."

The purple-haired boy shook his head. "You aren't a paranoid weirdo!"

The girl sighed. "Well... he is a bit paranoid. And I guess he's weird from a normal person's perspective..."

The black-haired boy interjected. "That's beside the point! We miss you! And it's summer break, Gohan! So we decided that we wanted to sneak out here and train with you like we used to! We miss being able to train with you!"

The 20-year-old looked at his three students. His three younger siblings. And, after knocking the idea around in his head a bit, he sighed. "Fine. You guys can stay. But if any of your mothers come out here and start yelling, this was your idea! Got it?"

The three kids' eyes all lit up and they all nodded in agreement. "YES, SIR!"

And so, began another training session between the Hero of the Future and his three young charges. Much in the vein of his father, his grandfather, and his green guardian, Gohan was tough but fair in the months of training that followed. He pushed the three of them to their limits, but he also blended in his own personal touch of targeted improvement and self-confidence boosting one-on-one chats.

With his purple-haired young charge, Gohan taught the finer points of swordsmanship. He let Trunks grow and expand in technique and even make up a few new techniques of his own. He also learned of the problems that Trunks was facing as he grew. The boy had never met his father, only hearing legend of the man through secondary sources. And this was having a negative effect on Trunks' self-confidence.

As they trained, Gohan spoke gently to Trunks. "I'm sure that Vegeta would be proud of you, Trunks! I know he would be! You're shaping up to be one fine warrior, and that's all Vegeta ever really wanted out of anybody..."

Trunks sighed. "I-If you say so..."

With his black-haired young charge, Gohan helped to educate him on how to better wield the Power Pole. Even if he, himself, had never used such a tool before, Gohan was able to impart some useful technical tips onto the younger Saiyan and help him to learn to focus his creative, easily distracted mind. The young man gasped as he swung his staff, in genuine disbelief at what Gohan said to him in private. "Y-You mean it...? Just like Dad... and Uncle...?"

Gohan smirked and nodded. "Yeah. You remind me so much of both of them. With your technique, with your skills, with your looks... I know they'd be proud of you if they were here to talk. And... I know they'd be so happy to be able to meet someone like you..."

And finally, with his young, female charge, Gohan taught her how to better focus on controlling her Ki in order to make sharper and more focused ki attacks. Ranch could scrap. She could fight with the best of them, but it was clear to Gohan that her real talents were with her Ki and her control of it. In that regard, she was certainly Raditz's daughter. But something that Ranch admitted to Gohan in private was enough to shake the warrior to his core. "What do you mean you think she hates you? Launch could never hate you, Ranch..."

Ranch sighed as she cleaned her Ki rifle. "M-Maybe hate isn't the right word... it's just... I..."

The young lady sighed. "She just seems to grow more and more distant by the day. It's like she's just letting less and less important things slip away from her everyday... and it feels like my turn to be cast off is getting closer and closer..."

As days went by, so did months. The four young warriors would return to the Gizard Wastes together daily, with only themselves and the stars above to keep them company. Chi-Chi and Bulma both stopped by every so often, to deliver food and rations or to stay a couple of nights themselves. But, for the most part, the Mom Squad gave the kids their space and allowed them to bond. And, as they bonded, their strength grew higher and higher every day.

And this bonding and training experience continued until, one fateful day, Gohan's worst fears were proven right. It was the end of the summer. Four years to the day that Gohan "saved" the world. The child trio were all expected to report back to West City for classes. As they said their goodbyes, however, and loaded themselves into Bulma's plane, the radio in the plane suddenly shrieked a chilling message. "BREAKING NEWS! IN A HORRIFIC TURN OF EVENTS, IT WOULD SEEM THAT THE ANDROIDS HAVE BEEN SPOTTED IN OCEAN CITY!"

The kids all cried out in shock. Gohan snarled and gripped his fists. "I knew it. I knew they couldn't have died so easily... those bastards!"

Bulma was stunned into silence. But then, the radio spoke its desperate message again and Bulma's eyes widened. "Wait... Ocean City? But that's..."

Gohan turned to her. "What?! What is it, Bulma?!"

Bulma turned towards Gohan. "Master Roshi just took a trip to Ocean City. He said he was going to go ogle the girls on the beach. So, if he's there and the Androids are there, then-"

Before Bulma could even finish, Gohan had already taken off. The warrior had a chilled expression on his face. He raced forward with all of his might, his Super Saiyan form flaring up in the process. He had to get to Ocean City as soon as possible. Not just to stop the Androids, but to save Master Roshi's life!

In Ocean City…

The two Androids stood on a dock facing the ocean, their faces hidden under two large hats. 17 chuckled as he stared out at the sparkling ocean, the flames of their latest path of destruction reflected in the otherwise calm water. "Ooh-hoo-hoo boy~! It's great to be back after so long~!"

18 giggled, her foot pressed firmly down on a dead beachgoer's neck. "Do you think our old friend will be here to see us soon?"

17 shrugged. "Knowing him, definitely. Unless something else got to him first. Heart disease, hunting accident, that stick he constantly had jammed up his ass..."

18 rolled her eyes. 17 shook his head. "But, nah. Seriously...I think it'll be any second now..."

And then, right on cue, Gohan landed. His power flared out around him, expelling flames for miles around, and he shouted at the top of his lungs. "I KNEW YOU MONSTERS WERE STILL ALIVE!"

17 snorted as he laughed, slowly turning. "See, 18? Like clockwork~"

18 sighed. "So, you knew, huh? Well what gave it away, if I may ask..."

Gohan snarled, gripping his fists tight. "I'm not in the business of overestimating myself. I intended to kill you two just as much 4 years ago as I do right now, but I'm not fool enough to think that the attack I pulled on you before was even close to enough..."

17 chuckled, revealing his cruel, cold eyes to Gohan and tossing his hat aside. "Well, gotta give you this much dude... you're certainly smarter than all of the other dumbasses who convinced themselves we never existed."

18 cocked her head, tossing aside her hat and revealing that she was wearing a very familiar pair of sunglasses. "But, then again, how smart could you be to just run in and face us down like this? Do you really think that you're strong enough to fight us now? Huh, Gohan?"

Gohan's eyes widened. "Those... those glasses..."

18 smirked. "Oh, these? Yeah... I got these from some old pervert..."

She pointed down to the dead beachgoer under her foot. "He was trying to touch this girl's ass. But, when I threatened to kill her, he jumped right in to protect her from being attacked. What a dumbass~"

Gohan gripped his fists tight, lowering his head and growling in frustration. "No..."

17 curiously cocked his head. "Was that pervert... a friend of yours?"

Gohan snapped, blowing off that question and shouting one of his own. "Why?! Why go out of the way to disappear like that?! Huh?! What is wrong with the two of you?!"

18 shrugged. "The shit we were doing was becoming too predictable. The first time around, we killed too quickly and nearly lost out all of our fun. The most recent time, we went way too slowly and people just kinda started accepting their fate..."

17 rolled his eyes. "It's just not fun without the fear of death, ya know? If they aren't crying their eyes out and begging to live, then what the hell are we even doing?"

Gohan glared at them, tears building in his eyes. "Sick bastards. I hate you. I hate you both so much..."

18 smirked. "And see, that's the other thing right there. You were starting to just go through the motions too. You were getting too comfortable~"

17 narrowed his eyes and nodded. "Yeah. And nothing is as fun as seeing you in pain~"

Gohan roared at the top of his lungs, his power surging. And then, with no more preamble, he charged at Android 17 and Android 18 and prepared to do battle once more.