"So what if you've slightly increased your strength? You're still weak," Vegeta jeered, expecting to rattle his opponent.
To his surprise, Z responded with a small, amused chuckle, his demeanor calm and collected. Vegeta's irritation grew as he demanded to know what was so amusing.
Z's piercing blue eyes bore into Vegeta's, a faint smirk playing on his lips. "If you're so confident in your Super Saiyan powers, why did you make the first move? Scared, Vegeta?" Z taunted, his voice laced with subtle mockery.
Enraged by Z's words, Vegeta's aura intensified even further as he closed the distance between them. However, to Z's heightened sensory perception, Vegeta's movements appeared sluggish and predictable.
As Vegeta neared, ready to strike, Z swiftly countered with a knee to the Saiyan Prince's gut, catching him off guard and halting his advance. The impact knocked the wind out of Vegeta, leaving him momentarily stunned.
An awkward silence fell over the battlefield as Androids 17 and 18 observed with intrigue. Z's increased power and strategic prowess impressed them, and they watched attentively as the battle unfolded.
"What's the matter, Vegeta? Surprised?" Z taunted as Vegeta gritted his teeth in frustration. "I thought you said I was weak. Guess that big mouth of yours hasn't got you far yet again," he retorted.
Before Vegeta could mount a counterattack, Z swiftly reeled back and delivered a powerful kick across the Saiyan's face. The force of the impact sent Vegeta hurtling backwards, crashing into the rocky mountainside terrain with bone-jarring force.
Z's dark chuckle echoed across the mountainside as Androids 17 and 18 were impressed by his display of power. Dr. Gero's claims about Z's hidden strength now seemed more credible than ever.
However, their attention was quickly drawn to approaching energy signals, signaling the arrival of the Z-Warriors at the scene. As the heroes descended from the sky and landed near Vegeta's location, Piccolo eyed Z with suspicion, sensing the android's potential threat.
"Father, are you still alive in there?" Future Trunks called out with concern as he peered into the gaping hole in the mountainside.
Before long, Super Saiyan Vegeta emerged from the rubble, his demeanor defiant despite the scratches on his face and the cracks in his Saiyan armor. "Of course I am!" he growled, his pride refusing to acknowledge any weakness.
Z regarded Vegeta with a deadpan expression, seeing through the Saiyan Prince's facade. Despite Vegeta's outward bravado, Z could sense the subtle signs of pain and strain masked beneath the surface.
"Look at that, 18," 17 remarked sarcastically, eyeing the Z-Warriors from their vantage point. "Seems Vegeta's little friends have come to his rescue."
"Should we join in as well, 17?" 18 said smugly, arms crossed. "Can't let our dear friend have all the fun to himself, can we?"
17 shrugged, a chuckle escaping him. "Sure, why not? I'm ready to roll a few heads." He glanced back at the silent 16. "How about you, 16? Want to join in on the fun?"
16 calmly fixed his gaze on the other androids. "No."
His response baffled 17 and 18. "What? No? What do you mean, no, 16?" 17 demanded, a frown creasing his brow.
"I'm only programmed to eliminate Goku. The others aren't my concern," 16 explained evenly.
17 and 18 sighed, knowing it was futile to argue with an android whose sole purpose was to confront Goku and nothing more. The twins began to stride towards the Z-Warriors, 17 sparing a quick side glance at 16. "Well, if you ever change your mind, you're welcome to join us."
"Uh oh!" Tien exclaimed as he noticed Androids 17 and 18 approaching. "Androids at 10 o'clock!" His shout drew the group's attention to the twins standing beside the Z-Warriors.
"Oh, great... Just when our luck couldn't get any worse," Krillin muttered nervously.
"What do you want?" Piccolo demanded, fixing them with a sharp glare.
"Relax, Namekian," 17 said with a chuckle. "We're just here to make sure you don't interfere with Z's fight with Vegeta." Then his eyes sharpened with a glare. "However, if one of you intends to do so, me and 18 here will have no choice but to intervene as well," he warned.
"Please!" Vegeta interrupted with a retort. "They are so weak and scared, they wouldn't even bothered."
"Father!" Future Trunks growled at his father's pride.
"I fight alone!" Vegeta spared a side glance at his Saiyan adult son. "Don't get in my way, boy!" he declared sharply before shifting his gaze right back to his android opponent.
"So it's agreed on?" Android Z mockingly asked.
"Yes, let's continue, android!"
Vegeta wasted no time going on the attack. He reappeared in front of Z in the blink of an eye and hurled him into the air with a swift punch. Once in midair, Vegeta reappeared above the staggered Z and knocked him back on the mountain's rocky terrain as the android skidded across the ground. Holding his palm out towards Z, Vegeta began charging his ki blast. A hatless Z with a big tear in his hoodie, slowly glanced up in annoyance as the Saiyan Prince fired his blast, engulfing the android in a fiery explosion.
The Z-Warriors, excluding Piccolo, celebrated as Vegeta landed clean hits on the supposed strongest android. However, 17 and 18 remained composed, confident in their friend's ability to handle the situation.
Once the debris settled, a smug Vegeta descended and stood a few feet from an annoyed Z, who was covered in scratches and missing his hoodie, revealing a torn black T-shirt and jeans. Despite his injuries, Z showed no signs of pain, staring deadpan at the gloating Saiyan.
"You look a bit ruffled, android," Vegeta mocked, earning a chuckle from Z.
"Not really, Vegeta, but you've proven I might have to use 20% to teach you a lesson," Z retorted coolly.
"Please, your bluffs won't work on me. I can see right through you! I am Vegeta, the prince of all-" Vegeta's boast was abruptly cut short as Android Z delivered a forearm to his face followed by a kick to the stomach, an uppercut beneath the chin, and a final kick across the face, sending him crashing into a boulder.
Vegeta groaned in pain, wincing as he struggled to regain his footing while a smug Android Z approached him slowly. Sweat trickled down the Saiyan Prince's face as he realized the android had been toying with him all along.
"H-He's been toying with me this whole time..." Vegeta muttered, his rage mounting at Z's lack of seriousness. Desperate to turn the tables, Vegeta unleashed a full-power ki blast directly at the android. The energy crackled and surged toward Z with intense force, aiming to finally catch the android off guard and gain the upper hand.
However, Vegeta's powerful ki blast proved ineffective as Android Z simply stepped through it, showing no signs of being affected. Annoyed by Vegeta's persistence, Z swiftly reappeared in front of him, grabbing the Saiyan Prince's head and driving his knee forcefully into Vegeta's face. Vegeta groaned in pain, staggering backward from the impact. Before he could recover, Z reappeared behind him, seizing Vegeta's arm and executing a brutal move—Z slammed his elbow onto Vegeta's arm with full force, causing a sickening crack to echo across the battlefield. Vegeta's arm broke under the android's relentless assault. The Saiyan Prince clenched his teeth in agony, his face contorting with pain as he struggled to remain standing against his formidable opponent.
The Z-Warriors watched in horror as Vegeta knelt, clutching his broken arm and crying out in pain. Androids 17 and 18 smirked at Vegeta's suffering. Future Trunks, overwhelmed with anger at seeing his father in such agony, didn't hesitate. He transformed into a Super Saiyan and swiftly flew towards Z and Vegeta, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword.
"Father!" Trunks shouted, his voice filled with concern and fury, catching the attention of Androids 17 and 18, who suddenly grew serious.
"Trunks, no!" Piccolo yelled, but his warning came too late to stop the impulsive young Saiyan.
Z detected the approaching threat and slowly glanced upward to see Super Saiyan Trunks diving towards him, sword poised for an attack. Though surprised by the sudden strike, Z managed to dodge the slash. However, Trunks' blade left a scratch on Z's cheek, which visibly angered Android 18.
"Hey! How dare you ruin his cute face, you stupid kid!" 18 intervened, flying in and delivering a powerful flying kick to Trunks' face, sending the Saiyan skidding across the rocky terrain.
Seeing Trunks in trouble, Tien, Gohan, and Piccolo flew in to assist, but Android 17 intercepted them effortlessly. He sidestepped Piccolo's punch and retaliated with a devastating blow to Piccolo's gut, causing the Namekian to groan and collapse to the ground.
"Piccolo!" Gohan cried out, his rage building as he focused on Android 17. "You'll pay for that!" Gohan positioned his hands in front of his face, unleashing his signature move, "Masenko!" The ki blast surged towards Android 17, but the agile android easily evaded it, countering with a swift ki blast that sent Gohan flying backwards.
"Gohan!" Tien shouted in concern before facing Android 17, his determination palpable. "Damn you!" Tien lunged at 17 with a punch, but the android anticipated the attack, swiftly evading and applying a chokehold on Tien, leaving him gasping for breath.
Krillin, the last remaining fighter, could only watch helplessly as his friends were overpowered by the androids, feeling a surge of frustration and desperation as he witnessed the unfolding battle.
The one-armed Vegeta gritted his teeth and powered up, unleashing a ki blast from his remaining arm towards Androids 17 and 18. However, Z and 18 effortlessly countered with their own energy blasts, combining their power to overwhelm Vegeta's attack. The impact sent Vegeta flying backward, groaning as he hit the ground.
Meanwhile, Future Trunks gathered himself and charged forward, wielding his sword with determination aimed at Android 18. Before Trunks could strike, Z swiftly intervened, shattering the sword's tip with his wrist, showcasing his incredible speed and strength. Trunks was stunned by Z's power. As he hesitated, Android 18 capitalized, landing a powerful punch on Trunks' cheek that knocked him out of his Super Saiyan state, rendering him unconscious.
"Oh no!" Krillin cried out in shock, watching as even a Super Saiyan was defeated with a single blow.
Sensing that the battle was won, Android 17 released his chokehold on Tien, who collapsed to the ground below with a heavy thud. Androids 17, 18, and Z regrouped, expressing disappointment at the lack of challenge from the Z-Warriors.
"Well, that was disappointing. I expected more of a challenge," 17 remarked.
"I agree. No challenge at all," 18 added with a sigh.
"Let's regroup with 16 and then we can find a car," 17 suggested with a smirk, earning an eye roll from his twin.
"Again with the car thing, 17? Really?" 18 crossed her arms in annoyance.
17 shrugged nonchalantly. "Lighten up, 18. Gotta have some fun every now and then."
18 sighed in resignation. "Fine, let's go find your dumb car." She then glanced at Z. "You coming?"
Android Z nodded firmly and stepped forward, but to everyone's surprise, he suddenly began to lose power, his hair and eye color reverting back to their original state. 17 and 18 gasped as their formidable companion collapsed to the ground with a resounding thud.
"Z!"
17 finally gets his ride in the next chapter!