The androids continued their journey, now taking a rough and bumpy detour through the dense forest. 17, ever the thrill-seeker, had decided to take an off-road shortcut towards Goku's house, the van bouncing wildly as it maneuvered over uneven terrain. In the passenger seat, 18 scowled as she tried to maintain her composure, gripping the armrest to keep herself steady. "17, can you not? This is ridiculous," she snapped, clearly annoyed as the van hit another large bump.
"Quit whining, 18," 17 replied with a smirk, keeping his eyes on the rugged path ahead. "You're being a spoilsport. Enjoy the ride!"
In the back of the van, Z sat quietly as he stared out the window. Android 16, however, looked unusually content, seemingly unbothered by the jostling vehicle. In fact, he almost seemed to enjoy the detour through the wild forest, his mechanical frame perfectly stable despite the rough ride.
"Slow down, 17!" 18 shouted, her patience wearing thin. "Go back to the main road before you wreck the van."
17 chuckled, his foot pressing harder on the gas as the van barreled through the forest. "Oh, come on, 18! You're always so uptight. Loosen up a bit. Look at 16 back there—he's loving this!"
18's eyes narrowed dangerously, ignoring her brother's teasing. She had had enough of this nonsense. Leaning halfway out of her passenger-side window, she raised her palm, ki energy gathering in her hand.
"Alright, if you won't slow down..." 18 muttered with annoyance.
With a swift motion, she unleashed a powerful ki blast into the forest, the energy wave obliterating everything in sight. Trees, rocks, and even the rugged terrain itself were vaporized, leaving a smoldering, flattened path in the van's wake.
17 hit the brakes hard, the van skidding to a stop as he glared at his sister. "What the hell, 18? You ruined the fun!"
18, dusting off her hands nonchalantly, rolled her eyes. "There. Problem solved. Now stick to the flat road and drive."
17 huffed, clearly annoyed. "You're impossible."
"Maybe. Or maybe you should've just listened," 18 shot back, settling back into her seat, satisfied with her work.
Grumbling under his breath, 17 resumed driving, this time keeping to the newly cleared path. Z, still silent, exchanged a glance with 16, who gave a small nod of approval, as if silently endorsing 18's decision.
The group continued towards Goku's house.
A few hours later, the pink van skidded to a halt as the androids arrived at their destination: Goku's house. The modest structure sat quietly amidst the landscape, untouched by the chaos that was brewing elsewhere. The androids stepped out of the vehicle, surveying the area with cold precision.
18 folded her arms, raising an eyebrow as she eyed the house critically. "So, this is where the Earth's greatest hero lives? Not much to look at," she remarked sarcastically, a hint of disdain in her voice.
"Guess being a hero doesn't pay much," Z added quietly, his gaze lingering on the simple abode.
17 chuckled. "Goku never was one for luxury. Let's focus on why we're here." His tone shifted as he became more serious. "Alright, spread out. Check the perimeter and make sure no one's hiding. We don't need any surprises."
18 and Z nodded, heading toward the front door while 17 and 16 stayed outside, scanning the area for any potential threats or attempts to flee. 16's eyes briefly flickered, assessing their surroundings with mechanical precision. "No unusual readings," he said calmly, his large frame casting a shadow over the front yard.
"Good. Let's keep it that way," 17 replied, glancing at the sky before turning his attention back to the house.
Inside, the home was eerily quiet, the warmth of a lived-in space conspicuously absent. 18 pushed the door open, stepping inside with Z following close behind. The room was empty, no signs of life or movement. 18 wrinkled her nose, annoyed by the stillness. "Seems like Goku knew we were coming," she muttered, glancing around. "But let's make sure no one's hiding."
Z nodded in agreement. They split up, carefully inspecting each room in the house. The kitchen was untouched, dishes still on the counter. The living room looked like it hadn't been used in days. It was clear no one had been home for some time.
As 18 entered the bedroom, she rummaged through Goku's drawers, her irritation growing. "Honestly, I expected more from someone who's supposed to be such a big deal," she grumbled, tossing aside an old gi that had seen better days. "Maybe Chi-Chi has better taste in clothes."
Z entered behind her, scanning the room but finding nothing out of the ordinary. "I don't sense anyone hiding," he remarked, his voice low.
18, however, wasn't quite done. Her eyes landed on a wardrobe in the corner. "Well, if no one's here, I might as well get something out of this boring trip," she said with a mischievous grin, heading toward the closet. Opening it, she began to sift through the clothes, clearly uninterested in anything Goku would wear. "Hmm, let's see if Chi-Chi has anything decent to wear…"
Z gave her a sidelong glance, slightly amused. "You're really going to take clothes?"
18 shrugged, unfazed. "Why not? If Goku's going to run, the least he can do is contribute to my wardrobe. Not like he'll miss it."
As 18 continued her search for something more stylish, Z checked the last few rooms, confirming once again that the house was empty. "No one's here," he concluded, his gaze shifting toward the front window, where he could see 17 and 16 standing guard outside.
"Good," 18 replied, pulling out a jacket that seemed to catch her eye. "Now let's get out of here before 17 starts whining about taking too long."
18 and Z returned to where 17 and 16 were standing outside. The moment 17 saw them, he crossed his arms and let out an irritated sigh.
"So?" 17 asked impatiently, clearly expecting bad news.
18 shrugged. "The house is empty. Looks like Goku and his friends knew we were coming."
17 scowled, his annoyance growing. "Great. He slipped away right under our noses." He kicked at a rock on the ground in frustration, watching it skitter across the dirt. "Figures he'd run like a coward."
18 spoke up, "It's not surprising. He probably sensed us or had someone warn him. They're not stupid, 17."
"Yeah, yeah," 17 muttered, still clearly annoyed at the situation. Then, with a smirk creeping onto his face, he added playfully, "So, what's next? We were heading to that small island, right? Guess we can't take the van there, unless someone's got a way to make it float on water." He chuckled at his own joke. "Maybe we should borrow a boat?"
18 groaned, rubbing her temple. "Ugh, 17, really? Now's not the time for your childish antics."
Z stayed silent, though a slight grin appeared on his face. 16, however, remained composed and stepped forward, his calm voice cutting through the conversation. "We should take a more serious approach. Goku will expect us to waste time. We can fly to Kame House. It's the fastest way."
Z nodded in agreement, his expression serious. "16's right. We shouldn't let him get any further ahead."
17 blinked, looking between the two. "What? You guys don't want to enjoy a little more fun? What's the rush?" His disappointment was obvious as if his fellow androids were robbing him of the excitement he was trying to stir up.
18 smirked at him, crossing her arms. "Seems like the group's already made its decision, 17. Sorry, no boat rides today."
17 grumbled under his breath, clearly not pleased with being outvoted. "Fine, fine," he said, waving them off as he hovered off the ground, crossing his arms. "But you're all no fun."
18 rolled her eyes at her brother's whining, but a smirk tugged at the corner of her lips as the androids began to rise into the air. "Let's just get this over with. The sooner we find Goku, the sooner you can start playing your games again."
The group then took to the sky, leaving Goku's house far behind as they headed straight for Kame House.
Meanwhile, back at Kame House, the atmosphere was deceptively calm. Yamcha, Tien, and Krillin were sprawled out in the living room, trying to unwind after an exhausting day of hunting down Cell. Despite their best efforts, they had come up empty, frustration mounting with every failed lead. The sound of the TV filled the air, where a news broadcast showed the aftermath of Cell's latest rampage.
Piccolo, standing by the window, was less than relaxed. His arms were crossed, his brow furrowed in deep concentration. The broadcast was only making things worse, and his temper was starting to boil over. "How could we have let this happen…" he muttered to himself. Unable to contain his frustration any longer, Piccolo pushed himself away from the wall, his cape swishing as he paced across the room. "This is insane! We're wasting time while Cell's out there terrorizing cities," he snapped, his voice filled with anger.
As he reached the window, about to vent more, Piccolo's words caught in his throat. His eyes widened in shock, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. Standing outside, casting long shadows across the sand, were the androids—17, 18, Z, and 16—gazing back at him with unsettling calmness.
17 was the first to speak, his voice dripping with mockery as he raised a hand in greeting. "Hey, Piccolo. Is Goku home?"