A/N: A super quick-update I know, probably not what you expected, but I felt I owed you folks, after the two-month delay, so enjoy! :D

Chapter 57: Blonde beauty

"Hmph, amateurs." Seventeen scorned, once the dust settled, in aftermath of Trunks' spontaneous Ki blast. The twins set down the roomy chamber of their comatose companion and eventually saw a small red button that awakened him, from his slumber. A humungous, burly figure sat upwards, his crimson mohawk rippling with the wind, as he turned this way and that, slowly taking in his craggy surroundings.

"Hello there, Sixteen." Eighteen impassively greeted. "Must feel good to finally be out of prison, huh?" An awkward pause followed. "What's the problem? Is your earpiece malfunctioning?"

"Maybe it's his voice box." Seventeen suggested, somewhat amused. "Hey Sixteen, nod if you can hear me." Still no response. The black-haired Android frowned. "Let's forget about him Eighteen. I think it's about time we track down Goku."

"Goku?" Came the deep, robotic voice of the large Android, as he tilted his head towards Seventeen.

"Well, what do you know?" Eighteen raised a brow, in surprise. "He really can talk, after all."

"Hey Sixteen. Eighteen and I are on a mission to find Goku." Seventeen briefed. "What do you say, big guy? Wanna come with?"

"Yes." He mechanically replied. "I will kill Goku."

"Sounds good to me." The female Android smirked. "Let's go then."

With that, the cybernetic trio leisurely flew towards the general direction of Mount Paozu.

"Oh n-n-no, d-d-did you hear that?!" A terrified Krillin whimpered. "Th-They wanna kill G-G-Goku!"

"So long as I'm breathing, they'll never get the chance." Vegeta determinedly vowed, ready to zoom off in their direction, till Trunks appeared in front of him, arms held out wide.

"No father, I can't let you do that." He fervently shook his head. "If you fall, then it's all over! We need you alive!"

"Out of my way." The Prince stoically ordered.

"Look, we have to plan this out!" The teen insisted. "We should get Goku someplace safe, before the Androids reach him, wait until he's fully recovered and then, come at them with everything we have! Just think about it!"

"He's right." Krillin agreed. "That's a great idea! Look, I know you're insanely strong Vegeta, but there're three of them. It's too great a risk and like Trunks said, we need you with us."

"Move." Vegeta brusquely demanded, as though he hadn't heard a word. "I'm not going to tell you again, boy."

"I won't!" Trunks obdurately maintained. "I can't let you throw your life away, fath- UGH!"

The young demi-Saiyan was cut off by a brutal blow to the midsection, spittle flying out of his mouth.

"I don't plan on dying, Trunks." The flame-haired Saiyan adamantly assured, before intrepidly trailing after his enemies.

"Hey, are you alright?!" Krillin moved towards the arching teenager, as the latter struggled to catch his breath.

"Please- we need- to stop him!" He pleaded, clutching his throbbing abdominals.

"Would that I could." Piccolo growled, before looking gravely at Trunks. "Look kid, I can understand why you're worried about your father and all, but Vegeta's a lot stronger than you may think."

"You don't understand!" The demi-Saiyan emphatically argued, whipping his face up towards the Namekian. "In my world, Vegeta was the first one that got killed, fighting the Androids! I can't let it happen again!"

"Well, what do you suppose we can do about it?" Tien gnashed his teeth. "Even if we all work together, I seriously doubt we could stop the guy, when he's this hell-bent."

"But we have to try!"

"Grr, fine!" Piccolo huffed, throwing his arms up in surrender. "Let's go then."

"This is b-b-bad idea, g-guys." Krillin jittered, an icy hue spreading across his face.

"I agree, but there's no other choice now."

And so, the other Z-Fighters spoored Vegeta's Ki signal.

XXXX

"Seventeen, would you mind explaining to me why we're stopping in the middle of the road?" Eighteen asked, looking none too pleased.

"No particular reason." He shrugged. "I just figured that it'd be more fun if we jacked a car and drove to Mount Paozu."

"How original." The blonde-haired female rolled her eyes. "Seriously though, I'd rather we fly." She turned towards the laconic leviathan. "What do you think, Sixteen?"

"I agree." He monotonously assented. "Flying is a lot faster."

"Looks like we've reached a consensus." Eighteen smirked triumphantly, at her black-haired twin.

"Okay first off, we're in no rush. Whether we kill Goku now or in a year's time, it doesn't really matter, does it?" Seventeen retorted. "Secondly, this isn't a democracy. I'm the strongest one here, which automatically puts me in charge."

"Hmph, strongest my ass." Eighteen scoffed. "If Sixteen and I fought together, we could beat you, no question."

"You wanna bet?" The black-haired Android challenged.

"Sure." The female looked at the red-haired giant, who seemed to be engrossed in a nearby copse of trees. "Hello, you gonna lend me a hand here, Sixteen?"

"No." The big behemoth creased his bushy brows, at her. "I will only fight Goku."

Both Android siblings sweat-dropped, at the reply.

"Sheesh. And here I thought you couldn't possibly get any duller." Eighteen drolly remarked, earning her a hint of a smile from Sixteen, before the latter continued to survey the encompassing flora and fauna.

Just then, a certain flame-haired warrior landed by the artificial assassins, in all his Super Saiyan glory.

"Oh hello there, Vegeta." Seventeen narrowed his eyes, somewhat perplexed. "I seem to recall that you had black hair, just a few moments ago."

Not deigned to reply, the Prince closely scrutinized his foes, as he considered his next move. He was no fool. It was safe to assume that at the very least, each of these things were more powerful than Trunks, else the shaken boy wouldn't have feared them as much as he did, nor would they have survived his impromptu Ki blast. If he rushed them all at once, there was a good chance, he wouldn't make it out alive. Thus, he opted to face one of them, in order to get a good grasp on their key strengths and weaknesses, before moving on to the other two.

"Are you just gonna stand there, like a fool?" The black-haired Android asked restlessly. "State your business or get lost."

"My business is quite simple." Vegeta smirked. "I'm here to reduce the three of you back to the tin cans you were, before that fool Gero decided to transform you into Androids."

"Hmph, figures." Seventeen snorted, not particularly impressed. "I'll give you one thing. You're pretty bold, coming here and challenging us, all by yourself. I wouldn't expect any less, from the Prince of all Saiyans."

"So, who's it going to be?" The cautious Saiyan shifted his gaze, between the trio.

"Hmmm, well I was thinking about asking Sixteen over there, but apparently he refuses to fight anyone, besides Goku." Seventeen placed a contemplative finger on his chin. "How about you, Eighteen?" He looked towards his sister.

"Why not?" The blonde casually strolled forward, without a care in the world. "A little exercise could be fun."

"Ladies first, huh?" Vegeta took up his stance. "Works just as well for me, as long as the two of you don't interfere."

"By all means, you're more than welcome to test your strength against Eighteen's." The black-haired Android assented, before frowning towards the incoming crew. "Well, so long as your friends up there don't intervene, then neither will I."

Vegeta loured at the encroachers, as they touched down behind him.

"Hey, no butting in." He sternly warned, before gesturing towards the cybernetic female. "This is strictly between me and her."

"Oh- uh- alright." Trunks breathed a small sigh of relief. He was almost afraid his father would foolhardily charge them all without thinking, but a one-on-one, gave him a much better chance. Even still, he'd fought Eighteen before and lost. As much as he tried, he couldn't imagine his intransigent father, faring any better. For now, the least he could do is inform him what he was up against. "But just so you know, Seventeen and Eighteen are unlike anyone you've ever faced. Besides their incredible power, Dr. Gero designed them with perpetual energy cells."

"So you're telling me, they never run out of Ki?" The Prince asked, astonished by the baffling revelation.

"That's exactly right." The half-Saiyan grimly nodded. "So you'd better be careful."

"You seem to know a lot about us." Seventeen lifted a curious brow, at the lavender-haired teen. "But we don't know anything about you. Well, as much as I'd like to make your acquaintance, I suppose it can wait until after the battle."

'Interesting.' Vegeta set his eyes on Eighteen. 'This ought to be fun.'

"Hey, I know I'm pleasant to look at and all, but are you actually gonna fight or just keep staring at me?" The blonde Android goaded.

The Saiyan scowled and pounced straight at his audacious adversary. For a minute or so, the two opponents exchanged minor blows, getting a brief measure of their respective abilities, before backing off and appraising one-another.

"Wow, I didn't know dad was this strong." Trunks smiled, somewhat encouraged.

"This was only the warm-up round." Piccolo stoically informed the boy, whereby his jaw fell. If that were so, his father must've improved a great deal, over the course of the last three years.

Vegeta carefully considered his options. Given his adversary's limitless energy, he couldn't afford to turn this into a war of attrition, else he was bound to fail. Gero must've allotted a whole heap of time and resources on this Android, that much was certain. Her form was a remarkable amalgamation of all the Z-warriors, but it was by no means, flawless. In any longwinded battle, the ability to adapt, strategize and play on your opponent's weakness, often proved to be the decisive factor. He learned that the hard way, when he'd foolishly let his guard down against Kakarot, in their last fight (A/N: Refer to Chapter 55). That in mind, he decided that he would have to pace himself and capitalize on his mechanical opponent's every mistake. Her energy reserves might never run out, but she was a corporeal being nonetheless, which meant that he could still damage her, physically. And so Vegeta provoked the Android, into taking the offensive.

Another five minutes of action seemed to have passed by, in slow motion. Trunks and Krillin were deeply unsettled and taut with apprehension, while the carefree Seventeen languidly lay back against the mountainside, as he viewed the lopsided battle, from up on high. It was obvious to him that Eighteen had her flame-haired opponent on the ropes, almost smacking him around at will, though it came as no surprise. What he didn't expect, however, was to see Vegeta persevere, despite being on the receiving end of a myriad blows. He sure was a glutton for punishment. But he was definitely strong and resilient, a lot more so than he'd expected from any of Earth's warriors, Goku included.

Unlike the aforementioned however, Piccolo and Tien intuitively exchanged a knowing glance. The shrewd Prince was up to something and they had a good idea, what it was. Eighteen hadn't the slightest clue that thanks to the virtual reality simulator, Vegeta already had ample experience, when it came to fighting opponents with everlasting energy (A/N: Refer to Chapter 46). Now, it was time to see just how well that experience would play out, in the real-world.

The Prince ducked beneath a left hook and countered with a left uppercut, followed by a right hook, both blows landing on-point and launching the blonde beauty, into the heart of a nearby hill that crumbled around her lithe form. Within moments, Eighteen erupted from the rubble and shot a peevish glare at her smirking adversary. That actually hurt her!

"Don't look all smug, just because you landed a lucky punch or two!" She spat. Vegeta's smirk widened into a maddening grin that only fanned the flames of her ire, making her want to squash his rakish little face. "You're still flesh and blood, nothing more! You'll never stand a chance against me!"

"Flesh and blood, huh?" The sneering Saiyan snickered. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but is that blood I see, trickling down your chin?"

Taken aback by the question, Eighteen hesitantly pressed a finger against the crease of her lip and gasped, as she pulled it back and caught the unmistakably viscous sight of fresh crimson, right in front of her.

"Or perhaps it's an oil leak." Vegeta laughed at his wroth opponent's expense, fomenting her fury, even further. The enthralling enchantress was instantly on the offensive, but her spiky-haired foe was fully prepared, for the apoplectic assault. It was a staggering reversal of the last few minutes, as the royal Saiyan blocked and evaded blow-after-blow, targeting her vital areas, whenever he found a clear opening. The moment he saw her bleed red, he knew without a doubt that this Android was once human and that meant that no matter what cybernetic enhancements she'd undergone at the cunning hands of Dr. Gero, she had the same basic weaknesses as any other human. And those weaknesses could be exploited, case in point. And so he hurled precise attacks, one after another, upon her vitals.

"I- I don't get it." Trunks gaped, at the unfathomable scene he was witnessing, firsthand. "Somehow father's winning, but he was being dominated by Eighteen, just a moment ago."

"Obviously, you've never seen him fight, up until now." Piccolo smirked. "It's not just his power, but his tactical ingenuity on the battlefield that make him incredibly dangerous. What you saw beforehand was just an act. Vegeta was only pretending to lose, so that he could get a chance to study Eighteen's movements and at the same time, give her a false sense of security."

"But what about all the damage he took?" The dumbfounded demi-Saiyan asked.

"It wasn't as significant as it might've appeared." It was Tien who answered. "He knows how to channel huge portions of his Ki towards any one part of his body, in order to defend himself against attacks from stronger adversaries. He did the same thing with Goku, when they last fought."

"That's not to say he didn't incur any damage at all." The Namekian added. "But it was a calculated risk and proved more than worthwhile. The Android can't fathom how Vegeta suddenly managed to turn the tide on her, after she was pounding him earlier. Every time he lands a hit, it only adds to her confusion, which makes her angry and frustrated and therefore, more prone to error. And believe me, Vegeta's taking advantage of each mistake. She may have unlimited energy, but that doesn't mean she can magically heal herself and there's only so much her body can take, before it gives out on her."

'I can't believe my father is so powerful.' The transfixed, lavender-haired half-breed looked on in awe and veneration, marvelling at the legendary might of the Saiyan Prince. Piccolo was right. Eighteen's movements were much slower and sloppier, as a result of the ongoing damage. There were tears in her clothing, one eye was shut and considering the manner in which she was clutching her upper abdomen, she'd likely suffered a broken rib or two. 'He's far above what he was, in the future timeline! It's incredible! But if he can become this strong, then perhaps I can too!'

Seventeen grimaced at the display, jaw clenched tight. He was simmering, with fury. It was absolutely inconceivable for Eighteen to lose to this inferior little prick!

Though he tried not to show it, Vegeta was immensely exhausted himself. His knuckles were bruised, his joints were swollen and his breathing was much shallower. Whatever this Android was made of, it was extremely sturdy, to say the least. Her metalled endokeleton had protected her from blows that would've easily felled organic adversaries, at her level. Even so, she was at his mercy, but he needed to finish this fast, before he ran out of steam. With a powerful Kiai, the Prince hurled her against a mountain wall and lunged forward, pinning her there, with his muscled forearm.

"I have you now, Android." He grinned maliciously and pressed his hand against her slender midriff, ready to fire a hole through her, at a mere moment's notice. Eighteen looked at him in pure horror, engulfed by an overwhelming surge of panic and dread- something she'd never experienced in all her life. "You were far stronger than I'd expected, but I'm afraid this is where it all ends for you."

Just as he was about to finish his terrified opponent, a hard punch landed on his maxilla, immediately flooring him. Vegeta shifted his gaze up and saw the black-haired Android, looming over him, fists clenched tight and trim figure shaking, in barely repressed rage.

"You said you wouldn't interfere!" The Prince growled indignantly.

"I said you could test your strength against Eighteen's and you did that!" He fired back, in exasperation. "I never said I'd let you kill her! You won, okay?! It's over! Now stay down!"

"If you wish to die with her, then so be it." The Prince struggled to his feet, spitting a broken cuspid out of his mouth and assuming a stance. No warning was given, as Seventeen assaulted the flame-haired Saiyan with an undying vengeance. Virtually depleted in the wake of his previous fight, Vegeta had no answer for the brutal onslaught that ensued. A resounding headbutt to the bridge of the nose, followed by an uppercut beneath the chin, saw Vegeta on the ground yet again, his hair reverting to its black hue, as he barely clung to the frail fringes of consciousness.

Trunks instinctively ascended to his Super Saiyan form and drew out his sword, holding it up high, as he pressingly rushed towards the battle.

"Leave him alone!" He roared, desperate to save his father, from certain demise. Seventeen creased his brows, at the unwelcome intruder. As Trunks brought the blade down full force, the Android singlehandedly caught it, wrenched it from his grasp and smashed the rounded, steel pommel, right across his jaw. That one move was all it took and the lavender-haired boy was out cold. Tien and Piccolo promptly charged in from either side, both powered up to their respective peaks. In one incredibly swift maneuver, Seventeen ducked underneath the incoming attacks, all the while spinning in a half-circle motion and simultaneously ploughing his right elbow into the Namekian's solar-plexus, while his left fist struck Tien in that same, sensitive region. Both warriors fell and lost consciousness, within seconds.

"Oh n-n-n-no." Krillin stuttered apprehensively, trembling like a leaf in a storm. He was the weakest fighter here and the others were all incapacitated. Vegeta was the only one among them who remained conscious, albeit barely.

"You know, I could kill you now Vegeta." The Android cockily smirked, aiming a palmful of Ki at the downed Prince, eliciting a hateful glare from him. However, to Vegeta's utter shock, he abruptly dissipated the violet orb and withdrew his hand. "But that would be unsportsmanlike. You beat Eighteen, fair-and-square and I beat your friends, fair-and-square, so I'm going to go ahead and call it a draw." He then looked at him, in earnest. "But the next time we face each other, it'll be you against me and I'll win! Mark my words, Saiyan!"

Krillin let out a blaring yelp, as Seventeen suddenly materialized right in front of him. No, this couldn't be the end for him! It just couldn't! It wasn't fair! He'd never even had a girlfriend- besides Maron, of course, but someone as promiscuous as her, hardly counted. Why had fate dealt him such a cruel hand?! To his utmost astonishment, however, the youthful Android merely swiped the tiny beige sack from his royal blue waist belt, opened it up and pulled out a bean, all the while taking amused ganders, at his blatantly frightful reactions.

"Here." He returned the sack to the dubious, dumbstruck Krillin. "There're more than enough left over, for your friends and they certainly look like they could use them. But for their sake, I'd advise you not to give it to them until we've cleared out. If anyone of them tries to attack us again, well- let's just say I might not be so generous, a second time." Seventeen headed back down to tend to his wounded sister, while the bald man stood transfixed, unsure of what to make of anything. This guy was nothing like the monstrosities, whom Trunks had described.

The black-haired Android grimaced, as he perused his battered twin, up close. She sat with her back pressed against the mountain, deeply traumatised.

"Are you alright?" Seventeen knelt in front of her.

"He- he was gonna k-kill me." She stammered shakily, shuddering in unbound terror at the thought of how close she'd been to the unwelcoming gates of death. It was a concept she hadn't ever entertained, one that horrified her in ways she could never have imagined, up until a few moments ago.

"Hey come on, as if I'd let him." He placed a solacing hand on her shoulder, giving her a comforting squeeze and holding out the magical bean. "Here, take this." Eighteen slowly parted her mouth and her twin placed the senzu there, subsequently getting her to chew and swallow. Within moments, the blonde was as good as new, her bruises vanished, lacerations closed up and ribs mended back into place.

'Impossible!' Krillin observed the breathtaking scene, in complete and utter disbelief. 'She's an Android! How could she- it doesn't make any sense!'

"See, as good as new." Seventeen smiled encouragingly, getting to his feet and sauntering towards the other Android. "Hey Sixteen, you still with us?" He clicked his fingers at the mountainous figure, who promptly turned his tranquil gaze away from the soothing wilderness and towards his significantly shorter comrade. "We'll look around for another road, one that's not so desolate as this one. Hopefully those idiots won't be stupid enough to get in our way, this time." He tilted his head back towards Eighteen, frowning at the bizarre spectacle he was met with.

'She's beautiful.' The beguiled bald man's heart fluttered like never before, ensorcelled eyes drinking in the mesmerizing sight of Eighteen's soft features: those silky blonde strands of hair, the creamy skin, those luscious lips and that graceful jawline. 'So beautiful. My God.'

'Why's he looking at me like that?' A florid-faced Eighteen thought to herself in alarm, unsure of how to react.

"Hey lovebirds, snap out of it!" Seventeen's unsolicited voice cut right through the tender moment. Upon hearing that, Krillin's head practically transformed into a giant, ripe tomato.

"Shut up!" The mortified blonde peevishly hissed at her insufferable brother, who couldn't help but chortle, in response. "And you!" She menacingly ground her teeth at the tremulous midget, making him jump in sudden fright. "Unless you want me to gouge your eyes out, I suggest you look someplace else, got it?!"

"Oh- uh- yes, yes- of course, don't mind me." Krillin chuckled uneasily, quickly averting his gaze. He sheepishly rubbed his smooth head, finding himself caught somewhere in the midst of fear and embarrassment.. "I wasn't trying to be disrespectful or anything- I mean, I was just curious, you know- since you're an Android and I thought senzu beans only work on the living and-" His slurred sentence was abruptly cut off, as he furtively glanced up, only to see the twins eyeing him in a manner so terrifying, he felt as though the innermost depths of his soul were being penetrated. "Okay, I'll shut-up now."

"Hmph, let's get out of here, Eighteen." Seventeen rolled his eyes and took to the skies, Sixteen trailing after him. The female Android couldn't help but remain behind a moment, narrowing her eyes at the petrified human. The instant Krillin noticed her staring, however, she took off with the others.

"Phew." The bald man wiped a sheen of sweat off his forehead, sighing as if a mountain had just been lifted off his chest. 'Gosh that went down a lot smoother than I'd expected.' He mused. 'Still, with Vegeta out of the picture, that guy could've easily killed the whole lot of us. I wonder what made him stay his hand.' He shook those thoughts out of his head, instead ministering to his beaten allies. Once Tien, Piccolo and Trunks were back to full strength, Krillin had to convince them not to pursue the terrifying triumvirate.

"Seventeen explicitly warned me that if we crossed them again, he wouldn't show mercy."

"I can't believe we're still alive." Trunks pressed a palm to his forehead. "The Androids in my timeline would've eliminated us, without a second thought. But these ones- somehow, they're a lot more powerful than the ones I know."

"Wait, what?" Piccolo placed his hands on the teen's shoulder. "What do you mean more powerful?! Are you sure?!"

"Yes." He affirmed, with a disquieted sigh. "The Androids I fought were both stronger than I am, but not to this extent. At the very least I could last a few minutes with one of them, but just now, Seventeen took me out, with one clean hit. My father though, he- he actually defeated Android Eighteen." He perked up, at the memory. "I didn't think for a second that anyone besides Goku, could possibly beat the Androids in a one-on-one."

"You seem to have a pretty low opinion of your father." Tien snorted. "Don't get me wrong, I don't think very highly of him myself, but he's easily the best fighter we have. Even better than Goku."

"Are you serious?!" Trunks gaped at him. "I mean, you're not just saying that because of the heart virus are you?"

"Hmph, even before the heart virus came along, Vegeta was dominating Goku in the tournament." Piccolo smirked at the gaping teen. "He got cocky in the end and lost as a result, but he clearly demonstrated that he was the better fighter, by a long-shot. Goku even admitted so, himself."

"Tournament?" The half-breed had no idea what the Namekian was on about. How could this timeline be so starkly different from his own? Piccolo huffed and grudgingly explained everything, afterwards informing the humans how the events in Trunks' world contrasted with their own, starting with the outcome of the second Saiyan invasion. Once all the details were laid out, Krillin went over to unconscious Prince.

"Now listen up, guys." He cautioned. "Vegeta's first instinct will be to rush off, after the Androids. No matter what happens, we've got to prevent him from doing that."

"Okay, but the three of them are still trying to kill Goku." Tien argued. "What do you propose we do about that?"

"Don't worry, I'll try and look for a telephone booth and call Chi-Chi up, so she can fly Goku over to Kame House."

"Good thinking." The three-eyed warrior nodded.

As expected, once the Prince was awake, keeping him from going berserk, proved to be an incredibly onerous task.

"That son-of-a-bitch!" He growled. "If he hadn't interfered I could've killed that other-"

"Yes, you could have." Piccolo interposed. "And then he would've killed you. Trunks was right, from the very beginning. You shouldn't have gone in like that. You let your strength get to your head. If that Android decided to kill us all-"

"I'm not going to hear this shit from you, Namek!" Vegeta snarled, vexedly. "If you weaklings actually used your brains, I could've ended it for the both of them. You should've distracted him, while baldy here threw me a senzu bean! But no, you had to rush in and get your asses beat, like the morons you are!"

"Hey, fuck you!" Tien impulsively reacted, unwilling to tolerate such insults. The others gaped at him, in complete horror. Was he trying to sign his own death warrant?! No one in their right mind would ever speak to Vegeta like that. The flame-haired Saiyan directed his most baleful glare at Tien, boiling with apoplectic rage, as he struggled to rein in the killer instincts within him that howled for blood. The tension rose astronomically, with each sinisterly silent second.

"This one time, just this one time, I'll let that go, human." He warned, in a dangerously low voice. "Say it again and I'll carve out your entrails."

No one said anything for a while. Tien didn't utter a word, though he daringly kept his gaze locked onto Vegeta's. Finally, it was Piccolo who cut through the maddening silence.

"Do you think you can take on Seventeen?" He asked the Prince.

"If the others don't interfere, then most likely, yes." The Saiyan nodded. "He can't be that much stronger than blondey."

"That still doesn't account for Sixteen." Trunks stated. "I don't know anything about him and if he's anywhere near as strong as the other two, then even with Goku's help-"

"Hey, call me crazy, but what if we're approaching this whole thing, from the wrong angle?" Krillin interjected, garnering everyone's attention. "What if the Androids aren't really all that evil?"

"Are you insane?!" Trunks all but yelled, deeply affronted at the mere suggestion. "Of course they're evil! Do you even know how much havoc they've caused, in my timeline?!"

"Look Trunks, I get what you're saying, but I'm talking about the Androids in our world." He tactfully replied. "You said it yourself. If they were as bad as the ones you knew, we wouldn't even be alive."

"I- I-" Trunks sputtered, having no answer for that one. "No, we can't take any chances!" He scowled. "We need to destroy them period!"

"But why?" Krillin argued. "They never killed anyone besides Dr. Gero and God knows, that old geezer had it coming from the get-go. Maybe- maybe we can talk to them and convince them not to murder Goku or something."

"Oh and I suppose next, you'll wanna hold hands with them and sing Kumbaya, by the fire." Tien scorned, never one for inane idealism. "I'm with Trunks, on this one. It's a risk that we just can't afford to take."

"I second that." Piccolo nodded, to Krillin's disheartenment.

The bald warrior knew what Vegeta would say, without even having to ask. Sadly, he was all alone on this one. But he knew he was right and was almost certain that both Goku and Gohan would agree. He'd seen the terror in Eighteen's blue eyes, in the aftermath of her near-death experience. He'd seen the way Seventeen had consoled her afterwards, vowing to protect her from harm. No coldhearted monster he knew, had ever demonstrated such care and compassion. Where was the wrong in any of that? And then there was the whole senzu bean conundrum, which he couldn't even begin to explain. God, this was all so confusing! if only there were a straight answer to this mess!

A/N: Neat, huh? I really enjoyed writing Vegeta's fight with Eighteen and showing Seventeen's tender side hehe. I plan to make the Androids far more interesting and give them more character-depth than the anime did hehe. Also loved writing the little Krillin/Eighteen moment towards the end (that was for you, Luz7 and also for you annegoddamn, since I know how badly you ship them xD, there's more to to come there haha).

So what did you guys think? Please let me know and hit the review button, as always! :D

Power levels (descending order):

Android 16: ?

Android 17: 450 million

Android 18: 420 million

Vegeta: 8 million
400 million (Super Saiyan)

True he beat Eighteen, despite the power difference, but that's a prime example of where brain bests brawn.

Goku: 7.7 million
385 million (Super Saiyan)
180 million (transformed with heart virus - energy rapidly depleted thereafter)

Trunks: 5 million
250 million (Super Saiyan)

Slightly stronger than his first visit, due to a month of training, while the time-machine recharged.

Piccolo: 240 million

Android 20/Dr. Gero: 200 million

Android 19: 160 millioin
200 million (after absorbing Goku's energy)
300 million (when he short-circuited)

Super Tien: 100 million

Only mentioning the power levels of those who fought.