The Saiyan Heritage and the Loneliness of the Warrior

PICCOLO

That had to be a joke.

As I carefully analyzed the faces of Androids 17 and 18 standing in the destroyed doorway of the lab, I realized that our fate was in the hands of two kids.

They were so young, yet their cold gazes emanated a power capable of wiping out an entire planet.

It was ridiculous!

But also terrifying.

Lettie felt the same way I did and held me tighter as everyone stared at the Androids and Dr. Gero in a deathly silence.

As if confirming my train of thought, Trunks' voice echoed through the cave, "Don't be fooled by their appearance. These Androids may look harmless, but in reality, they are monstrous beings!"

Dr. Gero looked at us with disdain and said, "Number 17 and Number 18, these are the friends of Son Goku that I mentioned before. Do not underestimate them! They destroyed Number 19 and tried to kill me!"

"'Number 19'?" repeated Android 17, the one with black hair. "You actually built one of those?"

"Yes."

"Oh, I see." He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "That's the Android that finished building you, right, Dr. Gero? The kind that absorbs energy through its hands?"

"It was."

"Why did you make such an outdated energy-absorbing model when you know how to create more advanced Androids?" asked Android 18. "Could it be because the unlimited energy Androids are so powerful that they escape your control, Dr. Gero?"

Beneath that soft, feminine, and delicate voice, I sensed an unmistakable tone of rebellion and sarcasm. Dr. Gero continued to stare at us intensely before replying, "Yes. That's exactly why."

Silence fell once again. But Android 18's words did not go unnoticed by us warriors. We exchanged uneasy glances. The idea that these Androids could go out of control was anything but reassuring.

"Oh, forget about that!" Dr. Gero turned to his Androids, irritated. "I want you to destroy them right now!"

"Don't give us orders!" Android 17 shot back. "We'll fight when we feel like it!"

"W-What did you just say?!" Dr. Gero exclaimed.

In response, Android 17 curved his lips into a daring smile, his eyes gleaming. Dr. Gero didn't like that answer one bit and glanced at a broken object near his feet.

I narrowed my eyes to get a better look, and a chill ran down my spine when I realized it was the control device for Androids 17 and 18—completely shattered on the ground.

So, the Androids were literally out of control.

To make matters worse, Android 18 let out a disdainful chuckle as she deliberately stepped on the broken device, crushing it further under her heel. Then, she made her way to a long, cylindrical capsule, its metallic sheen reflecting the dim light, covered in multiple cables.

"Inside here is Number 16, right?" she asked Dr. Gero. "He also has unlimited energy, doesn't he? But from what I can see, his body is bigger than ours. I'm curious to know what our differences are."

"DO NOT TOUCH HIM, NUMBER 18!!!" Dr. Gero barked. "HE'S DANGEROUS!!!"

Lettie and I exchanged horrified glances. What kind of Android could be inside that capsule to make even Dr. Gero this anxious?!

I stole a quick look at Trunks. He was pale, his lips white, sweat dripping from his forehead.

It seemed like Android 16 was a surprise even to him.

"I like this Android 16," Android 17 remarked. "Come on, sister, wake him up!"

"NO!" Dr. Gero roared. "DON'T DO IT! Do you want to destroy the entire world???"

"What?!" we all exclaimed in unison.

"D-Destroy the entire world…?" Lettie whispered beside me, trembling.

"This has gone too far…" Tien added from behind me.

"Hey!" Krillin turned to us. "Don't you think we should run while these sick Androids are still arguing??"

"Yeah, go ahead!" Vegeta laughed. "Because I am the only one capable of fighting them!"

"I'll say it again!" Dr. Gero turned to Android 17. "Do not wake up Number 16! He was a new experiment, but he was a total failure! You'll be making a mistake!"

Android 17 ignored him and gave a nod to Android 18, who leaned over the digital panel of the capsule.

"I SAID NO!!!" Dr. Gero ran up and grabbed Android 18's arm.

"What the heck?!" she huffed indignantly. "How dare you lay a hand on a lady?! LET GO OF ME!" With a single elbow strike, she sent Dr. Gero flying backward, crashing to the floor with a thud.

The whole scene was so absurd that none of us moved. Not even Vegeta.

"Hmph!" Android 18 rolled her eyes and started circling the cylindrical capsule. "It's clear that many of your experiments fail, Dr. Gero."

"Be reasonable!" He struggled to his feet, clenching his only remaining fist. "If you awaken Number 16, he might kill us all!"

"Wow," Android 17 mused. "So, Number 16 can actually kill us? Interesting." His eyes then flashed red momentarily. "Well, according to my scans, he's stronger than I am. Impressive! Go ahead and activate him, sister."

"ARGH!" Dr. Gero growled. "Why won't you obey me? I'm your creator! You're just like Number 16—a failure! Do whatever you want. I'll find a way to deactivate him!"

"I already destroyed the controller," Android 17 replied.

"I'LL MAKE ANOTHER ONE!!!"

Ignoring her creator's warnings, Android 18 once again leaned over the capsule's control panel and raised her index finger with a sinister glint in her eye.

"DO NOT PRESS THAT BUUUUUUUU—"

Dr. Gero froze in place, his eyes wide in shock. Right in the middle of his torso, Android 17's arm had pierced clean through his body, blood and fluids spilling onto the floor. A second later, Android 17 withdrew his arm, spun on his heel, and, with a swift, precise kick, decapitated Dr. Gero.

His grotesque, severed head bounced along the floor until it rolled to a stop right in front of my fiancée. A muffled scream escaped from Lettie's throat as she clamped a hand over her mouth, her face contorted in horror. Even I was frozen beside her, staring at the severed head.

To make things worse, the head spoke to Android 17, "You'll pay for this, you scrap heap!"

With a single leap, Android 17 landed near us and stomped down on the head, crushing it completely. Then, slowly and with a malicious glint in his icy-blue eyes, he lifted his gaze to meet mine and Lettie's—grinning.

"Boo!" he said.

I couldn't do anything but yank a trembling Lettie behind me. Except for Vegeta, the rest of the warriors huddled together after witnessing such a gruesome sight.

"I-I-I can't believe it!" Krillin stammered, hiding behind Tien. "Th-They killed their own creator!"

"These Androids kill anyone they don't like," Vegeta said, the only one who seemed amused by all of this. "Just like the Saiyans. It doesn't matter who—even parents and their children. Only you Earthlings get all soft and sentimental about it."

"You're sick!" Lettie spat, clinging to me, her face pale.

"Hurry up, 18!" Android 17 turned to his sister. "Press the button already!"

"I WON'T ALLOW IT!!!" Suddenly, Trunks pushed past us and rushed toward the destroyed entrance of the lab. "THERE SHOULDN'T BE ANY MORE KILLER ANDROIDS ALIVE!!!"

A golden aura flared around him as he transformed into a Super Saiyan. Trunks then extended his hands in front of him and unleashed a massive energy blast toward the Androids.

We barely had time to fly away before the entire cave exploded into millions of pieces under the force of Trunks' attack.

Which is exactly what happened.

Breathing heavily, we hovered above what was once the mountain that housed Dr. Gero's lab. Now, it was nothing more than a pile of rubble, thousands of rocks stacked upon each other, with a gigantic cloud of brown smoke rising into the sky.

It was only then that I realized Lettie and I were clinging to each other, both of us trembling from the shock and adrenaline. At least we weren't hurt.

"Gee, Trunks!" Krillin wiped the blood from a cut on his cheek. "If you were gonna attack, you could've warned us first!"

"Yeah, he really is an idiot," Vegeta agreed. "His actions were useless."

"U-Useless?" Trunks repeated, confused, floating near him. "But what did I do wrong?!"

"Look over there." Vegeta pointed beyond the cloud of smoke. As it dissipated, we saw Android 17 standing beside Android 18, who was holding the massive cylindrical capsule containing Android 16 above her head.

All three of them were unscathed.

"N-No way…" Lettie whispered.

Trunks looked just as dumbfounded as my fiancée. Vegeta, however, concluded, "Attacking the Androids at such a low level is a waste of energy. That's why people say children are reckless."

Trunks was visibly frustrated, and Lettie didn't need my ability to read feelings to notice it too. While we observed the Androids from afar, she floated closer to the boy and spoke softly, gently rubbing his back, "Sweetheart, I understand your desire to destroy them as quickly as possible, but attacking them so rashly might not have been the best strategy. One of us could've been seriously hurt in the process. Despite the many differences I have with your father, I agree that we shouldn't waste energy."

"I-I'm sorry, Mrs. Lettie…" Trunks' voice was filled with disappointment.

"It's okay." Lettie's voice, however, was filled with understanding. "At least, the lab is destroyed now."

I cast a quick glance at Vegeta. He watched them with deep disdain. Lettie and Trunks certainly didn't meet the standard of the Saiyan race that Vegeta so often preached—brutal, cold, and heartless.

"Hey, look!" Tien pointed at the Androids, drawing our attention back to the real problem.

They were opening the cylindrical capsule. Android 18 practically tore the lid off, as the digital panel no longer worked. Then, to our utter despair, Android 16 emerged from the capsule, like a corpse rising from a coffin.

He was tall. No—huge. Just a few inches shorter than me. He wore a black bodysuit underneath a bulky, heavy, lime-green armor with the Red Ribbon emblem, and the top of his shaved head was occupied by a thick red mohawk.

"He… He's a killing machine…" Lettie voiced my exact thoughts.

"Who is this Android?" Trunks sounded outraged. "I've never seen him before!"

A wave of fear and uncertainty washed over me at the sight of that new Android—emotions coming from the other warriors. Even Vegeta couldn't hide how intimidated he was by this new opponent.

The three Androids exchanged some words on the plateau that I couldn't hear, even with my super hearing. Then, they took off and left. Just like that.

Krillin let out a sigh of relief. But the others immediately asked what on earth we should do now.

"Something tells me they're not heading to destroy North Capital," I said.

"Goku's house!!!" Lettie exclaimed, catching everyone's attention. "They flew in the direction of my brother's house. That can't be a coincidence!"

Everyone (except Vegeta) widened their eyes. Oh, no.

"She's right!" Krillin agreed. "After all, Dr. Gero's main objective was to defeat Goku because he was the one who destroyed the Red Ribbon Army!"

"But would they still follow Dr. Gero's orders?" Tien questioned. "Now, they're free to do whatever they want."

"Even if they're free," Trunks objected, "don't forget that they're still Androids. Part of them is made of programming, which means they want to kill Goku—it's embedded in their primary code. It's something stronger than them."

"So, they basically won't stop until they've fulfilled that… 'programming'?" I asked.

"Yes, basically," Trunks replied. "And after that… they can do whatever they want with the world. Just like they did in my timeline."

His voice faded into the air, and a heavy silence followed the implications of his statement.

So, it was just as I thought: our fate was in the hands of two kids. And now, another kid had joined them!

What were we supposed to do?!

"You've already lost," my Enemy threatened. "You know that, don't you? It doesn't matter if you've fused with Kami or had a little chat with that Friend of yours. No matter how much you try, it's only a matter of time before you fall, one by one. And you'll be the first."

A sharp pain stabbed at my temples. I looked at my companions and saw the image of each one of them falling, just as my Enemy had said. I saw Tien, I saw Krillin, I saw Trunks… I even saw Vegeta.

And then, I saw Lettie.

Lying on the ground. Dead.

But then, I remembered my Friend's Voice: "He knows your deepest fears and shows you exactly what you're most afraid of."

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "I won't fall for your lie," I whispered through clenched teeth, and my Enemy fell silent.

I noticed that Lettie was watching me from beside Trunks. With a worried expression, she gestured, asking if I was okay. With a reassuring nod, I assured her that I was. We exchanged little smiles.

"THAT'S IT, I'VE HAD ENOUGH!" Vegeta suddenly exploded. "You all can stay here chatting! I don't care! I came here to fight, but you ignored me! So that means you consider me inferior?? You're playing with me!!!" His aura flared yellow, and he transformed into a Super Saiyan.

"Don't go after them, please!" Trunks once again spread his arms in front of his father, trying to stop him. "Just wait a little longer—it won't cost you anything!"

"Until Kakarot recovers?" Vegeta replied with a sly grin.

"Kakarot?!" Trunks repeated in confusion. "You mean Goku? Yes, that's right! We need him to help us take down the Androids together! It's the safest way!"

"Well, well…" Vegeta scoffed. "You're misunderstanding something. The ones I hate the most aren't the Androids. IT'S KAKAROT!!! I can defeat those walking scrap heaps without his help! But in the end, I'll defeat Kakarot too! NOW GET OUT OF MY WAY, BRAT!!!"

"THAT MAKES NO SENSE!!!" Trunks shrieked in desperation. "That's impossible! If you go alone, you could die! I'm begging you, just wait a little longer!"

In the next instant, Vegeta clenched his fist and punched Trunks hard in the stomach, making him double over with a silent gasp. Then, without hesitation, he shot off into the sky, heading straight for the Androids.

"TRUNKS!!!" My fiancée flew to his side.

We reached them, making sure the boy was okay. Vegeta's punch hadn't been light—Trunks was drenched in cold sweat.

"IDIOT!!!" Lettie raised her fist toward the direction Vegeta had disappeared, her face flushed purple with fury. "WHY DON'T YOU TRY PUNCHING ME, YOU MORON?! YOU'RE A WORTHLESS EXCUSE FOR A FATHER! YOU NEED TO BE COMMITTED TO A MENTAL HOSPITAL! I SWEAR, I'LL GET A CAPSULE AND SEND YOU TO THE FURTHEST PLANET IN THIS UNIVERSE, YOU WALKING DISASTER AND—"

She kept cursing. The rest of us exchanged bewildered glances. Even Trunks seemed to momentarily forget his pain, looking at her in stunned disbelief.

Never, in all my years with Lettie, had I ever seen her this angry. I silently vowed never to be the reason for such wrath from my future wife. And I couldn't help but feel a deep compassion for Bulma.

"…YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED WHEN I THREW THAT SPIRIT BOMB AT YOU!" Lettie continued. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MANY THERAPY SESSIONS I HAD TO GO THROUGH BECAUSE OF YOU, VEGETA???"

"Lettie." I gently placed my hands on her shoulders, trying to make her turn toward me, and repeated, firmly, "Lettie, listen to me."

She stopped shouting and met my gaze, her eyes brimming with tears, her chest rising and falling with heavy breaths. Then, in the calmest voice I could manage, I said, "If Vegeta had died from the Spirit Bomb, Trunks wouldn't have been born, and we would have never learned about the Androids."

Lettie deflated, her shoulders slumping at my words. Slowly, she turned to look at Trunks, who was hugging himself, his head lowered, caught between pain and shame.

"Oh, Trunks…!" Lettie rushed to embrace him tightly, sobbing into his shoulder.

Trunks stood still for a few moments, struggling with his conflicted feelings about his father. But it didn't take long for him to return Lettie's hug with the same intensity, drawn into the motherly warmth she radiated. We remained silent.

When they pulled away, Lettie let out a long sigh and looked at us, deeply embarrassed. "I'm sorry… I-I…"

I couldn't just stand there and watch my fiancée like that. I went to her and gently stroked her back. The others also wore expressions of understanding.

"It's okay, Mrs. Lettie," Trunks reassured her, though he still looked downcast. "I really appreciate your concern. To be honest, I don't know how to deal with all of this either. My mother warned me it would be difficult, but I never imagined it would be this hard." His face grew fearful. "But I can't afford to think about my relationship with my father right now. We have to stop him! Please, let's go after him! We can't let him act alone before Goku recovers!" Then, he turned to me. "Mr. Piccolo, you might be our only hope right now, considering your fusion with Kami."

All eyes fell on me.

Suddenly, it felt like the weight of the world had fallen on my shoulders.

Then, I looked at Lettie and saw Naíma and our twins in her eyes.

"Alright," I said, trying to project as much confidence as I could. "Let's go after the Androids!"

Lettie and the others responded with determined expressions. Together, we raised our Ki and shot into the sky.

Our emotions were a tangled spiral— I was worried about Lettie. Lettie was worried about Trunks. Trunks was worried about Vegeta…

And, of course, we were all worried about Goku. Was he recovering from his illness? Or had the virus already spread to his heart?

It was strange. Years ago, my only goal was to defeat him, to be greater, stronger, and more powerful than him. But now, just the thought of his possible death filled me with a heavy anguish.

As we flew after Vegeta and the Androids, I thought back to the last three years we spent training together—the countless mornings, afternoons, and nights when, on breaks from the Dojo, we fought in remote places with Lettie and Gohan, only to return to his home afterward for a delicious meal prepared by Chi-Chi, before repeating the cycle all over again the next day.

It was only then that I realized—Goku had gone from being my nemesis to my brother-in-law and best friend.

"There!" Trunks pointed to a road winding through a mountain range.

We sped up. The presence of an exploded truck and several points of destruction along the road were clear signs that Vegeta and the Androids had been there.

We landed behind Android 18, who was standing beside a massive hole in the rocky wall along the roadside. Her brother and Android 16 watched us from a farther distance.

As Trunks called out to his father, Android 18 slowly turned toward me. We locked eyes for several long seconds. It was difficult to read her feelings. Being part Android and part human, everything about her seemed to blend together. However, in that brief moment we stared at each other, I detected one thing—she was definitely uncomfortable.

Soon, Vegeta emerged from the hole in the wall, glowing in his Super Saiyan form, with a terrible face. Trunks lit up upon seeing him, but Vegeta responded to our arrival with a curse.

"Hey, everyone!" Lettie called out. "Get ready. Android 17 is coming this way!"

"Father, please, let's run!" Trunks pleaded, nervous. "If you stay here, you could die! All because of your pride!"

"Are you looking to get hit again???" Vegeta snapped. "You're bothering me. GO AWAY!"

"If you want to run, then run," Android 18 crossed her arms. "Because we're not interested in cowards who flee."

"Enough of this nonsense!" Vegeta roared in fury. "Now that I'm about to finish you off, I would never abandon a fight! Let me tell you something, you blonde scrap heap: I'd rather fight alone and die than team up with that idiot Namekian, or that fake Saiyan woman, or that irritating, spineless brat, or those two Earthling worms, or even that useless Kakarot! I DON'T WANT TO ASSOCIATE WITH THIS BUNCH OF INCOMPETENTS!!!"

Everyone was so stunned by Vegeta's words that no one reacted. We just stood there, looking at each other in disbelief.

However, someone started clapping.

Android 17.

"That was quite a speech," he said, standing behind us. "Judging by the way you fight, I can tell you really are the Prince of the Saiyans."

His voice was dripped with sarcasm, and Vegeta noticed.

"I don't need to hear that from you rusted-up dolls!" He spat on the ground. "You're nothing more than a bunch of stupid kids."

"Well," Android 17 continued, "since we all know you guys follow the martial arts warrior's code of ethics, I just want to say one important thing: I hope no one interferes in the fight between Vegeta and Android 18. If anyone does, I'll be more than happy to join in as well."

Silence.

"Ohhh, don't worry!" Vegeta said. "I guarantee they won't get in my way."

"I certainly hope so," Android 17 replied.

"So, shall we continue?" Android 18 asked.

"Of course." Vegeta grinned.

"THEN LET'S GO!!!" Android 18 shot toward Vegeta and landed a solid punch right in his face, sending him flying backward.

We gasped at the sheer speed of her attack. Vegeta managed to recover and retaliated by ramming his head into Android 18's stomach. Then, he clasped his hands together and slammed them down hard on her spine, sending her crashing into a rocky cliff. He immediately raised his palm and fired a large energy blast at her while she was still lying at the base of the mountain.

A brilliant flash of light and an explosion followed. Vegeta darted toward the dissipating smoke, but as soon as it cleared, he found Android 18 standing there, her clothes dirty and torn. The two exchanged taunts and insults, but nothing enraged Vegeta more than being called weak.

He lunged forward, and the two engaged in close combat—kicks and punches flying at an incredible speed. From the side of the road, we watched the fight, and that's when I realized something—we were all tense, focused, rooting for… Vegeta. Even Lettie was muttering words of encouragement, urging him to take down that Android already.

But something was wrong. Very wrong.

A sick feeling twisted in my stomach.

"If this keeps up… Vegeta will be killed," I confessed.

Everyone turned to me, perplexed. Android 17 was watching us.

"If you pay close attention," I continued, "she's constantly pushing Vegeta back, invading his space and not giving him time to counterattack. Her power hasn't dropped, but on the other hand, the more Vegeta fights, the more his energy drains."

"A-Are you serious, Mr. Piccolo??" Trunks asked.

I simply gestured for him to watch the fight happening below. Vegeta attempted to strike her, but Android 18 dodged, ducked, and swept his legs out from under him, nearly making him fall to the ground. Just as he barely regained his footing, she punched him in the nose, making him stagger, hesitant.

Furious, Vegeta pulled back, then lunged at her, aiming a direct punch. Android 18 stopped it effortlessly with just one hand. Then, with her other hand, she grabbed onto his arm. Once she had him locked in place, she drove her knee hard into his stomach, knocking the air out of him—the same way he had done to Trunks not long ago.

A right hook. A side kick. A left uppercut. A brutal strike to the chin.

Nothing escaped Android 18's relentless assault.

And then, at last, she spun, raised her leg, and broke Vegeta's left arm in an instant.

"NOOOOOOOOO!!!!" Trunks screamed.

Vegeta clutched his now grotesquely twisted arm, fell to his knees, and let out a roar of pure frustration and rage.

It all happened too fast.

In desperation, Trunks transformed into a Super Saiyan and shot toward his fallen father, unsheathing his sword to strike Android 18. But she blocked his attack with such force that the tip of his blade shattered. Seeing his sister being attacked, Android 17 charged at Trunks and, raising both fists high above his head, struck him on the neck—knocking him out instantly.

Then, Lettie screamed Trunks' name and flew toward the Androids, which made me shout her name and take off after her before the same disaster as before could happen again. All I know is that I heard Tien curse and follow right behind me.

To my surprise, Lettie managed to land a solid punch on Android 17's cheek, but he quickly recovered and kicked her away, sending her crashing into a rock wall, which collapsed on top of her. Meanwhile, I caught sight of Android 18 locking Tien in a chokehold while Vegeta charged at her again.

I turned to Android 17. My fiancée wouldn't be taken down by a few rocks. She would be fine. My focus was solely on the bastard in front of me. However, Trunks managed to get back on his feet and flew toward his father. Seeing his sister being attacked by both Trunks and Vegeta, Android 17 rushed to help her. Android 18 let go of an unconscious Tien to counterattack her opponents. However, she pulled off the incredible feat of grabbing Trunks by the ankle, spinning him around, and hurling him straight at Vegeta. Father and son were sent flying across a great distance before crashing into another rock formation and getting buried under the rubble.

A deep silence fell.

I looked around, but I only saw Androids 17 and 18.

I was on my own.

Even though I hadn't fought at all, I was panting, staring at them, my body rigid in place. The siblings stared back at me.

The same discomfort that emanated from Android 18 was now radiating from Android 17 as he spat out a mixture of blood and fluids—probably the result of Lettie's punch.

"You're strong, Namekian," he said, wiping his mouth with his long sleeve. "Stronger than my records had calculated. What did you do? Is it some kind of special technique?"

I didn't answer. I stood firm, locking eyes with him. Android 17 shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

"Who's that boy?" he asked. "The other Saiyan? I don't have him in my records."

I still didn't answer. I could tell that Android 17's discomfort was growing. His sister watched us in silence.

"Oh, come on!" He waved his hands. "I don't like monologues, and—"

"What do you want?!" My deep voice echoed all around.

Was it just my imagination, or did he flinch slightly? Android 18's eyes widened—that, I definitely saw.

"PICCOLO! WATCH OUT FOR THEM, ALRIGHT?!" Someone shouted from the road above.

Oh, it was Krillin. I had only just realized he had stayed behind. He must have frozen in fear.

Android 17 ignored him and responded to me with a half-smile. "It's a game."

I frowned, confused. He continued, "As Androids, we were created with the purpose of killing Son Goku. But as humans, we want to have fun with it. So, it became a game for us. You see, I won't even bother asking where his house is, because it'll be more exciting for us to search for it ourselves and keep the 'suspense' of our surprise arrival." He spread his arms out. "Come on, Piccolo, why don't you join us? After all, you once wanted to defeat Goku too, didn't you? Oh, wait—you actually did! You killed him with your own hands. My sincerest congratulations!"

A tingling sensation ran through my body, and that same relentless guilt—the one that had torn me apart for years over Goku's death—hit me again without mercy.

But then, I also remembered the countless times I had been forgiven—by Lettie, by Gohan, by Kami, and finally, with the help of my Friend, by myself.

"You're a fraud," I replied to Android 17 through clenched teeth.

"Wow, Piccolo," he shot back. "That way you offend me."

"That's the point."

Android 17 swallowed hard.

"Well…" he said after clearing his throat. "Like I said, it's a game. And this was just the first level. It's still too early for me to defeat you, so I'll let you live—for now." His eyes darkened as he stared deep into my soul. "We'll meet again. I'm sure of it." Then, he turned to Android 18. "Let's go, sister."

"Hey!" I called out, making them stop. "Just so we're clear," I continued in a firm tone. "It might be a game to you, but it's not to me. And unlike you, Android 17, I'll do everything in my power to wipe you off the face of this Earth."

His nostrils flared, and Android 18 turned pale. I finally managed to read their feelings—fear. They averted their gazes and floated up toward the road, landing near Krillin (who jumped in fright) before walking toward Android 16, who had been waiting for them at a distance.

Then, they took off into the sky and disappeared.

I let out a long sigh, finally feeling the tension in my shoulders ease.

"Piccolo!" Another voice called from behind me. It was Lettie. She was running from the rocky hole, covered in dust, panting, and with her clothes torn.

"Hey, love." I allowed myself to use an affectionate nickname, considering Tien was still unconscious and Krillin was too far up on the road to hear. "Are you okay? Don't worry, Trunks is also buried somewhere around here with Vegeta. By the way, nice punch you landed on Number 17."

"Yeah… It was a good punch…" She massaged her shoulder with a grimace. "Ow… But that bastard got me good." Then, she pouted at me. "Can you change these winter clothes, please? It's hot now, and I feel like I've been through a shredder."

Like any sane man, I did as she asked, and I also switched Tien and Krillin's clothes back to their normal uniforms (Krillin nearly jumped out of his skin when his clothes changed out of nowhere).

A few minutes later, we all regrouped and gave a Senzu Bean to Vegeta and Tien, since they were in the worst shape. Trunks looked down, upset that the tip of his sword had broken.

"Naíma made it for me…" he said with a sad smile.

My fiancée covered her mouth, exchanging a stunned look with me. Our daughter had built the sword that cut Frieza in half?! Wow…

"So now what?" Krillin asked. "What do we do? The Androids are gone, and—HEY, VEGETA, WAIT!!!"

Vegeta had suddenly taken off at high speed. No one understood what was going on. Trunks prepared to chase after him, but I stopped him.

"Don't!" I exclaimed. "Let him go!"

"B-But why?" he protested. "Shouldn't we stop him from doing something reckless again??"

Lettie and I exchanged glances, likely thinking the same thing.

"Trunks, sweetheart…" she began, using the same motherly tone she used when explaining things to Naíma or Gohan. "Listen, when Vegeta managed to transform into a Super Saiyan, he regained his confidence—but it skyrocketed to absurd levels. And unfortunately, in the mind of a man… uh… a man like your father, even though she's an Android, he… he got beaten by a woman."

Regretfully, everyone nodded in agreement. Then, I added, "And that, without a doubt, was a massive blow to Vegeta's pride."