"Marshal, Dr. Gero has appeared in South City's small town. He and a pale-skinned fat man destroyed one of our Red Ribbon Army branch bases."
A soldier with communications equipment received information about the target and hurried over to report to He-El.
"He's appeared?" Trunks's gaze sharpened, his expression grave as he quickly asked, "Is it only Dr. Gero and Android 19?"
That pale-skinned fat man was Android 19. In Trunks's universe, Android 19 had also been taken in by his father and accompanied him in battle.
The communications soldier did not answer Trunks directly. Instead, he looked at He-El and only replied after receiving his approval. "Yes. The Red Ribbon Army branch base sent surveillance footage. Only Dr. Gero and the pale-skinned fat man attacked the base. No one else was seen."
Trunks's expression turned solemn.
In his universe, the main forces ravaging Earth had been Android 17 and Android 18. Now that neither Android 17 nor Android 18 was beside Dr. Gero, Trunks had no idea where Dr. Gero had hidden them as secret weapons.
"Marshal, the communications soldier in South City's small town sent one final video." Another communications soldier rushed into the hall with an urgent expression, connected to the communications department, and played the transmitted footage on the hall's projector.
The video opened on the Red Ribbon Army branch base, reduced to ruins. Severed limbs and blood were scattered everywhere. Tanks and fighter jets had been shot down, black smoke rising from the ground. Dr. Gero's gaunt, withered face appeared in the footage from an angle looking down at the camera.
"It's Dr. Gero!" Trunks's face tightened with anger.
In the footage, Dr. Gero lifted a soldier wearing a miniature camera and sneered into the lens. "He-El!!
You never expected this, did you? I'm back.