Android 17 and Android 18 Awaken

Above the underground laboratory.

A withered old man with a severed wrist walked into the laboratory, looking rather disheveled.

This person was none other than Dr. Gero.

Dr. Gero had now transformed himself into an android, gaining eternal life and terrifying power.

Originally, Dr. Gero believed that he and Android 19 would be enough to wipe out Son Goku and his group.

He never expected that the strength of Son Goku and the others would be so formidable.

Now that his laboratory had been exposed, he had reached a dead end.

He had to exhaust every last trump card to completely annihilate Son Goku and his group.

Otherwise, only failure and death awaited him.

"If I could avoid it, I truly wouldn't want to wake these two up, but things have reached this point, and I have no choice left."

Dr. Gero gripped the controller tightly in his hand, standing before two stasis pods labeled "17" and "18."

"I hope they have been repaired..."

Dr. Gero peered through the glass at the person inside the "17" stasis pod, muttering to himself.

Dr. Gero pressed the button on the side.

Hiss~

The stasis pod slowly opened. Dr. Gero stared at the person inside with extreme caution, cold sweat unconsciously beading on his forehead.

A handsome youth wearing a black T-shirt and an orange scarf, with straight black hair, stepped out from within.

Dr. Gero forced himself to remain calm: "You have awakened? Android 17?"

The youth, who was Android 17, slowly turned around, his peripheral vision catching the controller in Dr. Gero's hand.

He said with a look of obedience: "Good morning, Dr. Gero!"

Hearing Android 17's words, Dr. Gero felt momentarily flattered.

"Are you greeting me?"

Android 17's expression remained unchanged as he replied: "Of course, you are my creator!"

It seems they have been repaired.

Dr. Gero was ecstatic in his heart, This time, let's see if you can escape death, Son Goku!

"Then I shall wake up Android 18 as well..."

Without any hesitation, Dr. Gero opened the "18" stasis pod directly.

With his guard lowered, the grip Dr. Gero had on the controller loosened slightly without him realizing it.

As the stasis pod opened, the Android 18 inside opened her blue eyes; there was no extra expression on her cold, beautiful face.

Upon waking, Android 18 noticed Android 17 standing straight beside her like a bodyguard.

Exchanging a glance with Android 17, the twins' telepathic connection allowed her to understand the situation immediately.

She turned to face Dr. Gero and saw the controller held in his hand.

"Good morning, Dr. Gero!"

Android 18's tone of greeting was as calm as a programmed robot.

And this was exactly what Dr. Gero wanted.

"Even you are greeting me!"

Dr. Gero was instantly overjoyed.

Android 18 replied with continued calmness: "This is a normal thing."

"It seems both of you have recovered automatically."

Looking at Android 18 like this, Dr. Gero's tense nerves finally relaxed completely.

Six years ago, when he first awakened the siblings, he had nearly been killed by them.

If not for the controller, he would not have survived until now.

He blamed himself for being too impatient for success, focusing all his efforts on enhancing the androids' strength, which had caused their control functions to deteriorate.

Seeing the obedient demeanor of Android 17 and Android 18, Dr. Gero immediately assumed the posture of a leader.

"This time, you must behave well and follow my orders. Son Goku's companions will be here soon; finish them off immediately, do you understand?"

Dr. Gero commanded with his hands behind his back.

"Yes."

"Understood."

Android 17 and Android 18 nodded obediently.

Bang, bang, bang~

Not long after Dr. Gero finished speaking, the sound of someone ramming the laboratory door echoed from outside.

Having learned that Dr. Gero had returned to the lab, Piccolo, Tien Shinhan, and Krillin were slamming their bodies against the heavy entrance. (I'm honestly baffled watching this; they seem to be in a hurry, yet their urgency is strangely understated...)

"They've arrived. Those ignorant, foolish wretches are already at the door. It's time for you to take the stage."

"Hehehehe~ Go and beat them until they're crawling on the floor!"

Dr. Gero let out a smug, eerie cackle.

Just then, Android 17 suddenly appeared behind Dr. Gero and snatched the remote controller right out of his hand.

"Android 17, what are you doing?"

Dr. Gero stared at Android 17 in shock; he never imagined that the submissive behavior displayed by Android 17 and Android 18 just moments ago had been a complete act.

Unfortunately, it was too late to say anything now. Without the controller in his possession, Dr. Gero had lost the leverage he needed to command them.

Unless he could manufacture a new controller right this second, but Android 17 and Android 18 certainly wouldn't give him that chance.

With the controller in their hands, Android 17 and Android 18 no longer needed to keep up the charade.

"Isn't this the device that can shut down our energy in an emergency? Just in case, right? I have to destroy this thing."

As he spoke, Android 17 gave it a light squeeze, and the device that held their very lives was crushed to pieces in an instant.

"Android 17, what do you intend to do? You aren't joking, are you?"

"I don't want to go back into a long slumber, you old geezer."

Android 17 looked at Dr. Gero with a mocking gaze.

Outside the lab door, Vegeta overheard the conversation inside, his lips curling into an arrogant, haughty smirk.

[Mere androids. They are nothing before the pride of Prince Vegeta, the Super Saiyan!]

"If any of you still intend to destroy the androids, you had better abandon that thought right now."

Vegeta spoke to Piccolo, who was preparing to obliterate the laboratory and everything inside it.

"Don't do this. You have no idea how truly terrifying the androids are."

As Trunks from the future, he knew all too well just how powerful the androids were.

The deaths of his friends and family, the tragic state of the Earth in his timeline—it all flashed before his eyes.

Trunks did not want this timeline to end up like the future he came from.

"Shut your mouth!"

Vegeta turned his head and barked sharply at Trunks.

"Get out of the way, you idiot!"

Vegeta raised his hand toward the laboratory door.

Standing to the side, Trunks pleaded desperately with Vegeta: "I'm begging you, let's all retreat for now! We'll only have a chance of winning once Son Goku has recovered and we can formulate a plan!"

Unfortunately, what Trunks didn't realize was that the proud Saiyan Prince, Vegeta, hated nothing more than being told he was inferior to Son Goku.

"I don't need him to show up!"

Whatever Kakarot can do, I, Vegeta, can do as well—and I will do it even better!!!

Ignoring Trunks's protests, Vegeta aimed his palm at the laboratory door and fired a blast of energy.

The sturdy door, which hadn't budged despite Piccolo and the others ramming it for quite some time, instantly buckled and collapsed under the force of the energy wave.

The smoke cleared.

It revealed the three figures inside the laboratory.

A cold, beautiful blonde girl.

A handsome, black-haired youth.

And a panicked, withered old man.

Unlike the old man, the youth and the girl wore faint smiles on their faces.