A Choice Side-by-Side

"You shouldn't have followed me."

Chen Hao spoke as coldly as ice, his voice like a blade cutting through the air—chilling yet calm.

He looked straight at her without evasion or threat, merely stating a fact.

Android 18 did not back down.

Instead, she took two steady steps forward. Gravel crunched beneath her feet, kicking up a cloud of dust.

She raised her head toward the chaotic battlefield in the distance—it was a complete mess, with split earth and collapsed mountains, smoke curling through the air, and several crimson scars from explosions still hanging on the horizon.

The wind swept past her, brushing aside the loose strands over her forehead, but her voice was calmer than the wind itself. Her eyes gradually reddened. "You said you were leaving to train. But this is already far from the battlefield, isn't it?"

Her fingers unconsciously clenched and loosened, as though trying to grasp something, yet finding nothing to hold.

Chen Hao raised an eyebrow, letting the mountain wind lift the hem of his clothes.

With his arms folded across his chest, he leaned against a massive blue-gray boulder.

Fine cracks torn open by shockwaves still covered its surface.

He tilted his head slightly, utterly unconcerned. "So what?"

Android 18 fell silent for a moment, her gaze lowered to the ground. All she could see was the cracked earth beneath her feet and a few withered blades of grass.

Her voice dropped, though it retained a trace of stubbornness. "Android 17... was absorbed by Cell."

Her throat tightened as she said it, and the redness in her eyes became more obvious, but she refused to let herself cry.

"Android 16 was badly injured. During the final explosion, I was thrown back by the blast. By the time I came to, he was gone. He probably hid somewhere to repair himself again..."

She paused, taking a deep breath of air thick with smoke and the scent of dirt. Her fingertips trembled slightly. "And I... have nowhere to go."

Chen Hao's gaze rested on her face. He noticed the faint moisture at the corners of her eyes, but did not rush to respond.

He merely said, "Oh," without even changing his tone. "So?"

Android 18 suddenly looked up. Her sapphire-like eyes met Chen Hao's directly, holding neither pleading nor resentment, only a quiet resolve. "Let me follow you."

Her voice was soft, but every word was like a pebble striking water, sending ripples outward.

"Cell's next target is me. What can I do alone? I can't beat him, I can't run from him—then all I can do is wait to die. You were able to save me from that monster, which means you're strong. So strong that I can't even tell how strong you really are."

She bit her lower lip, and a cool clarity entered her voice. "I need to feel safe. And you can give me that."

Chen Hao was silent for several seconds, appraising the person before him—Android 18.

Her short pale-golden hair swayed gently in the wind like wheat in autumn.

Her complexion was fair, her features delicate yet heroic, her contours distinct, giving her an air of crisp decisiveness.

Those blue eyes met his openly, without avoidance or fear, almost as if questioning him.

Chen Hao suddenly recalled her story from the original Dragon Balls—how she had ended up with Krillin.

Cool and stubborn on the outside, yet soft-hearted within. She understood how to weigh gains and losses in a crisis and could make the choice best suited to herself.

The corner of his mouth lifted faintly, and he deliberately lowered his voice. "Aren't you afraid I'm a bad guy?"

At that, Android 18 suddenly gave a low laugh. There was no mockery in it, only a hint of relief. "Anyone who can save me from Cell's jaws can't be that bad, even if he is."

She shook her head and tucked a stray lock behind her ear. "Besides, you were pretty ruthless with that Saiyan prince earlier—I felt it hurt just watching from afar—but you still didn't kill him in the end. If you really were a bad guy, there'd be no need to put on an act."

"Interesting."

Chen Hao's smile deepened.

He straightened up and dusted off his pant leg, his voice light. "Fine. If you want to follow me, then follow me."

A flash of joy crossed Android 18's eyes. Her gaze visibly brightened for an instant, though she quickly regained her composure. She only nodded lightly, her voice restrained. "Thank you."

Chen Hao said nothing more and leaped down from the rock face.

His body traced an arc through the air before landing steadily on the flat ground. The impact sounded solid, scattering loose stones.

He turned to Android 18 atop the rock face, brushed the dust from his hands, and his voice became serious. "But there are conditions if you follow me—act when you're supposed to act, and don't ask what you shouldn't."

Android 18 jumped down as well. She landed soundlessly, her skirt fluttering lightly before settling.

She stood straight and nodded solemnly. "Understood."

Tilting her head, she casually placed both hands at her waist and asked, "Where are we going next?"

Chen Hao looked up at the sky. The clouds had been dyed orange-red by the setting sun, while a flock of birds flew in the distance.

He clicked his tongue softly, as if considering something. "Do you know... how to get to West City?"

Android 18's eyes lit up. Without hesitation, she pointed toward the southern horizon, turning slightly and indicating the distance with her chin. "Of course. That way. It'll take about half an hour if we fly. I passed through there several times before. It's brightly lit, and you can see the outline of the city from far away."

Chen Hao grinned, clearly satisfied.

He started walking in the direction she had indicated, his voice drifting on the wind. "Let's go. First, let's find something to eat. My stomach's about to cave in from hunger."

Android 18 froze for a moment, then immediately shook her head slightly. An imperceptible curve appeared at the corner of her mouth before she followed after him.

The setting sun stretched their shadows long, one ahead and one behind, as they crossed broken rocks and scorched earth toward the horizon where lights were gradually beginning to appear.

Before he had even finished speaking, Chen Hao had already exploded from where he stood—the ground beneath his feet cracked apart instantly, and shattered stones flew everywhere.

He transformed into a streak of silver-white lightning and shot into the sky, the gale he kicked up flattening the grass and trees to the ground.

A visible white shockwave tore through the air, followed by an explosion that echoed across the entire area.

Android 18 moved almost at the same instant.

The ground beneath her feet cratered under her step as she followed after him like an arrow loosed from its bow.

A pale golden aura draped around her like gauze, her long hair dancing in the wind, her eyes fixed solely on the red-haired figure speeding away.

Their figures streaked across the azure sky one after the other, becoming two meteors on the southern horizon in the blink of an eye, flying farther and farther away.

Meanwhile, at Kami's Lookout, the atmosphere hung as heavy as a wet blanket, making it hard to breathe.

Piccolo sat cross-legged on the blue stone slabs, arms folded, his muscles taut as if carved from stone.

His green face was expressionless, but his red eyes were sharp as blades, locked firmly on the distant clouds.

The breeze made his cape snap and flutter, but it could not disperse the gravity between his brows.

Not far away, Trunks leaned against a thick stone pillar, his purple hair hanging messily around his face. His arms hung at his sides, and his gaze remained fixed on the mottled stone tiles beneath his feet.

He remained silent for a long time. The surroundings were so quiet that only the wind and the low rumble of the clouds could be heard.

"Uncle Piccolo..." Trunks finally spoke, his voice hoarse, as though forced out of his throat. "Who... exactly is that person?"

He raised his head, his eyes filled with confusion and a faint unease. "He's clearly a Saiyan too. The bloodline inside me wouldn't lie to me. But I've never seen him before, and Father... doesn't know him either."