Wait Until I'm Willing

The vast arena was left with only Chen Hao and Android 18.

The setting sun had dyed the clouds deep purple and orange-red. Wind swept dust in from afar, carving tiny whirlwinds across the ground. The venue was quiet, filled only by the sound of the wind and the occasional birdcall.

Android 18 stood beside Chen Hao, her blonde hair lifted by the wind as it brushed across her fair face. She looked into the distance, but the corner of her eye furtively glanced at him.

After a while, she said softly, "Chen Hao, thank you."

Chen Hao turned his head. "For what?"

Android 18 did not answer immediately. Lowering her head, she rubbed the fabric at her cuff with her fingertips. "Thank you for being willing to wait for me."

Her eyelashes trembled slightly. "I know you're very strong. Saving Android 17 would have been effortless for you. But you chose to wait for me—wait until I was willing to trust you."

Chen Hao looked at her, the corners of his lips lifting slightly. "Wasn't that our deal?"

"It was more than a deal." Android 18 raised her head, her gaze earnest as the sunset reflected in her eyes. "It was a promise."

Chen Hao froze for a moment. The usual coldness and wariness were gone from her eyes, replaced by a warmth he had never seen before. A trace of warmth rose within him, soft enough to nearly overflow from his chest.

He understood. Beyond the terms of their deal, there was also the trust of one lonely soul lowering its guard before another.

The two looked at each other for a moment in the twilight. The wind passed between them, as though carrying away some unseen barrier.

Chen Hao looked away first, his smile fading. "All right, let's head back. What happens next depends on Gohan."

He turned to look toward West City, where countless lights had already come on.

Android 18 nodded gently and walked to his side. The two leaped into the air at the same time, flying toward the brightly lit city.

The wind howled past their ears. Chen Hao's figure was gilded gold by the setting sun, while Android 18's blonde hair streamed behind her in the airflow. Their shadows gradually shrank until they finally blended into the night.

As night fell, the two landed atop a high-rise apartment building.

The wind on the rooftop was strong, tossing Android 18's blonde hair into disarray. She brushed it back and walked to the edge, folding her arms across her chest as she looked down at the city below. Lights reflected in her blue eyes like drifting fragments of starlight.

"Chen Hao," she said.

"Hmm?" Chen Hao approached from behind, his hands tucked into his pockets.

"Do you really think Gohan can defeat Perfect Cell?" Android 18 did not turn around, only tilting her face slightly to the side. "That kid doesn't even seem to believe in himself. I've seen him train. He got knocked down countless times, and every time he gritted his teeth and got back up, but there wasn't that light in his eyes—the light of certain victory."

Chen Hao walked to her side and looked into the distance as well. The night wind brushed across his face.

"The potential within him far exceeds anyone's imagination," he said calmly. "His father wouldn't be wrong about him."

"But..." Android 18 bit her lip. "What if he fails? What if he doesn't unleash that kind of power? Cell will kill everyone."

Chen Hao turned to her, his gaze unwavering. "Then I'll step in. But before that, it's good for the kid to suffer a little. A tree that can hold up the sky won't grow in a greenhouse."

Android 18 fell silent for a while. The rooftop wind fluttered the hem of her jacket. Looking down at the lights beneath her feet, she suddenly smiled. Her smile was somewhat helpless, but she seemed far more relaxed. "You... You're obviously so strong, yet you always insist on making things complicated. Things that could be settled with one punch, you insist on taking the long way around and making everyone worry themselves sick."

Chen Hao tilted his head slightly, a faint curve on his lips. "Some things can't be settled with fists. Besides—appropriate fear can make people grow faster."

Android 18 said nothing more. She merely sighed and stood beside him at the edge.

The night deepened, and the city's neon lights went out one by one. A chill entered the wind, and Android 18's shoulders trembled slightly. Chen Hao noticed, but said nothing. He simply turned and walked toward the iron door on the rooftop, his steps steady.

One after the other, the two disappeared into the stairwell beyond the iron door. The city continued to sleep, while several kilometers away, the decisive battle for Earth's fate was about to begin.