Chapter 36

As the smoke and dust cleared, everyone appeared outside the door, watching Dr. Gero, Android 17, and Android 18 warily.

"Trunks, these guys look exactly like you described. Are they them?" Vegeta asked, staring at Android 17 and Android 18.

"Y-Yes." Trunks stared at the two nervously as well.

"Th-Those two are Android 17 and Android 18?" Krillin asked fearfully.

"Don't let their appearances deceive you. The two of them are actually ruthless and cruel people," Trunks told everyone.

"They're the accomplices of Son Goku I mentioned before. Don't underestimate them. Not only did they defeat Android 19, they nearly took my life," Dr. Gero said, warning Android 17 and Android 18 about the group.

"Android 19? You made another android?" Android 17 asked, turning back to Dr. Gero.

"That's right!" Though Dr. Gero did not understand why he was being asked, he answered anyway.

"I see. So you used him to modify yourself into an android? Android 19 was an energy-absorption model, wasn't he?" Android 17 continued.

"That's right!"

"Then why did your new android models revert to the old energy-absorption type? Was it because the infinite-energy androids were too powerful for you to control?" Android 18 asked softly.

"Yes." Dr. Gero had yet to realize what was happening.

"That's why you were defeated." Android 18's gentle tone still managed to anger Dr. Gero.

"Couldn't control them?" Krillin asked in confusion.

"Yeah. I couldn't hold back just now, and I seem to have accidentally broken the remote he used to control the androids." Ye Bai, who had been hiding in the corner and enjoying the show, finally spoke.

"What? Ye Bai, why are you here?" Only then did Krillin notice him.

"What are you talking about? I was already here before you arrived. You just came in and stared at them without noticing me," Ye Bai teased.

"How is that possible? Why couldn't I sense your energy at all?" Piccolo asked, looking toward Ye Bai in the corner.

"Didn't Mr. Popo teach you how to conceal your energy?" Ye Bai asked.

"Even if you conceal your energy, there's no way you can hide it completely, right?" Yamcha shouted.

"You can. As long as your control is good enough, you can be like those androids and leak no energy at all, even in battle." As Ye Bai spoke, he gestured with his lips toward the three androids beside him.

"No wonder. When we came in just now, my device didn't detect your presence at all," Dr. Gero said to Ye Bai. Yet he did not care; in his eyes, only Piccolo and Vegeta before him counted as opponents.

"There's no point talking about this any further. Why don't you hurry up and deal with those people?" Dr. Gero turned and ordered Android 17 and Android 18.

"Old man, are you done babbling? We only kill people when we feel like killing them." Android 17 looked impatiently at the old man ordering him around.

"Y-You... what did you say?" Dr. Gero's expression changed drastically.

"Oh, didn't you notice that they looked at the remote in your hand when they came out? Now that it's broken, it seems your orders no longer work." Ye Bai looked at Dr. Gero mockingly.

Dr. Gero looked at the two androids he had created, sweat already forming on his forehead. Seeing his expression, Android 18 glanced at the remote on the ground, walked over and stomped on it, winked at Ye Bai, then headed toward the hibernation chamber marked 16.

"Android 16? Is this also an infinite-energy android? But he seems to be a different type from us. He's quite big. I wonder what makes him different?" As Android 18 spoke, she looked toward Dr. Gero.

"You can't touch him, Android 18! Absolutely not! Don't touch him!" Dr. Gero shouted urgently.

"He seems pretty interesting. Android 18, go ahead and let Android 16 out," Android 17 said, eager to make things worse.

"No, no! Stop!" Dr. Gero cried out anxiously, which only made Android 18 more interested.

"Do you want to destroy the entire world?" Dr. Gero asked in terror, frightening Krillin and the others into backing away.

"Android 16 is a failed experiment. He absolutely cannot be activated," Dr. Gero told Android 17.

That only made Android 17 and Android 18 more interested. Android 18 bent down to look at Android 16 beneath the glass cover, and Dr. Gero hurried over to stop her, grabbing her arm.

"Don't take liberties with a lady!" Android 18 said, then sent Dr. Gero flying with an elbow strike before walking to the other side to open Android 16's chamber.

"If he's a failed creation, why did you preserve him so well? I heard you even disposed of Android 15." Android 18 asked as she came before the button.

"I planned to remake him later. In any case, you are not allowed to touch him. If he starts moving, he might kill both me and you," Dr. Gero said, forced to threaten them.

"You mean he might kill us?" After saying that, Android 17 scanned Android 16 with his eyes.

"Heh heh heh. Judging by the data, we're clearly stronger! Forget about him. Activate him, Android 18!" Android 17 said.

"You keep defying my orders! You're all failed creations, just like Android 16. Go ahead and do whatever you want—I'll make sure you have no energy to move!" Dr. Gero threatened loudly.

"But the controller is already broken," Android 17 said.

"I can just make another one." As Dr. Gero finished speaking, Android 18 behind him pressed the switch.

"After all that talking, don't you understand? Android 16 cannot be activated—" Before Dr. Gero could finish, Android 17 thrust his hand straight through Dr. Gero's chest from behind.

"Android 17, you... why? I'm the one who created you! How can you treat me like this?" Dr. Gero turned to look at Android 17, who had withdrawn his hand.

Android 17 leaped up and kicked Dr. Gero's head off. The head rolled to Krillin's feet, still talking.

"You ungrateful wretches!"

Seeing that he was still babbling, Android 17 jumped up and crushed it beneath his foot. Ye Bai watched with great interest from the corner; all he was missing was a bag of sunflower seeds.

"What a terrifying person! He actually killed the father who created him!" Krillin said fearfully. Hearing this, Android 17 crooked a finger at him.

"Me?" Krillin asked, pointing at his own nose. Android 17 nodded.

"Why did you specifically call me?" Krillin backed away in fear.

"If he told you to go, then go!" Vegeta was enjoying the spectacle and didn't mind making things worse.

"You make it sound easy, but why is my luck always this bad?" Krillin stepped forward despite his fear.

However, Android 17 had only been teasing him. He walked toward Android 16's hibernation chamber.

"Do you kill anyone you don't like on sight? That's pretty Saiyan-like. Things like father-son affection are only valued by you Earthlings." Vegeta could relate to that.

"All right, press the switch." Android 17 looked at the hibernation chamber before him.

Trunks instantly attacked, blasting the entire cave apart with an energy wave. Everyone flew out, but when the dust settled, Android 17 and Android 18 were standing atop a flat hill, carrying the hibernation chamber.

Ye Bai appeared behind Trunks and, before everyone's astonished eyes, sharply rapped him on the head.

"Idiot, I was still in there." Ye Bai withdrew the two fingers he had extended.

"Ah, ah, ah, ah... Sorry, Mr. Ye Bai. You weren't leaking any energy, so I forgot where you were." Trunks held the back of his aching head.

"Forget it. I'll let you off this time." Ye Bai dusted off his clothes.

"We should get him out quickly. The data lines and wires have all been severed." Android 17 looked at the hibernation chamber Android 18 was holding up.

Android 18 threw the hibernation chamber to the ground and activated the emergency switch. With a loud bang, the hatch crashed down, revealing the tall Android 16 inside.

"She opened it. Now there's going to be another monster..." Krillin said fearfully.

"It's fine, Krillin. Aren't I here? You've always been this timid since we were kids. Relax." Ye Bai patted Krillin's head. It felt pretty nice.

"Easy for you to say. If I had your strength, I wouldn't be scared either." Krillin said with his head hanging low.

"I told you to train properly. I heard you got a girlfriend not long ago, too. How could women possibly be more fun than training? Using the energy body-tempering method in the Gravity Chamber will speed up your progress." Ye Bai rubbed Krillin's bald head, finding it rather satisfying.

"Huh? How come I didn't know that?" Krillin raised his head in surprise and shook Ye Bai's hand off.

"I already taught you all the training method. Didn't any of you try it yourselves?" Ye Bai was puzzled as well. By all rights, they should not have been this weak. Although they seemed several times stronger than in the original story, it was still nowhere near enough.

The others also looked at Ye Bai. Clearly, none of them had noticed. Vegeta, on the other hand, could never settle down long enough to learn that training method; he had always just buried his head and brute-forced his way through.

Just as everyone was about to say something else, Android 16's eyes lit up. He rose to his feet and stepped out. His towering body was clad in a light-green outfit, and his orange hair gave him an honest, handsome appearance, yet his eyes held a gaze full of compassion for all living things.

"Hi, Android 16! This is my first time seeing you move! You haven't been outside for years, have you?"

"Dr. Gero never wanted you to act, did you know that? He said you might kill me and 18!" When Android 16 did not respond, Android 17 continued asking.

"So we want to know what's going on." Android 18 chimed in.

Android 16 swept his gaze over the two of them but said nothing.

"Do you have some objection? Or do you just not want to speak?" Android 18 asked gently.

"As far as I can tell, he's just quiet by nature." After observing Android 16 for a while, Android 17 came to that conclusion.

"Forget it. Let's go." Seeing that Android 16 remained unmoved, Android 17 spoke.

"Where to?" Android 18 asked softly.

"Isn't it obvious? We're going to find Son Goku! Weren't you created by Dr. Gero for the purpose of killing Son Goku?" Although Android 17 was answering Android 18, his eyes remained fixed on Android 16.

"Yes." Only then did Android 16 turn his head and answer.

"Well, well, well. Not easy, huh? You finally spoke." Android 17 teased.

"Your reaction is exactly the same as the instructions Dr. Gero programmed into you! And he actually called you a failed creation." Android 18 added teasingly.

"Doing things according to Dr. Gero's script feels really unpleasant, but as an Android, I still hope to have a goal." After Android 17 said that, Android 18 nodded as well.

"Let's go." Android 17 rose into the air with Android 18, and Android 16 followed them into the sky.