Speed Race

Gohan was about to take Bulma and young Trunks back when a pair of hands suddenly climbed up over the edge of the cliff. "Hey, don't forget about me."

Yajirobe poked his head over the cliff edge and struggled for a few moments before successfully climbing onto the platform where the others stood. Once he was up, he made it clear that he wanted to return with them as well.

"Yo, I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

A flash of light swept past, and Malvis reappeared before them.

"Eek! Lord Malvis, hadn't you already left?" Malvis's sudden appearance startled everyone.

"I suddenly remembered that I'm not very familiar with this Earth either, so I need a guide. After giving it some thought, Miss Bulma seems like the best choice." Malvis smiled at the group.

"Then put your hands on me. I'll give you all a ride."

"Lord Malvis, Vegeta and the others went to face those two androids. They won't be in trouble, will they?" Seeing Malvis return, Bulma couldn't help asking.

"They won't die on this trip. They'll merely learn a few lessons. If anything truly unexpected happens, I'll step in—after all, Trunks and I still have a deal." Bulma wanted to ask more, but Malvis had already raised his hand. "Let's go."

After a brief hesitation, Bulma and the others placed their hands on Malvis. Their figures soon vanished from the spot. The next moment, they were standing at the entrance to Bulma's home in West City.

Meanwhile, Android 20 was still running toward his laboratory.

"This should be far enough. I've run so far that flying shouldn't get me noticed." He was just about to fly straight back to the laboratory when his scanner suddenly sounded an alarm—powerful energy sources were rapidly closing in. Android 20 quickly hid behind a boulder.

Looking closely, he saw Vegeta flying overhead. "It's Vegeta! Damn it, he still hasn't given up!"

Another energy signal soon approached. Trunks was also flying in Vegeta's direction. "That one too... The two of them are heading in the same direction as me. Could it be... they know where my laboratory is?"

"No, it must be a coincidence." Android 20 quickly searched his memory bank. "The laboratory's location was only revealed to a small number of scientists—"

When he found Bulma's image data, his entire body froze. That woman from earlier—the one on the aircraft—was Bulma. He remembered catching a glimpse of her while he had been disrupting their vision and destroying the aircraft. As the daughter of Capsule Corporation's owner, perhaps she had heard something about him from her father.

Just as he was still wondering, his scanner sounded another alarm. Android 20 hurried behind a stone pillar to hide. Before long, Piccolo and two others flew right past him, heading toward the laboratory.

Seeing the direction they were traveling, Android 20 broke out in a cold sweat. "S-so I was right! They're all heading for my laboratory!" He instantly understood their intentions. "They intend to destroy the androids before I can return and activate Android 17 and Android 18. In that case, I won't let you succeed."

He flew into the air, relieved that he had never told anyone the laboratory's exact location. It would be difficult for them to find it. Then he lowered his altitude and sped toward the laboratory in low flight.

Trunks quickly caught up to Vegeta. Vegeta glanced back at him, thought for a moment, then increased his speed. Seeing his father suddenly accelerate, Trunks knew he would soon be left behind if this continued, so he transformed into a Super Saiyan as well. As Vegeta watched his Super Saiyan son closely following behind him, an almost imperceptible trace of pride flashed across his cold face.

The Z Fighters soon arrived in the general area Bulma had described. They split up and searched desperately for Doctor Gero's laboratory, hoping to find and destroy the androids before Android 20 returned.

After a long journey, Android 20 finally neared his laboratory. Just as he focused entirely on reaching his destination, a bullet suddenly shot toward him. With lightning-fast reflexes, he caught it in one hand.

"Sorry, I mistook you for prey. Are you all right?" A hunter who looked like a complete weakling anxiously poked his head out from atop a hill, looking at him with concern.

Android 20 furiously crushed the bullet into powder, then fired a beam from his eyes, giving the hunter a blast of his own.

Hearing the commotion, Krillin changed direction and flew over. As he drew near, he found a hunter hanging from a tree. Krillin went up and asked what had happened, and the hunter told him about encountering a strange old man. Krillin immediately realized—it was Android 20. This indirectly proved that they had not searched the wrong place.

"That was Doctor Gero. Did you see which way he went?" Krillin urgently asked.

The hunter blinked and pointed in a direction. "That way."

"Got it."

Having gotten the information, Krillin immediately flew in that direction.

"Hey, don't leave me here alone!" the hunter hanging from the tree hurriedly called after Krillin, but Krillin had already flown away.

Having reached this area, Android 20 switched back to running toward the laboratory.

"This whole area used to be off-limits to outsiders." Thinking of that hunter from earlier, Android 20 grew angrier and angrier, then turned and fired a beam in the direction he had come from.

Krillin saw the sudden flash of light and immediately rushed over. When he arrived nearby, he found many animals lying on the ground, along with traces where energy blasts had struck.

"Over there!" From the marks on the ground, Krillin deduced the general direction the energy blast had come from and raced that way.

As he passed over an area, Android 20, who had been hiding beneath a dead tree, suddenly grabbed Krillin by the ankle and slammed him brutally into the ground. Then a heavy knee drove into Krillin's chest, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

Looking at Krillin lying on the ground, Android 20 crossed his arms, his face full of disdain. "Annoying fly. Taking energy from someone like you wouldn't help me at all."

Krillin struggled to his feet and assumed a fighting stance. "Damn it, you really think so little of me!"

"I'll finish you in one go." Android 20 lowered his arms and charged at Krillin. However, from the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a figure flying past in the distance—he knew that fighting now would surely draw the others' attention. He immediately changed his mind and decided to activate Android 17 and Android 18 first.

"Hahaha, then I'll let you live a little longer. Be grateful to me." With that, Android 20 turned and rushed toward the laboratory.

Only after Android 20's figure had completely vanished among the rocks did Krillin's tense body finally go limp. Leaning against the stone behind him, he gasped for breath, his heart still pounding violently. In that instant—when his ankle had been seized—he had truly thought he was going to die. It felt exactly like when Frieza had pierced him on Namek.