Supremacy

A gentle breeze, alive with the smells of late spring, wafted through the short grass. The brightly glowing sun, unhindered by clouds, warmed the Earth gracefully as it approached its noon position in the sky. Nearby, a few oblivious squirrels chased each other wildly across the grass and up trees, blissfully unaware of the destructive force being unleashed nearby.

In the clearing, bordered by a bluff on one side and a cluster of leafy green trees on the other, two powerful beings were locked in mortal combat. Hovering just over the cliff were two other strange figures: androids. They were mechanical beings designed for the purpose of killing even the most powerful living fighters. Just on the edge of the tree line stood the heroes of the Earth—each one wearing a determined look as they watched what was taking place between the two warriors in the center.

SSHRRIIEEK, came the sound of tempered steel ripping like paper-mâché. One of the fighters, a pale plump android, had fallen to its knees, crying out in furious, strangled yelps. Vegeta, the golden Super Saiyan who restrained it, was digging his fingers further and further into the machine's wrists. The foolish abomination had tried a blind, head-on assault against the most powerful Saiyan to have ever lived, and its futile efforts had been halted by nothing but a simple wrist flick from the prince.

"Ah," smiled the Saiyan, "so you do indeed feel pain. Or is this just frustration? Hard to tell…"

Dr. Gero, whose true identity was still unknown to the Z fighters – so far, the moustached cyborg had been careful to refer to himself only as Android 20 – had begun to show concern for the first time. Vegeta's sudden transformation into a golden warrior has been unnerving enough, but now he realized the extent of the prince's new power.

'How could my calculations have been so inaccurate? I have made far too many errors so far, and the odds continue to stack against me. If 19 does not find another chance to steal energy, the damage he takes from Vegeta will completely drain his reserves and he will begin to malfunction. I CANNOT allow that.'

Still unmoving, to Gero's right, was the giant android designated #21. Until now, it had been completely silent, but it slowly turned its huge head towards its leader and spoke in a low mechanical growl.

"Unit 19 is outdated. He will lose." The words were accented strangely, as if they had to echo through the droid's body before they came out its mouth. Its vowels had a tall, strange inflection.

"We will wait, 21. Android 19 may yet have an opportunity to steal more energy with his left arm."

The baggy pants of #19 were pressing hard against the soft dirt as it continued struggling to get free. Yet every time it jerked, more of its right hand was torn from its forearm; it had already lost all functionality in its fingers. Suddenly, the white faced robot slung its left hand around and gripped Vegeta's right. Thinking to begin absorbing more energy through skin contact, 19 briefly smiled. But as its lips began to part in a grin, Vegeta kicked the droid right in the stomach—a truly powerful blow which nearly pierced through its entire body. Gasping in pain as oil leaked from its eyes and ears, 19 released its hold on Vegeta's hand. It had not gained a drop of power—in fact, that one kick had drained nearly all the power it had possessed.

Now doubled over in a ball on the ground, 19 couldn't even find the strength to look at its opponent. Too many of its systems were damaged, and Dr. Gero had made it too humanoid—its vital gears and wiring were all in its now-crushed upper torso. With each passing second, the terrified droid crawled backwards, scooting on its hands and knees. When it finally gathered the strength to look back up at Vegeta's terrible eyes, the droid's messy face was one of pure terror. It had not been programmed to handle defeat; its programming was practically childlike.

"So, I guess it's true after all…" the merciless prince of Saiyans taunted, "…androids DO experience fear."

With those words, android 19 stumbled back to its feet and turned tail, fleeing towards the other two androids with a wail of abject panic. Just then, its legs suddenly vanished as it crashed face first into the dirt. It looked down, unable to comprehend what it saw.

Vegeta had unleashed a burst of concentrated power from his eyes that completely vaporized android 19 from the hips down. The crippled android fell to the ground like a boulder, the exposed ribbons of frayed wires crackling against the soft smooth grass and spewing oil everywhere. Unable to weep, the pudgy android turned back once again, fear completely engulfing its existence.

The prince of Saiyans, now hovering in midair, extended his left arm straight towards the broken machine with a smile. Within the flat palm of the Super Saiyan, an orange sphere of densely compacted power appeared, vibrating with intensity and humming with a trembling vibrato. With his right arm Vegeta braced the other, as if to assure a perfect aim. His face was filled with excitement, like an executioner—ecstatic before his kill.

With a sudden yell, betraying a sense of frustration and panic, android 20 interrupted. "YOU! STOP!" 20 began charging, but 21 restrained him by reaching his right hand in front of Gero's chest. The prince immediately turned, smiling violently.

"Wait your turn! Once the fat one is a pile of shrapnel, you're next!"

The words were quite effective at restraining Dr. Gero, who was now madly running calculations about his next move. Leaving the android no time to think, Vegeta raised his voice for all to hear.

"NOW, feast your eyes…"

Immediately the Z fighters ducked for cover, Krillin and Gohan falling to the ground, Tien and Piccolo covering their faces and flaring their auras, and Trunks flashing into his Super Saiyan form. Their proximity to the imminent blast was far too close for comfort.

"…on Super Saiyan Vegeta's BIG BANG ATTACK!"

With a flash, the prince fired his concentrated sphere of energy, the inaugural performance of the Big Bang Attack sure to decimate all that remained of the terrified android 19.

THUUUM! KABOOM! 19 had lifted its left hand and tried to absorb what it could of the blast, but with nowhere to go, the overwhelming energy of the bomb ripped violently through its every circuit. It was completely destroyed. All that remained was an enormous smoking mushroom cloud, hundreds of feet tall. The poor squirrels that had been obliviously frolicking through the nearby forest were surely dead, as no tree stood within several hundred feet of the blast.

From their vantage point several miles above the battle, the crew of the Bringer of Death watched the events unfolding with great interest.

"What do your instruments say about Lord Vegeta's power level?" inquired Oniya. With the rapidly growing power levels of the Super Saiyans, she had begun to rely solely on C47's built-in scanners, rather than trying to modify the ship's scouter before every battle.

"Mockery: Well, it is most certainly over 9,000."

Oniya frowned. "Yes, I figured that."

The droid's eyes glowed red with amusement. "Observation: The master has not yet displayed his maximum power. That last blast, however, had the equivalent energy of 190 million units – enough to destroy the organic meatbag formerly known as King Cold after the first time he transformed."

"Addendum: If that is all the power these androids are capable of exerting, I must admit some degree of disappointment."

The severed metal head of android 19 bounced clean of the wreckage. How it had survived was a mystery to all, but it landed just before the feet of Vegeta.

"Phht. Unbelievable that this pathetic droid wasn't even as powerful as Frieza." Slamming his white boot down onto its head, Vegeta stomped out the robot's last seconds of sub-conscious processing, spraying wires and computer chips in every direction. "Unfit to even be my trophy…this fragile android was a disgrace."

Doctor Gero watched quietly, unsure of his next move. He quickly put on a façade of confidence, hoping he could somehow pull things back together. Both he and android 21 landed with assumed bravado just in front of Vegeta.

The prince let his Super Saiyan aura fade, but the golden hue of his hair and the green in his eyes remained. With what many would consider an overconfident smirk, Vegeta crossed his arms and lifted his chin. Gero finally opened his mouth.

"Veg—" The prince forcefully interrupted 20, having waited until that exact moment to speak.

"—So." Gero stopped short as Vegeta continued. "Which of you wants to lead me to the real androids? I only need one of you to take me, so I have a proposition for you. The two of you can fight for my amusement, and whichever of you survives can have the opportunity to give me what I desire."

"I'm…not entirely sure what you're suggesting," android 20 replied with affected innocence. There was no way Vegeta could know about the other models. It was impossible!

Stepping closer, almost into the face of the grey-haired android, Vegeta replied. "I'm entirely sure you're entirely sure what I'm suggesting." Satisfied with the android's stunned silence, Vegeta turned to his son.

"Trunks, would you describe to this pitiable fool what the REAL androids look like?"

Trunks stepped forward obediently, still in his Super Saiyan form. He wasn't sure what his father intended to do, but he knew the proud Saiyan prince wouldn't hesitate to face the androids head-on. The young man wasn't sure how he felt about that.

Maybe, he thought, it was better to take this opportunity to face the monsters now. If they could fight the androids right away, they could prevent a lot of unnecessary bloodshed. He didn't want to play the same old game of running and hiding. Still, the lingering worry in the young man's mind about Goku weighed him down. 'I sure wish we could wait on Goku…then I might feel truly confident about fighting the androids now. But I'm sure he won't be back for a few more days at least.' He continued thinking. 'I know how strong Father is – he has surpassed every barrier that I ever could have imagined. He's so much stronger than Gohan ever was…if anyone has a chance against them, it's him.' His confidence recovered, Trunks raised his voice.

"You machines need to do exactly what Vegeta says if you want to live. We aim to destroy android 17 and android 18 – I'm sure you're familiar with them. 17 is a young man with long, dark hair and 18 is a beautiful woman with blonde hair."

Just describing the two terrors sent shivers up his spine. 'Father, I hope you don't do anything rash. You may be strong, but we have to plan our next move carefully. If we don't then this world could end up even worse than the future I came from.'

The doctor-turned-cyborg was stunned. 'How could they possibly know about 17 and 18?' he thought to himself, suddenly terrified. 'It's completely impossible! Somehow, these fools have managed to out-plan me at every step. I ran so many calculations and scenarios, but not even the most outlandish possibilities were anything like this. I don't even have any data at all on this 'Trunks'. It's as if all the anomalies that plagued my calculations and predictions all came together in one nightmarish reality!'

Dissatisfied by Gero's silence, Vegeta snapped at him. "So yes – clearly, we know all about you androids. Now, are you ready to lead us to the real warriors?"

Dropping into his façade of confidence once again, Gero laughed nervously. "Why would I need 17 or 18? Number 21 and I are far superior models to the one you just destroyed. Your so-called Super Saiyan power may be exemplary, but you would be utterly overwhelmed by the two of us!" Gero's eyes turned to the rest of the Z fighters, building on his bluff. "And what of your allies? You cannot protect them all."

"You may dispense with the bravado, machine. My patience grows thinner by the second, and if you don't take me to these other droids I WILL destroy the both of you this instant." Vegeta laughed out loud, imagining how simple it would be to destroy both of these beings simultaneously. Even if they were both far stronger than 19, it would be nothing more than a simple exercise.

Gero's eyes were wide – he was obviously making furious calculations. Vegeta's glare turned into a look of pure fury. "Stop testing my patience!" He raised his palm again and pointed it toward Gero. "You have ten seconds before I make an example of you. Perhaps your compatriot will be more cooperative."

The Z fighters were uneasy with Vegeta's overconfidence, but over the years they had learned to place a certain amount of faith in his 'leadership'. Piccolo was probably the least comfortable with Vegeta – the Namekian saw everything the prince did as arrogant and blind – but even he would not openly oppose the stubborn prince. Right now, they needed his help against the androids. Tien, Krillin, and Gohan felt the same way, but they would wait for the time being—let the strongest among them fight and hope for the best.

"Wait, stop!" shouted Gero. He was thinking as fast as he could. 'Perhaps I should re-activate 17 and 18. Every moment that passes makes it seem more and more like the only option. I will not be able to defeat Vegeta alone—in fact, I highly doubt that 21 and I could accomplish such a feat even together. How he obtained such power is troubling to be sure, but he is still nothing compared to my other units. The risk that 17 and 18 could resist their new security protocols is high, but with the direct and immediate threat of Vegeta they will have no choice but to obey. And Vegeta leaves me with no other option.'

Clenching his fists tightly on the sidelines, Trunks began to have flashbacks of the androids. He could hear their voices taunting him and see their shadowy forms laughing as they murdered the innocent. Blinking and shaking his eyes back awake, he brought himself back from his momentary relapse into doubt. For once, he didn't care what his father wanted. If android 17 and 18 were somewhere else, contained, there was a strong likelihood that they weren't even activated.

'Father…I know you want me to prove my Saiyan honor against them, and I respect that—I even want to—but can I really give fighting them a higher priority than the well-being of the entire planet? If these droids aren't even turned on yet, I could kill them before they ever awaken!' It seemed that there was a downside to every possible action. But asking his father to let him destroy the androids ahead of time was out of the question, so he remained silent.

Despite the direness of his situation, Doctor Gero began to grin. Really, the thought of him needing to use such excessive force as 17 and 18 was absurd. Yet, the arrogant Super Saiyan was demanding the exact thing that was certain to be his downfall. It was as if Gero's panicked frustration had completely vanished thanks to Vegeta's demands. 'Yes, PERFECT. The more I consider this plan, the better it seems.'

"So be it, Vegeta. If you are so eager to meet your demise, I will be more than glad to accommodate."

Number 21 turned its massive neck slightly, waiting for instructions from its master. The silent giant clearly did not yet want to leave the battlefield.

"21 – you may stay and finish off the others. Without Vegeta, they pose no threat to you. Return when you have carried out my instructions."

The dark skinned robot grinned, artificial malice seeping through his teeth. The way it wore its anger, its eyes were forced down very low by his brow, leaving its eyes as nothing but tiny slits in its face. It was a stark contrast to the laughing childish android 19—this android appeared to have the demeanor of a hardened serial killer.

"As you command, 20," the massive droid answered.

With that, Gero glanced back at Vegeta. The prince had folded his arms and his fingers were impatiently rolling against his biceps. The elderly cyborg grinned a toothy smile, then took off over the trees heading north. Flashing his aura, Vegeta immediately followed.

"Wait, Father! I can't let you do this alone!" cried the prince's son. Trunks blasted off after him. "I'm coming with you!" As he flew, he thought of Gohan. 'Sorry for leaving, bro. But you guys should be able to handle that one by yourselves.'

The son of Goku responded telepathically. 'Don't worry, Trunks! We'll catch up with you soon!'

Piccolo stepped forward from among the Z fighters. Secretly, he was quite glad he would have his chance to fight—especially with all the training he had done. The proud Namekian warrior had feared that the Super Saiyans would eclipse him completely. At least now all his preparation would not be in vain.

He had observed the battle between Vegeta and the first android very carefully. Though he was unable to sense the energy of the android, he had been able to observe exactly how much power Vegeta had used to counter its attacks, and he felt confident that he was strong enough to oppose this new android. As long as he refrained from using any energy attacks, he should be able to defeat it. Then again, the machines had claimed that the first one – unit 19 – was inferior. He couldn't take any chances.

"I'll fight first. If you don't like that, you can go bite it." Piccolo spoke, not only to the android, but for the benefit of the other Z fighters.

21 dropped onto the ground with a large THUD. Though Piccolo was by far the tallest of the Z fighters, at six and a half feet, his opponent towered above even him—nearly as tall as Frieza's second form. The dark-skinned droid still appeared to be fiercely angry, as if frozen in such a state.

"Namekian…" growled the rippling mechanical voice. Instantly, the beastly machine stomped its right boot into the ground, causing the flattened earth to crumble, and pushed off. Piccolo was immediately ready, crouching his knees and lifting his hands out into his fighting stance. The Namek's long fingernails, hard as bone, made him look nearly as terrifying as his foe.

DAAAM, the android's huge right arm slammed into Piccolo's block. Surprised at the Namek's strength, the android hopped back then struck with a kick to Piccolo's gut. THOOOF! The Namekian blocked that as well, spinning off the kick and over 21's head. The reformed green warrior landed with a TAC behind his opponent just as the droid whirled around.

"Grrrrrrr," came the mechanical monster, a twisted metallic growl more beastly than intelligent.

21 charged again, reaching deeper into its power supply than before. "Raaaah!" This time Piccolo charged as well, their fists connecting with each other. The force of the impacts rippled across the landscape like peals of thunder as they continued swapping blows. Neither seemed able to gain an advantage over the other, their fists alternately connecting and colliding. Both warriors blocked well, and because their size was almost equal neither seemed able to break through.

VAAAM! 21 finally landed a clean blow in Piccolo's face, sending the Namek airborne. Yet he immediately righted himself, flipping over and dropping to the ground.

"Hmmph. Well, you weren't lying when you said you were stronger than that other android." the Namekian admitted gruffly. He then placed his hands onto his heavy shoulder weights and cape and lifted. CLANK! Tons of training encumbrance fell to the ground in front of Piccolo, followed by his equally weighty turban.

"Oh yeah!" Krillin rooted. "Time to get serious, haha. Piccolo's got this in the bag!"

"I'm not so certain," came the reply from Tien. "This one is definitely a lot stronger. I can't sense it directly, but it's evenly matched with Piccolo, and I would have to take my kaioken all the way to level eight or even level nine to match him."

The bald monk gulped, hoping they would be all right. Without Trunks, Piccolo and Tien were really their only hope.

"Don't worry, Krillin!" shouted Gohan. "Mr. Piccolo is the best! I know he can win!"

Smiling at the voice of support he had received from the boy, the Namekian lifted his fists, ready to fight again.

Though Vegeta had tried to set his scouter to track the android with the huge moustache currently flying in front of him, he couldn't seem to get a lock—probably due to the way the machine's energy field warped during flight. The cyborg had no detectable energy signature, so it took constant observation to follow it at such speeds. Behind him, however, Vegeta could distinctly feel the presence of his son. Trunks had nearly caught up.

'So Trunks was bored of those imposters as well…I suppose since there are two I can give him a chance against whichever one doesn't interest me.'

Following the golden streak left behind by the wake of Vegeta's energy ripping through the atmosphere, Trunks concentrated. His heart was racing; having the other androids appear first just gave his fears longer to build. Despite his increased strength, he was still scared of the two androids that had destroyed his world. They had killed nearly everyone he cared about and even the memory of them seemed to put him on edge.

'If it was up to me, I'd destroy both of those monsters the second we get to the lab, then this other one as well. But I know my father would only see that as a sign of weakness. It's risky, but he deserves for me to put my faith in him. If I hadn't been training with him the last three years I probably wouldn't believe it, but I think together we stand a good chance—even without Goku. And now, I understand why he has to face them: his sense of honor demands it. He taught me that. Seeing the ruins of Father's home planet helped me to realize—he isn't just stubborn or irrational—this is what he needs. This is the only way he can reclaim what was taken from him over and over.'

"Let's end this for good, father. Whatever challenges we face, we must overcome them!"

The monstrous machine numbered 21 lowered its arms and began to emit a low rumble.

Gohan gaped. "Is…is it powering up?"

Piccolo didn't wait to find out. Instantly, he sprang forward, delivering a powerful uppercut to 21 before it could react. Without pausing, he slammed his knee into its chest repeatedly, then kicked it at full strength. The machine flew backward several yards, crashing on its back in a cloud of dust.

The Namekian landed on the ground, still at the ready. "So, how did you like that?"

21 stirred, then planted its fists in the soil and pushed itself up with surprising agility. Though its massive jaw showed an angry bruise, the android was otherwise unscathed. "You're dead, Piccolo." Glaring, it opened its mouth and released a blast of golden energy directly at the Namekian.

"That's one of Nappa's moves!" exclaimed Gohan.

"Yeah, only this attack takes bad breath to a whole new level," muttered Tien.

Roaring, Piccolo leapt into the air to dodge and then dashed down, delivering expertly-placed kicks and punches at full power. But the android's bulk made it a formidable opponent. It could block even the hardest kick with a simple wave of its monstrous arm, and its counterattacks were forceful.

The tall Namek shook his head after receiving one such blow, and swung his fist upward angrily. "HYAA!" He released an explosive wave of energy from his hand in the center of the android's chest, blowing it backward. 'Yes!' he thought. 'As long as my energy attacks come from close enough, it won't be able to absorb them.'

21 recovered before it hit the ground and hung erect in the air, glowering at its opponent. Its vest was burned away, and its light chest plate was badly dented. Without speaking, it raised both its arms and trained them at Piccolo. He crouched, ready for anything…or so he thought.

"DIE!" Suddenly, the android's elbows split apart in a cloud of flame, and its forearms detached, rocketing toward Piccolo.

"What the hell—" Piccolo raised both arms to block, but the flying hands opened at the last second and grabbed onto his forearms. Looking up, the Namekian saw a long, thin cable running from the hands to the android's body. He was immediately transfixed as a powerful jolt of electricity shot through his flesh, immobilizing him.

Suddenly, a feeling of intense nausea swept over him, and he stumbled, unable to stand straight. Energy was draining out of his body. The android began coming closer, as if pulling itself toward him on the cables that stretched between them.

"You're mine, Piccolo! Android 19 never had the opportunity to demonstrate this technique—and your unexplained foresight regarding our abilities seems to have run out." growled the voice. Number 21 came to a stop as its forearms clicked back into place, with Piccolo already feeling so lightheaded he thought he might lose consciousness. "You will now be terminated. I won't let you go until I have drained every last ounce of your—"

THUDD! A powerful leg smashed into the android's face, its owner clothed in a brilliant red aura. "My turn!" shouted Tien.

"Be…careful…" stammered Piccolo, who was lying helpless on the ground. "He took…most…of my energy."

Tien turned to the android, which was just picking itself up off the ground. "Then I'll just have to kick things up a notch." The three-eyed warrior crouched and grit his teeth. "Kaioken…TIMES TEN!"

"Hey! Slow down, Yamcha, I'm losing my grip on Trunks." The little tyke was still sleeping, even though the half of a senzu bean he ate had taken full effect and healed his injuries. Now, his mother's ex-boyfriend was carrying both of them back to Capsule Corporation.

"Sorry, Bulma, I was distracted. I think Vegeta killed one of those androids, but I'm not sure. Then, a minute ago, Vegeta and Trunks started flying north really fast but everyone else stayed behind—and now it feels like Piccolo and Tien are fighting against something as well."

"Really? I wonder why they would split up." Bulma let out a sigh, staring at the ground hundreds of feet below. "I sure hope everything back there is going okay. I HATE being in the dark." Bulma had been regretting her rash decision to come to the battlefield. That morning, she had thought she just wanted to be close to the action, but now she was realizing that she really just hated not knowing what was going on.

Back on Namek, she had been on her own for almost the entire time. She didn't want the same thing to happen again – she hated feeling neglected – but by coming to the battlefield this time, she had blindly put herself and her son in unnecessary danger.

"Well, Bulma, it seemed like Piccolo was doing well, but he just lost a bunch of energy—that's when Tien powered up. I gotta say, both of them are a lot stronger than I expected! They should win for sure. I mean, I really don't see how an android could be THAT strong."

The blue-haired woman laughed. "Of course YOU couldn't see how they're so strong. You haven't trained as seriously, bozo!" She punched him in the arm, a sign of the friendship that was slowly returning. Initially, Yamcha had been bitter toward her after learning of her relationship with Vegeta. But she had made it her personal goal to make up for the falling out. Eventually, the two had finally sat down to talk through everything. In the end, both agreed that they made better friends than anything else.

Yamcha laughed. "Oh, so you don't think I've trained as seriously?…hmmm…I think you're right. In fact, I think I feel my grip on you slipping, haha. If only I had trained more, then I would be strong enough to carry the collateral damage back to safety!"

"Hey!" Bulma chuckled at the obvious joke. "You do more than just grunt work. Don't be so down on yourself!"

"Thanks," he said, just as young Trunks began to crack open his eyes.

"Mommy, what happened?" asked his squeaky 3 year old voice.

"Aww, mommy made a mistake bringing us out here. But Mr. Yamcha is taking us home. See, we're flying!"

Just then, the boy twisted out of his mother's hold, sending both adults into a frenzied panic.

"TRUNKS!" yelled his mother.

But before he had fallen ten feet, the child began to slow down and then hover. Smiling as he tried balancing himself in midair, the boy looked up and smiled.

"I can fly too! Uncy Trunk taught me when you were in your lab working."

"Wow, Bulma, I sure didn't know how to fly when I was 3!" Yamcha exclaimed. But his mother looked like she was quite emotionally imbalanced.

"Don't you EVER scare me like that again! I thought you were dead!" cried the blue haired woman. She was sounding more and more like Chi-chi every day.

"Oh, give the kid a break. You should be proud." Yamcha said in the boy's defense. After getting another scary look from Bulma, Yamcha and Trunks both quieted. The three then continued on their way back home.

"How much further is it?" the annoyed prince yelled, the howling breeze drowning out most of his voice. "I swear, if you don't take us there immediately I'll let my woman turn you into an aerobics machine!"

Dr. Gero's clothing rippled violently in the wind, unlike Vegeta's tight fitting Saiyan armor—the prince's red cape was designed for aerodynamic flight but the android's baggy pants and vest obviously weren't. Trunks found that his new armor made high-speed flight much easier than the clothes he was used to.

'Just follow me, Vegeta,' thought the doctor. He was wondering how he could regain the advantage; until 17 and 18 were fully activated, he couldn't be sure of anything. 'I certainly can't lead them straight to my lab, as they might cause trouble before I can activate the others…no, I must lose them along the way.'

"Hey, ANDROID! When I speak to you, I demand that you answer!" Vegeta reached forward and fired an angry warning blast. However, 20 simply reached his left hand back and absorbed the attack, amused.

"GHHH! Damn it," the Saiyan lectured himself. "Brilliant idea, giving him free energy..." Getting his head back into the game, the prince of Saiyans refocused. 'I cannot allow any slips like that against these other androids, providing they aren't pathetic letdowns like that #19. I will prove to everyone, once and for all, that I can destroy these androids myself, without any help whatsoever—especially from Kakarott!'

'Ahhh, North City,' observed the doctor. Appearing just in front of him on the horizon was the metropolitan town. His secret laboratory had been built just outside the city in a mountain cave, and if he could lose them now he could be there and have the others activated in no time. 'Yes, right this way, Vegeta.'

Trunks, still in the rear, found it surprising that android 20 was leading them into a city. 'What's he up to? Why would Gero build his secret lab in such a heavily populated area?' At that moment, the boy realized what was about to happen. He knew his father might not be concerned in the slightest for the people below, but he definitely was.

"Don't you touch them, 20!" yelled the future warrior, but it was too late.

BLAM! Gero had fired an energy blast into the base of one of the city's tallest towers; there was no way it would remain standing. Immediately, 20 vanished into the cloud of the explosion, once again relying on the fact that he had no energy signal to be detected.

Jerking to a sudden halt, Vegeta growled furiously. "Where did that bastard go?"

Trunks wanted to help the people below, but, with 20 out of sight, common sense told him to place a higher priority on finding the droid.

"He's going to get away if we don't find him quickly. Hurry, father, use your scouter!"

The one thing Dr. Gero hadn't counted on is that they would still have some way of tracking him—and they certainly wouldn't have if not for Oniya's foresight. Both Super Saiyans tapped the red button on their scouter and the devices sprung to life, trying to search out artificial energy as they had been programmed.

Both screens chirped quietly for several moments. Though Oniya hadn't known exactly how the androids would be powered, she knew that they would require high-density wiring to direct energy flow and mechanical control. Even if the android components were hardened against electromagnetic pulses, electrical flow would still induce a detectable magnetic flux in any metal components. The scouters were programmed to search for high-density magnetic flux, thus screening out background interference from ordinary electronics.

Suddenly, the beeps from both scouters increased in frequency and intensity, signaling a large concentration of artificial energy. "There!" cried Trunks, pointing just southeast of the city. "In the Northern Mountains!"

The three-eyed warrior was cloaked in red flame for a brief instant before he vanished. Managing kaioken at this level was intensely challenging; it took nearly all of Tien's concentration to maintain his strength. He hadn't ever pushed further than the tenth level of kaioken – based on the current difficulty, he hoped he wouldn't need to go further. But without a way of sensing the android's new power, he still had no idea what he was up against.

He advanced toward the android, jaw set. Piccolo had failed, due to the machine's newly-displayed power absorbing abilities. But, for the first time, Tien knew he was stronger than the Namekian. He would destroy this abomination once and for all.

He stopped directly in front of the towering colossus. It glowered down at him for a moment. "Doctor Gero kept careful measurements of your power, human. You have no chance against me," it growled. "That would be true even without the power I have now gained from the Namek called Piccolo." As if to prove its point, it swung its massive fist down toward him.

BLAM! Tien tried to dodge the blow, but even his kaioken-enhanced speed wasn't quite enough. His body was sent careening across the landscape, all the way into the first few trees—those lucky enough to escape the blast radius of Vegeta's Big Bang Attack.

"Ow!" groaned Tien as he rubbed his bruised cheek. In spite of his increased defense from the kaioken, android 21 had bowled him over easily. That one blow had proved he couldn't compete at this level—he had only one option. As much as an overcharged kaioken could damage his body, 21 would do even worse if he didn't kick up his power even more.

"Alright, then…round two. Kaioken times TWELVE!" The intensity of the red aura surrounding Tien increased even further, appearing as if he were wreathed in living flame. Unbothered by the increased power of the three eyed Z figher, the mechanical titan rushed him again, swinging a hard right fist once the same as before.

THUD. Tien caught the blow, bending for an instant under its weight, then smiled. "Not so fast, droid. I doubt Gero accounted for anyone besides Goku having Kaioken. HYAA!"

Faster than anyone else could see, Tien twisted the droid's fist to one side and punched straight forward with his other arm. CHUNGG! The android's metal chest buckled. Still merely inches from 21, Tien shot off a rapid series of kaioken-powered punches that left huge dents in its torso.

Roaring with pain, the machine fired red beams from its eyes, but they passed through Tien's after-image as the warrior reappeared behind it with a super-powered kick. The screech of tearing metal sounded as the android stumbled forward.

"Wow!" exclaimed Gohan. He was standing beside Piccolo, who had just swallowed a senzu bean. "Tien's doing great! His energy feels as strong as Frieza was at maximum strength. He'll win for sure!"

"Don't be sure just yet," replied the Namek. "That...thing...absorbed most of my energy. There's no telling how strong it is now."

"I WILL DESTROY YOU!" screamed the machine as it spun with the same surprising agility and exploded off the ground toward the three-eyed warrior. As it charged, it fired its left arm forward to try and absorb Tien's energy.

The warrior leapt upward to dodge. Seeing that the android's arm was extended, he rapidly fired a pair of dodon rays that struck its shoulder, knocking it back. Before it could recover, he teleported above it and slammed down with a commanding double fist to the top of its head, leaving a crack in its glass cranium.

"All right!" shouted Krillin exultantly. "Tien's got this one in the bag!"

But the android clearly wasn't done. Growling again, it exploded off the ground, unleashing the same mouth blast at Tien that it had used against Piccolo. Tien dodged, but the android met him with a forceful kick that he only barely blocked.

Finally at an advantage, the machine pounded Tien relentlessly. Its massive fists and powerful legs produced a solid wall of attacks. Tien blocked skillfully, but his kaioken was getting harder to maintain. He couldn't afford to use all of his energy for defense.

Intent on ending the battle quickly, the hero concentrated and lifted his hands to his eyes, palms outward. "SOLAR FLARE!" The brilliant flash of light enveloped them both, and he launched a triumphant kick directly at the android's neck.

THUD. His leg was caught in a viselike grip. "But...how..."

"Foolish human." The android's voice was harsh. "Doctor Gero provided me with protected lenses. Your trick doesn't work on me." With a sadistic smile, the monster swung Tien down by his leg into the ground.

"HUFF!" Tien felt his breath knocked out of him, his kaioken starting to fail. CRUNCH! The machine's boot smashed down hard, crushing the warrior's ribs. "AHHHH!" For a brief moment, he had been equal to the machine in strength, but the kaioken sapped his energy too quickly. The android wasn't tiring at all. As hard as he tried, he couldn't lift the androids foot from off his chest.

Just then, Android 21 froze. A thin yellow beam surrounded by spiraling energy had pierced straight through its chest on the left side, coinciding with a deep voice which shouted "Makankosappo!"

The robot stumbled forwards from the force of the Special Beam Cannon, but it quickly righted himself. Though oil leaked from the hole in its torso, it had only sustained minimal damage. It spun around in a rage, only to be surprised by a powerful demon wave.

PHOOM! The attack exploded in its face before he could raise his hands to absorb it, giving Piccolo the chance to dash in and sweep the android's legs. As it tripped, Piccolo spun and kicked it away once again. Dashing after it once more, Piccolo focused in his mental energies and contacted Tien.

'I have a plan, Tien, but it's going to require you to be at full strength. Eat your senzu bean and take a high aerial position...'

As the green alien warrior continued giving instructions he did his best to keep up his flurry of attacks, but after the third strike, 21 was able to dodge and counterattack. The mechanical giant immediately began to clobber Piccolo once again, but the Namekian could see that his team-mate had followed his instructions and was ready.

"It's time to finish this, android!" Piccolo boasted.

"Should we help?" Gohan asked. Krillin, standing at the boy's side, could only watch and root for his friends.

"I don't know, Gohan. Surely Piccolo would tell us if he wanted our help."

"He doesn't seem to be doing very well – but he seems really confident!" the boy said hopefully. "He must have a plan!"

"I hope you're right, Gohan. Cause if they can't handle this, we're in trouble."

Though he was face to face with the energy-stealing monster, Piccolo began to power up, placing his hands in front of him in a firing stance.

"Hhhrrrrrrrrr!" he grunted—it was crucial the android was convinced he was the main threat.

The tall, menacing android grinned with even more malice than normal. Was its foe really about to try an energy attack? Did the green alien think that he could somehow overpower the absorption ability if he charged up enough? These organic beings were so foolish.

"Masenko HAAA!" screamed the Namek, the circular energy blast bursting forth from his hands straight at his foe. Just as 21 reached out both hands to absorb the attack, its sensors suddenly warned him of another imminent danger.

'This had better work,' thought Piccolo.

"KIKOHO!" cried Tien from above, his powerful tri-beam combined with the multiplicative effects of the twelve-times kaioken.

Pancaked between the two powerful attacks, the android's eyes suddenly popped wide open in terror. It had already begun to absorb the head-on Masenko, but the far more powerful kikoho was nearly upon him.

'Please let this hit!' Tien pleaded.

"Come on!" shouted the Namekian, his voice betraying an obvious sense of concern.

With all its might, 21 braced itself and pulled its hands away, the full force of the masenko suddenly engulfing it. Its power started to plummet in response to Piccolo's attack…but, screw tremendous exertion, it pulled its hands around just before the tri-beam reached it. Immediately, the flood of Tien's life force began to overcharge its systems. Its entire body then began to glow with more energy than it had ever felt before.

"OH NO!" the Z fighters shouted. Piccolo's plan had failed.

—————————————

Greetings, everyone, and a wonderful Tuesday to all!

This was one of my favorite chapters so far, both to write and to read. Parts of it stick closely to canon, but there are other major differences. I wanted to make a key point of the differences between BoD Future Trunks and DBZ Future Trunks. I'm sure you all noticed the inner turmoil he faced this chapter, arguing with himself about how to best handle androids 17 and 18. Due to the lengths of time he has spent with Vegeta, his mindset was much more Saiyan than in canon. He is older, smarter, stronger, and better prepared—we will see how things go against the other androids soon.

Also, David and I wanted to make sure Piccolo and Tien both played an important role in the struggle against the androids. The opportunity to create 21, a stronger more ruthless killing machine than 19 or 20, was one we felt appropriate. And now that it has absorbed Tien's full power kikoho, it will be on a whole different level. How will the Z fighters respond, when even the two strongest of them couldn't take 21 down together? Find out next time.

Note as well that we referred to androids 19 and 21 as 'it', yet to android 20 as 'he'. Any android that is actually a cyborg, being part human, will be referred to as he/she, while the purely mechanical beings are simply 'it'. C47 is the exception to this rule.

Also, you notice that Bulma and Yamcha had patched things up in this chapter. Accept it as a peace offering if you were among those offended by all the Yamcha killing/bashing/etc. And little Trunks can talk and do just enough to be quite the troublemaker, can't he?

David made sure to include at least one mention of C47. He also provided the technical commentary throughout this chapter – we like making things believable!

As always, I'd like to thank you for your reviews. Really, even if you just tell us thanks or that you enjoyed part of the chapter we would appreciate it. The only real reward we get for writing this is your reviews, so don't hesitate to comment—and if you have questions we are more than happy to try to answer them in next week's author's note. Until then…

Android 19 (originally): 70 million

Android 19 (after absorbing Galic Gun): 80 million

SSJ Vegeta Big Bang Attack (way overkill): 190 million

Android 20: 75 million

Android 21: 85 million

Piccolo: 85 million

Android 21 (after draining Piccolo): 118 million

Tien (base): 10 million

Tien (KKx12): 120 million

Android 21 (kikoho absorbed): ?

Q: Please don't stop this fanfic. I can honestly say I like it more than I like DBM. This chapter, along with EVERY SINGLE ONE, was awesome to the max.

A: Thanks, Mikey's Boner. Neither David or I are tired of writing BoD at all, so I'm sure it will continue for quite a while longer—providing we can make the time.

Q: According to me the major reason why your fic became such a major hit is because you go into great character details and the most important thing is that the fight scenes are top class.I do not think I have read such astoundingly accurate fight scenes in any other fic. Also,since this fic is about vegeta,you make it revolve around him,that is one other plus point. I have read other vegeta-centered stories and some of them digress from his life to some others'. Great work! Keep up the weekly updates too! You are the only regular author around,as it seems. Hopefully you will also highlight the trunks-vegeta relation inside the HTC(if they ever go there).

A: We're glad you like it! Reviews like this are what make writing Bringer of Death that much more enjoyable.

Q: I dont recall the piercing lasers of 19, is that canon-based (from a chapter I missed) or made up for BoD?

A: Actually, 19 used them against Vegeta in their fight in DBZ canon. It was its first attack after Vegeta transformed, but they were just as ineffective against him then as they were against BoD Vegeta.

Q: A serene Super Saiyan? So... Vegeta is already a Full-Power Super Saiyan?

A: No, a Full Power Super Saiyan would likely have a base strength even greater than androids 17 or 18. There would especially be no need for him to transform against someone as weak as 19. He was just composed and confident, now that the basic Super Saiyan boost is completely second-nature to him.

Q: I am going pretty far ahead asking this, but any plans to do a saga after the Buu saga?

A: There have been lots of ideas thrown around actually. Lately on DBM people have been suggesting the regulars combine their respective fanfictions into a DBM2 of some kind. Also, an HT crossover has been discussed before, and possibly even one with BTtL. Whether that ever happens or not, I have some pretty cool ideas for how the story could go on for quite a while.

Q: When goku gets cured will he stay long in the future and possible fight the future androids, or will he travel back to his own time quickly?

A: It will depend on several things, won't it? The time machine must be recharged, Goku must be healed, Bulma must be all right with it, and then he has to avoid any kind of trouble from the androids or maybe even 'you know who' (Celldemort).

Q: Does Krillin possibly have a bigger role coming in this fan fic, or is he there just to interject dialogue and some comedy when necessary.

A: In DBZ, the guy finally got rewarded for all his hard work. I mean, he snagged the hottest girl in all of DragonBall. So as for his bigger role, I don't know—he doesn't have many uses but he does play his role well and he is a true good guy.

Q: Bet Goku will return from the future at just the right moment maybe when Trunks & Vegeta get their asses kicked by 17 & 18.

A: Interesting predictions. If that were to happen, I don't imagine Vegeta would be very happy about being helped out or rescued by Goku.