Hundreds of kilometers from West City, a silent city lies in ruin.
Not long ago, it was struck by a horrific assault, steeped in a dreadful aura of devastation and despair. The entire city now stands in harsh contrast to the vibrant, thriving place it once was.
The roads, once alive with chatter and movement, have fallen into an unnatural silence.
Twisted wreckage of crushed vehicles litters the streets, resembling mangled heaps of rusted scrap. The pavement itself has long ceased to resemble a proper road, riddled with jagged craters and shattered earth.
This former hub of activity, where people once bustled about their lives, now bears no resemblance to its past.
The air is thick with the coppery scent of blood, and countless innocents have met a tragic fate.
Amid the destruction, one figure stands out with chilling clarity.
A tall, blonde woman, her presence regal yet icy, dominates the scene. In that moment, she balances her heel atop a severed human head, her gaze laced with utter disdain and detachment.
She is none other than the infamous Android 18, regarded by many as the deadliest woman in the Dragon Ball world.
But in this timeline, she's no heroine, she's a merciless devil with no shred of empathy.
Standing at her side is her twin, the dark-haired Android 17. With a flick of his wrist, a Ki blast tears through the sky like a blazing comet, smashing into a nearby shopping center.
A tremendous explosion follows as the structure crumbles, flames soaring skyward in a violent inferno.
"Hey, 18, you're not worried about messing up that pretty outfit of yours?" 17 asked with a sly grin.
Android 18 gave a faint smirk and replied coolly, "We were born to destroy. Fashion's the least of my concerns."
Without warning, she brought her foot crashing down, turning the crushed head beneath her into a crimson splatter, flesh and bone scattering with a sickening crack.
The mangled skull had once belonged to none other than Dr. Gero himself, their twisted creator. They'd carried it with them from his underground lab, mocking him with every step like children playing with a grotesque toy.
Suddenly, a string of explosions echoed across the sky.
BOOM, BOOM, BOOM,
Multiple energy blasts rained down from above, cloaking the area in heavy smoke and raw power.
As the smoke parted, a gleaming golden figure emerged from the clouds.
The two siblings immediately recognized the approaching fighter. The combat runes etched deep within 18's core, the remnants of Gero's knowledge, flared as they identified the opponent.
The name surfaced like a curse: Vegeta.
17 brushed his nose with a casual flick and sneered, "Well, well. Vegeta. Another warrior who's come to throw away his life."
His eyes swept across the battlefield, pausing on the bodies that littered the ground, Krillin among them, lifeless. Piccolo's corpse was in even worse condition; the twins knew of a Namekian's regenerative powers.
So they'd made sure to rip him apart, limb from limb, until not even a single cell could rebuild.
Vegeta descended opposite them, the golden aura of his Super Saiyan form roaring to life, expanding with every breath.
"So you're the Androids?" He said, his voice thick with contempt. "Tch. You've only taken out weaklings, don't expect me to go down like them."
"You've heard of me, haven't you?"
Vegeta pounded a fist against his chest, then pointed his thumb proudly toward himself.
"But let me be clear. The warrior standing before you is Super Vegeta!"
At his bold declaration, Android 18 responded with the barest twitch of her lips, a smirk of condescension. Her internal battle sense, sharpened through brutal encounters and endless skirmishes, had already sized him up.
His strength was commendable… but still not enough.
With no warning, Android 18 vanished from sight in a flash of movement.
At the same moment, a phantom surged before Vegeta's eyes. The howling wind whipped against his face. Glaring at Android 18's arrogant expression, Vegeta's heartbeat began to accelerate, entirely out of his control.
Bang,!
A sharp, sickening sound echoed from his gut, and he looked down in stunned disbelief. Android 18's fist had plunged viciously into his abdomen, lodged deep in his flesh!
An intense wave of pain coursed through his entire body, forcing a mouthful of blood from his lips.
That merciless strike wasn't just meant to injure, it was meant to kill.
"Super Vegeta, huh? More like Super Disappointment." Her voice rang clearly in his ears, cold and mocking. In that instant, Vegeta's thoughts fragmented into blankness.
But the next moment, Trunks' desperate voice echoed inside his mind.
Everyone will die by the Androids' hands… even Dad… And now, he was living that very nightmare, gravely wounded by the same inhuman foes.
Trunks had been right all along!
Bulma's face flashed through his mind, followed by a mental image of little Trunks, still growing, still innocent.
He had something he had to protect. Someone he couldn't leave behind. For the first time in his life, the prideful Saiyan prince felt something beyond battle-lust: fear.
Not fear of dying, but fear of what would happen after he died.
These monsters would be free to rampage. Bulma and Trunks would be left behind in a living hell.
Vegeta's vision grew hazy.
[The Namekian is gone. No Dragon Balls left.]
[Trunks' warnings... They've all come true.]
[If I fall here, the same dark future awaits.]
Bulma… Trunks…
No… I can't die… Not yet!
At that moment, Vegeta finally understood why Trunks had been so desperate to change fate.
After a storm of emotion, Vegeta made his choice. Never did he imagine he would cast aside that so-called Saiyan pride for his wife and son. Suddenly, a violent surge of energy erupted from within him, long-suppressed fury and willpower flooding forth.
The excitement of his Super Saiyan state, kept caged for days, now burst free like a dam breaking.
Not long ago, he'd doubted he could ever command such power. But now, he pushed every ounce of his strength into action, gripping Android 18's arm and forcing her fist from his body.
In the blink of an eye, he raised both palms to his chest. A blinding surge of golden Ki burst forth.
This was no ordinary blast, this was Final Flash, his most destructive technique! Seeing this, Android 18 calmly raised her hands, gathering her own energy in kind.
Two radiant beams, one a golden inferno, the other a chilling blue, met in the center of the battlefield with an earth-shaking boom.
Light filled the ruined city once more, brighter than the sun.
"AHHHHHH!!!! Damn it! Just die already, you soulless freak!!" Veins bulged across Vegeta's forehead as he roared, channeling every drop of power into driving his Final Flash toward her.
But Android 18 only scoffed, her lips curling faintly in a sneer.
Without even blinking, she focused, calmly escalating her energy in return.
Boom! Boom! Boom,!
The battlefield trembled as their power clashed, unleashing shockwaves in all directions. A thick cloud of dust rose, swallowing the city's wreckage in a cloak of smoke and flame.
Waving a hand through the smoke, Android 18 looked completely unfazed.
"You're overestimating himself." She turned her back on the chaos, her tone indifferent. "Let's go, 17. The game's not over yet."
Android 17 stared into the thick swirling dust, his brow furrowed slightly.
"…Are you sure he's dead?"
Android 18 didn't even glance back. "Who cares? If he's not, we'll just kill him again."
(End Of This Chapter)
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