c98: The Death of Dr. Gero
"Son Goku!!"
Super Android 13 roared as he stood back up, battered but still burning with hatred. He hurled a crackling blue energy sphere from his palm, the force of it distorting the air.
BOOM!
Goku shifted slightly and dodged effortlessly. The blast detonated against the rocky plateau behind him, erupting into a hemispheric inferno as dust and debris spiraled skyward.
Whoosh!
In an instant, Goku's figure blinked out of sight. He reappeared behind Super 13 like a phantom and launched a spinning kick into the android's back.
The hulking android was knocked clean off his feet. His enormous body carved a trench through the dirt, skidding dozens of meters before crashing into a boulder and collapsing to his knees.
Goku didn't stop there. He raised one hand, fingers splayed, and fired a mid-sized ki blast directly at Super 13's chest.
BOOM!
The explosion engulfed the android in flames, a roaring vortex of pressure rippling out across the field. Heat and wind rushed past the onlookers.
As the smoke cleared, Super Android 13 was revealed his torso scorched, armor plating cracked, and synthetic skin singed. His eyes dimmed, but he still stood, trembling from accumulated damage.
"This ends now."
Goku clenched his fist as golden ki condensed around it, forming a swirling spiral of concentrated energy. The very ground beneath him cracked under the strain.
"Dragon Fist Explosion!"
With a mighty shout, Goku launched forward, his fist enveloped by the blazing aura of a spectral golden dragon. The energy construct roared in tandem, its form coiling around Goku like a living creature.
Super 13 crossed his massive arms to brace himself, but it was useless. The dragon tore through him with overwhelming force, piercing his chest clean through. Goku himself passed directly through the android, leaving a blazing trail of destruction.
Zzzt!
Sparks surged across Super 13's mechanical frame. He looked down at the massive, smoldering hole in his chest in disbelief. A moment later
BOOM!
The android exploded in a flash of blue light and shrapnel, disintegrating into fragments of metal and circuitry. Only scorched parts and a smoking crater remained.
"He did it!" Krillin exclaimed with a grin. Relief flooded his face.
"Tch. Kakarot again…" Vegeta muttered, clenching his fists. With Li Xu still far above them all, Goku had become Vegeta's nearest rival his benchmark to surpass.
"Androids 16, 17, 18 kill Son Goku!" Dr. Gero barked from the sidelines, his voice trembling with desperation. His hand hovered over a small remote control as he began inching backward.
But none of the androids moved.
"What are you waiting for?!" Gero snapped, raising the remote threateningly. "Do you want to go back to stasis!?"
Piccolo narrowed his eyes. "Looks like they're not fully under his command."
"Sure, Dr. Gero," 17 said suddenly, his voice eerily calm. "I'll take care of it." He gave 18 a subtle glance, which she understood immediately.
Dr. Gero's scowl faded as he saw 17 approaching obediently. A smug smile twitched at his lips.
But as 17 passed him, his hand shot out and gripped Gero's wrist the one holding the remote.
CRACK!
With one swift squeeze, 17 shattered Gero's arm. The remote dropped to the ground, and he crushed it beneath his boot.
"What are you doing!?" Gero screamed in agony. "Stop this at once!"
"You really thought we'd serve you forever?" 17 sneered. "I'm done being your puppet."
18 moved at lightning speed. A flash of light danced across her palm as she reached Gero's side, and in one fluid strike, she decapitated him.
Gero's head hit the ground with a heavy thud, sparks flying from exposed circuits.
"You traitors!" Gero's still-active head snarled, defiant to the last.
"We were never loyal to you," 18 replied coldly. She fired a small energy blast.
BOOM!
The head disintegrated, finally silencing the twisted creator.
"They just killed Dr. Gero…" Krillin said, swallowing hard. He couldn't decide whether to feel relief or horror.
"These androids… they're not like the ones we faced before," Goku said, his expression cautious.
"Number 16, now that Dr. Gero is dead, do you still intend to follow through with the order to kill Son Goku?" Number 17 turned, casting a thoughtful glance toward Number 16, who stood silently behind him.
"We were created with the singular purpose of eliminating Son Goku," Number 16 said calmly, gently stroking the small bird perched on his hand. "But if I cannot defeat him in battle, then I will abandon the mission."
"So even though the androids have evolved in power, their personalities remain intact..." Li Xu noted silently, his eyes narrowing.
Unlike the bio-mechanical designs of Numbers 17 and 18, Number 16 was a purely robotic android with no organic components. Yet paradoxically, he was the one who cherished life the most. His gentle nature and love for wildlife, especially birds, stood in stark contrast to his overwhelming strength perhaps the greatest among the eight androids created by Dr. Gero.
"You seem different from us," Number 17 observed. "I know 18 and I are infinite energy models, but what exactly are you?"
"I'm a fully mechanical-type android," 16 replied evenly. He released the bird into the air, watching it fly off before stepping forward, approaching Son Goku with deliberate calm.
"Son Goku... will you fight me? If you prove too strong, I'll relinquish my directive. But until I face you directly, I can't move on. The order is embedded deep within me—it's like an obsession I can't ignore."
"Sure," Son Goku replied with a relaxed grin. His tone was light, but his eyes were alert. "I don't mind sparring, even if your original goal was to kill me."
"Then let's begin," 16 said simply. With a sudden burst of motion, he launched off the ground and drove his fist toward Goku's head.
BOOM!
Their fists collided midair, and the resulting shockwave shattered the ground beneath them. Fractures spread outward like spiderwebs as energy spilled from the impact zone.
"Incredible power!" Son Goku exclaimed, eyes gleaming with excitement. "You're even stronger than Super Android 13! Now this is a real fight!"
"I didn't expect 16 to be this powerful!" 17 admitted, visibly surprised. "He never says much, so I never got a read on his strength."
"Weren't you always bragging about being the most powerful android?" 18 asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Tch. I have infinite energy, alright?" 17 snapped, though his voice lacked its usual confidence. "Even if I'm weaker, I could outlast anyone in a drawn-out battle."
But he knew the truth: infinite stamina only mattered if power levels were relatively close. Against an overwhelmingly superior foe, stamina meant little.
"While Goku's busy fighting 16, why don't you test your strength against Li Xu?" 18 said suddenly, glancing toward the distant figure. "I'm curious just how strong he really is."
"According to the data Dr. Gero implanted, Li Xu's supposed to be the strongest… but that data's outdated. He might not be all that." 17 responded.
Without waiting, he walked across the field toward Li Xu, his aura flickering lightly.
"Li Xu, how about a fight?" 17 asked.
"Not interested," Li Xu replied flatly, arms crossed.
"Tch… You think you're too good to fight me?" 17 snarled. "I'm the strongest android there is!" With his pride stung, he lunged forward without hesitation.
BOOM!
The moment 17 closed the distance, he was violently knocked backward. His body spiraled through the air before slamming into the ground, skidding to a stop in a cloud of dust.
"How dull," Li Xu muttered, clapping the dust from his hands. "He's barely at 1.5 billion. I don't even need to transform for that."
"Number 17, are you alright?" 18 rushed to his side, her eyes wide as she looked at Li Xu. Her expression was uncharacteristically serious—she hadn't expected him to be that powerful.
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