c12: The Two Shocked Siblings
Lin Hao's residence
"Ugh… where is this…?"
Android No. 17 slowly opened his eyes, clutching his head as he sat up. Beside him, No. 18 stirred, brushing her blonde hair aside with narrowed eyes. The siblings found themselves in the middle of a dense forest clearing, the sky above calm and silent completely unlike the battlefield they last remembered.
"Wake up, you two."
A calm yet firm voice reached their ears. Both instantly turned their gazes to see Lin Hao descending lightly from the air, arms folded across his chest.
Their eyes sharpened in unison, their expressions guarded.
"Who are you? Why did you bring us here?" No. 17 asked coldly.
"Don't tell me you've forgotten already." Lin Hao's tone carried a mocking edge. "The last time you were awake, Cell had swallowed you with that disgusting tail of his. If I hadn't intervened, you two would have already become part of his so-called 'perfect form.'"
"What?!"
The words made both androids freeze. Memories came flooding back Vegeta's arrogance after reaching his Ascended Super Saiyan state, their attempt to resist, and then the green monstrosity that had ambushed them. They remembered the tail piercing the ground, wrapping around them, and the horrible sensation of being absorbed alive… and then nothing.
No. 18's brows furrowed. "…In other words, you saved us?"
Lin Hao nodded slightly, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "That's right. Cell's body has already been blown apart thanks to me. He won't be coming back this time. You're free now… but don't get any strange ideas about going after Son Goku again."
"Hmph? What do you mean by that? You plan to stop us too?" No. 17's tone grew sharper, his blue eyes narrowing.
Lin Hao chuckled and shook his head. "Stop you? No… you misunderstand. With your current strength, I could wipe you both out without effort. I didn't pull you out of Cell's guts because I needed you, I just thought it would be entertaining."
His casual arrogance made the atmosphere instantly heavier. Even No. 18, who usually kept her composure, clenched her fists at his words, her patience thinning.
No. 17, never one to hold back his temper, stepped forward. "Tch. You've got a big mouth for someone who claims to be stronger than us. Let's see if you can back it up."
The siblings exchanged a glance, their resolve decided. At once, both released a surge of ki. White auras flared around their bodies, shaking the trees around them as they shot forward in unison.
No. 17 blurred upward, driving his knee toward Lin Hao's chin.
At the same instant, No. 18 darted low, her fist thrusting straight for his abdomen with precise timing.
"Not bad."
Lin Hao didn't even flinch. With a single arm raised, he parried No. 17's strike effortlessly, twisting slightly as No. 18's punch landed squarely against his midsection only for the impact to vanish into nothing, his body unmoved.
"Wha?!"
The siblings' eyes widened. They pressed the assault, unleashing a flurry of coordinated blows. Fists, kicks, knees their combined movements flowed like a single fighter. Yet no matter how fast or sharp their strikes, Lin Hao blocked them all with a single hand, batting away their every attack like they were nothing more than children throwing tantrums.
"Hmph. You two aren't weak," Lin Hao admitted, a calm smile lingering on his lips as his crimson aura flickered faintly. "But defeating me? That's impossible."
His tone wasn't arrogant, it was simply fact.
In truth, if Lin Hao had even put a fraction of his true power behind his fist, both androids would have been knocked unconscious in an instant. The only reason they were still standing was because he was deliberately humoring them, watching their reactions with mild amusement.
"Hmph! Even if you talk big, if you really have guts, show us your full strength!"
No. 17's eyes narrowed as his aura flared slightly. He still didn't believe Lin Hao. Although this mysterious fighter had saved him and his sister from being absorbed, 17 hadn't seen who actually destroyed Cell's body.
Lin Hao smiled faintly, his black eyes sharp. "Since you insist… then watch carefully. I'll show you a glimpse of my power."
With a swift movement, Lin Hao slipped away from the siblings' synchronized attacks, appearing atop a massive boulder. His hands clenched into fists as his stance lowered.
"Aahhh… HAAA!"
His roar shook the air. Instantly, the stone beneath his boots cracked, pebbles rising into the air as a violent golden aura erupted from his body. The earth trembled as if straining under the pressure.
"AHHHHHH!!"
Lin Hao's ki skyrocketed. His aura expanded in all directions like a blazing sun, and the rock beneath him exploded into rubble, unable to withstand the intensity.
The shockwave blasted outward. No. 17 and No. 18, who had been standing only a few meters away, were hurled backward through the forest. They skidded dozens of meters before stopping, shielding their eyes against the gusts of wind.
Their expressions froze.
"T-This ki…"
No. 18's usually calm voice trembled, her hands clenching.
No. 17 gritted his teeth, eyes wide. "This is insane…! It's several times stronger than Vegeta when he turned Super Saiyan against Cell!"
The two androids felt their bodies trembling. Despite their mechanical enhancements, this oppressive force pressed down on them like gravity itself, suffocating and undeniable. They had never felt such overwhelming energy, not even from the Super Saiyans.
And just as suddenly as it had come, the pressure vanished. Lin Hao released his aura in an instant, returning to his normal calm self. He looked at the two siblings with a relaxed smile.
"Well? Do you still want to fight?"
The twins exchanged a silent glance. Both of them lowered their guard. They couldn't even defeat Vegeta when he was in his second stage of Super Saiyan… and Lin Hao's power dwarfed Vegeta's by far.
No. 17 exhaled slowly. "…I'll admit it. You're stronger than us. We're not your opponents. To be honest, our mission ended in failure a long time ago. Even with our strength, we weren't a match for Vegeta let alone you."
---
One week later
Time passed quietly. No. 16 had also awakened and joined them, his calm voice warning the siblings not to cause trouble with Son Goku. Lin Hao let the three stay in his forest home for the time being, intending to observe their behavior before deciding what to do with them.
But unexpectedly, much happened within that single week. Lin Hao's path crossed with No. 18 in ways he hadn't foreseen.
One evening, after finishing a training session inside the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, Lin Hao returned home exhausted. He pushed open the door to his room… only to find No. 18 there. Whether she had walked in by mistake or with intent, neither of them could say for sure. What followed was… messy, sudden, and difficult to describe. (Omit ten thousand words here: things became far too bloody, cliché, and direct to recount!)
"Holy crap what are you doing here?!" were Lin Hao's first words the next morning when he realized what had happened.
Although the situation had escalated unexpectedly, Lin Hao didn't deny it afterward. He accepted No. 18 calmly, though with a hint of guilt at his own recklessness. To his surprise, No. 18 herself didn't seem to care much, treating the entire affair with her usual detached attitude. Despite how strange and sudden it was, the two who had been near-strangers now found themselves bound together in an inexplicable relationship.
When No. 17 learned of it, he wasn't surprised in the slightest. He even smirked, offering a casual blessing before leaving with No. 16. "As long as you're happy, sis. We won't disturb your… new life."
In the days that followed, Lin Hao and No. 18 grew closer, their bond strengthening as they traveled together. It was almost like a honeymoon. On their journey, Lin Hao even asked Bulma to bring out her Dragon Radar. Together, they collected the Dragon Balls and used Shenron's power to remove the self-destruct bombs implanted inside No. 17 and No. 18 by Dr. Gero.
For the first time, the android siblings could live freely without fear of being used as weapons.
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