Enjoy the Silence

Episode 6
Baby, It’s You

You woke to darkness. 

Although everything in you is screaming at you to open your eyes, you can’t. Or… Or– Fighting off the beginnings of a panic attack, instead of your eyes, you try to move your hands. Only for the same thing to happen. 

You can’t. 

No longer willing (or even capable, mind) to fight off the impending hysteria and dread, abruptly, everything changed in the next moment (second, minute, hour?). 

There’s a whirring sound, definitely electronic. 

And then… let there be light, as the saying goes.

Your eyes opened and you gazed up at a brilliant blue sky, two figures staring down at you. A pretty blonde woman with her hair cut into a bob, bright blue eyes, and a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. Beside her, an equally handsome man, only his hair’s black, cut in an identical style and boasting the same features, even down to the little smirk, stood beside her. 

‘Twins’, your brain whispered. ‘But, more importantly…’

“Welcome back online, Android 22.”

Gripping the edge of the storage container you’d been asleep in for who knows how long, you sat up. “17, 18. Where is Dr. Gero?” Although you had a rough idea, it wouldn’t hurt to actually be informed. Making assumptions only led to mistakes thus far, you’d realized. 

“Dead.” 18 stated bluntly. 

“…Huh.” You put one foot over the side, only to blink as a hand is offered to you. 

You stare at the appendage for a second or two, then reach out and grab it moments before it’s pulled back; 17 helps you the rest of the way out of the storage container. 

“…Thanks.” You stare at him for a moment, the meaning of your words subtler than just gratitude for his gentlemanly move. Judging by how his smirk vanished for a moment, caught off guard, clearly he heard the undertone of the simple statement. “Really.” And you glanced at 18 too, refusing to not give her the credit.  

“How… unusual. I expected far more hostility from you, 22.” 

“My memory banks show signs of a fairly recent hard defrag and master coded encryption.” You tap your temple, glancing at the tall ginger haired man at the corner of your eye. “Only the bare bones are left behind.” You shrug. “But, If you’d prefer a little sass as I curb stomp you into the ground, that’s your kink, not mine, 16.” Android 16′s frown deepened at your crude insinuation. 

17 snorted and you couldn’t resist sending him a cheeky wink. In return, he gave you a blatant once over, checking you out from head to toe, smirk widening. Before the teasing, lighthearted flirtation could continue though, you find your body moving on instinct; you use your wrist like a baseball bat or golf club, whacking the ki attack away from you and sending it into a nearby mountainside which crumbled to dust, sending dirt and debris in the air.

Gaze darting to the source of the attack, you see that it’s the Z-Fighters, minus Goku. 

As was normal when the amnesic Saiyan isn’t around, they all look totally out of their league and incompetent, minus Piccolo and Vegeta, the former cautious and the latter predictably arrogant. Trunks looked absolutely murderous, spiked blonde hair floating up stupidly, hands spread, clearly he’d been the one to throw down the gauntlet, so to speak. Krillin looked terrified, but also…there’s horrified recognition in his gaze as he looks at you. 

Frowning slightly, you lower your hand back to your side. 

“I’m assuming you want to take point here…?” 18 commented, sly amusement audible in her tone. 

Blinking, you’d realized that you’d indeed taken a half step forward. 

“…It’s been awhile since I’ve had a work out. Do you all mind?”

16 glanced to the side, apparently uninterested. 18 merely shrugged. 

17 is smirking again and you’re beginning to think it’s his default expression. 
“Make it entertaining.” 

You don’t verbally reply. It’s disappointing that the Z-Fighters hadn’t taken advantage of you not doing anything, but–

“W-Whoa!” Krillin yelled, dodging backwards. 

You’d vanished from view, only to reappear above the group, delivering an axe kick at Vegeta’s head and the Prince of Saiyan’s blocked. “Hahaha! Going after the strongest, I see! Wise move for a machine!” Vegeta mocking laughed, shoving you back, following it up with several rapid fire ki blasts. “But not enough! Now, DIE!”

Ignoring his trash talk, you gracefully weave in and out and around the blasts. Calculations and diagrams flashed through your brain in a rapid fire pace, the information understood and dissected in less than a breath or blink. Vanishing again, you appear behind his unguarded back, driving an elbow to the back of his neck with all the force of a 16 wheeler truck. 

Vegeta went careening through the air and crashed to the ground. 

“Father!” Trunks screamed. Then as you’d expected, calculated, he went charging directly at you. You dodged his sloppy punches, ducking underneath his arm where he overreached and sent two quick jabs to his ribs, firing a point blank ki blast to his face as he keeled over, holding his stomach. 

He quickly joined Vegeta in the dirt. 

You raised your arm just in time, taking the full force of Tien’s kick and barely moving an inch. 

The cyclops thankfully is less chatty than your last two opponents and merely follows his attack up with more punches that you block, even as they increase in speed and frequency, a mere blur to most human’s eyes, more than likely. 

After a second or two, he took two giant leaps backwards, hovering in the air, hands moving in that familiar position, about to use his signature attack, undoubtedly. 

Unfortunately, you didn’t plan to give him the chance, you flashed forward and punched him hard, not as hard as Vegeta, but still, you actually heard something crack; blood dribbled down his chin and he stared at you, dumbfounded. With your other hand, you swatted him like an annoying fly and just like the Saiyan prince and demi-Saiyan, he’s down for the count and eating dirt.

Piccolo took the initiative to try and do something different than the others. He attacked you from below with an Explosive Wave. The blast hit you dead on and enveloped your body in a cloud of smoke and energy. 

“Did…did you get her?” Krillin called out to the Namekian, vanishing to appear at his side. “I…I think you g–”

Piccolo tensed and whirled around, lashing out with a spinning heel kick. Clothes tattered and slightly singed, but relatively unharmed, you bat his kick aside and threw a right hook at his face. He dodged. The two of you then engaged in a regular ole brawl, no ki attacks involved, flashing all over the place. Higher and higher, picking up speed. Attacks becoming harder and decisive, brutal. 

Krillin clenched his fists, unable to see what was happening, but nursing a little hope in his heart. “Come on, Piccolo…” Reaching out with his senses, he jerked his head to the right and saw that Piccolo looked incredibly roughed up, panting. The former monk decided that he needed to…to do something, help, anything–! 

However, before he could, a thin ki blast is fired in his direction and he yelped, heart hammering. Glancing down, he sees the black haired android frowning, and once he realized he’d gotten his attention, wagged a finger. 

As if scolding him. 
Mocking his powerlessness.

‘Dang it…dang it…’ Frustrated tears welled up in his eyes and blurred his vision before he blinked them away. Just in time to see Piccolo was spun around rapidly by his foot and then sent flying like the others, only into the mountainside. 

‘I…I’m the last…o—’

Your strength and speed is beyond his ability to understand and comprehend. He can’t even complete a full thought before you stand before him. Staring him down, but at the same time, almost as if you’re looking through him. It’s taking all his concentration and energy to remain in the air and not look away, instinctively understanding that if he does, you’ll crush him underneath your foot like a bug. 

Then you smile gently. “Fighting you wouldn’t be very fun, I think. So let’s not, mmkay?”

“Ah…ah…” He can’t utter a word.

“Very wise.” You nod decisively. Then you turn around and descend quickly. 16, 17, and 18 are all waiting for you. “Sorry for taking so long.” Placing a hand on the nape of your neck, you smiled sheepishly. 

“It doesn’t really bother me that you took so long.” 18 sighed. “I just kind of wish you’d left some for us to beat up too….”

“You were dragging out your fights at least thirty seconds to a minute longer than necessary.” 17 remarked casually. He leaned in close, “22, could it be… that you’re secretly a closet sadist?” You halfheartedly aimed a punch at his side but he dodged out of the way with a laugh.

“Hold still!” “No way! You gotta catch me!”

“With the way those two have been carrying on and flirting all day, they’re a little bit obnoxious, don’t you think, 16?” 18 sighed, exasperated. 

“…I think it is the terminology, ‘sweet’.” 

18 facepalmed. “17, 22! Come on, enough.” Deciding to be the voice of reason, she called out to her fellow androids. “22, you need new clothes, as your current ones are practically falling off. Not to mention, there aren’t any cars are driving past this area, so we should fly somewhere a little busier.” 

“Spoilsport. I was enjoying the view.” 17 stuck his tongue out at his sister.

You punched him, hard, in the shoulder for the remark. 

Now that it’s been pointed out, you realized that the attire you’d woken up in is in bad shape, black skin tight leggings with gold anklets, and a loose baggy gray shirt, the shirt is ripped and frayed, the black and white Converse sneakers only slightly dusty, and your hair is probably a mess from all that flying around. 

“Let’s get going then.” Completely over this environment now, and wanting to explore even more, you’re the first to turn on your heel and about to blast off in some random direction in search of a mall.

“No! Stop!”

“And what do you want now?” 17 asked, not even bothering to glance at the remaining fighter, the guy was weak. Weak in spirit and weak in resolve. It’d be an insult to fight him.

“You guys…you guys leave Goku alone. That’s what you’re after right!? He’s sick! He can’t fight you now. Goku hasn’t done anything to you.” Krillin said fiercely, fists clenched as he glared at the group. 

“16 is programmed to destroy Goku.” 17 drawled. 
“So that’s what we’re going to do.”

“Even… even you, [Your Name]? I thought… I hoped I was mistaken, but it really is you.”

“Hmm? Maybe you’ve cracked from the pressure or fear, or whatever, but I don’t know anyone by that name.” You crossed your arms in front of your chest, but it seemed defensive and you didn’t want the vertically challenged idiot to think he was getting to you, so you relaxed your arms at your sides. 

“Just listen to me!” Krillin sounded desperate. “I don’t understand what Dr. Gero did to make you forget me, forget Goku, but you’re like his sister, his family, and to fight him would be wrong!!”

“I’m going on ahead. Do whatever you want with the delusional little coward.” You informed the trio, face blank. Then you blasted off, rocketing into the air, kicking up dirt and debris. 

“Great, he’s gone and pissed her off.” 17 sighed. 

“I don’t know why you’re acting like you don’t enjoy her being so unsettled.” 18 rolled her eyes. 

“It is a cute expression, I admit.” 17 chuckled. 

Again, 18 rolled her eyes. 

“Hey, you. Baldy.” Krillin glanced in 17′s direction, scared out of his wits again, it seemed. “We’re going to find and kill Goku, that’s the game. Hide him all you like. Come up with as many side quests as you want, like 22 being someone you used to know, it doesn’t matter in the end. We’re simply fulfilling Dr. Gero’s masterplan.”

“Listen to yourselves! You already got rid of him. You don’t have to do this, so why?”

17 smirked coldly. “It’s not like I’ve forgotten that, but this trainwreck is too entertaining to stop now.” 

“Nnngh, don’t. I beg of you! Please!” Krillin tried to beg. 
“You don’t have to do this.”

There’s silence for a beat.

“No.” 16 intoned, at last speaking up. “I am programmed to destroy Goku.”

“There ya go, pal.” 17 didn’t really care about this convo anymore and it was obvious. “Now if you excuse us, we have work to do.”

Krillin could only stare in dumbfounded disbelief. 

“Stop worrying about Goku and worry about your other friends, they could use some… Senzu beans.” 

18 started striding towards Krillin and the short man is freaking out. Quaking in his shoes, wanting to run but knowing he wouldn’t get very far. 18 didn’t do much more than lean down and press a light kiss to his cheek.

“Good luck. Bye.”

With that final parting comment, the remaining androids took off in the direction of their wayward comrade. Krillin’s legs could no longer support him and he fell on the ground.

“This is…this is such a mess…” 

‘I’m not looking forward to telling Goku this news.’