Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter 2: Lies and Deceit

Bulma was worried sick. Was Trunks ok? Did he defeat the androids? Did he miss them? Was he hurt? Was he dead?

"AH! It's a wonder my hair hasn't turned gray with all this worrying!" she shouted, pulling at the very hair she was referring to.

She rested her head on the desk, praying for her son to return safely. After repeating the same prayer for the 53rd time, she heard a familiar voice call to her.

"Mom, I'm back!"

Bulma immediately perked up 'He's back!' She jumped out of her chair and ran down the stairs. "Trunks, you're all right!"

Trunks gave her a smile as he entered the room, carrying 18 over his shoulder. "Hey, Mom." He noticed her gaze shift to18 and saw them filled with worry. "Oh, she's unconscious. It's fine."

Bulma breathed a sigh of relief, not realizing who the woman was. 'Another victim of the androids. At least she's alive.' Hoping to hear some good news, she was quick to ask, "Well, did you do it?"

Trunks smirked and nodded. "It's all taken care of. 17 is gone. Destroyed. We're finally free."

Bulma gave a squeal of joy. "Alright, wait to go, Trunks! I'm so proud of you, and I know you're father would be too." That's when she realized that he had only said that he destroyed 17. "But what about 18? Did you get her as well?"

Trunks frowned in worry. "Well, about that…"

He dropped 18 on the ground. Bulma looked down at her. For a few moments she just stared at her, then she screamed.

"T-T-TRUNKS, THAT'S THE ANDROID! WHY IS IT STILL ALIVE!"

Trunks held up his hands, smiling nervously. "It's alright, Mom. Trust me, she can't hurt anyone."

"Can't hurt anyone?" Bulma shouted. "Did that fight with the androids make you lose your senses? That thing's a psychopathic killer."

"Mom, please!" he said loudly. "She's out like a light. Even so, I can stop her if she tries anything. Now please just listen to me."

Bulma gulped nervously and moved as far away from 18 as she could. "Fine, just make it fast. I want that thing gone."

Trunks sighed and began to tell what had happened. He explained how he defeated 17 and was about to destroy 18 as well. When he got to the part about handing over his sword, she hit him over the head.

"You big idiot! You actually gave her your sword! Why would you take a risk like that?"

Trunks rubbed his head. His mother was no fighter, but she could certainly hit hard. "She thought that I only won because of my sword. I wanted her to know that I beat her and her brother at their best. That no matter how powerful they were, I was the stronger one."

Bulma groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Argh, that's your saiyan half talking. Honestly, saiyans may be powerful, but they sure are stupid and arrogant." She took a calming breath. "Ok, ok, so you gave her your sword. Then what?"

He went back to his story, telling her about how 18 attacked him with the sword, and he easily avoided her. When he got to the part about 18 being struck by lightning, Bulma's eyes narrowed suspiciously as he told her how 18 didn't seem to remember anything.

"Sounds like a trick to me." she said. "She's probably just trying to fool you. The lightning would have provided a good way to back up her story."

Trunks nodded. "Yes, that's what I thought at first too. But then I looked in her eyes, and I saw genuine fear and confusion."

"You're kidding!" Bulma scolded. "You decided to believe her because of her eyes?"

Trunks sighed. "Mom, I've fought them on several occasions. I've looked into their eyes. You can see the evil in them. But when I looked into her eyes, it wasn't there. If you could see the difference, then you would know."

"Trunks…" she shook her head, "even if that's true, you can't let her live. She's far too dangerous. She could remember at any moment."

"Then we'd be right back where we were before and I'll simply destroy her."

"But why take the chance?"

"Because of the good that can come out of it." He noticed that he had caught his mother's attention. "I was thinking, just because the world is safe for now, doesn't mean that it will be safe indefinitely. Let's admit it, the planet has been under attack several times. Remember all those stories you told me about you and Goku?"

How could she forget? She had been through more than enough. There was Emperor Pilaf, the Red Ribbon Army, Piccolo, Piccolo again, Garlic Jr., Raditz, Vegeta and Nappa, Garlic Jr. again, Dr. Willow, the Tree of Might, Lord Slug, Cooler, Frieza, the androids. Wow, she never stopped and counted.

"Ok," she admitted, "you made your point. The Earth does seem to be targeted a lot, most likely because it's the home as the strongest people in the universe. So you want to keep one of the people who tried to destroy the planet alive… why?"

"She's strong." Trunks admitted. "Very strong. I can't deny that. And there will always be evil in the universe. Who knows when the next threat might come, or if I'll be able to handle it. Remember a few years ago when that yellow wizard came to free that Buu monster?"

Bulma shrugged. "Yeah, I remember. The androids destroyed him, and whatever was inside that weird cocoon-like ball. He said something about how he would have destroyed us all if he had been brought to full power."

"That's my point. What if that Buu monster was would have been stronger than the androids if brought to full power? There could be others out there even stronger. So why destroy 18 when she can be used as a defense for the planet? Since the opportunity has presented itself, why don't we try to reprogram her?"

Bulma's eyebrows rose. "Interesting. With her on our side, it would be useful. Besides, then she could fight the bad guys instead of you."

Trunks nodded. "Yeah, and if anything does happen to me, she'll still be here."

"It will be useful to have another strong person around." She sighed. "Alright, I suppose it's worth looking into. But if she is faking this amnesia thing, or whatever it is, then you dispose of her. Understood?"

Trunks nodded again. "I'm actually hoping for it."

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For hours, Bulma hacked into 18's data banks. She was astounded by what she discovered. Dr. Gero may have been a mad scientist, but the man was an absolute genius. Too bad he couldn't use his intelligence for good. But if this worked, then maybe his so-called greatest achievement could be used for good.

"Hey, Mom, how's it going?"

Exhausted, Bulma turned to her son. "Well, I certainly learned a lot. This is some really complex stuff. What surprises me the most is that she's not a complete android."

Trunks raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"She's not all machine. There's organic parts."

"Oh." He already knew that. "Yeah, I learned that in the past she and 17 used to be human."

Bulma cut her eyes at him. "Well, you could have told me that; it would have saved a lot of time. So she's actually a cyborg. But that just makes understanding this even more complex."

That caught his attention. "So does that mean her amnesia is real?"

Bulma crossed her arms. "Well, yes, but it's not amnesia. Not really. Turns out when the lightning struck, her memory was deleted."

Trunks nodded. "So, she wasn't faking. But is there a chance she could recover her memories?"

"They're gone." Bulma told him. "Erased, deleted. It's like wiping all the information from a computer, leaving it completely empty."

Trunks was confused. "But, then wouldn't she just be, I don't know, an empty shell?"

She turned back to her computer and began typing. "Not really. Her programs are still there, but all information is gone. It's like typing up a document and then deleting its contents. The document is still there, but everything you typed up is gone. She's capable of acting and thinking on her own, but the program information that drove her to kill and destroy is gone. Further more, it seems that her machine parts also use her human parts. That's how she still knows how to move around and such; her human half still remembers, even if there are no memories to go along with it."

Trunks felt disappointed that this meant that he wouldn't be able to destroy her. "So does that mean that you can reprogram her?"

Bulma gave him a thumbs up. "You bet. And from the information I gathered, I think I should be able to make a shut off switch for her too, just to be on the safe side."

Trunks raised an eyebrow. "Just out of curiosity, why would you need that if you can reprogram her?"

Bulma frowned. "Just because she's programmed for something isn't an absolute guarantee that she will follow it. After all, Dr, Gero programmed her and her brother to obey him, and instead they destroyed him. And didn't you also say they told you that even though Dr. Gero had programmed them for world domination, that wasn't the reason why they were being so destructive. Furthermore, you said that when you went to past that there was a third android. 16, right? And even though he was programmed to kill Goku, he didn't."

Trunks nodded. "Yeah, he was a good guy."

Bulma brushed off the idea of one of Dr. Gero's androids willingly turning good. "The point is, they don't follow their programming completely. So even if I do reprogram her, I still want to have a way to stop her if things go wrong."

Trunks couldn't disagree with that. In fact, he agreed wholeheartedly. "How long would the reprogramming take?"

Bulma raised an eyebrow. "Well it's certainly not going to be an overnight process. This'll take months. And in the mean time, I suggest keeping what she was really designed for a secret from her. She probably won't let us reprogram her if she finds out we're trying to change her. So when she asks about her past, mix truths with half-truths, even straight up lie to her if necessary. Just don't let her know that she's responsible for the destruction caused to the planet."

"Agreed. But what will we tell the rest of the world. I'm sure you want her dead just as much as I do, and so does the rest of the world. They may not believe the whole amnesia thing, or whatever it is. They'll think it's a trick."

Bulma just waved it off. "Don't worry about that. We'll just leave that part out. We'll simply say that after you killed 17, you were able to capture her and that I personally deleted all her information and reprogrammed her. But we'll just try to keep her hidden for the mean time so we don't have to worry about that. It'll make things much easier."

"That may work, but I have a feeling that they'll demand her death if they do find out. The rest of the world never really understood our little group."

There was a groan from 18 as she shifted slightly. Bulma glanced at the android, realizing that she would be waking up soon. "We'll worry about that later. For now we'll keep her a secret and give everyone time to recover. Who knows, maybe in a few years she'll be able to walk down the streets without anyone knowing what she really is."

Trunks looked at 18. "Maybe…" His eyes narrowed as he stared at her in disgust. 'But I'll always remember. You lucked out for now, android, but if you give me any reason, any reason at all, I'll destroy you.'

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With a groan, 18 slowly opened her eyes. She sat up quickly, not knowing where she was. From the looks of things, she was in someone's bedroom. Though, truth be told, whosever room this was really needed to clean up a bit. Either that or a tornado went through it recently.

"Finally awake, huh?"

18 jumped. That's when she noticed Trunks sitting in a chair on the other side of the room. "What's going on? Where am I? How'd I get here?"

Trunks tired his best not to show his hatred of her. "You… fainted, so I brought you here. This is my room."

18 looked around a bit before turning her attention back to the young saiyan. "And just who are you? Where's that boy I saw earlier?"

"The name's Trunks." He replied. "And I am the boy you saw earlier."

18 glared at him. "You are not. He had blond hair and green eyes. Your eyes are blue, and your hair's purple."

'More of a lavender.' Trunks thought. "Well, seeing as you don't remember anything…" He transformed, making 18 gasp. "This is a transformation state I have. I'm half human, half saiyan. That state you saw me in was known as a Super Saiyan."

18 cut her eyes at him. "Ok, I believe that you're the same boy, but I have no idea what you're talking about. And what's a saiyan?"

Trunks sighed and turned back to normal. "This is going to be troublesome. With all your memories gone, I'm going to have to explain everything."

18 felt a jolt of fear run through her. "What do you mean? Are you saying I have amnesia? Is that why I can't remember anything?"

Trunks wobbled his head. "Not quite. It's more complicated than that. Here, lets start with what you do remember. Tell me anything."

18 was silent, racking her brain for some sort of information. She was coming up with nothing, absolutely nothing. "I can't. I don't remember."

Trunks' eyes narrowed. "Not even your own name?"

18's eyes widened in horror as she realized that she didn't remember her own name. "N-No… I don't know my name. What's my name?"

"18." Trunks replied.

Several seconds ticked by, during which no one spoke. Finally she asked, "Yes? What's 18?"

Trunks sweat-dropped. "No, um, that's your name. 18."

18 blinked. Then her confusion turned to anger. "You're a real jerk, you know that!"

"Huh? Me? Jerk? What?"

18 threw the blanket off her and got to her feet. "You are! Here I am with amnesia and you're playing head games with me!"

Trunks waved his hands. "No, wait, let me explain. That really is you're name. You see, your father wasn't exactly right in the head."

18 gasped. "My father? I have a father? Where, where is he?"

Trunks felt his anger rise at the thought of the sadistic scientist, in turn, raising his anger at her, but he kept himself in check. "Well, you're adoptive father really. And he's dead. Has been for a while."

She gasped again. Feeling a deep sense of sadness, she fell back on the bed again. "Dead? My father's… dead?"

'Show compassion. Show compassion.' Trunks told himself. But this was part of her history that he had to reveal to her. "Don't feel too bad. You two really didn't get along. In fact, he was quite sadistic. He stole your identity and forced… an operation on you."

18 looked confused. "What are you talking about?"

Remembering his carefully rehearsed story that he and his mother had come up with, Trunks began to tell 18 her life's story. There was quite a bit of reinventing, particularly about what 18 had done the past several years. He explained how Dr. Gero had been creating androids, and that she was just the 18th experiment, thus earning her the name 18. He told her about 17 too, though he made sure to leave out the fact that he was her brother. He ended on when she was struck by lightning, erasing all her memories and programming.

"So, let me get this straight." She said. "To take revenge on this Goke person, Dr. Gero built two super powerful androids, of which I am one of. The other one destroyed him and then began destroying the world. And then you, me, and some other guys were trying to stop him for all these years. And yesterday we managed to do it, but I was hit by lightning and had all my data erased. Does that about sum it up?"

Trunks nodded. "You're taking this a whole lot better than I thought."

18 cut her eyes at him. "You must think I'm really stupid. Honestly, listen to yourself. You're saying that I'm a machine."

"Yes, and not a machine, an android. Well, technically a cyborg. And if you don't believe me, come downstairs and see the information we've got." While she had been out, he had gone to Dr. Gero's lab and gathered all the blueprints before blowing the place to hell.

18 crossed her arms. "Fine then. Show me."

Trunks shrugged and led her downstairs. Bulma was currently going through the information Trunks had gathered for her, studying how Dr. Gero had gone about creating his androids. She looked up when she heard Trunks entered, but let out a squeal when she saw 18.

"O-Oh, g-g-good… Y-You're up-p"

Her fear of the android was apparent. Trunks gave her a warning look, silently telling her to improve her acting.

"18, this is my mom." said Trunks. "Mom, I believe you already know 18."

Bulma's legs were trembling as she tried to maintain her composure. "Oh, yes. How are you feeling?"

"Forgetful." 18 replied. "Apparently I'm some sort of robot whose programming was deleted."

Bulma nodded, a little too enthusiastically. "Y-Yup, it's all gone. Poof! Goodbye!" She laughed nervously. "But don't you worry, I'm bringing up your data right now. I won't be able to do anything about your memories, but I can at least reprogram you."

18's eyes shifted to the computer screen and widened. She saw her blueprints up there. Information of mechanical limbs and metal replacements. Most of the stuff she couldn't understand, but from the looks of it, it seemed to be a very authentic blueprint of designing a cybernetic organism.

"No… No way. It's true. I'm really an android?"

"I'm sorry." Trunks replied, trying to sound sincere. Personally, he didn't give a damn if she felt sad and depressed. But he had to remind himself that he had to keep up this charade for the good of the planet.

"But…" 18 hesitated. "What about my life before I became an… android? What about my family?"

"Don't know." said Trunks. "Dr. Gero didn't want you to have any memories of your previous life. He wanted for you to be a tool of destruction. Thank goodness you were able to escape."

"Yeah, good for you!" Bulma cried with too much emotion.

18 felt herself go numb. It was true. She was an android. Trunks had been telling her the truth. "Then… my whole life… was taken from me. Not once, but twice. This… Dr. Gero…" her fists clenched, "he stole my humanity!"

Her body began glowing with energy. The ground began shaking and sparks started flying out of her hands as she unconsciously began gathering energy. At this point, Bulma lost all control of her acting and screamed in terror before ducking behind her chair.

Trunks braced himself. Would this be the excuse he was looking for to destroy her?

"Trunks," Bulma cried, "do something! Calm her down!"

Trunks' fists clenched in irritation. But he slowly approached 18 and placed his hands on her shoulders. "It's ok. Calm down." He was disgusted by what he was about to say next. "I'm… here for you."

At first, 18 didn't seem to hear him, but then her power slowly began to die down. Then he heard something unexpected from her. A sniffle. Was 18… crying?

"18?"

He turned her around and was shocked to see tears running down her cheeks. She really was crying. And he couldn't pass it off as rain this time. The tears were flowing from her eyes.

"I'm… sorry…" she said. "This is just… a lot to take in…"

'Show her comfort. Come on, Trunks, you have to pretend to be her friend.'

He forced himself to pull her into a hug, glad that she couldn't see the look of disgust on his face. "You have a right to be upset. It'll be ok. Both Dr. Gero and 17 are gone. They can't hurt you anymore. And my mom can reprogram you again. That'll get you back to your old self. And I'll do my best to give you back as many memories as I can."

18's head was hanging, her hair in her face, hiding her tears. "I want to be alone."

She pulled away from him and walked away. Trunks watched as she left the room, going back the way she came. But it wasn't until he heard the door to his room close that he turned to his mother.

"Well, it seems like she believes us for now." He gave his mother a stern look. "But you're going to have to do a better job at acting. It's obvious that you were afraid."

Bulma came out of hiding. "Well excuse me, but being in the presence of someone who could snap my neck like a twig tends to be intimidating; especially when they've been destroying the planet for the past several years!"

Trunks put a finger to his lips. "Shh, Mom, you don't want her to hear you."

Bulma took a few calming breathes. "It's fine. I'm ok. But, Trunks, you're going to have to keep her under control. Until I can manage to reprogram her, you'll have to show her how to control her powers."

Trunks blinked. "You mean she doesn't know how?"

Bulma groaned. "What part of all her programming was deleted are you not understanding?"

"Alright, alright, I get it." He looked in the direction 18 had walked off in. "I just hope I can tolerate her presence."

Bulma gave him a stern look. "Now Trunks, remember, this was your idea."

Trunks sighed. "Yeah, I know. It's what Goku would do." His eyes narrowed angrily. 'But that doesn't mean I have to like it.'

Chapter 3: The Reprogramming Begins

For two days straight, 18 wouldn't come out of her room. Actually, it was his room, and he wasn't happy about his former enemy taking it over. He had to remind himself on several occasions that, in the end, this would be good for the planet.

But he still didn't like it.

And she couldn't stay in there indefinitely. Well, ok, technically she could. Being a cyborg with an unlimited supply of eternal energy, she didn't need to eat or sleep unless she wanted to. But sleeping was something she did a lot. She said that perhaps her dreams would tell her of who she was.

"You have to get her to come out." Bulma told him. "I can't reprogram her if she's confined in her room all the time."

"First of all, it's my room." Trunks grumbled. "And second of all, what do you want me to do? Go knock her out and drag her down here?" At his mother's pointed look, he got the impression that that's exactly what she wanted him to do. "If we want her to think we're her allies, I can't use force on her."

"Then at least go talk to her. Honestly, Trunks, unless I install this data, she's almost like a newborn infant. An infant with the intelligence of a full grown person and incredible power, but an infant all the same. What if she accidentally blows up our house when she discovers her power?"

"Alright, alright, you made your point." He reluctantly agreed. "I'll see if I can get her to come out."

With a sigh, he headed upstairs. 18 was being a nuisance, but it was better than having her killing people on a daily basis.

'It's for the good of the world. We need the extra manpower.'

He knocked before entering, and found 18 once again laying in his bed, sound asleep. He moved to wake her up, but suddenly stopped himself. She looked rather… cute while she was asleep. If only she could be like this all the time. But no, she had to go and destroy half the planet.

'I'll never forgive you for it.' he thought angrily. 'Even if you're not that person anymore, I'll never forgive you. You and your brother took away my father, my friends, my master. I'll never forgive you!'

But he had to pretend. Pretend that there was nothing to forgive. The thought made him sick. He briefly wondered if this was how the other Z Fighter's felt when Piccolo and his father first joined up with them. To be fair, Piccolo, or rather, Piccolo's father, had probably killed just as many people as 18. And his own father had killed more people than 17 and 18 combined. After all, he knew about his father's former life as a space pirate, taking over and then selling planets in Frieza's name, sometimes just blowing them up completely.

'But they changed willingly.' He reminded himself. 'They chose to leave behind their dark paths. She didn't. Her memories were erased. Otherwise she'd still be as evil and sadistic as ever.'

His fists clenched as he was once again overcome with the urge to blast her. Did the planet really need her? He was plenty strong, maybe even the strongest fighter in the entire universe. 18 couldn't match him in strength. So if another evil freak did come along that was stronger than him, 18 couldn't hope to beat them. So what use was she?

'What would Goku do?'

Sometimes he really wished he could be the bad guy, just once. But he couldn't bring himself to do it. He would do whatever it took to protect those he cared about, but he couldn't outright kill someone who wasn't posing a threat to anyone, no matter how much he despised them.

"Hey, 18, wake up." He said, tapping her arm.

18 frowned in her sleep. Then her eyes slowly opened. She looked up at Trunks with a disappointed look on her face. "I was dreaming." She said. "But it doesn't mean anything. I know that sometimes amnesic patients will have dreams that turn out to be memories. I was hoping I would."

Trunks crossed his arms. "You don't have amnesia, 18. Your memories aren't being blocked off or repressed. They're erased. Wiped clean."

18 looked down, a slightly irritated look on her face. "You have no idea how frustrating it is not remembering anything. I just want to know who I am. Is that so much to ask for?"

Trunks shook his head. "No, it's only natural. But you'll never find the answers in this room. I can't do anything about your memories aside from telling you what I know about you, but once my mom reprograms you, perhaps some of your old personality will return. She said it would."

18 sighed. "I suppose you're right. Nothing's going to be accomplished with me being in here. I'm just wasting time. Besides, I probably already threw a tantrum about being forcibly turned into a cyborg when I first found out about it."

Trunks sweat-dropped. "I don't know about that. I, uh, hadn't met you yet."

18 looked down. "Oh." She looked back up at Trunks. "Do you really think that reprogramming me will get me back to normal?"

'Quite the opposite.' But there was no way he was going to tell her that. "I do. But like I said, we won't be able to give you back your memories. At least you'll still be the same person you were back then." 'Without the destructive nature.'

The blond android remained silent for a moment. "What if… I don't want to go back to normal?"

Trunks raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

She hesitated. "Well, what if I wasn't happy with the way I was before. Maybe I'll be better off making a fresh start."

'Too risky.' Trunks decided. He would not let her wander around freely unless she was programmed for good. "I think you'll be better off going back to the way you were before. You were really happy back then. You had a lot of friends, and you smiled all the time, even though your humanity was stolen. The only thing you didn't like was that we couldn't stop 17's rampage. But with him gone, you can go back to being the happy person you were before. I know we won't be able to replace the precious memories you've lost, but we can make new ones together."

He watched her face brighten up and mentally patted himself on the back for coming up with such a convincing speech so quickly. Maybe now she would come downstairs and the reprogramming could begin.

18 gave him a grateful smile and stood up. "Thanks a lot, Trunks. I really appreciate everything you've done for me. I'm very grateful to you."

He gave her a forced smile. "Just glad I can help."

Then, before he could react, she surprised him by kissing him on the cheek. She gave him a small smile and left the room, leaving Trunks standing there in surprise. But slowly a scowl crossed his face and he aggressively wiped off his cheek before heading downstairs.

He heard his mother's scream of fright, which he meant that she had seen 18. It made him grin slightly, even though he knew he shouldn't find humor in his mother's fear.

"O-Oh, so you've come out." Bulma stuttered.

18 nodded. "Yes, I'm sorry for the trouble." She frowned. "Are you ok, you're looking a little pale."

Bulma gulped. "Um, no, I'm fine. I was just wondering where TRUNKS went."

"I'm right here." the half saiyan replied. Apparently his mother's acting skills hadn't improved. "Is everything ready?"

Bulma took a moment to calm herself. "Y-Yup, everything's all set. We can start anytime you want." She gave 18 a smile that was a little too friendly. "How about we start now?"

18 shrugged. "It's not like I have anything else to do. Besides, I want some answers."

Bulma laughed humorlessly. "Well then, just lay down on this table here, and I'll have you back to normal in no time."

Trunks raised an eyebrow. "I thought you said it would take months."

Bulma threw him a death glare. "Well, yeah, to complete the process, but I should be able to get down the basics quickly enough." She turned back to the android, patting the test table. "Now, 18, if you'll just come over here."

18 eyed her suspiciously for a moment before glancing at Trunks. When he nodded to her, she went and laid down on the table. Bulma was quick to hook her up. 18 gave Trunks a worried look. He gave her what he hoped was an encouraging smile, and she relaxed a little.

A few minutes later, she was, not quite asleep, but in a hibernate-like state, and the reprogramming had begun. Trunks may have been smart, but this was way above his level of intelligence. So he let his mother handle this.

"Hey, Mom, I still don't fully understand this whole programming thing. I know about programming computers and stuff, but 18 isn't like a computer. She can think and act for herself. What guarantee do we have that once you program her, she won't go bad by choice?"

Bulma thought about it for a moment. "Well, I guess there is no real guarantee. It all comes down to choice, just like it does with everyone else. But by programming her to be a protector rather than a destroyer, it increases the likeliness that she'll choose good. I guess you can compare her programming to your saiyan instincts. You saiyans are a warrior race, as your father was so fond of reminding me. Fighting is in your blood, and it's hard to resist. From what I can tell, nearly all saiyans were ruthless thugs, but they can make the conscious decision not to go down that path. Take Goku for example, he was a saiyan, but he chose not to be a brute. But fighting was still in his blood, and he couldn't resist it. Not even you and Gohan could resist your saiyan instincts and desire to fight and become stronger. So it'll sort of be the same way for 18, though she can choose not to follow it."

'During which case I'll have to destroy her.' Trunks said to himself. "I guess that's what happened with Dr. Gero. He programmed 17 and 18 for world domination and to obey him. They didn't resist the world domination part, but they went against their programming of obeying him, and instead they destroyed them."

Bulma was nodding along with what Trunks was saying. "Which is why it's very important not to let her know of her true past. Because even if I do reprogram her, if she minds out what she was really like, she may go against her programming and turn back to her wicked ways."

'And I secretly hope that will happen.' Trunks thought selfishly. He looked back at the 'sleeping' android. 'For your sake, you better follow your new programming.'

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The days turned into weeks. Bulma's reprogramming process of 18 was turning out to be successful so far, much to Trunks' disappointment. And while his mother was programming 18, Trunks was busy teaching her to control her powers. They had decided, for safety reasons, not to give her full programming knowledge of what she was capable of before the program that classified her as a protector was finished, just in case.

That wasn't to say that 18 wasn't capable of accessing those powers. She still had the skills, just not the knowledge to use them. Trunks was merely training her to control her abilities, though he also added in a few extra things, such as how to detect energy levels. He had to be careful though. 18 was still very powerful. She was actually stronger than him when he was in his normal state, and when he was a Super Saiyan. But when he became an Ascended Saiyan, she stood no chance. He therefore mostly trained with her at the Super Saiyan level so they were more even.

During these training sessions, they discovered that 18's power had no limitations. Not only would her energy never run out, but she was also capable of getting stronger, just like anyone else. Trunks made sure to always keep that in mind. He wouldn't risk allowing her to become stronger than him again.

They also found out other interesting aspects about her. Things that would be considered a necessity to normal people, such as eating, drinking, and sleeping, were not needed, unless they were for luxury purposes. Her artificial parts were in perfect sync with her organic parts. Bulma estimated that 18 would be able to live, or function, or whatever she was doing, for perhaps a full century. This made Trunks feel a little more at ease, knowing that 18 wouldn't live forever, and he would be able to pass on without fear of her going back to her destructive ways and being unable to stop her.

But then his thoughts turned to someone who would live forever. Who was even stronger than both 17 and 18. Who was the real ultimate experiment of Dr. Gero.

Cell.

17 and 18 were imperfect beings in Dr. Gero's opinion. They were meant to be tests subjects, the keys to world domination before Cell absorbed them to become a perfect being that would bring forth universal domination. Cell was the final goal. 17 and 18 were just practice, mere steppingstones to get to that final stage.

But Cell was keeping a low profile. Wherever he was, Trunks knew that he was slowly gaining power with the more people he absorbed. Trunks hated it, but he was once again forced to wait until Cell revealed himself, the coward.

His gaze shifted to 18 as she went about her training. He knew Cell would be after her. He would have to leave her behind when he did find out where Cell was. It could be troublesome if he managed to absorb her. True, he should be able to defeat Cell even if he did absorb 18, but why take the risk? Besides, it'd also be a waste after all this time and effort he and his mother were doing with reprogramming her.

"Hey, Trunks, you ok?"

Trunks blinked, coming out of his thoughts. "Huh? What?"

18 cocked her head to the side. "Well, you look like there's something on your mind."

'Damn. Can't tell her about Cell.' He tried his best to look sincere. "It's nothing, just thinking about things."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Trunks felt the urge to scowl. At times like these, when she showed genuine concern and caring, it was hard to hate her. But all he had to do was remind himself what she did and his hatred would come back.

"Thanks, but I'm fine."

She studied him for a moment before sitting on the ground in front of him. "Can we talk for a bit?"

With a sigh, Trunks joined her on the ground. He expected her to inquire him about her past some more like she usually did. "Fine, what do you want to know this time?"

She was silent for a moment before asking, "Are you angry with me?"

Trunks was caught off guard by the question. "W-What do you mean?"

She frowned slightly. "Well, it seems like, most of the time, you seem angry when I'm around. Your mother too, only she seems more afraid than angry."

Trunks silently swore. Was it that obvious? He knew his mother wasn't doing too good of a job with hiding her fear, though it had gotten better, but he had thought that he had been doing a better job at hiding how he really felt about her.

"What do you mean by angry?"

18 shrugged. "I don't know. I feel like you're holding a grudge against me for something. Did I do something to upset you before I lost my memories?"

Trunks began to slightly panic. This hadn't been part of the plan that he and his mother had come up with. He would have to be more careful with his emotions in the future. In the mean time, he would have to think of some excuse to give her.

He decided to focus on his mother first. "Well, for my mom, you see, she's always been a little afraid of you."

18 raised an eyebrow. "Why, did I do something?"

"Not necessarily. It's actually Dr. Gero she's afraid of. You see, 17 put us through hell. And even though you're nothing like him, the fact that you're also one of Dr. Gero's creations makes her uneasy."

18 was silent, running this information through her head. "I see. Well, I guess I can't blame her for being concerned. After all, I could kill her very easily." She gave him a serious look. "But I would never do that. I'll never hurt anyone."

Trunks resisted the urge to snort. 'Wanna bet?'

"It's not just because of my programming either." She continued. "Even before your mother started working on me, I never wanted to hurt anyone." Her eyes narrowed slightly and a determine look came across her face. "I can't help being what I am, but that doesn't affect who I am. I'll never be like 17. In fact, I'm glad I can't remember him. Seeing the condition he left the world in, I know that I'm better off not remembering everything he did."

If only that had been true when she first been activated all those years ago. But at least now she was heading in the right direction.

"And what about you?"

He gave her a confused look. "What do you mean?"

She cut her eyes at him, looking annoyed, as if she knew he was playing dumb. "Now I know what you mother's problem with me is, but why do you see to be angry with me all the time."

Trunks wracked his brain for an excuse. What reason would he have to be angry with a person who he claimed he was friends and allies with? It would have to be something good. Something really convincing that could be held as a grudge for a long time.

And there was something he was able to come up with. He was only able to come up with it because it was true. Even now, the hurt, the betrayal, the anger he felt back then still remained. And it was the only thing he had to go with.

"It's a long story, but I'll try to narrow it down. You remember when I told you about my master, Gohan, right?" When she nodded, he continued. "Well, when I was about 13, I was nowhere near as strong as I am now. You and Gohan were the strongest ones around. One day 17 went on the attack. You, me, and Gohan were there, but Gohan was badly injured; he'd lost his arm in the last battle. You and he were going to go after 17, and I wanted to come, but Gohan wouldn't allow it, and you agreed with him."

18 nodded. "Ok, but I don't see where you're going with this."

"Just listen." He replied, and some of the anger he had felt back then began to surface. "I begged you two to take me with you. And Gohan finally gave in. But then you… you knocked me out. Then the two of you went off to fight 17 while I was unconscious." Angry tears crept up his eyes. "Gohan didn't survive the fight. I found his body several hours later after I woke up. I was really sad that he had died, but I was also very angry. Not with 17, at least not entirely, but also with him, and with you. I felt that if I had been there, that I could have helped. That even if we didn't defeat 17, maybe all three of us would have still come out of it alive." He wiped away his tears and looked up at 18. "I know you two were trying to keep me safe, but I don't think I was ever able to fully forgive the two of you. So… that's why I seem angry all the time."

18 stared at him in stunned silence. She seemed at a loss of what to do. But finally she approached him and wrapped her arms around him, much to Trunks' surprise.

"I'm so sorry." she said, holding him tightly. "No wonder you're so angry with me. I would be furious if I had been in your position." She pulled back and, to Trunks' amazement, wiped away tears from her own eyes. "Listen, Trunks, this may not mean much coming from me now, but I'm sorry. I may not remember that happening, but I do know that I must have had your best interests at heart. I must have been afraid of losing you. I know Gohan must have felt the same way. From what you've told me about him, he really cared about you."

'He did!' Trunks thought furiously. 'He was like my brother! And you killed him! You and 17 slaughtered him like you did so many others! Damn it, Gohan, why did you have to fight them on your own? You knew how lethal they were, so why?'

A blinding rage suddenly struck him. But it was different from before. This rage wasn't directed at 18, or even 17. No, it was directed at Gohan. He was suddenly furious with his mentor. He may have changed the story to fool 18, but he realized that one part of what he had said was true. He was angry with Gohan. He felt betrayed and abandoned. At the time, the outlet of his anger had been the androids, but now he realized for the first time that he was angry with Gohan as well, and always had been.

"Why?" he whispered, his voice starting to crack as more tears welled up in his eyes. "Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why did you have to go? Why didn't you let me fight? Why did you have to die and leave me alone?"

He wasn't even speaking to 18 anymore, but was instead releasing a powerful rage that had stayed dormant in him for years. In a flash, he was suddenly an Ascended Saiyan.

"WHY?"

With a cry of rage, he slammed his fists on the ground, creating a crater that was over fifty feet wide. A golden aura danced around him angrily as all his grief erupted. The ground cracked and the clouds swirled overhead, caught in the energy field of his power.

He wasn't sure how long he sat in that crater breathing heavily, but he eventually became conscious of a pair of arms around him. It took him a moment to realize that 18 was holding him in a comforting hug, quietly shushing him in his emotional state.

Finally his power died down and he returned to normal. His anger soon gave way to despair, and he suddenly found himself crying. Crying like he hadn't cried in years. All the while 18 held him, allowing him to release his grief. He didn't have the strength to pull away from her.

'I hate you for what you did.'

He wouldn't realize until much later that the person that that final thought had been directed at hadn't been 18, or even 17.

It had been Gohan.

Chapter 4: She's So Stubborn

Thankfully, 18 hadn't asked any other serious questions like she had those few months ago. It was a relief really. He didn't think he could handle anymore questions, at least not without leaving holes in his story. That isn't to say that she wasn't still curious about her past, which Trunks and Bulma were forced to lie and stretch the truth about in order to give her satisfactory answers.

As time went on, and more of her reprogramming was completed, 18's old personality returned. Not the homicidal darker side of her, but the stubborn snobby attitude was back. Arrogance and playfulness was common in her, but she wasn't homicidal. Her girly side also returned as well. 18 could spend hours shopping and trying on clothes, much to Trunks' horror. And to Bulma's horror, as it was her clothes that 18 tried on since she wasn't allowed to go out.

"Why do I have to stay here all the time?" she demanded one day.

Trunks had a ready answer for her. "Because the people may be afraid of you. Though you may be different from 17, the fact that you share the same creator will have people frightened."

18 crossed her arms and looked away irritably. "It's been months now. My reprogramming is almost finished, and I'm not a danger to anyone. I'm tired of trying on your mother's clothes and pretending they're new. I want to go shopping like a normal girl!"

Trunks sighed. She was becoming increasingly difficult to deal with. She did have a bit of an attitude problem, just as she did before her memories were erased. Sometimes he wondered how 17 put up with her.

"18, look, I know it's frustrating, but think of this from their point of view. They've been at 17's mercy for years. Now that he's gone, just when they're rebuilding society, another one of Dr. Gero's creations appears. How would you feel?"

18 humphed. "Fine, whatever. Just leave me alone."

Without another word, she took off. Trunks groaned. Should he follow her? She'd be able to sense him if he did, and would no doubt be angry; reprogrammed or not, 18 had a temper. But if he didn't follow her, he'd never be able to find her unless she returned since he couldn't sense her power level. Then again, she would have to come back. Where else did she have to go?

With a sigh, he went back inside. He came across his mother, who was once again absorbed in her work. "Hey, Mom. What are you working on?"

Bulma glared at him. "I'm trying to repair the training robots you and that android destroyed during your last training session." Her eyes narrowed at Trunks' nervous grin, then she sighed. "Oh, I don't know why I expected any different from you. Your father destroyed them all the time. My father fell behind on his work all the time because he had to keep repairing them." She gave her son a smile and a wink. "Like father, like son."

Trunks sweat-dropped. "Sorry, Mom. We'll try and be more careful in the future."

"See that you do." She looked around. "Speaking of which, where's 18?"

Trunks shrugged. "Don't know. She took off somewhere."

"What, and you let her?"

Trunks tapped his chin. "Well, didn't think it'd be a problem. She may be a bit stuck up, but she hasn't hurt anyone since… then. Besides, she's programmed to protect now, not destroy."

Bulma crossed her arms. "Trunks Brief, you get your tailless saiyan butt out there right now and bring her back this instant! Honestly, what if someone sees her?"

"I thought we had a plan for that."

Bulma grumbled. "Yes, if she's discovered, we'll tell everyone that we caught and reprogrammed her. But still, that wouldn't stop the hatred for her. I know you haven't forgiven her."

Trunks' eyes narrowed. No, he hadn't forgiven her, he never would, but he was no longer blinded with rage while being in her presence. Even Bulma had gotten used to her. She was no longer paralyzed with fear, but she did remain on edge. It would still be a while before either of them would be able to be around 18 without feeling some sort of resentment.

"Ok, ok, I'll go look for her." he grumbled.

"And be quick about it."

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Not being able to sense where 18 was hiding was very frustrating. He had no idea where to look, and if she didn't want to be found, she wouldn't be.

"Stubborn android." He mumbled. "She probably went to a clothes store or something just to spite me."

That's when it became obvious. Of course, that's exactly what she would do. She'd get to go where she wanted, and tick him off at the same time.

'Killing two birds with one stone.' He thought irritably. 'She better not be where I think she is.'

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Like hell she was going to stay in that lab for the rest of her life. She appreciated Bulma and Trunks' hospitality, but she was beginning to feel like a prisoner.

'Was this how things were before I lost my memories?' she wondered.

She doubted it. She didn't think she was the type person who would let anyone push her around. So she wouldn't let that happen now. No one was going to tell her what to do.

That didn't mean that she didn't take Trunks' warning seriously. So even though she was going against his wishes, she was still taking precautions. She made sure to keep her face well hidden beneath a large hat and a large coat.

'I just have to make sure that no one sees me out of disguise.'

That shouldn't be too hard. Of course, it made clothes shopping less fun. She had to stay in the changing room while she tried on clothes and couldn't show off to the public. What a drag. Showing off her new clothes was part of the fun.

With a sigh, she took off the dress she had been trying on and put on her coat again. It was too bad she couldn't buy anything. Some of these outfits were really cute. But she'd settle for what enjoyment she could get.

Leaving the discarded clothes behind, she went out and began browsing through the swimwear section.

"Hmm, should I try the two-piece, or the one-piece?" she wondered out loud.

A hand suddenly landed on her shoulder. "Does it matter? You won't be swimming anytime soon."

18 froze. She was busted. Turning around, she looked up into the angry eyes of Trunks. "Trying things on is fun in itself." She told him. "How'd you find me?"

Trunks crossed his arms. "I just thought to myself, where would 18 go after I told her she can't go out in public. Then it hit me. She'd go out in public. And this mall has the biggest clothes store around. After that, it was just a matter of finding the one person I couldn't sense. Oh, and your costume is a bit of a give away."

18 shrugged. "It keeps who I am hidden."

"It also draws attention and makes you look like a criminal. Now lets go, we're going back."

"Whatever."

Following Trunks, they walked out of the store and down a dark alley. From there, when they were sure that no one could see them, they took flight. Neither said anything the whole way back. The silence eventually got to Trunks and he glanced back at 18. She was giving him the silent treatment. Damn it, why did she have to be so stubborn?

"Look, 18," he muttered, "I know you're upset, but I only have everyone's best interests at heart. Yours Included."

18 glared at him. "I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself." When Trunks opened his mouth to say something, she cut him off. "Don't think I'm ungrateful. I appreciate everything you and your mother have done for me, but I'm not going to obey your every whim."

Trunks raised an eyebrow. "What every whim? We simply requested that you not reveal yourself. Is that so much to ask?"

"It's so restricting! I can't go anywhere, can't do anything. I'm confined to that damn house all the time. I want to go out and enjoy myself every now and then. So I'm an android, so what? So Dr. Gero created me, who cares? An android is what I am, not who I am." She pointed an accusing finger at him. "And you're a saiyan, aren't you? Weren't saiyans a bloodthirsty race of savage space pirates? Yet you're not like that. You're a good person, Trunks. I can see that. And I know about your father too. The fearsome saiyan prince. Didn't he once spread fear through everyone's hearts? But he got to settle down and make a life for himself here, didn't he? And wasn't Piccolo the same way? He was obsessed with concurring the world. Everyone knew and feared him, yet he too was accepted eventually."

Trunks' eye twitched. She was treading on dangerous ground. But she did make good points. Saying that there was a difference between her and his father, or her and Piccolo would make him a hypocrite. Perhaps he was treating her unfairly because of his past experience with her.

"My father and Piccolo may have settled down, but they never did reveal themselves to the public. My father's identity was never known outside of our family and friends. And as for Piccolo, when he did go out, he took on a different name."

18 rolled her eyes. "Oh, he took on a different name, did he? As if that would make a difference. He sort of stands out in a crowd and is easily recognizable, even if he does change his name."

Trunks groaned. He could tell that she wasn't going to back down. Damn her for being so stubborn.

He sighed and decided to meet her halfway. "Alright, I can see that we're not going to agree so let's compromise." She looked interested. "I'll allow you to go out every now and then, if you follow two conditions."

18 narrowed her eyes. "Depends what they are."

He ignored her stuck up tone. "Number one, you're going to have to continue to disguise yourself."

"I figured as much. Though I'm going to have to get a better one. This coat is too hot."

"And number two, you're not allowed to go out without me."

18 sighed. "I should have seen that coming." She gave him a cocky grin. "Very well, it's a deal."

Trunks frowned. Something about the way she smiled at him made him think he had played right into her hands.

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Trunks regretted the second condition for letting 18 go out. The girl could try on clothes for hours at a time. And she always insisted on getting his opinion on each outfit. When he voiced this complaint to his mother one day after a long 3 hour shopping spree, she just smiled at him and said, "When you get a girlfriend, that's just something you're going to have to get used to. Though your father wasn't very fond of shopping with me either."

Trunks had dismissed this as common motherly advice that didn't mean anything. However, 18 had overheard Bulma's words, and had taken them much more seriously. It got her thinking about something that had been at the back of her mind all this time, but she had never voiced it. But the next day, while they were taking a break during their training, she finally decided to talk about what was on her mind.

"Hey, Trunks?"

"Hmm?"

She considered her words. "How long have we been together?"

Trunks gave her a confused look. "What exactly do you mean by 'together'?"

She rolled her eyes. Did she have to spell it out for him? "How long have we been boyfriend and girlfriend?"

Trunks fell over. Out of all the things she could have said, that was the absolute last thing he expected to hear from her. "W-What? What the heck made you ask that?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh, did you think I forgot? I could never forget my first memory. Well, my first memory since getting my old memory erased." She cocked her head to the side. "When I regained conscious after the accident, I asked who you were. You told me you were my boyfriend. Remember?"

Trunks felt his stomach drop from beneath him. He had completely forgotten about that. Furthermore, he hadn't been serious. When she asked who he was, he thought she was trying to trick him. So he had given her a sarcastic remark. She had taken it seriously?

'Oh hell, I did not see this coming.'

So now what did he say? Did he tell her that he wasn't serious? That would be rather harsh. 18 had spent all this time thinking they were a couple. To tell her that what she had been led to believe was a lie might shake her trust in him. She might begin questioning other things he told her too.

'Come on, Trunks, think of something. Hurry up, she's waiting for an answer.'

18 tapped her fingers impatiently. "Well, aren't you going to say anything?"

"I… well… it's just… What made you ask that all of a sudden?"

She shrugged. "I've been thinking about it for a while. You certainly don't treat me like a girlfriend. You never show me any affection. So I was just curious about our relationship. Did something happen, or are you just not good with romance?"

Trunks felt a twinge of irritation. "I'm perfectly fine with romance!" he blurted out without thinking. "The reason I haven't done anything is because… well… because you forgot everything."

He noticed 18's eyebrows rise. This seemed like a good enough excuse. He could use her loss of memories as a reason for his careless use of words those months ago.

"It would have been awkward, wouldn't it?" he asked. "Having a boy you have no memory of to be putting the moves on you. I was just being courteous. I didn't want to make you uncomfortable. So I was holding myself back. Putting our relationship on pause, if you will."

He noticed her eyes soften. She seemed to be accepting what he was saying. That was good. Now if she would just let the subject drop, they could pretend this never happened and have things go back to normal.

Unfortunately that was not to be the case. "Well, you don't have to worry about that. I think we can get our relationship back on track."

A feeling of dread washed over Trunks. How was he going to talk his way out of this? "I don't know. It just won't be the same. With your memories gone, it's almost like we're strangers."

18 smirked. "Trunks, we've been living together for the past 7 months. I may not remember what happened before then," she batted her eyes at him, "but we're certainly not strangers."

Trunks felt himself blush and looked away. She was flirting with him. Actually flirting with him. This was not good.

He suddenly felt her hug him from behind. He could feel her breath tickle his ear as she spoke seductively to him. "Even though I don't remember what I was like before, something tells me that when I wanted something, I went after it. So, Trunks, what do you say we pick up where we left off before my accident."

She blew softly in his ear and a chill ran through Trunks. He wasn't blind. Regardless of the grudge he held against her, he couldn't help but be attracted to her. She was stunningly beautiful, only a fool would think otherwise. But he had to remind herself of who she really was and what she had done.

Taking hold of her arms, he shrugged out of her grasp. "I don't think this is such a good idea. Things are different between us now."

18 crossed her arms, a knowing smirk on her face. "Perhaps. But you said yourself that I've become more like my old self. Don't worry about my memory loss. I'm fine with it. You won't be taking advantage of me."

"18, stop it!" he snapped. "Things can't go back to the way they were before, so just let it go."

18 frowned. She studied him for a moment before sighing. "Figures you'd be the gentleman type when I don't want you to be." She shook her head and smiled. "Well, no matter, we have all the time in the world. I'm sure I can get through to you."

"Don't bet on it." Trunks grunted. He just wished he sounded more convincing.

18 must have picked up the uncertainty in his voice, because she just smirked at him. "We'll see. Something tells me that I was also the type of person who didn't give up until they got what they wanted." Her grin widened. "You may be stronger than me physically, but I'll bet that I have a stronger willpower than you do." She winked at him. "I'll get through to you soon enough."

Trunks growled irritably. Great, that was just what he needed; his former enemy, turned alley through lies, was out to seduce him. Why, oh why did he have to make that sarcastic remark back then?

"Come on, lets head back." He mumbled, trying to drop the subject. "We're done for today."

18 stretched, deliberately showing off her figure. "I'm fine with that. I really need a shower." She gave him a sexy grin. "Care to join me?"

Trunks blushed profoundly. "Cut it out, 18!"

She chuckled and walked past him in a casual manner. She stopped next to him and ran her fingers through his now shoulder length hair. "I like your hair long like this. Keep it that length for me, will you."

Trunks groaned as she took off. Things had just became a lot more difficult.

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Trunks wasn't sure if he should tell his mother about this new dilemma. How could he explain to his mother that 18 thought she was his girlfriend? What a catastrophe. Why did he have to be a smartass back then. He could have simply told her that he was her death, that would have been just as intimidating, and it couldn't be mistaken as something serious.

No doubt his mother would kill him. Maybe he shouldn't tell her and just deal with the situation on his own. How could she help him anyway?

He was still debating on what to do when they landed by Capsule Corp. The moment they arrived, Bulma came running out the door, looking worried.

"Trunks, thank goodness you're back!"

Trunks blinked. "We weren't gone that long. You knew we were off train-"

"No, that's not the problem!" She cried. "It's Cell!"

Chapter 5: Monster on the Loose

Cell? Did she say Cell? That couldn't be. He would have sensed his presence. But he didn't feel anything. Was he suppressing his power?

"What? Cell's here? Now?"

18 raised an eyebrow. "Who's Cell?"

Bulma ignored her. "No, he's not here. He's… Oh, just come inside; I'll show you."

Ignoring the confused android, Trunks and Bulma hurried inside. Bulma quickly went over to the TV and turned it on. There was nothing but static.

"He was on TV." Bulma explained. "I recorded it for you. Look."

She rewound the recording until there was picture again. A newsman was standing in front of the camera. In the background was a city. Clothes covered the streets, as if all the people had just disappeared and left their garments behind.

"…and there is still no explanation for this strange phenomenon." The newsman was saying. "These disappearances are becoming more and more common, yet we know nothing about it. Where did everyone go, and why are all their clothes being left behind?"

18 raised an eyebrow. She hadn't been told about Cell, so she was completely bewildered by what was going on. "What's up with this? Did everyone decide to go streaking or something?"

"Shush!" Bulma scolded. "Just watch."

"Could this be some elaborate hoax?" the newsman continued. "Is there some sort of new nudist cult that's going around recruiting people? Or perhaps there's a new danger threatening the planet? Whatever the case, authorities have informed us that they will get to the will get to the bottom of this. Let us just all hope and pray that when the time comes… the… the time comes… Hey, what are you doing? Keep the camera on me."

"Alright," said Bulma, "here it comes."

Whoever was operating the camera had begun shaking in fear. "B-B-Behind you!"

The newsman turned, and a green scaly tail flew into frame, hitting him in the head. The newsman went down and the cameraman screamed. He dropped the camera and the sound of his footsteps running away were heard. The camera fell, and for a brief moment, the hideous form of Cell was scene before the camera hit the ground.

The unconscious newsman's arm was still in frame, but that was it. There was the sound of flesh being pierced, which Trunks assumed was Cell stabbing the newsman with his tail. He watched in horror as the arm of the newsman shriveled up like a raisin and then seemed to deflate until it was just a sheet of skin. From there, the sheet of skin got thinner and thinner until it was transparent, and then finally disappearing completely.

There was an evil chuckle from Cell, and then the sound of him walking closer to the camera was heard. Cell's scaly foot was seen for a brief moment, stomping down on the camera, before the picture went blank and the message Please Stand By was seen.

Trunks felt like he was going to be sick. He knew that Cell absorbed people, but to actually see it was awful, and the only thing that he could see had been the man's arm. What a horrible way to die.

18's eyes were wide and fearful. "W-What… the hell… was that?"

Trunks growled. "That was Cell. He's a monster. I've been searching for him for a while."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

He glanced at her. "It was on a need to know basis, and you didn't need to know." He turned back to Bulma. "How long ago was this?"

"About 20 minutes." She replied.

Trunks' fists clenched. "Then there may still be time. I'll have to go see if I can catch him."

Bulma nodded. "Be careful."

"I will."

He hurried off, hoping he would be able to catch up with Cell before he slipped away again. He didn't want anyone else to suffer that monster's wrath.

'But damn it, why did it have to happen now, just when I finished training. No time to rest though. I have to put an end to this nightmare once and for all.'

The sound of a second pair of footsteps brought him out of his thoughts. He glanced over his shoulder and saw 18 running after him.

"What are you doing?" he demanded.

"What do you think?" she snapped back. "I'm going with you! Do you think I'd let you face that monster on your own? Didn't you see what that thing did to that man?"

Yes, he saw. The image was eternally burned into his memory. "I know what I'm doing, 18. I don't need your help. Stay here with my mother."

"The hell with that!" 18 cried. "I'm not staying behind. Isn't this what I was programmed to do; save the world from freaks like this?"

"I've got more than enough power to defeat this guy. But I can't be worrying about you while I'm fighting him. You'd just get in the way."

"Hey, I can take care of myself. You're not leaving me behind."

Once outside, they took to the air. Trunks was getting impatient as she continued to follow him.

"Go back, 18. This isn't up for debate. I need you to stay out of this."

"I'm going, Trunks." She insisted. "And there's nothing you can say that will convince me otherwise."

Trunks had had enough. He transformed and turned to face her. "No, you're not!" he shouted, his power flaring up around him. "I'm putting my foot down this time, 18! Go back now!"

He said nothing more. Turning his back on the startled android, he took off towards the city he hoped to find Cell in.

18 crossed her arms and watched as he flew off. "Jerk."

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The city was completely empty. The only signs that it had at one point been populated were the clothes that littered the street. In a way, this was worse than what the androids did. In the past, they left a trail of destruction and ruin, the bodies of their victims either blown to pieces or left rotting in the streets. But this was different. There was no destruction, no sign of life of any kind. Just a cold eerie emptiness.

Trunks felt a chill run up his spin. Destruction he could handle. He had grown up with it. But this, this was just too creepy. It was worse than the androids. They had merely gone around destroying everything in their path. But Cell, he hunted his victims down like animals. Like nothing more than cattle. No, not even.

"Cell," he growled. "I'll find you. I swear I will. And then I'll end you."

His eyes roamed around the city. Cell was still here somewhere. He may have been suppressing his power, but Trunks could feel that he was still here somewhere.

'Where are you hiding, Cell? Come out where I can see you.'

He walked through the deserted town. If only it really was deserted instead of totally wiped out. How could someone do this? Who took pleasure in killing and making others suffer? He just couldn't understand it.

He froze in his tracks when he came across a certain pair of clothes. They were small, very small. And there was even a diaper in the pile. This had been an infant! Cell had even stolen the lives of children. He'd taken their lives before they even had a chance to live.

"Cell…" he seethed.

His power began rising as he began losing control of his temper. Damn that monster. Where the hell was he? He was here somewhere. Somewhere close by too. He was watching him. Watching and waiting for the chance to suck him up as well. He could fell the freak's evil gaze looking right at him. But where was he?

'There!'

Whirling around, Trunks unleashed a powerful blast of energy. For a brief moment, he saw a figure standing on top of a building before it disappeared, right before his energy blast hit.

Trunks' eyes narrowed as he zeroed in on his target. "So, you've finally come out… Cell."

The creature's eyes widened in surprise. Knowing its cover was blown, it came in for a landing. "I must say, I'm surprised you know that name."

Trunks smirked. "Why? You know my name, don't you?"

Cell snickered. "Oh yes, I know you quite well. The half-saiyan son of Bulma and Vegeta. Quite an unexpected pairing, don't you think?"

Trunks' fists clenched. "I didn't come here for a conversation. I came here to destroy you."

Cell openly laughed. "Now that's funny. You, destroy me? What a joke. You may know who I am, but you have absolutely no idea what you're up against."

"I know exactly what I'm up against." Trunks snapped. "I've seen you before, Cell. In another place, another time."

If Cell had eyebrows, they would have raised in interest. "Another time, you say? So it's true then. I've heard rumors that your mother was attempting to create a time machine. I thought it was nonsense, but it looks like it's true after all. So I guess you've gone back already and met me in the past."

Trunks smirked in a way that would have made his father proud. "So you're not as stupid as you look. Yes, Cell, we met in the past. I know all about you. What you are, what you've been doing, and what you intend to do. And let me tell you, Cell, you'll never reach your perfect form."

Cell looked impressed. "So you say. But nothing will stop me from achieving ultimate perfection. It's my destiny, my fate."

Trunks was going to enjoy this. "I think it'll be pretty hard to absorb the androids when they're no longer around."

A flicker of concern appeared in Cell's eyes. "What do you mean?"

Trunks laughed, because he knew it would spite him. "You should have seen the look on 17's face just before I destroyed him. And 18, she was even weaker."

Cell's eyes widened. "No, it's not possible. You're… You're lying. The data says that there's no way you could be strong enough to defeat them."

"The data collected, maybe. But I went through some vigorous training when I went to the past. I've surpassed anything your data could have predicted. In fact," he grinned, "I was strong enough to hold you off in your perfect form."

"Impossible!"

Trunks shook his head. "Sorry, Cell, but it's true. For quite a while, the two of us were on equal ground." He shrugged. "If it's any consolation, you were stronger than me, but that was the perfect you. Right now, as you are, I've got more than enough power to take you out."

Cell growled angrily. It couldn't be true. The boy had to be lying. Even in his imperfect form, he was supposed to be the strongest being in the universe. He couldn't lose. Nothing could take away his destiny.

"Nice try, saiyan scum, but I'm calling your bluff. If you think you can intimidate me, then you're wrong. First I'm going to absorb you, then I'm going to use the time machine your mother created to save the world and use it to go to the past to when the androids were still alive. Then I'll become perfect."

Trunks sensed that the fight was about to begin, yet he couldn't resist saying, "Hate to be the burden of bad news, but you were destroyed in the time period I went to. Destroyed in your perfect form."

"You lie!"

"Sorry, but I'm telling you the truth. Your so-called ultimate perfect form failed. And to rub salt in the would, you were beaten by Gohan when he was but a child."

"Silence!" Cell shouted, taking on a fighting stance. "I will hear no more of this nonsense. Defeated in my perfect form, that's ridiculous. And even if it were true, I know for a fact that in this time period that Gohan is dead."

Trunks also took a fighting stance. "Yes, he is dead, but like I said earlier. As you are, I have all the power I need to take you out."

"We'll see!"

He launched a ball of energy at the saiyan. Trunks easily swatted it away, but Cell was suddenly at him, his scaly fist slamming into Trunks' jaw. Trunks grunted as Cell delivered several more powerful punches before finally sending him flying with a mighty kick., crashing into a building.

Cell smirked. "As I thought. You're all talk, with nothing to back your words up."

A blast of energy suddenly flew out of the cloud of smoke. Cell's eyes widened and he jumped over it.

"Rotten saiyan." He grunted.

Trunks suddenly appeared behind him and Cell froze. How could he move that fast? It wasn't possible.

With a growl, he spun around, throwing a punch. But Trunks disappeared again. Before Cell could pinpoint his location, a powerful kick sent him flying. Cell snarled and stopped his momentum, floating in midair. Trunks flew a short distance away, looking unharmed from the beating he had just received.

Cell's fists clenched. "Well, I have to admit, you did catch me off guard. But don't let that go to my head. I've got more tricks up my sleeve. Try this on for size. Special Beam Cannon!"

He fired Piccolo's signature move. Trunks vanished again, and suddenly, his fist was buried in Cell's gut. Now it was Cell who was receiving the beating by a series of rapid punches and kicks. When a powerful blow would have sent him flying, Trunks grabbed his tail, spun him around, and threw him. Cell went crashing into an empty store and kept going, breaking through the very ground.

Up in the air, Trunks looked down at the ruined store. He waited several seconds before crossing his arms and calling down, "Hey, Cell, I know you're still alive down there! Come out and face me!"

The ground exploded as Cell came bursting up. He dusted himself off and cracked his neck before turning his attention back to Trunks. "So you can back your words up. But it'll take more than that to defeat me. Destructo Disk!"

The blade of energy flew at Trunks. He easily caught it, being careful to not touch the edge; though simply holding the disk still burned. He unleashed his own energy and destroyed the disk. A moment later, Cell slammed into him from behind. He moved into Trunks path, balling his fists, and sending him crashing to the ground.

"And now you're mine!" he announced.

Flying down to where Trunks crashed, Cell stabbed downward with his tail. To his astonishment, Trunks' hand shot out and grabbed his tail, the stinger just inches from his face."

"What's wrong?" Trunks mocked. "You look surprised. Well guess what, I'm just warming up."

His power skyrocketed as he went beyond Super Saiyan level and went straight into Ascended Saiyan mode. His grip on Cell's tail tightened until there was a sick crunching sound. Cell howled in pain and jumped away; Trunks let him going.

Grabbing his tail, Cell began to massage it. The place where Trunks had grabbed was crushed, leaving deep imprints of the saiyan's hand. Cell snarled, glaring at Trunks. His healing ability kicked in and his tail returned to normal.

Trunks stood up, his body glowing with gold energy. "So, Cell, do you still think I'm bluffing?"

Cell growled. "You… Damn you. I'll make you pay. By the time I'm through with you-"

Trunks was suddenly at him, throwing a rapid series of punches to his gut. Cell grunted and groaned as Trunks' slammed into him again and again. He finally ended it with an energy blast that sent Cell flying backwards.

Doing a flip, Cell landed on his feet and cupped his hands together behind his back. "You will not stop me from achieving my destiny! Ka-me-ha-me-HA!"

Trunks froze in his tracks as Cell launched a powerful Kamehameha Wave. He braced himself, readying for the attack. He delivered a powerful kick to the energy blast, sending it flying into space.

Trunks looked back at Cell. "Is that all you've…"

But Cell was gone, using the attack as a diversion. Trunks tried feeling around for his energy, but before he picked up anything, a pair of powerful arms wrapped around him from behind, followed by a pair of muscular legs and a green scaly tail.

Cell chuckled in Trunks' ear. "Looking for me? You were careless."

"Damn you." Trunks grunted.

Cell waved his tail tauntingly in the boy's face, the pointy stinger inches from his skin. "You'll add a great deal of power to me."

His tail stabbed forward, piercing Trunks' shoulder. The young saiyan cried out in pain as Cell chuckled.

His laughter was cut short as an energy blast struck him in the face. Trunks pulled free and spun around, delivering a powerful kick to the monster, sending him flying into a building that came crashing down on him.

Trunks turned to the person who saved him. He already knew who it was, being unable to sense their energy. "I thought I told you to stay behind!"

18 cut her eyes at him. "I think the words you were searching for are 'thank you, 18, I owe you one'. Honestly, is it really that hard to show some gratitude?"

"Idiot!" Trunks scolded. "You're in danger here! I told you to stay home for a reason!"

The pile of rubble that had once been a building scattered everywhere as Cell burst up from underneath it. "Darn you. Who hit me?" His eyes widened as his gaze landed on 18. "It's you."

Chapter 6: Preventing Perfection

"Damn it!" Trunks swore. He hadn't wanted Cell to know that 18 was still alive. He should have expected her to follow him. She was so stubborn. If he had wanted her to stay behind, he probably should have told her to come with him.

Cell chuckled, turning his gaze back to Trunks. "So, the androids are gone, are they? I should have known you were lying. You, destroy my precious babies, it was nothing but a lie."

'Cat's out of the bag.' Trunks realized. "I never said 18 was dead. It was 17 that I destroyed." He glanced at 18. "And I wanted him to think you were dead to. It's you he's after."

18 raised an eyebrow, looking at Cell in disgust. "Me? What's this freak want with me? If you're looking for a date, sorry, I'm already taken."

Cell chuckled. "I have something much more intimate in mind besides a date."

He vanished, making a go at 18. Trunks anticipated this and moved in front of her, slamming his fist into Cell. The monster went flying backwards. He stopped his momentum and glared at the saiyan.

"Well, this is something I never thought I'd see. Protecting one of Dr. Gero's creations. That's a twist."

18 got over her surprise of Cell sudden attempt to attack her. "Hey, how do you know about…?"

Trunks realized that there was no point in hiding it any longer. "Because he's one of Dr. Gero's creations as well."

Cell smirked and 18 gasped, looking at the creature before her with new eyes. "You mean, he's… an android?"

Cell snickered. "I am."

"But I can sense his power level. I thought you couldn't sense androids' power."

Cell crossed his arms. "I'm only an android out of technicality. If you want to know the truth, I'm a clone."

18 frowned, looking at Cell's hideous form in disgust. "Of what, a mutant cicada?"

"You'd think so." Trunks replied, unable to resist the grin that crept up his face. "No, he's actually a combination of the strongest fighters in the world. Dr. Gero gathered the DNA of my father, Goku, Piccolo, Frieza, all the most powerful beings, and merged them together. With that he cloned them, and this is the result."

18 frowned. "Wow, either Dr. Gero really screwed up, or the people who's DNA he got were really ugly."

Cell chuckled. "You're only looking at the glass half empty, my dear. My creation is not complete yet. I still have to evolve, not once, but twice. Then I will be perfect."

"And that's why he wants you." Trunks explained. "He wants to absorb both you and 17. This will enable him to become complete."

18's eyes widened in horror. "What? Absorb? Like what he did to all those people?"

"It's not as bad as it seems." Cell told her. "This is what you were meant to do. You were created to become a part of me. That's why Dr. Gero made you and 17, so I could absorb you."

18 glared at him. "So he made us just so we can die at your hands? What a sick freak; the man was clearly mad."

Cell laughed again. "Mad he may be, but he was also brilliant. He knows that sacrifices must be made." He held out his hand. "Come to me, 18. You will become a part of something great. You will take part in creating the perfect being. A creature of incredible power unlike the world has ever seen before. This is your destiny; embrace it. I promise that it won't hurt a bit."

18 moved away from him. "You're sick. You actually want me to let you eat me? You've got one twisted mind. I'll never become a part of you. I'm happy with the way I am. I happen to like my life, and I'm content with what I have."

Cell smirked. "Foolish girl. You have to look at the bigger picture. This is what Dr. Gero always dreamed about. Become one with me, 18, and nothing can stand in our way!"

"Shut up!" 18 shouted. "There's no way in hell? I'd kill myself first." She looked at Trunks. "And you knew this, didn't you? That's why you wanted me to stay behind."

Trunks nodded. "I didn't want to risk him getting hold of you."

"Your efforts were in vain." Cell announced. "All you've managed to do was give me a way to go beyond perfection. First I'll absorb 18 and move onto my second stage. Then I'll absorb you for additional power." He chuckled. "After that, I'll use your time machine to go to the past to when both of the androids are still alive. I'll be able to absorb 18 a second time and then 17 to achieve perfection. I can even absorb my past self. That will have rather interesting results. Yes, this will go beyond anything Dr. Gero planned. I will be beyond perfect. I will be divine!"

His power flared up around him as he laughed like a mad man. All he had to do was get by Trunks, and then 18 would be his. He would have to be careful not to kill him though. He wanted Trunks' power, and he would have it. Nothing could stand in his way.

"YOU'RE MINE!"

He flew at Trunks at top speed and the two began exchanging blows. 18 gasped in surprise, startled by the display of power from the two of them. Once she got over her shock, she prepared to enter the battle.

"Hold on, I'm coming!"

"No!" Trunks shouted as he dodged Cell's fists while throwing his own. "I want you to stay out of this! I don't want to give him the chance to get you!"

18 hesitated. "But… Trunks…"

"I mean it, 18! Stay back!"

"It won't make a difference." Cell declared. "She'll be mine all the same. You said it yourself; I end up achieving ultimate perfection. Now all I have to do is be wary of Gohan when I go to the past and nothing can stop me."

"It won't end like that, Cell. I won't let it. If there's one thing I've learned from going back in time, it's that the future is not set in stone."

His fist collided with Cell's face, knocking the fiend back. Cell growled and stabbed forward with his tail. Trunks dodged it, but Cell repeated the attempt, fixated on absorbing the saiyan.

"I won't be defeated." He declared. "Even in my imperfect form, I'm superior to you in every way."

Trunks' hands shot out and he grabbed hold of the creature's tail. He began spinning him around, building up speed as he spun. Cell could do nothing as he went around faster and faster before he was finally released.

As he flew through the air, Trunks fired a blast of energy after him. Cell managed to stop himself and swat the energy blast away. His reptilian eyes flashed angrily as he glared at the saiyan.

"Nothing can stop my destiny!" he declared, raising his hands to his face. "Solar Flare!"

The sunlight flashed brightly. Both Trunks and 18 cried out as the light's intensity blinded them.

"Damn you!" Trunks shouted, covering his burning eyes. He should have expected this. The Cell he fought in the past did the same thing.

Cell grinned and flew at 18, wrapping his tail around her. He wasn't foolish enough to absorb her out here in the open. Solar Flare may be affective, but it only lasted so long. No, he'd take her to a secluded spot and absorb her. Then he'd finish Trunks off once and for all.

18 tried to cry out, but Cell's tail was wrapped tightly around her throat. Blinded and mute, she was at Cell's mercy as he carried her off somewhere in the city.

Trunks tried to open his eyes, wincing when he did. He still couldn't see. Everything was a big blur, completely impossible to make out anything. He had to hurry up and recover or else Cell would get away. Or worse, what if he…

"18, where are you?" He received no reply. His worst fears confirmed, he tried to sense Cell's presence, but the monster was masking his power. "Damn you, Cell, I won't let you do this!"

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Now at a safe distance, hidden among the empty buildings, Cell aggressively tossed 18 to the ground. He grinned in anticipation, already able to taste his new power.

"Well, 18, looks like it's just the two of us."

18 got to her feet and turned in the direction of his voice. "You sorry bastard! You're not getting me!"

She charged where she thought he was and began throwing punches and kicks. Cell easily avoided them, being careful not to make too much noise. He saw and opening and buried his fist in her gut. 18 gasped and fell to her knees, clutching her stomach.

Cell stood victoriously over her. The stinger on his tail suddenly extended into a large suction cup, which he held over the android's head.

"You belong to me now!"

18 suddenly felt like she was sucked into a tight tube. She struggled to get free, but her attempts were futile. She felt herself being drawn into the tube more and more, and from the outside, she could hear Cell's sadistic laughter.

'This can't be happening!' her mind cried. 'Trunks, please help me!'

But he wouldn't be able to. Cell was suppressing his power, and hers couldn't be felt. That meant that Trunks would have to actually search for them. There was no way he could find them in time, not without a clue.

She was now sucked in up to her hips; her hands trapped uselessly at her sides. She kicked and screamed, but it was useless.

'This is my only chance.' She thought, gathering energy. 'Trunks, please see this.'

Just before her hands were suck up, she fired a blast of energy.

"You missed." Cell taunted, sucking her in further. "It's all over now."

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Up in the sky, Trunks was finally able to keep his eyes open. Things were still blurry, but he could see enough to make things out.

Cell was gone, so was 18. How could he let this happen? It wouldn't take long for Cell to absorb her and evolve to stage two. Trunks knew that he would still be stronger than Cell even after he evolved, but he didn't want to take the risk. Besides, that would mean losing 18.

"Damn it, Cell, where are you?"

He looked around, but there wasn't a trace of the monster anywhere. He couldn't sense him either. Damn it, why did 18 have to follow him? And why was he stupid enough to think that she would listen to him when he told her to stay behind.

His eyes scanned the city, but he didn't see either of them. But what he did see was a cloud of smoke rising behind some buildings that he was sure wasn't there before.

'It's the best I've got.' He thought, and flew in that direction.

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The sucker end of Cell's tail retracted back to a stinger as he sucked up 18's feet. She was now completely trapped inside his tail. His muscles worked to suck her in further, to swallow her completely and make him one step closer to perfection.

"Almost there, my dear. Just a few more seconds."

Trunks' feet suddenly slammed into the back of his head. Cell went crashing to the ground, wondering what hit him. He gasped as a foot stomped down on his back and his tail was grabbed. Whoever had kicked him began pulling at his tail, making him cry out. They made sure to keep hold of his tail above where 18's head was so she couldn't suck her up further. It could only be that saiyan brat. But how did he find him? He had been sure to suppress his power, and 18's couldn't be felt. So how did he know where they were?

His eyes landed on the smoke rising from the ground where 18 had fired her attack. She was the one who gave away their position. How could he be so foolish not to see it?

Trunks pulled harder, causing Cell to cry out. Finally the tail gave and tore free from Cell's body. The monster howled in pain as Trunks jumped off him. Taking hold of the torn end, he ripped it open, exposing 18's beautiful face. She gasped as the fresh air hit her. Opening her eyes, which had recovered from the Solar Flare, she saw Trunks looking down at her.

"Hey…" she said, relieved to see him. "Guess you saw my signal."

Trunks grinned. "A smart move on your part."

"But futile nevertheless." Cell snarled, getting to his feet. He turned to the two of them, looking furious. "All you've managed to do was buy yourselves some more time."

18 glared at him as she peeled the remains of Cell's tail off of her. "Really? How you going to do that without your tail?"

Cell smirked. "Silly girl. Don't you remember? I'm cloned from Piccolo's DNA. I have all his abilities. Including the ability to regenerate."

His muscles tensed as he attempted to speed up his regeneration. The end of his tail pulsed once, twice, and then a new tail grew in its place. He swung his tail, sending regenerative fluid flying, and grinned.

"Ah, that's much better." He crossed his arms and looked at the two of them. "So, now we're back to square one. Ready to start round two?"

Trunks glared at him. "No, no more, Cell. I've had enough. It's time to end this. You know that I'm stronger than you, so quit acting so cocky."

Cell growled. He hated to admit it, but it seemed as if the boy was right. Regardless of what the data said, Trunks was stronger than him. Strong enough to defeat him. But he still had a plan.

"Are you really so sure that you want to do that?" he asked. "You've got saiyan blood in you, the same as I do. The temptation of a good fight is too great to pass up." He grinned. "Aren't you curious? It's bound to be a good fight."

Trunks didn't look impressed. "Sorry, Cell, but I'm not falling for that. The you I met in the past pulled the same trick on my father, and his mistake nearly destroyed us all. However, I'm not that foolish."

Cell growled. "Come now, aren't you the least bit curious? Don't you want to see my power?"

"I've already seen it!" Trunks shouted. "And even if I hadn't, I've had more than enough of this madness. All I want is for this nightmare to end completely."

"So you're not tempted? Not even in the least?"

Trunks' fists clenched. He would be lying if he said he wasn't tempted. He was a saiyan after all. It was imprinted into his very DNA. "I may be itching for a good fight, but I'm not stupid enough to take the risk, nor am I heartless enough to sacrifice 18 to enjoy a good fight."

Cell's fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms deep enough to make him bleed. "You would pass up the opportunity to save her? Why are you concerned about her welfare? You sure were proud of the fact that you killed her brother."

18's eyes widened in shock. "W-What? My… my brother?"

Cell's eyes narrowed. "Yes, 17. Your twin brother to be exact."

18 gasped, a horrified look on her face. Trunks silently swore. He had been hoping to keep the fact that 17 was her brother a secret. He hadn't anticipated this.

"Enough!" he cried, and began powering up. "It's time to put an end to this once and for all! This nightmare is over!"

His power exploded outward, the force of it clearing the area of the buildings that surrounded them.

Cell braced himself, ready to resume the battle. "No, Trunks, we're just getting started."

He flew at Trunks and slammed his fist in his face. He grinned as Trunks' head snapped to the side, but the smirk was quickly wiped off his face when he saw that Trunks didn't seem to be hurt at all.

"I said this nightmare is over, and I meant it." Trunks told him.

Cell growled and threw another punch. Trunks easily dodged the attack, and every other punch and kick that Cell threw at him. Finally he reached out and caught one of Cell's punches, holding his fist tightly in his hand. Cell attempted to pull away, but Trunks kept a firm grip.

"Damn you, let go!"

Instead, Trunks tightened his grip. Cell cried out, dropping to his knees as his hand was crushed. That's when Trunks delivered a powerful kick, sending Cell flying through the air. The monster stopped himself, glaring down angrily at the saiyan.

"I'll make you pay for this! Ka-me-ha-me-HA!"

A much stronger Kamehameha Wave came straight at Trunks. But the young saiyan was ready, and he countered with his father's own special attack.

"Galick Gun!" he cried, unleashing his own blast of energy.

The two attacks flew towards each other and slammed together. Trunks' attack easily overpowered Cell's, pushing back the Kamehameha Wave.

"What?" Cell cried, his eyes wide in shock.

The energy blasts slammed into him, and Cell cried out as the attack disintegrated him.

Trunks lowered his hands, looking at the spot where Cell was. He was aware of 18 coming up beside him, she too looking at the same spot.

"Is it over?" she asked.

Trunks' eyes narrowed. "No, not yet. I won't be fooled again. I can still sense him."

18 looked around. "But how? He's gone?"

"I've seen this before. His regenerative powers are greater than those of a Namek. If there's even a single living cell left, he'll regenerate." He glanced at 18. "We have to find him. He's vulnerable right now, so he'll be looking for a place to hide and lay low for a while. Fly over the city and keep a look out. Don't stray too far though. We don't want him to get a hold of you again."

18 nodded. "Right. I'll go this way."

As the two flew off in separate directions, a single cell fell from the sky. From there it began to multiply, growing into a larger mass. Its shapeless form began to shape itself into a humanoid figure. Then it began growing, adding on limbs. In a matter of minutes, Cell was completely reborn.

Collapsing in exhaustion, he looked up at the two flying overhead. 'I can't believe this has happened to me. How could a mere boy do this to me? I was reduce to a single cell.' He angrily slammed his fist into the ground, shattering the concrete. 'At this rate I'll be destroyed before I get the chance to absorb either of them. I'll have to absorb more people and become stronger before I'm ready to take them on. I just have to get out of here.' He quickly ducked behind a building as Trunks flew close by. 'With them flying around up there, I won't be able to sneak away without them seeing me. And if I attempt to fly away, they'll sense me for sure. It looks like I have no choice. This may slow me down for a while, but since neither of them know about my other form, I should be able to get away.'

His body tensed up as up as he prepared for his transformation. His power level decreased further and he began to shrink. His features changed, becoming more insect-like until he did indeed resemble a cicada.

With his transformation complete, he began scurrying through the city like a cockroach, his much smaller size providing him a lot more cover. He vowed that he would come back stronger than ever, and then nothing would stop him from achieving his destiny.

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Up in the sky, Trunks and 18 flew towards each other. Both were coming up empty.

"Did you find him?" 18 asked.

Trunks shook his head. "No, not yet. How about you?" He grumbled when she shook her head. "How about anyone else? Did you see any survivors?"

Again 18 shook her head. "No one. There's not a single person left alive." She looked thoughtful. "But there was this one really creeping looking bug."

Trunks raised an eyebrow. "What? A bug?"

"Yeah, I thought it was Cell at first, but it wasn't."

Trunks' eyes narrowed. This sounded familiar. "Show me where you saw it."

18 shrugged and motioned for him to follow her. When she caught sight of it again, she pointed it out.

Trunks' fists clenched. He knew exactly what that thing was. He'd seen it before. True, the last time he had seen it, it had only been a shell that had been shed, but he still recognized the creature. It was a good thing he had seen it in the past, or else he probably would have passed right by it.

Dropping from the sky, he landed dramatically in front of the creature. "Hey, Cell. Going somewhere?" The creature's eyes widened in surprise. Trunks just grinned at him. "Oh yes, I know it's you. The Cell I met in the past took on this form too. Good thing too, or else I might have overlooked you."

Cell, being unable to speak in this form, just growled, his eyes shining with hatred. Slowly Trunks raised his hand, gathering energy to finish him off.

"It's over, Cell. This time you won't come back."

He unleashed his energy at point blank range. A horrendous sound emitted from Cell as he was blasted down to his very core once again, and then that too was obliterated, leaving not the smallest trace of him left alive.

Chapter 7: My Brother's Killer

Trunks had thought that all his problems would go away when he finally defeated Cell. He was wrong. Cell had left behind an emotional impact on 18. With a single sentence, Cell brought to light something Trunks had been hoping would never be revealed.

18 had once again confined herself to her room. No doubt she was upset. She had just learned that she had a twin brother, that this brother was a murdering psychopath, and that Trunks had destroyed him and lied to her about it. Well, it wasn't really a lie, he just hadn't told her.

Either way, she was still upset.

"Well, what do you expect?" Bulma asked. "How would you feel if you were in her position?"

Trunks looked down, his eyebrows knitted into a scowl. "So what do I do? She probably doesn't trust me anymore."

Bulma crossed her arms. "That's a big problem. We need her to trust us. You're just going to have to convince her that you just had her best interests at heart." She paused for a moment. "And technically that's true. She's a lot better off this way then she was before. But you have to make sure things stay that way. Remember, this was your idea. She's your responsibi-"

"I know!" Trunks snapped. "She's my responsibility. Fine, I'll handle it."

With a deep sense of déjà vu, Trunks made his way to 18's room, which was still technically his room. Come to think of it, why was she staying in his room? They had plenty of guestrooms.

When he reached the door, he raised his hand to knock, but a voice spoke to him.

"Go away."

Trunks blinked in surprise. 'She sensed me coming. Impressive.'

Trying the door, and finding it locked, he merely pushed against it, knocking it off its hinges.

'Mom will kill me for that, but knowing 18, she never would have opened up.'

Stepping into the room, he saw 18 glaring at him from her bed, no, his bed. "I told you to leave me alone."

"No, you old me to go away."

"Then why didn't you?"

Trunks couldn't help but smirk. "We saiyans tend to be really stubborn. Plus I got an extra helping of stubbornness from my mom." He walked over to her and sat on the bed. "We need to talk."

"No kidding." 18 muttered. She stared at the wall for a moment before turning to him. "Why didn't you tell me 17 was my brother? My twin brother at that. You're supposed to be telling me about my past, right? Well that seems like a pretty important thing."

Trunks groaned. How did he justify killer her brother? "Yes, it's true 17 was your brother, and it's true that I killed him, but he left me with no choice. He was an evil psychopath that lived to kill and destroy."

18 didn't accept that. "He was still my brother! You had no right to keep that fact from me!"

Her anger was making him angry. "It wouldn't have changed anything. He still would have been a killer, he still would be dead, and it still would have been me that did it. We begged him to stop multiple times, but he just laughed in our faces. Even when you, his sister, begged him not to kill, he still did."

18 jumped to her feet. "That's besides the point! My brother was a mass murderer and needed to be stopped; I can understand that! But why did you lie to me?"

"I didn't lie!" Trunks shouted, also getting to his feet. "I just didn't tell you the whole truth because I thought it would be a little difficult for you to suddenly learn that the only family you had was the evil freak that tore this planet apart."

"Well maybe you should let me decide what should and shouldn't know!"

With that she took flew out the open window, vanishing from sight. Trunks growled and rushed over to the window as well, though he didn't follow her; there'd be no point. But he did shout, "How can you decide if you want to know something or not if you don't know about it?" He knew she hadn't heard him, already being far beyond hearing range. With an angry growl, he punched a whole in the wall. "Stubborn android."

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18 knew they were going to be pissed. Not only had she gone out unsupervised, but she had been gone the entire day and most of the night. There was going to be hell to pay. She supposed that she deserved it after the way she had spoken to Trunks. When she thought about it rationally, she could see his reasons for not telling her. Hell, even now she wished she didn't know the truth.

'I guess it's true after all.' She thought as she landed by Capsule Corps. 'Ignorance really is bliss.'

Being very quiet, she snuck back inside. She felt out for Trunks, and sensed his energy in a low calm state. He was asleep. Good, then she wouldn't have to deal with him until morning at least. She wished she didn't have to deal with him at all. She wasn't the type of person who apologized often, if at all. At least that's the type of person she thought she had been.

"You were certainly out late."

Startled, 18 gathered her energy and turned to the speaker, ready to blast them.

"Relax, it's just me."

The energy ball vanished from the android's hand. "Dr. Brief? What are you doing up so late?"

Bulma shivered. "Uch, don't call me that; it makes me feel old. Besides, I should be Mrs. Something, but saiyans don't have last names." She sighed. "What's a girl to do?"

"I don't have a last name either." 18 replied. "Actually, I don't even have a name, just a number." She went and joined the blue-haired woman on the couch. "I'm sorry I left. I just had to…"

Bulma waved it off. "Don't worry, you have a right to be upset. It must have been quite a shock when you found out. I remember when Goku found out he had a brother, and that he was an evil saiyan."

18 couldn't help but smile slightly. "You sure have changed. When I first came here, you were always a nervous wreck around me. Now I can understand why. 17 was my brother. As ruthless as he was, who wouldn't be afraid of his twin sister?"

Bulma nodded. "Well, we've been living together for a while. I've sort of gotten used to having you around." 'But that doesn't mean you don't still scare the hell out of me.'

18 looked down. "Guess I made a mess of things. Trunks must be really angry with me."

Bulma shrugged. "Yeah, a bit." They fell silent for a few moments. "You do know why he didn't tell you, right?"

18 nodded. "Yes. He was just trying to consider my feelings. I suppose I should thank him for it. Right now, I wish I had never found out. Damn you, Cell. Why'd you have to tell me?"

"It's not just that." Bulma told her. "He was also afraid of what you might think of him. He did kill your brother, but he did it to save the rest of the world. He hates the fact that he had to kill, but it was necessary."

"I can understand that." 18 replied. She sighed sadly. "I just wish there could have been another way."

Bulma crossed her arms, seeming to consider something. "Has Trunks told you the story about Frieza and the saiyans?"

18 looked up, surprised, and shook her head. "No, he didn't. I do know that Frieza was some really powerful evil alien who this Goku person defeated, but that's it."

Bulma nodded. "I figured as much. Well, you should probably hear it. Maybe then you'll understand." She sat back and recalled the tragic story that Vegeta had told her. "Frieza was supposedly the strongest being in the universe. Not as strong as you or Trunks, but still really powerful. He took over many planets, enslaving the people, and he killed all those who opposed him. The saiyan race was one of them." She smiled at the next part. "Vegeta would repeatedly tell me that the saiyans were the mightiest race in the universe. Or, at least they would have been if they had been able to reach their potential. But they were kept under firm control so they couldn't obtain that power." She shook her head. "There was a legend among the saiyan race of a way for saiyan to become more powerful than even Frieza. I'm sure you can guess what it is."

"Super Saiyan."

Bulma nodded. "Yes, although Trunks has somehow managed to go to a level beyond it." She waved away the thought. "Anyway, there was a certain group of saiyans that were constantly getting stronger. One of them was actually Goku's father. What was his name? Bardock, or Braddrock, or something like that. Whatever his name was, he was making Frieza nervous with how powerful he was becoming. You see, saiyans are very arrogant, and have a superiority complex. Frieza feared that if a Super Saiyan should emerge, it would lead to a rebellion among all the saiyans. So he had Goku's father killed. Then, just to be safe, he decided to kill them all.

"Well, not all of them. He decided to keep Vegeta as one of his men, along with Goku's brother, Raditz, and this other saiyan, Nappa. When Vegeta's father and his men tried to rescue him, Frieza killed them. Then he destroyed the entire saiyan planet."

18's eyes were wide with shock. "He destroyed an entire planet? Why? How could he? Not even 17 destroyed the earth."

'No, but you and him came pretty close.' "And if that wasn't enough, he bended Vegeta to his will. Made him a killer who also conquered and destroyed other planets. Vegeta never had a chance to be anything else. Thankfully, Goku was able to put an end to Frieza once and for all." She sighed. "But then Dr. Gero had to go and create you and your brother. From what information I gathered, the two of you didn't even volunteer for the part. He forced it on you. I don't know what you and your brother were like before you were turned into androids, but I don't think you were killers." Although she did wonder if the two of them had been badly mistreated in the past, and it was because of that that the two of them hated humans, even if they couldn't remember the reason.

"Your brother was just like Vegeta, forced to become a tyrant against his will. But Vegeta changed, your brother didn't. Because of him and Dr. Gero, the whole planet suffered for many years." She glanced at 18. "That's why Trunks fights, to protect those he cares for. So no one else has to suffer. So no one else can have their will taken away from them. Some just don't value the lives of others, and the only way to put a stop to the terror is to destroy the one causing it. It may have been no fault of his own that your brother ended up as a killer, but Trunks had people that he wanted to protect. That includes you. He wanted to protect you from the truth."

18 sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. Bulma leaned forward and looked at her. "You ok?"

"Just tired." 18 replied.

"But you never get-"

"Emotionally tired." 18 interrupted. She stood up. "I'm going to bed now. Thank you for the talk."

Bulma nodded as she watched 18 head to her room. 'Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God! I thought I was going to die! Dear whoever is looking out for me up there, thank you for sparing me 18's wrath.' She sighed in relief and sat back. "Still, it's a shame things ended up this way. If only Piccolo had survived. Then we could have used the Dragon Balls to wish everything back… to… normal…"

She suddenly sprang up. Of course, why hadn't she thought of it before? The Dragon Balls. The ones on Earth may be gone, but they weren't the only Dragon Balls in existence.

And so, for the next several hours, she went through piles of paperwork and several files of data until she found what she was looking for. Unable to control her excitement, she rushed upstairs and into Trunks' room, or the room he was staying in since 18 had taken over his.

"Trunks, wake up!"

With a startled cry, Trunks sat up. He looked alarmed for a moment, but after seeing that everything was all right, he glanced at his mother sleepily. "Mom? What's up?" He glanced at the clock. "It's four in the morning. Why are you up so late?"

"Because, son," said Bulma excitedly, "you and 18 are going to New Namek!"

Chapter 8: Alone In Space

The last thing Trunks expected to be doing was going on a space voyage. But the promise of getting hold of new Dragon Balls were worth the trip any day. He just hoped the Namekians would allow him to make a wish.

"Of course they will!" Bulma assured him. "I'm really good friends with all of them. They'll be happy to help. Besides, they sort of owe me after everything I did for them."

That was true. She had given them a place to live after Frieza blew up their old planet until they could find a new one. Although, the Nameks had let them use their Dragon Balls to wish back their friends while they stayed, so they were actually even. But Bulma was certain that her green alien friends would be happy to help.

However, recalling the story of Frieza and the resurrection of the Z Warriors, Trunks remembered that even though the Namekian dragon granted three wishes instead of one, it could only revive one person per wish. But Bulma had that figured out already.

"One wish is all we need. All we've got to do is wish Piccolo or Kami back to life, and then the earth's Dragon Balls will be restored too, and then we can wish everyone back!"

Trunks had to admit that it was a good idea. But journeying to a far off planet wasn't on his list of top ten things to do. He considered going back in time and try using the past's Dragon Balls, but the idea was quickly dismissed. Even if the time machine had enough power for another trip, there was no guarantee that there would be enough for the return journey. Furthermore, Shenron's power was limited. The ability to manipulate space and time was most likely beyond him.

So three weeks after his mother had come bursting into his room, signing him up for an adventure he hadn't wanted to go on, he was preparing to blast off to another planet, which, according to his mother, would take about three months to reach.

The thought of traveling around in the cold darkness of space for three months wasn't very appealing. And what was even more unappealing was his traveling companion. That's right, 18 would be accompanying him on his trip.

'Why me?' he wondered grimly.

For the next three months, it would be only him and 18. He had been hoping that his mother would be going too, but she said that she was needed on Earth. Fixing the damage the androids had caused over the years was not an easy task, but Bulma's brilliance did help greatly, and she couldn't afford to leave.

So that was it. It was going to be him and 18 all alone for three month. All things considered, it shouldn't be too bad. He'd long since gotten used to having her around. The problem was that she was making passes at him again. And now that the two of them were going to be alone for a long period of time…

He'd resist though; he had to. She was still the android that had made his life and the lives of others a living hell for many years. But her beauty and seductive ways were slowly chipping away at his resistance.

Trunks' fists clenched. He'd have to do something to put a stop to this. But how to do it without making him out to be a liar? Finding out about her brother had nearly destroyed the trust she had in him. By not telling her the truth about their relationship, she would surely think that he had been trying to take advantage of her or something. Perhaps he should have told her the truth back when she first brought up the subject and risked losing her trust back then.

'Damn it all to hell! Why did I have to be a smart ass? And is she an idiot or something? My voice was dripping with sarcasm when I said I was her boyfriend.'

But the fact remained that 18 had taken a genuine interest in him. The idea of them having been a couple in the past may have been planted by him, but she decided on her own that she liked the thought of them together. She made her intentions very clear, and was not making it easy for him to ignore her. At one point he had finally had enough and told her that he didn't want to get back together with her since she was a completely different person now. She seemed to have considered his words for a few minutes before giving him that cocky smile.

"Then I guess I'll have to get you to like the new me." she had told him.

After that, she had redoubled her attempts to seduce him. Right now, Trunks' biggest fear was that he would give in to temptation. But if he did, he'd never be able to forgive himself. It'd be a betrayal of everyone she had wronged.

'I just need to keep fighting her off until she gives up. Hopefully she'll find some other guy to like.'

Of course, that wouldn't be possible with the whole entire world hating and fearing her. Which gave Bulma an idea for a way to solve that problem. He would ask the dragon to erase 18 from everyone's memories and have them believe that it was only 17 who had torn the world apart.

At first this had concerned Trunks. Surely 18 would insist upon seeing the dragon, which meant that she would hear the wish. But Bulma had ensured him that this wasn't a problem. Since the Namek dragon would only grant wishes if the wisher made the wish in the native tongue, 18 wouldn't be able to understand what was being said. All he had to do was request the wish from one of the Namekians when 18 wasn't around.

"Trunks, get down here! Everything is ready!"

Trunks sighed upon hearing his mother call for him. This was it, the beginning of yet another journey. But compared to going back in time, this should be a breeze.

Flying outside, he landed by the large spaceship. 18 was leaning against it with an impatient look on her face. "About time." she muttered. "And you complain about me taking a long time to get ready."

Trunks just glared at her and turned to his mother. "I guess this is it." he said.

She nodded. "My little Trunks is going away again. I'm going to miss you."

18 snickered and Trunks blushed in embarrassment. "Mom, I'm not a little kid anymore!" he cried in outrage.

"I know." She gave him a thumbs up, smiling and winking at him. "You're a big strong saiyan warrior now, aren't you?"

"Mother, please."

She smiled at him again, but this time it was a sad smile. "I'm sorry. It's just so hard letting you go." Tears crept up in her eyes. "You're all I've got left. I'm really going to miss you."

With a sigh, Trunks stepped forward and embraced her. "Don't cry, Mom. It'll be all right. Soon we'll have everyone back. Dad, Gohan, Goku, Krillin, everyone. I won't let you down."

"Just be careful." She begged him. "If there's one thing I know from personal experience, it's that Dragon Ball hunting never goes as planned. There's always something that gets in the way."

Trunks just waved it off. "Don't worry about that. After all, I am the strongest person in the universe, and 18 is the second."

"That we know of." Bulma corrected him.

Trunks raised an eyebrow. "But I thought Frieza was the strongest being in the universe, and I beat him without any trouble."

"That was a long time ago, Trunks." She scolded him lightly. "You're not the only one who's gotten stronger over the years. There may very well be someone somewhere that has surpassed even you."

"I doubt it."

Bulma groaned. 'There's that typical saiyan arrogance. He's just like his father.' "Just promise me you'll be careful." She glanced at 18. "You too."

Trunks nodded. "I will."

18 smirked. "Don't worry, I'll take good care of him."

Trunks gave her a warning look. His mother may have missed the implications of her words, but he did not. And the look she gave him told him that she had intended for him to catch her true meaning.

"Ok," said Bulma, wiping her eyes, "if you're going to leave, do it before I change my mind."

Trunks snickered. "This was your idea."

"Just get on the ship." She muttered, giving him a light shove.

With one last goodbye, he and 18 boarded the ship. And all too soon, planet Earth was getting smaller and smaller behind them.

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"It should be ok to move around now." he said, engaging the artificial gravity.

18 nodded and unstrapped herself. "So, this is it. This is were we'll be living for the next three months."

"Guess so." Trunks replied.

There was suddenly an abnormally loud growl that echoed through the entire ship. 18 raised an eyebrow, looking at Trunks questioningly. He burned with embarrassment, placing his hand on his stomach.

"Hungry already?" she asked.

Trunks laughed nervously. "Well, we saiyans have a very high metabolism with the amount of energy we burn off. Lets see what's in the kitchen."

18 groaned. This was one part of Trunks' personality that she did not like. But Bulma had told her that it was expected if one lived with a saiyan.

The table was suddenly filled with enough food to feed at least 10 people. And Trunks was wolfing it down like a starved animal. In short, he had typical saiyan eating habits.

18's eyes twitched in irritation as she watched Trunks engorge himself. "Watching you eat is sickening. Are you sure you're not half human, half pig?"

Trunks turned to her, his cheeks bloated with amount of food in his mouth. "Whe ea aiya eh uh-ea, i's i ea eh-er a e-ore."

18 made a disgusted face. "Learn some manners!" She moved a lock of hair behind her ear. "I'm going to go see the training room your mother installed."

"I'll ah i ah oo ah i eh-eh ea-eh."

'Disgusting!'

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After he finished eating, he went to join her in the training room. He found her doing warm up exercises with weights attached to her wrists and ankles.

"Is the bottomless pit finally full?"

"For now." he said. "Mind if I join?"

"Wait, I'm training-"

Trunks stepped into the room and suddenly felt like he literally had the weight of the world on his shoulders.

"-at 500 times normal gravity…"

Trunks struggled to stay on his feet, barely catching his balance. "Thanks… for the… warning…"

He braced himself, giving his body a moment to get used to the gravity. Once he was regained his composure, it wasn't so bad.

"Ok, I think I got this." He glanced at 18 and noticed her watching him with a smug look on her face. "What?"

She tapped the weight on her wrist. "I'm over here with five tons per weight and you're struggling with just the gravity."

Trunks glared at her, then broke out into a grin. "Oh yeah." He transformed. He suddenly felt lighter than he did at normal gravity. "Yeah, that's much better."

18 crossed her arms, giving him a look of disapproval. "Cheater. I don't have a stronger form to changed into."

Trunks leisurely bounced on one leg then the other. "Care to spar? I promise to take it easy on you."

Now she grinned at him. "Fine with me." She took off her training weights, and they fell heavily to the floor. "Think you can beat me at 500 times normal gravity?"

Trunks shrugged. "It'd be no different than when we were training on Earth since we're both suffering the same handicap."

18 shook her finger. "Ah, ah, not true. You may be moving about easily now, but unlike me, your strength doesn't last forever. You'll tire out eventually."

"I'll beat you before then."

"We'll see."

She flew at him, her fist flying. Trunks held up his arms, blocking the blow. Then they were exchanging punches and kicks at speeds far too fast for the human eye to detect, not without the proper training.

"You should have your mother install one of these on Earth." 18 commented as she dodged a kick.

"She's been working on one." Trunks said, throwing a punch. "This one was already built; she just needed to repair it."

"She may need to make some more repairs by the time we're through."

Jumping back, she fired a blast of energy. Trunks knocked it aside, but it suddenly bounced off the wall, and kept on bouncing.

"Whoa, heads up!" Trunks cried as the energy blast shot passed him.

18 fired another energy blast, canceling out the first. "What's up with that?"

Trunks went to inspect the wall. "Looks like the wall is designed to reflect energy blasts. Hmm, I knew that Grandfather had designed robots to do that to help with my father's training, but I didn't know they were installed in the walls- oof!"

While he had been looking at the wall, 18 had taken advantage of his inability to sense her energy and had delivered a powerful kick. She followed up with a series of punches to his gut. Trunks grunted with each hit, unable to recover before the next blow fell.

Finally, he grabbed one fist, then the other, holding her back. "Cheater."

She just smirked at him. "It's your own fault for being distracted."

Her knee came up to slam into his groin, but Trunks blocked it with his own knee. "That's cold."

"You never showed me any mercy when we trained. Expect the same treatment."

She pulled back and spun around, doing a kick. Trunks ducked underneath it and fired a blast of energy. 18 went flying backwards, slamming into the wall. The moment she hit, Trunks was in front of her, his fist connecting with her stomach.

18 grunted and fell to the floor. Trunks pinned her down, a cocky grin on his face. "Sorry, but didn't you tell me to expect no mercy."

18 struggled. "Damn it, let me up!"

"No mercy." He repeated.

"Jerk."

He chuckled and got off her, powering down to normal. The instant he changed back, 18's fist connected with his jaw. Trunks went down, seeing stars, and 18's smirk.

"What was that?"

She shrugged. "No one ever said we were done sparing."

'In that case.'

He transformed again. And before 18 could react, he was behind her, holding her in a body bind.

"Hey!" she cried in surprise. Trunks tightened his grip, and she winced in pain. "Ok, ok. That's enough." With a grin, he released her. She rubbed her arm, giving him a dirty look. "I am a lady. You should be more considerate."

"Bad people aren't considerate." He told her. "Cell certainly didn't care that you were a girl. You have to always be ready."

18 stretched, trying to get the feeling back in her arms. "I guess, but I feel safe with you." Trunks winced at her words, a conflicted look on his face. 18 took note of this and broke out into a knowing grin. "But perhaps," she said in a seductive tone as she moved closer to him, "you don't feel safe around me."

'That's for sure.' He pulled away from her. "Come on, now's not the time for this."

"Aww." She whispered in his ear, blowing softly on it. "But we just started."

He shivered slightly. "We have things to do. Lets get settled in here. Then we can worry about," a sight blushed stained his cheeks, "other things."

18 looked disappointed, but then she smiled and shrugged. "I guess. After all, it's going to be just you and me for the next three months. We have plenty of time."

'And there in lies the problem.'

Chapter 9: Seducing A Saiyan

Sometimes time went by fast. Sometimes it went by slowly. Trunks wished that this was one of the times that it had gone by fast. But it didn't. During these past three months, the days seemed to drag on and on. It wasn't due to boredom, or the near isolation he went through, it was a different reason entirely. Actually, it wasn't even a thing, but a person, the onlyother person around.

Since day one of their journey, 18 had increased her advances on him. Trunks would ignore her as best as he could, but she was not making it easy. And to make matters worse, he was stuck with her. The spaceship wasn't that big, and it wasn't like he could just run away like he could back on Earth. 18 knew this, and used it to her advantage.

Trunks hated this. The sexual tension between them was driving him crazy. He tried desperately to remember who she was and what she had done, but the more she attempted to seduce him, the less rational he was able to think.

Their training sessions were the hardest. During these times, the two of them were forced to engage in physical contact. He was also becoming distracted quite frequently when they spared, his eyes landing on certain aspects of her body rather than openings in her defense. 18 took notice of where his attention was occasionally drawn and would repeatedly use her body to either distract him in battle or to continue her seduction attempts. Trunks honestly didn't know how much longer he could last.

'She's just an android. She's killed millions of people. She tormented me on a daily basis. She murdered Gohan and the others.'

But this chant was having less and less affect. Sure 18's attitude was the same as it had been back in her destructive days, but she was not a killer anymore. Still, Trunks would not allow himself to give in to his desires.

'Just a few more days and we get to New Namek.'

Unfortunately, he wasn't the only that seemed to realize this. 18 could see that she was indeed getting through to the stubborn saiyan, but it was taking longer than she thought. She had managed to steal several kisses from him, let him catch glimpses of her when she was changing or finished showering, but he wouldn't do anything about it. She wondered why. It was more than apparent that Trunks was attracted to her, they were, or had been, boyfriend and girlfriend, she had made it perfectly clear that she didn't see her lack of memories as being taken advantage of, and, most importantly, she wanted him too. So why?

'Why do you have to be so noble?' she wondered irritably.

This trip had been the perfect opportunity. There was nowhere he could run, not many ways to distract himself aside from training, and, most of all, there was no one else around. But once they reached New Namek, they would be on a mission, and much of her hard work of working through his defenses would be lost.

'It's time to take things up a notch.' she decided with a smirk.

Getting changed, she headed down to the training room where she knew Trunks was. Her eyes lit up when she saw him doing his workout. He wore no shirt, allowing her to admire his muscular figure. His long lavender hair flew around his handsome face as he threw punches and kicks at imaginary targets.

'Soon, Trunks, you will be mine.' She silently vowed, staring at him hungrily. 'If I want something, I'm not going to stop until I get it.'

She stepped into the room, flinching momentarily from the increased gravity. She cleared her throat to make herself known, but Trunks didn't seem to hear her.

"Mind if I join you?" she asked. Trunks tripped over his own feet and fell flat on his face. 18 winced at his impact. "Sorry, you ok?"

Trunks struggled to lift himself up and glanced at her. "Yeah, just fine."

18 nodded. "So… can I join you?"

She noticed him hesitate, his eyes lingering on her figure. Good, he couldn't even be in her presence with eyeing her.

"Y-Yeah, I guess so."

18 stretched, showing off certain aspects of her body. "Good. I'll just be over here… warming up."

Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Trunks watch her. Now she just had to hold his attention for a little while longer, then she could put her plan into action.

For an hour, she did stretches and warm ups. Normally she and Trunks would be sparing at this point, but she didn't ask yet. And she knew that the young saiyan was waiting for her to ask. Keep him in anticipation; that was her plan. Or at least part of it.

Finishing her thousandth one-finger pushup, she jumped to her feet and wiped the sweat off her forehead. She noted that Trunks was watching her again out of the corner of his eye. She grinned as she removed the heavy body weights, letting them crash to the floor.

"Stand clear." She told him. "I'm going to work on my dodging."

Trunks nodded and moved to the other side of the room. 18 cracked her knuckles and neck before turning to the wall. Now was the time to put the next part of her plan into action.

Powering up, she fired off several blasts of energy at the wall. The energy blasts reflected off the wall and bounced back at her. She dodged the blasts as they flew back at her and bounced off the wall again, coming at her from behind.

After about a minute, she fired some more blasts. There were now fifteen balls of energy flying around her, bouncing off the walls as she dodged them. Whenever one or more would crash into each other, she would fire others off to take their place.

'Time to do this. Gotta aim this right.'

Making sure Trunks wasn't looking, she intentionally allowed the energy blasts to hit her. The blasts were weak and didn't really hurt, but they did enough damage to suit her purpose.

Trunks turned to the explosion, seeing 18 lost in a cloud of smoke. "Hey, 18, you ok?"

18 coughed, waving the smoke out of her face. "Fine, just lost my footing."

"Alright, just be more care…ful…"

He trailed off and his eyes widened as he took in 18's state of dress. Or undress really. Most of her clothes had been disintegrated from the energy blasts that she had intentionally let hit her. She was now showing a great deal of skin.

'Oh hell…' Trunks silently swore, unable to take his eyes off her.

Even though she was aware of Trunks' gaze on her, she pretended not to notice as she gazed down at her ruined workout clothes. "Great. Well, I guess that's it for these clothes."

"Y-Yeah…" Trunks mumbled, looking away as a blush stained his cheeks. "You should probably go change."

She dusted herself off. "It'll be fine. I'll just finish up and toss them. No point in dirtying more clothes."

Trunks groaned. That wasn't the problem. The problem was he was a healthy young man with ranging hormones who was living with a truly gorgeous woman who very obviously wanted him. It was hard enough to ignore her when she was dressed in normal clothes, but in this state of dress.

'I've gotta get out of here.' he decided, and began heading to the door.

18 noticed he was leaving. Actually, running away was probably a better way of putting it. "Where you going?"

Trunks stopped, but he wouldn't look at her. "To take a shower. I'm done for today."

'Not if I have anything to say about it.' "Could you stay a few minutes longer and spare with me?"

She saw him tense. "I-I don't think… that's not such a good idea."

18 raised an eyebrow, pretending to look puzzled. "Why? We spare all the time."

"Y-Yeah," he turned to her, "but you weren't…" He struggled to find the right words.

"Weren't what?" she asked, having to hide a smirk. She knew exactly what was going through his mind. "I don't see the problem?"

"18, we shouldn't."

"Why not?"

Trunks struggled to find something to say. "I have… things to do…"

Clearly frustrated, 18's eyes narrowed. "Will you just spare with me, you big baby."

Trunks sighed, turning back to her. "Fine, but real fast."

18 smirked, and the two of them began to spare. She quickly gained the advantage, as Trunks kept getting distracted as they fought.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, aiming a kick at his head. "Your skills seem a bit off today."

Trunks blocked the kick and fired a blast of energy. "Nothing. I'm fine."

18 avoided the blast and slammed her fist into Trunks' jaw. "You don't seem fine. You keep slipping up."

"Nothing's wrong." Trunks insisted.

His fist made contact, but he realized a moment later that it was an After Image he had attacked. His arms were suddenly locked behind him as 18 grabbed him from behind.

"Got you now." she purred in his ear, making sure to press her chest against his back.

Trunks felt a shiver run up his spin. That was it; he was at his limit. If he didn't get out of here now, he was going to do something he would regret.

He transformed, suddenly gaining the upper hand. Doing a back flip, he slipped out of 18's grip. Once behind her, he dropped down and kicked her feet out from under her. 18 went down, and he was suddenly on top of her, pinning her down.

"Nope, looks like I got you." he told her.

18 just smirked; he had played right into her hands. 'Wrong, it's me that's got you. You fell right into my trap.'

Taking advantage of their close proximity, 18 kissed him. Trunks was caught off guard, though he didn't know why this surprised him; he should have expected this from her.

He made the mistake of releasing her arms, and she immediately wrapped them around him. Months of pent up sexual frustration bubbled to the surface. All rational thought was leaving him, but he managed to collect his thoughts enough to pull away. But 18 kept a firm hold on him. He was forced to reach up and pry her arms off of him.

"18, no." he grunted.

She visibly pouted. "Come on, Trunks. You know I want you."

"I said no." he told her getting up. "We're not doing this. Not now, not ever."

He turned to leave. 18's eyes narrowed and she jumped to her feet. Trunks had barely taken two steps before she pounced on him, bringing them both down.

"I'm not letting you escape, Trunks." She purred in his ear. "I'm tired of playing games with you. Stop trying to be a gentleman."

Trunks was reaching his breaking point. He powered up to Ascended Saiyan, his sudden burst of energy throwing the android off him. 18 suddenly found herself up against the wall with a very aroused saiyan in front of her, his eyes glazed over in lust.

'He's mine now.'

Wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, 18 pressed her lips to his, slipping her tongue into his mouth. The rest of Trunks' self control snapped and he began kissing her back, the two of them lost in a state of lust and passion.

18 remained wrapped around Trunks as he moved them away from the wall. They went crashing down, rolling about in a tangle of limbs. Trunks ripped off the remainder of 18's clothes, immediately going for her breasts. 18 sighed in pleasure, holding his head to her chest as he ravished her.

'Yes… at last…' She looked down at the young saiyan. 'I knew I'd get you.'

Grabbing his face, she pressed more kisses to his lips, nipping him playfully. Trunks growled and rolled them over so he was on top, his saiyan side demanding dominance. 18 didn't mind in the least as she reached up and tore his shorts off.

Wrapping her legs around his waist, she rubbed herself against him, trying to get as close as possible. "Trunks…" she breathed.

Hearing his name seemed to awaken him from his lust crazed state somewhat. 18 seemed to realize this, but refused to let him run away.

Grabbing his hair, she looked straight into his eyes. "Don't you dare stop! Not now! I'm not waiting any longer!"

The saiyan's eyes once again clouded over in lust, and he devoured her lips again. With a mental sigh of relief, 18 returned his passion. She could feel him at her entrance, and she opened herself up to him. Even if Trunks' mind had cleared, it was far too late to stop now.

'Take me now!' she ordered him telepathically.

With a powerful thrust, he was inside her. 18 inhaled a deep breath at the sensation. There was no pain, though she didn't know if it was because they had done this before or because all her training had caused her maidenhead to tear. Arching her back in pleasure, she decided she didn't care. They were together now, and that was all that mattered.

Their lovemaking was fierce and passionate. Trunks thrusted into her with the speed of a saiyan, and 18 met each of his thrusts, wriggling beneath him in pleasure, her nails wracking down his back. Their gasps and moans echoed through the ship as they lost themselves in each other, finally unleashing their built up desires for one another.

Shortly after 18 cried out her release, Trunks exploded inside her. The two collapsed in exhaustion, the enhanced gravity crushing them together, but neither of them noticed as they panted in each other's ear.

'Beautiful.' 18 thought, riding out the last few waves of her climax. 'So worth the wait.'

As her heart rate slowed down, she turned her face into the crook of his neck and nuzzled him affectionately. "I finally got through to you." she whispered to him.

On top of her, Trunks' breathing slowly returned to normal. With his lust sated, rational thought began to return. With it came the realization of what he had just done. He suddenly felt sick. He had gone and done what he had promised himself he would never do. He'd gone and fucked 18.

How could he do that? What the hell was wrong with him? He had allowed 18 to seduce him. Damn it, and damn her for doing this to him.

Pulling out of her depths, he got to his feet and rushed out of the room. 18 blinked, surprised by his sudden departure. It was like he had just disappeared. She didn't know why she was so surprised; she had expected this. She knew that after the sudden round of sex-

'Incredible sex,' she thought.

-that Trunks would be sure to run away. She had hoped he wouldn't, but she had expected him to.

"So you're running from me again." she said out loud to herself. "Guess I'll just have to catch you before you run too far." She chuckled. "Cause I'm not letting you go, Trunks. Not now."

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Trunks was in the shower, standing beneath the ice cold water, trying to rid himself of the remaining sensations that coupling with 18 had left behind. He still couldn't believe he had done it. What would his mother say? Oh God, what would his father say? He had screwed one of his father's killers.

He guessed he shouldn't have been surprised. Somewhere deep down, ever since 18 had first attempted to seduce him, he'd known that this would happen eventually. 18 was a very beautiful, very willing woman, and he was a healthy young man, and a saiyan at that. He supposed he should give himself credit for lasting as long as he did.

But now that it was out of his system, he hoped he would be able to ignore her advances from now on. Because somehow he felt that this wasn't the end of it. 18 seemed to be dead set at rekindling their never-having-existed relationship. Even though he'd made it clear that he didn't want to get involved with her, she certainly wanted to get involved with him. Damn it all to Hell, out of all the women in the world, why did it have to be her? Why one of the androids that had made his life a living hell?

"She's not that bad. She just needs some help, that's all."

He remembered Krillin saying that. He had no idea what had gone on between the android and his fellow Z Warrior to make him think that, but from what Trunks had seen of 18, both past and present 18, they were both just as ruthless. He saw no difference between the past and present androids.

'She's not the same anymore.' Came that annoying voice in the back of his head that he assumed was his conscious. 'Her days as a murderer are gone for good, and Mother reprogrammed her to be a savior. She shouldn't be a threat.'

He hated to admit it, but when 18 wasn't terrorizing the planet, she really wasn't so bad. Infuriating at times, but still tolerable. If he had to say it, he would even admit that they were… friends. Had he been told a year ago that the two of them would be friends, he would have assumed that it was either a bad joke, or an insult. And though things were different between them now, that did not mean that he wanted to get into a sexual relationship with her.

'Bit late for that.' He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. 'No, a one-night-stand does not count as a sexual relationship. It won't happen again.'

But he was still ashamed. Having given in to her made him feel weak. To think that he, the most powerful being in the universe, had fallen to his former enemy's seduction was infuriating. He thought he was stronger than this. Why a former enemy?

Perhaps it ran in the family. After all, just look at his mother and father. In the past, his father would have killed his mother as soon as he would look at her, and his mother surely wouldn't have shed a tear if his father had died. Yet somehow they had ended up together. His mother was able to love his father regardless of his dark past.

'But he changed willingly.' Trunks reminded himself. His father had made the conscious decision to leave behind his destructive ways. 18 did not. She wasn't even aware of the destruction she'd caused, and therefore couldn't make the decision to leave that life behind.

'But isn't it similar with Goku's case?'

His mother had told him the story of Goku's origin. As a child, Goku had been like all saiyans, ruthless and destructive, wanting nothing to do with his adoptive grandfather's love. But after a hit to the head, all that viciousness had been knocked out of him, and Goku became the pure-hearted person he was.

Trunks' fist slammed against the wall, cracking the tile. This was so infuriating. Why was he even having this mental debate? He had already decided that nothing more would happen between him and 18. When he woke up tomorrow, he would pretend that this had all been a dream.

So lost in his thoughts he was that he wasn't aware of the shower door opening and 18 stepping in. But he did take notice when a pair of arms wrapped around him from behind. He tensed up as 18 pressed her naked chest to his back, resting her head on his shoulder.

"W-What are you doing?" he asked.

18 just smirked. "You're trying to run away again, but I'm not letting you."

Trunks' fists clenched as he attempted to get control of himself. "I'm not running away."

She chuckled. "Yes, you are. You don't want to admit what you're feeling."

"Not true."

"Oh really?" She reached for the faucet handle, turning on the hot water. "Then why are you standing here under the cold water?"

Trunks' eyes narrowed. "How I take my showers is of no concern to you." He cursed himself for his miserable excuse. "What are you doing in here anyway?"

She ran her hands up his rock-hard abs. "We have unfinished business."

The saiyan growled. "That shouldn't have happened in the first place. Lets just forget about it and pretend it never happened."

18's grip on him tightened as she planted kisses on his shoulder. "I can't do that. I've waited for you for too long. You may think I'm being very forward, and maybe I am, but I'm not shy about what I want."

Trunks brushed off her arms. "I'm serious about this, 18."

The android's playful expression left her face. "I just don't understand you. Isn't it supposed to be the man that seduces the woman? You'd think any normal man would jump at the chance of having a willing woman offering herself." She slid seductively around him until they were facing each other. "I don't know why you bother to deny the attraction between us." Trunks opened his mouth to reply, but 18 cut him off. "And don't you bother to deny it. I can tell you're attracted to me. I can see it in the way you look at me, with the way you behave around me. And this," Trunks gasped as she grabbed his erection, "is the biggest indication that you want me. So why do you fight this?"

Trunks eyes were clenched shut tightly. "I don't want to want you."

18 frowned. "Why? Because I lost my memories of our time together? I can't help that, Trunks. I'm trying to make the best of this, but you're making it really hard. I told you that I don't care about my lost past. It doesn't matter to me."

Trunks felt his control slipping again. "Well, it matters to me. I don't want a relationship."

18 looked mildly irritated. But then she smiled seductively. "Then I'm just going to have to change your mind." She began trailing kisses down his chest, getting down on her knees while Trunks stood frozen solid. "Impressive. I didn't get to see it last time."

A blush stained Trunks cheeks as he shut his eyes, refusing to look at her. He heard her chuckle before her mouth engulfed him, causing him to suck in a breath. His body tensed as her mouth worked over him. The sensations were overwhelming.

"18…" he grunted, trying to fight off the waves of ecstasy running over him.

She looked up at him, giving him a smile. "Yes, Trunks?"

"Please stop."

With a lustful look in her eyes, 18 stood up, making sure to rub her breasts against him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, holding herself close. "Make me." she replied, pressing her lips to his.

Trunks felt his control slipping again. In a last ditch effort to stay sane, he grabbed her and held her up against the wall, breathing heavily. That's when he made the mistake of looking up at her. She was staring at him lustfully, making his blood boil.

'Fuck it!' he decided. 'Just for tonight!'

This time he kissed her. 18's eyes widened in surprise, but she was pleasantly surprised. She kissed him back, her tongue dueling with his. This was different than last time. Trunks was fully aware of what he was doing, and who he was doing it with.

18 jumped up, wrapping her legs around him as Trunks devoured her mouth. He pressed her up against the shower wall and she gasped at the sensation of being crushed between the cool tiles and his warm hot body.

"Now." she told him. "Now!"

She cried out as he thrusted into her again. The feeling of doing it in the shower while the hot water poured over them heightened their pleasure. She bit his shoulder as he thrusted into her, bringing them closer to climax.

"I'm not letting go." She whispered into his ear as they built up a rhythm.

Through Trunks' clouded mind, he heard her words. And he knew that she meant it. But at the moment, he didn't care.

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The sound of an alarm going off woke Trunks from his sleep. Sitting up, he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. Careful not to wake up 18, he got out of bed and went over to the control panel. A button was flashing brightly, and he pressed it. A map appeared on screen, showing him where they were. But it was the message on the screen that had his full attention.

"Trunks?" He turned around to see 18 sitting up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as well. "What's going on?"

He turned back to the screen. "We're here." he told her. "We've arrived at New Namek."

Chapter 10: The Namekians' Request

Trunks piloted the ship, bringing it in for a landing. He found a nice flat area devoid of any inhabitants, animal or otherwise. Upon landing, 18 was the first to exit the ship, looking around the new planet curiously.

"Seems similar to Earth." She commented. She glanced up at the sky. "Well, except for the green sky. You know, it's strange, I never would have imagined going to another planet."

"It's not that big of a deal for me." Trunks told her. "After traveling back in time, going to another planet just doesn't seem as thrilling."

"Whatever. So where do you suppose the Dragon Balls are?" She glanced into the horizon. "I sense a really powerful source of energy over there. Maybe we should check it out; whoever it is might have a Dragon Ball."

Trunks turned on the dragon radar. "Hmm, it does say there's one in that direction, but there's another one closer this way. Lets stop there first."

18 shrugged. "Doesn't really matter to me. You know, I'm actually rather excited about seeing the eternal dragon. You've seen it before, haven't you?"

"The earth's dragon, yes. Not the Namekian one. Mom said he's different from Shenron. She also said he was kind of cute."

18 raised an eyebrow. "Kind of cute? Somehow I can't see a giant alien dragon as being cute."

"I admit, when it comes to Mom's taste, we do have different opinions. But regardless of what he looks like, he's the only one that can help us. So, you ready to go?"

18 took to the sky. "Waiting on you."

With the dragon radar as a guide, Trunks and 18 headed for the closet Dragon Ball. It was several miles away from where they landed, but they reached the location in a matter of minutes. Soon they were hovering over a small village, inhabited by several green-skinned, pointy-eared people.

As they landed, several tough looking Nameks came forward, taking on fighting stances. "Who are you?" one of them demanded. "Why have you come to our village?"

18 glanced at Trunks. "I thought your mother said they were friendly. They sure don't look friendly."

"Let me handle this." Holding up his hands, Trunks cautiously approached the Namekians. "We mean you no harm. We're visitors from planet Earth."

The expressions on the Nameks' faces changed from hostile to surprise. "Earth? You're from Earth?"

Trunks nodded. "Yes, my name is Trunks Brief. I believe you know my mother, Bulma Brief."

"You're her son?" asked another Namek.

"Yes, and we've come to you for help."

"Stand down, all of you." came an elderly voice. An older Namek stepped forward from the crowd, brushing past the hostile Nameks. "The people of Earth are our friends. Bulma especially. We owe a great deal of gratitude to her and her people." He turned to Trunks and gave him a smile. "You must forgive them for their behavior. They are merely being cautious."

Trunks just waved it off. "Perfectly understandable."

The old Namekian stepped forward and shook Trunks' hand. "So, you're the son of Bulma. I must say that it is an honor to meet you. I am the elder. My name is Moori."

Trunks smiled at the familiar name. "Yes, my mother told me about you. It's good to finally meet you."

"You as well, my son." He glanced at 18. "And who's your companion?"

"Huh? Oh, that's 18."

The android pointed an accusing finger at the old Namek. "Don't even think about making fun of my name."

Moori chuckled. "Would never dream of it. Any friend of Miss Bulma is a friend of ours. On behalf of all of us, I bid you welcome."

The Namekians immediately warmed up to the two of them. Regardless of their uneasy meeting, it seemed that Bulma was right about the Nameks being a peaceful and friendly race.

"It's been so long since we've seen or heard from our friends from Earth." Moori commented. "Tell me, how is everyone doing?"

Trunks frowned. "That's actually why we're here. You see, Earth is in a bit of trouble, and we were hoping you would be able to help us."

Moori nodded. "But of course, we'll help in anyway we can. Tell us what the problem is."

Trunks sighed. "Ok, it's like this. Several years ago, there was a man named Dr. Gero. He was a complete genius, but also a total madman. He spent his whole life creating these super powerful android warriors. And then he unleashed them on the world." He glanced at 18. "She's one of them, and her brother was the other. And for the next several years, he terrorized the planet, killing everyone in his path."

The Namekians seemed surprised by this news. "That's terrible." One of them commented.

"Couldn't Goku stop him?" asked another.

Trunks hung his head. "No, unfortunately he got sick and died from a terrible heart virus. After that, all of our friends fell. Piccolo, Krillin, Yamcha, Gohan, everyone. They were all killed."

There were shocked cries of outrage upon hearing news of their friends' deaths. The thought of the mighty Z Warriors falling was just dreadful.

"This android," said Moori, "he's stronger than Frieza?"

Trunks nodded. "Much stronger. I spent my whole life trying to defeat him. And a few months ago, I finally managed to destroy him. But…" he hesitated, "but the planet is still in ruin, and millions of innocent people have lost their lives. Ordinarily we would use the Dragon Balls to fix things, but with Piccolo dead, the Dragon Balls are useless. So we came to ask if we could use your Dragon Balls to revive our friends and restore the damage done to Earth."

The Namekians glanced at each other, looking concerned. Some began whispering uncomfortably while others looked just plain worried. Trunks glanced at 18, but she just shrugged, indicating that she didn't know what the problem was.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

Moori hesitated. "Actually, yes, we do have a problem. It's not that we're unwilling to help you. On the contrary, we'd be happy to let you use our Dragon Balls. You see…" he glanced at his people, "we're in a bit of a bind ourselves. For the past couple of weeks, we've been under attack. That's why some of use were being wary of you at first."

A concerned look crossed over Trunks' face. "Why? What's going on?"

The elder Namek sighed. "Not too long ago, a monster came to our planet and has been terrorizing our people. This monster is more powerful than our strongest of warriors. It destroys our villages and devours our people. And the worst part is that the more of us this monster devours, the stronger it becomes."

Trunks frowned in disgust. "That's horrible."

"Couldn't you just have used the Dragon Balls to get rid of it?" 18 asked as if this should have been obvious.

Moori sighed again. "We would have, but when it first attacked, it swallowed one of the Dragon Balls. So we're unable to collect all seven in order to summon the dragon."

Trunks crossed his arms. This was a problem. He hadn't considered the possibility of having to fight for the Dragon Balls. Then again, how tough could this monster be? Maybe to these people, but he should be able to handle it easily enough; he was the strongest person in the universe.

"What kind of monster is it?" he asked curiously.

Moori closed his eyes. "We don't know. It just showed up one day and began its rampage. All we know about it is its name." His eyes opened, revealing the anger he felt towards the creature that had been attacking his people. "The monster's name is Luud."

Trunks raised an eyebrow. "Luud?" He glanced at 18, but she just shook her head, indicating that she was just as clueless as he was. "Never heard of it."

"It's Lord Luud to be precise." Moori explained. "When it came to our planet, it had several followers that were worshipping it as a god. But Luud eventually turned on them as well and devoured them all. Now only the beast remains, and we're powerless to stop it." He looked desperately at Trunks. "Please, young one. I can sense much power in you. I beg you to help us defeat this monster. Rid us of this Luud character, and we will gladly allow you to use our Dragon Balls."

Trunks gave him a thumbs up. "Hey, no problem. Just leave it to use. This Luud guy is toast."

18 looked in the direction of the incredible power source she had sensed when they first exited the ship. "I wonder if it's that power I felt earlier. It certainly seems like the strongest one on the planet."

Moori nodded, walking up beside 18 and looking in the direction she was staring in. "Yes, that's the beast all right. I would know that evil energy anywhere."

18 cracked her knuckles. "Well then, we'd better get a move on. You ready, Trunks?"

The elder Namek gave her a worried look. "Forgive me for saying so, but I don't think you'll be a match for him. His power is enormous while I can't sense yours at all."

18 just chuckled. "That's normal. I am an android after all. My power can't be detected."

Trunks nodded. "It's true. She's actually stronger than I am as a Super Saiyan."

"You're a Super Saiyan?" several Nameks cried.

"But how can that be?" asked Moori. "Aside from Goku, Gohan, and Vegeta, all other saiyans were wiped out by Frieza many years ago."

Trunks nodded. "I know. I'm actually only half-saiyan like Gohan. Bulma was my mother, and Vegeta was my father."

"You're father?"

"That mad man is your father?"

"How do we know we can trust the son of Vegeta?"

Moori glared at his people. "That's enough out of all of you! Yes it's true that Vegeta wronged us in the past, but he may have turned over a leave. Don't forget, he lived with us on Earth for several months and never harmed anyone. And I trust Bulma's judgment." He glanced at Trunks. "Although I never would have imagined that she and Vegeta would have ended up together."

Trunks blushed slightly. "Yes, I'm sure it was… unexpected."

"But regardless of how Vegeta turned out," Moori continued, "one does not choose who their parents are. I sense much good in you, young Trunks. Therefore you have my trust. Would you be willing to help us defeat Luud?"

Trunks smirked. "Consider it done."

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As Trunks and 18 headed for the massive power source, they were led by Biyakuyo, one of the Nameks that had nearly attacked them when they first arrived. He had apologized for the unfriendly greeting and for nearly attacking them.

"We were afraid you were some of Luud's followers." Biyakuyo explained.

Trunks just waved it off. "No apologizes necessary. I'd be cautious too if I were in your position."

Biyakuyo nodded. "Thank you for understanding. And please be sure not underestimate this beast. It's more powerful than you can possibly imagine."

18 glanced at him. "Are you sure you want to come?"

The Namekian nodded again. "I can sense how powerful you are, but believe me when I tell you that this creature is stronger."

'Even more so than when I'm a Super Saiyan?' Trunks wondered doubtfully. 'Well, I'll find out soon enough. We're close now.'

Coming upon the massive power level they sensed, the three warriors hovered in the air. Beneath them was large cave that seemed to be the source of the power.

"It's in that cave?" 18 asked. "Did it sense us coming and go hide?"

Biyakuyo shook his head. "I doubt it. Based upon how suppressed its energy is, I'd say it's sleeping."

Trunks felt a chill run up his spine. 'It's producing this much power while it sleeps? It must be really strong.'

The three landed outside the cave. From deep within the darkness, the sound of a massive creature snoring could be heard.

"On my mark." Biyakuyo told them, powering up. "Let him have it!"

The three of them fired blasts of energy into the cave. A loud roar was heard from within, indicating that they had hit their target. The energy blasts went straight through the cave, blowing open the back, making it an easy walk straight through.

"Is that it?" 18 asked.

Trunks shook his head. "I don't think so. It's still producing too much energy." A bead of sweat ran down his cheek. "And it's getting bigger."

18 took a fighting stance. "I'd prefer a face-to-face battle."

Trunks couldn't help but to grin. 'So very much like a saiyan.'

The ground shook as the creature's massive feet came crashing down. From out of the darkness, an enormous hand grasped the cave wall and Lord Luud emerged.

To say Trunks was surprised was an understatement. This Luud monster wasn't anything like he expected. It towered over about fifty feet high, but it looked like an infant devil. It was pudgy with yellow-green skin and it had a child-like pout on its face. It also looked mechanical, like it was a machine or a doll rather than an actual monster.

"That's Luud?" Trunks asked. "He's big, but he doesn't look so tough."

"He's kind of cute." 18 commented. "In a creepy sort of way."

"Don't underestimate him." Biyakuyo told her. "He has an immense power at his disposal."

Luud looked down at them with his beady yellow eyes. His hands clenched together and a low growl emitted form him. Suddenly he roared loudly, his cry causing the ground to shake. Then he lunged at them, his large fist flying towards them.

"Go!" Biyakuyo cried, and they took to the air.

Luud's fist slammed into the ground, narrowly missing them. Then his head turned completely around, his mouth opening wide. A blast of energy erupted from his mouth, flying towards the three of them. They once again barely got out of the way in time.

"That was unexpected." Said 18. "His head turned completely around."

"He's surprisingly mobile." Biyakuyo explained.

Luud's head turned forward again and he looked up at them. His arms began spinning in a very machine-like fashion and he charged at them. They moved away from his spinning fists, but he kept at them. Suddenly he began launching blasts of energy at them from his rotating arms, each blast causing a massive explosion.

"He's going to destroy the planet if this keeps up." Said 18.

Trunks glared at the monster. "Right, enough of this."

He suddenly appeared in front of Luud's face, surprising the monster. Trunks' fist collided with the spot where Luud's nose should have been. The monster went crashing down on its rear end.

"Now take this."

Doing some fancy hand movements, Trunks shot off a Burning Attack. Luud didn't bother to dodge the attack. However, he seemed completely unaffected by it. His arms came flying up, his hands smacking together as if Trunks were a fly he was trying to swat. The saiyan just flew up out of its range.

18 appeared behind Luud and delivered a kick to the back of his head. The monster just grunted, then turned his head around and fired another blast of energy from its mouth.

Swearing, 18 fired her own blast of energy. But Luud's attack easily knocked hers aside, forcing 18 to avoid the blast. Luud got to his feet and charged at her. As 18 dodged away from his flying fists, Biyakuyo flew over his head and brought his elbow crashing down. Luud grunted as the Namek's elbow slammed into his head, knocking him down.

"He doesn't seem to smart." 18 noted.

Biyakuyo just growled. "What he lacks in intelligence, he makes up for with brute strength."

Still lying face-down, Luud's head turned around and he shot beams of energy from his eyes. Sensing that the attack wasn't that powerful, 18 got ready to knock it aside.

"Look out!" Biyakuyo shouted.

His arm stretched out several feet and grabbed 18, pulling her back. Luud's attack missed, but unfortunately, Biyakuyo had ended up grabbing her hair.

Pulling away, 18 turned angrily to the Namek. "Ow! What was that for?"

"You'll thank me later." He told her. "You do not want to make contact with his eye laser attack."

Luud got to his feet. He roared loudly and began rotating his arms again. 18 and Biyakuyo braced themselves, but Trunks flew in front of them.

"Stand back." He told them. "I'll handle this."

And then he transformed. Biyakuyo gasped at his sudden increase of power. "What… happened?"

Trunks smirked. "I'll deal with this freak."

Luud charged at them, his arms spinning like helicopter blades. Trunks didn't bother to move. He merely caught the monster's spinning arm. No matter how hard Luud pushed, the saiyan wouldn't budge.

"Now it's my turn to attack." Trunks told him.

Vanishing from beneath Luud's fist, he appeared directly in front of him. Luud grunted and groaned as Trunks delivered several rapid punches to his chest, following up with a powerful blast of energy. Luud went down, crashing into one of the many large rock formations that covered the land.

"Incredible." Said Biyakuyo. "I've heard of the power of a Super Saiyan, but I never imagined it was this great."

Trunks grinned. "Yeah, this guy's no match for me."

Luud got to his feet. He stared at Trunks for a few moments, seeming to come to a decision. Then he roared loudly, pounding his fists against his chest.

"What's with him?" 18 asked.

Biyakuyo was slightly more worried. "I have a bad feeling about this."

A powerful energy aura surrounded Luud as he began to power up. All three gasped as Luud's energy skyrocketed. His body turned blood red as his power soured past levels that not even Trunks could fathom.

Chapter 11: In the Belly of the Beast

"Whoa, what happened?" Trunks asked, completely shocked. "His energy just went through the roof."

"This is the true power of Luud." Said Biyakuyo, looking on in horror. "I knew he was powerful, but I never imagined this."

Even 18 seemed concerned. "This isn't good."

Luud suddenly vanished, moving too fast for them to see. He appeared in the air behind them, firing beams of energy from his eyes. Trunks and 18 were fast enough to avoid the rays, but Biyakuyo wasn't so lucky. The beams struck him and poof he vanished in a puff of smoke.

When the smoke cleared, Biyakuyo was gone. In his place was a miniature doll that looked very much like the Namek.

"Did you see that?" Trunks cried. "He… turned him into a doll."

"That's the attack he saved me from." 18 realized, staring at the doll in disbelief.

Luud opened his mouth and sucked inward. The Biyakuyo doll flew towards him and into his mouth. Luud swallowed it and then became still. A moment later, his power shot up even more, equal to the amount of power Biyakuyo had.

"Whoa, you feel that?" asked Trunks. "He absorbed his power."

18 nodded. "He seems to gain the power of however he eats. The monster."

Trunks' fists clenched. "Don't worry, we can bring him back along with everyone else that Luud's eaten with the Dragon Balls."

Luud roared again and suddenly appeared behind them. He swung his arm, his open fist smacking into the two of them, sending them crashing to the ground.

"Ow." Trunks grunted, sitting up. "You ok, 18?"

"I've been better."

Luud was suddenly standing over them, lifting his massive foot. 18 and Trunks flew out of the way as Luud's foot came crashing down. Once in the air, they fired blasts of energy at him, but Luud remained unaffected. Turning towards them, he held up his hand and unleashed his own energy blasts.

"Look out." Trunks warned, as he and 18 avoided the blasts.

"I'm going around back." She told him.

Flying around Luud, she delivered a powerful punch to the back of his head. Luud didn't even flinch. His head turned around and he fired energy beams from his eyes. 18 was careful not to touch them, not wanting to end up like Biyakuyo.

Trunks flew past Luud's head, getting the monster's attention. "18, lets give him some target practice."

18 nodded. "Got it."

They began flying in different directions around Luud's head. The monster didn't seem to know which one to attack, reaching for one, then going after the other when he caught sight of them.

"Looks like you were right about him not being that smart." Said Trunks.

"Lets use that to our advantage."

As Luud proceeded to swat at them, still unable to decide which one to go after, Trunks and 18 began firing blasts of energy as they continued flying around him. Though the attacks didn't seem to be damaging him, they did make him angry.

Finally getting fed up, Luud tensed up and began gathering energy. Trunks and 18 stopped flying around, looking at Luud curiously. With a mighty roar, Luud unleashed a massive amount of energy. Trunks and 18 cried out as they were thrown backwards from the large explosion that enveloped the land. When the attack finally dispersed, an enormous crater was all that was left.

Trunks had been thrown into a large rock formation, and was currently stuck to the rock wall from slamming into it so hard. But 18 had been thrown back even farther, having not crashed into anything.

"Man, what power." He grunted, his whole body aching.

Luud turned to him, a low growl emitting from his lips. He zeroed in on Trunks and fired beams of energy from his eyes. Trunks gasped as the beams flew towards him.

"Watch out!" 18 cried, flying towards him.

There was a flash of light and a large cloud of smoke appeared. When the smoke cleared, there was yet another miniature doll in place of the android.

"18!" Trunks cried.

The small doll fell from the sky. Ripping his arm out of the imprint he made when he hit the rock wall, Trunks reached for her. A sudden suction moved 18 beyond his reach as Luud sucked her up and swallowed her.

"Damn." Trunks swore. "This isn't good."

Luud's power exploded beyond measurement as 18's power was added onto him. This was not good. After powering up, Luud had revealed himself to be stronger than Trunks even at an Ascended Saiyan. Having Biyakuyo's power added on after that was bad enough, but 18's as well was disastrous.

Luud's fist shot out, slamming into the rock wall Trunks was stuck to, bringing the whole thing crashing down. He looked down at the pile of rocks, trying to pinpoint the saiyan's location.

With a battle cry, Trunks burst up from beneath the rocks. Gathering his power, he unleashed a blast of energy. Luud merely knocked it aside with great ease, then opened his mouth to unleash his own blast of energy.

Trunks wasn't fast enough to avoid it and was blasted backwards. Luud was already after him again. Moving in Trunks' path, his large foot collided with the saiyan, sending him in the other direction. Repeating the process, Luud got in Trunks' path again, this time throwing a punch.

Trunks was able to avoid the giant fist before flying up towards Luud and delivering his own punch with as much strength as he could muster. Pain exploded in his hand as he made contact with Luud's large head. To his horror, Luud didn't even react.

As Luud clapped his hands, attempting to crush Trunks, the saiyan dropped from the sky. Standing directly in front of Luud, he summoned up all his power and unleashed it in a mighty energy blast that was more than capable of destroying the planet if he hadn't directed it into space after it hit the monster.

Luud had been knocked off his feet, landing flat on his back. Trunks took a few moments to catch his breath as he stared at the fallen monster. He was horrified to see Luud sit up a few moments later, looking relatively unharmed.

"Great." Trunks muttered. "Now what?"

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18 slowly opened her eyes. At first she could see only black, but then she realized that she was looking at a wall that was actually a mixture of reds, blues, greens, and purples.

"Am I… dead?" she wondered out loud.

"No, not dead." Someone replied. "Not yet."

18 turned around at the familiar voice. "Hey, it's you. I thought Luud ate you."

Biyakuyo nodded. "He did, and you as well."

18's eyes widened. "That's right, I got turned into a doll from those lasers. That's why I couldn't move. Damn, I was hoping I was just momentarily paralyzed. And then he ate me."

"Not just you." Biyakuyo replied.

That's when 18 realized they weren't alone. There was quite a large crowd in here. She could see several Namekians, and a large number of other people wearing costumes. There seemed to be no gravity in here because everyone was floating.

"Who are they?" 18 asked, referring to the ones wearing masks.

Biyakuyo's eyes narrowed angrily. "Members of the Luud Cult. Their so-called god betrayed his own people."

"We never wanted this!" cried one of the followers. "We knew that Luud was a merciless god, but we were also told that he was compassionate to his followers."

"We were told that if we worship him that he would bless us." Said another.

18 glared at them. "This thing is not a god!" she shouted. "It's just a monster that's eating people to become stronger. A creature pretending to be a god so it can gain power from its followers. Do you know what such a creature really is? A demon. And because you were all a bunch of idiots to follow this freak, you've been devoured." She crossed her arms. "Now I've been eaten as well."

Biyakuyo turned to her. "But you saved Trunks by taking the blasts yourself."

She glanced at him. "How'd you know that?"

Biyakuyo pointed to a spot on the wall. There was what seemed to be a large circular window that showed the outside world. Whether she was seeing things from Luud's point of view or not, 18 didn't know. But what she did know that with the way things were going, it didn't look like Trunks would last much longer.

18's fist slammed into the window. "Trunks, you better beat him! I didn't sacrifice myself for you just so you can die!"

"He can't hear you." Biyakuyo told her. "We're completely cut off from the outside world."

"The hell we are!" 18 cried.

Raising her hand, she gathered energy.

"Wait don't!" someone cried.

18 ignored them and fired. The blast bounced off the wall. People screamed and moved out of the way as the energy blast flew around, repeatedly bouncing off the walls.

18 finally fired another blast of energy, which struck her first one, canceling it out.

"Are you trying to kill us?" the same person cried. "I told you not to do that! We're part of Luud's body now. Our energy is his energy. You can't use it against him."

18 gave this person a suspicious look. "You seem to know quite a bit about this creature. I'm assuming you're one of his followers."

"Not quite." Biyakuyo told her, glaring at the man. "That's the high priest, Dolltaki. He's what you would call a false prophet." His eyes narrowed. "He knew the truth about Luud all along."

Dolltaki laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head. "Yes, but I didn't expect Luud to swallow me up as well. Seems he grew beyond my control."

18 put her hands on her hips and hovered over to him. "So, you know the truth about Luud, do you?" She grabbed him by his shirt, bringing him up to her face. "Then you should know if there's a way out of here."

Dolltaki shook his head. "Nope, sorry. There is no way out."

18's eye caught a bead of sweat running down Dolltaki's cheek. Her eyes narrowed and her grip on his shirt tightened. "You're lying. I can tell. And don't bother to deny it. You better start talking, buddy, or else you'll be really sorry."

"Oh really?" He pulled away from her. "And just what are you going to do? Look around. I'm in the same position as you. I don't want to spend the rest of my life trapped in here? If there was a way out, don't you think I would have taken it by now?"

18 crossed her arms and glared at him. "But you do know something. You better tell me what you know if you know what's good for you."

Dolltaki returned her glare. "If I tell you, the consequences will be my life. Right now, this is the safest place for me."

"Don't be so sure." She raised her hand, gathering energy. "If you don't tell me what I want to know, I swear I'll kill you right here and now."

A fearfully look crossed over Dolltaki's face, but then it became one of arrogance. "You wouldn't dare. If you kill me, you'll never find your way out."

18 formed a ball of energy in her hand, showing him that she wasn't fooling around. "Perhaps not, but you see that guy out there." She nodded towards Trunks. "I sacrificed myself for him. That means I'm ready to die for him. If I kill you, that will decrease Luud's power, and maybe Trunks will be able to destroy him, even if that means losing my life in the process."

Dolltaki looked uncertain. "T-That won't save him. You'll have to kill a lot more people than me in order to weaken Luud enough for that boy to be able to destroy him."

Biyakuyo flew over to them. "I don't know about you, but being stuck in here is as good as being dead, and I'm sure everyone else here would agree. Besides," he grinned, "we Namekians have a way of bringing the dead back to life. So killing people isn't exactly a problem. But don't think that anyone will be bringing you back."

Dolltaki looked at them both fearfully, understanding that his life truly was in danger. With Cardinal Mutchy Mutchy dead, destroyed by Luud, there was no one to protect him from these people. But if he revealed to them the secret of Luud, then that person would surely have him killed. Then again, maybe he could hide from that person, unlike now where death was a guarantee.

He sighed. "All right, you win. Just don't hurt me." He pointed upward. "See that red cell up there. That's Luud's very core. It was from that cell that Luud grew and mutated into the creature he is now. Destroy that cell, and Luud's entire structure will fall apart."

18 looked up at the cell. "That's a really big cell." She cracked her knuckles. "All right, that shouldn't be too hard."

"Uh…"

18 glanced at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Dolltaki tapped his index fingers together nervously. "Well, um, you see, it's not quite that simple. Luud's belly is sort of… another dimension."

18 raised an eyebrow. "Another dimension?"

Dolltai nodded. "Yes, and that red cell is kind of like a connector between this dimension and the other one. It must be attack simultaneously from the inside and out in order to destroy it. I'm afraid it's the only way."

18 groaned, looking up at the cell. "Great, there's always a catch." She looked again at the window, watching as Trunks fired blasts of energy at Luud, not one hitting the spot where the cell was located. "Guess it can't be helped."

Placing her hand on the window, she closed her eyes and tried to concentrate. It proved to be very difficult with all the noise everyone else was making. Finally she turned to them and snapped, "Will you all shut up! I'm trying to concentrate!"

It immediately fell silent. 18 nodded, satisfied, and turned back to the window, closing her eyes again and calling out to Trunks telepathically. "Trunks, can you here me? Trunks!"

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Outside, Trunks froze in midair upon hearing her voice in his head. This proved to be a mistake, as it gave Luud the opportunity to slam his fist into the saiyan, sending him crashing into the rock wall again.

"Damn, that was my fault." He grunted. Luud's fist came flying towards him again, but only hit rock as Trunks got away in time. "I must be hearing things."

"No, it's me. I'm talking to you telepathically."

Trunks blinked upon hearing 18's voice in his head. "Telepathically? Then your still alive?" He asked in surprise. He was also surprised by the relief that overcame him upon discovering that she still lived.

"Yes, I'm stuck inside Luud's body along with Biyakuyo and everyone else. But never mind that now. Trunks, listen, I found a way to defeat Luud."

"Great, I'm all ears."

"Ok, listen closely. Luud has only one weakness. There's a single spot on his body that can bring him down if we hit it from the inside and the outside at the same time. Aim at the red cell on his body. It's a lot bigger than an ordinary cell, so you should be able to see it."

Trunks growled irritably as he dodged away from Luud's fists. "Great, just one problem, his whole body is red."

He heard 18 swear in his head as she recalled how Luud had changed colors when he powered up. "All right, I'm going to blast it. Let me know if you see anything."

Trunks nodded and waited. A few moments later, there was a small twinkle of light that appeared on Luud's chest for a brief moment, just above his heart.

"Did you see?"

Trunks grinned. "Yeah, I saw. All right, you said at the same time? Let's do it." He looked up at the monster. "You're going down, Luud." As Luud continued his rampage, Trunks took aim at his chest. "Ready when you are."

"On the count of three."

"One."

"Two."

"Three!" they cried together.

At the same time, they fired blasts of energy at Luud's only weakness. The monster reached for Trunks, who had stopped moving in order to take aim. Just before his large hands closed around the saiyan warrior, the energy blasts from both inside and outside his body struck.

Luud's roar echoed all throughout Namek. Within his chest, his core was completely obliterated. He fell to his knees as large cracks appeared all over his torso. Then, like a china plate, it shattered, sending Luud's arms and legs flying. His head remained airborne for a brief moment before it too fell from the sky. It bounced once, twice, once more, and then rolled into the water with a loud splash, sinking beneath the surface into the darkness below.

Chapter 12: When You Wish Upon A Dragon Ball

Trunks landed nearby, feeling exhausted. A short distance away, the crumbled remains of Luud's torso began glowing, and then, all at once, several beams of light erupted from the pile. The beams of light flew up in the air and then came down. Then, to Trunks' amazement, each beam of light took a humanoid form as all of those that Luud devoured appeared. Namekians and former Luud worshippers were freed upon the destruction of the beast.

"We're out." a Luud worshipper cried cheerfully.

"We've been freed from the beast."

"Oh happy day!"

18 impatiently pushed people out of the way as she tried to get through the crowd before realizing that she could just fly over them. Spotting Trunks, she landed out of the group of people and ran towards him.

"Trunks!" She threw her arms around him. Trunks was startled by her display of affection, and would later realize that he hadn't been repelled by her touch. She let him go and began checking him over. "Are you all right? You're not hurt, are you?"

He shook his head. "No, but I have been better." He gave her a smile. "Glad to see that you're still alive."

18 smirked, moving to support him. "As if that giant walking tub of lard could get the best of me."

"He almost got the best of me." he admitted. "I'd be a goner if it wasn't for you."

"Well I couldn't let him turn you into a doll. That would ruin my months of hard work at getting through to you."

Her statement reminded Trunks of their relationship, and of what they had done on the spaceship. Frowning, he pulled away from her, looking towards the group of people that had been trapped within Luud.

"Are they all right?"

18 blinked, taken aback by his sudden coldness to her. "I think so. None of us were hurt. Luud was just using us as a catalyst for his power. He needed us alive."

Trunks nodded. "What about Biyakuyo?"

"Right over here." said the Namek, stepping out of the crowd. "And look what I found." In his arms was the three-star Dragon Ball, several times bigger than the ones on Earth. Biyakuyo smiled and handed that large shining object to them. "I'm happy to present you with this, the three-star ball. Rejoice in the knowledge that your wishes will soon be granted. All those you wish to revive shall soon be restored. However, I have a request."

Both Trunks and 18 looked surprised. "What sort of request?" the former asked.

Biyakuyo glanced down at the Dragon Ball. "Though Luud mostly ate our people, there were several that he simply killed. I request that when you bring back those you wish to restore that you bring back my people as well."

Trunks smiled. "Oh, is that all? Considerate it done. We'll be happy to help."

Biyakuyo sighed and smiled. "I thank you, my friends."

"No thanks necessary." Said 18. She glanced at the Luud worshippers, who were still rejoicing at being freed. "What about them?"

The Namek turned to the masked aliens. "They were all fooled. Every one them were as much of Luud's victims as we were." His eyes narrowed. "The blame lies with that Dolltaki fellow."

Trunks blinked. "Doll… who? Who's he?"

18 let him go and walked into the crowd of people. There was a small commotion before she came back out dragging a screaming unmasked Luud worshipper. She pushed him forward at Trunks' feet.

"That would be this creep. He's the mastermind behind the Luud Cult." She glared at him. "He tricked and manipulated everyone, and then stood by as Luud betrayed them all, including him."

Dolltaki laughed nervously. "B-But… I did help you in the end."

"Only to save your own skin." 18 seethed. "And it certainly took you long enough to give us the information."

Trunks looked at Dolltaki in disgust. "You know, people like you really sicken me. All you do is cause suffering for everyone with your greed and lust for power. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Dolltaki grinned nervously. "No hard feeling?" He flinched at their angry looks. "W-What's going to happen to me?"

"That's not for us to decide." Trunks told him. "You'll have to take that up with the people you've wronged. Namely the Namekians and your former followers."

Gulping, Dolltaki looked at Biyakuyo, who just glared at him. "Don't bother begging me for mercy. It's not my decision. And even if my people do let you off the hook, I can't speak for your friends."

Going pale, Dolltaki looked at his old followers. They were giving him looks that could kill, silently letting him know that they were not going to forgive him for using and betraying them.

The former high priest whimpered fearfully.

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18 was excited. Trunks had told her stories of the eternal dragon. True, this was a different dragon than the one from Earth, but it was just as exciting. She couldn't wait to see it.

"It's a good thing we upgraded the Dragon Balls to be able to bring back more than one person per wish." Moori told them. "But ever since that Frieza character, we've learned to be more careful about such things."

"Lucky for us." Said Trunks, looking at the seven glowing Dragon Balls. "Do you mind if I summon him now?"

"Actually," said Moori, "I have to do it. There's a password that's required in order to summon the dragon, and it's in the Namekian language."

"Oh." Trunks stood back. "Then whenever you're ready."

Moori nodded and raised his hands over the Dragon Balls. Then he began speaking in another language that neither Trunks or 18 could understand.

Once he finished speaking. The Dragon Balls began glowing brightly. 18, who was standing next to Trunks, unconsciously took hold of his arm, squeezing it in anticipation.

The sky turned black and there was an incredible flash of light, then they were all blinded as the dragon emerged. A massive form made entirely of light burst from the spot the Dragon Balls rested. It grew to a colossal size and began to take form. Then the light vanished and the large muscular form of Porunga, the eternal dragon of Namek, appeared.

18's eyes widened in astonishment as she gazed upon the great dragon. Right next to her, Trunks was equally as amazed. He'd seen the earth's dragon, but this dragon was very different from Shenron.

Porunga grumbled, looking down at the group of people beneath him. His loud booming voice echoed around them as he spoke. "You have collected all seven Dragon Balls! I will now grant you three wishes! Speak now and tell me why you have summoned me!"

Moori nodded and turned to Trunks, a big smile on his face. "All right, time to make your wishes."

Trunks nodded, unable to take his eyes off the dragon. "Uh, yes, um, dragon, could you please repair the damage done to both the planet Namek and the planet Earth since the time Dr. Gero activated the androids."

Porunga completely ignored him, giving no indication that he even heard the saiyan.

"Maybe you need to talk louder." 18 suggested.

Moori snickered. "I'm sorry, that's my fault. Porunga will only grant a wish if it's spoken in the Namekian tongue."

"Oh." Trunks muttered, wondering why that was since the dragon was perfectly capable of speaking his language. "Well then, could you please translate for me?"

The Namek elder grinned. "Gladly." He looked up at Porunga and repeated what Trunks said in the Namekian language.

"Yes!" Porunga replied. "It shall be done!" His red eyes flashed brightly as he unleashed his power. After a few moments, his eyes stopped glowing and he looked down at them. "You're wish has been granted! Now state your second wish!"

Trunks nodded, looking back at Moori. "Ok, this time ask him to revive everyone on Earth and Namek who was killed since the time Dr. Gero activated the androids, except for all the really evil people."

Moori translated Trunks' wish. Once he finished, Porunga sweat-dropped. "That is… a very big wish! I have never revived so many people before!"

"It should be within your power." Moori told him. "Please try."

Porunga sighed. "Yes, very well, I will see what I can do!" His eyes began glowing again. The others waited in anticipation for him to announce that the wish was granted. But as Porunga's eyes stopped glowing, he looked down at them apologetically. "I am sorry, but your wish cannot be granted in full!"

Trunks gasped. "What? What do you mean, in full?"

Porunga growled irritably. "Although you are correct in saying that I am capable of bringing back more than one person, my powers are still limited! I can only revive those that were killed within the past year!"

"What, that's it?" Trunks cried, his hopes of seeing his father and friends crashing down.

Porunga growled again. "Hey, I'm not God! You try bringing back to life millions of people and then you can complain to me about it!"

Moori gave Trunks a sorrowful look. "I am sorry, my friend, but the wish can't be granted." He paused for a moment. "What do you want to do?"

Trunks hung his head, feeling both sad and angry. He should have known that this was too good to be true. All those people were dead, and would stay dead. There was nothing that could be done to bring them back. He had been foolish to hope that everything would go well.

'Father, Gohan, everyone… I failed. I hoped I would be able to fix everything, but I can't.'

18 rested a hand on his shoulder. "Trunks, there's nothing we can do. We can only make the best of the situation."

Trunks was suddenly overcome with the urge to blast her, a feeling he hadn't had for a while now. It was because of her and her brother that everyone was dead. It was all her fault.

Angrily pulling away from her, he looked back at Moori. "Fine, then just do what you can. Bring back as many as possible."

Moori closed his eyes. "I truly am sorry."

"Excuse me!" Porunga called. "Hello, up here! As sorry as I am to be unable to fulfill your each and every desire, I would really appreciate it if you could get a move on! Hurry up and make your last two wishes so I can go!"

"Uh, yes, I'm sorry." Moori replied, and made his request.

"Should have seen that coming!" Porunga muttered. "Very well, your wish shall be granted!" The process repeated as the dragon fulfilled their wish. "Your wish has been granted! It will take some time, but it has been set in motion! Now, make your last wish!"

18 crossed her arms. "Huh, so we have one extra wish." She grinned. "How about we ask to be really rich?"

"18!" Trunks cried, his surprise by her request overcoming his anger for her.

"What? I'm not greedy. I'm only asking for, say… 500 million zeni."

Trunks shook his head and turned back to Moori. "I have a wish." He told the Namek telepathically. "I don't want 18 to know this, but she was originally one of the androids that destroyed most of the earth." At Moori's surprised look, he nodded. "I know, but it's true. She had an accident and doesn't remember. But everyone else does. So for the third wish, could you ask the dragon to erase the fact that 18 was one of the killer androids from the minds of everyone on Earth except for myself, my mother, and our friends."

Moori nodded and turned back to Porunga, reciting the wish. The dragon held up three fingers while touching the tips of his thumb and index fingers together. "Ok!"

18 raised an eyebrow as Porunga's eyes began to glow, wondering if Moori really had requested the dragon for money, but being unable to speak Namekian, she could only wait and see what happened.

Porunga's eyes stopped glowing. "It has been done! I have fulfilled my duty! I bid thee farewell!"

Beams of light began shooting out of the ground, surrounding Porunga. Once he was completely engulfed in light, he vanished completely. The Dragon Balls floated up in the air before they stopped glowing, becoming ordinary round stones. Then they dropped from the sky, hitting the ground with heavy crashes.

Trunks looked down at the stone spheres. "You mean they don't scatter across the planet after you wish? That's convenient."

18 glanced at Moori. "What was the third wish?"

Moori just shook his head. "It's a secret."

"A secret? What do you mean a secret?"

"18," Trunks lightly scolded, "don't pry where it's not your business."

18 snorted. "Fine, don't tell me." She looked at the stone Dragon Balls. "It's too bad we couldn't bring back this Kami person you told me about. Now we have no guardian for Earth, and no Dragon Balls either."

"Yeah," Trunks agreed. And it wasn't like just anyone could become the new guardian and revive the Dragon Balls. Anyone could become the guardian, but only a Namekian would be able to bring back the Dragon Balls.

His eyes widened as he came to the realization that he was currently surrounded by Namekians. Perhaps one of them would be willing to come back to Earth and be the new guardian.

Feeling hopeful, he turned to Moori. "Um, excuse me, Moori, but I have a request."

Moori nodded. "Yes, what may that be?"

Trunks crossed his fingers. "As you know, we used to have Dragon Balls on Earth. But after Piccolo died, Kami, the Guardian of Earth, died as well. And with him, so did the Dragon Balls." He paused for a moment. "Being the home planet of Goku, the Earth has been attacked on several occasions by powerful bad men wanting to either challenge him or get revenge. We really need to have Dragon Balls of our own in case we run into another situation like this one."

Moori could understand that. "Yes, I do see what you're saying. But what is it you want from us?"

Trunks took a deep breath. "Well… I'm hoping that perhaps one of you would be willing to come back to Earth with us and be the new guardian."

The Nameks were all surprised by this unexpected request. They looked at each other hesitantly and began muttering amongst themselves.

"Go to Earth? No way, not me."

"Being a guardian is a big responsibility. I don't want the job."

"Sorry, not interested."

"I can't bring myself to leave my people."

Trunks frowned at the refusals he heard. He sighed sadly, knowing he couldn't force any of them to take the job. It was a big responsibility. He certainly wouldn't want the job.

"You must understand how we feel." Moori told him. "You're asking us to leave our family and friends for the rest of our lives to watch over an entire race of people. It's not that none of us don't want to help you, it's simply a lot to ask for."

Trunks nodded. "No, it's fine. I'd feel the same way if I were in your position."

"Ingrates." 18 muttered.

Trunks heard what she said and glanced at her. "No, it was a lot to ask for. I don't blame any of them for not wanting the job." He looked back at the others. "But I thank you all the same."

"I'll do it!" There were several gasps of surprise and all heads turned to the speaker. A young Namekian stepped forward with a determine look on his face. "I'll be the new Guardian of Earth."

Moori looked at him seriously. "Are you certain, Dende?"

Trunks gasped. 'Dende?' Then he smiled. 'Of course, I should have realized it. After all, that's who Goku got to be the new guardian.'

Dende nodded. "Yes, elder. I owe it to Gohan and the others to look after the planet they died protecting. After everything they've done for me, it's the least I could do. Besides," he smiled, "I liked Earth and never really wanted to leave it in the first place."

Moori smiled and laid a hand on the young Namek's shoulder. "I'm proud of you, my boy." He turned back to Trunks. "You can expect great things from him. He'll be a fine guardian."

Of that, Trunks had no doubt of. "I'm sure he will. And I thank you."

"As do I." said 18.

But as grateful as she was, she was also a little disappointed that the young Namek would be traveling with them. She had been hoping for a repeat of what happened on the way here.

Chapter 13: Shenron's Resurrection

Bulma would constantly look up at the sky, hoping and praying that her son would return soon. She already knew that he had been successful on New Namek. All the destroyed cities and land had repaired itself, which actually caused some problems since people were rebuilding new things where the old ones once were.

Unfortunately, the wishing people back didn't go as planned. Though quite a few people did come back to life, a vast majority didn't, including Vegeta and the rest of the Z Warriors. And apparently, without Piccolo, the earth's Dragon Balls had not returned either. She had checked the dragon radar for several days after the first two wishes seemed to be granted, but nothing showed up.

So now she spent a great deal of her time looking at her computer. Within the spaceship Trunks and 18 had departed in, she had installed a device that would let her know when they were in close proximity of the earth.

And finally, at long last, the computer indicated that the spaceship was returning. Overjoyed, she ran outside and looked up at the sky, waiting anxiously for her son to return.

With the speed the spaceship moved at, she didn't have to wait long. In the blink of an eye, the spaceship suddenly appeared in the sky a good 1000 feet above the ground. It hovered in the air for a few moments before lightly lowering itself down the rest of the way, finally setting down on the ground.

Bulma ran around to the front of the ship, waiting anxiously. After several minutes, the door finally opened, unleashing a cloud of steam as it did so.

"Trunks…" she whispered.

Her son was the first one out. He stepped off the ship, dropping his bags on the ground, and gave her a smile. "Hey, Mom, I'm back."

Bulma tearfully hugged her son, glad to have him with her again. "Oh, Trunks, I'm so happy to have you back."

Trunks chuckled, hugging her back. "Hey, was there ever any doubt that I wouldn't?"

"A mother can't help but to worry. Honestly, you're going to be the death of me. I don't know how Chi-Chi did it."

Trunks frowned. Thinking about Chi-Chi made him think about Gohan and how he was unable to bring him back along with all the other people that hadn't been revived.

"Mom, I need to tell you something." He was unable to make eye contact with her. "We made the wishes, but things didn't exactly go as planned. We weren't able to bring everyone back. I'm sorry."

Bulma turned his head to look at her, giving him a sad smile. "Trunks, I've been living on the planet your wishes affected. I'm fully aware that there were a lot of people that hadn't been brought back."

She had to hide the heartbreak she felt. When Vegeta and the others hadn't come back, she had realized the horrible truth, and it had nearly ruined her. She honestly felt that if she didn't still have Trunks that her life would have ended.

"But, Trunks, you did your best, and that's all I could ask of you. I'm so very, very proud of you."

18 chose that moment to walk past them, carrying her own luggage. "Don't mind me, I was just along for the ride."

Bulma glanced at the android, having completely forgotten about her. "Uh, yeah, thanks for taking care of my son."

There was a snicker from 18, which Bulma didn't know the meaning of. But Trunks did, and his cheeks reddened. "Hey, Mom, I have someone I'd like you to meet. Well, really, get reacquainted with."

Bulma blinked. "Hmm? Who would that be?"

Trunks turned towards the ship. "You can come out now."

Shyly, the young Namekian poked his head out and then slowly exited the ship.

Bulma was surprised by the unexpected guest. "What? You brought one of them back with you?"

Dende's gaze landed on her. "Miss Bulma?" Then his face lit up. "Miss Bulma!" He ran to her happily, grasping her hand. "It's so good to see you again."

Bulma stared at him uncertainly. "I'm sorry, but have we met?"

"It's me!" he cried. "Dende."

"Dende?" The name triggered her memories. "Oh my gosh, Dende!" She wrapped her arms around him. "How you doing, little guy? Look at you; you're all grown up. I didn't recognize you."

"You still look as lovely as ever."

Bulma blushed and smacked his shoulder. "Oh, you! You're just being nice. I know I've aged." She giggled as Dende rubbed his shoulder. "Please, come inside. We can catch up on old times."

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"I must admit, I'm really nervous." Dende confessed.

"Don't sweat it." Trunks told him. "You'll do fine. When I was in the past, you were a great guardian."

Dende sweat-dropped. "Yeah, but you're talking about things I haven't done yet in the past tense. It's really confusing."

"Look," said 18, "I don't know much about this whole Guardian of the Earth thing, but if Trunks has faith in you, then so do I. Just do what feels natural."

Dende nodded. "Thanks for having faith in me." He fell silent for a moment. "So how much further until we're there?"

"Don't ask me." said 18. "I've never been there."

"Shouldn't be much longer now." Trunks told them. "You see, there it is now."

The mystical floating Lookout that was home to the Guardian of Earth was in sight. They landed on the large floating sanctuary, and upon their arrival, Mr. Popo was there to greet them, having sensed them approaching.

"Mr. Popo," said Trunks, "it's been awhile."

The Guardian's assistant gave him a smile. "Young Trunks, how good to see you again. And I'm pleased to see that you've managed to restore the earth and many lives."

Trunks looked surprised. "You know about that?"

Mr. Popo nodded. "Certainly. My powers of perception may not be as good as the actual Guardian's, but I am still very aware of what goes on down there."

Trunks gaze shifted to 18 before settling on Mr. Popo again. "Then I don't need to explain about her?" he asked telepathically.

Mr. Popo smiled and shook his head. "I know what happened. And I must say that I think you made the right choice."

Trunks nodded. "Mr. Popo, there's someone I would like you to meet." He motioned for Dende to step forward, and he did so shyly. "I'd like to introduce you to Dende. He's here to be the new Guardian."

Mr. Popo's eyes lit up. "Oh happy day! It has been so lonely up here since Kami died." He gave Dende a smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I look forward to working with you."

Dende smiled nervously. "Uh, thank you, Mr. Popo. I'll certainly do my best."

Trunks turned to the assistant. "Dende explained the process of bringing Shenron back to life. Do you still have the model of the dragon?"

Mr. Popo nodded. "Certainly. It's in my room. I'll go get it for you."

As he hurried away, 18 looked around the Lookout curiously. "So, this is Kami's Lookout." She shrugged. "Don't know why, but I expected it to be a bit more…" she searched for the right word, "well, I guess, more."

"I think it's lovely." Said Dende. "I can't believe I'm going to live in a place like this."

Trunks nodded. "Yeah, it looks the same as it did when I went to the past. Mr. Popo did a great job keeping it clean and tidy."

There was a chuckle as Mr. Popo returned carrying the stone statue of a dragon. "Thank you kindly. Even with Kami gone, this place is very dear to me." He set the statue down. "Here it is. I made it myself."

Dende looked at the statue curiously. "Oh, it's very different from our dragon."

"A lot smaller too." said 18, sounding disappointed.

"This is just the model Shenron was born from." Mr. Popo explained. "His corpse, if you will. Shenron's true form is much bigger and grander."

18 seemed to perk up. "Well then, get going, Guardian. I want to see this thing."

Looking nervous again, Dende nodded. "Y-Yes, ok."

He raised his hands over the dragon statue and began chanting. Threads of light come out of Dende's body, connecting him to the dragon as he merged his life force with Shenron. The dragon statue began glowing as Shenron's soul was summoned back.

Suddenly the glowing statue burst into seven beams of light. These light rays circled around the Lookout a few times before flying off in different directions, seeking out the Dragon Balls that were scattered throughout the earth.

Dende lowered his hands. "There, that should do it."

18 looked around in disappointment. "What, that's it? We don't get to see him."

"The dragon lives in an alternate dimension." Mr. Popo explained. "He only appears when all seven Dragon Balls are brought together."

"Damn." 18 muttered in disappointment. "And I was hoping to compare him to Porunga. You think we can gather the Dragon Balls and summon him just for the heck of it?"

Trunks sweat-dropped. "Yeah, I don't think that's a good idea. Shenron has less patience than Porunga, or so I've heard. He might not like being called for no reason."

18 grinned. "I could think of a wish or two."

Trunks threw her a dirty look. "We're not asking the dragon for money!"

Chapter 14: Shut Off and Turned On

It was several days later that Bulma decided that it was time to test out her latest device. She had completed it some time before Trunks and 18 returned, but she had never brought it out to test it yet. She decided that she couldn't put it off any longer. She just hoped 18 wouldn't react badly.

When she found her, 18 was currently reading a book while Trunks sat a short watching TV. Bulma prayed that this would work. Though the reprogramming was finished, and 18 had never showed any signs of hostility, Bulma new that she wouldn't feel completely safe until she had a way to control the android.

"Hi guys, mind if I interrupt?"

The two looked up at her. "Hey, Mom. What's up?"

Bulma hesitantly entered the room. "I have a little something for 18 that I'd like to try out."

18 looked curious. "For me?"

"Well sort of."

She took out a small remote. Trunks suddenly felt a wave of uneasiness run through him. He knew what that was. His mother had said that she was going to try and make one in case of emergency. And truthfully, Trunks had completely forgotten about it.

18 looked at the device in Bulma's hand. "A remote to the TV?"

Bulma laughed nervously. "Well, it is a remote, but it's not for the TV."

"The radio then?"

"No." There was no use in putting it off any longer. "It's actually… for you."

There were several seconds of silence as 18 slowly processed this information. When it finally registered to her, she gave Bulma a look of stunned disbelief. "Excuse me?"

"I said that it's for-"

"I heard what you said!" 18 snapped in outrage. "What the hell do mean, a remote for me?"

Bulma looked terrified as she quickly told the story she came up with. "Well, you see, I discovered something in your data. Since you wouldn't obey Dr. Gero, he designed a way to control you. It's something that I can't change, and it could cause you to go on a rampage, or maybe even self-destruct. And let me tell you, you've got quite a bomb inside you."

"I'm aware." 18 seethed. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Just hear me out." Bulma begged. "When I reprogrammed to you, the program that Dr. Gero designed was installed as well. I couldn't remove it, but I did manage to neutralize it. But there is a chance that you may, shall we say, go bad."

18 appeared to be furious by this accusation. "I would never hurt anyone!"

"You may not have a choice." Bulma explained. "You might not be able to control your body if the program should activate." She held up the device. "That's why I've got this. In case of emergencies, I could use this to shut you off."

18's eyes widened. "Shut me off?"

Bulma nodded. "Yeah, it'll act sort of like a coma. But I would reactivate you right away again. And once you reboot, you'll be back to normal and in full control again." She didn't like the way 18 was looking at her. "It's just a precaution."

"Precaution my ass!" 18 snapped, throwing her book down with such force that it went straight through the floor. "How the hell would you feel if someone came up with a way to put you in a coma whenever they wanted?"

"I-It's not like that." Bulma stuttered. "Come on, don't you trust me?"

18 glared at her. "After this, I don't know. You clearly don't trust me."

"18," said Trunks, stepping in, "it's not that we don't trust you. Trust isn't the issue if you're not in control of your body."

"Shut up!"

Her power flashed out, reorganizing all the furniture in the room. For a few moments she just stood there silently, trying to calm down. Personally, Trunks couldn't blame her for being angry. He too would be furious if he were in her position.

"Hey, look, I understand how you feel. I don't blame you for being angry. But we have to think about everyone else. If there is a chance, and I'm not saying that it would be willingly, but if there is a chance that you could end up like your brother, we want there to be a way to stop you, just in case."

18 sniffed, wiping angry tears out of her eyes. "I'm not really angry at you, because I can see where you're coming from. I'm mostly angry with Dr. Gero for doing this to me. Is it not enough that he stole my humanity, now he has to take away my free will too."

"That's what this device is for." Trunks told her. "So you can keep your free will."

18 looked at him. "But I haven't gone bad all these months. Maybe I can overcome my programming." She looked at Bulma. "You said it yourself when I asked how reprogramming would affect me."

Bulma frowned at her. "I'm sorry, 18, but we just can't take that chance."

For a few moments longer, 18 continued to look determine. But then a depressed look came over her and she hung her head. "Then you really don't trust me. You don't think that I'm strong enough to beat this stupid program."

"18," said Trunks consolingly, "it's not that. We just have to be sure."

She didn't reply. She merely went to retrieve one of the chairs that had been thrown backwards from her energy and sat down. "Just hurry up and get it over with." She told them, disappointment evident in her voice.

Trunks was surprised by how upset he was and how sorry he felt for her. For some reason, he felt like he was betraying her by doing this. But it was necessary.

'Is it really?' his conscience asked.

Unaware of the thoughts going through her son's mind, Bulma pointed the remote at 18. "Ok, here we go." And she pressed the button.

18 froze, as if suddenly startled. Then all sense of life left her eyes and they closed, her head falling to the side as her body went completely still.

Trunks winced. It was like watching her die. Where in the past he would have enjoyed this, right now it left a sickening feeling in his gut.

"How about that." said Bulma cheerfully. "It actually worked."

"It didn't hurt her, did it?" Trunks asked worriedly.

Bulma shook her head. "It shouldn't have. It should just be like falling asleep, only on a much deeper level." She glanced at Trunks, holding up the remote. "It works by targeting her mind chip. Her mechanical parts are in perfect sync with her organic parts, including her brain. So if her chip shuts off, her brain goes into a hibernative state."

Trunks looked back at 18. Seeing her lie there like that was making him feel very uneasy. He didn't know why, but he didn't like it.

"Turn her back on." he said.

"We should observe her for a while, maybe run a few tests."

"Turn her back on."

"We need to make sure it's working properly."

"Turn her back on."

"Hold on, Trunks. If we don't confirm that she's completely shut down and can't turn back on without the remote, then we'll have to-"

"TURN HER BACK ON!" Trunks shouted, his power flaring up.

Bulma looked startled. She stared at Trunks for a moment, seeing the anger in his eyes. Finally she turned back turned back to 18, pointing the remote at her. "Ok, ok. Geez, what's gotten into you?"

"Just do it."

"Fine." She hit the button. "There, you happy?"

18's eyes shot open. She blinked a few times, looking confused.

"How do you feel?" Bulma asked.

18 raised an eyebrow. "I feel fine. Are going to do it or what?"

Bulma held up the remote. "Already done. You've been deactivated and reactivated."

18 seemed surprised, thinking she would have felt her deactivation. "You mean, you did it already?"

Bulma nodded. "Yup, works like a charm. I really am a genius."

18 stood up. "Well good for you. Now if you'll excuse me."

As she left the room, Bulma looked at Trunks. "What's up with her?"

Trunks gave his mother a disapproving look. "You hurt her feelings. You made her feel like we don't trust her."

Bulma watched as he went after 18, feeling slightly confused. "You mean… you do?"

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He caught up with her as she was just taking off. He flew after her, knowing that she could sense him following, yet she didn't wait for him. Putting on a burst of speed, he flew in front of her, knowing that he wouldn't be able to find her if she went beyond his line of vision.

"18, you all right?"

She threw him a dirty look. "I'm just great. I'm only dealing with the fact that your mother doesn't trust me."

"She does trust you. She's just wants to make sure the earth is safe."

18 snorted and crossed her arms. "Please, she's never trusted me. Ever since I first came here, she's never trusted me. Even you were always on your guard around me."

Trunks tensed up. "I don't deny that." he admitted. "But at the time, without your programming, you were unstable. Don't you remember our training sessions? At first you weren't able to control your powers. But at the time, there was a way to make sure you didn't lose control."

She stopped flying and just hovered in the air. "I understand that." she told him, refusing to make eye contact. "But now that I'm completely reprogrammed, I'm in complete control of myself. I just wish she'd have some faith in me. I'm strong enough to beat Dr. Gero's stupid programming."

Trunks placed his hands on her shoulder. "Then just continue to show her that you're strong enough to beat what Dr. Gero wanted you to be. Make her see that you're nothing like your brother. Help me protect this planet and everyone on it. Make her see that she can put her faith in you."

18 nodded. "Yes, I will." She wiped her eyes and looked up at him. "But you trust me, don't you?"

Trunks looked at her. "What do you mean?"

"She's your mother, and I know that you don't want her to worry, which is why I can see why you would support her. But you don't think I'll ever go bad, do you?"

Suddenly Trunks was in a situation that he never wanted to be in. Admitting that he trusted her would mean letting go of his hatred for her. True, he could simply lie and say that he trusted her, just for her benefit, but something told him that even as a lie it would have an important meaning. The idea that he really could trust her would never leave him. He would no longer be able to consider her his enemy.

"No, 18, I don't think you'll ever go bad." He told her, though he still wasn't sure if he was speaking the truth or simply telling her what she wanted to hear.

But whether it was a lie or not, it still had the desired affect. Her eyes lit up and a grateful smile appeared on her face. "Thank you, Trunks. Knowing that I have your trust really means a lot to me." Her arms snaked around him. Trunks hesitated for a moment before returning the hug. "You're all I have."

Trunks looked down at her in surprise. She looked back up at him with an emotion in her eyes that he didn't want to identify. Then her eyes closed and she slowly moved her face towards his to kiss him.

Trunks almost kissed her back, but then he stopped himself. No, he couldn't do this. Even if he could trust her now, that didn't mean he could forgive her. There was no forgiveness for what she had done. There had been too much pain, too much suffering. Though she was different now, the mental scars she had left him were too great to ignore.

He turned his head away, avoiding her lips. 18 looked surprised at his refusal. "What's wrong?"

"I told you before that I'm not doing this, and I meant it."

And so, before his resolve failed, he pulled out of her embrace and flew off, leaving 18 behind. She looked surprised and hurt at first, but then she scowled in anger.

"I don't think so." She seethed. "No way in hell am I letting you ignore what's going on between us."

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He was avoiding her again. It was a lot easier since they weren't confined to a single spaceship, but they were still living together. Trunks was at a loss at what to do. She just wouldn't leave him be. At least she didn't try anything while his mother was around, which was why he spent as much time with her as he could. Hopefully, 18 would continue pretending that there was nothing going on while his mother was around.

'The last thing I need is for her to find out I'm lusting after 18.'

But he couldn't be around her all the time. His mother was a very important person, and was busy quite a bit. So during the times she wasn't around, Trunks would have to hide from 18.

'It's ironic.' He thought. 'I spend all these years fighting her off, and now that she's on my side I'm still fighting her off.'

But he didn't think he would have too much of a problem as long as his mother was around. That is, until one day he woke up and found a note from her, telling him that she had some business to attend to and would be gone for the day. 18 was already up and about, which meant that she too knew that his mother wouldn't be around.

'She's going to be all over me.' he realized. 'But I won't succumb to her again.'

Still, the thought of the two of them being completely alone for the first time in months made his heart race. He needed to burn off this pent up energy. So he decided to spend the day training, and just hope that 18 wouldn't bother him.

Unfortunately, his hopes wouldn't be answered. To increase his misfortune, she anticipated his plans and was already making some of her own. She had decided to use a similar tactic to what she did on the spaceship. This time, however, she would be more direct.

She gave him a good half hour to train before making her move. She found him in the spaceship, using the gravity enhancing training room since Bulma had yet to install one in the training room in the house.

Being careful not to disturb him, she crept into the room and went over to the computer. She quickly set the controls to return the room to normal gravity, then turned to watch Trunks.

Unable to sense her presence, Trunks continued his training. When the gravity in the room suddenly changed back to normal, he ended up stumbling and crashing into the wall after putting too much power in a kick.

18 laughed, unable to help herself. Trunks had actually slammed into the wall, leaving an imprint in the shape of his body. "Are you ok? I'm sorry, I didn't mean for that to happen."

Trunks pried himself out of the dent he created in the ship, rubbing his head. "What's wrong with you? You don't just suddenly change the gravity like that without warning!"

She crossed her arms. "Oh, suck it up. You are the mighty Super Saiyan. Crashing into the wall won't hurt you."

"It does when I put enough force behind it." he replied, rubbing his nose. He glanced at her and raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing here anyway?" 'As if I didn't know.'

18 just grinned and began walking towards him. "Well, what do you think I'm doing here?"

Trunks decided to play dumb. "You want to train?"

She shook her head. "No, not train." She stood before him and reached up to touch his muscular chest. "But I am planning on getting a workout."

As she drew patterns along his chest, Trunks grabbed her wrist. "Stop it, 18. I don't know how else to make this clear to you. I'm not interested."

She gave him a saucy grin. "Funny, you seemed very interested on the way to New Namek. In fact," she looked around, "wasn't it in this very room that-"

"I know what happened!" he told her angrily. "And I've been trying to forget it. I wish you'd do the same."

"I don't want to forget it." she said. "I've forgotten too much of my life already. I'm not going to forget any more. I know what I want." She wrapped her arms around his neck and pushed up against him. "And I want you."

Trunks was at his wits end. He had to leave now. But 18 wasn't letting him. Therefore, he had to use force. He pushed her away from him, none too gently, and gave her a serious look. "Well that's too bad, because I don't want you."

"Yes, you do!" she insisted. "I can see the way you look at me. I can sense this feeling between us. Damn it, will you look at me when I'm talking to you!"

Trunks did. She looked angry, but her eyes were still staring at him lustfully. "I won't give in to this." he told her seriously. "What happened was a mistake. One I don't intend to repeat. So just give it up."

He turned away and made to leave the room. Before he got to the door, a blast of energy slammed into the back of his head. He stumbled forward, the back of his head smoking from the blast. Turning around, he saw 18 standing there with her hand raised. There was no doubt that it had been her that had attacked him.

"What's your problem?" he demanded angrily.

18 was just as angry as he was. "You're my problem, you son of a bitch! How dare you dismiss me like this! You think you can just fuck me once and then pretend it never happened? I'm not some common whore to be discarded!"

She fired another blast of energy at him. Trunks knocked it aside and glared at her. "I never encouraged you."

"But you knew how I felt!"

She fired again. This time Trunks dodged it, disappearing with his speed. He appeared behind her and grabbed her shoulder. Before he could say anything, 18 spun around, delivering a powerful kick. Trunks blocked the kick, but was immediately struck by her punch.

"What are you doing?" he asked as he dodged and blocked a series of punches she delivered. "Cut it out!"

"Just shut up!" 18 snapped. "You really piss me off! I've had enough of you're stubborn attitude!"

She blasted him. Trunks caught the energy blast and was pushed back several feet. When the energy dispersed, he saw 18 flying towards him. He vanished and her fist hit nothing but air.

He reappeared behind her and grabbed her arms, holding them behind her back. "Stop it, right now!"

18 slammed her head back, hitting Trunks in the face. The saiyan grunted and released her. She turned around and kicked him in the gut. "What's wrong? Why are you holding back? Fight me seriously!"

She unleashed a blast of energy and Trunks slammed into the wall. Then she began rapidly firing energy blasts at him, one after the other, without letting up.

"I can do this all day." She said seriously. "Come on, show me the power of the mighty Super Saiyan."

There was a flash of gold light from within the smokescreen that 18's blasts had created. Trunks had transformed and was now flying at 18, her energy blasts bouncing right off him. 18's eyes widened in surprise right before his elbow slammed into her jaw. This time it was her crashing into the wall.

Trunks was suddenly in front of her, pinning her to the wall, his emerald green eyes furious. Powering back down, he said to her, "Now stop this."

Her reply was to slam her knee in his gut. Trunks grunted in pain, his grip on her loosening. He flew backwards, doing a flip to stop his momentum. 18 was at him again, pulling back her arm to deliver a punch. Trunks mimicked her, and their knuckles collided as they punched at the same time.

Hands locked together and feet moved to gain leverage. They began pushing against each other, trying to force the other one back. Every now and then, one of them would lose their ground and the other one would begin to slide them back, but for the most part, they were at a stalemate.

"Insensitive bastard." She seethed.

"Stubborn bitch." He retorted.

They didn't know who made the move first, but suddenly they had come together, exchanging heated kisses. Though their passion had erupted, the fight had yet to end. Even as they engaged with each other, they still seemed to be trying to cause as much pain in each other as pleasure.

Trunks yanked hard on 18's hair, making her gasp in pain. She returned the favor by slapping him hard across the face. Trunks grabbed the hand that struck him and pinned it to the wall as he attacked her throat with kisses and love bites. 18's other hand went to the back of his head, holding him there as her nails dug into his scalp.

He lifted her up and her legs immediately wrapped around his waist with bone-crushing force. She gasped as he slammed her hard against the wall. With her free hand, she yanked his head to the side and bit his shoulder hard enough to draw blood. Trunks growled and slammed her against the wall again.

18 grunted and pushed off the wall, bringing them both down with her sitting astride him. She reached up and tore her shirt open, exposing herself to his gaze. Trunks sat up, burying his face in her bosom. With a gasp, she arched forward, letting her arms fall back so her torn shirt could slide off. Trunks' hands slid up her back and tore off her bra, allowing him to explore her naked breasts with his mouth and tongue.

18's hands ran up his arms to his shoulders before she wrapped her hands around his neck, cutting off his air supply. She pulled his head back before kissing him hard. Trunks returned the kiss, gasping and pulling away when she bit his lip. Lying back, he pulled her down towards him and flipped them over so he was on top. He kicked off his pants before tearing off hers, removing all barriers between them.

Taking control, 18 rolled them over so she was on top again. Pushing him down, she lifted herself up and impaled herself on him. Trunks hissed at the wet warmth that enveloped him as 18 gasped in pleasure, her eyes closed and her mouth open slightly. She rode him vigorously, dragging her nails across his chest, leaving deep red marks. Trunks' own hands went to her hips, gripping her painfully as she continued to move on top of him.

"Don't hold back." She told him. "Let me feel it. Give me everything you've got."

Trunks cried out and jumped straight to an Ascended Saiyan. 18 inhaled sharply as she felt him grow even larger inside her and began moving faster. Her hands went to her breasts as she bounced on top of him while Trunks' hands explored her sweat slick flesh.

Her climax hit, and she cried out loudly. The feeling of her walls tightening around him was too much and he emptied himself inside her.

18's nails dug deeper into his chest as she rode out the last few waves of her orgasm. Finally she began to relax and fell forward. Trunks' arms circled around her and his mouth found hers. When the moment passed, she rolled off him and they laid next to each other, breathing heavily.

Trunks cursed himself. He'd done it again. He'd ended up giving into her. He was ashamed of his weakness. Why couldn't he control himself?

Opening his eyes, he turned to look at her. She seemed to feel his gaze on her and looked at him as well. Then she began to chuckle, right before punching his arm rather hard.

"You asshole." She muttered.

Chapter 15: Uneasy Reunions

Though 18 had gotten her way, Trunks had been sure not to allow the event to repeat itself. And so things settled back into their normal routine.

However, something was happening today that hadn't happened in a very long time. With the planet restored, and peace returned, the remaining members of the Z Warriors decided to have a reunion.

Aside from Trunks, Bulma, Dende, and Mr. Popo, the only ones left alive were Master Roshi, Puar, Oolong, Turtle, Launch, Korin, Chi-Chi, and the Ox King. The last two had refused to come with 18 there. Though Bulma had long since informed them all about 18 now being their ally, Chi-Chi absolutely refused to be in the presence of her child's murderer, and she wouldn't let her father go either. She was, after all, always the least forgiving of the group, and always had trouble accepting former enemies as allies, her acceptance of Piccolo being a prime example.

That's not to say that the others were willing to forgive and forget. However, they, like Bulma and Trunks, recognized the dangers of having so few people left to defend the earth. And so, they were willing to give her a chance, only after both Bulma and Trunks assured them several times that 18 was now harmless.

Perhaps the only one who was looking forward to actually meeting 18 was Roshi. She may have been an enemy once, but she was also a beautiful woman, and being the lecher that he was…

The pure-hearted Launch was also eager to turn an enemy into a friend, although her bad side still swore to fill 18 full of led the moment she saw her. They just had to make sure she didn't sneeze while in the android's presence.

Now that 18 was no longer a threat, Puar was also more angry than afraid. As far as the shape-shifting cat was concerned, killing Yamcha and the others was unforgivable. But she was willing to tolerate her, just as she tolerated Piccolo.

While Korin decided that he would just rather stay in his tower, Oolong didn't have such a luxury. He was scared to death of going, but the poor pig was dragged along against his will by Roshi and Puar while Turtle stayed behind, not being one for the city.

"They should be arriving soon." Said Bulma.

Trunks smiled. "It'll be great to see them again. It's been so long."

Bulma nodded. "Yeah, it really will be nice to have everyone together again." She frowned. 'Well… not everyone.'

18 glanced at the other two. "So, do I know these people and have just forgot them, or have I never met them?"

Trunks and Bulma shared a look before answering. "You knew of them," Trunks told her, deciding to play it safe, "but you've never actually met them."

"Beware of Master Roshi." Bulma warned. "He's a real pervert. He'll try and grab you in certain places and make lecherous remarks, then try and blame it on his age, saying that he's going senile or something. If he tries any of that, give him a good whack on the head."

18 frowned in disgust. "Just great. I hate perverts."

About twenty minutes later, the doorbell rang and their guests arrived. While 18 remained behind, Bulma and Trunks quickly went to answer the door, happy to see their friends again.

"Hey, everyone!" Bulma cried cheerfully. "Long time no see!"

"Bulma!" Puar cried, jumping into her arms. "Oh, Bulma, I've missed you so much! It's great to see you again! You too, Trunks!"

Roshi stepped forward. "Yes, it's great to see both of you again." he said, though he wasn't referring to Bulma and Trunks. His eyes stared at the woman's chest as he muttered, "They haven't sagged."

Unfortunately for him, Bulma heard what he said, and her fist slammed into his jaw. "Old man, so you still haven't changed."

The dark blue-haired Launch remained standing outside, holding a large container. "I made a casserole!" she chirped happily.

"Great!" said Trunks. "I'm starved."

Oolong poked his head inside. "Saiyans and their appetites." He looked around nervously. "Hey, that android isn't around, is she?"

"Shh!" Bulma shushed him. "She's inside. And remember, she doesn't remember anything, so be careful what you say."

Puar's happy face turned angry. "Yeah… I'll try…" she grumbled.

Launch patted Puar on the head. "Don't worry, she's a good guy now."

Puar turned away irritably, and her tail brushed against Launch's nose.

"A-A-Achoo!"

Poof! Launch's hair turned blond as she switched to her bad self. The others gasped, looking at her worriedly. She stood there for a moment, then suddenly dumped the casserole on Oolong's head and pulled out a machine gun from seemingly nowhere.

"Where is that damn android?" she demanded furiously. "I'll kill her!"

Everyone grabbed onto her, preventing her from charging through Capsule Corp. with her guns blazing. Launch kicked and scratched against them until Roshi brought out his emergency feather and gave her nose a little tickle. She sneezed again, reverting back to her nicer personality.

Blinking, she seemed confused for a moment. "Oh my, where'd the casserole go?"

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18 waited outside impatiently among the tables of food. She wondered what these people would be like. If they were friends of Trunks and Bulma, she wanted to make a good impression, especially if they were going to be uneasy around her because she was an android.

She sighed. "If Dr. Gero weren't dead, I think I'd kill him."

It wasn't that she minded being an android all that much. It did have it's perks; unlimited energy, super strength, special powers, an almost perfect photographic memory, permanent youth, longevity, no longer needed food or sleep as a necessity, the ability to completely hide her power level, though that one wasn't really an option.

But people were judging her too much on what she was rather than who she was. At least, due to the third wish that was made to Porunga, the rest of the world no longer knew or feared her.

"Yet the one's whose opinions really matter still fear me." she grumbled.

Well, she would show them that she was nothing like her brother. She would only get violent if this turtle hermit tried anything on her.

'Only Trunks is allowed to touch me.' she thought with a smirk. 'If only I could get him to without always having to seduce him.'

Thoughts of seduction were put aside as she sensed the others approaching. Their power was very low, but one of them was higher than the others and would be considered strong compared to ordinary people.

'That one must be Roshi. Jeez, what a weakling. Hard to believe that he was once the strongest man on Earth.'

The door opened and Trunks and Bulma came out, followed by their guests. She sensed nervousness from three of them. Only the woman seemed to be relaxed. The cat looked angry, and the pig was downright terrified. The old man looked calm enough, but she could still sense his unease.

Brushing aside a lock of hair, she went to meet them. Bulma made the introductions. "Guys, this is 18. 18 this is Master Roshi, Launch, Puar, and Oolong."

18 nodded to them in greeting. "Hey."

At this point, Oolong fainted from fear. Bulma shook her head and picked him up, placing him in an empty chair.

Roshi stepped forward. "So, you're really the android." He looked her up and down. "Hard to believe Dr. Gero created someone as beautiful as you." A lecherous grin crossed his face. "He did a very nice job."

18's eye twitched irritably and she was overcome with the urge to hit him. But before that could happen, the blue-haired woman that Bulma introduced as Launch stepped forward.

"Hello, there." She said. "It's nice to meet you. So glad to have you on our side."

18 was taken aback by her friendliness. "Thanks… I think. It's nice to meet you to. You too Roshi and… Pore, was it?"

"That's Puar!" the little cat snapped. "P-U-A-R! Puar! Does that compute?"

"Hey!" Bulma warned, lightly bonking her on the head. "That's enough."

Puar grumbled and floated away. 18 watched her go before looking at Bulma questioningly. "What's her problem?"

Trunks rested a hand on her shoulder. "She just holds a grudge against, uh, your kind. Your brother killed her best friend."

"Butchered him like an animal!" Puar shouted, having overheard.

18 groaned. Looks like she was going to get some more hell simply for being what she was.

Roshi suddenly brushed up against her, and she got the feeling that it wasn't by accident. "So, I hear you have an unlimited supply of energy. Just how long can you go on?" At 18's glare, he quickly changed his use of words. "Fighting, that is! How long can you go on fighting?"

Two fists slammed into him, one from 18, the other, quite surprisingly, from Trunks.

Bulma sighed and shook her head. "He never changes."

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Little did they know that while they were getting reacquainted something was approaching the earth. Something big and dangerous. It had taken a long time to travel all this way, but the target was finally in sight. Soon the planet, and all it's inhabitants, would be wiped out. But, more importantly, revenge would finally be taken, and the saiyan race would be extinct, just as it should have been long ago.

The strange object, upon first inspection, seemed to be a planet. A mechanical one at that. In all actuality, it was thousands of spaceships that had been destroyed and then brought together from all over the galaxy to become one large object. A space station of some sorts, unlike any kind ever created before.

As it approached Earth, it began to change shape. Almost like a jellyfish, it spread out and began creeping over the planet, as if it were trying to eat it. And so far, it was doing a very good job at it.

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"No way." 18 muttered.

Roshi nodded. "It's true. I'm over two hundred years old."

"Can't be." Said 18. "Not even I will live to be that old. There's no way you would."

"Actually, it's true." Bulma told her. "From what I understand, he drank from the Fountain of Youth, which greatly increased his life expectancy and greatly slowed down his aging." She cut her eyes at the turtle hermit. "But he's still an old goat."

Roshi grinned. "I may be old, but I can still pack quite a punch. Watch this."

He began to power up. 18 raised an eyebrow at his increase of power. Suddenly his shirt exploded. While he may have been well toned for an old man a moment ago, he now revealed massive muscular body.

"Yeah!" Roshi cried, flexing his muscles. "I still got it, baby! Feast your eyes on this!" The others gasped, making him grin. "Yeah, I know. It's quite impressive."

"No," said Bulma, "it's not that." She pointed behind him. "It's that."

A shadow fell overhead as Roshi looked up. "What? Clouds?"

They weren't clouds. A large shapeless mass was enveloping the planet, stretching as far as the eye could see. Slowly it came down, crashing loudly to the ground, then began sinking beneath the surface.

"What is that thing?" Bulma cried.

Trunks' eyes narrowed. "Looks like trouble to me. 18?"

She nodded. "Let's check it out."

They took off towards the large structure that was covering half the city and who knew how much of the planet. What was this thing, and why did it have to happen after they had just fixed the planet?

"It's huge." 18 muttered. She looked down at the buildings that had been crushed beneath it. "All those people… They're all…"

Trunks was having similar thoughts. "We can't worry about them now. First we have to take care of this thing, then we can use the Dragon Balls to bring back those that died."

18 nodded in agreement. "But what is it? It looks like a spaceship, but it's far too big." She gasped as she caught sight of something. "Trunks, look up there!"

He looked where she was pointing. From out of the large structure, like an angry swarm, were strange looking creatures. They were heading for the part of the city that wasn't flattened, and probably not with good intentions in mind.

'I can't sense anything from them.' Trunks realized. 'Either they've completely mastered masking their power, or they're…'

Whatever they were, they began attacking the city. People fled as beams of energy were shot at them by the strange creatures.

Trunks and 18 quickly flew down to where the creatures were and moved in front of them, shielding the fleeing people. From this close, Trunks could see them clearly, and he realized that he was right. These creatures, they were androids. No, not androids, robots. That's why he couldn't sense anything from them.

The robots came in for a landing. There were loud thuds as their heavy metal bodies dropped down on the ground. Like an experienced military force, they lined up, facing down Trunks and 18.

"Trunks," she said, "these things, they're…"

"I know." Trunks mumbled. It seemed as if he just couldn't escape from mechanical menaces.

The robots stared at them curiously with their single eye. Though they weren't attacking, their posture was threatening, as if they were about to attack at any moment.

"How dare you come here and attack us!" Trunks shouted at them. "Leave now, or I'll turn you all into scrap metal!"

In response, the robots charged at them. Trunks and 18 braced themselves, preparing for battle. They vanished from out of the robots' path, reappearing above them. Trunks threw a punch and 18 a kick. Though their targets went flying, the blows hurt.

"Damn!" 18 muttered, shaking her leg. "What are these things made of?"

"I don't know," Trunks replied, rubbing his split knuckle, "but whatever that armor is, it's really strong."

The robots doubled back and circled the two of them until they were surrounded. Trunks and 18 glanced at each other and nodded. At the same time, they unleashed their energy, blowing the robots back. Then they went on the attack again, attempting to break through the armor of these robots. They were able to dent and crack them, but the robots remained intact.

"Son of a bitch!" Trunks grunted, after hurting his hand hitting another one. "Forget this. Hiya!"

He fired a blast of energy. The robot his blast hit exploded, sending pieces of metal flying in all directions.

18 grinned. "Now that's what I'm talking about."

She too began using energy blasts. This approached seemed to be much more affective. Destroyed robots fell from the sky, burning metal flying everywhere. But the robots kept coming. There was no telling how many there were on the massive ship.

"There's no end to these things." 18 muttered irritably. "Just how many are there?"

Trunks sweat-dropped. "Um, 18…"

She turned to him. He was looking up nervously. She looked up as well and saw several hundred robots flying down towards them. The two were completely buried underneath a giant dog pile of robots.

"Stupid robots." Trunks mumbled. "Take this!"

He unleashed his Heat Dome Attack. The robots were blown away from the vast amount of energy. Bits and pieces of them came raining down around them.

Pushing the busted robots aside, 18 climbed out from beneath the junk pile Trunks had reduced the robot army to. "I think you over did it a bit."

Trunks just grunted. "I don't care. Androids, robots, cyborgs, big metal monsters, I've had enough."

Not taking offense to the android remark, knowing that he had been referring to her brother, 18 looked down at one of the busted, but still functioning, robots. She stomped down, crushing its head. "Well, it's all over now."

Trunks didn't agree. "Not quite. This thing is huge. There's bound to be more of them. And make sure to destroy each and every one of them while I find out who's in charge here."

"Allow me to save you the trouble." Came an unfamiliar voice. "Your little display has made me come to you."

Trunks and 18 whirled around. Standing on top of a pile of broken robots was a familiar looking person. He wasn't the same the last time Trunks had seen him though. His body was completely made of metal.

"Frieza!" he growled.

18 glanced at him. "What? Frieza? You told me he was dead."

"He is!" said Trunks. "Goku killed him and his father years ago." 'And I killed him when I went to the past.' "I don't know how he's alive."

The new arrival laughed. "That's because he's not. Frieza is indeed dead. I am Frieza's older and stronger brother."

Trunks gasped. "What, his brother?"

The alien grinned. "Yes, allow me to introduce myself. I am Galactic Overlord Cooler, the new ruler of this universe."

Chapter 16: The Past Comes Back to Haunt

"Cooler?" Trunks repeated. His eyes widened. "Wait, I remember now! Frieza did have a brother. He came to Earth several years ago to take revenge. But I was told that Goku killed him."

Cooler laughed. "Not quite, though it was a close call. My kind are known for being great survivors. I survived my battle with Goku, but only just. And now I have been reborn through the power of the Big Gete Star."

"The what?" asked 18. "What's the Big Gete Star?"

Cooler laughed, motioning to the large metal structure that had enveloped the planet. "This is the Big Gete Star. It's the greatest scientific achievement ever created."

Trunks snorted. "I've heard that before."

"It's true." Cooler told him. "You see, the Big Gete Star was at one point nothing more than a single computer chip that was floating around in space for who knows how long. Then it began absorbing the debris of other ships that have been destroyed. It grew and grew until it became the magnificent structure you see before you."

18 looked at the Big Gete Star in disgust. "You call that magnificent? It looks like a damn parasite."

Cooler chuckled. "Yes, in a way it is. You see, the Big Gete Star destroys other planets and sucks up its energy for power. But even that isn't enough. That's why we need the residents as well."

"For what?" Trunks demanded, getting the feeling that he wouldn't like what he would hear.

"We need their energy." There was amusement in his voice as he spoke. "That's what these robotic soldiers are for. My Cyclopian Guards round up the residence and bring them back to the Big Gete Star to be chopped up so their energy can be used."

"That's sick!" 18 shouted.

"No," Cooler told her, "it's survival of the fittest. The strong prey upon the weak."

"And where do you fit into all this?" Trunks asked.

Cooler grinned. "Well, if you must know, my remains floated around in space for several days with what was left of me rendered useless. I thought I would be resigned to this fate until I either starved to death or succumbed to my injuries, but it seems that Fate had other plans. I ended up floating right into a field of space debris and was absorbed by the Big Gete Star. I was fused with the computer itself, becoming part of the Big Gete Star. But you see, unlike a computer, I have willpower. It wasn't long before I infected the entire ship and took control of it. Then I constructed a new body for myself; one that's even stronger than the one I had before."

Trunks figured out the rest. "Then you came here to take revenge."

Cooler chuckled. "I did consider going to New Namek first and killing off the saiyan's green friends, but I couldn't wait any longer to see Goku dead. So if you'll be so kind as to tell me where the saiyan monkey is hiding so I can kill him, I'll be most grateful."

Trunks sneered at him. "Sorry to rain on your parade, but Goku's already dead. He did a long time ago."

Cooler seemed surprised by this. "What? He's dead? He can't be dead!"

"He is." Trunks assured him. "But I'll be happy to fight you in his place."

Cooler scoffed at this. "An earthling isn't worth my time. You can just die with this planet."

He began to fly away, but Trunks fired a blast of energy him, cutting him off. "You shouldn't underestimate me. I'm a saiyan too."

"You're what?" Cooler demanded. "Impossible. You can't be a saiyan. Aside from Goku, who you now claim is dead, the only ones left are Vegeta, Nappa, and Raditz, and I heard that the last two were killed."

Trunks' fists clenched. "So was Vegeta, but not before he fathered me."

This sparked Cooler's interest. "Vegeta's your father? You're the son of the prince of saiyans?" He studied the boy closely. "Yes, I can see the resemblance. I guess that makes you the duke of saiyans."

18 glared at him. "You should show him more respect. Trunks is the strongest person in the universe."

Cooler openly laughed at that. "A saiyan, the strongest in the universe? That's utterly ridiculous."

"Care to put that theory to the test?" Trunks asked.

Cooler grinned. "Why not? It could be fun."

18 took a fighting stance. "I'm in this too."

Trunks held up his hand. "No, I'll handle this."

She looked surprised. "What?"

He nodded. "I managed to beat Frieza without much effort, and Goku beat this guy before. Trust me, I can handle it. Besides, I need you to watch my back in case anymore of those robots try and sneak up on me."

18 nodded in understanding. "Right, I got it."

"What are you mumbling about?" Cooler asked, grinning. "Are we going to fight, or not?

"It's nothing that concerns you." Trunks told him. "And I doubt this will be much of a fight. You see, I'm a lot stronger than Goku." 'At least the Goku from this time period when he was still alive.' "And if he could beat you, so can I."

Cooler shook his finger at him. "Don't be so sure, boy. I've gone through some very noticeable changes since last time. Not only am I stronger and faster, but I now have more upgrades and special abilities. Allow me to demonstrate."

Using Instant Transmission, he appeared behind Trunks, and his metal foot collided into the saiyan's back. Trunks surged forward, then spun around to face Cooler, only to have the alien's fist slam into his jaw, followed by a blow to the gut.

"Trunks!" 18 cried worriedly as Cooler grinned.

The saiyan coughed a few times, but then he looked up, grinning. "Don't worry about me. I won't go down that easily."

Cooler looked surprised. "What's this? You're still standing?" He grinned. "Impressive. Perhaps you will prove to be more of a challenge than I thought."

"Perhaps." Trunks agreed.

They stared at each other for a moment before disappearing. 18 looked up as the sound of thunder was heard. The two of them were fighting it out in the air. They were fast, but she was able to keep watch of their movements.

Cooler swung his tail. Trunks ducked under it and landed a punch in the alien's face. It was just like hitting those robot soldiers; it hurt. But he wouldn't let an aching hand stop him.

He kicked out, but Cooler grabbed his leg with one hand and punched him with the other, knocking the breath out of him. He brought his own elbow down on Cooler's outstretched arm, though he probably did more damage to himself than to Cooler's seemingly impenetrable body.

Spinning around, Cooler lashed out with his tail again, catching Trunks in the side. Then he fired lasers from his eyes and Trunks was blasted out of the sky. As Trunks fell, Cooler flew down after him until the saiyan fired a blast of energy back at him. Cooler skidded to a halt and just barely managed to avoid the blast, watching as it flew up into space.

Turning back to the saiyan, he saw Trunks flying at him, right before the saiyan's knee slammed into his gut. While he was stunned, Trunks grabbed Cooler's tail, spun him around, and threw him, then fired a blast of energy after him. Cooler halted his momentum and kicked Trunks' energy blast away.

Placing his hands together, he unleashed a powerful blast of energy. Trunks disappeared out of the attacks range, reappearing beside Cooler, just a little higher than him, and kicked him in the head.

Cooler went spinning through the air, and Trunks appeared in his path to intercept him. He punched outward, but Cooler vanished, most likely by Instant Transmission. The next thing Trunks knew, Cooler's balled hands were slamming into the top of his head.

Trunks went speeding towards the ground. But as it got closer, he gathered some energy and fired at the ground, just before he hit it, launching him back up. Cooler's eyes widened in surprise before he kicked outward, his hard metal foot catching Trunks in the jaw. Trunks slammed into the Big Gete Star, creating a dent twenty times bigger than he was.

"No!" 18 cried, as Trunks fell from the metal wall.

She made an attempt to get to him, but something held her back. Looking down, she saw a miniature robot about six inches tall holding her back.

"Excuse me," said the robot politely, "but please leave the master be. If you wish to preoccupy yourself, then please follow me into the Big Gete Star, and we will begin chopping you up."

The nonchalantly way he said this shocked 18 and she thought she may have misunderstood. "What?"

"No, no, it's not what you think. We don't want to hurt you. We only want to use the energy in your body to power the Big Gete Star. So we just have to chop you up."

18 gave the small robot a look of disbelief. "You've gotta be kidding me."

She punched the little robot, hurting her hand against it. To her astonishment, the robot remained unharmed.

"My, my, you certainly have a lot of power." The robot noted. His little pincer hand grabbed hers. "You will provide the Big Gete Star with much power."

18 struggled to get away. "What the hell?" She was astounded that she couldn't break the robot's grip. "Let go of me, you little freak!"

She blasted it and the small robots exploded. Ironically, his now dismembered pincer was still clinging to her.

At this point, Trunks had already gotten to his feet. Cooler landed a short distance away, an arrogant smirk on his face.

"Seems as if you're having more trouble with me than you thought." He pointed out. "You saiyans always were an arrogant race."

Trunks wiped a trail of blood from his mouth and smiled. "No, that's where you're wrong, Cooler. I've actually been holding back this whole time. So how about we get the real battle underway?"

Cooler's smirk never left his face. "Holding back, have you? For some reason, I'm not convinced. I think you're bluffing. But if you do have any power that you're keeping in reserves, it would be in your best interest to use it now."

Trunks grinned. "Whatever you say, Cooler." He transformed. "How's that?"

A shocked look appeared on Cooler's face. "What? You're a Super Saiyan?"

"Right now." Trunks told him. "But I can even take it to the next level. Watch this." He became an Ascended Saiyan. "Now you're witnessing my true power."

Cooler's eyes were wide with amazement. "It's astonishing. Not only are you a Super Saiyan, but you can go to a level beyond it. It that even possible?"

The cool arrogant look that seemed to appear upon a saiyan's face after transforming appeared on Trunks'. "It's possible. Unless you still think I'm bluffing."

He vanished, reappearing in front of Cooler. Before the alien could react, Trunk's fist slammed into his stomach with enough force to punch a hole straight through him. Cooler's eyes widened in shock and pain as Trunks pulled his fist free and kicked him in the head. Cooler's neck broke. His head dangled off his shoulders, held to his body only by a series of wires that ran up his neck.

Trunks stepped back, observing the broken alien. Cooler's body remained standing, twitching every now and then. Suddenly, wires began flying out of the openings of his body. Trunks watched in surprise as the wires pulled Cooler's head back on, reattaching it, and the hole in his stomach repaired itself, leaving Cooler good as new.

"But, what? How?"

Cooler chuckled. "Oh yes, I forgot to tell you. My body is constantly being monitored by the Big Gete Star. Any and all damage I receive is detected and repaired. Furthermore, whatever flaws in my body that allowed such damage to take place are corrected so it cannot happen again." He grinned confidently. "It doesn't matter how much you damage me. I simply can't be destroyed."

Trunks eyed him with interest for a few moments before smiling. "Really? But what happens if the damage you receive can't be repaired."

Cooler took a fighting stance. "Go ahead and try. It won't make a difference. That is, if you can even damage me in such a way."

Getting an idea, Trunks grinned. "I believe my God Breaker attack will be sufficient." He raised his hand. "By the way, this is the attack I used to kill your father."

That did the trick. The look of surprise on Cooler's face was priceless. Trunks had managed to catch him off his guard long enough to fire his attack. It hit, right on target. Cooler's head was completely disintegrated.

Trunks lowered his hand, grinning. "Reattach that."

"Yes!" 18 cheered. "You did it."

Or so they had thought. But several wires shot out of the hole where Cooler's head used to be and began bunching up. Trunks once again watched in disbelief as Cooler repaired himself, a metal covering going over the bunched up wires, leaving the alien completely intact.

"A valiant effort." Cooler told him. "But you see, I keep spare parts inside my body in case any parts are reduced to nothing like that. It was a good try, though."

Trunks glared at him. "Fine. Then I'll just have to destroy every part of you."

He disappeared and reappeared next to Cooler, kicking him with all his strength. Cooler grunted as his upper torso broke away from his lower torso. Trunks followed this up by punching downward, splitting Cooler's lower torso in two.

Next, before Cooler's upper body even hit the ground, Trunks grabbed his arms from behind and kicked outward with both feet, severing the alien's arms from his body. The two metal arms in his hand reacted immediately, attempting to pull themselves together.

Trunks unleashed blasts of energy, destroying both arms. Then he blasted each leg and Cooler's tail. And, just as Cooler's upper body hit the ground, he jumped up and brought his fist crashing down on Cooler's back. His fist went straight through, ending up inside Cooler's body. Gathering energy, he blasted Cooler from the inside of his body.

Cooler's torso exploded and his head popped off. It rolled several feet away and looked up at Trunks angrily. "You miserable saiyan! You think this is over?"

Trunks took aim. "Oh yeah."

He fired, blowing Cooler's head apart. It was all over now. Cooler wouldn't be able to pull himself back together. There wasn't even anything to be pulled back together. All that was left were the broken pieces of what was once a machine in the form of the alien.

Chapter 17: Taking Control

Lowering his hand, Trunks nodded in satisfaction. "And that ends that."

18 breathed a sigh of relief. "You know, you actually had me worried there for a minute."

Trunks smiled and gave her a thumbs up. "Hey, come on. You didn't think that bucket of bolts could get the best of me, did you?"

18 cut her eyes at him. "Maybe when he revealed that ability to repair himself." She looked down at some of Cooler's remains, kicking them away. "Though that ability is quite useful. Do you think your mother could design a program like that for me?"

Powering down, Trunks laughed nervously. "I doubt it. He was all machine. You still have organic qualities. I don't think-"

A blast of energy hit him from behind. Stunned, Trunks doubled over before falling flat on his face. 18 was at his side in an instant, helping him up.

"You ok?" she asked.

Wincing in pain, Trunks forced himself to stand up. "Yeah, I think so. But who hit me?"

He turned around and received a shock, as did 18. Standing several feet away was none other than Cooler, completely intact. He was smiling at them with that cocky look on his face.

"It can't be." Trunks muttered. He looked down at the broken pieces of the Cooler he had destroyed before looking back at this new Cooler. "It's not possibly."

Cooler laughed. "But it is. This battle is far from over. And when it finally does end, it will be with your death."

Trunks powered up again. "We'll see about that!"

He flew at Cooler, and the two began fighting again. 18 remained on the ground, staring up at Cooler in disbelief, unable to figure out how he was still alive. But as she watched, something shiny caught her eye. There was a figure standing on the Big Gete Star. It appeared to be a person, but they were clearly made of metal. And whoever they were, they were aiming at either Trunks or Cooler, and she the feeling that it wasn't Cooler.

"Oh, no you don't!" she cried.

She raised her hand, preparing to fire a blast of energy, but a pair of metal hands grabbed her arm, pulling it back, before two more seized her other hand.

"Don't interfere."

Recognizing the voice, 18 looked over her shoulder. Cooler was one of the people holding her back. And the other person was Cooler as well. There were two Coolers. No, including the one Trunks was fighting, that made three. And she had a feeling that the shiny person standing on the Big Gete Star was a Cooler was well.

"Trunks, behind you!" she shouted.

The Cooler standing on the Big Gete Star fired. Having heard 18's cry, Trunks noticed the attack and dodged it. Being up high, he got a better look at the person, his eyes confirming what 18 had suspected.

"What?" he gasped. "Another Cooler?" He looked down at 18, seeing two more Coolers holding her. "Two more?"

The Cooler he was fighting chuckled. "Are you surprised? I told you that the Big Gete Star constantly monitors my body and corrects any flaws in my design." His grin widened. "Even if that flaw is that I have only one body."

Trunks looked at him in horror. "What? You mean you can have more than one body?"

The alien sneered at him. "If you like that, you're going to love this."

He nodded towards the Big Gete Star. Trunks looked and couldn't believe his eyes. Coolers, there were Coolers everywhere. It was an entire army of mechanical clones, all itching for a fight.

A shiver of fear ran through Trunks. "This… can't be… How many are there?"

Cooler snickered. "I had originally made a thousand. And you managed to destroy one of them. Congratulations, only 999 more to go."

He laughed loudly. All the other Coolers echoed his laugh, the sound coming at him from all directions. A bead of sweat ran down Trunks' cheek as he realized the hopelessness of the situation. As an Ascended Saiyan, he was stronger than Cooler. He could handle two or three, maybe even four, but 999. It was impossible. He couldn't win.

"What's wrong?" Cooler asked. "Is the mighty Super Saiyan afraid?"

Trunks struggled to find his voice. "This… just isn't possible. How can… how can all these things… be you?"

Cooler chuckled. "Yes, I guess it is worth telling. I told you before how the Big Gete Star absorbed the remains of my body, which included my brains. I took control of the Big Gete Star. So in a sense, I am the Big Gete Star. This entire structure consuming your planet is me. All these Meta-Coolers, I'm controlling them. So go ahead, destroy as many as you like. I'll simply make more. No matter how many you destroy or damage won't make a difference. They're nothing more than empty shells that my consciousness is controlling from the Big Gete Star."

Trunks' eyes narrowed. "Then all I have to do is destroy the Big Gete Star, and these Meta-Coolers will be nothing more than oversized tin-cans."

Cooler laughed. "You make it sound so easy. Foolish boy, just how do you plan to destroy the Big Gete Star? Not only are my Cyclopian Guards and my Meta-Coolers protecting it, of which all together I have a total of ten billion, but the Big Gete Star is latched onto the planet. If you destroy the Big Gete Star, you'll destroy Earth as well, and you and everyone else will die."

Down on the ground, 18 listened to every word Cooler said carefully. With some quick thinking, she came to a decision. 'We'll see about that.'

Summoning up all her power, she unleashed her energy. The two Coolers holding her went flying. She flew straight up in the air, going past Trunks and the Cooler he was fighting, heading directly into the sun.

'Shut you're eyes, Trunks.' She told him telepathically. "Hey, Coolers, try this! Solar Flare!"

Trunks realized what she was about to do a moment before she did it. Shutting his eyes tightly and covering them, he looked away as the sunlight flashed brightly. Even then he could see a glow through his tightly squeezed eyes.

The Coolers all roared in pain and fury as they were blinded. Even their mechanical eyes were sensitive to the intensity of the light. They rubbed their eyes and blinked repeatedly, trying to clear their vision.

Once Trunks felt it was safe, he opened his eyes and kicked the Cooler in front of him in the gut, sending him flying. He looked up to 18, but she was gone. Had she retreated? That certainly didn't sound like a bad idea. But where could they go? Where could they hide? The entire planet was being consumed by the Big Gete Star.

He couldn't think about that now. While the Coolers were blinded, he began unleashed energy blasts at them. He didn't even bother to aim, knowing that each attack would at least hit one. The Coolers scattered in different directions like ants escaping a heavy rain. Several took to the sky, attempting to avoid the others, yet they still constantly crashed into each other, being unable to see where they were going.

But Solar Flare did not last long, and soon their vision was restored. Several hundreds flew at Trunks while the others looked around for 18. Not seeing her anywhere, they too went after the saiyan.

Trunks kept firing. It was all he could do. But for every Cooler he shot down, ten more rose to take its place before even that one came at him again. They flew towards him like an angry silver swarm, laughing at his sad attempts to keep them at bay.

A pair of arms grabbed Trunks from behind, followed by several more grasping his feet. More and more Coolers surrounded him, grabbing, and punching, and kicking. The blows came repeatedly without stopping. Trunks was helpless against their onslaught of attacks. His strength began to give out and he powered down to his normal state.

The attacks kept coming, and Trunks was beginning to feel lightheaded. Unable to remain in the air, he dropped down, taking a cloud of Coolers with him. They crashed into the ground, several hundred crushing him upon impact. Still the blows came. But soon the pain faded away as Trunks fell into darkness.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

"Monkey see, monkey do. Wake up little monkey. Uncle Cooler has a special treat for you."

Groaning, Trunks opened his eyes. He felt awful. His body ached terribly from the beating he received. Truthfully, he was surprised to still be alive. He thought for sure he'd be dead. Never had he been this sore, not even from his past battles with the androids. It wouldn't surprise him if his body were one large bruise.

"Ah, good, you're finally awake." It was Cooler, only his voice seemed louder and deeper, and it seemed to be coming from all around. "Did the monkey enjoy his little nap?"

Breathing heavily, Trunks tried to move, but couldn't. It was then that he noticed that there were wires attached to his body, and he was suspended in the air.

"What… what is this…? What are you… doing…?"

Cooler chuckled. "I'm going to use you as my own personal battery. I could have just chopped you up and taken your energy that way, but I wanted you to be aware. I wanted you to feel your life sucked dry before you die, and know that it was with your own energy that this planet met its destruction."

Trunks made a futile effort to get free, but couldn't. "Where's 18?"

"18 what? If you're referring to that woman that got away, you don't need to worry about her. My Meta-Coolers and Cyclopian Guards are watching every entrance to the Big Gete Star, so she won't be coming to your rescue. Not that she would be able to do anything if she tried. But don't worry; I'll hunt her down soon enough. There's nowhere she can hide on this planet."

"Bastard!" Trunks grunted.

A terrible sensation overcame him. He felt the energy being drained from his body. It hurt, it hurt terribly. He cried out in agony as he felt his strength being sucked out.

"Yes, yes, that's it!" said Cooler. "The power of a Super Saiyan. It's exquisite. So strong, so pure. I love it."

The draining stopped, leaving Trunks panting for breath. "You won't… get away… with this…"

"And what are you going to do?" Cooler asked, and began draining him again. "You're nothing but a miserable saiyan monkey. You can't stand up to me. You're weak. And soon, what little strength you do have, will belong to me."

The draining stopped again, leaving Trunks gasping for breath, and on the verge of passing out again. But through his dazed state, he became aware of some movement right in front of him. Opening his eyes, he saw was appeared to be the disfigured head of a partly made Meta-Cooler. But part of this head was real; it was flesh instead of metal.

"I wanted you to see the true face of your killer before you died." Cooler told him. "This, this is all that was left of my body after my battle with Goku. The rest of me had been destroyed, or rendered useless. But when the Big Gete Star absorbed me, it had no idea that it was combining with a still living creature with a mind of its own."

Trunks struggled to remain conscious. "So… that's… the… real… you…"

"More like what's left of my organic body that could be salvaged. The rest of me, my mind, my entire being, lives within the Big Gete Star. I have become a living mechanical planet capable of creating a whole new race under my complete control. Goku nearly destroyed me, but he failed. And now I have returned greater than ever. I am a god!"

Trunks sneered at him. "Bullshit. You're insane. That's what you are."

The organic eye staring at him narrowed. "And you, saiyan, are extinct."

The draining of energy resumed. Trunks howled in pain as more and more of his strength was zapped from his body. Through the pain, he could hear Cooler's sadistic laughter as he sucked him dry. It wouldn't be much longer now. Soon he would be dead and the pain would end.

'Is this it?' he thought sadly as his eyelids grew heavy. 'Did I manage to save and heal the earth, just so it could be destroyed by this monster.' In spite of the pain, he laughed humorlessly. "18, if you're out there, I could really use some help about now."

The draining stopped and Trunks went limb. It seemed as if Cooler was going to drag this out, torturing him for as long as he could.

"What? What is this?" Cooler cried angrily. "Why have the circuits closed? He's still alive, so I couldn't have taken all his energy."

Trunks cracked an eye open. Cooler hadn't stopped draining him? Then why…?

Cooler growled angrily. "What's wrong? All systems are working fine, so why did it stop? What happened?"

"I happened?"

Cooler's organic eye widened. "What? Who is that?"

Trunks recognized the voice. "18…"

An incredible feeling of relief washed over him as energy began pouring into his body. It felt great, like a he was taking a slow acting Senzu bean.

"No!" Cooler wailed. "The energy is returning to him! Why is it doing that?"

"Because I'm giving it to him." came 18's voice.

Cooler's eye scanned the room. "You miserable bitch! Where are you?"

"Right here with you?"

Cooler's eyes stopped searching and widened in surprise. "What?

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

From elsewhere on the Big Gete Star, 18 lay still on the ground. Several plugs connected to her head, linking her up with the Big Gete Star.

"You made the mistake of not knowing who you were up against." 18 told him, though her voice was not coming from her mouth. "You didn't know that I was an android, did you? I've connected myself to the Big Gete Star. I'm right here in the system with you."

"You despicable whore! Get out of here! I'll kill you! Meta-Coolers, Cyclopian Guards, find her! Find her!"

All throughout the giant spaceship, the robotic inhabitants began running around searching for 18. But then they stopped. They seemed to be trying to move, yet not move at the same time, as if an invisible force was holding them back.

"What's going on?" Cooler roared. "Why aren't my soldiers responding?"

A smile broke out on 18's still form. "I'm taking over, ass hole. I'm becoming in control just as much as you are. You're going to have to fight me for control of the Big Gete Star."

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Back in the room with Trunks and Cooler's remains, Cooler's eye flashed angrily. "Damn you! Damn you, you fucking bitch! Give me back control!"

"Take it back, tough guy."

Cooler growled angrily. He tried to, but he couldn't. 18 was spreading everywhere. He was losing control more and more as 18 infected all systems. Then the entire ship began trembling. Since Cooler had lost control of most of the Big Gete Star, he was unaware of what was happening.

"What are you doing?" he demanded.

"What do you think?" she said. "Separating this thing from Earth so you can't hurt anyone else. Then you can die with this ship, and all you're Meta-Coolers will be useless."

"If you think that you can beat me like this, then you're mistaken!" He contacted his soldiers. "All Cyclopian Guards, flee now! Kill all in you're path! Tear this planet apart!"

18 sent out her own mental command. "All robots self destruct now."

"NO!"

The Big Gete Star was suddenly filled with small explosions as the robots exploded one after the other. The Meta-Coolers remained immobilized, caught between Cooler's commands and 18's.

"All my work, ruined!" Cooler bellowed. "Years of planning and building gone to waste! This can't be happening!"

"You should be more concerned with yourself rather than your ship." Said Trunks.

Cooler glanced at Trunks, who had just torn free from his bindings. "What? You?"

Trunks smirked. "Yup, it's me, back in action. Thanks to 18, I feel even stronger than before. And now," he began to power up, "I'll finish what Goku started."

Cooler's single eye looked around fearfully. "This can't be. There must be something I can do, somewhere I can go where that bitch hasn't infected yet."

Trunks floated up until he was hovering right in front of Cooler. "Face it, Cooler, it's all over."

"The hell it is!" Cooler bellowed. Several cords came together, forming a large imitation of a body that attached to Cooler's head. His large hands grabbed Trunks and began squeezing tightly. "If I go down, I'll take you with me, saiyan scum!"

Trunks cried out as he powered up, blowing away the large wire arms holding him, leaving Cooler's head hanging. The alien glared at him before firing a laser out of his single eye. It struck Trunks, but, to Cooler's horror, did no damage.

Slowly Trunks raised his hand, holding it right up in the alien's face. "Sorry, Cooler, but you die alone."

And then he blasted the floating head.

Chapter 18: From Bad to Worse

Under 18's control, the Big Gete Star detached itself from Earth. At this point, Trunks had already left the giant ship. He now stood outside on top of one of the many piles of broken robot warriors. He looked up as the Big Gete Star drifted further and further away from the planet.

"18." He whispered, hoping she was ok.

But he didn't need to worry. The android soon came flying down from the sky, the large ship burning behind her.

Landing next to him, 18 gave Trunks a smile. "Miss me, big boy?"

Rather than being happy, Trunks was upset. "That was dangerous, 18. What if you had gotten stuck in there?"

18 just waved it off. "It was all under control. I merely entered the Big Gete Star's database and overpowered Cooler. Then I set the ship to self-destruct once it was away from Earth and went back inside my body. Nothing to it."

Trunks cut his eyes at her. "Yeah, nothing to it…" he muttered, looking back up at the Big Gete Star. "But Cooler is still in the system. Since you're not controlling it anymore, couldn't he take over again and stop the self-destruct sequence?"

18 rolled her eyes. "Have some faith in me, will you. I made sure to damage things enough so even if he does resume control, he won't be able to stop it. Now stand back and watch the show."

The Big Gete Star continued to drift away until it was far away enough that it could do no harm to the planet. Then the sky lit up as the Big Gete Star exploded. Trunks and 18 shielded their eyes against the light as even the night side of the planet was engulfed with light. When the light faded, there was nothing left of the oversized spaceship except for debris.

Trunks breathed a sigh of relief and collapsed to his knees. "It's over."

"Yeah." 18 replied. "Quite an interesting day." She smiled as she looked up at the sky, seeing pieces of the Big Gete Star fly by before they burned up in the earth's atmosphere. "It's kind of pretty, huh?"

Trunks looked up at the sky. "I guess."

Something shiny twinkled up above. A star. Too bad he couldn't make a wish on it and fix the damage Cooler had just caused. But he supposed he could settle for using the Dragon Balls.

A frown suddenly crossed his face. 'Wait a second. A star? In broad daylight?' The twinkling star he saw suddenly launched a blast of energy at them. "Heads up!"

He and 18 took to the air as the energy blast created a large crater in the ground. They reappeared up in the air, looking down at the damage that had been caused.

"That was close." Said 18. "Where'd that come from anyway?"

Looking up, they saw the very person they thought they had just defeated. Cooler was still alive, once again in a brand new body in perfect working order. But there was one minor difference in this Meta-Cooler from the others. The whites of his eyes were pitch black, glaring at the two of them furiously.

"You again?" 18 muttered. "I thought we killed you."

Cooler glared at them. "Almost. Fortunately for me, I had an escape route that you weren't aware of. You see, unlike those other Meta-Coolers, this one is different. I'm not controlling it from a distance. This is the real me."

"Can't be." Said Trunks. "I destroyed the real you not too long ago."

"Idiot boy." Cooler grunted. "My consciousness had already fled and entered this body a moment before you're attack hit. What you destroyed was a brain-dead flesh of meat. Everything that I am is now in here."

Trunks' eyes narrowed. 'Just like what Dr. Gero did for 16 and 19. He put all that they were in the android bodies and then let the empty shells of their bodies die. That means this new Cooler is the real Cooler now.'

"So," said 18, "that means we just have to beat this last one and then you really will die."

Cooler smirked. "Don't be so confident. I already told you that this body is different from those remote controlled other ones. Not only is it an actual mechanical body, it's also a lot stronger. The material it's made of is even different."

18 raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? Isn't it just metal?"

"There are many different types of metal. Have you ever heard of a substance called Katchin?"

"Called what?"

"Katchin." Cooler repeated. "It's the hardest metal in the universe, practically indestructible. I had this body made entirely out of Katchin Ore. Every knut, every bolt, every wire, every last part. But just in case you do, by some miracle, manage to damage me, I have the repair program installed in this body to fix any and all damage I might obtain."

18 crossed her arms. "I think you just like to hear yourself talk."

She flew at him, throwing a punch. Pain exploded in her knuckle as her fist made contact with Cooler's chest. The alien didn't even flinch from the attack. He simply looked down at the surprised look on 18's face at her useless attack.

18 stared at her Cooler's undamaged chest in disbelief. "What? How did he?"

She pounded her fists all over Cooler's torso, trying different angles and locations, but Cooler's incredibly hard body remained unharmed.

"You done?" Cooler asked.

His tail suddenly shot out, striking her and sending her flying. Trunks quickly flew in her path and caught her. Once he was sure she was all right, he looked back at Cooler in concern.

'That hard body of his may prove to be a real problem.' He set 18 down on her feet. "Ok, now it's my turn."

Jumping to Ascended Saiyan, he flew at Cooler, slamming his fist into the alien. The force of the blow sent Cooler flying backwards, but he remained unharmed, even as he went crashing through the debris of his former soldiers and remains of the Big Gete Star.

Trunks rubbed his wrist. That had really hurt. He wouldn't have been surprised if it was broken, or at the very least sprained. It appeared that physical attacks wouldn't work any longer. But while Cooler's defense was now unbelievably powerful, he still wasn't as strong as the saiyan.

Cooler burst up from the pile of scrap metal without a scratch on him. He dusted himself off and looked at Trunks with a grin. "Just as I thought, this body really is indestructible. I should have attacked you in this one to begin with."

Trunks glared at him. "Your body is really hard, but it's not indestructible. Lets see how it holds up against energy attacks."

He fired an energy blast. Cooler vanished, moving at rapid speed that surprised even Trunks. He appeared behind the saiyan before vanishing again and reappearing above him, then disappearing once again. He continued this game for several seconds before delivery a powerful kick. Trunks grunted, and attempted to hit him, but Cooler was too fast. The alien was suddenly behind him, his fist slamming into the saiyan's back.

"You're too slow." Cooler told him. "You'll never be able to catch-"

Trunks fired a blast of energy at random and got lucky. Cooler went down, equally as surprised as Trunks that he was hit. He recovered quickly though and got up.

"Nice shot." He told the saiyan. "But you're luck has just run out."

Trunks turned to him, "Don't be so sure. You're defense is amazing, and your speed is light-years ahead of my own, but you're lacking in strength."

"What?" Cooler demanded furiously. "That's ridiculous. I designed this body to be twice as strong as the other Meta-Coolers."

"Yes, that's true," Trunks agreed, "but you're strength is still beneath my own."

Cooler growled. " If that's the case, then perhaps I should make that strength my own."

He held his arms out. The tips of his fingers opened and ten long wires shot out, wrapping around Trunks. It was just like when he was back on the Big Gete Star. These wires were sucking up his energy.

Crying out, Trunks struggled against the bindings, but they refused to let go. And, to his horror, he saw that these wires were also made out of Katchin, just as Cooler had said.

"Struggle all you want." Cooler told him. "It's useless."

18 rushed forward to help. She grabbed hold of Trunks and pulled, but the wires remained tightly wrapped around the saiyan.

"Let him go!" she shouted.

She shot a beam of energy at the wires, but they merely sucked up the attack, making Cooler laugh. "Energy attacks won't work. These wires are designed to suck up power from whatever they touch."

"Can they absorb this?" 18 asked. "Solar Flare!"

The wires released Trunks as Cooler was forced to shield his eyes. "That damn light attack!"

18 pulled Trunks away from Cooler. "You ok?" she asked.

Trunks regained his composure and nodded. "Fine. He didn't get that much."

Regaining his sight, Cooler looked at the two of them. "Then allow me to try again."

The wires shot out of his fingers again. 18 quickly pushed Trunks out of the way, only to be ensnared by the wires herself, which began immediately draining her of energy.

Trunks quickly jumped to his feet and charged at Cooler. "Let go of her!"

He punched and kicked, putting all his strength into his blows. And though Cooler stumbled about, his Katchin body did not gain any damage. Cooler smirked, then suddenly his tail shot out, wrapping around Trunks' throat. The saiyan's hands immediately went to his neck, clawing at the metal tail cutting off his air supply.

"Now stay right there." Cooler told him. "Once I drain her, your Super Saiyan strength shall be mine."

Suffering from her energy being drained, 18 looked up at Cooler. "Well… you're going to be waiting for a very long time."

Cooler just grinned, not knowing or caring what she meant. "The more power you have, the better."

Through her pain, 18 managed to smile. "Fine then. Take it. Take all of it!"

She began to power up. Cooler's grin widened as he was filled with her energy. But as he continued to drain her power, his smile turned into a frown. The energy just kept coming, and 18 wasn't getting any weaker. She just stood there with her energy swirling around her as his wires continued sucking it up.

Cooler began to twitch as he started to feel overwhelmed. Then his frown became an angry scowl as it began to hurt. "Just how much power does she have?" he wondered out loud. "It just keeps coming."

18 smirked at him. "You made the same mistake of not knowing your enemy. You know that I'm an android, but what you don't know is that I have an unlimited supply of energy. It doesn't matter how much you drain me, because I'll never run out."

Cooler gritted his teeth against the overwhelming waves of energy washing over him. "I… can't… take it… Too much…"

His wires retracted, retreating back inside his fingers. But 18 reached out and grabbed them as she continued to power up, forcing Cooler to absorb more energy.

"Stop!" Cooler wailed. "I've reached my limit! I can't take anymore! Make it stop!"

"No way." 18 told him, keeping a firm grasp on his wires. "You wanted my power, now you're going to get it."

Cooler began to smoke as sparks of electricity started surging over his body. His eyes rolled around wildly and he screamed loudly, trying to pull free from the android's hold.

"Can't hold… anymore… Going to… short circuit…"

His head suddenly snapped to the side and his body tensed up, a large puff of smoke rising from his open orifices. The hissing sound of air escaping him emitted from his mouth and he fell face down on the ground and remained motionless.

18 finally dropped the wires. She hurried over to Trunks, who was sputtering and gasping for breath after having his air supply cut off. Leaning down to support him, she helped him get to his feet.

"You like taking risks, don't you?" he asked.

"You could say that." She looked down at the fried Cooler. "That's it for him. He's toast."

Trunks glanced at the twitching alien. "I don't know, he's still moving."

"Reflexes?"

"I don't know if mechanical bodies have reflexes. We better blast him just to be sure."

"Hold up!" She pulled him away from Cooler. "First let me see how you're doing." She gently touched his neck. "Ouch. That's probably going to bruise."

Trunks couldn't help but to grin. "Then it'll blend in nicely. By this time tomorrow, I'm going to be a Super black and blue Saiyan."

Cooler suddenly jumped to his feet, startling the other two. He was still alive after all, but he was in bad shape. Smoke rose from his body as sparks went flying from him. He was twitching terribly, as if on the verge of falling apart.

"Y-Y-You d-d-damn-n bit-ch." He stuttered, furiously, though his stutter was due to the damage to his body rather than his anger, also resulting in his voice being distorted. "I-I-I-If y-ou t-thi-ink th-th-this-s is-s ov-over, y-you've-ve g-got another th-ing c-co-com-com-com-ing-ing."

He flew up in the air and raised his hand. A large ball of energy appeared over him that began growing at an alarming rate. Both Trunks and 18 looked up at him in horror. That gathering mass of energy was powerful enough to destroy the planet several times over, and it was still growing.

Cooler attempted to laugh, but even his laugh was distorted. "W-Wh-What d-do you s-s-say t-to this-s? I-I'm go-ing t-t-t-to b-blow this plan-et-et s-straight-t to He-Hell! N-Not even you-ou c-c-an st-stop-p-p me n-now."

It seemed he was right. Neither Trunks nor 18 could stop that large ball of energy. Cooler wasn't holding anything back. He was giving it everything he had, intent on finishing them off, even at the risk of his own life.

"I h-hope you-you're read-dy-dy t-to d-die-ie!"

Trunks braced himself. He knew that trying to stop it would be futile, but that didn't mean he was just going to sit back and let Cooler destroy the earth. He was about to fight back when he felt an enormous gathering of energy from behind him. At first he thought it was 18, but then he remembered that 18's power couldn't be sensed.

Glancing at the android, he saw her still standing beside him, her eyes locked on Cooler up above. She was so focused on Cooler that she was unaware of the gathering energy.

"Get down!" he cried, pulling her down.

Grabbing her, he dropped to the ground just as a mighty beam of bright green energy was unleashed from the source of the gathering power. Cooler's eyes widened in surprise as the blast came right at him.

"W-What-t?"

The beam of energy slammed into him, pressing him up against his own gathering energy. Cooler, along with his Supernova attack, were blown back and forced up into space. The alien's cries rang out as he was forced further and further away from Earth.

His hard body began to crack, the fractures traveling all over his body before his skin finally shattered, exposing his robotic skeleton. His Supernova attack finally erupted against the energy blast that had forced him up and away, lighting up the sky. Cooler howled loudly, his screams going by unheard from the massive explosion as his body was obliterated, finally putting an end to the tyrant once and for all.

As the explosion began to dissipate, Trunks and 18 got to their feet. Looking up, they saw a small temporary star flickering in the sky from the blast slowly fading away. Cooler was gone, they knew that for a fact. Katchin body or not, there was no way he could survive a blast like that.

"That was too close." 18 muttered. "Someone really saved our asses."

Trunks nodded. "Yeah, though they almost blasted us as well."

He turned in the direction the blast had come from. He saw someone a great distance away, slowly hovering over to the two of them. Trunks waved at them, trying to get their attention.

"Who's that?" 18 asked, squinting her eyes to get a better look. "Someone you know?"

"Their too far away to tell." Trunks replied. "Their energy signal seems familiar though."

The approaching figure suddenly put on a burst of speed and was suddenly floating directly over them. As 18 gave them a curious look, Trunks felt his stomach drop out underneath him.

"Whoa." 18 muttered. "Big guy."

Fear gripped Trunks and he slowly moved in front of the android. "18, get out of here now."

The seriousness and fear in his voice startled 18. She glanced at Trunks before turning back to the newcomer. He was extremely tall, towering a total of 9'3. He wore no shirt, but that was probably due to the fact that his massive muscles couldn't be confined in one. And while his great size and body mass had caught 18's attention at first, she now noticed something else. Whoever this man was, he had a monkey tail. And his hair was very similar to Trunks' when in the Super Saiyan state, only this guy's hair had a bit of a green hue to the gold. His eye color remained a mystery, as they were glowing too brightly to make out, and a bright green aura danced around his body, revealing only a fraction of his true power. If 18 didn't know any better, she'd say that this person was a saiyan, and a Super Saiyan at that.

"Trunks…" she whispered uneasily. "Who is this?"

The saiyan glared down at them with a look of insanity on his face. "Kakarot…" He began to twitch, as if he were about to have a seizure. "KAKAROT!"

Power exploded around him, throwing the two of them back. They found their footing and covered their eyes against the dirt and debris that went flying around them.

"What's going on?" 18 asked, she glanced at her companion. "Trunks, you know something. Who is this?"

"Broly." Trunks grunted. "The legendary Super Saiyan."

Chapter 19: Facing the Legend

The psychotic saiyan looked down at Trunks and 18 with an insane grin on his face. He didn't know who they were, and, quite frankly, he didn't care. He couldn't sense anything from the woman, but the boy held great power. Perhaps he would prove to be entertaining for a while. He had time for some fun before he searched for Kakarot.

He briefly wondered where he was. The last thing he remembered was fighting Kakarot and some other weaklings on the planet his father called New Vegeta with Comet Camori seconds away from crashing into it and killing them all. Kakarot had momentarily stunned him with a powerful attack just before he and the others disappeared.

Broly wasn't sure how he did it, but he had somehow locked onto Kakarot's energy signature and followed it here. After he landed, he was still weak from Kakarot's attack, leaving him in a dazed state. Then he had been covered by ice and fallen asleep.

He didn't remember much after that point. The next thing he did remember was waking up after some large spaceship of some kind freed him from his icy prison. Shortly after that, the strange spaceship, that seemed to be covering the entire planet, just drifted away and exploded.

Broly hadn't given any of it a second thought. He had one thing on his mind. Revenge. He was going to make Kakarot pay for what he had done to him. Actually, he now had to pay him back twice as much, for hurting him back on New Vegeta, and for the reason he couldn't remember for wanting Kakarot dead to begin with.

Seeking out the strongest power source, he had been led here. The power he sensed was coming from a boy who also appeared to be a Super Saiyan. But that silver alien in the sky had been about to blow them all up, and Broly couldn't let that happen, not before he had his fun.

So, after quickly disposing of the metal alien, he now hovered in the air above another Super Saiyan and a woman whose power he couldn't sense at all.

18 wiped a strand of hair out of her face. "What's with this guy? You said his name is Broly? Who is he, Trunks?"

Trunks glared at the living legend. "He's a naturally born Super Saiyan, the first in over a thousand years. But Goku defeated him years ago. He should be dead right now."

But Broly was very much alive. Trunks didn't know how. He remembered going to the past and facing Broly back then. At the time, Goku hadn't been strong enough to beat the psychotic saiyan. Only after Goku had absorbed all the energy from Gohan, Trunks, Piccolo, and Vegeta was he able to win.

'Is that the reason?' Trunks wondered. 'In this time period, I wasn't involved in the fight with Broly. Since I wasn't able to supply Goku with power, Broly must have been able to survive Goku's attack.'

And now he was here on Earth. Great, that was the last thing he needed. And just how in the hell was he supposed to win? Broly was even stronger than Cell in his perfect form. He wasn't stronger than Luud, but that monster had had a critical weak spot that brought forth his destruction. Broly had no such weak spot.

"Kakarot!" Broly demanded. "Where is Kakarot?"

18 glanced at Trunks. "Kakarot. Wasn't that Goku's saiyan name?"

Trunks nodded. "For some reason, this guy is obsessed with Goku. That seems to be a habit among bad guys."

18 crossed her arms. "And Goku seems to have a habit of not finishing his battles. First Frieza, then Cooler, now this guy. And didn't Garlic Jr. make a comeback as well?"

"Now's not the time." Trunks grumbled. "We have a serious situation here. I've gone up against Broly before. He's stronger than you can imagine. He took out Cooler like he was nothing."

A look of worry crossed her face. "But… you're the strongest person in the universe. Aren't you?"

A bead of sweat ran down Trunks' cheek. "Not in this case. I hate to admit it, but Broly's strength surpasses my own."

"Can't be!" 18 cried. "You're an Ascended Saiyan. You've got to have more power than an ordinary Super Saiyan."

"That's just it. Broly's not an ordinary Super Saiyan. Father said that when he was born, he had a power level of 10,000, while the average saiyan infant is born with a power level of two or three."

18's eyes widened in disbelief. "Did you say 10,000? How's that possible?"

Though Trunks had taught her how to sense a person's energy level, she wasn't ever able to put a number on what she sensed. She knew that the average power of a full-grown man was at about five or six, so 10,000 as a newborn was astonishing. That may be nothing compared to her and Trunks right now, but Broly had undoubtedly become much stronger from when he was an infant.

"Kakarot!" Broly shouted impatiently. "I want Kakarot!"

"Then you better drop dead," Trunks told him, "because he's dead. If you want to fight him, go kill yourself." Maybe the psychotic saiyan would actually do it; his sanity wasn't exactly intact.

A shocked look appeared on Broly's face upon hearing of his obsession's death. "K-Kakarot…" he murmured. "No… Kakarot… He was mine… Mine to kill. Mine!" His power flared up around him, causing the ground to tremble beneath him. "KAKAROT!"

His cry echoed throughout the land as his power soared to new heights. 18 gasped upon feeling his massive energy increase. She now understood why Trunks was so nervous.

As for Trunks, he seemed to realize that this was his chance to attack. With some quick hand movements, he unleashed his signature move on the legendary Super Saiyan. The attack was a direct hit, but Broly seemed to be completely unfazed by it as he continued shouting out his fury.

"That didn't work." Trunks mumbled. "Ok then, plan B."

He flew up towards Broly and kicked the saiyan in the face. Broly's head snapped to the side, but in his fit of rage, he didn't even seem to notice the blow as his screams grew louder.

Trunks swore and flew back several feet. He sped towards him, slamming his fist in Broly's face. The legendary saiyan went flying, still screaming all the while, and crashed into a building, bringing the entire thing collapsing on top of him.

"Nice shot." 18 commented.

It was far from over though. Broly's cries could still be heard from beneath the pile of rubble the building had been reduced to. Trunks took aim and fired a blast of energy at the pile, disintegrating nearly all the debris. Broly was found lying on his back, his screams getting louder. Slowly he began to rise into the air, straightening out until he was upright again.

"Will someone shut him up!" 18 cried. "He's giving me a headache."

The legendary saiyan seemed to hear her somehow, because he finally stopped screaming and turned to her. "You want a headache? I'll give you a headache."

And then he was suddenly in front of her, backhanding her aggressively. 18 went flying through the air, but before she got too far, Broly appeared above her, bringing his fist crashing down into her gut. As 18 hit the ground, Broly raised his hand, a gathering of green energy forming in his palm.

"This will give you a headache!" he told her.

He threw the ball of energy down at her. Trunks suddenly appeared over her and kicked the energy blast away from her. Then he looked up at Broly, hoping against hope that he could stop this, even though he knew it was futile.

"Broly, stop this!" he cried. "I know your father was controlling you before, but you don't have to destroy anymore! And Goku is dead, so you're revenge is complete! Just go and leave us in peace!"

The legendary saiyan roared with laughter. "Peace? You expect me, the legendary Super Saiyan, to live a life of peace? You stupid boy! A life of peace is no life for a saiyan, let alone me! And my idiot father never controlled me! You think it was him that made me destroy the south galaxy? That was my doing! My father tried to stop me from being so destructive!"

Trunks swore. He knew that his chances of convincing Broly to take on a life of peace was nonexistent, but he needed to try. But it looked like he was going to have to fight after all.

"Then it looks like I'll have to do what he couldn't."

He flew at Broly, throwing a punch, but Broly's fist shot out, slamming into Trunks. Grunting in pain, Trunks tried again, only to have his arm caught in Broly's large hand. The legendary saiyan grinned and held up his hand. There was a gathering of green energy before Broly unleashed it against Trunks.

18 opened her eyes just in time to see Trunks go flying past her line of vision. She quickly sat up, seeing Broly floating in the air, his hand still raised from blasting Trunks. She growled angrily before flying at him and throwing a punch. Broly easily ducked underneath it, and then sidestepped her kick, but she managed to unleash a blast of energy in his face.

Broly blinked, unharmed, but surprised that she had actually managed to hit him. He glared at her before seizing her hair. 18 squealed in pain as Broly pulled her towards him. He forced her head down, slamming it against his knee before placing his hand on her back and blasting her.

18 hit the ground hard and rolled onto her back. She gasped in surprise as she saw Broly speeding down towards her. She quickly rolled to the side and jumped away before Broly's foot shattered the ground where she had been laying.

Before she was out of range, Broly's hand shot out, grabbing her foot. "Going somewhere?"

Growling in frustration, 18 whirled around and began firing blasts of energy at him. Broly just laughed of as the attacks bounced right off him. That's when Trunks rejoined the fight, kicking Broly in the back of the head. The legendary saiyan's head snapped forward from the blow, but he immediately recovered and spun around, using 18 to hit Trunks. The two hit the ground, with 18 on top of Trunks. Before they could react, Broly blasted them.

The moment the smoke cleared, they looked up to see Broly charging at them. He grabbed their heads as he ran past them and began dragging them along the ground, tearing up the street, laughing all the while, before smashing them into a building.

Flying away from them, the legendary saiyan raised his arms and gathered an enormous amount of energy. When 18 and Trunks opened their eyes, it was to find Broly holding a giant ball of green energy.

"Geez…" 18 muttered. "Give us a moment to catch our breath."

"Catch this instead!" Broly roared, and threw the ball of energy.

Trunks and 18 glanced at each other, silently agreeing that if the blast hit, it would cause major damage to the city. Bracing themselves, they held out their hands to catch the massive energy ball.

The attack was powerful. Even with both Trunks and 18 working together, they couldn't hold it back. The ground cracked beneath their feet, pushing them down and slowly burying them.

"It's too much!" 18 cried. "We can't stop it!"

"We have to try!" Trunks told her.

Broly laughed. "Try this!"

He fired another blast of energy, right into the large ball that the other two were trying to hold back. Buildings were obliterated by a massive explosion engulfing the area. A large crater now resided in the middle of the city with Trunks and 18 lying in it. Broly hovered over them, laughing at the destruction he caused like the maniac he was.

Groaning, 18 forced herself to sit up. "He's a monster." She said, looking up at the legendary saiyan. "I'd much rather have taken my chances with Cooler instead of facing this guy. Can he even be beaten?"

Mumbling as he pulled his face out of the ground, Trunks also looked up at their powerful foe. "Everyone can be beaten. But not like this. We may have stood a chance if we hadn't been worn out from our fight with Cooler." They took to the air as Broly fired a blast of energy at them. "We're too drained to keep up with him." He glanced at 18. "Our only chance is to get our hands on some Senzu beans. 18, you're going to have to go to Korin Tower and get some. I'll hold him off for as long as I can."

She gave him a surprised look. "Are you crazy? You won't be able to fend him off for long."

"Then you better hurry." He told her. "I've already been wished back with the Dragon Balls, so if I die this time, I stay dead." Actually, he wasn't entirely sure about that since it was in an alternate timeline that he was revived.

"No way! I'll stay and fight! I can still be wished back, and my energy supply won't run out. You go get the stupid beans."

Broly flew at them. They went in different directions and the legendary saiyan flew past them. They fired energy blasts at him, catching him in the back and sending him crashing into another building.

"You're energy may not run out," Trunks told her, "but you're still wounded."

"Well, so are you." she argued back.

A wave of energy flared out from the destroyed building Broly had crashed into, sending debris flying and revealing the legendary saiyan once again shouting his war cry to the sky.

"The fact of the matter is that I'm stronger than you, 18. I'll be able to last longer." Broly took to the air again and floated several feet in front of them, his green aura surging around him. "Go now, while you still can."

18 swore and quickly took off. Broly's attention shifted to her and his psychotic grin reappeared on his face. "No one leaves."

Cupping his hands together, he focused his gathered energy into a powerful beam. Trunks moved quickly, flying towards the legendary saiyan and kicking him right in the face just as Broly fired.

The legendary saiyan merely grunted, but the energy beam he fired went off course, missing 18. Angry that his prey had gotten away, Broly glared at Trunks. "You made me miss."

"She's no concern of yours." Trunks told him. "You're fight is with me."

Broly seemed to consider him for a moment before grinning. "Fight? This isn't a fight. This is an execution."

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It was about thirty seconds later that 18 realized that she had no idea where Korin lived. She knew of the cat and his tower, but she didn't know where he was.

Swearing angrily, she doubled back, avoiding the place Trunks and Broly were fighting as she headed for hopefully still intact Capsule Corp. She was relieved to see it still in one piece, and she was even happier to sense that the turtle hermit was still there somewhere.

'The old coot had better still remember how to get to Korin's place.'

She came in for a landing, frightening Puar and Oolong with her sudden appearance.

"Look out!" Oolong cried, momentarily forgetting that she was on their side. "Android attack!"

She threw him a dirty look. "Very funny, pig. Where's the old man?"

"I'm over here." Roshi replied. "What's going on? What's that incredible power I feel?"

"Some saiyan freak called Broly is here."

Out of all the things she could have said, this was the last thing he expected. "Say what? Broly's back?"

18 nodded. "Trunks is fighting him now, but he's running out of power. We need some Senzu beans. You have to take me to Korin Tower."

"What?" Roshi asked in surprise. "Korin's place? He lives just beneath Kami's Lookout. Just go there."

18 blinked. Korin Tower was beneath the Lookout? She wished she had known that sooner. "Fine, I'll head there. And you guys should get out of here. The city isn't safe with those two fighting." She looked around. "Where's Bulma?"

"She went to gather the Dragon Balls." Puar told her. "Whatever that thing was that covered the planet, she's hoping Shenron can bring back everyone that was killed by it and repair the damage done."

At least she was safely out of the way. But none of them would be safe if Broly wasn't defeated. "Ok, I'm heading for Korin's. The three of you, get as far away as you can. I'm going to go get those beans."

Without a moment to spare, she took off, praying that her detour wouldn't cost Trunks his life.

Chapter 20: The Legend Comes to Life

Kami's Lookout was in sight. According to Roshi, Korin Tower was just underneath it. But, looking down, all 18 saw where clouds. It didn't surprise her, Kami's Lookout was miles in the sky.

'So, straight down.'

She flew down at a ninety-degree angle. Kami's Lookout became smaller and smaller, and soon disappeared from view completely. But soon another object came into view. An impossibly tall structure with a dome-like top had appeared. 18 figured that it was safe to say that this was Korin Tower.

"This must be it." she muttered. Flying inside, she began frantically searching for this talking cat called Korin. "Hey, cat, where are you?"

"Show some respect. I'm no ordinary house cat." He made his appearance, walking up the stairs. "I'm an 800 year old martial arts master, not some pretty kitty to come when called."

18 didn't have time to get into a debate. "If you're so great, then you should know what's going on down there! The planet's in trouble. Trunks is fighting this super powerful saiyan freak."

"And you need some of my Senzu beans." Korin finished for her. "You sure have a rude way of making a first impression and then asking for a favor." He sighed. "Fine, wait here, I'll go get some."

18 paced back and forth impatiently as she waited for the cat. What was taking so long? How hard could it be to hand over some beans? She didn't have time for this. Trunks was in trouble. She could sense it from here. His energy was dropping with every blow. He must be completely at Broly's mercy.

"All right, here."

She turned to see a brown bag coming at her. Catching it, she noticed how empty it felt. Opening the bag, she saw only three small beans in the pouch.

"That's it?" she demanded angrily. "Only three?"

"The rest aren't ready yet." Korin told her. "Those are all I have left."

18 growled. "Three beans aren't enough."

"Take one." the cat suggested. "Not only will they heal and rejuvenate you, but they'll also keep you full for ten days."

"I don't need to eat." She told him, and jumped out of the tower.

Now she just had to get back to Trunks before Broly tore him apart. She really hoped these beans worked as well as she was told they would.

Deciding to take Korin's advice, she took one of the beans and ate it. It was crunchy and tasted like fish. But seconds after she swallowed it, she felt it's affects kick in. Her aches and pains immediately vanished, her bruises began fading away and her cuts started to mend themselves. Had her energy decreased at all, she had no doubt that she would have felt it all coming back to her in a powerful rush.

"Whoa!" she uttered in amazement. "These things really work." Putting on a burst of speed, she headed back to West City. "Hold on, Trunks, I'm on my way."

She just hoped the remaining two Senzu beans would be enough to defeat the legendary Super Saiyan.

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Trunks prayed 18 would hurry up. He didn't know how much longer he could last. Broly was picking him apart. Currently, the psychotic saiyan was floating in the sky, laughing as he took shots in the dark, hoping to hit Trunks.

Hiding behind a collapsed building, Trunks tried his best to suppress his power while maintaining his Super Saiyan state. He had been lucky so far; Broly hadn't hit him, but he was bound to at some point.

"Come out, come out, where ever you are!" Broly called, blasting another building. "Come out and play!"

He fired another energy blast. It didn't hit Trunks, but the explosion it created forced him to find another hiding spot. He ended up ducking behind several cars that had piled on top of each other; thankfully there was no one in the cars.

'If he keeps this up, he's going to level the whole city.' He thought fearfully.

Looking at the destruction caused by both Broly and the Big Gete Star, he hoped his mother and everyone else was all right and that the destruction hadn't reached his home yet.

One of the cars he was hiding behind was suddenly lifted in the air. Slowly, Trunks looked over his shoulder to see the legendary saiyan standing behind him, holding up the car with one hand.

"I found you." he said with a sneer.

He brought the car down over Trunks head, knocking him to the ground. Then he kicked him, sending him flying. Tossing the destroyed car aside, Broly flew after his prey, grinning all the while.

Trunks sensed Broly coming for him. Stopping his momentum, he flew towards Broly, throwing a punch. This proved to be a mistake as Broly's fist collided with Trunks'.

Trunks howled in pain, clutching his arm. It was broken. He had felt it break. He didn't have time to dwell on it though as both of Broly's hands wrapped around his head. Trunks cried out, struggling against the legendary saiyan's hold.

"Does it hurt?" Broly asked, squeezing tighter. "Tell me, does it hurt?"

Trunks' cries of pain were answer enough, but Broly wanted to hear him scream louder and tightened his hold even more. Trunks kicked against him, but Broly just laughed it off, his kicks just bouncing off.

But one kick in particular hit a certain spot that made a surge of pain flash through the legendary saiyan. Broly's hold loosened, much to Trunks' surprise, enabling him to pull away and firing a blast of energy in his face.

Snarling angrily, Broly's large fist slammed into Trunks. Then his fist opened to fire his own blast energy. Trunks was able to catch the blast, but it pushed him back. Broly appeared above Trunks, firing another energy blast while Trunks was preoccupied by the first one, blasting him into the ground.

The legendary saiyan laughed at Trunks' fallen form. "Play time is over. Time to go for the kill."

The area around him turned green with his energy before it was compressed into a single ball. Broly held it over his head, and then, laughing threw it down at Trunks, who had returned to his normal state.

The light from the approaching ball of energy made Trunks open his eyes. He gasped in both pain and fear as he saw the attack coming. "Guess this is it…"

"Not quite yet."

18 had finally arrived. She stood over Trunks protectively, then jumped up and kicked the ball of energy away. It crashed into a building, completely incinerating it.

Trunks looked up at her. "Nice of you to drop in."

18 smirked and tossed him the bag of Senzu beans. "I believe you wanted these."

Trunks snatched the bag out of the air. "Glad to see you were quick about it."

Grinning at his sarcasm, 18 looked up at Broly. The legendary saiyan stared back, glad to see that his other prey had not escaped him after all. "Well look whose here. You've saved me the trouble of hunting you down."

He disappeared, much to 18's surprise, appearing beside her, only to send her flying with a powerful kick. As 18 went flying, Broly went after her, seeming to have completely forgotten about Trunks. His focus was now on 18.

Down on the ground, Trunks struggled to open the bag with his remaining good arm. There were only two Senzu beans. He swore, wishing there were more, but still popped one in his mouth.

Upon swallowing the bean, his body immediately began to heal. Pain exploded in his arm as his broken bones shifted and fused together again. His cuts started to heal, and his bruises faded away as all feeling of fatigue left him. And, most importantly, his energy returned in full force, making him even stronger than before after his close brush with death. And as an added benefit, he suddenly felt full, as if he had eaten an entire buffet.

"Now that's more like it." he said, and began to power up.

Up in the sky, 18 and Broly continued to fight. Her attacks kept missing, and whatever hits she could land seemed to be ineffective. Broly knew that she was no match for him and stopped fighting, letting her hammer him with punches that caused no harm.

18 seemed to come to the same conclusion and stopped her attacks. Flying up higher, she cupped her hands together and began to gather energy. But Broly didn't give her the chance. Appearing in front of her, he wrapped her in a bear hug, squeezing her tightly.

18 cried out as Broly crushed her to him. It felt like she was going to snap in half, and that seemed to be what Broly had in mind as he squeezed her tighter.

"You're quite strong," Broly told her, "with the power worthy of being a saiyan. But you're still no match for me."

As he tightened his hold even more, he sensed a sudden rise in power. Looking down, he saw Trunks, once again an Ascended Saiyan, powering up. Truthfully, the boy had completely slipped Broly's unstable mind, but now that he noticed him, he wondered where the boy's power was coming from.

He released 18, his entire focus once again on his fellow saiyan. "Oh good, looks like the fun isn't over yet."

Trunks' power surged higher than ever before. "If you call dying fun, then yes, I'm sure you'll love this."

He flew up at the legendary saiyan at speeds much faster than Broly had seen him display before. It caught him off guard, allowing Trunks to land a powerful blow right in his six-pack.

Trunks put all his power in his punch as he buried his fist deeply into Broly's gut. Unknowingly, he had hit the same spot he had kicked earlier that had caused Broly pain. Trunks had thought that the legendary saiyan had no weaknesses, but he was wrong; he had one.

The spot that his fist landed was this same place that Goku had hit him right before he and the others had fled New Vegeta. It was also the spot where Broly had been stabbed as an infant and left for dead. Broly had survived being stabbed, but it had left him with one critical spot.

Pain raced through Broly's body, and he howled in agony, clutching his stomach as he thrashed about violently. This surprised Trunks, not having expected his hit to cause such damage. He watched as Broly spat up a mouthful of green blood, struggling to control the ache in his gut.

Once he seemed to get a hold of himself, Broly turned back to him, looking furious. "You… you hurt me." he seethed.

Trunks took a fighting stance. "This is a fight. We're bound to get hurt."

18 came up beside him and crossed her arms. "You just had him wailing like a baby. Maybe the legendary Super Saiyan isn't as tough as we thought."

Broly glared at her. "Not tough enough, you say. Well then, lets see you compete with this."

He held out his hand, gathering energy. But this time it was different. Rather than green, like his other energy blasts, this one was pure white. The strange thing about it was that Trunks couldn't sense much power in it, though Broly's own power did decrease.

The legendary Super Saiyan laughed, holding out the ball of energy. "Do you know what this is? No, I can tell by the looks on your faces that you don't. This here is the beginning of your end. You were no match for me before, but now any hope that you may have had of winning is gone. Behold!"

He threw the ball of energy up in the air. Trunks and 18 watched it fly high into the sky, and then exploded with a flash of light. Floating in the air was now an enormous ball of light, glowing brightly.

Laughing, Broly held out his arms, as if he were bathing in the sun's rays. But it wasn't sunlight he was absorbing, it was the Blutz Waves emitting from the artificial moon he had created. His laughs soon became snarls as his glowing eyes turned red. Veins bulged all over Broly's body and his muscle mass got even bigger. His entire body pulsed with each heartbeat as he breathed in pants.

"What's he doing?" 18 asked.

Trunks shook his head, also unaware of Broly's intentions. "I don't know, but it feels like he's getting stronger."

Broly's skin began to shift around, as if it was alive, and his feature started to change. Fangs appeared in his mouth and his nose began to elongate into a snout. When thick fur began to sprout all over his body, Trunks suddenly realized what was happening.

"Oh no! He's transforming!"

He flew at Broly, hammering him with a series of punches. Broly just laughed it off as his already unstable mind became more wild and violent. His laughter turned into a mighty roar as he began growing at a rapid pace.

"Damn it!" Trunks swore, backing away as Broly continued to grow, his clothes tearing to ribbons.

Bigger and bigger he became, until he was over a hundred feet tall. With his transformation complete, he now hovered in the air as the true saiyan of legend.

Trunks felt a shiver of fear run through him. He was aware of how saiyans became great apes after looking at the full moon. Not only did it transform them, but they became ten times stronger. Piccolo had destroyed Earth's moon long ago, but this fake one Broly had created was still just as affective.

Broly landed on the ground with a mighty crash. Aside from being almost twice the size of an ordinary transformed saiyan, he was also different in other ways than ordinary saiyans in their great ape form. Gold fur, rather than brown, covered his incredibly muscular body, standing on end in a wild way. His features were much more ferocious, making him look even more like a monster. Rather than tan, the skin that wasn't hidden beneath his golden fur was a dark purple with bulging veins running across it, and a bright green aura surrounded his body as sparks of electricity flew over and around him.

Unleashing an inhuman roar, Broly opened his mouth and breathed a mouthful of blue fire, unlike ordinary great apes, who could only breathe regular fire. His massive fists pounded against his chest as he stomped around.

18 eyes were wide in shock and fear. "Oh, you have got to be fucking kidding me! Now what the hell are we supposed to do?"

Truthfully, Trunks was hoping she had an idea. The only thing he could think of was to cut off Broly's tail, but that was much easier said than done. "We have to remove his tail somehow."

"Great…" 18 muttered. "After you."

Broly continued to rampage, having forgotten all about the fight. He hardly thought at all, and merely acted upon instinct, the instinct to destroy all in his path.

But it was good. It gave Trunks the opportunity to sneak up on him. Now if only the giant freak would hold still long enough for him to make a shot.

'Gotta aim this right.'

He fired a Burning Attack at Broly's tail, but the ape's constant thrashing caused him to miss, the energy blast striking his thigh.

"Damn!" Trunks growled. The large ape turned to him. "Oh shit."

Opening his mouth, Broly unleashed a blast of energy. Trunks didn't stand a chance, and was blasted out of the sky. He hit the ground, and Broly loomed over him, growling.

"Trunks!" 18 cried.

She fired a blast of energy at the ape. It exploded against him, only succeeding in getting his attention. He turned to her, his giant hand shooting out to grab her. She easily flew out of his range, hovering in the air out of his reach.

"Hey, King Kong, you're too slow!" she mocked.

In this form, Broly didn't understand what she was saying, but he did seem to realize that she was taunting him. He roared angrily and unleashed a mouthful of energy at her. 18 just barely managed to avoid it.

Broly jumped up and brought his fist crashing down. 18 hit the ground with such force that she tore straight through it. Broly roared, pounding his chest, as 18 dug her way out of the ground. She didn't even have the chance to catch her breath as Broly's foot came stomping down where she was.

Bursting out from underground several feet away, she flew straight up, slamming into Broly's chin. The great ape grunted and stumbled back, more dazed than hurt.

"Hey, Trunks, I could use some help here!" she shouted.

Feeling light-headed, Trunks struggled to get to his feet. "I'm… coming…"

As he took to the air, 18 repeatedly fired blasts of energy at Broly. The great ape simply held up his arm, as if he were blocking the wind. Roaring, his fist shot out, slamming into 18 and sending her crashing through several buildings.

"18!" Trunks cried. "Hold on."

He raised his hand, creating an Energy Disk. He threw it at Broly, controlling it with hand movements. He directed it at Broly's tail, and it struck.

Or so he thought. The Energy Disk had stopped against the glowing green aura that surrounded Broly's body, acting like a shield. The Energy Disk exploded without having even touched Broly's tail.

The giant ape turned around. Opening his mouth, he breathed a stream of blue fire at the saiyan. Trunks cried out, unleashing his energy as the fire consumed him. His energy acted as a shield, protecting him from the searing flames.

When the flames cleared, Broly was infuriated to see Trunks still there. He clapped his giant hands together, just missing the saiyan. With an angry growl, he fired a blast of energy from his mouth.

Trunks countered with his own energy blast. Broly's easily overpowered it, forcing Trunks to move out of the way. A second later, Broly's balled fists slammed down on him, and Trunks hit the ground with enough force to create a crater.

Roaring, Broly lifted his foot and brought it down. Trunks had just enough time to jump to his feet and catch the giant foot. Gritting his teeth, he used all his strength to hold up the monster's foot, trying not to be crushed.

That's when 18 rejoined the fight. Seeing that the monster was distracted, she went for his tail. Grabbing hold of it, she pulled with all her strength, trying to tear it from his body.

Forgetting the saiyan he was trying to crush, Broly slapped his rear end, smashing 18 against his body and closing his hand around her. Holding her up so he could get a look at her, he squeezed her in his powerful grip.

When turning his attention to 18, Broly had removed his foot from Trunks. Seeing 18 in trouble, he flew straight up in the monster's face and punched him as hard as he could in the nose.

Releasing 18, Broly grabbed his nose, roaring furiously. The two of them were like incredibly annoying insects he desperately wanted to swat, but couldn't seem to decide which one to go after. In his ape form, his strength and size had increased several times, but he was clumsy and less intelligent.

"There's no stopping him." said 18.

Trunks was inclined to agree. He had just regained his strength from the Senzu bean and he already felt exhausted.

Broly began throwing a fit, stomping around and destroying anything in reach. As he continued to rampage, something caught his eye. It was an airship. Roaring, he tried grabbing it, even though it was clearly too high for him to reach.

Trunks gasped fearfully. "That's Mother's airship! What's she doing here?"

"She went looking for the Dragon Balls after we left." 18 told him. She suddenly got an idea. "Do you think we can call Shenron to beat him?"

Before Trunks could answer, Broly opened his mouth and breathed a stream of fire at the airship. It burst into flames, most of it melting after being consumed by the blue fire. It began spinning out of control, heading straight for Broly as it fell.

"Mother!" Trunks cried.

He sped towards the airship, flying straight through it. Grabbing Bulma, he flew back out, just before Broly's jaws came crashing down over the flaming ship.

In his arms, Bulma was deathly pale, her eyes wide with shock and fear. "T-T-Trunks… what happened…?"

Trunks breathed a sigh of relief, glad that she was all right. "We have a small problem."

Bulma pointed at Broly. "You call that a small problem?" she shouted. "Isn't that a saiyan? AHH! HE'S EATING MY AIRSHIP!"

"We have other ones." Trunks told her. "Never mind the stupid ship."

"But the Dragon Balls are on it!"

Trunks' eyes widened and he looked at the ship in Broly's jaws. The giant ape was chewing on it like it was a snack, and then followed.

"HE SWALLOWED IT!" Bulma shouted.

Unaware of what he had just done, Broly began pounding his chest, roaring loudly. He turned his attention to the nearest building and tore it from the ground, holding it over his head as he danced around.

"He just ate the Dragon Balls." Bulma muttered in shock. "What now?"

"Now I'm getting you to safety." Trunks told her. "18, hold him off while I get Mother out of her."

She cut her eyes at him as he took off. "Oh, sure, no problem."

She fired a blast of energy, hitting Broly in the back of the head. Growling, the great ape turned to her. He roared and threw the building at her. 18 made a slicing gesture, unleashing a blade of energy that cut the building in half, the two sides passing on either side of her.

She gasped upon seeing Broly suddenly right in front of her. His open palm slapped into her and 18 hit the ground. Standing over her, Broly punched down, his fist crashing down on 18.

Groaning, she looked up at the giant ape. Broly was stomping his feet and punching the sky victoriously. With an angry snarl, 18 flew up in the air again, stopping in front of Broly's face. The great ape looked at her, angry that she was still alive.

"I'll bet this will hurt." She told him.

She fired a blast of energy directly into his left eye. Broly howled in pain, grasping his eye. With an angry snarl, he swung his fist, hitting 18 and sending her flying.

Trunks returned. Just in time to catch her. But the force in which she crashed in him knocked them both back several feet.

"You ok?" he asked.

She glared at him. "Do I look ok?"

Realizing that he had asked a stupid question, Trunks looked back at Broly. The giant ape was throwing a tantrum. His left eye was closed, a trail of green blood flowing from it as he roared in pain and fury.

"Nice shot." He told her.

"Thanks. Lets summon Shenron while he doesn't notice us."

Trunks sweat-dropped. "Yeah, about that…"

She glanced at him, then back at Broly. Recalling how he had swallowed Bulma's airship, she quickly realized what the problem is. "No… Tell me he didn't…"

Trunks nodded. "He did. We have to be careful while fighting him now; we might end up destroying them."

18 swore. "We need those Dragon Balls." She groaned. "Guess I'll have to go get them."

Trunks gave her a confused look. "Go get them? Wait, you can't mean you're going to let him eat you?"

She didn't like the idea anymore than he did. "It's either that, or going in through the 'back door'. And I am not doing that."

Trunks shook his head. This was crazy. "18, think about what you're saying. You can't go in there."

"Do you want to go?" Her question was met with silence. "That's what I thought. You just keep him distracted while I get the Dragon Balls. Then we'll summon Shenron and wish for Broly to be defeated."

Trunks had to admit it, she had more courage than he did. "Fine, what's the plan?"

Without bothering to answer him, 18 flew over to Broly. Recognizing her, Broly growled angrily and reached for her.

"Solar Flare!"

Broly covered his eyes and began stomping around, roaring furiously. 18 gulped nervously and flew into his open mouth.

"Good luck." Trunks called to her.

Unable to see, Broly tripped and came crashing down. He began rolling around, flattening everything. If things didn't end soon, there would be much of the city to save.

"You better hurry, 18." Trunks muttered.

Snarling angrily, Broly unleashed a mouthful of fire. Blue flames traveled across the city, igniting everything.

"Not good."

Trunks quickly flew down to the raging fire. With a loud battle cry, he punched forward, sending out a shockwave at the fire. Most of the flames were extinguished. He repeated the process again, putting out the rest.

A loud roar distracted him, and Trunks turned to see Broly, having regained his sight, reaching for him. He took to the air, keeping out of the ape's reach. Broly snarled angrily and began throwing whatever he could grab at the saiyan.

Trunks dodged he flying objects and began gathering energy. It took several seconds for him to power up before he gathered the energy needed.

"Final Flash!"

Unleashing a mighty blast of energy, he struck Broly in the chest. The great ape went crashing down, seeming to have taken some damage from the attack. A low grumbled emitted from his throat, but he did not get up.

Trunks flew down towards Broly, surveying the damage he did. Broly's eyes suddenly snapped open and his hand shot out. Trunks tried to move away, but wasn't fast enough, and Broly's large fist closed around him.

"Damn it!" he swore. "I was careless."

He cried out loudly as Broly squeezed him tightly. The large ape snarled at him, tightening his grip. Trunks felt like his head was going to pop off. How long before his bones were completely crushed? It didn't look like he'd be getting out of this one.

Then, quite unexpectedly, Broly released him. Confused and gasping for breath, Trunks looked at the giant ape. Broly was thrashing around once again, as if in pain, clutching his stomach.

With a loud roar, Broly fell backwards, kicking and screaming. His stomach suddenly burst open, sending a shower of green blood everywhere, as the familiar form of Shenron emerged from body. Trunks gasped in shock as he realized that 18 had gone and summoned Shenron while still inside Broly.

"Gruesome." He muttered.

As Shenron emerged completely from the giant ape, he gave Broly a disgusted look and swung his tale, tearing free from the legendary saiyan. Broly went crashing down, a huge gaping hole in his stomach. But not even that was enough to keep the legendary Super Saiyan down, and he forced himself to his hands and knees, snarling angrily as he spat up a mouthful of green blood.

'Now's my chance!' Trunks realized. 'It's now or never!'

Popping the last Senzu bean in his mouth, he felt himself return to full power, and flew beneath the giant ape. Avoiding the fountain of green blood pouring out of Broly's wound, he pointed both hands upward, forming a large dome of energy around him. With a battle cry, he launched his Heat Dome Attack.

The attack carried Broly up in the air. The legendary saiyan roared, thrashing about wildly as the attack carried him away. Trunks fired another Heat Dome Attack, sending Broly flying higher, then shot off a third one.

Summoning up all his power, he launched his strongest Heat Dome Attack yet. It carried Broly up higher until he collided with the artificial moon he had created. He roared as he was consumed by the massive attack, the energy exploded outward, lighting up the entire sky.

The light died down and the fake moon flickered out of existence as the charred remains of the legendary Super Saiyan fell from the sky.

Trunks' power dropped down to normal as he fell to his knees, panting heavily. He looked up, seeing what appeared to be a meteor shower, as Broly's remains burned up in the earth's atmosphere.

He'd done it. He'd defeated the legendary Super Saiyan. Against all odds, the earth was safe again. Although he never would have been able to do it without 18's help.

His eyes widened. 18! Where was she? She hadn't still been inside Broly when he had…

"Oh God… 18! Where are you? 18!"

"Stop screaming."

He turned in the direction of the voice. A person covered from head to foot in Broly's blood stood up from the river of green that had poured from the legendary saiyan's wound. Wiping the blood from her face, she looked down at herself in disgust.

"Gross." She powered up, and her energy flung the blood off her. "I'm not doing that again."

Trunks breathed a sigh of relief. "You had me worried. I was afraid you may have been…"

Raising an eyebrow, 18 gave him a smile. "Trunks, dear, are you admitting that you were worried about my well being?"

Trunks looked away, a blush staining his cheeks.

Up in the sky, Shenron looked down at the two of them irritably. This had been his worst summoning to date. "Um, excuse me, but are you going to make a wish, or not? You better after the way you summoned me!"

Just now noticing Shenron, 18 looked up at him with wide eyes. "Holy… now that's a dragon."

"You try my patience!" Shenron growled. "Make your wishes!"

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Trunks looked up at Shenron. "Yes, sir. And thank you for helping us defeat Broly."

Shenron sweat-dropped. He hadn't really done anything. He'd simply appeared in the saiyan's stomach. "If… you say so… Now speak! Tell me why you have summoned me!"

Trunks nodded. "Yes, could you please return the earth to the way it was before the Big Gete Star came?"

"It shall be done!" Shenron declared, his eyes flashing brightly.

Light engulfed the land, blinding them all. As if someone had hit the rewind button on reality itself, all the damage done to the planet reversed until it was exactly the same as it had been before.

"You're wish has been granted!" Shenron told them. "Now tell me your second wish!"

18 glanced at Trunks. "Mind if I take this one?"

Trunks motioned towards the Eternal Dragon. "By all means."

"Thanks." She looked up at Shenron, feeling rather intimidated by the giant dragon. "Please restore all the lives of those killed by Broly and Cooler."

"Excluding Cooler." Trunks added, remembering that he too had been one of Broly's victims.

"Yes," 18 agreed, "except him."

"Very well!" The dragon's eyes flashed once again, and the feeling of life being renewed swept through the city. "You're wish has been granted! Now I must go!"

Just like Porunga, Shenron was surrounded by beams of light until he was no longer visible. The dragon vanished along with the light, and the mystical Dragon Balls floated up in the air. They hovered around for a few seconds before shooting in different directions, scattering across the planet.

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They returned to Capsule Corp. Whatever damage the place may have taken had been repaired from the wish they had made. But the thing that Shenron hadn't fixed was Bulma's temper, and she was furious.

"Trunks Brief, where have you been?" she demanded angrily.

Trunks blinked, caught off guard from her hostility. "Mom… I…"

"I come back from collecting Dragon Balls to find a big saiyan ape destroying the city, and you fighting it! Not only do I almost get killed and have my airship destroyed, but then that stupid monster ate the Dragon Balls! And then you just drop me off and tell me to wait here without explaining anything! I won't stand for it!"

Trunks turned red with embarrassment. "S-Sorry, but there wasn't any time. And we got the Dragon Balls back. Didn't you see Shenron?"

"Oh, I saw him all right!"

"He was kind of hard to miss." Roshi added.

"Yeah, no kidding." Oolong muttered.

"Will you two be quiet!" Bulma shouted. "I'm trying to discipline my son!"

"Mother!" Trunks yelled over her. "I know you were worried, and I'm sorry I upset you, but as it stands, 18 and I are the only ones left to defend the planet."

"Well, there is me." Roshi pointed out.

18 rolled her eyes. "Like he said, the two of us are the only ones left."

Bulma groaned and collapsed into a chair, holding her head. "I can't take this anymore. The fighting was supposed to end with 17."

Roshi rested a hand on her shoulder. "Now, now, Bulma. You know that there will always be someone out there willing to cause trouble. And we must do everything in our power to stop them." He suddenly grinned. "And once again, we came out on top. So come on, lets turn this reunion into a true celebration party."

His hand inched a little too close to her chest, and Bulma hit him with a large hammer that seemed to materialize out of thin air. "Old man, you just don't know when to quit." She sighed. "But I guess you're right. The important thing is that the bad guys are gone and everyone is safe." She grabbed a bottle of sake and took a drink. "So let's get this party underway!"

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It was a fun-filled night. Unfortunately, it just wasn't the same without the whole gang being present, but for those that were there, they certainly enjoyed themselves. The most amusing event was Roshi getting drunk off his feet, just as he always did at such occasions.

As the night went on, 18 couldn't help but notice that Trunks hadn't had anything alcoholic to drink. She wondered about this, and realized that she had never seen him try anything with alcohol in it since her first memory.

Curious, she asked him why, and he blushed slightly as he replied, "I'm not much of a drinker."

18 raised an eyebrow at this. "Why? Are you a light-weight?"

Turning a darker shade of red, he nodded. "Y-Yeah, kind of."

18 stared at him for a moment before she burst out laughing. "You're kidding! The strongest person in the universe can't hold his alcohol? That's too much!"

He glared at her. "Hey, I don't need to drink to have a good time! Besides, I haven't seen you drink anything."

She shrugged. "It doesn't affect me, I've tried it. And I could care less for the taste. But you…" she grinned, "I think I'd enjoy seeing you get buzzed."

He stubbornly crossed his arms. "Not happening."

18 studied him for a while before grinning. "If you say so."

She had suddenly been struck with some inspiration. It seemed that Trunks was only willing to get intimate with her after long periods of seduction. Perhaps with some alcohol in his system, he would be more willing to act upon the attraction surging between them.

Glancing at the bottle of sake she had taken, she wondered about her plan. 'Does doing this make me low…? No way! If a guy got a girl drunk, all his buddies would think he was being crafty.'

Snickering, she snuck up behind Trunks, being the only person who could sneak up on him since he couldn't sense her energy. Careful not to alert him to her presence, she grabbed the back of his hair and gave it a yank.

Trunks cried out as his head was pulled back. "18, what the hell are you doing?"

Shoving the bottle into his mouth, she began to pour its contents down his throat. "Just drink. It's a surprise."

He struggled, but was too surprised by her behavior to really fight her off. And she refused to let him go until he had drank the entire bottle. When he did, she tossed it aside, giving him a curious look.

'Now lets see how long it takes to kick in.'

Coughing and sputtering, the saiyan turned to her angrily. "What was that for?"

She shrugged. "Just something to help you enjoy the party."

Trunks wiped his mouth. "Don't do that again! What was that, anyway?"

She put her finger to her lips and winked at him. "It's a secret."

About twenty minutes later, 18 saw that Trunks really meant it when he said he was a lightweight. In fact, he was a total lightweight. After a single bottle, his cheeks and nose had turned red and he was stuttering over his words. And later, when she handed him another drink, he didn't bother refusing or complaining about it. But after his fourth bottle, he was standing on the table with Roshi, their arms wrapped around each other, singing drunkenly.

Bulma stared at her son in open shock. She had never seen him like this. It was amusing, but also a little awkward as well. Suspecting that one of her guests was responsible, she threw them dirty looks.

"All right, which one of you gave my son sake?" she demanded.

Puar shook her head and waved her arms. "It wasn't me, Bulma." She squeaked. "Honest."

"What?" asked Roshi drunkenly. "Trunks got into my alcohol? Is he even old enough to drink?"

Bulma crossed her arms. "Well if it wasn't either of you two, then it had to have been you, Oolong!"

The transforming pig shook his head. "Now wait just a minute! Why would I deliberately get Trunks drunk?"

"Who knows what goes on in that head of yours, pig?" she growled irritably. "Oh, you'll pay for this. Piggy, piggy, piggy! Piggy, piggy!"

Oolong's eyes widened fearfully. "No, you didn't…"

It suddenly hit him, the desperate need of having to go to the bathroom. Even after all these years, that thing Bulma had gotten him to eat that made him have to go to the bathroom badly whenever the word "piggy" was chanted still had affect.

"I didn't do it!" he shouted, clutching his rear end and making a dash for the house. "You're a one demented woman!"

"Shut up!" Bulma shouted at him, even though he was already in the house. "If my son has a hangover tomorrow, I'm holding you personally responsible!"

Trunks rested a hand on her shoulder, gripping her a little too tightly. "R-Relax, Mom. I'm fine-" hic "really, I am."

Bulma turned to him. "You are not! You've done more than enough partying today anyway. In fact, both you and 18 should be resting after you fight. I don't know why I didn't realize this sooner."

"But, Mom," Trunks whined, "18 has an unlimited supply of Senzu and I took an energy bean. We're fine."

"Listen to yourself, you can't even talk right."

Seeing an opportunity, 18 went to Trunks' side to help support him. "I'll take him to bed. He can sleep it off."

Closing her eyes and feeling the beginning of a headache coming on, Bulma sighed. "Thank you, 18. And if you see that pig anywhere, give him a good kick for me."

"Yes, ma'am." 18 muttered, her thoughts focused on something else entirely.

Leading the saiyan inside, 18 helped Trunks stumbled to his bedroom. Once in the room, she locked the door and pushed him on the bed. She wondered if she should feel bad about using him like this, but decided that no guy would ever turn a willing woman away, even if he was sober.

Although, Trunks seemed to be the exception to this. He always ignored her advances and told her time and again that he didn't want to be with her. However, the way he responded to her said otherwise, and she was willing to take what she could get until she convinced him to get back together with her.

Groaning, Trunks rolled onto his back. 18 smiled and floated over him. Reaching down, she began to unbutton his shirt. The saiyan mumbled something inaudible, his eyes cracking open to look up at her. He blinked a few times, trying to focus.

"What are… you doing…?" he mumbled.

She smiled. "Making you more comfortable." She raised an eyebrow. "That's not a problem, is it?"

He shook his head. "No, thanks."

She chuckled. So far, so good. He seemed unaware of her true intentions. She stripped him down to his boxers, then stood over him. Licking her lips, she looked over his well-toned body, a hungry look in her eye.

She lifted her shirt over her head and dropped her pants, stepping out of them. Now in only her bra and panties, she moved onto the bed, straddling him. He became aware of her weight on him and opened his eyes again.

"18…? Why are you undressed?"

She gave him a saucy grin. "I'm not quite ready to call it a night. This is the first time we've been alone all night. I wanted to spend some time with you." Taking his hand, she lifted it up and placed it on her breast. "Touch me, Trunks."

The saiyan blinked, trying to clear his mind. Something was telling him that this was a bad idea; that he shouldn't be doing this. But what it was he wasn't supposed to be doing? He wasn't sure.

Deciding that it if he couldn't remember then it must not be important, he instead focused on where 18 had placed his hand. His other one came up to fondle her other breast and 18 placed her hands over his to keep them there.

This was nice, but Trunks didn't want to feel her breasts through her bra, he wanted to actually feel them in his hands. Sitting up, his hands crept around her to find her bra strap. His hands fumbled around with it, but he couldn't seem to be able to get it.

18 giggled and grabbed his arms, lowering them onto the bed. Then she reached back and unclasped her bra, letting it slid off her slowly. Trunks' gaze locked on her chest, his eyes darkened with lust. His hands came up to gently cup them, and 18 sighed in content.

"You're so beautiful." he told her.

There was an intake of breath from 18. He had never said that to her before. She decided that she liked it, and wanted to hear him say it more often. It was just a shame that she had to get him intoxicated in order to get him to give her such a compliment.

Trunks' leaned forward to take her nipple in his mouth, sucking gently as his hands traveled over her. 18 placed her hands on his shoulders and tilted her head back, breathing heavily. She could feel the evidence of his arousal pressed against her groin and rubbed herself against him.

Trunks groaned and buried his face in her bosom. "So lovely…" he whispered. "You're perfect."

For some reason, his compliments were upsetting her. Though impairing his senses had been the plan, she wanted to hear these things from him when he was sober and thinking clearly.

Suddenly pushing him down on the bed, she gave him a sly grin. "You just stay there. I'm taking control."

Leaning down, she kissed him deeply. She could smell the alcohol on his breath, but she didn't care. She had him right where she wanted him. Sitting up, her hands explored his chest, her nails wracking over him. She began moving her hips, grinding against him, making them both moan. His hands came up to fondle her breasts again, but 18 pushed them back down, holding them there.

"Uh, uh," she told him. "I'm fucking you."

"But… I want… to…"

She placed her finger over his lips. "Shh. I told you, I'm in control." She leaned down, brushing her breasts against his chest as she whispered in his ear. "Trust me…"

She nibbled his ear lightly, making him groan. She giggled again and began kissing her way down his body. She brushed her cheek against his muscular chest, listening to his heartbeat. Smiling, she nuzzled him, before lightly biting his nipple.

She expected a reaction from him after doing that, but got none. Looking up, she was shocked to see that his eyes were closed and he was breathing steadily.

"Trunks?" He didn't answer her. He appeared to be asleep. She sat up and began shaking him. "Trunks!"

He didn't stir or react in anyway. 18 couldn't believe it. He'd actually gone and passed out. It was clearly obvious that he couldn't hold his liquor, but how could he just pass out like this.

Growling, 18 pouted and crossed her arms over her breasts, staring down at the saiyan irritably. "Damn it!"

Chapter 22: Playing House

The next morning, when the sunlight crept into the room and shined across Trunks' face, his eyes slowly crept open. He shut them immediately, wincing at the way the sunlight hurt his eyes. But that was only the beginning of his problems. He had a blinding headache that pulsed painfully with every beat of his heart, and he felt like he was going to be sick.

'What the hell happened last night?' he wondered.

The events of the party were all a blur. What happened to make him end up in this condition, and why did he have a bad case of cottonmouth?

Was this, perhaps, the aftermath of fighting Broly and Cooler? He doubted it. The Senzu bean he had taken should have fixed up all his problems; besides, these weren't the aches and pains of finishing a battle.

The door to his room opened, making him wince at the sound, and his mother stepped in. Placing her hands on her hips, she gave him a disapproving look. "Finally up, huh? 18 said she sensed you wake up." She frowned at him. "You look awful."

He groaned miserably. "I feel it too."

"Well, that's what you get for drinking so much when you can't hold your liquor."

Trunks cracked an eye open. He'd been drinking? When? Why? He didn't drink. A long time ago, he tried some of his mother's sake and hated it. Not to mention he had in a silly mood afterward, and had never touched any alcohol since.

"What do you mean?" he grumbled.

Bulma narrowed her eyes at him. "Just what I said. That stupid pig got you drunk. I swear, here you are, a Super Saiyan, yet you let a few bottles of sake knock you off your feet."

Oolong had gotten him drunk? No, that couldn't be right. How would Oolong get him to drink, and why?

Some of the events of the previous night came back to him and he groaned. No, it hadn't been Oolong. It had been 18. She practically forced that first bottle down his throat. After that, he had indulged, a big mistake on his part. But he had told her that he couldn't hold his alcohol. So why would she…?

He grumbled irritably. She'd been trying to seduce him again. He remembered it now. And in his current state, he had accepted her without any protest. But he didn't remember what he said or what he did. Had they once again…?

'I'm going to get her for this.' he thought angrily.

Looking at his pathetic state, Bulma sighed. "You should have something to eat. No matter what condition Goku or your father were in, they always perked up at the thought of food.

Trunks might have vomited, but there was nothing in his stomach. Regardless of that, he didn't think he coud eat; at least he didn't think he could keep it down. Any other time, the thought of eating would have been enough to work up an appetite, but now, the mere thought of food was making him feel sick.

"Maybe later…" he muttered, pulling the blanket over his head. "I just want to go back to sleep."

His mother sighed again. "Fine stay in bed. I have to take Roshi and the others back, because I do not trust that old man to drive or fly after last night. Honestly, he was more buzzed than you were." She turned to leave. "I'll have 18 come check on you later. She said she'd take care of you while I was away."

'I'll bet she did.' "Can't she be the one to take the others back and you stay here?"

"I'm not going to clean up your mess, Trunks. It's your own fault that you're in this condition. Sometimes you have to learn from your mistake. Remember how you feel now the next time you plan to indulge."

Silently cursing 18, placing all the blame on her, Trunks just gave his mother a mumbled reply. She left the room, leaving him to his first hangover.

'I am so going to kill her.' he thought, before falling asleep again.

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Ok, so things hadn't gone as planned. Trunks had gotten a bit too wasted last night, when all she wanted to do was get him to be more willing to her affections. Instead, he had passed out on her, just when things were getting good, and now he was sick in bed with a hangover.

She chuckled at the irony. 'He beats 17, Cell, Luud, Cooler, and Broly, yet he's undone by a few drinks.'

He would no doubt be angry with her. But she would have expected him to be angry with her even if things had gone as planned. She hoped that she hadn't increased the gap between them with her little stunt last night. She had been hoping to bring them closer together with her seduction last night, and had hoped that with his impaired senses that he would be more willing.

'Well, I got half way there.'

Perhaps she could make it up by playing the role of the caring girlfriend. She shivered at the thought. She cared deeply for Trunks, and she enjoyed their intimate moments, but the thought of getting all mushy with him just didn't sit right with her.

'I should still make it up to him somehow, or at least care for him while he feels sick.'

After putting together some foods that would be easy on his stomach, she made her way up to his room. She could tell by his energy signal that he was asleep, but she decided that he had slept long enough.

"Hey, come on, Super Saiyan, get up."

Setting down the tray of food, she watched as he began to stir. When the scent of the food hit his nose, his eyes snapped open and his face turned green. Then he vanished from the bed, too fast for 18 to see, and was suddenly in the bathroom, getting sick in the toilet.

Wondering how he could be vomiting with an empty stomach,18 sighed and stepped into the bathroom with him. She reaching down, she held back his hair as he got sick again. "It seems like our roles are switched around quite a bit."

Wiping his mouth, he looked up at her irritably. "What do you want?"

She couldn't help but smile at his harsh tone. "Are you that angry with me?"

"Yes! You got me drunk and then tried to seduce me."

18 nodded. "Which is why I said our roles seem to be reversed. Shouldn't you have been the one trying to get me drunk and then seducing me?"

Feeling another wave of nausea coming on, he looked back down at the toilet. "Don't you have any morals? As you pointed out, you are a woman, and therefore should be the one playing hard to get."

She just grinned at him. "I told you, I work for what I want. I want you, Trunks, and I'm going to use whatever I can to my advantage." Her eyes narrowed. "And just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I have to wait around to be swept off my feet. I can do the same thing as any man, and thinking otherwise makes you sexist."

Trunks grumbled. "I feel too sick to think at all."

"Then lets get you back into bed. I'll get you a bucket so you don't have to run to the bathroom every time."

She offered to help him back to the bed, but he just shrugged her off and made the rest of his way by himself. 18 frowned, feeling a little put off, but let him do as he pleased and sat on the bed beside him.

"You should eat something." She told him. "It'll make you feel better."

Trunks turned away from her. "You should know that until the alcohol is out of my system, I'm not getting any better."

"You will if you eat." When he refused again, she gave him a warning look. "Trunks, you're eating if I have to force it down your throat. And I can do it too, just like I did with the sake last night."

"Yeah, thanks for that. Your little stunt is the whole reason I'm in this condition."

"Hey, don't place all the blame on me. I gave you one drink. You're the one that gulped down the other three."

Trunks grumbled, but had to admit that she was right. He had been the one to overindulge. "Just promise me you won't try and get me drunk again."

She chuckled. "Sorry, no promises. But I will make sure to keep an eye on your alcohol intake from now on."

"I don't plan on drinking ever again. And if you ever pull a stunt like that again, you'll be sorry."

Becoming angry, 18 stood up. "I wouldn't have to resort to such cheap tricks if you would just stop being so stubborn, or noble, or whatever you want to call it. Why can't you just be like every other guy in the world and just…" She sighed, shaking her head. "Then again, I guess that's just one of the things I like about you."

She pushed the tray of food on his nightstand closer to him. "Get better soon." She leaned down and whispered in his ear. "Then we can pick up where we left off last night."

Before Trunks could reply, she vanished, the door slamming shut behind her.

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Trunks decided that he would much rather be knocked off his ass by a bad guy rather than alcohol. At least one could be cured with a Senzu bean. But eventually, staying in bed for so long made him restless, and he finally decided to get up, ignoring the feeling of lightheadedness he got when he did.

He found 18 downstairs, flipping through the channels. She looked up at him when he came down and gave him a smile. "So you're up. I was wondering when you would leave your bed."

Trunks pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to sooth his headache. "Please, not so loud. You have no idea how much my head hurts."

She cocked her head to the side. "I guess that means we won't be sparing today?"

Trunks collapsed on the couch. "I don't think I'll ever be sparing again. My whole body aches. Isn't there anything for hangovers?"

18 shrugged. "Don't know. They may have something you can buy somewhere that'll help," she took on a mocking tone, "but I'm not allowed to go out on my own."

Closing his eyes, he massaged his aching head. "What do you mean? You can go out?"

18's head snapped from the TV to him. "What do you mean, what do you mean? You're the one that always makes a big deal whenever I go out. You and your mother."

He suddenly realized that he hadn't told her. "We fixed it so no one except for us would know who you were."

"But Roshi and the others seemed to know me."

"Yeah, well, they were the exception. They were kept in the loop. To the rest of the world, you'll be just another face in the crowd."

18 jumped to her feet. "Does this mean what I think it means?"

Since nodding hurt his head, he just mumbled. "Mmm, hmm. You can go out on your own now." He gave her a warning look. "But still, don't go around showing off your strength. We like to keep a low profile."

Feeling excited, 18 nodded. "Got it. I don't want such publicity anyway. All right, I'm going out tonight, as soon as your mother gets back."

"Why wait?" Trunks asked. "It'd be nice staying in this quiet house all alone until I feel better."

"Well," remaining in a sitting position, she hovered over to sit next to him, "because I don't want to waste our alone time."

Placing his arm between them, be silently asked her to give him space. "Don't start that again. You and your cheap tricks are the reason I'm like this."

She shook her finger at him. "Uh, uh, not true. We already had this conversation. I gave you one drink, and you gulped down the other three." She glared at him. "And if you weren't so damn stubborn, I wouldn't have to resort to such cheap tricks." She sighed. "I just don't get why you fight what I know you feel going on between us. You must be able to sense it." She leaned in closer. "I can feel it now. You can too, can't you?"

He could, but he refused to give in to such desires again. "Stop it, 18. I'm really not in the mood."

"But you passed out on me last night. Just when we were getting to the good part too. I can't believe you left me all worked up like that."

So nothing had happened. That was good. He had a few flashes of the two of them together, but couldn't remember everything. Now he knew why, because he had passed out on her.

'Thank you, alcohol.' He thought.

"So," said 18, running her hands over his chest as she leaned in closer, "lets finish what we started last night."

She began placing kisses on his cheek, working her way towards his ear, and then nibbling it lightly. Trunks grumbled and pulled away, laying down so his head rested against the armrest of the couch.

18 sighed irritably and sat back, returning her attention to the TV. There wouldn't be any point in trying to seduce him while he was in this condition. So perhaps getting him drunk hadn't been the best idea. Not only had her plan backfired, but now the object of her affection was feeling sick. And yes, she was feeling guilty about that. Perhaps she should apologize.

'Me, apologize? Yeah, right.'

She shifted around, trying to get more comfortable. In doing so, she accidentally brushed up against the saiyan, who groaned at the contact.

"Please, 18, just leave me alone for now."

"I wasn't doing anything." she told him harshly. "I won't try anything while you're feeling sick." She smiled mischievously. "Did you eat what I brought you?" Her smile widened when he shook his head. "Then I'll go make you something. How does a liverwurst, egg, cheese sandwich sound?"

Trunks turned green and, covering his mouth, made a dash for the bathroom. 18 smirked and stretched out on the couch. "That was payback for leaving me all excited last night."

Chapter 23: More Invaders

Unbeknownst to them, certain events had been set in motion by the siayan and the android. And now the consequences of Trunks and 18's trip to New Namek were finally catching up to them. A powerful nemesis was approaching Earth, who, like Cooler, had a powerful thirst for vengeance, but a different type of vengeance. They traveled aboard a spaceship that was hovering above the blue planet, watching and waiting.

"So, this is planet Earth." Said one of the passengers, speaking with a slight accent. "Are you sure this is the right planet?"

"Yes, Dr. Myuu." His companion replied. "We've traced their energy to this location."

The orange-haired blue-skinned doctor observed the planet, its reflection shinning in his sunglasses-like eyes. "It still astounds me that someone from Earth was capable of destroying Luud. The inhabitants' powers are mediocre at best."

His companion moved to stand by the doctor's side. "Actually, sir, the new readouts confirmed that the energy that destroyed Luud was actually saiyan energy."

Dr. Myuu's eyebrows rose slightly. "Saiyan energy, you say. Are you certain of this, General Rilldo?"

The other man nodded. "I am, sir. It seems to have a blend of human energy mixed with it, but it's saiyan energy nevertheless."

Dr. Myuu was silent, staring at the earth. "Saiyans. I hate saiyans. A despicable breed. I owe a great deal of gratitude for the one who destroyed their planet. What was his name again?"

"I believe it was Frieza, sir."

"Yes, him. Although the planet he destroyed was of great value to me, I still have to thank him for wiping out those monkeys. Still, it surprises me that even a saiyan was able to defeat Luud. He was my perfect creation. A true masterpiece. He should have been able to beat a saiyan easily. Yet somehow he was defeated. I will not allow this insult to go unpunished."

General Rilldo smiled. "Then lets destroy the planet now and be done with it."

Dr. Myuu smirked. "Tempting, but no. I'd rather see him die with my own eyes. Or perhaps I could use him to suit my purpose."

Rilldo glanced at the doctor. "What purpose, sir?"

"Never mind. Lock onto the strongest power on the planet and bring us in for a landing."

The general nodded. "Right away, sir."

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While the rest of the house was asleep, 18 was up and about. Not needing sleep sure was convenient. She could stay up as late as she wanted without feeling the least bit tired. She could stay out all night and hit all the stores.

And best of all, she could go out without worrying about frightening everyone. Since Trunks had told her that the last wish they had made on Namek had removed her from the memories of everyone but her friends, she had been taking advantage of her newfound freedom.

Furthermore, with the planet back intact, that meant that there were even more stores for her to shop at. And this is how she spent her nights, roaming the city, shopping and trying on clothes to her heart's content.

She also checked out several nightclubs, like the one she was in now. She found that she really enjoyed dancing, and wondered if this was something new or if she had liked dancing before her memories were erased.

'I've got to bring Trunks to one of these sometime.' She thought as she let the music take her away.

Lights flashed in different colors as she and the other people danced. 18 moved about freely without a care in the world. That is, until another dancer laid eyes on her. With a confident smirk, they strolled over to her, invading her personal space in a way that was very different from the way the other dancers were.

Deciding that she couldn't ignore him any longer, 18 stopped dancing and turned to the boy. "Is there a problem?"

"Actually, there is." The man replied. "A beautiful young woman like you shouldn't be dancing all alone. May I have this dance?"

18's blue eyes looked him up and down. Truthfully, he was very handsome, even more than Trunks, but she had no interest in the guy, no matter how handsome he was.

"No, you may not." She said dismissively, moving a lock of hair out of her face.

He didn't take the hint. In fact, he didn't even seem put off in the least. "Come now, don't be like that. We're all here to have a good time. Let's enjoy ourselves."

18 just scoffed and turned away. "Get lost, you insect."

Putting him out of sight and out of mind, 18 went back to dancing. She felt him still watching her, but she just ignored him. Until she felt him slap her rear end.

18 froze. Slowly she turned back to him. He smirked at her. This was obviously a guy who was used to having girls throw themselves at him, and who wasn't used to being turned down. Well, she could take care of that.

His grin widened when she stepped closer to him. "Change your mind?"

18 slowly and calmly held up her hand and rested her index finger on his forehead. She saw his eyes cross as he looked at her finger. She grinned, and then, as fast as lightning, flicked his forehead. He went flying backwards, knocking several people over, before landing hard on his rear and sliding until he hit the wall.

18 grinned and turned away. He would be fine, she'd held back. Worst case scenario, he was unconscious with a minor concussion. But let that be a lesson to him that he couldn't always get what he wanted. And let it be a lesson to any other boys watching her that they better not make a pass at her.

So she returned to her dancing, hoping that she wouldn't be bothered anymore, unless, of course, Trunks had decided to follow her and wanted to cut in. Unfortunately, her hopes were crushed as she felt something else. And it wasn't another smack to her rear, nor was it someone else deliberately invading her personal space, and it wasn't someone watching her from across the room either.

No, what she felt was an incredible power source, beyond anything she had ever felt. It was greater than Trunks, greater than even Broly. Whoever it was, they weren't on Earth, but they were quickly approaching. And she certainly didn't like it. There was something dark and twisted about this energy, and she somehow knew that whoever held this great power wasn't friendly.

'Fun's over.' She realized. 'I've gotta let Trunks know about this.'

She vanished from the middle of the crowded room, moving too fast for anyone there to see. Once outside, she took off at top speed for Capsule Corp, arriving in a matter of seconds. Once there, she headed for Trunks' room, which was actually still one of the guest rooms, bursting right in.

"Trunks, wake up!" she cried.

Without waiting for a response, she picked up his bed and turned it over, with him still on it. Trunks cried out in surprise as he jolted awake. Pushing the bed off him, he gave 18 an irritated look.

"Hey, what was that about?" he demanded angrily.

She ignored him, quickly pulling him to his feet. "Shut up and listen to me. Do you feel that?"

Trunks was confused at first, but a moment later, the overwhelming power hit him like a speeding train. His eyes widened and his mouth dropped open in horror as he felt what 18 had sensed earlier.

"Whoa, what is that? It's huge!"

"I know." 18 agreed. "And it's getting closer."

"We have to check this out. I've got a bad feeling about this."

As soon as he was dressed, they were off. They followed the power source, trying to pinpoint where whoever was coming would land. They ended up outside the city when they felt it directly on top of them. Here they landed. There was nothing else left for them to do than to wait.

"What do you think?" 18 asked.

A bead of sweat ran down Trunks' cheek. "I think we're in real trouble. I've never felt a power this big before. Not even Broly or Luud at his maximum were this strong." His eyes narrowed. "Speaking of Luud, this power feels similar to his, like they were of the same race."

"Friends of Dolltaki?" 18 suggested.

"Possibly. That guy may have been one of the ones behind Luud, but I doubt he was the mastermind. We may very well be about to meet the one behind Luud's creation."

Unfortunately, he was right. The spaceship was now in sight, lowering itself to the ground. Sure enough, the monstrous power they were sensing was coming from inside the ship. The doorway slowly opened and a ramp extended. Trunks watched as two people exited.

Upon spotting the first one, he gasped. He looked a lot like an alien version of Dr. Gero with pointy ears, blue skin, and orange hair. An omen of misfortune? Perhaps. Trunks had a very bad feeling about this man. But it was the big man behind him that really sent chills up his spin. It was that person who was emitting a power greater than anything he had felt before.

"Trunks…"

"I know." he said. "Whoever they are, they're troubling, I can tell you that right now."

Keeping a low profile, they remained hidden among the rocks as they spied on the two aliens. The smaller one looked around curiously at the location they had landed.

"What a primitive planet." He said. "Nothing at all like our home world. Then again, we are a race far beyond anything these people could understand."

"Then we'll make them understand." Said Rilldo confidently. "Soon they will see just how brilliant you are."

"Of course they will." Dr. Myuu replied, stepping off the ramp. "But first we must remove the obstacles in our path. Namely, the saiyan that destroyed Luud. I want you to find them and bring them to me."

"Yes, sir." Rilldo smirked, his gaze drifting to Trunks and 18's hiding place. "Right away, sir."

Gathering up his power, he sent a blast of energy in their direction. Trunks and 18 jumped out of their hiding place to avoid the blast, exposing them to the aliens' gaze.

Rilldo grinned broadly. "That was easy enough." He crossed his arms, facing the two of them. "You've saved us the trouble of hunting you down."

Trunks and 18 landed a safe distance away. "And just who are you?" the former asked, wondering how he had known where they were hiding.

"And why are you attacking us?" 18 added."

Dr. Myuu glanced at Rilldo. "This is the saiyan we're searching for?"

Rilldo nodded. "It is."

Trunks looked surprised. "Wait, how did you know I was a saiyan?"

Rilldo chuckled. "Oh, we have our ways of doing things. Our abilities are far greater than yours. Which is how we were able to track you here." He bowed to them, though the look on his face told them that he was just mocking them. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am General Rilldo, the most powerful being in the entire universe."

Trunks didn't think he could disagree with that statement. "Pleasure. The names Trunks." He nodded to his companion. "She's 18."

She gave the aliens a warning look. "Make fun of my name and you'll be sorry." She glanced at Dr. Myuu. "And who's the old man?"

Rilldo scowled, all playfulness gone. "Show him some respect, you lowlife!"

Dr. Myuu held up his hand to silence the general. "Now, now, calm down. We can't expect such inferior creatures to know of our glory." He made a gesture to present himself. "I am the great Dr. Myuu."

"The most brilliant man to ever live." Rilldo added.

Dr. Myuu's eyes narrowed as he looked at Trunks. "And you must be the one who destroyed Luud."

Trunks smirked. "Actually, that was both of us."

Dr. Myuu surveyed them both. "Both of you defeated him? I guess I can figure out how. You must have found his weakness. It's the only explanation since neither of you are strong enough to defeat Luud."

That caught 18's attention. "Wait, both of us? You mean you can sense my power."

"Measure it is more like it." Rilldo corrected. He laughed at the surprised look on her face. "Did you think the fact that you're an android would prevent us from finding out how strong you are? Oh yes, we can tell that you're an android. We have special sensors for such things."

Trunks glared at him. "Well, since you know about Luud, I can assume that the two of you are associated with him."

"Associated with him?" Dr. Myuu repeated. "Luud was my son. I grew him from my very DNA."

"So you are the mastermind behind him. I had a feeling you were. What in the hell possessed you to want to create a creature like that?"

Dr. Myuu snickered. "Foolish boy, Luud was only one of my creations. General Rilldo here is another. And here are four more."

"Four more?" Trunks repeated.

Unbeknownst to him and 18, four shadows moved across the ground. They crept up behind them before suddenly coming to life. Four robots emerged from the shadows, two grabbing Trunks, and two more grabbing 18.

"Hey, what the hell is this?" 18 cried.

Dr. Myuu laughed. "Allow me to introduce you to Nezi, Bizu, Natt, and Ribet, the Sigma Force."

"The Sigma Force?" Trunks repeated, looking over his shoulder.

"That is us." Nezi said. "We are the universe's ultimate fighting force."

"But you're robots." 18 observed. "You're robots, but I can still sense you. Trunks can you-"

"Yes, 18, I feel their power as well. Strange how I can sense them since they're robots, but not you."

"Foolish boy." Said Natt. "We may resemble robots, but we are not robots."

"We are Machine Mutants." Nezi explained. "A hybrid fusion of metal and organic cells to create a new form of DNA."

Dr. Myuu chuckled. "Yes, a new race of creatures superior to all. With my brilliance, I have managed to find a way to merge together the molecules of DNA with metallic elements. I have mutated these new forms of DNA to create these new species greater than anything the universe has ever seen."

18 glared at him. "And I thought my father was crazy. You're a total loon."

Bizu tightened his grip on her. "How dare you insult the great Dr. Myuu!"

"You shall suffer for your insolence." Ribet added.

Trunks smirked. "Oh, I don't think so. The four of you are tough, but we're a lot stronger than we look. Ready, 18."

She grinned. "Ready, Trunks."

At the same time, they unleashed their power. The sudden explosion of energy threw the four machine mutants away from them, much to their surprise. Even Dr. Myuu and Rilldo were shocked by the sudden increase of power.

"What is this?" Rilldo cried. "They're power just went through the roof."

The two of them powered down. "We can increase and decrease our power at will. Can you Sigma guys do that?"

The Stigma Force got to their feet, flying over to Dr. Myuu and Rilldo. "You're power is impressive." Ribet admitted.

"But we have a trick or two up our sleeves as well." Said Bizu.

"Stigma Force, let's show this saiyan the truth of our power." Nezi finished. "Sigma Force, unite."

"Natt!"

"Bizu!"

"Ribet!"

"Nezi!"

The four machine mutants seemed to liquefy and come together to form a shapeless mass of liquid metal. The formless blob thrashed around a bit before becoming solid once more to create one super machine mutant that was a combination of all four of them.

"We are the Mega Cannon Sigma Force!"

Chapter 24: When Mutants Attack

A bead of sweat ran down Trunks' cheek at the appearance of this new opponent. Individual, the Sigma Force was indeed powerful, but they were also manageable. Merged together, they were truly a force to be reckoned with, and could create a problem if they weren't careful.

"Impressive." He admitted. "Though I should have seen it coming."

"Make jokes all you want." Sigma Force Cannon told him. "You stand no chance against me."

18 took a fighting stance. "We'll see."

She flew at Sigma Force Cannon, throwing a punch. The machine mutant vanished, much to her surprise, and she hit nothing but air. He reappeared above her, slamming his elbow down on her head. Then he delivered a powerful kick to her side.

18 went flying. Flipping to land on her feet, she turned to Sigma Force Cannon. He was already coming at her, swinging his large metal fist. 18 crossed her arms, blocking the punch. She retaliated by firing a blast of energy at him, but Sigma Force Cannon vanished and reappeared behind her, slamming his elbow into the back of her head.

Once again she went flying, but this time the machine mutant didn't give her time to recover. Flying faster than she was moving, he flew above her and brought his balled fists down on her back, smashing her to the ground.

"18!" Trunks cried.

Sigma Force Cannon landed a short distance away and crossed his arms. "Ha, ha, ha. That was pathetic. It's just as I predicted. You are no match me."

Growling, Trunks took a step forward, but a cry from 18 stopped him. "Trunks, no!" Shocked, Trunks looked at her. 18 slowly got to her feet. Moving a lock of hair out of her face, she smiled at Sigma Force Cannon. "This one is mine."

Trunks looked surprised, but stayed back, allowing her to fight.

Sigma Force Cannon looked at her with what would have been a curious look on his face if he were capable of facial expressions. "So, you want some more. Very well then, let us continue."

18 just snickered. "Don't be so sure of yourself. You just caught me off guard is all."

Sigma Force Cannon laughed disbelievingly. "Is that so? Well then what are you waiting for? Show me what you've g-"

She vanished and was suddenly hovering over him. Her foot collided with his head. This time it was Sigma Force Cannon who went flying. 18 flew in his path and fired a blast of energy. Sigma Force Cannon crashed into the ground, bounced once, and then hit a rock wall.

Stuck to the wall, Sigma Force Cannon took a moment to regain his composure. 18 appeared in front of him and repeatedly threw punches into what she guessed was his chest. Sigma Force Cannon's whole body shook from the series of punches.

18's fist suddenly hit rock as Sigma Force Cannon melted into the shadows. 18 blinked in surprise, watching as the shadow the machine mutant had melted into ran across the wall.

Once out of her reach, Sigma Force Cannon stuck his head out of the shadow. "Impressive. So you do have some fight in you."

"And you have a rather unique way of sneaking up on people." 18 observed. "That's how you were able to sneak up on us before."

Sigma Force Cannon laughed. "We have many abilities, as you will soon discover."

His extendable fist shot out of the shadow. 18 reacted quickly and grabbed his flying fist before it hit her. Sigma Force Cannon tried to pull his fist back, but 18 wouldn't let him.

"Release me at once."

"Sure thing." she replied. "But first, come out here where I can see you."

She yanked on his arm and Sigma Force Cannon was pulled out of the shadow. Swinging down, 18 slammed the machine mutant to the ground, creating a crater from the force of impact.

18 dropped the extended arm on the ground and looked at the fallen machine mutant. Placing her hands on her hips, she gave him a cheeky grin. "You weren't so tough."

Sigma Force Cannon shifted around. "I'm not beaten yet."

He fired lasers from his eyes. 18 twisted sideways, avoiding the lasers. Sigma Force Cannon was suddenly on his feet. Two slots on his body opened to reveal Bizu's matching machine guns. A shower of bullets flew at 18. With quick hand movements, she snatched the bullets out of the air before they hit her. She grinned and dropped them on the ground.

A third slot on Sigma Force Cannon's body opened to reveal the Ribet Rocket. "Catch this."

He launched the rocket, and, quite unexpectedly,18 did just as he said. Snatching the rocket, she threw it back at the machine mutant. Sigma Force Cannon took to the air, avoiding his reversed attack.

He vanished and reappeared behind 18. Her fist flew back, slamming into his face and knocking him down. Whirling around, she fired a blast of energy, but Sigma Force Cannon disappeared, and her attack exploded against the ground.

Behind her once again, Sigma Force Cannon unleashed his drill. 18 spun around and caught the drill before it hit her. Her grip on the drill tightened until it stopped spinning.

With her hands occupied, Sigma Force Cannon used the opportunity to slam his large metal fist into the side of 18's head. She went down, and his foot went up. Just as he brought it down with earth-shattering force, 18 jumped up, only to have Sigma Force Cannon's other foot slam into her gut.

18 flew backwards, flipped backwards, and kicked off the wall, shattering the rock with the force behind her. Flying towards Sigma Force Cannon, her fist collided with his head, and the machine mutant went crashing down.

Settling on the ground again, 18 dusted herself off. "I think he's down for the count."

Sigma Force Cannon lifted his head. "Wrong again."

His body suddenly seemed to dissolve, breaking down into little metal balls. These balls flew at 18 and began swirling around her like an angry swarm. 18 watched the flying balls, wondering what he was up to.

Suddenly, all the balls flew at her, and Sigma Force Cannon reformed himself around her. 18 suddenly found herself trapped within his metal body, with only her head and an arm sticking out.

"I have got you now."

A cloud of gas escaped from his body surrounding 18. She closed her eyes, not quite sure what the stuff was. When she realized nothing was happening, she opened her eyes again, blinking a few times.

"Sleeping gas?" she asked with a snicker. "Did you forget that I'm an android? That stuff won't work on me."

"It does not matter." Sigma Force Cannon replied. "You are finished. You can not escape."

18 just grinned. "You think so? What if I told you I was holding back this whole time?"

Sigma Force Cannon seemed unfazed by this statement. "You are bluffing. My sensors indicate that you are already at full power."

She chuckled at this. "Well then you're sensors apparently aren't as good as you think they are."

She glanced at Trunks, and he nodded. She nodded back and began to power up. The air around her crackled as her energy increased, the intensity of her power causing the ground to crack.

"What is this?" Sigma Force Cannon asked in bewilderment. "How can you have this much power?"

18 grinned. "Wanna know the truth? I'm just getting warmed up."

She cried out as her power increased further. The affects of her energy was begin to affect Sigma Force Cannon, and he began to smoke as sparks traveled along his body.

"Power level increasing! Power level increasing! Danger! Danger!"

18's power erupted. Sigma Force Cannon burst open and his parts went flying everywhere. 18 hovered in the air, her body glowing with power as Sigma Force Cannon's parts rotated around her, caught up in her energy field.

With her opponent defeated, 18 powered down again, letting the pieces of Sigma Force Cannon's body fall to the ground. She took a calming breath and wiped the sweat from her brow, then went to rejoin Trunks.

"How'd I do?" she asked.

Trunks nodded in approval. "Very good." He glanced at the other two. "Although they seem to have different opinions."

Rilldo was seething with fury. Smoke emitted from his body as his anger took control. He looked ready to burst into flames, either that or an all out attack.

"You… little pests." He hissed. "To think, that you were able to defeat the mighty Sigma Force. It's unthinkable."

Dr. Myuu, on the other hand, was much calmer, having watched the fight with interest. "Actually, it's rather impressive. I have to give props to whoever made you."

18 glared at him. "You can tell him yourself when we send you to Hell."

Dr. Myuu laughed. "Such arrogance. You win one battle and you think it's all over. Unfortunately for you, General Rilldo is much stronger than those defective nothings. Isn't that right, general?"

Rilldo seemed to calm down and smile. "Yeah, that's right. If you thought the Sigma Force was tough, you haven't seen anything yet."

Trunks prepared himself. "Likewise. I've got a great deal of power myself."

Rilldo chuckled, stepping forward in challenge. "I figured as much. I can sense your power. Sadly, it's weaker than your companion's, and much weaker than my own."

Trunks grinned. "I don't know about that. I've got some reserves hidden away."

The machine mutant grinned. "Well then, what do you say we skip the warm up and go straight to full power?"

Trunks didn't have any complaints. "If that's what you want."

Rilldo crossed his arms and looked at the saiyan expectedly. "Then show me what you've got. Let me see you at full power."

Trunks' knuckles cracked as he clenched his fists tightly. No more words were spoken. Instead, he yelled loudly as his power shot up. His hair turned gold and his eyes turned green as he became a Super Saiyan. With another cry, his hair extended slightly and his muscles grew larger as he went to the next level, becoming an Ascended Saiyan.

Whatever Rilldo had been expecting, it wasn't this. The boy's power had gone to heights far greater than what he had expected. Now the boy stood as a golden warrior with a power that dwarfed any other he had felt.

"What?" he cried in disbelief. "What is this? Where'd all that power come from?" He glanced at 18. "You're power was less than hers, now it's gone way beyond what she showed us."

18 felt the urge to brag for him. "That's because he's a Super Saiyan. Actually, he's ascended beyond a Super Saiyan."

Rilldo's eyes narrowed. "What the hell is a Super Saiyan?"

Dr. Myuu chuckled. "An old saiyan legend. I had thought it was just nonsense, but it appears the legend is true." He seemed pleased by this discovery. "This is certainly a pleasant surprise. To think that the last saiyan would be the one to bring the legend to life. It's ironic really."

"Super Saiyan." Rilldo grumbled. "He's still no match for me."

"I wouldn't be so sure." Said Dr. Myuu. "If you knew what I do about saiyans, then perhaps you'd be more cautious. In any case, I am curious about this Super Saiyan power. General, I want you to make this saiyan reveal what he's truly capable of. I want to see the true power of a saiyan."

Rilldo grinned. "As you wish, sir. I'll take great pleasure in this."

Then he too began to power up. As his power increased, Trunks realized that it was as bad as he thought. General Rilldo was indeed stronger than him. It made him nervous, but he didn't consider himself beaten yet. Just because his opponent was stronger, didn't mean that he was out of the running. After all, Goku had defeated opponents stronger than him all the time. And hadn't Gohan managed to defeat Cell at full power while he was injured and at the end of his ropes?

That didn't mean he wasn't anxious. Rilldo seemed to notice his nervousness and smiled. "What's wrong, Super Saiyan? You look worried."

A bead of sweat ran down the side of Trunks' head. Oh yes, he was worried. It was the androids all over again. The only difference was that this time he could feel the intensity of his opponent's power, and it was making him feel very uncomfortable.

"Well?" Rilldo asked. "Are we going to fight, or what?"

In answer, Trunks flew at him, throwing a punch. Rilldo caught his fist. Trunks punched again, only to have his second fist caught as well.

"You'll have to do better than that." the general told him, then he slammed his forehead into Trunks' face.

Releasing one of his hands, Rilldo threw Trunks over his shoulder and slammed him to the ground. Then he brought his elbow down on Trunks' chest. The saiyan gasped in pain. Rilldo grinned and picked him up by his hair.

"Is that it? Don't tell me you're finished after that. I barely touched you."

"Then let me return the favor."

Ignoring the pain of being held up by his hair, Trunks kicked both feet into the general's gut. Rilldo grunted in pain, releasing the saiyan. Trunks remained hovering in the air, spinning around and kicking Rilldo in the head.

18 jumped in the air as Rilldo went flying towards her from Trunks' kick. She smirked as she saw him crash into the rock wall. "That's gotta hurt." She taunted. "Not so cocky now, are you?"

Rocks went flying as Rilldo's power erupted. Regardless of being kicked, he was smiling. "Now that's more like it." He flexed his muscles. "Now we can really get started."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Trunks asked. He raised his hands. "Masenko-Ha!"

Rilldo cried out loudly, and the power of his scream broke apart Trunks' attack. Then he flew at the saiyan with a hungry look in his eye. Trunks began firing blasts of energy, which Rilldo easily avoided, and the two slammed together in combat. Punches and kicks were exchanged as the two fought.

Trunks' fist slammed into the general's face, and Rilldo delivered a powerful punch to Trunks' gut. Trunks grunted and grabbed Rilldo's wrist. He spun him around and then threw him in the air and began throwing blasts of energy. Rilldo stopped his movement and, seeing the energy blasts coming, curled up to shield himself. The energy blasts hit him repeatedly, emitting puffs of smoke upon impact. Trunks kept up his attacks until Rilldo was completely hidden within the cloud of smoke. Then he fired a much stronger blast, hoping to finish the general off.

Alas, it was not meant to be. Once the smoke cleared, Rilldo was revealed to be still very much alive.

Lowering his arms, he grinned at the saiyan. "Why'd you stop? We're just getting started?" He motioned for Trunks to come towards him. "Come on."

Giving the machine mutant what he wanted, Trunks began to power up, screaming all the while. Then he launched himself at the general. Rilldo smiled, readying himself for Trunks' attack. But the saiyan suddenly disappeared.

Taken aback, Rilldo looked around. "You can't hide from me."

"Who's hiding?"

Rilldo turned around and looked up. A moment later, Trunks' sword cut him right down the middle. Trunks smirked at the look of surprise on the general's face before it split in two."

Down on the ground, 18 cheered. "All right! Wait to go, Trunks. You beat him."

But Dr. Myuu just chuckled. "Don't be so sure, my dear. This battle is far from over."

The shocked look on the two halves of Rilldo's face broke out into a grin. Now it was Trunks' turn to be surprised as the two halves of Rilldo came back together and healed completely.

"You look surprised." Rilldo commented. "Come on, snap out of it."

He held up his arm and launched it at the saiyan. Trunks' eyes widened as the flying limb slammed into his face, causing him to drop his sword. Rilldo smirked and directed his flying arm to circle back. This time Trunks was ready and he caught Rilldo's arm. Tucking it under one shoulder, he fired a blast of energy.

Rilldo went crashing to the ground. Tossing the general's arm aside, Trunks landed away from the machine mutant. He raised his arms, gathering a vast amount of energy as he prepared a powerful attack his father had taught him while they were in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber together.

"Final Flash!"

An enormous blast of energy erupted out of Trunks' cupped hands. Rilldo was astounded by the intensity of the attack. Unable to avoid it, he vanished with the mighty beam of energy.

Trunks directed the attack away from the planet, sending it into space, where it erupted, lighting up the whole sky. Exhausted, he lowered his arm, hoping he had managed to defeat the general.

No such luck. There was a puddle of liquid metal on the ground. This puddle rose up and reformed into Rilldo, who grinned at Trunks.

"That was a very nice try." He admitted. He held up his missing arm, and the part he had launched returned to its original position, reattaching itself. "I must admit that I'm impressed." He grinned. "So I think it's time to take it up to the next level."

He chuckled at Trunks' confused look. Suddenly his body seemed to crystallize. The metal crystallization spread over his whole body, completely distorting his features. Then his body smoothed out again, and General Rilldo was transformed. He stood twice as big as before, his body now completely metallic. He was completely silver in color, aside from what seemed to be the ends of gray bolts or screws sticking out of his chest and shoulders.

Trunks looked at this much larger metal version of Rilldo in surprise. 'His power's increased. Great, as if things weren't bad enough.'

Rilldo grinned at the saiyan. "What? Did you think you were the only one with the power to transform? Sorry to disappoint you. Better get ready, cause here I come!"

He was suddenly in front of Trunks, his fist colliding with the saiyan's gut. Trunks doubled over in pain, only to have Rilldo's knee slam into his chin, sending him flying upward. Rilldo's arm extended upward, grabbing Trunks' leg and pulling him back down. His fist once again slammed into Trunks, this time in his face, sending him flying backwards.

As Trunks flew through the air, Rilldo went after him, quickly catching up. He hovered just above the saiyan, smirking when Trunks opened his eyes to see the general's face right in front of him. Rilldo snickered and send a blast of energy into Trunks, knocking him to the ground.

Trunks hit the ground with a painful thud. He got no time to recover as Rilldo's large metal foot stomped down on him. The general snickered and began rapidly stepping on the saiyan.

"Give up yet?" Rilldo asked, continuing to bring his feet down. "Not going to answer? Fine then!"

With a great deal more force, he stomped down on Trunks. The saiyan cried out in pain, causing the general to snicker. He lifted his foot and stomped down a second time. Trunks gasped and spit up a mouthful of blood. Rilldo's grin widened and he lifted his foot again.

18's foot suddenly collided with Rilldo's head, knocking him away from Trunks. She bent down and helped lift him to his feet, looking at him worriedly. "Trunks, you ok?"

He coughed a few time, struggling to find his balance. "Well… I have been better."

Rilldo, already on his feet chuckled. "So, little missy, you've decided to join in on the fun."

18 glared at him. "That's right. I'm in this now too."

Trunks moved away from her, finding his strength again. "18, no, I told you to stay out of this."

"We never counted on the fact that he could transform." She told him. "At this rate, no matter how much you weaken him, it won't be enough for me to beat him without your help. Our best chance now is to attack him together. He's too strong to be fought one on one."

Rilldo began laughing. "Too strong? You haven't seen anything yet. I can become even more powerful than this."

"What?" Trunks gasped.

"No way." 18 scoffed. "He's gotta be bluffing."

Rilldo grinned. "I have no reason to bluff. Just watch and see what I'm truly capable of."

His power began to flare up again. There was suddenly a magnetic pull and the pieces of the Sigma Force that were scattered about came flying towards the general. The broken pieces seemed to melt into his body. Rilldo cried out as his body was transformed once again. He now stood in his metal form with brand new body armor covering most of his shiny silver skin.

"Ah, yes, now that's what I'm talking about." Said Rilldo contently. "It's been so long since I've reached my full potential." He glanced at Trunks and 18. "Now that you see my true power, are you really so anxious to continue?"

No, they were not. Both Trunks and 18 were visibly trembling. The amount of power Rilldo was now emitting was beyond both of them. They stood no chance now, no chance, and they knew it.

"Well?" Rilldo asked. "What are you waiting for? Feel free to attack at any time."

Trunks' eyes narrowed as he pulled himself together. "Fine then."

He flew at Rilldo at top speed. Using as much power as he could into his punch, his fist slammed into the general's face. Rilldo's head merely snapped to the side. Other than that, he seemed completely unharmed. In fact, he seemed disappointed, looking at Trunks in a bored way.

"Don't tell me that was your best shot." He asked. "That was pathetic."

Trunks slowly pulled back his fist, unable to believe that his attack had barely fazed him. 'It can't be… It's the androids all over again.'

Rilldo cracked his neck and grinned. "Let me show you what true power is."

He tensed up, gathering energy. Then he unleashed it in a massive explosion. Even 18 and Dr. Myuu, who hadn't been caught in the blast, were thrown backwards from the shockwave of the attack.

Trunks crashed to the ground, bloody and bruised, his clothes torn. He felt woozy, yet he forced himself to stand up. 18 landed by his side, having recovered from the attack as well.

"It's unbelievable." She whispered. "His power, it's too much."

Trunks nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we're in real trouble here."

Rilldo snickered. "Yes, now you see how pointless challenging me is. I can't be defeated. Not by you, not by anyone."

The sound of Dr. Myuu's clapping distracted them. "Very good, General Rilldo. Very good. You are truly the strongest fighter in the entire universe." He chuckled. "I must say, I did have my doubts. I thought that the one who defeated Luud might hold that title. But after that little display, I'm convinced that you have more power than anyone else." He grinned evilly. "And now the time has come to create the ultimate warrior."

If Rilldo had had eyebrows, he would have raised one in question. "Sir?"

Dr. Myuu began chuckling. As he laughed, his voice began to change, becoming more evil and raspy. Then his body suddenly went limp and he collapsed.

Chapter 25: A Tuff Tale

"Dr. Myuu!" Rilldo exclaimed.

18 looked at the doctor's fallen body. "What's his problem?"

Suddenly, Dr. Myuu's body began to glow with bright green light. Then something emerged from his body. It was a shapeless mass of green light. Then it took physical form, and a four foot tall child-like creature with light blue skin appeared. He had the same sunglasses-like eyes as the doctor, and they were settled on Trunks and Rilldo.

"What?" Rilldo muttered. "What the hell is this?" His eyes narrowed. "Who are you? What have you done to Dr. Myuu?"

The creature chuckled. "Who am I? Why, I am the real mastermind behind this operation. My name is Baby, and I suppose you can say I'm you're brother."

Rilldo gave him a doubtful look. "I have a lot of siblings, all created by the good doctor. But I don't recognize you. Even if what you're saying is true, the good doctor had all other machine mutants aside from myself and the Sigma Force dismantled not too long ago."

Baby laughed again. "Actually, that was me. I've been in control of the good doctor for the past few months, ever since he received word of Luud's death. And you know what, Dr. Myuu was glad that I chose to possess him. Me, his greatest creation, chose him for a host. What an honor."

Rilldo stamped his foot, cracking the ground. "Nonsense! I am Dr. Myuu's greatest creation."

Baby roared with laughter. "Fool, you're nothing but an inferior being, with only your high power level as your strong point. But me, I has his true masterpiece. I know this because I had him create me."

"What?"

"It's true." He grinned. "Dr. Myuu may have been brilliant, but he wasn't smart enough to do the things he did. I was the one who gave him the knowledge to create the machine mutants. Luud, the Sigma Force," his grin widened, "even you. But all of you were just practice for my creation. You were nothing more than pawns. I am the real king in this game." His gaze settled on Trunks. "And now I can finally take my revenge on your kind for my people. At long last, the Tuffles will rise above the saiyans."

Trunks' eyes narrowed. "The Tuffles. I've heard that name before."

Baby glared at him. "Being a saiyan, I'll bet you have. It was your race that destroyed mine and took over our planet."

Trunks gasped. "Yes, that's where I know that name from. I heard Father mention it before."

18 glanced at him. "What's going on? What are you guys talking about?"

Baby frowned, crossing his arms. "Oh, you don't know. Guess I shouldn't be surprised that it was hidden from you. Allow me to tell you the tale. Long ago, the Tuffles were a peaceful race of the highest intelligence. But one day we were invaded by saiyans. I suppose you could say that we were on equal ground. The Tuffles were all brains and no bulk, and the saiyans were all bulk and no brains. For a while, the two races lived together harmoniously, but then, one day, the king of the saiyans turned on us. They wiped out our entire race and named the planet after their king."

Trunks shook his head. "Uh, uh, the version I heard was different. While most of what you said was true, you forgot to leave out the part of how the Tuffles treated the saiyans like slaves, seeing them as nothing more than brainless animals compared to them. They used them for all their manual labors while they sat back and enjoyed the luxuries they had. That is until my grandfather, King Vegeta, rebelled against the Tuffles and the life of slavery they had inflicted upon the saiyans."

Baby snorted. "You're Vegeta's grandson? I suppose I can see why you would have that version, trying to justify your actions."

18 looked confused. "Wait, you said your father told you this? I thought your father was killed when you were still a baby."

Trunks nodded. "Yes, that's true, but remember about the time machine my mother built that I told you about?"

"Yeah, that's when you went to the past to give Goku that heart medicine so he could defeat my brother."

Trunks nodded again. "Before the time machine ran out of power, I went back a couple of times a few months before we went to Namek. One time when I went back, the earth was being contaminated by Destron Gas and attacked by Ghost Warriors."

18 raised an eyebrow. "Ok, and that means what exactly?"

Trunks' eyes narrowed. "That's when I first ran into the Tuffles. It was a Tuffle named Dr. Raichi who was behind the attack. From what I heard, during the war between the saiyans and the Tuffles, Dr. Rachi, the most intelligent of the Tuffles, created a machine called Hatchyack. And within this machine, he programmed all his anger and hatred towards the saiyans.

"During an attack, he tried to escape the planet with his creation, but was killed. Unfortunately, Hatchyack made it off the planet, and from there it began to evolve. It landed on the Dark Planet and created a Ghost Warrior that was a mutated form of Dr. Raichi. After that, this Dr. Raichi copy created more Ghost Warriors that were the illusions of all those who had hatred for saiyans."

"Must have been a lot." Baby commented, who had taken an interest in the story.

Trunks ignored him. "We managed to beat the Ghost Warriors easily enough, but since they were an extension of Dr. Raichi's body, they kept coming back. We had to go to the Dark Planet to defeat him and stop them spread of the Destron Gas. It didn't take much to defeat Dr. Raichi, but Hatchyack had finally evolved to the point where it was able to create a body for itself. It manifested itself in the flesh, becoming a living breathing embodiment of hatred. It was a tough battle, but in the end we won. I had thought that that was the end of the Tuffles, but it seems I was wrong."

Baby grinned. "Indeed. And truthfully, I know of Dr. Raichi. It was he that had the most part in my creation after Dr. Myuu. Hatchyack was simply a side-project Dr. Raichi was working on to take out the saiyans. I was their true weapon. The method for revenge." He snickered. "Dr. Raichi, along with the most brilliant scientists among my people, used their vast knowledge to create a parasitic organism that was infused with the DNA of the Tuffle king. This organism was sent into space were it lay dormant until Dr. Myuu discovered it. Discovered me. With the brilliance of the Tuffle race, I showed Dr. Myuu how to create machine mutants and how to resurrect me. And now here I am."

Trunks smirked at him. "So you're not really even a Tuffle. You're just some freakish monstrosity combined with Tuffle DNA."

Baby pointed at him. "Then I can say the same for you. You're not a true saiyan. You're only part saiyan. It's just a shame that you're human side was contaminated by such a disgusting breed."

18 snorted. "You have no right to call anyone disgusting."

Baby glared at her. "Watch what you say, girl. You're way out of you're league. Besides, being an android, you're of a similar breed to myself and General Rilldo there."

Rilldo pointed at him. "Don't put me in the same league as you. I don't care what you say. You're ancestry means nothing to me. I could care less about you're revenge and your people. You say I'm inferior, ha! That's a laugh. I can sense you're power, you're nowhere near as strong as I am."

Baby chuckled. "Yes, I know. I won't bother to deny the fact that your power surpasses my own. It surpasses everyone whose here. That's why I've chosen you Rilldo." He smirked. "Funny, all this time I've been in search of the one strong enough to defeat Luud, thinking he would suit me best. But it turns out the best one for the job was with me all along."

Rilldo glared at him. "Best one to do what?"

Baby's grin widened. "To be my host."

Suddenly he flew at Rilldo. The general didn't hesitate to attack, firing a blast of energy at the freak. Baby didn't even bother to avoid the blast. His body was blown to pieces, but this did not kill him. The pieces of his body liquefied and continued towards Rilldo. He covered the general and began entering his body, going into his mouth, his ears, his nose, any opening he could find.

Rilldo doubled over, clutching his gut. "What… what happened? What did you do to me?"

Baby's laughter echoed in his head. "I've taken over. You belong to me now."

Rilldo looked at his hands and watched in horror as they began to liquefy. The liquefaction traveled up his arms, to his torso, then up to his head and down to his feet. The general made a grumbling noise as he seemed to melt right before 18 and Trunks' eyes. With one last gurgling cry, he melted down into a pile of liquid metal.

18 walked over to Trunks, eyeing the liquid metal cautiously. "Did something go wrong?" she asked. "Did he die?"

Trunks shook his head. "No, I don't think so. There's still way too much energy coming from that blob. Something tells me that the real danger is just starting."

The glob of metal began to stir and started rising up, reforming itself.

Trunks' eyes narrowed. "I hate it when I'm right."

The mound of metal continued to grow and started reshaping itself. Soon a large metal being stood a good 12 feet in the air. Its liquid body solidified and took color again. A new General Rilldo stood where the old one once did. It resembled the general, except his skin was the silvery metallic color once again. His clothes had changed as well, becoming a combination of Baby and Rilldo's clothes, along with the Sigma Force armor. His head was more oval shaped and facial features now resembled Baby's, including a red mark on his chin and two more on his forehead. Lastly, his eyes now were the sunglasses-like texture of Baby's eyes.

"Whoa," 18 commented, "somebody needs a make over."

"Now's not the time." Trunks told her, not taking his eyes off this Baby/Rilldo hybrid. "General Rilldo?"

"In body, perhaps." The machine mutant told him. He tapped his forehead. "But up here, it's all Baby." He grinned evilly. "And now that I have become the perfect being, it's time to take revenge for my ancestors."

But before that happened, a groan distracted them. They turned to see Dr. Myuu getting to his feet. He seemed confused, as if he didn't know where he was. Then he began looking around worriedly.

"Baby!" he cried. "Where's my darling Baby? Where did you go? Baby! Baby!"

Having completely forgotten about the doctor, Baby now turned to him with a smile on his face. "I'm over here, doctor. I've taken fulfilled my purpose of becoming the most powerful being in the universe by taking over Rilldo's body."

Dr. Myuu's eyes were wide with amazement. Tears of joy leaked from them was he held out his arms to his creation. "Oh, Baby. My precious Baby. Look at you. You've become so powerful. Oh, my sweet, darling, precious Baby."

Grinning wickedly, Baby held out his arms. "Come to me… Father."

Dr. Myuu didn't waste any time. He charged at Baby, wrapping his arms around his large waste. "Oh, Baby. To hear you call me father is the greatest joy in the entire universe. You are truly perfection. My greatest creation ever. Oh, Baby. Baby. Baby."

Baby snickered, placing his large arms on the doctor's shoulders. "Are you happy, Father?"

Dr. Myuu looked up at him. "Oh, yes, Baby. I'm happy. Oh so very happy."

Baby's hands moved from Dr. Myuu's shoulders to cup his face. "I'm glad you're happy… Father."

There was a sickening crunching noise as Baby crushed the doctor's head in his large hands. Trunks and 18 gasped in horror at the gruesome scene. Baby just chuckled and threw Dr, Myuu's body aside before blasting it to pieces.

"Well," said Baby, turning back to Trunks, "now that he's out of the way, we can get started."

Trunks stared at Baby in disbelief. "You just… killed him. He was on your side. He gave you life. How could you? Why would you do that?"

Baby didn't show the slightest bit of remorse. "I was doing him a favor. He died when he was happiest. The last thing he'll know in this world is the greatest joy."

18 glared at him in disgust. "You… You're… twisted!"

Baby laughed. "You shouldn't be worrying about him anyway. You should be more concerned with yourselves. You only have a few moments longer to live. I'm going to rid the universe of the disease known as the saiyan. The time for talk is over. It's time to die."

Trunks prepared himself for battle. Glancing at 18, he motioned for her to stand back. "I'll take care of this."

She gave him a look of disbelief. "You can't fight him alone. You're going to need my help."

Trunks shook his head. "Hate to tell you this, but you'll just get in the way. He's too strong; he'll mop the floor with you."

18 glared at him. "Thanks for your load of confidence."

Despite the situation, the saiyan grinned. "Sorry, but its true. He's even stronger than me. I may not survive this fight."

18 gasped. "What? No! That's even more reason for us to fight together. It'll better our chances."

"No, 18. If that happens, we may both die, and then there will be no one left to stop him. If I fight him alone, I can at least weaken him, and maybe then you'll be able to take him out."

18 opened her mouth to protest, but closed it again, knowing it would be useless. Trunks could be just as stubborn as she was. And as much as she hated to admit it, his plan was logical. She just didn't think she would be able to take it if he died.

Baby grinned. "It doesn't matter what you do. I'll still destroy the both of you. Then I will take up my position as Lord Baby, ruler of the universe."

Trunks' eyes narrowed. He would be lying if he said that the odds of winning were less than nonexistent. If they did fail, then the universe would indeed be at Baby's mercy. Perhaps, at least, he would be able to buy the universe some time by trapping him on this planet, even though that meant trouble for the earth.

Raising his hands, he took aim. Baby smiled, bracing himself for the attack. At the last moment, Trunks changed targets and fired a blast of energy at the spaceship. The energy blast went straight through and the spaceship exploded.

Baby's eyes widened with horror. "My ship! No, you've destroyed it!" His furious gaze returned to Trunks. "Do you realize what you've done? Now I'm trapped on this miserable planet!"

Trunks smirked. "Yeah, that's the idea. Even if you beat us, you won't be going anywhere. And there aren't any ships on Earth that can go even at a fraction of your ship's speed." 'Except for the one my mother designed, but he doesn't need to know that.'

Baby seemed furious, but then he began to calm down. In fact, he actually smiled. "Ha, don't be so certain. You forget that I'm a genius. I can easily construct another ship, one that goes even faster than the one you destroyed."

"That'll take a while all by yourself."

Baby snickered. "Don't be so sure. I can be very… persuasive. You see, not only do I have the ability to take over a person, but I can also lay an egg inside them that will influence them."

18 made a disgusted face. "Lay eggs inside them? That's nasty!"

"No, it's very affective. They'll obey my every command. I will enslave this entire planet. But you won't be around to see it. The last thing you'll know in this world is that the people that you're going to die protecting will soon willingly join me."

Trunks' fists clenched. "No way. Not if I can help it." Taking a stance, he glanced at 18. "You better stand back while I do this."

"What?"

"Move away from me. You might get hurt if you stand too close."

Baby looked amused. "Oh, what's this now? Some fancy little trick you've been saving as a last resort?"

Trunks glared at him. "Yeah, I guess you can call it that. I never planned on doing this again, but I'm left with no other choice."

He began to gather power up, his energy level rising much higher than it did before. 18's eyes widened in shock as she felt the rapid increase in power. She decided to take his advice and moved several yards away.

Trunks began to holler as his power skyrocketed. His aura began to flow outward and began to surge with bioelectricity. His hair grew slightly longer and became paler as his skin got slightly redder due to increased blood flow. Then his muscles began to grow in size, becoming enormous, his shirt ripping off completely and his pants legs tearing open. The increase in muscle mass caused slight pain, but the gained strength would be worth it. With on final surge of power, his muscles increased even further as he reached his potential.

18 looked at Trunks in surprise, unable to believe that this was really him. 'Whoa look at him. He's huge. I mean, I love his muscular body, but this is just plain ridiculous. His biceps are at least the size of his head.'

Trunks breathed heavily as he completed his transformation. Baby was looking at him curiously, interested in the unexpected transformation. "Well now, this is interesting. I'm surprised you muscles haven't burst through your skin."

Trunks glared at him. "Laugh now, but the power I've gained is immense. I call this the Ultra Super Saiyan stage."

Baby snickered. "Ooh, scary. But can you actually fight in that bulky form?"

Trunks didn't answer. He hadn't taken this form since the time he fought Cell. He knew it was a risk. While he was indeed several times stronger, his massive muscles hindered his movements and slowed him down considerably. Furthermore, the transformation depleted his energy and would continue to do so while it was maintained. But he had no other choice. He wasn't strong enough to beat Baby otherwise, and so he had to resort to it and hope for the best.

Baby regarded him curiously. "So an Ultra Super Saiyan, is it? Well it's your technique, so I'll take your word for it. You claim to be more powerful, but can you back up your words?"

"Lets see."

He flew at Baby, throwing a punch with his massive fist. Baby caught his fist and was pushed back several feet. Trunks seemed surprised, and Baby just smiled.

"Not bad. You're not all just talk."

Trunks pulled back and threw another punch. Baby easy avoided it. Trunks followed up with a series of punches and kicks, but his fears were confirmed. His massive muscles made it too hard to move around and they slowed him down. He wasn't able to land even a single blow.

Finally Baby fought back, and Trunks was the one the receiving end of his blows. Not only did Trunks' new form slow down his attacks, they also slowed down his evasive skills.

Trunks managed to fire a blast of energy, but Baby vanished. He felt him behind him and spun around, kicking outward. He caught just a glimpse of Baby before he vanished again.

"Over here." Baby mocked.

Trunks glared at the Tuffle parasite and flew at him again. The process was repeated, with Baby vanishing a split second before Trunks' punch or kick made contact and then reappearing a short distance away. Baby was toying with him, and Trunks knew it.

"I knew you were weak," Baby told him, "but I didn't think you were this bad."

"What about you?" Trunks asked. "You're so weak that you have to take over another person's body."

Baby vanished again and Trunk's fist hit the rock wall, bringing the entire rock thing down. Trunks didn't even need to look to know that Baby was behind him.

"Strength isn't everything." Baby told him, hovering upside-down in the air behind him. "It's not always the strongest person that wins. I simply have a really useful technique."

Trunks spun around, firing a blast of energy, missing again. Baby appeared above him, bringing his elbow down on Trunks' head, sending him crashing to the ground.

"Foolish, saiyan. You may be big and strong, but you're way too slow. You may be able to beat me in an arm wrestling match, if I went easy on you, but that form is not suitable for fighting. Strength means nothing if you're too slow to land a punch."

Trunks forced himself up. He knew what Baby said was true. He had learned that when he fought Cell. But there was nothing else he could do, so he had chanced it.

That's when 18 attacked. She flew at Baby and began repeatedly punching the back of his head. Baby's head bobbed forward and back from the rapid punches, but he seemed unfazed.

Whirling around, he grabbed 18's arm as she threw another punch. "I'll be with you in a minute."

He fired a blast of energy into her stomach, throwing her backwards. He made sure to hold back, not wanting to hurt her too badly before the fight between the two of them officially began.

Turning back to Trunks, he saw they saiyan on his hands and knees, trying to get up. The opportunity was too good to pass up. His foot collided into Trunks, sending him flying straight up. He flew upward ahead of him and slammed his fist into the saiyan.

Moving into Trunks' path again, he delivered another blow, before moving in his path again. He repeated this several times, using Trunks as a soccer ball on a one-man team.

Moving in his path again, Baby prepared a finishing blow. "And this kick will decide the game."

His foot slammed into Trunks again, sending him crashing to the ground. An enormous crater appeared from the impact, a cloud of dust rising in the air.

Baby landed beside the crater, looking down as he waited for the dust to clear. When it did, Trunks was lying on the ground in his normal state.

"Well, how about that," Baby observed, "he's still alive."

He floated down into the crater and lifted the saiyan up by his hair. Trunks groaned and opened his eyes, glaring at Baby.

"Still conscious too. Impressive." His grip on Trunks' hair tightened, making the saiyan wince in pain. "Still up to the challenge?"

"Stop it." Baby looked up to see 18 standing beside the crater. "Let him go."

Baby looked back at Trunks and grinned. "He's no longer a challenge to me anyway. It's time to rid the universe of the saiyan race once and for all."

He threw Trunks in the air. Then he took aim, summoning up a great deal of energy. Then he unleashed a power blast at the defenseless saiyan. Trunks was unable to avoid or defend against the attack, vanishing within the beam.

When the attack finally died down, there wasn't the slightest trace of the saiyan left. 18 stared up at the place Trunks had been, unable to believe what she was seeing and feeling. Trunks' energy signature had vanished completely, something that only happened when a person died.

Feeling like her heart had been ripped out, 18 dropped to her knees. She couldn't believe it. Either that or she couldn't believe it. No, she refused to believe it. It couldn't be. Trunks couldn't be dead. He just couldn't be. It was impossible. But she couldn't feel him any more. That could only lead to one conclusion.

"No more saiyan scum polluting my universe." Said Baby. "I have finally avenged my ancestors."

Angry tears ran down 18's face. Trembling with rage and heartbreak, she turned to the machine mutant. "You… You… You monster… How could you? How dare you!"

Baby looked at her and grinned. "Don't worry, my dear. You'll be joining him shortly."

Chapter 26: Other Worldly Training

"Trunks. Hey, Trunks. Yoo hoo, Trunks. Time to wake up."

Groaning, Trunks opened his eyes. He was greeted by a familiar face, the very last one he expected to see.

"Hey, welcome back. You certainly took quite a beating."

Trunks sat up, looking at the person in surprise. "Goku? Is that you?"

The spiky-haired saiyan nodded. "Yup, it's me."

Trunks jumped to his feet. "Wow, Goku, it's great to see you again."

Goku raised an eyebrow. "Huh? Again? We've never met before."

Trunks looked confused, but then the answer came to him. "Oh, wait, you're the Goku from my time. Sorry about that."

Goku brightened up. "That's right, you met me in another timeline. Hey, was I the same as I am now."

Trunks studied the saiyan for a moment. "Yeah, exactly the same."

Goku grinned. "Wow, that's cool. You also got to meet baby you too. What was that like?"

Trunks sweat-dropped. "Kind of weird actually."

He was glad to see his friend again, even though this wasn't the same one. He thought he wouldn't be able to see Goku again, or, in this case, meet him, until he too died…

That's when it hit him. Goku was dead, and had been for many years. If Trunks was here with him, that could only mean one thing.

"Wait, if I'm here with you, that must mean that I'm dead!"

Goku snickered. "No, actually you're still alive." At Trunks' confused look, he explained. "I used Instant Transmission to save you."

Trunks' eyes widened. "You saved me? Wow, thanks. But wait, if you're dead, how did you…?"

Smiling Goku pointed behind Trunks. "I got permission from them."

Trunks turned around to see the people standing behind him that he hadn't noticed before. There was a short round blue-skinned man and two other equally short men with purple skin, pointy ears, and white spiky hair; one of them was incredibly old and wrinkled. The last one was a large man with white hair and an unfriendly scowl on his face. Trunks didn't have a clue who they were.

"Ok, and who are they?" he asked.

"Well," said Goku, "the guy with the blue skin and antennas is King Kai."

Trunks turned back to him in amazement. "King Kai? You're kidding! Thee King Kai?"

Goku snickered. "If you think that's impressive, wait until I tell you who the others are. The two little guys are Supreme Kai."

"The Supreme Kai?" Trunks exclaimed. "There's Supreme Kai? I knew about the four King Kais and the Grand Kai, but I didn't know there was a Supreme Kai, let alone two of them."

Goku bent down to whisper in Trunks' ear. "Well, to tell you the truth, the old guy is a former Supreme Kai. He's the current Supreme Kai's great, great, great, great… uh…" Goku looked at his fingers, trying to do the math, but gave up. "He's the Supreme Kai's ancestor from fifteen generations ago."

Trunks' eyes widened. "Fif…fif…fif…fifteen generations?" He looked at the halo floating over Goku's head, then at the lack of one on the old kai. "But how's he still alive?"

Old Kai cut his eyes at him. "I was trapped in a sword for a few hundred millenniums. Although that's not why I look so old." He glanced at the Supreme Kai's fusion earrings. "I just had… an accident."

Trunks' attention shifted to the large man. "And who's he? The Grand Kai?"

Goku shook his head. "No, that's Kibito. He's the Supreme Kai's bodyguard."

"The Supreme Kai needs a bodyguard?"

Supreme Kai cleared his throat. "I'm afraid we don't have time for such pleasantries. Trunks, the reason you have been brought here is because the universe is in danger."

Which suddenly reminded Trunks. "Baby!" Seeing Goku again had momentarily distracted him. He turned back to his fellow saiyan. "You have to take me back. I have to stop him."

"You can't." said King Kai. "If it was just Baby you were fighting, you'd be able to beat him, no problem. But while he's inside Rilldo, you won't stand a chance. If Goku hadn't saved you, you'd be dead right now."

Trunks turned to the kai. "But I feel fine now. In fact, I feel better than ever."

Goku smiled. "You can thank Kibito for that." Kibito just grunted and looked away. "But you're still no match for Baby."

"Then can you fight him?" Trunks asked hopefully. "You're Goku, you can beat anyone."

Goku laughed, rubbing the back of his head shyly. "Ah, gee, I'm flattered that you feel that way. But I'm not allowed to go back, I'm dead."

"But you came back for me."

"Only for a split second." Said Supreme Kai. "And not even that would normally be allowed, but the entire universe is in danger of becoming infected with Baby. During such occasions, we kais intervene. Trunks, you must defeat Baby, or else he will enslave the entire universe."

Trunks understood this, but being here in Other World brought another concern to mind. "But even if I do destroy Baby, couldn't he take over people in Other World."

"That will not be a problem." Said Old Kai. "Besides the fact that he's definitely going to Hell, he won't be able to infect anyone. He can lay all the mind-controlling eggs that he wants, but since the eggs will be dead, they'll never hatch. No, once you defeat Baby, he won't be able to infect anyone else." He thought about it a moment. "Although, if he infects anyone before that happens, the influence will remain."

Trunks didn't like the sound of that. "What if he does? Will there be a way to cure them."

"One or two ways."

Trunks waited for more, but the Old Kai didn't say anything else. "Yeah, and how would I do that?"

"Oh, well, aside from using the Dragon Balls, the most direct way would be to kill them."

"WHAT?" Trunks cried. "You've gotta be kidding! I can't just kill everyone that Baby infects! They're innocent people!"

"Oh be quiet, you're so noisy." Trunks blinked when he heard the voice of an old woman. He turned around and saw a short old woman floating towards them on a crystal ball. "Things aren't as bad as they seem."

Goku waved to the old woman. "Hey, Fortuneteller Baba, good timing."

Trunks looked at the witch. "Wait, she's Baba? As in Master Roshi's brother?"

Baba looked angry. "Don't mention that buffoon's name around me. Honestly, with all the people the androids have killed over the years, I can't believe he wasn't one of them."

Goku laughed. "Ouch, that's really cold. You should be nicer to him; he is you're brother."

Baba cut her eyes at him. "As if you have the right to criticize me for not getting along with my brother."

Goku hesitated a moment, thinking about his own brother, Raditz. "Point taken."

"Never mind that." Trunks cried. "What do you mean that things aren't as bad as they seem?"

Baba settled on the ground and casually hopped off her crystal ball. "There's another way to free people from Baby's influence. Just use the Sacred Water at Kami's Lookout on anyone that's infected and they'll be cured."

Trunks' face lit up. "Really? That'll cure them. That's great!"

King Kai nodded. "But we still have a little baby problem with a certain Tuffle parasite." He snickered at his attempt at a joke.

Baba nodded. "Yes, and fortunately for you, I've discovered a way to beat him."

Trunks' excitement got the best of him and he grabbed the witch's shirt. "Really? But he's so strong. You really found a way for me to win?"

The old woman looked scared. "Y-Yes, just please let me go!"

Trunks blinked a few times and let her go. "Sorry, guess I overreacted."

Baba dusted herself off. "That's for sure." She cleared her throat. "Anyway, when you were fighting Luud, I figured that sooner or later you would run into his creator, so, with the help of my crystal ball, I did some research and discovered Baby."

"And, naturally, she told me." said King Kai. "So I told Grand Kai, and he told Kibito, and he told Supreme Kai."

Trunks raised an eyebrow. "Ok, so how does that help me?"

"Well," said Supreme Kai, "being the grand ruler of the universe, I was naturally aware of how you went back in time and altering things. And that's when I started thinking, if Baby appeared in this timeline, perhaps he would appear in that one as well."

Baba took over. "So I used my crystal ball to look into that timeline."

Trunks looked surprised. "Wow, I didn't know you could do that?"

The witch smiled. "To tell you the truth, I didn't either." She laughed at that. "I think that's due to that fact that there was only one direction time was going in until you changed things. Now it seems that there are three."

"Three?" Trunks looked confused. "How are there three?"

"Let me explain it to you. When you went back in time, you created a rift that created alternate realities. Lets call the one that we're in timeline A and the one you went back to timeline B. The two timelines were on the same path until you went back to B and changed things. Yet that change caused a disturbance further in the future, creating timeline C. In that timeline, you managed to destroy the androids, and then were about to go back in time to tell your friends the good news when Cell came and killed the you of that timeline and took the time machine to timeline B."

If Trunks wasn't as smart as he was, he probably would have been given a headache. Goku, on the other hand, was not so lucky. "So, wait, are the other letters of the alphabet included in these timelines?"

"No!" Baba snapped impatiently. "Using A, B, and C were just a demonstration. Please, Goku, try to keep up." Clearing her throat, she turned back to Trunks. "Anyway, I looked into the future of timeline B and saw that Baby does indeed appear in that timeline. I also made a few other discovers, like the fact that the elder kai was trapped in the Z Sword."

"For which I owe a great deal of gratitude to Goku for freeing me." Old Kai replied.

Goku laughed bashfully. "Aw, shucks, it was nothing."

Baba raised her voice, slightly irritated at being interrupted. "And now that he's free, he'll be able to make you stronger through some special training."

Trunks looked at the elder kai. "Really? You can do that?"

Old Kai nodded. "Yes, I have the power to greatly increase one's abilities. But even then it won't be enough. So you'll be going through double-duty training."

Trunks nodded excitedly. "Whatever it is, I can take it. Then I'll go back and defeat Baby."

Baba stepped forward. "Even with the special training, Baby won't be easy to beat. He has incredible regeneration abilities. Unless you destroy every last cell, he will revive."

Trunks groaned. "Just like Cell. Great."

"Not to worry!" Baba chirped. "Just do what the past Goku did to defeat him. Blast him into the sun."

Trunks sweat-dropped. "The sun? Yeah, well, I guess that'd do the trick. But I'll still have to get stronger to pull that off. So, let's get this training underway."

Old Kai looked nervous. "Yes, well, the thing about that is that it will take a full day to complete the training."

"A day?"

"Well, twenty-five hours to be exact."

That didn't discourage Trunks. "That's still not so bad. I just hope 18 can hold on until…" His eyes widened. "18! She's alone with that monster!" He turned to Baba. "Show me what's happening!"

Baba grumbled and turned to her crystal ball. "Fine, but you could at least ask nicely." She cleared her throat. "Hocus pocus, wibbidy wee, show us the fight of 18 and Baby."

The ball began to glow brightly until their reflections could no longer be seen. When it cleared, the image of Baby and 18 appeared. They were hovering in the air with 18 throwing punches and Baby easily avoiding them, smiling the whole time. While Baby seemed to be enjoying himself, 18 looked like she had taken quite a beating.

"18, no!" Trunks cried in horror.

He watched as Baby ducked under one of 18's punches and buried his fist in her gut. Then he balled up his hands and brought them down on her, sending the android crashing to the ground.

Trunks growled, furious that he wasn't there to help her. He turned to Old Kai. "At this rate she'll be lucky to last ten minutes. There's no way she'll survive a whole day."

Old Kai gave him a sorrowful look. "I'm sorry, but there's no other way. If you want to defeat Baby, this is the only way."

Trunks snarled furiously and looked back at the crystal ball. He watched as Baby held 18 up by the arm and proceeded to punch her. He couldn't watch this anymore, and he kicked the ball away from him.

As Baba cried out and chased after her crystal ball, Trunks turned back to Old Kai. "Fine, then lets get started. If this is going to take a whole day, then we've got no time to lose."

Old Kai nodded. "Good, that's what I like to hear."

He snapped his fingers and a large strange structure appeared. Trunks blinked in surprise, looking at the strange device. This was not what he had expected.

Old Kai walked over to the structure and patted it. "Ok now, go stand on top of this."

Trunks was confused, but he did as he was told. Strangely, on the top was a crank with a bag of coffee beans resting against. "What's this supposed to be?"

"No questions!" Old Kai snapped. "If you want to get stronger, then you're going to have to do what I tell you. Now, pour the beans into the grinder." Having no idea what this had to do with training, Trunks did as he was told. Old Kai nodded in satisfaction. "Ok, now don't move from that spot. Just keep turning that crank until I tell you to stop."

Trunks looked down at him. "And you're sure this will make me stronger?"

"Do you want my help, or not?"

Trunks winced. "Y-Yes."

"Then start cranking!" He crossed his arms and waited for Trunks to begin. Once the saiyan started turning the crank, the elder kai prepared to do his part. He cleared his throat and shouted loudly. "WAKE UP YOU LAZY NO GOOD POWERS!" Everyone jumped in surprise. "Sleeping all this time, how dare you!"

As Trunks turned the crank, Old Kai struck an unusual pose. Then he began muttering unintelligible words as he did a strange dance around the unusual coffee grinding, kicking up dirt every now and then.

On the side, Goku and the other's watched with strange looks on their faces. "Is this really how it's done?" the saiyan asked. He glanced at the witch. "Hey, Baba, will this really make him stronger?"

Baba, who had been shining her crystal ball from when Trunks kicked it, snapped at Goku angrily. "Of course I'm sure! In timeline B, Gohan went through this ritual and gained incredible strength. And you went through the grinding exercise and came out much stronger as well."

Goku sweat-dropped, rubbing the back of his head nervously. "Really? Well, ok, I'll take your word for it." He looked back at Trunks, feeling sorry for the poor guy. "I think I'd rather train the normal way."

Chapter 27: A Year's Worth of Training

18 fell to the ground, aching all over. Baby was really beating down on her. She may still have as much power as she did before the battle started, but her body was weak and hurting. She didn't know how much longer she could last.

Baby landed on the ground a short distance away from her. "Have you had enough?"

Moaning, 18 forced herself to get to her feet, breathing heavily. "As long… as I'm… still… alive… I won't… rest until… until you die…"

Baby laughed. "How sweet. You're so determine to avenge that fallen saiyan. It's sickening really."

He vanished, reappearing behind 18. She turned to him, only to see him with his back to her. A moment later his elbow flew back, colliding with her face. She went down, her hands covering her nose to suppress the agony. Baby turned to face her, smiling at her pain. He raised his hand and began to gather energy. Sensing this, 18 glared up at him angrily, making the machine mutant chuckle.

"So defiant. I'm actually impressed."

He fired his energy blast. 18 was launched backwards and sent crashing straight through a rock formation. Feeling woozy, she dug herself out from under the pile of rocks that had collapsed on top of her. She staggered to her feet, stumbling the whole way. She was close to unconsciousness now. She felt light-headed. Her vision was blurry. She wouldn't last much longer.

Baby cocked his head to the side, seeming to study her curiously. Then he flew at her and punched her hard in the face. 18 hit the ground with such force that she tore through the rock, leaving behind a deep imprint.

Hearing Baby's footsteps, she peeked her eyes open, seeing him approach. With her whole body shaking, she forced herself to her feet, staring him down. She struggled to speak, but seemed unable to form coherent words. "I… will…" even as she spoke, she began nodding off, "kill… you… for what… for what… you… you did… you did… to… him…"

Her strength finally gave out and she fell forward, unconscious. Baby stood over the fallen android, looking down at her with a smile on his face. "So, she's finally done for. I'm surprised she lasted so long. But I guess the fun's over." He raised his hand, gathering energy. "Time to say goodbye."

He fired. The ground was torn to shreds as his attack blasted everything apart. 18's smoking body went flying through the air and fell lifelessly to the ground. Shattered rocks rained down around her, burying her in a rocky grave.

Baby lowered his hand, a satisfied smile on his face. "Well, that takes care of that." he turned around and looked at the city upon the horizon. "But there's still so much left to do. I've got an entire race to conquer. So many people, so little time. After all, an entire planet is nothing compared to the entire universe." He laughed. "That foolish saiyan. Did he really think that destroying my ship would stop me? I've only been delayed for a while. And once I infect enough people, they can rebuild my ship while I take over the entire planet."

Cackling like a madman, Baby took off, heading straight for the city, and all the people he could take over. Little did he know that the battle was not over. Buried within her rocky grave, 18 still lived. While able to measure her power level with his enhanced abilities, he still couldn't sense her life force.

Rocks shifted as she regained consciousness and began pushing them aside. Breaking through to the outside, she sucked in the cool night air. She felt completely drained. Her body ached terribly, and it was an effort not to lose consciousness again.

She dragged herself across the ground, trying to see where Baby went. She sensed him somewhere in the city below, and it didn't take much for her to figure out what he was doing, not after the way he bragged about his ability to infect people. And as things stood, she was powerless to stop him.

"Got to… heal…" she muttered. "Got to… regain my… strength… and fight him… again…"

Feeling thankful for her unlimited supply of energy, she forced herself to fly. She bobbed up and down as she struggled to remain airborne. She had to reach Bulma before Baby got to her. She had an idea of how she could get stronger, but she needed Bulma's help. She could only pray that she would reach Capsule Corp first.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Back in Other World, Trunks continued with his so-called training while Old Kai proceeded to dance around him. He was getting frustrated with this nonsense, and it hadn't even been twenty minutes yet.

He could sense the battle from here. Actually, all he could really sense was Baby's power since he couldn't detect 18's. But from the way Baby's power had dropped to a calm and relaxed state, he could only conclude that the battle was over. The thought that 18 could be dead terrified him.

"Hey," he called down to Baba, "what's going on down there? Is 18 all right?"

Baba sweat-dropped as she gazed into her crystal ball. "Um, all right? Well… she's still alive, if that's what you mean. It looks like Baby thinks he destroyed her. Boy, that was lucky."

Trunks breathed a sigh of relief. But this last bit of noise was the final straw for Old Kai. "Will you all be quiet! Trunks, stop talking and turn that crank!"

The saiyan winced. "Y-Yes, sir." He went back to turning the crank. 'Mom,18, everyone, just hold on. I'll be there as soon as I can.'

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Bulma was sleeping peacefully, unaware of the danger at hand. But when the doorbell rang, she was brought out of her land of dreams.

"Hmm? Trunks?" She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, hearing the doorbell again. Groaning, she looked at the clock. "It's past four in the morning. Who could it be at this hour?"

Grudgingly she got out of bed, pulling on her robe. She silently cursed her house for being so big as she made her way downstairs.

The doorbell rang again.

"All right already, I'm coming!"

Mumbling irritably, she opened the door. All thoughts of sleep left her as an injured 18 fell in front of her feet. Bulma screamed, looking down at the android who looked lucky to be alive.

"W-W-What? 18, what happened to you?"

18 raised a trembling hand to her, pleadingly. "Please… must go… the Lookout…"

Bulma unconsciously took a step back and began looking around. "Trunks? Where are you? Trunks?"

"He's not… here…" 18 wheezed. "No… time… Explain… later… Lookout… now… hurry… please…"

Bulma looked down at the android worriedly as she passed out again. With a sigh, Bulma looked from 18 to her airship. "Ok, just hold on."

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As Baby spread like a plague, Bulma flew the airship towards Kami's Lookout. She glanced in the back at the unconscious 18, wondering who or what could have done this to the mighty android. She also wondered what happened to her son. Was Trunks still fighting whatever had done this to 18? Was he injured somewhere? Was he forced to retreat? Was he dead?

She shook her head. No, she couldn't think about that now. She'd learned long ago that there was no point in getting upset until she had all the facts. But still, anyone that could reduce 18 to this state was no pushover.

"Just hold on, we're almost there." She told the unconscious android. "Just a few more minutes."

When she reached the Lookout, both Dende and Mr. Popo were standing outside, both looking worried. Bulma brought the ship in for a landing and hurried over to them.

Mr. Popo turned to her. "Ah, Bulma, hello. I'm afraid you've come at a bad time."

"I figured as much." Bulma replied. "We've got some real trouble. Someone gave 18 a real beating."

Dende gave her a sad look. "I know. It was a powerful new bad guy that's been going around infecting people."

Bulma blinked. "Infecting? What's that supposed to mean?"

"He means," said Mr. Popo, "that this person has been laying eggs inside people's head and using these eggs to possess them."

Bulma paled. "W-What? Laying eggs in people's heads? That is so gross!" She suddenly wondered if that's what happened to Trunks, and prayed it wasn't true. "But never mind that now. Dende, I need you to heal 18."

The young Namekian nodded. "Yes, off course."

He hurried over to the ship and found 18 sitting motionlessly in the seat. He quickly used his healing abilities on her, and all her injuries vanished. Once healed, she regained consciousness and slowly opened her eyes. One look around told her that she managed to last until they reached the Lookout.

Hoping down from the ship, she dusted herself off and turned to the Guardian. "I know you have questions, but there's no time to explain. The earth is in trouble. I've come to train."

Dende blinked. "Train? But I'm not fighter. I can't train you."

18 shook her head impatiently. "I'm not talking about you training me. Trunks told me about this special room called the Hyperbolic Time Chamber where one day passes out her, but a whole year goes by in there. I've come to use this room."

Dende looked surprised by this and turned to Mr. Popo. "Do we really have something like that?"

Mr. Popo nodded. "Of course. Goku himself used it when he was a child."

"I don't care about that!" 18 snapped. "I just need to use that room, now. I can't waste any time. Not with Baby running around down there. Now show me where it is."

Mr. Popo motioned for her to follow him. "Very well, come this way."

Bulma stood flabbergasted as 18 followed Mr. Popo. "Hold on! I want to know what's going on here! Where's my son? You better tell me right now!"

18 stopped, her whole body tensing up. She began shaking as she tried to find the right way to break the news to the woman. "He's dead. Baby killed him."

Bulma was horrified, her eyes wide with fear. "What? No, it can't be. You're lying." She looked desperately at Dende, the only one who could confirm that what 18 said was true. "Tell me she's lying. Tell me Trunks is still alive."

Dende hung his head and looked away. "I'm… sorry… I can't tell you that."

Bulma's worst fears were confirmed and she dropped to her knees. "No, it can't be." Tears poured down her cheeks. "He can't be gone. He's all I have left."

18 clenched her fists. "I will avenge him. I swear it. I'll become strong enough to defeat Baby, and then I'll find the Dragon Balls and wish him back. I promise, Bulma. I will bring your son back!"

She quickly went and caught up with Mr. Popo, unable to look at the heartbroken woman. But Bulma was looking at 18 with new eyes. For the first time, she wasn't seeing 18 as an enemy.

"I'm counting on you." she whispered.

Mr. Popo led 18 through the sanctuary, and soon they came to doorway that led to another dimension. Mr. Popo stopped outside this door and turned to 18.

"Beyond this door lies the Hyperbolic Time Chamber." He told her. "Within it you'll find a place unlike anything you've ever witnessed. Beyond the plaza, the gravity is ten times stronger than Earth, getting stronger the deeper you go in, and the air pressure is a quarter of that of Earth's, also getting denser the deeper you go in. There's no day or night, and temperatures range from -40 and 122 degrees Fahrenheit, changing quickly and without warning. It's a dreadful place of nothingness. Some even consider it to be Oblivion itself."

18 nodded, looking determine. "I can handle it."

"Just be careful not to wander off too far." He warned. "If you get lost, you'll most likely never find your way back. But when you are training, stay away from the door. If it's destroyed then you will be trapped in there for the rest of your life."

She nodded again. "Right, don't stay so close, but don't go too far. Got it."

"One more thing. A person can only stay in the chamber for two years in their entire life. After that, the door will lock permanently."

"I'm only planning on staying in there for one year." She told him. "I can't wait any longer than that. But during that year, I'm going to be training 24/7. No eating, no sleeping, no resting." She glanced at Mr. Popo. "I'll see you in a year."

"Good luck. See you tomorrow."

With that, she entered the room. She felt the difference in dimensions immediately. Though the inside was nice enough, there was an eerie empty feeling to things. The gravity was stronger too, though she hardly noticed it with her superior strength.

"So this is it." she said to herself, looking around. "I don't see what's so bad about this place."

But she was eating her words when she exited the small sanctuary. Beyond it was an eternity of nothingness, just as Mr. Popo had said. There was absolutely nothing, just a blank white that stretched on forever. And this sanctuary was the only thing that existed in this strange dimension.

"It really is Oblivion." She whispered. "Now I know why he told me not to wander too far off. If you get lost here, you're staying lost." She shook off her uneasiness, looking determined. "But I can't let that stop me. I've come here to train, and that's what I'm going to do."

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As 18 trained in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, Trunks continued his own 'training' in Other World. He didn't see how this would help him. He'd been turning this stupid crank for hours, but he didn't feel any stronger. The only thing he did feel was annoyed, that and very itching on his rear end. But there was nothing else he could do but put his faith in Goku and the others.

Old Kai continued his strange dance, not having stopped once. A few feet away, Supreme Kai and Kibito watched with raised eyebrows at the strange ritual. King Kai had long since gone back to his own small planet, Baba was shining her crystal ball, and Goku was currently taking a nap.

Finally, Old Kai stopped. The cease of his muttering and unusual movements caught Trunks' attention, and he looked down at the elder kai.

"Phew," Old Kai muttered, sitting down, "haven't done that in a while."

Thinking it was over, Trunks hopped off the strange device. "That's it? It didn't seem like twenty-five hours."

Old Kai glanced up at him. "Because it wasn't. That was just the first part. We've still got twenty hours left. Now get back up there."

Trunks' face fell. "What, you're kidding! This is getting us nowhere! How is that lousy dance and this oversized coffee grinder going to make me stronger?"

Old Kai narrowed his eyes at him. "If you don't believe me, then you can go face Baby now. I'm not stopping you. Go on. Go get beaten up again, see if I care. Honestly, the younger generation has no patience. They want everything right now, and don't want to work for it."

"All right!" Trunks grumbled, jumping back onto the coffee grinder and resumed his cracking. "But this better be worth it."

Old Kai just smirked. "Don't worry, sonny. I'm sure you'll be more than pleased with the end results. Now just keep turning that crank and focus on your awakening powers."

With that said, the elder kai raised his hand and began the next part of the ritual.

Chapter 28: Training Completed

The door to the Hyperbolic Time Chamber opened and 18 stepped outside for the first time in a year. Her clothes were torn rags and she was an utter mess. She had been serious when she had said that she would train nonstop for a full year. And now a year had passed, and her training was finally complete.

She found the others outside, unaware of her presence since she couldn't be sensed. All three were looking off the edge of the Lookout, though only two could actually see what was going on below.

"I'm gone a year and there's no one to greet me when I return." She remarked.

They turned to her in surprise. "Oh, 18, you're back." Said Dende.

She nodded. "Yeah, and hopefully strong enough t face Baby."

Bulma couldn't resist holding her nose. "You smell awful."

18 glared at her. "I trained nonstop for the whole year. And I literally mean nonstop." She shifted uncomfortably. "Though I do feel very dirty. Not bathing for a year is utterly disgusting."

Dende raised his staff towards her. "Here, this'll help."

A beam of light shot out of his staff. 18's body began to glow. When the light vanished, she was freshly cleaned, and even her clothes were mended. She looked down at herself in surprise.

"That's cool." She said. "Thanks, I feel a lot better." Then the smile left her face and her eyes narrowed. "Now tell me, what's happening with Baby?"

The others frowned. As the Guardian of Earth, Dende felt as if it was his duty to tell her. "He's been going around infecting people. He's already taken over a few hundred of them."

18's fists clenched. "Then I better stop him before he gets to anyone else."

Not waiting any longer, she took off. This time she was going to defeat Baby. But she still doubted her own power. Though the Tuffle himself wasn't that strong, while in possession of Rilldo's body, Baby was in a league of his own. Therefore she decided to stop at Korin's and pick up all the Sensu Beans the cat had. That way even if she was beaten to the point of death, she could recover right away and resume the battle. Perhaps that would give her the edge she needed to defeat Baby.

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Trunks' patience was at an end. It had to have been at least a day since he had begun this ridiculous nonsense, and he still hadn't felt anything. Surely, surely, he would have felt something by now. But no, there hadn't been the slightest increase in power.

He angrily turned to the elder kai. All his anger evaporated to be replaced with complete shock. 'I don't believe it! The old guy is actually sleeping. No wonder nothing's happened to me, he's not doing his job.' Anger returning, he shouted furiously at Old Kai. "Hey, wake up, you old geezer!"

The snot bubble at the end of Old Kai's nose popped and he looked up at Trunks in surprise. "Huh? What? Keep quiet, boy, and keep turning."

"Keep turning?" Trunks shouted. "My power hasn't gone up at all! And you're down there sleeping on the job!"

Old Kai grumbled irritably. "Now you listen here, sonny, I'm over fifteen million years old. I know what I'm doing. I'm capable of working my magic even when I'm asleep. You're the one who's not doing your job."

"You said twenty-five hours. It has to have been at least twenty-five hours."

Old Kai raised an eyebrow. "Oh my, you're right. Well, sometimes it can take longer for really strong people. I say give it another forty minutes, then you should be done."

Trunks was seething with fury. "Old man…"

Old Kai's serious expression returned. "Trust me, boy. I give you my word of honor as a Supreme Kai that it will be worth it. Forty more minutes, that's all I ask."

Trunks struggled to control his fury. He glanced at Goku, who had awoken from his nap, silently asking if he should trust the elder kai. Goku's expression was serious as he nodded.

Grumbling, Trunks turned back to the crank. "Fine, forty minutes more, then I'm out of here."

He looked back at Old Kai and his mouth dropped open. He couldn't believe it; the guy was asleep again!

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Baby was pleased with his progress. It had only been a day and he had already infected an entire city. Everything was going according to plan. First this city, then the entire planet. Next will be the whole galaxy, and then the entire universe.

"Lord Baby," one of his subjects said, "we've found the next closest city. We can begin the takeover immediately."

Baby swirled around his glass of wine, smiling contently. "Excellent. Let's get started then, shall we? After all, I have an entire race to repopulate."

"Not on my watch!"

Baby looked up to find a blast of energy flying towards him. With a snarl, he jumped up and kicked the blast of energy away. He was surprised to see someone he thought dead hovering in the air, having been the one to attack him.

"You, but I thought I killed you."

18 glared at him. "I can't die yet, not until I kill you."

Baby laughed. "You kill me? That's a laugh. Yesterday you didn't stand a chance. Now you think you can beat me?"

18 prepared for battle. "If I can't, I'll die trying."

She flew at him at speeds much faster than she did yesterday. Baby's eyes widened in surprise. 18's fist collided with his face before he could react, sending him flying. 18 appeared behind him and kicked him in the back, sending him crashing to the ground.

While Baby was down, 18 rapidly fired blasts of energy down at him. The barrage of attacks slammed into him, preventing him from being able to get up. 18 kept up attacking, not planning on stopping until he was dead. She knew that she had been lucky to catch him off guard right away. Now, while he was down, she wasn't going to stop until he was blown straight to Hell. She had an unlimited supply of energy, but Baby's strength would run out eventually.

"This is for Trunks!" she shouted down at him. "When you see him in Other World, I hope he kicks your ass!"

There was a sudden explosion of power from down below as Baby unleashed his power. The force of the attack knocked back 18's rain of energy blasts, forcing her to retreat.

When the dust cleared, Baby was once again on his feet. He looked slightly beat up, but he didn't seem harmed too much, any severe damage having healed with his regeneration abilities. He looked up at 18 more seriously. "Impressive. That little display of power was far greater than anything you showed yesterday. Tell me, how did you get so strong?"

18 glared at him. "My determination to kill you helped me. I will avenge Trunks."

Baby laughed. "You're still worked up over that pathetic insect? How sad. That pest isn't worth avenging. Not that you could. Even with your increased strength, you still can't beat me."

"Like I said, I'll die trying. I'm not going to let you get away with what you've done. You will pay for what you did to Trunks!"

Baby crossed his arms, looking at her curiously. "You know, you have some real potential. Why don't you join me? I could use someone like you. I'll even take you on as my queen. You'll be able to rule the universe by my side as queen of the new race of Tuffles. What do you say?"

18 looked absolutely insulted. "You have got to be out of your damn mind. There's no way in hell I'd join you, let alone be your queen."

Baby chuckled. "Well, once I turn you into a Tuffle, you won't have much say in the matter."

"I'd rather die than be controlled by you!"

Baby shrugged. "Well, the offer is on the table. If at any point the pain becomes too much and you change your mind, I'll be happy to add you to my new race. Until then," he got ready to attack, "prepare yourself!"

And then the battle officially began.

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Trunks' grip on the crank tightened so much that it cracked. He didn't know how long it had been, but forty minutes had to be up by now. He looked down at Old Kai. He was no longer asleep, but he was now readying a manga, laughing every now and then.

Trunks lost his patience. "Hey, old guy, how much longer do we have to do this?"

Old Kai looked up at him. "Huh? Oh, well, actually we finished about seven minutes ago."

Shocked, Trunks went tumbling off the giant coffee maker. "What? You mean we're finished? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Why didn't you ask?"

Truthfully, Trunks wasn't surprised by the elder kai's reply. "I still don't feel anything."

Old Kai sighed. "That's because you haven't powered up. Simply go Super Saiyan and your power will go far beyond whatever you had before. But before we do that, we have to complete the second part of your training."

"Second part!" Trunks cried in outrage. "What second part?"

Old Kai stood up. "I told you before that you'd be doing double-duty training. That power raising ritual was the first part. I'm afraid the second part will take a little longer."

Trunks stomped his foot, shattering the ground. "I can't wait any longer. Can't you sense what's going on? Baby's fighting someone again, someone I can't sense. That can only be 18."

"Not to worry." Old Kai replied. "While you've been training here, she's spent a year in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber getting stronger. And I must say, she's got some stamina. She trained nonstop; didn't even rest for a minute. She's a lot stronger now. She'll be able to hold her own against Baby for a while."

Trunks wasn't satisfied with that. "She won't last though. I have to go now."

Old Kai studied him for a moment. "Well, if you're so determine to get back, there is a way to speed up you're training."

Trunks felt both relieved by this and also infuriated that the elder kai hadn't mentioned this sooner. "Really? Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's get started."

Old Kai continued to study him. "Ok, but just know that it will be painful. More painful than you could possibly imagine. Can you deal with that?"

Trunks' eyes narrowed. "Any amount of pain will be worth saving innocent lives. So lets do this."

Old Kai sighed. "Very well then… Turn around and drop you're pants."

Trunks fell over anime style. "What? You've got to be kidding me! I don't swing that way!"

A blush stained Old Kai's face and he looked furious. "I don't either! I can't believe you thought that of me!" He regained his composure. "Now do as I say. Drop your pants."

Turning red with embarrassment, Trunks turned around and, hesitating a moment, dropped his pants. Old Kai approached him, reaching out and touching his three-inch long tail.

"Hmm, still a ways to go. But at this length it will be easier to work with."

Trunks glanced over his shoulder and felt his tail. "What? A tail?"

Old Kai nodded. "Well, you are a saiyan, aren't you?"

Trunks rubbed the short fur of his beginning point of a tail. "Well, I had my tail removed when I was born. The thought of getting it back never occurred to me."

Old Kai humphed. "A saiyan who's naïve about his own ancestry. Don't you know that a saiyan's tail provides him with most of his power? You strength will increase greatly once it's fully regrown."

Trunks glanced at the coffee maker. "So that's what that device was for? Regrowing my tail?"

Old Kai nodded. "Yes, but since you're so impatient, we'll have to do it manually." He turned to Goku and the others. "Hey, are you going to stand there all day, or are you going to help out?"

Goku, Supreme Kai, and Kibito all winced. "Y-Yes, ancestor!"

"Good." He motioned for them to come over. "Goku, you grab his tail. Supreme Kai, you hold onto Goku, Kibito, you hold Supreme Kai, and I'll hold onto you. Trunks, you grab hold of something solid."

They were all confused by the elder kai's request, but did as they were told. Trunks wrapped his arms around a large boulder that was buried in the ground and held on tightly. He felt Goku grasp his tail and suddenly had a bad feeling that he knew what was going to happen.

"Now hold on tightly, Trunks." Old Kai told him. "Everyone else, on the count of three, pull as hard as you can. Ready, one, two, three, PULL!"

All four of them pulled. Pain exploded through Trunks' whole body as he held onto the boulder, screaming in pain. Old Kai was right, it was painful. He didn't know anything could be so painful. His eyes were actually tearing from the terrible agony.

"Again!" Old Kai cried. "One, two three, pull!"

More pain, making Trunks feel sick to his stomach. That had only been the second pull and he was ready to call it quits, it hurt so much. But he gritted his teeth as Old Kai counted down again.

The large rock Trunks was holding onto unearthed and all five off them went flying.

"Did it work?" Trunks asked hopefully.

Old Kai, who was on the bottom, struggled to breathe. "No, not yet. We'll have to find a better rock."

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18 was knocked to the ground again. She had been able to hold her own against Baby for a while, but he was still too strong for her.

As Baby approached her fallen form, she glared up at him, forcing herself to stand up. Baby raised an eyebrow. "Even now you resist me? I don't know if I should be impressed by your determination, or amused by your inability to accept the fact that you simply can't win."

18 smirked at him. "I've got a few tricks up my sleeve." She reached into her pocket and took out a bag containing 22 Senzu beans. "This fight is just getting started."

The bag in her hand suddenly burst into flames. Shocked, she dropped the flaming bag and looked up at Baby, who had fired a blast of energy at the bag. He was grinning.

"Oops, I hope I didn't ruin your plans." He said. "I don't know what was in that bag, but it's nothing but a pile of ashes now."

18 looked down at the bag, horrified. She hadn't counted on losing the Senzu beans. Now what was she supposed to do? Even after all that training, she still wasn't strong enough to win. Perhaps she should have stayed in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber for a full two years.

'That's it.' she realized. 'It's my only hope. I still can't beat him as I am now. I have to get back to the chamber and train some more.'

Raising her hand, she fired a blast of energy. Baby knocked it away and saw 18 trying to escape. He smirked and went after her. She stopped as he reappeared directly in front of her with his arms crossed and a smirk on his face.

"You escaped from me once before," he told her, "but not again. This time we're going to finish what we started."

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Trunks' cries of pain echoed across the land as Goku and the others attempted to extend his tail again. All around them were uprooted trees and unearthed boulders that had been torn up. Even after all this pulling, Trunks tail had only extended about two inches.

"One, two, three, pull!"

Another yank, another cry of pain, another tree ripped out of the ground. The five of them toppled over again, having hardly made any progress.

"This hurts like a son of a bitch." Trunks told them with tears in his eyes. "And it's still taking too long."

"This is the fastest way to do this." Old Kai told him. "Now find something else to grab hold of."

Goku stood up and dusted himself off. "Hey, if you don't mind, I have an idea I would like to try."

If it would stop the unbearable pain, Trunks was willing to do it. "And what would that be?"

Goku smiled. "Ok, first just hover in the air lying face-down."

Trunks raised an eyebrow in confusion, but did as he was told. He laid face-down on the ground and then floated a few feet off the ground. "Ok, now what?"

Goku hovered over to him, placing the bottom of his feet against Trunks' and grabbed hold of his tail. "Ok, on the count of three, push off against me as hard as you can and I'll do the same."

Supreme Kai nodded at this. "Yes, that may work. It'll be better than us simply pulling."

Old Kai had to agree. "Yes, that may work better. Just be sure not to pull it off or we'll have to start all over again."

Trunks gulped. He didn't have the time, or the tolerance of pain, to start all over. "Let's do it."

Goku nodded. "Ok, on the count of three. One, two three!"

Both Goku and Trunks pushed against each other. The pain was excruciating, even worse than before. Yet progress was made as his tail extended a few inches, then a few inches more.

"Yes, that's it!" Supreme Kai cheered. "Keep going!"

The two saiyans put all their strength into it, pulling Trunks' tail out further. Trunks was blinded by pain, feeling nauseas.

"Almost there." Old Kai told them. "Just a little more."

Further and further Trunks' tail extended, until it finally went as far as it could go. Goku's grip slipped and both he and Trunks went flying in different directions, with Goku crashing into a tree and Trunks slamming into a large rock formation.

Supreme Kai blinked. "That's gotta hurt. Hey, Trunks, Goku, are you ok?"

Goku, who was sticking out of the other side of the tree trunk, stood up. "Don't worry, my head is harder than that." He looked at the pile of rocks Trunks was buried under. "Hey, Trunks, you all right?"

The young saiyan burst up from beneath the pile of rocks, a fully grown saiyan tail hanging from his rear. "I'm fine. And look, we did it."

The others, aside from Kibito, cheered happily.

"All right!" Goku cried. "Now you'll be able to reach your true potential. I'm sure you'll be able to stop Baby now." A sudden thought occurred to him. "Just make sure you don't ever look at the full moon."

"Goku," said Supreme Kai, "the earth's moon was destroyed by your friend Piccolo long ago."

Goku snapped his fingers. "Oh, yeah. I forgot about that."

Trunks stroked his new tail, smiling down at it. "Hey, I kind of like this thing. I could get used to it."

Old Kai nodded, a serious look on his face. "Yes, with your tail, you'll be able to unleash the full extent of your saiyan might. Just remember one thing. A saiyans tail is his greatest strength, but it's also his greatest weakness."

Goku's eyes narrowed, recalling the times he had a tail. "He's right. If anyone grabs it, you'll be rendered powerless. You can train yourself to get rid of that weakness, but it'll take a couple months."

"I don't have time for that." Trunks replied. "But I'll be sure to train myself to get rid of that weakness as soon as I beat Baby." He glanced at Old Kai. "I take it I'm done now, right?"

The elder kai nodded. "Yes, I'm afraid I've done all I can for you right now. The rest will be up to you."

Trunks nodded in understanding. "Right." He turned to Goku. "Are you sure you can't come help me?"

Goku sadly shook his head. "Sorry, but you'll have to handle this on your own."

Trunks looked down. "I understand." Then a thought occurred to him. "But wait how do I get back?"

Supreme Kai smiled. "I will be taking you back. I too am capable of Instant Transmission."

Trunks gave him a hopeful look. "Then does that mean that you'll help me fight Baby?"

The smile on Supreme Kai's face vanished. "I'm sorry, but I don't have the strength to defeat Baby. I'm afraid I'll only get in the way."

Trunks couldn't believe what he was hearing. "But you're the Supreme Kai."

He nodded. "Yes, but you've surpassed even me in strength. I wouldn't stand a chance against you."

Refusing to believe this, Kibito snorted and crossed his arms, looking away. "Ridiculous."

Supreme Kai smiled at his friend's remark. "It's true, Kibito, whether you believe it or not." He held out his hand to Trunks. "Now come, we have not a moment to lose."

Trunks began to reach for his hand when Baba's shout stopped him. "Hold it right there!" All heads turned to her. "I have something very important to tell you before you go back. It's regarding the Dragon Balls."

Trunks raised an eyebrow. "What about the Dragon Balls?"

Baba folded her hands. "While looking into the alternate timeline, I made a startling discovery. I must warn you about overusing the Dragon Balls."

"Overusing the Dragon Balls?"

The witch nodded. "Yes, now listen closely. You know that all forms of energy contain both positive and negative energy. Yin and Yang. This goes for the Dragon Balls as well. Every time you make a wish, all the negative energy that helps to make the wish come true is sealed away in the Dragon Balls. But if you use the Dragon Balls too much, then the Dragon Balls will burst, and all the negative energy will escape."

Trunks didn't like the sound of that. "And what happens if it does?"

Baba gave him a serious look. "I saw this in the alternate timeline. After the negative energy escaped, it gave birth to seven evil dragons. Goku was able to defeat these dragons and restore the Dragon Balls to normal, but we must not let that happen here. If it does, you'll be facing enemies with unspeakable power, so strong that they will make Baby seem like a pushover."

Trunks' eyes were wide in shock. "So, there's actually a limit to the Dragon Balls' uses."

Baba shook her head. "Not quite. Ordinarily, when a wish is made, the negative energy will seep out slowly and harmlessly over time. But for every wish, it takes a hundred years for the energy to dissipate. That's why they scatter after the wish is granted, to give the negative energy time to disperse. But with that radar your mother invented, collecting the Dragon Balls has become child's play."

Trunks looked down, not liking this bit of news. "So we can only use the Dragon Balls a few more times. How many wishes can the dragon grant before the negative energy becomes too much?"

Baba blinked. "Um, lets see." She gazed into her crystal ball. "I'll have to look at the other timeline and count all the wishes. Ok, lets see now. There was the pair of underwear, removing the Blood Rubies from the Land of Gurumes, bringing Bora back to life, restoring King Piccolo's youth, bringing back to life the people King Piccolo killed, restoring the moon that my idiot brother destroyed, Garlic Jr. wishing for immortality, restoring Lord Slug's youth, melting the ice frozen over Dr. Wheelo's laboratory, restoring the forest after it was burned down, bringing Goku back to life, bringing back all the people killed by Frieza, bringing back all the people killed by Cell, removing the bombs in 17 and 18's chests, briefly reviving Goku to help defeat Broly, bringing back everyone Vegeta killed at the World Martial Arts Tournament-"

"Wait," Trunks interrupted, "my father killed people?"

Baba glared at him. "Yes, and don't interrupt. Now where was I? Ah yes. Removing the memories of Majin Buu from everyone, and to open the magic music box that contained Tapion. Phew, that's all. Oh, wait, there were also the two made before Bulma made the Dragon Radar. My brother mentioned it before. Someone once wished to rule the world, which caused a great deal of trouble. Several years later, another wish was made to remove all the evils that first wish made. The Dragon Balls didn't have the one hundred years needed to dissipate the negative energy from those two wishes either. Ok, so including those two, that's, lets see now, one, two, three… a total of twenty wishes. That's when the Dragon Balls cracked. Upon attempting to make a twenty-first wish, the negative energy was released."

Old Kai snorted. "Bah, using the Dragon Balls for every little thing. It's outrageous. Can't this generation do anything on it's own? That pair of woman's underwear that stupid pig wished for was the only good wish." He glared at Trunks. "Don't you go making the same mistake the people in that timeline made."

Trunks sweat-dropped and glanced at Baba. "So, how many wishes do we have left in this timeline?"

Baba checked quickly. "Twelve. You can make twelve more wishes before the Dragon Balls crack. After that, if you attempt to use them again, the negative energy will be unleashed."

Trunks nodded in understanding. "How about the Namekian Dragon Balls?"

Baba just waved it off. "You don't need to worry about them. They can hold ten times as much negative energy as the earth's Dragon Balls. In any case, as things stand, it's going to take 1400 years for the current amount of negative energy stored in the Dragon Balls to dissipate."

Trunks nodded in understanding. "Right. I'll make sure the Dragon Balls aren't used lightly anymore." He turned to Supreme Kai. "All right, I'm ready to go back now."

Supreme Kai held out his hand again. Trunks grasped it and the two disappeared.

"Good luck." Baba muttered.

Goku just smiled. "Don't worry, he'll do it. He's the son of Vegeta after all."

"Yeah," Old Kai agreed, "everything will turn out ok." A dreamy look appeared on his face and he began drooling. "And once he defeats that big bad Baby, I'll get my date and kiss from that Earth girl. With lipstick, of course. Hee, hee, hee!"

Chapter 29: Rematch

They reappeared on Kami's Lookout, as it was the easiest place to reach, being closet to Other World. Trunks let go of the Supreme Kai's hand and nodded his head in thanks.

"I thank you for all that you've done."

Supreme Kai gave him a smile. "You can thank me by defeating that abomination."

Trunks nodded. "It's a promise."

Supreme Kai bid him farewell and vanished. The smile left Trunks' face and his eyes narrowed. Without even stopping to see Dende and Mr. Popo, he took off, flying towards Baby's energy signal.

As he flew over the Lookout, he was spotted by Dende. The Namek's eyes lit up at seeing his friend still alive and he quickly went to tell Bulma and Mr. Popo the good news.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

18 stumbled back as Baby slowly made his way towards her. She snarled at the machine mutant, trying to think of some way she might be able to win.

"Why do you keep fighting?" Baby asked. "You must realize by now that you're not strong enough to win. All you're doing is prolonging the inevitable."

18 hated to admit it, but he was right. She was already dead. The only thing left for her to do would be for her to choose her gravesite. And she decide that her final resting place would be wherever she dropped dead trying to kill this freak.

"Do you give up?" Baby asked. "I promise to be merciful and grant you a quick death if you do."

In response, 18 created two Energy Disks and threw them at Baby. He didn't even bother to avoid them and they sliced straight through his body. But his injuries immediately healed, leaving him in one piece.

"I figured as much." Baby commented.

He sped towards her and slammed his knee into her gut. Spittle sprayed out of 18's mouth and she was left gasping in pain. Then his large fist slammed into her and she went crashing down. But she refused to stay down, and she immediately got to her feet, though she was slouching over.

Baby moved directly behind her, smiling at her futile attempt to keep fighting. "Had enough yet?"

18 whirled around and fired a powerful energy blast at point-blank range. She smiled, having made direct contact, but the smirk was wiped off her face when the smoke cleared to reveal Baby scowling at her, unharmed.

"You really don't learn, do you?"

His hand shot out, wrapping around 18's neck. She gagged as he lifted her in the air. Placing his hand on her chest, he began to gather energy. 18 braced herself just before he unleashed a powerful blast of energy.

18 slammed into the ground and remained motionless. She coughed a few times and twitched in pain, but seemed to be down for the count. At least that's how it seemed to Baby.

"Looks like she's finished." He said to himself. Raising his hand, he began to gather even more energy for a stronger attack, intending to make sure he really did finish her off this time. "When you see your saiyan friend, tell him that that I'll take good care of his planet."

He fired. 18's eyes suddenly snapped open and his disappeared. She reappeared in front of Baby and formed a ball of energy in her hand, both punching and blasting him in the face at the same time. Baby stumbled backwards and fell over. When the smoke cleared, he looked at 18 angrily.

"Even now, you refuse to just die."

18 was breathing heavily. "You forget, I have an unlimited supply on energy."

Baby stood up, dusting himself off. "That may be true, but you're body can only take so much damage. And something tells me that it's at its limit."

He pointed a finger at her and fired a beam of energy. 18 fell backwards and went down, her strength nearly depleted. Baby stood over her, the sure victor. He raised his hand to the sky and it began glowing with energy.

"This will end it." he told her, planning to finish her off once and for all.

18 stared at him defiantly, even though she knew that she would not survive this next attack; not with the amount of energy he was gathering.

That's when she detected another powerful source of energy. She looked away from Baby, in the direction she sensed the strong power source. Even Baby seemed to sense it. Lowering his hand, he turned in the same direction.

"Expecting company?" he asked.

18 ignored him. She was trying to figure out who was coming. She knew who it felt like, but that was impossible. Yet there was no mistaking it. She would know that energy signature anywhere.

Her face lit up joyfully. "I don't believe it. It's really him. He's still alive."

"What?" Baby snarled. "That's not possible. I saw him die."

18 turned to him, a large smirk on her face. "Then we were both mistaking. That's Trunks all right. He's alive, and he's coming to kill you."

The person they sensed got closer and was soon coming in for a landing. Trunks had arrived, and he did not look happy. He stared Baby down as he walked over to 18, standing in front of her protectively.

"And where we you been?" she asked, wiping away tears of joy. "I thought you were dead."

He gave her a smile. "Well, I was in Other World, but I wasn't dead."

Baby crossed his arms. "I don't know why I'm surprised to see you. Saiyans are the vermin of the universe. They're like cockroaches, very disgusting and hard to kill." He cracked his knuckles. "This time I'll make sure to snap your neck so there's no chance that you'll survive."

Trunks glared at him. "No, Baby. It will be you who will die today. I'm not the same person I was yesterday. I've changed."

Baby's gaze landed on his tail. "You think regrowing your tail will help you? All you've done is made yourself more recognizable as a saiyan."

"That's not all I've done." Trunks told him. "I received special training from the Supreme Kais themselves. I have a lot more power at my disposal now."

Baby snickered. "Is that so? Then show me, oh mighty saiyan. Let me see just how powerful you've become."

Trunks braced himself. 'This is it. Time to see if the old man's magic really worked.'

He transformed, becoming a Super Saiyan, then he changed again, becoming an Ascended Saiyan. Then he started to power up, and his power began to rise.

Baby stood watching, not expecting much. He assumed that Trunks had done whatever 18 had done to raise her power. Though he would surely be stronger than her, he still wouldn't be strong enough to win.

But Trunks power kept rising. It had already passed what Baby had anticipated. He smiled, thinking that perhaps he would have a worthy challenge. But soon his smile turned into a frown as Trunks power continued to increase. Now he was getting nervous. What was going on? There was no way, no way, anyone could have gained so much power in such a short time.

"What is this?" he demanded. "What have you done?"

Trunks cried out as his power rose further. He regretted getting angry with Old Kai. The guy really knew what he was doing. This was more than Trunks ever could have expected. And he hadn't even hit his maximum yet.

18 was staring at him in awe. She had no idea what kind of training he had undergone in Other World, but the results were amazing. His power was closing in on Baby's, and it was still going up.

Finally Trunks reached his limit and his power exploded around him. He glowed brightly with a golden aura, his newfound power shocking them all.

Baby took a step back uncertainly. "This isn't possible. How did you become so strong?"

Feeling confident, Trunks smirked at the Tuffle. "Unlike some people, I work hard to become stronger. I don't take over anyone's body because I'm too weak to fight on my own."

Baby glared at him. "You may be a lot stronger, but you're still not as strong as me. The odds are still in my favor."

"True," Trunks agreed, "but you have to admit that we're on a more even playing field." He grinned. "Shall we begin?"

18 took cover as the two charged towards each other. At the same time, their fists collided with each other's faces. They were both knocked away from each other, but immediately went on the attack again with fists flying and legs kicking.

Baby kneed Trunks in the gut, and the saiyan buried his fist in the Tuffle's as well. Baby responded by balling his hands and bringing them down on Trunks' head. As Trunks went soaring to the ground, Baby flew down after him.

Trunks kicked off the ground and went speeding upward. Baby's eyes widened before Trunks' head collided with his. Both of them bounced off each other, rubbing their heads painfully.

"Ow!" Baby wailed. "What's the matter with you?"

In just as much pain, Trunks also massaged his head. "Yeah, not one of my better ideas."

"Then try this!"

Baby's arm extended outward. Trunks moved to the side and Baby's arm whizzed by him. He brought his elbow down on Baby's arm. The machine mutant grunted and pulled back his arm. Trunks flew towards him and repeatedly punched the Tuffle in the face. Baby grunted and groaned as Trunks' blows landed again and again.

Suddenly Baby's torso stretched out and wrapped around Trunks like a python. He grinned as he squeezed tightly, causing Trunks to gasp in pain.

Snickering, Baby stuck his face right in front of Trunks pain-twisted one. "Having some trouble breathing?"

Trunks responded by slamming his forehead into Baby's face. The Tuffle's hold loosened and Trunks was able to pull one of his arms free. His hand shot out and wrapped around Baby's throat. Pulling his other arm free, he held Baby's head in place and repeatedly pounded him in the face.

Baby's hand grabbed Trunks' hair and pulled his head back. Trunks kicked upward, hitting Baby in the back of the head. While the Tuffle was dazed, he flew out of his hold and unleashed a Burning Attack.

The attack forced Baby to the ground, creating an explosion upon impact. Trunks landed a short distance away as Baby jumped out of the dust cloud. He seemed somewhat irritated as he looked at his opponent.

"Not bad." He commented. "You're a lot stronger now than you were before."

Trunks smirked. "Feeling a little uncertain?"

Baby laughed. "Don't be ridiculous. I still have the advantage."

He fired a blast of energy. Trunks vanished from out of the attack's path and reappeared behind Baby. He kicked out with both feet, knocking the Tuffle to the ground. Baby's upper body suddenly twisted completely around and he shot lasers out of his eyes. Trunks held up his arms to defend himself.

Baby suddenly lunged at him, and they both went crashing to the ground. Trunks struggled to force the Tuffle off him as Baby held him down with one hand and repeatedly punched him in the side.

Trunks managed to get free enough to bury his fist in Baby's gut, sending the Tuffle flying in the air. Hopping to his feet, he prepared his next at. "Galick Gun!"

His attack hit, but Baby's form just faded away. An After Image. Baby was right behind him, kicking out. Trunks ducked beneath the kick and delivered a powerful uppercut into Baby's jaw.

Trunks turned around to face Baby, who was rubbing his jaw. He smirked at him, coming to a realization. "Looks like you don't have the advantage over me after all."

Baby glared at him. "What are you saying? I'm the most powerful being in the universe."

"You mean Rilldo is." Trunks corrected. "You're just in control of his body because you're too weak on your own."

"What? How dare you!"

Trunks smirked. "You know it's true. And I've made a discovery. While you're in Rilldo's body, you may be stronger than me, but you're not much of a fighter."

Baby was seething furiously. "You miserable saiyan monkey. I'll kill you slowly for that."

They came together again, locking hands. They pushed against each other, trying to force the other one back. This is where baby's superior strength gave him an advantage and Trunks began to lose ground. His feet dug into the gravel, ripping up the ground as Baby pushed him back.

"Do you really think you can beat me?" Baby asked. "I've got all the hatred and thirst for vengeance of the Tuffles backing me up."

Trunks gritted his teeth and pushed back harder. He wasn't able to force Baby back, but he prevented him from pushing him further.

"The saiyans paid for their mistakes." Trunks told him, refusing to back down. "They're all dead. You're race has been avenged."

Baby snarled. "Not as long as there's a single saiyan left alive."

"I'm not my ancestors!" Trunks shouted. "All I want is to be left in peace. But freaks like you won't let things be. You have no right to do this. You're hurting and killing innocent people, taking their free will away. The humans are not the saiyans. You can't justify you're actions. Didn't you say that the Tuffles were a peaceful race?"

"No longer. Being peaceful made the Tuffles weak. Never again shall the Tuffles be peaceful. Our purpose now is universal domination. That way the entire universe will know the greatness of the Tuffles. We shall be the greatest race in the universe, because we shall be every race in the universe!"

Trunks felt himself slipping. "Well I won't let that happen."

He jumped up and kicked Baby in the stomach. Baby grunted and leaned forward, allowing Trunks to pull away and slam his fist into the Tuffle's face. Baby tumbled head over heals backwards until he crashed into something to stop his momentum. Growling, he pulled himself free and got to his feet. He stared at Trunks with the utmost hatred.

'How could this happen? How could anyone, saiyan or otherwise, become so powerful in such a short time. I have the advantage over him, but I can't deny the fact that there is a chance that I might be defeated.' He studied Trunks carefully. "I had better not underestimate him. Saiyans have a certain way of coming through in the end. And I can't deny the fact that he has had several years more fighting experience than I have. Perhaps it would be best to outsmart him rather than to take him head on.'

An evil grin crept up his face. "I don't know what you did to become so strong so quickly, but it won't help you. In the end, you're still nothing but a lousy saiyan monkey."

He launched his fist at him. Trunks vanished and Baby's flying fist missed. He appeared right in front of Baby and delivered a powerful kick to the Tuffle's face. Trunks grinned as Baby went down. He raised his hand to unleash a blast of energy at the fallen machine mutant.

That's when it happened. A blinding pain overcame him and his strength completely vanished. Slowly, he looked over his shoulder to see that the hand that Baby had launched at him had doubled back and grabbed hold of his tail.

Baby snickered, looking up at the saiyan. "Stupid boy."

Trunks dropped down to his normal form and fell to the ground as the dismembered hand gripped his tail tightly. "You weren't… even trying… to hit me… with… that attack…"

Baby casually walked behind Trunks and reattached his arm, making sure to keep a firm grip. "Did you think I was so foolish that I didn't know the only weakness of a saiyan? I wonder how badly this hurts."

He squeezed tighter and Trunks cried out. It hurt, it hurt so bad. Pain he could deal with, but the feeling of having no strength at all was the worst. It was like he was paralyzed, unable to defend himself.

Baby lifted his foot and stomped down on Trunks' back. Sneering, he bent down and lifted Trunks' head up by his hair. Then he repeatedly slammed the saiyan's face into the ground.

"How does it feel?" Baby asked, grinding Trunks' face into the dirt. "Tell me, what's it like to feel completely helpless against your enemy while he kills you off. That's the pain my people felt while you saiyans exterminated them."

He pulled on Trunks' tail, dragging him across the ground. He swung him through the air, slamming him down on the ground face-up. Holding his tail tightly, Baby raised his hand and began firing blasts of energy. Trunks was helpless to defend himself as he was repeatedly blasted again and again. He knew only pain and the sound of Baby's laughter.

"Is this the fairytale ending you were expecting?" Baby asked. "Did you think you'd be able to defeat me and save the day? Foolish saiyan. I'm the savior!" Rather than individual blasts, he fired one powerful repeating blast. "You think I'm the parasite infecting everyone? Wrong! This whole universe is diseased, filled with infection! I am the cure! And you saiyan scum are the main source of filth that's polluting my universe! But I will have none of it! I'm going to purify everyone and unite them as one! One race, one mind, with me in control! That is my destiny! To cleanse this world, and all others!"

At this point, Trunks could no longer hear him. He was blacking out. Even the pain was fading as he began losing consciousness. Baby sensed this and increased the power in his energy blast. Trunks eyes rolled up into his head as the last of his strength began to drain.

Baby grinned. "Clean."

A powerful kick slammed into his head, knocking him away from Trunks. 18 dropped to her knees by Trunks' side and tried to rouse the saiyan.

"Trunks, hang on. You're going to be ok. We're getting out of here."

One of Baby's arms stretched out and grabbed 18, pulling her towards him. He glared at her angrily, upset that she had ruined the moment.

"Stupid foolish girl." He growled to her, holding her up by her arm. "You should have known not to interfere."

18 tried to kick him, but his arm shot up, blocking the kick. Then he spun around and threw her. His arm stretched out and grabbed her leg, pulling her back again, right into his fist. He repeated this, playing with her like a paddleball, before finally slamming her to the ground.

He turned to Trunks. "It seems like you've been granted a little longer to live. Now watch as I kill her right in front of you."

Groaning, Trunks reached out helplessly. "18…"

Baby grinned, glad to see that Trunks was looking. Then he turned back to 18 and kicked her, causing her to roll onto her back. With a snicker, he jumped in the air and landed on her. 18 gasped in pain as he sat on her, pushing down with all his weight.

"I'm no gentleman." He told her. "I don't mind hitting a girl."

His fist slammed into her, snapping her head to the left. He grinned and hit her again, snapping her head to the right. Laughing, he kept her pinned down as he repeatedly punched her, again and again.

Trunks grunted, reaching out to them. He had no strength left. While Baby had held his tail, he'd received quite the beating. His body was fried from the energy blasts he had been hit with, and his wounds stung badly.

With blurry vision, he looked at Baby sitting on 18 and constantly beating her. He groaned and managed to roll onto his stomach, but then his strength gave out again.

Baby glanced over his shoulder, noticing that Trunks had managed to move from his spot. It just made him grin. "Coming to get a better view?" He snickered. "Then let me give you something to look at."

Climbing off of 18, he placed his foot on her head. He glanced at Trunks and began to press down. 18 cried out in pain as Baby pushed down on her harder, watching Trunks' reaction. It amused him to see the saiyan so angry.

Calling on the last reserves of his strength, Trunks began to crawl across the ground over to them. Baby's grin widened and he began to press down harder, increasing 18's screams.

"I wonder how long it will be before her head is crushed."

He lifted up his other foot, putting his full weight down on her. 18's screams intensified and tears started running down her cheeks. The ground fractured beneath her head as Baby used even more force.

Trunks continued dragging himself across the ground. He was getting close now. Only a little bit more until he could reach out and touch them.

Baby suddenly leapt off 18 and kicked her further away from Trunks, then danced back over to her. "Getting a little too close there." He said to Trunks. "But this is a look, don't touch show."

A blast of energy suddenly hit him from behind. He turned around to glare angrily at 18. He stood over her and stomp down on her stomach. 18 cried out as a crater formed beneath her. He did it again, making the crater bigger, then did it a third and fourth time.

"You've got to be a real idiot, you know that." Stomp. "It's plainly obvious that you don't stand a chance against me." Stomp. "While I was distracted with that lousy saiyan, you could have made your escape." Stomp. "You're an android, you could have left the planet without a ship." Stomp. "You could have found some other place to live." Stomp. "I can't sense your energy." Stomp. "I never would have found you." Stomp. "You could have lived the rest of your life in peace, away from me." Stomp. "But instead, you decided to stay behind and help that pathetic saiyan."

He stomped down one last time. 18 had stopped moving at this point. Baby stood over her with his arms crossed and a smile on his face. It was all over for her. She was finished. There would be no more interfering from her. But just to be sure…

"You know, it's such a waste." He told her. "But I guess I shouldn't be surprised; you've been in contact with a saiyan. But don't worry." He raised his hand, ready to kill her once and for all. "I'll put you out of your misery."

Chapter 30: The Next Level

"Get away from her!"

Baby looked over his shoulder at Trunks. The saiyan was on his feet again, seething with fury.

"Well, well," the Tuffle remarked, "look at this. You're still able to stand on your feet after all that." He turned back to 18. "Now be a good boy and just stay right there while I deal with this piece of scrap metal."

"I said get away from her!" He transformed to an Ascended Saiyan again, his power rising regardless of his aching body. "You will not touch her AGAIN!"

He cried out loudly as his power exploded outward. Baby looked back at him, squinting as dirt and rocks flew past his face. The increase of the boy's power was interesting him.

"Scream, scream, scream." Baby muttered. "That's all you saiyans do. Can't you just shut up already?"

Trunks just cried out louder. His entire body was pulsing with energy. The smile on Baby's face dropped as he felt Trunks' power rising. Then surprise turned to horror as the boy's strength continued going up even higher.

"What? What's happening? The guy was half dead a moment ago. Where is he drawing this power from?"

Trunks' body surged with power and he began to glow. A tornado of energy surrounded him, swirling around the clouds over his head. Beads of sweat ran down his head as he began twitching. His veins bulged out all over, his muscles shaking. Then his golden hair began to extend. First a little, then some more, before it began growing at a much faster rate.

Baby's eyes were wide with disbelief as he watched Trunks slowly transform. The boy's hair kept growing as his power went through the roof and kept going. His entire body was lit up with gold light, his energy aura shattering the hard ground under his feet.

His hair continued extending until it reached his waist. Then he threw back his head and shouted to the sky as an explosion of energy burst from his body. Baby was blinded by the light and forced to look away. He slowly turned back to the saiyan and stared at him in horror.

Trunks had transformed. His golden hair was down past his waist, his large muscles even bigger. Even his facial features were different, making him look far more intimidating. And his eyes were different as well. They were larger, sharper, more focused, glaring at Baby with incredible fury.

Baby was shaking fearfully and unconsciously took a step back. "What have you done? What happened to you?"

Trunks continued staring at Baby. "Truthfully, I have no idea. But if I had to take a guess, I'd say I just ascended to the next level."

Baby growled. "You saiyans and your damn hair. You change your its color or length and you think you're so tough. Well let me tell you something, your little transformation isn't going to help you." He turned back to 18. "I'll deal with you once I finish off this whore. I'm tired of her interfering." He raised his hand to finish her off. "Say goodbye!"

Trunks moved so fast that Baby didn't even sense him. He grabbed Baby's raised hand and pulled it back. Baby cried out in pain, unable to believe how quickly the saiyan had moved.

"What, how did you…?"

"I said," Trunks hissed, pulling his arm back further, "you will not touch her again."

He dragged him back, away from 18. Twisting his arm further, he made Baby turn around. His grip tightened considerable and Baby dropped to his knees. He tried desperately to pull his hand free, but Trunks wouldn't release him.

"Unhand me!"

"What's wrong?" Trunks asked, in a calm voice. "Can't the mightiest being in the universe break the grip of a lousy saiyan monkey?" Growling, Baby liquefied his arm and pulled it away. Trunks slowly lowered his hand, his expression unchanging. "Apparently not. He has to resort to cheep tricks."

Baby got to his feet, rubbing his sore wrist. "Saiyan scum!"

He threw a punch, but Trunks vanished. Baby blinked, looking around. Trunks was nowhere in sight. He couldn't even sense him.

Then he appeared behind him. Baby froze, knowing where the saiyan was. Growling, he gathered energy and spun around, firing. But Trunks was gone again. He reappeared standing on top of Baby's head, hovering just enough to not put any weight down on him.

"How dare you." Baby snarled. "You dare to toy with me!"

He made an attempt to grab at Trunks, but before he barely moved, Trunks had disappeared again, reappearing in front of him, and slammed his fist in Baby's gut. The Tuffle's eyes widened in shock and pain as Trunks' fist buried into him nearly up to his elbow.

"AH!" Trunks cried, unleashing a blast of energy into Baby's torso.

For a moment, Baby blacked out. Then next thing he knew, he was laying on his back, looking up at the sky. Grunting in pain, he forced himself to stand up. He saw Trunks standing a good thirty feet away in the same position he had been in when he had blasted him.

"Damn saiyan." Baby grumbled, getting to his feet. "Damn saiyan!"

He tried to stand up, but immediately fell over. To his surprise, he didn't hit the ground. Trunks had appeared behind him, holding onto him so he wouldn't fall over.

"Feel helpless?" Trunks taunted humorlessly. "It's not much fun being at someone else's mercy, is it?"

He tossed Baby over his shoulder, then was at him again. It felt like Baby was having every square inch of his body hit at the same time. A single powerful blow turned Baby's head completely around, which would have killed him if his body wasn't able to mold into any shape.

He fell flat on his back, his face hitting the ground. Groaning, his head turned back to its original position. He saw Trunks standing over him, and forced himself to sit up. Raising his arm, he launched his fist. Trunks easily caught the flying fist with one hand. Once it stopped moving, he blasted it, and it was completely disintegrated.

Baby snarled as his hand grew back. With a savage cry, he disappeared. Trunks fist shot out, seeming to hit nothing but air, but Baby suddenly appeared at the other end. He stumbled back, rubbing his jaw, then went on the attack. He threw a rapid series of punches and kicks, but Trunks easily dodged them. Not a single hit landed.

"Why don't you fight back?" Baby demanded. "Is defending all you can-"

Trunks' fist once again buried in Baby's gut. A shower of spittle flew from Baby's mouth as he grunted in pain.

"I'm sorry." said Trunks. "I thought you wanted me to fight back. Was I wrong?"

Baby snarled and disappeared again. Trunks' arm shot straight up, colliding with Baby's face as he appeared behind the saiyan. The Tuffle dropped to the ground, holding his face, his nose broken, though it immediately healed itself.

"Tell me, Baby," said Trunks, "how does it feel to be toyed with? To have someone stronger than you able to do whatever they want, and you're powerless to stop them? I bet that's how all your victims felt. Everyone you've ever killed or taken over. It hurts, doesn't it?"

Baby looked up at him, seeing his back turned. "You foolish saiyan. Your puny little mind can't possibly understand a superior being such as myself."

He lunged for Trunks' tail, going for his weakness. The tail moved away just before Baby's hand closed around it, then swatted him in the face with enough force to knock Baby to the ground.

"Going for my weakness while my back is turned?" Trunks asked. "That's really low." He turned to face him. "Then again, someone as weak and pathetic as you couldn't possibly understand that."

Baby roared angrily and jumped away from him. He began firing blasts of energy at the saiyan at a rapid pace. Trunks didn't even bother to avoid them. He cried out loudly and his own energy surged outward. Baby's energy blasts bounced off his aura easily.

The Tuffle was furious. "Oh yeah, take this!"

He fired a much stronger blast of energy. Trunks braced himself and kicked the energy blast, sending it up into space. "Is that all? I'm not impressed."

Baby growled. "Don't you dare look down on me! Your attacks are nothing compared to mine!"

"Oh no? Let's see. Masenko-Ha!"

A powerful blast of energy burst from Trunks' hands. Baby's eyes widened in shock and he held his hands up to defend himself. The attack slammed into him and he went flying. The attack forced him up and away until he was finally able to push himself off the blast of energy.

Breathing heavily, he turned around to see Trunks hovering in the air a few feet in front of him. "Damn you…"

"You asked for it." Trunks pointed out. "But it seems it was a bit too much for you. Tell you what, I'll give you a handicap." He put his left arm behind his back. "I'll only fight you with one arm."

Baby's nails dug into his palms. "You dare to mock me? I'll tear you apart!"

He flew at Trunks, his fists flying. Trunks easily dodged them, not even bothering to fight back. At least not for a while. As he promised, he used only one hand, repeatedly punching Baby in the gut. The speed of his blows happened so fast that, to Baby, it appeared as if he had many fists, each one seeming to collide into his chest and stomach at the same time.

Baby's entire body was frozen in the same position, his eyes bulging out of his head as Trunks' blows kept coming. Then Trunks slammed his elbow into Baby's chest with such force that Baby felt his entire body break. He fell from the sky, crashing to the ground with a loud thud.

Trunks landed close by, looking down at him in disgust. Baby's inside shifted around, healing themselves while Trunks waited. Once he had recovered, Baby sat up; his angry eyes landing on Trunks.

"Still too much?" the saiyan asked. "Ok then." He crossed his arms in front of him. "I won't use my arms at all."

Enraged, Baby shouted out his fury and went on the attack. Trunks casually floated backwards, using his legs to block Baby's punches. The ease and casualness that he did this with angered Baby further. With a loud roar, his power exploded outward. Trunks simply jumped back, moving out of range of the explosion of energy.

Once he was a good distance away, he flew back towards him, kicking out with both feet. He broke through the growing sphere of energy surrounding Baby, slamming into him with such force that the Tuffle went flying.

"Enough!" Baby bellowed, stopping his momentum. "You will not make a fool out of me!"

He opened his mouth and unleashed a beam of bright green energy. Trunks easily dodged it and watched as it hit the ground. But rather than exploded like a normal energy blast, it spread like a liquid. When the light vanished, the whole area the attack had spread over was covered in metal.

This surprised Trunks. He hadn't expected that to happen. Baby took notice of the surprised look on his face and laughed. "Like that, do you? That's General Rilldo's Metal Breath attack. It traps whatever it touches in a fine sheet of metal. Not even you, with all your power, can defend against it."

Trunks gave him a look of disapproval. "All you're doing is proving how weak you are by using someone else's attacks."

Baby snarled. "I'll show you weak!"

He fired more Metal Breath. Trunks was careful to avoid it as Baby unleashed it again and again. It wasn't long before metal covered everything, and yet Baby kept up the attack.

'Enough of this.' Trunks decided.

As Baby opened his mouth to fire again, Trunks appeared in front of him, his fist coming up and slamming into Baby's chin. The attack went off in Baby's mouth and his cheeks swelled greatly.

"Sorry about that." Trunks told him. "I know I said I wouldn't use my hands, but I didn't care for the way you were redecorating everything."

Baby was coughing and sputtering, clawing at his throat. His mouth stretched open wide and he spat out a large shapeless ball of metal. He coughed a few times, patting his chest, before glaring at Trunks.

"You… think you're so… smart…" He grinned. "But what you failed to realize is that I was doing more than redecorating."

Dropping down from the sky, he landed on the metal ground and his entire body turned silver. Trunks raised an eyebrow as Baby melted into the ground. A strange sensation came over Trunks. He suddenly felt like Baby was all around him.

Two silver arms shot up out of the metal ground over fifty feet apart. Each one grabbed Trunks' legs and pulled. Trunks glanced down at the two arms, feeling them unsuccessfully pull on him.

He began spinning around at a rapid pace. The two arms twisted together tightly until their grip slipped. In a tangle of limbs, they sank back into the metal and disappeared.

"That's interesting." Trunks commented.

Baby's laughter echoed all around him. "You have no idea."

He burst up from the metal, but it was only from his waist up. The lower portion of his body remained connected to the metal ground. Trunks' eyes narrowed as Baby flew at him. He kicked the approaching machine mutant. Baby hit the metal again, sinking into it like it was water.

From the other side of the metal area, Baby flew towards him again. Trunks fired a blast of energy, blowing Baby to pieces. The pieces fell back to the metal ground, splashing into it.

"Is this all you've got, Baby?" he asked.

This time, five Babys flew out of the ground, reaching for the saiyan. Trunks cried out loudly and his energy flared out. All five Babys were completely obliterated, leaving nothing left.

"I guess that's it." he said in a bored tone.

Once again, Baby's laughed echoed around him. The metal on the ground twisted to form Baby's features. "Foolish saiyan. You can't possibly comprehend my abilities. I've merged with this metal. I'm all around you now. Each individual piece is a part of me. So go ahead, destroy me all you want. I'll simply regenerate."

Trunks considered this a moment before smiling. "Merged with the metal, huh? Well, what happens if there is no metal?"

"What?"

Trunks braced himself, then unleashed a powerful burst of energy. The image of Baby's face in the metal looked shocked as the waves of energy came at him. The entire land was enveloped in golden energy as Trunks' attacked leveled the whole area.

When the attack died down, the metal was gone, completely incinerated, and a large crater was in its place. The only bit that remained was a small puddle of metal. The puddle grew bigger and reformed into Baby.

Trunks came down, looking at Baby with a neutral expression on his face. "Guess you're weren't as invincible as you thought."

Baby struggled to get up, his face twisted with fury. "You… you think you can do this to me? I'll show you. I'll make you pay." He turned to face Trunks. "I'll make you pay!"

His mouth opened and Baby's true form flew out at Trunks. The saiyan reacted quickly. His aura flared outward. Baby hit it like it was a solid wall. He quickly retreated, going back inside Rilldo's body.

Trunks' aura died down and he stared at the Tuffle. "You can't possess me, Baby. I won't let you."

Baby was at his wits end. He began floating up in the air, having come to a decision. "Fine then. If I can't kill you and I can't possess, then I'll destroy this whole planet and everything on it. Then we'll see how long you can last in the cold darkness of space without any air!"

He raised his hands and began to summon up all his power for his most devastating attack. A black ball of energy appeared over his head and began growing at a rapid pace. Trunks could feel nothing from it but pure anger and hatred. It grew to an incredible size, with more than enough energy to destroy the planet.

Baby laughed maniacally. "How do you like this? It's my Super Revenge Death Ball! Consider it the opposite of a Spirit Bomb! It's made up off pure negative energy, containing all of the anger, hatred, and thirst for revenge that everyone has ever felt for the saiyan race! All that power contained in one massive ball of energy!" He grinned broadly at Trunks in an insane manor. "It's time to say goodbye to the last of the saiyans, and this wretched planet! Now DIE!"

He threw the massive ball of energy. Trunks eyes narrowed as it approached. This attack wasn't coming from Baby alone, but from all those who held a grudge against the saiyans. And it was powerful.

"All right then." He said. "I'll counter with an attack my best friend and mentor taught me." He cupped his hands together and prepared to use an attack that he hadn't used in years. "Ka-me-ha-me-HA!"

A large blast of energy burst from Trunks' hands. As bright as Baby's attack was dark, the two attacks came together, coming to a standstill. The vibrations from the two attacks shook the very planet, threatening to shatter it.

"It can't be!" Baby cried. "There's no way you can have as much power as my Death Ball! A lousy stinking saiyan can't possibly stand up to all the hatred of my race!"

"Don't be so sure, Baby!" Trunks shouted up at him. "While you have the intent to destroy, I want to protect! And that determination beats yours!"

More power erupted from him, traveling up the beam of energy and hitting the main sphere. The Kamehameha blast grew bigger and suddenly Baby's Death Ball began to get smaller as it was absorbed by Trunks' attack.

Baby's eyes widened in disbelief as him attack was completely consumed and then came flying towards him. "That's not possible! Damn you!"

He held out his hands to catch the blast. The attack didn't even slow down as it collided with him. He was able to keep it at arms length, but he couldn't push it back or stop it. The attack forced him back as it went higher, beyond the atmosphere and into space.

'Just as Goku did.' Trunks thought. 'Send him straight into the sun and incinerate him.'

He directed the attack so it headed right for the sun. Baby was helpless to do anything accept preventing the attack from consuming him.

"You rotten, lousy, no good, miserably saiyan monkey! How dare you do this to me! I swear I'll get out of this! And once I do, I'll come back and destroy everyone on the planet, whether I've infected them or not! Not a man, woman, or child will be spared! And what is that damn light?"

He looked over his shoulder to see the light that was proceeding to get brighter was coming from the sun. And the energy blast he was stuck on was on a collision course with it.

"The sun! He's forcing me into the sun! That damn monkey!" He could already feel his metal body beginning to liquefy, and not of his own will, as he began to skim the sun's surface. "You damn saiyan! YOU DAMN SAIYAN! AAAHHH!"

The energy blast finally forced its way into the sun and continued straight through. Baby howled in pain and fury as both him and Rilldo were completely reduced to nothing.

On the other side of the sun, the attack came bursting out and continued into space until it finally faded away.

Chapter 31: Healing and Feeling

Trunks slowly lowered his hands. Both Baby and Rilldo's energy signals had completely vanished. It had worked. Baby had been completely incinerated. It was over.

Trunks breathed a sigh of relief and looked around. There had been quite a bit of destruction, but it could have been a lot worse considering what had happened. And best of all, no innocents had died this time. True, Baby had managed to infect quite a few people, and they were still under his influence, but that would be dealt with soon enough.

"18." He whispered, remembering her.

Taking off, he flew to where he saw her last. His fight with Baby had moved them a ways away from where she was. Unable to sense her energy, he had no idea if she was still alive, and that worried him greatly. He didn't know why the idea of her being dead scared him so much, but it did.

Finally he came across her. She was still lying in the crater Baby had left her in. Landing by her side, a wave of relief swept over him as he noticed her breathing steadily.

Gently he scooped her up, holding her carefully in his arms. "18, 18, wake up."

Her eyelids twitched a few times before slowly cracking open. She stared at him for a moment, seemingly confused, then her eyes brightened with recognition. "Hey." She said with a smile.

Trunks returned her smile. "Hey, yourself."

She stared at him fondly then looked around. "I don't sense Baby anywhere. Did you do it?"

He nodded. "Yes, it's all over. Baby's gone."

He felt her relax further in his arms. "About time." Her gaze shifted to his long golden hair. "You need a haircut."

He chuckled. "I thought you liked my hair long."

"Not that long."

He grinned and turned back to normal. She smiled up at him and reached up, running her fingers through his lavender hair. "That's more like it."

Then she passed out in his arms. Trunks knew she would be all right. She was stronger than this; he knew that personally.

He turned his gaze upon the horizon. "Just one last thing to take care of."

Holding the android tightly, he took off, heading for Kami's Lookout.

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Trunks winced as his mother scolded him for letting her think he was dead. It was strange. Here he was, the most powerful being in the universe, and he was cowering under the wrath of his mother.

"Mom, I was having special training in Other World." he told her.

"I don't care!" Bulma shouted at him. "I'm aware that those kais are capable of communicating telepathically. All it would have taken was five seconds to let me know that you were still alive. Is that so much to ask for?"

Trunks hung his head in shame. "I'm… sorry…"

Dende looked up. "Excuse me, but do you mind? It's kind of hard to concentrate with you making all that noise."

He turned back to 18 and proceeded to heal her. Her wounds slowly vanished as she recovered from her ordeal. Her eyes slowly opened and she sat up.

"Easy, 18." The Guardian told her. "You may be healed, but don't push yourself too hard."

18 stubbornly got to her feet. "I'm fine." She dusted herself off. "Uch, that creep messed up my outfit, and after you just mended it too."

Dende smiled nervously and went to take care of Trunks, healing his wounds as well. Trunks thanked him and glanced at 18. "Feeling better?"

"Completely." She told him.

She casually walked over to him with a smile on her face. When she was right in front of him, her fist slammed into his jaw, knocking him down.

"Ow!" he cried. "What was that for?"

She glared at him furiously. "That's for letting me think you were dead, you big creep! I cried over you!" She began pummeling him with her fists. "Idiot, idiot, idiot!"

Bulma nodded along with what 18 was saying. "I told him the same thing. If you ever make me worry like that again, you better really be dead."

"Forget that!" 18 shouted, still pounding him with her fists. "I'm just going to kill him right now! Trunks, you're such a jerk!"

Thinking he'd taken enough punishment from her, he grabbed her fists. She struggled against him and he pulled her against his chest. She stopped fighting and began to weep. He just held her, trying to stop her tears.

"I'm sorry, 18. I promise not to put you through that again." He heard his mother clear her throat and glanced at her. "You too, Mom."

Mr. Popo chose that moment to arrive. "Um, excuse me, but I've got the Sacred Water you've requested."

Trunks turned to him. "Good. According to Baba, that should kill the eggs Baby laid in people and free them from his influence."

Mr. Popo nodded. "Then I'll let the water flow."

He walked over to the edge of the Lookout and took the lid off the jar. A golden mist rose out of it and streamed down below.

"Will this do it?" Bulma asked, looking down.

Mr. Popo nodded. "Yes, from here the water will spread across the entire planet. Simply breathing in the smallest bit will heal anyone of anything that ails them."

Dende went to stand by his side. "I'll keep an eye on things to make sure everyone is cured."

With his Guardian powers, he kept watch over the people of Earth. He watched as the golden mist descended over the people, infected or otherwise. The ones contaminated by Baby's influences were soon covered in a heavy blanket of gold mist. The eggs in their heads completely disintegrated, freeing them from the Tuffle's influence.

Finally, several hours later, Dende announced that the last of the infected people were cured. "It's all over now. Everything is back to normal."

"Almost everything." Said 18. "There was quite a bit of destruction. Maybe we should collect the Dragon Balls and repair the damage."

Which reminded Trunks of something very important. "No, we can't do that."

They all turned to him in surprise. "But why?" his mother asked. "We'll just get the radar and-"

"No." Trunks repeated. "We can't use the Dragon Balls lightly anymore. While in Other World, I was warned about using the Dragon Balls too much."

He explained to them what Baba had said about the negative energy being stored from each wish being stored in the Dragon Balls, and needing one hundred years for the negative energy to dissipate for every wish. Everyone, even Dende, was surprised by this new information.

"Gosh," said Bulma, "I had no idea. Glad we know."

"Shadow dragons, eh?" said 18. She pictured evil versions of Shenron and Porunga destroying everything. "Sounds serious. Just imagine having to face seven evil dragons. We better make sure that doesn't happen." She glanced at Dende. "Are you sure you didn't know about this?"

Dende shook his head. "No, no one ever mentioned any of this to me." He thought about it a moment. "It's possible that Guru knew. If he did, he probably didn't tell us because he didn't think the Dragon Balls would be used that much and didn't want to worry us."

"In any case, you should still warn them." Mr. Popo told him. "Whether it causes worry or not, it would still probably be better to know."

18 groaned. "Does this mean that we have to go all the way back to Namek to warn them?"

Dende shook his head. "No, don't worry about that. We Namekians have a special connection with each other. I can speak to them telepathically even from all the way on this planet."

Trunks was relieved to hear that. "Well that's good. I'm not up for another space voyage."

"Blah, blah, blah, you're needs! What about me?"

They were all caught off guard by the unexpected voice.

"What the?" Bulma muttered. "Who's that?"

"I'm not sure." Trunks replied. "But I think it was… Hey, Old Kai, is that you?"

"Of course it's me. I must say, you had me worried when Baby grabbed hold of your tail. But I'm glad to see that you're still in one piece. Ascending to Super Saiyan Three, huh. That was quite a nice touch."

Trunks smiled. "Thanks, but you're training was a great help too. I never could have done it without you."

"Yeah, about that. Now that the danger has passed, I've come to collect."

Trunks blinked in confusion. "Come to collect? What?"

"I raised your power on the condition that I would get something in return. Now I want what's coming to me. So stay there, I'll be down in a second."

Mr. Popo's looked surprised. "Wait, he said he's coming down. You mean to say one of the Supreme Kais is coming here?"

His question was answered as the elder kai suddenly appeared. He grinned happily and looked around. "So, this is where the Guardian of Earth stays. Not too shabby."

Both Dende and Mr. Popo bowed to him. "It's an honor to be in the presence of one of the kais." Said the latter.

"Especially a Supreme Kai." Dende added.

Old Kai just waved it off. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. I never was one for gravelling. I just want my end of the bargain fulfilled."

Dende nodded. "Certainly, sir. Whatever you want. Just name it."

"Very well then." A lecherous grin appeared on Old Kai's face and he suddenly appeared in front of 18. "Ready to go, dear?"

18 gave him a surprised look. "What are you talking about, old man? Ready to go where?"

Old Kai chuckled. "Why, on our date, of course. I was promised a date with an Earth girl. And that would be you, my dear? Just as Goku promised."

They were all surprised by this unexpected turn of events. Trunks was not only surprised, but was also overcome by a surge of jealousy, which confused him further. "Goku promised what?"

"A date with her." said Old Kai, a trail of drool running down his chin. "And a kiss as well." He giggled. "With lipstick, of course."

18 was seething with fury. Her nails dug into her palm as her fist shook in her anger. Old Kai made the mistake of getting too close and she sent him flying through the air with a powerful punch. He landed on his head several feet away, completely dazed.

Dende and Mr. Popo were horrified by her behavior while Trunks and Bulma looked like they wouldn't expect anything less from her.

"18, how could you?" Mr. Popo cried.

"He's one of the Supreme Kais!" Dende added.

"I don't care!" 18 snapped. "I'm not kissing that old goat, or dating him!"

Old Kai got to his feet, looking furious. "How dare you hit me! You've got a lot of nerve! I'm the one who gave Trunks his new power! I dedicated over a whole day to his training! The least you could do is give me an hour or two of your time!"

"Not happening." She motioned at Bulma. "If you want a date with an Earth girl, date her."

Before Bulma could say anything, Old Kai spoke. "Her? No way. She's too old."

Bulma's eyes flashed furiously. "Too old! You've got some nerve! Have you looked in the mirror lately? You're not exactly in your best years either, buddy!"

Old Kai crossed his arms. "Fine then. Don't keep you're end of the bargain." He pointed at Trunks. "That's the last time I help you or anyone else without getting paid in advance!"

Then he disappeared, going back to Other World.

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It was late at night, and all was quite at Capsule Corp. While Trunks was taking a well deserved rest after a hard day's worth of fighting, someone else who didn't need to sleep unless she wanted to was making her way to his room. Technically, it was the guest room he was sleeping in, as 18 had taken over his, but she certainly didn't mind sharing the room with him, and the bed. And this was to be another one of her attempts get him to stay with her. Hopefully, permanently this time.

She creaked open the door to his room and peaked in. Trunks was fast asleep. The poor guy must be exhausted after facing Baby. Not to mention he hadn't gotten any sleep during his twenty-five hour training session with Old Kai. But she was sure he would be able to stay awake long enough to accept what she offered. Besides, it may have only been a day for him, but she had been away from him for a whole year. She couldn't wait any longer.

Entering the room, she stood by the foot of his bed, admiring him. He slept shirtless, as she was pleased to see, allowing her time to admire his well-sculpted body. But she wasn't willing to let this be a look-don't-touch encounter.

Reaching up, she slipped off her robe and let it fall to the floor. Lifting up the covers, she slipped into bed with him. Beginning at his stomach, she kissed her way up his body, trying to arouse him, but not yet wake him up quite. Her head popped out of the top of the covers and she looked down into his sleeping face.

Reaching up, she traced his facial features with a delicate finger. "My big strong warrior." She whispered affectionately.

Running her hands over his muscular chest, she began kissing his neck. Trunks started to stir as she kissed and caressed him. With a smile, she retreated under the covers again. Trunks began shifting around as he started to wake up. Just as 18 began to pull down his boxers, his eyes snapped open.

"What the…?" Looking down, he realized something was under the covers with him. Lifting the blanket up, he saw a blond head in his lap. "18?"

She gave him a saucy grin before taking him in her mouth. The covers fell from Trunks' hands as her warm mouth enveloped him.

"18…" he grunted. "Wait… stop…"

She ignored him, her head bobbing up and down beneath the blanket. Trunks tried to resist, but it was useless. He grabbed her head with the intent to stop her, but instead he found himself lowering and raising her head on him.

When it ended, he fell back against his pillow, breathing heavily. He heard her chuckle beneath the blanket, bringing on the realization of what had just happened.

"18, what are you doing here?" he asked.

Her hands slid up his body. "I would have thought that was obvious."

He groaned. "You should go back to your room."

He felt her stop. She seemed to be considering something. Then he felt her attempting to remove his boxers completely. He struggled, but she managed to get them off and toss them aside.

Trunks sat up, throwing the covers completely off the bed. 18 looked up at him, smiling. He glared down at her. "Why do you keep this up?"

"Why do you keep resisting?" She crawled up his body again, wrapping her arms around him. She whispered seductively against his ear. "Stop fighting me. You know we both want this. You can't deny it."

He couldn't. He was already getting hard again. He cursed himself for his weakness. He tried to come up with something to say in response, but with 18 rubbing up against him like that, it was hard to think straight.

"Just give in." she told him. "You just saved the world, no, the universe, from being possessed by Baby. You deserve a reward."

Trunks' arms slowly wrapped around her. He did save everyone. Didn't he have the right to enjoy himself for a while? Even if it was with her. But where would it stop? How long before he wouldn't be able to turn back?

"Kiss me…" she pleaded, looking into his eyes. "I had thought for a whole year that you were dead. I need to know that you're really here with me. That you're still alive and this isn't some dream. Please, Trunks, kiss me…"

His control was slipping. He squirmed out of her embrace and, before she could react, pushed her flat on the bed. He laid on top of her, pinning her down. 18 glanced over her shoulder to see him looking hard at her. She remained silent, waiting to see what he would do.

Trunks' eyes narrowed. "This is the last time." he told her seriously.

18 just smiled. "If you say so."

He didn't like her sarcastic tone. "I mean it." he said, aggressively pulling her to her hands and knees. "One last time."

"Then what are you waiting for?"

Hating himself, he grasped her hips and thrusted into her from behind. She gasped at the exquisite pleasure. He pounded into her and she thrust back against him. Grunts and groans echoed throughout the room with the sound of flesh slapping together.

"Touch me." she whimpered, her nails digging into the bedspread.

Trunks leaned over her and grasped her breasts, massaging them as he moved within her. 18 mewled, the strength in her arms giving out, and she collapsed on the bed. Trunks fell on top of her and continue rocking his hips.

Looking over her shoulder, she stared at him hungrily with lust-filled eyes. "Give me all you've got. Show me your new Super Saiyan Three power."

Trunks complied and transformed, but was only able to go up to an Ascended Saiyan state, now classified as a Super Saiyan Two. She cried out loudly, feeling him grow in size and length, stretching her further. He pulled her back up onto her hands and knees again and they rocked against each other aggressively, climbing the to the edge of the precipice together and then going over the edge.

With 18 shuddering beneath him, Trunks dropped down on top of her, his own strength seeping away, returning him to his normal state. He rolled onto his side and pulled her into his arms, spooning up against her. 18 sighed in content, snuggling up against him.

"Seriously." He said. "That was the last time."

Her eyes drifted shut as she tried to get to sleep. "Whatever you say."

Chapter 32: Talk and Tension

It seemed as if Trunks was serious about the last time being the last time. But 18 had expected that; he was almost as stubborn as she was. Though she did enjoy the challenge of seducing him, she did wish it wouldn't always come to that.

But it wasn't like he was ignoring her like he did in the past; he simple refused her advances. She allowed him to have his space for a while. He seemed to need it too. It was as if he had something on his mind that he was considering carefully. She wondered what it was.

Training sessions also went a little downhill. As demonstrated with Baby, his new tail came a terrible weakness, and Trunks was determined to get rid of it. He tried numerous of different ways that he thought would help, and when he found a few ones that he thought would be affective, he trained mercilessly. He always took his training seriously, and 18 was usually fine with that since she got to join in as well, but his 'tail training' as she called it, left her out.

"I wish he would find a way to get rid of his weakness soon." She commented to Bulma.

The blue-haired woman sighed. "Yeah, I hope so too. I don't like the idea of him having a weakness that will completely zap his strength. I know there is a way to do it; both Goku and Vegeta managed it, but neither of them ever said how. Then again, Vegeta would probably want Trunks to figure it out on his own."

18 glanced at Bulma. "Do you miss him? Vegeta?"

Smiling sadly, she nodded. "Everyday. I'd do anything to have him back. But the Dragon Balls were rendered useless until Dende came to Earth, so we couldn't bring him back." She tried not to think of the fact that 18 was one of the ones responsible for her saiyan lover's death. "But I'll see him again someday, along with Goku, Krillin, Yamcha, and everyone else."

18 felt the need to apologize. "I know it may not mean much coming from me, but I'm sorry for what my brother did to you. It really sickens me to think that my own twin killed so many people."

Bulma sighed. "I suppose it's not entirely 17's fault. It was Dr. Gero that forced the operation on the two of you, and the one who programmed you."

"Regardless," said 18, "17 still made the conscious decision to become a killer. He could have fought against the programming like I did, but he decided not to. I'm ashamed to call him my brother. No, as far as I'm concerned, I don't have a brother. I'm glad I can't remember him."

Hearing her say that, and knowing that she meant it, forced Bulma to admit to something she had been putting off for a long time. "You know what, I owe you an apology too."

18 raised an eyebrow. "For what?"

"For a long time, I haven't been very nice to you. I've behaved coldly, and I-"

18 held up a hand to silence her. "It's fine. I know how uneasy you felt about me. I'd probably be just as uncomfortable around my kind if I went through what you did."

Bulma shook her head. "Don't refer to yourself as a 'kind'. It's who we are that makes us human, not what we are."

Touched, 18 smiled. "Thanks, Bulma, that really means a lot to me." The smile suddenly left her face and she narrowed her eyes, glancing over her shoulder. "Don't you know it's wrong to eavesdrop?"

Busted, Trunks, who had been standing by the door in the next room, came in. "Sorry, I didn't mean to listen in. I just didn't want to interrupt."

"I'm sure." 18 muttered sarcastically. "I thought you were training to get rid of your weakness."

He nodded. "Yeah, I am. And I think I found something that works. It'll take some time, but I'm sure I can handle it."

His mother glanced at her son's tail curiously. "You know, we could just cut it off like we did when you were a baby."

The idea repelled Trunks. "No way! You have no idea what I went through to grow this thing! I'm not cutting it off! Besides, I like my tail. It makes me feel complete."

18 smiled, reaching out to stroke his tail. "I like it too."

His tail twitched at her touch. Trunks gave her a warning look and she winked at him. Bulma looked at the two of the curiously, wondering what that silent exchange was all about.

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After his 'tail training' that night, Trunks made his way to his old room to speak with 18. He found her in bed, reading. She looked up as he came in, surprised, but pleasantly surprised.

"Well, look whose here." she teased. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

He entered the room and sat on the bed. "I just wanted to talk, if that's ok with you."

She closed her book. "Good, I wanted to talk to you too; regarding what you overheard today."

Trunks didn't say anything. This topic could go in several different directions, and he wasn't sure what part she wanted to talk about.

"Relax," she told him, "I'm not upset that you were listening; but don't do that again." Her smile faded and she became serious. "Anyway, what I wanted to discuss was, well, your father and friends that my brother killed." She hesitated. "Well, mostly your father."

A touchy subject. He could see why she was uncomfortable. "What about them?"

She tried to find the right words. "I can't imagine how difficult it must be for you to be around me when I have such a monster for a brother. I don't know if we had this conversation before I lost my memories or not, but I want to apologize on my brother's behalf. I don't expect you to forgive him, and I understand why my being an android put you on edge."

"That's in the past." Trunks told her. "It's just like my mom told you. It's who you are that matters, not what you are. And, you know, it's funny that you brought this up, because it's also what I want to talk to you about. I must admit that I had my trust issues with you," then he added quickly, "after you lost your memories. I didn't know if you would be trustworthy. That's one of the reasons why I was so cautious around you. But…" he considered his next words carefully, "now I realize that I really do trust you, 18, with my life. We've fought together and bled together. You've willingly put yourself in harms way when it could mean your death, just to save me. You even spent an entire year completely alone in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, training nonstop. That couldn't have been easy. I've been in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber with my father, and it's not a pleasant place."

18 raised an eyebrow. "With your father? Oh, you mean when you went to the past?" She received a nod. "What was he like? I never really asked. I assume I knew him at some point before my… accident, but I'd like to get to know him again."

Trunks smiled nervously. "Well, that'd desire would be only one-sided. My father was a stubborn, proud, arrogant man, with an incredible superiority complex. He seemed uncaring all the time, but he really just didn't know how to express himself, unless it was with anger."

"That's unhealthy."

Trunks chuckled. "Yeah, but deep down inside, he did care."

18 smiled. "What about the others? You spoke of Gohan a lot, but not so much the others."

Trunks looked up at the ceiling, thinking about his friends. "They were good people. I'm glad they all survived in the alternate timeline. Except for Goku, but he chose his death."

"What was he like?"

A smile broke out on Trunks' face. "He was… a good friend. The nicest guy around, and one heck of a fighter. Mother always told me how great he was, that when you're with him, you know that everything is going to be all right. I didn't know what she meant until I met him myself. I'm just sorry he had to die; all because of some madman's obsession with world domination."

18 scowled. "Damn that Dr. Gero. So many people had to suffer because of him. At least the people of the past didn't have to go through what the people here did." She glanced at Trunks. "Speaking of the people of the past, I was curious, what happened to the me of the past."

Trunks shrugged. "You took off somewhere, and I never saw you after that. As far as I know, none of the others had either, but I assume you lived out the rest of your life peacefully. After Cell was destroyed, things became rather peaceful. Sure, there was the occasional bad guy that appeared, but they were dealt with easily enough." He chuckled. "I actually ended up having to fight one every time I went back."

18 laughed as well. "Who'd you face?"

Trunks thought back to the enemies that had appeared when he went to the past. "Let's see, the first time I went back I fought Frieza and King Cold, then Cell and the androids, then Broly, then Dr. Raichi and Hatchyack, then Androids 13, 14, and 15, then Bojack and his companions… that's it."

18's eyes were wide in surprise. "Boy, that's quite a list." Then a thought occurred to her. "What if those guys appear in this timeline?"

Trunks shook his head. "I doubt we have to worry too much. I think most of their appearances were a result of time displacement. My interference with the past caused history to take a different course of action to take place."

"Like the appearance of Android 19?"

"Exactly. But even if they do show up, I'm strong enough now to defeat them without much effort. As a Super Saiyan Three, I can even defeat Broly on my own." He shook his head, remembering the reason why he came here in the first place. "We're getting off topic."

"Sorry, my fault."

"It's fine. Anyway, what I was saying is that I trust you, 18. Both with making your own decisions, and with dealing with your programming."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a device. 18's eyes widened upon seeing it. "Is that…?"

He nodded. "You're emergency shut off switch."

He held it up to her so she could see it, and then crushed it in his hand. A shocked gasp escaped 18's lips and she looked at Trunks in disbelief.

"You… but you… why did you?" She shook her head, regaining her composure. "Why'd you do that? What if that program Dr. Gero installed in me makes me go bad? Now you have no way of stopping me."

He shook his head. "It's no longer needed. Like I said, I trust you 18. I believe in you, and your ability to resist the programming should it ever activate."

"But why… why would you take that risk?"

He looked away shyly. "Because I knew that you were uneasy while that remote existed."

18 felt her eyes tearing up and wiped them furiously. "Your mother will be angry."

"Let her be." He grumbled. "I'm the protector of this world, not her. I'll take responsibility. But as far as I'm concerned, you're not a danger to anyone."

18 looked ready to throw herself at him. It made Trunks feel uncomfortable. "Trunks…"

When she began to reach for him, he pulled away, jumping to his feet. "Well, I guess I'll see you in the morning. Good night."

And then he was gone. 18 blinked in surprise at his unexpected departure, but then she smiled, shaking her head. She looked down at the crushed remote, fingering the broken device. Trunks had no idea what this meant to her. She felt like he had just given her back her life.

"You've given me your complete trust, Trunks. And you'll always have mine." Then she smiled mischievously. "But there is still one more thing I want from you."

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Trunks had finished his tail training for the day. He couldn't wait until he finally rid himself of this weakness. He enjoyed training, but not this kind of training. This wasn't fun, and it hurt a lot. His muscles were aching and sore from his body constantly tensing up in pain as he trained. So it was incredibly relaxing to let the hot water wash away his aches and pains.

As he bathed, he thought back to a few days ago when he had destroyed 18's shut off switch. He wondered, not for the first time, if that had been a bad move on his part. His mother certainly thought so. Though she now trusted 18 a lot more than she did before, particularly after the whole thing with Baby, but she still didn't think it was wise to give her complete freedom without some way to control her.

No, he still hadn't forgotten everything that she had done to him before her memory loss, but he realized that he had to stop judging her on that. She wasn't that person anymore, and he had decided to look at her as someone completely different from her darker days. If she was someone else who he had met for the first time, beginning with the day of her accident, was she someone he would trust?

The answer was yes. Though he still could not forgive her for her past sins, he decided to stop letting her past affect his judgment of her. So he had done what he thought was right for any of the people he trusted.

That remote was a frightening device to her. He knew that if someone had the power to send him into a coma at any moment, he too would always be on edge, even if that person was a friend. He didn't want her feeling like that, so he had freed her. And though he still wasn't completely sure that he had done the right thing, he did not regret his actions.

Shutting off the water, he stepped out of the shower and dried off. Tomorrow would be another day of painful training. He wondered how his father and Goku had managed to bear the pain of it. But if they could do it, then so could he.

'What if what I'm doing isn't even the right way to get rid of my weakness?' he wondered.

Wrapping the towel around his waist, he headed for the guest room. The house was quiet, with everyone else fast asleep. His training had gone long into the night, and would continue to do so until he ridded himself of this weakness. And he hoped it wouldn't be for much longer. Though his tail provided him with extra power, it also made him vulnerable. And as the last protector of Earth, save 18, he couldn't afford to allow himself to be vulnerable.

He entered the guest room and switched on the light. A dim light filled the room. He raised an eyebrow and glanced at the light switch. It was one of the kind that allowed a person to control the brightness of the lights in the room. He'd always had it set at the normal level. Why was it so dim?

"I was getting tired of waiting."

Trunks silently swore. He should have known. This was another one of her seduction attempts. Hadn't he made it clear that last time would be the last time?

He turned around to tell her to leave, but the words died on his tongue. Apparently she had gone shopping recently. She was lying on the bed, wearing very sexy black lingerie. It was clear that she had gotten it specifically for this purpose.

Regaining his composure, he gave her what he hoped was an uninterested look. "Leave me alone, 18. I'm not in the mood for this."

She gave him a sexy smile. "That's what this is for," she said, slipping her top down her shoulder, showing skin, "to get you in the mood."

"I thought I made it clear that-"

"You did make it clear." She interrupted, stretching out on the bed. "I just don't care. I'm done playing games, Trunks. It's time for one of us to give in, for good."

He glared at her. "It's not going to be me. You say that you're done playing games, well, so am I. And I've made it very clear where I stand in this."

18 sat up. "That you have," she agreed, getting up, "but I don't believe you. Deny it all you want, but the only one you're fooling is yourself. If you even believe what you're saying that is, and I don't think you do."

She began walking towards him, and Trunks unconsciously began backing away. His body hungered for her, and his resistance was crumbling. He swore that it would never happen again. Why did she have to keep tempting him?

She reached forward and gave him a gentle push into a chair. Then she stood over him like an erotic goddess, her eyes locked lustfully on him.

"You won't change my mind." He told her. "This isn't going to work."

Her eyes drifted a little lower to the bulge beneath his towel; which he now realized was the only piece of clothing he had on.

"Won't work, huh?" she said with a grin. "All evidence says otherwise. You want me."

She began to taunt him with an erotic dance, brushing against him every now and then. Slowly, she let her see-through top slip elegantly down her shoulders, leaving her in only her lace panties and bra. Trunks looked away, less he lose his resolve. She smiled and turned his head back to her, trailing her fingers over his face.

"Don't look away." she whispered. "Show me how serious you are about not wanting this. Prove that you can hold yourself back by resisting me."

It was a challenge, and Trunks found himself taking her up on it. His eyes cracked open to look at her and she smiled. Resuming her dance, she moved behind him. A moment later, her bra fell into his line of vision and she embraced him from behind, waving the lace material in front of him.

Trunks' breathing was coming in heavy pants now. Her striptease was really getting to him. But he wouldn't give in. Not ever again. He would not give in to temptation. He was stronger than that.

Tossing her bra aside, she moved in front of him again and continued her dance, running her hands over her body. They slowly made their way over her breast and down to her waist and began lowering her panties. Her eyes were closed as she swayed her hips, letting her last article of clothing flow down her legs.

She stood naked before him and opened her eyes, staring down at him expectantly. He looked up at her with a hard expression on his face. It was taking all of saiyan strength not to ravish her right then and there. His hands gripped the seat tightly, wanting so badly to reach up and touch her.

18 bent forward so she could look into his eyes. "Well?"

Mouth dry, it took a moment for him to find his voice. "I'm not giving in."

She just smiled, her hand creeping towards his towel. "That's fine. You don't have to do anything. Just leave it to me."

She yanked the towel away, exposing him. Trunks growled, but made no move to cover up. With a saucy grin, she got down on her knees. Licking her lips, she leaned forward to take him in her mouth. Realizing what she was about to do, Trunks' hands shot up and grabbed her head, holding her back.

Surprised, she looked up at him. The look of struggle on his face was apparent. Placing her hands on his arms, she slowly stood up, not going any farther. With a sigh of relief, Trunks let her go. But she didn't back off. Her hands ran up his arms to rest on his shoulders. Then she moved forward and sat on his lap. Her legs wrapped around him, his erection pressed up against her pelvis.

Leaning forward, she placed at kiss on his forehead, then on his eyes, his nose, and cheeks. Trunks remained perfectly still the whole time, but when she went to kiss his mouth, he turned his head away.

"No." he grunted.

18 frowned, hurt. She stared at him a moment before asking, "Why?" She waited for a reply, but he didn't answer her. "Don't you feel anything for me, Trunks? Doesn't what we have mean anything?" She reached up and cupped his face. "What do you feel for me?"

He was at his wits end. "18, I…"

He looked up at her and they stared at each other for a few moments. Then she leaned in to kiss him again, going slowly to see if he would retreat. He didn't, but he didn't move in to receive her kiss either.

Her lips pressed against his. He sat frozen, not trusting himself to move. But slowly his lips began to move against hers. Her tongue slipped into his mouth and tangled with his. Slowly, his hands ran up her back, applying pressure to hold her to him. She moaned softly, and it proved to be his undoing.

'The hell with it!'

He surrendered to his desires. Passion exploded between them as they fell into a sexual frenzy. Hands tried to touch everywhere at once as their lips moved furiously against each other. 18 gasped in delight as he began sucking on a sensitive spot on her neck and her hands tangled in his hair, gripping it tightly.

His own hands ran down her body to grasp her pert bottom. He lifted her up and pressed himself against her opening. He hissed as she slid down onto him, her arms wrapping around his neck tightly, bringing them as close as possible. They began to move against each other, building up a slow rhythm. 18's breath tickled his ear as he kissed her neck, making her mewl in delight.

His tail came up, and, had she been a saiyan, would have entwined with hers. Instead, it wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer to him. His arms hugged her tightly, holding her to him as her breasts rubbed against his chest as they moved. 18's legs tightened around his waist as she threw her head back and gasped, her nails digging into his back.

The pleasure became too great and they began moving faster, grinding against each other. Moans escaped their mouths as their lips sought each other and then locked together. Trunks swallowed her scream as she climaxed, her legs tightening around him almost painfully as she tensed up on top of him. His own body began to spasm as his own climax hit and he exploded inside her.

18 fell limply against him, breathing heavily. Trunks held her close as they basked in the afterglow of their lovemaking. 18 placed chaste kisses across his shoulders and up to his face, wondering if sex had always been like between them before her accident.

"How could I have forgotten this?" she wondered out loud.

Trunks tensed up. Hearing those words brought on the final revelation of what he had done. He realized in that moment that he had lost this unofficial game between them. He couldn't resist her, and he couldn't fight what was happening between them. Perhaps he had always known that, but just hadn't wanted to admit it. But he couldn't deny it any longer.

18 felt him relax and she smiled. She had won; she knew she would. And now he knew it too. It had been a long awaited victory, but now the game was over, and she had come out on top.

"Trunks…" she whispered. "I think… I think I-"

He covered her mouth, cutting off whatever she was going to say. He may have lost to her, but he wasn't ready to hear those three words. "Don't." he insisted. "I'm not ready for that yet."

He slowly removed his hand. She respected his wishes and remained silent about what she was going to say. But if she couldn't say that, there was something she had to tell him, something that he had to hear. "That's fine." She told him. "I can wait. I've already made it halfway, I can be patient a little longer."

Chapter 33: Universal Breakdown

Even though Baby had been defeated, it didn't mean he was gone for good. Like all evildoers, once he faced King Yemma at the Check In Station, he was sent to Hell. And Hell wasn't a pleasant place. It's where all the bad guys ended up.

In order for the ogres that were in charge of Hell to have some form of control over all the bad guys, most of the damned souls went through the Spirit Cleanser, which washed away all their sins and reduced their wicked nature. But all that negative energy didn't suddenly disappear. Like with the Dragon Balls, the evil energy was stored away in large containers until it slowly faded away.

But these containers could only hold so much negative energy. And it took centuries, if not millenniums, for each container to dispel all the evil energy it held. And because of this, there were several dozens of containers that still held an abundance of negative energy.

The Spirit Cleanser needed to be constantly monitored, so when one container was filled up, it could be switched with a new one. Today, a certain ogre named Saike was on watch duty. Being a teenager, he had very little patience for work, and had quickly become bored with his job. Watching a container slowly fill up with negative energy wasn't very appealing. So he had decided to help pass the time by listening to music. And, like most teenagers, he enjoyed blasting the music to its maximum volume, even though he had on earphones.

King Yemma had already complained about being able to hear it. He had sent his assistant to get Saike to turn off his music. But understanding what it was like to be young, the assistant allowed Saike to keep his music on at a lower level.

Unfortunately, as he danced to the beat, he had his eyes closed and the music was still too loud for him to hear the signs of the Spirit Cleanser needing to have its container switched.

Just like the Dragon Balls, each container could only hold so much negative energy before it burst. And after going beyond its limits, it finally did. The container broke open, and years worth of negative energy came pouring out in the form of a purple smoke.

This began a chain reaction, and all the other containers shattered, unleashing even more negative energy, and soon, thousands of years of evilness had escaped. Ordinarily, it would seep out harmlessly, but when this much gathered together, there were consequences.

Having become aware of what had happened, Saike tried desperately to stop it. All the negative energy surrounded him and was absorbed into his body, and he was infected with all the evils of Hell. With all that darkness inside him, he began to mutate. The dark energy became power, giving him unimaginable strength, and the power to manipulate and control matter.

Growing to an enormous size, the former ogre let out a cry that echoed all throughout Other World.

"Janemba!"

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Bulma and 18 had looks of disgust on their face as they watched Trunks eat. Saiyans really should be classified as pigs rather than monkeys, for they shared the same table manners. But while Bulma was used to it, 18 didn't think she'd ever be able stand seeing Trunks scarf down food as though he had never eaten before.

"Do you even take the time to taste it?" she asked.

"O or, on' e rea-i-u-ou."

18 made a face. "Swallow what's in your mouth before talking!"

Trunks swallowed. "I said, of course, don't be ridiculous."

"The way you eat is ridiculous! No, it's just downright wrong." She groaned. "You know, I'm glad I don't have to eat, because I'd lose my appetite any time I'd try to eat with you."

Trunks mumbled something with his mouth full again that she couldn't make out. Fed up, she left the table, deciding to take a walk.

Looking up at the sky, she wondered if she should take an umbrella. It looked like it might storm. Deciding to play it safe, she grabbed one and headed outside, wondering what to do. She'd already done her training for the day, so she was free for the rest of the day. Living with a rich family meant that she didn't have to work, but it left her with a lot of free time on her hands; not that she was complaining.

'Perhaps a movie.' She decided. 'If it's going to rain, it'll probably best to be indoors.'

Her suspicions were right. It did begin to rain. However, there was something strange about this rain. It was coming down in small floating balls, as if there were no gravity.

Curious, she reached out to catch one of the slowly falling raindrops. It bounced right off her finger, as if her skin was repelling it.

"That's not normal." She muttered.

There was suddenly a scream and several people rushed passed her, looking as if they had seen a ghost. Turning around, 18 looked to see what had spooked them. As it turned out, having seen a ghost was a very accurate way of describing what they saw. There were dead people walking around, some of them completely reduced to skeletons.

Shocked, the umbrella fell from 18's hands as she stared at the walking dead people. She rubbed her eyes and looked again, just to make sure she was really seeing what she was seeing. The dead people were still there.

"Definitely not normal." She muttered.

Grunting and moaning, the dead people reached out for her. With a disgusted look, 18 took a step back, raised her hand, and blasted them. They were completely blown away.

"What the hell was that about?" she wondered out loud.

She turned around to find even more dead people coming at her. Looking confused, 18 pointed her index finger at them, and released a series of small energy blasts at them like bullets from a gun.

"Not bad." Came a voice from above. "You've got some moves on you, girl."

18 looked at the speaker. Floating in the air was a large purple man with horns. With him were four others, a small toad-like person with four eyes, a red-skinned man with long white hair, a blue lizard-like creature, and a very large, very muscular man with orange hair. They were all wearing saiyan armor. But the thing that caught 18's attention the most were the halos floating over their heads. Either these guys had fancy new floating hats, or they were dead too.

18 raised an eyebrow at them. "And you are… who?"

The purple one smirked. "She wants to know who we are. Lets show her, boys."

One by one, they began doing a strange dance before taking on an unusual pose.

"They call me Recoome!"

"The name's Jeice!"

"I'm Burter!"

"Hiya! Guldo!"

"And, introducing, the leader of this group! Me! I am Captain Ginyu!"

"We are the Ginyu Force!"

18 sweat-dropped, staring at them with a dumbfounded expression on her face. 'They couldn't have been serious just then, could they?'

Ginyu chuckled. "I see you're scared stiff. With our reputation, it's no wonder you can't bring yourself to make a move."

18 stared at them strangely. "Right… And what's the Ginyu Force?"

The five dead warriors fell over anime style, but they recovered quickly. Ginyu pointed at her with a serious expression on his face. "All right, listen well, little girl. We are the most elite fighting force in the entire universe. We serve under our master, Lord Frieza."

18's eyes narrowed. "So, you're friends of Frieza, huh? Guess that means I'll have to kill you."

Jeice laughed. "Did ya hear that, Captain? She thinks she can kill us."

Recoome laughed. "She obviously has no idea who she's dealing with."

"Clearly." Ginyu agreed. "Lets show her just what the Ginyu Force is made of."

They flew at her, ready to attack. Almost lazily, 18 dodged their flying fists and kicks. Gathering energy, she blew them all away with five minor energy blasts. Their power had been a joke compared to hers. They weren't even a challenge.

"Ok," she muttered, "so there are dead people walking around. Something is definitely wrong here."

Suddenly detecting other powerful energy signatures, she quickly flew over to where they were. She found two more dead guys, a pink one with spikes on his head, and a light blue skinned one with green hair, destroying the area.

Noticing the newcomer, the green-haired one nudged the pink one. "Oh, look Dodoria, I think someone wants to die."

18 cut her eyes at them. Their power was even weaker than those Ginyu freaks. She nonchalantly raised her hands and blasted both of them.

Without warning, another blast of energy came flying at her. She turned around to counter it, but someone else beat her to it, kicking the blast into space.

"Took you long enough." She told him.

Trunks grinned at her. "I hadn't finished eating. Plus, I had to actually search for you."

18 rolled her eyes. "So who tried to shoot me?"

"That would be us!"

Surprised, 18 looked up to see the very people she had destroyed not too long ago. "I thought I killed you."

Ginyu chuckled. "Already dead." He told her, tapping his halo. "We'll just keep coming back."

"And this time, we brought friends." Said Guldo.

An entire army of Frieza's men suddenly joined them. They all had halos over their heads, indicating that they too were already dead.

"What is this?" Trunks asked. "Invasion of the living dead?"

"Looks that way." 18 told him.

If that's what this really was, then they were in trouble. How the hell did you beat people that were already dead? And what of 17 or Dr. Gero? Were they around here somewhere?

'If they are, I have to keep them away from 18 or there could be trouble.'

Ginyu made another strange pose as he addressed his men. "All right, everyone, lets teach these two a lesson."

But before any of them made a move, ripples appeared in the sky like they did on the surface of water. A giant yellow creature suddenly appeared out of thin air, landing on the Ginyu Force and several others. Those that hadn't been crushed cried out and fled from the creature.

"Janemba!" the creature wailed loudly.

Both 18 and Trunks looked the creature up and down. There was no halo over this creature's head, meaning it was still alive. But what was it? Definitely not something from this planet.

"Janemba! Janemba, Janemba, Janemba!"

18 looked at Trunks. "What's Janemba?"

He shook his head. "I don't know. Maybe he's talking in a different language."

"Janemba." The creature got to its feet and hopped over them, then began skipping away happily, chanting "Janemba" over and over again.

18 blinked. "That was weird. What do you think is going on?"

Trunks shook his head. "Don't know, but whatever's going on, if it's allowing the dead to come into our world, then it can't be good."

18 nodded in agreement. "I know you said not to use the Dragon Balls unless it's absolutely necessary, but I think we're definitely going to need Shenron's help with this one."

Trunks had to agree with that. If the dead were returning, that meant that no one was safe. He thought back to the villains he'd faced over his life. 17, Cell, Luud, Cooler, Broly, Rilldo, Baby, all of them would be coming back. Yes, this was serious. They needed to put a stop to this immediately before all of Hell broke loose. Literally.

'Too late for that.'

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Unfortunately, it was still too soon for Shenron to be summoned. The Dragon Balls were still scattered throughout the planet, and they were still just ordinary stones, meaning that they couldn't even be detected on the Dragon Radar.

Fortunately, on New Namek a year was shorter than it was on Earth. And enough time had passed to allow the Dragon Balls to rejuvenate. To further increase their fortune, the Namekian Dragon Balls didn't scatter after being used, so Porunga could be summoned right away.

Upon arriving at the Lookout, 18 and Trunks found that Dende was already in telepathic contact with his people. He had explained the situation to them, asking for help. But as it turned out, there were dead people appearing there as well. Whatever was causing this to happen seemed to be affecting the entire universe, and not just Earth.

"They've just summoned Porunga." Dende told them. "They're making the wish now."

Trunks, 18, and Mr. Popo waited anxiously for Dende to give them the good news. But when a grave expression came across his face, they realized that things had not gone as planned.

"Dende?" Trunks asked. "Is everything ok? What's happening?"

The Guardian gave him a worried look. "It's not working. Porunga can't fulfill the wish."

"Why not?" 18 demanded impatiently.

"Because the barriers separating the dimensions is gone. Even if he sends all the souls back to Other World, they'll just come back again."

18 grumbled. "That's why those Ginyu goons returned after I killed them."

"Can't he restore the barriers?" Trunks asked.

"Hold on." Dende fell silent again as he communicated with the other Namekians. "He can't, it's beyond his power. Someone or something is causing the worlds to come together. If we can get rid of that, then everything should go back to normal, and all the dead people will return to Other World."

"Great, so then there's still a way to fix this. Does Porunga know how?"

"One second." He paused to relate his question. "Yes, there's a creature that calls itself Janemba. He's the one who's causing all this."

Trunks blinked. "Janemba?"

He and 18 looked at each other. "That big yellow monster!" they both cried together.

"It's gotta be that thing." Said 18.

Trunks nodded in agreement. "I knew there was something strange about it."

18 crossed her arms. "So, we just have to beat that thing and everything will return to normal."

Trunks didn't think it would be that easy. "That could be a problem. Did you sense that thing's power? It's huge. I've never felt such power before."

She slapped his shoulder. "Hey, don't worry. You're a Super Saiyan Three now. You can beat him."

He gave her a doubtful look. "I don't know. Becoming a Super Saiyan Three isn't easy. I haven't been able to transform into one since I fought Baby. I've tried, but I haven't been able to get it."

He looked down, unable to face her and admit his weakness at the same time. But 18 walked over to him and placed her hand on his shoulder, giving him a smile.

"You'll be able to. I have faith in you. Perhaps you just need the right motivation." The smile left her face. "But either way, we still have to face this thing."

With a sigh, Trunks nodded, and the two of them flew off to face a creature unlike they've ever faced before.

Chapter 34: The True Face of Evil

It wasn't hard finding Janemba. His massive power level indicated that he was still in West City. If it could still be called West City. Things had become extremely warped. Things were floating around as if gravity had vanished. Buildings were distorted or melted, some were covered in strange jellybean-like objects of different colors. These same shapeless spheres were floating around, some simply piled on top of each other in large heaps. And sitting on top of a pile was the strange creature they were looking for.

"Janemba!" he cried cheerfully. "Janemba, Janemba!"

"There he is." Said 18, pointing out the obvious. She gave the creature a strange look. "He doesn't seem that dangerous."

Watching the big yellow creature play a game of patty-cake with himself, Trunks was inclined to agree. "Yeah, but he is the one messing with the laws of physics, and he is extremely powerful." He considered the creature for a moment. "He acts like an infant. Maybe he's not even aware of what he's doing."

18 shrugged. "Then what the hell, it's worth a try."

She floated up to the creature, hovering right in front of his face. Janemba noticed her and beamed happily, reaching for her with child-like curiosity.

"Janemba!"

18 smacked his giant hand away. "No, bad Janemba!" she scolded.

The creature blinked, looking surprised. "Janemba?"

She shook her finger at him like a parent disciplining a child. "Yes, Janemba has been very naughty. Restore order to the universe right now, and then go home and think about what you've done."

Janemba cocked his head to the side. "Janemba?"

18 glared at him. "Did you hear me? I said to restore-"

Slap! Janemba swatted her from the sky. Trunks quickly flew in her path and caught her.

18 moaned, rubbing her head. "Ow. Guess that didn't work. Guess we go back to plan A."

Trunks nodded. "Yeah, but we better be careful. We haven't faced anyone like him before."

She pulled away from him. "All the same, he's going down."

She flew at Janemba, slamming her fist into his face. Janemba grunted and went tumbling down the pile of colorful spheres. He sat up, rubbing the spot where he was hit, and looked at 18 with a confused look on his face.

"Janemba?"

18 landed in front of him and crossed her arms. "So, are you going to be a good boy and do as I say?"

Janemba stared at her a moment before raising his arms. "Janemba!"

18 was suddenly frozen in ice. Trunks gasped and flew down to her while Janemba clapped his hands, looking proud of himself.

"18!" He touched the ice, only to discover that it wasn't ice she was encased in. "Hold on, I'll get you out."

If she heard him, she gave no indication of it, not that she could if she wanted to.

Turning away from her, Trunks looked up at Janemba. "Let her out, right now!"

Janemba stared at him a moment. "Janemba?" Then he began patting his large stomach, completely ignoring the saiyan. "Janemba, Janemba."

Hoping 18 would be ok, Trunks took to the air, powering up to a Super Saiyan Two. "All right then, Janemba, let's get this underway."

He flew at Janemba, slamming into his large stomach. Janemba cried out as he was pushed back by Trunks. The saiyan punched him repeatedly before unleashing a blast of energy. Janemba tumbled head over heels as the forced him back.

"Janemba." The creature complained. He pointed at Trunks. "Janemba, Janemba, Janemba."

"Is that all you can say?" Trunks asked, though he didn't really care.

Janemba puffed out his chest. "Janemba."

He motioned to a few of the floating colorful jellybeans, and they flew over to him. They came together and he condensed them down. Holding his hands over the gathering of spheres, they began to glow. Suddenly, the strange objects had turned into a miniature Janemba about twelve feet tall.

"Janemba!" the duplicate cried in a squeaky voice.

Trunks nearly fell from the sky. "You're kidding! He can clone himself?"

The big Janemba waved his arms around as if he were cheering. "Janemba! Janemba! Janemba!"

The smaller Janemba bounced around cheerfully, seeming to pay no mind to Trunks. Suddenly, his arm stretched out a great distance, punching Trunks in the face.

Ow!" he cried, rubbing his nose. He looked at the mini Janemba, who was now hopping from one foot then to the other. "So you do have some fight in you after all."

"Janemba!" the little one cried. He turned to the larger one and waved. "Janemba, Janemba!"

"Janemba." Said the bigger one, clapping his hands. "Janemba."

The smaller one turned back to Trunks and seemed to puff up and began trembling. Suddenly, a series of energy blasts shot out of the holes in his stomach and back. Trunks was caught off guard, but was able to avoid the small blasts of energy.

"That's it." he growled. "I'm not playing games with you."

Dodging the energy blasts, he flew at the miniature Janemba. He collided with the creature's stomach with such force that he burst right through him, leaving a massive whole in his stomach. Whirling around, he unleashed a Burning Attack, blowing away the little Janemba.

The bigger one blinked in surprise. Then he pointed an accusing finger at Trunks and began yelling at him. "Janemba, Janemba! Janemba, Janemba!"

Trunks glared at him. "You have a child-like innocent personality, but you're wicked in nature. Evils freaks with a perverted form of innocence like that are normally the most dangerous.

Shouting his name, Janemba punched the air. Half of his arm disappeared, as if vanishing beneath the surface of water. His arm reappeared behind Trunks, punching him with his giant fist. Trunks went flying towards Janemba, only to have the monster slap him, sending him back the other way.

Colliding with a pile of the jellybeans, Trunks recovered quickly, pushing the strange objects aside, which were surprisingly light. "What was that?" he wondered out loud. "You've got to be kidding me. This guy can move through space just like that. That means he can hit me without moving from that spot."

Janemba clapped his hands together. They moved through space, smacking together with Trunks in between them. Another punch came out of thin air from up above, smashing Trunks to the ground.

As Janemba cheered for himself, Trunks crawled out of the hole the creature's fist had made in the ground. This was ridiculous. It was like fighting Broly again in his great ape form, only Janemba was far more powerful, and he was like an infant; an infant that enjoyed hurting people.

Spotting Trunks once again on his feet, Janemba did his transporting punch again, but this time Trunks was ready. He managed to catch Janemba's giant fist, which was not an easy thing to do considering the size of it and the power behind it.

Janemba blinked, looking surprised. Trunks groaned at him and wrapped his arms around one of the creature's pudgy fingers, bending it back and causing Janemba to wail. Then, using all his strength, he pulled on the creature's arm. Janemba cried out and was pulled through the warp hole he had created. Pulling him out through the other side, Trunks managed to throw him over his shoulder.

Janemba sat up and rubbed his head, looking more surprised than hurt. He looked down at Trunks before chanting his name again.

"You want to see something really cool?" Trunks asked mockingly.

He took to the sky, his arms raised as he gathered energy. Rather than appearing cautious about the rapid gathering of energy Trunks was making, Janemba watched with a curious fascination.

"Final Flash!"

Janemba cocked his head to the side as the attack came at him, only seeming to realize at the last second that it was bad. He was blown backwards into a pile of the jellybean-like objects. He recovered quickly though and sat up, brushing the glassy spheres aside. He looked at Trunks in surprise, and then began clapping.

"I don't believe it." Trunks muttered. "He actually enjoyed that."

"Janemba!" he raised his arms and then brought them together before repeating the process, imitating what Trunks had done. "Ja-nem-ba!"

Trunks raised an eyebrow. "You want to see it again? Fine with me."

When he assumed the position, Janemba nodded and began clapping. Trunks didn't know why he wanted to be attacked, and he didn't really care.

"Final-"

Janemba held out his hand. Trunks was suddenly teleported from where he was, and into Janemba's hand.

"-Flash!"

He vanished from Janemba's hand, reappearing in the same spot he was before. He gasped as he saw his own attack coming at him, and quickly flew up high, just missing getting hit.

"What the hell was that?" he wondered. "He can move me through space too?"

He couldn't believe it. Just before he had attacked, Janemba had teleported him, allowed him to launch his attack, and then teleported him back to be blasted by his own attack.

As Janemba applauded himself, Trunks glared at him. "So, you're not as dumb as you appear to be." He grinned. "But you're not smarter than me."

Hoping for a repeat of what just happened, he prepared another Final Blast. Just as before, Janemba teleported him, intending on making him attack himself again. But this time Trunks was paying attention. Once in Janemba's hand, he whirled around and fired his attack directly at the creature.

"Janemba!" he wailed. "Janemba, Janemba!"

Once he recovered, he began to puff up, and his body started to tremble. Trunks recognized this. It was the same thing the little Janemba had done. But this Janemba was a lot bigger, meaning it was safe to assume that the attack would be too.

"Not good." Trunks muttered, and took to the air as Janemba unleashed his Rapid Energy Cannon attack.

A series of explosions went off throughout the city as Janemba fired off his attack. Trunks flew away from the blasts, but Janemba just ran after him. Trunks instead flew straight up. At that point, Janemba began spinning around. All the smaller explosions erupted into one massive one, consuming the city.

When the mushroom-like cloud finally died down, Janemba was sitting in the middle of the carnage. He looked around, surveying the destruction he caused, then began to clap his hands and babble happily.

Trunks growled. He'd had enough of this monster. This wasn't even a fight; it was a warped version of babysitting at bad child. A regular child he could handle, but Janemba was more than enough to get on his nerves.

"I've had enough." He growled. "Janemba, I won't let you destroy anymore!"

He flew down at the creature. This time his intent wasn't to attack, but to infiltrate. He headed for one of the holes in Janemba's stomach, flying into it. This didn't go by unnoticed by Janemba, who stuck a finger in the hole Trunks had flown into.

Entering Janemba's body as far as he could, Trunks powered up for his strongest attack. "It's over, Janemba!"

He unleashed his Heat Dome Attack. Janemba cried out as he began to expand with the build up of energy in his body. He cried out as he swelled to over twice his size, his arms, legs, tail, and head seeming to be sucked into his expanding torso.

"Janemba! Janemba! JANEMBAAAAA!"

His body couldn't take anymore, and he was suddenly blown to pieces. Trunks was left hovering in the air with globs of yellow flesh raining down around him.

"Sick." Trunks muttered, looking at the falling pieces of Janemba's body. "But at least he's done for. Now things can get back to normal."

Unfortunately he was wrong, very wrong. And he realized it a moment later when he noticed that the pieces of Janemba's body were still producing too much energy. They were also moving, twitching about like jellyfish. Then the color started to change, shifting from yellow to a purple color, then magenta, and finally blood red.

'It's not over yet.' Trunks realized.

The pieces of flesh came together, forming one large mound of flesh. Once it was all one piece, it began shifting around and began getting smaller. Trunks would have assumed that this was a good thing, but the energy he sensed coming from it was rapidly increasing, and it felt evil.

Becoming a fraction of the size it originally was, the mound of flesh began to take on a humanoid form, but it was no human that was forming. Features soon appeared as the fleshy substance finished reforming. A new creature now stood where Janemba had been sitting before being blown to bits. It was light purple and dark red-orange, and it resembled a devil or a demon of some kind. But what was most disturbing was that it was twice as strong as the large fat yellow creature it had once been.

Feeling very uneasy, Trunks landed a short distance away from the demon. Noticing his presence, the creature turned to him, glaring at him with yellow eyes.

"Janemba?" Trunks asked uncertainly.

The demon continued to stare at him with a scowl on his face. Then he grinned evilly and wailed loudly, causing the ground to shake as his power surged. Suddenly he charged at Trunks with blinding speed, delivering a punch in the saiyan's face.

Trunks' head snapped back from the hit, before he bent over after being hit in the gut, then immediately kneed in the chin. Janemba whirled around, smacking him with his tail, and sending the saiyan crashing into one of the jellybean encased buildings.

"Damn…" Trunks muttered. "What's gotten into him?"

Janemba suddenly appeared in front of him. He made a slicing gesture, which Trunks managed to avoid, and the entire jellybean encased building was cut in half. It slid down the cut area and toppled over, crashing loudly to the ground.

The saiyan stared at the demon in horror. Janemba had just cut through the jellybean-like substance like it was nothing, and those things were hard. During all the fighting, all the impacts, all the explosions, those things hadn't even gotten a scratch, yet this creature had just cut one in two, along with the building it had encased.

Smiling, Janemba turned to Trunks. Unlike his original form, that was more like a naughty child, this creature was pure evil, and he seemed to be far more intelligent than he was before, as well as much stronger. And he had his yellow eyes set on the saiyan.

Trunks swallowed. He had a very bad feeling about this. He'd had his doubts about defeating Janemba before. Now it seemed impossible. And he didn't even have 18 to help him fight. She was still encased in crystal, or ice, or whatever that material was. He was alone, all alone with a creature unlike any he had ever imagined with a power unlike anything he ever felt.

Chapter 35: Achieve Level Three

This was a battle that had been fought over and over again. The last time it took place, it was the dark side that won, but this time things were going to be different. This, Gohan swore to as he stared into the cold cruel eyes of his own killer.

17 just smiled at the saiyan, amused that the boy thought he would be any match for him. When would the boy learn that he would never be a match for him? He had lost every time they had fought, and last time the saiyan-brat had died. Yet here he was, in way from returning to the living world.

"I don't know if I should be impressed or irritated by your persistence." The android commented.

Gohan glared at him. "I won't let you go back."

"Like you have a choice. I'm going back whether you try to stop me or not. Now step aside."

Gohan smirked, just to spite the android. "What are you going to do if I don't? Kill me? How are you planning on pulling that off?"

17 chuckled. "No, killing you would be impossible. But beating you into a coma, I think I can pull that off."

"Don't bet on it. I've gotten a lot stronger since the last time we've fought."

"You mean from the time I killed you? Lets reenact that event."

He vanished. Gohan immediately became a Super Saiyan, readying himself for the android. 17 did not reappear, but Gohan knew he was here somewhere, moving too fast to see. He could appear at any moment and-

"There!"

His fist shot out to the side. 17 reappeared, Gohan's fist burying into his chin. Grunting in pain and surprise, 17 backed away, rubbing his chin.

Gohan grinned. "What's that look for? Did I surprise you?"

17 wiped his mouth. "No, you merely caught me off guard."

He flew at the saiyan again, his fists flying. Gohan dodged out of their way, moving at far greater speeds than the android remembered him having. As one of 17's fists came at him, Gohan grabbed his arm, bending it and making the android cry out."

"Did you think that just because I was dead that I would kick back and relax for all eternity?" Gohan asked. "I've been training and getting stronger while you've been trapped down below." He glared at the android. "And I'm going to make sure you stay there, android."

17's eyes darted to another tear in the sky that led to the living world. Right there, it was right there, the way back to his 'playground'. He would not let this weakling stand in his way.

"Tell you what," he told the saiyan as he gathered a large portion of energy, going by unable to be sensed by Gohan, "you can go to Hell in my place!"

He unleashed a massive wave of energy. Unable to have sensed it coming, Gohan couldn't react fast enough to dodge it. He caught it instead, getting forced back in the process, releasing 17. The android grinned and prepared a second attack that also couldn't be sensed. Busy holding back the energy blast, Gohan didn't see or sense the energy disk coming until it was slicing through his torso. With that, the attack consumed him as 17 laughed, speeding by.

"Take that!" the android shouted over his shoulder. "You organic fools are worthless, especially you saiyan scum!"

He looked towards his goal. The tear in dimensions wasn't that far away. In fact, it was getting bigger.

But a figure was suddenly in his path. 17 stopped in surprise, only to have a powerful fist collide with his head. 17 went flying backwards, slamming into one of the jellybean-like structures.

"Foolish android." The newcomer snarled. "A saiyan's power greatly increases after recovering from a near death experience. So image how strong we become once we die." The person's dark eyes shifted to the cloud of smoke that had formed from 17's energy blast. "Isn't that right?"

The smoke cleared and Gohan, in one piece was seen floating in the air with a smile on his face. "Nice to see you too, Vegeta. It's been a while."

The prince of saiyans grinned. "You've become stronger. Of course, you're nowhere near Trunks' level."

Gohan resisted the urge to roll his eyes. 'Same old Vegeta.'

17 flew up in the air again, glaring at the two saiyans. "No matter how strong you've become, you're no match for me. Did you forget that I killed both of you?"

The smirk on Vegeta's face vanished. "How could I? It's all I've been thinking about; my shame of being killed by a machine," his fists clenched together tightly, "and just how I'll take my revenge for it!"

17 looked back and forth between the two with a scowl on his face. "Two saiyan monkeys, being a pain in the head. Guess I'll send them both to bed."

He flew at them, ready to fight. Both Vegeta and Gohan prepared themselves for what was coming, however, they never could have been prepared for what was to come. An incredible power was heading their way at great speed. They didn't know what it was, but it made their blood run cold.

Not having learned how to sense a person's energy yet, 17 didn't notice it until it's source sped past him, then flew by both Gohan and Vegeta before going through the tear in the sky into the world of the living.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

The two of them stared at each other, knowing that the true battle was about to start. But while Janemba was confident in his ability to beat the saiyan, Trunks was very doubtful in his ability to win.

'I'll go down fighting though.'

Deciding to make the first move, he flew at the demon, throwing a punch. Janemba's hand shot out, grabbing Trunks' arm and stopping his attack. Trunks gasped at the iron grip on his arm while Janemba grinned.

Spinning around, Janemba swung Trunks around while stretching out his arm, slamming him into a jellybean encased building a good fifty feet away, actually cracking the glassy substance.

Janemba sneered and opened his mouth, unleashing a powerful blast of energy. Trunks managed to avoid it, but was still caught up in the shockwave, sending him spinning out of control.

Janemba's tail suddenly stretched out and wrapped around the saiyan's throat. Trunks grabbed at it, attempting to pry it off, but barely managed to pull it away enough to get down some air. While he was occupied with that, Janemba began punching the air, using his space warping powers to transport his blows directly into Trunks' gut.

Letting go of Janemba's tail, Trunks fired a blast of energy at the demon. Janemba just grinned and used his warping powers again, sending Trunks' attack right back at him.

'The hell with this.'

Reaching over his shoulder, he grabbed his sword and sliced off Janemba's tail. The demon snarled, seeming more angry at the saiyan's escape than having his tail cut off. Trunks saw why a moment later as the demon's tail neatly reattached itself and healed.

Holding up his sword, Trunks took a defensive position. Janemba stared at him a moment before grinning. He held out his hand and a rock drifted into it. With his ability to manipulate matter, he turned the rock into a sword so now they both hand a weapon.

Trunks grinned. "Impressive, but do you know how to use it?"

With a chuckle, Janemba flew towards the saiyan, swinging his sword. Trunks was able to block it, but was astounded by the amount of power behind it. Swinging his own sword, his blade collided with Janemba's.

This fight was different than others. It wasn't one fought with fists and energy blasts, but with swords. Janemba was powerful, but fortunately for Trunks, he wasn't a swordsman. Trunks, on the other hand, had the training and the skills, giving him a slight edge over the demon.

Ducking beneath Janemba's flying blade, Trunks swung with his own. He would have cut right through the demon, but Janemba's body suddenly seemed to break down into several colorful cubes and speed out of the way.

The colorful blocks came back together a distance away, forming the demon once more. Swinging his sword, a blade of energy shot out of it, which Trunks managed to side-step around, though the very end of his hair was shaved off a couple centimeters as the energy slice sped past him, cutting through the jellybean-like objects.

Janemba snickered before breaking down again and disappearing, leaving Trunks staring at the empty space he had just been at.

"Did he just digitize himself?" Trunks wondered out loud.

Janemba's arm suddenly appeared out of thin air, grabbed Trunks, and pulled him through a warp hole. He came out at another spot to see Janemba with his sword raised. Trunks jumped to the side and Janemba's sword hit the ground, sending a crack across the surface as far as the eye could see.

Raising his hand, Trunks fired a blast of energy. Janemba easily swatted it aside, only to see Trunks' foot coming at his face. Knocked backwards, Janemba used the momentum to do a back flip and swung his sword, unleashing another blade of energy before breaking down into cubes again. Trunks jumped over the energy blade, only to have Janemba reform behind him. Whirling around, he saw Janemba's sword come cutting down.

Taking a risk, for he had time for nothing else, Trunks grabbed Janemba's blade, halting the cutting motion. He swung his own sword, hitting the flat side of Janemba's blade, and cutting right through it.

Janemba jumped back, now holding only half a sword. It returned to its original form of a rock, now cut in half, as did the half of his sword that broke off. With an irritated snort, he looked back at the saiyan, whose weapon was still intact.

"What now?" Trunks asked. He flew at him. "You're unarmed!"

Janemba mimicked what Trunks did, catching the blade. With a wicked grin, he tapped the blade with his index finger, and, to Trunks' horror, it melted in his grasp.

'Damn it!' Trunks silently swore. 'Now I'll have to forge another one… If I ever make it out of this alive.'

Laughing, Janemba unleashed a series of punches into Trunks gut. The guy may not be a martial artist, but his incredible strength was more than enough to make up for it.

Spinning around, Janemba kicked Trunks into a pile of jellybeans. With a battle cry, his power surged up around him and he flew after the saiyan. Trunks emerged from the pile of jellybeans, holding one that was ten times bigger than him over his head. He threw it at Janemba, but the demon teleported around it, and slammed his fist into Trunks' jaw.

Trunks went crashing down. Wincing in pain, he looked up to see Janemba staring down at him with a scowl on his face. But that scowl turned into a sneer as he unleashed his Lightning Shower Rain attack, sending hundreds of sharp glass-like needles at the saiyan.

With a gasp, Trunks flew off, but wasn't fast enough, as the shards cut into his arms and legs, though they didn't do nearly as much damage as it would have it had been a direct hit.

"This guy's a monster." Trunks muttered. "Can he even be beaten?"

Janemba laughed evilly and threw a punch, using his warping powers to strike at a distance. Even as his arm came shooting out of the warp point, it still stretched far. Trunks was forced to doing a ridiculous dance as he dodged Janemba's punched. But as he dodged, he noticed something. Whenever Janemba warped through space, vibration rings, like ripples in water, formed around the spot where he was coming from and going to, which gave Trunks an idea.

As Janemba threw another punch, Trunks paid close attention to the spot right in front of him. Sure enough, ripples of light appeared, indicating where Janemba's fist would be coming out.

'There!'

He fired an energy blast before Janemba's fist could come through. It came out on Janemba's end, blasting him in the face, much to the demon's surprise.

'Got you now!'

While Janemba was momentarily disorientated by the blast, Trunks flew at him, and began hitting every part of the demon he could. Janemba grunted and groaned as the blows landed, before gritting his teeth and bringing his elbow slamming down on Trunks, sending the saiyan crashing to the ground.

While on the ground, Trunks realized that he wouldn't be able to defeat Janemba at this rate. His only chance was to become a Super Saiyan Three again. If only he could figure out how to access that transformation.

Up in the air, Janemba raised his hand, forming a ball of energy. With an evil grin on his face, he threw the ball of energy down at the saiyan. Trunks sensed it coming, and quickly fled.

There was a massive explosion that would have destroyed most of the city if it had been in its normal state. Trunks attempted to out run the explosion, but was still caught up in it and went flying.

Janemba lowered his hand and looked around. He knew the saiyan was still alive, but he was hiding somewhere in the carnage. Either that or he was buried under it somewhere.

Ducking behind one of the jellybeans, Trunks took a moment to catch his breath. Peeking out from his hiding spot, he saw Janemba on the prowl, searching for him.

'I can't beat him as I am. I have to transform, it's my only hope.'

But how to do it? It had just happened last time. It was almost instinctual. He really wished he had spent more time working on Super Saiyan Three rather than spending all his time on getting rid of his tail's weakness.

'Which I still have.' He thought irritably.

As Janemba continued to walk further and further away from him, Trunks decided to give transforming a try. Going to a Super Saiyan and then an Ascended Saiyan was similar enough, so Super Saiyan Three must be the same.

"Ok, here I go."

He began to power up. He wasn't sure what he would achieve, but he hoped it was the third level of a Super Saiyan. As his power rose, he tried hard not to cry out, even as his rising power put serious strain on his body. His aura flashed brightly around, sending sparks flying about, as the ground shook and cracked beneath him.

Janemba continued searching for the saiyan. He knew that he couldn't have gotten far. That's when he sensed it, a rapidly increasing power level. Turning in its direction, he sensed it coming from behind one of the jellybean-like objects. So that's where the saiyan was hiding. He had just given himself away.

Though Trunks' power was indeed rising, he soon quickly realized that it wasn't the result that he wanted. He wasn't becoming a Super Saiyan Three, he was going into his Ultra Super Saiyan state.

'This isn't right. I need to become a Super Saiyan Three.'

The jellybean he was hiding behind suddenly shattered, revealing Janemba. The demon grinned at Trunks and blasted him. As Trunks went flying through the air, he gave up on becoming a Super Saiyan Three for now. Until he got another chance, he would have to resume fighting Janemba as he was.

'Lets try Goku's signature move.' He cupped his hands together. "Ka-me-ha-me-HA!"

With a snarl, Janemba held up his hand. Crying out loudly, he caused the attack to break apart, as if it had hit an invisible wall. Lowering his hand, he grinned and flew at Trunks. The saiyan braced himself before going on the attack as well, and the two began a savage fist fight.

Though Janemba was an untrained fighter, his speed and power gave him the upper hand on Trunks. He sent him flying with a powerful kick to the stomach, then stretched his arm after him.

Just as Trunks stopped his momentum, Janemba's hand latched onto his face, and his outstretched arm wrapped around him like a python would, squeezing tightly. Trunks cried out, unable to move as Janemba squeezed him tightly. His arms were pinned to his side, preventing him from lashing out or defending himself.

Janemba grinned and pointed a finger at him. He shot small blasts of energy at him like a machinegun, striking the parts of the saiyan that were exposed.

'Gotta get out of this.'

Gathering all his power into his body, he unleashed it in a massive explosion of energy. Janemba arm was blown to pieces, and he retracted it, grasping at the stump.

As the explosion died down, Trunks began panting from his output of energy. He looked at Janemba, seeing that the demon's arm was missing. Wanting to taunt him, he grinned and gave a forced laugh. Quite unexpectedly, Janemba grinned back. A moment later, his arm grew back, leaving him as good as new

"Oh come on!" Trunks cried. "He can regenerate too? Why not just give him immortality and be done with it?"

Janemba seemed to find this funny, as he began roaring with laughter. His energy flared up around him as his power increased. Trunks narrowed his eyes. If Janemba was going to power up, then perhaps this was his chance to try and become a Super Saiyan Three again.

As he powered up, he tried transforming in a different way. Rather than forcibly making himself stronger, he attempted to convert his energy in a different way. His power began rising again. It was different from his attempt to become an Ultra Super Saiyan, but whether it was going in the direction of becoming a Super Saiyan Three had yet to be determined.

Janemba's wicked laughter died down as he looked at Trunks. The boy's power was growing rapidly again. Not that it mattered to him, for he was out to kill, not to fight.

Looking up he saw several of the jellybeans floating in the air. With a grin, he motioned for one to come down, and one did. It landed on top of Trunks, knocking him flat on the ground. Janemba laughed and brought it up, and then down again.

He did it a third time, but Trunks was ready. Rolling onto his back, he held up his arms and caught the large jellybean, preventing it from smashing into him. Janemba growled and motioned to the others. More and more jellybeans dropped from the sky, slamming into the one Trunks was holding up, trying to crush him.

Trunks unleashed a blast of energy, sending the jellybean he was holding, and the others raining down on him, flying away. Once they were gone, he got to his feet, breathing heavily.

Janemba appeared behind him, and lashed out with his tail. It struck Trunks on the shoulder, knocking him to the ground again. Janemba laughed as he brought his tail down again and again, whipping the saiyan repeatedly.

Trunks cried out, his shirt ripping open from Janemba's whipping tail. He kept trying to get up, only to have the demon's powerful tail knock him down again.

Gathering energy, Trunks blasted the ground. It sent him flying upward, escaping Janemba's whipping tail. Angry at the saiyan's escape, Janemba broke down into cubes and met up with Trunks in the air.

Trunks froze at Janemba's sudden appearance. The demon grinned and shook his finger at him. Trunks realized that he needed to buy himself some time, and responded in the only way he could think of.

"Solar Flare!"

Janemba was blinded, crying out loudly and rubbing his eyes. Trunks used the opportunity to hide behind some more floating jellybeans and began powering up the way he had before.

Aggressively rubbing his eyes, Janemba cried out angrily and began firing blasts of energy at random. He tried opening his eyes, wincing at the burning sensation he got when he did so.

With a snarl, he turned in the direction he sensed Trunks' rising power coming from, and began firing in that direction, only to have his blasts repeatedly intercepted by all the floating jellybeans.

Though Trunks felt his physical strength increasing, it was his other abilities he was focusing on more. They were rising rapidly, in a similar way they did when he achieved Super Saiyan Three. Was he on the right path? The feeling of his hair growing longer seemed to indicate that he was.

Unfortunately, he didn't get a chance to find out as the power he felt suddenly vanished. It had been right there, but then it was gone, slipping through his fingers.

Janemba blinked, trying to clear his vision. It was still blurry, but at least he could see. Warping, he appeared next to Trunks, glaring angrily at him for the cheap trick he had used. Creating a ball of energy, he pressed it into the saiyan's back, and it went off like bomb.

Trunks went flying backwards, bouncing off and slamming into several of the jellybeans. Janemba flew after him with such speed that the jellybeans he passed were pulled along with him. Catching up with the saiyan, he brought his balled fists down on him and Trunks hit the ground like a meteor.

Landing a short distance away, Janemba waited for the saiyan to recover with a smile on his face. Trunks slowly stumbled to his feet and turned back to the demon. He did have a glimmer of hope now. He thought he might have found the key to becoming a Super Saiyan Three.

Unfortunately, it didn't seem that Janemba was going to give him the time he needed to transform. The demon already looked anxious to resume the battle. And the smirk he had on his face revealed that he didn't think Trunks stood a chance. And that irritated the saiyan to no end.

"Don't you look down on me, you damn lizard freak!"

The grin was suddenly wiped off Janemba's face and he cried out in pain. Cracks appeared over his body, layers falling off like shed skin. He stumbled back, wincing at the pain flashing through him.

Trunks blinked. Had he just seen what he thought he saw? Was Janemba just harmed by his insult? That didn't make sense. Then again, nothing about this creature seemed to make sense.

Janemba's body began to heal, but at a much slower pace. He looked at Trunks furiously, the look in his eyes telling the saiyan that he would pay him back for that tenfold.

'What the hell?' Trunks thought. 'I've got nothing to lose.' He took a deep breath and shouted as loud as he could. "You hideous monster! I hate you, you miserable bastard!"

Janemba's body cracked some more and he hissed in pain. The guy really was affected physically by insults. Wasn't that just the damnedest thing?

Trunks smiled at the irony. 'Sticks and stones can't break his bones, but words can hurt him.' "You stupid, ugly monster! I hope you fall to pieces, you fucking asshole!"

Janemba shattered further. He warped away from the saiyan to give himself time to recover from Trunks' hurtful words. This also gave Trunks the time he needed to go for Super Saiyan Three again. Trying to remember what he was doing last time, he began to power up again.

At a distance, Janemba seethed with fury as his skin grew back. He couldn't believe the brat had managed to hurt him so badly. His skin had torn from his body with each insult, and he was taking longer to regenerate than he would from a normal wound.

As he recovered, he sensed the boy's increase in power. It was going up fast. Not that it mattered. The boy would never be able to get the upper hand on him, no matter how strong he got. Maybe he should let the boy get stronger, then he would be able to play with him longer.

As his skin fully healed, he stepped out from his hiding spot. He saw the boy glowing with power. Lightning flew from his body as the jellybeans spun around him as if caught in a tornado.

With a snarl, Janemba raised his hand, ready to blast the boy. But Trunks' cries from his increase in power became one loud insult.

"STUPID, DIRTY BASTARD!"

Janemba winced as more cracks ran up his body. He stumbled away, running his hands over the cracks on his body to sooth the pain.

As he was turned away, there was a bright flash of light from behind him. Once his skin healed again, he turned back to the saiyan, receiving a surprise. The boy had changed. His hair was longer, going down to his waist, and his facial features were different.

"All right, Janemba," said the Super Saiyan Three, "now lets finish this."

Chapter 37: Roshi's Last Stand

Now Trunks understood why his mother hadn't left Roshi's. The ocean level had risen and was floating around as if there were no gravity. Those strange jellybean-like objects floated around the island in and above the water. One of them had smashed Bulma's airship, leaving her stranded on the small island.

"Mom!" Trunks cried, coming in for a landing.

The door burst open and Bulma came rushing out. "Trunks!" She ran to her son and embraced him. "Thank goodness you're all right. What the heck is going on?" She eyed the frozen android in his arms. "And what happened to 18?"

"It's a long story, Mom." Trunks told her, setting 18 down. "Come on, I'm taking you to the Lookout; you'll be safe there."

"Hey," cried Oolong, "what about us?"

Trunks turned to the pig. "Of course, all of you. But we need to hurry. There's a powerful monster out there that's destroying everything. He's the one causing all of this."

Roshi stepped forward. "Is he that terrible power I feel?"

Trunks nodded. "Yeah. Right now he's fighting someone else, but I don't know how much longer the battle will last."

Roshi looked worried. "What a mess. I can sense enormous power levels all over the place. Even those long since dead like Frieza. I can sense him. Broly too. They're out there."

"Never mind them!" Trunks snapped. "If we can beat the one who caused this, everything will return to normal. But first I want to make sure you guys…"

He trailed off as an enormous surge of power overwhelmed him. Looking terrified, he turned in the direction of the massive energy. Something had happened, something bad. One of the two, he wasn't sure if it was Buu or Janemba, but one of them just had a massive power increase.

A bead of sweat ran down Roshi's cheek. "Oh boy… Do you feel that?"

Terrified to the point where he was blue in the face, Trunk slowly nodded. "It's… unreal… What happened?"

"I don't know, but we're about to find out."

He was right. The massive power was heading right for them. Trunks figured that whoever it was, they were looking for him. Either Janemba to finish what they started, or Buu to pick up where Janemba and him left off.

Bulma gently touched Trunks' arm. "What's going on?"

Trunks turned to her fearfully. "No time! We have to leave before-"

Whoosh! The wind whipped around them at the arrival of whoever was coming. Almost afraid to look, Trunks turned to see who had won the match, Janemba or Buu.

But it wasn't Janemba or Buu who was floating in the air. Instead, it was what seemed to be a hybrid of the two. This new creature was as tall as Janemba, but clearly wasn't him. His lower half seemed to be that of Buu, though there was no telling what was beneath those pants. His upper body was basically that of Janemba, but the red-orange color of him had turned pink, and he now had the holes on his body that Buu had, and his hands were pudgy like Buu's too. What should have been the whites of his eyes were still yellow, but his blue eye color had turned red like Buu's, and his ears weren't as long. At first, Trunks thought that Janemba's tail was now growing out of the back of his head, but he now noticed that it was Buu's head-tentacle, only much bigger and longer, nearly reaching his feet, and was the original red-orange color of Janemba. And on his forehead was the letter M as if it had been stamped there.

Though it was clear that one had absorbed the other, it was impossible to tell who had absorbed whom. The lack of a halo over his head made Trunks think that it was possibly Janemba, but then again, if Buu had been the one to absorb Janemba, the he could have be using the demon's life force, restoring his own life.

The creature grinned down at the other with a sadistic smile on his face. Slowly, he raised his hand and pointed at the saiyan, clearly indicating that he had come for him.

Leaving 18's frozen body with his mother, Trunks stepped forward. "So, you absorbed the other one." he said, still not sure which one had been absorbed. "Does that mean I should I call you Majinemba? Or how about Janembuu?"

The creature regarded him for a moment before he roared with laughter and began pounding his chest like Buu did.

"Ok," said Trunks, "Janembuu it is."

He flew at the creature and slammed his fist in its face. Janembuu, if that was indeed his name now, just kept pounding his chest, seeming to be unfazed by the attack. Swearing angrily, Trunks kicked him in the head. Janembuu's head snapped to the side, cracking loudly, but he continued pounding his chest as if nothing had happened.

'My attacks aren't working.' Trunks realized. Landing on the other side of the island, he turned to the others. "Stand back."

Taking his advice, they moved away. Trunks raised his arms and began gathering energy. This time, since his enemy seemed preoccupied with pounding his chest, or whatever he was doing, Trunks took his time to gather as much energy as possible. His body started to glow with the amount of power he was calling forth, appearing as a twinkling star on the Earth's surface.

"Final Flash!"

He launched a Final Flash attack far greater than what his father had unleashed upon Cell. The enormous beam, large enough to be seen from across the sea, struck Janembuu, though the creature didn't bother to avoid it.

Dropping to his knees, Trunks looked up to survey the damage he did. He had been sure to direct the attack up and away after it hit Janembuu so the planet wouldn't be damaged, but he must have had some affect on the creature.

But no, Janembuu acted as though nothing had happened. Parts of his body had been disintegrated, but it immediately grew back. Trunks swore and took to the sky. From up above, he fired a series of energy blasts at the creature, refusing to let up until he was certain that he had destroyed every last part of him.

"Hey," Roshi shouted up at the saiyan, "you're going to destroy my island!"

Feeling his energy draining rapidly from the amount of power he was using, and thinking he had done more than enough damage, he finished up with a Burning Attack, then began panting heavily as he waited for the smoke to clear.

He couldn't believe what he saw. Janembuu was still standing, still pounding his chest as if he hadn't just been savagely attacked. That infuriated Trunks. Was the guy mocking him? Surely he must have been damaged by all those attacks. But the guy hadn't even reacted.

"You won't make a fool out of me." Trunks muttered.

Flying down from the sky, he brought his foot crashing down on Janembuu's head, then he began punching every square inch of Janembuu's body his fists could find. When the creature still didn't attack, Trunks grabbed him and threw him in the air. Janembuu stopped sixty or seventy feet in the air, floating upside down as he pounded his chest.

Down on the ground, Trunks summoned up all his remaining energy as he prepared to unleash his best attack. Knowing that he would have next to nothing left after this, he fired his Heat Dome Attack, hoping to eliminate the creature.

The beam of light went up and up, going deep into space before finally creating an explosion bigger than the earth itself. Down on the surface, the one who fired the attack fell backwards, returning to his normal state. Breathing heavily, he looked up, hoping to see the charred remains of Janembuu, if even that was left.

But his worst fears were confirmed when he saw Janembuu still pounding his chest. It just wasn't possible. Even after all that, the creature hadn't even ceased pounding his chest for whatever reason he was doing it.

After a few more seconds of pounding, Janembuu finally stopped. Whether it was because he was done, or because Trunks' attack had indeed affected him was unknown, but Janembuu was now scowling down at the saiyan.

Slowly he floated back to the ground, not taking his eyes off the saiyan. Trunks stared back, dreading what was about to come. He knew that once this creature attacked that it would be all over.

Steam began rising out of the holes on Janembuu's body, sounding very much like a teakettle. The creature grinned evilly at him before wailing loudly, his power flaring up around him. The ocean was forced away, creating mountains of water, the roof of Kame House was blown apart, and all the windows shattered. Bulma, Roshi, and the others held onto one of the trees to keep from being blown away themselves as the entire planet shook. From space, the very planet could be seen trembling as bolts of electricity traveled across its surface from Janembuu's massive power.

Finally ceasing his screaming, Janembuu looked at Trunks as the walls of water came crashing down around them. Forcing himself to get up, Trunks powered up again, but was only able to reach the ordinary Super Saiyan level. He flew at Janembuu, throwing a punch, but Janembuu easily caught it, and slammed his own fist into Trunks' face.

Trunks went speeding off the island, vanishing from sight, but came back quickly. Before he could land a blow, Janembuu's tentacle shot out, striking Trunks in the face and knocking him to the ground.

"Come on, Trunks!" Bulma shouted. "You can beat this freak! I know you can!"

Roshi didn't share her enthusiasm. Unlike Bulma, he could sense the difference in power between the two. Even if Trunks were at his best, he still would be no match for this monstrous creature.

Janembuu glanced at Bulma before turning his attention back to Trunks. The saiyan was on his feet again, looking ready and willing to fight, even though he knew this was a losing battle.

Sparks of electricity flew of Janembuu's body, one of them striking Trunks. Crying out, he stumbled back, returning to his normal state, his body smoking. Janembuu grinned at him and motioned for him to come at him again.

'Wait!' Trunks thought suddenly. 'His weakness.' He took a deep breath. "Nasty freak! You look like something someone stepped in!"

Nothing happened. Janembuu just sneered at him, not even harmed. Whether it was because this was really Buu that absorbed Janemba, or because when Janemba absorbed Buu he lost his weakness, Trunks didn't know. What he did know was that insults no longer damaged him.

"That's right!" Bulma shouted. "You tell that monster whose boss! Show him that you're the better man!"

Catching Janembuu's attention, he turned to Bulma with a scowl on his face. She was nothing, merely an annoying insect to swat. Raising his hand, he pointed at her, the end of his finger twinkling. Trunks realized what he was doing and lunged at his mother, just as Janembuu fired.

Pushing her out of the way, the attack hit him like a speeding bullet, going right through his shoulder and speeding off in the distance. Trunks went down, a hole in his shoulder from where he was hit.

"Trunks, no!" Bulma cried, running to her son's side.

Clutching his bleeding shoulder, the saiyan did his best to sit up. "I'm fine. It's not that bad."

But he wasn't fooling anyone. He was finished, and Janembuu knew it. Laughing maniacally, he raised his hand and created a beach ball sized sphere of energy with enough power to destroy the planet.

Bulma hugged her son, knowing that this was the end. Janembuu was going to kill them, along with everyone else, in one final blast.

But help came in the unexpected form of a long since retired martial artist. "Hey, Janembuu!" Roshi shouted. "If you want a real challenge, then face me!"

Janembuu turned to him, scowling.

"That's right." Roshi continued, taking a step towards the creature. "Do you know who I am? I'm Master Roshi, the strongest person on the planet."

Janembuu stared at him strangely. There was no way. The old guy had to be senile.

Roshi glanced behind him at Oolong. "Are you ready? Remember what I told you."

Looking scared to death, Oolong nodded. "Yeah, I got it. But why does it have to be me?"

Turning his attention back to the creature, the turtle hermit began to unbutton his shirt. "It's time that this old man did something useful. I was helpless against Frieza, helpless against the androids, against Cell, Cooler, Broly, Baby. For the longest time, I've been a mere spectator." He tossed his shirt aside. "Well, it's time I changed that. This old man's still got some fight left in him." He removed his sunglasses, tossing them aside. "Janembuu, it's time to put an end to you."

Still holding the large ball of energy, Janembuu began laughing. This was just too funny. The old geezer actually thought he stood a chance.

Roshi began to power up. His muscles exploded to an enormous size and his power shot up greatly. Though this sparked Janembuu's interest, the old man still didn't stand the slightest chance against him.

"All right, Janembuu," said Roshi, now at full power, "if you're so tough, then you should be able to stand up to my best attack. So come on, lets see how much power you've really got."

Janembuu sneered at him. He sensed the old man's power. Even if he were a thousand times stronger and unleashed his most powerful attack, it still couldn't harm him in the least.

"Here it comes!" said Roshi. He unleashed his power. "Evil Containment!"

Janembuu's eyes widened in surprise as the Evil Containment Wave hit him. He was suddenly caught up in a whirlwind of energy, spinning around in a vortex. The ball of energy he held fell from his hold, heading for the ground.

With the last of his strength, Trunks lunged for the ball of energy, hitting it like a volleyball and sending it up into space where it harmlessly exploded.

Roshi worked carefully to control the vortex of energy that Janembuu was caught up in. He knew that he would have only one chance at this. "Oolong, now!"

Looking like he'd rather run in the opposite direction, Oolong ran forward and placed a container in front of Roshi that had a Demon Seal ofuna on it, and then quickly ran away. Roshi had been saving this in case he ever came across the androids, knowing he would never be able to beat them on his own. Now he was using it on a fiend far more powerful and far more dangerous than the androids had ever been.

"What are you doing, old man?" Bulma shouted as she watched Roshi work.

"Whatever I can, Bulma." he told her. "Whatever I can."

Having reached the end of the vortex, Roshi brought Janembuu down. The creature was sucked screaming into the container, his vast amount of power useless against the Evil Containment Wave. Once inside, Puar flew forward and placed the top on the container, twisting it shut, and leaving Janembuu trapped inside.

Roshi slowly lowered his arms, his energy rapidly draining. Yet he still managed to crack a smile at the container Janembuu was trapped in. "That's… the last… time… you'll… underestimate… this old… man…"

He collapsed, falling face down and remained motionless.

"Master Roshi!" Trunks cried.

Wincing in pain, he made an attempt to get to him, but Bulma placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him, shaking her head.

"It's too late." She told him tearfully. "He's gone."

"What?"

Wiping her eyes, she looked to Roshi's fallen form. "He used the Evil Containment Wave. It uses the users very life force. It's what was originally used to seal away King Piccolo."

Trunks looked back at Roshi. Slowly, he walked over to the martial arts master, resting a hand on his still form. "You gave your life to save us. I promise I'll bring you back."

Puar flew over. "Look at that!"

The floating ocean settled itself back down and the jellybean-like structures began to disappear. The seemingly un-melting ice that 18 was encased in began to melt, freeing her from her cold prison, but leaving her unconscious. And all throughout the world, Trunks felt powerful enemy powers fading away as the dead returned to their rightful place in Other World.

"Everything's returning to normal." Trunks told the others. "I can sense it."

"It must be because that monster is sealed away." said Bulma. "His power must be cut off from the outside."

Trunks glanced at the container. "So, he's really trapped in there?"

Bulma nodded. "Unless that seal is remove and the top taken off, he can't get out."

Almost afraid that the container would break if he touched it, Trunks carefully picked it up. "Then I'll make sure he never gets out. Ever."

Chapter 38: What's Left Unspoken

18's eyes flickered open as she regained consciousness. She sat up quickly, remembering what had happened. Glancing at her surroundings, she saw that she was in a room fit for royalty, but there was something familiar about it.

Upon exiting the room, she saw why. She was at Kami's Lookout. But how did she get here? The last thing she remembered was charging at that big yellow monster.

"Janemba!" she gasped.

She didn't sense the creature's presence anywhere. Had Trunks managed to defeat him on his own? He must have. After whatever had happened to her, he must have defeated that giant freak and then brought her here.

Going outside, she saw Mr. Popo watering the flowers, humming happily. If he was in a good mood, then things must be all right.

"Hey!" she called to him.

Mr. Popo jumped, startled. He hadn't been able to sense 18 coming. "Oh, Miss 18, you're awake."

"Cut to the chase." She said impatiently. "What the hell happened? Is everything back to-"

"Normal? Yes, it is. The one responsible has been dealt with, and whatever damage wasn't undone by, what was his name, Jenieba?"

"Janemba." She corrected.

Mr. Popo nodded. "Yes, him. Whatever wasn't fixed after he was defeated was restored with the Namekian Dragon Balls."

"That's good." She looked around. "Where's Trunks? Never mind, I can sense him." She went to go back inside, almost bumping into the saiyan she was looking for. "Oh, there you are."

"Hey." Trunks muttered, looking relieved to see her up and about. "You ok?"

She shrugged. "Feeling a little lightheaded, but other than that, I'm fine." She looked him up and done. "You seem good too."

Trunks chuckled. "Actually, I was in pretty bad shape, but Dende healed me."

"So everything is all right now."

He nodded. "Yeah, Janembuu's gone."

18 raised an eyebrow. "Janembuu? Did I hear you right? I thought his name was-"

"It's a long story."

"I've go time."

So the two of them sat down and Trunks told her the story about his battle with Janemba. About the creature's unexpected transformation, about the appearance of Buu, how one absorbed the other, and how Roshi gave his life to stop him.

When his story was finished, she remained silent for a while. "So, the old man's gone?"

He gave her a smile. "No, he's back. We had Porunga revive him along with everyone else. Good thing too, because people had been killed all over the universe, not to mention the destruction that was caused in both their world and Other World. But everything is back to normal now."

18 sighed in relief. The old man may have been a nuisance, but she was glad he was alive and well. "And, what'd you call him now, Janembuu, what happened with him?"

Trunks' eyes narrowed. "He's still in the jar. I had to make sure he could never get out, but accident or otherwise." He glanced back at the sanctuary. "So I put him in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber and destroyed the door. He's gone, 18, and he's never coming back."

18 frowned. "Well, that sucks. I could have used that room one more time. I wish you would have waited one more day."

Trunks gave her a sorrowful smile. "Sorry, I didn't think of that. My top priority was making sure he'd never escape." He looked at the sanctuary again. "And now he never will."

18 cocked her head to the side. "You know, I feel kind of bad for him. Trapped in there all alone forever. That's got to be boring."

Trunks didn't share her opinion. "He deserves it. He wanted to destroy everything until there was nothing left. Well now he's trapped in nothingness."

"I guess." 18 replied. "But that's still so boring."

"I'm inclined to agree with her." said Dende, making an appearance. "The boredom would certainly drive me crazy."

"He was already crazy." Trunks muttered. He glanced at the Namekian. "Do you know what caused all this in the first place? I mean, freaky monsters with unusual matter manipulating and dimensional controlling powers don't just appear out of thin air."

But his guess was as good as Dende's. "I'm really not sure. The only ones that would know would be King Yemma or one of the kais."

That would have been Trunks' next guess. "I'll ask Supreme Kai. He'll know." Closing his eyes, he called out to the ruler of the universe. "Supreme Kai, are you there? Can you hear me?"

He received a reply right away. "Yes, Trunks, I can hear you. I thought you'd try and make contact with me. You want to know how Janemba came about."

Trunks nodded. "Yeah. He definitely wasn't normal. You do know what happened, don't you?"

"I do, and I can assure you that it will not happen again. This was a fluke, a mistake that will not be repeated."

"What did happen?" 18 asked.

"There was an accident regarded all the evils of Hell affecting one individual. It caused a mutation of disastrous affects, resulting in the individual becoming Janemba. But don't worry, precautions will be made so nothing like this ever happens again."

"It's all your fault!" came Old Kai's scolding voice. "I tell you, it's this generation! So lazy and irresponsible. Nothing like this has ever happened since the beginning of time. Janemba could have destroyed all life in the universe. And then to let him combined with Majin Buu like that; I thought we were finished!"

Supreme Kai hung his head. "I'm… sorry, ancestor…"

Trunks sighed. "As long as it won't happen again, that's all that matters. Thank's Supreme Kai. I feel a lot better." He turned back to 18. "Come on, we should head back."

She nodded, and the two of them said their goodbyes to Dende and Mr. Popo. Taking off, they headed for Capsule Corp. As they flew over the land, they looked around carefully to make sure everything really was back to normal. Though they didn't doubt Porunga, they wanted to see it for themselves.

"So, you really thought you were done for?" 18 asked as they soared through the air.

Trunks looked back at her. "You didn't see this guy. He was a monster. The fat Janemba you saw had only half of what the transformed Janemba had. And Majin Buu suddenly getting mixed in with it. That was bad."

"So which one absorbed the other?"

Trunks shrugged. "Don't know, and at this point, I don't really care. I'm just glad they're both gone."

18 snickered. "Janembuu. Did you really come up with that?"

Trunks couldn't help but to smile as well. "I was originally going to go with Majinemba."

"Why not Majin Jenemba? Or how about Majenembuu? Or maybe even…"

Trunks rolled his eyes. "Does it really matter?"

"I guess not." The smile disappeared from her face and she gave him a serious look. "Any regrets?"

"What?"

She shrugged. "Well, you said you were sure you were going to die. Did you have any regrets?"

That seemed like a stupid question to ask. "Of course I had regrets. I regretted that I couldn't stop him. I regretted that everyone was going to die, that I wasn't strong enough, that the entire universe would be at his mercy, that-"

"No, no, not that." she said impatiently. "I meant about your life. About the things you've done… or haven't done…"

Trunks glanced at her. Now he understood what she was getting at. She was talking about the two of them.

Dropping down, he landed on a building. 18 joined him a moment later and took a seat on the ledge of the building. "Well?" she asked.

"Well, what do you want me to say?" he asked irritably. "Do you really want to talk about this right now?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Yes, I want to talk about this. Right now, while the feeling is still fresh in your mind."

Trunks groaned. He knew what this was about. This was about what he had stopped her from saying the last time they made love.

'No!' he thought, almost fearfully. 'We didn't make love. We had sex. Plain and simple.'

"Stop it!" 18 snapped.

Trunks gave her a confused look. "Stop what?"

She glared at him. "You know damn well what. I can see it in your eyes. You're trying to make up an excuse to dismiss what's going on between us."

Trunks grumbled. She was right though. He had discovered that the last time they had done it. He definitely felt something for 18; he couldn't deny that. But he didn't want to accept it either.

"So what now?" he asked. "Do you think confronting me like this will change anything?"

She crossed her arms. "I know you feel something, Trunks. And you know I have feelings for you. I can understand if you don't feel ready to speak those feelings out loud, but you don't have the right to stop me."

"I told you I'm not ready to hear it."

She ignored him. "I know I said that I can wait, but I don't have a lot of patience. I need something, Trunks. Something to hold on to."

He looked away. "So what do you want from me?"

She regarded him for a moment before answering. "Make love to me."

Trunks' head snapped in her direction. "What?"

"You heard me. If we can't express ourselves in words, then lets do it in body language. Make love to me, Trunks, right here on this roof with the stars as our witness." She stepped towards him. "And don't bother fighting me, because you know you can't."

She was right about that. He had come to that revelation last time. He couldn't resist her. And to pretend otherwise was futile. His body was already reacting to the promise of what was to come. But instead, he turned his back on her and headed for the ledge of the building.

18 grabbed him from behind and turned him around. "Don't ignore me!"

"Now is not the time for us to be fucking." He scolded.

She threw back her head and laughed. "Fucking? Is that what you see it as? All right then, lets fuck."

She stepped towards him again, and Trunks held up his hand to keep her back. "Whatever you want to call it, now is not the time."

She grabbed his shirt. "I thought boys were always ready to get into a girl's pants. Show me I'm wrong."

She kissed him then, slipping her tongue into his mouth. He resisted for a brief moment before giving in. Pulling away from her lips, he trailed kisses along her jaw-line. 18 tilted her head back, giving him better access.

Lifting up her arms, she allowed Trunks to pull her shirt up over her head. She did the same and began running her hands over his muscular chest. Trunks wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close as he her hands went to his pants. They slide down his legs, and he kicked out of them, leaving him in his boxers.

Reaching back, 18 unclasped her bra and tossed it aside. Wiggling out of his arms, she grabbed his boxers and pulled them down before crawling up his body again. Trunks shifted one of his legs in between her, pressing his knee against where she ached for him. 18 gasped and held herself as close to him as possible, sliding herself along his leg as she rubbed her breasts against his chest.

"I knew you couldn't resist." She told him, her voice filled with passion and lust.

'Only you.' Trunks couldn't help but think. 'Only you can do this to me. And I curse you for it.'

Turning her around, his hands moved to massage her breasts. 18 leaned back against him, sighing in pleasure. She gasped loudly when he tweaked her beaded nipples and responded by rubbing her rear end against his cock, making him groan.

Sucking on her pulse point, Trunks let one of his hands travel down her body until he reached her blond curls. 18 inhaled sharply as his fingers made contact with her wet heat.

"Yes…" she hissed. "Give me more."

She cried out as he slipped a finger inside her and began thrusting in and out. One of her arms reached back to tangle her hand in his hair while the other one grabbed hold of his shaft and began to rub it.

Smirking, Trunks moved his tail to lightly trail along her stomach, causing goose bumps to break out on her skin. Nibbling lightly at her neck, he added a second finger, and the hand that was massaging him shot to her mouth to stifle a gasp. She bit down on her finger to keep from crying out as she shifted slightly to trap his cock between her legs. Trunks groaned as he felt himself rub against her warmth.

"Trunks…" she whimpered, moving her hand down to join his.

"I'm here." he whispered against her skin, thrusting gently against her, but not yet penetrating.

Her hips moved against his hand as he moved his fingers faster. 18 moaned loudly as her legs turned to rubber, barely able to hold up her weight, even with her super human strength. She felt her orgasm approaching. She was almost there, just a little more.

"I'm cumming!" she cried out. "I'm cumming!"

She shuddered violently against him, and Trunks held her close as he felt her wetness erupt against his hand. She suddenly spun around and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him deeply as the last few shockwaves of her orgasm ran through her.

"I want you now." she told him.

He wanted her too. It was evident in his eyes, and particularly by the hard rod of hot flesh resting against her stomach. She loved being with him like this. She always felt so complete, so satisfied. Trunks was a great lover. He always made her touch the sky. Which gave her an idea.

Stepping back, she took his hand and gave it a tug. "Follow me."

The lust in his eyes became mixed with confusion. "What? Where?"

Smiling, she leaned forward and kissed him. "Up." She whispered. "I want to make love in the sky."

She took flight. Trunks hesitated a moment before flying up after her. She didn't stop until she was at least a thousand feet in the air. Then she turned and waited for the saiyan to join her.

She smiled at him once he caught up with her, and brushed a strand of hair from her face. Trunks couldn't help but think how sexy she looked while doing that. He held out his arms and she flew into his embrace.

Floating in the air, they just held each other for a few moments. She looked up at him fondly before spreading her legs, giving him access to her welcoming body. They moaned simultaneously as he slid inside her, entangling their arms and legs as they cherished the feeling of being joined together while they drifted through the night sky.

18 nuzzled his chest, enjoying the feeling of having him inside her, and she silently thanked Dr. Gero for allowing her to still enjoy these bodily pleasures. But she didn't want to think of the mad scientist that stole her humanity right now. All she wanted to do was enjoy the feeling of being wrapped in her saiyan lover's arms.

Shifting around, she wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, allowing her to move up his body so she could look into his eyes. Trunks stared back at her as his hands went to her hips and they began moving. 18 licked her lips, enjoying the delicious feeling humping against him. Her legs tightened around him as he moved within her, bringing them both closer to climax.

18 hissed, biting her bottom lip and closing her eyes. Having broken eye contact, Trunks looked down to where they were joined, seeing himself disappearing and reappearing into her body as they moved. He felt her inner muscles tighten around him and he growled as he tried to hold himself back, determine to send her over the edge first.

Panting loudly, 18 looked at him again, seeing the look of concentration on his face. She was glad that she could make him act this way, but it wasn't enough. She wanted more.

Cupping his face, she urged him to open his eyes and look at her again. When he did, she kissed him, trying to show him how much she cared, even if he didn't feel as strongly for her as she did for him.

Breaking the kiss, she rested her forehead against his, her lips brushing against his, but not quite touching as they moved. "Tell me…" she begged. "I want to hear it, Trunks. Say that you love me."

His he looked at her in surprise. "What?"

"Just say it." she pleaded. "Even if it's not true. I still need to hear it. Just tell me that you love me."

He knew that she wanted to say those words to him, but he wouldn't let her. So now she wanted to hear him say it, even if it was a lie. But that was the problem though. He didn't know what he felt for her. Though he refused to accept his feelings as love, he did feel something for her. And he could at least give her something to hold onto while they were together like this.

"I love you." he whispered.

Her eyes widened in surprise. She hadn't expected him to actually say it. But joy soon replaced the surprise. She knew it was a lie; his feelings were not yet of love, but it still made her happy to hear him say it.

"Again." she said, burrowing her face into the crook of his neck.

"I love you."

She began moving faster against him. "Again."

"I love you."

Holding herself as close to him as possible, she quickened her pace even more. "Again, again!"

Trunks was now thrusting into her as fast as possible, gritting his teeth so he wouldn't finish too early. "I love you. I love you, 18. I love you!"

18's toes curled as she reached her peak and felt herself shatter into a million pieces. "T-T-TRUNKS!"

His arms tightened around her and he unconsciously jumped to his Super Saiyan form as he felt her inner muscles squeeze him. Unable to hold himself back, he gasped loudly and erupted inside her.

18 inhaled sharply as she felt his warmth spread within her. Feeling completely satisfied, she went limp against him, trusting him not to drop her.

Smiling, she looked up at the stars and sighed happily. "From up here, it feels like we're the only two people in the entire universe." She chuckled. "If we were, there's no one I'd rather be with."

He didn't answer her. He merely turned his head and kissed her hair, enjoying the feeling of holding her in his arms. As he held her, his gaze drifted down to the city far below them, and he suddenly realized that they had a problem.

"Um, hey, 18?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you… happen to remember which building we left our clothes on?"

18's eyes snapped open and she looked down. They had drifted from where they originally had been, and now she too had no idea where they were.

"Oops." She muttered. "I guess we didn't think this through."

Chapter 39: Rock, Paper, Scissor

Cause and affect. Two simple words that went hand in hand. If there was a cause, then soon enough, there would be an affect. It may not be for many years, but the consequences of an action would soon take place.

The cause of one's actions were now taking affect as the sanctuary came under attack by a powerful foe from the past. Not nearly as strong as Janemba or Buu, but still with a devastating power. And this foe had come to Kami's Lookout with one purpose in mind.

Dende was knocked to the ground, and a large foot pressed down on his head, making him cry out, another form of cause and affect. The one pinning the Guardian down snickered, finding amusement in the Namekian's pain.

"So, Guardian, are you going to call him. It'll be so much easier for us all if you do."

Dende looked up at the fiend defiantly. "Forget it. I won't sell him out."

The intruder growled angrily. "Do you think I won't be able to find him on my own? I'll find him whether you call him here or not. This is just the fastest way. Besides, he is the last defender of Earth. He's meant to fight me." His eyes narrowed. "Now, this is your last chance. Call him now, or I'll crush your head beneath my foot." To show he was serious, he pressed down harder, causing Dende to scream in pain. "Do it!"

"All right!" Dende shouted. There was no point in putting it off. Trunks would have to fight the guy at some point. "I'll call him, just ease up so I can concentrate."

Grinning, the villain stopped pressing, but didn't remove his foot. "That's a good little toad."

Glaring at him, Dende called out to the saiyan. "Trunks, are you there? Answer me, please."

He waited a few moments, but received no response. So he tried again, but still didn't receive an answer.

"Well?" the intruder demanded impatiently. "What's the hold up?"

"I can't seem to reach him." Dende replied, wincing as more pressure was added again.

"Why not?"

"He's eating. You ever try to get a saiyan's attention while he was eating? It's not easy."

With a growl, the intruder pressed down even harder. "Well you better keep trying. I have precious little patience, and you've almost used it up."

Knowing that his life was in the balance, Dende called out to Trunks again, hoping the saiyan would hear him.

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18 figured it was a good thing she didn't have to eat, because whenever Trunks got an appetite, she lost hers.

"Where did you learn your manners anyway?" she asked. "Certainly not from your mother."

"Nope." Said Bulma. "From his father."

18 raised an eyebrow. "But… Vegeta… when Trunks was a baby…" She didn't want to bring up painful memories.

"It's imprinted in his very DNA." Bulma told her. "Just like they can't help but to fight and get stronger, they also can't help but to engorge themselves."

Trunks swallowed what he had in his mouth before giving his mother a bashful grin. "Aw, come on. Must we go through this every time we eat?"

"Every time we eat? No. Every time you eat? Yes. You'll never get a girlfriend with such bad table manners." She glanced at the android. "Take my advice, 18. When you get a boyfriend, make sure he knows how to eat properly."

18 couldn't help but to smile at the irony at the woman's words. "I could always train them to behave properly."

"I just wish I could train my son properly, but it seems that table manners is one technique a saiyan can never learn."

18 was inclined to agree. But looking back at Trunks gulping down a bowl of rice, a mischievous smile broke out on her face as she spoke to him telepathically. "Save room for dessert."She told him. "I'm what's on the menu."

He glared at her from over the bowl of rice. "Not around mother."

He went back to eating, but 18 wasn't done having fun yet. She knew how to get a good reaction out of him. "Tell you what, the next time we make love, you can fuck me in my ass."

The rice Trunks was eating went flying out of his mouth and across the table as 18's words shocked him to no end. 18 would have laughed, but she suddenly got a face full of rice, which hadn't been a part of her plan, but at least she had succeeded in getting his attention.

Bulma turned, seeing the mess her son made. "Trunks, what are you doing? You're not an infant!"

Trunks coughed, patting his chest. "S-Sorry, Mom. It went down the wrong tube." He shifted his angry gaze to 18. "That wasn't funny."

Smirking, 18 learned across the table and plucked a grain of rice off his cheek. "Don't waste it." she said, popping the grain into her mouth and sucking on her finger seductively. "I wasn't joking."

Trunks turned bright red as dirty thoughts filled his head. With them came a voice that sounded a lot like Dende's. He realized a moment later that it really was the Guardian, and he sounded like he was in distress.

"Dende?" he asked. "Is everything all right?"

Bulma glanced at him. "Hmm? Dende's talking to you?"

"Yes, now please be quiet. What's up, Dende?"

"Trunks, come to the Lookout, fast. We've got problems. We're under attack by a powerful enemy."

"You're kidding!" Trunks cried. "Someone else is causing trouble?"

That caught 18's attention, and she sat up quickly. "What? Another bad guy? But we just got rid of Janemba!"

Trunks stood up, slamming his hands on the table. "They never stop! When can we get some peace around here?" Growling angrily, he headed for the door. "Lets go, 18. We'll deal with this quickly and be done with it."

Shrugging, she stood up too. "Works for me."

Without so much as a goodbye, the two of them took off, leaving Bulma with a mountain of dishes. Her main concern, however, was for her son, not the mess he had left behind. As 18 had pointed out, they had just saved the world, no, the universe, wait, make that every universe, from Janemba, and now they had to go fight again.

"Good luck, you two. Come back safely."

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As the two of them approached Kami's Lookout, Trunks suddenly became aware of the intense power level that they were nearing. He didn't like what he was sensing. Whoever they were, they were powerful.

"Hey, Trunks," said 18, "do you feel what I feel?"

He nodded. "Yes. I'm surprised I hadn't picked up on it sooner."

She snorted. "When you've got food on the brain, you don't notice anything."

"Hey, don't forget that it was me that taught you how to sense energy levels to begin with."

"As if you were born with all your abilities." She nodded ahead of them. "Look, it's Korin Tower. We're almost there."

Upon reaching the impossibly tall structure, they flew straight up. Speeding past the dome at the top, Kami's Lookout was soon in sight.

They landed upon the sanctuary and received a shock. Either a tornado had gone through here, or whoever had come here had seen fit to practically destroy the place.

That's when they spotted Dende and Mr. Popo. They were lying on the ground, both having been beaten within an inch of their life.

Trunks hurried over to them and knelt down by their sides. "Hey, are you guys all right? Say something."

Groaning, Dende looked up at him. "Trunks… be careful… He's strong…"

Trunks nodded. "I can tell."

18 went to stand beside him. "Who did this?"

"That would be me."

They turned to see someone exiting the sanctuary. He was a big man with teal colored skin, orange hair, and a scar across his face. And he wasn't alone. With him were four others of the same race. Two of them looked very powerful as well, both very big and very buff, but not as much as their leader. As for the last two, one was shorter than all the others and was wearing a turban on his head. Though he was small, he had a sadistic look in his eyes. The last one was a girl, a very attractive girl too, but she had a smile on her face that suggested wicked intent.

Trunks' eyes widened with recognition. 'Can't be! They're dead!'

But then he remembered. They weren't dead, not in this timeline. When he had gone to the past, he had faced them, only managing to destroying one while Gohan beat the other three and the forth betrayed the female. But here, in this time, these guys had yet to show up, and it seemed that they had finally arrived.

"So," said the leader, "you're Trunks."

Surprised, 18 turned to the saiyan. "You know this guy?"

Trunks nodded. "Bojack."

The alien chuckled. "I see my reputation proceeds me. Yes, I am indeed the mighty Bojack. And these are my underlines, Bido, Bujin, Kogu, and Zangya."

Being as smart as he was, Trunks couldn't help but pick up on the meaning of their names. 'Arrogance, audacity, unjust, heinous, and cruelty. Very suitable names for them.'

"Nice to meet you." 18 muttered sarcastically. "Now get out of here."

Bido chuckled. "But we came so far just to see you."

"After all," said Zangya, "we were being sealed away for a very long time, so our master is itching for a good fight."

"And you seem to be the strongest one around." Kogu added.

18 raised an eyebrow. "Sealed away?"

Trunks explained it to her. "From what I can gather, a long time ago, Bojack here was a deranged psychopathic murderer who tried to destroy the entire galaxy. The four kais stepped in and sealed away him and his friends here in a star."

"A star?" 18 repeated. "Ok then, so how are they here?"

"I haven't figured that out yet."

While in the past, he had learned of Bojacks escape. When Gohan had been fighting Cell, and was clearly going to win, the organic android had set himself to self-destruct that would create an explosion big enough to destroy the earth. In a last ditch effort, Goku had used Instant Transmission to teleport Cell to King Kai's planet. When Cell exploded, the explosion was large enough to reach and destroy the star Bojack was sealed in, freeing him and his minions.

Bujin grinned. "It's actually a rather interesting story. After that freak Janemba distorted the worlds, we were freed from our prison."

Trunks silently swore. 'Damn it, Janemba. Even after you're beaten you're still causing us trouble.'

"So," said Bojack, cracking his knuckles, "lets get started, shall we. The saiyan is mine. The four of you can decide amongst yourselves who fights the girl."

"Why don't we all go for her at once?" Kogu suggested.

"But it won't be any fun if it's not a challenge." Zangya pointed out.

"Let's decide this fairly." Said Bujin. "Ready?"

They turned to each other. "Rock, paper scissor! Tie, go again! Tie, go again! Tie, go again!"

Trunks and 18 sweat-dropped, wondering if all villains were liked this when they battled in groups.

"Tie, go again! Tie, go again!"

"Ah ha!" Bido cried, holding up his flat palm. "Rock beats scissors."

Grumbling, Kogu and Bujin crossed their arms and stepped aside. Zangya and Bido faced each other and resumed the game. It took six attempts before a winner was chosen.

"Scissors cuts paper." Zangya declared. She turned to 18, grinning. "I win."

18 rolled her eyes. 'Somehow, I saw that coming.'

"Then it's decided." Said Bojack, cracking his knuckles. "Time for some fun."

Trunks glanced at Dende and Mr. Popo, then back at Bojack. "You want a fight? That's fine with us. But lets do it somewhere else."

Bojack glanced at the two Trunks was concerned with. "Because of them? I'll take care of that."

Raising his hand, he fired a blast of energy at them. Trunks moved quickly, snatching them out of harm's way.

"Can you fly?" he asked them.

Dende winced in pain. "Not for long."

"I have my magic carpet." Said Mr. Popo. He called for the flying rug, and he and Dende got on it. "Good luck, you two."

"Thanks…" said Trunks, watching them fly off. "We'll need it."

"Yes," Bojack agreed. "You will."

Chapter 40: Against the Odds

At least Bojack had agreed to take the fight to a different location; it would have been a real shame if the Lookout had been destroyed during their fighting, as it most likely would have been.

Trunks was concerned. Though Bojack's followers wouldn't be hard to deal with, he was concerned about the big guy himself. He had faced Bojack in the past, and the guy had picked him apart with ease. True, he was a lot stronger now, but was he strong enough to defeat the psychotic alien?

'I have to be.' He thought. 'I know what these guys are capable of. They have to be stopped.'

The five aliens were getting impatient. At least Bojack was, and that meant the others were required to get impatient as well. Growling angrily, Bojack decided that he didn't want to wait anymore.

"This is far enough!" he snarled. "We'll fight here."

He headed for the ground with his minions right behind him. Trunks and 18 decided that this would have to do and landed as well. They stared at the aliens, knowing that the fighting was about to start.

Bojack was grinning in anticipation. He was really going to enjoy this. And after a good fight, he could go back to destroying the galaxy, just as he had long ago. This boy and his girlfriend would be a good warm up.

"I hope you're ready to die." He said.

Trunks glared at him. "After you."

18 crossed her arms. "So, how are we going to do this? One at a time, or together."

Zangya smiled and flew at 18, catching her by surprise with a powerful punch. "Does that answer your question?"

Bojack chuckled. "I don't care if you fight now or later, but I'm not waiting any longer. Prepare to die!"

He charged at the saiyan, throwing a punch. Trunks did a back flip, avoiding the blow, then lunged at the alien. Bojack grunted as Trunks did a head butt into his stomach, then grinned as he wrapped his arms around him and slammed his knee into Trunks' chin.

Seizing the saiyan by his hair, Bojack smashed him face first into the ground. Jumping up, he brought his elbow slamming down into Trunks' back, making him cry out, then kicked him in the side and fired a blast of energy after him. Trunks flew straight up to avoid the blast, then flew down at Bojack, and the two began to fight.

Meanwhile, 18 had recovered from Zangya's cheap shot and flew at her. Zangya was surprised by 18's speed and wasn't prepared for 18's attack, allowing the android to slam her elbow into her jaw. Growling, Zangya threw a punch, hitting 18 square in the face.

18 flipped backwards and fired a blast of energy. Zangya smacked it aside and fired her own blast. Vanishing out of the attack's path, 18 appeared beside Zangya, kicking outward. But Zangya grabbed 18's foot, spun her around, throwing her into a rock wall.

Kicking off the large rock formation, 18 sped towards Zangya, ramming into her. Zangya groaned as 18's arms wrapped around her tightly, pushing her back until she slammed into a different rock wall, hitting it with such force that they broke straight through it.

Trunks ducked underneath one of Bojack's punches and buried his own fist in the alien's gut. Bojack grunted, but then grabbed Trunks' shoulders. He slammed his forehead into the saiyan's face. Stepping back, he kicked outward, catching Trunks in the stomach.

Spitting out a mouthful of blood, Trunks clutched his stomach, only to see Bojack's hand coming towards his face with a gathering of energy in it. He was blasted backwards, hitting the same rock wall 18 and Zangya had broken through.

With a groan, Trunks stumbled forward, just as Bojack came flying at him again, slamming into him so Trunks was flattened against the rock wall. Wrapping his large hand over Trunks' head, he threw him over his shoulder, then flew at him again, throwing a punch.

With both hands, Trunks caught Bojack's fist. He cried out loudly and became a Super Saiyan Two. Bojack's eyes widened in surprised, right before Trunks took hold of his outstretched arm, spun him around, and threw him. Bojack halted his momentum, only to have Trunks slam into him from behind.

Growling angrily, Bojack whirled around, swinging his fist, hitting Trunks in the face. Trunks hovered backwards, rubbing his cheek, and looked at Bojack. The alien was staring at his new form curiously.

"Interesting attire." He commented. "But it doesn't matter how many times you transform. No form you take will make you strong enough to win."

18 and Zangya came bursting out of the other side of the rock formation they had crashed through. Zangya looked down angrily at 18 and slammed her elbow down on the back of her head.

18 hit the hard ground face first. Zangya smirked and came stomping down on 18's back with both feet, making her cry out. Floating away, she threw several balls of energy at the android, creating a series of explosion all around her.

Once she was done firing, Zangya smirked. "How'd you like that?"

From out of the dust cloud, 18 flew towards Zangya with her arm outstretched, hitting Zangya in the face. "I'm not that impressed. You have potential, but you're not strong enough to beat me."

Zangya wiped the blood from her mouth and grinned. "Is that what you think? Well, what if I told you I was holding back."

18 grinned as well. "Likewise."

"Really?" Zangya asked. "Let's see how you deal with me now."

She transformed. Her teal skin turned a yellow-green chartreuse color, and her hair turned bright red. 18 raised an eyebrow at the sudden change. Zangya's strength had just doubled in power.

Zangya smiled, running a hand through her long curly red hair. "How do you like me now?"

18 was surprised, but not intimidated. "Not bad, but like I said, I've been restraining my power as well."

Her power flared up around her. The amount it increased was unknown since her energy couldn't be sensed, but the smirk on her face indicated that she had just boosted her power up higher than Zangya.

Bojack was putting Trunks' Super Saiyan Two power to the test. And to tell the truth, he was impressed by the saiyan's strength. This golden form the boy had taken had greatly increased his power.

Trunks kicked outward, and Bojack raised his arm to block the blow. Raising his hand, he fired a blast of energy at the saiyan. Trunks vanished and reappeared behind him, firing his own blast of energy.

Bojack copied Trunks, suddenly appearing behind the saiyan. His knuckles came together, slamming into both sides of Trunks' head. The saiyan cried out as Bojack rubbed his knuckles into his head. Lifting his legs, he kicked back, knocking Bojack away from him.

Whirling around, he hit Bojack, sending him flying. Then he flew up and came straight down, his foot sticking out to slam into Bojack and sending him crashing to the ground. He began firing blasts of energy at the fallen alien, hitting him again and again, preventing him from getting up.

Cupping his hands together, Trunks prepared to use the attack his father invented. "Galick Gun!"

A blast of energy came flying down towards Bojack. The alien's eyes opened just in time to see the attack come, but not in time to avoid it.

"Die, Bojack!" Trunks cried, unleashing more power.

From within the explosion of energy, Bojack came flying upward, forcing Trunks' attack back. Trunks gasped in surprise as Bojack seemed to travel up his beam of energy and deliver a powerful uppercut.

Dazed, Trunks floated back. Bojack hovered in the air a few feet away, grinning. "Not bad. You're transformation, it seems, isn't just for show. But you're out of your league. You're not the only one who can transform you know."

Then he changed as well, the same way as Zangya did, his skin turning chartreuse and his hair a bright blood red color. Trunks inhaled sharply as Bojack became three times as powerful as he had been before.

"Yeah." Bojack said with a satisfied grin. "That's so much better. Now it's time to finish this."

Meanwhile, the fight between 18 and Zangya was going downhill for the alien. Regardless of her transformation, 18 still had more power, and it was infuriating her.

"Come on." 18 taunted. "Surely you have more power than that."

Zangya glared at her. "I'll show you power."

She launched a beam of energy. 18 responded by shooting her own beam. Zangya's attack was overpowered, forcing her blast back. She flew up and out of the way, ready to fire another blast, but 18 was gone.

"Over here."

Zangya turned to see 18's fist right in her face. Her head snapped back from the impact, and 18 grabbed Zangya's leg and threw her to the ground, firing a blast of energy down at her. The alien cried out as the attack hit her, sliding her across the ground.

Ending up in front of her companions, Zangya struggled to get to her feet. Looking at her partners, she saw Bido and Bujin looked annoyed while Kogu was smirking.

"What are you smiling about?" she demanded.

Kogu chuckled. "It seems you're having a little bit of trouble."

Bido growled and glared at his fellow alien. "It's not funny, Kogu. Really, Zangya, you're making us look bad."

Dusting herself off, she gave them an irritated look. "I'm fine. I'm just a little rusty after having been sealed away for so long."

"Then perhaps we should step in." Bujin suggested. "Just until you're at you best again."

Up in the air, 18 waited impatiently. "Hey, are you taking a break or something?"

Kogu looked up at her and grinned. "We're just discussing strategy."

18 crossed her arms. "I hope it'll be worth my time."

Bido growled. "This girl has a mouth on her. Lets teach her a lesson."

Bido, Bujin, and Kogu all made the same transformation that Bojack and Zangya did, and flew up towards 18, making it four against one.

While 18 was outnumbered, Trunks was outmatched. Bojack was strong before, but in his transformed state, he was far stronger.

One large fist slammed into Trunks' head, then another one on the other side. A kick was delivered to his stomach, but Bojack kept going, pushing Trunks along with his foot until he collided with a rock wall.

Grinning, Bojack repeatedly punched Trunks, burying him deeper and deeper into the rock wall until the entire thing came crumbling down. He floated over the pile of rocks, searching out where he thought Trunks was, then firing a blast of energy, clearing away the pile of rocks and leaving Trunks behind in a crater.

"Ah, there you are." Bojack sneered as he floated down.

Reaching into the crater, he wrapped his hand around Trunks' throat and lifted him in the air. Trunks gasped for breath, but his air supply was cut off by Bojack's grip.

"Seems like the mighty saiyan is down for the count." He said.

Trunks glared at him. 'Not quite yet.'

He began firing off blasts of energy against Bojack. The alien grunted and groaned at the small explosions erupting against him. He tightened his hold around Trunks' throat, but the blasts became too much and he was forced to let go.

Flipping backwards, Trunks' foot slammed into Bojack's chin, knocking him off his feet. While he was down, Trunks jumped up and brought his knee crashing down on Bojack. The alien grunted in pain, and Trunks jumped up to do it again. This time, Bojack blocked him and unleashed a blast of energy.

Trunks cried out as he was blasted backwards, slamming into the rock wall. 'I'm getting nowhere fast like this. I'll have to try going to Super Saiyan Three again.'

He began powering up, hoping to reach the next level. He didn't have the chance though as Bojack rammed into him, tearing straight through the rock formation and coming out the other side. Once through, Bojack slammed him to the ground, dragging him across the rocky terrain.

While Trunks was struggling against Bojack, 18 was holding her own against his followers. She ducked beneath Bido's punch to deliver her own into Kogu's gut while kicking out at Zangya and using her other hand to fire a blast of energy at Bujin.

Turning her attention to Bido, she hit him with an uppercut, then moved to block the kick Bujin threw while using her leg to block Zangya's punch. Ducking down, she avoided Kogu's punch, then grabbed his arm and threw him into Bido. Whirling around, she fired a blast of energy at Zangya, then spun around to hit Bujin in the gut.

All four came at her at once. 18 held up her arms, blocking two of the blows coming at her, and raised her leg, blocking a third with her knee, but the fourth blow got her in the side. She grunted in pain and glared at her attackers. With a loud cry, she unleashed an explosion of energy, blasting all four of them back.

Recovering from the attack, Bujin cried out to his companions. "Chou no Ryoku, now!"

All four of them shot out pieces of energy in the forms of strings that wrapped around 18. The purple threads tightened around her, and began zapping her strength.

Kogu laughed. "Struggle all you want. You'll never escape from our Chou no Ryoku. It'll drain you of you're energy until you either die or pass out."

18 just smirked. "Really? It does that? Strange, I don't feel a thing. Maybe that's because my energy never runs out."

She began spinning around. Though it tied her up more, it also yanked her opponents forward. With a burst of strength, she tore free from her bindings and seized the threads, using them to swing around the others and slamming them to the ground.

As his followers hit the ground, Bojack gave them irritated looks. "You fools are putting us to shame." He muttered.

Clenching and unclenching his hand, he gathered a large portion of energy, condensed in a ball. With a psychotic grin, he through the ball of energy at 18 and it began growing bigger as the condensed energy expanded.

Sensing the attack, 18 spun around to see it coming at her. But she wasn't fast enough, and the ball of energy crashed into her. Bojack laughed as he directed to ball of energy up and away, and 18 along with it. With a cry like a madman, his eyes flashed and the entire sky lit up as the ball of energy erupted in a massive explosion.

"18!" Trunks cried.

The blast subsided, but there was no sign of the android anywhere, not even her body.

Bojack grinned. "That takes care of her." He looked to his followers. "I can't believe the four of you couldn't handle a weakling like her."

They bowed to him. "Forgive us, Lord Bojack." Said Bujin. "We make no excuses."

"Idiots." Bojack scoffed, and turned back to Trunks. "Now, where were we?"

Trunks was horrified. He had just blown 18 away. And he had done it so easily too. But that wasn't what registered to Trunks. The only thing he acknowledged was that 18 was gone.

Shaking with unsuppressed rage, Trunks turned his hate-filled eyes on Bojack. "You… monster… I'll kill you… I'll kill you!"

His power exploded around him. The transformation was instantaneous, consuming him all at once. Bojack raised an eyebrow at the sudden change, not quite sure what had happened.

"Bojack," the Super Saiyan Three shouted, "you're going down."

He charged at the alien with blinding speed. But before he even reached him, the power vanished, and he returned to a Super Saiyan Two once again.

"What?" he gasped.

Bojack's fist slammed into his face, sending him flying backwards, skidding across the ground. When he finally stopped, he sat up, holding his throbbing jaw.

Bojack gave him a taunting grin. "What was that? A distraction attempt? If so, it didn't work."

Growling, Trunks got to his feet. "Damn it, why? Why can't I hold the form? Why can't I control it? What am I doing wrong? Am I just to weak too maintain it."

"It's not that. Maintaining the Super Saiyan Three level takes a lot of work."

Trunks blinked at the sudden familiar voice. "What the? Goku, is that you?"

"Yeah. King Kai's letting me talk to you from Other World."

"Great." Trunks muttered. "So what were you saying about the Super Saiyan Three state?"

Bojack raised an eyebrow. "Who are you talking to?"

"Mastering Super Saiyan Three requires the complete utilization of your energy. You have to learn to control your power. Other wise the transformation will slip away, and your energy will be drained.'

"Why do you know so much about it?" Trunks asked. "Did you achieve it?"

"Stop talking to yourself!" Bojack shouted, firing a blast of energy.

Trunks jumped over the blast as he received Goku's response. "I have actually. So I know what you're going through. It's taken me years to master it."

"I don't have years." Trunks snapped. "I need to master it now."

"Then you have to get complete control of your power."

Bojack flew at him. He stopped right in front of Trunks, much to his surprise. His fist shot out, striking Trunks in the stomach, then his elbow slammed down on him from above, sending the saiyan crashing to the ground.

Grumbling, Trunks managed to get to his hands and knees. "Get complete control of my energy, huh? That's easier said than done."

"You can do it, Trunks. You have to. You're the only one left. It's your power Trunks. You control it. Don't let it control you. Heads up!"

Trunks looked up to see Bojack flying down towards him. He jumped back, just missing being flattened by Bojack's foot.

"All right. I'll try."

He attempted the transformation again, this time trying to keep hold of the energy rather than letting it flow outward. It came in a rush, and his hair grew rapidly. But it was too much, and he lost his hold on it.

"Damn it!" he snapped, losing the transformation again. "I just can't get it."

Bojack slowly stalked towards him. "I don't know what you're trying to do, but it's not going to work."

He charged. Trunks braced himself, knowing he wouldn't be able to move in time, and Bojack slammed into him. Trunks went down. Bojack laughed and then began kicking him along the ground, laughing as he did so.

After a particularly hard kick that sent Trunks crashing several feet away, Bojack motioned to his followers. "What do you say we put an end to this?"

The other four came to stand beside him. "Agreed."

"Agreed."

"Agreed."

"Agreed."

Bojack grinned and raised his hand, gathering energy. "Guess it's all over for you, saiyan."

His followers copied him, gathering energy and taking aim. Trunks struggled to stand up as they unleashed the energy they gathered. Trunks was blasted back again. He fell to the ground, feeling his strength leave him as he began to black out.

Bojack chuckled. "Game, set, match."

Chapter 41: Finally Under Control

Struggling to remain conscious, Trunks lifted his face out of the dirt and looked up at Bojack and his followers. They were looking at him with victorious smirks on their faces. Growling, Trunks dug his fingers into the ground, grabbing a handful of dirt and then punching the ground.

"It's no use." He muttered to himself. "I can't beat them on my own. 18's already been killed, and it looks like I'm about to join her."

"What kind of talk is that? Are you a saiyan, or aren't you?"

Trunks blinked at hearing a voice in his head that wasn't Goku's. "Huh? Was that…? Father, is that you?"

"Of course it's me, you imbecile! Don't you recognize my voice? You did meet me when you went to the past, didn't you?"

Trunks flinched at his father's harsh tone. "Where are you?"

"In Other World! Where do you think? But never mind that now! I will not allow any son of mine to be defeated by these buffoons! Rise and fight! Become a Super Saiyan Three and defeat them."

Trunks looked down shamefully. "I can't. I've tried, but I can't maintain the transformation. And I wasted so much energy trying."

Bojack chuckled. "What are you mumbling about now? Did I hit you so hard that I knocked some screws loose?"

"Perhaps he's saying a prayer before he dies." Bujin suggested.

Trunks ignored them as he was scolded by his father again. "What kind of nonsense is that? That fool, Kakarot, managed to do it, so you can do it too. You are my son, the son of the prince of saiyans. Royal blood flows through your veins. If anyone else is capable of achieving and maintaining Super Saiyan Three, it will be one of us. And as my son, you will be the first!"

Goku's voice joined him. "Aw, come on, Vegeta. Don't be so hard on him. Try some positive reinforcement."

"Shut up, clown! I didn't ask for your advice! I will discipline my son the way I see fit!"

"But you won't accomplish anything if you put him down like that. Why don't you try encouraging him instead?"

"Kakarot, one more word out of you and I'll blast you!"

King Kai cleared his throat. "Um, fellas, you're still holding onto me. That means he can hear every word you're saying."

Trunks forced himself to his feet. "I'm sorry, I just can't do it."

"Where's your saiyan pride?" Vegeta demanded. "Don't you dare shame me by losing this fight. You are going to win, and you are going to do it as a Super Saiyan Three."

"Vegeta." Goku said in a sing-song voice. "Positive reinforcement."

Trunks heard his father groan before taking a deep calming breath. "Trunks, listen to me, I don't find it easy to express myself as Kakarot does, but I do have faith in you. Not only have you avenged your father by destroying 17 and enslaving 18-"

'Enslaving?' Trunks thought.

"-but you have also defeated many powerful enemies, including Frieza's brother and the legendary Super Saiyan. So don't disgrace yourself by failing now."

"Hey!" Goku scolded. "You were doing good there. Don't get nasty again."

Vegeta ignored him. "I know I haven't been there for you, my son, but I'm here with you right now. I just know you're going to make me proud."

Trunks gasped, touched by his father's words. "Father…"

"SO QUIT FOOLING AROUND AND TRANSFORM ALREADY!"

Trunks winced as his father's booming voice rang through his head. "Yes, Father." His gaze shifted back to the others. "I won't let you down."

Bojack sneered at him. "Have you finished talking to yourself? Are you ready to die now?"

Trunks glared at him. "I won't be the one dying today, Bojack. You will." His power started to rise as he searched for his Super Saiyan Three power. "I am the son of Vegeta. I am the last of the saiyans, the last of the royal family. And I will not be taken down by the likes of you."

"Ha!" Kogu laughed. "Do you hear that? He still thinks he can win."

Zangya grinned. "Cocky little boy, isn't he?"

Trunks' body began to pulse as he pulled forth his transformation. "Cocky has nothing to do with it." His hair started to extend. "You're about to face the power of a true Super Saiyan Three."

Bojack crossed his arms. "We've already been through this. No matter what type of transformation you undergo, it won't save you."

"We'll see." He grunted under the strain of the transformation as his hair finished extending. Then the power began slipping away again, just like it always did. "No, I can't lose it now."

Bojack watched him once again attempt the transformation. He frowned in disappointment as the boy's increased power started to decrease again. "Slipping up?"

Trunks didn't even bother looking at him as he put all his concentration into holding his current state. "No way. This power is mine. I control it. I'm the one who decides when it comes and goes. And I say to come forth, NOW!"

His dropping power suddenly soared upward. A wave of golden energy erupted from his body, making the five aliens wince and cover their eyes as Trunks' power sent dirt flying everywhere.

"What happened?" Bujin asked. "His energy was dropping, but it just shot up again."

"And still rising." Bido pointed out.

The dust cleared and Trunks stood standing as a fully transformed Super Saiyan Three. Now he set his sights on the aliens, their deaths in his eyes. "That's more like it. Thanks for the advice, Father. Now I can beat them."

"Beat us?" Bojack asked. "You think you're strong enough to beat me now? You must have sustained a serious head injury during our fight."

Trunks remained perfectly calm as he stared at them. "If you say so, Bojack. Why not come at me and find out."

Bojack sneered. "As if you're even worth my time." He turned to one of his minions. "Kogu, go see if he's more than just talk."

Grinning, the alien stepped forward. "With pleasure." He unsheathed his sword. "I think I'll end it by cutting him in half."

Trunks didn't even react to the weapon in his enemy's hands. "Then come at me, if you want to die."

Kogu growled. "I'll show you!"

He flew at Trunks, swinging his sword. Trunks' hand shot out and he caught the blade in between his middle and index fingers. His eyes shifted to look directly at the alien before he easily snapped the blade.

Kogu stepped back, looking at his broken sword in disbelief. "Why… you…" Fury twisted his features as he tossed the useless sword aside. "I'll show you."

He threw a punch, but hit nothing but air as Trunks disappeared. Suddenly, he felt a pair of hands on his back. Almost afraid to look, he glanced over his shoulder to see Trunks floating upside-down behind him.

Unleashing a blast of energy, Trunks completely disintegrated Kogu. 'One down.' He turned back to the others, giving them a serious look. "This is your last chance to leave peacefully."

He knew the answer before it was even spoken.

"Leave in peace?" Bojack asked. He threw back his head and laughed. "That's a good one. So you're a little stronger, and you've managed to beat that weakling. You're still no match for us. Bido, teach him a lesson."

Cracking his knuckles, Bido stepped forward. "Yes, Master Bojack. I'll tear him apart."

He flew at Trunks, throwing a punch. Trunks caught his flying fist without any effort. Bido snarled angrily and punched with his other hand, but Trunks grabbed this one by the wrist, holding him.

"Well?" the saiyan asked. "Aren't you going to tear me apart?"

He bent the alien's wrists back. Bido grunted and dropped to his knees. He struggled to pull away, but Trunks kept a firm grip on him.

Letting go with one hand, he punched the alien in the gut. Bido spat out a mouthful of blood as Trunks' fist burst a hole in his stomach. With a painful groan, he looked down, seeing the saiyan's fist buried in his gut past his wrist.

"Y-You…"

"Later." Trunks told him.

With his hand still stuck inside the alien's torso, he fired a blast of energy. Bido expanded right before his body exploded from the energy blast erupting inside him.

'Two down.' He flicked his wrist, flinging off the blood on his hand and turned the remaining three.

Bujin's eyes were wide in disbelief. "He… he just destroyed both of them, like they were nothing."

"Then you better do better than them," Bojack told him, "because you're next."

Bujin gulped. "Y-Yes, Master Bojack."

He jumped at Trunks, throwing his wires, and they wrapped around the saiyan tightly. Trunks hadn't even bothered to avoid them. As Bujin laughed, he merely glanced down at the wires tightening around them. He snatched at them and pulled. Bujin went stumbling forward. Trunks swung the wires up and down, bringing the alien with them, slamming him painfully on the ground.

With a loud cry, Trunks's aura flared out. The wires were disintegrated, and Bujin was thrown backwards from the shockwave, landing by Bojack's feet. He looked at Trunks in disbelief and began to crab-walk backwards.

The leader glanced down at his follower with a scowl on his face. "Bujin, what do you think you're doing? I thought I ordered you to attack."

Casting Trunks a frightened look, Bujin looked up at his boss with a pleading look. "But… Master…"

Growling, Bojack glanced at Zangya. "What about you?" Zangya looked equally as frightened. With an angry snarl, he turned back to Trunks. "Useless cowards!"

He took flight, the speed and power at which he did so throwing back Bujin and Zangya as he flew at the saiyan, throwing a punch. Trunks leaned back, allowing Bojack's fist to pass over him.

Reaching up, he grabbed the alien's wrist, just as he had with Bido. Jumping up, he kicked both feet into Bojack's stomach, sending him straight up. Flying up after him, he sped past Bojack and backhanded the alien.

As Bojack sped towards the ground, he did a flip and kicked off the ground, flying towards Trunks. Opening his mouth, he fired a blast of energy. Trunks smacked it aside, then brought his elbow down, just in time to hit Bojack in the face.

This time Bojack did hit the ground, landing on all fours. Looking up at the saiyan, he got to his feet, wiping a trail of blood from his mouth. Regardless of just having been beaten down, he grinned.

"Yes, now this is more along the lines of the kind of fight I was looking for."

Trunks floated down to join him on the ground. "So you were looking for an opportunity to die?"

Bojack chuckled. "Cocky little brat. You may be stronger now, but you truly have no idea what you're dealing with."

He charged at Trunks, who remained still. Raising his hand, Bojack created a ball of energy that he planned to unleash on the saiyan at point blank range.

Trunks moved at the last second. As Bojack brought his hand down to hit him with the ball of energy, Trunks sidestepped him and his fist slammed into the alien's chin.

Bojack's head snapped back and he fell backwards. Trunks didn't even give him time to hit the ground as he kicked outward. Bojack had the breath knocked out of him as Trunks' foot hit him in the gut.

Speeding ahead of him, Trunks whirled around and swung his fist, catching Bojack in the jaw. He followed up by balling his hands and bringing them down. Bojack hit the ground, cracking it from the impact. Groaning, he looked up at Trunks furiously, and the saiyan stared back.

Gathering energy, Bojack made a move to blast Trunks, but the saiyan's foot slammed into his side, sending Bojack tumbling away. The alien recovered quickly though and hopped to his feet. He turned to Trunks, but he was gone.

"Where did he…?"

"Behind you."

Bojack's arms were seized and pulled backwards. He felt the saiyan's feet against his back, allowing Trunks to pull back on his arms even more, making him grumble in pain.

Bujin and Zangya watched the fight with looks of disbelief on their faces. Their almighty leader was losing. In fact, he had yet to laid single punch since Trunks had transformed.

"This can't be happening." Zangya whispered. "Master Bojack is the strongest one around. How could that saiyan have more power?"

Bujin was sharing her thoughts. "Come on, he won't stand a chance against all three of us."

They made a move towards Trunks and Bojack, but a blast of energy flew past them, preventing them from going towards their master's aid.

"What?" Bujin hissed.

They turned in the direction the blast had come from to see someone they had thought was dead.

"I suggest you keep out of this." 18 told them, looking rather beaten up, but alive. "If you want a fight, then fight me. But remember, I was able to hold my own against the two of you and your friends until your fearless leader stepped in."

The two aliens growled angrily, but did not attack, knowing that she was right. But 18's appearance had distracted Trunks, who was surprised to see her still alive.

"18?"

He accidentally loosened his grip, and Bojack pulled away. Whirling around, he slammed his fist into Trunks' jaw, sending him flying. With a grin, he went after him, unleashing as series of punches on the saiyan.

Angry with himself for getting distracted, Trunks made a fist and, avoiding Bojack's punches, hit him right in the face. Blood exploded from the alien's nose and he stumbled back, howling in pain. His nose was crooked and very clearly broken.

"You bastard!" Bojack snarled. "I'll make you pay for that! I'll kill you slowly!"

"You won't be killing anyone anymore." Trunks told him. "And with 18 still alive, that means that you haven't killed anyone, so we have no need to use the Dragon Balls."

Nursing his bloody nose, Bojack looked at the saiyan. "Dragon what? What are you talking about?"

Trunks just grinned. "It's not your concern."

He flew forward, slamming his elbow into Bojack's chest, shattering his ribcage. He followed up with a powerful blow to the chin, breaking the alien's jaw and sending him flying up.

Appearing in Bojack's path, Trunks balled his hands and knocked him back down to Earth. Quickly flying in front of him, he punched upward as hard as he could just before Bojack hit the ground.

Bojack roared in pain as his spine bent back after making contact with Trunks' fist. There was a loud sickening crack as his backbone broke in three places. Gurgling sounds emitted from his throat, as he turned teal again, his power going down to its ordinary level.

With that done, Trunks tossed the now paralyzed alien to the ground and looked down at him. "I guess that's it for you."

18 smiled as she watched Trunks stand victoriously over the alien. "I knew you'd do it." She turned to the remaining two. "You're mighty leader has been defeated."

The looks on Bujin and Zangya's faces were of complete disbelief. "It… can't be…"

"How did he…? Master…"

Bojack tried to speak, but could only manage to make unpleasant grumbling noises. His gaze slowly shifted up to Trunks, glaring at him with the utmost hatred.

Trunks returned his glare, looking at him in disgust. "You brought this upon yourself, Bojack. It was your insatiable appetite for death and destruction that led you here. You're just not content to live in peace, so you take pleasure in hurting others. People like you make me sick. I know your kind. You never learn your lesson, and never have any desire to change." He raised his hand. "And because of that, I cannot allow you to live."

Bojack gave him a look that clearly showed that he wanted nothing more than to break the saiyan's neck. "Y-You… I-I'll… k-kill… you… I… sw-swear… it…"

"Really?" Trunks asked as he gathered energy. "Then you better get to it."

Slowly, Bojack's head turned towards his minions. "W-What are… you… waiting… f-for…? Do s-something…"

Bujin and Zangya looked like they wanted to step in, but with a fearful glance at Trunks and 18, they stayed back.

Bojack growled angrily, realizing that he wouldn't get any help from them. With great effort, he turned back to Trunks, his eyes flashing with fury and the slightest bit of fear. "You… c-can't… d-do this… to me…"

Trunks glared at him. "Watch me."

He unleashed the energy he had gathered in one large blast.

With wide eyes, Bojack watched as the attack came. "W-Wait…!"

The energy blast consumed him. He cried out loudly as the blast completely obliterated him.

"Master Bojack!" Bujin and Zangya shouted.

But their leader was no longer there. He had been completely blown away. Trunks lowered his hand, feeling for Bojack's energy signature. His power level had completely vanished. He was finished.

"That's done." He said, and powered back down to normal. He turned to 18, giving her a smile. "Glad to see you're still alive and well."

18 winked at him. "As if you could get rid of me that easily."

A blast of energy suddenly struck her, sending her crashing into a rock wall.

"18!" Trunks cried. A moment later, someone grabbed him from behind. Looking over his shoulder, he saw that it was Bujin. "You?"

The alien grinned. "It was a mistake powering down like that. Now we shall avenge Master Bojack." He looked to his companion. "Zangya, now!"

She nodded. "Right!"

She charged at him, intent on making him pay for what he did. But 18 had recovered and went flying at Zangya, kicking her away from the saiyan.

Trunks' eyes narrowed in annoyance as he stared back at Bujin. "You should have stayed back."

With a cry, he became a Super Saiyan Three again, much to Bujin's surprise.

"What?" the alien cried. "But you struggled with that before."

"Not anymore." Trunks told him.

He unleashed his energy in a massive explosion. Bujin cried out as he was overpowered and blown to pieces.

Seeing at how easy Trunks had beaten him, 18 grinned. "Nice work. You made quick work of him."

Trunks smiled back at her and then turned his attention to Zangya. She was getting to her feet, rubbing her head after having hit the rock wall. Trunks scowled and stepped towards her.

"Now, what to do about you?" he asked sarcastically.

Zangya looked at him and her eyes widened in surprise at seeing Trunks as a Super Saiyan Three again. Like Bujin, she had thought that Trunks wouldn't be able to suddenly become a Super Saiyan Three again like that.

Speaking of which, where was Bujin? She looked around, but didn't see him anywhere. "Where's…?"

Trunks crossed his arms. "If you're looking for your friend, he's gone. He wasn't even worth my time. And neither are you."

He held up his hand, gathering energy. Zangya took a fearful step back, not wanting to face him when he had this much power at his disposal.

18 scoffed. "She's hardly even worth the effort."

"You're right." Trunks agreed. "And I don't like killing without a reason." He lowered his hand. "If you promise never to hurt anyone again, I'd be willing to spare you."

Zangya looked at him in surprise. "What? You'll let me go, just like that?"

He glared at her. "No, not just like that. If I ever find you doing anything bad again, I will destroy you without showing any mercy, just as you've done to countless others. I will hunt you down and kill you. Now get out of here!"

Surprised and grateful to still be alive, Zangya sped off, not wanting to be anywhere near the saiyan. Trunks watched her go with a scowl on his face before powering back down to normal. He turned to 18, and saw her giving him an annoyed look.

"Why'd you let her go?" she asked.

Trunks' eyes narrowed and he turned back to where Zangya disappeared. "I'm not sure. Perhaps what Father said got to me, about being a true saiyan. I want to be a warrior, not a murderer. I don't want to kill without cause."

While in his Super Saiyan Three form, it was difficult to control himself. Perhaps by letting her go, he was proving what Goku said about him controlling his powers instead of them controlling him.

18 crossed her arms. "What if she causes trouble in the future?"

Trunks humphed. "Then I'll finish what I started.

18 looked at him suspiciously. She looked in the direction Zangya had flown off in, then back to Trunks. "Is the only reason why you let her go because you really think you can prevent her from doing any damage, and that'll you'll stop her if she does?"

Trunks raised an eyebrow, giving her a confused look. "Of course. What other reason would I have?"

18 cut her eyes at him. "Never mind." She was certain that Trunks noticed how beautiful the alien woman was.

Chapter 43: Mating 101

The weeks rolled by. His mother and yet to find about him and 18. So every night, he would sneak out of the guest room and into his old room where he would spend the nights with 18. He didn't know if he would ever be able to break the news to his mother. What would she do if she found out he was in a sexual relationship with his former enemy.

18 didn't mind them keeping their relationship a secret. She seemed to find it exciting, almost like a game. Aside from that, she too was a little concerned how Bulma would react when she found out that she and her son were sleeping together.

Normally Bulma would respect her son's privacy and wouldn't enter his room. But today she had something to tell him that she thought he would find interesting. Also, today she had an out of town meeting that she had to go to for the next two days. She had to leave soon, and he was still asleep. She thought it was due to another late night of training.

Deciding that he had slept long enough, and wanting to tell him what she discovered before she left, she headed for the guest room. After knocking, she entered without waiting for a reply.

"Trunks, you've slept long enou…" She trailed off, seeing the room empty. She blinked in surprise. When had he gotten up? She hadn't seen him today.

Thinking he was training again, she went to check the special training room she had designed. He wasn't there, nor was he anywhere else she looked. Had he gone out?

She wondered if 18 knew where he was. She was still asleep as well, which was strange since sleep was not required, she only would sleep until morning during the times she did sleep. Maybe she went out too, probably off to train somewhere with Trunks.

Making her way to Trunks' old room, she repeated the process of knocking and entering without waiting for a reply. "Hey, 18, do you know where…?"

She trailed off again. Not because there was no one in the room, but because someone who shouldn't be in the room was in there.

Trunks and 18 were in bed together. They were both asleep, and they were both, she gasped, completely naked.

In a state of shock, she slowly exited the room and closed the door. Leaning against the wall for support, she tried to comprehend what she had just seen. Her son, and the android, together, in bed, naked. Things began to add up as her shocked brain started to put the pieces together.

Just to make sure she hadn't imagined it, she looked in the room again to make sure she hadn't been seeing things. Nope, it wasn't her imagination. The two were spooned together, Trunks holding 18 tightly and securely in his arms. Both were asleep, and both had a smile on their face.

Unable to look any longer, she retreated from the room and closed the door. She suddenly felt sick. Her son was screwing the android, and had been for who knew how long. The thought repulsed her. Why of all people did it have to be 18? Truthfully, she had never even considered this situation. The possibility of the two getting together had never once occurred to her.

She now realized that for someone so smart, she had been really stupid. Trunks was a healthy young man, and a saiyan no less. Saiyans had a hungry appetite, and not just for food and training. How could her son resist such a gorgeous woman? Android or not, 18 was incredibly beautiful. It had been really stupid to allow the two to live together in the same house. And then there had been their little space voyage to Namek. True, Dende had been with them on the way back, but that had still left the two of them completely alone for two whole months.

Bulma pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling a headache coming on. Ok, maybe things weren't as bad as they seemed. Maybe, hopefully, what they had was purely physical and nothing else. If that was the case, then she would push Trunks into finding a human girlfriend as soon as possible.

But if they were emotionally involved with each other… What then? She wanted her son to be happy. He deserved it, especially after the hard life he led. And if 18 made him happy…

She groaned, sliding down the wall. How could 18 make him happy? How could he feel anything for her in that way after what she had done? She'd murdered their friends and family, murdered thousands of people, and tried to kill him several times. How was it possible for him to feel anything for her besides anger and hatred?

But then she examined her own love life. Vegeta had at one point been worse than 18, much worse. Yet she and him had ended up together. In spite of the crimes the saiyan prince had committed, Bulma had still loved him deeply. And the result of their love was asleep in the other room with someone in the same category as Vegeta, a former cold ruthless killer.

Sighing in aggravation, she lightly banged her head against the wall. Whatever the situation was, she had to deal with it. She also needed to sit down and have a nice long talk with Trunks. She needed to get to the bottom of this and find out just how serious the situation between them was.

Standing up, she lightly slapped her cheeks, trying to snap out of her shocked state. She once again entered the room and stood over the bed. Her eyes twitched in irritation as she saw the affectionate way he held the android. Blushing, she took a deep breath and shouted at them.

"TRUNKS BRIEF, JUST WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"

Both Trunks and 18 snapped awake. Their eyes widened upon seeing Bulma and they pulled the blanket up higher to cover themselves.

"Mom, what are you doing in here?" Trunks shouted, completely horrified.

"I could ask you the same question, young man!" she shouted back.

18 was blushing madly. "Get out!" she cried, raising her hands. "Solar Flare!"

Bulma cried out as the flashing blinded her. The next thing she knew, either Trunks or 18 had grabbed her and shoved her out of the room, slamming the door behind them.

Bulma rubbed her burning eyes. She tried to open them, wincing in pain when she did. Was using Solar Flare really necessary? She supposed 18 had just panicked. Hell, she probably would have done the same thing if she could if one of her parents had stumbled upon her and Vegeta like that.

Reaching forward, she felt for the wall to support and guide her down the hall while she was blinded. "Trunks," she shouted to him through the wall, "as soon as you shower and get dressed, meet me in my office! We need to talk!"

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It was sad. Here he was, the strongest person in the entire universe, and he was scared to death to face his own mother. He'd rather go up against Cell, Baby, Luud, and 17 all at once than face her.

He supposed it could have been worse. At least his mother hadn't come in while they were actually going at it. That would have been terrible, although this wasn't much better.

What horrors would he face when he entered his mother's office? In some ways, his mother was scarier than any villain he'd faced in the past. And he'd be facing her alone. Perhaps he should meet her as a Super Saiyan Three; maybe he wouldn't feel as nervous that way.

Taking a deep breath, he entered the room. His mother was at her computer, typing away. He went and took a seat, wondering how this meeting would turn out.

"You better have showered." His mother said firmly.

Trunks blushed, looking down. "Y-Yes, I did."

She turned around to face him, her arms crossed. "Well?"

"Well what? What do you want me to say?"

She glared at him. "How long as this been going on?"

The saiyan blushed again. "Well… it first happened on our journey to New Namek. Then a few of times after that. It only got really serious about four weeks ago."

Bulma sighed. "That stupid space trip. I knew it." She studied him carefully. "So how did it start?"

Trunks reluctantly told her about his sarcastic comment to 18 when they had been fighting and how she had taken it seriously. He explained about her attempts to seduce him and how he had finally been unable to resist her any longer.

Bulma listened to his story, trying to be rational about it. So due to a misunderstanding and a great deal of unresolved sexual tension, her son and his former enemy were now together. She cursed herself for not seeing it sooner. Perhaps she never noticed it because she had never considered it as a possibility.

"Do you love her?" she asked.

Trunks opened his mouth to deny it, but closed it again. Did he love her? He didn't know. Was he falling in love with her? Perhaps. Being unsure, he decided to at least lessen his mother's fears.

"I don't think so, but I would be lying if I said that there's no chance that it might come to that."

Bulma groaned. "I was afraid of that. But I guess I can't really criticize you without being a hypocrite since I ended up with your father." She massaged her aching forehead. "Just be careful with what you do, Trunks. If you keep up this relationship with her, your body will start to recognize her as your mate and you'll end up Bonding with her."

Trunks blinked. "Bonding? What's that?"

She groaned again. "This is really something your father should explain to you, but seeing as he's not here." She sighed. "I can only tell you what I know of it. So don't expect me to have all the answers." Trunks nodded. "Ok, from what I know, saiyans don't technically get married, but they do take on a mate. They're a monogamous species, meaning they only have one mate in their lifetime. Don't worry," she said quickly, noticing the worried look on her son's face, "that only happens after you Bond. Mating with more than one partner is common at first, but constant mating with one partner will begin a reaction in the body. Eventually, a type of bond will form, and the two will become life mates."

Trunks blinked. "Is that how it was between you and Dad?"

Bulma laughed. "Not quite. Though it would have come to that if we had remained together. But even if we had Bonded, I still would have insisted on having a wedding ceremony. He would have looked so cute in a tux." She suddenly gave him a serious look. "And I don't care how saiyans do things, you're also going to marry whoever you Bond with the human way. Got it?"

"Ok," Trunks muttered, "so Bonding is sort of like a saiyan marriage that happens naturally, right?"

"Pretty much." Her eyes narrowed. "You haven't Bonded with her, have you?"

Trunks thought about it a moment. "Not that I know of." He shook his head. "No, I'm pretty sure we haven't."

Bulma sighed in relief. "Then there's still time for you to take on a different mate. And truthfully, I would like for you to settle down with a nice Earth girl. But I'm not going to force you to take someone else as a mate if you don't want to. I just want you to know how I feel on the matter."

Trunks nodded. "I'm glad you told me. I wasn't even aware of saiyan courtship until now. Romance was never an option for me during most of my life." He looked at his mother curiously. "You know, I'm actually surprised that you're taking this so well. I thought you'd be really upset."

Bulma glared at him. "I was, but I already threw my tantrum before I woke the two of you up." That's when she remembered the whole reason she was looking for him in the first place. "Which reminds me, I was looking for you because I found out something that I think will interest you." She reached into her pocket and took out a folded up pamphlet, handing it to him. "The World's Martial Arts Tournament is starting soon. The details are on there. I thought you'd like to know."

The change in mood caught Trunks off guard. He reached up and took the pamphlet from her, looking at it curiously. "A tournament? Hmm, could be fun; although I doubt I'll have a real challenge. Still, thanks for this, Mom." He got up to leave. "And thanks for understanding."

Bulma sighed. "Hey, I was young once too you know. And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm running late for the big meeting."

Trunks nodded and left. The moment he was gone, Bulma sank into her chair, feeling exhausted. She grumbled, wondering how things had turned out this way. Maybe her family just had a thing for bad guys. No, that wasn't true. Her mother had father had been the nicest people around. Maybe falling for former villains was just a new thing.

She thought about her son and 18 being together. She supposed she could deal with it if she had to. And truthfully, though she hated to admit it, the two did make a good pair. 18 had the right personality to suit a saiyan, and the strength and stamina to match one. After all, as she learned with Vegeta, a saiyan's stamina far surpassed a humans, at least Vegeta's had surpassed Yamcha's.

Their lifespan would be almost equal as well too, as would their aging process, or lack of it therefore. As an android, 18 wouldn't age any further, and as a saiyan, Trunks had that same luxury. Vegeta had once told her that saiyans, having evolved from a warrior race, retained their youthfulness so they could fight longer.

Catching sight of her own appearance on the computer screen, she became aggravated and began yanking at her hair. "It's so unfair! How come I'm the only one who has to age?"

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So things hadn't been as bad as he had expected. His mother, while not happy about it, had accepted his relationship with 18. But she had still given him something to think about, and he became aware of just how ignorant he was about his saiyan heritage.

He began to think about his saiyan ancestors, wondering what they were really like. He was aware that the space piracy they did was mostly due to Frieza, but he also knew that that they were a savage warrior race, but there had to have been more to them than that. What was their background like, their culture? How did they live? What was their society like? So many questions that he didn't have the answers to. He regretted not asking his father when he went to the past.

"Looks like you have a lot on your mind."

He looked up at the only person who could sneak up on him. "Yeah, but not about what you're thinking of."

She hovered over to him. "I take it that means things didn't go as bad as you thought."

He shook his head. "No, she was more understanding than I thought."

18 smiled. "Well, if that's the case…" She reached for him. Trunks thought she was going to initiate another intimate session, but instead she snatched the pamphlet out of his hand. "And what do we have here?"

So caught up in his thoughts, Trunks had almost forgotten about it. "Oh, right. It's about the World Martial Arts Tournament."

Her eyes lit up. "Ooh, a ten million zeni prize. Now that sounds interesting."

Trunks rolled his eyes at her greed. His family already had more money than they knew what to do with for several generations. "Doesn't the thought of a tournament excite you?"

She chuckled. "Trunks, it's you that 'excites' me. This tournament is nothing. There's no one on the planet that can stand up to us. Seriously, aside from each other, is there really anyone who can actually provide us a challenge?"

Trunks opened his mouth to reply, but closed it again. She was right. There was no one who could provide a worthy challenge. This tournament really would be a waste of time until the two of them met in the final match. Even then, with his new power, 18 wouldn't stand a chance against him unless he stayed in his normal state. And even then he would be stronger.

"Aw man, why'd you have to ruin my fun?"

She shrugged. "Just pointing out the obvious."

Chapter 44: The Tournament

18 had been right. The competition here was utterly pathetic. If he wanted a good fight, then he could have just stayed home and spared with 18. But the android had wanted the prize money, and insisted that he enter. Still, the tournament was basically over before it even began. Trunks had briefly wondered if Zangya might show up, but he doubted it, thinking she would probably want to lay low for a while out of fear of him.

"This really is sad." 18 muttered. "I mean, just feel their power. These people need to learn how to really fight."

Trunks had to agree, which made him realize another important fact. He and 18 would not be around forever. Once the two of them were gone, there wouldn't be anyone left to defend the planet. Unless these people found out how to truly tap into their potential, they were going to be in trouble if they were ever attacked by a powerful enemy.

"Well then, maybe we should open up a school of martial arts to the public." He suggested.

18 glanced at him curiously. "What do you mean?"

"I'm talking about training these people how to really fight. To fly, use their energy, to become thousands of times stronger than they are right now. You know, become true protectors of the planet."

18 considered this for a moment. "I suppose. Although they do have a long way to go."

"We all have to start somewhere." He said with a smile. "And a martial arts school opened by the world champion will definitely get a lot of people to come for lessons."

"I don't know if I'd have the patience for these pathetic weaklings."

Trunks chuckled. "Then you need some lessons in patience."

She punched him hard in the arm. "After dealing with you, I have had more than enough lessons in patience."

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Well, this was definitely a first. The hosts of the tournament were trying something different, and rather questionable as far as Trunks was concerned. Normally, all the contestants would face off together until a selected few began the official tournament. This time they were using some sort of punching machine that measured a person's strength. The sixteen contestants with the highest scores would be the ones that got to participate in the tournament.

"This is really stupid." 18 muttered. "Who's ever heard of a punching machine? It's just ridiculous."

Trunks nodded in agreement. Brute strength didn't decide who was the greatest martial artist. There were so many other things to consider, technique, speed, stamina, fighting style, ability, skill, the list went on and on.

"Yeah, whoever thought of this is really foolish."

She shrugged. "I guess it won't matter in the end. It'll still be you and me in the finals. This will just save us a lot of time."

She was right, but it was much more boring. It was just sad watching so-called fighter after so-called fighter hit that machine and think that a score over one hundred was something to be proud about.

When the time finally came for 18 to test her strength, Trunks had to remind her told hold back, less she destroy the thing with her superior strength.

"I know." she muttered carelessly.

She approached the machine with a bored look on her face. She nonchalantly raised her hand and barely tapped it. The number 774 appeared, much to the astonishment of everyone present, aside from Trunks of course.

"That's what you call taking it easy!" he cried.

She glared at him. "It's not my fault these guys are weaklings."

Thinking the machine was out of order, she was asked to try again. She rolled her eyes and hit the machine again, this time barely grazing it. The score 203 appeared. While still stunning the onlookers, it was accepted as very high, but reasonable number.

Next Trunks stepped forward to try. Try and not break the machine that is. He very lightly tapped it, earning a score of 217, once again stunning the crowd. Trying to ignore the stares he was receiving, he went to stand by 18, who was smirking at him.

"I guess it's safe to say that we made it." she said.

Trunks opened his mouth to reply, but instead it was his stomach that answered with a loud growl. 18 raised an eyebrow, her gaze landing on his stomach. Trunks grinned in embarrassment.

18 sighed. "You saiyans and your appetite. Come on, lets go raid the buffet."

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Among the crowd was another contestant with a confident smirk on his face. However, this face was hidden beneath a mask made out of a simple pillow cushion, as if he had decided to hide his face as an afterthought. He had seen the scores Trunks and 18 had got, and wasn't intimidated in the least. In fact, he knew that the two of them were holding back. He too would have to hold back. He didn't want to give away how strong he was just yet.

When his turn came, he casually punched the machine, hardly touching it. He received a score of 671. For a third time the people were shocked, but it was quickly passed off once again as an error.

"It seems the machine is acting up again." said one of the men in charge of the tournament. "Would you like to try again, sir? It seems the machine couldn't get a proper reading of your punch."

"Is that right?" the contestant remarked, speaking with a country-western accent. "Well then, lets see if this convinces ya'll otherwise."

With one hand, he lifted the punching machine in the air. Smirking, he balanced it on one finger and then tossed it a good fifty feet in the air before catching it again with one hand.

Amused by their stunned expressions, he set the machine on the ground. "Well, did that there convince you city folks of my strength?" He received nods in response. "Good, then I'll see ya'll in the ring. That is, if'en any of you are man enough ter face me."

Laughing, he left the remaining fighters who still had the courage to participate to the punching machine.

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18's eye twitched in irritation as she watched gulp down helping after helping. It was really sickening. And the poor waiters were busting their backs to keep up with him. The plates were piling up faster than they could be cleared out.

"I can't believe you can eat so much." she said irritably. "Geez, you're gut is a bottomless pit. Are you sure you saiyans aren't born with a black hole in your stomachs?"

He gave her a bashful grin. "Na, we just have a really high metabolism."

"Dinosaurs have a smaller metabolism than you do! At this rate, we'll need the prize money just to pay off the grocery bill!"

He chuckled. "Oh, come on, it's nowhere near that bad."

She glared at him. "I just can't figure out where you put it all. Honestly, you eat more than your own weight in food. It's disgusting!"

A wicked chuckle came from behind her. "Seems like you city folks be needin' a lesson in manners. You've got the appetite of an old billy-goat."

"Or a monkey." 18 muttered, turning to the newcomer. "And who might you be?"

The masked man, who had scored 671, just chuckled. "Who me? I'm just one of the many folk that entered this here tournament." He grinned. "I'm also one of the sixteen fellers that's actually gonna compete."

18 raised an eyebrow. "Really? Well then," she took on a similar mocking accent, "I guess we'll be seein' ya'll in the rang, partna'."

"18!" Trunks scolded. "It's not nice to make fun of the way people talk." He looked at the redneck. "Nice to meet you. My name's Trunks, and she's 18."

Smirking, the man nodded to him in greeting. "Pleasure ta meet ya, sonny. Ya'll can call me… Jinzōningen Jū San. Or Jū San for short."

Trunks nodded back. "Nice to meet you, Jū San. I hope we can have a good match."

Jū San grinned. "Oh, we will, boy. You can be sure of that."

Then he turned and walked away. 18 watched him go with a raised eyebrow. "He seemed really arrogant. Too bad he won't be a match for either of us."

The friendly look on Trunks' face faded away to a more serious one. "No, there was something different about him. Whoever he was, he was suppressing his power perfectly. He didn't want us to sense how strong he is."

18 gave him a curious look. "So you think he'll actually provide us a challenge?

Trunks considered the man carefully. "I don't know. Guess there's only one way to find out.

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The tournament announcer, who had miraculously been one of the survivors over the years, had aged over time. Yet he still enjoyed his position as the tournament announcer. It had been a long time since the last tournament, and he was happy to be back doing what he loved.

"Laaaaaadies and gentlemen, welcome to the first World Martial Arts Tournament in over twenty years! It's been a long time since I've seen this stadium filled up with adoring fans, ready to watch these fantastic fighters duke it out to take the title of world champion! As the late Hercule Satan is unable to defend his title, we now have sixteen new competitors here to take the title as champion of the world! Now, lets hear it for these mighty warriors as they make they're way into the ring!"

The sixteen competitors made their way onto the ring. The crowd cheered for them as the anticipation for a good fight excited them. Trunks studied the contestants carefully. Aside from 18 and the mysterious Jū San, these people were mere flies to be swat at.

"It looks like a good turnout this year!" the announcer cried. "And now, it's time to find out who will be facing who. Will the contestants please line up to pick a number. First up is the mysterious masked fighter, Dr. Destruction."

A contestant wearing a ridiculous costume stepped forward. He reached into the box and pulled out the number six. And so the process was repeated. When it was Trunks' turn to draw, he pulled out the number five.

"And it seems our third match will feature Trunks fighting Dr. Destruction!" the announcer declared.

Trunks sweat-dropped and looked at the sorry excuse of a martial artist. The guy's power was laughable, as was his costume. And what kind of ridiculous fighter name was Dr. Destruction? Couldn't he have at least come up with something more creative?

When it was 18's turn, she stepped forward to choose her number. As she was reaching in the box, the announcer gave her a curious look. "Is, uh, number 18 your real name?"

She cut her eyes at him. "My father was a pretty dull." She looked at the number she drew and tossed it to the announcer. "Now I'm number twelve."

And so it went on until each of the contestants paired up. Then they were allowed time to prepare themselves. Trunks and 18 didn't need to prepare for their fights, if one could even call them that. Their opponents were more like minor distractions getting in the way of the real opponents, each other.

"Go easy on me, lover." She whispered seductively in his ear. "No going super. That's not fair."

Blushing slightly, Trunks nodded. He had already decided not to transform. Even if he fought her in his normal form, the odds of him winning were still in his favor.

His gaze shifted to Jū San. He wondered what kind of power the guy was hiding. He was definitely stronger than the other contestants. He couldn't be that strong though, or else wouldn't he have challenged the androids, Cooler, or Baby? Then again, maybe he did and was just no match for them.

He could be from a different planet. A lot of aliens looked very much like humans, saiyans being a prime example. Either way, whether alien or human, Trunks wouldn't be able to judge the guy's power until he saw him fight.

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"And now for the third match of the tournament!" the announcer cried. "We have Dr. Destruction entering the ring! This mysterious fighter has chosen to hide his identity, but beneath that mask could possibly be the face of the new champion! However, first he must get past his opponent, the mighty Trunks Brief! And yes, folks, this is the very Trunks whose the son of Bulma Brief, the famous inventor and president of Capsule Corp. Does brute strength as well as brains run in this family, lets find out!"

Trunks carelessly took his position at his side of the ring. His opponent stood across from him. Having arrived late, Dr. Destruction had not seen the high score that Trunks had received on the punching machine, and was unaware of what he was getting himself into.

"I am Dr. Destruction!" he cried. "And as your doctor, I officially announce your time of death!"

Trunks sweat-dropped. 'He can not be serious.'

The announcer threw his microphone in the air and then caught it. "Let the match… begin!"

Dr. Destruction ran at Trunks at a speed that would be considered fast to normal people, but might as well have been a snail's pace to the saiyan. Trunks just sighed as the guy got closer, and let his power flare out. Dr. Destruction was suddenly flying through the air, slamming painfully into the wall without having even been touched.

The stadium was silent as the crowd watched, wondering what had just happened. Even the announcer was stunned silent, at a complete loss at how Dr. Destruction had been defeated without Trunks having even lifted a finger.

Snapping out of his dazed state, the announcer declared Trunks as the winner. "Dr. Destruction is out of the ring! Trunks advances to the next round!"

Feeling bored, Trunks exited the ring. From among the crowd, he heard his mother's voice. "Wait to go, Trunks! That's my little boy! You show them what you've got!"

Trunks turned red with embarrassment.

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As 18 entered the ring, she glanced at her opponent. A large muscular cat-like creature that stood thirty feet tall with two foot long claws. Apparently, this creature thought that 18's score had been an error and was confident that he would win. 18 didn't mind him thinking that, but if he didn't stop taunting her, she was going to maim him for life.

"The next match is underway!" the announcer cried. "Here we have the large and mighty Yore versus the beautiful 18! Don't be fooled by her girlishness folks, she scored a whopping 203 on the punching machine, so she's sure to be one tough gal! But can she defeat the ferocious Yore? There's only one way to find out, folks! Let the match begin!"

The cat creature, Yore laughed as he towered over 18. "This is ridiculous. I can't believe I have to face a little girl. You should have stayed in the kitchen."

18 stared at him with a bored look on her face. "Let's just get this over with."

Yore sneered at her. "You know, it'd be a shame to scratch up such a pretty face. So I'll tell you what, I'll give you a chance to surrender right now. Just give up and you can walk away unharmed."

18 yawned. "You done yet? I don't have all day."

The large cat-like creature's eyes narrowed. "Oh, so you think you're so tough with your 203 score, do you? Well, I'm not going to let a mere fluke intimidate me. The machine just short-circuited and gave you a really high score. It did say 774 the first time you hit it. You're second attempt was just another error."

18 wasn't even looking at him now. She was examining her nails, as if she didn't have a care in the world. "That's your call. Are we going to do this, or are you just going to keep talking."

Yore scrapped his lethal-looking claws together. "All right then, let's do this. Yah!"

He swiped at her, but she suddenly vanished. Blinking in surprise, Yore began looking around in confusion.

"Huh? What? Where'd she go? What kind of trick was that? Where is she?"

"I'm right here, you big idiot."

Yore turned to find 18 hovering in the air right next to his head. His eyes widened in shock upon seeing her floating in the air. She lightly backhanded him, and he went flying out of the ring, right into the startled crowd, completely knocked out.

The announcer removed his sunglasses, making sure he wasn't seeing things. When he was convinced that what he had seen was real, he declared 18 the winner.

"Yawn." She muttered, leaving the ring. "This is a waste of my time."

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Neither Trunks nor 18 had bothered to watch the other matches, not really caring how things would turn out. Regardless of who won, they wouldn't be a match for them.

However, there was one fight that they did watch. And that fight was between Jū San and his opponent. Whoever Jū San was fighting looked absolutely terrified. Jū San smirked in amusement at his opponent's fear.

"Well, all right then. I reckon we best be gettin' started."

His opponent backed away fearfully. He had seen what Jū San had done with the punching machine, and knew that he was no match for the guy. He began to regret his decision of entering this tournament after seeing what his opponents were capable of.

"What's wrong?" Jū San asked as he approached him. "Are you a yellowbelly? At least have the dignity to die with yer head held high."

He was suddenly in front of him. His opponent cried out fearfully as Jū San's hand shot out, wrapping around his throat. Jū San lifted him in the air and looked into his fearful eyes.

"You best be glad that I ain't allowed ter kill ya'll or else I'll be disqualified." Jū San whispered to him. "So you just sit tight and this'll be over with real soon."

His opponent struggled in his grip. But soon his struggles ceased and he went limp. Jū San smirked and dropped him. He fell unconscious to the floor.

The announcer stepped forward. "He's down! I have no idea what happened, folks, but the rules say that I have to start counting. One… two…"

"You be wasting yer time." Jū San told him. "He ain't gettin' up for a while."

The announcer blinked. "Uh, be that as it may, I still have to give him his ten second count. Three… four…"

But Jū San had been right. The fallen contender did not get up, and the paramedics had to carry him away. From within the stands, Trunks watched curiously. He hadn't been able to see what Jū San was capable of this fight. Whatever technique he had used on his opponent had required no energy, and that made Trunks feel uneasy.

"So what do you think?" 18 asked.

Trunks didn't know what to think. "Whoever he is, we should be wary of him. No matter how strong we are, if he has a special technique that doesn't rely on strength, we have to be careful."

"Fine." 18 muttered, sounding bored. "So, the fighting is over for a while. What do you want to do?" Trunks' stomach growled in response. 18's eye twitched in irritation. "You're kidding, right?"

Chapter 45: Unmasked

No, Trunks hadn't been kidding. Even during his pathetic excuse of a fight, he had worked up an appetite, and was once again demonstrating the eating habits of a saiyan. 18 stood a short distance away, watching the plates pile up. She felt bad for the poor waiters, who had been absolutely terrified to see him return.

"You know," she said, "there are other people here. Leave some for them."

Trunks mumbled something while his mouth was full, making 18 frown in disgust. She shook her head, deciding that she didn't want to watch him pig out anymore. As she was about to leave, Jū San appeared in the doorway, pushing her out of the way as he entered.

"Pardon me, ma'am." He said, not sounding the least bit sorry.

18 stumbled back, letting him pass. The only reason she let him go by without saying anything was because he actually managed to push her. No one without a fairly large power level was strong enough to push her, but he had managed it just fine, and that concerned her.

Trunks was in the middle of gulping down soup, not even bothering to use a spoon. Suddenly the bowl shattered in his hands, splashing him with its contents.

"Yeow! That's hot!" he cried, getting a face full of piping hot soup.

Jū San chuckled. "Just tryin' ta get yer attention, city boy. I wasn' sure how else to pull yer mind away from yer grub."

Trunks rang out his wet shirt. "That wasn't necessary." He grumbled.

Jū San's eyes narrowed. "Look at me when I'm talkin' to ya, boy!" He kicked the table, sending it crashing into the wall. Trunks looked up at him irritably and Jū San smiled. "Now do I have yer attention?"

Trunks stood up, brushing scattered food off his clothes. "Yeah, so what do you want?"

Jū San chuckled. "Just wanted ta congratulate you on yer victory. You're power is quite impressive."

Trunks glared at him. "Wish I could say the same, but you didn't really fight."

"Nor did you, but I reckon I get the jest of it. I'm hopin' it'll be you and I in the next match. I'll really be lookin' forward to it." He glanced at 18. "Yer girlfriend over there would be a good warm up, but it's you and yer saiyan power that I want ter face."

Trunks was shocked by this. "Wait, how do you know about-"

Jū San laughed. "You'd be surprised what I know, boy. You best be ready when the time comes. Cause I ain't showin' you no mercy." He turned to leave. "And clean yerself up, boy. You got a bit o' somethin' right there. Excuse me, little lady."

"Watch it." 18 grumbled, stepping aside for him to pass. After he left, she turned back to Trunks. "What got into him? He's acting like a total jerk now."

Trunks shook his head. "No, I think he's showing us his true colors. He's shown us that he's not normal, so there's no reason to keep up the act."

"Then what's with the mask?"

Trunks shrugged. "Beats me. Maybe he just wants to remain anonymous. In any case," he looked at his stained clothes, "he's right, I should wash up. Guess I'll hit the showers." His stomach growled. "After I finish eating first."

18 fell over anime-style.

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As the hot water washed away the food that had ended up on him rather than in his stomach, Trunks thought about this Jū San person. He was an interesting, and, most likely, dangerous character. Whoever he was, this whole thing was a game to him. Trunks figured that he was only going by the tournament rules merely for sport. It was him the guy was really after.

'But why? I've never met the guy. What does he want with me? And how does he know so much about me? And he knows about 18 as well. He can't possibly sense her power, which means he knows about how strong she is in general. And if he's not concerned about her power at all, then that's definitely something to be worried about.'

But what worried him the most was the technique he used on his opponent. He'd never heard of an ability to knock out a person simply by touching them.

Well, there was this one person his mother had told him about. Some freaky mutant rabbit called Monster Carrot who had the ability to turn whoever he touched into a carrot. But this was nothing like that. Jū San hadn't used any special abilities. He'd simply touched his opponent and in a manner of seconds, the guy was out. Such a talent could make him dangerous to physically touch.

'Worst case scenario, I'll have to resort to energy blasts and be sure not to touch him.'

Someone else entered the shower area. Trunks heard their wet footsteps as they approached. He couldn't sense anything from them. Was it Jū San suppressing his power, coming in for a sneak attack?

'He's being too noisy to sneak up on me.'

Just then, a delicate hand touched his back. Surprised, Trunks turned around to find that 18 had joined him.

"What the? 18, what are you doing here?"

She smiled at him. "What, this is a public shower." She said, motioning to the other showerheads in the room.

"That's not what I mean!" he snapped. "This is the men's room."

She shrugged. "There's no one else in here."

"Someone can come in!"

She gave him a wicked grin. "I know, it's kind of exciting, isn't it? The thought of being caught."

"18!"

She snickered, stepping under the water with him, pressing her breast against his chest. "Relax, I locked the door. We won't be bothered."

He growled. "ANyone could still come in. They'd just need to have a janitor or someone unlock it."

She reached behind him and grabbed the bar of soap. "Then we better hurry."

She began running the bar of soap over his body. Any other time, Trunks would have been happy to have her bathe with him, but not in a public bathroom where they could be discovered. But as her soapy hands ran over his body, rational thought began to leave him.

Her hands slipped behind him and she traced the spot where his tail connected to his body, causing him to shiver. Trunks suddenly grabbed her hands, taking the bar of soap from her. Working up a lather, he began covering her in suds as well. 18 turned around and pressed up against him as his hands ran over her body. She sighed in content, leaning back against him as he washed her.

Dropping the soap, Trunks wrapped his arms around her and began kissing her neck. She smiled and rubbed up against him, pressing her rear against his arousal. Trunks growled and began fondling her breasts as she ground against him. His tail curled around her waist, keeping her close, as she reached behind her to place her hands on the back of his head, holding his mouth against her neck.

"For someone who's so worried about being interrupted, you're sure taking you're sweet time." she teased.

He ran his tongue along the shell of her ear. "So you want it fast and hard this time? I can do that."

Shifting them slightly so they were facing the wall, letting the shower run over them, he bent her over, and 18 placed her hands against the wall for support. Running his hands along her hips, he positioned himself at her entrance. 18 waited in anticipation, but he just continued to tease her.

"Damn it, Trunks, if you don't hurry up and fuck me I'm going to beat your ass!"

He complied with her wishes and thrust into her. 18 cried out loudly, her scream echoing throughout the room.

"Shh." Trunks shushed. "You don't want anyone to hear us."

She wiggled her hips, making him groan. He began thrusting against her, enjoying her tight wet heat. 18 bit her lip to prevent herself from crying out as she thrusted back against him. The feeling of him hot and throbbing inside her was incredible. Right now she was actually glad Jū San had been such a jerk so they could enjoy this moment together.

Trunks ran his hands up her back and grabbed her hair. 18 gasped as he held onto it, enjoying the feeling of him pulling on her hair as he thrusted into her. Perspiration formed on their skin, only to be washed away by the shower, the running water heightening their pleasure.

18 was unable to remain silent, and gasps and moans escaped her lips. She was so close. And based on Trunks' body language, she could tell that he was too as he emitted his own grunts and groans. But he was trying to make sure she got there first. She smiled and clenched her inner muscles, intent on winning this little game of theirs.

Their pace picked up to a frenzy. Trunks closed his eyes and clenched his teeth against the exquisite pleasure, unable to hold back any longer. 18's cries were driving him crazy, as was her clenching sheath. His body tensed up and he exploded inside her.

18 cried out loudly as her own climax hit. Her fingers pressed against the tiles and the entire wall cracked under her superior strength. Tiles shattered and the showerhead fell as the entire wall nearly broke apart. Both Trunks and 18 were oblivious to the damage they had done as they sank to the floor, panting and completely spent.

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The quarterfinals were basically a repeat of the previous round. The ordinary contestants fought with what would be considered good skills by regular human standards, while Trunks and 18 easily overpowered their opponents without hardly lifting a finger. Jū San displayed the same talent that he used earlier, rendering his opponent unconscious by simply touching them.

When the lineup for the semifinals was revealed, Trunks would end up facing the regular human while 18 faced Jū San. Regardless of who made it to the final round, it promised to be a good match. But the fact that it would be 18 fighting Jū San worried Trunks. He didn't like the idea of her facing such a mysterious opponent with unknown strength, regardless of how powerful she was.

After Trunks quickly disposed of his opponent, it was time for 18 to face Jū San. Finally they would see what kind of power the mysterious fighter possessed. As she prepared to enter the ring, Trunks pulled her aside to have a private word with her.

"Don't underestimate this guy, 18." He warned. "He's not normal."

"Thank you, captain obvious." She muttered. "He may be strong, but he can't be stronger than me. I'll deal with this quickly, then the two of us can prepare for our match."

Even though she sounded confident, she was still wary. She remembered how Jū San was able to push her, and the strength behind that push. She would be careful when she faced him.

As the two entered the ring, the announcer did his duty of announcing the next fight. "Allllll right! The time has come for the second round of the semifinals! This time it will be Jū San fighting 18! I know we haven't seen much action from them in the last few rounds, but this one promises to be an exciting match! So, without further ado, let the match begin!"

The two contestants stared each other down. Both of them seemed to be waiting for the other one to make a move. But while 18 was on her guard, Jū San seemed to be completely relaxed.

"Are you planning to fight?" 18 asked.

Jū San chuckled. "Oh, don't worry about that, little lady. Not only do I intend ta fight, but I intend ta win. I'm simply savorin' the moment."

18 glared at him. "I don't know who you are, or what you're capable of, but it would be foolish to underestimate me."

Jū San motioned for her to come at him. "Then lets give these here people their moneys worth."

"As you wish."

She flew at him, covering the distance between them in under a second. Jū San suddenly disappeared just before 18 landed a punch. She froze in midair, surprised. Jū San slammed into her from the side. 18 slid across the ground, then quickly jumped up right before Jū San jump-kick landed would have her, breaking the arena floor instead.

18 hovered in the air, looking down at him curiously. That had been sudden. Whoever Jū San was, he was fast. Being more cautious, she flew down towards him, kicking out. Jū San blocked the kick, much to her surprised, then buried his fist in her gut.

18 went flying backwards, stopping herself before she fell out of the ring. So Jū San was even stronger than she thought. What other tricks was he hiding up his sleeve?

Jū San charged at her. She came at him as well, and an explosive fight broke out. 18 dropped down and kicked his feet out from under him. Jū San turned his fall into a back flip, jumping a safe distance away, then speeding towards her again. His fist slammed into her jaw, and she grunted in pain before throwing her own punch.

Jū San caught her fist, smirking. Suddenly an unusual and unpleasant feeling overcame 18. She'd made the mistake of letting him get a hold of her.

"Somethin' wrong, 18?" he asked. "You look a little pale."

In response, she jumped up and slammed both feet into his chest. He lost his grip on her and went flying backwards. 18 decided to resort to an energy blast. Not sure how he would hold up against such an attack, she held back.

Jū San suddenly flew straight up in the air, avoiding the attack. 18 looked up at him with interest. So he knew how to fly too. That changed a few things.

But flying wasn't the only thing he was capable of. Raising his hand, he fired a series of energy blasts. No longer surprised by his fighting skills, 18 took to the air, dodging the energy blasts as she flew towards him. She collided with him, slamming her elbow into his face. Jū San went flying backwards and 18 appeared above him. Doing a flip, she kicked downward, sending Jū San crashing to the arena floor.

As the dust cleared, 18 landed a safe distance away. Jū San rose to his feet and emerged from the dust cloud. The crowd stared at the contestants with open shock. That is, until the realization that they were witnessing an incredible battle finally sank in and they began cheering.

The announcer was used to seemingly supernatural fighting, but this went beyond anything he had witnessed. The cheering crowd eventually brought him out of his dazed state and he resumed his job.

"Now that's what I'm talking about! Didn't I tell you folks that these two were holding back? And this match his just getting started!"

18 and Jū San completely ignored the others. "Pretty impressive." Jū San admitted. "You're better than I thought."

"You're pretty good too." she told him. "I knew you were hiding your real power."

Jū San snickered. "You've no idea what I'm really capable of. In fact, you're not even a match for me. The real person I wanna face is yer boyfriend over there."

His gaze shifted to Trunks, who was watching the battle with a hard look on his face. Jū San really puzzled him. Who was the mysterious fighter? Where did he come from? And what was he truly capable of?

"I'll admit," said 18, "you do have more power than I thought you would have. But if you think you're a match for Trunks, then you're crazy."

Jū San chuckled. "You're just sayin' that cause you don't know how strong I really am. Well, allow me ter demonstrate my real power."

With a cry, his power flared up around him. The arena floor cracked under his might as a powerful aura surrounded him. It was clear that he was very strong, but neither 18 or Trunks could sense anything.

"How are you able to hide your power even while you're unleashing it?" she demanded.

Jū San chuckled. "You mean you haven' figured it out yet? Come on, little lady, just think about it fer a moment and you'll figure out who good ol' Jinzōningen Jū San really is."

From the sidelines, Trunks' eyes narrowed as the name started to make sense to him. "Wait a second… Jinzōningen Jū San… That translates to-"

18 gasped. "Android 13!"

Chapter 46: The Last of the Androids

The masked man laughed. "About darn time you'll figured it out. Honestly, the name I gave you was a dead give away. You city folk really are slow."

Reaching up, he removed his mask. Trunks' eyes narrowed at the familiar face of 13. He was the same as he was in the past, and Trunks kicked himself for not realizing it. As a last adjustment, 13 took of his jacket to reveal that it was inside out. Putting it on properly, the Red Ribbon Army logo was seen on it. Now it made sense. He hadn't been suppressing his power, it just couldn't be felt.

Fanning out his white hair, he grinned at 18. "So, I reckon this makes me yer adoptive big brother."

"I hereby disown myself from the Gero family." 18 told him.

13 chuckled. "Aw, now don' be sayin' that. You don' want the last words you have with me to be harsh now, do ya?"

"What are you doing here?" Trunks demanded from the sideline.

The announcer glanced at Trunks. "Hey now, don't bother them. The battle is still in progress."

13 just waved it off. "Aw, it's all right, I don' mind none. The lad's just curious." He turned to Trunks. "Well, you see, son, I was programmed for world domination and to kill Goku. Seein' as one of them there objectives is done, I reckon you can figure out what my intentions are. This here tournament is me makin' myself known to the world."

Trunks' fists clenched. He remembered facing 13 when he had gone back in time. Were 14 and 15 on the loose as well? How long had 13 been around? He had destroyed Dr. Gero's lab months ago, meaning 13 had to have been created before then. But then where had he been all this time? And why only now was he coming out?

Such questions didn't occur to 18. The moment 13 stated that he was bent on world domination, she considered him an enemy. "I won't let you." she told him.

"You ain't got much choice, little lady. I'm a lot stronger than you."

18 smirked, moving a strand of hair out of her face. "Is that so? Lets see."

She fired a powerful blast of energy. 13 just grinned and held up his hand to catch it. He did so, and the attack soon vanished in his hands, much to 18's surprise. 13 grinned and motioned for her to try again.

"Care to try that again, missy? Come on, give me everythin' you got."

18 glared at him. "Fine, then, take this!"

She fired off several more blasts of energy. 13 held up his hands and the blasts of energy disappeared. The lack of damage infuriated 18 and she began firing faster and stronger blasts.

Trunks watched with a feeling of foreboding. Something about this was ringing a bell. And then suddenly it hit him. "18, stop firing!"

She stopped, glancing at the saiyan. "What?"

Trunks looked carefully at 18's final energy blast. Once it hit 13's hands, it didn't disappear, it was sucked into his body through strange red devices in the center of his hands.

"Energy absorbers!" Trunks cried.

"That's right." said 13. "Energy attacks won't work on me. They'll only make me stronger."

So that was the secret. 13 hadn't been rendering his opponents unconscious by simply touching them. He'd been sucking out their energy, draining them of their strength until they passed out.

But wait, the 13 he had fought in the past hadn't had the ability to absorb energy. So how was it this one was able to do that while the other one couldn't?

'Time displacement!' he realized. 'The change in time has caused a change in his design, just like the appearance of 16 and 19 when I went to the past.'

18 growled in annoyance. "So he can absorb my energy. That's just great. Guess I'll have to tear him apart."

13 laughed. "You ain't strong enough for that. I know for a fact that I'm stronger than you."

18 crossed her arms. "Really? Then why did Dr. Gero make it so I was to be absorbed by Cell instead of you?"

"Because I wasn' stronger than you. Not right away. You had a lot more power than I did at yer activation. But I was determined to become the strongest. And so, that's why for these past here months I've been goin' around stealin' people's energy and gettin' stronger."

18 felt sick. "All this time you've been sucking up people's energy? That's barbaric! Just how many people had to die just so you could get stronger?"

13 raised an eyebrow. "What's this? You actually care whether these here folks live or die?"

"Of course I do! Unlike you and my real brother, I care don't take pleasure out of killing people, regardless of what Dr. Gero designed me for. I don't know you, nor do I want to know you, or any other of my so-called siblings."

Her fellow android snickered. "So you don' know me? I wasn' sure if you would or not. That's why I wore that there dumb mask, just in case you did know who I was. And to answer yer question, I haven' killed anyone… yet. You see, I knew that Trunks managed to destroy 17. So I knew I had ter get stronger, and keep a low profile until I had the strength ter beat him. So I never actually killed. But now that I'm strong enough to take him out the real fun is goin' ter begin the moment this here tournament is over. Whoo nelly, we're gonna have a rootin' tootin' good time."

She glared at him. "Hearing you take pleasure in the thought of killing people is sickening. I won't let it happen."

As the two of them talked, the crowd was becoming impatient. They began throwing garbage and insults, screaming for them to resume the battle. The announcer finally took action, stepping forward to address them. "Um, excuse me, but you two are planning to continue fighting, aren't you?"

"Relax, city boy." 13 told him. "We're just gettin' to it."

He grabbed the announcer by his shirt and threw him. Trunks quickly flew in the air and caught him. Once the announcer realized he wasn't flying through the air anymore, he gave Trunks a grateful look.

"Um, thanks for that." he muttered.

"Don't mention it." Trunks replied, looking down.

The announcer looked down too. 13 and 18 had resumed fighting, moving too fast for him to see. They appeared to be blurs, coming into focus for a brief moment before vanishing again, only to reappear several feet away.

18's fist collided with 13's jaw and his knee slammed into her gut. Then he disappeared before 18 could land another blow. Reappearing in the air, he fired a blast of energy at her. She whirled around and kicked the blast up and away.

Flying up, she threw a punch. 13 caught her fist. She punched with her other hand and 13 grabbed her wrist. She struggled, but he refused to let her go. The familiar unpleasant feeling of her energy being drained hit her again.

"I ain't lettin' you go." He told her with a sneer. "Soon all yer power'll be mine."

18 glared at him, but then she smirked. "That's where you're wrong. Unlike the other people you drained, my energy will never run out." Her knee slammed into his groin and she managed to pull one of her arms free. "So drain me all you want. It won't make a difference."

Grabbing him, she spun him around and threw him down. He stopped his momentum enough to land on the arena floor hard, but preventing himself from crashing.

He looked up at her. "That's where you're wrong, little missy. You may not get weaker, but I be gettin' stronger."

He fired a blast of energy at her. She disappeared out of its path, reappearing behind him. He turned around in surprise, just in time to have her foot collide with his face.

After ending up on the other side of the ring from her kick, he unleashed a powerful blast of energy that would reduce the entire stadium to rubble. 18 realized that she couldn't avoid the blast without letting it hit the people and raised her hands to catch it.

The energy beam pushed her back, and she slid all the way to the end of the ring. Gritting her teeth, she summoned up her strength and sent the blast up and away. The sky lit up as the blast exploded, causing the audience to scream in fright.

18 waved her hands, trying to rid them of the burning sensation. 13 glanced at her, looking impressed. "I must say, you're doin' better job than I thought."

18 glared at him. "How do you know I'm not stronger than you? You can't sense my energy anymore than I can sense yours."

13 smirked. "Simple calculations. Based upon yer predicted amount of power increase, I've been able to estimate how strong you have become since yer activation. The data is never wrong."

18 snorted. "The data has far too many errors. I've been training very hard, including getting a year's worth of training in a single day."

13 was surprised by this. "Say what now? What in tarnation are you talkin' about?"

She grinned. "I'm talking about how I'm a lot stronger than I seem. I've been holding back."

He raised an eyebrow. "And why would you do that?" He noticed her gaze shift to the crowd. Figuring it out, he smirked. "Ah, I see. Yer afraid o' lettin' loose cause you don' wanna hurt them people here. Well, that there'll be yer downfall."

He held up his hand, aiming for the audience. 18's eyes widened when she realized what he was about to do.

Laughing, he fired the blast of energy. 18 flew after it, hoping she would catch up in time to deflect it away from the crowd. But 13 suddenly made a hand motion and the energy blast reversed directions, heading for 18. Caught off guard, she had only enough time to raise her arms in defense before it collided with her.

13 grinned. "Well I'll be. You really do care fer them there people."

18 lowered her arms, glaring down at him. "Yes, I do." She landed across from him on the other side of the ring. "And in order to protect them, I have to take you out. So I won't hold back anymore!"

Her power sprung out of her. 13 took a hesitant step back while the announcer was thrown clear out of the ring, landing in the crowd. Since both of them were androids, they couldn't sense each other's power, so they had to guess. And by the looks of the arena stone floor tiles floating in the air around 18, he had to guess that she was pretty powerful.

"Oh good," he said, "seems like yer about ter get serious."

"You have no idea." She told him. "I told you, I'm not holding back anymore."

She flew at him with blinding speed. 13 blinked, surprised that she could move so quickly, right before her fist slammed into his jaw. His head snapped side to side as 18 forced him back with a series of punches. She kneed him in the chest, causing him to surge forward, then slammed her elbow on the back of his neck.

Jumping back, she fired a blast of energy. 13 jumped to his feet and held up his hand to absorb the blast. But before he could, the attack shot straight up, 13's gaze following it. 18 was at him again, her elbow colliding into his chest. Grunting in pain, 13 threw a punch. 18 ducked under it and hit him with an uppercut.

13 used the momentum to do several back flips away from her. He stared at her in surprise, breathing heavily. "Well, you be a lot tougher than I thought."

"You talk too much."

She charged at him again. 13 lashed out at her, but she vanished, leaving behind an After Image for him to hit. Then she came at him from behind, kicking him in the head. 13 flew across the ring, but his flight was cut short as 18 came crashing down on him from above, creating a large crater in the arena.

13 twitched as he lay there, dazed. 18 stood over him and held up her hand. "It's only your hands that can absorb my energy."

She fired blasts of energy at his back. 13 grunted and groaned as he tried to rise, but the oncoming blasts kept knocking him back down.

When he stopped moving, she ceased her attacks. The announcer stepped forward to do his job. "And he's down! I'd better start counting!"

"Don't bother." 18 told him. She kicked 13 onto his back and crouched over him. She grabbed him by his jacket and raised her hand, ready to deliver the final blow. "I'm ending this once and for all."

13's eyes opened to look at her pleadingly. "18… are you really goin' ter… kill the only family you got left?"

18 gasped in shock, dropping him. 13 smirked at her hesitation. Her guard was completely lowered.

"Solar Flare!" he bellowed.

18 was blinded. Hissing in pain, she rubbed at her eyes. 13 vanished and reappeared behind her, his hands raised over his head. This was his chance, while her defense was down. Summoning up all his strength, he slammed his balled hands into the back of her head. 18 cried out and went down, hitting the arena with such force that the entire floor cracked in half.

"18!" Trunks shouted.

"And now 18 is down!" the announcer cried. "I better-"

"Forget yer countin'." 13 interrupted, looking down at 18. "This be yer lucky day. I ain't gonna kill you right now. If I do that, then I'll be disqualified, and I want an official match with yer saiyan friend before I show the world what I'm capable of."

His foot slammed into her side and she went flying out of the ring. Trunks rushed forward and caught her. She was unconscious. 13 had hit her really hard, and her defense had been completely down.

"And 18 is out of the ring!" the announcer declared. "Jū San is the winner!"

13 wiped his mouth. "Damn girl. How'd she get so strong? Shucks, looks like she was right about the data bein' wrong. I'll have ter be more careful in the future."

"You don't have a future!" Trunks shouted.

13 glanced at him. "What'd you say, boy?"

The saiyan glared at him. "You'll pay for this. I'm going to make you pay. You won't get any mercy from me."

As he turned and carried 18 to the infirmary, 13 smirked. "Be lookin' forward to it."

Chapter 47: Ending the Nightmare

18 thrashed about in her sleep, gasping and moaning as if in pain. Trunks watched over her worriedly, hoping she would be ok. He vowed that he would make 13 pay for this. The fight between the two wouldn't be for sport in the least. It would be a killing. 13 would not live past this day. Trunks would see to that.

"Will she be ok?" he asked the doctor.

"Well," said the doctor, "physically she seems to be ok. Though she could be out for a while." He looked at his medical report. "It's strange though. She seems to have certain qualities that I have never seen before."

Trunks panicked. "Oh no, don't worry, that's normal for her. She… uh… had an accident a while back and had to have a few limbs replaced with mechanical ones and stuff like that."

He laughed nervously, hoping the doctor would accept his story. The doctor raised an eyebrow, but seemed to be satisfied with this. "Well, that explains a lot."

18 cried out in her sleep and grasped at the bedspread, shaking her head from side to side. Trunks looked at the doctor worriedly. "What's wrong with her?"

"Nightmares." The doctor replied. "Most likely caused by her pain."

"Trunks!" 18 gasped.

He placed his hand on top of hers. "I'm here."

She seemed to calm down slightly, falling back into a restless sleep. Trunks smiled down at her. While asleep she looked so helpless, but still oh so very beautiful. Reaching forward, he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I'll be back later." He promised. "After I defeat this guy. Then we can go home."

The doctor was becoming impatient. "Sir, that's very sweet, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave now. She needs undisturbed bed rest."

Reluctantly, Trunks nodded. "Fine, but you better take good care of her."

"You have my word."

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"What do you mean, he's an android?" Bulma shouted.

Trunks placed his finger to his lips. "Shh! Not so loud. We don't want to cause a panic."

Bulma took a moment to collect herself, then nodded. "Yes, you're right. But what are we going to do?"

Trunks raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? I thought that was obvious. I'm going to destroy him."

Bulma snorted. "Yeah, that'll go well with the crowd." She muttered sarcastically. "Just be careful. That guy knocked out 18 with a single blow. He must be really strong."

"I don't think so." Trunks replied. "At least not compared to us. He just got her to lower her guard enough to get in a good hit. Anyone could do that if they get someone to lower their defense."

Bulma sighed. "Never mind that for now. The important thing is to defeat him before he hurts anyone. We also have to find out if there are any others. Who knows how many others there could be hiding out."

Trunks nodded in agreement. "Quite possibly, 14 and 15 could be here too. Maybe even 19. Those are the only others ones I saw when I went to the past." He also wondered about 16, but didn't voice it.

"Then you have to find that out and destroy him as quickly as possible." His mother told him. "Just be careful. I don't care how strong you are, androids are not to be taken lightly."

Just then came the announcement for the last match. Trunks turned to the stadium, his eyes narrowed. "It's time. I'm going to end this once and for all."

Bulma watched him go with a worried look on her face. "Good luck, son. Be careful."

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"Ladies and gentlemen, the time has come for the final round of the World Martial Arts Tournament! Which one of these two contestants will be taking home the title? Will it be Trunks? Or will it be the recently unmasked Jū San? Whoever it may be, one thing is for sure, it promises to be a match you'll never forget! Let the final match begin!"

Trunks and 13 completely ignored the announcer and the crowd. They were completely fixated on each other. For 13, this was the battle he was waiting for. For Trunks, this was a life or death situation.

"I must say, I'm really lookin' forward to this." said 13. "Imagine how disappointed I was to find out that Goku was dead. I so very much wanted ter fight him. But I can settle fer another saiyan warrior."

Trunks glared at him. "You should have just stayed hidden in the shadows. At least then you would have been able to live. But instead you've walked into your own grave." His eyes narrowed. "But before I destroy you, tell me, how many of you are there?"

13 crossed his arms. "Aside from 18, I be the last. After the good doctor activated 17 and 18, he had all the others deactivated. And when you destroyed the lab, they were all destroyed as well." He grinned. "Lucky for me, I survived the explosion. In fact, it was the shockwave of your attack that reactivated me."

Trunks swore. He should have been more thorough with the destruction of Dr. Gero's lab. Rather than simply blowing it up, he should have destroyed everything in it one piece at a time. At least no one had died due to his carelessness.

"So all the other androids have been destroyed." He said. "Does that include 14 and 15?"

13 raised an eyebrow. "How do you know about them?"

"Because, android, I've fought them before. You too."

"Now I know you be lyin', boy. We never even met before today."

Trunks shook his head. "Not you exactly. Another version of you. I've traveled through time in an attempt to stop you androids before you destroyed everything. When I did, I met you, 14, and 15."

"Nonsense. Time travel ain't possible."

Trunks cracked his knuckles. "It doesn't matter if you believe me or not, but it's true. And you know what, when I faced you in the past, after 14 and 15 were destroyed, you absorbed their parts and evolved to a much stronger version of your current self. And even with 14 and 15's power added on, you still lost."

Unable to hear what the two of them were saying, the crowd was growing aggravated. The announcer decided to take action and stepped forward. "Um, guys, you do realize that the match has started, haven't you?"

13 glared at him. "Shut yer trap, you city slicker. We be havin' a man ter man conversation." He turned back to Trunks. "Even if'en what you said be true, that there was then and this be now. I ain't the 13 you faced in the past. I'm a whole new robot."

Trunks grinned. "It doesn't matter who or what you are. You're no match for me. You only managed to beat 18 with some cheap trick. Well I'm a lot stronger than she is, and what you see isn't even my true power."

"Say what now?"

Trunks transformed. Now he had the crowd's attention, and they stared mesmerized by him in his golden glory. Even 13 was caught off guard by the change. None of this was in the data he held.

"What in the blue blazes is this?" he demanded. "Some sort o' instant hair dye?"

Trunks shook his head. "Not even close. This state is what's known as a Super Saiyan. In this form, my speed, strength, and power are fifty times greater than what they were a moment ago."

13 snorted. "Yeah, right. You ain't nothin' but talk."

"Well, if that's what you believe, then it shouldn't matter to you if I go to the next level." He became an Ascended Saiyan. "In this state, I'm twice as strong as an Ascended Saiyan. As for the third level," he transformed again, "I'm now four times greater than an Ascended Saiyan, making me a total of 400 times stronger than my normal state."

He stood as a Super Saiyan Three, his power radiating from his body in a mighty aura. After several seconds of staring, the announcing came out of his daze. "This is amazing! Trunks has suddenly become a shiny golden-haired warrior! Just what does this transformation mean! I don't know what he's planning, but I can't wait to see it!"

Trunks stared at 13, ready to fight. "Just to be fair, I'll let you have the first hit."

Closing his eyes, 13 grinned. "Mighty kind o' you, boy, but really foolish."

When he opened his eyes again, lasers shot out of them. They struck Trunks in the face, snapping his head back.

"Oh, and a mysterious eye attack has blasted Trunks!" the announcer cried. "How will he recover from this?"

13 chuckled. "How'd you like that, boy?" His smile vanished when Trunks' head came forward again. "Huh. What? What in tarnation? You don' even have a scratch on you. That there blast should've fried you."

"That's strike one." Trunks told him. "Care to try again?"

"Darn tootin'! Take this!" He fired a blast of energy. Trunks easily smacked it aside, much to 13's surprise. "How'd you do that?"

"Quite easily." Trunks told him. "That attack was pathetic. One more strike and you're out."

13 snarled. "Well doggonit, looks like I'm gonna have ter break out the big guns." He held his hand up to the sky and began to gather energy. A large ball of bright blue energy gathered over his head, growing until it was five meters wide. "Now try this on fer size!"

He threw the ball of energy at Trunks. The saiyan's eyes narrowed as it came at him. Trunks cried out loudly, his aura flashing out. The ball of energy rolled right off Trunks' aura, going up and away.

"That's strike three." Trunks told him. "Just like Frieza, you couldn't deliver."

"Is that righ'? Well, I know all about you saiyans. Including," he vanished, reappearing behind Trunks and grabbing his tail, "a way ter render ya helpless."

Trunks glanced at him over his shoulder before kicking him in the gut. 13 went soaring to the other side of the ring. Clutching his stomach, he stared at the saiyan in surprise.

"What's goin' on? You shoulda been on the ground, squealin' like a piggy."

Trunks turned to him, grinning. "You didn't think I'd keep such a weakness like that, did you? No way. I've been training myself to get rid of it, and I pulled it off too. I don't have a weakness anymore."

13 growled angrily. "Well, ain't you the big man. Well, you may be able ter fight off my attacks, but these here city folk ain't got no chance."

He raised his hand, aiming at the stadium. Trunks reacted quickly. Just as a ball of energy appeared in the android's hand, Trunks was in front of him. Chopping downward, he broke right through 13's arm. The energy blast went right over the stadium, exploded in the sky, as 13's dismembered arm fell to the arena floor.

13 cried out, grasping his arm, or what was left of it. Wires and pieces of metal stuck out of the end where half of his arm had once been.

"Whoa, are you seeing this, folks?" the announcer cried. "Jū San's arm has broken right off! I don't know if you can see it from where you are, but it appears that his arm is in fact mechanical! I have never seen such a thing! Hopefully that can be repaired." With that said, he gave 13 a concerned look. "Hey, are you ok? Do you want to continue, or would you rather see a doctor?"

13 glared at him. "Of course I wanna continue! This here injury be nothin'." His gaze shifted back to Trunks, staring at him with new eyes. "Damn you, you… you varmint! I'll kill you fer this!"

He threw a punch. Trunks easily caught his fist. 13 tried to pull back, but Trunks wouldn't let him go. 13 cried out as Trunks completely crushed the android's fist in his hand before finally letting him go.

13 jumped as far away as he could, looking at his ruined hand. He looked back at Trunks with a hint of worry in his eyes. "It's not possible. How can you be this strong?"

"That doesn't matter." Trunks told him. "All that matters is that I have the strength to defeat you." He held up his hands, preparing for a finishing move. He noticed 13 flinch and grinned. "You recognize this posture, don't you? Then you know what attack I'm about to use. And without you're energy absorbers, you can't stop my attack."

13 stepped backwards. "You can't…"

Trunks smirked. "It's your choice. Do you want to continue, or are you going to take your chances and run?"

13 looked furious. But he also seemed to come to the conclusion that he was out of his league. "Damn you, boy, I won' forget this!"

He took off, choosing to retreat for now rather than to fight.

"Hey, where are you going?" the announcer asked. "Does this mean you forfeit?"

"Don't worry about him." Trunks told the announcer, thinking of a way to clear his name for what he was about to do. "If he hasn't given up, this'll scare him off." He zeroed in on the retreating android, intent on ending this. 'Never again will Dr. Gero's sick experiments harm humanity. It's time to end this once and for all.'  With his energy gathered, he unleashed his devastating attack. "Final Flash!"

His attack burst out. The audience was blinded from its intensity as it sped towards the retreating android. Noticing the approaching attack, 13 looked back at it nervously.

"Damn you, boy!"

From out of his crushed hand, he fired a blast of energy. It collided with Trunks' Final Flash. For the briefest moment the attacks were at a stalemate, but then 13's attack was forced backwards. The android cried out as he was consumed by the attack and was completely obliterated. All that remained were a few scraps of metal that fell from the sky. All other traces of him and been destroyed.

Trunks lowered his hands. It was all over now. It may have seemed like a mere flash of light to the spectators, but Trunks had seen it all. 13 was gone, on his way to Hell to join his psychotic creator. With the threat gone, Trunks powered down to his normal state.

The announcer blinked, not quite sure what had happened. He looked at Trunks in confusion. "Um, excuse, what just happened?"

Trunks glanced at him. "He fled the coop." Trunks said uncaringly.

The announcer stared at him a moment. "Did he? Wow, that's anticlimactic." He turned to the audience. "And that's it, folks! Jū San has forfeited the match and fled, most likely to get repairs to his arms! In any case, that leaves Trunks as the winner! Let's hear it for the new world champion!"

He turned back to Trunks to congratulate him, but Trunks was already gone.

Chapter 48: Awaken

For the rest of the day and straight into the night, 18 remained unconscious. Her night terrors, as the doctor called them, seemed to get worse, but she had yet to wake up. At times she seemed to be in pain, thrashing about wildly.

"Why hasn't she woken up?" Trunks asked his mother.

"It could be the fact that she's trying to come to terms with having met her only remaining family and then almost being killed by him." Bulma told him. "She just needs time to recover. Maybe you should go visit Korin and get some Senzu beans."

Trunks shook his head. "No, his whole supply was lost during our fight with Baby. He wouldn't have had time to grow more yet."

Bulma sighed. "Well, I would say to take her to Dende, but you're not supposed to move people with head injuries, even ones as strong as you guys."

Trunks' fist clenched. "That damn android. I wish he were here so I could destroy him again."

Bulma glanced at him. "You sure seem really concerned about her."

Trunks blushed slightly. "Well, uh, aren't you?"

Bulma crossed her arms and looked down at the unconscious android. "I guess. It hasn't been so bad having her around. Too bad she wasn't like this to begin with."

"Yeah, but I think things turned out for the best."

18 cried out in her sleep again. Her power crackled at the air around her, grasping the blanket tightly as it blew around in her energy field.

Bulma jumped back. "T-Trunks, better do something before she destroys the house."

Trunks nodded. This had happened a few times since she had fallen unconscious. It was almost as if she were fighting someone.

Holding his hands over her, Trunks unleashed a certain amount of energy, keeping hers from flaring out. This went on for a few minutes and then she went still again.

Trunks relaxed. "This is ridiculous. If she doesn't wake up by tomorrow, then I'm having Dende come here."

Bulma considered this for a moment. "Actually, that might not work. I'm no doctor, but I don't think any amount of healing can wake someone from a coma."

"I don't care!" He punched the wall, unintentionally making a hole in it. "I can't stand to see her like this!"

Bulma stared at him for a moment, surprised by his outburst, then sighed. 'I guess love does that to people.'

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The nightmares wouldn't stop. Most of them she couldn't remember, but the ones that she could didn't make any sense. Sometimes she thought she could hear Trunks talking to her, but his voice was lost in the darkness. The concussion she had sustained from 13 really did a number on her.

But unbeknownst to anyone, something was happening to 18. After her original accident, Bulma had made a very big mistake while examining her. She had been only looking at 18 as an android and had completely discredited her human parts, including her brain. Within it, memories were stirring up that had been wiped clean.

While the bolt of lightning may have erased all data from her data bank, her human half still remembered. Her human part had taken a backseat to her mind chip, remaining in a type of hibernation, allowing her programming to take over for the most part. But 13's blow to her head had brought forth the memories 18 had lost in the accident. The memories mixed with her memory bank, connecting her memories from before and after the accident.

Her eyes snapped open and she gasped as she woke up. Her bottom lip trembled and her eyes widened in horror. She remembered, she remembered everything, from both before and after she was struck by lightning.

"Oh… my… god…" she muttered.

Jumping out of bed, she ran into the bathroom and got sick. This couldn't be. This had to be a bad dream. She felt disgusted with herself. How had she allowed this to happen?

"18? Is that you?" Trunks stuck his head in. "It is you! Thank goodness you're awake. I was really worried."

Wiping her mouth, 18 stared at him with burning anger. 'You… you son of a bitch! What the hell have you done to me?'

She was overcome with the urge to attack him. The only thing that stopped her was the realization that attacking him would be useless. He was far too strong for her.

"How are you feeling?" he asked. "You've been out for nearly two days."

18 was trembling with suppressed rage that she so badly wanted to unleash on him. 'No, it's been much longer than two days. I've been out for over a year.' And she realized that she needed him to think that. She knew that he had grown fond of her during their time together, but now that she remembered her past, he might destroy her.

"I… I…" She thought carefully about what to say to him, and settled on honesty. "I feel sick."

He nodded in understanding. "Then we should get you back to bed."

He reached for her and she recoiled from his touch. "Don't touch me!" she shrieked. "Get away from me!" She raised her hand. "Get away!"

She fired a blast of energy. Trunks caught it and was pushed out of the bathroom. 18 slammed the door and pressed her back to it. She hoped she hadn't overreacted.

"18, what's wrong with you?" he cried, knocking on the door.

"Leave me alone!" she shouted, her voice bordering on hysteria. "I can't be around you right now!"

She waited, her heart racing. Several seconds of uneasy silence passed before she heard him sigh.

"All right." he said. "I hope whatever's wrong passes. Call me if you need anything."

She heard his footsteps as he left. Slowly she slid down the door, collapsing on the bathroom floor. When he had reached for her, she had just snapped. Those hands, those hands had touched her. Touched her in the most intimate of ways. Given her pleasure unlike any she could imagine. And she had touched him as well, doing things that brought them both to the highest points of ecstasy. She covered her mouth, feeling sick again. Good god, the things she had done.

"No…" she whimpered, rocking back and forth in a fetal position. "No, no, no, no. Not with him. Not with him!"

She yanked at her hair, screaming as loudly as she could. She lashed out at whatever she could reach. A kick shattered the toilet, her fists slammed into the mirror before crashing down on the sink. Whatever was in reach was destroyed.

'That bastard! That mother fucking bastard! I'll kill him! I'll kill him!'

She kicked the door down, her power flaring about her wildly. Then she stopped herself, remembering that she was no match for him. The thought that she couldn't do anything infuriated her to no end. With an angry cry, she picked up the bed and threw it out the window, sending it right through the wall.

That's when Trunks came bursting back into the room. And this time Bulma was with him.

'You bitch!'  18 thought upon seeing her. 'You're just as guilty as he is. You both took advantage of me! You used me! Manipulated me! I'll kill you both!'

Trunks was completely unaware of what was wrong with her. "What the hell are you doing? What's the matter with you?"

"Fuck you!" she shouted.

She took off, flying out of the hole she made in the wall from when she threw the bed. She flew straight up, stopping a few hundred feet in the air. Trunks and Bulma looked out the window. She was but a small speck floating in the air.

With a cry of rage, 18 shot a blast of energy into the sky. Screaming loudly, she repeatedly fired blasts of energy in the air, knowing it was all she would be allowed to do; Trunks would surely attack her if she started blasting buildings.

For over a minute she did this, watching as the sky lit up. Finally she let out an agonized howl of emotional pain and energy exploded from her body in a giant sphere of destruction.

Trunks finally decided to take actions. Flying straight up, he became a Super Saiyan Three. Raising his hands, he cried out loudly, unleashing a powerful shockwave. 18's explosion of energy kept coming, but it was held back by the saiyan.

Finally 18's power died down. She slowly began to descend from the sky. Trunks went up to meet her and found her weeping. Angry tears ran down her cheeks, and she looked on the verge of completely breaking down again.

"18…" he whispered soothingly, placing his hands on her shoulders.

She aggressively shrugged him off. "Don't touch me! Don't you ever touch me!"

Afraid she would hurt either herself or someone else, he wrapped his arms around her from behind, holding her still. "What's wrong with you? You've got to calm down."

She struggled against him. "Let go of me! Let go of me, you monster!"

'Monster?'  Trunks thought in surprise. 'What brought that on?'  He tightened his hold on her. "I can't let you go until you calm down."

She continued to fight him for a while, but then finally she settled down. Her body went limp in his arms and she began weeping again.

He loosened his hold on her, looking at her in concern. "What's wrong? Why are you acting like this?"

She elbowed him in the gut. Trunks grunted and let her go. She whirled around to face him, her cheeks wet with angry tears. "Just stay the hell away from me."

With that said, she took off. Trunks was concerned, but didn't follow her. After that tantrum she threw, maybe she just needed some time to be alone to cool off. But what had caused such a reaction from her? Was it a dream she had? He remembered waking up from night terrors back when he was still at the mercy of her and her brother.

Powering down, Trunks went and rejoined his mother on the ground. She gave him a completely bewildered look. "What the hell was that about?"

He shook his head. "I don't know. Maybe that blow to her head did more damage than we thought."

Bulma blinked. "But I did a scan of her and she seemed to be fine."

Trunks thought about it. "Maybe something 13 said really got to her. He did whisper something to her when she had him pinned down. I couldn't make it out, but she seemed really upset by it."

Bulma considered this. "Could she be upset that 13 is dead? I mean, I know he was an evil man, and she did say that she didn't consider him family, but he was still, in a way, family to her."

That could be it. She had been plenty upset when she found out that 17 had been her brother, and that he had killed him. But she couldn't remember 17. Perhaps having the only relative she knew of die, just after meeting them face to face, had set her off.

He glanced worriedly in the direction she had flown off in. "I'll talk to her about it when she gets back."

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18 flew around the world several times, still trying to comprehend what had happened to her. Things had been going on just as they always had with her and 17 destroying cities and killing people. Then Trunks shows up with a great deal more power than he had before and killed her brother. Then she gets struck by lightning and lost her memories. And like a naïve child, she had believed everything Trunks and Bulma had said. She had even allowed them to reprogram her.

She knew the difference in the programming. She could feel it, but just like Dr. Gero's programming, she could easily ignore it. But still, the thought that they had attempted to control her like that infuriated her. They were no different from Dr. Gero, using and manipulating her as they saw fit. Damn them! Damn them both!

"I was such a damned fool." She said to herself. "Trusting them without thought or question."

She began pounding on her head, as if this could erase her stupidity. She cried out loudly and fired a blast of energy, completely disintegrating a mountain.

"Too bad I'm in an uninhabited area." She grunted. "I have a lot of killing time to make up." She looked up at the sky. '17, I swear I'll avenge you.'

She looked in the direction she sensed Trunks' energy in. What was she going to do about him? He was stronger than ever. She couldn't possibly take him. But she would get her revenge. She swore she would get her revenge.

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Several hours later, 18 returned. Trunks went out to meet her. Her hysteria seemed to have passed, but she still seemed angry. And when she saw him, pure hatred flashed across her face. Trunks hesitated a moment, then approached her.

"You feeling better?" he asked.

"Fuck off." She told him, and stormed past him.

Trunks was caught off guard by her language. He regained his composure and went after her. "18, you have to tell me what's wrong or else I can't help you."

"I don't want your help!

"18, please, I just want what's best for you."

She froze. Slowly she turned around and fixed him with a cold stare. "You want what's best for me? You want what's best for me? That's a laugh. You've been using me from the beginning."

Trunks eyes narrowed. "Is this about what 13 told you? I know he said something. What did he say?"

Her eye twitched. "What he said has nothing to do with it, but if you insist on knowing, he asked me if I was really going to kill the only family I had left."

Trunks had figured as much. "Is that why you're so upset?"

She stomped for foot, breaking the ground. "Are you fucking deaf? I just said that it had nothing to do with it. This is a personally matter. Now stay the hell away from me."

She stormed into the house, leaving Trunks outside. She didn't get far before running into Bulma. "So you're back."

"How observant of you." 18 muttered. "You really are a genius."

Bulma glared at her. "Hey now, you've got a lot of nerve talking to me like that! I don't care what's wrong with you, I won't let you talk to me like-"

18 raised her hand, a gathering of energy at the end of it. Bulma froze, seeing 18's hand just inches from her face.

"W-What… are you… doing…?

18's eyes harden. "Are you scared?"

"18!"

Trunks had entered the room, staring at the two of them. He looked at the frightened look on his mother's face, then at 18. She didn't look like she knew whether to cry out angrily or burst into tears. Her angry eyes were already wet, her quivering lip switching between a snarl and a frown.

18 lowered her hand and wiped her eyes. "I can't take this." she whimpered.

She sped up the stairs, going into the guest room since her room now had a big hole in it. Once she was gone, Bulma collapsed on the couch, her heart racing.

"What's gotten into her? Why's she acting like this?"

Trunks shook his head. "Something's really upset her. But hopefully she'll be back to normal by morning."

Chapter 49: Inner Struggle

18 was gone the next morning. This worried Trunks. Last night, he had even began to question 18's mental health. Was it trauma, or perhaps brain damage? He doubted it had anything to do with her data bank, but he couldn't rule it out. But whatever caused 18's emotional breakdown, it worried him deeply.

"She's not hurting anyone." Bulma told him. "So it should be all right. Even your father threw massive temper tantrums at times. He really broke down when Goku died."

Trunks sighed. "I just wish she'd come back so we could help her."

"She said this was a personal problem. So we might not be able to help her. But if she does want our help, we'll be there for her."

Trunks hated to admit it, but his mother was right. If 18 didn't want his help, then there was nothing he could do. But he would be there for her. He just hoped that she would come back soon.

A few hours later, she did. But she behaved very coldly towards them, not speaking to them at all. In fact, she completely ignored them. She stayed locked in the guest room all the time.

'That seems to be a habit she has when she's upset.'

He still didn't know what had set her off, but he was determined to get to the bottom of it. Only he couldn't do that if she kept shutting him out. No matter what he said or what he did, she refused to acknowledge him with anything else besides anger.

Anger he could deal with, but it was the utter loathing he saw in her eyes that concerned him the most. In fact, the look he saw in her eyes reminded him of her darker days, as if she had reverted back to her destructive self.

But that was impossible. Her memories of that time were gone, so was her programming. And the new programming his mother had installed in her classified her as a protector. Besides, as his mother pointed out, she hadn't hurt anyone. Sure she'd thrown a few nasty fits, and she had attacked him, but he could handle it.

Suddenly feeling impatient, he stormed up to the guest room, realizing that this had been the second time she had taken over his sleeping arrangements.

"18, open the door!" he hollered.

"Go away!"

He didn't back down. "No, now, or so help me I'll break down the door!"

The door opened and an angry looking 18 appeared. "Leave me alone! I have a lot to think about!"

"I want to know what's going on. Why are you acting this?"

"You'll find out soon enough! Until then, stay away from me!"

She slammed the door in his face. Trunks' fists clenched tightly in aggravation. Why wouldn't she talk to him? He'd be able to handle this a whole lot better if she just told him what was wrong.

'Tomorrow.'  He decided. 'I'll give her until tomorrow, and that's it.'

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That night as Trunks slept, 18 snuck into his room. But not for the reason she had after the final battle with Baby. No, this time her intent was to kill. No matter how powerful he was, if she struck while he slept, she would be able to kill him.

She stood over his bed, waves of energy radiating off her. The mighty saiyan continued to sleep, completely unaware of her presence. The only sound was of her heavy breathing.

She stared down at him, laying there completely helpless, her eyes shining with anger. 'It's time for you to pay for what you did to me.'  She raised her hand, glowing with energy. 'One strike, and that will end it.'

She remained standing over him, her hand posed to strike. She bit her lower lip, her hand shaking. Countless seconds passed where she stood, ready to end his life. She tried to bring down her hand to finish him, but her body wasn't cooperating.

'What the hell is wrong with me? It's not the protection programming that was installed. But for some reason, I just can't bring myself to do it.' Her temper flared. 'Why, why not? After everything he did to me. He allowed me to believe that… He even fucked me, several times. Besides, he killed 17. He deserves this. He deserves to die. And when have I ever needed a reason to kill anyone anyway.'

With these thoughts running through her head, she struck. Her hand froze less than an inch from his face. She was visibly trembling now. Her eyes were wide and wild, her teeth gritted together tightly. Why had she stopped? She had been so close. She had wanted to kill him for years, and now she actually had a reason to kill him. And a chance, perhaps her only chance. And not only was she hesitating, but she seemed to be unable to do it at all.

With a frustrated groan, she pulled her hand back and stepped away. Her whole body shook as she tried to collect herself. 'Why can't I do it? I want to, so badly, but… but I also don't want to. I don't want him to die. Why don't I want him to die? How can I not want him to die.'

She backed away, creeping out of the room. She had to get away from him. She had to get out of this house. She felt like she was suffocating in here.

She rushed outside and took to the air, breathing heavily. She hugged herself, her whole body trembling, but not from the cold. She was infuriated with herself for not being able to finish him. After everything he had done, she couldn't do it.

'The fucking bastard violated me! He stuck himself inside me and used me like a common whore!'

But that wasn't true, and she knew it. It had been she who had seduced him. He'd resisted her for months, telling her time and again that he didn't want her, but she had persisted until he had finally given in. Even after the first time, he kept resisting. If anyone was responsible for all the sex they had, it was her. Even now, the memories of their intimate moments made her feel warm inside.

'He lied to me. Said he was my boyfriend.'

But now that she remembered everything, and could piece it all together, she noticed how obvious the sarcasm in his voice had been when he had said he was her boyfriend. He had been trying to spite her. She had been the one too stupid to pick up on his sarcastic tone.

'He killed 17. Murdered him!'

As if that had been anything new. He had been trying to kill her and her brother for years, and vice versa. He had been trying to save lives, and since the protective programming had been installed in her, she too knew the fierce desire to want to protect.

'He tried to change me. Make me something I'm not. Dr. Gero did the same thing. He's just as guilty as that madman!'

But what was he supposed to do? Tell her the truth? Tell her that she was a ruthless killing machine? At the time, such a discovery would have been appalling to her. It was strange how could simply forgetting her past changed her character so much?

She probably wouldn't have believed him anyway had he told her the truth. And even if she did, then what? It seemed as if Trunks had had only two choices, kill her or lie to her.

Actually, now that she thought about it, why hadn't he killed her? He must have hated her more than anything else. But he'd spared her, taken a risk with letting her live. And in doing so, he'd given her a chance at life again. A chance to be happy again.

The realization shocked her. Yes, now that she thought about it, during these past few months, she had been happier than she had ever remembered being. She never enjoyed life like this when she was a killer.

She suddenly felt afraid. 'What has he done to me? Why am I feeling this way? WHAT THE HELL HAS HE DONE TO ME?'

Her power exploded outward, her energy crackling around her. The earth shook as her power rose. Her energy couldn't be felt, but the shaking of earth that it caused certainly could. And it was because of this that Trunks woke up.

"What the hell?"

He ran to the window. He saw 18 floating in the air, her power crackling around her. Swearing, he hurried outside. Now her screams rose with her rising power. The entire planet was shaking under her might.

"18, stop it!" he shouted. "What are you doing? Cut it out!"

She turned to him, glaring daggers. If looks could kill, he'd be dead right now. "Stay away me!" She took off. Trunks swore again and sped after her. He called out for her to stop, and she did, but only long enough to deliver the following message. "Don't follow me!"

She followed this up with a blast of energy. Trunks dodged the blast, but while he had been distracted, 18 had put on a burst of speed and vanished, leaving him hovering alone in the air, unable to sense where she had gone.

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18 had landed in the park, hiding from view. She waited for him to leave before breathing a sigh of relief and coming out of hiding. She glared at his retreating figure, frowning. She still couldn't figure out why she wasn't able to bring herself to kill him.

Had she developed feelings for the saiyan? She still remembered everything she felt before she regained her memories. She had definitely been very fond of him, and she had, and still did, find him very attractive. She also remembered what she had almost said to him that one night they made love.

No, they hadn't made love. They'd fucked, screwed, messed around, simply had sex, nothing more.

But that was a lie, and she knew it. There really was a difference between having sex and making love. There was emotion and feeling involved, not just lust. And there had definitely been some very strong emotions between the two of them. She didn't want those feelings to be there, but they were there nevertheless.

But no, she would refuse to believe that what she was feeling was love. Strange how just a few days ago her heart would have leapt joyfully at the thought, but now she just felt sick.

'I need to get my killer instinct back.'  She decided.

Just then she sensed someone approaching. No, make that two people. That was ironic. Just as she was thinking that she needed someone to kill, two perfect victims appear.

They were a young couple, perhaps fifteen or sixteen years old. 18 grinned upon seeing them. Poor kids, their romantic late night stroll was about to end in their deaths.

Moving rapidly, she suddenly appeared in front of them. They both jumped, startled by her sudden appearance.

"Whoa, who are you?" the boy asked.

"And where'd you come from?" asked the girl.

18 smirked at them. "It doesn't matter who I am or where I came from." She raised her hand, a ball of energy forming in her palm. "All that matters is where you'll soon be going."

The ball of energy grew larger. The boy and girl jumped back fearfully. "Hey, what are you doing?" asked the former.

18 laughed. "Poor fools. You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

She stood over them with her gathered energy. Any moment now she would release it. But the seconds ticked by, and still she had not yet unleashed her attack. For some reason this just didn't seem all that appealing. Killing and destruction had been her thing. She'd thrived on it. But now it just seemed pointless and felt… wrong.

That was weird. Since when had right or wrong mattered to her? Was it the new programming she received? Not really. Before, her programming had told her to kill like a little nagging voice in the back of her head. But that hadn't been why she did it. She'd killed because she wanted to.

Now her programming was telling her not to kill. But she could easily ignore it and kill if she wanted to. The problem was that she didn't want to.

The ball of energy in her hand disappeared and she lowered her arm. Frustrated, she glared at the couple. "Guess this is you're lucky day after all."

Without another word, she took off, leaving the stunned and bewildered couple behind. She needed to more time to think about this. Perhaps a few days of soul searching away from everyone else was what she needed.

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18 had been gone for five days now. After the second day, Trunks had been going out to find her. But since he couldn't sense her energy, he was no different than anyone else trying to find a missing person.

Bulma sighed as she worked on a new type of engine that should speed up space travel even more. She looked out the window, wondering if Trunks had managed to find 18. She was worried about the android. She still didn't know what had set her off, but she hoped it would all work itself out in the end.

Hearing the door open and close, she looked up, wiping a bead of sweat from her forehead. "Trunks, is that you? You're back early."

She went to greet him. But it wasn't Trunks, it was 18, much to Bulma's surprise, though she didn't know why since 18 didn't exactly have anywhere else to go. "Oh, 18, you came back." 18 just glared at her and walked by without saying anything. Bulma scowled, irritated that she still had such a bad attitude. "Hey, you shouldn't just disappear like that. Trunks has been worried sick. He's been searching for you for days."

18 stopped and glanced at her. "He's looking for me?"

"Of course he is!" Bulma snapped. "I just said he's been worried sick! He's out there looking for you right now!"

With a growl, 18 looked away. "Why should I care?"

Bulma glared at her. "All right, that's enough! I don't know what's gotten into you, but it's gotta stop! You're really upsetting Trunks with the way you're behaving! He really cares a lot about you, you know!" Her eyes narrowed. "You better not hurt my son or else you'll have to deal with me!"

18's eyes narrowed in return. "Are you threatening me?" she asked dangerously.

"You bet I am!" Bulma shouted. "What are you going to do about it?"

A sinister look appeared in 18's eyes.

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The rain was coming down around him, having started a while ago. Yet Trunks had continued his search for another four hours before finally making his way back home.

'No luck again.'  he thought. 'Where could she be, I'm really getting worried.'

As Capsule Corp. came into sight, he saw something that concerned him. A cloud of smoke was hovering over the place, emitting from a busted window.

"Oh no, what happened!" He quickly flew in through the broken window. The inside was a wreck, as if a battle had taken place. "Mom! Mom, where are you?"

He heard some coughing. "Oh, Trunks, there you are. I thought you'd come back once it started raining."

Trunks looked around. "What happened here?"

She sighed. "The stupid engine I was working gone blew up on me." She motioned to the broken engine, which was where the smoke was coming from. "Just look at this mess."

Trunks sweat-dropped. "Yeah, it's pretty bad. I'll help you clean up."

Bulma waved smoke out of her face. "Don't bother, thing's will probably get a lot messier before I'm done. Oh, by the way, 18's back."

Trunks did a doubletake. "What, she came back? When?"

Bulma checked her watch. "Oh, I'd say about five or six hours ago. She's still pretty moody though."

Trunks was afraid of that. "Don't worry, I'll talk to her. She in her room?"

Bulma shook her head. "No, she went outside."

"What?" He looked out at the pouring rain. "She can't be. She would have come in with the weather like this."

"Actually," Bulma told him, turning back to the engine, "she went outside when it started raining. Probably to meditate or something. I never understood that whole meditating under a waterfall thing."

Trunks raised an eyebrow at this. 'She deliberately went outside in the rain?'

"I think she's on the roof." Bulma told him. "You better get her to come in. She still has organic parts, so I don't know if she can catch colds or not."

Trunks nodded in agreement and went out to find her. She was indeed on the roof, facing the sky with her eyes closed. She stood there without an umbrella, completely soaked, but not seeming to care.

"18, where have you been?" he asked angrily. "I've been looking everywhere for you."

She ignored him, continuing to let the rain pour over her. Trunks raised an eyebrow at her silence. There was something strange about the way she was standing there. For some reason, he imagined that she was standing there in an attempt to purify herself, letting the rain wash away everything.

"Hey, don't ignore me!" Trunks snapped angrily. "You disappear for days after throwing several tantrums, and then I come back to find you standing here in the rain. Just what is you're problem?"

Slowly her eyes crept open. She lowered her head and brushed a strand of wet hair out of her face before slowly turning to him. There was something different in her eyes again. She was staring at him strangely, almost in a curious way, as if she were searching for something.

The strange look caught him off guard, surprising the anger out of him. "18, what…?"

She moved towards him slowly. When she was standing in front of him, she grabbed his wet shirt and pulled him in for a kiss. Her other hand tangled in his hair, holding him to her as she forced her tongue into his mouth, seeking out his.

Her sudden change in attitude shocked him. Just what was going on with her? Less than a week ago she had been appalled by his touch, now she was initiating intimacy again.

He pulled away, giving her a bewildered look. "Wait, what are you doing?"

"Shut up." She hissed, and moving towards him again. "I want to see something."

Again she kissed him and began grabbing at his clothes, slipping her hands under his shirt to feel his muscular chest. She was being very aggressive, but Trunks found that he rather liked it. His arms came up around her, holding her close.

18 pushed him back until he hit the wall. The sudden impact reminded Trunks that they were outside, and that it was raining rather hand. Shifting his hands to hold her shoulders, he pulled her away from him.

"Let's at least go inside and do this." he told her.

"No!" She grabbed his shirt and tore it open. "Right here, right now!"

Bending down, she kissed every square inch of flesh she could find, scraping her nails over his chest and nibbling every now and then. Trunks gasped when she bit his nipple and pulled her up again, his lips finder hers. He too began grabbing at her clothes. His hands reached under her shirt, seeking out her bra, and he tore it from her body.

18 grasped Trunks' torn shirt and tore it the rest of the way down his torso. Trunks lowered his arms, only long enough to let his shirt drop to the floor. Then he sought out the curves of her body again.

Ripping open the top few buttons of her shirt, his lips ran over her skin, sucking the water droplets from her neck and shoulders. 18 leaned back, holding onto his shoulders so she wouldn't fall. She inhaled deeply as he gave her a love bite. Letting go with one hand, she lifted her shirt up, exposing her flat stomach to him and Trunks turned his attention there, running kisses over it. 18 gasped in delight as his tongue circled around her bellybutton, lapping up the water that had gathered there.

It wasn't enough. She needed more, more skin-to-skin contact. She yanked at his hair, forcing him to stand up straight. Then she reached down and pulled her drenched shirt up and over her head. Trunks arms wrapped around her, pulling her naked chest in contact with his. They moaned in delight as her soft breast pressed against his hard chest.

She lifted a leg, allowing her to rub up against his knee. Keeping one hand on his shoulder for balance, she stuck the other one into his pants. Trunks groaned as her fingers wrapped around him. He savored the feel of her hand working over him as he stuck both hands into her pants, cupping and massaging her rear.

18 sighed, removing her hand from his pants and up to his chest again, as she gave him a love bite of her own on his neck. She wanted to feel all of him all at once, and she wanted him to feel all of her. One of her hands reached for one of his, shifting it from her back to her front. She moaned loudly as his fingers found her center, sinking inside her. She arched against him, her own hand slipping back into his pants again. For several long agonizing seconds, they teased each other with gentle caresses.

Trunks groaned against her lips. He wanted to taste her. Dropping to his knees, he ripped her pants down and his mouth took over where his fingers left off. 18 cried out loudly, her hands tangling in his hair as he tasted her sweetness. She pressed his face against her inner thigh, not wanting him to stop.

'Still not enough.'  She wanted the real thing. Pulling on his hair none too gently, she brought him back up to lock with his lips again. She could taste herself on his tongue and it drove her wild.

He couldn't take it anymore. With his hands busy touching every part of her they could reach, he used his tail to slide his pants down and off. Once he was freed from his confinement, he pressed up against her, swallowing the moan she released. Holding onto her tightly, he lifted her up and spun them around so it was she who was pressed against the wall.

Kicking off her shoes, 18 wrapped her legs around. She told him what she wanted, and he gave it to her, slamming into her warmth in one hard thrust. 18 cried out loudly, holding herself against him as tight as she could, running her hands up and down his back. He thrusted into her furiously, the strength behind his thrusts denting the steel wall behind her.

They made love there on the roof in an animalistic frenzy, the storm and outdoors completely forgotten as they lost themselves in each other. A flash of lightning tore across the sky as thunder rumbled loudly in time with their cries of pleasure.

Trunks didn't know how long they went at it, but soon she was squealing in pleasure in his arms as she reached her climax. That's when he lost it completely. He slammed into her harder. The increase of speed set her off again, and more waves of white-hot pleasure swam over her.

Feeling her clenching around him was his undoing. He slammed into her one last time as deeply as he could go and exploded with a loud groan. The feeling of his warmth spreading through her brought on a third orgasm and 18 screamed her delights to the heavens.

Afterwards, Trunks carried her to the guest room, moving at speeds too fast to be seen. There they continued their intimate activities at a much slower pace.

In the midst of their sensual activities, Trunks became aware of a small quiet chant that 18 had begun to whisper as she moved against him. "I love you… I love you… I love you…"

She didn't even seem to be aware that she was saying it, nor did she seem to hear herself whispering those words. But Trunks heard them, and it seemed to open up a whole new world of feeling.

When they were both finally satiated, they collapsed on the bed. Trunks laid on top of her, feeling his strength seep out of his body. 18 didn't mind his weight. In fact, she enjoyed it. And when he began to roll off her, she locked her legs around him, holding him deep inside her.

"Don't leave me." she whispered.

Trunks relaxed on top of her, holding her tightly. He planted kisses against her neck until exhaustion finally settled in and pulled him into the darkness.

18 stayed underneath him, running her hands up and down his back. She was fully aware of what she had just done. She had initiated the sex, demanded it of him, and had responded to his passion. And this time she had known exactly who she was and what she was doing. She hadn't really been sure what she had been looking for by doing this, but she believed that she found her answer.

A small smile crept up her face as she too fell asleep.

Chapter 50: The Escape

Things had finally gotten back to normal. Whatever had been troubling 18 seemed to have passed. She hadn't told them what the problem had been, only that she had taken care of it. After that, she had pretty much reverted back to her normal self. She was still a little cold at times, and she would occasionally get angry faster, but that was it. Except for her stubbornness, that seemed to have increased as well.

But none of these things even mattered to Trunks. In fact, after dealing with it for a couple of days, the very slight change in her personality didn't seem any different from the way it was before she faced 13. Both Trunks and Bulma were glad. And seeing as whatever had been bothering her was no longer there, they decided not to bring it up.

18 was surprised with the way she settled back into the normal routine she had been living in before regaining her memories. Of course, things could never be the way they were before, but she was content with the way they were now. She was still angry at Trunks for killing her brother, just as he was probably still angry with her for all the people she killed. Maybe they never would get over their anger, but they would be able to move past it.

Everything that had happened over the past year had changed 18. The way she saw things, her outlook on life, her understanding of others. All these things had transformed her. And she was surprised to find that she didn't want things to go back to the way they were before her memory loss. Yes, she missed her brother, but she was finding herself happier with the life she currently had now than with the one she had before.

Trunks and Bulma still had no idea that 18 had regained her memories. They still trusted her and let her go out on her own. Just like today. Today she had said that she had an errand to run and had gone into the city. While she was away, Trunks was busy training, as usual. Bulma couldn't help but to smile at how alike he and his father were. And if she knew her son, and she did, another similarity was about to come out.

"Trunks," she called, "time for lunch!"

And so, the same eating habits that Trunks always showed surfaced. The plates piled up rapidly, and the food went down so fast that Bulma wondered how he even fit it all in his stomach.

"Be careful you don't choke." She told him. "I've always been worried that you'd eat too fast and it would go down the wrong pipe."

Trunks laughed. "Aw, Mom, come on. I'm a Super Saiyan. I can't be killed by something as silly as choking."

"Don't be so sure." She told him seriously. "After all, it was something silly like a virus that killed Goku."

Trunks groaned. "Way to ruin my appetite, Mom."

"Hey, I'm just concerned for you. You already risk your life fighting all these bad guys, is slowing down your eating just to be safer really so much to ask for? I'd sleep a lot better at night knowing at least one danger to my son's life was gone."

Trunks rolled his eyes. He had long since accepted the fact that no matter how strong he got, his mother would always worry about him. "Mom, nothing is going to happen to me. You don't have to worry so much."

She ignored what he said, placing her hands on her hips and glaring at him. "And speaking of being able to sleep a lot better, I'd also be able to do that if you and 18 would stop being so noisy when you engage each other."

At this, Trunks turned beet red, staring at his mother in horror. "Y-You mean you… heard us?"

"Yes, I heard you!" she said bitterly.

She still remembered it. After working late, she had gone to take a shower. But the bathroom she had gone to was already occupied by someone else using the shower. Actually, it was two people using the shower, and being very noisy about it. She had been traumatized as she ran for one of the other bathrooms, unable to stop the disturbing mental images that kept her up all night.

"I can understand a persons has needs, Trunks, but that's why you have a room. Use it!"

Trunks was so embarrassed, he wanted to disappear. "S-Sure. Whatever you say." He tried to think of a change in topic. "So, where do you think 18 went?"

Getting the hint, Bulma went along with the change of conversation. "Don't know. She didn't say anything to me. I thought you knew."

He shook his head. "No, but she did seem rather strange today. Maybe even a little worried." He looked out the window, thinking about the android. "I hope she's ok."

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Elsewhere, in an entirely different dimension, the result of an evil alliance was finally finished. Icy blue eyes opened for the first time, and the owner breathed in the foul stench of Hell.

"Yes, we have done it!" Dr. Myuu declared. He glanced over his shoulder at his partner. "Our hard work has finally paid off, doctor. Our machine mutant lives!"

Dr. Gero grinned and went to stand by Dr. Myuu's side. "Yes, and if our theories are correct, soon we shall have our revenge." He turned to the third person present. "Come, 17, tell us what you think of your double."

The android stood up from where he was sitting and looked down at the machine mutant version of himself. "Impressive. I'm astounded that you were able to create an exact duplicate of me."

"No, not exact." Said Dr. Myuu. "Perhaps in power and appearance, and quite possibly even mind, but he is, in a way, your opposite. All of him is what you are not, and all of you are what he is not." He motioned for his creation to stand. "Now rise up Hell Fighter 17, your destiny awaits you."

The machine mutant slowly rose to his feet. He glanced curiously at the doctors before settling his cold gaze on his duplicate. "You are me, and I am you." he stated. "We are but one being in two bodies, born apart and at separate times."

The doctors examined their handy work. Had the android version of 17 not had a halo over his dead, it would have been absolutely impossible to tell the difference between the two.

"Now," said Dr. Gero, "the time has come to begin phase one of our brilliant plan."

"Yes." Dr. Myuu agreed. "Bring them out."

Turning away from his sort-of-clone, 17 dragged out the ogres Goz and Mez, who were tied together. They fell to the floor, both badly beaten.

Grinning, Dr. Gero stepped towards them. "Now then, if you'll be so kind as to contact King Yemma for us, we can get this show on the road."

The two ogres looked up at him fearfully. "No way." Said Goz, not sounding so convincing.

"We won't do it." Mez added.

Dr. Gero glared at them. "It would be in your best interest to do as we say. We haven't killed you yet, but we still can." He sneered. "And then what do you think will happen? You'll immediately come back, and then we can just kill you again and again and again. And we will do so for all eternity until you do as we say. There are so many ways a person can die. I wonder how many you'll experience before you agree to our demands. Of course, it doesn't have to come to that if you simply cooperate with us."

Both ogres shook their heads. "Can't do it." they said together.

Dr. Gero snarled angrily until Dr. Myuu rested a hand on his shoulder. "Calm yourself, doctor. Perhaps a more… logical approach will be better." He bent down so he was level with them. "My dear ogres, having been entrusted with your positions for so long, you must be aware of all the rules." They nodded. "Well, you understand the situation, yet you do nothing. This is a matter for King Yemma, and him alone. You wouldn't happen to be trying to take his job, are you?"

The two ogres looked horrified. "Oh no, never!"

Dr. Myuu stood up and turned his back to them. "That's good. Then if you will be so kind as to put us in touch with the person who is meant to make these decision, we will settle this matter quickly."

Goz glanced at Mez. "What do you think?"

Mez hung his head. "We don't have a choice. He's right, the decision isn't ours to make." He sighed. "All right, we'll do it. King Yemma! Calling King Yemma, this is Mez! Are you there?"

A moment later, the old booming voice of the judge of the dead echoed around them. "Of course I'm here, you fool! What do you want?"

The ogres flinched. "Um, Dr. Myuu and Dr. Gero want to speak to you. Um, you do know who they are, right?"

"Of course I know! I'm King Yemma! It's my business to know! But I'm very busy, and I can't be bothered right now!"

Dr. Gero addressed the ogre king. "But we have a serious situation here. Someone down here is alive."

"So? What of it? Lots of people are alive down there."

Dr. Myuu laughed. "We don't mean one of your ogres. We mean someone else. A living being who has yet to be judged."

"What? That's not possible. No one from the living world has been here recently."

"Ah, but it is true. Just look for the name Hell Fighter 17."

The ogre king grumbled. "You are really annoying, but seeing as this falls under my line of work, I will take a look. Lets see now. Hell Fighter 17, Hell Fighter 17, 17, 17, Hell Fighter 17… Ah ha! Well I'll be, he is still alive! And what's this, he was born today, less than a minute ago."

"Indeed." Said Dr. Gero. "Working together with Dr. Myuu, the two of us have given life to a whole new being. And since he is not dead, you cannot keep him here."

This infuriated the ogre king. "How dare you speak to me like that! I am King Yemma, show some respect!"

"Who you are does not matter?" Dr. Myuu stated. "The fact of the matter is that you cannot hold him here. Those are the rules, and even you cannot break them. He demands to be released, and so you must set him free."

They heard King Yemma growl. He seemed to be considering this carefully. "What you say… is true. Since he is not dead, I am indeed inclined to set him free."

Goz and Mez gasped. "But, King Yemma, you can't."

"I have no choice."

"But this is different from normal circumstances. Surely you can make an exception."

The ogre king growled again. "I can't make exceptions, even for a special case like this. However, since something like this has never before happened, I am going to see about having a new rule made for the future. But until then, I'm afraid Hell Fighter 17 is… free to go."

Hell Fighter 17 grinned at the others. "See you on the outside."

He suddenly vanished as he was brought to the Check In Station. Both doctors grinned as things began falling into place. "Phase one is now accomplished." Said Dr. Myuu. "Now it is time to move onto phase two."

"Yes." Dr. Gero hissed. "Now that Hell Fighter 17 has been freed from Hell, he can use Instant Transmission to get to Earth. And then," he chuckled, "we will begin phase three of our plan."

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As 18 stepped outside, she thought about what she had discovered. Never had she expected this. But the evidence had been there, and she needed to investigate. She now knew for a fact that her suspicions had been correct.

She was pregnant. Pregnant with Trunks' child. She hadn't even known she could get pregnant! She had thought that ability had been lost when she became an android. Apparently she had been wrong, and the proof of that was growing in her womb.

Two months along. That's what the doctors had told her. She had been pregnant for two months. Thinking back on it, the most likely case had been that night with him in the rain. True, they had made love several times after that, but something was telling her that it was that night she had conceived.

She was scared to death. This had never even been a possibility for her before. Now, all of a sudden, it wasn't just a possibility, it was actually happening. She and Trunks were going to have a child. The thought was terrifying, but at the same time, she felt thrilled. Perhaps that was natural womanly instinct kicking in.

But what would Trunks think about this? It was safe to say he hadn't known that she could get pregnant either. Now he was suddenly going to be a father. Did he want to have a child? Did he want to have one with her? He still didn't even know that she had regained her memories. Even if he did want to have a child with her, finding out that she had regained her old memories might change that.

Dear god, what had they gotten them selves into?

Her hand traveled to her stomach, resting over it. It was hard to believe that there was another life inside her. But there was, and she would do anything to preserve that life, even give up her own.

Thinking back on it, she had killed children in the past. Done so without even batting an eye. At the thought, a wave of nausea hit her that had nothing to do with her pregnancy. How had she changed so much? If someone had told her that she would be where she was right now a year ago, she would have burst out laughing, then killed whoever made the joke.

"I'm the mother of the child of my brother's killer." She said humorlessly. "Who could have seen that coming?"

Thunder crackled overhead and she looked up. The clouds were behaving strangely. They were swirling together, making a type of vertex. 18 raise an eyebrow at this in confusion. A tornado, or a hurricane perhaps?

No that wasn't possible. The people who were in charge of the weather would have picked up on something like that. And besides, storms didn't feel the way this one felt. So incredibly inhuman, and so undeniably evil.

'What is that?'  she wondered worriedly. 'It feels so dark. Whatever it is, I don't like it.'

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Hell Fighter 17 looked up at the dark hole that had appeared in the sky and grinned. The doctors' plan was working. The connection between him and his other self was strong enough to reach across even the depths of Hell.

'And now, I will open up a doorway, and every foul creature that's ever lived will come flooding from that hole like a deadly plague.'

He felt his other self calling out to him, telling him that it was time. Grinning he tapped into the core of his connection with the other 17 and let it expand. A wave of evil energy flowed out of the portal. They had done it. They had opened the door to Hell.

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"Yes…" Dr. Myuu whispered in awe. "Yes, it is working. Look, the portal is opening."

"Then very soon, we shall be free." Said Dr. Gero. "And not a moment too soon. I've had more than enough of this place." He glanced over his shoulder at the herd of evildoers that had been sent here. "And I'm sure you all feel the same."

"Just open the door!" Frieza snapped. "I want to finish off the rest of the saiyan monkey race like I should have long ago."

"No," Baby snarled, "the saiyan is mine to kill, and mine alone!"

13 stepped forward. "Hey, now wait a minute there, partner. That there Trunks person be mine. I'm gonna be the one ter finish him off."

"I'm sure there will be enough for all of us." Said Rilldo. "Then we can rule this universe like we were meant to."

"Sounds fun." Said Bojack. "But I think I'd enjoy destroying the universe more than I would ruling it."

"That's not going to happen."

All heads turned in the direction of the speaker. Those that knew him weren't all that surprised to see Goku there.

"Oh my, son, look who decided to join us." Said King Cold. "It's the Super Saiyan that made fools out of us."

Frieza growled. "Lousy saiyan monkey! Why am I not surprised to see you here?"

Goku glared at him. "I've stopped you all before, and I'll stop you again."

The evil King Piccolo laughed. "Yeah, right. What are you going to do, kill us? That won't accomplish anything since were all ready dead."

"That works both ways." Goku told him. "Still, it does sound exciting."

Dr. Gero glared at him. "Damn you, Goku. Why must you always interfere? How did you even know what we were doing?"

Goku smirked. "It's all thanks to Baba. You know, a little fortune telling, a little peaking into another timeline. It wasn't that hard."

Raditz pointed at him. "You're out of your league this time, little brother. You may have been able to beat us all individually in the past, but with all of us working together, you don't stand a chance."

Goku's grin never left his face. "Yeah, I know that. I'm not that arrogant. That's why I brought some help." Two more fighters appeared by his side. "Guys, say hello to Pikkon and Olibu. They're a couple of friends of mine."

Pikkon smirked. "I've got my eye on that big one," he said, nodding at Luud.

"Fine with me." said Olibu. "But I got dips on General Rilldo."

Lord Slug glared up at them. "You won't be able to win with just the three of you."

Goku's grinned widened. "I never said it was just us three."

They came down from the sky, an entire army of Other Worldly fighters, all looking to get in on the action.

"Danger! Danger!" cried the four members of the Sigma Force.

"Shut up, you idiots!" Frieza snapped. "We won't be beaten by a bunch of do-gooders."

A hand was placed on his shoulder. Frieza turned to see Vegeta standing behind him.

The saiyan prince smirked. "Not all of us are that good." He said, before slamming his fist into Frieza's face.

As the fighting broke out, Dr. Gero turned to Dr. Myuu. "This wasn't part of the plan! We must get out as quickly as we can!"

Dr. Myuu nodded in agreement and turned to 17. "We're out of time! How's it going with the portal?"

"Just opened." 17 told him.

"Good. Let's go."

He quickly jumped through the portal, followed quickly by Dr. Gero. Without waiting for anyone else, 17 made to enter the portal.

"No you don't!" Goku cried. "Ka-me-ha-me-HA!"

17 just grinned as the attack came at him. He simply dropped through the portal, and it closed behind him. Goku's attack hit solid ground, and dozens of angry cries came from the villains left behind.

Chapter 51: When Two Become One

Trunks stared up at the sky, watching as the portal closed. Whatever it was, he was glad it was gone. That giant hole just felt so very evil. And, much to his concern, he had sensed someone come out. Whoever, or whatever, it was, if felt just like Dr. Myuu. But that couldn't be. Dr. Myuu was dead. He'd seen Baby kill the guy himself.

"Wow." Said Bulma. "I've never seen anything like that before. Gosh, what do you think it was?"

"I don't know," he said, "but I don't like it." He glanced at her. "Mom, you stay here. I'm going to go check things out."

Bulma looked worried. "Why? Do you think something bad has happened?"

He didn't want to worry her, so he said, "No, not really. But it's better to be safe than sorry."

Bulma reluctantly agreed and watched. "Good luck, son."

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The two doctors and the android descended down into the city. Both Dr. Gero and Dr. Myuu looked around excitedly while 17 seemed more curious.

"Things have changed." He said. "Most of this was all in ruin. How'd they rebuild it all so quickly," his eyes narrowed, "and precisely?"

Dr. Gero chuckled. "It does not matter. It just means you'll get to destroy it all again. And this time, no one will be able to stop you."

"I long to see the final phase of our plan come to pass." Said Dr. Myuu. "This will go further beyond anything we have ever dreamed." He turned to 17. "The time has come. Call you're other half."

17 smiled and called out to him telepathically. "It's time. Come to me now."

Dr. Gero grinned. "This will be our ultimate achievement. Anything we have created in the past will be but a pale comparison to our new creation." When he received no reply, he turned to his partner. "Don't you agree, Dr. Myuu?"

The other doctor had a frightened look on his face. "Y-Yes, I do agree. But we may not see that dream realized. Look!"

He pointed up at the sky. The other two turned to see a small speck quickly approaching. That small speck grew larger and turned out to be Trunks.

17's eyes narrowed. "It's him."

As Trunks got closer, he suddenly froze in midair. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Dr. Gero, Dr. Myuu, and 17 were here. They were actually here. But how could that be, they were supposed to be dead? That's when he noticed the halos floating over their heads. So they were dead. But then how were they here? They should be in Other World.

'So my senses were right. It was Dr. Myuu that came out of that portal. And I just couldn't sense Dr. Gero and 17.'

Dr. Gero smiled at Trunks. "Well, look who's here. It's the son of Vegeta. So good of you to join us."

17 waved tauntingly at Trunks. "Hello there, Mr. Super Saiyan. So nice to see you again."

Trunks glared at them. "What are you doing here?"

"We have some unfinished business with you." said Dr. Myuu.

Trunks got into a fighting position. "I don't know how you guys got back here, but I'm going to send you right back where you came from."

17 hovered forward. "Not this time. This time it will be you who dies."

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18 sensed Trunks nearby. She also sensed that despicable Dr. Myuu. She didn't know how it was possible, but she was sure it was him. But was it only him, or had someone else come back with him, like 13 perhaps.

"Hang on, Trunks, I'm on my way."

She wasn't planning on fighting though, not while she was pregnant, but she was going to be there for Trunks. Not that he needed her help. He was the strongest person in the entire universe.

But while she was flying through the air, she caught sight of something that made her freeze in her tracks. Like getting pregnant, this was another possibility she had not considered.

"What's wrong, 18?" Hell Fighter 17 asked, flying over to her. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

18 stared at him in disbelief. It was really him. Her brother. He was here, and he was alive. She couldn't believe it.

"17… is it really you?"

He grinned. "Not the one you know personally, but yes, it's me."

She had no idea what he meant by that statement, but at that moment, she didn't care. "But how… how can it be you? I saw… I saw Trunks kill you."

He was aware. He may not have been that 17, but he had all of his memories, including of those of his death.

"Yes, 18, he did. Cut me right in half. It really hurt too, you know." His smile faded. "Not as much as this though. How could you betray me, 18? How could you side with him?"

18 flinched under his hurt tone. "I was… I was…"

He smiled at her again. "Don't worry, 18. I know all about your accident, and how he took advantage of you." His grin widened. "But you're back to normal now. So why are you sticking around him? Cause you're afraid to face him, perhaps? I can understand that. He is incredibly powerful now, you wouldn't stand a chance against him if he got serious. However…" he chuckled, "we have a way to bring that saiyan to his knees. He will once again be rendered powerless before out might." He held out his hand. "Come with me, 18. Things can go back to normal. We can be a family again, just you and me. Just the two of us… sister."

She stared at his outstretched hand. And, truthfully, she was tempted to take it. But she couldn't. That part of her life was over. She decided to leave that path behind her and to make a new place for herself in the world.

She looked away from him sadly. "I'm sorry, 17, but I can't. I'm done with all that. I don't want to live for death and destruction anymore."

He raised an eyebrow in surprise. "But we had such fun together. Don't you remember? We were happy, just the two of us."

18 sighed sadly. "I thought I was happy. But during this past year, I've learned the true meaning of happiness. Don't do this anymore, 17. Just let it go, and find a place for yourself in the world and live peacefully."

He seemed surprised by this, but then his surprise gave way to anger. "Me, live peacefully? Never. I won't have it. I'm a killer, 18. And so are you. You're just like me. Now stop talking nonsense and come with me."

She shook her head. "I can't."

His eyes narrowed and began to glow with red light. "I must insist."

18's eyes widened then began to glow as well as something tugged at her mind. "I must… go with you…"

He smiled. "That's right. Come with me."

She began to float towards him. With her eyes locked on his, she began to reach for his hand. But just before they touched, she stopped. Blinking, her eyes returned to normal and she pulled back her hand as if burned. "Stop it, 17. I'm not going."

He growled angrily and his eyes began glowing brighter. "You will come with me."

"No!" she cried, placing her hands over her ears. "Get out of my head! Leave me alone!"

Hell Fighter 17's eyes flashed angrily. He lunged forward, burrowing his fist deeply into her gut. "You fool!"

18 cried out, but not because of the pain. Terrified, she placed her hands on her stomach. "17, no!"

He raised his hands and brought his balled fists down on her. 18 went crashing down, landing on a building. The whole thing collapsed beneath her, and she disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Raising his hands again, Hell Fighter 17 created a ball of energy and threw it straight down. There was an explosion as the energy ball hit the ground, and 18 was caught in it.

"See you in Hell, sister." He said, and then took off.

Down below, beneath the rubble, 18's eyes cracked open. Feeling more afraid than ever, she reached down to touch her stomach. She felt something wet and sticky. Panicking, she looked at her hand. There was blood on it. But she didn't have any wounds, none that could bleed this badly. It was a moment later that she realized that she was bleeding from in between her legs.

An anguished cry was torn from her throat as she howled her grief to the sky.

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17 went down again. He had not been able to land a single punch on his opponent. Trunks hadn't even transformed, yet he was easily winning without any effort. It was infuriating. Just a year ago, this kid was nothing but a minor nuisance. Now he was major pain in the ass.

"Where are you?"  he called telepathically to his other self. "I need you now."

From the sidelines, the two doctors watched nervously. As he was, 17 didn't stand a chance against Trunks. If the new 17 didn't come soon, then this 17 might get sent to Other World again before their plan was accomplished. And then Trunks could easily defeat Hell Fighter 17, and all their efforts would go to waste.

Trunks' fist slammed into 17's jaw and he went down again. After that, Trunks had decided that he'd had enough. It was time to send these guys back where they belonged.

"Looks like this is goodbye." He told the android, raising his hand. "Again."

Just then another 17 arrived. Trunks' eyes widened in shock as he stared at the two of them. Why were there two 17s? What was the meaning of this? And one of those 17s was lacking a halo, meaning he was still alive.

Dr. Gero and Dr. Myuu laughed. "About time." said the latter. "You had us worried for a moment there."

"Now the real battle can begin." Said Dr. Gero.

Trunks looked back and forth between the two androids, only able to tell them apart by the halo over one of their heads. "Wait, what's going on here? Why are there two of you."

Dr. Myuu snickered. "Allow me to introduce you to Hell Fighter 17. He's a machine mutant version of the 17 you know."

Trunks' eyes widened. "A machine mutant…? Like Baby and Rilldo?"

"Preciously. And these two androids are merely two halves of the same whole. Each one was made perfect in their own way, yet they still have their imperfection. Only together will they be truly and undeniably perfect. The perfections of one shall fill in the imperfections of the other, leaving no room for flaws."

Trunks had no idea what they were blabbing on about. "You guys are crazy."

"Just watch and learn." Said Dr. Gero. "You are about to witness the birth of an entirely new being."

The two 17s smiled and moved towards each other. Trunks watched in horror as the two seemed to melt into each other's bodies. He wasn't sure who was going inside who, but soon only one 17 remained standing.

There was a blinding flash of light, forcing Trunks to look away. Something was happening, something big. He didn't know what, but it couldn't be good. The surge of power that rose up sent shock waves across the entire planet, causing it to tremble. As the clouds swirled overhead, every window in the city shattered. The intensity was so strong that even the particles of light began swirling around, making the sky seem like it had become night just above them.

Then, all at once, it was over, stopping as if a switch had been flipped. The ground stopped shaking and the sky returned to normal.

Afraid of what he might see, Trunks slowly opened his eyes. Standing there was 17 reborn. There was no halo over his head, indicating that he was very much alive. He had also transformed. His hair was longer, and his muscles were larger. He'd gotten taller, and seemed to have developed a bit of a tan. He also looked older, twice as old as he was before. Even his clothes were different. His power undoubtedly increased as well, though Trunks couldn't sense it. He didn't know if that was a good or a bad thing.

"Behold the ultimate android!" Dr. Myuu cried. "Super 17!"

"Super 17?" Trunks whispered.

"Yes, a being greater than all. Greater than Cell, greater than Luud, greater than, Rilldo, greater than even Baby. Compared to this new creature, those fools are nothing."

Trunks didn't like the sound of that. But could Super 17 really be that tough? He studied the new android carefully. Super 17 wasn't even paying any attention to him. He was examining his own body curiously, observing the changes he'd undergone.

"So what?" he asked cautiously. "He's twice as strong now?" If that was all it was, then he should still be able to win easily.

Dr. Gero laughed. "You foolish saiyan! You can't grasp the reality of the situation. This isn't simple fusion, or adding one's power onto another. It's so much more than that. The other two 17s no longer exist. They have been permanently brought together to form a whole new person. The evolution and mutation of the two of them coming together have risen his power to heights greater than you can imagine."

Trunks turned back to Super 17. He really wished he could sense the guy's power so he knew what he was up against. Could the coming together of the two 17s really have such devastating results?

'So it's sort of like when Kami and Piccolo came together. It was more than Piccolo gaining Kami's power. It rose his strength to even greater heights.'

In any case, this new android couldn't possibly be stronger than him. It just wasn't possible. But just to be safe, he wouldn't hold anything back.

He transformed, becoming a Super Saiyan Three. Raising his hands, he fired a powerful blast of energy. It was a direct hit. Super 17 hadn't reacted at all. He just continued examining himself, not even bothered by the attack in the least.

Dr. Myuu laughed. "You foolish boy, you can't harm him. Even as a Super Saiyan Three, your strength is of no match to him."

"Now," said Dr. Gero, "Super 17, show this saiyan brat what you're capable of."

The android glanced at Trunks, a cold heartless expression on his face. His lips slowly curled into a smile and he began walking towards the saiyan.

"All right." Trunks growled. "Lets do this."

He flew at the android, his fist slamming into Super 17's face. The android's head snapped back, but he wasn't sent flying as Trunks had expected. He didn't even seem to be hurt, just mildly irritated. This shocked Trunks. How was he not even the least bit dazed?

Jumping up, he aimed a kick. Super 17's hand came up, catching his leg before the blow could hit. Grinning at the stunned look on the saiyan's face. Super 17's fist slammed into his gut.

Trunks went flying backwards. He tore through multiple buildings as if they were made of paper. Gasping and sputtering in pain, he forced himself to his feet. What power! The strength behind that punch was unimaginable.

Groaning, he opened his eyes, and was surprised to see Super 17 standing over him. The android brushed his hair out of his eyes and grinned down at him. "Yes, that's more like it. Just like old times, with you lying helpless at my feet."

Trunks immediately jumped up. He fired a blast of energy right in Super 17's face smiling face. Once the smoke cleared, it showed Super 17 now frowning. His hand shot out, grabbing Trunks long golden hair. It happened faster than the saiyan could see. Pain suddenly exploded in his chest, and he was once again on the ground, hugging himself.

"Down again already." Super 17 commented. "It's insulting to think that you were able to kill me once, even though I was a pathetic weakling at the time."

The two doctors floated over to them. "Did you see that?" asked Dr. Myuu. "He's down after just one punch!"

'That wasn't one punch.'  Thought Trunks, wondering how the android had struck so fast. 'He hit me three times; faster than I could even blink.'

Super 17 chuckled. "Actually, Dr. Myuu, that was six punches." He smirked at the surprised look on Trunks' face. "Oh, was that surprising? Maybe I shouldn't move so fast."

Trunks jumped up and landed a series of punches against Super 17's chest. The android's body jolted from each blow, but it was not causing the damage Trunks had hoped, if it caused any at all.

Super 17 sighed and his power flared up. Trunks was thrown backwards, crashing into a wall. Smiling, Super 17 raised his hand, a gathering of energy forming in his palm. Trunks jumped to the side, narrowly missing being hit by the attack.

The destruction was devastating. Half the city had been completely disintegrated. In its place was miles of flat land that stretched on as far as the eye could see. Super 17's attack had torn up everything else.

Seeing this, Trunks realized the horrible truth. Now matter how strong he was, no matter what level of saiyan he had obtained, he didn't stand a chance against this new android. The nightmare was starting all over again.

"Remarkable." Dr. Myuu whispered in awe. "Such incredible power. This goes beyond anything I've ever dreamed of."

Dr. Gero smirked. "This is nothing. It's only the tip of the iceberg. Super 17 can easily erase this entire galaxy with his power. Nothing can stop us now. With this mighty being on our side, we are truly invincible!"

Chapter 52: The Ultimate Killing Machine

Trunks forced himself to look away from the damage. How many hundreds of people did he kill just then? No, this couldn't be happening, not again. This had to be a bad dream, a nightmare. Reality couldn't possibly be this cruel.

"Don't look so surprised." Super 17 told him. He lunged forward, slamming his knee into Trunks' chin, knocking him to the ground. "If I wanted to, I could wipe out this entire planet without even trying." He reached down and picked Trunks up by his long gold hair. "But I think I'll play with you for a while as payback for killing me."

He tossed him over his shoulder, then sudden appeared in his path, slamming his fist into Trunks' flying figure. Trunks crashed into another building, and it collapsed on top of him.

Staring at the pile of rubble, Super 17 nonchalantly combed his hair out of his face. He knew this fight wasn't over yet. He was just toying with the saiyan, and enjoying every minute of it.

Trunks burst up from the remains of the building, his hands raised over his head as he gathered energy. Using this much power was risky for the planet's safety, but he had to chance it.

"Final Flash!"

A massive beam of energy burst from his hands. Super 17 remained where he was, not seeming to care that he was about to be struck by the blast. A smile crept up his face, and he raised his hands, as if to welcome the blast.

When the attack struck, Trunks thought he had done it. But what he didn't know was they the attack had not hit. It had stopped less than a centimeter from making contact with the android and vanished.

Super 17's muscles bulged as he absorbed the attack. They grew to twice their size as his body sucked up the attack like a sponge. When it was gone, he stood there looking buffer than ever. Then his body relaxed and his muscles returned to their normal state, leaving Super 17 completely unharmed, and now even stronger.

"What?" Trunks gasped, unable to believe his eyes. "How can that be? I made a direct hit with my Final Flash Attack."

Super 17 laughed. "You call that an attack? I found it to be rather refreshing. Care to try again? Why not use that attack you're father made up. The Galick Gun, I believe it was called."

Trunks eyes narrowed. "Fine, you asked for it." He got into position. "Galick Gun!"

Super 17's grin widened as he repeated the process, once again absorbing the attack. Trunks was left flabbergasted, unable to understand how the android was unharmed.

"Stupid foolish boy." Said Dr. Myuu. "He does not notice Super 17's special ability. He can absorb any energy attack, no matter how powerful."

"Indeed." Dr. Gero agreed. "I must say, it really amazes me how you were able to make it so Super 17 could absorb energy attacks. My energy absorbers are affective for sucking the power out of others and for absorbing attacks, but that require contact with the devices."

Dr. Myuu laughed. "Do not belittle yourself, my friend. It was only through our teamwork that we were able to create such a masterpiece."

Trunks had been too far away to hear what the doctors had said, and so he remained ignorant of Super 17's special ability. Pulling his sword from its sheath, he flew at the android, swinging his deadly blade.

Super 17 remained where he was. The blade struck his forehead and broke in two. Trunks' eyes widened in disbelief as he watched the end of his precious sword break off. He stared at the android in horror, unable to believe what he had just seen.

"That's cheating." Super 17 told him. "After all, I'm not using a weapon."

"And you call killing innocent people who can't defend themselves fair?" the saiyan demanded.

"No," Super 17 replied, backhanding him, "I call it fun."

Trunks got up, stumbling, and wiped a trail of blood from his mouth. He charged at Super 17, throwing a punch. This time, Super 17 demonstrated his speed rather than his defense. He vanished so quickly that he left behind an illusion of himself without the use of the After Image technique. It still appeared that Trunks had hit him, and only the feeling of hitting nothing proved otherwise.

"I'm up here."

Trunks looked up, seeing Super 17 floating a few hundred feet in the air. He was in perfect position for one of Trunks' most power attacks, maybe even the strongest of them all. Raising his hands he unleashed a Heat Dome Attack.

Super 17 opened his arms to welcome the attack. It slammed into him and he absorbed it. But this time, Trunks caught sight of what was happening, and immediately ceased his attack.

"No way! He can absorb my attacks?"

Super 17 laughed. "So you finally figured it out. Well it's about time. Yes, I can absorb you're attacks. All you're doing is providing me with more energy that adds onto and becomes apart of my already never-ending supply of energy. You're just making me stronger." He took aim at the saiyan. "Now feel my power. Super Flash Bomb!"

Several hundred small shots of energy flew from his fingers. Like a deadly hale, they fell upon Trunks. The saiyan just barely managed to duck and cover before the blasts of energy rained over him.

Once he had finished attacking, Super 17 landed beside Trunks. The saiyan looked up at him as blood poured from multiple wounds he received.

"Get up." The android told him.

Trunks did so, stumbling the whole way. He was barely on his feet before Super 17 kicked him straight up. As Trunks went flying through the air, Super 17 pulled off one of his hands, revealing that it was also a machine gun of some kind. He pointed it up at Trunks, taking aim.

"Take my Hell Storm!"

A stream of bullets shot out of his arm. Up in the air, Trunks managed to halt his moment, but quickly had to move as the stream of bullets flew at him. Ordinary bullets were harmless to him, not having enough speed and power to do any damage, but these bullets moved with the speed and power that would harm him the way regular bullets would harm and ordinary person.

Super 17 chased Trunks across the sky with his Hell Storm attack. His supply wasn't unlimited, but his body would always produce more should he ever run out. He laughed as Trunks flew about wildly, trying not to get hit. But he got bored quickly and ceased his firing.

Reattaching his arm, he flew up into the sky until he was as high as the saiyan. Trunks glared at him furiously, angry by the fact that he couldn't stand up to the android, and that he was being played with. It was the most evil feeling of déjà vu.

Super 17 chuckled. "You know I must say that I'm having a lot of fun. It's just a shame that you, being the only person who would stand a remote chance against me, are unable to provide me with a challenge."

He raised his hand, a gathering of energy appearing at the end. Trunks tensed up, thinking this was it, but then Super 17 lowered his hand again.

"No, not yet." He said. "I'm not done with you yet."

His elbow slammed down on Trunks' head, and the saiyan went crashing to the ground. Super 17 landed a few feet away and waited for Trunks to stand up. Once Trunks was on his feet, Super 17 got into position and began to glow with energy.

Trunks braced himself for whatever was coming. Super 17 seemed to be powering up, his aura flaring up around him. He cried out loudly and took off with such speed and power that the ground shattered beneath his feet.

To Trunks' astonishment, Super 17 was flying away. Where was he going? Was he retreating?

Dr. Myuu laughed at the look on Trunks' face. "Don't you worry, saiyan brat, he'll be back."

He pointed behind him. Trunks turned just in time to see Super 17 speeding towards him just before his fist slammed into his face, sending Trunks flying. He sped through the air faster than he could fly, crashing through buildings, mountains, and other such things, getting knocked clear out of the state before he finally hit the ground, tearing it up upon impact.

Trunks briefly blacked out. His body had gone numb. Waves of pain swam over him before the numbness settled in again, followed once again by pain. He tired to get up, but fell over. Tried again, and fell down again. That's when Super 17 arrived. He looked down at Trunks and grinned.

Dropping down to a Super Saiyan Two, Trunks looked up at the android, his vision going blurry. Super 17 just sneered at him. "Did you enjoy that? I call it Around the World."

"Ar-Around the World?" Trunks muttered. "You mean you flew all the way around the world before…?"

"Hence the name." Super 17 told him. "Just think, it took the first human to try that eighty days, while it only took me eight seconds, if that." He looked around, judging where on the planet they had ended up. "Seems like you made it about halfway."

Trying to find balance, Trunks looked around. He didn't have a clue where he was, but there was no sign of civilization for miles. That was good. Now he didn't need to worry about anyone getting hurt.

But if he couldn't beat Super 17, then everyone would suffer. He had to defeat the android at all costs, even if that meant giving up his own life.

Summoning up his power, he became a Super Saiyan Three again. Jumping several feet away, he cupped his hands together, preparing for a devastating attack. "Ka-me-ha-me-ha-me- HA!"

He unleashed a Kamehameha Wave with enough power to destroy the entire planet more than ten times. If he didn't direct this right, then Earth was doomed. But he had to risk it. The whole universe was at stake.

Super 17 grinned and raised his hands. He summoned up his Energy Absorbing Barrier and began sucking up the attack. Trunks had known that he would do this, but he had a plan. He hoped to feed Super 17 more energy than he could handle, like 18 had done with Cooler. Hopefully, his body wouldn't be able to able to handle the strain of all that power.

Just then Dr. Gero and Dr. Myuu caught up with them. They stared shocked at the vast amount of energy Trunks was unleashing. Super 17 remained in his absorbing posture, taking in everything Trunks threw at him.

'My god!'  Trunks thought in disbelief. 'How much can he take?'

He felt his own power dropping rapidly. He couldn't keep this up, not much longer.

With an exhausted gasp, he stopped firing and fell forward. Groaning, he looked up, hoping to see Super 17 destroyed. But it wasn't so. Super 17 stood perfectly intact.

"No… it can't be… How could he withstand all that?"

Dr. Gero stepped forward. "Foolish boy! Were you hoping to overload him with energy? I'm afraid that won't work. The stronger Super 17 gets, the more energy he can take in. As he absorbs the energy, he's getting stronger, being able to handle even more energy. You're feeding him power so he can take in more power. He can't overload, you saiyan scum."

Trunks laughed at his own stupidity. "Great. Wish I'd known that sooner."

Super 17 grinned. "It's your own fault for underestimating my abilities. Too bad. You're not even a challenge to me anymore. I think I'll put you out of your misery."

He raised his hand, ready to put an end to the saiyan race once and for all.

Chapter 53: One Last Attack

"17, stop!"

Super 17 looked away from Trunks. "Oh, look who decided to show up. How you doing, 18?"

His sister glared at him furiously. He may look different, but she knew that this was her brother. But right now, it didn't matter who he was, only what he was. And he was the murderer of her child. She may not have been physically harmed more than having gotten the breath knocked out of her, but that punch to the stomach had snuffed out the life of the defenseless fragile fetus she carried.

Her child, hers and Trunks' baby, had been killed. Wiped out before it even got a chance to live. The thought of that hurt her more than anything else. No amount of physical pain could compare to this.

"You murdering bastard!" she shouted. "I'll never forgive you for this! I hate you, 17! I fucking hate you!"

He just sneered at her. "I am no longer the brother you once knew. That 17 is gone forever. I am now Super 17, the mightiest being in the universe."

"I don't care!" she snapped, as angry tears ran down her cheeks. "I swear that you will pay for this!"

She fired a blast of energy at him. Super 17 grinned and simply absorbed it. Then he suddenly appeared in the air in front of 18. She blinked, surprised by his speed, then threw a punch. He easily caught it, and the second one she tried to throw. He pinned her arms to her side and gave her a serious look.

"Just what are you so angry about?" he asked. "You've gotten mad at me before, but never like this."

She looked at him with the utmost hatred. "That's because you killed my child." She hissed, only loud enough for him to hear.

Super 17 looked surprised. "What? What are you talking about?"

"I was pregnant." She seethed. "My child, your niece or nephew, was in my womb. And you punched me right in the stomach. It's dead now, you bastard!"

Super 17 stared at her for a moment, seeming to think this over. "So?"

A shocked look appeared on 18's face. "What?"

"Who cares if I killed it? It would be born of your human half, making it human as well. Just an inferior being. You should be thanking me for ridding you of such vermin."

18's eyes flashed angrily. "Don't you ever say that!"

Since her arms were pinned, she slammed her forehead into his face. Super 17 didn't even react. He didn't even budged. Her attack had been no different than a puff of wind to him, but she was left feeling dazed.

"This is really sad." He told her, not referring to the loss of her child. "I had no idea you were this weak, and I'm not talking about physically." His eyes narrowed. "Who was the father?"

18's eyes unconsciously darted to Trunks before landing on her brother again. Super 17 noticed where she had looked and he turned to Trunks, who was still on the ground.

"Ah, I see. Now things make a lot more sense. I knew the two of you had grown close during your amnesia, but I hadn't realized it was that bad." He grinned. "No problem. I'll simply kill him, then everything that's holding you to these organic creatures will be gone."

He tossed her aside and flew down to the ground. Smirking, he slowly approached the semiconscious saiyan, clenching and unclenching his hands in anticipation. But 18 suddenly moved in front of him with her arms raised, shielding Trunks with her body.

Super 17 frowned. "18, what do you think you're doing? Get out of the way."

She shook her head. "I will not. I'm not going to let you kill him."

He growled. "I'm not kidding, 18. Now move!"

"No! If you want me to move, you'll have to kill me."

Trunks looked up at her. "18, don't."

Several feet away, the two doctors watched impatiently as the two siblings and the saiyan argued.

"What are you waiting for?" Dr. Gero shouted. "Just kill her! She an obsolete model! You don't need her!"

Super 17 ignored him, not taking his eyes off his sister. "I don't want to kill you, 18. You're my sister, by blood and by our android status. You are the only person I care about."

"You're nothing to me anymore!" 18 shouted back. "You sicken me! I can't even stand to look at you!"

"Just kill her!" Dr. Gero repeated. "You're a superior being! She'll only slow you down! Destroy her, right now!"

Super 17 turned furiously to the doctor. "Shut up and leave us alone, you old fool!"

Dr. Gero blinked in surprise. "What? How dare you! I made you what you are! You would be nothing without me! Now do as I command and kill her!"

With an angry snarl, Super 17 pointed at him. The end of his finger began to glow with the gathering of energy, aiming directly for the doctor.

Dr. Gero stared at him in shock. "What? What are you doing? Don't you aim that at me! I am your master!"

"I have no master." Super 17 told him.

A chill ran through the doctor, and he turned desperately to his partner. "Dr. Myuu, what is going on? I thought we had fixed his programming flaws so he would have to obey us."

Dr. Myuu laughed. "Yes, that's true, Dr. Gero. However, I reprogrammed him to only obey orders from me."

Dr. Gero was shocked by this. "You what?"

"You fulfilled your purpose, doctor, and I am very grateful to you for it. But you were a fool. I was using you from the beginning. Now I have no more use for you. I alone control the ultimate killing machine. And I alone shall rule this universe." He turned to Super 17. "Now then, my creation, remove this old man from my sight."

Dr. Gero moved quickly. He grabbed Dr. Myuu's arm and bent it behind his back. Dr. Myuu cried out and struggled against him, but his strength was nothing compared to Dr. Gero's.

"What are you doing? Unhand me!"

Dr. Gero bent his arm further back. "You traitor! How dare you attempt to manipulate me. You order Super 17 to obey me right now or I'll kill you."

"Let me go!"

"I mean it!" Dr. Gero snapped. "I'm far stronger than you are, there's no way you can escape from me!"

Growling, Dr. Myuu looked at Super 17 desperately. "Help me, my Super 17. Get this old fool off me."

"Stay right there." Dr. Gero growled at Super 17. "If you so much as twitch, I'll tear him apart."

Super 17's eyes narrowed. "Enough of this."

He opened his entire palm and began gathering even more power. This time it was Dr. Myuu who was shocked, Shocked and unable to move. "Super 17, what are you doing?"

"You thought you could control me?" Super 17 asked. "You fool. I have no master. No one can control me, regardless of how I'm programmed."

The same chill that had gone up Dr. Gero's spin now ran up Dr. Myuu's, and he began struggling even harder. "Quickly, let me go! We have to get out of here! He's going to kill us both!"

Dr. Gero glared at him. "Nice try, doctor, but that's not going to work. I know you can speak to Super 17 and reprogram him telepathically. This little act of yours is not going to work."

Dr. Myuu kept struggling. "No, I'm not bluffing! He's really going to do it! You have to let me go!"

"I'm not falling for it." His eyes narrowed. "Order him to obey more or you die."

"Dr. Gero!"

"I'll give you to the count of three. One… two…"

"Three." Super 17 finished for him, and fired.

The blast of energy flew at the two of them. The two doctors cried out as they were both incinerated.

With them gone, Super 17 turned back to his sister. "Now that they're out of the way, we have but one more distraction to take care of."

18 hadn't moved an inch, afraid that her brother have done a sneak attack on Trunks. "I told you no!"

"It's ok now. Things can go back to normal. Just you and me. We'll rule this world, and all others. Come on, 18. Don't make me kill you." She continued to glare at him. "I don't believe it! You choose this useless fool over me?"

Her eyes narrowed at him. "Yes."

Fury twisted Super 17's features. "Bitch!" He backhanded her, sending her flying. He watched as she crashed several feet away. "You'll see, once I remove this fool from your life, I'll be all you have once again."

Trunks was suddenly on his feet, his strength renewed. Seeing Super 17 hit 18 infuriated him. "You bastard!" He hit Super 17 in the face with all his might. Nothing. Super 17 hadn't moved an inch. He didn't even blinked. "What the?"

He unleashed a series of powerful punches and kicks. Every blow ended with the same result, zero damage. Super 17 looked down at him as Trunks kept up his attacks. Even at Super Saiyan Three, Trunks couldn't even budge him.

"How pathetic." He muttered. "Are you even trying?" He sighed, shaking his head. "Seems your last attack provided me with enough power to remain immune to your attacks."

His elbow slammed down on Trunks' head, knocking the saiyan to the ground. Super 17 casually reached down and picked him up by his hair. He held his other hand up in his face, revealing the energy absorbers he had in the center of his palm showing through his glove. He was going to suck up Trunks' remaining power.

He wrapped his hand around the saiyan's throat, and Trunks immediately felt his energy being draining. He struggled against the android's grip, but his hold was impossible to break.

"Let him go!" 18 shouted.

She began punching and kicking every part of her brother she could reach, but she may have been the wind blowing a light breeze against a mountain. Super 17's eyes darted to her, looking bored, then turned back to Trunks. Not even her energy blasts were working, and he wasn't even absorbing them.

Trunks' hair was retracting back into his head, his facial features shifting back to normal as he returned to a Super Saiyan Two. Trying not to hit 18, he kicked and punched at Super 17's chest, accomplishing nothing. He dropped down further to a Super Saiyan, then to his normal state. His movements were slowing down, the force behind his blows lessening and lessening.

This wasn't working, 18 realized. At this rate, Trunks would be dead in under a minute. Coming up with another plan, she flew behind Trunks and spoke to him telepathically.

'Trunks, shut your eyes tight.'  She raised her hands. "Solar Flare!"

Super 17 was blinded. He dropped Trunks, his hands covering his eyes on reflex. "You miserable bitch!"

But she was already gone. Picking up Trunks, she flew away, wanting to get him to safety.

Once Super 17 was out of sight, she found them a place to hide, laying Trunks on the ground. "Trunks. Get up. You have to get up."

Feeling weaker than he ever had before in his life, Trunks cracked his eyes open. "18… where… is he…?"

"Shh." She shushed him. "I left him back there. I needed to get you out of there."

Trunks groaned, trying to sit up. "Have to… take him down… now… Otherwise… he'll just get… stronger…"

She pushed him back down. "You're in no condition to fight anyone, not even me. I'll go to Korin's and get some-"

"There you are!" Super 17 had found them. "Did you think you could hide from me, 18? You might have gotten away if you hadn't been carrying that weakling. I could sense his pathetic energy level from anywhere in the world."

18 glared at her brother furiously. "I won't let you do it! You won't take him from me too!"

'Too?' Trunks thought. 'Who else did he kill? I hope it wasn't mother.'

Super 17 sneered at her. "You blew it, 18. I was hoping that things could go back to normal, but you threw that opportunity out the window. But because you're my sister, I'm not going to kill. But you will certainly wish you were dead." The look in his eyes bordering on insanity. "I'm going to dismantle you until you can no longer move. Then I'll take you with me as I travel across the universe. You will be a never-ending power source to me. I can suck up energy from you indefinitely. My power will truly be unlimited, and it will stay with me even when you finally do kick the bucket."

A shiver ran through 18 at his sadistic promise, but she refused to show her fear. "If that's the case, then I'll make sure to live even one second longer than you, just so I can see you die."

Super 17 laughed. "You fool. Unlike you and my old self, I now have an unlimited lifespan. I will live forever. And there isn't a single person in the entire universe who can defeat me. That makes me immortal!"

"Care to test that theory?" Trunks asked, forcing himself to his feet. "As long as there's life within me, I can still fight."

He transformed. His Super Saiyan Three form appeared for a brief moment before he dropped down to his normal state again. Surprised, he tried again, but this time wasn't even able to transform at all. He couldn't even make it to the Super Saiyan level.

Super 17 grinned. "Don't bother. You're finished."

Trunks swore, but it was true. He didn't have any power left. He was at his limit, and Super 17 was as strong as ever. He couldn't win.

"Don't give up!"

He heard the voice in his head. He would know that voice anywhere. "Goku? That is you, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it's me. I'm speaking to you from Other World. Now listen carefully. I have a way to beat Super 17."

Trunks gasped. Was there still hope? "Great, cause I'm out of ideas. What's your plan?"

"It'll take some time, but if we use the Spirit Bomb, not even Super 17 will be able to survive."

The hope that Trunks had felt vanished instantly. "But Goku, I don't know how to use the Spirit Bomb."

"Don't worry about that. One of the special qualities of the Spirit Bomb is that the energy can be passed around. I'll gather it for you and then send it to you once it's ready."

A Spirit Bomb. Would it really work? "How long do you need?"

"As much time as you can give me."

Trunks groaned, wishing he had a better answer than that. He would be lucky if he survived another minute against Super 17.

"I'll fight him."

Surprised, Trunks turned to 18. "What the? 18, how are you listening in on this?"

Goku was equally as surprised. "Yeah, I'd like to know that too."

She shook her head. "I don't know how, but I am. And I'm telling you both that I'll fight him."

"You're not strong enough." Trunks told her. "You won't last long."

"I'll last longer than you in your present condition. I'm going to fight him, and that's not me asking."

Trunks swore. He didn't want her to fight, but they didn't have any other choice. "All right. Just please be careful."

"Don't tell me what to do."

She joined her brother in the sky. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "You done saying your goodbyes to each other? I'm glad you decided to do it telepathically. I would have gotten sick hearing all that mushy stuff."

She ignored his mocking tone. "You're going to fight me. I don't care how strong you are. I'm your opponent now."

Super 17 considered her for a moment. "Fine," he aimed at Trunks, "just let me get rid of this distraction."

A blast of energy hit Super 17 in the face. He glared at his sister irritably, even though the attack hadn't hurt. "No, I said I was your opponent. Fight me, damn you!"

Super 17 lowered his hand. "Very well."

He was suddenly in front of her. He struck so fast that 18 didn't even feel the blow, only the pain it left behind. She went flying through the air, and Super 17 sped after her.

"Damn it…" Trunks growled. He really hated this. He hoped that the energy wouldn't take too long to gather. "Goku, you better make this fast."

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Goku had already gotten to work. He stood with his hands raised up, begging for everyone to share their energy. He called out to the people, to the plants and animals, to the very planets and stars themselves, pleading for them to help.

"As much as you can give." He said. "Whatever you can spare. We need everything."

King Kai stood a short distance away, using his telepathic powers to allow Goku to speak to everyone. "It won't be enough, Goku. Super 17 is just too strong."

Goku knew this. "That's why I'm taking energy from the entire universe. The maximum amount of power they can give. This will be a Universal Spirit Bomb."

King Kai looked interested by this. "The whole universe, eh? Yes, that'll certainly get the job done. You know what, I'll contact everyone in Other World as well. We'll get them all to give energy, even those in Hell."

Goku was doubtful about the last part. "I don't think anyone sent down below will help us."

"Nonsense." Said King Kai. "We still have a few Other World fighters down there punishing the ones that tried to escape. I'm sure with some gentle persuasion we can get them to cooperate."

Goku grinned. 'Just hold on, Trunks. This won't take too long.'

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

18 felt like she was going to pass out. Her brother wasn't showing her any mercy. He was toying with her, dragging this out as long as possible. She supposed in the long run that this was a good thing. This wasn't about trying to beat him. This was about stalling for time.

Super 17 grinned at her as she forced herself to her feet. "You sure are determined. I would have expected for you to keel over and die by now."

Breathing heavily, she fixed him with a cold stare. "I… can't… die… yet…"

Super 17 chuckled. "I'll tell you what, since you're my sister, I'll give you a chance to apologize. If you beg me for forgiveness, I promise I'll kill you quickly."

She growled. "Here's my apology!"

She jumped up and kicked him in the face. Super 17 just sighed and shook his head before slamming his fist into her. "You're a real idiot, you know that? Do you think I don't know what you're doing? You're trying to give that saiyan time to recover. No doubt he'll be stronger since a saiyan's strength increases greatly after a near death experience. It won't make a difference. I'm far too powerful"

18 forced herself to get up. Well, he was half right. She was stalling, but not for the reason he thought. And she didn't know how much longer she could stall. She actually had accepted the fact that she might not survive this. But as long as her brother went down with her, she didn't care.

She lunged at him again. He knocked her back before she even touched him. She immediately got up again, no matter how much she would rather just lay down and die.

Super 17 frown. He admired her spirit, but this was getting annoying. She wasn't going to beg him for forgiveness, and she wasn't going to stop until she was unconscious, paralyzed, or dead. Perhaps he should just end this. He did have so many others that he needed to kill.

From a safe distance away, Trunks watched as Super 17 beat down his sister. What was taking so damn long? 18 wouldn't last much longer. Truthfully, he was surprised she lasted this long. And to make matters worse, Super 17 was looking bored. He could kill her at any moment, and he looked like he just might do that.

"No more!" Trunks said out loud to himself. "I can't just watch this! I've got to help!"

He took to the air, heading for the two androids.

"It's done!"

Trunks nearly fell out of the sky. "Goku, is that you? You said it's done?"

"Just finished now. Hold up your arms and I'll send it to you."

Trunks glanced at his hands before holding them up to the sky. There was a flash of light and suddenly an enormous ball of bright blue energy emitting a white light was hovering over him. It was massive, bigger than anything he had ever seen before.

'This is it. Our last shot.'

He looked at the two androids, locking on Super 17. With his back turned, Super 17 couldn't see the large ball of energy. But 18 did. She smiled and flew off.

Super 17 let her go. He saw her look behind him and smile. What was that saiyan up to?

Turning around, he received quite a shock as he looked at the giant ball of energy. Never had he seen so much power in one attack. It was the size of an entire city. He took a step back fearfully.

"What… what is that thing?" he cried.

Trunks smirked. "It's the most powerful Spirit Bomb ever made. This is the power of everyone fighting against you. Here, have it!"

He threw the large ball of energy. It covered everything in a blanket of white light as it approached its target. Super 17 stood completely mesmerized as the attack came for him. There was no way he would survive it.

A sinister laughter that bordered on madness emitted from his lips as he raised his arms.

The Spirit Bomb froze upon impact. It was no longer moving, much to Trunks' astonishment. Had Super 17 been able to stop it?

No, that wasn't it. Something was seriously wrong. The Spirit Bomb was shrinking at an alarming rate. And from somewhere within the white light, Super 17's screams rose up.

Smaller and smaller the Spirit Bomb got. The light got dimmer as it continued to shrink. Smaller and smaller, until it finally winked out of existence. Super 17 stood there with his muscles bulging, his face twisted into a psychotic smile. He took a deep breath and his muscles returned to normal. He had absorbed the entire Spirit Bomb.

"Now way!" Trunks cried. "Goku, it didn't work! He absorbed it!"

"I can't believe I over looked that!" came Goku's voice. "I was such a fool!"

"It wasn't just you." came King Kai's voice. "We all are at fault!"

Super 17 roared with laughter. "YES! YES, YES, YES, YES, YES! THIS IS INCREDIBLE I FEEL INVINCIBLE! I'VE ABSORBED THE POWER OF EVERYONE! NOT EVEN THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE WORKING TOGETHER CAN'T STOP ME NOW!"

Trunks was shaking in horror, shaking his head in stunned disbelief. "No, this just can't be. This just can't be!"

Super 17 turned to him and grinned. By merely raising an eyebrow, he sent out a powerful shockwave that knocked Trunks from the sky. He fell to the ground, feeling the way a human would if they had survived being hit by a speeding train.

Super 17 walked over to him, a victorious smile one his face. "Well now, that was certainly exciting. Not even I expected that to happen. I suppose I should thank you for fueling me with all that power. As a way of showing my gratitude, I'll finish you off with my best attack." He held up his hands over the saiyan. "Electric Hell Sphere." A black and gray balls of energy with red electricity flowing through it appeared in his hands. "I think one zillionth of my new power will be sufficient to wipe you and this entire planet."

He was suddenly grabbed from behind. A pair of arms locked under his and grasped him around the neck as two legs wrapped tightly around his waist. Super 17 glanced over his shoulder to see 18 holding onto him tightly.

"18, just what do you think you're doing?" he demanded.

"Whatever I can do." She said, holding on as tightly as she could.

Summoning up the last of his strength, Trunks forced himself to stand up. "Hold on, 18."

Keeping hold of her brother, she glanced at him. "No, don't! Get away from here, Trunks! I'm going to self destruct!"

Trunks and Super 17 gasped, both looking horrified. "What are you talking about?" Trunks cried. "You can't!"

"It's the only way to beat him!" she argued back. "There's no other choice."

"You idiot!" Super 17 snapped. "Do you really think you can win that way?"

18 smirked. "Don't play dumb. You know the devastation that the bombs inside us will cause. And an explosion from a bomb isn't like an explosion from an energy blast. You won't be able to shield or absorb it. You'll be completely incinerated."

Super 17 growled. "Damn you."

She chuckled, simply because she knew it would spite him. "Regardless of how strong you are, you will not be able to survive this blast, and you know it. And don't bother trying to knock me off with your energy. I've already detonated; even the smallest spike of energy can set me off now."

"Don't be a fool!" he snarled trying to shake her off. "Are you really going to kill yourself just to beat me?"

18 tightened her hold on him. "Yes, I am."

"18, no!" Trunks shouted.

"Don't bother trying to change my mind." She told him. "I have to do this. We don't have any other choice. The entire universe is at stake here. You have to get away right now or you'll die too."

"I'm not leaving you!"

"Please, Trunks." She begged. "Consider this my way of making for all my sins."

Her words surprised him. "What… do you mean?"

She closed her eyes. The time was now. "I remember, Trunks. I remember everything. I have ever since my fight with 13. That's why I was so upset when I woke up. I was dealing with everything."

She opened her eyes, looking at the stunned expression on his face. "You… remember…?"

"Get off me!" Super 17 shouted, thrashing about.

18 ignored him, keeping her eyes on Trunks. "That's why I was so angry, because I knew you were lying and using me the whole time." She smiled sadly, looking at him with tears in her eyes. "But in spite of that… in spite of everything… I still love you."

The look on Trunks' face was unreadable. He seemed to be rendered completely speechless. But there was no time for any more words.

"Now get out of here!" she ordered. "The countdown has already started, and the earth still needs you."

Trunks seemed to be in physical pain as he forced himself to turn away. As much as it hurt to leave, she was right, the earth did need him. And so he flew away as fast as he could, leaving 18 to her brother. He didn't look back, because he knew that he wouldn't be able to bring himself to leave if he did.

Super 17 continued to struggle, but was unable to shake his sister off his back. It wasn't his strength that was in question here, it was hers. And she was using as much strength as she could, she held on. He tried to reach back to grab her and rip her off, but her arms were locked under his and he couldn't quit reach her because of it.

"18, you're making a huge mistake!" Super 17 shouted. "You can't possibly sacrifice yourself like this!"

She smirked, clinging to him tightly. "What's wrong? Is the so-called immortal Super 17 afraid of death? You've died before."

"Damn it, I'm your brother! Are you really going to do this to your brother?"

18 laughed at this. "Yeah, the brother that didn't give a damn after he murdered my unborn child. The brother who planned on either killing me or turning me into his personal power source. Don't even bother trying that on me."

"Get off me, you bitch!"

He flew up in the air and then came crashing down on his back. He flew across the ground, dragging 18 along it, crushing her beneath him, but she refused to let go. Soon they came upon a mountain, and Super 17 slammed back first against it. He broke straight through, coming out on the other side, and still 18 clung to him.

"Ten seconds left." She told him. "Can you feel death coming for you, just like it did for all of our victims?"

"You can't do this!"

She closed her eyes and smiled. "Five, four, three, two, one."

"18, DON'T!"

"Goodbye."