Time passes, edging closer and closer to the day of dread.
Vegeta still trains everyday, but not quite as frantically as he used to. He always manages to spend sometime during the day with her and the baby. At first Bulma was livid about the ki ball incident, but when he finally popped one against her, she realized that Trunks had not been in any danger.
She watches them now, playing bat the ki ball, indulgently. He had told her it was exceptional for a child to show this much power and control so early. Not that he needed to tell her that, she already knew that Trunks is absolutely perfect.
But now the baby has started teething and Bulma’s had to switch him over to the bottle even if it is still her milk. The strength of Trunks half-Saiyan bite is just too much for her to bear any longer. She had loved the sense of fulfillment she had gotten when nursing their child and she knew that Vegeta had shared in the joy of her sensation even though he’d never said anything.
When she had switched him over to the bottle, Trunks had begun to fuss even more and more as his tiny sharp teeth emerged. But then Vegeta had surprised everyone by stepping in and taking over the feeding duties.
She doesn’t know how he managed it but the baby had become less fussy when his father had taken him.
That is until this morning, Trunks had woke early before the crack of dawn, and started in screaming right away. She had tried giving him a bottle to settle him for a little longer so her mate could sleep. But he had suckled for only a second then spit it out and howled even louder. Vegeta comes in sleepily and picks up the baby. As he shoves the bottle in Trunks mouth, she sees something strange, Vegeta inserts his thumb into the boy’s mouth along with the nipple.
Trunks bites down hard on his father’s hand and then begins to feed contentedly. She can see the boy’s little jaw moving as he gnaws away on the Saiyan Prince’s finger as he drinks.
Vegeta walks back to bed carrying the child in his arms.
“Vegeta is that what you’ve been doing all along?” She asks her mate in wonderment as she follows him back to bed.
He looks at her, “He’s teething, a Saiyan child has a strong bite, you know that from personal experience.” He smirks, “You put up with it for six months I can take it a lot longer. He’s gotten used to the comfort of flesh in his mouth, he craves it.”
Suddenly she remembers the strange marks she’s noticed lately on his arms and hands she had thought it was from a new training regimen. Now she knows where they’ve been coming from.
“You’ve been letting him chew on you ever since he started teething, haven’t you!” She stares at her mate in amazement.
He nods.
She looks at Vegeta then at their happily eating son, sometimes her prince can still astonish her.
Too soon there are only three months left before the androids arrival.
Vegeta and his mate are the only ones who know of his ascension to Super Saiyan. He’s been careful not to attract the others attention when he practices in that form. So even she hasn’t seen his transformation though she longs too. He only transforms inside the fully shielded gravity chamber when it’s at full power.
Even her parents and Yamcha don’t know.
Ever since their son’s birth, Vegeta’s been racking his brain to find a way to show
his mate how much she means to him. One day his eye falls on the ID bracelet she had given
him so long ago. He remembers her words, “We can’t do rings.”
He rushes out to the capsule and ransacks through his old uniforms until he finds the scrap of metal, all that is left from planet Vegeta.
When he finds it, he smirks and goes off in search of her father.
“I need a set of rings made out of this.”
Professor Briefs looks at the scrap of metal, “Why ever for?”
“Bulma told me once that rings symbolize the mating bond for your people. I want to give them to her.”
Her father smiles, he understood that Vegeta already felt permanently attached to his daughter, but it had bothered him that the Saiyan Prince had never formally married her.
“Vegeta the rings are for both of you, and there’s a ceremony that goes with them.”
“Ceremony?” Then Vegeta remembers the conversation on their bonding night, “A wedding!”
“That’s right!”
“She did mention that once too.” He looks at his father-in-law. “Can we still do that?”
Her father smiles, “Of course my boy.” He looks at the Prince. “Should it be a small one or a big one?”
“She said it didn’t have to be a big one.”
“Good, when do you want to have it?”
“As soon as possible, but I want to surprise her.”
“That might make it a little harder, but we can do it if we have her mother’s help.”
“What ever it takes.” Vegeta turns to leave then remembers something else. “Can you put this design on the rings?” He pulls a crumpled drawing out of his pocket. It’s a three pointed crown set over two lines cupped by twin tines. It looks vaguely like a five pointed trident.
“I suppose so. What is it?”
“The Royal Crest of the Saiyans.”
He father beams at Vegeta, “Bulma will love it. But why use this piece of scrap metal, why not gold or platinum?”
“That is all that’s left of my home planet.”
Professor Briefs looks at Vegeta then at the piece of metal on his desk, “Now I understand but there’s way more than I need here for rings what should I do with the rest.”
“Then make a small medallion too. A circle with a ring around it engraved with a starburst rim, put the same design in the center!” Vegeta motions to the drawing.
“I should be able to manage it, but why?”
“It will be for Trunks, when he’s older.”
The next day her father comes to find Vegeta, he calls him out of the training
chamber.
“We’ve got a problem, I can’t melt that metal. It’s some of that same stuff we got off the spacepods. Nothing on Earth is hot enough.”
Vegeta thinks for a few moments, “Can you make molds that will withstand the higher heat long enough for it to resolidify?”
“That we can do, but why make them if we can’t melt the metal in the first place?”
“Just make the molds and tell me when they’re ready.” Orders Vegeta crossly.
“If you say so, they can be ready tomorrow.”
Vegeta nods, and returns to training.
The next morning after feeding his son, Vegeta goes to her father’s private work shop. Professor Briefs and two techs are waiting for him. Three molds are sitting on the table. The metal scrap lying beside them.
“Good!” says the Prince looking over the set-up.
Then he glares at the techs, “If you say anything to anyone before I give these to her you’ll regret it for the rest of your VERY short lives.”
The two techs just grin in response to his threat. Everyone likes Bulma and knowing how much this surprise will please her, they already have been sworn to secrecy.
Vegeta levitates the scrap of metal, it glints with a bluish sheen and then focuses his ki energy on it. As he holds it, he compresses it, the metal begins to glow and then turns into a molten ball. Once completely liquefied he directs it into the openings of each mold in turn until it they are filled. Vegeta sees that there’s still has a fair amount of metal left, he looks at it then decides what to do with it. He separates the remaining metal into two equal parts then starts to rapidly spinning them both until each has formed into a slender ring large enough to place on someone's brow. Satisfied he places them on the table beside the molds and starts to leave.
The techs start babbling, “If he can do that we could finally analyze the rest of that metal!”
Vegeta remarks over his shoulder, “No, this is for Bulma alone, she will be the only one to ever have anything made this metal.”
That night after dinner her father takes him aside and unveils the results. Two matching diadems, a pair of wedding rings with the Royal Saiyan Crest raised on them and a small medallion with the same crest incised into it’s surface.
A little later, when Bulma is occupied with Trunks her mother tells him that everything else has been arranged and ready for tomorrow. “We’ll even take care of Trunks for a few days, the island house is empty for a while. Take her on a second honeymoon.”
He looks at Bulma as she returns from changing the baby, a crafty smirk on his face.
She looks at them sensing something is up, “What are you three cooking up?”
Her mother just smiles, “Oh, nothing dear, nothing at all.”
The next morning Bulma wakes to find both Vegeta and the baby gone. Thinking he’s
taken their son down to her mother, she dresses and goes downstairs.
Entering the main room she finds it transformed. There’s a floral arch in the center of the room, flowers everywhere and her mother is standing beside the arch holding a large box.
“What’s going on here? It looks like someone’s going to get married!”
She mother smiles, “Someone is.” She pauses, “YOU ARE.”
Mrs. Briefs pulls the lid off the box, inside is a beautiful wedding dress. “It was all Vegeta’s idea, he said you once told him you wanted a wedding. Now you’re going to have one.”
Bulma stands there in shock, “Vegeta’s idea? He planned this!”
“Well I planned this.” Her mother motions at the room. “On such short notice it’ll only be us and the minister, but Vegeta was the one who started it.”
Bulma collapses into a nearby chair, tears in her eyes.
“He’s doing this for me?”
Her mother sets the dress across the couch and comes over to her daughter.
“He wants to show you what he can’t say, dear. How much that he loves you.”
She looks up at her mother in teary amusement, “Has your maternal psychic powers extended to include Vegeta now?”
Her mother shakes her head with a smile, “No still only you, but he does love you deeply.”
“What about the baby? Where is he?”
“Vegeta has him, he said he needed Trunks help.”
“The baby’s help. How?”
“I don’t know, but we’ll find out soon.” Her mother turns back to pick up the dress. “You need to get ready, your wedding’s in an hour.”
An hour later to the soft strains Mendelssohn's wedding march Bulma enters the
living area on her father’s arm. Vegeta is dressed in a tuxedo standing under the arch and
looking slightly miffed because his father-in-law had had just asked him how he liked wearing
a monkey suit before he went out for Bulma. Trunks in his baby seat on a table placed beside
his father in the spot that the best man would usually stand.
Vegeta looks at her as she walks towards him, there are tears in her eyes. But he knows they‘re only from her happiness. As he takes her hand, he growls at her affectionately, “Why do you always cry so much, woman.”
“Because you make me so happy.” Is her teary reply.
The ceremony is short but profound. Bulma’s mother is openly weeping and there are even tears in her father’s eyes. When the minister asks for the rings, Vegeta turns to the baby, removing a chain from around Trunks neck, dangling beside the medallion are the two wedding rings. He unlatches the chain and removes them handing them to the minister, then replaces the medallion around his son’s neck.
The minister returns one to Vegeta and hands the other to Bulma. He then instructs Vegeta to take her hand and repeat the marriage vow.
The Prince of the Saiyans looks into his Bride’s eyes, as he says the solemn words, “With this ring I do thee wed.”
She sees no anger in them, his rage has been replaced with something else. They burn now with all the love he has for his mate.
She repeats her own vow in a haze of happiness. Then after the minister pronounces them man and wife and just as she thinks he’s about to kiss her and it‘ll all be over, Vegeta turns once more to their son. A small head-sized ki ball rises from behind of Trunks’ baby seat. It moves to the child’s hand and the baby giggles.
Trunks knows this game, he bats the ball to his father.
Vegeta stops the ball with a motion and reaches inside dissipating it. His hand now holds the two diadems, still glowing softly with power residue.
He dons one then turns to her and intones solemnly, “I am The Prince of All Saiyans.”
The emotional surprises and tensions of the day suddenly overcome Bulma, her cracked sense of humor suddenly kicks in defensively and she whispers to him with a grin, “Yeah all four of them!”
He glares at her and whispers back, “Shut up, woman! I’m trying to be romantic here!”
Then he says aloud, “My kingdom is long gone, I will never wear the Monarch’s crown for I would only be a king of nothingness, but you are My True Consort, My Saiyanna and will always be My Queen!” He places the circlet on her head reverently, bows regally before her, then takes her in his arms and kisses her.
Bulma bursts into tears unable to contain her overflowing happiness and sobs joyfully on his shoulder. “Oh Vegeta, Vegeta. You really are my Prince Charming after all!”
“Oh stops crying woman, otherwise I’ll start regretting doing this.” He growls, scowling at her affectionately.
She quickly wipes the tears from her face and smiles.
Her parents gather close to hug and kiss them both.
Trunks miffed that the ki ball is gone, adds his own voice to the happy babble.
Bulma looks down at their protesting son, and she notices the design incised into the medallion for the first time. Then she looks at her wedding ring and sees the same symbol, there raised.
“Vegeta what’s this mark mean?” She asks curiously.
He takes her hand, and she notices the same mark on his ring. “It the Royal Crest of my family.”
When he doesn’t say anything else, her father adds, “Bulma the metal they’re made from is also unique, dear. It that stuff we never could analyze ‘cause we couldn’t get it to melt.” He indicates the diadem on her head. “The piece these were made from came from what was left of Vegeta’s home planet.”
She looks down at her wedding ring as she raises her hand to touch the diadem on her brow. “Then how..?”
Her father smiles at his son-in-law, “Vegeta did it, he made these all for you.”
Bulma looks at her new husband and starts crying all over again.
Vegeta glares at her and humphs grumpily, but takes her in his arms anyway growling. “This is that last time I ever try to be romantic!”
After the festivities, Vegeta takes Bulma to the island house. They spend then next three days idyllically, swimming, making love and basking in each other once more. But Bulma notices that there’s a new intensity in Vegeta’s lovemaking.
On their last night on the island she finds out why, as he breaks the news to her, holding her tightly in his arms. “When we get back I’ll be leaving home for a while.”
“But what about the androids?” She looks at him in mystification.
“That’s why I’m leaving.”
“I don't believe it,” she stares at him in astonishment. “You can’t be running away from them!”
“I’m not, I leaving to spare you and Trunks.”
“Spare me and Trunks, what are you talking about?”
“If I stay with you until the day of the battle, you’ll feel all my pain during the fighting. If the impossible should happen, and if I do die, you might too.” He searches her face for understanding.
“But if I leave now the bond will begin to weaken again. Without the reaffirmation of touching or mating it will be the way it was when I left you the first time. You will be safe and Trunks will be assured that one of us will be there for him.”
She looks at him, “I.., I guess I understand.”
“I hoped you would, but I was going to do it either way.”
“I’ll miss you.”
“And I will miss you, My Consort.”
She smiles sadly at him. “Alright then I’ll let you go. But I’m telling you something too. On that day, I’ll be there. I won’t let you face it alone, no matter what. And I’ll be bringing Trunks. We’ll both be there watching you, when you beat the shit out of those monsters.” She doesn’t say the rest, but he understands without the words, ‘or if we lose you.’
He nods slowly, understanding.
They return to Capsule Corp. the next morning. Trunks has almost finished teething so as Vegeta feeds his son one last time the boy barely marks his hand. But the baby does sense that something’s changing and refuses to release his grip on his father. Bulma has to pry the baby’s fingers from Vegeta’s hair. When she does pull the boy away, he starts screaming for his father.
Vegeta scowls at Trunks, “Hush up brat!” The baby stops screaming but tears are still dampening his cheeks. Vegeta makes a ki ball and pushes it towards the baby, Trunks smiles and reaches for it, taking full control, clutching it to his stomach and cooing happily.
Vegeta looks at Bulma, “That’ll keep him quiet for a while. It’s under his control so it’ll just dissipate when he falls asleep or loses interest.”
He kisses her one last time and leaps off the balcony into the sky without looking back.
A couple of weeks pass, one night Bulma wakens to a familiar presence in their
room. She sees his silhouette in the balcony door. He is gazing at Trunks crib, she sits up in
bed and he turns to regard her with glowing eyes. She can feel his hunger and longing for
both of them but only sees angry fire burning in his eyes. He starts to half raise his hand
reaching out towards her, then abruptly turns away and leaps back into the darkness. She
goes to the balcony and watches his contrail until it disappears in the night sky.
During the following weeks, Vegeta makes several more intermittent nightly visits, but he keeps his word never speaking to or touching her or the baby. Sadly as she feels the link between them weakening she also senses his angry pain increasing. She cries after each of his visits, shedding tears for both of them.
The day they’ve all dreaded has finally arrived. When Bulma arrives with baby
Trunks in tow, at the spot designated by the youth from the future, all she finds are Yamcha
and Tien.
Yamcha gazes sourly at the baby, “You should have left the kid at home!”
She looks down her nose at him, “I do what I want, no one gives me orders. If I want my son to see his father fight, and win...., I do it!”
Yamcha crosses his arms and sulks, “I still think it a bad idea, it could get dangerous around here.”
From the conversation, Tien assumes that Yamcha is the child’s father. He’s soon to get a rude awakening when the others arrive.
Yamcha spots them first and shouts waving up at the four figures high above.
But there is still no sign of her mate anywhere.
As they land Yamcha grins, “Hey what took you so long, we’ve been here a while.”
“Oh you know how ChiChi can get.” answers Goku then he stares at Bulma.
“B- Bulma?” asks Gohan in shock, staring at the wide-eyed lavender haired baby in her arms staring back at them.
She grins at them, “Oh Gohan you’ve gotten so big. I almost didn’t recognize you!”
“Bulma you idiot, what are you doing here?” shouts Goku in dismay.
“I came to watch!” she says, “Don’t worry I’ll stay out of the way I just wanted to see these androids.”
“Is that your baby?” asks Gohan grinning.
“Unhuh, can’t you tell from the hair.”
Krillian stares in amazement, “T-then she is holding what I think she’s holding?”
Gohan beams , “So you and Yamcha got married after all!”
Yamcha grumps, “Nope! You can‘t pin this one on me kid.” He’s still upset that she’d risk his godson this way. “We never did get back together. But just wait till you hear who the father is!”
Goku walks over and offers the infant his finger, “Hey there Trunks, you’re
daddy’s Vegeta isn’t he.” Shocking Bulma.
Trunks clutches at mama tightly, staring wide eyed at all these new strangers. He knows Unca Yamma, but who are these new ones. He senses Mama’s not worried, she even seems happy to see them. So maybe, but he’s still not sure if he should start crying or not.
Bulma stares at Son dumbfounded, “H-how you know? I thought only the family and Yamcha knew.”
She glares at the former desert bandit. He raises his hands and shakes his head, “I didn’t tell.”
She looks puzzledly back at Goku, “Then how did you know?” Goku realizes his slip and babbles, “Oh.., gee.., well that is.., he kinda looks like Vegeta, yeah that’s it around the eyes!”
“But how did you know his name?” She peers at him suspiciously.
“Lucky guess? “ babbles the panicked Goku, he had forgotten and let it slip out. “Maybe I'm psychic or somethin’!”
“Wha-- you mean that kid is actually VEGETA'S!?” remarks Krillian. “How bizarre is that!”
Piccolo who had known about the child since it’s birth, glowers, “We have more important things to think about than who did what to who! The main thing is, where is Vegeta?”
“Who knows? I haven’t seen him in a while, he went off training somewhere weeks ago!” Bulma's not worried, she knows her mate will show up eventually. “He’ll be here, he’s been training like fiend for the last three years for this battle!”
“Vegeta will be here.” Smiles Goku with total assurance, “He wouldn’t want to miss a fight.”
“I didn’t let Chaotze come.” says Tien, “We trained hard but he couldn’t have kept up with the rest of us, he said he’d go to Master Roshi's and wait there.”
“That’s good, we don’t have to worry about him that way.” agrees Goku.
“Hey Bulma what time is it?” asks Gohan.
Bulma looks at her watch. “Almost 9:30, that kid said they’d be here around ten so we still got a half an hour.”
“You shouldn’t be here Bulma, think about the baby.” Says Goku trying to convince her to leave one last time.
“I’ll go when I’m ready Son. I wouldn’t risk Trunks for the world.” She gets a fierce look in her eyes. “I want to get a look at those androids!”
Goku gives up, he learned over the years how stubborn the Capsule heiress can be. Sometimes Bulma can be worst than even Vegeta!
As time slowly passes, Bulma proudly shows off her little son. Baby Trunks quickly gets over his trepidation of the strangers and exhibits his inquisitive personality. Krillian and Gohan begin to play with him gently. The little boy quickly takes to the bald monk and the other half Saiyan. As Goku and Yamcha watch them all indulgently. The baby’s soft chuckles are incongruous on the breezy pinnacle overlooking the threatened city.
As the appointed time nears, there’s still no sign or sense of the androids.
Tien and Piccolo remain on alert, watchfully aware.
A few minutes later Piccolo speaks, “Someone’s approaching.”
“Maybe it’s Vegeta!?” guesses Gohan.
“But without malice.” states the Namek.
Krillian drawls, “Naw then it can’t be him, Vegeta's nothing but pure cussedness.”
They all stare in the direction that Piccolo is looking.
Suddenly Goku grins as he recognizes the familiar ki signature. “Hey it’s Yajirobi!”
As the flitter lands the Saiyan warrior rushes over to welcome his roughhewn friend.
The rotund warrior jumps out of the vehicle. “Glad I got here before it started.”
“Hey did you come to join the fun Yajirobi?” asks Goku eagerly.
The short fat man glares at them, “Corrine sent me down to give you some Senzu.”
“Wow you can sure count on him to come through in a pinch.” Grins Goku.
He hands Son the bag of beans. Then Yajirobi turns and climbs back into his aircar. “So long guys been nice knowing ya.”
“Then you’re not gonna stay?” Asks Goku puzzledly.
“Naw, I’m not suicidal, like some people around here are.” He says out the lowered window of the aircar. “I’m not edujcated like you guys but even I’m smart enough to know when I’m outclassed . Why buck the odds? Good luck yer gonna need it!” And he takes off.
After he departs, Tien speaks up, “I don’t like this, it’s after ten and there’s still no sign of a thing, not even a ripple.”
Gohan nods in agreement.
“I told ja.” says Yamcha, “That weird kid was pulling a fast one.”
Bulma looks up from where she’s seated on the ground holding Trunks, trying to get him to support his own weight. “Well he didn’t specify 10am exactly, he only said somewhere around that time. 10:17 could certainly be considered in that general area!”
“But none of us feel anything!” states the ex-bandit, “If they’re as powerful as he claimed shouldn’t we have felt something by now?”
As if in answer to his question there’s a sudden aerial explosion.
“What was that!” shouts Krillian snapping his head around to stare.
“Oh no!” cries Bulma.
“Yajirobi!” yells Goku.
Piccolo shouts, “They’re here already! Look up there! They’ve attacked his flitter!”
Two small dark specs hover near the expanding cloud of smoke and flame, as wreckage of Yajirobi’s flitter plummets into the sea. The figures are too faraway, blurred by the intervening distance, for the Z fighters to make out even the slightest of details. Then the to distance dots turn and start to descend, zipping towards the teeming metropolis.
“Oh no, they’ve headed for the city!” shouts Yamcha.
“Could you make anything out, I didn’t see which way they went.” cries Krillian in frustration.
Gohan shakes his head saying, “I dunno they moved so fast, I couldn’t even make out what they looked like!”
“B-but how? There wasn’t even a ki signature!” Splutters Goku.
Gohan guesses the answer, “It’s because of what they are dad, machines. Androids don’t have a ki signature to be sensed.”
“What?” gasps Yamcha, “No wonder!”
“I think Gohan’s right, I still can’t feel any ki.” Says Piccolo, “We’ll have to use our eyes to find them!”
Goku says, “Okay then split up, we’ll be able to cover more ground that way. But when you find them don’t try to take them on alone, give a shout and everybody’ll come running, got it!” There’s nods of agreement all around, “Gohan you go get Yajirobi, make sure he’s okay and bring him back here.”
“Right dad!”
“Let’s find them!” yells Piccolo and they all take off, leaving Bulma holding the bag. Literally, as she picks up the packet of Senzu beans Goku had dropped during the ensuing excitement after Yajirobi’s craft had exploded.
Yamcha is the first to find them and the first to fall victim but the others get there in time to prevent his final slide into death.
The Z fighters face off with their unusual looking foes. Two very dissimilar creatures, a pudgy white skinned almost simple seeming clown-like creature and a taller much more sinister looking older white haired mustachioed man. Both who share one distinctive characteristic, cold, flat soulless looking eyes! The taller of the two androids appears to be the one giving orders.
Goku has Krillian rush Yamcha back to where Bulma is with the Senzu, waiting on the outcome, along with baby Trunks, Gohan and Yajirobi.
Bulma and the others soon put Yamcha back to rights with a senzu.
As the desert fighter recovers explosions rock the city below, Bulma stares wide-eyed at the destruction, “Wh-what’s happening down there!?“
“It’s them! I wouldn’t have believed it myself if I hadn’t seen them with my own eyes!” Yamcha answers shakily, “They’re completely soulless! Monsters! Worse than even Frieza! This is horrible!”
The five stare in utter shock at the destruction below. Baby Trunks is clutching tightly at Bulma's shirt, not whimpering but definitely frightened by the noise and his mother’s distress.
Then the watches on the pinnacle spot Goku leading the flight of the remaining fighters, as they depart luring the androids away from the smoking city.
“Good! Goku’s taking them away from the here!” says Krillian in relief.
“NO! We stop them, gotta warn them, it was terrible!” Shouts Yamcha in anxiety.
“Warn them about what?” asks Bulma, she‘d never seen her old boyfriend this thoroughly frightened.
“The androids, it’s like they’re leeches or something.” says Yamcha in horror. “Like vampires, they can suck the ki right out of a person stealing all your energy. Somehow they use their hands to do it! We gotta try and stop them, let them know about the danger.”
“They took your energy?” gasps Krillian.
“Yeah the tall one did it by just grabbing me!” nods Yamcha.
Bulma frowns and shakes her head, “That Dr. Gero is brilliant,... but evil!”
“Then come on we gotta go warn them!” cries Gohan in sudden concern. The young demi-Saiyan blasts off furiously, chasing after his father and friends.
Krillian starts off too but hesitates mid launch as he sees Yamcha twisted visage.
Yamcha chokes, “I-I can’t! It’s not that I almost died..., it-it’s just that I felt s-so helpless!”
“Okay, but I haveta take them these Senzu.” says Krillian. “You just do what you gotta do!”
“Ya don’t get it. These androids are horrifying!” Yamcha is torn by his desire to help and be with his comrades. He struggles with himself then finally cries, “But damn, I can’t take this,” he leaps skywards, “I haveta go but only to watch, I can‘t take facing them again!”
Bulma and Yajirobi stand watching the vanishing contrails, then she glances over in puzzlement at the quiet woodsman. She gets mad and starts to scold him for not joining his friends in the fight to save civilization.
His stoic pronouncement of, “But I can’t fly!” startles her and suddenly cowed, she apologizes to him.
Subdued Bulma frets a bit, she can still feel Vegeta, faintly, but senses that he has yet to join with the others. She able to tell this because when his battle lust is up their emotional ties are stronger. She’s fully determined to fulfill her promise to her mate however she decides to wait for awhile by the flitter, until she gets a better sense of Vegeta’s whereabouts so as to zero in on him.
Goku leads them further and further a field, trying to find a deserted area, where they can fight with out endangering any sort of life. As they continue onwards, Piccolo begins to notice something strange. Goku, normally almost inexhaustible, seems winded and is perspiring heavily.
They race onwards until the bewhiskered android balks.
The Prince had been training in to mountains on the mainland closest to the
rendezvous point. As the day finally dawned he had begun to train for the final hours. Then
when he felt Kakarot, his brat and the others pass nearby, he had begun to trail them from
behind unnoticed. When the two strange figures with them called a halt. He stopped a short
distance away to watch the course of events as they unfold.
Then in the midst of battle the Super Saiyan hero is suddenly stricken by a
devastating heart attack caused by the viral infection that Trunks had come back to warn him
about. In sudden agony his power drains away, he falls to the ground helplessly and reverts
back to normal state!
The pudgy android, descends and pounces, greedy to drain the Saiyan warrior’s energy dry. He grips Goku by the throat and feeds on the dying man’s ki.
Piccolo attempt to rescue Goku is cut short when twin beams shoot out of the tall android’s eyes piercing and felling the Namek!
“The Namek’s effort wasn’t bravery it was stupidity!” says android 20 unemotionally.
Gohan rushes to aid his mentor.
Just as the pudgy android is about to finish the helpless semi-conscious Goku, a white booted foot comes out of nowhere to impacting the side of it’s face, knocking it off it’s victim and sends it flying to impact into the ground heavily.
Vegeta has arrived in the nick of time, the Saiyan Prince stands regally, filled with his power and pride. “I am the only one who will have the pleasure of defeating Kakarot! My revenge and satisfaction will not be thwarted by a couple of ridiculous mechanical toys!”
“VEGETA!” Gasps Krillian, Tien and Yamcha together.
Gohan looks up where he bending over the fallen Namek, “Vegeta? “
Piccolo’s eyes snap open, “Vegeta!? Wha-!!” He sits up suddenly and glares at the other Saiyan.
Startling Gohan with his sudden recovery “P-PICCO-LO!!”
“Blast it Vegeta! You just had to butt in, right after I distracted them by being ‘defeated’ ! ”
Gohan stares up at the Namekian warrior, “You mean you were faking!?”
“Something that insignificant wouldn’t stop me kid!” Says Piccolo, “Besides the fact my circulatory pump is in a different location than a human’s.”
Vegeta looms over Kakarot, crossing his arms and begins to disdainfully lecture his battle brother, “You fool! I was watching it all. You realized what was happening Kakarot but went ahead and turned Super Saiyan anyway! Even though you knew it would strain your heart even more! You are such a moron! I forbid you to die on me now, at least not until I have my revenge!”
Then with a single mighty kick her propels the fallen hero’s body towards his waiting comrades. “Here catch!”
Piccolo fields Goku by the back of his tunic.
The Prince glares over at them sneering. “Will one of you take him home to that harpy he’s mated to and see that he takes his MEDICINE!”
Vegeta watches as Kakarot’s friends gather worriedly around him arguing about
who should aid him. He almost envies the other Saiyan, he has so many who care and worry
about him.
The Prince had been for all practical purposes isolated for most of his life. First on his home planet as the Crown Prince, then later as Frieza's sexual plaything and pet slave. He had been denied any semblance of friendship or concerned comrades, except for his Sibling. And had even thought that he had to keep emotional distance from Raditz for fear of revealing their true relationship to the monster that had enslaved them.
And now, even though he does have a few who feel that strongly for him, being parted from those who care for him has been emotionally if not physically wearing.
They finally settle on letting Yamcha take Kakarot home, and Vegeta wordlessly
agrees with their decision. His mate’s ex-paramour is definitely the weakest of the group.
The pasty faced pudgy android is about to leap off in pursuit, when it is stopped by the other one. “Stop 19! Do not pursue them.”
The tall android is definitely the one in charge of this operation, it descends and lands close to it’s subordinate, “We shall save our final triumph for later, first we shall dispose of these bothersome gnats. It might even prove to be amusing now that Vegeta has deigned to make an appearance.
The Prince watches them silently as Kakarot’s son and remaining friends discuss their options.
He’s taken aback a bit when the obese android bows respectfully to his superior, “Number 20, would you allow me the pleasure of having Vegeta please?” The imprint of the Prince’s boot is like a dark brand on it’s face.
“My aren’t we getting greedy, you’ve already multiplied your power several levels.” Says 20, “Very well but the rest are mine.”
The pudgy android grins and swivels to face the Saiyan Prince.
Vegeta scowls, “From what I’ve seen your fame far outstrips your reality.”
Then he smirks. “I noticed that the palms of your hands seem to be the crucial area to avoid. That’s what you use to drain ki. I’ll have to be wary of them.”
“You say you have been watching us, Vegeta. But you missed a very important fact.” Says 19. “We are fully cognizant of your abilities!”
“Oh really! You seemed extremely surprised by Kakarot’s transformation.” States the Prince, “In your overconfidence you had thought your projections of his strength would cover every possibility. Do you need yet another lesson to prove to you that we Saiyans cannot be reduced to mere equations.”
“Indeed?” asks 19.
“I wonder?” asks Vegeta as his power begins to thrum. “Can you feel emotions, like surprise or fear?“
Suddenly the Prince explodes in a flare of light, it disperses to reveal the golden hair and glow of the power of a Super Saiyan! Shocking both the androids and the other Z fighters.
Gohan gasps “H-he’s turned into a super Saiyan!”
20’s head snaps back to gaze at Vegeta, “HIM TOO!”
Krillian’s jaw drops, “Wh-What! No way, how’d he do that? I thought a person had to be good and pure of heart like Goku to do it!? I thought Vegeta was too mean and ornery to every do it!”
Vegeta glances at the monk in disgust thinking ‘Typical! he such an idiot. Making stupid assumptions.‘ Even after three years of his living here among them, they still think the worst of him. Not willing to see any changes. If the Prince had truly still been what he was the first time he came to Earth, there would have been no one left alive here and now to even worry about androids! Even those he fought beside against Frieza are apparently blind to the differences in him. Only one person knows his real heart. And he's here for her and their son, nothing more. ‘ Well then I won‘t disabuse them.’ he thinks.
“My heart is pure..., pure evil!” Sneers Vegeta.
“You cannot know what I endured, you would never have survived the hell I put my self through.” Says the Prince, “But then I ran into the wall of my own limitations. In the fury I felt about my own failings my rage exploded and the legend awoke. I became a Super Saiyan. My joy was boundless I had done it. I had become greater than Kakarot. I am the true Saiyan Messiah!”
“I have heard enough babbling, change or not it matters little. Like Son Goku you cannot match us.” says 20.
19 begins to chuckle, but Vegeta merely stands smirking at their threats. The pudgy android charges and his fist impacts the Prince’s face. It forces Vegeta to skid backwards slightly. The Saiyan straightens as his battle joy flares into life, his smile turns chilling.
“Is that it? I guess it’s all that could be expected from a mechanical doll.”
“Do you also know that when this transformation takes place my ferocity increases?” asks the Prince, “We Saiyan’s attain a state of ecstasy during battle, one that allows us to disregard our injuries.”
“You machines are almost the same. Since I am certain you feel no pain.”
Suddenly Vegeta strikes back with a right kick to the androids chest, followed by a left elbow to it’s head and a left kick that sends 19 skidding across the ground to lie motionless.
The Prince regally strides towards the fallen automaton, each step sizzling with power.
Bulma suddenly senses the onset of her mate’s battle glee. So she knows he’s
finally joined the other fighters. Now she can zero in on Vegeta’s increased excitement and
use it as a guide to lead her to him. His heightened emotions start to infect her as well, as
she gathers up Trunks and a reluctant Yajirobi, loading them into the flitter. She shouts her
own excitement in reflection of her mate’s battle joy, as she guides the speeding aircar
towards her sense of Vegeta and his battle with the androids.
Yajirobi tries to dissuade her, not knowing the promise she had made to her mate.
Bulma follows the sense of him through their bond. She knows her reactions are reflections of his. And she wonders a bit about the strength of them, they haven‘t abated.
Vegeta stands over the fallen android.
20 is thunderstruck by the events.
“What’s wrong? Is there a short circuit in that scrap of metal you call a brain?” asks the Saiyan Prince sarcastically, “Your calculations seem to be off a bit.”
The android suddenly flips forward to it’s feet and lunges for the Super Saiyan. Vegeta drops backwards avoiding it’s grasp, catching himself with his hands thrust behind him as he kicks both feet straight legged upwards, flinging the white android skywards. Continuing the double kick into a complete flip he launches himself upwards after it!
Hovering in mid-air they confront one and other. The android attempts to grab Vegeta but the Prince dodges every thrust of the automaton’s hands. Then he throws his own punch and smashes it into the android’s face.
A trickle of something drips from it’s nose and mouth.
“What shoddy workmanship,” says the Prince disdainfully “is that oil or blood?”
The android growls in anger and fires beams from his eyes, but Vegeta dodges them easily and then double fists the mechanical man into the ground.
The Z fighters dodge the plummeting mannequin just in time. “Whoa! Watch it Vegeta!’ shouts Krillian in protest.
The dust settles into the crater. 19 is half buried in the debris. Vegeta descend and lands at it’s feet.
Suddenly it eyes snap open and it reacts jumping up and grasping the Saiyan Prince by both his wrists.
“Now I have you!” The pale android, says in it’s childlike voice, “And I shall not release you until I have drained your energy dry.”
“It’s useless to struggle!!” It gloats, chuckling evilly.
Vegeta smirks, “Never, is that a promise?”
The Prince’s feet suddenly leave the ground and he plants them one on each of the android’s cheeks. “Now remember, you’ve promised not to let go!”
Vegeta can feel the power flowing out of him as he starts to exert pressure, slowly straightening. “So you absorb ki through your palms, then add it to your own energy.”
The android unaware of Vegeta’s tactics continues to chuckle, “I ..,will not..., release you!!”
Then with one last mighty effort the Prince straightens completely, the sudden increase in pressure rips the androids hands from it’s wrists!” And he flips free. Wires dangle and sparks fly, from the severed connections. The android stares at his handless wrists in shock.
20 gasps in surprise.
Vegeta casually pulls the dripping useless energy siphons from his wrists and examines one. “So it was this crystal in your palms that enabled you to absorb our power.”
He discards them “But that is finished now, isn’t it?”
The android recoils from him in fear.
“You’re afraid?” says the Prince in surprise, “You a soulless doll? How odd!”
19 turns and manages even without hands to scrabble it’s way out of the impact crater. It begins to run in terror.
The Prince levitates out of the depression, raising his hand he opens his upturned palm preparing to fire at the fleeing target.
20 shouts, “How dare you!”
Vegeta glances over his shoulder furiously. “Don’t piss yourself. Once I finish him it will be your turn next.”
The Prince turns his attention back to his fleeing target. Vegeta’s glow grows brighter and he shouts, “Absorb this! Big Bang Attack, Super Vegeta style!!!” With a deafening roar the massive fireball shoots out of his hand, bearing down on the retreating android. The largest piece left is it’s fat head that bounces once as it hits the ground then rolls to reveal it’s final shocked wide eyed gaze of disbelief.
20 stares at the carnage. “Indeed, we have miscalculated. But you have no hope, you still cannot win.”
Vegeta coughs out a laugh of utter disbelief, “HEH!!”
The Prince lands in front of the ancient appearing android. He powers down. Crossing his right arm over his chest he gazes sideways at the automaton. “This is your chance, you could defeat me easily right now I’ve lost a lot of energy.... Well why don’t you come at me!”
The android stares at Saiyan warrior, puzzlement evident on his face.
“You claim I have no hope of victory.” Says the Prince asking. “Why, what do you mean by that?”
“Even if you are more powerful that we calculated, you will never be powerful enough to defeat us!” States 20 in complete assurance.
“Is that so?” States the Prince, “Funny I don’t see it quite that way. I think you’re nothing but a sore loser.”
20’s eyes narrow it obvious he suspects some sort of a trap, so instead of attacking he breaks flees.
“He’s running off, he’s trying to get away in the rocks!” Shouts Krillian.
Vegeta whirls and yells back, “Hey baldy! Toss me a senzu!”
“Bal-- but...” croaks Krillian.
“Do you want to let him escape! ” Shouts the Prince imperatively, “Give me one!!!! NOW!”
Piccolo instructs Krillian, “Toss him one!”
The little monk complies reluctantly, “O-okay.” He flings a bean at the Saiyan.
Vegeta catches it “Morons, about time!” the Prince crunches the bean between his teeth and swallows bracing for the pain. He grits his teeth as he endures it growling “GOOD!!” And powers back up to Super Saiyan.
The Prince glances over his shoulder at them, “Go home, and take some vitamins or drink some milk.” Then he launches off in pursuit of the android.
Vegeta has scoured the badlands and is getting more and more frustrated. The
damned doll has no ki to focus in on. It had managed to elude his sight in the roughly
tumbled terrain. He can feel the others following him.
‘Probably hoping to see me fail.’ Thinks the Prince sardonically. He lands on a rocky promontory and scans the rugged landscape.
“Coward! Come out and fight me! Show yourself!!!” Shouts the Prince.
“That thing... used this terrain just as I suspected it might.” Growls Vegeta, “Which means I’ll have to drive it out into the open!”
The Prince rises upwards and then begins to form a ki blast. He hurls it down into the rocks knowing from his earlier observations that the android will be lured out to try and absorb the energy.
Vegeta aims carefully to give the others plenty of room to dodge.
Once the doll’s location is revealed the Prince will pounce. And dispose of it! Ending the threat, and finally proving his superiority over Kakarot to the others.
Suddenly the android appears below, far sooner than Vegeta expected! “Oh shit!”
The Prince streaks down towards the android but it fazes out before his disbelieving eyes.
Vegeta lands in the spot the android had been standing, “Curse that thing it’s far faster than I thought it would be!” He glares about trying futilely to relocate it. Reluctant to expend any more energy Vegeta begins to search the hard way once again.
Vegeta suddenly feels Gohan’s ki jump and whirls to speed to the focal point when he arrives he finds the others arriving there as well. 20 suddenly is surrounded by the Z fighters.
The Prince barks a single laugh, as the android’s eyes widen realizing it’s trapped.
Gohan shouts to Krillian, “Piccolo needs a senzu bean!”
“’Kay.” The little monk flings one upwards to the panting Namek.
Piccolo catches it and eats it. Then descends to confront 20. He pulls off his weighted clothing and tosses them aside.
“Don’t interfere!” The incensed Namek clenches his fists in fury. “I’ll take care of this thing, Vegeta!”
The prince glares at the green warrior and sneers, “I could care less if you want to get yourself killed Namek. Just don’t give it any more energy!”
20 looks from one enemy to another as Piccolo glares coldly at him.
Suddenly the emerald warrior strikes his knees connects with the android's chin flings it’s head back and propelling it violently away!”
Still glowing with his power, Vegeta watches regally arms crossed over his chest. The others are startled by the Namekian’s strength, but the Prince isn’t that surprised, “Well done.”
Mirai Trunks had arrived at the coordinates of the original appearance of the
androids. “no trace of Goku or the others, am I too late?”
He had sees the destruction of the city below, but it’s obvious that the androids orgy of destruction had been cut short. “The city’s still a mess, so something happened here, but what?” The amount of damage was nowhere near what he was used to seeing after one of their rampages. He can tell that the time has already altered a bit. In his timeline the city below had been completely leveled when it was attacked.
Trunks agonizes, “I wish the ship had enough energy to go back a bit further to
find out what happened but I can’t risk it, there’s barely enough fuel left to get back to my
own time!”
Suddenly his extended senses detects ki signatures and the flare of battle energies. It’s the others! “They’re still alive! They’re moved the battle somewhere else to protect the city!”
He heads after them wondering if anything else has changed.
Bulma‘s flitter is nearly at the initial battleground. Yajirobi is vainly trying to
dissuade her from trying to locate the fighters, “Come on ya know Goku an ‘em’s got it
handled! We don‘t need ta go outta the way ta watch! Besides we got yer kid with us ya
wouldn‘t wanna endanger him, right?”
“I know they‘re there that explosion has to be them!” She shouts, she knows that Vegeta is in the midst of battle, and his blood lust is affecting her.
Suddenly the strange youth from the future zooms past her aircar. “Hey! That’s him the guy from the future!” She alters her ship’s course to follow him. “He’s heading that way, he’s going to join the others. I knew this was the right way!” Certain that the youth is heading for the battlefield.
As Trunks races toward the energy flares, he sees the first battle site. “There!!” He glances down and screeches to a shocked halt. Descending he lands next to the disembodied head. Staring at the remains of android 19 in shock. “What in the world is that.. that’s one of the androids? What are they fighting?”
“What the hell is going on? I didn’t recognize that one at all! Were there three androids originally?” Another explosion draws his attention sensing the renewal of battle, he races towards the energy source he recognizes as Vegeta’s.
20 returns the attack, charging headlong at Piccolo. The Namek elbows the android into the ground. then delivers a left kick to it’s head. The android screeches in fury whirling back to face his antagonist.
Krillian is stunned, “Piccolo’s gotten so strong! And he’s not even a Saiyan. J-just what kinda training have they been doing?”
Piccolo slashes downwards with his left hand and chops off android 20’s right hand. the mechanical man recoils in horror.
The Namekian smirks at his foe, “You might want to add this to your data files..., during battle we can amplify our ki in one enormous burst. What you took from me was nothing in comparison to that.”
Gohan cheers, “Then this means...WE’VE WON!!”
As Piccolo strikes again propelling the one handed android into the ground cratering it.
20 stares up at his tormentors in amazement. “How could the calculations been so far off. Even Piccolo has exceed them. It’s impossible!”
Piccolo smiles down at it, “The two of you were supposed to have killed us, but you’ve failed! the future has been altered. It doesn’t matter how, whether it was because we grew too strong or that you weren’t as tough as we were led to believe.”
“So we’ve done it!” says Krillian, “Even without Goku’s help.”
“Yeah.” says Gohan gleefully.
Tien adds, “I’m not to happy about Piccolo and Vegeta being so strong, but in for now I’ll accept it.”
Vegeta is tiring of the nattering, “Either finish him Piccolo or let me do it!”
Piccolo grunts in response to the prince’s goading, “I’ll do it. I originated as the evil incarnate ejected from Kami. I am not soft or sentimental like Goku.”
Trunks is worried and baffled as he streaks towards the battle field, “That was nothing like the androids I know. What is going on, has time been altered so drastically?”
The watching fighters sense the approach of another ki source. They turn to look,
wondering who it could be.
Startled by the youth’s appearance, Piccolo blurts out, “TRUNKS IS BACK!”
Vegeta starts at the Namek‘s revelation of the youth‘s name. ‘He said Trunks! How bizarre! now wait a minute!’ Vegeta turns to look at the boy, ‘I-if he just called him Trunks!? And this kid is supposed to be from the future.’ As the Prince stares at the mysterious youth, ‘That’s our son’s name! And if this punk is a Super Saiyan! So that’s what his secret was all along!’ The facts have finally all clicked together. ‘He’s my own son! Why didn’t I see it before?’
Shocked, Vegeta stares at this older version of his son. He doesn’t understand how he had missed it, the resemblance is striking but the boy’s presence here could cause another problem. If they should happen to touch there’s a very good chance that Vegeta’s efforts to spare Bulma with his self imposed exile from his family, will have been in vain. The boy carries part of her within him and any contact could cause the bond to re-establish itself in full force! Especially if she happens to be in contact with Trunks infant incarnation.
Trunks floats near his father, staring from above, at a second strange looking android. ‘That’s not one of them either!’
20 stares up at the newcomer in shock, ‘Now who’s that? He’s not in my data files
at all!’
“Wh-who is that you‘re fighting?” asks Trunks, mystified. “You are fighting?”
Vegeta stares at his son from the future and then shouts. “What do you mean, who is that!? It’s one of the androids you warned Kakarot about, you idiot!!”
“No it’s not, I don’t understand this at all, I don’t understand what’s going on here.” says Trunks shaking his head.
“Th-they’re not?” gasps Piccolo.
Below the evil android damaged and now on the defensive, takes in this new
development with trepidation. ‘Somehow I’ve drastically miscalculated,... I have to return to
the lab..., quickly!’
“This.., isn’t one of the androids..., you warned Goku about?!” stutters an
astonished Piccolo.
“Huh!” grunts Gohan in surprise.
As Krillian stutters “D-did he say they weren‘t...?!”
Tien stares, all three eyes wide in shock “Then who?
“WELL?!” Vegeta glares angrily at his future son, pointing down at 20 and shouts
“So if that’s not one of your so-called unbeatable androids, where the hell are they and what
is that thing?”
The revelation of the youth’s identity startles everyone else as well, then the
addition of the confusion over the androids, distracts their attention even more so from 20.
But Tien is still watching him with at least one eye.
Gohan says hopefully,“ History has changed already, maybe it’ll be okay?”
That’s right?“ Says Krillian with a tentative half smile, “Maybe the androids appearance was just altered!”
‘I have to elude them somehow,’ calculates 20, ‘I can’t fly that would make it
elementary for them to track me. If I can just get a few seconds of complete distraction to
conceal myself in the badlands I can travel by ground but I need something bigger than just
this!’
Bulma can feel her mate’s confusion, Vegeta’s close, so very close. She winces
from the pain of his fury. She scans the horizon ahead and suddenly spots several figures
floating in a circle. “LOOK! There they are, that has to be the place!”
She counts the figures and breathes a little sigh of relief, “They’re all alive, it must be over!” But why is Vegeta still angry?
Yajirobi stares at her in shock. “Are you nuts er somethin’?! We ain’t goin there are we? Let’s get outta here!”
“I know it’s them, it has to be!” Says the worried woman as they draw closer.
Yajirobi stares at the destruction below, “I don’ like this, the place is a mess, look
at that huge hole.”
He tries on last tactic to dissuade her with a threat to her child, “Lookit here, if we get closer I-I’m tossing the kid! I don wanna but I ain’t foolin’!”
Bulma has the answer, she knows how wary the wild man is of her mate, “Go ahead, I might warn you though Vegeta won’t be very pleased. about it. That’s his son you’re threatening!”
Yajirobi’s eyes widen with fright, “He’s V-Vegeta’s?! Ya mean he and you... an this bra- fine child was the result?!”
Bulma nods, “You‘re finally getting the picture, bub!”
“Yes ma’am! Let’s go...!” mutters a subdued Yajirobi.
Then a second distraction occurs, as Bulma’s flitter arrives over heard and circles
the tableau below.
She gazes down waving happily at the group, her worry momentarily dispelled, until she sees the figure on the ground. The one she had at first mistook for Goku.
She knows that face, but from where? “Huh!”
And what happened to Son?
She frowns as she finally remembers, “Dr...., Gero?!”
Yajirobi shouts waking Trunks, “That’s an android, it’s one of ‘em that attacked me!”
Krillian and the other look up at her shout, “Huh! Is that Bulma?”
“Yeah. You’re right” says Gohan.
“How’d she find us?” asks the little monk.
“Don’ know, she must of followed us here.” speculates Gohan.
Vegeta glowers up at the ship, wondering who would be so foolish. He believes in Bulma‘s love because of the bond but he has had so many promises made to him that were broken, that he doesn‘t believe in any of those things anymore.
Mirai Trunks is more concerned than the others though, he knows the total unpredictability of androids. Even if this isn’t one that he recognizes. He shouts frantically, at the aircar that he can sense, carries his mother and his younger self. “Look out! Get away, get outta here!!!”
Seeing the window of opportunity open, “YES!!” 20 shouts, “I warned you, you will
all die! 17 and 18 will soon come and destroy you all!!!”
“17!” Gasps Piccolo and Vegeta together.
Followed by Trunks and the others additional gasp, “And 18?!”
Then it strikes suddenly stunning everyone. Sending a massive energy blast straight at the circling vehicle.
Bulma screams as she sees the oncoming blast, grabbing for Trunks frantically.
Mirai Trunks shouts out in horror, “MOM!!!” then phases out of sight.
Piccolo has raised his arms defensively shouting, “THE BASTARD!”
Vegeta is so filled with his fierce battle joy and fury, that his end of the weakened
bond has been completely overpowered by it. His sense of his mate, seems to him, to have
gone numb just as he had intended. So though the Saiyan Prince notes the circling flitter he is
so tightly focused that he doesn’t sense Bulma presence within it. Nor does he realizes his
family’s plight.
The blast completely destroys the flitter, but the distraction has worked. As the
smoke and debris of the blast obscure the area, 20 makes his escape in the confusion. Not
only eluding Vegeta’s gaze but even Tien’s. This only serves to infuriate the Prince even
more.
Just before the blast hits the flitter Bulma and the infant Trunks are suddenly snatched from certain death, by the youth from the future, he shields them all with his own energy and body.
On the ground now Bulma cries out desperately for her child ,“Trunks, oh Trunks
thank Kami!!!”
Then breaths a sigh of relief when she sees him screaming in the youth’s arms. “WAHHHH!!!!!” The boy passes her the crying child, as she says to him, “I owe you big time kiddo!”
Once she has the baby safe in her arms, cuddling the child close comfortingly, his cries subside to whimpers, “Whew that was a close one!”
She smiles gratefully at the boy, “Thank you for saving us!”
The boy blushes and mutters softly, “My pleasure.” Then glares up at Vegeta, who is busy scouring the ground below for the vanished android.
Vegeta is fuming, “He’s gotten away!! Damn it he’s gone!!!”
Krillian and Gohan had tried to rush to the rescue too.
“Are you two okay Bulma?” asks the monk concernedly.
“Is the baby alright? asks Gohan worriedly.
The furious Prince scans the ground, “NO! This can‘t be happening, I won‘t let it, he
can‘t elude me for long!”
Krillian stares as an angry Mirai Trunks flies up to confront his father.
The Prince is still trying to locate 20 when the adolescent version of his son blocks his view of the ground.
The boy is almost as furious as his father, “Why!!! Why didn’t you even attempt to save them!! They’re your family for Kame's sake!”
Vegeta is distracted and enraged by 20’s escape and is concerned by the new
threat of two more androids. And now the thought of how close he had come to losing his
family has enraged him even more. He glances down in their direction and assures himself of
their safety. What he really wants to do is to snatch up Bulma and the baby and take them as
far away from here as he can, but he knows that it would only delay the inevitable. He glares
in anger at his son’s future incarnation.
Then snaps at the youth before him, “I have more important things to worry about than silly sentiment!”
Dismissing his failure in his all encompassing rage, “If that foolish woman wants to risks herself and that blasted child of hers. It’s her responsibility. Not mine!” Then he darts past the boy to continue his search.
Meanwhile Bulma has been brought up to date by Krillian and Gohan. They explain
that the person she had seen on the ground was one of the androids. “Wow that's really weird,
cause I’ll swear that old codger was Dr. Gero!”
“WHA- are you sure Bulma?” ask Krillian in shock.
“Yup. I’ve seen his picture in one of the scientific journal we get. He was listed as brilliant but a little looney. ” She says, “ He must of finally flipped out completely and altered his own body!’
A Gohan stares in dumbfoundment.
Yajirobi's forlorn voice calls out form the rubble, “Isn’t anybody even a little bit worried about me?”
Trunks watches his father’s back in confusion, his mother had warned him about this, but he hadn‘t believed her. He had idolized his father’s memory, certain that he could see past the Saiyan Prince’s arrogance, to see the man within.
Krillian’s shout breaks his reflections,” Guys, Bulma claims that, that was Gero!”
The searching warriors all turn to stare at her.
Mirai Trunks gasps, “Dr..., Gero!” ‘But he was killed in my timeline by the androids! What in the hell...!?’
The fighters come in an land surrounding her.
Vegeta glares at her, “What are you telling us woman! How in the hell do you know that, that was Gero?”
Bulma can feel the frustrated anger boiling inside her mate, and it starts to infect her emotions too. Little Trunks can feel his mother’s increasing distress and starts to fuss. She cuddles and rocks the baby, softly murmuring to sooth the infant.
Vegeta moves closer demanding how she could know possibly know that the android was Dr. Gero. His proximity agitating her emotions even more, she retorts angrily, “I know what I saw Vegeta! And stop shouting you’ll frighten Trunks.” She scowls at him, his fury enflaming hers. “That was Dr. Gero, I’ve seen his picture several times in science magazines. He’s pretty famous in the higher science circles but everyone agrees he’s a crazy weirdo but also a genius, even if he‘s a jerk!” she looks thoughtful, “He probably turned himself into a cyborg to gain something, mostly likely to extend his life, is was getting pretty old.”
The baby suddenly spots Vegeta and he starts screaming again, he’s starting to get hungry and he wants his father to feed him! Bulma cuddles him close and glares back at her mate. “Get away Vegeta you’re upsetting the baby!” Hoping if he moves away the bond will weaken a bit more, her emotions are in as much as a turmoil as his are.
The Prince backs away, out of the baby’s range of vision and the infant slowly soothes back down to just hiccupping sobs.
“That’s incredible!” Says the youth.
Vegeta glares at his future son, “Then everything you said before is wrong! You said Gero was murdered by his own creations, and these androids aren’t the one you claim to know, they’re totally different!”
Mirai Trunks is trying desperately to figure out what has happened to the time flow, “...History.. something must have changed it even before the android‘s appearance! There must have been some sort of unknown temporal side effect. My first visit, may have altered time, far more that we believed possible.”
“It too late to worry about that, now.” says Piccolo, “What’s important are these new androids, Gero said there were two, 17 and 18. Are they the ones you do know?”
The youth nods, “Yes. They’re the ones.”
“Then maybe you should describe them to us so we don’t make the same mistake again!”
Trunks nods in agreement. “I probably should have done it before. Alright, number 17 is a boy looks with long dark hair. He wears a orange bandana around his neck. Number 18 is a lovely young blond girl.. She wears clothes similar to mine. They both have golden hoop earrings and cold soulless flat eyes.
“A... girl..?!” gasps Krillian.
“Do they augment their strength by siphoning off ki too?” ask Piccolo.
Trunks looks at the Namek in shock, “Wha..? Siphon Ki..? No.., not that I ever noticed. Why would they do that when they have infinite energy?”
“Infinite...energy..?” questions the Prince, “That’s impossible don’t be ridiculous!”
“But they do, that’s why they're so hard to defeat. They never tire their energy
level never falters.”
Mirai trunks looks around, “But where’s Goku? I thought he would be here.”
“He was, but then the heart virus hit him.” Says Krillian.
“If it hadn’t been for Vegeta...” Tien trails off.
Gohan adds, “And Yamcha took him home for the medicine.”
“Then that was altered too?” Wonders Trunks. “It should have happened a lot sooner!”
Bulma has been gazing raptly at her mate, spellbound by his golden glory.
“Bulma! Bulma,” he shouts crossly, “Gero, he has to be heading for his lab! Do you have any idea of where it is?”
“Huh,” his voice pulls her from her adoration, “What...., where.., Gero‘s lab?”
She starts to try to recall what she had read. “I think, hmm, it’s somewhere near North City. Yeah that’s right, but rumor has it that it’s hidden in a cave. Gero’s pretty reclusive and paranoid to boot. So it’ll be hard to find if it’s still there. No one knew he was part of the Red Ribbon Army. His being connected to them explains a lot of strange things though.”
Piccolo outlines the plan, “So we’ll go find the lab destroy the other two androids before they can be activated, then we can search for Gero at our leisure.”
“I didn’t know Nameks were cowards, that’s the easy way out.” spits Vegeta as he glares at them. Then he smirks ,“I want to destroy those two with my own hands in battle. These others weren’t even worth my time.”
Mirai Trunks shouts, “No! You’re underestimating them, they’re far stronger than you can possibly imagine! Piccolo’s right our only hope is to find them before they’re activated and destroy them! Or if we can’t do that then we have to avoid them until Goku’s cured!”
“There’s no need to wait for Kakarot! I am now a super Saiyan and as a Prince I’m far stronger than he ever was. We don’t need that third level.” Growls Vegeta, “I am fully capable of handling this! I need no one’s help!”
With that pronouncement the pride filled Prince launches, heading northwards in search of his foe!
“No! Where’s Vegeta headed!" shouts Tien.
Mirai Trunks looks after his father’s contrail, filled with dread.
“What he said is true, he is stronger than Goku since he became super Saiyan.” says Piccolo thoughtfully, “Vegeta may very well be capable of defeating them both by himself.”
“No he’s not!” Cries the boy from the future, “Remember I can turn Super Saiyan too! They’re too strong! I could never beat them alone, I was completely powerless against them!” he grimaces, “Vegeta’s a fool if he thinks he can defeat them, and I may not like him! But I won’t let my father die this time or ever again!” Mirai Trunks takes off after Vegeta.
Leaving Bulma stunned by his take off and his words. “F-father? D-did he call Vegeta his father? Or did I misunderstand something? Did he mean that was his father killed too?”
Piccolo looks at the young mother her child held tightly in her arms, “ You can know now, there’s no longer a need to keep it secret. Yes! He called Vegeta his father and that he is. The boy’s name is Trunks. He’s the child in your arms, all grown up.” Piccolo points at Bulma‘ s baby, “He is your son as well!”
“WHAT?!!” shouts Bulma, stunned.
Krillian, Tien and Gohan’s jaws all drop in shock.
Bulma holds the infant Trunks out in front of her looking at him in shock and surprise. Now she can see it all so clearly, that boy is her son. He has her eyes, along with her father’s lavender hair. And Vegeta’s same scowl with that determined quirk of the mouth, so ready with that smirk she’s come to love so well. “So that was his big secret! He didn’t want us to know before he was conceived!”
Krillian adds “Yeah we even spoke of the resemblance back then, but we had no idea! But with Vegeta as his father, it certainly explains how he can turn super Saiyan.”
Piccolo looks at the others, “After what Trunks has said it might be best if we can destroy them before they’re activated. We’d better go looking for Gero’s lab too.”
The other three agree.
Bulma is still absorbed in looking at her child, “Well at least I now you’ll be a hunk when you grow up. Just like your dad, I was worried you’re such a mean looking baby, but I guess it’s just the Saiyan genes coming through.”
Gohan and Krillian look at Bulma, then Gohan asks, “hey can you let my dad know what’s going on? Tell him we need him to get better fast.”
“I love to Gohan but how? “ she says in reply, “My car was destroyed I’m stuck here. I didn’t think to bring another capsule car along.”
Piccolo looks over at Gohan, “You take them kid. I’m certain we can handle them without you. Besides I know you’re worried about your dad.”
“I-if you’re sure.”
Piccolo nods with confidence.
“Well then be careful okay..” says the young boy.
“Right let’s get to that lab before Gero or Vegeta!” Says the Namekian warrior, “Let’s go!"
To be continued......