He wandered the street aimlessly. It was about one in the morning, and the world was asleep. Except for the scavengers. But he was never afraid of them. They seemed to have instinct for the weak, and he knew he was anything but weak. Still, he wondered briefly if he should go home. He quickly dismissed the thought. He knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep anyway.
Maybe I should go to my other home, he couldn’t help thinking. He hadn’t seen Bulma-san in…two months? Longer? But it wasn’t like his visits were at all regular. Would she still welcome a visit from him?
Well, there was only one way to find out. He squared his shoulders and headed for the Capsule Corp.
*****
Bulma sat back and rubbed her neck. She’d been working all day on her new capsulizer and just about had it.
She rotated her head and stopped. “Son-kun?” she whispered.
The young man in the corner of her lab scowled. Strange, she didn’t think a Son would know how to do that. “I haven’t been Son-kun since I was six years old, Bulma-san. Don’t call me that again.”
She stared at him. “Son…it wasn’t your fault.”
He looked away. “I was there. I did nothing to stop it. How could it not be my fault?”
“Son! You were six years old! You were tied up! How could you have stopped it?”
“I could’ve broken the ropes.”
Bulma stood up and laid a hand on Son’s arm. He jerked away. “Son, if they managed to tie Goku, Gohan, and Vegeta with whatever it was, what makes you think you could’ve broken it?”
He wouldn’t meet her eyes. “I could’ve tried harder.”
Bulma glared at him. “Now, you listen to me, Son Goten, and you listen good. You’ve been here for every death we’ve experienced and you’ve tried your hardest to stop them. The fact that you’re here is remarkable. It’s not your fault in any way, shape, or form that no one else survived, do you understand me?”
“I hear you.”
“I realize that. You’re a Saiyajin. Saiyajins have very good hearing. That wasn’t the question I asked. I asked, ‘Do you understand me?’ ”
A quick smile flashed and faded across his face. “Yes,” he answered.
Bulma’s heart ached when she looked at him, so hard and unyielding. His mother had died giving birth. His father had been killed in front of his eyes. But still, how could this harsh young man be the little boy she had raised from his eighth birthday?
“Bulma-san?” His voice brought her out of her reverie.
Bulma smiled apologetically. “Sorry. Memories…”
“Yeah. So, how’re Bra and Trunks?” There was only a slight catch in his voice. Maybe Bulma-san wouldn’t notice it.
She didn’t appear to. “Well, no worse. Of course, no better, either. Do you want to come see?”
“Uh…”
“Come on, over here.” Bulma led him to the back of the lab, where two crystal boxes lay. Bulma looked inside one. “Trunks’ eye twitched the other day. The first sign of consciousness either one has shown.”
He could hear the hope in her voice. “So they might wake up?”
“It’s always a possibility.” Bulma sighed. “I don’t know what happened in that fight, so I don’t know how to fix it. The injuries are all healed, they’re fine physically. It’s the mental problems that are bothering, and they’re the only ones who can fix those.” Bulma sighed. “I keep hoping I’ll wake up and they’ll be at the breakfast table…it’s hard eating alone after being used to people.”
He looked away. He couldn’t live at Capsule Corp, he just couldn’t. He felt bad for Bulma’s loneliness, he fully understood it, but it just wouldn’t work. “I understand the feeling,” he said abruptly.
Bulma’s eyes were full of sadness as she nodded. “I’m really glad that you came to visit, Son.”
“I was surprised you were still up…”
“Why shouldn’t I be up? You were, weren’t you?” Teasing now, gently.
“If I sleep, I have nightmares,” he said shortly.
She looked away. “We all have nightmares,” she said softly. She turned back to her desk and sat down, picking up the capsulizer again. “If you’re hungry, the kitchen’s yours,” she added, looking up at him.
“Thanks.” He looked back down at her and touched her hand. “Thank you, Bulma-san,” he repeated softly.
Bulma stood up and hugged him tightly. “You’re welcome,” she whispered. Then she stiffened.
“Bulma-san? What is it?”
All of a sudden, he heard a gunshot and felt pain race through him. He looked down. A bullet had passed clear through him into Bulma. He was bleeding. Bulma’s eyes were rolling back in her head and she fell to the ground, bleeding profusely.
“Bulma-san!” he cried out in horror. Bulma gave him a weak smile and then he could feel her ki disappear. Bulma was dead. He spun around and faced the person, still holding the gun. 18. He was filled with an insane desire to laugh. After all the battles, all the ki blasts, all the everything, they used a gun to kill Bulma. A gun.
18 was looking at the capsulizer. She suddenly looked up. “Oh, you’re not dead yet?” she asked, aimed, and fired.
He easily dodged the bullet and came up behind the android. He grabbed her arm and snapped it. “I just broke your arm in three places,” he whispered. “I could give you the medical terminology and estimated time of recovery if you like.”
He felt another gun jam into his ribs. “Let my sister go,” a low voice ordered.
He slowly released 18. She ran behind her brother. “17, he said he broke my arm!” she cried, cradling it.
“Did you?” 17 asked.
“She shot my mother,” he growled. The words surprised him for an instant, but they were the truth, because Bulma was his mother in every way that counted.
“That’s too bad. Nothing personal, really, just we want to get rid of the last of you guys. You’re really irritating, you know that?” 17 asked.
He growled again.
17 shot him three more times and he fell to his knees. “That ought to keep him docile—for a few minutes, anyway. 18, what are you doing? 18!”
18 turned. “I was just looking at this,” she told her brother, pointing to a large, blue-colored box. “It has buttons. What do you think they do?”
“Who cares?”
“Maybe it would be more fun to kill him with this,” 18 pointed out. “If we knew what it did.”
“That’s true, isn’t it?” 17 walked over and pushed one at random. The machine suddenly began glowing and projected some sort of portal. 17 and 18 stared in amazement at the many-colored, swirling mass of…something.
He tried to take advantage of their distraction and stand up. 17 whipped around and fired yet again. “And I still have two shots left, kid. I would think twice before I moved again,” he warned.
“Rot in Hell,” he responded.
17 laughed, then stopped as an idea occurred to him. “Where do you suppose this portal goes, 18?” he asked rhetorically.
18 looked puzzled. “I have no idea,” she told her brother. “How could I know?”
He smiled viciously. “Well, I want to find out.”
“Huh?”
17 picked up the near-unconscious young man and looked at the portal. “What do you say, 18?”
She smiled nastily. “Why don’t we?”
“I thought you might feel that way.” 17 smiled back and threw him through the portal.
*****
He awoke in the woods with a ringing headache, battered and bloody. He started to stand up but couldn’t make it as every movement brought fresh pain. He gritted his teeth and forced himself to walk. Where was he? He saw a break in the trees and changed direction, hoping it might be a town.
A little purple-haired boy burst into the meadow, yelling and firing blasts at someone behind him.
He stared. Trunks? It couldn’t possibly be…Trunks was in a coma, and was about fifteen years older besides. But how could it not be? They looked so alike….Then another little boy ran in…a little boy with unmanageable dark hair and a bright smile. A little boy he thought he had left far behind him.
He stared. The pain was momentarily numbed as his mind tried to understand what was clearly impossible, but what had to be fact.
“Trunks!” the little boy called. “Trunks, that’s not fair! Come back!”
“Ha! In your dreams, Goten!” Trunks yelled back. “If you can’t catch me, don’t expect me to make it easier.”
Goten’s eyes narrowed and he stopped, concentrating intensely. He disappeared and flashed in front of Trunks. He grabbed his friend and tossed him down. “Ha! I win! I caught you!”
Trunks scowled and pushed Goten aside. “So? I could catch you!”
“I know—hey, who’s that?”
“Who’s who?” Trunks asked angrily.
“Can’t you feel it? Somebody’s watching us…”
Trunks frowned with concentration. “Hey, you’re right!” He looked suspiciously at the trees. “Who’s there? Come out!”
A slight smile crossed his lips as he stepped into the light. Trunks never changed. Suspicious as always. “Hello, boys.”
“What’s your name? What do you want? Why have you been watching us?” Trunks demanded.
“Trunks! Look at him! He’s hurt! He’s bleeding!” Goten exclaimed. “We’ve gotta help him.”
He didn’t recognize this Goten. Naïvely optimistic and trusting. Had he been like that? “I’ll be fine. Don’t bother,” Son said quietly.
Goten looked surprised. “But aren’t you hungry? Kaasan could cook you some good food,” he offered.
“Kaa—Kaasan?” The stranger swayed slightly and sat down. “Tell me about your family,” he said intensely.
“My family?” Goten looked confused. “Well, Tousan trains me when he’s not busy. My brother Gohan is married—”
“To who?”
“Videl Satan.”
The stranger sat back. “So he got her. That’s great.”
“And they have one kid, Pan.” Goten scratched his head. “I think that’s all…”
“Thank you, Goten.” The stranger turned to Trunks. “And your family…tell me about yours, Trunks.”
Trunks glared at him. “How do you know our names?”
“Just tell me, please.” The stranger’s eyes pleaded with him.
“Well…all right,” Trunks finally agreed. “My mom and dad—”
“Your dad?”
“Yes, my dad! I didn’t just pop out of my mom’s, you know! It’s me, my mom, and my dad.”
“You forgot Bra, Trunks,” Goten said.
Trunks glared at him. “And I was very happy doing so, thank you very much!”
Goten shrugged. “Well, you forgot her, that’s all.” He looked back up at the stranger. “What’s your name? You know ours already, so we should know yours.”
“You can call me Son,” the stranger said shortly.
“Son? That’s my name!” Goten exclaimed.
“Yeah, I know.”
“What’s your other name?”
“None of your business,” Son said firmly. He closed his eyes and winced.
“Will you come home with me, Mr. Son?” Goten asked. “You really don’t look well and I have to go home soon and I can’t just leave you here.”
Son was amazed. Had he ever been that guileless, that ready to help others? “All right, Goten. We’ll see if your mom won’t mind taking care of me.”
“She won’t,” Goten said confidently. “Come on. Home’s this way.” He stood up. “Are you coming?”
Son forced himself to his feet and followed the boy. Trunks followed reluctantly. “Goten, you don’t know anything about this guy! Look at him! He has tons of scars, and they don’t even look cool like Yamcha’s, and his clothes are covered in blood and I don’t think somebody would be after him for no reason!”
Goten looked at Trunks, then at Son. “I can trust him,” he said, eyes locked with Son’s. “He won’t hurt us.” He grinned at his friend. “Besides, think how many people have been after our dads for no reason.”
Trunks threw his hands up in the air. “Fine, do whatever you want! I’m going home!” He stomped out of the woods.
“Trunks never changes,” Son said in an amused tone.
“You know Trunks?”
“I knewTrunks,” Son corrected.
“Wow…how come he doesn’t remember you then?”
“I knew another Trunks.”
Goten nodded sagely. “Oh, like Mirai Trunks,” he said. “I understand. Are you from the future, too?”
Son avoided the question. “Mirai Trunks?”
Goten was easily distracted, as Son knew he would be. “Oh, yeah, see, Mirai Trunks came back to warn Tousan that he was gonna die of a heart disease and he helped us beat the androids—”
“Androids?” Son repeated. “17 and 18?”
“Yep, that’s right!” Goten beamed. He continued his story. “And we used the dragonballs and we wished them to be good and so they are. In fact, Krillin married 18 and they have a daughter. Her name’s Marron. She’s five.”
Son was blown away. “They’re good? Like, on our side?” Another thought occurred to him. “Krillin married 18?”
“So they were evil in your time, too, huh?” Goten grinned. “Well, 17 lives by himself in the woods and 18 and Krillin and Marron live on Kame Island. And I guess they’re good. If there’s bad guys, they help us fight ’em.”
Son shook his head, then winced as the pain resurfaced. “Bad move,” he noted. “So. Good guys. Who’d’ve thought?”
“What did they do where you come from?” Goten asked curiously.
Son managed to keep his voice even. “They killed everyone,” he said flatly.
Goten’s mouth formed an O.
Son’s eyes got a distant look, like he was seeing something that wasn’t there. “But they strung out the killings, never just getting it over with. So over the years they killed all the fighters, except Trunks, Bra-chan, and me.” His eyes now got a look of distant pain. “So one day they attacked and Bra-chan and Trunks went to fight. They didn’t get me. Bulma called and I found them, barely alive. They killed Bulma just before I left and I don’t know if they’ll recover or not.”
Goten’s eyes lowered. “I’m sorry, Mr. Son.”
Son blinked as if remembering his presence again. “Sorry?” he repeated.
“I didn’t mean to bring the bad memories back to you.” Goten looked at him shrewdly. “Were you in love with her?”
“What?”
“Bra. You sound like you were in love with her.”
Son couldn’t speak. How could the kid tell? He’d barely mentioned her.
Goten saw the man’s expression and bit his lip. “I’m really sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“No…it’s okay. What do you think of Bra?”
Goten made a face. “She’s a baby. She cries. She sleeps. Bulma-san is always yelling, ‘Trunks Briefs! Son Goten! You be QUIET! The baby is SLEEPING!’ ” he complained.
Son’s mouth quirked upwards. “She’ll get less irritating.”
Goten sighed. “I’m sure. Well, here’s the house.” He ran in. “Kaasan! Kaasan! We have a visitor!”
Gohan came out. “Shh, Goten. Pan is sleeping.”
Goten gave Son a look that spoke volumes.
Gohan noticed Son for the first time. “Who’s that?” he asked.
“Gohan, this is Mr. Son. He’s hurt and I thought we could take care of him for a while.” Goten smiled. “He’s a very nice guy and I think he’s from the future or something,” he added bluntly.
Son forced himself to look at Gohan. Alive. Married. A daughter. “Hello, Gohan.” He held out his hand.
Gohan took it warily. “What happened to you?”
Son sighed. “17 and 18.”
Understanding flashed in Gohan’s eyes. “I see. Goten, can you go get Videl and Kaasan? I think they’ll want to meet…Mr. Son, was it?”
“Just call me Son.”
Gohan grinned. “Okay. Now, go get them.”
“Okay, Niisan.” Goten hurried away.
Gohan watched him, then turned back to Son. “You know, you look familiar.”
“Do I? I don’t think we’ve met.”
“You’re from the future, huh?”
“No. At least, no future that you’ll ever have.”
Gohan gave him a strange look. “What do you mean?”
“In my time, the androids killed you.”
“I die in a lot of timelines.” Gohan made a face. “I’m a nice guy, really I am, why do the androids keep killing me in other times?”
Son smiled but didn’t get a chance to respond.
“Hello, Gohan. Oh, who’s this?” Videl asked.
“Hi, sweetie,” Gohan replied, kissing his wife on the cheek. “This is Son. He’ll be staying with us for a while.”
Videl looked Son over critically. “You’re filthy. You need a bath and a hot meal,” she declared. “ChiChi and I will start cooking while you go wash. Gohan, show him to the tub and get him some of your clothes to wear and burn what he has on now.”
“Yes, dear,” Gohan said. He led Son to the bathroom. “Take all the time you need.”
“Thanks.”
Son emerged about a half-hour later considerably cleaner and refreshed. Gohan stared at him as he passed. “What?” Son asked, a bit self-consciously.
“You…you’re healed. Did Goten get you a senzu bean?”
Son looked baffled. “No…I just healed myself.”
“Healed yourself?” Gohan exclaimed.
“Yeah. You know, using your ki to…wait. You don’t know how?”
“No! That’s fantastic! Can you teach me?”
“Sure.” Son smiled at him. “No problem.”
Gohan smiled back, then it faded as something occurred to him. “You know, you look really familiar. Like…” Gohan stopped and looked at Son closely. “You look like Goten,” he said slowly, stunned. He grabbed Son’s arms and shook him. “What’s your full name, Son?” he demanded.
Son didn’t see any way around the question. “Son Goten,” he muttered.
Gohan’s arms dropped and he stared at Son. “By Kami! Why on Chikyuu didn’t I see it before?”
Son struggled to explain. “Goten and I…at least, your Goten and I, we’re nothing alike. His life, it…it hasn’t been necessarily easy, but I can’t see as it’s been terribly hard, either. Mine was.”
“What do you mean?”
Son laughed, but there was no mirth behind it. “Where to start? I guess with birth. Let’s see…remember how Goku was dead when Goten was born?”
Gohan nodded.
“Well, my mother died giving birth to me. So you, er, my brother, that is, left me with Bulma while he went out to get the dragonballs and wish our father back. He was gone for a year. He and our father came back and they took me home. Then, on my eighth birthday, our father, Vegeta, and my brother were killed. Right in front of me. And then we played cat-and-mouse with the androids for the next thirteen years. And they stopped.”
“Well, why?”
Son shrugged. “I’m still not sure. Maybe they didn’t think Trunks, Bra, and I were threatening. So they stopped…kind of. Two years later, they started attacking again. Now, Bra and Trunks are stuck in comas and Bulma is dead.”
Gohan looked amazed. “How old are you now, twenty-two?”
“Twenty-three.”
“Are you boys coming down?” ChiChi yelled, interrupting them.
“Coming, Kaasan!” Gohan called back. “Come on. You don’t know, if she died, but Kaasan makes the best food anywhere.”
Son smiled briefly as he followed Gohan. “I’ve heard about it though. Tousan and Niisan used to reminisce. And reminisce. And reminisce.”
“Reminisce? Who? About what?” Videl asked as they walked in.
“My father and brother. They used to tell me how good my mother’s cooking was.”
“Used to?”
“They both died. A while back.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
“It’s all right. Mmm, Gohan, you were right, this does smell wonderful. Can I help, Mrs. Son?”
Both Mrs. Sons laughed. “No, you just sit down,” ChiChi told him. “What was your name again?”
“Strangely enough, my name is also Son.”
“You don’t say.” ChiChi gave him a close look. “Amazing…you look like you could be related, but that’s ridiculous…Goku doesn’t have any living brothers or sisters.”
Gohan laughed. His mother had never really caught on to the whole “alternate timeline” thing. But if Son didn’t want to explain, he wasn’t going to.
“Gohan darling, will you get Pan, please?” Videl asked sweetly.
“Of course.” Gohan left and soon returned, tossing his little daughter in the air and catching and tickling her. Pan was shrieking with childish laughter.
Videl noticed the expression on his face. “Would you like to hold her?” she asked.
Son looked startled. “What, me? Oh, no, I’d drop her.”
“Somehow I doubt that,” Videl returned, but didn’t push it.
“Where’s Goten?” ChiChi asked.
“Probably over at the Briefs’. Do you want me to call them up?” Gohan asked.
“Please.”
Gohan had just picked up the phone when Goten ran in. He looked around, confused, then at the clock. His expression turned triumphant. “I still have a minute before I’m late!” he said in an accusatory tone.
ChiChi laughed. “Right you are. My apologies. Wash your hands and we can eat.”
*****
Son forced himself to go over to Capsule Corp the next day. He figured if anyone could design another portal for him to get home in, it would be Bulma Briefs.
Trunks answered the door. The look he gave Son was that of undisguised hostility. Son barely kept the smile off his face. “May I speak with your mother?” he asked politely.
The little boy narrowed his eyes. “I’ll get her,” he said finally and shut the door in Son’s face.
Son hadn’t laughed in a while, but this Trunks’ actions almost broke him down. As it was, he was still smiling when Bulma opened the door. She looked surprisingly young, but then, she was younger. “Hello, ma’am,” Son said politely. “My name is Son and I’d like to speak with you about an invention, if I may.”
Bulma opened the door wider and let him in. “Something you’ve made?” she asked.
“Not exactly. May I speak with you in private?”
Bulma’s eyebrows raised. “We can go to my lab if you like.”
“Thank you.”
A baby began to cry, startling Son.
“Oh, hold on a second,” Bulma said. “That’s my daughter—I’ll need to get her. You don’t mind?”
Son kept a tight rein on his emotions. “No, of course not.”
“Good. Just go down this hall, third door. I’ll join you in a moment.”
Son nodded and looked around the lab while he waited. Bulma came in, carrying Bra on her hip. She sat down and relaxed. “Sit. So, what do you want to talk about?”
“Inter-dimensional travel.”
Bulma’s eyebrows raised again. “Inter-dimensional travel,” she repeated. “Why?”
“Ma’am, my full name is Son Goten, and I’m from another timeline. Somehow, I was flung to your dimension and I want to get home.” His lips curved upward. “Though I’m not quite sure why…home doesn’t have much to offer.”
Bulma’s mouth had dropped when he said his name and now she closed it with an audible click. “Son Goten?” she repeated. She mentally shook herself and went into her business mode. “Okay. Does anyone else know about this? How did you get here? Do you remember anything?”
“Gohan’s the only one who knows, and he guessed it,” Son told her as he thought back to the fight. “It was a large, blue box,” he said slowly. “There were…five buttons, I think, all in a row. 17 pushed one…was it the one in the middle? I’m not sure. And then a portal, like, projected from it. I’m sorry, that’s all I remember. I don’t even know what Bulma-san was doing with it.”
Bulma considered that. “All right. Let me go get some notes and we’ll do this. Hold her for a sec.” Bulma deposited the baby in Son’s lap and left.
Son stared at the baby in his lap. She stared back at him with unblinking blue eyes. “Wow,” he said. “You were really cute when you were little, Bra-chan.” Somehow, with those simple words, the dam burst. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t protect you,” he whispered. “I failed you and I love you and you’re probably going to die and it’s all my fault. I’m so sorry, Bra-chan.” He carefully picked her up and touched her small face with one rough finger. “You’ll be protected in this timeline, I promise you that.” He smiled. “Even if your protectors are a bit unwilling.”
She gurgled and pulled on his finger.
“Although with a grip like that, I don’t see that you’ll need protection.” He started as Bulma stomped back in.
“All right.” Bulma plopped a file on the desk and lowered herself into her chair. “This all I have printed out. Let me find the file on my computer and then we can talk about getting you back to where you belong. All right?”
“Thank you, Bulma-san.”
Bulma nodded and began typing. “Ah, there we go.” She picked up a pencil. “So, describe the machine to me again and I’ll see if I can’t draw it. I hope you don’t have any other plans, because it looks like we’re going to be busy.”
*****
When Son left Capsule Corp, he couldn’t deny he was relieved. All the calculations and figuring…He shuddered to think of it.
“Hi, Mr. Son!”
Son turned. “Goten. What are you doing here?”
“Waiting for you.”
“Oh? Why?”
“Well…see, I was thinking about what you told me earlier, and you’re a good fighter, aren’t you?”
“Well…”
“You must be. If you survived everything. So I want you to train me.”
“What?” Son exclaimed.
“Train me. Tousan spars with Vegeta-san, Niisan is always poking his nose into a book, and Trunks…” Goten made a face. “Trunks gets mad if I beat him. Maybe you will, too, but I don’t think you’d have to worry about me beating you for quite a while.”
Son smiled again. “I’d be happy to teach you all that I know. Are you willing to work hard?”
Goten rolled his eyes. “Well, I wouldn’t have asked if I weren’t!”
“Right. Sorry. Well, come on.”
“We’re starting now?”
“Why not?”
Goten grinned. “I think I’m going to like you training me,” he said with a grin and trotted after Son.
Son suddenly whipped around and hit Goten. Surprised, Goten instinctively threw his arms up to block and kicked out. Son grabbed Goten’s leg and threw him to the ground. Goten jumped up and kamehameha’d Son right in the face. While he was jerking back in surprise, Goten managed to deliver another blow and Son went down.
Goten looked down. “Mr. Son, are you all right?”
Son nodded and climbed to his feet. “What was that?”
“That? A kamehameha. You mean you can’t do that?”
Son shook his head. “That’s very effective. But don’t count on it. You startled me with it, but it takes a while to get the power for it, doesn’t it?”
Goten nodded.
“Then don’t make it your main attack. Depend more on physical attacks. You’re small, use that. You can slip under and hit hard and low and slip back out. Your dad’s friend, Krillin, you said he’s still around?”
“Of course! Where would he be?”
“You’d be surprised,” Son muttered. “If you’re serious about learning, have him show you how he fights. He’s short, like you, so that’ll help you until you start growing. When you get taller, get your dad and brother to show you how to use your size. But for now…” And Son hit him again.
*****
I need air, gotta have air, where’s the air? were Trunks’ first thoughts as he snapped back to consciousness. He was gasping and struggling and freaking out when all of a sudden he heard glass break and he could breathe. He looked at his fist and it was bloody. He dimly realized he must have punched directly through the crystal. But he didn’t care. He could breathe.
He sat straight up and hit his head on the remainder of the glass. He winced and began healing himself. As he healed his right arm, he caught a glance of his sister next to him. Her eyes were wide open and staring and she looked as if she were struggling with something. He swore and quickly broke open her “coffin.” She gasped and began coughing. “Thanks,” she got out.
He helped her get out. “No problem. Feeling better?”
“I shouldn’t take oxygen for granted so much,” she muttered. “Very precious commodity we’ve got here.”
Trunks grinned. “Yeah, too true.”
Bra smiled back, but it faded as she looked around. “Mom’s lab never resembled a battlefield before,” she whispered.
Trunks followed her gaze and saw their mother on the ground, unmoving, with dried blood on her stomach. “What happened?” he whispered in horror.
Bra gulped. “Let’s go look at the security tapes. Well? Come on!”
Trunks numbly followed his sister to the small room. Bra quickly stopped the tape and rewound it. They watched in shock as 17 and 18 entered, killed Bulma, and banished Son. Bra’s hand flew to her mouth. “Son-kun!” she choked out.
Trunks looked at her sharply. There was something in her tone that made him suspicious, something that kicked all his big-brotherly-protective-instincts into action. “Well…at least we know he might be alive.”
“But where? What does that thing even do? What was Mom doing with it?” Bra snorted. “Son might be alive, but what good does that do if we can’t get to him and he can’t get to us?” she scoffed.
“Bra…what’s wrong?”
He pulled her out of the wreckage and pulled her close to him.
“Oh, Dende, Bra, I’m so sorry, so sorry.”
Was he crying? But why? There was nothing to cry over…
“Bra, Bra, Bra-chan, no, no, don’t you die on me! No, no, NO! Bra…”
He WAS crying! But why, she wasn’t dying. How could she leave him? She never would…
“Bra? Bra! No!” He gave her shoulders a hard shake. “No, Bra, don’t you dare die! You just CAN’T!” And suddenly he was hugging her tightly and pressing kisses all over her face…she could taste his tears, they tasted salty…
“Bra!”
She blinked and pushed the memory aside as she realized Trunks had called her name for the third time. “Oh, sorry, Trunks.”
“What on Chikyuu were you thinking about?”
“Oh…nothing, nothing.”
“Really? And you were that involved in it? How extraordinary.”
She began blushing. “The one thing that are totally my business are my thoughts, Trunks, and I plan on keeping it that way.” She frowned at the screen. “Hmm…what does that machine do? Where does the portal go?”
“Well, why don’t we go ransack Mom’s lab and find out?”
As they worked, Bra sighed. “You know, I never thought that I’d miss Mom yelling at us to stay out of her stuff.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean.”
“I just can’t believe all of this. I mean, what do you remember?”
“18 blasting you.”
“What?”
“18 blasted you and I went crazy. I think. Wait, I remember Son carrying us here and leaving. Then I woke up and I couldn’t breathe. And you know the rest.”
“Yeah. Hey, hey!” Bra held up a packet of papers. “I think I found it…”
“What does it say?”
“It’s just the plans for…” Bra’s eyes widened. “An inter-dimensional traveling machine?”
“What?” Trunks exclaimed. “Inter-dimensional—”
“Traveling machine! What the heck was Mom going to do with this?”
“I have no idea! Does it say how it works?”
“Yes…kind of…” Bra thrust the plans at her brother. “You’re smarter than I am about this kind of thing. You look at it.”
*****
Three hours later, Trunks sighed and kicked the machine. “I’m not getting this,” he said pitifully. “Bra!”
Bra came in from the kitchen. “What? I’m trying to cook here!” she told him irritably.
“You try it,” he whined.
“Oh, you great big baby,” Bra said. She went over and hit the machine. The numbers blinked on. “There. Why didn’t you try that?”
“I kicked it.”
“You can’t kick a machine if you want it to work, you have to hit them. Duh.” Her eyes widened “Oh, crap, dinner’s burning!” she wailed and ran out.
Trunks couldn’t help glaring after her as she left.
*****
Goten wiped blood from his lip and groaned. How had Mr. Son done that? Goten hadn’t taken his eyes off the man, and now he was flat on his back. Again!
“Better, Goten.”
Goten’s eyes widened. Mr. Son never praised him unless he’d earned it. “Really, Mr. Son?”
Mr. Son frowned. “When are you going to stop calling me that?”
“Sorry.”
“And yes, you’re really better. I think it’s time I teach you to heal yourself…you’re going to need it soon.”
“You’re going to start attacking me?” Goten yelled, thrilled.
Mr. Son smiled. He was smiling more and more these days, but Goten hadn’t heard him laugh yet. He had made it his own personal mission to make Mr. Son laugh, and not just any laugh, but a really huge belly laugh. Mr. Son helped Goten to his feet. “I never heard anyone so excited about being beat up. Hot damn.”
Goten’s eyes widened and he covered his mouth.
“Oh, sorry. Not supposed to talk that way in front of kids, right?”
“It’s okay,” Goten assured him. “I know a worser word than that.”
“You don’t say.”
“It’s another word for ‘poop,’ ” Goten said in all seriousness.
“You don’t say. Well, don’t teach it to me. I might slip up and say it in front of Trunks or something.”
“Trunks was the one who taught it to me!”
Mr. Son smiled again. “Well, I still suspect your mom would wash our mouths out with soap if she heard us talking like that, so we shouldn’t, I think.”
“Yeah, true.” Goten looked thoughtful, then jumped at Mr. Son. He actually knocked the man down before he reacted.
Mr. Son easily tossed him aside, but he was actually grinning. “Good job, kid.”
Goten grinned back. A little closer to that laugh. He got back in the attacking position.
“No, no. Weren’t you listening? We’re focusing on healing right now. Okay, power up.”
Goten complied.
“Go to Super-Saiyajin.”
Goten shrugged. “Whatever you say.”
“You’re so lucky you can do that at such a young age,” Son said admiringly. “It will make this next part so much easier. Okay, feel the blood leaking out of your mouth?”
“Yes. I can taste it.”
“Focus your energy there.”
“Focus? What?”
“Your aura. Take it and push it all over to your injury.”
Goten frowned in concentration and tried to obey. “This is really hard,” he complained.
“It’s not supposed to be easy. Come on, almost there.”
Goten concentrated harder and then all of a sudden there was no blood. He touched his mouth experimentally and his fingers came away bloodless. He grinned up at Mr. Son. “That is so cool!”
*****
“So, basically, you have no idea how to make the kind of machine I need?” Son asked bluntly, later, at the Capsule Corp. Goten was busy hurting and healing himself, so Son had quietly excused himself and left.
Bulma sighed. “Basically. But that’s just right now. With what you’ve told me and what I’ve already guessed, I think I can have the kind of teleporter you need ready…in two or three months.”
“Months?” Son yelped. “You cannot be serious!”
“Look, Son, I’m sorry. I really am. But I can’t just whip one up, you know! Geez! Men!” Bulma muttered under her breath. “Excuse me,” she said frostily. “Bra’s crying again.” She noticed how his face softened almost immediately.
“Of course,” he said in that soft voice of his. Bulma remembered the first time she had met him, two weeks ago, and how his voice had irritated her, like he didn’t have to speak loud, like you had to make it your business to hear what he was saying. But now she’d just grown accustomed to it.
“Thank you.” She left and returned with her small daughter. “Do you want to see Uncle Son while Mama works on some important calculations?” she asked in baby talk. “Of course you do. Here, take her.” She handed Bra to Son and began calculating again furiously, her pencil flying over the paper. Son just kind of sat there like a statue. Bra began crying. “Stand up and walk with her,” Bulma said without looking up.
“Uh…”
“Just do it!” Bulma ordered absently. She leafed through her notebook and typed something on her laptop. “Rock her, it’s not so hard. If Vegeta can do it…And aren’t you planning on a family of your own someday? This’ll be good prac…” She stopped suddenly and stared at the file. Then she began flipping through her book frantically with one hand while typing with her other.
“What? What is it, Bulma-san?” Son demanded.
Bulma sat back smugly, looking at the page she opened to and comparing notes. “I’ve figured it out!”
“Figured it out? Figured what out?”
“Your little machine. By Kami, I’m smart. I mean the other me. It’s so simple, yet so brilliant. Okay, it’ll take a month to get the supplies I need…but after that…” Bulma looked up at Son with a bright smile. “I’d say you’re very, veryclose to getting home.”
Son stared at her for a minute then began grinning. “Really?”
“Really, Son-kun.”
The grin faded. “Thank you, Bulma-san,” he said stiffly. “Do you still need me to be here?”
She looked puzzled but shook her head. “No.”
“Then I’ll be going.” Son shoved Bra at Bulma roughly and stalked out, leaving Bulma staring after him in confusion.
*****
“What on Chikyuu did you do to my son?” ChiChi demanded.
Son blinked. He wasn’t even fully in the house yet. He looked around in confusion. “Beggin’ your pardon, ma’am?”
“Goten! He was playing with knives in his room, cutting himself. ‘But, Mom, Mr. Son taught me to fix it!’ So…WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY SON?” she yelled.
Son’s lips twitched. “Playing with knives, huh? Well, I can’t say as I don’t understand. No point in healing yourself excepting you’re hurt.”
ChiChi’s mouth worked, but no words came out. She glared murderously at him, spun on her heel, and left.
In the corner, Gohan sat there, shoulders shaking in silent laughter. “Not many can do that to Kaasan,” he said when he got control of himself.
“Well, I honestly didn’t mean to. I mean, didn’t you practice healing yourself after I taught you?” Son asked, bewildered.
“Oh, sure.” Gohan nodded. “But I didn’t play with knives and I surely didn’t do it where my wife or mother might walk in.” He started chuckling again. “Imagine how that must’ve looked to her. She steps in Goten’s room and he’s wielding a bloody knife, holding it to his wrist. ‘Oh, don’t worry, I can heal it.’ ” He doubled over, unable to speak. “By Kami, I wish I’d had a camera!” he choked out in between gales of laughter. “That, my friend, was priceless.”
“Well, I’m so glad you were amused,” Son muttered. He scowled and headed for his room.
*****
“Well? Do you understand it?” Bra asked.
“Look, it’s not like this is easy, okay? Come on, you’ve tried to read Mom’s handwriting!” Trunks retorted.
Bra began chuckling. “Yeah, you’re right, sorry. But I’m so anxious to get Son back to me—us.”
Trunks didn’t appear to notice her slip. “Well, I’m working on it. Okay. I think it says to push this button and enter in these coordinates…” Trunks crossed his fingers. “I hope these are the right ones…”
“Well, come on!” Bra exclaimed when the portal opened again. “We can’t just sit here you know!”
“I know, I know! Just a second.” Trunks picked up a little remote control-type device he had been working on. “Okay, we should be able to access the portal from anywhere with this and find our way back here. At least, that’s what I programmed it to do.”
Bra jumped from one foot to the other in her impatience. “I don’t care, Trunks! Just come on!”
“Right, sure, and when we can’t get back home, guess who’s fault it’s gonna be?” he muttered, closing his eyes and jumping in.
*****
Trunks tumbled out of the portal and into the woods. He started to sit up, but then fell back down as Bra landed on top of him. “Geez, Bra, how much do you weigh?” he asked without thinking. Then he groaned as he realized he was now going to be flayed alive by his little sister.
She didn’t seem to hear as she pushed off him. “Less than you,” she replied absently. “Okay, how can we find Son?”
“What is with you lately?” Trunks demanded irritably. “You’re all obsessed with Son all of a sudden!”
And he was crying again, heart-wrenching sobs that twisted her stomach and made her long to answer, but doing that would require energy…and it was a struggle just to keep breathing
. “Oh, Bra-chan, Bra-chan, you can’t leave me, you just can’t…you don’t know I love you yet…”
Bra gasped. Well, mentally she did. Physically, she didn’t move. Her lips moved but no sound came out and it was too dark for him to see. Suddenly, she got the sensation of being lifted and carried and then she was at her mother’s lab and he was gone again.
“Bra, you’re not even listening to me!”
She blinked again. “Sorry, Trunks,” she apologized. “Just distracted. But how can we find Son?”
Trunks groaned for the third time and stood up, helping her up. “Oh, geez, Bra. Look, I don’t know where we are or what kind of world this is. I think our best bet is to try and find Capsule Corp. Then we can find out something.”
“Yeah, you’re right. So let’s go.”
Trunks rolled his eyes. “Come on,” he said and they began flying.
“Wow, this world looks like they had it pretty good,” Bra commented.
Trunks nodded. “Yeah, I know. I was thinking the same thing. There are still forests and cities, instead of just a bunch of big holes.”
“I’d almost forgotten what that looked like. Hey, do you feel that?”
“Yeah, power surges. Pretty strong. Let’s go talk to them…see if they know where Son is.”
“Okay,” Bra agreed. They went down and walked silently through the bushes until they got to the clearing.
“It’s Son!” Trunks cried in delighted. “And…Chibi Son?”
Bra didn’t hear him. She just ran the rest of the way through the underbrush and into the meadow. “Son!” she cried.
Son turned and the expression on his face was a strange mix of total shock and complete joy. “Bra—?” he started to ask.
She jumped into his arms and locked her lips to his. Son’s eyes widened, but then he wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. Goten and Trunks, who had just come out of the shadows, stared at them. Then Trunks looked down at Goten and his jaw dropped even further. “Son?” he asked.
Goten looked startled. “That’s my last name,” he confirmed. “But I’m Goten. That’s Son.” He looked back at the couple and grinned in satisfaction. “Well, I was right. He does love her.”
“WHAT?” Trunks exclaimed. “My little sister?”
“He loves her. I always thought so, even from the start. Hey, what’s your name, by the way?”
“Trunks,” he answered.
Goten looked stunned. “TRUNKS? Wow, Mr. Son was right. You don’t change much, do you?”
Trunks looked down. “I’m bigger than you, kid,” he said.
Goten grinned. “Yeah, but Mr. Son’s been training me. And he spars with you. So I’ll be able to defend against you, I think, but you don’t know my style.” He nodded in satisfaction with a smug little smile on his face.
It was times like these, when Son (or Chibi Son, as the case may be) was so insightful that at the times when he was stupid, Trunks couldn’t help wondering if he was stupid on purpose.
Son and Bra finally broke apart. Son looked dazed. “Well, what was that for?” he asked in a stunned sort of tone, loosening his grip on her.
“Because I love you,” Bra answered softly as she dropped to the ground. “And I know you love me.”
“Oh.”
Goten tugged on Son’s shirt. “Should we leave you alone?” he asked.
They both began to blush. “Um, no, that’s okay,” Son stammered. He looked around. “Oh, Trunks,” he said. “H—how’re you?”
“Just fine. Better than you’re gonna be in about two seconds.”
“I’m sensing some hostility, Trunks.”
“Oh, just a bit.” Then Trunks grinned. “Well, I’m ready to kill you, but I can’t say how glad I am that you’re around for me to kill.”
Son grinned back. “The feeling’s mutual.”
“You’re glad I’m around to kill you?”
Son ignored that. “How on Chikyuu did you guys get here?” he exclaimed. “When I…left, you were still both in comas.”
“I don’t know how, but we woke up. We watched the tapes and saw what had happened. Then we managed to figure out Mom’s little machine, and here we are.”
“Well, I guess we should go introduce you to everybody.”
“Starting with him,” Bra said firmly, pointing to Goten. “Who is he?”
“Oh, this is Goten,” Son said. “Goten, you’ve probably figured out that these are my friends Bra and Trunks that I told you about.”
“Oh, so now hername comes first?” Trunks asked.
“Trunks, her name always came first,” Goten told him in a stage whisper.
“What?”
Goten shrugged. “At least when he talked to me. But come on! I can’t wait to show you to Trunks!” he exclaimed. “He’ll be especially surprised when he sees you,” he told Bra.
Bra looked puzzled. “Why?”
“’Cause our Bra is just a baby. She’s, like, six months old or something.”
Bra’s eyes lit up. “Really? How cool! Let’s go meet them!”
They hurried off, Son and Trunks lagging a bit. “Does he know that you’re…him?” Trunks asked.
Son shook his head. “No, and don’t you tell him. I know we’re two different people, but I don’t want him to have any kind of pressure to ‘live up’ to me or anything like that.”
Trunks nodded. “Okay, that’s cool.”
“Hey, are you guys coming?” Bra called from up ahead.
“Yeah, we’re coming!” Trunks called back. The two guys grinned at each other and ran after the other two.
*****
Bra hadn’t let go of him, Son noted as they got ready to leave. He was packing one-handed, since Bra had a death grip on one of his hands and the expression on her face indicated she didn’t intend to let go any time soon. From the moment she’d kissed him to the present moment, she’d only let go of him when absolutely necessary. And he didn’t think she’d willingly let him out of her sight at all.
The worst of it was the way Gohan kept looking at them, then at his brother, then at Chibi Bra, then back at them, and shaking his head. It made Son want to scream. He and his Bra weren’t the same people as the ones he knew, plain and simple. He fled—with his new skin graft—to his room, where he began packing.
Goten walked in and plopped down on the bed. “You guys definitely have to leave?” he asked.
Son smiled. “If we don’t leave, who fights the androids?”
“Can’t anyoneelse?”
Bra shook her head. “Like he told you, we’re all that’s left. And our mother isn’t even there anymore. We have to go.”
“But you’ll lose! You’ll die!”
“Probably, but that doesn’t mean we can’t try,” Bra told him. “We have to keep them from hurting as many people as we can.”
Goten looked up at them in disappointment. “But I don’t want you guys to leave!”
Bra reached over and gave him a one-armed hug. “And I know I’d be a lot happier if we didn’t have to. But there’s not really a choice.”
Goten looked up at her and nodded. Suddenly, he began smiling. “You have to go?” he repeated.
“We have to go,” Son confirmed.
“Okay, then. I’ll miss you.” Goten slid off the bed and left.
“Well.” Bra looked puzzled. “What was that all about then?”
“I wish I knew. I’m sensing we’re gonna want to.”
“Why?”
“Because I am him, remember? He’s thinking up something that’s probably incredibly stupid but will make sense in the strangest way possible.”
Bra laughed, leaned over, and kissed him. “I wouldn’t have you any other way,” she said against his lips.
“Well, now, why don’t we discuss that?” he asked and put his arms around her again, but, strangely enough, there wasn’t much talking after that.
*****
They were delaying. Putting it off. Shirking. They all knew it, but what was there to hurry to? Almost certain death. In fact, death was certain, whether they stayed or not didn’t matter, but they all knew that if they went, death would certainly come quicker.
“We should leave tonight,” Trunks said.
Bra and Son looked up in surprise. “Tonight?” she asked.
“Yes, tonight. Look, we’ve been dawdling here for three days now. I know we can’t stop the androids, but just think of all the people they’ve killed. We could’ve stopped that—at least, a little of it.”
“You’re right,” Son said quietly. “We have to go. And soon, before we convince ourselves to stay even longer.”
Bra nodded. “Yeah. So. Tonight?”
Trunks and Son nodded. “Tonight.”
*****
Goten followed them, hoping he wasn’t making any noise. But then, if he was, surely Mr. Son or Mr. Trunks would hear it. Maybe even Miss Bra. So he relaxed a little. Until he heard someone behind him. He froze.
“Goten?”
“Trunks?”
“What are you doing here?”
“What are you?”
“I asked first.”
“So?”
Trunks clapped his hand over Goten’s mouth. “Shh! They’ll hear us! Come on, hide!” Trunks tugged on Goten’s arm and pulled him into the bushes, just in time.
“Did you guys hear something?” Mr. Son asked.
Mr. Trunks and Miss Bra both shook their heads. “Maybe a little paranoid?” Mr. Trunks asked.
Mr. Son grinned. “Maybe a little,” he agreed and they kept walking.
Trunks released Goten and let his breath out in a silent sigh of relief. “Now what are you doing, following them?” he demanded quietly.
“I…uh, I—I’m not?” Goten suggested.
“Goten, that is so incredibly lame. Haven’t I taught you better than that? Haven’t I?” Trunks asked sternly.
“Yes.”
“Now why don’t you just go home?” Trunks suggested.
“Go home? No way!”
“Shh!”
“Sorry. But I’m not going home.”
Trunks shook his head. “Then you’ll just have to come, won’t you.”
“That’s my plan.”
“Then let’s go! We don’t want to miss them.” Trunks jumped up and began hurrying after them.
“Wait…why are you here?”
“We both heard them planning to leave, didn’t we?”
“Yes…”
“Well, did you think I was gonna stay home when there’s gonna be a big fight?” Trunks asked incredulously.
“This is all it is to you? A big fight?”
“With huge stakes,” Trunks added. “We’ll die if we don’t win!”
“And you find this an incentive?”
“Heck yeah! We never get to fight, our parents always stop us. But what are Mr. Trunks and Miss Bra and Mr. Son gonna do? Send us home?”
“Yeah.”
Trunks shrugged. “I’ll figure out something,” he said confidently.
Goten stared at his friend in total bafflement. “You’re such a Saiyajin,” he said.
“So are you!” Trunks replied, offended.
“You’re looking forward to dying!”
“I am not! And, for the last time, shh! If you don’t be quiet, I’m taking you home.”
“Sorry.”
They crouched in the bushes. “Look, there they are,” Trunks whispered. “Why are they just standing there?”
“What is Mr. Trunks messing with?”
“I don’t—oh, wow, look at that!”
The three young adults jumped through the newly opened portal. Trunks jumped up and ran after them. Goten followed.
They suddenly landed in a heap in a lab, somewhere, at the feet of three very displeased older people.
*****
“Well, we want to help,” Goten said.
“You guys are going home right now,” Mr. Trunks said. “Like we’d let you stay here. You might get killed!”
“We might get killed at home, too,” Goten pointed out.
Trunks was wandering around the lab. He walked over to the main teleporter machine and examined it. He began pushing some buttons.
“Augh! What are you doing?” Miss Bra yelled.
“Changing the coordinates for to our dimension,” Trunks said smugly. “Now I’m the only one who knows where we need to go to get home, and I don’t think I’m telling.”
The three stared at him. Then Mr. Trunks’ lip twitched as if he were trying to keep from laughing. “I think that’s about the most devious, underhanded, unscrupulous thing I’ve ever seen,” he said.
Trunks grinned up at him. “You like it, huh?”
“No.”
“Yes you do!”
Mr. Trunks looked at the other two helplessly. “I can’t help it! It’s funny! It’s clever! It’s…it’s…”
“You,” Mr. Son finished for him. “Meaning it’s devious, underhanded, and unscrupulous, like you said before.”
“Well, that too.” Mr. Trunks winked at his younger self. Trunks winked back.
“So. We have to keep them here, don’t we?” Miss Bra said resignedly.
“Looks that way.” Goten shrugged. “Could be worse. Besides, you guys left a note or something, didn’t you?”
Trunks nodded. Goten didn’t.
Mr. Trunks looked incredibly satisfied at that. “Which one of us remembered the note, Son?” he asked.
“Don’t rub it in. What did your note say, Trunks?”
“That I was following you guys home. I didn’t mention Goten, I didn’t know he was coming. What I can’t believe is you guys didn’t know we were coming, what with all the noise he was making.” Trunks glared at his friend.
“What counts is that they didn’t and that we’re here. That was pretty smart, what you did.”
“Thank you. I told you I’d think of something, didn’t I?”
“I won’t doubt you ever again. So, what’s for breakfast?”
*****
“Goten, what are you doing?”
Goten froze, turned around, and slid to the floor, hands behind his back. “Why, hello, Miss Bra. What are you doing up so late?”
“Goten…”
“I…I wanted a cookie. You make good cookies, Miss Bra.”
“Oh, aren’t you sweet?”
“Aren’t I just.”
Bra grinned at him and went over to hug him when all of a sudden, she stiffened. “Oh, crap!” she breathed. “Go get Son and Trunks and Trunks,” she ordered. NOWr!”
Goten quickly left. Bra turned around and gulped. “H—hello,” she said.
17 stared at her. “Well, whaddya know? 18, you didn’t do such a good job killing her. ’Cause she’s right here, alive.”
“What?” Bra could hear 18 ask. “But…geez, I hate people like you. Damn stubborn, that’s what. Why don’t you just die?”
“Oh, I don’t know…’cause we don’t want to, maybe?”
18 just stared at her. “Huh. Well, whatever. I can rectify the situation right now.” She pointed a finger at Bra. “Bang,” she said.
“Bang, bang,” Son retorted from behind Bra and blasted 18. The android was flung against the wall. She bounced back up. “You’re still alive, too? This might be more fun than I thought! Who else is here?”
The other three stepped into the light. 17 began laughing. “Ooh, five-year-olds! They’re really gonna protect you!”
Goten and Trunks glared at him. Then the other Trunks began grinning. “Come on, kiddies, show him what you can do.”
The “kiddies” began laughing and doing a very strange dance. Everyone but Trunks stared at them. Then, “FUSION!” and all of a sudden where there were two people, there was one, a perfect mix of the two kids, with a power level so high that even Trunks, who had obviously seen this, seemed surprised.
“I’m Gotenks,” the boy said. He looked over at the androids. “So, you want to fight? I’m ready.”
They looked a little nervous. 17 stepped forward. “We want to fight, and I know that we’ll win,” he said.
Gotenks looked at him for half a second. “Ah. You’re bluffing. How futile. But if it helps you to put on a brave face, by all means, feel free.”
They both glared at him. 18 stepped forward and punched the boy.
Gotenks looked surprised and touched his lip. His finger came away bloody. His eyes narrowed. “You bitch,” he said. “You know, I really don’t appreciate that. I know you didn’t do it,” he said to 17, “but you’ve both done enough killing, so I think it’s time you, well, die,” he said to the androids and then blasted both of them. The androids started to get back up, a bit slower than when Son hit them, but Gotenks wasn’t playing fair. He kept hitting them until they stopped moving. He turned to the Trunks, Bra, and Son. “Okay,” he started, “one of you can—” His voice changed subtly. “Hey, how come you get to decide that?” It changed back. “Well, shee, why shouldn’t one of them finish the androids—you know, just shut up! You shut up! No, you!” (I heard Gotenks talks to himself, so that’s what he’s doing there. Maybe it’s wrong, if so, sorry.)
Son, Trunks, and Bra stared at him. Then Bra walked forward and laid a hand on Gotenks’ shoulder. “Let’s just get rid of the androids, all right? We don’t really need to fight about it, do we?”
“Whatever.”
Trunks and Son just looked at each other. “You know, I feel incredibly stupid now that he beat them so easily,” Son said.
“I know what you mean,” Trunks agreed.
“I almost want them to come back so we can beat them.”
“I almost agree.”
“Uh, guys, they’re not dead!” Bra exclaimed.
“Really?” they said together in a sort of happy tone. She gave them a disgusted look. “Sorry,” Son mumbled. “Um, let’s fight?”
Gotenks kept laughing at them. “These androids are so weak! This is pathetic! You couldn’t beat them? I can’t believe this!”
“Remind me that our cute little chibi-selves are in there,” Trunks muttered to Son.
“I know what you mean.”
“I swear I will throttle him. I’ll feel really bad when they find Chibi Trunks’ and Goten’s bodies, but at least he’ll be quiet.”
All of a sudden, the Fusion ended and the two little boys collapsed on the ground. Everyone stared again.
“That is weird,” Trunks said.
“Do you suppose we could do that?” Son wondered aloud.
“Yeah, maybe they could teach us that Fusion dance thing, and then—”
“Um, guys, experiment later, all right?” Bra cut in. “We’ve actually almost won here.”
“Oh, right, sorry,” Trunks apologized. He blasted 18 again and the android went down and didn’t even twitch. “Did I just kill one of them?” he exclaimed.
“I think so,” Son answered.
“Yeah yeah! I did it I did it!”
“Okay, that’s great, but why don’t you celebrate after…17’s…dead…” Son trailed off as he looked at 17. Furious wasn’t the right word to describe how he looked. “Oh dear. I think we’re in trouble.”
Trunks and Bra gulped and Goten and Chibi Trunks groaned. “Oh, Dende help us,” Bra breathed.
“You will regret killing my sister,” 17 said coldly. He took a few menacing steps forward.
Suddenly, Chibi Trunks had a burst of Inspiration. He whispered something to Goten and they both grinned. Trunks began to squirm over closer to 17. He waited until 17 started walking again and stuck out his leg.
17 tripped.
Chibi Trunks and Goten both started laughing. Son jumped over him to 17 and placed his hand on the androids’ back. He smiled and blasted, and that was the end of fun and games for 17, for keeps.
Then they all just sat there.
“It’s over,” Bra whispered. “Finally over.”
Chibi Trunks and Goten started laughing again.
“What’s so funny?” Son asked.
“Oh, it’s just 17’s expression when he was falling,” Goten said. “That was great. He looked so shocked.”
“And I’m laughing at how easily you guys won with us here. You should’ve gotten us sooner, that’s what,” Chibi Trunks added.
Trunks grinned at them. “How on Chikyuu did you think of tripping him?” he asked his chibi self.
“Oh, see, it occurred to me that he didn’t register us as threats anymore. We were small and on the ground. And then I thought, what if he tripped? So I moved over there, and now you guys won.”
Goten shrugged. “What can we say? We’re just that good, I guess.”
Son stared at them both and began laughing. Goten stared at him and began grinning. “Yes!” he crowed triumphantly. “Finally got that laugh outta you!”
*****
“You guys are going to be in such trouble when you get home, you know,” Trunks warned them.
“Yeah, we know,” Chibi Trunks told him.
“Are you sure you want to go back?”
They started laughing. “Ha! Even if we didn’t want to, Trunks already told you the coordinates, and you’d just throw us through,” Goten said.
Son smiled. “You’re probably right,” he agreed.
Goten looked offended. “What’s with this probably? I’m definitely right. I’m not stupid, you know.”
Bra chuckled and pushed some buttons. The portal opened again. She went over and gave both boys a hug. “Thanks so much for your help. It was indispensable.”
Goten hugged her back, but Chibi Trunks’ arms stayed at his side. “Nothing personal,” he told her, “but you are my sister, and I don’t hug my sister.” He stuck out his hand. “I’ll shake your hand, though.”
She hastily suppressed a smile and shook his hand. “Goodbye, guys.”
The two boys nodded and looked at the portal. “Well, better go. Personally, I’d rather face the androids again than my mother,” Chibi Trunks muttered.
Goten shrugged. “I think Tousan’ll be proud of me,” he said. “I’m not worried about that.”
“You’re never worried about anything, Goten.”
“Oh, yeah.”
“Let’s just go.” Chibi Trunks rolled his eyes and jumped through. “I am so grounded,” he moaned as he landed in his world. Goten landed on top of him. Trunks rudely shoved him off. “Get your own landing pillow,” he said. “I’ve gotta go kill myself now.” He started for home, then turned. “Are you going home right away?”
“I thought so.”
“How about we go spar? Maybe if I can show Tousan how much stronger I am, he won’t let Kaasan punish me.” Trunks pulled Goten up. “Come on, let’s go.”