Standard Disclaimer: Don't own them, any of them. Just borrowing them, don't sue me
A Blast From the Past
Prologue of ?
The two 10-year-old demi-saiyajins played happily in the park running back and forth playing some sort of game. Either way they were having a ball. As they ran closer to a large oak tree they stopped their gleeful running as their saiyajin senses picked up on another alien presence, similar to their own.
"Did you feel that Goten?"
"Yeah, Trunks. It feels so close though, like it's right in front of us."
"It feels like one of us, but different. I can feel it."
"But that can't be. I don't recognize it as any of the others."
"I know, but…" Trunks stopped himself suddenly and ran ahead, shortly followed by Goten. He ran all the way to the trunk of the oak tree and starred up into its branches. He frowned slightly and pointed up into the tree. Goten, who was slightly confused, looked into the tree and his eyes widened in shock.
Sitting on one of the few top branches, sat a small child hugging his knees to his chest, head buried in his arms, in a long sleeve shirt and jeans. The little boy rocked himself, his long chestnut braid swinging at his side. He seemed for all-the world to be hiding and scared.
The two boys looked at each other and nodded in a silent agreement. Looking around to make sure no one saw them, the two boys flew up into the tree, closer to the stranger in the tree. They flew up to one of the branches surrounding the boy and sat down. Trunks tentatively reached out tapped to boy on the shoulder, letting him know of their presence. The little boy looked up, startled, his violet eyes wide. He seemed frozen in fear as he regarded the boys around him. He was dimly aware of a power he felt coming from them but dismissed it, fear consuming his mind so much he couldn't think.
"Hey, it's ok kid. I'm Goten," Goten said stretching his hand out to shake the violet-eyed boy's hand. The boy flinched back, frightened.
"We're not gonna hurt ya," Trunks said soothingly. "My name's Trunks. What's yours?"
The boy looked at the two boys in front of him, taking in their appearance for the first time. The one called Trunks had bright blues eyes and light purple hair in a bowl cut, while the one named Goten had black eyes and hair so unruly it seemed a comb would run from it. Deciding that the boys were trustworthy he spoke up.
"I don't think I have a name," he said in a shy voice. "They call me a lot of things back there."
"Like what?" Trunks asked.
"Um… like "our little creation" and "our secret weapon". And when they got mad they call me things like "baka" and "a mistake" but they sometimes called me Duo 'cause I'm from two."
"Who's they? Are they who you're hiding from?" Goten asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.
"A bunch of men in white coats and masks over their mouths." The longhaired boy looked into the faces of Goten and Trunks, his eyes pleading. "Please don't make me go back to them! They'll hurt me 'cause I was bad."
Trunks and Goten looked at each other then back at Duo. Their hearts went out for the run away.
"Why don't you come home with me? My mom and dad won't mind and if you tell them what you told us, then maybe they could help you." Trunks said, proud that he was able to come up with such an idea.
The boy only nodded, as if he was afraid to say no.
Smiling, the two demi-saiyajins offered the little boy their hands in order to help him out the tree. Once on the ground Trunks and Goten noticed that Duo wasn't so little. He looked about their age, maybe a year younger. The trio walked in silence to Capsule Corp.
Once they were on the grounds of the Briefs home, Duo shrank back. He felt a power in this place, like the ones coming from Trunks and Goten but a whole lot stronger. He didn't know why he felt these powers and that frightened him even more. He gasped when he felt someone shake his shoulder. That earned him some odd looks from his new friends; he hadn't even noticed that they had stopped. They all went inside the large house and headed straight for the infirmary. On the way Duo felt a huge surge of energy coming from one of the rooms they passed. As everyone else walked ahead, Duo stopped and peered inside the door looking at its occupant. There in the middle of the room stood a man with spiky black hair in a blue spandex suit and the man seemed to be meditating. The odd thing was that even though man seemed to be doing nothing, Duo could sense he was locked in some sort of battle; spirit sparring.
Duo must have made a sound or something because the man suddenly opened his eyes and turned towards to door, looking at the braided child with intense black eyes. Frightened that he may have done something wrong, Duo ran away from the door and down the hall to where he saw Trunks enter a room. He hid behind the boy, shaking slightly.
"What's wrong Duo?" the purple-haired boy asked.
"I think I did something wrong and made him mad," the boy squeaked in reply.
"Made who…" he was cut off by his father charging into the room, looking like he ran the whole way.
Vegeta scanned the room then let his eyes rest on the little boy with the braid that was cowering behind Trunks. He pointed accusingly at the boy.
"Who is he?"
Surprised at Vegeta's interest in Duo, Bulma, who was working in the infirmary, answered, "This is Duo, Trunks's new friend. What's the matter?"
Vegeta looked at the boy like a wild animal would a prey. He glared at the way his son was also protecting the child. He was about to say something when suddenly Goku appeared beside him using the transportation trick Vegeta hated so much. The taller saiyajin looked at Vegeta with a look of concern that he got when he knew there was an oncoming battle.
"Vegeta, did you feel that strange power?" Goku asked, dismissing the other people in the room.
"Of course I did, you baka!" Vegeta spat.
"Um, would you two mind explaining what is going on and what this has to do with Duo?" Bulma asked crossing her arms over her chest: her impression of Vegeta.
"Duo? Who's Duo?" Goku asked. They pointed to the boy hiding behind Trunks. "Oh."
"Um dad," Goten started, "I think Trunks and I felt that same power you did. It's coming from him." He pointed to Duo again.
Everyone, save Trunks and Goten, blinked in confusion.
"What are you talking about Goten?" Bulma asked sweetly.
"That's how we found him. We followed a strange energy and it led to Duo." Trunks explained, noticing that Duo was slowly backing away from the group, obviously scared.
Goku walked up to Duo and swatted down in front of him, smiling. "Hey there. Who are you're parents, little guy?"
Duo looked at Trunks and Trunks nodded saying that Goku wouldn't hurt him. "I don't have any parents, I was created by some people in white coats."
"In a lab?" Bulma gasped.
"Created by who?" Goku pushed. He had to get some answers from the boy.
Duo glanced nervously about the room. He didn't feel safe. He felt like they were all being watched, but he still answered. "By a lot of people. I only remember one name; they said it was his idea that I should be made. His name was Dr. Gero."
Everyone froze. Dr. Gero? They were all sure they'd heard the last of that mad doctor after the android situation. They all came to the same conclusion that this child may be another threat.
Duo could sense he said something important by the way everyone tensed up suddenly. Then his violet eyes widened; he turned and focused on the wall behind him. Then in a scared little voice he whispered, "They're going to start looking for me. They've realized I'm gone." He ran back to Trunks and clung to his body, shaking violently. "Please don't let them take me back! Please! I'll do anything, just don't let them take me back. I'll be good here. I promise."
"Why don't you want to go back?" Bulma asked placing a hand on Duo's shoulder.
"They'll make me kill again. They'll make me destroy things so I will get strong enough to kill someone they don't like. I don't want to go back to that!" Duo was crying now. The thought of having to go back terrified him.
As Duo cried against Trunks's chest, Bulma eyed the boy's back and saw something move under his shirt. He must have sensed her reaching for his back because as she was about to grab his shirt he turned around and looked at her with frightened eyes.
"It's ok. We'll look after you," she said calming the child down; he was so jumpy that he was making her nervous.
Duo nodded and everyone but Bulma and Duo left the infirmary, so she could take more tests. Once in the hall all the saiyajins and demi-saiyajins shared a knowing look.
"He's not human." Goku said. He was sure of it now.
"Is he an android, dad?" Goten asked.
"I'm not sure, but I don't think so. We can't sense an android's power level, and we can sense his."
"He said that he was one of Dr. Gero's creations though," Vegeta reasoned.
"I don't think he's a threat. There's something about him, something familiar. We need to get more information before we jump to conclusions," Goku suggested.
Before the discussion could go any further, Duo exited the medical room and with a towel in his arms. He looked at Trunks, smiling kindly.
"You're mom said you would take me to the bathroom so I could clean up."
"Oh, sure. Follow me."
Trunks led the way as Duo followed. They walked the halls in silence, Trunks thinking to himself and Duo observing the vast luxury of the house.
"Here it is." Trunks stopped and Duo bumped into him.
"Sorry."
"No problem. Do you need any help?"
Duo blushed slightly, as did Trunks. "Um, no. I'm fine. Thank you, for everything."
"Hey it was our pleasure." Trunks smiled.
Duo went into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. Trunks made like he was going to leave when he remembered he forgot to tell Duo were the washcloths were. He opened the door and peeked in to tell Duo.
"Hey the washcloths are in the…" Trunks jaw dropped open at the sight before him. There with his back to him was Duo without his shirt off (1). His back was sprinkled with bruises and old scars, but what really caught his attention was the furry appendage wrapped securely around his waist. A tail!
Duo looked over his shoulder in horror when he heard Trunks enter the bathroom again. The two just stared at each other for a few seconds that felt like an eternity. Trunks's jaw started moving trying to form words but nothing came out. He was slowly going into shock. Finally he managed to say a word.
"Guys…" It started as a whisper but steadily grew louder as Trunks became more panicked. "Guys…guys… GUYS!"
Duo panicked. There was no where he could run or hide. He grabbed his shirt and his eyes darted around the room for ANY possible way to escape. But before he could get anywhere, Goku popped into the room directly in front of Trunks.
"What is it? What's wrong, Trunks?" Goku asked, looking at the boy's wide blue-eyes.
Trunks pointed behind Goku at Duo. "He's gotta… a… a…" he stuttered.
"A what?"
"What's going on down here?" Vegeta said as he and Goten finally arrived at the scene.
"I'm trying to find out. He has a what Trunks?" Goku asked again.
"A…a… a tail!" Trunks finally shouted out.
"A tail!?" they all said in unison. All as one turned and looked at Duo, who had crawled into the empty bathtub and hugged his knees.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Please don't send me back. Don't be mad, I'm sorry." Duo babbled, taking their expressions as ones of disgust at his appearance.
Not one to be subtle, Vegeta stocked over to the boy and pulled him up by the arm and dragged him out the tub. Duo went with him unresistingly. Vegeta snatched the shirt from the boy and gawked at the sight before him. Sure enough, there it was…a tail wrapped around the bruised and frightened boy's waist.
"He's a saiyajin! A Kami-forsaken saiyajin! The bastards made a saiyajin!" he shouted in a tone that resembled hysteria.
Duo on the other hand was taken aback by Vegeta's statement. Very few people knew what a saiyajin was, the scientists had told him that much. But here he was with four people who obviously knew what he was; what were the odds? He became more curious than scared and his tail unwrapped itself from around his waist, curling behind him.
"How do you know what a saiyajin is?" Duo asked, confused. Then he became more confused when they all fell over. He blinked. "What?"
Trunks recovered first. "We ARE saiyajins, all four of us."
"Really? You mean YOU'RE the ones!"
"What do you mean "the ones"?" Goku asked.
Duo fidgeted nervously and mumbled something.
"What?"
"I said you're the ones they told me were the bad guys and they were training me to kill you 'cause they don't like you guys. I didn't believe them, they always lied to me."
By this point everyone decided it would be a good idea to sit down and have a long talk with the mysterious boy. So they all walked, single file, to the living room of the house and they each took a seat.
"Tell us about it… all of it," Goku said in a calm tone, despite the anxiety he felt.
So Duo told them everything. About how he was made from the plans and experiment results left behind after Dr. Gero's death. He was a living being, not an android like the doctor's previous creations. He was created from some of the DNA the doctor had taken from the saiyajins and demi-saiyajins before the battle with Cell and combined with the egg of some woman who volunteered, unknowingly. When Duo was born the woman died from difficulties, but the doctors didn't care; they had their weapon. They raised Duo to fight, get stronger and destroy their enemies, but Duo had a mind of his own, which made the process even more difficult. So they tried to break him by beating him, torturing him and worse. They told him that he was their secret and he wasn't allowed to have friends. They put him through intense physical training and it sometimes left him so weak he couldn't eat without help. They told him that he would be sent to the place where he would be trained in a real life or death situation. Duo refused and they were about to beat him, but before they could Duo fought them back and ran away.
"And the rest you all should know." Duo finished his long sad tale, and curled himself into the fetal position and waited to hear the verdict; whether they'd let him stay or not.
Silence ruled the room. Everyone was too shocked or angry to say anything. They ran the facts over through their heads, analyzing each detail, committing it to memory. Sometime during Duo's explanation, Bulma walked in and was thoroughly disgusted about what she heard. When Duo had finished she went up to the shaking boy and ushered him to a room where he could sleep for the night. He followed her, looking over his shoulder until they were out of sight of the saiyajins in the living room. Once in his room, he turned to Bulma and asked, "Will they send me back?"
Bulma smiled at the boy, like a mother would her child. "I think they'll let you stay."
Duo smiled at that and went to bed, for once feeling safe.
The next day when Duo woke up, the world was a different place, for him at least. When he came down for breakfast four smiling faces and one neutral face greeted him, and for Vegeta a neutral face was the closest thing to a smile you could get from him.
Trunks stepped forward and placed his hand on Duo's shoulder, smiling widely. "You can stay with us."
"Really? You really mean it?" Duo was hopping from one foot to the other. He was so happy they accepted him
"Yes, really."
"Welcome to the group, Duo. Well Goten and I should be heading back. Chichi's gonna throw a fit since we've been gone all night." Goku said as he headed to the door.
Goten followed and waves at his friends. "See ya later!" with that the two Sons flew away.
A week had passed and Duo was adjusting well to living in the Briefs' home. Everyday he'd help Bulma with her inventions and took notes on everything he taught her, then when he was done with that he joined Trunks and Goten for a day out. He'd even joined them when they sparred with Vegeta. After he found out it was for the fun of training and not like it was back at the lab, he did it almost everyday. He was finally feeling like he belonged and he liked that. But something in the back of his mind kept telling him that it wouldn't last long, that they would come for him one day. And no matter how much he ignored that voice, he knew it was true.
One day on the way from school, Trunks, Goten and Duo stopped to buy some snacks for tonight at the corner shop. When they stepped out to head home, Duo froze in place and dropped his bag.
"What's wrong, Duo?" Trunks asked
Duo didn't answer. He just stood there, looking ahead of them.
Goten waved his hand in front of Duo's face. "Hey. Earth to Duo, come in Duo."
Duo's face paled, and he began to sweat. Trunks and Goten were really becoming worried, but before they could say anything Duo spoke. "They've found me…"
"Nani? What do you mean?"
Instead of answering Duo took off in a dead run in the opposite direction they were heading. Trunks and Goten stood there, their faces blank and confused until they were pushed aside by two men in white coats, two men who were chasing after Duo. Anger flared as both boys realized that those were the people Duo told them about. There was no way they were letting those men take their best friend back to the hellhole he was raised in. They powered up and sped passed the men and grabbed Duo by the arms and flew high into the sky. Deciding that their friend was in no condition to fly on his own, Trunks carried Duo back home, while Goten left to get his dad.
When Trunks and Duo arrived back at Capsule Corp., Duo was far beyond a little shook up. Trunks had to carry him into the house and sit him on the couch. He called his mom and dad and told them about what had happened. They knew this would happen sooner or later, so they were prepared. While Vegeta waited for Goku to get there for the upcoming battle, Bulma helped Trunks bring Duo to the backyard. She threw down a capsule and it exploded into a time machine, much like the one Mirai Trunks used, but bigger.
"Ok Trunks, you know what to do, right?" Bulma asked seriously.
"Yes mom."
An explosion rocked the compound, causing Bulma to fall. Wincing, she stood back up. "Go now! And keep him safe." She pushed both boys toward the machine and ran off into a shelter under the house. She didn't need to be in the fight, she'd only get hurt and she knew that much.
"Duo? Duo!" Duo blinked and looked at Trunks, his eyes glazed over. "Duo, we're going to have to leave for a while, understand? Now come on, we have to go." Trunks lifted Duo into the machine and sat in beside him. He typed in a few commands and the time machine started up. But right as he was about to press the button that would send them off, one of the scientist's creations, an android, spotted them and was headed straight for them. Trunks cursed and jumped out of the machine, powering up to fight it.
"Trunks! Don't!" Duo cried out. He couldn't stand to see his friend fight to protect him.
Trunks turned and looked at Duo. He smirked and said in a firm voice, "We'll find you again, I promise. Take care, my friend." Trunks reached over and pressed the start up button and turned back to the android.
Duo was puzzled by Trunks's words for a moment, then he saw the glass hatch closing and felt the machine start to lift off the ground. He was leaving and Trunks wasn't with him!
He started to pound on the glass of the machine screaming at Trunks. "Trunks! How could you! Don't do this to me! Trunks, listen to me!" Suddenly he began to speed away from his home and friends and the last thing he saw were his friends locked in a battle to protect him. Then he passed out.
When Duo awoke from his trance-like sleep he found that he had landed in a dark alleyway. Wiping his tear stained face, he opened the hatch and minimized the machine into capsule form. He wandered around the torn down buildings until he saw graffiti on the side of one building. It read, "Welcome to L2 colony. May the gods have mercy on your soul." (2)
Author's Notes (a.k.a. smart-ass comments)
Hentais! Get that thought out of you heads right now! Hey! I mean it!
Is that not the longest prologue you've ever read? I just got a little carried away. It's just that these are my two favorite anime and my favorite characters!
Well, I hoped you liked it. More is coming soon, but I need C&C's (even flames are welcomed, but be gentle, I burn easily) before I post more. Why? I thrive on them, they give me strength ~evil laughter~
A Blast From the Past
Prologue of ?
The two 10-year-old demi-saiyajins played happily in the park running back and forth playing some sort of game. Either way they were having a ball. As they ran closer to a large oak tree they stopped their gleeful running as their saiyajin senses picked up on another alien presence, similar to their own.
"Did you feel that Goten?"
"Yeah, Trunks. It feels so close though, like it's right in front of us."
"It feels like one of us, but different. I can feel it."
"But that can't be. I don't recognize it as any of the others."
"I know, but…" Trunks stopped himself suddenly and ran ahead, shortly followed by Goten. He ran all the way to the trunk of the oak tree and starred up into its branches. He frowned slightly and pointed up into the tree. Goten, who was slightly confused, looked into the tree and his eyes widened in shock.
Sitting on one of the few top branches, sat a small child hugging his knees to his chest, head buried in his arms, in a long sleeve shirt and jeans. The little boy rocked himself, his long chestnut braid swinging at his side. He seemed for all-the world to be hiding and scared.
The two boys looked at each other and nodded in a silent agreement. Looking around to make sure no one saw them, the two boys flew up into the tree, closer to the stranger in the tree. They flew up to one of the branches surrounding the boy and sat down. Trunks tentatively reached out tapped to boy on the shoulder, letting him know of their presence. The little boy looked up, startled, his violet eyes wide. He seemed frozen in fear as he regarded the boys around him. He was dimly aware of a power he felt coming from them but dismissed it, fear consuming his mind so much he couldn't think.
"Hey, it's ok kid. I'm Goten," Goten said stretching his hand out to shake the violet-eyed boy's hand. The boy flinched back, frightened.
"We're not gonna hurt ya," Trunks said soothingly. "My name's Trunks. What's yours?"
The boy looked at the two boys in front of him, taking in their appearance for the first time. The one called Trunks had bright blues eyes and light purple hair in a bowl cut, while the one named Goten had black eyes and hair so unruly it seemed a comb would run from it. Deciding that the boys were trustworthy he spoke up.
"I don't think I have a name," he said in a shy voice. "They call me a lot of things back there."
"Like what?" Trunks asked.
"Um… like "our little creation" and "our secret weapon". And when they got mad they call me things like "baka" and "a mistake" but they sometimes called me Duo 'cause I'm from two."
"Who's they? Are they who you're hiding from?" Goten asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.
"A bunch of men in white coats and masks over their mouths." The longhaired boy looked into the faces of Goten and Trunks, his eyes pleading. "Please don't make me go back to them! They'll hurt me 'cause I was bad."
Trunks and Goten looked at each other then back at Duo. Their hearts went out for the run away.
"Why don't you come home with me? My mom and dad won't mind and if you tell them what you told us, then maybe they could help you." Trunks said, proud that he was able to come up with such an idea.
The boy only nodded, as if he was afraid to say no.
Smiling, the two demi-saiyajins offered the little boy their hands in order to help him out the tree. Once on the ground Trunks and Goten noticed that Duo wasn't so little. He looked about their age, maybe a year younger. The trio walked in silence to Capsule Corp.
Once they were on the grounds of the Briefs home, Duo shrank back. He felt a power in this place, like the ones coming from Trunks and Goten but a whole lot stronger. He didn't know why he felt these powers and that frightened him even more. He gasped when he felt someone shake his shoulder. That earned him some odd looks from his new friends; he hadn't even noticed that they had stopped. They all went inside the large house and headed straight for the infirmary. On the way Duo felt a huge surge of energy coming from one of the rooms they passed. As everyone else walked ahead, Duo stopped and peered inside the door looking at its occupant. There in the middle of the room stood a man with spiky black hair in a blue spandex suit and the man seemed to be meditating. The odd thing was that even though man seemed to be doing nothing, Duo could sense he was locked in some sort of battle; spirit sparring.
Duo must have made a sound or something because the man suddenly opened his eyes and turned towards to door, looking at the braided child with intense black eyes. Frightened that he may have done something wrong, Duo ran away from the door and down the hall to where he saw Trunks enter a room. He hid behind the boy, shaking slightly.
"What's wrong Duo?" the purple-haired boy asked.
"I think I did something wrong and made him mad," the boy squeaked in reply.
"Made who…" he was cut off by his father charging into the room, looking like he ran the whole way.
Vegeta scanned the room then let his eyes rest on the little boy with the braid that was cowering behind Trunks. He pointed accusingly at the boy.
"Who is he?"
Surprised at Vegeta's interest in Duo, Bulma, who was working in the infirmary, answered, "This is Duo, Trunks's new friend. What's the matter?"
Vegeta looked at the boy like a wild animal would a prey. He glared at the way his son was also protecting the child. He was about to say something when suddenly Goku appeared beside him using the transportation trick Vegeta hated so much. The taller saiyajin looked at Vegeta with a look of concern that he got when he knew there was an oncoming battle.
"Vegeta, did you feel that strange power?" Goku asked, dismissing the other people in the room.
"Of course I did, you baka!" Vegeta spat.
"Um, would you two mind explaining what is going on and what this has to do with Duo?" Bulma asked crossing her arms over her chest: her impression of Vegeta.
"Duo? Who's Duo?" Goku asked. They pointed to the boy hiding behind Trunks. "Oh."
"Um dad," Goten started, "I think Trunks and I felt that same power you did. It's coming from him." He pointed to Duo again.
Everyone, save Trunks and Goten, blinked in confusion.
"What are you talking about Goten?" Bulma asked sweetly.
"That's how we found him. We followed a strange energy and it led to Duo." Trunks explained, noticing that Duo was slowly backing away from the group, obviously scared.
Goku walked up to Duo and swatted down in front of him, smiling. "Hey there. Who are you're parents, little guy?"
Duo looked at Trunks and Trunks nodded saying that Goku wouldn't hurt him. "I don't have any parents, I was created by some people in white coats."
"In a lab?" Bulma gasped.
"Created by who?" Goku pushed. He had to get some answers from the boy.
Duo glanced nervously about the room. He didn't feel safe. He felt like they were all being watched, but he still answered. "By a lot of people. I only remember one name; they said it was his idea that I should be made. His name was Dr. Gero."
Everyone froze. Dr. Gero? They were all sure they'd heard the last of that mad doctor after the android situation. They all came to the same conclusion that this child may be another threat.
Duo could sense he said something important by the way everyone tensed up suddenly. Then his violet eyes widened; he turned and focused on the wall behind him. Then in a scared little voice he whispered, "They're going to start looking for me. They've realized I'm gone." He ran back to Trunks and clung to his body, shaking violently. "Please don't let them take me back! Please! I'll do anything, just don't let them take me back. I'll be good here. I promise."
"Why don't you want to go back?" Bulma asked placing a hand on Duo's shoulder.
"They'll make me kill again. They'll make me destroy things so I will get strong enough to kill someone they don't like. I don't want to go back to that!" Duo was crying now. The thought of having to go back terrified him.
As Duo cried against Trunks's chest, Bulma eyed the boy's back and saw something move under his shirt. He must have sensed her reaching for his back because as she was about to grab his shirt he turned around and looked at her with frightened eyes.
"It's ok. We'll look after you," she said calming the child down; he was so jumpy that he was making her nervous.
Duo nodded and everyone but Bulma and Duo left the infirmary, so she could take more tests. Once in the hall all the saiyajins and demi-saiyajins shared a knowing look.
"He's not human." Goku said. He was sure of it now.
"Is he an android, dad?" Goten asked.
"I'm not sure, but I don't think so. We can't sense an android's power level, and we can sense his."
"He said that he was one of Dr. Gero's creations though," Vegeta reasoned.
"I don't think he's a threat. There's something about him, something familiar. We need to get more information before we jump to conclusions," Goku suggested.
Before the discussion could go any further, Duo exited the medical room and with a towel in his arms. He looked at Trunks, smiling kindly.
"You're mom said you would take me to the bathroom so I could clean up."
"Oh, sure. Follow me."
Trunks led the way as Duo followed. They walked the halls in silence, Trunks thinking to himself and Duo observing the vast luxury of the house.
"Here it is." Trunks stopped and Duo bumped into him.
"Sorry."
"No problem. Do you need any help?"
Duo blushed slightly, as did Trunks. "Um, no. I'm fine. Thank you, for everything."
"Hey it was our pleasure." Trunks smiled.
Duo went into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. Trunks made like he was going to leave when he remembered he forgot to tell Duo were the washcloths were. He opened the door and peeked in to tell Duo.
"Hey the washcloths are in the…" Trunks jaw dropped open at the sight before him. There with his back to him was Duo without his shirt off (1). His back was sprinkled with bruises and old scars, but what really caught his attention was the furry appendage wrapped securely around his waist. A tail!
Duo looked over his shoulder in horror when he heard Trunks enter the bathroom again. The two just stared at each other for a few seconds that felt like an eternity. Trunks's jaw started moving trying to form words but nothing came out. He was slowly going into shock. Finally he managed to say a word.
"Guys…" It started as a whisper but steadily grew louder as Trunks became more panicked. "Guys…guys… GUYS!"
Duo panicked. There was no where he could run or hide. He grabbed his shirt and his eyes darted around the room for ANY possible way to escape. But before he could get anywhere, Goku popped into the room directly in front of Trunks.
"What is it? What's wrong, Trunks?" Goku asked, looking at the boy's wide blue-eyes.
Trunks pointed behind Goku at Duo. "He's gotta… a… a…" he stuttered.
"A what?"
"What's going on down here?" Vegeta said as he and Goten finally arrived at the scene.
"I'm trying to find out. He has a what Trunks?" Goku asked again.
"A…a… a tail!" Trunks finally shouted out.
"A tail!?" they all said in unison. All as one turned and looked at Duo, who had crawled into the empty bathtub and hugged his knees.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Please don't send me back. Don't be mad, I'm sorry." Duo babbled, taking their expressions as ones of disgust at his appearance.
Not one to be subtle, Vegeta stocked over to the boy and pulled him up by the arm and dragged him out the tub. Duo went with him unresistingly. Vegeta snatched the shirt from the boy and gawked at the sight before him. Sure enough, there it was…a tail wrapped around the bruised and frightened boy's waist.
"He's a saiyajin! A Kami-forsaken saiyajin! The bastards made a saiyajin!" he shouted in a tone that resembled hysteria.
Duo on the other hand was taken aback by Vegeta's statement. Very few people knew what a saiyajin was, the scientists had told him that much. But here he was with four people who obviously knew what he was; what were the odds? He became more curious than scared and his tail unwrapped itself from around his waist, curling behind him.
"How do you know what a saiyajin is?" Duo asked, confused. Then he became more confused when they all fell over. He blinked. "What?"
Trunks recovered first. "We ARE saiyajins, all four of us."
"Really? You mean YOU'RE the ones!"
"What do you mean "the ones"?" Goku asked.
Duo fidgeted nervously and mumbled something.
"What?"
"I said you're the ones they told me were the bad guys and they were training me to kill you 'cause they don't like you guys. I didn't believe them, they always lied to me."
By this point everyone decided it would be a good idea to sit down and have a long talk with the mysterious boy. So they all walked, single file, to the living room of the house and they each took a seat.
"Tell us about it… all of it," Goku said in a calm tone, despite the anxiety he felt.
So Duo told them everything. About how he was made from the plans and experiment results left behind after Dr. Gero's death. He was a living being, not an android like the doctor's previous creations. He was created from some of the DNA the doctor had taken from the saiyajins and demi-saiyajins before the battle with Cell and combined with the egg of some woman who volunteered, unknowingly. When Duo was born the woman died from difficulties, but the doctors didn't care; they had their weapon. They raised Duo to fight, get stronger and destroy their enemies, but Duo had a mind of his own, which made the process even more difficult. So they tried to break him by beating him, torturing him and worse. They told him that he was their secret and he wasn't allowed to have friends. They put him through intense physical training and it sometimes left him so weak he couldn't eat without help. They told him that he would be sent to the place where he would be trained in a real life or death situation. Duo refused and they were about to beat him, but before they could Duo fought them back and ran away.
"And the rest you all should know." Duo finished his long sad tale, and curled himself into the fetal position and waited to hear the verdict; whether they'd let him stay or not.
Silence ruled the room. Everyone was too shocked or angry to say anything. They ran the facts over through their heads, analyzing each detail, committing it to memory. Sometime during Duo's explanation, Bulma walked in and was thoroughly disgusted about what she heard. When Duo had finished she went up to the shaking boy and ushered him to a room where he could sleep for the night. He followed her, looking over his shoulder until they were out of sight of the saiyajins in the living room. Once in his room, he turned to Bulma and asked, "Will they send me back?"
Bulma smiled at the boy, like a mother would her child. "I think they'll let you stay."
Duo smiled at that and went to bed, for once feeling safe.
The next day when Duo woke up, the world was a different place, for him at least. When he came down for breakfast four smiling faces and one neutral face greeted him, and for Vegeta a neutral face was the closest thing to a smile you could get from him.
Trunks stepped forward and placed his hand on Duo's shoulder, smiling widely. "You can stay with us."
"Really? You really mean it?" Duo was hopping from one foot to the other. He was so happy they accepted him
"Yes, really."
"Welcome to the group, Duo. Well Goten and I should be heading back. Chichi's gonna throw a fit since we've been gone all night." Goku said as he headed to the door.
Goten followed and waves at his friends. "See ya later!" with that the two Sons flew away.
A week had passed and Duo was adjusting well to living in the Briefs' home. Everyday he'd help Bulma with her inventions and took notes on everything he taught her, then when he was done with that he joined Trunks and Goten for a day out. He'd even joined them when they sparred with Vegeta. After he found out it was for the fun of training and not like it was back at the lab, he did it almost everyday. He was finally feeling like he belonged and he liked that. But something in the back of his mind kept telling him that it wouldn't last long, that they would come for him one day. And no matter how much he ignored that voice, he knew it was true.
One day on the way from school, Trunks, Goten and Duo stopped to buy some snacks for tonight at the corner shop. When they stepped out to head home, Duo froze in place and dropped his bag.
"What's wrong, Duo?" Trunks asked
Duo didn't answer. He just stood there, looking ahead of them.
Goten waved his hand in front of Duo's face. "Hey. Earth to Duo, come in Duo."
Duo's face paled, and he began to sweat. Trunks and Goten were really becoming worried, but before they could say anything Duo spoke. "They've found me…"
"Nani? What do you mean?"
Instead of answering Duo took off in a dead run in the opposite direction they were heading. Trunks and Goten stood there, their faces blank and confused until they were pushed aside by two men in white coats, two men who were chasing after Duo. Anger flared as both boys realized that those were the people Duo told them about. There was no way they were letting those men take their best friend back to the hellhole he was raised in. They powered up and sped passed the men and grabbed Duo by the arms and flew high into the sky. Deciding that their friend was in no condition to fly on his own, Trunks carried Duo back home, while Goten left to get his dad.
When Trunks and Duo arrived back at Capsule Corp., Duo was far beyond a little shook up. Trunks had to carry him into the house and sit him on the couch. He called his mom and dad and told them about what had happened. They knew this would happen sooner or later, so they were prepared. While Vegeta waited for Goku to get there for the upcoming battle, Bulma helped Trunks bring Duo to the backyard. She threw down a capsule and it exploded into a time machine, much like the one Mirai Trunks used, but bigger.
"Ok Trunks, you know what to do, right?" Bulma asked seriously.
"Yes mom."
An explosion rocked the compound, causing Bulma to fall. Wincing, she stood back up. "Go now! And keep him safe." She pushed both boys toward the machine and ran off into a shelter under the house. She didn't need to be in the fight, she'd only get hurt and she knew that much.
"Duo? Duo!" Duo blinked and looked at Trunks, his eyes glazed over. "Duo, we're going to have to leave for a while, understand? Now come on, we have to go." Trunks lifted Duo into the machine and sat in beside him. He typed in a few commands and the time machine started up. But right as he was about to press the button that would send them off, one of the scientist's creations, an android, spotted them and was headed straight for them. Trunks cursed and jumped out of the machine, powering up to fight it.
"Trunks! Don't!" Duo cried out. He couldn't stand to see his friend fight to protect him.
Trunks turned and looked at Duo. He smirked and said in a firm voice, "We'll find you again, I promise. Take care, my friend." Trunks reached over and pressed the start up button and turned back to the android.
Duo was puzzled by Trunks's words for a moment, then he saw the glass hatch closing and felt the machine start to lift off the ground. He was leaving and Trunks wasn't with him!
He started to pound on the glass of the machine screaming at Trunks. "Trunks! How could you! Don't do this to me! Trunks, listen to me!" Suddenly he began to speed away from his home and friends and the last thing he saw were his friends locked in a battle to protect him. Then he passed out.
When Duo awoke from his trance-like sleep he found that he had landed in a dark alleyway. Wiping his tear stained face, he opened the hatch and minimized the machine into capsule form. He wandered around the torn down buildings until he saw graffiti on the side of one building. It read, "Welcome to L2 colony. May the gods have mercy on your soul." (2)
Author's Notes (a.k.a. smart-ass comments)
Hentais! Get that thought out of you heads right now! Hey! I mean it!
Is that not the longest prologue you've ever read? I just got a little carried away. It's just that these are my two favorite anime and my favorite characters!
Well, I hoped you liked it. More is coming soon, but I need C&C's (even flames are welcomed, but be gentle, I burn easily) before I post more. Why? I thrive on them, they give me strength ~evil laughter~