A/N: So this the sequel the Bring Me To Life that I wrote with my brother and our friend (he was the one who wanted to call it this) and while I came up with Joey, my brother came up with the villian of the trillogy who you'll meet named Tsukage, and our friend came up with the characters for this story, Squall and Sepiroth. Yes, he's a FF fan. So read, enjoy, and this time if you review you will get points for cookies, mmm, fresh chocolate chip right outta the oven... not mine of course, so you know they don't suck.
It's May, about six months after the final incidents of Bring Me To Life. Since then, Joey and Trunks have seen each other on a lighter note, getting used to each other's company and accepting the fact that, like it or not, they were half brothers. Trunks had just turned 16 last month, he and Joey being about three years of age apart. It's the late morning of the first week of the month, the sun is just fully over the horizon at about ten am. Capsule Corp. shines brightly among the trees and city streets as the family gets started with their day. Rock music is heard coming from Joey's room, he's inside playing his guitar and singing one of his bands favorite hit songs, "I'll be there for you!" His room looked just like his back at home in the desert, all of his things had been moved but Joey had inherited his old house from Yamcha's name and left it abandoned to return to it later once he's grown and out on his own. But he's happy here in his new Capsule Corp. home with his adoptive family. He was always alone, and now he's not. Trunks came into the bedroom as Joey sings the final chorus. "America is like apple pie and by miss…." He looks up. "Hey, what the hell are you doing in here?" Joey demands angrily, noticing Trunks in the doorway grinning at him, he growls and tries not to be embarrassed.
"Don't worry, I haven't been here long enough to see you make a fool of yourself. And trust me, that isn't too long." Trunks laughed. Joey just scowls as he pouts, blushing slightly. Trunks goes into his room and looks around before focusing his eyes back on his older stepbrother. "You know, you really are pretty good. The lyrics may be a little strange at times, heh, but it sounds like not even laryngitis can keep you down."
"Hey, shut up." Joey smirks smugly up at Trunks, referring to prior to as of late.
Joey had long since recovered from the illness he'd received while training with Vegeta in the forest. The fever only lasted about a week, but a few months later the real sickness hit him and he's just healed from the long, nasty cold a few days ago. He was sick for four times in the last three months, it was really bad. Now he's just at the tail end with an occasional sneeze or lingering cough. Luckily for him Bulma was his mother, well, though I should've probably said unluckily. She can be one of those crazy doctors.
"Oh Trunks, there you are." Vegeta pushes the door open as he enters.
"Hey dad." Trunks looks up as Vegeta turns on the light in the dark bedroom.
"Joey, hi." Bulma appears at the side of her husband.
"Morning mom," Joey smiles up at her and turns to Vegeta with a curt bow. "Dad."
"Good morning." Vegeta nods and turns back to Trunks. Vegeta had taken Joey under his wing after Yamcha's death and had become not only a trainer but a very supportive, and even at times caring, parental father figure in his life. "Come with me for a moment."
"Sure." Trunks gets up off Joey's bed and follows Vegeta out of the room.
"Busted." Joey snickers under his breath and Trunks just shoots him a look.
"So, how are you doing this morning?" Bulma walks over to Joey after the two leave, and sits down next to him, brushing a lock of his now slightly longer hair out of his eyes.
"Fine, mom." Joey moves his guitar case and puts the guitar back in before closing it.
"How's your voice?" Bulma rubs and feels Joey's neck as he puts the case under his bed.
"I said I'm fine mom, my fever has been gone for what, weeks." Joey laughs slightly as Bulma takes her hand off his face.
Bulma smiles, "I'm sorry son, I just can't help worrying over you. Open." Joey opens his mouth wide as Bulma makes one last inspection down his throat. "Alright, it looks good."
"Well look you don't have to anymore mom, I'm a grown up now." He boasted proudly.
"Oh?" Bulma laughs. "And do grown men whine and complain over a little sore throat?"
"Mom!" Joey smirks meekly, then muttered. "You know it was more than that…"
Bulma gives her son a loving grin and can't help laughing, "Okay, okay. You have to learn that a mother can never stop babying her baby, even if that baby is a big grown up baby." She gives him a quick kiss as she stands up to leave the room. "Why don't you clean up this fault line of yours?"
"Mom, this 'fault line' is my room." Joey laughed.
"After you do, you can go out and play." Bulma says in a motherly tone.
"Alright." Joey smiles with a nod as Bulma closes the door behind her. "Let's see now, what work do I have to do?" He stands, putting his hands on his hips, surveying his room. It is pretty messy, in the corner by the laundry basket, his cloths are all thrown this way and that, near rather than in the basket. The computer on his desk is surrounded by clutter and dust. He has a lot of sports and music posters on his wall, some older ones are torn and coming down while most are new so aren't. His dresser has two drawers open with some junk and stuff in one, the other crooked due to a broken hinge and having some clothes hanging out. The lamp on top of the dresser is flashing, the light bulb is bad and needs changing. The closet door is open, inside is a mess of anything and everything. "Hmm." Joey looks around and his eyes fix on something. "Aha." He smiles and walks towards his destination. He notices some trash on the table next to his bed by his alarm clock and the photo given to him by Puar from long ago. It was of Yamcha, Bulma, Puar and Joey when he was still a toddler. He picks up the paper plate with wrappers and throws it in the overflowing trash bin by the door. "There, all done." He smiles proudly as he dusts his hands and looks over his work. "Well, time to have some fun." He rushes towards the door, grabbing his trademark red bandana off the corner of the tilted mirror and runs outside as he puts it on. "Yo Trunks!" He calls and Trunks turns around in the front yard. "What's up?" Joey stops running as he makes his way over closer.
"Oh Joey, you're just in time." Trunks smiles.
"Huh? For what man?"
"I want to introduce you to two friends of mine." Trunks takes a few steps to the side and two teenage boys walked over. "Joey, this is Squall and Sepiroth."
"Hey, how's it going?" Joey nods at the two brothers.
"They're Saiyans like me."
"But I thought you were only a half-Saiyan, Trunks."
"Yea I am, they may be full blooded, but we all can go Super Saiyan." As Trunks spoke, the three of them became Super Saiyans, exploding into a yellow light that Joey had seen many a time before in his training battles with Vegeta.
"Oh wow, that's cool." Joey couldn't help but feel a little weak and a bit envious though.
"But because they're full blooded Saiyans, they can remain in that form for days or even weeks straight, while I have to change back when I get too tired and need to regain my energy." Trunks returned to his normal form, whereas Squall and Sepiroth didn't. "They can stay like that for a month, even in their sleep."
"I bet that comes in handy during a fight. Training while your sleep." Joey whistled.
"Well actually yes, it does." Squall, the 17 year old, stepped up.
"I'm like the strongest fighter there is." Sepiroth, the 24 year old, added with a proud grin
"What about Goku or Vegeta?" Joey's question caused the three Saiyans to laugh. Joey looked around at them confused. "What?"
"Sorry, it's just that, not even fused, Vegeta and Goku couldn't match my power." Sepiroth stopped laughing, rolling his eyes, obviously kidding, but he didn't want to let Joey in on the inside joke.
"Oh, really?" Joey was amazed, somebody that beat Vegeta?
"Hey come on, let it go." Squall elbowed his older brother slightly, just because Joey was the new kid, and a human, didn't mean they had to haze on him that much, just yet that is.
"Here, why don't I tell you a story?" Sepiroth offered.
"Sure." Joey shrugged, eager to hear the story. "Bring on the popcorn and the pops."
"I'm on a diet thanks." Sepiroth smirked and tapped his torso.
"Well while you two ladies yap, Trunks and I are gonna go spar." Squall yawned.
"Later." Trunks gave a slight wave before he flew after his friend.
"So anyway, what happened?" Joey asked, and Sepiroth began his tale, the tale of when they first arrived on earth and met Trunks and the Z-fighters, the tale of the Super Saiyan brothers.