HG - Mercury
Monday, September 25, 2000
Friday, September 29, 2000
Author' note: This story takes place in another timeline. I didn't want to write GT into it, so this picks up after the Buu fight. Yes, I know that my two villains are similar to Androids 17 and 18, but I did not do this purposely. Just ignore that fact, please.
Disclaimer: I don't claim any rights to DBZ, that honor goes to Akira Toriyama. This was made for fan purposes only, and no infringement is intended.
Where Did My Daughter Go?
Prologue
Bra felt the pain stinging on her skin as the scrape against her knees started bleeding. She looked down and tried not to cry. Her small hands grabbed at the loose sand as the tears rolled down her cheeks. Her brother was supposed to take her to the park. He promised he would. Then he went to see Son Goten. Bra stumbled through the dry grass outside of the sandbox. She knew her mother would be angry if she knew Bra had went by herself, but her mother probably thought she was with Trunks. Bra decided to come home before Trunks did. Bra tripped, but pulled herself up. She squinted against the sun and walked into something hard. Bra stopped and looked to see what she had walked into.
A tall woman stared down at her. Her raven hair moved slightly in the wind, and her skin was pale and cold. Her emerald eyes seemed to cut into Bra. "Ss - ssorr - sorry." She stuttered as the woman continued to look down at her. Against the sunlight, the woman seemed to hold a goddess-like glow.
"Young children should not be left here unattended." Her voice was like gravel. Bra could see an unsightly scar across her neck.
"I'm not a little kid!" Bra shouted in her defense.
"Oh?"
"Yeah!" Bra grinned. "I'm six and a half."
The woman turned her head and looked at something behind Bra. She gave a subtle nod that Bra almost didn't catch. She tapped lightly on her earring, and a visor slid across her eyes. "Yes. Yes I see." She looked at Bra closely. "Tell me, what is your name?"
Bra stopped as she opened her mouth. She wasn't supposed to talk to strangers. She backed away. The woman stepped closer.
"Please, just your name," The woman's eyes picked up a dull glow. She smiled with a false kindness. Bra tried to get away, but the woman grabbed her arm. She forced Bra to look into her eyes.
She lost control and whispered her name. The woman continued to stare at her. Bra bit her tongue as the word tumbled out, "Bra," The woman smiled again, and Bra stepped back. An icy cold object hit her head, and she fell to the ground. Bra saw the woman step into view. Another pair of shoes stood next to the woman's black boots. They whispered to each other, then Bra's world faded out.
---
Bulma looked away from the papers as her son came in. She watched as he came in, alone. She watched as he turned to the stairs, alone. Bulma stared at the door. She knew her daughter wasn't with Vegeta, for the Saiya-jin prince was training in the gravity room. "Trunks," she called as the boy stopped on the stairs. He looked at her. "Where's your sister?"
"How should I know?" he replied with a touch of annoyance.
Bulma frowned, "Didn't you take her to the park, like you said you would last night?"
Realization dawned on him and his shoulders drooped, "I completely forgot about it,"
"Then ... where is your sister?"
"Maybe she went to play with Pan?"
Bulma shook her head. "No. She called here asking for Bra just a little while before you came back."
"She wouldn't go by herself, would she?"
Bulma grabbed her coat. "Where has my daughter gone?"
Chapter One 15 years later
"What do you mean "I don't care'?! They are going to rip us apart - " Yamcha shouted. He stopped when realization hit him like a knife. "Uh, sorry."
Vegeta turned to him. "I mean exactly what I said. I don't care if this planet gets blown up, or if everything on it dies," he turned back to the window. "I don't want to fight,"
Yamcha looked away, and stopped himself from mentioning Bra. The girl had disappeared fifteen years ago, and everyone knew she was not coming back. Not after her jacket had been found in the playground, covered in blood. Bulma had spent hour after hour running tests on the blood, and it was confirmed that it belonged to Bra. After that, people saw less and less of her. Trunks had blamed himself for his little sister's death, and although people had assured him that it was not his fault, he still blamed himself. Vegeta blamed his son, as well as himself. After the initial shockwave, he had submersed himself in his training, sometimes spending days without food. After that phase, he had given up fighting, and locked himself in the gravity room to meditate for days. He was thinner, and his eyes lacked spirit. The Son family had also been affected. Pan shut off all contact with the Briefs, as did the rest of her family. Krillin and his family stopped coming around, and everyone tried to stop talking about Bra.
Only this new threat had pulled them together. The power had been felt first by Gohan. No one else had felt it, but he said it came to him in a dream. News traveled fast, and everyone was gathering to fight the incredible power.
---
Vage analyzed the microchip before crushing it in his fist. He looked past flaxen hair to his sister, Rita. She pushed her ebony locks away from her eyes, then turned to the door. "It is now," she said in a flat voice.
"The girl comes with us?"
Rita nodded. "Yes. It is time to test our weapon in a real battle."
Vage looked to the door as the girl came in. "Are you ready, daughter?"
The girl nodded, just as her "father" had. She turned to her mother. "What is the mission?"
"To destroy, Bra. To leave nothing alive."
---
Three streaks of light blurred past Trunks. One was red, the other green. The third light trailed behind, a dark purple. They whipped past the mountains, and disappeared. Trunks rubbed at the bruise on his cheek before following. The group stopped and scanned for the enemy.
"Split up!" His father yelled, and everyone scattered.
---
Bra watched the people disperse. She pressed her body tightly against the rock, and tapped at her earring. A purple visor slid over eyes, and she instantly knew the power levels of everyone there. They all seemed so familiar. Bra ran a hand over her long, braided hair as she watched the dark haired man come closer. He couldn't sense her superior strength. She tapped her earring again, and the visor turned into a sort of mask (Think Zechs Merquise from Gundam Wing). She watched him again. The idiot grin was present, even through his angry scowl. Bra searched for more around him, and decided to attack.
She came behind the young man and leaned closer. He was oblivious to her, but she dimmed her purple aura. She followed his every move as he flew through the sky. Bra was preparing for another turn, but the man stopped. He spun around and looked at her. She stared at him through the mask. He moved into a defensive position, and she laughed quietly. Her fist connected with his ear, then, her knee met his abdomen. He doubled over in pain before sinking to the ground. Bra extended her hand and formed a small ki blast. She threw it at him. It exploded. She looked down to see the young man barely breathing on the rocky plateau below her. Let him live, her mother commanded through the helmet. Bra turned away from him and spun on her toes. She watched the horizon blur.
Bra let her visor scan for the oncoming energy levels, as well as her senses. She spotted two rapidly approaching. Her visor/helmet identified them as Son Goku and Vegeta. Bra felt a little bubble in her mind. It seemed as if she knew them.
Chapter Two
Vegeta felt the boy's power dying just seconds after Kakarrot did. They raced to the fading power, unable to lock onto the enemies' energy. Vegeta watched the boy fall with cold indifference. Goten was barely alive. Vegeta moved his eyes from the weakling, and scanned for the enemy. A young girl was spinning in the air, an eerie glow masking her body. The others arrived, and listened to the soft laughter of the spinning enemy.
The girl stopped and looked at each of them. The green and red auras appeared behind her, and Vegeta got his first good look at them. The green light was made by a dark-haired woman with emerald green eyes and of medium height. She emitted no power, at least not to his senses. He knew she was immensely powerful. Her pearly white skin was reflecting the moonlight. Next to her, the red glow was surrounding a young man with platinum blond hair. He scanned the Z-fighters with empty yellow eyes. Their colors died, and they looked to each other. The woman looked to the girl in the middle.
The girl relaxed, then laughed loudly. Vegeta felt that the laugh sounded familiar. He looked down to the plateau, seeing Trunks helping Goten rejoin the group. The older adults stepped away from the purple figure. She was tall, and petite. He could not see her hair, but a reasonable guess told him it was under the helmet. The masque dipped past her nose, hiding most of her face. Her clothes, or more accurately "lack of", were extremely tight, and looked like good fighting armor. She turned her head to one side and tapped at her helmet. Vegeta could see the corner of her mouth turn up, into a confident smirk. "Which one of you will be first?" she asked clearly. Her gaze found Goten. "Or should I say second?"
Krillin stepped forward. He took a deep breath and forced the words, "I am!" from his throat. The girl snickered. She stepped forward and lowered herself to his eye-level. Krillin moved into the offense, and the girl remained motionless. Krillin went into a series of punches, but the girl dodged them all. Krillin stepped back, exhausted. The girl raised two fingers to the sky, then snapped them. Krillin fell back, unconscious.
The girl allowed Tien to catch his body while the other enemies smiled and nodded approvingly. Vegeta jumped in front of her. His body was out tone, with his lack of fighting. He looked at the girl with an icy coldness. "Who are you?" he whispered much to everyone's surprise.
The girl tilted her head, and appeared to be listening to something. She answered with an uppercut. Vegeta was pushed back with the blow. He had never felt something with so much power. The girl moved in, and hit Vegeta across the jaw. He stumbled back. The girl brought both hands forward in a gust of wind, and hit Vegeta on both temples. The power bubbled between his eyes, and he started falling downward. Vegeta caught himself, and flew upward. He hit the girl in the shoulder, and a large ribbon of blood appeared. The Z-fighters watched as it healed and disappeared. Vegeta realized his mistake as the girl rammed him with a ki charged fist. She smashed at his nose, and a crack was heard as her knee collided with his face. He lost his balance and dropped like a stone, one hand covering his face, the other charging a blast. He threw it, but the girl easily dodged. His vision clouded over.
---
Rita watched as her "daughter" made quick work on her real father. It was all quite amusing, even as Bra kicked the three-eyed freak down into the water. He wouldn't be getting up for a while. They were all defeated, except for Son Goku and Trunks. Son Goku, he is next, she instructed her daughter. The girl received this order, and pointed to the Saiya-jin. Bra waited as the man turned Super-Saiya-jin. His power was rising drastically, but still no match for them. This is getting boring, Bra. Go ahead and kill this one.
Bra moved closer as Goku passed SSj 2. She punched him in the stomach, and he doubled over in pain. Bra had put all her available strength into that blow. If she had been powered up, there wouldn't be a Son Goku. Bra let her ki flare between her hands, and she went in for the death blow. Son Goku's hair was black again, and Bra was smiling. She charged, but a blur of white stopped her. Her real brother was standing before her, challenging her for Goku's life. Rita smiled. Let him go. This one is your prey.
She cannot learn with so many conflicting orders, Vage said in a bored tone.
She will learn, Rita knew that they had won.
---
Trunks didn't look back as Goku got away. He looked with anger to the girl. She stared at him, not moving. Trunks charged her, and got a knee to her ribs. She doubled over in pain. He brought his elbow to her neck, and she went flying downward. He faintly wondered why he was getting hits in, but did not care. He rushed to her, and got just below her. He brought both hands together like the same move she had used on his father. The helmet started to slide off her head. Trunks took advantage, and fired an intense ki blast from his hand. The girl was gasping to breath. Trunks looked up to the other invaders. They appeared unconcerned. Trunks rushed at her again, this time firing a series of deadly beams. One cut through the girl's mask and ear. The helmet split.
Guessing she was blind, Trunks brought his foot to her abdomen. The mask was still cracking as he wrapped his arm around her neck. She struggled for breath, and got one word out, "Oniisan," Trunks let go of her and pushed her away. The mask fell from her face, letting aqua-green hair fall from her head. It fell across her blue eyes as she looked deeply at him. "Trunks,"
Chapter Three
Vage felt the trace of panic vibrate along his sister's lifelink. They were twins, and if one felt it, they both felt it. Their "daughter" was going to remember if they didn't interfere. Bra brought her hands over her ears as her visor disappeared, back into her earring. She huddled into a ball, and rocked herself forward and backward. The boy was staring at her in shock. Since the helmet had been destroyed, Vage could no longer talk to the girl. He spoke aloud.
"Do not be fooled," his daughter uncurled herself at the sound of her father's voice. She looked up to Vage for stability. He smiled at her. He wished that she was really his daughter. Rita sent an emotion of warning. Don't get carried away, s she warned. Vage frowned. He knew she enjoyed her role as mother, just as much as he liked hearing her call him "Father,"
Bra's eyes watered. Vage spoke again, "Don't let them trick you. What you are seeing and 'remembering' are just lies. They are not your family."
Rita let her emotionlessly vacant eyes fill with warmth. "We are your family," she looked at Trunks. "They are imposters. We are the ones who raised you and looked after you. We are your family,"
Bra nodded and lost the confusion in her eyes. She pushed past Trunks and flew toward them. Vage and Rita grabbed either of her arms, then brought their free hands to the sky. They vanished.
---
Goku blinked again. The threat was gone - for now. He looked up to see Trunks floating in the air. Goku looked down to see the others passed out. He turned back to Trunks, then down to Vegeta. And idea clicked. His cracked ribs made shouting difficult, but he called up to Trunks anyway, "Trunks!" The boy moved his gaze from the spot where his sister had been.
---
"What are we going to do about this problem? Bra will remember," Rita watched Bra sleep.
Vage also watched his child's deep breathing. "She must remember." Rita looked up at him in alarm. He let his gaze slide to the door. Rita followed him out. In the library, he continued. "If we try to keep these memories suppressed, then she will hate us when it starts coming back to her. We need to encourage her to know her biological parents. I guarantee she will not chose them over us."
Rita nodded, "If you are wrong..."
---
"That girl is not my daughter," Vegeta said with a hint of sadness. They were at Capsule Corp., recovering from their wounds. Tien had a broken leg, as did Goku. Vegeta had compound fractures throughout his body, and a punctured lung. He was in the worst shape, then Goku. Son Goku had broken ribs, a fractured leg, and torn muscles in his abdomen. He was sitting on numerous pillows stacked against one of the soft chairs. Vegeta rubbed at the bandage across his nose.
"But what if she is?" Bulma asked quietly.
"Well, we've got to find her, regardless." Trunks whispered. He knew that the girl that had so easily defeated them was in fact his little sister. That was why had been getting blows in. Bra had been too shocked with recognizing him as her brother. She had looked at him with such pain in her eyes.
Ding!
All heads turned toward the door.
Ding!
No one had moved. Finally, Trunks drug himself from the chair to answer the door. He opened it and stepped back.
---
Bra was about to ring again, but the door slid open. She bit her lip and looked at the man she had called her brother. "Um ... hi?"
~End Part One~
