I don't own Dragon Ball Z or any of the characters.
Thirteen years. Thirteen long years since the Androids appeared. To the people of Earth those thirteen years seemed like an eternity. An eternity of living in fear, of not knowing when the next attack would be, not knowing who would be killed next, not knowing when the nightmare was going to end.
There was no one left to fight the Androids. The famed Son Goku had died to an incurable heart virus six months before the Androids first attacked. When the Androids first showed on an island nine miles west of South City the Z fighters had flown into battle head first as they always had done in the past. Despite everything Piccolo, Vegeta, Yamcha, Tien, Chiaotzu, and Krillin were all defeated and killed. Now the fate of the world rested on the three remaining Z fighters.
A hover car sped down a rocky landscape. Inside the hover car was Bulma Briefs, the head and owner of Capsule Corp., and her fourteen-year-old son Trunks Briefs. Both mother and son said nothing as they continued to drive down the dirt road.
Living in a war torn world had made Bulma grow older, but she still looked quite attractive for a woman in her late forties. She stood about five foot four as her full height. Her blue hair was pulled back in a ponytail and her blue eyes showed the hard life she had to endure living in a world terrorised by the Androids. She wore an old pink jumpsuit and a pink ball cap.
Trunks was a little taller than his mother, had the same blue eyes, and lavender hair cut to only cover half his ears. His build was above that of a normal human's. Being half-Saiyan and the son of Vegeta had its advantages. Trunks wore gray pants, black boots, and a white shirt with long blue sleeves and the words 'Capsule Corp.' written in black on the shirt.
A report about the Androids attacking another city played on the hover car radio. Bulma frowned and turned the radio off. She couldn't take much more of hearing the Androids attack.
"This is getting ridicules! At this rate those Androids will destroy everything until there is nothing left to be saved. If only Goku was there the day they showed up. I know he would have made a difference." swore Bulma.
Trunks snapped out of his sulking and looked at his mother. A stern look was on the young half-Saiyan's face.
"Mom, stop the car!" shouted Trunks.
Bulma pulled over and turned off the hover car. The woman looked at her hybrid son and instantly knew what he was thinking. Bulma's frown deepened as she looked her son in the eye.
"No Trunks! There's no way I'm going to lose my only son to those monster! They already took the lives of all my friends and my parents! I'm not going to lose you two." snapped Bulma.
Summoning all his ki, Trunks leapt into the air and flew off in the direction of the city the Androids had been attacking. Bulma could do nothing but watch as her son flew towards the destroyed city. She cursed herself for letting him get away from her again.
"He better come back alive, that's all I can say. Why did Trunks have to inherit his father's stubbornness and need to fight? At least he didn't inherit Vegeta's charming personality. I don't think I could handle having another Vegeta around with the state the world's in." sighed Bulma.
Bulma sighed and started the hover car back up. She drove back to the remains of Capsule Corp. and started work on getting some of the capsule orders filled. The world might have been in kayos, but that didn't stop people from needing capsules and it didn't stop Bulma from making them.
Trunks landed in the remains of the destroyed city. Destroyed buildings, ruined cars, dead bodies, and destruction, was all the eye could see. Before the Androids showed up this scene would be considered grotesque, but to Trunks it was normal. This was how the world had been for him for as long as he could remember. Ruined cities and dead bodies were becoming more common these days one could have begun to see the world in no other way.
Trunks walked around the destroyed buildings. He stepped over the body of a dead man holding onto a little girl no older than three. It took all of Trunks' strength to hold back the tears forming in his eyes. It just wasn't fair. How could the Androids kill innocent lives and fell nothing about it.
Two figures flew in from the sky at to speed. The two forms landed on the ruins of a destroyed building and looked over the tragic scene. Trunks recognised the two figures as Son Gohan and Son Goten, the sons of the late Son Goku.
Gohan had only been ten when his father died and the Androids attacked. Now Gohan was a battle hardened warrior. He stood at the same height of his father, five foot none, and looked exactly like his late father.
Gohan was twenty-three, had dark brown eyes hardened by many countless battles with the Androids, and short spiked black hair. He was strong and well muscled. Gohan dressed in an orange gi with a blue sash to keep the gi in place. He also wore a weighted blue training shirt with elbow length sleeves, blue wristbands, and dark blue boots. The simble for 'Han' was written on the back of Gohan's gi.
Goten stood at his brother's side. Goten had been born two months after the Androids showed up. He and Gohan's mother, ChiChi, had been a month pregnant with Goten when Goku died. Like his brother and Trunks Goten held great hatred towards the Androids. When Goten was three the Androids had destroyed his grandfather, the Ox King's, kingdom. ChiChi had been visiting her father at the time of the attack and both she and the Ox King died when the kingdom was destroyed.
Goten was thirteen and bore an even greater resemblance to his father than Gohan did. Goten had the same kind brown eyes his father had and even had the same spiked black hair, only it was a little longer weighing down the spikes in the back. He dressed in an orange gi identical to Gohan's, even the simble was the same, and Goten also wore a long sleeved weighted training shirt and dark blue boots.
Trunks looked at the other two half-Saiyans. Finally Trunks couldn't hold back his tears anymore and began to cry. He looked at the two Sons of Goku with hurt blue eyes.
"Gohan, Goten. Why are the Androids doing this? Why are they killing all these innocent people?" cried Trunks.
Goten jumped down from his brother's side and ran to his best friend. He put a hand on Trunks' shoulder and looked his friend in the eye. Trunks could see that tears were beginning to pour down Goten's face to.
"It's going to be alright Trunks. Don't worry Gohan's here. He can just go Super Saiyan and destroy those two tin cans. We've got nothing to worry about with Gohan around." insisted Goten.
Trunks gave the younger half-Saiyan a weak smile. Gohan went to the side of the two young teenagers. The two young teens looked up at the older half-Saiyan. A warm smile crossed Gohan's lips.
"Let's get going you two. We better head to Capsule Corp. You probably ran off again when you heard the Androids were attack, aren't I right Trunks? Knowing Bulma she's probably going to yell until she turns as blue as her hair and whack you a few good times with her frying pan." stated Gohan.
Trunks and Goten both shuttered at the thought of Bulma yelling with a frying pan. The two young half-Saiyans had been struck by Bulma's famous frying pan of doom more times than they could count. Gohan had told the two that ChiChi had also used a frying pan on him when he was younger and she was a lot more violent with it than Bulma.
According to Gohan Bulma's frying pan whacks to the head were almost gentle and relaxing compared to how hard and violent ChiChi used to knock someone out with her frying pan. Neither of the boys wanted to even imagine anything that could make Bulma's frying pan whacks look relaxing and they were both to scared, to even try thinking about it.
The three half-Saiyans took to the sky and flew to the partly destroyed building of Capsule Corp. They had flown back to Capsule Corp. so fast that Bulma wasn't even there yet. Trunks was grateful that they had beaten his mother home. Hopefully he could enjoy these last few moment of his life in peace before he ended up with a smashed in scull. The only thing Trunks feared more than the Androids was his mother when she was angry and her frying pan.
Trunks sat on a chair in the living room. Goten sat in a chair beside him. Gohan stood looking out one of the large windows. The two young half-Saiyans were crying about all the lives the Androids had taken and all the pain they caused.
"Is this how life is supposed to be, so full of pain and suffering? I'd rather fight and die than sit around hiding. Gohan you're half-Saiyan like me and Goten. You know how we feel. Help us get rid of some of this anger?" growled Trunks.
Trunks was now on his feet, clenching his teeth and holding his hands in fists. Goten arose from his chair and looked at his brother. Tears were still pouring down both of the young half-Saiyans' faces.
"Please train us big brother. We need to fight. We can't take much more of watching the Androids kill innocent people. Please teach us how to fight." begged Goten.
Gohan was silent for some time. He lightly smiled when he knew what he was going to do.
"You two are just pitiful. You're both emotional wreacks. Just like how I was when my mother wouldn't let me train and fight with my father. From now on I am your master and you two are my pupils. How does that sound?" declared Gohan.
Trunks and Goten both smiled. It was true Gohan taught them how to fly and use basic ki blasts, but they knew nothing that would help them defeat the Androids. Gohan becoming the two young half-Saiyans' master was just what they needed in order to become great fighters.
"Trunks I'm home." said Bulma.
"My mom's back. Please don't tell her about training me and Goten?" asked Trunks.
Gohan smiled and nodded. Trunks and Goten dried their eyes before Bulma came into the living room carrying a bag of groceries. Bulma glared at her son and their two unexpected guests.
"It's good to see that you're alive son. Do you plan on living long or should I start shopping for one instead of two." warned Bulma.
Trunks was getting nervous. He could tell he was going to get hip with a frying pan in the very near future.
"No two is fine mom." nervously answered Trunks.
Bulma acknowledged the Son brothers for the first time.
"And a couple of surprise guests. How have you been Gohan? And Goten we haven't seen you in over a month. What have you two been up to?" wondered Bulma.
Gohan turned and looked at Bulma.
"I'm doing fine Bulma." answered Gohan.
"Some here." added Goten.
A look crossed Bulma's face that had the three half-Saiyans worried. Bulma talked as she began to walk towards the kitchen.
"Trunks goes to fight the Androids and you two show up. What and interesting coincidence wouldn't you say? I would have perhaps expected Goten to show up, but not you Gohan. You three wouldn't be planning something behind my back now would you? I thought not. No one's that stupid, no one's that stupid right." snapped Bulma.
The three half-Saiyans were just left speechless. Trunks knew his mother worried about him and she worried about Goten to. After ChiChi died Bulma took over the role of mother in Goten's life and began to think of him as a second son or close nephew. If anything happened to either of the young half-Saiyans Bulma didn't know what she would do. Gohan was an adult and able to look after his self, but she still worried about him to.
Bulma got down to preparing a meal big enough for three bottomless Saiyan pits and herself. It was hard enough getting enough food to feed herself and Trunks (Goten to whenever he stayed with them), but making a meal big enough for four people (three Saiyans) was harder than it used to be. But somehow Bulma always managed to surprise everyone and make enough food to feed the three hungry Saiyans, herself, and for there to still be plenty of left over for the next day.
Gohan, Trunks, and Goten sat down at a table meant for four. Food covered the entire table and the three half-Saiyans were looking at the food with ravenous eyes. Bulma served the food to the three hungry Saiyans.
"I hope you can stay a little longer this time Gohan. We hardly get to see you anymore. Ever since Goten turned ten and moved out of Capsule Corp., I hardly see either of you. I miss the good old days with everyone. Travelling to Namek had to be the greatest adventure ever." recalled Bulma.
Bulma handed Gohan a large bowl of rice. Gohan took the bowl and vigorously began to eat.
"Chew attack!" shouted Gohan.
Gohan's chopsticks were flying as he gobbled down the rice and some other food. Trunks and Goten both got an idea and looked at their food like hungry vultures (more like hungry Saiyans, which they were).
"Chew attack!" echoed Trunks and Goten.
The two younger half-Saiyans copied Gohan's eating style and gobbled down their food before any had the chance to blink. Bulma just laughed at the sight. Gohan handed his bowl back to Bulma.
"More please." nicely asked Gohan.
Bulma took the bowl and smiled. A light laugh escaped the woman's throat as she filled up the bowl with more rice.
"Like father like son." said Bulma.
This caught all three half-Saiyans by surprise. Trunks and Goten stopped eating and listened to Gohan's response.
"You really think I'm like my dad Bulma?" asked Gohan.
Bulma gave Gohan back his refilled bowl of rice.
"You're defiantly like your father. The way you're so powerful and so gentle at the same time. And the way you look especially with that outfit on." responded Bulma.
"I guess I've always dreamed of becoming as strong as my dad. It makes me proud to wear his old colours." proudly said Gohan.
Bulma sat down and began to eat from her own plate.
"I know your father would be proud to know what a strong young man you have become. I've heard rumors that you've been fighting the Androids alone. Is it true?" worried Bulma.
"Yes." simply said Gohan.
"Please be careful. And guess what Trunks wants to fight to. The last time he was here I also heard Goten say something about fighting against the Androids. I wish you would talk with them. They just might listen to you." sighed Bulma.
Bulma shot the two half-Saiyans a deadly glare. Trunks and Goten both shuttered and gulped. If Bulma was this mad about them talking about fighting the Androids then how, would she react when she found out (and Bulma would find out eventually) that Gohan was training them to fight. All the two young half-Saiyans could do was hope Bulma didn't get to mad when she found out and pray to miss their execution by frying pan.
So what do you think? This story has been sitting in the back of my head and I finally decided to write it. Comment if you like the story.