Chapter 4- A Time for Action
"Is this…our cue?" They could both feel the alien kis coming closer. They were landing on Earth.
18 looked at her brother out of the corner of her eye. It was far too early in the morning for this to be happening. They hadn't had breakfast. She hadn't even had her coffee. "Yes. It appears so." She blew on her coffee and then tried to sip it. It was still too hot. Giving up on it, she slid it back onto the table. "Are you ready?"
"To 'save the world?' Sure. It could be fun." 17 apparently had no issue with how hot his coffee was. He tipped it up and downed it.
18 crossed her arms and stared at him impatiently.
After a few moments, he finished and dropped the empty mug carelessly back onto the table.
"Alright then." 18 hurried him along lest he decide to have breakfast too before heading out. She made sure that her phone was in her pocket and then headed toward the door with long confident strides. "Here we go."
The two stepped outside and then shot into the sky.
Goku shot up in bed, looking around wildly. He had awoken with a start as if at a loud bang. However everything was silent. One eye was squinted half shut, and his hair, if possible was even messier than normal.
"Goku?" Chichi rolled over and looked at her husband. "It's still early." She said tiredly.
Goku nodded, still half asleep. He was about to lie back down when suddenly he heard his son shout. "Dad!" Goku was instantly alert. He heard a thump from the other room, and almost at the same second, his senses picked up the fact that the alien kis were much closer than before.
"Oh no!" Goku yelled jumping out of bed.
His bedroom door flew open. "Dad!" Goten yelled again.
"I know! I feel them too! Did they just land?"
"I…I think so." Goten was still in his pajamas.
"Get your clothes on, Goten! Hurry up!"
"Uh? Oh ok dad!" Goten hurried back to his room, while Goku started digging through his wardrobe in search of his gi.
"Goku?" Chichi was sitting up staring at him. "What are you doing?"
"What? Chichi, I'm going to go help out." He blinked at her as if she'd lost her mind.
"Oh…it's just that…"
Goten ran back in, fully dressed. "Ready! But umm…how are we going to get there since we can't fly."
Goku froze, one leg in his orange pants. He stared at his son in surprise, the wheels in his brain turning fast. Suddenly, he straightened up. "Darn it! I forgot!" He stomped his foot in frustration, unintentionally creating a large crack in the floorboards.
Goten fell over.
Chichi sighed and pulled herself out of bed. "Well, I guess you'll just have to hope its on TV then, Goku."
"TV?" Goku blinked, and then his face lit up in a grin. "Oh yea, the news!" In a flash he was out of the room. "Last one down's a rotten egg!" Chichi found it amusing that he had already made it to the couch before he'd finished his sentence. Even without their super powers, both Goku and his son were much faster than the normal human.
Chichi grabbed her robe and followed them downstairs.
"Is that them?"
"That's them." She confirmed. "Unless there are another bunch of aliens that have just landed."
17 cocked his head to the side. A gentle breeze carried blew through his silky black hair. "And you were worried? Why exactly did I have to come along anyway? You could have definitely handled them on your own."
She glanced behind her to where she could sense a large power approaching. "Yea, but we we're going to try to get rid of them before they manage to kill any people."
17 cocked an eyebrow but didn't say anything to that. "Is the big pink guy on our side too?" He asked instead. "This seems like overkill."
Buu had just arrived. "Hello!" He greeted in a cheerful, high pitched voice. "Buu know you." He pointed to 18. "But not you! You alien?"
"No, Buu. This is my brother, 17." She sent patronizing look to 17. "17, say hello."
17 blinked. "Uhh…hello."
"Well, now that we all know each other, I guess we can do what we came here to do." 18 said in a bored tone. "How about a surprise attack? Take three out in one go."
"Sounds good." 17 said.
"You up for it, Buu?" 18 raised one finger and pointed it down at one of the aliens.
Buu thought about it. Hercule had told him that just this once, he was allowed to kill people. He couldn't really tell these people from all the other ones. They may be slightly differently colored, perhaps, but to him, they were almost the same as humans. If he happened to make a mistake and kill a human by accident, Hercule would be very upset. "Which ones I kill?"
18 lowered her hand. "Hmmm….well, how about this. There are twelve. So you can take the four blue ones. We'll handle the rest."
"Blue ones?" Buu looked back over to the aliens, studying them closely.
"Yes."
"OK!" He said cheerfully.
"Good." 18 raised her finger again. "Let's go then. On three. One…"
Buu raised a both hands, a ball coming to life on each of them. 17 lazily brought a finger up, matching his sister's pose.
"Two." 18 brought up her other hand, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Three." Two energy balls, and two beams shot forth, and a moment later, four of the aliens were on the ground. Two blue ones lacked heads, and two of the other ones had holes between their eyes.
The aliens, as one sprung to attention, turning their weapons in the direction that the beams had come.
"Oh, look." 17 commented. "They're synchronized."
18 chuckled. "Let's go, loser." She shot down toward the aliens, dodging and deflecting beams that were shot at her. The beams singed her clothes, and burned her arms, even despite the energy barrier she had put up. Deciding that she preferred not to be covered in burns by the time she ended this, she started dodging them all. She quickly broke through their line of defense, and drove her foot into one large, bull-like man's face.
A moment later, she saw 17 beside her, tearing into another of the aliens.
The bull-like man's skull had been thicker than she'd expected. Instead of immediately crumbling under the force of her kick, the man only flew backwards, rolled and then dragged himself back to his feet. Two other aliens jumped in front of her to defend their fallen comrade long enough for him to get back up.
A shot from behind hit her shoulder, burning clean through the shirt, and singing her skin. She gasped at the unexpected pain and rounded to see who had shot her. There was no one there. She turned back again, to see a tall, dark blue man standing in front of her.
She crouched into a fighting stance. The other two aliens flanked the man. The one she had hit had disappeared somewhere. Buu was faring well. He appeared to be playing with the one blue man, but was taking an obvious beating from two other horned aliens who he was doing nothing to defend against. 17 was dancing around gracefully, shouting insults at the two aliens who were trying to overpower him.
She turned her attention back to her own opponent.
"You're pretty strong for an earthling." The dark man commented. "If that is indeed what you are." He cocked an eyebrow at her. "Tell me, what sort of creature retains its power despite the Meiyochi?"
"I won't tell you anything."
The man smirked and then disappeared completely. She tensed and spun around, expecting the man to attack her from behind. Instead three loud explosions ripped through the sky. "What?" She looked toward the source of the sound. Three large clouds were rising over a city just distinguishable in the distance.
"Did you like that?"
18 gasped in surprise and spun back around.
"I just want you to know that I can instantaneously relocate."
She regained her composure quickly. "So what? I've seen it done before."
He frowned, but then cocked an eyebrow. "Oh well. It impresses some ladies."
She crossed her arms. What was he going on about?
"Should I torch a few more cities or will you just answer my question?"
"Can you repeat the question? I'm so bored I forgot it."
He scowled at her. "How can you still use ki despite the Meiyochi?"
"I can't use ki." She stated. "Does that answer your question?"
"Then what do you use? Magic?"
"No."
The alien looked toward Buu. "But he does, does he not? I was not aware that this planet was home to a magical species."
"This planet is home to many species."
"Including Saiyans." He stated, rather than asked.
"As a matter of fact, yes."
"But the Meiyochi works on them. We killed one, in fact. The Saiyan Prince, Vegeta."
18 didn't respond. Why was he asking all these questions? "Is there a point to any of this?"
"Only to ascertain what we're dealing with. So that the next troop that is sent here is better prepared than we are."
18 crouched tensed. "The next troop?"
He chuckled. "You didn't think that, the empire would just give up after losing only two scouter troops."
"So you know that you will be defeated, today?"
"If that's how you want this to go. I know that we are far outclassed by you three. Especially the pink one. However," He paused dramatically. "If you surrender this planet, now, I'm sure we can cut a deal. If it's the screening business that's causing an issue, we can just, you know," He wiggled his hand and winked, "lower the standards a bit."
"No." 18 said. "Personally, I don't care about the majority of this planet's population. But," She narrowed her eyes. "There are some that I do care about"
"We can make an exception for them."
"Still no." 18 said. "There's nothing that you say that is going to convince me. I'm doing some people a favor right now by killing you all." And Krillin would never forgive her if she let the Earth's population down.
"Is that your final answer?"
"Yes."
"So be it." He disappeared.
Piccolo's eyes shot open.
"Did you have a nice sleep dear?" He stiffened and turned to see that Mrs. Briefs was right behind him, watering her flowers. He didn't respond, but just crossed his arms and closed his eyes again.
He had stayed in West City, hoping that he could be of some service when Bulma and Vegeta returned. There was also the fact that he couldn't drive, and had no desire to accompany Krillin to Kame Island.
"I thought I sensed you here." Piccolo's eyes shot open again, and this time, he glared at the scarred fighter and the small cat who floated beside him. How could Puar still fly when Piccolo couldn't?
"What's going on, Piccolo? Can you fly? I can't do a thing."
"No. No one can fly with the exception of the Androids and Buu." Piccolo said. "The Earth is under attack by an alien empire. We received the first troop yesterday. We defeated them, with only minor setbacks. These that are attacking now were in space before."
They both turned suddenly. A large number of small kis had disappeared in the distance. This was the second time it had happened, and this time, it was much farther away than the time before. Apparently one of the aliens had gotten through their defenders' line and was attacking highly populated areas.
"Is there nothing we can do?"
"No." Piccolo thought. "But Buu and the Androids should be able to handle the problem on their own. These aliens aren't nearly as powerful as them."
"Darn! I wish we could at least see what's going on."
"You could watch it on the TV, dear." Both men turned to see Mrs. Briefs sanding behind them. "Would you like some tea?"
"Uh…no thank you." Yamcha said. "I think I'll just go find the TV."
Piccolo nodded and glanced to Mrs. Briefs.
"Tea, dear? Maybe a coffee?"
"No thanks." He followed Yamcha with a swish of his cape.
"Such a serious young man." Mrs. Briefs observed. "I think I'll make lemonade instead."
The news host looked frazzled and nervous. "The ship has landed just outside of Kihhur city. Wait…there appear to be two ships there. An unknown number of people—some are claiming they are aliens—have begun attacking the city. Several buildings including the Tirian Hotel, the GoraGora Bank, and Kihhur City Hospital…"
"Kihhur City Hospital?" Goku's face drained.
"Goku?" Chichi asked.
"Kihhur City Hospital…"
"Goku what's wrong?"
Behind them the host continued. "This just in…reports of similar explosions in Underton City. Thousands are presumed dead…"
"Oh Kami, I left them there."
"Who? Where?"
Goku looked down at her as if in a daze. "I left Bulma, Vegeta, and Trunks at Kihhur City Hospital last night."
Chichi gasped. Her hair was down, and unbrushed, and she was still in her nightclothes and robe. Her attire somehow mirrored how unprepared she was for such news.
"No dad! That can't be right! It must be another one. Trunks can't be…He…" Goten's eyes watered up. "He's my best friend."
Chichi grabbed her son and hugged him. Goku suddenly snapped out of his shock. In an instant he was a flurry of motion.
"ChiChi where's my power pole?" He asked, running to the closet under the stairs.
"What? It should be there? You don't think they're coming here, do you?" She clutched Goten tighter.
"No." Goku found the pole and without a second thought ran out of the house. "Kinto-Kun!"
"No!" Chichi shrieked. She released Goten and made to run after her husband. "Goku, you'll be killed!" But she was too late. Goku had already jumped onto the cloud and was speeding through the air in the direction of Kihhur City."
Goten stood in the living room, staring straight ahead. His best friend couldn't be dead. It was impossible. Not Trunks.
In a daze, he walked to the kitchen and grabbed the phone. He hesitated before dialing the number he knew so well, but then he managed to force himself to do it.
Someone answered, and Goten's breath caught in his troat. "Hello?" A moment later it seemed like his heart stopped.
"Gohan?" Goten asked. "What are you doing with Trunks' phone? Is he with you?"
"Oh this is Trunks' phone? We found it in the car yesterday. He must have forgotten it there."
"So…Trunks isn't there?"
"Huh? No he's not here. We're at the lookout right now. I was going to wait for Piccolo to come back, but he's not here yet either. Are you all ok? The other aliens have landed, but you should be safe at the house."
Goten was silent. No. He absolutely wasn't ok.
"Goten?" Gohan's voice was some what alarmed. He could obviously tell that something was wrong.
"Trunks is dead!" Goten shouted and then burst into tears.
"What? How? Goten what's happened? Did he try to fight the aliens? What's going on?"
"Kihhur city was attacked." Goten wailed. "The hospital's gone!"
"Oh no! That's terrible!" He quickly tried to search for Trunks,' Bulma's or Vegeta's ki. He couldn't sense any of them. "No…"
"Dad's gone to Kihhur city too." Goten said, his voice growing frantic now.
"What?" Gohan nearly dropped the phone. "Dad?"
"He's going try to help."
"But he can't. None of us have gotten our powers back! What's he expect to do?"
"I don't know! But he took Kinto kun."
"Darn it!" Gohan said more to himself than to Goten. "What are you doing, dad? This isn't like all the other times." In the distance, he could feel several large powers. They were far too powerful for his father to take on in the state he was in. He would be killed.
No. Gohan wouldn't lose his father again.
"Hold on, Goten. I'll go try to find dad and bring him back. Just…just wait at the house with mom." Gohan hung up the phone, and suddenly Goten was standing alone in the kitchen again. The TV was still on in the living room, calling in reports of high death tolls in various cities.
Trunks was tense and jumpy and was spending minutes at a time staring out of the window. The same window. The same direction. He'd woken with a start around 8:45 and couldn't be convinced to go back to bed.
Bulma knew that something was happening, but she didn't know what. Trunks wouldn't tell her. Vegeta hadn't woken up since she'd put him to bed the night before, however, since around the time Trunks woke up, he seemed to be sleeping a bit more restlessly.
Suddenly Trunks jumped away from the window. He looked up to at the ceiling as if frantically searching for something. Bulma's anxiety grew.
"Trunks what is it?" She asked.
Had they been found? Were they about to be attacked?
Trunks didn't answer. He was tense, hardly moving, but his eyes were darting this way and that. Bulma watched him for a moment and then ran into the kitchen. Searching through the drawers, she found a large carving knife. Even if no one would tell her what was going on, she would at least be prepared.
When she returned to the living room, Trunks was standing with his eyes closed in the middle of the room. His face was scrunched up as if he were in pain.
"Trunks? Trunks what's wrong honey?"
She knelt down beside him and only then realized that he was whispering something. "No don't go there? You'll be killed. Don't go! We're safe. Down here." Bulma gently grabbed his arms as if in an effort to snap him out of whatever hallucination he was in.
His eyes flew open suddenly and he turned to look back at the window.
Breaking away from Bulma's hold, he walked back towards the window. Bulma followed him. "You see?" Trunks said, as if he'd just won an argument.
"Trunks?" Bulma knelt down again. She put the knife on the ground and felt her son's forehead. "Trunks are you okay?"
Suddenly the door to the capsule house flew open, hitting the wall with a loud bang. Bulma shrieked, tried to turn, and ended up falling on her backside. She reached for the knife and hurriedly tried to put herself between Trunks and the door. Trunks just walked around her.
"Mom, chill out." He said. "It's just Goku." At that same moment, the man himself came in. He saw Bulma with the knife and backed up, raising his hands in a defensive posture.
"Whoah! It's just me!"
"Yea, I told her that." Trunks said. "What did you think you were doing?" He asked, sounding very much like his mother. "Can you somehow use your power? Do you have some other trick?"
"Uhh…heh heh." Goku put his hand behind his head. "No, not really. I just have my power pole. I thought you three were still in Kihhur city, so I was going to go rescue you."
"With a stick?"
"This is a power pole Trunks, and it has won me many battles." Goku said, half defensively- half patiently.
"Wait." Bulma was pulling herself to her feet. "Rescue us? Rescue us from what?"
Goku looked down at Trunks. "You didn't tell her?"
Trunks looked away, deigning not to answer.
Goku looked back at Bulma, his expression suddenly serious. "Bulma, something terrible has happened. Kihhur city was just attacked. The hospital is burning."
Bulma's mouth dropped open, and she brought her hands up to her face. "Burning? But we…we were just there."
"I know. I thought you were still there." Goku looked around, suddenly realizing that there was a conspicuous absence. "Where is Vegeta?"
"In bed." She motioned to the bedroom.
"He hasn't woken up? With all that energy being thrown around?" Goku frowned. "He must be really out of it."
"Moving from the hospital took a lot out of him. He's developed a fever."
"Oh. Do you think it might be a bad idea to move him again, then? It would be a lot better if you pitched the house again near our place, instead of so close to Kihhur."
"Thanks Goku, but—"
Goku and Trunks suddenly stiffened and turned toward the window again. "That's it! What is happening?" Bulma said. "Someone tell me!"
The two stood frozen before simultaneously relaxing.
"One of the aliens got past Buu and the Androids."
Bulma blinked. Goku decided to explain further. "Buu, 18, and 17 arrived at Kihhur city shortly after aliens landed. There were only the three of them against the 12 Tik soldiers. They're outnumbered right now, but they're much stronger than they are. They've already gotten rid of seven of them. One of them has gotten away and was heading this way just now, but Buu cut him off."
Bulma looked worriedly at her long-time friend. "Can they win?"
"Oh of course." Goku said with a grin. "Don't worry about that. Those three far outclass those aliens. But…"
"But what?"
"Since there are so many of them, the aliens can do a lot of damage before our side can take them all down. One of them has already broken off and headed south. He has been reaping havoc on one city after another. I think that as soon as they see that they won't be able to defeat them, they might try to split up."
"Are we in danger here?"
"I don't know." Goku admitted. "We could be. But, if they're attacking cities, then this clearly isn't one. And plus you were really hard to find here. I almost missed you guys. If Trunks hadn't shouted out to me, I would have continued on to Kihhur. I think…I think we should hold tight here for a while. If Vegeta says to stay in a place like this, then…then I guess we should listen to him. He generally knows what he's talking about."
"Generally." Bulma confirmed.
Goku chuckled.
"Hey look, 17. This one's got spirit."
17 smirked. "I love that in a victim."
Majin Buu had already left, trying to hunt down the one that got away. In the distance, brother and sister could feel large numbers of people being eradicated. They had only been at the fight for less than an hour, but it felt like it was taking forever. The aliens were using their numbers to their advantage, separating, disappearing, hitting them from behind. It was getting frustrating. Though admittedly, once they'd figured out that some of them were healers, they'd killed them first, and made their task a lot easier. Now it was just the two of them, facing four—make that three—aliens.
18 dropped the alien whose neck she'd just broken. "Now for you three."
The three aliens, all large and bull-looking took a step backwards. Then, as one, they shot into the sky in different directions.
"Oh no you don't!"
The two androids each shot after one. Hopefully the third wouldn't cause too much trouble.
17 appeared in front of one bull-man, arms crossed, with a cocky smirk on his face. "Where you going?"
The alien gasped at his sudden appearance, but then quickly collected himself and swung a fist at him.
17 disappeared and phased back in behind the alien. Leaning close he whispered in his hear. "Can I come too?"
The alien nearly shrieked and jumped away.
17 grinned ferally. He absolutely loved this part. Unfortunately, he couldn't drag it out. There was still that other alien that was wandering free at the moment.
The alien crouched into a fighting stance.
"Now that's more like it. I was starting to think you were a coward. It's much less disappointing this way."
17 slammed his fist into the fighter's stomach and then gracefully spun and chopped at his neck. The alien's neck snapped. 17 floated back frowning. He honestly didn't mean to end it that quickly. "Hm. I don't know my own strength." The alien's eyes rolled back into his head, and he dropped to the ground.
17 stared down at him for a moment, and tucked some hair behind his ear. He quickly extended his senses, locating the other aliens. Buu was still chasing the big blue one. It seemed that as soon as Buu reached him, he would disappear and then reappear somewhere else. The other one that had gotten away was speeding off toward the north.
17 was about to pick up the chase when he hesitated. He stayed, floating in the air thinking. From what 18 had told him, the reason that the rest of the Earth's fighters could not fight was because of some machine. The reason that they hadn't destroyed the machine before was because it was on the ship floating out in space.
That ship had just landed.
17 cocked his head to the side and smirked. Well then.
He sped off in the direction of the two ships.
"Why can't I sense 17 or 18 again?" Trunks asked. "And, come to think of it, why exactly are they able to fight when none of us can?"
Goku turned around in his seat and blinked at the young boy. "Because they're androids."
"What's an android? Some kind of alien?"
Goku blinked again. "You really don't know?"
Trunks furrowed his eyebrows. "What?"
"It seems weird that you don't know what an android is. You were the one who told us what they were in the first place."
"Me?"
"Well, you from the future. But the older you get, the more you look like the future you."
"Which makes sense." Trunks said sarcastically, in response to the rather convolutedly-put but simple statement.
17 stared down at the ships. "Now which one is it?" He thought back to when he had first arrived. The aliens had come out of the one on the left. "Ok then. The left it is." He charged up a ki ball and fired.
The explosion kicked up a lot of dust.
17 smirked, but a moment later, that smirk was lost. The dust cleared, revealing the ship, still perfectly in tact, with only sign of his attack being some peeling paint.
Well this is annoying.
He landed in front of the ship and then walked into the door, which had been conveniently left open. Almost as if he were walking through a grocery store on a routine errand, he passed through the halls, opening doors and peeking into rooms as he passed them. Finally he found what he was looking for. At least he thought he did.
An odd machine was sitting in the middle of the room. The machine was glowing green.
"Interesting."
17 approached the machine and stared at it. "Now, how do I turn you off?" He circled the thing once, and then turned toward the computer system that stood to the side. A button was lit green. Beside it was a red button. 17 pressed the red button.
Beside him the computer screen flashed on. "Meiyochi deactivation process initiating….Please insert security code."
"Security code?"
17 looked around the room for something that would look like a code.
"Oh hell. I've got no idea." He frowned. "Oh well." He turned toward the machine, fired up an energy ball and blasted it.
Goku suddenly felt all his energy rush back to him. Around the world, he could feel his friends' energies, strong and vibrant. Just as they should be.
"Alright!"
"Yea!" Trunks felt it too.
"You too Trunks?"
"Yep!" Trunks formed a ki ball in his hand just to be sure.
"Awesome!" Goku said, unbuckling his seatbelt. "Well I'm going to go help out. See you guys later."
"Wait, Goku!" Trunks leapt up, grabbing onto his arm. "I'm going too."
"No Trunks. You have to stay here and protect your parents. I'm counting on you for that, ok?"
Trunks scowled, but nodded. He reluctantly released Goku's arm.
Goku grinned. "Alright then…hmmm…to choose my opponent…how about…you." Goku put two fingers to his forehead and disappeared.
He reappeared a moment later, facing a large blue man that resembled the Minan fighter from the day before. Almost as soon as he appeared a beam shot past him from behind, nipped his ear and slammed into the startled alien. The beam went straight through the man, who had likely been just about to disappear when Goku's arrival had distracted him.
Goku watched in disappointment as the alien fell to the ground.
"Where you come from?"
Goku turned, putting his hand behind his head. In his excitement to join the fight he had forgotten to check whether one of his friends was currently engaged in battle with the alien he had picked.
Logically, he'd decided that since he was the only one of the earth's fighters who could use instant transmission, he would go after the target that kept disappearing and reappearing all over the place.
Unfortunately it seemed that Buu already had the situation under control.
"Heh. Sorry Buu. I got my ki back, so I thought I'd come to help." He lowered himself to the ground to check that the Minan was actually dead. He didn't need it to pop up and start shooting people again.
Buu followed him, landing with a confused look.
Goku felt out the ki of the last alien far in the distance only to feel it flicker out a moment later. The androids had taken care of it too apparently.
Man, what a bummer. I didn't even get to throw one punch! He frowned. I think the only person who came close to fighting with me today was Bulma. How weird.
"Fight over?"
Goku sagged. "Yea Buu. The fight's over." The Minan was definitely dead. "Darn."
AN: I hope you enjoyed that one.
Thanks for all of you who reviewed. Your opinions are always appreciated!