*Short Note*

I recently received a review simply stating that I was an arrogant fool for deleting reviews. First off you don't know anything about me to draw any such conclusion. Secondly I only delete reviews that only contain extreme flaming or are otherwise inappropriate. I have no issue with constructive criticism, but there is a fine line. I would never treat another human being the way some individuals choose to treat each other online. I get sick and tired of people bashing each other for no reason. I realize that by posting something online that I invite critics and opinions of all types, however I don't think it's asking much for those who do post reviews to be respectful and to act like decent human beings. This is no way applies to the whole community, but from time to time I do get these kind of messages which really irk me. Anyways enough of my ranting for now.

Chapter Four

Eighteen's legs buckled as she fought to make her way back to a standing position.

Sixteen though battered rose back to his feet a bit quicker, but it was evident that even he was starting to feel worn down.

"What's wrong yall? I thought you were gonna take me down together?" Thirteen laughed as he folded his arms.

"Tell ya what...being the sporting guy that I am. I'll give you both a free shot. Do your best." he said as he widened his stance as he opened his arms. A wide grin spread across his features.

"Sixteen...this may be our only chance.." the blonde said between heavy breaths as she stared at Thirteen.

The redhead giant shook his head. "No. Thirteen is well aware that he now far outclasses both of us. He simply wants to make that evident and he may attempt to absorb any attack we use."

Eighteen's eyes widened. "So what do you suggest? We do nothing?..."

Sixteen frowned. "Distract him. I shall make sure he doesn't get the chance to escape."

"What are you talking about?" she said in a hushed tone as she eyed him out of the corner of her eyes.

"I intend to self detonate. He will not survive the explosion."

The blonde turned to stare at him in shock. 'He would sacrifice himself so willingly? but why? Sixteen is completely synthetic...why would he give everything up to stop this guy? how can anyone be so selfless?'

"Tic Toc...time's a wasting. What's the verdict?" Thirteen laughed as he looked between the pair.

Sixteen's glanced over at Eighteen. "It is for the best. But I cannot do it without your help."

The blonde's lip trembled. "B-but you can't...it's not logical."

Sixteen offered a rare smile. "I haven't had much time to enjoy it, but there are still things worth protecting in this world and as long as life remains in this world...there is something to fight for. Please at this rate we will not both survive long enough for Trunks to arrive. Let me do this."

The blonde swallowed as she fought a wave of emotions she wasn't very familiar with threatening to get the best of her. She slowly nodded her head, before she took a final deep breath as she kicked off the ground, before dashing towards Thirteen who stood there with a wide grin.

The Blonde pulled her fist back as if she intended to punch Thirteen, however instead she landed in front of the hulking Android, before extending her arms outward as she channeled all of the energy in her body causing a bright purple flash to emanate off of her and temporarily blind the other android.

Thirteen chuckled. "So that was your big move huh? Well just wait till I can see again I'll rip every hair out of that pretty little head of you-" he was cut off as he felt a pair of arms circling around him, before locking him into place.

"What in the hell?" he growled as his vision began to clear up. He could see Eighteen several feet away with a troubled look on her face and looking thoroughly exhausted, as he tilted his head he could see Sixteen out of the corner of his eyes. "What kinda strategy is this? Even held in this position neither of you can do any real damage. " he barked into laughter.

"You are mistaken. According to my calculations the ordnance in my body possess more then enough power to destroy you." Sixteen stated earning a look of horror from Thirteen.

"Y-you wouldn't?! Boy don't joke...why kill yourself? "

"While short I have cherished my existence. This world could be a good place to live again...if our kind weren't allowed to do as we have done. It is fitting. One of Doctor Gero's own creations will ultimately stop his madness from spreading any further. I see no other course."

"NO. Sixteen you can't!" Thirteen growled as he tried to break free, however the red headed giant held him in place.

Eighteen stared blankly, before she heard Sixteen's voice which snapped her back to reality. "Eighteen you must move. I do not wish to harm you. I cannot say the same thing about your brother, but I can see that you do possess a conscious. Do not turn away from it...it is not a weakness, but a strength."

"Sixteen I-I..." The blonde started as she felt herself extending a hand only to stop as she saw the Giant's eyes narrow.

"Go!" he barked.

The blonde turned on her heel, her heart began to hammer as she kicked off the ground and took skyward shakily. She flew until she finally couldn't move any further as weariness kicked in as she collapsed upon a small road on the outskirts of town.

Today had been a nightmare. She'd never felt so tried not only physically but mentally. From the overflow of emotions, to the pain she'd felt from losing her brother and received physically from fighting not only Trunks earlier, but all of the other androids. She felt her vision blurring. The last thing she saw before she lost consciousness was a flash of light as a massive explosion went off.

Trunks' eyes widened in horror as he saw an explosion far in the distance.

"What in the world is going on in East City? I can't sense the androids so I have no idea who's winning, but that explosion is massive. I have to hurry... once this threat has been eliminated, the Earth will finally be free." he mused aloud as he pushed himself harder as he continued racing towards East City and into the unknown.

Twenty minutes later the Half Saiyan would arrive upon the still and quiet aftermath of East City...or at least what remained of it. The Center of the City was a giant crater. On the outskirts of the city he could make out numerous survivors who were still trying to flee further away from the city. However there was no sign of battle nor any further destruction to be heard or seen. It was fairly quiet now as the sun began to sink in the distance.

His eyes would slowly scan the surrounding area, before settling about a familiar silhouette that lay motionless upon an abandoned road on the outskirts of the city. His brow furrowed as he slowly descended. His feet touched to ground as he strode forward, before hesitantly kneeling down as he studied the still form of Android Eighteen. She was again battered and bloodied. Her denim jacket had been shredded and was now gone. Her shirt bore various burns and holes as did her pants. She sported several bruises and cuts. It was strange for the Half Saiyan to see her again in this manner. She had always been an invincible monster that had plagued him for years and yet now she looked so fragile. He watched for a moment before noticing that her chest was still rising and falling indicating that she was still alive. She looked so human like this...and despite her wounds she was still stunningly beautiful. He snarled his nose slightly. He knew better then to entertain such thoughts, despite her actions she'd still been his first crush as a boy, but now he knew better...well at least for the most part. He shook his head as he glanced around a moment.

What had happened here? Where were the other androids he'd expected? Where was Sixteen?

His attention was drawn back to her as a cold wind caused the blonde to shiver slightly, though he could tell that she was still very much unconsciousness. He frowned as he seemed unsure a moment, but slowly he worked his jacket off, before he lifted her up into a sitting position as he slid his much larger jacket onto the smaller woman. He sighed as he placed one hand upon her back and another under her legs as he picked her up and slowly floated upwards into the sky.

For several minutes the Half-Saiyan had remained silent as he flew through the night sky. His thoughts were only disturbed as he began to feel her stirring. Her eyes unexpectedly shot open as she shouted. "Sixteen!" before going limp as she found herself face to face with Trunks a look of confusion and and fear was etched on her bruised face.

Trunks winced slightly. He wasn't sure why, but he didn't like seeing fear on the android's face. He should revel in it, but he had already done so when he'd backed her into a corner with the intent of killing her. At the time he was so angry and fueled by his transformation that he'd fed off of her fear, but now it somehow felt wrong. If her new attitude was just an act, she was certainly good at it. "...You met Sixteen then? What happened to him? and what happened to the other androids I heard about? There was nothing left when I arrived. Did they get away?"

The blonde stared at him a moment still uncomfortable, but felt too exhausted and fearful to protest. "...Y-yes...He helped me fight off Android Thirteen after Thirteen absorbed the other androids."

Trunks grunted. 'I guess that accounts for those rejects.'

"What happened?" he asked trying to keep his tone even.

Eighteen shook her head. "We were outclassed. Even together we couldn't touch him...but Sixteen came up with a plan. I...I distracted Thirteen so he could subdue him. Then Sixteen..." she trailed off a moment as she recalled the giant's last words to her.

"He blew himself up to stop Thirteen?" Trunks finished with a sense of certainty.

The blonde looked surprised but managed a weak nod of her head. "Yes. He deserved better then that. He had done nothing but try and be a hero for the short time he was alive. I should have been the one to blow myself up...but now I can't even do that..." she whispered as her eyes began to grow wet with tears.

Trunks gritted his teeth. While he'd never loved any of the androids, Sixteen was the only one he'd actually liked. He'd earned his trust from his actions in the other timeline and it would seem he'd done so again. "You're right...he deserved better then that, but he's gone now and if you really are different now then don't let his death be in vain. Use this second chance my mother has given you...that I'm giving you to do something good."

The blonde's eyes widened as she stared at him. "What can I possibly do? I tried to help with those other androids and while I held my own against the others I couldn't do anything against Thirteen. How can I be of any help to you when I'm so much weaker? "

"Well for one. If you're still partly human...you should be able to still train. I bet you and your brother never trained all those years and since you possess so much stamina you could probably push yourself harder then any normal human. I don't like to admit it, but today showed me something. There may be a time in the future where I can't be everywhere at once. I could use some help."

The blonde was quiet a moment as she processed his words. "How can we ever work together though if you never trust me?...even if I wanted to help you protect this planet...we won't get anywhere if you keep expecting me to attack you or if you keep considering killing me all the time."

Trunks stared at her for a long moment. "I'm sorry. I'll try...but I can't promise you anything. Every time I close my eyes...every time I sleep I'm reminded of why I have hated you and your brother for so long. I don't know if I'll ever be able to move past that, but I will try..and I'll try to remember that you're not the same person who tormented all these years...not really. "

The blonde relaxed slightly. "I guess it's a start..." she sighed.

"I'm sorry about your brother.." he grounded out as if it were poison in his mouth.

Eighteen's blinked as she looked at him surprised.

"What?.."

Trunks frowned. "You begged me to try and save him before. I was careless and Cell managed to absorb him and now he and Cell are dead."

The blonde's lower lip trembled a moment. "I-I...thank you."

It was the Half-Saiyan's turn to look confused. "Why are you thanking me?"

Eighteen offered him a weary smile. "I never expected you would even try to save my brother. Thank you for at least trying. It means more to me then you can imagine.

Trunks wordlessly nodded as he let out a deep breath. 'When did everything become so complicated? When I returned home I never expected anything like this.'

Being the predator that he was, Cell watched from the shadows, as the two figures disappeared into the sky. 'So once again I've been denied my perfection...how can I hope to fight Trunks with my current form?' he mused to himself, as he stalked through the ruined cityscape only to pause as his eyes widened as he began to notice pieces of the various androids that lay strewn around. Many of the pieces were badly damaged however others were still in decent condition.

As the hours would tick begin ticking by Cell would continue to sift through the entirety of the city, picking any scrap or fragment he could find from the androids. Several hours later the Android would finally stop as he stared at the heap of parts he'd gathered. His tail flicked back and forth. He was designed to achieve his perfection, however he could technically absorb any life-form into his design. A wicked grin spread across his features as the tip of his tail expanded, before he began to assimilate each and every part he'd collected.

He tensed as the tip of his tail finally closed and he felt a massive surge in energy as his body began to shake violently. Several seconds would pass at the Android grew another foot in height, his already muscular frame would become even more defined. His arms and legs had become even thicker, the Green tint on his body would shift to a blood red color while the dull brown would become black. His tail would extend slightly in length though he was still missing his wings. Finally his face now seemed a bit more human, with a very rugged jawline and nose. A far cry from Perfect Cell's more defined face. His eyes were still an icy blue.

Cell slowly stared down at his hands as a chuckle escaped his lips. 'This body isn't without it's limitations, but the power is incredible. With this at my disposal...I will find Eighteen and reach perfection. As for Trunks...I will crush him and this entire world into oblivion."

Videl watched curiously from a chair as Bulma seemed to be studying a blueprint of some sort. "So what are you so wrapped up in? "

Bulma rubbed her eyes a moment as she looked up from the table she was bent over and over at the other woman. "It's a new project. It's plans for a spaceship."

The blacked haired woman blinked. "Are you serious?"

Bulma let out a slight chuckle. "I know it sounds crazy, but I've actually been on a spaceship before, but that was years ago. This is from scratch and it will require a lot of rare resources."

"But what's the point? What purpose will that serve?"

"Well you see, there is another planet out in the galaxy called New Namek. The natives of that planet having a set of magical artifacts called Dragonballs. As bizarre as it may sound these Dragonballs can grant the person who collects them almost any wish." She said expecting a bewildered expression from the other woman but instead was met with a casual stare.

"I...remember Gohan telling me something about these Dragonballs. He said that there use to be some on this planet, but they originated from another world. I'll admit it sounded too good to be true...but you don't seem crazy to me."

Bulma let out a sigh. 'Well I'm glad Gohan didn't leave her in the dark.'

"Well I'm glad you think that, because once this android menace is finally over, this is my plan on how to get the Earth back on it's feet."

"I see. Well I know it doesn't mean much ,but I'd like to help howev-" she was cut short however as the door was flung open as Trunks walked into Bulma's lab with Eighteen in his arms.

"Trunks?!" Bulma exclaimed.

Videl was quiet as she glared at the blonde in the man's arms.

"It's fine. It's finally over. Cell and the other androids are gone." Trunks said.

"Does that mean Sixteen is too? "Videl asked, before frowning as she still eyed the blonde.

Trunks bowed his head, but before he could respond the injured blonde spoke.

"...He sacrificed himself to stop Android Thirteen. He saved my life." she admitted.

"Sounds like he missed one Android then when he died." Videl spat as she stormed out of the lab, before slamming the door behind her.

Bulma sighed. "She's headstrong, but she means well."

"No. She's right. Sixteen didn't deserve to die. She has every reason to hate me..." Eighteen said as she looked at the door from which Videl had stormed out of, before she winced.

Trunks who had been quiet took a step forward, before awkwardly resting the blonde on a nearby table. "Mom. I know it's been a long day, but can you help Eighteen? I can tell she went all out back there." he said as he regarded the blonde a moment, before looking at his mother.

Bulma looked over at the battered android, before nodding her head. "Yeah. I guess it's the least I can do. Especially since I asked her to help you in the first place and that's why you're in this condition." she mused as she walked across the room and began gathering some bandages and disinfectant.

"Right well...I'll let you get to it." Trunks said as he reached up and rubbed some sleep out of his eyes as he turned towards the door. He stopped a few feet from the door however as he heard a voice.

"Trunks?" Eighteen mumbled wearily as she tilted her head to look over at him.

The Half-Saiyan grunted. "Yeah?"

"Thank you. "

Trunks turned to stare at her a long moment, before he simply nodded his head. "For once I was glad to be wrong. You should rest though. Mom will take good care of you." he mused as he without another word opened the door and stepped out into the hallway.

Bulma offered a faint smile as she approached the wounded blonde. "Well I'm glad to see you two are on better terms now. I know he's bad about showing it, but I think he really is trying to give you a chance."

"I've gotta start somewhere..." the blonde mused dryly.

Trunks (Base Form) : 5,200,000

Trunks (Super Saiyan): 260,000,000

Trunks (Ascended Saiyan): 780,000,000

Ultra 13 (Max) 710,000,000

Android 16 (Max): 320,000,000

Android 18 (Max): 300,000,000

Semi-Perfect Cell (Max): 550,000,000

Super Semi-Perfect Cell (Max): 900,000,000

Videl (Max) 3,500