The Mark of a Saiyan

by Fireball Massacre

AU. Young Gohan accidentally travels back to the future along with Mirai Trunks, and everything goes downhill- and uphill and sideways from there. Gohan travels to different AUs/ timelines with M.T. He faces problems and gains new abilities as time goes on. Full Summary inside. Gohan will have to become a great warrior and an even more amazing thinker or he'll lose everything.

7. Chapter 7

(I apologize for the slow chapter updates, but here it is. Thanks to all who actually read this, favorited, reviewed, and followed.)

Chapter 7: Teamwork!

Gohan looked over at him. "What's wrong?"

Trunks came closer, eyes locked on his face. He was speechless and his gaze became intense. His index finger prodded the mark on the boy's face. "You… Your mark is exactly like… Goh- the other Gohan's." He brought his hand away as if it were burned, eyes round.

Gohan's fingers skimmed the mark lightly. The mark was diagonal, staring at his forehead and ending at the edge of his face. Trunks' mouth moved as he stared. Gohan shrugged a shoulder, words leaving him momentarily. He blankly stared at his hands on his knees. "It's nothing really." The tone of his voice was reserved.

The memories hit Trunks like a freight train, and he swallowed. The anger from before came back, and he clenched the rag in his hands. "You can't go after them alone, Gohan." He said with force. "If you keep this up, that mark on your face won't be the only thing that you have to worry about." The rag was squished in the teen's hand as he paused. "You have to let me fight with you."

Gohan remained silent, eyes on his hands.

"Gohan!" The teen tried to gain the boy's attention. He repeated his name again, voice rising a bit. "You can't-"

"Perhaps you're right." Finally, the boy spoke up. Trunks blinked his eyes at the quiet boy. Gohan added. "It would be better if we worked together."

"You're not going to just say that and leave are you?" The teen asked skeptically. He remembered when the other Gohan had agreed to let him come and fight with him, and he was knocked unconscious.

Gohan shook his head, turning his eyes toward the teen. "Our chances are better when we work together. The Androids team up on us, so it would be better to get up our chances with our own team." The boy took a shaky breath, hand rubbing his chest unconsciously. "If we team up-" He was completely cut off guard when he had an armful of teen.

Trunks had hugged him, grinning from ear to ear. "Yes," he cheered a bit.

"Have you ever…" Gohan's voice trailed off.

Trunks stepped away, releasing the other, with a shake of his head. "I wasn't strong enough to fight. I just got in the way."

Gohan flashed a smile. "Now you're strong enough. Gohan would be proud."

"You think so?" Trunks beamed.

Gohan nodded, standing. "What about your injuries?"

. . . .

After they were all bandaged up and cleaned, they took a seat at the neglected chairs that served as the living room. Gohan read a book, while Trunks listened to the radio. Suddenly, Gohan spoke up. "As I tried to say before," he snickered when Trunks stammered out something. "When we team up, one of us can distract the Androids, while the other gets the people out of harm's way."

Trunks thought to himself for a bit. "That may work. You definitely thought about this, haven't you?"

Gohan gripped the book edges. Of course he thought about teaming up. It would be beneficial to them both. They'd have "backup" as some people may say. They would be able to save more people, but then again, the person who would be keeping the Androids occupied would be put in danger. It was possible that the person would perish, but the pros outweighed the cons.

"I'll distract the Androids the first time." Trunks stated, glancing sideways at the other.

Gohan set the book in his lap. "We'll take turns."

Trunks nodded eagerly. He wasn't looking forward to fighting the Androids- he never did- but with this formation of a team, they at least had a plan.

. . . .

The day passed, and Trunks realized that they didn't head over to Capsule Corp yet. He turned to the clock, noting the late time, and he thought Gohan would be asleep. They'd just have to go over there tomorrow. He turned onto his side to glance over at the wall. He slowly drifted to sleep.

. . . .

The teen placed his hands on his face and groaned. A creak came from across the room, and he withdrew his hands and sat up. The door opened more to reveal darkness. He turned to glance at the clock, only to find clock's glow to be fading. He reached his feet and went over to the door, stumbling.

He peeked out, finding a source of light that came from the kitchen a little ways down the hall. He made the journey to the kitchen and looked around. No one was inside the house when he searched for a recognizable KI. However, there was one outside. He went outside, heading toward the KI. He grew closer and saw an outline of a figure in the distance. He hesitated with the name on his tongue.

It couldn't be his mother, could it? He went closer, and the figure's head turned to the side, blue hair caught in the moonlight. His breath hitched. Mom? He grinned and ran forward. A shot of pale light shot through his mother's chest. He stumbled to stop himself from running. His mother's hand went out to him. "Trunks… Run…" With that, she collapsed, and laughter came from just behind her.

Trunks turned the other way and jumped back inside the house, locking the doors behind him. He backed away, panting and hands clenched. "Morning to you too, Little Brother."

Trunks spun around. "Gohan! You're alive?!" There stood the older Gohan- Trunks' mentor and best friend.

"Strange, isn't it?" Gohan turned his hands this way and that. He smiled brightly at his young pupil. "Looks like you met another me, huh?"

Trunks dumbly nodded, and Gohan chuckled. He turned around, and Trunks closed his eyes in a blink. When the blue eyes opened, they were met with a young Gohan, scar present on his face already.

"Morning." Gohan smiled slightly.

Trunks held his head in confusion. "How- What-"

"Just sit down and relax." The young boy went back to the stove. A silence enveloped the two when the teen sat down. Scents of food filled the air, and Trunks' stomach growled, destroying the silence and destroying the peace as well.

The door splintered and flew in, showing two Androids standing there. A strong energy blast from 18 struck the young Gohan in the chest. He didn't even scream; he only placed a hand over the wound. His eyes watered as he stared at the teen. Trunks inhaled sharply.

The young boy dropped his hand and swayed. He dropped to his knees and said a soft goodbye, and Trunks hollered out for him to stay awake. The boy's eyes grew less focused as the Androids stated.

"How many Gohans are there," 17 questioned in annoyance.

18 shrugged. "Doesn't matter. They're both dead."

"Everyone's dead, right?"

"Now they are…" 18 drew up a hand, pointing it at a saddened Trunks.

. . . .

He was startled awake, body shaking and hands clammy. He thrashed around, the dream hanging around his head still. His eyes opened and found Gohan standing next to him, eyes troubled. "Are you okay?" The young boy asked him.

He nodded instantly. "I'm fine." He found the nod turning into a shake of his head. "I don't… No, I'm just fine." He looked across the room, eyes flicking to the other every once in awhile.

Gohan stood there silently for a bit until he moved to sit next to Trunks. "Everyone has nightmares, even me." He hugged his knees somewhat, gaze in the direction of Trunks'. "Nightmares are just created by your mind. They might have happened or they never existed in the first place. The fact is that they are there- in your mind. Nightmares, if they are real or could be real, can be stopped- prevented. They do not need to happen. You choose whether or not to allow it. You may have to go through some nightmares, but eventually, your other dreams can overcome them. Hope can drive a person through many things, and you can't let that go. Hope, love, and friendship will help you get rid of your nightmares. Never forget them, Trunks." He glanced over at the dumbstruck teen.

He withdrew himself from the bed and went to the door. He stopped, hand on the door frame. Turning over his shoulder, he smiled at his friend. Yes, Trunks was his friend, probably best friend by now- maybe his only real friend other than his parents' friends.

"I'm always here if you need me." He went to leave, but Trunks' voice stopped him.

"You can stay- if you want."

Gohan went back to the bed, sitting next to him. Trunks relaxed and laid back down. He yawned.

"... Night Gohan…" The teen closed his eyes and waited for the dreams or nightmares to come. After a while, Gohan observed Trunks and noticed his breathing becoming deeper, signalizing that the other was asleep.

"Good night." He hesitated. "... Brother..?" He headed out of the room and to the back room. He thought about what he told Trunks, and he agreed with what was said. The nightmares would come, and it was necessary to face them, but he shouldn't give up on any of his other dreams. He picked up a screwdriver and screwed a few things on the console.

After hours of working on the Gravity Room, he decided to go and rest. He slid under the covers and looked to the ceiling. He lifted his left hand and rested it against the wound on his face. He desperately wished the nightmares wouldn't come, but that was all he could do. It wasn't enough, but Gohan intended to go through with the nightmares. He could take them, or so he hoped.

. . . .

The young boy shifted on his bed, eyes fluttering at the sheer brightness above him. He raised his left hand, which was still on his face, and watched it begin to glow, and it broke apart, bright yellow, similar to the gold of a Super Saiyan. He made it to his feet, glancing around at his surroundings. He was in his room at his house, blue sheets on the bed, partially open window to the left, and desk and chair to the right. He turned to his golden left arm, and he waited for the gold to evaporate, revealing his normal arm underneath.

He went to the window, looking out as he opened it further for the fresh air. He leaned against the window sill. The breeze and the boy was the only thing for miles. He leaned into the breeze and smiled lightly. He heard a noise behind him, and he immediately got ready for a fight. He whipped around, arms up and nearly punching his opponent. He paused when he came face-to-face with his dad.

"Easy, it's just me." His dad laughed, making Gohan crack a smile.

"Sorry, dad. I'm just jumpy, I guess." He rested against the window sill again, eyes taking in outside of his house.

His dad leaned on the sill next to him. "It's alright." He smiled brightly at the blue sky and animals running about. "Not many places like this in the future, ay Gohan?"

The boy shook his head. "Not really. Most of them were destroyed, and if they weren't, they're going to be."

His dad made a face. "I can't believe all of us were killed when the Androids attacked. I wish I was stronger."

"Me too," whispered Gohan. "I wish none of you had to die."

His dad smiled over at him. "This time will be different though. Trunks told me beforehand."

"I wouldn't doubt it." Gohan smiled weakly at the man.

The full-blooded saiyan grinned. "We'll be just fine, just you wait until you get back!" He placed a hand on his son's hair, ruffling it up. "I think it's time for a haircut, though."

Gohan chuckled a bit, pushing some of the ruffled hair out of his eyes. "Yes sir." His hair was released when his dad's expression grew serious- almost like Krillin was killed again serious. The boy bit the inside of his cheek. "What's wrong?"

"What did those Androids look like?"

Gohan looked outside. "Why," he started to sweat.

His dad's gaze softened. "I'm sorry, son, but they're here." They both whipped their heads to the door as it smashed open. His dad quickly turned to him. "Gohan, you know what comes next. I'm-" The man's eyes rolled back into his head, and he crumbled, landing on Gohan. Gohan caught him, body shaking as he lowered the deceased man to the ground. Red dripped out of the man's mouth and piled onto the floor. He felt like he was going to cry again, but he didn't get the time. In fact, his mom's screams were heard from outside, and he took off.

He jumped through the window, ending up in a scene from a freaky horror movie. Bodies of his loved ones lay discarded in the ground, covering everywhere Gohan looked. Red splattered along the ground and down the trees. Gohan tripped somehow, landing among the bodies. He jumped to his feet, eyes on the blood all over his hands. His breath caught. It'll be different this time, his father's voice rang in his head.

The young boy closed his hands, making the blood travel down to the ground more. He wobbled among the bodies, careful not to step on any of them. He stopped at a familiar bald man that was about his size. The eyes stared dully from within their sockets. A whisper came along with the next breeze, which both turned cold and harsh. Another whisper echoed in his ear. He couldn't understand what they said, but he didn't like them. The low whispers made the boy put his hands over his ears.

"Stop this please." He frowned as the sky darkened near to a black. "Please… Why do you kill all the time?" He sank to the ground, vision becoming blurry.

The whispers were back. "Gohan, we needed you… Where are you..? You didn't stop them… You let them kill another time…"

He suddenly made it to his feet, face gradually becoming determined. His hands immediately turned to fists when he stood up. He walked on, maneuvering himself through the crowd of bodies. He stuck out his chin, going forward. He refused to let the tears fall, and he made his way along, in a direction that he had a feeling about. He felt- he wasn't sure how to describe it- that the Androids were this way. With every step, the feeling grew, and then, he was sprinting toward the feeling.

He only stopped when he saw the body of his mother. He just stared, holding back the tears at the sight of her head twisted at an odd angle. His wound on the left side of his face ached, and he clutched it with his left hand. It began to burn, and he bit back a scream. He continued on his way, heading for the Androids. However, when he reached where the feeling was most intense, he saw Trunks fighting the two Androids. The golden teen yelled out as he attacked the two Androids by himself.

Trunks was fighting, but compared to the Androids, he was standing. They sent punch after punch, hitting him each time. Gohan saw the blonde Android raise a right hand, striking Trunks backward, and the male Android swirled his hands around, twin balls of energy in each. They hit the teen, who smashed to the ground far below. Trunks panted somewhat, but other than that, he didn't do anything else.

The youngest in the vicinity went forward, but he was prevented from going over to his friend's side because the two Androids were automatically upon him. An elbow to the left side of his face sent it burning even more, and the blood rolled down from the wound. He clenched his wound with his right hand while he sent a blast at the two Androids before him. It hit them, but it didn't slow them down. He hit 17 away with his left hand, and he defended his right side, kicking out his right leg.

He dropped his right hand from his face and released some energy from his entire body in a huge rush. The Androids blew back a bit, but they were right on him again. A hit to his face again made him yell out, and then, another fist collided in the exact same spot. His body shot to the ground, and he hit the ground, rolling to his feet with the help of his left arm to shove him into the air. A knee connected with his stomach, and the breath left him. He glared at the dark-haired Android, gaze wavering a bit. He was pushed back to the ground. He stayed on his feet, hands tightening at the two, who also touched down on the ground.

"You can't kill all these people." The boy told them, eyes locked on the two of them. "One of these times, your actions will catch up to you."

18 huffed. "Oh, please, and who's going to do that?"

17 just glared at him.

For once, Gohan wasn't at the least afraid. He was annoyed and may have slightly pitied them. The boy shook his head. Something must have contributed to their hatred of the humans.

17 swore at him and said. "We don't want your pathetic pity, so stop!" A sharp pain exploded when the Android struck Gohan in the face again.

18 followed suit, targeting Gohan's right side of his body, and yelling, "That's enough!"

Together, they beat the boy, who tried to evade their attacks. It didn't matter. His body refused to work any longer, and he discovered that the last hit sent him into the ground, and he couldn't move. He landed on his stomach, and his vision swayed and came into and out of focus as the dust descended on him from his fall.

A voice commanded him to stand. "Get up, Gohan." This voice didn't seem too familiar, but he was compelled to listen. He couldn't even speak. I-I can't. "Of course you can! When you're dead, you can't stand. Are you dead?"

"No."

"Can you feel your legs?"

"Not really."

"Well, it doesn't matter. You can stand up without feeling them. Just one foot after another."

Gohan listened to the voice, stiffly reaching his feet.

"Nice job. Now, fight. You can do it."

The young boy wiped the blood out of his eyes as the burning grew worse.

"Use the pain, remember all those that they hurt- who they could hurt."

The boy launched toward the Androids, only to get smacked around between them and land crumbled against a wall of some sort. His dark eyes drifted over the wall behind him, finding Capsule Corp behind him. He gritted his teeth, managing to make it to his feet again.

"Keep it up, Gohan."

Gohan slumped against the building, staring at the approaching Androids. "I'm-I'm trying- to-"

A shadowy figure appeared before him. "Let me handle this." The shadowy figure glanced at Gohan, and he was met with a blurry image of himself, just older, and with the same wound on his face. The wound's redness disappeared, leaving only a scar in its place. The figure dodged various attacks, while protecting Gohan. His dark eyes couldn't keep up with the fighting until everything stopped.

Gohan's mouth dropped at the sight before him. 18 had impaled the shadowy Gohan in the stomach with a beam from her finger, and 17- Gohan's eyes widened at the closeness of the other Android. The Android went to deliver a skin piercing punch to the young boy, and it drove through Gohan's chest, even though- somehow- the older Gohan had appeared to try to take the hit for him. Both had a gaping wound in their chest as 17 pulled back his hand.

Tears sprang up to the young boy's eyes, and the shadowy Gohan's darkened face split into a smile. "You're… You're almost there… You ju-just need more.. train… training." His larger hand went to Gohan's chest, landing on the gaping wound. "Don't let this get it the way when you have to kill them." A string of red ran down the other Gohan's chin.

For a moment, Gohan was looking through both eyes- both his own and the shadowy Gohan's eyes. He saw the younger version of himself almost crying, and he saw the older Gohan smiling until the face turned serious. He still couldn't quite make out the older version's features, but he could tell the expression was serious and the scar was present. After having two views for a second, his vision spun, and he opened his eyes to see the other Gohan fade in gold.

The young boy's eyes dried up, and his knees gave out. He landed on the ground with a thud. He felt the warm liquid flow out of his mouth again. This time he called it as it was; it was blood. He saw everything fading around him as the Androids towered over him.

"Sweet dreams." 18 said as 17 smirked.

"We can both see you're all choked up, so we'll leave you to it."

18 waved her hand. "Have fun dying and all."

A pale blast came from 17's hand just as the wound on Gohan's face burned. The blast hit, and he screamed.

. . . .

He screamed himself awake, gasping and clutching at the left side of his face. He could almost feel the blood still oozing out of his face. He could have sworn the pain was still there, and the warmth expanded from it as the blood made its way off his chin. He pulled his hand away, trying to calm his breathing.

He gaped at the red in his palm, and he rushed to the bathroom, flicking on the light and turning on the water in the sink. He splashed cold water on the freshly opened cut. That nightmare was definitely different. He thought bitterly. He glanced at his reflection in the mirror, almost running out of the bathroom when he thought he saw the shadowy figure of the older Gohan.

Fortunately for him, he relaxed a bit and double checked the face peering back at him. It was obviously him, seven-years-old and all. He put more cold water on his injury, hoping the swelling wouldn't be bad. He made his way back to the bedroom with a big bandage over his cut and eye. He hopped into bed and glanced at the clock, furrowing his brow. According to the clock, his nightmare had lasted only an hour and a half. He shook his head, staring at the dimly lit ceiling overhead.

He found himself too awake, so he made his way to the back room. He had to work on the Gravity Room tonight, and he must get it done soon.

. . . .

Morning came, and Trunks woke up from a nightmare-less sleep. He made his way to the sound of cooking in the kitchen, and he greeted Gohan, who nodded back in acknowledgement. The young boy finished breakfast, setting down the plates for both of them.

Trunks took a small bite, and he dug in in the next moment. "This- is- great!" He said between mouthfuls, and Gohan smiled lightly. Trunks didn't notice how Gohan put some of his food on the extra plate that resided on the counter.

"There's more if you want some." Gohan picked at his food, deep in thought. He missed Trunks' second thank you, and he missed the teen's praise the second time. He stared at his food, and he bit back a sigh. These nightmares of his were so strange. The boy excused himself, even though Trunks was too involved with the food at the moment to really realize, but Trunks did make a small noise to say he heard and continued eating.

Gohan went into the bathroom, rummaging around in cupboards. He saw what he was looking for, and he grabbed hold of it. The scissors gleamed in the artificial light, and dark eyes stared into dark pools when Gohan went to the mirror. He brought the scissors up, level with his face. He had taken off the bandages when he had sensed Trunks moving around in his room, so he didn't need to take it off now. He brought the scissors close to his eyes and paused.

He snipped the scissors closed, trimming his bangs, and he grabbed hold of the wolf-tail behind him. He cut it at the base of his neck. He disposed of the hair in the garbage and looked at his reflection.

(AN: His haircut is basically like the Cell Games haircut.)

A smile drifted onto his face, growing a little bigger as he caught the reflection following the action. He drew himself straighter and turned his head, making sure everything was straight enough for his liking, even if his hair wasn't exactly straight at all. He exited the bathroom after putting the scissors on the side of the sink. He was met with a guilty-looking Trunks. He tilted his head, eyes catching the empty plates, except for his own that remained full on the table.

"Sorry, I was…" Trunks couldn't find the right words to apologize for eating all of the food.

Gohan shrugged a shoulder, smile still present on his face. "It's okay. I'm not that hungry anyway. You can have the rest of mine if you want."

"You-You sure," asked the teen hopefully.

"Yes, of course." Gohan covered a soft chuckle at the other, who scooped up the plate and basically devoured it. The younger boy's smile didn't falter when Trunks mentioned Capsule Corp. "Weren't we supposed to go there yesterday?"

Trunks nodded a few times. "Mhm." He swallowed the last bits of food, and he had the decency to place the dishes in the sink and rinse them off real quick. "We should head over there soon."

Gohan went to the door. "Ready, Little Brother?" The corners of his mouth twitched up in a smirk for a moment when Trunks went red from either indignation or embarrassment. The younger male stepped out of the house, and Trunks followed afterward. They took to the air, flying to Capsule Corporation.

. . . .

They reached their destination in less than an hour, landing a top of a hill of some sort. The hill was covered in a soft layer of grass and overlooked craters and parts of a damaged city below. Dark eyes rose to the window, which had a slight crack at the top left. They journeyed to the door, and the nightmare crept up on Gohan. He shoved it down, and he exhaled, stepping in behind the teen.

After closing the door, Gohan took in the inside of the house; it was definitely different than his dreams. A sigh of relief parted his lips, and he glanced over at Trunks, who was moving through the place, hands skimming over things in thought. Trunks remembered the last time he had been here. Shortly after Gohan's death, they chose to abandon the place, which stuck out like a sore thumb because of it being on a hill.

It hasn't always been on a hill. In fact, it used to be part of the city below until the Androids destroyed everything around it, somehow missing the house. Trunks was glad about that, even if they hadn't been home at the time. A smile bloomed on his face at all of the memories that were brought out of the back of his mind. There was so many good memories in this place. While he reminisced, Gohan went to the window and stared outside. He wasn't about to interrupt the teen, so he watched everything happening out the window.

Admittedly, Gohan prefered looking outside at his house. It was calm and peaceful, not yet marked by any human or machine really. It didn't promise death or pain either. The boy frowned, hands behind his back, and his tail tightening around his waist. He had been keeping it there, trying to form a habit of keeping it hidden in case the Androids attacked. He just despised the idea of them touching or getting the notion that they could handle the tail in such manner.

He shoved those thoughts out of his brain, turning around to observe his surroundings for a second time. His eyes picked up on a black metal object. It had remains of what used to be golden letters on the side, and it had a wheel on the side and a pin on the top that seemed to hold a spool of thread. He moved over to the sewing machine, which rested on a polished wooden table. "Hey, Trunks, did Bulma sew?"

Trunks spoke up from across the room. "Not really, my mother just grabbed it to preserve it. That's why there's so much here. She picked up things since everything was being destroyed one way or another." He came over to the young boy's side.

"May I?"

Trunks nodded. "Go ahead."

Gohan fiddled around with it, messing with its parts and attempting to turn it on. He looked underneath the table and discovered a small drawer. Opening it, it revealed a small book. It had directions and anything else you'd find in a service manual. He studied the diagrams and skimmed through the pages. Meanwhile, Trunks watched with slight curiosity at the boy's process. Soon enough, the young boy had the machine working, and he smiled brightly at the success, especially when he tested out the machine on two small pieces of torn fabric that he saw off to the side.

Trunks stared in awe as the boy made a perfect stitch. "Have you ever sewn before?"

A shake of the boy's head answered his question. "From the directions, it seemed to be pretty easy."

"I thought it was difficult." He chuckled nervously. "Maybe I should have read the directions though, that might have helped."

"It helps some people."

"And some people have a knack for it."

A slight tinge of pink brushed along the boy's features at Trunks' playful grin. He rubbed the back of his neck with a faint chuckle. "What can I say to that?"

"I don't know, maybe say, 'Thanks for the compliment, Trunks,' or something along those lines." He was still teasing the other boy. The grin was slightly wider than before.

A tiny smile formed on the reddened face. "Oh, okay, thanks for telling me that I'm a genius at sewing, makes me feel important." A bit of sarcasm dripped into his voice, but he remained joking. "Maybe when this is over, I can become an expert sewist. You can be my assistant."

"Sounds like a plan. I'm holding you to that."

Gohan chuckled lightly. "It's a deal then." They raised their hands at the same time, preparing to use a shake as the commitment. At the last second, before they grasped hands, Gohan pulled his hand away with a small grin.

Trunks faked disappointment. "Oh no, you're not backing out are you?"

"Never in a million years." The grin broke through Trunks' false dismay at Gohan's response. The boy added. "Perhaps, in a million and one years though."

Trunks cracked up a bit, laughing aloud. He couldn't stop himself.

"What? I'm serious."

Trunks paused and studied the boy, who looked very solemn, except for the mischievous gleam in his eyes. The younger boy burst out with a few chuckles, causing Trunks to immediately join in. The laughter died down after some minutes, and the two returned to the machine before them. Gohan asked if they had any fabric somewhere, and Trunks brought him a large box full of different materials, colors, and cloth types.

The boy thanked him, digging through the box, selecting fabric that was both durable and flexible. He placed the ones that weren't strong and were stiff back inside the box. He made sure to test how it stretched between his fingers. The ones that stayed together in one piece were kept outside the box. His eyes looked at the fabrics on the floor. There was mainly deep purple, bright dark green, black, red, and dark blue. Trunks grabbed two seats- one for him and another for Gohan. The boy took it and sat down in front of the sewing machine.

Deftly maneuvering the fabric, he began to sew without measuring out anything. After he got the hang of it, Gohan increased his speed somewhat. Trunks observed the other's movements with a bit of confusion and wonder. The two half-saiyans remained in their positions for a long time, clearly, because when they finally moved and Gohan stopped, there were two outfits.

One of the outfits was a green shirt with black pants and a black long-sleeve undershirt. The green short-sleeve was cut down the middle and would need to be held closed with a belt of some sort, which was made black to match the undershirt and pants. The other outfit held more meaning to the young boy. The Gi was a purple suit, almost identical to Piccolo's, minus the sky blue obi- or sash. Gohan's had a red sash that would go around his waist, and he had created two wristbands that were a dark blue in remembrance of his father. He would have made the sash dark blue as well, but there wasn't enough fabric to make it, and red just felt like it belonged, not necessarily matching with the other colors.

He just wanted the sash red, nothing else.

(AN: The first outfit is similar to the Great Saiyaman clothes, and the other one is basically what Gohan wore for the Cell Games, only with a red sash- not a blue one.)

He looked over to Trunks, and he saw the teen dozing in the chair. He put all of the materials away, sliding them underneath the table as he folded up the outfits and put them on top of the closed box. He went over to Trunks and poked him on the forehead. "I think it's time to wake up." Lightly, he prodded the other with his finger. "Wake up Trunks."

Trunks' nose crinkled up, and he turned his head to the side to escape the boy's prodding. "Do I have to?"

"You should," replied Gohan.

Trunks opened his eyes with a yawn. "What are we going to do now?"

"Lunch probably." Gohan offered a hand to help the teen to his feet. Trunks took it and reached his feet. The younger one strolled over to the door, hand resting on the door handle when the hairs on his neck stood up. An eerie atmosphere settled around him, and the other didn't seem aware of the change. He shrugged it off and stepped outside, holding the door open for Trunks.

When Trunks stepped outside as well, the feeling returned. The boy's brows pinched together at the feeling, which disappeared a little afterward. "Maybe I can cook lunch instead," offered the older half-saiyan.

"Whatever you want, Trunks." The young boy smiled briefly, clamping down the uneasy feeling again. He made sure to hide his distress, and he lifted off his feet. "C'mon, we're wasting daylight." He took to the air, and Trunks paused at the outburst, but he shook his head and followed after the boy, smile wide on his face.

"Wait for me!" He caught up with the boy, and they flew next to each other for awhile in a calm silence. There was no need to speak any words; they were just content to let the other be with his own thoughts.

They were heading toward the other house when Gohan sensed it. A dozen of energies vanished a long way away. He stopped in mid-air as the feeling surfaced again.

Trunks paused a few feet away, staring at the boy. "What's wrong-?" He stopped in the middle of his sentence as he felt the people dying. They both automatically took off toward the city. "Ready for this, Gohan?" His blue eyes darted to land on the young boy, who kept pace with him and nodded.

"Ready."

When they reached the city, they looked at one another real quick and parted ways. Gohan descended to the ground below as Trunks transformed into a Super Saiyan and met the Androids head on. Gohan landed in front of the crowd that attempted to head toward the Androids in hope of leaving the island they were on. Gohan tried to tell them to head in the other direction when a woman with black hair and purple eyes stepped forward, face set. "Why should we listen to you? You're like two."

A bit of annoyance rose up at the age. He was about to correct her; he was a stickler on getting things right since he first arrived at this time. However, it wasn't the best idea to comment when the Androids stood over their heads. Gohan started to speak. "If you head that way, you'll be-"

The woman glared her eyes at him. "The bridge to get off this island is that way." She pointed in the not-so-convenient way that happened to be basically underneath the Androids.

"Please, miss, there must be boats or something that could bring you across the wa-"

"Do you know who I am?" The woman barked out, and Gohan knew that his answer would enrage her, so he opted to not say that he had absolutely no clue and that it didn't seem too important to him. At least he didn't learn that habit from his dad. Yeah, that was the best action he could have done because if he did, who knows what would have occurred. The woman's eyes flashed. "I'm Videl Satan you little punk!"

An elderly woman commented afterward. "The daughter of Hercule Satan. He was the sole protector of our great city, young one."

"Ring a bell kid?"

Gohan opened his mouth to speak, but closed it on account of the woman's intense gaze. He definitely didn't need to make the situation worse. He shook his head. "I'm sorry, miss Videl Satan, I do not know…"

A slap to his cheek left a red mark along the left side of his face. The young boy took a step back as the burning blossomed along the mark and the healing wound beside it- well directly under it more like it. Along with the slap and pain, the boy felt his anger boil beneath his calm exterior. "My father protected this city until today, and I intend to protect it without the help of a toddler."

Gohan instructed himself to relax. He blew out a soft breath and tried to say something. Unfortunately, anything he said would anger the witch before him no doubt.

"Now go off and run to mommy and daddy, kid. Let the big kids handle this." She was the daughter of Mr. Satan, and she wasn't going to let this little kid get hurt or tell her what to do. She didn't care if he came to "help." They could help themselves just fine!

Gohan clenched his jaw, most likely the pain from his injury causing the discomfort, leading to the slight annoyance rising. Easy, Gohan. He nodded to himself. His dark eyes lifted up to connect with the intense purple ones of the woman in front of him. "I'm not trying to be rude, Miss, but shouldn't the people get off the island as quick as possible, even if you are to trying to protect them."

The woman paused, studying the child before her. He made some sense, but he did say "trying." Her frustration grew at the young boy, only being reduced when she met a soft innocent smile.

The feeling returned, and Gohan insisted that the air temperature plummeted around him. He whipped his head to see the fight between the Androids and Trunks. The female Android landed a hit on the teen, sending him flying back. Trunks caught himself, but 18 dug an elbow in his back, sending him toward 17, who raised a hand, an energy ball forming. "Trunks!" He yelled, fingers immediately snapping to his forehead.

He disappeared, teleporting above Trunks and landing a sideways kick on 17's head, whose body flashed to the side from the impact. He turned around, sending several energy blasts at 18, who dodged most of them. He turned his eyes on the teen.

"Switch."

Trunks gaped at him, teal eyes locked on the other's teal ones. "You're a Sup-Super…"

The narrowing of the intense eyes sent Trunks the other way with a fast nod, heading toward the people below. He turned to the Androids, who were glaring daggers at him as they traveled to float next to each other.

. . . .

The purple eyes of the woman went round as the boy from before disappeared from view, flashing up to where the fight was developing. "Eh-eh?" She saw the Androids both take a hit as the boy was surrounded by a strange golden glow, hair turning blond and eyes changing to another color that she couldn't distinguish on the ground.

A masculine voice from the crowd behind her muttered. "And you slapped that in the face?"

A chill ran up the woman's spine. It was impossible- unbelievable. Her eyes were locked on the small figure that flew through the air, ducking, dodging, and landing a few hits on the two Androids above. She missed the other blond male land before them. The teen ushered everyone the way that Gohan had instructed them to head, eyes going to the hushed woman staring at the scene way above them. "How- How can a kid-"

Trunks waited for the others to head to the docks then he walked up alongside the perplexed woman. "Excuse me, but we should head out."

The woman numbly nodded her head. She stumbled along in a daze, totally confused how a mere child could do such things when her father never stood a chance. She whipped around to face the blond teen. "You! Who is that kid?"

Trunks was a bit startled, enough so that he stepped back. "I'm-"

"Tell me," she commanded the teen. Then an explosion lit up the street, and her rough exterior vanished. She jumped and let the teen guide her to the last boat, her eyes showing her panic.

"When you reach land, keep going. Don't return here." Trunks said in a rush. He could feel Gohan's KI slipping a bit. With a slight shove, the boat was in the water all the way, and it paddled away from the destruction behind it.

The woman's mouth stood agape as the teen flew up to where the fight was. Soon, the figures that fought above her city grew to the size of ants, and soon, the city was left behind. Her city was just another one destroyed by those Androids; another claimed by those monsters, but this time, they could laugh at the Androids. Most of them were alive because of the two going against those monsters.

Videl Satan let out a saddened, yet grateful smile as she caught the last glimpse of the city. They were allowed to leave in one piece and not in body bags, which she knew was too much of a luxury, especially now with the rampaging duo. She didn't know what could be said about the two fighters they left; she betted that the same couldn't be said about them.

. . . .

How right she was too. 18 landed a hit when Gohan tried to push her away with his left hand, and his ears picked up the crack of a bone somewhere in his arm. He bit back a pained yell and punched the Android with his other hand. 17 swung in from his left side, going for the weakened one. Gohan's left hand still shot out, bashing back the Android despite the shooting pain that came from the action. A blast headed toward him, and Gohan moved his head out of the way at the last second.

The blast exploded down in the city below, but Gohan wasn't too worried about it since everyone was on the other side, except for Trunks and that woman from before. He shot up into the sky, and the Androids followed him. He stopped abruptly and flipped over them. An energy blast escaped through his palm, striking the two Androids. He jumped back through the air to escape the smoke that came with the blast upon exploding.

He should be able to see them coming from this distance, but just his luck, the smoke cleared, and there were no Androids there. He really wished he could sense them; he drove out his other senses, a bead of sweat rolling down his face. He concentrated, and the feeling from before rose up. His head snapped up just as 17's fists smashed on the top of it. "Don't beat yourself up kid." A smirk pulled at the male Android's mouth. "You have us to do that for you."

"He's got a point." Her voice sounded right by Gohan's right ear. He glanced over his shoulder, and as if everything was in slow motion, he watched the female's hand form a fist, and she plowed it straight into his face. His eyes closed at the impact, and his body darted forward, colliding with another hand- 17's hand- that forced him sideways through the air. His teeth clenched together to hold in a groan.

He recovered soon enough, but he didn't dodge quick enough because 18's foot caught his shin, and 17's hand hit with his chest. Gohan's body began to go limp as he lost altitude. Something- no someone- caught him and held him in the air. His teal eyes fluttered open to glance up at Trunks. Trunks released Gohan, who managed to right himself in the air. Harsh breaths rushed from his mouth as the boy stared toward the Androids.

The pain in his chest was sharp, but Gohan shoved it out of his mind. The two super saiyans glanced over at each other. Gohan nodded and asked. "Ready?"

"Ready!" They sprung forward, charging toward the two Androids who apparently did the same. The four people clashed in the sky, creating a sound that rattled the windows in the city below and scared some birds into flying away. The two half-breeds were lacking in the teamwork department, accidentally slamming into each other from the Androids' quick movements.

Trunks swiped out 17's feet just as Gohan shot a Masenko at 18. The blast was powerful enough to force her into 17, making her roll along his back and come at Trunks, a right hand clocking the teen in the face. Gohan appeared next to them, pushing Trunks to the side as 18 aimed for him again. This time, she got air, and she hissed. "Why you little brat!"

Gohan's face lit up in white-hot pain when she hit him, but he flew forward, slamming into the other. He saw Trunks heading his way, and he dropped, distracting the Android for a split second. It gave Trunks some time to land a hard blow to her cheek. He jumped back, standing beside the younger boy whose breath came out in rasps. His left hand hovered over his chest, but he didn't seem to register it too much. "We-we should… Get out of here s-soon…" The boy mumbled quietly. He understood that they would just end up beaten if they stayed there any longer, and he knew that the humans were far away- safe from the Androids.

Trunks nodded swiftly, and the two parted when 18 rushed at them. She had to go for only one of them, so she went for Trunks. Gohan was left alone, or so he thought. He went to head over to 18 and Trunks, but he lost all of his muscle control. He slumped forward, losing his super saiyan form and dangling from his tail, which 17 had a good grip on. The boy couldn't move; he could only watch as Trunks took various hits from 18. Gohan found his voice just before a devastating blow hit against the teen's temple.

"Duck!" He shouted, and Trunks did so, saving himself from being knocked out. "Left!" Trunks blocked a blow from his left next. The Android seemed to disappear, and Gohan felt that strange feeling again when staring at Trunks. "Behind!" Trunks dove to the ground, escaping the powerful blast that had been to catch him in the back.

18 was getting flustered now, and she darted at the teen. Trunks was nailed in the back with an elbow, and he screamed out as something popped in his shoulder from her following attack.

"Blast above!" Gohan told him, and the teen's eyes darted up, spying 18's blast heading his way. He moved to the side as Gohan said. "Shoot." Several blasts exploded out of the teen's palms, colliding with the Android. She burst through the smoke, flashing behind Trunks. "Behi-" Gohan just plainly screamed in pain as he felt his tail shift and a few bones broke inside.

"Sorry, we didn't ask for any customer service, thanks though." 17 said, sadistic smirk forming on his features.

After hearing Gohan's screams, Trunks' eyes flashed over to see the predicament the boy was in. A knee to his back shoved him forward, and he felt a hand wrap around the collar of his jacket, holding him in place. He couldn't move too well with the constant pain running up and down his spine. Gohan bit the inside of his cheek as 17 applied more pressure to his tail. When 17 didn't hear the yells, the smirk was replaced with a tight line.

His grip tightened, but Gohan refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing him hurt. Dark eyes observed Trunks' expression of torment; the teen's eyes were closed and his hands were loose on his shirt's collar. Gohan willed himself to move. If he didn't break out of this, the Androids would break them even more. He slowly drew up his hands, breathing more rapid and sweat pouring down his face. He managed to raise his hands, and he found his energy within him. He tore it out, gathering it at his hands. Just before the ki blasts came from his hands, he slammed them at 17's chest. They hit and the blast shot the Android away.

Gohan moved quickly, coming at 18, who grabbed the teen tightly and threw him into the boy. The boy decided to take the hit, catching the teen, and he made them both drop to the ground. When he landed on the ground, Trunks came to, so Gohan let him go. The teen was slightly stupefied, so the younger one pulled him along by his wrist. "Have a plan to get out of here?" He asked the teen.

Trunks shook his head. "No." Honestly, he hadn't thought they'd make it this far.

"Great," stated the boy, releasing the other's wrist and running faster. His dark eyes darted along the buildings, and down the road, a water tower stood on top of a building. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"I… th-think so."

Gohan stopped and gestured with his head for the teen to keep going. Trunks rushed off, heading toward the water tower and jumping up beside it. He hid behind the water tower and waited. Gohan was facing the other way, waiting for the Androids, who were racing toward him. The boy spun on his heels and sprinted in the other direction. He made his power spike as he neared the water tower, stopping a little ways in front of it. He turned to face the Androids and backed up some. He hoped Trunks got the hint, especially when the Androids approached him.

They got closer, a little too close for Gohan's liking. He had to stall for time. He planted his feet and asked. "Do you want to play a game?"

The Androids halted their advance, confused at the sudden question. 17 was the first one to speak up. "What kind of game?" He raised a brow at the young boy, while his sister eyed the child before them.

Gohan raised his power real quick and brought it back down. "It's Who Can Swim?"

"What-" 17 started. The water tower crashed on top of them, sweeping them away in a rush of water. Trunks' gaze searched the water in a search for Gohan, and he sensed the younger one's appearance next to him.

"Apparently, they can't." Gohan shook water from his hair, taking to the air. "Let's get out of here before they catch their breath." They sped off.

. . . .

They almost made it to the house when Trunks suddenly stopped. "Oh no, no, no, no. Where's the Time Machine?" He rushed over to where the machine had been hidden, looking frantically for the giant machine that had gone missing. He sagged against a nearby building. "It's gone… I'm so…" He had wanted to get Gohan back to his time, and he had wanted to help them take care of the Androids. How was he- how were they- ever to travel into the past now? "Gohan, it's missing…"

"No it's not."

"What?"

The boy was strangely calm about not being able to make it back to his time, and he had Trunks' head spinning. Gohan walked over and said. "It was just hanging out in the open, so I moved it awhile ago for safety. Don't worry, it's well hidden."

Trunks instantly relaxed and took his statement to heart. He believed what the boy said. "Okay, good. You had me worried there."

Gohan smiled meekly. "Sorry, I should have told you." He rubbed the back of his head.

"It's fine. As long as it's safe, that's all that matters."

They went inside after a look around to make sure no Android was in sight, and Gohan shut the door behind them. "How about some dinner since we missed lunch?"

"Sounds good."

Gohan went to cooking, finding some things that needed to be cooked. He pulled out an onion, carrots, some type of mushroom, cabbage leaves, some green onions, some noodles that were made from wheat flour from what it said, and some pork. He remembered reading some type of recipe that involved these things, so he cut up all of the vegetables and sliced the meat. He took out a large bowl-shaped frying pan, and he heated up some oil in it and put the meat there to cook. He placed the tougher vegetables in to cook. Next came the remaining vegetables.

He separated the noodles from one another with hot water as he put pepper and some sauce that came with the noodles with the vegetables and meat. The noodles were then placed in the pan, continuously stirred. The meal was almost finished by now, and he put the mixture of vegetables and pork in separate bowls. He handed one to Trunks and kept one for himself. He left the leftovers in the pan in case either one of them wanted more.

Gohan ate with care, tasting the meal and mentally rating it. The noodles were wrong, and some of the vegetables weren't cooked all the way. Gohan hid his annoyance by taking another bite. Cooking was becoming enjoyable to the young demi-saiyan, but he wanted the meal to be perfect. It would obviously take a while, but they both had nothing but time. Trunks politely thanked him for the food and ate at a slightly faster pace than Gohan, which wasn't too fast.

Trunks thought the meal had shown Gohan's improvement, and it was pretty good. He had definitely worked hard on this dinner. Gohan set down his plate; for some reason, he found himself not hungry. He kept replaying the latest "fight" with the Androids. He and Trunks, compared to the siblings and their teamwork, were surely lacking, like he mentioned before. The Androids had always been there for one another, and it appeared as if they were programmed to work with each other. One was never seen without the other, and they both seemed to have around the same likes and dislikes- which Trunks and Gohan were at the top of the second list.

They had some close calls. There was a few when Gohan wasn't fast enough to prevent injuries to his person or to Trunks'. There was the fact that their communication was a bit off. They'd have to work a little on that. They also need to watch out for one another. Those things could be fixed with a bit of practice, but there was one thing that was bothering him a lot. It was his tail! He loved the thing, but it never escaped 17's eyes, and he grabbed the obvious weakness.

The tail problem wasn't exactly easy to solve. He could slice it off, but it may just grow back because it has been doing a lot of that lately, or he could learn to control himself when someone touched it. Like Vegeta, his brain piped up. Vegeta was able to not crumble to the ground like Raditz and Gohan seemed to do. He wasn't that sure about that other saiyan- Nappa- since Gohan had been too terrified to even go and stand next to the warrior.

Gohan just knew that Vegeta could handle his tail when he had one, and he could even transform and not destroy everything in sight. Gohan couldn't remember transforming into a giant ape, but he must have done so a couple of times. The moon had been out when he had his tail, he knew this, and Vegeta had to create his own moon, another time that the young boy had regrown his tail.

It was terrible that the tail had a mind of its own usually because it could unwrap from his waist, and he wouldn't know it. He turned his head, seeing the tail doing exactly what he didn't want. He wrapped the tail around his waist, having to aid the appendage with his hands because of the breaks and bumps in it. He returned to his food, but his appetite was totally gone. He just couldn't eat another bite, and he pushed back his chair and went to do the dishes instead.

He put the leftovers in the refrigerator and washed the dishes until he reached the last one- Trunks' bowl. The teen had just finished, and he rushed over to place it in the sink. "Thanks, Gohan."

Usually, Gohan would say that he's welcomed or that he didn't mind the cooking, but the thought about his tail and what it led to, or could lead to, kept nagging at him. "Trunks, can you do me a favor?"

Trunks responded. "Sure thing, Gohan."

"Could you grab my tail?" The tail unattached itself from his waist, and Gohan's tail flicked to the left as Gohan waited.

The teen grabbed hold of the tail, and Gohan crashed to his knees. Immediately, Trunks released the tail, eyes round. "Goh-"

Gohan gasped out and rose to his feet. "It's alright." His palms were sweaty and his tail flicked to the left multiple times. "Try again?" Trunks hesitated. "I wasn't ready the first time," Gohan said to reassure the teen.

Trunks' voice was cautious. "Ohhh-kay. Ready now?"

Gohan nodded stiffly. Even though he trusted Trunks, he fidgeted and feared what he could do. "G… Go ahead." Trunks' fingers wrapped around the tail, and Gohan's knees buckled again after a moment's pause. When the fingers were removed, Gohan stumbled to his feet. His brow furrowed together. He couldn't even keep himself standing for four seconds! He turned a determined gaze onto the floor. "Once more?"

"No, Gohan, I can't watch this."

"Please. Once more and done."

Trunks frowned but complied. "Ready?"

"Yes." A hand held onto the tail, and Gohan's legs shook. He didn't want to fall, but he couldn't fight against the hold. He dropped onto his hands and knees, hands closed tightly. He pictured the same thing happening that did during the last fight. He remembered how Trunks was getting hurt, and Gohan just sat there like a sloth on a tree. His body had refused to move. If Trunks had died because of the tail, he wouldn't forgive himself. He gritted his teeth, telling himself to rise to his feet. His legs moved slightly.

He forced his awkward legs to shift, but he didn't make it that far before he slumped back to the ground, and his tail was dropped. He exhaled harshly, a line of sweat rolled down his face, pooling toward the tip of his nose. Gohan wiped his face with his sleeve and made his way to his feet at a snail's pace.

Trunks was watching with concern. "You almost stood up that time." He tried to lighten the mood, but it wasn't exactly working.

Gohan glared at his shoes, tail swaying rapidly back and forth. "That's not good enough. I need to be able to fight without it being used against me or getting in the way." His lips pulled back to reveal his grinding teeth. It needs to be dealt with. His eyes closed as they clenched together. He made the tail go around his waist, and his dark eyes revealed themselves. He forced a smile. "Thanks for your help. I think I'll go to sleep early. Goodnight."

He walked toward the hallways to the bedroom, softly closing his door after going inside. He leaned against the door, head tilting up to the ceiling. He probably should have checked their injuries, but Trunks could probably handle his on his own, if not Gohan would know later on. Speaking of injuries, he studied his left arm, fingers brushing along that arm then the right one, comparing the two. The left was a little deformed in relation to his right. Gohan concluded that it might be a possible fracture, but it seemed minor. He could only tell because of Bulma's medical book he has read.

Since there was barely any swelling and deformity, Gohan thought he should be fine. He'd just wrap it up or something, maybe make a splint for it if needed. He sat down on the floor, back against the bed as he stared at his clasped hands resting on his lap. His tail twitched behind him, and he turned to it to fix it the best he could. He sighed as the tail returned to his waist, and his head thumped against the top of the bed.

He whispered to himself. "What do I do?" Everything was wrong, and they weren't even closer to getting rid of the Androids. He didn't understand what he was doing wrong. He bet that if Piccolo was alive, he'd come up with something. He wouldn't just accept this and sit in the dark. He'd go out strong. He'd use everything he had, intelligence, power, speed, and anything else he could muster. He wouldn't just sit and wallow in self pity.

Everyone had problems they had deal with. Nothing made his any better or worse. Trunks had been trapped in this never-ending nightmare from the beginning, so Gohan had no excuse to sit and complain about his problems.

Gohan drew himself off the floor, and he headed to the back room. He knew what he had to do. He was almost finished with the make-shift gravity chamber, and it was coming along. He messed with the metal, and he felt his skin break open from handling the metal without care. The blood flowed, and Gohan merely ripped a piece off his already torn white shirt, and he wrapped up his palm tightly.

He went back to working once again.

. . . .

Trunks journeyed out of his room when the night turned into the next morning. He walked right into the scents of eggs and toast. He took his seat at the kitchen table, grabbing for his plate as soon as he sat down. "Morning," the young boy said, not bothering to take his gaze away from the book he was reading.

"Morning, Gohan." He grabbed a few bites and thanked the other for the food. He continued chewing his meal until Gohan placed down his book.

"I think we should talk- about yesterday." The boy began.

Trunks set down his eating utensil, all of his attention going to his young friend. "What about yesterday?" He questioned, face totally focused on the conversation.

"I understand that you felt my KI rise…" Trunks nodded once, and Gohan added. "It was supposed to be a signal that the Androids were right in front of me." He paused, moving his book on the table. "Maybe we need a system in case we're in trouble?"

Trunks seemed to think about the suggestion for a second.

Gohan turned his eyes to the teen. "To signal that we're in danger, we could raise our power levels real fast to get the other's attention, or keep them up high, depending on the circumstances." His eyes returned to the book at his fingertips. "We need to determine the signal for being alright. It could be… Well, I think powering up a bit real fast two times will be alright..?"

Trunks leaned back in his chair. "Sounds…"

Gohan began to worry; perhaps his plan was faulty. His gaze traveled to stare at Trunks' face in order to study his reaction.

"Reasonable," the teenager finished. "Two flickers means safe, and one sharp power spike is the signal for the Androids, right?"

Gohan nodded a few times. "Exactly."

Trunks beamed at him. He opened his mouth to say something, but the radio sounded through the kitchen. They both turned to it, expecting another city being attacked. Luckily, it was calm talking about the day's weather- how sunny and warm it was supposed to be. Yeah, hot and bright, with a slight chance of death clouds in the distance and most likely the rain of energy blasts on a certain city. Gohan merely shook his head, hoping that the Androids took a day off- actually more than a day off. He wished they never destroyed and murdered anyone again, but that was a wish of an optimistic boy that no longer began to exist.

He had watched the Androids kill and torture the inhabitants of Earth, and he couldn't do anything really, even if he was a super saiyan. Yes, he and Trunks had saved most of those people in that one city, but some did not have the luxury of life after their efforts. Most had survived, not all.

Speaking of yesterday and the two boys' heroic actions, the radio crackled and an announcer broadcasted a grand, "Gooooooood mooorrrrnnnning!" All of the listeners, including Gohan and Trunks, tuned into the voice. "Everyone has heard of the recent events that happened in Satan City. Wait, you haven't?" The man's laugh boomed from the radio. "Well, do I have a surprise for you! Introducing, the woman who survived- the woman who saw her city being defended- VIDEL SATAN!"

The two half-breeds almost rolled their eyes at the man's excitement. Instead, they looked at the radio and continued to listen.

"Welcome to The Station, it's a pleasure to meet someone that looked death in the face and grinned. Would you care to describe the scene again, so the world can hear the news?"

A feminine voice sounded next. "There were two fighters that went up against those monsters."

"In monsters, you mean Androids?" The man questioned.

The other voice bit out. "I'm not sugarcoating anything for your show."

The man's voice stammered out. "Of-Of course, we wouldn't want that. Could you describe- in detail- these two 'fighters.'"

There was a slight pause, so Trunks asked. "Who's Videl Satan, was she that woman?"

Gohan replied with a simple, "Yes."

The woman's voice came through the slight static on the radio station. "One was just a boy, while the other was a teenager."

"Oh really?"

"Yes." The woman stated, voice showing her irritation. "If you don't believe me, ask the others."

"I-I believe you, miss."

"Alright, then, I'll continue. These two boys had blond hair and teal eyes. Together they fought above Satan City. They-"

Trunks randomly said. "You know, she seemed to be really fascinated with you Gohan."

A black brow rose up. "Are we talking about the same woman?"

"- went up against the monsters and got most of us off the island. They-" The woman continued, voice coming from the speaker on the radio.

Trunks looked over at the boy. "Yeah, that woman with the purple eyes. She asked for your name. She was really surprised that you could fight the Androids."

Gohan's brows drew together. "I didn't detect fascination or surprise from her when I tried to talk to her. She actually seemed to despise me."

"- saved us all from dying. They are… We live now because of them; each one of us owe our lives to those two fighters." The woman concluded. "We thank both of them for their… help…"

Gohan knew that the last statement sure hurt the woman to say. Trunks gestured to the radio. "See?" His smile curled up his lips. "The woman- who was she again?"

"Videl Satan." Gohan answered him politely, but a part of his brain agreed with her last name. Her last name definitely worked for her.

"She doesn't hate you."

Gohan nodded slightly at his sentence, not totally agreeing with it a hundred percent. He looked back to the radio as the announcer's voice boomed. "Thank you for coming today, and thank YOU, Mystery Duo!"

"Mystery duo?" Trunks made a slight face. "Please tell me that's not what they're going to call us." Gohan concealed a chuckle.

"Well, perhaps their name needs to be worked on, but don't worry. The Golden Boys will get their name soon enough!"

Just before the man gave his exaggerated goodbye, the woman muttered. "They'll never save anyone again if you call them those ridiculous names…"

The radio was turned off by Trunks, who looked slightly red, probably from annoyance and embarrassment. Gohan shook his head with a tiny smile. "Who cares what they call us. We'll save them anyway." He tilted his head. "What do you say, Little Brother?"

Trunks didn't know whether to put his head on the table and groan or smile and shake the offered hand. He chose to do the latter. They had a duty to do, and their team, no matter the name, had a goal to accomplish.

. . . .

Four weeks had passed since their first teamwork mission, and almost everyday they grew better as a team because they fought with the Androids during the day. They saved so many people, but their injuries just seemed to get worse and worse. Without a good period of resting and healing, their wounds didn't particularly heal up well, only to be broken or opened again the next day. Sometimes they had two blissful days away from the constant fights, but those days were rare.

During those days, they didn't really train. In fact, neither of them initiated a dual training session because they were too exhausted. Everyday, though, Gohan made three meals, read books that pertained to math, science, english, and anything school related when he wasn't working on the GC- gravity chamber- or the time machine.

Other than somehow finding an opportunity for all of the books and working Gohan did, Gohan had to fight off the nightmares that came. They weren't every night, but he didn't sleep every night either. The nightmares were always about his family members and friends dying. Actually, one dream started off with Master Roshi taking the whole group to a gameshow. Master Roshi was being… Master Roshi, and he got kicked out. That man sure was strange, especially concerning women.

Anyway, the game show started off great with Roshi being the announcer for the show. However, when he was kicked out, they looked for a volunteer. Everyone pointed to Gohan, so he had no choice, and he had walked onto the stand, completely frozen at all of the attention. He had sat down and smiled brightly. He hadn't been on a game show before. He waited for the new person who ran the show to come out, and he was met with 17 as the host.

18 had soon followed. Then the game was basically Gohan spinning a wheel to try to save his friends. One by one, they died until it was only him. He had lived after that; the Androids hadn't killed him yet. He was forced to live with his family and friends hanging over him. Then, the Androids found him, and that was the end of Gohan.

Trunks wasn't exactly having the best time either. He didn't have persistent nightmares all of the time, but the fighting and small amounts of rest were really pushing him. It tested him more than he'd like to admit. He hid his fatigue the best he knew how since Gohan didn't seem fazed by the tough hours and beatings every day. He hoped to remain strong, and he was glad that they were actually accomplishing something.

Everyone had heard about their duo in the world by now. They were the ones that came and helped when everything looked bleak and hopeless. A slight smile rose to his face as he thought. You got your hope from your time machine, mom. It had been a mission of Hope when he left to aid Goku and tell him of the horrid Androids, and they got Gohan in return. Both worlds had benefited from the exchange.

The Androids knew of Trunks' and Gohan's small team, and they still tried to maim and murder them, but always, Gohan had a plan to get away. The "Golden Team," as some reporters say, were a blessing and took a step toward the future. Trunks was thrilled that they impacted so many lives, saving them from just being another unmarked grave, and he was also glad that the name of their team was better than the first two.

Unfortunately, they just seemed to prolong the inevitable because the members of their team was not nearly as strong as the two, and their team was constantly injured and wasn't allowed time to recover. The weight on Trunks' shoulders grew heavier every day, and he already knew that Gohan must have carried more. The younger boy was thrusted into this world, and he had to face so many things, while helping Trunks along.

The boy was only seven, and he was doing more than even Trunks' mother ever did. Trunks sensed him at night. His KI would spike, and next thing the teen knew, the younger half-breed was heading to the lab or the back room. He wasn't just fighting the Androids, but possibly something else. Gohan never told him of his doubts, worries, or nightmares. He'd conceal it for obvious reasons.

Gohan was quiet, but that wasn't much of a change from earlier when they met. However, whenever Trunks questioned him about the past, he'd give honest answers, but vague ones. For example, he asked about Namek again- about Frieza. Gohan merely told him that Frieza was the strongest in the universe, and he killed many on Namek. He said that Goku was the only one that stood a chance, only because of being a Super Saiyan.

For another example, Trunks questioned Gohan on his father a few times, but it was always the same. His father was strong, proud, and arrogant. He never once answered Trunks about why his father came to Earth in the first place. Somehow, he'd maneuver around it and get Trunks onto another subject. It was as if he was keeping something from him, or he was trying to protect him from the truth.

Both half-saiyans got along great, but lately, they haven't seen much of each other- other than fighting the Androids and bandaging wounds. Gohan hasn't even really allowed him to help with his wounds either, but that could be because of the hits he takes that are always meant for Trunks.

The teen rose from his bed, and he reached the kitchen, but there was no Gohan to greet him. Gohan was usually out here cooking or reading before he was even out of bed. This morning, though, the boy was in the lab. Gohan came out ten minutes later and greeted Trunks with a soft smile. "Good morning."

"Morning." Trunks said. Normally, the teen would be the happier in the morning, but this particular one was quite depressing. He grabbed some milk from Gohan, and after the younger boy cooked breakfast, he received the plate from him.

Gohan glanced over at the teen, a flash of worry came to his eyes. He sat down next to the teen, and he said. "Did you know that glaring at your food will not cook it? I bet Vegeta found that out the hard way."

Trunks cracked a smile. "Is that so?" He lacked his playfulness that he and Gohan had begun to develop. His lips pulled down, and he took a mouthful of the eggs.

Gohan frowned as well. He stood up and noticed the distant look in the teen's blue eyes. He grabbed some juice and poured it into a cup. He thought about how to assess the problem at hand. Clearly, something was disturbing Trunks quite dearly. He tapped on the glass, and an idea came to him. A smirk pulled his lips up. He hid it when he returned to his chair. He chewed on his toast, pretending to savor the taste for a bit. He suddenly announced that he was going to get food, so he'd be back. He put his plate in the fridge and took off after the two said their farewells.

He made a mental list of what he had to get, and he grinned slightly. Trunks definitely needed a pick-me-up, and it would make Gohan feel better too, so it was a win-win. Both of the Super Saiyans have really just been that lately. They had been super, but they didn't have a chance to relax, be themselves, or have fun. He thought about what Trunks' childhood must have been like. It could have been worse than his own, and no one deserved to be brought up in this nightmare.

He grabbed his supplies and the groceries and journeyed home. He searched the house for Trunks, locking onto his energy in the kitchen still. He hid the supplies outside, and he went inside. He put away the food in cupboards and freezer, keeping an eye on the teen, who seemed to be lost in thought. "Hey Trunks?"

The teen a soft noise in response, still staring at his half-eaten food.

"I'm going to head over to Capsule Corp." He headed to the door, pausing to leave and waiting for Trunks to say something. "I'll be back," he said as he waved, opening the door.

Trunks nodded his head at him, but that was all Gohan got in a reply.

After Gohan shut the door behind him, the corners of his mouth shifted down. He was concerned even more now. He grabbed the bag of supplies and took off for Capsule Corp. He landed on the grass, and he arranged everything in the appropriate manner by the front door. He made sure to hide everything well, use the fishing wire by the floor, and make it complicated to keep the teen distracted when he ran into the trap. It was almost done. Now, he just had to get Trunks inside and make him come back to the front door, so he could set off the trap.

He just had to sit back and relax. He sat in the chair by the sewing machine, using his feet on the table to push two legs of the chair off the floor. His dark eyes drilled into the ceiling as he thought about the possible next fight with the Androids. He wondered what or who'd they save next. Even the little they did, they were making the future a better place. At least, they thought that.

Gohan's musings were interrupted by the door opening, and he leaned to the side to look over, which was a bad idea because he crashed to the ground, taking the chair with him. He rubbed his backside, bottom lip jutting out some. He rose to his feet just as he saw Trunks shut the door. "Look who's out of the house." The boy faintly smiled.

Trunks gave a weak smile back. He didn't really talk as he stole the other chair and moved it to the other room. The young boy furrowed his brow, but instead of going after him like he usually did. He went to the front door, setting up the trap and stepping outside the house. Noiselessly, he shut the door and crept away from the house. He flew off for some time, and he rose his power, transforming into a Super Saiyan. Inside the house, he felt Trunks' power level spike, and the teen moved toward the main door.

. . . .

Trunks had been staring outside a window, mouth in a straight line, when he felt Gohan's power skyrocket. He startled, coming out of his stupor, and he rushed toward the front door. He hadn't even realized Gohan had left the house in the first place. He must have been out of it. He turned the handle, preparing to open the door, but a noise behind him resulted in his hesitation.

His blue eyes watched in fascination as a small ball dropped to the ground from the ceiling, rolling along the floor. It hit something wooden alongside the wall, and that board hit another thing, causing it to fall to the floor on the other side of the hall. The thing that had been hit looked like a small piece of pipe, and when it shot across the floor, it struck a button type object, shooting another ball up into the air. It bounced off the ceiling then another accurately placed object to land on a piece of wood, catapulting yet another ball. That ball then whizzed by Trunks' head, hitting the door open some. Trunks followed the ball, turning around to see.

Poof! Red dust hit him in the face, sticking in his hair and getting on his long-sleeved white shirt. When the dust settled on his face, his eyes found Gohan pointing his finger and laughing at him in the doorway, blond hair and green eyes both pale shades. The younger boy's laughter continued when Trunks blew some of the red dust out of his bangs.

"Gohan!"

The boy chuckled. "Don't worry it's washable." The laughter was gone, but the wide smile remained. "You looked a little stressed, so I thought I'd help you out."

Trunks' mouth twitched, smirk forming. "I'll show you stressed!" He transformed in the next second, the red dust immediately shooting off him, and he flashed toward the young boy, whose eyes widened along with the smile. He flew the opposite way. "Come back here," laughed the teen as he chased the boy around outside. He drew up his hand, sending a blast at the other.

Gohan felt that feeling again, glancing over his shoulder and sending his own blast at Trunks'. The two blasts connected and burst into smoke. Trunks ended up on his back as Gohan tackled him and sprang to his feet. Trunks laughed. "You've gotten stronger."

"I've been training in the gravity chamber."

"You finished it?" Trunks questioned, hearing the boy walk toward him from his position on the ground. Trunks waited for Gohan to come closer, and he jumped to his feet and attacked.

"Yes, a few weeks ago." The boy answered as he deflected the blow with his left arm. It had healed up recently, which was a surprise because typically a fracture of the humerus- even small- may take around eight weeks, an yes, he discovered that it had been a fracture of the humerus a few days after getting the injury.

Both of the Super Saiyans brought up their hands, fists connecting in the air, bouncing off one another just to collide back together. Trunks swiped toward Gohan, who flew back to avoid the hit. Gohan kicked up suddenly, and he hit Trunks in the chest. The teen backed up to get speed and dove forward.

Gohan side-stepped him in the air and put an elbow in Trunks' back. It was lighter than usual, but it was enough to send the teen down slightly. Trunks punched Gohan away, and they continued their spar with more kicks and hits. "You're leaving your left side open too much." Gohan stated. Trunks attacked again after adjusting himself. "You're doing it again." A swift hit collided with Trunks' left side, and he drew in a breath.

Ow. He adjusted his stance more, lunging forward and keeping an eye out for his left side.

A knee hit him on the right side this time. "Don't just watch your left," instructed the young boy. Trunks nodded absentmindedly. He hit away one of Gohan's hands that came toward his left side, and he dodged when another hand tried to land a hit on his right. Trunks blocked the blows to his sides again and landed a few good ones on Gohan. Gohan darted at him, and Trunks leaped forward, giving Gohan a swift punch.

However, his hand went through him, and a moment too late, he realized that it was an afterimage. He spun around just as Gohan kicked him up- further into the air- with a strong hit under his chin.

"Be ready for anything, Trunks."

Trunks rubbed his chin with a small nod. "Right, got it." He went forward, fist outstretched and hitting against Gohan's right arm. Gohan shoved him away with the same arm. The teen was immediately back at the young boy, using his hand for a solid strike. Gohan pushed his fist away, making it go past him so Trunks ended up following it. Gohan used this to his advantage, elbow shifting straight and heading down. Trunks covered himself with his hands. He protected himself quite well, and he counterattacked with an elbow of his own.

Out of the corner of Trunks' eyes, he spotted Gohan's tail. A smirk morphed onto his features. "Be ready for anything." He repeated, going to grab hold of it. It was a mistake. He knew it was as soon as he touched it, as soon as his fingers grazed the tail.

Gohan screamed out, jamming an elbow straight into the side of his face. Trunks instantly let go, hand on his aching face, as he shot to the ground way below. He hit and the earth exploded around him from the impact. His vision darkened and swayed. Yeah, bad decision. He groaned. Who knew Gohan had that in him?

Gohan panicked and dropped down on his hands and knees, picking off the heavy rocks. "Trunks, I'm so sorry."

Trunks felt Gohan's hands gently pry him loose from the rocks. His eyes blinked lazily, finding Gohan. "It's… okay. It's noth… thing really." He slumped back, hair and eyes instantly reverting back to normal.

. . . .

Trunks woke to an overhead light, and he tore his eyes from the blinding light. He turned his head to the side, eyes landing on Gohan who looked like he was about to cry. For someone that never really seen this Gohan- or even the future one- cry, he was worried. Gohan was at his side and apologizing another time.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to…"

Trunks said. "It happens."

Gohan's saddened eyes glanced over his face, hands wound tightly around each other.

"I found something out, though."

"What's that?"

Trunks laughed dryly. "Rule number one: Don't touch the tail." A smile came to his face, but it disappeared from the pain. "Also, you're stronger than you let on."

Gohan's cheeks had a light dust of pink. "I wish I was stronger though, like you or my dad."

Trunks sat up, careful of how fast he made himself move. "Who knows, it's possible. You're a super saiyan already."

"Maybe." Gohan presented him a small smile. "Let's get some ice for your face." He offered a hand to help Trunks reach his feet. After Trunks was on his feet, he discovered that he was in the lab. He looked at all of the separated room. On one side, there was the computer, desks, and random pieces of technology; the other had all of the medical supplies and a bed, which Trunks had been resting in apparently, for an injured person. He made his way around the highly organized area and out to the kitchen, where Gohan had just taken out some ice from the freezer.

Trunks took a seat and pressed the offered ice on his head.

Gohan hovered around him. "Do you need anything else?"

"Yeah, for you to sit down." Trunks smirked slightly after a pause. "Who's acting stressed now?"

Gohan sat down, hiding the blush on his face. "Me, obviously." A tight smile came to his face at Trunks' grin.

Trunks settled more comfortably in the chair, stretching some. A contented sigh came from the teen's mouth. "That was the most fun I've had in forever. Thanks."

Gohan fiddled with his thumbs. "If you don't mind me asking, what's bothering you?"

Trunks instantly tensed. "Nothing." He looked anywhere but at Gohan.

"Want to play 50 questions?" Gohan tried. "It's fun sometimes."

Trunks made a slight face. "You sound like the Androids." He muttered in annoyance, not toward Gohan just the Androids.

Gohan wasn't really offended by the statement, but if Gohan had been the one to say Trunks' statement, it might have been a different story, but he'd never direct that toward the teen. He shrugged a shoulder. "Sometimes they're right. You need some fun in life." He turned his eyes to the sink. "You know you can tell me anything right?"

Trunks looked over. "Yeah, same goes to you."

Suddenly, Gohan asked. "You know how you asked about your dad and when he came to Earth?" He didn't wait for Trunks to nod. He continued. "Well, with him, there was this other saiyan. His name was Nappa. He was super strong, and he easily overpowered all of us. You're dad could kill Nappa without much effort if he wanted, which definitely said something about him. He was strong because of living under Frieza for so long, but it wasn't the best life. Frieza killed most of the Saiyan Race, leaving Vegeta, my dad, Nappa, Turles, and Raditz- my apparent uncle- the only ones alive."

Trunks listened to Gohan. It confused him slightly, but he got most of it. This was something, even if it was small and seemingly random. It was better than nothing, especially when Gohan told him this. Gohan had always been secretive, but this younger one was even more so. This Gohan didn't say much about the past, but sometimes- like times like this- he gained some knowledge on past events. He hesitated to speak what had been on his mind all day, but this was Gohan for crying out loud, and he did give him some information. He guessed it was only fair to tell him something new, too. "Gohan died today." Trunks finally forced out, hanging his head. Tears formed in his eyes, making the blue of his eyes shine brighter, from actually saying that fact out loud.

He felt a hand on his shoulder, and he glanced over his shoulder at the young boy standing next to him. "It's alright, Trunks." He smiled warmly. "He'll never leave you no matter what you think. He'll always be here," he pointed to Trunks' heart. "Don't just dwell on the end of his life. Look at everything he did before then, focus on everything he stood for when living."

Trunks rubbed his nose. "You're right." He beamed at the younger version of his mentor.

Gohan returned the expression, just not as full-heartedly as Trunks. He returned to his seat and looked up at the heavens. "They'll watch over us from above."

Trunks smiled more. "He used to say that too."

Gohan gazed at his hands then turned to Trunks. Everyone was watching down on them; Gohan just had a feeling. A smile pushed itself to his face. He didn't say anything, but he didn't need to. The two sat in silence, thinking their own thoughts, for over an hour. Gohan's soft voice reached Trunks ears. "What happened to my dad and everyone else?" He hoped he could have some clarity. "How did they all end up dying?" He had thought that his dad and the other's always managed to pull something out to win some way or another.

Trunks started. "I've only heard stories, but the Androids arrived on an island nine miles from South City, and everyone went out to face them. I heard they put up a fight, but it wasn't enough. Somehow, though, you managed to get away and live when no one else did."

"So none of them stood a chance, not even my dad?"

"He never got the chance to fight those monsters."

"Why?" Gohan's dark eyes snapped up to Trunks', eyes round.

"He comes down with a deadly virus that attacks his heart. Since there was no cure then, he passes away. I'm sorry, Gohan. This time, though, he'll be…" His voice continued, but Gohan didn't hear any of it. His body went numb. His dad died before all of this madness went down, and nothing could have saved him. He died, not fighting like he would have wanted, but by a virus that struck him down when each foe that they had came across had trouble with or couldn't even finish the job correctly- what he meant was that the dragon balls had always been there to revive his dad. He felt his stomach flop, and he gripped his knees.

Gohan's grip tightened, and his dad couldn't have been wished back since the virus was a natural death. It was horrible that his dad had to die that way- or die at all for that matter. He wanted to scream out his frustration, to be able to help; He just wanted to do something- anything! His voice came out hollow when his spoke softly. "Thank you, for clearing it up."

He pushed back his chair, hands resting on top of the table. He excused himself, heading to the back room. He closed the door, turning up the gravity extremely high, and he started with one-handed pushups. Next, he had himself upright and tried to remain on the tips of his fingertips. Soon, he only used one hand again. After that, he worked on different stances and forms. His hands began blurs as he pushed himself as fast as he could.

He ducked under an imaginary hand and threw up one of his own hands. He did a full backflip, landing on his feet. He shot toward the wall, stopping himself inches from it, and he did a back handspring. He continued until he ran out of space, staying on his hands and flipping to the side to land on his feet. The young boy blew out a breath, slight bangs blowing up. He bent over, squaring himself. His eyes drilled into the opposite wall. Around his clenched hands were sparks; they skittered along his wrists as he snarled to the room. "Why?" He hissed through his teeth.

This future was atrocious! Everything had fallen apart- even more so- after Namek. Everyone had thought his dad was dead, even Gohan had doubts of him being alive, and then it turns out that he didn't want to head home after they found out he was still among the living. When he got home, Gohan didn't get the chance to talk to him. His curiosity made sure of that. He slumped forward, smashing to his knees and putting out his hands to catch himself.

For some reason, he was dead beat tired. He rested his forehead against the ground, breathing rapidly. He couldn't let this future stay like this, and he wouldn't allow it to be the future for his time. Gohan pushed himself to his feet, drawing an arm across his forehead. His jaw was set as he leaned down in a stance, arms up and legs spread apart. He did a series of moves together that he learned from watching his dad, Piccolo, and the Androids. After that, he went quick, disappearing from view from his speed, and he'd appear with a sharp kick to the air, only to disappear again.

He continued this process, sometimes on his feet on the ground or sometimes in the air. He moved throughout the gravity chamber until his legs felt like jelly and his arms shook. He turned the gravity down, shutting the console down completely afterward. He walked out of the room, and he could have laughed at the gravitational force on his body. He just remained straight-faced and went into the kitchen, taking some water from the sink. Over to his side, he saw a note on the microwave. To sum it up, Trunks made him food and put it inside.

He felt tempted to throw it away, but he frowned at that thought. He wasn't angry with Trunks. He took out the food, and his stomach rumbled. He ate the food, and he rinsed off the plate in the sink. He cleaned up the kitchen next. He didn't want to sleep yet, but he knew that he should. He put the glass on the table while he bit the inside of his cheek. He sensed Trunks in his room already, so he quietly went past the teen's room.

When he hit his bed, he was out like a light.

. . . .

He tossed in his bed with a groan as a beeping sounded to his right. "Get up, Gohan. It's time for breakfast." His mom's voice made him stir some.

The young boy rolled over, sitting up and placing his bare feet on the floor. He rubbed his eyes. "Coming, Mom!" He hurriedly got dressed and rushed out of his room. He saw his mom's back, and she turned around with a smile. Gohan felt the need to hug her, being accompanied by one of those strange feelings again. Instead, he took his seat at the table and beamed at her.

"Morning." She said, handing him a plate. "Eat up before you do your schoolwork."

"Mom." He chuckled.

She stood with a hand on her hip. "What's that for? You know that your schoolwork is the most important thing, Gohan. You need to study to be a scholar. Someone has to make something of his life, and it won't be your father."

"Speaking of dad, where is he?"

"Training, like always. I bet that man would train when he was asleep if he could have."

"Could have?" Gohan noticed the fond look vanish from his mom's face, a deep sorrow replacing it.

She suddenly broke down in tears. The boy rushed over and tried to hold her hand in his, but at his touch, she vaporized into a pale yellow light. Her scream filled the house, and the lights exploded. The whole house was as dark as the outside now. He blindly searched for something in the darkness, hands out in front of him. "Mom, where are you?" There was no answer, so he kept trying to find someone.

The dark stretched before him, and he couldn't see an inch in front of him. He yelled out for his mom, asking where she went. Finally, a soft voice reached his ears. "No, Goku." His mom was speaking.

Another voice followed, really similar to Gohan's. "What's happening to dad?"

Loud screams filled the darkness, and upon the first one, Gohan knew it was his dad's. "DAD!" He ran toward the screams, which somehow grew louder and seemed to circle around him. The young boy stopped, and the screams closed in around him. The pressure was suffocating him, and he held his hands over his ears, kneeling on the ground now. The screams just stopped in the next moment. It was deadly silent.

Gohan reached his feet. "Is it over," asked Krillin from somewhere.

Then, a voice that reminded the boy of Master Roshi began. "Hm, I think it's just beginning."

He stepped further into the darkness, not bothering to have his hands out anymore. He couldn't see or hear anything, so his steps paused. He concentrated on feeling any nearby energy. He forced out his senses, pushing them as far as he thought possible. He couldn't sense anything until the overwhelming feeling fluttered around him, making the air so cold that he could watch his breath. He tried to squash the feeling down like he did when he was awake, but it refused to leave.

He heard Krillin's voice in the distance. "I wish Goku was here!"

"Well, he's not." Piccolo stated from somewhere nearby. The voice of Gohan's mentor continued. "Gohan, get out of here."

A hand grabbed hold of Gohan's shoulder, enough pressure to gain his attention. He glanced up, locking eyes with Piccolo.

"It's not safe."

Gohan shook his head numbly. "I can't just leave. What about dad? And mom? And you? And everyone else?"

"It's too late for us." The neutral expression on the Namekian's face didn't hide what he was truly feeling from the boy. He knew whatever was coming was going to destroy them all.

Gohan balled his fists. "I can't leave. I have to help."

A soft smile came to the green face. "You will." As the hand dropped from his shoulder, Piccolo vanished into the black around him, and with Piccolo, the calmness was shattered. His dad's screams erupted again, louder and longer this time. Along with his screams came the blast and explosion sounds. However, Gohan remained in the dark, unable to see or assist his friends. Krillin's voice sounded somewhere in the dark. "Everyone's dying." He sounded like he lost hope. Gohan could almost picture the bald man on his knees with tears in his eyes. "And I don't know how to make it stop…"

The constant screams from his dad increased in volume, and another voice joined in. "What's wrong with him?" Three other voices mixed with that one, so he didn't know who said what.

One of the three voices repeated. "Hurry… Get home… Before it's too late… Before he's gone…" It sounded desperate, urgent, and soft.

"There's something over here guys." Another voice had stated.

"Watch out!" The last screamed above the rest. Gohan knew the second voice was his, the third was Yamcha, and the last one was Krillin. He had no clue who was the first one, probably a whole lot of people. A whisper in his ear told him to run toward the house. It instructed him to be quick. He spun around in circles, wondering where to go. The feeling grew ten times worse around him, and he obviously heard Piccolo screaming.

He swirled around when he sensed Piccolo's energy. Then, it was gone in a flash. "Pi… Piccolo…" He closed his eyes to contain the tears. His dad's screams clashed with others now. Gohan used his senses, trying to locate anyone. Over to his left, he found a flicker of something. He took off toward it. His feet made loud noises, echoing in the darkness as he headed toward a light. A few more steps, and he could tell that Vegeta's energy died. It was then Yamcha a few more steps down.

Everytime he got closer to the light, one of his friends died. He knew that his dad was that way because the screams grew in volume, and he swore he heard things clattering to the floor. He reached the light, and Krillin's energy exploded, and he screamed out his last. Gohan had to shield his eyes from the brightness of the sun for a moment. After he regained his bearings, he had a lock on his dad's ki.

He headed in that direction. The screams were distant, but always there at the back of his mind. "The… Androids…" A chorus of voices whispered in his ear.

"You're going to die here." 18's voice commented.

"How many can I get in this one shot?" 17 questioned, definitely smirking, even if Gohan couldn't see them.

"Ka… me… ha… me… HAAA!" His dad's voice shouted as the screams droned on at a much softer level.

"Goku, honey, stay with me." His mother whispered as the screaming rose up again. Gohan ran faster as his home came into view. He was out of breath, but he still darted into the house, shouldering the door out of the way. He spun around in the empty house. The screams came from upstairs. He flew up the steps, slamming open the door to the room. He was face-to-face with nothing.

His dad's ki was the last to fade, and his mom started to cry in the background. "We have been brought here today…" An unknown voice began. Inside the empty room, Gohan crumbled when his mom said that his dad was gone. His body shook, and he teared up. The tears poured down his face. "Everyone's dying," Krillin said again. Gohan's own scream pierced through his dreams. It wasn't any of the soft screams from other dreams. This one was long, true, and drawn out. Gohan slammed his fists on the ground.

"Looks like we didn't succeed, Gohan." Trunks' voice came from behind him and in the doorway. The teen came forward a few steps. "You tried though."

"NO! I didn't try hard enough. I'm still breathing, and they aren't. I… I failed…"

Trunks shook his head. "Remember what you said. They're watching over you from above." He went over to the window and stared out. "And we can still fix this."

Gohan swallowed back the burning of his throat. "We can't Trunks- I can't!"

Trunks turned toward him with a smile forming on his lips. The smile morphed into pain and terror. A blast though the teen's chest came from the window. He dropped down, still alive, but drowning in his blood. Gohan turned him over, tears falling again.

"You can't do this. Don't you dare go near my baby-" The voice was cut off. The person gurgled from downstairs.

"They're upstairs sis."

"What are we waiting for then?"

Gohan saw them too late, and one of their hands swatted him to the other side of the room. He hit his back and let out a soft noise. He lifted his head just as 17 stomped on Trunks' neck. It snapped, and the head rolled along the floor. Gohan's stomach churned, and his hands shook.

"Wow, they're dropping like flies. Must be something in the water or something up in these mountains." 17 looked over at 18, who shrugged with her arms crossed.

"They're just aren't any fun."

"Too bad that we missed good ol' Goku. He would have been great to destroy."

"Much better than those pitiful humans at least."

"Yeah, even these saiyans and half-saiyans are just getting on my nerves. They're a real bother."

They both chuckled at themselves. Gohan growled lowly at them. They killed everyone, except for his dad. His eyes traveled to the mat in the middle of the room, and he could have sworn he saw an image of his dad screaming in agony, hand clutching his chest as he thrashed around. The image disappeared when the Androids crossed the room.

"We'll have to trim down the herd, 18." 17 raised a hand. "We'll finish with this one."

"You can't take anything else away from me," screamed Gohan as he reached his feet.

"We can take your life." 18 stated, flicking her hair.

Gohan clenched his hands, and the house shook around him. His eyes flickered to their green color, and the sparks traveled along the ground by his feet. "You can't just get rid of me so easily."

The Androids looked unimpressed. The boy glared fiercely at them, mouth straight. "No matter what. There will always be someone in your way. Eventually justice will catch up to you. Someone will be there to take my place; they will rise up and defeat you. That I'm sure of."

17 laughed. "Who's going to protect this rock when you're gone?"

"I highly doubt that you have immortality." 18 mumbled next.

Gohan stated. "There's always someone stronger than you in the universe. It's just a matter of time."

"God, I really hate heroic types." 18 murmured.

"Yeah, honestly, them and their speeches. It takes a good part of the joy out of fighting. After awhile, you just want them to shut up." 17 smirked. "And I have the perfect way to do that. Let's finish him."

18 let her hands drop to her sides. "That's the best thing I've heard all week."

The feeling crept up on the boy, and he shoved it down. Perhaps he shouldn't have. The two Androids attacked, and they pummeled the poor boy. Each hit was strong enough to cause immediate bruising, and he screamed loud. He attempted to dodge, but it was as if he was at the level he was at when he first arrived at Trunks' time. His dark eyes matched his hair as he rushed forward. 18 nailed him in the spine, and he felt something shatter. A scream tore out of his throat. He dropped to the ground, rolling along the floor and shoving himself to his feet. He met a blast head-on from both of the Androids.

It destroyed the top part of the house and sent Gohan crashing to the ground below. The pained yells from his family and friends rang in his ears. He heard their dying breaths and screams, feeling their energies die out forever again. He whimpered.

"That's my son," his dad's voice gritted out.

"Dad," the name rolled out of his mouth. "I tried."

His dad screamed again, just like the image in the room. "The world needs you Gohan." His dad's voice hissed out through the pain.

"Tsk, this kid needs to toughen up." Someone that he definitely didn't recognize muttered at Gohan's weakened state.

The Androids stopped over him, and 17 asked. "How long does it take to break this kid's spirit?"

"Four minutes." 18 said.

"I'd give him two and a half." The male Android put all his weight on Gohan's leg. Gohan bit his cheek to hold back the scream. The other male suddenly jumped up and smashed the leg apart. Gohan just screamed and screamed, especially when 18 raised a finger and shot blast after blast at the boy. The hits weren't deadly; they wanted him alive still. Gohan tried to get away, but his other leg was grabbed ahold of. "Are legs supposed to be like this?" He heard the snap, and he yelled out.

18 responded. "Might as well fix the others to match." And that's exactly what they did, "fixing" his arms next. "It's not like he can do anything if he tried."

17 nodded. "Just look at what he allowed to happen. He let us kill them all."

"Such a team player." 18 appeared by the boy, who clenched his teeth and eyes closed from the broken limbs. "Huh, he's not broken yet. You lose."

"You… Both… Lose." Gohan exhaled harshly. "Because, you made one mistake… You target-targeted my family and my… home-home…"

17 sent a kick in the boy's side. "Everything's the right way, except for this." He wound his hands around the boy's neck. "Let's see if you're right about that whole justice and someone rising against us and all when you're dead."

His head twisted, and he laid limp. "Oh, here's your parting gift." 18's voice was far away, but the "gift" was dropped in his line of sight. It was Trunks' severed head.

The dark closed in again, accompanied by only silence and the pain. He still could feel the pain the engulfed him from their next attack. He felt the ground disappear from underneath him, and his skin began to burn off. He opened his mouth to scream, but no sound reached his ears, and he couldn't open his mouth.

. . . .

He snapped awake, finding himself on the ground, face against the floor. His face was wet, and his stomach rolled. He dashed to the bathroom and out came the food into the toilet. His body was racked with sobs as he sat back against the toilet. His stomach tightened again, and he placed his head over the bowl.

Everyone was dead. Tears sprang to the young boy's eyes another time. He sniffed, the tears pouring down his face now that he leaned back against the wall beside the toilet. He covered his face with his hands and mumbled incoherently to himself. Everyone's dying and I don't know how to make it stop, Krillin's voice was set on repeat in his head. "Me too, Krillin, me too."

He sensed Trunks heading out of his room, and he went to the door, shut it, and locked it up. He leaned on the door, sliding down to rest on the ground. There was a soft hesitant knock on the door. "Gohan, is everything alright?"

Gohan didn't trust his voice, so he didn't respond at first. He knew Trunks wouldn't leave unless he said something, so he cleared his throat. "I'm," he started again. "Everything's fine." There was shifting on the other side of the door. "You can go back to sleep."

"But, Go-"

"Trunks," he stated. "We can talk in the morning. Now, please, go back to sleep." He didn't really plan on telling him anything; it was just to make him head into his room. For a while, Trunks remained by the door until he took the boy's advice, going back into his room. He didn't sleep right away though.

Gohan sighed as his head rested against the door. He stared at the heavens and pondered why he was the last one, other than Trunks, and what caused the Androids' existence. Someone obviously created the machines for some reason. He just couldn't connect the dots as to why they terrorized everyone. He picked himself up and stormed out of the bathroom. He made sure not to announce his presence to the other male, taking extra caution by the teen's door. He made it to the lab, sitting by the computer.

His fingers flew across the keys, pulling up the time machine up to the screen. He scanned over the layout with a blank face. He has gone over the layout many times, and he made slight adjustments. By now, he knew everything about the time machine, even down to the last bolt and wire. It was fully captured by his brain.

He suddenly slapped his palms against the table, shaking the desktop. The nightmare surfaced in his head again, and he clenched his eyes shut. He pushed himself from the computer, bending his head down and leaning over. His teeth were grinding together, and his fists were tight enough to force red through his fingers. He tried to coax himself to stay calm, and somehow, he managed to remain in his normal state. Relax, it was just a horrible dream. None of it happened. He withdrew a breath that he didn't realize he was holding, and his eyes slowly opened.

When he looked around the room, which usually offered a type of retreat from the craziness outside, it seemed like the walls were closing in. His throat closed, and his eyes darted around. He needed to get out of there. He rushed out of the room and out of the house. He took to the air, leaving the house in his wake. He flew blindly through the air until he landed on the ground, stumbling to catch himself, and he tore open a door and stepped through. The tears sprung to his eyes as he wiped them with his sleeve.

Once his tears slowed and his breathing did the same, he looked at his surroundings. He found himself by the front door of Capsule Corp. He walked further into the place, gaze downcast and his feet stumbling over themselves. He went to the window after grabbing a chair. He placed it down, sitting and bringing up his knees. He brought them close, and he just stared out at the darkness. He saw some stars overhead and studied them. The walls swam as his mind returned to the reality that the Androids did murder everyone, and his dad did die from a virus.

He buried his face in his knees. This was so much. Ever since the boy was four, everything led to bloodshed and death. He hated it. He despised all of the fighting and running. He wouldn't wish this on anyone, even his worst enemies. The nightmare attacked him again and again. The worst part was everyone dying, and Gohan thought he was the reason they were dying since he was heading toward his dad, and they started to die one by one. He tightened his hold on his legs.

His eyes burned, and he sniffed slightly. He could feel the tears forming in his eyes again, fueled by rage and sadness. Something brushed over his arm, and his head snapped to the side to stare. He saw his tail, and he brought up a hand, blocking its movement. The tail hit off his hand, and then the tip of the tail wrapped around his wrist. A soft giggle escaped the boy at the tail. He twirled the tail between his fingers with a weak smile. The tail then moved subconsciously behind the boy.

He directed his gaze back outside with a frown, smile already gone. He stayed in that same position until the sun began to rise. The sun always rose no matter what, and Gohan would do the same. He put on a brave face, tail going around his waist. He stepped outside in the brisk air, and he lifted his feet off the ground. He reached the house just as Trunks seemed to be coming out of his room. Gohan gave him a strained smile as he closed the door behind him. "Morning, Trunks." He went to the fridge, getting out some food and going to cook it on the stove.

Trunks fidgeted when he took his seat. "You, uh…" He was no good at asking some questions; he wasn't like Gohan who could get an answer out of him with a question that didn't really seem important. He decided to just say it outright. "What happened last night?" His eyes narrowed. "And don't give me that you were fine."

Gohan blew out slowly. "It was just a small nightmare. It's nothing."

Trunks snapped to his feet. "It wasn't just nothing. I've heard you before when you have nightmares. You always head to the lab. This time was different. You were screaming, and I felt your power shoot through the roof." He glared at the ground.

Gohan frowned. "It's over with, Trunks. It doesn't matter."

Trunks clenched his fists at his sides. "When someone acts like you did after a nightmare, they shouldn't hold it in. They shouldn't dismiss it as 'nothing,' when it definitely was something." His mouth shifted down. "I hate when you don't tell me anything and let me help."

Gohan let go of the pan, eyes on the flames beneath it. He turned to glance over his shoulder and saw Trunks staring at him, face determined now.

"I want to help." He said.

Gohan presented the teen with a smile. He walked over and put a hand on his shoulder. "You are helping." He tilted his head at the confusion crossing over Trunks' features. "The nightmare was about everyone dying from the Androids." He walked past the teen. "If that's what you wanted to know." He didn't look at the teen now. "It's a recurring nightmare, but it's not that bad usually." His mind drifted to the nightmare again.

Trunks' voice cut off his thoughts. "We might be able to prevent this from coming to your future. I gave Goku the heart virus cure, so he'll be fine when he takes it."

Gohan blinked, looking at him. "You mean…"

"Yes, he'll be alive this time, and everyone probably knows the Androids are coming in a few years- three from the day I arrived at your time."

Gohan's gaze lowered to the ground as the facts sunk in. This might not be their future then, and if Gohan and Trunks continued fighting the Androids in this time, they could defeat them, and Gohan could go home and stand a chance against the Androids in his time- if they even existed in his time that it. He didn't know what Trunks would do, though. He bit the inside of his cheek. He'd jump over that hurdle when it came to it.

Trunks saw the boy's face brighten faintly, and the teen almost sighed in relief. He preferred kind, happyish Gohan, not the whatever other one just seemed to take his place. Trunks has never really seen the boy super sad, but that was because he hid it very well, similar to the older Gohan too. The teen watched as the face before him turned serious.

The feeling was back, and Gohan shoved it away. That feeling was bad for everyone. The young boy's dark eyes traveled to Trunks, the tiny smile returning. "Want to check out the gravity chamber?"

Trunks grinned. "It has to be in better shape than the last time."

"C'mon, let's race."

Trunks took off. "Go!" Gohan chuckled lightly, catching up to the teen. Trunks noticed this and increased his speed. "Have to be faster than that!" He yelled over his shoulder, and he glanced forward again. His eyes widened as the door came extremely fast at him, and he couldn't slow down fast enough. His body jerked back, nose inches from the door, from a hand at his back. His shirt was released, and Trunks blushed some. "That could have been bad, thanks."

"Yeah, don't want you ruining the door or the machine." Gohan grinned at Trunks, who caught on his hints. He went inside, followed by the teen who gaped.

"Oh. My. Gosh!" His face lit up at the room, even if it was pretty dark inside. The console was lit up with red, blue, and green lights when Gohan turned the machine on. The pale blue glow around the room grew a smidge brighter so they could see the whole room, which Gohan made rounder and stronger. The young boy drifted to sit on the console as Trunks picked at it. He rattled on about the parts that connected with one another. He even told Gohan that he would have never thought the one thing could work with that type of metal.

Gohan shrugged a shoulder. "That piece sure gave me a hard time. It took me weeks to manufacture that part. Actually, I'm fairly sure that the piece took the longest out of everything." A soft chuckle escaped the boy's mouth, hand rubbing the back of his neck. "It took me less time to memorize the outline for the time machine than the time it took to build that."

"Speaking of the Time Machine, where is it?" Trunks questioned, face still drawn to the buttons on the console.

"In the middle of nowhere, somewhere in a cave in the forest."

"Someone could still find it there." His eyes went to the young boy, whose mouth twitched.

"Not exactly."

"What do you mean by that?"

"It's easier if I show you." Gohan turned off the machine, heading toward the door. "Coming?"

Trunks followed him after he said he was. They made it outside, and they flew far from the cities. It got to the point that Trunks thought Gohan was messing with him. That was his thoughts for a while until Gohan's body snapped vertical and he dropped to the ground. Trunks headed down after the boy, and when he landed, he almost had to scramble to catch up with the young boy.

Gohan stopped at a cave's entrance and gestured. "Tell me when you find it."

Trunks glanced in at the dimly lit cave, and his eyes narrowed. "There's nothing here." He tore his eyes from the small inside and stared at the other. "Do you see something?"

Gohan went forward, placing his right hand along the rocks toward the back of the cave. He took out a wrench, and he messed around with the rocks for a bit, worrying Trunks even more. Just before Trunks said anything else, Gohan seemed to push the cave's walls and crush them together. The cave wall then rippled, and it went just a gray color. "Now you see it."

Trunks' jaw dropped, spying the machine behind the curtain-like thing that had just been the walls a moment ago. "That's… What… How?" He managed to force out of his mouth.

"The ultimate camouflage." The boy released the curtain that was a complete match with the cave behind it, minus the big time machine that was hidden there. "We had cars that could hover, so I thought why couldn't a screen have an image that's perfect with the one behind it." (Other than the machine that is.)

Trunks grabbed hold of the screen, pulling it back over to the real cave's wall. Once there, the gray formed into the corner of the cave. He pulled it out of the way. "It's amazing!" He put it back against the wall, the image projected was greatly detailed and the sun's rays seem to actually belong on the screen.

The boy flushed some, smile on his face. He closed it for the last time, securing the screen back to the wall. "I'm doing some work on it- the machine I mean. I'm trying to expand the interior and put in another seat. I bet no one wants to sit on anyone's lap, right?" A soft chuckle escaped him. "Or do you prefer that I make two instead, one for you and the other for me?"

"One's good enough. I'm heading back to your time anyway." Trunks started to walk out of the cave, and Gohan did the same.

"What are you going to do after we save my timeline?"

Trunks' feet paused for a second. "I never really thought about that."

"Well," Gohan said, lifting off the ground once they were outside. "You have some time to think about your next move."

"Isn't that the truth," chuckled the teen, flying up in the sky. The two boys went back to the house, taking their sweet time to watch everything below them. The two boys dropped to the ground before the door and entered. Gohan headed to the lab, and Trunks went after him. "Can I help with something?"

"Of course." Gohan turned the handle to the large orderly room. They spent the rest of the day in the lab since the Androids didn't seem to be too active; they didn't hear anything concerning the two robots actually. "See those two parts, can you connect them please?"

Trunks did as he was told, screwing them together. He handed it to Gohan, placing it in his hand, and the teen grabbed some more metal and wires, sorting through them. He placed the defective and bad- condition wise- ones into a junk box.

Before they knew it, it was really late. They packed everything up and put it off to the side. They parted at Trunks' room after dinner, where they fell asleep in their own beds. Trunks was instantly out, while Gohan sat crossed-legged on his bed. He let his tail roam around behind him as he meditated. It had been a long time since he meditated- before Bulma's death in all honesty. He was relaxed as he stayed in place, mind blank, until the feeling crept around him.

The temperature began to drop dramatically as the feeling grew stronger. The feeling was immediately suppressed with an irritated gaze, the temperature rose to a normal one. That feeling didn't belong here, and at least awake, he could fully control when it remained with him. Granted, the feelings he got may have saved them at times, but it didn't mean he liked them. As of late, it reminded him of his hated nightmares.

He shifted on his bed, small scowl on his face at the feeling that tried to budge back on him. The feeling was forced away again. The young boy leaned back, throwing out his legs straight on the sheet underneath his body. His eyelids dropped over his eyes as he made another face. What is with these feelings? They're so weird… He sighed faintly.

He turned his head for a more comfortable position on his pillow, and the feeling crept back on him. Once again, he threw it out. They were awfully persistent tonight. Gohan's jaw tightened as his brows drew in. He didn't understand these feelings, and he knew for a fact that he never had these feelings before coming to the future. He wondered what was different from him and now, other than that he met the Androids, and he turned Super Saiyan.

Trunks had never mentioned getting any types of feelings, so Gohan knew that left out that option. Maybe it was just psychological? Was he so nervous that anything felt like something could harm him? Maybe he was jumpy? He just didn't know. He tried to calm his mind. He required sleep, especially on this night. Most likely, the Androids would attack tomorrow sometime or sometime soon. He drifted off to sleep after a few hours of laying in his bed.

. . . .

He found himself walking, feet sinking in the mud underneath. The sun beat down from overhead, sky a bright blue without any clouds in sight. He approached a stream, kneeling down to place a hand in the cold water. A bird chirped nearby. Gohan beamed at the stream, watching the tiny fish swim.

A caw from a bird reached his ears as it moved by his head quickly. He glanced over his shoulder, wondering what had frightened the dark creature. Next, he heard a blast whiz by his head, and he slid to the side to evade it. The feeling wrapped around the boy, and he felt it above his head mostly. His gaze snapped up, and he saw the Androids.

They smirked, and 17 had a slight tilt to his head, bringing up his hand. The boy took off, dodging blast after blast. 18 suddenly appeared in front of the boy. Her hands were behind her back, eyes locked on him. He narrowed his eyes. A smirk brushed onto the blonde's face. "Do you feel that? It's…"

"Your death!" 17 screamed as he flashed in front of his sister.

He held up his hands to shield himself, but he just smashed to the ground, sliding. He put his left hand out to roll himself off his back and to his feet. He sensed Piccolo's energy in the distance, and he knew that he should use Instant Transmission, so he did, putting up his two fingers to his forehead. He teleported next to his green mentor, and he grinned wide. "Piccolo!"

Piccolo turned to him. "Gohan, what are you doing here?" His eyes narrowed at the boy.

Alright, that wasn't the welcome he expected. "I'm here to see you." He said, tilting his head in confusion. "Why else?"

"No." He stated. "That's not what I meant."

The boy grew more confused. "Huh? What…"

"Do you feel that?" Piccolo asked him, face serious. Gohan nodded. The other continued. "What do you think that feeling represents?"

"I… I don't-"

"You do, you're just not thinking, Gohan." Piccolo's mouth straightened when Gohan felt the feeling rise up around them. "When does this feeling usually come?" He already knew the answer, Gohan was sure of that. Dark eyes rolled over to the young boy. "I thought you were smarter than that." He grunted in annoyance. "Guess I was wrong."

Gohan frowned. "I'm trying to understand- I really am."

Piccolo's mouth tilted down. "It might be too late anyway." The feeling was crushing them now and leaving them again to see their breath. He glanced back at the boy. "It's your responsibility to think this through. Think hard, kid."

Gohan thought and thought, but the feeling was too much. A flash to their right flashed at them, and Piccolo stepped between Gohan and the blast. Piccolo dropped as the blast disappeared. Gohan gently rolled him over, kneeling next to him. Two voices laughed somewhere nearby. "Piccolo," he started, but his mentor cut him off.

"Think will you."

Gohan gritted his teeth. "Does that really matter right now?" Tears sprang to his eyes. "You're dying again; they killed you another time. I couldn't make them stop. They-" Realization sparked in his eyes.

Piccolo just smirked. "Now you get-" He coughed once.

"Piccolo, you can't die alright."

"It's too late." Piccolo closed his eyes.

"No." The boy watched as his friend's chest heaved slowly. "You can't die. How am I supposed to get rid of the Androids without you?"

"You have all you need. You- You just have to use it now."

"Oh please. Just shut up already," 17 stated and a pale light came from his palm, lighting up Piccolo, taking his final breath away.

Gohan stared, tears stuck in his eyes. "Piccolo." He repeated a few times. The feeling grew more intense, and the Androids approached, coming up behind him. The feeling shifted behind him, covering him more.

"Let's take this to the next level." 17 mocked, and something collided with the young boy's back.

He launched forward in his bed, and sweat ran down the side of his face. His hands shook slightly, and after a few moments, the feeling remained, and Gohan reached his feet. He rushed to Trunks' room, shaking him awake. "Trunks, get up."

"Wh-What's wrong, Gohan?"

"Just get up, we have to leave." The younger boy pulled Trunks up and out of the house. They ran in the shadows.

Trunks whispered. "Can you tell me what this is all about?"

"I… I just have a feeling- a bad feeling."

"I don't understand," Trunks paused. "What do you mean?"

"I can't explain it. I just know the Androids are on their way."

Trunks didn't seem to believe him. "How do you-" His blue eyes got wide, and Gohan turned to gaze over his shoulder at what Trunks was staring at. There were the Androids, and they had sent a large blast at the two. It hit them, and they flew apart. Gohan's eyes opened, looking at the devastation around them. That blast must have had a massive explosion because every building within a mile radius of them was destroyed. He reached his feet, shouting for Trunks.

"Looking for this?" Gohan turned to 17's voice. Trunks dangled in his hand.

"Let him go, 17."

"Oh, sure." He tossed Trunks to the ground, actually not attacking. "Why would I want a dead person anyway."

"This kid has weird hobbies." 18 stated next to her brother.

Gohan rushed to Trunks and checked him over; a big gaping hole stood in place for his chest. Gohan's breath caught. Not again. "You are despicable."

"Oh thanks, we try." 17 smirked, while 18 sighed.

"That's it, he's totally going to die." 18 stood straighter and fired a blast that struck Gohan in the shoulder. He yelled out, gripping his wounded shoulder, stumbling to his feet. 18 fired another blast, and it captured the boy entirely, who screamed in pain.

. . . .

Gohan awoke from his nightmare in a cold sweat. His breath came out ragged. That was the first time that he "woke" up during a dream.

---

(Next Time: A Show of Possibility

Let's say maybe their reign won't last as long as they thought... or maybe it's something worse...

I'm truly sorry for the delay, just with school and all there hasn't been much time, but, nonetheless, here's another one. Also, the next chapter might take awhile as well, but let's hope this will suffice for a bit. Just for a quick note: I really enjoy Gohan's dreams, and they are important, but if some of you do not like them, I can limit them a lot, just say so.)

Reviews:

NinjaFang1331: Thank you, I'm glad you're enjoying it.

Guest: I'm not entirely sure I'll have them drink the "super human water," but they will definitely find Korin's tower. As for the other things, I'll see what I can do. I'm not promising anything, besides the fact that they will find the tower and the HBTC.

Cruzerblade: Thanks, at least I know that the fights are not my first worry. I know that you said that the length was not necessary but nice; well, here's a long one, hopefully it makes up for the no update for months.