Chapter 7: Breakthrough

            Trunks slammed the door on his way out, and walked across the field to the edge of the debris field that used to be his home city.  He came here often, usually after he'd had a fight with his mom about his latest run-in with the Androids.  Why couldn't she understand what he was trying to do?  And now this kid shows up from another universe, asking him to leave his world to go fight some other android.  Everyone was trying to stop him!

            All he needed was some courage, and some luck.  One day soon, the androids would attack another city, and he would be there.  He would not let another place suffer the same fate as West City.  So it was decided.  The next time the Androids showed themselves, Trunks would take them down.

            "Trunks!"  It was Robbie.

            "What's up?"

            "You're going to fight the Androids soon, right?"

            "Yeah…how did you know that?"

            "It's not hard to figure out.  You hate their guts.  It's inevitable."

            "Yeah, exactly."

            "I was wondering if I could help in any way."

            "There's nothing you can do; your power level is way too weak.  Do you even know how to fly?"

            "Not really…"

            "Exactly.  You would only get in my way.  Unless you can become real strong, real quick, then there's nothing you can do."

            "Darn!"  Robbie hung his head in shame.

            "Listen, kid, I know how you feel.  I used to be like you.  You really want to save your planet, don't you?"

            "Yeah."

            "Don't worry, I'll have those Androids licked before the year is out, then we'll go to your world and take out the other one.  No problem."

            "Okay, I guess."

            "Cheer up; everything's going to be alright.  Just let me handle this.  Now I gotta go out on patrol.  Tell my Mom I'll be back in a couple of hours."

            "Right."  Trunks rose up into the sky, went Super Saiya-jin, and blasted off for the horizon.  Robbie didn't see any of this though, since his human eyes were too slow to track such rapid movement.  Disappointment overtook him.

            Trunks was so confident in himself.  Too confident, like Vegeta.  Unfortunately, he also shared Vegeta's rotten luck.  Both thought that they could beat the Androids, but Vegeta died in their first appearance, and Trunks would be beaten up badly in a few months when the Androids attacked Bridgetown.  Then he would use the Time Capsule to go back to the past and alter history, creating another timeline, yet not fixing his own.  By the time he came back and took care of the Androids here, years would have passed.  Robbie's Earth would be long gone. 

            Everything he loved: His father, mother, friends, even teachers, as well as every home he'd ever known.  Robbie wasn't the crying type, but his cheeks were getting red, and his eyes beginning to sting.  They blurred with tears as he stumbled his way back into the dome house.  He shuffled through the kitchen and up to the room that Bulma had given him.  He collapsed in a heap on the bed, where the bulk of his tears began to flow.

            It was hopeless!  Robbie was powerless to alter the events that were going to occur in this world and his world!  Countless people were going to die everywhere he went, and destruction would come to so many places that, until now, had only known peace.  Even Robbie's home, Los Angeles, would be destroyed, and Robbie's family would be dead.  Robbie would be left all alone, adrift, not able to affect change on any part of history: past, present, or future.  He would be helpless!  He would…

            Robbie lay there, face down, mind whirling, as two warm hands pulled him up to a sitting position and circled his body.  Gentle words entered his ears and the hands made calming circular motions on his back.  He realized who it was immediately.

            "Thanks, Bulma."

            "You're very welcome, now what's bothering you so much?"  Robbie didn't look up; he was too comfortable in his current position.  Instead, he shut his eyes and began to tell Bulma of all that he was feeling.

            "It's hopeless."  He said with a great sigh.  "If Trunks won't help me, then there's nothing that anyone can do.  My world's finished."  Robbie began to cry again, but held back his tears.

            "There, there…all is never lost.  There is always hope somewhere, even in the darkest of times.  You only have to keep believing."

            "How can you say that?  There is no one on my world strong enough to even touch this thing that's coming, the army can't stop it, and I sure as hell can't do anything, so what is there to hope for?  An act of God?"

            "Maybe.  Or maybe you're not thinking of everything."  Robbie couldn't believe that Bulma could be wrong, so he thought hard.  When the Androids first attacked, they killed all the Z-fighters with the exception of Gohan and Trunks.  Then, Gohan was killed by the Androids several years later, leaving Trunks as the only surviving Super Saiya-jin.  Thus he was the only one with even a chance of defeating them.  Also, Piccolo was dead and the Dragon Balls were gone, meaning that no one could be wished back.  So it WAS hopeless!  Trunks was the only one who could help.  Period.  If there were Dragon Balls, though, that would be a different story...

            Wait a minute, didn't the Nameks…?  Robbie suddenly had an Idea.

            "Bulma?"

            "Yes?"

            "Tell me something, what ever happened to the Nameks?"

            "Well, they were a race of people, actually aliens, who lived on Planet Namek not too long ago.  But their world was destroyed by a guy named Frieza.  Then they were transported to Earth for a little while, until they used the Dragon Balls to create a new home, New Namek."  She rattled off this information matter-of-factly, barely thinking about it.  "Wait, how did you know about the Nameks?  Is there something else you're not telling me?"

            "Well, you got me again.  I haven't told you much about my home, have I?"

            "No, you haven't told me anything, except that there's something bad about to happen and no one can stop it.  How does this have any thing to do with the Nameks?"

            "You guys have TV, right?"

            "Yeah, but these days it only shows news reports.  All the major stations were destroyed by the Androids when they attacked the cities.  Besides, nobody feels like entertainment anymore.  All people want to know is how to survive, and maybe, just maybe, they'll hear news of the Androids defeat."

            "Trust me, that day will come eventually.  But like I was saying, in my world we have TV and it still shows entertainment.  In fact, there are hundreds of stations to choose from.  My favorite show is on a station called Cartoon Network.  It's nothing but all cartoons, all the time.  They even have shows from Japan that they dubbed in the English language and sent over to America. 

            "Wait, Japan, America?  What are these places?  I've never heard of them."

            "They're countries on my planet.  Like I was saying, though, I mostly watch the Japanese cartoons, which are called 'anime.' There's one anime I think you'd particularly like."

            "What's it called?"

            "Dragon Ball Z."

            "Dragon Ball!  What's it about?!"  Bulma sounded excited now, but Robbie knew that she didn't understand yet what he was telling her.

            "To be honest: Goku. And everyone else, including you.  It tells Goku's life story, from the time he met you, all the way up to…well, I haven't even seen the ending.  I've seen up to the Namek Saga."  This was, of course, a lie because Robbie didn't want to tell Bulma of the future.

            "That's amazing...but how do people in your world know about mine?  Do you have some machine that can see other worlds?"

            "No.  Actually, most people believe that your world is fake, except for my father, who knew about parallel universes."

            "So that's how you knew about the Nameks!  But why did you ask about them?"

            "I asked because you said that there is always a way.  I think I've found it.  Do you know where the Nameks went after they left Earth?"

            "Yeah, New Namek.  They chose a new leader so the Dragon Balls wouldn't disappear, I think his name was Moori, and went to the new planet."

            "Bulma, do you understand what this means?  There are Dragon Balls somewhere!  If we can get to them, we can wish everyone back!"  

            "Oh my god…You're right!  The Namekian Dragon Balls give three wishes, meaning we can get three of them back at once.  We'll be able to wish back Goku, And Gohan, and…Vegeta."  Tears of joy began to leak from Bulma's eyes.  Robbie wondered why she hadn't thought of it before.  Yet he was happy as well.

            Once again, his hope surged.  With all of the Z-fighters, or even some of them, they could beat the Androids and then go to his world to beat the invader.  All they had to do now was get to New Namek.  Then, everything would be all right.