Interlude:

'The Coming of Shadows'

x

x

AN: This one was a hard one to write.

x


x

A-Day + 24 days, somewhere, sometime

x

(From the diary of Bulma Briefs)

The doctor finally took off Gohan's casts. And just in time as they were driving him mad. He is his father's son after all. Naturally he ignored all the doctor's warnings and went straight back to training, be it not all out yet. At least he's smart enough to do that. In that sense I guess he's his mother's son.

Still, one Gohan still recovering from being in casts for a month and broken limps is still more then a match for one Buffy 'the Slayer' Summers, and her boy wonder, Xander Harris. Hell, one Gohan still in casts was still more then a match for the 'dynamic duo'. Either Belmovekk was a lousy teacher or he didn't bother teaching them much beyond what they needed to deal with vampires and demons.

Even though they have failed to impress me with their fighting skills Gohan keeps telling me that they're not that bad, that they just seem to be lacking in strength mostly. But he thinks he can remedy that. But that's not what concerns me. I've been with Goku long enough to know that when push comes to shove these fighters can push themselves to the edge to reach levels of strength not even dreamt of. So I'm not worried about that. No sirree!

What worries me is that the androids managed to kill Belmovekk, Piccolo and Vegeta. Arguably the three strongest persons on this planet. And Belmovekk had been a Super Saiyan. A Half-Saiyan child, a Slayer and a human aren't going to cut it against the androids I'm afraid. Not even if they will train for their entire life. Not only do we need a Super Saiyan, we also need a plan. Because as Belmovekk, Vegeta and Piccolo proved, this will not be won by mere force. We need smarts as well. We need a plan. And we need that plan more then ever!

x


x

A-Day + 27 days, somewhere, sometime

x

(From the diary of Bulma Briefs)

Oh God! Oh God! What am I supposed to do? The androids hit Sichuan province today and are razing it to the ground. At least that was the last thing General Westgate was able to found out as the Chinese government is keeping things even more under wraps then our own. Chi Chi, what has happened to you? I'm fearing the worst. These androids were created by Gero who hated Goku. He's bound to have known where his hated enemy lived. For the androids to go from Malaysia straight to Sichuan could only mean that…

I don't even want to write….

Oh God! Gohan! What am I going to tell you? That you're an orphan now?

x


x

A-Day + 1 months, 2 days, somewhere, sometime

x

(From the diary of Bulma Briefs)

They're back!

After almost a month of slaughtering millions across the globe the androids returned to North America. Despite the ring of defenses the army had erected around the cities of Vancouver and Seattle, both cities are burning as the androids engaged in an orgy of slaughter. As usual there was nothing in the news, as there is still no news other then the official government bulletins, but General Westgate told me the grizzling truth.

Oh Goku! Why did you have to die?

x


x

A-Day + 1 months, 22 days, somewhere, sometime

x

(From the diary of Bulma Briefs)

Those so called Scoobies are awesome!

Now I finally understand why Willow always says that they were such a well honed team.

Gohan is now at full strength again, having recovered from his injuries and is training and teaching for what seems like days on end. Only pausing to eat and sleep.

It was when they were having a dinner break that I finally summoned enough courage to tell Gohan that most likely his mother was now also dead. I've been putting it off for more then a month as I've been using my contacts to learn more. Westgate finally came through for me yesterday and there was no reason for me to delay. Sichuan province has indeed been razed to the ground. And a PLA patrol managed to find Goku's home and….

Suffice to say that when I told him Gohan had a mental breakdown. I almost expected him to take off and fly home. Instead he just cried, saying that he couldn't take it any more. That he wasn't like his father and that he didn't have what it takes to defeat the androids. Before I could do something Buffy and Xander stepped in trying to lift the kid's spirit. And a child he still is. We may think he's Earth's only chance of survival, but underneath that he's still a ten year old boy who misses his mother and father terribly.

Thank God Buffy and Xander stepped in and took him apart. And I don't know what they said but Gohan was functional after that. Willow had a chat with Xander after that and she told me that being the Slayer at a young age gave Buffy something with which she could relate to him. Or him to her. Anyway, I don't even want to know, let it be their special little thing. Suffice to say disaster was averted. Of a kind.

Whatever they did in their little powwow together also netted us a plan. Of some sorts. This war will not be won by strength alone. We need guile as well. And Buffy and Xander seem to think that teamwork is the key.

Despite the Z-fighters being a tight nit gang more often then not they were used to training and fighting separately. Each fighter preparing to fight a duel single handed. Maybe it was because of all the Budokais, or because we never faced an enemy that actually worked together but we got into the wrong kind of habit. And these androids do work together. That's how the managed to defeat us.

Working together comes more natural to these Scoobies. They think that the key in defeating these androids is disrupting their teamwork. Separate them and once they are separated apply some divide and conquer. That if only they can keep the androids separated from each other then Gohan might have a chance to kill one of them. Even if it means that they have to let themselves be beaten to a pulp.

I can't say that I'm to thrilled about this plan, but unless me and Willow come up with some uber kind of weapon I don't think we have much of an alternative. I just hope we won't run out of time first. Or people.

x


x

A-Day + 3 months, 11 days, somewhere, sometime

x

(From the diary of Bulma Briefs)

I had another meeting with General Westgate today. After a string of defeats The military has become desperate for that new radar system me and Willow have been working on, but whatever we do, we just can't seem to get it to work right. It refuses to track the androids special kind of energies. Whatever Gero came up with to power these abominations, its way more advanced then anything we can think of.

They're really desperate. So desperate that Westgate even hinted that the military might take over. Apparently the Pentagon, wherever the hell it currently resides, is losing patience with me.

And as far as I'm concerned they can have it! Not only is it driving me nuts, it's also causing me a major pain in the ass dealing with these army types. Westgate's alright, but some of the others make me want to release my inner Saiyan on their asses. Fucking bureaucrats! Managers and bureaucrats will be the death of us all long before the androids will kill the last of us.

The only problem in having the army take over is that they would learn what goes on here at Capsule Corp. Not only could we lose our ESP's or personal freedoms, I'd shudder to think what the army would do when they learn of Gohan's existence.

Not to mention if they were to learn of the connection between Gero and his androids to Gohan's father. I'm still not sure what would happen. So many people have now lost loved ones to the androids that I wouldn't put it past them to do something stupid.

Like take it out on the kid.

No, it's best to soldier on, manage those idiots while Willow tries to improve the software. Like everything it's all a question of time. Or people. Whichever runs out first.

x


x

A-Day + 7 months, 14 days, somewhere, sometime

x

(From the diary of Bulma Briefs)

Master Roshi's dead.

Gohan asked me to bring Master Roshi here so he could help them with their training. I used my army contacts but General O'Moore was loath to help me. Ever since Westgate got transferred out his replacement has been more of a hindrance then a help. I had to convince him that Roshi was one of the foremost computer programming experts. One who was such a geek that he lived in self-imposed exile on some island near the Hawaiian islands.

Funny how people continue to believe in such outlandish pop culture stereotypes.

The Navy came upon his small island and found his house in ruins. And according to them it had been in ruins for quite some time. It had probably been hit by the androids in the beginning. Clearly they knew where to look.

So I've taken a look at the map. Goku's place, destroyed. Roshi's place, destroyed. That village near the arctic where Android #8 lived, destroyed. In fact many places that were tied to us have been hit by the androids.

So it begs the question. If they knew where Goku lived, and Master Roshi, which wasn't public knowledge, or all the other places, then why are the only two places they've not hit so far San Francisco and Kami's Lookout?

It's not like we weren't in the Yellow Pages or something.

Why aren't they attacking us?

x


x

A-Day + 7 months, 18 days, somewhere, sometime

x

(From the diary of Bulma Briefs)

Gohan just returned from a visit to Kami's Lookout.

I had told him earlier of the pattern I had discerned about the androids attacking places tied to us and despite my objections he decided to fly away and check the Lookout. Today he returned and despite that Mr. Popo had disappeared and the place was deserted there was no sign anywhere of damage by the androids.

It was to be expected though. When Piccolo died, so did Kami and with no sign of a successor ever to come there was no sign of the Lookout's caretaker. At least that was what I chose to believe, not without any sign of a struggle.

Karin was also gone.

The small cat had left a message though, stating that this dimension had gotten a little too hot for under his furry feet and that he and Yajirobe had left for greener pastures.

That little shit!

In his defense he did leave us a bag full of Senzus.

Thank God for little favors!

We need them alright. I just heard from General O'Moore. According to the most current estimates they reckon that more then a billion people have been killed since the coming of the androids.

I think I keep this little bit of information to myself. Gohan and the others already have enough burdens on their shoulders. No need for them to know that at the current rate that when they are finally ready to take on the androids the human race will be extinct.