Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ or have any rights to it.
Eighteen felt a strange sense of happiness when she came to visit Gohan. She had come to terms with the fact that she cared for him, but that they wouldn't be anything beyond friends, at least for the moment. Once inside the cave, she made her way to the kitchen and placed her groceries on the kitchen counter.
"Hey Eighteen," said Gohan in a friendly tone. "So how are you today?"
"I'm fine," replied Eighteen as she swiftly placed the food in the cupboards before disposing of the grocery bag. "My brother's been pestering me again. He wants to know why I'm not going with him to terrorize cities."
"Is it bothering you?" He sounded concerned, like always.
Eighteen shrugged casually. "Not really, though I don't want him to find out about you being alive. I'm actually cautious about him following me here. I don't really have a problem with not killing people though I'm not exactly a law-abiding citizen."
"Yeah, I'll bet you scared the grocery store owner into giving you free stuff," replied Gohan. "Though I guess it's a start. I don't think you'll be able to change too much with your brother around."
"You want him to die?" Eighteen walked into the cell with a concerned face. "I know Seventeen's annoying and he's not a moral person according to you, but I still don't want him to die. I still care about him."
"I don't want your brother to die," replied Gohan. "After seeing your kindness, I think he can be kind too, if he had the right motivation. However…he's the strongest warrior on the planet, and has no reason to change so far. If push comes to shove, and he still doesn't change, then he'll have to be stopped." Gohan didn't want to say killed, because the idea of her brother being killed could drive Eighteen away from him.
Gohan was impressed with the progress Eighteen had made, and her actions would have blown away any ideas he held about her before his captivity. She hadn't killed anyone since their friendship started, and he was growing fond of her. He rather not have a conflict with Seventeen over what was going on, but he wasn't going to let things slip back to the way they were over three years ago. Having one evil android was better than having two, and he did not consider Eighteen to be evil anymore. For him, she seemed more like a person in need of guidance.
Eighteen gave him a warm smile. She knew that he didn't want to upset her. "I understand that he's still technically your enemy, but I'm not sure if I can do anything to change him." I don't want to have to choose between you two.
"That's fine," replied Gohan. "I guess you're in a tough spot right now." Then he cringed as pain shot through his non-existent left arm.
Eighteen became sympathetic and placed her hand on his, squeezing it comfortingly. "Phantom limb pain?" He nodded. "Does it hurt a lot?"
He shook his head. "No, It just came up suddenly. Now it's more like a headache. I'm fine now, I can deal with it." Looking her in the eye, he gave her a soft smile. She's really nice to me…I guess she's not bad. I wish I could do more to help her with her situation.
Eighteen smiled back at him. She felt happy that they were now friends. Right now, He was arguably her best friend, assuming Seventeen didn't count. "So how about breakfast?"
Gohan shrugged. "Sure, and thank you." Eighteen got up from the bed and walked back into the kitchen area and began preparing his meal. "Hey, do you ever eat, I'd like it if you joined me."
"Actually, I don't need to eat," replied Eighteen. "But I can do so if I wanted to, so yes, I'll eat with you." He remained silent as she prepared their meals and came back into the cell. It's strange…I feel like a housewife, preparing food for him. I thought routine would be boring, but I enjoy it now. It feels relaxing coming here to spend time with him.
Gohan didn't feel like breaking the silence as they ate together. He felt peaceful sitting and eating with her and didn't feel like digging anything up that could ruin it. He could only imagine the look on Trunks' face if the young saiyan was to stumble on them in this peaceful moment. Considering how far he had come with her, he wondered if Trunks would ever accept him again. Would his old family and friends ever be able to get past their hate and accept Eighteen's change, could the rest of humanity do so as well?
With their meals finished, Eighteen put their meal trays in the sink before coming back and unbuckling Gohan from the chain that bound him to the wall. "I guess it's time to check on the forest."
His face brightened up and he nodded. "Those trees were starting to sprout when we checked yesterday, who knows, we might find some more seeds to plant." He thoroughly enjoyed getting out of the cave. The fresh air and natural sunlight was a nice change of pace and he could better exercise outside with more open space to roam.
Unlike Gohan, Eighteen didn't need to squint when they stepped outside, as her eyes could instantly adapt to the change in light. They had a clear view of the forested area below and it was clear that the forest was slowly coming back. As the days went by, they had found and planted several more trees and within a few years, a canopy would reform. Eighteen had to agree that the forest was an improvement over a barren wasteland that used to be North City.
He felt her hand slip into his and grasped it before walking alongside her down the path towards the forest. At first he had been wary of it, but now he was used to walking with her, hand in hand. Perhaps they would be more than friends in the future, but for now, it was a chaste gesture, that affirmed the bond of friendship that was developing between them.
They walked in peaceful silence, surveying their surroundings to see how well the forest was doing. This lasted for around half an hour before Eighteen decided to start a conversation. "Does it still hurt?"
He knew that she was referring to his phantom limb. "No…the pain's gone."
"How often were you feeling it?" They stopped walking and she looked up at him. "Were you hiding it when I was around? Or did it only come when I wasn't there?" The thought of him gripping his shoulder in pain with nobody around to comfort him disturbed her greatly. She had suffered the same kinds of injuries he had, but her scars were gone, and might as well have never been there.
Gohan let out a sigh, recognizing the tone in her voice from the all the times Bulma and Trunks had used it in the days after loosing his arm. "Look…I'm sorry if I sound harsh, but I don't need or want any pity from you. Yes, the pain has come, but it happens irregularly, and I've always gotten over it. It's easy to block out."
"Yeah…sorry about that," replied Eighteen in a soft tone. "I just…I didn't like the idea of you suffering alone." Taking a deep breath, she resumed a more serious tone, "You're a tough guy Gohan, and I know that you can take any kind of pain. Still, now that we're friends…I don't want you to suffer alone anymore."
Gohan felt touched by her comment. If it were Trunks, his desire to be there for Gohan would've been a given and they wouldn't need to discuss the subject any further, but Eighteen wasn't as socially advanced as Trunks, so for Gohan, this was a major improvement. Giving her a soft smile, he tightened his grip on her hand ever so slightly. "Thank you."
Eighteen blushed as she felt the tightening of his grip and responded in kind by tightening hers. "You're welcome." I think we're getting somewhere…could he actually be falling for me? I hope so.
Looking down at her, Gohan noticed how different she looked to him. A few years back, he would've seen a killing machine, capable of tearing him limb from limb. However, now, while she was still just as strong, her face looked less menacing and more like that of a normal woman. Now that I'm not intimidated by her she actually looks cute, thought Gohan.
They stood facing each other for a few minutes before Eighteen decided it was time to continue walking. Breaking her gaze with Gohan, she said, "we should go. Let's check on the forest before it gets dark." Gohan nodded in agreement before letting her lead the way.
Moments later, they were crouching over the sprouting tress that they had planted just over a week ago. The small plants emerging from the soil hardly resembled the tall trees they would one day become. Looking over at Gohan, Eighteen couldn't help smiling at the look on his face. He looked like a child in a candy store.
Closing her eyes, Eighteen let out a soft sigh, before listening to the sounds of the forest. The peaceful silence, coupled with the occasional forest sounds were a far cry from the stress-inducing explosion that came from terrorizing a city. You know…I don't think I want to go back to that life…I'd rather spend my time relaxing among the trees. Opening her eyes, she looked over at Gohan again. I hope I'll be able to spend more time with him here.
Seventeen let out an angry growl as he turned to look at the source of a nearby sound. In less than a second, he had blasted the poor human into oblivion. His sensitive ears then picked up the sound of movement in a nearby warehouse and he blasted the warehouse without a second thought. The cyborg was not in a good mood, in fact he was quite furious.
Eighteen seemed like a very different person to him. Her personality was similar, but her interests had turned away from his comfort zone. She no longer wanted to attack cities with him, and she barely ever went "shopping." On top of that, she had continued disappearing off somewhere, and that place was apparently the most interesting in the world for her.
"I just know that she has a boyfriend!" Seventeen crossed his arms and looked around with an agitated expression. She's been working extra hard to keep him from me, but I won't let him come between us. He gave a few more agitated glances around the desolate town before taking off. Where's that purple-haired punching bag when you need him!
He decided to return home for now, hoping that Eighteen would be there when he got back, and even more hopeful of running into Trunks so as to have someone he could truly take his anger out on. The cyborg move at a supersonic speed; the sonic booms disrupting the atmosphere around him represented his disrupted life. Eighteen's disappearances didn't sit well with him. The very thought of her being with another man caused his blood to boil. Eighteen was his and he wouldn't let anyone else take her away.
Eighteen had been in brief relationships before, but never cared much for the man she was with. She knew that her brother would kill him, and considered him to be just another disposable commodity to be thrown out once it had been used. However, if Eighteen ever decided to conceal a boyfriend from him, it meant that she cared for him a little bit more, and that could eventually turn into something greater if he didn't step in and nip the bud.
Off course, his mind naturally began contemplating the nightmare scenario of her actually having a boyfriend, and what life would be like if he was a part of it. If he approved of her being an android, and allowed them to continue killing others, it might be tolerable, but if not, and if he turned Eighteen against it, Seventeen would have a problem. The worst part was not the idea of his sister being against what he did, which she was a considerable amount of times, but the fact that he would no longer be number one to her. If she listened to that other man, he would no longer have much influence on her and could be faced with the choice of losing his sister, or loosing control of his life.
Ever since I escaped Gero's lab, I've always been in control, thought Seventeen. I won't loose control again. He briefly snapped out of his thoughts when he arrived home and landed in the front yard. A smile crossed his face as another thought came to mind. He considered it his greatest triumph. If worst comes to worst, I'll at least know that Gohan's dead. He's been out of my hair, and I won't have to worry about him ever again.
He opened to door and saw her reclining on the couch, watching TV nonchalantly. She heard him come in and looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "You're in a good mood."
"Just thinking, that's all," replied Seventeen. "I remembered the day I killed Gohan." For a second, he thought he saw her react to his statement. It was noteworthy, but he wouldn't mind it for now. "So what have you been up to? You've turned me down whenever I suggested we terrorize the humans."
"I've been doing my own thing," replied Eighteen vaguely, maintaining her cool and calm exterior. "Just hanging out, exploring new hobbies."
"New hobbies?" Seventeen raised a suspicious eyebrow. "What kind of new hobbies?"
"Gardening mostly. I've also been learning about philosophy and gaining knowledge." She sighed happily and stretched somewhat, maintaining a casual atmosphere. "I just feel like I should enjoy the world and branch out. If we're going to be here forever, we might as well explore and branch out."
Seventeen's eyes narrowed suspiciously. I know you're hiding something Eighteen. I'm going to find out what it is. "So why didn't you tell me about it?"
"Because," replied Eighteen as she began twirling her hair casually. "You would've destroyed it. You always like blowing things up, even if it's against my wishes." She turned to give him a firm look, telling him that she meant business. "I'm not going to let you destroy anything until I'm done with it." I hope Seventeen buys it. He's always so gullible. I can't imagine how angry he'd be if he found out Gohan was alive.
Seventeen smirked proudly at her admission of him as a destroyer. "Well that's fair enough." Nice try Eighteen, but I know that you're not normally afraid of showing me something like that. This is different. You're afraid of how I'll react when I find out. He turned to go up into his room. "I'll be upstairs playing with my cards." He left without waiting for a reply. Upon reaching the door, he turned slightly to look at her out of the corner of his eyes. She seems normal on the outside, but I've got this gut feeling that something's changed.
This chapter seemed slower to me, but hopefully the next one will be more exciting. So far Eighteen has a crush on Gohan, but I'm still working on how Gohan's feelings for her will develop. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and any suggestions will be appreciated.