"And she's gone…"
"What did I do wrong?" Krillin thought to himself as he sat in the sand on the shores of Kame Island. He hadn't cut his hair in two months and the length was starting to rack up. He'd have to cut it soon or join a rock band. Android 18 disappeared. Things were going great and the relationship was intensifying. She'd spent much of her time with him and he spent every free moment possible with her. He knew she was the one and all of a sudden she was gone. There were no hints of unhappiness or uncertainty, so the disappearance was unexpected. She had her space alone with her cabin and he had Kame Island when they needed their alone time, but they both wanted each other's company more.
They spent the night on Kame Island after the two had seen a small tournament in Satan City. They had seen a commercial about "the great fighter" named Hercule Satan; learning the city's name had been named in his honor after the Cell Games and wanted to see to see how he reined in his world, knowing he was not all that impressive in theirs. Krillin had gotten them tickets and the duo went to see what it was like to be a spectator instead of a competitor.
Digging a small hole in the sand with an uninterested hand, Krillin looked out into the distance. The coming spring had let the sun stay up a little while longer and it was taking its time to set…
"We must be living under a rock or something," Krillin observed as they strode hand-in-hand through the bustling, packed lobby of the large stadium of Satan City. "Everyone seems to idolize the man." 18 shrugged. She did not see the man at the Cell Games, but Krillin filled her in on all his antics.
Krillin dressed down in a black hoodie and casual khaki slacks, yet 18 dressed up, wearing a dark lavender sweater-dress, black leggings and black knee-high boots. Everyone around them were abuzz with excitement, sporting t-shirts with Hercule's face on the front, sporting a wide grin and holding one fist up. Children sat on their father's shoulders to avoid being lost in the crowd and crowds of teenagers stood in circles discussing favorite fighter's techniques and supposed techniques the man did himself.
As 18 and Krillin searched for the entrance to the stadium, they noticed one girl stand out from the crowd. She was not beaming from excitement, but stood away from the crowd, arms crossed and a determined look on her face. The girl's expression changed when a girl came bustling down the lobby, a little under-dressed for the cold weather and her age.
"Another one for the trophy cabinet!" the blonde girl chimed excitedly. "You know your dad is going to win!" she went on as the duo walked away. They surmised the girl must be Hercule's or one of the other fighter's daughter. Finally finding the entrance, 18 and Krillin showed their tickets and were shown where their seats were. The stadium was as jarring as the lobby was. Music blared from somewhere, pumping up the crowd. A group of teenage boys sitting a few rows up were singing the tune as they shook their short hair to the rock music.
As the tournament started, the fighters entered the room. They lined up along the ring as the electronic board above their heads displayed the web that decreased when the winners advanced. Krillin did not see the well-known Hercule and was about to ask 18 about it when all the lights turned to the entrance and a large man sporting a broad afro and sideburns and brown robe burst through the door. The crowd went wild, except for the duo, who only saw a lot of glitz and glamour. The man stalked through the way to the ring, hands on hips and boasting with pride.
"He looks like those wrestlers you see on TV," 18 commented and Krillin snorted with laughter.
"All we need now are some chairs and ladders," commented Krillin and they laughed.
Hercule put up a good fight though. One by one, he took out his opponents with semi-impressive technique. He could have gone without so much gusto after every victory. The gusto was all too familiar and would be quite the embarrassment if he were to lose. A silly thought entered Krillin's head on how he would pose with gusto to a cheering crowd if he were Hercule. He laughed to himself and told his girlfriend the thought. She entertained the idea with her victory dance.
After Hercule won the tournament, all the stops were pulled out: confetti, loud cheers, and a photo shoot of the champion. 18 and Krillin blended themselves into the throngs of the crowd as everyone proceeded out into the lobby. When they were out in the lobby, they made their way to the exit when they saw the two girls again.
"You should enter the tournament! You know you can win!" the blonde girl gushed to her more serious friend. "The junior martial arts tournament is yours!"
"I think I will," the raven-haired girl decided.
As the duo made their way to Kame Island, they kept up their tirade of jokes.
"If I were to become a wrestler, I think I'd keep my name; no macho names."
"You're not going to be the Krillinator!" 18 laughed.
"Only if you were 18 fists of death! We could be a dynamic duo!" Krillin laughed. "Imagine I were to enter one of those tournaments."
The scene on Kame Island was very tranquil. Light winds lapped the waves softly and the night sky was clear with many stars shining bright. Even though it was cold, it was not bone chilling. 18 gazed up at the sky in the distance. Unlocking the door, Krillin noticed 18 was not behind him and turned around to notice she was near the shore staring up.
"What's on your mind?" Krillin questioned as he came over to her and looked out.
After a moment, 18 replied, "Nothing," and the two walked into the dark home. The house was again empty, so they had it to themselves.
Since she spent a lot of time here, quite a few possessions of hers ended up there, such as a part of her wardrobe. Krillin changed into a pair of flannel pajama pants and red t-shirt while 18 changed into a pair of fleece pajama pants and grey tank top. 18 found Krillin lounging on the couch watching TV and joined him, sprawling on the couch and resting her head on his knees. Krillin lightly stroked her hair as they watched the program.
After a while, 18 sat up suddenly.
"You alright?" Krillin questioned.
"I'm feeling a bit off," she said after a minute. "I'm going to go get some air."
"Do you want me to come with you?"
"I just need a minute. I'll be right back." Krillin watched as 18 walked out to get some fresh night air.
Krillin lay on the couch and waited for her to return. He wondered what was wrong.
"Ten minutes a day and you can have great abs!"
*click*
"Maya mashina!"
*click*
"It's not what it looks like!" Krillin stopped flipping when he heard the door click and 18 walked back in.
"You feeling alright?" he questioned again as he sat up.
"I'm good," 18 smiled as she rejoined him. He lay back down. She lay beside him and he wrapped his arms around her.
"Would it be alright if I stayed here permanently?"
"Of course it is!" Krillin declared. "I have been meaning to bring that up with you. I love you."
"I love you," she responded and turned so she was facing her love and they wrapped it all up with a kiss.
'I woke up early the next morning and you were gone,' Krillin thought to himself. 'You did it again Krillin. You might as well just face the fact that there's just no one out there for you.'
Watching the sun set across the sky, Krillin took to the air. He had to move; leave Kame Island for a while. Taking off at top speed to the sky, Krillin sped across the sky to wear off his frustration. There was no destination in mind, just a chance to escape his thoughts or maybe search out an answer.
He was doing a good job of distracting himself with the scenery around him, deciding maybe he would contact an old friend and spend some time with them. Thoughts were cut short when Krillin caught sight, out of the corner of his eye, the dock that was damaged a couple of months ago, newly rebuilt, sanded and standing out proudly. He landed upon the dock and sat down. This was where he had seen her out of all the chaos and uproar. She needed someone, even if she would not admit it and he was more than willing to help.
Suddenly, there were footprints as someone landed behind him.