14
Three days later…
"17."
Trunks froze, turning his head slowly away from the sleeping Chi Chi and facing 18, whose hands were on her hips. From the way she knitted her eyebrows, it was obvious she wasn't pleased with her 'brother' new behaviour.
"What's up, 18?" Trunks stood up, gently patting Chi Chi on the head. He was crossing his fingers, hoping that 18 would not make another outburst like the one 3 days ago. He was at his wits end trying to explain his behaviour without blowing his cover and the way she stared at him coldly, like the countless times she did back when he was in his own body, did not make it easier. And judging from her look, she has yet to be convinced.
18 seemed to be thinking, as though she was trying to find the best way to break the news. She remained silent for so long that Trunks was about to yell at her when she finally said calmly, "I found a time machine."
Trunks felt as though all the blood in his body had turned to ice. His heart began to beat vigorously in his chest. How did she know about the time machine? Did she…No, no it can't be!
Trunks gripped 18's arms and stared desperately into her eyes, which portrayed a look of surprise.
"What!? Where did you find that time machine? Where?! Tell me!" He cried frantically, unconsciously shaking the startled 18.
18 wrestled herself free from Trunks' grip by pushing him off of her, glaring at him as she rubbed her sore arms.
"Calm down 17! Jeez, I know it is a time machine, but you don't have to get your panties in a bundle like that!"
Trunks continued to stare at her, his initial shock and fear gave way to anger. Clutching his fist, he thought, If she dare to lay a finger on their heads, I swear, whatever psycho-bullshit left of 17's mind wouldn't be enough to blast her to Hell!
"I found a secret hideout somewhere in the mountains and there it is being built." 18 said, eyeing Trunks warily.
A huge stone had been lifted from his chest. Thank Kami. But, is there really a second time machine? Who could have built it? Only Mom has the blueprints for the time machine!
"Oh…Really, nice try, 18. You almost got there. A time machine, of course! A freaking time machine! You know, I'm supposed to be the guy who makes the jokes, not the other way round. But I must admit, you got an A for effort." Trunks crossed his arms and gave a condensing smirk, trying to mimic 17's attitude.
It was worth the effort, seeing 18's jaw dropped in disbelief and how she began to tremble with rage. "You…you jerk! I am telling the truth! I heard of it from the guy inside the hideout!"
"Did you see the machine with your own eyes?" Trunks questioned.
18, knowing that this was the part of the argument she couldn't win, gritted her teeth as she lowered her head. "No…"
"So you have no solid proof." Trunks shrugged his shoulder as she began to turn his attention to Chi Chi. "Try harder ne-"
"Wait!" 18 cried, grabbing his arm. "What's the harm in finding out whether there really is a time machine or not? We got all the time in the world! We are immortals, after all." She pulled Trunks closer to her, the way she was grinning like a maniac, possibly because she was one, started to creep Trunks out. "Think about it! Instead of just destroying the same old cities again and again, we can go back in time and-"
Trunks was conflicted. He knew that he could not let either 17 or 18 to go back to the past, but at the same time, if what she said was true, then there is another party involved, possibly using the time machine for their own nefarious purpose…
"Ok, I get your drift!" Trunks interrupted 18, raising his hands in front of him. "Fine, I will follow you, but if it is all just a trick…"
"17, you hurt me. How could you doubt your own sister, hm?" 18 seemed to be trying to put on a amused smile, but it appeared demented to Trunks.
"Alright, let's go." Trunks sighed in defeat as he and 18 left the mansion, casting a final glance at Chi Chi before soaring into the sky.
"Sheez, I can't believe I actually have to convince you to do something fun."
Xxxxxxx
"The time machine is fully charged." 19 droned.
"Excellent, 19." The wizen old man emerged from his lab, gleefully rubbing his withered hands. At long last, the world shall be mine!
It was an unrealized dream since the fall of the Red Ribbon Army, when that…monkey boy devastated the whole organisation to the point where it lost its former glory. The Doctor wanted to rebuild the Army from scratch, hoping that the 2 other surviving members of the Army would assist him to achieve his dreams of returning the organisation back to its golden days.
It's a pity they rebelled…young people these days, always changing sides with a blink of the eye, always so unreliable!
Thankfully, he had survived their last encounter, plotting and planning of what's the next step while those 2 trigger happy idiots decimated almost the whole planet. It's a blessing they held no interest in the mountainous areas…
He had initially plotted a plan to seize power from 17 and 18, but scrapped the idea when a new development came in. A time machine! Being able to travel back to a time when the Earth wasn't in such a sorry state. After all, what's the point of ruling the world if there is no one left to rule?
Eyeing at the gigantic contraption looming in front of him, the Doctor gave a sigh of satisfaction. That Brief woman really made his life easier, helping him lay out the construction of the time machine. Thanks to the vast resources and supreme intelligence, building it was a piece of cake. He had to make a few modification though, making it a 3 seated instead of 2. Still, he chided himself for not thinking of building a time machine in the first place. Would have save him from all the trouble…
"Come 16, 19. Let's-" The Doctor had just began to speak when all of a sudden, the steel doors that marked the entrance of his hideout blew apart from their hinges.
"What the hell?" He cried, waving away the smoke billowing from the explosion as both 16 and 19 took up defensive position. From the smoke emerged 2 familiar figures.
"Well, well, isn't it the good doctor," the sound of 18's mocking tone enraged and scared the Doctor at the same time. "How are you still alive? I'm pretty sure we took your head off cleanly."
"Wouldn't you like to know, my dear 18." The Doctor responded coolly, sweats dripping down his forehead,
Shifting his gaze, he caught of '17' staring at the time machine in shock and awe. Of course he would act this way, if the experiment had succeeded. Too bad the Saiyan boy is never going to know who was responsible for his bizarre condition.
18 stared at the Doctor, a small smile on her pale face. "I see your fashion sense is just as atrocious as it was back when we killed you."
"I see your behaviour is as childish as always." The Doctor rebuked, unconsciously taking a step back between his 2 other androids. His thoughts suddenly focused on the remote control the 2 of them destroyed years ago. Curses! I forgot to build it after they destroyed my old laboratory! I would have never expected them to find my new hideout at all! I must be growing senile!
18's eyes fell onto the 2 androids standing stiffly beside the nervous Doctor, oblivious to the fact that her 'brother' seemed to have no interest in their conversation but instead staring dumbly at the glistering time machine.
"You…" she pointed uncertainly at the stoic 16. " I swore I have seen you before…" she then pointed at 19. "But I definitely have no recollection of you."
The Doctor smirked. "These 2 are my greatest creations, the most loyal, after you have proven to me your worthlessness, fools."
His smirk vanished as soon as he saw 18 leaped into the time machine.
"NO! GET AWAY FROM THAT, YOU INSOLENT BRAT! 16, 19, STOP THEM!" The Doctor screamed, madly jabbing his finger at the duo.
"Affirmative." Both androids started their attack, 16 removing his hand to fire a ki blast from his wrist while 19 fired eye beams.
18 smirked, slapping away the eye beams and catching the ki blast with her hands. "Urgh…you are quite strong, aren't ya?" she commented before tossing it to the ceiling above the trio, causing the ceiling to collapse.
The Doctor's eyes widen in horror. "Prote-"His words were drowned out by the deafening crash of the ceiling landing on him and his 2 loyal androids.
"Come on, 17!" 18 cried and '17', snapping out from his daze, leaped into the time machine.
"STOP THEM!" The Doctor screeched as 16 smashed through the rubble, firing a large ki blast at the machine.
But it was too late, before it could reach its target, a brilliant flash of light emitted from the time machine and with a snap of a finger, it vanished from this plane of existence.
Xxxxxxx
The time machine landed with a jolt, causing both Trunks and 18 to slam their heads against the Perspex casing of the time machine.
"Argh…seriously, can't Gero do anything right?" 18 groaned, rubbing her head.
"Yeah…say, how is Gero still alive? Didn't y-we killed him?" Trunks blurted out.
"I don't know…who cares, we are in the past, 17! We did it!" 18 cried out joyously as she pressed the button to open the glass casing.
"I can't believe it…" Trunks muttered. He actually allowed 18 to return to the past! He wanted to destroy the time machine at first, but in the chaos he has forgotten. Damnit! Though he still feel excited. After all, it's not like you can time travel every day.
The 2 of them stepped out of the time machine and faced…an endless sea of snow,
"What the hell? There's nothing here! What time period are we at?" 18 scowled, her hands on her hips as she stared at the barren wasteland, huffing irritably.
"If I'm not wrong, we are in Age 750…thanks to someone." Trunks grumbled, earning him a glare from 18. Turning his head, he spotted a large tower in the distance. "Hey, is that…"
"Muscle Tower." 18 said flatly, scanning through the data processed in her brain. "It seemed…"
Suddenly, the tower began to shake, tilting to one side. For a moment, it seemed as though it would have held on, but at last it gave a groan of defeat as the tower collapsed, creating a huge cloud of smoke and snow.
"Must be the end of the Red Ribbon Army…" 18 commented, her eyes never leaving the tower.
Trunks shrugged his shoulders as he began to turn to head back to the time machine. He didn't really care about the destruction of the Red Ribbon Army, he just want to head to a time period that he can warn the z fighters of the impending threat of the androids.
"Let's g-"Without warning, Trunks felt something crashed into his legs. "What the?"
Looking down, he saw 2 children, a boy and a girl around their preteens, sprawled on the snow in front of him. They were both wearing a brown uniform and shorts for the boy and skirts for the girl and a cap with the Red Ribbon army insignia on it. But what caught the attention of Trunks was how strikingly similar they resemble a younger version of 17 and 18: the black hair for the boy and the blonde hair for the girl and those blue eyes, though instead of being emotionless, they had fear and surprise printed on them. How can this be? I thought androids are…androids, right?
"Hey! What did you guys came from? We didn't see just now!" The boy yelled, getting on his feet unsteadily. The girl followed suit, casting a frightened glance at Trunks and 18, who just noticed the newcomers.
"Kids?" Trunks exclaimed, bending slightly to for a closer look at them. "They actually had kids on their payroll?!" 18 said nothing, an emotionless expression on her face.
"We aren't kids!" The boy yelled, all his fear evaporated as he scrambled back to his feet. He eyed the both of them cockily. "We are part of the Red Ribbon Army! That means we are tougher than any kids!"
The girl climbed to her feet, the fear still evident in her features. "Brother," she whimpered, clinging tightly onto the boy's sleeves. "I-I don't like them. They look scary…"
18 burst out laughing, suddenly leaning forward so that her face was just inches from the girl, causing her jumped back. "Tough? Seeing how your sister act in front of…ordinary people like us, I begged to differ, kiddo."
Trunks winced. It kind of reminded him how the androids always calling him brat.
"Stay back from my sister, lady!" the boy cried, pulling out a pistol from a gun holster on his belt. " I got a gun here, so I'm calling the shots!"
"Really?" 18 said with a bored expression as she lifted up her hand, a glowing purple sphere of energy floating there. "I got this."
The jaws of the boy and the girl dropped as they stared at the ball, the hand of the boy holding the gun began to tremble.
"She…she just like that monkey…" The girl uttered softly, her voice filled with dread.
Despite the trembling of his hands, the boy fired a shot at 18's face. The bullet ricocheted of her face, causing her to snort in irritation as it flew into the distance.
Xxxxxxxx
As Goku watched the collapse of Muscle Tower, he felt something small and fast hit him at the back of his head.
"OUCH!" He yelled, furiously rubbing his sore head while scanning around him.
"Is there something wrong, Goku?"
"Oh nothing, Eighter." Goku replied, still looking confused. "Thought I felt someone hit my head from behind."
Xxxxxxxx
"18-" Trunks was about to take action against 18. He wasn't going to let someone die in the past because he was unable to stop 18 from travelling back in time. Never!
But before he could reach her, the energy ball disappeared and with the sadistic smile wiped from her face, 18 fell face first onto the snow, her body twitching.
Trunks immediately crouched beside her, shaking her roughly. "18!" he cried, cringing at the sound of concern in his voice. There is no way he was really caring about her, it must be the essence of 17 lingering there.
The boy and the girl stared at the both of them, paralyzed in shock. "Hey mister, is…is she alright?"
Trunks looked up, giving the coldest glare he could managed, which wasn't that hard. " I think you should leave now."
The children appeared to ignore Trunks words, still rooted to the ground. "Are you guys….from the Red Ribbon Army?" The girl timidly asked, seemingly to just notice the RRA insignia on Trunks' shirt and on 18's denim jacket.
Trunks intensified his harshness of his glare. "Leave now. Or do you want that monkey boy to find you and kill you?"
At the mention of Goku, both of them turned their heads to the direction of the Muscle Tower. "Shit, let's get out of here!" The boy cried in terror and without a backwards glance, the both of them sprinted into the distance.
Trunks watched them disappeared into the horizon, breathing in the fresh cool air. "Never dreamed air could ever smell so good before." Trunks mumbled to himself before realizing that 18 was getting up, tenderly rubbing her head and wincing in pain.
" What's the matter, 18? The gears a little rusty?" Trunks joked.
"Shut up." 18 growled. "I don't what happen, but all of a sudden my system shut down for no reason."
"Huh. Interesting…" Trunks mused. Wonder why…
18 began heading towards the time machine, kicking the snow absently. "Got anything in mind on when we should go next?"
Trunks smirked as he got up from his kneeing position. There's one time period his mother had arranged for him and Gohan to travel back in time and after recounting the events of what happened then, he was quite well-versed on what's going to transpire at that time. The only thing he regret is not having the medicine now. Maybe Gohan will have the chance…
"How about Age 764?"