In the depths of a mountain range Trunks and Ranch were yelling their guts out as they powered up, while Gohan looked on with a serious expression. At thirteen and fourteen, the two were now older than Gohan when he first became a Super Saiyan. At first it seemed like they might transform when their hair and aura briefly flashed yellow, but before they could lock it in they collapsed from exhaustion. Yes, when they had come across that city devastated by the cyborgs it angered them, but it wasn't enough. They needed a spark that would push them over the edge.
"Damn!" Ranch cried in desperation, slamming her fists in the ground. "So close!"
"We're almost there," Trunks said, getting back on his feet. "Let's keep on going."
"No," Gohan said as he stepped in. "That's enough for today." He wasn't wrong. Earlier that day Gohan had taken both of them on without holding back in the hopes of pushing them past their limits. Ranch and Trunks felt sore all over, and all the energy they expended trying to transform took its toll.
"In that case can we relax a bit?" Ranch asked tiredly.
"Good idea. I'll go ahead and get dinner started," agreed Gohan.
As dejected as they were about still not being able to transform, when Trunks and Ranch disrobed and got into the hot spring that they had camped next to, they cheered up some. The hot water relaxed their aching muscles, and they just sat in silence and closed their eyes. After a hard day's work there was nothing like bathing to let your troubles wash away. But as relaxing as it was, there was something bothering Trunks.
"Hey, Ranch?" Trunks said.
Eyes still closed, she grunted. "Hmm?"
"Do you even want to go Super?"
Opening an eye, she asked in a dangerous tone, "Is that some sort of dig?"
"No," he quickly said. "I meant…do you want to despite knowing what it takes?"
"We'll find a way that doesn't involve that," Ranch replied.
"I don't know, though. Gohan keeps telling us to focus on what we lost, but I lost my dad when I was really young, so I don't really have the anger I would otherwise" said Trunks dejectedly. "And I don't want to have to lose someone else to transform. Not my mom, or Gohan, or you." It didn't occur to Trunks until after he said it how that might've sounded. Embarrassed, he tried not to look over at Ranch as he waited for how she'd reply to that.
Ranch felt herself blush, but thankfully the water's temperature and the steam hid it. Her mouth felt dry and her heart skipped a beat, as she said to him, "Yeah, I don't want to lose you, either." Ranch tried to convince herself to stop being stupid about what was going on in her head. Of course they didn't want to lose each other—they were best friends and partners, after all! All of a sudden, though, she felt her fingers brush slightly with his under the water, and without thinking they started holding hands and laced their fingers together.
They sat like that in the water in silence for a while longer, only getting out and dressing when Gohan announced that dinner was ready. After eating the freshly caught fish Gohan cooked they went to sleep.
A few days later the cyborgs attacked Super World.
As the three surveyed the scene from up in the air, Ranch started, "Trunks, we've got to clear a better path for—"
"No," Gohan cut in. "These two like to take turns going one-on-one with me before the other joins in," he explained. "Once that happens you two team up on the one I'm not fighting." As hard as it was, he had come to the decision when he watched them trying to transform.
"What? Really?" Trunks blurted out in astonishment.
Ranch, on the other hand, nodded vigorously. "We'll try our best!"
"But until then stay out of sight to keep the element of surprise." Gohan dove down to the park and found the cyborgs lounging by the carousel.
"Well, well," 17 said, amused by Gohan's sudden appearance.
"What? Not going to start running away again?" asked 18.
"I think I'll try the direct approach," Gohan, powering up to Super Saiyan. "So who's first?"
"I think it's your turn," 18 told 17.
17 just shrugged and stepped forward. "If you say so."
Trunks and Ranch were watching from behind a nearby food stand as 17 and Gohan started their fight. Like he said, it was one against one at first as they kicked and punched each other on the ground, but it didn't take them long to take to the air. 17 kicked Gohan back against a pillar and followed that by closing in and punching him in the face. Gohan was thrown against the side of a restaurant, and he fired an energy blast at the cyborg in retaliation. 17 easily dodged, but Gohan quickly rushed in to deliver a swift kick to 17's chin.
The entire time Trunks couldn't stop watching the fight, but Ranch had only eyes for the blonde one. Once it seemed as if Gohan had gained the upper hand on 17, Ranch noticed that 18 started to move. "HEY BITCH!" she bellowed as she left cover. 18 looked over in surprise as Ranch sent a blast her way. But 18 casually knocked it out of the way, phased in closer to Ranch, and smacked her hard enough that Ranch went flying.
"Ranch!" Trunks shouted. Anger coursing through his veins, he charged at 18, yelling, "You'll pay for that!" 18 merely looked amused as she effortlessly blocked his punches, and then she smacked him too so that he would land right by Ranch.
"How cute, he brought back up this time," 18 commented, walking towards them slowly. "No wonder he isn't running like a coward today."
Ranch and Trunks stood back up despite the pain they were now in. Ranch stared back her defiantly, saying, "Gohan's no coward, you…you…you damn bimbo!"
18's smile dropped. "Children should mind their manners."
"Together this time," said Trunks.
"Right!" Ranch agreed.
The two powered up and charged forward together at the cyborg. 18 dodged and blocked everything without really trying, didn't fall for any of their combos, and avoided all the energy blasts they threw at her. Even though it would have been all too easy to end them in an instant, 18 decided to take it slow with them and only snuck in sucker punches to throw them off. When they ended up on top of the roller coaster and the two managed to get a one punch each in on her, 18 got annoyed and decided that playtime was over.
18 grabbed Ranch by the ankle and threw her right into an arcade below. Trunks attempted to get a hit in, but 18 blocked it, punched his face, and grabbed him by the shirt. "Any last words?"
Glowering at her, Trunks said, "Screw you."
18 lifted up her free hand to charge an attack. "Trunks!" Ranch just barely managed to barrel in and slammed her whole body against 18. 18 ended up dropping Trunks, who fell through the rollercoaster tracks to the ground, so she made due by grabbing Ranch from behind.
"Brave of you to save your little boyfriend like that," she teased, her left arm wrapped tightly around Ranch so that she couldn't move anything. "Brave, but ultimately meaningless. Still, though, I'll be generous and give you the chance to apologize for some comments you made about me earlier."
Turning her head to look at the cyborg, Ranch said angrily, "I call 'em like I see 'em, ya bimbo bitch!"
18 grimaced. "Looks like you have to be taught some respect." And with her free right hand, 18 reached around and placed her index finger on Ranch's left cheek. With her fingernail, 18 punctured her skin and slowly ran her nail down her cheek, causing Ranch to howl in pain as blood spilled down her face.
Meanwhile, 17, who had noticed 18 wasn't going to intervene, stepped up his game. Gohan and 17 continued to go toe-to-toe, but when Gohan heard Ranch's screech he stopped and looked up. When 18 finished she knocked Ranch's head to make her go limp, and when 18 was about to snap the girl's neck Gohan intervened just in time. He had taken off from his fight with 17, and flew at top speed to the top of the rollercoaster, kicking 18 in the head. He snatched up Ranch, and jumped down to the ground to where Trunks had fallen. With Ranch in one arm and Trunks in the other, Gohan began to run for it. 18 caught him in the back with a blast of hers, but he simply took it and kept going.
17 and 18 started throwing around a barrage of energy blasts all around the park in hopes of catching him, but Gohan managed to get away. He was able to hide behind a slab of rubble and the two cyborgs lamented nearby that he had given them the slip again. They then decided to simply blow up the whole place, and Gohan tightly gripped Trunks and Ranch as he braced them for the incoming explosion.
When the amusement park was completely leveled, the cyborgs wondered in annoyance whether or not they got him. In the end 17 and 18 took to the air and left.
A little while later Gohan woke up in pain. His left arm was gone, and a gash ran down his face. Lifting his head, Gohan saw Ranch and Trunks lying close by. Dragging himself forward, Gohan desperately made his way towards the two. He took a pouch out of his ghi and emptied it on the ground. Only a single Senzu bean fell out.
Shocked and in despair, Gohan looked at Trunks and Ranch, both of whom were in need of a full bean. But left with no other choice, Gohan broke it in half.
With every last bit of strength he had left, Gohan pulled himself towards Ranch, and put the half a bean in her mouth. "Eat up, Ranch," he grunted, making sure she swallowed. "Get better or else your mom—either one of them—will kill me."
Just as Gohan felt his vision darken, he moved to Trunks, and stuffed the other half in his mouth. "Come on, Trunks. We all need you get stronger." Right as he got Trunks to swallow, Gohan collapsed unconscious.