-Four Hours Later-
"Today has been too long a day."
Eighteen quietly grumbled to herself. Following the events in West City, she'd wanted nothing more than to go back to her hotel room and collapse right there and then. Unfortunately for the android, she knew that hadn't been an option. Upon returning to her suite, she'd immediately begun packing the clothes and belongings she didn't want to part with, spending less than a half hour to do so before she was flying away into the darkening sky. She knew that remaining in an abode that Seventeen knew of was a recipe for disaster. He could easily return when she wasn't around, turning the place upside down looking for the blueprints she'd only just managed to recover. No, remaining there was no longer an option.
As if salt in the wound, Eighteen had quickly discovered that no other hotel would take her within the borders of West City. Not because they wouldn't accept her money, but because there wasn't a single business still functioning following the aftermath of her and Seventeen's return. The entire city had been a ghost town with none too eager to return. She imagined it would be another day or so before the people of West City dared to come back to their homes. That had left Eighteen with only one option: to move to a new city.
She'd eventually settled on North City, before finding a simple motel by the name of 'Leisure Inn' to settle down. It was by no means the rundown, barely functioning biohazard which Seventeen had selected for himself prior, but that wasn't to say it was as luxurious as her previous residence, either. It hadn't been her first pick, but she'd ultimately decided it to be a safe one. She imagined that Seventeen would likely assume her to pick another high end hotel to stay in if the first was anything to go off of. If he was still after the schematics—which she hadn't a doubt in her mind he was—then Eighteen didn't want to give him anything obvious to search for.
She'd laid down on a mattress far less comfortable than her previous, intent on letting her eyes close and drift off to sleep, despite not needing to. Nothing had seemed better to the android than simply letting this mess of a day pass her, before the sound of a text snapped her eyes wide open.
She'd groaned when she saw who it was from.
'Hey, Videl! We still on for tonight?'
A part of her had assumed that the man would want to cancel on their plans, seeking rest following the events only a few hours prior. It appeared that she'd assumed wrongly.
She'd answered, accepting his invite before hurriedly finding a club for them to attend for the night. It hadn't been so hard a task, but having to scramble so urgently had been annoying at best. Of course, the idea of coming along had been her idea in the first place—a decision she was regretting immensely now. The intent had been to find some dumb hunk of a man, believing that a one night stand would rid herself of all these frustrating emotions she'd been feeling lately. Sure, she wasn't human, but that didn't mean she didn't have urges from time to time.
Now, she was clad in a form fitting red dress that stopped at her thighs, where black tights then continued down her legs. She'd thought about wearing pumps for the night, but after the exhausting day she'd just had, she'd decided some comfy black boots would be more than enough. She didn't care to go all out tonight. She was too tired to do so.
Let's just get this over with.
She'd since donned the disguise of 'Videl', although she hadn't gone through the trouble of doing anything special for her hair, letting it fall over her shoulders and down her back, having been brushed, and little else.
She stood to the side of the short line of people waiting to get in. The doorway leading into 'Club Meltdown' bled loud music and rowdy conversations from within. She could also smell the faint scent of liquor drifting out the door, and decided that after everything that had happened today, a drink didn't sound like such an awful idea.
Definitely hitting the bar first.
That would make this night go that much smoother, she decided. The stars were bright in the otherwise pitch-black sky, the full moon casting a yellow light down as it rested overhead. She'd come early, as she so often did. There had been a few men passing through the line who'd cat called to her—offering to let her cut into line with them—but she'd paid them no mind. Her thoughts were focused on other matters.
What am I even doing?
A part of her felt incredulous that she was even here at all. To say it felt bizarre that she was currently waiting to meet up with a man who only hours ago had been a threat to her very life was an understatement. A part of her wondered what Gohan would think had he actually managed to kill her, resulting in 'Videl' never answering another call or text ever again. Would he put two and two together? Perhaps figuring out who she'd really been once she was gone? She doubted it. He'd likely assume that she'd merely lost interest, and decided to go her separate way as so many people do.
"Videl?" A voice she knew all too well asked.
She turned her head, watching as Gohan stepped forward until he was standing next to her on the sidewalk. He was wearing the outfit she'd selected for him—as she'd assumed he would—although she noticed he'd also decided to run some type of hair product into his onyx locks of hair. Eighteen immediately decided she didn't like it, preferring his natural, rugged haircut far more.
"How's it going." She smiled with tired eyes.
He smiled back, which made the tension in Eighteen's shoulders ease. It felt nice to see Gohan like this again after watching him glare with such an undeniable hatred not so long ago.
"Shoot!" he exclaimed, cheerfully. "I was trying to beat you here this time. You really like to arrive early to things, don't you?"
Eighteen fished out her phone from the ash black jacket she was wearing—designed to reveal some of her midriff . Checking the time, she saw that Gohan was early. Fifteen minutes early, in fact.
She shrugged, returning the phone to her pocket. "I do. I guess it's a quirk of mine."
Gohan laughed in response. "One of these days, I'm gonna beat you somewhere, mark my words."
She smirked. "Not a chance."
The two fell in together before entering the line .
"So," he began casually. "What made you decide on North City for a spot?"
"Not like anything in West City was up and running."
He frowned, before realizing. "Oh, right." he let out a nervous laugh. "I should have figured that would happen. You heard about that?"
"How could I not? It's all over the news." she said, recalling all the stories on 'the androids return!' televised on almost every news station. It seemed with their absence, their sudden return had made for front line news—which didn't surprise Eighteen in the slightest. She'd flipped through some of the channels back at the motel before having to get ready. There'd been so many eye witness accounts of the events of West City, and yet somehow, they were all wrong. So many witnesses spoke of how the pair had been flying through the city, firing off blasts haphazardly without ever acknowledging that she hadn't been a part of it. A few eye witness accounts mentioned seeing them fight briefly, but it appeared none stuck around long enough to see the full picture.
"Yeah," He rubbed the back of his head in the nervous way he normally did. "I guess it has been. Thankfully, though, this attack is the first in years that no one was killed—although many have been hospitalized."
"That is good." She said as the line moved up. She didn't really want to discuss the events of today. In fact, she wanted nothing more than to forget them entirely while staring down the bottom of a bottle. But, she knew that the person she was pretending to be would likely be interested in such a newsworthy event.
She spoke in a lowered tone as she continued, making sure the people in front of them didn't hear. "So, I'm guessing you got there pretty quick, huh?"
A frown pulled at his lips. "Not exactly…"
She raised an eyebrow. "Oh?" Feigning ignorance seemed to be the most appropriate reaction to take.
Gohan's eyes looked away uncomfortably, his glances regarding the people in front of them nervously. "I'll tell you about it inside." Then, his face brightened. "Let's talk about you. How'd that thing you had to take care of go? Good, I hope."
Eighteen blinked, remembering their conversation back at 'The Best Of The West'.
She let out a soft laugh, shaking her head as she did. "Not. At. All."
Gohan's frown returned. "Oh, no. What happened? Nothing too bad?"
Oh, you have no idea. My brother lied to me before betraying me, you tried to kill me—again, and I had to move out of my luxury hotel room and into a shitty motel on top of all that.
She decided she would simply go with the latter.
"I kinda...got evicted." She answered with a sheepish grin.
Gohan's face paled. "That's terrible! Do you have a place to stay?"
Eighteen raised an eyebrow at the genuineness to his concern. She'd never had a friend do that before. Typically, the people she and her brother surrounded themselves with would simply comment with a 'that sucks man' before moving onto a different topic, never really caring about them. It had never bothered the woman before, since she'd never really cared about them, either. They'd been friends only as far as they could be useful, nothing more.
But with Gohan...she could tell he really cared. It made her smile to know that.
"It's alright." She waved a dismissive hand. "I found a motel to stay in for the time being. I'll figure out something more permanent later."
She assumed he would drop the matter at that. Much to her surprise, he didn't. "Are you sure? If you need help, all you need to do is ask."
Her head tilted to the side as she regarded him curiously. "No, seriously, it's alright. I've got things covered."
"You sure? I mean, if you need a loan or something…"
"No!" She gestured out with both hands for him to stop. She already had more money than she knew what to do with. "I promise. I'm good."
"Okay…" She noticed his lips still forming a frown, seeming troubled that he hadn't been able to help her.
How sweet.
She wondered if she'd ever had a friend offer as much. She swiftly concluded, she hadn't. It had always been her and her brother against the world. The street rats and thugs they'd so often been running with never batted an eye at their troubles.
The line moved quickly after that, with the two of them finding themselves at the front in a matter of minutes. She did take note of—despite her insistence that he didn't have to—Gohan going out of his way to pay for her entry as well as his.
Then, they stepped inside.
The music blared so loud overhead that Eighteen could barely make out what song was being played at all. The massive space was dark, aside from the handful of colorful lights providing just enough light to get around. Slowly, the pair weaved their way through the massive crowd—all dancing or talking loudly amongst themselves—amassed at the club's center before reaching the bar. The pair ordered their drinks before retreating to a table off to the side to survey the room.
"So, Hotshot. Anyone catching your eye?" She smirked, regarding the massive room full of drunk women and men dancing. Her eyes glanced to the mixed drink set on the table next to her, before quickly recoiling. She hadn't thought about it before, but a day full of drinking did not make her want to restart the experience into the night.
"..."
Eighteen frowned as she didn't get a response. She turned to look to Gohan, situated in the chair next to her, and found that he was frowning down at his drink.
"Uh, Earth to Gohan? You there?" She waved a hand in front of him.
He blinked before his head snapped up, his eyes regarding her with startlement. "Sorry, what?"
She raised an eyebrow. "Something on your mind?"
His frown returned and he looked down, his brow furrowing. "You could say that…"
"Wanna talk about it?"
He swallowed. "It's just…" A sigh escaped his lips before he shook his head and forced a smile. "No, it doesn't matter. We should focus on having a good time, right?" He lifted the drink to his lips, before cringing from the taste.
"Hey, if you're having cold feet-"
"No, no, it's not that." He frowned.
"Then what?" She absentmindedly raised her drink to her lips as well, before immediately regretting it and mirroring Gohan's cringe, having forgotten how she felt about alcohol moments ago.
"I don't want to bring the mood down."
"Look," She said with a flat look. "It's clear that whatever it is is bothering you. You aren't gonna be able to focus on pulling ladies if your mind is focused on something else. Now, out with it."
The young man let out another sigh before nodding. "Yeah, you're probably right."
"So…?"
"It's about android Eighteen." he finally said.
She sucked in a nervous breath, before stammering. "Y-yeah? What about her?"
Seemingly not noticing her stutter, Gohan continued. "She said some things today that I just...don't know about."
"...Like?" She could feel her heart pounding anxiously against her chest.
"Like, she said that she was done with it all, Videl. Done killing, done destroying, done...with everything"
Eighteen slowly raised the glass to take a drink, not because she had any desire to swallow the poorly crafted mixed drink—the bartender had clearly gotten the mix wrong—but to give her a time to think of her next words to say.
As she lowered the glass, she found them. "That's...crazy. Doesn't sound like her at all, not after all this time. I mean, I've never met them, of course, but I've always pictured them as monsters. You sure you heard right?" They hadn't been the words she'd wanted to say, but it felt like what someone who was hearing this from the outside would.
He nodded. "That's what I thought too, at first. I thought it was a flat out lie, something she made up to try and get herself out of the situation. She was by herself, and I think she knew that she couldn't take me on without her brother." His face wore a conflicted expression. "But, when I started to think about it afterwards...I started to realize that she...might have been telling the truth."
Eighteen suppressed the look of excitement that threatened to consume her face. Gohan was beginning to actually consider that she was telling the truth?! Why? How? It sounded too good to be true!
"Really?" Her voice hitched slightly as she said the word. "Why?"
"Well…" He trailed off, frowning before he finally answered. "She sounded honest, Videl. Really honest. She even apologized to me. I couldn't believe it."
"That does sound pretty unbelievable."
"And that's what's getting to me. She sounded like she was actually sorry—but, I just can't believe that. A part of me is still convinced that it has to be some sort of trick to try and get back to power again. I mean, it's been thirteen years, Videl. How is it that it's only now she's decided she wants to turn her life around? After all she and her brother have done?"
Eighteen decided to take a slow drink from her cup, using the beverage once more as an excuse to buy time. It was strange, trying to think from the perspective of a 'normal' person, especially when the conversation was about herself.
"So, it has to be a trick, right?" She said, cursing herself internally. She wanted nothing more than to try and push Gohan to believe that she really had been telling the truth back in West City. The only problem was, she knew that no human would so eagerly trust the androids; not after all they'd done.
"I don't know." Eighteen felt her eyebrow hitch at his response. He slowly continued. "The thing is...it would explain some things that I've been wondering about for a while now."
"Like what?" she asked, curiously.
"Well…" Gohan's voice trailed off before he took a sip, and grimaced from the taste. "Not too long ago, in the fight just before I met you, actually, Eighteen...spared me."
Her eyebrows went up in a convincing manner—she hoped. "That's...wow. Are you sure she didn't just think you were already dead or something?"
He shook his head. "No, she definitely knew I was alive. I was staring her in the eyes when she did it. I was down. Seventeen had left to...somewhere, and she was standing over me. I was ready to die at that moment, Videl. I had accepted my fate. She had her hand over me, golden light ready to blow me away, and then she just...stopped."
Videl was silent for a time, watching the man.
"She left you?"
He nodded. "Not only me, either, Trunks too. While I was recovering from that fight, Trunks foolishly tried to fight the androids in my absence. You remember the news report on that apartment building that was blown up over a month back?"
She nodded.
"Well," he continued, "The news said that it was the androids who did it, which was only half true. Only Eighteen was there—according to Trunks. He fought her the best he could, trying to unlock his super-" his voice suddenly fell short. "Um—he was being foolish. Either way, the fight ended badly for him. And, like she had for me, she left him alive. I didn't know what to make of it. What reason would Eighteen have to keep us alive?"
She frowned, before shrugging. "Maybe she liked beating you guys up or something."
"I thought that, too, but no, that doesn't seem like her." He said, staring down at his drink. "I've fought Seventeen and Eighteen for years, and I know their cruel, sick personalities well. I know how they think—or, at least, I thought I did. Every time before then, they would do everything in their power to kill me. They would always go for the killing blow, never hesitating at the chance to put me down for good."
She hid a grimace as she listened. He was right, of course. During the first couple of years, she and her brother had decided to spare the young boy fighting against them. She supposed it had been the last shreds of their humanity still intact. Eventually, even that had burned away. Afterwards, they'd attacked Gohan with intent to kill every time.
"I tried to ask about it." he admitted. "In the fight that I took Seventeen's arm, I got the chance to ask her why she'd decided to spare me and Trunks. Unfortunately, all that did was give her a chance to escape." She watched his fingers tightened into a clenched fist, frustration written clear as day on his face. "I had her. I knew it, and I let it get to me." He shook his head, the tension bleeding from him. "Regardless, I never got an answer. It's been bugging me for the longest time now, but today...I think I might have actually gotten my answer."
"What do you mean?" she asked, feeling excitement swell in her chest.
His deep onyx eyes regarded her with a serious look, one so piercing and earnest that for a moment, she was certain he'd seen through her disguise altogether.
"What if what she's saying really is the truth?" The panic in Eighteen's chest released at his sentence. "What if—by whatever miracle—android Eighteen really has changed? It would explain why she didn't kill me or Trunks when she had the chance. I even think I saw Seventeen and Eighteen fighting today. At first, I thought it was just their normal rampage I was seeing, but when I looked at it closer...I realized it couldn't have been. When I arrived, there were obvious signs of battle. The road was torn up with craters and jagged cracks, as if someone had been driven through it. What more, it looked like some of the walls nearby had been broken through, as if someone had been blasted out of them." He leaned in close, his eyes ablaze with urgency. "Do you realize what this means?"
"...They like to roughhouse with each other?" She answered dumbly, flashing a sheepish smile as she did.
He snickered, shaking his head. "No, it means we finally have a reason for why their attacks came to such an abrupt end!" he was half-whispering, half-shouting as he continued eagerly. "At first, I thought it was just because of Seventeen's injury, but now I think it's really because the two of them aren't working together anymore!"
Eighteen blinked, surprised.
Wow. Gohan is really good at putting this all together.
She noticed the dark strands of her wig threatening to dip into her drink and adjusted.
Well, at least some of it.
She found her lips curling into a smile. "Wow. Well, then that's a good thing, isn't it? If Eighteen isn't teaming up with Seventeen anymore...then yay for humanity, right?"
The fire in his eyes suddenly went out, his brow furrowing as he looked away.
"What?" She frowned. "Did I say something?"
"No…" He let out a sigh. "It's just that...if this is all true...then…" He growled, leaning forward and burying his face into his palm. "Then I think I made the wrong call today."
"How so?" she asked.
"I let my...anger get in the way." He began quietly, almost sounding ashamed. "I wanted her dead, Videl. I wanted to kill her more than anything. Seventeen was gone, and I saw my opportunity. She tried to talk to me. I could tell she wanted to...and I just...couldn't." His hand clenched into a tight fist. "They've hurt me...so much, Videl." His hand pulled away from his face, and when she saw his eyes, there was a sadness in them deeper than anything she'd ever seen before. "I mean, they've hurt everyone." He motioned his hand out towards the dancing people all around them. "I doubt you could point to a single person in this whole room who hasn't lost a friend or loved one to their torment. Still...it feels so much more personal for me. I've fought them for so, so long. I've been in countless, tortuous fights, struggling to stop them from taking even a single life. In that effort...they've left scars that will never heal. I've lost track of just how many I have now…" As he trailed off, she caught his gaze shifting to his left side, where his sleeve dangled uselessly.
She looked away, the guilt consuming her as she did.
Finally, Gohan continued. "I've dreamed for years of the day that I get the chance to bring down even just one of them. It's been my life's goal, really, to repay them for the pain they've made me and the rest of the world suffer. That goal...blinded me, today. I almost made a mistake I would have never forgiven myself for." He let out a shaky breath. "One that could have cost the lives of hundreds of innocent people."
My energy blast…
She could tell by the guilty look in his eyes that he held himself responsible for what might have happened to West City had she not pulled her attack back in time. It was eating him up inside, knowing that his thirst for revenge had meant more to him than all the lives he'd sought to protect for all these years.
"I decided to chase Eighteen as she fled. She warned me that she would destroy the entire city if I did, vaporizing whoever hadn't made it out yet. Despite this, I still chased after her. She made good on her promise, and fired a single blast strong enough to wipe out all of West City if it landed...I eventually turned around and tried to catch it, but by then, it was too late." He sneered, hatefully. "And you want to know the best part? The only reason West City is still intact today is because Eighteen stopped the attack just before it landed." His voice trembled as he cupped his mouth with a hand.
Eighteen could see a wetness to his eyes threatening to spill out, and it shocked her. Sure, she knew Gohan cared about all the humans she and her brother had hunted in the past, but they'd already killed millions of them at this point. She'd assumed that he would have grown desensitized by it by now, at least a little bit.
Gohan sucked in a shaky breath. "The only reason Trunks and Bulma…" He trailed off, shaking his head as he shut his eyes tight. When they opened again, he'd recovered, his expression hardened once more.
Then, it hit her.
Trunks and Bulma...were still in the city.
She'd never even thought to check, but thinking back, of course they had been. She'd been with them when Seventeen had attacked the city by himself. They'd led her far underground to the massive bunker under their home. That had been their plan to stay safe then, and she imagined it would have been where they were today as well.
And I fired off an attack that could have destroyed all of West City…
She wanted to convince herself that Bulma and Trunks had been so far underground that her attack wouldn't have reached them. She wanted to believe that the thick steel would have been enough to protect them, or that even if it didn't, Trunks would have had enough power to stop the blast from killing the two of them, at least .
But, she couldn't. She couldn't know whether or not they would have survived the calamity of her attack. She'd fired it in a moment of desperation, pushing out as much power as she could muster in the heat of the moment to convince Gohan of its immediate threat. Had she not stopped it...would the young man she'd just taken shopping earlier in that day...be dead right now?
Now, it all made sense. Gohan wasn't just shaken by the fact that hundreds of lives could have been lost, he was shaken because he'd almost allowed two of the most important people in his life to perish in an effort to pursue his revenge.
For a moment, Eighteen didn't know how she should respond. Gohan's face had returned to its normal calm, but she could still see guilt behind those eyes which refused to go away. He was trying to appear strong—for her, she supposed—but inside, she could see that the events of the day were still gnawing at his mind.
Finally, she decided what to do.
Her hand stretched out, and found his a moment later. Gohan's gaze lifted and met hers. She tried to flash him a reassuring smile as she spoke. "Hey, everything is okay. Whatever happened—it is not.Your. Fault. It's theirs. It's always been theirs. West City is still around, and no one was killed. You said so, right?"
He shot her an appreciative smile, giving her hand a squeeze. "Yeah, you're right. Thanks, Videl."
Eighteen breathed a mental sigh of relief as she watched the guilt wash away. It seemed her words had been the right ones to say. After a moment, she quickly realized her hand was still grasped in his, before pulling away.
She coughed into a hand. "So, you were talking about Eighteen? Something about making the wrong call?" It felt strange to her to be talking about herself in the third person. Hell, it felt strange to be in this situation at all.
"Right, android Eighteen." Gohan cleared his throat, and she noticed the slightest hint of a blush on his cheeks as he quickly looked away. She wondered if she was wearing a similar expression. "I just think I could have handled things differently is all."
"How so?" Her curiosity was peeking now, before she knew she was, her body had leaned forward to listen closer through the blaring noise of conversation and music all around them.
There was a long pause before Gohan finally answered. "Honestly...I don't know."
Her head tilted to the side, confused. "You don't know…?"
"I don't know what I should have done differently. If she really is telling the truth, and she really does want to change…" He growled, shaking his head side to side in frustration. "This is all so screwy. I can't decide one way or the other. A part of me—the part of me who tries to ask what my father would do in this situation—is telling me that I should try and...help, somehow. I know it sounds crazy, but that was just the type of guy my dad was. He gave people second chances, and some of my closest friends were people who needed those second chances to become some of the greatest heroes the world could ever ask for."
"...And the other part of you?" she asked, her voice growing quiet with nervousness.
His expression hardened, a cold resolve glinting in his eyes. "The other part doesn't feel like she deserves a second chance, not after all she and her brother have done."
Her gaze fell, her eyes studying her glass intently. It was a fair decision, she supposed; even if it wasn't the one she wanted to hear. "That makes sense…" she said, slowly.
"What do you think?"
Her head snapped up, the question having taken her completely by surprise. His eyes were staring at her with a pleading look, as if he were desperate for an answer to his delima.
Her voice caught in her throat as she tried to answer. He was asking her whether or not he should trust herself? It felt too good to be true. Was this the moment she had been waiting for? She wanted to—no—had to convince him that she was finally trying to become something better than what she had been before; both for herself, and her brother.
I won't let us get ourselves killed.
She and her brother had already had a close call today, and she didn't plan to repeat it. Changing their ways was about survival as much as it was about something more. She'd started down this road at first in the pure interest of surviving, before it became about more. Somewhere along the time spent with Gohan and Trunks...it became about them, too. She couldn't pinpoint when, but it had all the same.
I can't live this lie forever.
It was a statement she knew to be the truth. One day, there would be a slip up that she couldn't recover from. Her wig would fall, or her makeup would get too wet. Before that time...she had to convince Gohan that she had changed.
Finally, she found the words to say.
"I think," she began slowly, "That android Eighteen has done some truly terrible things. She and Seventeen are monsters through and through. No one can deny that fact...but," She breathed out a nervous breath. "If you really think she's trying to change...then it couldn't hurt to just...talk to her, right?"
She looked to him, her eyes pleading as she awaited his response.
Gohan's head tilted to the side, his brow furrowing as he considered. His lips curled into a frown, and for a moment she was certain he was going to disagree with her before his head slowly nodded. "Yeah...yeah I guess that makes sense. It's too early to make a decision. If I could talk to her...then maybe I could figure out if all of this is just some sort of elaborate trick."
Eighteen suppressed a sigh of relief before reaching out and downing the rest of her drink all in one go. It was vile as it ran down her throat, and her earlier intoxication didn't help with the woozy feeling she had soon after, but damn did she want a drink after such an intense exchange. When the glass pulled away from her lips, she was wearing a bright, excited smile. "Well then, now that all the serious stuff is out of the way, why don't we try and put your lady skills to the test?"
Gohan's serious expression was immediately replaced by bewilderment. "I-I'm sorry?"
"We're here for a reason, aren't we?" She raised a curious eyebrow his way.
"I…" He frowned, before his lips curled into a smirk and he chuckled. "Yeah, you're right. I guess I got caught up in our conversation." His eyes met hers with an appreciative smile. "Thanks, Videl. I really needed this talk. I feel better about things."
Eighteen felt her cheeks burning. Whether that was from the booze or from his smile, she didn't know.
She cleared her throat. "It was nothing. Now, get out there, stud! Let's see what you can do!"
Gohan was rising from his seat a moment later, retrieving from his back pocket what appeared like a notepad.
She frowned as he stared down at it and began to recite some of the tips she'd given him. "Be funny...listen…"
"You're not gonna pull that out while you're talking to them, are you?"
He looked up, seeming surprised by the question. "Uh, no. I just-"
"Just go already!" she laughed, placing a hand on his back before shoving him towards the dance floor.
She followed behind them as they entered the sea of gyrating bodies all around them. The stink of human was even more poignant now she realized, but Eighteen forced herself to ignore it.
Gohan's eyes looked about anxiously. "So...uh, who should I go for?"
"Anyone catch your eye?"
He frowned. "I don't know…"
Her eyes rolled with a smirk. She could tell that he was clearly uncomfortable. Her piercing blue gaze shot across the dance floor before eventually landing on a girl sitting comfortably at a table on the other side of the room. She had a head of curly red hair cupping a round face, complete with freckles.
Eighteen nodded her direction. "What about her? She's cute."
Gohan turned that direction before his frown deepened. "She's sitting with a bunch of other friends, though. Won't it be awkward if I just walk over there and try to talk to her with all of them there?"
"Not particularly, no. It happens all the time." She watched him out of the corner of her eye, noting his unwillingness to shift from his spot. She scoffed, shaking her head. "Fine, fine. I can do something about it." Her feet began moving.
"W-wait!" He called out, catching her by the arm. "I don't want you to go over and try to tell everyone to move or something."
Eighteen raised a hand to her chest, pretending to be offended. "You really think I'd do something as tactless as that? Just trust me, I have an idea. Besides, this is what your wingman is meant to do, right?"
He appeared conflicted as he let her go. "Yeah, I...guess so."
"Watch and learn, Wonderboy."
Eighteen casually began to weave her way through the crowd until she was finally past and approaching the table. As she did, she began to make her legs shaky, stumbling in places as her eyes drooped halfway. It wasn't a complete drunken stupor, not just yet, but it was enough to appear convincing, she believed. As she approached, she subtly began to flick little balls of energy out, so small that they were almost invisible, just beside the drinks situated before the three other friends next to the young redhead. None of their eyes turned to regard the strange forms of light, letting Eighteen know they hadn't noticed.
Perfect.
She made to walk past the group, just as she did, however, a misplaced step caused her to stumble into the table. Just as she did, she forced the balls of energy forward, colliding into the glasses with just enough force to cause them to all tumble into their owner's laps.
There was a cascade of 'hey!'s and 'watch where you're walking!'s as the three figures all shot to their feet, distastefully regarding their now drenched outfits.
She mumbled something that resembled a 'sorry' before stumbling away from the group. Just as she'd predicted, the young red head had been spared the mess as the other three swiftly left to find the nearest restroom and dry themselves off.
Eighteen found her way back to where Gohan was standing, his eyes wide with surprise. She clapped a hand on his shoulder. "She's all yours, stud. Go get 'em."
He cleared his throat, his eyes watching the attractive woman as she quietly sipped on her drink, alone for the time being.
"Oh, wow. That was actually pretty clever."
"I said I had an idea, didn't I?"
Gohan shot her an appreciative smile. "Thanks."
"Anytime. Now, hurry up before you lose your chance!" She gave him a light shove before he began making his way over.
Eighteen made her way back to the table they'd been sitting at before and slumped into the chair. Her eyes trailed Gohan as he approached before his charming smile flashed and the girl regarded him with surprise. She couldn't hear the conversation being had, but judging by the woman's smile, it was going well.
Lucky bitch.
She blinked, surprised by the abrupt thought. She groaned into her palm, shaking her head.
Brain, seriously, you gotta start to make sense sometime soon.
She'd already sworn Gohan to be off limits, so why were these rogue thoughts still plaguing her? Finally, she recalled why she'd agreed to accompany Gohan to this club in the first place.
Let's see if there are any hunks of dumb, muscly man around that might be able to get these dumb ideas out of my head…
Her gaze shifted to the crowd, searching for an attractive face she might lure into a one-night-stand. There were a few that were cutish, but none that especially caught her eye. She made to sweep over the crowd again before Gohan sat down at the table across from her.
She lifted an eyebrow. That had been fast.
"It go well?"
He frowned, shaking his head. "She was polite, but she has a boyfriend already."
Eighteen's sharp gaze immediately turned back to the girl. Her eyes narrowed. She was already in a relationship wearing a dress like that? She supposed it was possible, but everything about the woman's body language told Eighteen that she was available.
She frowned, considering. Had she just told Gohan that as an excuse to brush him off? Why would anyone want to turn down such an attractive, strong, charming-
Brain! Work with me here!
Her head turned back to Gohan's deflated looking expression. "Welp. looks like we just have to try again, eh?"
The night continued on as Eighteen did her best to give Gohan an opening to talk to some of the young women of the club that seemed to draw the young man's gaze. What baffled Eighteen was how often Gohan was turned away after only a few minutes of conversation. After the second attempt, she asked what he was doing, and still she couldn't fathom just what these women were turned off by. Was he too sweet? Too handsome? Too undeniably fashionable and muscular that it was intimidating somehow? No matter what way she spun the question around in her head, she just couldn't find an appropriate reason for why Gohan was striking out in his attempts.
Eighteen's gaze narrowed to slits as she leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table as she did. She watched carefully, trying to find the exact moment this new girl Gohan had decided to approach—a brunette with long hair and a revealing top—decided that she didn't want to talk to the young man anymore.
She studied the exchange, watching the woman's eyes light up with amusement as she let out a cute laugh from something Gohan had said. Their conversation moved forward, and for a moment Eighteen was certain that Gohan had managed to strike gold with this one.
Then, she watched as the woman's gaze flickered to Gohan's left side, before her smile faltered ever so slightly. Her hand raised to point at the empty sleeve at Gohan's side, and she watched as his face grew nervous from the comment. Their conversation lasted a handful of minutes longer before the woman pulled out her phone, gesturing to it as if she had an urgent call to take and bidding the young man farewell.
Eighteen fell back in her chair, mouth agape at what she'd just seen.
It's the arm?!
She couldn't believe it. Women were rejecting Gohan because he was missing something as trivial as an arm? It felt utterly ridiculous as Eighteen considered it. She felt the prospect of rejecting someone for missing a limb to be completely asinine. It wasn't as if the man was any lesser for it. Sure, he struggled with tying his shoes and perhaps took a little longer to get dressed, but this was Gohan they were talking to. He was an all powerful, almighty god in comparison to these measly humans. If they thought that he wouldn't be able to protect them in a fight, then they were thoroughly mistaken. Hell, Eighteen was willing to bet everything she owned that there wasn't a single person on the planet who could hope to stand up to the young man now, aside from herself perhaps.
But...they don't know that…
She had a very clear understanding that Gohan wanted to keep that side of himself private—for whatever reason, she had no idea. If she were in his shoes, then she would be happy to broadcast that information to anyone who cared to know. Hell, she had been in that situation, and neither she or her brother had been shy about announcing their superiority to the rest of the world. She imagined that if he really did decide to let the world know of his true identity as the golden warrior, that there would be rows of women forming a line down the street at the mere chance of meeting with the adonis that was Son Gohan.
Why doesn't he just let the world know? He really should. Maybe I'll try to hint that he should mention that to the next girl he walks up to. I bet he'll have better chances then.
"Well damn, never thought I'd see you again, Videl."
Eighteen's eyes snapped open with surprise as her head turned to regard the voice.
Standing before her with a confident smirk plastered to his face, was none other than Sharpner.
She let out a slow groan before answering. "Great, and now you're here. This night just keeps getting better and better." she added sarcastically.
"Ah, come on now." He said as he took the seat Gohan had been filling before. "Don't be like that. You never know how the night could turn out." He shot her a wink that made Eighteen force down a gag. "Besides, it looks like you could use some company sitting here all alone. I seem to remember you and me sharing a drink the last time we spoke. How about another for old time's sake." It was only then that she noticed the two drinks in his hand, one of which he set before her.
Her eyes shot him an exasperated look. "Actually, my friend is sitting there, so you might want to-" As she spoke, her eyes turned to where Gohan was making his way back, only to be stopped suddenly as someone tapped him on the shoulder. Eighteen's eyebrows lifted as Gohan turned, regarding the pretty young blonde in an attractive, form fitting black dress and sporting a pixie cut as she began to spark up a conversation with the young man.
"...Huh." She remarked with a surprised look. She certainly hadn't been expecting that. It seemed that Gohan had managed to catch someone's eye after all. Eighteen forced down her jealousy, before quickly feeling annoyed that she'd been jealous at all.
"Come on, Videl. You don't have to go through the trouble of making up a fake friend to try and get rid of me. Let's just have one drink. One drink never hurt anyone, right?" He raised the beer to his lips and swallowed, continuing. "And might I add, you are looking particularly nice today, Videl. Didn't know you knew how to dress up so...tastefully."
Eighteen scowled as the man clad in a tight tank top and dark jeans looked her up and down. Seriously, did he think that brandishing his muscles was enough to have women throw themselves at his feet?
She sighed, resigning herself to her fate. "You get one drink. That's it. Then, you leave me alone, got it?" She begrudgingly reached out and accepted the glass.
"Hey, I'll take what I can get." He said with a shrug. "And who knows? Maybe you'll want to get another one after talking with me. I promise, I'm not as bad as you think." he winked a second time, that overconfident smirk never leaving his lips.
She groaned internally.
-Gohan-
Is this really happening right now?
The woman before him was smiling brightly as she looked up at him, the light of the room catching in her sapphire-blue eyes developing into a brilliant twinkle as it did.
"Hi, sorry to bother you, but I couldn't help but notice you as you walked past. You don't come here often, do you?"
He let a smile pull at his lips. From his practice throughout the night, a smile went a long way.
"No. I don't, admittedly. Yourself?"
She shrugged in a nonchalant way. "Not really. Just from time to time. I mostly just like to dance, really."
"Oh yeah? I bet you're really good." he complimented.
Her smile grew. "Would you like to find out?"
Gohan felt a lump of excitement mixed with anxiety form in his throat. He looked around, regarding the sea of dancing figures all around them.
"I guess this is the place for it."
She let out a laugh and a nod which relieved the tension in his shoulders. So far, so good.
Gohan watched as the woman's body began to slowly shift to the music, her hips swaying side to side as she let the music take her. For a time, Gohan found himself mesmerized by her movements, his eyes unwilling to pull away until he caught a curious glance from her that told him that he should start dancing as well.
Alright, here goes nothing!
Slowly, he began to shift to the sounds of the music above. The song wasn't particularly tasteful in his opinion, the subject matter never straying from topics of naked women and sex, but the demi-saiyan forced himself to move to the song's simplistic beat. He kept to a plain routine, not daring to stretch past the simple dance maneuvers he'd researched before coming to the club. He'd felt guilty at having to research how to dance at all, but figured that it was better than not knowing how to dance at all. Much to his delight, when he caught the woman's eyes again, she was smiling.
"Not bad, Cutie." She winked.
Gohan could feel heat rising in his cheeks. "Not bad, yourself." he complimented back.
"You're a little stiff, though." she said. Gohan's smile faltered. "Here," She continued with a coy smile, "Let me help you a bit."
Before he knew it, she'd closed the distance between them, gingerly placing her hands against his hips. Gohan was very aware of just how close their bodies were now, feeling the heat of her breath against his torso as her hands touched him. Her fingers were soft and comforting as they slowly adjusted his stance. He could tell that she was enjoying her time running her hands across his form as she did so.
"Perfect. Much better." Slowly, her fingers danced across his abdomen until they reached his upper torso. "You don't have to only use one hand, it would help if you-" She startled as she reached out to his left side, her hand passing right through the limp sleeve resting there. Clearly, the dim light of the club had masked his injury.
"Oh!" She blinked, her eyes wide with surprise.
...Darn it.
This had all been going so well, too! He sighed as he stopped dancing with the attractive blonde. He knew what came next. For one reason or another, the moment someone saw his missing limb, they immediately started to distance themselves from him. He'd made the connection after the second attempt, and from then on tried his best to position himself so that his left side wasn't too visible in the dim light.
"Oh, wow!" She exclaimed with a smile. "Do you not have an arm?"
Gohan blinked, confused. He hadn't gotten that response before. "Uh, no, I lost it...during one of the attacks." It wasn't a complete lie.
"Dang, that sucks!" She pouted, crossing her arms. Strange, he'd not received that reponse before, either.
"Yeah, it does." He let out what he hoped sounded like a casual chuckle.
She frowned and Gohan sighed internally, preparing for the excuse to pardon themselves from the conversation. Instead, he received, "Then, how'd you get so buff?"
It took several seconds for Gohan to register the comment. "Um, what?"
She let out a giggle, before pointing a finger at his bicep. "I mean, look at you. You're absolutely ripped. Were you a bodybuilder before you lost the arm?" She asked with a tilt of her head.
Gohan blinked in surprise. From what he could see, the woman didn't seem turned off at all by his missing limb. Finally, he stammered out a response, realizing he'd been silent for several seconds. "I-er-well, I've always been pretty good at keeping myself in shape." instinctively, his hand went to rub the back of his neck.
She smiled, a cute expression, he'd decided. "Well, I can definitely tell." She paused, frowning before saying. "Oh! I just realized I haven't introduced myself. Sorry, I get ahead of myself sometimes." She let out a nervous laugh.
This is going better than expected…
"That's okay." He returned her smile. "My name's Son Gohan."
"It's nice to meet you, Son Gohan." She said with a gaze that seemed to drink him in. "My name's Erasa."
Eventually, the two continued their dance as the music shifted, and Gohan found himself growing increasingly excited by the fact that he'd found someone who seemed to genuinely take an interest in him. Before long, the woman had closed the distance between them even further, and Gohan felt his body growing heated as she repeatedly rubbed up against him in their dance.
Before long, Erasa said, "I don't mean to be too forward…" Her eyes were regarding him as if he were a tasty treat to be had. "But, I think you're really cute, Gohan."
The demi-saiyan cleared his throat before saying, "You're not too bad looking yourself, Erasa."
Her smile seemed to him that he'd said the right thing.
"How about you and I go back to my place and…" Her words trailed off as her gaze seemed to catch something going on over his shoulder. Suddenly, her expression hardened, slipping from it's previously seductive look and instead wearing an expression of anger.
She fumed before her gaze shifted back to his. "I'm sorry. It's been nice getting to know you, but I have to go take care of something."
Before Gohan knew what had happened, her pumps were clicking sharply against the tile as she stormed past him. Gohan's eyes trailed behind her, confused.
"...Did I do something wrong?"
-Eighteen-
"-and then, you wouldn't believe it, but the guy falls over, drunk on his ass! The funniest thing I've ever seen!" Sharpner announced, banging his hand against the table before letting a bellow of laughter out.
Eighteen's expression never shifted from absolute boredom.
What a stupid story.
It even sounded well rehearsed, as if the man had used it multiple times to try and get his date laughing. She presumed that whoever he'd tried that story on before had either been absolutely shit-faced beforehand, or had decided that his physique was attractive enough to give the man a pity laugh. She couldn't see how anyone would find it funny otherwise.
She reached out and took hold of the drink he'd set down before her. It had taken her far longer than she'd have preferred to down its contents, but that was due to the taste being absolutely awful—much too strong to be enjoyed, but she predicted that was on purpose on Sharpner's part. She was willing to bet a large sum of zeni that half the women he pulled from this routine were drunk off their asses from such a strong substance. Little did he know that he was dealing with a cyborg with a metabolism enhanced to such a degree that she could outdrink even the most heavy-set man.
She grimaced as the last of the liquid drained down her throat. Finally done with the distasteful beverage, she slammed the glass down and met Sharpner's gaze with a sharp look.
"Done." She said flatly.
He regarded her with a bewildered look, seemingly surprised that he'd not even generated a chuckle from the android from what his 'hilarious' story.
"Looks like you are." he shot her a smile she knew he thought looked handsome—but to her just came off as obnoxious. "How about we get you another? I can tell you enjoyed it by how fast you drank it."
"Not a chance." she said sternly.
He paused, having rose from his chair to grab a second drink. He regarded her with a worried look, before flashing his typically overconfident smile. "Don't worry, it's on me."
"I said one drink." She raised a single finger to punctuate her point. "And that was it. Get lost, Blondie."
He scowled, regarding her with a deep frown that betrayed all the bravado he'd been brandishing before. "What's your problem? You act so-"
Before he could finish, an approaching voice shouted, "Sharpner!"
The man jolted, his entire body tensing as his eyes widened with alarm. Slowly, Sharpner turned as the woman Eighteen had seen Gohan talking to before stormed up to confront him.
"What do you think you're doing here!" She demanded with hands on hips.
"E-Erasa?" he stammered, appearing terrified. Eighteen smirked as she leaned forward, resting her chin in her hands. It looked like the show was about to start.
"This is your weekend!" she continued, furious. "Why are you out at a club?!"
He cleared his throat, to regain his composure. "Well, what are you doing here?"
Erasa waved her hands in the air dramatically. "It's the weekend, and I'm not watching our child, moron!"
Eighteen blinked, surprised. She certainly hadn't been expecting this.
Sharpner cleared his throat a second time. "It's not like it matters. She's asleep anyway. I'll be back before she even knows I'm gone."
Erasa's expression suddenly darkened, shifting from angry to furious. "You left Peni without even a babysitter?! How irresponsible are you?!"
The buff man took a nervous step back from the petite woman's rage. "She was asleep when I left! I figured there wasn't a point!"
"What if she has a nightmare or something, you idiot! She's gonna wake up and you aren't going to be there!" The woman growled as she pinched the bridge of her nose, looking down. "This is exactly why I left you."
The man's expression darkened. "That's a low blow."
She shook her head before reaching out a hand. "Give me your keys."
He frowned. "What?"
"Keys!" she demanded. "Now!"
"No way! I'm not gonna-"
"You're gonna either give me your keys so I can go make sure Peni is safe, or I'm gonna let the courts know you left her on her own when you're supposed to be watching her!"
Slowly, the man in a too-tight tank top dug into his pocket before producing a single key. The blonde snatched it away before storming off towards the doors.
Sharpener sagged as his eyes trailed off after Erasa before turning to Eighteen.
"That looked rough, dad. Maybe next time try to be a better father." She sneered.
Sharpener scowled at her before stomping off in the other direction.
Eighteen let out a satisfied sigh. Now that had certainly been entertaining. Almost worth the insufferable conversation she'd been forced to endure leading up to it.
A movement out of the corner of her eye made Eighteen turn away from Sharpner's retreating form. A second later, Gohan slumped into the chair before her, looking defeated.
"I think this was a bust." He sighed, frowning.
"Not feeling it?"
He shook his head. "I think maybe a club isn't the place for me. It's just so...loud."
Eighteen smirked. "What, you'd prefer to try and pick up chicks at a library or something?"
Gohan laughed. "Honestly? Yeah, that doesn't sound like such a bad idea—if I didn't know that it was an absolutely terrible idea.." He pulled out his phone, checking it with a frown.
"It's getting late, I think I might head out."
Eighteen frowned. "You're leaving already?"
"Yeah, I think this was a mistake. Thanks for the suggestion but...I think I'd be better if I looked somewhere else for this sort of stuff. I mean, you might have found your boyfriend here, but I don't think I'll be so lucky."
The android blinked, pausing for a second as she registered the information. "Wait." she lifted a hand for him to pause as he rose. "You think I found my boyfriend here?"
Seeming to detect the edge to her words, Gohan said, "Well-erm-I just assumed really. It was the first place you suggested, so I figured that's how you met yours. Sorry for assuming." he rubbed the back of his neck nervously.
Her mouth fell slightly open. "Why do you assume I have a boyfriend at all?"
It was Gohan's turn to be surprised. "I...well, I just figured it made the most sense. You're...well, you. I assumed that someone as...ahem, attractive as you would have one." His eyes pulled away as he spoke, looking somewhat uncomfortable now.
All this time, Gohan has thought I was in a relationship?
Was that the reason he'd never asked her out? He thought she was taken? And did he just call her...attractive? Something in Eighteen's chest thumped excitedly. She pulled her thoughts away from that. Deciding to instead focus on the question of...should she correct him? Her first instinct had been to do exactly that. Infact, her mouth had nearly opened to say the words, but something had stopped her. She didn't know what Gohan's response would be if he found out she truly was available. She'd caught him looking at her at the shop with a less than platonic gaze...so what would come of him thinking that he had a chance? Would he ask her out? She'd been absolutely adamant about ridding herself of such thoughts, before. Such a relationship would never ever work, and she knew that. It was a foolish idea really, one she knew not to entertain for even a moment.
Nope, no way. It was a better move to simply confirm that she did in fact have a boyfriend and leave it at that.
She was android Eighteen, and he was Son Gohan. They'd been mortal enemies for years—even if he didn't know it. Even allowing the possibility of such a relationship to transpire was an absolutely moronic decision, and made for such an unnecessary risk that Eighteen decided right then and there that she would not be taking it.
"I guess that makes sense." she began, offhandedly. "Although, I don't actually have a boyfriend."
Gohan's eyes widened with shock. "What? Really? Why not?"
She shrugged. "Never really got around to it." She hopped off the chair before casually making her way towards the main entrance. She paused to look over her shoulder. "You said you wanted to head out, right? I'm bored of this place, too."
Gohan quickly caught up with her until they were walking side by side towards the exit.
He was wordless as they continued, but out of the corner of her eye she could see a considerate expression on Gohan's face as he seemed to contemplate what she'd said.
Internally, Eighteen sighed at her own decision to go with the truth. She knew it had been a foolish decision to make. She knew that she should have just lied to avoid any drama in the future. She knew that she was walking a dangerous line between the life she wanted to live and the life she had, and that going down this road was certainly going to cause both to collapse in time.
If I'm not careful.
Despite all this...she'd decided to go with the truth. Eighteen realized she didn't want to explore the reasons why. She decided she'd rather leave those thoughts alone.
Besides, it's not like I can't just turn him down if he does ask me out. And that's assuming he does in the first place. Let's not get ahead of ourselves here.
Eighteen wore a smile as she stepped out the building, feeling satisfied with how the night went. She could just turn him down if things got awkward. No big deal.
She'd just say no. Simple.
She could do that. She would do that, if it came down to it.
Definitely.
-Trunks-
I wonder if the 'Ghost' is gonna be here, tonight…
The young man's lavender hair drifted with the breeze as he stood atop a rooftop, his sky-blue eyes reaching down to study the streets below. He'd chosen to wear the clothes Videl had picked out for him earlier, mostly because they made him feel extra cool. After a short time of watching the few pedestrians still walking about the city at such a late hour, Trunks decided to rise into the air and search out another part of the city. After he'd met the 'Ghost' the night before, he'd decided that he definitely wanted to meet them again—whoever they were. Sure, their tactics were less than ideal, but he still thought what they were trying to do was so cool! A superhero vigilante cleaning up the streets! What else could be cooler?!
The only problem was that he had no idea how to find them again. From what he'd been able to gather the night before, their activity was usually restricted to West City. However, he had read about some rumors noting their appearance in some of the other main cities, as well. Whether these rumors held any truth to them or were just wild claims from people who thought they saw something shooting through the night sky, he did not know.
He'd already spent several hours flying through the night sky of West City to no avail. It seemed that following the aftermath of the android's return, the populace's return to the city was a slow one. The streets had hardly had anyone in them at all, eventually leading to Trunks deciding that he should search elsewhere—at least for tonight.
Silently, he flew on until he found another tall building to perch. He lowered himself to a crouch, watching with narrowed eyes as he studied the streets below. He'd decided to search out energy sources in order to perhaps find a crime taking place that might draw the Ghost out. He figured it was his best bet of finding them if he monitored the streets just as he predicted they did.
Off in the distance he could sense a large quantity of energy sources all contained in a single building blaring loud music. He paid it little mind. Trunks had decided early on that the streets were where criminals lurked.
He'd sensed a small group of people this direction, which had drawn the teen's attention in the first place. It also confused Trunks as his eyes told him there was only a single person walking down the street.
….Weird.
The woman below him was stomping her way down the sidewalk, wearing a dark black dress that seemed far too revealing for a leisurely night stroll. He could tell that she was muttering to herself, although he could not hear the words. From the dark scowl resting on her otherwise pretty features, Trunks could tell that she was clearly upset about something.
The teen's gaze lingered on the woman for a time longer, deciding that she was easy on the eyes—before something pulled his attention away.
Wait...where are the other energy sources?
He could definitely tell that there was a small group of people close to the woman, but yet again he could not see them. At first, he'd thought they were simply the sleeping citizens within the buildings all around him, but that felt wrong. He could tell the difference in ki when a person was asleep and awake, and these people were definitely awake.
Trunks frowned, cocking his head to the side. Was his ki sense broken or something? That had never happened before. Why couldn't he see any people to match the energy—
Trunks suddenly snapped alert as a figure crouching behind a dumpster leapt out from an alleyway the woman was passing. The blonde let out a sharp cry of alarm as suddenly gloved hands wrapped around her mouth from behind, attempting to pull her into the shadowy backstreet. Her voice muffled beneath the large hand gripping her face, just as two more figures emerged from the same place the first had.
Trunks watched, stunned from what he was seeing as the blonde struggled within the burly man's grip, kicking out her legs in desperation before a heel managed to catch the attacker directly between his legs. The man crumpled, holding his groin with a moan as she made a break for it, running as fast as she could as the other two figures pursued. She made it less than ten feet, the heels of her pumps clicking urgently against the cement before the two figures caught up in long, hasty strides. A leg kicked out from behind, catching the woman in the ankle and sending her down in a heap. She let out a desperate scream for help that lasted only a matter of moments before a hand was placed to muffle her lips once more.
Trunks blinked, still partly shocked at the abruptness of it all. The entire exchange had lasted no more than a handful of seconds, and he was still crouching there, staring.
What am I doing?!
Immediately, he rose to his feet, shaking away the stunned stupor which had held him. The two figures had begun to drag the thrashing woman back towards the alleyway which they'd emerged, the third man having caught up with them, before delivering a vengeful kick into the Blonde's midsection which silenced her muffled cries.
Not a second later, Trunks was descending from his perch, the air whistling through his hair as he fell. He landed in a crouch before taking off at a sprint towards where the three men had finally managed to drag the crying woman to the entrance of the backstreet. He was there in a matter of seconds, pushing his ki to his limbs to close the distance before he skidded to a stop just before them.
He tried to form the meanest scowl he could muster as all four heads snapped to him.
-Erasa-
Please! Oh, God! Someone help me!
She could barely breathe after the man had delivered a painful stomp to her stomach, knocking the air out of her. She gasped for breath as her limbs struggled against the strength of the three men, but she knew it was useless. There was no one around to see what was happening, and no cars passing by since her efforts to hail a passing taxi during her walk had been fruitless. She peered over her shoulder towards where they were dragging her, and could see a parked van positioned deep into the alley so that it wouldn't be seen by anyone passing by.
Tears began to spill from the corners of her eyes at the terror of just what these random attackers had planned for her if they managed to get her to that van. Would she ever see Peni again? Would the beautiful, sweet, silly, wonderful little girl waiting for her have to grow up without a mother in her life? The realization was even more terrifying than imagining what was going to be done to her once they got her into the vehicle, and her resolve to fight doubled two fold.
Finally having caught her breath, she opened her jaws wide before biting down hard on the hand holding her mouth.
"Fuck!" The gruff voice called out as the hand withdrew. She sucked in a breath to scream, before a fist caught her in the temple. She could see black spots clouding her vision as the pain washed over her. There was ringing in her ears, and her entire body went limp despite her protests to fight.
Is this...it?
Erasa's foggy mind could barely think clearly after the blow. Somehow, she knew that the men would likely not leave her alive after they were through with whatever they had planned. Her eyes clamped shut tight, when-
"Let the woman go, now."
Her eyes snapped open with surprise, searching for the voice responsible. She felt the movements of the three men stop as well, their heads all snapping towards the newcomer, too.
A...boy?
The figure looked like a teenager no older than fifteen, wearing a scowl far older than his age would suggest.
No!
She could tell that he was alone, and knew that, despite his desire to help, one teenager would not be able to stop three grown men. All he would accomplish by involving himself was be another victim.
"Damn it, Ken!" One of the men snapped, "I thought you said the street was clear!"
"It was!" a deeper, huskier voice hissed.
"It don't matter." A third voice said, this one far more gravelly than the others. She felt a hand on her legs let go as the figure stepped away, beginning to approach the young teen.
Erasa felt a new panic begin to set root in her stomach as the thug reached into his pocket and produced a switchblade.
Noticing that a hand had yet to return to cover her mouth, she managed to scream out, "RUN!" before a gloved hand muffled her cries once more.
"You shoulda minded your own business, kid. We can't be having any witnesses-"
Erasa blinked, and suddenly the teen blurred. Moving faster than her dazed mind could process, the boy closed the distance between him and the man in a blink of the eye, before there was cracking sound. The thug's head violently snapped back, before his legs gave out beneath him, causing him to crumple to the wet asphalt, unconscious.
"What the fuck?" Asked the bewildered sounding thug on her right before suddenly the teen appeared just next to him, as well. Before Erasa knew what was happening, she felt his grip on her arm and mouth be ripped away before the criminal was slammed hard onto the wall just next to him. Just like the first, his body slumped to the ground, his eyes closed. She felt the last set of hands on her right side release her as the meaty sound of a fist burying itself into the final thug's stomach filled her ears. The man keeled over, wheezing as Erasa fell back and onto the ground.
Her mouth gaped as she took several deep, shaky breaths. A part of her still hadn't fully processed what had just happened. Was this a hallucination? Had she been hit so hard in the head that now she was passed out, dreaming all of this? No, the pounding pain in her temple was too real to be a dream, and the gross wet spot she'd landed in definitely felt real. Slowly, her head turned to regard the three unconscious men before a hand reached down towards her. Her eyes slowly trailed the arm attached before meeting the blue eyes of the teen wearing a sympathetic expression.
"I'm sorry that happened. Are you okay?" Erasa watched as he flashed a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, they're not getting back up anytime soon. You're safe."
Her gaze slowly returned to the outstretched hand before shakily reaching out and taking hold of it. Gently, the teen pulled her to her feet, before a sharp pain in her ankle caused her to stumble forward. She prepared to land on hands and knees before two hands caught her by the shoulders, halting her fall.
"What's wrong? Is your leg okay?" He asked, frowning as he looked down towards her ankle.
Her eyes followed his, before she grimaced. She could tell just by the swelling that it was definitely twisted at least, broken at worst. Somehow in all the commotion, she hadn't even felt the pain now surging through her foot after one of the thugs had swept out her legs from under her.
Erasa's eyes found his again, trying to ignore the pounding pain in her stomach, head and ankle. "N-no. I-I think it's twisted, or something. I don't think I-I can walk on it." She noticed that she was still crying, her voice trembling as she tried to speak.
He frowned before nodding. "That's alright, I can help." Before she could agree, the lavender haired teen wrapped her arm over his shoulder, supporting her on one side and significantly easing the pain in her ankle.
"Better?" He asked, looking to her with a smile that made her feel calmer.
She slowly nodded, wiping away some of the dampness around her eyes. "Yeah, thank you." Suddenly, her eyes welled up with tears, forming thin lines running down her cheeks as relief washed over her. Relief at knowing that whatever had been planned for her, wasn't going to be. Relief at knowing that her baby girl, Peni, would not be growing up without a mother. "Thank you. Thank you so, so much!" she let out a sob, doing her best to wipe her eyes away as her body trembled.
"Uh, hey, it's okay." He said in a soft, consoling voice—albeit sounding nervous as if he wasn't used to this sort of interaction. She felt a hand pat her back gingerly. "You're alright, now, I promise. How about we get you to a hospital? I'm sure they can take a look at you and make sure you're okay."
"No." she shook her head, finding strength in her voice again. Wiping away the last of her tears, she continued. "I need to pick up my daughter first. Then, I can go to a hospital-" she paused, a thought occurring to her, finally. She paused, turning to regard the three men still on the ground all around them before turning her attention back to the teen. "Just who are you?"
He blinked, as if surprised by the question. "Oh, sorry. I'm Trunks." He flashed a smile that displayed his youthful features in full. "What's your name?"
She'd meant who was he that he was capable of taking down three fully grown men in a matter of moments, but she supposed that a name would do, too. She smiled back at him, the last of her previous terror finally bleeding away. "Hi, Trunks. My name's Erasa."
"It's nice to meet you, Erasa." His smile faltered for a moment, his brow furrowing. "Well, I mean-this isn't the best situation to meet someone-but like, moreso I'm happy to-er-no, that sounds worse."
She let out a quiet giggle at the teen's ramblings. "You're silly, kiddo. It's okay, I understand. Trust me, after saving me like this, I'm not gonna take offense to you saying the wrong thing."
His lips curling into a relieved smile. "Phew, that's good to know. Now then," his free hand dug into his pocket for a short time before withdrawing what appeared to be a capsule and tossing it out into the street. "Let's get you to your daughter." Erasa startled as the capsule erupted in a massive cloud of smoke before eventually dispersing and revealing a hot-pink jet helicopter with the old time Capsule Corp. logo on its side.
"Er-" Trunks sounded embarrassed as he regarded the aircraft. "Don't pay attention to its color. It wasn't my idea, I promise."
Erasa's wide eyes looked between the aircraft, and then back to the boy several times before he gingerly began to carry her towards the craft.
Just who is this kid?
-Author's Notes-
Well, there you have it. This chapter was slightly shorter than the previous one, but considering it was still 24 pages worth of content and most other authors on this cite tend to do much shorter chapters, I think that's fine.
A lot of things happened in this chapter. I imagined many of you were surprised that the club scene still happened following the aftermath of West City's attack. Worry not, I have delivered, and hopefully, it was a fun scene for all of you to read. It was certainly fun for me to write, especially because I got to finally introduce Erasa into the story. I've been planning for her character's involvement for quite some time. Consider her more of a supporting character (unless I find something particularly interesting to write about her) as the main characters are still: Eighteen, Gohan, Trunks, Seventeen and of course our favorite bug man (Huh, just realized there are a lot of main characters at play here). That being said, be prepared to see more of Erasa when I finally get to update this story again.
Interesting note, the naming process of the child of Erasa and Sharpner was a tricky one. I wanted to honor Toriyama's theme of writing utensils and related material for these characters, so I went with 'Pencila' originally (I know, absolutely terrible). Ben suggested perhaps go with 'Casey' like a pencil case, but ultimately I felt 'Peni' (pronounced Pen-ny) with the obvious pun of 'pen' as it sounded the most natural for a name. Speaking of Ben Thryss, once again this wonderful man has spent countless hours cleaning up this chapter. He deserves high praise for spotting all of my silly mistakes, and I expect them in the reviews!
I'm sure there are those of you who wondered why I had Erasa and Sharpner be ex's with a child. Well, in all honesty, to me, Sharpner never came off as the loyal type, always so smug and egotistical. I tried to envision the two of them winding up together in this timeline, and kept coming to the natural conclusion that Sharpner would cheat at some point. Plus, this is the dark timeline, so the stresses of everyday life would put a strain on any relationship, I think. Hopefully, you all felt this decision made sense for the characters.
Moving on, I especially loved writing the conversation between Gohan and Eighteen while discussing the events in West City, so much so that I basically wrote the scene twice. When crafting the outline for the chapter, I sorta got lost in the scene, going into so much detail that it was basically chapter quality material. That happens sometimes, which is why I sometimes am left with outlines that rival the actual chapter in length. This one was 12 pages in and of itself, lol. Often, the final product comes out different from what I had originally outlined, simply because I explore the concept further than I had with the outline and come to new conclusions. Maybe I'll decide to post one of these outlines at the end of a chapter one of these days. Let me know if any of you are interested in seeing some of the inner workings that goes into making these chapters, and how differently this story might have gone had I decided to go with my original ideas.
I'm just gonna flat out say it. I love having a young, teenage Trunks as a perspective to write from. He's on this strange border of child and adult and it's just so much fun exploring it. I know he was only in a small chunk of this chapter, but please know I enjoyed every minute of it. Moving forward, Erasa quite possibly will play an important role to Trunks' development as a character. I'm so happy they've finally been introduced.
I suppose...that's all there is to say. I know this author's note was rather long, but I think it's because I know I won't be able to speak to you guys for a little while after I post this. Ofcourse, I will make sure to respond to each and every review I receive for this chapter, so make sure you're logged in when you do or else I won't be able to. That being said...I know that a large majority of you won't leave a review, and that this will be my final interaction with you for quite some time. I imagine there will be some of you who will forget about this fic, and won't remember what this story was when it eventually pops up in your emails in half a year's time.
To those of you who I will not see again, goodbye, and thank you for taking the time to read my work, even if you didn't see it to the end. It means the absolute world to me that people enjoy what I write. It is my passion, my lifeblood, and what I hope one day eventually becomes my carrier.
And to those of you who plan to return once I'm back and writing again with Ben at my side to clean up my messes, I'll just say: see you later, alligator! I'm definitely gonna have some pent up writing energy once I'm back from basic, so I'm probably gonna overload you guys with content to the point that you're absolutely sick of me! XD
That being said, please drop a review to show your support. Something as simple as a 'after a while crocodile!' would be enough. Signing up is free and just makes it easier to follow the stories you love. I'm gonna miss this story and the fans of it, and it would be nice to leave with a pleasant farewell before I do.
I guess there's nothing left to say. Goodbye, everyone. You're all wonderful people, and I wish you the best. Stay safe, stay healthy, and stay awesome.
Until next time!
