Krillin and Juuhachigou
Chapter ten
Better...then worse
At Gero's mansion.....the sun hadn't yet risen. Everything was quiet. Juunanagou had been laid to rest in Gero's expensive tomb the day before. Now, Gero was down in the basement of the mansion typing away at his computer terminal. Papers were strewn around him in a cluttered mess. His eyes were bloodshot; he'd been working all night on his latest project....
Upstairs, in front of Ju's bedroom door, 16 stood protectively. The hallway was quiet. The night before, Ju had retired early. Everyone thought it was because she was overwhelmed with sadness due to the death of her brother. This was only partly true......
Inside Ju's room, Krillin stirred. He opened his eyes slowly and smiled at the sleeping form of his wife. He kissed her shoulders gently, and then fondly stoked her hair. He gazed at her sleeping form for a moment and then looked out the window. The first rays of the sun were just beginning to turn the moist night air to mist. Krillin sighed out loud. He quietly slipped out of the bed, taking care not to disturb Ju, and began getting dressed. With her eyes still closed, Ju smiled.
"Do you have to go?" She asked quietly. She opened her eyes and turned over. She gazed at her husband. "I want you to stay..." Krillin pulled his shirt on and smiled at her.
"I don't want to leave...But the sun's coming up. I'll come back tonight, I promise. As soon as the sun goes down." Ju stubbornly shook her head.
"But the sun's not coming up. It's still night. See, the stars are still in the sky." She gestured towards the window. Through the growing sunlight the stars could still be seen, faintly. Krillin followed her gaze and then sat back on the bed.
"Okay then. I'll stay here with you; even if it means risking death, I won't leave." At the mention of the word 'death' Ju's eyes grew wide.
"I'd almost forgotten! You have to go, quick, before Gero comes and finds you! I couldn't bear it if you were killed!" She quickly jumped out of bed and pulled her nightgown on. Krillin walked to her.
"I will be back though....During the day I'll just be at Kame House. You know where that is?"
"Yes. I'll come to you when I can. I'll figure out a way to get away from Gero if it takes me a lifetime. If only he didn't have that stupid remote!! I hate that man so much I-" Krillin took her into his arms and hugged her tightly. Ju calmed down. Then there was a knock on her door.
"18, Gero is coming upstairs now!" 16's voice said through the door. Ju quickly pulled Krillin to the balcony door.
"Go now before he sees you!!" She urged. Krillin embraced her again.
"I'll miss you," he whispered.
"I'll miss you too. Now go! Please!" He nodded and sped off through the air. Ju immediatly jumped back onto the bed and pretended she had just gotten up. A minute later, the door opened and Gero came in.
"Good, you're awake." He said with a smile. Ju just scowled at him.
"What do you want?"
"I've been working on a new program for you."
"Program for what?" Ju asked shortly.
"With 17 gone, you need a power boost. The new program I'm working on will make you three times stronger than you are already. It also contains new instructions for you. With this program, you will destroy all those wretched Z warriors one by one, starting with the human who destroyed 17. Then my revenge against Goku will finally be complete, after all these years." Ju's eyes grew wide with fear and anger.
"No!" she exclaimed.
"What?!"
"I said no! You have no right to order me around like this!! I won't be a part of your plan; you can't make me! You can't!! I'm getting out of here now!" She started to rush past him. Gero made a grab for her, but Ju turned and hit him in the face. Gero grew angry. He pulled a remote control from his pocket and hit one of the many buttons. This lowered Ju's power. Gero grabbed her again, and spun her around, holding her by the wrists. Ju tried to pull away, but her power had been lowered too much.
"You are wrong. I can make you and I will!!! You forget that I am the one who created you."
"You created nothing, you crazy old man!! I was human before you came along. You manipulated me and my brother!"
"And I'll do it again!" Gero yelled. "You've been too disobediant! Once I finish the new programming, you won't remember anything! You will be completely under my control. It'll be ready in two days!! Enjoy the time you have left, 18." He threw her to the floor. As he walked away, Ju stood up and tried to jump at him, but 16 stopped her. Gero shut the door behind him. Hot tears stung Ju's eyes.
"16, what am I going to do! I can't do this, I can't!! I'd rather die!! If I have to go through with this, I'll kill myself!!"
"Calm down 18. It is impossible to think when you are this upset. I think you should do what Gero tells you to do. It will save you a lot of pain and torment. Besides, who needs a human companion anyway?" Ju abruptly stopped her hysterics. She slowly looked 16 in the face. Of course he would say that to her, he was programmed to be obediant only to Dr. Gero. Ju felt completely betrayed. The last person in her 'family' was now siding with Gero. Ju took a step back away from 16. She looked down to the ground.
"16....I think you're right......" She lied. "I'm going to go up to the lookout and get Dende to tell Krillin for me. Is that okay?" She asked. 16 looked confused.
"I don't think Gero wants you to go out."
" I know...but I want to just tell Dende to tell Krillin goodbye for me. Then I'll come back. Please 16?"
"All right." 16 said finally. "But you have an hour. And then I'm coming after you." Ju nodded.
"It won't even take me that long." She said. Somberly, she walked to the
balcony doors and threw them open. In her weakened state, is was more difficult
to fly, though not impossible. She took another look at 16 who was watching her
closely. Then she took off upwards, towards the lookout....
