DISCLAIMER - I do not own DragonBall Z, and those characters and events therein. They are all the property of some big company, probably AIC or Pioneer. I heard that somewhere. As such, I expect to receive no money or other fringe benefits. This work is done completely for entertainment.

Thanks to myself for having such a brilliant mind, and for being able to produce this fic, and also to Simon Willshire, proofreader and friend.

If you want to contact me, my address is chosen_one123@hotmail.com. I also have MSN Messenger, so add me!

Chapter Three - Encounter

It was her. 18. She was here, in his house, her face inches away from his. He was so shocked to see her that he stepped backwards, lost his footing and fell down hard on his backside, all the time staring at the beautiful android that had invaded his house.

Krillin tilted his head slightly. Her mouth was moving. She must have shocked him so much that he wasn't paying attention to what his ears were hearing. He tried to listen to what she was saying.

".Well?" She said.

"Uhhh, well, what?" He replied, wishing that he could have at least pretended to be tougher than he actually was.

18 frowned slightly. "I said, aren't you going to try and fight me? After all, I am your enemy."

"Whu, whu, why should I fight you?" Krillin asked nervously.

"Because if you do you might stand a chance of living," 18 said, bringing her hand forward to pick him up. She grabbed his clothes and pulled him to his feet. Then she pulled her fist back and swung it forward fast. She hit Krillin directly on the jaw and sent him flying.

Krillin hit the far wall and left a big indent in it. He collapsed onto the floor in agony. He hadn't been hit that hard since he fought the Near Perfect Cell. He was totally unprepared for it.

18 walked up to him, grabbed him by his collar and threw him out of the window. He landed on the beach, the sand mixing with his blood and getting into his wounds. He groaned and pulled himself up.

"Are you ready to fight now?" 18's voice said, right behind his ear.

Krillin jumped and flew forward twenty feet, turning around as he did so. "18, why do you want to fight me?" He asked. "There's no reason for this."

"Yes, there is," she replied. "You destroyed my home. You blew up the only place I felt I belonged. And now you will die because of it."

"B-but, you destroyed it first, remember? When you killed Dr Gero?"

"I could have still lived there. Some of it was still intact. But now you've destroyed it completely. I have no place left to go. I have no reason to be any more. Not since my brother died."

"But you can make a new life. Start over. Be nice. I know you can do it. I know you have it in you. Look at 16. He changed."

"16 is dead. That's what being nice gets you. Dead."

"We've survived before, against more evil people than you. Like Frieza. Or Cell."

"That was luck. And if you want to survive, you're going to have to kill me."

With that, she darted forwards. Krillin blocked her punch, and put his forearm up to stop a kick. This left him open, and 18 took full advantage of this. She planted a foot square on his chest, sending him flying into the sea. Krillin made a big splash as he entered the warm tropical water. He drifted down to the bottom of the water. He was barely conscious, and had lost all his energy from the kick, and from the sheer surprise of 18 appearing at his house.

On the surface, 18 noticed the non-appearance of Krillin. She sighed, not wanting to get her hair wet, but at the same time not wanting Krillin to drown. No. Not drowning. That would be too easy an ending. She wanted to kill him herself. She flew down into the sea, grabbed Krillin's barely aware body and brought it back to the surface. She laid him out on the beach, and slapped him. Krillin's eyes shot open, and his mouth opened to let out several pints of water he had swallowed. He looked up at 18, standing above him, dominating him. Her hand was pointing at him, palm open at him. A slight smile was on her lips. Her first smile for ages. Krillin tried to scrabble up, but only succeeded in moving his arms slightly. He was too weak to move. He was only just holding on to consciousness as it was. His mouth formed a syllable, and a cough just illustrated what he wanted to say.

" 'What am I going to do now?' " 18 correctly guessed his question. "Why, I'm going to kill you."

With that, she formed a chi blast in her outstretched hand.

"Any last words?" 18 asked.

And fired.