Syndrome
DISCLAIMER: I do *not* own DBZ (Hee hee…. Yet… *thinks about plan to take over FUNimation and grins*) or any other licensed stuff (Pop-tarts, the Weather Channel, etc.). Think about it: If I owned it, I'd be too busy counting my money than to write useless stories about an animated TV show! So DON'T SUE ME!
. : : Chapter 6 : Fighting A Losing Battle : : .
"Ahhh!!" Before she knew what was happening, Rienna was sent flying into the wall behind her.
"Ri!" Brian cried.
"Look out!" Trunks yelled. Brian ducked just in time to miss Aaron's high-kick, but Aaron punched him in the stomach to make up for his previous mistake. Brian doubled over in pain, and Aaron kicked him into the wall opposite Rienna. Trunks narrowed his eyes and lunged at Aaron, and both of them began to fight one-on-one. They took off into the air, leaving a small crater where they had been standing. Rienna shook her head and recovered from her earlier blow. She peeled herself off the wall and ran beside Ruben, who was watching the fight.
"Dad!" she called. Brian slowly stood up, his hand on his stomach.
"This is gonna hurt in the morning," he said to himself. He slowly walked over to the other two and looked up at the fight above.
"Hey, are you alright?" Ruben asked him. Brian smiled wryly.
"Yeah, nothin' I can't handle." Trunks managed to punch Aaron in the face, and Aaron, stunned, flew backwards a step or two. Trunks took the opportunity to kick him across the room. Aaron hit the wall and grunted, and actually fell a few feet before he recovered and flew at Trunks. Aaron disappeared right before making contact with Trunks, and, reappearing behind him, kicked him down into the floor.
"Dad!" Brian cried. Trunks groaned and pushed himself up onto his hands and knees. He was about to get up when Aaron flew down and slammed his knee into Trunks' back. Ruben narrowed his eyes. He had to do something! Before Aaron realized what had happened, Ruben had blasted him with a large energy ball. Aaron pushed himself up off his back and glared as his former accomplice.
"You'll pay for that, Kinamora!" Aaron lunged at him, and both men began to fight. Rienna and Brian rushed over to their father.
"Dad, Dad, are you ok?!" Brian inquired.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Trunks groaned. Rienna grabbed his arm and helped him up. "Thanks, Ri." She nodded and smiled, relieved to find him still breathing.
"Sure."
"Your friend's got some guts," Trunks said. "You two stay here, I've gotta go help him."
"Wait!"
"Dad!" Trunks went Super Saiyan and flew off to join the fight. Brian clenched his fists.
"Well I'm going after him!"
"Brian-" Brian also went Super Saiyan.
"I can't just stay here!" Brian protested. "Besides, they need me!"
"Well then I'm coming too." Brian frowned. "Hey, if you can go, I can!"
"…Fine. Let's go!" Rienna smiled and went Super Saiyan as well.
"'Bout time you saw things my way."
"Darn it, how long is this going to take!?" Vegeta asked impatiently.
"I don't know, Vegeta. It could take days."
"DAYS?! We don't have that kind of time!!" Vegeta went back to pacing. "There has to be a way to speed this up!"
"What exactly are we looking for, anyway, some kind of key code?" Jamie asked. He and Leah were searching desks and papers in the lab. Goten nodded.
"Yeah."
"1962…"
"What?"
"The code's 1962!" Vegeta repeated. He flew to the box and punched in the code. Immediately, the goo drew away from Adrienne and solidified against the walls. She was left sitting on the floor, staring up at the light in a daze. She shielded her eyes against the light, since she had become accustomed to the darkness of her cell. "Adrienne!"
"Dad?" Adrienne's eyes finally adjusted and she saw him there, standing above her. "Dad!" Adrienne jumped up and hugged her father.
"Mom!" Jamie and Leah cried. They and Goten rushed over to the box. Adrienne turned around and smiled.
"Hi, guys!"
"Adrienne, you're ok!" Goten exclaimed.
"'Course I am!" she said cheerfully. "You forget who you're talking to." Goten smiled.
"Of course. I forgot." Vegeta helped her out of the box, and she jumped down to the floor. Goten gave her a huge hug. "I'm glad you're alright."
"I knew you'd come for me," she whispered in his ear. Goten smiled and held her away from him so he could look her in the face.
"You think I'd leave you?" Adrienne shook her head and smiled.
"Never." She turned to her two children. "Are you two ok?"
"Yeah, we're fine mom," Leah said.
"We were worried!" Jamie exclaimed. "I'm glad Grandpa figured out the code."
"Yeah," Goten said, turning to his father-in-law. "How'd you know that, anyway?"
"It's the year Lita was born," Vegeta said matter-of-factly.
"Oh."
"Good guess, Dad" Adrienne said. Vegeta smirked.
"It was more of an educated assumption, but I'll take it."
"Where are the others?" Adrienne asked. "I just realized they aren't here."
"They're trying to find Rienna," Goten said.
"We should go find them," Leah said. "They might need our help!" Adrienne nodded.
"Knowing my brother…"
"Then let's get going!" Jamie cheered. Goten and Adrienne looked at each other and smiled.
"Hey Dad?" Adrienne asked.
"What?"
"Race ya."
"I knew you'd betray me someday!" Aaron yelled, blocking one of Ruben's punches.
"If you know, why'd you recruit me in the first place?" Ruben asked with a smirk. Aaron took a swing at Ruben's face, but Ruben blocked it and they both flew away from each other. They stared at each other, breathing heavily and wiping the sweat from their foreheads. Trunks zoomed up and arrived next to Ruben's side.
"You can go Super Saiyan!?" Ruben exclaimed.
"Since I was little," Trunks said proudly. "But never mind that. Are you ok?" he asked. Ruben nodded.
"I'm fine. Where're your kids?"
"I told them to stay put." Ruben smiled.
"You know they won't stay for long," he said. Trunks smiled as well.
"Yeah. Guess they take after me." Sure enough, Brian and Rienna appeared beside them.
"You two can too!?" Ruben exclaimed.
"Sure," Trunks said. "You just have to gather up enough energy."
"Going Super Saiyan is a waste of time," Aaron said haughtily. "I'll kill you all anyway." He turned to Ruben. "As for you, I'm going to send you to see Jessica," Aaron said with a smirk. "And what was the little boy's name?" Ruben narrowed his eyes.
"Jeremy!" Ruben shouted. "His name is Jeremy, and don't you forget it!"
"Ah, yes, Jeremy. It's important I keep track of the people I destroy." Rienna gasped.
"Y-y-y-y-y-you killed them!?" Aaron laughed.
"You didn't know?" He laughed again and turned to Ruben. "Have you been hiding it all this time?"
"You and Aedan weren't supposed to know," Ruben said quietly. "I was waiting for the right time to tell you."
"So Jeremy… Jessica…" Ruben nodded. "Why?"
"I felt Ruben needed a little reminding as to who's in charge." Rienna narrowed her eyes.
"So you killed them…"
"That's the way I work. Don't like it, then tough."
"Jeremy was like my little brother…" She clenched her fists. "No matter what I do, everyone I love keeps getting hurt!" Her eyes flashed with anger. "I hate you!" Before anyone could stop her, Rienna had rammed Aaron into a wall at her full speed. Dust flew everywhere, and for a minute, Rienna couldn't even see through it. Suddenly, Aaron laughed: he was behind her.
"Ri, look out!" Brian shouted. She whirled around, and Aaron grabbed her by the throat.
"I'll kill you first," he said, his eyes filled with hatred as she gasped for breath. "And then I'll kill your little boyfriend and his dad, and then-"
"Let her go!" Brian screamed. He lunged at Aaron and knocked Rienna out of his grip. She fell to the floor several feet below and landed with a dull thud. Aaron swung around and belted Brian backwards. Trunks caught and steadied him.
"You ok?"
"Yeah., but-"
"I know. You go get her, Ruben and I can take him." Brian nodded and flew down to his sister. Trunks watched as he landed next to her, then narrowed his eyes at Aaron.
"I have to admit, your kids have guts, coming back for more like that," Aaron said casually. "Either that, or they're morons- like their father."
"Shut up!" Trunks shouted. "They're a whole lot smarter than you are!" Ruben yelled at the same time. Aaron laughed.
"Smarter than me? Somehow I doubt that!"
"Ri, Ri, are you ok?!" Rienna groaned, opened her eyes groggily, and looked around the room. Everything was fuzzy.
"Huh..? Where…?" She looked up at Brian, and her vision improved. "Brian?" He smiled and sighed with relief.
"You had me worried. For a minute there I thought you might have lost your memory again." Rienna sat up and looked around.
"Where's Dad? And Ruben?"
"Up there," Brian said, pointing above him. "I have to go help him, will you be ok?" Rienna nodded.
"Yeah, just give me a minute or two, I'll be fine."
"Hmm…" Brian stared at her for a minute. "You sure? Maybe I should stay."
"Get out of here, Brian!" she said in mock anger. "I'm ok, really! See, I can stand up on my own!" Rienna pushed herself up off the floor only to fall back into her brother's arms. "Crud." Brian laughed.
"Maybe I'll stay a little longer."
"Yeah," Rienna said, looking down at her weak legs. "Maybe you should."
"Crap!" Vegeta said, recognizing the sign on the door next to him. "We're going around in circles!"
"Are you sure?" Adrienne asked.
"Yes!" Vegeta jabbed a finger at the sign on the wall. "I know we've been by the library before!"
"Maybe it's a different library?" Goten said.
"How many libraries do you need!?"
"Well, it depends…"
"ARGH! I don't have time for this!" Vegeta stomped off down the hall.
"Hey, Grandpa, wait!" Jamie called, running after him.
"Yeah, wait for us!" Leah cried. Adrienne sighed.
"Maybe we'll find a directory somewhere."
"Let's hope so," said Goten.
"You're going to pay for what you did to my family!" Ruben shouted, going into a fighting stance. Aaron laughed.
"Haven't you had enough yet, Ruben? You look tired. Maybe you should SIT DOWN!" With those words, Aaron blasted Ruben against the wall behind him. While he was distracted, Trunks flew behind him and tried to kick him up into the ceiling. Aaron disappeared and reappeared behind Trunks and knocked him face-first into the wall next to Ruben. He laughed. "Is that all you've got?"
"Hardly," Trunks said from behind him.
"What the-"
"A little something my kids taught me," he said, smirking a little. "Make them watch one hand," he said, waving his left hand, "while the other makes its move!" Trunks threw a blast at Aaron and hit him backwards a little.
"Clever," Aaron said, brushing himself off. "But not clever enough!" He lunged at Trunks and Trunks disappeared and reappeared behind him. He attempted a kick, but Aaron blocked it and countered with one of his own. This sort of thing when on for a while, until Ruben, a little dazed, climbed out of his crater in the wall and zoomed off to help. They attacked Aaron from both sides, until he disappeared and they both had to save themselves from hitting each other. The two of them stood back to back, watching for Aaron's next move.
"This isn't working," Ruben said, breathing heavily.
"No, it's not," Trunks agreed. "There has to be a way…"
"Man, they're getting creamed!" Brian exclaimed. "Dang it!"
"Aaron's unstoppable…" Rienna said. "He just doesn't have a weakness!"
"Everyone has a weakness, we just have to find it!" Rienna nodded.
"You're right, I shouldn't give up like that. Darn!" she shouted, pounding her fist on the floor. "If I could just get up!!"
"Maybe you can now. You want to try standing again?"
"Yeah." Brian helped Rienna onto her feet. "Hey! I can walk!" She stumbled around on the broken flooring under her. "Great!" She turned to her brother. "I'll be ok now, Brian, thanks." Brian shrugged.
"Hey, what are big brothers for?"
"You better go help," she said. "I hate to say it, but they need you up there." Brian nodded.
"Yeah." He flew off to join the fight.
"I'll be up as soon as I can!" Rienna called, waving.
"Alright!" he said, waving back.
"Be careful…"
"Dad!" Trunks looked down and saw his son flying up at him.
"Brian!? I thought I told you to watch your sister!?" Brian pulled up beside him and made himself a spot in their little group huddle.
"She told me to leave!" Brian protested. "Besides, you guys need my help anyway." Ruben laughed.
"I guess we do."
"Fine," Trunks said. "But when this is over, you're both grounded."
"What?! Dad!!" Brian whined.
"Just kidding," Trunk said with a wink. "Kids are so gullible these days." Ruben shook his head.
"I was never that naïve as a kid."
"Hey, quit treating me like a two-year-old! I'm 18, ya know!" Brian declared.
"Aren't we supposed to be fighting Aaron?" Trunks asked suddenly.
"Yeah, guess so." Brian agreed.
"Where did he go?" Ruben asked.
"Dunno," said Brian. Below them, Rienna tried to sense where Aaron was, or what he was doing.
"C'mon, where are you, you creep…?" She narrowed her eyes. The walls were blocking her senses. Some special metal, she decided. What was he up to? Suddenly, she heard Aaron laugh. "What?!"
"Huh?" The three of them look around the room.
"Where is he?!" Ruben demanded.
"Show yourself!" Trunks yelled.
"Coward!" Brian added. Aaron laughed again.
"Coward, huh?" His voice echoed off the walls, and none of them could tell where he was. "I call it being strategic, but whatever you want is fine. I'll still destroy you."
"Cheap, dirty-"
"Get down!" Ruben shouted, knocking both Trunks and Brian out of the way of Aaron's sudden energy blast. He took the hit instead of the intended victims.
"Ruben!" Rienna cried. Ruben fell down toward her, and she flew up to catch him. Trunks, however, beat her to it, and he lowered him to the ground. He was still breathing, and looked around with his eyes half open. Brian landed beside them. "Ruben," Rienna said, tears in her eyes, "Ruben, come on, snap out of it." Above them, Aaron laughed, and he appeared high in the rafters.
"Fool! You'd give your life for the very people that hate you the most?" Ruben lifted his head and stared up at Aaron with determination in his eyes.
"Whether they hate me or not is not my concern. Life is valuable, no matter who's it is."
"Hmph," Aaron said, crossing his arms.
"However," Ruben said, pausing for a breath, "you've wasted yours, Aaron. You've forfeited it up through the trouble you've caused. I pity you." Aaron laughed.
"Pity me if you like, but it will be me that comes out on top in the end! I can promise you that!"
"Ruben, come on, you can pull through this!" Rienna said, taking his hand. "You can, I know you can!"
"Rienna, listen to me," Ruben said softly. "I can't-"
"Yes you can!"
"No, Ri, I can't. It's over."
"NO!"
"Rienna, listen to me!" Rienna nodded as a few tears rolled down her cheeks. "You have to stop him. For me, and for the rest of the world. Do you understand?" Rienna nodded again. Ruben smiled and wiped away one of her tears. "Don't cry, Ri, you've got a family that loves you, and is going to take care of you. You don't need me anymore."
"Maybe not," Rienna said faintly, looking down at her hands for a minute. She looked back up at him and stared into his eyes. "But I want you around." Ruben smiled.
"It's nice to know I'll be missed. 'Course I don't want you to miss me too much." Rienna laughed through her tears.
"Say hi to Jessica and Jeremy for me?"
"Sure." Ruben laid his head back down and closed his eyes. "Oh, and Ri?"
"Yeah?"
"Tell Aedan I love him."
"…Of course." Ruben sighed and relaxed his body. The pain had numbed his body, so he couldn't feel Rienna's grip on his hand tightening as his grew weaker. Finally, Rienna felt no grip at all. A tear fell onto his hand as she realized it was over. Brian put his hand on her shoulder.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't know him, but I he seemed like a good guy."
"He was," she said matter-of-factly.
"Is he finally dead, then?" Aaron asked from above them. "Good, I was getting bored with the long drawn-out goodbye."
"Shut up, Aaron!" Rienna shouted. "Just shut up!" Aaron laughed.
"I'm sorry, am I hurting your feelings?" He laughed again. "Not that it matters."
"Shut UP!" she repeated forcefully. "You don't know half of what you've put me through! So shut your mouth, you jackass!" Brian was surprised at the words coming from his sister's mouth, and at the same time he wanted to shout curses right along with her. What right did he have to kill innocent people?
"Have I killed too many of your friends, Rienna? Are you finally going to crack before my very eyes?"
"The only one cracked around here is you!" Brian shouted angrily.
"Even one life lost is one too many," Trunks said sternly.
"Well, if you feel that way…" Aaron laughed. "I'll just have to kill all of you!" He smirked at them. "Which one of you wants to go first?"
"You won't be murdering people any longer, Aaron!" Rienna said, thrusting her finger at him accusingly. "We're gonna take you out, right here, right now!" Aaron popped his neck.
"Alright then, give it your best shot!"
Aedan and Jaerie were racing back to the lab at their top speeds. "Ha! I'm beating you, Aedan!"
"Not for long!" he called back with a grin. He put on an extra burst of speed and was about to pass her when something inside him went cold. Aedan stopped and looked around.
"Hey, Aedan, what's wrong?"
"I don't know," he said. "I felt something just now."
"Felt something?" Aedan nodded.
"Something… doesn't feel right. We should hurry, something might have happened back home." Jaerie shrugged.
"If you say so."
The three of them had been what seemed like a losing battle for fifteen minutes now. Rienna kicked weakly at Aaron, missed, and was thrown against the wall for about the fifth time. Brian came up behind his father, who was readying another attack. "Dad," he panted, "I- can't take- much more- of this." Trunks didn't turn around.
"I know, but we have to keep trying! He has to have a weakness."
"Yeah, but so far we haven't found it."
"Well, maybe we will now!" Trunks lunged at Aaron and initiated a one-on-one fistfight. Brian flew to where Rienna had landed and helped her up.
"Thanks, Brian."
"Sure." They both stood up and watched the others fight.
"Brian?" Brian didn't respond at first.
"…Yeah?"
"Do you think we can beat him, or is it a lost cause?"
"…………I don't know," he admitted finally. "C'mon, maybe if we both charge him we can do some damage!"
"Right!" They both kicked off the wall and flew at the two with amazing speed. Aaron kicked Trunks into Brian to counter and they both went crashing down to the floor. Aaron swung around and Rienna tried to halt herself, but couldn't and he sent her flying into the ceiling. He laughed.
"Getting rather desperate, aren't we?" he asked. Trunks pulled himself off the floor with a groan and stood up. He glared up at Aaron with tenacity.
"As long as I can still stand, I'll fight you even if it's the death of me."
"Which is highly likely," Aaron said haughtily, "but whatever pleases you. I'm not so cruel as to rob you of your precious final moments." Trunks narrowed his eyes and sped off towards him, but as soon as he got close Aaron punched him and began to pummel him severely.
"Dad…" Brian groaned, flipping himself over onto his back. He winced. There was a sharp pain in his left arm, and it was slowly but steadily increasing. Brian sat up and looked around for his sister. She was nowhere to be found. "Ri?" He heard a soft moan behind him and twisted around. She was lying sprawled out on the floor with her eyes closed. "Ri!" He crawled as best he could over to her and lifted her head. "Ri, get up! C'mon, you gotta get up!"
"C'mon Ri, you gotta get up! You gotta get up! Gotta get up…!" The little boy's voice faded into Brian's, and Rienna opened her eyes and sat up.
"You ok?" She nodded and looked up.
"I don't see how Dad can keep taking that," she said, tears forming in her eyes. "It hurts just watching."
"I know," Brian said. "But we gotta keep trying."
"I don't know if I can…"
"Mom wouldn't give up," Brian said softly.
"What?" Brian looked deep into her eyes.
"I said Mom wouldn't give up!" he repeated. "And Dad's not either, so we can't! As long as we've got energy left, we gotta fight him!"
"Yeah, but…" Rienna looked down at her feet. "I don't know how much more I've got…" Brian wasn't sure how to respond to that. They couldn't keep fighting like they were, or they'd surely lose. "Brian," she said softly, "I don't know if I can stay Super Saiyan much longer…"
"Just hang in there, I know you've got more than that!" Rienna nodded. Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she saw someone large and gold headed in their direction.
"Look out!" she cried, knocking Brian out of the way of the blast. Brian stared, wide-eyed, where the newly formed crater was, still smoking.
"Whoa…" he said. "That was close."
"Yeah. Gotta watch those stray blasts." Brian nodded.
"I'll remember that." Above them, Trunks yelped as Aaron sent him flying into the ground next to them.
"Dad!" they cried, rushing over to where he'd landed.
"Dad, are you ok? Can you hear me?" Rienna asked frantically.
"Dad, Dad, get up!" Brian begged. Trunks groaned and his eyes flickered open.
"Huh…?"
"Dad!" Rienna cried joyfully.
"Man, Dad, you really had us worried," Brian said. "You look pretty beat-up." Sure enough, Trunks' face was decorated with bruises and cuts, and his clothes were torn and frayed. Trunks smiled weakly.
"Guess I do." He winced.
"Dad!?" Trunks lifted his hand.
"No, I'm ok, just a bit bruised," he said.
"Dad, we can't do this," Brian said. "We need help." Trunks nodded.
"I know. Listen, I want you both to go looking for Grandpa."
"But Dad-" "Not without you!" Trunks shook his head.
"Listen to me. The fate of the world rests on our shoulders. What happens if we screw up?" Neither of them had an answer, and looked at their feet. "We're not taking any chances."
"Ok, Dad," Rienna said softly. "If that's what you think is best."
"Yeah…" Brian agreed. Trunks smiled and picked himself up.
"That's the spirit." Rienna stared at her feet for a few moments. She didn't want to leave, and the thought was heavy on her heart.
"But Dad, promise me something," she said faintly, looking up at him.
"What's that?"
"That you'll be alive when we get back." Trunks smiled.
"Don't worry." He re-entered SS form, and prepared to launch another attack. "I'm gonna distract him while you two head out that door." Trunks nodded to the double doors they'd come through before. "Head to the west wing. That's where Grandpa and the others went." Both his children nodded. He glanced back at them out of the corner of his eye and smiled. "I'm counting on you."
"Don't worry, Dad, we'll find 'em and bring 'em back before ya know it!" Brian declared. Trunks nodded and launched himself at Aaron, who was waiting patiently for his attack. Aaron's figure faded and Trunks ran right through him.
"What the-"
"Don't tell me you haven't seen that one before," Aaron said, rolling his eyes. He sighed. "Young Saiyans as so inexperienced these days."
"Inexperienced!?" Trunks' eye began to twitch. He hated it when people called him that. He was just as good as anyone, if not better! "I'm not inexperienced!" Brian groaned.
"Oh man… Not now…!"
"Does he always do that?" Rienna asked. Brian nodded.
"Since before I can remember." Rienna sighed.
"Great."
"Just ignore him, Dad!" Brian called. "It's not worth getting killed over!" Aaron smirked.
"You should listen to your kids, Trunks. They seem to be smarter than you, anyway." Trunks growled.
"Shut up!" he yelled angrily. "Nobody calls me callow and gets away with it!"
"Well, *now* I see the Vegeta in you," Aaron said. "Stubborn to the core and completely *stupid*. Sorry you got the short end of the stick."
"Hey, leave my father out of this!" Rienna turned to her brother.
"Quick, Brian, we should go now."
"But Ri, I can't leave him! Have you seen him like this!?"
"Well, no… But I'm sure he'll be ok. We've lasted this long." Brian nodded.
"You're right. Besides, the sooner we leave, the sooner we'll get back."
"My thoughts exactly." The two purple-haired Saiyans sneaked around to the door behind Aaron and were reaching to pull it open when some invisible force blasted them backwards.
"Whoa!" Brian flew back and landed roughly on the broken floor behind him, hitting his head on a broken slab of concrete. Rienna was tossed to the floor next to him. She sat up, holding her hand to her head.
"Force field… should've known," she muttered.
"Of course!" Aaron said, laughing. "You don't think I'm that stupid, do you?" Rienna smirked.
"You want me to answer that honestly?" Aaron stopped laughing and stared down at her menacingly.
"You're just like the rest of these morons, aren't you?" he said. "All mouth, no brains."
"You of all people should know I'm the smartest one in the room," she replied coldly.
"Why you-"
"Just ignore her, Aaron," Trunks chided. "It's not worth getting killed over." Aaron's face turned red in rage.
"Enough talk!" he shouted angrily. "I'm going to kill you all and then blast your bodies into tiny pieces!" Trunks went into his fighting stance.
"You have to catch me, first." He disappeared and reappeared in another area of the room. "If you can." He disappeared and reappeared in his original spot. "Care to try?"
"Dad, wait!" Rienna called.
"What?" Both Aaron and Trunks looked down at her. She was kneeling beside her brother, anxiousness written all over her face.
"He's not breathing!"
"What?!" Trunks tried to fly down, but Aaron laughed and pinned him against the wall. "Aaron!" Aaron laughed again.
"I'm not going to let you go, now," he said. "I want you to watch your son die before your eyes. Like I had to watch my daughter." Trunks struggled against Aaron's grip.
"NO!"
"Dad!" Rienna wanted to help her father, but she couldn't just leave Brian there. "C'mon, Brian, breath!" Trunks charged a Ki blast in his hand, but Aaron closed it with his own.
"Ah ah ah," he said, shaking his head. "Stick around a while, Trunks." Trunks grunted and shifted his weight, trying to free himself. It didn't work. Trunks felt tears well up in his eyes as he realized he could do nothing to help his children. Rienna crept forward and felt for a pulse, and when she didn't find one, she gasped and fell backwards onto her feet. Trunks cried out and pushed against the other Saiyan with all his might. Aaron finally let him go, and Trunks flew down and landed next to his daughter.
"Dad… tell me I did it wrong. Just tell me I did it wrong," Rienna pleaded. Trunks knelt down beside Brian and, dreading what he might find, checked for his pulse. Trunks closed his eyes and took a deep breath to keep from crying as he pulled back slowly. "No…" Trunks shook his head.
"Why......?"
"Do you feel that?" Aaron asked. "That's the feeling I've had to live with for 53 years."
"Why couldn't it have been me…?" Trunks whispered, looking down at his hands. "It should have been me… How could this happen?"
"The force field…" Rienna said softly. She stared at the great double doors. "He must have hit his head…"
"I shouldn't have told you to go," Trunks said.
"Dad…" Rienna looked up at him. "It wasn't your fault…" She glared up at Aaron. "It was his."
"Oh, sure, blame everything on the bad guy," Aaron said sarcastically. "Oh well, that's one less person to kill off the hard way."
"You heartless jerk!" Rienna shouted, rising to her feet and into a fighting stance. "How can you go on killing people!? Do you have any soul at all!?" Aaron thought for a minute.
"I don't know," he said innocently. "I've never checked." Rienna narrowed her eyes.
"Don't give me that crap!" she screamed. "I hope you burn in Hell for what you've done!" Trunks stood up, his eyes closed.
"You…jackass…" Rienna yelled something in rage and lunged at Aaron. He disappeared, reappeared behind Trunks, and had him in a headlock in two seconds flat. "What the-"
"It's finally time to test it," Aaron said to himself, pulling a syringe out of his coat pocket. Rienna gasped.
"No!" Aaron ignored her and jabbed the syringe into Trunks' shoulder, making him collapse in pain. "Dad!" Trunks groaned and fell to the floor, clutching his arm.
"What… did you… do…?"
"Congratulations, son of Vegeta. You've become the first victim of my Syndrome. Well, actually, you're the second," Aaron said suddenly. "I believe your wife went first?"
"Darn it…" Trunks muttered, his vision fading. "Leave… Chloe out of this…"
"A little late for that." Aaron walked around in front of him. His feet moved in and out of focus, and Trunks had to close his eyes to keep from getting dizzy. His stomach lurched and Trunks, feeling like he was going to vomit, curled up into the fetal position, holding his stomach; but nothing ever came, and the pain stayed. "Painful, isn't it?" Aaron asked him. "Don't worry, it'll be over in an hour or two."
"Leave my father alone!" Aaron turned and casually blocked Rienna's punch. He tossed her to the side with ease.
"Pathetic child," he said sternly, walking over to her as she stood. He punched her across the room, disappeared, and reappeared between her and the wall. Aaron punched her again, sending her in the other direction. Rienna hit the wall with a yelp and slid down, fighting to keep consciousness. Her forehead and lip were bleeding now, and the blood dripped down around her eye. She felt dizzy, and tried to stand, but Aaron stepped on her back and pushed her back down easily.
"Not so tough without your daddy around to protect you," he said coldly. Aaron stepped back and held out his hand, and Rienna's limp body rose into the air. He pushed away the air in front of him, and Rienna flew into another wall. Dust and debris blew everywhere, and Rienna couldn't see a thing. She felt a presence in front of her, and before she knew it Aaron had wrapped his hand around her throat. She gasped for air as he squeezed her harder. "Poor little Rienna: alone again. But don't worry, it won't be long," he added. "You'll see them all very soon…" Aaron tightened his grip on her throat again, and Rienna struggled weakly to free herself. Aaron glared at her intensely. "Prepare to die, Saiyan brat."
Ooh, cliffhanger! Bwa ha ha. I love cliffhangers! Ha ha ha ha ha! Sorry, guys, I had to do it. Look out for the next chapter! (On another note, I'm so close to finishing, it's scary! I can't believe it!) Keep your eyes peeled for the next part, and please r/r! Thanks a bunch!
