1 The Song of an Angel
By ssj Kinara
Disclaimer: Look, I still don't own DB/Z/GT, okay? If I did, I'd be a middle-aged, chain smoking, extremely shy, Japanese man! I am not any of these. Oh, but I do own Jackie and her family.
A/N: Sorry I took so long again, but this chapter took a while to write. Thanks to all o' y'all who reviewed again!
This chapter has a warning! If you cry easily, you might not like this chapter. Hey, I wrote it, and when I read over it, I almost cried! I'd tell you more, but I don't want to give away the plot.
Recap: Jackie's finally talking, and she and Trunks are hitting it off pretty well. But what's this? Her dad made a home video of the attack south of South City?! Now how're Trunks and Bulma going to react?
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Chapter five: "Truth Told"
Bulma, Trunks, and Jackie were in the living room again, the meal forgotten.
"So let me make sure I have this right," said Trunks. "When you were about one, you were living in the town southwest of South City. Your dad was making home movies when the Androids attacked. He never turned off the camera. He filmed the running and the Androids and everything. Your mother ran with you and most of the other citizens while he stayed. By then my father and the rest of the Z-team showed up. And your dad stayed to film them dying?"
Jackie slouched in her seat. Her eyes were damp and she sniffed back a sob. "It's not like he was cruel," she explained, her voice breaking. "He told me when I asked. He just wanted to record it. He knew we were making history by being there. Then, when the heroes showed up – we didn't know what to call them except that – he told us that he wanted to show their bravery to their last minutes. He told us..." she trailed off as she began to sob again.
Bulma put her arm around her, not knowing what to say. There was a videotape of her love's last moments. Trunks could see his father moving in his true environment – the battlefield, instead of only still photos.
After a few minutes, Jackie finally regained some composure and wiped her eyes.
"Jackie," said Bulma, very quietly and soothingly, "where is the video now?"
"It...It was at my house," she bowed her head and swallowed. "But...I doubt if even half of a phone dial was left whole. My entire house was destroyed, and I'm sure the tape went with it."
Trunks' heart fell like lead. He'd been hoping against hope that the tape would've survived...and he would've been able to see his father and the others, especially Gohan, again. He should've known that it wouldn't be; he'd seen the remains of the city, after all.
"But," Jackie was saying, "we always kept a copy at Nana's. She lived in the outskirts of the city and I think the Androids didn't blow up that part of the neighborhood. Her copy's probably still there."
"Yes! Then let's go get it!" Trunks leaped up surprising both women. "C'mon, Jackie, I can carry you there like before."
"Trunks," said Jackie solemnly. "You've never seen this video. It's not just a normal home movie. This is the terroristic destruction of my hometown and the brutal and aimless murder of your father. You don't want to see it. I've grown up watching it and I still sometimes get nightmares."
"Jackie," he pleaded. He kneeled beside her, taking her hands in his. "Jackie, I've never seen my father besides still photos. You can't get to know someone through a photo and hand-me-down stories. But if I can see my father at his highest moment and see him move, it would mean the world to me. Please, Jackie. For me, I want to see my father. Please..."
She was looking at him straight in the eyes. A true debate was reeling through her head. To deny this boy to seeing his father who he couldn't remember, or to let him see it and let him feel all of the real crunching emotions of witnessing a loved one die. He was a strong boy, but sometimes childish. His eyes were begging her, pleading with her.
Finally, she made up her mind. "Okay," she said, not able to look him in the eyes anymore. "Let's go get the movie."
* * * * * *
Within ten minutes, Trunks was yet again carrying Jackie across the sky, but in the opposite direction that they'd flown in... Was it only yesterday?
Before they had gone, Bulma had pulled Trunks aside.
"You don't have to bring Jackie. You could go and find it by yourself. She doesn't have to see it again."
Trunks knew that 'it' was her destroyed city, her past. "Mom," he countered, "I don't know which house it is or what the tape looks like or if it's even labeled. With what's on it, they could've even hidden it. If she doesn't come I might never find it. And I know that you want to see Dad again, too."
Bulma couldn't argue with his last statement. Rather sadly, she allowed them to go.
"We're almost there," said Trunks.
Jackie nodded. "I can see it."
The details quickly came into view: the half-buildings, the rubble, and the few remaining homes. Jackie couldn't bear it. She hid her eyes in Trunks' shoulder. He didn't object.
Trunks stopped somewhere above the center of the city. "Jackie, I need you to tell me where your nana's house is."
Timidly, she lifted her head and scanned their surroundings. Swallowing, she pointed. "Over there." There were a few scattered houses left with only a few holes burned into the walls. He flew in that direction until she told him to stop. "That one." She pointed to a house just to the right. Most of the front right of the house and roof was burnt in.
They hadn't brought Jackie's crutch with them; Trunks said it would've been inconvenient to carry the whole way and they didn't know how stable the floor would be. Instead, he flew through the hole in the house and let her lean on him.
Some of the living room floor was destroyed as well, revealing a cellar or basement of some kind. Curious, he had Jackie lean against the blackened wall. "Wait here," he told her. I'll be right back."
"But-"
Trunks was already in the cellar before Jackie could truly protest.
Looking around, he saw a lot of boxes, broken jars, and canned preserves scattered on the floor and lining the walls. There was a small staircase leading up to what had been a locked door. It was now cracked and splintered beyond repair. It looked as if the blast from the Androids had come right in and blown up like a time bomb.
This had been a storm shelter, he realized. Which meant, Jackie's nana...
In a dark, far corner, Trunks could see a figure lying still.
He turned away quickly, blanching and trying to control his stomach.
Trunks returned to the first floor where Jackie was waiting.
"Was Nana there?" she asked, a bit of fear in her eyes.
"No," he said too quickly.
Jackie closed her eyes, bowing her head, her eyebrows knitted. She knew what he must've seen.
After a few minutes of silence and unheard prayer, she turned, biting her lip, and walked beside the wall for support.
"Hey, where're you going?" said Trunks pulling her arm around his shoulder for support.
"The video's in that closet." She nodded to the door in front of her. It was broken into a shape made the door impossible to open by a normal person.
Luckily, Trunks wasn't a normal person. He forced the door open, pieces splintering off as he did. A mess of videos was on the floor, knocked from their shelf.
Jackie, using the doorframe for support, lowered herself onto the floor. She began looking at each one, then putting it aside. Trunks didn't offer his help since he didn't know at all what it looked like.
Finally, she looked at one a bit longer than the rest. "This is it," she said quietly. She held up her hand and Trunks pulled her up and put his arm around her waist to support her. He looked at the label. It read "John 11:25-26".
"What's with the title?"
Jackie smiled. "Nana was really religious. Those verses talk a bit about life after death. "
"Oh..." he wasn't really sure what to say. No one in his family had really cared about religion. He didn't even know if any of his relatives had ever had a religion. Instead, he let the subject drop. "So, are we gonna go now? We got what we came for."
Jackie nodded and put one arm around his neck, letting him pick her up. In her other hand was the video.
* * * * * *
It was dark by the time that Trunks and Jackie were ready to watch the video. Bulma had decided to watch it tomorrow and retired to bed early.
"I'm afraid that I'll get nightmares...again," she'd said.
Trunks was sitting on the couch, thinking, "I'm going to see my dad, I'm going to see my dad..."
Jackie fingered the tape, preparing to put it into the VCR. "You don't have to watch it," she said again.
"Jackie, I want to see it," he told her. "And if I get sick of have nightmares or am scarred for life, it's my own fault. I put no blame on you. Now, please, play the tape."
Nodding, she took a deep breath, inserted the video, and pressed play. She quickly sat right next to Trunks as an image filled the screen.
A young woman was holding a baby's small hands as she was taking a few waddling steps. A wide grin crossed the woman's face as she slowly let go, and the child didn't fall. She took a step, and another, and another.
"John! Johnny, look! She's doing it!" she exclaimed in delight looking back and forth from the camera and the child.
"I see, Liz! That's my girl! And I've got Jackie's first steps on video!"
Suddenly, Trunks realized what he was watching. Jackie's parents were the young woman and the man behind the camera. Daring a look at her, he saw Jackie beside him, her eyes welling up and her hand over her mouth, trying desperately to keep from breaking down. "Mommy..." was the only sound that escaped her lips.
Then a great banging, like an explosion sounded from the TV. His attention again glued to the screen, he saw the carpet, and them movement as the camera was picked up. The woman was picking up a fallen, crying Jackie.
"What was that?" the woman asked her husband, frightened.
"I don't know." The camera was moving again, towards the front door now. It opened, and what was revealed was a scene that Trunks had seen too many times. From his house in the suburbs, John Shiro focused his camera towards the main city, where a huge cloud of ash and dirt was rising. Towards the horizon, tints of orange, red, and gold were starting to show.
John cursed. "Liz! T-the city's on fire!"
"What?!" Elizabeth Shiro could be heard shuffling her feet, and the camera turned in time to catch her eyes widening and a gasp escape her lips. Little Jackie was in her arms, still whimpering from her fall.
Gaining back her voice, she asked, "Do you think it was some kind of gas explosion? Like maybe a pipe broke-"
"A pipe?" John focused the camera on the rising smoke. "From an explosion that big? Liz, it looks like half of the city's on fire!"
Suddenly, another explosion shook the walls and sent new sparks into the dark, rising cloud.
Jackie began to screech her loudest again. John turned and Trunks saw Liz attempting to calm her down.
"Liz, stay here," said John.
"What? Where're you going?"
"Not far. Don't worry, I just want to see if I can get a better view from down the street," he said as he walked into the street.
For a few minutes, he walked back and forth along the street trying to see as much of the blast as possible. It sounded like a few small blasts were happening and once like someone was shooting a gun, but no more huge blasts occurred.
Suddenly, John turned the camera to the sound of running footsteps. A woman, crying hysterically, was running down the street.
"What happened?" John called to her, trying to catch her attention.
She saw him but hardly slowed down. "How can you stand there with a camera?!" she screamed at him. "Are you sane? They're going to destroy us all! We're all going to die!" She ran past without stopping, leaving John wondering whom she was talking about. Trunks, unfortunately, knew it all.
Almost immediately, a group of people came running past, a family this time. The father was bleeding from his shoulder, but seemed to be the only one injured.
"What's going on?" John asked again, more urgently now.
Again, the only answer came from the father: "What're you standing around for? Get your family and run before they come to get you, too!" and they continued to run.
Now John was really worried. He turned up the street and ran up to the next person running, a man in a business suit cradling his arm as if it was broken.
John grabbed his shoulder to keep him from running, too, and repeated his question in a panic. The camera caught the dead fear in the man's eyes. "Flying..." he sputtered. "Flying people... fire..."
"Please! Speak clearly!" said John wondering if the man had his sanity.
"Two flying people...They came...Blew up the city..."
"With bombs?"
"No...With their hands... Killing people... horrible...evil laughter...Run, before they come here too!"
John let the man run. After hardly a pause, he ran back to his house.
"Liz!" he called to her, running into little Jackie's nursery where she was sitting by her cradle. "Hurry! Grab Jackie and get out!"
"What? John, what're you yelling about?"
"Two...I don't know... terrorists are destroying the city. People are in the streets, running. I want you two somewhere safe!"
Just then, an even louder and stronger blast came, nearly knocking John off of his feet.
"See? That was even closer than the others!"
Without hesitation now, Liz took up Jackie, who was crying again and ran outside, closely followed by John.
The streets were crowding with people. The injuries were worse and each person looked scared, furious, hysterical, and sad. Some were carrying guns with them.
John turned to focus the camera on his wife. "You take Jackie and run ahead. Go with the crowd. I'll catch up later," he told her.
"What? Where are you going to be?" Then, sudden fear filled her eyes. "No! John, don't be a hero!"
But he was already running towards the city, Liz's screams fading into those of the fleeing people.
Still running, John turned the camera to face himself. Tears were starting to form in his eyes as he spoke. "Lizzy, I plan on making it back, but if I don't, I want to tell you and Jackie that I love you two more than anything else in the world and not to keep this from Jackie. I want her to know that her daddy was trying to help the people..."
His voice broke off, and he turned the camera forwards again, but Trunks could still hear him crying.
Trunks again dared to look over to Jackie, who was also crying. She'd pulled her knees up to her chest and was crying into a pillow. "Daddy...daddy..."
Trunks placed a hand on her shoulder trying to comfort her. She put aside the pillow and nestled into his side, placing her head on his shoulder. Still sniffing back tears. He put his arm around her shoulders and turned back to the video.
John was in the town now. All around him was rubble, fire, and death. "Oh, God..." he said to Heaven. "What could've done this?"
In the far distance he saw a glow and then something exploded and a building fell. The force of the explosion sent John flying backwards. The camera fell then blacked out.
A few seconds later, the screen turned back on and Trunks saw a slightly bleeding John hitting the side of the camera. Then he turned and carefully peeked over a small blockade of debris. Breathing heavily, John focused on a scene about thirty yards away. Two teenagers, a blonde girl and a raven- haired boy were facing off with seven other people.
"Within the last five minutes," John was saying, "these seven people showed up. The other two are the terrorists."
He focused on the seven. "I've never seen such an odd set of people! The first one's tall and I think he has scars on his face."
"Yamcha," said Trunks.
"The next guy's tall and bald and...has three eyes!"
"Tien."
"There's a short little dwarf next to him. He looks kind of like a clown."
"Chouzu."
"The next person is tall and green."
"Piccolo."
"The next guy's short, but not nearly as short as the other, and his hair sticks straight up."
"DAD!" Trunks realized. Jackie took his hand.
"The next guy is short and looks a bit like a monk."
Trunks knew it was Krillin but he was still concentrating on his father.
"And the last guy's just a kid!"
"Gohan." Trunks squeezed Jackie's hand. He was seeing his father for the first time and his old teacher again. He couldn't believe it!
John was still talking, quietly, trying not to be heard. "They've been yelling at each other, especially the green man and the man whose hair stands up. But the two terrorists don't seem to care! It's hard to hear, but I think they said something about hating humans."
He stopped talking then, and strained to hear what was going on.
The raven-haired boy, Android 17, was talking. "All humans are weak, not slightly worthy of life. We are simply acting as exterminators."
The blonde, 18, began speaking. "And we will finish the job. We will kill every one of the humans. Man, woman, and child, every...single...one!"
Suddenly, the ground began to shake. "What the...?" Was there going to be an earthquake now as well?! Then the camera caught sight of Vegeta. He was hunched over, and pebbles were flying away from him. A fire was burning around him as he was yelling from pain.
"Not! Bulma!" He cursed through clenched teeth. "Trunks!" he screamed and shot into the air.
"Holy...!!"
"Aaaaaagggggghhhhhhhh!" Vegeta was screaming in rage as he darted down, down to attack the Androids, the evil things that had threatened his wife and son. He raised his fist to kill the dark-haired boy.
And a fist emerged from Vegeta's back.
17 smirked, safely away from Vegeta's blow, his own fist through the prince's body. Vegeta's eyes were blank, but his shallow gasps revealed his quickly fleeting life.
17 stood, and let Vegeta's limp body fall to the ground.
"Aw," complained the monster, "you soiled my sleeve. I'll have to teach you a lesson." He kicked the dying prince high into the air. "Say bye-bye," mocked 17, raising his hand. And he blew an energy blast at Trunks' father.
Trunks couldn't take it anymore. He got up, opened a side door, and puked up his guts.
"Trunks!" Jackie called to him. The video was still playing and now the rest of the carnage was taking place in the background as John was running towards where Vegeta had landed. There was no way Trunks could look at his father now.
"Turn it off," he groaned to her, trying to avoid any mental picture. She obeyed quickly. Then, carefully on her injured foot, she made her way next to him. He had both hands on the doorframe for balance and still had his head down.
"Trunks..."
"I know," he groaned. "You told me. I didn't listen. And now I'll have nightmares."
She placed her hand on his back and carefully rubbed it, trying to calm his nerves. "That's not what I was going to say," she said. "I was going to tell you what happened next."
"Oh, please, God! No!"
"I'm not going to describe the scene at all. You wouldn't be able to handle it."
He moaned.
"Daddy actually found your father, alive, with a few words left in him. He told him to tell Bulma that he loved her. He also told him to tell his son, you, to take care of Bulma and that he truly loved you. That's all he said...then it ended."
Silence filled the room as Trunks tried to comprehend it all.
"If you ask me, Trunks," she continued, "I'd say that you're following his wishes very well. I bet he's proud, wherever he is."
Jackie then turned to let Trunks be alone.
"Jackie," called Trunks before she could leave.
Turning around, Jackie saw Trunks' eyes full of tears. He pushed himself away from the wall. He gathered Jackie into a hug and pulled her close.
"Thank you," he whispered through his tears into her shoulder. "Thank you for letting me see the truth."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
A/N: I told you guys it was sad. And if you couldn't imagine what the video was like, think of a little bit of Donte's Peak and a lot of the 9/11 show they had on CBS or ABC or something a few months ago about the two brothers filming exactly what happened on September 11th. I have it on tape. *Sigh * Stupid terrorists!!
Okay, I'm not going to be able to upload anything else for about two weeks because I'll be at my grandma's house, where I do not have access to a computer at all! Please forgive me, and I'll try to put up something as soon as I get back!
Next Chapter: Trunks and Jackie get a little closer. What does Bulma have to say about this??
By ssj Kinara
Disclaimer: Look, I still don't own DB/Z/GT, okay? If I did, I'd be a middle-aged, chain smoking, extremely shy, Japanese man! I am not any of these. Oh, but I do own Jackie and her family.
A/N: Sorry I took so long again, but this chapter took a while to write. Thanks to all o' y'all who reviewed again!
This chapter has a warning! If you cry easily, you might not like this chapter. Hey, I wrote it, and when I read over it, I almost cried! I'd tell you more, but I don't want to give away the plot.
Recap: Jackie's finally talking, and she and Trunks are hitting it off pretty well. But what's this? Her dad made a home video of the attack south of South City?! Now how're Trunks and Bulma going to react?
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Chapter five: "Truth Told"
Bulma, Trunks, and Jackie were in the living room again, the meal forgotten.
"So let me make sure I have this right," said Trunks. "When you were about one, you were living in the town southwest of South City. Your dad was making home movies when the Androids attacked. He never turned off the camera. He filmed the running and the Androids and everything. Your mother ran with you and most of the other citizens while he stayed. By then my father and the rest of the Z-team showed up. And your dad stayed to film them dying?"
Jackie slouched in her seat. Her eyes were damp and she sniffed back a sob. "It's not like he was cruel," she explained, her voice breaking. "He told me when I asked. He just wanted to record it. He knew we were making history by being there. Then, when the heroes showed up – we didn't know what to call them except that – he told us that he wanted to show their bravery to their last minutes. He told us..." she trailed off as she began to sob again.
Bulma put her arm around her, not knowing what to say. There was a videotape of her love's last moments. Trunks could see his father moving in his true environment – the battlefield, instead of only still photos.
After a few minutes, Jackie finally regained some composure and wiped her eyes.
"Jackie," said Bulma, very quietly and soothingly, "where is the video now?"
"It...It was at my house," she bowed her head and swallowed. "But...I doubt if even half of a phone dial was left whole. My entire house was destroyed, and I'm sure the tape went with it."
Trunks' heart fell like lead. He'd been hoping against hope that the tape would've survived...and he would've been able to see his father and the others, especially Gohan, again. He should've known that it wouldn't be; he'd seen the remains of the city, after all.
"But," Jackie was saying, "we always kept a copy at Nana's. She lived in the outskirts of the city and I think the Androids didn't blow up that part of the neighborhood. Her copy's probably still there."
"Yes! Then let's go get it!" Trunks leaped up surprising both women. "C'mon, Jackie, I can carry you there like before."
"Trunks," said Jackie solemnly. "You've never seen this video. It's not just a normal home movie. This is the terroristic destruction of my hometown and the brutal and aimless murder of your father. You don't want to see it. I've grown up watching it and I still sometimes get nightmares."
"Jackie," he pleaded. He kneeled beside her, taking her hands in his. "Jackie, I've never seen my father besides still photos. You can't get to know someone through a photo and hand-me-down stories. But if I can see my father at his highest moment and see him move, it would mean the world to me. Please, Jackie. For me, I want to see my father. Please..."
She was looking at him straight in the eyes. A true debate was reeling through her head. To deny this boy to seeing his father who he couldn't remember, or to let him see it and let him feel all of the real crunching emotions of witnessing a loved one die. He was a strong boy, but sometimes childish. His eyes were begging her, pleading with her.
Finally, she made up her mind. "Okay," she said, not able to look him in the eyes anymore. "Let's go get the movie."
* * * * * *
Within ten minutes, Trunks was yet again carrying Jackie across the sky, but in the opposite direction that they'd flown in... Was it only yesterday?
Before they had gone, Bulma had pulled Trunks aside.
"You don't have to bring Jackie. You could go and find it by yourself. She doesn't have to see it again."
Trunks knew that 'it' was her destroyed city, her past. "Mom," he countered, "I don't know which house it is or what the tape looks like or if it's even labeled. With what's on it, they could've even hidden it. If she doesn't come I might never find it. And I know that you want to see Dad again, too."
Bulma couldn't argue with his last statement. Rather sadly, she allowed them to go.
"We're almost there," said Trunks.
Jackie nodded. "I can see it."
The details quickly came into view: the half-buildings, the rubble, and the few remaining homes. Jackie couldn't bear it. She hid her eyes in Trunks' shoulder. He didn't object.
Trunks stopped somewhere above the center of the city. "Jackie, I need you to tell me where your nana's house is."
Timidly, she lifted her head and scanned their surroundings. Swallowing, she pointed. "Over there." There were a few scattered houses left with only a few holes burned into the walls. He flew in that direction until she told him to stop. "That one." She pointed to a house just to the right. Most of the front right of the house and roof was burnt in.
They hadn't brought Jackie's crutch with them; Trunks said it would've been inconvenient to carry the whole way and they didn't know how stable the floor would be. Instead, he flew through the hole in the house and let her lean on him.
Some of the living room floor was destroyed as well, revealing a cellar or basement of some kind. Curious, he had Jackie lean against the blackened wall. "Wait here," he told her. I'll be right back."
"But-"
Trunks was already in the cellar before Jackie could truly protest.
Looking around, he saw a lot of boxes, broken jars, and canned preserves scattered on the floor and lining the walls. There was a small staircase leading up to what had been a locked door. It was now cracked and splintered beyond repair. It looked as if the blast from the Androids had come right in and blown up like a time bomb.
This had been a storm shelter, he realized. Which meant, Jackie's nana...
In a dark, far corner, Trunks could see a figure lying still.
He turned away quickly, blanching and trying to control his stomach.
Trunks returned to the first floor where Jackie was waiting.
"Was Nana there?" she asked, a bit of fear in her eyes.
"No," he said too quickly.
Jackie closed her eyes, bowing her head, her eyebrows knitted. She knew what he must've seen.
After a few minutes of silence and unheard prayer, she turned, biting her lip, and walked beside the wall for support.
"Hey, where're you going?" said Trunks pulling her arm around his shoulder for support.
"The video's in that closet." She nodded to the door in front of her. It was broken into a shape made the door impossible to open by a normal person.
Luckily, Trunks wasn't a normal person. He forced the door open, pieces splintering off as he did. A mess of videos was on the floor, knocked from their shelf.
Jackie, using the doorframe for support, lowered herself onto the floor. She began looking at each one, then putting it aside. Trunks didn't offer his help since he didn't know at all what it looked like.
Finally, she looked at one a bit longer than the rest. "This is it," she said quietly. She held up her hand and Trunks pulled her up and put his arm around her waist to support her. He looked at the label. It read "John 11:25-26".
"What's with the title?"
Jackie smiled. "Nana was really religious. Those verses talk a bit about life after death. "
"Oh..." he wasn't really sure what to say. No one in his family had really cared about religion. He didn't even know if any of his relatives had ever had a religion. Instead, he let the subject drop. "So, are we gonna go now? We got what we came for."
Jackie nodded and put one arm around his neck, letting him pick her up. In her other hand was the video.
* * * * * *
It was dark by the time that Trunks and Jackie were ready to watch the video. Bulma had decided to watch it tomorrow and retired to bed early.
"I'm afraid that I'll get nightmares...again," she'd said.
Trunks was sitting on the couch, thinking, "I'm going to see my dad, I'm going to see my dad..."
Jackie fingered the tape, preparing to put it into the VCR. "You don't have to watch it," she said again.
"Jackie, I want to see it," he told her. "And if I get sick of have nightmares or am scarred for life, it's my own fault. I put no blame on you. Now, please, play the tape."
Nodding, she took a deep breath, inserted the video, and pressed play. She quickly sat right next to Trunks as an image filled the screen.
A young woman was holding a baby's small hands as she was taking a few waddling steps. A wide grin crossed the woman's face as she slowly let go, and the child didn't fall. She took a step, and another, and another.
"John! Johnny, look! She's doing it!" she exclaimed in delight looking back and forth from the camera and the child.
"I see, Liz! That's my girl! And I've got Jackie's first steps on video!"
Suddenly, Trunks realized what he was watching. Jackie's parents were the young woman and the man behind the camera. Daring a look at her, he saw Jackie beside him, her eyes welling up and her hand over her mouth, trying desperately to keep from breaking down. "Mommy..." was the only sound that escaped her lips.
Then a great banging, like an explosion sounded from the TV. His attention again glued to the screen, he saw the carpet, and them movement as the camera was picked up. The woman was picking up a fallen, crying Jackie.
"What was that?" the woman asked her husband, frightened.
"I don't know." The camera was moving again, towards the front door now. It opened, and what was revealed was a scene that Trunks had seen too many times. From his house in the suburbs, John Shiro focused his camera towards the main city, where a huge cloud of ash and dirt was rising. Towards the horizon, tints of orange, red, and gold were starting to show.
John cursed. "Liz! T-the city's on fire!"
"What?!" Elizabeth Shiro could be heard shuffling her feet, and the camera turned in time to catch her eyes widening and a gasp escape her lips. Little Jackie was in her arms, still whimpering from her fall.
Gaining back her voice, she asked, "Do you think it was some kind of gas explosion? Like maybe a pipe broke-"
"A pipe?" John focused the camera on the rising smoke. "From an explosion that big? Liz, it looks like half of the city's on fire!"
Suddenly, another explosion shook the walls and sent new sparks into the dark, rising cloud.
Jackie began to screech her loudest again. John turned and Trunks saw Liz attempting to calm her down.
"Liz, stay here," said John.
"What? Where're you going?"
"Not far. Don't worry, I just want to see if I can get a better view from down the street," he said as he walked into the street.
For a few minutes, he walked back and forth along the street trying to see as much of the blast as possible. It sounded like a few small blasts were happening and once like someone was shooting a gun, but no more huge blasts occurred.
Suddenly, John turned the camera to the sound of running footsteps. A woman, crying hysterically, was running down the street.
"What happened?" John called to her, trying to catch her attention.
She saw him but hardly slowed down. "How can you stand there with a camera?!" she screamed at him. "Are you sane? They're going to destroy us all! We're all going to die!" She ran past without stopping, leaving John wondering whom she was talking about. Trunks, unfortunately, knew it all.
Almost immediately, a group of people came running past, a family this time. The father was bleeding from his shoulder, but seemed to be the only one injured.
"What's going on?" John asked again, more urgently now.
Again, the only answer came from the father: "What're you standing around for? Get your family and run before they come to get you, too!" and they continued to run.
Now John was really worried. He turned up the street and ran up to the next person running, a man in a business suit cradling his arm as if it was broken.
John grabbed his shoulder to keep him from running, too, and repeated his question in a panic. The camera caught the dead fear in the man's eyes. "Flying..." he sputtered. "Flying people... fire..."
"Please! Speak clearly!" said John wondering if the man had his sanity.
"Two flying people...They came...Blew up the city..."
"With bombs?"
"No...With their hands... Killing people... horrible...evil laughter...Run, before they come here too!"
John let the man run. After hardly a pause, he ran back to his house.
"Liz!" he called to her, running into little Jackie's nursery where she was sitting by her cradle. "Hurry! Grab Jackie and get out!"
"What? John, what're you yelling about?"
"Two...I don't know... terrorists are destroying the city. People are in the streets, running. I want you two somewhere safe!"
Just then, an even louder and stronger blast came, nearly knocking John off of his feet.
"See? That was even closer than the others!"
Without hesitation now, Liz took up Jackie, who was crying again and ran outside, closely followed by John.
The streets were crowding with people. The injuries were worse and each person looked scared, furious, hysterical, and sad. Some were carrying guns with them.
John turned to focus the camera on his wife. "You take Jackie and run ahead. Go with the crowd. I'll catch up later," he told her.
"What? Where are you going to be?" Then, sudden fear filled her eyes. "No! John, don't be a hero!"
But he was already running towards the city, Liz's screams fading into those of the fleeing people.
Still running, John turned the camera to face himself. Tears were starting to form in his eyes as he spoke. "Lizzy, I plan on making it back, but if I don't, I want to tell you and Jackie that I love you two more than anything else in the world and not to keep this from Jackie. I want her to know that her daddy was trying to help the people..."
His voice broke off, and he turned the camera forwards again, but Trunks could still hear him crying.
Trunks again dared to look over to Jackie, who was also crying. She'd pulled her knees up to her chest and was crying into a pillow. "Daddy...daddy..."
Trunks placed a hand on her shoulder trying to comfort her. She put aside the pillow and nestled into his side, placing her head on his shoulder. Still sniffing back tears. He put his arm around her shoulders and turned back to the video.
John was in the town now. All around him was rubble, fire, and death. "Oh, God..." he said to Heaven. "What could've done this?"
In the far distance he saw a glow and then something exploded and a building fell. The force of the explosion sent John flying backwards. The camera fell then blacked out.
A few seconds later, the screen turned back on and Trunks saw a slightly bleeding John hitting the side of the camera. Then he turned and carefully peeked over a small blockade of debris. Breathing heavily, John focused on a scene about thirty yards away. Two teenagers, a blonde girl and a raven- haired boy were facing off with seven other people.
"Within the last five minutes," John was saying, "these seven people showed up. The other two are the terrorists."
He focused on the seven. "I've never seen such an odd set of people! The first one's tall and I think he has scars on his face."
"Yamcha," said Trunks.
"The next guy's tall and bald and...has three eyes!"
"Tien."
"There's a short little dwarf next to him. He looks kind of like a clown."
"Chouzu."
"The next person is tall and green."
"Piccolo."
"The next guy's short, but not nearly as short as the other, and his hair sticks straight up."
"DAD!" Trunks realized. Jackie took his hand.
"The next guy is short and looks a bit like a monk."
Trunks knew it was Krillin but he was still concentrating on his father.
"And the last guy's just a kid!"
"Gohan." Trunks squeezed Jackie's hand. He was seeing his father for the first time and his old teacher again. He couldn't believe it!
John was still talking, quietly, trying not to be heard. "They've been yelling at each other, especially the green man and the man whose hair stands up. But the two terrorists don't seem to care! It's hard to hear, but I think they said something about hating humans."
He stopped talking then, and strained to hear what was going on.
The raven-haired boy, Android 17, was talking. "All humans are weak, not slightly worthy of life. We are simply acting as exterminators."
The blonde, 18, began speaking. "And we will finish the job. We will kill every one of the humans. Man, woman, and child, every...single...one!"
Suddenly, the ground began to shake. "What the...?" Was there going to be an earthquake now as well?! Then the camera caught sight of Vegeta. He was hunched over, and pebbles were flying away from him. A fire was burning around him as he was yelling from pain.
"Not! Bulma!" He cursed through clenched teeth. "Trunks!" he screamed and shot into the air.
"Holy...!!"
"Aaaaaagggggghhhhhhhh!" Vegeta was screaming in rage as he darted down, down to attack the Androids, the evil things that had threatened his wife and son. He raised his fist to kill the dark-haired boy.
And a fist emerged from Vegeta's back.
17 smirked, safely away from Vegeta's blow, his own fist through the prince's body. Vegeta's eyes were blank, but his shallow gasps revealed his quickly fleeting life.
17 stood, and let Vegeta's limp body fall to the ground.
"Aw," complained the monster, "you soiled my sleeve. I'll have to teach you a lesson." He kicked the dying prince high into the air. "Say bye-bye," mocked 17, raising his hand. And he blew an energy blast at Trunks' father.
Trunks couldn't take it anymore. He got up, opened a side door, and puked up his guts.
"Trunks!" Jackie called to him. The video was still playing and now the rest of the carnage was taking place in the background as John was running towards where Vegeta had landed. There was no way Trunks could look at his father now.
"Turn it off," he groaned to her, trying to avoid any mental picture. She obeyed quickly. Then, carefully on her injured foot, she made her way next to him. He had both hands on the doorframe for balance and still had his head down.
"Trunks..."
"I know," he groaned. "You told me. I didn't listen. And now I'll have nightmares."
She placed her hand on his back and carefully rubbed it, trying to calm his nerves. "That's not what I was going to say," she said. "I was going to tell you what happened next."
"Oh, please, God! No!"
"I'm not going to describe the scene at all. You wouldn't be able to handle it."
He moaned.
"Daddy actually found your father, alive, with a few words left in him. He told him to tell Bulma that he loved her. He also told him to tell his son, you, to take care of Bulma and that he truly loved you. That's all he said...then it ended."
Silence filled the room as Trunks tried to comprehend it all.
"If you ask me, Trunks," she continued, "I'd say that you're following his wishes very well. I bet he's proud, wherever he is."
Jackie then turned to let Trunks be alone.
"Jackie," called Trunks before she could leave.
Turning around, Jackie saw Trunks' eyes full of tears. He pushed himself away from the wall. He gathered Jackie into a hug and pulled her close.
"Thank you," he whispered through his tears into her shoulder. "Thank you for letting me see the truth."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
A/N: I told you guys it was sad. And if you couldn't imagine what the video was like, think of a little bit of Donte's Peak and a lot of the 9/11 show they had on CBS or ABC or something a few months ago about the two brothers filming exactly what happened on September 11th. I have it on tape. *Sigh * Stupid terrorists!!
Okay, I'm not going to be able to upload anything else for about two weeks because I'll be at my grandma's house, where I do not have access to a computer at all! Please forgive me, and I'll try to put up something as soon as I get back!
Next Chapter: Trunks and Jackie get a little closer. What does Bulma have to say about this??
