FT: Hey everyone! I'm going to let this out before Roze and Neko-chan
notice! (Shifty eyes)
NC: Like hell you will! [Appears on the left with a large gun.]
WR: You aint' going nowhere Trunks-san. [Pulls out a can of bug spray and duct tape]
FT: [Snaps] Rats! Foiled again! [Jumps throgh the back wall]
NC: [Drops sunglasses on.] This has gone way to far, Mr. Briefs.
WR: [Puts on some sunglasses as well] There's no use in resistance.
[The two run through the hole in the wall to see Trunks running.]
FT: You'll never take me alive!
WR: We'll see about that! [Throws a ball of tape]
NC: I never intended to take you alive! [Shoots her gun]
FT: Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! [Dodges the attacks, matrix-style, running up a wall]
[Roze and Neko raise their weapons and...bug repellants.]
FT: [Wall-backflips and starts running toward them screaming stupidly]
[WR and NC nod at each other.]
Neko-chan: [In Agent Smith voice] Wet-willy...
Wild-Roze: [Also in a man's voice] Mr. Briefs.
FT: [Screams as he's tackled] Noooo! Anything but- [Wet finger in left ear] I do not... [Wet finger in right ear] AAAAAH! I don't own DB-[Double wet- finger attack] Okay, that was just uncalled- [AAAAAH!]
~^~ Chapter 8- Tactics~^~
The first ray of the sun crept through the windowpane onto Trunks' cheek. Some time passed, and Trunks awoke, afraid to move. Not even opening his eyes, Trunks moved his hand, and found it sliding on smooth skin. In disbelief, he opened his eyes.
There she was. He looked down at his bare chest and one of her arms was around it. Her beautiful face still had a deep contented smile, she was fast asleep.
His Capsule Cellphone/wristwatch glowed on his bare arm. He pressed a button, and it responded by bringing up a text message.
##
trunks,
get to cc ASAP. couldnt find you last night, we have to train right away
~Gohan Son ##
Trunks had gotten a good sleep too, as soon as they lay down the previous night they each fell right into dreams. Trunks had a hard time working up the nerve to leave her. He was comfortable and for the first time in his life he felt like he belonged. But he had to save the world. For her.
Quietly he slipped out of her grasp, and immediately after Akura, still asleep, grabbed a pillow and got in in a strangling hug. Trunks chuckled a little, remembering his father Vegeta's words. 'Trunks, when it comes to women, keep your distance. Once they have you they never let go.'
Putting on his old Capsule Corp. jacket, Trunks stealthily approached the door. No sooner had his fingers touched the handle when he heard a feminine voice whisper from his bed.
"Trunks...don't go..."
It was Akura. She hadn't moved but somehow Trunks could tell she was awake.
"I'm sorry, but if I don't go Cell will take over the world. I'd...I'd lose you and everyone else I ever cared about."
A bead of sweat dripped down Trunks' brow. It'd be a hot day.
"But why-?" Akura started, finally rising up, a blanket wrapped around her figure.
"Because I care about you." Without another glance at Akura, Trunks had opened the door and left, leaving the poor young woman alone.
~^~
North City seemed unbearably strange, and the fact that it was an abnormally beautiful summer day contributed to the abnormality.
Streets normally packed with commuters, parks which, on average days, were teeming with toddlers and young children at play were empty. Not even pidgeons crossed the sky over North City. Even nature wasn't stupid enough to stay in the besieged area.
No, it wasn't an average day for North City. Today, the metropolis breathed it's last.
A black, twisted silhouette overshadowed the sun. Darkness against light, the mutated beast cackled darkly. It looked down on the ravaged city, without care or remorse for the chaos it had already caused. One of it's clawed fingertips was raised high, and a massive ball of black energy was formed, the like of which had not been seen in the universe.
North City was no more.
~^~
Sweat dripped off Gohan's face and hit the ground with a heavy thud. On it's own, the metal gravity room in Capsule Corporation was hot as hell. The fact that Trunks had set the gravity to maximum, a bone-crushing amount, was no help.
Their bodies under intense physical strain, the two fighters swapped random blows, at speeds equal to that of normal human boxers. However, if they were normal human boxers, their bodies would already have been reduced to dust by the gravity room.
Gohan aimed a swift punch at Trunks, and Trunks blocked with his elbow, swinging around with his right leg and nailing him in the stomach. Gohan was sent reeling backwards through the air, buckled in half, but as he fell he outstretched his hands and launched a Masenko at Trunks. The half- Saiyan, too fatigued to gather the strength to stop the expeditious red beam, was stricken down by it's forced.
Neither of them got up, crumpled on the floor. Minutes passed as they struggled against the urge to let go and die, without effort the gravity would break every bone in their body. Silently they agreed that they'd have done enough for the time being, and Trunks clapped his hands.
The gravity room turned itself off, and Trunks and Gohan's bodies rose up from the floor involuntarily, with the shift of weight. They both walked closer and sat down, entering a meditative stance.
~^~
In the shadows of a cliff several miles northeast of North City sat an abomination unlike any Earth had faced before. The scorching desert was home to little but carrion on that bleakly humid day. The sun beat on it's few inhabitants from overhead.
As if it were afraid of the scourage resting against it, the cliff cracked a bit. The madly deformed being couldn't care less. It crossed it's genotypically twisted arms and shut it's pale eyes.
Several meters away, a baby crow hopped placidly from rock to rock. It tweeted now and then, searching for it's mother. The litte, innocent bird, had been hunting a fly which had led it far from it's nest accross the nearby gorge. The wind ruffled through it's velvety virgin feathers, and several of the black tips spread accross the dust.
A low grunt was uttered from the shadows of the cliff, almost as a creature with indigestion would make. The sound became a gurgle. Intrigued, the small bird hopped closer, squinting it's golden eyes in the sun to try and see what was under the rock.
The bird's body was quickly crushed and mutliated, and it's brains were scattered accross the landscape, it tweeted it's last. A mangled mass of wet pink goo had been shot at it, the shooter fading into blackness. It had become pure evil, and all could sense it's horrible power.
As the day wore on past noon, the pink goo boiled and started to smooth out in the sun. It's center bore a strange marking - )\/(
~^~
Akura plopped down a chair in Trunks' kitchen. Her clothes were sitting in the washing machine; she had put on one of Trunks' old training gis. It fit her loosely, and she had to tie the belt to make it cover her, but she was satisfied. She knew Trunks wouldn't mind, the shy boy would've probably lended her it anyway.
A bowl of Capsule Crunch cereal in front of her, Akura turned on the small television. A different news reporter was talking a mile a minute, a finger on his earpiece on which he was apparently receiving headlines. The man stood in a large crater, which was apparently the remains of North City. The headline, "Android Attack Confirmed..." scrolled accross the screen.
".....it seems that the green creature, of which's identity we have confirmed to be that of an Android through it's soul-absorbing behavior, has defeated Majin Buu in combat, and then assimilated the pink monster into itself. Apparently the creature became substantially more powerful, and immediately after..." The man pointed to the rubble of North City. "...it destroyed the city in a single blast."
The camera panned to show the extent of the damage on North City. Nothing resembling the original settlement remained, debris was still riding on the wind. Bodies were visible hanging out of their final shelters, familiar household items were twisted into grotesque aberrations. It seemed the reporter was taking in the destruction for the first time.
Akura's eyes watered at the horrible scene. Her home city being destroyed was the least of her worries. She was raised when the Androids had reigned supreme, and was pretty used to the imminent destruction of Earth, but now the orphan had reason to worry.
"Trunks..." She whispered, afraid. She knew Trunks would step up to fight the monster.
~^~
Trunks and Gohan sat crosslegged, their eyes closed. An intense glare from the windows rested on their shoulders, sounds of the early afternoon in West City danced all about the area.
"Gohan..." Trunks began, "Majin Buu's Ki seemed unlimited, and Cell's seemed strangely stronger, but this new creature's is..."
"Unfathomable." Gohan finished Trunks' sentence.
"We didn't stand a chance to either of them, so how can we have any hope of defeating this new...thing?"
"Piccolo, my old sensei, once told me something you should learn as well. He said that no battle was won by strength alone. He told me that the winner of every fight was determined before it even began. And that was through planning." Gohan's Ki lowered with the sad thought of his old mentor.
"But Gohan!" Trunks said, raising his voice, "What kind of plan would be a match for his brute power? There's no way...I doubt we can win..."
"The Supreme Kai doesn't." Gohan smirked, opening an eye and looking at Trunks.
Trunks' face went pale, and he looked at Gohan in awe. Sure enough, a short purple-skinned Kai sat in a windowsill along with a large guard.
~^~
Bulma rapidly attacked the keys on her computer, and a spreadsheet loaded on the screen.
"Let's see...carry the four..." She calculated.
"Two days!" Bulma reclined in her chair, her long blue hair flowing over the edges. She smiled broadly. "I can't believe it! Two days and his ship will arrive on Mt. Pazou!"
Bulma marveled at her own genius...their savior would arrive in mere days.
~^~
The monster which had expelled the pink mass was long gone. But it's product remained.
From the small pock-mark in the earth rose a pudgy column of flesh. Cloth shrouded it's upper body, and pants that would be baggy for anyone under a thousand pounds appeared around it's leggs. Disproportionate extremities popped out of it's torso, and finally, a cheeky head rose out of it's neck. A tentacle extended out of the forehead, and holes opened all over the body. It's stomach rolled out over it's pants.
Majin Buu had returned.
~^~
The air hung still in the gravity room, which was idle. The auras of Trunks and Gohan rose into the air as the two competed in an elaborate...dance ritual.
The Supreme Kai looked to his guard Kibito with wonder.
"How can this...this...Fusion give them the strength to beat Majin Buu?"
Kibito retained his skeptic face. "Personally I think it's foolish. We should find other warriors."
"Patience Kibito." Shin smiled, "I have faith in Gohan's methods. And even if this Fusion isn't enough, there's always the Z Sword."
Kibito bit his tongue and tried to pretend he hadn't heard that.
"Fuuu...." Trunks and Gohan pointed their arms outward, crossing their legs.
"Sion!" The two turned their arms toward eachother.
"Haaa!"
Trunks dropped his arms, blushing a bit as he noticed who was walking in the room.
Two young women, one a bit older than the other, were approaching them. Gohan looked up. One had velvety, wild hair, the other already accustomed to Trunks. Akura.
"Videl!" Gohan smiled, meeting her.
Trunks paused, thinking of what to say, but before he could Akura was a few inches from his face.
_______________________________________
Thanks a lot to all my reviewers! I'll keep your advice in mind!
NC: Like hell you will! [Appears on the left with a large gun.]
WR: You aint' going nowhere Trunks-san. [Pulls out a can of bug spray and duct tape]
FT: [Snaps] Rats! Foiled again! [Jumps throgh the back wall]
NC: [Drops sunglasses on.] This has gone way to far, Mr. Briefs.
WR: [Puts on some sunglasses as well] There's no use in resistance.
[The two run through the hole in the wall to see Trunks running.]
FT: You'll never take me alive!
WR: We'll see about that! [Throws a ball of tape]
NC: I never intended to take you alive! [Shoots her gun]
FT: Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! [Dodges the attacks, matrix-style, running up a wall]
[Roze and Neko raise their weapons and...bug repellants.]
FT: [Wall-backflips and starts running toward them screaming stupidly]
[WR and NC nod at each other.]
Neko-chan: [In Agent Smith voice] Wet-willy...
Wild-Roze: [Also in a man's voice] Mr. Briefs.
FT: [Screams as he's tackled] Noooo! Anything but- [Wet finger in left ear] I do not... [Wet finger in right ear] AAAAAH! I don't own DB-[Double wet- finger attack] Okay, that was just uncalled- [AAAAAH!]
~^~ Chapter 8- Tactics~^~
The first ray of the sun crept through the windowpane onto Trunks' cheek. Some time passed, and Trunks awoke, afraid to move. Not even opening his eyes, Trunks moved his hand, and found it sliding on smooth skin. In disbelief, he opened his eyes.
There she was. He looked down at his bare chest and one of her arms was around it. Her beautiful face still had a deep contented smile, she was fast asleep.
His Capsule Cellphone/wristwatch glowed on his bare arm. He pressed a button, and it responded by bringing up a text message.
##
trunks,
get to cc ASAP. couldnt find you last night, we have to train right away
~Gohan Son ##
Trunks had gotten a good sleep too, as soon as they lay down the previous night they each fell right into dreams. Trunks had a hard time working up the nerve to leave her. He was comfortable and for the first time in his life he felt like he belonged. But he had to save the world. For her.
Quietly he slipped out of her grasp, and immediately after Akura, still asleep, grabbed a pillow and got in in a strangling hug. Trunks chuckled a little, remembering his father Vegeta's words. 'Trunks, when it comes to women, keep your distance. Once they have you they never let go.'
Putting on his old Capsule Corp. jacket, Trunks stealthily approached the door. No sooner had his fingers touched the handle when he heard a feminine voice whisper from his bed.
"Trunks...don't go..."
It was Akura. She hadn't moved but somehow Trunks could tell she was awake.
"I'm sorry, but if I don't go Cell will take over the world. I'd...I'd lose you and everyone else I ever cared about."
A bead of sweat dripped down Trunks' brow. It'd be a hot day.
"But why-?" Akura started, finally rising up, a blanket wrapped around her figure.
"Because I care about you." Without another glance at Akura, Trunks had opened the door and left, leaving the poor young woman alone.
~^~
North City seemed unbearably strange, and the fact that it was an abnormally beautiful summer day contributed to the abnormality.
Streets normally packed with commuters, parks which, on average days, were teeming with toddlers and young children at play were empty. Not even pidgeons crossed the sky over North City. Even nature wasn't stupid enough to stay in the besieged area.
No, it wasn't an average day for North City. Today, the metropolis breathed it's last.
A black, twisted silhouette overshadowed the sun. Darkness against light, the mutated beast cackled darkly. It looked down on the ravaged city, without care or remorse for the chaos it had already caused. One of it's clawed fingertips was raised high, and a massive ball of black energy was formed, the like of which had not been seen in the universe.
North City was no more.
~^~
Sweat dripped off Gohan's face and hit the ground with a heavy thud. On it's own, the metal gravity room in Capsule Corporation was hot as hell. The fact that Trunks had set the gravity to maximum, a bone-crushing amount, was no help.
Their bodies under intense physical strain, the two fighters swapped random blows, at speeds equal to that of normal human boxers. However, if they were normal human boxers, their bodies would already have been reduced to dust by the gravity room.
Gohan aimed a swift punch at Trunks, and Trunks blocked with his elbow, swinging around with his right leg and nailing him in the stomach. Gohan was sent reeling backwards through the air, buckled in half, but as he fell he outstretched his hands and launched a Masenko at Trunks. The half- Saiyan, too fatigued to gather the strength to stop the expeditious red beam, was stricken down by it's forced.
Neither of them got up, crumpled on the floor. Minutes passed as they struggled against the urge to let go and die, without effort the gravity would break every bone in their body. Silently they agreed that they'd have done enough for the time being, and Trunks clapped his hands.
The gravity room turned itself off, and Trunks and Gohan's bodies rose up from the floor involuntarily, with the shift of weight. They both walked closer and sat down, entering a meditative stance.
~^~
In the shadows of a cliff several miles northeast of North City sat an abomination unlike any Earth had faced before. The scorching desert was home to little but carrion on that bleakly humid day. The sun beat on it's few inhabitants from overhead.
As if it were afraid of the scourage resting against it, the cliff cracked a bit. The madly deformed being couldn't care less. It crossed it's genotypically twisted arms and shut it's pale eyes.
Several meters away, a baby crow hopped placidly from rock to rock. It tweeted now and then, searching for it's mother. The litte, innocent bird, had been hunting a fly which had led it far from it's nest accross the nearby gorge. The wind ruffled through it's velvety virgin feathers, and several of the black tips spread accross the dust.
A low grunt was uttered from the shadows of the cliff, almost as a creature with indigestion would make. The sound became a gurgle. Intrigued, the small bird hopped closer, squinting it's golden eyes in the sun to try and see what was under the rock.
The bird's body was quickly crushed and mutliated, and it's brains were scattered accross the landscape, it tweeted it's last. A mangled mass of wet pink goo had been shot at it, the shooter fading into blackness. It had become pure evil, and all could sense it's horrible power.
As the day wore on past noon, the pink goo boiled and started to smooth out in the sun. It's center bore a strange marking - )\/(
~^~
Akura plopped down a chair in Trunks' kitchen. Her clothes were sitting in the washing machine; she had put on one of Trunks' old training gis. It fit her loosely, and she had to tie the belt to make it cover her, but she was satisfied. She knew Trunks wouldn't mind, the shy boy would've probably lended her it anyway.
A bowl of Capsule Crunch cereal in front of her, Akura turned on the small television. A different news reporter was talking a mile a minute, a finger on his earpiece on which he was apparently receiving headlines. The man stood in a large crater, which was apparently the remains of North City. The headline, "Android Attack Confirmed..." scrolled accross the screen.
".....it seems that the green creature, of which's identity we have confirmed to be that of an Android through it's soul-absorbing behavior, has defeated Majin Buu in combat, and then assimilated the pink monster into itself. Apparently the creature became substantially more powerful, and immediately after..." The man pointed to the rubble of North City. "...it destroyed the city in a single blast."
The camera panned to show the extent of the damage on North City. Nothing resembling the original settlement remained, debris was still riding on the wind. Bodies were visible hanging out of their final shelters, familiar household items were twisted into grotesque aberrations. It seemed the reporter was taking in the destruction for the first time.
Akura's eyes watered at the horrible scene. Her home city being destroyed was the least of her worries. She was raised when the Androids had reigned supreme, and was pretty used to the imminent destruction of Earth, but now the orphan had reason to worry.
"Trunks..." She whispered, afraid. She knew Trunks would step up to fight the monster.
~^~
Trunks and Gohan sat crosslegged, their eyes closed. An intense glare from the windows rested on their shoulders, sounds of the early afternoon in West City danced all about the area.
"Gohan..." Trunks began, "Majin Buu's Ki seemed unlimited, and Cell's seemed strangely stronger, but this new creature's is..."
"Unfathomable." Gohan finished Trunks' sentence.
"We didn't stand a chance to either of them, so how can we have any hope of defeating this new...thing?"
"Piccolo, my old sensei, once told me something you should learn as well. He said that no battle was won by strength alone. He told me that the winner of every fight was determined before it even began. And that was through planning." Gohan's Ki lowered with the sad thought of his old mentor.
"But Gohan!" Trunks said, raising his voice, "What kind of plan would be a match for his brute power? There's no way...I doubt we can win..."
"The Supreme Kai doesn't." Gohan smirked, opening an eye and looking at Trunks.
Trunks' face went pale, and he looked at Gohan in awe. Sure enough, a short purple-skinned Kai sat in a windowsill along with a large guard.
~^~
Bulma rapidly attacked the keys on her computer, and a spreadsheet loaded on the screen.
"Let's see...carry the four..." She calculated.
"Two days!" Bulma reclined in her chair, her long blue hair flowing over the edges. She smiled broadly. "I can't believe it! Two days and his ship will arrive on Mt. Pazou!"
Bulma marveled at her own genius...their savior would arrive in mere days.
~^~
The monster which had expelled the pink mass was long gone. But it's product remained.
From the small pock-mark in the earth rose a pudgy column of flesh. Cloth shrouded it's upper body, and pants that would be baggy for anyone under a thousand pounds appeared around it's leggs. Disproportionate extremities popped out of it's torso, and finally, a cheeky head rose out of it's neck. A tentacle extended out of the forehead, and holes opened all over the body. It's stomach rolled out over it's pants.
Majin Buu had returned.
~^~
The air hung still in the gravity room, which was idle. The auras of Trunks and Gohan rose into the air as the two competed in an elaborate...dance ritual.
The Supreme Kai looked to his guard Kibito with wonder.
"How can this...this...Fusion give them the strength to beat Majin Buu?"
Kibito retained his skeptic face. "Personally I think it's foolish. We should find other warriors."
"Patience Kibito." Shin smiled, "I have faith in Gohan's methods. And even if this Fusion isn't enough, there's always the Z Sword."
Kibito bit his tongue and tried to pretend he hadn't heard that.
"Fuuu...." Trunks and Gohan pointed their arms outward, crossing their legs.
"Sion!" The two turned their arms toward eachother.
"Haaa!"
Trunks dropped his arms, blushing a bit as he noticed who was walking in the room.
Two young women, one a bit older than the other, were approaching them. Gohan looked up. One had velvety, wild hair, the other already accustomed to Trunks. Akura.
"Videl!" Gohan smiled, meeting her.
Trunks paused, thinking of what to say, but before he could Akura was a few inches from his face.
_______________________________________
Thanks a lot to all my reviewers! I'll keep your advice in mind!