THE TIME TRAVELLING ADVENTURES OF THE NEXT GEN DB GANG, AND #17
chapters 14 & 15
Chapter 14: Millionaire #17
Now back to our time-displaced heroes.
The portal finally opened, dropping its occupants without warning. Fortunately, the ground where they were dropped was flat and grassy, so they landed without injury.
Everybody dusted their bodies as they got up. It was in the dead of night and it was dark everywhere except for some flickers of light from the portal. Everybody looked as the lights died down. Then suddenly it brightened for a while, then dimmed down. This went on for a while, and smoke was coming out of the portal as this was happening.
"Careful everybody! It might blow," Trunks warned. Everybody prepared to take cover. Finally it did blow with a "Foomp!". Fortunately the explosion was quite small and harmless. Everybody looked on as the last of the smoke blew away and everything was dark and quiet again.
"I bet we're lost in time again," Marron started conversation. "Yeah," Goten agreed. "The portal didn't seem very stable. Mirai Bulma must've made a mistake. And now it's gone."
"Oniichan?" Bra said. "Are we lost again? I wanna go home." Trunks looked at his sister and then at his friends. "We don't know that yet. For all we know, we are home. It's just too dark to see. I suggest we find a place nearby to spend the night and figure out where we are in the morning."
"But I don't feel my father's ki or your father's." Goten remarked. "Well, maybe they're sleeping," Trunks replied. "Come on, we better find a place to sleep too."
#17 interrupted everybody. "I think I know where we are." Everybody looked at him. "Really? Where?" Pan asked.
"This is the woods where I live," #17 said. "My hut shouldn't be far away. Come on, I'll lead the way."
By now their eyes had focused to the darkness. "You're right, uncle," Marron said. She'd been to her uncle's place a few times. "But this place looks kinda different at night."
"Say..." Bra interrupted as a thought occured to her. "Is your hut big enough for the six of us? I want a room with a big bed, a shower, TV..."
"Umm... I think you girls can fit in. The three of us guys will sleep outside," #17 said.
"It's that small, huh?" Trunks snickered, but was cut short by the sight of a very beautiful and expensive-looking mansion. It wasn't as big as the Capsule Corp. building, but it was grand nonetheless. The owner must be a millionaire at least.
The others were awed too. While everybody was admiring the beautiful mansion, #17 spoke angrily. "Hey! This is where my hut is supposed to be. Who gave the bastard, whoever he is, the right to just tear my house down and build his own house here without consulting me?!"
He walked up to the front door angrily and banged loudly. "Come out now, or I'll blow up your "£$%!* expensive door to dust!"
Behind him, the others were discussing this strange turn of events.
"I tell you," Goten said, putting his hands over the squirming Pan's ears. "We must've landed in the future where #17's hut has been torn down to build this mansion. Isn't this land wanted by some millionaire or other who wanted to build a resort here?"
"Uncle, watch your language. There are children here," Marron said.
"It's no big deal, Marron," Bra said. "My parents talk like that too when they think I'm not around."
"Looks like we better head straight home, then," Trunks said. "Hey, #17! You can stay with us for the night. I'm sure my parents won't mind."
The door was opened by a domestic robot. It made a scan of #17, then said, in the typical robotic voice, "Scan completed. Identity verified. Welcome home, master #17."
Next: XXX #18!?
######################################################################
Chapter 15: XXX #18!?
So the time-displaced individuals spent the night in #17's luxurious mansion. The house was indeed very grand. The master bedroom was very spacious (and Bra immediately claimed for herself), and the three other guest rooms are very comfortable too. The fridge was well-stocked with food, and plenty of booze as well. They helped themselves; the domestic robot served them after it determined that they were #17's guests.
The six impersonator/intruders discussed their current situation over a late night snack in the kitchen. "So... we're definitely not in our own timeline," #17 said thoughtfully, while stirring his cognac. Apparently, the owner of the mansion stocked a lot of expensive (and very tasty) drinks, and #17 approved of his taste. After all, it was still him, and in this timeline he appears to be doing very well for himself. #17 finished his drink and poured himself another. It was already his tenth bottle straight. As a cyborg, the alcohol level in his body didn't affect him very much.
"Yeah," Trunks agreed, wolfing down another slice of pizza and washed it down with a swig of beer. "Looks like Mirai Bulma made some miscalculations. Our portal is gone, so in the meantime we're stuck here. I guess our only option is to see this timeline's Bulma and ask for her help. Let's hope she knows how to build a better time machine."
"But shouldn't we keep our presence here a secret?" Marron asked. "Remember what Mirai Bulma said. We should keep a minimum contact with the people in other timelines because the slightest act can cause drastic changes."
"I know," Trunks said. "But we don't have any choice, do we? Besides, we've already had more than a minimum contact with the people in the last timeline we were in."
Goten suddenly piped up. "Hey! I've got an idea. Why don't we just wish ourselves back? We only need to find out if this world has dragonballs, then we gather them and wish ourselves back home."
"Good idea!" Trunks patted Goten hard on the back, making him gag on his sandwich. "That way, we only have to borrow the dragon radar from this world's Bulma. Tomorrow I'll go to Capsule Corporation and borrow it from her, and then we can start searching."
"Before we do that," Marron interrupted, "we better find out what this world is like first, how different it is from our world. That way, we won't say or do anything that might arouse their suspicions. I can go to the library to do some research first," she volunteers, "before you go to see Bulma."
"OK. I don't think there'll be any problem with Bulma, but that's a good idea," Trunks said. "OK. So it's settled then." He got up. "Why don't we go watch some TV? I've been eyeing your large-screen TV, #17. And your sound system is pretty cool too. I didn't know you had such good taste in home entertainment systems."
"Neither did I," #17 muttered.
Everybody sat in front of the TV. #17 located the remote control and turned on the TV. A video by a rock band was playing. "Ugh, what horrible sound," #17 said, and changed to another channel.
"This is the live telecast from this year's Tenkaichi Boudukai, where Mr. Satan the reigning champion has once again succeeded in defending his title. We'll be back with a word from the man himself after this break--"
"Looks like some things don't change," #17 changed the channel again.
"--the latest single from the most successful rock band of the year," the host of the show was saying, while in the background the band's video was playing.
"It's that stupid music again," #17 said, and changed to yet another channel.
"Hey, I kinda like it," Trunks said. "Yeah," Goten agreed. The girls seemed to like it too.
"--Satan brand mineral water, the champion's choice!" proclaimed the advertisement on the TV, featuring Mr.Satan. #17 changed the channel again.
Everybody stared in shock at the screen. Then Marron screamed and grabbed the remote control from her uncle's hand. She turned off the TV and threw the remote control away. The others didn't stop her. They were still dazed, for there on the TV screen a moment ago was #18. She was wearing a nightie and kissing a man in bed passionately. And it wasn't Kuririn.
######################### Author's blurb #############################
I notice the lack of reviews after Trunks & the gang left Mirai Trunks' world. I suppose this means readers prefer the story taking place in Mirai Trunks' world. However, most of their adventures will take place in this new world they're in, with some chapters in between about their parents in the original timeline and also Mirai Trunks and his world after they left. So please review, it's in these parts that I really need feedback. BTW, the next chapter takes place in Mirai Trunks' world. Coming soon!
####################### End of blurb #################################
Next: The mysterious entity from the other dimension