Okay, I
really have had it with ff.net not keeping the html I put in here. Is
it really so hard to keep things bold and italized? The italics do make
a point. Anywho...I'm glad everybody likes my story. It was just
something that was in my head and finally needed to be placed on paper.
The bit about the bonding hopefully went well. Does anyone know if it
was ever mentioned or discussed on the show? Or is it a fan lore? If
anyone knows, give me a shout and holler! I'd like to thank my
reviewers for reading and reviewing. A thank you. Yonk, if I don't meet
your appetite for Goten and Trunks in this story, you can be sure I'll
be thinking of ya when I begin "Aftermath II" which will start after
the fall of Majin Buu!
All right, G! Enough talk, on with fic!
Aftermath
Caves were not friendly places.
The lovely and deadly Android 18 found that out the hard way as she started her new life as a reformed killing machine. Who was she kidding?! No amount of wishing or hoping would ever make her human again, no matter how hard those Z fighters tried. At the mere mention of her former enemies, the android frowned. It wasn't really the fighters themselves she was angry at.
It was him.
The small, bald-headed one. This was his doing. It had been his wish that had removed the bombs from the bodies of her and her brother. As though it was his right to do such a thing! He should've just minded his own business, but no. That incident on the lookout had only been the end of an entire series of him saving her. Letting out a frustrated sigh, she continued her flight and mission she had started after she had left the lookout and that was search for her brother.
Unfortunately, it was harder than she realized.
Dr. Gero's genius of not having their ki detectable was great against an enemy, but when she needed it most ~ like needing to find 17~ it turned into a complete and utter waste of time. She had been flying around now for a few weeks, circling the area where she had last seen her twin. It had been the fight with Piccolo that she had last seen 17 and that was a good place to start looking for him. But so far, she wasn't having any luck. She had been lucky though, that the weather had been kind at night, the breeze slowly putting her to rest, the night being clear enough for her to find something to eat if she need be.
Most of all, it gave her time to think.
And she was thinking a lot.
About...him.
She continued her search, as the weeks flew into months, she found herself getting bored with her daily routine. Get up, search for 17, rest, search again, settle down for the night, look for food, sleep. Then it was back to the routine the next morning. Get up, search for 17, rest, search again, settle down for the night, look for food, sleep. Up, search, rest, search, bedding, food, sleep. If their was one thing she could remember from her time as a normal human being, Android 18 got restless and bored very quickly, just like her brother. She had searched for him for almost three months, without a trace of where he could be. So she gave up, and spent the next three months thinking.
Thinking a lot.
About...
Him.
Eighteen just didn't understand his motives and certainly her programming found it to be highly irregular. She and her fellow androids had been given one order. Find and kill Goku. If that wasn't met, then they would just destroy the earth. It was as simple as that. But now, things didn't make sense. Why would Gero do what he did? Eighteen didn't know who she was before she was Android 18, but she had obviously been human. How did Gero find her and 17? And why were they picked for this horrible plan? What had they been like before?
The cyborg threw an energy blast towards a cliff, shattering the side and causing a landslide of rock to come cascading down to the ground. If there was one thing she would never regret as long as she lived, it was when she and 17 killed that genetic freak Gero. They didn't know why they had killed him ~ certainly seeing as they never killed anyone after that~ they just knew he deserved to die and it would come by their hands. Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself, then cursed herself for even needing to calm down.
After she had her obligatory thoughts on Gero, they would always shift to that human. Why did do everything he could to save her?! He had a perfect opportunity to at least attack while they stood on that highway, at least put up some fight, but no. He had tried to...reason with them, tried to stop them in their destruction. That's when she kissed him. It was to shut him up and to amuse herself, but the way his face changed from pale to beet red had stopped her slightly and had intrigued her. He was a funny little man. And then, if almost to ensure he'd be committed to a mental hospital, the next time she saw him, he stood with a controller that would shut her down. Thus keeping Cell from becoming complete.
And he destroyed it.
It didn't make sense, no sense what so ever. He had his job to do and he basically failed. But why? Why had he done that? She had discovered from a nosy Namek that the human...
Name: Krillin
Age: 30
Residence: Kame House
Information: Strongest human fighter with a level of 4200, friend of Goku
...had...what was the word? Cared for her after she had been released from Cell. He had carried her away from the battle, then up to Kami lookout where he had given her a sensu bean. Then she had seen the group sumon a huge dragon in the sky and after they had wished back all those who had been killed by Cell, this Krillin, had wished for her and her brother to be human. The large dragon told him it couldn't be done. Well duh, she had thought. You can't wish something human which is already in that state. Then he had stunned her again, by wishing the bombs that lie dorment in their systems to be removed, so that they could at least try and live a normal, human existence.
Why?
She had stood there in shock, as did his friends, and listen to him...grant mercy on them, on their enemies, who not so long ago had tried to kill them. She had come out of hiding then, said another goodbye to the short man, and took off. Her first task was to find her brother. If this dragon had really granted the wishes made, then she would've found her brother. But she hadn't and she had looked for months. Her sensors told her there was a malfunction happening, but she shook her head and ignored the machancial part of her. She did something so unique, something she hadn't done since she become an android...
She wondered what she was...feeling.
And she came up with sad. She was saddened that she couldn't find her brother and...worried. Where was he? If the people of the earth had been wished back, then where was 17? Was he hiding, still afraid Cell was out there looking for them? If only she could tap into his ki, if she only had the ability to do so. Coming back to the rational side of her being, Eighteen decided she needed answers. After six months of searching and thinking and living in a cave, she wanted answers to her questions and she wanted them now.
And she knew exactly the person who would answer them.
***
"Yamcha, it would be much easier if you just stood there and let me hit you."
The fight hadn't been a fair one in the hills of the valley. A young, tall dark haired man was getting the crap beaten out of him, by his best friend no less. The three eyed warrior known as Tien Shinhan stood in the middle of grass field, his arms crossed over his chest. His statement had been one in jest, something comical at his friend's poor performance that day. Of course the look Yamcha gave him said volumes that the joke wasn't appreciated and that the cyclops would be getting it.
The former desert bandit and present baseball player came after Tien in a flash, his fist going straight toward the man's face. Tien didn't even have to move as Yamcha came at him, his attacks going wild and most never oming near his body. A quick uppercut landed Yamcha on his back, but he wasn't having any of it. Pounding the dirt, he was back on his feet and back swinging at Tien. A leg sweep again took Yamcha down.
"You're not focused." Tien replied, calmly.
A slap to the ground told Tien his friend was indeed not focused and was probably upset about something. So as Yamcha came charging at him, ready to tackle him, Tien sidestepped it and delivered an elbow to his back. Before Yamcha could get up, Tien was on top of him, his head in a headlock. "Now Yamcha," he stressed. "Unless you want to take an unscheduled nap right here in the middle of this field, I suggest you at calm down. I can tell something is bothering you, so you don't need to say anything if you don't want, but if you hope to get at least some training done, I think you should vary your attacks."
"To what?" Yamcha struggled.
"To something that has some potential of hitting me."
The ball player was close to retorting, when he realized his friend was right. Something had been bothering him ever since the arrival of Trunks and he finally noticed he was trying to take his anger out on the former assassain. Tapping his friend's arm that was currently wrapped around his neck, Yamcha signalled he was done for now. Tien let go, then helped the young man off the ground. Tossing an arm around his shoulders, Tien said, "I think now is a good time for a break."
Yamcha nodded. "Yeah." he grumbled. "Look Tien, I'm sorry. I guess my mind is miles away."
"On baseball?" Tien asked. Getting no response, he pumped further. "On the androids? Trunks?" At the mention of the future boy's name, Tien noticed a small grimace on Yamcha's face. "Ah." he said. "Maybe not the boy, but certainly his parents. Yamcha..."
"Tien, I don't want to talk about it." was Yamcha's answer.
"Then we won't."
Only a beat went by as Yamcha began with, "I just don't get it, Tien. I just don't get it. Vegeta? Of all the people Bulma has to start seeing, it's Vegeta?"
"I don't think she's..."
"I mean, when you think of Bulma, who do you think of as someone who be with her, huh? Huh? It's not Vegeta, is it?"
"Maybe something..."
"You know, I have half a mind to think...you know, you don't want to even know what I think, but it's not good, I'll tell you that."
"Yamcha..."
"That's it!"
"What's it?"
"This is a trick. Vegeta is merely using Bulma to get to us. Oh, I have it all figured out now."
"Yamcha, maybe you're..."
"I mean, think about it." Yamcha was on a roll now. "What better way of getting to Goku?"
"Well," Tien stated. "There is Chi-Chi, then Gohan, immediate family of course and then there's..."
"All right, all right." the young man resigned. "So that idea is out."
"Yamcha," Tien began. "Has it occured to you that perhaps Bulma, and this hurts me as much as it does you, might actually be in love with Vegeta?"
It was several minutes before Yamcha said anything, his face betraying for only a few seconds of hurt and realization. "Tien, that's disgusting." he growled. "And as my best friend, I'd like you not to mention that ever again. Because that...is...is..."
"A possibility." Tien then added, "A rare, but possible outcome." The two were silent for a bit before Tien again spoke. "Yamcha, I'm not sure how I can be any help to you. But you know we're friends, so whenever you feel the need to injure someone, I'm always glad to kick your butt into the ground."
Yamcha smirked at the jibe. "The day you beat me in a fight, Tien Shinhan, hell will freeze over."
"Then it must be extremely cold." Tien countered. "Seeing as I've just beaten you."
"Dude, that doesn't count."
"It's still cold, as I continually beat your ass while in Other World."
"You beat me once and I let you win."
"Oh?" Tien asked, giving his friend a shove. "And did you also let me win at the World Martial Arts Tournament? I mean, it was so nice of you to break your leg to let me win."
The two stared each other down.
"Are you ready to give me a real fight or should I go easy on you again?" Tien again.
Yamcha smiled. "I hope you brought some mode of transporation." he said. "I'd hate for you to limp home."
"Empty threats."
"Then shut me up."
"With pleasure."
Within seconds, the two were battling like old foes.
All right, G! Enough talk, on with fic!
Aftermath
Caves were not friendly places.
The lovely and deadly Android 18 found that out the hard way as she started her new life as a reformed killing machine. Who was she kidding?! No amount of wishing or hoping would ever make her human again, no matter how hard those Z fighters tried. At the mere mention of her former enemies, the android frowned. It wasn't really the fighters themselves she was angry at.
It was him.
The small, bald-headed one. This was his doing. It had been his wish that had removed the bombs from the bodies of her and her brother. As though it was his right to do such a thing! He should've just minded his own business, but no. That incident on the lookout had only been the end of an entire series of him saving her. Letting out a frustrated sigh, she continued her flight and mission she had started after she had left the lookout and that was search for her brother.
Unfortunately, it was harder than she realized.
Dr. Gero's genius of not having their ki detectable was great against an enemy, but when she needed it most ~ like needing to find 17~ it turned into a complete and utter waste of time. She had been flying around now for a few weeks, circling the area where she had last seen her twin. It had been the fight with Piccolo that she had last seen 17 and that was a good place to start looking for him. But so far, she wasn't having any luck. She had been lucky though, that the weather had been kind at night, the breeze slowly putting her to rest, the night being clear enough for her to find something to eat if she need be.
Most of all, it gave her time to think.
And she was thinking a lot.
About...him.
She continued her search, as the weeks flew into months, she found herself getting bored with her daily routine. Get up, search for 17, rest, search again, settle down for the night, look for food, sleep. Then it was back to the routine the next morning. Get up, search for 17, rest, search again, settle down for the night, look for food, sleep. Up, search, rest, search, bedding, food, sleep. If their was one thing she could remember from her time as a normal human being, Android 18 got restless and bored very quickly, just like her brother. She had searched for him for almost three months, without a trace of where he could be. So she gave up, and spent the next three months thinking.
Thinking a lot.
About...
Him.
Eighteen just didn't understand his motives and certainly her programming found it to be highly irregular. She and her fellow androids had been given one order. Find and kill Goku. If that wasn't met, then they would just destroy the earth. It was as simple as that. But now, things didn't make sense. Why would Gero do what he did? Eighteen didn't know who she was before she was Android 18, but she had obviously been human. How did Gero find her and 17? And why were they picked for this horrible plan? What had they been like before?
The cyborg threw an energy blast towards a cliff, shattering the side and causing a landslide of rock to come cascading down to the ground. If there was one thing she would never regret as long as she lived, it was when she and 17 killed that genetic freak Gero. They didn't know why they had killed him ~ certainly seeing as they never killed anyone after that~ they just knew he deserved to die and it would come by their hands. Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself, then cursed herself for even needing to calm down.
After she had her obligatory thoughts on Gero, they would always shift to that human. Why did do everything he could to save her?! He had a perfect opportunity to at least attack while they stood on that highway, at least put up some fight, but no. He had tried to...reason with them, tried to stop them in their destruction. That's when she kissed him. It was to shut him up and to amuse herself, but the way his face changed from pale to beet red had stopped her slightly and had intrigued her. He was a funny little man. And then, if almost to ensure he'd be committed to a mental hospital, the next time she saw him, he stood with a controller that would shut her down. Thus keeping Cell from becoming complete.
And he destroyed it.
It didn't make sense, no sense what so ever. He had his job to do and he basically failed. But why? Why had he done that? She had discovered from a nosy Namek that the human...
Name: Krillin
Age: 30
Residence: Kame House
Information: Strongest human fighter with a level of 4200, friend of Goku
...had...what was the word? Cared for her after she had been released from Cell. He had carried her away from the battle, then up to Kami lookout where he had given her a sensu bean. Then she had seen the group sumon a huge dragon in the sky and after they had wished back all those who had been killed by Cell, this Krillin, had wished for her and her brother to be human. The large dragon told him it couldn't be done. Well duh, she had thought. You can't wish something human which is already in that state. Then he had stunned her again, by wishing the bombs that lie dorment in their systems to be removed, so that they could at least try and live a normal, human existence.
Why?
She had stood there in shock, as did his friends, and listen to him...grant mercy on them, on their enemies, who not so long ago had tried to kill them. She had come out of hiding then, said another goodbye to the short man, and took off. Her first task was to find her brother. If this dragon had really granted the wishes made, then she would've found her brother. But she hadn't and she had looked for months. Her sensors told her there was a malfunction happening, but she shook her head and ignored the machancial part of her. She did something so unique, something she hadn't done since she become an android...
She wondered what she was...feeling.
And she came up with sad. She was saddened that she couldn't find her brother and...worried. Where was he? If the people of the earth had been wished back, then where was 17? Was he hiding, still afraid Cell was out there looking for them? If only she could tap into his ki, if she only had the ability to do so. Coming back to the rational side of her being, Eighteen decided she needed answers. After six months of searching and thinking and living in a cave, she wanted answers to her questions and she wanted them now.
And she knew exactly the person who would answer them.
***
"Yamcha, it would be much easier if you just stood there and let me hit you."
The fight hadn't been a fair one in the hills of the valley. A young, tall dark haired man was getting the crap beaten out of him, by his best friend no less. The three eyed warrior known as Tien Shinhan stood in the middle of grass field, his arms crossed over his chest. His statement had been one in jest, something comical at his friend's poor performance that day. Of course the look Yamcha gave him said volumes that the joke wasn't appreciated and that the cyclops would be getting it.
The former desert bandit and present baseball player came after Tien in a flash, his fist going straight toward the man's face. Tien didn't even have to move as Yamcha came at him, his attacks going wild and most never oming near his body. A quick uppercut landed Yamcha on his back, but he wasn't having any of it. Pounding the dirt, he was back on his feet and back swinging at Tien. A leg sweep again took Yamcha down.
"You're not focused." Tien replied, calmly.
A slap to the ground told Tien his friend was indeed not focused and was probably upset about something. So as Yamcha came charging at him, ready to tackle him, Tien sidestepped it and delivered an elbow to his back. Before Yamcha could get up, Tien was on top of him, his head in a headlock. "Now Yamcha," he stressed. "Unless you want to take an unscheduled nap right here in the middle of this field, I suggest you at calm down. I can tell something is bothering you, so you don't need to say anything if you don't want, but if you hope to get at least some training done, I think you should vary your attacks."
"To what?" Yamcha struggled.
"To something that has some potential of hitting me."
The ball player was close to retorting, when he realized his friend was right. Something had been bothering him ever since the arrival of Trunks and he finally noticed he was trying to take his anger out on the former assassain. Tapping his friend's arm that was currently wrapped around his neck, Yamcha signalled he was done for now. Tien let go, then helped the young man off the ground. Tossing an arm around his shoulders, Tien said, "I think now is a good time for a break."
Yamcha nodded. "Yeah." he grumbled. "Look Tien, I'm sorry. I guess my mind is miles away."
"On baseball?" Tien asked. Getting no response, he pumped further. "On the androids? Trunks?" At the mention of the future boy's name, Tien noticed a small grimace on Yamcha's face. "Ah." he said. "Maybe not the boy, but certainly his parents. Yamcha..."
"Tien, I don't want to talk about it." was Yamcha's answer.
"Then we won't."
Only a beat went by as Yamcha began with, "I just don't get it, Tien. I just don't get it. Vegeta? Of all the people Bulma has to start seeing, it's Vegeta?"
"I don't think she's..."
"I mean, when you think of Bulma, who do you think of as someone who be with her, huh? Huh? It's not Vegeta, is it?"
"Maybe something..."
"You know, I have half a mind to think...you know, you don't want to even know what I think, but it's not good, I'll tell you that."
"Yamcha..."
"That's it!"
"What's it?"
"This is a trick. Vegeta is merely using Bulma to get to us. Oh, I have it all figured out now."
"Yamcha, maybe you're..."
"I mean, think about it." Yamcha was on a roll now. "What better way of getting to Goku?"
"Well," Tien stated. "There is Chi-Chi, then Gohan, immediate family of course and then there's..."
"All right, all right." the young man resigned. "So that idea is out."
"Yamcha," Tien began. "Has it occured to you that perhaps Bulma, and this hurts me as much as it does you, might actually be in love with Vegeta?"
It was several minutes before Yamcha said anything, his face betraying for only a few seconds of hurt and realization. "Tien, that's disgusting." he growled. "And as my best friend, I'd like you not to mention that ever again. Because that...is...is..."
"A possibility." Tien then added, "A rare, but possible outcome." The two were silent for a bit before Tien again spoke. "Yamcha, I'm not sure how I can be any help to you. But you know we're friends, so whenever you feel the need to injure someone, I'm always glad to kick your butt into the ground."
Yamcha smirked at the jibe. "The day you beat me in a fight, Tien Shinhan, hell will freeze over."
"Then it must be extremely cold." Tien countered. "Seeing as I've just beaten you."
"Dude, that doesn't count."
"It's still cold, as I continually beat your ass while in Other World."
"You beat me once and I let you win."
"Oh?" Tien asked, giving his friend a shove. "And did you also let me win at the World Martial Arts Tournament? I mean, it was so nice of you to break your leg to let me win."
The two stared each other down.
"Are you ready to give me a real fight or should I go easy on you again?" Tien again.
Yamcha smiled. "I hope you brought some mode of transporation." he said. "I'd hate for you to limp home."
"Empty threats."
"Then shut me up."
"With pleasure."
Within seconds, the two were battling like old foes.