A/N: Oh I am sooooooooooooo sorry!!!! It's been almost a year! How cold of me!!!! I didn't die, not too many family crisis, I was handling reality ok, it was school that became a &%$#!. Ah, but school is over for now and I have 5 more chapters to this thing that I will type up and post A.S.A.P. Oh, and if you read this fic before 7/2/04, go back and reread the first two chapters due to the fact that I revised and corrected all the misspellings (I can't believe how many there actually were, I'm so embarrassed!) Ok, Enjoy!
Ch. 3 – One Step Forward, Two Steps Behind
"Oh no." Marron was completely frozen. It wasn't Piccolo or Uub like she hoped. Instead, it was a blue guy that looked like Kruble except he had long red hair and had a lime-green cape. Considering what happened with the first guy and the way he's looking at her, she doubted her luck was about to improve.
"Oh yes. May I ask, is there anyone else here?" He stepped closer to Marron. He was dominantly bigger, stronger, and more calmer than Marron was at that particular moment.
Marron stumbled back. 'SHIT!!!'
"I'll take that as a 'no.'" He said grinning, showing yellow – very rotten teeth, which just made Marron feel all the more scared. "Now, before I destroy this place, I need you to tell me something."
"Who are you?" A very scared Marron asked. If she was going to die, she would love to know who did it at least. Why in the world does she have to sweat when she's nervous? She felt hot and cold at the same time.
"All right, that's a fair question, allow me to introduce myself to you, Marron is it?" He said politely bowing with his head up keeping eye contact but still holding that death glare he gave her.
Marron's eyes went wide. 'HOW DOES HE KNOW MY NAME?!'
"I assume you're Marron, my name is Tinor. Now, I need you to tell me where it is." He went back up and proceeded to Marron.
Marron went from nervous to confused nervous. "W-where what is?" He could be talking about a million things, especially in this lab.
"It figures this would be difficult." He sighed, as if this whole thing was a petty errand he had to do. "I'm talking about the plasma device of course." He said, getting even closer to Marron.
Marron let out a short breath, this Tinor person narrowed down the subject to two things. She knew she had to test this guy's knowledge, as much as she was scared and really didn't want to get hurt. However, this is for the better purpose she kept telling herself. "Plasma device? What's a Plasma device?"
Tinor began to look annoyed. "We both know it's a device that circulates air mass and turns it into nuclear energy."
"Right." Marron knew what he was talking about, but it wasn't called the plasma device technically, that was just a nickname for it to use around people. To her, the plasma device is what makes you set the coordinates in a space pod.
"Don't play dumb." He spat. "I know you know where it is. Just like how Bulma and Vegeta are at Planet paradise and Vegeta using your space pod that you built to get to Bulma, or should I say Tony?" Tinor was now right in front of Marron's face. His hot breath was breathing on her and could easily see her shaking all over from freight.
Marron was terrified and it didn't help that he knew exactly what was going on, he almost knew more than herself. None the less, she had to keep reminding herself that there was a higher purpose than her own life. It was a good thing she learned that these past two years, otherwise, this guy probably would have gotten what he had already. Thinking about Bulma also helped her contain nerves she thought she didn't have.
"I-if you knew all that, then you should know where the plasma device is already." Marron said trying to get away from Tinor, but to no avail. He trapped her against the wall and slammed both fists on the wall next to both sides to her face making every part of her body shake. He breathed even harder on Marron.
"I did know, but it wasn't where it was supposed to be." He said threateningly. Marron could clarify now that his patience was running thin.
Tinor was breathing so hard on her that the only air Marron was getting was from his breath, which wasn't air. Marron closed her eyes trying to think what she could do. She has never been in this kind of situation concerning this issue and it didn't help that this guy was serious.
"You have until I count to 5 to tell me where it is. If not, well, I'll torture you until you do." He said with a sinister smile.
"We weren't due for another disaster for 11 months." Marron said panicking. Her higher purpose reminders did nothing to help her now and she began to feel that Bulma is in a much better place than she is at the moment. The last plasma device was used for Trunks' pod. The thing Tinor was talking about is in a secret place no one knows about.
"One."
"Uh...." Marron looked around, she didn't see anything that was even remotely close to looking like either devices.
"Two."
"Er..." Where was everyone? Surely they sensed this guy.
"Three."
If they can't sense him, then he must be somewhat weak.
"Four."
Marron found a chair right next to her, she placed both hands on it ready to strike.
Tinor actually hesitated for a second looking at Marron. "Five."
SMACK!!
Marron looked down at the leftovers of the chair she hit Tinor with. Not a scratch, flinch, dent, anything relating to pain on Tinor, much to her dismay.
Tinor simply laughed. "You didn't expect that to hurt me did you?"
"I was hoping...." Marron tried to run but Tinor slapped her and slammed her into the opposite wall knocking a bunch of equipment over. Marron laid across the floor on her stomach desperately trying to get up. She felt a rib break, at least 2 spranes, the rest of her body tenderized, and one hell of a headache. "Come on Marron, you can do this...." Every time she tried to push herself up, her arms would give out.
Tinor stood right above Marron, with anger in his eyes. "Tell me where it is."
"Why?" Marron coughed out, she still couldn't get up.
Tinor blasted more equipment that was to the side of them. "That's none of your concern."
"I wouldn't do that." Marron weakly said, she was desperately trying to stay awake and not fall unconscious now.
Tinor went and blasted another area full of equipment and tools. "Give me one good reason why!"
"Because...." Marron's breathing became heavy.
"Because?" Tinor picked up Marron by her lab coat making her face to face with him.
"The plasma device...." Marron trailed off. She could feel herself going in and out.
Tinor turned pale. "Don't tell me it's in this room."
"I-it depends...." Marron blacked out.
"Wretched woman!" He yelled. Tinor threw and unconscious Marron across the room and blasted more than half the lab and destroyed the rest of it. All that was left were black pieces. "This isn't over." Tinor left.
The next thing Marron knew, she was lying in a bed surrounded by Trunks (The present one), Goten, Bra, Pan, Gohan, Videl, Chi Chi, and her parents.
"Marron, you're awake!" Bra hugged Marron.
"Thank Dende you're alive!" Now Pan joined in.
"Oww." Marron winced.
"Guys, remember that Dende's not here yet, Marron can still feel pain." Trunks said. He looked more distressed than anyone else.
"Sorry Marron." Pan and Bra let go.
"That's okay, I'm glad I'm alive to feel pain." Marron tried to smile.
"Marron, what happened.?" Gohan said.
"I think we have another catastrophe."
"That can't be right, we shouldn't be due for one until next year." Goten said.
"Where's my father?" Trunks asked.
"He's trying to get Bulma."
"But mom's supposed to be on vacation!" Bra whined.
"I think she was set-up." Marron said.
"Why?"
"I don't know......yet." Marron was thinking about the 'plasma device.'
"How do you know for sure?" Krillin asked.
Marron sighed. How should she explain all that has happened today? "I think you all should take a seat and get Piccolo and Uub here as well."
"We're already here." Sure enough, Uub, Piccolo, and Dende came walking into the room. "We sensed something, or rather someone, unfamiliar."
"It led us here."
Marron now felt lucky that she survived through Tinor, Piccolo sensed him all the way from the watch tower.
"Now that I think about it, I thought I sensed someone else, at first I thought it was Trunks, but I knew he was with me." Goten said.
"We thought it was Trunks too, but his ki level was too high...." Piccolo trailed off. "It must have been the other one." He looked at Marron.
Marron simply nodded.
"Marron, I think it's about time you told us what happened."
"Okay, well as you know, it started off with Bulma all of a sudden taking a vacation....." And Marron told about Kruble, Vegeta, and finally Trunks from different time. The only thing shse didn't mention was Tony, as that was a personal matter and had nothing to do with what was going on. Safe to say, everyone in the room was pretty shocked, especially about the other Trunks.
"This does sound like a set-up. Our priority people disappeared right when someone tried to take....well, you know." Krillin trailed off.
"They could also travel in time."
"That reminds me." Marron searched in her pants pocket and sighed of relief when she took out Trunks' capsule. "Thank Dende..."
"Your welcome." He said across the room.
"What's that Marron?" Bra asked.
"Trunks' things from his time machine."
"SO, is he cooler than Bra's brother?" Pan asked.
"I think so."
"Hey!"
"You can tell he trains hard."
"Hey!"
"He's not as arrogant either."
"Hey!"
"And he gets things done when they need to be instead of skipping work to go gir-"
"HEY! I GET THE PICTURE!!" Trunks yelled.
Marron needed to laugh. She couldn't let everyone there know how truly worried she was. Unlike them, she's had time to think about the situation. Why would someone want the plasma device so badly as to use extreme measures? It can't work in space and hardly produces anything at all on earth. None the less, it's still very dangerous to use if used in the right atmosphere. But where in the universe could that be?
"Marron, would Trunks, the other one I mean, be at Planet Paradise by now?" Bra asked.
"What time it is?"
"10:25."
"IN THE MORNING?!"
"You've been out for a while."
"Then yeah, he should definitely be there by now, maybe even comeback by today, with Bulma." Marron wished.
"What do we do now?" Pan asked.
"I don't know." Gohan said.
"What happened to Tinor?" Goten asked.
"Either he's hiding his ki and is here on Earth, or he's left the planet. I can't sense him."
"Ooh, what if this is part of his plan?" Bra said, starting to feel worried.
"She's right, Tinor could be waiting for us to reveal the 'plasma device' before he acts again."
"But you and Bulma are the only ones who know where it is, or even get to it." Chi Chi said..
"I know...." Marron bit her lip, she just realized something that she forgot a long time ago.
"Tinor said that it wasn't where it was supposed to be..."
"Somebody else got to it first." Marron stated.
"Do you know who it was?" Trunks questioned.
"Uh, no." Marron freaked. She never told the others, along with Bulma, that she moved the location of the 'plasma device.' There's no way she can tell them now that someone is after it.
"We have to see it. Since Bulma's not here, Marron's the only one who can show us where it is." Piccolo said.
Marron took a big gulp. "We'll check the location where it's supposed to be." Now Marron's in trouble, she has to check the real location by herself. Although, she felt pretty sure that it's still where it's supposed to be. It's still going to be hard to see with everyone protecting her and Tinor waiting to take the initiative. "I know what I'll do." Marron said aloud.
"What?"
"You guys, when I open the lock to the 'plasma device,' be ready for Tinor to attack." Marron said.
"Right. When do we leave?"
"Now, I guess." Marron got up for the first time after Dende healed her and walked outside.
Maybe she didn't have to get the 'plasma device' by herself. She decapsuled a little hover car, a piece of junk compared to the other that was crushed, and drove off. Everyone else flew and followed. Marron had the hood down so she could keep an eye on everyone, and also Chi Chi and Bra wanted to be in the car instead of being held by Goten and Trunks. Marron drove and drove. The further she drove, the more secluded the scenery became. Finally, they came to the edge of a mountain.
"Is it in this mountain Marron?"
"No, this is where Bulma and I first put it, until I moved it without her knowing."
"My mom's going to kill you!" Bra exclaimed.
"Bulma said if I was uncomfortable with this spot, I could move it whenever I felt like it, just as long as I let her know."
"So she did know."
"No, I never head a chance to tell her, then I completely forgot."
"Mother really is going to kill you!" Trunks said. He seemed a little less distressed after Marron was healed.
"I think Tinor came here first. I want to check if he did." Marron pushed a piece of rock on the mountain and a door opened right in front of her. "Cover me." Marron said, she started to feel somewhat scared again. Trunks went right in front of her and blocked her front view. To her surprise, it looked exactly like the last time she was here when looking from the sides. It was a silver dome with a black pillar in the center. On top of the small pillar was supposed to be the 'plasma device.'
As Marron suspected, it wasn't there. "It's not here." She said, peeping out behind Trunks.
So Marron got into the car again and drove to a new direction. This time, they went into a city, a crowded one. So crowded, everyone had to stop flying, stop using the car, and walk. Of all the places, Marron lead everyone to a music store, a mega music store. She went to the very back, picked up a pair of head phones, slid a card through a slot next to where the head phones were connected, typed in many numbers, then left that area. She then went to a poster that was on the left and with one push, she opened a secret door. Once everyone was in, she shut the door. It was completely dark and silent until Marron yelled, "light on" and just like the room in the mountain, it was a dome with a small black pillar.
To Marron's surprise, it wasn't here either. All that was there was a small folded note. Marron picked up the note and began to read it. She silently turned to face everyone.
"This isn't good." She squeaked.
A/N: Whew! There's chapter 3 for you guys....that took a while. I'll post ch. 4 within a day or two, that one will focus more on Vegeta and Trunks and the trouble they run into at Planet Paradise! Please Review! Thanks!