Desert Shadow

Chapter 1

"Rain falls on the Desert Shadow"

The steady rain continued to pour from the sky. It was as if Heaven were crying because of so much pain the planet Earth had taken. The planet, its people, all of it was dying. The Androids' reign of terror continued to devastate the planet, destroying the people's hopes. Hope had died when Earth's Special Forces were annihilated and the Dragonballs had disappeared. Their trail of destruction left the survivors trembling with fear, for there was no one left to protect them.

It continued for 13 years nonstop.

Tears of heaven could not wash away the blood, the death, and the fear.

It only increased it.

Even though the Z Warriors were dead, there was one person who was still strong and willing to live, no matter how hopeless and futile it seemed. That person was now racing through the heavy rain, carrying grocery sacs back to her home so she could hope to feed herself and her son. The city was desolate because it had just been attacked by the Androids. She had hoped to get by them without being seen by the Androids at that moment she was in town, but she soon changed her mind because she didn't want to leave her son as an orphan.

Suddenly there was a loud and massive explosion nearby. The woman stopped, her feet just barely slipping on the wet concrete. A strong gust of wind blew hard against her, causing the hood on her head to blow back, revealing her foam greenish-blue hair. She slowly turned her body around, catching the smoke of the explosion and little particles of flame covered pieces.

Bulma's blue eyes narrowed. "The city is already a wasteland! What could they possibly gain by destroying random buildings?" she muttered.

She turned back around and resumed her run back home just as another building exploded. The rain continued to slide off of her windbreaker and her sneakers sloshed in the many puddles. Bulma held her grocery bags tightly to her chest. As soon as she was out of the city, she pulled out her Dino Cap pack, picked a capsule and clicked on the top. She then tossed the capsule off in the distance and her car appeared.

As Bulma got into her car, she couldn't help but wonder if her little "project" was really going to work. She constantly told her doubtful son that it would work, but she had a hard time of convincing herself of that too. She was getting old now, her 14-year-old son proved that fact. But her thoughts kept venturing back to her younger days, and her good times with Goku and the others. She missed them so much. But who Bulma missed more was her lover, Vegeta, Trunks' father. She thought of how the Androids slaughtered her friends, who were more like family to her. How Goku was the only one who had passed on in peace, and yet that had been a terrifying omen from the start. It wasn't fair to her, to Trunks, and it also wasn't fair to Gohan.

...Gohan.

He was the last remaining Z Fighter on planet Earth, and he had been fighting against the Androids since he was 11. He never really had a good child, teen, or adulthood for that matter. He had given up everything to face the evil that terrorized the planet. His studies, his goals, his dreams. He even left his mother so that she wouldn't try to stop him, irrational as she was. Gohan had constantly been fighting till the bitter end, giving it all he had until finally he turned Super Saiyan. Yet that still wasn't enough to defeat them. There were so many opportunities for the 2 Androids to kill Gohan, like they did the others, but they always left him barely alive.

Bulma fastened her seatbelt and cranked up her car. The explosions were getting closer as she sighed and began to drive off toward her home. "It's just a game to them. They're killing thousands of innocent people for their own enjoyment. Damn those two!"

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"Damnit, all this rain! It's been rainin' for a straight week!"

A lone figure walked aimlessly around the city ruins. Just moments before her arrival, the area was flourishing with people, who, amazingly enough, were smiling and happy. The people of Earth still had their hope, and showed it through their happiness on this day. Even though there was so much sorrow around them, there were still things to be joyful about.

But now they were all dead, or barely alive.

As the figure continued to walk, explosions of buildings could be heard in the distance. The shadowed person changed pace and began walking toward, instead of away, from the danger. There was nothing else to do around the city ruins, and it wasn't like this stranger had anything to lose.

"Stupid Androids. Up to no good I bet."

The shadowed stranger cracked its knuckles and sighed. "It's about time I made my appearance anyhow."

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The sinister android Seventeen continued his assault on the wrecked buildings. Him and his sister Eighteen had already leveled the city to bits early that afternoon. It had been another one of his games that he had decided they'd play. Afterwards, when all the remaining humans had scampered off into hiding, Eighteen had gotten bored and when home to try on some of her new clothes she had gotten out of the store before Seventeen had managed to blow it sky high. She had gotten pretty pissed off about that, and it seemed like forever before he could talk her into spreading terror on the city with him. He hated having to beg her into doing things he wanted to do when she was mad at him.

Seventeen didn't feel up to going home just yet, so he just hung around for awhile to blast away some buildings. Soon that started to bore him as well, all too quickly actually, but he still wasn't ready to take off for home. He wanted Eighteen to feel sorry for leaving him behind. She'd be worried in another 30 minutes if his guess was right.

He descended from the building he was on and landed in a puddle. Seventeen watched the rain fall into the water, causing small ripples to form. He had always been fascinated by nature's little actions. So, to enjoy its gifts, Seventeen began to walk on the wet streets.

As he walked along, admiring the heavy damage he and his sister had caused, he saw someone approaching towards him. He smiled, wondering who had the courage to walk back into such a demolished area. The figure's head was bent low and was concealed by a gray hood that was connected to a cloak that wrapped around the body. It could have been a wandering traveler who had never been to the city before. The person held no ki signature, so there was nothing for him to be threatened by. No one else on the planet could take him on, that is, except for Blondie, his little toy.

The stranger approached closer, but Seventeen continued to walk toward it. He was curious to see what this person would do.

Finally they crossed paths, too close actually. The figure bumped shoulders with Seventeen and the android's eyes narrowed quickly as his muscles tensed.

"Sorry." the stranger complied.

Seventeen froze, back to the stranger who continued to walk away from him. He was speechless. He couldn't believe this person had the gall to just bump into the world's most fearsome terror yet and all the person had to say was sorry!

Am I losing my edge?...Nah, I doubt it. Seventeen thought arrogantly. He turned and watched the stranger walk away. Guess it wouldn't hurt to strike some fear.

"Hey! You!" he called.

The figure stopped and turned around, cloak barely moving the breeze. "Yeah, what?"

Seventeen's eyes widened for just a brief second, but then narrowed again. "You must have alot of guts to bump into me and then get rude! Who do you think you are, because you have no idea who you're messin' with!" he demanded.

A strong gust of wind blew up against Seventeen's back, causing his black hair to cast off forward. He watched as the wind slammed against the figure's cloak and finally, the hood was thrown off, revealing the stranger's face. It was a female human with jet black hair, banes that spiked and combed on either side of her face, framing it well. A tendril fell in the very middle of her face, over her nose. A touch of light brown on the flesh and eyes pale as ice. Thin black brows furrowed over the gleaming, narrowed eyes. Her high ponytail blew back behind her with the wind, an authoritive and annoyed expression on her face. The blue eyes held no fear in them, but rather a questioning anger.

For a moment, and only a moment, Seventeen was shocked. He had never seen his own expression thrown back at him. Not only by her boldness to test him, but by her beauty as well. She was so well placed with the shadows, but her skin gave off an appeal of warmth, like sand from the desert.

Seventeen smiled. A Desert Shadow.

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Trunks felt his pencil snap against his notebook as the news caster announced that another city was destroyed. He had been doing his homework, waiting for his mother to return from shopping. Gohan was with him, helping him with homework, and he trained out back. He couldn't believe that they had struck again so soon.

Trunks closed his eyes while tossing his broken pencil away. "Monstrous." he muttered.

He was just about to cut off the radio, when the news man announced what city. The city which was destroyed was East City. Very few are thought to have survived the Androids' assault. the radio blared.

Trunks' eyes widened in fear, then he jumped out of his chair and ran outside to the back, oblivious to the rain. He saw Gohan, as a Super Saiyan, training, which was his basic routine of slicing a tree into millions of pieces with his bare fists. He didn't want to attract too much Android attention, because they hadn't discovered the Capsule Corp. home, and he didn't want to endanger his only family other than his mom and grandpa.

Trunks ran through the grass, just barely slipping. "Gohan! Gohan, quick!" he cried.

Gohan stopped his training, a bit of wood chip falling onto his nose. He shook it off while phasing out of Super Saiyan mode. "Trunks, what's up?"

Trunks stopped in front of him, panting heavily. "G-Gohan! We gotta, we gotta go!"

"How come?"

"Mom! She may be hurt!"

Gohan scowled. "The Androids?"

Trunks nodded. "Yeah! The radio just reported East City destroyed! It happened nearly 4 hours ago, which is around the time Mom left!" He paused, then looked at Gohan, whose face was now as serious as ever. "Gohan, East City is where Mom was shopping!"

They both nodded to each other in agreement and were about to take off when suddenly...

"Trunks! Gohan! Get out of the rain right now! Do you want pneumonia!" Bulma yelled at them from inside the house.

Trunks instantly ran and embraced his mother, nearly knocking her off of her feet, a reaction surprising to Bulma. He hadn't hugged her since he was 12, going through his stage of puberty, amazingly enough that he could actually bother with something like that during their despairing atmosphere. At times, he would've rather died than let her hug him in public.

Bulma stroked through his lavender hair. "I didn't know you cared." she mocked.

Glaring at her, he smiled. "Oh Mom!"

They all went into the house, shaking the rainwater from their bodies. Bulma went over to the fireplace and roared up the flames to warm everyone up. The last thing she needed right now was to nurse anybody back to health. Bulma left that job to Chi-Chi. She took off her soaked windbreaker, shook her wet hair loose from the ponytail and set the groceries on the countertop in the kitchen.

"Gohan, Trunks. Why don't you guys change out of those wet clothes and get warm? I'll get dinner ready." she instructed them.

Gohan removed his top to his gi and threw it in the laundry basket. He revealed his muscular body, and how it had changed in the last 13 years. He threw Bulma a deep look of concern. "Bulma? Are you sure you're alright? The Androids didn't hurt you did they?"

His former babysitter smiled. "Don't worry Gohan, I'm fine. I got out in time." she said, then sighed. "But I just feel sorry for those who didn't! I can't believe they attacked and destroyed another city. Those two wiped out District 459 just 2 days ago!"

The Saiyan's eyes narrowed. "Looks as though they're getting restless. They have to be stopped!" he snarled while balling up his fist, then he sighed. "But I'm just not enough to stop them."

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Seventeen continued to gaze at the girl in complete awe. He'd never seen a human so beautiful, or rather, at least not take the time to look. How could such beauty elude his detail catching eyes? Hmm, I wonder how I could've missed her. he asked himself, for at least the 3rd time.

Her annoyed expression deepened. She obviously hated being stared at. "BOO! What, never seen a girl before!" she snapped.

The Android's eyes narrowed, smile still placed seductively on his face. "No, it's just that I'm in a state of pensiveness." he remarked her coolly.

"Is that a fact?" she said while raising an eyebrow, annoyance still shown throughout.

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She paused a moment and studied the young man's face.

Wait...

Her thoughts interceded, then she studied him again.

That face.

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Seventeen watched the aggravation slowly mold into suspicious wonder. Sudden change in expression...but why? He saw the annoyed expression return. Very interesting.

Seventeen decided to wait and see what these changes would soon reveal unto him.

But one thing was certain...

He was not going to be disappointed.

I know I've seen that face!

She was getting upset with herself, but she knew she'd recognized that face.

But from where!

Suddenly, a brief image flashed through her mind. It was a photo, the one she had been carrying for nearly 13 and a half years. It was the twin boy in the picture. The young man with chin length black hair and ghostly blue eyes. Finally there was a link to her past now! Maybe he knew who she was, or could remember who she was to him. She continued to gaze at the youth's face, wondering if there was any sign of recognition in his eyes at all, of who she was.

...There was none.

"Now who's staring at who?" His voice cut in through her thoughts, and her hopes.

She was just about to reply, when a familiar symbol caught her eye. It was on his shirt.

A bold red ribbon with two white uppercase R's inside of it.

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Her eyes widened in brief shock, denial, and sadness. He could see it all, but he didn't understand why she was throwing these riddling looks.

Seventeen was getting a tad bit uneasy with her silence, and her body language. What could she possibly be thinking?

Her pale eyes narrowed under her furrowed brows. They glowed remorseful, but then burned with rage.

He smiled to himself. Now she's disturbed. I've made her aggressive somehow.

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Sooo. He's the one I've been looking for all these years.

She balled up her fists, hidden beneath her cloak.

I've gotta end this now!

Her hand slowly slipped through the split in the front of her dark gray cloak and she began to untie the string around the collar region.

I have to stop him now!

After the strings were loose, she clutched the collar of the cloak, eyes narrowing further as she watched the killer Android gaze in curiosity. The rain suddenly began to fall heavier, thunder rumbling in the distance.

Otherwise...

Then she snatched the cloak off of her shoulder and threw it to the side, the rain falling even harder, matting her black hair to her face. Lightning flashed nearby, suddenly followed by a clap of thunder that rumbled the already crumbling buildings. The cloak flew farther off, yet near enough for her not to lose it.

I'll never be able to do it later.

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Seventeen began to study her clothing, seeing how even more beautiful she was underneath the gray concealment. She wore a bright red, skin tight shirt that was now soaked. The neck portion of the shirt went nearly all the way, barely showing half an inch of her light brown skin. It was a long sleeve shirt, stopping at the wrist and flowed down into her black jean pants. She had a black vest, where the sleeves looked like they had been ripped off, fringing on the ends, and the base was trimmed in white. Around the loops of her pants was a brown belt with a bright gold buckle. Then that's when he saw it.

On the knees of the pants was the Red Ribbon Army insignia.

His eyes narrowed. She's an android. Seventeen watched the female android spread her legs apart, clamping both her hands into tight fists as she positioned them to her side.

She was getting ready to fight.

"So Android. You got a name, or rather, a number?" Seventeen asked his opponent as he still stood casual and upright.

Her almond eyes narrowed even further. "My number is of no relevance to this battle. Besides..." She paused, then smirked. "It's not like you'll live long enough to find out who I am anyway. And if you do, then that's just a mistake on my part now isn't it?"

Seventeen shrugged. "Too bad. I guess I'll just have to make up a name for you then won't I?" he asked her, watching her smirk fade away.

"What do you mean!" she demanded, the smoothness of her voice now beginning to ripple.

There's fire! I like it! Seventeen declared triumphantly in his thoughts. He smirked, arching one dark brow over his light blue eye. "You won't give me your droid number, so I'll just have to call you something else. I can't just call you Android now can I?"

He placed a finger on his chin, stroking it carefully. All the while she stood still, prepared to attack at any moment.

Desert Shadow.

Seventeen's eyes brightened with satisfactory. "I've got it! A perfect name for you."

Desert Shadow.

He positioned himself into a fighting stance, preparing for his assault. "Shall we dance now, my Desert Shadow?"