Desert Shadow

By: Sophie5 (Pai-Chan)

Chapter 4

"Scent of Death"

Nine gave a quick intake of breath as her eyes flashed open, her retinas taking in the sudden rush of light pouring in them. She quickly bolted out of her bed, completely dressed and in a fighting position. Nine's palm was curled to her side as she felt electric shocks of energy gather inside. She couldn't explain what that feeling of being choked was coming from, but she didn't like it. Breathing was still difficult at that moment.

Nine took a moment to take in her surroundings. She was inside a cabin and could feel the warmth of a fire blazing in the fireplace nearby. There was a cauldron of some soup being cooked in the hearth which was, for some unknown reason, left unattended. Slowly turning around to inspect the rest of the room, she noticed twin beds near an open window and pale green curtains were blown by a gentle breeze as the sunlight streamed in directly onto the bed she'd just been laying in.

Why can I never remember anything before I lay down to recharge my energy cells? Nine thought irritably. It takes me hours just to remember what the hell I had for breakfast!

After a final run through of the entire cabin, she decided that maybe it was best to see what was going on outside, reminding herself not to wander off too far from her current position. Her fingertips barely brushed the doorknob when the door swung open, nearly knocking into her. Ten flew past her in a blur and was immediately at the fireplace, moaning in the process. Nine instinctively rubbed a hand through her hair, making the windblown locks that had escaped from her ponytail elegantly fit her face. As she turned to look at her twin brother, he grimaced at the cauldron, knowing that if it wasn't removed the soup would either lose its flavor or boil away all together.

She chuckled. He always did hate to cook. Nine thought, then noticed that he'd turned to look back at her.

His disgusted look deepened as he gazed at her questioningly. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing. Just that I know how much you hate cooking."

"Well if you know how much I hate it, why the hell don't you cook for a change, huh!"

"Because I do the shopping around here."

Ten ground his teeth and with a wave of his hand, the fire had disapated. He gazed into the black pot and his nose wrinkled, fully expressing his feelings of dissatisfaction. "You need to let me do the damn shopping." he muttered.

Nine grabbed her cloak that hung on the wall and wrapped it around her body. "Forget it. There's no way in hell you're gonna get me to cook!" she countered, then tied the string on the front of her cloak. "I'm off to run my errands."

Suddenly a pain stabbed the inside of her head, piercing at her mind. Danger was coming and it was in the form of Android Seventeen. Ever since that night they fought, she's had an unbreakable connection with him, especially in feeling his presence. Luckily for her though, he had not yet learned to unlock his emotions so he couldn't detect her aura no matter how hard he looked for her.

Feels like he's heading Northwest...several kilometers Northwest. It'll take me at least over half an hour to get there.

Nine sighed and felt the wind blow against her cheeks, her black hair clouding her vision just barely. But by then it may already be too late.

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Nina quickly paid the attendant for the accessories and ran out the door, faintly hearing the cashier claim that she'd given him too much money. She did not take heed to his words. Her thoughts were now somewhere else. Nina couldn't explain it, but some cold feeling seemed to have shot up her spine. It was a mix of both aniticipation and terror. Suddenly she wished that Kasumi hadn't talked her into coming to the city to spend the rest of the afternoon. Clutching onto the necklaces that she'd bought for Kasumi and herself, Nina began to frantically search the crowd for her grandfather and Kasumi. Unfortunately, they were nowhere in sight.

This isn't good. she thought to herself, half aware of her surroundings. I told them I'd be just a minute so where could they have gone off to?

Nina continued to push her way through the crowds of people in her path, scanning the area for her family. Though Pepper City wasn't a huge metropolis, it was still big enough to lose someone in if one wasn't paying close attention. Her eyes went in the direction of the showcase her grandfather had been looking in. The new set of golf clubs was still being displayed, but no sign of her grandfather or Kasumi was inside of the small shop. She quickly turned on her heels and headed back toward the jewelry shop and decided to start her search in another direction. Nina's irritation grew as her search continued, now seeing that this would be a perfect time to bring up the cell phone issue to her grandparents again when they got back home.

The cold bit at her for a second time. But it felt much worse, to the point where she could barely even breathe. She changed her course to instead a nearby building and Nina proceeded to head behind the building where she could momentarily catch her second wind. Clutching her chest tightly, she could feel her breath coming out in shorter intervals and she was beginning to think she'd developed pneumonia when a peculiar smell touched her nose. Faint, but pungent, Nina could not place her finger on the scent at all, though it was unmistakably familiar somehow. Taking more time to sniff the air and to catch her breath, the smell was now getting stronger.

Her eyelids narrowed slowly as her vision began to slowly survey the area around her. It was close. I smell it. she finally concluded as her eyes shifted slowly upwards. I smell death in the air.

Forgetting about her breathing problems, Nina took off from behind the building and tore down the street, ignoring the people she continuously bumped into. She was now fearing for her family's life and a huge pain swelled inside the pit of her stomach.

"KASUMI! GRANDPA! GRANDMA! WHERE ARE YOU!" Nina yelled through the streets as ongoing traffic glanced at her, confused. But she didn't care. Something just wasn't right. She had to find them now for she knew something bad was going to happen, she just knew it.

Unbeknowest to her, Nina slammed right into it.

"Oh sorry! Sorry!" she exclaimed, totally bemused and embarassed.

Her eyes moved up to see the piercing blue ones of an attractive young man with straight, jet black hair that fell chin length. His skin was evenly tan and his well chiseled features gave off an air of brisk strength instead of bulky brawn. An elegant smile formed on his lips, one that seemed to declare both interest and surprise. Nina couldn't understand it, but no matter how friendly he may have seemed, something about this stranger didn't make her feel anymore relieved than before she had lost her family to the crowd.

The smell of death was stronger now, coming from his presence. She gasped. It's him! Death cloaks him from head to toe! Then the insignia caught her eye.

"M, my God..." Nina stammered in fear.

The Android's smile broadened. "You'll see him soon." he replied coldly, then in turn, slapped her hard in the face.

She flew off to the side as her body smashed through a nearby building, bits and pieces of glass covering her body as it cut through her skin. The last thing Nina remembered before she blacked out was the curtain of blood oozing from her own head, the Android shooting off his energy blasts, and the screams of terror from the people in Pepper City.

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Trunks continued to twiddle with his thumbs as the music played on the radio in the car. He could feel the eyes of his mother burning against the side of his face, anxious to hear his question. But he just didn't know how to go about asking it. For one thing, he knew the first thing out of her mouth would be something negative toward his idea. He heard from Gohan that it was something Vegeta had a knack for doing and he'd also known Bulma to be that way since he'd first met her. Trunks wanted to fight alongside Gohan so badly. As far as anyone knew, he was the last surviving member of Earth's Special Forces and that obviously wasn't enough to stop the androids' continuous assaults.

He looked over at his mom and saw that she was concentrating on the road again, wind blowing through her foamy green hair. Trunks opened his mouth to speak just when the song on the radio was interrupted by a news reporter.

We interrupt this program for a special news bulletin. Pepper City is currently being attacked by the androids and they are now proceeding to turn their attention to the civilians of the city, determined to wage a full-scale massacre! We ask that all residents near the area of Pepper City, please evacuate to a safer location. I repeat, all residents near the Pepper City region, please evacuate to a safer location. That is all.

"Don't they ever get enough! Damn those two to hell!" Bulma exclaimed, slamming her fist against the steering wheel.

Trunks squeezed his fists against his pants legs, angry at not being able to help. He had to do something!

"Mom, I want you to go on home without me!"

She stopped the car. "What's wrong Trunks?" There was a momentary pause and he could hear her sucking air through her teeth. "Forget it Trunks! N-O!"

Trunks turned his head to look at her, trying his best to make her understand as he pleaded to her on the inside. Bulma's eyes narrowed. "I already lost my husband to those mechanical monsters! I'm not going to lose my only son to them too!"

Sorry Mom! he apologized in his mind, then flew out of the car and headed towards Pepper City.

"DAMN YOU!" he heard his mother yell to him. "YOU HAD BETTER COME BACK ALIVE OR YOU'RE IN TROUBLE!"

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The city was now a mere pile of rubble. They'd demolished the city alot faster than he'd anticipated. But that wasn't going to help his plans any because he knew it just might take his Desert Shadow a while to get to their current location. Yet if he'd explained to Eighteen just whythey were really doing this, she would've had no part in it and in the end, his boredom would've eventually gotten the better of him. He soon began to shoot at random buildings to help pass the time. Seventeen started to ask his sister to join him when he realized that she was still mad at him for blowing up that clothing store after saying that she would spare it and the owner. But it still wouldn't hurt to try.

"Hey Eighteen--" he began as he caused another building to explode.

"Don't talk to me you jerk!" Eighteen cut in as she sat on a pile of rubble, a sour expression deeply chiseled onto her face.

Seventeen turned to look at her, pale eyes gleaming. "Awe c'mon! Don't tell me you're still mad!"

She spat on the ground and tucked her hair behind her ear. "It's not your concern anyway. You're lucky I don't hate you for embarassing me the way you did!"

He flew down and sat next to his sister, nudging her playfully with his elbow. "Man Eighteen, don't be like that! C'mon, I said I was sorry. It was a simple mistake."

The Android's reply was a simple huff and the turning away of her head, pouting. Seventeen decided to give up for the time being and as he gazed at the destroyed city, his thoughts began to wander to the very first girl he'd killed the moment he stepped into Pepper City. She had to have been no older than 14 years old, but she was already starting to bloom into womanhood. Her thick, dark brown banes shaded the brown of her eyes while the rest of her hair fell down the small of her back that was held in a loose, low ponytail. The girl's skin tone was a couple of shades lighter than his own, and from the quick glance that he'd taken the time to do, he surveyed that she was also very athletic, possibly even a martial artist protege. But the one thing that stuck to his mind was the look in her eyes before she realized who he was.

It was a determination that could not be broken.

Too bad she's dead. he finally accepted, though now regretting his abrasive actions.

"Let's go home. I'm bored." Eighteen's words cut into his thoughts and after concluding that Desert Shadow was going to be a "no show," agreed with his twin and they set off for home, leaving the chaos of their destruction to fester inside the hearts of the survivors. If there were any.