DISCLAMER: I DO NOT OWN DRAGONBALL Z OR ANYTHING ELSE MENTIONED IN THIS STORY!
A/N: Thank you all for the reviews!
"talking"
'thinking'
Italics are dream sequences
Unsolved Mysteries
Chapter 9: Things Will Never Be The Same…
"Tell me this isn't true!" 18's mother said through her tears. "There is no such way a scientist can turn two human beings into robots…there just isn't!"
"I'm sorry, but I am telling you the truth. I still have more to tell you, though."
"I don't know if I can take anymore of this, Megumi." The older woman was overwhelmed enough hearing that her son and daughter were cyborgs, and now there is more?
"Akito and I, well, we don't remember anything about ourselves before we were taken. I only found you when I saw myself on that missing person show. I have tried really hard to remember even a small memory of my life, but…I just couldn't. I didn't even remember my own name, my birthday, nothing. Dr. Gero stole my life from me." Now it was 18's turn to start getting teary eyed. "Who knows what kind of life I had coming my way if none of this would have happened…"
Her mother looked at her in the eyes. "That following September, you were going to go to college. You had gotten accepted to the first school you chose. You wanted to be a fashion designer."
"Wow, I really had good plans for myself." 18 said quietly. "Did I have a boyfriend?"
"Yes."
'Oh great, I hope he has moved on by now.' 18 thought to herself.
"The two of you started dating when you were fifteen. He talked to your father and I about asking you to marry him, and we both approved…he was very nice and treated you well. He had a ring for you and he wanted to propose on the night of graduation. He was completely devastated when he learned of your disappearance."
"Mom, I need to tell you what happened the day I disappeared…we'll get back to my life in a moment."
"But, I thought you said you don't remember anything before you were taken…"
"I don't, but I had this dream last night and it was all so clear. In the dream, I think I relived my last day as the Megumi you know."
"Please, tell me. This is what I've been wanting to know for so long."
18 started speaking. "That morning started out normal enough. You and dad had already gone to work and Akito had to take me to school since I wrecked my car. The entire day went by like any other day would, until we were coming home from school. Akito was driving, and his gas tank suddenly went empty. An old man who looked normal offered some help and said he had a gas can at his place. I was uneasy about going with him, but Akito insisted."
"That is so unlike him to go with someone he doesn't know."
"That's why I said I was uneasy about it. I didn't want to be left on the street by the car alone, so I had not choice but to go with him. We started making small talk with the man and he was actually pretty nice. When we finally got to his place, I went inside with them and waited by the entrance while he took Akito to get a gas can. After awhile, I thought he had been gone too long. I came to the conclusion that they probably started a conversation about cars or something, but I still went to look for him anyway. I looked through a doorway that was slightly open and found my brother on the floor and he wasn't moving. The man saw me and went after me and I never made it out of the place."
Her mother was silent. "Please, I know this is hard to take, but it is what happened."
"You're right, it is hard. But, at least I have a little bit of closure now."
"Please mom, do me a favor and don't go to any reporters about this. I don't want the publicity…I like my private life."
"I won't, but I'm sure whether we like it or not, someone will find out about you coming here and it will be splashed all over the news. Your disappearance was a pretty big story here."
"Well, we will just have to try our best to keep as many cameras away as possible." The last thing 18 wanted was cameras everywhere just when she was getting to know her mother.
"Megumi, there is something else I would like to discuss."
"Yes?"
"Where have you been all these years? What was this man's purpose of turning you into a robot?"
18 took a deep breath. "Dr. Gero wanted to kill a man who he held a grudge against for many years. The only way I think he felt he could do that is if he had two strong killing machines. The one he wanted dead was extremely powerful and strong, and so he turned my brother and I into power fighting machines. He made us killers. My new purpose of life was to kill."
"Then what happened? How did you become the nice person you are now?"
"Do you remember a creature named Cell? From about 7 years ago?"
"Oh, yes. Mr. Satan destroyed him and saved the world—"
"No, he didn't. That young boy you saw fighting Cell on TV did. Mr. Satan is a fraud…he took credit for someone else's work. But, enough about him."
"Sorry…about Cell?"
"Cell was another one of Dr. Gero's creations. He was way stronger than myself and 17, I mean Akito. I could not even fathom his strength. His purpose was to absorb me and 17 so he can become the being you saw on TV. Obviously he got us. During the 'Cell Games' I was released from him. The next thing I remember I was with all the other fighters that helped kill Cell and I was told Cell was gone. One of the fighters, his name was Krillin, kept me safe up until the battle with Cell was over. I had nowhere to go and he offered me a place to stay, and I coldly turned him down. I know, I was rude, but I didn't know what to do…everything was just weird for me at the time. I ran off and didn't come back for awhile."
"Are you sure you don't know where your brother is?"
"Yes. I have not seen him since Cell was around."
'I am not going to mention Shenlong…She has heard enough disturbing information for one day. And it's true…I don't know where 17 is.'
"Awhile later, I came back to Krillin and he again offered to let me stay with him. I did not turn it down that time."
"Do you still live with him?"
"Yes." 18 said with a small smile. "He is my husband. We got married a few years ago." 18 showed her mother the ring on her finger. "And, we have a three-year-old daughter…her name is Marron."
Her mother was speechless. 'She's married? I missed my only daughter's wedding. And now I have a grandchild.'
As the older woman was sitting on the couch thinking, 18 starting pulling a few pictures out of her purse. "Here," 18 handed the pictures to her mother. "these are some pictures of Krillin and Marron."
Her mother was once again getting teary eyed as she was looking at the photos of her daughter's family. She had to face it…Megumi had a new life.
"I'm sorry if I upset you, mom…"
"No, I'm just a little overwhelmed with everything right now. You're little girl is so adorable. She looks like you. You all look so happy. But, if you're a cyborg, then how—"
18 knew what the question was going to be. "I did not think I could get pregnant. But I found out it was possible when I found out I was having a child. Evidently, Dr. Gero left my reproductive system intact and it is obviously functioning properly. I did not have any problems carrying Marron or giving birth to her."
"I want to meet your husband and my grandchild. When can I do that?"
"Krillin is at a motel and Marron is with a friend. I will bring her over sometime soon. I promise."
There was a long and uncomfortable silence, and 18 was not liking it. Her mother saw this and spoke up.
"Megumi, get up and come with me." 18 complied as she got up off the couch and followed her mother.
Her mother led her up the stairs and stopped at the second door in the hallway. "This is your bedroom." Then she opened the door. "I kept it just how you left it, well, I did come in once and awhile to do some dusting, but other than that it is the same as it was when you were here."
18 was silent as she looked around her bedroom. It was very clean and organized and the bed neatly made and a couple stuffed animals leaning against the pillows. The walls were painted lavender with a darker shade of purple for the carpet. The windows had white curtains. On her walls, she had pictures of her friends and other nice decorations. On one side of the room there was a vanity with some of her little trinkets and jewelry spread across it. There was also a dresser that had even more trinkets on top of it, but they were organized and not messy. Next to her bed stood a nightstand with her alarm clock and a framed picture of herself and her friends. Next to it was a picture of her and her boyfriend at the prom.
18 saw her mother rummage through the closet. She pulled out a dress that was wrapped in clear plastic to keep the dust off of it. "Here," Her mother said as she handed 18 the dress. "this was the prom dress that you are wearing in the picture you were just looking at." The dress was very simple. It was light blue and strapless, but it looked gorgeous on Megumi nonetheless. 18 looked at the dress and then the picture and sighed.
"Mom?"
"Yes honey?"
"Can I just…have a few minutes in here alone? I just want to do some thinking…by myself."
"Of course." Her mother walked up to her and put her arms around her in a tight embrace and kissed her on the forehead.
"You know, mother…after I watched that TV show, I started wondering what life would be like if something ever happened to Marron. I don't know what I would do. You don't have to worry about Dr. Gero…17 killed him."
After her mother kissed her daughter on the forehead once again, she left the room.
18 just sat there on the bed with many thoughts running through her mind. 'I don't remember this bedroom or those people in these pictures.'
18 realized she was still holding onto her prom dress and so she sat it down gently on the bed.
"Dr. Gero…you bastard!" 18 then grabbed a teddy bear on her bed and clutched it tight in her arms and let her tears flow freely.
A/N: Yay, all done with chapter 9! How was it? Any OOCness? Hope you like it…and you know what to do next! Please review!
