Dragon Ball Z: Dynasty
By Feraligreater328
Chapter 73: The Threat in the Shadows
On the airship carrying Goku to Kame House...
The Future Trio all stared at the image on the phone in front of them with concern: it was their Time Machine, covered in moss and with a massive hole in the canopy. Without a word, just to be sure, Future Trunks pulled his Capsule case out of his jacket and popped it open, glaring down at the #1 Capsule and then back at the picture. "This...makes no sense..."
Future Ranch shook her head. "C-Could it be us from another time...I mean...Miss Bulma did say that might be a possibility..."
Future Daikon had no idea what he could say here. The Future Trio all turned to one another and began to murmur amongst themselves. After some deliberation, Future Trunks sighed. "We can't just ignore this. I'm sorry that we have to leave this early, but we have to go see what's going on..."
Raditz held up his hands. "Perfectly understandable. We're not that far from Kame House, so go do your thing!"
Krillin gave a thumbs-up from behind the controls. "Yeah, we can cover things from here if the Androids show up! Right, Gohan?"
Gohan stood, closing his schoolbook. "Actually, now that I'm sure that my Dad is going to be safe for the time being. I would...like to come along, if you three don't mind..."
Future Trunks and Future Ranch both flinched, glancing to one another and then glancing back to Future Daikon. Gohan turned to his mother. "Mom? Is it alright if I go with them?"
Chi-Chi sighed. "I... I guess a little side trip is okay. So long as you stay safe, of course..."
Future Ranch and Future Daikon both stepped up. They both placed their hands on Gohan's shoulders and, in spite of their own misgivings, they gave their approval. Future Ranch chuckled. "You don't have to worry, Aunt Chi-Chi~ We'll keep an eye on him..."
Future Daikon nodded. "Y-Yeah..."
Gohan smiled at the support of his older, time-traveler cousins. "Thanks guys..."
He turned. "A-Are you okay with this, Trunks? I don't wanna make you uncomfortable..."
Future Trunks was silent for a moment, but then he nodded. "It's fine. You can come along. This shouldn't prove to be anything dangerous, we're just...going to go an examine this apparent copy of our Time Machine..."
The Future Trio turned towards the side door of the airship, opening it and hopping out one by one. Gohan waved goodbye to his mother and she waved back, and then he hopped out as well.
Flying through the air...
Gohan seemed pretty happy, all things considered. Having a break from his books and being able to soar about the open air, the boy couldn't have felt freer. Flying behind him, his three chaperones all watched on with various levels of sullen amusement. They had never had a chance to see much of this side of their mentor. Gohan turned to them. "So, after everything you told all of us on the airship, what exactly does this new Time Machine mean...?"
Future Daikon chuckled. "H-Hard to say, honestly..."
Future Ranch cocked her head. "Something looked off about it. Wouldn't you say, Trunks?"
Future Trunks looked grim. "I barely want to think about it. In a day full of awful surprises and our genuine failure to complete our mission, I'm pretty non-plussed to know that someone else might be screwing around with time too..."
Gohan nodded. "I see what you mean. This person...they could be the reason behind all of the changes from your story..."
Future Trunks flinched. He had considered that idea, but it hit hard to hear someone say it out loud. He sighed. "Who knows. That could be the case, or maybe not...it's hard to really say..."
Future Ranch and Future Daikon both shot worried looks at their fearless leader. The four warriors continued their flight, ready to face whatever rigors were waiting for them at their destination.
At Kami's Lookout...
An unfamiliar pair of Namekian boots stepped onto the surface of Kami's Lookout for the first time in years. Not since Garlic Junior had Piccolo been atop this place, a place he so heavily dreaded. He marched forward with purpose, an annoyed look on his face, only to be met by Mr. Popo at the entrance to Kami's palace. Popo spoke calmly, but with the hint of a waver in his voice. "I ask that you please wait right here, Piccolo. Kami is deliberating over a matter and says that he will be with you short-"
Piccolo scowled and immediately turned. "Tell Kami I don't have time for this crap and if he's going to bother me in my own head, he should do it for something important!"
Mr. Popo called after him. "Piccolo, wait!"
Piccolo sneered. "I don't have time to wait. I'm hunting another one of Gero's little projects! Unless Kami intends to help find the damned thing, he can wait!"
Popo stammered. "Th-That is exactly why Kami called you here! He wished to discuss with you the monster that is currently hunting about in the shadows below!"
Piccolo stopped in his tracks. He turned to Popo, his cape flourishing with a grim sneer on his face. Piccolo recalled the broken state that that Suno woman had been left in and the condition that Yamcha and Android 8 had been left in and he growled, crossing his arms over his chest. "Kami has an hour. Any longer than that and I'd be better off without him."
Mr. Popo nodded. "Of...of cour-"
Piccolo snapped. "GO TELL HIM TO HURRY!"
Popo yelped in fear and ran the other way, rushing back into Kami's palace to deliver Piccolo's infuriated message. Left to his own devices, Piccolo glared over the edge of Kami's Lookout and down to the Earth below. "What are you seeing that I can't, old man...?"
In the middle of the forest to the north of West City...
Gohan and the Future Trio landed in the forest, right at the coordinates that Bulma had texted to Chi-Chi. And, as they had been informed, there stood the derelict Time Machine from the photo. As Gohan began to examine the machine, the other three maintained their distance and just stared at the thing. It was clearly the same model of vehicle as the Time Machine that they had ventured to the past in... but, as Future Ranch had said, something was off.
Future Daikon cocked his head. "It's...small..."
Future Ranch nodded. "See, that's what I thought!"
As the two of them began to rollick about the reduced size of the Time Machine in front of them, the more pragmatic Future Trunks simply reached into the case in his jacket pocket, clicked the #1 Capsule, and tossed it out. In a poof, the Future Trio's Time Machine stood for all to see. The clean, yellow hull of the machine shined in the Sun, a perfect opposite to the derelict, moss covered contraption that Gohan stood next to. Future Trunks sneered. "What the hell is going on here...?"
Future Daikon hopped atop their machine, looking into its canopy and then into the damaged canopy of the older machine. "Well, even more than the massive hole that's been blasted into this thing...I think it's pretty weird that it only has one seat in it when ours has three..."
Gohan looked concerned. "M-Maybe the Future Bulma that made this Time Machine only wanted to send one person. You know, just to be safe..."
Future Ranch looked grim. "M-Maybe... that's a good guess, Gohan..."
He continued. "Or maybe this one comes from a reality where the Androids didn't kill me and I'm the one who came back~"
Future Daikon sadly chuckled. "That could...also be the case, I guess..."
He continued on, his child-like imagination now moving at full speed. "Or, if time works how Future Bulma said it does, then this could just be from an alternate future where only one of you-"
Gohan was quickly cut off by the sounds of a Capsule Hovercar's engine. He and the Future Trio, all of whom were relieved that the distraction had come when it did, looked up to the sky to see that Bulma had finally arrived. The scientist's car landed and the canopy top sprang open. Bulma hopped out and adjust her hat. Future Trunks turned to her. "Hello, Mother. Didn't bring me along into the danger this time?"
Bulma rolled her eyes. "I don't need you picking at me about that too. I got a little bit ahead of myself last time, okay? I already have Vegeta and my mom breathing down my neck about it..."
She glanced over at her grown son. "How about you? Are you holding up okay?"
Future Trunks sighed. "I wasn't in the best mood before you told us about this. But the fact that it's here somehow makes me feel even more uneasy..."
Bulma could see that her son was beating himself up pretty hard about everything that had happened since 17 and 18 had woken up. So, she tried her best to lighten the mood just a bit. Bulma stepped forward and began to examine the chassis of the derelict Time Machine. "So, you three, how am I holding up in the future?"
The three of them flinched as Bulma pulled her multi-tool from her pocket and began to pry at a panel on the side of the machine. "Has my beauty regimen and fashion sense held up?"
Future Daikon blushed. "W-Well, um...your hair is still blue seventeen years from now...but I think you dye your hair and just don't tell us..."
Future Ranch blushed as well. "Y-You, um, you've gained a few wrinkles...and you have a pretty bad cough whenever you take a break from working, but that's probably just from smoking or something..."
Bulma rolled her eyes. "Look at you both, one of you has no tact and the other is too nervous to tell a lady how it is. You both take after your parents in the weirdest ways..."
She turned. "Trunks, you're mine and Vegeta's kid. You'll be blunt, right? Have I turned into a hag?"
Future Trunks glanced to the ground, but then a small smile spread across his face. "Your hair has lost some of its natural color...and you have some wrinkles that you don't have right now... but you're still the same Mom that I've always known you as..."
Future Daikon and Future Ranch both flinched, but then they added on as well. Future Ranch stammered. "Y-Y-Yeah! You might have some wrinkles and such, but those are probably just because you always try to smile for us whenever you can!"
Future Daikon nodded. "A-And... you might use hair dye, but...um...you have a lot of stress and stuff, so you, uh...you..."
Future Trunks cut in. "What we're trying to say, Mother, is that you've aged just fine."
Gohan looked up at Bulma, the only one able to see her face. He saw the small, sweet smile on her face. Bulma turned to the three of them and saw that, in spite of everything, they were able to smile as well. And she chuckled. "Well thanks, guys. I'm glad to know that I can still pass myself off as some sweet, young thing. Even that far into the future~"
She turned back to the Time Machine, forcing the panel off and looking at the switches underneath. "Exactly where I thought they'd be! That confirms it, this is definitely something that I put together~"
Future Trunks stepped forward. "Really, you can tell by that?"
Bulma nodded. "Yeah. When I design something, I try to stick to certain design aesthetics so that I can more easily service it. For an upright machine like this, I always try to put it on what I would consider the rear of the machine."
She began to mess around with the switches as everyone else watched on. She grumbled. "Damn it...is the fuel source low...?"
Bulma got onto the ground, crawling under the machine and unscrewing the bottom of the egg-shaped chassis. As she dug around inside, Future Ranch looked over at her boyfriend. She smiled at the sight of some levity on his face. Ever since Vegeta had laid into him, her Trunks had been so downcast. It was nice to see him perked back up.
But then, as she stood there, something began to cross over Future Ranch's mind. And suddenly, she cried out. "OH! MISS BULMA!"
Bulma's voice echoed within the chassis. "Yes?"
All eyes were on Future Ranch. She immediately shouted her question. "Trunks has a middle name and that's super weird! What is it?!"
Future Trunks gasped, suddenly looking quite embarrassed. "H-Hey!"
Future Daikon gasped. "Oh, right! I'm curious about that too!"
Gohan chuckled. "Me too! It starts with a 'V', right? Grandma Gine thinks it stands for 'Vegeta'!"
Future Trunks quickly tried to get them all to stop. "C-Cut it out! My middle name isn't that important! It's just-"
Bulma let loose a long, annoyed, angry sigh from within the chassis. "I'm going to kill my husband; you know what I mean?!"
Future Trunks' head was steaming. "N-No, Mother, please..."
Future Ranch spoke over him. "Vegeta picked his middle name?! That arrogant bastard?!"
Future Daikon nodded, stroking his chin. "I see. So, it does stand for 'Vegeta'..."
Future Trunks cringed, a vein popping out of his head. He harshly slugged Future Daikon on the arm. "It doesn't stand for 'Vegeta'! Now stop it!"
Bulma chimed in. "No, it doesn't stand for 'Vegeta'. The 'V' in 'Trunks V. Briefs' stand for..."
She groaned. "Vegetathefifth..."
The three pesterers all immediately looked ill. Future Ranch spoke flatly. "What?"
Future Daikon had a bead of sweat rolling down his head. "Vegeta the Fifth?"
Gohan shook his head. "That is so-"
Bulma quickly corrected. "No, not 'Vegeta the Fifth'. Vegetathefifth. All one word. Frantically scribbled onto Trunks' birth certificate by a man-child I told my parents we should have had barred from the delivery room."
Gohan cringed. "Oh...oh...that's bad. Trunks, I'm so-"
Gohan looked over and saw Future Trunks, doubled over on the ground, with both Future Ranch and Future Daikon gently patting him on the back. He sheepishly mumbled under his breath. "C-Could we please stop talking about my middle name now..."
As the others continued to pity Future Trunks, Bulma popped out from under the chassis. "Okay. So, here's the problem. We can't really run diagnostics on this thing without a power source. And, while this thing has whatever the hell that glowing, blue goop is in the fuel tank...it looks like the battery has rusted over..."
Future Trunks stood, scratching the back of his head. "Our machine has a fresh battery in it. We could probably piggy-back a charge off of it, as long as you think the process wouldn't break ours..."
Bulma nodded. "Shouldn't be an issue. I have a set of voltage regulating jumper cables in my trunk."
Intrigued, Gohan sat on a nearby rock as the others started working. Future Ranch, being the smallest of the Future Trio, crawled under the chassis, opened the bottom and climbed up into it. Bulma returned with the cables and handed one end to Future Ranch before climbing back into the derelict. Future Trunks and Future Daikon both hopped into the cockpit of the Trio's machine and the derelict respectively and fired them up. The newer, cleaner machine came to life straightaway. And, eventually, the derelict sputtered awake as well.
Future Ranch and Bulma both climbed out of their machines and Future Daikon hopped down as well, leaving Future Trunks to read the diagnostics and logs on the derelict. Future Trunks spoke. "Okay...this might explain a bit of what's going on..."
Bulma called up to him. "What is it, Son?"
Future Trunks called back down. "This machine, much like ours, has four engine turbines to help it travel. One is responsible for breaching and navigating the time stream, one for the space stream, one for the dimension stream, and one to help stabilize the other three..."
As Future Trunks explained, Gohan was listening intently. But then, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed something off. So, unseen by the others, he trailed off to the side to examine this new detail. Bulma called up. "So, what's the issue?"
Future Trunks called back down. "You coined those three variables as the X-Variable for time, the Y-Variable for space, and the Z-Variable for dimensions. And, from the looks of things, the Z-Variable engine on this machine is entirely non-functional..."
Bulma nodded. "I see...and which one of these turbines is that?"
Future Trunks responded. "It's the one that you wrote the Time Machine's name on."
Bulma cocked her head. Future Daikon stepped forward. "I'll show you."
The two of them marched forward, Future Daikon running his gloved hand over the moss-laden exterior of the turbine in question. With the moss removed from the surface, the word "HOPE!" was clear for the both of them to see. Bulma nodded. "Okay...so this thing controls dimensional travel..."
She began to mess around with it, looking it over. "So...X-Variable to control when you land...Y-Variable to control where you land...and Z-Variable to make sure that you're not drifting between time streams. The Z-Variable acts like the rudder on a ship..."
Bulma's index finger traced over a small hole, burned into the side of the turbine. She glanced into the hole and saw sunlight on the other side. "I'd say...it looks like someone broke this rudder on purpose. Like they wanted to send this thing drifting..."
Future Trunks' voice was, once again, beset with concern. "Yeah...that's certainly what this is looking like..."
He bent over, sticking his head under the console of the derelict. "Wh-What the hell...?!"
Future Ranch called up to him. "What's going on?! Is something wrong?!"
Everyone stared up at Future Trunks with concern. That concern quickly turned to revulsion when he stood back up, bringing two halves of a sickening-looking pink shell with him. Future Trunks grimaced "This just keeps getting more confusing..."
Bulma reached up. "Throw them to me, Trunks. I wanna look at them."
Future Trunks did as requested and Bulma stared at the two halves with a disgusted look on her face. "It's definitely some kind of egg...but it's totally dry. Whatever came out of this thing...it had to have popped out a while ago..."
Future Daikon was concerned. "But what could it be...?"
Suddenly, Gohan spoke up again. "I think I might have found something relating to that!"
Everyone turned to the boy. Future Ranch walked over to him. "What is it, Go-"
Future Ranch paused in place. But then, she knelt down and began to examine whatever it was Gohan was looking at. "What in the fresh hell is this?!"
Quickly, the two of them were joined by the other three. Future Trunks and Future Daikon both recoiled back. Bulma stared at it. On the ground, in front of Gohan and Future Ranch, was a massive trench with embedded claw marks on either side. Bulma's eye twitched. "Okay...I'm really not liking this..."
Gohan ran his fingers over the calcified, crusty dirt ridges that surrounded the trench. "Nothing has grown over this trench or these marks. And they're hard as rock. Some kind of acidic material has rendered the ground hard and infertile..."
Future Daikon seemed nervous. "S-So..."
His gaze traced over the trench, seeing that it led deeper into the woods. "D-Do we...follow it and see where it goes...?"
The sound of a Capsule opening echoed behind Future Daikon and Future Trunks. They both turned to see Future Ranch holding a Saiga-12 shotgun, loading shells into it and cocking it. "Nope. You two stay here with Bulma and see what else you can figure out about that junker of a Time Machine. Gohan and I will follow this trail."
She glanced down at her younger, older cousin. "You're cool with that, right Gohan?"
Gohan nodded, looking excited. "Y-Yeah! I'd love to go chase down whatever this is with you, Ranch~!"
Future Ranch nodded, reaching into one of the holsters under her shirt and pulling out an SR-1 Vektor pistol. She tossed it to Gohan and began to march into the brush. "Stay on my six, partner. I need you to keep watch for me."
Gohan awkwardly held the gun, following closely behind Future Ranch. "R-Right..."
As the two of them headed off into the deeper part of the forest, Bulma spoke aloud. "Man, she's armed to the teeth, isn't she? She's takes after Launch..."
Future Trunks and Future Daikon were a lot less glib about the situation. The two turned to one another and Future Trunks spoke. "Are you thinking the same thing I am...?"
Future Daikon sighed. "Unfortunately. It would appear that...whatever's going on here has nothing to do with 17 and 18..."
In a convenience store in the middle of nowhere...
On the way to Goku's house, the Saiyan warriors three would-be assassins stopped for a small concession.
Android 17 stood in front of the hot dog roller, watching as the wieners within spun in place. He held a slushie in his hand and looked as if he was getting impatient. "Hey! 18! What's taking you two so long?!"
Android 18 called from the rear of the store. "Shut up! Not everyone wants to be basic and buy a slushie!"
The female Android shook her head. "Okay 16, like I said, you can get any flavor you like and then add as much sugar and creamer and stuff as you'd like. I know we're Androids and such, but it's really good and I think you'd like it~"
Android 16 nodded. "I thank you for your explanation of this bean, run-off solution Android 18. However, I do not require such things. I am purely robotic and have no use for such luxuries."
18 rolled her eyes. "I know you're a robot, 16. But, come on. You have to at least be curious...right?"
16 cocked his head slightly. "I am unsure that my systems would be able to process the components in such a beverage...but I do find myself intrigued."
18 nodded, stroking her chin. "Okay..."
She looked to the drink coolers on the wall next to her. "Oh!"
18 yanked the door open and grabbed out a green sports drink. "Here! It's a sports drink. Water and electrolytes and, uh, crap. It shouldn't hurt you!"
16 glanced down at it. "I am... unsure."
18 nudged him. "Come on, 16. Try it."
She smiled at him. "I picked it out because it's the same color as your armor~"
16 glanced at the bottle and then at 18. "You are attempting to convince me to ingest this beverage using a similar sentiment to the one I used when describing the factors that went into my choosing of your outfit."
18 chuckled. "Yes, 16, I'm friend-guilting you."
16 remained silent for a moment, and then he nodded. "I shall ingest this sports drink in order to give you the satisfaction that you convinced me to try something new, because you are my...friend."
At the front of the store, Android 17 still impatiently waited for 16 and 18 to come along. Behind the counter, a bearded man wearing a pair of overalls chuckled. "If ya know what yer pals are pickin' out back there, I can ring ya up~"
17 rolled his eyes. "Yeah...cuz we're totally going to pay for this stuff..."
"You'd better."
17 turned and saw, emerging from down the beer aisle, two farm boys. One of them set two a twelve pack and cracked his knuckles. "Y'all city folk think yer just allowed to come and take watcha please?"
The other one glared down at 17. "You'd better pay, or we'll slap ya boy!"
17 smirked, stepping forward. "Oh, will you now?"
It was clear that a brawl was about to break out. Android 17 stepped forward, rolling up his sleeves. "I wonder how many hits you can take before you go down. I'm willing to bet that it's not much~"
The first farm boy spat. "I'll bust your itsy-bitsy scarf-wearin' ass up and down the-"
Suddenly, 16's voice echoed out. "Is there a problem here?"
Both of the farm boys turned, ready to face down this new person. "Yeah! Y'all city-"
And then, both of them caught sight of Android 16. The 6'9", fiery-mohawked, muscle-bound, intense-eyed, strong-jawed 16 loomed over the two of them, looking like an iron bear. The two farm boys, in the smartest decision they had ever made, both stood down. "N-Naw. Nothin' wrong here. We're, uh, just offerin' to pay for y'alls drinks..."
The other one stammered. "Y-Yeah...y-y'all city folk, like we was sayin', really need to learn about small town hospitality~"
16 stood silent for a moment, but then he stared forward. "I will add the term 'small town hospitality' to my list of things I must gain further knowledge on in the future, after we kill Son Goku."
And then, with nothing else to say, Android 16 tromped forward and exited the store with his sports drink. Android 18 chuckled and walked past the two dumbfounded farm boys. "Thanks fellas. We really do appreciate it~"
Android 17 glared after 18 and 16, watching the larger Android climb into the van. And then, out of anger, he kicked the nearest farm boy into the hot dog roller, sending both crashing to the ground. "That guy's really starting to annoy me..."
Back in the forest north of West City...
Future Trunks called out from the derelict Time Machine. "I found it!"
Bulma and Future Daikon both looked up at him. He called down to them. "I found the back-up travel memory for this thing. I know how long it's been here!"
Future Daikon nodded. "O-Okay, how long has it been?"
Future Trunks looked grim. "It's...it's unbelievable. Whoever rode here in this thing came here-"
Suddenly, before Future Trunks could finish, the sound of Future Ranch screaming pierced through the quiet forest. And that was all it took. Faster than Bulma could react, Future Trunks and Future Daikon had drawn their sword and Power Pole and charged into the forest. Bulma trailed after them, shouting. "W-Wait for me!"
It didn't take long for the two of them to arrive on the scene, both of them having gone Super Saiyan in the process. They came into a clearing and found the sight of Future Ranch, also in her Super Saiyan form, on her butt next to another acid-scorched hole in the ground. Her face was white as she tried to gasp out words, barely able to point. "H-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h-h..."
Future Trunks held her hand, trying to calm her. "Ranch! What is it?! What's wrong?!"
Future Daikon turned, his eyes widening and a stream of snot dripping from his nose. "What in the hell in the name of Kami is that...?"
Bulma finally burst through the bushes. "What's gooooooooLY SHIT!"
Future Trunks turned to look as well and he was stunned at the sight of it. Finally, Future Ranch managed to work out a basic sentence. "H-Huge...HUGE ASS BUG!"
Future Ranch hid behind Future Trunks like he was an impenetrable wall. The other three all watched on as Gohan, the only one not freaking out, messed around with the source of all of their terror: a massive, brown, insect-like husk lurched over on the ground. The bug was next to another acid-etched hole in the ground and was laying at the end of a rut that looked quite similar to the one that Future Ranch and Gohan had followed.
Gohan dipped his hand into the husk. "What is this...?"
Bulma cried out. "Gohan! Be careful!"
Gohan cringed and, to the disgust of everyone else, pulled out a hand covered in viscous slime. The boy shook his head. "Gross..."
Future Ranch stammered. "Ugh...q-quit t-t-touching that ugly thing..."
Future Trunks placed a steady hand on his insect-fearing girlfriend's shoulder to try and calm her. Gohan spoke. "I've been learning a lot about bugs in my biology classes. The thorax, the wings, and the placement of the legs would point to this being some kind of cicada. That being said...we did find this thing at the end of a trail that started near that broken Time Machine..."
Future Daikon nodded. "So... this is what came out of that egg then? It hatched, scarred the ground with the goo that was in the egg with it, buried itself, and then dug itself up...?"
Bulma was confused. "But cicadas usually take years to develop after they bury themselves. So... how long has that Time Machine and this thing been here...?"
Finally, Future Trunks spoke. "Four years."
Everyone turned to him. Future Trunks looked grim. "Four years, this thing has been here."
Bulma flinched. "That would have been right around the time all of us were still on Namek...so, this thing showed up here while we were all away..."
Future Trunks nodded. "It would appear so..."
Gohan stood, shaking his hand clean. "But...this is just a shell. An empty shell, recently shed. With how wet it is on the inside; it can't have been any more than a few days since this thing cracked open. So... where is the former occupant?"
Suddenly, Bulma had no more desire to be in this forest. Turning tail, she immediately began to fast walk in the other direction. "Guys, it's been fun. But I do have a lot of work to do, ya know? Android parts to examine and blueprints to read..."
Future Trunks nodded. "Right. We should get back to Kame House as well, regroup with the others..."
Future Daikon called after her. "Let us walk you to your car, Miss Bulma! Just to be safe!"
And so, they did. Bulma was quickly walked back to her car where she promptly chose to get the hell out of dodge, reducing and taking the derelict Time Machine with her. Once she was out of sight, the Future Trio and their child companion all took to the skies as well. And with yet another stomach-turning mystery added to the pile, the four of them flew off back to Kame House.
At Kame House...
Raditz looked grim as Tien finished his explanation. "Poor Yamcha..."
Tien sighed. "Yeah...and that's all we really know. Suno, upstairs, has seems to have blocked out whatever horrifying things she was forced to watch, and her Android friend was too damaged to think straight..."
Gine nodded. "She seems to know my Kakarot though, whoever she is..."
Tien closed his eyes. "I feel bad for those three. After everything you've told me about what they told you...and now with all of this added on...they're probably kicking themselves..."
Blue Launch frowned. "None of them seem particularly upbeat. Poor Ranch is barely able to look me in the eye..."
Krillin shrugged. "It's a hard time we're going through right now. But everything should be fine. Maybe, when Chiaotzu gets here, he'll have an update for us from Bulma...you know, assuming Bulma isn't too distracted from that other Time Machine in the woods..."
All of them sat in silence, listening to the sound of waves lapping in the background and Baby Ranch mutely snoring in her Dad's arms. Raditz turned to Tien. "So, where is Master Roshi anyway?"
Tien shrugged. "I don't know. When I got here with Yamcha and Suno, the house was empty."
Upstairs, in Roshi's spare room...
Suno and the pregnant Chi-Chi both worked diligently as they doted over their respective patients. While Suno was happy to see Goku again as so long, and while she was worried for him in his bed-ridden state, she had a more important duty that she felt she had to take care of at the moment. Yamcha had thrown himself to the metaphorical wolves to protect her from the horrific thing that had attacked her, now she had to give it her all to care for him in his crippled state.
Thankfully, Tien had done the hard part, amputating Yamcha's reduced leg and applying a tourniquet to the screaming bandit. Now, Suno just had to act as his nurse until he was okay again. She constantly checked on his bandages, replaced the cool rag on his head whenever it got warm, and just consistently doted over the fallen warrior.
From the other side of the room, Chi-Chi watched on. She pitied poor Suno, but completely understood where the poor, younger woman was coming from. She was just as worried about both her Goku and her unborn child. She was expecting/hoping that both would come around any time now.
Chi-Chi continued to watch, smiling as Suno gently replaced the bandages on Yamcha's leg stump but frowning at the sight of tears rolling down the girl's cheeks. Chi-Chi sighed. "Don't cry..."
Suno flinched. Moving carefully, Chi-Chi dragged herself over to the poor girl and wrapped her arm over her shoulder. "These sorts of things happen all the time. We'll get Yamcha his leg back soon enough and everything will be right as rain~"
The poor girl shook her head. "I just...I feel awful. That...thing...I can't even remember its face, but I know that it was going to kill me...just like it did everyone else..."
She began to shake. "I... I was sure that I was going to die. But then, Yamcha swooped in and kicked it away. He didn't stop fighting until the others showed up and forced the monster to run away. I-If he wasn't trying to defend me...he wouldn't...have..."
Chi-Chi shook her head. "Stop. You don't have to feel bad about that. Yamcha is an idiot most of the time, but his heart is always in the right place. He's a martial artist, and a real heroic person."
Suno smiled, giving a small chuckle. "H-He's just like Goku then, huh?"
Chi-Chi sighed. "For better or for worse, yes."
Suno was confused. "For better or for worse?"
Chi-Chi nodded. "Just keep hanging around here. You'll see what I mean. These guys are all drawn to trouble like a bunch of fight-happy magnets..."
Suno looked away. "Oh..."
Chi-Chi smiled. "Look, Suno. Just keep your chin up. Yamcha will get better, Goku will get better, and I'm sure that, in spite of the awful circumstances, both of them will be happy to see you when they wake up~"
Suno smiled, tears building in her eyes again. "Th-Thank you..."
At Kami's Lookout...
Piccolo's turned in place and glared as, finally, Kami emerged from the depths of his palace. Kami tried to be civil. "Thank you for coming, Piccolo."
Piccolo was far less warm towards his elder counterpart. "What do you want?!"
Kami sighed. "I do believe that Mr. Popo has informed you that I wish to discuss with you a certain monster that is currently plaguing the Earth..."
Piccolo snapped at him. "Which one, Kami?!"
Kami flinched. Piccolo marched forward. "No, seriously, which monster did you want to discuss?! Is it the Androids we've already defeated?! Is it the Androids that are currently trying to hunt down Goku?! Or is it whatever the hell is currently mass-slaughtering entire villages of people?!"
The old guardian sneered. "What is the point you are trying to make, Piccolo?"
Piccolo bitterly spat back at him. "Nothing that a half-assed guardian like you would be able to wrap your head around."
Kami sneered. Piccolo snarled. "Tell me, Kami, what exactly is the point of you?! You sit up here all day and stare down and watch the Earth and what do you do?! You watch people commit evil and get up to machinations that would ruins this planet and you do nothing!"
The younger Namekian cocked his head. "I've been avoiding dealing with you as much as possible, but it does bring up a serious question: why in the hell did we have to have three brats come back from the future to warn us of a threat that you, of all people, should have seen coming?!"
Kami scoffed. "You consider Android 17 and Android 18 to be the greatest threat we are facing?!"
Piccolo flinched. Kami stepped forward. "Look at you. Standing there, so prideful and so cocksure. You've gained power Piccolo, lots of power, and yet you are unable to look at the bigger picture as I am. You have yet to see the real monster stalking around down in the world below!"
The younger Namekian sneered. "And just how long have you known this? Huh?! You seem pretty familiar with this monster, so you had to have been watching it for a while, eh?!"
Kami nodded. "Indeed, I have. Because I am a prudent guardian! I have been watching over this creature since the Garlic Junior debacle, and-"
Piccolo snarled. "SINCE GARLIC JUNIOR?!"
Kami and Popo both flinched. Piccolo marched forward and grabbed Kami by his cape. "You've known about whatever the hell that thing down there is for that long and you didn't bother to tell anyone?!"
Piccolo was shaking with anger. "Do you know how many people that thing has killed?! Entire villages are being left empty, Kami!"
Kami growled at Piccolo. "What am I to do, Piccolo?! Am I, the Guardian of the Earth, to have my subjects act as a personal hit-squad whenever I see any abnormality?! When I first observed that monster, it was not acting in this manner! It wasn't out there committing acts of evil like it is now!"
Piccolo glared at the faltering guardian. Kami glared right back. "And, besides, you all were preparing to deal with the other Androids. Was I expected to interrupt your precious training for something that was, at the time, so insignificant?!"
Piccolo snapped back at him. "No! As a Guardian the only thing anyone expects from you is common sense, Kami! Common sense! You should have told somebody! You should have acted yourself! You should have done something other than stand around and wait for the problem to present itself!"
Kami defensively shouted in Piccolo's face. "If I stuck to that line of thought, you would either be sealed in a jar right now or we would both be permanently dead! You cannot tell me that my lack of ability to act on hindsight is something that I should be castigated for!"
Piccolo shook his head. "I guess I can't. But we both know that that isn't the problem here. Your lack of foresight is what's wrong and it has costed people their lives! Between allowing Dr. Gero to carry out his twisted work and allowing whatever the hell this monster is to run wild, your lack of foresight in regards to obvious problems has cost us quite a bit just today alone!"
Piccolo dropped Kami and turned. "Perhaps I'm not the one to say this, perhaps our own enmity towards one another is a discount of my ability to make a judgement on this...but I'm starting to feel like Earth needs a new Guardian and that you just aren't fit for this job anymore, Kami..."
And to that, Kami had nothing to say in response. The guardian sat there, on the ground, as Piccolo marched towards the edge of the Lookout. Mr. Popo attempted to dote over his master, but Kami quickly called out. "Piccolo!"
Piccolo turned and glared at him. Kami shamefully cast his gaze to the ground. "Gingertown. To the north of where that Bulma woman lives."
The younger Namekian wordlessly turned, and then he leapt off the side of Kami's Lookout, flying as fast as he could in the direction of West City.
Back at Kame House...
Everyone turned at the sound of the door opening up and watched as Gohan and the Future Trio stepped into Kame House. Raditz saw the grim looks on their faces and cringed. "What happened...?"
Future Ranch crashed onto Roshi's couch and groaned. "A lot."
Future Daikon sat next to her. "Have you guys been watching the television at all? Maybe heard anything about 17 and 18?"
Gine spoke up. "We've been channel surfing through the various news channels every few minutes. But, nothing. If the Androids are really out there wreaking havoc, they're being super low-profile about it..."
Launch grabbed the remote and began to click through the channels. "I'll have another go-through just to make sure nothing new has been reported."
Tien spoke up. "So, there was a second Time Machine?"
Future Trunks sat nearer to the coffee table, Gohan sat next to him and opened a workbook on physics. The son of Vegeta sighed. "There was a second Time Machine, but there were a few things off about it. It was only big enough for one person and it was barely functional. It had been there for four years when we found it..."
Krillin cocked his head. "Maybe someone stole it from Bulma in the future. A prototype, maybe?"
Future Ranch sighed. "No. Miss Bulma only had enough materials to make the four turbines and the fuel that are in our machine. There were a few other chassis designs, but they were all non-functional..."
Gine spoke up. "Well, times have literally changed. Maybe some sort of butterfly effect occurred that allowed Bulma to gain more materials..."
Future Daikon shook his head. "Couldn't be. Our timeline is splintered from this one, remember...?"
He sighed. "Nothing we're doing here is even slightly affecting our future. And, if it ever started, the three of us would probably vanish into nothing."
Tien flinched. "So, wait...you three aren't benefitting from doing this at all?!"
All three shook their heads in the negative. Tien gasped. "Then...then why waste your time here?"
Future Trunks sadly smiled. "It's...it's not a waste. We don't think so at least..."
Future Daikon sighed. "We get to make sure that at least one timeline is better off. We get to help fight for a better future. Save lives. That's more than the three of us can do back home..."
Future Ranch had her arm draped over her face. "Plus, we get to meet all sorts of people we never had a chance to meet in the past. And, hopefully, we might find a way to get rid of the Androids in our time. That would be a nice little bonus..."
Tien smiled. "That's very noble. I think the three of you are-"
Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, Tien saw something that immediately caught his attention. "Launch! Stop!"
Launch flinched, making herself sneeze. Blonde Launch, infuriated, shouted at Tien. "What?! Why'd ya startle me like that?!"
Tien glared at the TV. "It's that monster..."
The Future Trio all looked at the TV. Future Ranch cocked her head. "Wh-What do you mean 'that monster'? Is there something we haven't been told about?"
Tien scowled at the TV. On the screen were piles of abandoned clothes, each with a hole pierced somewhere into them. And flashing at the bottom of the screen was the headline of this news story. "Strange Happenings in Gingertown".
In Gingertown...
Piccolo touched down in Gingertown and found a sight similar to one that he had seen several times beforehand. The streets of the once bustling community were littered with the same discarded clothing that Piccolo had seen so many times up to this point. Each piece of clothing had a hole stabbed into it somewhere.
Piccolo was on-guard as he walked down the street, feeling the entire time as if he was being watched, right over his shoulder.
The Namekian marched down the main street of Gingertown, his ears twitching as he picked up several noises: the sound of something being dragged, the sound of a squeaky sort of clomping noise, and, most of all, the deafening sound of silence.
Gingertown was so quiet that Piccolo could hear the sound of water dripping from a cracked pipe on the other side of the settlement.
Finally, the Namekian halted his trek and suddenly turned, staring into the eerie blackness of a dark alley between a small shop and an office building. He could feel a presence within, even if that presence strangely lacked a power level to read. His gaze sharpened as he heard more dragging and more clomping from deep within. Piccolo sneered. "I know you're there. I can't sense you...but I can feel your evil."
Piccolo watched as this new threat emerged from the shadows. He was disgusted by what he saw: a massive, bipedal, insect-like beast with waist-length wings, a massive tail, and orange-beaked face with hellish, slit-pupiled eyes, and three-fingered hands and three-toed feet to round it out. And, worst of all, this fresh new menace seemed to be dragging someone with it as it stepped out from the shadows.
Piccolo growled under his breath. "At last we meet, face-to-face..."
From The Monster's grip, a fat, balding man suddenly woke up. He glanced up at his freakish captor and then over at Piccolo. "Hey! Please man! You gotta help me!"
Piccolo and The Monster stared into each other's eyes, neither of them paying much heed to the struggling man. He shouted at Piccolo. "Hey! Aren't you listening?!"
He reached into his expensive suit, pulling out a wad of cash. "Please, man! I'm the richest guy in town! Please! If you help me, you can have all of this cash! You can have everything I own! Just please help me! I don't wanna end up like everyone else this freak has grabbed!"
Piccolo sneered. "If I were you, I'd let him go. You've done caused enough damage towards the meek and the helpless! It's time to try attacking someone who can fight back!"
The Monster didn't say a word, simply releasing his three-fingered grip on the man's suit. The man gasped. "Oh my gosh! Thank you! Thank you thank you thank you! You can have my money! Take all of it! Just thank you! Thank you for-"
Suddenly, The Monster's stinger like tail raised into the air and shot down right into the man's spine. He yelped his pain, his pupils shrinking to the size of pinpricks. Piccolo gasped and flinched back. And then, to his horror...The Monster's tail began to suck.
The man was silent at first, unsure of what reaction to have. But then, he began to scream. His voice was shrill, almost to the point of being incomprehensible. Piccolo could only watch in genuine horror as the man continued to scream, his skin sagging to the point his bones were visible. His head collapsed over his eyes and he began to slump, almost as if he were melting. The poor man's body warped and decaying, sagging and shrinking more and more, receding into the shirt and his yelping and cries of pain became shallower and more distorted.
Eventually, the man disappeared altogether and The Monster's tail stopped drinking. The Monster opened its orange beak to speak, but then looked down at its claws. It watched in genuine curiosity as, between its two fingers, on each claw, a third finger sprouted out. The fingers rapidly grew and developed, eventually transforming The Monster's three-fingered claws into four-fingered hands.
It chuckled and gripped its new fists. "Well then, now that we've gotten that vermin out of the way..."
Its eyes glanced up and locked with the Namekian's. "You're next, Piccolo~"
Proofreading: StevenBodner
