"Come on, Bulma, why can't I go?" Ranch asked distraughtly. It was three years after Gohan's death and things have only gotten more and more dire. So much so that Bulma had revealed to them the secret project that she had been working on that she believed to be almost complete.
"Because if you go we're defenseless," Bulma retorted, not looking at her as she continued working on the time machine.
"That makes no sense, though!" she shot back. "Trunks and I together aren't a match for them! What difference would it make if I stayed behind?"
"It's not just that," Bulma continued. "Your parents are already together at the point in time you'd be going back to. One look at you and it wouldn't be much of leap to guess who you are. That could throw a serious wrench into the timeline."
"Then I'll stay out of sight!" Ranch said desperately. All she wanted want was to see her dad and Uncle Goku. "Please, Bulma!"
"Still talking about this time machine?" Trunks asked as he walked in carrying some boxes.
"Trunks, what do you think?" Ranch asked him.
Caught off guard, Trunks said, "You mean about you going back? I don't see the big deal."
"Trunks!" his mother admonished, stopping her work to look his way.
"Although, I can see how it'd be risky," he backtracked apprehensively.
"Not if we're careful about it!" Ranch argued.
Greatly unnerved, Trunks thought about what to possibly say with both women glaring at him. "I mean, that true…."
He was then spared from having to respond any further by the radio. "This is an emergency broadcast!" the radio host said. "Bridgetown is under attack from the cyborgs! I repeat, Bridgetown is under attack!"
As the sounds of gunfire permeated through the radio, Trunks said to them, "You know, Bridgetown isn't that far from here."
"No," Bulma said, instantly dropping the previous topic. "Trunks, the time machine is almost finished. Don't go, please."
"Mom, we don't need help from the past, we've got this!" Trunks said hotly. "We're Super Saiyans now; I know we can take them."
"So was Gohan, but that obviously wasn't enough," he mother argued.
"But there are two of us!" He turned to Ranch. "Come on, if we—"
"Your mom's right, Trunks," Ranch said seriously, now going to Bulma's side. "If this time machine works then there's no point in risking our necks against them right now."
"Ranch, we're stronger!"
"We are! But not nearly strong enough to take them on," she countered.
"But Gohan—"
"Don't talk as if Gohan would encourage us to go," she sniped angrily. "You know he wouldn't!"
"Listen to her, Trunks, she's right," Bulma agreed, ganging up on him with Ranch.
Unperturbed, Trunks persisted to Ranch, "Don't you want payback, though?"
"You know I do!" Ranch shot back, closing in on him. "But not if it means losing you too!"
They stared each other down for a few seconds, until Trunks said, "I'm going before it's too late."
As Trunks turned and ran out, Ranch shouted after him, "Trunks! Don't be stupid!"
Bulma sighed morosely, saying, "He's his father's son alright."
Infuriated at how Ranch took his mother's side on the issue, Trunks grabbed his sword and took off for Bridgetown with every intention of ending the cyborgs and avenging Gohan. Even without Ranch by his side he should be strong enough to take both of them on by himself.
In the ruins of Bridgetown the cyborgs were just casually hanging out. They were contemplating moving on when Trunks showed up before them in his Super Saiyan form.
"Get ready to die!' Trunks exclaimed angrily.
"Us die?" 18 scoffed. "Yeah right." She suddenly disappeared and reappeared in front of Trunks, punching him into a nearby building.
From within the rubble Trunks put his hands out and blasted a beam right at her, but she easily dodged as she flew at him. He went in meet her and threw a punch, but she caught it with his hands. She punched him back, and when Trunks came to a stop he pulled out his sword. Leaping back in, sword held over his head, Trunks swung it at her but she just got out of the way. He desperately tried to hack at her again, but 18 jumped up and balanced herself on the tip of the sword.
Powering up, Trunks slashed at her once more as 18 leapt on, but only managed to slice off some of her hair. That was when 17 stepped in and joined the fight. Trunks manage get out of the way just in time, and attempted to counter by stabbing down at him, but 17 merely caught the blade with his bare hand. Stunned, Trunks barely noticed as 18 got in and placed her hand over his chest, sending him flying away with a blast.
The two cyborgs then let off a barrage at him, but Trunks managed to spring forth from the explosion and land a couple of hits on the surprised cyborgs. Quickly, he flew up into the air, and sent the most powerful blast he could muster at them. When the dust and smoke cleared they were gone, and for a just a moment Trunks felt elation. He had done it! Just wait until his mother and Ranch found out what he did!
When he landed on the ground, though, he heard 17's voice. "Oh, I remember you now." He burst forth from a wall behind Trunks and backhanded him into the building.
"Yeah, he was one of the brats at the amusement park," 18 said. On his back, Trunks opened his eyes to look up at 18 smiling down at him. She swiftly kicked him right back outside.
"But weren't there two?" asked 17, kicking him into the air.
"Yeah," replied 18, hammering Trunks back down to the ground. "Hey, kid, where's your little girlfriend?"
"Have yourselves a lover's spat and split up?" 17 mocked, walking up to him.
"No worries," said 18, touching down next to him. "You two can make up when we see her and send her your way."
"No," Trunks said weakly, shakily getting on his hands and knees. "Don't…you…touch…her!" He managed to get back up and land a weak punch in 18's face. Amused, 18 punched Trunks hard in the gut, rendering him unconscious, his Super Saiyan glow fading.
"Cute," 18 sneered, as he collapse in front of her. She aimed her palm at him—then from the sky a beam appeared out of nowhere, causing her jump back to get out of its way.
"Enough!" Ranch shouted in her Super Saiyan form as rage coursed through her.
"Well, well, if it isn't the girlfriend," 17 said with a menacing smirk.
"Here to save what's left of him?" asked 18. "Ah, true love. It certainly has a way of making humans do stupid things."
"He was an idiot for coming alone and clearly paid for that mistake. Let him go now and we can go our separate ways," Ranch offered despite her desire to pummel them. She forced herself to be calm, though, knowing that she couldn't take them on.
"And why in the world would we do that, scar face?" 17 asked.
Taking a deep breath to compose herself, Ranch answered with a smirk, "Hey, I figured even a pretty boy and bimbo such as yourselves can show some mercy once in a while. So I just figured I'd take my chances."
"You think I'm pretty? I'm flattered."
18 cracked her knuckles. "Looks like you've still got to learn some respect."
Ranch replied, "Maybe, but I'm not receptive to lessons when the teacher is a psychotic, mechanical bitch."
"Let's kill her," 18 said.
"If you say so," 17 said.
Ranch planted her feet in a fighting stance and put her hands up. "Bring it." 17 and 18 charged in, and when they closed half the distance to her, Ranch quickly put her hands up to her face, closed her eyes, and shouted, "SOLAR FLARE!" A bright, blinding light erupted from her, causing the cyborgs to stop their attack and shield their face. Gohan had shown them that technique long ago, and told them that it was to be used only under the direst circumstances. If there was any other possible means of escape they were supposed to use that instead, because if the cyborgs expected a Solar Flare they might develop a counter. But this was not one of those times.
When the two cyborgs stopped their attack and reeled back with their arms over their eyes, cursing her, Ranch shot forward. She punched 17, sending him flying away into some rubble, and then Ranch kicked 18, sending her tumbling into a reflecting pool. Wasting no more time, she went over to Trunks, grabbed him, and flew away faster than she's ever flown before. By the time that the cyborgs recovered and got their sight back they were long gone.
When Trunks woke up, the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes were his mother and Ranch looking down at him. They smiled at him and then at each other when they saw he was now awake. Trunks was lying in a bed covered in bandages, and he felt sore all over. "How are you feeling?" asked Bulma.
"Like I screwed up," Trunks admitted.
Ranch snickered, but Bulma said, "Hey, what's important is that you're alive."
"So what happened?"
"I blindsided them and got you out of there," Ranch told him simply.
"But then why didn't you take them out when you had the chance?" Trunks asked stubbornly.
Ranch didn't drop her smile, but she flicked his forehead with her fingers. "Because they're stronger and would've killed me, duh."
"Right, that makes sense. Sorry. Um…mom, I think the time machine really is our best bet," Trunks relented.
"Not so fast, let's focus getting you better first," said Bulma.
Ranch groaned, as her smile dropped and she looked away. "Just make sure you say hi to Uncle Goku for me, okay?"
Bulma sighed. "You know what, Ranch, maybe you going to the past too isn't the worst idea."
She straightened up and looked at her. "Really?" Ranch asked happily.
"Yeah, who am I to rip you two apart. And besides, hopefully you'll level each other out." Bulma got serious. "But like you said, stay out of sight when Goku gets the medicine. And remember: this isn't a vacation, this isn't a reunion, and this isn't a date. Got that?"
Trunks looked flustered and went slightly red. "Come on, mom, we aren't dating."
Ranch blinked at him. "We're not? That's news to me."
"What? Really?" Trunks blurted out in a panic, trying and failing to sit up because of the pain. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize that we had—" He stopped when saw that Ranch was snickering again. "Oh, you're just messing with me."
"Okay, so we're all in agreement?" asked Bulma.
"Yes," Trunks said.
"Yup," Ranch agreed.
"Good, because it shouldn't be much longer before it's ready." Bulma got up to leave, saying, "In the meantime I'll get you something to eat."
"Thanks for saving me back there, Ranch," Trunks said awkwardly.
Ranch smiled warmly at him and reached out to hold his hand. "Hey, we're partners. You thought I'd have stood around and done nothing when you ran off like an idiot?"
Glancing back at the two and wondering when they would finally get on with it, Bulma left the room.
A few weeks later, the time machine was ready to go, and they were all out in a field with the machine gleaming in the sun. Trunks was hugging his mom, while Ranch said good-bye to her mother and aunt.
"Bye, mom, we'll get the job done, I promise," Trunks said.
"I know you will," Bulma replied. "Take care, okay."
"That's goes for you too, sweetie," blue-haired Launch told Ranch, hugging her tightly.
"Don't worry, I will."
"Good luck," Chi-Chi said. "Just make sure that you get back safely."
"Of course, Aunt Chi-Chi," Ranch said, hugging her as well.
"Can you believe it, Ranch? Not only are we going to see Goku, but we'll also be seeing our dads!" Trunks exclaimed with excitement.
Launch and Chi-Chi exchanged a knowing look, while Bulma said hesitantly, "Do me a favor and temper your expectations a bit, Trunks." She took a small bottle of her pocket, saying, "Here. The medicine for Goku." Trunks pocketed it.
"Alright, let's get going!" Ranch cried ecstatically.
Trunks jumped into the time machine first with Ranch right behind him. They had to share the only seat in the cockpit, so it was a tight squeeze. The hatch closed over them as Trunks began to press the buttons and dials on the control panel. The engine whirled to life, and the time machine began to rise into the air. Ranch and Trunks waved good-bye to Bulma, Launch, and Chi-Chi until the time machine disappeared from sight, thus beginning the journey of the two half-Saiyans.