The Darkness Within

This is the story of the past of Android 17 and 18 and how love saved them from the darkness within. K18, NSFW, TRIGGER WARNING

Disclaimer: I do not own DB/DBZ/DBS or any of its characters. Please take the trigger warning seriously!

Chapter 6

18 wouldn't even look at him. They had been walking through the streets of Paris looking for 17 for over two hours and she simply walked beside him.

Krillin didn't attempt to speak with her. He simply gave her time and space and hoped for the best.

That's when Krillin saw him working in a pet store. He was wearing an apron and smiling while grooming a small poodle. "There he is!" He said pointing.

18 whirled around and gasped. "17!"

"I'll wait out here," Krillin said nervously.

"No!" 18 said quickly then calmed down. "You came this far didn't you? Come in."

Krillin gulped and nodded a little fearful 17's reaction. He walked in right after her and stayed a little further behind as she walked right up to the counter.

"17."

17 lifted his head in surprise and stared at 18 for a moment. He calmly walked over to a cage and gently put the poodle in it. Then he took off his apron walked out from behind the counter and pulled 18 into a tight hug.

"I thought you were dead," he said holding her close.

18 hugged him back tightly and said, "I've been searching for you for nearly a year since the Cell games."

17 broke the hug and looked at Krillin who was standing behind 18 nervously. He cocked an eyebrow. "Why is he here?"

"He's the one who helped me find you," 18 said.

17 glanced at him and said, "thanks." He looked over his shoulder and said, "Pierre I'm taking my lunch."

Pierre poked his head out from the back and said, "alright Lapis. Enjoy."

17 guides them out of the store when 18 said, "you use your human name?"

17 nodded. "Easier to explain then just telling him a number."

"So you remember our past?"

17 looked morbid. "Yes I do. All of it. Every single detail. It all comes back when I sleep."

18 sighed, grateful that she didn't sleep much. 17 took them to a nearby restaurant where the twins sat at the table and Krillin sat at another table.

"Get over here shortie," 17 said not even turning around.

"M-me?"

"My sister trusts you so..." he motioned to the seat beside her. Krillin just got up wordlessly and sat beside her.

"I have a one bedroom tiny apartment nearby," 17 said. "Not as comfortable as the mansion but definitely better than the shack."

"The shack served its purpose," 18 said.

They stayed silent for a while then 17 said, "I can make room for you in my apartment if you wanna stay with me."

18 looked at him surprised then glanced at Krillin who looked surprised.

The thought of staying here, so far away and possibly never seeing Krillin again was something that caused her a lot of pain. So much that she was nauseous.

"When can share a bed," 17 said with a shrug. "Until I can buy another one."

"17," 18 said softly not daring to look at him. "I, don't wanna leave Japan."

17 smiled at her. "It's okay sis. We've been separated for almost a whole year, we both have..." he glanced at Krillin, "our separate lives."

"I've been searching for you for so long," 18 said sadly. "I don't really know a life without you. I wanted to be together again."

17 sighed. "Me too. I didn't think I could live without you until I just did."

"Won't you come back to Japan?" 18 said.

"Not right now," 17 said. "Maybe one day."

18 nodded in understanding but couldn't help but feel this deep sadness within her as if she were losing her brother all over again. She never even really thought about what she would do when she found 17. She assumed they would just live together again but something about Japan held her there that she couldn't leave behind.

"Well, stay for a couple of days," 17 said. "We can squeeze into my apartment. We can catch up and share contact info to keep in touch."

18 smiled. "That would be great. But we don't need to squeeze into your apartment, Krillin and I have a capsule with a two bedroom condo."

17 looked impressed. "Wow."

"If I got you stuff like this," Krillin said showing him the capsule. "You'd have everything you need and I can get you a job working with animals, would you come back to Japan?"

18's hopes shot right up. 17 grinned. "That's a very nice offer. I'll have to think about it."

18 was satisfied with that answer. "Have you been here the whole time?" She asked.

He shook his head. "I've been here for two months, before I was in New York, then a small village in Colombia, then England, and then here."

"That's a lot of moving around," Krillin said.

17 nodded. "Just trying to find myself I guess. Isn't that what humans say?"

Krillin chuckled softly. "Kinda."

"And what did you figure out?" 18 said.

"I wanna work with animals," 17 said with a small grin. "16 always cared about them and I want to keep that passion alive."

18 nodded. "I wouldn't know what to do."

17's face changed. "But he is dead isn't he?"

"He sacrificed himself to try to destroy Cell," Krillin said.

"I searched for his robotic signature," 17 said. "He's way more traceable. But I couldn't find him anywhere so I assumed..."

"He ended up joining us at the end," Krillin said. "He really cared about you guys."

"He was our mentor," 17 said. "Taught us everything we know."

"I know, 18 told me."

17 looked surprised. "You did?"

18 nodded and blushed. "It wasn't very hard to trust him."

"How much did you tell him?"

18 looked away. "Some things are better left unsaid."

17 looked at Krillin for a reaction and what he saw was the little warrior looking at her with pure adoration. He had never seen anyone look at his sister that way and he had never seen his sister even remotely interested in anyone.

He had a feeling that even if this guy knew about the real nasty parts of their past he would still love her the same.

XXXXXXXX

3 years ago

"Lazuli! Lazuli! Wake up!"

Lazuli opened her eyes slowly and glanced over at Lapis who was tied to a metal bed beside her. Lazuli looked at her now flawless skin free of any marks even though they had endured days of electric shock therapy where Gero tested their pain tolerance and tried to assert his mind control.

They resisted every step of the way and Gero just tortured them harder.

The door opened and Gero entered with a sinister grin. "Don't you just hate it when I shut you down."

Lapis growled and struggled against his restraints.

"You can't control anything can you and then when I torture there's nothing you can do," Gero said. "You're there frozen and conscious feeling every single thing I do to you and not being able to scream out in pain."

"I'll kill you!" Lapis yelled.

"That's the killer instinct I'm looking for," Gero said. "Because that's the next part of your development. Killing."

"We won't do anything for you!" Lazuli said.

"It's not for me it's your programming," Gero said with a wicked smile. "Every instinct in your body is telling you to kill and destroy. Especially if it's Goku that you have to kill."

Lazuli groaned in frustration and Lapis tugged again against his restraints.

The door opened again and hundreds of androids that looked like Goku but all slightly different and twisted walked dragging in people. Human people of all different types looking absolutely terrified.

"Killing and death is a natural part of your life 17 and 18," Gero said. "Kill them all or they will kill you. Leave no one alive."

"No!" Lazuli said.

Gero lifted the button and pressed another button on the backside. They both screamed as they were shocked by a giant wave of electricity and the programming was shoved into their brains.

Gero laughed maniacally as he walked out of the room and shut the door behind him. The room was packed with androids and terrified humans. There wasn't even any room for anyone to move. Their restraints released and Lazuli and Lapis landed on their feet. They were both in thin hospital gowns and fought as they tried the anger and need for blood consumed them entirely.

With yells of fury they jumped into the fray slaughtering everything that moved. The androids buzzed in dysfunctions as they were ripped apart and the humans screamed in terror.

Ki blasts scarred the walls black and blood and bolts splattered the floor. Screams echoed off the walls and then a deafening silence.

Androids 17 and 18 stood in the midst a sea of bolts, blood, and mutilated bodies. Their bodies were coated in blood and on their faces were two very determined smirks.

XXXXXXX

"Ahh!" 18 scream echoed through the two bedroom condo as she woke up in a sweaty panic.

Within minutes Krillin zoomed into the room in nothing but boxer shorts fully powered and ready to fight.

Krillin calmed down when he saw 18 sitting up in bed panting heavily. She was wearing one of his large shirts that went down to her thighs, blonde hair matted with sweat and messy all over.

"I killed them all," she said as tears spilled out of her eyes. "He made me kill them all and enjoy it."

Krillin sat down on the bed beside her and listened quietly.

"He shocked us for weeks forcing our brains to take his instructions and commands," 18 sobbed. "He made us want to kill those people and androids and enjoy it. We had all their blood on us. S-so many bodies...b-blood everywhere...the s-screams were so loud...I felt t-their bones, ahh, s-snapping..."

"Stop," Krillin said gripping both of her arms. "Stop 18."

18 burst into hard sobs and laid her face into Krillin's chest. He held her close and gently caressed her hair.

"It wasn't your fault 18," Krillin said. "That monster made you do those things. From what you told me about Lazuli, that wasn't her who did those things. That was Dr. Gero's creation. You went above your programming and defeated him. And now you have to work on trying to become Lazuli again."

18 lifted her head and looked at him right in the eyes. "I don't think I can ever become Lazuli again."

"You don't have to," Krillin said with a gentle smile. "I'll love you either way."