Note: This story is one of fourteen that I am writing - companion pieces to my as-yet-unpublished-book, DRAGONBALL Z: AND THE GREATEST OF THESE. While the book itself fits accepted DBZ canon, these stories are meant to expand on themes not explored in depth in AND THE GREATEST OF THESE, or as in the case of "Twisted Timelines," are tales based on those two words of such promise… 'What if…'
Twisted Timelines
Chapter Six
"I'm bored."
"Already?"
"Yeah."
"How can you be bored when there are so many buildings to destroy?"
A brilliant blast of crimson light flashed, and another skyscraper collapsed to the street in a cloud of debris and dust.
"Look, there are plenty left if you want to blow up a few."
"But it's no fun, buildings don't fight back. I want a challenge."
"Fine, we'll race. Whoever blows up the most buildings wins."
"That's no fun, besides, you cheat."
Screams of terror and agony echoed through the ruined streets as people stampeded madly trying to get away.
"Well, we're almost to Capsule Corporation, then you can have the challenge of fighting Son Goku."
"That's true. And I imagine that fighting Goku will be fun for a little while, at least."
Smoke and steam boiled up from underground as pipes burst, covering fleeing people in ash and boiling water, while geysers of flame shot twenty feet up in the sky as gaslines ruptured from the explosions.
"So will you stop moping now?"
"But what do we do for fun after we kill him?"
"Then we start on everyone else."
"You're right, that does sound like fun."
Don't let me be too late, Vegeta prayed as he raced toward West City. Please don't let me be too late. As well-disciplined as he considered himself, his mind would not stop torturing him with the idea that he might not make it in time., Vegeta prayed as he raced toward West City. . As well-disciplined as he considered himself, his mind would not stop torturing him with the idea that he might not make it in time.
West City a mass of crumbling buildings and flames…
His heart felt like it was going to burst right out of his chest.
Capsule Corporation in ruins…
His lungs could hardly draw in breath.
Kurenai screaming in rage and horror…
"NO!" he shouted, transforming the sick horror he felt into unbridled rage and power. The familiar corona of power sparked and shimmered around his body as he tapped into the deepest reserves within himself. "I WON'T LET IT HAPPEN!" With a growl, he accelerated even faster, pushing his body to the limit.
"VEGETA!"
He glanced behind him and saw the other Z Warriors struggling to catch up to him. Piccolo zoomed up alongside of him and glanced at the prince. "We're not letting you fight them alone, Vegeta. We're her friends, too."
Vegeta looked back at the others, who were nodding in agreement. Instinctively he opened his mouth to reject their help, to send them away and let him fight the Androids alone. It was his Saiyan pride, he knew, that refused to accept weakness in any form, and friendship, or any other emotion, was just another weakness. But he knew in his heart that they were her friends, too. And they could no more stand aside and watch her get hurt than he could.
"Then let's go," he rasped, and the six Z Warriors shot toward Capsule Corporation.
"Well, we're here." Android 18 pushed her blonde hair back from her face and looked around at Capsule Corporation with interest.
"Finally," Android 17 groused, landing beside her, his hands on his hips.
"Oh don't mope, 17, we'd been asleep so long that I just wanted to see the city before we completely destroyed it."
The black-haired Android looked less than impressed. "Well, we've seen it, now can we find Goku?"
"Oh whine, whine, whine, whine. Honestly, don't you ever stop complaining?" Android 18 rolled her eyes at him, then turned back at the Capsule Corporation grounds, one of the only places in the city that they hadn't completely demolished. "Geez, you'd think that with all the fun we had, Son Goku could at least have come out to see what was going on."
A gasp of horror and outrage echoed across the compound, and the Androids' attention was suddenly caught by a woman standing on the balcony of a small house beside the Capsule Corporation headquarters building. Her long black hair was piled on top of her head, and she looked about eight months pregnant.
Android 17 strolled over to stand underneath the balcony. "Excuse me, would you happen to know where Son Goku is?"
"What?" she whispered hoarsely.
"Son Goku," he repeated slowly, as though speaking to a child. "We know that he's here, would you please see if he can come out and play?"
"Who told you Goku was here?" she asked.
"Oh, a mutual friend of ours. You see, Goku can be pretty good at hiding, so we looked for the biggest power level on the planet. And we found out that it was here. And since Goku's the most powerful fighter, that means he's here. See?"
The woman wrapped her arms around herself protectively. "I don't know how to tell you this, but Goku is dead."
"That's nonsense," Android 18 said imperiously, coming over to stand beside Android 17. "We checked before we left. The highest reading is here at Capsule Corporation, and we've already accounted for all his little friends. So where is he?"
"I've already told you, he died six months ago of a heart virus." Her voice dropped. "I should know… I tried to save him, but I couldn't. I was there when he died."
The Androids looked at each other.
"That… that can't be possible," Android 17 said.
"Unless there's suddenly someone else on this planet with a power level as high as Goku's." Android 18 looked over at the woman speculatively. "Hmm. At any rate, I wonder who she is."
Lazily she drifted into the air until she hovered level with the balcony. As she assessed the black-haired woman, her blue eyes lit up as electronic data raced across her field of vision.
The woman started. "You… can fly? But how? You have no power level, no life force!"
"Very observant."
"I see. No, you're… you're not human. No… you're an android, aren't you?"
"That's right… something far greater than any mortal flesh-and-blood creation could ever hope to become." Her eyes narrowed. "Fascinating… hey, 17, this might interest you."
Android 17 looked up at the blonde android with indifference. "What?"
"According to our databases, this woman is Vegeta's wife."
"Really?" Android 17 replied with greater interest, floating up to join Android 18 in front of the woman on the balcony. He carefully looked her over from head to toe and back again. "Well, I'll give him credit for good taste, if nothing else." His eyes dropped to her stomach.
Android 18 followed his look. "And how adorable, he's going to be a father."
"What the… Kurenai, who ARE these people!" came a loud screech behind the woman, and she turned to see another woman of about the same age approaching.
"Bulma, you'd better get out of here," Kurenai warned. "Something tells me this is going to get ugly."
"WHAT! But you're practically in labor, you can't go fighting a battle now! Are you out of your mind!" The green-haired woman swept her curls out of the way and glared at the two Androids. "And who do you two think you are, trying to bully a pregnant woman, don't you have any manners?"
"Don't worry about me. Tell your parents and anyone else you can convince to get moving."
"But why?"
"Just do it!" At the commanding tone of her voice, Bulma turned and fled. The Androids ignored her, their attention fixed on the woman on the balcony.
"I don't know why you're here," she said in a low voice, "and frankly, I don't really care. But if you two are responsible for the destruction of West City, and I'm fairly sure you are, then I will not let you get away with it."
"Oh, we're real scared," Android 18 drawled. She lifted one hand and a glowing ball of energy pulsed against her palm.
The woman was pale, but stood her ground.
Android 18 raised a pale eyebrow. "Brave. Stupid, but brave. That's fine. Now we have something new to play with, just in case you are telling the truth about Goku."
"You're right, 18. So who gets to play first?"
"You're the one who was bored, you go ahead," the blonde android said dismissively. "I'll watch for a while."
Android 17 smirked, then turned to face the woman. "Kurenai… is that your name? Well, let me tell you, Kurenai, you don't stand a chance against us."
"You have no idea what I can stand," she said in a low, cold voice. Her fists clenched at her sides as she straightened her shoulders. "Believe me, I've been through hell, you don't scare me."
"Yeah, but something tells me you're not used to fighting with a handicap, like that stomach of yours getting in the way." She went pale and rested one hand against her stomach protectively. "It's true, it won't be too much fun since I know you won't be giving it your all, but I guess you'll make a decent distraction for a while."
His eyes lit up with an almost feral pleasure as he leapt toward her.
To be continued...