AN: Sorry it's taking so long to update. I've been mega-busy with school and football and such. I have been procrastinating quite a bit too. I'll try and keep updating as quickly as I possibly can.

Chapter 4- Future Revealed

Gohan awoke to the soft sound of voices. Opening his eyes, he discovered nothing but a thick veil of darkness around him. He squinted, letting his eyes adjust to the blackness and was slightly able to make out his surroundings. Through the darkness, Gohan could vaguely make out the shape of the room. It was small, less than ten by ten, but big enough to hold the small bed that Gohan lay in. He propped himself up on one elbow, noticing his clothes had been changed. Instead of the tight spandex of Saiyan armor, Gohan felt a looser kind of material. Feeling around, he discovered he was wearing a white, loose cotton T-shirt and a brown pair of baggy cargo shorts. Even his boots were gone.

"Where am I? What is this place?" he asked himself mentally. Gohan sat up and slowly placed his feet on the floor, the coldness of concrete soothing his sore feet. As he stood, Gohan noticed the makeshift splint and cast on his broken arm. He hadn't noticed it before, as the arm was now completely numb. The voices continued to speak softly, so softly that he couldn't make out the words. A thin beam of light shone through the crack at the bottom of the door, slightly illuminating Gohan's bare feet. As he crept towards the black outline of the door, the voices became louder. He could understand them. He heard two familiar voices, along with an unfamiliar one. He first heard a familiar female voice.

"…if it's in that kind of condition, I can't fix it. I'll need to build a new one."

Then, a male voice, Suren's voice.

"Well, I got there as fast as I could. I used the last Chaff to save him…I hope he's worth it."

Next, spoke a deep voice.

"But, it's really him? Maybe we do have hope…"

The female voice again.

"It is him. I remember him clearly. And we cannot place our hopes in him…we still need to send him back. If we don't…who knows what the future will bring…"

Silence. The conversation ended there, and all three participants ceased talking. Gohan removed his ear from the door and turned the knob, opening the door slowly. The hinges cried out as a dim light shot through the opening doorway. Gohan stepped through the doorway and squinted, making out three faces.

"You're finally awake…" said the female voice. Gohan looked around, registering the faces in his mind. He recognized Suren's thin face and spiked jet black hair. To Gohan's right was a larger man, of African-American descent, wearing a thin white shirt. He was massive, mounds of muscle stretching the shirt in every possible spot, and a good six and a half feet tall. Between the two men sat a familiar woman. The face was identical…no, it was tired, as tired as Gohan had ever seen. The face of a worn, old woman gazed back at him. The hair was different, rather than a bright teal, her hair was of a faded blue, messy and unkempt. Her eyes were tired as well, staring blankly at the surprised Gohan.

"B…Bulma?" Gohan asked simply, stepping forward to examine her further. Her weary eyes looked him up and down as she forced a smile.

"Gohan…" she said. He stepped up to the table, sitting down in an empty chair. The two men exchanged glances and looked back at Gohan and Bulma.

"Bulma…what happened to you? Where's Krillin? And Piccolo and Vegeta?" Gohan questioned, his voice trembling with worry. Bulma tilted her head slightly downward and sighed, closing her eyes.

"You mean…you don't know?" she asked him, eyes still shut. Gohan looked to Suren and then to the black man.

"Know what?" he asked, looking back at Bulma and leaning forward. The black man scoffed and turned around, crossing his arms. Suren kept his eyes fixed like a hawk on Gohan.

Bulma sighed again, "Gohan…you poor boy…I'm afraid you won't be going home for quite some time..."

"Why?! I wanna go home! I wanna see Mommy!" Gohan said, raising his voice. Bulma looked up and opened her tired eyes.

"That machine you were in was a time machine, sent back along with my son to warn you of what was to come." she explained.

"You mean that guy was…"

"My son. You know me; I believe you already have met Suren. This is Conrad." Bulma said, introducing the black man. He turned around and nodded in Gohan's direction.

"Like the lady said, the name's Conrad. You can call me 'Tank' though, everybody does." his deep voice booming through the small room.Gohan nodded and thought more about what Bulma had told him.

"A…time machine? What was to come…? You mean this is…I'm in…the future?"

Bulma nodded, "Yes. A broken future. Twenty years in the future to be exact. Humanity is on the brink of extinction…thanks to them…"

"Who?" Gohan asked. Suren spoke up.

"Are you blind? Those things that attacked you! The Androids…"

Bulma nodded again, "Built by Dr. Gero. Their main goal was to kill your father, but now that he's gone, they've resorted to killing all humans."

Tears began to form in Gohan's eyes, "My Daddy is…"

"Dead…I'm sorry, Gohan, but everyone else is dead too. Krillin, Piccolo, even Vegeta…I am the lone survivor of the group." Bulma said, gravely, slowly re-lowering her head.

Gohan began to sob, "No…Daddy…"

Suren walked over to the sobbing child and placed a gloved hand on his shoulder. Gohan looked up, his face already streaked with tears and his eyes red.

"Hey kiddo…I know what you're feeling right now…my parents were killed by the androids too. You've gotta be strong…and from what Bulma told me, you may be able to get back to your own time…"

"R-Really?"

Suren nodded, "Yeah. C'mon kid. Let's take a walk. I'll explain everything more in depth."

Gohan nodded and smiled slightly, wiping his eyes. He stood up, getting out of his chair and followed Suren, as he walked out the door. Bulma and Conrad looked at each other.

"I've never seen Suren act that way…'cept 'round Ki…"

"Well, he did know Gohan...the one from our time, I mean. He was like a big brother to Suren." Bulma said, still looking at the door through which Gohan and Suren had left. Conrad nodded and looked down at Bulma, towering over her.

"You really think you can send him back?"

Bulma forced a smile, "It'll take some time. Years, maybe, but I'm sure I can build another. That is…if they don't kill us first…"

Conrad nodded, "Yeah...I hope we can last that long…ever since he got here, I've had a bad feeling about what's left of our future…"

He pulled up a chair and sat next to Bulma, who had her head down on the gray table, resting it comfortably in her arms. Conrad leaned back in the chair. They both sat there for the next couple hours…pondering their future…and waiting…

GASP!!!

WHAT ROLE WILL CONRAD PLAY IN FIGHTING THE ANDROIDS?!

WHAT IMPACT WILL SUREN HAVE ON GOHAN?!

WHO IS THIS MYSTERIOUS 'KI'?!

WILL I EVER SHUT UP?!

Yes. Now be good little boys and girls and await my next update.