The Shadow of Hope Chapter 2, a dragon ball z fanfic

Thanks for the reviews and support guys! I completely forgot about the androids not being able to sense power levels. Doh! I felt a little bit deflated after finding out… it would change pretty much everything about the story haha. So apologies about that, I hope it doesn't put too many people off.

As for the direction of the story, it's not my aim to make it completely original but to explore something specific in a super magnified way. Hopefully you'll see what I mean in chapter 3 which will be the last chapter.

I hope you enjoy it.

"Speech"

'Thought'

The Shadow of Hope

Chapter Two

Trunks had been flying for hours, for the first twenty minutes or so he was a burning inferno, power unchecked through sheer rage. His anger was aimed at himself and for his weakness in losing the equipment that was so important to him, his mother and everyone. But most of all, he was using his anger to hide his shame at what he felt when she kissed him.

Eventually he gathered enough sense to power down after realising he was telegraphing his presence around the entire planet. She didn't come after him and it left him wondering why. They always came after him unless he was able to hide or they got bored playing with him.

After flying around aimlessly for a while and constantly looking over his shoulder, he eventually recognised where he was. It was a forested mountain valley, isolated by hundreds of miles of wilderness; he once used the area as a training camp with Gohan when he was a child. He flew down closer through the valley and tried to pinpoint the exact location. Eventually he found the river that branched through the valleys from the mountains. They would use it to wash, catch fish and drink from and as a navigation point. It led him straight to a cliff edge above the valley where they had setup a camp.

He hovered over the camp and surveyed it; it was overgrown and would need to be cleared out. He landed and began looking around, he recognised the old Capsule Corp Shelter his mother had made for them and remarkably it was in great condition. He allowed the memories of the time he spent here to come flooding back. Each rock, tree, clearing and the waterfall around the cliff face each held a memory of their time together. He was so young and stupid but so convinced they could win. He remembered Gohans infinite patience and warm smile and constant encouragement. He looked upto him so much, he was a super hero. The things he could do and the stories he told him of the Z-Fighters and their victories, they made him seem invincible. He smiled sadly at the memory and looked down at the overgrown fire-pit they once used and then dejectedly stepped over toward a log and sat down. He put his head in his hands, he felt ridiculous, a complete failure, but more importantly, he felt he had betrayed the memory of his master and all those people he had sworn to protect.

"I'm so sorry Gohan, I let you down." He said and fought back tears. The memory of her kiss was still fresh in his mind no matter how much he tried to push it out. He closed his eyes and all he could see were her seductive eyes looking at him and a warm feeling in his chest. 'Damnit!' He shook his head in despair and stood up trying to straighten himself out. He took a deep breath, he had been wallowing in self-pity the moment he left her standing amidst the trees following their 'encounter.' He had to straighten himself out, he'd been here before, and this defeat was no different than ones he had dealt with previously. It was only the details that were different and details were opportunities to learn from… no matter how shameful, or how embarrassing... his cheeks flushed red as the memory of her warm breath and the touch of her body on his invaded his thoughts. He stood up abruptly and shook his head before letting out a long sigh.

He stepped forward toward the cliff edge and surveyed the entire camp and surrounding area. It was where Gohan taught him the fighting basics, it was isolated enough so that they could let loose to a degree without fear of attracting the androids and also in the knowledge that no human settlements where within a huge radius of the area so no one would get hurt. He smiled at the good memories, it wasn't just the training that these valleys witnessed, it was the bonding shared between two friends. He took a deep breath and tried to remember his mission. He couldn't sit back and wallow in his actions, he had things to do, important things, and people were depending on him.

The sun was setting on the western edge and he knew he only had so much light left to work with, and he needed to clean out the camp if he was going to use it tonight. He shuddered as the cold suddenly crept up on him as if he only now became aware of it. In actuality, it was really cold and he knew it would get colder as soon as the sun set. He rubbed his bare arms, the black vest was all he was wearing. He looked down and remembered that his jacket was gone and was now in the hands of a certain blonde girl. He liked that jacket, it was a one off, his mother made it especially for him and now he doubted he would ever get it back. His eyes widened as he tried to recall what was inside the pockets. '…the list.' He realised and quickly searched his trouser pockets and belt pouches in panic, hoping it might magically appear, but no, nothing. He clenched his eyes and fists tight shut in frustration. "How could I be so foolish!" He told himself off and immediately began to think about his options. Should he return home? He shook his head, quickly cutting that idea out. If he returned home now he would be a failure and his mother would freak out if she found out what had happened, even if he did leave out the exact details.

He groaned but after a few moments he checked what things he did have. He still had his belt attached with some tools, his sword and his capsule rations which was a good foundation to build from.

'Right Trunks, think, start again. I'll spend the night here; I have enough food and water to last ten days or so. I'll return tomorrow and hope she hasn't lingered around or noticed what I was doing. If all's good I'll collect the equipment and return home with them.' He thought, trying to straighten out his mind and keep his eye on the objective. Positivity was pivotal to surviving in these times.

Trunks had cleared the camp out and managed to open the capsule shelter and attach a battery to it which would provide him some heat against the cold of the night. He had lunch with the food and water from his ration belt capsule which opened up refrigerator-like and illuminated the campsite. It wasn't much but it did enough to keep him fed and energised. There was nothing he could do about his smell; he figured he'd take a cold dip into the river at first light and then hopefully his rucksack which contained his spare clothes would be back at the plant where he left it.

He sighed and looked up at the stars and allowed the sounds of the forest to fill his ears. So much had happened, so many setbacks. He knew he had to get past it, push it behind him, to prioritise and think critically about his mission objectives. However in quiet moments like this the memories of all his failures in the past came flooding back. For so long now it seemed like everything he did ended in failure, and each failure came down to the same damn reason – that he wasn't strong enough. Time and time again he'd been beaten, battered and bruised, and each time left its own distinct humiliating mark on him. Whether it was simply to cure their boredom, or this new game she was playing, each time sunk the dagger deeper into his pride, his pride as both a protector of earth and also a man.

He clenched his jaw in anger and closed his eyes. 'Keep going kid.' He heard his mentors voice in his head. He smiled; Gohan was always saying stuff like that and ruffling his lavender hair. Feeling a little better he stood up and entered the small capsule shelter and sealed it up behind him before lying down. Despite the battery power heating up the shelter it was still chilly.

He rested his head on his arm and allowed his heavy eyes to close but immediately, in his minds-eye staring back at him, were two seductive and sultry blue eyes. 'Hi Trunks.' The memory of her filled his senses, he gulped and let out a long sigh and slowly repositioned himself and lay on his side. His lips tingled at the memory of her kiss and he opened his eyes again and groaned, once again repositioning himself. This pattern repeated multiple times before he gave in and merciful sleep came to take him. Tomorrow would be waiting and tomorrow he could put things right.

"Nice try kiddo." Gohan said with a cheeky grin and pushed him backward in the air. A young Trunks collected himself and gathered all his reserves for another attack. Going all out he launched himself at his mentor who easily dodged and blocked his attacks. "Not quick enough!" Gohan said and twisted to the side exposing an opening in Trunks attack. With two fists he sent a measured blow to the young boys back sending him crashing down to earth.

Gohan flew down and offered Trunks a hand out of the hole he lay in. Trunks looked at him, shaking the dirt from his mess of lavender hair, and then grinned before taking his hand. "Not bad Trunks, you're getting much better. It's amazing how strong you are at your age." Gohan said and patted the dust out of his shirt. He put his hands on Trunks' shoulders and looked steadily at him with proud eyes. "It won't be long now Trunks. Soon we'll be able to beat the androids, we just need to stay focussed and keep training." He said, filling his young student with hope and purpose. Trunks nodded back enthusiastically.

Suddenly Gohans demeanour changed and the sky turned dim and colourless. He looked up and searched the sky which was suddenly full of smoke from burning debris. "Gohan w-what's wrong?" He asked. Gohan burst up into the sky above, his face anguished and his body braced. He powered into Super Saiyan and turned suddenly as an energy blast came from the grey smoke and struck him directly in the back, sending him flying forwards into the path of Android 17.

"Look what we've got here sis, it's the Saiyan." Android 17 said and with that Android 18 appeared out of the other billowing cloud of smoke with her arms crossed. "And look, his hair's changed colour again. How strange..." She said and then, with untraceable speed, she kicked Gohan in the stomach and Seventeen threw a volley of energy blasts at him. He screamed in pain and came crashing to the floor infront of Trunks.

"Gohan!" Trunks yelled and ran over to his friend and mentor. Gohan was badly hurt and bleeding all over, Trunks fearfully looked him over, he was in bad shape. With great effort Gohan turned around and faced Trunks. "T-Trunks… you've got to get away." He said. Trunks shook his head, fear etched into his boyish face. "No I'm not leaving you. I can fight too!" He said, desperate and angry but mostly frightened. Gohan winced and shook his head. "No, you need to go! Fly as fast as you can." He shouted and pushed Trunks away.

A shadow cast over them and they both looked up. The androids were hovering above, looking down at them with arms folded and a smug and satisfied smirk etched onto their faces.

Gohan struggled to his feet, glaring at them, a deathly determination on his face. He quickly turned back to him. "You must go Trunks, do as I say!" He told him firmly, his breathing however was laboured and he was wincing in pain. Trunks was about to reply but Gohan suddenly powered up with everything he had causing Trunks to stagger back from his power.

Eighteen rolled her eyes. "Touching but I've heard enough, it's time to end this." She said and held out her arm toward them and gathered energy. Gohan however intercepted her and launched himself at the two, fighting ferociously. The power coming from them was radiating and unlike anything Trunks had ever seen. He stumbled back in fearful awe, his legs frozen.

In two minds he wanted to help and also wanted to run, he winced in horror as he watched Gohan repeatedly take blow after blow. "Gohan!" He shouted in tears, and then saw them strike him hard down to the ground. Gohan yelled in pain and his power level dropped massively causing him to come out of Super Saiyan. Trunks' eyes widened and as if in slow motion, the two androids lined up in the air above him and held out their arms in unison. "Goodbye Saiyan." Seventeen said and they both sent a huge combined energy blast down at his already beaten body. He heard Gohan scream out in pain, followed by sudden silence. A stunned Trunks swayed on his feet.

"Gooohhaaaaannn!" He screamed and powered up all his might and launched himself towards his friend, but he was slow, no matter how hard he flew he wasn't getting any closer until his path was cut-off and he slammed to a halt.

"Hello there boy." Said the emotionless voice of Seventeen, Trunks shook in anger. "How would you like to meet your friend in the next dimension?" He asked with a smirk and slowly approached him. Trunks' eyes widened in terror and he slowly backed away but bumped into Eighteen who was directly behind him. She put her arms around him and moved her mouth close to his ear. "No Seventeen, let's not. I want to keep this one alive, he can be my plaything." She said and grinned at him. He struggled in her grip as the two of them began to laugh mercilessly. He fought with everything he had against her impossibly strong hold. Through the grasp of her arms he yelled in fear as Seventeen approached…

"Aaaah!" Trunks sat up in bed, covered in sweat. He looked around trying to remember where he was, his chest heaving heavily. Then the familiar walls of a Capsule Shelter sank in. 'It… it was a dream.' He realised and closed his eyes in relief taking a moment to catch his breath and calm his racing heart.

It was early hours and he was eating breakfast while watching the morning mist pass through the valley below. The strength of the dream still left an impression on him but it wasn't for the first time. He'd had that dream many times and each time it ended in a slightly different way, but what remained the same was the death of Gohan. It was something he would never forget. A steely determination took over him as he resolutely prepared to complete his mission. He would not return a failure, not again. He decided to head straight back to Forta Mont, well what was left of it, and didn't want to waste anymore time in the camp. He connected his belt and sword strap and powered up. 'Let's do this.' He told himself and then blasted off.

It took him about forty minutes before he reached the area, he powered down long before he was able to see the place, this time fully intending to remain hidden. As he reached the valley town he powered down completely and landed in the forest on the adjacent side of the simmering crater where the town originally stood. The area looked damp like it had been raining through the night, the fires were out and all that was left were slim columns of smouldering smoke scattered across the rubble. Staying to the edges he moved toward the plant and passed pieces of debris scattered about on the forest edge. He stuck to the cover of the tree line and kept his senses peeled for any signs of the androids. It was risky coming back so soon, he knew, but he simply couldn't risk not trying considering how important the processors were to the project.

He scaled the moss and vine covered gate surrounding the exterior of the plant and carefully approached the side of the building and headed toward a fire exit doorway that had been partially broken off at the bottom. He peered inside, the lights were still on and the place looked pretty much as it did yesterday, certainly no signs of damage, however from his vantage point he could only see so much. His target was the upper floor.

'Right this is it Trunks. Go in, grab the stuff and get out quickly and quietly.' He told himself and then gently stepped inside, eyes and ears primed. He swiftly made his way over the machinery and debris on the floor, moving from cover to cover and always checking his surroundings. He steered away from the pools of water and came to the stairway which led to the second floor. He hesitated but quickly gathered himself; his erratic pulse betraying his bravery. Slowly he started to climb the stairs trying not to make a sound on the rusty metal steps. As he neared the top he peered across the hallway and, seeing the coast was clear, slowly moved toward the office and peered inside, his movements and footsteps cat like.

'It doesn't look like she came back.' He thought excitedly, his confidence growing. He moved toward the crushed doorway but came to a sudden dead stop.

The boxes were gone. "No..." He whispered under his breath and rushed forward looking around desperately.

"This can't be..." There was nothing, no sign of the boxes, equipment or anything that had been here yesterday. He looked up to the storage room and leaped over the smashed doorway and peered inside. His eyes grew wide in shock, it was empty, everything, it was all gone, the shelves had been stripped bare. He held his head in his hands in despair. 'She must have known what I was doing.' He torturously figured but frowned in confusion because all of his experience in dealing with the androids ended in destruction, death and pain. They had never taken any active interest in anything he did beyond what they could do with him for their personal fun and games. There was no way she knew they were working on a time machine, Project Hope was absolutely top secret. It just didn't sit right with him, he looked around again, eyes scanning for any signs she had destroyed the equipment, burn marks, scorched walls etcetera, but there was nothing. A thought crossed his mind wondering whether looters had arrived throughout the night and cleaned the place out… but it seemed so unlikely given the towns' isolation and the fact that she had destroyed the entire place only yesterday, surely even desperate looters were afraid of attracting their attention.

He moved back out of the room and saw his rucksack resting against the wall, it looked intact and as if it had purposefully been placed there. With a raised eyebrow he approached it but stopped as he saw a piece of paper that had been folded and placed deliberately on top. He hesitated a moment and moved forward in trepidation before picking it up. The colour instantly fell from his face as he looked it over. It was addressed to him from Android 18.

""Because you left without saying goodbye yesterday I decided to take those items you were looking for. Don't worry they're safe, and you can have them back, but only if you meet me tonight. I'll be at the Ferris wheel in Canton City at 20:00.

Don't make me wait~

xxx

P.S

If you don't turn up or you try anything stupid I'll destroy all of it. Bye x""

Trunks stared at the paper, his mouth ajar. He slumped against the nearby wall and dropped his shoulders in despair. He didn't know what to make of it, at least entirely, as it was clearly a trap.

'I can't believe it…' He ran a hand through his hair and tried to figure the situation out, he knew if he went along with her it would only end one way, that he'd be played with and humiliated until she got bored and then very likely she'd destroy him or at least beat him to within an inch of his life… again. Regardless the items would be lost forever. Or would they…? His mind raced, they couldn't afford to lose the components they needed. Was it worth the risk to him? Yes there was a chance he could track down other items, they had identified other possible locations that would have what they need, however unlike the plant in Forta Mont those other places were in densely populated areas that had long since been attacked and ravaged by the androids and looters. The chances of finding what they needed in those circumstances were slim at best. He may find the other items scattered about but as for the drive core processors; there was no way he would get as lucky again. It would set them back at least a year for sure.

He crushed the letter in his hand and threw it against the wall, when it came to the androids they always seemed to be way ahead of him. He checked his watch it was still only 10:22, he had time, plenty of time to figure it out. He stood and picked up his rucksack and checked inside, making sure everything there was intact and that she'd left no tricks or devices that could lead her to him. He pulled out a blue capsule hoodie from his rucksack and put it on and then left for his camp. He had a lot to think about.

Eighteen had flown some 200 miles south of Canton City, it was a distance not really relevant to her considering her speed and endless energy. She was carrying a large sack of boxes she'd collected from the plant, it was the second trip she'd made since last night. She'd found a new purpose and she felt electrified, she couldn't remember ever being so excited. Well she could, only this was different from the usual excitement she got from destruction and hunting humans. No this was something else entirely, something new and it made her feel... alive. She came to a large group of volcanic islands in the ocean. It was once home to tens of thousands of humans whom had long since been 'removed' and now it was Eighteen and her brother that called this place home. She liked it, it had a great climate and it had more than enough room for the both of them.

She flew to the side of the largest island toward the long dormant volcano where the ocean met the cliff face. It was inaccessible from land and provided a great retreat. While they didn't need to sleep like humans, down time was something they enjoyed from time to time, and former summer palaces of royalty seemed the perfect place to setup a home. It was private and secure enough so that neither of them would be found unprepared and possibly deactivated by devious humans. Despite their confidence it would never happen, the memory of Dr. Gero activating and deactivating them at will still bothered them and was truly the only thing they feared. Afterall who could defeat them?

She landed in the large courtyard of the palace and brushed her windswept hair behind her ear and then headed for the opulent entrance dragging the sack behind her. The palace was huge and distinctly royal in décor with different layered wings of the house built into the cliff face offering amazing views out across the islands. The main hall was scattered with numerous items, all artefacts they'd found from their 'adventures' around the planet, most of it however was junk and most of that junk was Seventeen's. She strolled by the kitchen area where Seventeen was connecting a new expensive looking oven up to the mains and gas supply. He caught a glimpse of her as she passed, the large sack behind her scraping the marble floor. He raised an eyebrow and pulled himself up.

"Hello Eighteen." He said, a hint of sarcasm to his voice as she didn't even look at him when she passed. "Hi." She replied without stopping and headed off down toward the wing of the palace that was hers. Seventeen did a double check and poked his head around the corner toward her just to confirm what he thought he had seen. He was right, the distinct blue jacket that belonged to the Saiyan, well HAD belonged to, now she was wearing it which could only mean one thing – she finally killed the whelp.

He grinned and followed her down the hall until she entered one of the rooms; he wanted to know the juicy details. He came to the entrance and smirked, folded his arms and leaned against the doorway as he watched her take off the jacket and place it onto one of her many clothes racks.

"I didn't expect you to take my advice so literally." He said making her stop and turn around. "Had some fun with your boyfriend then?" He said raising his eyebrows in expectation. She looked at him, then back toward the jacket, a slight tint of red to her cheeks.

"You know I thought I sensed him last night, he gave off a great amount of energy." He looked at her straight on. "So how did you finish him?" He ran multiple possible scenarios through his head. She could be quite creative when it came to extermination.

"No he's still alive." She said, her voice quieter than usual.

His face fell and he looked at her deflated. She opened the large sack she had dragged inside and threw the boxes on top of the pile she had brought back last night. He didn't have a chance to ask her what they were the first time and he was genuinely curious because she never brought anything home with her unless it was clothes related or something associated with her vanity. He raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

"I assume these items have something to do with him still being alive then?" He asked.

"Maybe." She said and crouched down looking through them. She pulled out a piece of paper and started looking at it and comparing something to each box.

He persisted, genuinely curious. "May I ask what they are?"

She stopped and looked up at him, slightly annoyed. "Didn't you tell me to take an interest in something beyond killing humans?" She asked, her voice clipped as was often the case recently. "Well, I'm taking an interest in something." She deflected his question and turned back to the boxes.

Seventeen looked at the boxes, and then back up at her, there was something on her face, something a little bit peculiar and he needed to find out what it was. "You've taken an interest in… circuitry?" He asked, still no idea what they were beyond electronic components.

"I don't know what they are, but he does." She said and then her eyes lit up as she found a particular box and stood up looking at it. "I found him gathering them, they seemed quite important to him, so I took them."

He blinked, he knew there was something going on, but what was it? Yes she could simply be teasing the Saiyan boy for fun, years ago he would have expected that but he knew his sister and he knew something else was up, so he had to ask. "Why?"

She glared at him, he was starting to annoy her but at the same time she knew this would inevitably come up and sooner or later she would have to explain it to him. She sighed. "Look, yesterday, what you said made me think. We do need to change our habits and well I decided to…" She hesitated and diverted her eyes. "Investigate… something…" She trailed off, finding it difficult to say aloud.

Seventeen raised an eyebrow and stood up straight from the wall. 'This is strange.' He thought, she was genuinely finding it difficult to speak which was something he couldn't ever remember happening. "Investigate what?" He pressed.

Her eyes darted to the side in frustration and embarrassment, and his persistent pressing only made it more difficult. Eventually however she gave in and plain come out with it. "Him alright! I investigated him!" She said, battling a growing blush in her face, immediately regretting being so forward as Seventeens' jaw dropped.

Now he was lost for words. Her annoyed glare turned into a rapidly growing angry one. "If you've got something to say then say it, don't just stand there looking like an idiot!" She growled, face red.

"I… was right wasn't I? I can't believe it..." He stared at her, eyes wide and began to nod as if everything he'd been suspicious of for a long time now had finally begun to make sense. "You've fallen for that Saiyan boy!" He stated. She looked at him ready to deny it but at the last moment turned her head to the side with red cheeks.

He was lost for words. He knew she behaved strangely around him and that he teased her about it but he never expected her to actually follow through with anything.

She folded her arms, she knew if she didn't get it out in the open he'd pester her relentlessly. "I just, for some time now have been having dreams and remembering things from before and, well… feeling… things." Her blush peaked. "I thought it would be a good idea to explore other interests, and…" She hesitated a moment but then carried on, her voice quiet. "…and other company." She turned away from him.

Though still completely shocked Seventeen began to think more seriously. As much as he wanted to use this situation to have his own fun, and without doubt this would provide an endless amount of ammunition to throw at her when he was bored, however he knew this was uncharted territory and could see something was changing in her. And if he was being honest, it was happening to him to. Dreams, visions and memories of times before had been occurring over the last year, well possibly longer than that. They happened during long periods of downtime, the constant thrill of destruction they had been on since they were awakened had long come to an end and the frequency of these strange visions were increasing because of it.

He straightened out and crossed his arms in contemplation. Eighteen peered at him over her shoulder as she noticed he'd been silent for a while. To her relief she could tell he was thinking about it with a degree of seriousness.

"OK well let's think about this." He said trying to come to terms with it, lost in deep consideration. Eighteen turned around to face him fully, hoping he would come up with some plan or idea that would help her as it had all happened rather fast. She was changing, she knew, it was slow at first and far between but now, especially around him, she was changing… and she needed someone or something to talk to because she had no experience of dealing with this.

"Tell me again what you plan to do with these… things?" He asked referring to the pile of boxes scattered about around her.

Eighteen looked down at the box and the list in her hands and the back up at him, checking to make sure it was safe to reveal more information to him. She was already uncomfortable in speaking about this with him, but she had no one else and it looked as if he was interested at least.

"After he fled I found this list and these boxes." She said holding up the paper. "He was gathering this equipment for something, it seemed really important to him." She said and Seventeen approached her and held out his hand for the list. She hesitated but in the end gave it to him to look at.

"Hmmm. 'Project Hope' I wonder what that is…" He said and ran his eyes over the content and then down at the boxes. "And these items match what's on the list?" He asked. She nodded. "I don't think he expected me to find it, I didn't realise at first but he tried to lead me away from them." She said smiling at the memory of their encounter and the fun she had destroying the town.

Seventeen crouched down looking at the boxes more carefully. They were pieces of highly advanced technology, clearly he was collecting them to build something. A computer or some kind of machinery. "They don't look like things humans normally scavenge." He commented aloud.

"He's not human." She stated, a tint of anger in her tone. Seventeen looked up at her, "You know what I mean." He said and stood up. "So what's your plan?"

She shrugged. "Seeing as he left it all I figured he'd be back again, so I left a note telling him to meet me tonight." She waved a hand at the boxes. "I took these as a guarantee and threatened to destroy them if he didn't turn up." She said smiling at her resourcefulness.

Seventeen looked at her a moment as if hesitating to say something. "You mean like a… date?" He asked, a slight horror cast across his usual stoic features.

Her face dropped and she glared at him, back on the defensive. "Yeah so? I like him Seventeen and I want to have some fun." She stated and then the reality of what she'd just confessed aloud replayed in the form of a new blush on her pale cheeks. She turned away again.

Seventeen blinked and marvelled at his sister. 'Wow she really is serious.' He decided to state the obvious problem in her new found interest in the hope it would lovingly bring her back down to reality before she left the atmosphere completely. "I can't imagine this Trunks guy is as willing for this relationship as you are."

She turned and looked at him before her eyes drifted off to the side in thought. Yes she knew this was the case, it would be difficult to get him to see her past the usual old hate and fear, but it didn't matter what he wanted. After yesterday she could tell something had happened to him and she had every intention of exploring and exploiting that feeling and making him see her that way.

"Yes well it doesn't matter, all that matters is that he does what I say. In time he'll see things my way." She declared, her voice silky and confident.

'This isn't going to end well.' Seventeen sighed inwardly. As much as he found the whole situation hilarious he was beginning to get worried for her, or perhaps worried for himself because when this 'episode' comes to an end, he was the one that would have to deal with it. She could get pretty damn feisty when things weren't going her way and once this hits the fan, the motherlode of all tantrums would be unleashed and with humans out of the picture, he'd likely receive the brunt of it. However there was also another problem; it was dangerous - extremely dangerous.

He looked at her straight. "Eighteen listen, if you want to do this fine, go and have your fun, but be careful." He said, his voice serious.

"Huh…?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Remember this guy wants to kill us, he's already tried to kill us and for all we know these things that he's collecting are intended to be used to kill us in some way." He stated. "Don't let your guard down."

She laughed and looked at him as if he'd gone mad. "Are you for real Seventeen? He's not capable of hurting me, you should know that." She started thinking her brother had lost his mind.

"Clearly, but just don't drop your guard is all I'm saying." He said and put one hand on his waist and referred to himself with the other. "Remember I'm not going to be there to help you." He said, suddenly looking like a stuck-up, over protective brother.

She glared at him, not liking being told what to do, and turned around. "Whatever Seventeen, I know how to handle myself." She said and headed out of the room toward her own private side of the palace flicking her hair from her face.

Seventeen watched her leave and glanced back down at the list in his hand.

Trunks had spent the rest of the day struggling with the decision he was faced with. He washed himself in the cold river, had lunch and was thankful that he had a change of clothes now that he had his rucksack back.

Most of the time however he spent looking over the information on the tracker his mother passed to him. It contained the other possible locations scattered around the world, but no matter how much he tried to estimate the chances of finding the drive core processors he knew he would need massive luck and a heck of a lot of time. Both things he didn't like to rely on.

He checked his watch, it was 18:45. 'I'll need at least 30 minutes to make it to Canton' He considered, remembering her 20:00 deadline. He was lost in thought until…

-ring-ring-

He nearly jumped out of his skin. He looked down at the buzzing cellphone attached to his belt and snatched it out. "Geez!" He breathed. "Get it together Trunks." He flipped it open and brought it to his ear.

"Hi mom." He said, knowing she was the only one with the direct line.

"Trunks, I've been waiting for you to contact me, I've been so worried!" Bulma said. Trunks sighed and smiled, he knew his mother would act like this but it was still nice to hear her voice after all that had happened.

"Sorry mom I've been busy." He said and rubbed the back of his neck out of habit, something he did alot when speaking with his mother. She had a way of making him feel like he was still five years old.

"Yes I know you've been busy, but couldn't you at least spare five minutes and call me, you know, like we agreed?" She protested.

"Yeah…" He said suddenly feeling like a little child again. He could almost hear disappointed head shake through the phone.

"Anyway mister, an update would be nice!" She said in her usual spirited way, he was used to it of course.

"It's… going well." He said, his voice almost betraying him. He tried to sound as enthusiastic as possible but he was dealing with his mother here.

"Really? I thought the Forta Mont plant might have been ruined by now." She asked, her own voice pepping up slightly with excitement.

"No, no it's still standing and it's in great condition. I even managed to get the power working again." He said unable to help himself from encouraging her despite the situation.

"Wow that's great news!" She proclaimed, clearly excited. "So… did you find anything?" She asked.

Trunks hesitated. "I… I did." He stammered.

Bulma was silent a moment before speaking. "You did? You don't sound very excited, is something wrong?" She commented but before Trunks could speak she started. "Wait, you didn't run into the androids did you?" Her tone changed on a dime to one of complete worry and panic.

"Nooo, no I'm fine mother, really." He said trying to avert her from going down that path again. He knew if he didn't stop her now she'd order him back, seal him away and he'd never be able to train, go fishing or be given any responsibility for Project Hope again.

"…really?" She asked, clearly doubtful.

"Yes really." He said, he was getting better at lying about it and it was tearing him apart. "I found some items inside; I'm just having difficulty in locating them because the plant's badly damaged." He said, his lies continuing.

"Oh…" She calmed down. "Well do you need help? I could send over a team to help lo-"

"No!" He cut her off. "No. Really I'm fine. I'll be done by tomorrow I promise."

"Tomorrow? Wow, alright then." She said deciding to believe him. "Just promise me you'll be careful, there's been no sighting of the androids lately, no one knows where they are." She said.

Trunks' eyes dropped to his feet and he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Yeah… I will, I promise." He said, his voice low.

Bulma remained quiet.

"Well mom, I've gotta go, I'll contact you soon." He said.

"…OK hun, take care, I love you." She said.

"Love you too mom." He said and closed his phone.

He stood standing with his cellphone in his hand feeling like the worst person in the world. 'I couldn't tell her about what happened, I couldn't.' He told himself. Time and time again the androids would beat him, intercept him, follow him and generally humiliate and defeat him on a whim. And each and every time he would return a failure, but he didn't want to return a failure anymore, he couldn't bare it. Everyone was relying on him, it was more than just him and his mother, what about the others that had no way of defending themselves or escaping? What about their sacrifices and losses in this fight? Their lives matter to!

He clenched his fist and looked up. 'No, things are going to change today. The end of this nightmare will be delivered by my hand. I will not run away!' He grit his teeth and looked up, eyes determined.

Bulma stared at her phone. She knew something was wrong, a mother's intuition, or was it woman's intuition? She couldn't tell, but she knew one thing, something wasn't right. Thinking back over the conversation he said the building was in fine condition and moments later said it was ruined. Of course he was lying, the only question was why. "What would make my boy lie to me?" She asked herself and took a moment in consideration before swivelling around in her chair and moving to her computer.

She ran through a few commands and opened a tracking program and fed it some data. On the screen it showed a map and a little red dot. She blinked in surprise.

"That's not Forta Mont…" She said and then zoomed out of the map. Her eyes widened. "He's almost two hundred miles away." She sat back in the chair and stared at the screen trying to run through the possibilities.

"What are you doing Trunks?"

She remembered his voice on the phone, she knew there was something wrong with him and if he was in danger that was something she just couldn't risk ignoring. Determined she typed in a few commands into the computer and up popped a man on the screen. He jumped in surprise and sat up straight.

"Oh, um, do you need something ma'am?" He asked.

"Yes prepare my car I need to head out." Bulma said.

"Oh where are you heading? Shall I send some soldiers to accompany you?"

"It's an area two hundred miles north east of Forta Mont, and no I don't need any soldiers." She said and the man's eyes widened.

"B-but that area is far outside known safe boundaries, it's far too dangerous without soldiers scouting the way, and besides it'll take you over ten hours I simply can-" He was about to carry on but Bulma cut him off.

"Oh just prepare the car already!"

"A-ah yes, r-right away ma'am..." He said and cut the feed.

Bulma stood up and tied her hair back and removed her lab coat. She had to protect her son.

Trunks had left way earlier than he needed to. He figured if he arrived before she did he would be able to find a good vantage point to survey the location, see her arrive and with any luck, he'd be able to see where she was keeping the components she'd taken.

From a distance he could make out Canton City and the huge Ferris wheel in the amusement park on the eastern side. He powered down and headed toward the fairground but kept his distance as he scouted the area. The fair had long since been abandoned and was gradually being reclaimed by nature. The old cowboy themed wooden buildings were crumbling and most of the fair rides themselves where ruined. The wider Canton City area was one of the most frequent locations the androids where sighted and strangely the city itself was not as worse off as most. However due to their presence in the area there were no humans living here aside from a resistance faction hidden in the forests to the west whom had been critical in providing android location updates to the wider resistance.

He landed on the broken and crumbling rollercoaster track and peered down at the fair ground. 'OK Trunks she chose this area for a reason, you know it's a trap so you need to be smart.' He told himself as he analysed the area infront of the Ferris wheel. It didn't take long before he sighed and shook his head, it didn't look good. It was an area with nothing but a few sporadic trees, a central fountain, benches and small food stalls creating a huge open circular area in the centre. It was once used for festivals and firework displays intended for large gatherings of people. In other words, there was very little cover or places to hide. He looked across to the wider area and aside from merry-go-rounds, kids rides and a few small wooden buildings, it was more of the same. To the east of the fair was the sea and to the north and south where breaches that ran for miles, so it only left Canton City that provided immediate cover, but still the city wasn't a financial district, it wasn't full of skyscrapers and huge buildings. It was mostly residential meaning it was flat and void of cover and the last thing he wanted was for her to destroy yet another habitable location like Forta Mont.

He checked his watch, it was 19:34, he still had some time but he knew she could arrive at any moment, he needed to find a good vantage point. He spotted a large clock tower building to the west of the square and deemed that to be the best spot as it not only provided cover from multiple sides, it also gave him a great vantage point and he could quickly make for the city from the position if needed. He got to his feet and after a quick look around he jumped down the tracks and swiftly shot across the square toward the clock tower. He leaped upward and landed on the roof and then jumped inside the little steeple at the top. He ducked and peered around to make sure no one spotted him and then unpacked his mini-binoculars from his belt and settled himself down. Now it was just a matter of waiting.

Eighteen fixed a bracelet on her wrist and ran a comb through her still damp hair one last time. She had taken a bath in the natural spring on the island which she had cordoned off for only her use, and since then had been excitedly going through her huge collection of clothes in preparation for her 'date.'

She looked in one of her many full sized dress mirrors and admired herself, turning and looking over her shoulder at her profile. She was wearing a light blue sleeveless button up shirt which she had undone at the top to show off her neck and collarbone, calf-length white jeans and a pair of black sandals tied at the ankle. She straightened out and smiled at herself, genuinely excited.

She couldn't remember ever feeling so alive, for a long time now her and Seventeens daily routine was based purely on their prime directive to destroy humans. They had never questioned it before, well not to any sufficient degree, it was simply the first thing that came to mind for them, and it just so happened to be incredibly fun. So why would they question their programming? Their physiology meant that they were still human in many ways, they could feel, dream, communicate and perform all the same bodily functions they originally could before Dr. Gero got his hands on them. It was probably more accurate to call them cyborgs or augmented humans rather than androids. Instead their programming was more akin to inbuilt drives that they just so happened to gain pleasure from fulfilling. Only now it was becoming difficult to fulfil those drives and other things were taking precedence.

She had been changing ever so slightly, she noticed it in herself, and she'd seen it in Seventeen to. She supposed it was because once upon a time they didn't have time to think between each moment of destruction, their prime directive was being fulfilled and it took priority over anything else happening inside of them. It wasn't that she suddenly regretted their behaviour, no she loved having fun, but she was also smart enough to realise that things were changing, and in turn, reflecting on herself and her desires.

The thought of being close to Trunks, the Saiyan boy she had once spared on a whim, had been playing in her mind over and over again. She couldn't quite remember exactly when these feelings began, probably because this was brand new to her and she didn't recognise the emotions when they occurred never mind understand them. However the past six months especially had revealed to her a whole new world, like something had opened inside and it filled her with something she didn't quite know how to deal with. She only knew that she wanted more of it and was determined to make it happen… afterall she had the power to do so didn't she?

She attached some simple round earrings and smiled. 'Time to go see Trunks.' She thought and made for the door, but stopped and turned around, nearly forgetting something. She picked up the box from her bed and opened it up. Inside was a bundle of processors, sealed in a hard-case, small enough to slide into her pocket. She fastened the button on her shirt pocket and with a smile left her room.

Seventeen was sitting with his feet up on a huge lounge chair they 'liberated' from a store over a year ago and looked up from his book as she passed the opening to the courtyard, Trunks' jacket in her arm.

"Off to see the Saiyan I take it?" He asked, he'd kind of gotten over the shock of the whole ordeal and decided, for now, to simply let it play out. However he wasn't heartless, he did care for his twin sister.

"Yep." She said as she slipped Trunks' jacket on and turned to leave.

"Eighteen wait." He said and lowered the book, looking at her between his feet which he had resting up on the chair. She turned toward him, half expecting him to say something, she knew he couldn't resist. "What is it Seventeen?" She sighed.

"Remember what I said earlier, be careful and don't forget that if given the chance he'd kill you." He said, his voice gravely serious.

She stared at him blankly for a few seconds. "Are you finished?" She asked looking bored. He looked at her for a few heavy seconds before turning back to his book. "Have fun…" He groaned.

It only took her twenty minutes to travel the 200 miles to Canton City, she could have gotten their faster but she was ten minutes early and she wanted to sense him coming. The thought did occur to her about how this might play out, but it didn't matter so much as she'd make it up as she got there. Really she only wanted to be near him, she was new to it all and there were many things she wanted to experience, especially that strange warm feeling she got when she kissed him yesterday. She smiled at the memory and a pinkish blush appeared on her cheeks.

She hovered above the Ferris wheel and looked down around the large square below, there were no signs he was here and she couldn't sense him. She glanced at her watch, there was still a few minutes left so she dropped down and headed straight for the ornate bench near the fountain.

She looked around at the scenery, the sun was low on the horizon and cast a warm orange glow across the overgrown amusement park, the buildings were collapsed and the rides had long stopped being operable. She felt a sudden pang of disappointment about that, not so much for the park itself, but because she couldn't experience the place with Trunks. But it was irrelevant now anyway, the main attraction was to come so she sat down and fixed her hair with a smile.

Trunks was waiting, his eyes peeled but it wasn't until 19:50 that he suddenly saw something in the southern sky. 'It's her.' He thought and perked up, gathering his wits about him. Immediately his pulse increased and his body tensed, the years of living in constant fear and oppression had already taken a huge toll on him despite his youth.

From his vantage point it looked like she was alone but he knew he couldn't afford to believe that, Android 17 would be near as he always was. Yes she may have been alone last time, but now that she planned this, he would be here. They were masters at finding and playing with their prey, they delighted in teasing their victims until they got bored before killing them. And now he was their prey, he knew that for sure, it was just a matter of time before she got bored with whatever game she wanted to play with him. However he wasn't prepared to let that happen.

She hovered above for a few moments, no doubt looking for him but then dropped to the ground and sat down on a bench. He frowned and pulled out his binoculars and looked through at her. She was smiling to herself and wearing his jacket which was too big for her, making her look even more deceptively small and cute. After a short while she pulled out a small flip-mirror and checked herself out before putting it away again in her pocket. Despite what he thought and felt about her, through the narrow lens of his binoculars it looked like she was a normal girl waiting for her date at the fairground. It was almost like time had reversed and they lived in a world where that stuff still happened. He pulled the binoculars away however and the reality of the world made itself starkly clear. The fair was a decrepit waste-land, buildings crumbling, rides weather beaten and rusted and there were absolutely no signs of people, and it was all because of her. Despite her beautiful appearance, he knew what he was dealing with and that's why it made it harder for him to entertain the idea of interacting with her beyond that of combat. He didn't want to believe she could be anything other than a monster, the same one that murdered countless people including those closest to him and that had made the lives of survivors a desperate and oppressive existence. If he approached her now it would mean he had to deal with her on a 'civil' level and he doubted he could do it.

He clenched his jaw, reminding himself of why he was here. He noted he hadn't seen any signs of the equipment she said she would give back to him in the letter. He shook his head, he was foolish to believe she was true to her word, but still he was at a loss for what to do. If he stepped out now and made himself known there was every chance he would be killed this night after she had had her way with him. However it wasn't his life he was worried about; it was what it would do to his mother who had already suffered so much. If he died now it was likely his mother and all the people depending on him would never track down the items they needed, or at the very least it would be years before they did, and during that time how many more people would die?

He turned away in frustration. Was it possible? Could he walk away tonight with the things he needed? Or was he simply being baited so she could destroy him like she had done with the Z-Fighters and so many innocent people? He felt a fool for even thinking otherwise, but at the same time, her behaviour recently and the fact that he was still alive after so many times being at her mercy and then spared at the end made him think there was a possibility. He clenched his fist, he was at a loss for what to do. He hesitated and looked back down at the binoculars and returned to observing her.

The sun had disappeared behind the western mountains and the sky took on darker shades of blue and red. Eighteen looked away from the twilight sky and back down at her watch - it was 20:15, and her good mood had sunk. She concentrated and looked around, reaching out with her senses.

'If he doesn't turn up now…' She felt her anger building inside of her. She folded her arms, her expression twisting into anger.

Trunks looked down at her, sweat dripping from his brow. It had been twenty minutes and she was still standing there waiting for him. He didn't expect it at all, he thought she would have given up and destroyed something by now. 'Why is she taking this so far?' He wondered and looked through his binoculars again. She looked pissed and, if his eyes weren't betraying him, disappointed. Somewhere in the deepest recesses of his heart he almost felt bad.

Eighteen was simmering in anger and she wanted to destroy the entire fairground and the city. She couldn't sense him, nothing at all even in the distance. She looked at her watch again, 20:28. After everything she had planned for, the possibilities she hoped to explore and looked forward to had been extinguished because he ignored her simple request. Her anger grew, her most familiar emotion, and it was beginning to crush all of the new emotions that had made her so happy. Yet at the same time, she didn't want to give into it again, she didn't want to forget these new feelings. That thought alone frightened her. She had given in to her prime directive every single day of her existence since she was awoken by Dr. Gero. It was too strong, it gripped her and tightened like a vice the more she resisted it. It begged her to give into her programming for destruction but somewhere, amidst the struggle, she was aware of losing herself and so held onto the sense of hope she felt when being with him. Hope for something more than a destruction that she knew would increase her own misery. She had started to feel like an actual girl for once in her existence, as if everything she had found interesting up to this moment, from clothes and magazines, to finding exotic locations and pleasant music, had all been indicators to her real self. But those things were numb, distant and mere echoes of who she truly was, as if they were merely indicators revealing her hidden self that was desperate to get out.

She took out the small processor bundle from her pocket and stared at it in her shaking hand. Since last night she had been preparing for this evening, allowing herself to indulge in things she never had before, the dream of experiencing something beyond her programmed limits...

She bit her lower lip as she held onto her earlier feelings while staring intently at the processor and what it had meant to her. She was dying to crush it, her fingers popped in restraint as she fought an internal battle for control of her own mind and body, and then, just as she was about to give into the anger again she resisted with one last effort and suddenly… it disappeared.

She blinked in surprise and stared down at her hand, the impulse of her prime directive, she'd pushed it aside, it was gone and it felt like a weight had been lifted from her. Her eyes widened in wonder at the sudden clarity of her mind. She marvelled at the freedom and the colours of thought, creativity and her desires and hope. Hope for a future where she wasn't restricted to destruction, and a future where she wasn't alone... 'Trunks…' She thought immediately, her mind racing with new wonder. She looked around in hope he was there, however what met her was something entirely different. The park was desolate, barren and dark and she stood in the midst of it, alone, not just physically, but emotionally in more ways than one. Her eyes fell and defocussed, she felt something, warmth in her eyes. She blinked and felt tears roll down her cheeks. 'I'm... I'm crying...' Her eyes widened suddenly as she felt something overwhelming… Her face twisted and her body began to convulse, like a vacuum being filled, a tidal wave of emotion poured in to take the place of the once immense emptiness that had been her mind. She stumbled back down toward the bench and felt her body and shoulders shake at the overwhelming torrent of feelings flowing through her. Tears fell from her eyes and she cried out across the square as fear, loneliness, sorrow and pain all caught up with her. Everything that had been pushed aside and squashed beneath her programming over the years bubbled up to the surface like a volcanic eruption and she recognised each and every one of them, it was relentless and unmerciful.

Trunks stared flabbergasted as he looked at the scene before him, she was crying out across the square - a gut-wrenching, soul crushing cry of anguish and sorrow. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine this would happen. He looked between the binoculars and his own eyes repeatedly just to confirm what he was seeing. He dropped the binoculars and shook his head in disbelief and sank against the side of the wooden steeple. "What… does this mean…?" He asked himself over and over, staring wide eyed at her from above. Her display of emotion, the genuine pain in her cry… she sounded like a normal girl, a very hurt normal girl. It was the type of cry he'd heard from the grieving families of dead loved ones, of orphaned children who had lost their parents at the hand of the androids. But this time it was her that was crying out like this… what did it mean? His mind raced and he shook his head at the mere thought she was genuinely feeling something, it went against all of her actions up to this point.

'No, this isn't happening…' He told himself, not accepting it. He didn't want to see it, he couldn't, he didn't know what to do or how to feel and he stumbled out of the small steeple on the clock tower and moved onto the roof. He had to get away. He had to understand what this meant. He leaped off the roof and took to the sky, flying away fast toward the city.

In the midst of her despair she felt something, like a bright ping flash through her mind amidst the turmoil and she recognised it instantly. It was him, it was Trunks. Her head darted up blinking through tears, she could feel him nearby, it was faint but he was definitely somewhere. Gingerly she took to her feet and looked toward the direction it came from. Immediately she flew up toward the clock tower and looked around and instantly something caught her eye, glistening in the steeple. She flew in and picked it up. 'Binoculars…?' She looked at them, she'd never seen them before but they were still warm. '…was he here all this time?' She wiped her eyes, her face tear stricken, and focussed onto his gradually dimming power in the distance. She decided to follow him, she had to see him, no she needed to see him.

She leaped from the roof and sped off after him.

Trunks flew, hard. His mind raced and his thoughts didn't match what he was feeling. The image of her bawling out from the depths of a heart he never thought she had completely shook him. Her face, that face, the one that had been the source of so many of his nightmares, and more recently of feelings he didn't dare want to admit, left him totally shaken…

'What does this mean, she can feel? She has a heart?' He frowned, it simply didn't make sense.

'If she could feel all this time, if she knew what pain was, what fear, love and hope was, how could she be so cold and heartless!?' His mind screamed and he blasted off faster, desperate to vent his frustration out in any way possible.

He needed time to figure it out. He'd failed his mission, in more ways than one; he simply wasn't ready or able to cope with this as he was now, and coming face to face with her would be a bad idea. He needed an escape, to regroup and think about what came next. He decided to return to camp.

By the time he reached the camp the sun had already set and the valley was cast in darkness except for the light of the full moon over the mountain top, casting a bluish tint to the snow topped mountains and reflecting on the capsule shelter in the camp.

He landed and immediately undid his belt and shoulder strap and threw them both down, along with his sword, feeling them restrictive. He picked up some firewood and threw it into the centre pit and with a little manipulation of his energy, set it alight. It instantly began to grow and cast its warm orange glow across the campsite. He flopped down against the log and ran his fingers through his windswept hair and growled into his hands. Nothing had gone as he planned since he left on this mission and now, on top of all that, he was having to battle emotions and perceptions deep inside him and reconsider just what the hell his sworn enemy was.

Of course nothing took away the cruelty, the destruction and death that she had inflicted on the earth… but… the image of her shaking body and anguished cries was undeniable. He knew pain, knew suffering and heard so much crying in his short life, he could tell that hers was as genuine as anyone's. It unsettled him to even think that.

He shook his head at the sheer inconceivability of it. "Is she in pain? Is it always this way for her?" He asked himself. "Maybe she's not entirely in control of herself…" He voiced aloud, staring into the dancing flames in consideration. He had nothing else to go on to explain what he'd witnessed. He pulled his knees up against his chest and buried his head into them. He considered going home.

Eighteen followed him at a great distance, nightfall made it easier for her to remain hidden but Trunks himself seemed so pre-occupied that he wasn't being anywhere near as careful as he usually was when she had followed him in the past. The journey itself had been difficult for her, inside she was a whirling wind of confusion, anguish and, as usual, anger, however this time she was desperately trying to fight it back and at the same time keep herself together as the emotions kept coming at her. Afterall he was right there infront of her, it wouldn't take her much effort to catch up to him and take him for herself. She knew right now if she turned around and went back to Seventeen, went back to that old way of living she was so used to she would lose her mind. She was desperate, desperate to hold on to what she had found. She needed Trunks; there was no doubt in her mind.

She watched him fly into a forest valley and toward a small clearing on the cliff edge, her stricken eyes never leaving him, the light of the full moon helped in that regard. Eventually he lowered down and landed in what looked like a campsite. She carefully flew around the valley to the cliff-face his campsite was on and flew above the trees before landing on cliff above him. careful not to make a sound. She quietly moved to the edge and peered down at him, for now just wanting to keep her distance and observe him. She needed to think about how to do this…

From her perspective he looked frustrated and really downcast and remarkably she didn't like seeing it. It was like something hidden had awoken inside of her and had suddenly been given freedom to breathe and grow. She watched him, her tearful eyes attentive to his every move as he appeared to go through a whole range of emotions. She wanted so much to jump down and approach him, to just do something, it was instinctual with her and she was about to give in to it before…

"Is she in pain? Is it always this way for her?" She heard him say. Her eyes widened in surprise. 'So he was there…' She thought and felt her heart thud in her chest and she blinked back tears. 'He's thinking of me…' She was about to jump down but he spoke again.

"Maybe she's not entirely in control of herself…" He said aloud and she stopped, his words struck a chord with her. 'I'm… not in control of myself?' His words seemed to reflect what she had just gone through, the inner battle for her own mind and body. Was her programming suppressing the real person she was, the girl she had been? She looked away, her eyes narrowed, she felt something like a distant dream from a great distance away, 'What is this...?' She wondered and her eyes slowly opened wide and a rush of memories came flooding forward.

She looked down at her hands, she could feel herself, she was small, a child, holding the chains of a swing. She was laughing. The memory flickered through her mind like an old blinking projector. She marvelled, the laughter, she was so happy and... there was another person there, a woman, blonde hair, smiling… smiling at her. The woman held her close and brought her mouth to her ear.

"La zu li…" Eighteen quietly echoed the syllables and tears began to fall from her eyes. 'My name… my name is Lazuli.' She remembered. She looked at Trunks below, he sat holding his head. Her chest heaved, felt like a clamp on her heart. It was too much, she suppressed herself from crying and after another look at him, she stood and retreated back into the forest. She had to think…

To be continued…

I didn't plan on this chapter being so large, it kinda just happened. It makes it difficult to approach and fix errors when I only have a small amount of time to write. However I'm pretty much settled on how it'll end now, chapter 3 will be the conclusion. (￣ｰ￣)ﾉ

As always thanks for reading and reviewing!

Cheers!

Keshin