Alright guys, thank you so much for the support! Had some extra time this weekend to get this chapter working! It's the moment that you've been waiting for, Gohan finally getting his shot and at fighting the android. I thought that having the androids get mad and split up a while would add more dimensions to this story. While Android Seventeen doesn't show up, I still believe that Eighteen is more than enough for Gohan. I also think that Gohan transformed later in his life than when he was just a kid, I know that's been a debate with many people for awhile now. Well, anyway, I hope you guys enjoy! It's been fun being able to go back into writing! Got any ideas or suggestions, good or bad, feel free to let me know anytime. :)

DM777

Notice: The following events take place during the Mirai Trunks timeline. While the main plot is generally the same as the History of Trunks storyline, certain events may have changed a bit. Also, I don't own the rights to Dragon ball, Dragon ball Z, and GT. As much as I wish I did, but all rights belong to Akira Toriyama, Toei Animation, and Shonen Jump. Toriyama, if you ever read this, thank you for creating the greatest franchise ever made! You have inspired me my friend.

Dragon Ball Z: Timeline Zero

Chapter 3: The Pain of Loss

Last time on Dragon ball Z, Gohan made the decision to take a stand against the diabolical cyborgs whom have turned their backs on their evil master. For the past seven years, everyone fell subject to their wrath and destruction. Nobody knew when or where they would surface next. No one could stop them. Training nonstop in the shadows, the last remaining survivor of the earth's Special Forces believed that it was time to put his training to the test. Determined to bring an end to their gripping wrath, the only fighter left arrived at the city that was recently destroyed by their hands. He saw firsthand their disregard for life, and the innocent people in which they senselessly killed. This city was one of many. After carefully searching throughout the town, not only did he witness the carnage, but the defenseless people who died in vain. During his search for the menaces, he discovered a young boy, the only survivor who was clinging to life by the skin of his teeth, but there was nothing he could have done to save him. As the heart broken hero held that child in his arms, he breathed his last, and another crack formed in the bottle that contained Gohan's inner anger. Eventually, he came face to face with Android Eighteen. Though she was alone, Gohan was going to find out how powerful she really was, the hard way.

Beginning the battle, Gohan hurled himself like a fireball towards the blonde android, swinging fist after fist against her, but she held her own by blocking off every blow, yet she stilled found herself impressed by his strength. The lack of a challenge over the years had caught her off guard. At the alley, they continued to exchange blows back and forth, causing the rubble to rise and crumble from the impact. Then Eighteen retreated upwards, but the blazing saiyan warrior made his pursuit after her.

"Oh no you don't… you aren't getting away from me!" The human fireball screamed at her, where they resumed their battle midair at the other side of what was left of the city. Echoing throughout the scenery, their punches were so powerful that it could have leveled the strongest of mountains, creating domes of light followed by the sonic booms lit up the night sky. For a few moments, they fought, but after she blocked off a devastating spinning kick, they backed away from one another, staring each other down. Like a game of chess, they played mind games, wondering who would have made the next move.

"Not bad, boy. I haven't had this much fun in a while. You're almost as strong as you were when you managed to get away from us…" she insulted him, keeping her cool. "That was just a warmup; I hope you were doing the same. If not, you're in a pickle already."

"I'm not here to have fun. Now take this!" Gohan became provoked, allowing her words to get under his skin. As he shouted, he viciously slammed a powerful punch to her face, knocking her deep into the ruins about a block away. Before she made her escape, the powerhouse placed both of his palms near his forehead. Focusing his chi, a yellow ball of energy formed together in his tensed palms, screaming out, "Masenko Haaaaannnn!" He sent the massive ki blast towards his fallen prey, wiping out nearly half of the city, leaving behind a giant crater of brown dirt and ash.

Resting from his Kiao-Can, he tried desperately to recover, drained from his special technique taught by none other than Piccolo. Feeling his sweat pour profusely down his dirty face, the only thing that gave him comfort was the possibility that he finally defeated one of the wicked beings of cybernetics. "Hah! Man that was easy!" Gohan confidently uttered in his mind, but he knew better than to think that the game was over. He started having second thoughts about his declared victory. 'In fact, that was a little too easy. Now I need to hurry up and find Seventeen.'

While he tried to stay focused, his pondering got interrupted by a feminine laughter echoing from behind him. It turned out that his victory was cut short after all. "Is that the best you can do? That attack broke a couple of my finger nails. Now you've really made me angry." She "Angrily" snickered, edging closer to him while in midair. Having to make it quick, he charged at her at light speed, throwing a swing as fast as his body allowed him too, but she swiftly evaded, sneaking behind to give him a firm headlock. While he tried with all of his might to break loose, she only tightened her squeeze against his throat. All that Gohan managed to do was leave himself open for her to choke the life out of him. Squirming and swinging desperately, he tried to get out of her death grip, but he couldn't, and everything around him started to blur and go dark.

"Let me tell you, getting thrown into buildings and then getting blasted at doesn't feel good at all punk! So let's see how you like it!" She yelled out, charging on a downward spiral with Gohan going face first into the dirt.

"BOOM!" the ground gave way, caving in as the blonde fighter dashed upwards. Enraged, the half-blood fighter erupted from below, quickly leaping towards the Android. When he went after her, she kept her arms folded close, grinning maliciously as she could see the angry look in his eyes.

"So now it's time I get serious with you." She met him halfway in the middle of the air.

"What the…" Gohan, again caught himself off guard, as he took another agonizing speed punch on the left side of his jaw, which sent him into another pile of destruction.

"Hahahahaha! You know, when I bury the dead, they're supposed to stay buried, but you're very persistent. It's starting to bug me." She laughed at him so menacingly.

Regaining his balance, he blasted out of another grave, trying his offensive yet again, but she easily dodged every blow, savagely kicking him straight up, launching him like a missile in the sky, but she caught up to him again, digging a knee deep into his midsection. The pain was unbearable for him, and even in fifty times Kaio-Can, he was incapable of fighting her off. He kept swinging countless punches at light speed, but she avoided every attack, despite the fact that he moved faster than lighting. Trying to retreat, Gohan needed a chance to regroup and rest for a moment, but she wouldn't allow him to leave her sight, delivering a double handed slam that forced him back down below. Making a rough landing, he managed to get back on his feet, struggling to keep his stand. He felt the horrible pain on his left cheek, wiping the thick globs of blood that poured out, but he wouldn't realize that the gashing wound from her powerful kick left behind a deep scar. Never did he forget that fight.

'Darn, this isn't good at all. Has she been toying with me this whole time?' He asked himself, letting discouragement settle in. 'What power… I can hardly even stand now. I guess I wasn't ready after all. Dad what would you do?' Everything started to blur in his eyes, seeing two and then four androids, but he summed up what was left of his strength. He had to stay focused. Making another attempt, he fired more energy blasts at her, but nothing fazed her, so he soared towards her again, slamming another tight fist against her pale face, but merely tilted her head and she smirked wickedly. It had no effect on her.

"Hah! You're just as weak as everyone else. If you really valued your life, then you should have stayed inside whatever hole you decided to crawl out of…" She fired her own share of beams at Gohan, all making direct hits from her unlimited energy generator that Gero integrated into her cybernetic and biological embodiment.

"GAHHH!" the lone hero screamed in agony as the waves pummeled him, followed by domes of explosions that overtook what was left of their arena. Once the wind pushed all the smoke and dust away, he was still standing, holding on dearly to what little life he had left. She battered him brutally, tattering and tearing his father's symbol, turning his orange gi into a bunch of scattered rags, bloodstained to the point that his head span in different directions. He's lost almost half of his blood already. He tried all he could to stay focused, but Android Eighteen kept spinning, splitting into two people, as his peripheral sight started to turn black on him. She only stood about 4 yards to his front, not even fatigued in the slightest.

"Hmph, I'll give you props for hanging in there. You've held up a lot longer than your friends did, but just like them, you underestimated my power, and now… It's time for you to join them." She declared her victory against Gohan. "This world is mine." She laughed so wickedly, ready to finish the job. Stumbling, the wounded hero was virtually unable to maintain his balance. It seemed that defeat was inevitable.

'Darn it, what was I thinking? I should have known better than to try and take on even one of them on my own… Dad, Picollo, everyone… I'm sorry that I've let all of you down.' Hopelessness took over him as he watched the powerful young gal dash at high speed, charging energy into her right hand.

"Now be a good boy and die!" she screamed as she made her way to finish him off.

But then time just froze, and Gohan delved deeply into his thoughts, remembering his father's death, having to bury everyone who died trying to protect the earth and all of her life that they knew was so precious. 'So, that's it. This is how I'm supposed to end huh? These evil androids killed my friends, my father died in front of me, and there was nothing that I could have done to save him. Nothing! Every time I try to stand up for myself, I get knocked down…' He remembered the times when he battled Nappa and Vegeta when they invaded earth, and how afraid he was to fight them, and the times on Namek when he allowed his fear to keep him from saving Krillin and stopping the Ginyu Force and Freeza from killing the namekians. In his final moment, his discouragement slowly shifted into anger.

'I couldn't save anyone when Nappa and Vegeta invaded earth, later on I allowed all the nameks to get killed by Freeza. I was too afraid to stop Freeza when he killed Krillin. It took Dad to stop him, and all I could do was run away. I was so scared when the androids first showed up. It's my fault that I allowed all of my friends to get killed again. If I was strong enough, we would have stopped them. When dad succumbed to that heart virus, it was up to me to defend the world from the enemy, and I've failed miserably! Because all of my life I've chosen to run away. Now the dragon balls are gone, and there's no way that I can bring them back. My weakness is the reason why Piccolo is gone. Krillin, Vegeta, Yamcha, Tien, Chaozu, Yajirobi, I'm sorry.'

Deep in his mind, he felt his emotions drift away, becoming so distant that he couldn't feel them anymore. Everything turned into a faint memory. 'If my body dies, then there's no one left to stop them… Dad, give me strength, I need your help. I can't give up.' But then he suddenly heard a voice that sounded so familiar to him.

"Gohan, use the pain of loss." He said, so softly, and gentle, like an echo from his past.

"Dad?" Gohan asked in surprise.

Eight years ago…

The lone hero awakened, standing in the open fields during the middle of the day, as the sun reached down brightly, seeing his father standing before him. Living out a vision from the past, Gohan looked straight at his father, who was giving him wisdom on how to become the Saiyan Legend.

"Dad, what do you mean the pain of loss?" the young, shaggy scholar and fighter desperately wanted to know. "You keep saying that, but I don't know what you're talking about."

"Son, in order to become a super saiyan, you must use all of your anger, all the times when you've lost your friends, your family, when you've been hurt. You must turn that anger into your energy. It's the only way to become one." Goku explained calmly, as his face kept a firm, serious look.

"But dad, I've tried for months now, I just can't do it. I power up to my full strength. I think about all the times that I've lost everyone on namek and here on earth too. I just can't get it." Gohan replied, grimacing and still discouraged.

"Gohan, remember, you can't achieve this form by powering up, it comes in response to a need, not a desire." The dark spiked haired warrior's lips grinned a little bit. "In due time, you will learn how to transform. It took me a while to control it after I battled Freeza, but I know that someday, there will be a time when we will need another super saiyan, and when that day comes, you'll achieve it. Don't ever give up, my son." He reached out to him, gently digging his calloused fingers into Gohan's bushy, ratty hair. "So, how about we grab some lunch; I'm getting hungry again."

"Sure dad," Gohan replied excitingly, "But you got to promise that you'll keep training me to become a super saiyan like you."

Goku threw out a quick laugh. "Only if Chi Chi says so... you remember what happened last time we've snuck out and trained." They chuckled about it, knowing that the mother of education said no to their training nine times out of time. Heading back to the ole little house in the woods, they longed for a nice big lunch to devour.

Back to the present

'Dad, I sure do miss you, but now I understand. I know what I must do. I'll make you proud, and I won't stop, not until my last breath.' After reliving one of the most vital moments that he spent with his dad, Gohan blacked out, and the hidden, dark rage which he was hiding deep inside his soul since he was a little child unfolded for the android to see. No longer could he contain it.

She took her glowing fist on a collision course towards her only opponent, but right before she made contact, the raging Gohan woke up suddenly, quickly taking grip of her fist, squeezing it tightly. He looked squarely at her light blue eyes, angered as a golden aura consumed his body, and his eyes turned completely white, only to reveal a vague glimpse of them turning green. His hair shifted from black to a shining yellow. In that black out state, Gohan returned to his semi super saiyan form, but he was one step away from fully achieving the legend.

"GAHHHH! What the hell!?" she felt the pain of his strong grip, and though she tried her best, she was unable to break loose from him. She just looked at the warrior blinded in anger, feeling his raw, untethered power from within him.

"This is for all the people that you killed, especially my friends, my family, and everyone else!" He roared out, delivering a brutal head-butt to her skull, launching her like a rocket straight across town, but he leaped forward, dashing towards her like a shooting star. Within a second he caught up to her, plowing a powerful fist that sent her even further into the air. He just looked at how helpless she was, so he flew straight up, grabbing her, savagely pummeling the android like a pinata. Then he ended the show by double hand slamming her upper back, forcing her back into the ground, where its maw consumed her like a meteor crashing from the heavens.

Even though she attempted to fight him again, she was unable to touch Gohan, no matter how hard she tried to fight back. "How did you become so strong? You were dying earlier, so don't tell me that you were holding back on me now!" She panicked, failing to get a single hit on him. When they both took a stand, she stood exhausted, only to recognize the form Gohan took on. A vision from seven years ago struck her mind. "Wait, I remember now. You did this before on that island!" She scanned his power level again. She recalled how strong he was as a child, but for the first time in her life, she experienced total fear when she noticed the reading of his energy according to her sensors. "Eighty… million? Very high Threat level? That's bullcrap! My sensors are broken!" she gritted her teeth in frustration, in denial of what she witnessed. "How could you possibly be that powerful?"

"This is the power of everyone that you have destroyed! I can hear the billions crying out to me, seeking justice for the murders that you have committed! Until you're destroyed, I'll never give up! RAHHHHH!" he screamed out like a roaring lion, and at last, his hair that fluctuated from dark to light finally settled towards the bright yellow glow. His eyes turned green like the grass, and the leaves of the trees. Like the breath of life, he finally transformed; the Saiyan of Legend, reborn.

The inside of the female cyborg's eyes blinked, beeping every alarm imaginable. "What? You can't be serious! Ninety Million! Wait!" she paused for a moment. "That's the form Vegeta took. Is he one of those?" She wouldn't get her answer, not by words anyway. She got a reply from Gohan slamming an extremely concussive blow from his right knuckles to her left cheek, flinging her like an insect. She regained her bearings again, but not for long. She threw punch after punch, but nothing fazed him, and he kept dodging every attack swiftly and smoothly. "DAMMIT!" she grew blinded by anger only to receive another blow. Moving so fast, Gohan threw dozens of punches and a powerful tornado kick that threw her around like a rag doll. After making a rough landing, she noticed that he stood not far from her on the dirt, cupping his hands as he lined them to his right side.

"Kame!" the super saiyan passionately shouted out.

"Ugh! I'm so tired of this! You're done! You hear me!" she blindly charged at him, not seeing that he was prepping for his father's finishing move.

"Hame… Hahhhhhh!" Fully powered, he sent forth a monstrous wave from his open hands that he pushed outward. Making contact, she attempted to hold her own against the wave, and while she managed to contain it, she wouldn't be able to for long.

"Damn you… I can't… stop it! AHHHHHH!" the giant KameHameHa wave drove her away deep into the horizon. For countless miles, she traveled with the massive beam against her will, at least until she saw a rocky cliff behind her. However, that was where she was about to experience the art of… pain.

"Oh Shi…!" then "KABOOOOOOOOMMM!" a massive mushroom cloud overtook the skies so far away, but the lone hero saw it in the distance. Completely exhausted, Gohan fell to his knees, losing that vibrant glow that radiated around him. Finally, his mind returned to reality, though completely sapped of his strength. It seemed that his new power was too much for him.

"Aw man, that was intense… I don't know how I pulled that off, but was I, a Super Saiyan?" he questioned himself, but in due time, he found a way to control that hidden power. What Goku predicted when he was a child finally came to surface. Unfortunately, that was only the beginning of his struggle against the androids. "I think it's time that I train some more. I have to find a way to control my transformation. I know that I achieved it… I can feel it in my gut. Dad, I'll make sure to master my new powers. Fighting them as a super saiyan is the only way."

But then, he had another thought. He recalled the young child that Bulma had with Vegeta. At that moment, he was about to turn eight years old. 'Wait, yeah, I almost forgot about Trunks. He might be the one who can stop them. If one super saiyan can do the job, then imagine the androids trying to fight off two super saiyans… speaking of, I'm sure she's still alive out there, and mad as heck too. Bet she's looking for her brother now. But with Trunks by my side, I know we can do this.' He thought to himself, feeling hopeful of another team player to fight beside him. 'It might take a while, but if we can hang in there, two super saiyans might have what it takes to defeat them, but first… I'll need to get Bulma's approval.' The wounded hero took a deep sigh of dread. 'Now that'll be my biggest challenge yet, oh man!'

Making his decision, he looked at the ruins one last time. "Be patient everyone, I feel your pain, and I'll make sure that your deaths will not go unaccounted for." After paying his respects, he took off into the midnight skies. He was on his way to West City, where his greatest plan went underway. Though it took some time, pleading, and a lot of consideration, Bulma allowed Trunks to train with Gohan, but that was only the start of their journey.

Meanwhile, somewhere out in the middle of nowhere, the young blonde emerged from the wide and deep pit. Anguish and hatred filled her soul, experiencing the bitter taste of defeat, but thanks to the unlimited energy generators in her body, she managed to fully recover from Gohan's powerful attack.

"So, it looks like I'm going to need Seventeen's help after all… Gohan may pose us a threat if we don't do something about it soon. Ugh! The saiyans are so persistent! I hate them! So it's best to nip it in the bud sooner than later." After her moment of ranting to herself, she flew into the air, starting her long search for her twin brother. "It's too bad that I have to kill such a cutey though. Oh well, it'll end up being us or him. Now brother, where the heck did you run off too?" She checked herself, realizing how filthy and ragged out Gero's selected outfit was. "Um, well... first off, I need a new change of clothes, and then I'll find him."

Traveling through the skies, she initiated her search for her dear brother, after she found a new change of clothes of course. As her journey started, Gohan also set his plans into motion. It would take years of training, suffering, and loss in order to make their stand against the artificial humans, next time on Dragon Ball Z: Timeline Zero.