Trunks groggily opened his eyes, his head throbbing and his body protesting and he tried to move but found himself rooted in place. He panicked and found his limbs restrained by a number of wires wrapped tightly around him. Not only that, but he wasn't the only one in the same position: both Pan and Ocarin were next to him, also similarly restrained.
"Pan, wake up!" Trunks called. "Ocarin, you too. Come on guys, we're-"
"Trapped?" a disembodied voice spoke and Trunks swivelled his head around to the centre of attention in the middle of the spacious room: a mangled head, suspended by wires, as if they were only things keeping the head functional. "Like little rats in a laboratory, you only serve one purpose: you are to feed the machine. Your Saiyan energy will be perfect fuel for the Big Gete Star."
"Not if I can help it," Trunks growled, trying to summon his power. "Pan, Ocarin, wake up!"
The Namekian groaned as he slowly opened his eyes and anger laced his features when he saw the predicament he was in and he glared at Trunks. "This is all your fault! If you had never come here, this would not have happened!"
"What? I was looking for help. I had no idea this was going to happen," Trunks defended himself.
"He does have a point," Cooler's head interrupted. "I probably would never have returned to Namek if it wasn't for your arrival, Saiyan. Now, enough talk. Let the draining commence!"
Trunks felt the pull on his energy and he cried out, Ocarin joining him and even young Pan was forced from her unconsciousness to scream as her energy was drained. Hearing her scream, knowing Cooler was slowly killing her and possibly enjoying it brought a white-hot rage to the surface and Trunks cried out as he took control of his energy and powered up to Ascended Super Saiyan.
"Yes!" Cooler's head spoke in delight. "Give me more of that Super Saiyan power."
"You want more of this?" Trunks said. "Fine, I'll give you more!"
He powered up further, his aura expending around him as his body bulked up, pushing him to the Ultimate Super Saiyan state, flooding the system with power. So much power. Too much power. Sparks appeared in the walls of the Star and Cooler's head started to panic at the amount of power the Super Saiyan was putting out.
"No, stop! No more! You'll destroy everything!"
"I thought you wanted me to feed the machine?" Trunks smirked. "I'm doing just that."
He continued to pump his power through the wires and the overload was too much for the Star to bear. Ocarin decided to follow suit and an aura surrounded him as he shouted, joining his energy with Trunks' and flames erupted in the control room as the Star started to shut down. Drones were the first to collapse and Metal Coolers followed them with some resistance.
"No more!" Cooler's head shouted and the wires released the trio, dropping them to the ground. Despite the weariness of his body, Trunks managed to catch the weakened Pan before she hit the ground and she gave him a weak smile, her body not used to the strain placed upon it. "I will have to destroy you myself."
Wires grew and wires formed and wires wrapped around Cooler's disfigured head, giving him a body and making him big, making him huge and he towered over the trio. Ocarin fired a blast and a giant fist of wires drove him into the wall. Trunks put Pan's unconscious form down and he flew at Cooler and was swatted away like a pesky fly. His weakened state failed him and he dropped down to regular Super Saiyan, wires wrapping his body until he resembled an insect in a spider's web and once again, he felt his energy being sucked from his body.
"You damn monkeys have cost me," Cooler growled and he punched Ocarin to the ground and forced him to suffer the same fate. "Always costing me, but I will have the last laugh. Even as the Star crumbles around me, at least I get to drain the very life out of you."
Trunks was down. Ocarin was down. Pan was down and out. The more he struggled to free himself, the more Trunks felt his energy drain and he was reverted to his normal form, unable to sustain his Super Saiyan state. He was stuck, he was helpless, he was dying, they were all going to die and it was all his fault. All his stupid fault.
"Hell Flash!"
The wires retreated and Trunks sucked in a lungful of air, feeling his energy slowly return. He looked up to see Ocarin pick up Pan, as Cooler crumbled, his body engulfed in flames, the Star disintegrating around them and 16 was by his side, helping him to his feet.
"Thanks," Trunks said and the Android nodded.
"The Star will implode in two minutes. We must hurry."
"No!" Cooler cried and he fired a laser from his good eye, hitting 16 in the back. He fell, dropping Trunks. He landed in a crouch and glared at the crumbling, miserable wreck that was once Cooler.
"It's time you joined your family in Hell," Trunks said and he summoned whatever energy he had left, transforming to Super Saiyan and performed a series of rapid hand movements. "Burning Attack!"
And Cooler was no more.
The Star was exploding into pieces, but Ocarin made it outside, Pan in his arms and he flew, hoping to find the ship in time. He knew what would happen when the Star finally exploded. It was imbedded in Namek's crust and unless it left the planet, there was not going to be a planet left. Trunks and 16 finally escaped the dying Star, flying as fast as they could with Trunks' limited energy. The Star finally exploded in a massive shower of flames that ignited the night and made it appear like day once more. The destruction of the planet-like structure sent reverberations deep into Namek's core and jagged splits sliced through the crust as Namek began to fall apart, unable to withstand the collapse of the Big Gete Star. Ocarin found the ship and gently placed Pan inside, but he had no idea how to operate the machinery and frustration built inside him at the lack of Trunks and 16.
"Damn it! I refuse to die here, not like this, not after everything my people have sacrificed."
Trunks and 16 finally reached the ship along with the rips of Namek and the Android immediately went to the control room and powered up the ship. Just as he prepared for take-off, the land collapsed beneath them and the ship pitched over, trapping one of the legs within the rubble.
"We're stuck!" 16 called. "Someone must go outside and free the ship."
"On it," Trunks said. "Make sure the thrusters are set to full."
He flew outside and gripped the ship and even with his decreased strength, he started to lift the ship free. Namek had other ideas and the ground split open into a chasm and Trunks lost his footing and the ship fell towards him. Flaring his aura, Trunks pushed against the ship and 16 set the thrusters to full power and the ship shot up into the sky, narrowly avoiding the geyser of lava that burst up from the chasm. Trunks barely dodged the incineration and he flew after the ship, trying to catch up as Namek split apart beneath him. 16 stopped the ship, allowing the Saiyan to climb on and then he blasted the ship through the atmosphere and into space as Namek finally gave in and exploded, the shockwave pummelling the ship through outer space. Over and over the ship violently tumbled with no direction and Pan was forced awake from the turbulence.
"What's going on?" she cried, clearly in disarray and she stopped herself from slamming into a wall.
"Just hang on," Trunks called back, dodging a piece of loose equipment.
Slowly, the ship stopping pitching and 16 was able to regain control, although the ship was completely a mess. Ocarin walked to the porthole window, gazing out at the vast emptiness of space where Namek used to rest and Trunks eventually joined him.
"I'm sorry about your planet," the young Saiyan said. "If I had known what was going to happen…I wouldn't have arrived. Namek is my fault."
"That is true," Ocarin stated, not looking at him. "I even faked my death and hid in the hopes that Cooler would give up and leave Namek alone. It worked, but I knew he would eventually return. I hoped that I would be strong enough for the next time and I was wrong. Still, if we make it to your planet, we can use the Dragonballs to restore Namek."
"What would you do if you do that?" Trunks asked. "You'll be the only one on the planet. Won't you get lonely there?"
"If you think I will choose to live on your planet, you're sorely mistaken."
"It was only a suggestion. We've had Namekians live there in the past. Piccolo, Kami-"
"Leave me be, Saiyan," Ocarin cut in. "I wish to be alone right now."
Taken back briefly, Trunks saw the hardened expression and nodded to his request. "Alright then."
-X-
A moment of darkness.
And life surged through her.
Darkness surrounded her as she gasped, sucking in air, savouring it filling her lungs…but a second lungful wasn't coming. Something was crushing her, compressing her from all sides. She couldn't see anything and for a moment, she started to panic, but she quickly calmed herself. She never panicked. Panicking was for the weak. She flexed her fingers, calling her power forth and a light shimmered in the darkness and she forced it outwards, igniting the world around her.
Darkness gave way to light, bright overwhelming light and 18 briefly covered her eyes as metal rained down around her. She couldn't believe it actually worked. Whoever that being was, they weren't lying to her. She breathed in fresh air, relishing the feel of the sunlight on her porcelain skin, enjoying the life that had been restored to her.
She was alive again and it felt so good. Nearby, another pile of scrap metal exploded and 17 floated into the sky, staring at his hands as if he couldn't believe he was truly alive either.
"17, we're alive!" 18 cried in joy. "It worked. He told us the truth. He gave us life!"
"It – it's impossible and yet-" 17 said in wonder. "I even feel stronger too."
She flexed her fingers, feeling her power and amazed at the increase. Even if the whelp had gotten stronger since their last fight, she felt, no, knew she could crush him easily, especially with her brother by her side. Revenge would finally be hers and she was going to enjoy extinguishing Trunks' miserable life.
And then what?
Towards the end of their lives, it had been getting harder and harder for the twins to find any human prey and if they continued where they left off after killing Trunks, what would they do next? Blow up buildings? And what about after that? Mountains?
18 shook her head. She had priorities, namely a certain lavender-haired brat.
"18…we're in a dump," 17 observed. "They tossed our bodies into a scrap metal dump like we were yesterday's garbage. How rude."
18 looked out towards the city. A city had appeared to have been rebuilt. How long were they dead for? "Perhaps we should remind them how inappropriate that was. After all, it would be bound to get someone's attention."
17 clenched his hand and a wicked grin lit his face. "We are stronger now. Much stronger. Trunks won't stand a chance against us. And I do love a good revenge story."
His twin frowned. "That would imply you've read stories. I didn't know you were capable of such a thing."
"Oh shut up. I had to do something to pass the time between our games. Now, can we go and throw a welcome back party? Celebrate our resurrection with the humans?"
18 smirked, a sight that had been the last thing many victims saw. "Yes, let's."