Disclaimer: I do nor own Dragon Ball Z

Betaed by: Zim'sMostLoyalServant & Trackula

Chapter 2

18 knew there were limits to what she could do.

For one, the idea of defeating her double and 17 was laughable. At peak condition, she had just barely defeated 17, and her mistress had not been able to fully repair her. It had taken a long time for the lone scientist to figure out how 18 worked enough to restore her to mobility. Though in all fairness, having gone from helpless to just an amputee was quite impressive.

Point was, with one arm as a handicap, she would not favor herself against 17, much less him and another 18. And she had no means to prevent Son Goku's death for certain. Perhaps she could extend his life by helping him catch the virus' advance earlier, but even Bulma had no cure in the future and wasn't aware if there had ever been one.

The plan from the start then had not been to prevent the rise of the Androids, but to ensure the survival of the next generation in the hope they would succeed where the original Z Fighters failed.

It occurred to her she could possibly use the Dragon Balls to restore her arm, but her mistress had more than once told her she deserved that as the least for the billions she had murdered, which she had ended up filing as an order, regrettably. It was possible her Bulma had simply not thought of the Dragon Balls, as the woman had been prone to oddity in her old age, leading 18 to think age and isolation had driven her at least partially insane. But her programming seized on the lack of Dragon Ball orders as to not use the Dragon Balls, and that was that.

The Frieza invasion was no great concern. According to her mistress, the Z Fighters contained the soldiers from major civilian casualties and Frieza had only killed the shapeshifter Puar, who had disguised himself as Son Goku to distract Frieza at a critical moment. And even that minor loss would later be undone by Shenron.

Her plan for the Cold Family was to hang back, protecting Bulma and Chichi, and watch the battle play out. No sense tipping her hand in case the unknown maker of the Androids was watching events unfold.

Part of her torment was knowing what would happen. Any efforts to change things too soon could make things far worse, and rob her of her advantage of being an unknown variable against the enemy.

That torment was now eclipsed by uncertainty. Because the flare of light over the rise and the commentary from those who could sense ki declared a Super Saiyan was over the rise, and Son Goku should still be in space. So either an unaccounted for Super Saiyan, which — considering only one pure Saiyan recorded was not evil — would be bad. Or yes indeed, Frieza's mother had come along, and that was just very not dandy.

"We need to see what's going on, it's a fight now," Tienshenhan stated.

"Gohan…" Chichi began, before Gohan took off with everyone else into the air, zipping along low to the ground. Bulma cursed and started to run after.

18 took a deep breath and offered her hand to Chichi as she lifted slightly off the ground.

"Thank you, Miss Teene," Chichi said, letting 18 get a firm grip on her before they zipped after the others, passing an unamused Bulma.

X X X

"That, is not right," 18 managed to choke out, as Frieza was reduced to cold cuts before being deep ki-fried by the aberrant.

Having stayed on the ground with Chichi, and Bulma arriving angrily, they were the only ones to hear her. And assumed it was the gory and quick death that had made their companion grow pale and start sweating.

Even reduced and corrupted, her memory held plenty of more gruesome deaths. The problem was that this was not how it was supposed to go. Not even close!

And, pulling up her crudely imprinted memories, she was almost certain that this was Trunks Briefs. But that was impossible, her head tilted trying to process this. He had died shortly after Son Gohan, he had never lived to grow so old. And in this timeline he was not even born yet. His conception was a priority for her to ensure, even.

This fighter, this fight, could not be happening. But it was happening anyway!

'How?! Why? Why?! Why?!' she ranted internally as the aberrant confronted King Cold.

X X X

Trunks returned his sword to its sheath and let out a breath. His eyes lingered on the broken corpse of King Cold. According to his mother, even Goku had trouble with Frieza's father after he transformed into his third form, so Trunks had made sure to not give the alien tyrant that chance.

Even if this battle would have turned out alright, all things considered, it had been satisfying to spare everyone a battle.

And there they were! The Z Fighters in the flesh! Alive and well, even Yamcha.

'Weird, I've been hearing stories about them my whole life from mom and Gohan, even Roshi spun a few about training days. Tales from the past now people in the flesh, thanks time travel; please don't make this a horrible mistake.'

"Hey everyone. I'm going to go meet Son Goku, why don't we go together?" Trunks greeted them.

They seemed rather stunned, or suspicious. Oh, and there was his dad! He didn't look happy. Mom was on the ground and, two other women?

'Okay Trunks, break the ice, something smooth and suave, good first impression beyond singlehandedly thwarting an invasion by two planet-killing aliens and their minions.'

"I brought snacks."

'I need to brush up on my people skills.'

X X X

Trunks thought his little snack meet with the Z-Fighters was going fairly well. Krillin being friendly was no surprise; Gohan had readily described the short monk as his best friend. And Yamcha had tried to make small talk about baseball rather than pressing Trunks for any details.

Hmm, on the one hand he really would like to do something for the former bandit, but he did rather value his own existence.

No, he hadn't come this far to just be pathetic. He'd pass word to Goku on the matter. And hopefully not talk with his mother anymore. Dang, that was more awkward than when he walked in on her drunken attempt to seduce Gohan. Why had no one gotten around to inventing brain bleach yet?

And his dad… well, he'd been nervous how he'd react to finally meeting the man, so maybe it was better his dad was suspicious of him. To be fair, given how often threats seemed to pop up from nowhere, it was pretty understandable they would not all be quick to trust.

Though it looked like the blonde was freaking out a bit, taking a seat on a rock and refusing a soda Chichi had offered her with a shake of her head.

"So, Gohan, is that woman alright?" he asked. Meeting young Gohan was not quite as jarring as he'd feared; he'd known the man, not the kid, after all.

"Oh, Miss Teene? Well, I don't know if she's been in a fight like that before, so maybe seeing Frieza and his dad blown to bits is freaking her out."

And from there he learned the woman was the newish neighbor of the Son family. Trunks nodded to himself; just a passing acquaintance probably then, which would explain why they never mentioned her in the present.

Then Goku arrived, and any thoughts of the amputee woman left.

X X X

18 watched Trunks raise his hand in farewell as is time machine rose into the air glowing with power. She could not suppress the frown on her face, and was glad that was the most she was showing. The only thing according to plan had been Goku's safe return from space!

A time machine, Android 18 thought with stunned horror. She had assumed time travel could only be one-way. But if one could travel across time like a map, the implications… And if the Android maker was spying on this, he may already be starting to reverse engineer it. The thought of a genocidal force possessing the power of do-overs overwhelmed any thoughts of positively outmaneuvering disaster.

He actually smiled at them as he and the machine faded from sight, presumably moving out of sync with time or some such. Her Bulma had tried to explain it once, only for 18 to lose track quickly and start counting cracks on the bunker ceiling.

Was this all her journey would amount to? Better and earlier time travel but the world so destroyed it was still worth the risk such that Bulma would risk her own son on the journey?

"Dear, are you sure you don't need to leave?" Chichi asked, putting hand to her forehead. 18 leaned into the contact before gently brushing it off. She gave a smile to Chichi, who frowned a bit but turned back to the impromptu conference among the Z Fighters.

Well, they knew now about what was coming, and apparently Goku had medicine that might save him from the heart virus. Though Trunks had apparently admitted they could not be sure how effective it would be for a full-blooded Saiyan.

They were going to increase their training, which was good. What was not good was Chichi butting in, making clear that Gohan would not be taking part in any robot war.

"Why do we have all of you if you're going to send my little boy to the frontline against murder machines?!" she was screaming at Goku.

"Kakarot, why exactly do you put up with this weakling?" Vegeta asked.

"Oh quiet, you genocidal thug! You have no place acting like you're better than anyone else," the human woman snapped at the Saiyan prince.

"I'd say that the fact I could kill you easily with both arms and a leg tied behind my back makes me quite a bit better than you," Vegeta snarked, before turning to walk away, ignoring further threats.

"Hey, you're a new face! I'm Son Goku," Goku had taken Chichi's distraction with Vegeta as a chance to approach 18. 18 got up and took the legendary warrior in.

Even wearing a strange outfit including a neck ruffle, frill, thing, he cut an impressive figure. The kind of body most guys would only dream of having, and moving with the understated grace of a lifelong martial artist. Handsome enough to make his ridiculous hair work, too.

The smile and eyes were what really stood out. A veritable demigod, yet his expression and dark eyes beamed that he was truly happy to just meet a stranger.

"I'm Andrea Anne Teen, your new neighbor. Well, I'm on the other side of the mountain, so that may be stretching it. I trap and garden, mostly. Gather herbs. Struck gold once. Different mountain for the gold."

'Smooth as sandpaper, idiot.'

"Neat! You were flying earlier, so you've trained your ki, then?" Goku pressed.

"Well, mostly it's just natural talent; I'm a bit of a mutant, I understand. My training was more about using what I have," 18 admitted.

"Ah, did not understanding your power cost you your arm?" Goku asked, eyes moving to her stump.

"Goku, that's not an appropriate question," Chichi broke in.

"Really? Do you know how she lost her arm?" Goku asked Chichi.

"Yes, and you would know by now too if you had come home instead of goofing off in space learning how to teleport. Poor Gohan has had to win bread for the family and Miss Teene here, I had to explain to her why my husband wasn't around all this time when she moved in. Now come along, mister, you'll be providing meat for the family dinner I have planned; you have plenty of weight pulling to make up for."

"Oh, right. Since you said it was special, I invited Yamcha, that should make it even more special," Goku said with a grin.

"Yamcha? Why would you invite him to a family dinner?" Chichi asked, stunned.

"Well, I have known him longer than I have you. And, well, after talking with Trunks, I thought maybe I should spend some more time with my friends?" Goku said, glancing off to the side as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Fine, I don't suppose there's anyone else you want to invite?" Chichi snarked.

"Well, how about Andrea here? We can start getting to know one another," Goku asked innocently.

"…Fine, but that is it. Gohan, we're going back. Say goodbye to Piccolo."

"Okay," Gohan answered. 18 wondered why Chichi at this point thought sarcasm worked on Goku when she could be direct with Gohan.

And in a few minutes, the stretch of wasteland was once again deserted.

X X X

18 wasn't doing any chores tonight; she was laying on her couch in the dark, a favorite movie playing in her VCR to provide some light and sound.

What now? It was was clear she had been more invested in her vague plans than she had realized.

Worries over the future, she supposed, had been soothed by the idea that at least she had control despite her programming. That she was the one who would change the course of destiny. But Trunks had usurped that role without seeming to even realize it.

And he had better time travel too. A Super Saiyan, even.

What did it all mean for her?

Feeling like a dog with a bone over what Trunks' existence implied, she turned her thoughts to his time machine. That thing was dangerous. She herself was an embodiment of science gone wrong, and a time machine that seemingly anyone could drive, picking and choosing destinations, opened all kinds of horrors.

A villain might be defeated only to travel back in time and kill the hero before they could become a threat. Evil fighting the battle as many times as needed until they won.

How did you defeat someone with a reset button?

"You kill them before they can push it," she concluded.

That was the answer; threats with any potential for time travel would have to thoroughly and lethally annihilated. That time machine should be destroyed as well while she was at it. For now, Trunks was gone to return in time for the battle, but his return would give a chance to destroy it beyond any chance of reverse engineering.

But more broadly, Goku's mercy like he claimed to have shown Frieza would not be viable. No, she couldn't change Goku; if that was possible, Chichi would have done it with her desire for normalcy. Though why anyone wanting a normal life would marry Goku puzzled her to no end.

"Want something done right, do it yourself," she decided. Getting up off the couch, she went to the TV and stopped the movie before turning everything off. Her spectator hopes were dead now, she'd need to be ready to take an active role to act as the executioner if the Z Fighters flinched. Yes, that was better; after all, she had the blood of billions on her hand, what difference would this make?

She went to bed to try and sleep, already forming a plan for the dinner.

X X X

Knocking on the door to the Son house, 18 was quickly let in by Gohan and saw the scar-faced bandit had beaten her there. As usual, the house smelled good and had a warm feeling to it, unlike her own which settled for deodorant plug-ins.

18 had dressed up a bit for the dinner. Just a bit; while she liked having better clothes, she actually did not care much for wearing them around other people. Plus, aside from Chichi, she guessed the Son family had little notion of dressing up.

Yamcha, for his part, was dressed to the same degree as her, not training clothes or anything but not to impress, and Chichi was already a bit upset that the former bandit had brought Puar with him. Apparently Yamcha and Goku both seemed to think Puar was an automatic inclusion with inviting Yamcha, but Chichi disagreed. Oh, the housewife set up an extra spot at the table and served with a smile, but even 18 could tell she did not like the unexpected wrinkle. Yeah, Chichi's simple wish for a nice family-only dinner was so dead the Dragon Balls would not raise it from its grave.

18 had wondered if age might temper a Saiyan's manners; Gohan was just a kid, after all, for how mature he tended to act. Maybe it was Goku was pure Saiyan, or he'd not had a Chichi trying in vain to instill manners as a child, but his table manners were worse.

"You know, it really doesn't bother me," 18 said to Chichi, who was twitching while reminding Goku they had company.

"Me neither. I mean, I've seen worse, believe it or not. And it's Goku, you know," Yamcha added. So the scarred man wasn't oblivious, and frankly his table manners were quite decent; he certainly ate slower than 18 did, almost matching Chichi's refined pace.

"Yeah, who else would I be?" Goku asked around a haunch of well marinated meat, with the bone sticking out.

"The host family should be considerate," Chichi said, whether to anyone or just the air, 18 couldn't tell.

How had these two gotten together again, 18 wondered, even knowing the answer. It was pretty clear Goku had no interest in the small talk Chichi was interested in, and she cut off him mentioning the Androids or Trunks. 18 shared a look with Yamcha, confirming he was also finding this awkward.

Gohan seemed unaware. Desire to pat him on the head intensified, but she subdued it.

"Son Goku-" she began, after cleaning her plate for the third time and deciding she was full.

"Just Goku, please. No need to be formal. It's great Gohan and Chichi have someone around to keep them company," Goku said.

"Yes, Miss Teene is quite considerate. Though Miss Teene, if you feel something might be missing from your life, my village has a number of single young country boys that would likely appreciate your frontier lifestyle," Chichi said, giving 18 a look that put a little fear into her.

No delays, act now!

"Goku… would you be willing to train me as a fighter?" 18 said, raising her voice slightly.

That stopped even Gohan from eating. As for Goku, he choked for a few seconds before swallowing a bone that should not have gone down, in her opinion.

"Really? You want to train?" Goku and Chichi said the second sentence together, with very different tones.

"Yes. Trouble's coming, right? And according to the time traveler, it was a disaster. Well, I live in this world too… so I would like to help."

"I really don't think there's a need-" Chichi said.

"Alright, I'll do it."

"Just like that? Well, that's in-character," Yamcha chuckled. Puar looked a bit cynical though, crossing his arms.

"Are you sure she shouldn't go to Master Roshi? Have you ever trained anyone before?" Puar demanded.

"Nope, but someone's got to be my first student. I was gong to train Gohan, after all," Goku said with a smile, getting up from the table and looking at 18 intently.

Chichi slapped a hand on the table.

"Son Goku, I let you send our son into space, and he nearly died to some galactic tyrant."

"But he didn't die, in fact he's a lot stronger now than when he left Earth."

"Not my point. You're back, and I am glad you're back, and all your delinquent friends are out of their graves. So hooray, and you can all go fight the murder machines while my son studies for a bright future. Honestly, you spend a year in space training after training on your way to Namek, and now you just want to train more."

"Well, the first time I needed to be strong to face someone who could keep Vegeta in line. Yardrat was more about the once in a lifetime chance to learn instant transmission. And it sounds like if I don't win this next one, the future isn't going to be bright for anyone," Goku counted it off with his fingers.

Chichi fumed in a subdued manner, Yamcha was looking up at the ceiling like it held a fascinating mural, and Puar was eating dessert.

"…And you really want to be a fighter like them? You've already lost an arm," Chichi said, her eyes snapping back to 18. Without meaning to, 18 cupped her stump through the pinned sleeve of her blue top.

"I just want to have some control in this," 18 told them. She didn't notice the way Yamcha's expression shifted at those words.

"What control? They're all addicts for thrills," Chichi grumbled. Letting out a breath, the matriarch crossed her arms and nodded to herself, seeming to will composure into being.

"Very well, go ahead and train Miss Teene, Goku. I trust nothing untoward will happen. It's certainly better than her being alone on an island with the Kame Senin. Who am I to judge if you think it's good to encourage a crippled woman to go into battle, what do I know? But you leave Gohan out of it. You have your student, keep that part of you separate from our son," she said with calm certainty.

"What? I can't train both?" Goku whined.

"No. You've made a choice, now stick to it," Chichi commanded.

'Gohan won't get trained by Goku? That's not good. It may even be a disaster,' 18 thought, as Chichi pulled out some cheer from somewhere and left to fetch dessert from the kitchen.

'Why? Does she not realize everyone will die? She's not stupid, she has to see that, and not care? There's no reasoning with that,' 18 concluded, several things about Chichi snapping into place.

Everything depended on defeating the Androids, and Trunks showed they could not just rely on Goku being able to defeat expected threats. Leaving a powerhouse like Gohan on the table was not an option.

But no one seemed interested in defying Chichi, with Goku seeming more sad than angry, and Gohan trying to act like things were fine.

How to fix this?

The answer came just as she was served tasty-looking pastries.

'I need to get rid of Chichi and make sure these Saiyans are maxed out myself.'

X X X

Entering her house and locking the door on the lovely mountain night left 18 feeling a bit better. She didn't need the lights, so left them off for the moment to plop down on an open spot on the couch amidst her clutter. Hanging her head back, she had no choice but to start thinking.

Training with Goku was a good thing. Her Bulma had assessed she would not be a match for her alternate missing an arm, and possibly more deficient in other ways despite the repairs done. Her role was to protect the real potential saviors of the world, Gohan and Trunks. At least, that was the best the wrinkled muttering Bulma of her time had been able to come up with. She couldn't truly question her programming but she could snark at it a bit.

Anyway, the training could make her more potent, better able to carry out her role. But it seemed the price was Gohan not being trained at all. Which was unacceptable.

Chichi was the problem here, as she prioritized Gohan's education over even leisure, not to mention training. If Chichi could be convinced, she would have already.

18 needed to spur the Saiyans to greater heights than they achieved in the original timeline. Trunks' presence proved just keeping Gohan and later Trunks alive would not be enough.

Chichi was an obstacle.

She was a friend.

Chichi obstructed Gohan's path to power.

She'd been nice to 18.

Chichi was just one life against global extinction of thinking life.

Her Bulma had reprogrammed her to protect life, not destroy it.

18 got up and turned on a lamp before rummaging in her stuff and unearthing a large box. It held a set of encyclopedias she had purchased but never set on a shelf. Finding the right volume, she flipped to the entry on the Earth, getting a number for the world's current population.

All that against one.

Yes, if it increased the chances to avoid all those lives being extinguished, she had her duty to carry thus out.

Though, the how was a problem. Murder in itself would not be too hard, she supposed. But Goku could gather the Dragon Balls easily and wish Chichi back. And she knew Chichi was not just going to die naturally; she'd outlived Trunks even.

So, what did that leave? Make it look natural?

Yes, she decided. She wasn't certain if an engineered but natural causes death would be barred from resurrection, but if they assumed it was natural, they would likely not ask.

"It's a terrible plan," she admitted out loud. But she couldn't see a better route morally or practically.

So, committed to terrible ideas, she thought it over and decided a disease would be the thing. A virus did Goku in, Chichi could fall the same way. But she'd have to be careful it couldn't catch around. If she killed Gohan by mistake, she may as well just blow herself up.

So, grabbing another encyclopedia volume, she began to check viruses.

X X X

They sparred in the air over the ocean, nothing but the blue sea and sky in sight as they traded blows the salty wind tugging at their hair. It had been Goku's idea, so they wouldn't have to worry about holding back so much.

First thing to know about training with Goku. He was not one to hold back much. Oh, it wasn't that he was going all out testing her, she realized, deflecting a blow, but he was not shy about bruising or otherwise injuring an opponent.

Which tied to the second thing, he really loved this.

Sure, she had been told about his love for fighting and training, but to witness it was something else entirely. Genial as he had been before, she'd say looking back there was a veneer of benevolent detachment to it. Like he was passing through and only briefly fully committed to anything. A part of him was just not there most of the time, maybe?

But here and now, that boyish enthusiasm and affection was sharpened into a man's passion.

She didn't think he'd ever used the term man's passion seriously, but what else could she call it? He was utterly focused but clearheaded. Happy but not distracted. She could go on, but it wasn't like she could study him so much when he had her on the defensive.

She had no experience fighting without her missing arm, and she still had to hold back some herself, not acting too suspicious.

The rain of blows stopped and Goku retreated, dropping his stance to look thoughtful. 18 let her own guard relax, Goku didn't seem the type for a sucker punch.

"Man, it's weird you're this strong and don't let off ki. You're not suppressing it, either. I never thought people could be born like that. Great to see Earth still has plenty of surprises."

"…How much longer we going to do this?" she asked.

"What? I can tell you're not tired. But I guess I have seen enough."

Goku stopped his barrage of attacks and flew down to land on a ledge overlooking an expanse of Paozu's woodlands. Taking a breath, 18 followed him.

"So, how'd I do?"

"You really are strong, for not knowing much about fighting," Goku remarked with a smile. That actually made her blush a bit, looking away. It was not unexpected; she and her brother had won by overwhelming power, with only programmed knowledge of techniques. It had worked, but she was not surprised it came off as subpar to someone who mastered technique and power both.

"Also, it's a bit hard to say with you still holding out on me," he continued.

She looked at him sharply. He had seen though her.

"Why is that, Andrea? If you really want to train, you need to be honest with me."

'If I was honest with you, you'd try to kill me for murdering everyone you hold dear in this world.'

"Last time I used my full power, I was fighting for my life against my brother."

"I had a brother I fought, too. Though I only met him the day he died, so it's likely nothing like what you went through. Huh, you know, I wonder if there were any other siblings? Doesn't matter now, I guess."

"So, will you still train me?"

"Sure, but there won't be much point if you aren't willing to apply it to doing your best. Especially with the Androids. If they could kill my friends, they're not something we can take as fun like a tournament. Anyway, it seems like you've got strength and stamina for days, so I think we need to focus more on making good use of what you have before pushing your limits. The one arm thing is something too, maybe more focus on kicks? Hmm, this will be fun," he laughed innocently, smiling.

She returned a smile of her own before realizing it. Goku ended the lesson there, deciding he'd go see Master Roshi for advice.

Days Later:

Finding a proper virus was easier than she expected. Fast acting, few symptoms until late stages. And it was rare but not so rare it would be impossible for Chichi to contract it.

And no cure outside the early stages, and treatment only effective, etc etc. Well, Chichi was exactly the type to soldier on and not run to the doctor at the first sign. So likely she wouldn't go to the hospital until she collapsed doing her chores. Maybe not even the first time that happened.

18 was a bit troubled at how easy this was, all from a set of encyclopedias. She had thought she's overpaid for the fancy leather covers, but apparently this knowledge was power. She'd rather stick with ki and martial arts, she admitted; this was scary.

Which then left her with acquiring a sample. She'd need to do more work to find where it was stored. Stealing seemed too likely to draw attention; she seemed to recall it was better to just bribe someone who was underpaid in a medical institution to get stuff like that.

Another piece of knowledge with uncertain origin.

Well, it was just a matter of time, she thought, doing some stretches on a sea rock as waves battered it. She was wearing a turtle uniform with a pinned-up sleeve and a ladies' cut. The invincible old pervert had provided it. His first choice, which he called the traditional turtle uniform, had seen her make him prove his invincible title. But after Goku pulled him out of the crater, he had his turtle present her with the real uniform.

Orange was not her color. At all.

But she'd been thinking ahead. Would it be enough, her making sure Gohan was at his strongest by removing Chichi, and Future Trunks effort to keep Goku alive? She had already committed to murder, she owed to her mission and to Chichi to make sure that act was in fact for the greater good.

Her ability to contribute, on reflection, had another aspect. Namely insurance in the form of more Saiyan hybrids. Vegeta, as wicked as she was, she would not lower herself to chasing the one being on the planet that had a higher kill count than her. So that left Goku. And in addition to training making her hopefully more useful, it seemed the best way to bond with Goku. In his grief for Chichi, as his student she would be well positioned to comfort him and then she'd make her case as a replacement wife.

Yes, replacing Chichi in addition to killing her was awful. But 18 had been told about Otherworld, King Yemma and the rest. She understood, as her Bulma had explained to her, there was nothing she could do to not be worthy of damnation after all she had done. One more atrocity was acceptable to her, so long as she made it worth something. She was a villain, she thought, looking up to the sky as the sea sprayed her. Piccolo had changed as a person, as had Tienshenhan. But that wasn't the case for her. Even after genocide and fratricide, it had taken a mad scientist slipping into senility to literally reprogram her before 18 cared enough to make amends.

So be it, let Trunks and the Z Fighters be the heroes saving the world, she'd be the monster unseen until it was time to reach into her chest, mission accomplished, and eliminate the last remnant of the android threat.

"Are you okay?" Goku asked, standing in the air in front of her, the top of the waves nearly touching his boots.

"No. Let's train."

"…Alright."

X X X

It was probably a sign of how messed up your life was when things being easier than expected left you feeling bad, 18 thought, looking at the opaque jar in her fridge that had the fatal vial in it.

Yes, a part of her, she supposed, had hoped to hit a wall, get caught, or at least delayed. But now the virus was in her possession, and it seemed like her trail was clear. The only real worry about being discovered would be if the Kais took notice somehow and just told Goku. But there was nothing to be done for that, so she just had to roll the dice.

And soon, she thought, closing her fridge and making her way out of her house to her garden. The garden had died down for late fall, everything harvested, seeds collected or reseeding, stalks for compost, etc. The thriving bit of space was now dead but for the hardy weeds hanging on. Granted, with the promise of rebirth come spring and planting. She'd never have expected that grubbing in the dirt would appeal, but even more than hunting, she found satisfaction and a soothing feeling in gardening.

No, it wasn't becoming a better person by discovering joy in creation, she admitted. It just let her pretend to be more than a murderer and destroyer. She was going to kill Chichi and setting it up to ensure that woman didn't come back. A mother, daughter, wife, and someone she was becoming friends with. Not the easiest person to get along with, but for all her shrillness she still actually did put up with people who rubbed her the wrong way. Even as she disapproved of 18 pursuing martial arts training, she remained a friendly companion and a gracious host that invited their neighbor over out of courtesy.

Flawed, and detrimental to the world's survival. But her death being for the greater good did not mean 18 thought that the woman deserved it. Much like how 18 did not deserve to be alive, but her being alive was simply the better move for the future.

Now to find an opening to kill Chichi. The virus would keep presently, but she was wary of Goku or Gohan in an out of character moment raiding her fridge, to either discover the vial and question it, or chug it.

No delays, the clock was ticking towards doomsday.

Papaya Island:

Master Roshi looked over the arena critically, tapping the tiles with his walking stick, expression stern behind his glasses.

"Yes, this will do," he said to the assemblage of monks and construction workers behind him on the ground. They gave out sighs of relief and returned to their tasks. Roshi gave a sigh, looking around at the activity as the World Martial Arts hosting temple was being rebuilt around them.

The grand tradition of the Budokai had fallen to the wayside after the events of the 23rd tournament. Understandable, he supposed. The temple had been ransacked by Goku as a great ape in the 21st, the city threatened. The arena had been destroyed in the 22nd by Tien. And the place had been utterly leveled by Piccolo in the 23rd.

In short, while martial artists had retained a fondness for it, the tournament had been in hiatus for years for want of funds, and a nightmare of trying to get it insured or the city government willing to green light a return.

Roshi had not minded much. After all, as grand as traditions were, everything ends eventually, and martial arts would continue without the Budokai. So, if it returned he'd cheer, and if not, he'd solemnly bid it farewell like many other institutions in his long life.

But now here he was as the official sponsor, while Capsule Corp footed the bill and handled the red tape. No mystery why; he had one of his old students to thank for this project.

Kame House, Shortly After Goku's Return:

Roshi gulped the beer he was drinking from the can too hard in his surprise and had a coughing fit. He was seated in front of his house, sharing a beer with Yamcha, who had unexpectedly dropped by and asked to speak with him. The old master was certainly not averse to shooting the wind with his former students, besides Yamcha actually had money if they ended up going out, with that baseball career of his.

Then the former bandit had the poor form to drop a bombshell just as Roshi was taking a drag from the can.

"Come again, you want to start a school?" Roshi demanded, after wiping his lips off with the back of his hand.

"Well, take students at least. Calling it a school seems a bit cart before the horse."

"What brought this on? Frankly m'boy, it seemed like you had moved on from pursuing greater heights of power. No judgement! Life takes many roads, and nothing says you need to dedicate your life to a path of power."

"Well, it wasn't so much giving up, but it seems like no matter what I do, I can't keep up with Goku, or Piccolo even these days. So long as they could step in, am I even really needed?"

Roshi nodded to acknowledge the concern. Self-motivation was easier said than done. Yamcha had been motivated once by the desire to get over his fear of women, then to impress Bulma, and support his friends. With him and Bulma done and his friends surpassing him, that motivation was gone.

So it was intriguing he may have found something new.

"What brought this on?"

"The bad news from the future, of course! As long as Goku is here, we may not have trouble, but Goku died in that future and the world fell apart. And while Trunks didn't say it, Gohan must have died too or he'd have fought or come back himself. Even with Goku, maybe we can't count on him just being there. I can't keep up with him, but I can support him, do something, anything to help or resist if things go wrong. And Goku is training that Andrea woman, he told me when I stopped by. He's actually impressed at her potential, and she's human. If I can't make a difference as a warrior, maybe I can make a difference by guiding others onto the warrior's path. Who knows, maybe a student of mine could surpass the Saiyans someday, and what they need is guidance to get started."

"Well, you want to be wary about projecting ambitions on students, but I am pleased that you're doing this. I have no interest in training further students, and Goku's grown beyond the Turtle school while Krillin doesn't seem interested in being a teacher. So, what exactly do you want from me? No teacher is like another anymore than a student is, so my advice would only be worth so much."

"Well, actually, I don't really know how to find students," Yamcha admitted, pressing his fingers together guiltily, making Roshi face palm.

Papaya Island, Papaya Island:

And that had led to this. A Budokai was the simplest way to draw out strong fighters the world over, with Roshi's official involvement likely to draw interest from those who might normally not attend, just to meet him rather than interest in the competition or prize money.

'I'm not sure if this is the right road for Yamcha, but it is a path forward. And frankly, I won't be around forever. It would be nice to entrust the Turtle school to someone else, then I'd really be retired.'

Still, he hoped they had more women fighters turn out this time. The competition could be such a sausage festival!

X X X

18 had waited until Gohan and Goku were both out, and called on Chichi for a bit of tea.

The small talk was just that. Small talk. Mostly just the other woman bragging about Gohan and shifting to petty concerns on how well he could measure up to the tense competition to get into the best schools ten years or so down the line. 18 let her lead it, hardy saying a thing. The tea was good as ever; her own efforts didn't compare despite the same recipe, which both made sense and no sense to her.

Then Chichi actually thanked her for training with Goku. How she understood Goku would probably never truly give up martial arts, but at least with a student he wouldn't try and fill Gohan's life with that nonsense.

18 almost snapped at that, on how it was not nonsense, especially compared to Chichi making him study like final exams were nigh for college applications when he wasn't even in middle school. In fact, for all her talk, why didn't he just go to school? 18 pondered if Chichi thought other kids were either not good enough or a distraction for her Gohan.

Then, remembering she had come here to murder her host, 18 reminded herself she had no place to think, much less talk, trash on anyone.

"Chichi, do you really think it's good to push Gohan this hard? I mean, it seems a bit much?" She settled. Chichi sighed, closing her eyes as she filled 18's cup, then her own, slightly shaking her head.

"Miss Teene, you sound like my father. The world is a cutthroat place; they measure from as far back as they can to take only the best for the best schools, much less the best jobs. Goku thinks his training is hard? The field is a lot more crowded with real jobs for respected places in society. If Gohan is going to have a chance to make something of himself in the world of today, he needs to give his all from the start."

"Or what? Couldn't he just try to be happy?"

"You can't really be happy if you're not successful, and you won't be respected if you're not successful. And if you're not respected, you'll set your children back before they even start. I don't blame you for not understanding. I didn't get it until I had my Gohan and realized just how much my father had sheltered me with country living. He deserves better than living half like a hermit on some mountain."

"Your life doesn't seem bad to me."

"That's not the point, Gohan deserves better. And to be clear, as you're not a mother, I don't think you can lecture me on something you know nothing about. I haven't even had a reliable husband in Goku. He doesn't have an ill-intended bone in his body, but he just can't grasp that there are things more important than training. And I can't have him passing that idea onto our son."

'Training is more important since it keeps people from being killed and the future being decimated,' 18 thought, sipping her tea.

This confirmed it. There was no talking this woman out of her stubbornness. 18 was sure that even if she was honest, the girl would likely just grab Gohan and try to steal a ship for Namek or something.

She could not stop what was coming herself, her Bulma had known that. What she could do was improve their odds of success by pushing the Saiyans to be stronger and removing obstacles. And Chichi was an obstacle.

When Chichi took the plate emptied of tiny sweets away, 18 pulled out the tiny vial with pale liquid and poured it into Chichi's empty cup and refilled it herself.

"Thank you," Chichi said, coming back to discover her cup full.

"No problem," 18 said, watching Chichi drink her death over her own cup. Yes, no problem anymore.

'If I am still alive when the threat is destroyed, I will confess this to Goku. You will be avenged, Chichi, I will see to it,' 18 promised as the woman asked about 18's plans for her garden when spring came again.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

And our winner is Future Trunks. Apologies to any who were hoping for the other option but I came up with clearer ideas for this arc. Also, well Future Trunks is a bit of a favorite and him running around will male things harder in a lot of ways for Alt 18.

But do not worry, we will not just be running stations of the canon.

Also I am not a Chichi hater. I very much hope her death here comes across as tragic even if you don't much like her. Speaking of which, I am going to take a moment and drop a recommendation:

If you enjoy stories with Goku not paired with Chichi but Chichi doesn't get slammed in it; you might enjoy "Goku's True Heir" by chumpchangedraws. That version is located on deviantart and is in comic form. The OG is right here on this site by Devlin Dracul. While similar the two versions are distinct with significant differences as they progress along with the medium.

Well I guess that is all.

Long days and pleasant nights you all!