Chapter 6:

Frozen with Fear

As Charisma lay in her bed that night, she found it difficult to fall asleep. Now that she was away from the others, all alone, the floodgates broke open and she grieved the loss of her friend and mentor, Gohan. She was filled with worry about Trunks, as the mysterious young man had not mentioned him at all. Charisma could only pray that he was still alive and well, somehow.

Charisma also realized how slim and dismal her chance of returning to her own time was. The imminent threat of the androids that would ravage this time as well kept her up with worry. On top of that, the mystery of the future boy's identity plagued her mind.

'If he's from 20 years in the future, then he's from my time. He used a time machine, just like I did. But…it didn't look anything like the time machine my dad had built…' Charisma sat up in bed suddenly. 'Damn it! If only I'd known, I would've told him about my problem and I could've gone back home! But then again…would he even believe me?'

Charisma flipped the covers and placed her feet on the soft carpeted floor. Her footsteps were shaky as she struggled in the darkness to walk over to the window. She opened it slightly to feel a cool breeze blowing by her wavy strands of blonde hair around her face. Sighing deeply and sniffling her tears, she rested her head atop the window sill and shut her eyes.

'What should I do now…?'

"Time machine?" she heard her father's voice.

"Yes, that's what I've been working on," Bulma replied. Charisma stood against the wall of the hallway to hear their conversation. "I know it sounds crazy, but I think I'm finally getting closer to figuring out a way to travel back into the past and find a way to disable the Androids."

Charisma's eyes snapped open and she stood up straight with a loud gasp. "That's it!" she exclaimed, barely remembering to keep her voice down. "That's right! That's what Aunt Bulma was always working on…She told my dad about it a few times. I remember now…"

Charisma snapped her fingers in satisfaction. "That's the only explanation! I don't think anyone else would be capable of such a thing! But then again…what if someone else was working on a time machine as well? Since time travel is possible, then maybe there are at least a few others who can do it, too? I don't know…it doesn't make any sense to me no matter how I try to explain it."

Charisma's eyebrows furrowed in deep thought. With a deep sigh, she walked back over to her bed and lay back down. "…whoever that guy is…" Charisma's eyes traveled to the view of the moon shining brightly in the darkened sky outside the nearby window. "He may be my only way of going back home. I hope he comes back soon…"

...

When Charisma woke up the next morning, the smell of pancakes filled her nostrils. Her eyes slowly opened, and the rising sunlight now stung them. It took her a few moments to gather herself and head over to the nearby bathroom to freshen up. After taking a quick shower and dressing, she made her way downstairs towards the main dining room.

"Oh, good morning!" she heard Bulma's voice say. Charisma caught sight of the blue haired woman sitting at the far end of the table. Yamcha sat beside her as well, in addition to a short, bald man that sat across from him. Charisma recognized him as one of Bulma's friends that she'd seen the previous day.

"Good morning, everyone," Charisma said brightly.

She took her seat beside the new guy and watched as Mrs. Brief hastily hurried over with a stack of pancakes. The smell of it alone caused Charisma's mouth to water. Charisma was used to cold cereal and milk for breakfast and nothing else.

"I can't wrap my head around it," Yamcha said as he took a bite of his own stack of pancakes. "A guy from the future? It's unbelievable. I can't even believe that anything he says is true."

"But why would he lie about something like that?" Bulma retorted. "Given the right tools, time travel really isn't that complicated…"

Charisma listened in on their conversation silently. '…so would they believe me if I told them I'm from the future, too?'

"In any case, we'd better not take any chances," the bald man said and stood up. "If you're ready, Yamcha, we can go ahead and start sparring right now."

"Calm down, Krillin," he replied as he took a sip of milk to wash down his food. "It's not a good idea to fight after a meal…"

Krillin sighed and took his seat again. "I'll wait…"

"Hey, you haven't been formally introduced to Krillin, right, Charisma?" Bulma said, turning towards the girl.

Charisma shook her head. "No…I haven't been formally introduced to anyone, really."

"Yeah, with everything that's been going on, I'm sure it will be difficult," Bulma responded. "Krillin, this is Charisma. She's a good friend and she'll be living with me for the time being."

Krillin looked at her with a friendly smile. "Nice to meet you!"

"Nice to meet you, too," Charisma replied.

"I guess we can start now," Yamcha said as he slammed his empty milk cup on the table and stood up. "I haven't sparred in a while myself. I tried not to stuff my face as much as I usually do, so I should be fine."

...

Charisma had remained with Bulma in the living room for a short while after the men had gone outside. Bulma and Mrs. Brief were caught in an intense debate regarding the celebrity they were currently watching on the television.

Charisma watched with amusement as they went at the argument with such fervor as if their lives depended on it. Still, she wondered what kind of training Yamcha and Krillin were doing. She carefully slinked away from the room as Bulma was distracted and made her way towards the back of the house. She could see the light shining from the opened doorway that led to the side yard and could already hear the battle cries and grunts of the guys before she even set foot outside.

When Charisma arrived at the door, she watched silently as Yamcha and Krillin exchanged a flurry of fists and kicks. They were all over the place, from the ground to even a few feet off the ground. Charisma's eyes could barely even keep up with their speed.

'Amazing!' she mused as she watched in awe. 'I haven't seen anything like that since I was a child. Trunks and Gohan used to train like this sometimes...when they thought I wasn't around, of course.'

Catching a sneak peek into Gohan and Trunks' training made Charisma long to battle like them some day. As a child, Charisma truly believed that wish would come true someday. Now, as a young woman, she understood that this wish was mostly impossible, but she wanted to be the strongest she could be. She wasn't even sure how Krillin and Yamcha would respond to her proposal but she didn't want to be idle, especially in the battle against the Androids.

At last, Yamcha and Krillin landed on solid ground, sweaty and out of breath.

"Not bad," Krillin said, wiping sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. "But you've gotten a lot slower than I remember…"

"Not my fault Bulma's mom feeds me all the time," Yamcha laughed heartily. His eyes caught sight of Charisma standing at the doorway with curious eyes. He blushed slightly and waved at her. "Hey, have you been watching us this whole time?" Krillin turned around to look at her as well.

"You're both really impressive!" she said with a smile. "I can't believe you're both so strong."

Krillin and Yamcha exchanged a glance, and both coyly scratched the backs of their heads.

"It's nothing, really," Krillin chuckled.

Charisma set foot on the grass and approached them. "You're both only human just like me, too, aren't you?"

"Yeah, of course," Krillin replied. "You've never seen anything like this before, have you?"

"Can't say I have!" Charisma lied, certain she'd seen power in Gohan and even in Trunks as a child. 'Maybe if I butter them up a little, they'll say yes?' she thought.

"Do you want to keep watching?" Yamcha asked. "I'm impressed. Bulma usually finds something else to do like file her nails or work on her gadgets whenever I train," he added with a laugh.

"Yeah, I would love to keep watching. But I also wanted to ask…" Charisma twiddled her fingers nervously. "…would it be all right if I asked you guys to train me, too?"

Krillin and Yamcha both stared at her with disbelief.

"Train? For what?" Krillin asked, unsure.

"You know! I want to hone my own skills in combat," Charisma explained. "I know…I don't look like much, but I promise I'm a lot stronger than I look."

Yamcha sighed and shook his head. "I don't know…Are you sure? It's not easy…I'm not sure if we even have to squeeze in between our training for the supposed Androids."

Charisma's face fell and she sighed. "Please give me a chance…let's spar, you and me, Yamcha! Or better yet, I'll show you what I know."

Charisma hurried towards the middle of the yard and nodded towards them. Taking a deep breath, she focused her energy and soon began levitating off the ground. She didn't pay attention to the surprised looks on Krillin and Yamcha's face. Any little distraction could probably cause her to lose her power and send her plummeting into the ground.

"Wow, you're the first girl I've ever seen do that, that's for sure," Yamcha chuckled.

"No kidding," Krillin added as Charisma slowly brought herself back down.

Charisma blushed but shook her head. "I'm not very good at flying though…I haven't really had much time to practice…I'm going to need help with that."

"That shouldn't be hard at all," Krillin said. "What else can you do?"

Charisma lifted her arm and a beam of energy appeared in her palm. Krillin and Yamcha stared at her with surprised expressions. Charisma dispelled the beam as she knew this wasn't a safe place to release it, especially since never learned how to fully control it.

"Not bad, not bad," Yamcha said. "It seems you need help with that as well."

Charisma grinned sadly. "Yeah…it's been so long since I've gotten a real chance to practice any of my skills."

With their interest now piqued, Krillin and Yamcha exchanged a knowing glance with each other.

"Well, if you can prove yourself in this last area, then maybe I'll consider taking you under my wing," Yamcha said as he led her back to the center of the yard. "Let's spar and see what you've got."

...

"Without a doubt, you've got potential," Yamcha said to Charisma as they reentered the house with Krillin. The three were drying their sweat with towels and very relieved to feel the air conditioning. "What you lack in raw power you make up for in speed, that's for sure. I could barely keep up!"

"It's been a long time since I've seen a human girl put up such a fight," Krillin added. "I don't know how much free time I'm going to have, but I'll stop by and help you whenever I can."

Charisma couldn't keep the look of excitement off her face. "Thank you! I can't even begin to tell you how grateful I am. I haven't had a match like this in such a long time. It made me really happy! And I'm looking forward to learning more with you."

"Hey, don't forget about me!" Yamcha said, tapping her on the shoulder. "I'm here all the time, remember? That means I can help you train during my free time as well. I'll be your true sensei, no doubt about it."

Charisma smiled warmly at him.

"Yeah, I like the sound of that!" he said proudly. "Yamcha-sensei…it has a nice ring to it, don't you think? Maybe someday I can even start my own school!"

Krillin cackled to himself and Yamcha turned around immediately. "Hey, what's so funny? You don't think I can do it?"

"I'm not saying anything like that," Krillin said. "But you're really getting ahead of yourself there. I'm going to be training Charisma, too, so that means I'll be her sensei as well."

"Yeah but I'm going to train her more than you will," Yamcha replied. "So I'm going to be her real sensei…"

Charisma let herself fall behind them as they continued walking through the halls. 'I think this is an argument I'd better not get involved in!' Charisma casually walked off down another hallway and slinked away.

"Whatever!" Krillin replied. "Let's just ask our student for her opinion and see what she thinks."

"Right," Yamcha agreed and turned around. "Charisma…?"

By this time, Charisma was long gone and on her way up the steps to her bedroom. When she entered the room, she took a deep breath and looked out the window.

'Soon…' she thought. 'I feel like my luck is going to change soon…I'm going to work hard to find a way out of this mess. I know I can do it!'

For now, Charisma could feel her muscles becoming sore. She hadn't had quite a workout like that in some time. She contented herself to a warm shower and a fresh batch of clothes and would spend the rest of the day alone in her bedroom, contemplating her fate.

...

It had been some time already since that future boy had appeared and warned everyone about the Androids. Still, since that day, Charisma couldn't get him out of her mind. There was something about him that made her feel a slight sense of déjà vu. The thought of the Androids also haunted, and she became a little more silent and reserved than usual.

This afternoon, she was deep in her thoughts, sitting on the couch across from Bulma. Sensing the girl's distress, Bulma looked up from the magazine she was reading. "Is there something wrong, Charisma?"

Charisma gazed over at her and blinked a couple times, shaking her head. "…Not really…it's just that…well…I guess I'm kind of worried about those Androids that boy told us about…"

Bulma sighed and placed the magazine on her lap. "There's nothing to worry about, Charisma. With Goku and the others on our side, there's no way we're gonna lose against them."

"Yeah, but you heard what Piccolo said. According to that boy, everyone is going to die…" Charisma's voice trailed off. 'History can't be rewritten…can it?'

"But that's because they weren't ready," reasoned Bulma. "Now that they know, they'll work hard, and things will be different this time. Really…you're worrying about nothing."

Charisma remained quiet as she stared at her hands. "I guess…but are the guys really that strong?"

"Yes. Trust me, they are."

Charisma remained unsure but she nodded her head with a smile. 'I hope you're right…'

Bulma smiled and went back to flipping through the pages of her magazine. After a moment, her smile subsided and she heaved in frustration. "You know…I'm so bored! Everyone's so busy preparing for those Androids and I'm sitting here doing nothing."

"Well, what else can we do?" asked Charisma. "I've been trying to work on my fighting skills as well but I'm kind of lost when I don't have someone to spar with…"

Bulma sighed and placed her chin on the palm of her hand, resting her elbow on the armrest of the chair. "…I just wish there was something I could do…"

"Oh girls!" Bulma's mother chirped. She walked into the room with a tray filled with tons of delicious looking cakes. "I stopped by the bakery today and look at what I bought for us! Nice huh? Don't they look just scrumptious?" She giggled jovially as she placed the tray on the table.

Charisma mouth watered instantly as she scanned the many different sweets. "Yes, they do!"

"Dig in, Charisma!" she giggled. Charisma complied and began eating a small slice of strawberry shortcake. Mrs. Briefs turned to her daughter. "Now, which one do you want, dear?"

"They're all yours, Mom," Bulma said. "I'm not very hungry."

"What? But Bulma, what's wrong with you? Are you feeling lonely because all the boys are spending all their time training and not spending enough time with you? That's it, isn't it, dear?"

Charisma chuckled with a mouthful of cake and Bulma began to blush furiously. "OH PLEASE!" she retorted. "I'm just not very hungry!"

Just then, Mr. Briefs walked into the room with a yawn. "You know, I'm starting to think that Vegeta is a few cards short from a full deck," he said. "It wasn't enough to have the simulator create three hundred times gravity for him. Now he's demanding for me to make some more equipment for him to train with. And all he's going to do is break it."

"Somehow," Bulma said thoughtfully. "That doesn't surprise me at all."

A sudden explosion interrupted the conversation and shook the house.

"What in the world was that?!" Charisma asked, fearful that the Androids had come much sooner than expected.

"Vegeta!" Bulma sneered. She immediately jumped out her seat and bolted out of the house towards the yard. Confused but curious, Charisma followed without a second thought.

By the time the girls ran out to the yard, Yamcha was standing out there observing shattered pieces of debris in awe.

"Vegeta!" Bulma cried out, running up towards the mess. She stopped at the rubble in shock and kneeled down beside it.

"I knew this would happen…" said Yamcha. "He's been trying to do the impossible."

"Where is he?" Bulma asked. "…Vegeta?" She began digging through the debris, desperately trying to find him. A bruised hand suddenly emerged from the wreckage, startling Bulma, and sending her flying backwards into Yamcha's arms. Soon enough, Vegeta came out, bloody and bruised. "You're…okay?"

"Of course, I am," Vegeta grumbled, moaning as he stood on his feet.

Bulma sighed with relief, but soon erupted with anger. "How dare you, you ass! You almost wrecked my house! What are you trying to prove?"

Vegeta wobbled wearily and fell back onto the ground silently. Bulma gasped, her anger gone now, and she rushed over to his side. As much as she wanted to help him, Vegeta refused to admit that he was really hurt. His injuries were quite obvious when he attempted to stand up again only to wobble weakly and topple over again.

Charisma watched silently, taking note of the look of concern in Bulma's eyes as she held Vegeta in her arms.

...

Charisma held out hope that the future boy would return to this time again. As seasons passed by, and months turned into years, her hope began slipping from her until only a sliver remained. She had no other choice but to make the best of her time in this new world.

Charisma felt fortunate to at least have friends that cared for her here. Bulma and her friends welcomed Charisma with open arms and came to understand Charisma as simply a young girl who was down on her luck and suffering from amnesia. The secret of her real past had to remain hidden, Charisma figured. 'They wouldn't understand,' she reasoned.

Charisma had no other choice but to remain as she was, and continued training under Yamcha and Krillin's guidance. Eventually, Yamcha's training sessions became less and less until they stopped altogether.

Thankfully, Krillin's training continued regularly, and Charisma came to accept him as her true sensei. Krillin had really stepped up and took her under his wing, and she was beyond grateful. Above all, she couldn't help being impressed and inspired by how strong he was, despite being just a human like her.

Charisma didn't have much time to think of or to do much else as the very real threat of the Androids wreaking havoc on this time approached. Instead, she focused on becoming the strongest she could possibly be. Unfortunately, she didn't see any other way than to quit her beloved job at the Sweet Morning Cafe and dive headfirst into her training. In due time, the training certainly paid off as Charisma became stronger and more refined day by day.

In what seemed like no time at all, three years passed by and the day that the mysterious boy spoke of finally arrived. Yamcha, Tien, Charisma, and Bulma made their way over to the island where the Androids were supposed to first appear. The group stood on a cliff overlooking a small city on the island, waiting and observing the surroundings cautiously.

Bulma now had her hair down and cut short, a few centimeters off her shoulders. It was also hard to miss the little baby she now had in her arms. Charisma changed quite a bit in those years. Her slim and somewhat malnourished frame became stronger with lean muscles, toned figure, her baby fat all but gone. The years of training paid off greatly in many ways.

Within that time, Bulma and Charisma's bond had been strengthened to the point where they were almost like sisters. Although the situation of Saiyans and other aliens didn't faze Charisma very much to begin with, she grew more accustomed to all the strange occurrences that would happen to her friends. She smiled to think she was becoming one of them now.

Charisma felt an almost overwhelming sense of panic today, however. Ever since the gang had been visited by the stranger from the future, Charisma had been dreading this day. She was glad to know that perhaps now the story would be different, yet she was afraid that their strength would not be enough.

The very destruction that ruined her life was about to start again in front of her very eyes.

"That's why I've never let you play outside, Charisma," her mother told a ten-year-old Charisma. They sat within the safe confines of their underground home.

"I just don't understand it all…" remarked Charisma. Her eyes glazed with sadness as she stared at the ground. "When I look at our old pictures, I wonder what life was like back then…before those Androids came. Why did this have to happen?"

"I know that we're living in terrible times, but don't be sad, Charisma," her mother said softly, wrapping her arms around her only daughter. "I know that one day the world will be just like that again. It might take a long time, but nothing lasts forever. You just need to have faith and keep your head up, but you also have to be careful. No matter what happens, don't give up. Don't lose hope…don't let them win. Don't ever let that happen."

Charisma looked up at her mother. "I won't, Mom."

Charisma nodded silently at the ghost of her mother that lived within her mind. She had grown much stronger in the last three years, in more ways than one. She was no longer afraid of flying and could zip through the skies like a seasoned pro. Her ki blasts were better controlled and stronger. Her skills in physical combat had also improved, as well as her resistance and her strength.

'Will I…be strong enough to make a difference? Will my training be enough?'

Charisma looked up at the vast sky. She could see figures in the distance flying towards where she stood with the others. 'This will be my test…'

"It's them," said Yamcha, pointing toward the figures in the sky and then waving. "Hey, down here!"

Gohan and Krillin landed in front of them, soon followed by Goku and Piccolo. "You're late," Yamcha said. "What took you so long?"

"Oh, so it is you, Bulma," said Gohan. He and Krillin seemed surprised, based on the fact that she had a kid now.

"Girls," Goku said, coming up to them. "What in the world are you two doing here?"

"Don't worry about us," Bulma replied casually as she patted her baby's back. "We're not going to stay long. We're just going to watch and then go home."

Krillin stepped forward with a nervous chuckle. "I hope you don't think I'm nuts for asking but…what's with the baby?"

Gohan looked toward Yamcha with a smile. "Is he your son, Yamcha? I bet he is."

A storm cloud of despair cast over Yamcha instantly. He folded his arms and closed his eyes, slightly irritated by the suggestion. "He's not my kid…if you think that's a shock, just wait until she tells you who the real father is…"

Goku went over and began playing with the baby. "I'll bet it's Vegeta, isn't it, Trunks?"

Krillin and Gohan could barely keep their jaws closed. "Vegeta?!" they exclaimed in disbelief.

"How did you know that, Goku?" asked Bulma in shock. "I was going to surprise you guys."

"We're…definitely surprised…" Krillin said.

Goku began to sweat profusely. "Actually I thought I'd just take a guess!" he chuckled nervously. "I mean he kind of looks like Vegeta!"

"You guessed his name, too…" said Bulma.

"Yeah! What are the chances of that, huh?! Maybe I'm psychic!"

"It's outrageous!" muttered Krillin. "Who would've guessed…those two…"

"Well, since we're on the subject," grumbled Piccolo as if exasperated with the conversation. "Where is Vegeta, anyway?"

"I don't have a clue," announced Bulma. "I really haven't seen him around lately. I know he was training to come here, but with the baby and all, I guess I must have lost track of him."

"He'll show up," Goku said confidently. "He wouldn't miss a fight. But it's getting late now. Those Androids are going to show up in about a half hour. You girls better get out of here before it's too late."

"Don't worry," Bulma said. "I just want to see what these things look like and then I'll leave."

...

Several minutes passed by and Charisma watched from her seat on the grass as Krillin and Gohan took turns playing with baby Trunks.

"Someone is coming…" Piccolo said, abruptly hushing the sounds of laughter.

"Do you think it's them?" Gohan asked.

The group watched a small aircraft come into view and landed on the cliff right in front of them.

"It's Yajiorbe," said Krillin. A round bellied man jumped out of the aircraft and walked over to Goku. He didn't even bother to greet anyone as he did so.

"Hey, Yajirobe," Goku said brightly. "Are you here to help us fight the Androids?"

"Yeah right," he deadpanned. "Korin just asked me to bring these senzu beans to you…" He pulled a small sack from behind his back and handed it to Goku before quickly hopping back into the plane.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay and fight?" Goku asked.

"No way," Yajirobe responded. "You're all welcome to stay here and die if you want, but I'm leaving before those monsters show up." With that, he took off back into the sky.

Charisma took a deep breath, her eyes glazing over. She was now starting to realize what this situation all meant.

'Back then, that boy came back from the future to warn them about the Androids,' she thought. 'I wonder if he'll ever come back…The day he spoke of…the monsters I knew of are here. If only I'd considered that this would happen here…I would've been the one to warn everyone…if only I knew…'

Charisma's fist tightened against the grass. 'But…what difference can I even hope to make? The future is inevitable, isn't it?'

Bulma turned her head to look at Charisma and noticed the angst on her face. "…Charisma…?"

Before another word could be spoken, a large explosion startled everyone, jolting Charisma out of her thoughts. She gasped and looked at Bulma. "What the hell was that?" She got onto her feet and ran to the ledge of the cliff.

The sudden blast in the sky stunned everyone and they looked up to see a cloud of fiery smoke among the clouds.

"It's Yajirobe!" exclaimed Krillin.

From the distance, Yajirobe's plane fell out of the sky like a comet and crashed into the bay behind the city.

Piccolo growled and suddenly became alert. "I can see the Androids! Up in the sky!"

Two figures in the distance appeared floating within the smoke in the sky. Instantly, they disappeared into the city below. Charisma struggled to distinguish them but didn't catch them in time. She fell to her knees trembling and took a deep breath in an attempt to calm her nerves.

"Where'd they go?" asked Yamcha.

"I'm not sure," Goku answered. "I can't even sense their power levels."

"...we won't be able to," Charisma said as she regained her composure and stood on her feet again. She drew the attention of the fighters. "They're Androids. Their source of power isn't the same as that of living beings like us. There's no way to track them like that…"

Yamcha turned to Goku with wide eyes of fear. "That's crazy! How are we supposed to find them if we can't even sense them?!"

"Well, if we can't sense their power levels, then we'll just have to find them the old fashion way," suggested Piccolo.

"Right!" agreed Goku. "Let's spread out, you guys." He turned around and tossed a bag of senzu beans to Bulma. "Take care of these!" He turned back to look at the city. "Remember, if you find the Androids, don't try, and take them on by yourselves. Let's get going quickly. Gohan, go check on Yajirobe."

"Right," he said.

Without another word, the guys all took off towards the city, while Gohan headed toward the plane crash.

Charisma turned to look at Bulma. "I'm going down there to help…"

"Are you sure?" Bulma asked, a little stunned.

Charisma nodded. "I just can't stand idly by…I have my own personal reasons for doing this."

"I believe in you, Charisma. Take care of yourself and come back soon."

With that, Charisma took flight into the sky and made her descent into the city.

...

Charisma landed in an empty alleyway between two tall buildings and stepped out into the main street. All kinds of regular people walked around her, completely oblivious to the danger that lurked among them.

'It's best if I try to blend in…' she thought. 'Stay sharp, Charisma! This is your chance to stop the Androids!'

Charisma began walking down the street in the bustling crowd. The smiling faces of the couples and other people that passed by seemed to blur in her mind. She began to feel her nerves get the best of her.

'When I see them...what will I do?' she wondered. 'Am I strong enough to fight them? The thought of seeing them after so many years is terrifying…"

Charisma walked down the street in a trance as her memories played before her. She remembered being just a young girl, barely 12 years old. Her hair hung in a messy ponytail and her clothes were in tatters. She remembered their eyes more than anything, their cold, lifeless eyes.

After living in the bunker for several years, Charisma's loneliness and cabin fever were unbearable. One day, someone in the bunker had stepped out to get supplies and left the door slightly open. Under normal circumstances, no one would be able to open the door without setting off an alarm that alerted the other residents. Seeing this rare opportunity to finally get some fresh air, Charisma snuck out of the bunker and ventured into the world.

She didn't plan on going far or being gone for long, but the taste of freedom was intoxicating. Next thing she knew, her feet, as if moving on their own, lead her to a small city not very far from the bunker.

It would prove to be a near fatal mistake. No sooner than the moment Charisma first set foot in the town, she was nearly knocked over by an explosion that toppled buildings over and filled the area with an intense heat as hot as the sun.

Charisma caught sight of the two Androids firing ki blasts carelessly into the town, destroying everything in their paths. Before she could even realize what was happening, she suddenly found herself mere feet away from them.

"Look 18," the black-haired Android told the other. "We've got a new friend to play with…"

Charisma stared up at them, unable to move and unable to run. Fear petrified her and she struggled to even step back slowly.

"What's wrong?" 18 sneered, landing slowly on the ground. She began to approach the girl intimidatingly, looking as amused as she was curious.

Charisma stepped back until she ended with a wall behind her. The wall was all that remained of a building that once stood tall, but now was nothing more than a thick slice of cement. Charisma began to hyperventilate as the Android drew nearer. The Android chuckled and grabbed the girl by her neck, lifting her high off the ground.

"What, you don't want to play?" she teased. "Fine, we'll just get this over with quickly..."

Charisma shut her eyes tightly, tears flowing out of them endlessly. Suddenly, all she heard was a loud bang and Charisma dropped to the floor harshly. Charisma coughed as she struggled to regain her breath. She looked up to see what just happened. In front of her there stood a young boy.

"Hurry, take her to safety!"

She turned her head to see a dark-haired man, heading toward the Androids. He had knocked 18 with a sudden kick, surprisingly sending her flying several feet across the air and into another load of rubble.

"But wait for me!" the boy protested, standing up. He wasn't able to reach his friend in time, for he had already taken off. He sighed and looked at the girl who was still coughing.

"Are you all right?" he asked her. She looked up at him and smiled.

"Yes, thanks to you…"

"Please, hurry home as fast as you can." He turned his back to look at the direction his friend had gone.

She stood on her feet and stared at him momentarily. Her eyes caught sight of the Capsule Corp logo written across the back of his t-shirt. Her eyes widened as she tried to study his features, but he didn't turn to look at her again.

Charisma reached out to him in an attempt to grab his hand but he slipped past her and flew off into the distance. She could only stare up at him as he disappeared into the sky.

Charisma was brought back to reality with the sound of an explosion that rocked the city. The people of this city, who just a mere second ago were going about their business as usual, were now screaming and scurrying all around her.

"What the hell?!" Charisma demanded. She turned around and felt her stomach drop when she saw a large, dark pillar of smoke rising above the skyscrapers from several blocks away. "That's got to be them!"

Charisma immediately took to the skies to investigate. The smoke stung her eyes a bit as she got closer to it. Hovering over the city below, she looked down to see the source of the smoke. Fire raged on the ground behind two weird looking people: an old man and another very round, pale man.

"Who are they?" she asked. She studied the strange men and the destruction around them. Burning cars and debris surrounded them but they didn't even seem to even care. At last, Charisma's eyes zeroed in a familiar orange gi, and she realized the old man was holding someone high above the ground by their face. "...Yamcha?"

Before she could process what was going on, the old man lifted his hand and suddenly impaled Yamcha right through the middle of his chest, sending drops of fresh blood trickling to the floor. Charisma stifled a horrified scream with both hands over her mouth. The old man pulled his hand back from Yamcha's body, as Yamcha's arms fell limply to his side.

"LET HIM GO!" Charisma's angry, trembling voice loudly echoed throughout the city, catching the attention of the others who were just now starting to feel Yamcha's energy fading away.

Unfortunately, her scream also caught the attention of the monsters on the ground. Immediately, both looked up to see the young woman floating above them. Charisma locked eyes with the pale white man, and she was left petrified.

'...it's the same eyes…' she trembled in disbelief. '...I don't understand…'

"I do not have any data on this human, Android 20," the man's robotic voice announced.

'Android?!' Charisma eyes bulged from her head in disbelief. 'These are the Androids? What-?'

"No matter, Android 19," Android 20 said, tossing Yamcha's limp body to the ground. "We can take care of her easily…"

Android 20 lifted his arm towards Charisma, forming a ki blast in his palm.

Charisma's body trembled. 'Why can't I move?!'

Much to her surprise and relief, Android 20 inexplicably stopped his blast. His eyes blinked red momentarily, as did Android 19's. "Someone is approaching…" Android 19 announced. Sure enough, Tien landed several feet away from the Androids.

His face filled with horror when he noticed the severely injured Yamcha laying on the ground in front of the Androids. A few seconds later, Goku, Krillin, and Piccolo landed around Tien.

"Oh no, Yamcha!" Goku grumbled angrily with disgust.

Charisma felt woozy, realizing that she had barely even taken a breath. Cautiously, she made her way over to the others and landed beside them as well. She breathed a small sigh of relief at feeling at least a bit safer with the group of men.

"Listen, Krillin," Goku said sternly. "There's still time to save Yamcha, but you have to hurry! Take him back to Bulma! NOW!"

Krillin was also petrified with fear but nodded. He carefully made his way over to Yamcha, keeping a close eye on the Androids.

"I'm counting on you," Goku said.

"Right," Krillin responded, picking up Yamcha's body.

"You should go now, too, Charisma," Goku commanded sternly. "It's too dangerous here."

Charisma startled at the sound of his voice. She'd never heard Goku's usual happy and chipper voice seething with anger like this. She knew it wasn't a matter that was up for debate. She wouldn't let herself get in the way, and she knew she wasn't strong enough to fight. Swallowing the massive amount of disappointment in herself, Charisma nodded.

"...R-Right...please be careful…"

With that, she joined Krillin and they took off back towards Bulma. The figures became smaller and smaller behind her until they were out of sight. With a heart full of regret and sadness, Charisma left her friends and the Androids behind.