(The Following Day After The Events Of The Previous Chapter, Planet Earth. . .)

One long day had passed after Kuzuku's final spar against the Saiyan prince. He'll admit, things had been becoming quite hectic as of late. First, he spars against Piccolo. Then he was far from an eventful and unlucky day at school. Then lastly, he gets beaten to the point of exhaustion for five days straight and nearly dies in the process. If all things check off then he'd say it could have been worse and things should be smooth sailing from here on out. The bright side is, he skipped three days of school and unlocked a new form. Downside? Well, he might have made a new enemy he didn't want. . .

"You and I have to talk. . .Don't think skipping school will save you from me."-Ace

It was now morning with said Saiyan already rising from his bed and now staring at his phone with a blank expression on his face. He sucked at keeping promises. That much he knew. He could skip but Bulma would likely know and send Vegeta after him. After dealing with her hound for five days straight, he honestly didn't want to go for another round with that beast. Shivering and rubbing his thighs as his injuries weren't fully healed, Kuzuku found the will to crawl out of bed and go get ready for school. He had woken up early thanks to his sleep schedule being in shambles so he had time to be a bit leisurely in his preparation.

Although, missing a few days of school wasn't much of an issue for him. Courtesy of having Bulma as a teacher, Chi Chi as a looming figure that demanded studying and Gohan who helped him out with things he didn't understand, he was sure that whatever was being taught wasn't anything he didn't know or would eventually come across later. Though, he still didn't consider him the smartest of the bunch. He simply knew enough to support himself when needed which was all the reason why he was going for that certificate to prove that.

Opening his closet, he pulled out a set of clothes and made his way to the bathroom for a relaxing shower to soothe his aching muscles. Once he was done, he exited the bathroom door with steam oozing out into the hallway, his current attire consisting of ripped jeans, orange and red shoes resembling that of converse as a star symbol was etched into the side, and a red checker pattern hoodie that was unbuttoned to reveal a white T-shirt underneath. He yawned a bit as made his way over to the door while picking up his bag before exiting his home and making sure it was locked. He looked to the sky before taking off in the direction of Satan City.

He had time to kill considering how early he had woken up but it was rare for him not to be in a slight hurry to be somewhere. Procrastination was his strong suit after all. Regardless, once he made it to the city, he took an opportunity to stop by and pick up a breakfast sandwich before taking a nice stroll to school. Honestly, despite everything that's happened, Kuzuku was feeling a lot better now. Taking a bite out of his sandwich, he couldn't help but attribute it to his recent training. For once, he felt quite awake. Beating Piccolo placed him at the starting line and unlocking Super Saiyan 2 acted as the starting gun. Now he felt like he was moving and nothing could stop him. He smirked to himself, "Today is going to be a good day. I can feel it!"

*BANG!*

"Or not. . ." Kuzuku deflated, a stray bullet passing by in front of him and hitting a light post. The young Saiyan sighed and turned toward the direction where the bullet came from. It was completely what he expected. Whenever guns are fired in a city, it'll never be for a mere target practice session or show. Just down the street of the four-way intersection were shattered glass, several police cars, and a store filled with terrified people begging to be saved. All the while a band of goons stood at the center of attention, their guns blasting away at the police cars with their superior weaponry. A robbery. That just had to be the thing to spoil his morning. But he didn't look to mind and only gobbled the rest of his sandwich as he stood by while fleeing civilians ran passed him, "Guess I'll have to be the one to do the clean-up. . .Not like Gohan has time to play superhero nowadays. . ."

As if this were a routine of some sort, Kuzuku had already spotted a disclosed location, his feet sprinting towards it and taking the chance to make sure no one was in sight. Swiftly, he stripped and began changing into a suit that he pulled out of a secret compartment of his bag. A long-sleeved, skin-tight suit with orange outlines along the chest and abdomen area. Tight, leather black gloves with metal around the knuckles went well with his skin-tight pants that went all the way down to his buckled shoes. But lastly, he fixed on his orange visor that hid his eyes and part of his face before finally wrapping his matching scarf around his neck. Now, he was ready to take care of business. With a single leap, he jumped from his hiding spot and rushed over to the scene.

"HAHAHAHA! Take that you law-enforcing bastards—wait, who's that!?" One goon shouted, his ecstasy in causing mayhem turning into utter confusion. From what he saw in the distance a scarfed figure heading straight towards him, his eyes widening as the gravity-defying man landed in front of him before kicking his gun out of hand. Stunned just enough, Kuzuku took the opportunity to turn the man around with a push before knocking him out with a quick chop to the back of the neck.

The goon's body hit the floor, thus altering the rest of his acquaintances at what happened. Now, their attention was all on the scarfed heroic man that dared to intrude on their parade. One of the goons, larger to the point that Kuzuku had to question if he was human, step forward. He could only assume he was the leader though he didn't care. He wanted to finish this quickly which was unfortunate for the robber leader who looked confident to take care of someone who wasn't even at his shoulders, "Now who the hell are you? A chump in a suit looking to die?" Kuzuku wasn't even remotely amused.

"Write that down. You'll need it when you find yourself in a jail cell and need to remember how you got there," Kuzuku retorted.

The robber's leader laughed at what he assumed to be a joke, "Alright, but make sure you write it down so they can have it written on your tombstone! Fire away, boys!" With a single gesture, all the leader's fellow companions aimed their guns right at the Saiyan. Kuzuku mentally shook his head. Things just never change and common sense gets thrown out the window with these types. In just a mere moment, the scarfed hero found himself in the middle of an onslaught of bullets from all directions, although he stood there without a care in the world. He could honestly wait for all of them to get even closer and he'd still have time to run over to a coffee shop, make the coffee, drink it and then proceed to get right back into the same position as he was before. But for the sake of simplicity, he did the logical thing: vanish from their sight and immediately gut-checking their leader with a light elbow that they couldn't even perceive.

The bullets, with no target in sight, collided and shatter in multiple directions which caused widespread panic among the group of robbers, some cursing at each other for firing when not needed. This only served to quicken their defeat. The moment their leader's body touched the hard, concrete pavement, Kuzuku rushed over and finger-tapped another goon and rendered him unconscious. Now seeing how inhumanely fast he was, the robbers stared at him in fear once his eyes locked onto them.

"One leader and one lackey down. I'd say. . .one . . .two. . .thirteen more to go," Kuzuku noted as he cracked his fingers, "Yup, this shouldn't take me long. In mere moments, you guys are going to be roommates in a cell."

Each one of the robbers felt a cold chill when he said it. It was practically like this sort of thing was a walk in the park for this scarfed hero. However, one of them still found the resolve to fight back, "Do-don't worry! We still have that! Now's the time to use it, boys!" Kuzuku sighed.

"Whatever you bring out isn't going to be of much use you know," He pointed out.

"Oh yeah. . .?" The robber snickered as one of the lackeys opened a large case before pulling out an RPG, fully loaded and ready for use "Then how about one of these bad boys!"

Kuzuku stood motionless in response to the weapon. Though not out of fear but what illegal market would be running through the city to allow someone to be able to purchase an explosive projective? After all these years, cops still failed to handle at least that? In any case, Kuzuku still responded as expected, repeating, "Whatever you bring out isn't going to be of much use you know. . ." Annoyed and with adrenaline at a high, the robber was determined to test that.

"Then let's see if you can back up that confidence! Hoooraaaaa!" the robber shouted while pulling the trigger.

The shell fired and rocketed itself toward Kuzuku with signs of it not reeling off course. The goon snickered, almost cackling as the young Saiyan stood there. However, his laughter would cease only but seconds later. Sighing, Kuzuku casually caught the missile in the palm of his hands, the explosives fuel that propelled it forward losing gas quickly. What was thought to be an unstoppable force to humankind had finally met an unmovable object, the scarfed hero's feet not even budging an inch from where he stood once the last of the fuel diminished. All of the criminals looked onward in complete shock as Kuzuku casually lifted the round into the sky before blowing it into smithereens. Ashes and smoke descended as Kuzuku tilted his head back to the shocked robbers and shrugged.

"You can't say I didn't warn you," Kuzuku said though he doubt they could hear him. Deciding that was enough fun for one day, Kuzuku quickly vanished past them and struck them in their pressure points. Bodies hit the pavement in succession until none were left and silence was all there was to be. But that silence was interrupted by cheers from a crowd that had gathered, thus leaving Kuzuku to bathe in the glory of the early morning sun. Unused to the attention, Kuzuku scratched his head sheepishly as one officer walked up to him out of respect, "Your help is much appreciated, . We'll take care of the rest.

Kuzuku nodded, "Sure thing and it was no problem. I just can't believe robbers are willing to be up at this time, though I can't be one to talk. . ." As the man chuckled, the officers began rounding up the villains one by one. Seeing as things were under, Kuzuku decided to prepare himself to return to his stuff until . . .

"Mom. . .! Mom please. . .!"

He paused in his step and turned toward the direction of the pleading cries that filled his ears. His eyes widened at the sight of a woman currently laid out in the middle of the store, blood seeping from her stomach. Instinctively, he ran over and kneeled to get a closer look, his eyes now locked onto the deep stab wound that had been inflicted upon her. However, what distracted him from taking action was a small tug at his suit. He looked up and his heart wrenched. Face-to-face, a boy just about the age of 10 or so, stared into his eyes with his desperate blue orbs.

"Mr. . .hero, please. . .can you. . .save her? My mom. . .she's hurt badly and I don't know what to do!" The boy asked, his words coming out in chokes as he couldn't hold back his tears.

Kuzuku froze, memories flooding back from a time he rather not return to. Under his visor was a darkening expression that couldn't suppress his shaky hands. This scenario. . .he's been here before. A time in his life that left him mortally wounded and lost. When—, "Tch!" Kuzuku mentally punched himself and focused on what needed to be done. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a Senzu Bean and began inserting it into the womans mouth before forcing her to chew. He wasn't no medic and he had no knowledge of any special Ki healing techniques. But who needs that when you got the number one cure for all severed limbs and large holes? Soon, her body naturally swallowed the chewed bean. Seeing this made him relax a bit before he stood up and turned away much to the boy's confusion.

Though, the boy's attention was shifted back to his mother moving, her eyes opening slowly as she tried to process her surroundings. Shocked at her miraculous and quick recovery, the boy looked to thank the scarf hero only to find. . .that he had disappeared without a trace.

[- - - -]

(Minutes Later In Satan City, Orange Star Highschool. . .)

*Tap* *Tap* *Tap*

Heavy footsteps echoed in the barely occupied hallway of the upper floors of Orange Star High. Though everyone seemed unaware of the reason for this as Kuzuku was quickly pacing his way to his classroom. His expression was irritated and his facial complexion a bit pale. The Saiyan's mind and body felt heavy, the reason being something he didn't want to admit to himself let alone anyone. The scene of the boy's mother dying right in front of him. He tried to ignore it but he couldn't help but overlap it with another one. He clenched his teeth, tempted to break something to vent his frustration but he knew where he was. Every time he thought about it, he couldn't help but become angry, and more often than not, it made it difficult for him to maintain his restraints.

Taking in a breath, he turned into his homeroom class and quickly noticed everyone else going about their daily gossip before class. One adding fuel to the fire of his current state of mind. . .

"Hey, you heard about the robbery this morning?" One male student brought up as Kuzuku began walking up the stairs.

In response, another male student who was huddled next to him answered, "Yeah, about how a gang of robbers who were stopped by that new superhero that's been coming around from time to time? Sunkaiser, right?"

"Yeah, apparently not only they stopped the robbers but also some reported that he had the ability to revive the dead! One of the injured women magically had all her wounds healed after Sunkaiser checked on her! Could you believe that!?" The other male exclaimed.

Laughing, the other student replied, "Come on, first he has super strength and speed but now he can heal others like he's some Saint? He might be the second coming of that Saiyaman guy my dad used to talk about! You know—. . ."

Kuzuku drowned out their conversation as he turned to make his way over to his desk. Saint? Hero? He scoffed at the idea. If only they knew. . .

"Kuzuku, don't mind them. . .be strong"

The vivid words of a female voice from the distant past echoed. His lips pressed together into a deep frown as he sat down albeit too aggressively. Thankfully, no one noticed, but he couldn't help but bury his head between his arms to hide his face. He breathed in and out, trying to calm his emotions that were waiting to resurface from their burial. Although, he could help but think back on it all. Ever since he came here to this Planet. . .he believed that he had certainly gained power. But sometimes, he wished that power came at an earlier time. He wished he was more capable during his childhood similar to how Gohan, Goku, and Vegeta described there's. Each of them were able to face their enemies head-on, their lives filled with their own shares of battles. Some more so than others. But for him. . .it was the exact opposite during those days. As one would describe theirs as bravery and admirable, Kuzuku would call his own as. . .

"Pathetic and weak. . .," Kuzuku thought to himself.

He raised his head, his eyes revealing a hidden depression that made them look lazy. In this room filled with those without worries or inner turmoil, jealousy was always his greatest adversary when coming to school. Every kid around his age, all of them seemed to live life without knowing how cruel this reality could be. That one moment, even if you didn't have much happiness, that happiness could be taken away, thrown to the ground, and trampled until it's no longer recognizable. And yet for some, once that happens, they don't even get the time to properly mourn. There will be no burial for that sort of loss. No, all that will happen is that it gets thrown away behind a door called a facade until it begins to rot and seep through.

That's why being labeled such things left a sour taste in his mouth. Those descriptions normally meant for those that are considered to be "Saints" in history books or "Heroes" in comics just never sat well with him. He was Saiyan, yes, but like everyone else, he had emotions and an understanding of realism. "Saints" and "Heroes" in his eyes are fictional characters designed to adhere to fantasy and romanticized. Their past motivations only being the wistful desire to save others out of impulse rather than having that desire sparked from experience itself. Even then, those that he knew to be the very ones to save everyone countless times. . .were the ones who didn't even have that desire to "save everyone" in the first place and only rose to the occasion to either seek a challenge and test their might or just to protect their love ones from harm. Selfishness was their drive and allowed them to grow to rise to those trials. He leaned back and looked above toward the ceiling of the classroom.

"Then was it too much to ask to even entertain such a whimsical fantasy of being a satisfying life back then? No. . .was it even about that, to begin with?" Kuzuku wondered to himself. Even he didn't know the answer and he surely won't find out now.

Snapping him out of his thoughts, a hand shook him gently on his shoulder, the action itself prompting him to jolt in response. He turned to the one responsible with eyes resembling a dear caught in headlights. Though, he slowly relaxed yet was still frozen as Ace stared back at him with a hint of concern. Sighing, his popular friend shook his head, commenting, "Well, I was going to grill you in for leaving me hanging but. . .perhaps you did have a good reason." His words went out one ear and out the other.

Kuzuku wasn't expecting anyone to walk up to him this early considering when he arrives at this hour, Ace wouldn't be here until the near start of close. Hence why he was trying to figure out how long he's been wallowing to himself in relation to how long Ace had been in his presence. Regardless, this was certainly embarrassing. The Saiyan sighed and turned to unpack his stuff now so he doesn't have to do it later though this action prompted Ace to press further.

"Kuzuku. . .you alright? You weren't at school for four days and on the first day back you look like someone had died?" Ace asked.

The Saiyan cringed at the word "died". As much as he liked the guy, he sure knew how to say the wrong words at the most inconvenient times. Though, judging by his reaction, Ace showed some form of self-awareness and retracted, "Oh. . ." Great, a misconception that wasn't too far from the truth. Just what he needed right now.

A bit irritated, Kuzuku was quickening his pace as his books were being organized in front of him. The mild aggression caused Ace to sit down in defeat as he began to take out his supplies as well, "Sorry, I didn't mean to bring up something that deep–"

"It's fine," Kuzuku interrupted, his lie sounding a bit convincing with his tone attempting to sound cheerful, "It wasn't anything of the sort. I just happened to eat something that I shouldn't have and now I'm paying the price, hehe."

Under normal circumstances, Ace would believe him. However, at this current moment, he knew something was off about Kuzuku. It was the eyes. Those eyes looked to be searching for something that they knew was already dead. The same eyes that he saw that one moment he happened to meet the Saiyan for the first time. A feeling he'd empathize with. He scratched his cheek and rubbed the back of his head before finally working up the courage to speak. If he didn't at least offer this, then he might as well be the same as the one he despised the most, "Kuzuku. . ." The Saiyan hummed back in response without batting an eye.

"If you need someone to talk to about it, then you can always come to me. It's what friends do," Ace assured.

Silence fell between them in this room of chatter, but, Kuzuku couldn't help but press his lips to contain his emotions before smirking it all away, "I told you, it's nothing." This time, Ace could even hear the hint of denial but he knew now wasn't the time. He simply laughed lightly as a white flag.

"Hehe, I know," Ace said, his eyes growing distant as he repeated once more in his head, "I know. . ."

[- - - -]

(Hours Later In Satan City, Orange Star High. . .)

After this morning, the school had progressed as normal and students were flooding out of the entrance doors. Some more quickly than others though none as fast as Kuzuku. As an understanding friend, Ace had told him he "needed" to be somewhere else but still gave him the grilling he rightfully deserved. He couldn't say he didn't see it coming. Although recalling back to this morning, he couldn't help but think the phrase:"Needed to be somewhere else"translated to "I'm going to give you some space.". Kuzuku frowned a bit but he couldn't hold it against him. He knew he was just concerned for his mental health and was being a good friend in doing so. He just wished he wasn't so damn easy to read at times. Sighing, as he passed the gate and turned onto the street, he was about to take off before anyone could see. . .until something or rather someone had bumped right into him.

*CLANG!*

Hitting the pavement, a brown box of supplies spilled various old parts and technology across the sidewalk. Students walked by as Kuzuku silently cursed for being so careless, unaware of who or what he had bumped into. He just decided to apologize first, "Sorry, I didn't think about where I was going."

"No, it's no big deal. I wasn't paying much attention as well. . ." a feminine voice replied quietly.

Now realizing it, Kuzuku looked away from the scattered contents and to the person he had bumped into. From what he could tell, she looked to be a bit into either her late teens or early twenties. A college student perhaps. He couldn't really make that assumption though she wore a lab coat over what looked to be a sleeveless red and blue pattern sweater, and long black leggings over matching shoes that resembled the pattern of her sweater. Her azure blue eyes mirrored that of the sky and her auburn hair was albeit messy but also curving in multiple directions. Judging by her figure, Kuzuku wondered just how or why someone like her could be carrying a box of such components. They must have been heavy and tiring considering how fatigued she looked.

Though despite this, she knelt and began returning her scattered pieces to where they once belonged. Still believing it was his fault, Kuzuku too, knelt down and began helping much to her surprise. He looked up and tried to give a smile despite his mood earlier this morning.

"Here, let me help too," Kuzuku reassured as he placed what looked to be an old chip into the box, "Carrying this stuff in that crummy-looking box must of been hard. I'm willing to help if you'd like. I don't get anything going on."

The lab girl looked a little surprised but was quick to decline, "No, I can handle carrying my supplies myself. . ." Kuzuku stared blankly but nodded. What right did he have to deny someone from their own hard work?

"Alright, I'll leave it to you—?" Kuzuku said before the sound of a growling stomach interrupted him mid-sentence. At first, Kuzuku thought it was him but second that once he noticed the girl began to flush in front of him. It took him a minute to process before he couldn't help but laugh a bit much to her dismay which made him grin, "Hehe, maybe I should treat you to food first. Consider it as an apology so you may pick whatever you want."

The woman twitched at the request, her eyes shying away from his. Clueless as he was, Kuzuku continued to stare at her, asserting the lovely tactic known as peer pressure. But for other reasons, the girl seemed to be trying to get away out of fear unbeknownst to him. Though, after swallowing down whatever was holding her back, she conceded, her face flush from all the exertion she had to do in order to—, "A crepe' would be nice?" Kuzuku hummed.

"A crepe', huh? Have a sweet tooth I see," Kuzuku noted as he placed the last remaining part into the book. Without her consent, he picked it up with one arm much to her surprise, and offered her a hand, "Come on, I know a sweet stand nearby that I can get a deal there. You'll love it."

Reluctantly, she took his hand before she found herself being pulled along the crowd of people by the young Saiyan. A gesture that made her body crave and her instincts kick in. Yet, she continued to fight down her urges, her inner battles unknown to everyone. Taking his hand alone, she could tell this one was no ordinary human, or rather, was he even human at all. Whatever he may be, it didn't matter. She needed to hold on until they part ways, for his sake. . .

Luckily, it didn't take them long to reach the spot Kuzuku was talking about. It wasn't crowded which was perfect for her. The faster the better. With no further to do, Kuzuku let her hand go and turned to ask, "So, what are you thinking? Got any ideas what you like?" He smirked in expectation of her shying away again. For her eyes to grow timid and her voice to become silen—

"I want my crepe' double layered, filled with whip cream and caramel along with several strawberries. Make sure it's nice and soft yet crisp towards the center. But not just any crisp but a golden brown. Also—" the lab coat girl continued on and on from there.

As for Kuzuku, well, he just stood there with a blank smile on his face. Without a word, he took out a pad and pen before jotting everything down on a piece of paper. He was going to be here for a while considering he was already flipping over one page of his notepad. Once she was done, he went over to the stand and handed him the notepad filled with at least two pages' worth of notes. Understandably, the elderly man behind the stand looked at him with a raised eyebrow, the questioning gaze making him a bit nervous to ask. . ., "Also. . ., can I get one cup of water please?"

The man nodded and turned away to begin the order preparations albeit annoyed as he had to continue flipping back and forth between the notes. The sight almost made Kuzuku laugh before he turned away to return to the girl. Seeing how she was already sitting down at a bench placed in front, Kuzuku took the opportunity to sit down next to her as they waited for their order and rested the box in the middle to create some space.

Soon enough, silence took over and Kuzuku was trying to think of a way to start a conversation. Granted, this was a stranger after all, so he could just pull out his phone and stay quiet. But considering that he did offer her repayment and the fact that she was currently sitting next to him while staring into space, she must not have had the same luxury to distract herself. It'd just be rude in his own opinion. Looking down at the box, however, did spark some curiosity.

"So, what type of science project got you going through that junk?" Kuzuku ask as he pointed inside the box. The woman popped right out of her little bubble and turned her eyes to him as he asked further, "You know, judging by the lab coat and your appearance, I'd say you are college, right? Or am I wrong?"

The girl cupped her chin for a moment as if she needed to think about what she was going to say next. Technically, she is around that age overall, but the fact of the matter is that her mental state is slightly older and certainly is smarter than just your everyday university student, including those prodigies. Though, for the sake of refraining from revealing herself to a stranger, she answered vaguely.

"It's for a friend. . .I'm helping them out," she answered.

Kuzuku nodded before looking to the sky, "A friend, huh? Must be cooking up something really good to require all those parts." The Saiyan rubbed his head, his mind wandering back to earlier. Though, as if the woman could read his mind, she asked a rather coincidental question.

"What about you? Don't you have friends to spend time with rather than be here with me?" She asked.

A bit caught off guard, Kuzuku glanced at her for a moment before casting his head to the ground. The silence was brief as he replied surprisingly with honesty, "Well, I wouldn't say I have many. Most of the people I know are what I consider family. But they have their own lives. Other than that. . ." He paused for a moment.

"Other than what. . .?" She pressed on.

"Well, there is one friend from school who's been really good to me. We'd hang out pretty often but I feel like it's been a one-sided effort. . .," Kuzuku sighed and looked at his palm, "Just today when I wasn't in my element, I pushed away his offer for consulting. Even then, he didn't get mad or complain. He left me be,"

Kuzuku smirked as he turned to her, his mood brightening a bit after realizing how good he has it, "I guess I can count myself lucky to have someone willing to be patient. Unlike some other guy I know, hehe!" Oddly and unbeknownst to him, she resonated with that notation, her hand resting on her chest at how someone can be so open to someone they just met. Unlike her who was still hiding away in suffering. That's why she could admit one thing. . .

"I guess, that makes the both of us. . ." She mumbled.

Her voice didn't reach his ears but he nodded anyways before noticing the man from the stand holding up a crepe' and the water he requested. Kuzuku grinned and pointed it out, "Yeah, but hey! The food is ready. I'll head over and get it for ya!" Before she could say a word, the Saiyan jogged over to the stand and picked up his order.

He left a tip for the old man's efforts considering the specifics of the order and walked back over to the lab coat woman, his hand stretch out to hand her the crepe'. Reluctantly, she took it and just moments later, a crowd began to form around them. Now that his debt had been paid, Kuzuku took the chance to say his goodbyes.

"Well, I hope you enjoy the treat. I better get going now but it was nice meeting you," Kuzuku said, his body turning to leave but before doing so, he gave one last look and encouragement, "Oh, and I wish you and your friend success on your project. Chou!"

Wanting to get home before sunset, Kuzuku rushed off and left the woman behind to watch his figure disappear into the crowd. Her head tilted down to the crepe' in hand, the sight alone causing her mouth to water. However, at the same time, it also made her heart tinge and her breathing grow hasty. With shaky hands, she bit into her crepe' in hopes it'd suppress her urges even going as far as to savor the taste with slow chewing. One thing came to her mind as she reflected on the experience and drew a comparison with it to the food in hand. . .

"Sweet. . ."

[- - - -]

(Hours Later, Somewhere Located In A Underground Bunker On Planet Earth's Mountainside. . .)

Mountains are a good place to hide and an even better place to make a secret facility that you didn't want anyone to know. One scientist who worked for the most notorious organizations in history was a prime example of this. But as of this moment, instead of an entire facility that houses dangerous technology aimed to kill a single man, this one served mostly to contain to protect everyone else. A bunker etched into the side of a mountain disguised as a cave and inside contrasted from what one may initially expect.

The walls were nicely covered in smooth sheet-rock painted white, the lights dim with scattered papers, flasks, and tools across a series of tables. There were only two doors, one being a large circular door made of material that most modern scientists would dream of coming across to study while the other door led deep into the facility that has yet to be explored. As expected though for a secret bunker, its population size warranted its silence. A population size of one.

Sitting on the table, a large "humanoid" male with a red, spiky mohawk, eyes closed and dawned in green and back armor over a black, skin-tight suit. Though, through closer inspection, one could tell this one wasn't human. The missing arm that revealed robotic parts and wiring was a dead giveaway. Whatever it was, it didn't seem to respond until the sound of the main entrance opening and closing. This was his cue to awaken from his sleep. Several footsteps echoed throughout the lab portion of the bunker, a woman whose legs wobbled as she tripped over her own feet.

Thankfully, the large android was quick to catch her while preventing the box she carried from spilling on the floor. Strangely though, for a machine, he looked at her with concern as she was trying to catch her breath, crumps of what was previously eaten earlier still remaining on her face as she shifted back and forth from exhaustion to a crazed smirk, her eyes flickering from blue to red. She was running out of time. . .

"Android 21. . .are you—" The large android was cut off by a sudden push from her.

She looked up, face drenched in sweat before reassuring him, "I'm fine, 16. . .I can hold out just a bit longer. . ." The scientist designated as Android 21 began walking to her table and placed rested the box on the side.

"We don't have a lot of time till Project: Festival is launched by the Supercomputer: L.R. Until then, the least I can do is finish rebuilding you. . .," 21 said as she pulled the parts from the box, her eyes narrowing, "You're the only thing keeping me sane right now. I'll need you to keep me in check so no harm can come to anyone once it launches, got it?"

Hearing how adamant she was, 16 nodded but he knew full well that. . .even he may not be enough.

A/N: Chapter Finished! Admittedly, I did have a bit of a small block when trying to improve this chapter. Certainly, because the old one didn't really offer much to build on so I had to think a bit more about how to proceed. That said, I ended up adding a bit more depth and foreshadowing to what many of you may already know: the backstory as well as adding more character insight. Other than that, the first encounter with 21 is here and changed as well. Thought I'd give them a proper first meeting as well. Other than that, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Until we meet again ^_^!