-Eighteen, the next day-

The grass cried out with a soft crunch as Eighteen landed in front of the Briefs' estate. She took the short few steps up to the front door, her eyes–turned brown with the aid of contacts–regarded the sky behind large, black-framed spectacles. The sun was centered amidst a sea of blue and sailing white clouds, the hour of the day almost 3:00, according to her internal clock. At one time, Eighteen realized she would have made up some excuse to pay the Briefs' family home a visit. The android could see herself making up a lie that she was conducting reconnaissance, checking in to make sure that no one had any suspicions about her real identity. Now, Eighteen let that line of thought drift to the wayside. Eighteen wanted to check in and see how Trunks was doing. It was okay to care about Trunks, along with everyone else, she reminded herself.

Plus, I get to check in on my…boyfriend?

Eighteen gulped, remembering the kiss she'd shared with Gohan the other night. Did that mean that they were together now? They hadn't really had time to put a label to their relationship, although she was certain they were, at the very least, dating now. It was still surreal to her to consider him as anything but her sworn enemy, let alone her boyfriend. Then again, thinking of him as her boyfriend certainly felt much better.

How times change…

Her finger found the doorbell before she listened to a pleasant chime echo inside the home. The android waited a short time before hearing the pitter-patter of small feet come rushing up. The door cracked open.

Eighteen raised an eyebrow, surprised. "Peni?"

The child with only one golden pigtail narrowed her blue eyes. Eighteen noted that the door was still only open a sliver as Peni leered behind it. "Yeah? What do you want?" she asked as if it were an accusation.

"Um," Eighteen frowned, noticing that, while one of Peni's hands was on the doorknob, the other was gripping a thermos as if it were a weapon. "To check on my friends…?" She was not used to being interrogated by a child.

Peni blinked, the sharp look on her face melting away in an instant. "Oh, right. You're that one lady who was standing outside of Trunks' room the other night. Huh." The door swung open the rest of the way as Peni rushed back into the home. Eighteen noticed that the girl was no longer in her burnt attire, now sporting a cute pair of pink shorts and a baggy white T-shirt as she went. Erasa must have gone shopping at some point. "Remember to shut the door after you!" Peni called out as she disappeared around the bend in the hallway, running as if she were competing in a race.

Well, that was…odd.

Eighteen questioned where the little girl was off to in such a hurry. Better yet, why was Peni of all people answering the door? Shouldn't Bulma have answered it instead? It was her home after all.

Eighteen shook her head, dismissing the question. The blonde didn't know how much she liked taking orders from what she assumed was a twelve-year-old, but obeyed Peni's command all the same. The sandals Eighteen had chosen for today—a cute pair with tan straps that laced around her feet and wrapped around her ankles—slapped against the hard tile as she made her way through the Briefs' household, noting how quiet it was as she did.

Where is everyone?

She walked past the living room to find it devoid of life, before continuing down the hallway and discovering the kitchen, which was also empty. The blonde continued down the winding hallway and found herself outside of Trunks' hospital room, the door slightly ajar.

I should probably pay him a visit.

She knew Trunks would likely still be sleeping, but that didn't mean she didn't want to see how he was doing. If what Bulma had accidentally revealed about Saiyan biology was anything to go on, he might actually show some signs of recovery since the other night.

Slowly, Eighteen pushed the door open, a somber expression on her face, before a blur of movement caught her attention.

Sitting at Trunks' bedside, Peni whirled around, twisting the cap to her thermos free before preparing to thrust it forward as needed. There was a determined expression on the little girl's face, but when her eyes met Eighteen's, she relaxed.

"Oh, it's only you." Peni sighed with a mixture of annoyance and relief as she twisted the cap back on. Turning back to Trunks, she growled, "Seriously, can't you see I'm busy? Ringing the doorbell and now this." She shook her head, huffing.

Eighteen's head cocked to the side, her mouth falling open in shock at this little brat's attitude.

"You're busy?" Eighteen responded in a flat tone, crossing her arms.

"Yeah, obviously." Peni gestured towards Trunks.

Eighteen waited for the girl to continue, not seeing how sitting at the Trunks' bedside could be considered "busy", before realizing she wasn't going to get further explanation.

"What exactly are you doing, Peni?"

The little girl's brow furrowed, looking at Eighteen as if she'd just asked a stupid question. "Guarding Trunks. What else?" She raised the thermos as if that proved her point.

"Guarding Trunks? How are you—" Eighteen's voice died in her throat, her eyes widening slightly as she recalled the details of Erasa's story the other night.

The thermos…

"Do you have hot water in there?" She asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"Yup. It was boiling when I put it in." Peni answered, her attention now back to Trunks. Her eyes looked tired, resting on him with a gaze that appeared far older than her age would suggest. "I'd show you, but I've already unscrewed the cap once because of you, and when I do it gets cooler. I don't wanna refill it again too soon."

Now, the girl's earlier annoyance made a bit more sense.

She used hot water to save Trunks…

"Why are you guarding Trunks? Isn't Gohan here?"

"Yeah…" Her voice grew quiet, her eyes casting downward as she continued, "But, sometimes…seconds matter." Her sharp blue eyes flickered to Eighteen. "And sometimes…the grownups won't be fast enough. So, I'm here, just in case something happens…again."

Eighteen frowned. She knew she wasn't an expert when it came to kids, but judging by the quiver to Peni's voice, how the girl's hands shook as she spoke, and the fact that she felt she needed to be here to begin with, Eighteen knew Peni wasn't alright. The scene reminded Eighteen of when she had been a little girl, during those cold nights just after Seventeen and she had fled the orphanage. They'd been young—too young, Eighteen now knew. Being homeless on the streets as teens had led to nights when the other, older, adult homeless had thought they could take advantage of them due to their youth. They had thought she and her brother defenseless. She and Seventeen had made sure to correct that assumption, leaving many beaten and bloodied in their path to survive. Still, there had been nights after, when Eighteen had been left shaking, terrified from a particularly close call, or from how battered she and Seventeen had felt when a fight didn't go their way. Her mind would replay the events over and over, thinking about how close they'd been to losing it all.

She remembered wishing they had parents in those moments.

"Where's your mom?" How long had this poor child been alone, thinking about all of this?

"Upstairs, I think." Peni answered offhandedly, her voice returning to normal. "I think she and the Golden Warrior were looking for something up in the attic."

What the hell?

Eighteen felt a flash of anger overwhelm her. Why was Erasa with Gohan when she so obviously needed to be with Peni right now? This little girl had just faced down a monster who'd sent shivers down her own spine the first time she'd encountered him, and that was before whatever transformation he'd undergone to become the nightmare Erasa had described. It was clear as day to Eighteen that Peni was going through some trauma, and now she was alone to deal with it all? At least back during her time on the street, she'd had her brother to comfort her, and she him.

Eighteen turned to storm off, determined to find Erasa, but as she reached the door, she paused. Peering over her shoulder, she studied Peni, and the distant look in the girl's eyes as she stared at Trunks. It was as if the girl was looking through Trunks while her mind saw something else.

Reliving that night…

Eighteen sighed, looking down. That look was one she recognized. It was the same look she'd seen on so many of her victims after they'd gone through too much for them to handle anymore. Eighteen winced as she recalled their faces, and suddenly she couldn't leave Peni, not like this.

Maybe…she could be there for Peni like Seventeen had been there for her.

Slowly, the android approached the bed until she was standing beside Peni, staring down at Trunks. Much to her surprise, he did look slightly better than when she saw him last. She supposed that was just because the bandages around his eye and torso had been changed since then, so there was less blood to see. Regardless, any improvement was still improvement. At least it didn't look like Trunks was going to pass away in the middle of the night anymore. That much made Eighteen breathe a sigh of relief.

What do I even say?

Talking to children wasn't exactly something Eighteen had a lot of experience in.

"So, um…" she began awkwardly, "How is he?"

Internally, Eighteen cursed at herself. She wasn't talking to a doctor who would be able to bring up the medical files of a patient, she was talking to a little girl, for Kami's sake!

"Good!" Peni responded brightly. "I saw him move a little earlier. For a second, I thought he was gonna wake up, and got excited. Guess it was just a dream or something, though." She shrugged.

Huh. Guess that question worked.

Feeling more confident talking to the child than before, Eighteen added, "What do you think he was dreaming about?" It felt like something that a child's mind could take and run with.

"Hmmm…" Peni adopted a thoughtful look, much to Eighteen's surprise. She'd expected the child to start rambling about some nonsensical scene about unicorns or butterflies, or whatever little girls were into nowadays. "Probably about how he became the next Golden Warrior."

Eighteen's eyebrows shot up. Definitely not the response she'd been expecting.

"The next Golden Warrior, huh?" Eighteen smirked. "I heard you were there when it happened."

A proud smile spread across Peni's lips. "I wasn't just there. I'm the reason he became the Golden Warrior."

Eighteen pursed her lips. "Oh, really?"

"Yeah! It was awesome!" Peni began, excitedly, before hopping to her feet and continuing, waving her arms about dramatically. "It was like—we were being chased down by that monster thing, and then Trunks spun around and stopped it, and it was like ba-blam when he threw his hands up and started casting magic, and then the bad magic stopped, but it was getting closerer, and…" She trailed off, looking down with a troubled expression. "I was…really scared…" Her face brightened. "But then I got behind Trunks and started pushing! And then, because I did, he caught on fire and was all gold, like the Golden Warrior!" Her eyes twinkled as she recalled the memory, her smile so full of life that Eighteen couldn't help but smile back. "It was so cool! He let out this super cool shout, and then his magic just went phoooosh, and the monster was sent flying!" She shoved out her hands, replicating how she must have remembered Trunks looking in that moment. "It was so cool! Trunks is so cool!"

A light laugh escaped Eighteen's lips.

I'm starting to see why she doesn't want to leave Trunks' side…

"Sounds like you're a big fan of Trunks, huh?"

Peni blinked, her face flushing as she stammered, "Ah, well, I-y-you know. He's the next Golden Warrior. Who wouldn't think he's cool?" She plopped down, looking away with an embarrassed pout.

Yuuuuup, and that just confirmed it.

It appeared to Eighteen that Trunks hadn't just acquired his first fan, but rather his first fangirl.

Eighteen struggled to contain her laughter.

Grinning, she placed a gentle hand on Peni's shoulder. "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me."

"W-what? What secret? I don't have a secret!" Peni babbled, her eyes wide with alarm as her head spun like a swivel to make sure no one was listening by the door.

This time, Eighteen couldn't help it. She let her head fall back to let out a delighted cackle.

Frustrated and flustered, Peni shot from her seat before finding herself behind Eighteen and pushing the android away from Trunks' bedside. "Okay! It's time for you to go! You're being too loud!"

Feeling too amused to resist, Eighteen let the tiny girl's arms move her toward the exit. Rather than point out that Peni was, in fact, also shouting, she delighted in adding, "What, you aren't trying to make me transform, too?"

Peni groaned, her face reddening even more as Eighteen looked over her shoulder. "Ugh! Just go! You're so annoying!"

Eighteen released another laugh as she was finally shoved out of the room, the door slamming shut behind her.

Eighteen's laughter quickly died as she regarded the door. Hopefully, that had been enough levity to brighten Peni's melancholy mood for a while. Eighteen remembered Seventeen teasing her when she was in a bad mood, and discovering it always helped to pull her out from those thoughts, even if he was often as annoying as sin to accomplish it. Hopefully, Peni would respond similarly. Turning back to the bending hallway, she released a furious sigh.

Time to find Erasa.

I didn't even know they had an attic.

Eighteen thought to herself as she slowly began to climb the poorly maintained wooden ladder. Each step made the seemingly ancient wood creak painfully as she rose up toward the square hole in the ceiling. Finding the attic hadn't been a concern once she knew that's where Gohan was, his ki signature serving as the perfect beacon to follow. His energy signature was so familiar now, Eighteen felt like she could trace it in her sleep if she had to.

What had been a concern to the android was a realization she'd had during her walk. Eighteen had been going over her memory banks, thinking about the woman who was leaving her daughter alone when she'd recalled that she actually had seen Erasa before, once.

The woman at the club!

Erasa had been so disheveled the last time Eighteen had seen her that connecting her to the attractive blonde in the tight black dress had been nearly impossible. Nearly. Once Eighteen remembered the woman who'd been flirting with Gohan back on the dance floor, her pace had quickened considerably.

Climbing the final step of the wooden ladder, Eighteen found herself inside a dusty attic with aged wooden walls and almost no light. The only light that did manage to cut through the otherwise dark space were the beams of sunlight passing through the circular panel window at the back of the room, illuminating boxes upon boxes of what Eighteen assumed was Bulma's old belongings.

And there, standing side-by-side at the center of a mess of of opened and rifled-through boxes, was Erasa, with both hands resting on Gohan's arm.

-Gohan, ten minutes earlier-

It's gotta be here somewhere…

His hand deftly thumbed through the stack old files and framed photos filling the dusty box, searching for the evidence he needed to continue.

"Hey, what's this thing?" he heard Erasa's soft voice call over to him.

Looking up, he saw the woman rising to her feet, holding out a dark blue piece of clothing with sleeves to fit arms and legs.

Gohan blinked, his mind slowly remembering where he'd seen it before. It took him several seconds before a signature widow's peak flashed through his mind.

"It's, um, something an old…friend used to wear." The word 'friend' had come out more strained than he would have liked.

Erasa hitched an eyebrow. "Really? Looks like a leotard, or something." She pulled at the fabric, watching it stretch like an elastic, before pursing her lips. "Were they a chick?"

Gohan snorted. He could only imagine what the owner of that leotard would say if he were here. "No, he wasn't. It belonged to someone who used to fight with me a long time ago." And against me, sometimes. His lips pulled into a frown. "He's gone, now."

Erasa's adopted a somber look. "Oh…" Her head tilted to the side. "How come Bulma has it?"

"He was…special to Bulma. Pretty hard to get along with, though. I'm surprised she kept any of his stuff." He walked over, gently feeling the smooth fabric between his fingers, before meeting Erasa's gaze. "Best to put it back. It's probably something Bulma doesn't want damaged."

Erasa nodded, gently taking the full-body suit and folding it neatly, before returning it to the box she'd found it in. Gohan returned to the box he'd been sorting through and began again, starting at the beginning, as he'd lost his place. A part of Gohan felt bad, digging around through Bulma's attic like this. He'd wanted to ask permission first, but when he'd gone to Bulma's room, she'd been sound asleep, and he hadn't wanted to wake the woman. She definitely needed the rest, considering how little she usually got, on top of the stress of what had happened to Trunks. It seemed to Gohan that all the restless nights had finally caught up with the woman.

Besides, doesn't the saying go: better to ask for forgiveness than for permission?

Gohan sighed. He still didn't like that he hadn't asked first. He decided that he would have to apologize to Bulma when she woke up, and do something nice for her to make up for it.

He'd waited all night and the better half of the morning for her to wake up, all the while itching to come to the attic and get the confirmation he wanted before he proceeded. After a while, Gohan had tried to let it go, but the thought had just kept gnawing at him until he'd been practically forced to come up and find it. He'd been surprised to have Erasa offer to join him, but two sets of eyes were definitely better than one.

The demi-saiyan released a soft growl of annoyance as he tossed the final file back, with nothing to show for it. With a discouraged look, he shoved the box to the side with the rest of the boxes he'd already looked through.

His eyes glazed over as he peered across the rest of the attic. Despite having already spent the better part of two hours up here, it still felt like they had barely made a dent in the seemingly endless stacks of old memories surrounding them.

"Jeez, how could one woman have so much stuff?" Erasa complained, smacking her lips as she shoved another searched box away, before pulling a fresh one toward her.

You said it.

Gohan shrugged. "Well, she is a scientist who invented a lot of stuff. I'm guessing having an attic full of belongings probably comes with the territory."

Erasa pouted as she opened her fresh box with a now practiced motion, and began thumbing through its contents.

As he continued his search, his mind began to question if all of this was pointless. Was he just remembering things wrong? Was it possible the person they were searching for never actually existed to begin—

"Oh…Oh!" Erasa exclaimed, rising to her feet excitedly as she produced a large, rectangular shape from the box.

Gohan's eyes immediately snapped to her, watching as the blonde came rushing over. He met her halfway, equally excited for their hunt to finally be over.

She wrapped her fingers around each edge of what appeared to be a scrapbook, of all things, before opening it, revealing rows and rows of old pictures.

Gohan smiled brightly as he gingerly took the book from her, letting its spine balance on his palm. He stared down at its contents, seeing neatly placed pictures of Bulma posing with dozens of different people. Some of the people, he didn't know—he presumed they were fellow scientists she'd worked with in the past by their lab coats—but others, he did recognize.

My old friends!

"Yes! This is it! If she's real, I'm sure she's here!"

Erasa beamed beside him, before placing both hands on his forearm and hopping up and down excitedly. "Yes! We did it, we did it!"

"Ahem."

Gohan's attention snapped upward, his eyes darting toward the small hole they'd climbed up through. His eyes widened as he found Videl there, her head peeking out through the entrance. Her brown eyes were casting a piercing glare in their direction.

Why is she looking at me like that?

"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" She practically growled, voice paradoxically steady.

Gohan blinked, before glancing down to Erasa, who was also looking at Videl. Her hands were still resting on his forearm.

Oh.

Immediately, Gohan pulled away from her, clearing his throat awkwardly. Erasa turned to him, appearing confused, before glancing back and forth between them and seemingly making the connection. She took a step away.

"No, we were just looking for a photo album." Erasa gestured to the book in Gohan's hand. "That's all."

Videl's gaze shifted between the two suspiciously. After a moment, her focus settled on Erasa. "You know…Erasa." She said the name coldly. "I just stopped in to pay Trunks a visit, and found Peni sitting there, alone." As she spoke, she climbed up the remaining steps until she was standing with her arms crossed. "You think she might need some attention from her mom? You know, like, how a child might after a super traumatic experience?"

Erasa's eyes widened, and her expression darkened. Her chin lowered, lips frowning as she considered Videl's words. "...Yeah, I-I guess you're right…"

Gohan frowned, too. He hadn't even thought about that. Then again, he'd been through so many life-threatening battles during his childhood that somehow, he hadn't even thought about how it might affect a normal girl only days after. Being at death's door had been so normalized to him that he hadn't even seen how it might affect another.

A mixture of guilt and frustration washed through the demi-saiyan. Guilt that he'd been taking up Erasa's time as a mother, and frustration that he'd been so consumed by his search that he hadn't seen it sooner.

Turning to Erasa, he tried to smile, suddenly realizing where Videl's anger was probably coming from. Videl wasn't cut from the same cloth as he was, and hadn't grown up with deadly battles around every corner. Gohan was glad she was here to knock some sense into them.

"Yeah, maybe it'd be better to check up on Peni. See how she's doing."

Judging by the guilty look on Erasa's face, Gohan determined that she had arrived at the same conclusion.

"Yeah…you're right." Quietly, Erasa made her way to the ladder, passing Videl with her head still lowered. Gohan watched Videl as the woman passed, noticing her expression soften as Erasa left.

Gohan slowly walked over until he was standing beside Videl, the photo-album still in his hand. Videl's eyes lingered on the ladder, a faint frown resting on her lips, with her arms folded beneath her chest.

"You're a good person."

Videl's head whipped around, her eyes wide with shock as her mouth gaped. "I'm sorry, what did you just say?"

Gohan chuckled. "It was sweet of you to think about Peni like that. I was so caught up looking for, well, this—" He raised the scrapbook. "—that I didn't even stop to consider her. I'm glad you were here to remind us."

Eighteen's eyebrows furrowed, before she looked away with an annoyed expression. "I shouldn't have had to. Aren't parents supposed to know that stuff automatically, or something?"

Gohan paused, considering his loving-but-thoughtless father and loving-but-overbearing mother. Outside of a handful of occasions, battles like the one Peni experienced would hardly have been mentioned afterward, outside of Chi-Chi's disapproval of his involvement, and his father's enthusiasm for fighting someone strong."Sometimes…although, you'd be surprised."

Eighteen blinked, seeming staggered by the revelation. "Huh."

Gohan smiled warmly at Videl, who was still peering down the ladder with a considering look. "You must have had some pretty good parents to teach you about that," he said.

Videl's expression hardened, her head lowering. "...Actually, no. I never had parents."

Gohan's brows rose.

Oh.

The look in Videl's deep, dark brown eyes filled with sadness as she continued. "Me and my brother grew up in an orphanage until we were eventually old enough to head out on our own." Her arms tightened around herself, clearly uncomfortable with revealing this fact.

Careful not to drop the book, he slowly wrapped his arm around Videl's shoulders. "That must have been hard."

She nodded, leaning into him. "It was."

The two remained like that for a short time. Videl's eyes glossed over the book in his hand, still held open by his thumb.

Videl cocked an eyebrow. "What is that exactly? A…photo album? You two were up here looking for that thing?"

Gohan nodded, detecting that she wanted to change the topic. "Yup. It's a scrapbook filled with all my old friends. Want to look at it with me?"

Videl's head tilted to the side. "Sure…? But, why were you two looking for this? You wanted to reminisce over old memories, or something?"

Gohan shrugged. "Not exactly. C'mon, let's go downstairs. It'd probably be a lot more comfortable sitting down there than trying to find a spot on the dusty floor up here."

The pair eventually made their way to the living room, finding a soft spot on the couch to sit, before opening the scrapbook between their laps.

Gohan gulped, feeling Videl's soft thigh pressing against his.

Feeling nervous, Gohan slowly opened his lips to ask a question that had been on his mind ever since their kiss the night before. "So…are we, like…dating, now?" Was that something that people asked? Gohan felt like his lack of relationship knowledge was showing its head.

Videl paused before answering. "Well, your mom already thinks I'm your girlfriend." She extended a finger. "And you already asked me out." She extended another. "And I sorta already kissed you." A third finger rose as she smirked, although he noted a nervous tremble to her voice as she continued. "I feel like, at this point, most people would consider us dating…unless you're having second thoughts…"

"No, no!" he responded quickly. He'd never had a girlfriend before. He most certainly didn't want to mess it up now. "I'm super happy with us dating!"

Videl smiled, the tension in her shoulders easing. "Good."

The pair grew quiet for a time before an idea came to Gohan. Summoning his courage, he yawned, stretching out his arm before doing his best to casually wrap it around Videl's shoulders.

Videl snorted. "Did you just do the old "yawn and wrap your arm around the girl" trick?"

Judging by the playful smile pulling from what he considered perfect lips, Gohan guessed she didn't mind. He grinned. "I saw it in a movie, once."

Videl rolled her eyes, still smirking. "That's so cliche."

"That sounds like a complaint. If you want me to, I can take my arm back." He teased back, slowly shifting as if to move away.

"Hey, hey," She scolded playfully, pulling him back. "Who said I was complaining?" Much to his delight, Videl nestled into the crook of his shoulder, her head resting comfortably against his cheek. "Though, I think you just volunteered me for page-turning duty."

"Do you mind?"

"Not one bit."

Videl's hand reached out and turned the first page.

-Erasa-

I'm probably tied for worst mother in the world with the mom who keeps their child locked in a cage in the basement, at this point.

She grimaced as her fingers wrapped around the doorknob leading into Trunk's recovery room. How had it taken Videl, of all people, to make her realize that she should have been with Peni during this time? She was the girl's mom, after all! She should have been able to figure that one out herself!

She sighed, shaking her head as her mind flashed back to Gohan. A part of her hadn't wanted to leave him. It hadn't been out of any romantic desire, of course. Once Gohan had told her he was seeing someone, she'd immediately respected his wishes to be loyal to who she'd just discovered was clearly Videl, if that interaction in the attic had been anything to go on.

Weird coincidence with the names. Never thought I'd meet another 'Videl' in my life. I'll have to bring that up later.

No, it was rather how she'd felt when she was around Gohan. Erasa's memory wouldn't let go of the terrifying beast that had been Cell. Her mind still regularly flashed to that moment—Cell looming over her, mere feet away, just before Trunks and Peni had knocked her out of her terrified stupor. Being around the man who she'd heard had near effortlessly dispatched such a monster had made her feel…safe.

So selfish!

That feeling of sanctuary had somehow overpowered her instincts as a mother. She supposed she was going through her own trauma, too. Regardless, Erasa knew where she needed to be right now, and that was with Peni.

She opened the door and stepped inside.

Peni whirled around, a determined expression on her face as she unscrewed the cap to Bulma's thermos in one swift movement. Her face softened when she saw it was Erasa.

"Oh." Her daughter began, "Hi, Mom." She turned back to Trunks.

Erasa slowly stepped further into the room until she was beside Peni, looking down at the unconscious form of Trunks. She tried a smile. "What are you up to?"

"Protecting Trunks." Peni answered flatly, blinking before looking up at Erasa sharply, "And no! Before you say it, too! It doesn't mean anything!"

Erasa's head retreated at the sudden outburst. "I never said it did." Her smile began to feel more genuine, a warm sensation building in her chest at being around her daughter again.

"Good." Peni nodded matter-of-factly. "Cuz it doesn't." Her cheeks puffed out in the stubborn fashion they always did when she didn't want to admit something. "I'm just protecting the second Golden Warrior. That's all."

Erasa nodded, her smile faltering for a moment. It appeared they'd both gravitated toward their own Golden Warrior. Like mother, like daughter, she supposed.

"You know you don't have to, right? Gohan is here, honey. Nothing is going to happen to Trunks with Gohan around." She paused for a moment. "You know, I checked out the TV. Bulma has, like, all the channels. We could go watch one of your favorite shows if you wanted to take a break. I know where Bulma's kitchen is, too. I could make you something nice and we could both relax." She would pay back Bulma later for whatever she raided from her pantry.

Peni shot her an incredulous look. "Are you kidding? Every second matters, Mom. Even with the other Golden Warrior here, if something happens, I need to make sure Gohan has enough time to get here!" Peni's face hardened as she continued under her breath, "Just in case…"

Erasa's cheerful demeanor fell. Sighing, she turned around and made her way back toward the door.

Peni's head turned as she heard the sound of chair legs scraping against the room's off-white tiles, before Erasa sat down next to her. "What are you doing?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, if you think Trunks needs extra protection, then some backup wouldn't hurt, right?" Erasa smiled at her daughter, reaching out and looping an arm around her daughter. "We'll do it together."

Peni opened her mouth, seemingly to protest, before closing it. A thoughtful look crossed her face as she quietly admitted, "I have had to pee for a little while now…"

Mirth at her daughter's stubbornness bubbled up into a loving smile. "Go pee. I'll handle things here until you get back. Here—" Slowly, she reached out and took the thermos from Peni. "I'll need this, right? Just in case?"

Peni paused, before nodding. "Alright, I guess that's okay…" Her daughter rose to leave, reaching the door before spinning around. "You know to go for the eyes, right? That's really important!"

"I know, I know." Erasa cut her off, still smiling warmly despite how she felt inside, hating that her daughter felt so scared about…it happening again. "Go use the bathroom. I'll be here when you get back.

Peni nodded once and disappeared down the hallway.

Erasa sighed once she was certain Peni was out of earshot. Turning back to examine Trunks, she arrived at a conclusion. No matter what, she wasn't going to leave Peni alone again. If this was what Peni needed to feel okay, then they would guard Trunks until the moment he woke back up—and even after, if that was what it took for Peni to feel normal again. Peni needed to feel that someone was there for her, and who better than her mom?

I'm not going anywhere this time, baby girl!

-Gohan-

This is going great!

They'd been going through the pages one by one, with Videl pointing and asking about the people posed in the pictures alongside his youthful self. He'd gotten to tell her about Master Roshi, his dad, Tien, Chiaotzu Yamcha, Krillin—a cutie, she'd told him, only to glare as he laughed—alongside the rest of his old buddies. All the while, Videl had settled more and more into his side, eventually curling her legs up beneath her and resting her head against his chest as they continued.

Often, they'd trail off in conversation as Videl pointed to someone new and Gohan would remember an old story from before the android's arrival. He'd forgotten just how goofy and zany they'd all used to be, but was reminded every time her beautiful features brightened and she treated him to the wonderful music of her sweet laugh. The sound was like magic to his ears. Gohan swore he could never get tired of it.

Of course, there were also times when Videl's expression soured, her brow furrowing as her eyes lingered on a picture for a particularly long time—usually when the image depicted him laughing or smiling with his dad or friends. Gohan began to question to himself if it might be hard for someone who grew up without a family to reflect on someone else's. He'd already offered multiple times for them to stop or do something different, only for Videl to shake her head and ask him to continue.

"Who's that?" Videl asked in a quiet tone, pointing to the tallest man in the picture; although, Gohan was willing to bet that what she'd actually been drawn to was the fact that he was also green.

Gohan smiled fondly, like he did every time he remembered his first mentor. "That's Piccolo. You remember when I told you about my old master, back when we were camping?"

He felt her nod against his chest.

"Well, that's him. Before you ask, yes, I know, he probably looks familiar."

She raised her head and looked at him quizzically. He couldn't help feeling like his shoulder was suddenly freezing. "What do you mean?"

"I mean…haven't you ever seen a picture of king Piccolo?"

She paused, before her mouth made an 'O' shape. "Ohhh, that's right! He does look like king Piccolo!" Her eyes narrowed suspiciously at the image. "Same name, too…your master wasn't actually king Piccolo, was he?"

Gohan made a teeter-totter motion with his hand. "Technically, no, not exactly. Although, they were related."

She raised an eyebrow at him in a demanding look that he almost enjoyed being pressured by. He laughed sheepishly. "Look, it's complicated. He wasn't a bad guy, I promise. A little rough around the edges, but he had a good heart. One of the best, really."

Videl's face darkened. "...Until the androids took him away."

Gohan sighed. "Yeah…that's how most of these stories end, unfortunately."

"I'm sorry."

Gohan laughed, trying to lighten the mood. "You don't have to apologize. It's not like it's your fault." She seemed to take it really hard that so many of his friends had eventually died. He supposed it was a pretty grim subject, but all of this had happened well over a decade ago. Even if a part of Gohan still hurt to see their happy faces across all these photos, he'd come to terms with their passing a long time ago.

Videl didn't respond for a long moment, quietly playing with the next page with her fingers with a pensive expression. Eventually, she sucked in a breath through her nose like she was coming out of a daydream, and turned the page. "...Right. I know. I just feel bad. For you, I mean."

He leaned his head down against hers fondly. "That's sweet of you."

"...Not really.." She muttered.

Before he got the chance to ask what she'd meant by that, a voice called out from the hallway.

"Hey, Gohan! Have you seen Videl around? She sent a text around 2:00 that she was coming over, and it's already 6:00. We're supposed to have a dinner date to—" Bulma rounded the corner, freezing when her eyes landed on the pair of them on the couch, Videl leaning against Gohan's side with his arm wrapped around her shoulders. "Oh." She remarked with a smirk, hands on her hips.

Gohan immediately felt warmth in his cheeks as he was assaulted by that familiar, teasing grin. As nonchalantly as he could, he raised his hand and waved. "Hi, Bulma."

He felt Videl shift away so that she was no longer resting against him. Gohan's eyes glanced at her and noticed a light blush of pink across her cheeks as well. Cuddle time was over, it seemed.

"I hope I wasn't interrupting anything." Bulma said in a mischievous way, sauntering toward the pair with eyebrows hitched.

"Gohan was showing me some pictures of your old friends." Videl answered, pointing a finger toward the scrapbook.

Bulma cocked her head as she peered down at the photo album. "Oh, yeah? Huh, where did you find that? I could have sworn I had left that…"

Gohan's eyes grew wide, and he blurted out. "I'm sorry!"

"What?"

"I dug around in your attic looking for it." He said rapidly. "I wanted to ask you first, but you were asleep and I couldn't wait. I'm really sorry, Bulma. I promise, if it wasn't important, I wouldn't have gone through your stuff like that."

Bulma raised her hands. "It's alright, Gohan. I know you. Although, I'd prefer people not rifle through my old things, I know if it's you, it's for a good reason…" She trailed off, pursing her lips. "Still, I'd like to know why you needed an old scrapbook so badly."

Gohan sighed, his gaze falling to the old photos. "I was looking for someone. I saw a criminal sketch on the news of a lady with curly blonde hair that I could have sworn I remembered from when I was a kid…" He trailed off, his eyes narrowing as he flipped through a couple of the pages. "I can't remember a name, and haven't been able to find her in here, either." Gohan sighed. "Maybe my memory is playing tricks on me."

Bulma placed a finger to her chin, looking up to the ceiling as she thought. "A blonde lady with curly hair…" She blinked. "You mean Launch?"

Gohan's eyes grew wide, his voice pitching upward with excitement. "Wait, you know who I'm talking about?"

Bulma smiled, nodding. "Yeah, I remember her. She used to hang around way back in the day." Her head tilted as she peered down at the book again. "Although, I doubt you'd find her in there." She paused, eyebrows furrowing. "Well, actually, you two might have seen her a couple of times, but she's not technically the one you're looking for, I guess…"

Gohan frowned, not understanding. What could that possibly mean?

Bulma laughed. "I know it's confusing. Give me a second. I think I know who you're talking about." Without another word, the scientist disappeared down the hallway she'd come from.

Gohan blinked several times, trying to understand, before eventually turning to Videl. "You don't happen to know what she means—"

Gohan stopped mid-sentence. Videl's face had paled.

"You're looking for a woman named Launch?" she asked nervously.

"Uhh…yeah?" He raised an eyebrow. "Why? Do you know her?"

He watched with building concern as Videl sank into herself for a long pause. He was about to say something when she finally said, "No…not particularly."

"Are you sure?" Gohan asked. "You seem spooked.."

Videl swallowed and shook her head. "No, no. I just, um, heard about her on the news, I think. Like you said. She's a criminal, right?" Her eyes darted away.

Gohan's eyes narrowed fractionally. "Right…"

"So, why are you looking for her?" Videl asked, affecting a more casual tone that didn't fool him for a second.

Gohan studied Videl curiously as he answered. "I heard she had some role in the most recent android sighting a few days ago. I figured, if Launch had been a part of it, maybe she would know more about what Eighteen was doing there."

"Right…that makes sense. You're worried that Eighteen might be up to something?"

Gohan shrugged. "Maybe. I don't know exactly. All I know is that Eighteen has been behaving strangely recently. If Launch is working with her, then maybe she might know something about it." He paused, frowning. "Although, now that I say it out loud, it sounds pretty crazy to think an android might team up with one of us normal people." He laughed.

Videl let out a half-hearted laugh. "Yeah. Right. Crazy."

Gohan shot her a curious look.

Is she keeping something from me?

Before he could give any more consideration to that distressing thought, Bulma appeared from around the corner, holding up an old polaroid photo that flapped as she waved it. "Found it!" She sang as she approached them. "It was pinned to the wall in my lab. I always like to keep pictures of old friends there." She offered the picture to him. "Is that who you're talking about on the left?"

Gohan scanned through the faces of the photo. It was an old picture, taken back when he'd been barely a toddler, standing front and center before his beaming father. Posed with them were all his old friends—Tien, Krillin, his mother, Bulma, Master Roshi, Yamcha and…!

"That's her!" Gohan exclaimed, staring wide-eyed at the image of the blonde woman wearing a sneering smirk for the photographer. "I knew I'd seen her somewhere before!" He looked back to Bulma. "You wouldn't happen to know how to get in contact with her, would you? Like, her number, or something?"

Bulma blinked and frowned, her eyebrows furrowing as she thought. "Hmmm…no, I don't think so. It's been a long time since I spoke with Launch…" She snapped her fingers, her face brightening. "But, I bet Master Roshi would! That old creep always manages to keep tabs on any pretty woman unfortunate enough to meet him." She shuddered. "You should reach out to him. He might know."

Gohan smiled excitedly. "Thanks, Bulma! You're the best. Now…where did I leave my phone…" He checked his empty pockets. "...Probably in the garage where I was training…" He mumbled to himself, before realizing that Videl was still standing next to him. Turning to her, Gohan flashed an apologetic smile. "Sorry. You don't mind if I give Roshi a call real quick, do you? I've been thinking about this for a while, and now that I know I'm not nuts, I really want to find out."

Videl frowned, that concerning look from before returning. "Um…"

"Oh, go ahead, Gohan." Bulma answered, wrapping an arm around Videl's shoulders and giving her a soft squeeze. "We have a dinner to get to, remember?"

Videl blinked, regarding Bulma with a confused expression, before realization washed over her. "Oh, right. I almost forgot."

"Oh, good. I felt bad for a second there, thinking that I was ditching you." Gohan laughed, rubbing the back of his head. "Where are you guys going for dinner? What's the occasion?"

Videl frowned. "Uhhhh…"

"Videl said she wanted to take me out to dinner to get my mind off of things." Bulma said with a sigh. "You know, with everything that's happened…recently? She said that the place is a surprise, so I'm sure she doesn't want to spoil it now." She turned to Videl. "Isn't that right?"

Videl blinked, then nodded. "Yup. I can't believe I almost forgot."

Bulma rolled her eyes. "Well, I remembered. C'mon, Videl. We have to get going. I'm pretty sure you said the reservation was at seven, and it's a half-hour drive there. We have to get ready."

Videl gulped and nodded in agreement.

"I'll see you later, Videl. Next time I promise we'll do something more fun than look at pictures all evening." Gohan said, glancing out a window and seeing the setting sun. Had he and Videl really been sitting there for all that time? He couldn't believe it. He'd been so comfy that the time had flown by.

Videl smiled back. "I look forward to it."

Gohan paused, wondering if he should lean in and kiss her goodbye, but then thought against it. They'd only just started dating, and Bulma was right there to boot. He didn't want to make things awkward, even if he felt (just a little) like he might explode if he didn't kiss her again. It had to be just about the best feeling in the world. Fortunately (unfortunately), Videl seemed to hesitate too, standing just next to him. She didn't make a move to do anything… but she was staring at him almost expectantly.

Wait…does she want me to?

For a moment, Gohan felt his body moving on its own, his face slowly beginning to lower toward Videl's like he was being pulled in by the force of gravity. In response, Videl's lips parted, her eyes locking onto his as she moved just as automatically She came up on the tips of her toes, her full, perfect lips right there—

—When Bulma suddenly sneezed as loud as an exploding planet. Gohan and Videl snapped out of their lovestruck trance and leapt apart like they'd been burned. Both were blushing down to their roots as they looked anywhere but at each other.

Rubbing her nose with blinking eyes, Bulma flashed an embarrassed smile. "Sorry, sorry. Hay Fever."

Videl cleared her throat, still glowing red. "I-it's fine. We should be going, anyway."

Bulma nodded, somehow not having seen what had felt like the universe realigning between him and Videl.

Videl turned back to Gohan, shooting him a flirty, flush-cheeked grin that made his heart thunder with feelings. "I'll catch you later, Gohan." She winked at him.

Gohan did his very best not to stammer like an absolute fool from how warm and mushy he felt from head to toe. He swallowed, nodding with a grin. "See ya later, Videl."

Gohan watched as the pair walked away, before calling out after them. "Have a nice dinner!"

"We will!"

Gohan was glad Bulma was finally getting an opportunity to get out and do something fun and unrelated to all the drama of the last…well, decade. She definitely deserved it.

His sharp, saiyan ears caught Bulma eagerly whispering-shouting to Videl. "I didn't know you two were a thing! So cute! Please, tell me everything. I have to know!"

Gohan chuckled to himself as the two disappeared down the hallway.

His smile slowly melted away as he was left to his own thoughts. Something had definitely been bothering Videl about the mention of Launch, although he had no idea what. She clearly knew the woman somehow, but why would she lie to him about it? Was it an old friendship that had ended poorly and she didn't want him to know about it? Launch was clearly a criminal, from what he saw on the news. Could it be that she'd committed some crime against Videl, and she didn't want to speak poorly about one of his father's old friends?

Gohan sighed, shaking his head. He supposed not all of his father's companions had been the best of people. He'd have to express to Videl that he'd take no offense if she did have grievances against Launch. Then again, that was assuming Videl didn't know Launch some other way…

I'll have to ask Launch about it once I get a hold of her.

Gohan turned to go find his phone…wherever he'd left it.

-Cell-

Cell stood with his arms crossed as he watched the setting sun with a harsh glare. A sigh slowly escaped his beak-like mouth.

I should be excited. Why am I not excited?

Today was the day, or rather, the night that Cell would step back onto the road to perfection. Seventeen thought that tonight was dedicated to him, that the next several hours would be his retribution for so much time spent feeling incomplete. In reality, it was finally time for Cell to enact his plan.

One step closer…to completion.

The plan was a simple one. First, they would raid the Capsule Corp. compound, swiftly slaughtering all that opposed them so that there was no alarm. Following that, they merely had to find a computer capable of connecting to Seventeen's memory banks—an easy enough task, Cell presumed, considering the extraordinary advances in computer science Capsule Corp. had been known for in the past. Once Seventeen's memory files were his, the final step would be using the resources provided by Capsule Corp to construct the android's new arm so that Seventeen was complete once more.

And then, I will be completed as well…

Seventeen already knew about the plan, or so he thought. What the one-armed android didn't know was that, during the process of accessing his memory files, his systems would have to be offline. This stipulation was due to the complex nature of Seventeen's memories, being both stored within the brain of a man and the computer systems implanted by Dr. Gero. Seventeen's mind would break if he were conscious while his thoughts were being accessed at the same time, and Cell did not want to risk him malfunctioning in any way, lest it lessen the benefits of his inevitable absorption. In essence, Seventeen would have to be unconscious for the procedure, during which time, Cell would go about constructing and attaching the android's new limb.

Of course, once Seventeen's arm was restored—and, consequently, his power, since his energy would no longer be leaking from his damaged stump, nothing said Cell had to turn the android back on.

What was the saying? 'Like stealing a plump new victim from a baby.' Or was it supposed to be 'Candy'? Either way, Cell saw the opportunity being placed before him. Seventeen would be fully repaired, fully rejuvenated, and rendered entirely defenseless once Cell was done working on him. It was as if Seventeen was offering himself up on a silver platter. The situation was absolutely perfect—appropriate, Cell decided, considering this night would mark a magnificent step towards his own perfection.

Yet, despite the alluring prospect of finally coming that much closer to perfection, Cell found himself feeling…melancholy. Even worse was that he couldn't put his finger on why.

Absorbing androids Seventeen and Eighteen is what I was made for. This is my purpose, my future— no, my destiny.

So, then, why did he feel…hesitant?

"'Sup, Bug-Dude." Seventeen said casually, walking up to stand beside Cell, his eyes peering out toward the setting sun as well.

"Hello, Seventeen." Cell responded numbly.

"Are you ready to get your slaughter on?" Seventeen asked with a wicked grin.

Cell found his eyes narrowing into a sinister glare, his not-quite-lips curling in their best approximation of a smile. "Yes, I suppose you could say that. I have not yet been able to experience a proper killing spree."

Seventeen looked shocked. "Seriously?"

Cell nodded. "Seriously. Before, I always stayed far away from any majorly populated areas for fear of Gohan discovering me. I had planned to wait until I was strong enough to confront him before attempting to absorb the people of an entire city."

Seventeen nodded, rubbing thoughtfully at his chin. "Interesting, interesting…so, wait, how many people have you actually killed in total? Excluding the ones I've fed to you, since those obviously count as my kills."

Despite feeling that the people brought by Seventeen were, in fact, his own kills, since he was the one who struck the final blow, Cell didn't feel like arguing with Seventeen right now. He considered the android's question, his head tilting to one side as he tried to remember. "I believe I have had a total of forty-six victims." Cell said matter-of-factly.

Seventeen snorted, covering his mouth and smirking. "Aw, that's adorable, Cell. A whole forty-six? All by yourself?"

Cell scowled. "Don't patronize me."

Seventeen barked a laugh, elbowing Cell's arm playfully. "Ah, c'mon, man! You know I'm just messing. It's cute, really, having such a low kill count. I remember back when me and Eighteen used to be as green as you."

Cell looked down at his lime-colored carapace, giving Seventeen a flat look.

Seventeen rolled his eyes. "Not that type of green."

Cell let out a sharp breath; his version of a snicker. "I know. As you said: I am just 'messing'."

Seventeen's eyebrows rose, his mouth falling agape. "Hold on a second." He drew closer, inspecting Cell up and down, incredulously. "Did you just make a joke?"

"I am capable of many things."

Seventeen let out a loud, "Hah!" before returning his gaze to the light settling behind the horizon. "Well, aren't you full of surprises."

You have no idea…

"Either way," Seventeen began again, "Those are chump numbers. Don't worry, though, once I'm all fixed up and you're a little stronger, we'll go on the best killing spree ever. I know all the best spots and everything. Really, Cell, you have not lived until you've spent an entire day ripping people apart. I'd say it's one of the best experiences out there."

"And what of Son Gohan?" Cell asked curiously.

"Pffft, what about him?" Seventeen sneered.

"I presume that he would likely come to stop us if we were to commit such a genocide as you describe."

Seventeen rolled his eyes, annoyed. "Once I get my arm back, Goldilocks won't be an issue. We'll kill him. Hell, I'll even let you drink him up with your tail if you wanna."

Cell raised an eyebrow. Seventeen was volunteering Gohan's energy so readily? Seventeen had seen Cell's absorption process dozens of times now, and there was no doubt in Cell's mind that the android understood that he grew more powerful with each new victim. Was Seventeen not worried that his own power would surpass that of the androids once he absorbed a source as powerful as Son Gohan?

Or perhaps…he simply trusts me, now.

Was it possible that Seventeen no longer feared betrayal by Cell? They were allies, after all. Could it be that, in Seventeen's eyes, becoming the lesser of their duo no longer bothered him?

"Would you really allow me to claim Son Gohan's life?"

Seventeen shrugged. "Once I've kicked his ass enough—you know, paid him back for this?" He waved his stump around. "Then yeah. I don't see a problem with it."

Cell paused, considering. "You wouldn't be…worried?"

Seventeen's eyes turned to meet Cell's. "About what? You being stronger than me?"

Cell gulped, but nodded.

Seventeen's lips curled into a smirk. "Nah, I doubt it. That just means I got a big bad bug dude to kick anyone's ass that I can't." The android's smile faltered, his gaze falling to his missing arm. "While I won't lie and say I like that I'm not missing this guy," he moved the stump again, "it's given me some perspective. I used to be number one, Cell. The strongest person in the world—bar none. It feels like forever ago since then. I've changed. I don't have to be the strongest person in the world to have the world be mine." He reached over and clapped his hand on Cell's shoulder. "That's why I have you, now; so I don't have to be…eventually."

Cell's mouth had fallen agape, his eyes wide as he stared back at Seventeen, shocked.

Seventeen snorted. "C'mon, man, don't give me that look. For one, it makes you look even uglier than normal, and two…" Seventeen trailed off, his expression growing solemn. "I know that I can't do this by myself. Rule the world, and everything. I used to have Eighteen to help me, but she's decided to switch sides thanks to that asshole. For so long, she was the only person I could trust. She's my sister, my family…what I thought was my only family." His scowl was almost mournful, but disappeared as he turned to smile at Cell. "But then, I met you." He gave Cell another pat on the shoulder. "Ugly as sin, but it's like you said, right? Dr. Gero made both of us. You called Eighteen our sister before, so, I guess that makes us brothers, right?"

Still feeling dumbfounded, Cell slowly nodded.

"Exactly." Seventeen grinned. "I'd have thought my 'brother' would be more handsome, considering how damned handsome I am, but hey, you can't choose your family. Am I right?"

Cell agreed, swallowing uncomfortably. "I believe that is the saying…" He was actually uncertain about that fact, but it didn't truly matter in the end.

"It is." Seventeen confirmed, before bobbing his head toward the setting sun—or, more specifically, toward West City. "So, how about we go out there and take this world for our own? We have a lot of work to do to get back on top, but I'm sure we'll be able to do it." He offered out his fist, a gesture Seventeen had taught him was for something called a "fist bump". Cell obliged, slowly lifting his own fist and pushing his knuckles against Seventeen's. Seventeen grinned. "Now, let's go kick some ass, brother."

Cell watched as Seventeen lifted into the air, before turning and blasting off toward the horizon, sending loose leaves from the trees around them scattering to the ground.

Cell remained there for a few moments longer. Slowly, the bio-android lifted into the sky and shot off after Seventeen. He'd taught himself how to fly shortly after his exchange with Trunks, remarking to himself how truly simple the process was and cursing himself for not attempting it sooner. Then again, a piece of him, a memory in his mind that was not his, but rather from his long list of fathers, had always known how. It had been as if the muscle memory was there, only rusty. The experience had left him curious. He had other memories, memories of abilities and attacks that were once the signature tools of the warriors that once opposed the androids. If Cell had managed to teach him how to fly from his stolen memories, did that mean he could learn more?

Hmmm…intriguing.

Cell resigned himself to thinking about this more later and focused on flying. He was beginning to lag behind after his time lost in thought. It was clear to him that he was nowhere near as experienced as Seventeen was, but his abilities were enough that he would be able to follow Seventeen at a decent pace.

Despite being in the air, despite drawing closer to what he had determined to be his destiny, Cell found himself sinking deeper into that frustrating melancholy. He had finally come to realize where his excitement had fled to on a day that was supposed to be grandiose.

It had found its hiding spot behind the overwhelming guilt that was beginning to build within him.

-Eighteen-

Bulma gasped, smiling as she and Eighteen walked quietly along the sidewalk, both with packs strapped to their backs. "Aww, that's so sweet. Gohan asked you out in the rain?"

Eighteen smirked, remembering the exchange. "Well, it was really a storm, but it was at the start of it, so it was still raining lightly."

"So romantic." Bulma brought a hand to her chest, her head thrown back dramatically. Then, she blinked and snorted. "Wait, and this was after you beat up Chi-Chi?"

Eighteen frowned sheepishly, her eyes searching to see if there was anyone around as they approached. There wasn't. "Well, I didn't exactly beat up Chi-Chi. She put up a good fight. She knocked me on my ass toward the end, there."

Bulma nodded. "Well, yeah, it's Chi-Chi. She used to be the strongest woman on the planet, I think." She paused, considering, before shrugging and continuing. "Either way, I bet that's probably going to make things awkward for you in the future now that you're dating her son. I recommend apologizing sometime soon."

Eighteen flashed a toothy grin. "Actually, Chi-Chi seemed impressed with me after the fight."

Both of Bulma's eyebrows rose as far as they could reach. "Really?"

Eighteen nodded. "She said that she thought that a woman willing to fight anyone to defend her man was a good one to keep around."

Bulma's mouth dropped in shock. "Well, that's high praise coming from Chi-Chi. I never would have guessed punching someone in the mouth would be an effective way to get them to like you." Bulma paused, frowning, before shaking her head. "What am I saying? I was friends with Goku. Of course punching someone in the mouth is a good way to get them to like you." She let out a quiet laugh.

The pair walked along the sidewalk in almost complete darkness, their figures only illuminated by the few working street lights lining either side of the road. It was already well past midnight as Bulma's plan called for, and the neighborhood was quiet. It had been some time since the last car had passed them, the beams of its headlights revealing two figures dressed suspiciously in all black, with rolled-up caps that would double as face masks once pulled down. If anyone had thought them suspicious, they certainly hadn't said anything. Bulma had mentioned something about the neighborhood not being the safest since the arrival of the androids, and that most people kept to themselves these days.

Bulma had parked them several streets away from Capsule Corp., explaining that there were cameras surrounding the entire building, many of which had a view of the road. She had gone on to further explain that, once they had stolen what was needed for Gohan's new arm, the pair would simply fly away and come to collect the parked vehicle later. Better to do that than to be seen fleeing a crime scene if the alarms did happen to go off, somehow.

As they walked, the dome shape of what had once been Capsule Corp. came into view, now called "Container Technologies"—a way worse name, in Eighteen's opinion. She idly questioned why the name had been changed at all—something to do with the change in ownership, perhaps? Eighteen's thoughts lingered on the subject for a short time before returning to a topic that had been troubling the android ever since the pair left. She couldn't help but fear what Gohan might uncover once he got in touch with Launch.

Is there even anything to tell?

They'd barely had any exchange at all, Eighteen determined. She'd run into Launch by accident, before sending the store into a panic as she'd attempted to leave. Then, Launch had let loose some automatic fire from a weapon Eighteen hadn't known she'd been carrying, and Eighteen had left. That was all of it, wasn't it? There was nothing that Launch could say that would link her identity as Videl to android Eighteen, right?

"We're almost where we need to be, Videl," Bulma whispered.

Eighteen glanced around, noting that Capsule C— Container Technologies was coming up on their left, a mere street away now. Eighteen grimaced as she read the name in her mind, deciding she was just going to keep calling it Capsule Corp.. Much better.

"We're still out of range of the cameras, right?" Eighteen leaned over to ask.

"Yup. Still out of range. I checked earlier." Bulma crouched down before producing a small tablet device stowed away in her backpack. Her fingers danced along the screen like a pianist performing an extravagant song, the screen flashing with prompts and icons in rapid succession, each quickly bypassed and dismissed by the woman at work.

"Are you hacking into the camera system?" Eighteen whispered.

Bulma snorted softly. "I did that yesterday. Took me barely fifteen minutes. No, I'm just setting up a false camera feed so no one will see us when we walk up." Her expression didn't betray even a hint of tension at the complexity of what she was doing. "Aaaand done." Bulma pushed the tablet back into her pack. "Now, anyone who's looking will only see the last thirty minutes on repeat. That includes the section of the lab we're about to break into, so we shouldn't have any issues." She smirked confidently.

Eighteen cocked her head, shooting Bulma a dubious grin. "You sure this is your first time doing this? You'd make a terrific thief."

Bulma rolled her eyes. "Yeah, if I didn't have integrity."

"You do realize we're about to go into this place to rob it, right?"

"And I don't plan to make a habit out of it, either! Now, let's hurry up. Even if the cameras are off, I don't want anyone happening to pass by to see us running up to a building that's about to be robbed. You remember the plan?"

It was Eighteen's turn to roll her eyes. Of course she remembered the plan. Bulma had only forced them to go over it a dozen times, despite Eighteen only needing to hear it once to remember it permanently. Being part cybernetic certainly had its advantages.

Eighteen pointed to the side of the massive dome, partially shrouded by a row of bushes and trees meant to liven up the otherwise flat looking front lawn of the structure. "We rush over there, I make an entrance through the wall using my ki, and you slip in to take what we need. Then, I fly us out of here." Eighteen crossed her arms smugly. "Sound about right?"

Bulma made a teetering motion with her hand. "That's a much more simplified version of the plan, but yeah, that about sums it up." Eighteen could detect a pang of nervousness to her tone as she spoke, her words growing shaky. Eighteen supposed the fact that they were finally going to go through with this robbery was finally getting to Bulma. She decided it would be best if they started before Bulma lost her nerve.

Eighteen pulled down her mask, prompting Bulma to startle and do the same, seemingly having forgotten that they had them to begin with. Their faces were now completely covered by the black cloth, excluding their eyes and mouths.

Eighteen wrapped an arm around Bulma's waist. "You ready?"

Bulma gulped and nodded, before abruptly asking, "Wait, are you sure this is—"

Eighteen suddenly shot forward in a blur, carrying Bulma alongside her in a burst of speed that took them right up to the building, exactly where she'd been pointing to. Eighteen had been careful as they moved, surrounding Bulma with a protective layer of ki, much like how Gohan had to avoid hurting her as he'd explained how he flew all that time ago.

"—safe?" Bulma finished, her eyes wide with surprise.

Eighteen smirked. "Pretty sure," She answered quietly.

Bulma shot Eighteen a glare, sticking out her tongue playfully. Her eyes flickered to the wall, then cast a cautious look back toward the street they'd come from. There were no passing cars or anyone walking along the sidewalk to see them—yet. Bulma crouched before hastily pulling out her tablet once more. Her fingernails clicked softly against the screen's hard surface as she pulled up one of the cameras from before.

"What are you doing?" Eighteen asked quietly, kneeling beside the woman.

"Double-checking the camera inside the lab we're about to enter." She knocked her knuckles against the wall next to them. "Just making sure there's no one working some late hours, or something like—'' She stopped mid-sentence, cocking her head at the screen.

"What?" Eighteen asked, feeling concern creeping up her chest. "Is there someone there?"

Bulma shook her head, scoffing. "No, though, you'd think people would be better at cleaning up after themselves once they're done for the day. There's like, three different lab coats just laying on the ground in there. Guess they didn't feel like hanging up their coats when they were done." Bulma shrugged, before returning the tablet to her pack. "Just a reflection of how poorly this place is being run now that I'm not in the picture anymore." She said with a smug look of vindication. "Point is, we're all clear. You're good to go."

"Roger that," Eighteen whispered with a playful salute. The android pointed out her index and middle fingers, before the digits erupted with shining golden energy, illuminating their figures.

Bulma jumped, looking around anxiously. "Isn't there a 'dim' setting on that thing, or something?"

Eighteen gave the scientist a flat look.

Bulma sighed, deflating. "Alright fine, just hurry up." She urged, making a shooing motion with her hands.

Eighteen huffed in annoyance and turned back to the wall. With a swift slice of her hand, a crescent-shaped line formed in the smooth white surface of the wall. Eighteen followed this line with another, then slashed her hand down to split the half-circle she'd made down the middle, before raising her boot and delivering a kick to its center. The two sections of wall went crumbling inward, bathing the duo in bright artificial light from the lab's hanging lamps as they thumped against the white tiled floor.

Eighteen folded at the waist, bowing as she gestured with one hand towards the newly made entrance. "After you."

Bulma nodded, taking one last worried glance over her shoulder, before shuffling inside. Eighteen had made their entrance tall enough that she only had to duck slightly as she followed her accomplice inside.

"Alright, let's try to make this quick." Eighteen whispered as she stepped beside Bulma, who was notably standing still. Eighteen cocked an eyebrow. "Bulma?"

Bulma's mouth was open, her eyes wide with awe as she drank in the sight of the room. The lab was large in size, roughly thirty by thirty feet, by Eighteen's estimate, with smooth, sun-touched square tiles for flooring. The walls were coated in a metallic blue tone, with large rectangular boxes jutting out of them seemingly at random, lights flashing dimly on each. "My old lab…" Bulma murmured to herself, a twinkle in her eyes. "I can't tell you how nostalgic this feels to finally be back..."

Huh. This was her old workplace…

Eighteen regarded the room again, this time with more reverence. Along the walls were a series of large, metal storage cabinets, each one with a keypad with a red light to indicate that they were locked. Maybe that was where Bulma would go for the parts she needed for her tinkering. Finally, a large rectangular table sat in the room's center, scattered with tools and half-completed devices lay, their specific uses a mystery to Eighteen. The android could picture a younger Bulma hard at work there, sitting atop one of the several rolling stools scattered about the lab.

"Does it feel good?" Eighteen asked softly. "To be back?"

Bulma's lips formed a thin line. "It feels…bittersweet. I'm happy to be back." She frowned. "Just…sad that I had to leave in the first place." The scientist sighed, shaking her head, before forcing a smile to her lips. "But, that's all in the past. It's time to get to the thievery." She grinned over at Eighteen, rubbing her hands together mischievously in a playful way that made Eighteen snicker.

"Those keypads aren't going to be a problem, are they?" Eighteen asked, nodding her head towards the cabinets.

"Shouldn't be." Bulma responded, pulling free her tablet once again. "I already downloaded all the access codes from Container Technologies' network," she said the name with disdain. "You know, the one that's supposed to be 'state of the art' and 'unhackable'." She formed finger quotes as she said the words, rolling her eyes. "What a joke."

"How long do you think you'll be?" Eighteen asked.

"Maybe ten, fifteen minutes." She shrugged. "Like I mentioned earlier, I only need compound-325. The rest of the materials I have at home."

"You need ten minutes to grab one thing?"

Bulma shot Eighteen a cross look, walking over to the cabinets. "I don't know which specific cabinet has it. I've narrowed it down to a handful, but I can't reliably say that the scientists working here have cataloged everything accurately, considering how clean they keep their floors." As she said this, her foot kicked at one the lab coats laying on the ground, shaking her head disapprovingly. "Just give me a few. We'll be out of here in no time."

Bulma turned away, kneeling beside one of the storage units and tapping away at the keypad. Eighteen's gaze remained on the white lab coat laying in a heap on the ground, her head cocked to the side and her eyes narrowing. Slowly, the android stepped forward and crouched, pushing aside the fabric to reveal something she'd noticed when Bulma had kicked it. Beneath the large stretch of white fabric was a navy-blue dress shirt, complete with khakis, and a set of meticulously polished dress shoes.

Do scientists working here have to change out of their work clothes when they leave?

No, that didn't make sense. Even if they did, why would they do it out in the open and leave their clothes crumpled on the ground? Eighteen walked over to another lab coat, this one positioned closer to the door, before using her foot to reveal that this one too had a full set of clothing lying hidden beneath it. She frowned, a sinister sensation beginning to build in her chest. Eighteen rifled through the clothes for a short time longer before her eyebrows rose, revealing a golf ball-sized hole in both it and the shirt underneath.

Eighteen straightened, her instincts telling her that something was very wrong here. "Bulma…" she whispered quietly. "Something feels off about this place."

"Do you hear someone coming?" Bulma asked urgently, her head whipping towards Eighteen before her eyes glanced anxiously towards the shut door.

"No, but—"

"Then shush and let me work. I'm checking this one now." Bulma scolded, the light on the keypad turning green, and the scientist eagerly pulled open the drawer. She scowled disappointedly. "Not this one…" She grumbled before pushing the drawer shut.

Eighteen cursed silently to herself, before going over to inspect the other sets of clothes in the room, discovering the same hole torn through each of them. Just one each, which was baffling to Eighteen, especially because the android thought she recognized them from somewhere.

Where have I seen a hole like these before…!

A sinister chill ran down Eighteen's spine, her eyes wide as she remembered.

Trunks!

Immediately, Eighteen pushed out her senses, searching the entire building for the life forces of the security guards and personnel Bulma had mentioned would still be in the building after hours. She wasn't certain if her suspicions were founded, especially since Gohan had said he'd killed Cell, but then again, she'd thought she'd killed Cell herself, and yet the giant disgusting bug had somehow come back from the dead to torment Trunks, Erasa and Peni. Eighteen wasn't going to risk it.

The android closed her eyes as she looked, searching for even the slightest flicker of ki, no matter how weak. She couldn't sense a soul…no, that wasn't right. There was a single ki source, so small that Eighteen was certain it was someone doing their very best to conceal their power, if not perfectly. The android predicted it was only through her practice sensing energy that she was able to pierce the individual's attempt at shrouding themself. Eighteen's nose wrinkled as she focused harder, trying to decipher the energy. It was bizarre, unlike anyone she had ever felt before, just like…!

Eighteen rushed to Bulma's side just as the woman opened yet another drawer. "Bulma," she said urgently. "We need to leave now."

Bulma was digging through the drawer, focused. "Hold on, I think I found the right one…there! I got it." She chimed with a bright smile, reaching in, and grabbing hold of a large metallic container with the label "compound-325" printed in big bold numbers on the top. "This is what we need." She smiled at the box the size of a dinner plate resting in her hands, before looking back into the drawer with a frown. "Although, it looks like there was another box of it here that someone removed. Huh. I wonder what they were working on that would need something like this." Her eyes glanced about the room, curious.

Eighteen let out an annoyed sigh. "Alright, great, we got it. Now, let's get a move on. Something's up and I don't think we should stick around any longer."

Bulma's eyebrows furrowed, shooting Eighteen a confused look as she unzipped her pack and delicately placed the box within, before zipping it back up. "What's gotten into you? You were so calm before. The guards shouldn't be checking in on this room for another—" She checked her watch. "—twenty minutes, or so. Relax, Videl."

Eighteen wanted to pick Bulma up by her shoulders and shake her at this point, but resigned herself to taking the woman by the arm and pulling her to her feet. "Call me paranoid later, but we need to leave." She'd rather not reveal to Bulma just who she was almost certain was in the building with Bulma panic if she knew there was someone as dangerous as Cell lurking around? Eighteen couldn't be sure. She'd never been in a situation like this before. Better not to cause a panic if she didn't have to.

The pair began to make their way to their improvised door, moving quickly as Eighteen pulled Bulma along.

"Alright, alright! I get it, Videl. You can let go."

Eighteen didn't.

The android reached the carved-out section of wall with Bulma in tow, prepared to swing the woman onto her shoulder the moment they were out in the open—

The pair froze just as the door on the other side of the room swung open, banging against the wall.

Both Eighteen and Bulma's heads whipped around, and Bulma let out an audible gasp, her eyes wide with fear.

"Well, well, well. I thought I heard something." Cell's raspy, disturbing voice croaked as the slits of his yellow eyes fell on them. "Now then, what do we have here?"

The looming figure of Cell stepped into the room, his head having to lower lest the sickly dark green crown forming his head bump against the lip of the door frame. When he straightened, his tall stature made him appear gigantic compared to Eighteen. He looked…different from the last time she'd seen him. Before, he'd been like a timid, wild animal, shrinking away and trying to appear small, against the much greater predator that was android Eighteen. Now, however, Cell stood tall, with his shoulders pulled back, his massive height all the more apparent as he radiated an aura of confidence that hadn't been there the last time they'd met. Cell even appeared bulkier and more muscular than before. Had he always been this well built? What had he done to grow so much…larger? It was undeniably Cell, but it was clear to Eighteen that he'd gone through some type of transformation since the last time they'd met. This was no longer the meek creature Eighteen had encountered back in the lab; no, this was a true monster.

He looks so dangerous now…

Eighteen blinked, her eyes growing wide.

Wait, where is Seventeen?

If Cell was here, then that would mean Seventeen should be close by. That was, unless Cell had done something to Seventeen. Cell did look suspiciously stronger than before…had that somehow involved Seventeen? He had said that he wanted to absorb her, did that mean he wanted Seventeen too? Eighteen fought the urge to demand to know where her brother was, knowing Bulma would be even more apprehensive if she heard that.
"W-what is that?" Bulma stuttered, her voice trembling with fear as she regarded Cell. Eighteen couldn't blame her. Despite all the horrors Eighteen had seen, Cell was by far the most hideous and terrifying creature she'd ever encountered in her life. His no-longer-spindly limbs, protected by dark carapace, clunked oddly on the tile as his three-toed feet stepped into the room. He regarded them as a spider might regard a fly caught in its web.

"Cell." Eighteen responded quietly, refusing to pull her glare away from the looming threat before them. Her fingers curled into fists.

Out of the corner of her eye, Eighteen noticed a look of surprise wash over Bulma's features, before her expression hardened. A deep, resolute frown pulled at the corners of Bulma's lips as she snarled in a tone low enough that Eighteen prayed Cell didn't hear, "That's the thing that hurt my son?"

Eighteen responded with a slow nod, moving to position herself between Bulma and Cell. The sinister-looking creature slowly tilted his head to the side, examining the pair with a twisted version of curiosity. "You two appear almost as if you recognize me…" he grumbled, "That is unexpected. Everyone else who's laid eyes on me has turned to flee with fear and shock, screaming for their lives—but not you two. Just who are you?"

He must not be able to recognize us with these face masks on.

Eighteen didn't answer. That was a small comfort in this sea of terrible coincidences. What in the world was Cell doing in Capsule Corp., of all places? And on the very same day, no less? This didn't make any sense!

I need to get Bulma out of here.

Regardless of what business Cell had with the company, Eighteen knew that Bulma was her number one priority. Eighteen felt confident that, alone, she could handle Cell with ease. Unfortunately, right now, Bulma thought she was in the presence of Videl, the amateur apprentice of Son Gohan, and only a somewhat skilled novice in ki control. That meant that she had to protect Bulma without giving away that she had more power than she should. Not only that, but having to protect a person as fragile as Bulma during a fight might prove difficult. Escape was their best option.

"Bulma," Eighteen whispered, "get outside. Now."

Bulma looked Eighteen with concern. "What about you?"

Eighteen grit her teeth. "I'll be fine."

Cell took a step forward, his unblinking eyes drinking in the sight of them like a starving beast. Eighteen tensed, drawing out a hand behind her to ensure Bulma stayed there.

"Don't come any closer." Eighteen snarled dangerously.

Cell smiled, his brow furrowing. "That almost sounded like a threat. How very brave you two are. I'll be sure to enjoy that bravery once I have made you a part of me."

Fucking what, now?

Eighteen blinked, feeling unnerved as she took a timid step back. Then, she growled, slamming her foot down as she stepped back to where she'd been.

To hell with it.

She would find a way to explain to Bulma later why she had so much power. Maybe Eighteen could say she had some sort of adrenaline rush that boosted her power for enough time to obliterate Cell. Either way, right now was not the time to play games, not when Bulma's life was on the line.

Eighteen's arm lifted, snapping forward in an eyeblink with her palm thrust toward Cell. The blonde felt a moment of satisfaction from Cell's look of alarm as crimson energy blossomed from her hand, building rapidly until the charging ki was almost as big as her torso. Eighteen knew that this attack was unlikely to outright kill Cell, but it would certainly be strong enough to rip him in two. She couldn't afford to cause an explosion strong enough to destroy Cell for good, not with how many people were in their homes within the blast zone.

"Goodbye, Cell." Eighteen whispered, before unleashing the violent, thrashing sphere of scarlet energy, its light cascading the room in a deep, sinister red. The attack rocketed at Cell, crossing the room in a flash, aimed straight for his chest. Eighteen could recall the last time she'd engaged the monster before her. Cell had been so weak that it had hardly been a contest at all.

That's why, when Cell backhanded the sphere of energy, sending it careening to the side, Eighteen was left speechless. She watched as her attack impacted the wall, unleashing a violent explosion that shook the building with a deafening crash. Dust and debris flew into the air, the wind whipping around them as the wall caved in, revealing another room. Eighteen imagined that attack had likely woken up every person in a mile's radius. The android wondered how long it would take for them to start seeing police sirens as Cell released a soft chuckle.

He's grown so much stronger.

Eighteen realized, nervously. That attack had been far from her most powerful, but it was chilling to know that the beast before her could at the very least hold off one of her signature energy attacks.

"So, that's who you are." He shook his head, grinning like a man who'd just had a million zeni fall into his lap. Cell took another confident step forward, rubbing the back of his hand where her attack had met his knuckles. "I would recognize energy like that anywhere, especially considering it's nearly killed me once before. It has been some time since we've seen each other, sister."

Eighteen noticed Bulma stiffen behind her, her blue eyes narrowing on Eighteen, confused. "W-what? What's he talking about, Videl?"

"Don't listen to him!" Eighteen snapped, raising both hands this time and building two deadly photon beams into her palms. "He's a liar!"

"I am no liar!" Cell snapped, his fingers tightening into fists as he stared down Eighteen's attack. "The only liar here is the woman standing next to you, Bulma Briefs."

"How does that thing know my name…?" Bulma mumbled under her breath before her eyes turned to Eighteen. "...Videl?" Bulma asked, her tone underlying suspicion. "Videl, tell me now why this hideous thing knows you."

"Does that really matter now!?" Eighteen hissed over her shoulder. "That thing is Cell. I promise you, right now is not 'sit down and discuss' time!"

Bulma blinked, an apprehensive look on her face as she regarded Eighteen, before glancing back at Cell and grimacing. "Fine. Yes, you're right. We'll talk about this later."

Eighteen nodded, grateful to hear Bulma continue to retreat out of the room, the scientist finally stepped back out onto the grass outside. Eighteen began to slowly follow, keeping both arms pushed out and trained on Cell the whole time. This was a fight Eighteen was certain she could still win if she didn't hold back, but fear both for Bulma, and for what Bulma might hear from Cell terrified Eighteen into retreat. Nothing completely damning had been said just yet. Eighteen tried to believe that she could still convince Bulma that this was all just one big mixup—that this Cell monster was spouting nothing but nonsense and lies, and things could go back to normal.

From outside the room, echoing through the door Cell had left wide open as he'd entered, Eighteen heard footsteps sprinting their direction.

With a knowing, sinister smile that sent a chill running up Eighteen's spine, Cell stepped to the side of the doorway. "You're leaving so soon, my dear sister?"

"Shut up! I'm not your sister! Any more of your lies and I'll make sure you regret it!" Eighteen snapped, itching to unleash enough energy to vaporize the entire building, but not wanting to reveal anything more to an already suspicious Bulma. What would Bulma think if she watched 'Videl' level an entire building the size of Capsule Corp. in a single attack? Eighteen was certain that would draw even more suspicion.

"Very well." Cell stood patiently at the side of the door as the footsteps grew louder. "I believe I will leave the talking to our dear brother, then."

Eighteen's face paled. The sheer furocity burning to fight bleeding away as a wave of fear flooded her chest.

No, no, no, no, no, no!

"Hey! Bug-face!" A voice Eighteen knew all too well called out, nearing the entrance. From behind, she heard Bulma freeze in place, clearly having heard as well."The hell was that 'boom' sound?! I thought you said we couldn't break stuff and make noise! I'm gonna start breaking shit if you were just telling me that to be a dick!"

Seventeen appeared in the doorway, leaning against the frame as he looked inside. He frowned, his brow creasing as he stepped into the room, surveying the damage. "The hell is happening in here?"

"A family reunion." Cell said flatly before nodding his head toward Eighteen.

Seventeen took a step closer, staring at Eighteen's masked face with uncertainty, then suspicion, and finally recognition. Their eyes met, and Eighteen could tell by the look in his eyes that he knew. There was no ski mask in the world that could hold back three decades of familiarity. His eyes narrowed as he sneered at her. In contrast, Eighteen's eyes were wide and unblinking, her mouth agape in shock as she regarded her brother. He raised his hand, his right hand, now reassembled and looking as good as new as he pointed a finger.

How did he get his arm back?!

"Eighteen? That's you, isn't it?" Seventeen scoffed, his eyes narrowing to hateful slits as he scowled. "What's up with the face mask? Did you get tired of the long black hair and birth-control-glasses look and figure this would be an easier disguise?" He caught her staring at his right side. "Oh, this?" Seventeen raised his right arm, rotating it to show both sides to her. "Like new, right? kinda as new as all this drama. Speaking of which, how's your new boyfriend, Goldilocks doing? You mind telling him that I'm going to rip his head off the next time I see him now that I have my arm back?" He asked it casually, as if they were having any old conversation despite the overwhelming flood of pure loathing Eighteen could see in her brother's eyes.

Eighteen said nothing, her arms trembling as they slowly lowered to her sides, her shoulders slumped in defeat. Bulma, thankfully, had the sense to back away so that she was at least no longer in view of Seventeen or Cell, but was still well within earshot.

Slowly, begrudgingly, Eighteen's anxious eyes turned until they found Bulma. The scientist's blue eyes were wide with alarm, her body shaking in fear as she cupped a hand over her mouth to stop herself from gasping. That look of horror, that look of sheer, unadulterated, unblinking, terror as those blue irises stared into her own—that look was one Eighteen knew all too well.

It was the face of a person who'd just seen android Eighteen.

No…

Eighteen felt a cold emptiness hit her, consuming her until she felt almost numb. Bulma knew. Bulma knew, and her life with Gohan, with Trunks, with all the friends she'd made, was all over. Seeing those terrified eyes looking back at her, Eighteen felt her world crumbling around her all over again.

Author's note:

And there you have it. Bulma knows. How soon will it be before Eighteen's secret is unmasked for all to see? I suppose we'll have to wait and see. Realistically, we're drawing close to the end of the story, ladies and gentlemen. I think there may be only 5 or so more chapters remaining until we arrive at the conclusion I'd love for this story.

I know that doesn't sound especially promising considering how long it took this chapter to finally come to fruition. Man, has it really been 6 months since my last update? I'm genuinely sorry for that. Would you believe this chapter sat completed in the editing process for nearly a month before it was done? Between me and Ben touching it up here, there and everywhere, I never thought it would get done. Before that, in all honesty, I had simply lost belief in myself and my ability to write at all. Nothing I typed seemed to be good enough.

I know, funny right?

Either way, I'm past that now and finally feel like this chapter is a good one between the combined efforts of Ben Thryss and myself. Please sing him high praise in the comments/reviews! This story wouldn't be nearly as clean if not for his contributions.

Onto the elements of the story I'd like to address. First and foremost, Cell has not transformed into Semi-perfect Cell. I described it that way from Eighteen's perspective because the last time she'd encountered Cell, he was exactly how she'd described him: a weak feral animal. Cell has since done a lot of growing in the story and is considerably stronger as a result. I also couldn't help but tease that he might have absorbed Seventeen although I doubt I fooled any of you ;).

Moving onto Eighteen's character and her new way of thinking ever since last chapter's conclusion. Writing for Eighteen this chapter felt…different after her revelation, but still a delight. Feeling how much Eighteen has changed has never felt this apparent until this chapter. Also, I never realized how remarkably well Eighteen and Bulma paired together, and discovering that was a fun time.
Lastly, I'd like to discuss the brief interactions with our supporting cast, between Peni and Erasa. I tried to keep this segment brief, and hope it did not make the chapter sluggish. I feel seeing the world from the perspective of normal people makes the grand spectacle of what happens between the Z-warriors that much more grand. That and, well, I kinda really like Erasa and Peni's characters. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do :).

The amazing cover art of this story was designed and completed by the wonderful:Upstart Psycho! If you'd like to check out their instagram where you can see all their other amazing work, please look them up saintswakeart. They appreciated the story enough that they wanted to add their touch to the tale, and I absolutely love it! Their commissions are currently open, so hit them up using the previously mentioned tags if you want more incredible artwork!

And that's it from me! After this I'm going through and responding to all the Reviews/comments that I've neglected to (I feel really bad) so please leave a review/comment of support if you enjoyed the chapter! You have no idea how often I come back and read them. They are truly uplifting to my spirits.

Until Next Time!