Chapter 10 Plot:
Chapter 10: "Operation: Extermination! Watch out, 18!" With Cell now in everyone's sights, one mission is clear: "Kill him!". With the combined forces, it should be enough to take down this walking humanoid insect, right? Not when his eyes are set on 18! Everyone is on guard to actually keep her and her twin brother from the monster's reach! How long can it actually last?!
STILL…
Future Trunks is recalling his life, realizing things had always been bleak. He is feeling like his chances of survival is slipping further away each day. His uneasiness becomes noticeable as he is reminded of his harsh adolescent years. Saiyans and Humans are the same on terms of certain violence.
A/N: Espeon804 here with another great chapter!
PUBLISHED ON: January 17, 2018!
WORDS: 14,557
Do you know what I just realized about myself?
I love games and shows that have monsters, creatures, or demons in them. Talk about some emo stuff. Jk.
Seriously. I enjoy:
-Pokémon
-Dragon Ball
-Undertale
-Inuyasha
-Blue Exprcist
-Full Metal Alchemist (because of the homunculi)
- Attack on Titan (does that count?)
But my top 3 are the first 3 listed.
And those 3 have THE WORST fandom. Especially Undertale. I originally thought Undertale was bad, but it was the bad part of the fandom.
Yes. I am part of the fandom since I do fanart and fanfiction. (Duh) But the bad parts? Hahaha.
No.
As you can see, I do not write Sans x Frisk or write fanfiction that doesn't make any sense.
No offense if you ship those two btw. Forgive me. We all have opinions.
Then again, we live in a world where some people will kill you for thinking differently...
Story Time!
Well! Something crazy happened recently. Guess what?!
Wattpad deleted this book! Well, maybe they didn't, but this book went missing on Wattpad! Thankfully I have it published on other sites so I have a backup plan.
I always feared it would happen so I always back up my files.
Thankfully, it came back in one piece.
That was scary.
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN DB, DBZ, DBGT, DBZKAI, OR DBS! Akira Toriyama is the creator.
Besides. If I did own it then the story would had no issues earlier…
I am still mad about that.
Key:
"Talking"
"Foreign Speech"
'Thoughts'
"Telepathy"
I guess this is my punishment for not updating.
-Espeon804
- Chapter 10: Operation: Extermination! Watch out, 18! -
The sound of a nails falling is followed by a frustrated growl.
"Aaah! Almost had it!"
A young teen Trunks is on his feet, close to the ground with a crouch as he tries to put together a dismantled drone. He screws a nail in easily. His expression is full of concentration as he easily slips each piece together like a puzzle. Picking up the last nail, he sighs. He had been working on it for weeks.
This has to work this time.
A monkey springs from a bush, chattering in panic. Trunks is startled as the animal runs past him. He drops and loses his nail in the process.
"Ah! Come on!" The teen stands immediately, looking at where the monkey is fleeing. He seems to want to throw something at it, but he holds himself back.
The teen turns his attention back to the ground. He slips a hand in his pocket and pulls out a small plastic bag filled with nails and bolts. He picks a nail before stuffing the bag away, and he screws the nail into place in the drone. He pulls out a remote from his other pocket, and he presses a button.
The drone comes to life. It begins to hover from the ground in an instant, smoothly flying around the now fascinated teen. A small laugh escapes his mouth as he watches it glide around.
"Awesome. I made it work!" The teen smiles wide. "I must be a natural with this kind of stuff. I guess my mother was right when she said I am like her on terms of handling technology. This one is pretty cool. It even has a gun with it… but I see no use of it."
The drone circles around him before flying high. It performs a flip before spiraling towards the ground and shooting back to the skies. The hacked drone is like a toy to the young teen. He plays around with it for some time, unaware that he is being watched.
A pair of yellow eyes narrow. The slits in them slowly grow into a circle due to concentration. A low rumble is heard as giant paws move across the grass silently. The eyes study the teen carefully, waiting.
Finally, Trunks turns his back completely.
A giant tiger lunges from hiding along a cluster of thick leaves. It pounces the surprised Saiyan to the ground, and its jaws open wide with a roar. It throws its head down.
And it begins to lick the young teen on the nose.
"Hey! Hey! Wusabi! Stop that! Get off of me!" Trunks seems disgusted, but he is laughing at the same time. "Okay! Okay! You win! You got me!"
The tiger crawls off, huffing as a way of laughter. It sits tall, waiting patiently for whatever the young teen may have to say.
"Is there something you want to show me, Wusabi?" Trunks can tell from the body language that the feline has something important to show. The tiger only sits still when it does.
Wusabi stands immediately and walks close to the cluster of trees that hide them from sight. It stops, pointing its snout a little towards the left.
Curious, Trunks walks closer to the trees. He pushes the branches aside, and his eyes slightly widen at the sight of a small and frightened little girl. She had scraped her knee from a fall, most likely. He stares at her out of curiosity, not seeing a human for so long so close. "Are you alright?"
The little girl shrinks away. She seems more terrified of him than the tiger. Her eyes tells it all.
"I know that you're scared but… I promise that I won't hurt you. But… someone I know will. You should run away from here. You'll be safe, then."
She slowly stands, looking at him funny. As any young child, her mind seems to wonder on why he isn't as mean as what she was taught he may be. No questions are asked.
"You better get out of here, okay? You'll get hurt!" Trunks warns the girl again.
The small child seems to listen this time. She nods before running off.
"I'm glad you found here." Trunks says in relief. "I never saw a person alive up close in so long. It was pretty breathtaking, you know? After so many years of seeing so many dead people… seeing one alive… I have to make sure it stays that way. That is why I had been working on this."
The tiger tilts its head as it watches the teen pull out a remote again. With a press of a few buttons, a drone flies from the distance and hovers above them.
"There. I think I got it under control this time. We can use this to help us."
Wusabi sits proudly. Its tail curls close to its backside as it watches the Saiyan walk around.
"You've seen this, right?" Trunks flies the drone around the tiger. "See? I told you I would hack into one of these. Now we can see everything even if we aren't there! How cool is that? Come on, Wusabi! Isn't it cool?"
The tiger simply sniffs the drone when it flies close enough.
"Okay. I know. You probably don't understand it much…" The teen's tail stops moving due to him being still in sudden thought. "Do you think teacher would like this?"
Wusabi shrugs.
"I thought so, too. He'll probably break it, thinking the military can still get into it and all. Should we go back? It's getting late. But I honestly am in no mood to go back."
The tiger snorts, as if to ask why.
"What if he's been at the city?" Trunks asks the feline a question to prove a point. After seconds of silence, he shakes his head. "I definitely don't want to go then…"
The tiger grumbles, like it is trying to reply. It somehow ignores the drone that flies around its head for a second.
"You think it is okay to stay here? But… he'll get mad. You know what happens when he gets mad. And I'm scared of what kind of "lesson" he wants to teach me today…" The teen seems conflicted on what to do. After a while, he shakes his head. "I'm going."
Wusabi groans in worry.
"I'll be alright. But you need to stay here. You know he doesn't like you very much. The only reason why he never really hurt you is because he knows we knew each other since we were babies." Trunks reaches for the tiger's head. He strikes the head before retreating his hand. "You can make him happy by catching us something good to eat. How about that?"
The tiger seems excited about the idea. It Immediately rushes off back from where it came.
Trunks smiles, and he begins to head down a hill, walking on only the grass that is flattened, like it is a path. Years of walking the same way caused the grass to stay flattened as the ones who are rarely ever crossed grow tall and proud.
Within half an hour, the ship is in sight. The outside is rusted and aged, untreated for years. It doesn't bother the teen much, who is well occupied with flying his new "toy". He reaches the door, and the drone suddenly takes a sharp turn and whizzes past his head. "Whoa!"
Fighting to control it, the teen presses several buttons. The drone zips around until a hand suddenly snatches it from mid-flight.
Trunks nearly drops his remote as the hand lowers. The drone hums like a bee in distress, unable to fly as it wants to. The hybrid feels his tail sinking low slowly.
Tarble holds the drone firmly. A few more seconds pass before he speaks. "What have I told you about messing around with these things?"
Trunks frowns. "I know… but this time, I managed to hack into it. It can really help us this time!"
"Hacking? Not again…"
"I really got it down this time! I know I did!"
"Arrogance will get you nowhere." Tarble crushes the drone effortlessly, destroying the teen's weeks of hard work. He opens his hand, allowing the crushed drone to fall.
"T-teacher! I… I…!"
Tarble walks towards the young teen. He stops, standing feet away with a look filled with annoyance. "Where were you this morning?"
"I was only fishing, sir." Trunks responds carefully. "I got hungry. Then I was working on that drone…"
"You got hungry?" Tarble shakes his head. "Do you know that the military is aware that we hunt? They know we can hardly move when starved, so they set traps around our hunting grounds in hopes to slow us down."
"I know… but…"
"Stop saying you know if you are going to keep making the same stupid mistakes." Tarble waves the worlds away. Though he sounds reasonable, it doesn't take a genius to tell that his way of talking is… off.
Trunks becomes a little uncomfortable. "Sir… does it really hurt for me to hack into a drone? We could had used that to our advantage-"
"Enough with your nonsense. That thing could have a tracker." Tarble says. "Then we'll have a.. a problem marching their way through here… then I would have to go through the trouble of… killing those annoying bastards..."
Trunks was about to say more, but he shuts his mouth in an instant, taking a step back. The scent he picked up from the prince makes his stomach drop. 'Oh, no. Please don't tell me…'
"Why is your breathing uneasy?" Tarble narrows his eyes.
Trunks frowns. "Sir… have you been… drinking? That's not good for you at all! I know the Androids are stressful, but that's not how we should deal with it!"
"Your concern is reasonable, but does it look like I care?"
The teen blinks.
Tarble chuckles as he pats the child's back. "Well… alright." He turns and walks away. He bends down to pick up a broken piece of the drone… which is actually the gun part of it. "But, to do something like that is… absurd."
Trunks gasps as the prince turns around with the gun aimed towards him.
POW!
The bullet strikes the teen on the forehead, and the force throws him off his feet. Trunks quickly sits up, groaning and clawing the crushed bullet from his bleeding head.
"A bullet wouldn't do more than bruise a pure-blooded Saiyan. A bullet would easily pierce through a pure-blooded Human. You are half of each. It seems to only make you bleed, but it won't kill you." Tarble drops the gun, crossing his arms. "But with enough shots catching you off guard, you might just be killed."
Trunks grunts as he covers his bleeding head. "What was that for?!"
"You will not survive as long as you show mercy. You will not survive as long as you show compassion. You are a disappointment." The prince tosses the gun aside as he looks towards his left. "And look at what we got here?"
Trunks watches the prince jump into a bush. He hears a scream, then he sees the prince walk out, dragging a small child her ponytail on the ground.
The same little girl he saved earlier.
Panicked, he tries to reason with the prince. "What are you doing?! She's not an Android!"
Tarble narrows his eyes, ignoring the whimpering of the child he has trapped in his hold. Trunks stares at him in disbelief.
"Wait… you're not doing what I think you are. This is going too far!"
"No. I'm not, Trunks. This is your next lesson."
"My n-next…?" Trunks nearly jumps as the child is thrown in front of him. He looks at the prince in question.
"Kill her."
"WHAT?!"
"You heard me." Tarble crosses his arms. "You need to get rid of that annoying and absurd softness you have. If you can't, then you might as well die here. Kindness is useless."
"Getting rid of it by killing a child?! Are you insane?! I can't do that!"
Tarble frowns. "We are going to have a long talk after this. I am not stupid. You saved her earlier. Fool! Humans with trick you into trusting them, then they will kill you!"
"Not all humans are the same!"
"Yes. They. Are." Tarble snarls. "Selfish and greedy creatures who only care about themselves! They are destroying their own world by tearing it down to create their wants! Can't you see what it did to this world?! What it did to Kakarot?! What it did to me?!"
Trunks nearly steps back, but he stays firm in his place. "You don't have to do this. That kid is innocent!"
"Humans are never innocent." Tarble huffs as he walks towards the whimpering child now. "Something I was taught a long time ago. The children are just as selfish. They mean nothing to me." He grabs the head firmly, and he twists it around almost in a full circle, snapping the neck and ending the child's life. He frees the child who falls limp to the ground.
Trunks' jaw hangs open as he stares at the lifeless body before looking back at the one who took the life.
"And you, child… you still have much to learn. I don't give a shit about what you think." Tarble snarls. "Never show mercy. Never play around. Get the job done. It is that simple! Can't you get that through your damn head?! You are just as stubbornly idiotic as your father was!"
Trunks flinches, expecting to get hit. But he relaxes after nothing happens, only to grow more uncomfortable as he watches the prince walk into the ship, grumbling something.
"This child is going to be the death of me." Tarble walks into the kitchen. "I am going to need a drink."
"Sir! Please!" Trunks doesn't really understand how alcohol affects the body. All he knows is if Tarble drinks enough to get drunk, hell will break loose. The prince would become so aggressive.
But there is no point in trying to stop him. The prince is already opening a bottle of liquor.
Beer is said to be disgusting to most, anyways… but this drink has more alcohol… meaning things can turn out really bad.
Trunks had read enough books to make sure that the prince doesn't get his hands on any moonshine. But still…
Just how bad things turned out in a few years…. it really must be the end of the world.
The sound of a glass object striking the counter snaps the teen from his thoughts. He looks back at the prince, then his eyes lock on the already empty bottle of what should be liquor. Did Tarble actually chug it down?
Doesn't that like… hurt?
"Aaah." Tarble throws the now empty bottle, and it shatters against the walls near the information room. He sits on the chair, leaning back. "I hate this planet…"
'Then why do you chose to stay on it?' Trunks can only think. Saying it out loud would be reckless. He just watches his teacher taking out a cigarette and lighting it with a tiny finger blast. Looking away, the teen walks towards the door, standing near the entrance. He sits, and he waits. From the corner of his eye, he sees the prince going in the cabinets again.
He can only roll his eyes at this point, unknowingly appearing like his dead father from the gesture.
After about an hour, he finally hears the sound he was waiting for.
Snoring.
Trunks stands, looking at the prince who had fallen asleep on the chair with a cigarette still in his mouth. A few empty bottles lie around him.
This is very normal to Trunks' eyes. He had seen the prince do this for years, but it is growing worse.
It is why he tries to stay away from him when he has the chance.
Trunks walks out the ship and takes off into flight. After a while, he lands at the abandoned crop field that is now a barren land. Karot had took charge of the crops after his father died… but now that he is gone, the crops died off with no one taking care of them. So food became scarce.
Thud.
Trunks blinks as a lifeless rabbit falls to his feet. He looks ahead and sees Wusabi standing there with a curious look. The tiger clearly caught the rabbit for him.
"Oh. Thanks."
Hours later, Trunks lies back against the flank of his tiger, next to a bonfire. Rabbit bones are piled near the flames, and they are tossed one by one into it in boredom. The tiger is resting on its paws, looking off into space.
Trunks always spends time with Wusabi during meal time. He had some nights he would fall asleep on the animal and be woken up early to make it back to the ship in time. He realized that the animal is his one and only friend.
His best friend. They did so much together.
They played together.
They fought together.
They grew up together. Of course, they are both still young. Regular tigers can only live as far as a human in their teenage years. This tiger in particular ages slow due to it having the same lifespan as Humans and Saiyans due to it being a mutant. (Or an alien in Chille's case.) Trunks doesn't fear the tiger despite knowing it could spit lava whenever it wants.
He wants. The tiger is a male. Something Trunks unintentionally found out when he was a child when the tiger was marking territory.
It wasn't a good experience.
Trunks can think off all the things they did together, but his mind begins to drift as his eyes grow heavy. He falls asleep in minutes.
…
"YOU!"
Trunks never jolted so bad in his life. He had sat up so fast, he feels a headache trying to come in. At first, he thinks it his imagination. The brain tends to play tricks when one is half asleep…
… but looking ahead, it is no trick.
Tarble puts out the flames with a harsh kick of dirt. He looks at the teen with an annoyed look. "Why did you run off?!"
Trunks slowly stands, and so does his tiger. He tries to search for the right words. "Uh… I just wanted some fresh air."
"Lies. You left without permission again. What if you were attacked?!"
"I… we could try to convince them to stop, I guess?" Trunks answers. "They should see fighting as pointless now since there is hardly anything left. We can just... " He stops talking. Not because he is getting a look or anything usual.
He is hearing laughter.
Tarble is laughing at him.
That is an angry laugh, actually.
"Heheheh… hahaha… you… is that how you think it will all work out?" The prince turns towards him with a grin that isn't positive in any way. "You are terribly stupid. Such an idiot!" He swings his arm, and be back-slaps the teen across the face, sending him spiraling to the ground.
Wusabi huffs in surprise before looking back at the prince.
The teen grunts and hisses through his clenched teeth, trying to shake off the stinging pain on his left cheek. He pushes himself to his knees, only to feel a harsh force slam on his back. His chin hits the ground, and he bites his tongue. Holding back a scream, he remains down, feeling pressure on his back.
"We are the only Saiyans left in existence, Seleriak." Tarble hisses his words angrily. "I will make it half more less if you continue to be such a pain."
It strikes the teen that Tarble is threatening to kill him.
Well, it's not like he never did before, so…
WHAM!
A boot had kicked the side of his head, crushing Trunks' thoughts in an instant.
The tiger flattens close to the ground. It snarls angrily, as a warning for the attacks to stop.
"Stop ignoring me, you!" Tarble speaks harshly, his lips pull back, exposing his teeth. "You failed your lesson, so you will take it again until you pass! I don't care about how bad you feel. Get rid of it."
"And be like you?!" Trunks grunts.
"Compassion is a weakness! How many more times do I have to beat on you until it gets through your head?!" Tarble lifts his foot high. "Maybe this will help you remember!"
It is slammed on the middle of the teen's tail. It snaps loudly, followed by an agonizing scream.
Tarble's expression shows no signs of changing as he shifts his foot purposely to grind the broken limb on the ground like he is assuring a crushed bug's death. "It's like rubbing salt into a wound. There is no. Such. Thing. As. Compassion. Mercy does nothing but kill. Until you learn that, you will be beaten to a bloody mess everyday!" He lifts his foot again.
A powerful roar makes him stop.
Tarble spins around, only for a heavy paw to slap him to the ground. He is pinned down, and hot breath blows on his face as another roar pounds through his eardrums.
Trunks sits up immediately. "No! Wusabi! Stop it! Let him go!"
The tiger looks at his friend in question.
"It's alright. I'll be okay. He's just… worried about me. Saiyans act different from Humans. Remember that I told you that?"
After several seconds, Wusabi steps back, freeing the Saiyan. He sits, watching the Saiyan stand.
"I'm sorry, teacher. It… it won't happen again. Just like you… he gets worried and stuff. He was only trying to protect me. He doesn't understand you all the way just yet…"
Tarble huffs before he laughs lightly. "So… you run off every night with this tiger? That thing… is not meant to be played with."
"He's not a thing."
The prince isn't convinced.
"He's my friend. We knew each other since we were babies. He's really nice if you get to know him." Trunks says. "He can fight the Androids, too. Remember?"
"I've seen what he can do… but as long as he is here… it is a distraction."
"Huh?"
"I'm sick of you running off with that feline every night? You think I am stupid?! Foolish! Do you not see how soft it has made you?! All distractions are slowing you down!" Tarble turns towards the animal, and he fires a quick blast. It shoots right through the chest.
Trunks forgets how to breathe as he watches the tiger yowl in pain as it falls to the ground. It takes several seconds of him staring at the down animal for him to gain his ability to breathe again. "WUSABIIIIII!"
Tarble lowers his hand as the child sprints past him to reach the animal. "I don't care about what you think. Compassion is a weakness. That is a lesson you will learn today."
Trunks falls to his knees, horrified by the amount of blood pooling from the tiger's wound. He strokes the howling tiger's head. "I... Hey…"
Wusabi yowls weakly.
Knowing there is no way of saving him, he continues to pet him, and he hugs his head. "It's okay, boy. I'm here. I'm here… it's okay. Just… just go to sleep, okay? When you wake up… th-there will be plenty for you to eat.. and you'll see my mentor again…"
Wusabi seems somewhat confused by what the teen is talking about, but his howls reduce to weak grumbling as his eyes become heavy.
"It's okay… say hi to Gohan for me… okay…?"
It grumbles weakly in response, before its eyes close, and it remains silent… no longer breathing.
It takes a few seconds.. And the teen buries his face in the animal's fur, sobbing heavily.
"This is a prime example." Tarble chuckles. "Foolish child. Compassion will lead to grief. And when you mourn, it lowers your defenses to zero. Your guard is completely down. I can kill you here and now in an instant if I wanted to."
Trunks can barely hear what the Saiyan just said. His body is trembling as a hot feeling flows through him. His mind is starting to fog. Hot tears still fall. He can't believe it.
Tarble killed someone he knew since birth.
He killed him.
In cold blood.
"Let's go." Tarble turns away, and he begins to walk.
"...Why…?"
The prince stops. Not only because of the change in tone from the teen. He senses a spike of energy from him as well.
"You… WHY DID YOU KILL HIM?!"
Something powerful pierces into Trunks' mind.
Everything is a blur as he feels his throat explode due to him possibly roaring in rage.
Tarble Immediately blocks a powerful punch. The force sends him skidding across the grass several feet. He can hear the hard breathing followed by deep growling. "Of course… you know nothing about your Saiyan half. You can't even control yourself."
The enraged teen swings a leg. His foot is caught, and he is thrown to the ground.
"It takes for you to lose someone so close for you to finally have the will and guts to kill. For the very first time… you truly want to kill. You want to kill me. Right? But where you stand, you'll only get yourself killed."
Trunks groans before standing. His hard breathing seems to worsen as tears pour from his face. His eyes seem to glow before they appear to be a lighter blue, and then a blue-green.
"Your anger is puzzling." Tarble chuckles again. "Child… you are something else. Why do you have to witness someone you love get killed for you to act like a real Saiyan? First it was Karot… now the tiger. There is no one left… so what now? What will you do after this?"
"I… hate you."
Tarble freezes, and his expression shows his disbelief. "What?"
The green glow is replaced with red as the teen snarls heavily. "I… I hate you! I HATE YOU!" He lunges forward again with a scream.
Tarble flawlessly dodges each attack.
"You killed him! He was my best friend, and you KILLED him!" Trunks continues to attack. "You're SICK! You drunken bastard! Why do you torture me like this?! YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE PROTECTING ME!"
For a second, Tarble jumps back with an expression that reads slight discomfort, but it is shaken away.
"As I said before… I don't care about what you think." Tarble responds. "That feline was a distraction. You might as well eat its body before it rots. Perhaps a proper meal will help you."
It is painful, like a needle stabbing into his skin. His ears ring, and everything seems to black out for a second as Trunks feels the air around him brush past his skin. The sound of a deep and rumbling growl vibrates through the air.
His instincts seem to take control, moving his body with only a single thought in mind;
Kill him.
Tarble dodges many feral swings before he is stuck by one on the chin. He pushes the teen back, and the teen lunges forward. Tarble remains still.
Suddenly...
...the feeling fades out. Trunks can see again. Tarble is directly in front of him with his hands behind his back. How did he get there?
No. He never moved. Trunks realizes this as he looks at the ground he stands. He was the one who…
"Your instincts don't lie. But we have much to work on." Tarble points out. "Your eyes show a great deal of animalistic bloodlust. That red glow is not mistaken. It seems your Saiyan half nearly took control of your mind."
Trunks breathes deeply before he falls to his knees. The rush was so powerful, it drained so much of his energy. "It doesn't seem to matter… no matter what I do… I can never make you feel proud of me. Why am I stuck with you?"
"We know the answer to that already." Tarble says. "I just wish you used your power more wisely."
At this point, criticism doesn't even bother him. The teen responds; "I just wish I can change the past. Maybe so that I would never have to meet you."
The words are harsh, but that is how he feels. He can't forgive Tarble for what he had done. Whatever reason it is… it is no excuse to him.
He expects Tarble to get angry and attack him, but...
"Change… the past…?"
Trunks stands. Something is puzzling about this now. Tarble smiles small. What was just said…
It pleases him?
"Heheheh… Heheheh… that's…" Tarble throws his head back. "WAH-HAH-HAH-HAH-HAH! GENIUS! THIS IS TRULY GENIUS! SELERIAK, YOU NEVER CEASE TO AMAZE ME!"
Trunks just stays on guard. To hear the Saiyan laugh like that can either me a good or bad thing.
He'll take it as a bad thing for now.
Besides. Shouldn't he be angry right now?
"That's it! You can go to the past!" Tarble slams his fist on the palm of his hand. "I want you to learn about not just the Androids, but the Saiyans of the past as well. Yes, even me. Then, you'll see just how low and pathetic I was back then… such a shameful coward I was, allowing Vegeta to step all over me! Pah!"
What the heck did this come from? Is he bipolar or what?
"What is the benefit? We had been planning this for years." Trunks frowns. "And besides. Maybe I don't want to learn about anyone from the past, especially you."
"I need to analyze." Tarble says. "The past. Then these humans…!"
Trunks is confused.
"I need to analyze, Seleriak. Don't you understand?" Trunks exhales excitedly before throwing his hands down. "This is our one chance to place an end to all of humankind! If those humans are gone, then there will be nothing left to oppose us and bring destruction upon this Earth! The humans will… heh… heheh… WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Trunks frowns. The prince had completely lost it. Tarble is in no position to lead anything with a mind as corrupted as is.
"Finally… it will all be over." Tarble chuckles.
"I doubt it. A sicko like you won't live much longer here, anyway!" Trunks snaps.
Instead of getting angry, Tarble grins at the teen. "The entire world dances with madness, and so, the doctor is insane."
Did he just admit it?
"I've lost everything. I have nothing left to fight for anymore." Tarble says through a forced chuckle. "But you… you still have something to fight for. Whatever it is… I don't care. Don't lose sight of it, because the moment you do… the darkness will swallow you as well. There is only so much a Saiyan can endure, child."
"What could you had lost that made you the way you are now?!" Trunks snaps.
Tarble chuckles. "Trust."
What…?
The teen looks at him funny. Trust? Not someone, but something.
That's right. Tarble does have major trust issues. Not only that… he hardly trusts anything at all. Perhaps when he lost trust in everything, he started to accuse everyone of doing anything.
"That's right." The prince grins. "Pathetic, isn't it? And it all started with my brother… and then your youngest uncle. I lost sight in faith, and things spiraled out of control. I never felt… so much envy. I was so envious… heh… do you want to know what really happened? When everyone was dying left and right?"
Trunks frowns. He heard the story many times, but it was from Karot mostly. Tarble's side was small since he couldn't see what really happened.
"Everyone was killed by the Androids. All except one. Child, this is why I am telling you to never lost faith… to never lose hope. Because when I did… well… I lost myself."
"Clearly."
The prince ignores the comment. "Vegeta wasn't killed by the Androids. I lied to you about that."
The teen pauses. His rude responses were forgotten as his eyes are fixed on his mentor. Seeing the hesitation, a look of horror crosses the teen's face. "You didn't-"
"I did." Tarble narrows his eyes. "I am the one who killed Vegeta."
Trunks steps back. Why would he do that?! That's his own brother!
"I was sick of him. Even when we were fighting for our lives… he still… had the nerve to step all over me. I was tired of being mistreated. Everyone saw me as weak! Even Karot surpassed me when he was a child, so I was the weakest Saiyan alive! They told me to sit the battle out. It was worth nothing for me to fight… that… I would throw my life away."
"You're… you killed your own family-"
"Vegeta is not family." Tarble says hatefully, cutting the teen off. "He never was. I was so sick of how he treated me… and how weak I was… I wanted to get stronger. Like him. I wanted to be like him."
"You…"
"He was certainly in disbelief when I dealt a lethal blow. He didn't even laugh. He simply said; "Your anger grew into hate. You idiot." and, he died. And… you know… I didn't regret it. In fact, it felt like the heaviest burden in the world was lifted off of my chest. I was so… overjoyed. That's it. It was hilarious, and it felt wonderful!"
Trunks feels his anger returning as the prince begins to laugh. "You're insane!"
"When you meet Vegeta, you will change your mind!" Tarble's smile was wiped clean due to him snapping. "Trust me, Seleriak. If you do succeed and go to the forgotten past… then you will see what I had endured all those years. He got what he deserved. And I will never regret it one bit!"
Trunks begins to step away again. His mentor's temper is rising quickly. Seeing the angry look morph into rage mixed with something else… it actually scares him.
"Heheheheh… hahahaha…. foolish boy. You will never understand until you've been there. If you are against me… then it's best you go to the past and make sure I don't go as far as hurting him! Because if I do kill him… everything falls apart, because trust among each other will be shattered into a million pieces! We would fight like hyenas, Seleriak! Everyone turns on each other! It's every man for himself in this world, child!"
Trunks begins to run quickly.
"Every man for himself!"
The teen runs faster, shutting his eyes.
"EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF!" Tarble screams out before maddening laughter escapes his mouth.
-OoOoOoOoOo-
Future Trunks stares out the window, looking at the endless sky. How things are so different here… it is too content at times.
He is not use to it.
He would try to remind himself that the ones he knew in his time aren't yet the same in behavior in the past. Seeing his mentor as a child is strange enough.
The Tarble in this time… he is so different. He tolerates so much more… and he is kind and responsible for himself. Completely opposite from his future counterpart. But… how long until he gets closer to that?
Tarble said he didn't lose sight of himself until he completely lost trust in everyone and went as far as killing his own brother. It can't happen here.
Future Trunks knows it. He can't allow the younger him to suffer the same way he did. He promised to bring peace to this world… and heal his own. To do that… he will have to understand those around him… to get an idea on how they were like in the past… and what changed them.
Future Trunks meet Kakarot before the military took the Saiyan away. Meeting him again was completely different. Kakarot changed. It is affecting everyone.
For a while now… Kakarot has been gone. Future Trunks was told that the Saiyan tends to leave without warning… but at least this time around Kakarot said something… but it's been a while. His mother went out to find him, despite the protests she may had gotten since her power isn't too great.
He sighs, stuffing his hands in his pockets. A beeping sound comes from his jacket. Now slightly annoyed by the small interruption, he pulls his right hand from his pocket, pulling out a small tablet. Looking at it lazily, he taps the screen, and the lazy look on his face snaps away into shock. "Oh, no. Oh, no!"
The door swings open due to him pushing it with more force than necessary. He sprints out the room, passing many who look at him in question. The teen spots his baby self sitting near the door. He snatches the baby from there, and he jumps back in time.
A loud crash is heard, and the door flies from being held in place, smoking. It falls on the ground, and everyone turns their attention to the exposed exit.
"Who had the nerve to break the door after I just fixed it?!" Tarble marches from the medical room and to the center of the control section. He freezes instantly as he smiles uneasy.
That's the look of discomfort.
"Well… I guess we had you waiting too long, I take it? I should congratulate you for finding our quarters."
Standing at the doorway is Cell. He responds with a smile while exhaling an excited breath. "They are hereeee… I can sense them."
Tarble narrows his eyes. "Hey. Hairless human. Make yourself useful."
"Hairless?!" Tien and Krillin repeat the word almost as if it insulted them. Tien is the one who speaks again. "You don't remember our names, and you're supposed to be the smart one."
"I don't waste my time trying to recall the names of the dead." Tarble responds rudely.
"Hey! What do you mean by dead?!" Krillin frowns. "We are just as alive as you guys!'
"You'll be dead in no time at all facing that creature. That is what I mean. I see no reason to get to know you if you are going to die so easily. Now, listen. As I said before, I need you to be useful."
"That's a no-brainer." Tien prepares himself to fight, but seeing Tarble shake his head, he is confused.
"I'm talking about the short one."
Krillin opens his mouth to say something, but he shuts it quickly, realizing it won't do much of anything. Looking at Cell, he seems to question his position. "Alright. Fine. What is it?"
"Take ChiChi to the back. Make sure she stays alive." Tarble orders carefully. "You will protect her with your life."
"Huh?!"
"Or you can allow her to die and deal with the wrath of the Earthling Saiyan once again?"
Krillin clenches his teeth in fear. Almost immediately, he rushes to ChiChi and grabs her by the arm to guide her away from the danger zone and to the medical room. As soon as he enters the room, he shuts the door and turns around, leaning against it. "I guess this is better than being out there. Right, ChiChi?"
There is no response from the woman.
Krillin looks at her funny. "Hey. I know you probably want to fight too, but you have a bundle there. I'm sure that all of this will end soon-"
SHING!
The monk is silent as his eyes focus on the sword that is pointed towards his nose. He is frozen, afraid that the slightest movement would cause the weapon to pierce him. "H-hey…! I'm on your side, remember? I wouldn't even try to hurt you or anything-"
"Start talking." ChiChi orders firmly.
"A-about what?!"
"START TALKING!"
"Okay! Okay! Just don't hurt me with that thing!" Krillin raises his hands in surrender. "Though I have no idea what it is you want me to talk about, but I'll talk! I'll talk!"
Back at the scene, those remaining take their battle-ready positions. The threat that stands before them studies them all, as if he is thinking about who to attack first.
Cell chuckles. "Isn't this sweet? You were expecting me?"
"Shut the hell up." Kauli's demand makes the insect frown. "What you want isn't here. So get outta here."
"Hah… trying to chase me away? Silly girl. I am not as gullible as you think. I know they are nearby. You're just trying to keep them from me."
"You're not very bright." Tarble says to him. "You walked right into your death. You can't possibly take us all on."
Cell chuckles at this. "Yes. That is true. I can't. At least not yet. So to locate this place gets rid of the huge burden I thought I would have. Spare your energy and let me through."
"You will have to try better than that." Vegeta walks into the control room from being in the information room moments prior. His arms are folded. The look on his face tells that he has no interest.
"Vegeta!" Cell calls him excitedly. "What's this? I figured you would try to attack me by now."
"I would not dare waste my energy on something so worthless." Vegeta says. "You are better off fighting my brother. It would be a much fairer fight."
"Thanks. I appreciate the offer." Tarble responds with sarcasm.
Raditz appears unsure of the way things are going. He turns to his son from the future. "Hey. Take… how should I say this? Take your infant self someplace safe. Whether or not you decide to fight doesn't matter. Just make sure the younger you doesn't get hurt or anything."
"That is sorta what I am doing…" Future Trunks mutters. He doesn't exactly want to leave the monster for everyone else to handle but…
… he doesn't quite understand it just yet. Still… he can't allow him to simply have his way. Cell has his eyes set on the Androids for reasons that won't benefit the Saiyans and their allies.
"Kid. What are you allowing your mind to wander to?" Raditz snaps the teen from his thoughts.
"I'll hand him to uh… ChiChi. She'll do a better job at watching him than I would." The teen steps away before he heads for the medical room. Opening the door, he locates ChiChi sitting on the bed and Krillin leaning against the wall.
Strangely, the monk seems rattled. Then again, ChiChi is known to be intimidating…
"Um… I hate to bother you but can you watch me- uh, I mean him for a little while?"
ChiChi pats her lap. "Sit him here. Just be careful out there. Keep that thing far from the ship."
She seems strangely laid-back…
Future Trunks hands his younger counterpart to the woman. He bows his head with a quiet apology before leaving and shutting the door.
ChiChi turns to Krillin with an innocent smile as she draws out her sword again. "Now. What were you saying about your plans again? Continue from where you left off."
"Eeeeeee!" Krillin begins to shrink as Baby Trunks laughs and claps.
-0000-
'Hey.'
Kakarot doesn't bother to move. He sits on the grass with his knees tucked close to his chest. His left arm hugs them close as his right hand plays with the grass on the ground. His tail is tucked close to his body.
'Hey!'
Kakarot pulls some grass from the ground.
'HEY!'
"Leave me alone." Kakarot responds at last. "I'm tired. I want to be left alone."
'We have work to do.'
"You mean you do. You're just using me as your puppet." Kakarot grumbles. He doesn't go any further, not in the mood to argue.
'Keep that attitude, and I will take full control and make you slaughter your whole family!'
"Go ahead. I don't even care anymore." Kakarot lies down on his side, having no motivation to do anything. After his recent game, it just slapped him across the face. To think it would take a stupid game for him to realize…
… he really has gone too far.
Reality struck him so hard. He can't get back up. Not literally. He could stand up right now but… he doesn't want to.
He doesn't even want to fight. That's bizarre to him… but recalling what his son said and how he is affecting everyone… then the demon keeps tormenting him. He can't take it anymore. His body just refuses to function.
'Oh, don't tell me you've just thrown the towel! We've come so far!'
The sound of rustling catches the Saiyan's attention. He rises to his knees, seeing many soldiers approaching him. They seem cautious and confused. Apparently they had been watching him for a while, trying to make out on what is going on.
"Damn. He looks like shit." One soldier comments. "He looks miserable as hell. Should we kill him?"
"He might be fooling around. Perhaps we should-"
Kakarot remains on his knees. He smiles in a weary style, as if he had given up all hope. "Kill me now… kill me never… it won't make a difference. The demon that lurks inside me wins the battle either way. In the end… he will have what he wants…"
'What? What are you talking about?! Whoa there! Don't go committing suicide on me! That's hardly fair!' Youzi sounds surprised, but not terrified.
All the weapons fire at once.
The ground bursts and explodes as bullets, cannons, and blasters batter all across. Dirt clouds grow bigger and thicker as the brutal sound of fire is endless. It drags on for nearly a minute, and it slowly stops.
Soldiers lower their weapons, all with the same look of disbelief on their faces.
A purple, transparent sphere of light acts as a forcefield that protected the Saiyan from gunfire. Standing in front of him with feet apart and arms out is Gine.
The soldiers step back, not risking attacking again knowing the new arrival is likely to counter or protect again. They would only waste ammunition.
"Who the hell are you?!" One soldier demands angrily.
"An oven." Gine responds.
The soldiers only look at her funny.
Gine keeps the shield alive, appearing slightly drained already. She turns her head halfway to look at the Saiyan she is protecting. "Kakarot. Why didn't you do anything? They could had killed you just then."
"Why are you bothering to protect me when I will only end up hurting you in return one day? And it wouldn't even be me…" Kakarot responds, not bothering to look at her in the eyes.
"Huh?" Gine blinks at him before her mind registers on what he was trying to say. "Oh, dear. This isn't good. Don't think like that. It won't happen. I promise it won't."
'Don't make promises you can't keep, idiot.' Youzi teases her, but only Kakarot can hear it. The Saiyan doesn't react in any way besides a sigh.
"Stop it." Kakarot mutters. "You can try everything you can but… you've seen how I behave around the humans. The way I act when I get angry or when I start to hurt people… I am just now realizing how bad it is… and it's too late to go back. I should had listened to Bora. I should had! But I killed him instead… and with a stupid knife like some…!" He growls lightly, not wanting to think about it anymore.
Gine keeps her eye on him not because she doesn't know what to say. The mother has much to say. She just doesn't know what to start with. The way her son is behaving reminds her of many events she had went through in her past.
"It looks like he reached his breaking point." One soldier lowers their weapon, knowing the usual threat won't bother to lift a finger at this point. A few more do the same as others stay on guard. "Just as Chille predicted. It would take a load of effort until this Saiyan finally loses his will to carry on himself."
Gine overheard this. "Wait. This was a plan from the beginning, and you carried it out even after he died?" She doesn't earn a response, but seeing their looks show a hint of pride, her tail stiffens somewhat.
"There is nothing you can do. He's broken beyond repair." Another says with a teasing grin. "We'll make it it stays that way, too."
Gine's eyes flash.
"That's one mistake you will regret, Human." The next sentence is said in a firm order; "Don't you ever torment my son. Never again."
Most of the soldiers aim their weapons at her again only because they picked up two words;
My son.
So clearly her describing herself as an oven makes more sense now…
"Attack! Now!" A soldier swings his arm.
Her hair begins to rise, and pink static runs through it before it suddenly disappears. The static rushes down her body and across the ground in a split second.
Soldiers spin around towards their vehicles as pink electricity bolts dance around them, shutting them down like an EMP, making them unusable. Seconds later, and they all explode in a path - like falling dominoes - one by one in between split seconds.
They look back at her, aiming and ready to fire, but pink bolts run through the weapons, jamming them. They drop them by instinct as their hands are shocked.
"What the hell?!" One soldier cries out.
Another seems angry. "Now that I have a good look at her… that Goku looks like her! She must be his mother for real! How did we even miss her?!"
"The better question is; How is she doing that?! She's not even that strong!"
"Strength doesn't matter in a fight." Gine says as her static raised hair flows with the wind. "What matters is your actions. Every decision counts. It determines a win or loss… life or death… we Saiyans are born with the instinct of battle. What we do from there will be our fate in combat."
"Urgh! I can't stand her!" The leading soldier points at her. "Shoot her down with what we have left!"
One soldier tosses a capsule, drawing out a classic cannon on wheels. He pulls the string back, but a powerful energy cannon ball shoots out Instead.
Gine doesn't move. Her eyes narrow as it comes closer. It is a foot from hitting her when it appears to strike an invisible wall instead. The ball falls hard on the grass with a dull thud.
"What…?"
"It is true that I was never cut out for fighting. The reasons for it is nothing for you to know about. At least not yet." Gine says. "But my 3 sons each picked up something from me that makes them strong as I wanted them to be."
They fire again, but the forcefield reveals itself once more, causing all blasts to bounce off and strike other places. The firing stops as soon as one deflected blast accidentally destroys a flying jet.
"Kakarot inherited my agility the best. He is the most limber out of his brothers. Turles is the one who inherited my outstanding memory, which is why he never forgets. As for Raditz… he inherited my strong suit in combat - ki manipulation. Back when I was still fighting among their father's team... I had the best control of my energy. I was able to use it for things they could not. It is why Raditz's most powerful attacks… are all based on energy. And mostly… just as I can…
The soldiers jump as static zaps.
"I can manipulate my ki into the same energy you get from lightning. In short… it's called electricity, well… sometimes even plasma." Gine spreads apart her fingers. Static builds and gathers into a pink sphere of wild energy. She pulls her arm back.
"What the?!" Many step back.
"But despite myself being a mother… and the fact that I am not a great fighter… I am still a Saiyan. Unlike most, I am kind and gentle. But like all mothers… I have to become violent to protect my children." She snarls. "Were you ever told of how much more merciless a female Saiyan is compared to males? Mess with my family and you are taking a trip to Otherworld!"
The soldiers seem ready to run, but they have no time to react.
"Single… SUNDAY!" Gine unleashes it, and the blast slams on the ground. Dirt bursts high in the air and rains back down.
A huge crater had been formed right in front of them. Still alive, they relax from their shielding positions and stare at the crater before looking at her.
"Leave. Before I change my mind."
They listen this time, running.
Gine watches them go. Her power settles as she takes a deep breath. Her work here is done. They aren't likely to come around for a while.
"Why?"
Gine looks towards Kakarot who still has his attention towards the ground.
"Why did you even bother to save me? You heard what the others had said before. I'm nothing more than a reckless burden. Look at what the mess I brought to everyone." Kakarot sinks lower to the ground. "Everyone is suffering, and it's because of me."
"Kakarot… it's okay…"
"It's best if I stay asleep. I'm less dangerous that way. Any hopes on helping me is just a dying ember…"
-0000-
"Well…."
Yellow eyes shift, taking a good look at each individual that stands in the way. The insect-like monster seems to be waiting for a proper moment to move in any way, but his lack of interest in those he sees seems to confuse a few. He asks a question that tells it all;
"Where are they?"
"Nonya." Kauli responds.
"Don't play with me. Where are 17 and 18?!"
"Right after 16 and before 19." Kauli responds.
"WHERE ARE 17 AND 18?!"
"Up your ass-butt and around the corner."
Cell growls before jumping forward with an shout. The woman simply ducks, watching him fly over her. At the same time, she pulls the chain that is wrapped around her shoulder, and she swings it at the monster. It coils around him. She pulls on her weapon harshly, forcing Cell to be pulled back and slamming on the ground.
"That doesn't even make any sense!" Cell shouts through his pain. He doesn't appear to be suffering very much. He looks more annoyed than hurt, actually. He grunts as a boot stomps on his back.
"That was easier than I thought." Yamcha keeps his distance, watching carefully. Oolong and Puar both nod in agreement.
Kauli pulls harder, constricting the enemy in her grip. "You ain't going nowhere."
"Let go of me!" Cell shouts angrily.
"It ain't that easy, honey." Kauli tells him.
The bio-android can only struggle on. He seems to be plotting a way out, but the plans can't be played at all from the way he is trapped down. Looking from the corner of his eye, he sees outside, and a figure walking towards the trees…
… wearing a red scarf.
That's it!
Kauli's eyes snap wide as the creature suddenly gains a boost of strength to throw her off. She keeps a firm hold, tilting her head back as a needle-point tail tries to stab her. "Shit!"
Cell swings his tail, knocking her to the ground. He slips free from the chains and his black beetle-like wings spread as he begins to hover in the air to avoid another attack. "Annoying Saiyan."
Kauli snatches her weapon, and she swings it around before throwing it at the insect. It swats him from flying and causes him to fall. Immediately, the ends of her chains convert into blades. She treats the weapon as nunchucks, spinning them around before attacking.
Cell jumps back immediately to avoid the deadly blades. He fires a quick blast that is dodged. He lands and spins his body, using his tail to knock her off from midair and to the ground. Just as she fell, he already has his tail shooting towards her.
His eyes shift to his left. He retracts quickly, dodging a blast that could had destroyed his tail. "Well…"
Raditz lowers his arm. "Playtime is over." He clenches his fingers into fists as his energy begins to rise. "It's time to take out the trash."
Cell looks outside again. "Hold that thought."
"What?"
Cell rockets out the room and soars outside.
"..." Raditz blinks. "Did he just…?"
"Yeah. He ran…" Tien confirms what just happened.
Kauli stands, rushing to the control table. She narrows her eyes. "He didn't flee. He had a change of plans. He's heading off where the Androids are!"
Tarble growls. "Great. Just when we had him in our sights!"
"Damn! We can't let him get to them!" Raditz rockets outside as well. It doesn't take long for anyone else to follow this action. Despite having different ideas, they all know that they can't afford to let the monster get to any of the Androids. The results would be chaotic.
Cell lands in the middle of a common field. He looks at his surroundings. "Now… where are you…? Come out, come out, wherever you are."
"YaaaaAAAAH!"
"Huh?"
A fist makes contact with the side of his face. He falls and slides across the ground for a few seconds before lying still. He pushes himself to his hands and knees. "Okay. That was a blind attack. Looks like I forgot about someone." He stands, facing the child that is his attacker. "Hello there."
Karot simply slips into a battle-ready position.
"Son of Goku. You seem to be the one who thinks as he fights. Aren't you clever? I have no interest in fighting you. You'll only be a waste of my time."
"You aren't going to get close to them!" Karot shouts. He powers up immediately, and he lunges from the ground. He throws a punch that is easily dodged. Annoyed by this, his punches become a frenzy.
Cell chuckles as the child fails to land any blows. "If you had fought me days ago, you would had stood a chance. I am made of an entire army… literally. You Saiyans gave me the trouble of hunting down enough humans to absorb. The species hardly gives off anything, but I managed to get enough to at least keep you in your place."
"Urrgh!" Karot throws a heavy punch. Cell steps aside, and the child falls forward. He lands, and he grabs the tail just before it could jab him between the eyes.
"Stay still. Every child needs their shots."
"I don't want any." Karot narrows his eyes. His flowing energy grows twice as big as his eyes narrow.
"Oh. So it appears that you were holding back." Cell makes note. "Well, two can play at that game." He chuckles, and his energy flares gold. His smile widens as the child's confident look begins to shrink. "Aaah… what's wrong?"
Karot isn't afraid that he won't stand a chance. That's not what is surprising him. The fact that Cell's energy feels just like a Saiyan's right now… and the fact that he keeps getting a little stronger with each passing second…
"You figured it out?" Cell chuckles. "I carry the cells of you Saiyans as well, remember? Just like you, I can improve my battling performance while in combat. Each blow I am hit with makes me stronger. Recovering from harsh injuries boosts my power even more. You got careless… by ditching that fact aside. The grown-ups have a better chance of standing against me than you ever will."
Karot just stares.
"You will never accomplish anything here. Come back when you are actually worth my time." He presses his hand against the child's chest, and it begins to glow. The child isn't moving due to being frozen in fear, so he laughs.
WHAM!
Cell falls headfirst on the ground. He groans as he gets on his knees, rubbing his throbbing forehead. "Everytime!"
Karot gasps, looking at the teen who saved him.
"I already lost you once." Future Trunks says. "I can't afford it again. I promised to protect this world to help rebuild my own. Unlike the others… I won't be holding back."
Cell appears uneasy now. "You won't?" He hides it with a forced grin. "Are you really that scared of me? Only cowards would dish out everything they have against someone they know they stand no chance against."
"I am no coward." Trunks responds. "I am using something called; "common sense". I'm going to destroy you right now knowing I have the greatest opportunity instead of waiting and allowing you to get one of the Androids to boost your power."
"Wow." Cell is impressed. "You're the first smart person I ran across today. Well, besides the girl who gave me trouble earlier. She had the same idea. In that case… it seems I will have to make a change in plans to get around you."
"That's not going to happen!"
"Well. Won't that be a waste of time?"
Future Trunks, Karot, and Cell turn towards the direction of the voice. Standing there is Vegeta. The Saiyan Prince walks towards them now, unimpressed. The other Saiyans land from flying seconds later with the Humans who watch carefully.
"You're right. Who would want to fight someone who is weak compared to them? The brat there is no challenge to you." Vegeta points at Karot before folding his arms. "I see no point in fighting anyone who isn't worth my time either."
"What are you saying?!" Future Trunks shouts. "You're just going to let him go?! What if he absorbs one of the Androids?!"
"Take a wild guess. It's obvious. He would be a better challenge for me."
"What?!"
Cell appears just as surprised, but he laughs seconds later, impressed. "I appreciate your offer, Vegeta. That means I have one less pesky problem to worry about when I go after my two main targets. Isn't this convenient?"
"No. It's not!" Future Trunks is becoming angry. He looks at the prince again. "We have to destroy him now, Vegeta! While we have the chance! I get it! You're a Saiyan! You want a good fight! But trying to obtain it by allowing something so dangerous is fatal!"
Vegeta huffs. "Then you should know yourself. You're half-Saiyan, right?"
The teen's angry look relaxes to a dumbfounded one.
"Wait! Let's think about this for a minute, guys!" Yamcha tries to help the teen with convincing. "Let's say we allow this guy to have his way, and he come back kicking our asses left and right?!"
"I expect him to do that to you in his current state." Vegeta responds rudely. "You're just a small energy drink for him. Sit this one out."
Ouch.
Future Trunks shakes his head. "It doesn't matter who is stronger than who right now! What matters are the Androids! We have to keep Cell away from them for a reason! If he gets too strong, that's it! We're finished!"
"Have you forgotten? Strength does matter. Who is the strongest warrior alive right now? I am. Kakarot had been surpassed a long time ago." Vegeta reminds the teen, ignoring the look he is getting. "I won't get a challenge wasting my time on that stubborn idiot, so what better way to see what I am capable off than this?"
"Can't you just set aside your ego for one day?!"
Vegeta ignores him this time, looking back at Cell. "You can come back when you are a challenge to me. Until then, I am stopping nothing involving you." He turns and begins to walk away, not paying any mind to the variation of surprised looks he is earning.
Nappa scratches his head, not sure of how to take this.
Tarble steps forward, standing in his brother's way. "You might want to reconsider this, Vegeta. What if the kid is right?"
"Only you would agree with him, since you aren't capable of handling yourself anyway. You can join Yamcha on the bench."
Tarble allows Vegeta to walk by this time, and he appears to be ready to say some foul worlds, but they never come out. Instead, the younger prince folds his arms. "So, we came all this way for nothing?"
It appears that no one knows what to do. Cell on the other hand, shrugs before he begins to fly off to hunt for the Androids.
"Oh, hell!" Future Trunks begins to fly after him, but a blast flies past him, and he looks down in time to see Vegeta lowering his hand.
"No one is allowed to go after him. That's an order." Vegeta says firmly.
Many appear to disagree, but no one is in position to try to disobey the order. Nappa appears worried about the decision while Kauli is clearly angry. As much as the woman wants to chase the insect, she really can't. Not in this case.
Future Trunks watches the threat fly further away before he snaps his head towards Vegeta. "Are you really that blind by your own pride?! You have so much ego, that you would place everyone's lives in danger just for a selfish desire for a good fight?! Why not ask everyone to attack you at once or something?!"
"That is nothing." Vegeta frowns. "Everyone is predictable. That creature is not. You heard what he said. He is made up of the cells of those inhabiting this planet, meaning he knows countless tactics and styles that we may not be able to predict. That is the potential of a decent fight."
"You'll kill us!"
"It may kill you, but not me. I will stop defeat him, just not stomp him as I would had moments ago."
"Allow me to remind you about your fight with Android 18." Tarble speaks up, earning his brother's attention. "I understand why you are letting Cell go, but he isn't much stronger than 18 now. What if he gets his hands on one of them? What if he became more powerful than you anticipated? Then what?"
"You're only saying that because you are a coward." Vegeta frowns. "If you are too scared to fight, then you should had stayed dead. You're worthless to me."
There is a few seconds of silence as the two stare at each other. Tarble breathes in deeply, possibly trying to stay in composure.
The younger brother's tone deepens a bit, giving his voice a firm and serious sound to it. "You know what? I am getting real tired of this, Vegeta."
"I am, too." Kauli mutters quietly.
Vegeta raises an eyebrow. "What was that? Sorry. I can't hear because I don't give a damn!"
"You are going to regret treating me the way you have been for so long, Vegeta." Tarble says coldly.
"And what makes you say that? Or are you tired of yourself being trampled on due to how pathetic you are?" Vegeta chuckles. "Do you know why you are so weak? It's that absurd compassion. Compassion is a weakness. How many more times do I have to beat on you until it gets through your head?"
A gasp escapes Future Trunks' mouth. An image of Future Tarble crosses his mind. He doesn't notice the attention he gained as he seems startled.
"Kid? Are you alright?" Raditz asks with a hint it worry. He appears very confused. "What's with the face? You look like you saw something disturbing."
Future Trunks blinks, and he looks at the princes for a second before looking back at Raditz. "It's… nothing, dad. I guess I didn't sleep well last night…"
"Whatever it is… don't let it distract you out here." Tarble responded as expected. However, his statement doesn't save him from the conversation that was being done prior. His brother seems to notice the attempt to change the subject completely.
"Don't try to run away from the mess you brought up." Vegeta says rudely. "I thought you were trying to prove me wrong despite knowing you are wrong."
"How immature of you to bring it back up." Tarble frowns. "I am in no mood to deal with your attitude. Let me be for the rest of the day, and maybe I will be willing to cooperate more."
"Who is the oldest one between us? You have no right to boss me around."
"That is enough. I told you to be quiet."
"Is it because you know you lose again?" Vegeta huffs. "Oh, wait. I know. You're tired of me because you never stood a chance. Fool. You will never stand a chance. In fact… you might as well give up on trying to catch up."
"What did I say?!"
"Don't bother. I can see it now. You're an envious idiot, aren't you?"
Tarble snarls this time.
"You're not satisfied at all. You can never make progress." Vegeta chuckles lightly. He must had put it all together from the small grin on his face. "Envy means jealousy, doesn't it?"
Tarble clenches his fists tighter. His breathing is louder and forced, as if he is fighting to stay calm. But his body is burning. He can feel the burn seething in his neck and around his stomach. His lips twitch as his tail moves uneasy. "Shut… up…"
The words were spoken through a growl. But the warning is ignored.
Vegeta laughs. "How pathetic! You really are jealous of me! Then how about you do yourself a favor and try to act a little more like me by being less of an caring idiot and more of a Saiyan!"
Hnnnnn-nnnn…! Rrrrrr!
Vegeta's mouth closes in an instant. He looks at his brother strangely, noticing something wrong. That was an awfully deep growl he just heard-
Tarble's eyes fill with rage in an instant. "SHUT UP!" In a swift movement, he whacks the Saiyan on the chest with an elbow strike.
Vegeta spirals through the air. He crashes through a boulder and lies on the ground, not moving.
"Daaaaaaaamn!" Kauli's expression is showing her disbelief and surprise. She must had felt that due to her rubbing her shoulder with a quiet hiss. "He's gonna feel that in the morning."
Turles seems to not know what to say. "Did he…?"
"Vegeta!" Nappa's mouth hangs open as he tries to search for more words. He turns to Tarble. "Was that really necessary?"
"Yo. Did you have to ask?" Kauli frowns. "Of course it was! All the taunting he did was gonna bite back at him eventually!"
"That was a pretty heavy blow." Turles makes note. He isn't sure how to feel about that.
Future Trunks doesn't say a word. He only stares at Vegeta who is tilting his head around, trying to recover. The teen is somewhat scared. Not because of the pain Vegeta may be in.
The way Tarble attacked him is just as his future counterpart had done enough times...
Silence takes over. All eyes are on the prince who is breathing hard through bared teeth. Every few breaths comes out as a long rumbling growl. Tarble could be mistaken as an animal from that and the look on his eyes.
Vegeta recovers, but he has the most amount of disbelief on his face.
After several seconds, Tarble's breathing relaxes a bit, but the anger on his face doesn't leave. "You're right. You really are. I am envious of you, and I hate it!"
"Tarble… you…" Vegeta doesn't know what to say. He seems angry, but the emotion doesn't last long. "The way you acted just then… you were actually trying to…"
"It appears that I have finally grabbed your attention." Tarble's tail flicks a couple times as his cold eyes appear even more intimidating. "How sad. It seems the only way I can get anyone to listen to me is for me to get mean. Being polite isn't cutting it, unfortunately."
Turles taps his metal arm with his other hand, watching this carefully. He seems to be doing some heavy thinking on what to make out of this. They had seem Tarble snap in anger from time to time, but never like this.
Tarble stands tall. He turns to the others. "Turles, Raditz, and Nappa. I want the three of you to go after him. Stop him before he gets what he wants."
Raditz and Nappa nod without hesitation, but Turles isn't too happy with this. "Can't you send Kauli instead? As if I would go after some overgrown insect-"
"Quit being a coward. Get over it." Tarble cuts him off, growing impatient. "I don't care if you piss yourself over him! I said go after him, and that's an order! Vegeta doesn't know what is right, so you listen to me, and that's final!"
"He's so angry…" Kauli mutters.
Turles Immediately turns to his brother who gives him a warning look. He and Raditz take off to the skies with Nappa close behind them.
"As for everyone else, return to the ship until further notice. Don't try anything stupid." Tarble warns them all.
Future Trunks can only watch as everyone else do what they were told. He looks at Tarble, and for a moment, he thought he saw the same one he is familiar with…
Everyone is moving. All except one.
Future Trunks looks st Karot who isn't responding at all. Concerned, he calls out for him. "Hey… uh…"
Karot seems to have spaced out. He speaks suddenly, but he still looks at nowhere. "It's spreading…"
"... What?" Vegeta frowns at the child. "What the hell are you going at?"
"It's like a disease." Karot whispers. "Everyone is being drawn to aggressive madness… and there's nothing we can do to stop it. First it was Bulma… then Chille, then it was dad. How long until it's our turn… or maybe we are too late?"
The words that were just spoken makes everyone freeze.
Tarble closes his eyes. "Perhaps it is too late. There is not much we can do at this point… especially during a time like this. Think. None of us are the same as we were 3 years ago. We all changed."
"He's right… we really did…" Kauli seems to realize this as well.
"All we can do now is hope we stay where we are and not fall into the same hole Kakarot dug himself into." Tarble turns and begins to walk off.
Karot shakes his head. "No… it's too late. It's too late… we already have fallen in…"
Future Trunks can only stare off at the direction Tarble fled in. "He's becoming the Tarble I know."
…
Raditz flies in full speed, no longer caring if he gets detected by the radar. He scans the ground below, and he sees just what he is hoping to. "Down there. There she is."
Turles looks down with Nappa. They see Android 18 walking through a grassy path, pushing side anything that got in her way.
"Where is her brother?" Turles can only wonder.
"I don't know, but there is no time to wonder. We aren't the only ones who found the woman." Nappa points below. Afar but coming close is Cell who is diving towards her.
Raditz nods twice. "I got this. I have not fought in a while… so that insect is done for! Time to make haste of the situation!" He rockets off, and towards Cell. "Guess who's in your way?!"
Cell stops flying for a second, seeing the Saiyan. He looks back at 18, and he dives at her in full speed.
"Turles! Nappa! Don't let him get to her!"
Nappa frowns. "Who are you telling me what to do?!"
"No time to argue! Just do it!"
Cell growls. "Can't these Saiyans make up their minds?!"
Raditz glares at the Android below. "Hey! 18!"
The woman freezes and looks up.
"I highly suggest you get the hell out of here! It will get ugly!" Raditz begins to charge a Double Sunday. "I'm through playing games with this shit!"
Cell chuckles as the Saiyans come closer. "You underestimated me, Saiyan!"
"What did he just said?!" Nappa asks.
The monster places his fingers near his temples. "SOLAR FLARE!"
Strength chart. Strongest to Weakest.
(Power Levels are BS, by the way.)
This chart focuses on the main people.
Note: Chart will be updated each chapter. I can't do power scaling since I clearly can't understand it like an idiot. This is simply rankings.
Prince Vegeta
Android 16
Androids 17 & 18
Raditz
Kakarot (Son Goku)
Seleriak (Future Trunks)
Piccolo
Nappa
Turles
Imperfect Cell
Karot (Son Gohan)
Kauli (Ice Phlounder)
Gine
Prince Tarble
Tien Shinhan
ChiChi
Krillin
Yamcha
Chiaotzu
Oolong
Puar
A/N: Finally Finished!
Eeeh. I tried to write a longer chapter but… I'm just not well into writing long ones anymore. Work has me running around… it's near impossible.
At least I gave you something.
At least.
What? That's not good enough.
Well, I'm sorry.
Possible Questions:
PQ1: Why the heck is Tarble a drunky in the future?
A: I literally have no idea where that even came from. I was just writing and went with whatever came to mind.
PQ2: What's wrong with Kakarot this time?
A: Take a wild guess.
PQ3: Are we getting action next chapter?
A: Heck yeah.
PQ4: Did this book really disappear?
A: Yep. It was gone like it never existed. It came back. I guess it got tired of waiting and decided to run away from me for a minute.
PQ5: Slow updates still?
A: I wish it wasn't.
PQ6: Is it true that everyone had fallen into some state of madness?
A: Not exactly. Everyone is just heavily affected by the war that had been going on for so long.
Question Time:
Q: *Pre-Chap Review*
I can't wait! Lots of interesting stuff looks like it's gonna happen! I love the way you develop your characters, it makes them so dynamic and well-rounded!
A: Hey. What are you doing here from Wattpad? XD
Anyways, I enjoyed chapter 9, and this 10th chapter as well!
Q: Nice chapter once again, odd how the weakest, most irrelevant character in db never died, huh.
And as a reward for this chapter b4 christmas, here's a tfs style mini carol:
Jingle bells, Vegeta smells,
Krillin died again.
Popo's here, the end is near,
and Puddin saves the day. Hey!
A: (That moment you realize this book has not been updated since before Christmas.)
Yes. Mr. Satan is deaded.
Deaded. Yeah. Deaded.
Next Time:
*Cue DBZ Kai's "Episode Preview Theme" here*
Future Trunks: (Serious) This is Trunks here.
Future Trunks: Cell is becoming a bigger problem than I was prepared for. For someone that isn't too powerful yet, he has his ways of avoiding us whenever we locate him. If we don't act fast, he'll have one of the twins in his clutches.
Raditz: (Serious) Alright you pain-in-the-ass. Stop hiding so that I can squash you like the bug you are!
Turles: (Nervous) Why did he send me here? This does not help anything at all!
Kauli: (Annoyed.) Well, it's not my fault that you are such a coward around bugs.
Turles: (Angry) At least I don't have a sneezing fit whenever I see a damn cat!
Raditz: (Firmly) Shush! We have little time to do this right! Come on, Turles! Let's stop this thing!
Future Trunks: Next time on: "The Dissonance of The Earthling Saiyan"! Chapter 11! "Step forward for the chances, "Goku-wannabe"!"
Turles: (Angry) Quit it! I was born before him! BEFORE!
Kauli: Somebody's jealous.
REVIEW! REVIEW!
To be Continued to Chapter 11!
Also: Check out: "Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Retaliation Corps"!
Upcoming Chapters (Read at your own risk!)
Chapter 11: "Step forward for the chances, "Goku-wannabe"!" With Kakarot impossible to control, the unlikely team has no other choice but to take their plans to another path! A sadistic Saiyan who refuses to obey anyone and would rather kill his own temporary companions is far too dangerous to even be around! Turles is left with an unexpected role he never saw coming. The question is; will he comply, or will his own "selfish sin" get in his way?
Then again, not only is he in a situation that leaves him questioning his power. When reality strikes just what he is really feeling just as his brother's suspected, it brings another issue that may have him distracted more than prepared!
Chapter 12: "Crossing paths again" If things can't get any worse… it just did! Questions are asked left and right about what is really going on! Everyone seems to have a dislike towards the same person for many reasons! A nightmare for one returns, and heartbreak for another! What is really going on?! Raditz may just be falling for the same tricks again!
Chapter 13: "Keep yourselves in check! Realize your mindset!" Something isn't right. It's like poison, spreading quickly through anyone exposed to it. As the days drag out, the actions of Kakarot grow worse. The warrior is having a battle with himself, and for the first time in years, his eyes open to see just how much things have changed within not just himself, but those close by.
One can only stay sane for so long. Slowly… they are slipping… He is not the only one who had gone insane.
Chapter 14: "Time for reconsideration!" Seeing how everyone is being affected by his actions, Kakarot is left pondering on what to do. Knowing his son is struggling enough, he begins to fear that his own wife may just turn down a bad corner. Willing to protect the little things he has left, he pushes all jokes aside. Is it possible… that he is doing the right thing, or is this a temporary moment?
Chapter 15: "Something worth protecting." The warriors find themselves backed against a wall when things spiral out of control. All that they can do at this point is shield the best way they can, but even that proves to be a challenge! When the situation turns bad, it seems it could be the end.
But… an offer is made…?