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DRAGON BALL HARDCORE
THE FUTURE STORY
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The day that shaped the future that Boku knew was the day that his uncle Goku died. He was just a newborn by then, but he cried just as much as his mother. They were forced to move on without him, and it was hard for everyone. He was their unifying center. Even though he didn't try that much, his attitude brought all of them together. Through this adventure, they became better people and formed bonds, and some even met the love of their lives thanks to him. But now he was gone; after sacrificing his life to defeat an unimaginably strong foe and save his home, and even the universe. His father, Yamcha, nicknamed his son "Boku" in the memory of their lost friend, maybe as a form of gratitude for all he has done. But little did they know, the Z-warriors were soon about to face a deadly and silent enemy, stronger than anything they ever dared to face.
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The things played out a little differently originally. Two androids indeed showed up on Poppy Town on 4th of May; Dr. Gero and his android 19. They had plans to take over the world in the name of the old Red Ribbon Army. Although they destroyed the town with their immense powers, the Z-warriors still barely defeated them. But without much insight of the situation at hand, Dr. Gero managed to escape and left the others in the dark.
He returned to his lab, and released his other androids to defeat the Z-warriors, picking them one by one. They proved to be uncontrollably powerful and smart, and in the end Gero was killed by his own creations. Their simple goal was still active, and so they went on their merry way to finish the world's strongest fighters. Dende was first, an easy pick. With him in danger Piccolo also appeared, and was promptly dealt with. Two gone, the weakest and the strongest.
Next was Tien, in a secluded place while he was training, they managed to kill him without much effort. Next was Yamcha, who managed to resist for enough time so then Bulma could escape. But she couldn't go that far, and was killed as well. The last was also an easy pick, Son Gohan. 18 volunteered to take him down alone, but that was a mistake. Just like Piccolo, Gohan fought bravely to the end, but his last attack was one of revenge. While 18 held him up by his leg, he used the last of his power with a rage blast that he fired right at 18's face, incinerating most of her hair and leaving a mark that would never fade. She was now horrific and balding, and she took out her anger by blowing up mount Paozu completely, killing Chi-chi.
In a single day pretty much everyone who could oppose them was killed off without a hitch. But they still had their main objective: Kill Son Goku. But to their dismay, Goku was already dead. And without purpose or without anyone holding them back, they made the world their playground. Destroying it for no reason, stealing for pettiness sake, killing for fun. Without a purpose, those two became monsters.
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Bulma, in her last moments, hid away her son with his Uncle Puar. With a baby and no one to rely on, Puar hid baby Boku at the only other place he knew about: at Yamcha's old hideout in Diablo Desert.
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The boy grew up in the middle of nowhere, with a magic cat as his one caretaker. Puar would go back to the destroyed city every once in a while to grab supplies and all sorts of things, and even managed to salvage Yamcha's old diary from the wreckage of Capsule Corp's mansion. With all that he managed to teach Boku how to read, and gave him something to eat every day for the next ten years.
Boku was born strong; unbelievably strong. But that was not all; he was also smart, perhaps even a quicker learner than his mother. He would read books about engineering and quantum mechanics as if they were weekly comics. He was a true genius, but it didn't really matter since he can only rot in this desert in the hopes that the androids never pass by. It was a peaceful life, but his life truly took a turn when he was a 10 year old boy.
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For the first time in ages, Boku and Puar hear a knock at the front door of the hideout. They didn't know if they should answer or run away. Boku had a good feeling about it and decided to open the door. The person he met that day would be his one and only friend. The one knocking was a girl, pretty much the same age as Boku. Black hair in a ponytail, and wearing some kind of green gi with red sashes. Her name was Dinchiaohan, or how he got to know her, Dina.
She had been looking for him for a long time, and only got to find him by following Puar. She was very nice and polite to him, and talked as if she knew him personally. From what she tells, their parents were friends when they were alive. And if she's not mistaken, the two of them must be the last two strongest fighters in the world. And so she invited him to a little match.
Boku was strong, but all his knowledge in training came from Puar exaggerations and his father's dumb notes and stories from his diary. He himself could do some impressive things, but it's not like flying through the air, shooting light out of his hands and fighting aliens was real. Dina was really insistent, and so he agreed for a spar.
In his mind there was no way this girl could be stronger than him; he can lift his own house with one hand. But he was very wrong. As soon as they both took a stance, and Puar shouted "fight," Dina disappeared from where she was. While looking for her, she suddenly appeared right above him, flying. She saw that he wasn't raising his power, and thought he was mocking her. Her hair turned white for a second, and she hit him square in the cheek with a punch. Boku ate that punch and was launched far through the plains. She was genuinely surprised; it turns out that Boku really doesn't have any kind of fighting skill.
After a good half hour of bandages and a thousand apologies, Dina was faced with the facts and told him the truth about why she came here. She and Boku are the last two capable fighters left in the world. She managed to train and grow stronger through the teachings on her father's scrolls, that compared to Yamcha's diary is like night and day in terms of usefulness. With their forces combined they should be more than enough to stop the androids and save the world. She can help Boku get stronger, and they will win together!
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Boku simply denied. It was sound and simple; defeating the androids is impossible. Whole armies tried and failed. They are like gods that came to punish humanity; they are unbeatable. To him it was better to hide and stay alive. Getting on their way was what got his father and mother killed as far as he knows. And if he's not mistaken, fighting instead of running is what killed her father too.
That got Dina quietly moody. She felt like punching him again, but she knew he was her only hope of winning against them. She believed he would change his mind and gave him her address; more like coordinates rather than a street or town. She begged him to reconsider, and maybe come over if he ever wanted to get stronger. And so the mysterious girl just flew away magically, accomplishing nothing but a good two days of bandages and ointment, as well as a shot down Boku's ego.
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His life would return to normal. Stay quiet and calm; eat what you can; grab what you reach; that was the life that Boku knew his whole life. Of course, that too would change on a fateful day. Puar would always go out once a week to scout in the destroyed cities for anything good during the night, and he would always be back the next morning; that was his rule. But one day, for some reason he was three hours late. He never was more than fifteen minutes late, and that got Boku to worry.
For one of the first times he left the Diablo Desert, but this was the only time he left alone. Puar had gone to East City this time, or at least the little that was left of it. Boku could run faster than cars so it didn't take too long for him to arrive. The city was barren of life and movement; the thing that made the most noise was the wind. Buildings were still there, but they were few and crumbled with time. He walked along the ruins hiding away at every corner, but eventually his luck ran out.
Suddenly, he was alarmed by them. By some stroke of the devil, the androids were in these ruins today and they spotted Boku. One was a wrinkled old guy with gray hair and a mustache that wasn't even that tall, and the other one was a girl with a scarred face, obviously wearing a blond wig. They approached rather friendly, but their face had this undeniable malice and condescending tone. They were looking for someone who could fix 17's favorite bike, although he really doesn't need one. It stopped working after he crashed through someone's house and ran over a family, and it needed fixing.
Boku literally had no choice. He had some knowledge as a mechanic, and would do as they say until he got an opportunity to escape. So he went on to fix 17's bike, and he got it going under a minute after cleaning all the blood and picking off the rubble and cartilage off the wheels. Next thing, 18 had a few clothes that were ripped open and needed some sewing, and Boku was forced to sew it. That went on for a good hour, until Boku had no more use for them. They thought he was a pretty fine guy, and he could be of one last use for them. They had this game where they like to hunt down someone, and the first to kill him wins. They liked Boku so much that they would let him be that someone, and so they told him to run. And so he did; he ran for his life, but after counting down to five they were right behind him. He couldn't shake them off, they were still too strong for him. He was about to be cornered and killed, but someone came to his rescue. From the buildings above, two flash grenades fell and exploded, blinding the androids with light. Someone quickly snatched Boku away from the scene and hid him away in one of the buildings. It was Puar, as well as some scrap soldiers. Apparently he wasn't able to return because the androids suddenly appeared in East City again and busted the underground railroad where he makes his trades.
Old 17 and 18 had lost their chance, but there was still a way to get rid of him. He wasn't that fast, they just needed to do the good old destroying everything. Just as they were about to wipe out what was left from the city with an energy explosion, Puar apologizes to Boku, saying that it was his turn to save him like his best friend once did. And so Puar transformed into a perfect copy of Boku using the shape-shifting technique, and ran out to the open. He was seen by both androids and he shouted at them.
17 was quicker and shot him through the chest with a finger beam. His body fell to the floor and he transformed back into his regular form with a puff of smoke. 17 won the game, which means 18 gets to do whatever he wants for a week. She begrudgingly accepts, although surprised that the guy was a weird cat all along; this world is crazy. And so the two fly away to whatever cruel game they are willing to play in a new city.
Boku was completely terrified as he watched from the shadows. His cowardly nature kept him from making a move, and he ended up doing nothing. By the time he went to check on Puar he was already dead. Only a few soldiers and refugees knew how much he screamed that day; it was a miracle that the androids didn't hear him and came back.
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Even after all those years, kame house remained the same little island of eternal peace and summer. For the last ten years just two people lived there; a mom and her little girl. The mom was something of a troublemaker in her youth; most law enforcement agencies knew about that crazy girl named Launch and her mood swings. But after a good few years of crazy adventures and new acquaintances, she settled down on this little island. As she matured, the difference between her personalities ended up fading into one.
Today was just another normal day fishing for food, listening to the radio and hoping that her baby girl comes back alive from her little adventures. But for the first time in ages they have a visitor. A young boy on a wooden boat, Boku. He was here at the request to train with Dina. Launch immediately took hold of Boku for a hug as if he was the son she never met. She kept saying over and over how much he looked like his father. She took him inside as she talked for hours and hours. And so, Dina came back home by flying, and was happy to see Boku alive.
His demeanor completely changed from when she met him a few months ago. He was now focused and serious. Running away didn't cut it for him, now his only opportunity was to fight back. He wanted her to train him; to teach everything she knows so then maybe he can take revenge on those damn monsters. Even though he was older than her by a year, he was willing to call her master if she wanted. Dina was just glad she could have a friend. If he wanted to get stronger, that's exactly what she was gonna make him.
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For five years the pair trained together constantly. Dina made assurance on her word, and taught Boku how to do all those things he thought impossible. He was dodging thunderbolts, he was flying through the skies and shooting light out of his hand. Nothing normal could damage him anymore; he truly felt invincible. That is, until he had to spar with Dina and she showed him that he's not the only one improving with time. She had such talent; she could grasp so much by reading her father's scroll that it was utterly absurd to Boku. She had a similar thing like her mom has; every now and then her hair and eyes would change color, and suddenly she became way more ruthless and cruel during the training, as if a completely different person took over. Launch told Boku that it was a family thing.
The strength that they inherited plus the power they acquired with hard work made them confident in their victory. They were young teenagers now, 14 years old both of them. One day, they heard from the radio that the androids arrived in South City, visiting an old amusement park. They were confident they could stop them now, and so they went straight to action.
They soon arrived and were met with the androids having fun at the empty roller coaster. Somehow 17 and 18 looked even older; it had been 4 years, but Boku knows no one ages so fast. 17's hair was now fully gray with white streaks here and there, and he seemed to have more wrinkles. 18 had long lost those curves she once had and now uses more clothes and sunglasses to hide her age. However, the two haven't changed a bit. They still talk and act like irresponsible pricks; it made Boku sick to his stomach.
18 volunteered to fight them as usual, and they got ready. Not only were they stronger, they fought very well together. Boku and Dina had a near perfect strategy and trickery to beat 18. She could hold them down with her power, but the two fighting together was just too much. But soon the duo came to realize a slight issue: 17 was also there. Fighting together in their inhuman synchrony the two androids completely overpowered the world's last warriors, and soon Dina realized that they messed up. Dina took the worst of the fight because her white-hair self would keep butting in and ruining their plans of attack with her recklessness. Boku had to flee with her on his back, but running away from those two was still impossible to them. This time Boku had a trick up his sleeve. He used the Solar Flare technique to blind both of them for a second.
When the two could see again, they saw nothing but the rubble of the destruction they caused. Looked like they lost them, but once again, just to be sure, they were gonna destroy everything in case they were hiding. With a single energy bomb 18 wiped out most of the surrounding area, and even shook the islands far away. They were pretty satisfied, but those brats were something to watch out for. They decided to head out; probably go grab some snacks and a coke in the nearest store.
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After the dust had settled down, one huge piece of rubble had remained intact. And quickly, that rubble puffed into colored smoke revealing to be Boku in his Shape-shifting technique. He was holding his arms up to protect, and behind him was a beaten Dina getting her bearings. He saved her by hiding her underneath his shape-shifted form, and tanked the blast for the two of them. That left him at death's door; all bruised and burned with blood coming out of several injuries. And the worst of all was his face; a huge bleeding wound was left from his cheek all the way to his nose. His wounds caused too much pain, and eventually Boku passed out. Dina had to slowly take him back to kame house. They suffered a total defeat, and she didn't even know what to tell her mom.
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It took Boku nearly a whole week to recover slightly. His heart beat got better a little with each day, and he was finally awake. Although now he had a scar on his face. Launch had been very patient with their little endeavor, but now she was furious and tried bringing some sense into them.
The two now saw the truth. They had no chance at all against the androids. The last hope that they built was swept away in a flash. Watching these kids succumb to despair hurts for Launch especially. No matter what, she promised to never lose hope; for the sake of all her friends that fought to the very end. At the back of her mind there was a memory of long ago that she thought about it constantly. One of the last conversations that she and Boku's mother had while she was alive. Apparently she was on a spree about creating something that could solve everything; that could prevent their old friends from losing their lives. She never told Launch what it was, but she knew all these schemes she made must still be at her lab under the Capsule Corp mansion. Maybe… just maybe, what she discovered can help them.
With these last slivers of hope she managed to conquer the fears of these two kids she loves, and now they have one final plan. It's now or never; it's either succeeding or living their whole lives in fear of these freaks. They had to be extra careful though, as the mansion is in West City, and that's where the androids most commonly hang out. Once Boku gets the ability to walk, they are going straight for it.
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Another week later, the two warriors prepare for their mission in the wasted city. With brand new clothes, they soared through the skies like two meteors. As soon as they got too close to West City, they sneaked in from above. With their senses evolved and steady, they managed to sneak all the way to their destination without making any noise at all. Finally, Boku was met with the remains of what should've been his home. The entire mansion was still destroyed from when his father supposedly fought both androids by himself. This is where his father, his mother, and his grandparents were killed. Underneath it all was their last hope.
Using her Kiai, Dina pushed all the rubble to the sides, slowly so as to not make too much noise. And so they uncovered a secret hatch that takes them to the underground. The stairs went for a while, but finally they arrived at Bulma's old lab. There were a bunch of papers and pieces scattered around; mostly dust and cobwebs. The lights still worked though, and they led straight to a sketch table by the wall. Dina looked at the plans there; crazy sketches and senseless numbers that simply don't make any sense. All she recognized from that entire blueprint was the title: Time Machine V1. Although she couldn't understand it, Boku knew it all too well; he understood each and every note and calculation in all those plans, but still…
He squeezed the paper in his hands. "A Time Machine?! Was my mother really that stupid?! This childish crap is what we are risking our lives for?!"
Dina was surprised, even though he understands them he can't believe them to be true. They got into an argument; Boku still could not believe something like this was real or useful. There was nothing they could do.
Dina slapped him and made him stop his rant. He was clearly losing it, and that's not what he should be doing. They can lose hope once these schemes fail; they can lose hope when the machine is done and it turns out to not work; they can lose hope when they are about to be killed… But they can't lose hope before they even try. "I know you're not this stupid!"
They were screaming so close to each other that it almost turned into a kiss. But it is at the best of times that evil suddenly comes from the shadows.
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The androids were passing by that street at the time, and 17 was quick enough to notice that the area was tampered with. They now stand in front of the destroyed mansion as the clouds grew darker, and little light was getting through. They shouted for whoever is there to come out or else he'll blow this whole shit down.
Inside, Boku and Dina heard their warning. Boku was ready to toss the plans away and go fight his final battle, with his wounds from their past encounter still not completely healed. Dina took the plans from the ground and shoved them back into his chest. That was their last hope, and he was going to guard it for them. While he was confused, she strikes him with a strong punch to the gut; putting him to his knees. He mumbles before passing out, and Dina's last words to her only friend were, "I'm sorry…"
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Dinchiaohan was a proud and honorable fighter, like her father before her. She knew that with her powers, she needed to use them to save the world from these androids. But now, at the last moments of her life, she knew that there would still be hope without her. If Boku were to fight now he would be killed. He can change this world in his own way. He can do it, but he won't get out of here if she doesn't do something about it. This is the last thing she can do for him. She only hopes that he may find a way to forgive her for this selfishness.
She slowly walked up from the underground, and was met by 17 and 18 in this horrible storm that is about to go down. 18 remarks her to be that girl from a month ago and asks, "where is your boyfriend?"
Dina lies, saying that they got him last time; now it was time for revenge. And so she undoes her ponytail and leaves her long black hair flow with the wind. Just then, it took that white color again, but only partially. With her mind completely focused; with both her personalities aligned, something strange happened. In her forehead a third eye opened.
The last fight of her life began.
She took the offensive, with all three eyes looking at the androids movements she could see them perfectly, and their illusory synchrony didn't work. Still she wasn't strong enough to deal any damage with her fists and kicks alone, and so she brought in her techniques. The Multi-form technique; the Dodon Ray; the Four-Arm technique; the Solar Flare; the Kamehameha; every extension of her arsenal was used in that fight and it scared the crap out of 17 and 18. They didn't have a tough fight like this for the past 15 years, and it was getting them mad. But by using their combined strength, they could still secure good hits against Dina. She was starting to get tired; a problem that the androids didn't have. As the fight dragged on, Dina was missing more and more. She started to lose pace and focus.
Finally, she was tossed far away and 17 and 18 stood on the other side of the battlefield. With buildings crumbling and with the earth shaking, they unleash a powerful blast side by side. Dina saw both lights coming straight at her, and she knew what she had to do. It was her last chance to defeat them. She raised her two hands in front of her and formed a triangle with her fingers. All the remaining energy in her body was focused into that single point, and so she screamed, "KIKOHO!"
The instant flash of energy collided with the fused powers of 17 and 18, and pushed it back. It continued to force them more and more, until it was close enough to blow up at their face.
The energy struggle exploded, and the huge cloud of smoke and dust took over the scenery. With all the destruction quarreled for a second, the rain began to fall. Dina without any energy left fell to the ground; hair turning full black once again. She looked at the dark clouds as the rain started pouring down on her.
The androids came out of the smoke with their arms damaged. The first real damage they received in 12 years. Now their enemy is on the ground, motionless. They fell for that once, but no more; it was time for the double tap. They flew high above her, and showered the land with energy blasts. Before closing her eyes, Dina saw those pretty lights falling down on her, and begged for Boku to keep moving on.
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A hot minute after they started firing, the androids looked down and saw their target as good as dead. They decided to head over to Gero's lab to patch up. As if they didn't just kill the world's strongest warrior, the two fly away while making snarky comments.
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Boku woke up in a cold sweat to the sound of thunder, a few hours after it all had happened. He rushed outside only to see the heavy rain falling down. The battle reshaped the city to a whole new level of destruction. He couldn't recognize it from when they arrived. He knew something terrible happened, but he quickly caught sight of the giant crater there on the main street.
There she was; lying on her back, clothes torn apart, wounds all over, eyes closed, blood spilling out in the ground, and no movement. That was once his best friend, Dina. He fell to his knees, once again confronted by death and failure. He began to cry over her body, and the rain got mixed with his tears. He held her for minutes and cried for her name several times. Minutes felt like agonizing hours.
It was when he calmed down that he realized something was under his coat. The plans of the time machine, folded perfectly in his pocket. Boku remembered her last words. He cradled the girl in his arms and began walking away with her in the rain.
He took her body away from all that. To a nice little forest that never faced any of the sufferings of these dark days. Colorful and full of fruits and flowers. He gently let her rest under a tree there, along the swift breeze of a nice green hill. At least now she can rest in a beautiful place, somewhere like the future she wanted to make. As Boku began to leave, he looked back one last time, and to his surprise her body faded away. It was simply gone, and he felt a deep warmth. His last words to her as he left were a promise to never lose hope, and save their future no matter the cost.
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Boku returned to kame house that evening. Not with his best friend, but the gift and opportunity she gave him. He had to tell her mother of what happened, and it crushed him on the inside. Deep down, ever since she got serious about training, Launch knew it might end up like this. Only she knows how many arguments they got just for the sake of her safety. All that time that she could've spent just being mother and daughter, and now she would never have another chance. Just as Launch was about to cry, Boku got on his knees and showed her the plans for the Time Machine. He promised Launch that he would do anything in his power to make it work. He'll go to the past and then create a better future for them. He begs her to believe him, and how could she not? All the faith she had in them, now she doubles down on it, placing all into Boku.
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For the next year he would scavenge for parts to make the machine; he would study the systems, the mechanics and all the inner workings of the machine's design to the point he even made adjustments and improvements. Piece by piece he prepared the time machine. He punched and dug his way to near the center of the Earth to extract the necessary fuel for the machine, and after so many days; so many weeks and months it was finally complete. But there was one last thing left. He had to name it.
With a permanent black marker, he wrote in bold and simple letters: "hope!" right there beside the entrance. Maybe this way she can help him on his travels. After saying his goodbye to Launch, Boku prepares for his journey to the past; to before he was even born. He got into his black trench coat, grabbed his yellow beanie, and was raring to go.
With the press of a few buttons, reality around him began to break, and soon he found himself in a vortex of untold imagery that he couldn't comprehend. He didn't know where that crazy sight was gonna take him, but he had enough courage and boldness to not think about the possibility of failure anymore. It was gonna work, because this hope of his will overcome anything.
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