Dragon Ball Z: Dynasty

Written by: Feraligreater328 and StevenBodner

A/N: I just wanted to point out here that my story is now also being published on Wattpad, translated into Spanish. I don't know how much of my audience is Spanish-speaking, but I just wanted to note that it was there for people who might have a better grasp on that language than English. It's being published by Wattpad-user Gojuhy. I don't speak Spanish but, if any of you go and check it out, let me know if it holds up.

Also, bonus points if you can guess the song being hummed at the end of the chapter. :)

Chapter 86: Moving Forward

At Capsule Corp…

Bulma, Piccolo, and Tien all stared up into the sky and watched as the Time Machine slowly faded away. Bulma sighed, scratching the back of her head. "Well, there they go..."

Piccolo's arms were crossed over his chest. "This doesn't feel like a good idea, Bulma..."

Tien spoke up. "That's because it isn't. We have enough issues here in our time, bringing more problems from a different time is ridiculous. But..."

Bulma nodded. "But we don't have a choice. We've made our decision to help Android 18. Now we have to stick with it. And, to do that, we need those Androids from the future..."

Piccolo grunted. "But why both?"

Bulma snapped. "Because I've never done this before, Piccolo! If I screw it up, I'd like to have a mulligan! Would you like to try open heart surgery with added steps?!"

A bead of sweat ran down the side of Piccolo's face. "Fair enough..."

As they argued, Bulma's mother was cooing over Trunks in the background. Panchy held up her baby grandson and smiled. "Awe~! My beautiful baby boy~! Would you like Grandmama to make you some cookies?"

Trunks babbled in approval, kicking his legs and happily cooing. Panchy smiled. And then, she looked over to a certain person sitting next to the hedges of Bulma's house. "What about you, sweetie? Want some cookies?"

Android 17 flinched, looking over to Panchy with a baffled look on his face. Her smile didn't flinch and he shook his head. "N-No, ma'am..."

Panchy nodded and walked away, Trunks held against her hip. 17's stomach growled and he bowed his head. Android 16's head, sat in 17's lap, spoke up. "If you are hungry, you should accept offers of sustenance..."

17 shook his head. "I-I'm not hungry, man..."

16 stared up at 17. The raven-haired Android placed his hand to his gut. "My stomach just hurts. I... don't get it. All of this kindness, just out of nowhere. I don't understand how they can all just..."

16 sighed. "I must admit that I too cannot see the logic in their kindness. But, perhaps, inherent goodness is simply a factor within people that cannot be quantified..."

17 glanced to the side. "I wonder if Goku is the same way. I still haven't gotten to meet him, yet..."

16 closed his eye. "Inputting the nature of his various cohorts and accounting for the human desire to surround oneself with those of a socially compatible nature... it stands to reason that Son Goku is just as good of a person as anyone here at Capsule Corporation..."

This small admittance made Android 16 cringe, sparks bursting from his damaged cranium. 17 frowned. "Maybe, while we're waiting for them to fix 18... we could ask them if they'd fix you up. Those sparks can't be healthy..."

Seeing everyone else walking into Bulma's house for dinner, 17 stood and carried 16. "Let's go inside with the others, I guess..."

As 17 walked away, gently cradling 16's head in his hands, the sun was setting over Capsule Corp. And then an eerie wind blew across Bulma's lawn, seemingly making the bushes rustle with a gust.

In the flow of time and space…

Vegeta stared out into the infinite, spanning void of time and space. The prince's arms were crossed over his chest, his leg shaking in anticipation. He spoke in a bored tone. "A mystifying sight, to say the least..."

In the driver's seat, Future Trunks nodded. "Yeah. Just don't stare at it for too long. Peering into the endless mire of time for too long can really mess a guy up."

Vegeta shrugged and looked away, closing his eyes. "How long will this take, boy?"

Future Trunks clicked something on the console and sighed. "We still have, about, 6 minutes until we arrive back in time. These trips have never taken more than 10 minutes..."

Vegeta nodded. "So, why didn't that companion of yours... Daikon or whatever...come along? I would have assumed that he and that bratty girl you're dating would have killed to come and deal vengeance to these Androids..."

Future Trunks grimaced and thought back.

Earlier, in the Past, at Capsule Corp…

Future Trunks flinched. "What do you mean you're not coming?!"

Future Daikon stood with his back to his partner, his forearm pressed against a tree and his attention firmly locked on the present-day Android 17. "You heard me."

Future Trunks tried to reason with him. "But, listen man. This is-"

He quickly snapped back. "Bullshit. It's bullshit, Trunks! We're working to help the Androids now?! After everything they did to us... after everything they took from us..."

His arms began to shake; his face still hidden from Future Trunks' view. "... after everything they took from ME..."

Future Trunks reached out. "Hey..."

Future Daikon smashed his fist against the tree. "They ruined our lives, Trunks! Me, you, and Ranch! You've seen what dealing with them has done to Ranch! And to us! And now I'm expected to just go along with saving one of their lives like nothing has happened?!"

Future Trunks couldn't bring himself to respond. Future Daikon let loose a shaky sigh and gripped his fist tight. "I won't do anything to try and impede this. Hell, I'm probably not strong enough to stand up to everyone else all at once. But... I certainly won't be assisting those bastards. I don't care what time they're from. Android 18 can lay on that slab and die before I lift a finger for her!"

The purple-haired youth nodded and walked away. "Okay. I understand..."

Back in the present, in the flow of time and space…

Future Trunks shook his head. "Irreconcilable differences in opinion. To put it one way..."

Vegeta nodded. "Ah, so he hates the idea that we're doing this in order to help that bitchy, blonde nuisance. Is that right?"

Future Trunks flinched, but then he nodded. "Y-Yeah. You hit the nail on the head..."

Vegeta leaned back in his seat. "That's the reason Raditz gave me for his son not coming along. Raditz himself wanted to hang back and make sure that everything stayed peaceful while we were gone. Said he had an uneasy feeling..."

Future Trunks grimaced. "I'm not too happy with this either. More than just a part of me wants to find the 17 and 18 in my timeline and blast them into dust."

Vegeta rolled his eyes. "If it were up to me, I wouldn't care. That woman could expire in our timeline and you could do whatever you wanted to the ones here. But keep in mind, we're taking this pain-in-the-ass trip on your mother's behalf..."

Future Trunks cringed at the mention of her name. "My... mother..."

Vegeta cocked his head. "What?"

Future Trunks rubbed his hand over his face. "Father, when we get to my time, would you kindly let me run in ahead of you? I need to preface your arrival..."

Vegeta seemed confused, but shrugged. "Whatever."

In the Future Timeline, Capsule Corp…

Bulma sat at her desk, her mug of late afternoon tea steaming as she sat it down. The weary scientist had just finished making sure that Launch had eaten for the day and had sent her servants, the Pilaf Gang, out to run some last-minute errands.

Alone, Bulma turned on the television to the local news. She reached into her lab coat, pulling out a pack of cigarettes and lit one. She leaned back in her chair and exhaled smoke. It was the same doldrum it had been for a while now. She was focused on the screen, waiting for the latest report of the Androids attacking people. As she sat there, Bulma's thoughts shifted to her kids. All three of them. She thought of them, gallivanting around in the past. For a moment, her mind shifted to an imaginary spot of them all gathered around the Dragon Balls, her three kids and all of her dead friends, laughing as Oolong wished for yet another pair of women's underwear. Bulma sighed. "I hope they're okay..."

"Mother..."

Bulma gasped and nearly fell out of her chair. She turned and stared into the doorway, seeing, to her shock, her son standing there and staring at her with a nervous look on his face. Her eyes widened and she stood, a relieved and joyous smile on her face. "Trunks! Oh my gosh, Trunks, look at you!"

Without a care in the world, Bulma stood and ran up to her approaching son. She started poking and prodding him, lifting his arm and feeling his new bicep. "You're so much bigger! So much more muscular! And look at the hair! I figured that, if anyone came back with long hair, it would be Ranch! But it's looks so good on you~"

Bulma stepped back, pulling the cigarette from her lips and blowing smoke. "So, what happened?! How long did you stay in the past?! And where are Ranch and-"

Trunks cut her off. "Everything is fine. We didn't stay as long as you think. There is a special room in Kami's Lookout where we were able to train for an entire year in just one day for the outside world. As for Ranch and Daikon, they are both in the past. There are still some loose ends that need tying up there. Ranch is training with Goku and Daikon didn't want to leave while his sister was busy..."

Bulma blinked twice. "Daikon... didn't want to leave without... his sister?"

Trunks nodded. "Yep."

Bulma sighed. "Okay then..."

She raised her cigarette back up to her lips and started to take a drag. "So, why are you here without them anyway? What's up?"

Trunks frowned. "Well, it's hard to-"

"Dammit woman! How many times must I tell you that I don't approve of that disgusting, self-destructive habit!"

Trunks cringed. Bulma's eyes went wide, the cigarette dangling loosely from her lip. Marching through the doorway, with purpose, was Past Vegeta. He shoved his son to the side and grabbed the cigarette from Bulma's mouth, flicking it away with disgust. A vein popped from Past Vegeta's forehead as he scolded her. "We had an agreement! You only do that when you're working in your lab since, apparently, it helps you focus! Right?!"

Bulma's jaw started to quiver. "Vegeta..."

She stepped forward and pressed her hand to the prince's chest, flinching in disbelief as he turned out to be very solid. As Past Vegeta turned to glare at Trunks, Bulma reached up and placed her hand on his cheek. Past Vegeta snapped at Trunks. "How can you just stand there and not say anything to her about this?! Don't you care about your mother's health, you idiot?!"

Bulma started to tear up. "Vegeta..."

Past Vegeta looked at her, annoyed. "What, woman? Are you that surprised by that damned machine of yours working? I would expect no less coming from y-"

Bulma didn't let Past Vegeta finish. Catching the prince by surprise, she tackled him. The both of them crashed to the ground and Bulma pressed her lips to his, pulling him into a tight kiss. Past Vegeta was irritated at first, but then he felt her lips quivering. The warm sting of tears hit Past Vegeta's cheeks, but they weren't coming from his eyes. The kiss lasted for nearly a minute, but then Bulma pulled back and buried her face into Past Vegeta's chest. Before Past Vegeta or Trunks could say a word, Bulma began to loudly sob, holding onto the prince as tight as she could. As if he would vanish if she didn't keep a tight grasp on him.

Trunks was frozen in place, staring at Past Vegeta. Past Vegeta glared up at him, but then his face softened just a bit. He slowly wrapped his arms around Bulma, closing his eyes and holding her tight. Once that tender moment had passed, Past Vegeta and Bulma both stood up. The scientist roughly wiped her face, sniffling and trying to fight back the urge to cry again. She spoke in a hoarse voice. "H-How?! Did you make a wish on the Dragon Balls in the past? How are you alive again...?"

Past Vegeta flinched back, a small gasp leaving his mouth. Trunks quickly spoke up. "No... Mother..."

Bulma looked at her son. He sighed. "This isn't our Vegeta. It's... the Vegeta from the past timeline..."

Her eyes went hollow, a bright red blush erupting across her face. "O-Oh..."

Bulma swallowed a lump in her throat. "Well, that's..."

She looked to Past Vegeta. "I'm so... sorry. I jumped the gun based on a faulty assumption. I should have... I... didn't mean to..."

Trunks and Past Vegeta both stared at Bulma with pity. Her sadness was palpable. It was like they were being forced to watch her heart break all over again. Clearing up the situation, Past Vegeta spoke up. "Forget it. It's fine."

Bulma glanced at him. "Are you sure...?"

Past Vegeta nodded without a word. With that, Bulma sighed and fell back into her chair, folding her arm over her face. "Trunks... why are you here without the others, but with the Past Vegeta...?"

Trunks nodded, speaking bluntly. "We're here to deal with Android 17 and 18."

Bulma moved her arm, looking confused. "If you're looking this strong, I can't imagine that Ranch and... Daikon... aren't just as strong. So why didn't you just bring them if you're out to kill 17 and 18?"

Past Vegeta spoke up. "We're not here to kill them. We're here to capture them. All for the sake of repairing the Android 18 of our timeline."

Bulma raised an eyebrow, a nonplussed look on her face. She glanced at Trunks, who roughly shrugged, and then back to Past Vegeta. "Was it Krillin or Gohan? Or... was it Goku?"

She sat up and leaned forward. "Which one made friends with 17 and 18?"

Past Vegeta rolled his eyes. "The bald one. Krillin."

Bulma fell silent for a moment, her eyes hitting the floor. But then, a wistful and sad chuckle came from her mouth. She sighed. "I miss Krillin..."

Silence hung over the room for a moment, but then the television began to erupt with alarm. The person on the screen, a truly tired-looking reporter, emotionlessly announced that Android 17 and Android 18 were attacking the settlement of Parsley City. And then, the emergency broadcast ended. Past Vegeta, Bulma, and Trunks all stared at the television. Bulma sighed again. "Speak of the devils and they shall appear..."

She looked up at Past Vegeta and Trunks. "This is your chance, you shouldn't meander. Get going."

Past Vegeta nodded and turned to walk away. Trunks looked down at his mom. "M-Mother, are-"

Bulma waved him off. "I'm fine. Go."

With a heavy heart, Trunks nodded and quickly followed Past Vegeta out the door. Once she was sure that they were gone, Bulma lifted a shaky hand and reached into her coat, grabbing out her pack of cigarettes. She went to pull one out, but then paused. Tears built in her eyes and she began to shake, and then she crushed the pack in her grip. Bulma dropped them to the ground, burying her face in her hands and sobbing once more.

Flying to Parsley City…

Past Vegeta and Trunks both flew at high-speed, Past Vegeta following behind his son. They were getting closer and closer to Parsley City by the second. As they flew, Past Vegeta stared at Trunks' hands, seeing them shake beneath their white-gloved exterior. He spoke up. "Trunks!"

Trunks glanced back at him. Past Vegeta glared at the boy. "Focus up. You have nothing to fear, our time in the Time Chamber has proven that. This will be so simple, it's barely worth thinking about. We just have to concentrate on not killing them. Got it?"

Silently, Trunks nodded. Past Vegeta growled under his breath, annoyed to still see such doubts in his heir. Trunks, meanwhile, winced in pain. The spot on his lower back, where his tail used to be, began to burn the closer they got to Parsley City.

In Parsley City…

18 screamed in rage and fury as she let loose a, seemingly endless, barrage of Ki blasts into the cityscape in front of her. She was pissed that 17 had blown up her favorite clothing store. She was pissed that 17 strangled that hot guy she was going to sleep with to death. She was pissed that 17 had beaten her in a video game at the arcade. And so, regardless of the pleading of the people in her crossfire, 18 took out all of her frustrations on the buildings of Parsley City. Sitting in the background, on a bike rack, 17 smugly called to his deranged sister. "You're being bitter for no reason, ya know!"

18 snarled at him. "Shut the hell up!"

As 18 continued her rampage, a heavily-injured old man crawled out from underneath a wrecked car that 18 had thrown in frustration. He watched as the out-of-control Android thoughtlessly executed dozens of people at a time with her attacks. And then, he looked to the left and gasped in horror. Sticking out from beneath a pile of rubble nearby was the hand of a boy, no older than 6 years old. The old man closed his eyes, cringing from the pain in his chest. "My grandson... No..."

Sneering and with tears in his eyes, the old man reached into his pocket and pulled out a pistol. He shouted. "Damn you!"

He fired. The bullet shot through the air and collided with 17's cheek, harmlessly ricocheting off. 17 immediately turned and glared at the old man. He stood from the bike rack and started to walk over to the helpless geriatric. "You humans... always utilizing that favorite tactic of yours..."

17 grabbed the old man by the hair, pulled his pistol from the holster and pistol-whipped the helpless human across the face with it. 17 rammed the barrel of the gun into the old man's mouth and smiled. "Don't worry. I'm sure that this bullet won't taste too bad~"

But then, before 17 could pull the trigger, a sudden boot caught him across the face. The raven-haired Android went flying and crashed into his demonic sister, both of them landing in a heap on the ground. The two Androids snarled and got up, locking eyes with their attacker. Trunks stood there, maintaining a vigil over the old man and looking deadly serious. 17 chuckled as he got to his feet, wiping a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth. "Man, look at you! Got a few new muscles I see. And nice hair, Princess~ The Daddy Cosplay too! My... aren't we feeling big today?"

18 stared lustfully, running her finger across her bottom lip. "I gotta say, actually, the muscles and long hair are sort of hot. I think, after we beat him into submission, I might use him for a bit~"

17 rolled his eyes at his sister's lust. "So, where are the other two punching bags?"

But then, the Androids were caught off guard. Past Vegeta landed next to Trunks, a stoic look on his naturally angry face. He crossed his arms over his chest. "They won't be coming today..."

18 cocked her head. "Hold on... didn't we murder you?"

17 snarked. "You've certainly patched yourself up after what we did to you, huh?"

Past Vegeta didn't respond. His cold demeanor seemed to throw 17 and 18 off. 17 quickly recovered with a snide chuckle. "You even grew your arm back! I guess you must be part green-guy, huh? Did you ever tell Piccolo that you guys were so much alike?"

That comment made a vein bulge from Past Vegeta's head. He spoke to Trunks. "You take the bitch. The punk is mine."

Hearing Past Vegeta say that made 17 and 18, without hesitation, laugh out loud. 18 was practically wheezing. "Did you hear that, 17?! You're his~"

17 snorted. "Oh man... where do you get off thinking that you can handle us, Vegeta?! Have you already forgotten what happened the last time we danced this dance?! Huh?!"

Once again, Past Vegeta did not speak. He simply stepped forward and went Super Saiyan. Past Vegeta turned and glanced at Trunks and Trunks nodded. The boy transformed into Super Saiyan as well, his hair fighting against the tie that held it in a ponytail. Father and son shared a nod, and then the two of them began to march towards 17 and 18. The two Androids continued to taunt, but their jabs were unheard. Past Vegeta spoke clearly. "Remember, boy. Keep in mind who you are. These two are nothing in comparison to Saiyan Royalty."

Trunks nodded. "Yes, Father..."

The energy erupting from Past Vegeta and Trunks was intense, but it was no more than what Gohan demonstrated at his peak. 17 chuckled. "You're both acting like such badasses just because you put on some muscle and grew a bit, but if that's all you got this is going to become boring really quickly!"

Past Vegeta glared at 17. "Do all of Gero's creations come pre-installed with a meaningless rambling feature? I swear, you tinker-toys are barely worth the effort it takes to warm up!"

18 sneered and charged a Power Blitz. "And that's already enough of you, Vegeta!"

She threw the blast. But to her surprise, Past Vegeta didn't even flinch. She had expected the prince to try and dodge, but he simply stared down 18's attack like it wasn't even there. Before the attack could hit Past Vegeta, however, Trunks reached out a hand and grabbed it. He held what 18 was sure was a deadly attack like a mere baseball, and then he crushed it with no effort. "I believe the arrangement was that you were dealing with me. Don't focus on my father, Android."

18 flinched. "Wh-What?!"

And then, in that moment, Past Vegeta cleared the distance between himself and the Androids. He slammed his fist into 17's gut hard enough to take the arrogant automaton off of his feet. He grabbed the raven-haired Android by the ankle and threw him into the side of a building.

Without a word, Past Vegeta turned away from 18 and started marching over to his opponent. "Hey! Don't you just ignore me!"

Past Vegeta ignored her. 18 gritted her teeth and raised her hand to charge a blast. "How dare you?!"

Before 18 could fire, however, Trunks rushed in. With minimal effort, the teen spear kicked 18 in the throat, sending her flying across the city and smashing into a building. Trunks' Super Saiyan power flared and he took off as 17 emerged from the rubble. "Wh-What the he-"

A foot stomped down in front of the fallen Android and he looked up to see Past Vegeta looming over him. Deep inside the Saiyans emerald eyes, 17 could see sadistic flames burning. Past Vegeta smirked. "As I understand, you killed me before. I stood up to you in an act of defiance, and you snuffed me out..."

Past Vegeta's power flared up and 17 flinched back. Past Vegeta chuckled. "I'm sorry to say, the result won't be exactly the same for you this time around~"

17 was sweating. He stood and gripped his fists. "Bold words from a guy that's been hiding for nearly 20 years! You think that you can challenge me?! Nobody on Earth can challenge-"

Past Vegeta cut 17 off with an uppercut, sending the raven-haired brat off of his feet once again. However, this time, instead of just letting him fall, Past Vegeta grabbed 17 by the back of the head and slammed his face into the side of a building. Past Vegeta smirked, looking down the street to see a massive row of apartments and office complexes in front of him, and then he started to drag 17's face down the side of the structures. Making it all the way to the end of the street, Past Vegeta tossed 17 into the side of a nearby bus, crumpling the vehicle and making it crash atop him. Past Vegeta dusted his hand on his chest armor with a satisfied smirk. He stared down at his once pristine glove and saw that there were several red spots dotting the surface of it. He chuckled. "You stained my glove..."

17 shakily stood up, blood pouring down his face and two of his teeth chipped. "You... You little..."

Past Vegeta smirked and motioned for 17 to come at him. 17 shouted in frustration and charged at him. He rained down a series of fierce punches on the prince, but Past Vegeta dodged between the attacks as if 17 was moving in slow motion. The Android howled in frustration and threw a devastating haymaker, but Past Vegeta simply grabbed him by the wrist and wrenched his arm behind his back. 17 growled and Past Vegeta punched him in the back of the head, knocking him to the ground. 17 shakily pushed himself up. Past Vegeta mocked him. "This is sad. Even that insect put up a better fight than this..."

Past Vegeta pressed his boot to 17's cheek and shoved him over. "Nearly 20 years of terror, and you didn't get any stronger? Absolutely pathetic..."

The prince walked up to 17 again and kicked him harshly in the ribs. 17 bounced up into the air and Past Vegeta followed the rib kick with a roundhouse that sent 17 flying. He finished the assault with a punch that smashed the Android into a wall, making a crater. Past Vegeta stepped back and cracked his neck, watching as 17 pulled himself free. The Android stumbled forward and then fell to his knees, coughing up blood. The prince chuckled. "Perhaps I'm not quite so angry that you compared me to that Namekian. At least he could take a punch."

The prince chuckled. "Also, just to be clear, Trunks and I both are much stronger than the Gohan you remember. You pissants just aren't worth our full power..."

He stepped forward, reaching down and grabbing 17 by the hair. As he lifted the dazed raven-haired menace, Past Vegeta scoffed. "The Great Terror of the Future. What a joke."

17 sneered. "We weren't such jokes when we killed your ass bef-"

Past Vegeta punched 17 squarely in the face, launching him through the front of a snack vending machine. As 17 laid there, groaning, Past Vegeta reached in and grabbed a bag of pretzels, opening it and eating a few. He stared at the Android with contempt as he munched his snack. 17 glared at him and Past Vegeta swallowed. "You might have killed me before. But, so what? The failings of the past have no bearing on the present. You see, Android, you killed me... and then you got complacent. If you had any regard for your own strength, you would have been preparing for the day your luck would run out."

The prince grimaced. "These pretzels suck…"

17 tried to pull himself from the vending machine, but Past Vegeta simply stomped his foot onto the Android's chest and pinned him down. 17 snapped at him. "Go to Hell!"

Past Vegeta shrugged. "I probably will, one day. I might even be there right now. But, that's fine. That's a problem for yesterday's Vegeta to be concerned with. I only care for the present. And, in the present, those pretzels have made me thirsty..."

17 was then sent flying by a massive kick to the side of the head. He went flying through the side of the snack machine, into the side of the drink machine directly next to it, and then through the other side of that. 17 skidded across the asphalt and Past Vegeta simply reached into the broken machine and grabbed himself a can of Hetap. He looked down at it. "Hmm... Radical Skedattle...? Never tried this one before..."

17 was in silent disbelief. He pushed himself up and stared in shock as Past Vegeta approached him. The prince didn't seem willing to pay 17 any mind. He approached, taking a large gulp of the energy drink he had pulled from the machine. The punk tried to charge at Past Vegeta again, but Past Vegeta, not even lowering his head as he drank the can, decked him to the ground with a single punch. As 17 laid there twitching, the prince poured the remainder of the can onto his face. "It's too damned sweet for my liking. What do you think?"

17 roared in frustration and summoned a massive Power Blitz, but Past Vegeta nonchalantly grabbed his wrist. 17 tried to fight against the prince's grip, but Past Vegeta proved to be a lot stronger. He twisted 17's hand towards his face, and then forced the Power Blitz onto him. The blast exploded and 17 cried out as Past Vegeta stood over him. "It's just like I said. This entire trip is little more than a pain in my ass..."

17 laid wheezing on the ground. He looked up at Past Vegeta and realized, seeing the look in the prince's eye, that he just couldn't win here. At least, not while Past Vegeta's confidence was still intact. 17 smiled wide and instantly changed tactics. "Ya know... I still think about it sometimes..."

Past Vegeta cocked his head. "Huh?"

17 let loose an unhinged cackle. "I still think about what you and that Raditz loser said to each other! It's so hilarious it makes me break out into a laughing fit when I think about it too hard~! That Raditz guy was all like 'We've had our differences, but you're my oldest friend and I'm glad to be fighting alongside you'! And then you were all like 'A real warriors feelings are better left unspoken'! And it was all sweet~ And touching~ You looked all noble standing there, having your final stand, missing an arm but still fighting the good fight~"

His face contorted into a horrific, sneering mask. "AND THEN I BLASTED YOUR GODDAMN HEAD OFF AND 18 AND I SPENT HOURS TORTURING THAT PATHETIC, RADITZ LOSER TO DEATH!"

Past Vegeta's gaze harshened, he looked genuinely angry. 17 cackled madly. "You missed out on all the fun! We pinned him down and made sure to break every bone in his body! His screams were amazing! So much fun! And then, when he couldn't even speak anymore, we pressed him down onto the top of that radio tower and slowly impaled him and he screamed and screamed and screamed! He was still alive when we set him on fire! It was so freaking fun!"

17 smirked. His plan was working. Past Vegeta's fists were shaking in shock and fear. Now, all he had to do was attack. The Android tightened his fist and then lunged at Past Vegeta. "MAYBE WE CAN IMPALE YOU ON A RADIO TOWER TOO!"

The punch was thrown and it made a solid hit. But then, it was revealed that Past Vegeta's hand had shot up and caught the punch. 17 yelped and Past Vegeta smiled at him, a truly angry smile. "You certainly do have a talent for digging your own grave. All of you Android peons seem to share that habit~"

Past Vegeta crushed 17's fist and he fell to his knees, crying out in pain. He tried to punch with his other fist, but Past Vegeta caught that one as well. He chuckled. "It's a shame I can't kill you myself. You've caused my comrades and my family quite a bit of pain. But the way you're going to die is fitting for a wretch like you..."

The prince delivered a bell-ringing headbutt to 17. And then, he pressed him to the ground and started beating him across the face, punctuating each word he said with a punch. "Maybe. This. Will. Teach. You. Not. To. Constantly. Ramble. About. Nothing!"

17 laid there on the ground, twitching. His right eye was swollen shut and purple. The prince sent him flying with a blast. As 17 tumbled, Past Vegeta stalked up to him once more. "Truth be told, I could have knocked you on your ass with one, solid punch. But this feels more right. Karma is a bitch, and I'm here to make sure that all of your bad karma rains down on you before you meet your end."

17 shakily stood, blood pouring from his face. He shouted at Past Vegeta. "AND WHAT ABOUT YOUR BAD KARMA?!"

Past Vegeta cleared the distance between them in an instant, his leg drawn back. "I'm sure it will catch up to me someday."

He slammed his leg into 17's side. The Android's pupils shrank to the size of pinpricks. The scar on his side that was hidden by his shirt, the scar that Yajirobe had left all those years ago, split open in a fantastic burst. He fell to the ground and Past Vegeta pulled back his fist one last time to put the Android down. 17, now left in a state of fear and despair like a wounded animal, immediately threw up his Energy Barrier. "Ha! Punch through this! Go on! Do it! Break your friggin' ha-"

Past Vegeta did as asked, ramming his fist through the barrier and into 17's cheek. The raven-haired Android, caught off guard, took the full force of the punch and was sent flying off into the distance. Past Vegeta rolled his eyes as he watched 17 land. "Dammit. Now I have to go and retrieve him..."

In a movie theater, Parsley City…

18 came crashing through the ceiling of the Parsley City movie theater. The sight of one of the Android falling through the ceiling caused all of the movie-goers to instantly flee. 18 stood up, looking furious, and her eyes immediately fell upon a little girl standing across from her, frozen in fear. 18 snarled. "What?! What are you staring at?!"

The girl started to sob. 18 snapped and pointed her finger, firing an energy beam. "PISS OFF!"

The little girl flinched, but she was quickly saved by the arrival of Trunks, who landed directly in front of her and slapped the energy beam to the ground. He turned and glanced at the girl. "Hey! Are you okay?"

She shakily nodded. "Y-Yessir..."

Trunks sighed in relief. "Good. Now get out of here."

She stood and started to run. "O-Okay..."

As she started to run, 18 glared at her. She pointed at the child to fire another beam, but Trunks simply stepped into her line of sight. He glared down at her and she flinched. "Wh-Who the hell are you looking at like that?!"

Trunks didn't speak, the searing hatred in his eyes speaking volumes. 18 flinched, but then she snarled. "Don't look at me like that!"

She charged and unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks onto Trunks. The golden-haired teen responded with little more than simple blocks and dodges. 18 snarled and began to charge a blast. "Quit mocking me, you little-"

Trunks finally returned fire with his own attack, a harsh punch to the face that sent 18 flying into the movie screen. The stiff vinyl of the screen cracked and shattered as 18's head went through it, impacting into the solid, block wall behind. Trunks wasted no time after that. Unlike his father, he wasn't up for toying around. He rushed over to 18, grabbing her by the collar of her jacket and ripping her from the wall, and then punched her in the face a second time. 18 went tumbling and landed back in a seat, slumping over.

As Trunks approached, she raised her head up to reveal that the scar across her face had split open. As blood ran down her nose, 18 screeched at the approaching, half-Saiyan. "YOU ARE DEAD! YOU HEAR ME?! DEAD!"

Trunks sneered. "Oh really? And why is that, huh?"

18 flinched. Trunks continued. "So I opened an old wound? So what? I've only helped to make you as ugly on the outside as you are within..."

18 snarled. Her opponent shrugged as he continued to march towards her. "Or, maybe, you've just realized that this is it. That you don't get to victimize or torture your opponent this time. That you're going to lose. Hard. Is that what's wrong, Android 18?"

Trunks rushed 18, kneeing her in the face and then twisting in the air to launch her from her seat with a spinning kick. As 18 flew through the air, Trunks appeared right on top of her. He smashed his fist into her chest and sent her bouncing off the ground, and then landed onto her chest with a harsh stomp. Trunks leapt off of her and shouted. "Get up! Come on! We aren't even close to being done yet! We aren't done until I deal a beating to you for every single one of my friends and loved ones that you've killed! From Piccolo to Gohan to Yajirobe, I'll get you for every single death that you've had a hand in!"

18 got to her feet, but then Trunks rushed in and kicked her to the ground once more. She turned over to face her attacker and was met by a series of punches to the face. Trunks was furious, ranting and raving at 18 as she was helplessly beaten into the ground. "How does it feel, Android?! How does it feel to be hunted?! To be defenseless?! To be the one on the back foot, afraid for your very life?! Huh?! TELL ME! HOW. DOES. IT. FEEL?!"

Trunks continued to beat 18 senseless. He thought about everyone whose lives the Androids had ruined: his girlfriend, his partner, his mother, and everyone else. All of his pent-up anger and rage was coming out all at once, and being levied directly into 18. Trunks continued to lay into her, punch after punch after punch. But, as he did, the mission slowly began to reinsert itself into his mind. He wrapped his hand around 18's throat and drew back his fist for one last punch, this one would be a killing blow. But he couldn't make his hand move. Trunks was shaking as he tried to deal the finishing blow. He remembered the reason he was here. And, more importantly, he remembered the harsh words the Bulma of the past had said to him.

"There are very few things in this world that are born evil! You always need to keep that in your head! No matter how bleak things become, there's almost always a spark of good in people! And, while that spark can be snuffed out, you need to always be able to recognize when it's still there!"

Trunks' breaths were heavy. Here he was, with someone who had spent his entire life tormenting him and his friends. And he had all the power in the world to kill her. But, he couldn't. As much as he tried to disagree with the sentiment, and as much as he tried to keep it in his head that Android 17 and Android 18 were evil no matter what, he just couldn't bring himself to do this. The Android 18 of the past timeline wasn't an evil person. She didn't deserve to be left to die, as much as Trunks wished he could let her. Trunks stood off of 18 and turned away from her, screaming in rage and fury as he did. The blonde Android shakily pushed herself up, coughing up blood and wheezing in a hoarse voice. "R-Really? You have me at your mercy and you're not going to do it...? You lame, little... bastard..."

He couldn't bring himself to look at her. 18 scoffed and rolled her eyes. "No conviction. No spine. You disgust me."

As Trunks stood there, going through his own, personal crisis. 18's beaten and battered face twisted in a horrific, fanged smile. She chuckled. "Hey, as long as we're not fighting... I have a question for you..."

Trunks' shoulders stiffened. 18 practically hissed. "How's that tail stump doing~?"

Trunks turned, looking utterly furious. He was going to charge at 18 once more, but what he saw froze him in his tracks. 18 had gotten back to her feet, blood dripping down her face, and she was holding a certain item that was very important to Trunks. Having fashioned it into a belt, 18 had pulled off and displayed Trunks' severed tail. He froze in place and she cackled in response. "Oh! What's the matter?! See something you're missing?! Hm?!"

Trunks shuddered. 18 took immediate advantage of this. She rushed at him and smashed her forehead into his face. Trunks stumbled back and 18 swept his feet, knocking him to the ground. 18 straddled Trunks, a maddened look in her eyes, and held his tail over his face. "I've held onto this for years, you know! I love being able to touch my waist and feel that it's there and be reminded of that day! It was such a fun day~!"

18 wrapped her free hand around Trunks' throat, throttling him and squeezing his windpipe shut. "Look at where we are! It's a movie theater! Just like back then, Trunks! Back when 17 nearly suffocated you to death! If only that idiot had succeeded!"

Her eyes were shimmering with hate as she tightened her grip. "But, don't worry...I won't fail like he did. Now, just lay there and die..."

Trunks was damning himself in his head. He kept telling himself to move, but his mind and body kept betraying him. He thought back to that awful, awful day. The day where everything nearly ended for him. The pain, and the embarrassment, and the shame. It was all playing back for him. He felt the pain in his lungs due to lack of breath, just as he had when he was at the mercy of 17. 18 loomed over him, holding that tail of his, and he felt just as lost and scared as he did when she had taken it from him to begin with. Unable to struggle free of her grip, Trunks began to apologize in his head. 'D-Dammit, I'm sorry... Mother, and both of my friends, and all of my comrades back in the past, and... most of all, F-"

In that instant, 17 came crashing through the side wall of the movie theater. He tumbled across the ground and landed in a heap next to 18 and Trunks. 18 flinched. "What the he-"

Past Vegeta zipped in at top speed, his Super Saiyan power flaring. He glared into 18's eyes and sneered. "You know, I have something I owe you now that I think about it..."

18 moved to defend herself, but Past Vegeta was much faster. Before she could fully react, Past Vegeta made his move. He slammed his leg into 18's left arm, just as the 18 of his time had done to him, and snapped it in half. 18 was sent flying off of Trunks and crashed into a nearby wall. Trunks slowly got back to his senses, coughing and looking up. "F-Father...?"

Past Vegeta glared down at Trunks. He looked quite angry. He shouted at his son. "Get on your damned feet, boy!"

Trunks did so, a look of shame on his face. "F-Father, I'm sorry. I..."

Past Vegeta glared towards 18. "That severed tail that she's holding...it's yours. Right?"

Trunks nodded. "Yes... it's my tail. I... allowed her to take it from me years ago. I'm so sorry, Father. I..."

Past Vegeta was blunt. "And you were going to let her strangle you to death over something pathetic like that?!"

Trunks flinched. Past Vegeta glared at him sternly. "Listen to me, boy. And listen well. The tail might be the symbol of Saiyan Pride, but it is not the source of Saiyan Pride."

The golden-haired teen gasped in shock. Past Vegeta turned to him. "I thought we made that point clear during our time in the Time Chamber..."

Trunks cringed. "But, Father..."

Past Vegeta snapped. "But nothing! What you lost to that woman isn't anything that can't be regained! She didn't permanently cost you your tail, you're just letting yourself think that she did! You're letting your own fractured ego get in the way of letting yourself become whole again!"

The prince unfurled his own tail from around his waist. "And, as the heir to the Saiyan Royal Blood in this timeline, I cannot just stand aside and watch as you allow yourself to be defeated by such a meager loss!"

By this point, 17 had recovered. He saw the tail waving around on Past Vegeta's rear and he psychotically smirked. The Android charged at Past Vegeta from behind and grabbed the tail, squeezing in hopes of sapping the Saiyan of his strength from the pain. However, the appendage didn't tighten in pain in the slightest. Not giving 17 any mind, Past Vegeta spoke firmly to his son. "You have to realize that you haven't been robbed of your heritage, Trunks. Nothing can take that from you. Your heritage is more than a mere tail, it's your pride! You realize that, right?!"

And then, Past Vegeta's tail wrapped around 17's wrists. With a flick of his tail, Past Vegeta tossed 17 across the movie theater. He crashed into 18 and the two of them landed in a heap. Past Vegeta wrapped his tail back around his waist. "Now then... these are your Androids, so you can finish this! I'm done wasting my time on these little whelps!"

Trunks lowered his head, thinking of everything Past Vegeta had just said to him. Past Vegeta spoke to his son without looking. "You can do that right, Trunks?"

Trunks raised his head, a new fire lit in his eyes. "Yes, Father."

Past Vegeta smiled and crossed his arms over his chest. "Make me proud."

And so, Trunks turned to face down the twin terrors that had spent so long tormenting his timeline. 17 and 18 were both very badly hurt, the two of them were nearly beaten senseless from all of the damage dealt by the father-son duo. The two Androids sneered and tried to charge at Trunks together, but the warrior sent both of them flying back with an almighty shout that sent his power flaring out. As they both landed on their backs and sat up, despair briefly overtook 17 and 18. Trunks was a lot bigger than them and they both knew they were outmatched. 17, trying to adopt his cocky personality, attempted to mock Trunks. "I mean, you're strong... but Gohan was strong too, and-"

Trunks snarled. "ENOUGH!"

The golden-haired teen gripped his fists. "We're done talking and we're done playing around!"

18 stammered, weakly holding up Trunks' severed tail with her non-broken arm. "But, what about-"

Trunks rushed forward, grabbing 18's wrist tightly and using his Ki to set her hand, and the severed tail on fire. 18 cried out, dropping the severed appendage, and was harshly pushed back into her brother. Trunks loomed over them, staring at them with rage and fury. And then, just to reinforce how done with the two of them he was, Trunks stepped forward and a fresh, new tail erupted from his lower back. It, alongside his hair, glowed golden and radiated Super Saiyan power. Trunks spoke calmly and furiously. "Are you ready to finish this, 17 and 18?"

Both of the Androids shivered in horror... and then 17 pulled the ultimate move of cowardice. He forcefully shoved 18 into Trunks and then turned tail and ran. "SCREW THIS!"

18 slammed into Trunks, and he forcefully shoved her back. She glared at him and prepared to charge a Power Blitz, but was immediately frozen in fear once more. Trunks had already charged up a Burning Attack. He glared at 18, and then held his hands out and reshaped his attack into something new. Trunks wrapped his hands around the hilt of his new, energy sword. He gripped it tight and the blade of the sword erupted in flames. Trunks steeled his gaze. He focused on the frozen 18, and then on the fleeing 17. He took a deep breath and slowly let it out, and then he shouted. "DOUBLE BURNING SLASH!"

Trunks swung his sword twice, sending out two flaming slashes. One immediately collided with 18's chest, causing the female Android to erupt into a shrieking tower of flame. The second one flew in hot pursuit of 17. The raven-haired menace yelped and formed an energy barrier for protection, but the slash cleaved straight through it. Just the same as the sister he had abandoned, 17 was engulfed in a massive inferno and fell to the ground, writhing in agony and screaming at the top of his lungs. Soon enough, the flames died down and the two Android menaces were left unconscious on the ground, both of them totally defeated.

Trunks stood stalwart, allowing his energy sword to disperse. He stared at the two defeated Androids and, for the first time since before Gohan had died, Trunks felt a sense of peace and serenity on the inside. He allowed his Super Saiyan form to disperse, and Past Vegeta immediately stepped up next to him.

The two warriors, father and son, looked to one another with pride. Past Vegeta chuckled. "Now, wear your tail with pride and secure it around your waist..."

Trunks looked down and, with a bit of difficulty, got his regrown appendage to listen to him. It wrapped snugly around his waist like a belt and he smiled. "Like this?"

Past Vegeta smirked and glanced out towards the setting sun. "Perfect."

Back at Capsule Corp…

The two defeated Androids sat unconscious next to the Time Machine. Their wrists and ankles both were locked into stasis cuffs, reverse-engineered from sets of cuffs found on King Cold's flagship. Past Vegeta was staring up at the sky, watching as the first stars of nighttime showed themselves. "What the hell is taking her so long?! We need to get back to the past!"

Trunks sighed. "Please be patient for just a moment. She said she had one more thing to do before she came out to see us off..."

A few more minutes passed and then Bulma emerged from Capsule Corp with, to the surprise of both Past Vegeta and Trunks, a backpack slung over her shoulder. She smiled. "Okay then. I talked to the Pilaf Gang. They'll make sure that Launch eats while I'm away~"

Trunks cocked his head. "Away? Wh-What do you mean, 'away'? What's in the bag, Mother?"

Bulma smiled. "A couple of changes of clothes. My various notebooks and my laptop. My afternoon tea mug. The basics~"

Trunks flinched. "Wh-Why do you have that?!"

Bulma rolled her eyes. "Why else would I have something like this, Trunks? If I'm going to take a trip to the past, I need to bring the basics!"

Past Vegeta cut in. "Hold on! You're coming with us?! Why?!"

Bulma blushed and glanced away from Past Vegeta. She fumbled her words. "H-How about we start with the fact that I b-built this Time Machine, therefore it's mine and I'll ride in it if I d-damn well please..."

Past Vegeta opened his mouth to say something. But then, he smiled at Bulma showing that same vital spirit that he had fallen in love with. Past Vegeta adopted a small smile and turned away. "Fine then. Come along. See if I care."

Trunks scratched the back of his head. "I'm... not sure that you, me, Father, and the Androids will all fit in the seats..."

Bulma marched forward, opening a hatch on the outside of the Time Machine and shoving her backpack in. "Just throw them in here. They'll fit!"

Past Vegeta and Trunks looked at one another and Past Vegeta shrugged. It was clear that Bulma had made up her mind. And, when any Bulma made up their mind, there was no changing it. So, with a bit of effort, the two Saiyans crammed 17 and 18 into the cargo hold. And then, after helping Bulma into the Time Machine, they got in as well and took off. The Time Machine rose into the air, and then it slowly faded from sight.

Back in the present, at Capsule Corp…

The Time Machine appeared above the airspace of present-day Capsule Corp and gently descended to the ground below. Piccolo, Tien, Future Daikon, Bulma, Krillin, and Android 17 holding 16's head all emerged from Capsule Corp as Vegeta and Future Trunks hopped out of the Time Machine. Bulma called over to them. "Hey, guys! Welcome back! How did it-"

But then, to Bulma's surprise, a voice that sounded exactly like hers began to speak. "Oh my gosh! I can't believe that I got to see what the realm of time and space looked like! That was so cool! I'd love to be able to get out and explore!"

Future Trunks sighed in exasperation. "Mother, that would probably kill you..."

Appearing in front of everyone else, Future Bulma rolled her eyes. "Of course, it would kill me, Son! I'm not an idiot! I just want to be able to touch it! Like how, sometimes, you just want to be able to walk on a cloud but you know you'd fall through! Like that!"

Future Bulma looked away from Future Trunks and towards all of the others, most of whom were staring at her with some form of surprise on their faces. Future Bulma pressed her hand over her heart. "Oh my gosh..."

Her eyes became misty and then, without any hesitation, she ran towards the group to greet them all. "Krillin!"

She immediately snatched the shorter monk off of the ground and hugged him tight. "It's been forever! I'm so glad to see you!"

Krillin chuckled. "H-Hey, Bulma..."

Future Bulma put him down and moved to the next one. "And Tien! I've missed you and those big ol' muscles of yours you freaking jock!"

She hugged him tightly as well. Tien, rather awkwardly, hugged her back. "Hey, Bulma..."

Future Bulma let him go and then did a running leap onto Piccolo, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding on tight. Piccolo was taken aback. "Wh-What are you even doing-"

She spoke. "Would you believe me if I said I even missed you? I know we weren't as close as I was with the others, but I always regretted not getting to know you better."

She squeezed him tighter. "You're surprisingly warm for such a cold guy, Piccolo..."

Piccolo blushed, but then he gave a caring couple of pats onto Future Bulma's back. She let him go and landed on her feet, turning to her present counterpart. Bulma and Future Bulma stared into each other's eyes and Bulma smiled. "Wow, they weren't lying. I really do look good at 50, huh? With how little our baby lets me sleep lately, you could probably pass for me with no one being the wiser..."

Future Bulma chuckled. "Yeah, I certainly didn't raise my kids to be liars. Right, Daikon?"

Future Daikon flinched, but then he nodded. "Y-Yes, ma'am..."

Future Trunks walked up to Future Daikon and gave him a consoling pat on the shoulder. Future Daikon looked away from the two Bulma's talking to one another and looked down to see his friend's newly grown tail. "So... a lot happened in our timeline, huh?"

Future Trunks nodded with a smile. "Yeah. We managed to capture the two of them..."

Future Daikon scowled and looked away. "Great..."

Bulma and Future Bulma continued to talk, Future Bulma's eyes eventually falling onto Android 17. The two of them stared at one another for a moment, Future Bulma remaining silent. 17 scratched the back of his head. "Y-You're from the timeline that me and 18 screwed up, huh?"

Future Bulma was curt. "Yep."

17 frowned. "And I..."

Future Bulma finished his sentence for him. "Helped to murder my husband and all of my friends."

17 cringed, looking very guilty. "I'm... so sorry..."

A long silence, and then Future Bulma sighed. "Don't apologize. It's not like you did it."

17 looked up and Future Bulma was already within arm's length. She brushed his hair out of his face and smiled. "I gotta say. I never did think I'd meet a version of Android 17 with such honest eyes. You're already an improvement from the scumbag I know..."

She looked down. "Though, I will admit, the severed head is a bit off-putting..."

Android 16 opened his remaining eye. "Greetings. I am-"

Future Bulma sighed. "Android 16. I know."

Everyone flinched back, even Future Trunks and Future Daikon. Future Daikon shouted. "YOU KNOW?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU KNOW?!"

Future Bulma shrugged. "I went looking around for Dr. Gero's laboratories after you guys left the last time. Just for the hell of it, ya know? Not much to be said for what I found. Just a couple dusty, old chambers with nothing functional inside. Some weird, broken tube. And I found this guy inside of some sort of stasis chamber. He'd been totally destroyed though. I can only assume my 17 and 18 killed him before he could wake up..."

17 frowned. "Oh..."

With this stunning revelation hanging in the air, the door to Bulma's house opened and Raditz walked out, adjusting his pants. "Of course, they'd return while I was on the-"

Raditz flinched. "Whoa! Two Bulmas!"

Future Bulma smiled wide and ran up to hug him. "Oh, Raditz! I missed you too, bud!"

She looked up at him. "Um...later, could we talk about Launch? My Launch? Preferably with your Launch present?"

Raditz looked confused. "Uh... sure..."

Finally, Vegeta stepped forward with Future 17 and Future 18 tightly gripped in his hands. "Let's cut the pleasantries for now and get this over with. These two being alive in our timeline bugs me."

17 cringed. "S-So... that's them, huh?"

Future Daikon sneered. "Yeah. That's them. You wanna get a closer look at yourself, Android?! You wanna get a closer look at the man that left a massive, ugly brand on our Gohan's chest?! Huh?!"

Future Trunks held Future Daikon back. 17 looked like he was going to be sick. 16 stared with some measure of sorrow at the two of them. Beaten, battered, and hogtied as they were, for horrific crimes they had committed in their timelines, 16 still couldn't help but pity these two beings that looked like his dearest friends wondering if his own counterpart could have helped the future twins like he had with his 17 and 18. Bulma clapped her hands. "Okay then. Surgery time. Let's get to saving Android 18."

Future Bulma smiled. "I can help if you need me to."

Bulma gasped. "Really?!"

Future Bulma nodded. "Yeah. I am you, ya know~ Just with more experience! I've reverse-engineered Gero's old work that I found in my exploration. Just didn't had the proper equipment to make use of it."

Bulma sighed. "That's actually a huge relief..."

Future Bulma chuckled. "Yeah. But, after I help you, I want you to take me around. I'm excited to see everyone again. Goku, Gohan, Yamcha, Master Roshi, Dad and... M-"

Future Bulma's eyes widened and she suddenly sprinted across the yard, over to the entrance of Capsule Corp. "MOM!"

Everyone stared in confusion, wondering why Future Bulma reacted as she did, only to recoil in horror at the sight of a beaten and bloodied Panchy struggling to walk towards them. Bulma was next to sprint, following after her future counterpart. "Mom! What happened?!"

Everyone gathered around Panchy. She was badly hurt, struggling to breathe. Every one of her fingers was broken and bent at an odd angel. She spoke in a hushed tone. "Bulma... I'm so sorry. I tried to stop it, but..."

Bulma had tears in her eyes. "Save your strength, Mom!"

The scientist turned to her husband. "Vegeta! You find who did this and you-"

Future Bulma cut her present counterpart off, staring upwards in bug-eyed horror. "What the fuck is that...?!"

Everyone looked up at what Future Bulma had, and suddenly Panchy's attacker was very clear. Standing on top of Capsule Corp, the moon shining bright behind him, was Imperfect Cell. The monster stared down at the Z-Fighters, a psychotic expression on his face. "Vegeta..."

The monster leapt down, one of his arms hidden behind his back. Every fighter present struck a fighting stance to face the creature. Piccolo shoved 17 behind himself for safety. Cell let loose a truly inhuman-sounding cackle. "Vegeta! You have s-s-s-something that I want. Give it to me. Right...right now! GIVE IT TO ME NOW!"

Vegeta glanced down at Future 17 and Future 18, both of them held tightly in his grasp. "You think that assaulting my mother-in-law was the ticket to absorbing the Androids? You disgusting freak!"

Cell was practically foaming at the mouth. "I need them, Vegeta! You hear me?! I need them! My 18! She's too b-b-b-broken down now! D-Damaged beyond repair! RUINED BECAUSE of Krillin..."

The monster cackled. "But... YOU FOOLS.. .you went and got me fresh Androids...so kind~"

He reached out his hand longingly. "Giiiiiiiive theeeeeem toooo meeee..."

Raditz sneered, activating his Oozaru Force. "Move aside! I'll crush this bastard right now!"

Cell snarled in a demonic register. "YOUSHUTYOURMOUTH! THIS DOESN'T CONCERN YOU, YOU PEST!"

The monster beckoned. "Give them to me, Vegeta. Right... now..."

Vegeta sneered, a vein bulging from his head. His Super Saiyan form erupted and he loosened his grip on the Androids. "How about I just drop them and kill you instead?!"

As Vegeta prepared to charge, however, Cell revealed his ultimate trump card. "You don't wanna do that~"

Vegeta flinched and stared in horror. Everyone else gasped in shock. Bulma screamed in terror. Cell pulled his hidden hand out from behind his back and revealed that he had a hold of little baby Trunks. The baby looked fearful, tears in his eyes. Two of Cell's fingers were snaked around his neck and a third was jammed into his mouth to keep him quiet. Cell hissed in joy as what he was seeing: Vegeta was visibly shaken.

Cell laughed as he ranted. "Remember, Vegeta?! Do you remember when I said I would snap your son's neck?! DO YOU REMEMBER VEGETA?! DO YOU REMEMBER?! WHEN I SAID I WOULD SNAP YOUR SON'S NECK?! DO YOU REMEMBER VEGETA?! DO?! YOU?! REMEMBER?!"

Raditz lurched forward. "You disgusting son of a-"

Cell howled. "NOT A MOVE OUT OF YOU! I KNOW HOW YOU WORK! IF I HEAR A POP, I'LL POP THIS BRAT'S HEAD OFF LIKE A CORK!"

Raditz was sufficiently cowed, backing off. Cell chuckled. "This is betw-tween me and you, Vegeta! You give me what I want! What I need! What I crave...!"

The monster laughed so hard his entire body shook. "Give them... to me. And I'll give you your son back~"

They were at an impasse now. Stuck between a rock and a hard place with two impossible options: either Cell be given the means to obtain his perfect form... or Vegeta be forced into being the indirect cause of his son's death. Vegeta was speechless. His head was bowed. His hands were trembling with anger and, although no one would dare say it, a hint of fear. Cell smiled wide, thinking that he had won. But then, another voice spoke up. "If I have to die to prevent you from absorbing those Androids, then so be it, Cell!"

Cell gasped and saw Future Trunks step forward. Bulma and Future Bulma both gasped as their son turned Super Saiyan, a deadly serious grimace on his face. Bulma weakly called out. "No... Trunks... n-no..."

Future Trunks couldn't bring himself to look at either of his mothers, he simply raised his hand and began to charge a massive blast. Cell cringed back in shock. "Wait?! You're serious?! Y-You'll kill him!"

Future Trunks responded with two words that made Cell shudder. "Dragon Balls."

Cell tried to retort. "But-"

Future Trunks cut him off. "If that little boy grows up to be anything like me, he'd rather die by his own hand than force his father to dishonor himself like that! I'll kill you both, and then I'll accept whatever blame is thrown my way!"

Cell frantically looked over to the prince. "V-Vegeta..."

Vegeta was still. Cell shouted louder. "VEGETA!"

Still no response. Future Trunks charged his attack. "Begone, you hideous monster!"

Cell snarled. He pulled his thumb from his infant prey's mouth and squeezed his neck, making the baby scream and wail in fear and pain. Future Trunks prepared to fire. Bulma screamed out. "DON'T KILL MY BABY!"

And then, everything paused. Everyone watched on in horror as, in a burst of speed, Vegeta flew forward with Future 17 and Future 18 in his grip. He had a resigned expression welded onto his face. Future Trunks' attack dispersed and he called out for his father to stop, but it was too late. Vegeta threw Future 17 and Future 18 directly at Cell. The monster's beak spread into a triumphant grimace. He rushed forward, dropping Trunks as his tail opened wide. Vegeta caught his baby son and slid across the ground. Cell caught Future 17 and Future 18 in his tail and started to suck them up. And Raditz and Piccolo leapt in front of everyone else to shield them.

All fell silent for a moment.

And then Cell exploded into a column of searing, white light. A hideous, monstrous wail screamed out from the epic light show. Everyone else was blown back by the force of Cell's transformation. Everyone except for Future Trunks, Future Daikon, and Vegeta.

As Bulma dragged herself across the outside of Capsule Corp, Future Trunks and Future Daikon both went Super Saiyan and fired attacks into the beam of light. But whatever the hell was within shouted with a primal roar and sent the two half-Saiyans flying back. Bulma threw herself towards her husband and child, being blown away by the wind pressure. Vegeta caught her before she could be sent flying too far and Bulma held him and their child close. She sobbed as she held her crying baby and looked up to her husband. "Vegeta! What do we do?!"

Vegeta sneered. "How fast can you evacuate West City?!"

Bulma flinched. "What?!"

Vegeta shouted. "ANSWER THE DAMN QUESTION, WOMAN!"

Bulma sniffled and took a deep breath, but then she adopted a serious expression. "10 minutes."

Vegeta nodded. "10 minutes then."

At Kame House…

The entire Earth was shaking after this latest absorption by Cell. Volcanoes were erupting, birds were flying en masse, the sky itself seemed to be tearing apart. And, at Kame House, things weren't much better. Realizing that his island might not be there anymore, after all of the chaos, Master Roshi quickly reduced his house down to a Capsule and loaded everyone onto his Capsule Submarine. They all managed to escape just as a massive tsunami overtook the entire island.

Roshi, Oolong, and Turtle all stood by the periscope, taking turns watching the world end above them. Suno shivered in the corner, crying out of fear and terror as Yamcha, Eighter, and Puar tried to comfort her.

At the back of the submarine, Ox-King held the baby Ranch as Blonde Launch tried to take care of her sister-in-law. "It's okay, Princess. You and the little bundle are safe. Don'tcha worry 'bout a thing!"

But then, for the first time since Cell's previous transformation, Chi-Chi opened her eyes. She was feverish, being overwhelmed by the sheer power that was cascading against her senses. She was barely able to speak above a whisper. "Launch..."

Blonde Launch got close. "What is it?! Wassup?!"

Chi-Chi mouthed two words. Launch flinched back. "They're coming?! Who?! Who are you sensing?!"

And then, to the surprise and horror of everyone on the submarine, Chi-Chi's water broke.

Back at Capsule Corp…

The light dispersed and the shaking finally stopped. A huge crater had been made on the Capsule Corp lawn. Part of the main building had been damaged and Bulma and Vegeta's house had been annihilated. A huge cloud of dust rose from the center of the crater. As everyone else struggled to get up, Vegeta stood and glared at the dust. He sensed the power within and he instantly knew just how outmatched he was. Piccolo sat up. "Damn it..."

And then, his ears twitched. "H-Huh...?"

Something within the dust was humming a tune, slowly and manically. The sound of clomping footsteps serving to accompany it.

"Hm hm hm hmhm hmhmm hm hm hmhm hmhmm hm hm hmhm hmhmmmm..."

Seeing the shape of his new foe formed of shadows within the dust, Vegeta braced himself. The new being simply chuckled in response. He spoke in a deep, smooth voice. "For those of you whom I have already introduced myself to, please forgive me repeating my words. But I feel a reintroduction is in order..."

From within the dust, out stepped a truly handsome being. His pale, masculine features and heroic build wrapped in an insect-like armor. His ebony wings shined bright in the moonlight as they hung below his knees. His bright pink eyes locked directly onto the Saiyan Prince.

He spoke with a casual air in his voice. "My name is Cell. And I am perfection~"