09 - Dodging Fame

The fight between Trunks and his father ended with them having a heart-to-heart in the distance. Words were exchanged at the intensity of the fists that had recently flown at each other. It ended with Trunks having a hard but determined face.

I watched Vegeta's features curiously as they shifted between obvious emotions on the prince's face. The rage left, leaving a strange discerning look, as if he was searching Trunks for something deeper than what can be seen on the surface. Vegeta placed a hand on the future version of his son's shoulder and exchanged some words. The confrontation ended with Vegeta's face only showing pride for his future son.

"Miss 21, you will come to Central City after this won't you? I am sure there will be a parade!" The reporter asked.

I raised an eyebrow at him, double-checking that the camera was off, "I doubt it, as we have more to do. But I do have a quote for you if you would like."

His eyes lit up and he pulled a notepad from his dirty suit jacket, "That would be fantastic!"

I thought for a second then spoke, "Today we defeated Cell, the largest threat our planet has ever faced! He had the power to destroy everything we hold dear and together, the Z-Fighters were able to put him down! I hope that today we earned your trust as protectors of Earth. Know that if any other threat arrives, we will be there to fight and protect everyone!"

"I have it! Your words are truly inspiring my lady!" The reporter said. "May I put your name in the paper?"

I shrugged, "Sure, but keep Goku's out. Push that it was the 'Z-Fighters' in general," I said.

"And what should I say about Mr. Satan?"

We looked over to where he had been watching the fights in stunned amazement. The old Champ finally broke from his stupor and was standing with the announcer lady who appeared with his apprentice fighters. They...would be revived when we brought everyone back with the Dragon Balls.

"He...helped?" I asked while raising an eyebrow. "2% credit?"

The reporter nodded, "I understand, of course."

"I do have something to add...off the record."

"Off the record, my lady?" He asked.

"Yes, in other words. Do NOT repeat this to anyone...or there will be hell to pay," I narrowed my eyes at him and he gulped. "If you are contacted by the government or other officials, you may send them to us at Capsule Corporation. That being said if paparazzi or a plethora of people show up there looking for us... I will not be happy."

He nodded and couldn't hide a gulp at my threat, "Of course."

After the fight, we were going to split ways but I made sure to talk to Goku first.

"Helluva fight there 21! I had no idea you were so strong!"

I smiled at my childhood hero, trying my best not to gush with excitement, "Thank you! But I hope you know that all of us can get stronger, regardless of our current strength. And I know just how to do so!"

"Oh? More than that...matching power-up thing? I had no idea Saiyans could do stuff like that!"

I nodded, noting that the 'power up thing' had pushed all the Saiyan's firmly into Super Saiyan 2 and nearly doubled their maximums, "Yes, tell me. Would you be able to locate planet Yardrat as far as Instant Transmission is concerned?"

"Hmmmm," He said, going into deep thought. He put the two fingers over his forehead and closed his eyes as he searched. "The problem with Yardrat is that it has been a long time since I have been there and they don't often power up very high..."

"It's not a problem if not."

He searched for a few minutes and was unable to find anything. Goku grimaced as he gave up, "I can't find them, sorry 21!"

"It's no problem," I said, thinking how to breach the next topic. "Goku, I think that, if there is more than one wish, you should use the second one to be able to locate Yardrat for Instant Transmission."

"Hmmm, and the first wish for bringing everyone that Cell killed back, right?"

"That's right. Only if Dende was able to empower Shenron, of course."

Goku nodded, "So what would be the purpose of that?"

"Well, I think we should move all the Z-Fighters that want to go, away from Earth for a while. Let things settle down a bit. I can't help but think that if power left the planet there could be a chance for some peace. Also, if we can all learn Spirit Control from the Yardratians, then we can all gain strength while giving Earth a break."

Goku looked surprised as he spoke up, "Wow, to be honest, I was thinking the same thing!"

I nodded, "Agreed! And since I killed Cell, I want to get out of here before I have mobs of people chasing me around, and you were on camera too, so they might be looking for you as well."

He nodded.

"You should be able to convince Chichi and Gohan to come along also! It will be a perfect place to stay for a while, and I am sure that they would be willing to put us up for a time on Yardrat, right?"

"The Yardratians were very nice! So I am sure they would be more than happy to accept us!"

"Perfect! You go make the wishes while I get 17 and 18 to Bulma so they can have the bombs removed!"

His gaze turned skeptical and I drew more attention when I mentioned the other Androids.

"Are you sure that's the best idea? Aren't they kinda...evil?" Yamcha asked.

I looked over to him, "They have been influenced by the pure heart of Android 16 in this timeline. They are not evil and I sense no evil in them, what about you Goku?"

"Hmmm, I guess not, but they certainly didn't like me!"

"True, but that wasn't their fault. It was the programming by Dr Gero, and both of them overcame it when they attacked him, right?" I asked.

Android 16 nodded, "I will not follow any orders to hurt Son Goku."

His mechanical voice was sturdy and it made me smile at him. I want to ensure that he has a peaceful life if he wishes.

"Alright, well that sounds like a plan! Let's head back to the Lookout!" Goku said to the rest of the Z-Fighters.

"Trunks, Krillin, 16, we should head to Capsule Corp with 17 and 18. Bulma will be able to help remove the bombs," I said, purposely not mentioning Vegeta. I would have to convince him to go to Yardrat at some point, so I better not start by doing anything that seems close to ordering him.

With that, I said goodbye to the reporter and Mr. Satan, as well as everyone else. Tien and Yamcha went their separate ways, while Piccolo, Goku, and Gohan flew off to the Lookout.

The Reporter once again profusely thanked me and the rest of the Z-Fighters, promising to spread my message and speak well on our behalf.

~o*o~

"They will be fine?" Android 16 asked into the laboratory. His almost mechanical voice boomed through the room.

Bulma and her father were working and I was acting as a lab assistant, though I didn't have the famous white jacket that 21 wore in the video games.

Bulma spoke up, "Absolutely, though we did have to anesthetize them since they are not fully Androids like yourself, 16. They will feel groggy and tired until they get enough sleep."

"Whew," Krillin said. He was waiting with 16 as we completed the surgery. "Leave it to Bulma to figure out how to do that!"

Bulma was a genius but not a doctor, so she had a machine with lasers making perfect incisions into the abdomen of 17 to pull out the small and powerful bomb. It took maybe 15 minutes for the whole process to complete for each android, and she followed up by fixing up the incisions with some sort of Bio-spray that would leave no marks after just a few hours.

When we were finished I had a bit of inspiration in me. I knew that my mind in this body was much more intelligent than my last life, but what could I do with that?

How could I use my intelligence to get stronger? To make everyone stronger? To remove us from Zeno's list of too-weak galaxies? Where should I begin?

"Bulma?"

"Yes, 21?" She asked, cleaning her hands in the nearby sink.

"Can I...get a few things? I know you have been extremely generous so far, in letting me stay here. But is there any way I can work on a few things...things even you might be interested in?"

"Oh? You have my attention and of course. You literally defeated Cell, I am more than willing to help you out. You probably need some money too, don't you?" She asked, but her face was open and curious as if wondering what someone who just woke up from time travel would need to survive.

I smiled at her, "Well, I had a few ideas, specifically one that should be implemented immediately. We should turn your dragon ball radar to a static, worldwide tracking system, so we can know where they are at all times. We can have it warn us anytime they are gathered up and we can respond to it if it is someone...with bad intentions decides to acquire them. You know what I mean?"

She looked thoughtful, "That makes a lot of sense actually. I have been relying on obscurity and the lack of knowledge to keep them safe. Maybe you're right. You want to work on that with me?"

I nodded, "I do, but I also intend on going with everyone to planet Yardrat soon."

Bulma raised an eyebrow, "Soon?"

"A week. We all need to learn what we can from the Yardrat people," I said.

"Does that include Goku's Instant Transmission ability?" Bulma said, remembering that he learned it there.

"That is an ability granted from a higher classification of something called Spirit Control. The people of Yardrat are experts at Spirit Control, enabling them to create clones, change their size and shape, heal each other, and even move their bodies as Goku does with Instant Transmission. There is even more to learn."

"Instant Transmission is that good huh?"

"Of course, it's even better than you can imagine. You can teleport anywhere that you can sense someone, that includes in and out of dimensions, time, and even this universe if you can sense someone that far," I explained.

"Wow, that is impressive. I never got that impression with Goku having that ability," Bulma said.

"Is that surprising? He isn't one to articulate the specifics of his abilities like that. He is unparalleled in combat prowess, but it is all feels. I am used to thinking much more than he is."

"Makes sense."

We finished up at the lab and I went back to my room to shower and change. Bulma had given me a spare set of clothes, a simple t-shirt, and jeans, but she also handed me a perfect-fitting lab coat to complete my look for when we go to work. Bulma was slightly larger in the chest than I was but my butt was bigger, at least in my human form. Nothing fits perfectly, but it will work until I can go get some clothes on my own.

After the shower, I changed into the clean clothes and had my other stuff washed. Sitting in front of the TV, I turned it on to see what I could. Sure enough, clips of Goku and I fighting Cell were everywhere as people paraded through the streets. Even Mr. Satan was out there, celebrating. Thankfully, he wasn't making ridiculous claims like in the original timeline.

A knock sounded on my door and I could feel his energy before I answered, a smile covering my face.

I opened the door and let Trunks in, "Hey there."

"Hey 21, how are you feeling?"

"I'm just fine. I was just relaxing after a good shower," I said. I pulled him into a hug as the door closed. "How do you feel after your fight with your father?"

I guided him to the couch and muted the TV, turning my full attention to him.

He sighed, "I feel like we came to some sort of understanding, yet the frustration of dealing with him still lingers. In my timeline, he was just as off-putting, yet he gave his life to help stop the Androids in the future. Regardless of how different they are, how different this timeline is...I just can't connect with him like I want to."

His face was stern and concentrated, the long violet hair cascading around his face, perfectly straight and silky smooth. I couldn't help but admire the determination behind this man. He has fought for most of his life, fought to save and protect. And despite his efforts, millions have died in his timeline. I would like to help his future time, but I also know that the best thing that can happen is pulling everyone out of that timeline before Zeno destroys it.

Regardless of whether or not we can stop Goku Black, the Grand Zeno wouldn't allow the loss of all the Destroyers and would undoubtedly wipe the timeline. The Omni-King was planning on doing the same in this timeline as well, and the only way to stop him is Goku suggesting the Tournament of Power. It seemed grim no matter how we looked at it.

"I suppose I shouldn't be frustrated because I did earn some respect, but his attitude is something I just can't relate to."

"Maybe you shouldn't relate to it, just respect it from a distance. From what I have seen, your father cares greatly about you, but revealing those emotions is not something he will do. It compromises his self-image as a warrior, you know?"

He didn't fully look at me, but placed his huge hand on my thigh, and sighed, "I suppose you are right. I just need to accept him for who he is."

I grasped his hand and held it with care, "Exactly. Your father won't show you love, only respect for your power and abilities. Your mother will show you love, and you know I show you romantic love. Maybe that is enough?"

He nodded, chuckling lightly, "I don't think I deserve your love, but I want it just as bad. Does that make me strange?"

"It's not about deserving, it's about compatibility and earning," I said. "I feel greatly for you, but that has always been the case since we first met. You earned my love by putting all you have into getting stronger. And you did it to help others. To save your timeline as well as this one...my timeline. Trunks, you are an amazing man, and it isn't about deserving. It's about who you are, how you operate, and the passion you put into things. That is why you have my love."

He acquired a knowing smirk, "And here I thought it was my-"

SMACK! I hit him on the arm.

"Don't even say it," I said, a smirk of my own growing. "But you are fantastic in that...aspect, as well."

He laughed, reaching over and easily plucking me up from the couch. He placed me on his lap and my arms went around his neck and I laughed.

"Say what you want, 21, but it's you who is incredible," He began. "You woke up in a strange timeline, and while you did know about the possibilities of the future, you put all your efforts into ensuring that all of us got stronger, and did what you had to do to protect everyone. That is why I say I don't deserve you, 'cause you are incredible."

He spoke with passion and his lavender eyes dug into my blue ones. I didn't say anything, and just raised my chin to his, pulling him into a kiss. He lifted us and I wrapped myself around him. I didn't stop kissing him as he laid me down on my back, the unruffled bed would soon show our passing.

We continued to kiss and I pulled his tank top off. He returned the favor, finding me bra-less. Trunks snuck in and kissed my neck, sending shivers down my whole body. He worked past my collarbone, leaving kisses along my chest. Reaching my chest, he gave attention to both sides before working down my stomach. It was surprising how cut I was in my human form, I had a fantastically flat stomach.

Unbuttoning my jeans he pulled them down, revealing the tight black booty shorts Bulma had lent me. They were a little tight and sat low on my hips. Our love became passionate and intimate and we continued.

Our fun went on long into the night and we fell asleep naked, his huge arms holding me close. My leg was over his and my head was on his chest. I let my hand-inspect his chest and stomach as we drifted off to sleep. A fantastic night.

~o*o~

The morning came and Trunks and I showered together, exploring each other and having another bout of fun before we got dressed. We had breakfast with Bulma, Vegeta, the little Trunks, and even Bulma's parents. It was quite a meal, and we were interrupted as Bulma got a message.

"Uhh, 21, it seems that someone is here to see you," Bulma said.

"Someone?"

"Mhm, something about a thank you gift. They are out front of the complex, I can have my assistant show you the way if you want."

"Alright..." I exchanged glances with Trunks, I had no idea what it was about, but he was done eating and decided to come with me.

One of Bulma's assistants, a cute brunette with a bubbly personality, smiled as she took Trunks and me to the front of the Capsule Corps where we found a limo waiting for us. A man in a suit with sunglasses that were giving off a 'secret service' vibe held one of the rear doors open for us. He nodded at me as I approached, "Ma'am, Sir, please enter."

We sat down in the back seat of the limo and none other than King Furry, the blue dog person with a huge white mustache was sitting across from us. This is the ruler of Earth's monarchy now that the Fire Mountain Kingdom joined them. A few assistants and another set of bodyguards were there as well.

He smiled behind his mustache, "Greetings, 21, is it?"

I nodded, "I am Android 21, and this is Trunks Briefs."

"Fantastic, I am King Furry, and this is my staff. It has come to our attention through a...discrete reporter who said that you requested to keep your information secure, but he said that if we needed to find you, this is where you would be."

I nodded, "I am not one for fame, like Mr. Satan. And neither are the rest of the Z-Fighters."

He nodded, "I see, that is what your group is called then?"

"Indeed. You saw us at the fight with Cell. Our group, which I have only recently joined with Trunks here, has been fighting to save this world for years. Everything from the Red Ribbon Army to the Demon King Piccolo, who has since been turned around and has joined the Z-Fighters as well."

"Amazing, I knew I was right to make my trip here today," He seemed to gather himself as if preparing to ask something dangerous. "I can't help but notice, that thousands of people, many of whom we watched die, are all once again walking the earth. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that...would you?"

I felt Trunks tense in concern, but he didn't have anything to worry about. "I do know what happened but it is hard to believe..."

"Please, try me."

"The Guardian of Earth, you might call him the God of Earth, the one who replaced Kami, can reverse one devastating series of events over an unknown time frame. I cannot specify the exact time frame, or even how he does it, but it is an ability that only he has access to. The New Guardian of Earth brought everyone who Cell killed, back to life."

The limo was quiet, everyone looking at me with shock and maybe a little bit of fear, but I maintained a straight face.

He ran his hand through the fur on his head, then adjusted his mustache, "I thought it was something to do with you lot. And Son Goku is a part of this Z-Fighter...Force as well?"

I nodded.

"Well, then, I have a few things I would like to talk with you about if you don't mind, Miss 21."

"Go ahead."

He nodded to one of his aides as he spoke, "Miss 21, I would like to officially sponsor the Z-Fighters as protectors of the realm."

Before I could protest, he waved his hands, "I don't mean to guide or even take control of you or your group. In fact, just the opposite. I am just going to provide a stipend for all of you, say...a million Zen per person, per year to ensure that you all can continue to do what you do best. How does that sound?"

"I have to warn you that many of us are planning on spending time off the planet with the intention of growing stronger. Not only that, but the number of Z-Fighters will probably increase over time. If you wish, I will accept this, but maybe not until we get back in a few months or so?"

"Off planet?" He asked.

I nodded, not explaining.

"That is fine, I would still like to financially support your group to whatever degree I can. The world was without a doubt, at risk without your intervention."

"I am alright with it, as long as there are a few provisions added. Such as we are not under your control, we don't have to reveal everyone that is in the Z-Fighters to the public, and we will offer a means of communication so that if we are off planet you may contact us if there is a need to do so. I don't want to leave Earth open for attack by any means, just in case."

"We agree on all of those, and I assume you can come up with some form of communication device, as nothing we have reaches off-planet, by intention at least," The King said.

"That shouldn't be a problem."

He once again nodded to an assistant, "Now, as far as the defeat of the world threat, known as Cell..."

The assistant pulled a briefcase out and handed it to the Secret Service guy and then to Trunks. He looked at me and then opened the case..it was filled with Zeni.

"100 million Zeni and I have another one for Goku here," He nodded to the other briefcase, "It is only 50 million, but he didn't actually defeat the threat, you did."

My eyes went wide, "I can't accept this!"

The King laughed, "Your humble attitude is refreshing, to be honest. This is a lot of money, but at the same time, you have saved billions of lives. I can't help but think that whatever cost we pay you, it doesn't matter in the face of what could have happened."

I took a deep breath but Trunks spoke up, "21, you could really use the money, you don't have anything right now. If we don't have to ask Bulma for cash, this would be a fantastic help for getting your plans going."

"You are right. Alright then, King Furry, I will accept the cash, and we can hand the rest over to Goku as well."

"That would be perfect," He cleared his throat. "Though there is one more thing I might ask of you. Would you be willing to show me the pink form that you displayed during the fight?"

"There is a chance it could be dangerous in here. To everyone and the limo."

Trunks spoke up, "If she transformed in here it could destroy your car. Why don't you fly up high and transform then come back down?"

"Sure, be right back."

Stepping out of the car, I essentially vanished as far as they could see. My speed was still obscene, even at this power level. I quickly made it up beyond visual sight and hid behind a few clouds. Accessing my transformation created a swirling whirlwind of black and pink energy. It flowed around me forming a sphere of energy, but I only used the minimum amount to do so. My Majin clothing appeared while what I was wearing went into that mysterious dimensional space.

I reveled in the feeling of my power encompassing me once again. It was intoxicating and fabulous at the same time. My soft pink skin was beautiful and I once again had my tail. It wasn't just about the power, but also fully being in my true form. This is how I am meant to be, to live!

With a quick step of my heeled boots, I appeared by the limo and sat down next to Trunks once again, though I had to do so at an angle on account of my huge tail. I made sure to tuck my aura and tail in so it didn't cause others to be uncomfortable. It was immediately clear that my demeanor had changed, my personality fitting in better with my true form, or maybe it was closer to my personality finally revealing itself.

Wide eyes were staring at me from all of the people in the back of the limo. I noticed the guards were even staring while slightly gulping. I could see my white hair framing my face like a Saiyan's but it had a bit of pink energy around it as normal.

"You are amazing, Miss 21. I once again thank you for everything you have done. I hope we can count on you and the Z-Fighters to save us again in the future, should we need it."

I smiled, "We will need it, trust me on that. There are many threats to the future, and we aren't quite strong enough yet. Don't worry though, we can keep in contact and I will inform you when things are dangerous. It shouldn't be for around 7 to 10 years until anything else happens."

He searched my eyes, then looked over to Trunks, who nodded.

"I won't pretend to understand anything that is going on here, but I can officially say once again, that I am thankful we have someone who does. Now, I must be off, so please give the rest of the Z-Fighters my thanks."

The King, his staff, and his guards all bowed to us. I let my transformation drop and nodded back at them, "It was my pleasure to save this beautiful world."

~o*o~

I put Trunks through the most horrible torture imaginable. Something so horrifying and unimaginable that not even I could predict the effects of such a devastating crime!

I took him shopping.

18 and Bulma also came along. Bulma knew the best shops, and 18 also needed a new wardrobe. I decided I would pay for everything, but each time I tried, Bulma just put her card forward. Even with me telling her I just made a bunch of money didn't matter to her, she still had way more than I did apparently, so I couldn't fault her.

With two new entire wardrobes in a Capsule for 18 and myself, we headed back to Capsule Corps. I liked my style already so I had a bunch of easily put-on dresses with tights that matched. They could be mixed and matched to create a bunch of different combinations and I enjoyed all of them. Trunks had to wait outside as I got a bunch of lingerie...that is stockings, panties, bras, and everything in between. I really enjoyed the garter belts, and I could almost picture Trunks drooling over my thighs at the thought so I made sure to get a few of those.

"So, you don't have to shave ever do you?" Bulma asked while we were in the cramped space of a changing room.

"Oh, well if I did need to I could just use ki, but I doubt either of us do," I gestured to 18.

"Nope, not a bit, though the hair on my head does grow. One good thing about being an Android I guess," 18 replied. I was surprised that she agreed to come with us, but 17 had left to go find a quiet place. 16 wanted to come with me to Planet Yardrat, so he just hung around and offered to spar with Vegeta while we finished acquiring clothes and stuff.

After a fantastic meal at the end of the long day, we headed back to Capsule Corp. I spent a day with Bulma working out galactic-wide communications, static dragon ball tracking systems, and galactic positioning systems. We were a hell of a team, and I was constantly surprised by my intellect. Concepts of advanced technology just flowed together easily and I didn't have to stare at anything more than just once to figure it out.

Bulma made communications systems for us, for the Monarchy of Earth, and for the Yardrat People to contact us should they find themselves in danger that they couldn't handle. I thanked her profusely for funding the research and we were done after a single day.

The morning after we worked like fiends, Goku Instant Transmissioned a group of us to Planet Yardrat, where I hoped we could learn the basics of Spirit Control.

Before we left, I made sure to check my current status with absorbing Cells.

_

Absorption Slots - 3 Slots Remaining
1. Cell - 78% - Absorbed
Aspects: 78% Ki absorbed
15% Spiritual Karma Diffused
100% Magical Energy Absorbed

_

That was relieving, knowing that I am somehow diffusing the karma behind Cell's actions. A huge part of that had to have been defeating him, but I couldn't be sure. Meditation does seem to feel like it helps, as if it was relaxation for my spirit, thereby lessening the weight of the dark karma brought on by consuming Cell. Speaking of consuming, I noticed something interesting.

_

Connoisseur Cut - 7 Slots Remaining
1. Destructo Disc - B Tier 50%

_

I had officially obtained the Heat Dome Attack and it no longer took up a slot in my Connoisseur Cut ability. I hadn't used it once since the Cell fight, but I had been meditating on the fight, and part of that was absorbing the knowledge of how I used the attacks while fighting. Not only that, but Destructo Disc went from 5% to 50%, making me think the aspect about spiritual meditation plays a huge role in learning these abilities.

Sure enough, the new ability was listed in my ki techniques.

_

Ki Techniques:
Ki Manipulation - D Tier
Energy Blast - D Tier
Detonation Ball - C Tier
Photon Swipe - A Tier
Heat Dome Attack - C tier

_

We left Earth just as I finished inspecting it.