Over at Kame House...
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Master Roshi, Oolong and Turtle sat around a small table, eating ramen and watching tv as Chiaotzu finished cooking their second course. Suddenly, the door to the small beach house opened, revealing Tien as he looked at everyone inside seriously before speaking.
"I'm here for Chiaotzu... We need to train."
"But Tien..." Chiaotzu squeaked, taking his apron off quickly as he wondered what was going on. "The doctor said if your shoulders get any bigger-"
"That's why we don't see him anymore."
"Wait... So you didn't beat the androids?!" Master Roshi shouted, looking at the three eyed fighter in shock as he waited for an explaination.
"Well, they broke both of Vegeta's arms... So you know, that was pretty fun..." He said boredly, not really wanting to have the same conversation multiple times today. "Otherwise it was a total wash..." He finished with a sigh, turning around and taking off before anyone could ask anything more.
"Tien, wait!" Chiaotzu shouted, flying after him quickly as Master Roshi and Oolong watched them go in silence.
"I can never read that guy..." Oolong mumbled, wondering what would happen now as Master Roshi ran to get his laptop...
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Back with the rest of the Z Fighters...
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"So... Both arms, huh?" Yamcha questioned, continuing to fly the plane while thinking about what a scene that must have been.
"Both." Krillin replied seriously, thinking back on his encounter with the blonde woman. "She was beautiful with a capital B- I mean brutal... Uncomfortably brutal..." He corrected, crossing his arms as he looked down at the floor of the ship with a strange expression. "I wasn't distracted by her eyes..."
"So wait... Trunks?" Gohan asked, getting the lavender haired boy's attention as everyone listened in. "I'm curious... If you came back in time again to help us, does that mean we already failed?"
"Actually, turns out that's not how time travel works..." Trunks sighed, preparing to explain to them all what he meant.
"So you're saying I can't just take your time machine, go back in time and tell myself not to date Marron?" Krillin asked, wondering if that actually was a possibility...
"I don't know who that is." Trunks answered, looking at him with a blank expression before continuing. "But no, you couldn't... I mean, you could but it wouldn't be the same you..." He went on, wondering how he could get them all to grasp this complex topic. "You see, when I travel back to the past, I'm technically going to a different universe..."
"Oh... You mean multiverse theory?" Gohan said casually, surprising everyone as Trunks stared at the young boy with wide eyes.
"Wait, what?"
"Yeah... With every decision, it creates a branch in the timeline..." Gohan went on as Chi Chi looked on proudly. "Whenever you travel back in time you're actually entering another parallel universe."
"How could you possibly-"
"I've been studying theorhetical physics..." Gohan explained, realizing he should probably rephrase that. "Although at this point I guess it's just physics..."
"Good... Then if that's all out of the way, we can start your review on cellular biology..." Chi Chi said happily, searching for the right textbook as Gohan started whining.
"Aww... But cell's are boring..."
"I don't get it..." Yamcha spoke up, getting Trunks' attention as he glanced back at all of them breifly. "If it doesn't affect your timeline, why even come back to ours and tell us anything in the first place?"
"Well, besides wanting to make at least one timeline without the world being destroyed... My mother didn't tell me until after I had already done it once..." He explained, staring out the window as he remembered their conversation before he'd left. "You see, it was my mother's idea to send me back to the past... She didn't think there was anything more we could do to help the people in our world... But she knew there were others we could help..."
Trunks closed his eyes for a moment, thinking back to his last moments in the future. He thought back on his mother's words, hearing her voice in his mind breifly. Maybe we can't change what the androids have done to this world Trunks... But I think I know of a way we can make a better world... A peaceful world... Free of the androids forever!
"I agreed with my mother that I should travel back in time," Trunks went on, shaking his head as he knew he had to stay focused. "But I had my own reasons for wanting to go... I hoped that in the past, with Goku's help, I would find the androids had some weakness... That way I could go back to the future and even though I still wouldn't be able to bring back all those already gone, I might be able to save the people who are left..."
An image of a small hideout he had stumbled upon flashed across his mind, the terrifed survivors inside scared for their lives as they waited for whenver the androids might come back to finish them off. He ran through the faces of dispair and sadness as he rushed to escape, the androids hot on his trail once again...
"Trunks? Trunks!" Krillin said suddenly, snapping him out of his thoughts as he turned around to find everyone looking at him. "Are you okay man?"
"Ah, sorry about that..." The Saiyan apologized, letting out a sigh as he remembered how side tracked he had gotten from his original plans. "Anyway I thought this whole plan would work out perfectly, except that I didn't count on there being such major differences between the timelines of my world and this world..." He went on, taking a seat once more as he stared at the ground dejectedly. "I thought Goku's heart problems would come much earlier than they did... And I only thought there would be two androids... But instead there's three. And now everything is going wrong... What else could I have missed?"
"Try not to worry Trunks..." Chi Chi said, sending the lavender haired boy a kind smile. "If you hadn't come when you did, Goku wouldn't be alive right now..." She reminded him, thankful that he decided to come back even if some other things had changed as well.
Trunks looked up at the dark haired woman who was smiling down at Goku, his eyes widening for a split second as his own mother's smiling face flashed in front of his eyes. They have that same look... He realized, the corner of his mouth turning up a bit as he recognized it as the way his mother would look at him.
"Yeah, she's right you know!" Krillin chimed in, wanting to keep moral high. "We all owe you..." He admitted, knowing that without Trunks' warning, they really wouldn't stand a change against these androids.
"Yeah, we owe you big time." Yamcha agreed, everyone sharing a rare good moment amongst the chaos before the sound of screaming made everyone jump.
Chi Chi looked over at her husband who was thrashing around on the mattress, clutching at his chest as he struggled to breath. "Hurry! His medicine!" She shouted, pointing to a bag against the side of the plane as Krillin grabbed it before tossing it her way. "Don't worry Goku... It's going to be alright..." Chi Chi said soothingly, giving him another dose from the tiny bottle as the painful look on his face got worse...
The sound of a door being kicked down startled Goku as his eyes snapped open, sitting up in bed quickly as he struggled to see who was standing in the doorway...
"W-who are you...? What do you want?" Goku questioned, staring at the two strangers who had broken into his home. "Wait... I know you! Androids!" He growled, realizing he was in trouble. "How did you find me here?!"
"Easy... All we had to do was listen for your wimpering." Android 18 answered sarcastically, snickering as her brother chimed in.
"We came to put you out of your misery..." 17 stated, smirking evilly as Goku's eyes widened.
"Why you-"
"Hold it right there!" Krillin interrupted, jumping in front of his friend as Gohan did the same.
"One step closer and you'll be sorry!" Gohan added, ready to defend his father as he stared down the two ruthless fighters.
"Gohan... Krillin..." Goku said worriedly, watching with a terrified expression as both androids watched them both like prey.
"It looks like these two mean business..." 18 said in amusement, walking forward slowly as her brother joined her.
"Let's get this over with..."
"HAAA!"
"No, don't!" Goku shouted, unable to do anything as he watched his son and best friend jump forward. But it was already too late.
In a second, it was over... Both androids only having to hit each of them once before both Krillin and Gohan lay motionless on the floor, their eyes open wide as Goku was unable to speak.
"Y-you... You're going to pay for that!" He shouted, getting into a fighting stance as he prepared to tear them both apart.
"Perhaps... Although it's highly unlikely." 17 taunted, raising one eyebrow at the angry Saiyan in front of him as his sister laughed.
"HAAA!" Goku shouted, charged forward as he aimed a punch right at 17's face, sailing right through the man as he missed completely. "What... What's going on?"
"Stop it! Stop it right now!" Chi Chi ordered, holding her arms out in front of Goku's bed as he looked up in horror.
"Chi Chi..." Goku mumbled, frozen to the spot where he was standing as he watched the blonde android step in front of her, a sadistic smile of her face.
"Stop? I don't think so..." 18 said darkly, grabbing the other woman by her throat as she began to cut off her airway. "What did you think would happen?"
"No!" Goku shouted, jumping forward as he flew through them both again, unable to lay a hand on either of them...
He turned around just in time to see 18 smile wickedly before snapping Chi Chi's head back as she stared at him with her dark lifeless eyes before the android dropped her body on the ground carelessly.
"Chi Chi! No! No..." Goku choked, tears forming in his eyes as he kneeled down next to her body. He clenched his fists together, shaking with rage as he glared up at the androids, charging forward without warning. Every punch he threw... Every kick... All his attacks missed completely as it seemed these monsters were too strong for even the Earth's greatest warrior...
17 looked towards the doorway suddenly, Goku's eyes following his own as his heart sank.
"Androids!" Luna shouted, transforming in a flash as Piccolo appeared right behind her. "This ends now!" She promised, jumping forward as everything seemed to move in slow motion.
"Well look who's here..." 18 teased, ready for another sacrifice...
"No!" Goku screamed, wondering how many loved ones he had to watch die before it would be over. "STOP IT!" He shouted, his breath catching in his throat as he watched 18 stab her arm straight through Luna's chest, her eyes changing back from silver to green slowly as the light slowly faded away from inside of them...
18 withdrew her arm, her small body falling to the floor with the other as 17 easily disposed of Piccolo as well...
"Rrgh... You... You monsters!" Goku shouted, unable to take any more of this...
"Look..." 17 said suddenly, pointing towards Goku's bed as the Saiyan frowned, seeing himself sleeping in it.
"What's... Going on?" Goku stammered, his whole body shaking as he tried to understand what any of this meant. He looked up, watching with a terrified expression as 17 raised his hand, snickering evilly as he prepared to deliver the final blow to Goku's unconscious form.
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Goku roared, closing his eyes as he felt 17's hand pierce through his chest...
"Ahhgh... AHHH!" Goku screamed, continuing to thrash around in his sleep as everyone looked on helplessly.
"Dad..."
"Just hang in there Goku..."
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A/N: Poor Goku... I remember that nightmare scene from the anime and it was pretty dark ; - ; I hope you guys are still enjoying the story so far... Thank you again for the reads/votes/comments/etc. ^u^ See you peeps in the next update!