“Over here Mom.” Trunks called back, appearing out of the darkness with sweat dripping over the contours of his body “Whats up?”

“Well I wanted you to go to the store and get some milk for dinner but I see your busy.” Bluma remarked with a laugh and her hands on her hips

“No no I’ll go get it. Give me a second.” Trunks replied, pulling his long tangled hair into a neat ponytail “Lemme go get a shirt.”

A few moments later, Trunks was out in the street walking towards the grocery store with his younger sister Bra. “Can we get candy Trunksie?” she purred

“Not today Bra.” Trunks responded with a laugh “Mom just wants milk, not jawbreakers.”

Walking out of the store with the gallon of milk, and yes a box of jawbreakers for Bra, Trunks suddenly heard a cry in the distance. “What was that?” Bra squeaked clutching her box of candy for dear life.

“I don’t know, I’ll go check it out. Stay here.” Trunks ordered handing her the gallon of milk

“Trunksie!!” Bra squealed, but he ignored her and walked up the block towards the noise.

“Get away from me!!” the voice of an old lady rang out “I don’t have any money.”

“Money no, jewelry yes.” an all to familiar male voice fired back “Now hand it over.”

“It couldn’t be.” Trunks thought fearfully to himself, creeping slowly towards the dark alley. His breath caught in his throat as androids 17 and 18 came into plain view.

“Give me your necklace!!” 17 barked at a poor old woman, who did have the misfortune of wearing a fox fur coat and matching diamond jewelry. Things that did happen to attract the attention of the two androids.

“17 leave her alone.” 18 ordered her blue eyes flashing angrily “We don’t need any of her junk.”

“Shut up 18!!” 17 shouted in response “I always get what I want.” 18 opened her mouth to say more but quickly shut it and looked away.

Trunks gasped quietly in surprise at how fast 18 backed down, from what he remembered that was unusual. She looked like a puppy that had been kicked one to many times.

“So old woman, do we need to make trouble?” 17 growled holding out his hand expectantly

“Leave her alone!!” Trunks hollered without thinking, stepping out of his hiding place

“Trunks?” 18 cried in disbelief, actually looking relieved to see him

Trunks ignored her, and stepped between 17 and the old lady. “Leave this woman alone or I’ll have to blast you back to the junk yard again!!”

17 simply smirked and folded his arms across his chest. He peered down his nose at Trunks, widening his ice blue eyes threateningly.

Trunks of course didn’t back down, but was a bit surprised, after all he’d beaten the shit out of them the last time they’d all fought. What made this time any different?

17 looked up at the roof of the flower store next to them, and with an evil grin leaped up there. Trunks and 18 locked eyes, she looked as though she were about to say something when 17 called down:

“Coming up Trunks or are you to afraid?”

Trunks let out a little grunt of anger and jumped up to meet 17. “How is it you to are still alive?” he shouted when he landed

“Think about it.” 17 remarked coldly “How did you always manage to travel back and forth through time?”

Trunks’s jaw dropped. “You two used another time machine? But how?”

“Remember Cell’s broken one?” 17 answered his blue eyes hardening “Well your dear ol’Mom fixed it for us.”

“Why would she do a thing like that!?” Trunks demanded

“She didn’t really do it for us.” 17 replied “Gohan was constantly asking about the future you, wandering how you were getting along, why you never came back for even a little while.”

“So she fixed it for Gohan and you two stole it?” Trunks snarled tightening his hands into fists

“Exactly.” 17 remarked, a smile spreading over his face “And so here we are again. All one big happy family, eh Trunks?”

“I got rid of you guys before and I’m not afraid to do it again.” Trunks snapped, getting into a fighting stance

“We’ll see.” 17 answered raising his own fists

Trunks slowly stepped foreword as the two sized one another up. In one quick motion 17 let a high kick fly, but Trunks easily caught it less then a centimeter from his face. Twisting 17’s left foot to near snapping point, Trunks flung him to the ground.

“How can you always be stronger then me!!” 17 screamed at him from the ground “No matter what I do your always a level above me!!”

“Its called constant training.” Trunks quipped coldly “Not just having it programmed into me.”

“Bitch!!” 17 yelled at him jumping to his feet and having huge metal spikes spring from the tops of his hands like Wolverine “You won’t be so cocky when I slice off that pretty boy head of yours!!”

Trunks raised his fists again in anticipation as 17 charged, but just inches before the two would collide 18 forced herself between them.

“17!!” she screamed at the other android “Are you insane!? You know we can’t beat him so just run while you can!!”

17 did actually stop and stare at 18 then Trunks, 18 then Trunks. Trunks could see the rusted wheels in his mind turning. “Lets get out of here.” he finally mumbled “Now!!”

Retracting the spikes into his hands, 17 turned and dove off the building, disappearing into the distance.

18 slowly turned around to face Trunks, and gazed at him fearfully. Her sky blues seemed to cry out for help. He could see she clearly had no intention of attacking him.

“18..” Trunks started, but she quickly arched foreword, planting a small kiss on his lips. Then she quickly turned and ran off, hurrying after 17.

Trunks’s eyes were so wide he was surprised they didn’t roll from his head. He didn’t even realize he wasn’t breathing until his lungs started to burn. He raised a hand and touched his lips wondering why that had happened and if it was even real.

“Trunksie!!” Bra’s little voice jarred his thoughts “Where are you?”

“Coming!!” Trunks yelled and hopped down to meet his younger sister....

That night, Trunks was lying in his bed falling in and out of sleep. In his current dream he saw 18 reaching out, with desperate and pleading sky blue eyes. “Trunks.. Trunks..” he heard her cry

He could feel himself trying to reach out for her, but something was holding him back. A huge pair of ice blue eyes suddenly appeared behind her. She didn’t seem to notice them. “Watch out 18!!” he wanted to cry, but it remained choked up inside him as a huge silver spike split through her stomach.

He watched as circuits and chips and whatever spilled over the ground. He saw 18’s eyes big and round and scared. “Trunks!!” her lips seemed to say before her body lurched foreword dead and unmoving....

“18!!” Trunks screamed as he nearly toppled out of his bed, suddenly awake and alert

He rubbed madly at his face, writhing away the sweat that was sweeping over his cheeks. He even touched his lips, quickly imagining how another kiss from 18 would feel.

“You love her!!” his sub-conscious shouted “You need to find her before its to late!!”

Trunks felt his heart leap, he held his breath and slowly counted down from ten. Knowing he was calm, he still felt the same feelings. He needed to see 18 and now!! But where would she be hiding?

Thinking Trunks remembered that the former 17 and 18 had hid at an abandoned factory. “Maybe they were dumb enough to have the same instincts as the other two.” Trunks reasoned with himself “After all they are the same people!!”

Trunks rose from his bed and dressed as quickly and quietly as possible. Not wanting to wake up anyone in his house he eased open his window and crawled out. With nothing but 18 on his mind he ran off towards the factory....

Trunks froze and ducked behind a forgotten carton, when he heard the voices. “So my hunch was right after all.” he thought to himself

The factory hadn’t been hard to get into too. Almost all the windows were broken or shattered, so Trunks had just slipped in. At first he thought he’d been wrong and nobody was inside. But then he’d heard their voices. Arguing....

“You should of just stayed out of it!!” 17 was hollering at 18 “I know I could of killed him.”

“He’s to powerful.” 18 shot back “Always has been.”

“I think you like him.” 17 replied cruelly “You do don’t you!!”

18 looked away quickly “Don’t be silly.” she murmured and started to walk away

“Where are you going!?” 17 snarled grabbing her violently by the wrist and jerking her towards him

“I..don’t..know.” 18 replied fearfully freezing in his grasp

17 simply chuckled and forced her towards him where he quickly embraced and crushed his lips down on hers. 18’s eyes immediately went wide, and she began to struggle, but Trunks could tell that 17’s grip was like iron.

After what must of felt like hours, 17 finally pulled away. Trunks cringed as he watched blood drip from his lips. 18 felt her mouth and gasped at all the blood the smeared onto her hand. 17 had kissed her so hard he’d cut her lips open!!

“Blood!?” Trunks thought as his own blood began to boil “Androids don’t have blood.”

17 laughed and reached for 18 again when Trunks who had had enough, whipped out his sword, jumped up from behind his carton and rushed foreword.

“Leave her alone!!” he yelled at the two surprised androids

“Trunks!!” 18 squealed her eyes full of delight to see him

17 didn’t share her enthusiasm. He narrowed those cold eyes of his and glared at Trunks threateningly, slowly wiping 18’s blood off of his lips. Daring Trunks to do something.

Trunks bravely reached out and grabbed 18’s wrist, he quickly yanked her behind him and pointed the tip of his sword at the base of 17’s throat. 17 merely smiled, cocky as always and unafraid.

“Not afraid to die?” Trunks asked him

“I don’t think you’d do it.” 17 growled ‘Your one of the good guys.”

Trunks smiled smugly “Not today.” he replied coldly as he plunged his sword straight through 17’s throat.

18 screamed loudly and 17 made several choking noises before collapsing to the floor. A huge pool of blood began to spread.

Trunks put away his sword and guided 18 away from it. “How did you find us!!” she cried immediately wrapping Trunks in a hug

Trunks explained his reasoning, hugging her tightly the whole while. “Can I ask you a question?” he asked suddenly, his face nuzzled in her hair.

“Sure.” 18 murmured burying her head into his chest “Anything.”

“How is it that you two are able to bleed like humans?”

Trunks felt her stiffen underneath his hand. “The dragonballs.” she whispered looking like she was in a trance

“You made a wish?” Trunks inquired

“Krillen did.” 18 responded “He asked the dragon to make 17 and I human.”

“So your a hundred percent human now?” he cried weakly

“Yes.”

“Do you like it?”

“Sometimes, it allowed me to love you.”

Trunks smiled and carefully raised her head so he could see her face. There was still dried blood clinging to chin and upper lip from when 17 had roughly kissed her.

Licking his finger Trunks brought it to her face and slowly wiped away all traces of her blood.

“Do your lips hurt?” he asked quietly, almost in a whisper

“No.” she replied, eyes swimming with emotion and locked with his

“Good, I didn’t want to hurt you when I did this.” Trunks whispered, tenderly bringing his lips to hers for a romantic kiss....