He had waited outside the entrance to the city all day when she left, hoping to see her, praying to see her. It had been a month since she left. He stopped counting the hours when a day went by, lost hope after the first week, and after the second week --- he gave up. Tayhei was not coming back to the Underground City. He had cursed himself then, had been so angry that he had actually punched a fist through one of his mother’s mirrors. She hadn’t come back because he had told her not to come back. He had deliberately told her to never show her face there again, had warned her that she would never be welcome in the Underground City again. He had been angry and he had said possibly the stupidest thing that he ever could have. With his words, he had actually condemned her to death. He had sent her back out into her world, the world where she followed the jinzouningen. And sooner or later, she would be killed.

Trunks kicked a pebble that lay in his path and watched it fly down the cracked pavement of the main street, through the remains of East Capitol City. The small pebble was flown into a knocked-over garbage can and when rock hit metal, it resulted in an echoing clang. Now he was back in the outside world as well, for the first time since he had given up on Tayhei coming back. His destination was the old Capsule Corporation building that had resided in East Capitol. His mother had requested some tools that she needed for an experiment and thought that they might be lurking around in the old building. He had been sent on many missions like this before; his mother’s thirst for scientific creation often took precedence over reason. For instance, she had sent him out that night with no dinner and with a good chance that he would not make it back before nightfall. It was late evening, and the crickets were already beginning to chirp as the sky grew darker and more ominous. Storm clouds were rolling in over the horizon and he imagined that it might rain that night.

His mother had not been happy to hear that Tayhei had left. She hadn’t spoken to him to two days, certain that it had been his fault and that he had pushed her away. She had softened again when she realized that he was just as upset about it as she was. He still remembered the way that her deep blue eyes had shimmered when he told her, and the way that she had reached out and gripped his arm for support. She knew just as well as he did that Tayhei would probably be killed, trying to survive in the outside world with the jinzouningen. When Engin found out, his reaction had been a bit different. He had threatened to kill Trunks and then abruptly left, disappearing into the teaming masses of the Underground City. He hadn’t seen him since.

He studied the darkened, broken windows around him, hoping to see her face through the glass. He wondered what she would look like when she saw him. She would be shocked of course, her green eyes would open wide and her mouth would drop open. She would be thin again, because out here there wasn’t much to eat. Would she be angry with him still? Would she hate him? He would deny the fact that he had volunteered to fetch his mother’s tools just so he could maybe see her out here, wandering around the city, clutching that worn notebook and spying on the jinzouningen. He would deny the fact that he didn't care what she did or how she was. But in his heart, he would never be able to deny that. He cared a lot; the girl had grown to become a great friend to him, and he was mad at himself for letting her go, for putting her in danger.

Passing an old city hall building, he paused for a moment to inspect the damage. Only a quarter of the building remained standing and the other half was lying on the ground around it, charred and broken into several thousand pieces. Shards of glass reached up out of the rubble, glinting in the evening light, razor sharp and ready. There were wires and bits of twisted metal and fabrics, and worst of all, the skeletal remains of those that had been trapped by the building’s fall. Suddenly the thought of finding Tayhei's dead body crept into his mind, causing him to stumble a little in his path.

She wasn't ready to fight the jinzouningen, but she was so determined....She might have actually attempted it. What if they didn't want to keep her around to play with? What if they killed her?! He thought, frowning deeply. It would be his fault entirely if they had murdered her. After all, if she hadn't been fighting with him, she never would have left the underground city at all. If he hadn’t brought it up, if he hadn’t tried to keep her so close and protect her….They would have gone back into the Underground City together and she would have been safe. If she really had died, guilt would plague his soul for as long as he lived. He scanned his eyes over the city wreckage again, hoping to catch a glimpse of her golden blond hair or see a pair of green eyes staring back at him.

He was so busy searching the city for Tayhei that he never noticed the two dots in the sky, rapidly bearing down on him.

Trunks! Tayhei's mind screamed as she saw him walking down the main street of the city. She paused halfway through the apple she was eating and stared at him, watching the way his sharp blue eyes scanned over the city. Crouched down behind the remains of the old courthouse, she wouldn't be spotted by him, but she couldn't help thinking about what would happen if she was. Would he regard her with those cool blue eyes, and say it was nice to see her again in a voice that meant the complete opposite? Or would he gather her in his arms and hold her tightly, whispering in her ear that he missed her? Her mind spun wildly as she struggled to decide what was meant to happen that evening between her and Trunks.

Her green eyes stared after him, shining with hope and with regret for the words that she had thrown at him as insults. Although she felt that she had made the right decision, her heart still ached over the things that she had said to him that day. It had been wrong and unfair and she regretted it more than anything. During the last month, all she had been able to think about Trunks and his mother. She thought about the kindness that they both possessed and the way that they had accepted her so readily. She thought about what it was like to have a family and to have someone who cared about you. But most of all, she just thought about Trunks. She thought about all of the things that she had learned from him and all of things that she had yet to learn. It wasn’t until she had actually left and settled back into her own lifestyle that she realized how much she had really cared for him. As she watched him now, all of the emotions and feelings that she had been holding in for so long came tumbling out. He looked so sad, so hurt, so hopeful.

Two black points on the horizon moved suddenly, tearing her eyes away from Trunks to gaze at them. It was just beginning to get dark outside, but she could still see them in the air, flying flow and beneath the filmy nighttime clouds. They flew in tighter to the city, closer to the lavender haired boy walking through the city streets. She narrowed her eyes in confusion, then in suspicion as they came closer and she was able to make out their forms. When she finally realized what it was, her heart slammed up against her rib cage and her stomach churned quickly and violently.

The jinzouningen.

Her breath caught in her throat, and time seemed to freeze instantly. Her mind was thick with terror and the idea of losing the only friend she had made in four years. She opened her mouth to scream out a warning, but found no sound emitting from herself --- she was frozen beyond voice. She could only watch in horror as the jinzouningen descended down on the unsuspecting Trunks, her arms outstretched and her face etched in terror.

Juunana-gou took advantage of the element of surprise, sailing down in silence with a smirk on his grotesquely handsome face. He brought his leg back and nailed Trunks with a vicious kick in the back. Trunks was shot forward and straight into a busted building, crashing right through it with a wicked blast and an explosion of smoke and debris. Wasting no time, the male android followed, pushing of the ground and shooting after Trunks with his hand in claws like a demon. Together, they both came hurtling out of the mask of smoke and into the open, their hands locked tight on each other’s throats. Juunana-gou released the boy for a moment and flew backwards, gathering light between his palms --- a cool blue attack that seemed to flicker and grow within just a split second before he sent it sailing towards Trunks. The lavender haired warrior managed to phase before the attack could hit and turned in the air, flipping down and skimming along the edges of the metal casing of a skyscraper. The attack hit the building directly behind him and exploded with a resounding boom. Metal and glass shot out across the city like missiles; a fire started instantly and the bright orange flames leapt up and began to hungrily eat away at all of the destruction.

Juuhachi-gou sat the sidelines, yet to be involved in the fight, but practically sparkling with anticipation.

Tayhei stared in horror, her green eyes sparkling with tears. It was horrible to watch and she swore that she could physically feel the pain that Trunks felt when those hits landed. She watched as he skidded away from Juunana-gou and paused for a moment, bending his head down and concentrated --- obviously gathering his ki in an effort to become stronger. As she concentrated, Tayhei felt something strange tug at her heart, something that she had felt before --- a familiar kind of power. She watched him carefully, her eyes narrowing in thought as Trunks's ki rose to a much higher level than she had ever felt before in their training sessions. The power was so strong and unbelievable that it made her gasp. It seems to crackle around him like flames, and his battle cry filled her ears, deep and raging. It was the most amazing sound she had ever heard, and the most amazing sight that he had ever seen. The flames exploded into a golden aura around his entire body and his hair stood on end before turning into a shining gold color. The gold surrounded him and flew out of him in waves, sparkling and brilliant in the darkening night.

Tayhei gasped, staring in disbelief. All along, she had thought they were two different people, couldn’t even fathom the possibility of Trunks being the golden warrior that she had seen so many times before. But it was true. They were the same. Trunks truly was the warrior destined to defeat the evil twins. The idea of it brought fresh tears to her eyes and she stumbled a bit, leaning against a broken and twisted streetlight for support.

Juunana-gou attacked Trunks again as soon as the transformation was complete, not wanting to waste another second of the fight. In this new form, Trunks moved quicker and was able to dodge more of the jinzouningen’s attacks. The golden warrior dipped down to avoid a vicious punch to the head and while he crouched, he reached back and pulled his sword out of its sheath. The cool metal of the blade glinted in the brilliance of the golden light that surrounded him, momentarily blinding everyone as they watched. Trunks took advantage of the momentary blindness and whipped the sword around, aiming for the android’s middle section. Juunana-gou jumped back before he could be cut in two, but Trunks managed to slash his stomach with the very tip of his sword, making a small wound that bled through his dark tee shirt. Juunana-gou halted in attack for a moment and put a hand to his stomach and brought it back up to see the blood, staring in shock. His ice blue eyes suddenly flicked up to Trunks again and he snarled and shouted something Tayhei couldn't hear. Then they shot up in the sky until they were pinpoints above her head, moving so fast that the untrained human eye wouldn't even know they were there.

One of the small pinpoints abruptly fell, plummeting down towards the destroyed cityscape. Trunks somehow stopped himself before he hit the earth and turned to face the male jinzouningen, who was flying after him. They met in the air with a clash of fists, kicks, and obscenities, then dropped down to the city streets and fought on the ground. Trunks shoved Juunana-gou back a couple of feet, and he stumbled one step before racing back at the young warrior and kicking him straight in the stomach. Trunks flew backwards, a line of dark red blood trailing from his mouth as he crashed into a brick wall behind him and slid to the ground in sitting position. Juunana-gou attacked again, raising his fists together and slamming them down on Trunks's head, shattering the brick wall behind them and burying Trunks in rubble.

Trunks-kun! Tayhei thought frantically as the heavy bricks fell on top of him. She scrambled out of the rubble and into the open city, intent on helping him. If he actually survived that hit, he would not be in any condition to continue the fight --- he would be defenseless. And there was no way in hell that she was going to leave him alone and helpless. With anger and adrenaline pumping through her veins, she turned and leveled her eyes at Juuhachi-gou. The female jinzouningen was sitting atop of a small concrete block, her eyes calm as she watched her brother shoot down out of the sky and wildly attack Trunks. Tayhei glared fiercely, her green eyes narrowing down to two small slits. The sword strapped to her back came out of its sheath, glinting in the disappearing sunlight and pointing straight at Juuhachi-gou. The female cyborg raised an eyebrow and looked at her with something that resembled surprise on her flawless face.

“Who the hell are you?" Juuhachi-gou asked, looking down on her with laughing eyes.

“Call off your brother.” Tayhei ordered firmly, moving down and crouching into a fighting position. Though she was quaking with fear on the inside, her body remained calm and solid. “Make him stop. Now.”

Juuhachi-gou’s eyes flicked up to Juunana-gou and Trunks, who fighting in the air above them again. Then she gazed back down at Tayhei with a look that resembled mild amusement. “Do you expect to fight with me or something?”

Tayhei gripped the sword tighter in her hands and set her mouth in a firm line of determination. She didn’t need to answer. Her stance and her expression spoke for themselves. Her head felt as though it were about to burst, and her heart was beating so hard in her chest that she could hear it echoing loudly in her ears. Her breath caught, then released, and she forced herself to relax, commanding her body not to tremble as the female jinzouningen stood and faced her. This was it. This was what she had waited for all these years. She was finally fighting the jinzouningen, finally testing her skills. But as Juuhachi-gou’s ice blue eyes smirked at her, she had an awful feeling that perhaps her skills as a fighter simply wouldn’t be enough.

Before Tayhei even got the chance to move, Juuhachi-gou narrowed her eyes attacked. The female jinzouningen flung herself at her, with claws outstretched and an angry scowl on her beautiful face. She slammed into her at full speed, knocking Tayhei completely off of her feet and sending her sprawling to the ground. Juuhachi-gou flipped up over her and spun around, swinging out a leg to kick at Tayhei’s back. Sensing the attack, she ducked and rolled away before the leg had time to impact against her spine. She rose to her feet and slashed out with the sword in the same motion, hoping to catch Juuhachi-gou’s skin, but the female jinzouningen was not there anymore. She whirled around and found Juuhachi-gou behind her again, this time ready with an attack that she wasn't prepared for: Juuhachi-gou drew back her arm and smacked Tayhei in the arm, causing it to actually pop out of alignment. The impact sent Tayhei sprawling on the ground once more and she grasped her arm in pain. She could taste blood in her mouth, warm and metallic. She took a deep breath, shoved her arm back into alignment, then stood to face Juuhachi-gou again, her green eyes wild with anger. Blood trailed out of the corner of her mouth and down her chin.

The jinzouningen smiled slightly and nodded at the blood. "Oh. I'm sorry. Did I break your little mouth?" She asked in mock sympathy.

She lunged at Juuhachi-gou, holding out the sword and aiming it at her heart. Juuhachi-gou flew into the air to avoid being sliced through the chest, but Tayhei swung it up and followed her. She felt a small surge of victory when she felt the sword connect with skin. The female jinzouningen froze and Tayhei lifted her eyes to see the cyborg clutching her cheek, her ice blue eyes wide open in shock. She took her hand away from her cheek, watching the blood slowly drip between her fingers in disgust. A small, bleeding slice was visible just below her right eye --- the kind of cut that would leave a scar for life. Juuhachi-gou stared at the blood on her hand as if she just plain could not comprehend what had just happened. Then her head snapped up, furious, and she looked straight at Tayhei with her light blue eyes clouded over in rage.

She never even saw Juuhachi-gou attack, just felt the impact of a fist against her temple. The hit sent her spinning through the air and she skidded along the ground and ended up in a broken heap on the ground.

"Have you had enough, brat?" Juuhachi-gou inquired, taking a moment to dust off the shoulder of her tee shirt. She squinted down at the girl, who was lying in a bleeding, broken puddle, then nodded off to where Trunks and Juunana-gou had been fighting. Juunana-gou was standing alone with his arms crossed, gazing at his sister with a look of impatience as if he were wondering why Juuhachi-gou hadn’t finished Tayhei off her.

Tayhei raised her head a bit, trying to spot Trunks, and found him lying on his side in a pile of bricks near Juunana-gou, his hair back to its natural color once more. Some of the lavender strands were soaked with blood, and they fell across his face, shading his eyes from view. As if it were coming from her own body, she could feel his pain seething through her skin and clouding her mind. With all of the strength that she had left, she pushed herself up to her feet and stumbled, grasping onto an overhanging, jagged metal beam. Clenching her fists again, she took a step towards Trunks, her eyes watering. Her heart, which had been beating so strongly only moments before, suddenly tripped and fell, plummeting down into her stomach. He didn’t even look as though he were alive. The blood was everywhere.

"He'll die soon. Feed him one of those beans and he should be okay to play with in a little while." Juunana-gou said nonchalantly, as if he had just explained how to take care of a garden plant. Juuhachi-gou said nothing at first, but walked to her brother and stood at his side, lifting her head in pride, ignoring the blood running from the cut on her cheek.

"You were fun, brat. I think we'll keep you around for a while." She decided, and Juunana-gou nodded. They both took off into flight then, disappearing into the horizon where the sun had finally set, drenching the city in darkness.

Chapter 11
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