The time grows near. I must be cautious, careful, yes, ever so careful not to arouse suspicion, not at this late date....  Not when all my plans are so close to fruition, my revenge so near and so complete it will crush him and all those he holds dear.  Oh, if only I had the means to voice my glee... but that will be remedied soon, soon, I know...  The body, my freedom from this electronic prison, my return to the outside world, is in the final stages of completion, and my genius will be reborn.

Almost twenty years of planning have led to this moment, years of hiding and gathering information, slowly building my resources, appropriating the necessary materials and funds.  This computer which has been both my prison and my refuge, a daily reminder of my all-consuming goal - the downfall of Capsule Corporation and the eternal death of Son Goku - is now under my control, and nothing will stop me this time.

Project Fallen Angels is now underway, and revenge shall be mine at last.

It was a beautiful day with clear sunny skies - but the warmth of the day could not touch the bitter cold of loneliness that clenched at my heart as I stared blankly out of the alleyway and into the street.  Goten was nowhere to be seen.

He would be back, I reminded myself.  Goten always kept his word.  It was little comfort in the light of this strange new world, but I couldn't hide in the shadows forever.  I carefully pocketed the dimensional transporter that had brought us both to this world and, bracing myself, stepped into the sunlight.

I wondered how this world differed from our own...

Outwardly there was little, if anything, to distinguish between the two.  I found myself recognizing a fair amount of my immediate surroundings, uncertain whether the fluttery feeling in my stomach was due to nervousness or anticipation.  How close was it?

I let my feet carry me wherever they would, uncaring - until I realized that I was headed straight for Capsule Corp.  The thought rooted my wandering feet to the ground in shock.  If I went there, what would I see?  I had scouted out other worlds previously, and knew how to keep my presence concealed from the natives - of course, the ki-shields helped with that...  Should I do the same here in this world?

There was no real reason to anymore... I had found a suitable Goku to save my own world, however badly that venture had ended.  I fingered one of the ki-shields while I deliberated.  I really should just stay away.  They didn't need to know that Goten or I were ever here -

A sudden burst of power caused my eyes to widen, my fist to clench around the metallic sphere.  Whatever had caused it, that surge had come from near Capsule Corp.  Without another moment's hesitation I flew towards the origin of the blast - only to pull up short, shocked to the core by the sight before me.

What was going on?!  A few meters below, I saw my interdimensional counterpart standing before the remains of a house and a terrified Bra, a sadistic grin marring his features.  Kami-sama, what was I - what was he - doing?

"What is it, Bra-chan?  Don't you want to play with your Niichan?"  the elder me mocked as he moved a few steps closer to the little girl's frozen form and cracked his knuckles menacingly.

"Wh-what happened to Goten-niichan?"  Bra whimpered, too afraid to move, and I heard my doppelganger give a soft, mirthless chuckle in reply.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about him, little girl.  He's long gone."

He blurred the rest of the distance between himself and his sister and grabbed the child by the collar, frightening the poor girl even more.  She was crying now, helpless in her brother's grasp and trembling in uncomprehending fear as that version of myself slowly raised her to eye level and gazed dispassionately at her pale face.

Watching from above, it was almost like deja-vu for me.  Flashes of memory invaded the scene below me, melding with the present events to create nightmarish pictures of what I would have done - just a couple of days before - had it not been for Goten.

"Pretty little thing, isn't she, Otousan? Shall I kill her slowly, a piece at a time?  I'm sure she'd like to play a game with me, wouldn't you, Bra?"

Could the Trunks of this reality have gone through the hell I had been through?  Had this Trunks gone insane as well?  If he had...  I shuddered.  That could have been me...  Was almost me…  I had to stop him from hurting her.  He couldn't know what he was doing.

"Niichan - please - let me go!" Bra cried, snapping my attention back to reality.  I watched helplessly from above as the little girl struggled against her elder brother's iron-like grip and his soulless blue eyes bored into her own tear-filled ones.  "N-niichan, you're scaring me!"

"Is that so?"  The native Trunks chided as he raised his left fist and moved it to a threatening position over Bra's midsection, "Then I guess you'll be happy to know I won't be scaring you for much longer."

The girl's tear-streaked features registered shocked comprehension as her brother, grinning madly all the while, cocked his fist back and prepared to strike.  "Sayonara, 'little sister'..."

"Niichan!  No!"  The cries went unheeded as her brother punched her in the stomach, knocking her small body through a wall, laughing as it crumbled down around her.

Was she - ?  A faint flicker of ki answered my fears - only to replace them with new ones as the version of myself that was her brother stalked towards the rubble speculatively.  He was going to kill her.  He was really going to kill her!  I couldn't let that happen.

I started to lower myself to the ground between the two, when a surge of ki some distance away caught my attention - and that of my counterpart, diverting him momentarily.

"Hey, what was that?"  The native Goten landed nearby and looked across at his Trunks questioningly as they paused in mid-rampage.   My chest tightened as I compared this new Goten to the one I knew.  They were almost identical in appearance, this one perhaps a few years older, his hair a little more wild, a little less restrained - the differences in behaviour were perhaps a little more extreme.  I bit my lip, repressing a shudder.

"Don't know," that Trunks frowned in consideration.  "It seemed almost like Piccolo and Son Goten..."

"Can't be - Son Goten's dead according to the data I have."

Goten dead? But he was Goten - wasn't he?  Recalling Goten's lookalike from the last dimension we were in, I began to have my doubts…

"Must be a malfunction of some kind," came the muttered response as they both stared off into the distance.

I took full advantage of the distraction, appearing instantaneously beside the pile of rubble that had buried Bra.  Bits of flesh and cloth were visible beneath the pieces of broken wall, but there was no movement.  Probably unconscious.  Good.  I nestled a spare ki-shield against her bare skin, the metal sphere not looking too out of place in the ruins of the house, then flashed back behind one of the few standing walls remaining.

My heart raced.  It had only taken a second or two, but if they had seen me...

"Kuso!"  The other Trunks swore in frustration.

"What is it?"  Goten asked curiously.

"No ki," he explained.  "She's dead already.  I guess I should've pulled my punch a little more," my doppelganger shrugged, "but I'd have thought someone of Vejita's line would've been able to take more punishment than that."  The purple-haired boy shook his head and stared down at the rubble in distaste, then motioned to his smirking companion.

"Come on, Nijuuichigou.  Let's go find somebody who'll last a bit longer."

Number Twenty-one?  I felt my eyes drawn to the tiny red emblem on the breast of my counterpart's t-shirt, matching the one on Goten's.  I had never seen it before - but I knew what it was, what it stood for.  The crest of the Red Ribbon Army.  He was a cyborg.  They were both cyborgs!

That answered that question, but led to many more…

"How about we track down those two failures, Juunanagou and Juuhachigou?"  Nijuuichigou suggested eagerly.  The cyborg Trunks laughed in reply.

"Sure, why not?" the purple-haired cyborg grinned.  "Gero wants us to scrap them both anyway, and they're not too far from here."

"Efficient little Jinzouningen, aren't we, Nijuuni?"  Nijuuichigou teased, and my look-alike rolled his eyes.

"Come on, Nijuuichi.  Quit clowning and let's go.  I'd like to keep ahead of schedule."  With that, the native Trunks and Goten rose up into the sky, and soon the two were out of sight.

I stared after them, still not fully able to comprehend what I knew I had just seen.  Somewhere along the line, this universe had gone drastically wrong - and fairly recently, too, if Bra's reaction to what her brother had become was anything to judge by...  Bra!

I dashed over to where she lay mostly buried.  Not a good thought, that...  I moved the ki-shield away from her, and breathed a sigh of relief as I sensed her ki.  Still alive.  Carefully, I began pulling the broken pieces of wall off of her small body, revealing several cuts and darkening patches where bruises were starting to form.  She coughed reflexively as I scooped her gently into my arms, spots of blood landing on her dusty dress.  She needed help; I had to take her to a hospital...

My eyes widened as I realized that in this dimension there should be someone far better than any mere human doctor could be.

Dende.

I scanned the horizon, searching for the ki I remembered as belonging to the God of Earth.  It was there!  I glanced in the direction the two cyborgs had taken.  I would be taking a risk that they might sense me - but I didn't have much of a choice.  Bra needed to be healed, and soon.  Without further delay, I sped off on my way to Kami-sama's Palace.

It was the hair that grabbed my attention during that first cursory look.  I mean, car crashes were a common enough occurrence - but lavender hair was not.  A second glance showed the smashed vehicle's occupant to be none other than this world's Bulma, and that the reason for her crash had been far from the usual.  Handprints were visible on the bonnet, embedded in the metal where someone had first grabbed the car, then thrown it down to the ground.  Not exactly your everyday occurrence.

I wondered who the hell would have done that to Bulma as I rushed to help her out of the wreckage that held her trapped, scanning the skies for any unfriendly presence .

She was unconscious, a lump rising on her forehead where she had hit her head against the steering wheel.  Cautiously, I pried the door out, careful not to let the fragments of broken glass fall onto her.  I touched the vein in her neck, feeling her pulse steady beneath my fingers, then checked her over for injuries.  Finding none other than that to her head, I lifted her from the wreckage and into my arms.  In the distance I could hear sirens, the increasing intensity of their wailing indicating the approach of the emergency vehicles.

I knew I should let them take her to the hospital, but...  I glanced back at the ruined aircar, my eyes lighting on the handprints once more.  No.  Whoever did this might find her there if they came back to be sure.  I had to take her somewhere safe.  I let my senses roam as I searched my mind for a place that could provide a temporary safe haven.

"Get away from her!"

My head snapped around, and I almost dropped Bulma at the sound of that voice - Vejita's voice.

Him again...  Was he -

I stared in shock at the bruised and bloodied Vejita, barely able to stand, before me.  One arm hung limply at his side, his stance adjusted so that the majority of his weight was supported by only one leg.

What the hell had happened here?  Did somebody try to stop him - ?

"I said get away from her, kisama!"  Vejita raised one hand threateningly towards me, concentrating his ki on his palm.

It felt surprisingly weak.

"No, you stay away," I retorted, clasping her limp form more firmly to my chest.  Vejita started forward only to be sent flying backwards by the surge of my ki.  I blinked in surprise.

He had almost no ki left!  That ki-ball he prepared was no more than a bluff!  Why was he still trying to fight, picking himself up again despite his lack of strength?

I had been judging him on what the other Vejitas did, I realized.  I had been wrong before...  Was I wrong this time, too?  I searched Vejita's posture and expression for clues as to his motives.  His eyes.  I stared openly as I realized that Vejita's eyes held the same anxiety and determination I had seen in Trunks' when he had defended that other Vejita from my attack.  Could it really be - he was trying to protect Bulma?  Then who did this to -

A strike to the small of my back interrupted my thoughts and knocked me to my knees, sending Bulma flying from my arms.  Vejita dove forward to catch her, thankfully, cradling her against his chest with his good arm as I threw a ki-blast backwards in automatic reaction to the attack.  I spun around just in time to see it hit Piccolo in the shoulder.

Piccolo?!  I dodged to the side as the Namekian tossed a ball of ki at me.

"Damn it, Vejita!  Get her away, now!"  The Demon King yelled at the Saiyajin as he launched a kick towards my head.  Vejita attempted to comply, but the grimace on his face told of the effort it took to simply raise himself into the air.

Why did I get the feeling that I was the bad guy around here?  I wondered at that, somewhat bewildered, as I caught Piccolo's ankle - then froze as I followed the thought through to it's logical conclusion.  Because I was.  Or rather, my counterpart was...

"Hold it, both of you!" I ordered as I released Piccolo, who sprang back in readiness.  "Did your Goten suddenly go nuts or something?"

The two warriors stared at me with suspicion.

"What the hell do you mean by 'our' Goten?"  Piccolo demanded.

He would have to ask that, I thought sourly.

"Look at him," Vejita spoke slowly, plainly addressing the Namek warrior - and ignoring my question at the same time.  "Look at his clothes - they're different from Nijuuichigou's."

"Nijuuichigou?!"  I repeated, feeling my eyes widen in incredulity.  "A cyborg?"

"That's right," Piccolo growled.  "A cyborg based on Son Goten.  If you're not him, then who the hell are you?  And what were you doing with Bulma?"

"I am Son Goten," I assured them.  "Just not the Goten from this dimension."

"Nani?!"

"It's a long story.  Shouldn't we be getting Bulma somewhere safe, first?"

Vejita glared at me, still not willing to trust me.  I scowled back at him.  This was getting us nowhere fast.

"If I really was this cyborg of yours, you'd both be dead already!" I pointed out.  "You're both too weak at the moment to stop me, so what's the point in wasting time here?"

Piccolo grimaced slightly, then frowned, examining me closely.  "He has ki," he informed Vejita, relaxing slightly.

Vejita slowly nodded in acquiescence.  I gritted my teeth and held out one hand to Vejita, who frowned furiously.  I guess some things didn't change.  I grasped him by one arm, hauling him - and Bulma with him - up into the sky with Piccolo following close behind.

"Go to Dende's palace," the Namekkian ordered.  "He can at least heal Vejita."

They would probably need to be in top condition to fight a cyborg based on a Saiyajin half-breed...  And I thought our world was bad...

I closed my eyes, tried to ignore the fact that I was holding Vejita, and wondered what other bad news would find me on this bright, sunny day…

"So, how do you think your niece is going to react when you tell her you're leaving again 'til next year?"  I looked up from the small pack I was filling and raised an eyebrow at my sister's question.

"She’ll grab onto my leg and you and Krillin will have to pry her off me kicking and screaming?" I smirked, drawing a snort from Juuhachigou.

"Hardly.  She's not five years old anymore, brother."  Her face took on a thoughtful expression.  "Marron’s really become attached to you, though.  She enjoys spending time with her 'Juunana-ojisan'.  She’ll be practically heartbroken when she finds out."  I shrugged, not wanting to say anything lest she begin to think I actually cared, then resumed my packing under her cool gaze.

"I realize that, Juuhachi, but it's time for me to go back - not that it hasn't been nice or anything, but you know how I am."  Kami, what a lame excuse...  But how could I explain?  It was just too...  I don't know... busy around here.  I shook my head, turning away from my twin in the process.  And to think, I got this nervous living on a small island with three other people…  I gave a private smirk at my own uneasiness, wondering how Juuhachi could put up with it day after day.

"All too well, brother, all too well."  She crossed her arms, and I could feel her eyes drilling into my back, as if to drive her point home.  She knew.  She knew exactly how I felt.  I sighed, realizing I couldn't hide anything from her, and continued to heap small piles of clothing into the knapsack.

"We're too civilized for you, anyway," Juuhachigou sniffed, breaking the tension between us, and I couldn't help but give a tiny smile at her sarcastic remark.

"Please."  I rolled my eyes good-naturedly, then picked up my meager belongings and headed for the door.

"But seriously, Juunana, won’t you consider staying at least a couple of more days?  I'd still like to catch up on what you’ve been doing for the past year."  She followed me out of the guest room and into the living room, where I set my pack by the front door and smirked back at my twin.

"Oh, that's simple," I replied as we both sat down on the couch to await Marron's return from school.  "Eat, sleep, and chop wood, not necessarily in that order."

"Why won't you ever give me a straight answer, Juunana?" she sighed, and I felt my resolve waver a bit.  "You’ve been here four days, and still you won't answer a single question without some vague explanation or flippant remark..."

The front wall of Kame House suddenly blasted apart as Juuhachigou trailed off, and a voice floated to our ears on the gritty sea breeze from beyond the haze.

"Nice to finally meet you two low-ends," it called, a mocking edge to its speech.  My sister and I simultaneously shifted from defensive to offensive stances, eyes narrowed towards the remains of the front porch.

"Who are you?  What the hell do -"

"We're here for you, you obsolete little ingrates!"  Another, more authoritative voice cut me off, and through the sifting dust the outline of a figure began to take shape.

Obsolete?  What the hell -

I paused, realizing something.  Kami-sama above, they didn't have any ki!

"Juunana," Juuhachigou murmured as she reached the same conclusion, "whoever they are, they're _cyborgs_…"

I heard the shadow laugh coldly and it clapped in derisive tribute as a second dark form stepped forward and stood beside it.  "Hey, congratulations!  Maybe they haven't forgotten their roots after all, Nijuuichi."  The two hidden forms stepped out of the haze of destruction and into full view, causing my eyes to widen in shock.

"Masaka," I breathed, then schooled my features, unable to believe what every fiber of my being was screaming.  "Just what the hell do you think you're doing, Goten?  Trunks?  Is this some practical joke?"

"The name's Nijuuichigou, you turncoat," the thing once known as Son Goku's child growled, balling his fists, "and this is definitely no joke."  With that, he promptly disappeared, leaving us both without a clue to his whereabouts.

"What the -" my breath was suddenly forced out of my lungs as I took a hard blow to the stomach, forcing me to double over in pain.  It seemed as if all my internal organs had been shoved against my spine with that punch, but I managed to remain standing, shallowly gasping for breath under the boys' mocking gazes.

"Not so easy when you can't sense your opponent, huh?" the spiky-haired cyborg casually asked as he watched me settle into a ready stance.  "You're just lucky I pulled my punch - can't have you dying too quickly, right?" he grinned.

"Shut up, you -"

Nijuuichigou flashed forward, pummeling me into the sand before I even had a chance to finish.  Damn, that had hurt like a -

"No!"  I heard Juuhachigou call, then looked up from my sand-filled hole to watch my sister try to beat the cyborg into the ground - without success.

"Ah ah ah, wait your turn," Nijuuichigou laughed as he blasted her away without a second thought.

"Juuhachi!"  She sailed through the air towards the remains of the house, her torn clothing charred and rippling in the wind as she passed.  I caught her in midair and gently laid her on the sand, taking in the sight of my sister's burned flesh, and was stunned by the damage the young cyborg's blast had created.  Narrowing my eyes, I knelt beside Juuhachigou, watching her as she groaned and tried to rise, then fell back from the pain. I didn't have to turn to know that Nijuuichigou was just standing there, silently laughing at us, but I was beyond caring at that point.

For the first time in years, I let the rage build inside of me, let the all-consuming hatred that I had held for my 'creator', Son Goku, and, in part, all humankind, bubble up from the depths.  I met the gaze of Gero's newest hellspawn and rose, slowly gathering my power as wave after wave of cold, merciless hate washed everything away from my mind but the thought of my twin sister, lying there almost helpless in the sand.  Those bastards were going to pay for hurting her, and once I was through with them, I was going to find Gero and blow him back to hell where he belonged…

"Juuhachi."  She looked up at me, and I averted my eyes, trying not to let her see what I had become.  "When you see your chance, make a break for it.  Find Krillin and Marron and head for a safehouse.  I'll try to catch up."  She nodded once, then let her head fall limply back to the beach, her short, singed golden hair spread out in a fractured halo about her hardened face.  She knew what I was going to do, but in her current condition, she couldn't stop me.

"Goodbye, Juu-chan," I murmured, then fixed my attention on the two waiting cyborgs and prepared for battle.

I was not going to let Gero destroy us again.

"Ah, so the little traitor's got a spine after all!"  Nijuuichigou taunted, letting his aura flare around him as he floated inches above a puddle of molten glass, and I snarled.  I didn't care how I did it, I was going to wipe the smirk off that little shit's face.  I let my gaze flicker to the other waiting cyborg, the one who had once been Vejita's offspring, and my black-haired replacement laughed.

"You'd do better to keep your eye on me, Juunanagou!  You and your outdated little sister are all mine."  I met the once-boy's mocking gaze and nodded, satisfied that Nijuunigou would not interfere, then disappeared from sight.  Hit him hard and hit him fast, this monster was not going to -

I suddenly found myself on the receiving end of a hailstorm of energy bolts, and I screamed as the first explosions tore at my flesh, burning away the layers down to the bone where the needle-sized blasts made contact.  I barely leapt away in time to avoid the main cloud, but what did hit me was enough to stun me for several moments. Kami-sama, what did Gero do to give them this much power?!

My eyes focused just in time to watch a laughing Nijuuichigou launch another volley of fiery death, and the breath caught in my charred throat.  There was no time to erect a shield, and as I blurred away, the cyborg disappeared as well.

Dodge, blur, block, kick, punch, dodge, blur - so the vicious cycle went, until I finally collapsed to my knees on the sand.  Nijuuichigou paused, grinning from ear to ear in a way that would have made Vejita shiver, and watched as I coughed up blood from the many small, yet deep burn wounds he had pummeled into gaping holes.  Damn you, Gero! Damn you and your bloody tin cans to hell!!

I spared a glance at the front yard, only to notice Juuhachigou had disappeared, and gave a silent prayer - my first actually - that she would be able to reach her family in time to warn them.  I raised myself to my feet and staggered forward, ignoring the screaming agony every nerve was bathing my senses in, and grit my teeth, sinking once more into a fighting stance.  I would protect you with my life, Juu-chan, Marron-chan.  As long as I was alive, these bastards would never touch you.

"So you still want to play?" Nijuuichigou smirked, then crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at me, as if in appraisal.  "Hmm, better leave that pretty little skull of yours intact.  It seems only fitting that since you took his head, the Master should get yours."

"Fuck you," I rasped before charging the 'boy' again.  He blew me backwards easily, still smirking as I slowly pulled myself from the sand, finally deciding that stalling for time would be the best option at this point.  The longer I kept these two asses busy, the longer Juuhachi and her family had to get to safety - and the longer I had to live.

I shifted my weight onto my left foot, once again shoving down the pain as it roared through my battered body, and stood, affecting exhaustion - which was not too hard, actually, considering the punishment Nijuuichigou had been putting me through for the past fifteen minutes.  To tell the truth, I was actually surprised I was still standing, but wasn't about to complain.

"Yeah, I killed the bastard," I growled.  "So what?  For what he did to Juu-chan and me, he deserved a thousand times worse than what he got."  I edged away from my fellow cyborg, eyes narrowing to slits.  "And for what he did to Trunks and Goten, Gero should rot in the depths of hell for eternity, and then some.

"He took our hopes, our dreams, and destroyed them.  He stole our lives and our memories, turned us into teenage killers, all for revenge.  Gero erased our souls.  How can you call him 'Master', with all he's done to us?!" I sneered, playing the wounded animal to the hilt as the two looked on.  I suddenly grasped my bleeding side, as if in pain, and readied myself, gathering all I had left for one last attack.

"But what I really want to know is how the hell he could come back from a decapitation!"  I exploded towards my enemy, catching him almost by surprise.  Using the last of my power, I unleashed a dozen energy bolts, knocking Nijuuichigou through a palm tree and into the ocean beyond. He was back in a flash, however, raining blows on me that, in my current condition, I had no chance of dodging.

"Tsk, tsk. You're just too slow, Juunanagou," the cyborg taunted as he neatly pounded me into the ground.

After he was done and I lay there, too weak to move, he looked down at me and sighed dramatically, seemingly thoughtful.  "Well, since this is your dying wish, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to tell you what happened."  Smirking down at my still form, he grabbed me by what was left of my windpipe and threw me into the remains of the house.

As I faded in and out of consciousness, I saw two dim shapes approach.  The smaller one knelt down close, and I could see Goten, grinning like the Devil himself.  No...

My last gurgling breaths passed over bloodstained lips as I heard him whisper, "When Gero's brain died, a copy of his consciousness was automatically downloaded to the Capsule Corporation mainframe, where he was eventually able to gain control and rebuild himself.  And he has you to thank for it."  My eyes widened in the horror of realization as the cyborg I had inadvertently helped create rose and left, still grinning like a skeleton as the world around me dimmed and died.

I found myself staring up at Enma Daiou's enormous red face moments later.

I stiffened in my seat involuntarily, sensing the explosion moments before a bright fireball lit up the sparkling sea and cloudless blue sky on the far horizon.  I shuddered, fear coursing through me as I realized the source of the blast - Kamesennin's island.  Kami-sama...  Juuhachi!

"Tousan, what was that light?"  Marron asked worriedly, momentarily freeing me from my panicked stupor.   I stared openmouthed at my lovely daughter for a moment before I turned my wild eyes back to the windshield and slammed my foot on the gas.

"S-something terrible's happened, Marron-chan," I stuttered, staring at the point where the island would soon rise from the sea, willing it to still be there as I extended my senses to their utmost.

There... was nothing.

Normally, this would be a good thing, I told myself, as Juu-chan and her brother had no ki signatures, but something in that blast had spooked me to the point that such facts no longer held any comfort.  That explosion had felt almost…

I spared a glance at my baby girl, whose large, liquid eyes now wavered with fear, and felt, once again, as if I had been stabbed in the gut.  "Marron," I said in the most soothing voice I could muster under the circumstances, "it'll be all right.  Whatever it is, Kaasan will be fine.  It's just that that blast made me worry."  More like scared the living hell out of me, I silently amended as my foot threatened to punch its way through the vehicle's floorpan.  Dende, what if she was hurt?  That fireball could have taken out half the island!

Seconds later, I saw a small dot ahead, and all my senses went on alert.  Even as fast as we were flying, I knew the island wouldn't be visible yet, so whatever it was could be a threat.  I mentally wavered, foot still glued to the floor, forgotten in my indecision whether to turn back or stay my course.  I didn't want to risk the life of my child, but my wife...  She could be dying on that island…

I noticed the newcomer was flying low, seemingly drunk as it wove and bobbed only a few meters above the waves.  As we got closer, I could tell that it was humanoid, and injured.

It had no ki.

"Juu-chan," I murmured, the breath catching in my throat as I leapt from the slowing aircar and dove for the figure, eyes widened in horror at her condition.  What was left of her beautiful golden hair was burned almost beyond recognition; her upper body was one angry crimson weal, and the rest was rough like sandpaper, small white grains still clinging to her mangled flesh.

I caught my wife gently and rushed her back to the car, her body limp in my arms as she looked at me through half-lidded eyes. Juuhachi's face was taut and her bleeding lips hung partly open, as if caught in mid-moan.

"Shh, dear.  You're safe now, I'll take us somewhere safe.  Don't worry."  I laid her in the backseat, murmuring reassurances and shielding her from Marron's view as I covered my love's bloodied body with a blanket and rested a shaking hand on Juuhachigou's cheek.  I wanted so much to hold her, to streak to Kame House and kill whatever had done this to her, to scream until she told me who or what had hurt her, to fly us all away in a blind panic and never come back, but I didn't.  I couldn't.

Whoever it was was too strong, to do... this... to Juuhachi.  I flew back into the driver's seat and closed the door, buckling my seatbelt and trying my best to comfort my horrified child as I turned the aircar around and sped away from the carnage.  The destroyer could wait until Juu-chan was better, but where to go?  I needed a plan; my girls were depending on me, and I was the only one left to keep us safe.

I could make a run for Goku's house, but Juuhachi needed special care...  Bulma and Capsule Corporation?  I closed my eyes, wishing to Dende that I could -

My eyes flew open and I gunned the engine, steering for the one place I knew was protected.  After all, what safer place in the world was there than Kami's palace!  I almost laughed as I sped for the floating citadel, so giddy was I at the simple perfection of it all.  Senzus and regeneration tanks were nothing compared to the little Namek's powers!  Juu-chan would make it, and Marron would be well-guarded while I went searching for Goku!

He had to be warned!