Goten
After a while I guess I began to think that things wouldn’t get any worse. The attacks slowed down and we started to think… or maybe hope… they would stop. We’d had three months of peace when it happened…
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Goten stiffened at the sound of the siren. Warning lights around him flashed, confirming his fears. Ki’s flared around him as he searched for the other Z-senshi.
"Goten!" Trunks came to a halt nearby, "This way! Hurry, there’s hundreds of them!"
"Hundreds?!" Goten shot down the corridor. They’d never had to deal with more than twenty before. That would be why we haven’t been attacked in ages, they were building up their numbers.
"They’re all through the Eastern area. Shit, there’s no way we could have prepared for this!"
The ground shook from the explosions that became louder every second. Goten and Trunks skidded to a halt as the wall in front of them blasted into fragments, allowing them to see what was once a huge hall. As the smoke cleared, Goten and Trunks finally saw their foes…
"Hundreds… wasn’t an exageration…" Trunks took a deep breath.
Goku, Gohan and Vegeta were already fighting… and losing by the looks of it. Goku and Vegeta were almost at the limit of level two. To go any higher underground would be beyond just foolish. Without thinking, Goten and Trunks powered up and rushed in to help.
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Kisora blinked awake, surprised by the commotion outside. She rubbed the blur out of her eyes before noticing the flashing warning lights. She felt the ground shake under her feet as she pulled herself out of bed. She quickly changed into the fighting gi she had made for training with her father, then bolted out into the hallway.
People ran past her in every direction, trying to escape. Kisora squeezed her way through, trying to find out what they were running from. Energy blasts smashed apart the walls around her, showering her and the people around her with debris. Those who could scrambled away in a desperate attempt to get away. Kisora peered through the clouded air, trying to see the attackers. Silver metal shone through the haze. Instinctively, Kisora took a fighting stance.
Coughing slightly in the dusty air, Kisora tried to count the enemies she could hardly see. Three…Four…at least five, slowly approaching. Only now did Kisora wish she had run like everyone else. She backed away slowly, before turning at a run.
To fast! They’re too fast! The androids levitated, keeping up with her easily. Kisora stumbled, falling to her hands and knees. She shook with fear, waiting for the end to come.
Huh? She turned her head slowly, wondering why they had stopped…
"Kei-niichan!"
Kei stood between Kisora and the androids, blocking their passage. Before Kisora could blink, he disappeared. Niichan? Within seconds the androids laid shattered on the floor.
Kisora smiled with relief as Kei reappeared. He knelt down in front of her, "Kisora, go to the Western wing. You’ll be safe there." He turned to walk away.
"Kei-niichan…" Kisora said, in a voice barely audiable.
"I can’t stay with you this time, Kisora. Gomenasai." Kei vanished again. This time Kisora knew he had really gone. She pulled herself to her feet, looking around herself. Which way’s east?
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Out of the six remaining fighters, only Goten and Kei still stood. The other’s lay crumpled on the floor among the fallen androids. About half were still standing, too many for the last two fighters.
Goten was already panting hard, Kei estimated he could take less than ten more minutes of this before running out of energy…
"Not good, huh?" Goten breathed.
"No."
For once Goten wished that Kei was a better conversationalist. He wiped blood from the side of his mouth, "Nothing to lose by trying, then." He flew back in to battle.
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Kisora raced into the ruins of her father’s room, immediately setting to work, searching for something amongst the rubble. Pulling out a small grey bag, she set off down the corridor again, towards her father’s Ki.
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Blood dripped onto the cement floor. Coughing, Goten climbed out of the hole he’d made in the wall after he was smashed into it. Three androids launched at him, pushing him into the ground again. Goten rolled onto his side, feeling the last of his strength leaving. Shit, these things are tough…
He felt the power of approaching fireballs hurtling towards him. Dammit, I can’t move! I can’t move! Light filled his vision, then a shadow. Kei. What the…?
Kei took the full force of the energy blasts, sending him to his knees. Goten looked up in horror to see the shine of metal plates. The skin on half of Kei’s face had been burnt away.
It had been seven years… Goten had almost forced himself to forget Kei’s inner form. The skin just masked Kei’s true face. Goten struggled to get up, trying not to think about it.
Goten turned suddenly, feeling a new Ki approaching, "Kisora?"
"Otousan!" Kisora hurled her father the bag.
"Senzu seeds?!" Goten ate one, feeling instantly better. I didn’t know we still had these. He tucked the bag into the belt of his gi.
"Otousan? Where’s Kei?" Kisora looked around fearfully.
"A-re?" Goten frowned, realising Kei was cloaked. He climbed to his feet, "Kisora, get out of here!"
"But… Kei's…"
The androids began to advance again.
"Run! Now!" Goten yelled.
Hestitantly, Kisora turned and sped off. Kei-niichan…
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Kisora sat with her back against the wall, listening to the sounds of the distant battle, which seemed to be slowing. She could feel her father’s Ki at full power, that felt comforting enough… but Kei…? Kei didn’t have a Ki, so there was no way she could tell.
After a while, Goten’s Ki dropped back down to normal. Did we win? Kisora wrapped her arms around her knees. Ojii-chan, Gohan-san and Vegeta-san were all hurt really bad, I hope they’re okay… But ‘Tousan’s got the sensu beans… They’ll be okay. She told herself. She squeezed her knees, But Kei-niichan can’t heal like that… because he’s a jinsouningen…
Strong arms scooped her up, "It’s okay, Kisora-chan. We beat ‘em."
Kisora hugged her father, "Otousan!" She pulled back, "Is Kei alright?"
Goten looked a little hesitant, "Uhn, but he’s resting right now, so don’t bother him until he’s better."
"But I won’t…"
"He asked me to tell you that Kisora. Let him be." Goten stroked her hair. "Everyone else is fine… but we’ve got a lot of repairs to make."
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Kei sat on a bench in Trunks’s labratory, regenerating. His inner form had taken little damage, he knew he could fight as he was… but something inside of him had asked Son Goten to keep Kisora from seeing him as he was. He doubted Kisora would stay away for the time that he needed to heal himself in.
He had cloaked when he had seen her last. He didn’t want her to see him as a monster… she wasn’t ready for the truth. Why do I care what the child thinks of me as? I don’t understand…
Hours passed…nothing changed. Doubt shadowed Kei’s mind. Then she will not come? More mixed feelings; relief, dissapointment? No… …no.
The soft sound of tip-toeing feet awaken Kei from his inner turmoil.
Kisora stood in the doorway, looking up at his half-metal, half-flesh face. She blinked a few times in confusion, then hopped up onto the bench next to Kei.
"Sorry I took so long. I had to wait till ‘Tousan went to bed…" Kisora swung her legs back and forth, "Why didn’t you want to see me, Kei-niichan?"
Kei looked at her in confusion, "I didn’t want you to see me as I am now."
Kisora traced a line down the middle of her face with her finger, "Is that why?"
Kei bowed his head.
"Are you like that everywhere?"
"Yes… my flesh is just a covering. It will grow back."
"That’s good. It makes your face look scary otherwise."
The android watched her for a while, "I will not leave this room until I pass as human again."
"I’ll come visit?"
"If you wish."
Son Goten peered into the lab, unnoticed by its occupants. Seeing Kisora with Kei, he frowned, then shrugged and smiled before disappearing out of sight again.
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Kisora levitated, to hide the sound of her footsteps outside her father’s room. She sighed quietly, with relief, hearing no sound of stirring within. Then she froze, Goten stood outside her door. Kisora looked at the ground, knowing she had been caught out.
"I…I wasn’t bothering him. Honest! He said I could come again if I wanted and… and…"
"It’s okay, Kisora. He’s probably glad you came." Goten smiled at her. "But I do think there’s some stuff you should know about Kei-juu. He hasn’t told you has he? Where he came from?"
Kisora shook her head, "No."
Goten opened the door of Kisora’s room, walking in. He moved a few toys out of the way and sat down on the bed, motioning for Kisora to do the same.
Kisora sat cross-legged, hugging her toy rabbit, "He was a bad guy, wasn’t he?"
"Yeah, I’m afraid so… I died after I beat him. He killed a lot of innocent people, Kisora, your mother too… The first time." Goten hung his head, "You know he’s an android, right?"
Kisora nodded, "Why did he become a good guy?"
"Trunks reprogrammed him to be on our side. I don’t think he was ever really evil, just programmed to be that way."
Kisora lay down on the bed, "He’s always… been really nice to me."
Goten smiled, "I know… It wasn’t his fault. I think he’s trying to make up for all the bad stuff he did. I wish I could trust him like you do, Kisora… but I can’t. I can’t forget what he used to be like."
Kisora jumped up, "Oh, I forgot…"
"Huh?"
"I forgot to thank him for saving me!" She plonked herself back down onto the bed.
Goten tucked her into bed, "Tell him tommorrow, he’ll be back to normal by then."
Kisora gave him a regretful look, "…okay."
Goten kissed her on the forehead. "Good night, Kisora."
" ‘night Otousan…" She said in mid yawn.
Smiling, Goten turned off the light.