Chapter Eleven

"....ATTAAAAAAAAACK," Future Trunks yelled, aiming straight for Evil Gohan's heart.

But his target moved quickly and the attack exploded where he had been. Behind Trunks, Goku sucked in a breath. Gohan went to stand next to his father as Evil Gohan circled them.

"Looks like you have a bit of a problem there, don't you?" he goaded.

"If you'd go away, we wouldn't have a problem," Goku muttered.

"Too bad."

"Get out of here, Dad," Gohan hissed. "We'll distract him and you run."

Goku stiffened. "I don't turn my back on the enemy, Gohan, and I never run away from a battle."

"There are no more Dragonballs," Gohan argued. "Mom can't lose you again."

"If I run away from this, she won't want the man that I'll become," Goku returned.

He turned to Evil Gohan and to Gohan's horror, stepped towards him.

"You want me? Come and get me," Goku challenged.

Evil Gohan was surprised, but he recovered and let out a loud laugh. "It'll be like crushing an ant."

He curled his fingers inward, pressing his palms together and bringing his hands to his side. A yellow glow appeared, encircling his hands.

"KAAAAAAAAAAAA......MEEEEEEEEEEE............"

Goku stared at him, eyes narrowed. Gohan and Future Trunks moved to get him out of the way, but he glanced at them, glaring. They froze in their footsteps.

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAA............MEEEEEEEEEEEE......"

Goku didn't try to block the blast he knew was coming because he knew it would be useless. He only knew that for Gohan and Future Trunks to defeat this one, he had to be out of the way. There was no other choice.

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!"

Goku's scream ripped through the air as the blast hit him full on. Gohan and Future Trunks had gotten out of the way and they watched with growing rage as Goku's clothes began to disintigrate...though he did not.

"DAD!" Gohan screamed.

Unable to control his anger, he gathered his energy in one hand and threw it with all his might at Evil Gohan. It hit the other Saiyan in the leg and Evil Gohan's eyes widened as he gasped in pain. He looked down and saw that his leg had been blown off.

Then, he snarled.

It was the sound of a beast, and as his power rose, there was no other way to describe him. Like his counterpart, Evil Gohan only needed a strong emotional response to invoke his innermost powers. The hit that Gohan had scored on him enraged him in a way he'd never felt before.

But Gohan was in the same emotional state. Baring his teeth, his own power rose. Rocks and dirt blew around them both as their energies swelled. Future Trunks backed up. Momentarily, the commotion caused the others to stop fighting.

"You killed my father," Gohan screamed. "You will pay!"

Suddenly, he felt a familiar energy flare. Shocked, Gohan looked to where his father had fallen and saw Goku standing, his ebony hair turning golden. Surrounding him and circling like satellites were seven Dragonballs.

"I can't be beaten that easily," Goku said with a smirk. "And look what I found!"

The Dragonballs stopped circling, and with a burst of blinding yellow light, flew in different directions.

"We can bring Krilin, Yamcha, Tien, and Chaozu back!" Future Trunks exclaimed.

"If you're left alive to do it," Evil Gohan snorted.

Goku went to stand next to his son. "Let's show this guy how it's done."

Gohan nodded, a smile growing on his face. "Welcome back, Dad."

Then with a yell, they fired twin kamehamehas at Evil Gohan. With a missing leg, Evil Gohan had been floating in midair and he dodged out of the way, but to his horror, the two glowing balls of energy followed him. Fighting back panic, he put two fingers to his chest and disappeared only to reappear behind Goten. The movement made Future Trunks frown, but his attention was diverted elsewhere before he could explore the thought.

"GOTEN!" Goku screamed. "DUCK!"

But Evil Gohan got a grip on the younger Saiyan and kept him standing. Eyes wide, Goten watched as his father's and brother's blasts headed straight for him. They stopped in midair for a moment as Goku and Gohan struggled to control them.

"I can't stop it!" Gohan exclaimed, sweat dripping down the sides of his face.

"We can't control them, Goten!" Goku yelled.

Bura heard Goku's cry and looked to where Goten was standing. She turned her back to Evil Trunks with the intent of pushing Goten and Evil Gohan out of the way, but as she got ready to fly, a white-hot pain sliced through her middle. She looked down, already aware of what had happened.

"BURA!" Vegeta screamed as he watched Evil Trunks pierce her body with his sword.

"NO!" Future Trunks cried, coming at his counterpart with his sword, but Evil Trunks quickly teleported a few feet away, swiftly taking the sword out of Bura. Again, Future Trunks noted the two fingers to the chest, his mind whirling.

Bura looked at Vegeta, her blue eyes blank. Her small hands clutched at the wound on her torso. Vegeta stared at her, unable to move.

"Daddy," she whispered, blood trickling from the side of her mouth, and fell to her knees.

"No," Goten gasped, losing control.

An alien power took control of him and without a sound, he broke free of Evil Gohan's grip. He held out his hands, catching the energy balls easily and without batting an eye, pushed them into Evil Gohan's body, adding his own energy to them.

Evil Trunks watched as his companion of countless years disappeared in a flash of bright light, as the combined energy beam blew a gigantic hole through his middle.

"You'll pay for that," he said to Goten, his tone ice cold. "I liked him."

Goten stared at him, green eyes ablaze with utter revulsion. He moved to attack Evil Trunks, but his feet felt glued to the ground. He looked down and his vision began to swim.

"He can't handle it," Goku muttered, and he rushed to Goten's side in time to catch him.

Goten's hair darkened and Goku laid him on the ground gently. Gohan stood before them, fists clenched, ready for anything Evil Trunks could throw at them. Behind Evil Trunks, Vegeta held Bura in his arms, her blood seeping into his clothes. Her eyes were unfocused and her breath rattled in her chest.

"Bura," Vegeta said brokenly. "Don't go."

"Just wish me back, Daddy. I'll be alright then," she said. "I guess this is what it feels like huh? I don't think I'll want to do this again."

"What are you talking about?"

"Dying..."

With one last gasp, her eyes fluttered closed and her body became limp in his arms. Vegeta swallowed hard, a million emotions erupting inside him. He didn't know what to do. Vaguely, he heard a faint zapping sound as Evil Trunks disappeared, but he didn't look up, didn't look away from the still form of his only daughter. Future Trunks stood behind him, wiping tears from his eyes.

Bulma...I'm sorry

"Vegeta," Gohan said quietly. "She's gone."

Vegeta didn't move.

Not far away, Goku stared at his old enemy, saw the broken expression on his face, and felt his resolve harden. Goten, deathly weak, turned his head to look at his love's lifeless body and a tear fell from his eye.

"We'll get her back," he managed to say. "We'll get her back, Vegeta, if that's the last thing I do."

Vegeta's eyes shot to meet Goten's. "I will finish this," he said. "When that abomination returns, I will destroy him. Count on that."

Bulma woke with a start. Something didn't feel right. She sat up and saw that everyone else had fallen asleep, save for #18. The blonde woman met Bulma's eyes in the semi-darkness. Nearby, Videl began to fidget.

"What's wrong?" she whispered.

"I think something's wrong," Bulma replied.

#18 arched an eyebrow expressively. "That's the understatement of the century."

"No...I mean...I feel something strange."

#18 frowned and Bulma could see that she was concentrating. Then, her face froze and she began to blink rapidly. Videl's eyes flew open, and she sat up.

"It's Bura..." she gasped.

Bulma was silent. The two women stared at her, unmoving.

"Oh, Bulma..." #18 said.

Bura's life flashed before Bulma's eyes. She remembered holding her, remembered helping her through her first steps. Bulma remembered Vegeta leading Bura through her first dance and the first time Bura had convinced him that it would be good for his health to go shopping with her. She remembered Trunks' proud countenance on Bura's graduation day.

One by one, she was losing her family.

All of a sudden, she clutched at her chest and gasped. A pain shot up her left side, making it difficult to breath. #18 and Videl rushed to her side, making enough noise to wake Marron and Chichi.

"What's wrong?" Chichi asked frantically.

"I think she's having a heart attack!" Videl exclaimed. "We need to get her to a hospital!"

"Stay here," #18 told the other three.

Calmly, she took Bulma in her arms and dived into the water.