Humanity (Trunks x OC)

Part 6

Once at home, Trunks looks over the stack of papers once more. He still is amazed that he got them. Will this really help against 17 and 18? And...will it endanger 21 somehow? He doesn't hope so.

He admits that sometimes, it's difficult for him to be around her. Especially seeing her after Gohan's death makes him nervous and angry. He almost feels like lashing out at her. But he knows he shouldn't. She hasn't done anything wrong really. On the contrary; ff he doesn't count the first encounter, she's been nothing but helpful and somewhere along the way they formed an understanding with each other.

He sighs. It's too bad she's an android, dragging bad memories into his brain just about every time he sees her, but she can't help it. He realizes that. She was made by Dr. Gero. In the end, he should be glad she's not like 17 or 18, and he is.

Fingering through the papers, he is surprised when he comes across a certain piece. It was stuck to the back of another. "I don't think this should have been in there. If I know her well enough...She'd like to keep this to herself perhaps." Trunks mutters to himself, looking at the paper that is in an off color from the rest.

On it is written something remarkable: a name, date of birth, an address and other personal information. "She really was human once." he breathes in awe, looking over the data. He frowns when seeing the address. The town she came from... It was completely leveled to the ground years ago. He wonders if she knows that.

Looking back up to her name, he stares at it for a moment. He blushes slightly, smiling. "She has such a nice name." he hums to himself, folding the paper and hiding it in his pocket before going to look for his mother.

........................

"Mom?" Trunks questions several weeks later as he steps into the basement. "Are you still on that?" he sighs, flopping down on a chair next to her.

"Well yeah. You didn't think I would give up do you?" Bulma asks him, wagging her finger at her son.

"I guess not." he mutters, glancing away from the computer screen displaying her time traveling dream and towards the stack of papers next to it. They have been sitting there for a while now.

"Have you figured them out yet?" he asks, nodding his head toward the papers.

His mom sighs in reply, turning to him. "Some, but nothing to help you destroy them however. The only thing I can find is how to improve them. Horrible." she groans. "Why would they need improvement?"

"Yeah." Trunks agrees before he seems to realize something. "Hey wait! Can't you use it to improve 21?" he wonders.

"Huh? Are you silly? I'm not going to work on an android." she scoffs.

"But mom, 21 isn't like them and right now, she is in danger of being destroyed by them. If she is improved, her odds of surviving will be better." he argues, making his mother frown.

"Trunks..." she starts, skeptic about the idea.

"I know it's hard mom, but right now, she's our only ally. She gave up this information on herself willingly. She trusts me, so the least I can do is return the favor. Besides, she's alone out there." he continues reasoning, making Bulma look at her son in awe.

"He's worried about her? An android? Wow...She must be something else." she thinks.

She sighs. "Okay, unbelievable that I'm doing this but... have it your way. Bring her here. I'll see what I can do." she tells her son, who looks up at her in excitement.

"Alright! Thanks mom. You're the best!" he tells her, hugging her before rushing off.

.....................

However, finding her this time around wasn't that easy. He went out searching regularly, but no dice. Trunks began to fear the worst. He was thinking they had gotten to her. That she was dead. It was really hard, and he was beginning to lose hope. That is, until one day, nearly a year later, she showed up on his doorstep. Well...sort of.

"Holy mother of....!!!" he shouts out loud when he walks into his bedroom after an afternoon of training. Before him stands the one person he believed to be lost in action for the past months.

"You look like hell." he blurts out before quickly shutting his mouth, slapping his hand over it to prevent him from upsetting her. "Sorry." he apologizes, making her look slightly amused.

"I suppose I do look...shabby." she admits, looking down at her torn clothes and bodily damages.

"Where have you been all this time?! I have been..." he stops himself from saying it. "What happened?" he decides to ask.

"I got into another fight with them. I escaped, but I was damaged badly. I..." she starts to explain, scratching her neck, not meeting his eyes. He has never seen her look embarrassed before, with a hint of annoyance. "I can't fly anymore. I walked and hitch hiked my way over here." she confesses. "It took me a while."

"You can say that again." Trunks mutters. "But hey, you made it. I'm glad, because I've been looking for you." he tells her.

"Oh?" she questions.

He nods. "My mom managed to decipher some data from the papers you gave me. If you're interested, she would like to see you." he says.

She blinks, considering it. "Maybe she can fix you while she's at it." he urges, finally having her nod.

"Fine." she agrees, making him smile.

"Come on. She's downstairs." he urges her, opening the door for her, making her wonder what he is so excited about.

She walks past him, stopping next to him for a moment, looking him over. He starts to blush at that to which she flicks him in the forehead. He rubs it as it stings. "You grew two inches. Sometimes you look so serious, I tend to forget how young you still are." she tells him, walking past him out of the room.

He blinks. "You're still pretty young yourself, Julliet." he counters, making her freeze for a second.

She looks at him over her shoulder in surprise. "How did you find out?" she questions.

"You accidentally gave a paper with your info on it, from when you were still human..." he explains as she stares at the wall.

She balls her fists, glaring down at her robotic arm. "I haven't heard that name since he took it from me, calling me 21 instead. Julliet...she's been dead ever since."

She looks back at him, her face turning stoic. "Where did you say your mother was?" she questions. He takes this as a sign that she does not want to talk about it.

Looking away, saddened, he points to the stairs. "Down there." he tells her and follows her down. Man, he hoped she would perhaps open up some.