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Trunks attacked without hesitation. Kira barely managed to dodge his initial lunge and took off into the air, looking for more room to maneuver. The two exchanged blows back and forth, each getting in some good hits. Trunks, however, was slowly gaining the upper hand.
"I don’t know how long I can keep this up," Kira thought to herself, dodging a kick to her midriff. "I don’t really want to hurt Trunks, but with him in Father’s control he has absolutely no qualms about killing me. That, and Father can push him beyond limits and reason with a mere word. Even with my abilities, I can’t..." Kira’s thoughts were cut off as Trunks managed to get behind her. Clasping his hands together he pounded her towards the forest floor.
Goten blasted everyone within a 30-foot radius, gaining a moment to catch his breath. He looked again towards where Kira, Dr. Diox, and the mysterious third shadow stood, gasping in surprise as his sharp eyes picked out Trunks and Kira taking to the air, exchanging blows all the way. Fighting harder than ever, he managed to break free of the press of enemies and flew after his best friend and new sister. He arrived on the scene as Kira fell, crashing to the ground below.
"Trunks!" he cried, approaching his friend. "What’s going on? Why are you and Kira, whoa!!" Goten managed to block the fist to his face, but missed the knee to his stomach. As he recovered from the attack, he spotted the loop of metal around Trunks’ neck.
"Aw crud," he said to himself. "I bet that’s one of those collar-thingies Kira told us about. In that case," he said facing Trunks, now glaring at him a few feet away, "I’m really sorry about this."
Goten lunged at his friend, blurring out of sight for a moment and reappearing behind Trunks, a sweeping kick aimed at his side. Trunks was knocked aside, but quickly recovered and began his own attack.
Kira watched the battle from far below, judging the moves of the two every step of the way as her abilities closed wounds and knit cracked bones. "Aw man, there’s no way Goten can win, there’s just no way. He’s too worn out from the other battle, and Trunks has hardly worked up a sweat." Suddenly an idea popped into her head.
Trunks’ mind was almost completely blank. The only thoughts running through it now were those of battle and recognition of the enemy. He could almost taste his victory. The one before him was tiring, wearing out fast. Soon would come the killing strike. Soon the pride as he returned to his master, task completed. He grinned ferally as his opponent took his eyes off him for a second, a second that would now prove fata...
Too late he sensed the presence of someone behind him. Waves of memory and coherent thought came crashing into him as the collar shattered into hundreds of pieces. Suddenly he remembered who he was, and the person he was fighting. He remembered the fight before, and everything else leading up to this very moment. This sudden backwash of memory was too much, and he blacked out.
"Hey, smooth move, Kira," Goten called, catching his unconscious friend before he hit the ground. Kira flashed Goten a V-sign and winked.
"I’m just glad you realized what I was doing and kept him distracted. It would have been nearly impossible to sneak up behind him otherwise."
Too exhausted to comment, Goten just grinned back, a small trickle of blood flowing from a cut over his eye, and drifted towards a clearing amid the trees. Kira followed, a little better off physically, but very tired. A few seconds after landing, Trunks swam back into consciousness. After blinking a few times as if to clear his head, he managed to take in his surroundings and the people he was with.
"You’re okay!" he cried enthusiastically, looking at Goten and Kira.
"Of course we’re okay, Mr. Ego," Goten said good-humoredly. "You’re not that much more powerful than us."
Trunks blushed. "I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just... I’m really sorry."
Kira shrugged. "Don’t worry about it, I know all about the effects of those collars. Now the big concern is, how do we stop the horde of creatures my father created?"
Trunks looked up at the girl. "Kira?"
"Yeah?" she asked, looking back.
"I, well, I found out some things while I was in there," he began. "Dr. Diox isn’t your father."
"What!?" she exclaimed, stunned. Quickly Trunks told the two of all he had learned while in the doctor’s lab. Kira’s shock soon turned to anger, and then to rage. Almost unconsciously she powered up to Super Saiya-jin form.
How could he? How could he be so cruel, so sadistic? Not only to experiment on children, but to raise her like a daughter. Why? To gain her trust? To break her will? It didn’t matter. She had been cheated of a real life, she and everyone else he had ever experimented on. She would have revenge. Without another word, she took off at full speed towards the man who had deceived her for so long.
"So much for a plan," Trunks sighed, watching the vapor trail Kira had left slowly dissipate.
"Might as well take advantage of the situation," Goten replied. "So, you up for the old, ‘sneak into the villain’s hideout while he’s distracted and try and find something useful to use against him’ routine?"
Kira landed in front of the man she had called her father, white-hot anger burning in her eyes as she glared at him.
"Ah Kira, my dear child. I see you’re managed to stop my little toy," Dr. Diox replied, unflinching.
"Give it up," she said coldly. "I know the truth, now. You’re no parent of mine."
Dr. Diox’s cold smile became even chillier. "I don’t know how you found out, girl, but that hardly matters, hmm? I suppose it would have all come out eventually. It’s a shame I wasn’t able to tell you myself and watch the beautiful range of emotions you must have gone through."
"Enough talk," Kira spat, launching herself at the doctor. She stumbled in surprise when she discovered he was no longer standing there. A cold laugh behind her alerted Kira to the man’s new position.
"Foolish child, did you think I wouldn’t make a few improvements on myself as well? The process that created you can be duplicated, but it takes much, much longer if you do not want to kill the subject." Alarmed at this new turn of events, Kira could only watch as the one she had called father built up his power to new heights.
Unseen by either of them, a pair of shadows slipped inside the mobile laboratory and out of view.
Back to Chapter 9
On to Chapter 11
Okay, I think you know the drill already, e-mail me. And this puppy will almost definitely be done next chapter. Hooray! *much shouting and jubilations is heard, mostly coming from the author's house*