Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Smoke and Mirrors ❯ Shattering the Illusion ( Chapter 11 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

" As you already know Aurora and I aren't from this time. To be quite frank, we're not from this planet either. We're from a planet called Caleria in the Dronian Galaxy around a hundred years from now. "

A murmur of gasps and shocked exclamations arose from the group. From what Aurora had told them, it was obvious that the pair was from the future, but hearing it put so plainly was more than a bit overwhelming. This had to be more serious than anything they had imagined thus far.

"Is my son in danger? " Chi Chi demanded again.

Goku held onto his wife as she attempted to leap from the couch, " Hey Hon, calm down. I'm sure they'll explain everything. "

Aurora was growing uncomfortable as she looked at their expectant faces. Explaining this was going to be more difficult than she originally thought. This entire mission was a double edged sword. If she said too much, it could change the future...her future...but maybe that would be the best thing. Still, the young woman was uncertain whether she was willing to make that sacrifice.

She cleared her throat and took a deep breath, " It is possible that Goten could be in trouble. We're not entirely sure what's going on, but it is our intent to stop it before things get out of hand. "

Chi Chi's sobs erupted violently, nearly muffling out the remainder of her statement. Her husband attempted to console her while Gohan and Videl waited to hear what else the pair had to say.

" Please, Chi Chi, " Aurora begged, " we're not going to let anything happen to him. I swear. " She glanced worriedly at Trace.

" This isn't going to help anything! " he snapped catching everyone, even Aurora, off guard " We don't have a lot of time to play around with. The portal to our time opens in less than twenty-four hours. If we don't figure this out by then, there is nothing anyone can do to help Goten. Aurora, you have to tell them everything. "

He took her hand and squeezed it gently. He knew her fears; he felt them...shared them. If there was any other way to stop this he'd gladly take it. As it stood they had no options, and if they failed it could be detrimental to millions.

" In our time, there is a man by the name of Morgan Cavanaugh. He's rich, powerful, and an immoral monster. He's the one behind all of this. "

" That doesn't explain why you're here, " Gohan interrupted.

Aurora pursed her lips impatiently, " I'm getting there. About twenty-five years ago Cavanaugh became obsessed with the legends of the Saiya-jin race. He poured millions of dollars and every available resource into researching them.

In time he was able to track Goku's family lineage as well as Vegeta's, but by this time the Saiya-jin blood was very thin. Over the years, mating outside of the species had resulted in the Saiya-jin DNA becoming little more than strong recessive genes.

Cavanaugh was relentless. He hired the most devious band of misfits you'd never want to meet and paid them to track down every remaining descendent of both lines. He had them captured...every last one. It only took a couple years before he had them all gathered and brought to Caleria. "

Her eyes closed briefly as a lump rose in her throat. It was hard enough knowing the story, but telling it to these strangers...these strangers who shared her blood. It was too hard, too difficult to accept. She could still feel Trace's hand in hers and knew that she had to stay strong.

" I thought that you said you were Pan's great grand daughter. How come they didn't find you?" Videl asked quietly, stunned by what she was hearing.

Aurora's voice trembled as she spoke, " I was...ah...illegitimate. My mother was involved briefly with her grandson before he was married. She never told him that she was pregnant, an I never knew my father. I was only two when he vanished, and my mother, terrified for my safety, put me into hiding.

She didn't want to take a chance that they'd find out about me, but shortly after that she disappeared. I don't know if it was foul play or if she just decided that she couldn't handle the stress. A single mother, a child born with a tail, and the mysterious father who'd vanished with his entire family line. Not easy to deal with, I guess. "

No one knew what to say. The only sound in the room was Chi Chi's sniffling. Goku was the first to break the uneasy silence, " Trace, are you a Saiya-jin, too? "

" I'm half Saiya-jin. "

This elicited yet another round of exclamations. It was one shock after another, and little did they know the worst was yet to come.

" Wait. If the Saiya-jin blood deteriorated so much by your time, then that's totally impossible," Gohan pointed out.

Now it was Trace's turn to look uncomfortable, " I don't know how you're going to handle this. You see, once Cavanaugh collected all the remaining Saiya-jin descendants, he used them in various gene extraction experiments. Most were unnecessarily cruel, and all resulted in the death of their test subjects. He wiped out the entire Saiya-jin bloodline except for Aurora. "

He found that he could not longer meet their gazes, or even look upon their faces as he watched them go deathly pale at his words, " Through all of this, he managed to collect enough DNA samples to scientifically create a Saiya-jin. This...creation was almost full blooded and viscous to a nearly psychotic point. Containing him would have been impossible if it weren't for the cutting edge technology of Cavanaugh's highly paid scientists.

The only thing he hadn't counted on was that his Saiya-jin had been born at the apex of his powers. There was no potential there. The beast was strong, but not strong enough for Cavanaugh's intentions.

The next step in the plan became mating this monstrosity. He'd carefully selected a young woman from a race known as the Marden. They were renowned for their long life spans and their extraordinary intelligence. It was even rumored that they could affect the emotions of others and similar unusual things. But just as important was their placid natures. He figured that the pairing would produce offspring that he could easily control.

The woman, Keema, was thrown into a cell with Gourun and kept there until she was impregnated. The experience nearly killed her, but nine months later, a baby boy was born. "

Even Chi Chi had ceased her crying as she listened to the story. It was inconceivable that anything so terrible had happened in any time or place. A sharp pain cut through her chest as she thought about her child being subject to this depravity. 'Kami, please, let him be safe.'

" How did you get away? " asked Goku, " I don't guess that they let you go willingly. "

There was pain in the man's black eyes that nothing could hide. He was about to answer when Aurora spoke up instead, " He was thirteen when his mother was killed. In a rage, he killed the guards and broke out of the compound. It all happened so quickly that they couldn't hope to stop him. He was too strong. "

" Did you get Jiara out too? How did she end up here? "

Aurora bit her lower lip at Gohan's questions, " Trace, why don't you go outside and get some fresh air. I'll handle the rest. " Her affection for him was obvious in every word. Under other circumstances the Son family would have been touched by the gentle exchanges between them.

Trace nodded slightly and walked away without another word. A moment later they heard the door open then close. Aurora turned back to them with a sullen expression,
" A second mating between Gourun and Keema resulted in the birth of twins. A boy and a girl. Caden and Jiara showed as much potential as Trace, but where Trace had inherited his mother's personality, the twins had inherited their father's.

They were only five when they were taken from Keema to begin training. Trace was neglected because he lacked the killer instinct that Cavanaugh coveted in the younger offspring.

They both excelled in the classroom and on the battlefield, and together they were an unstoppable force. Strong, cunning and sadistic they were...and inseparable. For all the evil in those children, they held a bond that no one could begin to understand.

Once, when they were only seven, one of the drill sergeants hit Jiara for missing a target in her practice run. Caden proceeded to slaughter the man without a second thought. No one messed with either of them again. "

She paused here to take a breath while quietly recalling the story as she had heard it from Trace. She was glad he wasn't here, and she regretted not relieving him sooner. After gathering her thoughts, Aurora continued.

" When she were twelve, Jiara had a chance meeting with her mother whom she hadn't seen since they'd been taken away. Keema voiced her displeasure about the stories she had heard regarding the children. All I can figure is that Jiara was somehow hurt by the accusations because Caden tracked Keema down later that night and killed her in cold blood. It was inhuman what he did to her.

That is when Trace left. He couldn't stand being there without her. She was all he'd ever had, and he'd stayed because of her. "

Videl felt her stomach turn as she gripped her husband's arm tighter, and Chi Chi, curled into Goku's side, was crying silently once more. Goku and Gohan shared a glance, uncertain what to say or do. It was difficult to equate the monster which Aurora spoke of with the vulnerable girl they all knew.

Aurora could read the doubt in their eyes. Jiara had really convinced them that she was a lost, amnestic little human. If they only knew...

" Think about it, " she exclaimed suddenly, " all times you said she was attacked...if someone that strong wanted her dead, she'd be dead. It must have been Caden adding to the illusion. Don't underestimate what those two can do to someone's head. "

Goku feared asking the next question, " But what does she want with my son? "

" We don't exactly know, " admitted Aurora bowing her head.

" Why didn't you say something sooner! " screamed Chi Chi, " You knew all this...why didn't you say something? "

" We couldn't. By the time we tracked her down, she had already integrated herself into your group. We knew Caden had to be nearby, and quite frankly, we can't take them both on. I don't have enough Saiya-jin blood to even go Super Saiya-jin, and that would leave Trace to fight both of them. I had to catch you alone first. We need your help. "

~*~*~*~*~*~

Goten didn't know how long ago Jiara had left the room. His muscles were starting to ache from being restrained, and his stomach growled uncomfortably. He didn't know anything more than he had when he'd first woken, but the whys were becoming less and less important. No matter what the duo had planned, it couldn't be good for him.

The soft tap of heels on tile caught his attention, " Jiara? " he mumbled.

" What is it? "

He could hear her clearly even though she was still out of view. " Was it all a lie? That's all I want to know. "

Silence.

" Jiara? "

" As I said before, Goten, I do not think that you are capable of comprehending the objective of our mission. Not only are the technological dynamics in excess of your intelligence, but you would likely have issues with the moral constitutions as well. "

" You're avoiding the question. "

It was then she stepped into his field of vision. Her eyes gleamed darkly as she glared at him, " What are you inferring? That I have feelings for you? Your naiveté never ceases to amaze me. " She shook her head as though pitying him.

" Admit it! " snapped Goten, " Tell me to my face that you feel nothing. "

She growled raising one hand; a faint red glow began to pulse around it. There was murder in her eyes and a faint smile on her lips. It was the look of a calculated killer reveling in the impending task

" Jiara! "

Her head snapped up at the sound of her brother's voice, and her hand immediately dropped back to her side. " I never have nor will I ever feel anything for you, " she hissed.

" Is our guest giving you a difficult time? "

" Nothing that I cannot handle. "

Caden nodded a bit eyeing Goten carefully, " We have just under twelve hours before transport, and everything seems to be in order. I checked all of the electrical systems as well as the reserve. "

" Very well. I double checked the return coordinates and recharged the energy fluctuation barriers. So, there is nothing left for us to do but wait. "

" Did you receive the results of the lab tests? "

Caden walked around the end of table to look at the chart in his sister's hand. Goten watched him nervously.

" Yes. It would seem that Goten's genetic make-up consists of fifty-two percent Saiya-jin DNA and forty-eight percent human. His health is above average, and his blood type is compatible. He is a more than sufficient specimen. "

" You should go rest for a while before we return. I will take care of anything else that needs done. "

" Perhaps I shall. "

Goten tensed as he heard her retreating footsteps. The air grew denser, and he was aware that the strange man was now radiating a powerful energy level.

" Stupid fool, " he growled at Goten, " I would enjoy nothing more than to kill you right now. To think of what my sister had to do to bring you here makes me sick, and you have the audacity to raise your voice to her. You are mistaken if you think I did not hear you. You do not have the right to demand anything from her you worthless bastard. "

He fired a thin, condensed energy beam that pierced Goten's stomach making him shout in agony. He strained against the shackles that held him, but it was useless. They had been specially designed to handle the young Saiya-jin and didn't budge at all when he powered up to his full potential.

Caden arched a brow as he watched Goten's transformation to Super Saiya-jin. He'd never actually seen it first hand. Neither he nor his sister seemed to possess the ability, but it had never seemed that important. It was...interesting if nothing else.

" You remember this, Goten. Next time I will not hold back. "