The Year Hope Died

Vargus shook his head. "Unlikely. My issues with Ki were there already. It's why I looked for other ways to allow myself to get stronger."

"I heard with some people, something inside is damaged at birth or doesn't channel properly. If its genetic though, maybe Bulma or one of her friends can fix it..." He looked at him. "That is if you want to. I'm just asking, if it got fixed would you be all right with me training you? It would be your choice."

Vargus chuckled a bit. "You're eager, I'll give you that. Honestly kid, I couldn't say no even if I wanted to. I have people I have to protect."

"Then, I promise if we figure out a way to fix your Ki I'll train you. I'm not that skilled compared to some though but at least I can teach you how to fight like I can." Eventually they found a room and Gohan turned to them. "I'm going to get some rest for now. Tomorrow, maybe I can meet more of your friends?"

He really didn't have anyone to protect anymore. Not personally. Gohan didn't like to think about it because when he did he'd have that horrible feeling of depression and loneliness.

Vargus looked at Gohan for a moment. "You've got a lot on your plate now, kid. You have power, and a responsibility that comes with it. But you're still a kid, so don't forget to let yourself be one, alright? Even with the world as it is now, there's still room to relax, alright?"

Gohan was geuinely touched by the older man's words and nodded. "..Thank you. I'll see you tomorrow Vargus we can talk then."

The room was rather plain for the most part, there was a single bed and a night stand but there was really nothing else there. That didn't bother Gohan since he had lived out in the woods his entire life so he was used not having much besides the basics. Still he missed a lot of the more common city sights and attractions when he was actually there but those days were over.

There would be kids born into this world that wouldn't know the things he had taken for granted unless they were preserved.

Maybe Vargus was right though. He should slow down a bit. There was no danger here at present so he could start here, maybe even make some new friends.

He had to start somewhere after all.

* *

Gohan woke with early in the morning, getting up out of habit. Ever since the android attacks he had taken a habit to being more of a early riser. It was to prevent him from being sneaked on and the second part to make the most out of the day; sometimes if he didn't find a shelter he would have take refuge in the many now halfway destroyed and abadoned buildings.

He didn't like to admit it, but those nights had always been the most scary. Every sound could be them and he wouldn't know it until it was too late because he couldn't sense their energy. It was like a game of cat and mouse on a much larger scale. It shamed him to admit the androids scared him even if he did hate them as well.

Sighing, he pushed the thoughts aside. 'Don't worry about it. You're safe right now.'

After a few moments, the half Sayain felt out the Ki of Atsuko and Akiko but opted to follow the later, since she was a doctor and there had been more injured people she was probably up good and early as is.

It didn't take him too long to find her. "Morning Akiko. Um, do you need any help with anything?" He was very smart for his age but he had no clue about doctor-level medical stuff but he could help with something or so he hoped. He would hate to be a burden to people here.

Akiko was surprised to see him, but smiled. "Sure, Gohan, I'd appreciate a little help. You can help me carry some of these supplies while I make my rounds... I'm just about to check on a couple of people..." She motioned to the supplies in question, picking up some of them herself.

Gohan nodding, rushing over to get some supplies and going to follow after Akiko. "Thank you ma'-I mean Akiko. Do you guys have a kitchen to cook anything here, or capsules? I have a few cans of food I managed to get in a store if anyone needs it. I'm not sure how much food this place has."

Akiko smiled sadly. "We are not very well stocked, unfortunately. From what I was told, this bunker was never really intended to be used for this. It was used more like a training area for the Brunel's. What supplies we have are what everyone was able to get down here on short notice. There are small groups that go out searching for supplies or other shelters. You came in with the last search party that went out, with Vargus. It's good to find survivors, but it's going to start straining what supplies we have... if only Clara was here..." He brow furrowed, and she bit her lip. "Clara had strong nature-based abilities... she could easily get a fast growing farm set up... but last time I saw her, she was trying to protect people from that male android, and..." She shook her head quickly. "A-anyway, here's our first stop..." She took a moment to calm herself, then knocked gently on the door. "Garnet, dear? Are you awake?"

If they were low on supplies, they would have to hunt for more of them. Gohan wasn't entirely positive of where he could get more but he did have a few ideas. Realistically, most of the stores were cleaned absolutely from the bottom to the shelves but he Did know of a few other places that might have some food around if others hadn't scrapped it clean.

Distressingly enough, some groups would fight each other for resources at times. Farming wasn't something you could just pick up and do and with much of the infastructure destroyed it put them in a much tighter spot.

The last comment caused Gohan to clench his fist a bit. Another good person he could have saved if he had-

-No. As painful as it was to admit, he probably wouldn't have made a difference.

There was some shuffling behind the door, a sound of unlocking but otherwise Garnet didn't bother even opening the door. When Akiko and Gohan actually walked in, they'd find the girl on the bed, hugging her knee's and holding tightly to a picture of herself and her family. She didn't really do much to make eye contact to either of them either.

Akiko walked over, sitting on the edge of the bed next to Garnet, watching her carefully. "Are you feeling any better, Garnet? Does it still hurt to move your arm?"

Garnet shook her head but otherwise refused to say anything, still holding tightly to the picture in a death grip. She actually hadn't said a word after her families death; just cried a lot and then suddenly she was almost eerily quite and withdrawn. She'd answer with verbal cues and other means but otherwise she seemed to refuse to talk.

This broke the young boy's heart. He wished he could say or do something but he lacked the words and nothing he could do would make things better. She was younger then even he was, she shouldn't be going through this.

Akiko sighed softly. She wanted to hug the girl, to try and tell her it would be okay, but she panicked the last time. "Garnet... I'll come back later, okay? So... if there's anything you want... anything I can bring you?" She wasn't sure what to do.

Garnet was silent for the longest time before biting her lip, a audible quiver in her voice as her eyes tear up again. "I want them back.Why can't they come back? They promised." She really didn't understand people couldn't come back. Not on their own and they had no choice.

The demi Sayain clenched his fist a bit again, the little girl made him tear up a bit himself. He swore he would destroy those androids; no matter how long it took.

Akiko winced at that. Of course she asked for something she couldn't give her. "Garnet... you... your family, I... I can't bring them back, I'm sorry... but... but do you understand just what... just what exactly it is that your family did for you? For all of us?"

Garnet shook her head. "..What?" Her voice was quite and hard to hear but at least she was paying some attention to the human woman in front of her this time. Her red eyes would have almost been piercing if they weren't sad.

Akiko was glad Garnet was at least listening, not to mention talking. "Garnet, if not for them... none of us would be here. They saved us, every single one of us. If it wasn't for what they did... then you, me, everyone... we'd all have been killed by the androids.."

The young girl said nothing but after a moment she surprisingly hugged Akiko tightly into a hug with all she had, burying her face into the woman's neck. It was lucky her strength hadn't really kicked in just yet but even without that she was still a bit above the norm for her age compared to a human. Gohan in the background said nothing, it wasn't really his place but he did feel slightly better. Hopefully Garnet would be able to heal a bit at a time.

Akiko returned the hug, pleased that Garnet seemed to at least be on the road to recovery now. Eventually, it was time to go. Akiko tended to various people on her rounds, with Gohan helping at times, until she reached a room with three occupants; beautiful red-headed woman, and her two young daughters. "Rua? How are you feeling?"

"Hm? Oh... I'm... okay, I guess...." The woman didn't seem to be all there; she was holding her youngest daughter, while the older daughter was drawing on the wall, seemingly engrossed in what she was doing.

Gohan didn't think he would ever get used to seeing people in pain and suffering no matter how many other people he came across in this time. Some weren't in that bad of shape when he was helping Akiko while others were clearly struggling through pain. He hoped the androids had spared Clara, not out of mercy of course he knew how cruel they could be just smacking her aside and ignoring her. It had happened before but he wasn't too optimistic.

His thoughts came to a halt when they came to the their latest room, seeing a woman with red hair and her two daughters or he assumed to be. "Uh..nice to meet you ma'am. My name is Gohan Son.." He said somewhat awkwardly and shyly. "Are those your daughters?"

Rua smiled weakly, nodding. "Yes... this is Karin, and... that's Ignis over there... h-honey, you shouldn't be drawing on the walls..." Ignis seemed to ignore that, continuing to do it anyway.

Gohan could guess why Ignis was doing it, she was probably doing it as some sort of coping mechanism or at least that he was guessing if their father had recently died. When this was all over he was going to talk to Bulma about a gravity machine so he could train, that was after checking on Vargus and Atsuko first.

"We'll..nice to meet you. I'm just the new guy here, but if you need anything I'll do what I can to help." Akiko would be doing much of the work, but from the looks of things Rua and her daughters were fine. At least physically.

Rua nodded a bit. "Nice to meet you too..." She trailed off, and seemed to retreat into herself, still clutching Karin. Akiko just sighed, and quickly checked Rua and her daughters over. After they left, Akiko was clearly feeling a bit strained.


"What happened to her... just is not fair..."

Gohan hated to ask but he couldn't help it at this point. "What happened to her Akiko?" Not fair was a word he'd be hearing a lot of for these coming years or however long it took to finally beat these androids for good. At his current level, he had a long way to go before he was remotely as strong as his father, never mind a Super Sayain. The later would be his main goal.

But he worried that becoming a Super Sayain he'd have to witness someone dying, just like his dad did unless there was another way.

Akiko glanced at Gohan. "You can guess that her husband, and those girls' father, was killed. That wasn't the problem though... her husband was an old friend of Vargus', but he was... not a good man. Vargus was helping Rua prepare to leave him, when all of this happened. The problem... is that she came here. As it turned out, Levante Brunel was a childhood friend of Rua's. More than that, he was her first love. She finds him again, happily married, and then has to witness his death. And apparently, the reason they were seperated in the first place was because she had been forced into an abusive marriage when she was young.... I just don't understand why every time she seems close to finding happiness, it's taken from her."