Cosmic Crisis

   
Okay! This is my first attempt at a fanfic, so please bear with me if I make a few mistakes. It centers around the Briefs family, and not Goku's. Yes, I know that this story is very similar to "Mia", but I did not copy her ideas. This is purely fiction and does not necessarily follow the DBZ story line. I hope you enjoy my story! If you have questions or comments, please e-mail me at Scarlet14@aol.com, as I would like to hear your opinions. Thanks!

Chapter 1 - Introduction

    "Natalie, you're going to be late!" a teenage girl said to her friend. Another girl, who was slowly walking down the sidewalk, just mumbled something about her test that morning. Both were wearing their school uniforms.
    "Hurry up!" The first girl said, pushing her friend down the walk, trying to persuade her to move faster. Suddenly, Natalie looked at her watch and facefaulted.
    "Oh no! It's 8:15!" She shrieked, and ran down the sidewalk. The first girl just sighed. "That's Natalie," she chuckled to herself. She tucked her short blonde hair behind her ears, and followed after her friend. She decided to take a shortcut, to meet up with her friend at the school.
    Natalie was running as fast as her skirt would allow her to, before it would fly up, exposing her underwear. She turned to look for her friend, but saw that she wasn't there. "Hmm...must have taken that shortcut again." She thought. Suddenly, right as she turned her head to look in front of her, she smacked into something and fell to the ground in a daze. She looked up, and observed a guy about her age, looking at her with question in his eyes. He was about 6 inches taller than she was, with purple hair that fell just above his earlobes, and blue eyes. She admired his build, but tried not to stare. He reached his hand down to help her up.
    "Are you okay?" he asked.
    "Y-Yeah I'm fine." She said, standing up. She tried to regain her composure, but wobbled a bit to the side.
    "Do you need any help?" he asked her again, putting his hand behind her back to stabilize her.
    "Huh? Oh, no...it's okay." She said, still dazed from the impact. He stared at her with curious eyes. "Beautiful." He thought. She had straight, silky brown hair that fell just below her shoulders, with green eyes and a slight tan. She had a white ribbon in her hair to match her school uniform.
    "So what's your name?" She asked. Trunks snapped out of his daze looking rather embarrassed.
    "Trunks...yours?" he replied feebly.
    "I'm Natalie." She said, and then looked back at her watch. "Oh! I am so late! I'm gonna have to practically fly to make the first bell!" she cried. "Sorry!" she called back to Trunks as she sped down the street. He watched her figure until it was out of eyesight. He turned back and continued to walk down the street, but the thought of her distracted him. He decided to follow her. He shot up into the air and sped forward, scanning the streets below for any sign of her. He stopped when he noticed her in an alley corner. He looked close, and realized that someone was trying to attack her.
    "Come with me, baby." A tall, scrubby-looking guy said, moving closer to her. He repeated to take steps towards the frightened schoolgirl, when she suddenly brought her foot around and kicked the back of his knees to send him crashing to the ground. "Aaah! You'll pay for that you tramp!" he yelled, and attempted to get back up onto his feet. He moved forward to grab her shirt, but she blocked his hand with her left arm and punched him in the stomach with the second. Before he could get back up, she flipped over him and proceeded to leave the alley.
    "Wow, where did she learn to fight like that?" Trunks thought to himself as he hovered above the scene. This furthered his interest in her. She continued to run down the street until she came to a rather large private school. She ran through the yard and into the main building, just as the first bell rang. Although she was late for class, she had made it in one piece.
    Trunks studied the school for a minute longer, and then turned and shot across the sky and back to Capsule Corp. When he entered, Bulma was standing in front of him with a worried look on her face.
    "Where have you been? I thought you'd still be sleeping by now!" his mother said rather loudly.
    "I just went out for a walk. Why?" He replied.
    "Well next time tell me where you're going so I don't have to wonder where you are!" Trunks was about to offer a weak excuse, but Vegita entered the foyer and interjected.
    "He can take care of himself, woman. He isn't some human weakling." He said harshly.
    "I don't care what he is! He's my son and I plan to watch out for him!" she yelled back at Vegita, who was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.
    "He's my son too, and I know that he can take care of himself! He's sixteen!" he shot back at her.
    "Mom! Dad! Just shutup!" Trunks yelled at the arguing couple. They both turned around and looked at him with menacing eyes. "Or...not." He said, and stumbled up the stairs. He went up two flights to get to his room. He peeled his clothes off and took a shower. He couldn't get her face out of his head. He sensed something different about her. He turned off the water and wrapped a towel around his waist. When he opened the door to the bathroom, a cloud of steam flew out. He walked into the living area of his room and slipped into a pair of cargo pants and a tight black tank top.
    "TRUNKS!!" He heard his mother's cries below, and ran downstairs to see what the matter was. When he got to the bottom of the stairs, he raced into the kitchen where his mother was.
    "What!?" he asked while catching his breath.
    "Your father and I are going out for the afternoon. Watch your sister." she said, walking out into the foyer. He looked in Bra's direction, and she sat in the living room holding a doll, with a grin across her face. He sighed. He knew what was coming. He saw them to the door, and then turned around to discover Bra clinging to his pants.
    "Whatcha want to do, huh?" he said to his sister, rubbing her hair. She looked up at him with a grin from ear to ear and held up two Barbies.
    "Oh no! Are you sure you don't wanna do anything else?" he said hopefully. Bra just shook her head back and forth, and proceeded to run into the living area. He followed, and then remembered a time when he caught his dad playing dolls with his sister a few weeks ago. He laughed to himself as he recalled the look on Vegita's face when he was discovered.
    He sat down on the ground next to Bra as she set up her dolls for a tea party. Trunks' thoughts drifted back to Natalie. How did she learn to defend herself like that? Why was she so intriguing? Suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted when Bra jumped in his lap.
    "Huh? Oh, hey." He said, snapping back to reality.
    "Play with me!" She demanded. Trunks willingly say down in front of the small table and sipped pretend-tea. While he was enjoying the company of his sister, Natalie sat in school, half asleep. She hadn't gotten any sleep the previous night. She had a recurring nightmare that wouldn't allow her to get a decent night's rest.
    "Natalie, I suggest you listen if you want to get a decent grade on your biology final this week!" The teacher snapped at her. There were chuckles heard within the class. After the bell rang, Natalie went to the bathroom to freshen up.      "What's wrong with me? I usually do so well in that class!" she thought as she splashed water onto her face.
    "Natalie, hurry up! We'll be late for French!" her friend yelled down the hall. She picked up her things and dragged herself to 4th period.
    "Here. Take one of my homemade muffins." Bra said, handing her brother an imaginary muffin. He reached out his hand and accepted it. They sat and "ate" for a few minutes, and then Bra interrupted the silence.
    "Trunks, tell me a story." She requested.
    "What kind of story?" he asked.
    "A nice one with a happy ending." She replied, while settling onto the sofa.
    "Well, I'll try." He said, and began a story about fairies and princesses and other things that little girls liked to hear. Soon, Bra was fast asleep in a little ball. Trunks picked her up and carried her to her room, where she slept. He closed the door and went back downstairs. His stomach was growling, and he was craving some real food, as opposed to the pretend things he had been "eating" earlier. He went into the kitchen and piled things onto a plate, and then headed for his room. He sat out on his balcony and ate, enjoying the slight breeze that rustled through his hair. He kept getting a strange feeling about Natalie, as if she was in danger.
    When he finished his huge portions, he returned to the kitchen for more. He saw a scouter sitting on the counter, near the entrance to the science wing.
    "Must be one of mom's." he thought as he picked it up curiously. He put it on and pressed a button. It began to pick up on familiar Ki's, which he recognized at once. Suddenly, it detected a significantly large one near downtown. He sat up and stared harder, alarmed. Who could it be? He took off the scouter and decided to go check it out. Before leaving Capsule Corp., he set the alarm system to keep his sister safe. He flew out the door, his mind racing.

Cosmic Crisis
Chapter 2 - Disaster

He could feel it radiating from the source. He sensed it wasn't evil, but he wanted to make sure. When he arrived in the city, he slowed down, scanning the area. He noticed that many of the schools were letting out. He decided to find Natalie. Sure enough, he spotted her at once. He landed a distance from the yard, as to make sure he didn't startle anyone.
    Natalie walked out of the building, books in hand.
    "I can't believe myself. I couldn't pick up on anything today at school. I know I am going to fail my finals this week." She complained to her friend, the same one that she was with that morning.
    "Don't worry about it, Nat. I'm sure you just need to go home and get some rest. It will be better tomorrow." The girl said reassuringly. "I have to go to my art class! I'll see you tomorrow!" she said as she ran down the street opposite of Natalie.
    "Yeah, bye!" she mumbled, and walked out onto the schoolyard. She inhaled deeply and looked up at the sky. It was a beautiful day, she thought. But why did she feel so strange? She proceeded to walk out onto the sidewalk, where she fought to keep her balance. Trunks appeared behind her and out his hand on her shoulder. She jumped, and spun around in a fighting position.
    "Oh, it's you!" she said, startled. Trunks picked up her books. "What are you doing here?" she continued.
    "Oh, I was in the area." He said grinning.
    "Um...okay!" she said. "But I'm not really feeling well, I have to warn you." She said, her voice quivering.
    "Why? What's wrong?" he asked, worriedly.
    "I don't even know. I just need to get some rest."
    "Do you want me to walk you home?" he said, with his arm around hr shoulder.
    "S-sure." She said, struggling to see straight. "What's the matter with me?" she thought. "He must think I'm a freak or something..."
    "She doesn't look very good. I should get her home fast before she passes out." He thought to himself. He held her trembling body stable while they walked down the street. She felt so weak, so helpless. She hated being this way, but what could she do? Suddenly, a migraine headache crashed through her head. She grasped her head, and began to fall over. Trunks wasted no time, and picked her up. He shot up into the air and raced back to Capsule Corp.
    When she awoke, she was in a hospital-like bed with machines all around her. One was measuring her heart rate, the other measuring her brain waves. She slowly opened her eyes. Here eyes focused slowly on a figure next to her. It was Trunks! She sat up in bed; her heart beating faster, which was apparent from the readings on the monitor. She looked around the unfamiliar room. She glanced back at Trunks, who was fast asleep on a chair next to her bed. Her heart rate slowed back down.
    "Where am I?" she thought. "I'm not in the..." she was cut off but Trunks' stirring. She looked over at him. He opened his eyes slowly, focusing on Natalie's body.
    "Natalie?" he asked sleepily. "Are you okay?"
    "Trunks? Where am I?" she asked, looking around.
    "You're at Capsule Corp. This is my house."
    "Your house!? You LIVE here?" she asked, surprised,
    "Y-yeah..."
    She was amazed at all the technology that was around. And this was only one room! Suddenly, she remembered that she was supposed to go straight home that afternoon.
    "Not again! I have to go home right now!" she said, getting out of bed and tore away from the machines.
    "Wait! You're not well enough to go out by yourself!" Trunks said, grabbing her arm.
    "I have to! Come with me if you want." She said, running out of the room, but stopped abruptly, as she didn't know where she was going. Trunks followed, leading the way out of Capsule Corp. Natalie was amazed at all the gadgets that were just lying around.
    "I just have to take a shortcut for a sec. I'll be right back." Trunks said, and ran up the stairs towards Bra's room. Natalie sat at the bottom of the stairs. While she was looking around, a blue-tinted scouter caught her eye. She picked it up, and began to fiddle with the buttons out of curiosity. She pressed something, and the scouter made a bleeping noise and began to display random numbers. She set it down as soon as she heard Trunks coming down the stairs.
    "Come on, let's go." He said, leading her out of the building and then resetting the alarm system.
    Natalie ran down the walk, picking up speed as she went. A couple of times she swayed from side to side, but otherwise she was fine.
    "What happened back there?" he thought, remembering the incident earlier that day. "She seems fine now...I don't understand."
    Natalie ran until she reached a meadow with waist high grass. She ran through the grass, enjoying the breeze. She laughed as she raced with Trunks through the field. Trunks knew he could easily win, but decided not to. Soon, he could see a house in the distance. It got bigger as they approached it. It was a two-story brick house with black shutters. She ran to the front door and rushed inside, almost slamming the door in Trunks' face in her hurry.
    "MOM!" she called throughout the house. There was so answer, so she tried again. After searching the house for her, she gave up.
    "Come on!" she called to Trunks and ran up the stairs. She came to a door with a picture of a sunflower on the front of it. She went inside, and threw her books on the bed. Trunks' figured it was her room. He looked around, and inspected it. There was a bed in the corner with a yellow and blue comforter on it, as well as a pile of stuffed animals. There was a dresser in the corner, with yet another arrangement of animals on it. She reached inside her closet and pulled out some clothes, and then ran into the bathroom. He sat down on her bed, and continued to inspect the room. She had a large bay window on one side of the room, which had a great view of the meadow that they just ran through. The paint was a subtle yellow color, with a border of sunflowers and other blue flowers. Natalie stepped out of the bathroom, wearing a pair of short denim shorts and a white strappy tank top. Trunks couldn't help but stare at her as she threw her uniform into her closet. She then raced across the room and fell onto a rolling chair and wheeled herself to her desk. She quickly typed something into her computer and then got up while it logged onto the internet.
    "You want something to eat or drink?" she asked.
    "No thanks." He answered. She hoped back into her chair again, seemingly full of energy. She checked her e-mail and then saw a highlight on the screen.
    "Oh, it says there was a terrible car crash today. One person was critically injured, the other suffered a broken leg." She said, straining to read the letters. "Sorry, my vision is a bit blurry today for some reason." She continued, and logged off. She was about to turn on her radio, when the phone rang. She picked up her cordless, and answered.
    "Hello?" she spoke into the phone.
    "Is this Natalie Holmes?" the grim voice asked.
    "Yes...why?" she asked. Trunks watched as she suddenly became faint.
    "W-What did you say?" she said into the mouthpiece, trembling. After a few minutes, she put the phone back into the cradle slowly, tears beginning to form in her eyes. She looked fearfully at Trunks.
    "That was the police." She said, struggling to stay calm. "My mother was in that car crash."

Cosmic Crisis
Chapter 3 - Bravery

    Natalie sat by her mother's side, holding her hand. Trunks sat and watched as Natalie spoke softly to her mom.
    "It's going to be okay, mom. I'm here." She whispered. Her mother was lying unconscious on the hospital bed, with IV's in her wrists. There was a heart monitor, and a machine that measured her vital signs. A nurse walked in with a chart in her hands, and began to scribble notes onto the paper.
    "Is she going to be okay?" Natalie asked fearfully.
    "Well, things are looking pretty bad right now. She has suffered some serious blows to the head and her skull is fractured." The nurse replied and then left, shutting the door. Natalie curled up in the chair and started sobbing. Trunks considered going back to Capsule Corp. to see if Bra was okay, but didn't want to leave Natalie.
    "Are you going to be okay here for a while?" he asked.
    "I'll be fine. You can go if you want to." She said, not even turning her head. Trunks started to talk out, and then turned back to her.
    "I'll be back." He said, and shut the door behind him. He walked rather briskly down the corridors. He really needed to get back home. He picked up the pace, and within a few minutes, he was outside. He hovered in the air for a moment, gathering his thoughts, and then sped across the sky towards his house. He arrived home, and slipped into the house. When he got to the staircase, he came face to face with his angry father.
    "Where have you been!?" he asked in his harsh tone of voice.
    "Uh..." he started to explain, but was interrupted by his mother.
    "How could you go off and leave your sister like that?" she asked angrily.
    "Something came up..."
    "I don't care! Next time you do this you are going to be grounded, do you understand me?" she interrupted.
    "Yes ma-am." He replied meekly, and shuffled up the stairs. He went to his room and plopped down onto his bed. He hadn't considered getting the number to the hospital. Soon, Bra walked into his room.
    "I suppose you're angry with me too, huh?" he asked dryly.
    "No" she replied. "I was sleeping the whole time." She continued, and then walked out of the room quietly. Trunks looked at the clock. It was 4:15. He walked downstairs to discover his parents sitting together on the couch.
    "Mom...? Dad...?" he asked slowly. They quickly regained their composure and sat up straight.
    "Yes?" Bulma asked in a high pitched voice.
    "I'm going over to Goten's place, ok?" he said, grabbing a soda out of the fridge.
    "Yeah, sure. Just be back in time for dinner." Bulma said, yawning and stretching her arms out.
    "Will be." He said, and ran out the door. He flew across the sky towards the house. He looked out into the horizon to see an approaching storm. He heard the low rumbling of thunder in the distance. A cool breeze chilled his body, causing him to speed up.
    "Goku! Goten! DINNER!" Chi-Chi yelled up the stairs. Before she could blink, the two saiyans sped down the stairs and were sitting at the table in anticipation.
    "I hope you two are hungry." She said, carrying a large pot of stew and enough rice to feed an army. The two inhaled the food, making slurping sounds as they ate.
    "Mmm! This is great Chi-Chi!" Goku said in between bites. When they had finished five minutes later, they sat back in their chairs holding their stomachs with content looks on their faces. Goten opened his mouth to sigh, but let out a burp instead, causing Goku to erupt into laughter. Chi-Chi just rolled her eyes.
    "Will you two please act your age!" she yelled.
    "Sorry, dear!" Goku said, trying to smother his laughter. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
    "Got it!" Goten called as he ran to the door. He opened it, to reveal Trunks standing in the doorstep.
    "What's up?" Goten asked his friend.
    "I need to talk to you." Trunks said, stepping inside. The two boys ran upstairs to Goten's room and plopped down onto the bed.
    "What's the deal?" Goten asked curiously.
    "I have sensed the presence of a new ki." Trunks said.
    "Really?" Goten said, his eyes widening. "Have you found the source?"
    "Not yet, but I have a hunch." Trunks said, pulling out the same scouter he had used earlier that day.
    "Is it evil?" Goten asked.
    "I don't think so." Trunks said, fiddling with the buttons. "Ah, got it." He said, pressing a button, causing the scouter to display several numerals. It picked up on Goten's ki first, and the Goku's, followed by several others that he recognized. Then it locked onto the unfamiliar one.
    "There! I found it!" Trunks said, sitting up.
    "Where is it!?" Goten asked impatiently. He was eager to find it.
    "It's moving southwest, quite slowly." He said. "Let's go." Trunks said, leaping off the bed. The two ran down the stairs and made their way to the door.
    "And just where do you two think you're going?" Chi-Chi asked, washing the dishes.
    "To find a-" Goten began, but was interrupted my Trunks.
    "Somewhere." He said, and then grabbed Goten by the arm and bolted out the door. The launched into the sky, Trunks scanning the area. Another thunderclap was heard in the distance, followed by a cool breeze. Trunks suddenly spotted Natalie walking home, and flew to the ground.
    "Natalie!" he called out to her. She turned around with surprise on her face, and then calmed down when she recognized him.
    "Trunks! What are you doing out here?" she said, the breeze picking up. Trunks pressed another button on the scouter and it locked onto Natalie's figure immediately. Trunks' eyes widened in surprise.
    "You're the one!" he said. Goten landed next to him.
    "I'm WHAT one? What are you talking about?" Natalie asked, puzzled. Soon, small raindrops began to fall.
    "Come on! Let's get out of the rain!" she called to the two boys, and ran towards her house. By the time they reached it, the rain was drenching the three teens. They ran into the house, closing and locking the door behind them. Natalie ran up the dark stairway, and into her room, followed by Trunks and Goten. When they were all in her room, she shut the door and flipped on the light.
    "Natalie, I need to talk to you about something." Trunks said.
    "Sure, hold on." She said, going into the bathroom. She pulled her damp hair into a tight ponytail and slipped into a navy blue tank top and another pair of denim shorts. She emerged from the bathroom, and sat down on the windowsill, looking out at the grass blowing in the wind. Her eyes were still slightly red from crying. She turned around and looked at the two boys.
    "Who's your friend?" she asked, studying Goten's figure.
    "This is Goten. He lives about two miles from here." Trunks said.
    "So what did you want to talk to me about?" she asked, looking at Trunks with question on her face.
    "Come here." He said, gesturing to Natalie. She walked over and stood about three feet from Trunks. "Now stand still." He said.
    "Okay..." she said with a slight smirk on her face. Trunks concentrated on her figure, and sensed her ki surrounding her body. But there was something different about it. Suddenly, Natalie sneezed and broke his concentration.
    "Sorry..." she said, sniffling. Goten looked at Trunks with a questionable expression on his face.
    "She's the one." He whispered into Goten's ear.
    "What are you guys taking about. Is it me?" Natalie asked, sitting on her chair.
    "Natalie, have you ever experienced any strange feelings, or done anything that a normal person wouldn't do?" Trunks asked her.
    "Well...I have been feeling really strange lately." She started. Suddenly, there was a loud clap of thunder and the power went out.
    "Oh no! A blackout!" she cried. The wind howled outside her window, making an eerie sound.
    "We should probably head back to Capsule Corp." Trunks suggested to Goten. "Natalie, we're going to take you back to my house, okay? There is a bad storm out there and I don't think we're safe here." He continued.
    "You're gonna go out in that? Why not wait until the storm passes?" she asked frantically.
    "Trust us." He said, and grabbed her by the hand, racing down the stairs.
    "Wait! Can't I just - " she was cut off when Goten forced the door open, causing wind and bullets of rain to enter into the house.
    "Ready?" he asked Natalie.
    "Ready for whaaaaaat!?" she cried, as Trunks grabbed her by the waist, and propelled them into the air, followed by Goten. She looked down at the ground, too terrified to move. The wind was blowing fiercely through the sky. There was debris blowing around everywhere.
    "Are you crazy!? What are you doing??" Natalie yelled over the noise of the storm. She screamed as a piece of debris cut her just below the left shoulder. Trunks and Goten sped up, streaking across the sky like a pair of comets. When they arrived at Capsule Corp., Trunks forced the door open and the two boys entered with Natalie. Goten slammed the door behind him.
    "What do you guys think you are doing?" Vegita asked, observing the three drenched teenagers in the foyer.
    "We just came from outside." Trunks replied.
    "I can see that." Vegita said in a sarcastic tone. He looked Natalie up and down. "Who's that" he asked, looking at her, and then back at Trunks.
    "This is Natalie. We have to get her arm bandaged." Trunks said, and then led her into the medical wing. While Natalie was washing her wound, Bulma popped her head in.
    "Oh, you poor dear. You're soaked!" She said. "I'll just go get you some dry clothes to put on." Bulma left the room, and then returned a few minutes later with some clothes. "Here, these used to belong to Trunks, but they're too small for him now." She said, and handed Natalie a black tank top and a billowy pair of navy blue cargo pants. Goten came in with Trunks, who was holding a bandage in his hand. He wrapped it around Natalie's small arm carefully. When he finished, she went to the bathroom to change clothes and dry her hair. Trunks and Goten went upstairs to his room to change clothes as well. Trunks just changed into the same outfit again, while Goten changed into an outfit that he had left there from a previous stay. They got changed and dry, and went downstairs to see how Natalie was doing. She came out of the bathroom, inspecting herself in Trunks' clothes. "Weird." She thought. "But comfy." Trunks and Goten walked in and facefaulted when they saw what Natalie was wearing.
    "Ha ha ha! You guys match!" Goten joked, as Trunks elbowed him in the stomach. Natalie looked up at the boys with a smirk on her face.
    "What do you think?" she asked, and lifted her arms up to present herself.
    "Hey Trunks, aren't those your clothes?" Vegita interjected with a weird look on his face as he appeared in the doorway.
    "They were." He replied.
    "Well your mother wanted me to tell you that dinner's ready." He said, and then walked away.
    "Cool! Goten, wanna stay for dinner?" Trunks offered.
    "Uh, sure. But I already ate, so I'm not that hungry." He replied. The three teens walked into the kitchen and sat down to curried chicken with rice. The two saiyan boys finished their first helping before Natalie could put the chopsticks to her mouth.
    "Not hungry?" she asked, grinning, and proceeded to eat her rice.