Reprogrammed

The Escape

Things had finally gotten back to normal. Whatever had been troubling 18 seemed to have passed. She hadn't told them what the problem had been, only that she had taken care of it. After that, she had pretty much reverted back to her normal self. She was still a little cold at times, and she would occasionally get angry faster, but that was it. Except for her stubbornness, that seemed to have increased as well.

But none of these things even mattered to Trunks. In fact, after dealing with it for a couple of days, the very slight change in her personality didn't seem any different from the way it was before she faced 13. Both Trunks and Bulma were glad. And seeing as whatever had been bothering her was no longer there, they decided not to bring it up.

18 was surprised with the way she settled back into the normal routine she had been living in before regaining her memories. Of course, things could never be the way they were before, but she was content with the way they were now. She was still angry at Trunks for killing her brother, just as he was probably still angry with her for all the people she killed. Maybe they never would get over their anger, but they would be able to move past it.

Everything that had happened over the past year had changed 18. The way she saw things, her outlook on life, her understanding of others. All these things had transformed her. And she was surprised to find that she didn't want things to go back to the way they were before her memory loss. Yes, she missed her brother, but she was finding herself happier with the life she currently had now than with the one she had before.

Trunks and Bulma still had no idea that 18 had regained her memories. They still trusted her and let her go out on her own. Just like today. Today she had said that she had an errand to run and had gone into the city. While she was away, Trunks was busy training, as usual. Bulma couldn't help but to smile at how alike he and his father were. And if she knew her son, and she did, another similarity was about to come out.

"Trunks," she called, "time for lunch!"

And so, the same eating habits that Trunks always showed surfaced. The plates piled up rapidly, and the food went down so fast that Bulma wondered how he even fit it all in his stomach.

"Be careful you don't choke." She told him. "I've always been worried that you'd eat too fast and it would go down the wrong pipe."

Trunks laughed. "Aw, Mom, come on. I'm a Super Saiyan. I can't be killed by something as silly as choking."

"Don't be so sure." She told him seriously. "After all, it was something silly like a virus that killed Goku."

Trunks groaned. "Way to ruin my appetite, Mom."

"Hey, I'm just concerned for you. You already risk your life fighting all these bad guys, is slowing down your eating just to be safer really so much to ask for? I'd sleep a lot better at night knowing at least one danger to my son's life was gone."

Trunks rolled his eyes. He had long since accepted the fact that no matter how strong he got, his mother would always worry about him. "Mom, nothing is going to happen to me. You don't have to worry so much."

She ignored what he said, placing her hands on her hips and glaring at him. "And speaking of being able to sleep a lot better, I'd also be able to do that if you and 18 would stop being sonoisy when you engage each other."

At this, Trunks turned beet red, staring at his mother in horror. "Y-You mean you… heard us?"

"Yes, I heard you!" she said bitterly.

She still remembered it. After working late, she had gone to take a shower. But the bathroom she had gone to was already occupied by someone else using the shower. Actually, it was two people using the shower, and being very noisy about it. She had been traumatized as she ran for one of the other bathrooms, unable to stop the disturbing mental images that kept her up all night.