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A Forbidden Past - Chapter 16
Final Battle

Stacie walked across the large open school field, hoping that #17 would spot her. There were a couple police officers standing around the school, but none seemed to pay attention to the girl. Stacie walked between the soccer posts in the middle of the field and leaned up against one of the posts. "Man, this sucks. I'm a sitting duck for an attack, but if its going to work, it should be worth it." She turned around and looked back into the forest, where Trunks was crouching with Heather.

"She's looking over here," Heather said.

"I know. I can't tell if #17 is nearby, but if he is and he sees Stacie looking over here, he will figure out the plan."

Almost as if Stacie heard, she turned around and began walking towards the other post. Using her gymnastic skills, she hoisted herself up the goal post, and sat on the top of the bar, letting her feet hang below. "In a way, I don't want to defeat #17. Once he is defeated, Trunks will go back to his time. If we don't defeat him, he will destroy the world, until Trunks manages to change the past, and change the events which occured.... but wait! Doesn't that mean I'll never of met him?" She quickly covered her mouth as all her emotions came rushing out. "Oh Trunks!" she started to cry.

"What is she doing?" Heather asked.

"I have no idea. She looks like.. she's crying?"

"Crying? Why?"

"I'm not sure, but she better be focused incase #17 shows up."

"Who are these androids exactly? I don't understand what's going on!" Heather asked.

"Well.. Its quite complicated. I'll explain what I know," Trunks said as he started to explain to her about the androids and their past.

Stacie hugged her legs tight to the top of the bar, and tilted her body backwards, so she was hanging by her feet. She again, looked over towards the area where Trunks was hiding. "Why can't you understand how much I care for you?" she sighed. "I just want you to know how much I love you..." she trailed off as a gust of wind made her sway. She quickly moved her hands to the bar for more support. Suddenly, someone grabbed her hands and feet and pushed them against the bar. Stacie screamed as she was now stuck hanging awkwardly off the soccer bar.

"Hey? What was that?" Heather asked.

"STACIE!" Trunks yelled as he looked out into the school field.

"Stupid... stupid girl... When will you learn?" Stacie heard #17's voice.

Stacie struggled with her hands and feet but she couldn't free herself from #17's grip. She screamed as #17 tightened his grip and pushed her harder into the bar. "Come on, is that the best you got?"

Heather nudged Trunks. "What are you waiting for? Help her!"

"I'm waiting for the right moment."

"Which would be when exactly?" Heather asked.

"I'll know."

Stacie gathered up the energy she had in her body and managed to pull herself upright, so she was sitting on the bar. She looked deep into the eyes of the android who continued to hold onto her legs and arms. "So, now that you've managed to sit up right, what do you do?"

Stacie looked at the android for a moment, and then spat on his face. He pulled one of his hands away to wipe his face. In this moment, Stacie took her now free foot, and kicked #17 hard in the head. He let go of Stacie as he used his other hand and took a swing at Stacie. She jumped up in the air and landed back onto the bar, almost losing her balance.

"NOW!" Trunks yelled as he took off out of the forest. Trunks grabbed a capsule from inside his jacket and threw it at the ground by the soccer posts. An air bike appeared on the ground below Stacie. She jumped off of the bar and landed on the bike taking off back into the forest.

"Very smart. I'm almost impressed," #17 smirked.

"Don't be such a smart ass," Trunks yelled.

"And what are you going to do about it?"

"Something you are going to regret."

Stacie stopped the bike in the forest and hopped off beside Heather. "You alright?" Heather asked.

"I'm ok. My wrists and ankles are a bit sore, but nothing I can't recover from."

Meanwhile, the fight between Trunks and #17 had begun. Trunks had gained an early upper hand, after hitting #17 with a few ki-blasts. The fight had moved away from the open field, and closer to the forest where Heather and Stacie were seeking refuge.

"They seem to be getting closer," Stacie said.

"Should we move?" Heather asked.

"Not unless we start getting in the way of the fight," she replied as she continued to watch the fight.

#17 had managed to get Trunks backed up against a tree. He went to punch Trunks, but Trunks flew high into the sky, leaving #17 with his hand halfway through a tree. Juunanagou quickly followed the saiyajin into the air and charged right at him. He swung his foot around and kicked Trunks in the abdomen, knocking the wind out of him. #17 then continued the attack, by then elbowing Trunks in the face, and then reappearing behind him, kneeing him in the back, which sent Trunks flying down to the ground.

"TRUNKS!" Stacie yelled as she started to run out of the forest.

"No Stacie! Don't get in the way of the fight!" Heather said, holding Stacie back.

"But he's hurt!" Stacie cried.

"Don't worry about him! He'll be okay," Heather said, reassuring Stacie.

Trunks stood up, and stared at the android who hovered above him.

"Some saiyajin you are," he laughed.

Trunks began to build up energy as he stared at the android. #17 gasped as he felt the sudden surge of energy. Trunks hair exploded into a golden colour as he turned super saiyajin.

"Like thats going to help you much," #17 said as he stared at the super saiyajin.

"We'll just have to see," he said as he disappeared.

"Huh?" #17 said looking around. Trunks reappeared behind #17 and drove both of his hands into the android's back. The android hardly flinched as Trunks hit him. #17 turned around and fired a ki blast at Trunks. It hit Trunks in the stomach and sent him back about 100 feet across the sky.

"If thats the best you got, you might as well give up now. I have an unlimited energy supply, and it looks like you're losing ground already. This fight is already over," the android laughed as he faded away.

"Where'd he go?" Heather asked. Stacie looked over to see Heather sliding across the field on her stomach. #17 had moved behind Stacie and Heather and tossed Heather out of the forest. Stacie turned around and was face to face with the male android.

"Boo!" he said as he started to laugh.

"This isn't funny!" Stacie said.

"Well, I find this hilarious! You guys are so pathetic. You try so hard, and fail miserably every time! You can't win!"

Stacie continued to look into the android's cold eyes. She felt his hands graze her hand and she shivered. She took a step back slowly, but the android stepped towards her at the same time. "LEAVE ME ALONE!" she screamed as she went to slap the android across the face, but he grabbed her hand. He squeezed her hand tightly as she screamed in pain.

"STOP IT!" Trunks screamed as he flew through the forest, and punched #17 in the side of the head. #17 let go of Stacie's hand, and started to fight with Trunks. Stacie ran out of the forest and to Heather.

"Are you alright Heather?" Stacie asked, but there was no response. "Heather?" she asked again, shaking the girl, but again, there was no response. She rolled the girl over and saw a bump on the front of her head. She found Heather's pulse and breathed a sigh of relief. She looked back into the forest, to see #17 and Trunks were still fighting. Stacie slowly creeped towards the forest, and peeked around a tree. She gasped at what she saw. Trunks was covered in blood. He had several cuts on his face, and was slowing down considerably. With a simple uppercut, #17 knocked Trunks flying through the air, out of the forest, and onto the field beside Heather, where he fell out of his super saiyajin state.

"NO TRUNKS!" Stacie screamed as she began to cry. She ran over towards Trunks and wiped the blood away from his mouth.

"Uh.. Stacie..." he said as he put his hand up towards the upset girl. She grabbed his hand and held it tightly.

"TRUNKS! DON'T DIE! PLEASE!" she screamed as she kneeled beside the saiyajin.

"Stacie..... you... are the last hope for your future.... and mine....." he coughed as he slowly fell back down towards the ground. His hand fell out of Stacie's hands, as he rested his head back on the ground.

"TRUNKS? TRUNKS TALK TO ME!" she cried. She found a faint pulse on the saiyajin and he was breathing, but only barely.

"Awwww!" Stacie turned around to find #17 standing at the edge of the forest. "How nice. You're all grouped together. This is going to make it a lot easier for me to finish you all off!" he said as he raised his right hand at the distraught girl.

"NO! I WON'T LET YOU HURT MY FRIENDS!" she yelled as she stood up, facing the android.

"And you think you can stop me? HAH!" he laughed at the girl.

"BRING IT ON!" she yelled.

Juunanagou began to charge the ki blast in his hand as Stacie stood her ground. He yelled as more energy flowed into his hand, and the ball of energy began to glow. "I must admit, I am impressed with your courage, but courage won't get you anywhere in this world, as you'll soon find out." He pointed his arm at Stacie and smiled. "It was fun while it lasted, but at least you'll go out with a bang!" he laughed as he fired the ball of energy at Stacie. She spread her arms out and yelled as the ki blast came closer towards her.

"I HATE YOU!" she screamed as the she thrusted her arms out in front of her. The ball of energy entered the palm of her hands, and began to push her back against the ground.

"What? How is that possible? No ordinary human could block this energy!" #17 said, in complete shock.

Stacie screamed as she managed to hold her ground against the ki blast. "I WANT YOU TO LEAVE US ALONE!" she yelled as she pushed with all her might. She managed to send the ki blast back towards #17.

"IMPOSSIBLE! NO!" he screamed as the ball of energy came flying back at him. It connected with his stomach and exploded on contact, blowing Stacie, Trunks, and Heather across the field, and #17 into the forest. The android flew back through several trees, until his body was stopped by a large tree.

Stacie sat up and held her head in her hands. "Did I get him?" she thought to herself. She looked over at Trunks and Heather, who both appeared to be breathing. She walked over towards Trunks and brushed his hair to the side of his face. She saw Trunks sword was still attached to his back and pulled it out of its sheath. "I'm just going to borrow this for a moment," she whispered quietly. She held the sword in her right hand and slowly walked into the forest, following the long crater along the ground to where she found #17, still against the tree with some smoke around his body.

"How... how did you do that?" he asked. Stacie didn't respond as she tightened her grip on the sword. She gasped as the smoke cleared, revealing one of #17's arms had been blown off. "You won't kill me. You don't have the guts to do it. I'm still going to win," he smiled as Stacie held the sword in both of her hands now. "Going to kill you and your stupid friends," he laughed. He fired a ki blast at Stacie with his left arm, which took Stacie off guard. She screamed as she sprinted towards the android. She swung Trunks' sword through the ki blast, and continued towards the android.

"DIE!" she yelled as she thrusted the sword deep through android's stomach and into the tree. The ki remained on the sword as she panted, staring at the android's face. "I win," she smiled. She bent her knees slightly and pushed off the ground, still holding the sword tight in her hands. It travelled up the middle of #17's body and out of his neck. As Stacie landed on the ground, the ki which had travelled from the sword to the android's body exploded, scattering pieces of the android across the forest.

Stacie remained locked, with the sword in her hands, panting. Heather woke up hearing the explosion, and ran into the forest to find Stacie. "STACIE! Are you alright?" she asked. Stacie remained motionless as Heather walked up to her. "Stacie?" Heather asked again as she waved her hand infront of Stacie's face.

"Hold this," she said as she handed Heather the sword. Heather took the sword and looked at Stacie.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine.. I just need... I just need to... rest..." Stacie trailed off as she dropped to the ground.