Chapter 12

Once we arrived, we landed directly into the Capsule Corporation somewhat noisily. The impact of the landing shook the ground slightly, which caused Bulma to run out of the main entrance, probably to see what was going on. Her expression, upon finding us there, was a peculiar mixture of surprise and terror.

"Lo-Lord Beerus and Mr. Whis? What are you doing here?" Asked Bulma, with her characteristic nervousness when dealing with the God of Destruction.

"Good morning, Miss Bulma. We came to taste that delicious dessert you call pudding." Said Whis, his tone polite and calm as always.

"Indeed, especially since, due to certain reasons, I didn't get to taste it last time." Beerus added, crossing his arms with a stern air.

"Eh? You came just for that?" Asked Bulma, arching an incredulous eyebrow.

"Yeah, is there a problem with that?" Replied Beerus, his gaze sharpening slightly, which made Bulma take a step back.

"N-No, I'll bring them to you right away." Bulma said hurrying towards the inside of the Capsule Corporation, clearly determined not to antagonize them.

As we waited, I began to grow impatient. Beyond dessert, my real interest was in seeing if I could run into any of the Z Warriors. I paced back and forth, trying to disguise my excitement, but Whis, as always, noticed right away.

"Mira, come closer please." He requested in his soft but firm tone. I stopped and approached, somewhat confused by the call for attention.

"You want to see your Earthling friend, don't you?" whispered Whis in my ear, causing my eyes to widen.

'He knows?' I thought, surprised that my master had sensed something so personal. Seeing that there was no point in denying it, I nodded silently.

'You go quietly. In the meantime, I'll be here with Lord Beerus tasting the delicacies. Hold this," he said as he handed me a small circular device that fit in the palm of my hand. Its glowing screen appeared to be a high-tech communicator.

"When we're done, I'll let you know this way to come back, is that okay with you?" Asked Whis with a quiet smile.

"Yes, master. Thank you very much," I replied, returning a genuine smile.

He simply nodded, and I quickly took off for my destination: the house of 18.

(10 minutes later)

After searching around the city and trying to remember some clue to the location that I had seen in Super, I finally found the house. The key clue was Marron's Ki, as Krillin's didn't feel close; he was probably still working.

I landed softly in front of the entrance and knocked on the door with two firm but controlled knocks.

"Just a minute!" I heard someone say from inside. I recognized the voice instantly, and a little nervousness washed over me.

Moments later, the door opened, revealing 18 in all her splendor. Her blond hair shone in the sunlight, and her expression, initially serious, softened at the sight of me. She even sketched a small smile.

"Oh, it's you. You finally did come." She said in her characteristic tone, direct but calm.

"Yes...ha, I guess I did, didn't I?" I replied with a slightly awkward smile.

"Do you want to come in?" She asked as she took a step back to let me in. I nodded and crossed the threshold.

Once inside, I looked around, analyzing the house. It was fairly normal, not too big and not too small, but it had a cozy feel to it. What caught my attention most was a mini gym on the side of the living room, equipped with weights, a treadmill and various apparatus.

"Is that yours?" I asked, pointing to the gym.

She stepped closer, and her gaze followed the direction of my finger. "No, it's my husband's." She replied simply.

"He trains?"

"Not particularly," she said as she folded her arms. "He says he uses it to keep in shape, but, being honest, he rarely uses it."

I noticed a slight irritation in his tone, which surprised me a little. 'That's odd. I don't remember Krillin having a problem with 18.... 'Interesting,' I thought as I sat down on the nearby couch.

From the kitchen, she raised her voice, "Would you like some tea?"

"Yes, that would be fine. Thank you," I replied as I continued to look around the house, trying not to look too curious.

Soon after, she returned with two steaming mugs and sat down across from me. There was something about her relaxed but observant attitude that made me feel more comfortable.

"So, what brings you here?" She asked as she took a sip of her tea, her gaze fixed on me.

"I guess...I just wanted to see you. Talk to you." I answered honestly, though I felt my words sounded more awkward than I had planned.

She raised an eyebrow, as if assessing the honesty of my response, but said nothing about it.

"Well, here I am. Talk," she said with a slight smile, making it clear that, though she seemed cold, she was willing to listen.

I took a sip of my tea, searching for the right words to continue. Even though she seemed relaxed, there was something in her gaze that made me feel as if she could read me completely.

"Well... I don't really know where to start." I said, setting the cup down on the table.

"Start with the basics," she replied, leaning her elbows on the table as she interlocked her hands. "Don't tell me you came all this way just to stay silent."

I smiled slightly, acknowledging her directness.

"It's true. I came because...I wanted to know more about you. About what your life is like now." I confessed.

She watched me silently for a moment, as if deciding whether or not to respond. Finally, she leaned back against the back of the couch, letting out a small sigh.

"There's not much to say. My life is pretty normal now. I take care of Marron, Krillin is working most of the time, and I.... well, I do my best not to get bored," she explained in a neutral tone, though there was a certain weariness in her voice.

"Normal? That doesn't sound like you," I commented, leaning forward slightly.

She arched an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? And what do you know about 'how I am'?"

I was silent for a moment. "Well... I know you well enough to know that you're not someone who settles easily for a routine life."

18 let out a short, dry laugh. "That's true. I guess it used to be different... more exciting, though also more complicated."

"Do you miss it?" I asked, not looking away from her.

"Miss what?"

"Fighting. Being in the thick of the action. Being...you," I said sincerely, trying to choose my words well.

She took a long sip of her tea before answering. "Sometimes. But things change, and I did too. I can't say I don't like the quiet...although, from time to time, I do wonder what would have happened if things had been different."

"Different how?"

"You want an example? I could have remained an emotionless android assassin, without this life I have now. But Krillin... well, he changed me." She said, looking out the window with a faint smile.

There was something in her tone that made me feel a pang in my chest. It wasn't envy, but there was a disconnect between what she was saying and what she was feeling at that moment.

"And do you feel complete with this life?" I asked, careful not to sound invasive.

She looked at me, her eyes narrowed, as if she were sizing me up.

"Wow, what a question. Do you feel complete with yours?" She countered.

I smiled, acknowledging the change in direction. "Maybe not quite, but we're not talking about me, are we?"

"How convenient," she said with a teasing tone, though her expression softened afterward. "It's okay. If I'm honest...not always. But it's not something I'm complaining about. I have Marron, and that's worth more than any fight or fling in my past life."

I nodded, understanding perfectly what she was saying, but I couldn't help but wonder if that answer was full of compliance or true satisfaction.

"And you? Why do you want to know all this? Don't tell me you've become a philosopher." She commented, her tone becoming a little more relaxed again.

"Maybe I'm looking for something," I replied, without elaborating.

"Looking for what?"

"I don't know exactly. Maybe answers. Or maybe just feeling like someone else understands what it means to...not quite fit in," I said, letting my words flow without too much thought.

For the first time in the conversation, her expression changed slightly. There was some empathy in her eyes, though her face remained largely expressionless.

"Wow, I didn't expect that. I thought you were just some strange guy who showed up out of nowhere before." She said, though there was no malice in her words.

"Well, that's not entirely wrong," I replied with a smile, trying to lighten the mood.

She laughed lightly, a rare thing coming from her. "I guess we're all looking for something, one way or another. But if you want some advice... sometimes, what you're looking for isn't in someone else or somewhere else. It's in yourself."

Her words gave me more food for thought than I expected. 18 had a peculiar way of saying things, direct but with a weight that stayed with you.

"Thank you. I guess I needed to hear that," I said sincerely.

"You're welcome. I'm not a counselor or anything, though. I'm just telling you what I know," she replied as she stood up and picked up the empty cups.

"Does that mean we're done?" I asked, joking slightly.

"Not quite. But if you want to stick around for a while, I can show you who's boss in friendly combat." She said, crossing her arms and flashing a challenging smile.

The thought made me smile. "That's a challenge?"

"Take it any way you want." She replied.

"In that case I take it as a challenge." I said jokingly to which she laughed briefly.

Afterwards, we made our way to the backyard of the house, a large space with manicured lawns. Marron was there, sitting on the ground playing with her toys. When she saw us, she stopped what she was doing and ran over to us with a beaming smile.

"Hello again! Are you mommy's friend?" the girl asked, looking at me curiously, she seemed to remember me from Bulma's party.

"I hope so," I jokingly replied, while throwing a smile at 18. She, in response, gave me a gentle tap on the shoulder, though I couldn't help but notice her small restrained smile.

"Marron, why don't you come in for a moment? This isn't going to be very interesting for you," 18 said calmly, leaning over to talk to her.

But the girl shook her head quickly, with an almost infectious energy. "Are you going to fight? I want to see! I've never seen Mommy fight!" She exclaimed, clearly excited by the idea.

18 sighed and straightened up, crossing his arms. "Okay, but just watch from over there." She said, pointing to a nearby bench. Marron ran over and sat down, swinging her legs enthusiastically as she watched us.

"Ready?" I asked as I stretched my arms and neck, though I already knew this would be more of a light workout than an actual fight.

"You better be." Replied 18 with a defiant tone, as she took a firm stance. There was something about her attitude that made me smile; even knowing the difference in power, she wasn't going to underestimate me.

We both took some distance, positioning ourselves opposite each other. A moment of silence took over the courtyard, broken only by the wind blowing through the trees.

"Anytime." Said 18, waving me forward.

I decided to start with basic moves, throwing punches and kicks at moderate speed, just enough for her to react. I wanted to measure her reflexes and made sure to contain my energy so as not to hurt her.

18 blocked my attacks with ease, her precision impeccable. Although she could not compete with my strength, her combat experience was evident in her every move. She deflected a blow aimed at her side and seized the moment to try to sweep me with a low kick.

I jumped slightly to avoid it, landing a few steps behind.

"That's it? I thought you'd be faster." She commented with a smirk, trying to bait me.

I smiled back. "You want that? Good."

I decided to increase my speed slightly, appearing in front of her in an instant. Her eyes widened slightly at seeing me move so fast, but she managed to react, blocking the punch I threw towards her arm. Even so, the force behind the impact knocked her back several steps.

"Wow, mommy! That's super strong!" exclaimed Marron from the bench, clearly impressed.

"Relax, Marron. I can handle it." Said 18, though her gaze was still fixed on me, assessing me.

"You sure? Because I'm still warming up," I joked as I relaxed my posture.

"How generous." She replied wryly, lunging at me this time.

Her attacks were quick and calculated, seeking to hit my blind spots. Although it was simple for me to dodge them, I decided to let some of his blows connect. Her fists impacted against my torso and arms, but I felt nothing more than slight vibrations. However, I acted as if I had to back off, maintaining the illusion that we were more evenly matched.

"Wow, you're not so bad," I commented, taking a step back to pretend to recover.

18 paused for a moment, frowning slightly. "Are you underestimating me?"

"Not at all," I replied with a smile. But the reality was that I was being very careful not to let her notice the difference in power.

Suddenly, she launched a spinning kick aimed at my head. I blocked with my arm, but the impact caused the air around me to vibrate. Marron clapped excitedly from the bench.

"That's it, Mommy! Hit it harder!"

"What a good cheerleader you have," I commented as I moved quickly behind 18. Before she could react, I placed my hand gently on her shoulder, as if it were a friendly touch.

She spun quickly, trying to counterattack, but had already backed away.

"How did you do that?" she asked, visibly surprised by my speed.

"Let's just say I've had good teachers," I replied in a casual tone.

18 gritted her teeth and lunged again, this time increasing the intensity of her attacks. I could see her determination as she tried to outmaneuver me. I decided to show a little more of my skill, dodging her blows with precise but fluid movements, as if they were part of a dance.

Finally, when she launched a direct blow to the face, I parried it with my open palm, completely absorbing the force of the attack.

"That's enough," I said softly.

18 looked at me, breathing slightly agitated. "You're not seriously fighting, are you?"

I was silent for a moment before answering. "I meant no disrespect. I'm just making sure I'm not hurting you."

That answer seemed to irritate her. Her eyes narrowed and she frowned. "You think I need you to hold back?" She said, taking a step forward.

"I'm just being careful," I replied calmly, but that didn't seem to calm her down.

"Careful? Cut the crap!" She exclaimed before lunging toward me with renewed speed and strength.

Her movement was fast, but not so fast as to surprise me. When she tried to hit me with a combination of attacks to the torso and face, I dodged each one with precise movements, leaving her frustrated. Noticing that her attacks did not connect, she decided to change strategy and sweep me with a low kick.

I anticipated the move, and just as her leg passed close, I took a side step, extended my arm and gently grabbed her wrist. With a slight twist, I destabilized her center of gravity.

"Ah!" she exclaimed in surprise as she lost her balance.

18 stumbled forward, and before she could react, I moved to keep her from falling to the ground. In the process, however, we ended up in an unexpected position: she was left lying on the grass, and I was on top of her, pinning her down with one arm to prevent her from being able to free herself.

Her eyes opened wide as she realized the situation. We were too close, my face just inches from hers.

"What... what are you doing?" she asked 18, her tone sounding like a mixture of surprise and annoyance.

"I didn't want you to get hurt." I replied, trying to maintain my composure as I slowly released her.

Before she could sit up, a familiar voice interrupted the moment.

"What's going on here?"

I turned quickly, and there was Krillin, standing by the courtyard entrance with an expression of confusion and a hint of alarm. He was still wearing his police uniform, probably having just come home from work.

'Shit.' I thought silently.