Author's Note: I think the biggest note that I need to mention about this story is concerning Piccolo. Remember that this is AU-Alternate Universe- type stuff. And in this timeline, Kami and Piccolo are NOT connected. Also, Piccolo is capable of greatly increasing his power through training. More like a Saiyan is able to do. Finally, there will be no time machine. No way of changing the past. (REMEMBER, THIS IS FICTION!) Other than that, I think the rest will be pretty standard. And this small change will not play a major role. It just makes my story work better. Also, there may be some variations on the actual differences in age regarding the main characters.

Thanks! On to the first chapter!

Night Crawlers

Prologue

Chapter One

Gohan stood high atop a cliff, looking out onto what used to be a busy city. Now, thanks to the horror of the Androids, it was gone. They had left few buildings inhabitable, and even fewer lives untouched.

He remembered, being just a small boy of ten years old when the Androids first arrived. Now, almost thirteen years later, so much had changed.

His father Goku had died of a heart virus just the year before they came. His mother almost grieved herself to death. Sullen and withdrawn, Gohan turned to his friends for comfort.

Piccolo had been his mainstay. His best friend for so many years, he helped Gohan to focus on his training as a way of working through the pain. Each day, for hours, Gohan and Piccolo sparred, both reaching new levels of power.

However, little did they know that their intensive training would be the only thing to save them.

On the day that the Androids arrived, many lives were changed forever.

They were monsters. Destroying cities one by one. Leaving dead bodies lying in the streets, under cars, crushed under buildings. Seemingly innocent, the boy and girl had a taste for death.

Piccolo was the first one to encounter the machines. He was astonished at their power. Their cold disregard for human life. As he fought, he knew there was no way to beat them. But, being the stubborn Namek that he was, he continued. Finally, he was unconscious, his left arm severed from his body, losing blood. The Androids left him buried under a collapsed building, assuming he was dead.

It wasn't until two days later that Piccolo was able to gather enough strength to regenerate his arm. The only thing that saved him from dying due to blood loss was his mental ability to slow down his own heart rate. Thus slowing down the rate at which his blood flowed.

Groggily and still weakened due to his injuries, he crawled out and managed to fly slowly back toward the Son house. As he looked over the city, he saw what the Androids had done in his absence.

Thousands of people dead.

When he was just a few yards away from Gohan's house, his heart sank. The house that the young boy grew up in was destroyed. Nothing but rubble remained. He looked around, searching for Gohan. Concentrating, he managed to locate his ki a few miles away.

Flying as fast as his tattered body would go, he flew toward Gohan.

What he found devastated him. Gohan, too, had been badly beaten and was hiding in a cave about thirty miles out of town.

Gohan cried with happiness when he saw Piccolo was alive. Then he continued crying when he told the Namek that everyone else was dead.

Vegeta, Tien, Krillin, Yamcha…Gohan's mother, grandfather. Bulma and her family had also been attacked at Capsule Corporation.

All dead. Gohan also felt enormous guilt. When he saw that it was hopeless, he had been afraid and ran.

Piccolo searched his mind for some kind of meaning to all this, trying to comfort Gohan. Now, the Androids had left to demolish another town.

Gohan knew that Bulma kept a few sensu beans at Capsule Corporation for occasions when Vegeta pushed himself too much. They decided to go and search through the rubble for them.

Although Piccolo was still badly injured, Gohan seemed to be in worse shape. He had a bad head wound and slept the whole way there, tossed over Piccolo's shoulder.

When they finally arrived, Piccolo made him wake up because he wasn't able to carry the boy any more. The two slowly moved through the debris, moving the bricks and metal that used to be the Briefs' home.

That is when they made a miraculous discovery. In the center of the house, under several layers of destroyed sheet rock and furniture, lay a child.

It was Trunks. Somehow, becoming lodged between a small opening, which used to be under the house, had spared him. He was cold, tired and screamed in pain as his broken body was picked up.

Upon examination, his leg was in fact broken as was his hand. The two-year-old boy was in shock. Not far from where he had been found, was the bloodied body of his mother.

It took Piccolo several hours, but he found the sensu beans. In the bag were five. He gave one to Gohan and took one himself. Before giving Trunks one, they had to reset his leg and arm, which was extremely painful for the small child who did not understand what was happening.

They headed deep into the mountains, hoping the Androids would not come back for a while. Which they did not. It was about three weeks before they returned to the small city.

Then, for the next thirteen years their lives had been hell. Piccolo realized early on that Kami was now dead and the Lookout destroyed. Therefore, there were no Dragonballs. No way of undoing the damage done. The lives taken.

The Androids killed people without concern, making their way around the entire planet. However, they chose this area to reside in the majority of their time. Knowing that Piccolo, Gohan and even little Trunks had power and had survived sent them into a frenzy. They sought them out for pleasure. Never really intending to kill, but toying with them.

They had been left alive, but without a life.

The only thing that Piccolo and Gohan could do was continue training. When Trunks was healed, they started his training as well.

Now, as Gohan stood on the mountain, he was able to breathe a sigh of relief. Twenty-four hours ago, he, Piccolo and Trunks had managed to kill the Androids. Thirteen years of training, of suffering, watching the death each and every day. Thirteen years of being afraid. Over.

There were only a handful of people left on the planet. Maybe a couple hundred thousand left from the billions that had been murdered. Life had almost completely ceased to exist.

Now there was hope.

Gohan breathed in the fresh air. Somehow, it smelled different. He looked up to the sky. "We did it, dad." He said out loud. "Finally, after all this time. I know you would be proud of us." Gohan felt a lump in his throat. "I miss you…." He said in a whisper. "I still miss you…."

"GOHAN!" Trunks yelled, coming up behind. "Piccolo said to get moving! We have work to do!"

Turning, he saw the dark blue eyes shine. Eyes that rarely held a glimmer of hope until yesterday. Now, the lavender haired boy smiled. Gohan hoped that the fifteen-year-old boy could find the happiness that he deserved. He had known nothing but pain.

"Tell Piccolo I'm coming!" He said. One last time, Gohan's broad shoulder and chest took in a deep breath, exhaling slowly.

Gohan smiled to himself.

The sun seemed to be smiling down on them all. With what supplies were left on the planet, they were determined to rebuild Earth.

Finally, Gohan decided it was time to move on. He smiled one last time toward the blue sky and flew back to Trunks.

"Come on kid, let's go." He said smiling.

They flew off toward the small village, where Piccolo was waiting. It was time to give what they could to the planet.

And today was a good day to start.

Author's NOTE:

Ok, don't let this seemingly happy ending fool you! Anyone who's read my work knows there is more to come. Only in this fic, there will be more action and less sex. But, I do have plans for Gohan….NO YAOI! NOT EVEN A HINT! GOT IT? GOOD!…

SO THANKS FOR READING! PLEASE REVIEW FOR ME!