A.N:/ This is an old story that I wrote about five years ago. I only just found out, and have tweaked it a little to try and make it more readable. I haven't written in such a long time, I would really appreciate your feedback. I hope you enjoy this.

I do not own any characters in DBZ.

listenserendipity

"WHEN I DIE, I AM GOING TO HEAVEN, BECAUSE I'VE SPENT MY TIME IN HELL"

'Faster, faster!' he thought, the purple-haired youths legs beating down on the ground heavily. They were closing in on him, he could feel it. Without thinking, his aura exploded, and he became a Super Saiya-jin, and started to run even faster.

"You can't run forever, you know." a cold, callous voice came from behind him. "We'll catch you eventually."

Trunks' hairs on his neck stood up on end. That voice... The voice that had torn the world right down the middle. He shut his eyes and pushed himself that little bit further, if he could run that tiny bit faster...

"Come on little boy, you are merely something for us to toy with, you cannot win, so give up." a female voice this time. Yet it sounded so sleek, so smooth, so tranquil. If he hadn't of experienced what these beasts could do first-hand he wouldn't of believed that the duo had destroyed the world as his parents had known it. He had grown up running. Ever since he was born, he had been running away from things. First of all his mother, out of natural instincts, for all newborns do, but then it became all too serious for the young boy's liking. He was running for his life, for the sheer feeling of survival. He needed to get away, he couldn't trip or fall, otherwise that would be it.

The androids had been chasing for nearly half an hour before they grew tired of their game.

"You got off lucky this time..." came their arrogant sneers as they flew off together, an entire civilisation, and entire planet at their disposal.

Trunks collapsed to his knees, his heart beating so hard against his chest he swore that it was going to burst. His lungs being stretched to their capacity and his ribcage straining.
He could feel tears welling in his eyes, and this time, he wouldn't stop them. They ran freely down his face, dripping on to the ground below him. He just wanted out. He wanted to stop running, to stop living like this. He clenched his fist and lifted himself back on to his feet. His legs felt like jelly, waiting for the right moment to give way, his body was worn out, completely exhausted.

But he couldn't give up. He had to think of the remaining survivors, and his mother. She was a kind and gentle woman, and so brave. Even though she had lost her husband, and her closest friends, she remaind a figure of determination, spurring everyone on, giving everyone hope that everything would be alright again, just like before.
But at night, he could hear the sobs coming form his mother's 'room'. Inside she was screaming, and had never stopped since the day she had seen Vegeta's body be incinerated by 17.
"Tousan..." he whispered.
Then Gohan... his mentor, his tutor, his best friend. They had disposed of him, as if life was a commodity. You use it once, then throw it out.
All at once, Trunks' anger exploded, his ki flashing everywhere, remains of bulidings were lifted into the air by the sheer force of his power, and yet it wasn't enough.

He reached the underground tunnel through which you could reach their hiding place. The androids hadn't found them so far, but who could say when they would?
He was welcomed by his mother, running towards him with... a smile on her face?
Trunks looked at his mother quizzically.
"Come, it's ready, it's ready, Trunks!" she said breathlessly, dragged her son down the derilict corridor.
When they reached, he was presented with a huge metallic pod with a glass top.
"Your time-machine, Trunks. It's ready."
"Kaasan," Trunks bent down and picked up a fairly large piece of shrapnel and started to scratch down the side of the machine.
"Trunks! What are you doing!"
When he stepped aside, Bulma saw four letters.
H-O-P-E.
"Gomen."
Tears formed in Bulma's eyes as a cheer went up around the underground camp. "Be brave, and say hi to Goku and..." she trailed off, biting her bottom lip. Trunks knew that she was thinking of Vegeta.
"Will do." said the purple haired warrior climbing into the machine. "Take care Kaasan, may the good spirits care for you well." He waved to the dependent survivors and in a split second, he was gone.