A\N: I try to never work on two stories at once, but I kinda had to publish this. It's been rolling around in my head FOREVER. It's Mirai timeline (obviously) set in the three years NOT covered in 'The History of Trunks.' Hopefully things will all be canon, but I may screw up XO! Let me know if I do...

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't make it last for more than a few minutes. He didn't understand. He had the anger, he had the desire to use his power for good, and he had the determination. Time and time again, his strength would wear down, and he would be too tired to carry on as a Super Saiyan. He'd even pushed himself over the edge a couple of times, bringing upon himself hours of scolding from his mother. He could never defeat the androids like this.

Trunks shoved his hands in his pockets and walked away from the wreckage of another town. There was nothing he could do here, and the androids were long gone. His mother would worry if he wasn't home in time for dinner. She didn't really know that he was out searching for the androids, but she suspected, no doubt. Trunks wondered what his father would say, were he still alive. Would he let his only son look for the androids, or would he side with Bulma? The way his mom described him, Trunks figured his father would probably insist that he stay home. Then his father would go face the androids himself. That's what got him killed in the first place, fighting the androids alone. That's how Gohan had died, too. Day after day, Trunks wondered what would have happened if he'd been allowed to help Gohan fight the androids that day. He felt indirectly responsible for Gohan's death. And he was desperately trying to find a way to make that better. His own pain at Gohan's death was nothing in comparison to Chi-Chi's. When he and his mother went to visit her, she was merely a walking, talking shell. Trunks didn't even know if he'd use the word living to describe her. She walked with the air of a woman who had lost everything. And she had. Her husband and her son were both dead. There was no spark of life in her eyes, no smile upon her lips, no youth left in her face. She was nothing like the Chi-Chi that Trunks had heard so much about from his mother.

Seeing all the pain around him reminded him, day after day, what he was fighting for. Why he was fighting. Everyone was suffering, and they needed a hero. Trunks was frustrated that he couldn't be that hero. Not just yet, anyway. He couldn't hope to stand a chance against the androids at his current strength. In all honesty, these searches for the androids were a poor excuse for making himself feel better. He needed to find a better way to use his time, a way to reach his full potential. And going on wild goose chases certainly wasn't going to do the trick. He wished there were some way he could make himself ready to fight the androids now. Gohan would probably tell him to be patient, but Trunks found that nearly impossible. There was only a matter of time left before everyone was dead.

Trunks entered his front door as quietly as he could, trying not to draw attention from his mother. Despite all his best efforts, she heard him come in.

"So," she said, walking up to him, her hands on her hips. "Did you enjoy your walk, son?" she asked. Trunks swallowed nervously.

"Yeah," he said, shakily. "It was nice to get some fresh air." His mother rolled her eyes. Trunks had never been a good liar.

"How many times do I have to tell you, Trunks?" she asked. Her face was torn between anger and worry. "It's not safe for you to be out on your own! And to be quite honest, I don't really trust you out there. I don't want you going and getting yourself killed."

"Mom," he protested, slightly annoyed. "I'm fine, you don't need to worry."

"I don't need to worry?" she said in disbelief. "Trunks, people are dying right and left out there. I'm not just going to let you wander off and play hero!"

"Those people out there need a hero, Mom. And I'm not just going to sit by and watch them die!" Trunks clenched his fists and added, "That's not what Gohan would want me to do."

"Gohan wouldn't want you to go and get yourself killed! You can't just go out and expect to be everyone's hero. You're not ready, Trunks!" Bulma's voice grew louder and angrier. Trunks knew that this was the end of the conversation. He knew his mother cared about him, he even knew she was right, but her words stung.

Trunks looked at his mother reproachfully and turned to walk towards his room, ignoring anything further she said. He knew she would continue to be furious at him, but he didn't care. Her lack of faith in him just made him feel worse. He hated feeling helpless. He wished there was something he could do. Anything.

Trunks stayed in his room for the remainder of the evening. It was childish of him to ignore his mother like this, he knew that. He just wasn't sure what was going on with him internally. He was upset at himself more than his mother, really. It wasn't exactly fair of him to expect her to have faith in him when he didn't even have faith in himself.

For some reason, Trunks kept getting the feeling that his father would know what to do. Trunks shrugged this idea off. It didn't help him any. He knew what his father would do; charge into battle. Trunks couldn't do that. He simply couldn't. He'd seen the way Gohan's death had torn Chi-Chi's fragile spirit apart. He couldn't do that to his own mother. Not when she was begging and pleading him not to.

His thoughts were interrupted by a soft knocking at his door. Without waiting for a reply, his mother walked in. Her expression was soft. She walked over to her only son and sat beside him on the bed, sighing.

"I love you, Trunks Brief, you know that don't you?" she asked. Trunks nodded. "I- I just want you to be safe."

Trunks leaned over, throwing himself into his mother's arms. She squeezed him tightly and ran her fingers through his hair the way she used to when he was younger.

"I think we should take a trip up to District 439 tomorrow," she whispered, still absentmindedly stroking his hair. "You know, to visit Chi-Chi," she said slowly. "It's been almost two years since… since-"

"-Since Gohan was killed?" Trunks supplied. She nodded. "Alright," he said. They hardly got a chance to visit Chi-Chi anymore. She lived so far away, and the journey was dangerous. Trunks suspected that his mother was trying to take his mind off his search for the androids. It would work. For now, at least. Eventually, Trunks was going to be able to maintain his Super Saiyan form. And then it would be game over for the androids.