In The End - Chapter 1

"In The End"

Chapter 1

The air stank of blood. It hung so heavily about him, that he swore he could almost taste it.

Gohan held his breath for a moment, afraid to unleash the cry of anguish aching in his chest. If he made even the slightest sound he knew that would mean they'd won and he refused to give them that satisfaction.

There was very little he could do to stave the trembling in his body as he struggled to pull his pants up with the only good hand he had. Shakily, he tugged at the fabric bunched around his knees, his mind reeling from the events that had occurred. When at last he had his pants back up to his waist he searched in vain for his sash and then he remembered that the androids had ripped it off.

"Damn it," he cursed before abandoning his efforts and focusing his energies on something far more important.

"Trunks?"

There was no reply.

With a grunt, Gohan rolled to his right till he lay chest down on the ground. "Trunks," he rasped.

Again, no reply and that was when Gohan began to fear the worst. He moved toward the boy, awash in that sickening feeling you get when you know something bad has happened. He silently prayed that Trunks was unconscious and that that was the only reason why he wasn't responding.

Gohan dragged himself, half crawling, half wiggling along on his stomach like a worm. The loose gravel bit into his wounds and his broken left arm hung useless at his side making his journey seem painfully slow. Thankfully, he didn't feel any of the initial pain with his body still running high on endorphins.

He blinked rapidly and shook his head, his vision red from the blood seeping from the slash over the left side of his face. He continued to struggle along, using his good arm as a crutch and pushed with the toes of his boots to give momentum till at last he had reached the young man's side.

"Trunks…" He swallowed dryly, fighting a surge of nausea. "Trunks," he said again, his voice rising in volume. He grasped the boy's shoulder and shook him, tears mingling with the blood in his eyes.

The boy remained motionless, his expression almost serene as if he were only sleeping despite the fact that he lay in a puddle of his own blood.

Gohan scanned the teenager's body and couldn't deny the evidence since it'd been staring him in the face the entire time. He'd chosen to ignore it, clinging to some small hope that maybe…just maybe…

The first sob broke free and though he tried to restrain it, his attempt was to no avail. Crimson tears drew gruesome lines down his face as he shifted and rose awkwardly to his knees. Then, he gathered the lifeless body in his one good arm and held the teenager much like a mother would a child in need of comfort.

Why did this happen? Why, after spending the last ¾ of his life protecting this child did it come to such an abrupt end?

He cupped the boy's head against his right shoulder and swayed, baring his teeth at the heavens, "God…damn…you…," he snarled.

'Why couldn't it have been me?'

Gohan crushed the limp boy to his chest and cried like he hadn't cried since he was little. He never thought he'd feel this kind of pain again, not since his father's death. Gohan swore that day he'd never allow anyone to be hurt again but as a child he had been helpless to stop the androids' reign of terror. Even when he made that promise, how could a 10 year old ever hope to accomplish something where everyone else had failed? Each death of his loved ones pushed him further, building his resolve to become stronger so that one day he could end the hell that had gripped the planet for 14 years.

When Gohan finally did accomplish super saiyan, it wasn't enough. After all, his father and Vegeta were super saiyans and it hadn't saved them. So why did he keep fighting when he always lost? Why did the androids allow him to live? If they really wanted to, they could have killed him years ago. But then, where was the fun in that? Who else on the god forsaken Earth could stand against them? They were toying with him. Any idiot could see that! Yet, he played right into their games like a pawn. When would he realize that no matter how much he wanted to do the right thing that it'd never make a difference? It was the damnable saiyan in him that forced him to persevere, an animal instinct that urged him to continue fighting.

Gohan realized that everything he'd strived for had been for nothing… He couldn't save anyone, not Piccolo, not his father, or any of the others… not even Trunks… Now they were all dead except Bulma but eventually they'd get her too. He felt the edges of his psyche beginning to collapse as the darkness of doubt and self loathing descended upon him.

'I've disappointed you father… I've failed everyone.'

Lighting streaked wickedly through the angry sky followed by a crescendo of thunder and as the first drops of rain began to fall Gohan wailed even when he knew they were laughing in spite of his misery. The androids had won again, stripped him of his family and his pride as a man. He had nothing left to live for.

He didn't care.

Gohan threw back his head and screamed, the force of his fury making the ground quake. The air around him cracked and fizzled, forming an impenetrable barrier between him and the torrential rains. The heat radiating from him was enough that his clothes began to singe and smolder. His own tears evaporated long before they had the chance to grace his cheeks. Still clutching the young man's prone form, Gohan resembled something like a star gone nova.

The ensuing cacophony was deafening and at the center of the maelstrom a new and terrible power was being born, the likes of which the universe had never seen before. Waves of immeasurable energy bled from him, wiping the landscape clean of anything that had lived or had once been alive within a 5 mile radius. The ground below, scarred by deepening cracks and fissures imploded at his feet, forming a giant crater that spread a quarter of a mile in every direction.

As it were, the awesome display that could possibly spell the destruction for all civilization had not gone unnoticed. Satellites orbiting the planet were meticulously trained on him, recording the actions of the universe's last great hero as he mourned the loss of a loved one.

The witness, possessing the most brilliant mind that humanity could offer sat in mute horror, her mind attempting to wrap around the happenings of that ill-fated day.

Bulma could scarcely believe what she was seeing but it sent chills down her spine and she had nary a moment to recollect herself before she felt the first wave of nausea. In an instant, she abandoned her vigil and bolted for the loo to empty the contents of her stomach.

Moments later it became apparent that the pandemonium had at last come to an end when the owner of such power began to tire. Physical and mental exhaustion were taking their toll on Gohan. The deadly energy that had only moments ago threatened to consume him and everything else began to ebb.

Stones as big as boulders descended from the heavens, colliding with the ground with thunderous succession that mingled with insanity of the storm.

Shivering in the chilling rain, Gohan sagged. The body he had held so securely felt as though it weighed a ton and he unwillingly released Trunks from his hold till the boy lay crumbled at his side. His whitened eyes faded to the familiar teal green and stiff white-gold spikes relaxed into a rich gold before fading into black altogether. Breathing raggedly he stared mournfully at the angry clouds then collapsed beside his dead friend, unconscious the instant his face struck the mud.

'Trunks is dead…'

With glazed eyes, Bulma stared numbly at the remains of her lunch swirling in the toilet bowl. She grimaced at the wretched taste of bile on her tongue and reached for the flush lever.

No mother ever wished to outlive her child but she knew it would happen one day. Trunks was as stubborn as his father when it came to the opportunity to fight. No matter how hard she tried to protect and persuade him to stay safe at home, he ignored her.

Bulma had no control of her son, simple as that. She could not change who or what he was nor could she deny him that right. It was in his blood and he responded to his instincts, regardless of how his mother felt.

Trunks was drawn to the Androids like a moth to a flame and though Gohan had tried to keep him out of it as Bulma had requested, he eventually gave in. She was well aware that the older boy had begun training her son and it showed in the marks and bruises that Trunks attempted to conceal. Bulma was no fool. She knew her son cared deeply for his mentor and how much it meant to him to be at his side in combat.

When Trunks was nearly killed during his first 'outing' with Gohan, She tried to draw the line but Trunks looked at her with such intensity in his gaze that for a moment she felt as though Vegeta was staring back at her. The little boy was gone and with words wise beyond his fourteen years told her he had to fight. He couldn't bear to see people suffering anymore. There weren't many left in the world who possessed the kind of power he did and he intended to use it for a just cause. It didn't seem fair that he should sit and do nothing.

Bulma knew in her heart she should have told him no but how could she? Trunks made a valid point but she selfishly wanted to keep him to herself. The world didn't need another martyr. The Androids weren't going to take it easy on him just because he was a child and she reminded him of that fact.

Nevertheless, Trunks remained adamant in his decision. His mother could scream till she was blue in the face but it'd do no good in the long run.

With a heavy heart, Bulma conceded though warned that if things got too hairy that he should make the smart decision and retreat, otherwise she'd be burying him too and that was not an option.

Bulma sighed, "If only I'd known how right I was…"

She could not have prepared herself enough for that fated day to come but in sensing that something was wrong she turned to her satellites to be her eyes. A part of her wished that she hadn't looked because of what she observed had induced her sickness, the result of which now occupied the toilet bowl.

It seemed cruel that she was unable to cry more than she had. Death had taken everyone she loved away from her and with each passing, part of her died with them. She had become hardened by her grief and had it not been for her son, Gohan, and Chichi's companionship (shocking as it may seem), Bulma would have lost herself long ago.

'But now…'

Bulma wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and rose shakily to her feet. She Swayed and gripped the towel rack to steady herself then leaned toward the sink to wash out her mouth.

"What'm I gonna do?" She sobbed into her hands.

Gohan had been her last hope. He was the last of his kind and supposedly the strongest but after so many years he was still no closer to defeating those monstrous androids than he was at the beginning of it all.

Bulma splashed cold water on her face and took a mouthful and swished, rinsed and spat. She repeated this process several times then proceeded to brush her teeth thoroughly. What she had witnessed through the satellite video link was grotesque and inhumane. Those twin bastards forced poor Trunks to watch has they violated his sensei and laughed even when her son had begged them to stop.

'Forgive me for thinking this,' she thought to God (though she wasn't sure if one still existed after Kami). '…but death is better than for Trunks to have lived and suffered from the trauma…'

She sniffled, stifling a broken sob and toweled her face dry. How Gohan managed to survive such unspeakable torment was beyond her comprehension. As much as she would have liked to hole herself in her room and drink herself into a stupor, she couldn't live with the thought of leaving Gohan if he was still alive.

With every remaining vestige of her resolve, Bulma began to prepare herself to make the harrowing journey to collect her son and dear friend. If she delayed herself too long, then the androids might return and do something else horrible and if the end of the world had finally come then the least she could do was give Trunks a proper burial.

More than ever, Bulma missed Vegeta and wondered if he felt the same (though he wouldn't dare admit it). She hoped that eventually they'd be reunited in the afterlife but her time had yet to come. Perhaps soon she could finally be at peace but for now there was work to be done. Managing a smile, she hurried to her quarters and gathered several capsules from her bedside table, all of which contained emergency kits, and transport vehicles.

It took an hour's flight to reach the coordinates her GPS had indicated and when she descended from the storm clouds she was appalled by the sheer magnitude of destruction. Though innumerable major cities had sustained a severe amount of damage through the years, what she found was complete and utter devastation. Where Summerville once stood, a massive crater existed in its place and there was only one man on earth that could have done this and he lay at the center of it all.

Mindful of the wind and rain, Bulma expertly guided her plane to the ground several meters away from the mouth of the crater. Unbuckling herself, she reached behind her seat for her rain coat and slipped it on, hesitating for only a moment to listen to the rain pelting the roof of her twelve seat copter.

Her legs trembled fiercely when she stood and it took every ounce of courage she could muster to continue forward. She didn't want to see them like this… She never wanted it to be like this at all. It wasn't right that this had become her sole responsibility. No one ever seemed to be around when she needed them most and more then ever she felt completely alone.

"Why did you have to die?" she hissed through clenched teeth. "If you were here everything would have been better! We could've kept this from happening! You knew I wasn't strong enough but you died anyway!"

Fueled by her anger Bulma approached the hatch and popped it open with the flip of a switch. She was immediately welcomed by a violent gust of cold, wet wind spraying in her face and she took a step back.

"No. You have to do this," she growled.

Bulma forced herself forward through the stinging rain, slipping once then twice but never slowing her pace. Hugging herself, she squinted in the dreary gray haze, bent against the howling gales and approached the source of all the damage. Hair stuck in dark tendrils to her face and neck and she tried in vain to wipe them away but it soon proved a lost cause. 'Some good this coat did… I'm already soaked to the bone!'

The crater yawned before her like a monster and she gulped, suddenly afraid. It was much bigger up close than it was from the sky but visibility was low and she'd clearly misjudged its scale. Feeling a little paranoid, she glanced behind her, half expecting the androids to come leaping out to murder her. Thankfully, nothing came and she was grateful although she doubted she'd hear them with all the noise not to mention their imperceptible ki.

She shook her head, refusing to allow herself to be so negative. 'No intelligent person would be out in this kind of weather!'

Shivering, she peered over the edge and realized the crater was far steeper than she originally assumed. Fortunately, she knew a better way than to risk climbing down unassisted. She reached into her jacket pocket and desperately wished that Mother Nature would lighten the hell up on the weather.

Her silent pleas were to no avail as she fished in her pocket for her hover craft capsule. Recognizing the roughness of the pill shaped device against her fingertips, she pulled it free, pressed the flat button on top and tossed it to the ground with a muted boom. Without hesitation she leapt aboard, flicked on the head light and with a rev of the engine, began her descent.

Bulma gripped the handlebars securely as she searched the area of the rising sludge, glad that the depth of the crater kept some of the wind at bay. "GOHAN!" she called, then mentally slapped herself. 'He's unconscious you idiot! He's not going to hear you!'

"Woah!" her head beam caught something distinctly red partially submerged in the rising water. She swallowed the knot in her throat and drew closer, flipping on the flood lights to have a better look. Her eyes widened when the familiar form of a man lying prostrate in the mud appeared. "GOHAN!" She shrieked her voice cracking.

She ground to a halt with the engine still running and scrambled overboard. She grabbed the young man, fearing that she was too late and that he'd drowned. With a grunt she rolled him over and checked his neck for a pulse. "YATTA!" she cried, relieved to feel a slow but steady heart beat.

Alas, her excitement was short-lived when her thoughts immediately turned to the fate of her son. "Trunks?" She looked all around her, eyes wild with fright. "TRUNKS?!" She turned, hair whipping her face and froze.

"T-Trunks…"

What she saw by satellite did not do justice to the sheer brutality that lead to her son's untimely death… Though water had deluded it greatly, Trunks lay in what was obviously blood, his blood.

Good God, there was so much of it.

Bulma covered her mouth to stifle her scream at the gaping hole in Trunks' midsection 'No.' She thought, bile rising in her throat for a second time that day. She inched closer on her knees and heaved but nothing came.

"Gh..nhgh… kh.gn…NnnnN-NO…NONONONOOOOOOOO!" She lurched forth and threw herself upon him, and howled like a madwoman.

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Recording message in two seconds

Message begin

The time is O' eight hundred hours, Month of June, day eighteen, year seven seventy-four A D.

Gohan, I have an important message for you.

While you were unconscious I examined you and made this recording so if you're wondering how I found the time to do all of what I'm about to tell you, this is why.

Do you remember the time machine you helped me build? Well, I finished it a lot sooner than expected. I had a sense that things were going to take a turn for the worst. You were so busy training and working with Trunks that you never took notice. I wanted so much to tell you the good news but I was compelled to remain silent for reasons such as this.

……

I thought that after all we've been through I was ready for this but when it came time to face reality, to say that I was 'prepared' for the situation is quite an understatement. We all think we have what it takes to stand up to anything, that we have control of our destinies.

As much as I'd like to believe that Son Kun was invincible it seemed ironic that something as insignificant as a virus would result in his death. Neither of us expected it. After all, we were prepared for battle, not for a funeral.

Nh...hn……

That day……

It was so surreal…

Hghk...

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Time seemed to stand still... you know?

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I keep asking myself… Had I known would I have had the power to stop it?

...Ngh..hh…k…C- Could I have created the cure in time to save him?

……………

Before Goku died, I took several blood and tissue samples from him in hope that I could find a cure and after slaving in my lab for what seemed like an eternity, I eventually did. Sadly, the medication that could have saved his life was invented a year too late but I never stopped dreaming about the possibilities.

Suddenly, I was struck by an idea! With the Time Machine completed and the cure in my possession, one of us could travel back in time to rescue him!

I wanted Trunks to go for me because the last thing anyone needs is another 'me' running around. It might create some kind of weird time paradox, God only knows. If he went, then he could meet with Goku before the androids and give him the medicine. Then maybe his life would be spared.

As you can see… those plans never took flight…

I'm sure you've realized the extent of your injuries by now but I won't go into details because it'll only sound worse than it is and I know you've got enough on your mind. The important thing is, all your organs are functional and I've cleaned and bandaged your external wounds as well as setting your dislocated shoulder back into place.

X-rays revealed that your left arm was all but shattered to bits but I did what I could to reset the bones before dressing the cast. Considering how quickly you heal, thanks to your saiyajin physiology, I suggest you keep the cast on for the duration of the two weeks. Physical therapy will help later on so try to move it as much as you can to keep it limber. I'm afraid that you may never regain full use of it without a sensu bean so I'll pray that you can find one there to alleviate your potential disability.

I'm…

sigh ……

I'm so sorry that you've had to go through so much… I wish I could have done something to make them stop. You are as chivalrous as your father and oftentimes I wonder if that has become your curse. The both of you give so much of yourselves without asking for anything in return.

You've made so many sacrifices for my son and I can't begin to say how blessed I am to have had you in his life. You were more a father to him than a brother or a friend…

guh… damn it, I wish I'd stop crying……

but I can't help it…

ngh…nhnn…

N-now, you're probably wondering when and where in history you are so I won't delay further.

blows nose and clears throat

I've sent you to July twenty-ninth, seven sixty A.D., the point in time two weeks before Goku's arrival from planet Yardrat. That should give you time to heal and find help to defeat Freiza if you haven't found any sensu beans by then.

When you have a chance to speak with Goku, tell him about the androids so that he and the others will know what to expect. Goku's medication is in the little glove box below the Time Machine's main console. Make sure he gets it and that he takes it at the first signs of chest pain. The heart virus has to be at full maturity in order for the medicine to do its magic. I've supplied you with several bottles just in case but you should only give it to him twice a day, morning and night for seven days.

I've supplied you all your belongings, which are also located in the glove box along with some information that I want you to give to my other self when the time is right. You'll know when. I've attached an encrypted note for her so she'll be able to make sense of it all.

You should find everything you need in the capsules I've provided you, including my entire life savings. Don't act shocked. You deserve every last cent of it. Besides, I won't need it where I'm going and I want to die knowing you're financially secure.

Now, for the bad news……

By the time you've heard this you will already be gone and I…

…… I will already be dead.

Now don't be upset. There is no one left to defend this planet and the androids are so close now that it is only a matter of time that my life too will come to an end. I intend to die honorably rather than wait for them to arrive. Don't worry. When I've passed, I will be in a good place, high above the hell of earth in heaven with my son. I might even see Goku and I promise to send him and Chichi your love!

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Please don't blame yourself for what happened to Trunks. You did what you could, to the best of your abilities… Once I realized that I could have lost you too, I took matters into my own hands.

The future of the past is secure in your knowledge of what will come in the next three years.

I hope that you will find it in your heart to forgive me. I know you'll thank me later for sending you to the past in my stead…

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Everyone has their moment of glory and my time to make a stand has finally come.

It's my turn to be the hero now.

You're getting a second chance.

Make the best of it and remember…

I'll always love you.

End of Message

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To Be Continued…