A/N: Whoo! The first story in a while! I'm currently working on the chapters of my other stories so don't freak out too much. XD This is my first DBZ fic, soooo.... yeah. Be a little gentle, please. This fic was pretty much inspired by the songs Uprising and Resistance by Muse. I know it's not great, but I tried. :P Please leave a comment and tell me what you thought!
Disclaimer: DBZ is owned by Akira Toriyama. Period.
In the early hours of the morning, anyone could be fooled into thinking that civilization had died on Earth. With the cities and towns in utter ruins and no signs of life, it was very easy to be fooled into that belief. West City had been completely decimated; once-skyscrapers were littered with large holes and leaning haphazardly on their foundations, ready to topple to the ground and grass grew up between the pavement on the side walks and in the roads. The only building semi-intact was the former Capsule Corporation Compound where the wealthiest family, the Briefs, had lived. Now, Bulma and her seventeen year old son Trunks, the last of the Briefs, were hiding out in the ruined house.
At 4o'Clock to 6o'Clock Bulma could work on humanity's last hope, the Time Machine with relative ease. The Androids hadn't attacked in the early morning in quite some time, and she had a small amount of hope that they wouldn't attack in the mornings anymore. She knew that the Androids knew that there were slim pickings early in the morning. Most people tried to get their supplies in the middle of the night, and recuperated the rest of the day, watching for a new attack.
The preparations the humans underwent could only be likened to a sci-fi movie in which humanity was making its last stand against an incredible evil. Under the cities were giant catacombs dug out after the initial attacks in which the humans realized that nothing would save them. Now, the catacombs stretched out under each of the cities and a few tunnels branched off to connect to the catacombs under the other cities. In that sense, humans were connected with each other through these tunnels, getting supplies too and from communities.
Despite this connection and the willingness of people to band together, they still hadn't figured out how to destroy the Androids and several sectors had had to be destroyed when they had been attacked. The people of Earth had realized years ago that they would likely be exterminated. In a lot of regards, they had been right; humanity was on the brink of destruction and extinction. There was likely little that humans could do to replenish their numbers, and even then they would just be killed by the Androids anyway. Many people had died in the trying to find breach in the Androids' defenses, but every time they had failed in finding a weakness.
As the days waned Bulma knew her only son, Trunks was training, trying to boost his strength for a last onslaught on the Androids. She knew and couldn't bring herself to stop him. She knew that Trunks desperately wanted to stop the Androids. It was his sole purpose for existing at this point in his life. He had expressed several times in the heat of the moment that he wanted to protect her most of all from the Androids, and that he wouldn't rest until they were stopped.
Bulma let him train for his pride's sake. She understood that he would never let himself live with it if the Androids successfully attacked the last human strongholds and destroyed more lives. He was too much like his father in that regard.
That didn't mean however, that Bulma could bring herself to understand that her son could die at anytime. She wouldn't let herself think of it. He was the Earth's last resistance.
It was November twenty third when the Androids attacked after a six month period of peace. Trunks had just gotten home to find his mom working on the last touch ups for the Time Machine. He had braved the daylight and gotten the two of them more provisions without incident, and he found Bulma an hour later, crouched down with a cigarette in her mouth as she detached heavy power cords from the power supply. The Time Machine was successfully charged for a round trip to the past. Silently, Trunks marveled at his mother's genius and ingenuity. She had definitely accomplished the impossible in making the machine.
Bulma straightened up, and then noticed him. "Hey Trunks! I finally built up enough power for a round trip in the Time Machine! Unfortunately, since the Androids destroyed my lab, I won't be able to test it…" She smiled hugely and drew on her cigarette, smoke curling out of her nostrils.
He set down their supplies, genuinely impressed with his mother's accomplishment. "Really mom? That's great. But do we really need to study the Androids in the past? I'm a lot stronger now…" and it was the truth. Trunks had ascended to Super Saiyan three years ago when Gohan had died, and since then he had trained diligently to increase his strength.
"Trunks, it's not that simple. You're stronger, yes, but do you think you're any stronger then Gohan was when they killed him?"
Trunks frowned and snapped; he hated the Androids and his being able to defeat them had always been a sore subject for him. "Mom, I know I can beat them! I know-"
Suddenly his tirade was interrupted by the radio breaking in over the music his mother had been listening to, "We interrupt this broadcast to announce that the Androids have begun an attack 300 Kilometers south of West City…"
Trunks didn't stop to listen to the rest of the broadcast as he leapt into motion, grabbing his sword and swiftly clasping it over his back.
"Trunks! No! Stop! Please!" He didn't stop, screaming back instead, "I'll beat them! I promise!" And he was gone.
Bulma watched him go, worry coiling in her stomach and causing her to feel incredibly sick. "Trunks…" She knew he would do everything he could to stop them, but she didn't think it would be enough. The Androids were stronger than anything she'd ever seen, and her only son had just leapt out of the figurative door to challenge them. "Oh, Kami…" She sat down in a slump in the nearest chair. Worry gnawing at her and she drew on her cigarette deeply to stem the worry. It wasn't enough, and she took another.
She would sit like this until he thumped to the ground in front of her in a bloody mess. He had obviously flown back with the last of his strength, and she nearly screamed at the state of him. She quickly moved him to the closest hospital that was still in working order, and five days later, he woke up from near death.
It was the closest Bulma had come to the realization that her son could die in the struggle.
A few weeks passed and Trunks was back in top shape, training when he had the time, but mostly helping his mother in the final preparations for the Time Machine. For the two of them it was a tearful goodbye the day he would leave. It was silent for a time as the two struggled with their emotions long enough to have a proper good bye. Trunks had inherited his father's inability to properly show his emotions, and Bulma didn't want to say goodbye to her only son. Who knew when and if he'd be able to get back safely?
"I can't wait to see Dad," he admitted as they stood outside, making last preparations for the excursion into the past.
Bulma hesitated then said softly, "Don't get your hopes too high. Vegeta was really proud and arrogant. He didn't show emotion a lot, so don't go looking for your long lost father. He won't even know you exist yet, ok?" It seemed as though her words went through one ear and out the other, and she knew it. The grin on his face didn't falter in the slightest.
"I know Mom. You've told me the stories. Dad was cold, I got it."
Bulma sighed and then handed him Goku's medicine and gave him a strong hug. "Trunks, be careful."
"Mom, I think you're the one that's gonna need to be careful." He gave her a rueful smile and kissed the top of her head. He'd developed the habit once he'd gotten taller than her and did it out of worry. He knew the dangers, knew what the Androids could do. "Get underground, ok? The guys down there will keep you safe."
He patted her shoulder reassuringly and adjusted his sword strap nervously.
"I'll be ok. You just get Goku his medicine. I'm counting on you!" Before he got into the machine Bulma grabbed a permanent marker from her pocket and wrote in big, bold letters HOPE on the side of the capsule. "So you can think of me whenever you see it!" She looked at him, her only son, with tears in her eyes. "You're our last hope Trunks. You're the resistance."
He nodded and leapt into the cockpit. "I know mom. I'll be back, I promise." With that goodbye, Trunks lowered the top and punched the thruster button. The engine roared to life and he rose up into the sky, and from below Bulma watched worriedly as she hoped that the machine would work and send him back in time.