A/N: Hey hey! It's pretty short notice, but I was just informed that I will be working really early to really late tomorrow at work, so instead of making everyone wait, I decided to put it out now instead. I will probably end up posting the next chapter on Thursday evening as well. Next week though it will be back to normal. Just a heads up.

On to the chapter. Some new characters are revealed in this chapter. I really enjoyed writing this so I hope you guys like it as much as I did!

Please let me know of there are any big concerns with this chapter. I encourage anyone who has any questions with the story to either comment or PM me and I will explain to the best of my ability within a decent amount of time. Now on with the story!

Note: This chapter takes place in the Mirai Timeline (look at the date in the setting).

"dialogue"

thoughts

"telepathic communication"

~change in setting~

*action*

flashback

Chapter 3: Freeing the Future

~Bulma's Private Laboratory, Capsule Corporation, West City, Age 785~

Bulma Briefs is working on rebuilding her private laboratory that was almost completely destroyed by the androids' latest 'game.' They destroyed over two-thirds of the glassware, emptying out various chemicals on the floor that could be deadly in certain combinations as well as every lab bench and computer except half of a lab bench. Two of the walls have holes in them from where each android entered separately. Fortunately however, the part of the lab that held the landing pad for the time machine as well as the charger were left intact.

Bulma has managed to rebuild both walls as well as take care of all of the chemicals. She is currently rebuilding one of the lab benches when she hears a very loud, but familiar humming noise. Immediately she drops what she is doing and dashes towards the time machine landing pad.

She is met with the sight of a spaceship looking vehicle. It's has an egg-shaped, yellow metal frame with large black rectangle panels lining its outside as well as two rocket boosters on opposite sides and one on the bottom. It has a polyurethane dome top to it that looks to be retractable and is supported by four yellow legs. The size looks like it could only fit one adult inside. The dome suddenly opens up with a hiss and out jumps a grinning teenager no older than nineteen years of age. He has lavender hair in a bowl cut and deep blue eyes, wearing a black tank top with a blue Capsule Corporation jacket and black baggy pants. "Hi mom! I'm home!" the man says excitedly.

"TRUNKS!" Bulma cries, leaping over to her son and sobbing against his chest. She was insanely worried about her son's trip to the past. He had only been gone two days in this timeline but so much has happened in those two days that she was thinking that she might never see her son ever again.

"It's okay mom, I'm here." Trunks consoles his mother soothingly. As his mom continues to sob in his chest, the teenage demi-saiyan looks around the lab and surveys the scene. While it looks like his mother has been cleaning and rebuilding, he can tell that something terrible happened here. He can clearly see the rough patches in two of the walls and can see that the chemical shelves are almost completely empty. He also notices that half of the lab benches are missing and that there isn't a single computer present in the room, which surprises him the most. Usually the lab is filled with computers monitoring the various tracking methods they were able to use on the androids. Clearly they attacked here. That would explain the damage to the lab as well as his mom's hysterics after only two days of absence. She knows that it takes almost a whole day to warp from one timeline to another so she usually doesn't worry too much unless he's gone for a week or more. Oh those androids are going to pay! Trunks mentally promises.

After another good ten minutes, Bulma finally calms down, although a few tears still trickle out of her eyes every so often. "So was your trip a success?" Bulma asks of her only son.

Trunks grins and gives his mom a thumbs up. "Yes, very much so!" Trunks answers very enthusiastically. "Let's move to the living quarters and I'll tell you all about it." With that he puts his arm around his mother's shoulder and walks out of the half-destroyed lab.

~Capsule Corporation Living Quarters~

"UNCLE TRUNKS!" cries a young voice. In almost an instant a blue blur crosses the room and tackles Trunks to the ground.

Trunks catches his breath from the sudden fall and greats the giggling chibi sitting on his chest. "Hey Goken" Trunks manages to huff out, ruffling the chibi's unruly black hair. The boy looks no more than five years old and looks like a carbon copy of the infamous Goku. He has the same hairdo with four big spikes of black hair to one side and three smaller spikes to the other side; he has the same charcoal eyes that shine with the innocence of youth. The most noticeable similarity between the two of them though is the notoriously contagious grin that only a Son could sport. He is however wearing a dark blue gi with an orange long sleeved undershirt and orange sash. There is a small kanji for rice on the front on the left side of the chest with a small white circle in the background and the same kanji but bigger in the middle of the back, a bigger white circle in the background. "Where's your sister?"

"I'm right here Uncle Trunks!" shouts another soprano voice, this one belonging to a young girl no more than eight years in age. While Goken could be considered a clone of Goku, this chibi could be considered a Chichi clone. She has the same facial features of the infamous Son matron as well at those big onyx eyes; the chibi also has long black hair that goes down to her shoulders. She is dressed in the same gi as her little brother. She giggles at the younger chibi's antics. "Goken, why don't you get off of Uncle Trunks so he can breathe."

The chibi reluctantly gets off the trampled demi-saiyan and rubs the back of his head with a grin, allowing Trunks to stand up only to be tackled once again, this time by the other chibi. "PAN!" Trunks yells at the new giggling chibi on top of him. Goken laughs at his sister's trick.

"What Uncle Trunks?" the little girl asks, putting on her best innocent face. She then grins in the famous Son fashion. "You didn't think I would let you get away without a hug now would you? So tell us, did it work? Did you save grandpa?" Pan inquires insistently.

"Well if you would get off of me I will tell you guys." Trunks manages to choke out. Pan immediately leaps off of her sensei and good friend, helping him up in the process. She then repeats the gesture of her brother rubbing the back of her head and muttering an apology to Trunks. "Wow you two are getting strong!" Trunks praises the two chibis. "Anyways yes it worked, Goku survived although his virus hit a lot later than in this timeline. I was about to tell my mom all about it. You guys can join us if you would like."

The chibis nod enthusiastically and race to the large sofa against the back wall of the living room, waiting eagerly for Trunks and Bulma to get over there. Chuckling at the antics of the two children, and not wanting to keep them waiting any longer, makes his way with his mom to the adjacent couch ready to tell the tale of his trip. "You guys ready?" Trunks teases.

"Yes!" Both chibis reply simultaneously, impatience clear in their voices.

"Okay here it goes." Trunks finally starts retelling the story of his visit. "You remember that last time I went back a week ago I gave your grandfather the medicine against the heart virus? Well when I went back two days ago, three years had passed in that timeline. I came back to find that the androids aren't even the same. I found the head of a clown looking android on the battlefield, just abandoned. Obviously my first trip to the past somehow affected that timeline."

"But that's not all that changed." Trunks adds, causing the chibis to lean forward in anticipation. "The timing of your grandpa's heart virus changed as well. He was sick at the time I appeared in that timeline. Thankfully Yamcha took him to his house to get the cure. Apparently he had been fighting the weird android while suffering with it. Talk about toughness and persistence."

"But anyways," Trunks continues. "Apparently Dr. Gero was still alive in that timeline and didn't activate the androids that we know." Bulma's eyes widened at this. "We tried to get to his lab first to destroy them before they were activated… but it was too late. By the time we got there, the androids were activated and they had already killed Dr. Gero." There was a pause at this point where Trunks reflected on how weak and helpless he felt at that point. It must have shown on his face as Pan and Goken had moved over to sit on each of Trunks' legs in an attempt to cheer him up.

"What happened next?" Pan asks innocently, anticipation in her voice. Even though she's only eight years old, Pan is smart for her age, and she is very skilled at reading the emotions of others, especially those close to her. She doesn't want Trunks to dwell on the bad memories and thus attempts to change the subject.

Trunks pulls both chibis close to him, one in each arm as they both continue to sit in his lap. "Well Pan, surprisingly the androids left us alone after they took out Dr. Gero." All three of the listeners gape at that statement. The androids that they know would never let them be. Heck, the androids of this timeline attack people as a game! Trunks continues to tell them about how Vegeta went off to battle the androids on his own and how he got crushed, but he also mentions that the androids didn't try to kill him or the others. To Bulma and the chibis, this also comes as a great shock, but a relief nonetheless.

Finally, Goken asks a question. "Uncle Trunks," He says this somewhat hesitantly. "If the androids weren't bad in that timeline, why did you spend over a year there? Was there something else?" The little boy of only five looks up at the teenager holding him, concerned and the look in his eyes pleads for an answer.

"You know, you remind me a lot of your father with those observation skills." Trunks responds to the five year old, a little taken aback by his question. For a brief moment, Trunks reminisces about his sensei, remembering how observant of everything he used to be. He would be able to point out things in his fighting that no one would ever look for. He even could tell if the minutest details were off when he would help his mother school him. Getting back to answering Goken's question, Trunks says, "You're right Goken. Something else came up. Another android to that we never knew about to be exact."

"Another android?!" Bulma blurts out, her voice sounding more like a shriek, causing the three others present to wince and cover their ears. "How many androids did that wacko Dr. Gero make?"

"Kami mom not so loud!" Trunks demands, still clutching his ears. "I was just getting to that." Trunks proceeds to tell them about Android Sixteen and Cell, describing how Cell was created by the cells of all of the great fighters of the galaxy including all of the Z-fighters and Frieza. He then goes on to tell them how Cell killed millions of people by absorbing their ki as well as Cell's main purpose.

"He wanted to become 'perfect.' In order to accomplish that though, he had to absorb Androids Seventeen and Eighteen."

"I see your problem." Bulma states. "You had to either get rid of Cell or the androids before he absorbed them."

"Exactly," Trunks responds. "Except at that point both the androids and Cell were out of our league. We had to get some serious training done in order to have a chance. So we used the Hyperbolic Time Chamber."

"OOOH!" Pan squeals excitedly. She is bouncing up and down on Trunks' leg. "I've read about that place in daddy's notes you gave me! It's supposed to exist in another time dimension where one day outside equals a year inside. Is that why you look older?"

Trunks chuckles at the girl's antics, also impressed that she knew exactly what he is talking about. "Yes you are absolutely right Pan." He looks at the two chibis in his lap and gives them a sad smile. "You both remind me so much of your father it's crazy." He sighs and the smile fades into a small frown "Kami I miss him. I really wish you could remember him Pan, and I wish you could have met him Goken. You both would love him…" A small tear manages to escape the confines of Trunks' eye. He remembers the last time he saw his sensei. How he went off to fend off the androids from his family. Trunks was training with him at the time when Gohan's wife contacted him through their bond and told him about the attack. Trunks wanted to help, but Gohan had knocked him out when his back was turned. The last thing Trunks remembers about that day was his sensei's words: "Sorry I had to do that to you Trunks, but you're too precious. You may be the Earth's last hope. Train and grow strong. Please look out for Pan for me. Bye… otouto…" Trunks then remembers finding a crying Pan next to her father's dead body, him having been knocked out at the time his senei died being completely useless in the battle...

Trunks is brought out of his heartbreaking memories by two pairs of arms wrapping around his torso. The double hug by the chibis brings a small smile back to his face. "Don't worry Uncle Trunks, you still have us." Pan reminds Trunks with the innocence that only an eight year old could have.

Trunks pulls both chibis close to him and returns the hug. He forces back tears as he puts on a bigger smile. "Thank you guys… you have no idea how much I needed that…" Trunks chokes out. He takes another moment to calm himself and then continues his story. He tells them about how he went in the chamber with Vegeta and got much stronger. He tells them how both he and Vegeta were strong enough to outclass Cell by far, even when he absorbed Android Seventeen. Trunks scowls as he retells how Vegeta let Cell absorb Android Eighteen just so he would have more of a challenge.

"That sure sounds like Vegeta." Bulma says, putting a palm to her face and shaking her head in disgust. "He always was a megalomaniac in my opinion."

"What's a meglomannyak?" Goken asks with his confused face.

"It's megalomaniac Goken, and it means a really cocky person right Uncle Trunks?" Pan answers, peering up at Trunks for confirmation.

Trunks chuckles. He should have figured that Gohan's daughter would already be learning words like megalomaniac at age eight. "Well you're on the right track. A megalomaniac basically is someone who thinks they're the best and puts themselves above everyone else. They think that nothing is better than them." Trunks then looks back at his mother. "You're right, that actually fits dad pretty well. He thought that no matter what Cell did that he would still be better. How wrong he was. Cell's 'perfect' form was powerful beyond belief. No one had a chance, not even Goku…" Trunks looks down at the wide eyed chibis in his lap and couldn't help the smile that found its way on his face. "Hey guys, do you want to hear about how your dad saved the world?"

Both chibis grin and nod enthusiastically while Bulma shoots Trunks an incredulous look. "Gohan beat Cell?! He must have not even been eleven years old at that time?!" She couldn't believe it. She knew Gohan was strong for his age, but the way Trunks was describing Cell, not even Goku stood a chance.

"I know mom," Trunks replies. "Everyone else reacted the same way when it was happening. Here's what happened." Trunks proceeds to tell everyone about how Cell had a tournament to decide Earth's fate. He goes on to talk about how Goku fought Cell first and gave it his all, still not being able to beat Cell. Then Trunks retells them how Goku actually gave up in favor of his son to fight.

"Piccolo I think was the one who protested the most. Goku was so confident in him though that he gave Gohan confidence in himself, so Gohan went out there and fought Cell. He powered up and his ki put Goku's and everyone else's to shame. It really was unreal!" Trunks once again looks down to see the reactions of the chibis and sees a bit of pride in their eyes. He smiles at that. Trunks could remember how proud he was of his sensei's younger self when all of this was happening. "Even then though, Cell let out some of his true power and Gohan got thrown around like everyone else. That was until he told Cell his secret."

Trunks tells his mom and the chibis about how Gohan told Cell about his hidden powers; about how whenever he gets extremely angry that he just loses it and his power overtakes him. He then tells them about how Cell tried to draw out this power by beating all of the Z-fighters to a bloody pulp. Bulma and the chibis gasp at that part. They couldn't even begin to imagine what Gohan was witnessing.

"Despite all of this, to Gohan's credit, he didn't give in. He always told me about his experiences with this power when I was training with him and it sounded like he was out of control when this happened to him. He told me he didn't have any conscious memories of what happened when this happens. He always told me that he never wanted it to happen again. I think he was afraid of the damage that he could do with that kind of power, and I think that's what was going through his head during his fight. Despite everyone's suffering, he still was afraid that he would do more damage than good."

"But remember when I told you that Android Sixteen was a crucial part of Cell's defeat?" Trunks inquires his audience, who is now intently listening. They all slowly nod in response. Trunks continues, "Well Android Sixteen was blown up by Cell earlier in Gohan's fight but somehow, his head got thrown into the middle of the battlefield. Apparently the head was still functional and it started talking to Gohan. I'm not sure what he said, but it was really affecting Gohan. Then Cell butts in and crushes Android Sixteen's head right in front of Gohan." This elicited more gasps from his audience. "After that, Gohan completely snapped. He released so much power that he triggered another super saiyan transformation."

"After he transformed again, Cell was done for. Gohan's ki was through the roof. Compared to Gohan's ki, Cell's was nothing but an insect compared to a T-rex. He proceeded to pummel Cell and eventually killed him once and for all." Trunks deliberately leaves out the part about Gohan losing control of himself and torturing Cell to no end as well as the part about threatening his father. He doesn't think the chibis need to know that part.

"Uncle Trunks, what's wrong?" Goken asks innocently, concern lacing his voice. "You look sad for some reason. Did something else happen to my daddy?"

Damn those chibis and their observation skills! Trunks thought he was hiding his emotions pretty well too. "I can't hide anything from you can I?" Trunks mumbles, half-chuckling. "Oh well I guess I'll tell you. You deserve to know." Trunks pauses to gather his thoughts. "Well when your dad transformed again, like I said something inside of him snapped. He lost all of his compassion and mercy that he was known for and was only left with fury and revenge…" Trunks pauses again. This is so hard to relive. "He lost himself and started torturing Cell. He kept on pummeling him until he was hanging on by a mere thread. Yet… he kept him alive… just so he could suffer more…" Trunks fights back tears at this point. "I never knew an eleven year old boy could be so cruel. Those were the scariest few moments of my life. My sensei… my oniisan… was torturing someone… I wouldn't even put the androids through what he put Cell though... and that's not even all!"

Trunks lets a few tears escape now, but is determined to finish retelling the story. "When Goku was trying to get Gohan to stop, he not only refused, but he threatened his own father! When he looked at us, daring us to stop him, the look in his eyes… was the scariest thing I've ever seen…" Trunks finally can't contain his tears any longer as he starts crying. The chibis are wide eyed, but Bulma is hysterical. She couldn't believe that such a sweet, innocent child such as Gohan would be able to do anything of the sort.

Trunks cries a little longer until he can calm himself. The chibis are still shocked. They've never seen Uncle Trunks cry! He's the toughest person ever! This must have been seriously horrifying. They try their best to help by giving him another hug but even this doesn't quell the tears for another few minutes.

Trunks is beside himself. He hasn't had an emotional breakdown like this since Gohan died five years ago. Even the chibis aren't helping this time. Reliving the fear that his sensei and best friend might have become just as bad, if not worse than Cell is too much for him to contain. Only after he remembers that Gohan had come back to his old self can he finally control himself.

After he finally calms down, Trunks continues his tale. "As bad as those moments were though, I still can be proud of your father since in the end, he caught himself and became the loving Gohan we all knew. Cell, despite all of that torture was still conscious and was planning on self-destructing in order to blow up the planet. Since Gohan was back to his normal self and was plenty powerful enough to destroy Cell at this point, he noticed this before Cell could gather enough ki and blasted him away with a giant Kamehameha wave."

"Wowee!" Goken shouts, obviously very entertained by the way his father destroyed Cell. "That's so cool!"

Trunks chuckles at how excited the chibi is. "Yes it was quite the sight." He says in response. "Your father was so exhausted after everything though that he passed out as soon as he knew the battle was won. We had to take him to the lookout to get him healed. Since Piccolo had fused with Kami in prepar–"

"Hold on!" Bulma interrupts, now sporting a very surprised expression. "Piccolo fused with Kami?! I know those two used to be one being, but they both hated each other with a passion!"

"That's the way everyone else reacted too!" Trunks answers, amused at how similar his mother's reaction is to everyone else's. "But it happened. Anyways where was I?"

"You said you had to go to the look out to heal daddy!" Pan answers, wanting to hear the rest of Trunks' tale.

"Oh yeah! Thanks Pan," Trunks replies, now remembering what he was going to say. "Well after Piccolo and Kami fused to prepare for Cell, the dragonballs became inert since they were connected through Kami. Since we knew we needed to revive all of those that Cell killed though, we needed a new Guardian, so Goku used instant transmission to get another Namekian to be Guardian. I think you actually know this Namekian mom."

Bulma thinks it over. She knew most of the Namekians since they stayed at Capsule Corps. for almost a year while looking for a new planet to live on, but she can only think of one that would want to become Earth's Guardian, and after coming to this realization, her eyes widen, causing the chibi's to look at her in confusion and her son in amusement. "DENDE?!" She finally blurts out. "You've got to be kidding me Trunks he was only a kid at that time!"

Trunks chuckles at his mom's reaction. "Yep he was, but then again so was Gohan." At that statement, Bulma nods in understanding, but is still shocked nonetheless. "Anyways," the demi-saiyan continues, "He was brought to Earth by Goku and he actually did it! He created another set of dragonballs!"

"Trunks what does any of this have to do with daddy getting healed at the lookout?!" Goken asks, impatience clear in his five year old voice.

"Hold on Goken, I'm getting there," Trunks calmly answers, making the five year old pout cutely. "Well Dende, the new Guardian, he has healing powers. So we brought your father to the lookout so Dende could heal him. After that, we summoned Shenron to revive all of those that were killed by Cell an–"

"We interrupt this program to bring an update on the androids!" The radio interrupts Trunks. Everyone turns and listens to the broadcast intently. "They were last seen attacking South City around a minute ago."

"Well that's my cue," Trunks says nonchalantly, cutting off his tale. "I'm going to put a stop to this once and for all."

"Trunks!" Bulma exclaims, frantically trying to get her son to change his mind about the whole thing. "I don't know about this. I don't want to lose you, son!"

Pan however tries to reassure Bulma. "Auntie Bulma, I think Uncle Trunks can do it. His ki is a lot higher than it was before he left" the young girl explains. "So much so that I can't even feel the end of it like I could before."

Goken nods in confirmation and Trunks gives Pan an appreciative smile. "She's right mom. I could have taken down Cell after he absorbed Android Seventeen in the past, and those androids were much stronger than the ones in this timeline." Trunks then turns super saiyan to prove his point.

Bulma takes a good look at her son. His eyes show the same determination he's always had, but they also show so much confidence like they never did before. The last time she saw that kind of confidence is when she saw Goku fight a very long time ago. She sighs before smiling. "All right, you win. Go bring peace to our timeline son!"

Trunks gives his mother a quick hug, then a thumbs up to the two chibis and takes off toward South City.

~South City Ruins~

"Eighteen all of the humans in this city are dead! Come on let's get out of here!" shouts a young man around twenty years of age. He has shoulder length black hair with ice blue eyes that strike fear in those that gaze into them. He wears a black tee-shirt with a long sleeved white shirt underneath. The black tee has an emblem that is two white R's with a red background shaped into a bowtie looking shape. He also has dark blue jeans with a brown belt and a gold oval belt buckle. To top off his look, he sports an orange bandana, which he wears around his neck. All in all, he looks like a normal human being.

"I'm still not talking to you!" retaliates a young woman around the same age. Both the man and woman look very similar as if they were twins. The woman has the same icy blue eyes and facial features; however, she has shoulder length blond hair. She is wearing a black long-sleeved tee-shirt, but the sleeves are white with thin black pinstripes. She also has a dark blue vest on that bears the same emblem as the man she is with and even darker blue pants.

The woman is currently destroying everything in sight. Shooting ki beams out of her hands, she blasts all of the buildings, causing mass destruction. There are no signs of life throughout the destruction unfortunately making the man's earlier statement ring true.

"Common Eighteen, you're just being a sore loser!" shouts the man over all of the destruction taking place. The woman just blasted a fifty story skyscraper, making it come tumbling down into smoke and rubble. "Or is this because I destroyed that clothing store or that one guy you actually thought was cute!"

"You never let me have any fun!" the woman shouts back. "Every time I find something yo–" she is cut off by a hard kick to the face that came from above her. She goes flying into a building that was still intact, but barely, making it collapse on her. In the place where the woman stood seconds ago is a familiar golden haired demi-saiyan.

"HA!" laughed the man, pointing at the woman mockingly. "That's what you get for being such a bitch!"

The rubble that the woman was buried under suddenly shoots up. It flies everywhere, revealing the blonde haired woman, clothes in tatters but otherwise unharmed. "Dammit! I had to go to four different clothing stores to find this outfit! Seventeen, let's kill this guy! I'm tired of playing around with him."

Trunks wears an expression of complete anger and determination, staring sharply at the two people that caused the destruction of his timeline. "You androids are ruthless!" Trunks says coldly. "You two go around killing people and destroying cities just for the fun of it! You even had the nerve to attack my mother and my little siblings when I was away!" Trunks flares his super saiyan aura and, wasting no time, charges the black haired man, Android Seventeen. He moves faster than the android can detect and Trunks is suddenly right in front of the android, his palm outstretched to the androids face. "THIS IS FOR GOHAN!" Trunks shouts, firing a devastating ki blast at the defenseless android. The blast disintegrates the android from existence.

The blonde haired woman, Android Eighteen, looks at the crater the ki blast created with complete shock and horror. "Seventeen!" She cries. "You killed him! How could you?!"

"How could you kill all of those people that you've been terrorizing?!" Trunks shouts back, indignation clear in his voice. "You're just scared because you know you're outclassed! Now you know what all of the people that have been living in this world have been feeling like the last eighteen years! Well it's time to end this!" Trunks flashes his aura around him and vanishes at a speed the android can't follow only to reappear with his fist in the android's gut, causing her to cough up blood. He then gives her a devastating uppercut to the jaw, sending her flying into the sky.

The android recovers from the blow in time to look at a huge ki blast coming towards her. She doesn't have time to block it and takes the full brunt of the blast, giving her third degree burns all over her body. She starts falling out of the sky only to be grabbed by Trunks by the neck, choking her.

"This is for all of the ones you've murdered mercilessly!" Trunks cries victoriously as he charges up another giant ki blast with his free hand. He blasts her to the next dimension without a trace of her cyborg body remaining.

Trunks returns to the ground, powering down back to his base form. It's over… wait no, there's one more thing to take care of. Trunks takes off towards Capsule Corp. knowing all too well that in around three years, Cell will surface, and once that deed is done, then it will be over.

~Capsule Corporation Training Chamber, West City, Age 788~

"You're almost there Goken!" encourages Trunks. "Think of how the androids attacked you, Pan, and Auntie Bulma! Let the need to protect them flow through you! That's the trigger!"

Over the last three years, Trunks has taken it upon himself to train Goken and Pan to be able to help defend the Earth from another crisis like the androids. He figures that he would need all of the help he could get, and who could have more potential than the son and daughter of Gohan?

Pan had already shown her potential when she transformed into a super saiyan for the first time a year ago at the tender age of ten, proving her to be the youngest super saiyan ever! She even learned to master the transformation after only a month of intense training.

Goken has been even more remarkable. At the age of eight, he continues to look more and more like his grandfather Goku, and he's proving that he can fight like him too! Right now he is on the verge of transforming for the first time and is doing remarkably well. All he needs is that one final push.

Both have also caught on remarkably well when it comes to fighting techniques. They both were able to learn the kamehameha wave, burning attack, masenko blast, as well as a couple of their own signature techniques. Their progress has come along much faster than Trunks could have predicted, not that it's a surprise to him.

Training the chibis has proven to benefit Trunks greatly as well. While correcting errors in the chibis' fighting, he is able to recognize some of his own flaws as well. The chibis, being as observant and quick learning as they are also are able to point out things as well. Trunks, while not too much more powerful, has progressed dramatically in fighting fundamentals and technique as a result.

Over the past three years in the Mirai timeline, Trunks informed the remaining news crews of the androids defeat. He never claimed credit for it however, saying it was the doing of 'the gold saiyan.' Since the announcement had been made, people came out of hiding all around the world and rejoiced. They were pleased to find that there were many more survivors than they thought, although the population of the Earth is only a little over ten million instead of almost seven billion. Even so, the remaining survivors started to rebuild and have made remarkable progress getting things as back to normal as possible.

"Grr…" Goken growls, remembering the memory like it is happening at the moment. He and Pan were playing in the courtyard when they heard Auntie Bulma scream from the lab that they weren't allowed to go in. He and Pan had decided that they should check it out and try to defend their Auntie Bulma, or at least get her out of there. As they approached, Goken had watched helplessly as the androids destroyed half the lab. With Uncle Trunks still in the past, Goken could only watch as the androids threw Auntie Bulma across the lab, knocking her unconscious. Luckily, they thought she was dead and took off, not noticing the two chibis.

Well no more! Goken thinks, determination clear in his thoughts. I will never let that happen again! I must protect the ones I love! "Gyahh!" screams Goken at the top of his lungs. His hair flickers from black to gold and his eyes from onyx to teal for a few moments before his hair stays gold and spikes up in the exact same fashion as Goku's super saiyan transformation. His eyes stay a solid teal and a bright golden aura surrounds him as evidence of the complete transformation.

"You did it otouto!" screams Pan in delight. She is so happy for her brother that she is on the verge of tears. He's been so close for the past month. He had the ki; all he needed was the right trigger.

"That's it!" yells a grinning Trunks. "Now concentrate on controlling it! You need to calm down!"

Goken struggles controlling the transformed state for a few more seconds and then drops it, collapsing from exhaustion. His hair and eyes return to normal and now he's on all fours, panting and sweating. Pan runs over and tackles her little brother in a crushing hug as Trunks makes his way over.

"You did it Goken! You're a super saiyan!" Pan enthusiastically tells him.

"Easy there Pan the kid's exhausted." Trunks says chuckling. "Let him catch his breath." Pan reluctantly gets off of her brother and helps him stand, muttering apologies. "So Goken," Trunks continues once he is standing. "How does it feel?"

"I… feel… incredible!" Goken pants, still trying to catch his breath. "I felt… so much more… powerful… it was like… there was an… endless well of ki… at my disposal."

"Indeed." confirms Trunks. "It usually feels that way the first time because what you feel is the whole potential of your new transformed body." Trunks gives Goken a pat on the back. "I'm really proud of you Goken!"

Suddenly, all three of them turn their heads in the same direction, all having felt a powerful ki to the northeast. Finally you show yourself Cell. Trunks thinks. Now we can finally bring all of this to a complete end.

"U-uncle Trunks?" asks Goken, a look of fear on his face. "Who are all of those people and why does their ki make me feel so cold?"

Trunks realizes that this is the first time that the chibis have felt an evil ki since the androids didn't have a ki signature to track them by. He also realizes that Cell's ki signature is confusing them since it feels like multiple kis at once. "Well Goken, those ki signatures you feel most definitely belong to Cell. You can tell because it feels like multiple people at once. I can feel your grandpa, your dad, Krillin, Piccolo, my dad, even myself and you guys." Trunks explains, giving both chibis wide eyes. "The reason it's so cold is because he is evil. That's what a dark ki signature feels like. Whereas whenever I feel one of you guys it gives me warmth, guys like Cell give you the chills." Trunks looks at the worried faces of the chibis and gives them a reassuring smile. "There's really nothing to worry about guys. Cell's not really a threat to me without both androids, and I destroyed them three years ago, though I must stop him now in order to keep him from absorbing innocents."

Trunks transforms into a super saiyan. "I'll be back before you know it. Keep an eye on Auntie Bulma for me!" Trunks then flies off towards Cell's ki signature, giving the chibis a quick wave.

"Uncle Trunks, be careful!" cries a worried Pan waving back to the retreating form of her sensei.

~North City Mountain Area~

Cell is currently prowling outside of North City getting used to his new body. For the last four years he has been in his larval state, keeping a low profile until he was ready for metamorphosis. Now that he's an adult, he is searching for life energy to feed off of, and what better than one of the major cities of the world. His prowling is interrupted when he feels an abnormally strong ki signature heading his way.

Ah that must be Trunks. Cell says in his thoughts. He should be an excellent source of life energy! Good thing I know everything about him and he knows absolutely nothing about me. Still, I think I will surprise him by hiding my position for now. Cell dashes into the surrounding mountains and hides his ki signature.

Trunks lands right by where he last felt Cell's ki. "Come out Cell!" He shouts. "I know you're out there! I bet you're searching for Androids Seventeen and Eighteen! That's the only way you'll complete your goal to become perfect. That's what you want right?"

Cell is dumbfounded to say the least. He can't help but come out of hiding and inquire the golden haired demi-saiyan how he knew all about him. "What!? How do you know all of that already?!" Cell exclaims incredulously.

"Well there's no need to search for the androids Cell," Trunks continues, ignoring Cell's inquiry. "I destroyed them three years ago."

"Impossible!" Cell indignantly cries. "My data tells me that you don't even have the strength to fight the androids!" Cell then thinks it over for a moment trying to make sense of the situation. "Wait, I get it now, you learned about me in the past and found the androids weakness in the past as well. No matter, you should still be no match for me, I will kill you and then take a little trip to the past!"

Trunks just smirks. "Well you see Cell you're right; I did go to the past, and I fought you Cell. You were strong, incredibly so when you were complete. However, as you are now, you're nothing!" Without warning, Trunks blasts Cell with an invisible wall of ki, sending the unsuspecting android flying off in the distance away from the city. Trunks pursues after the android as soon as he is out of sight.

By the time Cell regains control of himself, he has traveled well over 100 miles. He lands on top of a plateau with Trunks landing on a plateau across from him.

"So your trip to the past made you a little stronger," Cell admits, although there is still a smug look on his face. A golden aura explodes around Cell and he raises his ki to its maximum. "But to say I'm nothing is a joke!"

Trunks compares Cell's ki to his own and actually laughs. "Wow Cell. You really are nothing! I know someone else that actually could probably defeat you, an eleven year old girl to be exact!" A golden aura explodes around Trunks now, twice as big and bright as Cell's.

"You're bluffing!" Cell shouts, although he knows that's a lie by the feel of Trunks' ki. Still, he holds his confident façade. "You can't even defeat me, let alone any girl!" Cell charges Trunks only to strike an afterimage.

"No Cell! You're finished! The nightmare's over!" Trunks shouts from the top of a mountain behind Cell. Both of his hands are outstretched in the classic diamond formation of his signature attack. "BURNING ATTACK!" A huge orange wave of ki flies out of Trunks' hands straight at Cell, destroying every cell of his existence.

Trunks drops his super saiyan transformation and takes a big sigh in relief. "Now it's finally over." He then puts on a smile and flies back to Capsule Corps. to tell everyone the good news.

~Capsule Corporation Living Quarters, West City~

Pan and Goken are watching a movie with Bulma when the two chibis notice Trunks' ki coming in their direction. "Auntie Bulma, Trunks is back!" Pan shouts in joy. "And I don't feel that dark ki anymore either!"

At that moment, Trunks flies in through the open window. He is prepared for the chibis this time and manages not to get knocked down by their hug. Trunks pries off the chibis, ruffling their hair. "Hey guys. Miss me?"

"Wow Uncle Trunks!" Goken excitedly says. "I didn't know you were so strong! That felt incredible! You beat that guy like he was nothing!"

Trunks chuckles at the chibi's excitement. "Well to tell you the truth, he was strong, but all of our training together has really paid off! I bet you Pan could have beaten that guy too if she went all out."

Pan looks up at Trunks in awe. "You really think I'm that strong?" she says unsure if she heard him right.

Trunks picks up Pan and holds her at eye level. "I know so." He says confidently. He gives her a quick hug before he puts her back on the ground.

Goken goes over to his sister who is still speechless from Trunks' declaration. "Wow neesan! You're really strong!" he declares, super impressed. "That evil guy felt really strong, yet Uncle Trunks says you could have beaten him!"

As Goken continues to praise Pan and beg her to show him her true strength, Trunks walks over to his mother and gives her a hug. "It's over mom. It's finally over," Trunks says happily. "There's only one thing left I need to do. I promised everyone in the past that I would come back and tell them the good news once I freed our timeline."

Bulma hugs back and looks at the man her son has become. She couldn't be any more proud of him that she is right now. "Alright, son. It will be nice for you to visit on a happier note for a change." She then starts walking towards her private lab. "I'll get the time machine ready."

At the mention of the time machine, the chibis rush over to Trunks." Uncle Trunks?" Pan asks innocently. "Can we go with you to the past?"

"We really want to see our daddy," adds Goken. Both of them then give Trunks their best Son puppy dog eyes.

Trunks, unable to say no to that look, says, "Why don't you ask Auntie Bulma. She knows more about this kind of stuff than I do." He hopes that they accept that answer because he doesn't know how much more of that look he can resist before giving in.

"Okay!" both chibis respond simultaneously, running down the hallway towards Bulma's lab. Trunks sighs in relief and follows after them.

~Bulma's Private Laboratory~

"Auntie Bulma!" the voices of two chibis rings throughout the laboratory.

"Now what do you two want?" Bulma says, trying to sound irritated, but can't help but smile at the two chibis.

"We asked Uncle Trunks if we could go to the past with him and he told us to ask you because he said you know the time travel stuff better than he does so we would like to ask you if we could go to the past with Uncle Trunks because we would like to see our daddy and our mommy and our grandpa and grandma and you and Uncle Vegeta and–"

"You want to go to the past with Uncle Trunks?" Bulma cuts off the hyperactive eight year old.

"Yeah!" Both shout simultaneously. They await Bulma's answer eagerly, throwing in the puppy dog eyes for good measure.

Bulma seriously ponders their request. This isn't the greatest idea. They could jeopardize their existence in that timeline. But on the other hand, they could get to meet Gohan, even though he's only a little older than Pan in that timeline. However if they meet Gohan, they absolutely cannot meet their mother. That would seriously jeopardize their existence. Oh man what do I say? Bulma takes a look at those puppy dog eyes one more time and finally caves. "Oh alright–"

"YEAH!" The chibis cry in delight.

"I finally get to meet daddy!" Goken shouts, dancing around in circles with Pan.

"BUT" Bulma continues, getting the attention of both chibis. As much as she loves seeing them as happy as they've been in a very long time, she has to reiterate that there are rules that they have to follow. "There are certain rules you both have to follow. You guys just being there has some serious risks to your existence in that timeline, so rule one. When you meet your dad, you have to make sure that you do not say who your mother is. In time they will find each other, but at this point in time your dad is only a little older than Pan." The chibis nod at this. That shouldn't be so hard right?

"Rule two. You are to be with at least one of the competent Z-fighter adults or your father at all times during your trip. No going off on your own. We don't know what your actions could do to alter the timeline. As you already saw with Trunks' first two trips, his presence alone did things such as delay the heart virus that your grandfather got." Again the chibis nod their head. That's a reasonable request. Besides they want to be with their family and friends for as long as they can anyways.

"Rule three. If you run into your mother, you cannot tell her that you are her kids from the future. I know–" Bulma cuts off the chibis' protests. "You want to meet her and tell her all about yourself, but unlike your father, she was not originally part of our group. In fact, at that point, I would not be surprised that because of her father that she would even believe you. You have to remember that to people outside of our group, concepts such as ki control and time travel are all either foreign, or completely mythical to them, especially for her family. If you walk up to her and say 'Hi I'm your kid from the future' then that might scare her. Do you guys understand? This is a very important rule. If you're not willing to follow this one, then you can't go back with Uncle Trunks." Bulma gives them a stern look at this and reluctantly, the chibis nod their heads in understanding of the rule.

"Alright then, since you guys understand the rules, you can go. Hey Trunks!" Bulma shouts out the door. Trunks comes on in a few moment later

"Yeah mom?" Trunks responds, grinning at the grinning chibis by her side. "I take it by their faces that you told them they could go."

"Yes, and I debriefed them on the conditions. It's up to you to reiterate these rules to the Z-fighters and to make sure these two follow them." Bulma says sternly. She then drops the serious attitude and gives him a smile. "This is a great opportunity for them to meet their family and friends. I bet you Chichi will flip out about grandkids."

Trunks and Bulma both laugh at that statement. "Flip out is an understatement!" Trunks adds in between laughs. He and Bulma eventually calm themselves down and then Trunks addresses his mother once more. "So, is the time machine ready?"

"Yes, all systems are go." Bulma confirms. "Have fun you three."

"Thanks mom!" Trunks replies. He then looks at the two chibis that recently came by his side. "You guys ready to meet your dad?"

"Yeah!" is their enthusiastic reply.

Trunks opens the top hatch of the time machine and climbs in and programs the machine. He then beckons the chibis to climb in. They all squeeze together and Trunks closes the overhead dome. "See you in two days mom!" Trunks shouts as the time machine rises into the air and eventually vanishes from that timeline.

Translations:

chibi- cute kid, dwarf

oniisan- older brother (formal)

niisan- older brother (informal)

oneesan- older sister (formal)

neesan- older sister (informal)

otoutosan- younger brother (formal)

otouto- younger brother (informal)

ki- energy

sensei- teacher, master