THE BET: CHAPTER 4- CRASH AND BURN

Trunks: 16 years old- His hair is still parted to the right.

Goten: 15 years old

FRIDAY: ELEVEN PM

Three years later, Trunks looked at his time machine, and wondered if it still worked. He had another year to go and was worried that since he had just been working on the interior, and had been focusing most of his energy on training, and not actually used the time machine in the past two years, that maybe it wouldn't work in a year.

So he figured another try-out session was in order.

Making sure he had his tools and mechanical supplies in a capsule, and a good set of clothes in another, he closed his capsule box and put it in his jacket pocket, then grabbing the small bag of six senzu beans, he walked up to the time machine. He was hoping his mom and dad would not notice them missing from their emergency supply.

Taking a breath, he flew in to his machine and closed the glass dome, then making sure his sword was secured he closed the glass dome and activated his time machine. Wearing his light blue jacket, his sword, white t-shirt, and dark blue pants and yellow boots, he went to the Past, hoping this experience would be A LOT better than his previous trip.

On arrival, he noticed he was in a ruined city. Capsuling his time machine quickly, he looked around when he heard a couple of voices near a few ruined cars. Flying over to where the voices were, he wondered what was going on as he went in to a building.

Hearing a few humans' scream, he was surprised that 18 popped up in front of him.

"Hey 17 we missed one." 18 as she looked at him, she suddenly punched him up in to the ceiling.

"Good, I didn't want the fun to end just yet."

Trunks landed on his side, as he heard the masculine voice of 17. Trunks tried landing several punches and kicks, and did on many accounts, he even turned Super Saiyan, but nothing he did seemed to faze them, no matter how hard he tried. Then he decided to try many chi blasts and a lot of his other techniques, but they didn't seem to work.

Nothing worked.

17 and 18 were just way to strong!

"He's no fun anymore, what do you saw we kill him 17?"

"Sure why not?"

Trunks was afraid, so much so that he didn't know what to think, they-18 and 17, were just going to kill him-just like that.

Trunks was out of breath as the two looked at him from where they had pummeled him in to the ground in the flower garden, he clenched on to his Super Saiyan form with every ounce of energy, knowing now it was his lifeline.

How could 18 do this? Then again they weren't serious, were they?

17 suddenly asked 18, "You don't mind if I do the honors?"

'She didn't?' Trunks thought as he saw her just shrug and look like she didn't care. He suddenly saw and sense the powerful chi blast coming from 17's finger in to his stomach making him land in the water, he was powerless to stop it. He felt the ice cold water entering from every one of his wounds like icicles piercing his skin, and saw his own blood floating in front of him, then felt his lungs burning with the need for oxygen as he struggled to the surface.

For once in his life he didn't mind the sharpness of a rock grazing and piercing in to his skin as he grasped on to it and felt it dig deeper as he pulled himself up as the rock's cut grew wider and deeper as he did.

He couldn't help but groan as he took his hand off of the rock, but apparently it upset the two androids.

"Darn him! I give him credit he's tougher than I thought." 17 said as he turned around and glared at him.

'What did I do?' Trunks thought as he felt his eyes grow heavy and his body go weak from everything that he had just been through.

Suddenly he heard something and felt a huge painful chi blast hit his stomach and felt his back and spine shriek in pain from hitting something hard.

He felt them land. He heard 18's voice as she pronounced him dead.

17 walked up to him and put his shoe under his chin, forcing Trunks to stare in to his ruthless, cold ice blue eyes.

'What did I do? I just arrived. Did my other self do something? Why did they hurt these people? I don't get it…'

"Huh?" They were obviously surprised to see him still alive.

"Why? I don't get it. Tell me, why are you two doing this?" Trunks as he looked up at the two of them.

"Dr. Gero created us for the purpose of world domination, but that doesn't really matter to us, not at all." 17

"Whenever we see you humans it angers us, we hate you humans." 18

"What? You monsters!" Trunks not believing what he had just heard, but the look in the two androids eyes, it was the truth. He even sensed that they had no emotions from what they had just done.

.

"Be gone!" 17 starting up a huge chi blast when 18 interfered.

Trunks felt the tiniest bit of hope that maybe she was going to save him. Maybe she wasn't…

"Wait. Let me do this one." 18 said as she smiled and powered up a huge chi blast.

Trunks was frozen as he saw the huge blast, and then he saw her thrill of throwing it.

He couldn't keep himself from screaming as he felt an unimaginable pain that went through every core of his body.

No amount of training prepared him for this, and that was when an odd realization came to him: no one was here to help him.

Not his father, nor Goten.

Or Goku….no one.

He was alone.

And with that thought, he fell in to darkness-unknown to him his soul traveled to a place that no one except two beings ever went to.

…

…

A red odd liquid appeared out of nowhere and suddenly became the shape of a human, and suddenly disappeared to show a five foot man. He had black short hair that almost looked like it was gelled, and six black strands that fell carelessly on his forehead like bangs down towards his cheeks, and eyes that were completely ruby red, including the pupils, that shined with interest. The man had pure white albino skin and wore midnight black turtleneck, silk pants, and black buckle boots.

He stared from where he sat, up on a windowsill swaying his legs back and forth in a smooth and graceful rhythm.

"I've been waiting a long time to see you again." Homunculus as he saw the young man stand and look up at him.

"Huh? Who are you?" Trunks as he saw the strange-looking man jump and land on his feet in front of him.

"I am Homunculus, not that there is much in a name. I've looked for you everywhere." Homunculus said as he looked at Trunks with a smile.

"Why? I don't even know you." Trunks said as he wondered through this whole time why on Earth he felt like he should know him-in fact everything about this whole entire place screamed at him with a strange sense of familiarity.

Homunculus chuckled and saw the strange curiosity shining in the sapphire blue eyes.

"You don't for now but that is because I haven't returned your memories. You see every time you die you leave your memories and the majority of your power with me before you relinquish your spirit from its vessel. See it is right here." Homunculus said as he brought up his right hand and showed Trunks an amethyst jewel that was the size of a golf ball.

Seeing it made Trunks have a strange sensation in his mind, as if this was the answer to everything even though it made no sense to him whatsoever. Yet, he knew in some strange way that this was his reason for going to the Past.

"Well what do you think?" Homunculus as he walked up to Trunks and before the young man could do anything used his telekinesis to send it in to his body.

He saw Trunks fall to the ground as a circular ring circled his body on the ground, then after a blue flash filled the room, he stood in his very old, before his last life time, outfit. It was the one he wore whenever he was with him, his brother-Homunculus.

"How are things?" Homunculus as he looked at his brother walking up to him.

"Much better, thanks." Trunks said looking at his sapphire blue silk outfit that was exactly like his brother's-only he had no shoes on since he preferred being barefoot ever since their beginning, and rolled his eyes. "Honestly Cu (pronounced: Q), must you change my outfit EVERY time we do this?"

Homunculus chuckled, "Of course."

"Honestly you're lucky we have the same mother." Future Trunks said referring not to Bulma, but to his true mother. "Well I have to go."

"Good luck." Homunculus

….

….

IN THE FUTURE WORLD

Getting out of the rubble he sensed his true self had been transported and finally stood. He sighed as he shook his head to leave, when he heard a frustrated growl that he couldn't help but recognize.

"DARN YOU!" Android 17 shouted as he saw Trunks getting out from the rubble from his position on top of a car where he was following 18 doing pot shots around the debris they had.

Android 18 glared furious as she noticed that he was somehow untouched by her last attack that should have finished him off. Clenching her fists she turned to her brother enraged.

"17 I'M GETTING SICK OF THIS! LET'S FINISH HIM! NOW!"

17 nodded and together they attacked him head on.

And so he continued his life the way he was meant to, until he supposedly died at the hands of Cell, who stole his time machine and made his way in to the Past. Unknown to Cell, he had only killed a shadow that was made only to make sure he played his part in history.

…

…

Trunks sighed as he noticed it was time for him to go, and so with a quick "I'll see you later!" to his brother, he teleported himself back to his time.

IN THE PRESENT WORLD OF DBZ

Vegeta was furious he had noticed the boy had been gone for an hour and there was no sign of him. Nobody knew where he was.

Trunks arrived in his room, smiling down at his capsule box. Knowing now that he was truly alive he did not actually need the machine, but he still felt truly attached to it, and so kept it with him instead of destroying it.

He smiled as he walked down the stairs knowing now he could finally play his part, he flew out of his window to Goku's house.

Figuring he had been missing a week, so another week wouldn't be a problem to fix everything.

He went straight up to Goten who was flying towards Capsule Corp., and met him half-way.

"TRUNKS! Hey how's it going?" Goten said as he walked up to him. "Something's different about you?"

"It's because I've got some great news! The Time Machine is ready." Trunks said as he smiled.

"Awesome!" Goten as he smirked. "When do you want to go?"

"On the first." Trunks said knowing that it was in two weeks.

"I take it you want to start the New Year off by proving I'm right? Wow, that's nice of you." Goten

"No by proving your wrong!" Trunks said smiling as Goten punched him, but missed because he blocked it and ended up getting punched by Trunks instead.

They then flew off to their training ground and trained until it was dinnertime.

TO BE CONTINUED…