NOTE: The previous chapter's been edited. Please look into it if you haven't...
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It was a shocked expression which covered Goku's face. He knew this boy was telling nothing but truth but to know that none of them will survive three years from now was actually shocking.
Gohan also sensed Piccolo's uneasiness and wondered whether or not his mentor could hear his dad and the other boy.
"None of them manes it out?" Goku asked.
Trunks shook his head. "No," he said. "The first thing Cell did was to kill Piccolo so that the dragon balls could be destroyed. Then he killed each of our brotherhood members. I was just a year old and didn't know about it until my mother told me when I was old enough to handle the truth. I never actually remembered my father so seeing him now is a great emotional experience for me."
"Your mom told you about us...Is she someone we know?" Goku asked.
"You know her very well, Goku," Trunks said with a smile. "My mom is Bulma."
"WHAT?! Vegeta and Bulma?!" Goku almost fainted at hearing that. "But...But I thought Bulma was after Yamcha?"
"The two don't actually have a thing, my mom and Yamcha," Trunks said. "I remember how my mom said she fell for my dad after he started living at Capsule Corp to use the Gravity Room in that ship my grandpa had created. How he had once overdone with his training and injured himself. My mom had scolded him as if he was a child and then the two had come close. Neither knew about it completely until they spent a night together. The next thing they knew, I was on my way."
"Well, that's...that's weird in a way?" Goku said. He didn't actually know how to answer his response to this kind of news. It was more shocking than hearing about a psychotic android that would destroy all life forms in three years time. "So only Gohan made it out?"
"He was lucky," Trunks said. "He had gone super after he witnessed your death along with his mom. Cell had killed both, you and your wife in front of him to torture him. The shock and anger had empowered him to transform into a super saiyan. Only that allowed him to get away as he once told me how he had heard your voice and Chi Chi's to not fight but survive the threat until the time was right. You both told Gohan from the other world to train me so that Gohan could have whatever help he could. He listened to you both and made it out of there alive. Once I was old enough, he began my training but my mom had already known about what the outcome was going to be, yet she didn't stop me from my training. Every day until night I would train with Gohan becoming more and more stronger. My mom never stopped me but whenever Cell emerged to 'play' with us, me and Gohan, she would worry like hell. I saw her and grandpa secretly working on something and even asked them about it but they denied until few days ago."
"What do you mean?" Goku asked.
"I only came to know about the time machine a week ago from my mom and grandpa," Trunks said. "They both said they'd been working on it since my father had hinted them about it. The machine was almost complete until mom and grandpa realised they were missing one part of it. It was in the Capital City and my mom decided to fetch the technology all by herself. I was on the lookout, training in the time chamber. I didn't know about it, about the fact that they had something missing from the time machine. When I came out of the time chamber, I felt my mom's ki very little and it was fading by the time. I knew something was wrong and found her...all injured and bloodied..." Trunks started to shiver in emotions, his ki giving away kicks of energetic waves which was felt by all the Z warriors. "She found the technology...by giving her life. She told me that it would be futile for me to take her back to the Corp. She told me that the technology was more important than her life at the moment. I tried to reason with her but she wouldn't listen. She died in my hands!"
"And that forced you your transformation," Goku said, understanding.
"I, in my anger, went to look out for Cell and fought him. But I wasn't strong enough," Trunks said. "Like all the times, Cell didn't kill me because I was his play thing, a way to entertain his moods whenever he was bored. He left me lying on the rubbles. I somehow made it back home where I gave the technological piece to my grandpa who then readied the time machine. He also gave me the recorded message of my dad from where I came to know that it was actually his idea to build a time machine because he believed in the fact that you could defeat Cell. My father trusted you with this. You were his friend."
"Friend?" Goku asked, surprised. "Vegeta actually called me his friend?"
"He would never accept it publicly but you were the reason for him to be stronger and being a proud saiyan, since you helped him achieve the strength, he was grateful to you for that," Trunks said. "Although, yes," he smiled, "he'd never accept you as a friend when everyone's around, even in your presence."
"Oh, trust me I know how Vegeta is," Goku said, chuckling. "So who are the others who came with you?"
"They are a group of people with powers," Trunks said. "They call themselves the avengers."
"Powers?" Goku was excited. "What kind?"
"The one with the hammer, his name is Thor," Trunks said. "He is not from our world. He lives on Asgard, a planet millions of light years away from earth. He is a god of thunder or so I've heard him say when I asked him about himself."
"A god?" Goku asked. "That's why I wasn't able to sense his ki."
"What do you mean?" Trunks asked.
"Oh, you can't sense a kai or a god's ki," Goku said. "It's because they are entities and not completely mortal."
"I see," Trunks said, nodding in understanding.
"What about the others?" Goku asked.
"Well, the man with the shield with a star on it, his name is Steve Rogers," Trunks said, "Or rather Captain America, his superhero name. The armoured man beside him is Tony Stark, who has no superhuman powers but his suit is fitted with high-tech weaponries allowing him to stand ground in battle. The man on the left, his name is Bruce Banner, the strongest in their team."
"What is his specialty?" Goku asked, intrigued by hearing about these four people.
"He was subjected to a serum which was meant as a military experiment. The serum did no change in him until one day when he was accidently exposed to gamma radiation..." Trunks saw Goku's confused face. He sighed and smiled. "Of course you have no idea what I am saying. Get this then, Bruce becomes a muscled beast when enraged."
"Really?" Goku asked. "That sounds amazing!"
"Don't be happy," Trunks said. "Out of them four, only Bruce, in reality, may pose a challenge and probably a threat to us, or other people."
"Why?" Goku asked.
"Because the angrier he gets, the more powerful he becomes," Trunks said. "And fighting him will only enrage him which will only empower him more."
"So everything's good as long as he's not angry?" Goku asked.
"Or emotional, in a negative way," said Trunks.
Piccolo turned back to look at the man named Bruce Banner. The man did have a pretty impressive ki but at the moment it wasn't active.
"So what now?" Goku asked.
"We prepare ourselves," Trunks said. "We have three full years in our hands, which I presume is enough for us to prepare for the threat."
"So you don't know where Doctor Gero's lab is?" Goku asked.
"Only Krillin and Tien knew," Trunks said, "as they were the only two to find it. But before they could tell it to anyone but my grandpa, whom they were only be able to give a hint, Cell killed them. He'd have killed my grandpa too if Gohan hadn't saved him in time."
"So you don't know about the lab," Goku said, folding his hands and thinking when an idea struck his head. "We can ask Shenron to help us!"
"The dragon?" Trunks asked. "Of course!"
"Yeah. Bulma already has the dragon balls collected with her, like she always does," Goku said. "We can just summon Shenron and ask him where Doctor Gero's lab is!"
"Great! Let's do that, then," Trunks said. "But Goku?"
"Yeah?"
"Will you please keep this a secret from others? I mean me being the son of Vegeta and Bulma?" Trunks asked. "They might then not would make me happen if they come to know that they are seeing their son even before he's born."
"I am good with secrets, Trunks," Goku said.
"Thanks," Trunks said.
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The entire group of Z warriors stood inside the Capsule Corp compound. Bulma and Dr Briefs gave all their employees a leave for the day when they realised they needed to summon Shenron. With the avengers now also with the group, the four couldn't believe seeing the old Dr Briefs alive and well in front of them. Tony was shocked even more as he saw Bulma alive, too. From what had happened, she was dead in their timeline as Trunks had told them.
Everyone present knew that Trunks and the avengers had come from the future now except for the fact that Trunks was Vegeta and Bulma's son. Well this was known to Piccolo who promised Goku and Trunks that he won't reveal the best of Vegeta's son. From what he had seen and felt, Trunks was hardly like Vegeta but then again, he WAS Vegeta's son.
The avengers were confused as to what was happening. From what they'd heard they were all going to summon a wish granting dragon and ask it for the lab where Cell was made. Trunks had already told Tony about that these dragon balls were and so he was actually intrigued in seeing it through his own eyes. As for Thor, Rogers and Bruce, the three were with no idea as to that was happening.
Trunks had also never seen Shenron though he had heard about the dragon balls from his mom and grandpa and Gohan.
Bulma brought out a bag and opened it to pull out seven golden balls. The avengers and Trunks, having never seen a dragon ball, were now intrigued to see what was going to happen. As Bulma laid the balls on the ground, they began to glow with a golden light.
"So who's going to do it?" Bulma asked.
"I say we let him call the dragon," Goku said, patting on Trunks' back. As promised, he had not revealed Trunks' name to them because that's what Vegeta and Bulma will be naming their still unborn son. Vegeta, on the other hand, was enraged as Goku wouldn't tell him how this boy could be a saiyan as all the saiyans save for Goku, him and his brother Tarble were dead.
"I've...I've never summoned the dragon before," Trunks said nervously.
"It's easy...um, what's your name again?" Bulma asked.
"Goten," Goku said quickly.
Trunks looked at him and Goku smiled sheepishly. But then Trunks mouthed a 'thanks' which made Goku smile wide.
"So, Goten," said Bulma coming near him. Trunks blushed and felt emotional at the same time seeing her mom standing beside him. "All you have to do is bring your hand over to the balls and call for Shenron. Is that easy?"
"I think so. Yeah," Trunks said.
"Alright then," Bulma said and smiled at him warmly. "Everyone, get back a few steps, let's give the boy a chance."
Everyone stepped back. The avengers were pretty intrigued to see what was going to happen as Trunks brought his right hand forward, just above the balls and gave out a breath.
"Eternal dragon, by your name I summon you forth. SHENRON!"
The balls gave a bright golden flash, almost blinding everyone as the skies were filled with heavy black cloud, making the day look like a night. Before the four avengers could understand anything, a blaze of lightning erupted from the balls like a flash, going high up towards the dark clouds. They were awestruck. Neither of the four had seen anything like this.
Shocked was also an experience Trunks was having, too as he was seeing the rise of Shenron for the first time. The flash of lightning went up high and high as it thickened, too. Then it started to twist and turn like a giant snake. And after a minute a bright flash happened and the Shenron came into the appearance, shocking Trunks and the avengers to no extant. To say it was huge would be an understatement.
"I cannot believe my eyes," Bruce said.
"Neither can I," Thor replied, still staring at the beast in front of them. They all felt like tine little ants in front of a huge python.
"Who has summoned me?" Shenron said in his deep and rumbling voice. "I will grant you three wishes which are in my power."
Trunks cleared his throat and looked back at everyone. Goku and Bulma, both gave him a nod before he looked back at Shenron again.
"Shenron," Trunks said, "can you tell us where Doctor Gero has his lab in which he is creating Cell?"
The dragon's eyes glowed red for a moment before he spoke. "The one known as Doctor Gero has his lab deep within the caves of the Canopy Islands. Name your second wish."
Trunks looked back at Goku who then came forward. "We have no more wishes, Shenron," he said. "Thank you."
From what appeared a slight nod from Shenron, the dragon then vanished with a bright golden flash and the balls then rose into the sky and dispersed throughout the planet. The sky then went back to normal as bright sunshine showered everywhere.
"Why didn't you ask anything else for the two wishes we had?" asked Trunks.
"We can keep our wishes for later on," Goku said. "That way the dragon balls will be recreated within a shorter period of time. I saved us two wishes that will make the dragon balls active within three months for us to use those two wishes. If I had saved just one wish then the balls would become active after six months."
"I see," said Trunks. "And I know where the Canopy Islands are."
"So do we," said Bulma. "So when are we going?"
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A/N: Thanks for reading...
