The first thing Trunks noticed when he climbed out of his space pod on Rithica was that there was finally a semblance of daylight. He instinctively looked up, trying to see where the sun was, but it was obscured by large, thick trees that created a tangled overhead. They were in what looked like some type of jungle. Instead of seeing the usual green that he would expect on Earth, the jungle had a blue coloring that was almost welcoming. The air was thick with an intense humidity, the likes of which Trunks had never felt before. He climbed out of the deep, dirt crater his space pod formed, already breaking into a sweat from the heat.
Vegeta and Nappa were already running their scouters when Trunks finally got out of the crater. Nappa looked over his shoulder and frowned at the teenager, making Trunks swallow heavily as he dusted himself off. He had almost forgotten about his slip back in the tavern, but clearly, Nappa hadn't…
"All clear. No one with a power level over 10, and no one within 100 krios," Nappa said, pressing the button on his scouter, looking from Trunks to Vegeta.
Vegeta turned his head to the side. "Raditz," he ordered harshly. "Give me the updated report on Liyana at once. I need to see what we're dealing with next."
"Don't you want to wait until we're done here first?" Nappa asked. Vegeta shot him a glare, and the large Saiyan instantly added, "Then again, it wouldn't hurt to see what we're up against next."
"I have it here." Raditz brushed past Trunks, knocking the teenager off balance a bit as he hurried over to Vegeta, holding out a black handheld electronic device. "Just got the update now."
Vegeta snatched the device out of his subordinate's hand, wiping the sweat off his forehead with the back of his other hand. He looked down at the device, scowling and pressing a few buttons on it. It beeped and he watched as numbers began scrolling on the device. Trunks walked up, seeing the reflection of the scrolling numbers in the green glass of Vegeta's scouter. The teenager shot a nervous glance over at Nappa, but the burly Saiyan had his arms crossed over his chest, waiting for Vegeta to say something.
The numbers finally stopped scrolling. As soon as they did, Trunks felt Vegeta's ki weaken a substantial amount. Almost immediately, Vegeta raised his hand to his chest. The prince's facial expression still didn't change as he quickly recovered, making it look like he was just adjusting his armor. Trunks let out a shaky breath, trying his hardest not to show his growing concern.
"You're sure that this is the latest report on Liyana?" Vegeta finally asked in a guarded tone, his eyes glued to the readings he was getting.
"Yes," Raditz answered, looking confused by the question. "What's the problem?"
Trunks could hear the sounds of flying insects in the air, breaking the suffocating silence between the four of them as they stood in a circle together. Nappa and Raditz exchanged a look, both of them wondering what Vegeta was seeing in the report that was making the prince lose himself in thought.
Finally, Vegeta grunted. "I have to strategize on how best to use this information," Vegeta finally said, his scowl deepening. "You three stay here. Raditz, find something to eat. It might be a while before we're back on base."
Nappa frowned. "But, shouldn't we start-"
He was instantly silenced by Vegeta punching him hard in the stomach. Nappa gasped and doubled over, falling to his knees in front of his prince. Trunks winced, but Raditz didn't react. He was as accustomed to Vegeta's violence as he was to breathing air.
"We start this purge when I fucking say so. Understand?" Vegeta snarled venomously, before looking pointedly at Raditz. "Now go hunt. I will return."
Raditz had hardly gotten the "s" sound out in the word "yes" when Vegeta was already out of sight. The prince moved through the exotic plants and trees of the jungle with graceful speed, as though he had traversed this jungle a million times before and knew every inch of it. Trunks hesitated, wanting to go after him but not wanting to incur his wrath. The teenager sighed, brushing his sweaty hair out of his face.
"Alright, well, I'll go see what's worth eating around here," Raditz grumbled, turning to head off in the opposite direction of Vegeta. Trunks glanced at Nappa, who was slowly straightening, and decided he'd rather go with Raditz than risk an interrogation. Clearing his throat, the teenager slowly followed after Raditz.
"Um, you want some company?" Trunks asked sheepishly. Raditz looked over his shoulder at the teenager, giving him a disgusted look.
"I don't need your damn help, half-breed," Raditz sneered. "So just stay here."
"But, Raditz, I can…" Trunks' voice trailed off when Raditz took off, not letting him get in another word. The large Saiyan brushed past the plants with a silent stealth that left Trunks extremely impressed. The teenager frowned, before slowly turning around to face Nappa directly. It was time to face the music.
The hybrid Saiyan stared at the full-blooded Saiyan, both of them standing in complete silence. Trunks had his fists tightly clenched, his muscles tensed as he waited for Nappa to say something. But the larger Saiyan just continued staring, a scrutinizing look on his face.
Trunks was taking the silence as a chance to think his strategy through. His first line of defense was to claim that Nappa had clearly had too much to drink, and he had never referred to Vegeta as his father. His physical resemblance to the Saiyan Prince could easily be filed away as nothing but mere coincidence. And if that didn't work, then he would simply deny it until he was blue in the face. If Vegeta had truly gone through such extremes to avoid having children, then the prince would never believe that Trunks was his son anyways. Yes, he could get out of it…
Finally, Nappa snorted and shook his head, an amazed look coming over his face.
"Ya look just like him. I shoulda known." Trunks frowned and opened his mouth to object, but Nappa raised one hand and gave a waving motion. "Relax, kid. I won't tell Vegeta."
Trunks blinked in surprise, the tension in his body melting away as confusion took its place. "What?"
Nappa's expression turned serious. "I promised King Vegeta that I would look after his lineage."
A look of deep shame settled over the large Saiyan's features as he looked away, thoughts of failure running through his mind as he remembered years of torture and abuse that Vegeta had endured at the hands of Frieza. It was the type of torture that he, a Saiyan Elite himself and former commander of the Saiyan army, had sworn to prevent but had been completely powerless to stop. He frowned, his eyes filled with regret.
"Of course, there was only so much I could do against someone like that freak, Frieza. But, I made a promise to my king. And I'm gonna do my best to keep it." He looked back at Trunks, and the teenager was almost taken aback by the look of respect Nappa was giving him. "Even if the royal lineage of our people now includes a half-breed."
"I… I don't know what you're talking about," Trunks said, his unsteady voice giving the truth away.
Nappa laughed loudly. "I won't tell him if ya don't want me to, kid. You're no threat like I thought you were. Though…" he crossed his arms and looked Trunks over, disbelief in his eyes, "Vegeta definitely must have been young to still be merciful with your mother. You must have been from one of his first times."
Trunks scowled and looked down, setting his jaw, wishing he could take his slip back. Without it, he doubted Nappa would have put all the pieces together. He took a deep, calming breath, and closed his eyes. He had to surrender to this new failure, and accept the fate and consequences that went with it.
"Swear to me on your life that you won't tell Vegeta," he finally said, opening his eyes to make eye contact with the larger Saiyan.
"If Vegeta asks me directly, I won't lie to him, kid," Nappa stated seriously. "He never believes me when I lie, and he gets pissed when I do… but, if he doesn't ask… then I see no reason to bring it to his attention. He has enough on his plate," he added, looking off in the direction Vegeta had gone in with a concerned look on his face.
Trunks frowned, wondering how much Nappa knew about the venom in Vegeta's body. He was about to ask when Raditz came through the bushes and into the small clearing, carrying a huge, dead animal on his back. The Saiyan dropped the animal to the ground with a loud thud in front of Nappa and Trunks, making the teenager cringe in disgust. The animal resembled a cheetah in its feline shape, and it was covered in dark blue fur.
"Nothing like some good heat to remind us of the homeland," Raditz said with a smirk, soaked in sweat. He lifted one hand and fired a ki blast towards the ground, immediately starting a fire. Raditz made a fist, controlling the spread of the fire, before looking over at the animal he caught. "Well, best get this thing cooked before Vegeta comes back."
"This will barely be enough for the three of us, Raditz," Nappa said with a frown as Raditz dragged the animal over into the fire. "And then there's still Vegeta who also needs to eat."
"That's alright. I'm not hungry," Trunks said with a scowl, crossing his arms over his chest, not noticing Nappa's small smirk at seeing the familiar mannerism. The last time Trunks had eaten with the Saiyans had soured him on the whole experience. Though the teenager was practically starving, he knew he could last a little longer without eating.
"Suit yourself, half-breed…"
As soon as Vegeta knew he was out of hearing range, he clutched his chest and collapsed to his knees, finally giving into the pain he had been hiding in front of his men. Practically panting now, he crawled using his other hand, which was still holding Raditz's electronic device, until he came up to a wide tree. The prince shifted so he was sitting up against it, squeezing his eyes shut and waiting for the burning pain in his chest to subside.
After an agonizing minute, the pain mercifully started to dull. Vegeta scowled and leaned his head back against the tree, his breathing finally slowing down. He stayed still for a few minutes longer, letting his strength slowly come back while he wondered what the fuck kind of venom he had coursing through his blood. If the Tuffles had not been on his hit list before, they would have certainly cemented their place after this tactic. If there was one thing he absolutely hated, it was when an enemy resorted to poison. This was hardly the first time he'd been poisoned; in fact, he had been poisoned just last week by the Tuffles. Prior to that though, he had to go back to his childhood to remember the last time he had fallen prey to poison.
Vegeta opened one eye and looked down at the electronic device in his right hand. He could read the latest report on Liyana clear as day, but he had never seen anything like it.
An average fighting power of 78,000? In a population of millions?
With the Tuffles breathing down their necks?
With poison running through his blood?
Sweat ran into his eye, making Vegeta take his scouter off and toss it to the side. He started rubbing both eyes in an effort to concentrate. He needed a plan, and he needed it immediately. Nappa and Raditz were loyal, but they were brutes. The boy was powerful, but ignorant of the cruelty that defined the universe he lived in.
As always, any hope of survival rested squarely on his shoulders…
Trunks was sitting crosslegged in the grass, frowning as he watched Nappa and Raditz hungrily rip into the animal Raditz hunted down. He mostly kept his eyes on Nappa, silently wondering if he made a mistake with admitting that Nappa was right. The large Saiyan had outright said he would tell Vegeta the truth if the prince pressed him for it. Trunks couldn't think of a situation when his father would ask such a thing, but it still made him uneasy.
"So where do you think Ares is hiding?" Raditz asked with a mouthful of semi-cooked meat.
"I don't know," Nappa answered, squatting before the fire. He tossed a bone into the flames. "I still think we shoulda just destroyed the planet. Damn what Frieza wants."
Raditz snickered. "We gotta purge it, Nappa. Orders are orders."
"Yeah, well, the longer we let the Tuffles live, the stronger they become," Nappa grumbled. He left out the part where he wished Vegeta would've taken the Tuffles more seriously when they first learned that there were survivors. Raditz nodded in agreement. "It's only a matter of time before they'll want to start a war."
"There will be no war," a gruff voice suddenly cut in. "The Tuffles will never get the chance."
All three looked over just in time to see Vegeta stepping into the small clearing. They all instantly stood up as the prince threw back the handheld electronic device back to Raditz, who barely got a hand up in time to catch it. Vegeta scowled and crossed his arms, looking over at the fire as Raditz looked down at the device.
"An average power level of 78,000! That's impossible!" Raditz yelled, his eyes wide.
"What! That can't be right!" Nappa cried, going over to take a look as Trunks watched Vegeta as nonchalantly as he could. His ki was notably weaker now, and the teenager knew that was definitely not a good sign. If Vegeta was anxious or concerned though, he wasn't showing it.
"It is, and we must prepare for it at once. The boy and I will stay here on Rithica," Vegeta said harshly, shifting his dark gaze over to Trunks, instantly making the teenager uncomfortable. "We will complete the purge here to get his hands dirty, and we will take care of the problem with the Tuffles once and for all. As for you, Nappa," he said, shifting his eyes over to Nappa, "I want you to go to Liyana ahead of us. Scope out the planet and find us a good spot where we can hide, until we're ready to attack. We'll know once we're there if we should go with a divide and conquer approach, or simply wait until we have a full moon to take them out. In any case, don't fuck up and get yourself killed before we even arrive, Nappa," he growled threateningly. "Once the boy and I have completed the assignment here and eliminated the Tuffles once and for all, we will meet you on Liyana."
Nappa nodded. "Yes, Vegeta."
"What about me?" Raditz asked with a frown. Vegeta scowled and looked over at Raditz, staring at him for some time. Trunks glanced over at Nappa, but he was already heading over to his space pod. The teenager let out a sigh of relief at the sight of him leaving without having words with Vegeta. It seemed like this time, Nappa might really be on his side.
"How sure are you that Kakarot is still alive, Raditz?"
Vegeta's words were like a needle scratching off a record, immediately drawing Trunks' attention again. Raditz visibly straightened at the prince's question, his expression neutral and guarded, but his eyes bright with excitement and anticipation.
"I know he's still alive," Raditz affirmed.
"Hn," Vegeta grunted, looking over at the fire again. "Having another Saiyan on our side with the ability to make the Oozaru transformation would be useful…" he mused out loud, his scowl growing more pronounced. "Even if he's much weaker than you, it would be good to have his help on Liyana." He looked over at Raditz again, "What planet was he sent to?"
"Planet Earth, galaxy #7, south sector," Raditz automatically answered. Trunks tried his best to keep an impassive look on his face, but his heart was pounding.
Vegeta's scowl hardened even more as he scoffed. "The south sector is filled with useless planets. Small wonder Frieza never found him there, if he is truly alive."
"Hey, Kakarot is alive!" Raditz growled indignantly. Vegeta raised an eyebrow at his tone, and Trunks instinctively tensed, waiting for the retaliation blow. Raditz instantly cleared his throat, already backing up, "I'm sorry Vegeta-"
Vegeta punched Raditz in the face so hard, the large Saiyan was sent flying back throughthe base of a tree, coming to slam against another one several feet back. Fruits and leaves immediately dropped down onto his face, while the first tree fell over to the side with a loud crash, away from them. Almost as soon as the tree landed, Nappa's space pod fired up and took off into the sky. Trunks glanced back over at it, scowling and wishing he had paid more attention. If he had focused on listening to the large Saiyan, he could have heard any special command needed to set new destination coordinates…
"Disrespect me ONE MORE goddamn time, and I will tear you to pieces and feed you to the birds. Do I make myself clear?" Vegeta snarled dangerously. Raditz nodded mutely, brushing the blood off his face from the blow. Vegeta bent down and picked up the electronic device, casually brushing it clean as he straightened. He frowned. "Now then. I want you to go and see for yourself if Kakarot is still alive. If he is, bring him back. The south sector is far so we should have purged Liyana by the time you return, but it will still be good to have more hands for similar assignments in the future… and it will also be good to have help taking Frieza down," Vegeta said with a cunning smirk.
Raditz slowly pulled himself up, before smirking himself and nodding. "I will bring him back, no matter what it takes. I swear it."
"Erm… why don't I go with Raditz to help him bring Kakarot back?"
Vegeta and Raditz both looked over at Trunks in surprise. The teenager chuckled, trying his best to seem nonchalant. Finally, Raditz scoffed. "For what? To sing for me when I'm bored? You're useless to me on a mission like this, half-breed."
Trunks brushed his lavender, sweat-soaked hair out of his face, frowning at Raditz. "I could damn well hold my own-"
"No," Vegeta cut in, glaring intensely at Trunks. "He's right. You stay here, boy. You lack the necessary backbone to get Kakarot to join us. Raditz doesn't. Besides, Raditz is Kakarot's brother. This assignment is his, not yours." The prince looked over at Raditz, not catching the disappointment on the teenager's face. "Now then, Raditz. I want you to keep your communications activated on your scouter the entire time you're on Planet Earth. I want to hear everything that goes on while you're there. Understand?"
Raditz was just picking up his scouter when he heard what Vegeta said. He scowled and tried turning it on. "I don't know, Vegeta. My scouter's been acting up since we were back at Uvi's. The comms come in and out."
He very wisely left out that it was Vegeta's fault that his scouter was acting up.
Sighing in exasperation, Vegeta removed his own scouter. "Take mine then. I will use yours for now and get it replaced once we are back on base." Vegeta tossed Raditz his green scouter, and Raditz tossed Vegeta his red one. Both Saiyans slipped on their new scouters. "I will think of something to not raise Frieza's suspicion over your departure. Now go, and bring me Kakarot."
"Yes, Vegeta," Raditz said, a smirk of eagerness on his face as he headed over to his space pod. Trunks kept his eyes on his father, though he was using his heightened hearing to hear any useful verbal command Raditz might use, so he could use it as well…
"And as for you," Vegeta said, turning back to Trunks again. He kept his eyes down, pressing some keys on the black electronic device in his hands. Trunks snuck a subtle glance over at Raditz, who was climbing into his space pod. When he looked back at Vegeta, there was a hologram of a planet floating over the device in Vegeta's hand.
Trunks blinked in surprise at the green and blue pixelated planet that was slowly rotating in between him and his father. "What is that?"
"This is Rithica, the planet we're on," Vegeta explained. He pressed another button, and the hologram of the planet suddenly lost all terrain. It was now a rotating blue sphere divided up with white grid lines. Vegeta raised one hand and pressed his index finger to the hologram. Instantly, a blinking red spot appeared. "This spot here is where we are right now." With his finger, the prince divided the planet perfectly in half, a pulsing green line appearing where he touched the hologram. "The north half of the planet is mine. You're going to take the south, kid." He pointed away from the hologram, behind Trunks. "South is that way. Let me know when it's done through the communications on your scouter."
Trunks nodded, even though deep down, he knew that he wasn't going to actually go through with this purge. "Sure thing, Vegeta…"
The teenager's voice trailed off when his sensitive hearing picked up Raditz saying, "Set destination to Planet Earth, galaxy #7, south sector."
Trunks then heard the now familiar sound of the space pod starting up again. He frowned. What the fuck? That's all he had to say? He was vaguely aware of Vegeta still talking, but he absent-mindedly looked away, thinking of whether or not he should wait until Vegeta was out of sight and try following Raditz's example. Maybe if Vegeta hadn't set the destination already, he could set it without needing an overwri—
Vegeta violently struck Trunks in the face with the handheld electronic device, breaking the device to pieces in the process. Trunks' head was whipped to the side, and he took a step back, a trickle of blood coming from a gash near his right eye.
"Pay attention, boy. I fucking hate repeating myself," Vegeta sneered, his tone scathing. Trunks glared at his father, but said nothing, biting back the rush of anger flooding through him. His anger was quick to leave though when he sensed Vegeta's ki drop after delivering the blow. Vegeta closed his eyes and cracked his neck, the veins on his neck and face all strained with tension. The prince looked back at his son, his dark eyes distant as he detached himself from his pain. It took everything Trunks had not to look concerned as Vegeta continued, "Now then. If you run into anyone, you ask them if they are with the Tuffles before you do anything. If they are, let me know immediately and do not let them go. I will come to where you are and handle them personally."
"What if they're not with the Tuffles?"
"Then kill them," Vegeta said casually.
"I'm sorry, but I just…" Trunks frowned and shook his head. "It's just, it's wrong."
Vegeta opened his mouth to say something, but stopped, thinking about it for a few seconds. Finally, he looked at Trunks with a seriousness that chilled the teenager. "Look, boy. Frieza is going to sell this planet on the galactic market after we're done purging it. Do you know what he will do if he finds survivors?"
Trunks slowly shook his head, already knowing he wouldn't like the answer.
"The men who can fight will join the army. If they refuse, they will die. The women and female children will become sex slaves for the top lieutenants, to be used and killed once they have exhausted their purpose. The male children will join the army and be raised within it." Vegeta clenched his fists tightly, before crossing them over in front of his chest, his eyes filled with a cold hatred that had been growing and festering his entire life. "Now I don't know what kind of pampered world you grew up in, but in this world, kid, death is a better alternative to everything I just told you. Now do as I fucking say, and let me know when you're done. Do I make myself clear?"
Trunks tried to speak, but he was having a hard time finding the words. Up until now, everything was so clear to him. Right and wrong, black and white. He had been raised his entire life to know that killing was wrong. Killing was what the androids did, not him. Only the evil killed. Yes, he had killed on the last planet, but he had done it to save himself. He needed to stay alive to save his home. But after hearing the fates he would leave any survivors to, how could death not be a mercy? The teenager's head was swimming, his foundation of morality turned upside down.
Vegeta smirked when he saw the horrified teenager lose himself in thought. The only truth he had told Trunks was the fate of men who survived a purge. The women and children were almost always instantly killed, deemed worthless by Frieza. The only male children who joined the army were either the sons of soldiers (they joined by default, regardless of the father's opinion on the matter; yet another reason he would never have children), or those children who showed such an extraordinary potential to be great warriors that Frieza could not pass them by.
Like him.
But the half-breed didn't need to know that. If it took a few little lies on Vegeta's part to break the boy faster, then it was a small price to pay.
"Now then. You have the south, and I have the north. Let me know if you find the Tuffles. If you don't find them, then just let me know when you're done."
"But, how will I know if…" Trunks' voice trailed off when he saw Vegeta take off. "…if someone lies and says they're the Tuffles just to live," he finished with a sigh. The teenager wiped the darkened, sweaty lavender hair out of his face, glancing over at his space pod. Oh, he was tempted to try an escape…
He looked back over at the direction Vegeta went in, and decided he would stick around just long enough to make sure his father could overcome this venom. With him there, Vegeta would only purge half of the planet, and that meant he could get help faster to cure him of his venom. The teenager glanced over at the space pod again. Technically, he had a lot of time.
He could afford to wait it out a little longer.
Trunks then took off running through the jungle in the opposite direction of Vegeta. He hadn't run a mile before feeling like he was going to suffocate from the intense heat. It was completely smothering, and made him wonder just how hot it would be if he wasn't in the shade of the blue trees of the jungle. He kept moving, dodging plants and trees and wishing he had his sword. He could have just sliced his way through.
About an hour later, he was finally out of the jungle. Mercifully, the heat had lifted, but it was only marginally better as Trunks slowed to a walk. He frowned as he looked at the wide clearing he was now in, endless stretches of blue grass in front of him. He looked up at the sky, blinking in surprise when he saw that Rithica had two suns.
Now the heat made more sense. Looking down at the black that he was wearing, Trunks decided it had to go.
He was slipping his armor back on over his bare chest when his senses suddenly picked up something. He looked up and into the distance, having felt a huge power level but only for a moment. It wasn't his father, he knew that much. Hurrying, Trunks tucked his belongings down his armor, grabbing his scouter and slipping it back on.
"Vegeta?" he asked, turning on the communications in his scouter. "Vegeta, are you there?"
Trunks heard nothing but static. Cursing quietly when he remembered that Raditz's scouter had been malfunctioning, he decided to go check it out himself. It seemed odd to him that Vegeta and Nappa wouldn't have caught such a huge power.
Trunks ran nonstop for two hours until the grass finally gave out on a large cliff, the heat gratefully giving out a little as well as one of the suns set. He stood at the edge of the cliff, his eyes wide as he stared down at the city that was below. It wasn't large, but he could tell a technologically advanced city when he saw one. Stepping off the edge, Trunks slid down the wall of the cliff, easily balancing through the dirt and rock expertly as though he were snowboarding. Once he reached the bottom, he hesitantly approached the city, trying to pick up something with his senses and also running his scouter at the same time.
He picked up nothing using both.
Hn, must be deserted… who could blame them with this heat, Trunks thought irritably as he walked closer. The dirt and rock under his feet gradually became concrete, which gradually became clean and polished stone as he stepped foot into the city. He could see futuristic vehicles on what looked like a city street, but the place seemed entirely deserted.
That is, until Trunks took about three steps down the city street, when he was suddenly surrounded.
"Trimalo!"
"Invader!" the translation ran through his red scouter.
Trunks calmly raised both hands, not walking another step. There were at least twenty men surrounding him, having come out of nowhere. Each man was wearing a white, metallic looking suit complete with helmets that made them look like space troopers. They were all holding enormous looking, futuristic rifles that were all aimed at him. Trunks eyed them all carefully, already deciding that if they fired on him, he would take them all apart. He could see their eyes through glass shields on their helmets, and was shocked by the hatred he saw in them.
"If you fire on me, I guarantee you that you will all regret it," Trunks swore to them, his blue eyes cold and his voice deadly serious. These people must have been the Tuffles, and they had poisoned his father in a cowardly move. Trunks was a bit taken aback to find that he needed very little provocation to kill them all.
He frowned. Had Vegeta influenced him so much, so quickly? He couldn't be like his father… clearing his throat, he started over.
"If we could just talk, then no one needs to die today."
They all took another step closer to him, raising their weapons higher and all of them yelling at once. Trunks braced himself for action when a voice suddenly rang out in a foreign tongue. The translation immediately ran through on Trunks' scouter.
"Everyone, back down, NOW!"
Instantly, everyone surrounding Trunks lowered their weapons. They all looked over as a lone figure emerged from a tall building, stepping out onto the city road. Trunks scowled as the men drew away, his eyes locked on the figure who was approaching. He looked human, with red hair and piercing green eyes. He was dressed very casually, in dark blue trousers and a very light, white martial arts gi top.
"Who are you?" Trunks demanded, lowering his hands and eyeing the symbol engraved in the man's top.
"So you speak the universal tongue," the man said in a distinct accent, smiling. He spread his arms out wide, as if welcoming him. "I assure you, boy, you have nothing to fear here."
"You didn't answer my question," Trunks replied. One of the men on the side growled and raised his weapon, pointing it at the teenager, but the red-haired man waved him down.
"Well, I do think it's a bit rude that you come into our city, with the intent of hostility, demanding answers from us. Wouldn't you agree?" the red-haired man told Trunks with a chuckle.
"I am here searching for the Tuffles."
"Well here we are," the red-haired man said, his smile turning into a smirk. "How can we serve you, boy?"
Trunks gave the man a wary look. Was that a threat, or was this guy really being polite? Shifting uncomfortably, he said, "I want to speak to the man named Ares. Is he here?"
"No. He is my brother, and he is not on this planet right now. My name is Miron. May I ask what business you have with my brother, boy?" he asked curiously, crossing his arms over his chest.
Trunks hesitated, before deciding to just speak from his heart. The opportunity was here at his fingertips, and he had to take it. He could end everything, right here, right now. Straightening his back, blue eyes meeting green, Trunks spoke confidently and smoothly.
"I want to discuss an agreement to end the conflict between the Tuffles and the Saiyans once and for all."
Miron raised one eyebrow in curiosity, his green eyes darkening ever so slightly. "Well, such an epic conversation cannot be held out here, now can it, boy? Come, let's go inside where we will be out of the suns," he said with a smile, turning and heading back down the street towards the building he had exited.
Trunks followed after Miron, glancing back suspiciously at the men they were leaving behind. Even though he had stumbled upon the ancient enemy of his people, and even though Vegeta's words of "don't trust anyone" were ringing in his ears, Trunks was feeling surprisingly calm. Mostly because he honestly didn't think these guys were much of a threat to him. Not when he had his Super Saiyan transformation up his sleeve.
"Gentlemen, we have a guest," Trunks' scouter translated as he stepped inside after Miron. There were eight men in the room dressed in loose white clothing, all sitting at a round table. They all instantly stood up when seeing that Miron hadn't come back alone.
"He wears a Saiyan uniform," one of them sneered, glaring at Trunks.
"He is no Saiyan, he has no tail," another man added. "And he does not have black hair."
"Who is he?"
"He is a pure heart," Miron said calmly, a smirk spreading over his face that Trunks couldn't see. Trunks frowned, not knowing what exactly Miron meant by calling him a "pure heart", but it seemed to relax the vibe in the room. "As I said, he is merely a guest. I would like a word with him in private. You all have other business to tend to anyways. I suggest you do so at once. We will finish our discussion earlier."
The men all looked highly displeased, but Miron gave them a nod and they slowly exited through a back door. Trunks didn't see the dirty and suspicious looks he was getting, looking around the room. It was gratefully cool in here, but what caught his attention was the large, embedded screen on the back wall near the door that the men were filing out of. There was a flat grid of the entire planet of Rithica laid out on the screen, with data scrolling underneath it. Miron walked up to it and pressed his finger to the screen, making it go black.
He turned and smiled at Trunks. "Please, have a seat, young man," Miron said kindly, motioning to the table. He himself sat down, reaching for a glass pitcher filled with an orange fluid. "A drink?"
"No, thank you," Trunks answered, taking a seat as well on the opposite end of the round table.
"I don't believe I caught your name."
"I don't believe I gave it."
Miron chuckled, his eyes on his glass that he was pouring out. "Very well then, boy. What's in a name anyways? I don't need it to learn a thing or two about you."
"Is that right?" Trunks asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Your scouter and your armor give much away," Miron said, leaning back in his seat and eyeing Trunks carefully. "You are one of Frieza's soldiers."
Trunks scowled. "Not by choice."
Miron smiled. "I wasn't aware there was a choice. Nor was I aware that Vegeta was sending a boy to do a man's job these days."
"I assure you, friend. I am man enough to destroy you and all of your men in the blink of an eye," Trunks said calmly, a hint of arrogance sparkling in his blue eyes.
"You truly are one of Vegeta's men," Miron mused out loud, raising his drink and twirling it around a bit in his wrist. Trunks watched the liquid slosh around, instantly reminded of Frieza. "Only they could know about the history between my people and the Saiyans… and only they could be so overconfident such as yourself," he said, his green eyes guarded as he raised his glass for a drink.
"I am confident. Confident that we can come to a truce and end this conflict. None of your people need to die, Miron," Trunks said genuinely, making direct eye contact with Ares' brother. Miron chuckled and chugged down his whole glass. He finally lowered it to the table and calmly looked back at Trunks.
"Last time I checked, it was your leader, the almighty Prince Vegeta that was poisoned and dying," Miron said snidely. "Serves the coward right, I say. The universe will be a better place once he is de-"
He was instantly slammed back against the screen on the back wall before he could get anything else out, the screen cracking from the force. Trunks leaned in threateningly, his blue eyes blazing with his own fierce hatred. Miron's eyes widened in surprise as Trunks gripped him by the throat.
"That is my FATHER you are talking about, and he is NO coward!" Trunks snarled angrily. Miron's eyes widened even more at the sudden confession. "We are here to purge this planet, and I should be letting him tear you and your little army here apart. I am trying to show you mercy, but believe me, I am this fucking close to taking care of you all myself," Trunks sneered.
"Okay, kid, okay. Let's talk about it, okay?" Miron pleaded, trying to pull Trunks' hand loose. Trunks frowned, before slowly letting his hold go. He backed up as Miron doubled over, one hand on his knee and the other massaging his throat. He looked up at the teenager standing before him, his green eyes dark with fire.
"There is nothing to talk about. You are going to die by my father's hand or by Frieza's if you don't agree to put this hatred aside. My father is not responsible for our ancestors driving yours out of the home planet. That home planet was destroyed long ago and now there is nothing to gain in this madness except bloodshed on your hands. Just let it go."
Miron straightened and clenched his fists. He glared at Trunks, who glared right back. "What do you want from us, boy?"
"Leave my father and his men alone. Pretend they are dead already, imagine you never heard they were alive, I don't care. Just stop this and leave them in peace," Trunks said, his face set in stone as he stared right into Miron's guarded green eyes.
"You ask for a lot, boy," Miron said, scowling and glancing towards the door behind Trunks. "I fail to see where we would benefit from surrendering a war we are fully prepared to win."
"You would benefit by staying alive," Trunks replied. "I will tell my father that I found you and your brother dead already. You and your people can leave before Frieza sells the planet. Vegeta won't look for you again. You can live your lives in peace."
"A tempting offer," Miron slowly admitted. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, looking Trunks over. "The Saiyans would indeed kill many of our men in battle… but how can I be so sure that you will hold up your end of the deal, boy?"
"I can assure you that I will do everything in my power to convince my father of this truth. Will you do the same with your brother?"
"I can," he closed his eyes in momentary thought, before continuing, "and I will."
Trunks blinked in surprise. "Really?"
"A life of violence is not a life at all," Miron said with a frown, his hands now behind his back, his eyes on the black marble floor. "I have been begging my brother for a peaceful end, but he has remained steady in his beliefs that the Saiyans would never show us such mercy. Clearly, he is mistaken. Proven wrong by Vegeta's son, no less." He looked over his shoulder at Trunks and smiled. "I suppose miracles are truly possible after all."
Trunks visibly relaxed and smiled back. He extended his hand out to Miron. "I swear on my life, I will make sure Vegeta and his men never bother you or your people again."
Miron eyed Trunks' hand for a few moments, before nodding. "And I will do the same with my brother. Together, may we bring peace to the generations to come."
He then reached out and shook Trunks' hand.
Vegeta was livid.
For one, Raditz's piece of shit scouter wouldn't let him establish a basic communication link to the boy's scouter, so he was completely in the dark as to where the kid was and what he was doing. And secondly, he hadn't found the Tuffles on the north half of the planet. He had interrogated, intimidated, and killed the natives, burning some alive to get answers. But no one seemed to know what the hell he was talking about when he mentioned the Tuffles.
Then there was the venom which was starting to notably wreak havoc on his ki. By the time he destroyed the last village he found, it took an extraordinary amount of effort to summon up the energy necessary for lethal ki blasts.
Needless to say, when he finally arrived back to the clearing with their space pods and saw no signs of the kid, he was not in a good mood. He scowled and glared at the kid's space pod that was still where it landed. Clearly, the boy was still on the planet. Vegeta decided to give him a few minutes. At that point, the prince would simply declare him dead and leave him there.
He was just about to take a seat against a tree and rest, his chest burning up with every breath he took, when a lavender haired teenager dropped down from the sky and through the trees. The boy landed in a squat in front of Vegeta, who took a step back, automatically lifting his right hand with his palm faced towards the boy. Vegeta growled impatiently when he saw who it was, lowering his hand.
"Stupid fucking kid, I almost killed you! Did you find the Tuffles?" Vegeta demanded harshly. Trunks straightened, frowning as he observed his father. He had flown back, but had lost his way. Finally, he had decided to just try and hone in on Vegeta's energy signal, but it was weak. He had chalked that up to distance, but now he was standing in front of his father and there was no denying how weak Vegeta was becoming due to the venom. The prince was covered in blood once again from the purge he had just completed, but, at least, none of it seemed to be his own.
"I found where they were," Trunks finally said, choosing his words carefully. "But Ares and his men were all slaughtered when I arrived. There is no one left."
Vegeta howled angrily up at the sky at the news. Now the gods were even taking his revenge away from him. Would anything ever go his way? "DAMN IT!" he screamed, taking off his scouter and dropping it to the ground, before slamming his foot down on it and breaking it to pieces.
Trunks took a step back, a small hint of indecision and regret flaring up inside of him at seeing Vegeta's reaction. The teenager had been so proud to have diffused the situation with the Tuffles without any bloodshed, that he hadn't taken into account what was supposed to happen. If he wouldn't have been sent to this time, then Vegeta would have purged the planet alone. He would have undoubtedly found the Tuffles and killed them all.
No, I did the right thing, Trunks thought to himself with conviction. Sparing all those men their lives and letting them live in peace was the right thing to do. His mother would be proud of him, and so would Gohan.
"It's fine, Vegeta," Trunks said in an effort to calm his irate father down. "Right now, we should get someone to look at you to get that venom out of you."
Vegeta reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose as he paced furiously from side to side, his tail waving behind him. "Screw the venom, kid. We have to get to Liyana and purge that planet next." He shot Trunks a look, narrowing his eyes. "You did kill everyone you ran into today, correct?"
"Yes," Trunks answered automatically. He left out the fact that he hadn't run into anyone except Miron and his men. The teenager frowned as he watched his father continue pacing. "But the report earlier said that the Liyans going to be a force to be reckoned with. You should be at full strength when we face them."
Vegeta stopped pacing, before slowly giving a conceding nod. The boy had a point. He needed a new scouter anyways. The prince grunted and walked over to his space pod. Trunks sighed and followed suit.
The door closed with a hiss as Vegeta closed his eyes, sighing in relief. He was soaked in sweat and he was more exhausted than he would ever admit. He clutched his chest, wincing in pain as he leaned forward.
Trunks tossed his scouter aside as soon as he was in his own space pod, not bothering to look around. If they were going back to base, then Vegeta would have to go into one of those water tank things. While he was in there, Trunks could leave and head to Earth with the knowledge that his father would be alright.
"Hey, Vegeta, we're going back to base, right?" Trunks waited for an answer, but worry settled into his stomach when he felt Vegeta's ki weaken even more, and got no reply. He tried peering out of the window, but he couldn't see Vegeta's space pod from where he was. He reached down to unlock the door to make sure everything was okay.
Vegeta opened one eye at the boy's question coming in through the sound system. He ignored the teenager, focusing on pushing his pain away. He opened his mouth to tell the boy to shut the hell up when his senses picked up that something was seriously wrong. He frowned, sniffing a bit. What the fuck was that smell? Glancing over, he got his answer in the form of a small black device next to the controls.
And it was blinking red.
"Oh shi-"
Before he could finish the word, the device exploded.
Trunks was launched clear out of his space pod and slammed into a tree back-first before he realized what was happening. He hit the ground hard, instinctively rolling over to get up. He screamed, an excruciating pain flaring up from the motion down his back and his legs. Looking down, both of his legs were soaked in blood and burning raw. One of his legs was completely useless, a huge chunk of metal from the space pod jammed right into the side of one knee. He instantly grabbed it, bit his bottom lip, and yanked it out. He gasped and fell back to the ground on his back, his body starting to tremble in agony. He could hardly move at all. Glancing over, he saw some blue trees burning as his vision faded in and out.
Just as he was about to pass out, he suddenly realized that he couldn't sense Vegeta at all.
The sheer terror that knowledge gave him got him moving immediately. He crawled through the dirt towards the space pods, using only his arms. He only advanced a few feet before his strength gave out. He exhaled through clenched teeth, his face against the dirt, his eyes tightly shut. He had never felt such horrible pain in his entire life.
The teenager finally decided to hell with all the bullshit. Summoning up all of his energy, he clenched handfuls of dirt, his ki exploding around him as he transformed into a Super Saiyan. With newfound strength, he continued crawling, leaving behind a bloody trail as he finally approached the crater where his father's space pod was. Trunks half rolled and half fell into the crater.
Trunks bit back the scream his lungs were burning for, his body trembling uncontrollably from both his agony and terror when he finally saw Vegeta in the wreckage of what was left of his space pod.
"No… can't be happening…" he whispered, rolling his father's motionless body over so he was on his back. Trunks sat up next to him, his physical pain was completely forgotten when he saw the horrible sight of his father. The right half of Vegeta's body was badly burned, from his face down to his legs, his uniform seared right into his flesh. His armor was broken and in pieces. The other half of his body was soaked in blood, and this time, it was definitely his own.
Trunks reached down with one shaking hand, biting back his vicious nausea rising up through him at the smell of burning flesh and blood. He very gently pressed two fingers to Vegeta's neck, trying to get a pulse, but he couldn't keep his hand steady long enough. In a desperate attempt to wake him, he shook Vegeta by what little was left of his armor, but he got no response.
Trunks grabbed and lifted one of Vegeta's hands, gripping it tightly. A bright gold glow immediately surrounded their hands. He lay down on his side, resting his forehead against father's bloodied neck while he gave Vegeta everything he had left – his ki infused with Super Saiyan power.
After a minute of transferring his ki, he felt no change.
Trunks finally broke down crying, his tears mixing with Vegeta's blood. He had failed. This was his fault. And his father had paid the ultimate price. He had gone into the past to save his world, and had done nothing but kill his own father.
"I love you, and I am so sorry, Father," he choked out, his body racked with his sobs and his pain as he lost his transformation. He didn't notice Vegeta's eyes fluttering as the prince struggled to find consciousness.
"Well, isn't this just a touching scene?"
Trunks opened his eyes against Vegeta's skin, recognizing that voice. He weakly raised his head and looked up. There he saw a smirking Miron standing at the edge of the crater, his arms crossed over his chest. And he wasn't alone. Surrounding the entire edge of the crater were his men dressed in white armor, all of them holding the same weapons from earlier, all pointed directly at him.
"You lying piece of shit," Trunks seethed furiously, "You did this to us!"
"Well I don't want to take all of the credit, but… okay, I'll take all the credit," Miron said with a laugh. "Sorry, kid. We planted the explosives by the time you reached us, but if you would've killed us, we would've never detonated them. Good thing for us we got the pure blooded, merciful monkey," he said with a sinister and cruel smirk.
"You, your brother, and your men are all going to fucking die for what you've done to my father!" Trunks screamed, not noticing Vegeta opening one eye halfway, in shock at the boy's words. The prince tried speaking, but he couldn't. A father? Him? Impossible… it was impossible… his vision faded out and he passed out before he could make any sense of it, his pain mercifully going away.
"Sorry kid, but I have no brother. I am Ares, the man you were looking for. What's in a name, right?" he said with a dark laugh.
"Lying fucking snake," Trunks hissed, as Ares made a rounding motion with his fingers.
"Bring them up. Vegeta and the next heir to the Saiyan throne won't die so easily," Ares said with a smirk. Trunks tried another Super Saiyan transformation, but couldn't manage it. He was weak and had given what little strength he had left to his father.
Trunks winced when he felt something sharp hit him right in the neck. Falling next to Vegeta on his back, he reached up weakly and pulled out a needle. The drowsiness hit him instantly, darkness inking into his vision as his body grew impossibly heavy. The last thing he heard before he slipped into the darkness was Ares.
"Should've killed me when you had the chance, kid…"
