This is insane! Trunks thought as he whirled and cut at the stationary figure in front of him. With only a finger, the other Super Saiyan Goku had blocked every strike. Leaping high into the air to gain an advantage, he swung his sword in a deadly arc towards Goku's face! Again, the hit was blocked, and the shock of it even jarred his arm a little. As their auras pulsed and flared in response to the sudden standstill, the elder Saiyan's eyes sent a clear message:
This fight is over.
Seeing this, Trunks felt slightly disappointed in himself, but his excitement at finally meeting Goku quickly reasserted itself. He relaxed, letting the extra power slip away as he tossed his weapon into the air. "Awesome," he mused, thinking back to the stories his mother had told him. "You're just as good as they say… no, you're even better! To think those same moves I tried against you were enough to turn Frieza into cold cut… You're amazing, Goku!" His sword flashed in the sunlight as it flipped and descended towards him; Trunks tilted to the side, and it slid into the scabbard with a shhiing!
Goku grinned as he turned back to normal as well. "You're not so bad yourself. I guess your head just wasn't in it this time."
"Yeah, thanks." Trunks looked away slightly as he considered what he was about to say. "I'm sorry… about all the secrecy. I needed to know if I could trust you."
"Trust me?"
He took a deep breath and nodded. "I need you to promise me you won't tell anyone else about what I'm going to say."
Goku thought about it for a second, and then answered, "You have my word."
"Thanks. My name is Trunks, and this is going to sound really strange, but I am from twenty years in the future. I traveled here in a time machine."
"The- the future?!"
HIIHIIHIIHIIH
Shaking, Bulma crouched underneath the slabs of concrete that formed her hiding place. I've got to stay quiet! she thought to herself as she tried to see what had concerned Yusira. Suddenly, she caught a faint flicker of movement out of the corner of her eye. She froze, and only her eyes moved as she sought for another sign.
"Stay hidden. I'll be fine."
A hushed voice floated out of nowhere, sending cold shivers down Bulma's spine. However… "Yusira?" she managed to whisper.
"Shh. Yes, it's me. Whatever happens, stay here."
Bulma nodded and crouched further into the shadowy hollow. All kinds of questions flew through her head. Who had Yusira seen? Was it the androids? Could Trunks have come back already? A distant hope fluttered in her heart, but it quickly faded. If it had been Trunks, Yusira would not have reacted the way she did. Finally, her thoughts drifted back to Yusira's instructions to stay hidden. A feeling of helpless frustration welled up in her heart. Disappearing like that! What on earth was she thinking?!
What on earth am I thinking?! Yusira crouched behind a crumbled wall, watching the two androids pick through the rubble. She was just close enough to make out some of their conversation.
"…it's no use, Seventeen," the blonde one said, gesturing impatiently at the debris. "You're imagining things. We leveled this place! No one ever comes here."
"I'm telling you, there's someone here! I know I sensed something," replied her companion, the black-haired boy.
"Probably a bug," Blondie scoffed. "Come on, let's go someplace else. It's filthy here." She brushed some dirt off of her blue jacket to illustrate her point.
Hearing that, Yusira's spirits rose, but they were dashed immediately by Seventeen's next words.
"You go ahead. I don't like it when we're outsmarted, especially by these stupid humans."
"Tch. Fine. See you later." She shot off into the sky like a rocket, clearly miffed. Seventeen watched her go, and then began muttering to himself and wandering aimlessly.
"Seventeen do this, Seventeen don't do that. Really, sis, do you always have to be so bossy?" He kicked aside a shattered streetlamp. "Just let me do what I want, for once! You're such a joykill."
Yusira was stunned. There's no way… he's just like a normal person. Well, except for the fact that he's probably killed millions of people. Curiously, she slipped a little closer.
Suddenly, he whirled around, a terrifying look on his face. "Gotcha!"
Caught off guard, Yusira balked in fear, tripping backwards over an exposed pipe. The splintered edge tore at her scales, and pain lanced through her leg. Grinning, the android slowly advanced towards her. How… I'm still camouflaged! I… I must have wandered too close! Panicking, she got up and scrambled to escape.
Seventeen watched the rocks shift as something, or someone, climbed over them. "So you are here! I can't believe you fell for that! It's the oldest trick in the book!" Laughing, he pursued the fleeing image of energy that he had followed here in the first place.
HIIHIIHIIHIIH
"Bulma's your WHAT?!"
"Shh!" Flustered, Trunks gestured for Goku to calm down. "Yeah, I know it's crazy. But you can't tell either of them or I might not be born!"
Instantly, Goku stopped yelling. "Really? Wow. It must be pretty tough. It's just so… strange! I mean, Vegeta and Bulma? I thought for sure she was in love with Yamcha!"
"Look, I didn't come here to tell you that! The truth is, I came to warn you. In three years, on the morning of May 12 at 10 am, a horribly destructive duo will show up on an island nine miles southwest of South City. They are incredibly powerful, even against us. They're monsters, Goku." He shuddered as memories whirled through his mind.
"Are they aliens?"
"No. They're androids, created by the Dr. Gero. He-"
"Dr. Gero? I remember him… Wait, he survived?"
Trunks grimaced inwardly. "Yes. Unfortunately, it's thanks to you. Because of your decision, he was able to escape. I know you're a good person, but that was one mistake that, in my time, cost your friends their lives."
"Their lives?" Goku looked worried. "Are they…"
"…Dead," Trunks finished his sentence. "Yes. They were all killed by the androids in a huge battle. Only Gohan survives, but…" Emotions welled up inside him, threatening to spill over. Clenching his fists, he continued, "Thirteen years from then… they get him too!" Suddenly, his rage exploded. "I hate them! Those… those monsters have turned Earth into an apocalyptic hell! Always running and hiding, that's all I can do. They're too strong, and it's two against one. There's nothing I can do."
Goku stood silently, letting Trunks vent his anger. After a few moments, he quietly asked, "You only mentioned my friends. What about me? Do I die in the battle too?"
"No. You die before it."
This was news to the Saiyan. "Before? Why?"
"Not too long from now, you will contract a deadly virus that attacks the heart. You'll hear about it soon enough and there's no way to get better, at least in your timeline. Here," Trunks said as he pulled out a small vial. "This is the antidote for the virus. Take this and you should be fine."
"An antidote? Thanks! Now I'll still be able to fight them!" He caught the bottle and held it up, curiously trying to read the label.
Trunks, for his part, was shocked. "Even after all I've told you, you still want to fight them?! Aren't you the least bit afraid?"
"Well, of course because all challenges are frightening at first. But if I can make a difference…"
"You mean it? Wow. No wonder my mom wanted me to talk to you. You have the heart of a true warrior, Goku, and I know I can trust you. Thanks for everything."
"Thanks? But I haven't done anything…" Goku said, slightly confused.
Trunks shook his head. "You have done a lot for me. You see, since Gohan died, I've always felt so alone, and there was no one who truly understood my power and all the responsibility I feel for the people of earth. Meeting you has encouraged me, and I think that maybe, just maybe, things will turn out alright."
Goku smiled. "Well, I hope everything does work out in the end."
"Yeah. Well, I should be going. Mom's probably worried sick about me." Trunks turned and waved. "I'll see you later. Take care."
"You too. Tell your mom hello for me."
"Sure thing." With that, he started back to where he had landed the time machine. As he ran, he pulled out the capsule that held his trip home and reflected on his conversation with Goku. "It's almost like finding a long-lost brother," he mused when he came to the small clearing. With the click of a button, the time machine popped from the capsule. He jumped up into the cockpit and began warming up the engine as the lid hissed shut. The engine hummed in his ears, and the ground gradually dropped from below. Trunks looked out the window towards the people standing and staring. Among them he saw his mother and father. "I wish I could have gotten to know you better," he said to Vegeta, even though it was impossible for him to hear. "You're pretty cold and distant, but you have a heart just like me. And mother, take care." Smiling, he waved, and then everything was gone in a flash of spinning light as he was thrown forward to the future, his time.
