Vegeta resisted the urge to rub over the sharp pain in his skull. Listening to Paragus prattle on about council nonsense always gave him a headache. It seemed to be an increasing factor these days, now that he had to constantly pretend he didn't want to destroy the older male.

Months had gone by since Bardock and Gohan's visions, but it was of little comfort to him. They had not gained a significant enough amount of power yet, for any of the urgency to abate. Until then, Vegeta was stuck pandering to these fools. Paragus' son Broly was as odd as his father was ambitious. There was just something about the male that unsettled his stomach, and not for any reasons related to his power level.

The King had taken his own son out of the public eye so he could focus on training. Whatever small relief Vegeta's schedule had gotten from Trunks' coming of age, was negated now. The King of course joined Kakarot and the brats when he could. There were many things that pulled on his attention though, requirements, duties...

Part of him didn't even want to know when the brats truly passed him up. His only consolation was that he had ordered it, and it was thus partly an extension of his own power. Like with Kakarot. The two of them were certainly stronger than he and Kakarot had been, at their ages. Stronger than either of them had dreamed of being, even...

Vegeta forced his inner thoughts aside as the debate in front of him picked up. A response would be required of him soon, and he was not the kind to ever let his attention slip completely.

"Your, objections, are duly noted, Sage. However, I have chosen to place Paragus as the advising official..."

~/~

Gohan tried to act normally. He squared off against his father daily now, but this time was different. They were in the rare occasion of having an audience, due to the festivities. Rather subdued festivities, but festivities nonetheless. As Vegeta's public tolerance of the Purists had swayed, so had the overall mood of the planet. Resentment now clung to many of the subjects once considered to be the most loyal.

It was a bad position to be in, but they had no choice. Just like with this spar. The lesser celebrations were still cause for good natured scrapping, even though they may not call for a tournament. Today they remembered the death of an ancient warrior from generations past. Naturally, Kakarot was the one most of the palace wanted to see fight. The selection of people who could be a worthy opponent for him was miniscule though.

Which naturally lead to Gohan being jostled toward the open area by the other guards. He didn't resent it, but since practically the entire palace was gathered, he had to be careful. There were males here that were known enemies, since they were calling a spade a spade these days...

Gohan didn't want to reveal his true strength, even though Broly himself wasn't among the crowd. He just hoped his father had drawn the same silent conclusion that he had.

Trunks watched on from his place next to the King, his tail flicking in agitation every once in a while. The rumors spreading through the public were upsetting to him most of all; that the King was now becoming ashamed of his son. Even though the prince knew the truth behind all their actions, it still riled him.

With a fake smile, Gohan tossed his cape aside and made a 'come at me' gesture in Kakarot's direction. The glee in his father's face worried him briefly, but he didn't have time to dwell on it.

Kakarot wasn't holding back.

There was no way Gohan could think of to communicate to him mid-spar that he had missed something important here... All he could do was hold himself back as much as he dared. He couldn't go so far as to attract his father's anger though, or he would get called on it right then and there. Gohan knew that from experience already.

He was just thankful that custom dictated no ki attacks be exchanged inside the palace walls. They weren't built to withstand that kind of force, especially from a super saiyan. After trading physical blows for a good while, Gohan's reduced speed finally allowed his father to get him in a headlock.

Since it was all in fun, that was considered an acceptable position to 'give' from. Gohan tapped out, signaling with two quick motions of his tail that he was done. Kakarot released him, but took a backhanded parting shot at his head. Gohan ducked it, both of them eyeing each other with wary grins, even though it was 'over'...

Once the two of them finally powered down, the lesser males began rough housing again in their place. Gohan expected to have to explain himself later. He braced himself for a lecture, or a beating. ...Chastisement on taking 'political' type decisions into his own hands, certainly... When he got none of those, the first inkling of a shift in things began to enter his mind. He dismissed it though. Out of hand.

There was absolutely no way that he could be becoming stronger than his father.

~/~

Gohan's birthday was three days before the full moon. It hadn't been an issue for his human mother, though normally those births were difficult for saiyans. On vegeta-sei, all interactions were on edge for the few days directly preceding and following it. The full moon that was.

Being the date considered the anniversary of the program though, was an entirely different matter. Tensions ran high through much of the populace, with the King having relented on more than a few anti half breed issues. Beatings and discrimination were common again, with or without the savage influence of that lunar orb.

When Gohan turned twenty five, he found himself contemplating something he had never really considered before. He wondered what it would have been like to be completely human. To have been raised on earth and never had a tail, never flown, never hesitated to look up at night.

On the dawn of the program's twenty fifth anniversary, the first half breed casualty of the conflict was claimed.

"He was just a child, Vegeta, a child!" Bulma raged at the King, having had enough of these games. "They strung him up and left him to bleed out at fifteen. Fifteen, Vegeta! And no one said a goddamn thing? I'll kill them myself, the fucking cowards!" she yelled.

The King wasn't actually arguing with her, for all her pacing and throwing of things across the room. In a sort of weirdly twisted scientific way, Bulma had always considered all the half-breeds as her own.

"What am I supposed to do?" The King asked tiredly, his arms crossed over his chest. He didn't look confrontational though, no matter the posture. He looked worried. He looked the kind of frustrated that comes from running out of options.

"Beat some decency into your people if you have to, that's what!" Bulma rounded on him, not even close to being done, "He was still alive, Vegeta, we could have saved him, if someone had just fucking said something."

Angry tears dripped down his mother's face as Trunks watched them fight. It made him both uneasy and upset as well, her crying.

"The streets smell of blood at all times now, and you can't blame the general public for not looking up at night. That's why they did it the way they did" Vegeta let some of his own anger over the situation seep into his voice. "When we find those responsible, they will be executed, plain and simple."

"It's not enough." Bulma glared at him. Trunks noticed his mother's gaze shift from the King, over to him. She didn't say anything else though, getting abruptly quiet. After a long moment, she met Vegeta's eyes again.

"You have to do something, Vegeta, or there won't be a civilization left to rule over on this planet anymore..."

Those words circled in Trunks' head over and over, running through it for the rest of the day. He knew his mother was right. He also knew that there was very little the King could do, in light of the situation. They all doubted they were ready to face off with Broly, even though it had been a couple of years now since the visions.

Trunks didn't know if it was continued premonitions, or just how deeply the initial one had shaken him, that kept Bardock skeptical of their chances. He wasn't sure he wanted to find out. He hoped daily that another vision would come and turn the tide of events, but he knew it was foolhardy. He didn't even tell Gohan about such silly hopes.

And now this. Now half breeds were being strung up in the streets. Killing was nothing new to their race, but even then, there were rules, guidelines... Or maybe Trunks just liked to think those guidelines had meant more than they really did? Were the saiyans, deep down, not ready for the kind of society they had tried to emulate from others?

It seemed defeatist to dwell on such things for too long, but in light of the day's events, he couldn't help it. That night when he and Gohan curled up around each other, Trunks could feel the tremble building inside him before it hit.

In the darkness with no one else around, even then Trunks could never admit he was afraid. But it didn't stop Gohan from smelling it. With strong arms, but little in the way of comfort, he held his prince tightly against him.

"What am I supposed to do?" Trunks mumbled, moisture staining the fabric where he pressed to Gohan's chest.

"...I don't know..." Gohan felt he had to answer, though he really didn't have one. They were trapped in trying to change the future.

"They need help, I can't just... How can I defend them all? I'm their prince, it's my responsibility-..." Trunks shook his head, frustration dulling his ability to express it. Gohan understood exactly what he meant though. Even if they wanted to personally step in and fight off those attacking the half breeds, they couldn't be everywhere at once.

There were seven hundred and eighty eight...seven hundred and eighty seven, half breeds on the planet, at last count. Enough to actually be considered a percentage of the population now. Not a large percentage, but still, too many to be watched over by just he and Trunks. To Gohan, it felt as if reality itself was breaking down around him. None of the social contracts he'd been raised to believe in held true anymore...

A knocking at their bedroom door interrupted the brooding mood they were both producing. Trunks made sure to dry his eyes before speaking, though he already had a good assumption of who it would be.

"Come in" he said gently, and his supposition was confirmed.

"Um, Katsu was...crying, a little," Cumin emerged as the leader of the trio, "So he asked if we could sleep in here...just for tonight..." All their heads were hung in submissiveness, and it made them seem younger than they really were for a moment. Trunks was abruptly reminded that Sorai, the deceased male, had been no older than his own attendants.

"Of course... Just for tonight..." he relented to the uncommon request.

Gohan was immediately reminded of when he was a cub himself, crawling up between Bardock and Toma. It was comforting back then, and he knew the brats needed that now. He was glad Trunks had agreed. As they all settled, with the three youngest in the middle, Gohan's heart ached for the unease still prevalent in the room.

He knew Trunks would never let himself show the emotion he had before in front of them. The moment was over...but perhaps it was for the best. Letting their enhanced human feelings take them over wouldn't help solve this. Gohan refused to believe there wasn't a solution. They just needed to find it. They needed to stay strong until the true crucible came.

~/~

The next morning was a tortuous display of political self control. The King had to pretend that his interest in finding those responsible wasn't pressing. Paragus and Tatoe, both present today, pretended they hadn't been directly involved. Bardock leaned against the wall as if this were just another normal meeting. Trunks was playing perfect prince at his father's side.

Gohan just wanted to yell in frustration.

He had never been as good as Trunks, in holding himself back when it came to injustice. At this rate, they may reach a day where he would have to excuse himself, for the 'show' to continue without suspicion. By the end of the session, he had taken to just staring rather blankly at the far wall. It wasn't the kind of situation where his opinion would even remotely be required. It also afforded him the internal focus to keep his power from spiking in anger.

From his spot on the wall, Bardock could take in almost everyone there. It disturbed something inside him, to see the resignation in Gohan's face. He remembered when it had overtaken Kakarot, and the brat had never been quite the same after that.

Bardock's youngest had been surprisingly content with the breed mate picked out for him among the human candidates. When Chichi had succumbed to illness though... Bardock knew as soon as he laid eyes on his son, that there would be no interest in him to raise the whelp any longer.

It happened occasionally. It wasn't unheard of for neither parent to desire to care for their offspring. Gohan was far too important to be left to fend for himself though. Bardock had known Toma wouldn't really mind, for all his grousing, so he had taken the whelp back with him that same day.

Even with it being a very different set of circumstances, Bardock didn't like seeing the two males left in his line with such identical looks on their faces.

Council business moved on from topic to topic, until finally they broke for lunch. Other members of the court, functionaries, even guards, came and went for the meal. The King and his pack had a separate table of course, but breakfast was the only time they consistently got to eat alone.

Trunks wished they could just be done with these others already, but he didn't let it show on his face. He could tell Gohan was in a foul mood, or what passed for it with him. He had good reason to be. Strangely though, today, Trunks didn't feel like pulling his bodyguard aside and kissing him until the light came back into his eyes. He felt like bashing in the skulls of those responsible for stealing it in the first place.

The prince watched with cool detachment as Paragus and Tatoe went about their meal, right in front of them, as if nothing was wrong. Then something happened that Trunks would not have really considered a turning point, political or otherwise. One of Tatoe's line, Cumber, the son of his son, walked into the room.

Having been off world for quite a while, he was welcomed warmly to the Purist's table. Immediately he was slapped on the back and asked for tales of his adventures.

Sorai's father would never get to see his son return to him.

Trunks decided in that moment, almost before he even knew what he was doing, to put that fear into the Purist's hearts as well. They had been mixing contradictory lies for years, about the half breed's softness, yet how they were a danger. Perhaps it was time to give some grounding to their 'fears', since there was now no way out of this conflict.

"Cumber," Trunks casually raised his voice above the general bustle, "I don't mean to be rude, but I couldn't help overhear that you've recently returned from off planet?"

Talk stopped throughout most of the room as the prince addressed this commoner, however elite, out of the blue.

"Yes, your highness. Our squad has been in high demand guarding interstellar shipments" the young male elaborated. He sounded so full of himself and pretending of importance, that Trunks had no problem sliding into his most condescending tones to reply.

"My, that does sound thrilling, being out amongst the stars, the fate of tons of materials resting on your shoulders..." Trunks could feel Gohan's tail silently asking him what he was doing under the table.

"It's, a dangerous route...your highness" Cumber's self assurance seemed to falter a bit under Trunks' rather basic description of his job.

"You are the commander of your unit, are you not?" the prince continued to make conversation, though no one could seem to tell why. Trunks ignored Gohan's tail. Cumber nodded, holding the prince's gaze.

"You must be simply starved for a good fight then, I mean, being the strongest in your squad. It's not as if the others could ever be real competition for such a leader" Trunks wove a careful mix of flattery with assumptions Cumber couldn't dare to refute. The male responded much as Trunks intended, his manner easing, a small smile gracing his features.

"That's quite true, your highness" he tipped his head again in the barest of nods. Tatoe was looking hard at the prince, but Trunks ignored him as well.

"We should spar sometime" Trunks said lightly, as if bestowing some large grace upon a subject not quite worthy of it. In any other situation, he might have been. Cumber's eyes widened slightly at the shock of the invitation, but he nodded in acceptance right away. Anything less would have been an affront to royalty, which they still didn't dare do in the King's presence.

"It would be my honor, your highness" Cumber gave a small bow, keeping to custom.

"It would, wouldn't it? How about right now?" Trunks smiled, "Nothing overly serious mind you, I'll not transform, since you are incapable of it."

Only at those words, did the true depth of what Cumber may have fallen into here, seem to hit him.

"That is most gracious of you, but, I'd hate to see you have to hold back on my account, your highness" he quickly began trying to find a way out of this.

"Nonsense," Trunks dispelled Cumber's worries with a wave of his hand. Before ending the motion though, he began the removing of his gloves.

"With having really no one but Gohan to fight, I'm sure I could use some practice in holding back" he commented, as if it were all his subject's duty to see his training was as well rounded as possible.

Cumber's eyes were trained on Trunks' hands while he took in those words. As the royal gloves were tossed down on the table, eyes flicked back up to meet the prince's gaze. Trunks could see the moment he steeled himself to his fate. Good. If he was a coward, too terrified to put up a fight, it would take all the fun out of it.

"Clear these tables back" Trunks ordered to the general room, standing from his seat. Guards and lesser officials rushed to comply, with most present picking up their plates to watch the fight. Saiyans could of course sense the tension in the air, but were excited by the prospect of a spar as well.

While his orders were carried out, Trunks took off his cape, draping it over the back of his chair. The royal table would remain here, of course. He ignored the looks his father and Kakarot were casually aiming his way. Unless they outright denied him this, Trunks wouldn't be swayed by mild disapproval.

Next he took off his earrings, and the circlet he wore that marked him as of the King's line.

Gohan watched seriously as the little orbs were placed in his palm, with the rest of Trunks' jewelry being laid in front of him. He knew what Trunks meant to imply by stripping as if for a tournament. As did the crowd. Seeing the prince begin to remove his armor, Cumber mirrored him as the whispers picked up. Gohan noticed as the two males moved into the open space, that Katsu was watching them intently. He still held a platter of fruit meant for the King's table, but Gohan couldn't blame him for getting distracted. The cub's eyes were glued to the impromptu ring as the fight began.

Every step Trunks took, he moved with power. The male carried himself with an authority that had nothing to do with ki mastery. Even wearing nothing but his pants, it was still obvious he was a prince. Gohan had a feeling that Cumber was about to die in front of them.

When Trunks' power began to rise, filling the room, Cumber took a defending stance.

That was fine, Trunks had no problem being on the offensive. He rocketed forward, landing a punch that Cumber had little hope of seeing, let alone avoiding. The full blooded male sailed backwards, but Trunks hadn't hit him hard enough to knock him out. The prince wanted him broken and bloodied, not a quick heap on the floor.

As they fought, Cumber tried... Tried to stay on his feet, tried to land a single blow... He even tried to make a grab for Trunks' hair, which was not tied properly since this was all 'for fun'. He discovered quickly that a close proximity while fighting the prince was not desirable. It looked like the nearly instant charge of lightning's flash, when Trunks gathered ki in the palm of his hand.

Cumber released him at once to make some semblance of a block, but the energy never hit him. When he looked up, Trunks was simply standing there, watching him cower. Taking a single step forward, the prince then kicked his opponent in the head, hard enough to cause a tell-tale crack.

With the technology they possessed though, it wasn't necessarily a death sentence. Trunks decided to leave that part of it in fate's hands, and drug the limp, bloody body over to Tatoe's feet. The older male's nose flared, but Trunks gave him no time to speak. He grabbed the front of Tatoe's shirt, pulling him down so their words stayed only semi-private.

"If any more half breeds mysteriously show up dead, I'll have your blood smeared across my stomach, Tatoe" Trunks hissed.

"That is hardly my responsibility, your-"

Trunks released him abruptly, pushing on his chest just a little to make him stumble backward.

"I'm making it your responsibility" he said, a cold anger making his features practically glow with power. Tatoe blinked at him, his mouth hanging slightly open at the outright command.

"Gohan" Trunks said curtly, still holding Tatoe's gaze and brushing over a smear of blood on his arm, "Bring my things, I find I have need to shower after interacting with this full blooded whelp."

It wasn't really a fight, so there was no need for Trunks to label it as such.

Scooping up the prince's affects, Gohan did his best to suppress a smile as he followed him. They passed Katsu on their way, and Gohan was glad to see the brat standing taller than he had been before. No smile was necessary to discern the pleased look in his eyes.

Trunks may be onto something here. If they couldn't change their fate, then they could at least go down fighting. It felt a hell of a lot better than doing nothing. The last thing Gohan heard before they left the room was Vegeta ordering Cumber taken to the tanks, to see if he could be saved. Tatoe was obviously voicing some complaints about what had just happened.

"Bah, he'll live, you can't blame the young for being too affected by the full moon" Vegeta expertly dismissed his own knowing of what had really just taken place, "Things will settle down shortly, I'm sure of it..."

Not for the first time, Gohan was glad that the King's line was known for its intelligence as much as its strength.

In the showers, with Trunks pushing him up against the cool of the tiles, Gohan asked him softly over his shoulder,

"So, what is it you think you're doing?"

"Fighting back" Trunks answered smoothly, sliding a hand up to grip the back of Gohan's hair, "And fucking you." He turned his husband's head so he could press it more closely against the wall.

Gohan smiled as he felt Trunks' erection rubbing at him, and closed his eyes, relaxing. The authority in Trunks' movements, the fact that he was taking charge in this and other things, made Gohan content. He felt, safe, even; though he knew in the back of his mind that Trunks was still no stronger than him. It must be something to do with being a half breed, he finally decided as Trunks slid inside him.

He groaned more than normal while his husband massaged the sensitive skin around the base of his tail. It was kind of nice to be pinned against the wall too, it made it feel like Trunks was even deeper inside him.

Gohan came first, the sticky warmth of his seed in stark contrast with the chill of the tile against his stomach. He felt Trunks bury himself as deeply as he could only a few moments later. While they caught their breath, the prince's seed ran down Gohan's leg as it escaped him. Both of them were going to need another soaping up now. Neither of them realized that the fresh towels they dried off with afterward, hadn't been there when they'd first come in.

~/~

"Well, I think we all know why none of us could bring ourselves to stop it" Bardock sort of sighed and grumbled, "Because we all wished it could have been us."

The King raised an eyebrow, but then sighed.

"I've no idea if the brat did more harm than good with that little stunt...but I do envy him for getting to beat someone up. Unfortunately, it looks like Cumber will live" Vegeta mused.

"Yeah, what a shame" Kakarot said, "He should have just finished the job."

"It makes no difference. Cumber's life is inconsequential, and that was part of the point" Vegeta contradicted his bond mate.

"It's funny how the young always seem to come into their own when their life is at greatest risk" Bardock added, talking half to himself. No one contradicted him.

"Well, the full moon has passed, and I don't think we can reasonably blame this on that anymore" Toma waved a hand at the report they had all gathered to discuss. And that discussion had quickly lead them all down one path. Somehow Trunks' display had sent a ripple through the half breed community. They weren't just ducking their heads and staying out of sight anymore.

When their mothers sent them to market, they would go a dozen at a time instead of slinking through the shadows. No longer did they bother to hide their hair or their coloring. A good chunk of them were old enough to be considered full grown now, and were taking charge of their group's safety. Purists who picked fights or harassed them found their soft, half breed targets suddenly fighting back. They were fighting back, and winning.

It had only been four days.

They all were a little worried for what it meant about how quickly this would escalate.

"With any luck, we'll see things actually calm down once the half breeds have staked out their place. It's funny, but a lot of talk has been circulating about how they're more saiyan than most originally thought, now that they're standing up for themselves..." Bardock said.

"We can't rely on luck though" Vegeta refused to get too hopeful in that area. "The Purists certainly aren't. Things won't 'die down', they won't let them. Paragus will be right back at my feet with new demands. We all know it's not really that he wants to trample the half breeds, but to climb the throne. He doesn't give a shit about what he does to our race in the process."

That throbbing was back in Vegeta's skull, but he refused to give in to it. He absolutely refused.

~/~

At the end of that week, when Trunks was being dressed by his attendants, Aaron came into the room with a black eye. Being that he was the least likely of the three to be caught in a fight, it was something worth addressing.

"Are you going to get that healed up?" Trunks asked casually, as a way of starting the conversation.

"It's not bad enough for that, it'll mend on it's own" Aaron said simply. Trunks could tell he wasn't ashamed of the mark, so he must have been the victor. It confirmed his suspicions though, that being inside the palace no longer made them immune to dealing with such things. Aaron continued about his tasks as they talked.

"And who was it that decided to make themselves a problem for you?" Trunks asked, curious if it was someone they already knew was a Purist sympathizer.

"For me? No one, your highness" Aaron answered him. He was fitting Trunks' boot on, and when he stood, met the prince's gaze. "There are a couple guards...just the usual riff raff...who like to hassle Cumin about being bonded to a half breed" he elaborated, "...This time, I hassled them back."

"I see" Trunks couldn't help a small smile from forming in response.

"I'm his bond mate, it's my right" Aaron nodded, stealing a glance over to Cumin.

"It most certainly is. Hopefully they're smart enough to learn from the first beating" the prince added. He wanted to make sure his attendants knew to keep their awareness up at all times now. "Are they on duty today?" he questioned.

Aaron didn't answer him right away, and then Cumin spoke up from the side.

"They're in a tank" he informed the room, looking at his bond mate with admiration. Aaron blushed just the smallest amount, and Trunks could tell he was going to visible effort not to duck his head.

"I just, got so angry... I didn't want to kill them though, I don't... I don't think they even really knew what they were getting into" Aaron did look away at that, never having been one to boast in his own ability.

"Anger does fuel us... It's good you were able to keep control though" Trunks felt that the conversation was winding down, but noticed Aaron was still unmoving afterward, as if he had more to say. Trunks waited patiently, and when Aaron noticed him waiting, he took a resolute breath.

"Do you think... That it's possible... For the rest of us..." Aaron's eyes flicked silently back and forth between the prince and Gohan as he stated his hesitant question.

The room went immediately still.

"Why, do... Do you think, you've come close?" Trunks asked, just as hesitantly. He glanced at Gohan, who was casually making sure the door was closed securely. They all knew the severity of importance any of the other half breeds going super saiyan would have.

"I... I don't know... I'm not really sure what 'close' is... It's just, I've heard rumors, that maybe we can" Aaron confided in them, trusting his prince in a way that Gohan was glad to see.

Making his decision, Trunks took a deep breath, and looked Aaron straight in the eye.

"There are a lot of unknowns about it... Even my mother's research is, as of yet, inconclusive... That's all any of us ever had, was a maybe" he ended with, his voice softer than normal. He knew all his attendants were very sharp, they wouldn't have lasted here if they weren't.

If there was nothing to have indicated that Trunks and Gohan would be super saiyans, then there was nothing to say that the others wouldn't.

Trunks hoped his father would forgive him, if he ever found out, for what he had just done here. He couldn't let the brats, or the entire population of half breeds for that matter, go on without any hope though.

Aaron's eyes filled with determination right before him, and he gave a small, curt nod of acknowledgment. Trunks returned it, and no more words were spoken on the subject. The prince lifted his arms for the rest of his outfit to be put on him, and they went on about their day.