Disclaimer - I own nothing
Chapter 2-
The Lady of the Capsule Corporation stared at the son of Goku with an expression of surprise on her face. Her eyes became watery, which seemed to confuse the Half Saiyans. "Uh Bulma, are you alright?" Gohan inquired. Bulma immediately ran up to the boy and hugged him tightly. Trunks smiled as his mother embraced his best friend's past counterpart.
"I'm fine, Gohan. It's just really great to see you again," Bulma answered. "The last time I saw was three years ago."
"Really? Well, I'm glad you're doing alright. It's nice to see you, too," Gohan said.
After releasing Gohan, Bulma wiped her eyes and asked, "So, what brings you to this timeline? I doubt you just came to visit this old woman."
"Mother, you're not that old," Trunks corrected her. "But you're right; we did come here for a reason."
"Why don't you boys come inside for lunch, and you can tell me all about it," Bulma offered. "I still know how to cook a Saiyan-sized meal and you war machines must be starving." Right on cue, the Demi Saiyans' stomachs growled very loudly, which made Bulma laugh as her son and Gohan blushed. "Just as I thought."
"True. We haven't eaten since we left the hospital," Gohan admitted.
"We could use a good meal before we head out," Trunks agreed.
"Well then, come on in, guys!" Bulma gestured the Saiyans to come inside. Gohan and Trunks followed the head of Capsule Corporation into the house. They seated themselves as they watched Bulma work in the kitchen. She brought out multiple ingredients and cooking materials. As she started making lunch, she turned to the Trunks and asked, "So Trunks, how are your parents and grandparents in the past?"
"Well, grandpa was busy in his lab, grandma was watering the garden, you were spending most of your time taking care my past self, and father was training in the gravity chamber as usual, although I'm pretty sure he's given up fighting," Trunks replied.
"At least the future is peaceful, right?" Bulma questioned. Trunks answered with a nod. "That's good to hear. By the way, Gohan, Trunks told me about what happened at the Cell games. Sorry about what happened to Goku, but I'm glad that to hear that you were able to avenge him and protect the earth in his place."
"Thanks, Bulma, that means a lot to me," Gohan told her thankfully. "I just hope I can uphold his legacy and make him proud."
"Of course you can. Goku has always been proud of you. I know he died cheerfully, without any regret or worry 'cause he was aware that the earth was in good hands. Your hands," Bulma encouraged him. "You just need to ask yourself this: what would Goku do? Our Gohan always did."
"I do that, too. Guess I'm just like my future self," Gohan mused.
"More than you know." Trunks nodded.
"So, why don't you guys tell me what has happened since then and why you've come to this timeline?" Bulma inquired. Gohan and Trunks went on to explain about the Intergalactic Martial Arts Tournament; that, aside from Goku and Vegeta, all of the Z fighters had entered and in the end Gohan, Trunks, Krillin, and a sumo wrestler were the finalists and were supposed to fight the galactic champions before fighting themselves to determine who will challenge for the title of champion. Unfortunately, Bojack and his gang had interrupted the tournament. All of the Z fighters had tried to fight against the Hera jins and even had a little help from Hercule but were no match, and in the end, Gohan was the last one to stand against them. Although Gohan wasn't able to beat them at first, after Goku temporarily returned to the world of the living to save his son and give him some encouragement, Gohan unleashed his full power and saved the Earth from the space demons, though the credit was given to the fraud Hercule Satan again.
"And you were worried that you weren't good enough to be your father's successor. You're doing just fine as Earth's defender, probably even better than he did," Bulma complimented.
Gohan laughed as he rubbed the back of his head. "I don't know about that, but thank you for saying that Bulma." Gohan said honestly.
"No problem, kid. Now, why don't you tell me why you've come to the future with my son?" Bulma asked again.
Trunks decided to answer this one. "Well, while we were recovering at the hospital, Gohan and I realized that if Bojack and his gang hadn't attacked, the two of us would've had to fight for the title of Intergalactic Martial Arts champion. Plus, Gohan said he wanted to see what my timeline was like."
"So you boys made a trip to another timeline just to settle an old score?" Bulma questioned.
Trunks shrugged. "This time period was the only place we could go where no one would disturb us, meaning we can have our sparring match without interruptions," he explained.
"I doubt either of your parents are okay with this," Bulma muttered.
Gohan laughed as he rubbed his head. "We actually left as soon as we were discharged from the hospital so that we could go before they could find out. They probably know we're gone now, and I don't think they're happy," he responded.
"I'm sure they won't be too mad. I mean, they can't really blame you for wanting to fight each other in peace. You are Saiyans; fighting is in your blood," Bulma reasoned.
"Well, someone's gotta uphold our fathers' rivalry since they can't do it anymore," Trunks said.
"I suppose you're right," Bulma sighed. She then placed multiple plates of food on the table. The Saiyans stared at the food hungrily, barely restraining themselves from diving into the feast. "Well, dig in, boys! There's enough food to fill even those bottomless pits you call stomachs, so help yourselves!"
"Thanks, Mom!" Trunks thanked her before digging in.
"Thank you, Bulma." Gohan did the same before he started to eat.
The blue-haired woman smiled as she watched her son and her childhood friend's son stuff their faces. It felt nice to have some company while they were facing these hard times. Even though their ways of eating didn't look very appealing, she still liked seeing the Demi Saiyans enjoying the meal; the last time they had a moment like this was when Trunks was younger and the Gohan from this timeline was still alive. Now, this past Gohan was carrying the same weight of responsibilities as theirs, holding the fate of the entire world in his hands since his father was dead. Her son now carried that very same burden. She stared at the half Saiyans, and her smile grew wider as she watched them relax without worrying about threats to their home. Although she didn't want to admit it, their sparring match would be good for them. It wouldn't be a fight to the death; it would be a fun match between two close friends. This could help build their friendship as well as help her son get over his mentor's death.
"By the way Gohan, you should check out Icarus' cave," Bulma suggested.
Gohan suddenly choked on his food before taking a sip of water. "Wait, Icarus is still alive here?" he inquired.
Bulma's face turned into a frown. "I don't know. We haven't seen him in years ever since you died," Bulma revealed. "But if he is still in his cave, then you should go to him."
"Alright, we'll go as soon as we finish eating," Gohan decided.
"Actually, we need to check out another place first. This place is essential so we need to investigate it while we can, we can go to see Icarus afterwards," Trunks said.
"Okay then," Gohan agreed.
After a few more minutes of chowing down, Gohan and Trunks finally finished their meals. They then left the Capsule Corporation and flew off toward the North City. Trunks was ahead of Gohan, leading him to the place they need to investigate. "Hey, Trunks!" Gohan called to his friend. Trunks looked back at his mentor's past counterpart. "Where exactly are we going?"
"We're going to 's lab," Trunks replied with a hint of disgust.
"Why?" Gohan asked.
"We need to see if it's still active," Trunks started to explain. "Piccolo told us that the Cell we fought was from a timeline parallel to my own, and that the Androids were already dead thanks to my counterpart, which is why he used the time machine to travel to the past where they were still alive. After I defeated 17 and 18 from this time period, Cell showed up just before I decided to visit you guys, which must mean that it wasn't long after Gero's supercomputer had finished working on him." Gohan nodded in understanding as his friend continued to explain. "Although it took 3 years for him to show up, I'm pretty sure the basement laboratory is still there and still functional since Cell mentioned Gero's spy robots were still gathering data."
"So, we're going to see if the basement lab is still active and destroy it?" Gohan clarified.
Trunks nodded. "Exactly. We need to destroy that secondary lab in case it's trying to create more weapons for conquering the world. Good thing I know where the lab is," Trunks stated. He then looked at the son of Goku as a thought entered his mind. "Hey Gohan, why did you want to come to my timeline anyway?"
Gohan's expression shifted to one of guilt as he stared down to see many buildings still in repair and more that were destroyed. "I needed to see what the world would end up like since my father is no longer around to protect it," Gohan confessed.
"If you're thinking your timeline is gonna end up like this one, then you're wrong," Trunks told him pointedly. "Most of the Z fighters are still alive, including my father, so your home still has plenty of warriors to defend it."
"But for how much longer?" Gohan asked. "In your timeline, my father was the first to die, and after him went your father, Vegeta. My dad's rival wasn't even enough to defeat the challenges that were meant for my dad. Neither was my master Piccolo, my partner Krillin, my dad's comrades Tien and Yamcha, and nor was I." Gohan expression grew sadder as he spoke. "You went back in time to save my father. I thought he would always be around to protect the earth, but he still ended up dying thanks to my arrogance. I thought I could make him proud by stepping in for him, but I was wrong."
"You did make him proud. You managed to defeat Cell, the monster your father was unable to beat, and save the earth," Trunks argued.
"Not without help. If my father hadn't encouraged me, and the others hadn't supported me, I probably would've given up," Gohan confessed. "My father would never give up. He had others to support him just like me, but when he ended up being the last one standing, he never backed down!"
"What about Bojack and his gang? You managed to defeat them on your own," Trunks recalled.
Gohan shook his head. "It wasn't on my own. Even though I was supposed to be the strongest, you guys fought alongside me and kept saving me. I was even saved by Mr. Satan, although that was an accident. Not to mention, Bojack came to Earth thanks to my arrogance. When the time came for me to redeem myself and defeat him, I was weak. I was Earth's last hope, and yet my dad had to save me again. I didn't actually save the Earth, my father did through me." Gohan looked away as his hair covered his eyes. "I know things are different from what you said would be our future, but we're going to have to fight enemies without my father like we did in this timeline. If I can't prove myself to be his successor, then our world will end up just like this one."
Trunks saw his friend's dilemma and went over to comfort him. "Your timeline isn't going to end up like mine did. I believe that you can protect the earth in your father's place," he said.
"I'm sure that's just what you said to your mentor before he died," Gohan muttered.
"True, but the only one he had to fight beside him was me," Trunks countered. "After all of his comrades were killed, he spent thirteen years battling those Androids on his own. If he can survive that long, then you can surely protect your home. Plus, you guys are much stronger than your future selves thanks to my trip to the past."
"So are the enemies," Gohan replied. "I might be the strongest now, but there could even greater foes out there that'll prove too strong for me to face alone."
"Then you'll just have to train hard and get stronger. And you won't have to face them alone; you have many heroes ready to fight beside you like Piccolo, Krillin, Tien, and Yamcha," Trunks assured.
"What about Vegeta?" Gohan asked. "He did help at the Cell Games and when we fought Bojack, especially for you."
Trunks thought for a moment before answering. "Whether my father is a hero or not is up for debate. He did help save the world and the universe a few times, but he did seem to have his own motives at the time."
"He has changed a bit, and he's starting to show emotions. He practically one of us now," Gohan reasoned.
"Let's just say he's an Antihero for now. But yeah, he'll be there to fight as well. And when the time is right, my past counterpart will be old enough to join the Z fighters as your pupil once again," Trunks stated. "So don't worry, you've got the power and the team to help you protect the Earth."
"But I 'm not as experienced in fighting as the others. I'm not as stubborn as Vegeta, I'm not as smart as Piccolo, and I don't have the same warrior's honor like the others," Gohan said. "I don't have the will to keep fighting like you do, and I'm not as tough as my dad."
"That's not a problem. I'm sure the others would be more than willing to teach you all that stuff." Trunks replied. "Besides, you did manage to save the world from another threat without most of that stuff."
"I did?"
"Yeah. You stopped Garlic junior when he came to Earth. Although you had some help from Piccolo and Krillin, it was you who destroyed the spice gang, defeated Garlic Jr., blew up his source of power, the Makyo Star, and banished him back into the dead zone," Trunks reminded the boy. "You did all that, and Goku wasn't there at all."
"Piccolo said that he was, just inside of me," Gohan replied.
"He still is inside of you. You've saved the world in the end before, and you can do it again. That's why Goku wasn't worried about leaving the task to you," Trunks said as he put his hand on Gohan's shoulder. "Don't doubt yourself, just do what you've always done, fight for what's right."
"But what if that's not enough?" Gohan questioned. "What if I 'm not strong enough? How can I possibly lead a team of fighters to protect the Earth? How am I supposed to be a hero like my dad?"
"Just remember that you have everyone's support and don't stop asking what your father would do," Trunks advised him. "That will be your driving force."
Gohan smiled as he felt much better. "Thanks, Trunks. I won't let you guys down," he promised.
"You'd better not. Now let's find that laboratory." Trunks flew off at high speed.
"Hey, wait for me!" Gohan called as he zoomed after him. After a little while, the two Demi Saiyans made it to the North City; they soared above the town before stopping in the mountains. Eventually, they landed and started looking around for Gero's basement laboratory. "Is Gero's second lab supposed to be around here?" Gohan inquired.
"Yes, this spot is similar to where Krillin and I found the basement lab. It should be around here somewhere; try to find a hole in the ground," Trunks instructed.
The two Saiyans searched through the rubble to find the underground lab; eventually, Gohan blew away a pile of rocks and stumbled upon a dark hole with a ladder in it. "Hey Trunks, I think I found it!" Gohan yelled. The lavender-haired Saiyan went over to where his friend was and saw the entrance to the subterranean chamber. "Is this is?" Gohan asked.
"Yes Gohan, this is it," Trunks confirmed.
Gohan and Trunks entered the tunnel and slowly descended through the dark into the lab. They soon landed on the ground and faced Dr. Gero's supercomputer. All around them were capsules, some open and some closed. There was also a big screen that was playing multiple videos of the Z fighters battling against numerous villains and an empty incubator. "So this is the lab where Cell was created huh?" Gohan questioned.
"Yeah, it looks just like the one Krillin and I destroyed in the past." Trunks answered.
"Then that means this is the supercomputer that collected our DNA along with studying our fighting styles and used them to manufacture that overgrown grasshopper," Gohan speculated as he stared at a strange machine that had multiple arms.
"Yep, that's it," Trunks confirmed. "Look at this, these capsules are empty. Must be for the Androids that were disposed of."
Gohan stumbled across a closed capsule that was marked 16. His eyes widened as he made a quick decision; he pressed the button on the case, making it disappear in a puff of smoke and turn into a Dyno cap. Gohan picked it up and pocketed it before Trunks could see it. He then noticed a couple of blueprints on a table and walked over to them. He looked through them until he stopped at one that was marked 16; he folded it and put it away. He then joined Trunks, who was still looking for anything that was still active in the laboratory. "How's it going?" he asked.
"Everything's completely shut down. The computer, the power, even the spy drones used to collect data have been deactivated. I guess after Cell was released, there wasn't any need for the lab to be used anymore," Trunks responded before he questioned, "Did you find anything worth destroying?"
Gohan quickly shook his head. "Nope! Nothing active or dangerous! Just empty machine cases and a few blueprints on some old Androids," he replied.
"Alright then, if there's nothing else worth investigating, let's blow this place!" Trunks ordered. The son of Goku nodded, and the two Saiyans began firing energy blasts everywhere; one by one, the lab's essentials were obliterated. The computer that finished making Cell was toast, the capsules were blasted to bits, and the whole place was incinerated. Gohan and Trunks then flew out of the subterranean chamber; the Saiyan prince charged up one more Ki blast as he shouted, "Now to finish the job!" He fired his energy attack at the entrance of the underground lab; it exploded immediately, and the two warriors flew off to exit the North City.
"Was the last blast really necessary?" Gohan inquired.
"Just trying to make sure that there's nothing left; can't be too careful!" Trunks answered.
"Now, time to visit my good friend, Icarus!" Gohan said cheerfully.
The two Saiyan hybrids soared through the sky toward a forest in the eastern district; they spotted a large cave in the mountains and descended toward the entrance. They slowly walked into the dark cavern, with Trunks lighting his hand with his Ki to light the way inside. The half-breeds ventured through the darkness until they stumbled upon a small stool and a nest of grass, but no dragon. Gohan's head slumped in depression; Trunks put his hand on the boy's shoulder. "It doesn't seem like there's anything here. Are you sure this is Icarus' cave, Gohan?" Trunks asked.
"Yeah, my dad set up this cave for Icarus to live in since my mom didn't want him staying with us," Gohan explained. "I used to come here every chance I got to play with him; I even snuck out a few times."
"Is it possible that the Androids came here and killed him, too?" Trunks questioned.
"No way! My father and I were the only ones who knew the cave's location aside from Icarus!" Gohan argued.
"Gohan, we know that Dr. Gero has been spying on us since Goku defeated the Red Ribbon Army. It's possible that his spy drones watched Goku make this home for Icarus, and the Androids are ruthless killing machines; I doubt they would spare any creature," Trunks said.
Gohan grew sadder as he thought that Trunks might've been right, but then he noticed something casting a shadow in the light, coming up behind them. The creature crept closer to the two until it was right behind them. "Trunks, look out!" Gohan cried, but his warning came a little too late as he was slammed into the cave wall. Gohan turned around as the attacker reared over him and roared; its giant wings spread out before it rammed Gohan into the side of the cavern. It backed away before charging at Gohan again; the son of Goku quickly jumped to the side. Trunks got up and fired non-lethal Ki blasts at the beast, but it dodged the attacks by flying swiftly. It then rushed at Trunks with its horns ready; the son of Vegeta grabbed the horns and pushed the creature back with his superior strength. Gohan prepared to fire a non-lethal energy blast at the beast when the light from his hand shined on his target, allowing him to get a good look at it.
"Trunks, wait! Let him go for a second!" Gohan shouted. His friend complied and released the winged creature; it turned to Gohan and pounced at him before growling. "Icarus, is that you? It's me, Gohan!" the boy spoke to his old friend. The creature that was Icarus growled again and lunged at Gohan to bite him, but then it stopped and sniffed him. He looked at Gohan with his big eyes as if he couldn't believe that he was here. "It's me, Icarus, do you remember me?" Gohan asked. Icarus then started licking Gohan's face numerous times, making the boy laugh. "Ok, ok! It's good to see you too buddy, now please let me up!" Gohan said enthusiastically.
The dragon got off his friend and stood on its back legs while Gohan stood up and petted Icarus. "Wow, Icarus! You've gotten bigger!" Gohan stated. Inspecting his dragon, he could see that he was slightly bigger than his past counterpart, his wings were larger and fit to carry his body, and his tail was longer. Other than that, he was still the same beast he knew. Trunks then approached them. "So, this is your pet dragon, Icarus?" Trunks inquired. Icarus growled at Trunks, but Gohan quickly calmed him down. "It's ok, Icarus, this is Trunks. He's a friend, Bulma's son," Gohan told him before turning to Trunks and saying, "Trunks, Icarus is not my pet, he's my friend."
"Got it. Sorry, Icarus, nice to meet you," Trunks greeted the reptile. Icarus sniffed Trunks before licking him too.
Gohan smiled at this. "Ok boy, Trunks and I have something to take care of, but I'll be back to play with you later," Gohan told the dragon. "Come, Trunks, let's go." The two Saiyans went to leave the cave when Icarus pulled on Gohan's cape to stop them. "What is it, boy?" Gohan asked the dragon.
"I think he wants to come with us," Trunks guessed, which made Icarus wag his tail happily.
"Alright Icarus, you can come with us," Gohan allowed. Icarus picked up Gohan and tossed him onto his back. "Whoa, guess you wanna give a free ride, huh?" The three flew out of the cave and made their way toward a luscious valley full of trees, lots of grass, and a flowing stream. They descended toward the ground and Gohan hopped off his dragon and told him, "You'd better get out of the way, Icarus. Trunks and I have a score to settle." Icarus obeyed and flew to the side, giving Gohan and Trunks space to have their sparring match.
The two Demi Saiyans stared at each other as the wind blew around them; they smirked as the anticipation between them began to build up. "You probably already knew this, but I've always wanted to spar with you since the day I met you," Gohan revealed.
"The feeling's mutual. I've always sparred against your future counterpart and lost every time. After he died, I didn't think I'd ever get a chance to beat him in a match. But defeating you will be just as good since you are him," Trunks replied.
"I'll try not to disappoint you, and I won't hold back!" Gohan assured.
"That's good to hear, 'cause I won't be holding back either!" Trunks exclaimed. "So what are we waiting for? Let's do this!"
"You got it!" Gohan said as he took a fighting stance; Trunks did the same, declaring that their sparring match has now begun. For a moment, neither fighter made an attempt to move, but then Gohan inquired, "Do you mind if I start us off?" "Be my guest!" Trunks answered. Gohan then flew at Trunks and swung his right leg at him; the older Saiyan blocked it with his arm and tried to punch his opponent. Gohan dodged the strike and flew upward, so Trunks flew after him and threw a Ki blast at him. Gohan easily deflected it but was left open to Trunks' next attack. The Saiyan teen appeared behind his mentor's counterpart, and roundhouse kicked him. Gohan started plummeting to the ground before backflipping and propelling himself back at his sparring partner.
Gohan punched Trunks in the right cheek; he shook it off and threw a punch at Gohan. The boy blocked his fist, and the two began trading blows. Trunks punched Gohan's face, and the boy countered by kicking his. The two continued to throw strikes until they separated from each other. Gohan launched a blast before rushing to attack Trunks; the Saiyan prince dodged it and blocked Gohan's assault. Trunks then struck Gohan with multiple blows and elbow bashed him downward, yet Gohan landed on all fours and flew to the right. Trunks flew after the monkey prince; Gohan sensed Trunks behind him and back flipped over him before jumping at him and kicking him in the face numerous times.
Trunks quickly recovered and fired a blast at Gohan, who fired a blast at him. Both blasts hit their targets, and the two descended to the ground showing no sign of pain or fatigue from their fight. The Saiyan sons smiled at each other as their Saiyan blood boiled in excitement. "Looks like we're evenly matched in our base forms," Gohan stated.
"Then I guess it's time to kick things up a notch!" Trunks suggested.
"That was a nice warm-up..." Gohan began.
"But now it's time to get serious!" Trunks finished.
The two Saiyan cried out as they raised their power levels. The environment around them began to quake while multiples streams of gold light shot out of the earth. The half Saiyans' muscles began to expand, their eyes turned teal, and their hair turned spiky gold as they channeled a fiery gold aura. The two Super Saiyans grew more excited as they prepared to resume their match. "You've gotten stronger since our fight against Bojack," Gohan stated.
"So have you. Of course, this will only be a fair fight if you refrain from going Super Saiyan 2," Trunks commented.
"Who says I'll need it to beat you?" Gohan asked mockingly.
Trunks raised an eyebrow at that question. "So you truly believe you can defeat me in your current state? Then I guess I'll just have to force you to go full strength!"
"Let's see you try!" Gohan challenged him.
"With pleasure!" Trunks replied.
(A/N: This fight scene will be similar to Majin Vegeta vs. SSJ2 Goku.)
The Super Saiyans stared at each other anxiously as they waited for the other to make the first move. After a full minute, Trunks let out a battle cry and charged at Gohan. He threw multiple punches at the boy; Gohan dodged the first two and blocked the rest. Trunks continued to throw a series of punches before kneeing Gohan in the gut and elbow bashing him to the ground. The Son of Goku landed on his hands and knees; he looked up in time to see the Son of Vegeta descending on him and quickly flew back up to dodge, causing Trunks to sink into the ground upon impact. The older Saiyan jumped out of the field and tried to kick his fellow warrior. Gohan blocked his attack with his knee, and the two pushed against each other while releasing sparks of energy.
"Please tell this isn't all you've got. Otherwise, you'll have to jump to your second state real soon!" Trunks mocked.
"Heh! I'm just getting started!" Gohan assured.
The two opponents broke apart and threw a fist at each other; they grabbed their fists and started kicking at themselves while moving in mid-air. Trunks finally ended their struggle by headbutting Gohan in the face, making him back away. Trunks then began rapidly punching the black-haired Saiyan, until Gohan eventually caught Trunks' fists and kicked the lavender-haired in the chin twice before kicking him into the side of the valley. Trunks stayed there for a moment as Gohan approached him. "That's more like it!" the prince grunted before freeing himself. The Saiyans slowly floated closer to each other until they were face to face; their auras suddenly mixed together as they both smiled thrillingly. With a mighty yell, the fighters' energy exploded, and they began trading blows. Their battle took a pause when the two Super Saiyans punched each other in the face.
Neither moved as it seemed they were too shocked from what just happened, but Trunks quickly recovered and commenced his multiple fist barrage on Gohan. He then kicked Gohan in the back before kneeing him in the chest and finishing with an elbow back to the head. Gohan shook it off and countered by punching Trunks in the face. His assault didn't end there as he skull bashed his opponent before throwing multiple punches at him. The younger Saiyan was on the offensive as Trunks was blocking every strike. Gohan ultimately switched to his feet as he kicked Trunks in the stomach. He prepared to strike again with his fist, but Trunks quickly disappeared and reappeared behind him. The time traveler leveled his hands at the boy and yelled, "Take this, Burning Attack!" He fired a powerful blast at Gohan's chest, sending him hurtling toward the valley forest.
Gohan crashed into the trees and was buried under a pile of wood. Trunks waited patiently for his friend to come back so that their fight could resume. At first, there was no movement in the forest for some time, but then the pile of lumber started to levitate, revealing a smirking Gohan holding his hands above his head. Trunks gasped as he saw the boy channel Ki into his palms and quickly reacted by doing the same.
"Masenko…Ha!" Gohan shouted.
"Masenko…Ha!" Trunks cried.
Two beams of energy charged at each other diagonally; they crashed, creating a giant sphere of Ki with two lines sticking out from each half. Trunks struggled to hold his place as Gohan pushed forward and moved closer to the Ki sphere; the two Saiyans were then at each half of the blast battle trying to overpower the other. "Sorry…Gohan…but you're not going to beat me today!" Trunks proclaimed as he poured more energy in his blast. "We'll see…about that, Trunks!" Gohan said back as he let out more Ki. The Demon Flash orb began to grow larger as it was fueled with more Ki. Both Saiyans continued to put more power into their attacks, causing the sphere to expand until it eventually detonated from all that power. The explosion blew both fighters backward; they stopped themselves in mid-air and charged back at each other. They clashed and were once again locked in combat.
As the fight progressed, both Saiyans smiled in response to the exhilaration they were getting from their match. Trunks threw multiple kicks at Gohan; the ox prince blocked them before throwing his own kicks. The two then grabbed onto each other's shoulders as they kicked at each other. They separated once again and started beating on themselves. Trunks punched Gohan in the right cheek, sending him flying. The Saiyan prince flew after him to strike again, but he recovered in time to hit his opponent back. The two began pummeling themselves once more before they stopped and descended toward the earth.
"So, you've still got plenty of fight left?" Trunks questioned.
"Yeah, you too, I'm guessing," Gohan replied.
"I'm impressed. I didn't think you'd last this long without going to the second state!" Trunks admitted.
"And I didn't think you'd be this much of a challenge! I'm almost tempted to use it!" Gohan confessed. "You really have improved since the Intergalactic Martial Arts Tournament!"
"Guess I'll just have to keep pushing you!" Trunks declared. He suddenly disappeared and reappeared behind Gohan, attempting to hand-chop him, but Gohan quickly ducked and back kicked him away. Trunks skidded across the ground before stopping himself and firing a beam at the younger Saiyan. Gohan jumped away and the blast hit a mountain, reducing it to rubble. The two plunged into the smoke and resumed pounding each other. After Gohan palm struck the time traveler, Trunks gave him a right hook and went on the offensive. Gohan managed to escape him and took to the skies. Trunks followed him and started firing multiple Ki blasts. Gohan dodged all of them before he realized that they were positioned all around, preventing him from going anywhere. "This should get you to go all out!" Trunks shouted as he brought his hands together. "Hellzone Grenade!"
"Energy Shield!" Gohan yelled as he engulfed himself in a blue Ki barrier. The blasts crashed into the shield, creating a massive discharge of energy. When it was over, Gohan lowered his force field and scanned the area for his missing opponent. When he sensed his comrade above him, he quickly looked up to see Trunks coming down on him with his sword drawn. Acting fast, Gohan reached behind his back and brought out his father's power pole; he held it up horizontally and used it to blocked Trunks' strike. The clash between the weapons powered by Super Saiyan energy caused a massive shockwave around the valley. Neither one moved for a moment until both Saiyans parted. "Is that Goku's power pole?" Trunks inquired.
"Yeah, Piccolo gave it to me. He said it was no longer needed to help people get to Kami's lookout since we could just fly or use aircrafts to do that," Gohan elucidated before he raised an eyebrow suspiciously at Trunks. "Don't you think that your last attack was a bit extreme? You could've cut me in half like you did Frieza!"
"You were supposed to go Super Saiyan 2 to counter my strike; I didn't think you had a weapon as well!" Trunks defended himself. "I told you that I would get you to use your full power, and you're just not there yet!"
"I guess you'll just have to keep trying!" Gohan said.
"Trust me, I will!" Trunks assured as he flew at Gohan with his blade ready. The son of Goku held out his staff and yelled, "Power pole extend!" His father's weapon glowed red before growing in length. Trunks swung his sword at Gohan, and he blocked it with his staff. The two then continued to strike and block each other with their weapons. Gohan then extended the Power pole even more, causing it to hit Trunks' blade that was turned horizontally and pushed him back a few feet. When he stopped, Trunks channeled his Ki into his sword and swung it at the younger Saiyan to fire a curved energy blast. Gohan began rotating the pole rapidly and deflected the attack. Trunks proceeded to launch Ki blasts and his sparring partner blocked them by spinning his staff. Gohan's constant deflecting of the energy attacks created a cloud of smoke around him; his staff was suddenly knocked out of his hands by Trunks' sword, and he was kicked downward by the Saiyan prince. As he fell, he quickly turned to see Trunks diving after him; he put his hands forward and yelled, "Rapid Fire!" nailing Trunks with multiple energy blasts.
The two Saiyans landed on the ground and caught their respective weapons. Gohan and Trunks then charged up their right and left fists respectively with energy. The fighters charged at each other and roared as they threw their super punches at each other; their fists clashed, leading to an eruption that blew them both backward. When they stopped, they took heavy breaths; their bodies were covered in bruises from head to toe. Gohan had blood leaking from his mouth and his forehead while Trunks had blood spilling from above and below his left eye and his right cheek. "Unbelievable! I knew you had trained to improve since the Cell games, but I didn't think you had caught up to me that fast! You've really pushed yourself to your limits and beyond!" Gohan commended his friend. "But don't you think you're taking this fight a little too seriously?"
"I told you that I never had the chance to beat your future counterpart, and one thing that you and he shared was your latent power!" Trunks answered. "But I've finally surpassed him, you're just all that's standing in my way of knowing that I could've beaten him if he lived long enough! But if I can't get you to go all out, how can be sure I would've ever stood a chance against him? So yes, if it seems that I'm taking this too personally, it's because I am!"
"Well, it's personal for me, too! Like me, you're also the half-breed son of a great Saiyan warrior, a Super Saiyan, a fighter, and the sole protector of your own world! But unlike me, all of your allies are dead, meaning you've got a lot of training to do if you wanna stand a chance against future threats, as do I! If I defeat you as we are now, how will I know that I'll be able to get strong enough in case my world turns out like this one? I don't want to fail like my future self did!" Gohan said.
"I guess we'll get our answers once we determine the winner of this fight!" Trunks declared as he powered up and Gohan did the same. They rushed at each other once again and started skull bashing each other. "I think it's time we end this battle; neither of us has the strength to continue for much longer!" Gohan stated.
"Fine by me! Let's end this!" Trunks exclaimed.
The two Super Saiyan broke apart and took fighting stances; Gohan brought his hands to his side and started chanting, "Ka…me…ha…me…" as he focused his Ki into his hands. Trunks brought his hands forward and formed a gold energy sphere in his palms. "Final…Flash!" he screamed as he fired the golden beam of devastation. "Ha!" Gohan shouted as he unleashed the destructive turtle shockwave. The energy attacks collided, creating a star of Ki that was being pushed from two sides. The Demi Saiyans struggled to overpower the other in this final beam struggle to end their fight. As they continued to fuel their attacks with energy, the Ki star moved back and forth only a little each time. Before the battle could get any more intense, another energy blast crashed into the beam collision, setting it off to explode and causing the two Saiyans to be blown backward by the shockwave. The erosion created a giant crater in the ground that was very deep. Gohan and Trunks were lying on the ground by the trench they created before they slowly stood up.
"Gohan, are you alright?!" Trunks asked.
"Yeah, I'm good!" Gohan replied. He then looked around for the intruder. "Who shot that energy blast? I didn't sense anyone!"
"Neither did I!" Trunks said before yelling, "Who's there?! We know you're here! Come out so we can see you!
"Well boy, I don't think you're in any posistion to give orders! But if you're in such a rush to die, then we'll be happy to oblige!" called a voice from above. The Saiyans looked up to see a battlion of seven men flying above their heads. The first one looked like a fatter version of the terminator's human disguise. The second one was an elderly man with laser red eyes, a pointed nose, a small thin mustache, with his black hair in a ponytail. The third one was even older with white hair sticking out from a crane hat and wearing sunglasses. The 2nd and 3rd men both wore a chang pao. The first three seemed unfamiliar to the Demi Saiyans; however, the last four men they knew too well.
"Thirteen, Fourteen, and Fifteen?!" Trunks exclaimed in shock.
"And is that Android Nineteen?!" Gohan said, stunned, before his eyes wandered back to the first three men. "Wait a minute, I know the man with the pony tail! He's the Mercenary Tao!"
"The former number one Assassin?!" Trunks asked.
"Former?! I'm still the world's greatest killer, boy!" Tao stated.
"Who are the other two?" Gohan questioned.
"I…am…Major Metallitron!" said the terminator.
"And I am Shen, the Crane master and Mercenary Tao's older brother!" Shen introduced himself.
"Crane master? You're the master of the Crane style Martial Arts school! You were Tien and Chiaotzu's master!" Gohan recalled.
"Ha! Don't speak those failures' names in my presence, boy! I'm actually glad that they're dead; they were complete embarrassments!" Shen said mockingly, which made Gohan and Trunks glare at him.
"What are you doing here?! If you've come looking for a fight, you've caught us at a bad time!" Trunks yelled.
"Sorry for the inconvenience, boys, but you have something that we need!" Thirteen spoke.
"Oh, and what would that be?" Gohan asked.
"The time machine!" Thirteen answered.
The Saiyans stared at the men with surprised looks; they glanced back at each other, hoping for an explanation, before turning back to their enemies for answers. "How do you know about the time machine?! And why do you want it?!" Trunks questioned.
"The spy drones are pretty good at what they do without being detected," said a voice from above them. "As for the use of the time machine, let's just say it is essential to our plans for the future." The Saiyans looked up to see someone they didn't think they would see again; a wrinkly old man with long white hair and a white mustache wearing weird clothing and a hat that bore the Red Ribbon insignia. His eyes were pupiless and his skin was darker and shinier, but aside from that, he looked exactly like the late Dr. Gero.
"No, it can't be… Dr. Gero?!" Gohan asked.
"But he's supposed to be dead!" Trunks exclaimed.
The man that just descended laughed at the half breeds' confusion before saying, "I assure you, I'm not Dr. Gero. He died a long time ago. I am his Robotic successor, Android number Zero, or as I prefer to be called, Dr. Zero!"
A/N: Whoa! Plot twist alert! Now I'm just starting this fanfic, so it may take some time before things get really interesting, but I assure you this will be a great fanfic to read. Thanks to all those who have supported me in the first chapter, hope you like this one! TTFN AntiHero out!