Disclaimer: All characters belong to their owners.
Note: Think of this as a one-shot focusing on Trunks. It takes place during Kid Stuff, shortly after Yugi's death at the hands of Sakuya (then the Super Saiyan Sovreign...whew!).
... are thoughts.
Summary: When Trunks runs away, only one person can bring him home: Vegeta.
The Longest Day
As soon as the door to the time machine slid open, Trunks ran out and flew into the air, tears still streaming down his face. He could hear Sasami and Gohan shouting for him to come back, but he did not stop.
I should've stopped Sakuya when I had the chance. Instead, I let her kill my best friend. It's my fault that Yugi's gone...and I'll never see her again. She's dead because of me.
"Trunks!" Sasami shouted again, watching as he vanished behind the clouds.
"It's no use," Gohan said. "He's gone."
"Well, go after him!"
"No," said another voice.
The pair turned to see Washu beside them, staring at the clouds.
"Just let him go, you two. Trunks needs to be alone for a while. He'll come home when he's ready."
"I agree," added Sailor Saturn as she stepped out of the time machine. "Trunks's pain is his own."
"But aren't you worried he might hurt someone...or himself?" Sasami asked.
"Not really. He is a Super Saiyan now." Washu tapped her chin thoughtfully. "But maybe I should keep an eye on his power level, just in case." She turned and headed back to her lab.
Sasami touched Gohan's arm. "I know Washu's not worried, but I am. Please, Gohan, go after him!"
"Even if I caught up to him, I wouldn't know what to say, Sasami. And if I dragged him back here, he'd just run off again."
"So you're not going to do anything?!"
"I have a suggestion," Saturn said quietly.
"What?" Sasami asked.
"We could call the one person who has three things in common with Trunks. He knows the pain of loss, he is extremely powerful, and he is a Saiyan."
"Who do you..." Sasami's eyes widened.
"I think she's right," Gohan whispered. "I don't want to do it, but we'd better contact him. And nobody tell Washu if you value your lives."
* * * * *
Trunks woke up in a huge crater. Which was strange, since he had fallen asleep on a mountaintop. I must've blown it up in my sleep. He glanced around, noticing the crater was still smoking around the edges. He sighed and slowly got up. "Guess I'll have to get used to being alone, now that Yugi's gone."
There was a loud, derisive snort from above.
Trunks looked up to see a familiar figure hovering above him.
"You think you know the pain of loss, boy? You know NOTHING!"
Trunks balled his hands into fists. "What do you want?"
The man landed and crossed his arms over his chest. "I want you to realize that you're a wimp."
Trunks suppressed a growl.
"What was that? Is the little man getting angry?" He reached out and shoved the boy back a few feet.
"Stop that!" Trunks shouted.
"Make me."
Trunks screamed in anger and charged, aiming for the man's face. But the man took a step back, blocked the punch, and sent Trunks to the ground with a hard right hand.
"Pathetic."
Trunks scrambled to his feet and tried again. This time, he got a knee to the gut and an uppercut for his troubles. He soon found himself on his back, staring up at the clouds.
"I remember a time when you could've easily avoided those attacks. Your emotions have made you weak, boy. Now get up."
Trunks grunted and waited for the air to return to his lungs.
"I said get up!" the man roared, giving the boy a swift kick in the ribs.
Trunks rolled over and cried out in pain as the man's boot came down on his back.
"You're so weak it's embarrassing to beat you senseless. You're not even worth my time right now."
Trunks coughed and somehow managed to speak. "Then why are you here?"
"Frankly, everyone else was too soft to do the job. They're afraid of damaging your broken little heart even further." He reached down and grabbed a handful of the boy's hair. "But I could care less about what you thought you felt for some girl."
Trunks clenched his teeth. "I didn't think, I knew what I felt!"
The man smiled evilly. "Yes. And now she's dead because of you. Does it really matter?"
Tears cascaded down the boy's face. He'd had enough. "DON'T YOU TALK ABOUT HER!" he screamed, trying to pry himself from the man's grip.
"You failed her. The one time when she needed you most, and you let her down. At least she'll never have to watch you fail anyone else."
An inhuman wail of frustration flew from the boy's lips. Electricity flew through the air, as if the tension between the two Saiyans was physically manifesting itself. Trunks could feel incredible energy flowing through his body, and any traces of the sad, brokenhearted boy vanished as pure, primal instincts took over.
The man took a few steps back, watching in satisfaction as Trunks completed the upgrade to Super Saiyan. He'd only seen it once before, but it was no less spectacular now.
"Is this what you wanted?!" Trunks shouted. "Are you happy now?!"
"No. And if you're going to transform, do it right."
The clouds above them suddenly turned black, and the ground began to shake.
The man opened his mouth, letting out a roar of anger.
For the first time since he'd become a Super Saiyan, Trunks was actually afraid. The ground fell away beneath him, and though he knew how to fly, the technique suddenly escaped his memory, and he fell. Just as he was about to be swallowed up, something grabbed Trunks by the wrist, almost threatening to break it. Somehow, he willed himself to look up.
Vegeta stared down at his son, his green eyes full of nothing but intensity. Without a word, he said everything that needed to be said.
Trunks understood right away. Just then, nothing else in the world was more important than what his father was about to teach him. He also knew that it would be the longest day of his life. And though it scared him, something deep down welcomed the challenge that Vegeta was sure to bring.
* * * * *
Washu, Sasami, and Gohan watched as the two power levels rose higher and higher. Finally, they got so high, Washu had to reconfigure the setting just to get an accurate reading.
"So," Washu said quietly, "which one of you decided this was a GOOD idea?"
Gohan frowned. "Washu, even after he met you, Vegeta has always been alone, to a certain extent. Trunks is still new to the feeling of solitude. If anyone can help him through it, Vegeta is the one."
"But Vegeta doesn't WANT to help him! He wants to kill him!"
"You don't really believe that, do you?" Sasami asked. "Vegeta is extremely proud of his Saiyan heritage. He wouldn't kill his own son."
"But Trunks isn't a full-blooded Saiyan. Vegeta didn't even consider him a real Saiyan until he transformed."
"He didn't have a choice," Gohan pointed out. "Trunks took him out."
"Hey, look!" Sasami cried. "It stopped!"
Sure enough, one of the power levels had stopped rising. The other was still going strong.
"That's Vegeta," Gohan said. "What could he be thinking?"
"That's what I intend to find out," Washu replied.
* * * * *
Trunks couldn't understand it. He was stronger than his father, so why was he losing the fight? It just didn't make any sense. He paused to catch his breath, glaring as Vegeta smiled at him.
"What's the matter, boy? Does the baby need a rest?"
Trunks almost attacked him then. No. He wants me to be angry. When I'm angry, I can't think straight, and that's how he's beating me.
"Come on, boy! Are you going to stare, or are you going to fight?!"
Trunks landed and let his power level begin to drop. "Okay, you've made your point."
Vegeta smirked. "Have I? Then tell me what you've learned."
"Don't fight when I'm angry."
Trunks never even saw his father's hand until it was too late. Though it was only a slap, it felt like a ton of bricks. He stumbled back a few steps, clutching his red cheek.
"You haven't learned anything. A true Saiyan only fights when he's angry. It's what he does with the anger that makes the difference." Vegeta grabbed Trunk's golden hair and pulled him closer. "Do you see this, boy? It's the ultimate sign of a Saiyan's power. Without anger, you never would have reached this point."
Trunks pulled away. "So what am I doing wrong?"
"You're letting the anger control you. You have to control the anger. Use it to feed your power."
"Well, how do I do that?"
Vegeta snorted. "I can't tell you. It works differently for every kind of Saiyan."
"In other words, YOU don't know."
Vegeta snorted again. "You're the one that just lost three fights in a row against someone with a lower power level. I wouldn't be so confident."
Trunks blinked in disbelief. It was the first time he'd ever heard his father say something like that. "You mean...I'm better than you?"
Vegeta threw back his head and laughed loud and long. "Stronger, definitely, but not better. Need I point out the 0-3 record again?"
"Then why won't you show me how get better?"
"I told you, I can't show you. Do you remember why you first became a Super Saiyan?"
Trunks thought back. "You were gonna hurt Hotaru."
"Well, whatever you did to control your anger then, do it now."
"But I didn't DO anything! It just...happened."
"Then it was instinct," Vegeta replied. "Go with that."
"But HOW?"
Vegeta rolled his eyes and turned away. "You're hopeless, boy."
Trunks tried to remember what he'd done the last time. He'd watched Vegeta swat his friends down like flies, and he was about to hurt Hotaru. After that, it was all a blur. It was as if Trunks had become another person.
Suddenly, Vegeta grunted. "It's too bad about your little girlfriend. What was her name again? Yugo?"
"Yugi," Trunks growled.
"Whatever. It's a real shame, the way she died. If I ever allowed a woman to get the best of me and then kill your mother, I'd probably never be able to call myself a Saiyan again. I mean, seriously. She was just a woman that you defeated with no problem afterwards. How is it that YOU, of all people, were stupid enough to let her kill Yugo first?"
"HER NAME IS YUGI!" Trunks screamed, charging at his father.
Vegeta took a step back and blocked his son's punches with ease at first. Then the punches came more rapidly, and their accuracy increased. Soon, Vegeta was unable to block any of them, unless using his face to absorb the impact was considered a new blocking technique. Then a punch caught him in the chest, and he doubled over. Trunks kept coming, landing kicks across his forehead and shoulders.
Just then, Trunks took a step back and moved his hands in a strange, rapid formation. Vegeta had never seen it before, but instinct told him to do something besides watch. Calling upon his remaining energy reserves, he built up the needed power for his infamous Final Flash.
* * * * *
Washu nearly fell out of her chair when both power levels flew off the charts, then instantly vanished. "Computer, what just happened?!"
"Both Vegeta and Trunks used techniques that called for all their strength."
"So what happened to them?!"
"Scanners would indicate that they fainted, Miss Washu."
"I know that! Are they okay?!"
"Your son is fine, Miss Washu."
"What about Vegeta?"
The computer took a moment to answer. "Unknown. His power signature has changed since it was last detected. It is possible that he has learned several new techniques that radically changed it. Therefore, his signature cannot be pinpointed any longer."
"He couldn't have learned anything in the last few minutes."
"Also true. It was just a theory, Miss Washu."
"Quit theorizing and tell me what's going on!"
"At once, Miss Washu." There was a slight pause. "Miss Washu?"
"What?"
"I don't KNOW what's going on..."
* * * * *
When Trunks woke up, it was dawn. He felt cold all over, and then realized why. He and Vegeta had destroyed so much land that they'd uncovered an underground stream. Trunks just happened to by lying in it. He slowly sat up.
Vegeta was lying a few feet away. Like Trunks, his uniform was torn, stained with mud, and bloody. Unlike Trunks, he hadn't regained consciousness yet.
Trunks crawled over and lightly pounded on his father's chest. "C'mon, Dad. It's morning."
Vegeta's eyes snapped open, and his hand wrapped around Trunks's throat. When he realized where he was and who Trunks was, he let go and sat up.
Trunks coughed and held his throat. "Geez, Dad. Bad dream?"
"Force of habit," Vegeta replied, getting to his feet.
"Where'd you pick up a habit like that?"
Vegeta hesitated, then sighed. "Frieza."
"You mean the guy you used to work for?"
"I didn't work for him!" Vegeta snapped. He lowered his voice. "I was a slave."
"Slave? But Mom said-"
"Your mother gave you the PG version. I'll give you the real story." Vegeta sat down on a nearby boulder and looked up at the sky. "We Saiyans have always been a proud race, my son. We knew we were the strongest. We just didn't realize how strong we truly were. Each and every Saiyan that ever lived has had the potential to become a Super Saiyan like us. If they were dedicated and worked hard enough, no one could have stopped them."
"So what happened?" Trunks asked, coming to sit beside his father.
"We got proud. Many grew lazy, and only fought when a job came along. Some even stopped training altogether. But not me. I was of the Saiyan elite. If I wasn't training, I was punishing someone that should've been training. Not that it helped me much."
"When does Frieza come in?"
Vegeta stopped talking for a moment. "My father was King Vegeta, ruler of the Saiyans. But Frieza ruled him, and so he ruled the Saiyans, and anyone else that had a significant power level. We were his best fighters. Even his own henchmen didn't take on the jobs we did. Since I was one of the strongest, my father handed me over to Frieza. He trained me to be the best."
"So he helped you?" Trunks asked.
Vegeta's eyes darkened. "No. In front of his henchmen, he treated me like dirt. In front of my father, he treated me like a son. And when we were alone, he...he..." Vegeta stopped talking again and lowered his head.
"What, Dad? What did he do?"
"He beat me. Sometimes, it was because I made a mistake, but usually because he felt like it."
"But it didn't hurt you, right?"
Vegeta stared at his son for a long moment. "You think I'm invincible?"
"Well, yeah. Nothing hurts you, Dad. You always come back better than ever."
Vegeta was silent for a moment. "Help me take off this uniform."
Trunks obeyed and gave the chest plate a slight tug. The rest of the uniform came away in pieces.
"Look at my back," Vegeta said.
Trunks wasn't sure what he expected to see. What he did see was decades of scar tissue that hadn't healed properly. It probably hadn't healed at all. Then he noticed that the tissue formed a gruesome, black letter F across his father's back. He reached out and pressed a finger against it, drawing away in surprise as Vegeta grunted in pain. "But I don't understand," he whispered. "You always got stronger."
"Every Saiyan does that; it's in our genes. But we have to lose battles first." Vegeta sighed. "But I had lose so much more..."
"Like what?"
"My family. My home. Our entire race. Freiza destroyed them all. That was the longest day of my life, when I found out."
"But...if the Saiyans were his strongest fighters, why would he kill them?"
"Like I said, we were the strongest. Not just the strongest fighters, the strongest, period. Frieza was afraid we'd grow too powerful for him to control, and he was right. That's why he killed them."
"But...why didn't you kill him?"
"No. Even after I found out years later, I continued to serve him. I wasn't strong enough to kill Freiza on my own, and I would never ask for help. I pushed myself harder in training. I was determined to be the one who did kill him. Kakarot stole that dream, though. I'll never forgive him for that."
"Hey, Dad?"
Vegeta looked at his son. "What is it?"
"When you turn into a Super Saiyan, what do you think about?"
"Losing everything."
Trunks thought for a moment. "So if Yugi was everything to me, should I think about losing her when I want to transform?"
"If she really meant that much to you, then yes. Maybe you did learn something after all." Vegeta glanced over at the rising sun. I should probably take him home...or maybe just send him. Washu will be there, and...
Vegeta's thoughts were interrupted by a warm pressure against his side. He looked down to see Trunks leaning against him, yawning quietly.
"Dad?"
"Yes?"
Trunks glanced up at his father's face in silence. Then he shook his head. "Forget it." He yawned again, and then promptly fell asleep.
Vegeta waited, then slowly wrapped an arm around his son. I know, Trunks. I love you, too. Maybe we'll even be able to say it one day. Just not today.
* * * * *
The members of the Masaki household were just finishing breakfast when there was an unusual roar overhead. Only Gohan knew what it meant. It was the sound of a Super Saiyan landing.
Seconds later, Vegeta walked into kitchen, carrying a sleeping Trunks in his arms. "Where is his room?" he asked, nodding at his son.
Sasami slowly pointed to the door that led to Washu's lab.
Vegeta scowled, then pushed the door opened with his foot and vanished inside. He walked past the various computers and experiments, paying them no attention. He stopped beside the door which was labeled "Trunks's Terrain" in childish script. Smiling to himself, he pushed it open and gently placed his son on the bed.
Trunks rolled over and began to snore.
Vegeta smiled again, and had barely taken a step out of the door when he bumped into Washu.
Washu took in his muscular, blood-stained chest, then looked to his face.
He stared at her uncertainly for a moment, and then smiled. Vegeta leaned over and kissed the corner of her mouth before leaving the lab.
Washu watched him go before allowing her jaw to drop in shock. Then she shook her head and went to check on her son.
The End.
Note: Think of this as a one-shot focusing on Trunks. It takes place during Kid Stuff, shortly after Yugi's death at the hands of Sakuya (then the Super Saiyan Sovreign...whew!).
... are thoughts.
Summary: When Trunks runs away, only one person can bring him home: Vegeta.
The Longest Day
As soon as the door to the time machine slid open, Trunks ran out and flew into the air, tears still streaming down his face. He could hear Sasami and Gohan shouting for him to come back, but he did not stop.
I should've stopped Sakuya when I had the chance. Instead, I let her kill my best friend. It's my fault that Yugi's gone...and I'll never see her again. She's dead because of me.
"Trunks!" Sasami shouted again, watching as he vanished behind the clouds.
"It's no use," Gohan said. "He's gone."
"Well, go after him!"
"No," said another voice.
The pair turned to see Washu beside them, staring at the clouds.
"Just let him go, you two. Trunks needs to be alone for a while. He'll come home when he's ready."
"I agree," added Sailor Saturn as she stepped out of the time machine. "Trunks's pain is his own."
"But aren't you worried he might hurt someone...or himself?" Sasami asked.
"Not really. He is a Super Saiyan now." Washu tapped her chin thoughtfully. "But maybe I should keep an eye on his power level, just in case." She turned and headed back to her lab.
Sasami touched Gohan's arm. "I know Washu's not worried, but I am. Please, Gohan, go after him!"
"Even if I caught up to him, I wouldn't know what to say, Sasami. And if I dragged him back here, he'd just run off again."
"So you're not going to do anything?!"
"I have a suggestion," Saturn said quietly.
"What?" Sasami asked.
"We could call the one person who has three things in common with Trunks. He knows the pain of loss, he is extremely powerful, and he is a Saiyan."
"Who do you..." Sasami's eyes widened.
"I think she's right," Gohan whispered. "I don't want to do it, but we'd better contact him. And nobody tell Washu if you value your lives."
* * * * *
Trunks woke up in a huge crater. Which was strange, since he had fallen asleep on a mountaintop. I must've blown it up in my sleep. He glanced around, noticing the crater was still smoking around the edges. He sighed and slowly got up. "Guess I'll have to get used to being alone, now that Yugi's gone."
There was a loud, derisive snort from above.
Trunks looked up to see a familiar figure hovering above him.
"You think you know the pain of loss, boy? You know NOTHING!"
Trunks balled his hands into fists. "What do you want?"
The man landed and crossed his arms over his chest. "I want you to realize that you're a wimp."
Trunks suppressed a growl.
"What was that? Is the little man getting angry?" He reached out and shoved the boy back a few feet.
"Stop that!" Trunks shouted.
"Make me."
Trunks screamed in anger and charged, aiming for the man's face. But the man took a step back, blocked the punch, and sent Trunks to the ground with a hard right hand.
"Pathetic."
Trunks scrambled to his feet and tried again. This time, he got a knee to the gut and an uppercut for his troubles. He soon found himself on his back, staring up at the clouds.
"I remember a time when you could've easily avoided those attacks. Your emotions have made you weak, boy. Now get up."
Trunks grunted and waited for the air to return to his lungs.
"I said get up!" the man roared, giving the boy a swift kick in the ribs.
Trunks rolled over and cried out in pain as the man's boot came down on his back.
"You're so weak it's embarrassing to beat you senseless. You're not even worth my time right now."
Trunks coughed and somehow managed to speak. "Then why are you here?"
"Frankly, everyone else was too soft to do the job. They're afraid of damaging your broken little heart even further." He reached down and grabbed a handful of the boy's hair. "But I could care less about what you thought you felt for some girl."
Trunks clenched his teeth. "I didn't think, I knew what I felt!"
The man smiled evilly. "Yes. And now she's dead because of you. Does it really matter?"
Tears cascaded down the boy's face. He'd had enough. "DON'T YOU TALK ABOUT HER!" he screamed, trying to pry himself from the man's grip.
"You failed her. The one time when she needed you most, and you let her down. At least she'll never have to watch you fail anyone else."
An inhuman wail of frustration flew from the boy's lips. Electricity flew through the air, as if the tension between the two Saiyans was physically manifesting itself. Trunks could feel incredible energy flowing through his body, and any traces of the sad, brokenhearted boy vanished as pure, primal instincts took over.
The man took a few steps back, watching in satisfaction as Trunks completed the upgrade to Super Saiyan. He'd only seen it once before, but it was no less spectacular now.
"Is this what you wanted?!" Trunks shouted. "Are you happy now?!"
"No. And if you're going to transform, do it right."
The clouds above them suddenly turned black, and the ground began to shake.
The man opened his mouth, letting out a roar of anger.
For the first time since he'd become a Super Saiyan, Trunks was actually afraid. The ground fell away beneath him, and though he knew how to fly, the technique suddenly escaped his memory, and he fell. Just as he was about to be swallowed up, something grabbed Trunks by the wrist, almost threatening to break it. Somehow, he willed himself to look up.
Vegeta stared down at his son, his green eyes full of nothing but intensity. Without a word, he said everything that needed to be said.
Trunks understood right away. Just then, nothing else in the world was more important than what his father was about to teach him. He also knew that it would be the longest day of his life. And though it scared him, something deep down welcomed the challenge that Vegeta was sure to bring.
* * * * *
Washu, Sasami, and Gohan watched as the two power levels rose higher and higher. Finally, they got so high, Washu had to reconfigure the setting just to get an accurate reading.
"So," Washu said quietly, "which one of you decided this was a GOOD idea?"
Gohan frowned. "Washu, even after he met you, Vegeta has always been alone, to a certain extent. Trunks is still new to the feeling of solitude. If anyone can help him through it, Vegeta is the one."
"But Vegeta doesn't WANT to help him! He wants to kill him!"
"You don't really believe that, do you?" Sasami asked. "Vegeta is extremely proud of his Saiyan heritage. He wouldn't kill his own son."
"But Trunks isn't a full-blooded Saiyan. Vegeta didn't even consider him a real Saiyan until he transformed."
"He didn't have a choice," Gohan pointed out. "Trunks took him out."
"Hey, look!" Sasami cried. "It stopped!"
Sure enough, one of the power levels had stopped rising. The other was still going strong.
"That's Vegeta," Gohan said. "What could he be thinking?"
"That's what I intend to find out," Washu replied.
* * * * *
Trunks couldn't understand it. He was stronger than his father, so why was he losing the fight? It just didn't make any sense. He paused to catch his breath, glaring as Vegeta smiled at him.
"What's the matter, boy? Does the baby need a rest?"
Trunks almost attacked him then. No. He wants me to be angry. When I'm angry, I can't think straight, and that's how he's beating me.
"Come on, boy! Are you going to stare, or are you going to fight?!"
Trunks landed and let his power level begin to drop. "Okay, you've made your point."
Vegeta smirked. "Have I? Then tell me what you've learned."
"Don't fight when I'm angry."
Trunks never even saw his father's hand until it was too late. Though it was only a slap, it felt like a ton of bricks. He stumbled back a few steps, clutching his red cheek.
"You haven't learned anything. A true Saiyan only fights when he's angry. It's what he does with the anger that makes the difference." Vegeta grabbed Trunk's golden hair and pulled him closer. "Do you see this, boy? It's the ultimate sign of a Saiyan's power. Without anger, you never would have reached this point."
Trunks pulled away. "So what am I doing wrong?"
"You're letting the anger control you. You have to control the anger. Use it to feed your power."
"Well, how do I do that?"
Vegeta snorted. "I can't tell you. It works differently for every kind of Saiyan."
"In other words, YOU don't know."
Vegeta snorted again. "You're the one that just lost three fights in a row against someone with a lower power level. I wouldn't be so confident."
Trunks blinked in disbelief. It was the first time he'd ever heard his father say something like that. "You mean...I'm better than you?"
Vegeta threw back his head and laughed loud and long. "Stronger, definitely, but not better. Need I point out the 0-3 record again?"
"Then why won't you show me how get better?"
"I told you, I can't show you. Do you remember why you first became a Super Saiyan?"
Trunks thought back. "You were gonna hurt Hotaru."
"Well, whatever you did to control your anger then, do it now."
"But I didn't DO anything! It just...happened."
"Then it was instinct," Vegeta replied. "Go with that."
"But HOW?"
Vegeta rolled his eyes and turned away. "You're hopeless, boy."
Trunks tried to remember what he'd done the last time. He'd watched Vegeta swat his friends down like flies, and he was about to hurt Hotaru. After that, it was all a blur. It was as if Trunks had become another person.
Suddenly, Vegeta grunted. "It's too bad about your little girlfriend. What was her name again? Yugo?"
"Yugi," Trunks growled.
"Whatever. It's a real shame, the way she died. If I ever allowed a woman to get the best of me and then kill your mother, I'd probably never be able to call myself a Saiyan again. I mean, seriously. She was just a woman that you defeated with no problem afterwards. How is it that YOU, of all people, were stupid enough to let her kill Yugo first?"
"HER NAME IS YUGI!" Trunks screamed, charging at his father.
Vegeta took a step back and blocked his son's punches with ease at first. Then the punches came more rapidly, and their accuracy increased. Soon, Vegeta was unable to block any of them, unless using his face to absorb the impact was considered a new blocking technique. Then a punch caught him in the chest, and he doubled over. Trunks kept coming, landing kicks across his forehead and shoulders.
Just then, Trunks took a step back and moved his hands in a strange, rapid formation. Vegeta had never seen it before, but instinct told him to do something besides watch. Calling upon his remaining energy reserves, he built up the needed power for his infamous Final Flash.
* * * * *
Washu nearly fell out of her chair when both power levels flew off the charts, then instantly vanished. "Computer, what just happened?!"
"Both Vegeta and Trunks used techniques that called for all their strength."
"So what happened to them?!"
"Scanners would indicate that they fainted, Miss Washu."
"I know that! Are they okay?!"
"Your son is fine, Miss Washu."
"What about Vegeta?"
The computer took a moment to answer. "Unknown. His power signature has changed since it was last detected. It is possible that he has learned several new techniques that radically changed it. Therefore, his signature cannot be pinpointed any longer."
"He couldn't have learned anything in the last few minutes."
"Also true. It was just a theory, Miss Washu."
"Quit theorizing and tell me what's going on!"
"At once, Miss Washu." There was a slight pause. "Miss Washu?"
"What?"
"I don't KNOW what's going on..."
* * * * *
When Trunks woke up, it was dawn. He felt cold all over, and then realized why. He and Vegeta had destroyed so much land that they'd uncovered an underground stream. Trunks just happened to by lying in it. He slowly sat up.
Vegeta was lying a few feet away. Like Trunks, his uniform was torn, stained with mud, and bloody. Unlike Trunks, he hadn't regained consciousness yet.
Trunks crawled over and lightly pounded on his father's chest. "C'mon, Dad. It's morning."
Vegeta's eyes snapped open, and his hand wrapped around Trunks's throat. When he realized where he was and who Trunks was, he let go and sat up.
Trunks coughed and held his throat. "Geez, Dad. Bad dream?"
"Force of habit," Vegeta replied, getting to his feet.
"Where'd you pick up a habit like that?"
Vegeta hesitated, then sighed. "Frieza."
"You mean the guy you used to work for?"
"I didn't work for him!" Vegeta snapped. He lowered his voice. "I was a slave."
"Slave? But Mom said-"
"Your mother gave you the PG version. I'll give you the real story." Vegeta sat down on a nearby boulder and looked up at the sky. "We Saiyans have always been a proud race, my son. We knew we were the strongest. We just didn't realize how strong we truly were. Each and every Saiyan that ever lived has had the potential to become a Super Saiyan like us. If they were dedicated and worked hard enough, no one could have stopped them."
"So what happened?" Trunks asked, coming to sit beside his father.
"We got proud. Many grew lazy, and only fought when a job came along. Some even stopped training altogether. But not me. I was of the Saiyan elite. If I wasn't training, I was punishing someone that should've been training. Not that it helped me much."
"When does Frieza come in?"
Vegeta stopped talking for a moment. "My father was King Vegeta, ruler of the Saiyans. But Frieza ruled him, and so he ruled the Saiyans, and anyone else that had a significant power level. We were his best fighters. Even his own henchmen didn't take on the jobs we did. Since I was one of the strongest, my father handed me over to Frieza. He trained me to be the best."
"So he helped you?" Trunks asked.
Vegeta's eyes darkened. "No. In front of his henchmen, he treated me like dirt. In front of my father, he treated me like a son. And when we were alone, he...he..." Vegeta stopped talking again and lowered his head.
"What, Dad? What did he do?"
"He beat me. Sometimes, it was because I made a mistake, but usually because he felt like it."
"But it didn't hurt you, right?"
Vegeta stared at his son for a long moment. "You think I'm invincible?"
"Well, yeah. Nothing hurts you, Dad. You always come back better than ever."
Vegeta was silent for a moment. "Help me take off this uniform."
Trunks obeyed and gave the chest plate a slight tug. The rest of the uniform came away in pieces.
"Look at my back," Vegeta said.
Trunks wasn't sure what he expected to see. What he did see was decades of scar tissue that hadn't healed properly. It probably hadn't healed at all. Then he noticed that the tissue formed a gruesome, black letter F across his father's back. He reached out and pressed a finger against it, drawing away in surprise as Vegeta grunted in pain. "But I don't understand," he whispered. "You always got stronger."
"Every Saiyan does that; it's in our genes. But we have to lose battles first." Vegeta sighed. "But I had lose so much more..."
"Like what?"
"My family. My home. Our entire race. Freiza destroyed them all. That was the longest day of my life, when I found out."
"But...if the Saiyans were his strongest fighters, why would he kill them?"
"Like I said, we were the strongest. Not just the strongest fighters, the strongest, period. Frieza was afraid we'd grow too powerful for him to control, and he was right. That's why he killed them."
"But...why didn't you kill him?"
"No. Even after I found out years later, I continued to serve him. I wasn't strong enough to kill Freiza on my own, and I would never ask for help. I pushed myself harder in training. I was determined to be the one who did kill him. Kakarot stole that dream, though. I'll never forgive him for that."
"Hey, Dad?"
Vegeta looked at his son. "What is it?"
"When you turn into a Super Saiyan, what do you think about?"
"Losing everything."
Trunks thought for a moment. "So if Yugi was everything to me, should I think about losing her when I want to transform?"
"If she really meant that much to you, then yes. Maybe you did learn something after all." Vegeta glanced over at the rising sun. I should probably take him home...or maybe just send him. Washu will be there, and...
Vegeta's thoughts were interrupted by a warm pressure against his side. He looked down to see Trunks leaning against him, yawning quietly.
"Dad?"
"Yes?"
Trunks glanced up at his father's face in silence. Then he shook his head. "Forget it." He yawned again, and then promptly fell asleep.
Vegeta waited, then slowly wrapped an arm around his son. I know, Trunks. I love you, too. Maybe we'll even be able to say it one day. Just not today.
* * * * *
The members of the Masaki household were just finishing breakfast when there was an unusual roar overhead. Only Gohan knew what it meant. It was the sound of a Super Saiyan landing.
Seconds later, Vegeta walked into kitchen, carrying a sleeping Trunks in his arms. "Where is his room?" he asked, nodding at his son.
Sasami slowly pointed to the door that led to Washu's lab.
Vegeta scowled, then pushed the door opened with his foot and vanished inside. He walked past the various computers and experiments, paying them no attention. He stopped beside the door which was labeled "Trunks's Terrain" in childish script. Smiling to himself, he pushed it open and gently placed his son on the bed.
Trunks rolled over and began to snore.
Vegeta smiled again, and had barely taken a step out of the door when he bumped into Washu.
Washu took in his muscular, blood-stained chest, then looked to his face.
He stared at her uncertainly for a moment, and then smiled. Vegeta leaned over and kissed the corner of her mouth before leaving the lab.
Washu watched him go before allowing her jaw to drop in shock. Then she shook her head and went to check on her son.
The End.