Chapter 4 – Unexpected Discoveries

In the hospital…

Yamcha: Wouldn't he need any tubes or hooked up to a machine or something.

Bulma (viewing an EKG strip): No. His heart rhythm is normal and he doesn't need anything to help him breath. This even baffled the nurses.

Both Yamcha and Bulma wait in a hospital bedroom for Trunks to recover. Yamcha lazily slouches in a chair next to the bed as Bulma lets a breeze enter the room. She stands next to her son, wondering when he'll wake. With her motherly instincts, Bulma places a hand on Trunks' head starts to caress it.

Yamcha: Hey, Bulma, what are you doing?

Bulma (doesn't say anything for a few moments; then replies while looking at Trunks): I'm just comforting my son when he needs me. (leers at Yamcha) You got a problem with that?

Trunks wakes up abruptly, startled, and sits upright.

Yamcha: Hey, welcome back.

Bulma: Trunks…(clinches Trunks) My little boy!

Trunks looking around for a moment, wondering where he is and who's around him. After seeing Yamcha in front of him and his mother squeezing him, a look of relief spreads across his face.

Trunks: H-hi Mom.

Bulma: Are you all right, Trunks?

Trunks: Yeah. I'm feeling a little better, thanks.

Yamcha: Isn't it strange?

Bulma and Trunks give him clueless looks.

Bulma: What do you mean?

Yamcha (to Bulma): I mean how Trunks didn't wake up until you came and started talking. He didn't even move at all. (to Trunks) It was like you were dead or something before she came here.

Bulma shoots a defensive glare at Yamcha.

Trunks: I can explain.

Bulma (releases Trunks): Then go ahead, Trunks.

Trunks: Since I grew up under the threat of the two androids in the future, you Mother were always overprotective of me. When I was much younger, you told me to lie down and to pretend to be dead if I was near the androids. You told me not move until I herd your voice, letting me know it was ok.
I had to do this several times, many of which were false alarms. I guess that since I kept doing this, it's now hard for me go get up without hearing your voice.

Bulma: My God. I didn't know how hard life with the androids was. Is that the only way you can wake up?

Trunks: No. I can also take water, but that will take longer.

Yamcha: Damn Bulma! After Vegeta died, you must've kept Trunks on a real short leash, huh? (laughs hysterically)

Bulma (gives Yamcha a vicious look): At least we survived when the androids attacked. I wouldn't be at all surprised if you were the first to die.

Yamcha (laughing dies quickly): Man, Bulma…that was cold.

Bulma: Don't listen to him, Trunks. Now, I want you to listen to me. Those vapors created a strange compound, one I've never seen before. Some of the paramedics that went inside the building slipped into a comatose state. Even Yamcha and Gohan took in some of it, but not enough for that to happen.
With you, however, everything's a mystery. You inhaled a much larger and more concentrated amount made up of many more compounds. With all that in your body, you should be dead. But I kept up with your vital signs and they appeared to have been normal the whole time I was here.
This is just a guess, but I think your body adapted to the compounds.
Still, I don't want you going out there and fighting. You don't know what you're up against and the vapors may counteract and kill you.

Yamcha (pretending to understand any of what Bulma just said): That sounds serious. Maybe you should stay. I can go and tell the guys you couldn't make it.

Trunks (trying to get out of the bed): Mother. Yamcha. I can go and I promise you…I'll be careful.

Bulma: Trunks…

Trunks: Mother, I don't worry. I'll be fine.

Bulma: But…

Trunks (half-desperately): Mother, I don't know why, but I need to do this. Please.

Bulma: You're just as stubborn as me and your father. Sometimes I think if you had a girlfriend, you wouldn't just jump in and fight. But I trust that you're doing the right thing.

Yamcha (getting up from his chair): Hey, you can count on me to look after him. I won't let anything happen to the kid. Okay! We better hurry if we wanna get there before all the fighting starts.

Trunks (hesitates): Since you've wasted so much time waiting for me, maybe there's something I can do to get us there faster.

Yamcha: Yeah? Like what?

Trunks: I could fly us there at my top speed.

Yamcha: I don't think a kid like you can fly fast enough for us to get anywhere.

Bulma: Yamcha!

Yamcha: Whaaat? All I'm saying is that there's no way he can fly that fast. Everybody else is probably almost there by now & they've been flying hours ahead of us!

Trunks: My top speed…is mach 1.

Bulma and Yamcha (both reply in shock): WHAT?!?!?!?!?!

Trunks: I kept this to myself for the longest. Since we need to travel faster than normal, I figured this would be a good time to share it.

Bulma (placing one palm on Trunks' forehead and the other on her own): Strange. You feel normal...

Trunks: I'm okay, Mom. Really.

Bulma (puts her hands down): Are you sure? I didn't think those chemicals would interfere with your thinking…

Trunks: No. I really can fly that fast. I had to yesterday since I had a hard time looking for that thing, but forgot about the aftershocks. That explains the loud noise and winds.

Yamcha (quietly): Mach 1… (loudly) that's over 1200 kilometers an hour! Nobody can do that! Human, Saiyan, Namekian…no one!

Bulma (completely ignoring Yamcha): But…how can you fly that fast?

Trunks: I really don't know. I'm guessing it was something that was with me all my life.

Yamcha: Yes! Now we can get there in no time!

Outside on the hospital's roof…

Bulma (while fixing Trunks' jacket): Now Trunks, I want you to take care of yourself. That compound of vapors will cause you to pass out more easily, but it should wear off with time.

Trunks: I will, Mother.

Yamcha: Come on. We already wasted too much time.

Trunks nods in agreement, flies up until he hovers over Yamcha. He leans down and reaches

Trunks: Here, grab my wrists.

Yamcha: Like this? (jumps and grabs Trunks' wrists)

Trunks: Now, hold tight. (to Bulma) Mom, you should leave before the winds pick up.

The two disappear, following a loud bang.

Bulma: Be careful! (quietly) Come back safely.

Elsewhere

Goku: Well, we're here.

Everybody descends for a landing.

Vegeta: Well, where is this person we're suppose to challenge?

Krillen: Uhh…Goku, are you sure this is the right island?

A river ends its journey from the edge of the island, warning the warriors to do the same. On it's way out, the stream winds itself around past the lush vegetation. Some of the trees bend towards the watery path to let their large bright green leaves cool off. The stream loses contact to the outside world just pass two fallen trees.

Goku: Yeah, I'm sure. Why do you ask?

Krillen: Well, I thought you said there would be a huge arena to fight in.

Goku: Bulma mentioned something about this island having at least three different environments. This should be the jungle one. Let's see if we can find an arena or something nearby.

The warriors take to the air again. They bypass the rest of the jungle zone, finding the rest of the river passing trees. It travels upwards at a sharp incline – a waterfall – and ends at a pool.

Elsewhere

Yamcha: Wow Trunks! This is THE BEST! I've never traveled this fast before!

Trunks: Yeah! I love flying this fast!

Large steel beams hanging from cranes appear from nowhere.

Yamcha: Hey Trunks! They're doing construction here! Look out for those beams!

Trunks: At this altitude!?

Trunks navigates through the path of obstructions.

Yamcha: That's some good maneuvering!

A stray crane swings a beam toward the two. Since Yamcha is being distracting, Trunks doesn't see this and flies into the beam headfirst. His grasp weakens, causing him to release his friend. Yamcha starts to fall into the sea. Trunks penetrates through the structure and out the other side. Losing consciousness, he begins to fall. Yamcha stops himself & sees his friend still plummeting.

A numinous glimmer of light comes from within Trunks as he plunges head first into the chasm of water. Yamcha protects his eyes from the blinding rays. Immense, majestic bright entities emerge.

For only an instant, merely a silhouette of Trunks and these strange new things were visible, then nothing. Yamcha uncovers his eyes a second before the silhouette vanishes and is baffled by the event. Vast tides of water started to bring themselves up from where he is hovering to the direction Trunks proceeded.

Yamcha: ……M-my God… Was that really … Trunks…(flies off to contemplate what happened in the direction the waves are moving)

Large white feathers start to flutter among the breeze.

Elsewhere

Bulma: Come on, widdle Twunkie. Show Mommy how you can fly. Come on, come on.

Mrs. Briefs: Honey, don't you think he's a little too young to be flying? He can barely walk.

Bulma: Mother, he's got to start early if he's ever going to be faster than Vegeta. (to Trunks) That's wright, widdle guy. We're gonna teach Daddy a thing or two, yes we are, yes we are. Now on three. One. Two. Threeeee! (tosses Trunks into the air as Trunks chortles; then catches him) Did you see how high he went on that one, Mom? He will beat Vegeta. I think he's getting the hang of this flying thing well.

Mrs. Briefs sighs at her daughter's irrational attempt.

Elsewhere

It seems like they've been flying across one section of the Solstice area for quite a lengthy amount of time before reaching a strangely isolated area of land. They land and investigate the barren wasteland.

Elsewhere

Yamcha (pondering what happened a few minutes ago): What happened?! One minute, Trunks is there; the next, he isn't. Even at Mach 1 that wouldn't happen. And what's with the light?! Makes absolutely no sense to me. Unless…

As he flies, the water becomes more active. Small islands start to appear. On one of them, Yamcha notices something.

Yamcha: Hey! Is that a person?

He flies downward to take a closer look and sees someone lying face down on the ground with his jacket and shirt completely ripped apart in the back.

Yamcha: Is that…Trunks?

He comes in for a landing, runs to the body, and turns the unconscious person over.

Yamcha: It is Trunks! And his jacket and shirt are completely ripped apart! That ..means……No! I can't allow myself to believe that. That's just not possible. Maybe he can tell me what happened. (realizes Trunks can't respond and hits head) Oh, yeah! He's out cold. And he looks bad. Damn that Bulma, never around when she could be useful. (notices the water) That's it! Trunks said he could also wake up if he takes in some water.

He starts to haul Trunks toward the coastline of the miniature-sized island, cups water into one of his hand, and pours it into Trunks' mouth.

Yamcha: Come on, buddy. Let this work.

Elsewhere

Gohan sees a metal plate on the ground and dusts the excess dirt off.

Gohan: Hey! Everyone! I found this on the ground.

Everyone gathers around Gohan.

Tien: Well, what does it say?

Gohan: It says, "To my fellow adversaries: The Solstice, my master dome, will be unveiled when my underground fortress surfaces from the depths of Hell toward the Heavens as the sun sinks west."

Krillen: Okay, we've got some time. What'll we do 'til then?

Goku: I guess we could wait here until dusk. I mean, what else is there to do?

Vegeta: What?! You're telling me that you're just going to sit there until we actually have to fight?!

Goku: Well, yeah.

Vegeta: Fine. You can go and sit there doing absolutely nothing to prepare for this battle. I'm going off to train. And believe me, when I'm finished with this guy, you'll be next in line. (flies off)

Piccolo: I hate to admit it, but I'm with Vegeta on this. This isn't going to be some sort of petty little competition. It's a fight to the death. (flies off)

Gohan: Isn't there anything else we could do, Dad?

Goku: No Gohan, there isn't. There won't be any time for us to do anything else. Besides, this'll give Yamcha and Trunks time to get here, if they make it before we start.

Gohan: Okay, Dad.