Hikari No Will Power

Act One, Chapter Five
Hyouko Kaname Shows His True Colors! Trunks' Confrontation With The Prime Minister!


"Kami, she's going into cardiac arrest!"

Wounded not only physically but also emotionally, Trunks looked on through the glass pane of the hospital's emergency room helplessly. Another important figure in his life was slipping away from him, and there was nothing he could do but pray that fate would be kind --- although he knew that fate was nowhere near kind, considering all that had happened to him in a few days' time.

Guilt wrenched his heart painfully as he watched the medical personnel struggle to pull the widow out of death's vortex --- it was his fault that she was in such a state in the first place. She was not, after all, part of the game Trunks got himself in, and she would have remained unharmed if the young man chose to fight rather than flee.

It was then when the flame of hatred ignited from the core of his very being. There was only one person to blame, one person to eliminate so as to put an end to the streak of bad luck that fell over him. Trunks could not stop scolding himself silently on how dense, how stupid he had been, and how it took him so long to figure out the true identity of his so-called hunter.

He pulled away, unable to watch as the forces of life and death went to work. The anger from inside him was making its way to the surface in a fast pace, generating a pale yet visible shimmer of white all over his body. It was a strange sensation, yes. He could no longer feel the pain his wounds caused; he no longer felt tired and weary, but rather, ready for battle. He was regaining his strength in a steady pace --- and it was not stopping.

And all of a sudden, he heard voices, very familiar voices. They were screaming, calling out his name, in such a loud manner that he cringed noticeably, even if those voices were merely inside his head. They sounded very real, however, as they called out to him one after the other --- Bulma; his sensei, Gohan; Gohan of the other timeline; Goku; Vegeta... yes, even Vegeta, Trunks' father who he never thought he'd ever meet.

A new set of voices came in shortly after, interlacing with those that struck first and they called out to the young man. But if the first set were encouraging, and even pleading, in a way, the second set of voices were mocking him... taunting him... intimidating him...

The voices of the Jinzouningen twins, Juunanagou and Juuhachigou, echoed first, their maniacal laughter pounding on Trunks' ears. The second belonged to Cell, the android who mercilessly slaughtered the young man once in another timeline; the third sounded similar to a crazed warlord, with a high, cackling laugh --- Freeza, no doubt.

But then came a voice which overpowered the rest. It was cold, sinister, and very inert that it prevented Trunks from moving a muscle all of a sudden. Run, Briefs-Vegeta... Run... Run away, while you have the time... while you have the chance... I am the hunter and you are the hunted... I am the hunter and you are the hunted... I AM THE HUNTER AND YOU ARE THE HUN---

"Mr. Briefs-Vegeta?"

Trunks snapped back to reality upon hearing the voice, jumping slightly in surprise, and the voices in his head fading into nothingness. He straightened up, took a deep breath, and spun around to face an elderly man with reddish-brown hair and crystalline jet-black eyes.

"Gashakura."

"Yes, sir, it is I indeed," the other said with a twisted smile. "Fancy seeing you here, of all places... wounded, too. What happened? Did they get you?"

"What do you want." It wasn't a question; it was a statement.

The police officer yawned lazily, and then replied in a drawling voice, "We're here to arrest you, of course. And if you're going to ask why... well, you should start keeping your ears and eyes out for the news." He paused to take a piece of paper from the folds of his overcoat, and handed it to the young man.

The demi-saiyajin's cobalt eyes narrowed significantly, but he took the paper, nonetheless, keeping his guard up as he did so. If it was a trap, he did not want to fall for it just like that, even though he knew he would eventually give in to their offer when there would be no other choice.

"Go on, read it," Gashakura urged with the same sardonic smile. "You'll find it very interesting, very interesting indeed. And well... shocking, I might add."

Trunks looked at it skeptically. It was the front page of that very day's edition of Capitol Today.

Operation 'Mass Cleansing' initiated, Kaname feels it 'is necessary'

Just last night, Executive Order No. 666 (Mass Cleansing Order) was approved by Prime Minister Hyouko Kaname after debating with the other officials for hours in the Capitol's Great Hall.

The Prime Minister felt it was necessary to take such drastic measures as the crime rate in Japan increased rapidly the past few days. "There are many citizens of this nation who have forgotten who is supposed to be in charge," Kaname stated yesterday in a private conference with the CT staff. "It is time to stop their fantasies and bring them back to the world of reality, where they put me in charge. It is time to show them how things are supposed to be done, and dealt with, with myself in charge."

Executive Order No. 666 had been proposed in the past, yet never implemented because of the effect brought about by the 'violence against violence' principle behind it. Kaname, however, said that, "It is the only way to ensure a clean and peaceful Japan in the future, for our children, for our children's children, and for the generations to come."

A list of those criminals wanted by the government, ranked according to priority and severity of their crimes, were distributed, and below is the reproduced copy. If you know any of those mentioned below, or if you have seen them recently, please contact the police department nearest you, or call up the CT's main office.

1) Briefs-Vegeta, Trunks
2) Itsu, Kashikoi
3) Adana, Yusuke
4) Tsukirido, Misu
5) Natsukashu, Daitoryo

And more names followed, which made the list stretch all the way to the back page.

At that, Trunks chuckled in a rather amused manner. "So I'm Public Enemy No. 1, huh? For murdering 13 Capsule Corporation employees with the use of a lethal virus --- a very clever accusation, and a very believable one, too, considering the fact that I'm a genius by nature." He stopped to smile, then he held out both hands, which surprised the policemen, including Officer Gashakura himself. "Well? What are you waiting for? Handcuff me before I change my mind, will you?"

"I'm glad you finally realized that running away will do you no good --- except, perhaps, cause you a sudden, painless death."

The young man chose to ignore the rather snotty remark from the police officer. "I have one favor to ask, though," he began, meeting the officer's ebony orbs with his sapphire ones. "May I have an audience with Prime Minister Kaname, even for just five minutes? I'd like to arrange a few things regarding the civilian, Chichi Son, who was injured during the bombing, because she was at the wrong place at the wrong time."

Gashakura stopped to consider it, and then, he gave in. "Very well, then."

Cerulean eyes glistening, Trunks Briefs-Vegeta allowed himself to be dragged to wherever Prime Minister Hyouko Kaname was. A triumphant smile spread on his rather pale features as he followed his captors silently, without complain, for he would soon come face-to-face with the man who caused him all the trouble --- and have his revenge.

Revenge was sweet. Very sweet.

"Failure. How utterly disgusting," Ten-Thirteen spat with her arms crossed in front of her chest authoritatively. "You were given the order and the permission to kill. But no, you still failed! How pathetic could you get --- and to think you're the best among Master Kanryu's troops!"

Katori and his crew hung their heads.

"Clever tactic, I might commend... But it seems like you underestimated the brat's capabilities. Blowing up the spot he is standing on to smithereens will not be enough to cut his life short. You should have attacked when he was dazed and injured! Where the hell are your brains?! Did you leave them beside the bomb, and lose them when the bomb blew up the place into dirt and dust?"

"Now, now, dear... that's enough---"

Her fierce blue eyes, which were drastically narrowed, seemed to pierce right through them and focus on their souls, as she continued to look at them in utter fury. Then, she straightened up, although it was obviously in a reluctant fashion. "What should I do with them, my lord?"

Kanryu's features were lit up with a cruel smile. "Why, dispose of them, of course."

"Master, you can't!" Katori protested, dropping to his knees and bowing to his superior in desperation to stay alive. "It was but a miscalculation, Master! I... I underestimated the boy! I thought... I... It won't happen again, Master, I swear! Please---"

"One mistake may cause our faction's downfall, Katori," the other said calmly. "I cannot afford to take chances, not especially at this crucial time. Besides, I already gave you your second chance, and you wasted it by underestimating the capabilities of a saiyajin warrior such as that brat. Ten-Thirteen, dear, please."

"Master!" Katori threw himself to Kanryu's feet, sobbing pathetically. "One more chance, Master! One more chance, I'm begging you! Have mercy, Master, please! It won't happen again, I will learn from my mistake, I will not fail... please, Master, have mercy! I'm begging you, please, Master, have mercy---"

"SILENCE!" the female assassin roared, her eyes aflame. And on the next moment, her cool, composed self was back, and she pulled the piece of vermin away from her commander by the back of his robe. Then, she threw Katori to the ground roughly, and kicked him on the side. "We agreed on this last night, didn't we, Daichi? You will die by my hand if you'll fail to eliminate that brat --- and you failed, so you will die. All of you. And allow me the satisfaction to have it nice and slow, will you? After all, the slower, the more dramatic... the better."

Knock. Knock.

Kanryu raised his hand, stopping Ten-Thirteen who was about to begin the show that would surely please the older man. "It appears that we have guests, and lucky for you, because your execution shall take place later than expected," he said coolly before he stood up and brushed specks of dirt off his tux. Then, he turned to his other bodyguards, who were standing nearby but did not interfere. "Take them away; Ten-Thirteen and I will deal with our guests. Come now, dear."

She threw one last glare at Daichi Katori and his crew before she picked up her blazer from her superior's table and put it on, earning a smile of approval from the other. She then pushed the stray locks of hair behind her ear, took the folder that lay beside the tray of papers on the same table, and put up the table sign the right away, which read, Hyouko Kaname, Prime Minister.

"Get the door now, dear; they might be worried."

Putting the friendliest smile she could muster, she opened the door and led their visitors in. Officer Gashakura pushed himself inside first, followed by a couple other policemen, and lastly by the former CEO of Capsule Corporation who was the most wanted criminal at that certain time. She did not look happy, however, as she shut the door --- annoyed by the fact that someone else got the brat first, perhaps --- and her heated glare rested heavily on the lavender-haired, blue-eyed demi-saiyajin.

"Miss Valkyrie, Sir Kaname, pleasant day to you," Gashakura greeted, beaming as he cocked his head to the side slightly to indicate his captive, who was forced to stand beside him. "I have captured him at last, although he requested to see you, sir --- yes, you may go." He nodded to his fellow policemen before they scurried out of the office, leaving only the four of them in the room.

"Ah... Trunks Briefs-Vegeta, if I'm not mistaken?"

Briefs-Vegeta forced a smile, and it was painful, for the rage he had been trying to supress inside of him was beginning to sputter out of control. "Yes, sir, it is I," he replied, glancing uneasily at the young woman who looked younger yet deadlier than himself, before he turned to look back at the person who stood before him --- the Prime Minister, politically the most powerful person in all of Japan. "I've... I've come to ask you a favor, sir, before I would face the punishment I am due for."

The older man leaned back on his comfortable reclining chair. "A favor? A strange thing to hear from someone like you, but I am not like those who came before me. They did not have compassion, they did not have mercy, to those who faltered and fell on the wrong path --- unlike myself. I will hear you out, and see what I can do." He smiled, nodding at the young woman who hid by the shadows. "What is that favor you want from me, young man?"

The demi-saiyajin kicked the shy guy facade into action as he shuffled his feet with his head bowed. "Well... you see... I was in the residence of my mother's friend, Chichi Son, when these people came for me. They... well, bombed the place, and she got injured heavily. She's got nothing to do with all this, and thus I beg you to please give her financial support. She has no family left; her husband died seventeen years ago, her son a few years back..." He swallowed, the memory of his sensei's death surging back through him like a shockwave.

"I see," Kaname said, seemingly in deep thought. Then, he leaned forward to smile at the young man. "Very well, I will provide her all the help she would need. Is there anything else you want from me, young man? Name it, now, while I have time, and before I turn you over completely to Officer Gashakura here for execution."

"Answers."

The Prime Minister blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Answers, Kaname, I want answers," Briefs-Vegeta snapped, his voice heavily strained as if he was having trouble controlling it. The aura that was carefully monitored minutes back erupted all of a sudden, and to their surprise, the handcuffs that bound him fell to the ground without so as much a struggle. His eyes flaming, he hissed, "And don't get any bright ideas."

Valkyrie prepared herself for battle by stepping out of the shadow that hid her, but Kaname held out his hand, telling her to stop. His firm gaze was enough to tell her not to interfere, not until he needed her assistance. "Then throw the questions," he countered in a very cool voice, as if being threatened by saiyajins was normal and happened every day. "and I'll answer them to the best of my capabilities. But please, let us refrain from using foul language --- we have a woman with us."

"Why?!"

"Why what?" Kaname asked in return.

"Why are you doing this to me?! What have I done to you?! Why can't you just leave me alone?! I have nothing left, nothing at all, don't you know that?! My mother's dead, and so are my friends and the rest of my family; Capsule Corporation no longer belongs to me, taken away by that bastard Iori Moriya; I'm bankrupt, not a single zenny in my possession, my clan's wealth reduced to nothing --- and now I'm bound to be executed for a crime I did not commit! What do you want anyway?!"

Kaname's pursed lips transformed into a bitter smile as he leaned back against his chair and laced his fingers together. His crystalline emerald eyes met Briefs-Vegeta's sapphire ones... and for the first time, he noticed that he had seen those eyes somewhere. But it was not the time for that, the Prime Minister knew. The boy wanted answers; he would give him answers. "I only want two things, young man, and one leads to the other. Very simple things, if you really think of it. You, and the world."

Shock and confusion could be seen on the young man's pale face, and that caused Kaname to laugh, in a very amused and wholehearted way. "Yes, young man, you heard me right! I want you --- I want you dead. And once you're dead, nobody will stand in my way. The world will be then be mine, ripe for the taking."