Hikari No Will Power

Act One, Chapter Six
The Prime Minister's Secret Weapon Revealed! Trunks Briefs-Vegeta VS Kasumi Valkyrie!


"What?!"

Briefs-Vegeta could not believe his ears, could not believe what he just heard. Kaname wanted him dead, so nobody could stop the crazed Prime Minister from taking over the world? The world which he worked so hard to save from the androids? Is this how they're planning to repay me for what I've done for them, by destroying me so I won't stand in their way?! How ungrateful of them, to think they owe me their lives!

"You heard me, young man," Kaname blurted out coolly. "I want you dead. That's why I took the trouble of preparing the perfect trap for you to fall into, even if I had to sacrifice other matters that were of importance to me. Like spending time with my daughter, perhaps. But I'm sure she'll understand, when the time comes; what I'm doing is for her own good, for her own future."

"I'm sure she will," the younger man blurted out sarcastically before he looked at the Prime Minister with utter seriousness, a threatening gleam in his eyes. "But you'll never know. You might be shocked to see a rebellion one day, with your daughter leading the forces herself, pushed by the belief that you will cause this world's destruction out of your principles that are downright idiotic. You plan to make this world a better place by that Mass Cleansing Order of yours? Who are you kidding?"

Leaning forward to peer into the demi-saiyajin's eyes, Kaname smirked. "I'm not kidding anyone, Briefs-Vegeta. You are the one kidding yourself, in denying that I can accomplish my dream of a clean and peaceful world through that. This planet is teeming with evil, young man, and I'm sure you know that. And the only way to make our world a better place is to get rid of that evil --- even if we'll have to use brute force to accomplish that. Open your eyes to the truth. There is no other way."

"There is another way," Briefs-Vegeta growled, his anger rising once more. "There is another way to make this world a better place, if only you'll get your mind out of the gutter and think of something else! There is another way to pave a better future for all of us, without spilling the blood of innocent civilians and those who did not do anything wrong in the first place! You're going to go and get rid of that evil, yes, but don't you see what you're truly doing? You're just repeating the act, killing in cold blood, and in an even heavier intensity as you're doing it to so many people at just a certain span of time!"

"And what are you going to do about it?"

The other lifted his hand, and began charging up a ki-blast in it. He could not think anymore. Blood was pounding in his ears as he thought of all that had happened to him and those who had been loyal to him the past days. They died because of the lunatic who was sitting so comfortably in front of him, the lunatic who wanted to get rid of the only person who could stand up against him and defend the innocents, and thus have the world for himself and mold it into whatever he would want it to become.

I will not allow it to happen, the young man thought to himself as he looked at the other with sharp, ice-cold eyes. I will not let him have it his way. This world will not stand on a foundation of evil and violence. This world was built by love, by the blood of those who died in defending it from the servants of the devil... by the Z-Senshi... by my family...

His steely voice replied, "I'm going to kill you."

Present Timeline
Capsule Corporation, 785 AD

"You're kidding!"

There was definitely a mischievous gleam in Trunks Briefs-Vegeta's eyes, and as predicted, his best friend Goten Son certainly did not miss it. It was not only because of the fact that they had been best of friends since their childhood, it was also because it was a gleam that appeared on the former's features almost everyday. "I'm not," the lavender-haired, blue-eyed demi-saiyajin said smugly as he sat down at the edge of his bed. "And I think it's the perfect thing to hand to our Physics teacher! I'm sure we're going to get grades that will be floating way above the perfect mark!"

Raven-haired, ebony-eyed Goten chose to sit down on the floor, right across the older warrior, and he put his bag aside before plastering an equally excited smile on his features. "That's going to be so cool! Nobody will beat us in the fair with that as our entry, and we won't have to worry about our midterms anymore! So when are we going to start? You got the materials ready? The blueprint? The---"

"That's no problem," Trunks replied as he pulled out a large piece of paper from under his bed. "I got the blueprint here, took it from the lab two weeks ago. The materials and equipment are all in the lab, too. We only have one problem, and I'm afraid that it's going to be the trickiest one to get past." He lowered his voice. "Keeping my mom from knowing what's going on. I'm very sure she won't be happy that we're going to show off what she's done in public and take the credit for it."

"I am not planning to think about the consequences if she finds out, thank you," the younger blurted out.

"Good. We'll just have to be very careful with our operations, and if possible, add a few features that will spice it up. I mean, we can't alter its main and only function, can we? So we'll just have to put our brains together and come up with something unique and extraordinary before we hand it over. We have..." he paused to look at his desk calendar. "... a week more, after all. Now let's see, let's start off with--- A WEEK?!"

Goten sighed heavily as his best friend fell off the bed and crashed to the floor dramatically. "I've been telling you, reminding you about it for three weeks, Trunks, but you didn't pay attention to me. You kept blabbing about other matters during those times, like your soccer matches and your future in the J-League, or the girl you're planning to make a move on and how you were going to do it. And now, look at how much time we have left. A week. And to add to that, you're planning to build a---"

"We can do it! I'm positive that we can!" Trunks exclaimed as he got up and grabbed the blueprint from the floor, pulling Goten to stand beside him in the process. "See? This wouldn't be so hard to do! We'll just have to --- darn, we're running low on plutonium... and the titanium shipment isn't until next month."

They stood in silence for a few moments, disappointment evident in their features.

"Got any other ideas, Goten?"

"Well..." the younger demi-saiyajin mumbled as he began pacing around his best friend's bedroom. The other could tell that he was running low on ideas, after their plans in constructing their supposed-to-be masterpiece was cut short. "We could always convert non-electronic everyday equipment into electronic and highly technological ones and make them a whole lot easier and more convenient to use... you know, add a couple of features or something. How about if... if we add a geiger counter and an automatic system to my mother's frying pan, so that it will only hit those with high power levels such as ourselves?"

Mirai Timeline
Capitol Hall, 784 AD

He had no other option left at that moment but to destroy the man responsible for it all, Hyouko Kaname, and so without hesitation, he released the energy that he had charged up in his hand, right towards the Prime Minister of Japan who sat in front of him, as cool and complacent as ever.

But the blast was deflected.

"Even someone like you won't be able to pull off something like that," a voice muttered coldly, and the demi-saiyajin's eyes widened in surprise as he saw the Prime Minister's secretary standing right in front of him --- in between the predator and the prey --- as smug-looking as ever. "Not while I'm around, anyway."

"Get out," he ordered, meeting her fierce gaze with his own. "Or I'll be forced to kill you as well."

At the threat, she smirked, in a manner that took Briefs-Vegeta aback, as her arrogant gestures were very much familiar to the young man. Cockily, she said, "I'd very much like to see you try. You don't seem to have an idea who I am, and what I am capable of doing. Would you like a demonstration, right here, right now? Or would you like to take this somewhere, so we could battle without holding anything back? I'd prefer the latter."

"For the last time, lady, get out of my way, or I'll blast you to oblivion with him."

"And for the last time, I'd like to see you try," she countered, her eyes taking a dangerous shimmer.

Briefs-Vegeta's eyes narrowed significantly as he glared at her intently. Cocky one that girl is, but I'm sure she won't last long. One Final Flash should do it. Might as well end it here, to stop any more trouble from brewing. She'd like to see me try, huh? Don't worry, lady, I meant what I said, and I'm going to blast you to oblivion with him, no strings attached. You better start saying your prayers, he thought before he leapt back and took up a certain stance.

He felt someone hold his shoulder, but it did not stop him from doing what he wanted to.

"FINAL FLASH!"

He then blinked, upon noticing what had happened. He was no longer in Kaname's office; he was standing in the midst of a desert plain, the dust whirling around him as they danced with the wind that scurried past. The blast he released, shot right through the current, and then, disappeared from his view.

At that, he began to feel very uncomfortable. He looked around frantically, searching for the ki signature he was feeling, but he could not find the owner of it. A thought struck him --- did the power level belong to Kaname's secretary, who offered to battle with him in a place where they won't have to hold anything back? Was she the one who brought him in where he was standing at the moment, through teleportation, perhaps?

"You're a smart kid," a female voice sprung to his ears, and he whirled around to see the young woman he was facing earlier, who was now in full battle regalia. "Yes, the power level you felt earlier was mine. I hid it back then at Capitol; I didn't want you to know I could fight like you do at that specific time. Yes, I brought you here, through teleportation --- through Shunkan Idou, to be exact. You know, Instant Transmission?"

It dawned on him. She was the one who took a hold on his shoulder just before he fired his attack.

She sneered. "Brilliant! You catch up fast, brat. I grabbed you before you could fire your ki-blast. And yes, I'm psychic, and I can read minds --- isn't that what I'm doing now?" she added as soon as a new thought surged through the young man's head. Then, she pushed the stray locks of her jet-black hair away from her pale, pointed face. "I suppose it's time for me to introduce myself. My name is Ten-Thirteen, although I live in this mudball of a planet by the name Kasumi Valkyrie. I was named such with a reason, of course... two reasons, for that matter. First, I have the ability to fade into any obscurity --- mists are my specialty --- without being noticed, appearing invisible, thus the name Kasumi. Second, I'm simply a killing machine. Do you happen to know the name of the Norse death goddess, brat?"

Briefs-Vegeta scowled. What game was she trying to play? That was all he needed and wanted to know --- that she was a heartless assassin, up and about the orders of a crazed politician. For some reason, however, he could not stop staring at her, for he knew that he had seen her before, somewhere, although he could not make it out.

The assassin, to the demi-saiyajin's surprised, was intimidated by his silence. "Stop your attempt to ignore me, brat! I asked you a question, now answer me! Do you know the name or not?! It's just a yes-or-no question, don't tell me that famous Trunks Briefs-Vegeta can't understand something as simple as that?! You're pathetic!"

"Yes, I know it --- Valkyrie is the Norse death goddess! Satisfied?!" he snapped back.

"Precisely," Valkyrie approved, and her cool, composed self was immediately back in place, almost as if she wasn't mad just a second back. She then smirked. "That's how my name came to be, and I hope it will be helpful to you. You will find a lot of hints through my name, and if you're lucky, you can find them all and use them against me. But with a mind as clouded as yours, I doubt it."

"Don't be too sure about your victory in this battle, lady," Briefs-Vegeta shot in return as he tried in vain to assure himself that he was going to survive the battle that was about to take place. He was confident earlier, but he was shaken when he found out that Valkyrie was psychic, as it meant she could not only read minds, she could also move things with her mind, and perhaps, influence people with it. "You don't know me as much as you think you do."

"Oh, I know who you are, and your accomplishments are nothing to be proud of. True, you saved the world from the androids, but what took you so long? You had the power, but you were not able to get it out at the right time, you were not able to control it and put it to its proper use. And because of that, many died, when you could have saved them."

I will not fall for this... I will not fall for this! She's trying to psycho me into doing something that will earn her a victory, but I will not fall for it! I. Will. Not. Fall. For. It! he told himself sternly, almost in a trance-like manner as he repeated the words over and over again. He looked at the female assassin, who was only a few inches shorter than himself, and composed himself. He was going to win. "Stop twisting things around and let's get started."

Valkyrie smiled, the smile that irritated the young man for some reason. Maybe because he had never seen anyone who looked as smug and confident in battle just like his father, Vegeta? The female warrior was certainly showing confidence and arrogance with the same intensity as that of the Saiyajin no Ouji, and it was proven when she said in the same cocky manner, "You've just signed your death contract. Well, then, put on your battle gear and let's get going. I want to eliminate you as soon as possible."

Briefs-Vegeta complied, and he took off his overcoat, revealing the all-too-familiar fighting outfit of his --- a black undershirt and a pair of blue pants, except that he did not have a sword any longer. The sword he used to have shattered into pieces by one of the blasted androids in the timeline in which he traveled into. "You're going to wish you've never been born," he shot in reply, the arrogance in his face in such a high intensity, they were almost sporting exactly similar expressions.

And then, the battle began.