Chapter 24: Future's End
3rd P.O.V.
Trunks couldn't believe what he was seeing. Katie, his sensei, his aunt by Vegeta's blood bond, was dead. Nothing was left that he could see.
He went to ground zero and looked for any trace of her, but all he found was a piece of her Gi. He put it in his pocket and continued searching.
Then he found a small cube. It looked like glass, but also like metal. He picked it up, and it was hot, but not too hot to hold. He saw a serial number on it, and the last two digits were 22. He knew it was Katie's power core, her heart and soul in a mechanical piece of hardware.
He placed that in his pocket too. She had made him promise to use her power core if she died before a power source was found for the time machine. Looks like he'll get to keep that promise.
Trunks couldn't believe she was really gone. Gohan, too. But since 17 and 18 were gone, it wasn't so bad.
She had been a good friend, and a great fighter. She was the strongest person he could remember.
"As I sing to you a Sayjin lullaby…"
Trunks sang his old lullaby for Katie. She sang to him so many times. Her Sayjin mother had sang it to her, too, but how Katie could remember that, he didn't know.
"At least you didn't die in vain, Katie."
"Didn't she?"
Trunks turned to see 17 and 18, looking almost completely unharmed. Their clothes were ripped up a little, but any signs of damage were minimal, like cuts and bruises.
"You… you creeps! You killed her, you killed them both!"
Trunks got mad. Katie did die in vain, and Gohan wasn't avenged. But now he, Prince Trunks, the last Sayjin, would avenge Gohan and Katie. No, not just them, but everyone the androids had ever hurt in any way. Even the whale Katie talked about would be avenged this day.
His anger and power grew, and 17 and 18 took a step back, seeing the transformation begin.
Hot tears ran down Trunks' face as he thought of all the good times he'd had with Gohan and Katie. He remembered the hologram of Vegeta Katie gave to him. He remembered Gohan's teachings and Katie's fighting style. It didn't matter that she was Android 22, or that she was from another dimension, all that mattered was that now he'd make her executioners pay.
Trunks stood tall, his hair and Ki golden and his eyes a deeper shade of blue. His energy filled him and healed him. There would be time for tears later.
"Katie dreamed of this day, the day I'd transform. And you took that from her!"
He fought them, but to no avail. His anger wasn't enough, his heart wasn't enough.
As Trunks lay there on the dirt, he closed his eyes and prayed for death. It hurt so much, not just the physical pain, but the pain that he was alone in his battle now.
I can't do it alone. He thought.
"You don't have to." Trunks heard it, but didn't believe it. He heard Katie's voice.
"Katie?"
"You can use the Time Machine, you can team up with Goku, Gohan, your father, and even me, and together we'll defeat 17 and 18."
"If we couldn't now, how could we back then?"
"We'll have Goku. You'll give them advanced knowledge so they can train for the three years. You can save Goku by taking him the heart virus antidote. It'll work, trust me, I know." She smiled softly at him as she spoke.
"Katie, I can't do it alone. I can't!"
"You won't be alone, you'll have all of us. My past self may not admit it, but Goku is the key to defeating the androids. You can do it, I believe in you. There can be miracles, if you believe…" then Katie's voice disappeared.
One week later, Trunks was headed toward the past to the day Cyborg Frieza arrived on earth. That day was the day everything started to go downhill, everyone had told him.
Trunks hugged and kissed his mother goodbye as he climbed in the Sayjin Princess and headed to the past.
