Chapter 5 – Trouble

As soon as Goku and the Time Machine vanished, Vegeta feels Mirai's predator gaze tingling on his back.

'Come out, boy. I know you're there.' Vegeta crosses his arms and waits. After a few moments, he hears leaves rustling and Mirai Trunks stumbles down the hill behind him.

'I know what you're after now, kid. Get over here.'

Mirai approaches him, uncertain what to expect. His eyes are hazy and unfocused. His hands tremble at his sides, his breathing is ragged and irregular.

'Don't be afraid, Trunks.' Vegeta stretches out his hand and places it on Mirai Trunks' cheek. They instantly feel how their souls connect. Mirai's is confused and lost, Vegeta's is guiding and confident. After what seem to be endless minutes, Mirai Trunks sighs as if the weight of the world has been lifted off of his shoulders. He opens his eyes again and finds Vegeta sitting next to him.

"Where the hell am I? Am I dead?" he asks confused.

"You're very much alive, Trunks. But I'm afraid you've been missing out on some stuff recently."

"Am I… in another dimension again?"

"You are. You came to us, injured and hurting, seeking something. Tell me what you can remember."

"I remember…" Mirai's eyes grow wide. He clenches his fists at his sides, whispering: "That can't be true."

"What do you see?" Vegeta asks.

"It's too horrible to say," Mirai says with a broken voice.

"Come here," Vegeta says, putting their foreheads together. A shiver runs down his spine as he watches Mirai butchering one prostitute after another in his own timeline, seeking satisfaction for his burning desire.

'That wasn't me…' Mirai cries inside his mind. 'Oh Kami, that wasn't me…'

'Is there more?' Vegeta continues his search inside Mirai's head.

'Vegeta… onegai… don't do this to me. There are memories and thoughts in here that I don't want you to see.'

'I can help you, Trunks, but only if you let me. I won't hold any of this against you, I promise. Kami knows I have thought of fouler things and have committed more disgusting and terrible crimes than you could ever imagine.'

Still hesitating, Mirai opens up the gates to his inner thoughts. Vegeta stays under for a long time, then opens his eyes again.

"We can fix this," he says bluntly. "But it's going to be hell for you again."

"I don't care," Mirai Trunks replies. "As long as it stops…"

"We'll make it stop."

Back at Capsule Corp, Bulma starts examining Mirai for anything deviant. Vegeta tells her what to look for.

"There it is," Bulma cries out triumphantly. "If you hadn't told me I'd never have found it."

"It masks itself, woman. It doesn't want to be found. Can you fix this?"

"Sure, no problem. I'll have an antidote ready in a few hours."

"Finally," Mirai Trunks sighs.

A few hours later, Mirai Trunks receives his antidote. He falls asleep right away, to wake up about an hour later, screaming Vegeta's name.

Vegeta runs to the side of his bed, grabbing his hand and trying to calm him down with his ki.

"Kami damn it… It hurts Vegeta, IT HURTS!" Mirai's body contracts violently, Vegeta feels the bones in his hand break under the pressure and grunts.

"O… onegai… make… it… STOP!" Mirai Trunks starts powering up to fight off the agony.

"TRUNKS! Don't power up! I don't care how intense the pain is, DON'T POWER UP!" Vegeta's hand is still crushed by Mirai.

"I… can't… resist… it… Vegeta… Kuso…" Mirai Trunks' hair flashes gold for an instant.

"I can't hold on any longer Vegeta! Run! Get… out…"

Vegeta feels how Mirai releases his hand. He has no choice. Pinpointing his family's ki, he takes off and ITs them all into safety. They reappear on the Lookout.

"What the hell did you give him woman?" Vegeta asks breathless. "Picked out the wrong syringe or something?"

"I didn't… I have no idea what happened."

"Neither do I. I'll check things out." Vegeta is about to run to the edge of the Lookout, as he feels a hand on his arm.

"Let me heal you first," Dende offers wisely.

"Hn. Make it quick, Namek, we don't have all day."

Vegeta soon plummets towards the ground and sets course for Capsule Corp. His fear becomes reality as he watches a Saiyan emerge from the ruins that used to be Capsule Corp. A Saiyan with long, gold hair and no eyebrows.

"Shimatta!"

Mirai Trunks looks up to his prey, smirking evilly.

'Let's play catch.'

Vegeta doesn't even have time to power up or to block the attack. Before he knows what hits him, he feels chains lock tightly around his wrists. His ki vanishes instantly and he falls down from the sky. He hits the ground hard and almost loses consciousness.

"Guess I'm not very good at playing 'catch'," Mirai Trunks says cruelly. "I'm sorry, I totally forgot that ki restraints would make you… fall."

"Son of a bitch," Vegeta retorts. "You think you can take me out with some lousy ki restraints?" He drops his ki to a dangerously low level, then clashes his wrists together in an almost magical gesture. The ki restraints shatter and Vegeta immediately powers up again.

"Thank Kami," Trunks comments sarcastically. "For a second I was afraid you wouldn't try to fight me."

"You know me better than that, brat."

"Wrong, Vegeta. Actually, I don't know you at all! You rushed yourself into an early death in my dimension, abandoning your family, running away from your responsibilities! You left us to fade away… And since I can't punish the Vegeta in my own dimension, I'll have my revenge on you."

"Take your best shot, kid. But before you do, realize that you're lying to yourself. You're not here to destroy me. On the contrary."

"Nani?" Mirai Trunks stares at Vegeta dumbfounded.

"I could see it in your eyes after you knocked out Kakarot. You're here to bond with me, admit it." Vegeta crosses his arms over his chest, hovering quietly in the air.

Mirai Trunks seems to consider the idea for a moment, then nods.

"So that's it… I was wondering what all the insanity was about." He chuckles. "I've done some pretty horrible things because you weren't around to relieve my frustration, you know that?"

"I know. I can only imagine what you must feel like, since I do not have the same desire to achieve a devil's bond with you."

Mirai Trunks growls deep in his throat. "I'll have my way with you, Vegeta, no matter what powers you summon to stop me."

Vegeta shrugs. "I'm a dominant Saiyan, boy, with royal blood running through my veins. The likes of you won't be able to force me into a bond. Kakarot is my mate."

Mirai Trunks makes a dismissive gesture. "Feh! Kakarot is a low class warrior, not worthy of an Elite fighter like you. You must have been very desperate indeed."

Vegeta clenches his fists at his side, losing control of his temper.

"Do… not… insult… my… mate," he says with strained voice.

"Kakarot is a slut, Vegeta," Mirai Trunks continues with an evil smirk on his face. "He stuck up his ass, waved his tail and you fell for it!"

"That's it! I'll bury you so deep that even the rats won't be able to find your bones!" Vegeta attacks in blind fury, hitting Mirai with all he's got.